Srinagar
Jammu and Kashmir National Conference on Tuesday sought necessary amenities to the people during the ensuing month of Holy Ramadan saying the administration is duty-bound to ensure price stability and availability of essential commodities throughout the month.
In a statement, additional General Secretary said the government is duty-bound to ensure the availability of all essentials including rice, sugar, wheat and other essentials at all sale centers. “Special care should be taken to ensure uninterrupted power and water supply to households during Iftari, and Sehri time. The requirement of the people increase manifold during the holy month of Ramadan, however this time many commodities are already out of shelves in markets. Rampant hoarding of essentials by opportunists is also worrisome, the administration should rein in such illicit practice. Various household commodities are being sold at exorbitant prices, there aren’t any fixed rates. The administration is clueless on such degenerates, and profiteers, who even don’t waver to indulge in such iniquitous during the current times of global crises.”
He further added, “the administration should depute area-specific flying squads in various places to ensure price stability, besides that all the concerned DC’s should make public certain contact number where people can lodge their complaints, seek help. It would be better if the government comes up with specific Ramadan bazaars in some areas with the due standard operating procedure in place. At other places, rapid action teams must deliver essentials at the doors steps of people. The administration has to have a well-organized plan in its response to the crises particularly in the ensuing month.”
Meanwhile while expressing distress over the scarcity of essential commodities across the valley, in particular, the designated red zones in North Kashmir including Hajin, Gund jahingeer, Naidhkai, Sadarkoot, Andarkoot, Hakbara, Quilmukam, Batagond, Nowgam, Naidghat, Gundkaisar, Chandergeer hamlets Party’s Member of Parliament from Baramulla Muhammad Akbar Lone said, “Areas designated as red zone or such areas as are under strict lockdown owing to the COVID-19 threat are facing acute shortage of essentials including milk, kitchen condiments and other necessary essentials. People from various hamlets, towns of north Kashmir aren’t able to purchase necessary essentials including sanitary kits. Owing to the strict containment measures, the locals residing in such classified zones are not able to buy grocery items, the shops are closed, and what is disappointing here is that the administration is not ensuring the effective supply of such essential items at the doorsteps of people trapped in such classified zones.”
“Trapped in a geographic quarantine, the hardship and inconvenience that the people are going through cannot be expressed in plain words. There should be a proper plan in place to deal with the issue. The government cannot leave people to fend for themselves in these trying times. It is their responsibility to ensure the availability of essentials in the red and buffer zones. The need of the hour calls for having rapid response teams in different districts across valley to supply essentials to households in the red zone and buffer areas,” he said.
He urged the government to ensure that essential supplies including medicines and sanitary kits are made available to people in the entire north Kashmir, in particular, the areas as have been classified as red and buffer zones.
