Jammu, May 1
Created amidst hype and hoopla in July 2005 to check corruption rampant in the state, the Jammu and Kashmir State Accountability Commission (JKSAC), which is virtually on a life-support system, has been awaiting its next chairperson since June 2008.

In a striking contrast to the autonomous JKSAC, the coalition government has now pulled up its socks to convert the existing Vigilance Organisation into the Jammu and Kashmir State Vigilance Commission (JKSVC) to fight corruption in the government set up.

The government has already put draft changes of the JKSVC Act-2011 in the public domain for inviting suggestions from stakeholders.

After Justice RP Sethi, the first-ever chairperson of the JKSAC resigned in May 2006, Justice GL Raina (retd) acted as the chairperson from May 2006 to June 2008. Justice Sethi, a retired Supreme Court Judge, was appointed as the SAC chairman on August 26, 2005.

“But after June 2008, the government failed to appoint any chairperson to the JKSAC and it seems to be a deliberate attempt,” sources in the commission told The Tribune.

However, at that time, nearly 50 recommendations against corrupt bureaucrats, MLAs and ministers were made to the government, but unfortunately no action was initiated, they added.

Leave aside initiating action against corrupt public servants, they approached the court of law in total contravention to the constitution of the JKSAC, said the sources.

Since April 2009, there is neither a chairperson nor any member in the JKSAC and the last member, Justice Muzaffar Jan (retd), too, Couldn’t function because of the fact that there was no chairperson, they added.

“Since the JKSAC had a vast jurisdiction and authority to probe complaints of corruption right from a plumber to the Chief Minister, the government amended the Jammu and Kashmir Accountability Act and reserved the right of initiating action on the recommendations,” the sources added.

An insider of the JKSAC stated that despite being a “dead horse”, the commission even today gets a minimum budget of Rs 50 lakh every year to meet expenditures like salaries of its employees, electricity charges, fuel expenditure and rent of premises hired by the commission.

Jammu, May 1
Even as BJP leader Murli Manohar Joshi has been reelected as the chairman of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), senior Congress leader and member of the Rajya Sabha Prof Saifuddin Soz said today that the report submitted by Joshi on the irregularities in the allocation of the 2G Spectrum licences had no relevance, as a majority of the members of the PAC had rejected the same.

Interacting with mediapersons on the sidelines of May Day function, Soz, who had presided over the controversial meeting when Joshi staged a walkout, said the report drafted and submitted by the PAC chairman, Murli Manohar Joshi, would “gather dust” as the BJP had violated the rules enshrined in the constitution.

“It was the BJP that has created problems, as they did not allow us to call witnesses. The report was rejected with a majority. It will meet the fate like large papers, which generally gather dust on the shelves in the Parliament,” Soz said.

“It was mandatory that there should be a consensus among the members over the report and it was the Speaker’s direction that we could call witnesses. But they (BJP members) did not allow us to call witnesses. They were adamant and no consensus was reached at”.

However, the report presented by Joshi to the Speaker of the Lok Sabha, Meera Kumar, has criticised various government departments, including the Prime Minister’s Office, and even Home Minister P Chidambaram, for failing to prevent the irregularities. It had also pointed out that adequate powers were given to A Raja to abuse his office as the Telecom Minister during the auction of the 2G Spectrum.

Soz said the committee suffered a “set back and damage” due to Joshi, who allegedly did not follow rules. “I hope there will be unanimity among members and we will call the witnesses,” he added.

Earlier Soz, while addressing May Day rally, described the labour class as the backbone of development and economic progress of the country. He said the party had always advocated for the welfare of the labour class and extended full cooperation to their struggle for acceptance of their demands.

He ensured his support to the employees in government, semi-government and private sector in order to further accelerate economic development.

Jammu, May 1
Pulling up State Vigilance Commissioner for failing to register a graft case against an official, an anti-corruption court in J-K has directed SSP, State Vigilance Organisation (SVO), to book the erring officials and submit the action taken report within two weeks.

