Yielding to the public pressure in Valley, the state government today finally cancelled its earlier order to divert 800 kanals of land to Shri Amarnath Shrine Board (SASB). The government also decided to make land available to the tourism department from Jammu to holy cave on Pahalgam and Baltal routes for creating required infrastructure and providing logistic support for the pilgrims. The government also assured that it would not interfere in the religious affairs of Amarnath yatra. The decisions including the crucial one to cancel the land diversion order were taken during a three hour long cabinet meeting at the chief minister Ghulam Nabi Azad's residence here. Chief minister returned from Mumbai this morning and the cabinet meeting started around 11 AM. The cabinet meeting was held in the back drop of an eight day long general strike in Kashmir in support of cancellation of the land transfer order and two day long strike in Jammu demanding return of the land to SASB. Four persons were killed in police firing and hundreds others injured in clashes between cops and the demonstrators during the eight days which saw 1990 like scenes re-created on roads with thousands of people joining pro-freedom and anti-India demonstrations. The authorities had to impose undeclared curfew a number of times to crush the demonstrations. Even the move by governor, N N Vohra, who is also the chairman of SASB, that SASB would not pursue its earlier request for land diversion and that the state government must take over the yatra arrangements, could not cool down the tempers in Valley. Today was the first formal cabinet meeting after the resignation of PDP ministers and their party's pull out from the coalition government. The authorities believe that cancellation of order is likely to ease the tension in Kashmir as it was the main demand of the people, mainstream and separatists parties here. It would also help Azad to get the support of CPI (M), Ghulam Hassan Mir and some independent MLAs from Kashmir while proving majority on the floor of the assembly by July 7. However, the cancellation move can provide more ammunition to BJP and like minded parties to politically target Congress in Jammu ahead of the assembly elections. Immediately after the cabinet meeting, transport minister Hakim Mohammad Yasin told the waiting media persons outside chief minister's residence that the land transfer order has been cancelled. He said the cancellation of the order was in the best interest of the people of the state. "I hope that with the cancellation of the order, the situation would return to normal in Kashmir. I also hope that better sense will prevail upon those holding demonstrations in Jammu and they too will resume normal activities," he said. Hakim assured that the state government would successfully and smoothly conduct the pilgrimage as it used to do before 2000. About the BJP sponsored demonstrations in Jammu, he claimed that common people there do not support the communal agenda of that party. After Hakim's briefing, neither chief minister nor any other senior government official preferred to talk to media over the issue. However, copies of an official hand out carrying the cabinet decision were circulated among the media persons. The hand out said the cabinet took note of the recent correspondence exchanged between governor, N N Vohra, chairman SASB and chief minister on the issue of diversion of forest land measuring 39.88 hectares falling under compartment No: 63a/Sindh, in Block Kullan, Range Sindh, Sindh Forest Division for raising pre-fabricated structures only for camping purposes of pilgrims, without going in for construction of permanent structures, at Baltal and Domail by SASB. The cabinet, in particular, noted an important excerpt forming a part of governor's letter dated June 29 addressed to the chief minister. The excerpt says-"In view of the state government's firm commitment that the requirements and interests of the Yatris 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"-. The hand out added that in the above context, a number of decisions were taken. According to a decision, government order No: 184-FST of 2008 dated 26.05.2008 vide which 39.88 hectares of forest land was diverted to Shri Amarnath Shrine Board at Baltal and Domail is hereby cancelled. Recognising the capacity and capability of the state government, it reiterated its full commitment to discharge all the responsibilities of undertaking the creation of required infrastructure and providing full logistical support for making available various services with a view to fully ensuring and facilitating the welfare, safety and security of the pilgrims during the entire period of Yatra. For this purpose, land would be made available to the tourism department, as per requirement, at various locations from Jammu onwards to the holy cave via Baltal-Domail as well as Pahalgam yatra routes, the hand out said. It was emphasised that the state government is fully committed not to interfere in the religious affairs of the Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board. The tourism department is directed to make adequate provisions in its annual budgets, keeping in view the ever increasing number of Yatris, so that not only are the existing facilities for pilgrims properly maintained but also that these are upgraded further from year to year, the hand out added.