New Delhi: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday assured a delegation from Jammu and Kashmir that the communication clampdown in the Valley will be lifted in 15 days.
In a meeting with village heads, Shah also announced Rs 2 lakh insurance for all panchs and sarpanchs. “We had a good meeting with the Home Minister, he assured us about our concerns,” said Manoj Pandita, a sarpanch from Pulwama.
Mir Juniad from Kupwara’s Langate said he raised the issue of statehood for Jammu and Kashmir and received a positive response.
“I told the Home Minister that people are expecting statehood to be restored on a priority basis. Shah said he has given that commitment on the floor of the house and that statehood will be provided as soon as normalcy is restored in the Valley,” he said.
Panchayat elections in J&K were held last year after a gap of six years. A few delegation members expressed concern about the land rights of people after Article 35A was scrapped. To that Shah told that their rights will be protected, but the focus right now is to ensure law and order.
As a part of his Sampark Abhiyan, Shah is expected to meet more Kashmiri and non-Kashmiri leaders over the next few days to spread government message about Kashmir.
Mobile services and internet were snapped on August 5 after the Centre scrapped the special status given to J&K.
Earlier, J&K Governor Satya Pal Malik justified the centre’s decision to suspend landline and mobile services and internet in Valley, saying the move was helping save lives.
