Omar to meet PM today on plan
FC award: no spl funds for employees arrears

By Sanjeev Pargal

JAMMU, Mar 3: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah will meet Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh tomorrow in New Delhi to seek a 10 per cent step-up in next financial year’s annual plan for the State and extension of Prime Minister’s Re-construction Plan (PMRP) for next two years.

Meanwhile, 13th Finance Commission has, more or less, acceded to State Government’s request for about Rs 40,000 crore award for next five years beginning April 1, 2010 in different sectors but refused to concede the demand for giving special funds for payment of arrears to over 3.5 lakh Government employees on account of implementation of Sixth Pay Commission report.

Mr Abdullah’s meeting with Dr Singh is scheduled at 1 pm tomorrow. In addition to discussions on annual plan, extension of PMRP and Centrally Sponsored Schemes for 2010-11, the two leaders were also expected to review security situation in the State.

This would be first meeting between Mr Abdullah and Dr Singh after proposed Rehabilitation Policy on return of Kashmiri youths from PoK.

Finance Minister Abdul Rahim Rather is scheduled to present budget for next financial year in the Assembly on March 12. The Government is confident that it would be able to ascertain tentative size of the plan well before the budget to incorporate figures in annual financial statement.

Though there was no official word, reliable sources said the Government would seek 10 per cent step-up in its annual plan for 2010-11 from this year’s plan which was highest ever at Rs 5500 crore. The 10 per cent step-up means the Government would be satisfied with about Rs 6000 crore plan for next year.

The Government was quite confident of getting the plan which it was asking for. It would seek about Rs 1400 crore under PMRP for next financial year as against Rs 1200 crore in current year besides extension of the plan for next two years and about Rs 1000 crore under Centrally Sponsored Schemes (CSS).

"As we have been able to spend highest ever annual plan of Rs 5500 crore in just seven months as budget of the State was passed in the end of August and district plans were finalised in September, we are quite confident of getting a 10 per cent step-up in the plan for next financial year", sources said.

The official level meetings on detailed expenditure of Rs 6000 crore plan the State is asking for between Finance and Planning Department officers of J&K and Planning Commission of India would be held after the meeting between Mr Abdullah and Dr Singh.

Meanwhile, 13th Finance Commission headed by Dr Vijay Kelkar, whose report was tabled in Parliament few days back and State wise recommendations have been sent to the States, has almost conceded the State’s request for about Rs 40,000 crore award in different sectors for next five years beginning April 1, 2010.

"More or less the funds sought by us in different sectors have been given by the Finance Commission", sources said but added that the Commission has rejected the State’s demand for giving special funds for payment of arrears to its 3.5 lakh Government employees from January 1, 2006, the day from which Sixth Pay Commission report has been implemented.

The Government had sought about Rs 4000 crore for payment of arrears as a special case on the ground that it was not in a position to make available such a huge amount from its own resources.

The employees had been agitating seeking payment of arrears. Last month, some organisations of employees had gone on strike demanding full implementation of Sixth Pay Commission report.

Though the Government was satisfied with the Finance Commission award in different sectors, it was of the view that it would have been good had the Commission acceded to its demand for payment of arrears to the employees.

According to sources, the FC has not given funds to the State for payment of arrears to the employees on the ground that a similar demand was made by many other States too. The FC has rejected demand for special funds on account of payment of arrears of all States, they said.

MLA says he will burn himself
PDP walks- out against police threat, boy’s arrest

Excelsior Correspondent

JAMMU, Mar 3: After a brief lull, the PDP members today resumed their protests on the arrest of a boy in Pulwama even as the Government claimed that he was an Over Ground Worker (OGW) of Hizbul Mujahideen outfit.

Almost all PDP MLAs excepting Leader of Opposition Mehbooba Mufti were on their feet and trooped near Well of the House where PDP legislator Syed Bashir, who had raised the issue of boy’s arrest, threatened to commit self immolation and quit his membership of the House to protest the Government reply.

Mr Bashir made a sensational disclosure in the House that SSP of the area rang up and threatened him for raising the issue of boy’s arrest in the Assembly. "The SSP said police would have released the boy but now since he has raised the issue in Assembly, he would be booked in militancy case", he said.

Speaker Mohammad Akbar Lone advised the PDP MLA to bring a privilege motion against the SSP who had threatened him. "I will see how the SSP has dared to threaten a member of this House", he said.

Syed Bashir had two days back raised the issue of arrest of a boy Mohammad Asif Wani son of Abdul Razzak Wani R/o Drabgam, Rajpora in Pulwama district saying he had been taken away by police a month back but was neither arrested nor released. The Speaker had asked the Government for a reply on the issue.

In his brief reply, Mr Sagar said the Home Department has submitted that Wani was an OGW of HM outfit and had been arrested for his links with a commander.

