New Delhi (NVI): The Government will work with all sections of Jammu and Kashmir to realize the hopes of its statehood at an early opportunity, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said today as he met a delegation from a newly-floated J&K Apni Party here.
The 24-member delegation from Apni Party was led by its chief Altaf Bukhari.
J&K was converted into a Union Territory from a state in August last year when its special status, granted under Article 370 of Indian Constitution, was abolished.
There have been demands for restoration of statehood.
During the interactive session, the Prime Minister called for ‘janbhagidari’ (people’s participation) in transforming Jammu & Kashmir and emphasized on the importance of an administration that gives voice to the people, an official statement said.
Interacted with a delegation led by Shri Altaf Bukhari from Jammu and Kashmir’s Apni Party. We had extensive deliberations on issues relating to the development of J&K as well as other good governance related topics. https://t.co/Asui4PfvtT
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) March 14, 2020
Modi also noted that the democracy in the region could be strengthened through a fast moving process of political integration.
Speaking on youth empowerment, the Prime Minister said that youth should act as catalytic agents for the development of Jammu & Kashmir.
He highlighted the importance of skill development and creating new employment opportunities for the youth to bring in an overall transformation of Jammu & Kashmir.
The Prime Minister assured the delegation that the government is committed to economic development of the region through extensive focus on infrastructure development and creating new investment opportunities in sectors like tourism.
He assured full support by the government to resolve all the issues being faced by Jammu & Kashmir.
Prime Minister engaged with the delegation on various issues like concerns on demographic changes, delimitation exercise and grant of state domicile.
Bukhari stated that August 5, 2019, when the decision to abrogate Article 370 and Article 35-A was taken, was a watershed moment in the history of Jammu & Kashmir, the statement said.
The delegation thanked the Prime Minister for his unstinted support and untiring efforts towards the development of Jammu & Kashmir.
They also appreciated the efforts of the government, security agencies and the people of Jammu and Kashmir towards maintaining peace and security in the region.
