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Truckers may stop supplies to Kashmir valley
Bandh hits supply of LPG cylinders
Jammu calm after days of violence
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Restoration of forest land only solution: BJP
Panun Kashmir support for Jammu stir
Protest march in Udhampur
Houses of Jamaat-e-Islami leaders raided
Muslim youths pelt stones at the police during a demonstration in protest against the arrest of a youth in Srinagar on Wednesday.
—Tribune photo by Mohd Amin War
Jammu’s sanitation in poor shape
Shun corruption: Vohra to bureaucrats
‘Need to strengthen Indus Water Treaty’
Governor N.N. Vohra interacts with a Pak delegation in Srinagar on Wednesday. — A Tribune photograph
Pak team inspects Baglihar project
Power meters too bear
the brunt
Mortar bomb defused
Four killed in mishaps
Power cuts give rise to sleep disorder cases
Governor wants Haj quota up
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Truckers may stop supplies to Kashmir valley
Jammu, July 30 He said, “The transporters in Jammu will hold a meeting wherein they would take a decision regarding their further course of action whether or not to stop supplies to the Kashmir valley." The Oil Tankers Association had already announced that it would halt the fuel supply in the entire state for three days. “We are with the Samiti. Whatever decision they take we would follow it, if they want us to continue the boycott we would continue to stop loading and supply of petroleum products in the state,” Anan Sharma, president of the All-Jammu and Kashmir Oil Tankers Association told The Tribune. Members of the Narwal mandi, one of the biggest fruit and vegetable markets in Jammu, has decided not to allow any of the vehicles from the valley enter into the market. “To show our solidarity with the ongoing protests, we have decided not to allow any vehicle from Kashmir. Besides we have decided to close the mandi for next three days,” a member of the Narwal Mandi association said. Meanwhile, sources said the protesters today attacked some of the trucks on the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway coming from Srinagar. They broke the windowpanes of the trucks, and damaged fruits and vegetables. The ongoing strike and agitation across the Jammu region has inflicted huge losses to the Kashmir-based fruit growers. “No trucker is ready to load our fruit or vegetables as they fear attack in Jammu. As a result large quantity of fruit and vegetable is rotting here. I wrote to the Governor and chief secretary asking them to provide our trucks security,” said Ghulam Rasool Bhat, President of the Baramulla Fruit Growers Association. |
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Bandh hits supply of LPG cylinders
Jammu, July 30 He said gas agency dealers had been receiving frantic calls from consumers but they were helpless. He explained that carrying LPG cylinders from the yard to the market was not like carrying boxes of fruit and vegetables. He said since LPG cylinders were highly inflammable, any damage could endanger life and property. Another gas agency owner said: “When the city observed a complete shutdown for nine days, the cooling period in the supply of refilled cylinders also increased from two to seven days”. He added: “We could not clear all bookings during the one week in which the curfew was imposed. As such LPG shortage has increased because of the suspended supply”. Meanwhile, another problem that people are faced with is the inability in filing claims with General Insurance Companies for compensation in lieu of damage caused to their vehicles in clashes over the Amarnath land row. A couple of surveyors, working in two premier General Insurance Companies, said: “We have received calls from over 100 vehicle owners informing us about the damage caused to their vehicles, which stand insured with our companies.” They said neither they could file a complaint in the offices, which were closed because of the bandh, nor they had been able to carry out a survey to assess the damage caused. “They cannot repair the vehicles because car service stations are also closed. In the absence of survey reports, people cannot take the risk of repairing their vehicles without seeking mandatory permission from the insurance companies,” they said. |
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Jammu calm after days of violence
Jammu, July 30
Unlike the past few days when the cops entered into clashes with the protesters, they escorted the latter during the processions today. However, reports of stone pelting came from the Parade area and Purani Mandi. In some places, the agitators burnt tyres and effigies. A protest rally, comprising women and children, was taken out in Satwari in the evening. Meanwhile, normal life remained paralysed for the seventh consecutive day. All schools, colleges and commercial established were closed, forcing the people to stay indoors despite there being no curfew in the entire city.
