Jammu, 26 May 2020:

Hailing J&K High Court’s decision to observe fixed timings for all the courts in Jammu and Kashmir UT and Ladakh and the court’s observations over the practice of Durbar Move, Dogra Sadar Sabha president and former minister Gulchain Singh Charak said that the decision on the court timings will go a long way in reducing the suffering of litigants. “This will also reduce the time and quantum of pendency cases. It brings J&K union territory one more step closer to rest of the nation obliterating the ‘special status syndrome,” Charak added.
Interacting with media persons, here today, Charak, referring to HC’s observations on Durbar Move, called it a grand landmark verdict which may impact the history of J&K bring solace, comfort and justice to both the regions of the UT who were deprived of governance for about seven months and save the fruitless draining of well over Rs 600 Cr per annum. He said the decision taken by Maharaja Ranbir Singhji during 1872 was to thwart Russian designs in Afghanistan; promote economic interests and road connectivity up to the northern borders; that needed close and physical supervision in those days of poor transportation. The DSS demands that after a successful trial this year the secretariat should continue to function for the whole year from both the capitals - Jammu and Srinagar simultaneously.
Charak also extended his support to the decision on domicile certificate further demanding grant of domicile rights to the ‘Gallantry Awardees’ and families of those Armed forces and PMFs personnel who have laid their lives in line of duty while defending or protecting J&K.
He said they should be granted the Domicile Certificate without stipulation of time along with some who serve in J&K for ten years in broken tenures. Their sacrifices are adored, praised and forgotten after few weeks. He pointed out that it is an irony that erstwhile J&K state permitted a designated grave yard even for the terrorists in Kashmir, called ‘Majar-e-Shouda, Eid Gah at Srinagar, but there is no memorial for the five thousand martyrs of our armed forces who left their nationwide homes to defend and protect the disturbed J&K State (now UT) made supreme sacrifices and never returned. DSS demands a graceful befitting national level war memorial be made for these martyrs at a prominent place commonly visited by tourists like the Boulevard Road or besides the Moghul Gardens overlooking the Dal Lake or near the Tulip Garden in Srinagar. It shall not only boost the tourism, since all connected families will like to visit the memorial on their anniversaries to pay homage but will also be a source of inspiration for coming generations.
We also demand creation of Ex Servicemen Colony in Srinagar (Kashmir) and issue of ‘Dogra certificate to give Dogra aspirants hill tribe concession in physical stature as available to all other hill tribes, like Gorkhas, Garwalis, Kumaunis, Assamese and tribes from the north eastern states; for joining central/ police forces. Both of these points were agreed upon but later shelved by erstwhile J&K State Government on the behest of separatist block.
There is immediate need to save the whole areas of Ramban and other hilly terrain having potential for tourism which is being destroyed due to the wrong alignments for construction of National Highway. A thorough inquiry is required to go into the very necessity, survey, technical/geological feasibility and contractual procedures of this ill-conceived devastating project, causing more harm than good to J&K tourism.