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Tuesday,
March 12, 2002, Chandigarh, India  
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No fresh taxes proposed in J&K Budget Speaker scolds officers for neglect Rectify J&K electoral rolls: EC Govt not trying to cover
Anantnag killing: CM Farooq asks VHP to review stance |
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IGP: Minister’s attackers held 3 die in mishaps on Kathua-Jammu highway
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No fresh taxes proposed in J&K Budget Jammu, March 11 The annual plan for the next financial year has been placed at Rs 2,500 crore as against Rs 2,050 crore during the current financial year. Winding up the three-day discussion, Finance Minister Abdul Rahim Rather defended his budget proposals informing the House that for another year, no additional taxes had been levied on the people of the state. In view of a demand from the Opposition, the Finance Minister announced a 50 per cent subsidy on seed and fertilisers for those farmers whose crop had been damaged by drought and blast disease. Replying to the charge of the Opposition that the budget proposals were anti-farmer, Mr Rather said there was nothing in his proposals which could place the farmers in trouble. About the accusation of the Opposition that agricultural loans taken by small farmers had not been waived off as promised by the government, the Finance Minister said this required expenditure to the tune of Rs 143 crore, but the Centre had refused to release the amount. He blamed the Centre for delaying the release of funds under one head or the other. He said initial problems faced by the state were in the shape of inordinate delay on the part of the Union Government in finalising the plan allocation. This had forced the state government to prepare the budget proposals on assumptions, he said. Mr Rather referred to the current year’s allocations and said the Centre had agreed on the Annual Plan of Rs 2,050 crore. Mr Rather said in the deficit estimated for the next plan would be of the order of Rs 1,200 crore but with increased Central assistance and tax recovery the deficit would be reduced to a manageable level. He refuted the allegations of some Opposition members that the budget proposals were pro-rich and anti-poor. He said despite fiscal constraints, the government did not impose any fresh taxes because experience had taught him that multiplicity of taxes was not as much result-oriented as the collection of taxes and arrears. The Finance Minister said if the Centre waived off its loan to the state, as had been done in case of Punjab, the state would be able to save several hundred crores of rupees which “we pay as interest on the loan.” |
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Speaker scolds officers for neglect Jammu, March 11 Soon after the question hour, Mr Valik said it was unfortunate that two senior government officers, while recording the House proceedings on March 8, had said the House assembled with the Speaker, Mr Ali Mohammed Naik, in the chair. He said Mr Naik was a member of the Lok Sabha for the past over three years. The Speaker said: “Two senior officers of the state, who were supposed to address the problems of the people, did not know the name of the Speaker of the Assembly.” He said it was a breach of privilege and the two officers could be imprisoned, but added: “I believe in forget and forgiveness being the golden rule of life.” He advised the Chief Minister not to take any punitive action against the two officers, “but message from the head of the government should go to the officers so that they behave properly.” Immediately after the Speaker finished his statement, the Chief Minister got up and said: “I express my deep anguish and pain over the ignorance of our officers.” He said he would ask the Chief Secretary to inquire into it. The two officers, he said, deserved to be suspended and said they should send an apology to the Speaker. The Chief Minister himself apologised to the Speaker and the House. Earlier, during the question hour, the House witnessed a pandemonium with opposition members belonging to the BJP, the Congress and the BSP, staging a walkout in protest against a reply from the Minister for Rural Development, Mr Ajay Sadhotra, which, they said, was incomplete and incorrect. The members raised slogans while walking out of the House protesting against “lopsided” selection of areas for the construction of roads. But the Speaker and the Chief Minister intervened, advising the minister that a uniform scale should have been adopted for the construction of rural roads. Mr Sadhotra informed the House that the selection of the areas for road construction had been done by the Centre and “in case we raised objections, there were chances that the funds would lapse.” At this juncture, the Chief Minister again intervened and asked Mr Sadhotra to take up the matter with the Centre. “We should not accept the haphazard way of selection of areas for construction of roads even if it meant funds getting lapsed,” he said, adding: “We should not remain mute spectators of wrong decisions of the Centre.” Dr Abdullah intervened on two other occasions during the question hour to placate some members who were agitated over the delay in releasing relief to those whose crops had been affected by drought and blast disease. He said 70 per cent of the sports budget was being spent on wage bill of the department. Later, the Chief Minister introduced a bill providing for the conduct of the entrance tests and making selection of candidates for the admission to professional colleges by a board of professional entrance examinations. The board will have a chairman and members to be appointed by the state government. |