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Restoration of forest land only solution: BJP
Jammu, July 30 This was stated by BJP’s Rajya Sabha MP S.S. Ahluwalia, who was in Jammu as part of a high-level BJP Parliamentary delegation, that arrived here today. The BJP’s Parliamentary team comprises S.S. Ahluwalia, Dharmendra Pradhan and Santosh Gangwal. The team later visited the house of Kuldeep Dogra who allegedly committed suicide in protest against National Conference president Omar Abdullah’s speech in Parliament during the trust vote on July 22. Later interacting with mediapersons, Ahluwalia said the BJP was in favour of a composite dialogue, so that a solution to the crisis could be sought out. However, he said, the only solution to the ongoing crisis would be the restoration of land back to the shrine board. “We came to know that Governor N.N. Vohra has asked samiti members to hold talks on the issue and we favour that in a democratic set up, dialogue must be given a chance”, Ahluwalia said. Adding he said, “However the only solution to the ongoing crisis is that land should be restored back to the shrine board. The agitation will continue if the government fails to restore the faith of Hindus”. Ahluwalia strongly criticised the state police for its use of “extensive force” to curb the voice of agitators in Jammu. “We fail to understand whether we are living in a democratic state or under a colonial rule as the police unleashed a reign of terror in Jammu”, he said. Ahluwalia added: “The policemen who tried to dispose of Kuldeep’s body should be suspended at once. The officers used brutal force on his innocent wife who wanted to save Kuldeep’s body from disrespect”, he said. |
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Panun Kashmir support for Jammu stir
Jammu, July 30 This decision was taken at a joint meeting with the Kashmiri Sikh Displaced Forum (KSDF) here today. The meeting was organised under the leadership of Ashwani Kumar Chrungoo, President, PKM. Chungroo observed that the agitation launched by the Amarnath Sangharsh Samiti represented the people’s cause. He said it had fast emerged as a people’s movement. |
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Protest march in Udhampur
Udhampur, July 30 Irrespective of their party affiliations, hundreds of people participated in the procession and shouted slogans against NC president Omar Abdullah for his remarks in the Lok Sabha on the land issue. Patron of the samiti Swami Dinesh Bharati, who especially came from Jammu, addressed rallies at different places in Udhampur district and exhorted the people to prepare themselves for a decisive battle. Amidst a downpour, hundreds of people participated in a rally held here in which people pledged to take the on-going agitation to its logical conclusion. Reports from Reasi said a massive demonstration was held there in which a large number of women participated. |
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Houses of Jamaat-e-Islami leaders raided
Srinagar, July 30 However, they could not find anything objectionable in the house, sources said, adding that security forces directed his son to attend a nearby camp.
A JeI spokesman said troops of the Rashtriya Rifles (RR) from Warpora again raided the house of Hassan and ransacked it. He said security forces also raided the house of Pulwama district JeI president Mohammad Sultan. Yesterday, the security forces also raided the district office of JeI at Anantnag and questioned Abdul Rauf and others, the spokesman said. He condemned the raids on the houses of JeI leaders and officers. He said JeI was doing its activities openly, peacefully and democratically. “We will not be cowed down by such supressive measures, he said, adding that JeI would continue with its activities. — UNI
Arrest of youth triggers protest
Srinagar, July 30 Shops and business establishments in the Maisuma, Gaw Kadal, Madina chowk, Red Cross road, parts of Budshah chowk and Haji Masjid area remained closed. Traffic on Maisuma road was also affected. Muneer Ahmad Sheikh was arrested by the police for his alleged involvement in recent grenade blast at Batmaloo in which five members of a family hailing from Bihar and a local youth were killed and 25 others wounded on July 24. The demonstrators demanded immediate release of Sheikh. The police had already arrested Hilal Ahmad War, chairman of the People’s Political Party (PPP) for threatening migrant workers to leave the valley by August 10. —
UNI |
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Jammu’s sanitation in poor shape
