STATE TIMES NEWS
AKHNOOR: Reiterating his demand for creation of Regional Council for Jammu, senior Congress leader and Minister for PHE, Irrigation and Flood Control, Sham Lal Sharma on Sunday said that time has come for the people of Jammu and its leadership to rake this genuine issue forcefully to get their dues.
Addressing series of election meetings in Akhnoor Constituency, the minister said that Jammu region has suffered lot of discrimination on development front for the past over five decades and focus of successive governments remained in Kashmir Valley only. He added that now the time has come when the people of this region have to awake and make united efforts to get their dues. This is not possible without creation of statutory institution like separate Regional Council for Jammu, he said adding being Member of the current Coalition Government, he raked this issue a number of times, but the people have to make united efforts to achieve this goal, he thundered.
Referring to the issues of PoJK displaced persons of 1947, 1965 and 1971, the minister said that their genuine demand for referring the rehabilitation proposal to Central Government took over six decades and the aggrieved people suffered badly for all these years adding only Congress Party raised their voice and ultimately took this upto logical conclusion. Now that the ball is in the court of Central Government, and if the Congress forms the next government in the State, the issue will be vigorously pursued for early sanctioning of package, said the Minister.
Seeking support of the displaced persons in the Assembly elections, the minister asked them to exercise their right to franchise in favour of the Congress Party, enabling it to speed up the overall scenario of development and resolution of all pending issues of the displaced persons.
Former MP, Madan Lal Sharma also addressed the gathering and highlighted the works done in Akhnoor Constituency during the past one decade.
Vice Chairman, OBC Advisory Board, Kuldeep Verma, former Minister and Congress leader, S. Manjit Singh also addressed the gathering and appealed for supporting the candidature of Sham Lal Sharma
At village Bamberwan, the displaced persons of PoJK honored both Sham Lal Sharma and Madan Lal Sharma for their efforts to get the rehabilitation package approved. They pledged to support the candidature of Sham Lal Sharma in the current assembly elections.
Prominent among those present in the meetings include Ch. Pratap Singh, S. Sobha Singh, leaders of displaced persons, Shamsher Singh Chib, Congress leader, SC Cell Congress leaders, ZEO Babu Ram, Dr. K.C. Bhagat, ZEO, Krishan Lal and Monika of Congress Mahila Wing.