Jammu, April 24
Security has been beefed up in and around Jammu city ahead of Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh’s visit here.

The Prime Minister would arrive in Jammu tomorrow on a two-day official visit to the state’s winter capital.

Though the police claims that there were no reports of militant threats, security agencies, including the Army have been put on high alert.

“There are no specific reports of militants’ threats, but elaborate security arrangements have been made by us to ensure foolproof security during the PM’s visit,” K. Rajendra, IGP, Jammu zone, said.

The Prime minister is scheduled to inaugurate the first pylon to pylon bridge in the country, constructed in a span of more than three decades, over the Chenab in Akhnoor.

Later in the day, the PM would address the convocation of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi University in Katra. The next day, the PM would dedicate the 390-MW Dul Hasti power project to the nation in Kishtwar.

A high-level security team of the National Security Guard (NSG) arrived in Jammu on April 22 and were looking after the security arrangements.

Around 50 NSG commandos are headed by an Inspector general, two deputy inspector generals and three SSPs.

All areas where the PM would visit had been listed as “highly sensitive” and three-tire security had been provided in and around the venues.

“The security around the Akhnoor bridge and the power house in Kishtwar been handed over to the NSG,” a source said.

Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad himself has also been supervising the security arrangements.

The Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) is also ready with its charter of demands as the party has sought for the implementation of the recommendations of the five working groups that the PM had set up to resolve the Kashmir problem. The party would press for its demand for the return of Kashmiri youth from across the Line of Control (LoC).

Meanwhile, industry unit holders in the state would also take up the issue regarding the rollback of the industrial incentive package by the Central government.

Jammu, April 24
The Army is now evaluating new engines for its bullet-proof vehicles that were procured for ferrying commanders in militancy-affected areas. Several defects, including lack of sufficient power of the existing engines were noticed in these vehicles.

Though the ministry of defence has maintained that commanders at all levels have expressed confidence over the protection provided by these vehicles, lower pulling power, unsuitable for cross country movement, overheating of tyres and losing advantage of bullet proof glass.

The Army had found over 200 bullet proof vehicles specially procured by the defence ministry to be defective. These were being used in Jammu and Kashmir as well as the north-east.

The issue of these defective vehicles was also raised in Parliament this week.

Procured at a cost of Rs 32 crore, the vehicles had limitations which compromised safety requirements.

Reduced power and mobility due to excess weight of bullet proofing, weak suspensions etc had been noticed during trials. These were not removed before placement of purchase orders.

The vehicles were also found to be unsuitable for cross-country movement due to low ground clearance and also faced problems in negotiating mountain turns due to large turning radius.

Besides engines, other defects are being redressed by the vehicles' original equipment manufacturers.

Jammu, April 24
Thirtyseven years of wait does not seem to be enough for the families of Indian prisoners of war who have been languishing in different jails of Pakistan, still they say that they live by the hope to get reunited with them.

“Thirtyseven years have passed, but the state and the central government has done nothing to free its soldiers who have been languishing in Pakistani jails,” said Ravinder Kaur, daughter of Subedar Assa Singh, a prisoner of war of 1971.

The family members of subedar Assa Singh say that they have evidence that he was alive and had been lodged in Kot Lakhpat jail in Lahore, they, however, say that the state government and central government were not doing enough to secure his release.

“He was fighting the enemy in Chamb sector of the Indo- Pak border during 1971 war, however, we were told that he went missing and the Army declared him dead, but it was only after two days that a radio broadcast from Pakistan announced that he had been arrested by the Pakistan army and since then has been languishing in Pakistani jails,” said Nirmal Kaur, wife of Assa Singh.

Since the arrest of Assa Singh, Nirmal Kaur says that she has sufficient proof to prove that Assa Singh was alive and was lodged in a Pakistani jail.

