Jammu: The Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) on Thursday highlighted a range of public issues, including restoration of statehood, unemployment, healthcare and education vacancies, concerns of daily wagers, NHM employees and farmers, during a Chopal Pe Charcha programme at Digiana Rani Talab in Jammu.
The programme was organised by the District Jammu Congress Committee under the leadership of its president Yogesh Sawhney and hosted by former corporator and Bishnah constituency in-charge Dwarka Chowdhary. Former MP Choudhary Lal Singh and several senior Congress leaders also addressed the gathering.
Addressing the event, JKPCC president Tariq Hameed Karra said the outreach initiative was aimed at taking public concerns directly to the people and creating a platform for discussion on issues affecting different sections of society. He reiterated the party’s demand for restoration of full statehood to Jammu and Kashmir and also raised the issue that the Congress has described as “Chanda Chori”.
Karra focused on employment-related concerns, including unemployment, recruitment issues and examination-related grievances. He said the aspirations of youth require concrete opportunities in employment, education and entrepreneurship. He also referred to the concerns of daily wagers, temporary employees, medical interns and National Health Mission (NHM) employees regarding job security, service conditions and remuneration.
The Congress leader further drew attention to staff shortages in hospitals, schools and colleges, infrastructure deficiencies, road conditions, farmers’ issues, inflation and the economic pressures faced by households and small businesses. He said economic policies should be assessed in terms of their impact on ordinary citizens.
JKPCC working president Raman Bhalla said the concerns raised during the programme reflected issues affecting people across Jammu and Kashmir. He highlighted unemployment, delays in recruitment, healthcare challenges, shortages of doctors and other staff, poor roads and civic infrastructure, regularisation of daily wagers, farmers’ concerns and rising living costs.
Bhalla said people were looking for tangible improvements in governance and public service delivery. He called for transparent recruitment processes, creation of employment opportunities, strengthening of healthcare and educational institutions, improvement of infrastructure and a time-bound approach to unresolved employee-related issues. He also reiterated the party’s demand for restoration of full statehood.
Former MP Choudhary Lal Singh said the Chopal Pe Charcha platform provided an opportunity to understand grassroots concerns and bring them into wider public discussion. He said issues such as unemployment, healthcare, infrastructure, agriculture and rising prices required sustained attention and effective intervention.
District Jammu Congress Committee president Yogesh Sawhney said the initiative was intended to strengthen direct engagement between the party and the public. He said residents had raised concerns relating to unemployment, healthcare, education, infrastructure, agriculture and the rising cost of living, adding that the party would continue to highlight these issues at appropriate forums.
The interaction also focused on concerns of farmers, students, employees, traders and working families, with Congress leaders stressing the need for greater attention to employment, public infrastructure, healthcare, education and agriculture.
Several Congress leaders, workers and local residents participated in the programme.