Convene special assembly session to discuss plight of border residents: NC

TNN Bureau. Updated: 5/23/2017 1:13:32 AM Front Page

@ Bivek Mathur

JAMMU: National Conference Provincial President and MLA Nagrota, Davender Singh Rana today slammed BJP leaders for failing people of Jammu region, particularly those living along the borders.
Rana said that the people living along the International Border and Line of Control are living a miserable life as both Centre and state government have completely failed to provide them the basic amenities. "I along with other NC leaders visited the IB and LoC and found that those living near borders have been going through the darkest days of their life under the NDA and PDP-BJP combine. They don't have food to eat, shelter to stay in and a safe place for their cattle," Rana said, adding, "during this time, the state BJP leaders have kept themselves busy in photo-ops," Rana said.
He said, "They (BJP leaders) are visiting the borders only for getting their press releases and photos published in newspapers. Every now and then, they have been issuing statements regarding safety
of people but on ground, situation is going from bad to worse every passing day."
Rana appealed all the political parties including the ruling PDP, BJP and Congress to rise above the party politics and jointly impress upon the union government to fulfill its promises made to the people of Jammu region during the parliamentary as well as Legislative Assembly polls.
"Centre has to fulfill all its promises including providing 5 marla of land plots to border residents, constructing bunkers along the borders, and starting special recruitment drives for the border youths," Rana said, adding, "For making this happen, political parties of the state have to jointly call the attention of Union government towards the situation that has arisen on the IB and LoC."
On being recalled that the construction of bunkers among similar other promises were also made during the NC-Congress government, Rana said, "Some bunkers were constructed by the last government but their number is far less now as more violations have been reported in the NDA government's tenure."
The NC MLA said that "pseudo-nationalism" alone would not help people living along the borders "but the BJP leaders who used to boast off the size of their chest have to do something for the people."
"Who else could be more nationalist than those living along the borders since 1947 braving the bullets of Pakistan and embracing deaths bravely for the nation since then? If you are failing to provide them safety, you should step down morally," Rana said.
Rana also demanded that a Union Cabinet Sub-Committee should be constituted to look into the implementation of various promises made with the people of Jammu borders.
The NC Provincial President also said that the ruling PDP-BJP government should hold a special session to discuss the ways to mitigate the sufferings of the people living along the borders rather than holding a special session on GST.
"I am happy that this government is very eager to discuss the GST in a special session in state assembly. But I think, for this government, the priority should be to hold a special session on safety of border residents well before the one on the GST," he said.
On sting operation confirming separatists getting funds from Pakistan for creating tension in valley, Rana said he was not aware of any sting operation.
He however said that it is an established fact that separatists are being paid by Pakistan for fomenting trouble in valley. "If government has concrete evidences against the separatists, I welcome the investigation reaching to their logical conclusion," he said.


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