JAMMU, JULY 05: Former MLC and Chief Spokesperson of the Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) Ravinder Sharma today led a strong protest demonstration in Sunderbani against the SCARD Bank for its failure to release the deposits of farmers. He demanded a high-level inquiry into the affairs of the bank to ensure the disbursement of the hard-earned savings of the people.
The protesters also highlighted the discrimination faced by Sunderbani in the recent sanctioning of road projects. They pointed out that no road projects were approved for the area, while dozens were sanctioned in other constituencies, including Nowshera and the Kalakote area of the Sunderbani-Kalakote constituency. The protestors sought answers from the government and those currently at the helm for their failure to ensure justice and equitable treatment for Sunderbani.
They also raised the demand for early restoration of statehood, stating that the dual system, even after elections, is an injustice and a betrayal of the people, who are suffering in every sphere.
Earlier, while addressing a workers’ meeting in Sunderbani, the leader expressed grave concern over the stoppage of payments of the farmers’ hard-earned money, deposited in the State Cooperative Agriculture and Rural Development (SCARD) Bank. He urged the Chief Minister to order an inquiry into the affairs of the bank to secure the deposits of farmers and to ensure early disbursement.
He said that farmers are in a state of panic, as the fate of deposits worth crores of rupees remains uncertain. Similar reports have emerged from other parts of the region. The SCARD Bank has 57 branches, including 24 in Jammu province alone, where farmers are the primary clients across Jammu, Kashmir, and Ladakh.