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J&K transfer of power on schedule: Azad

Last updated on: October 21, 2005 18:46 IST

A day after the ruling People's Democratic Party in Jammu and Kashmir asked for a clarification of Congress's stand on the transfer of power in the state, a new agency reported that J&K Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed is likely to resign on October 27 to let Union Urban Development Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad take over the reins of the state administration on November 2.

Senior Congress leaders in New Delhi, however, denied the agency news report on the transfer of power and on Azad's candidature.

But talking to PTI from Srinagar, Azad himself said that the "transfer of power stands." He maintained that there was no change in the agreement between the two parties (PDP and Congress) on the issue, but for the moment the concentration was on relief and rehabilitation of quake victims in the state.

Asked to react to state Finance Minister Muzaffar Hussain Baig's demand for clearing of uncertainty on the issue, Azad said: "I don't think Baig has said anything like that. Transfer of power stands. Let us keep politics away and concentrate on relief and rehabilitation of the victims of the killer earthquake."

Under the power-sharing agreement between the Congress and the PDP, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed is to step down on November 2, 2005 after completing three years in office to pave the way for Congress to take over the reins of the government.

Azad, who has been deputed by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to oversee relief and rehabilitation measures in Jammu and Kashmir, termed the relief and financial assistance provided by the Centre to the state as unprecedented.

"The quick response shown by the Union government and its sharing the state's miseries by declaring the quake in the state a national calamity has boosted the morale of the affected people," the Union minister said.

Baig had on Thursday said the uncertainty over transfer of power was affecting the administration's decision-making on policy matters, particularly when the entire focus should be on providing relief to quake victims.