Delhi: 3rd Kashmir Round Table Conf on Apr 24

Jammu, Apr 13: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad today announced that the third Round Table Conference on Kashmir would be held in News Delhi on April 24.

While addressing a convention of Lamberdars and Chowkidars, here today, Mr Azad said the decision in this regard was taken in a meeting with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in Union Capital yesterday.

The Chief Minister said that the working groups constituted by the prime minister of india after second roundtable conference in Kashmir have forwarded their recommendations, which necessitated holding of third conference.

''In a recent meeting, I had requested Dr Manmohan Singh that the third roundtable conference should be convened so as to discuss the issues deliberated upon by the working groups,'' he said.

The Chief Minister said the union government has decided to convene third roundtable on April 24 in New Delhi.'' Round table conferences and five working groups constituted therein are likely to go a long way in settling the issues pertaining to Jammu and Kashmir and its masses, he added.

Last two RTCs were held in April and May last year, were attended by all mainstream political parties but boycotted by both factions of Hurriyat Conference as well as majority of separatist leaders.

After the second RTC, held on May 25 last year in Srinagar, five Working groups on different subjects including good governance, strengthening of centre-state relations, strengthening relations across the Line of Control, Confidence Building Measures (CBMs) to improve condition of people affected by militancy and economic development of the state had set up.

Four Working Groups have completed their deliberations and submitted their reports, the Group of Centre-State relations was likely to hold one or two more sittings to finalise its report.

Reports of all five working groups are to be placed before the Prime Minister in third RTC, which is likely to be held again in the State like the previous Conferences.

The third Round Table Conference is expected to be held within a month s time. Dates and venue for the meeting will be finalised shortly by the Prime Minister and the Chief Minister.

In some recent rallies, Mr Azad had said RTCn had a representative character due to participation of maximum political parties and other organisations. He had also appealed Hurriyat Conference and separatists to join the Conference.

At the end of second RTC, the Prime Minister had expressed readiness to discuss both autonomy and self rule, the demands raised by National Conference and People s Democratic Party (PDP) respectively.

The Working Group on strengthening of Centre-state relations had in its agenda both autonomy and self rule.

UNI

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