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Rectify J&K electoral rolls: EC New Delhi, March 11 The Chief Election Commissioner (CEC), Mr J.M. Lyngdoh, and the Election Commissioner, Mr B.B. Tandon, returned from a three-day visit of the state yesterday. In a statement issued today, the EC said the discussions held by the CEC in the state revealed that “the current electoral rolls in the state are ridden with large-scale inaccuracies and require considerable corrections”. He said the commission had issued instructions for carrying out necessary corrections in the rolls. The exercise would involve comparison with the panchayat rolls to delete names of voters in the rural areas who had died. The exercise also involved house-to-house verification in certain town areas for the deletion of names of voters who had died by tallying with the records of death registers. He said the printing exercise was expected to be over by the end of this month and thereafter “an intensive campaign is to be launched to include those eligible voters who have somehow been left out of the
electoral rolls during the recent revision”. |
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Govt not trying to cover
Anantnag killing: CM Jammu, March 11 Making a statement on the floor of the state Assembly here today, the Chief Minister said, “I want to make it clear that I ordered the DNA tests and if our forces have killed innocent people we should accept the blame.” While reiterating that he did not want to conceal anything, he said those who fudged the DNA samples and those who were responsible for the killing of five innocent persons would be penalised. He said if the DNA tests revealed that innocent people were killed by the Army he would request the Prime Minister and the Defence Minister to order the dismissal of the guilty soldiers. Dr Abdullah said as far as the alleged fudging is concerned two officials have been suspended and an inquiry would be conducted by a retired high court judge into the case. He said the state government was not empowered to take any action against any IAS or IPS officers and if any officer of the Central cadre was found guilty, then he would send those officers out of the state immediately. |
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Farooq asks VHP to review stance Jammu, March 11 He told newsmen here today that the situation on the border was grim and “me need to remain united to fight the Pak-sponsored Proxy war in Jammu and Kashmir.” Dr Abdullah said it was in the interest of the country that the VHP should postpone the proposed pooja. He said in case of any fresh violence neither Hindus nor Muslims would be safe. It would endanger communal brotherhood that has been the beauty of India’s secular tradition. He said the country was passing through a critical period because of encouragement to terrorism from “our neighbour” and required unity and a society free of friction, communal violence and mistrust.
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IGP: Minister’s attackers held Baramula, March 11 Inspector-General of Police K. Rajinder Kumar told reporters here today that the ultras had been nabbed over the past week after three local Hizbul Mujahideen commanders responsible for the attacks had been identified. Six AK rifles, six pistols, 20 grenades, five wireless sets, 4 kg of explosives and 1,000 rounds of ammunition had also been seized, he said. The militants had been involved in the attack on Mr Sagar, besides hurling grenades and causing mine blasts in Baramula and Sopore towns. The special team, drawn from state police and the Special Operation Group, had been constituted after a spurt in militant activities. Mr K. Rajinder Kumar said the local Army units at Baramula and Sopore had also chipped in to nab those responsible for the attacks.
UNI |
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3 die in mishaps on
Kathua-Jammu highway Kathua, March 11 According to the Kathua police, in one accident near Chhan Arorian village, Hiranagar, a Maruti van carrying six persons on way to Lakhanpur collided with a truck coming from the opposite direction. Two were killed on the spot and four seriously injured. The two killed have been identified as Angraj Singh (55) of Talli Patyari Kathu Distt and Surinder Kumar (26) of Rajpura village Hiranagar. Krishma Devi (18) of Hiranagar tehsil was crushed to death by an Army vehicle at Kalibari Morh on the Kathua-Jammu national highway. In another accident a truck rolled down from a bridge on the Ravi early today. In which the driver, identified as Abdul Quyoom and cleaner Altaf of Rajouri were seriously injured and shifted to the CMC, Jammu. A Deputy Commandant of the CRPF, rescued both from the Ravi. A case has been registered.
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