Group to look into devolution of powers in J

Srinagar, May 25 (UNI) Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today said one of the five working groups set up to look into all issues affecting Jammu and Kashmir will deliberate on effective devolution of powers to meet aspirations of different regions and the state's special status within the Indian Union.

The second round-table conference endorsed the constitution of five working groups to look into all issues affecting Jammu and Kashmir in all their aspects and hoped that these would work towards finding common ground and evolving a consensus on specific issues through a time-bound and result-oriented approach.

The fifth working group would work towards strengthening relations between the state and the Centre.

''The group will deliberate on effective devolution of powers to meet regional, sub-regional and ethnic aspirations. The groups may co-opt experts if they so desire. The state government will extend logistic support,'' the Prime Minister said in his closing remarks at the end of the second round-table conference here.

He said the group would also deliberate on matters relating to the special status of the state within the Indian Union besides methods of strengthening democracy, secularism and the rule of law in the state.

At the news conference, the Prime Minister said the group would look into the issues relating to various entities, their meaning, content, feasibility and practicality.

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