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Onkar Singh in New Delhi
The search for a new governor for the state of Jammu and Kashmir has begun in earnest, a top ministry of home affairs source told rediff.com on Thursday.
The new governor is expected to take up the charge soon after the state assembly election in September-October, he said.
"In fact the search for a new governor had begun almost six months back and several names had been mentioned in this respect. But (Chief Minister) Farooq Abdullah shot down most of the names on one pretext or the other," he said.
One of the names discussed was of an eminent lawyer of the Supreme Court who held the post of law and justice minister, he said. "But after a brief discussion his name was dropped because the home ministry felt that he was too independent," he added.
The Deputy Prime Minister Lal Kishenchand Advani is in favour of sending the former director general of Punjab police K P S Gill to the valley, as he has the experience of combating insurgency in Punjab, he said. "His appointment would also send right signals to terrorists that they either fall in line or face the consequences."
The name of Julio Ribeiro, K P S Gill's predecessor, was also considered, he said.
Yet another proposal is to move Ved Marwah from Manipur to Jammu and Kashmir and send K P S Gill to the Northeast.
The former Indian Police Service officer earned kudos for his handling of the students' protest in the state against the Centre's apparent commitment to create a greater Nagaland during their peace talks with the NSCN-IM.
"As Marwah is non-controversial and a man of impeccable integrity with vast administrative experience, Abdullah should have no problems in having him as the governor of Jammu and Kashmir," the source contended.
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