Govt must address public grievances on priority: Saroori

Kishtwar, Dec 21: Former minister Ghulam Mohammad Saroori has urged the government to take immediate steps to address the grievances and hardships faced by the general public.
He termed the cancellation of 1.27 lakh ration cards in Jammu and Kashmir as completely unacceptable and demanded that the government first verify the genuine cases and ensure that every resident of Jammu and Kashmir is provided with a ration card.
Saroori criticised the Central government for failing to conduct the census, which was due in 2021 but has been delayed for the past four years. This delay, he said, has not only deprived people of access to government welfare schemes but has also exacerbated the struggles of unemployed youth.
During an extensive tour of the Niccha, Rahalthal, Balana, Bhata, Pahalgam, Supnai, and Sigdi areas of Kishtwar district, Saroori interacted with locals and listened to their issues. He stressed the urgent need for the government to address these concerns on a priority basis. “Youth are suffering immensely as they are unable to avail the benefits of any government schemes due to the lack of a proper census and ration card system,” he said.
The former minister urged the government to conduct proper verification of existing ration cards before taking such drastic measures, ensuring that no deserving individual is left without access to basic amenities. He called for immediate action to resolve these issues, emphasising that timely intervention is critical to providing relief to the people and alleviating their hardships.