While releasing the outfit’s vision document, the former state minister claimed that the “mines are ours, water is ours, even forests are ours’’. (Express Photo by Tashi Tobgyal/Used for representational purpose)
Floating a “non-political’’ organisation named Dogra Swabhimaan Sangathan to “fight for the honour of Dogras and to get justice for Jammu region”, BJP MLA from Basohli, Choudhary Lal Singh, on Sunday called for bifurcation of the state’s resources.
While releasing the outfit’s vision document, the former state minister claimed that the “mines are ours, water is ours, even forests are ours’’. “Only one river (Chenab) has the potential to generate 20,000 MW of power, but Jammu faces the maximum power shortage,” he told a gathering here.
“The benefits of natural resources of Jammu province — forests, water, travel, tourism, industrial etc — will be restricted to the people of Jammu province, who will have the first preferential right over them. It is only after the satisfaction of their needs can these resources be distributed to Kashmir province or to other parts of the country,’’ he said.
Singh called for a separate public service commission and service selection board for the two regions.
He said that people from Jammu should be appointed for posts meant for the region and their seniority and cadre should also be Jammu-based.
He targeted political parties, saying that irrespective of whether they were in the Opposition or in power, they have not worked for the people of Jammu. “They did not leave any chance to damage the interests of Jammu,’’ he said.
He criticised the Crime Branch inquiry into the rape and murder of a Bakerwal girl in Kathua district’s Raisana village and the subsequent arrest of eight people, including four policemen.
Responding to the launch of the outfit, the BJP’s state spokesperson, Sunil Sethi said that though Singh claims the Sangathan to be a “non-political’’ organisation, charters in its vision document are political. “It is a document which advocates regionalism very strongly. The party has taken a serious view of him forming an organisation… we have sent a note to party headquarters for appropriate action,’’ he said.