Jammu, Feb 4, KNT: PDP legislator Waheed Parra on Wednesday launched a sharp attack on the Jammu and Kashmir government in the Legislative Assembly, alleging that the Union Territory lacks a clear industrial policy and has failed to address mounting unemployment and economic distress among youth and farmers.
Raising the issue during the proceedings, Parra said no real incentives were being extended to young people, resulting in huge unemployment across the region. He alleged that while industrial areas had been set up on paper, basic facilities were missing on the ground, rendering them ineffective.
Parra said startup applications were pending for long periods without any visible progress, accusing the government of making announcements without follow-through. “The government keeps saying ‘we will consider’, but nothing actually moves,” he said.
Highlighting agrarian distress, the PDP legislator demanded exemption of Kisan Credit Card loans, or at least waiver of interest, saying farmers were struggling to repay loans amid rising costs and low returns. He also raised concerns over crop insurance, alleging that farmers were not receiving timely relief despite repeated assurances.
Parra said the failure to resolve issues related to KCC loans, crop insurance and employment had deepened frustration among youth and farmers alike. He accused the government of lacking seriousness in addressing core economic challenges facing Jammu and Kashmir.
Responding to the criticism, Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Choudhary, who also holds the industries portfolio, said that mistakes were committed by previous government and asserted that the present dispensation was making efforts to rectify them.
Choudhary said structural gaps inherited from the past were being addressed step by step and maintained that reforms in the industrial sector were underway. However, he did not announce any immediate relief measures during the discussion.
