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