J A M M U   &   K A S H M I R

Police communication best in J&K: DGP
Srinagar, May 22
The Director-General of the Jammu and Kashmir police, Mr A.K. Suri, has said barring Tamil Nadu and some other states, the police communication in this border state was much advanced as compared to northern states of the country.

Denied ST status perks, Gujjars write to PM
Jammu, May 22
The Gujjar United Front (GUF) has, in a letter to the Prime Minister, Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee, requested him to ask the state government to make available all concessions and political reservations for the Gujjars and Bakorwals who have been included in the list of Scheduled Tribe category.

Be ready for J&K poll: Omar
Srinagar, May 22
Union Minister of State for Industries and Commerce and ruling National Conference party leader Omar Abdullah has asked the people of Jammu and Kashmir to be ready for Assembly elections in the state which, he said, could be announced “any time”.

APHC team to meet US delegation
Srinagar, May 22
A four-member team of separatist Hurriyat Conference led by former Chairman, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq reached New Delhi today to meet the visiting US and French delegations. The APHC delegation would apprise the delegation of the situation in Jammu and Kashmir, in view of the Centre’s offer of peace talks.

3,856 shelters for rural homeless
Jammu, May 22
The state Rural Development Department has constructed 3,856 shelters for the rural homeless families under the centrally-sponsored Indira Awaas Yojana in the state during the last financial year up to February, 2001.

Award-winning Kashmiri writer dead
Srinagar, May 22
Padma Shri Akhter Mohi-ud-Din, short-story writer and novelist, died here today. He was 73.

Police communication best in J&K: DGP
Tribune News Service

Srinagar, May 22
The Director-General of the Jammu and Kashmir police, Mr A.K. Suri, has said barring Tamil Nadu and some other states, the police communication in this border state was much advanced as compared to northern states of the country.

Inaugurating district radio officers conference to mark the world communication day here on Monday, Mr Suri called upon the communication wing of the police to catch up with latest network systems.

The Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister, Dr Farooq Abdullah, on the occasion went round the exhibition of latest and sophisticated telecommunication gadgets put on display by reputed companies of the country. The Chief Minister was briefed about the sophisticated and high frequency equipment. He also released the latest police telephone directory and presented its copy to the DGP and other senior officers.

Mr Suri said over the last few years there had been tremendous expansion in police communication but stressed on consolidation which, he said, was the need of the hour. He exhorted the officers to put the equipment, to optimum use, and take care of it as they do in case of their domestic articles. Stressing on the need of improvement, the DGP said that there should be no occasion for people working against us to take advantage of the situation. “We should ensure that we go from strength to strength and improve our communication so that we may counter the strategies adopted by the enemy from across the border”, DGP said cautioning further that due to openness of transmission, upmost care should be taken so that system is not compromised.

The police chief said the reliability of the government on police communication system was tremendous particularly during major functions and festivals. He instructed the officers to provide fast communication facilities to the government departments, sister organisations or even to individuals when approached in the hour of need especially in the remote areas of the state. He also complimented the communication wing for commendable job over the last 12 years in transmitting messages with speed and accuracy.

The DGP said adequate accommodation would be provided to the staff in the next few years and shortage of the staff would be made up by filling up the vacant posts. Six motorcycles would be provided to the communication wing. Regarding enhancement in risk allowance which involves a financial implication of Rs 10 crore and creation of a separate GPF establishment for police department by delinking it from present district fund offices, Mr Suri said both these things had already been taken up with the government. He asked the IGP (modernisation) to draw up a plan of networking of guards of armed police with the nearest police stations in the far-flung areas. He also called for a proposal regarding fabrication of aerial towers at Qazigund, Kulgam, Udhampur, Doda, Rajouri and Poonch for reliable communication.

Denied ST status perks, Gujjars write to PM
Tribune News Service

Jammu, May 22
The Gujjar United Front (GUF) has, in a letter to the Prime Minister, Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee, requested him to ask the state government to make available all concessions and political reservations for the Gujjars and Bakorwals who have been included in the list of Scheduled Tribe category.

