Wheat subsidy strikes: Govt claims AAC leaders have hidden agenda

G-B govt accuses AAC of misleading public in the name of asking people to protest for wheat subsidy renewal.

GILGIT:

The Gilgit-Baltistan (G-B) government on Monday accused the Awami Action Committee (AAC) of misleading the public in the name of asking people to protest for the wheat subsidy renewal.

“The real issue of AAC leaders is not wheat. It is something else and people should be cautious of them,” said Amjad Hussain, a member of the G-B Council, while addressing a news conference at the chief minister’s house. Terming the almost week-long demonstrations a conspiracy against the government, he said the subsidy was already intact as consumers purchase one kilogramme of wheat at Rs14 in G-B while it costs Rs52 to the government. “This difference is paid by the government as part of the subsidy.”

The news conference was the first formal appearance of the G-B government ever since AAC launched region-wide strikes and demonstrations for the wheat subsidy on April 15.

The response comes a day before AAC’s call for a long march. “In the last few days we have had detailed meetings with AAC leaders and they promised us to announce the end of the strike,” said Hussain, who was flanked by several cabinet members. Sharing details of the government’s meetings with AAC leaders, minister Didar Ali said the government had accepted AAC’s demands of an end to load-shedding, waiving of hospital fees and sending a summary to the federal government for reducing wheat prices in G-B. “But they (AAC) did not keep their word when they went back to their colleagues,” he said.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 22^nd, 2014.