Jammu, April 16
Amid total mismanagement, Union Minister of State for Railways KH Muniyappa said here this evening that the Katra-Udhampur section, a part of the Kashmir valley rail link project, would be completed by December 2012.

Addressing mediapersons, who were waiting for him since 5 pm at platform number one of the Jammu railway station, Muniyappa, amid shuddering noises of a DMU, a generator set (to keep his special coach cool) and announcements being made regularly for passengers, said the Katra-Udhampur rail line would be completed by December 2012.

Muniyappa, along with his family, was returning home after visiting Mata Vaishno Devi shrine. “The Katra railway station is nearing completion while work on tunnels on the section is going on in full swing,” said Muniyappa, who returned to New Delhi on Pooja Express that left Jammu nearly one hour late behind its scheduled departure time of 6.15 pm.

He also said the Jammu railway authorities had demanded two more platforms and another waiting room at the Jammu railway station. “We have asked the authorities to send us a proposal and we will look into it,” he said.

Responding to the recent incident of a part of the railway line blown up by militants in Kashmir, he said the Railway Protection Force, the Government Railway Police and the state government were looking into it. “Though we can’t act directly, we have also taken up the matter with the Home Ministry,” he said.

The safety of railways’ properties and passengers was the top priority of the Railway Ministry and in this context enough measures had already been initiated by the UPA government, the minister added.

Meanwhile, several passengers on board the Delhi-bound Pooja Express said they were held hostage to the minister’s visit. “The train was to leave the station at 6.15 pm, but it is already 7 pm and the minister is busy giving bites to mediapersons,” mocked a passenger.

He also pointed out towards three digital clocks on the platform

reflecting a difference of three minutes in time. Eventually, much to the relief of the passengers Muniyappa finished his media briefing and the train left Jammu at 7.10 pm.

Jammu,April 16
Minister for Health, Horticulture and Floriculture, Sham Lal Sharma has said the functioning of the state Drug and Food Control Organisation (DFCO) is being streamlined further to make it more transparent and accountable to serve the people.

He said the organisation would be adequately equipped to cater the increased workload accumulated over the years.

During his visit to the office of the Controller, Drugs and Food Organisation, here yesterday, Sharma asked the functionaries to gear up their efforts to achieve the targets. He asked the Controller to conduct regular field visits to keep a check on the sale of spurious drugs and unlawful operation of medical outlets.

He assured to provide improved facilities to the organisation to enhance its efficiency and ordered strict adherence to the dress code by staff members which is mandatory. He also took round of all units and interacted with the staff and listened to their grievances.

The Controller, Satish Gupta, briefed him about the functioning of the organisation.

Later, Sharma paid a surprise visit to Sarwal Hospital and took stock of the medicare being provided to the patients. He appreciated the efforts of Medical Superintendent Madhu Khullar in improving the overall functioning of the institution and asked her to ensure proper

sanitation in and around the hospital. He asked the doctors and the paramedical staff to work with extra zeal and dedication and provide best medicare to the patients.

He also inspected the pace of progress of ongoing work of the new building of the hospital and asked the executing agency to give the final touchs to the project.

Samba, April 16
A wheelchair worth Rs 3,000 to Rs 5,000 may not mean much for many people, but for former Lance Naik Tilak Raj, who was injured in an operation against the LTTE in Jaffna, it means a lot.

It becomes even more special as the former soldier’s family lives on his monthly pension of Rs 5,000, a major chunk of which goes towards the education of his three children, including two who are doing graduation. Surprisingly, he has got his first strong wheelchair in about two decades.

It was way back in 1989 when a landmine planted by the LTTE blew off, leaving this soldier of the Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF) crippled for life. A wheelchair given by the Army then was not durable enough and often he had to get it welded here and there. He still has no job and has been seeking a wheelchair for years.

But Tilak Raj was smiling today. Officers of the 9 Corps Yole camp came here to provide him and many others with wheelchairs and tricycles besides other things.

A camp for the distribution of assisting devices was organised under the aegis of the Samba Brigade in association with the National Institute of Visually Handicapped, Dehradun. It was the first such initiative taken in the Jammu belt. Earlier, it was done once in Dehradun and once in the Yole camp.

The 9 Corps command controls the area up to Jammu with the Northern Command taking over from Jammu onwards.

Not only Army personnel, but also their children and many other physically challenged benefited from this initiative. Notable among them were three civilians who had lost their limbs in landmine blasts along the border.

Naib Subedar P Rajamani’s son was born with a problem in his backbone due to which he suffered paralysis waist down and could never walk. The six-year-old child used to cry when he saw other children peddling away on bicycles or tricycles. Today, his joy knew no bounds when he was gifted a hand-driven tricycle. He wanted to zoom out of the Army garrison premises the moment he got it.

