*Party to stage protests at all distt hqrs
Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Mar 26: Apni Party Provincial president Mohammad Ashraf Mir today reiterated his party’s demand for roll back of existing Geology and Mining Policy in Jammu and Kashmir.
Addressing a press conference at Party office in Lal Chowk Srinagar today, Mir said that in order to get rid of the existing anti-people minor-mineral policy, Apni Party has decided to stage peaceful protest demonstrations at district headquarters across Jammu and Kashmir tomorrow. (Saturday).
Highlighting the lacunas in the existing mining policy, Mir said it is because of the present policy that there is an acute shortage of construction material in Jammu and Kashmir. “The shortage and illegal mining has not only led to skyrocketing prices of construction material like sand, stones, gravel, aggregate etc but it has significantly halted the construction works including the Government’s prestigious developmental projects,” he added.
Ashraf Mir said that earlier there would be no e-auction of minor mineral blocks in J&K and lakhs of families associated with the mining sector would sustain their livelihood since ages. “Now the non residents of J&K have been allowed to participate in the e-auctioning process which was carried out in a clandestine manner. It seems the locals associated with this sector were kept out of e-auction that was done at a time when the internet services were shut in J&K,” he added.
He said that not only prices of raw material have skyrocketed, but the livelihood of lakhs of families was severely affected. “Extraction of sand, gravel, boulder stones etc is halted. Business of Quarry owners, Crusher owners, Tipper owners, Tractor operators, Hot-mix & Wet-Mix Plant owners, drivers, masons and other concerned people has been jeopardized. This way the existing mining policy has tremendously added to the unemployment scale in J&K,” Mir remarked.
Mir said families associated with the mining sector want a revised and comprehensive mining policy that will ensure that inherent rights of the natives on their natural resources. “The new policy should ensure employment for skilled and unskilled youth of J&K. It should also regulate market prices of construction material. The new policy should ensure hassle free developmental work and it should end discrimination with residents of J&K,” he demanded.
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