DPAP stages massive protest rally in Srinagar against ration curtailment, imposition of property tax in J&K

*Srinagar, June 8:* Democratic Progressive Azad Party (DPAP) on Thursday staged a massive protest rally here against stopping of ration to 70 percent Above Poverty Line (APL) population, curtailing it for those under below poverty line (BPL) and imposition of property tax in Jammu and Kashmir.

Taking to streets in Srinagar as DPAP launched protests in Jammu and Kashmir against ration curtailment and property tax imposition, senior leadership and hundreds of party workers marched from party headquarters towards Press Enclave before they were stopped near SK Stadium from where only the party leaders were all allowed to submit a memorandum to Divisional Commissioner Kashmir Vijay Kumar Bidhuri at his office.

Addressing the party workers and activists, senior leader DPAP Treasurer Taj Mohiuddin reminded the protesters that it was during Ghulam Nabi Azad’s tenure as chief minister that the then government sanctioned 11 kilograms of ration and five kilograms of atta to all sections of people in Jammu and Kashmir.

“Ironically, the present government has stopped the ration to majority of people thus depriving 70 per cent of APL population of basic necessities while 30% BPL population is being given mere five kgs which reflects mismanaged governance in Jammu and Kashmir,” said Taj Mohiuddin.

Criticising the UT administration on undertaking anti-people measures, Vice-Chairman GM Saroori said DPAP has commenced its struggle against the anti-people decision as majority of the population stands deprived of the ration be it a city or rural Jammu and Kashmir.

“We need old Jammu and Kashmir where citizens enjoyed and cherished life without any curtailment be it ration or property tax which the government of the day is soon going to implement,” Saroori said.

The memorandum which the DPAP leaders presented to Divisional Commissioner Kashmir said at the time of popular government, the BPL families used to get seven kgs per head to the limit of 35 kgs and the APL families were getting 13 kgs per head at landed cost.

“Jammu and Kashmir being food deficit area and right from the time of Maharajas the subsidized ration was given to the people as they established ‘Shali’ store and later CAPD implemented the supply distribution and it was the only state from last more than 100 years that the population was given subsidized ration which needs to be restored immediately,” said the DPAP memorandum to Div Comm.

Expressing its resentment of ignoring majority of the population, the DPAP memorandum said the APL population constituting 70 percent of people can’t be deprived of this basic human need which is food to survive amidst massive hikes in power, LPG, and other essential commodities in Jammu and Kashmir.

The DPAP leadership which spearheaded Thursday’s protest rally in Srinagar, included Vice-Chairman GM Saroori, Treasurer Taj Mohiuddin, Provincial President Kashmir Mohd Amin Bhat, Chief Spokesperson Salman Nizami, General Secretary Khalid Tufail, District President Srinagar Amir Bhat, Provincial General Secretary Shafeeq Shabnam, District President Baramulla Shoib Lone, ex-MLA Gulzar Wani, Zonal President Central Kashmir Pir Bilal, Altaf Dar, Mushtaq Khandey, Kaiser Sultan, Ahmad Sartaj, Mir Munir and hundreds of party workers.