Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, July 17: Reiterating demand for early announcement of compensation for the Jammu based traders for their losses besides withdrawal of cases against the Jammu youth who were detained during the Amarnath ji land row and ex-gratia to those martyred during the period, NPP chairman Harsh Dev Singh drew the attention of Governor for his personal intervention implementing the agreement reached between the parties to end the 61 days long agitation of 2008 which had resulted in massive losses to economy and lives.
Addressing press conference here today, Harsh Dev expressed his dismay that the agreement dated August 31, 2008 signed between ‘Sri Amarnath Sangarsh Samiti’ (SASS) and the Advisor to then Governor had not been implemented so far attributing it to the failure of both NC-Congress and BJP-PDP Coalition Governments. He revealed that the contours of the agreement categorically included working out of appropriate packages of financial assistance to compensate losses of the transport sector, trade and industry, horticulture sector, hoteliers and tourist operators.
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Singh said the Govt had agreed to examine all these demands in an appropriate manner on time bound basis but the successive Coalition Govts only gave assurances to the Jammu based traders and businessmen. “The agitation had led to colossal economic loss worth thousands of crores. It was reported that the Valley based traders were compensated towards their losses by the State Govt while the Jammu traders were blatantly discriminated and left in lurch.
Demanding immediate withdrawal of cases against the Jammu youth detained during the row, Harsh Dev regretted that despite the directives issued by the Governor to the erstwhile State Government to implement the 2008 agreement reached with SASS by April 24 this year, no concrete action was taken by the BJP partnered dispensation till the given deadline.
“The Amarnath ji land agitation had left 14 dead and hundreds of people injured. Governor on April 5, 2018 had passed the directives to the Divisional Commissioner and the IGP (Jammu) at a meeting attended by the representatives of the Samiti to implement the pact and submit a compliance report under which FIRs were to be withdrawn and compensation given to the next of the kin of the deceased. Unfortunately, the Govt turned a blind eye over the directives and remained apathetic towards the issue”, Harsh Dev added.
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