Lift ban on extraction of construction material: Cong

Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Mar 17: The Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) while reacting to the shortage of construction material has urged the Govt to roll back the sand extraction order responsible for the economic losses and rising unemployment among the quarry workers in Kashmir as well as in Jammu.
The party also expressed anguish over the condition of lakhs of people connected with the construction material, who are at the verge of starvation due to the Govt order restricting them from extracting sand and other constructions material and urged the Govt to resolve the matter to ensure that those associated with the mining work since long are allowed to earn their livelihood, which has been snatched by the Govt through a single order.
J&K Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) president GA Mir, vice president Haji Abdul Rashid Dar, Ex- MLA Gulzar Ahmad Wani, District presidents Imtiyaz Parray, Abdul Gani Khan, Fayaz Mir, Zahid Hussain and various other leaders including Umer Jan, Dr Ayoub Mattoo have  urged the Govt to revoke the order  restricting extraction of sand and other construction material, ensuring that the  residents of the J&K  are not denied contracts of extraction of material  in J&K.
They said due to the ban, the  ‘so called’ Back to Village programmes  have also miserably failed, because the works approved and sanctioned through these programmes have not been taken up, so far. How can other developmental projects will be completed, Congress leaders questioned and said the ban is a main source behind hoarding and illegal extraction in the market, which is matter of serious concern and has to be stopped, they said.
They said everything in J&K have changed post abrogation of special status and downgrading of full-fledged State, there is no end to miseries, rights of the people are being snatched one after another. “Unemployment is at it’s peak, the indifferent attitude adopted by the BJP Govt towards the people are disappointing,” Congress leaders said.
“The construction work has suffered enormously, even the under construction developmental projects  are waiting for their completion since years. It is very disparaging  that people connected  with Geology and Mining since  decades  have been sidelined  and outsiders authorized to control the market without completing the requisite formalities,” Congress leaders added.