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Delay
in appointment of commission chief 9 hurt
in grenade attack Woman
killed, 2 hurt in Pak shelling BJP for
reorganisation of J&K J&K
woman to retain resident status 2
killed, 22 injured in bus accident |
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Delay in appointment of commission chief Jammu, November 1 The reply seems to be in the affirmative if one looks at the delay in the takeover after the Cabinet clearing the appointment of Mr Mohammad Shaffi Pandit, Finance Secretary, to the post more than a month ago. It is learnt that although the Governor has also given his consent to the decision of the Cabinet, Mr Pandit has not assumed charge of the PSC so far. The post has been vacant for four months following the retirement of Mr H.Y. Tayabji in June last. It is being said that the formal order of appointment of Mr Pandit is being delayed by the authorities. Reports have been in circulation for some time that a minister who wields much influence with the Mufti had wanted Mr Pandit to be appointed Chief Secretary in place of Mr S.S. Biloria. However, some ministers from Jammu put their foot down and did not allow Mr Biloria to be thrown out unceremoniously to make room for Mr Pandit. The Mufti was also not in a position to annoy Jammuites by humiliating Mr Biloria, who was the first Chief Secretary from here. The Mufti government had chosen Mr Pandit for the post after rejecting a panel of three names suggested for the post. For almost three months there was no consensus among the ministers on the selection for the post, and finally in a surprise move the name of Mr Pandit was approved by the Cabinet. Initially, there were indications that Mr Biloria may be shifted to the PSC to clear the decks for the promotion of Mr Pandit as Chief Secretary. Prior to his appointment as chairman of the PSC, Mr Pandit was appointed chairman-cum-managing director of the Rural Electrification Corporation at the Centre, but the Mufti government did not allow him to proceed on central deputation as it wanted him to be made secretary of some department. This is not the first time that the bureaucracy has emerged stronger than the Cabinet in Jammu and Kashmir. The Chief Secretary of the previous regime of Dr Farooq Abdullah saw to it that the decision of the Cabinet regarding the appointment of a Lokayukta to check corruption in high places was not implemented. The file pertaining to the decision was put in cold storage although the cabinet had twice ordered that the institution should be set up in the state. |
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9 hurt in grenade attack Srinagar, November 1 Terrorists lobbed a hand grenade towards a passing security vehicle at Narabal chowk which missed the intended target and exploded on the roadside at around 4.10 pm, they said. Nine persons were injured and several vehicles damaged in the blast, the sources said. This is the eighth grenade attack in the Valley since the commencement of the Muslim fasting month of Ramzan on Tuesday. Two persons were killed and scores of others injured in the seven grenade blasts earlier. Although no militant outfit has claimed responsibility for today’s attack, the Lashkar-e-Toiba had threatened to step up the attacks on security forces during the month of Ramzan. Meanwhile, four militants, including a Pakistani national, were killed in separate encounters with security forces in Kashmir Valley since last night, official sources said today. Two unidentified terrorists were killed by the troops of 29 Rashtriya Rifles in an encounter at Karewah Hyderbaig in Baramula district, the sources said. They said troops had laid an ambush in the area following specific information about the movement of militants early today. On observing the two militants, the troops asked them to surrender but they opened fire and in the retaliatory action by troops both were killed. Some arms and ammunition were seized from them. A Pakistani militant, identified as Abdul Rehman Code Sajja of the Hizbul Mujahideen outfit, was killed in an encounter with BSF troops at Duniwari village in Badgam district last night. Troops of 118 Battalion of the BSF, along with the local police, laid an ambush in the village and noticed the movement of two militants who fired on them on being challenged, they said. The troops retaliated and in the ensuing fierce gunbattle the foreign mercenary was killed. However, his associate escaped from the scene taking advantage of darkness, they said, adding that an AK rifle, its magazine and two hand grenades were seized from the deceased. In another encounter, the sources said troops of 7 Rashtriya Rifles killed a militant during search operations at Chatergul-Shangus in Anantnag district of south Kashmir. Some arms and ammunition were seized from him. JAMMU: Close on the heels of the surrender of 19 top militants, 11 hardcore militants, including three top commanders of the Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT), the Hizbul-Mujahideen (HM) and Harkat-ul-Jehadi Islami were killed in separate gunbattles in Jammu and Kashmir since last night, official sources said here today. Army troops launched a seek-and-destroy operation in the Surankote area of Poonch district last night following intelligence inputs that a jehad council meeting was taking place in the Mohra Bachaie forest belt in the district, the sources told PTI here. Militants fired on the troops, who retaliated, the sources said, adding that in the exchange of fire, four terrorists were killed and two others escaped. In the continued operation, two more militants were killed this afternoon. Those killed included three top commanders, the sources said. The terrorists were identified as HUJI platoon commander Abu Kamraz, Hizb area commander Hamza Turki and LeT district commander Mustaq Khan, both residents of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), the sources said. The security forces seized six AK rifles, 2 Pika guns, 8 kg of RDX, 35 UBGL grenades, 14 hand grenades, 3 RPGs, 4 RPG rockets and some other explosive material from the spot of encounter. In the operation, a Junior Commission Officer Subedar N. Singh was also killed and two jawans wounded, they said, adding that the search operation was continuing in the area when last reports came in, they said. Two other militants killed in the Mohra Bachaie (Surankote) gunbattle were identified as Doctor and Mustgul, both Pakistanis, they said. In another encounter in the Kadi Nallah area of Doda district this afternoon, an unidentified militant was killed and a jawan injured. The operation was still on, they said.
