Excelsior Correspondent
NEWDELHI, Dec 24: A seven member delegation of All Jammu and Kashmir Panchayat Conference (AJKPC ) led by chairman of the organisation Shafiq Mir met with Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare , Ghulam Nabi Azad and other Central leaders at Union Capital on Sunday evening and apprised them about the status of Panchayats in Jammu and Kashmir. They also informed them about the other developments on political and developmental fronts in the State .
Other prominent members in the delegation included general secretary AJKPC Anil Sharma, spokesman of the organization, Ghulam Hassan Panzoo from Kupwara, provincial secretary Kashmir Bashir Ahmed Malik from South Kashmir, Executive Member Goutam Singh Jamwal from Samba, Mohammad Alam Choudhary from Jammu and Nazir Ahmed Sheikh from Pulwama.
The AJKPC delegation was invited at New Delhi by the Institute of Social Sciences on the occasion of celebration of 20th anniversary of 73rd Amendment. During this national level event, the AJKPC leaders raised forcefully the issue of Panchayats in J & K and demanded that all the provisions of 73rd Amendment should be incorporated in the State Panchayati Raj Act of Jammu and Kashmir . Speaking during a separate session, the AJKPC leaders asked the Union Government that the real democracy of India must be extended to the state of Jammu and Kashmir . Beside this convention, the AJKPC leaders met with other central leaders and think tank groups and apprised them about the situation in the State of Jammu and Kashmir.
The detailed and significant meeting of All Jammu and Kashmir Panchayat Conference leaders was held with Ghulam Nabi Azad at his official residence south avenue on Sunday evening . During this hour long meeting with Azad various issues were discussed by the Panchayat leaders with him who expressed their dissatisfaction the way they were cheated by the Government over the delegation of powers to Panchayats in the State.
Mr Azad assured the Panchayat leaders that he wants to see real Panchayati Raj in the State. Beside Panchayats, the delegation also gave the first hand information to Mr Azad about the problems being faced by them at ground level .