Srinagar, June 8(KNS): Democratic Progressive Azad Party on Thursday held a peaceful protest in Srinagar and  marched towards the Divisional Commissioner office against the decision of government to stop subsidized ration to Above Poverty line category. 

The party termed the decision anti people and anti friendly and said no such decision imposed on the people of Jammu Kashmir would 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 for every welfare state to ensure no one sleeps hungry,”.he said. Taj said the present regime is contradicting it’s claims. While on one side it glorify the era of Maharaja and on the other hand every welfare scheme of those times is scrapped or modified to trouble common people. At the time of popular govt, the BPL families used to get 7kgs per head to the limit of 35 kgs and the APL families were getting 13kgs per head at landed cost. He said, they should implement the same scheme.

The protesters later marched towards the office of Divisional Commissioner and the Provincial President Kashmir Mohd Amin Bhatt submitted memorandum of certain demands in the larger interests of people. Vice Chairman GM Saroori said that the Jammu and Kashmir was the only state which was providing subsidized or free ration to its people and covering around 70 per cent of its population. He said when the rates of essential commodities are sky rocketing, it is the duty of government to take care of Poor section of people and ensure all are fed before they go to bed. He said not only the scheme needs to be restored immediately but the quantity of grains must be increased since the majority of population here is rice consuming. Among others who were present on the occasion were Chief Spokesperson Salman Nizami, Zonal President Gulzar Ahmed Wani, Shoaib  Lone  Distt President Baramulla, Vice President Province Altaf Dar, Shafiq Shabnam General Secretary Province, Hajid Musadiq  VP province,   Khalid Tufail  General secretary Province, Peer Bilal Zonal President, Aamir Bhat District President Srinagar, Mushtaq khanday District President, Kaiser Sultan District President Ganderbal, Mir Altaf, VP Zonal Cenab Valley Dr Asif Khanday, Sheikh Amir Rasool, Ghulam Nabi Palpoori, Arif Maqbool Secretary, Firdous Nabi Spokesperson, Aqib Khanday, Danish Choudhary Gen Secretary Youth, Mir Momin, Javid Hakim, GN Parwana and others.(KNS).