Cong committed to ensure development of minorities: Bhalla

Cong leader Raman Bhalla interacting with members of Cong Minority Cell Gangyal.
Cong leader Raman Bhalla interacting with members of Cong Minority Cell Gangyal.

Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Aug 26: Working president of JKPCC Raman Bhalla today said that the Union Government has badly failed to ensure welfare and progress of the minority communities in Jammu and Kashmir.
This was stated by former minister while addressing JKPCC Minority Cell Gangyal meeting organized by Baldev Singh Wazir J&K-UT Coordinator. He said that BJP government has failed to provide special focus to the overall development of Jammu and Kashmir as no minority’s specific initiatives and schemes initiated in this regard. He said that whole nation will progress when we work together and appealed everybody to contribute towards peace, progress and development.
Bhalla during interactions with minority groups listened to their issues and said that the issues highlighted by the minority groups will be brought to the notice of the relevant authorities to improve the standard of living. He also said that government failed to provide access to quality education to students from minority communities. He said the government didn’t work with utmost sincerity to ensure welfare of these students through affordable, accessible and quality education and stopped schemes and scholarships benefitting them.
JKPCC leader expressed his resentment over the continuous ignorance of genuine demand of Minority Commission and said instead of turning blind eye to their demands should have understood the woes of the minority communities. He said the development and progress of the minority communities in the Jammu and Kashmir Union Territory is only possible when the Minority Commission is implemented in the Union Territory in letter and spirit.
He said the ratio of unemployment in the Union Territory is at its peak, educated professional youth are either on strikes or dharna, the government failed to address their woes when Govt should have taken steps at the earliest to mitigate their sufferings.
Bhalla retreated demand of making Punjabi language an important subject in Govt and private school. He made an appeal to the general masses of the state in general minority community in Particular to vote and support Congress candidates in the ensuing elections to assure success of the party.
Bhalla reiterated party demand for the restoration of Statehood to Jammu and Kashmir with Constitutional safeguards for the protection of land and jobs for the locals of J&K.