NEW DELHI: The government Jan 30 decided to extend President’s role in Jammu and Kashmir for four months only, indicating thereby that elections might be held in the trouble tom state this summer.
An official spokesman said a decision to this effect was taken at a high level meeting chaired by the Prime Minister, Narasimha Rao. Among those present was the Kashmir Governor, Gen (red) KV Krishna Rao the Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, V.C. Shukla, the Minister of State for Law, HR Bhardwaj and Bhuvnesh Chaturvedi, Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office.
The Cabinet Secretary, Surendera Singh, the Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister AN Verma, the Home Secretary. K. Padmanbalsh, the Defence Secretary, K.A. Nammbiar and other senior officials were also present at the meeting which made an extensive review of the situation in the state.
The spokesman said the government would seek the extension of the President’s rule in the state beyond It’s current expiry date on March 2 during the Parliament session beginning on February 13. The extension of President’s rule beyond July 18, when its total period would have been five years would have necessitated an amendment to the Constitution.
The government has decided not to move a constitutional amendment, thereby giving it an option to hold elections in the trouble to state by mid-July.
Official sources said the improvement in the overall situation in the state was noted at the meeting and it was agreed that political process should be speeded up.
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