Politics

Congress opposes water tax on rural population, seeks full package to refugees of 1947, 1965 & 1971

JAMMU — Congress today strongly flayed the UT administration and BJP for the indifferent attitude towards the daily wagers, need based and other casual workers and demanded immediate framing and implementation of regularization policy for them. The party also opposed water tax on rural population besides seeing full package to refugees of 1947, 1965 & 1971.

Addressing press conference here today at Party HQ, Congress lashed out at the Govt. for the brutal lathi charge on the peacefully protesting daily wagers, yesterday and blamed the BJP leadership of betraying these daily wagers and other categories of workers.

They were given false promises of regularization by the BJP before assembly elections but after coming power with massive mandate, they betrayed them and taunted them by saying that they were sins of previous Govts.

JKPCC Working President Raman Bhalla & Chief Spokesperson Ravinder Sharma along with General Secretaries Yogesh Sawhney & Th. Manmohan Singh, flayed the BJP leadership, especially Former Ministers/Legislators and sitting MPs for their failure to side with the people in difficult times after seeking huge mandate from them.

The senior party leaders said that these people were engaged from time to time by the concerned officers and officials to run various water, power supply schemes and to run emergency services but after decades of services, they are not even regularly paid their wages and not regularized. Even those who donated their valuable lands for Govt. institutions, PHE & Irrigation Schemes are not paid their wages.

The Congress demanded their immediate framing & implementation of regularization policy and clearing of their arrears of wages besides regularization policy for NRHM, Contractual, academic and other temporary employees working for decades.

The Congress leadership also raised the issue of imposition of water tax on rural areas and termed it as a cruel act, when people are already economically distressed due to unprecedented price hike, lack of earnings during Covid-19 and other factors, especially lack of regular water supply.

The Govt. has failed to provide regular water supply in most rural areas and in several areas, there is totally irregular, erratic and un reliable water supply but Govt. has imposed tax per water tap and demanded roll back of the anti people decisions.

They also criticized the order mandating permission for constructing/ repair of houses/cattle sheds in villages where there is hardly any proper Govt. service or development. The farmers are being punished by this Govt. and rural population shall face undue harassment. They demanded re call of decisions.

The party also strongly raised the issue of POJK refugees who feel cheated and betrayed. It was Congress party which had framed a package of POJK and Chhamb refugees and forwarded to the Centre Govt. but instead of Rs.30 ac per family, only 5.5 Lac per family was sanctioned by BJP Govt. but that too has been stopped.It is totally arbitrary and anti refugees approach of Modi Govt., as large number of eligible families are still deprived of 5.5 Lac installment while people were assured further installments.

There is total betrayal with the displaced community and demanded that full package be immediately sanctioned for them while the existing relief scheme should be continued till last eligible family gets the claim amount.

Those present in the press conference include Spokespersons Kapil Singh & Sahil Sharma, Chairman SC Dept. Karan Bhagat and Chairman Unorganized Workers Congress Rajvir Singh. — (KIMS)