In a major show of organisational strength and intensified public outreach, the Jammu & Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) District Jammu Urban on Sunday organised a massive Sangathan Srijan Abhiyan at Gangyal in Bahu constituency under the leadership of District President Yogesh Sawhney. The programme, convened by Satish Sharma, was presided over by JKPCC Working President Raman Bhalla in presence of former Ministers Mulla Ram, Abdul Majeed Wani, Gurbachan Kumari Rana, former MLC Subash Gupta,TS Tony, Mangal Bral and witnessed participation of senior Congress functionaries, party workers and local residents in large numbers.
Among those present were former Ministers Mulla Ram and Abdul Majeed Wani, former MLC Subash Gupta and several prominent leaders of the party.
Prominent among those present on the occasion included Baldev Singh Wazir, Sumanpreet Singh, Latish Sharma, Sanjeev Katal, Pardeep Bhalla, Sandeep Dogra, Rajender Singh, Parveen Singh, Bhushan Kumar, Vijay Sharma, Janak Raj, Dwarka Choudhary, Kamal Singh, Jitender Singh, S.P. Sapolia, former Corporator Kulbushan Sharma, Inder Sehgal, Paras Ram, Sahil Shavotra, Pinka, Sapna, Om Parkash, Rita Kanojia, Dev Raj Kanojia, Suresh Kala, Charanjeet and Narinder Sharma.
The programme focused on strengthening the Congress party at the grassroots level while raising issues concerning unemployment, inflation, deteriorating civic infrastructure, drug abuse, rising prices of essential commodities and the growing hardships faced by the common masses in Jammu & Kashmir.
Addressing the gathering, Raman Bhalla launched a scathing attack on the BJP-led government, accusing it of failing on every front concerning governance and public welfare. He said the people of Jammu & Kashmir, especially the youth, farmers, labourers and middle-class families, are facing unprecedented hardships due to unemployment, inflation and lack of developmental initiatives. Bhalla alleged that despite repeated promises, the government has failed to provide employment opportunities to educated youth, resulting in growing frustration among the younger generation.
Bhalla further said that Jammu city and its adjoining areas are grappling with serious civic issues including dilapidated roads, erratic drinking water supply, unscheduled power cuts, inadequate drainage systems and poor sanitation facilities. He said the authorities have failed to address the basic needs of the people while developmental projects continue to suffer delays.
Raising concern over the increasing drug menace, Bhalla said the future of the youth is at stake and demanded stronger measures to curb narcotics trafficking and protect younger generations from substance abuse.
Raman Bhalla launched a scathing attack on the BJP-led government, accusing it of failing on every front concerning governance, public welfare and basic civic services.
He said the people of Jammu & Kashmir, particularly youth, farmers, labourers and middle-class families, are facing unprecedented hardships due to rising unemployment, inflation, deteriorating infrastructure and lack of developmental initiatives. Bhalla alleged that despite repeated promises, the government has failed to provide employment opportunities to educated youth, resulting in growing frustration among the younger generation.
Highlighting the worsening power crisis in Jammu, Bhalla alleged that the administration has been resorting to massive undeclared power cuts to cover up the prevailing electricity shortfall instead of purchasing additional power. He claimed that around 450-500 MW power deficit currently exists in Jammu region and alleged that nearly 500 MW electricity was “saved” during the previous night through unscheduled curtailments imposed on various feeders across the city and adjoining areas.
Bhalla said that as per directions from the Power Controller team of JPDCL, the 33 KV feeders of Jagti, Bhalwal and Purkhoo-1 remained shut till 11:30 pm, resulting in curtailment of nearly 37 MW load. He further claimed that around 30 MW load was curtailed for nearly one-and-a-half hours from Grid Station Janipur affecting areas including Roop Nagar, Subash Nagar and Rajinder Nagar. Similarly, around 11.5 MW load was curtailed from Grid Station Sidhra for nearly one-and-a-half hours impacting the 33 KV Sidhra, Bahu Fort, Malhori and Dhonthly feeders.
The Congress leader alleged that instead of addressing the crisis through better planning and power procurement, the authorities are avoiding additional electricity purchases by citing high seasonal costs, while common consumers continue to suffer prolonged outages amid rising temperatures. He also accused BJP representatives from Jammu of failing to effectively raise the concerns of the region before the government and power authorities.
Former Minister Mulla Ram, while addressing the workers, highlighted the plight of economically weaker sections, labourers, farmers and daily wagers who, he said, are struggling to survive amid rising prices of food items, fuel and other essential commodities. He stressed that inflation has badly affected household budgets and accused the government of ignoring the concerns of poor and marginalised sections of society. He also demanded concrete welfare measures and employment generation schemes to provide relief to the people.
Former Minister Abdul Majeed Wani emphasized the importance of communal harmony, unity and democratic values. He said Congress has always stood for secularism, inclusive development and protection of democratic institutions. Wani alleged that divisive politics and attempts to create social polarization are weakening the social fabric of the country. He urged party workers to strengthen public confidence by reaching out to every section of society and raising issues concerning the common people.
Speaking on the occasion, Yogesh Sawhney said the Sangathan Srijan Abhiyan is aimed at rejuvenating the party organisation and reconnecting with people at the grassroots level. He said Congress workers are committed to fighting for public rights and exposing the failures of the present government. Sawhney asserted that the party would continue to intensify public outreach programmes across Jammu Urban district to strengthen the organisational structure from booth to district level.
Satish Sharma, while addressing the gathering, highlighted various unresolved issues confronting residents of Bahu constituency including poor sanitation, damaged roads, traffic congestion, inadequate drainage facilities and irregular water supply. He said people are facing immense inconvenience due to administrative apathy and demanded immediate intervention to resolve civic problems affecting local residents. Sharma also called upon party workers to remain actively connected with the masses and ensure that public grievances are effectively projected before the concerned authorities.
The programme concluded with party leaders reiterating their commitment to strengthening the Congress party at the grassroots level and intensifying the struggle for the rights and welfare of the people of Jammu & Kashmir.
A large number of Congress workers, youth activists and local residents attended the event and expressed support for the party’s outreach campaign.