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Thursday,
March 13, 2003, Chandigarh, India  
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Militants
attack telephone exchanges IAF
airlifts 1,059 persons stranded in Ladakh Scrap
Indus Treaty, say House members J&K ASSEMBLY New Master
Plan for Srinagar |
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Gang of
dacoits busted
26
Bangladeshis held near border Treasury Officer
suspended Young
Panthers lock horns with govt LPG
shortage in valley
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Militants attack telephone exchanges Srinagar, March 12 A grenade was hurled by the militants towards CRPF personnel posted at the main telephone exchange building in the heart of Srinagar this afternoon. No one was hurt as the device missed the target, the sources said. The militants also targeted security personnel at a telephone exchange in Anantnag district of south Kashmir late last night but there was no casualty, the sources said. The sources said an LeT militant, identified as Abdul
Qayoowani, was killed last night in an encounter with the security forces near his village at Teligam in the Pattan area of Baramula district in north
Kashmir. A house was also damaged in the encounter. An AK assault rifle and some ammunition were recovered from him, the sources said. Meanwhile, three militants were killed and two others injured in two-separate encounters by the security forces in Doda and Poonch districts of Jammu division today, the sources said. Two militants were shot dead and two injured in an encounter in the Thathri area of Doda district today, they said. Some arms and ammunition, including two AK rifles and four magazines, had been recovered from the militants identified as Farooq Ahmed and Shada Mir, the sources said. Search for the injured militants, who had escaped, was continuing. In another encounter, the security forces gunned down a foreign mercenary identified as Khalid Juber in the Dara Sangla area of Poonch district today, the sources said. The death toll in the Rajouri explosion has risen to two with one more person succumbing to his injuries in hospital today. Of the four seriously injured persons admitted to Government Medical College Hospital here, Bodh Raj succumbed to his injuries this morning. The police and security forces had launched a search operation to nab those responsible for the act.
PTI |
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IAF airlifts 1,059 persons stranded in Ladakh Jammu, March 12 The passengers were stranded as the Khardongla road was submerged under snow and there were huge avalanches around the Khardongla pass, the Deputy Commissioner Leh, Mr Tashi Dorje, told reporters. He said 580 passengers had been airlifted from Leh to Nobra by the IAF in MI-17 helicopter by as many as four sorties each day since March 7. Likewise, 469 Leh-bound passengers were airlifted from Nobra during the period, he said adding the helicopter could not operate yesterday due to inclement weather. The Deputy Commissioner expressed hope that the remaining 74 passengers would be airlifted from Leh and Nobra soon. SRINAGAR: One person was killed and three injured in an avalanche in the border district of Kupwara in north Kashmir, official sources said. Mohammad Sidiq Lone, a resident of Karnah, died when the avalanche struck a group of people moving near Sadhna pass near the LoC last evening, the sources said. Lone’s body was recovered from the snow this morning and handed over to his family for the last rites, the sources said. They said three other persons who also got buried under the snow were rescued by a joint party of the Army and the police and admitted to a hospital. BARAMULA:
A villager was buried alive while his son escaped unhurt in a snowstorm at Tangdhar in north Kashmir. Official sources said one Mohammad Suliaman Khan and his son Farooq Ahmad were caught in a snowstorm at Tangdhar near the Line of Actual Control early this morning. Mr Khan died while his son survived after remaining under snow for about two hours.
