Jammu, March 19: Former minister and Zonal President, JKNC Central Zone, Babu Rampaul Sunday urged the government to declare a special employment package for educated youth of border areas so as to mitigate their sufferings.
Babu Rampaul was addressing public meetings at Kot Punnu and Deoli Jattan border villages in Hiranagar Tehsil of Kathua district.
Babu Rampaul flayed the UT administration for turning deaf ear to the problems of people residing in border villages.
He highlighted the issue of old age pension and mentioned that nearly 75 thousand applications have not been touched whereas another 25 thousand applications are under process and kept pending for want of several documents.
“The poor people are looking for govt support in the shape of an old age pension but the concerned officers are delaying the process in the garb of documents. I demand from the government to discard a long list of documents and make Aadhar Card the sole criteria for approving old-age pension,” he said.
The former minister also demanded immediate hike in old age pension from meager sum of Rs 1000 to Rs 5000 as inflation has increased manifold in the past one decade.
He also voiced his concerns over the imposition of Property Tax at Municipal Corporation and Municipal Committee level. “People have strong apprehension that the ambit of property tax will be extended upto town and panchayat level in the coming days as areas under Municipal Corporation and Municipal Committees is just a beginning,” he mentioned.
He also demanded from the Centre to hold elections in J&K at the earliest as people were feeling suffocated and frustrated under the LG rule which doesn’t listen to the public and acts in an autocratic manner.
Babu Rampaul reminded Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister, Amit Shah about their commitment related to restoration of statehood to J&K. “Statehood must be restored to J&K before the announcement of elections so as to restore the confidence of people in democratic system,” he said.
