Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Nov 27: All Jammu and Kashmir Panchayat Conference (AJKPC)—a registered frontline body of elected members of grassroots level democracy has urged the Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha that the Government should frame a policy to award compensation in case of death of any elected representative of migrant community in the Union Territory.
In this connection, a delegation of elected representatives of KP community under the banner of AJKPC submitted a memorandum to the Lieutenant Governor through Relief and Rehabilitation Commissioner, Jammu Ashok Pandita against the backdrop of the natural death of a Sarpanch from migrant community Chand Ji Koul in village Tailwani of block Achabal in Anantnag district.
“The elected representatives of migrant community have braved bullets and threats of terror groups to strengthen grassroots level democracy. They never bothered about their lives for the larger interest of the country. Unfortunately, they have been facing humiliation in the hands of government as they are being given a monthly honorarium of Rs 3,000,” said Anil Sharma, UT president of AJKPC, who led the delegation.
Sharma said that the Government has framed a policy to extend compensation in favour of elected PRI members if they lost their lives in terror-related incident. “There has been no policy for the elected representatives of migrant community in case they died under normal circumstances. The government must fix criteria to award compensation in such cases,” he said.
The AJKPC leader said that the UT government should seriously look into all the issues confronting the families of those people who took part in democratic process when all major political parties boycotted these elections and they came forward for restoration of democratic set up in Jammu and Kashmir. “Currently, these elected representative from any party or community and their families are under stress and depression due to the non-cooperation from administration,” he regretted.
“We demand that the Government should formulate an insurance policy or relief criteria and give at least one job to the next of kin of elected representatives from migrant community in case of their natural death or illness during the five years period of their election,” Sharma said.
The delegation comprising Sarpanches from Kashmir division included Chaman Lal Dhar, Rakesh Kumar Koul. Nana Ji Wattal, Manoj Ji Pandita and Sanjay Ji and other prominent leaders of Kashmiri Pandit community.
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