Jammu, March 8:—The Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) on Saturday staged a protest in Jammu against the recent hike in the price of LPG cylinders and criticised the proposed Indo–US trade deal, alleging that the decisions would adversely affect the common people as well as the country’s economy.
In connection with International Women’s Day, a rally was organized by J&K Mahila Congress president Shamima Raina and Inderjeet Kour at Model Town, but the rally was later turned into a protest due to the unprecedented hike in the prices of LPG cylinders.
Under the leadership of JKPCC president Tariq Hamid Karra and working president Raman Bhalla, a large number of party workers, including women participated in the rally at Model Town Digiana in the Gangwal area of Jammu.
Carrying placards and banners, the Congress workers raised slogans against the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre and criticised what they described as the government’s “surrender” in the Indo–US trade negotiations. The protesters alleged that the continuous rise in the prices of essential commodities, particularly cooking gas, has added to the financial burden on ordinary households.
Addressing the gathering, JKPCC chief Tariq Hamid Karra termed the Indo–US trade deal a “major blow” to the country’s economic interests. He said that instead of safeguarding the nation’s economic and strategic priorities, the Centre had bowed to pressure from the United States.
Karra said the recent LPG price hike had come soon after promises made to women on the occasion of International Women’s Day, calling the decision “cruel” and insensitive to the struggles of ordinary families. He pointed out that many rural households still do not have access to a piped gas supply and rely entirely on LPG cylinders, forcing them to carefully plan their monthly budgets.
He also expressed concern over the possible implications of the India–US trade agreement for the agriculture and dairy sectors. According to Karra, provisions relating to agricultural and dairy imports could expose farmers and producers in Jammu and Kashmir to competition from cheaper foreign products.
He warned that orchardists and dairy farmers in the Union Territory could be severely affected if safeguards are not put in place. “Our apple growers, walnut producers and small dairy farmers could face serious challenges if cheap imports enter the market without minimum support guarantees,” he said, demanding that the Centre immediately roll back the LPG price hike and present a White Paper on the trade deal in Parliament.
Karra further linked the issue to broader governance concerns in Jammu and Kashmir. He alleged that the region is already grappling with stalled recruitment for thousands of sanctioned government posts, erratic electricity supply in several border tehsils and a reduction in ration quotas under the public distribution system (PDS), which forces many families to purchase food grains from the open market at higher prices.
Highlighting the concerns raised by women party workers from border areas, Karra said many households are being forced to delay LPG refills or cut back on other essential expenses to manage their budgets. He described the combination of rising fuel costs and uncertainty in agricultural trade as a “double burden” on women, particularly those who were recently celebrated on Women’s Day.
He demanded the restoration of the earlier 7.30 kg per person ration quota under the PDS and relief in electricity billing for families facing prolonged power cuts in several parts of the Union Territory.
Speaking on the occasion, JKPCC working president Raman Bhalla strongly condemned the unprecedented hike in the prices of LPG. He said that the poor and middle classes would be badly affected by these anti-poor decisions of the Union Government.
Mr. Bhalla called for an LPG relief package for families belonging to BPL and AAY categories, along with a special subsidy buffer for Jammu and Kashmir, citing the higher transportation and logistics costs in hilly regions.
Bhalla also criticised what he described as the absence of adequate consultation before the Indo-US trade agreement’s provisions related to agriculture and dairy were discussed. He said stakeholders such as apple and walnut growers, dairy farmers, and other agricultural producers from Jammu and Kashmir had not been consulted before finalising the terms.
He further raised concerns about issues such as poor mobile connectivity in villages of the Pir Panjal region and delays in scholarships meant for Gujjar and Bakarwal students, stating that such problems reflect policy neglect.
Bhalla announced that the Congress party would collect data on LPG cylinder refills from local dealers to assess how the price hike is affecting households and present the findings to the administration. On the trade agreement, he urged the government to incorporate safeguards for sectors such as information technology and horticulture before finalising the pact.
He also called for the early filling of vacancies in the health sector and demanded the release of pending wages for daily-wage workers employed in government hospitals in Jammu.
The Congress leaders said the party would continue to raise issues affecting common people and farmers and intensify its protests if the government fails to address the concerns raised by the public.
Former minister Yogesh Sawhney, district president Jammu rural Neeraj Kundan; Mahila Congress president, Shamima Raina, Inderjeet Kour, Parveen Akhter, Tehseena Bukhari, Santosh Manjotra, Amna Kalyan, Sangeeta, Rita Kanojia, Vandana Makhnotra, Vimal Choudhary, Satish Sharma and Dawarka Choudhary, addressed the gathering.