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(From left) AIMIM’s Asaduddin Owaisi, Congress’s Mallikarjun Kharge, JD(U)’s Sharad Yadav, CPI’s D Raja, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, CPM’s Sitaram Yechury and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar, after a meeting in New Delhi, Wednesday, of the all-party team that visited J&K.
From holding a plebiscite to decide the fate of Kashmiris to implementation of an autonomy resolution passed in 2000 by the J&K assembly, from discussions with separatists and Pakistan to fast-tracking delimitation of constituencies, from UT status for Leh to a permanent camp secretariat in Jammu.
These and other demands, made by political parties and organisations in memorandums during their meetings with the all-party delegation that visited Srinagar and Jammu on September 4-5, find mention in a Home Ministry ‘summary of issues raised’ for the follow-up meeting of the all-party delegation which was held Wednesday at Parliament House.
Delegations that met the all-party team flagged their concerns:
# Promises made by the state government have not been kept
# Implement the PDP-BJP agenda for alliance
# Hold elections to local bodies, allow West Pakistan refugees to participate
# Form SC/ST and minority commissions in the state
# Minority community leaders should be nominated as MLCs, Rajya Sabha MPs
# Package for Muslims — since many were killed in the 1990s — on the lines of the one for Kashmir Pandits
# Review AFSPA, reduce footprint of military and paramilitary forces in civilian areas
# Engage the media and regulate state government advertisements
# Check radicalisation in madrasas and mosques
# Investigate funding of Kashmir unrest, newly-built mosques
# Crack down on drug smuggling
# End infiltration from Pakistan, cross-border terrorism
# Grant protection and benefits to minorities in the state
# ST status for Paharis, minority status for Sikhs
# Implement relief and rehabilitation package for Kashmiri migrants
# Complete registration of migrants in various camps
# Investment by the Shrine Board in Jammu
# Government jobs for ex-servicemen of J&K
# Centre should resolve appointment of guides or scouts
# Corruption a major issue since public servants are not investigated
# Increase quality of education, open more higher secondary schools
# Youth exchange programmes between J&K and other states
# Take steps for industrialisation to increase private sector employment
The all-party delegation was also told that the relief for 2014 floods had not been distributed properly since some received Rs 3,000, others Rs 5 lakh and still others no money at all.
Stating that recommendations of the all-party delegation that visited the state in 2010 had still not been implemented, some of those who met the delegation urged for a review of implementation of the recommendations of the five working groups constituted by the state government, and for an all-party delegation visit to the Ladakh region.
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