Roads, power, health to get priority
Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Oct 26: Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh and Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti today held high-level review of security situation and Prime Minister’s Development Package (PMDP) for Jammu and Kashmir and a way forward in dialogue after the announcement of Dineshwar Sharma, retired Intelligence Bureau (IB) Director as Centre’s Special Representative on Jammu and Kashmir.
Rajnath and Mehbooba also had one-on-one meeting after the meeting of security and PMDP review, which was attended by top officials of Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and Jammu and Kashmir Government, in the Union capital.
In the evening, Dineshwar Sharma met Mehbooba Mufti at Kashmir House in New Delhi for about half an hour in which they were reported to have discussed some modalities on initiating dialogue in Jammu and Kashmir. Sharma has already stated that he would be visiting J&K after about eight to 10 days for initiating dialogue.
Sources said both of them were reported to have discussed facilitation of dialogue with various stakeholders in Jammu and Kashmir to carry forward the process initiated by the Centre by appointing Dineshwar Sharma as its Special Representative for talks on J&K. Significantly, Dineshwar has been given the rank of Cabinet Secretary and mandate to talk to anyone he wants to in the State. No time-frame has been fixed for the dialogue.
After the meeting, Sharma said that the main focus of his visit will be engaging with the youth and providing them with a platform to air their views.
Sharma said that he will talk to all stakeholders in a bid to resolve the Kashmir imbroglio.
The Centre’s Special Representative said the modalities about his new role were in the process of being finalised.
An MHA release issued after the high-level meeting chaired by Rajnath Singh and Mehbooba Mufti, said: “it was decided to fast track the projects under PMDP by making encumbrance free land available for infrastructure projects in Roads, Power and Health sectors”.
The meeting decided to lay special emphasis on development of border areas, falling between 10 kilometers of the border, while selecting the projects under Border Area Development Programme (BADP). It decided to take all steps for ensuring safety of the people in border areas and expediting construction of bunkers along the borders.
The high-level meeting also discussed issues pertaining to Kashmiri migrants and decided to speed-up the process for providing additional jobs to them and cash relief/honorarium through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) mode. Transit accommodation for the migrants also came up for a review.
“Under the Prime Ministers’ Development Package for Jammu and Kashmir (Rs 80,068 crores) for 63 major Development projects pertaining to 15 Central Government Ministries, an amount of Rs 62,599 crores (approximately. 78%) has been sanctioned and an amount of Rs 22,042 crores (approximately 28%) has been released,” the MHA release said.
Recently, the MHA had announced that the PMDP has been raised from Rs 80,068 crores to around Rs one lakh crores in view of cost escalation of many projects.
Apart from Rajnath and Mehbooba, the meeting among others was attended by Union Minister of State for Home Hansraj Ahir, Union Home Secretary Rajiv Gauba, Rina Mitra, Special Secretary, Internal Security, other top MHA officials, Incharge Jammu and Kashmir, Chief Secretary, J&K BB Vyas, Home Secretary, J&K, RK Goyal, Principal Secretary to Chief Minister, Rohit Kansal and Director General of Police (DGP) Dr SP Vaid.
Sources said the meeting also reviewed security situation in Jammu and Kashmir, both along borders and hinterland and steps being taken to maintain peace in the Kashmir valley. Progress of `Operation All Out’, infiltration attempts by the militants and situation along Line of Control (LoC) and International Border (IB) in the wake of frequent ceasefire violations by Pakistan, was also reviewed.
The Union Home Minister is reported to have assured steps required to address grievances of the border dwellers in Jammu and Kashmir as Pakistan continued to indulge in mortar shelling and firing targeting civilian population. He assured that the Centre would expedite construction of bunkers to ensure safety and protection of the people living along LoC and IB in the State.
Sources said in their one-to-one meeting, Rajnath and Mehbooba were reported to have discussed the initiation of dialogue process in Jammu and Kashmir after the appointment of Dineshwar Sharma as the Interlocutor in the rank of Cabinet Secretary.
Speaking to reporters after meeting Rajnath, Mehbooba said situation in the State has improved a lot as violence has come down significantly.
“Situation in Jammu and Kashmir has improved as violence has come down a lot,” she said.
The Chief Minister said she discussed with the Home Minister the announcement of a Special Representative for Jammu and Kashmir, security situation in the State and various development issues.
Mehbooba said a detailed discussion was also held on Rs 80,000 crore package announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2015.
“Funds are getting released and many development works are going on. Work on AIIMS in the State is also going on,” she said.
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