Interlocutors to submit interim report to govt ‘barring’ separatists

Jammu: A three-member delegation of government- appointed interlocutors, led by veteran and senior journalist Dilip Padgaonkar, today hinted at submitting an interim report prepared on Jammu and Kashmir to the Central Government ‘debarring’ separatists.
”Though the efforts are on to bring separatists on the table for dialogue but if still, the exercise remains futile, the interim report has to be submitted to the Government of India ‘excluding’ them,” Mr Padgaonkar told press conference after concluding his four-day visit to the state including mountainous Doda, Kishtwar and Bhaderwah belts.
Mr Padgaonkar along with academician Radha Kumar and former Information Commissioner M M Ansari were appointed by the Centre to assess the situation in the state on ground to resolve Kashmir issue.
Mr Padgaonkar said, ”We have met sections of society during our visits and got to know about facts and figures on J&K situation but at the behest of one section, the report prepared so far, cannot be delayed and has to be submitted with the authorities concerned.” He said, ”We interacted with more than 50 delegations from all parts of the erstwhile Doda district and the issues they discussed with us included social and economic backwardness of the inhabitants due to the fact that the vast region’s enormous natural wealth has yet to be completely tapped.” The population, however, stressed the need for effective, constitutionally guaranteed devolution of political, financial and administrative powers to all the three regions of the state and a further devolution at all levels, he added.
The interlocutors said in the coming day’s inter-regional roundtable conferences would also be conducted in all the three regions.