‘46 Industrial Estates for Kashmir, 24 for Jammu’
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Jan 12: Former minister and JKNPP chairman, Harsh Dev Singh today said that despite a highly discriminatory Industrial package having been announced by the Govt of India recently, it is shocking that none of the senior leaders of BJP have responded till date to the public outcries against the alleged prejudicial treatment to Jammu region.
Talking to media-persons here today, Singh said that is has been reported in media that out of 70 Industrial Estates sanctioned for J&K UT, 46 are allocated for Kashmir Division and merely 24 fall in the kitty of the marginalized Jammu region. The proposed distribution being highly biased and objectionable. He said that Panthers Party seeks a fair deal for Jammu region with equal share in the said industrial package so announced by the GoI.
Elucidating the details of allocation of the said Industrial estates as appearing in the media, Singh expressed dismay that out of 58 Industrial estates proposed to be set up by SICOP, 38 were proposed for Kashmir and merely 20 for Jammu. Likewise, out of the 12 Industrial Estates to be established by SIDCO, 8 fell in Kashmir region and merely 4 in Jammu Division, he divulged.
Harsh Dev asserted that Jammu was being administered the most obnoxious dozes of discrimination even after the abrogation of Art 370. The recent select list released by the Govt in Fire Services Deptt had 620 selected candidates from Kashmir with merely 70 candidates from Jammu. In another select list of Assistant Professors in Bio Chemistry (clinical), all 12 selected candidates belonged to Kashmir region. Similarly, the regularly selected candidates of Health Deptt under SRO 24 numbering around 1500 belonging to Jammu region were arbitrarily terminated while allowing their Kashmir counterparts to continue. The J&K Bank selection list was quashed merely for the reason that the number of selected candidates from Jammu region was higher than that of Kashmir.
The neglect of Jammu under BJP rule has reached a stage where the govt educational institutions in Dogra heart-land are insisting for adoption of Kashmiri culture with reported directions issued to students of IIT Jammu to wear Kashmir, ‘Pherans’ with ‘Afghani caps’, rued Singh.
Urging upon the Dogra scholars, intellectuals, members of civil society, social and political organizations to rise to the occasion to safeguard the interests of Jammu and its people, the NPP leader cautioned that any delay in the matter could result in irreparable damage.
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