Neeraj Rohmetra
Jammu, Jan 27: Political impasse over the issue of constitution of new Administrative units further intensified today with top leadership of National Conference (NC) and Congress rushing to New Delhi to project their views before the Congress high command.
The entire political scene vis-à-vis this controversy shifted to New Delhi with leaders of National Conference and Congress holding deliberations with their respective party leaders and had also opened up various channels of communication with each other.
Sources in National Conference (NC) informed EXCELSIOR that Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah, who seems to be quite determined to implement the decision of formation of new administrative units held meeting with Congress in charge for J&K Affairs, Ambika Soni and Union Minister for Health, Ghulam Nabi Azad.
“Threadbare discussions were held in the meeting on the issue of constitution of Administrative units and Chief Minister explained to the Congress leadership that he had granted ample opportunity to the Cabinet Sub-Committee (CSC), formed under the leadership of Deputy Chief Minister, Tara Chand to do justice to the mandate given to them”, sources said, adding, “several extensions were also given to the Sub-Committee on request of the Congress leaders”.
Sources further elaborated, “Omar made it clear to the leaders that decision has to be implemented at the earliest without any bias to any region and there is no question of discrimination as is being pointed out by some leaders of the alliance partner”.
Congress leadership, while supporting the decision of the CSC to visit all districts of the State also put forth their view point. “The comprehensive exercise undertaken by the Sub-Committee was a decision in the right direction and no region of the State should be left unheard, even if the exercise takes time”, told the leaders to the Chief Minister.
The meeting ended without any solution having been hammered out on the contentious issue.
Sources also stated that Chief Minister had also taken into confidence National Conference patriarch, Farooq Abdullah before holding parleys with their alliance partner.
Meanwhile, Congress party high command has also summoned the three Congress Ministers, who are part of the Sub-Committee on Administrative units to New Delhi tomorrow to hold threadbare discussions over the issue. Ministers affiliated with Congress party included CSC Chairman, Deputy Chief Minister Tara Chand, Minister for Urban Development and Local Bodies Nawang Rigzin Joraand Minister for PHE and Flood Control Sham Lal Sharma.
Members affiliated with National Conference include Minister for Planning & Development and Labour & Employment Ajay Sadhotra, Minister for Higher Education Mohmmad Akbar Lone and Minister for Law, Justice and Parliament, Mir Saifullah.Agriculture, Minister, Ghulam Hasan Mir of JKDPN is also a member of the Committee.
“Tomorrow a high-level meeting of Congress leaders comprising General Secretary for State, Ambika Soni, former Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad and JKPCC (I) chief Saif-ud-Din Soz is likely to be held in the Capital and the meeting will be attended by three Congress Ministers, who are members of the CSC on administrative units”, source said.
The meeting would hold deliberations over the views expressed by Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah before the Congress leadership today.
Omar had met Congress President Sonia Gandhi on January 21 over the issue. His meeting was followed by another meeting with Congress leaders from the State during which Gandhi is understood to have asked the State leaders to find an amicable solution to the political impasse.
It may be recalled that three days back hardening stand on implementation of new administrative units in Jammu and Kashmir, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah had reluctantly granted one last extension of a week to the Cabinet Sub Committee (CSC) and indicated that the Government would go ahead with setting of the administrative units if the CSC didn’t submit its report within the final deadline of January 31.
Dropping broad hints that he won’t even hesitate from “sacrificing the Government” for creation of new administrative units in the State, Omar maintained that he had given last extension to the CSC reluctantly till January 31 and made it clear to the Committee when its members called on him at the Civil Secretariat that there would be no other Cabinet agenda or Cabinet meeting till the Panel submitted its recommendations.
However, members of the Sub-Committee shared with EXCELSIOR that no meeting of the Sub-Committee has been held ever since Chief Minister granted it last extension on January 24. The failure to hold any meeting so far has raised questions over the claims of the CSC members of having finalised the recommendations and their intension to submit the report by January 31.
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