Vakil to be new J&K Speaker
Tribune News Service

JAMMU, Aug 16 — Mr Abdul Ahad Vakil, who in April last has resigned as Revenue Minister, is to be the new Speaker of the state assembly for which the election is scheduled to be held on August 17.

Mr Vakil had submitted his resignation after differences with the Chief Minister, Dr Farooq Abdullah, over the misplacement of a file pertaining to compensation to farmers whose land had been acquired for building a new town at Sidhra, near Jammu. The differences have been ironed out and the Chief Minister is said to have himself proposed the name of Mr Vakil for the post of Speaker which had fallen vacant after Mr Ali Mohd. Naik was inducted into the Cabinet as Revenue Minister.

Mr Vakil is a law graduate. Besides being a Cabinet Minister he had represented the Baramulla constituency in the Lok Sabha in 1977.

As far as the election of the Chairman of the state Legislative Council is concerned, the ruling National Conference has decided to elect Mr H.S. Bali. Mr Bali is acting as Chairman following the death of Hakim Habibullah who remained Chairman for more than 10 years. Mr Bali had been given all the powers of the Chairman when Hakim Habibullah remained bed-ridden for a long time.

Dr Abdullah has suggested to his ministerial colleagues to come fully prepared to answer questions in the state assembly and the council. He has advised them to do adequate homework so that they are able to answer any supplementary raised by Opposition members who, though numerically small, may try to corner the government on different issues.

Reports said that most National Conference legislators are in favour of holding the panchayat poll in the state in November. However, some of the party MLAs, and leaders from the Jammu region want the poll to be postponed in view of the difficult security scenario in the region. The government's decision is likely to be announced in the session of the state legislature.

Traffic blocked to protest price rise
From Tribune Reporters

KHARAR, Aug 16 — Hundreds of workers of the Bahujan Samaj Party, CPI and CPM stopped traffic on the Kharar-Chandigarh road at the local bus stand about three hours today in support of their demands.

They staged a dharna and raised anti-government slogans.

Mr Mann Singh Manheda, secretary, Punjab BSP, Mr Nanak Singh secretary, CPI of the Kharar block, and Dr G.S. Jammu, secretary, Kharar CPM and others criticised the policies of the SAD-BJP government. They demanded that the hike in bus fares be withdrawn, the periphery control order repealed and increase in prices of essential goods checked.

They said the government had not abolished octroi in spite of a promise to the effect made by it before the elections.

Mr Manheda said that there was an apprehension that the terrorism might come here again because of the policies of the government.

PHAGWARA: Activists of the Bahujan Samaj Party, CPM, CPI, joined by workers of Punjabi Bhalai Manch, blocked vehicular traffic at five points on the GT road — near Chachoki village, at Sugar Mill Chowk and near Kanshipura Mehtan village. Similar blockades were held at Rehana Jattan village, 20 km from Phagwara on the Phagwara-Hoshiarpur road, and at Hadiabad on the Phagwara-Nakodar road.

The rasta roko points were headed by senior leaders of these parties, including Mr Ashok Sandhu, district president of the BSP, Mr Harbhajan Balalon, block president of the BSP, Mr Gian Singh Malikpur, district secretary of the CPM, Mr Lashman Singh, block president of the CPM, Mr Jaipal and Mr Tarlok Singh Bhabiana of the CPI, Mr Surinder Pal Singh Shinda, Mr N.K. Chopra of the Punjabi Bhalai Manch and Dalit writer S.L. Virdi.

The SDM, Mr D.P. Gupta, and the DSP, Mr Pritam Singh, kept watch over situation.

The blockade put the public to great inconvenience and passengers were seen walking for over 3 km from Chachoki village to the local bus stand only to find another blockade. Several plodded their weary way to local railway station for boarding train to reach their destination.

Rasta roko protesters raised slogans against the Badal Government for hikes in bus fare, power tariff and atrocities on Dalits.

