STATE TIMES NEWS
JAMMU: Holding BJP and PDP government responsible for all miseries in the State, All Jammu and Kashmir Panchayat Conference (AJKPC) leaders have accused the present State Government responsible of weakening democratic institutions in the State of Jammu and Kashmir due to which the people have lost interest in such institutions.
Addressing media persons at winter capital Jammu, Shafiq Mir Chairman AJKPC said that before initiating any election process in the State, the government should restore Jammu and Kashmir Panchayati Raj Act 1989 in its original form and should implement 73rd amendment of Indian Constitution in the State.
He asked the BJP to clear its stand on 73rd amendment of Indian Constitution regarding Panchayati Raj and let the people know where this so called nationalist party stands.
Mir said they were ready to contest Panchayat elections but government has to ensure the peaceful atmosphere for the same.
Earlier, addressing state executive body meeting of AJKPC, Mir accused BJP-PDP government of demolishing peace of the State by exploiting the regional, religious and political sentiments of the people .
However, both these parties took complete U-turn after taking over the power due to which the people of the state have completely lost their faith in democratic exercise and institutions.
He said in 2011 Panchayat elections, 90% people had voted for this democratic institution which indicates that people had lot of expectations from such local governing institutions, however, when this institution was not empowered people lost their faith in it.
However, he said that they will continue their fight for the restoration of this institution saying that this is not political but a community institution which was established by our elders centuries ago.
Speaking on the occasion, Anil Sharma, president AJKPC demanded special relief for the families of those Panchayat leaders who were killed by militants in the past five years.
It is pertinent to mention here that about 15 Sarpanchs have been killed and about two dozen injured in the past five years by militants.
Sharma said that the government was responsible for all these killings because government didn’t provide them security despite repeated requests made by them.
Other prominent leaders who spoke on the occasion included Imtiaz Afzal Beg, Ghulam Hassan Panzoo, Bashir Ahmed Malik, Aftab Ahmed Beg, Kulbhushan Khajuria , Rajdev Singh Jamwal,Bhabhishan Singh and Charak .