Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Feb 15: Describing the proposal with regard to levying user charges on Jammu-Lakhanpur and Jammu-Udhampur stretch as arbitrary, National Conference on Sunday urged the Centre to put in abeyance the decision in the larger interest of Jammu and Kashmir.
In a joint statement, senior party leaders opposed the proposed move of the National Highway Authority-I and said the decision cannot be justified in any manner as the mega road project is still under execution and may take quite a time in completion. “Till then the decision should be deferred”, they added.
The signatories to the joint statement included State vice presidents Rattan Lal Gupta and Th Kashmira Singh, former Minister Babu Ram Paul, Sheikh Bashir Ahmed, Brij Mohan Sharma, former legislator, Gurdeep Singh Sasan, S Surinder Singh Bunty, Anil Dhar and others.
The party leaders assailed the Bharatiya Janata Party led Government at the Centre for the hasty move of establishing toll booths at Lakhanpur, Thandi Khui and Ban in Nagrota, saying this is detrimental to the interests of the people in particular and visiting pilgrim cum tourists in general, who may not only face avoidable hassles in journey but also additional brunt on their pockets. They said the decision will also impact the economy as prices of essentials are likely to shoot up in the event of whopping toll tax on consumer goods.
The National Conference leaders sought intervention of the Governor N N Vohra and hoped that the matter will be taken up at the appropriate level to save the people of J&K from this financial strain. “In fact we would like to make a passionate appeal to the Governor for prevailing upon the Centre to announce a package of incentives for pilgrims and tourists thronging from various parts of the country so that those connected with tourism trade are benefited”, they said.
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