CHENAB VALLEY AND HILL DEVELOPMENT

CHENAB VALLEY AND HILL DEVELOPMENT

The delimitation demand comes from politicians of Jammu, Kathua and Udhampur districts who already enjoy substantial clout in the State. The MLAs from other four districts of Jammu have different demands.

PDP leader Chowdhary Zulfikar Ali calls for creation of Hill Development Council for Rajouri-Poonch region. He said the region has a distinguished cultural, linguistic and socio-economic condition as compared to other regions of the state. The people of this region have the same problems which the people of Leh and Kargil are facing. About 70% of the area is still un-electrified, 50% is without proper drinking water facility, medicare is negligible, the educational system is worse and most of the area is without road connectivity.

MLA Doda Abdul Majid had brought private member’s bill in the Assembly for the Hill Development Council for Doda.

Senior politicians of both Peoples Democratic Party and National Conference said Kashmir had more population than Jammu and, in case of geographical areas, Pir Panchal region has three times more area than Jammu, Kathua and Samba districts put together. “If area and backwardness is the criterion for more seats, then why don’t politicians of these two and a half districts (erstwhile) support the Chenab Valley Hill Development Council for Pir Panchal region,” said a senior NC leader adding, “the communalists of Jammu have raised such unconstitutional demands in the past as a blackmailing tactics to suppress the genuine demands of the people of the state.”