Elected govt meaningless without powers: Manjit

Samba, July 24: Apni Party Provincial President, Jammu and former minister, S. Manjit Singh on Wednesday demanded restoration of statehood to Jammu & Kashmir with all powers to an elected government.
As per a press release, the former minister chaired a meeting with the locals in ward number 9, Dolian Municipal Committee limits at Bari Brahmana in Samba.
In this meeting, the locals voiced their concern over snatching the powers of an elected government and granting these powers to the Lt Governor of Jammu & Kashmir which will make him more powerful than an elected government.
“The people are in anger, and they have strongly opposed the Union Territory status. Initially, people were assured that statehood would be restored. However, that demand was not fulfilled even as several years have passed, and the LG continues his government in J&K without elections for the legislative assembly,” he said.
Singh said the people are not ready to accept the UT status for the erstwhile historic state of Jammu & Kashmir. “J&K has a history that needs to be protected, and its statehood status should be restored. Accordingly, the powers that are granted to the LG J&K is not a justified move,” he said.
The Apni Party leader said that the Central government has weakened Jammu & Kashmir by granting powers to LG that “would always be considered a stumbling block in the working of an elected government”.
He said that the elections for the legislative assembly in J&K would be meaningless unless statehood is restored and the elected government is made overall powerful to take decisions, and order transfers.
Meanwhile, Manjit expressed his anguish over the harassment of the local youth in the name of illegal mining and the seizure of the tractor-trolleys in the Samba district.
“The government should not harass the local youth, whose employment or source of earning depends upon the mining,” he said