Srinagar, Mar 12: Jammu and Kashmir’s Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Friday evening met members and chairpersons of District Development Councils (DDCs) in Jammu to resolve their issues.

A 12-member delegation comprising chairpersons and members of DDCs including Bharat Bhushan, Saraf Singh Nag, Bari Andrabi, Irfan Panditpuri, Nuzhat Ishfaq, Tazeem Akhter, Malik Aftab, Juhi Manhas, Dr. Shamshad Shah, TS Tony, Shahnawaz, Suleman Mir and Riyaz Bhat, this evening met the LG at Raj Bhavan Jammu.

DDC chairperson Kupwara and senior Peoples Conference (PC) leader, Irfan Sultan Panditpuri said that they are hopeful that all their demands would be met.

“The meeting was held in a very cordial atmosphere. The LG assured that all our genuine demands would be addressed,” he said.

It is worthwhile to mention that DDC members had staged protests and en-masse boycotted a government programme at Jammu to protest against the protocol and honorarium announced for them.

Reiterating J&K Government’s commitment to safeguarding the interests of DDC representatives, the Lt Governor as per an official handout observed that the three-tier Panchayati Raj system was established to empower the grass-root democracy.

Now, the true democracy is flourishing in the UT, which is not merely about governance but feeling of fraternity, brotherhood, and attitude of respect and reverence towards each other. We have to work together to meet the developmental aspirations of the people. The administration will ensure the three-tier Panchayati Raj system is strengthened in the UT, the Lt Governor told the DDC members.

BVR Subrahmanyam, Chief Secretary; Rohit Kansal, Principal Secretary, PDD and Information Department, and Sheetal Nanda, Secretary, Department of Rural Development & Panchayati Raj were also present during the interaction.

This post was published on March 12, 2021