Sajid Raina
Jammu, Dec 1: Accusing Omar Abdullah led dispensation of failing to address issues related to landless families, unemployed youth and daily-wage workers, Leader of Opposition (LoP) and senior BJP leader Sunil Sharma on Monday asked the Chief Minister to clarify which files have been allegedly stalled in the Lieutenant Governor’s office.
Talking to reporters here, Sharma rejected the NC’s claim that files were being blocked by the Lieutenant Governor’s office and demanded that the ruling party publicly disclose which files were pending.
“If all files are being cleared for transfers and tenders, the government must tell the people which files are not being cleared,” he said.
Sharma said, “The government has not fulfilled its responsibility of rehabilitating families affected by landslides, floods and land subsidence in the Chenab region and other areas.”
He said, “As many as 5000 houses for disaster-hit families were being built in the Union Territory through an NGO from Tamil Nadu and not with government funding. “A saint from South India has taken the responsibility of constructing houses where the government could not do so,” Sharma said.
On the ongoing demolition drives and encroachment-related actions, Sharma said the BJP fundamentally opposes encroachment on any land, including state or private property.
However, he said genuine landless families must be identified and supported under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana.
Sharma said, “Prime Minister Narendra Modi had already laid down norms for providing land assistance to landless and houseless beneficiaries.”
He said daily wagers, SPOs, contractual workers, need-based workers and other low-income employees should be covered under government welfare schemes.
Sharma said a review was needed to define the income threshold that determines eligibility for government benefits. “The poor earning Rs 2,500, Rs 7,000 or Rs 9,000 should not be excluded,” he said.
He also stated that ASHA workers, Anganwadi workers, contractual employees and other categories continued to protest on the streets as their demands had not been met.
He said the BJP would continue to raise their issues in the Assembly and added that the Minimum Wages Act should be implemented in the Union Territory.
