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  • Kashmir interlocutors to begin third visit from today

    Published on December 17, 2010

    The three interlocutors, appointed to initiate dialogue on Jammu and Kashmir, will begin their third visit to the state from Friday after which they are likely to submit the “broad contours” for a political settlement to the decades-old issue.

    During its seven-day visit, the group will go to several district headquarters like Jammu, Rajauri, Poonch, Doda and Srinagar and will interact with people cutting across party line and organisations and take their view on a lasting solution to the Kashmir issue.

    When the interlocutors will submit the “broad contours” for a solution to the Kashmir issue, it will be deliberated by the Cabinet Committee on Security before giving the nod for initiating the process.

    The group, comprising eminent journalist Dileep Padgaonkar, academician Radha Kumar and former Central Information Commissioner M M Ansari was appointed on 13th October.

    Union Home Minister P Chidambaram has already said that the contours of a political solution to the Kashmir problem were expected to emerge in the next few months.

    Chidambaram has said the first and second reports of the group of interlocutors for Jammu and Kashmir dealt with confidence-building measures.

    Under their suggestions, demilitarisation steps have been taken, 66 youths have been released while 22 cases of Public Safety Act have been withdrawn, sources said.

    The Centre has sent “some” of its recommendations to the state for necessary action.

    “Action has been initiated on the recommendations. Some recommendations have been sent to the state government for necessary action. Some are under implementation,” a source said.

    In its reports, the group had recommended expediting cases of undertrials, permitting peaceful protests, releasing militants and protestors against whom there are no serious charges among others.

    The group also recommended training of security forces, identifying jobs for young men and women in central and state government offices, announcing scholarships for Kashmiri students, enhancing monetary assistance to widows and orphans, efforts to trace missing persons and increasing monthly allowances to Kashmiri Pandits, the ministry said.

    The report submitted to the government by the group of interlocutors was based on their visits to the state from 23rd October from 28th October and 9th November to 14th November.

    During earlier visits, the interlocutors went to Uri, Baramullah, Anantnag, Ganderbal, Bandipora, Leh and Kargil districts and met political and community leaders, minority representatives including several groups of Kashmiri Pandits as well as refugees from PoK, it said.

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