NEW DELHI, June 23 — The Centre is shortly going to set up a ministerial committee to study the Jammu and Kashmir Government’s autonomy report and submit a set of recommendations to help the government take a final view on the issue.

The sources said the Vajpayee government had taken a positive view of Jammu and Kashmir, Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah’s move and had decided to set up a ministerial committee.

A strong indication of the government’s view came yesterday itself when the Union Home Minister, Mr L.K. Advani, said in London that the Centre was not against autonomy. “The J and K Assembly’s views will be kept in mind when we consider the autonomy report”, he said.

While the Prime Minister’s Office did not offer any comment on the autonomy issue which was discussed between the Prime Minister, Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee and Dr Abdullah during the 40-minute-long meeting yesterday here, Mr Advani gave his views on the issue from London.

This is part of the strategy to counter the adverse reactions which are likely to come from the Rashtriya Swyamsevak Sangh quarters, the sources pointed out.

As expected the Bharatiya Janata Party spokesman, Mr M Venkaiah Naidu said the party would never accept autonomy but was ready for maximum devolution of power.

“We have not been able to understand what is this talk about autonomy. If the talk is of devolution of power and greater decentralisation, one can understand”, Mr Naidu said, adding “the BJP was committed for a strong Centre and strong states”.

Decrying Dr Abdullah’s move for autonomy, Mr Naidu said the focus of attention should be on development issues.