PDP president Mehbooba Mufti yesterday had half an hour long meeting with BJP president Amit Shah in New Delhi and, for the first time, she brought the matter of ‘Agenda of Alliance’ on which she wanted assurance of forward movement before formation of Government in the State. Mehbooba’s one-to-one meeting with Amit Shah, the first between the two party presidents after the death of Mufti Mohammad Sayeed on January 7, which led to imposition of Governor’s Rule in the State.
The PDP president, who was in the national capital to attend budget session of Lok Sabha, met Amit Shah yesterday evening. The meeting lasted over half an hour but leaders of both the parties officially declined to comment on what kind of progress was made in the Government formation in the State.
“Mehbooba Mufti has made her entire stand clear to Amit Shah. Now it was up to the BJP to react. The PDP will keenly watch the further political developments including the BJP’s response to her demands,’’ sources said. “Despite being aware that it was an alliance between two diametrically opposite political parties, Mufti Sayeed entered into an understanding. It was not simply an alliance between the two political parties, but an alliance between the Government of India and Jammu and Kashmir for pushing the State on road to prosperity”, the PDP leaders was reported to have said.
The discussion was carried out over the issues, such as:-
1:- Failure of the coalition to implement various decisions, which were imperative to catalyse the development process in the State.
2:- Seeking categoric assurance from the Centre for forward movement on the ‘Agenda of Alliance’, which was sacred to both the parties.
3:- Return of at least two power projects to Jammu and Kashmir from the National Hydro-electric Power Corporation (NHPC)
4:- Two smart cities for the State—Jammu and Srinagar, which serve as rotational capital cities,
5:- Vacation of some land under occupation of the Army in the State.
6:- Economic package for people of the State including those affected by September, 2014 devastating floods.
Sources said Amit Shah only listened to Mehbooba Mufti’s points but gave no reaction. However, he promised to react to her demands shortly after consulting other top party leaders and representatives in the Government. The observers were of the view that the Government of India must understand that it was an opportunity to bring people of the State into national mainstream and show them the real face of India by going ahead with formation of the Government.
It could be assumed that the Centre can easily initiate the measures like grant of two Smart Cities and return of two power projects to the State from the NHPC as these decisions were well within the reach of Union Ministries for Housing and Urban Development and Power respectively.
Vacation of land under Army occupation is another sensitive issue, which has to be decided by Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar but, sources said, he too would go by the advice of Army chief Gen Dalbir Singh Suhag and other stake holders.
Union Minister for Housing and Urban Development Venkaiah Naidu has to take call on increasing number of one smart city given to Jammu and Kashmir to two but, according to sources, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh and Finance Minister Arun Jaitley have to take call on economic package for the people of the State including that for September 2014 flood victims. “Prime Minister has announced special package for J&K.
We want that the three regions of the J&K are developed very fast,” Jaitley had said in reply to debate on budget in the Lok Sabha on Monday.
