M A I N   N E W S

Amarnath Land Row
Shrine Board members quit
Tribune News Service

Srinagar, August 6
All eight members of the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board (SASB) today tendered their resignations to the Governor, who is also chairman of the board, in view of the prevailing situation over the land transfer issue in the state.

Governor N.N.Vohra has also invited Lila Karan Sharma, convener of the Amarnath Yatra Sangharsh Samiti along with a few other members of the samiti to visit Baltal, the base camp of the holy cave shrine of Amarnath, to have clarity about the total land required for yatra purposes.

The resignations were tendered to facilitate the reconstitution of the board in view of the latest developments taking place in the state. “The resignations are under active consideration of the Governor”, a spokesman of the board said here today.

Those who have resigned include Justice G.D. Sharma, Vishnu Murti Shastri, Sunil Sachdeva, Manoj Gaur, Vimla Dhar, Neerja Mattoo, Raghu Modi and Arun Kumar.

During his meeting with the Amarnath Yatra Sangharsh Samiti in Jammu on Thursday, Governor N.N. Vohra had offered to reconstitute the board for making it more vibrant and effective to cope with the increasing rush of yatris year after year. He had also mentioned that the induction of eminent persons from the two regions of Kashmir and Jammu would inspire confidence in the functioning of the shrine board. He had discounted the fears about dilution of the board and assured that it would continue to be the sole authority for managing the annual yatra. A six-member delegation of the sangharsh samiti, which met the Governor last week held discussions on the issues related to the board, including diversion of the forest land for raising temporary structures during the yatra period. The delegation comprised Tilak Raj Sharma, D. K Khajuria, Narayan Singh, Brig (Rtd) Suchet Singh, Ramesh Sabarwal and Narinder Singh.

In a communication addressed to the convener of the sangharsh samiti by B. B. Vyas, principal secretary to the Governor and chief executive officer of the board, it has been stated that it was extremely necessary to have complete clarity about the total land required by the shrine board at Baltal for various purposes, on a temporary basis, keeping in view the land already under its use for providing facilities during the yatra period.

“Such a clarity can be secured only on a site visit to Baltal and Domail”, the communication says.

Vohra appoints 4-member team to talk to protesters

New Delhi, August 6
In a fresh attempt to restore peace in Jammu region boiling over with agitation on the Amarnath land transfer row, Jammu and Kashmir Governor N.N Vohra tonight appointed a four-member team to talk to the protesters and end the over a month-long stalemate in the state.

The committee comprises former chief secretary of the state S.S Bollowria, vice-chancellor of Jammu University Amitabh Mattoo, retired judge of the Jammu and Kashmir High Court Justice G.D Sharma and principle secretary to the Governor B.B Vyas, official sources said.

The announcement of the committee came minutes after all-party meeting convened by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh ended. The committee has been authorised to hold talks with Shri Amarnath Sangharsh Samiti (SASS) to end the stalemate which had been assuming dangerous dimensions with a threat of communal backlash looming large.

It was not immediately clear whether the SASS, which is spearheading the agitation, would hold talks. — PTI