Excelsior Correspondent
![PCC president, GA Mir addressing DCC Jammu Urban functionaries on Friday.](http://www.dailyexcelsior.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/page334-300x169.jpg)
Jammu, Mar 27 : Former Minister and Pradesh Congress Committee president GA Mir today said that Congress is committed for strengthening grass-root democratic institutions including Panchayats & Local Bodies, so that the participation of people in the democracy is ensured.
Referring to the initiatives of the Congress party for empowering the Panchayat Raj Institutions in the country including the State through the provisions of 73rd and 74th Amendments, he said that the vibrant democracy is the real strength and identity of our country.
Mr Mir was addressing a gathering of prominent leaders of party of District Jammu (Urban) including contesting candidates of Assembly elections, former Corporators and contesting candidates of last elections to the Municipal Corporation here. He said that the grass-root leaders and workers are the real strength of party and stressed for close co-ordination amongst themselves and the people.
While coming heavily on the BJP-PDP alliance Mr Mir said this alliance is the result of the lust for power and added that the present dispensation has failed in keeping with its post poll promises.
Recalling the massive developmental works carried out during the UPA-I and UPA- II Government, Mir said that during this period Congress party delivered to the needs of the people of Jammu on priority basis. “It was during the UPA times that the Central University for Jammu, four new cluster universities, forty seven new colleges, a large number of new hospitals at various levels, new parks, road net works, power infrastructure and public health related projects were initiated and accomplished in Jammu region. Also, a larger number of new administrative units were created in the efforts to decentralize power and for better governance,” Mir said adding that the present dispensation at the Centre and State is taking credit by cutting the inaugural ribbons of the projects and schemes initiated by the UPA Govt.
He asked the field functionaries to gear up the activities at their Wards to strengthen and expand the organizational base besides taking up the day to day problems of the people with the concerned Govt and administrative machinery. He said that the booth level and Ward level organizations have to be further strengthened in order to counter the false propaganda of agents of ruling parties.
The proceedings of the session of Jammu (Urban) Congress leaders were conducted under the leadership of Anil Chopra-DCC President Jammu(U) and coordinated by senior functionaries of DCC Urban Jammu.
Raman Bhalla, former Minister, Vikram Malhotra, Maheshwar Singh, SS Shingari and Dr Rashid Choudhary also shared their views.