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JAMMU AUGUST 09:–A joint meeting of JAMMU & KASHMIR SIKH COORDINATION COMMITTEE and ALL J&K TRANSPORT WELFARE ASSOCIATION, under the Chairmanship of S. Ajit Singh, was organised with the CENTRAL MANIFESTO COMMITTEE OF BJP, J&K UT, including Dr. Narinder Singh National General Secretary BJP, Davinder Rana senior member Election Manifesto Committee, Bharat Bhushan Chairman DDC Jammu, Retd. Lt. Gen. R. K. Sharma & Y. V. Sharma today at Jammu, to project & highlight the burning issues & problems being faced by the Sikh Community and all the Transporters of J&K UT.
All the members present in the meeting stressed upon the Members of the Election Manifesto Committee of BJP for J&K to include the following demands in the Election Manifesto for their early redressal.
The main problems and issues raised in the meeting included the following ;
DEMANDS OF JAMMU-KASHMIR SIKH COORDINATION COMMITTEE as All the Refugee Basti inherited by the refugees of POJK be regularised by giving the ownership rights to them. Also the issue of 254-C be resolved at the earliest and the clear-cut instructions be issued to the authorities of Revenue Department for the resolution of the cases under 4/1 pending in different Tehsil offices.
The Sikh Sangat of J&K UT, particularly from the KASHMIR Province, with great reverence and regards, apprise your Esteemed self about the installation of statue of Maharaja Ranjit Singh at Srinagar ,which has been discussed and assured by your worthy self. It is a matter of great prestige that this great Ruler & warrior , who ended the Mughal empire from Kashmir in 1814, not only permanently annexed the Kashmir with India but also completely paved the end of era of oppression of invaders to end towards the Indian Sub-continent. Sir, the installation of the statue of MAHARAJA RANJIT SINGH will not only infuse the spirit of nationality but will also infuse a spirit of our proud history to our coming generations and they will feel proud of great our warrior and ruler ,to which history bears testimony. It is our humble request that the necessary directions may kindly be passed for the installation of the Statue of Maharaja Ranjit Singh at Srinagar as it is matter of pride for citizens of this great Nation if the same is done and inaugurated by your worthy self.
That an ancient & historical Gurudwara Sahib of Guru Nanak Sahib ji existed since centuries in Village Ser Manjla , Tehsil Ramnagar, District Udhampur, in the memory of the visit of the First Sikh Guru to this area in the Sixteenth century and we have requested to your goodself vide letter No. 34/AJKSCC/08-2023, dated 08-08-2023
for the reconstruction of the new building of the Gurudwara Sahib. The local Administration has identified the land for the construction of the Gurudwara Sahib at Village Ser Manjla (Ramnagar). We request your kindself to issue the orders to concerned authorities to hand over the identified piece of land for the construction of the new building of Gurudwara Charan Kamal Sahib in the memory of Guru Nanak Sahib ji.
That during the partition of the Country in 1947, lacs of Sikh refugees migrated from POJK and got settled in different States ,the majority of them settled in Jammu Province of present J&K UT. We request to reserve at least 10% assembly seats for the Sikh Community , out of the quota reserved for POJK Refugees in the J&K Assembly, to give the due representation to the Sikh Community;
That the Sikh Community is declared as a MINORITY COMMUNITY at the National Level & also in the J&K but no benefit under the provisions of the Constitution for MINORITY Community is given to the Sikh Community of J&K by the successive Governments till date. The Sikh Community of J&K UT as a whole requests for the implementation of all the recommendations of Minority Commission in the favour of the Sikh Community of J&K UT and Constitute the Minority Commission in the J&K UT at the earliest ;
That as per the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution of INDIA, the PUNJABI Language is included among the other National & Regional Languages at the National as well as the State Level. There is a large population of Sikhs in J&K demanding that the Punjabi language might be taught as a compulsory subject in the Schools of J&K UT. We request for the implementation of the Punjabi language subject in the Schools & Colleges as the Compulsory subject and make the Special Recruitment of Punjabi Language Teachers in order to implement the PUNJABI language in letter and spirit, in the Schools, Colleges & Universities of J&K UT, right from the Pre-Primary level in the Schools upto the University level ;
That all the benefits of the SRO 425 might be extended to the Sikh Community living in the Kashmir valley which will not only strengthen the Sikh Community of Kashmir but also infuse a sense of confidence among them as this Community has faced the toughest ardest times. We request to provide the justice to this Community by giving all the benefits of SRO 425 to them.
times during the turmoil and haven’t left the valley during those hardest times. We request to provide the justice to this Community by giving all the benefits of SRO 425 to them.
The Sikhs living in District Baramulla full fill all criterion which are required for Inclusion in Pahari ethnic group under ST category as per official letter issued by Secretary J&K Advisory Board for Development of Pahari Speaking People No-.ADB/PSP/2020/1327-28 dt 24-12-2020( copy enclosed)
DEMANDS OF ALL J&K TRANSPORT WELFARE ASSOCIATION
1.MASS SUSPENSION OF DRIVING LICENSES :-Recently, the Traffic Police have commenced a practice of issuing challans arbitrarily by merely clicking photos on their mobile phones and recording the nature of the offence incorrectly. This process bypasses the due procedure of law and has led to unnecessary harassment of transporters.
This arbitrary issuance of challans has resulted in the Motor Vehicles Department initiating the suspension of Driving Licenses of vehicle commuters. It is worthwhile to mention here that even the drivers are not aware about the issuance of these challans and suspensions, which exacerbates the problem and adversely impacts the livelihood of the transporters as well as common masses.
