There is no doubt that the demolition drive by the Jammu Development Authority (JDA) near Jammu Tawi Railway Station was necessary to decongest the road as the market was allegedly constructed illegally on state land. According to reports, over 30 illegal structures were demolished and the land worth over Rs 10 crore was reclaimed in the early morning drive.
Of course, such actions have become necessary for making Jammu beautiful again because such encroachments have adversely affected its appearance. As the shops that have been demolished were mainly eateries and other shops employing quite a large number of employees, the government should keep a sympathetic view and take adequate steps to rehabilitate them as working in business establishments constructed on encroached land is not illegal because they have no role in this unauthorized act. What is to be considered is that many employees of these shops were earning their livelihood and supporting their families through these businesses and the demolition of these establishments has rendered them jobless overnight.
Those who are behind grabbing this prime land should be dealt with under the provisions of law but the employees working in these shops need special treatment from the government side as getting employment is one of the most difficult problems of the present times especially in J&K, which has been facing turmoil since the 1990s and unemployment is a major issue here.
Under such crucial conditions, it becomes vital that the government provide a monthly relief package or unemployment allowance to help affected workers support their families, provide employment to these workers in ongoing development projects, start vocational training programmes to enhance their skills and improve their employability in other sectors, provide low-interest loans, subsidies, and entrepreneurship assistance to workers who wish to start small businesses, etc.
Through such initiatives, the people who have become jobless due to this drive can rebuild their lives once again. As a welfare state, the government holds this responsibility and therefore it should come forward during this difficult period for the affected workers who have lost their jobs without any fault.
The government cannot shirk its responsibility by leaving the affected community to fend for itself because the demolition drive has snatched away their livelihood making them vulnerable in just one night.
Those at the helm owe it to the affected workers to help rebuild their lives and promise a life full of dignity and pride. Providing opportunities to these workers to regain economic stability and reduce the social impact of the demolition drive is the need of the hour.
