STATE TIMES NEWS
POONCH: Prof. Bhim Singh, Chief Patron of National Panthers Party who toured extensively the border areas along the LoC in Rajouri and Poonch Districts urged Govt. of India to provide civil and legal facilities to the residents living in the border districts of Rajouri and Poonch. He said that Poonch District today was a state by itself till 1947. Poonch State was governed by its ruler. Today Poonch town has a District Court and District Police Headquarters whereas its constituents namely, Mandi, Surankote and Mendhar have remained neglected rather in the same state as they were before 1947. There is only one District Court in Poonch and Office of Dy. Commissioner too. Mendhar which falls along LoC is about two hours drive from Poonch. Mendhar has one Munsif Court which is based in a broken house which is not worth an office of Munsif even. More than 60 per cent of the cases in the Sessions Court in Poonch go in appeal from Mendhar in District Sessions Court Poonch. This is a matter of shame that the Govt. of J&K has not given even an Additional Sessions Court in Mendhar. There are around 50 advocates, most of them were educated in Aligarh Muslim University and other institutions. This is a sad state of affairs that the Munsif’s Court in Mendhar has not been raised even to Additional Sessions Judge Court. The building is in pitiful condition. Prof.Bhim Singh said that same is the situation of Surankote and Mandi.
Prof.Bhim Singh in a strongly worded dispatch to N.N Vohra, the Governor of J&K has urged that Sessions Court of Poonch should be assisted by Additional Sessions Court at least in Mendhar and Surankote for the benefit of the residents of the area particularly in Mendhar. Mendhar has remained under the shadows of guns from across the Line of Control which divided thousands of families since 1948 when raiders from Pakistan entered this area and illegally occupied.
Prof.Bhim Singh urged the Governor to visit this area personally talk to the local lawyers and study the situation facing the people of bordering areas who have remained denied of justice for 70 years.
