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Decision to stop subsidised ration to APL: Azad’s party holds protest in Srinagar
The Democratic Progressive Azad Party termed the decision of government to stop subsidised ration to above poverty line (APL) category “anti-people and anti-friendly” and said any such decision imposed on the people of Jammu Kashmir won’t be acceptable.
The Democratic Progressive Azad Party on Thursday held a peaceful protest in Srinagar and marched towards the Divisional Commissioner’s office against the decision of government to stop subsidised ration to above poverty line (APL) category.
The party termed the decision “anti-people and anti-friendly” and said any such decision imposed on the people of Jammu Kashmir won’t be acceptable.
“Those who have decided to not supply ration to APL category should learn from the history how the scheme was launched from the time of Maharaja’s rule. They can’t undo anything they want without understanding its repercussions on ground,” said Taj Mohiuddin, treasurer of DPAP. He said during the rule of Maharaja, shali stores were set up everywhere in Jammu and Kashmir to ensure food security to all since the UT is food deficit. He said the population of the UT has grown many folds since the times of Maharaja rule and the food production on the other side has drastically come down. “Under such circumstances, the government can’t deprive people of food and it is the responsibility of every welfare state to ensure no one sleeps hungry,” he said. Taj said the present regime is contradicting its claims. “While on one side it glorifies the era of Maharaja and on the other hand every welfare scheme of those times is scrapped or modified to trouble the common man. At the time of popular government, the BPL families used to get 7kg per head to the limit of 35 kg and the APL families were getting 13kg per head at landed cost. They should implement the same scheme,” he added.
The protesters later marched towards the office of the Divisional Commissioner and submitted a memorandum of demands to him.
