Modi govt always worked for J-K's welfare: Jugal Kishore Sharma

The Centre has always worked for welfare of Jammu and Kashmir, senior BJP leader and MP Jugal Kishore Sharma said on Thursday.

He said Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government had taken a slew of measures to for the state's welfare and had also agreed to bear the financial burden for these.

"Various decisions taken by State Administrative Council (SAC) benefitting large sections of people are proof of it," Sharma told reporters here.

He said he and other BJP MPs from Jammu, including Jitendra Singh and Shamsher Singh Manhas, had repeatedly placed the demands of teachers, special police officers (SPOs), West Pakistan refugees (WPRs) and Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC) before the Centre, particularly during their meetings with Modi and Home Minister Rajnath Singh.

Sharma also lauded the state administration's decision to grant the SeventhPay Commission benefits to the agitating Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan teachers and to hike the remuneration of SPOs.

The BJP-led government also enhanced the ex-gratia for families of martyred SPOs up to Rs 30 lakh, he added.

The BJP leader said the party has always been fighting for the rights of WPRs.

He welcomed the government's decision to provide a compensation of Rs 5.5 lakh per family of WPRs, at par with that for displaced persons from PoKand Chhamb.

Sharma expressed hope that this financial assistance amount would help the affected families overcome their economic difficulties.

Speaking about the LAHDC, he said the BJP has been demanding full empowerment of Leh and Kargil councils to enable them to carry out their duties to people's utmost satisfaction.

He said with the SAC approving the draft Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (Amendment) Bill, 2018, he hoped that Leh and Kargil councils will be among the most autonomous councils in India.