₹4L insurance cover likely for each J&K local body member

SRINAGAR: Each of the 40,000 elected members of local bodies in Jammu and Kashmir(J&K) – panchs and sarpanchs – is likely to get an insurance of Rs 4 lakh. Confirming the same, a senior official who did not wish to be named added, “the proposal is under consideration of the Union Home Ministry (MHA)”.

Members of the local bodies in J&K face threats from terrorist. At the same time, security forces find it difficult to provide 24/7 security cover to each of the members who have frequently been targeted by terrorists.

Ever since Article 370 was abrogated, the Centre has refused to engage with the mainstream political parties here, focusing on the local bodies instead.

Leaders like former chief ministers Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti were detained on August 4 – a day before the special status of J&K was removed. Farooq Abdullah was put under house arrest last week.

The Union home ministry is also planning to educate local leaders on the Central laws, schemes and other facilities to be applicable and available in Jammu and Kashmir after the abrogation of Article 370 provisions.

The home ministry has also asked the ministry of panchayati raj to educate panchs and sarpanchs on the Central laws which will be applicable in Jammu and Kashmir and how they will benefit the people and the panchayats.

On August 5, the Modi government stripped Jammu and Kashmir of its special status guaranteed through the Constitution of India and birfurcated the state into two separate Union Territories – Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh. The ministry of home affairs directly administers both territories. Earlier, a delegation of panchs and sarpanchs of J&K had met Union home minister Amit Shah in New Delhi. During their meeting with Shah, they had raised the issue of a constant death threat and had requested for an insurance cover.