Excelsior Correspondent
UDHAMPUR, Apr 3: Former minister and senior JKNPP leader Harshdev Singh today said that Jammu people are being taken for granted by the BJP Government at the Centre.
While addressing public gathering in Majalta area today, Singh said while Ladakh and Kashmir have continued to receive the focussed attention of the BJP regime, the incarcerated Dogra land continues to suffer and bleed even post Art 370 abrogation. He said the Centre is holding parleys with Ladakhis on regular intervals so as to confer them the benefits of sixth schedule besides assuring enactment of suitable laws to safeguard their culture and identity, the Kashmir region too, has received unmitigated attention of the New Delhi rulers. If any region of the erstwhile state has suffered even after the re-organization process, it is Jammu region which continues to be taken for granted by the BJP, ” he added.
Alleging the dis-regard of Jammu region even in the recent Budget, Singh said that the major development and tourism related projects of Jammu region had once again been ignored. There was hardly any mention about the Artificial Tawi Lake project, Jumbo Zoo project, development of border tourism besides promotion of major tourist destinations in Sudh Mahadev, Man Talai, Patnitop-Sanasar, Dudu Basantgarh, Bani and Lohai Malhar areas having tremendous potential.
There was nothing for unemployed youth who were languishing on roads seeking gainful employment. The condition of rural areas in particular was pathetic with people clamouring day in and day out for better civic amenities with the Govt having failed to respond to their genuine concerns. And whereas Jammu continued to contribute a major part of states tax revenue, it continued to be ignored in terms of development, funds allocation and employment, Singh regretted.
While Jammu has all along been supporting all moves of the Centre even at the cost of its own interests, the latter has always failed to reciprocate appropriately, said Singh.
“People of Jammu are used for vote bank politics with hardly any regard for their sentiments. The Centre has all along been focused on Kashmir with Jammu made to play a second fiddle. And the tradition continues even after Article 370 abrogation. The latest five months have not seen any change in the centre’s policy towards J&K except that it has been converted into a Union Territory,” he added.
Prominent among those who spoke on the occasion included Manju Singh, Capt Dina Nath (Chairman BDC Majalta), Dharam Singh, Nar Singh, Rahul Sharma, Raj Kumar and others.
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