Provide adequate security to candidates: J&K guv

Jammu and Kashmir Governor Satya Pal Malik on Wednesday asked the police and civil administration officials to provide adequate security cover to candidates contesting the municipal and panchayat elections in the state.

Addressing a day-long conference of deputy commissioners and superintendents of police, Malik advised them to spread awareness among the people about the importance of the polls in strengthening grass-roots democracy and holistic development of towns and villages, an official spokesperson said.

The governor also advised them to ensure adequate security cover to the contesting candidates and to ensure that the elections were conducted in a free-and-fair manner.

Malik advised the district police officers to take care of public sensitivities while dealing with law-and-order issues, and ensure that minimum inconvenience is caused to people during their operations.

The governor stressed crucial importance of strengthening grievance redressal mechanism by the district administrations and urged all the DCs to mark one day in a week exclusively for hearing grievances followed by their early disposal.

Malik expressed concern over the non-availability of avenues for recreation and sports among the children and youth. Saying that he had he has observed the passion for football and cricket among the state's youngsters, the governor asked the deputy commissioners to identify areas for developing play grounds in their districts and promote sports culture.