— PTI |
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Woman killed, 2 hurt in Pak shelling Srinagar, November 1 A woman, Sharbat Begam was killed when an artillery shell exploded outside her house in Tad village near the Line of Control (LoC) in the Karnah sector of Kupwara district last Night, the sources said. With this incident, the toll in Pakistani shelling along the LoC has risen to two during the past three days. Troops from across the LoC targeted defence posts and civilian areas with mortar shells in the Sowjian sector in Poonch district yesterday, they said adding that Mohammed Rashid Dar sustained splinter injuries when a shell exploded near his house in Dhana village. A BSF jawan, who was driving an excavator used for making protective bandhs, was wounded in the firing by Pakistani troops near the
Octroi border outpost in the R S Pura sector last evening, they said. Pakistani troops also targeted the Kargil and Drass sectors over the past few days damaging 18 houses, the sources said.
— PTI |
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BJP for reorganisation of J&K Jammu, November 1 Dr Nirmal Singh, the state BJP chief, told mediapersons here today that the coalition government of Mufti Mohammad Sayeed was discriminating against the Jammu region in employment, road development, rural electrification, education, agriculture, industry, tourism and other fields. He alleged that the Mufti government, backed by the Congress and the Panthers Party, was pursuing a “pro-militant and anti-Jammu” agenda. A senior minister had been accused of links with the terrorists who attacked the Akshardham temple in Gujarat where several innocent people were massacred, he added. The BJP leader claimed that the police was “ineffective” as it allowed a group of terrorists to travel about 70 km towards Akhnoor after derailing the Shalimar Express last week. Dr Singh claimed that the security forces were demoralised because of the “pro-terrorist” policies of the Mufti government. He demanded that the “anti-India and militant-friendly” healing touch policy must be scrapped and terrorists and separatists “crushed with an iron hand.” He also demanded that at least 50 per cent jobs under the Prime Minister’s employment package must be earmarked for the Jammu region and 50 per cent of the PM’s tourism package should be spent in the Jammu region. The Wazir Commission report should be implemented and three new districts of Kishtwar, Reasi and Samba should be established, he added. Dr Nirmal Singh said the displaced persons of the border areas should be treated at par with the Kashmiri migrants and provided similar packages. Refugees from west Pakistan should be given citizenship rights, he said. The BJP leader demanded that trade should be allowed to flourish in the Jammu region and entry taxes on cloth and other commodities should be abolished to save the businessmen from harassment at the Lakhanpur checkpost. |
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J&K woman to retain resident status Jammu, November 1 She had approached the court after objections were raised on this issue in her case for the selection of teaching guide in a primary school. Disposing of the petition, Mr Justice Kohli said merely on this basis that the husband was not a permanent resident of the state, she would not lose her status of a permanent resident after her marriage as had been decided by the full Bench of this court.
— PTI |
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2 killed, 22 injured in bus accident Jammu, November 1 The accident took place around 9.15 am when the driver of the bus, which was on its way to Jammu from Bhaderwah, lost control of the vehicle while negotiating a curve. The police and local residents extricated the injured from the wreckage and rushed them to a nearby hospital.
— PTI |
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60 kg of opium seized Jammu, November 1 Army personnel intercepted the vehicle when it was on the way from Srinagar to Jammu. During a search, the personnel seized 60 kg of opium concealed in sleeping bags and arrested two alleged smugglers, Charanjeet Singh of Jalandhar and Bashir Ahmed Mir of Pampore.
— PTI |
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