J A M M U   &   K A S H M I R

Central team ends J&K visit
SRINAGAR, July 4 — The task force set up by the Union Government to examine the issue of internal security concluded its three-day visit to the Kashmir valley today.

Bid to storm BSF camp foiled
SRINAGAR, July 4 — The BSF foiled an attempt by militants to storm its camp in the frontier district of Kupwara, killing an ultra, while elsewhere in Kashmir four persons, including two militants and a special police officer (SPO), were killed in separate incidents since last evening.

Subsidy for J&K drought-hit
SRINAGAR, July 4 — The Jammu and Kashmir Government has decided to grant 50 per cent subsidy on purchase of irrigation pumpsets to farmers in drought-affected areas and also to extend relief package to fruit growers whose orchards were affected due to drought during kharif last year.

J&K Govt flayed for wasting resources
JAMMU, July 4 — The Union Minister of State for Civil Aviation, Prof Chaman Lal Gupta, has criticised the National Conference government for wasting energy and resources on controversial issues, including greater autonomy for the state, instead of concentrating on ending the menace of militancy.

1.83 lakh pilgrims visit Shahdara
JAMMU, July 4 — At least 1.83 lakh pilgrims have visited the Shahdara shrine at Rajouri during April and May to seek blessings of the 18th century saint Ghulam Shah Badshah.

SRTC to introduce 80 buses
JAMMU, July 4 — The State Road Transport Corporation (SRTC) has decided to introduce 80 airconditioned coaches facilities for the tourists to Ajmer Shariff, Delhi and Leh from the next month.

BJP men rejoice at govt decision
From M.L. Kak
Tribune News Service

JAMMU, July 4 — Sweets were distributed at the BJP headquarters here today after party activists learnt that the Union Cabinet had rejected the NC demand for restoration of greater autonomy to Jammu and Kashmir.

Scores of BJP activists staged a Bhangra outside the party office raising anti-autonomy slogans. Pro-BJP traders fired crackers to welcome the decision.

The President of the BJP, Mr D.K. Kotwal, welcomed the Cabinet decision and said there was a need for initiating steps for “emotional integration of Kashmir with rest of the country”. He said the demand for greater autonomy was a dangerous one and the Union Cabinet had taken the right decision in rejecting it.

Leader of the BJP Legislature Party Shiv Charan Gupta said the Cabinet decision was vindication of the stand adopted by nationalist forces in Jammu and Kashmir.

Leaders belonging to the Congress, including Mr Mangat Ram Sharma, Mr Dharam Pal Sharma nad Mr Raman Bhalla, said the Cabinet had taken the right decision but a belated one. They said the NDA government should have adopted a tough posture the day the Autonomy Committee report was sent to the Centre over a year ago.

The Panthers Party leader, Mr Harsh Dev Singh, the Nationalist Congress party President, Thakur Randhir Singh, Panun Kashmir leader Dr Agnishekhar, Dr Ajay Chrungoo, Janata Dal President, Mr Dhanraj Bhargotra and Gujjar leader Anwar Chowdhary welcomed the decision. They urged the Prime Minister, to handle Kashmir affairs himself.

The PDP leaders suggested to the Chief Minister, Dr Farooq Abdullah to either quit or pull out of the NDA. The PDP chief, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, has been campaigning for the dismissal of the Farooq government so that the proposed talks between the Centre and the Hurriyat leaders face no hurdles.

The President of the Ladakh Buddhist Association, Tsering Samphel, supported the Cabinet decision. He, however, demanded that Ladakh be delinked from the rest of the state and converted into a union territory. He said the matter would not end with the Union Cabinet rejecting the Autonomy Committee report. He said the National Conference would continue to rake up other issues to create confusion and instability.

Reports from the Kashmir valley reveal that the haste with which the Union Cabinet has rejected the Assembly resolution seeking restoration of greater autonomy has sent the wrong signals to the Muslims-dominated valley.

National Conference circles seem to be angry and shocked at the manner in which the Central Government, including the Prime Minister, refused to set up a ministerial team for discussing the committee report with the state government.

Indications are that the Chief Minister, Dr Farooq Abdullah, will not give up his search for greater autonomy. Whether he succeeds or not is unimportant. What is important is that he will try to cash in on the rejection of the Assembly resolution by the Union Cabinet.

The Chief Minister had hoped that the matter would be allowed to drag by allowing a discussion on the issue at the national level. The rejection by the Union Cabinet has, according to political analysts, given him a handle to strike against his critics.

Central team ends J&K visit

SRINAGAR, July 4 (PTI) — The task force set up by the Union Government to examine the issue of internal security concluded its three-day visit to the Kashmir valley today.

Headed by former Union Home Secretary N.N. Vohra, it reviewed internal security situation in the valley and held meetings with the state Governor G.C. Saxena, the Chief Secretary and the Director-General of Police, official sources said.

The members, including J.F. Riberio, Rajendra Shekhar, Lt-Gen (retd) V.K. Nayyar, R.C. Jha and M.L. Wadhawan, also met the Principal Secretary (Home) and top police and paramilitary force officers, the sources said, adding they were also briefed at Army Corps headquarters at Badgamibagh.

Vohra dismissed reports that the visit of the task force was linked to the autonomy resolution and its fallout, saying “Our visit has nothing to do with that. We are here to find out about the security-related issues.”

Bid to storm BSF camp foiled

SRINAGAR, July 4 (PTI) — The BSF foiled an attempt by militants to storm its camp in the frontier district of Kupwara, killing an ultra, while elsewhere in Kashmir four persons, including two militants and a special police officer (SPO), were killed in separate incidents since last evening.

Security forces smashed two militant hideouts in Srinagar and Baramula during the period and recovered 10 kg of RDX.

