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Saturday,
February 8, 2003, Chandigarh, India  
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Intentions good, odds formidable Move on 2 voluntary force battalions Efforts on to revive agriculture Pak attempt to disrupt border fencing |
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Man, girl killed in valley
Jail inmates stage dharna
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Intentions good, odds formidable Jammu, February 7 There is a change in these 100 days and people venture out of houses even at night and commercial establishments remain open till late in the evening. This is different of earlier situation of scare and uniformed men armed with weapons giving the impression that the state being under siege. Alliance partners, including the Panthers Party, the CPM and Independents deserve credit for it. Peace with dignity has been on the top of the agenda of the Mufti who has been the Home Minister of India and led the Congress struggle against the regime of Sheikh Abdullah. The Mufti’s initiative indicate his determination to fulfil the commitment made in the common minimum programme and put the state back on the rails. Another achievement of the Mufti has been to avoid confrontation and seek cooperation of opposition parties in the Assembly. Treasury Benches and the opposition showed solidarity in the recent session of the Assembly when the government agreed to all amendments moved by the opposition National Conference on the Accountability Commission Bill to curb corruption in high places. No major incident of human rights violation has come to light, except two in which immediate action was taken by the government. The healing tough policy of the Mufti is being watched with fingers crossed, but it has started yielding results as local militants were drifting away from the hardcore. Their relatives have been given jobs by the government. However, the release of about 24 militants by government has come under severe criticism and even Mr Advani took serious view of this. Further release of militants has been stopped and a Screening Committee with representatives of the Union Home Ministry will examine each case before releasing them. People of Ladakh have been given the due which the previous National Conference government denied them for six years. The Mufti government has empowered the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council with all that was provided in the Act. This has decentralised powers for further development of this region. A council for the Kargil district will also be set up in June with similar powers. The handicapped,
destitutes, old and infirm have also received attention of the Mufti government as not only their pension has been enhanced, but the system of doorstep delivery of the pension has been introduced. However, it is too early to judge the performance of a government and with the type of challenges before the coalition set-up. Many turns and twists in the scenario are expected in the days to come. |
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Move on 2 voluntary force battalions Jammu, February 7 Official sources said Special Police Officers (SPOs) and renegade militants expert in the handling of weapons, are to be recruited in the VF. At present the SPOs are posted either on security duty or are heading the Village Defence Committees (VDCs). After raising two battalions of the VF its men would be given specialised training in counter-insurgency. A recruit will get about Rs 3,000, double the amount an SPO is getting this time. The VF recruits would be trained to handle sophisticated weapons to reduce pressure on personnel of the Army and paramilitary forces detailed for counter-insurgency. Sources said that the process for the raising of two battalions, has been started. Recruitment would start when funds are available. The government aims at rehabilitating of the militants who over the years, had surrendered before the security forces and pledged to join the mainstream. The coalition government had received reports that the delay in the rehabilitation of renegade militants had created a situation when many were tempted back to militancy because these militants failed to eke out a living for themselves and financial distress forced them to rejoin militant ranks for monetary benefits. The authorities concerned are said to be exploring the possibility of recruiting able-bodied members of the VDCs whose track record in fighting militants has been good. The VDC members had been given a raw deal. They were equipped neither with sophisticated weapons, which was necessary for fighting well armed militants, nor were they paid any salary. In several cases VDC members did not even receive Rs 200 per month. Besides raising the VF Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, has urged the Union Home Ministry and the Ministry of Defence to hold special recruitment rallies in Jammu and Kashmir so that more boys from the state could join the Army and paramilitary forces. The Chief Minister has conveyed to the Centre that as a result of few job avenues in the state coupled with financial crises the Union Government’s assistance was needed for resolving the problem of unemployment. Kashmir experts are of the view that local youths, if recruited in paramilitary forces and the VF could tackle militancy better than the security forces brought from other states because the local boys were familiar with the terrain and nature of the people. |
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Efforts on to revive agriculture Srinagar, February 7 Expressing concern of the government over such trends, the Minister of State for Agriculture, Mr Aijaz Ahmed Khan, here said today that the special packages were being chalked out for the overall development of the sector with the involvement of
people at the grassroots level. He said that major thrust would be on keeping each one related to the field of agriculture associated with a related unit that provides a regular monetary return, even to the smallest dweller in the sector. In an informal chat with mediapersons, the first after the new government took over, Mr Khan said here this morning that technology mission was aimed at providing all requisite facilities to the farmers in the state. He said that the mission included meeting out draught conditions and providing irrigation facilities, besides providing plants from modern nurseries and preventing soil erosion in various parts of the state. Mr Khan disclosed that a micro-management programme for the common masses had already been chalked out that provides subsidy for orchard development and plantation of fruit trees in different parts of the state. Subsidy was also being granted for purchasing fertilisers and various tools and kits required in the agricultural and horticulture sectors. Incentives were also being given through the Kisan Behboodi Committee (Farmers Welfare Committee) or the Kaun Banega Crorepati to meet the requirements of farmers at the grass-roots level. These committees would have quarterly meetings and the recommendations put forth therein would be taken up by the government for the overall development of the sector, Mr Khan said. He said the major thrust would be on massive plantation of quality plants and seeds provided by the department. Referring to this week’s two-day conference on horticulture in northern states attended among others by the Union Agriculture Minister, Mr Ajit Singh, Mr Khan said it was a part of the resolve of the state government to look into the problems of the agricultural sector in the state. He said the state government had demanded Rs 550 crore from the Central Government to overcome the problems faced by the agricultural and horticultural sectors in this border state. |
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Pak attempt to disrupt border fencing Jammu, February 7 The Pakistani Rangers, armed with heavy weaponry, opened heavy fire from their forward posts on the BSF soldiers engaged in the border fencing work along the border in the R.S. Pura, Samba and Ramgarh areas since this morning, the sources said. One BSF jawan, Suman Kumar, received a volley of bullets at the Sangral Border Post. He has been hospitalised, they said. “However, border fencing is still on and was not disrupted at all by the Pak firing,” they said. Troops from across the border have continuously being resorting to firing, usually from dusk to dawn, to disrupt the fencing work, and for a change fired during the day today, the sources said. There were also reports of cross-border shelling from Bhawani Laam and Noushera areas of Rajouri sector today. However, there were no casualties, they said.
PTI |
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Man, girl
killed in valley Militants opened fire on the Ikhwanis at Frisal village, 75 km from here, which was retaliated by the counter-insurgents, the sources said. Two civilians identified as Bilal Ahmad and Rafeeqa Bano died instantly. Two
Ikhwanis, Gulzar Ahmad Ganai and Abdul Hamid and a child identified as Sahib were injured in the shoot-out, they said.
PTI
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Strike hits life in Kashmir Srinagar, February 7 Shops and business establishments in the main business centre Lal Chowk, Budshah Chowk, the nerve centre of the city, and the other adjoining areas remained closed due to the bandh. Although transport was off the roads, private and some passenger vehicles were seen plying on some city routes. Work in government offices was also affected as most employees stayed away. The strike was so far peaceful, officials said.
UNI |
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Jail inmates stage dharna Jammu, February 7 The five jail inmates were alleging that the failure of the state government in providing them with a security escort to take them to court had resulted in the trial getting postponed time and again, the sources said. Meanwhile, Public Accounts Committee chairman M.Y. Tarigami, who recently reviewed the arrangements made for the jail inmates, assured them of all possible help from the government and called for an immediate end to the protest that entered its third day today.
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Srinagar, February 7