Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, May 22: JKNPP Chairman and former minister, Harsh Dev Singh has called for monthly cash transfer of atleast Rs 5,000 into the bank accounts of vulnerable sections including labourers, unemployed and other economically weaker sections to cope with the financial crisis faced by them during the ongoing pandemic.
Talking to media persons, here today, Mr Singh also demanded extension of free ration under PDS beyond May, June as this was extremely essential to save the poor, indigent and other BPL families from starvation.
He also sought the increase of employment provision under MGNREGA to a minimum of 200 days per Job card holder as against the existing 100 days as the migrant workforce was the worst hit and could not take to other states for earning their livelihood.
Referring to the Govt’s announcement of providing five bedded Covid care centre in every Panchayat of J&K as yet another gimmick, Harsh Dev Singh questioned the steps taken and resources provided for in this regard by the UT administration till date.
He said that the Govt had made a mockery of itself by leaving the establishment of such care centres to Panchayats by directing them to divert Rs one lakh out of their respective development plans for the purpose.
“While it is virtually impossible to establish even a cow shed with Rs one lac amount, it was amusing to find the Govt contemplating a five bedded care centre with just Rs one lakh and that too from Panchayat funds, out of which one bed was required to be oxygen equipped. The Govt should rather concentrate on strengthening the existing rural infrastructure and provision of adequate staff medicines and equipments in village health centres majority of which had become defunct,” he observed.
Mr Singh asserted that not only had the workforce suffered adversity due to the ongoing pandemic but their woes stood compounded by the sharp rise in the prices of essential commodities including pulses, vegetables and other articles of daily use besides petrol, diesel LPG etc.
Gagan Pratap Singh, State Secretary JKNPP was also present in the press conference.
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