PAMPORE: Bartiya Janta Party (BJP) national youth vice president Er. Aijaz Hussain has demanded the government of Jammu and Kashmir to lift a ban on stone quarrying in Wuyan, Khrew, Panthachowk, Zewan and areas of Pulwama and Srinagar district’s.
He told Kashmir Reader that around 20 thousand families in Panthachowk, Athwajan, Zavoora, Wuyan, Khrew, Ladhoo, Lethpora and other areas used to earn their livelihood from stone quarrying.
“But, a ban order issued by the previous government has affected these families by snatching their livelihood,” he said.
He demanded the LG government to lift the ban as soon as possible so that inflation in construction materials is curbed. “The rates of construction materials like sand, boulders, bricks spiralled which is severely bothering the common man,” he said, adding that the government has given permission to cement industries for mining which is a good thing for business to sustain.
“At the same time the government should look into the grievances of poor labourers who could find no work due to the ban on stone quarrying,” he said.
He added that due to the ban unemployment has increased in the area.
Lifting the ban will address the issue of unemployment and also help in containing inflation in construction materials.
He appealed to the LG government to look into the matter on humanitarian grounds and show sympathy with the quarry labourers.

BILAL HABIB