Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Feb 22: A delegation of Billawar Zila Andolan, led by its convenor, Advocate Hari Chand Jalmeria, met with Dr Farooq Abdullah, Member of Parliament (MP) and president of the National Conference (NC), at his Jammu residence today.
The delegation submitted a memorandum highlighting the long-standing demand for the creation of Billawar district and emphasized its rationale and urgency.
Jalmeria explained that despite fulfilling all necessary criteria, including area, population and distance factors, Billawar has been repeatedly denied district status. He pointed out that the present district headquarters in Kathua is located 100-250 kilometers away from various villages in six hilly tehsils-Billawar, Lohai-Malhar, Bani, Ramkote, Basohli, and Mahanpur-causing immense hardship to the local population.
He further stated that Kathua town is positioned at the southeastern corner of the region, bordering Pakistan and Punjab, making it highly inconvenient for residents of the hilly areas to access essential district-level facilities. Despite significant tourism potential, these villages lack proper road connectivity and essential infrastructure.
The delegation asserted that Billawar is centrally located and should serve as the district headquarters. Expressing hope in the present government under Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, Jalmeria urged the administration to rectify the longstanding injustice and grant district status to Billawar. The delegation requested Dr Farooq Abdullah to advocate for their cause at the party level, in the Lok Sabha, and by persuading both the State and Central Governments to act on their demand.
The delegation also voiced strong opposition to the forced construction of a jail at Dambra in Billawar and instead proposed the establishment of an Agriculture and Horticulture Research Center at the site.
Other members of the delegation included Krishan Singh Jasrotia, Shivdev Singh Sushil, Ravinder Sharma, Dr Ghanisham Singh Charak, Joginder Singh, Jagdev Miyan, Makhan Jamodia, Arvind Singh Jalmeria, HS Lalotra, Dev Kumar Gupta and Bharat Khajuria.
Follow our WhatsApp channel
