J A M M U   &   K A S H M I R

Indo-Pak pact on waters hurdle in power projects
Jammu, October 7
Earlier it was the 650 mw Salal hydroelectric project and now it is the 450 mw Baglihar electricity project on the Chenab over which Pakistan has raised objections.

Sonia’s Kashmir visit put off
Bid to avoid power changeover issue
Jammu, October 7
The visit of Ms Sonia Gandhi to the Kashmir valley where she was scheduled to address the Congress leaders in connection with the changeover of power from the PDP to the Congress has been put off.

Mistaken identity killings: Centre told to pay relief
Jammu, October 7
Mr Justice V.K. Jhanji today ordered the Centre to pay additional compensation of Rs 1.50 lakh to the kin of each of the three persons killed by the troops in a mistaken identity and also directed the state government to provide jobs to one dependant of each family.

Legislative Council poll on October 13
Jammu, October 7
The National Conference (NC) and the BJP have failed this time to reach an electoral alliance for the lone seat of the local bodies constituency in the Legislative Council and both parties are contesting the election separately.

3 cops suspended for smuggling heroin
Jammu, October 7
Two Jammu and Kashmir policemen, who were held by the Punjab police at Amritsar allegedly with 700 gm of heroin on October 5, have been suspended.

BSF jawan killed, 6 hurt in blast
Srinagar, October 7
A Border Security Force (BSF) jawan was killed and six others, including three security personnel, two girls and a police Head Constable, were injured in a grenade explosion at Sopore in Baramulla district this afternoon.

Indo-Pak pact on waters hurdle in power projects
S.P.Sharma
Tribune News Service

Jammu, October 7
Earlier it was the 650 mw Salal hydroelectric project and now it is the 450 mw Baglihar electricity project on the Chenab over which Pakistan has raised objections.

The treaty on waters, which was signed by Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru, the then Indian Prime Minister, and Field Marshal Ayub Khan, President of Pakistan, in 1960, has now become a hurdle in harnessing the river waters for power generation, particularly in Jammu and Kashmir.

The treaty provides that to enable Pakistan to satisfy itself with the design of the project, India should communicate to Pakistan the necessary information at least six months prior to construction of the project.

However, engineers point out that the clause in the treaty was now generally being misused by Pakistan to delay the power projects here.

The objections being raised by Pakistan on construction of sluice gates in the Baglihar project are also being seen as a step in this direction. A top engineer pointed out that by stressing on blocking these gates, Pakistan's intention was clear that it wanted the prestigious project to fail. The Pakistani team made the demand in the presence of the Swiss neutral expert at the project site earlier this week.

Many other hydroelectric and irrigation projects on other rivers in the state have hit the roadblock because of the treaty. Feeling the pinch of the provisions of the treaty that has tied the hands of the state government and the Centre in executing various river-based projects, the successive governments in Jammu and Kashmir have been urging the Centre to either scrap the treaty or get it modified.

A lot of hue and cry was raised by Pakistan during construction of the Salal hydroelectric project on the Chenab near Reasi town. The project got delayed and its cost escalated manifold. Finally, India agreed to block the sluice gates of the project that prevent silt from entering the turbines. Moreover, without such a provision, the life of the hydroelectric project gets considerably reduced.

Pressure is being mounted on the Centre that it should not succumb to pressure on the issue of Baglihar although Pakistan has got emboldened due to acceptance of its objections in the case of the Salal project.

Pakistan had also raised objections on the height of the dam of the Dul Hasti project in the Kishtwar area of Doda. The project is the first on the Chenab when it enters Jammu and Kashmir from Himachal Pradesh.

Article III of the treaty provides that Pakistan shall receive for unrestricted use all those waters of the western rivers, including the Indus, Jhelum and Chenab, for which India is under obligation to let flow without any interference. The treaty lays various conditions for constructing the run-of-river projects by India.

Sonia’s Kashmir visit put off
Bid to avoid power changeover issue
S.P. Sharma
Tribune News Service

Jammu, October 7
The visit of Ms Sonia Gandhi to the Kashmir valley where she was scheduled to address the Congress leaders in connection with the changeover of power from the PDP to the Congress has been put off.

It is reliably learnt that the PCC has been informed about cancellation of her visit. She was first scheduled to come here on October 4 or 5, but later the visit was postponed.

Significance is being attached to an indefinite postponement of her visit in view of the Chief Minister, Mufti Sayeed, and his daughter Mehbooba Mufti, asking Ms Sonia Gandhi to let the present arrangement continue as a change of government at this stage might create a confusion.

Sources said Ms Sonia Gandhi did not want to directly get involved in the exercise at the moment. As a result, her visit has been cancelled. In case she addressed the meeting in which Congress presidents from the block level and heads of frontal organisations had been invited, Ms Gandhi could not escape touching the contentious issue of change of power.

It is learnt that Ms Gandhi has not yet made up her mind on the issue and might discuss the matter with top leaders of the Congress during the conclave at Chandigarh.

The Mufti, who is camping at Delhi after meeting the Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, is expected to return to Srinagar tomorrow.

