Jammu and Kashmir Minister for Rural Development and Panchayats Ali Mohammad Sagar has termed Panchayati elections as a landmark step initiated by the State Government. He said by installing panchayats State Government would be ensuring that the empowerment of people at grass-root level takes place besides accelerating the development of rural areas. The Minister was addressing a public gathering after inaugurating a model village at Lohai-malhar, one of the remotest villages of the State bordering Himachal Pradesh. Sagar said besides empowering the people and involving them in policy implementation and formulation, installation of panchayts would ensure that the state would be getting additional funds from the Centre for accelerating the development of rural areas.