As soon as Mr Sagar finished his reply, Syed Bashir was on his feet saying he will immolate himself and quit his seat if the boy was proved to be a militant. Police report is wrong, he contested and reached near Well of the House repeatedly shouting "Main Aag Laga Loonga".

All PDP MLAs, present in the House, initially protested from their seat and later joined Mr Bashir near Well of the House. PDP leader Mehbooba Mufti stood up on her seat.

The Speaker advised Mr Bashir to give him in writing and he would take action against police. He asked the MLA not to become emotional.

Mr Sagar said the member instead of creating uproar should contest the reply by giving his view point in writing. "Let the MLA say it on record that the boy has nothing to do with militancy", he asserted.

"The PDP has nothing to say. They have no issue and were only indulging in hulla gulla and dramabaazi", he added.

The PDP MLAs kept on shouting near Well of the House for about five minutes. PDP MLA Javed Mustafa Mir was heard shouting against Mr Sagar’s charges of ‘dramabaazi’. This is not justice, the PDP MLAs, surrounded by Marshals to prevent them from reaching well of the House, said.

Amidst slogans shouting and protests by the PDP MLAs, the Speaker went ahead with legislative business.

Later, all PDP MLAs including Mehbooba Mufti staged a walk-out from the House.

‘Acute shortage’ of ration across State
Speaker joins Oppn in taking CAPD Minister to task

Excelsior Correspondent

JAMMU, Mar 3: Speaker Mohammad Akbar Lone today joined the Opposition in taking Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution (CAPD) Minister Qamar Ali Akhoon to task saying the figures read by the Minister in the House were not enough as the MLAs want ration for people of their areas.

All PDP MLAs led by the Leader of Opposition Mehbooba Mufti staged a walk-out in the Assembly in protest against what they called "acute ration shortage" in the State.

As Mr Akhoon was prolonging his reply quoting "facts and figures" while responding to a number of MLAs’ concern during half an hour special discussion moved on ration shortage by Peerzada Mansoor Hussain (PDP), Prof Gharu Ram and Bharat Bushan (both BJP), the Speaker said mere quoting figures were not enough for satisfaction of the Opposition members.

"The question is whether adequate ration is reaching people? Whether a lady in a village is getting full quota of her ration? I am also an elected member and answerable to the people. Ensure that figures of ration given by you in the House reached right place", Mr Lone told Mr Akhoon.

The Speaker said the CAPD Minister was required to keep a check on supply of ration and overcome its shortage.

As Mr Akhoon lingered his speech, Mr Lone advised him to circulate it to the MLAs in writing to save time of the House as there was other business pending.

Most of the PDP members were on their feet saying the answer to their major query as to when the ration shortage will be overcome and the people would get full sanctioned quota is not coming.

"The Minister is confusing the issue. He is giving us figures while we need ration for the people. There is at least 53 per cent ration shortage. The Minister is not coming forward with one simple answer as to when the shortage will be overcome", PDP MLA from Darhal Zulfikar Ali shouted.

As Mr Akhoon went ahead with his reply, all PDP MLAs led by their Legislature Party leader Mehbooba Mufti staged a walk-out in the House to protest shortage of ration supply.

NC MLAs Bimla Luthra and Nazir Gurezi, however, shouted at the Opposition saying they should listen to the Minister’s reply. Social Welfare Minister Ms Sakina Itoo also came to the rescue of Mr Akhoon and pleaded that he be allowed to complete his reply.

Asserting that except for a couple of MLAs, most of others have admitted improvement in ration supply, Mr Akhoon said multi-disciplinary committees have been set up to check pilferage of ration coming from the Government of India at Kathua and Lower Munda. The committees comprised members of Excise, CAPD and SRTC.

Admitting that there were many problems in the BPL list, he said the Chief Minister through a GAD order has authorised the Deputy Commissioners to add deserving and delete undeserving families from the BPL category.

Mr Akhoon said the Government was pursuing with the Planning Commission of India to secure release of full BPL ration quota as per existing population of families falling under this category so that the deserving families get the ration at subsidized rates.

He said J&K is only State in the country which provides ration at the scale of 50 kg per ration card to the people.

Opposition and ruling party MLAs including M Y Tarigami, Harshdev Singh, Peerzada Mansoor Hussain, Prof Gharu Ram, Bharat Bushan, Nazir Gurezi, Ashwani Sharma, Vakar Rasool, GA Mir, Abdul Haq and Hakim Mohammad Yaseen participated in the discussion. Most of them claimed shortage of ration in their constituencies though some of them claimed that the supply position is now improving.

PM-Advani verbal duel on talks, Kashmir issue

NEW DELHI, Mar 3: The Lok Sabha today witnessed an interesting passage of arms when Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh intervened repeatedly and rejected BJP leader L K Advani’s charge that US pressure was behind India’s decision to talk to Pakistan.

