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| Cong to face people's wrath in the coming local-bodies-elections | | Discrimination with Jammu | | Neha
JAMMU, Mar 13: Notwithstanding many an inconsistency in the Panthers Party's approach to the various issues facing Jammu and Kashmir State, it deserves appreciation for raking up again and again the issue of discrimination with the people of Jammu province in and outside the legislature, as also for exposing the double-speak of the NC-Congress coalition government on the issue. The most significant aspect of the Panthers Party's whole campaign against the state government in general and the Congress party in particular is that its legislators go to the assembly well prepared and that the corner the government on the basis of official statistics.
Take, for example, what the Panthers Party did in the assembly to expose the discriminatory policies of the ruling coalition towards the people of Jammu province. Lambasting the government, the Panthers Party MLA from Ramnagar accused it of adopting ineffective economic and fiscal policies and said that the government, instead of appreciating the fact that Jammu province contributes more revenue as compared to Kashmir, has been perpetrating injustice after injustice on its people. To substantiate his charge he quoted some official figures. He said that Jammu province accounted for more than 76 pr cent of the total taxes collected in the state on account of GST, VAT, Excise Duty, Toll Tax, Motor Spirit Tax, Passenger Tax, Entry Tax, Property Tax and Stamp Duty and Kashmir just 23 per cent. Citing figures, he pointed out that during the last two years, Jammu region accounted for R3355.92 crore as tax in respect of aforesaid taxes and duties out of a total tax collection of R4396.20 crore for the state, thus contributing 76.33 per cent of the total state taxes. He also pointed out that the revenue realised in the power sector was around 65 per cent. In other words, he said that while the people of Jammu province paid 65 per cent revenue in the form of power tariff during the past two years, the people of Kashmir paid only 35 per cent, despite the fact that Kashmir consumes more electricity both in winter and summer.
The Panthers Party MLA bemoaned that the state government has all along treated Jammu province unfairly and accused it of allotting nearly 70 per cent funds for the developmental activities in Kashmir and only about 30 per cent for the developmental activities in Jammu province, which is two times that of Kashmir in terms of land area. Substantiating his accusation, he referred to certain recent instances of discrimination with Jammu province. He said that while the Congress-NC coalition has announced Rs. 1100 crore project for Dal Lake, Rs. 386 crore for Wullar lake, Rs. 2200 crore project for Jhelum river conservation, it has neglected all lakes of Jammu province, including Mansar, Surinsar, Sanasar and Dalsar, and allotted a paltry sum of Rs. 25 crore has been allotted for river Tawi conservation project.
The Panthers Party legislator hit the nail on the head saying "taxing the Jammu people and spending in Kashmir is akin to 'robbing Peter and paying Paul' policy of the state government. None in the assembly could contest what the said MLA said while lambasting the state government for its discriminatory policies towards the people of Jammu province. It must remain a matter of shame that none from the Congress party made common cause with the Panthers Party. This indifferent attitude of the Congress legislators and Jammu-based Congress ministers has been adding to the anger of the people of Jammu province. They are convinced that it is the Congress rather than NC which is responsible for their total neglect and marginalisation.
There are potent reasons to believe that the Congress would face the wrath of the people of Jammu province during the urban local-bodies elections, which are scheduled to be held in April this year. There is still time for the Congress leadership to rectify its mistakes by making the state government treat the people of Jammu province and Kashmir equally at all levels and in all spheres. There is no other alternative left to escape the Jammu's wrath. |
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