Pampore: Stone quarry owners from Wuyan, Khrew area of Pampore and Gujjar, Bakerwal Conference general Secretary Choudhary Mohammad Yaseen Poswal and DDC member Pampore Tazima Akhtar on Friday demanded resumption mining activities in the areas.
While talking to Kashmir Reader quarry owners from the areas urged the administration to immediately lift the ban so that they can earn their livelihood, “Our families and especially our children are suffering as we don’t have money to pay their tuition fee due to which they have been kicked out of schools. The financial institutions from which we have taken loans have also declared our accounts as non-performing as we are not repaying the amount,” Mohammad Yaseen Joo, a member of Wuyan quarry Association said, adding that the ban has rendered many youths unemployed in the areas.
The quarry holders and workers lamented the ban has snatched the livelihood of thousands of people. “There are nearly 80,000 workers associated with the business directly or indirectly and the ban has affected the equal number of families,” another quarry owner said.
Gujjar Bakerwal Conference General Secretary, Choudhary Mohammad Yaseen Poswal, appealed to Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha and other authorities to look into the matter and restore mining so that we don’t suffer anymore,” I appeal to the administration to revoke the ban so that people can earn their livelihood. The people particularly those living on the foothills are facing immense problems due to the ban,” he said.
The owners said amid Covid pandemic and closure of the crushers and mining plants; they said that they have already suffered a lot because of the pandemic.

BILAL HABIB