M A I N   N E W S

Restore autonomy to J&K, says panel
Jupinderjit Singh
Tribune News Service

Justice Saghir Ahmed submits report on Centre-state relations Rejects UT status for Ladakh Says no discrimination with Jammu

Jammu, December 23
At a time when demands for separate states were raking up much controversy in the country, the Justice Saghir Ahmed Working Group on Centre-State Relationship has recommended “restoration of autonomy to the extent possible” in the light of the Kashmir Accord reached between late Indira Gandhi and late Sheikh Abdullah.

“It is for the people of Jammu and Kashmir to decide for how long to continue with Article 370 in its present form and when to make it permanent or abrogate it. The matter being 60-year-old, should be settled once for all,” it says as its first recommendation.

On the controversial Armed Forces Special Powers Act, the report recommends that the Act may be withdrawn from some parts of the state. “A group of Central and state government officers and peoples representatives may be constituted which will review the application of the Act to various parts of the state to explore the possibility whether the Act can be withdrawn from any part of the state.”

On the powers and position of the Governor, it says the question of appointment of the Governor and dismissal of the popular government by the Governor may be considered and resolved.

The report was submitted to Chief Minister Omar Abdullah this evening. The state government will send it to the Prime Minister after deliberations.

The report broadly accepts many demands and stand of the National Conference. It doesn’t uphold the self-rule demand of the Mufti Mohd Sayeed-led People’s Democratic Party (PDP). The report says the PDP explained the oral concept of self-rule with no document presented on record.

The group was formed by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh two years ago after several round-table conferences on solving the Kashmir Issue.

The report has rejected the demand of Union Territory status for Ladakh. The functioning of the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council has been very successful and it may continue its commendable work, it says. It, however, recommends a separate university and better financial allocations for Ladakh.

On the issue of discrimination against Jammu and other regions, the report rejects the demand of increasing seats of the legislative assembly saying the Constitutional provisions do not allow delimitation till 2026. The report says it did not find any substance in the allegation of discrimination against the Jammu region. It, however, recommends that a Dogri channel may be set up on the lines of Kashir channel of the Doordarshan.

For improvement in technical education, the NIT at Srinagar and Government Engineering College at Jammu be upgraded to the IIT level, it has recommended. Similarly the Central Government may also establish an IIM in the state, the report says.

The working group headed by Justice S Saghir Ahmad, former Chief Justice of the J&K High Court, ex-Chief Justice of the Andhra Pradesh High Court and former Judge of the Supreme Court of India submitted its recommendations to the Chief Minister through its Secretary Ajit Kumar, in presence of Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ali Mohammad Sagar and the Political Adviser to Chief Minister Devender Singh Rana.