Shimla, March 24
Unprovoked by President Pervez Musharraf’s rhetoric, Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee, today said that India was willing to improve ties with Pakistan provided that country responded to the global call to end terrorism and agreed to resolve all disputes on the basis of Simla Agreement and the Lahore Declaration.

Addressing a government rally to mark the completion of four years of the BJP-HVC coalition rule in the state here today he said India always favoured peace and better relations between the two countries but it was Pakistan which time and again acted against the spirit of various peace accords and initiatives.

The Kargil invasion, despite the Simla Agreement and Lahore Declaration, was the latest example of it. Having tasted defeat in the battle front it had been trying to weaken the country by indulging in subversive activities through intelligence agencies and aiding and abetting terrorism.

Thus, the onus for improving relations was on Pakistan. It must put an end to cross border terrorism and infiltration.

Referring to communal incidents in Gujarat, he said the burning of train passengers, including women and children was a despicable act, which triggered of violent reaction across the state. Excesses had been committed. But all this must stop as the country’s prestige was at stake. 

In a major decision, which would go a long way in protecting the ecologically fragile Himalayas, he said the Centre would soon set up a Trans-Himalayan Development Authority to ensure sustainable and speedy development of the hilly areas.

 Mr Vajpayee also announced that Himachal Pradesh would be given Rs 300 crore from the rural infrastructure development fund (RIDF) and assured that required additional Central assistance would be given to the state to maintain the size of its annual plan. Besides work on the Rs 800 crore tunnel underneath the Rohtang Pass would commence in next month. As many as 5000 houses would be constructed in the state under the Indira Awaas Yojna. He said priority was being given to extend road network, as improved communication was key to progress.

He complimented the Dhumal government’s performance on various fronts, particularly the exploitation of hydel power potential. He said it would not only bring prosperity to the hill state, but also enable it to meet the power requirement of other states.

Earlier, Mr P.K. Dhumal, Chief Minister, drew attention of the Prime Minister, towards the pending issues like state’s share in the interstate hydel power projects under the Punjab State Reorganisation Act and imposition of generation tax which if resolved would enable the state to become economically self reliant. Citing the Supreme Court verdict on the Sutlej-Yamuna link canal, he said it was the responsibility of Centre to ensure that the state got its share. The arrears of state claim had already crossed the Rs 4000 crore. The Centre should ask the concerned states either to pay the amount or itself provide financial assistance to the state in its lieu there-of. Similarly, the state could earn an additional revenue to the tune of Rs 150 crore to Rs 200 crore annually if it was granted permission to impose generation tax at a nominal rate of 10 paise per unit. He also pleaded for extending the income tax holiday for new industrial units from March 2002 to March 2007.

Mr Shanta Kumar, the Union Minister for Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution said that the biggest success of Mr Vajpayee was that he had provided a stable and effective government to the country after years of political instability at the Centre.