Will resist attempts to erode autonomy: JKCC

Excelsior Correspondent

Srinagar, July 19:  Jammu and Kashmir Coordination Committee (JKCC) has vowed to strongly resist all moves and motives aimed at eroding the left out special constitutional authority of Jammu and Kashmir State under Article 370.
In an emergency meeting of JKCC held under the chairmanship of Mohammad Yaseen Khan, the members expressed their anguish and dismay over alleged criminal silence and lackadaisical approach of State Government in contesting the Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed in Supreme Court against Article 35–A in the Constitution of India. “It has been painfully noted that the State Government seems to be complacent to play in the hands of such forces. The State Government owes an explanation to the general public on this count,” they said.
The JKCC, an amalgam of apex trade bodies, civil society formations, professionals and trade unions, formed recently to fight against extension of GST law to the State has also decided to take their program to the second level by involving all communities and citizens to protect the state autonomous position.
As per a statement, JKCC has already sensitized the concerned quarters as well as the citizens of the State regarding “deceitful concurrence by the State Government to the extension of GST law in the State and its adverse impacts on our special position. The united forum has already made demands for revocation of the Presidential Order and application of GST law besides declaring the State as free economic zone, it added.
It was also observed that attempts are afoot to divide the constituents of JKCC by involving the state machinery at various levels. In this context an invitation has been extended to some apex chambers and trade bodies for discussing the implementation of GST in the valley, the statement said, adding that it has unanimously been decided with stress that no trade organization will attend the said meeting owing to the reason that the issue was beyond the domain of the officer who had called the meeting.
“The members, however, offered to participate in any high level meeting to be convened under the chairpersonship of the State Chief Minister to discuss the issues raised by JKCC.  Such a meeting needs to be organized at the earliest,” the statement added.