Omar wants to do an Amethi in J&K

Meets womens self-help group in Rahuls constituency

Impressed by the model adopted by Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi for women development in his constituency Amethi, Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah on Tuesday expressed a desire to replicate it in his state.

Omar Abdullah, who arrived at Amethi with Rahul on a day-long visit, met women from a self-help group (SHG) at Kasbpur village in Jais area to witness their work. Members of Roshni Mahila Gram Samiti said the J&K chief minister was all praise of their work.

“He invited us on a visit to Jammu and Kashmir after six months,” said a member of the group. Other members said Abdullah told them that such self help groups could go a long way in alleviating poverty in his state.

“We told him that we are ready to go there and do whatever we can for the development of the state,” said a member. Rahul, on the other hand, also met Congress workers and discussed the ways and means to strengthen the party at grassroot level and to effectively implement the centrally-sponsored welfare programmes.

At some places, Rahul’s cavalcade was stopped by locals, who complained to him about lack of basic facilities at their villages. The Congress leader assured to look into their problems.

While Rahul was meeting party workers in Amethi, his sister Priyanka was doing the same thing in neighbouring constituency of Raebareli, represented by Sonia Gandhi in Lok Sabha.