The Hindu : National : Package for J&K must be put to good use, says: Fernandes

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Nov 20, 2004

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National

Package for J&K must be put to good use, says: Fernandes

By Our Special Correspondent

GULBARGA, NOV. 19. The chairman of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and former Defence Minister, George Fernandes, said today that the Rs. 24,000-crore special economic package announced by the Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh, for Jammu and Kashmir depended on how the money was used.

Mr. Fernandes told presspersons that the problems in Kashmir were manifold. While cross-border terrorism and the training provided to terrorists in camps across the borders remained unresolved, the economic problems were more serious.

Infrastructure

Capital was flowing out from the State, investment was almost nil and employment generation was zero. Factories owned by the State Government were being shut down due to various reasons. Infrastructure development should be given more attention. However, law and order continued to be a major problem. Although Pakistan claimed it was not providing training to terrorists, cross-border terrorism had not abated.

Expressing reservations on the phased withdrawal of troops, Mr. Fernandes said Pakistan should also reciprocate. However, while the Pakistan President, Pervez Musharraf , spoke of the need to find a solution to the dispute through dialogue, the actions of the Pakistan Army did not conform to his stand.

In the present, volatile situation, Jammu and Kashmir required the presence of troops to maintain law and order and provide security to those involved in developmental activities.

Mr. Fernandes refused to comment on the unconditional offer made by Dr. Singh to separatist groups to solve the issue through dialogue. The prime issue was to find a lasting solution and to restore peace and order.

Winter session

Mr. Fernandes hinted that the winter session of Parliament, scheduled from December 1, would not be smooth for the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) Government. The NDA would pursue issues such as the presence of tainted Ministers in the Cabinet with renewed vigour.

When it was pointed out that repeated disruptions in the last session resulted in the Budget getting passed without discussion,he said when the NDA was in power, the defence proposals were passed without discussion for two successive years owing to the "boycott of the Defence Minister" by the Congress.

He said the UPA Government had not consulted the NDA or its constituents before announcing the special economic package for Jammu and Kashmir.

Mr. Fernandes said that talks with the Union Minister, Ram Vilas Paswan, for forging an alliance against the Rashtriya Janata Dal for the Bihar Assembly elections had hit a roadblock. After the preliminary discussions, nothing much had happened.

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