Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Oct 23: Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, who arrived here today on a day long visit to the State, held discussions with Governor Satya Pal Malik at Raj Bhavan on various important issues relating to security management, implementation of development programmes and positive engagement of the youth in the State.
The Governor assured the Home Minister that the State administration is taking every step required to ensure against any delay in the implementation of development schemes and welfare programmes, eradication of corruption and redressal of public grievances.
Singh congratulated the Governor on the peaceful and incident free conduct of polling during the recently held Urban Local Body elections, besides, assuring full support for the ensuing Panchayat elections.
Meanwhile, PDP president and former Chief Minister, Mehbooba Mufti today again appealed Centre for resumption of dialogue between India and Pakistan to end the present phase of acrimony and confrontation between the two South Asian neighbouring States.
In her meeting with Union Home Minister, Rajnath Singh here today, Mehbooba said good relations with Pakistan have a positive impact on the ground situation in the State and it also encourages reconciliation among stakeholders within the State which automatically results into decline in alienation levels of people. She reminded the Union Home Minister that in the past when the two countries were in the best of relations, Jammu & Kashmir not only witnessed an era of minimal violence but also reconciliation and peoples’ active participation in democratic and developmental processes.
Expressing concern over the prevailing situation in the State, the PDP president also impressed upon the Union Home Minister to ensure that civilian killings and collateral damage during security operations are avoided at all costs. She told Rajnath that she believed every civilian killing not only adds to the alienation level of people here but also pushes the democratic and developmental process in the State to the backburner. She asked the Union Home Minister to direct all the security agencies to exercise maximum restrain and follow strictly the SOPs as laid down while dealing with the security situations in the State to ensure that civilian lives and property are not put to any risk in these operations.
NC vice president and former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah met Rajnath and had detailed interaction with him on the situation.
BJP State president Ravinder Raina also called on Rajnath in Srinagar and discussed with him security and political situation in the State especially in the context of Municipal and Panchayat elections.
Rajnath called upon Raina to mobilize people and ensure maximum participation in Panchayat polls. He asked Raina to monitor development projects in the State and ensure their timely completion.
Follow our WhatsApp channel
