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Crucial talks between Centre
and J&K likely on Thursday

Talks between the Union government's interlocutor Arun Jaitley and the representative of the Jammu and Kashmir government Ghulam Mohideen Shah are likely to begin in New Delhi on Thursday to discuss the issue of greater devolution of powers to the state.

Senior home ministry officials would assist Jaitley in the talks.

While the Centre has maintained that the talks would discuss only devolution of powers to the state, the J&K government believes that autonomy would be the focus of the discussions.

The J&K assembly had passed a unanimous resolution demanding greater autonomy to the state. The Union Cabinet on July 4, 2000, however, rejected the demand.

After lobbying for nearly two years, the state government has now finally managed to make the Centre agree on at least holding discussions on the issue.

PTI

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