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Udham Singh Nagar panel report to be delivered before time, says Fernandes

Defence Minister George Fernandes, who heads a three-member panel on solving the Udham Singh Nagar district issue, today said the decision of the panel would be binding on the chief ministers of both Punjab and Uttar Pradesh, who are its other members.

Addressing the media after visiting the Golden Temple in Amritsar, he said, ''When the committee was formed by the prime minister, it had been agreed to go by the final decision of the committee.''

Scotching rumours that the committee formation was a delaying exercise on the part of the government, the minister said he was hopeful of submitting the final report ''much before November 30'', the deadline set by the prime minister.

To a question, he said the Udham Singh Nagar issue had already been discussed informally a number of times with all those concerned. ''All those who want to make a representation on the problem are welcome to do so before the members of the panel,'' he added.

Fernandes said a final decision would be arrived at only after going through the representations received.

The minister said he had received inputs both from the Punjab government, which is opposed to the inclusion of Udham Singh Nagar district in the proposed Uttaranchal state and the Uttar Pradesh government which favoured it.

To another question, the Samata Party chief said the Union Cabinet would decide whether to recommend again the imposition of Article 356 in Bihar. ''But before it goes to the Cabinet, the co-ordination committee of the governing coalition will discuss the issue,'' he added.

The defence minister, who had turned up as part of a two-day visit to the border areas of Punjab, said the problems being faced by the farmers in villages bordering Pakistan would be looked into by his ministry.

On the question of relocating the barbed wire fence in certain areas along the border, Fernandes said it was a military problem and would be taken up accordingly.

The defence minister also made an aerial survey of the border belt in Gurdaspur district on Tuesday. He said army commanders had brought to his notice that Pakistan was constructing embankments along the border to flood the Ravi river on the Indian side.

''This has been causing problems both for those who are manning the border as well as the farmers in the area and must be dealt with,'' he added, but did not elaborate.

Fernandes described next month's military exercise on the Rajasthan border as 'normal and routine'. It is held after every two years and there was no need for Pakistan to panic, he said.

''On September 30, Pakistan was informed even though we were not required to do so, as the exercise is being held 150 km from the border... According to rules, if such an activity is conducted within 50 km of the border only then should the other side be informed,'' he said.

The defence minister said certain western powers wanted to project the Indian sub-continent as an area ''where tensions exist''.

''The western nations want to convey the message that nuclear weapons are not safe in our hands,'' he said.

Referring to the just-concluded secretary-level talks between India and Pakistan, he said the question is of moving forward step by step and this is precisely what the two countries were doing. Regarding the recent incidents of firing on Indian positions by Pakistan along the Line of Actual Control in Jammu and Kashmir, the minister said. ''This has been going on for the last 10 years or so.''

Fernandes said there is improvement in the situation in Kashmir. Tourists are flocking to the valley; even films are being shot there.

However, in Doda and parts of the Jammu region there had been incidents of violence and efforts are being made to check these, he added.

Asked about the hacking of an Indian Web site by Pakistanis, the defence minister said it wasn't a serious issue. Even in the United States army Web sites are being hacked into, he said.

UNI

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