Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, June 15: As anticipated from past sometime, the Government was likely to allow Cabinet Sub Committee (CSC) on Justice Sagheer Ahmed Working Group to die its own death as term of the high level Panel comprising eight Cabinet Ministers of NC-Congress coalition Government hasn’t been extended for past three and half months while the CSC hasn’t met even once during past over one and a half years.
Official sources told the Excelsior that eighth extension given by the State Government to the CSC on Sagheer Ahmed Working Group had expired on February 28, 2014 and for next three and half months, the term of the Committee hasn’t been extended officially. With Assembly elections due in the next few months and Model Code of Conduct by the Election Commission of India likely to be imposed by the end of August, there seemed to be no possibility of the CSC headed by Finance Minister Abdul Rahim Rather submitting any consensus report to the Government in the remaining months.
Moreover, they said, the Government has not extended term of the CSC, which expired more than three and a half months back and therefore there was no scope of the CSC meeting unless its term was extended. As the CSC didn’t meet even during its extended term for six months period from August 30, 2013 to February 28, 2014, the indications were clear that the CSC would die a certain death.
According to sources, the CSCs, constituted by the Government, automatically lapse once new Government takes over after the Assembly elections.
Sources confirmed that none in the Government now appeared to be serious about the report of the CSC on Working Group in view of upcoming Assembly elections.
“Either the Government may not extend term of the CSC or even if the term was extended, the CSC would be unable to submit consensual report in view of sharp differences between the two coalition partners—National Conference and Congress,’’ sources said.
“The CSC, which has four members each from National Conference and Congress, didn’t hold even a single meeting during 2013 and almost first half of 2014,’’ sources said, adding the reasons behind the CSC not meeting even once for past more than one and a half years were the differences between NC and Congress on the issue of autonomy. While NC stands for autonomy to Jammu and Kashmir, the Congress is opposed to it.
According to sources, not even a single meeting of the CSC was held during 2013 and almost first half of 2014 even after re-constitution of the CSC as the National Conference and Congress, whose four Cabinet Ministers each formed the Panel, were unable to reach understanding on submitting recommendations on the points raised by the Group as both the parties stuck to their stand on autonomy.
“There appeared to be no meeting ground between the two coalition partners on Justice Sagheer Ahmed recommendations especially on autonomy. While a consensus has generally been evolved on other recommendations of the Group, autonomy is the only hurdle on which the two partners differed strongly and no side was ready to give-in on its stand keeping in view the election year,’’ sources said.
Several times extended term of Sagheer Committee had expired on February 28 and even the Government didn’t both to give ninth extension to its. The last extension to the CSC was eighth.
The CSC didn’t hold any meeting during seventh extension of six months from November 1, 2012 to April 30, 2013, mainly due to reshuffle in the Council of Ministry in which two CSC members—Qamar Ali Akhoon and Surjit Singh Slathia (both from NC) were dropped.
From April 30, 2013 to August end, the Committee remained without extension though it had been assured that its term would be extended, which was formally done on August 29.
That was eighth extension of the CSC since it was constituted in January 2010 by the order of the State Cabinet after Justice (retired) Sagheer Ahmed (now dead) had submitted his report to Chief Minister Omar Abdullah in December 2009.
The Government had reconstituted the CSC on February 18 after the Ministry reshuffle and replaced Qamar Ali Akhoon and Surjit Singh Slathia (both from NC) with Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Saifullah Mir and Planning Minister Ajay Sadhotra.
The Committee headed by Finance Minister Abdul Rahim Rather has its members including Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Minister Ali Mohammad Sagar, Mr Mir and Mr Sadhotra (all from NC), Housing Minister Raman Bhalla, PHE Minister Sham Lal Sharma, Urban Development Minister Rigzin Jora and Medical Education Minister Taj Mohi-ud-Din (all from Congress).
Sources said the Congress Ministers had made it clear to their National Conference colleagues in the CSC that they stand for Indira-Sheikh accord for basis to any solution to Kashmir problem and not autonomy.
However, Sagheer Ahmad Working Group had recommended autonomy as a solution to Kashmir problem.
Sources said the CSC in its previous meetings had done a lot of work and reached consensus on some of the issues but the differences persisted on autonomy.
The CSC had held nearly 17 meetings since it was set up in January 2010.
Justice Sagheer Ahmed Working Group had touched various sensitive subjects as it had been mandated by former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh to submit a report on strengthening Centre-State relations and other subjects of discrimination and problems faced by refugees. It had recommended autonomy for the State and a full and final decision on Article 370 of the Constitution of India, granting special status to the State. It had also made a host of other recommendations as per its mandate.
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