Mehbooba targets NC govt over rejection of pro-poor bills

People’s Democratic Party (PDP) Chief Mehbooba Mufti targeted the ruling National Conference government for opposing people-friendly and pro-poor policies during the recently concluded Assembly Budget session.

During a party convention in south Kashmir’s Kulgam district, the PDP chief said the ruling dispensation has decided to dodge the policies aimed at benefiting the poorer and needy sections of the society.

She highlighted the concerns of the general public at the convention and said, “People are worried about losing their land; tribals fear demolition, yet the Omar Abdullah-led government rejected our proposed bill to regularise state land between 5 and 15 marlas in the possession of poor residents.

Instead, the government passed bills to benefit the rich hoteliers and wealthy business community while ignoring the plight of the poor sections of society.

“We don’t have any issue if hoteliers get benefited, but you can’t ignore the poor,” she said, adding that the government also rejected the idea of regularising daily wagers.

“You gave them 50 seats so that votes are not divided, and it would not help the Bharatiya Janata Party. I also felt relieved; however, despite the mandate, they have completely surrendered,” she said.

She even accused the NC leadership of submitting their massive mandate to the BJP and said, “Omar Abdullah, despite having such a mandate, succumbed to central government pressure.”

She said no one is happy with the government’s stance on the three important bills raised by the PDP, but torn down by the ruling National Conference.

Earlier, NC spokesperson and MLA Tanvir Sadiq said that the bills brought by Waheed Parra were aimed at “benefiting only the rich and his own voter base, while they were ignoring the plight of poor and homeless people of Jammu and Kashmir, who have equal rights on the land.”

“Having possession of state land does not mean it belongs to the person in occupation of that land. Besides, Waheed Parra was advocating for rich people having tens of kanals of state land in their possession,” he said.

He had said, as a responsible government with a massive mandate, we need to think of everyone besides a few.

The state government is allotting five marlas of land to the poor while equally considering the poor sections having less land in their possession.