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Srinagar, Mar 17: Expressing serious concern over the shortage of construction material in J&K which has pushed almost 5 lakh people on the verge of starvation, J&K Apni Party chief Syed Muhammad Altaf Bukhari Wednesday urged the Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha to roll back the sand extraction order and give contracts of extraction and other construction material to J&K domiciles so that they could survive.

Bukhari, however, said if the UT government fails to revoke the sand extraction contract order within seven days, Apni Party leaders will hit streets along with the stakeholders.

Addressing a press conference at party office in Srinagar, Bukhari as per news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), said that it is the prime duty of the Apni Party to rake up the issues linked with the common man. “Today, we are taking up the burning issue of shortage of construction material including sand and Bajri.

The reason is that under the garb of Supreme Court order has given the contract to outsiders, rather big crocodiles,” Bukhari said, adding that it is irony to see that sand tipper that would normally be sold at Rs 4000 or Rs 6000 to a common man is being sold at Rs 18000, that too illegally.

He said that one upon a time there were easement rights for the natives of J&K UT which seem to have blown with the dust. “We urge the government to restore the rights for the J&K citizens so that they continue their livelihood. With the illegal sand extraction and selling of other construction material, 5 lakh people associated with the business across the UT are on the verge of starvation. Today, we urge the government to roll back the sand extraction contract order within seven days or face agitation,” Bukhari said.

He said the Apni Party has a commitment to raise the issues confronting the common man. “While other parties are preferring silence, we can’t sit idle,” said Bukhari, who was flanked with senior party leaders including Muhammad Ashraf Mir, Ghulam Hassan Mir, Rafi Ahmed Mir and others. kno