Srinagar, Dec. 5 -- Raising concerns over local employment in Jammu and Kashmir, MP Abdul Rashid Sheikh on Friday urged the central government to ensure mining jobs are given to local residents.

Speaking in the Lok Sabha, the Baramulla MP said thousands of truck drivers, tractor operators, and other labourers in the region were losing work opportunities as mining companies increasingly outsourced labour from outside Jammu and Kashmir.

"The mining sector has long been a crucial source of income for people living along river belts and quarry sites. But sadly, local workers are being sidelined and jobs are being outsourced from other regions," Rashid said.

He added that the elected government in Jammu and Kashmir had distanced itself, say...