The Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER), MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr. Jitendra Singh interacted with the Sarpanches from Jammu and Kashmir, here today. The 16 sarpanches belong to the far flung Gandoh tehsil of Doda district of Jammu and Kashmir.Dr Jitendra Singh said that after the abrogation of Article 370, the panchayats have been given autonomy and thus been empowered. It has uplifted the morale of grass root level leaders in the state, he added. The Minister said that now the grant issued by Centre Government will directly go the Panchayats, which in turn will lead to their development. He further said that these are the leaders elected from the far-flung areas of J&K and their opinion about the decision matters a lot for the development of these areas.
Dr Jitendra Singh said that the Union Home Minister Shri Amit Shah has also interacted with them recently to under the ground situation. He said that some people with vested interests have tried to spread misinformation about the decision of the Government. These leaders are helpful for the Government to understand the ground situation, the Minister said.While interacting with the Minister, the sarpanches said that they stand with the decision of the Government. They conveyed that now they feel more empowered with autonomy and financial powers. They added that direct financial powers will empower them to take decision for the benefit of the people of Jammu and Kashmir. They said that it will help in the areas of health and education sector, among others.Dr Jitendra Singh said that the Government is holding discussions with different groups belonging to Jammu and Kashmir on a regular basis. He said that meetings are being held with various groups including students and other leaders. He assured that Government is committed to the development of people of Jammu and Kashmir and will make all efforts to ensure that.