Hakla demands welfare measures for Gujjars, Bakerwals

Excelsior Correspondent

POONCH:  Jan 4: Shamsher Hakla Poonchi, a prominent Gujjar leader and Intellectual while addressing a meeting of Gujjars and Bakerwals here, today highlighted the various issues confronting these peace loving nationalist people who have always taken a banner of revolt against the separatist forces in the State.
Hakla while turning the attention of the Government towards the miseries of the community demanded that special attention be paid to ameliorate their lot.
Hakla appealed to the Chief Minister and Finance Minister of the State to allocate sufficient funds for the welfare and upliftment of Gujjar Bakerwal community of J&K State in the  financial budget of 2017. He said that Gujjar and Bakerwal community of J&K mostly resides in hilly, far flung and mountainous areas near forest and on the LoC of the Indo-Pak. Gujjar and Bakerwal community has its habitation in almost 20 districts of the State. Their areas are lacking the facility like road communication, electricity, water supply schemes, medical facilities and educational facilities which put them in lot of hardships and trouble. The needs and the problems of Gujjar and Bakerwal community are quite different from other communities of the State. Language and culture of Gujjar and Bakerwal community is different and as such the community has a distinct identity. Hakla said that Gujjar and Bakerwal community of the State is socially, educationally, economically and politically backward and as such needs full attention from the Government for their upliftment.
He demanded the State Government should allocate sufficient funds in the budget for the upliftment of the community.