New Delhi: In his first visit to Jammu and Kashmir since the abrogation of Article 370, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to be in the Union Territory on April 24 on the occasion of Panchayati Raj Day, sources told ABP News.
National Panchayati Raj Day is observed on April 24 every year and it provides an opportunity for leaders and others to directly interact with the representatives of the panchayats or village heads across the country.
Panchayat elections were last held in Jammu and Kashmir in 2018. Recently, the killing of three sarpanches by militants in J&K has brought back the spotlight on security of panchs and sarpanchs.
On March 12, sarpanch Shabir Ahmad Mir from Adoura was shot dead by militants in South Kashmir's Kulgam district. This was the third such killing in the month.
The government had revoked Jammu and Kashmir's special status under Article 370 and bifurcated it into Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh in August 2019.
Article 370, combined with Article 35A, accorded Jammu and Kashmir special status under the Constitution. It allowed the erstwhile state to have a separate Constitution, flag and a separate penal code among other legal distinctions.
Last year, PM Narendra Modi had said that since the abrogation of Article 370, there had been unprecedented peace and progress in Jammu and Kashmir.
READ | Panel Finalises J&K Delimitation Draft, Invites Public Suggestions By March 21
On Monday, the Jammu and Kashmir Delimitation Commission placed a draft with the proposed changes to assembly and parliamentary segments in the Union territory in the public domain and invited suggestions till 5 pm on March 21.
The commission has been tasked with redrawing boundaries of assembly constituencies post the splitting of the state into two Union territories.
The commission's report had come for sharp criticism, especially from the Kashmir-based political parties, after it had recommended an increase of six seats in Jammu province and one in Kashmir.
In the report, the commission maintained the number of Lok Sabha constituencies at five but increased the assembly seats from the present 83 to 90 (adding six in Jammu and one in Kashmir). Of them, seven segments will be reserved for SCs and nine for STs.
Last month, Union Home Minister Amit Shah had said that Assembly polls in the Union Territory will be conducted after the process of delimitation is completed.