PHILLAUR: In the second phase of the agitation launched by the Bahujan Samaj Party, CPI, CPM and Janata Dal against price rise and bus fare hike, the Punjabi Bhalai Manch led by former union minister Balwant Singh Ramoowalia, joined hands and participated in the traffic jam agitation.

Traffic on the Goraya-Ludhiana, Phillaur-Phagwara, Phillaur-Nawanshahr, Phillaur-Hoshiarpur, Phillaur-Noormahal, Phillaur-Aur roads was blocked.

Rallies addressed by several political leaders were also organised.

NAWANSHAHR: Traffic at the Barnala Chowk, Jadla Kahma Mehli Kangna bet and Kathgarh in the district from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. was blocked. Addressing rallies at different places, leaders belonging to the CPM, BSP and BRP criticised the government for befooling the people by promising them Maharaja Ranjit Singh Raj.

JALANDHAR: Traffic was blocked for more than three hours here even as protesters allegedly damaged a van of soft drinks at Khurla Kingra, 8 km from here.

All entry points were sealed by party workers on the Jalandhar-Ludhiana road and blockades put at Charriun, Pathankot road at Reru and Wadala chowk at Nakodar, causing inconvenience to the public.

The agitation was led by the BSP district president, Mr Pawan Kumar Tinu, the secretary of the CPI, Mr Gian Singh Bilga, and the district secretary of the CPM, Mr Baldev Singh.

The leaders also demanded the release of the BSP leaders arrested in the Gharshanker police station incident.

LUDHIANA: To protest against the increase in bus fares, electricity tariff and rise in prices of essential commodities, the district units of the CPI, CPM, BSP and Punjab Bhalai Manch organised a chakka jam at the general bus stand from 10 am to 1 pm and organised a rally which was addressed by various leaders of the parties.

They said that the increase in the bus fares and electricity tariff had hit the common man hard.

While the luxury items like airconditioners are being given a reduction in the excise duty and big landlords supplied with free electricity, the common man is being taxed heavily. Prices of essential commodities like onion and tomato have increased as a result of stocking of these items by rich businessmen.

Among those who addressed the rally were Mr Kartar Singh Bowani, Dr Arun Mitra, Mr Gulzar Gorea, Mr Jagat Ram, Mr Rachpal Singh, Mr Jatinder Pal and Mr Harbhag Singh.

The urban and rural units of the Bahujan Samaj Party and its allies organised a "chakka jaam" at Basti Jodhewal and Jalandhar bypass by sitting on a dharna and blocking the traffic.

Mr Bhupinder Singh Jassal, president of BSP (Urban), Mr Om Prakash, general secretary, and Mr Vijay Manchanda, senior vice-president, spoke on the occasion.

GURDASPUR: More than 1000 workers of the protesting parties held a rally in Nehru Park here today. They raised anti-Badal, anti-Punjab Government and anti-central government slogans condemning their non-performance.

The main speakers included Mr Ajit Singh Thakar Sandhu of the CPM and Major Som Nath, senior district-level leader of the Bahujan Samaj Party.

Their main demands are a check on rising prices, withdrawal of bus fare and power tariff hike, functioning of the new Egerton Woollen Mills Dhariwal on profitable lines by initiating central government investment and fair deal for Dalits.

CHANDIGARH: In a joint statement, the BSP state president, Col C.D.S. Kamboj (Retd) the CPM and CPI secretaries, Mr Balwant Singh and Dr Joginder Dayal, respectively, on Sunday thanked the workers, people of the state and staff of roadways for the "successful" "chakka jam" which passed off peacefully. The three leaders thanked the Janata Dal and the Punjab Bhalai Manch as well for their cooperation.

The call for "chakka" was to protest against rising prices and jacked up bus fares and power tariff.

The joint statement reiterated that the government should take steps to stop atrocities against the poor; withdraw false cases against BSP leaders and release them unconditionally; withdraw power hike and give free power up to 200 units to the poor among the domestic consumers withdraw bus fare hike; clear backlog of cases of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes and ensure 27 per cent reservation to backward classes for all posts and in educational institutions.

The three wanted public distribution system streamlined and steps taken to "free" small farmers from the debt trap".