Stressing that people of Kashmir have been going through political uncertainty for the past 68 years in general and past 26 years in particular and at the receiving end of innumerable rights violations, black draconian laws, atrocities and curbs, All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC) Chairman, Mirwaiz Dr. Moulvi Muhammad Umar Farooq Friday said at the governmental level too they were being victimized by taking anti-people decisions and framing anti-people policies.Addressing a large gathering of people before the Friday congregation prayers at the historic Jamia Masjid in Shehar-e-Khas area of Srinagar, the Mirwaiz strongly criticized the government decision of implementing the National Food Security Act (NFSA) in a state where rice remains the staple diet of the people.
Terming it as completely anti-people decision, the APHC Chairman said normally a single person consume around 400 gm of rice a day, which totals up to 12 kg per month and thus the requirement of ration for a family of three becomes around 1200 gm or 1.2 kg per day, which totals up to 36 kg per month where as per the new arrangement under NFSA they would be getting only 15 kg which is less than half of the actual requirement thus they would be compelled to purchase the rest of the ration from the open market at very exorbitant price, a cumbersome burden on the common average families.He said that the government was camouflaging its anti people decisions and confusing the people by making priority and non priority sectors in food distribution thus complicating the problems for the consumers whereas a substantial number of population had completely been left outside the system.Suggesting that the demands of the people seeking 35 kg ration per family that they used to get before the implementation of NFSA in the State were just, the Mirwaiz said that the government should understand the problem and continue with the past practice of ration distribution.Terming the recent announcement of 17 percent hike in power tariff by the Jammu Kashmir State Electricity Regulatory Commission (JKSERC) for the year 2016 as anti-people and a tyrannical decision, the APHC Chairman said this act of the government would make Kashmiri people suffer all the more.
Expressing his astonishment that where the power tariff for the civilian population has been decided to be raised, in the case of State and Central Government Departments, no hike has been proposed in the tariff despite the fact that several Government departments are the major defaulters of the Power Development Department, Mirwaiz termed this decision as completely biased against the common people.He said people who already had been suffering badly as the result of 2014 floods that plunged all their businesses in different sectors including tourism, horticulture and industries and badly affected their earning capacity; they were now being victimized more with these anti-people policies.Stressing that people would not stay silent over such cruel behavior on the part of the government and would rise against these anti people acts of the government, the Mirwaiz said it was unfortunate that all avenues providing employment and earning to the people were being snatched from them and people were being victimized deliberately to damage the state’s economy.The APHC Chairman said in the handicrafts sector, 5 lakh people were associated with the Pashmia trade which was dyeing now and stressed the government to rescue this traditional craft by providing adequate raw material and assistance to the craftsmen associated with this sector. (CNS)