PM for good relations with Pakistan

New Delhi, Mar 27 (PTI) India wants good relations with
Pakistan and an environment of mutual confidence and
friendship will be beneficial for northern state Jammu and
Kashmir, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said here Thursday.

The Prime Minister conveyed this assessment to J and K
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah during their 30-minute meeting,
the first after the National Conference leader took over the
reins of the government in January this year.

The two leaders discussed in detail the development
issues in the border state during which they touched upon
the dialogue process between India and Pakistan, an official
spokesman said here.

Omar supported the Prime Minister's stand that India and
Pakistan should have good neighbourly relations and said he
favoured resumption of their bilateral dialogue at the
earliest, the spokesman said.

The Prime Minister observed that the state would
progress in an environment of friendship between India and
Pakistan, the spokesman said in a release.

Omar briefed the Prime Minister about the law and order
situation in the state and said his government was satisfied
with the action taken by the Army against its own personnel in
the Bomai incident.

The Chief Minister assured Singh that the security
forces were committed in ensuring his commitment of zero
tolerance on human rights violations.

During the meeting, the Prime Minister has expressed his
desire to make Jammu and Kashmir a model state of the country
and said after the Lok Sabha elections, a comprehensive plan
for accelerated development of the state would be formulated.

Dwelling at length on the issue of development plans for
Jammu and Kashmir, the Prime Minister called for prioritizing
health and education sectors.

Omar briefed the Prime Minister about vital development
issues and requested him to consider the Rs 6,500-crore draft
annual plan proposed for the year 2009-10 by the state
government.

He also discussed the issue of extension of Prime
Minister's Reconstruction Plan (PMRP) till the end of Eleventh
Plan in 2011-12.

Regarding the Mughal Road Project, which also falls
under PMRP, the Chief Minister told the Prime Minister that
the revised project estimate of Rs 634.85 crore, raised from
Rs 255 crore, needs to be funded by the Central government on
a 100 per cent basis.

At present, the project is shared on a 50:50 basis
between the Centre and the state government. PTI SKL