Excelsior Correspondent
UDHAMPUR, Apr 15: Reiterating the demand to increase the number of Assembly constituencies in Jammu region, Panther Party’s State president Balwant Singh Mankotia said that without increasing the number of Assembly constituencies, people of Jammu region will not get political participation.
Addressing large public gathering at Pancheri today Mankotia appealed the people of Pancheri and other areas of Udhampur district to support the ongoing campaign started for separate Jammu State.
He recalled that this Haq- Insaaf Yatra started for separate statehood demand for Jammu region on Friday and reached today at Pancheri. He said during these days he addressed public rallies at Khor Gali, Dabbi Gali, Mongri, Panjar, Kainth Gali, Mir, Pancheri, Kultiyar, Latiyar, Landar, Dandote and Galyot of Udhampur district.
Addressing people, Mankotia said that despite much area, population and voters from Kashmir region, Jammu province has only 37 Assembly constituencies while Kashmir has 46 seats. To form Govt in Jammu and Kashmir, 44 seats are required and due to this reason Jammu will never get its own Chief Minister.
Mankotia said Assembly constituencies in Kashmir have been carved out with 50 thousand voters while in Jammu region, there are many constituencies which have more than one lakh voters. Amazingly, Gurez constituency of Kashmir region has 14 thousand voters in comparison to 1.50 lakh voters in Jammu West Assembly segment which shows that deliberately Jammu province was politically ignored by the successive regimes of State.
NPP state chief demanded that Pancheri, Bhamag and Landar has population of more than 60 thousand and these far flung areas should be converted into constituencies so that development can took place in these areas. Mankotia blamed previous regimes for political neglecting these hilly areas by connecting this area to Reasi, Udhampur and third section to Chenani Assembly segment.
Panther party leaders Dhani Ram Attri, Parduman Singh, Ankush Singh, Baldev Singh, Ajay Singh, Bodh Raj, Nand Lal, Ramesh Singh, Surjit Singh, Bishan Singh also spoke on the occasion.
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