Neeraj Rohmetra
JAMMU, Mar 17: In a significant step forward towards formation of popular Government in Jammu and Kashmir, PDP president Mehbooba Mufti today had half an hour long meeting with BJP president Amit Shah in New Delhi and, for the first time, categorically apprised him of the PDP’s stand threadbare including points in the ‘Agenda of Alliance’ on which she wanted assurance of forward movement before formation of Government in the State.
Sources privy to latest developments between PDP and BJP and Mehbooba’s one-to-one meeting with Amit Shah, the first between the two party presidents after the death of Mufti Mohammad Sayeed on January 7, which led to imposition of Governor’s Rule in the State, said Ms Mufti, who is tipped to be first woman Chief Minister of the State, apprised in detail to Amit Shah her stand on the ‘Agenda of Alliance’, agreed upon by the two parties prior to the Government formation, including the points on which she wanted further progress before formation of Government in the State.
While reiterating her stand that PDP-BJP alliance was intact, Mehbooba reiterated that Mufti Sayeed had taken bold decision of his life by entering into alliance with the BJP on the basis of the ‘Agenda of Alliance’ and wanted the Centre to initiate some steps forward to make the progress visible on ground, leading to formation of new Government in the State.
The PDP president, who was in the national capital to attend budget session of Lok Sabha, met Amit Shah this evening. The meeting lasted over half an hour but leaders of both the parties officially declined to comment as to what transpired during the meeting and what kind of progress was made in the Government formation in the State, which was under Governor’s Rule for past two months and 10 days.
“Mehbooba Mufti has made her entire stand clear to Amit Shah. Now it was up to the BJP to react. The PDP will keenly watch the further political developments including the BJP’s response to her demands,’’ sources said.
“Despite being aware that it was an alliance between two diametrically opposite political parties, Mufti Sayeed entered into an understanding. It was not simply an alliance between the two political parties, but an alliance between the Government of India and Jammu and Kashmir for pushing the State on road to prosperity”, the PDP leaders was reported to have said.
The discussions, sources pointed out, revolved over the failure of the coalition to implement various decisions, which were imperative to catalyse the development process in the State. Though Centre was liberally providing funds to the State, several development projects in all the three regions of the State became hostile to the delayed decision making process.
According to sources, Mehbooba was reported to have made it clear to Amit Shah that the PDP was not asking for anything new but only categoric assurance from the Centre for forward movement on the ‘Agenda of Alliance’, which was sacred to both the parties.
She reportedly recalled the association of Mufti Mohammad Sayeed with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP president Amit Shah before formation of the first ever PDP-BJP coalition Government in the State and reiterated her commitment for going ahead with the BJP after forward movement on the ‘Agenda of Alliance’.
Sources said Mehbooba stressed on return of at least two power projects to Jammu and Kashmir from the National Hydro-electric Power Corporation (NHPC), two smart cities for the State—Jammu and Srinagar, which serve as rotational capital cities, vacation of some land under occupation of the Army in the State and economic package for people of the State including those affected by September, 2014 devastating floods.
Sources said Amit Shah only listened to Mehbooba Mufti’s points but gave no reaction. However, he promised to react to her demands shortly after consulting other top party leaders and representatives in the Government.
Political observers opined that Mehbooba Mufti wanted the BJP to rise above the party interest and see to it that “Mufti Sahib had invested everything while forging alliance with the BJP, which he had himself called as ‘alliance between North Pole and South Pole’ despite knowing very well that the alliance will not be taken well by the people of Kashmir as the two parties had diametrically opposite ideology’’.
The observers were of the view that the Government of India must understand that it was an opportunity to bring people of the State into national mainstream and show them the real face of India by going ahead with formation of the Government with PDP and taking concrete measures on the ‘Agenda of Alliance’, which had the consent of both Narendra Modi and Mufti Sayeed.
Asserting that New Delhi didn’t reciprocate adequately the gesture shown by late Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, the observers were of the view that the Centre can easily initiate the measures like grant of two Smart Cities and return of two power projects to the State from the NHPC as these decisions were well within the reach of Union Ministries for Housing and Urban Development and Power respectively.
According to sources, the CBMs sought by Mehbooba Mufti pertained to different Union Ministers.
Return of two power projects to the State is an issue with Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Piyush Goel but, according to sources, this is such a sensitive issue that it can’t be decided by Goel alone and a call on it can be taken up by the Union Cabinet alone.
Vacation of land under Army occupation is another sensitive issue, which has to be decided by Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar but, sources said, he too would go by the advice of Army chief Gen Dalbir Singh Suhag and other stake holders.
Union Minister for Housing and Urban Development Venkaiah Naidu has to take call on increasing number of one smart city given to Jammu and Kashmir to two but, according to sources, this is the easiest of the CBMs, which the Centre can take just like the case of Central Universities and All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS). Initially, only one CU and AIIMS were given to the State but following agitation in Jammu, their number was raised to two.
Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh and Finance Minister Arun Jaitley have to take call on economic package for the people of the State including that for September 2014 flood victims.
Few Days back, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley had announced in Parliament that the Centre will speedily implement all the projects announced as part of special package to Jammu and Kashmir.
“Prime Minister has announced special package for J&K. We want that the three regions of the J&K are developed very fast,” Jaitley had said in reply to debate on budget in the Lok Sabha on Monday.
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