New Delhi: The Union Government on Wednesday said that there was no consensus yet on the issue of lifting the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) from some areas of Jammu and Kashmir.
Official sources while acknowledging that AFSPA had come into force only as a temporary measure to effectively deal with militancy in the border state, however, said it is still being debated whether the time is ripe to revoke the military law.
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah is pushing for scrapping the act for which there is a strong resistance from army which has voiced serious reservation. The Union Home Ministry has backed Omar but at the same time agreed with the view of the Congress, the junior partner in the ruling National Conference-led coalition in the state, that there should be more coordination and consultation on the issue.
The sources also said the government is confident that some way would be found to overcome the hurdle in the commissioning of the Koodankulam Nuclear power plant in Tamil Nadu. There is stiff opposition to the Indo-Russian joint venture from the locals over safety issues in the wake of the Fukushima nuclear crisis in Japan.
The sources, however, said there is no doubt that the apprehension of the locals over the safety of the nuclear plant should be allayed.
Prime Minister has already set up a panel of experts to address the safety concerns of the people.
Singh will come out right at the end, they said, asserting that there is no alternative to nuclear energy in the country.
PTI