Jammu, Jan 10: With no assembly elections in sight in J&K, the Apni Party Provincial President, Jammu, and former minister, S Manjit Singh on Wednesday alleged that the people of Jammu and Kashmir have been left in hopelessness without political representation with the dissolution of Panchayats and Block Development Councils.
“The government could have extended the tenure of the PRIs, and BDCs in J&K knowing that the people would have no political representation in any part of Jammu or Kashmir Regions after their tenure gets dissolved,” Singh said while addressing a meeting in Ramgarh Constituency of Samba district.
In his address, he said that the tenure of PRIs and BDCs has expired, and it has left the people helpless across all the regions, making them disappointed with the present system that is being run by government officials without any kind of elected system.
“This system has no link with the people at the ground and the people have anger against the officials for the ignorance towards the genuine demands and suffering of the people,” he stated.
Manjit cited certain developmental works that are still in progress and far from being completed within a time frame. He said there are flaws in the widening work of the Jammu-Pathankot Highway that have caused inconvenience to the people and are adversely impacting the daily lives of the commuters.
“There is no accountability on the people, and on the other hand, the assembly elections are nowhere in sight. The assembly elections have been delayed for an unknown period in J&K and this situation has annoyed people from all sections,” he stated.
The Apni Party leader demanded that the assembly elections should be held at the earliest in J&K to restore the democratic system and win the confidence of the people.
“Our neighbouring states have democratic governments, and the development is being monitored by an elected government. However, the things are opposite in Jammu and Kashmir which is an unjustified situation,” he said.
Singh appealed for the restoration of statehood and the holding of early polls.
Earlier, Singh discussed farmers’ issues like agricultural land ahead of the fence on the International Border, electricity, supply of drinking water, and canal water to the tail-end villages in Ramgarh along the border.
