Excelsior Correspondent
AKHNOOR, Nov 9: Reiterating his demand for creation of Regional Council for Jammu, senior Congress leader and Minister for PHE, Irrigation & Flood Control, Sham Lal Sharma today said that time has come for the people of Jammu and its leadership to rake this genuine issue forcefully to get their dues.
Addressing series of election meetings in Akhnoor constituency, the Minister said that Jammu region has suffered lot of discrimination on development front for the past over five decades and focus of successive Governments remained in Kashmir Valley. Now the time has come when the people of this region have to awake and make united efforts to get their dues. This is not possible without creation of statutory institution like separate Regional Council for Jammu.
Referring to the issues of PoJK displaced persons of 1947, 1965 and 1971, the Minister said that their genuine demand for referring the rehabilitation proposal to Central Government took over six decades and the aggrieved people suffered badly for all these years. He said only Congress party raised their voice and ultimately took this upto logical conclusion. Now that their ball is in the court of Central Government, and if the Congress forms the next Government in the State, the issue will be vigorously pursued for early sanctioning of package, he added.
Seeking support of the displaced persons in the Assembly elections, he asked them to exercise their right to franchise in favour of the Congress party, enabling it to speed up the overall scenario of development and resolution of all pending issues of the displaced persons. He reminded them that he raked their issues in every Cabinet meeting and ultimately the Congress party succeeded in clearing the proposal at the last leg of the Government.
Speaking at a meeting organized by the SC Cell of Congress at Akhnoor, Sham Lal stressed the need for highlighting the development scenario in every nook and corner of the constituency that has taken place during the past over one decade. He asked the SC workers to work for the victory of the Congress party.
Former MP, Madan Lal Sharma also addressed the gathering and highlighted the works done in Akhnoor constituency during the past one decade. He sought support for the Congress candidate, Sham Lal Sharma purely on the development agenda.
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