NEW DELHI: The government Jan 30 offered safe passage to Punjab militants for talks with the center at any place of their choice in the country.

The government was prepared to hold talks with the Punjab militants sometime in March within the framework of the Indian Constitution minister of state for home Subodh Kant Sahay told PTI.

Earlier talking to reporters onboard a special aircraft while on his way to Jammu Sahay said the deployment of the army in the border districts of Amritsar Gurdaspur and Ferozepur in the past few months has considerably checked the supply of arms into Punjab.

He said the army located about five kms behind the border security force is maintaining a strict vigil on those attempting to cross the border as well as on arms supply he said

The minister said the work on border fencing was going on in full swing and gaps were being filled the work on electrification of the fencing was also on he added.

He said till there was a political settlement to the Punjab problem the government felt that elections in the border state should not be held.

Asked about the Assam problem Sahay said even the united liberation front of Assam which was banned recently had sent feelers to the center for holding negotiations.

Sahay said the government was taking steps to revamp the police forces in disturbed states and weed out the corrupt elements.

Asked about the law and order situation in Kashmir Sahay said about 200 militants have surrendered to security forces in the past one month after receiving training from across the border.

Many of these militants have also been sent back to their families in the valley he said.

Asked about the Ayodhya dispute the minister hoped the Vishwa Hindu Parishad would join the negotiations along with the Babri Masjid action committee on February 5 to resolve the Babri Masjid issue.

If no solution is found through negotiations the government will go back to the court for a decision the minister added.

CHANDIGARH: Shiromani Akali Dal president Simranjit Singh Mann welcomed the government’s offer of ‘safe passage’ to militants for talks with the center and said it was a ‘positive development’.

Mann described as ‘positive’ statements of the two Panthic Committees endorsing the talks initiated by him (Mann) with Prime Minister Chander Shekhar on the Punjab problem.

Article extracted from this publication >> February 8, 1991