PDP supremo Mehbooba Mufti on Saturday said that the proposed GST hike for Kashmiri shawls will end the craft and appealed to Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah to address the issue.
She also accused the Center of trying to make the people of Jammu and Kashmir dependent only on tourism.
“Kashmiri shawls are not only a means of livelihood for us but an identity of Jammu and Kashmir. It is famous all over the world. The (previous) National Conference government banned sahtus, which is our heritage. It also caused financial loss,” Mehbooba told reporters.
“Today, when you increase the GST on Kashmiri shawls to 28 per cent, our art will automatically die,” the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president added.
The former chief minister of the former state alleged that efforts were being made to destroy Jammu and Kashmir by doing development work on horticultural land and imposing GST on handicrafts.
“It kept Jammu and Kashmir alive in tough times. I request Omar (Abdullah) that this is our property, you have 50 MLAs, three MPs, for God’s sake, tell me what you are doing to save our property. On raising GST to 28 per cent What are you doing,” she asked.
The PDP chief alleged that these measures were an attempt by the Center to make Jammu and Kashmir solely dependent on tourism.
“If our horticulture and handicrafts are finished, we will only depend on tourism. Perhaps, the central government wants to end the horticulture and handicraft sectors to make the people of Jammu and Kashmir dependent only on tourism so that they can send tourists whenever they want,” said Mahbuba.
He also claimed that large development projects are destroying agricultural and horticultural land.
The PDP supremo said, “Railway lines, ring roads, Baramulla-Rajouri highway – there has been an attack on plantations from which the youth earn their livelihood. This could have a very bad impact on the economy of Jammu and Kashmir and our situation could be worse than those states from where laborers come here. come. So, Umar (Abdullah) should pay special attention- our land has been taken away for the 30 satellite townships being built in the valley She also asked the Chief Minister to give an explanation about the people who are doing it.
“Thirty satellite townships are being built, for which 1.2 million land is required. He (Abdullah) should tell us for whom they are made. Who lives there? There are examples around the world like Gaza and Syria where people’s land was taken away, there is a concern about who will be resettled,” said Mahbouba.
“The people of Jammu and Kashmir are already going through uncertainty. There was no need to build these townships. Our agricultural land is taken for them,” she added.
The PDP chief also claimed that around 1.5 lakh ration cards of people below the poverty line have been canceled in Jammu and Kashmir.
She said that the people had to suffer due to extreme cold and the problem in electricity supply added to the disaster.
Mehbooba hoped that Chief Minister Abdullah would pay attention to these issues and solve the problems of the people.
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