Excelsior Correspondent
UDHAMPUR, Apr 11: Raising the discriminatory attitude of the PDP-BJP coalition Government and duping the power customer of Jammu region, heavily gathered Panther Party workers today protested against the Power Development Department for their biased approach towards Jammu region.
Led by State president Balwant Singh Mankotia, Panther Party’s workers lodged a strong protest which passed through different bazaars of Udhampur town and sat on a dharna in the premises of PDD office Udhampur .
During monthly meeting of Panther Party, workers from different areas of Udhampur district assembled at party office and lodged protest against PDD department. Raising slogans against PDP-BJP coalition Govt and PDD , rally started from the PP office and passed through Salathia Chowk, Mookerjee Bazar, Gole market and reached at PDD office and lodge strong protest against the department and sat on a dharna for few hours.
Balwant Singh Mankotia while addressing the protesters blamed the present coalition Government for following the footsteps of the previous regimes. He said present Government too is collecting 66 percent of power tariff from Jammu region and 33 percent from Kashmir region. Despite maximum revenue collection of power from Jammu region, 80 percent power supply is given to Kashmir region while Jammu region get only 20 percent power. He alleged that 80 percent funds are being provided to Kashmir region and Jammu get only peanuts for developmental activities.
Mankotia informed that hundreds of villages of Udhampur district were still not electrified but unfortunately Central Govt is talking about Digitial India which is mockery of the system. People voted for BJP that after assuming power their miseries would be reduced but unfortunately general public is facing hardship in day to day affairs. Panther Party’s president reiterated that to end the discrimination with Jammu region, separate statehood of Jammu region is the viable solution and statehood demand is getting momentum.
Panther leader Dhani Ram Attri blamed the PDD for adopting biased approach towards replacement of wooden poles.
On this occasion Amarnath Mehra, Rampal Bhagat, Jagdev Jagga, Surjeet Sarpanch, Rajinder Bali, Ganesh Sharma, Parduman Singh, Vijay Singh, Samneek Bhasin, Balbir Singh, Ram Swaroop also addressed the gathering.