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Poorer sections worst victims of deadly pandemic, raging inflation says Harsh

YB WEB DESK. Dated: 5/12/2021 1:38:13 PM

Jammu, May 11 Urging upon the govt to augment public welfare measures in the backdrop of second wave of corona, Harsh Dev Singh Chairman-JKNPP and former Minister called for extension of free ration under PDS beyond May, June atleast till the end of 2021. This was extremely essential to save the poor, indigent and other BPL families from starvation. He called for monthly cash transfer of atleast Rs. 10,000 into the bank accounts of vulnerable households for three months to cope with the financial crisis faced by them during the ongoing pandemic. He sought the increase of employment provision under MGNREGA to a minimum of 200 days per Job card holder as against the existing 100 days as the migrant workforce was the worst hut and could not take to other states for earning their livelihood. The minimum wages under MGNREGA and other labour force needed to be enhanced to Rs. 375 as per the recommendations of Anoop Satpathy Committee which had not been implemented in J&K despite the centres’ repeated assurances of extending the central pay scales, allowances and other incentives to the new UT. Dwelling over the plight of poor rural folk during corona distress, Singh divulged that the recent hailstorm had further added to their woes in view of complete damage of standing crops suffered in several villages. An environment of pain, anger, frustration prevailed on the rural turf which were facing denial of not only basic amenities and ration but of essential drugs as well. There were hardly any corona testing or helpline centres in the rural and remote areas with the panic stricken people simply being cautioned by the administration to stay indoors. While the govt had failed to address rural health care issues, the existing dispensaries and other health centres had become defunct in majority of the villages which faced chronic deficiency of staff and other essential drugs and equipments. Singh asserted that not only had the workforce suffered adversity due to the ongoing pandemic but their woes stood compounded by the sharp rise in the prices of essential commodities including pulses, vegetables and other articles of daily use. The raging inflation during the current crisis had posed the most menacing threats to the very survival of the marginalized sections with the little savings whatsoever of majority of rural poor having been exhausted during the last one year. There were reports of several households having cut down their food intake to cope with the situation arising due to loss of livelihood and damage to crops. Calling upon the helmsmen to come to the succour of the poor and marginalized population of the country and J&K in particular, Singh said that huge funds raised under PM’s Cars Fund needed to be utilized to save the vulnerable sections from starvation and other adverse fallouts of the deadly pandemic.