Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, May 14: Former Union Minister Prof Chaman Lal Gupta has termed the Rs 20 lakhs crores package as announced by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi as soothing to bring the country out of the economic woods caused by the unprecedented Corona Virus pandemic and observed that the PM had tried to utilize the situation for rectifying many wrongs of the past decade and have a new beginning to attain self reliance.
Prof Gupta while welcoming the PM package to attain self sufficiency, stressed for putting up the defence production to meet the requirements of the forces at top priority. He said special attention should be paid to correct the wrongs committed in J&K over the decades because of the separate status and see that how the UT of J&K could be taken out from the prevailing mess in the sphere of life and attempt to make it self sufficient in food and other matters.
He stressed for the need to have a look to see that why the sources of State Revenue have dried over the decades and salvage the remains of these sources. In this regard he particularly referred to the closure of Silk Factory of Jammu and taking no care of the machinery resulting in unemployment to hundreds of people working in the factory. He also referred to the closure of the big Resin Factory and a willow factory Miran Sahib. He said the other units which have been closed down also include the Joinery mill at Bari Brahmana and Thermal Power Plant at Kalakot.
Former Member Legislative Council (MLC), Ch Vikram Randhawa, has hailed the announcement of Rs 20 lakh crore economic package announced by the Prime Minister to infuse new life in the gasping economy post lockdown.
Randhawa said that the economy has suffered a lot due to the nationwide lockdown announced by the government to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus and the PM has announced a mega economic relief package to make India a self-reliant nation amid the coronavirus-led crisis. He said that the package announced by the Central Government would help a lot in infusing new life to the economy which collapsed during the lockdown. It will enhance cash flow and create more employment opportunities in the coming future, Randhawa added.
Ramesh Chander Mahajan, Chairman Kashmiri Khatri Hindu Maha Sabha has also welcomed the historic decision of the PM to announce mega package and expressed gratitude to PM Modi and FM NIrmala Sitharaman for it.
He said the package will make country self reliant and boost the small scale and cottage industries. He expressed serious concern over delay being caused in rehabilitation of over aged Kashmiri unemployed youths, who are reeling under pathetic condition since 1990 .
Sikh United Front, an umbrella organization of several Sikh bodies also lauded Modi Govt for announcing Rs 20 lakh crore package and demanded that displaced persons from PoJK should also be provided Rs 30 lakh comprehensive package as already declared and even recommended by the JPC few years ago. They said that Rs 5.5 lakh package was just peanut and it should be enhanced.
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