National Conference becomes first political party making donation to curb COVID-19

Jammu & Kashmir National Conference became the first party to make a donation to curb the COVID-19 as its president and Member of Parliament Farooq Abdullah on Saturday released an amount of Rs.1 crore from his MPLAD funds to combat the spread of coronavirus in Jammu and Kashmir.

"The party president and Srinagar MP released an amount of Rs.1 crore from his MPLAD funds today to combat the COVID-19 threat in Jammu and Kashmir," a National Conference (NC) spokesperson said.

He added that of the said amount, Rs 50 lakh has been earmarked for Sher-I-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS) in Srinagar, while Rs 25 lakh each for Budgam and Ganderbal districts in central Kashmir. The Srinagar parliamentary constituency, which is represented by Abdullah in the Lok Sabha, is spread over the three districts of Srinagar, Budgam and Ganderbal.

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It is pertinent to mention that, recently, the National Conference president, Dr. Farooq Abdullah wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, seeking restoration of 4G Internet services in Kashmir which remain blocked since the abrogation of Article 370 and Article 35A in August last year.

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“As you are aware the first case of coronavirus has been detected in Kashmir yesterday, which has resulted in authorities locking down large parts of the valley. Businesses and students already hit hard by the shutdown after the 5th of August, 2019 are again suffering because of these restrictions. The people are being advised to work/study from home, but this is impossible with 2G Internet speed and limited fixed-line Internet penetration,” reads a letter of Senior Abdullah. It further reads that “I would, therefore, request you to restore 4G Internet services in Jammu and Kashmir at the earliest to ease the suffering of the people".

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Meanwhile, Lieutenant Governor Girish Chandra Murmu has urged the general public not to panic and maintain the social distance as a precautionary measure to stop the spread of COVID-19 Corona Virus. Hailing the Prime Minister for his motivation and appeal to the public for ensuring self-imposed ‘Janata Curfew’ on 22nd March 2020, the Lt Governor thanked the Prime Minister for the initiative to contain the spread of the virus and assured the residents of Jammu and Kashmir that all necessary measures are in place to prevent the spread of the Coronavirus. The administration is working 24x7 for ensuring the welfare of the public, he added.

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