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Five militants shot in encounters
Chinks appear in Panthers Party
Extend apex fare scheme to Jammu, demands BJP
J&K gets 49 cr for setting up 14 colleges
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Five militants shot in encounters
Jammu, October 18 Police sources said acting on a tip-off about the presence of six foreign militants at Sanai in Poonch, security forces were rushed to the area this afternoon. However, when the troops were carrying out searches, militants opened fire, which was returned. In the ensuing encounter lasting over three hours, three foreign militants were eliminated. The sources said at least three more militants were trapped in the area and intermittent exchange of fire between them and troops was continuing when reports last came in. A civilian, identified as Mohammad Hussain, was also wounded in the encounter. He has been hospitalised. A huge cache of arms and ammunition was seized. In another encounter, the security forces shot dead two unidentified militants at Sabzi Madoon near Darhal in Rajouri in the afternoon. Two AK rifles, seven AK magazines, 150 rounds, three hand grenades, two wireless sets, one dictaphone and four detonators were recovered from the encounter site. Militants fired at a patrol party of 39 Rashtriya Rifles near Mendhar in Poonch as a result of which Havaldar Sohan Singh was killed on the spot. Militants later fled from the spot unhurt. The police today recovered the bullet-riddled body of Mohammad from Ban Wali Dhok near Morha Bachai in Poonch. He was abducted by militants from his residence at Morha Bachai on October 11.
— UNI |
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Chinks appear in Panthers Party
Jammu, October 18 The Panthers Party had fielded candidates for three seats as rebels of the coalition government but all of them forfeited their security. Of the 1,10,722 valid votes polled in the three constituencies of Akhnoor, Basohli and Batmaloo, the Panthers Party candidates got only 1079 votes, which was not even one per cent of the total votes. It is learnt that the Education Minister, Mr Harshdev Singh, was annoyed with Mr Bhim Singh for having made the party a laughing stock by fielding his candidates against the major coalition partners of the Congress and the PDP. Both these parties had decided to contest two seats each in Jammu and the Kashmir valley, but Mr Bhim Singh rejected the move and fielded his own candidates. Mr Harshdev Singh, who belongs to the Panthers Party, did not campaign for the candidates fielded by Mr Bhim Singh and is learnt to have beforehand conveyed his displeasure over his decision. The Congress has already demanded that the Panthers Party should be thrown out of the coalition as Mr Bhim Singh not only fielded rebels in the fray, but has also been making statements that have embarrassed the state government. There were indications that the Panthers Party might split in case Mr Bhim Singh was removed from the coalition. Two of the four MLAs of the party were ministers. Mr Bhim Singh is himself an MLC. In the recently concluded byelections, Mr Bhim Singh did not field any candidate against Chief Minister Mufti Sayeed in the Pahalgam constituency, but his nominee Mrs Shameema Begum in the Batmaloo constituency got only 100 of the 12,443 votes polled for the seat. This was 0.80 per cent of the total polled votes. The Panthers Party candidate, Mr Kartar Singh, in the Basohli constituency which Mr Bhim Singh claimed to be his stronghold, polled only 505 of the total 42,977 valid votes in the constituency. The performance of the party in the Akhnoor constituency was equally poor where Mr Ashok Kumar got only 474 of the 55,302 votes polled. This was not for the first time that Mr Bhim Singh has tried to play a spoilsport for the coalition by fielding rebel candidates against the coalition partners. His party contested the four Lok Sabha seats of Jammu, Udhampur, Baramula and Srinagar constituencies last time, but failed to win any of these. Mr Bhim Singh, who himself unsuccessfully contested the election for the Udhampur Lok Sabha seat, polled the highest number of 20,609 votes in the Ramnagar constituency that is represented by Mr Harshdev Singh. Meanwhile, Mr Bhim Singh has described the byelections as a “fraud and electoral manipulation”. He has blamed the Congress for the alleged irregularities. Talking to mediapersons, Mr Bhim Singh threatened that the Panthers Party would quit the coalition in case the Mufti Government did not take them into confidence while formulating policies. Justifying fielding of his party candidates in the byelections, he said no political party could afford to get distanced from people and moreover the coalition partners did not take them into confidence on seat adjustment, he said. |
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Extend apex fare scheme to Jammu, demands BJP
Jammu, October 18 In a statement here today, Mr Khajuria described this as yet another discriminatory step against the Jammu region. He pointed out that over 60 lakh Vaishnodevi pilgrims and tourists come to Jammu every year, but the Kashmir-dominated government was not bothered about their comforts. The apex fare scheme should be extended to Jammu immediately. He said under this step-motherly attitude of the government, a passenger travelling in the same aircraft would have to pay a higher fare incase he gets down here instead of flying further to Srinagar. |
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J&K gets 49 cr for setting up 14 colleges
Jammu, October 18 The Education Minister, Mr Harshdev Singh, told the TNS here today that it was for the first time that the Centre was providing grants for opening colleges in a state. This has been done because the education infrastructure in the state was badly damaged during militancy. Moreover, the topography of the state also warranted the opening of new colleges. This would also benefit female students who had to discontinue their studies because there were no colleges in the neighbourhood. Mr Harshdev said the Centre had agreed to provide funds for these colleges following a series of meetings. The state government would provide an annual recurring expenditure of about Rs 5 crore for these colleges. These colleges will be in addition to the three already established colleges at Reasi, Kulgam and Ganderbal. The college at Samba would be made functional next year. He said four campuses of the Jammu and Kashmir University would be set up at Kathua and Doda in Jammu and Baramula and Anantnag in the valley. The minister said for the first time 11 colleges in the state have been graded as high quality institutions by the NAAC. These have now become entitled for direct funding for infrastructure and introduction of new courses from the UGC. These institutions in Jammu include, the MAM College, GGM Science College, SPMR College of Commerce, girls colleges at Gandhinagar and Parade Ground and in Kashmir valley, Amar Singh College, Girls College at MA Road, Bemina College, S.P.College, Women College at Anantnag and Degree College at Kupwara. |
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Telecom unit in Baddi
Jammu, October 18 |
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