J A M M U   &   K A S H M I R

Border adjustments only solution: Farooq
Jammu, January 12
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah has said ultimately some “border adjustments” will have to be made to solve the Kashmir issue, but nobody in India can think of parting with Kashmir.

J&K steps for migrants’ wards education
Jammu, January 12
The Jammu and Kashmir government has taken several steps to ensure that the academic career of over 10,000 migrant students remained unaffected. During the past 15 days, these students, who had along with their parents, migrated from the border villages of Akhnoor, Poonch, Rajouri and Samba sectors following heavy Pak firing and shelling, had been deprived of class work activities. Even those who had not migrated suffered when the school buildings, in which they had been enrolled, had been occupied by the border migrants.

Truce between Cong rebels, loyalists likely
Jammu, January 12
The chance of a truce between dissidents and loyalists in the state unit of the Congress have brightened following indications received by the former that the AICC leadership was prepared to accept some of their demands, except the one relating to the ouster of PCC chief Mohammad Shafi Qureshi.

Border adjustments only solution: Farooq

Jammu, January 12
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah has said ultimately some “border adjustments” will have to be made to solve the Kashmir issue, but nobody in India can think of parting with Kashmir.

Pakistan should translate its words into action to create an atmosphere to sort out all pending issues between the two countries through dialogue, he said. PTI

J&K steps for migrants’ wards education
Tribune News Service

Jammu, January 12
The Jammu and Kashmir government has taken several steps to ensure that the academic career of over 10,000 migrant students remained unaffected. During the past 15 days, these students, who had along with their parents, migrated from the border villages of Akhnoor, Poonch, Rajouri and Samba sectors following heavy Pak firing and shelling, had been deprived of class work activities. Even those who had not migrated suffered when the school buildings, in which they had been enrolled, had been occupied by the border migrants.

A makeshift school for over 400 migrant students has been established in the SIDCO complex at Samba and for the non-campers they would be adjusted in nearby schools. The migrant teachers have been directed to work as additional teachers.

These and other decisions were taken at a high-level meeting which was presided over by the Chief Secretary, Mr Ashok Jaitly. Mr Jaitly suggested to the Education Department to prepare an action plan on the matter regarding accommodating migrant students so that they did lose a year.

The Board of School Education has been asked to allow the migrant students to deposit their examination forms with late fee which would be made available by the authorities to the students at the camps.

The Education Department has been asked to send a team of officers to Poonch, Rajouri, Jammu outskirts and Kathua district to study the situation and report back within one week the progress made in imparting education to border migrant students.

The government is also trying to provide tented accommodation wherever the tents were available so that schools could be set up for the students. In case the need arose, the government would take on rent buildings where the schools could be housed.

In the programme of ensuring unhampered class work for the migrant students, the Chief Secretary has assigned this task to the Divisional Commissioner, Jammu, District Development Commissioners and authorities concerned of the Board of School Education and the Education Department.

Two things continue to cause worry to the government: one, there is no let-up in migration from the border areas in the wake of continued Pak firing and shelling, and secondly, the resources being limited, it would not be possible for the state authorities to help the migrants without Central assistance.

Truce between Cong rebels, loyalists likely
M. L. Kak
Tribune News Service

Jammu, January 12
The chance of a truce between dissidents and loyalists in the state unit of the Congress have brightened following indications received by the former that the AICC leadership was prepared to accept some of their demands, except the one relating to the ouster of PCC chief Mohammad Shafi Qureshi.

Senior dissident leaders, including Mr Mangat Ram Sharma, had a meeting with several senior Congress leaders, including the President, Ms Sonia Gandhi, in Delhi recently. The dissidents had been asked to visit Delhi again as the party leadership was busy in giving final touches to the list of candidates.

Sources said the party high command had agreed to induct several dissident leaders, including MLAs, into the PCC and the executive committee. Indications were that the party would field a dissident leader from the Jammu Lok Sabha constituency where the byelection was slated for February 21.

The dissidents have one major demand to be conceded. They want the party high command to appoint two working presidents, one for the Jammu region and another for Ladakh. Since Mr Qureshi belongs to the Kashmir valley there is no need to have a working president for the valley.