Excelsior Correspondent
NEW DELHI, Apr 12: Chief Minister, Mehbooba Mufti today met Union Home Minister, Rajnath Singh, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and Minister for Road Transport & Highways, Nitin Gadkari in the Union capital here separately.
This is Mehbooba Mufti’s first visit to New Delhi after taking over as the Chief Minister of the State.
During her meeting with Rajnath Singh, the Chief Minister discussed the proposals of the State Government presently under the consideration of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) which include continuation of modernization of Police Force Scheme, revised ex gratia scheme which includes loss to livestock due to cross border firing and exemption of security-related expenditure on account of deployment charges.
In order to broaden the scope of cross-LoC trade and travel, described by late Mufti Mohammad Sayeed as the biggest CBM between India and Pakistan, she proposed opening of additional routes and crossing points across the Line of Control. These routes include Kargil-Skardu, Jammu-Sialkote, Turtuk-Khapulu, Chhamb Jorian-Mirpur, Gurez-Astoor-Gilgit, Titwal-Chilhas, Jhangar (Nowshera)-Mirpur and Kotli.
Expressing concern over rising crime against women, Mehbooba sought support from the Union Home Minister for financial assistance in raising two all-women battalions for executive policing. She said the Cabinet in its meeting yesterday sanctioned four new women police stations to check rising incidents of crime against women.
On adopting non-lethal means in better crowd control to prevent loss of precious human lives while dealing with law-and-order situations, Rajnath assured the Chief Minister of full support from the MHA.
Mehbooba welcomed the Central Government direction asking the State Governments to appoint Nodal Officers to ensure safety and security of students from J&K who are pursuing studies outside the State.
The issue of Inner Line Permit for foreign tourists for visiting various parts of Ladakh also came up for discussion during the meeting.
Mehbooba requested Rajnath to clear the proposal for restoration of damaged infrastructure in Police department due to floods of 2014. A proposal amounting to Rs. 286.57 crore has already been sent to MHA in this regard.
The Chief Minister also urged Rajnath Singh to take an early decision on the State government’s proposal to recognize Nepal route as one of the routes under the policy framed for returnees.
On the return of Kashmiri Pandits, the Chief Minister said not only the State Government but the people of Jammu & Kashmir want return of Kashmiri Pandit community to the valley with dignity and honour as the cultural milieu of Kashmir without them remains incomplete.
In her meeting with Nitin Gadkari, Mehbooba sought higher allocation under CRF (Central Road Fund) for the State.
The Union Transport Minister assured Mehbooba Mufti that once UCs (Utilization Certificates) for Rs.848 crore are received, an amount of Rs. 350 crore will be further released under CRF. So far, UCs amounting to Rs.801 crore have been sent by the R&B Department, the meeting was informed.
The Chief Minister highlighted the urgent need to declare Mughal Road as an alternate National Highway, keeping in view the critical condition of certain portions of Jammu-Srinagar National Highway. She also highlighted the need for construction of a tunnel to make Mughal Road an all-weather road.
Mughal Road was sanctioned under PMRP and completed at a cost of Rs.640 crore.
For providing alternate connectivity to Chenab Valley, the Chief Minister requested construction of a National Highway from Lakhanpur to Doda via Ranjit Sagar Dam, which will provide a huge fillip to the tourism potential of the region.
Mehbooba raised the issue of inclusion of more projects under Bharat Mala and Inter-State Connectivity Projects (ISC) so that better road connectivity is provided to people in the State.
She was informed that except Qazitur-Tangdhar Road for which certain clarifications have been sought from the Public Works Department, bids have been received in case of Baramulla-Gulmarg and Poonch-Uri Roads and the work on the projects will be allotted shortly.
On upgradation of Batote-Kishtwar-Sinthan-Khanabal Road under Bharat Mala, it was given out that the bids will be reviewed by the Road Transport Ministry by May 10 and the work will be allotted 15 days thereafter. In the meantime, the Chief Minister was informed that Rs.90 crore will be released to the State Government for basic maintenance of the road.
Mehbooba also sought special dispensation for complete construction of 541 bridges in the State.
The Union Transport Minister assured the Chief Minister that he will get the proposal submitted by the State Government examined on priority.
As regards the issue of rationalization of toll collection, a demand raised by the Chief Minister, he said the proposal submitted by the State Government will be prioritized.
The Chief Minister assured Nitin Gadkari that the State Government will extend full support in land acquisition for construction of ring roads in the two capital cities of Jammu and Srinagar.
The Union Transport Ministry has already started the process of framing the DPRs so that the work on the two prestigious projects is started in earnest.
Mehbooba also called on Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley in the evening and discussed various financial aspects of the situation in the State.
Sh sought liberal funding for Jammu and Kashmir from the Centre.
Meanwhile Mehbooba dismissed the possibility of shifting National Institute of Technology (NIT) out of the Valley.
Emerging from the 45-minute meeting with Rajnath Singh, Mehbooba said, “It is a courtesy call on the Home Minister after I took over as the Chief Minister”.
As she was leaving the North Block, journalists asked her questions about the unrest at the NIT and the demand by outstation students to shift the campus to Jammu.
“Let me make it clear that it is an issue within the institute and please do not give it a colour of local versus outsiders. The Human Resources Development Ministry is looking into the grievances of the outstation students and I am hopeful that it will be resolved soon.
“As far as demands of some students to shift the NIT campus out of Srinagar is considered, let me make it clear that it won’t be possible,” she said.
To a question that many outstation students had not appeared in the examination that began yesterday, she said “Some students were not prepared for exams. Their exams would be conducted later.
“Some students have gone back to their homes because of the environment,” Mehbooba, the first woman Chief Minister of the State, said.
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