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Tuesday,
June 19, 2001, Chandigarh, India  
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Dras
residents pray for peace
3 militants shot
in encounters |
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| States to
sign pact to check power losses Jammu, June 18 To check transmission and distribution losses all state governments would be asked to sign an accelerated power development programme agreement for restructuring their power consumption. This was stated by Chairman and Managing Director, Powergrid Corporation, Mr R.P. Singh, at a news conference here late last evening. No pact
with NC, says Mohsina Kidwai
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Dras residents pray for peace Dras, June 18 “Hum logon par raham khayen aur aman kou bahal karen” (take pity on us and bring peace and normalcy), said Abdul Qayoom, a senior citizen when asked about the forthcoming talks between the Prime Minister, Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee, and the Chief Executive of Pakistan, Gen Pervez Musharraf. “We do not want second Kargil,” he said expressing the emotions of over 10,000 people of Dras and nearby areas. Out of the 18 villages in the Dras block of Kargil district, 10 are close to the border and pose threat to residents due to the presence of landmines. The scheme of underground bunkers that was introduced with a sanction of Rs 18,000 each for such trenches seems to have been abandoned. Amid hope for the restoration of peace in Kashmir with the forthcoming Indo-Pak talks, there is a strong support for Kashmiris. “Everybody talks about the Indo-Pak dialogue.... we are with Kashmir and Kashmiris in all respects,” said Abdul Qayoom. This, he said, was not only because of the religious link but also for geographical reasons as it is close to Kashmir. “We are all dependent on Kashmir as several businessmen providing basic requirements belong to Kashmir.” There is also an undercurrent of “reunion” with the Gurez, a border area at the extreme end of north Kashmir. Dras and Gurez, having the same language and culture, have remained delinked for decades. Divided by a ridge of Kawbal hills, the two areas have separate approach routes. While Dras is linked to the valley via Zojila on the Srinagar-Ley highway, Gurez is linked via Bandipore, 60 km north of here. Both areas remain cut off from the rest of the world in winter. Security officials and the civil
administration decline to comment on the movement of people across Kawbal. Since it is close to the border-line between India and Pakistan, the movement of people is not allowed, the residents feel. There was active participation of people in the recently held panchayat elections. The area, part of the Kargil constituency, is represented by Mr Qamar Ali Akhoon, Minister of State for Works. The Shina language and cultural link has invited the attention of a political worker from Gurez, who has been visiting the area frequently and helping the needy from Dras at the level of the civil secretariat in Jammu and Srinagar. The demand for “reunion” with the Gurez and Tulel areas by lifting the restrictions on the movement via Kawbal has been raised several times. These areas have got the benefit of categorisation under the Scheduled Tribes status but the residents of Dras question the availability of benefits under this category. The youth educated to the level of plus two cannot afford to continue their education at degree college in Kargil due to poverty. There is also a demand for government jobs in the police and other departments. |
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Sonmarg
attracting fewer tourists Sonmarg, June 18 “The earthquake in Gujarat has led to a decline in the number of yatris visiting this place”, said Ali Mohammad, a vendor from Srinagar who comes here every year for doing “brisk business” during the tourist season. He said lack of power and water supply and poor communication facilities had also added to the problem. Most of them said there were three hotels in the area but lack of basic facilities forced the tourists to cut short their visits. The vendors, mostly from Srinagar, setup their shops here every year. For the rest of the winter, the township remains closed down for there is no traffic to the Ladakh region due to the closing of Zojila, connecting the Ladakh region with the valley. Mohammad Amin, a small hotel owner from Srinagar who opens his hotel here in April every year, said their business had been affected by the government decision to change the timings for the movement of traffic from Gumri, the other end of Zojila. “Vehicles coming from Ladakh have to reach Sonmarg by 6 a.m. when all shops and business establishments are closed,” he said. The timings of the down convoy was also unsuitable. Two persons, including a truck driver, were killed in a road accident near Zojila last week “due to wrong timing”, Mohammad Amin said. He said drivers had to start from Kargil soon after midnight and it was due to lack of sleep that such accidents took place. Ponywallahs who come from nearby hamlets, are equally sore at government apathy. “There is a fewer number of tourists for they are not allowed to visit the meadows here a
