Ending the controversy over the rehabilitation policy for those willing to shun violence, J-K Governor Lt Gen (retd) S.K. Sinha today made it clear that the policy has the approval of the Centre. In his address to the joint session of the State Legislature here this morning, Sinha said that in 2003, 274 detainees, who were not involved in serious offences, were released from jails. ‘‘Now a new rehabilitation policy approved by the Centre is being implemented to provide incentives to those who want to lay down arms,” he added. Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed had said recently this policy was initiated by Deputy Prime Minister L.K. Advani and the fund to be spent would be borne by the Centre. This had created a controversy, with the BJP state unit saying the CM was telling a lie and Bhim Singh, chief of the JKNPP, PDP’s partner, raising doubts about it. Sinha said the governments of India and Pakistan were likely to discuss in the near future the reopening of the Srinagar-Muzaffarabad road, which would be the first far-reaching step towards ushering in an era of peace and prosperity in the state. He added that there was a tremendous response to the ‘‘healing touch’’ policy.