The PDP, that had earlier said that it did not want to stick to the chair and the Mufti would relinquish office on the due date, has now changed its stand and its leaders have started claiming that the change was not in the national interest as the Mufti had taken steps that had normalised the situation here.

Mistaken identity killings: Centre told to pay relief
Tribune News Service

Jammu, October 7
Mr Justice V.K. Jhanji today ordered the Centre to pay additional compensation of Rs 1.50 lakh to the kin of each of the three persons killed by the troops in a mistaken identity and also directed the state government to provide jobs to one dependant of each family.

Mr Justice Jhanji issued these orders on a petition that was filed by the three widows claiming a compensation of Rs 30 lakh each.

The three civilians, Mohammad Sadiq Khan (40), Talib Hussain (45) and Bashir Mohammad (24) were shot dead when they were moving out in violation of the curfew and without carrying torch.

The state government paid a compensation of Rs one lakh to each of the families and provided job to a son of Mohammad Sadiq.

The court observed that the compensation was not adequate and is required to be enhanced to Rs 2.50 lakh each. While the state and the Centre were disputing the amount of compensation to be paid in such cases, the court obvserved that the claimants cannot be made to wait indefinitely.

Mr Justice Jhanji also ordered the state government to provide employment to dependants of the two others killed in the Army action.

Legislative Council poll on October 13
Tribune News Service

Jammu, October 7
The National Conference (NC) and the BJP have failed this time to reach an electoral alliance for the lone seat of the local bodies constituency in the Legislative Council and both parties are contesting the election separately.

Polling for the seat will be held on October 13. Election is also being held for another seat from the same constituency in Kashmir, but the BJP has no say among the local bodies in the valley.

This is for the first time that the NC, that was a constituent of the BJP-led NDA, has decided to go it alone in the elections in Jammu and Kashmir. The NC supported the BJP recently to enable the latter to install its own mayor in Jammu.

The decision of the NC not to have any truck with the BJP has come following a series of meetings that the party chief, Mr Omar Abdullah, had with the Congress president, Ms Sonia Gandhi and the Congress MP, Mr Rahul Gandhi.

A former chief minister and NC patron, Dr Farooq Abdullah, recently expressed displeasure over the BJP’s statement that the terrorism in the state was caused due to rigging of the Assembly elections in 1997. The BJP earlier had voted for the NC candidate who won the legislative council seat despite the party being in minority. However, cross voting by some Congress MLAs had also helped the NC win the council seat.

This time also the NC is eyeing on groupism within the Congress that apparently has an edge over the others in the election with 200 members along with the PDP in the local bodies.

The elections for the two seats of the local bodies constituencies are being held after about 28 years as a result of which these have become prestegious.

Mr Ajay Sadhotra, provincial president of the NC, said today that it would be a triangular fight for the seat. He made it clear that the NC had no alliance with the BJP.

PTI adds: Polling for biennial elections to the J-K Legislative Council from Jammu local authorities constituency will take place on October 13. “These elections will be held on October 13 8.30 am to 4.30 pm,” said Divisional Commissioner, B.R. Sharma, who is also the returning officer of the constituency.

3 cops suspended for smuggling heroin

Jammu, October 7
Two Jammu and Kashmir policemen, who were held by the Punjab police at Amritsar allegedly with 700 gm of heroin on October 5, have been suspended.

After the two were arrested by the Punjab police, another police constable and his associate were arrested at Reasi in Udhampur district, Deputy Inspector-General of Police (Udhampur-Doda) Satvir Gupta said.

He said as per a message received from the Punjab police, Kamal Kishore and Suraj Prakash were arrested with the contraband at a naka in Chowk Burj Phula Singh when they were going to Ludhiana.

Mr Gupta said the heroin, which they had allegedly received from a family of heroin smugglers at Mendhar in Poonch district, was to be delivered to a man in Ludhiana.

While Kamal was posted at Pouni police post in Reasi, Suraj was a guard at Chandimore Ziarat, near Pouni. Both were absent from their duties for the past few days.

He said another policeman, Mohammad Maroof, at present posted in the district police lines at Reasi, had introduced Kamal and Suraj to the Mendhar family.

Maroof was picked up from his residence soon after the Punjab police flashed them a message regarding his involvement in the smuggling of heroin, the DIG said. — UNI

BSF jawan killed, 6 hurt in blast
Tribune News Service and UNI

Srinagar, October 7
A Border Security Force (BSF) jawan was killed and six others, including three security personnel, two girls and a police Head Constable, were injured in a grenade explosion at Sopore in Baramulla district this afternoon.

In another incident, an encounter took place between militants and security forces at a shopping complex in Sopore town after the Friday prayers today. Intermittent firing was going on till the last reports came in. A report said that the shopping complex, Janwari, was gutted in the exchange of fire between the militants and security forces.

The police said the militants hurled a grenade towards a patrol party of the security forces at Sopore Chowk at about 1.15 pm as a result of which four security personnel, two girl students and a head constable of the police were injured. Later an injured jawan succumbed to his injuries. The two girls, Shazia and Ulfat, have been shifted to the SMHS Hospital here for treatment.