Srinagar, January 3
While two factions of the Hurriyat Conference have maintained silence over the remarks of former party chairman Abdul Ghani Bhat on the killing of prominent persons in Kashmir, there has been a mixed response from different separatist groups.

Ghani Bhat had claimed that two senior separatist leaders, Mirwaiz Mohammad Farooq and Abdul Ghani Lone, besides his (Bhat’s) brother were killed by “our own people” and not the security forces.

Speaking to The Tribune, Bhat said: “My brother was killed in 1995 by my own people. This is a stark reality and when I recognise it, I am afraid I may also suffer. But let it be so. I shall not seal my mouth. Whether you speak the truth or not, I am determined to do it. I have done it and I stand by it.”

“Lone sahib, Mirwaiz Mohammad Farooq and Sultan Bhat were not killed by the Army or the police. They were targeted by our own people. We have to tell the truth to the people,” Bhat said.

Meanwhile, some of the militant organisations have also sharply reacted to the remarks of Bhat made at a seminar here yesterday. They have condemned his reported criticism of the hardline Hurriyat Conference leader, Syed Ali Geelani and his policies.

“Everyone knows who killed whom and on what charges, and to rake up such issues now is only to sabotage the ongoing freedom struggle. It is, therefore, clear that Bhat has been given this task by the Government of India”, a spokesman of three militant organisations told a local news agency here.

However, some of the separatist groups like the Democratic Liberation Party led by Hashim Qureshi have welcomed the remarks, saying it is an “encouraging development” and reflects the truth. He advised other separatist leaders to reflect on the hard realities. It was necessary to identify those responsible for the killing of prominent personalities like Mirwaiz Moulvi Mohammad Farooq, Abdul Ghani Lone, Ghulam Qadir Wani and others,he said.

The Mirwaiz was killed by gunmen at his Nigeen residence on May 21, 1990, when his son and the present Mirwaiz (chief priest), Umar Farooq, was still in his teens. Another senior Hurriyat leader, Abdul Ghani Lone, leader of the People’s Conference, was killed on May 21, 2002, at Eidgah, when the Hurriyat Conference and other separatist leaders had gathered to pay tributes to the late Mirwaiz. The late Abdul Ghani Lone’s son, Bilal, is one of the executive members of the Hurriyat Conference led by Mirwaiz Umar Farooq. His younger brother, Sajjad Lone, who was also a member of the Hurriyat Conference, is now leading a faction of the People’s Conference.

Jammu, January 3
Following the killing of two jawans of the Territorial Army in Ramban district on Saturday night, the Army today cordoned off around 7-km area in a dense jungle in the Bhimdassa area in search of hiding militants.

It may be stated here that the two jawans of the 163 Territorial Army, Mohammed Sharief and Mohammed Khalil, were killed by the militants on January 1.“ Though we launched a massive search operation on January 1 to track down the militants responsible for the killing of the two jawans, we zeroed in on their hideout in a dense jungle today,” a senior Army officer told The Tribune. “We think a group of three or four militants are hiding in the jungle where the troops have laid the cordon.In fact, a gunfight is going on and we believe there are at least one or two top militants hiding there,” he added.

The officer said the Rashtriya Rifles troops along with sniffer dogs had been conducting search operations in Kheori Kund, Bhatpora, Bhimdassa and Gool areas of the district since January 1. Since the dense forest had steep ridges and rugged mountains, the operation might take a lot of time, he added. The officer, however, rubbished reports that the two jawans were kidnapped and killed by the militants, who also took away their weapons.

“There is no truth in their kidnapping reports. Both jawans were part of an operation during which they got separated and were killed by the ultras,” he said.

The officer also denied the reports that the duo was betrayed by a source, which had informed the militants well in advance about the arrival of the jawans at a specific place. “Besides the bodies, we also recovered the weapons of the slain soldiers”, he added.

Regarding the possibility of the presence of dreaded Lashkar-e-Toiba ultra Abu Moosa in the jungle, the officer said though he (Moosa) operated in the Gool area, “as of now, we could not say for sure about his presence in the cordoned off area. If he was there entrapped in the cordon, it would be a big success against the militant outfit.

Sources on the other hand said the two slain soldiers had gone on a specific operation in the Khora-Baghpora area in the Bhimdassa belt of Gool and from there they went missing and were found dead the next day.

Jammu, January 3
The state police is providing advanced training to five new battalions of the Indian Reserve Police to exclusively deal with stone throwing and rioting.