Jammu, July 30 Kishani Pandita, a resident of Parade locality said, “The garbage bin has been placed on the road adjacent to our house. It has not been cleared for the past three days. It is emitting foul stench and it has become difficult to breathe”. Shiwani Sharma, a resident of Kacchi Chawni, said neither garbage was lifted nor sweepers cleaned the roads, due to which garbage remained scattered. Meenakshi Rajput, a resident of Nai Basti said, “The issue should be resolved amicably at the earliest so that the commom man can resume his normal life and essential services are restored”. “The garbage dumped in bins work as a breeding ground for mosquitoes and poses a great threat to people’s health”, Sahil Kumar from Roop Nagar, JDA colony, said. Meanwhile, repeated attempts to contact S.D. Singh, health officer, JMC, proved futile. |
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Shun corruption: Vohra to bureaucrats
Srinagar, July 30 He recalled his noted report on politicians-criminal nexus, better known as the Vohra committee report, and spoke of its non-implementation as he lamented presence of corruption in the higher echelons of power. Vohra said he recently read a report about a patwari caught for taking bribe and thought what about those who were serving above him and more responsible for corruption. It was in this context, the governor recalled, as to how the then government asked him, a former Union home secretary, to go into the nexus between politicians, bureaucrats and mafia as their links came afore in the probe into Mumbai blasts in 1993. And then for good reasons, he said, no action was taken on his recommendations. He said the clique between corrupt officials was strong and it seemed “nobody can catch anybody and all are protected.” Chief secretary S.S. Kapur earlier said the Vigilance has come a long way under Ashok Bhan, an IPS officer highly respected for his impeachable integrity. Kapur said there was need for preventive measures together with punitive actions in curbing corruption. He said institution of Departmental Vigilance Officers would strengthen the Vigilance. He favoured the idea of appointing fulltime DVOs for the departments traditionally considered prone to malpractices and said such DVOs should be out of the administrative control of these particular departments so that they have free hand in taking cognizance of the sound complaints. Vigilance commissioner Ashok Bhan gave a detailed account of the Vigilance suggesting measures to further improve its functioning and laid stress on strengthening the institution by placing fulltime DVOs for corruption prone departments. |
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‘Need to strengthen Indus Water Treaty’
Srinagar, July 30 In an hour-long interaction with a three-member Pak delegation led by Syed Jamat Ali Shah, Commissioner of Indus Water, Pakistan, here this morning, Vohra said while the people of Kashmir should gain the maximum benefit of water harnessing, those of Pakistan would need to be assured that their interests were not being jeopradised. He said optimum harnessing of the hydel potential of Jammu and Kashmir for generating power would lead to prosperity of the common masses and usher in overall development of the region. The Governor said the level of confidence among the people of India and Pakistan needed to be strengthened and sustained for the success of various initiatives aimed at heralding lasting peace and better understanding in the region. He stressed the need for building up an environment in which people of the two countries would prosper and progress. |
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Pak team inspects Baglihar project
Udhampur, July 30 A three-member team of Pakistani experts, headed by Sayeed Jamat Ali Shah, inspected the dam as well as its reservoir and took measurements at Chanderkote in Ramban district. "During their visit in 2005 the Pakistani team had raised some objections about the height of the dam as well as the reservoir. The team especially visited these spots today ", the Power Development Corporation (PDC) MD Shantmanu, who is accompanying the Indian team, said. The same Pakistani team had visited the dam site in 2005 and raised objections about the height of the dam. Pakistan had rushed to the World Bank with a complaint regarding violation of the Indus Water Treaty in the construction of the project. Subsequently, the World Bank appointed Prof. Raymond Lafitte at the Federal Institute of Technology of Lausanne, Switzerland, as a neutral expert, who delivered his verdict in February, 2007. Despite India accepting the verdict and deciding to lower the height of the dam besides making some other changes, Pakistan was still raising some objections. Today’s visit was aimed at clearing some objections. |
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Power meters too bear
the brunt
