Smart meter, Toll plaza row: Jammu observes complete shutdown

CCI thanks people for making Bandh successful

Normal life was affected as various protests were held on Saturday on Jammu-Pathankot National Highway and parts of Jammu region observed shutdown against the installation of Smart Meters and removal of Toll Post at Sarore in Samba district.

The day-long shutdown call was announced by the Chamber of Commerce and Industries (CCI) Jammu and was supported by various political, religious and social organisations barring the Bhartiya Janata Party.

The protestors also demanded immediate ‘unconditional’ release of detained activists of Yuva Rajput Sabha spearheading the agitation demanding removal of Toll Plaza in view of poor road condition and damaged Tarnah Nullah Bridge in Dayalachak on Jammu-Pathankot national highway.

Arun Gupta president CCI expresses thanks to all the organizations including J&K High Court Bar Association Jammu, the Transporters who have supported the Bandh Call and remained off the road and the business community from all over Jammu Province including Kathua, Samba and R.S.Pura for their wholehearted and overwhelming support for Bandh by keeping their business establishments closed on the call of CCI, thus supporting the cause of Jammu.

Earlier, CCI took out a peaceful protest rally from Chamber House Rail Head Complex Jammu along with transporters, tanker association, and trade and market associations. President Arun Gupta while addressing the rally expressed deep concern said that Chamber believes in open dialogue with all the stakeholders but in view of the adamant approach of UT Administration J&K, Chamber after discussions with different Associations and in consultation with J&K High Court Bar Association Jammu, Chamber announced one day Jammu Bandh to press the government to understand the gravity of the situation and wake up from the deep slumber.

Supporting the Jammu Bandh, the Jammu and Kashmir National Conference and Congress party termed it as completely successful and said that anguished by the anti-people policies adopted by the Union Government’s proxy government in J&K the people are anxiously waiting for the elections to teach the Saffron party a lesson.

National Conference Provincial President Rattan Lal Gupta stated that the incumbent BJP Government at the Centre and the J&K UT Administration have crossed all limits in going ahead with atrocious anti-people policies.

Various markets in Jammu, Kathua, Udhampur, Rajouri and Samba wore a deserted look except the shops of dairy products and medicines which were open. Though the transporters associations decided to hold ‘chakak jam’ on August 31 in support of the demands and release of YRS leaders, various transporters groups voluntarily joined Chambers Bandh. A group of YRS members were also detained for blocking the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway near Udhampur town.

On Friday, Jammu Divisional Commissioner Ramesh Kumar along with Additional Director General of Police (ADGP), Jammu Zone Mukesh Singh addressing a press conference clarified the reasons for occasional high bills stating that any discrepancies in bills were due to past pending amounts and assured that the new system’s bill cycle has been rectified. He also assured people about the efficiency of smart meters, while listing the steps taken by the administration to dispel the doubts of consumers regarding the accuracy of power consumption readings.

Meanwhile Singh said the YRS activists were detained for “breach of peace” and will be released only if any “prominent person” guarantees on their behalf that they would not repeat such an offence—(KNO)