“In view of the recent unrest in the Kashmir valley where a large number of policemen and CRPF personnel were injured, we are now providing advanced training to the cops, who, in turn, will effectively deal with rioting and stone throwing,” said DGP Kuldeep Khoda on the sidelines of a press conference here today.

“Most of the jawans have been trained and the rest will also finish their training in the next three months”,he said, and added the turmoil in the Valley had compelled the police to form a special squad, which would be deployed to handle such incidents. “These cops would be equipped with special gear to minimise injuries,”.

Following the law and order problem in Kashmir last year, the police approached the state government for less-lethal and non-lethal weapons to avoid civilian casualties. Admitting the fact that rioting incidents increased by 50 per cent last year, Khoda said laser guns, pump- action guns, pepper guns, gas guns, rubber pellets and tear smoke munitions were also sought from the government.

“As many as 207 persons were detained for stone throwing in the Kashmir valley last year. Of them,155 were booked under the Public Safety Act”, the DGP concluded.

Jammu, January 3
DGP Kuldeep Khoda said here today that the state police had done a good job in meeting all challenges, including the unrest in the Kashmir valley, in 2010.

He said despite the challenges, militancy in the state was now at its lowest ebb in the past 21 years.

Referring to inputs of intelligence agencies, he said militancy had been wiped out from most of the districts across the Jammu region and militants were finding it difficult to revive it in Poonch, Doda, Ramban, Kishtwar and Rajouri districts.

“Nearly 450 to 500 militants are active in the state at present and 50 per cent of them are foreign mercenaries,” Khoda said.

He added that 232 militants, including 22 self-styled commanders, were killed in 2010.

Twenty militants had surrendered in 2010 while the figure was 15 in 2009.

Divulging the number of civilians killed in 2010, he said 47 persons were killed in militancy-related incidents as compared to 71 in 2009.

Paying homage to 20 cops, who laid down their lives in the line of duty last year, Khoda said their sacrifices would always be remembered.

A total of 69 securitymen belonging to the Army, the CRPF and other forces were killed in the militancy-related incidents, he said.

Khoda emphasised zero civilian casualty operations against the militants. Explaining the strategy of the police for 2011, he said the department needed modernisation and all efforts would be made in this regard.

“We are also improving the railways’ security, especially in the Valley. The crime wing will also be upgraded and there will be special focus on human trafficking,” the DGP added.

He said interactive websites for the Crime Branch and the traffic police would be launched for the convenience of the public. Modern gadgets, including CCTV cameras and X-ray baggage scanners, would be installed at all important locations.

Besides, all cops were being trained in basic computer applications and 6,300 had been imparted training so far.

About the welfare of the force,the DGP said two police housing colonies would be constructed in Jammu and Srinagar and the amount of the gift to every member of the force on superannuation had been enhanced to Rs 35,000.

Srinagar, January 3
The Kashmir valley continued to reel under extreme cold conditions today with the mercury plummeting below -5°C in the city, while Leh shivered at -23°C.

The drop in the temperature has frozen many water bodies in the Valley, including the Dal Lake. So far, seven persons have died due to the prevailing cold in the Valley.

People are facing problems as taps have frozen at many places, affecting the water supply in various parts of the Valley.

“We had to light a small fire near the frozen taps to start the water flow in the morning. At various places, pipes have developed cracks due to the cold,” said Manzoor Ahmed, a local resident. Roads have also become slippery due to the accumulation of ice.

“It is becoming difficult to drive vehicles on thin ice”, said a resident, Bashir Ahmed.

An erratic power supply, too, has added to the woes of the people.“The Power Department is not following its own schedule. This year, the situation is even worse,” said Firdous Ahmed, a resident of Srinagar.

Meanwhile, officials of the Meteorological Department said the intensity of cold would increase in the coming days as there would be no downpour in the next few days.

“The temperature will continue to drop further in the next few days. Dry and cold weather with clear night sky is expected over the next two days, thus, the temperature can dip further,” an official of the department said.

He added that Leh town in Ladakh witnessed a minimum temperature of -23°C and Kargil recorded a minimum of 18.2°C whereas Pahalgam was at -12.4°C and Gulmarg was at -11.7°C.

“The minimum temperature in Srinagar was recorded at -5.2°C,” the official said.

Jammu, January 3
There seems to be no respite in sight for local residents from the blinding fog in the next few days.

