Kalakote, Mar 13 (KNS): Expressing solidarity with Kalakote Beopar Mandal, National Conference on Tuesday staged a massive dharna in support of the demand for carving out a separate district and posting of Additional Deputy Commissioner in Kalakote.
Leading the protesters, former MLA and State Secretary National Conference Th Rachpal Singh expressed grave concern over the lackadaisical and insensitive approach of the PDP-BJP government to the issue, saying there seems to be a design in vitiating the atmosphere by ignoring popular demand of the area.
Th Rachpal Singh referred to recent decision of the coalition government with regard to posting of Addl Deputy Commissioners on rotational basis and said that instead of assuaging the aspirations of the people, the move has added insult to the injury. He said this decision was not acceptable to the people of Kalakote, as they want the core issue to be sorted out once forever.
He assailed the PDP-BJP dispensation for sitting over the issue for quite a long and negating the initiatives taken by the Omar Abdullah government for taking administration to the door step of people, especially in remote and border areas. He said the problems of people have increased manifold during the past three years and on the administrative front they are forced to tread long distances, particularly with regard to revenue, agriculture and allied matters.
Th Rachpal Singh demanded immediate roll-back of the recent government order pertaining to posting of Addl Deputy Commissioners on rotational basis and called for putting in place an ADC in Kalakote on permanent basis.
The former MLA assured full support to the Beopar Mandal, saying the cause was genuine and in the larger interests of Kalakote.
Th Rachpal Singh, along with senior party functionaries of the district besides Youth National Conference activists, staged sit-on Dharna in support of the demands vehemently being pursued by the people of Kalakote.
He cautioned the government against delay, saying people were becoming restive as they have been forced to take to roads for the past several weeks. “The coalition government cannot afford to ignore the demand”, he said and sought a favourable decision to defuse tension and escalation of the agitation. (KNS)