SAINJ, KULLU, DECEMBER 12: Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee today said the government was trying to evolve a political consensus on signing the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT). ``Talks are already on with the Opposition and we are consulting them on the issue,'' the Prime Minister said.On his first visit to Himachal Pradesh after elections where he laid the foundation stone for the 800-MW Stage II of the National Hydroelectric Power Corporation's Parbati hydel power project, the PM, however, said: ``There is no deadline for arriving at a consensus on CTBT.'' ``Political matters will have to be delinked from economic issues, especially those that relate to development,'' the PM stated. He also said that for matters pending in courts, the law would take its course and the Opposition parties realised this.He was responding to a question on how he expected a consensus on economic issues and support from the Opposition parties when his party, soon after getting the Insurance Bill passed inParliament with Congress support, was raising the issue of barring persons of foreign origin from holding high offices. Replying to a question on whether India was willing to initiate a dialogue with Pakistan, Vajpayee said that this would not be unless an atmosphere of mutual trust between the two countries was restored. ``When Kargil was attacked, the mutual trust between the two countries, developed through the Lahore process, also suffered a hard blow,'' Vajpayee said.When asked if he blamed General Pervez Musharraf for the Kargil misadventure, Vajpayee replied tongue-in-cheek: ``I blame Pakistan, and Gen Musharraf was the Army Chief of Pakistan at the time.'' On the question of setting up a panel for the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, Vajpayee said that the government was awaiting the Congress party's response before any final decision is taken in this regard.Vajpayee also ruled out plans to carve out any more new States apart from the already existing plan to formalise the creation of Vananchal,Uttaranchal and Chhattisgarh.Earlier, Vajpayee took great pains to arrive at Sainj Valley making a special 80 km round trip from Kullu through tortuous hilly roads with his 30-car convoy, after the local authorities advised against the PM's movement to the valley by helicopter. The PM announced a Rs 400 crore financial package for Himachal, with a Rs 200 crore grant for minimum basic services and Rs 100 crore as additional plan assistance from the Centre.
