Jammu: BJP on Friday criticised the National
Conference-led government for meting out "discriminatory
treatment" on regional basis in providing relief and rescue
during natural calamities, including the ongoing snowfall.
"The coalition government should shed its policy of
discrimination and treat all the regions equal in matters
related to providing relief to the people affected by natural
calamities," Dachhan-Marwah BJP Mandal President Ravi Kumar
Parihar told reporters here.
"People of Jammu region, particularly erstwhile Doda, are
pained to see the government dole out preferential treatment
to people of snow-hit Kashmir Valley while ignoring similar
areas in Jammu," he claimed.
Heavy snowfall in Dachhan, Marwah, Wardwan and other
areas of Kishtwar have badly hit the normal life there, he
said.
"Many houses have been damaged. There are hundreds of
vehicles still stranded on national highway. There are cries
for help but administration has shown least concern towards
the mitigation of the sufferings of the people as majority of
them belong to the minority community," he alleged.
Be it Doda, Kishtwar or Bhaderwah, discrimination has
been meted out to these hilly areas during the last 64 years
in all matters, Parihar said.
The salary of special police officers (SPOs) and village
defence committee (VDC) members, whose monthly salary is Rs
3,000 and Rs 1,100, should be enhanced to Rs 7,000 and Rs
4,000 respectively, he demanded.
PTI