The GUF president, Mr Anwar Chowdhary, said as raw deal was being meted to the third largest ethnic group in Jammu and Kashmir.

Mr Chowdhary stated that Gujjars and bakerwals were granted Scheduled Tribes status by the Union Government in 1991. But, the state has not fulfilled its constitutional obligation of reserving seats in the Assembly for the ethnic group. In the 89-member House, only two Gujjars were members of the state Assembly.

The Gujjar leader has said that with a population of over 15 lakh, the Gujjars and Bakerwals deserved atleast 15 reserved seats in the Assembly. He reminded the Prime Minister that without such a reservation, political, social and economic emancipation for the Tribesmen in Jammu and Kashmir was not possible.

He stated that the Gujjars and Bakerwals were nationalist and a large number of them had been eliminated by militants as punishment for their support to the nation’s cause.

The Gujjar Front leaders are apprehensive of the National Conference gameplan. They stated that the National Conference planned to go in for early elections in the state without completing the formality of carrying out fresh delimitation of Assembly constituencies which was mandatory after every Census operation. Mr Chowdhary said that the Census had been completed and it was time to carry out fresh delimitation before announcing the schedule for fresh elections.

He said that the National Conference leadership was opposed to grant of reservations for the Gujjars and Bakerwals in the state Assembly as that would prevent ruling party from fielding candidates of its choice.

Mr Chowdhary has requested the Prime Minister to persuade the Chief Minister, Dr Farooq Abdullah, to announce reservation of seats in the state Legislature before going in for fresh poll.

Be ready for J&K poll: Omar

Srinagar, May 22
Union Minister of State for Industries and Commerce and ruling National Conference party leader Omar Abdullah has asked the people of Jammu and Kashmir to be ready for Assembly elections in the state which, he said, could be announced “any time”.

“As already stated by Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah, the Assembly poll can be announced any time and people should be ready to exercise their franchise without any fear,” Mr Omar Abdullah said, while addressing a public meeting at Shilvath and Trigam in Baramulla district yesterday.

He said the peace process set in motion by Prime Minister A.B. Vajpayee in Jammu and Kashmir had provided an opportunity to all parties to work towards the restoration of peace in the trouble-torn state.

“If we lose this opportunity, it will only aggravate the miseries of the people”, he declared.

Challenging claims by Hurriyat Conference leaders of being representatives of the people of the state, Mr Abdullah said, “Let them participate in the elections and allow the people to decide who their true representatives are”. PTI

APHC team to meet US delegation
Tribune News Service

Srinagar, May 22
A four-member team of separatist Hurriyat Conference led by former Chairman, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq reached New Delhi today to meet the visiting US and French delegations. The APHC delegation would apprise the delegation of the situation in Jammu and Kashmir, in view of the Centre’s offer of peace talks.

The team members are senior executive member, Abdul Ghani Lone, Jamaat-e-Islami leader, Qazi Abadullah and Ghulam Rasool Dar. An APHC spokesman said here that Mr Lone had already arrived in New Delhi, while three others led by the former chairman and chief of the Awami Action Committee, Mirwaiz Moulvi Umar Farooq left here today.

3,856 shelters for rural homeless
Tribune News Service

Jammu, May 22
The state Rural Development Department has constructed 3,856 shelters for the rural homeless families under the centrally-sponsored Indira Awaas Yojana in the state during the last financial year up to February, 2001.

The target groups covered under the yojana included people living below the poverty line and Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes of rural areas.

Under the scheme, a maximum of 40 per cent of the total dwelling units are exclusively for non-Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe families.

As many as 2,618 shelters were constructed in Kashmir, including Leh and Kargil districts while 1,238 shelters were made available to the homeless in Jammu province.

The dwelling units have been provided with fuel-efficient chullahs, provisions for adequate water supply and arrangements for sanitation and latrines.

Award-winning Kashmiri writer dead

Srinagar, May 22
Padma Shri Akhter Mohi-ud-Din, short-story writer and novelist, died here today. He was 73.

Among Mohi-ud-Din’s famous novels and short stories are “Soenzal”, Dod-Dagh”, “Zoo-te-Zolan”, “Tshay” and “Salara-Mir”. UNI