Complex issues, divergent views taking time
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Apr 29: The Government has decided to give another extension to the Cabinet Sub Committee (CSC) on Justice Sagheer Ahmed Working Group for a period of three more months but the CSC was understood to have made it clear that it wouldn’t be possible for it to complete its task within next couple of months as the Group had submitted an exhaustive report running into three or four volumes
This would be sixth extension to the CSC on Justice Sagheer Ahmed in a row, which was set up about two years back after Justice Sagheer Ahmed (now dead) had submitted his report to Chief Minister Omar Abdullah in December 2009. As the Working Group had touched sensitive issues of autonomy, self rule etc, the Government had set up eight members CSC headed by Finance Minister Abdul Rahim Rather and comprising four Ministers each from National Conference and Congress, the two ruling coalition partners, to study the report and submit recommendations.
Official sources told the Excelsior that Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has conveyed his verbal extension to the CSC chairman Abdul Rahim Rather. An official order extending term of the CSC beyond March 31 was expected in the next few days.
They said the CSC could hold only a couple of meetings during its fifth extension of three months from January 1 to March 31, 2012 in view of 42 days long budget session of the Legislature from February 23 to April 4 as the Ministers remained busy with the session.
Extended term of the CSC had expired on March 31 this year, sources said, adding no meeting of the Committee was held this month. The CSC meeting was now expected to take place in Srinagar, the summer capital of the State, after Civil Secretariat re-opens on May 7 in the Valley.
When approached for his comments, CSC chairman Abdul Rahim Rather confirmed that he has been verbally conveyed extension in term of Justice Sagheer Ahmed CSC by the Chief Minister. He said the Government was expected to issue an official order on the extension shortly.
Justifying frequent extensions in term of the CSC, Mr Rather said the report submitted by Justice Sagheer Ahmed was very exhaustive, running into three to four volumes, and touched vital issues like autonomy, self-rule and many other sensitive matters pertaining to Centre-State relations.
“It was not an easy task to draft a report evolving consensus on Sagheer Ahmed Working Group recommendations as it concerned many sensitive issues on Centre-State relations. Our report could take some more time. It may require more extensions’’, Mr Rather said, adding the CSC was determined to prepare a comprehensive report and submit it to the Chief Minister.
The CSC had held nearly 17 meetings but in view of divergent stand taken by National Conference and Congress Ministers, a unanimous report eluded the Committee forcing it seek more time from the Government to prepare a consensus and exhaustive report.
One of the members of the committee told the Excelsior on the condition of anonymity that there were remote prospects of the Committee submitting a unanimous report as both parties were committed to their stand on autonomy and none of them were ready to dilute it.
The Committee members included Finance Minister Abdul Rahim Rather (chairman), Law & Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ali Mohammad Sagar, Industries and Commerce Minister Surjit Singh Slathia and Transport & CAPD Minister Qamar Ali Akhoon, all from National Conference, Revenue, Relief and Rehabilitation Minister Raman Bhalla, Tourism Minister Rigjin Jora, Health Minister Sham Lal Sharma and PHE, Irrigation and Flood Control Minister Taj Mohi-ud-Din.
The Congress was opposing the demand for autonomy while the National Conference was a strong supporter of it. Sources said the Committee would try to work out a middle path in the report but, if that was not possible, it would incorporate views of all the members and submit a comprehensive report to the Government.
Nevertheless, sources said, the CSC would take its time and make every possible attempt to evolve consensus on the report.
Justice Sagheer Ahmed Working Group had touched various sensitive subjects as it had been mandated by Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh to submit a report on strengthening Centre-State relations and other subjects of discrimination and problems faced by refugees. It had recommended autonomy for the State and a full and final decision on Article 370 of the Constitution of India, granting special status to the State. It had also made a host of other recommendations as per its mandate.
Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh during first stint of United Progressive Alliance (UPA) Government had in March 2006 set up five Working Groups in the Second Round Table Conference on Jammu and Kashmir held in Srinagar. They include ‘Working Group on Confidence Building Measures Across Segments of Society in the State’, ‘Working Group on Strengthening Centre-State Relations’, ‘Working Group on Ensuring Good Governance’, ‘Working Group on Strengthening Relations Across LoC’ and ‘Working Group on Economic Reforms’.
Four out of five Working Groups had submitted their reports in April 2007 to the Prime Minister during third Round Table Conference on Kashmir held in New Delhi.
However, report of fifth Working Group headed by Justice Sagheer Ahmed was delayed due to completely divergent opinions given by its members and was submitted by Mr Ahmed to Chief Minister Omar Abdullah in December 2009. The Chief Minister had later submitted the report to the Prime Minister.
Justice Sagheer Ahmed has since passed away.
The Working Group No. 5, headed by Justice Sagheer Ahmed, had high profile members like BJP leader and former Law Minister Arun Jaitley, Deputy Chief Minister, Tara Chand (then Speaker), Prof Saif-ud-Din Soz, Choudhary Aslam (all from Congress), Abdul Rahim Rather (then Leader of Opposition) and MY Taing (both NC), Thupstan Chhewang, then MP Leh, Mehbooba Mufti, PDP president, Harshdev Singh, MY Tarigami and Ashwani Sharma (all MLAs) and Dr Ajay Chrungoo among others.
All of them had different opinions with NC batting for autonomy, PDP for self rule, BJP for revocation of Article 370 of the Constitution of India, Congress for 1975 Indira-Sheikh accord, Chhewang for Union Territory status to Leh, Harshdev Singh and Ashwani Sharma for ending discrimination with Jammu region and holding delimitation of Assembly constituencies.
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