PMO asks J&K working groups to submit report

SRINAGAR: After express directions by the Prime Minister’s Office to all the five working groups that they should wrap up their recommendations and submit their reports, the WG-V — the most important group studying the Centre-state relations — will have its last meeting on February 20. Though initially it was supposed to be a 3-day exercise, it was later reduced to a day-long event, reportedly after Congress’ objections.

Informed sources told ET that the Prime Minister is keen to have a third roundtable conference and has asked chairmen of all the five groups to wrap up and make recommendations to the roundtable.

The working groups were constituted by Manmohan Singh at the conclusion of the second roundtable at Srinagar on May 25 last and were tasked to interact with the political parties and make recommendations on various spheres of J&K.

Of all the five WGs, the WG-V is considered most important given its mandate to deliberate on matters relating to the special status of J&K within the Indian Union.

Though all the mainstream political parties are its members, the NC — states main political party — has walked out of the WG set-up in protest against coalition government’s failure in implementing prime minister’s statement on ensuring zero tolerance against violations of human rights.

It has not attended any of its meetings and is unlikely to attend the last meeting as well. This WG was the last one to be constituted for the government failed to rope in anybody till Justice (retd) Sagir Ahmad was discovered. Sources said the WG was expected to have a three day meeting but it was later rescheduled for one day after Congress said there is nothing much to talk about.

Almost all the political parties have expressed their vision of the new centre state relations. While NC’s position of greater autonomy is well known, PDP has come with the self rule idea. BJP’s position of integrating the state by scrapping Article 370 is also known and has been stated by its top leader Arun Jaitely in the WG already.