 Early Times Report
MENDHAR, June 8: Javed Ahmed Rana, President of JKNC Pirpanjal region and former MLA of Mendhar, expressed his concerns regarding the prevailing regional imbalance and income disparities in the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir. He called upon the government to take immediate measures to address these issues by declaring the Pir Panjal region as a backward special category region.
Rana emphasized the need for the government to focus on improving the per capita income in order to reduce regional imbalances and disparities. He suggested implementing land reforms and redistributing surplus and unused land, granting ownership rights to landless and underprivileged classes to uplift their living standards.
Furthermore, Rana stressed the importance of the Finance Commission of India giving due weightage to the backwardness of the Pir Panjal region. He urged for resource transfers from the central government to be allocated to this backward and special category region through special central assistance, state plan funds, non-plan funds, and allocations for centrally sponsored schemes. Additionally, he proposed providing short-term and long-term credit from financial institutions.
Highlighting the specific needs of the region, Rana called for a special area development program to focus on the development of hilly areas, tribal areas, border areas, and drought-prone areas. He recommended formulating specific plans and schemes to uplift marginalized farmers, agricultural laborers, and the inhabitants of the backward region.
Rana stressed the importance of social security measures for workers as a means of reducing income inequalities. He advocated for the provision of workers' compensation in case of industrial injuries, maternity benefits for women workers, and other social security provisions.
Regarding the issue of unemployment, Rana urged the Government of India to introduce special employment programs specifically tailored for the Pir Panjal region. He suggested programs such as the Crash Scheme for Rural Unemployment, the Drought Prone Areas Programme, Food for Work Programme, self-employment schemes for engineers, and employment schemes for educated unemployed individuals.
In conclusion, the former legislator urged the government to grant the Pir Panjal area special status as a backward region. This designation would aim to promote the socio-economic development of the region and address the existing imbalances and disparities. |