Three militants, believed to be from the suicide squad, fired indiscriminately at the heavily guarded headquarters of the BSF’s 14th battalion at Trehgam last night in a bid to storm it, BSF sources said.

BSF personnel returned the fire killing one of the attackers. Two other militants escaped under the cover of darkness.

An AK assault rifle, four magazines, 120 rounds of ammunition and four grenades were recovered from the slain militant.

Two militants were killed in a shootout with security forces in Gagloosa forest last night, an official spokesman said.

The body of Special Police Officer Farooq Ahmad Wani was found in Pulwama district’s Wasoora-Astanpora area, he said, adding the SPO was kidnapped and later shot dead by ultras.

The police picked up the body of an unidentified person in Kupwara district. The body bore bullet wounds.

A counter-insurgent was seriously injured when militants bombed his house in Baramula today.

Subsidy for J&K drought-hit

SRINAGAR, July 4 (PTI) — The Jammu and Kashmir Government has decided to grant 50 per cent subsidy on purchase of irrigation pumpsets to farmers in drought-affected areas and also to extend relief package to fruit growers whose orchards were affected due to drought during kharif last year.

District development commissioners have been directed to prepare lists of eligible and affected fruit growers who could be provided relief package and also identify those beneficaries who could be provided irrigation pumpsets on 50 per cent subsidy, the Agriculture and Rural Development Minister, Choudhary Mohammad Ramzan, said here today.

Reviewing the implementation of the Rs 97 crore drought relief package in respect of those farmers whose crops were damaged due to unprecedented drought during kharif in the Kashmir valley and Doda district of Jammu last year, the minister said the government has decided to provide 2500 irrigation pumpsets in the first phase.

Keeping in view the area affected and the number of affected farming families, pumpsets would be provided in Anantnag (500), Baramulla (700), Badgam (300), Kupwara (500), Pulwama (400) and Srinagar (100), he said.

He said free rations for four months was provided to the affected population of nearly 22 lakh for which Rs 51 crore were earmarked in the package.

Under the package, Rs 22 crore was earmarked for employment generation in the drought-affected areas, while another Rs 18 crore was sanctioned for supply of seeds and fertilisers on 50 per cent subsidy to the affected farmers, he said.

He said the Rural Development Department under the package undertook 1692 employment generation schemes of which 1176 had been completed by the end of May last.

Against the released amount of Rs 7.50 crore, the expenditure on these schemes has been of the order of Rs 5.37 crore.

In addition to this, the department also provided 1757 irrigation pumpsets to the farmers involving a subsidy of Rs 1 crore, he said.

Regarding the distribution of fertilisers and seeds, he said against the target of supplying 3.17 lakh quintals of fertilisers, nearly 2.38 lakh quintals have been distributed among the affected farmers on 50 per cent subsidy.

The Agro Industries Corporation has supplied seeds and fertilisers valuing at Rs 16.24 crore so far, of which Rs 8.12 crore is subsidy, he said, adding that in addition 8800 quintals of paddy and maize seeds were distributed among the farmers against the demand of 9231 quintals projected by the drought-affected farmers of Kashmir division. 

J&K Govt flayed for wasting resources
Tribune News Service

JAMMU, July 4 — The Union Minister of State for Civil Aviation, Prof Chaman Lal Gupta, has criticised the National Conference government for wasting energy and resources on controversial issues, including greater autonomy for the state, instead of concentrating on ending the menace of militancy.

Addressing daily workers and political workers here yesterday Mr Gupta said that the National Conference government wasted resources on nonproductive schemes with the result people in the state were deprived of the basic amenities and necessities, including electricity and drinking water.

He said that the need of the hour was to tackle the menace of militancy.

He praised people of Doda, especially members of the village Defence Committees, for offering resistance to the militants. He said that had the state government concentrated on measures that were required to flush out militants the situation would have improved in the state.

He asked the Chief Minister to pay attention to the economic problems of the state and take measures which could ensure timely payment of wages and salaries to the daily workers and other employees.

He also said that Dr Abdullah should realise the implications of his demand for restoration of greater autonomy to Jammu and Kashmir.

1.83 lakh pilgrims visit Shahdara
From Our Correspondent

JAMMU, July 4 — At least 1.83 lakh pilgrims have visited the Shahdara shrine at Rajouri during April and May to seek blessings of the 18th century saint Ghulam Shah Badshah.

Shrine authorities said Rs 41 lakh had been collected as offerings at the shrine during the two months. Out of this, Rs 6 lakhs were being spent on the renovation of the shrine and on providing more facilities to the pilgrims.

The authorities have approached the government for financial and technical assistance so that a university could be set up at Rajouri which would serve the interests of the students in the border belts of Poonch, Rajouri, Udhampur and Akhnoor.

The state government, it is learnt has already decided to set up a university and the shrine authorities have been asked to allot land for the proposed university.

Part of the revenue earned by the shrine authorities would be spent on developing facilities for the students at the proposed university.

SRTC to introduce 80 buses
From Our Correspondent

JAMMU, July 4 — The State Road Transport Corporation (SRTC) has decided to introduce 80 airconditioned coaches facilities for the tourists to Ajmer Shariff, Delhi and Leh from the next month.

According to SRTC Deputy General Manager, Mr Yogesh Kaul, the SRTC has realised a record revenue of Rs 1.11 crore from its inter-state services during the last month.

He said SRTC buses were plying on routes that link Jammu with Haryana, Punjab Delhi, UP, Rajasthan and Chandigarh. New buses would be added to the SRTC fleet so that services to Meerut and Dehra Dun were improved.

He said that special buses were being introduced for the benefit of the pilgrims to the Amarnath cave as the yatra was scheduled to begin soon.