Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir National Conference General Secretary, Ali Muhammad Sagar, on Saturday asked the incumbent administration to explore venues to check sky-rocketing prices of essential commodities in view of forthcoming Eid Al Azha, saying that the blight of pandemic and resultant economic distress has been compounded by pervasive inflation.
Expressing concern over the price rise in all edibles and other household essentials, Sagar stated that the Eid Festivities have been dampened due to the inflation. He said that people are having a tough time running their households. “Eid Al Azha would be celebrated in few days from now. But the markets are yet to pick up. People are finding it every difficult to ensure two decent meals for their families; not to talk of buying other lavish stuff. Mutton and chicken dealers, vegetable vendors are having a field day in extracting money from the consumers.”
“People are thronging wholesale livestock mandies only to return home empty handed on account of being over changed by the vendors. There is no accountability on ground. People have been left to fend for themselves. Market forces are not being kept under a check. Profiteers are making most of it. There is no one from the administration on ground to check the imperious demands of the traders. It is the people who are at the receiving end amidst all this,” he said.
Sagar said that the consumers are facing double whammy of economic slump-down induced by Covid-19 and sky-rocketing prices of all the household essentials. “Amidst all this administration has taken a back seat the checking squads of FCSCA are not visible on ground to keep a check on price rise and strict compliance to the rate lists issued by the concerned department.”
“Household income of the middle, lower middle and BPL families has already hit rock bottom. The standard of living of the people has also nosedived. People are tight-fisted and unable to purchase edibles for forthcoming Eid festivity. In this context, we are receiving deluge of frantic calls from people across Jammu and Kashmir on the issue. Everywhere people are complaining about being overcharged,” he said.
Taking exception to the increase in the power traffic by the incumbent administration, Sagar said that consumers are finding it difficult to pay for the bills of utilities in wake of the economic distress induced by the three successive clampdown and lock downs. “Administration should be ashamed to extract money from people at this juncture. There is no way people can bear the added financial burden at this time when getting two square meals is very difficult. The hike in the power traffic also comes at a time, when long power outages, scarcity of drinking water have become norm of the day,” Sagar said and asked: “What are people going to pay for? Where are the services?”
On cleanliness in the city, Sagar said that towns and cities of J&K are struggling for sanitation. “Piles of litter and trash is lying around further adding to the ordeals faced by the people. The picture is equally dismal in every sector of government. People welfare has taken back seat. Administration has lost touch with people on all accounts.”
Impressing upon the concerned departments to rise to the expectations of people, Sagar called for having added squads on ground to rescue consumers from falling prey to the market forces. He demanded that additional quota of sugar, rice, and wheat should be immediately doled out at much subsidized rates for APL, as well as BPL families in view of the Eid festivity.
Sagar also sought a mega sanitation drive on all major routes leading to mosques. He insisted on putting mutton and chicken dealers under the radar of law enforcement agencies. He also called for curbing the pervasive inflation by making long term and short term policy interventions.
Later, Party General Secretary paid obeisance at the revered Shrine of Khanqa-e-Moala, Srinagar in view of the annual Urs Observance of Hazrat Ameer Kabir Mir Syed Ali Hamadani (RA) which is being observed today with traditional gaiety and fervor.
Party General Secretary also offered Nimaz on the occasion and prayed for everlasting, peace, and prosperity in Jammu. On the occasion, the care takers of the shrine did Dastar Bandi of Sagar Sahib.