In a sharp verbal duel during the debate on the Motion of Thanks to the President’s Address, Dr Singh asserted that there is no change in the US policy on Indo-Pak relations after President Barack Obama came to power.

He intervened on more than two occasions during the 75-minute speech by Advani, seeking to set the record straight on the Indo-Pak talks besides other issues like ‘one-rank-one-pension’ for armed forces.

"You are using this debate to sow seeds... What you are attributing to President Obama is certainly not true. In my discussions with President Obama, he has unambiguously said that there is no change in the US policy towards India and Pakistan (relations)," the Prime Minister asserted.

He was replying to Advani who suggested that the US was behind the recent Indo-Pak Foreign Secretary-level as Obama had publicly said during his Presidential campaign that he would try to resolve Kashmir issue.

This, the BJP leader, contended marked a change in the US position as the previous US Administrations had maintained that they would not mediate in Indo-Pak relations unless both the countries want it.

The Prime Minister was again in a mood to give back when Advani referred to reports that India and Pakistan had held "secret" talks over Kashmir and wanted the Government to tell Parliament what the parleys are about.

He took the battle into the rival camp by questioning why the details of the series of parleys held between the then External Affairs Minister Jaswant Singh and US Deputy Secretary of State Strobe Talbott were not shared with Parliament.

"Let me ask you one question. How many times did Jaswant Singh hold talks with Strobe Talbott. Was Parliament kept informed about the over dozen meetings? Why then are you expecting me to answer hypothetical questions," Dr Singh said.

At this, Advani appeared to be defensive and said he had read about these "secret" meetings in the media. "If there is no substance, I will be happy," he said. He, however, said the Government should be cautious "even if there is an iota of truth".

The BJP leader said if the Government tries to reach any compromise on Kashmir issue through such "secret" meetings, there will be agitation throughout the country.

In this regard, he opposed according pre-1953 status to Jammu and Kashmir when the President and Supreme Court of India had no authority over matters related to the State.

Advani, the former Leader of Opposition and now NDA’s Working Chairman, also questioned the utility of the recent talks with Pakistan , which he suggested marked a shift in India’s post 26/11 stand of not holding dialogue with Pakistan till it ended terrorism.

He suggested that Government appeared to lack unanimity in approach over talks with Pakistan.

Opposing the talks, Advani said these were held even as Army chief Gen Deepak Kapoor said terror infrastructure in Pakistan was intact and 700 terrorists were kept ready for infiltration into India.

"What did we achieve by talking? I could not see any positive outcome... The only concrete thing in the statement of Foreign Secretary (Nirupama Rao) was ‘we will keep in touch’. It is not an achievement because we have been in touch even after Mumbai attacks," Advani said.

The BJP leader attacked the Government for having talks with Pakistan despite the latter rejecting Indian dossiers of evidence on Mumbai attacks.

Referring to External Affairs Minister S M Krishna’s statement that the talks were "constructive", he said Pakistan, however, says ‘we don’t want any lecture from India’. "We are inviting insult," he said.

He mentioned the Indo-Pak joint statement issued in Sharm-el-Sheikh in July last year after talks between Dr Singh and his Pakistani counterpart Yousuf Raza Gilani and said it reflected a change in India’s stance as terror was delinked from dialogue.

On the Government’s contention that Pakistan can’t be ignored as it is a neighbour, the BJP leader said even former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee used to hold this view that one can change history but not geography.

"It is correct that we can’t ignore a neighbour. But it is also true that since Pakistan is a neighbour, there is terrorism in India. We cannot ignore that too," he said.

Advani said BJP also wanted to have friendly ties with Pakistan and made moves in this regard during NDA Government.

In this regard, he referred to the 2001 Agra Summit and said it failed because the then Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf refused to accept that terrorism in India had source in his country and kept saying that ‘there was freedom struggle in Jammu and Kashmir’.

"Then we said (to Musharraf), leave it and go," the then Home Minister said.

Asserting that the NDA Government’s stand in Agra was correct, he said it had made Musharraf to change his position and agree three years later in Islamabad that Pakistan would not allow terrorism from Pakistan or territories controlled by it.

The PM intervened for the first time when Advani referred to Dr Singh’s Independence Day speech in which he had referred to steps regarding the demand of ex servicemen relating to ‘one rank one pay’.

Dr Singh said whatever promises have been made were delivered by the Government and that Advani "should not create a rift between the Services and the Government" on the issue.

A defensive Advani said he was "not creating a rift. If these have been implemented, I am very happy."

The BJP leader, however, added that the "feeling" he got from ex-servicemen was that the assurances have not been implemented.

He reminded the House that the Finance Minister in his Budget Speech of 2008 had said that Rs 2100 crore will be spent per annum in implementing one rank one pension scheme. (PTI)