STATE TIMES NEWS
JAMMU: Describing grass-root level democratic institutions pivotal for transformation of rural areas in terms of development, the Provincial President of Women Wing of NC, Satwant Kaur Dogra on Saturday exhorted rural women to gear up for upcoming Panchayat elections.
Addressing gathering of women folk at Panchayat Jinder, Kaur exhorted women to come forward for larger participation in the democratic institution of Panchayati Raj in view of the 33 per cent seats reserved for women at all levels and urged them to identify educated and honest women candidates for elections that could dispense their rights as an elected and responsible public representative in complete freedom. She said the basic level democratic institutions can prove as useful engines of change if the elected representatives work with a sense of devotion and missionary zeal.
She expressed gratitude to the NC leadership for ensuring 33 per cent reservation to women in the Panchayats and Urban bodies in the State and said that National Conference believes in people being real fountain head of power and therefore success of honest women in the upcoming elections will go a long way in realizing this cherished
agenda.
Satwant raised various problems being confronted by women and accused the PDP-BJP government of depriving women of old age and widow pensions. The prices of essentials and LPG were increasing as a result of which poor were suffering hugely. She criticized the present government for its anti-poor policies and said that jobs had become out of reach for eligible and poor job-seekers. Nepotism and favoritism were ruling the roost, she added.
Provincial Vice President of NC Gurdeep Singh Sasan also addressed the gathering and said that NC will give “regional autonomy” to various regions of J&K restoring the rights of the people and it was something which the state government did not have to seek from the Centre. He castigating the BJP-PDP government and said that they completely failed on all issues including employment and the so called paragons of progressive politics have ruined the State.
District President Daljeet Sharma said that NC strongly believes in unity of the people.
The meeting was organised by District President of Jammu Rural, Daljeet Sharma. Block President Lata Sharma, Shakuntla Devi, Neelam Devi, Radha Devi, Nisha Rani were also present.