Centre’s Spl Rep meets Guv; discusses situation, yatra

Governor Satya Pal Malik and Dineshwar Sharma during a meeting in Srinagar on Tuesday.
Governor Satya Pal Malik and Dineshwar Sharma during a meeting in Srinagar on Tuesday.

Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, June 11: Union Government’s Special Representative on Jammu and Kashmir, Dineshwar Sharma today met Governor Satya Pal Malik at the Raj Bhavan in Srinagar and discussed political and development aspirations of the people of the State.
This was Sharma’s first visited to the State during past about six months.
However, according to sources, Sharma might have stayed away from the State because of the conduct of general elections.
An official handout said Sharma briefed the Governor about opinion gathered by him regarding political and developmental aspirations of people across the State.
“Malik and Sharma discussed a range of issues pertaining to internal security situation, recent initiates taken by the Administration for ensuring equitable development of the State and bringing accountability and transparency in the administrative set up,” the Government handout said.
They also reviewed initiatives required for protecting and promoting educational and career interests of youth.
Arrangements for upcoming annual pilgrimage of Shri Amarnath Ji shrine were also discussed by the Governor and the Special Representative of the Centre.
During past about six months, Sharma had maintained low profile and didn’t visit Jammu and Kashmir since November 28, 2018. Prior to that, he had been visiting the State every month and touring remote areas of different districts in all three regions of the State.
However, according to sources, the Special Representative had visited almost all the districts since his appointment in October 2017 by then Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh in the rank of Cabinet Secretary when there was PDP-BJP Government in place headed by Mehbooba Mufti.
According to sources, the Central Government appeared to have made it clear that despite change of guard in the Home Ministry, Dineshwar remained the Centre’s Special Interlocutor on the State.
According to sources, the Central Government treats summer as crucial as security forces would go all out to eliminate the militants and, at the same time, they would have to ensure that 46-day long annual pilgrimage of Shri Amarnath Ji shrine in South Kashmir Himalayas, beginning July 1, passes off peacefully.
The Election Commission of India has already announced that it proposed to hold Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir by the end of this year and will come out with the election schedule after completion of Shri Amarnath Ji pilgrimage on August 15.
During his previous trips, Dineshwar Sharma had met representatives of almost all political parties, social and other organizations in all three regions of the State. He had also toured remote parts of number of the districts across J&K to know issues faced by the people and possible solution to them.
Incidents of stone pelting and protests at the sites of encounters between militants and security forces have considerably gone down in the Kashmir valley during past few months.

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