Committee to look into delimitation of assembly seats in J

Srinagar, May 24 (UNI) The Jammu and Kashmir government today formed an eight-member committee on relocation, rotation and delimitation of existing and reserved constituencies in the state as agreed in the all parties meeting here on May 12.

The committee, headed by senior Congress leader and state Health Minister Mangat Ram Sharma, has been asked to submit its report within ten days.

It has members from all major ruling and opposition political parties in the state. They include Leader of the Opposition in the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly and National Conference's Abdul Rahim Rather, Peoples Democratic Party leader and Agriculture Minister Abdul Aziz Zargar, Peoples Democratic Forum chairman and Transport Minister Hakeem Mohammad Yaseen, Panthers Party chief Prof Bhim Singh, CPI(M) secretary Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami, BJP's Jugal Kishore and Ashwani Kumar of the Jammu Mukti Morcha.

The committee would examine constitution of delimitation commission for readjustment and rationalisation of territorial limits of the existing constituencies, and rotation of the reserved constituencies.

The committee would also look into the demands on which there was consensus in the all parties meeting regarding the West Pakistan Refugees of 1947, displaced persons of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) of 1947 and other displaced persons of 1965 and 1971.

The required assistance to the committee would be provided by the state Law department.

The decision to constitute a committee was taken during the all parties meeting called by Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad here on May 12 to discuss 25 per cent increase in the Assembly seats, relocation, rotation and delimitation of reserved constituencies and permanent state subject issue of 1947 refugees.

UNI