Jammu, January 4
The much awaited Cabinet expansion in Jammu and Kashmir has been delayed on account of the inability of the Chief Minister, Mr Ghulam Nabi Azad, to seek consultations on the matter from the UPA chairperson, Ms Sonia Gandhi, and other AICC leaders, including Ms Ambika Soni.

Mr Azad, who returned from Delhi yesterday, had not been able to discuss the matter with Ms Sonia Gandhi as she was not in Delhi. Even Ms Soni was not in Delhi during the time Mr Azad was in the union Capital.

In fact the Chief Minister had gone to Delhi with two purposes in mind — to seek additional funds from Centre for earthquake relief operations and to discuss the Cabinet expansion programme with the AICC President and seek her advice on the names of legislators who were to be inducted in the ministry.

Mr Ghulam Nabi Azad would not have been in a hurry to expand his 13-member Council of Ministers but the pressure put on him by the leaders and legislators belonging to the Congress, PDP, PDF and the Panthers Party, had motivated him to go in for the expansion of the ministry after seeking approval from the Congress high command.

Party sources said the expansion programme may get further delayed because senior Congress functionaries would be busy preparing for the AICC session scheduled to be held in Hyderabad from January 21.

This way legislators belonging to the Congress and the PDP were left high and dry once again because they had expected that on his return from Delhi Mr Azad would set a date for the expansion of the ministry. No doubt a majority of legislators belonging to the ruling coalition are disappointed over having a very slim chance of getting a berth in the Cabinet as the Chief Minister’s hands have been tied by the adoption of the Bill providing for a Council of Ministers with 20 per cent of the total strength of the two Houses of the legislature.

Since Mr Azad is heading a 13-member Council of Ministers he cannot include more than 12 in the next expansion which would mean that many stalwarts and former ministers will have a bleak chance of getting a Cabinet berth. And in case Mr Azad favours representation to all districts in the Cabinet then a number of senior Congress and PDP members belonging to Jammu and Srinagar districts would not find a place in the Cabinet.

At present five of the 14 districts are not represented in the Council of Ministers.

Party sources said if the Chief Minister was in favour of an early expansion then he could seek the approval and guidance of Ms Sonia Gandhi and other senior AICC leaders.

Jammu, January 4
Six union leaders of the “pithoos” who ferry pilgrims on the donkey track to the Vaishnodevi shrine were arrested today after 400 of them clashed with the police against induction of two more battery cars on the Adhkunwari-Bhavan route for taking the aged and ill to the cave shrine in J&K.

They were arrested after registration of a case against them and the “pithoos” went on a strike today, the police said.

The “pithoos” staged a sit-in at the start of the Vaishnodevi track yesterday as soon as the shrine board authorities and the police tried to shift two more battery-operated cars to Adhkunwari from Katra, they said.

The police teams went to the sit-in venue and asked them to clear the path leading to the Bhavan, but the “pithoos” pelted stones on them and the battery cars had to be taken to Adhkunwari under tight security.

They said more than 400 “pithoos” then marched to Katra town and tried to attack the police station by pelting stones late last evening.

The police then lathi-charged the “pithoos” and the clash continued for two hours after which the protesters dispersed.

The said the situation was now under control. — PTI

Jammu, January 4
The Jammu and Kashmir Government has decided to provide one month’s free ration to the earthquake victims of Uri and Tangdhar in the Kashmir valley.

The decision was taken here today at a high-level meeting that was presided over by Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad. It was decided that the quake victims of the two areas would be given free ration for January.

Mr Azad emphasised that adequate stocks of LPG, kerosene, foodgrains, sugar and other essential commodities should be ensured in the valley. The Secretary, Consumer Affairs, was asked to prepare a draft agreement for signing an MoU with the gas authority of India for laying a gas pipeline between here and the valley.