Migrant relief holders take out rally, clash with police

Excelsior Correspondent

JAMMU, Dec 26: The irate Kashmiri Pandit relief holders, who were protesting in support of enhancement cash assistance in front of Press Club today clashed with police after the latter foiled their attempt to torch the effigies of Government and Apex Advisory Committee members.
The protesting relief holders who took out a march from Relief Commissioner’s Office to Jammu Press Club demanding enhancement of the monthly cash relief tried to torch the effigies of Government and Apex Advisory Committee members in front of Press Club here.
However the police foiled their bid and snatched the effigies from the protestors. This ensued the clash between relief holders and police. The protestors with pla -cards and banners in their hands were shouting slogans against the Government. They accused the Union Government of deliberately delaying the approval to enhancement of relief to the proposal submitted to it by the State Government some time back.
The migrant relief holders who are on dharna for last over five months in front of Relief Commissioner’s Office demanding hike in their monthly relief as the prices of essential commodities have touched the sky took out a rally from Relief Organization to Press Club today. After reaching Press Club they tried to torch the effigies of Government and Apex Advisory Committee on migrants.
Prior to reaching of protestors to Press Club a high pose of police was deployed there to avoid any untoward incident. The protestors raising slogans against the Government and Apex Committee members warned to continue struggle till the demand is met.
“We are on dharna for past several months in support of our demand for enhancement of monthly relief but Central Government seems to continue rigid stand on our genuine demand as it has failed to wet the proposal submitted by State Government in this regard over six months back” said Ravinder Koul leader of relief holders.
Highlighting the plight of the relief holders he said “many families are living from hand to mouth as they are unable to meet their daily expenses including schooling of their wards due to sky rocketing of prices, he said, adding with no other source of income the relief holders are totally dependent on cash doles being provided to them by the Government and if the same will not be increased with hike in prices from time to time it will be difficult for us to pass the days”.
He urged the Central Government to take an immediate step in enhancement of relief and not to test the patience of displaced people. While lambasting the role of Apex Committee members, Kaul said that there is a lot of resentment against them in the community as they reportedly have become a party to Government move regarding return of migrants and supported stoppage of relief as well as construction of shops at Jammu on the basis of self financing by migrants which is not acceptable to community.
He said the relief holders protest against the Apex Committee will continue till they will not come clean on these issues.