In a whirlwind movement, the All Jammu Civil Society Forum, under its convener Th. Gulchain Singh Charak and co-convener Sh. Abdul Majid, held series of meetings within the Jammu region at Jammu, Rajouri, Poonch and other Districts and deliberated with the cream of civil society to form a think tank to deliberate upon the problems facing J&K State and permanent solution of the Kashmir imbroglio.
After detailed deliberations a 20 member strong delegation of the AJCSF met with Union cabinet ministers, political leaders and the bureaucrats at the national capital. The delegation comprising of the leading citizenry representing Jammu region from all walks of life and all communities in a consolidated group of 20 distinguished members visited New Delhi on a prefixed schedule and met the Finance Minister, Defence minister, Dr Karan Singh, other political stalwarts and connected bureaucrats from other ministries. Thus the AJCSF has tried to highlight the problems faced by the State in General and Jammu province in particular.
On the request from the traders the delegation projected to the Finance minister their difficulties because of the disturbed conditions in the State with regard to filing of Income Tax returns by 17th of Oct 2016. The FM, Shri Arun Jaitley was kind enough to take a quick decision to extend the date to 31st Dec 2016 as requested. Copy of which is reproduced. Likewise, compensation was also sought to make up the losses of the business community, transporters, hotel industry, petrol tankers operators and farmers who are forced to abandon their standing crops and vacate the border areas.
The issue of losses of education to the children due to closure of almost all the schools in border areas and more to accommodate the migrated population was also projected with a request of special recruitment drive for these unemployed youth with relaxed education and qualitative requirement.
Gen Goverdhan Singh Jamwal raised Ex-Servicemen related issues with the Raksha Mantri, since the 60,000 Ex-Servicemen have an impact on the lives of at least a population of six lakh connected family members. All the ministers and concerned bureaucrats were quite receptive and more favourable results are expected. Other demands including autonomous regional councils for all the three regions, Duggar Channel to counter negative propaganda by Pakistan and construction of community halls for border migrants along the national highway from Lakhanpur to Jammu & Jammu to Poonch, were also projected. Memorandums were also submitted to Hon’ble PM, HM & Minister for Information and Broadcasting.
The delegation also held detailed meeting with Dr Karan Singh who after patiently hearing the delegation expressed that he was alive to the problems. He supported the idea of autonomous regional councils for all the three regions of the State and working of secretariats in both the summer and winter capitals on permanent basis. Expressing sorrow about the losses of life in Kashmir valley he said that he will take up the Kashmir issue with the Prime Minister.
In the mean time the AJCSF plans to further strengthen its units in other parts of the region and State so that the people are kept awakened and do not remain mute spectators to the negative developments which harm the interests of Jammuites including conservation of heritage, employment of youth and share of developmental funds. Soon meetings are planned in Rajouri, Poonch, Doda Kishtwar and Kathua Ditricts. It is also planned to visit Srinagar and strengthen our ties with the Civil Societies in the Valley and work jointly with them for establishment of peace and mitigate the sufferings of the people in the Valley with special reference to the youth there.
A general body meeting of the AJCSF is also being called shortly, to work out short/long term activities and issue a calendar of futuristic activities in the offing. The delegation comprised of Co convener Shri Abdul Majid, Sh. G. A Khawaja, Dr Col Virendra K Sahi, Vr Chakra, Sh. Amanat Ali Shah, Sh. S. Peter, Mohd. Aslam Qureshi, Brig. M. S. Jamwal (Retd.), Sh. Yash Paul Gupta, Sh. Anan Sharma, Neeraj Anand, Sh. Rajesh Gupta, Sh. Syed Maqbool Kazmi, Sh. Kuldip Wahi, Col. Karan Singh (Retd.) Sh. Janak Khajuria & Sh. Gambhir Dev Singh Charak.
The above mentioned members of the delegation were also present during the press conference.
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