Interlocutors report to be made public

Home Minister P Chidambaram on Tuesday said the government will make public the report of interlocutors on Jammu and Kashmir after the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) is fully briefed about it.

Chidambram said the CCS had a short meeting after the report was submitted, but thecommittee desired “a fuller meeting”.

The minister, who addressed the media about his ministry's work in January, said the Prime Minister's Office will decide on the date of the CCS meeting.

“The moment CCS is briefed, the report will be made public,” Chidambaram said answering queries. The three-member interlocutor’s team had submitted its report to Chidambaram in October last year.

Farooq to debate Interlocutors report in Parliament

Union Minister for New and Renewable Energy Dr Farooq Abdullah today said that the report of K-panel, which was to be presented before the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS), should be first deliberated in the Parliament before moving ahead about its implementation.

Talking to media at Sher-e-Kashmir Bhawan, party headquarter in the winter capital, National Conference (NC) president said, “Finally, it (report) has been part of the people. The report has to be discussed in the Parliament. It should be discussed threadbare so that we know exactly what is their view-how we go about it and work on that." Replying to related queries, Farooq said, “That report is lying with the Union Home Ministry. I think Home Minister was to discuss the report in Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS). I do not know what has happened, whether it has been discussed or not. I am not the member of CCS so I have no idea about it. But I will ask my colleague Chidambaram about it."

He was referring to the statement of Union Home Minister made earlier this month. Union Home Minister had said that the report was likely to be taken up by the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) in its meeting in few days.

The interlocutors Dileep Padgaonkar, M M Ansari and Radha Kumar had submitted their report on October 12 after visiting the state and taking all shades of opinion. The report suggests a number of administrative and confidence building measures and the Centre has asked the Jammu and Kashmir government to look into them and implement as many as possible.

Farooq refused to entertain queries pertaining to incorporation of 73rd constitutional amendment in J&K Panchayati Raj Act, saying, “I’ll not comment on that.”

He, however, said, “We’ll empower Panchs, Sarpanchs, the process is on.”  Regarding demarcation of powers of legislators, he stated that this was the prerogative of Speaker of Legislative Assembly to decide as which powers should be given to legislators.

Interlocutors report on Kashmir to be made public in January

Union Home Minister P Chidambaram today said the government is open to dialogue with separatists in Jammu and Kashmir and once the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) is thoroughly briefed on the report of the J&K interlocutors, it will be made public and that is most probably in early January.

"The CCS has been briefed on the report only once. Once it has been briefed thoroughly, the report would be made public. We are open to dialogue with separatists. If they are ready for talks, so are we. The channels of talks are still open, " Mr Chidambaram told at a news conference called to present a monthly report of his Ministry.

The interlocutors submitted their report to Mr Chidambaram in October this year.The report was called for review of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) and gradual withdrawal of Disturbed Areas Act from certain parts of the Kashmir valley.The report, however, stayed away from the contentious issues of ‘azadi’ and autonomy, saying the clock cannot be turned back in the Valley.The panel comprised senior journalist Dileep Padgaonkar, academician Radha Kumar and Information Commissioner M M Ansari.The trio were appointed on October 13 last year, when the Kashmir situation had turned grim following street protests and the killing of more than 100 youths.