A 14-member delegation of All J&K Panchayat Conference, led by its Chairman Shafiq Mir, met Governor N.N. Vohra at the Raj Bhavan today.The delegation lauded the Governor’s decision to amend the Jammu and Kashmir Panchayati Raj Act 1989 to restore the direct election of Sarpanches and taking steps for strengthening the grass root level self-governing institutions in the rural areas. The delegation emphasized that the Panchayats are entirely non-political, community centric institutions which promote growth and development in sync with the aspirations of people living in the villages. They requested that the District Administration in the State should be directed to involve the erstwhile Panchs and Sarpanches for tackling various issues in the Panchayat areas. The delegation also highlighted the pressing security concerns of the All J&K Panchayat Conference members.Governor urged the Panchayat Conference delegation to lose no time in starting preparations for the elections which are planned to be held in October-December this year. He urged Sh. Mir and his colleagues to spread awareness amongst the general public about the apolitical character of the Panchayats and their crucial importance in enabling the villages to plan and decide their development priorities and be also responsible for implementing the village development programmes.