Jammu Kashmir Apni Party (JKAP) leader Ghulam Hassan Mir on Sunday asked the government to come up with relief measures for people whose livelihood has got affected by restrictions imposed in view of Coronavirus outbreak in Jammu and Kashmir. In a statement, Mir said while necessary measures including ban on all forms of public transport and normal movement across J&K was imperative to tackle the spread of the deadly disease, the government should also take concrete steps to mitigate sufferings of people affected by these restrictions. “JKAP is concerned over the plight of families whose livelihood has got badly hit due to these mandatory restrictions. Unfortunately, the J&K government seems to be a mute spectator to their miseries and sufferings. Like other governments in UP, Delhi, Punjab, Kerala and West Bengal, the J&K government should also come up with measures to help people who are unable to sustain their families in these hard times,” Mir said.He said a vast section of the society including labourers, daily wagers, vendors, ITI trained labourers, transporters and shopkeepers whose livelihood has been drastically affected by the restrictions on public gatherings, assembly and movement of people, both in cities and other district headquarters and towns across Jammu and Kashmir need to be helped out by the government. “The central government must extend all possible financial support including free ration and other essential commodities to such families who are otherwise compelled to come out from their homes to make a living,” said Mir. “Such families shall be provided with free ration and monthly financial assistance till the situation normalizes and the restrictions are eased out on public movement.” He remarked that the Coronavirus was causing terrible financial stress to the poor in J&K like other parts of the country and the government must announce extra ration from government depots and fair-price shops to the BPL and other underprivileged families free of cost.“Similarly, the government must release enhanced pensions for widows, differently-abled and elderly people in view of the lockdown caused by the pandemic,” Mir said, adding that the central government must support the J&K residents with its liberal financial help to tackle the outbreak of Coronavirus.