PTI, UNI |
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Scrap Indus Treaty, say House members Jammu, March 12 The issue was raised by Congress member Yogesh Sawhney, while moving a private member’s resolution in the House. His demand for the scrapping of the treaty was supported by another Congress member, Mr Raman Bhalla, who
said, "We should stop exporting river water to Pakistan till Islamabad continues to aid cross-border terrorism.” However, a majority of members, including Mr Mehboob Beg and Mir Saifullah (both NC), supported compensation to the state by the Centre in lieu of losses suffered because of the treaty. It may be mentioned that the Legislative Council has already adopted a resolution demanding review of the treaty and payment of compensation to the state in lieu of losses. The state government had earlier informed the two Houses of the legislature that as a result of the treaty, the state suffered an annual loss of Rs 6000 crore in the power sector and over Rs 500 crore in the field of irrigation. The state had been incapacitated in utilising the entire water of the three rivers for generating 10,000 mw of power and irrigating 1.70 lakh hectares. Speaking on the resolution, the Chief Minister, Mufti Mohamad Sayeed, said:, “We cannot scrap the treaty as it is an international law.” He said he was favoured the release of adequate compensation from the Centre in lieu of the losses suffered by the state. The Mufti said he had already requested the Centre to review various clauses of the treaty and modify some to allow relief to Jammu and Kashmir. After the Chief Minister’s remarks, Mr Yogesh Sawhney was asked to withdraw the resolution, which he did. The House was about to take up NC member, Abdul Rahim Rather’s resolution, seeking commitment against the trifurcation of the state, when the Speaker, Mr Tara Chand, announced adjournment of the House. Mr Rather was seen protesting against the adjourning of the House five minutes ahead of schedule. Later, talking to the mediapersons, Mr Rather said the speaker may have taken the “hasty” step because he was not well versed with the House rules. “Had the resolution been allowed to be moved, the issue could have been discussed at other sitting,” he said. His stand was supported by Mr Manjit Singh (BSP) and Mr Ashwani Sharma (State Morcha), who said that the resolution should have been allowed to be tabled. |
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J&K ASSEMBLY Jammu, March 12 Announcing this, the Chief Minister, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, told members of the State Assembly during question hour today that the Centre has decided to recruit boys living in the border areas of Jammu and Kashmir in the new battalions. Three battalions will be raised in the border areas of the Kashmir valley and four in the Jammu region. Earlier, replying to the question tabled by Mr Manjit Singh of the BSP, the Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs, Mr Abdul Rehman Veeri, and the Finance Minister, Mr Muzaffar Hussain Beig, said that since the Kargil conflict in 1999, a large number of people living in border villages have migrated to safer places. He said in 1999 over 25,000 persons migrated from Khour and the adjoining area in Akhnoor tehsil and another 1.53 lakh shifted to safer places after the Pakistani troops stepped up firing and shelling from across Poonch, Rajouri, Jammu and Kathua districts and following occupation of land by the Indian troops for laying mines as part of the military build-up on the border. The minister said since the migration is temporary, the state government has requested the Centre to release funds for constructing safe houses for these migrants. He said the state has decided to allot five marlas of land at safer places where people from the border areas could stay during firing and shelling. Relief to those who had returned to their villages and to those who continued to live in camps will continue. In reply to a question raised by Ms Shanti Devi regarding the number of youth being provided loans under self-employment schemes, Mufti Sayeed said that since the job avenues in the state are limited, self-employment had been found the most suitable project for tackling the problem of unemployment. He said but there have been cases where those who received loans did not utilise them on the approved schemes. Members, cutting across their party affiliation criticised the harassment caused by the bank and industry employees while sanctioning the projects and loans. The Chief Minister agreed that banks did not cooperate in this sector and said the matter had been brought to the notice of the Union Finance Minister and the Reserve Bank of India. He said the two had agreed to sanction opening of more bank branches in the state. He also announced that the government will introduce single window system from where those seeking loans for opening units could get the work completed without delay and corrupt practices. The government also informed the House that steps were being taken to facilitate the return of the Kashmiri migrants to the valley with dignity. It said that under the Kaul committee report, the rehabilitation scheme was estimated to cost Rs 2800 crore. However, the state government has decided to take in hand the scheme in a phased manner and in the first phase, 166 clusters would be raised in Srinagar and Budgam districts which was estimated to cost over Rs 43 crore. In reply to a call attention motion tabled by Mr Raman Bhalla of the Congress, the Finance Minister said that the quantum of relief to the border migrants had been modified since 1999 when it was introduced. He said there was no question of rehabilitating the migrants permanently as the migration over the years has been temporary. Mr Mubarik Gul of the National Conference had raised the issue of the withdrawal of security cover to the protected persons through a call attention motion. Mr Beig in his reply said the government had constituted a security coordination committee, comprising senior functionaries of the police and intelligence agencies. This committee, he added, will periodically review the threat perceptions in case of protected persons and recommend upgrading or downgrading the security cover. He said in certain cases the size of the security cover had been reduced on the recommendations of the committee. He said that in case members had some specific instances to show that the security cover had been withdrawn, the matter will be looked into and security guards provided. The Finance Minister also laid on the table of the House a copy of the Accountability Commission Rules. The commission has already been set up and in the papers tabled today, the government has explained the procedure the complainant had to adopt while filing a complaint against a person before the commission. Soon after the end of zero hour Peer Mohammad Hussain of the PDP, Mr Javed Rana and Mr Mohammad Aslam (both NC) staged a walkout in protest against the curtailment of zero hour from one hour to half an hour. They raised a hue and cry while criticising the Speaker’s ruling on the issue. The Speaker, Mr Tara Chand, warned the members that if they continued to stage protests within the House, he would be forced to do away with the zero hour. |
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New Master Plan for Srinagar Srinagar, March 12 The master plan, approved by the government on Monday, is also applicable in the local area under the Lakes and Water Ways Development Authority, he said, adding that the plan had been designed for the projected population of 23.5 lakh by 2021. 126 villages have also been added to the existing local area. Different strategies have been evolved for the old and new area with the dispersal of infrastructure from high-density zones and distribution and decentralisation of economic and administrative activities to Bemina, Sempora, Ilahi Bagh and Lalmandi with relocation of non-confirming uses. The area under roads has been proposed to be increased to 7 per cent from the existing 3 per cent and the length of road network o be increased to 506 km from the existing 232 km. Five rapid transit corridors, segregation of goods and passenger traffic with a development of a 28-km-long motorway from Galander to Narbal via Wagura, Machua, Humhama and Soiubug and a mass rapid transit system have also been proposed. The official added that 30,000 kanals of land would be acquired for residential and other infrastructural development. Besides, 15,112 hectares of land has been proposed to be brought under residential use against the existing 8,773 hectares to cover the existing housing shortage of 60,000 units and the additional requirement of 2.2 lakh units required for the additional population of 11 lakh by 2021 with emphasis on land-pooling and plot reconstitution.
