EARLY TIMES REPORT
JAMMU, Apr 26: Expressing grave concern on rapid spike in coronavirus cases across the country, National Conference Provincial President Devender Singh Rana today urged the party district presidents to play their crucial role in mobilizing people for expeditious vaccination and generate awareness about COVID appropriate behaviour. “We are passing through very difficult times and there is need for rising above party politics and coming together to fight the pandemic”, Rana said in an exclusive interaction with the party functionaries in virtual mode and advised the district presidents to rope in block presidents for supplementing the effort of the frontline warriors, who were serving the humanity at the peril of their own and the lives of their families. The district presidents who participated in the video-conference included Khalid Najeeb Suharwardy, Tanvir Kitchloo, Jagjeevan Lal, Romy Khajuria, Sajjad Shaheen, Dr Shamshad Shan, Bagh Hussain Rathore, Shafayat Khan, Bhushan Uppal, Mohinder Gupta, Sunil Verma, Dharamveer Singh Jamwal, Naresh Bittu, Ramparshotam Sharma and Sham Narayan Mehta. Besides, Provincial Secretary Sheikh Bashir Ahmed, Provincial President Youth National Conference Aijaz Jan and Provincial President Women Wing Satwant Kaur Dogra also participated. “It is a collaborative effort and mass mobilization has become imperative to meet the challenge”, Rana said, hoping the functionaries, also including Sarpanches, Panchs and other PRI representatives, will observe the necessary COVID protocol while reaching out to the people in their respective wards and halqas. In an hour long video conference, the Provincial President said the second wave of COVID-19 has completely driven normal life out of gear, resulting in a challenging situation for all, irrespective of age, gender and economic status. He said the abnormal situation in the wake of restrictions will certainly hit some segments of the society like daily earners, traders, transport pliers etc and here comes the role for the society to extend helping hand to the needy. The poorer sections are suffering the most, which perhaps need best of the attention of both, the administration as also the society. Rana hoped the functionaries will rise to the occasion and raise problems of the people at designated forums through whatever mode of communication available. He also urged the administration to formulate an emergency plan with regard to increasing bedding strength and ensuring 24X7 oxygen supply to the medical facilities in the entire Jammu division. He placed on record his appreciation for the heroic role being played by medicos, para medics, police, security forces, civic staff, essential commodities providers and all those engaged in steering out the people out of the present crisis like situation. Rana prayed for the situation to get under control and for humanity to overcome the challenge posed by the second wave of pandemic. |