STATE TIMES NEWS
Jammu: Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) on Saturday passed two resolutions at its executive committee meeting demanding the restoration of statehood for the Union Territory and the assembly election.
JKPCC also demanded an immediate filling of all vacant posts in all government and semi-government institutions in a fast-track mode and called for the constitution of a “high-level independent commission” for the investigation of recruitment scams.
The resolutions were passed under the command of AICC In-charge, J-K Affairs, Rajni Patil.
“Today we held the meeting of the political affairs committee in which we passed two resolutions – one political and another socio-economic. We are holding the meeting to debate the issues. We are discussing the J-K situation and hearing workers’ viewpoint on it,” Patil told reporters here.
She said the party will accordingly formulate the policy according to them.
“They (Supreme Court) have kept the deadline of September 24… We want restoration of statehood. We want guarantees for jobs. We want an early assembly election so that we have a council of ministers and MLAs here,” she said.
An assembly election has not been held in the region for more than five years.
The Congress unit said the deferring also of urban local body and panchayat elections has left no trace of democracy in Jammu and Kashmir.
The party has already raised the issue with the government seeking elections to these bodies under the State Election Commission in accordance with amendments 73rd and 74th, with due reservation to OBCs like SCs, STs and women.
The party also demanded the implementation of 33 per cent reservation for women in J&K since the delimitation has taken place in the Union Territory.
“We are in favour of 33 per cent reservation for women. It was our commitment,” Patil said.
The party in one of the resolutions demanded the restoration of the old system of recruiting youths to the army with special focus on those from the border areas, including the LOC.
The Congress in these resolutions criticised the “authoritarian approach” of the current administration towards its employees and demanded a resolution of their long pending issues.
The Congress demands an immediate revision of the package and enhancement of the relief component of Kashmiri migrants, Patil said.
The party also demanded that in order to give relief to the common man the scale of free ration should be doubled and the old scale of subsidised sugar to each family be restored.