UNI |
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Gang of dacoits busted Srinagar, March 12 Two leaders of the gang, who were arrested during special raids, unsuccessfully contested the recent Assembly elections on BJP and Panthers Party ticket, the spokesman said. He alleged another one was an informer of the security agencies while the fourth one was a former militant of Al-badar Mujahiden. One of the gang leaders, Farooq Ahmad of Shopian along with his two associates Afzal Beigh of Kishtwar and Ilyas of Shopian allegedly used to plan burglaries at a local hotel in Boulevard along Dal Lake. The manager of the hotel Fayaz Ahmad, of Kulgam was also part of the gang and the place had allegedly become a haven for the dacoits. These Ikhwanis, the group formed by counter-insurgents, political workers were committing the robberies under security cover as all of them were protected persons, the spokesman said. The group had looted over Rs 18 lakh from the Jammu and Kashmir Bank branches of Islamia college, Exchange Road and Nallahmar Road, Rs 9 lakh from UCO Bank at Bohrikadal and Rs 6 lakh from Cooperative Bank, Maharajgunj branch, in Srinagar during the past two years. He said Farooq Ahmad, alias Sher Khan was an active member of the National Panthers Party. He was initially a militant and then joined counter-insurgents and was working with the security agencies. He and his associates were also involved in highway and petrol station robberies. The spokesman identified the arrested BJP activist as Manzoor Ahmad, alias Gul Shah of Kulgam who contested the recent Assembly elections on the party ticket from Kulgam and said he was also involved in various cases of robbery.
PTI |
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Shia mourners
lathi-charged Srinagar, March 12 The arrests were made at Abi
Guzar, Residency Road and MA Road areas when Shia mourners gathered to take out a Muharram procession towards
Dalgate. The police resorted to a lathi charge and lobbed teargas shells to disperse the mourners. Earlier, they gathered in the
Shaheed Gunj locality. The police prevented them from proceeding towards Jehangir Chowk and Lal Chowk. Hundreds of mourners led by APHC leaders Moulvi Abbas Ansari and Javed Ahmad Mir gathered at Abi
Guzar, Regal Chowk, KMD crossing and Central Telegraph Office. The Hurriyat Conference has expressed concern over the use of force against the
processionists and described it as an intervention in religious matters. Muharram processions were held in
Shia-dominated areas of the city. |
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26 Bangladeshis
held near border Jammu, March 12 The Bangladeshi group which included 16 men and four children, was on its way to the international border in R S Pura to cross over to Pakistan late last night, the sources said. However, alert troops arrested them as soon as they were spotted, adding that they were later handed over to the police.
PTI |
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Treasury
Officer suspended Jammu, March 12 According to an order issued by the Financial Commissioner, Finance, Mr M.S. Pandit, Ali Mohammad Ganai will remain attached to the Deputy Director of Accounts and Treasuries, Kashmir, during his suspension period. Five other officials of the Treasury have been transferred and also attached to the office of Deputy Director of Accounts and Treasuries, Kashmir, till further orders. They are Mohammad Sultan Dar, Assistant Accounts Officer, Ghulam Qadir Bhat, Accountant, and Mohammad Sadiq Sheikh, Abdul Rashid Kakroo and Ghulam Sheikh, accounts assistants. Meanwhile, Mr Mohammad Ashraf
Teli, Revenue Officer, has been asked to hold the additional charge of the post of Treasury Officer, Sopore till further orders. |
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Young Panthers lock horns with govt Jammu, March 12 The executive committee of the party, which met here yesterday under the chairmanship of Mr Bansi Lal Sharma, claimed that the appointment of the delimitation commission had been agreed to in the common minimum programme of the coalition. These was no bar that the commission could not be appointed till 2006. The party demanded that the commission be appointed without delay. |
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LPG shortage
in valley Srinagar, March 12 The Director of Food and Supplies Department, Kashmir, Mr Abdul Hameed, who is looking after the public distribution system, has urged the authorities concerned to take remedial measures immediately. |
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