Government to pay arrears by February
JAMMU, Dec 30 — A meeting of senior Cabinet Ministers, Senior officers of the Administration and Representatives of the employees joint action committee was held here today to discuss the demands of the employees. The Works Minister, Mr Ghulam Mohi-ud-Din Shah, presided.

Militants attack Army camp
SRINAGAR, Dec 30 — In the first incident of its kind in two years, militants today made a failed attempt to blow up an Army camp in Srinagar by firing rockets.

Government to pay arrears by February
Tribune News Service

JAMMU, Dec 30 — A meeting of senior Cabinet Ministers, Senior officers of the Administration and Representatives of the employees joint action committee was held here today to discuss the demands of the employees. The Works Minister, Mr Ghulam Mohi-ud-Din Shah, presided.

The Finance Minister, Mr Mohd Shafi, the Industries and Commerce Minister, Mr Bodh Raj Bali, and the Additional Chief Secretary, Planning and Development, Mr J.A. Khan, were also present.

The payment of the arrears of the Fifth Pay Commission, enhancement in the medical allowance redressal of pay anomalies, payment of bonus to employees and speeding up the process of regularisation of daily wage earners were some major demands put forth by the employees joint action committee.

Initiating the discussions, the Works Minister said the government was alive to the problems of its employees and keen to redress their genuine grievances within available resources, but due to financial constraints, some difficulties arose which could be solved through mutual understanding and cordial dialogue between the government and employees. He said, employees were a part of society and their support to the government in mitigating the sufferings of the masses was essential. He advised the employees to adopt a flexible attitude as rigidity was not the solution to any problem.

The Finance Minister, Mr Mohammad Shafi, apprised the employees of the existing financial position of the state. He said the state was passing through a crucial economic crunch as against a non-plan gap of Rs 1280 crore, the state received only Rs 560 crore which compelled the government to deposit the arrears of dearness allowance into GP Fund of employees. This also resulted in the delay in payment of the arrears of first instalment of the fifth Pay Commission to its employees.

However, Mr Shafi said the government was committed to release arrears of the Fifth Pay Commission in cash the sources would be available by the end of February next year.

Meanwhile, work in government offices and public sector undertakings remained paralysed for the ninth day today. Employees have extended the strike till January 4.

Mr Mohd Safi, assured the employees the government would consider the demand for enhancing the medical allowance and wages of daily wage employees suitably. He said the services of all eligible daily wage earners would be regularised after ascertaining their antecedents from the head of the departments.

Militants attack Army camp

SRINAGAR, Dec 30 (PTI) — In the first incident of its kind in two years, militants today made a failed attempt to blow up an Army camp in Srinagar by firing rockets.

An official spokesman said a group of militants fired six rockets in quick succession towards the Tato ground Army camp near the local bus stand, injuring two jawans.

It is for the first time since the formation of an elected government in the state in 1996 that militants managed a rocket attack on an Army camp in the city.

Meanwhile, militants shot dead a released militant, Abdul Majid, in Kokernag in Anantnag district last night, he said.

People including shopkeepers, passengers, bus drivers and conductors ran helter-skelter on hearing the explosions.

This is for the first time the militants have struck in a big way in the city during the past five years. The police, when contacted, confirmed that two Army personnel were injured in today’s explosions. The blasts could have been caused probably by grenades fired with grenade guns from Chatabal area, they said.

Meanwhile, a report from Jammu said troops seized 30 kg of RDX in Sunderbani area of the city yesterday. The explosive packed in 30 packets, each weighing 1 kg, was found in bags near forest areas, a police spokesman said.

The consignment was believed to have been brought by subversives from across the border to cause explosions in Jammu region, he said, adding the security forces and the police had jointly launched a hunt for the culprits.