In an application seeking directions to SVO to produce status report of a pending case related to bunglings in rural development department, Special Judge Anti-Corruption, Jammu, A K Koul, took a serious notice of the refusal by the Vigilance Commissioner PL Gupta to register a case in this regard after preliminary inquiry by SSP, Vigilance, and to refer the matter for departmental action.

“One does not understand from where the Vigilance Commissioner derives the power to refuse the permission to register a case even though the commission of many cognisable offences is revealed firstly. It is really astonishing to notice that prima-facie commission of a number of offences under Prevention of Corruption Act and Ranbir Penal Code (RPC) as established but registration of a case was not permitted by the Commissioner Vigilance,” the court observed, adding “it is trite law that once the commission of cognizable offence is revealed there is no option but to register a case.”

“It appears that Vigilance Commissioner has not bestowed his attention to the relevant provisions of law,” the judge said. The application was filed by Ram Singh and others alleging fraudulent withdrawal of funds from government treasury under NREGA during the year 2006-2007.

The inquiry officer had found that Dhan Singh, Village Level Worker (Secretary Panchayat Pannchal, Block Ramsu (Ramban district), abused his official position and allotted work to persons who were neither residents of concerned villages nor had ever worked. To facilitate fraudulent withdrawals, he prepared fake and forged receipts.

The SSP, SVO, in January last year came to a conclusion that misappropriation of Rs 96,900 has been unearthed, which in his opinion was only tip of an ice-berg and required in-depth investigation. Accordingly the SSP recommended registration of case against the officials. — PTI 

Jammu, May 1
Even as the CRPF awaits the final decision of the Union Home Ministry regarding the deployment of 67 companies of the paramilitary force for the ensuing Amarnath yatra, a three-tier security grid comprising the CRPF, Jammu and Kashmir Police and the Army will guard the yatra this year.

The BSF will also contribute its bit in the form of anything between 10 to 15 companies. The annual pilgrimage starts from June 29 this year.

“We are awaiting the response of the Union Home Ministry and once we get the official instructions, the placement of CRPF troops in tandem with the Army, BSF and the police will be chalked out,” said a senior officer of the CRPF.

Primarily, the requirement of 67 companies would be met from training companies out of the 68 battalions of the CRPF, already placed in the state, one or two women companies might come from outside, he added.

For the purpose of security during one-and-a-half month long pilgrimage, the training companies would be relieved from their training schedule, he said.

One battalion of CRPF has seven companies and one company has an operational strength of 75 men. Though the final figures were yet to be worked out, the BSF would also provide 10 to 15 companies for security of the yatra, said sources in the BSF.

The Army will be guarding the upper reaches of the cave shrine. The CRPF in tandem with the Army and the police will be providing a three-grid security grid to the pilgrimage.

Right from the Yatri Niwas base camp at Bhagwati Nagar in Jammu up to the cave shrine, the CRPF would be visible by the presence of its men, a CRPF spokesperson said.

In the form of escort parties from Bhagwati Nagar, road opening parties en route the 312 km Kashmir highway, at Pahalgam and Baltal base camps, on the two axis and up to the cave shrine, the CRPF troops would be keeping a hawk’s eye on the situation, he said.

“No doubt, it is a very challenging job and a real test, but we take pride in the fact that the CRPF along with other forces have been performing the duty for the past several years,” he added.

Chief Minister Omar Abdullah was personally monitoring the arrangements of the ensuing pilgrimage, he added.

Srinagar, May 1
The strategic 434-km Srinagar-Leh National highway will be thrown open for vehicular traffic tomorrow after five months closure owing to heavy snowfall, Border Road Organisation (BRO) said.

“The snow clearance operation on the highway, only road linking frontier region of Ladakh with rest of Jammu and Kashmir, has been completed and the road will be thrown open for vehicular traffic on May 2,” a senior officer of the BRO said.

