M A I N   N E W S

AFSPA not on the backburner: Omar
Tribune News Service

Jammu, January 5
The last three years were both “the best of times” and “the worst of times”, said Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah today, quoting from ‘A Tale of Two Cities’ by Charles Dickens, after completing three years in office. The youngest Chief Minister had taken over as CM of the troubled and sensitive border state on January 5, 2009 at the age of 39.

‘A Tale of Two Cities’ was written by Dickens in 1859 and was set in London and Paris before and during the French Revolution.

The Chief Minister and his Deputy, Tara Chand, released a report card of the National Conference-Congress coalition government and called on the Governor to present him with a copy.

Asked to spell out his position on Armed Forces Special Power Act (AFSPA), which he had declared in October would be lifted ‘soon’, the CM said, “ the issue is not on the backburner — just because it is not being talked about — does not mean that it is not being pursued.”

The Chief Minister indicated that the cabinet sub-committee set up to examine the feasibility of taking over control of some of the hydel power plants operated by the public sector National Hydel Power Corporation ( NHPC) would be submitting its report this week. Recalling that the proposal had been endorsed by the Prime Minister’s Economic Advisor, Dr Rangarajan, the Chief Minister hinted that the cabinet would be taking steps to take control of the plants.

The state government, the Chief Minister said, was seeking more funds from the Centre to buy more power and also chalking out a plan to deal with pilferage of electricity and transmission and distribution losses.