MT News Service
Jammu, February 19:
Former Minister and senior Congress leader Raman Bhalla on Friday interacted with aggrieved people of Nai Basti area who are facing exorbitant power tariff bills in thousands and lacks and even department has cut several power connections in the area where a good number of people are daily wagers making both ends meet with utmost hardships. Inhabitants of the area put forward their grievances including hefty power tariff bills, and unscheduled power cuts. Prominent among those present on the occasion include Block President Amrit Bali, Vijay Choudhary, Suresh Sharma, Sandeep Dogra, Jagdish Jaggi, Ashwani Honda, Gurpreet Dogra, Surinder Sodi, Parshotam Mehra, Dolly Thakur, Babbu Singh, Ashwani Dogra, Anita Devi, Sheelo Devi, Rishi Jangi, Sonu Choudhary, Anita, Krian Dogra, Prem Dogra, Ajay Dogra, Babbi Thakur, Darshan Sharma, Harbansh Lal, Kartaro Devi, Raju Dogra beside others.
Speaking on the occasion, Bhalla criticized the callous attitude of J&K Power Development Department for not extending JKPDD Amnesty Scheme for domestic electricity consumers of Jammu and Kashmir Union Territory. Bhalla further said that the area was supposed to be the model commercial area of the temple city, but the failure of the civic authorities to maintain sanitation in the lanes, by lanes and delay in improving infrastructure has created unhealthy conditions. Expressing serious concern over scarcity of essential commodities, grim power and water supply, former Minister said that the administration must come out of deep slumber and infuse responsiveness and an element of accountability in its machinery in order to mitigate the sufferings of people.
Bhalla said that the Amnesty Scheme was announced by the Power Development Department (PDD) in 2020 to curb the power theft in the erstwhile J&K State. “Unfortunately, COVID-19 outbreak has spread across the globe as well to the UT of J&K. The pandemic has caused mass disruptions to the nation’s economy, its trade, industry and the lives of citizens. There is no industry or sector of the economy that has been left unaffected by this wave,” he said.Bhalla asserted that people of all sections of the society having been economically hit due to the corona pandemic and the government should show compassion and provide special succour particularly to the financially distressed poor and marginalized sections of the society. “The labourers, farmers, small traders, self employed, taxi transport and auto operators, Rehri and Phari owners have been worst affected due to pandemic and no source of earnings during the last many months. With the poor sections having exhausted all their savings, they are finding it hard to make both ends meet while at the same time having to pay various kinds of cesses and tariffs,” Bhalla said.Former Minister said that it’s not possible for the people to clear their payments due to Covid-19 pandemic. He mentioned that traders, contractors as well as suppliers whose payments to the tune of crore of rupees are pending in various government departments. He said the government should first clear liabilities of traders, contractors as well as suppliers then it should talk about the amnesty scheme.
Speaking on the occasion, Bhalla expressed great resentment over lack of development in Gandhi Nagar constituency for the last six years. Locals complain of lack of development, dilapidated infrastructure, including power, water supply and condition of roads. Unemployment is another concern for locals. In 2014 assembly elections, BJP had promised government jobs to educated unemployed youth and for youth who have passed Classes 8 and 10. But no such selection process ever took place and the youth are feeling cheated. Former Minister said that peace and governance have taken a big hit under BJP Government. “While the present insensitive dispensation has plunged J&K into unprecedented crisis, the development has come to a grinding halt and governance at the lowest ebb”, Bhalla said.Tall promises have remained in air so far, while common people have been left to fend for themselves by a brazenly insensitive and callous dispensation,” he said .
Former Minister said lack of direction and political will have compounded the perception of political uncertainty in J&K whereas the government should have tried to provide a hope of inclusive development, reconciliation and peace. He said disenchantment among the people has reached an unprecedented level. He said regional polarisation and efforts to divide the people on the basis of their religions could have short-term political advantages for the ruling parties, Jammu and Kashmir will always stick to its legacy of inclusiveness, secularism and tolerance.He said that those giving sermons on secularism should learn its basics from the glorious, selfless history of Congress. “We have rendered unparalleled sacrifices for the cause of secularism and inclusiveness,” he said.The former Minister said that development has been pushed to back burner while public grievances were mounting unheard with each passing day.
Former Minister said that there is strong resentment among people of Jammu region towards BJP which has miserably failed to address even basic issues of the people of the area.Bhalla said entire responsibility lies upon BJP to address the basic issues of the people. But it has literally failed to address the genuine issues of the general public.Bhalla said that majority of people during interaction maintained that no new developments but only facelifts of previous works were done in the area.”BJP was in power at the Centre and in the erstwhile J&K State too, it was easy for the party to forward issues of common masses through their Government in the State to the Union Ministry concerned, for mitigating the sufferings of people but they took them casually,” Bhalla said .He pointed out that there was total chaos and confusion among people as BJP leadership has failed to remove peoples’ apprehensions. “On the one hand, there is complete uncertainty in J&K, while on the other hand people are confronting with failure of the administration to solve day today problems”, he said, adding that most parts of the city are facing scarcity of potable water and power and dilapidated condition of lanes.
Even after considerable time, since Panchayat elections, the development activities in rural areas have come to a standstill due to non-availability of funds. Panchayats are virtually defunct and rural populace is crying for development,” Bhalla said. He said that it is most unfortunate that the common people have no medium to raise their voice for their basic necessities due to the neglect of the BJP govt. The people have to come on roads to express their anger and seek redressal of their genuine grievances. The utter failure of BJP which had the mandate of Jammu region since 2014 to carry forward the projects initiated by the previous Govt both at State and Centre and to upgrade the infrastructure and augument various schemes, have resulted into total mess and several projects either standstill or going on snail’s paces, causing great loss to Jammu region and adding hardships to the people on various fronts.
