Jammu, May 30
Amidst the increasing “non-cooperative” attitude of the Mufti government towards the annual Amarnath pilgrimage, Governor S.K. Sinha, has convened a meeting of the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board (SASB) at Delhi on June 12 to apprise the members of the developments pertaining to the “yatra” that have taken place in the past few days.

The Governor, who is chairman of the SASB, and Chief Minister Mufti Sayeed are at loggerheads with each other on the issue of the duration of the pilgrimage. While the former has announced that the pilgrimage will be for two months, the latter wants to curtail it to one month.

It is learnt that the Governor would seek opinion of the members of the SASB on the situation that has arisen due to the non-cooperative attitude of the Chief Minister and certain officers of the state government. He would also apprise them of the steps that have been taken for the smooth conduct of the pilgrimage.

Before the meeting, the Governor has decided himself to go to the cave shrine on June 3 to assess the ground situation. He would not fly to the mountain shrine in a helicopter, but would go their on horseback from Baltal to have realistic assessment of the route.

The SASB has deployed 500 labourers on its own expenses to make the Baltal route treak-worthy. The Army has already cleared snow from the route. However, the main Pahalgam route was, at places, covered under snow that was not possible to remove unless the state government came forward.

The issue has started taking a communal tinge as several bodies have accused the state government of interfering in the religious affairs of Hindus.

Over 12 Jammu-based religious and social organisations, including the VHP, the Bajrang Dal, the Baba Amarnath Yatri Niyas, the Sanatan Dharam Sabha, the Brahmin Sabha, Rajput Sabha, Kshatriya Sabha and Mahajan Sabha, have decided to organise a protest rally here tomorrow against the uncalled for interference of the government.

These bodies have said that the Chief Minister had no right to interfere in the functioning of the SASB and curtail the pilgrimage in which lakhs of devotees from various parts of the country were expected to participate.

Srinagar, May 30
Five militants, including a top commander of the pro-Pakistan Hizbul Mujahideen (HM) were killed, while ultras kidnapped one person and the security forces busted a number of hideouts in Jammu and Kashmir overnight, an official spokesman said today.

He said the security forces gunned down HM batallion commander Zahoor Ahmad Ganai, alias Vicky, in an encounter at Authroosa in Baramula district last night. The encounter ensued after a search party was attacked by militants. One AK rifle, one magazine, one wireless set and 12 cartridges were recovered from the slain militant.

Two more militants were killed by the security forces in a similar encounter at Limber Boniyar in the same district, he said, adding one militant each was gunned down at Ashumuqam and Chalkipora in Anantnag district.

He said militants strangulated Farooq Ahmad Bhat after his abduction at Bandina in Pulwama district last night.

Militants shot dead Mushtaq Ahmad Ganai at Dangerpora Sopore while Firdousa was shot at and wounded at Checki Anantnag last night.

He said militants kidnapped Manzoor Hussain from Thanamandi.

The security forces busted two hideouts and seized four hand grenades, four AK magazines, one wireless set, 27 detonators and 320 kg of rice in Poonch and Rajouri districts of the Jammu region last night. However, no one was arrested, he said. — UNI

Srinagar, May 30
The state Cabinet today approved that the municipal functions, presently being performed by different departments in Jammu and Kashmir, would be transferred to the municipalities.

An official spokesman said the functions, presently being performed by the Public Health Engineering (PHE), Urban Environmental Engineering (UEE), Public Works (R&B), Power Development and the Gardens and Parks Department, would be transferred to the municipalities.

Over the past one century most of the municipal functions were withdrawn from the municipal bodies and entrusted to the line departments, as these bodies lost their representative character and became reduced to mere sanitation boards without power and resources to govern the cities, the spokesman said. He added the representative character of the municipalities had already been restored in the recently held elections conducted after a gap of nearly 30 years.

The government had earlier also decided to devolve 10 per cent of the tax revenue of the state to these bodies. Now, with the devolution of the municipal functions from the departments, it is expected that the municipalities will emerge as strong, vibrant and accountable institutions of urban self-governance.

The Cabinet further approved the detailed devolution plan in respect of the Public Health Engineering and the Urban Environmental Engineering Departments and directed that similar devolution plan for the Public Works (R&B), Power Development and Gardens and Parks Department be finalised within two weeks.

As per the devolution plan of the PHE department the entire distribution network of water supply, including the tanker services in the cities of Srinagar and Jammu, would be transferred to the Municipal Corporations of Srinagar and Jammu along with the technical and non-technical staff of one PHE city division.

However, water generation and transmission which would include the filtration plants, lift stations, tube wells and pumping stations would continue to be with the PHE department.

In the UEE department, the construction and maintenance of the entire drainage system of the cities of Srinagar and Jammu would be transferred to the Municipal Corporations along with the technical and non-technical staff of one drainage circle, the spokesman said.

Similarly one drainage division each would be transferred to the Directorate of Urban Local Bodies of Kashmir and Jammu to look after the construction and maintenance of the drainage system of the towns other than Srinagar and Jammu.

However, the sewerage system of the two cities shall continue to be looked after by the UEE department till Water and Sewage Boards are set up for the two cities.

The Cabinet also approved the constitution of two separate Water and Sewerage Boards for the two capital cities to take over functions relating to water generation and transmission from the Public Health Engineering Department and sewerage treatment from the Urban Environment Engineering Department.