PDP welcomes Divisional Status to Ladakh, demands same for Pir Panchal and Chenab Valley

SRINAGAR, FEB 08 (PTK): While welcoming the government  decision of giving Divisional Status to Ladakh, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has stated that it is equally important that the Pir Panchal and Chenab Valley are granted the same status without delay.

In a statement issued here, PDP General Secretary and MLC Surinder Choudhary said that the PDP welcomes the government decision of granting divisional status to Ladakh and is sure that the decision will go in a long way in fulfilling the development needs of the area.

Choudhary however stated that it has been a long pending demand of the PDP that Pir Panchal and Chenab Valley should also be given the Divisional status so that these areas get equal opportunities of growth and development.  “These are the distinct regions of the state, having similar problems of hostile terrain and distances like that of the Ladakh region. At some places, people have to walk the treacherous terrains snaking though the hills for days together, scores of areas are facing neglect and have no road connectivity at all. Several hamlets of Pir Panchal and Chenab Valley remain cut-off from the outer world during major portions of winter,” Choudhary said.

He added that it was the vision of PDP founder Mufti Mohammad Sayeed that Ladakh, Pir Panchal and Chenab Valley be given priority in development and accorded equal opportunities of growth and employment.

Choudhary said that at a time when he along with other representatives of Chenab Valley and Pir Panchal called on Prime Minister, there were several demands put forth before him including special focus to the areas getting affected by Border shelling and hostilities between the two countries.  He said  that power grid station at Thana Mundi, Express way  to be extended upto Mughal Road and connected to Kashmir and extension of the rail line were the demands put forth by him in the past before the GOI.

He added that the Divisional status to Pir Panchal and Chenab Valley will address the growing crises of joblessness in these areas and will provide new avenues of employment to the youth of these distinct regions of the state. “We want to tell the government that if Divisional status is not accorded to Pir Panchal and Chenab Valley, people of these regions will come on roads to agitate in unison till the demands aren’t met,” Choudhary said.

Meanwhile PDP Chief Spokesperson Rafi Ahmad Mir said that decision of granting Division status to Ladakh is welcome but the discrimination with Pir Panjal and Chenab cannot be brushed aside. Mir said that singularly granting this status to Ladakh alone in absence of a popular government is a politically motivated decision by the Governor, and also against the regional balance.

Mir said that putting  the entire Pir Panjal and Chenab population in isolation reflects Governor’s discriminatory approach. He said that this decision should have been taken by a popular government which should ideally be in place soon, owing to the constitutional obligation to hold early elections.

This decision stands against the regional balance when done singularly for Ladakh, he said. Mir said that “we earnestly demand equal empowerment of Pir Panjal  and Chenab region also so that regional balance is maintained. (PTK)