NC Leader Farooq Abdullah Raises ‘Huge Unemployment’ Issue Of the State
New Delhi, Feb 9 : Former J&K Chief Minister and National Conference leader Farooq Abdullah on Wednesday raised the issue of “huge unemployment” among Jammu and Kashmir youth despite being highly educated, which he said was plunging them into depression. In his address in the Lok Sabha during the discussion on the Budget, Abdullah said that prices of food stuff are at a high, which would go up even further after the elections to the five states. He said the issue was exacerbated for those in the hills as the food is brought via trucks, and the high fuel prices add to it.
“I urge that taxes on fuel are reduced so that the common people are helped,” he said. Citing Covid, he said that the pandemic has affected people very badly and mentioned the MGNREGA scheme. He said that the central government has been reducing the allocation of funds to MGNREGA over the years. Referring to his own state, he said that for the works undertaken, like tunnels, roads and power projects, the lowest employee intake was from Kashmir. In Kishtwar, he said there is no local employment provided for locals. He urged the government to look into this aspect and ensure that locals are provided employment. Referring to tourism and apple growers, two of the money spinners for the state, he said that apple growers are unhappy as apples are being imported from Iran and elsewhere, and as a result the apple growers of the state are suffering as their apples are left to rot in godowns.
On tourism he urged the government to treat the sector as an industry so that they can reap the benefits. Referring to a test held in 2019 for employment in the border battalion, Abdullah said the aspirants took the test and are still waiting for employment. “And now they (the authorities) are employing people from outside the state. This is injustice,” he said. He also said that the Ayushman Golden Card health insurance was not being honoured, and cited an example of a poor man who had to get admitted in Srinagar for a surgery, and was told the card is not honoured. “The hospital refused to take him in,” he said.
