US Nagar issue alive: CM
From Sarbjit Singh
Tribune News Service

NEW DELHI, Nov 25 — The Punjab Chief Minister, Mr Parkash Singh Badal, said here today that the issue of Udham Singh Nagar had not been put in the cold storage and reports to the contrary were "false and baseless".

"I will meet Mr George Fernandes, Union Defence Minister, who is chairman of the committee formed to resolve the Udham Singh Nagar dispute, tomorrow," said Mr Badal. It may be mentioned that the Prime Minister, Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee, had constituted a three-member committee under the chairmanship of Mr Fernandes a few months ago to decide whether Udham Singh Nagar should be included in the proposed state of Uttaranchal or retained in Uttar Pradesh. Other members of the committee are Mr Badal and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Kalyan Singh.

Mr Badal said the committee could not hold a formal meeting so far due to the election in Punjab, Delhi and elsewhere. He said he would meet Mr Fernandes tomorrow informally.

When asked whether the committee would be able to submit its report by November 30, the due date fixed by the Prime Minister, Mr Badal said: "Let us see". He said he had not been told that the date for submitting the report would be extended. But since no meeting of the committee had been held so far, it would be impossible for it to submit the report by November 30.

While Mr Badal is for retaining Udham Singh Nagar in Uttar Pradesh, the UP Chief Minister, Mr Kalyan Singh, wants it to be included in Uttaranchal. The SAD and other political parties, including the Congress are for retaining this district in Uttar Pradesh.

The committee was to enlist the opinion of people living in Udham Singh Nagar district to decide whether the district should be kept in UP or included in Uttaranchal.

Mr Badal said he was happy to see that people had turned out in large numbers at the public meeting addressed by the Prime Minister at Phulokhari in Bathinda district after he laid the foundation stone of an oil refinery. He said even the Prime Minister's office had mentioned this fact to him. "The turnout at the ceremony to lay the foundation stone of Khalsa Heritage Complex on December 22 was beyond my expectations", he said.

Mr Badal will also meet Mr Vajpayee tomorrow and take up various issues pertaining to Punjab. He is expected to discuss the clearance of the Goindwal thermal plant with the Prime Minister. The project has been cleared by almost all departments concerned except the environmental authorities. Mr Badal will seek clearance from the Environment Ministry, it is learnt.

He is expected to discuss political developments in the country. A post-election results strategy may also be discussed.