Srinagar, Sep 12: An important meeting of heads of the northern states here later this month to focus on key issues of common interests will provide JK government an opportunity to raise bar over long pending disputes with the neighbouring states which continue to hurt its economy.
 The one-day meeting of the Northern Zonal Council consisting of JK, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana and Union Territory of Delhi, will be chaired by the Home Minister P Chidambaram, who is the chairman of the Council. The meeting is scheduled for September 27.
 Sources said the daylong deliberations will focus on issue of common interest like boosting of northern zone economy, trade and energy.
 Chief Secretary Madhav Lal told Greater Kashmir that JK will seek solution to the pending disputes with the neighbouring states in the meeting.
 The agenda for the event which was discussed by the Chief Secretaries of the states at a meeting in June this year is to be approved by the Interstate Council in the Ministry of Home Affairs which is organizing the conclave.
 “Though the main focus of the meeting scheduled for September 27 will be the issues of common interest, Jammu and Kashmir will take up interstate disputes with the neighbouring states and press for their early solution,” said a top state official.
 The state continues to face huge economic losses due to non-implementation of an agreement reached between the then Punjab Chief Minister Prakash Singh Badal and the then JK chief minister late Sheikh Muhammad Abdullah in 1979 over water and electricity sharing from Ranjit Sagar dam.
 The implementation of the agreement would have enabled extension of irrigation facility to 32,000 hectares in various areas of Jammu region besides the Punjab government had to provide 20 percent of electricity generated from the Ranjit Sagar hydro-electric project to the state.
 An official in the Power Development Department said the state is incurring a recurring loss of over Rs 1,000 crore annually due to non-implementation of the agreement.
 “It is an opportunity for the state to take up the implementation of the agreement with Punjab,” another top official said.
 Besides, JK can raise with the states concerned return of its properties including Kashmir House currently under the possession of the defence authorities at New Delhi and different properties under illegal occupation in Chandigarh and Amritsar.
 The meeting is taking place after five years. Chief Ministers of the constituent states will be accompanied by top bureaucrats.

Lastupdate on : Mon, 12 Sep 2011 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Mon, 12 Sep 2011 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Tue, 13 Sep 2011 00:00:00 IST