Beig hints at breakthrough in land transfer row

“I suggested the state Government be entrusted with arrangements for the Amarnath Yatra and the land transfer order be withdrawn,” Beig said at a hurriedly called press conference in Srinagar on Thursday.

“The Chief Minister too is willing to go ahead if the Governor agrees on the formula,” said the Deputy Chief Minister. “He also has no objection in withdrawing the order.”

Beig said he hoped that the order of the forest land transfer to the SASB would be withdrawn in a day or two. “But our deadline for withdrawing the support to the coalition Government remains in case the order is not rescinded by June 30,” the PDP leader said.

Earlier in the day, National Conference president Omar Abdullah too met the Governor and said that present crisis could be resolved only if the SASB revoked its claim on the transferred land.

“We put forth a proposal to the Governor suggesting that if the shrine board revokes its claim on the land, the concerns of the people in both Jammu and the Valley will be addressed and the present crisis in the Valley will die down. We hope the Governor will do so on humanitarian grounds. This could be the only possible solution of the issue,” Omar said.

With a new Governor in place, people in Jammu and Kashmir are looking forward to a gesture from Raj Bhawan for an end to the crisis.

Meanwhile, the Centre on Thursday took stock of the situation in Kashmir and said some anti-national and secessionist elements were instigating the people to come out on the streets and create a law and order problem, sources said. The Centre is also keeping a close watch on the events and is in regular touch with the state Government.

(With ENS Delhi)