Jammu, Nov 27: Amid widening gulf between the ruling alliance partners – Congress and National Conference on one hand and speculations of much awaited cabinet expansion on the other, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah Saturday met United Progressive Alliance (UPA) chairperson Sonia Gandhi at New Delhi to discuss the ‘coalition functioning.’
Informed sources said that during over half an hour meeting, the two discussed threadbare the functioning of the coalition government in the state. “What transpired in the meeting cannot be said but it is understood that the growing difference within the coalition alliance was part of the discussion”, sources, preferring anonymity said.
They said that Congress leadership in the state had raised serious concern over the way National Conference was taking one decision after another without consulting PCC. “Since Congress leadership in the state was feeling pushed to the wall, following announcement of Rehabilitation Policy and decision on Panchayat elections, Omar is understood to have explained the situation to the Congress high command”, sources said.
PCC leadership, they said, was also exhorting pressure on its alliance partner to fill up the vacant berths in the cabinet, sources said.
If sources are to be believed Omar’s meeting with Sonia today has further strengthened the belief within Congress camp that NC was not in favour of much awaited cabinet expansion. At least three berths (excluding R&B ministry which fell vacant due to the ouster of Congress’s GM Saroori) were lying vacant and it was being expected that the chief minister may go ahead with the expansion next month, a Congress minister said adding that the meeting has however laid those speculations to rest as Omar is expected to have taken up the matter with Sonia Gandhi seeking some more time before the expansion.
An official spokesman said that Omar Abdullah and Sonia Gandhi discussed various matters relating to the general situation and development of Jammu and Kashmir.
In the meeting which lasted for over half an hour, Omar briefed the UPA Chairperson about the progress of restoration of public service infrastructure and rehabilitation of the affected families in flash-floods and torrential rains in Leh, the spokesman said.
He said that rehabilitation of affected families and their shifting to the newly constructed two-room tenements has been completed while the reclamation work of agriculture land washed away in the floods has started. He said the permanent restoration of public service infrastructure is on accelerated pace.
The Chief Minister also gave detailed resume of the functioning of the coalition government. He also briefed the UPA chairperson about the progress on various development programmes under implementation in the State in the Central and the State sectors.
Sonia Gandhi assured the Chief Minister of all Central help in the maintenance of permanent peace and speedy development of the State. She also assured full support of Congress for further strengthening of coalition and its tandem functioning in Jammu and Kashmir.

MEETING PUT ON HOLD
The much awaited coordination committee meeting of the coalition alliance, , which was likely to be held here on Sunday, was again put on hold due to some unknown reasons.
Sources, both in NC and Congress, said that the Committee was expected to meet on Sunday after more than four months. “However, the meeting has been cancelled”, sources in the Congress said adding that the unresolved differences within the alliance, over some issues, may be one of the reasons.
“Though PCC Chief Saif-ud-Din Soz is in the town the CM is yet to return from New Delhi”, they added.

Lastupdate on : Sat, 27 Nov 2010 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Sat, 27 Nov 2010 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Sun, 28 Nov 2010 00:00:00 IST