The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

Friday, July 19, 2002, Chandigarh, India

J A M M U & K A S H M I R

J&K ASSEMBLY
Migrant Property Act to cover Jammu too
Srinagar, July 18
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Dr Farooq Abdullah today said the scope of the Jammu and Kashmir Migrant Immovable Property (Preservation, Protection and Restraint on distress Sale) Act 1997 would be extended to the area in Jammu region where people had to leave their homes in the wake of border shelling.

An angry Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah warns his Junior Minister for Food and Supplies, Bashir Ahmad Naugroo, that he cannot escape responsibility in an alleged scandal regarding allotment of tenders to floor-mill owners. The issue rocked the state assembly for the third day. — Photo Amin War

Army men resent ST hike on CSD items in J&K
Jammu, July 18
More than 10 lakh serving Army personnel and ex-servicemen, most of them engaged in guarding the most volatile and difficult border and in counter-insurgency operations, have complained of “discrimination” by the state government.

YOUR TOWN

Jammu
Srinagar

EARLIER STORIES

	Jaitley’s appointment a ‘gimmick’ July 18, 2002
	Trifurcation demand a conspiracy: Farooq July 17, 2002
	J&K poll may be put off by 6 months July 16, 2002
	Pahalgam gets facelift for Amarnath yatra July 15, 2002
	NC ready for poll under Governor’s rule July 14, 2002
	No respite in sight for valley commuters July 13, 2002
	Omar softens stand on Governor’s rule July 12, 2002
	Lathi charge on migrants: NC hand alleged July 11, 2002
	Transporters’ stir hits life in valley July 10, 2002

J&K ASSEMBLY
Migrant Property Act to cover Jammu too
TNS and agencies

Srinagar, July 18
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Dr Farooq Abdullah today said the scope of the Jammu and Kashmir Migrant Immovable Property (Preservation, Protection and Restraint on distress Sale) Act 1997 would be extended to the area in Jammu region where people had to leave their homes in the wake of border shelling.

The Bill was aimed at the prevention of distress sale of property in other parts of the state as has been already done in the case of Kashmiri migrant Pandits, he told the Assembly.

He was replying to a discussion on a private members Bill moved by Mr Hareshdev Singh of the Panthers Party calling for amendment in the Act.

The Bill to repeal the Jammu and Kashmir Grant of Permit and Resettlement in (or permanent return to) the State Act 1982 was rejected by the House.

The Bill to provide free education, scholarship and hostel facilities up to college and university level and provide employment to the children of the victims of militancy in the state after the completion of their education moved by Mir Saifullah was withdrawn after the government opposed it.

Another Bill to provide financial assistance and education facilities to the children belonging to the families living below poverty line in the state by him was also rejected and later withdrawn by the member.

Mr Ashok Kumar Sharma moved a Bill to provide insurance for crops and cattle to the farmers of the state. However, after the Chief Minister’s assurance that the matter would be taken up with the Centre, the member withdrew the Bill.

Blaming Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) for the assassination of Abdul Ghani Lone, the state government today made it clear that it was “dealing a deterrent to saner elements in secessionist circles” for he was perceived a threat to the sustenance of militancy.

Replying to a call-attention notice by CPM member Mohammad Yusuf Tarigami, the Minister of State for Home, Mr Khalid Najeeb Suhrawardy told the Legislative Assembly today that the government had intelligence reports on threat to the lives of these leaders. He said similar threats had also been made to the lives of the mainstream political party leaders, and adequate steps had been taken for their safety and security. The senior APHC executive committee member and leader of the Peoples Conference, Abdul Ghani Lone, who fell to the bullets of unidentified gunmen at Idgah here on May 21 last on the occasion of 12th death anniversary of Mirwaiz Mohammad Farooq, was like others guarded by two PSOs.

Terrorists and their “godfathers” in Pakistan planned to sabotage the political process in Jammu and Kashmir and silent the ‘saner voices’ in secessionist circles through murdering Hurriyat Conference leader Abdul Gani Lone.

Replying to a calling attention motion in the Assembly Minister In charge of Home Khalid Najeeb Suharwardhy said the police had rounded up some suspects in this connection and they are being questioned.

