Srinagar, Nov 14: Government on Wednesday declared public holiday in areas going to polls during the Panchayat elections scheduled from November 14 while as the Joint Resistance Leadership (JRL) called for a complete shutdown across Kashmir on November 17 against these polls.
“Public holiday shall be observed within the limits of the respective CD-Blocks of concerned districts on account of Panchayat Elections -2018, on the date of polls under the Negotiable Instrument Act-1881,” said an order issued by the General Administration Department (GAD).
It said the holiday on account of polls to the Panchayat Elections-2018 shall be observed only in the areas where the polling is to be held.
According to the order special casual leave shall be granted to the employees who have to go to other areas for exercising their right to franchise, for which they will demonstrate proof of voting on return.
Meanwhile the JRL comprising Syed Ali Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Muhammad Yasin Malik today urged people to observe shutdown against “yet another election drama” being enacted by the “oppressive regime” of New Delhi.
They urged the people to reject and boycott the Panchayat polls “in the same way they rejected the Urban Local Bodies polls by staying indoors.”
In a statement issued here, the JRL also said that strike should also be observed in the poll-bound areas on November 29, 24, 27 and 29 and also on December 01, 04 and 08 to a give a “clear message to the world community that people have no faith in the sham elections which are held under the presence of lakhs of additional forces.”
