Mudassir Kuloo
Srinagar, Feb 2: At least 100 Sarpanchs and 150 BJP workers would meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday, where they would raise issue for restoration of peace in Kashmir and empowerment of Panchayats.
The Prime Minister will be on one-day visit to state on Sunday. This is Modi’s first visit to the state after the collapse of the BJP-PDP coalition government in June last year.
During his visit in Kashmir, he would stay at SKICC Srinagar, where he would meet a selective gathering of Sarpanches and BJP workers.
The divisional administration has selected 10 Sarpanchs from each district, who would meet Prime Minister.“We will meet Narendra Modi at 3 pm. We will raise the issue about empowerment of Panchayats. We will also ask him to release the payments for pending NREGA works,” a Sarpanch from south Kashmir, who will also be part of the delegation, told The Kashmir Monitor.
President of All Jammu and Kashmir Panchayat Conference, Shafiq Mir, said that Sarpanches would ask PM to restore peace in the state.
“Sarpanches have been invited at official level but not at organizational level. We want that peace shall return to the Valley,” Mir said. “There are various issues which the Panchayats are facing and have already been raised with the Prime Minister,” he added.
The elections were conducted for 4483 Panchayats with a Sarpanch for each Panchayat Halqa and 35029 Panchs in the state.
In January, they took the oath at a function attended by Governor Governor Satya Pal Malik and his advisors. The government has decided to make immediate functioning of Panchayats in the state.
Similarly, a delegation of 150 BJP workers led by senior party leader Sunil Sharma would meet Narendra Modi at 3:30 pm.
A BJP leader, Altaf Thakur, who would be part of the delegation, said that they would ask Prime Minister for restoration of peace in the Valley.
Another BJP leader said they would also discuss how to strengthen the party for the upcoming polls.
The state assembly was dissolved by Governor Satya Pal Malik on November 21 citing the “impossibility of forming a stable government by the coming together of political parties with opposing political ideologies” and the “fragile security scenario in the state”.
The Jammu and Kashmir Assembly has a six-year term while other assemblies and the Lok Sabha have a five-year term. Malik dissolved the assembly shortly after People’s Democratic Party leader Mehbooba Mufti staked claim to form a government with the support of the National Conference and the Congress.
