STATE TIMES NEWS
JAMMU: A number of owners, workers, operators and drivers of JCB, dumper, tippers, tractor-trolleys in Nagrota constituency are suffering miserably due to ban on mining of sand and gravel from river beds. To save these suffering people, Government should review its order on ban of mining at the earliest. It was stated by the President, All JCB, Dumper, Tipper, Tractor, Trolley Owners and Workers Union Nagrota, Ch Bashir Ahmad while addressing a press conference here on Monday.
Bashir Ahmad further said that many owners are paying installments of vehicles to banks from their savings, thereby adding to miseries of already suffering people. “We are facing numerous troubles due to a ban on mining coupled with coronavirus outbreak, followed by imposition of lockdowns and other restrictions. We had purchased heavy vehicle on bank loans but with ban on mining imposed by Geology and Mining Department, we are on verge of starvation,” he added.
“I am unable to understand is ban on mining will continue, then how Government would complete its development works and construction of other projects in J&K,” he said, urging district administration to issue instructions to the concerned department for revoking ban on mining, so that tipper & dumper operators and others associated with the trade can earn their livelihood. We are giving a week’s time to administration for fulfilling our demands, failing which we would be forced to lodge an agitation, responsibility of which would be of Government, he added.
Others present in the press conference included Sumit Singh, Mohd Younas, Madan Shah, Rehmat Ali, Arun Sharma, Sahil Sharma, Devender Kumar, Ajay Sharma and Raman Kumar.