Srinagar, Jun 9 (IANS): A condolence meeting was held by the Sarpanch Association, Ganderbal, on Tuesday to pay tributes to Ajay Bharti, the Kashmiri Pandit Sarpanch who was killed by terrorists in Anantnag on Monday.

The Sarpanchs gathered in the premises of mini-secretariat and observed one minute's silence.

President of the Sarpanch Association, Nazir Ahmad, condemned the killing of Ajay Bharti by terrorists.

While talking to IANS, he said nobody is paying heed to their problems and the elected Panchs and Sarpanchs in Kashmir were feeling abandoned.

He said after the abrogation of Article 370 on August 5 last year, a delegation of Sarpanchs from J&K met Union Home Minister Amit Shah to discuss the problems faced by the elected Panchs and Sarpanchs in Jammu and Kashmir.

He said they were given many assurances but nothing happened on the ground.

"We were told that we will be given an insurance cover of Rs 2 lakh, but that promise was not kept," he said.

He said so far 10 Sarpanchs have been killed in J&K and the latest killing has again shown the vulnerability of elected grass-root workers in the face of terrorist violence.

"We have been demanding security cover since we got elected, but our demand was never met," he said.

He said if the promises made by them are not fulfilled, the Panchs and Sarpanchs of Ganderbal district would be left with no other option but to resign.