JAMMU, Jun 2: Mission Statehood President Sunil Dimple on Tuesday led a protest rally on Janipur High Court Road against the rising prices of milk, curd, paneer, LPG cylinders, petrol, diesel and other essential commodities.
The protest witnessed the participation of hundreds of traders and supporters. Dimple led the demonstration while riding a bicycle and carrying an LPG cylinder on his shoulders as a symbolic protest against inflation and the increasing burden on common citizens.
Addressing the gathering, Dimple alleged that the Jammu district administration, including the Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Department, had failed to regulate prices of essential commodities. He claimed that the prices of milk, curd and paneer had witnessed a steep increase in recent weeks.
According to Dimple, the price of curd has risen from Rs 60 to Rs 70 per kilogram, milk from Rs 55 to Rs 65-70 per litre, and paneer from Rs 290 to Rs 320 per kilogram. He said he had contacted the Divisional Commissioner Jammu and Deputy Commissioner Jammu seeking clarification regarding the revision of rates but was not provided a satisfactory response.
Appealing to the media to investigate the issue, Dimple questioned whether the price hike had been approved by the district administration and the concerned departments, including Food Supplies and the Weights and Measures Department.
He expressed concern over the impact of inflation on economically weaker sections of society. “If milk and curd become so expensive, how will poor families provide proper nutrition to their children?” he asked.
Dimple further stated that the prices of vegetables, onions, tomatoes, wheat flour, edible oils and other household essentials have increased substantially, placing immense financial pressure on common households.
Raising the issue of LPG availability, he alleged that consumers are facing delays of up to 25 days in receiving LPG cylinder refills. He further claimed that some agencies were indulging in black marketing by charging inflated prices for domestic and commercial LPG cylinders.
The Mission Statehood leader also criticized the increase in food prices at hotels, restaurants, dhabas and tea stalls across Jammu and Kashmir, attributing it to the rising cost of essential commodities and fuel.
Dimple alleged that the continuous increase in the prices of food grains, edible oils, pulses, milk and other necessities had severely affected poor and middle-class families. He urged the Central Government to take immediate measures to control inflation and provide relief to consumers.
Warning of intensified protests, Dimple said that if the government failed to roll back the prices of LPG, petrol and diesel and control inflation, a larger public agitation would be launched in the coming days.
Among those present during the protest were Ram Kapoor, Dev Raj, Vipan, Mukesh, Ram Kumar Das, Rakesh Sharma, Vicky, Raju Kumar, Shafi Khan, Akbar Khan, Nazir, Shafi and several other supporters.