STATE TIMES NEWS
SAMBA: Interaction Forum- Jammu Province organised an interactive session at Samba which was presided our by Shiv Charan Singh, former Zonal Education Officer and was attended by intellectuals representing all shades and sections of the society drawn from all Tehsils and areas of Samba District.
The provincial team members who participated comprised of KB Jandial, former Commissioner Secretary and Member PSC, Capt. Lalit Sharma, Former Additional PCCF, B.S Jamwal Ex-Deputy Commissioner, Ashok Sharma Ex-MLA/MLC, H.C Dhiman former MLC, H.C Jalmeria Advocate and Convener of IFJP, Subash Shastri President NMC, J.S Blouria former JD (Planning), Mahesh Gupta prominent businessman and Social Activist, Ghanshyam Singh Charak, President National Kissan Union, Vijay Sharma Advocate and IFJP Convener for Reasi District, Er. Mahesh Sharma, Arvind Jalmeria Advocate and Zehid Sarfraz Malik Advocate and forum Convener for district Rajouri.
Expressing views on ongoing unrest in Kashmir Valley, the speakers observed that all right thinking people should impress upon the agitators to shun violence as it only aggravates the sufferings of the people.
Forum observed that Jammu region has major stakes in the issue as all the area of the State illegally occupied by Pakistan (POJK) is part of Jammu province and people of Jammu are worried about the sub judicator of people of Gilgit by Pakistan and all displaced persons of POJK who have settled in Jammu province.
Jammu people are tolerant, nationalist, responsible and accommodating and also deserve a fair deal. It was also opined that out of the Assembly seats earmarked and reserved for POJK, seats proportional to the POJK population migrated and settled in Jammu province should be restored to Jammu province as interim relief.
The speakers identified various core issues of Jammu province and district Samba. Serious concern was expressed on industrial pollution in Samba District especially the effluents being discharged in river Basantar, which has become a death trap for domestic and wild animals, aquatic life apart from damage to crops grown in the vicinity of Basantar.
While elaborating upon irrigation and water needs of Kandi-belt it was pointed out that 25 per cent of the Ranjit Sagar Dam water agreed to be supplied to Kandi area is flowing to Punjab which needs to be diverted to Jammu.
All canals and Kuls of Jammu region need to be restored to their original status and made fully operational. Emphasis was laid on creating series of water harvesting structures in the Kandi Nallahas. While spelling out the religious tourism potential of Samba District, the speakers stressed upon developing the Surinser, Mansar, Parm-andal, Chemlial, Swankha, Uttarveni and Cheechi Mata heritage sites besides other spots of religious importance in the district.
Other participants included Col. B.D Sharma, Advo-cate Ajay Gupta, Ravi Kha-juria President Maha-Sabha Samba, Mohinder Singh, Sita Ram Sapolia, Ashok Sharma, R.K. Badyal, Randhir Singh Samyal, Ram Sharan Dogra, Ravi Dass Gupta, G.L. Angurana, Swarn Singh, Hans Raj, Bua Ditta, Advocate Ravi Dass, Ajay Singh Charak, Raj Kumar Sharam, Kuldeep Raj, Ravinder Singh, Rakesh Sharma, Lok Sevak, Bishan Singh Dardi, Tara Singh, Vir Singh, Varinder Singh, Probh Dayal, Rashpal Bhatti, Rajinder Singh, Sudesh Kumar, Kulbir Singh Jasrotia, Anmol Dubey, Mohan Singh, Tulsi Dass, Yash Pal Singh Jamwal and Manohar Lai Sharma. Satish Dutta Advocate and Bar President Samba compered the proceedings.