The chief guest and officiating GOS of Gurj Division, Brig AK Rathee, along with Brigadier ASC 9 corps TC Unniyal and his wife, Seema, gave away the assisting devices.

They handed over 14 wheelchairs, 17 tricycles, four walking sticks, 29 hearing aids, 21 spectacles and three surgical shoes under the Assistance to Disabled Persons (ADIP) scheme of the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment.

Srinagar, April 16
Normal life continued to be paralysed in Sopore for the fourth consecutive day in protest against the death of a youth, Zubair Ahmed, a few day ago.

Schools and colleges remained closed whereas government offices witnessed thin attendance.

Transport services were also affected. At various places, agitating youths took to streets and pelted CRPF and police personnel with stones.The police had to use force to disperse the agitating mob.

“The police resorted to a baton charge and lobbed tear gas shells at various places to disperse the unruly mob,” said a police officer.

Elaborate security arrangements were made by the police today on the” rasan-e-charum” (fourth day) of the death of Zubair Ahmed.

“The situation is now under as we had taken adequate security measures to maintain law and order in the town,” said the police officer. The residents have demanded an independent probe into the killing of the youth alleging that he was forcibly drowned by the security personnel.

Jammu, April 16
The Childline, Jammu, united a woman, who along with her two children had run away from her house in Srinagar, with her husband here today.

According to officials of the Childline, the national outreach 24-hour emergency phone service for children in distress, Shanti Devi (26) approached them on April 12 along with her two children, Akash (5) and Amit (3).

Shanti, a mother of three children, had left her home on April 11. Subsequently, her husband registered a missing report at Nehru Market police station in Srinagar the same day.

“She was denied admission to Neha Ghar, a rehabilitation home for women in distress. Thereupon, she came to us and on our behest she got a refuge in Neha Ghar,” said project coordinator of Childline OP Gupta.

“Meanwhile, we established contact with her husband, who works as a cook at a hotel in Srinagar. Her husband approached us yesterday and got the custody of his wife and children today,” Gupta said.

He said, “It was due to some domestic feud that she left home. We have counselled the couple and now they have agreed to live together again.” The Childline could be contacted on the toll free number: 1098, Gupta added. 

Jammu, April 16
The pro-Ghulam Nabi Azad faction in the PCC organised “Baisakhi milan” yesterday to provide an opportunity to “dissidents” to air their grievances against the party leadership.

Although the function was projected as apolitical, majority of the leaders of pro-Azad faction attended this function and seized this opportunity to train their guns towards PCC chief Saif-ud-din Soz.

Neither Deputy Chief Minister Tara Chand, who was chief guest in the function, nor former minister Jugal Kishore Sharma uttered even a single word against the PCC chief, other leaders present on the occasion attacked the party leadership for ignoring genuine workers and projecting deserters in the party.

Sources in the Congress said former minister Jugal Kishore Sharma was instrumental in organising this function because he wished to launch a counter attack on his rivals, who had organised a rally at Katra, which is his hometown. The pro-Azad faction has taken serious note of the Katra function and made it clear that battlelines have been drawn after that rally.

“We were on the defensive for quite some time, but now it is time to launch an offensive against the party leaders, who have been digging roots of the party,” argued state president of the Congress Sewa Dal BS Samybal. The sources said the pro-Azad faction has decided to organise public meetings at Chenani and Jammu West by end of this month to corner some pro-Soz leaders.

To project Deputy Chief Minister Tara Chand as the only capable leader in the Congress to further interests of the party, this faction hailed him for his role in the Inter-District Recruitment Bill. Some leaders did not mince words in attacking their own party ministers for sacrificing interests of weaker sections for lust of power. “It is all due to the efforts of our Deputy Chief Minister that the interests of Scheduled Castes (SCs) were protected,” said Udhampur district president Brij Mohan Sharma.

Sharma labelled serious allegations on a senior leader of the pro-Soz faction and regretted that leaders close to the PCC chief have been projecting traitors by ignoring the genuine Congress workers. 

Jammu, April 16
Fed up of visiting government offices to get a job or monetary relief, a woman attempted to commit suicide by coming in front of the Chief Minister’s cavalcade in the Civil Secretariat this evening.

As soon as the cavalcade moved from the secretariat around 4.45 pm, the woman, identified as Shabnam, wife of a surrendered militant of Srinagar, came in front of the vehicles to commit suicide, sources said.

An eyewitness said the woman had come with her brother and a baby to get a job or some financial help. But having failed to do so,she suddenly came before the cavalcade and started raising anti-government slogans.

Fortunately, the vehicles were moving at a slow speed and the woman was not hurt.She was taken away from the scene by security personnel deployed there.

