Congress's Rajni Patil submits memorandum to LG highlighting problems of Jammu and Kashmir

Congress in-charge of Jammu and Kashmir Rajni Patil along with Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) President GA Mir met Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha at Raj Bhavan on Monday evening and submitted a memorandum.

In an official statement of JKPCC, the memorandum submitted highlighted the current problems of various sections of the people in the newly created Union Territory (UT), including youth and students, especially the need for restoration of 4G services, prevailing COVID-19 situation, seeking adequate measures to upgrade the facilities.

"Congress leaders brought to Lieutenant Governor's notice the hardships faced by the people on account of ongoing agitation of the daily wagers and need-based workers seeking their due rights of regularisation and regular wages, the unprecedented hike in prices of building materials like sand, gravel, the issues of various kinds of taxations including the recent property tax in the already economic distressed situation, and sought economic packages to various suffering sections during the past one year coupled with COVID-19 situation like tourism, trade, transport," it said.

The statement further said the senior Congress leaders also took up the issues of agitating Kashmir migrants and the genuine issues raised by them for his consideration besides of the minority in Kashmir seeking certain genuine rights.

"The issue of adequate security measures in the wake of killings of political workers and representatives of the PRIs in recent past, were also discussed and they urged the government to direct a fair system of providing security and political atmosphere for raising the genuine issues of people by the mainstream opposition," it stated.

The Congress said that various provisions of the 73rd and 74th amendments already incorporated in the state Panchayat Raj laws, but await implementation like finance commission and the anti-corruption mechsm of the ombudsman, to further empower and streamline the PRIs.

The memorandum submitted by the party also sought attention towards issues of SC /ST and OBCs, the Refugees and displaced people of 1947, 1965 and 1971 besides border people and the grievances of linguistic groups for the inclusion of Punjabi, Gojri and Pahari languages in the official list.

"The memorandum conveyed the resentment amongst the people over the disbanding and downgrading of historical Jammu and Kashmir state and sought immediate restoration of the same along with adequate constitutional safeguards for the protection of jobs and land rights," the party added.

( With inputs from ANI )