Jammu, July 30 "Though we have been giving vent to our ire protesting against the Amarnath land transfer revocation the devices are being damaged for the fact that Jammu had always been a major contributor of power rentals to the government compared to the Kashmir Valley, which takes away a major chunk of electricity," said a stick-wielding youth with a veil around his face in the Purani Mandi area here. Official sources said approximately 2000 such meters had so far been damaged in Bishnah, Talab Tillo, Parade, Purani Mandi, Janipur and Sarwal areas. Besides this, a computerized billing center of the PDD and a sub-station too were ransacked at Parade Ground. PDD chief engineer (M&RE) A.K. Koul said: " The department had installed electronic meters but certain anti-social elements, who mingled with the crowds, damaged them. One such single-phase unit costs around Rs 1000 while it costs Rs 3000 for a three-phase device. |
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Mortar bomb defused
Jammu, July 30 Jamwal said it was difficult to say how the mortar bomb found its way in the canal. The canal, which is fed by the Chenab River, originates at Akhnoor and irrigates various parts of the state. Earlier, the mortar was noticed by some youths when they came for a morning walk on the banks of the canal. One of the youths, Kapil Gupta, said: “We noticed a ragpicker picking up a suspicious object from the surface of the canal. We shouted at him not to lift the object and move away. We then informed the police”. Police sources said some buffaloes had drowned in the canal at Muthi due to which the canal department was forced to bring down the water level. “It made sediments and other objects at the bottom of canal visible”, they added. However, the recovery of mortar from the canal has raised questions regarding the safety of people here. The district police chief brushing away the theory that the mortar could have come with a stream of water, said: “It might have been placed there by a scrap dealer”. |
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Four killed in mishaps
Udhampur, July 30 According to the police, the driver of the JCB-cum-tipper lost control while negotiating a curve. The labourers were heading towards Pranoo.The deceased have been identified as Ananyatullah of Durbani Bhalla and Parvez Ahmed of Gazot, Bhalla. In another accident, two youths were killed when the motor-cycle they were travelling-in collided with a truck at Nagrota area on the Jammu-Srinagar highway. The deceased have been identified as Amit Singh and Raman. — TNS/PTI |
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Power cuts give rise to sleep disorder cases
Jammu, July 30 Doctors at the Government Psychiatry Hospital, Jammu, said ever since the power breakdown, there had been an alarming increase of the outdoor patients at the hospital, who show sings of “moderate to severe” psychological disturbances linked with sleep disorders. Dr Jagdish Thappa, associate professor, Psychiatry, Government Medical College (GMC), Jammu, said since July 2, he had been diagnosing sleep disorders in scores of people, as they could not get continuous sleep for at least five hours, which was mandatory for a healthy body and mind. “In absence of proper and sound sleep, people have turned insomniac. They complain of behavioral changes as they feel irritated and stressed,” Dr Thappa said. According to him, those who later try to compensate their night sleep by taking a nap during day hours, further disturb their biological clock. “Over the past three weeks, there are many cases where patients, who were responding to anti-depressants, have again shown signs of relapse,” Thappa said. “I have not been able to sleep properly during the past three weeks as the Power Development Department (PDD) was imposing power cuts throughout the night,” said Arvind Kumar, a bank employee. In absence of proper sleep, Arvind said, he was unable to perform well while distributing cash and attending to customers at the counter. Sunita, an employee of the Postal Department, echoed similar views. “The power in our locality goes off every night from 10 to 12, then from 2 am to 4 am and again from 6 am to 8 am forcing everyone in the family to pass sleepless nights,” she rued. Dr Mahesh Sharma of the J&K Health Services said most of the patients were feeling giddy and complaining of heaviness of their heads. “On examining their blood pressure, the systolic and diastolic readings speak volumes of their present state of health,” Sharma said. |
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Governor wants Haj quota up
Srinagar, July 30 An official spokesperson said Vohra had taken up the matter with Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh. He said Vohra had urged for enhancing the Haj quota by 3,000 additional seats to accommodate maximum Haj aspirants. More than 16,000 applications were received from Haj aspirants from all parts of the state. However, only about 6,228 were selected through draw of lots, he added. — UNI |
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Srinagar, July 30
Srinagar, July 30