Farooq Khan, DIG, Jammu-Kathua Range, said: “Yes, we received the information and are looking into the matter.”

Jammu, April 16
The residents of various localities expressed resentment against the Public Health and Engineering Department (PHE) for being ineffective to cater to need of potable water facility of their localities.

The resident of Krishna Nagar, Shanta Nagar, Janipur, Top Sherkhanian, Sarwal and Chinoor localities said though they get water once in a day, which is insufficient for them. They urged upon PHE Minister Taj Mohi-ud-Din to issue directions to the authorities of PHE to enhance the water supply in their localities.

“In Jammu West constituency, the water pipes were laid by the PHE Department around 20 years ago and require replacement now, as they have started leaking,” they added.

“The water supply is less and requirement is more due to increase in the population during the last 20 years,” said president of the Jammu West Assembly Movement Sunil Dimple. Dimple added that the government should fulfil its promise of providing water twice a day and it should make long-term plans instead of short term to minimise this problem.

Srinagar, April 16
Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, chairman of the Hurriyat Conference, here today reacted sharply to the views of the Army Chief, Gen VK Singh, on the dilution of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) and described it as shocking.

Addressing the Friday congregation at the Jamia Masjid here today, the Mirwaiz lamented that the Central government of India was not ready to take any positive steps to help resolve the Kashmir issue and provide relief to people from the ongoing “excesses and atrocities” by the security forces.

He pointed out that a dialogue process between India and Pakistan was useless and futile in the presence of the security forces enjoying special powers under such laws in the state. The Mirwaiz urged the Central government to ensure immediate and concrete steps and pave the way for talks between the three parties -- India, Pakistan and Kashmir -- to resolve the long pending Kashmir issue. This, he said, was necessary in view of the “hard realities” and the changing scenario at the international level viz-a-viz the Kashmir problem.

Referring to the death of youth Zubair Ahmad, he expressed concern over the alleged human rights violations by the security forces. He condemned the killing of the youths and also referred to the deaths of Zahid Farooq and Wamiq Farooq here earlier this year.

JKLF chairman Yasin Malik has also expressed concern over the statement of the Army Chief in which the latter had opposed the dilution of the AFSPA in the state. Addressing a public meeting in the Beijbehara area of Anantnag district today, Malik alleged that people were being harassed by the security forces empowered with special powers under “draconian laws”.

Jammu, April 16
After facing embarrassment in the Assembly on the Inter-district Recruitment Bill, the BJP will devise a fresh strategy at its two- state executive committee meeting to be held on April 17 and 18.

Although 11 BJP MLAs claimed to have effectively taken up the cause of Jammu in the Budget session, there is a feeling among the party leadership, especially Sangh Parivar organisations, that their members in the House failed to cash in on the issue after the government was forced to exclude Scheduled Castes (SCs) from the controversial Bill.

These organisations had built up pressure outside the Assembly,but the MLAs could not take the credit for the exclusion of SCs.Sources said the Sangh Parivar had taken a serious note of the failure of the BJP MLAs to effectively take up the issue on April 9 when the Bill was passed.

Although the BJP opposed the Bill, the exclusion of SCs from its purview was a victory for it because it was the main demand of the party. Interestingly, the credit had gone to Panthers Party MLA Harshdev Singh who had moved an amendment in this regard which was incorporated in the Bill.

Taking a lesson from the Assembly episode, the party has decided to devise a new strategy to educate the masses on the issue. The BJP has also decided to hold meetings at the village- level to inform the people that it was due to its efforts that SCs were excluded from the Bill.

The party has also decided to utilise the services of its MLAs belonging to the Scheduled Castes to create awareness among people, especially the weaker sections, that the party has protected their interests.

Srinagar, April 16
The Crime Branch, Kashmir, has presented a chargesheet against two officials of the Ganderbal branch of Jammu and Kashmir State Cooperative Bank before the court of Chief Judicial Magistrate, Srinagar.

According to the SSP, Crime, Kashmir, Sonna-ullah Mir of Ganderbal had taken a loan from the Ganderbal branch of the bank. Subsequently, for the liquidation of the loan, he deposited Rs 20,44,524 in his account by way of three drafts and one cheque.

However, the then Branch Manager of the bank, Shamshada Akhtar, instead of crediting the amount to his account for the liquidation of the loan fraudulently diverted Rs 19,33,524 to a different account opened by her in the name of one of her relatives, Sajad Ahmed Khan, of Zakoora, Srinagar, without his consent and knowledge.

The remaining amount of Rs 1,11,000 was misappropriated by Abdul Rashid Mir, then the second senior officer in the branch, by showing the amount as a loan against an FDR, which was not actually found accounted for in the records of the bank. The accused were produced before the court and a chargesheet was presented against them, an official spokesman said. — TNS