J A M M U   &   K A S H M I R

Probe by HC judge sought into custodial killing
Adlach Magam (Pahalgam), January 15
Even as Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad has ordered a time-bound inquiry into the alleged custodial killing of a youth in this village in south Kashmir, the residents here, who are apprehensive about such inquiries, have sought a probe by a judge of the High Court.

Power crisis: govt prefers thermal plants to hydel projects
Jammu, January 15
Faced with acute power crisis, the Jammu and Kashmir government has decided to go in for thermal power plants instead of taking up hydroelectric projects which are time-consuming and costly.

32 officials suspended
Srinagar, January 15
The Jammu and Kashmir Government has placed 32 officials, including Deputy Registrar (Cooperatives) in Pulwama district, under suspension with immediate effect for remaining absent from duty.

• Army jawan shoots himself

Probe by HC judge sought into custodial killing
Tribune News Service

Adlach Magam (Pahalgam), January 15
Even as Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad has ordered a time-bound inquiry into the alleged custodial killing of a youth in this village in south Kashmir, the residents here, who are apprehensive about such inquiries, have sought a probe by a judge of the High Court. The hapless parents, a widow in her early twenties and her one-and-a-half-year-old boy are consoled by the relatives and neighbours over the death of 25-year-old Mushtaq Ahmad Ganai, who was picked up by the Army from his house on Monday last, two days ahead of Id-ul-Zuha. All their efforts to get the youth released from the Army custody ahead of Id failed and later his body was brought to Srigufwara police station on Thursday, the second day of the festival.

This incident of the alleged custodial killing is the first of its kind in Kashmir since Mr Azad took over as Chief Minister on November 2 last year. Significantly, the incident has taken place in the Pahalgam constituency of former Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed. Mr Azad has been vociferously assuring people that no custodial killings will take place henceforth. Senior PDP leaders, including Forest Minister Tariq Hameed Qarra, former minister A.R. Veeri and MLA Sartaj Madni, have already visited the village.

Taking cognisance of the report about the killing of Mushtaq at Adlach Mattan in Anantnag by 3-RR personnel, the Chief Minister ordered the registration of an FIR against the accused immediately. He asked the Director General of Police to register the FIR, an official spokesman said. The Chief Minister has also issued orders for a time-bound inquiry into the matter. The DGP on the instructions of the Chief Minister has got an FIR lodged at Ashmuqam police station. The Chief Minister had also given directions for providing a government job to one of the family members of the deceased and the early release ex gratia relief in favour of next of his kin, the spokesman said. The Army was also reported to have ordered an inquiry into the allegation.

According to the SHO, Srigufwara police station, Mr Manzoor Ahmad, the Army had launched a search operation in a nearby village on January 9, which concluded peacefully without any recoveries or arrests. During the search operations, the local police was also on duty and it had returned after the operation concluded. However, Mushtaq was picked up by the troops while he was returning from that area, the SHO said.

Narrating the woeful tale, Mushtaq’s family members headed by his father Abdul Ahad Ganai said his son was picked up from his house on January 9 afternoon after the troops of 3 RR had cordoned off the village. He was asked to identify the members of his in-laws’ family namely Abdul Jabbar and Mohammad Shaban, who live in the nearby hamlet. The family members of the two brothers along with other male members of the village were taken out of the village and severely beaten up. They were blamed for their alleged connection with a militant, the villagers claimed and added that it was only then that Mushtaq was picked up by the troops.

Pleading that the youth was innocent, the villagers went to the Khannabal camp of the security forces, where an officer who had been present during the search operations admitted that the youth was in their custody, the villagers said. The village elders said their repeated visits to the Army camp at Khannabal for four days did not yield any results. Their attempt to reach the concerned RR camp at Aishmuqam had also been prevented by the security forces, they claimed. It was only on January 12 that the villagers were informed by the officials about the death of the youth. His only sin was that he happened to be the son-in-law of Abdul Jabbar, whose family was also related to a militant, claimed Abdul Ahad Ganai, a peasant having all his hopes pinned on his young sons.

Power crisis: govt prefers thermal plants
to hydel projects
Tribune News Service

Jammu, January 15
Faced with acute power crisis, the Jammu and Kashmir government has decided to go in for thermal power plants instead of taking up hydroelectric projects which are time-consuming and costly. It is learnt that the state government was planning to float tenders for setting up thermal projects in private sector as work on the hydroelectric projects was getting delayed because of objections raised by Pakistan under the Indus Water Treaty.

Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad, confirmed this and said that the thermal project could be set up either in Bihar or Jharkhand where coal was available. The power generated there would be transmitted here through the national grid.

He said that the power crisis here could be met by going in for thermal projects, as the hydroelectric projects were time consuming and cost escalation was also the problem.

He said that it was being considered whether some private entrepreneurs could be asked to construct such a project in Bihar or Jharkhand and the state government would sign a power purchase agreement with him.

Mr Azad said that thermal power generation was assured than hydro because the generation steeply falls in winters when the discharge in the rivers gets reduced. It is learnt that the low gestation period involved in construction of thermal projects, the state government was planning to switch over to this sector.

Moreover, generation cost would go up considerably in case a thermal project was set up here or in the valley because coal would have to be carried all the way from either Bihar or Jharkhand.

The Kalakot thermal project (22 mws), in Rajauri, has been shut for the past several years as quality of coal in the mines there was poor and transporting Bihar coal there was a costly proposition.

The state government has been trying to find ways and means to meet the power shortage and at present 200 MWs of additional electricity was being purchased from outside sources at a high cost of Rs 7 per unit.

Although J&K has a potential to generate more than 20,000 MWs of electricity, but the biggest obstacle in harnessing the potential was the Indus Water Treaty that has armed Pakistan with the capacity to raise objections on the construction of hydroelectric projects in the state. The cost of the projects constructed here had escalated manifolds because of the delay caused due to the objections raised by Pakistan. The Baglihar project (440 mws) was meeting a similar fate as the World Bank has appointed a committee to look into the objections raised by Pakistan.

As a result of the treaty, only two projects, Salal and Uri, have so far been constructed by the Centre, while in the state sector four projects to generate 300 MWs have been set up. However, generation steeply falls in these projects during winters.

32 officials suspended

Srinagar, January 15
The Jammu and Kashmir Government has placed 32 officials, including Deputy Registrar (Cooperatives) in Pulwama district, under suspension with immediate effect for remaining absent from duty.

District Development Commissioner, Pulwama, found these employees absent from duty yesterday during an inspection of various offices, an official spokesman said today.

He said disciplinary action had been initiated against the absentees. — PTI

Army jawan shoots himself

Srinagar, January 15
An Army jawan shot himself dead with his service rifle inside a camp in Kupwara district, official sources said today. Sepoy Naib Singh of 47 Rashtriya Rifles, who was posted at Kandi belt in Kupwara, ended his life last night, they said. — PTI