Srinagar: The Srinagar city Tuesday was rocked with protests against the Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution (CAPD) department at several places for issuing a circular that five kg ration will be provided to each family member each month in the state. 

The protesters took to streets in different areas including, Kanni Kadal, Abi Guzar, Karan Nagar and Tanki Pora. The inhabitants of Kanni Kadal in the wee hours on Tuesday came out of their homes and staged protest against the department while the protesters also blocked the main road of the area.

The protesters set their ration cards on fire and said that they don’t need five kgs of ration as the same won’t bring any respite to their lives. They marched from Kanni Kadal to Karan Nagar and later dispersed peacefully.

Talking to KNS, the protesters said, “The CAPD department by announcing five kg ration per head has forced us to raise voices against the department as the same is not sufficient for us.”

Terming the order of CAPD department as discrimination, the protesting inhabitants said that the government should revoke the order at earliest and should announce any alternate order, which will accommodate the aspiration of people here.

“Despite pushing people to walls by unscheduled power cuts, the authorities are trying to make people’s survival difficult here,” they said.

Meanwhile, Abi Guzar residents also staged protest against the department and blocked the road leading to Gantagarh (Clock Tower).

Accusing authorities for ignoring their plights, the residents were demanding revocation of the order at earliest.

“We are appealing the higher ups of the department to revoke the order at earliest and should provide the same quantity of ration, which we are currently receiving,” they said.

Threatening to stage massive protests against the government, the residents said that if the government will fail to revoke the order then they will come on roads and government will at that time fail to douse the fire.

 The residents of Tanki Pora also held protest against the same order and asked the higher ups to revoke the order as soon as possible. “We are being forced to face a tough time as after snatching electricity, the state government is trying to cut ration quantity of Kashmiris,” they said while talking to KNS.

The protesters said that the state government has miserably failed to provide benefits to the people of Kashmir. “Since the new dispensation came into power in the state, the people of Kashmir are facing tough time as the administration has failed to look into the sufferings of people,” they said.

Minister for CAPD, Chowdhary Zulfkar Ali on Monday told KNS over phone that the order is beneficial for the people here and alleged that politics is behind such protests.  

The CAPD minister replied after he was asked about the Maisuma protest, which led to ding dong battles. Earlier, the protesters of Maisuma also set their ration cards on fire. (KNS)