Srinagar: The Jammu and Kashmir National Conference Provincial Vice President and In Charge Constituency Lal Chowk Ahsan Pardesi on Thursday said that rising inflation and exorbitant taxation have added burden to people’s expenses.
He, according to the NC spokesperson, said this while chairing a Women’s wing meeting of the Lal Chowk constituency at the party headquarters Nawa-e-Subha, Srinagar. The convention was convened by the party’s Provincial President Women’s wing, Kashmir Er. Sabiya Qadri.
“Rising inflation, exorbitant electricity tariffs, a steep increase in the cost of LPG, curtailment of ration and imposition of property tax have added burden on common man’s pockets,” he said adding, “what has further compounded the woes of our people situation is the shifting focus of the incumbent administration from welfarism.”
“There is no comfort for the vast majority of BPL and middle-class households who are already grappling with reduced incomes. The inflation pull and exorbitant taxation has increased the out-of-pocket expenditure of people on edibles, medicines, and other utility services. The ongoing situation has triggered anxiety and flared up other Physiological issues among them,” he said.
He further said that measures like increasing electricity tariffs, and LPG prices are pushing poor households to unclean cooking fuels. “With LPG prices crossing the Rs 1200 mark, the poor now have to make unfair choices about their basic standard of life. It’s our mothers and sisters who are again at the receiving end of it. Much of a poor household’s income is eaten up by paying taxes, utility charges, and out-of-pocket expenditure on edibles and grains,” he said.
Lamenting the curtailment of ration at the FCCI depots, Er. Sabiya Qadri said consumers are troubled on one pretext or another. “It makes no sense to curtail rationing at a time when we people have been suffering immensely due to increased water and power tariffs, soaring inflation and unemployment. Neither there is kerosene, nor flour. There is no sugar and now the additional ration has been stopped as well. The current entitlement of ration quota is not sufficient for any family. Government can’t be so insensitive towards its own people,” he added.
