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Restore normalcy in Gujarat: Minorities panel

Onkar Singh in New Delhi

The National Commission for Minorities headed by Justice Mohammed Shamim has asked the Gujarat government to restore normalcy in the state quickly and take effective confidence building measures so that the minorities in the state feel secure.

Talking to mediapersons at the end of a three-hour meeting with the five-member team from Gujarat headed by the state chief secretary, G Subarao, Justice Shamim said that the Commission was satisfied with the presentation made by the team, but dissatisfied with the steps taken by the state government so far.

"We had summoned senior and responsible officers of the state to appear before the Commission on April 6. We discussed the problem thread bare and made a few suggestions to the state administration for implementing them," Justice Shamim said.

The Commission asked the state government to take confidence-building measures to assure the minority community that their lives and properties would be protected.

It also asked the administration to set up peace committees of religious leaders to talk to the people of both communities.

The Commission also directed the state government to start reconstruction of burnt houses, shops and religious places.

It also wanted the government to revoke the transfers of police officers, who were shunted out to different postings by the government by 'promoting' them.

"Those who had done yeoman's service should be brought back and those guilty of dereliction of duty should be punished," Shamim said.

He wanted the government to shift people living in camps to safer places.

The commission also directed the state government to raise the compensation from Rs 50,000 to Rs 100,000.

"This should be in addition to the compensation that would given from the Prime Minister's Relief Fund," he added.

The state chief secretary G Subarao and other officers who had come for the meeting refused to answer even a single question.

"We are not saying anything," Subarao said, when the media literally bombarded him with questions on the situation in the state.

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