'NC bats for empowered regional, sub-regional councils in JK'

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A senior National Conference leader mooted Tuesday the idea of having three elected regional councils in Jammu and Kashmir for political and economic empowerment of the people of the state.

The constitution of elected regional councils for the three regions and sub-regions will be a leap forward in realising the larger objective of politico-economic empowerment of the people and ending the sense of deprivation and discrimination, NC's Jammu provincial president Devender Singh Rana said.

Rana mooted the idea in a party's office bearers' meet, convened to evolve a strategy to ensure early municipal and panchayat elections across Jammu region.

He said the NC has provided "a roadmap under the ambit of overall autonomy for Jammu and Kashmir within the framework of Indian Constitution" and it would take care of the distinct identities of the regions and sub-regions besides the aspirations of the people.

The experiment of the Autonomous Hill Council in Leh and Kargil in Ladakh region has worked well and could be adopted in the entire state with "focus on equitable development and opportunities of progress for all."
Rana said "the devolution of the power at the regional and sub-regional levels would actually be an accomplishment of the vision of party founder Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah, who all his life strived for empowering people by making them masters of their own destiny."
Terming the plea questioning the legality of the Article 35A as "a dubious stance of the BJP, Rana urged the people to unite and "foil their divisive tactics."