Mehbooba Mufti, the PDP president and former chief minister of Kashmir, has expressed alarm over recent events involving the region’s lithium deposits.
In a statement, she said that since the Government of India (GOI) took control of Jammu and Kashmir’s water supplies and mineral resources, attention has turned to the region’s enormous lithium deposits.
In the move to cleaner and more sustainable energy sources, lithium, a key component of contemporary batteries, is of enormous worldwide relevance. The need for lithium has increased as society adopts more electric cars, renewable energy storage, and portable electronic gadgets. According to the statement, significant lithium reserves may be found in Jammu and Kashmir, which are essential for supplying the world’s expanding demand. It is crucial to remember that, despite previously being used to light other areas, sometimes even for free, Jammu and Kashmir’s residents have often been left in the dark owing to insufficient power supplies. There are now worries that the advantages may not sufficiently reach the local populace as the development of these lithium riches approaches, according to the PDP President. Mehbooba Mufti has expressed concern that the lithium reserves in Jammu will be exploited and given to crony capitalists connected to the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), possibly depriving the people of Jammu and Kashmir of their just share of the wealth created from these resources.
Lithium is a highly sought-after resource on a worldwide scale, and Jammu and Kashmir’s deposits are crucial for the whole country as well as our area. Mehbooba Mufti said, “It is our common duty to make sure that the people of Jammu and Kashmir, and not just a select few, profit from the exploitation of these resources.
She noted that the nations and governments with the greatest lithium deposits, like Australia, Chile, and China, have set the bar high for responsible resource management and the open distribution of benefits to their populations. Mehbooba Mufti urged that the Indian government must adopt similar measures to guarantee the fair sharing of the riches produced from Jammu and Kashmir’s lithium deposits.
Mehbooba Mufti requests transparency from the Indian government over the portion of the proceeds from the exploitation of Jammu and Kashmir’s lithium deposits in light of these worries. She focuses on the importance of openness, fair remuneration, and active participation of regional stakeholders in the decision-making process. She emphasised the importance of the lithium reserves in Jammu and Kashmir for the entire country as well as the region and urged all interested citizens and stakeholders to support her in her fight for a just and equitable division of the advantages brought about by these priceless resources.
