J A M M U   &   K A S H M I R

1,800 more migrate from Akhnoor

Jammu, June 8 Nearly 1,800 persons of 344 families have migrated to safer places from border villages of the Akhnoor sector in Jammu district since yesterday, raising the number of migrants to 1.5 lakh following shelling by Pakistani troops, according to official sources here. Refugees queue to receive cooking oil at a relief centre in Malpur, some 22 km from Jammu on Saturday. Thousands of villagers on both sides of the India-Pakistan border are fleeing their homes for safer places due to the regular cross-border shelling. — Reuters photo

Villagers overpower two counter-insurgents
Baramula, June 8
Two counter-insurgents were overpowered by residents of Hena Pehalpora in the border town of Uri and handed over to the police when they were demanding money from villagers last evening.

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	Security forces remain on high alert following reports of suspected al-Qaeda fighters crossing over to the border. (28k, 56k)

1,800 more migrate from Akhnoor

Jammu, June 8
Nearly 1,800 persons of 344 families have migrated to safer places from border villages of the Akhnoor sector in Jammu district since yesterday, raising the number of migrants to 1.5 lakh following shelling by Pakistani troops, according to official sources here.

The sources said 156 families of the Panjore camp and 193 from Hijhiri Sarai in the Kanachak area had migrated to safer places since yesterday.

Some migrants had been lodged in government schools in the Akhnoor area, they said.

More than 1.5 lakh persons have so far migrated from border villages of Kathua, Jammu, Rajouri and Poonch districts in Jammu division due to shelling and firing by Pakistani troops since last month.

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Secretary I. S. Malhi yesterday said a new relief package was being implemented for border migrants from this month.

The Chief Secretary, who was on a visit to relief camps in Kathua and Jammu, said the quantity of rations had been increased from 9 kg to 11 kg per head. This would include 9 kg of wheat flour and 2 kg of rice.

Cash relief had also been hiked from Rs 200 per head to Rs 400 with a maximum of Rs 1,600 per family, he said.

Cash relief for fodder had been increased from Rs 200 to Rs 300 per family and toll tax on import of fodder into the state had been exempted, Mr Malhi said.

He said the government was exploring the possibility of providing compensation for damage caused to houses due to shelling from across the border.

Compensation would also be provided for damage to rabi and kharif crops, he added.

He said the government was also considering the setting up of more village defence committees in border villages and army authorities were being contacted for the construction of concrete bunkers there so that men who had stayed back could take shelter during shelling. PTI

Villagers overpower two counter-insurgents

Baramula, June 8
Two counter-insurgents were overpowered by residents of Hena Pehalpora in the border town of Uri and handed over to the police when they were demanding money from villagers last evening.

About 100 persons, mostly women and children from Hena Pehalpora, Uri, staged a dharna outside the office of the Deputy Inspector-General of Police here this morning, demanding action against counter insurgents indulging in extortion.

The villagers said surrendered militants working with different security agencies were demanding money from villagers. Anybody who refused to pay was tortured and taken in custody by these counter-insurgents, they alleged.

They said two counter insurgents — Ghulam Rasool Mir and Farooq Pathan — were overpowered by villagers last evening when they were beating a villager after he refused to pay them money.

Both were later handed over to the police, they said. The women in the area alleged that the counter-insurgents harassed them.

The villagers demanded immediate arrest of all counter-insurgents active in this and other adjoining villages. UNI