Dineshwar Sharma, Centre’s J&K interlocutor, to visit Valley on Monday
NEW DELHI: The Centre’s representative for Jammu and Kashmir, Dineshwar Sharma, will land in Srinagar on Monday for a six-day visit, sources told HT.
“He will stay in Srinagar for four days and will leave for Jammu after that to meet various groups and individuals for the next two days,” said an official source. Sharma will visit Leh in the next leg of his tour, dates for which have not been announced yet.
The interlocutor is likely to start his itinerary by meeting students and youth delegations.
“Understanding their aspirations and expectations from the government is an extremely important part of the dialogue process,” said Sharma, who has already met a few delegations in New Delhi. “So far, more than two dozen groups, political leaders and individuals have expressed their desire to meet Sharma,” added the source.
He is likely to be accompanied by Union home ministry officials dealing with the state.
The government appointed Sharma as the Centre’s representative on October 24 to ‘initiate and carry forward a dialogue with elected representatives, various organisations and concerned citizens of Jammu and Kashmir’. His appointment was announced by home minister Rajnath Singh in a specially convened press conference.
The government has allotted office space for Sharma in the NDCC building opposite Jantar Mantar in New Delhi. Sources said it was yet to be decided if he would have an office in Srinagar too. Following his appointment, Sharma was briefed by the ministry’s joint secretary (J&K) Gyanesh Kumar about Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s package for the state and other issues. Security agencies also gave him a detailed presentation about the current situation in the Valley. Immediately after his appointment, Sharma had called on the PM and the home minister. Besides, he also held meetings with J&K CM Mehbooba Mufti and governor NN Vohra.