“Those who returned from Kot Lakhpat jail confirmed to have met him.” Nirmal Kaur says, adding, “However when we went to check it by ourselves in the jail we were not allowed to check the jail cells as the jail authorities there said that they did not have permission for it, however they showed us some new registers in which there was lot of discrepancy, so we could not trace him.” The family members of the prisoners of war in Jammu have formed an association which they say would fight to secure the release of their relatives’ languishing in Pakistani jails.

Meanwhile, Balwan Singh who was imprisoned by Pakistan on charges of espionage and was released in 1998 said that he had met some of the Indian prisoners of war in Pakistan jails and claim that there were more than 70 Indian prisoners in various jails of Pakistan.

“I was imprisoned in 1988, on espionage charges and after a decade of struggle I was released in 1998, during my stay in Kot Lakhpat jail I met many prisoners of 1971 war, they told me that there were around 70 such prisoners in that jail,” Balwan Singh said.

He, however, said when any delegation from outside visited Kot Lakhpat jail, the Indian prisoners of war were shifted to Attak fort where no outsider was allowed.

Udhampur, April 24
Inhabitants of Kishtwar, one of the most backward districts in the country, have high expectations from the scheduled visit of Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh, who is to visit this mountainous area on April 26 to dedicate the 390-MW Dulhasti Power Project to the nation.

Neglected in all spheres of life by the successive state governments, residents of this newly carved district expecting that Prime Minister’s visit would change their fate as some concrete announcements would be made by Dr Manmohan Singh for the over-all development and upliftment of this “ignored” belt of Jammu and Kashmir.

People have reasons to pin hopes on Prime Minister’s visit as this is election year and Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad has himself repeatedly announced to formulate a plan for the overall development of backward area Kishtwar, which was earlier part of Doda district.

“Being a newly carved district, we deserve a comprehensive economic package for creating infrastructure in this backward belt,” demanded Sajjad Ahmed Kitchloo, MLA Kishtwar, who has prepared a charter of demands to be submitted to the Prime Minister.

“It is irony that despite having huge potential of generating hydro electricity, this belt remained backward and ignored in all spheres of life,” Kitchloo rued and pointed that Dulhasti power project was located just 10 km away from Kishtwar but most of villages of this district were still without electricity.

“What to say of remote areas; electricity is still a luxury in Kishtwar town,” said Ajay Sharma, who narrated the hardship faced by the people due to non-availability of power after heavy snowfall in February this year.

Backwardness of Kishtwar district can be gauged from the fact that less that 10 per cent of whole district is connected with the road connectivity. Major chunk of population of this district living in Wardwan, Dacchan and Marwah blocks are not still connected with roads even after 60 years of Independence.

When foundation stone of Dulhasti power project was laid 25 years back, people had expected this project would change their fate but their hopes were dashed after completion of the projected after such a long period. “For inhabitants of Kishtwar, this 390 megawatt project is of no use. Neither we get electricity from it nor unemployment has been removed,” regretted the MLA and demanded due share from the project for locals.

Last time the PM had visited Kishtwar in the year 2005 to review the situation after Snow Tsunami. 

Jammu, April 24
In a new development, the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), for now, has refused to give its go-ahead to an MoU between the National Hydro Power Corporation (NHPC) and the Jammu and Kashmir Power Development Corporation (JKPDC).

The MoU had to be signed by Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh and Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad on April 26 here. The signing of the MoU would have paved the way for a joint venture “Chenab Valley Power Projects Limited (CVPPL)”.

To begin with the CVPPL had to take up the 1000-MW Pakal Dul, 600-MW Kiru and 520-MW Kawar power projects in the state.

Reliable sources said the PMO had sought time to scrutinise the proposal before the MoU is signed, adding, that it also expressed surprise over the way things were rushing without affording sufficient time to the PMO to go through the proposal.

Union minister of state for commerce and power Jairam Ramesh in his letter to the state economic advisor Dr Haseeb Drabu and managing director of the JKPDC, Sandeep Nayak, desired to get the job done on April 26.

