The government of India's special representative for Jammu and Kashmir, Dineshwar Sharma on Thursday met a dozen delegations in Handwara area to discuss various issues and the prevailing situation, officials said.
The delegations took up many issues with Sharma ranging from unemployment, lack of basic amenities, underdevelopment and the prevailing situation in Kashmir.
This was Sharma's second visit to Kupwara district after being appointed. The former Intelligence Bureau chief met around 80 comprising the dozen 12 delegations at Environmental Hall in Handwara, amid tight security.
Newly elected councilors of the Municipal Committee Handwara were the first to meet Sharma and raised several issues about the development in the town.
"The meet was not so political for what he is designed for, we generally put the issue of development in front of him," said Masroor Ahmad, a councilor who lead the delegation.
"We are elected by the people with a hope that there will be development, if the government of India is not going to take any step related to our issues then this exercise is a futile exercise and should be called off."
Members of another delegation said that they told Sharma the Kashmir dispute should be resolved on priority.
"This is a political dispute and it should be solved politically. Kashmir is burning presently. Young boys are giving up their careers by joining the path of militancy and are being killed, look at the ground situation and tell the prime minister of India to resolve the Kashmir issue," Aijaz Ahmad who led the delegation said he told Sharma.
"The delegation that came to meet him comes up with their local issues, which is unfortunately not his domain. Every person should have asked him that when you are going to talk with Syed Salauddin, Reyaz Naikoo and other stakeholders for peace in Kashmir, rest it is a futile exercise," MLA Langate, Er Rasheed said after meeting Sharma.
"The issue of Kashmir should be resolved once for all; rest there is nothing in these meetings."
After meeting Sharma, some delegations left with a hope that the issues they raised would be addressed on priority basis.
Riffat led a delegation of women to meet with Sharma and raised the issue of local Kashmiris and their families who returned from Pakistan-administered Kashmir via Nepal.
"We were told to wait for at least six years to get the citizenship, but we are still waiting. We are facing every kind of issues here, our wards are not getting admissions," Riffat said.
"My father and mother died recently but I was not able to visit home for their funeral, we are being tortured here, we asked the interlocutor to highlight our issue with the higher authorities so that we will get the citizenship," Riffat said.
"He (Sharma) gave us a time of six months. We hope our demands are going to be addressed; if not then we are forced to choose the path of violence."
"We will pray for the peace in Kashmir," Sharma told reporters during his visit.
