Jammu: In the wake of killing of three panchayat representatives in Jammu and Kashmir, a ten-member panel of sarpanchs from the state would meet Congress General Secretary Rahul Gandhi in Delhi to raise their security concerns.
"We have received an invitation from Rahul Gandhi and we are leaving for New Delhi to meet him tomorrow afternoon," convenor of Jammu and Kashmir Panchayat Conference Shafiq Mir told reporters on Wednesday.
"Security is our prime concern. We will raise the issue of security of elected panchs and sarpanchs with Gandhi in order to seek his support and implementation of the security set up for us," Mir said.
Three sarpanchs were killed by militants due to failure of the security, Mir said, adding this grass-root level democratic set up is being demoralised.
"We will also raise the issue of implementation of 73rd amendment of the panchayati raj act in the state and will ask Gandhi to personally intervene into the issue to facilitate implementation of the act so that the panchayati raj system is fully empowered," he said.
There are 33,000 elected members of panchayats in the state and most of them are demoralised due to the "step-motherly" treatment of the state government, he alleged. Mir also sought Rs 20 lakh compensation to the next kin of the slain sarpanchs.
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