Centre should immediately make public a time-bound roadmap: Manish Sahni
DH NEWS SERVICE
jammu, Apr 28
The Jammu and Kashmir unit of Shiv Sena (UBT) on Monday welcomed the formation of five new districts in Ladakh—Nubra, Sham, Changthang, Zanskar and Drass—describing it as a positive administrative step, but said that the region’s core issues can be resolved only through the restoration of full statehood. State president Manish Sahni said that the long-pending demand of the people of Jammu and Kashmir as well as Ladakh is the restoration of full statehood, constitutional safeguards and local rights. He urged the Centre to immediately make public a time-bound roadmap for restoring statehood to both regions.
Sahni said that while the creation of new districts would strengthen the administrative framework, it does not address the larger question of the people’s democratic and political rights. He said that legal safeguards must be ensured to protect the distinct cultural identity of both regions, grant first rights over land and resources to local residents, and provide priority to local youth in government jobs. He also demanded the immediate implementation of a special economic package, strengthening of the security infrastructure, a national bunker policy, and priority in local recruitment for Ladakh’s strategically important border areas.
Taking a swipe at the Centre, Sahni said that the same party which once spoke of the return of PoJK and an undivided Jammu and Kashmir had itself bifurcated the erstwhile state and separated Ladakh.
He said that Shiv Sena (UBT) strongly demands full statehood for Ladakh as well, along with the restoration of the rights of the sons of the soil. On this occasion Sanjay Bhatt, Aditya Mahajan, Asraf Lone were present.
