Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Sept 2: Former minister and senior Congress leader Raman Bhalla today claimed that J&K which has been struggling for last six years knocked completely down post-August 5 and then came COVID-19 to kick it downhill.
While interacting with aggrieved people of Bhour Kothey and Bhour Pind Ward-73 as a part of his Panchayat level campaign Bhalla said that disruptions that preceded and followed the August 5, 2019 move resulted in a loss of tens of thousands of jobs and forced borrowers to default on their loans taken from financial institutions. While a substantial number of accounts turned bankrupt, many business establishments closed down.BJP Govt had assured that a series of measures would be initiated soon as a comprehensive response to save our economy from collapse but nothing has been done sustainably so far in this direction.
Reacting over new government business rules for Jammu and Kashmir, Bhalla said that it will almost make the elected representatives redundant by snatching majority of the powers which are conferred upon them in a regular state. He said while majority of the powers of Council of Ministers have also been transferred to the Lt Governor, the Centre too would wield huge influence over the administration as well as the day to day functioning of the J&K government.Not only that the Lt Governor can veto any decision of legislature even if passed unanimously in the assembly. An assault on the very soul of democracy,” Bhalla said.
However, as per the rules, in case of difference of opinion between the Lt Governor and a minister when no agreement could be reached even after a month, the decision of the Lt Governor “shall be deemed to have been accepted by the Council of Ministers”.
Bhalla said BJP Government making people of J&K politically pathetic, culturally infertile and economically dependent. He said that the Government has failed to initiate steps to “give a boost to the local economy, generate employment opportunities and ensure overall development of J&K. “Earlier, the Union Government rolled out a Rs 20 lakh crore package under the umbrella of ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan’ but its impact in J&K has been negligible in J&K.. All the former state’s industries suffered severe blows, pushing the majority into loan defaults or even closure; hundreds of thousands lost their jobs or underwent salary deferment or cuts; the closure of schools and universities gravely impaired education and added to the trauma of children and parents; healthcare was severely restricted by curfew and road blocks.
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