In meeting with J&K sarpanches, Amit Shah assures ‘security and statehood’

Allaying fears of J&K sarpanches, home minister Amit Shah on Tuesday assured a group of village heads of security cover and insurance schemes worth Rs 2 lakh each.

Various delegations of village heads or sarpanches, fruit growers, agricultural marketers and refugees from Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) informed Shah about the difficulties being faced by locals due to the monthlong restrictions in the valley.

This was his first meeting with the representatives from various districts of J&K after the abrogation of Article 370. “The home minister assured us of security, insurance cover and promised to restore statehood once the situation improves,” Pampore sarpanch Mir Altaf told ET.


J&K has 4,130 sarpanches and 29,719 panches or panchayat members. The voter turnout was 74% in the 2018 panchayat elections, with the Kashmir Valley recording 41% turnout.

“Your fight is against terrorism, as is ours. Hence, we should ensure an atmosphere of peace in Jammu and Kashmir at the earliest,” Shah told the village heads. He hailed them as leaders of J&K and said that it would be their responsibility to ensure that the benefits of various government schemes reach the people.

The home minister said that mobile connectivity and internet would be restored soon. “He told us that mobile connections will be restored within the next 15-20 days,” said Anil Sharma, J&K panchayat chief.

The sarpanches mentioned in a memorandum to Shah about the honorary amount they receive. “We have been elected to serve the people but a meagre amount of ?1,000 per month is paid to panches and for sarpanch it’s Rs 2,500. The government should increase it to Rs 25,000 at least,” said Budgam sarpanch Abdul Rashid.

“Shah assured us that the election to the block development councils will be held in the next two months. People are happy due to the abrogation of Article 370 as they were intimidated by Muftis and Abdullahs in the past,” Mir Junaid, another sarpanch from Langate in Kupwara, said. There are 316 blocks in Jammu and Kashmir.

Shah promised to begin the process of block-level polls soon. “Nobody’s land would be taken away and government land would be used for the establishment of industries, hospitals and educational institutions,” he told the villagers. The fruit growers raised their worries over the possibility of unsold and wasted produce. Shah told them that the government is in touch with the agencies concerned to resolve the issue.