Jammu, Jan 13: A two-member People’s Conference delegation led by its chairman Sajad Gani Lone, Sunday met Governor Satya Pal Malik here and sought his assent to the J-K Reservation Amendment Bill.
The bill was passed in the State Legislative Assembly before the fall of the PDP-BJP government last year.
Lone along with his close associate Imran Raza Ansari met the Governor at the Raj Bhavan and also discussed various development issues of their respective areas, an official spokesman said.
Discussing the issue of reservation to Paharis and economically weaker sections of society, the former ministers sought the Governor’s assent to the J&K Reservation Amendment Bill, he said.
The bill was passed by the State Legislature during their ministership, the spokesman said.
The Legislative Assembly passed the landmark bill in February last year to extend three percent reservation benefits to the Pahari-speaking people in the state.
The delegation also stated their demands for sanctioning a water supply scheme for Parihaspora, expanding the Imambara, Zaidibal and compensation to victims of Handwara fire incident, the spokesman said.
He added that they also sought early redressal of issues related of a Fruit Mandi Association in Sopore.
The Governor urged Lone and Ansari to continue their endeavours for promoting public welfare and development works in their respective areas.
The spokesman said a delegation of the Zanskar Sub Division, led by Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council, Kargil, councillor Stanzin Lakpa also met Malik.
They requested him to grant adequate funds for arrangements for the forthcoming International Conference at the Karsha Monastery in Zanskar.
The conference would be organised, for the first time in Zanskar division of the state’s Ladakh region, to revive and preserve the Nalanda tradition of Buddhist philosophy.
The delegation extended an invitation to the governor for the annual Monastic festival —- Karshagustar — to be held in July, the spokesman said.
He said the delegation also put forth demands related to speedy construction of the Nimmo-Padum-Darcha road, de-limitation of the Zanskar assembly constituency, granting of district status to Zanskar Valley, upgradation of post of sub division magistrate and creation of a separate National Highway Division for execution of work on NH-301 Kargil-Padam highway.
They also sought helicopter service for transportation of patients, sanctioning of a no-frill airport at Padam in Zanskar, filling-up of vacant posts of sub divisional officers, posting of specialist doctors at the Padma Community Health Centre.
The delegation also asked the governor for inclusion of the Boti language in the 8th Schedule of the Indian Constitution and creation of posts of Boti teachers for schools in the Ladakh region, the spokesman said.