EFFECTS OF E-BUSES ON TRANSPORTERS:-
The introduction of e-buses, though a commendable initiative, has brought about several challenges for transporters, including:
Lack of an Approved Unified Timetable:- The absence of a standardized timetable for e-buses has caused confusion and operational inefficiencies.
Operation Beyond Smart City Limits:- E-buses are operating beyond their designated areas, affecting the local transporters routes.
iii. Undefined Stoppage Points:- There is no clarity on the stoppage points for e-buses, leading to disorderly operations.
iv. Absence of a Regulatory Scheme-: E-buses are plying without any governing scheme, causing an imbalance in the public transport system.
IMPLEMENTATION OF HON’BLE HIGH COURT DIRECTION AND ISSUE DIRECTIONS FOR STOPPING THE ILLEGAL OPERATION OF R.T.C BUSES AND MAXI CABS COMING FROM NORTH AND SOUTH KASHMIR DISTRICTS:- It is submitted that to obviate the problems of congestion traffic jams and pollution in Srinagar city and in order to decongest Srinagar City the Hon’ble High Court passed directions to shift the General Bus Stands from Batamaloo to Parimpora and all associations /Companies were shifted from prime locations of Srinagar City to Parimpora.
After some time, various directions from time to time was passed by Hon’ble High Court in PIL OWP No. 458/2003 that no commercial vehicle shall be allowed to cross the Parimpora Bus Stand point from the north and north-east areas and the Pantha Chowk point from the south and south-east area. The idea put forth is taken to ensure that the city of Srinagar is decongested of traffic mess. And Divisional Commissioner was appointed as Nodal Officer by the Hon’ble High Court for implementation of directions issued by Hon’ble High court for time to time.
After shifting the all stands for Batamaloo to Parimpora the R.T.C big and medium buses and some maxi cabs have started illegal operation of their fleet on all routes of North and South Kashmir Division from jehangir Chowk/ Lal Chowk/ Civil Secretariat/ Batamaloo/ Tengpora/ JVC and Qamerwari which causes huge losses to the owners, driver of big Buses, mini buses and Maxi Cabs who were shifted from Batamaloo to Parimpora. It is further requested that the orders passed by Hon’ble High Court are not followed by the R.T.C officers and Maxi Cabs owners.
Keeping in view the above we humbly request your good self to issue directions to Divisional and District administration to comply the Hon’ble high Court directions and stop the illegal operation R.T.C buses from jehangir Chowk /Lal chowk /Civil Secretariat and Batamaloo and stop the illegal operation of stray maxi cabs form Batamaloo /Tengpora /JVC and Qamerwari and oblige.
v. Negligence by Town Planners:- There is a lack of proper planning and coordination by the town planning authorities.
Financial Strain on Transporters:- The current situation makes it exceedingly difficult for transporters to meet their financial obligations.
EFFECTS OF E-RICKSHAWS:-
The introduction of e-rickshaws, while beneficial in certain aspects, have created significant issues that need urgent addressal
Absence of Designated Routes and Stands:- E-rickshaws are plying without any designated routes or stands. This lack of regulation has led to haphazard operations, causing congestion and confusion on the roads. Unlike other modes of public transport, e-rickshaws do not follow fixed routes or schedules, which disrupts the systematic flow of traffic and inconveniences.
Negative Impact on Local Transport Businesses:-The unrestricted movement of e-rickshaws has severely affected the business of local transporters who operate with designated routes, permits, and stands. These traditional transporters have seen a drastic decline in their customer base, leading to financial instability.
Lack of Management and Oversight:-The town planning authorities have allowed e-rickshaws to operate without implementing proper management and oversight mechanisms. This negligence has resulted in an unorganized transport sector where e-rickshaws frequently violate traffic rules, park indiscriminately, and contribute to road safety issues.
Safety Concern:-E-rickshaws have been increasingly seen operating on Highways as they are not designed for high speed travel or the robust demands of highway usage. Their light weight structure and lower speed capabilities make them vulnerable to accidents.
DELAYED PAYMENT FOR VEHICLES PROVIDED BY THE TRANSPORTERS:-We had the privilege of being commissioned to supply a fleet of vehicles for an event held on 24th April 2022 at Palli, and we gladly provided the same. Thereafter vide letter no. TC/JK/MV/2024/6265-78 dated 17.02.2024 a request was received to provide the vehicles for ferrying participants from various districts to Jammu in connection with the visit of VVIPS and accordingly the vehicles were provided, ensuring that all transportation needs for the event were met efficiently and satisfactorily. Copy of the letter dated 17.02.2024 is enclosed herewith for the kind perusal and marked as Annexure-II.Despite fulfilling our obligations for the aforementioned events, we have yet to receive the agreed-upon payment for our services. The delay in payment has caused considerable financial strain on our operations and has affected our ability to maintain and manage our fleet effectively. It is important to mention here that at the time of providing the vehicles for the above said events it was agreed that the payments would be released within a month time, but no payments have been made till date. This delay has placed an additional financial burden on transporters who had already extended their services in good faith.
In light of the above grievances, we earnestly request the following actions:
-Cessation of the arbitrary issuance of challans without following the due process of law.
– Review and revocation of unjustly issued challans and the subsequent suspension of registration certificates and route permits.
– Implementation of a unified timetable and a comprehensive regulatory scheme for e-buses within the smart city limits.
-Allocation of designated stands, proper management, and defined routes for e-rickshaws.
– Expedited release of pending payments to transporters for vehicles provided by them.
-All Transport related activities shall be regulated by the Transport Department.
