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ShareSrinagar: Jammu and Kashmir agriculture minister Ghulam Hassan Mir today appealed to people to take part in the forthcoming panchayat elections "in a big way."
"People should participate in the forthcoming panchayat polls in a big way as panchayats help formulate plans at the grass-root level, and the elected members could monitor and ensure development in their areas," Mir said at a public meeting at Kunzer near here, in his home constituency Gulmarg.
A day after prime minister Manmohan Singh advised the state to hold elections to local bodies as early as possible, chief minister Omar Abdullah said panchayat elections in the state would be held in December this year or early next year.
Panchayat elections in the state have not been held since the term of the civic body expired in 2006. Last time the panchayat polls were held in 2000-01, after 22 years.
Describing the panchayat as an important pillar of the democracy, Mir said the state government has decided to hold the elections shortly and it is the duty of people to come forward in good numbers to elect their representatives.
The minister also appealed to the farmer community to avail the benefits under Krishi Vigyan and BPL scheme launched by the government.
Earlier, the minister distributed cheques worth over Rs12 lakh among 69 families of Kunzer block under Indira Awas Yojna.