There was dense fog in the city today. The cold wave forced people to stay indoor throughout the day today. The poor,particularly daily wagers, were seen keeping themselves warm by setting up bonfires. However, parents of students have heaved a sigh of relief as colleges and schools are closed.

“The schools and colleges are scheduled to reopen next week. I hope that the weather will improve in the next few days”, said a resident, Karuna Malhotra,

Unscheduled and long power cuts have aggravated the problems of the residents in various areas of the city.

“Because of unscheduled and long power cuts, we cannot use blowers, heaters and other electronic gadgets. The worst hit are the elderly and the children, who are unable to bear the cold”,said Varun Sharma, a resident of the Gangyal area. According to officials of the Meteorological Department, there was a fall in the day temperature because of foggy conditions.

Talking to The Tribune, the Director, Meteorological Department, Sonum Lotus, said the day temperature would continue to dip while the night temperature might rise by around 2°C in the next few days.

The Director added that fog would continue to hover over the city for the next few days.

The city today recorded the minimum temperature at 7°C while the maximum temperature settled at 12°C.

The Met Department predicted that in the next 24 hours, the weather would remain dry in the state. The possibility of light showers in the the city in the next 24 hours was also predicted.

Srinagar, January 3
The regional passport officer, Srinagar, GA Dar, inaugurated a district passport collection centre at Khanyar in Srinagar, here today.

Dar said the regional passport office had 12 district passport collection centres in different districts of the Valley.

He added that a huge rush at the Srinagar Passport Office created an inconvenience to the people of the district.

Therefore, in order to solve the problem, the district passport collection centre was opened to cater to a large number of people in the north of Srinagar, he added.

He said the chairman of the moderate faction of the Hurriyat Conference, Mirwaiz Umer Farooq, had been issued a fresh passport.

“Mirwaiz had applied for a passport and we received security verification. The passport has been issued and he will receive it in a few days,” Dar added.

Jammu, January 3
The Governor, N. N. Vohra, today addressed senior IAS officers attending a mid-career training programme at the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration, Mussoorie, from Raj Bhavan here via videoconferencing.

The address was followed by an interactive session during which the Governor replied to the queries of the officers.

He wished them a happy New Year and bright careers ahead.

The programme is being attended by about 100 IAS officers belonging to the 1980, 1981 and 1982 batches.

The five-week-long programme includes one-week exposure visit to Harvard Kennedy School, USA, with emphasis on cross-country experiences in regard to various aspects of governance and the remaining four weeks at the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration, Mussoorie.

Earlier, the Joint Director and Course Director of the Academy, P. K. Gera, in his address of welcome, thanked the Governor for addressing the IAS officers.

Jammu, January 3
Criticising those who are “misleading” people by demanding the abrogation of Article 370, Minister for Finance and Ladakh Affairs Abdul Rahim Rather said today that its abrogation was constitutionally impossible and a mere propaganda of some parties.

Addressing a public gathering after inaugurating a newly-constructed treasury complex at Mandi in border Poonch district today, Rathre said even former Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee, while addressing a gathering in Srinagar, had said the abrogation of Article 370 was not possible.

Reiterating the government’s resolve to provide all basic facilities to the people on their doorsteps, especially in remote and hitherto neglected areas, the Finance Minister said all available resources were being pooled optimally to meet the urges and aspirations of the people to provide them the maximum possible comfort.

He said a provision of good governance with utmost transparency and accountability was the first and foremost priority of the government, which could not be compromised with in any case.

The newly set up treasury at Mandi is the fifth treasury in a row to be inaugurated by the Finance Minister in remote areas of the state during the current fiscal.

Rather said the opening of the treasury at Mandi did not come under the norms but was sanctioned by the Cabinet as a special case keeping in view the backwardness and rugged terrains of the area. Other such treasuries included those at Dacchan in Kishtwar district, Tai-Suru in Kargil, Kunzar in Baramulla and Langat in Kupwara.

The Finance Minister said the government also endeavoured to provide adequate and improved infrastructure for the state treasuries. He added that the construction of the treasury buildings at Gool, Mahore, Gulabgarh Paddar in Jammu division and Shopian and Tangmarg in Kashmir division was being considered.

“Apart from creating improved infrastructure, efforts are under way to use information technology in the functioning of the state treasures,” Rather said. He added that the computerisation of 11 district-level treasuries had been taken up and a detailed project report for the computerisation of all other state treasuries under the National-e-Governance plan at a cost of Rs 27 crore had been mooted. He said a new treasury software, namely Integrated Finance Management system (IFMS), was in the final stage of development through the state unit of the NIC.

