Consensus eludes Udhamsingh meet

NEW DELHI, DEC 10: The first meeting of the three-member committee to go into the Udhamsingh Nagar issue today failed to arrive at any de...

NEW DELHI, DEC 10: The first meeting of the three-member committee to go into the Udhamsingh Nagar issue today failed to arrive at any decision on whether the district should be part of the proposed Uttaranchal State or not.

After a 90-minute discussion with chief ministers of Uttar Pradesh and Punjab — Kalyan Singh and Parkash Singh Badal — the committee convener George Fernandes said, “we exchanged views and have decided to meet again.”

The committee was set up by the prime minister in October to resolve the controversy as Akali Dal opposed inclusion of the district while BJP government in UP wanted it as part of Uttaranchal.

Asked if absence of a consensus in today’s meeting would prevent tabling the related Bill in Parliament during the current session, Fernandes parried the question saying “there is plenty of time as the House will sit till December 23 and the session may also be extended.”

To a question as to what was the outcome of today’s meeting, the defence minister said the two chiefministers put across their views on several representations made to them by various organisations and groups. Asked if there was any positive outcome, he said “we have decided to meet again. The talks will continue further,” but added that no date had been fixed for the next round of discussion. He, however, said that everybody wanted that the matter be resolved at the earliest.

Fernandes said the decisions taken at the meeting will be reported to the prime minister. He also said he had received the final set of documents from SGPC president G S Tohra on the issue. Both the chief ministers told newsmen separately that they did not have anything more to add to what Fernandes said.