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| Sunday, January 7, 2001, Chandigarh, India   
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NC leader among 14 killed Farooq's challenge a trap: APHC 1,520 ultras killed in 2000 Powerless, J&K in darkness Software park for Jammu soon: Mahajan |
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| NC leader among 14 killed SRINAGAR, Jan 6 — At least 14 persons including an activist of the ruling National Conference and a counter-insurgent, were killed and over 36 injured in separate incidents of militancy in Jammu and Kashmir since yesterday. An activist of the ruling National Conference, Ghulam Qadir Bhat, was shot dead by unidentified militants at his residence at Wanigam, Pattan, Baramula district, last evening. An activist of the Ikhwan, a counter-insurgent, was killed by unidentified militants at Jablipora, Beijbehara, Anantag district, yesterday. He was identified as Mohammad Ramzan Malik. Another person, Sajjad Ahmad Dar, was injured in the shootout and he succumbed to his injuries while being shifted to hospital. The courter-insurgent had contested the last parliamentary elections from the Anantag constituency. At least 34 pedestrians were injured when militants hurled a grenade at a security picket at Hari Singh High Street. The grenade missed the target and exploded on the road, injuring 34 persons, including four securitymen. Three unidentified militants were killed in an encounter with the security forces at Ujhan in the Darhal Sector of Rajouri district in Jammu region. Militants shot dead two persons, Abdul Qayoom and Mohammd Ismail, at Kanthol in the Kandi Sector of Rajouri district yesterday. Five persons, including two militants and three infiltrators, were killed in separate incidents in Poonch district in Jammu since yesterday. Three infiltrators were killed by the security forces at Haveli in Poonch area. The recoveries made from the site of the encounter included a missile launcher, a 60 mm mortar, two missiles, 10 mortar bombs, two rifles, a pistol, 25 anti-tank grenades, two hand grenades and Rs 55 in Pakistani currency. Two unidentified militants were killed in an encounter at Shahpur in Poonch district yesterday. Unidentified militants killed a woman, shareefa, after abducting here from her house in Doda. Her husband, shera, who was also kidnapped yet to be traced. |
| Farooq's challenge a trap: APHC JAMMU, Jan 6 — The All-Party Hurriyat Conference (APHC) has no intention of accepting Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah's challenge by contesting the Assembly elections. The Chief Minister had announced that he would resign and step down if the APHC agreed to contest the Assembly poll. Dr Farooq wanted the APHC to fight the elections to test whether it had the mandate of the people. The APHC chairman, Prof Abdul Gani Bhat, said today that Dr Farooq was trying to “lay a trap for us”. Elaborating his point, he said the Chief Minister had talked about installation of one-party government in Jammu and Kashmir, but “we are for permanent settlement of the Kashmir dispute.” Prof Bhat said: “Dr Farooq is for the chair and we are for shaping the destiny of the people of the entire South Asian region.” He told TNS that since both India and Pakistan were nuclear powers, it was necessary to prevent the Indian subcontinent from getting engaged in a nuclear war. “Nuclear war, if it breaks, will lead to the destruction of the entire subcontinent and its people,” he said. He said if contesting elections had been “our goal”, the APHC could have done it in 1996 and during the Lok Sabha elections. “We have no faith in the legitimacy of the elections held under the state and the Central agencies,” he said, adding that in the past all elections were “rigged”. He said the malpractices committed by the ruling National Conference during the 1987 elections had sown the seeds of the ongoing “jehad”. As such, the APHC had no plan to contest the elections and “fall a prey to the machinations of the National Conference.” In reply to a question Prof Bhat ridiculed those who had stated that the APHC was being used by India as a “condom” in the peace process exercise. He said those who said so had no “sense of history.” |
| 1,520 ultras killed in 2000 JAMMU, Jan 6 — As many as 2,839 persons, including 1520 militants, were killed in Pakistan-sponsored violence in Jammu and Kashmir during 2000. However, after suspension of combat operations against the rebels 51 militants were killed in retaliatory action by the security forces in December last whereas the toll in November last was 163. During 2000 militants gunned down 762 civilians, 98 of them in December, during the ceasefire period and wounded 1258. In November last 62 civilians where killed. The casualty among the security forces was high during 2000. As many as 397 security personnel, including 86 men of the Jammu and Kashmir Police, lost their lives in anti-militancy operations and 864 were injured. In December alone 31 security personnel were killed. In incidents of crossfire, 180 civilians lost their lives. Since the stepped-up proxy war in 1990 in the state, 26,421 persons have lost their lives, including 12336 militants. At least 2482 security personnel, including 405 policemen, have been killed in militancy-related incidents. Analysing these incidents during last year, an official spokesman said 3089 incidents of violence took place, 2212 in the Kashmir valley and 977 in the Jammu region. Of these 1241 incidents were of crossfire between militants and the security forces and 286 of abduction. Among the 762 civilians killed by the militants 539 belonged to the valley and 223 to Jammu. At least 768, militants were killed in the valley and 752 in Jammu. At least 129 civilians lost their lives in explosions and grenade blasts in 2000. During last year, 586 incidents of border firing were reported, 63 in December alone. In these incidents 19 civilians were killed and 36 wounded. Three mosques were among 66 buildings damaged in firing. |
