Srinagar: National Conference on Tuesday expressed concern over the shortage of essential items across Kashmir while urging the government to adopt measures to protect poor class and most vulnerable as well as sustain the supply chain. Party’s spokesperson Imran Nabi Dar in a statement said, “One cannot have a knee-jerk reaction to such catastrophes without evaluating and anticipating the scale of problems arising as a consequence of it. The inevitable lockdown has put the lives of the poor at risk.

It is a stark reality that a sizeable chunk of our society lives by hand to mouth; it is this section of society that has incurred major hit due to the loss of livelihood, lack of food, shelter, health and other basic needs. The lockdown is inevitable in the wake of the spread of a global pandemic; it goes with saying that it is an extraordinary situation we are going through. The challenges that the outbreak has thrown at us needs ramped-up efforts that should include financial support to the daily wagers, hawkers, labourers and other economically challenged sections of the society.” Imran said the government should take urgent steps to come to the rescue of those at need.

“Setting up community kitchens, releasing pending wages, and stepping up procurement to protect agriculture sector will make a difference. It is for the government to ensure that everyone has access to food, medical care and that the poor and marginalised sections of the society are not left unattended,” he said. He said the lockdown has created a shortage of necessary food items in Kashmir division and that people are finding it very difficult to run their kitchens. “The shortage of essential commodities is severely felt in both urban as well as rural areas. People are finding it hard to purchase vegetables, milk and other edibles.

The countrywide scale of this lockdown has affected the movement of various important commodities all across Kashmir division. Most of the provisional stores are closed, and those which are open have already run out of basic essentials like cooking oil, cooking condiments, sugar, and other items,” he said. He said the people living in both rural and urban areas of Kashmir are already running out of stocked edibles and other necessary items. “ He urged the government to ensure that the normal life of the people is not hit due to the lockdown.

KR Desk