Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, May 14: Provincial President of Youth National Conference and former MLA Poonch, Ajaz Jan today asked J&K Government to focus on best possible efforts to facilitate the migrant workers and needy families instead of paying concern towards opening of liquor trade in the Union Territory.
“I don’t understand how the Government is considering alcohol as essential service? Addiction can never be essential. In fact this lockdown situation was a perfect opportunity for the Government to utilize it for de-addiction,” Jan said in a statement, issued here today.
Stating that the Government was thinking of liquor trade only as a revenue generation source but did not notice what benefits there are from its closure, he said: “If this source of revenue generation has been given an opportunity why not others?”
“Whenever we talk about domestic or sexual violence, it is directly related to liquor. During lockdown the violence on women multiplied. When a woman is between the four walls with her abuser, violence against women will aggravate,” he added
Jan said that liquor consumption can cause more marital rapes as even poor States have witnessed crowds outside liquor shops. “I don’t know from where they are getting money during this economic stress to buy alcohol. This is pure hypocrisy. Not just this, addicts may steal jewellery or other precious things and will beat women for money. I agree that it is one of the highest revenue generating items but the Government is not seeing how many murders, rapes and other crimes happen due to alcohol,” he said.
Maintaining that dire need of the hour is food and wagon for the needy families and especially the laborers who include those from different parts of country, Jan said that needy families should be facilitated in best possible manner by ensuring availability of basic essentials to them.
Stressing that laborers and migrant workers stuck in various district of J&K should be evacuated to their respective States, he also demanded that some J&K people are stuck in Nepal and are running short of essentials for which GoI should take up the matter with concerned Government for their help.
He further suggested that mediums like TV, radio and social media should be utilized to aware illiterate people in rural belts about Corona Virus pandemic.
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