| Powerless, J&K in darkness JAMMU, Jan 6 — Even as icy winds sweep the entire Jammu and Kashmir state with day temperatures touching as low as 4°C even in the warm zone, an 11-hour power cut has added to the people’s misery. After every three hours there is to be a three-hour power cut and the load shedding is to be carried out during the day as well as night. A senior state government officer said: “There is a big gap between availability of electricity and demand.” He said against the daily requirement of 20 million units, “we have less than 11 million units.” Despite importing five million units from the Northern Grid, the state is faced with an acute power crisis, he said. What has compounded the problem is the growing unauthorised power connections secured by consumers. The state government has identified eight lakh such connections, out of which over 27,000 were regularised last year. Mr S.S. Slathia, who took over the portfolio of Power recently, has declared a war against unauthorised connections. He recently cancelled more than 3,000 such connections in Jammu city alone. He could not encourage the field staff to take similar measures in other areas because they feared attacks from the consumers. The government plans to provide security to the checking staff. This has aggravated transmission losses, otherwise more than 50 per cent in the state, and slowed the process of collection of power tariff arrears, which have touched about Rs 600 crore. Annually, the state imports electricity from the Northern Grid for Rs 900 crore. Since the state has been facing an acute resource crunch, it has not been able to clear the arrears. The arrears have touched over Rs 1,500 crore and as such the Northern Grid has refused to release additional electricity. The peoples agony has increased with the increase in load shedding. Leaders of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry hold faulty planning responsible for the current crisis. They say hitherto no serious attempt was made either by the Centre or the state government to harness the power potential in the state. They say against the potential of generating 15000 mw, only 1000 mw had been harnessed. Another major blunder committed by successive governments was their dependence on the Jhelum water. The Jhelum has been discharging meagre water during six months of lean period. As a result, two major power projects, Uri-I and Lower Jhelum, could generate between 10 and 20 per cent of electricity out of the optimum capacity during the period. The captains of trade say the Chenab could provide a suitable remedy for the crisis. Senior National Conference leaders say the Centre should have come to the rescue of the state, which has been witnessing a major turmoil, by announcing a major economic package, including a special financial assistance, for buying additional electricity from the Northern Grid. The NC leaders say instead of helping the state to tide over the financial crisis, the Centre had refused to stand counter-guarantee when the state government motivated some foreign agencies to build a major hydel project in Jammu and Kashmir. However, the Centre has decided to oversee seven power projects being constructed by the NHPC. These projects are estimated to cost over Rs 16,000 crore. The state government plans to invest Rs 8,000 crore on various projects, which include the 450 mw Bhagliar and 650 mw Swalkot projects. But it may take not less then a decade for some of the projects to be commissioned. Till then, the state “will be in the dark ages” said student leaders, who have been protesting against the prolonged power cuts by boycotting classes and holding demonstrations. |
| Software park for Jammu soon: Mahajan RANGRETH (SRINAGAR), Jan 6 — Describing information technology (IT) as the “fourth generation of human communication,” Information Technology Minister Pramod Mahajan here today stressed the need for IT application for the masses for the overall development of the country. Speaking on the inauguration function of the Satellite Earth Station and Facility here this afternoon, the Union Minister announced that Jammu would also have a software technology park in due course of time. He claimed that within the next two years, all blocks in the country would be connected through computer systems, adding that IT could create “ a paperless administration”. He said his mission was to develop software technology in Jammu and Kashmir. He said efforts were on to equip the state with mobile phone facilities. He dispelled the notion that IT would increase militancy-related incidents. Mr Mahajan claimed that IT exports had increased from Rs 200 crore to Rs 20,000 crore during the past 10 years. Earlier, the Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister, Dr Farooq Abdullah, inaugurated the Satellite Earth Station and Facility. The Chief Minister said his government would train people in IT from Regional Engineering College, Srinagar, and the proposed Vaishno Devi Shrine University. |
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