Visits Pulwama, meets over 12 delegations
Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU/Srinagar, Nov 26: Centre Government’s Special Representative on Jammu and Kashmir, Dineshwar Sharma today had a rare meeting with Director State Vigilance Organization (SVO) SJM Gilani, who till few months back was posted as Kashmir Police chief. Significantly, Sharma’s meeting with Gilani came after large number of delegations which met him during his first as well as second visit to the State complained about corruption in some of the Departments due to which common man was suffering.
The Interlocutor also dropped-in to the residence of State Government’s official spokesman and Works Minister Naeem Akhter at Gandhi Nagar, where he had half an hour long meeting with him, sources told the Excelsior.
They said Dineshwar Sharma was reported to have discussed the Confidence Building Measures already initiated by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs and the State Government and more CBMs that could be taken to restore peace and normalcy in the Kashmir valley and improve developmental scenario of entire State, with Akhter.
After his meeting with Naeem Akhter, Sharma drove to Airport.
On third day of his six-day visit to Jammu and Kashmir, Dineshwar received only a couple of delegations from Gujjar and Bakerwal community and had nearly half an hour long one-to-one meeting with Gilani before leaving for South Kashmir’s district of Pulwama. He will be in the Valley till November 29.
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Sources told the Excelsior that Dineshwar Sharma met the State Vigilance Organization Director for nearly half an hour, reportedly to take his view point on various aspects including anti-corruption measures taken by his Organization and situation in the Valley as he had a long tenure as the Kashmir Police chief till few months back when he was replaced by Munir Khan.
Worthwhile to mention here that a number of delegations, which had met Dineshwar Sharma during his first and ongoing second visit to the State, had complained of corruption in number of Departments but regretted that the State Government hasn’t initiated any measures to check the menace.
Some of the Organizations had gone to the extent of leveling serious allegations of corruption against some of the Ministers and officers.
Prior to his meeting with the Director Vigilance, Dineshwar Sharma also met a delegation of Gujjar and Bakerwals and listened to their problems. He assured them that their issues would be taken up with the concerned quarters at Centre and State.
Yesterday, Dineshwar Sharma had met 33 delegations here, which were drawn from cross-sections of society including West Pakistan and PoK refugees, border dwellers, Kashmiri Pandits, Muslim, Christian and Sikh communities and various other organizations.
As reported today, after being briefed by couple of organizations on continuing First Information Reports (FIRs) against 2008 Shri Amarnath Ji land row agitation, the Centre Government’s Special Representative had immediately sought all details of the FIRs from civil and police administration.
The Jammu-based organization had demanded withdrawal of the FIRs like amnesty given to first-time stone pelters of Kashmir.
Meanwhile, amid unprecedented security cover, Sharma today visited militancy infested Pulwama district of South Kashmir and called on over a dozen delegations, most of them apolitical.
Deputy Commissioner (DC) Pulwama, GM Dar, told Excelsior that Sharma arrived in the district headquarters at around 2.30 pm today and stayed at Government Guest House. “We received the Interlocutor and had made all the required arrangements,” he said. The Deputy Commissioner said that nearly 14 delegations met Sharma.
Sources said the delegations that called on Centre’s Special Representative included Auqaf Committee Litter, Unemployed Youth Association, Gujjar Bakerwal Youths, Saffron Association Pampore, Handi-crafts Association Pulwama, Kakapora Development Society, Horticulture Employees and Civil Society Pulwama. The delegations raised various issues people are facing in the area.
Sources further said that a delegation of People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and Congress also called on Sharma but National Conference stayed away. They said that few local political activists also called on the Special Representative. The Deputy Commissioner Pulwama said Sharma left the town by 5.30 pm. “He said he will visit Pulwama again,” the DC added.
Sharma did not speak to media during his Pulwama visit and media was also kept at distance from the meeting venue. A thick layer of security was in place across the Pulwama town to prevent any militant violence or law and order deterioration. However, Sharma concluded his first visit to Pulwama, which has emerged as epicentre of new age militancy in recent years, peacefully.
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