Central Govt disappoints Jammu as it disempowers elected Govt in J&K, says S. Manjit Singh

• Seeks restoration of statehood, powers to the elected bodies in erstwhile Dogra State

SAMBA: Continuing public outreach campaign, the Apni Party Provincial President, Jammu, and Former Minister, S. Manjit Singh today said that the people have become deeply disappointed with the Central Govt for disempowering the elected institutions/Govt in Jammu and Kashmir. He made this statement while addressing a meeting at Sarore Adda in Bari Brahmana, Samba District. 

The Former Minister was accompanied by the ST Wing J&K President, Saleem Alam. The people in this meeting expressed their faith in the leadership of Syed Mohammed Altaf Bukhari and pinned their hopes in the Apni Party for the redressal of their growing concerns. Addressing a meeting, the Former Minister held a detailed deliberation with the people from different segments of society.

During the discussion, the people expressed their dissatisfaction with the LG Govt in Jammu and Kashmir as it snatched all their hopes, and hardly fulfilled the promise of development.

“From August 5, 2019, the people were promised of overall development, end to discrimination, and employment generation programs in Jammu and Kashmir. However, the people were not ready to accept that the present Govt has adopted an anti-people policy that has given rise to unemployment,” he added, after holding a threadbare discussion.

He extended his support on behalf of the Party to the people and assured that if the Party forms the Govt in Jammu and Kashmir, it will work to redress the growing concerns of the people. He however criticized the Central Govt for disempowering the elected Govt in Jammu and Kashmir and granting more powers to the LG J&K and termed it an act that would weaken the elected bodies.

“The elected institutions would become weak when it comes to work for the public as the LG J&K has been made more powerful,” he added. He further said that the BJP and the Central Govt has befooled the people of Jammu and Kashmir with their hollow assurances that they could not fulfill.

“Instead, the people of Jammu and Kashmir were made to migrate to other states for work. Earlier, they could find work in their own erstwhile state. However, the situation since 2019 has changed, and the non-locals are being engaged in most of the sectors including the contracts or mining works,” he alleged. He demanded that Jammu and Kashmir should be empowered again by returning the powers of an elected Govt and statehood should be restored to the erstwhile state.

“The people have emotional attachment with the historic state that was once ruled by the Dogra Rulers. Therefore, ignoring the growing concerns of the people in both the regions would not be a suitable decision of the Central Govt. It becomes important to restore the state as well as empower the elected Govt in J&K powerful as equal as the other Govts in other states of the country,” he mentioned. Meanwhile, he asked the administration to improve the basic amenities in Bari Brahmana, and ensure the discrimination is not done with the people at any cost.