Valley News Desk

Ex-Gbl MLA Ishfaq Jabbar Urges Governor Administration to put new mining or extraction policy in abeyance or allow the extraction of key construction material by the local mining contractors.

Srinagar: Former MLA Ganderbal and National Conference Senior leader Sheikh Ishfaq Jabbar has
expressed his concern over the sand mining contracts going to the outsiders in Kashmir this year.

In a statement issued here the former MLA while expressing his concern said that the government wants our youth to become jobless as they are losing employment opportunities due to awarding of mining contracts to outsiders.

Jabbar said that for generations, thousands of families are dependent on sand extraction along Nallah Sindh and river Jhelum and this move of the government will render more than one lakh families without livelihood.

Not only families of sand diggers, but thousands of those families who take the sand in tippers to different destinations and labourers will suffer now. It will result in a huge crisis and would be a setback for construction work too.

Ishfaq said that local businessmen can not compete against big businesses from outside J&K that have a higher net worth and are thus able to bid more successfully.

He said the developments will impact both ecology and livelihood in Kashmir.

With the bidding process being held online,and the valley remains under partial internet restrictions six months after it saw a complete lockdown ahead of the scrapping of Article 370 and Article 35A. Partial 2G connectivity was only restored late last month, with broadband still unavailable, our businessmen were at a disadvantage, he pointed out.

Mr Jabbar has urged the Lt. Governor G C Murmu to allow the extraction of key construction material by the local mining contractors who have been otherwise barred due to e-tendering process.

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