Chidambaram reviews security situation in J&K

The overall situation in Jammu and Kashmir came for a high-level review during a meeting in winter capital Jammu chaired by the Union Home Minister P Chidambaram on Tuesday.

Chidambaram arrived in Jammu on a day's visit for an on the spot review of the situation in the state.

Immediately after his arrival he visited the holy shrine of Mata Vaishno Devi to pay obeisance at the shrine. Thousands of pilgrims visit the shrine from all over the country every day.

After his return the home minister took a high-level meeting which was attended by the state Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, deputy chief minister, Tara Chand, minister of state for home, Nasir Aslam Wani, chief secretary, Madhav Lal, director general of police, Kuldeep Khoda, senior civil, police, paramilitary and intelligence officers.

Sources in Srinagar said that during the meeting, Chidambaram said that the final report submitted by the interlocutors will be made public after it is submitted to the cabinet committee on security.

The three-member team of interlocutors which included, prominent journalist Dilip Padgaonkar, former information commissioner, M M  Ansari and academician Radha Kumar submitted the report to Chidambaram in New Delhi last year. However, the report has not been made public so far.

The sources said that the chief minister reiterated his demand for withdrawal of the controversial Armed Forces Special Powers Act from the four districts of Srinagar and Budgam in Kashmir Valley and Jammu and Samba in Jammu region to begin with.

However, the sources said that home minister informed that the meeting that the home ministry is proposing three amendments to act 'to make it suitable to the changed circumstances'.

The state governor, N N Vohra also briefed Chidambaram about the overall situation in the state.