I didn't expect Govt to fall: Vohra

Jammu and Kashmir Governor N N Vohra had not anticipated that the elected government would fall within13 days after his taking over as the governor of the state. The rapid pace of developments over the Amarnath land took him by surprise. Vohra, who is heading the state administration after the assembly was dissolved last week, says "I had not foreseen that the government will fall in 13 days of my taking over." He says he had to wait for two weeks after his appointment was made on June 11 by Rashtrapati Bhavan, because his predecessor left only on the morning of June 25th.

Vohra's reference was to the sequence of events which took at a rapid pace in Jammu and Kashmir over the land transfer to Shri Amarnath Shrine Board ( SASB) , resulting in revocation of the order, political storm caused by withdrawal of the support to the Ghulam Nabi Azad government, finally resulting in the fall of the government on July
7 and imposition of Governor's rule three days later.

"Our commitment is to hand over the reins of power to the elected government," he said and added that the current arrangement is a temporary phase".

Regarding the land transfer order, he said that the situation need to beseen in right perspective. "The facilities for pilgrims is the issue and that is being taken care of"

It is the range of misperceptions and misrepresentation of facts that the land was transferred to the shrine board and then taken away, which he believed were at the roots of the current trouble.

"Neither the land was in possession of the board, nor it had paid the money for the usage. It was there for the facilities of the pilgrims. The facilities are there. Neither the land was taken nor returned," he said.

It was clear in his June 29 statement that categorically stated:" In view of the State government's firm commitment that the requirements and interests of the Yatris ( pilgrims) will be fully ensured and protected, the SASB does not need to pursue its earlier request for forest land being diverted for creating the required temporary facilities for the Yatris by the Board and I have addressed the chief minister accordingly in this regard."