Panchayat Conference to contest all DDC seats: Shafiq Mir

AJKPC chairman Shafiq Mir addressing a press conference in Srinagar on Monday.
AJKPC chairman Shafiq Mir addressing a press conference in Srinagar on Monday.

Excelsior Correspondent

SRINAGAR, Nov 2: All J&K Panchayat Conference, an apex body of Panchayats has announced that it will contest all the 280 seats of District Development Councils as independent candidates.
This was announced by Shafiq Mir chairman of Panchayat Conference at Srinagar today after week long consultations with the Panchayat leaders of Jammu and Kashmir. Mir told media that by making an amendment in J&K Panchayati Raj Act, Government has opened a door for the entry of politicians in this institution at third stage but “we will not allow them to enter in our institution. That is why we have decided to field independent candidates on all 280 DDC seats for which the preparation for the elections are at final stage,” Mir claimed.
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Addressing a press conference along with large number of Panchayat leaders, Shafiq Mir said that they will not allow the politicians to enter in their institution because these were the people who remained always against the PRI system in Jammu and Kashmir.
Questioning their role regarding Panchayati Raj system in Jammu and Kashmir, Mir said all political parties had boycotted the  first tier and second tier Panchayat elections  held in 2018 and 2019, respectively, but at the third and final stage door has been opened for them.
“Now when they felt they have been sidelined and left jobless they are preparing to enter in this institution but we will not allow them to succeed . We have decided to field candidates on all the seats as independent candidates and we will not allow politicians to enter in this institution”, he said .
Appealing the educated youth to participate in these elections, Shafiq Mir said that  their past policy of boycott has brought only irrrelevent lot in the institutions. The educated youth should realise that they have been always  misguided by the politicians with the false promises and they should take part in these local developmental institutions and serve the people.  The Panchayat leaders  present on the occasion said that they will not allow the politicians to politicize their institution.