Mr Khalid said assassination of Mr Lone was carried out at a time when the political process in the state had started gaining momentum. Separatist elements, visibly under pressure on account of this took it as a hurdle to their ‘prospects’ and worked to eliminate the ‘moderate leaders’ of the HC.

As many as 3,184 youths have been missing since the eruption of militancy in Jammu and Kashmir. Of these 135 have been declared as dead and ex-gratia sanctioned to their kin, the state Legislative Assembly was told today.

The Minister of State for Home, Mr Khalid Najeeb Suhrawardy, told the House in reply to a question from Abdul Rahman Veeri of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) during question hour that those missing youths were either been lured into militancy or gone underground or across the border for arms training. The minister said the missing reports of 3,184 persons had been registered between January, 1990 and June 2002. He pointed out that 114 persons were arrested under POTA till July 12 in the state of whom five were from Anantnag district and three from Pulwama district. Giving a district-wise breakdown, the minister pointed out that of those missing, 2,351 were missing from the Kashmir division, while 833 were reported missing from the Jammu region.

The minister stated that the challan was produced in the court of law against three personnel of the BSF who were allegedly involved in the gang-rape of a minor Gujjar girl in the Pahalgam area.

Answering cases pending before the State Human Rights Commission, the minister said the commission which was set up in 1997 had received 1,726 complaints up to June 30, out of which 811 complaints had been redressed and 915 were waiting disposal. “Personnel of the police, paramilitary forces and the Army are told to ensure the safety of persons lifted or taken into custody for questioning while combating militancy in the state”, he stated. The minister said a sub-committee of the SHRC had been constituted to make surprise visits to all jails and judicial lock-ups, detention centres etc where the detainees are kept.

To another question, the Minister of State for Home, said 384 persons were killed in militancy-related incidents in the state since the last Assembly session.

Army men resent ST hike on CSD items in J&K
M. L. Kak
Tribune News Service

Jammu, July 18
More than 10 lakh serving Army personnel and ex-servicemen, most of them engaged in guarding the most volatile and difficult border and in counter-insurgency operations, have complained of “discrimination” by the state government.

A secret note, based on a series of memoranda, submitted by a large number of Army personnel, men of the paramilitary forces and ex-servicemen, prepared by the station headquarters in Jammu has been sent to the Army Headquarters in Delhi suggesting immediate steps to force the state government to withdraw sales tax and surcharge on sales tax levied on a number of consumer items sold through CSD.

The note, according to official sources, stated that serving Army personnel and ex-servicemen had complained of “discrimination” on the plea that when all these CSD items were not taxable in other states and the union territories.

The state government has, it may be mentioned, hiked the sales tax and excise on a number of CSD items, including liquor. In April 2002, the state government imposed 4 per cent sales tax and 5 per cent surcharge on sales tax on all items, including refrigerators, vehicles, television sets, ACs, cameras, film rolls, suit cases, crockery, toasters, perfumes, transistors and other items of daily use.

The state Budget proposals for the current financial year has charged excise duty of the tune of Rs 150 LPL and Rs 130 per LPL for deluxe and premium brands of whisky. This hike has been applicable to the CSD liquor and the measure has been envisaged to yield an additional revenue of Rs 3 crore per annum.

The import duty on IMFL has been enhanced from Rs 10 to Rs 15 per LPL and it is expected to yield additional revenue of Rs 5 crore. Referring to the hike in excise on liquor available in canteens several senior Army officers said: “We get a bottle of rum for Rs 78 in any part of India but the same is sold to us at Rs 105 in Jammu and Kashmir.

They said popular brands of IMFL had become very costly after the state government hiked the excise twice in the past two years. In support of their contention they said “Our counterparts in rest of the country can buy a bottle of premium whisky from the CSD for Rs 118 to 120 as against Rs 190 and Rs 195 in Jammu and Kashmir.”

They said in the case of other luxurious items “We have to pay anything between Rs 400 and Rs 700 more than our counterparts in other states.” “Isn’t it discrimination?” They have said in their representation adding that the very purpose of the CSD facilities “is defeated” and “there is not much difference between the CSD prices and the open market prices”.

One Army officer said ex-servicemen had been put to a lot of inconvenience as they had to pay from their meagre pension amount for buying CSD items.

He said the Army and the BSF had taken in hand several development projects in the remote areas of the state and when such a task was expected to be done by the state authorities.