Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Dec 18: National Conference president Farooq Abdullah today hit out at the Governor’s administration for ending disbursement of subsidised sugar to the State’s BPL consumers, saying it will adversely affect the poor.
He also demanded that the administration should roll back its decision for the benefit of the people.
“It is an anti-people move and will put an extra burden on daily wagers and the economically challenged classes of our society,” Abdullah said in a statement.
The National Conference (NC) leader also alleged that people were already paying “heavily” as the last PDP-BJP Government had withdrawn subsidy on rice and cooking gas.
“The PDP-BJP Government, soon after coming to power, took no time to do away with the subsidy on rice and cooking gas. An APL (Above Poverty Line) consumer had to pay less than Rs 1,000 per quintal, but after the subsidy was removed by the then BJP-PDP Government, consumers were paying Rs 1,500 per quintal,” the Lok Sabha Member from Srinagar said.
The move to do away with the subsidy on sugar will also severely affect salaried class people, Abdullah said.
“People are already paying heavily for cooking gas and rice. The food bill that was introduced in our State during the BJP-PDP regime has already hit the consumers very hard. The subsidy on cooking gas also stands withdrawn,” he said.
The NC president said the ‘Naya Kashmir’ manifesto of his party espoused a socialistic pattern of society.
“It is the prime duty of the Government to lend a helping hand to the poor sections of society by giving subsidised commodities to ensure people a strain-free life,” he said.
While censuring the administration of not halting “anti-people moves”, the former Chief Minister said, “I impress upon the Governor’s administration to roll back the move of ending (sugar) subsidy.”
“Such a move will hurt the people especially poor,” he said.
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