Singh visiting J&K on May 16, 17
Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, May 14: After canceling his visit ending last month, Union Home Secretary R K Singh is visiting the State on May 16 and 17 to review security scenario and discuss cross-LoC Confidence Building Measures (CBMs) especially giving a boost to trade on Poonch-Rawlakote and Uri-Muzaffarabad routes.
Mr Singh’s visit comes ahead of Home Secretary level talks between India and Pakistan on May 24 and 25 at Islamabad, Pakistan.
Mr Singh was scheduled to visit Uri and Poonch in the last week of April but had deferred his visit as Chief Minister Omar Abdullah was on a tour of twin border districts of Rajouri and Poonch for four days during the same time.
Official sources told the Excelsior that Mr Singh now would be visiting Salamabad on Uri-Muzaffarabad route in Kashmir on May 16 and Chakan-Da-Bagh on Poonch-Rawlakote route in Jammu on May 17 for on spot review of arrangements made for cross-LoC trade and more facilities and infrastructure required to give boost to it.
Accompanied by top civil and police officials of the State, Mr Singh would be meeting the traders dealing with cross-LoC business at both the places (Chakan-Da-Bagh and Salamabad) and listen to their demands to take up some of them during talks with his counterpart at Islamabad.
Two major demands of the cross-LoC traders, which have also been backed by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, for opening of banking channels on either side of cross-LoC routes to end barter system of business between two parts of divided State and communication system, would be taken up by the traders as well as the administration with the Union Home Secretary.
The issue of communication channels and currency system for the trade was expected to figure during the Home Secretary level talks.
Sources said Mr Singh would also review security scenario in the State at a high level meeting in Srinagar on the evening of May 16. Top brass of civil and police administration, para-military forces and Intelligence agencies would attend the meeting and share their perception of situation with the Home Secretary.
Security arrangements for upcoming Amarnath yatra from June 25-August 2, peaceful summer in Kashmir Valley, keeping a check on militancy, hawala transactions, money laundering and infiltration attempts on the border would be discussed at the high level security review meeting, sources said.
The cross-LoC traders of Poonch, Rawlakote, Uri and Muzaffarabad had recently floated first ever Cross LoC Traders Federation of 44 members to vigorously pursue their demands with their concerned Home Secretaries so that they were discussed during May 24-25 meeting at Islamabad and taken to logical conclusion.
Sources said the Union Government wanted to take up the issue of converting cross-LoC trade from barter system to currency based. The ways and means for switching over to new system would first be discussed with civil and police administration besides Intelligence and other agencies engaged with conducting cross-LoC trade followed by representatives of the State Government before the Home Secretary took up the issue with his counterpart of Pakistan in Islamabad.
In the present barter system of trade, the businessmen had been facing a lot of problems to maintain their accounts and currency of both the countries keep on fluctuating.
The lack of communication system between Jammu and Kashmir and Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) was another issue, which was being discussed by the Union Government on the request of the State Government. It may be mentioned here that ISD link from J&K to any part of Pakistan besides PoK has been barred for past quite a long time as a security reason following apprehensions by security agencies that the militants could misuse the communication facility.
Sources said upgradation of infrastructure at Trade Facilitation Centres at Poonch and Salamabad including installation of full truck scanners and providing other facilities to the businessmen was also under consideration of the Centre Government. Increase in number of items from present list of 21 for trade between two parts of the divided State was also on agenda of the Union Government.
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah had recently said in the Legislative Assembly that the Union Government should open the banking system for the trade instead of present barter system and facilitate communication channels to boost the trade.
Sources said representatives of the State Government, civil and police administration and other agencies connected with the trade besides the businessmen dealing with cross-LoC trade would take up the demand for increasing number of 21 items to 50 for the trade besides facilitation of banking system and opening up communication channels.
Terming cross-LoC trade as a major confidence-building measure between India and Pakistan, sources said there was a need to further ease it so that its benefits trickle down to the trading partners.
“There is a need for restoration of telephonic links between Jammu and Kashmir and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (PoK) and putting in place a proper institutional arrangement by replacing the current barter system of trade which will also address the security concerns,” they said.
They said the Union Government was required to take up the matter with the Ministries concerned so that the trade can flourish in real terms.
The cross-LoC trade on Uri-Muzaffarabad and Poonch-Rawlakote had recently been increased from twice a week (Tuesday and Wednesday) to four days (Tuesday to Friday). However, in the absence of increase in number of items and use of currency, the trade had not been picking up, sources said.
It may be mentioned here that the trade between India and Pakistan through the land route has soared by 44 per cent in 2011-12 to Rs 2,341 crore from Attari-Wagah route.
Though the balance of trade is still in India’s favour, the import from Pakistan through land route rose by over 100 per cent to Rs 965 crore in 2011-12 against Rs 453 crore in the previous fiscal.
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