Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Dec 19: State president of J&K National Panthers Party Balwant Singh Mankotia has claimed that he raised various issues pertaining to Jammu region during the meeting with then Chief Minister Mufti Mohd Sayeed recently.
Talking to media-persons here, Mr Mankotia said that he had taken up the issue of Katra labourers with the CM and urged him to review and repeal the purported move of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board (SMVDSB) to start Battery Car services on the new track from Banganga to Adhkuwari. He said that if the new track was allowed for the holy yatra, it would render more than 50,000 people jobless including Poniwalas, Palkiwalas, Pithus, dhabawalas, small traders and shopkeepers.
Mr Mankotia said that he also discussed the issue of delimitation of Assembly seats besides de-freezing of rotation of reserved seats. He disclosed that the CM had ensured him that he would personally look into the matter of de-freezing the rotation of reserved seats and something positive would come out in the near future. Mr Mankotia said the CM was also apprised of the soaring menace of unemployment in the State and exhorted him to review the miserable plight of the daily wagers, need base workers and contractual employees working in PHE, PDD, Tourism, Education and other Government departments.
The NPP leader disclosed that he had also discussed the expected schedule of ULB and Panchayat elections with the CM. He maintained that the suspicions were rife among the masses that the State Government was reluctant to hold the elections but the Chief Minister had assured him that the polls would be held in time. He added that the local bodies polls would facilitate the proper allocation of funds in various developmental works at ward and Panchayat levels.
Others who accompanied Mr Mankotia in the conference included Gagan Pratap Singh general secretary (YP), Anil Rakwal and Shyam Singh.
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