A portion of Jairam’s letter read, “It would be great if the MoU is signed on April 26 in presence of the Prime Minister and the Chief Minister.”

“It would take just 15 minutes to sign the MoU that can be followed by brief remarks by the Prime Minister and Chief Minister besides other officials,”the letter futher read.

Sources, however, divulged that a final decision would be taken in the state Cabinet meeting.

It has been learnt that the coalition government may agree to 12 per cent royalty from the three projects and has been pondering over awarding 90-year lease to the NHPC.

The NHPC has seven projects in the state, including the 250-MW Uri-II, 18-MW Chutak, 30-MW Nimmo Bazgo and 390-MW Dul Hasti projects.

Jammu, April 24
After two sex scandals allegedly involving politicians and police officers exploiting a minor Kashmiri girl and a former beauty queen rocked the state in the recent years, a new form of crime has started taking roots in the winter capital.

Racing towards metro lifestyle, women and girls, belonging to the rich and affluent class, have been clandestinely promoting unethical gigolo culture via newer innovations in the field of information technology.

Official sources said, though unorganised the immoral activities go on secretly in and around the city.

A senior police officer pleading anonymity said, “Unfortunately, not only some women among the rich class have been promoting such immoral activities but their adolescent children too are falling into the mess.”

Sources in the police divulged that Akhnoor Road, Kunjwani-Sidhra Bypass Road, Circular Road, Gandhi Nagar, Trikuta Nagar, Janipur and Talab Tillo were such areas where the immoral activities had been going on.

They said the cellular technology had made their task much easier. These women and girls use short messaging service (SMS) instead of making phone calls to communicate with the gigolos at different places to pick them up in their luxury vehicles.

To stay safe, gigolos and their clients don’t stick to particular areas and keep on shuffling, the sources said. They admitted that the new form of crime has forayed into the state.

Further, the city of temples too has an anonymous club of gigolos and their clients on the Internet, which makes it even much easier for them to fix place and time, the sources added.

Shockingly, among the gigolos were some of the school and college going boys of poor families, who in a bid to make easy money offer their services, added sources.

Another police officer speaking on the condition of anonymity admitted that immoral activities have been going on in the city but expressed helplessness in absence of complaints. “Unless and until a victim comes and lodges complaint before us, we can’t do anything,” he said.

Lawyer Abhishekh Gupta said it was a crime punishable under Indian Penal Code because ultimately it leads to prostitution.

However, renowned psychiatrist Dr J.R. Thappa said the problem was limited among the new rich families. “New rich families, which have acquired money in short span of time and where parents most of the time remain busy minting money, are in the grip of the menace,” he said.

Paradoxically, women and adolescent girls were also falling into the trap. When they are ignored, they indulge in such immoral things to derive pleasure, the psychiatrist added. He said the root causes were lust for money and loneliness. Some pseudo-intelligent people among the rich class also encouraged things like wife swapping, he added.

Srinagar, April 24
After being asked by the Indian authorities to stop airing four Pakistani television channels - PTV, ARY, Aaj and Geo TV - with immediate effect, cable TV operators have blocked their broadcast in Kashmir.

“After receiving orders from the administration, we immediately blocked the four channels,” Irfan Ahmad, a leading cable TV operator said in Srinagar.

Officials said cable operators did not have the necessary government clearance to broadcast the channels.Meanwhile, the PDP and various separatist organisations have expressed concern over the ban imposed on the transmission of these channels in the valley.

“This was an attempt to prevent the people of Kashmir from viewing the face of democracy in Pakistan,” All Party Hurriyat Conference leader Shabir Ahmad Shah said.

Expressing dismay over the ban, PDP president Mehbooba Mufti at a public meeting in Anantnag today said such ill-conceived steps were completely illogical in an age when the communication has transformed the world into a global village.

She added that such ill-advised steps were not only going to boomerang, but would be perceived as pushing Jammu and Kashmir back to the stone-age. She said she would take up the issue with the Prime Minister and the union minister for information and broadcasting.