Congress intensifying Statehood  Movement in Jammu province from tomorrow

Jammu, February 12, 2025: Hitting out at the BJP-led Centre Government for betraying the people of Jammu & Kashmir over the issue of restoration of statehood, Jammu & Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee President Shri Tariq Hameed Karra has said that centre has no intention to fulfill the commitments in this connection and the people will have to intensify the struggle for achieving their goal of securing their identity, dignity, status, etc.

Addressing a press conference at PCC HQ here today, on the eve of the launching of 15-day mass contact campaign in the province, from Udhampur tomorrow. JKPCC Chief said that Congress will reach out to the people to intensify the movement for statehood and send a message to centre to fulfill the commitment and gear up people for a bigger struggle for the purpose.
The campaign shall also focus on the nationwide party campaign ” Jai Bapu, Jai Bhim and Jai Samvidhan” to safeguard the constitution, democracy and the independence of institutions.

The mass contact campaign is also aimed at listening to the problems faced by the cross-section of society and highlighting those and discussing the issues in the coming assembly session next month.

During the district-wise review meetings in Kashmir Valley earlier last week, the workers highlighted numerous day to day problems faced by the people including those of farmers, unemployed youth, traders, transporters, and daily and casual workers besides unprecedented price hike and huge taxations of various kinds, excise policy, education system and health issues especially power tariff and promise of free power units.

Despite Assembly election & coming into power of elected government ,the people are facing hardships for day today issues, due to absence of dual control system and lack of powers etc. Explaining further he said center government promised time to time to restore statehood without delay to restore immediately after assembly elections but even after four months of elections & elected government taking over, the centre has no intention to fulfill the promise.

He said that people will have to fight for their rights & get back their status, dignity, and identity as a full-fledged state and the Congress party is already on the forefront for their rights and will intensify people’s struggle. He asked people to support the Congress party in achieving the goal of early restoration of statehood. He said that the coalition government is also facing hardships to come upto the expectations of the people and restoring the responsive system to deliver to people in the absence of restoration of full-fledged statehood.

Flanked by Congress Working President Raman Bhalla, Chief Spokesperson Ravinder Sharma, Th. Balwan Singh, Yogesh Sawhney, Ved Mahajan, and Shri Karra expressed security concerns in the wake of terrorist incidents especially the blast attack in the Akhnoor Sector killing two Jawans, including a Captain. He condemned the incident and paid tributes to martyrs, expressing deep sympathies to their families.

PCC President also expressed concern over the recent incidents in Jammu, exposing the law and order situation, and demanded immediate check on Mafia and criminals to restore sense of security. He also condemned the incident of suicide in Billawar and demanded a judicial inquiry into the incident.

JKPCC Chief also questioned the present excise policy and the reports of revenue loss to the government and demanded a review of the present policy immediately besides strict monitoring on illegal activities of drug trade spoiling the future generations.

Mr. Karra also raised the long pending issue of ‘Gair Mumkin’ ‘Khads’ affecting rights of hundreds of common people, despite some directions of the Hon’ble Court. He demanded quick action in the matter to rightfully settle the issue without further delay.

He also raised serious concerns over the mining issue, destroying the ecology of the regions, affecting water bodies and large-scale loot of the natural resources besides the common man is getting building materials on very high prices like gold. The government should immediately take stock of the situation to streamline the system to check the loot and make available building materials at affordable prices to the people.

He also mentioned the issues of ration scale, power tariff and free units of electricity, and smart meters and said that these issues should also be taken upon on a priority basis.

The party announced schedule of Conventions of different districts of Jammu Province are as under:-

1. 1.   13^th Feb. 2025                Convention at Udhampur.
   2.   15^th Feb. 2025                Convention at  Poonch
   3.   16^th Feb. 2025                Convention at Dongi-Rajouri
   4.   17^th Feb. 2025                Convention at Ramban.
   5.   18^th Feb. 2025                Convention at Doda.
   6.   19^th Feb. 2025                Convention at Kishtwar
   7.    21^st Feb. 2025.               Convention at Reasi.
   8.   22^nd Feb. 2025               Convention  at Kathua.
   9.  23^rd  Feb. 2025                Convention  Jammu (Rural)
   10.  27^th Feb. 2025.                Convention  Jammu (Urban)