Describing the treasuries as the face of good governance, which is reflected in their multifarious activities, Rather urged the functionaries of the Accounts and Treasuries Department to ensure better performance taking recourse to good behaviour, politeness and honesty. “Honesty and diligence will be the benchmarks for gauging the performance of the officers,” he maintained.

Jammu, January 3
The GOC, Tiger Division, Maj-Gen TPS Waraich, flagged off a trans-India Territorial Army cycle expedition here this morning.

During the course of their journey the cyclists will visit important places of interest such as wildlife sanctuaries, war memorials, world heritage sites and wetlands en route Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan.

The expedition will cover 3,000 km in 35 days and terminate at BD Bari in Jammu in the first week of February.

The aim of conducting such an extensive cycle expedition is to popularise the concept of Territorial Army and thereby motivating the youth of the country to join it.

It will test the physical and mental stamina of the team members while inculcating in them the spirit of adventure and developing leadership traits.

The theme of the expedition is to spread awareness among people about the drying of wetlands and shrinking of wildlife sanctuaries.

The team will also highlight the significance of war memorials and world heritage sites and subsequently educate the people about their relevance and need for their preservation.

The expedition will finally culminate in New Delhi, coinciding with the Prime Minister’s Territorial Army Day Parade in March.

Jammu, January 3
Even as the government gave a nod to the creation of 103 posts of physiotherapists yesterday, the latter today termed the government move as eyewash and continued their protest.

The protesting physiotherapists have been holding a demonstration in front of the old Divisional Commissiner’s Office at Mubarak Mandi for the past 42 days.

Today, they reiterated their demand for a state physiotherapy council and claimed that recruitment should be done through the Jammu and Kashmir Public Service Commission.

Vimal Singh Manhas, president of the Jammu and Kashmir Physiotherapists’ Association, said: “Earlier also, the government offered two posts for the Jammu province and seven for the Kashmir province to sabotage the ongoing movement in the state. This time again, its decision is ambiguous”.

“We will not lift our dharna until the government takes a concrete decision,” he said, adding that a separate Physiotherapy Department should be established in every district hospital.

Dr Pardeep Mahotra, another protesting doctor and general secretary of the association, said: “The proposed seats are not in proportion to the number of unemployed doctors. While the government has advertised just 103 seats, there are at least 3,000 unemployed physiotherapists in the state”. 

Jammu, January 3
The BJP has invited a noted endocrinologist, Dr Jitendra Singh, and a former MP from Ladakh, Thumpston Chhewang, as special invitees to its national executive meeting.

BJP state president Shamsher Singh Manhas said this while extending an invitation to the two from the party’s national president, Nitin Gadkari, at a press conference here today.

Manhas said the decision to invite Jitendra Singh was taken in recognition of his clean image and long public service. He added a “ Rashtriya Ekta Rally” would be organised in Jammu on January 25 and more than 50,000 youths from across the country were expected to participate in it.

The BJP president said the rally was scheduled to start from Kolkata on January 12 and after passing through a number of states, it would reach Lakhanpur on January 24. “After holding a rally in Jammu, Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha activists will leave for Kashmir to hoist the Tricolour at Lal Chowk in Srinagar city and two other places in Uri and Baramulla on Republic Day,” he added.

Srinagar, January 3
At least 48 shops were damaged in three fire incidents in Bandipore, Srinagar and Anantnag districts, causing a heavy damage to property and merchandise in the Kashmir valley since yesterday.

The police here said 28 shops were gutted and seven partially damaged in a fire in the Khadim Market in the main town of Bandipore district early today. The fire was caused due to an electric short-circuit. However, there was no loss of life or injury.

Ten shops were partially damaged in a fire caused due to an electric short-circuit in the double-storeyed shopping complex of Ghulam Ahmad Dagga at Fruit Mandi, Parimpora, here.

Another fire broke out in a shop of Ghulam Nabi Sofi at Sadder Bazaar at Beijbehara in Anantnag district last night. It engulfed three adjacent shops, destroying them partially, the police said.

Meanwhile, PDP president Mehbooba Mufti and MLA, Bandipora, Nizamudin Bhat have expressed shock over the loss of property in the fire incidents at Bandipore. Mehbooba expressed concern over the inadequate fire fighting services at the district headquarters that caused an avoidable loss of property. She urged the government to strengthen fire fighting facilities at Bandipora in view of the repeated incidents in the area. She also urged for immediate relief and rehabilitation of the victims.