Samba, Jan 01 CNS: Targeting BJP leadership, National Conference today alleged that BJP ignored the wishes and aspirations of the people in general and weaker sections in particular.
Addressing a public meeting at Panchayat Diani in Samba constituency today Provincial President Women Wing of National Conference Mrs Satwant Kaur Dogra said that the marginalised and poorer sections of the society have been ignored and left to fend for themselves by BJP. She reminded that in 2014 Assembly elections, weaker sections had voted in favour of BJP and party had won all the seven reserved assembly seats from Jammu province but after attaining power BJP abandoned this section of the society and did not gave them adequate representation.
“You voted them to power and they used that power to first withdraw subsidy on rice and cooking gas and now from New Year they have withdrawn subsidised sugar” said Mrs Satwant, describing the decision as anti-people move which will put an extra burden on daily wagers, poor and the economically weaker classes of our society and appealed the administration to roll back its decision in the larger interest of the people
Describing the three years of the coalition as a period of despair, discontentment and disillusionment, Provincial President said that there was no government visible on the ground at all. The welfare schemes for old aged, destitute and other weaker sections are virtually defunct. Same is the situation with casual labourers working in different departments. There was lot of noise on their regularisation but till date nothing has been done on ground. Wages of casual labourers in several departments are pending for several months. The NERGA workers are without wages, widows, old aged are moving from pillar to post to get their pension, but nobody is listening to their woes. The insensitive approach of earlier BJP/PDP and now Governor’s administration towards the long pending legitimate grievances of casual labourers, Anganwadi workers and helpers, contractual employees is unfortunate. These people work with dedication but they have been pushed to the wall and the government is insensitive towards their well-being.
Satwant Kaur Dogra said that National Conference under the leadership of Dr Farooq Abdullah and Mr Omar Abdullah is committed for welfare of weaker sections of the society and the party from its very inception had worked for uplifting poor, downtrodden and marginalised section of the society. She said that Sher –e- Kashmir Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah was a visionary leader who took historical decision for upliftment of the poor people of the state by enacting “Land to Tiller Act” which gave exclusive ownership rights of the land to the poor farmers. She said that most of the beneficiaries of this revolutionary step were people belonging to the weaker sections especially scheduled castes, scheduled tribes and other backward classes. She said that Dr. Farooq Abdullah and Mr Omar Abdullah are carrying forward the legacy of Sher-e-Kashmir and appealed people to strengthen secular credentials of National Conference at grass root level.
Referring to the local issues, Mrs Satwant assured that if voted to power the National Conference government will take all measures to develop Samba as a model town. She exhorted the workers to gear up for meeting the bigger challenges and work for making National Conference stronger so that it can fulfil the urges and aspirations of the people.
