Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, June 27: Provincial President Devender Singh Rana on Thursday said that Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh has assured continued support of the UPA-2 to the initiatives taken by Omar Abdullah led Government for equitable development of all the three regions of the State.
Referring to the meeting of National Conference delegation with the Prime Minister in Srinagar on Tuesday, Mr Rana said that Dr Manmohan Singh gave patient hearing to the issues taken up by the delegation.
“The meeting with the Prime Minister was very positive and we expect a favourable response from the Centre in this regard”, the Provincial President said, adding that the Centre was seized of the issues like special package for the earthquake victims of Doda, Kishtwar and Ramban area, which has been already recommended by the State Government.
The National Conference delegation has vociferously taken up issues concerning to different segments of population. Besides seeking revision in the package for PoK refugees of 1947, 1965 and 1971, special package for the rehabilitation and resettlement of the people living between the IB/LoC and the defence fence in Kathua, Rajouri, Poonch, packages for earth quake victims of Doda, Kishtwar and Ramban, Kashmiri migrants, unemployed youth, the delegation stressed the need for giving fillip to trade and the movement across the LoC, opening of more routes, special recruitment drives for the youth and grant of Scheduled Tribe status to Paharis without affecting Gujjar community.
Mr Rana said that the delegation requested the Prime Minister for initiation of measures to strengthen trade across the LoC and replace barter trade with the financial transaction to make it more transparent, healthier and aggressive, as also to make the movement of the people across the LoC less cumbersome. The delegation also sought opening of more routes including Jammu-Silakote, Nowshera-Changar and Sagra -Tatapani Mendla.
National Conference has urged the Prime Minister to consider favourably enhancement of package of Kashmiri migrants, already recommended by the State Government. The party also sought a special package for relief and rehabilitation of tremor victims in the areas affected by the earthquake in J&K.