Unemployment and inflation on the rise since abrogation of Article 370: PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti attacks Center
Jammu and Kashmir Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chief Mehbooba Mufti in fresh attacks on the cen-tral government said that revocation of Article 370 has resulted in increased unemployment and inflation.
Mufti alleged that the Union government’s only mo-tive behind the abrogation was to loot Jammu and Kash-mir, reversing progress on each front in the troubled Union Territory.
Mufti said, “Article 370, 35(A) & Domicile laws weren’t given by a foreign country.
Even before the na-tion gave us these, Maharaja had brought it to protect identity of people of J&K. When people decided to be part of India, he said that we have these laws that have to be upheld”.
The Chenab Valley, she said, is facing the worst im-pact of the “sell-out” by the Union government as even the power projects which Jammu and Kashmir was capa-ble of undertaking itself has now been handed over to NHPC.
Mufti alleged that outsiders from the UT are being given top positions at Chenab Valley Power Projects. “Our transporters are in trouble. They’ve to pay toll tax & what not”, she added.
“I have been told that locals are being denied em-ployment in these projects despite written agreement about the share of employment”, she said.
The PDP chief even feared that J&K’s situation will become worse than the state of Gujarat if the centre con-tinues to the assault over economy.
“Earlier they used to say that J&K is backward, but we’re ahead on several indices. But if their onslaught over economy continues, our situation will become worse than Gujarat as far as poverty is concerned”, said Mufti.—KMS