ponywallah said. For many of them Amarnath yatra, is a time to make quick money. At least 700 pilgrims will be arriving daily at Baltal from July 4. “The pilgrims are not allowed to stop here”, Mohammad Amin said, adding that the caravan of vehicles would directly proceed to Baltal under security cover. Mohammad Aslam, another hotelier from Srinagar, said the area had been free of any militancy-related incidents over the years but the tourists were not allowed to alight in the market place. Admitting lack of basic facilities at Sonmarg, Mr Parvez Dewan, Commissioner-cum-Secretary, Department of Tourism, Jammu and Kashmir Government, said basic facilities were under the purview of other departments. Sonmarg had been placed fourth after Srinagar, Pahalgam and Gulmarg in terms of priority for attracting tourists. |
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3 militants shot
in encounters
Srinagar, June 18 An official spokesman said an encounter took place between militants and the security forces at Mohalla Charar in Poonch district of the Jammu region last night, during which a Lashkar-e-Toiba militant and two security personnel were killed. One AK rifle, four magazines one grenade and one wireless set were seized. A joint search party of the Army and SOG killed another militant of Huji Umar Gazi at Pazipora in Kupwara district late last night. One AK rifle, three magazines and eight grenades were seized from the slain militant. The third militant was killed by the security forces at Surankote this morning. On the other hand, militants shot dead a tea stall owner Satinder Agarwal, at Shopian Bazar this afternoon. They also shot at and wounded two brothers at Gundi and in another incident, fired upon a special operation group of the Jammu and Kashmir police at Medora, Tral in Pulwama district this morning. Two injured personnel were admitted to hospital. Body of Ratin Reari was recovered from a hotel at Pahalgam last evening while Mohammad Sadiq Khan was abducted by militants at Kandi Kralgund Kupwara. The security forces averted a major tragedy when they detected and later defused a powerful improvised explosive device planted by militants at the Ratan Bass area in Doda district today.
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States to sign pact to
check power losses Jammu, June 18 This was stated by Chairman and Managing Director, Powergrid Corporation, Mr R.P. Singh, at a news conference here late last evening. Mr R.P. Singh said as far as the distribution and transmission losses were concerned Jammu and Kashmir was “as good or bad as other states.” He stated that the state government owed over Rs 170 crore to the corporation and during his recent meetings with the state authorities concerned he was assured that the arrears would be cleared within one month. Mr R.P. Singh said the corporation had taken in hand major programme of laying transmission lines which would connect the valley with Punjab. For the laying of these transmission lines the corporation had and would have to install tall towers on the mountain routes and it was the responsibility of the state government to ensure the security of these towers. He said the main aim of the Kishenpur (Udhampur)-Moga (Punjab) transmission line was to ensure that power supply to the Kashmir valley was not affected in case of some breakdown. He stated that each line of the project would have the capacity of carrying 400 MW of power. Answering a question he said the corporation did not face any major problem in the troubled Kashmir valley while laying transmission lines. He said the corporation had decided to establish a national backbone telecom network and synergise its power transmission to telecom super highways in a phased manner. In the first phase the corporation would utilise the spare/excess capacity of the network available in the unified load despatch and communication schemes which would link major cities in the northern and the southern regions. Under the second phase the telecom network would be extended to 56 cities, including all state capitals and industrial hubs by the end of 2003. |
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No pact with
NC, says Mohsina Kidwai Srinagar, June 18 Addressing Congress leaders and workers here this afternoon she said the Congress would go it alone the Assembly election in the state. She said: “We have decided that there should be no alliance with the National Conference which has failed to deliver goods in the state.” Ms Kidwai said the Congress sacrificed its government in 1975 and supported late Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah to form a government in the state which had no members in the Assembly. She said she was happy that despite killings of Congress leaders and workers and other odds, the party had remained united in the state. The party would support every move which would help restore peace in the valley, she said. Welcoming the upcoming summit between Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee and Pakistan military ruler General Parvez Musharraf Ms Kidwai said: “We pray to God for its success”. However, she said the outcome of the summit would depend on the sincerity of Mr Vajpayee and General Musharraf.
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