Excelsior Correspondent
UDHAMPUR, Jan 20: Former MLA Balwant Singh Mankotia today called on State Election Commissioner K K Sharma here at Jammu and submitted him a memorandum to make Landar-Pancheri-Mongri (Bhamag) area as separate Assembly constituency.
While leading a delegation of several Sarpanchs, Panchs and prominent persons of the area, Mankotia said that they have already put forward their points before the members of Delimitation Commission. He explained that district Udhampur is already backward and Lander Pancheri ,Moungri, Bhamag is the most backward area of the district in the entire J&K, where people are still deprived of mobile network, blacktop road, electricity, water, health, school, etc. This area is divided into 3 Assembly constituencies and the people here have been demanding a separate hill Assembly constituency for the past several years, he added.
Mankotia said that if the Commission and the Government want, then this area can get the status of a separate Assembly constituency as the population of the area is more than 40000 and since many Panchayats are located adjoining the area, the population of this area becomes more than 70000. Mankotia pointed out that there is a constituency named Gurez in Kashmir, the total population of which is 14000. “Bani is made Assembly constituency over the population of 41000, the Jammu East Assembly is formed on the population of 51000 . If Gurez , Bani, , Jammu East can become separate Assembly constituencies , then why Lander, Pancheri, Moungri, Bhamag is not given the status of a separate Assembly constituency, the population of which is more than all these Assembly constituencies,” Mankotia questioned.
Mankotia said that the officers of the Delimitation Commission and many representatives of the Government had assured these people that they would get the status of a separate Assembly constituency, but now people are feeling apprehensive and disturbed about it. Mankotia said that the members of Delimitation Commission and the Government should fulfill the promise made with these people soon, otherwise strong agitation will start at every nook & corner.
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