The Srinagar-Leh highway was closed for vehicular traffic on November 26 last year for winter after the high-altitude areas of the Valley including Zojila Pass experienced heavy snowfall.

The highway passes through the 11,578-foot high Zojila Pass which lies on the lower depressions of the Himalayan ranges and attracts the heavist snowfall during the winter season resulting in closure of the arterial road for six to seven months annually.

Accumulation of huge quantities of snow over the Zojila Pass, 107 km from here, presents the biggest hurdle to traffic on this road, the official said.

He said the snow clearance operation started in the beginning of March and tonnes of snow was removed by the personnel of Beacon project, with the help of modern machines, braving the hazards of high altitude, severe cold and rolling avalanches.

Although the road connecting the Ladakh region to rest of the state was to be opened on April 27, it was delayed due to heavy rains in Sonamarg plains and snowfall in higher reaches.

The road clearance was completed on April 29 and light vehicles of Army carried out a test drive to check the safety of the road for civilian traffic yesterday. — PTI 

Jammu, May 1
Appealing to people to desist from hunting turtledove, a migratory bird, the Jammu and Kashmir government today said the indiscriminate killing had threatened the very existence of this species. “We appeal to people in Kathua, Samba, Reasi, Udhampur and Rajouri districts in Jammu region to desist from hunting the bird.

“The indiscriminate killing of the Turtledove has seriously endangered the very existence of this important bird species,” A K Kapoor, Chief Conservator of Forest, Wildlife, said.

“The hunting of the bird, which has assumed alarming proportions this season, is totally illegal and should be stopped,” he said.

Turtledove is a small migratory bird locally known as Kalmuha. It is greyish black in colour, lives in plains in flocks and is gregarious. “This bird is a friend of farmers as it eats harmful insects damaging crops. It is a vital part of our ecology, environment and bio-diversity,” the CCF said.

During this season, the bird migrates from plains to higher reaches (up to 4000-ft high) for breeding. “Locals hunt this bird indiscriminately with the result that its breeding cycle gets interrupted,” Kapoor said adding its number is dwindling at an alarming rate.

“The killing of the bird invites penal action under the J&K Wildlife Protection Act, 1978,” he said.

“The Wildlife Protection Department appeals to the people to protect this migratory bird and show passion and love for the winged guests,” he said. — PTI 

New Delhi, May 1
The Central Government has paid Rs 3 lakh as monetary relief to the family of a man who died in Army custody in Jammu and Kashmir eight years ago. The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), which recommended the compensation on January 28, 2009, recently received a proof of payment from the Defence Ministry, official sources said.

The NHRC had taken suo motu cognisance of a report in a Kashmir newspaper in June 2003 about alleged custodial death of Javed Ahmed Magrey and some others. Earlier on May 1, Magrey’s father reported to Nogwan police station that his son had been picked up by the army.

A magisterial inquiry found some army personnel guilty, the sources said adding, an FIR was lodged by police and after completion of investigation, the Home Department of Jammu and Kashmir government had on July 16, 2007 also made a request to the Ministry of Defence to accord sanction for the prosecution of the Army men.

Considering the matter, the NHRC had said that since the army personnel have been “found involved in the custodial death of Javed Ahmed Magrey” during magisterial probe and also during the police investigation, a notice be issued to the Defence Ministry asking it why monetary relief will not be paid to the kin of the deceased.

According to the letter by the Defence Ministry, the payment of Rs 3 lakh via cheque was made to father of Magrey on June 24, 2010 in the presence of Assistant Commissioner (Revenue) of Budgam, the sources said. — PTI

Srinagar, May 1
Winds of change are sweeping the Kashmir valley, as things are moving towards normalcy in the trouble-torn state, which saw an armed insurgency for more than two decades.

Activities, which are part of normal life, have resumed in the Valley after a gap of two decades. If the return of a large number of Kashmiri Pandits is a precursor to the return of normalcy to the Valley, the ongoing panchayat elections too has given a solid reply to the people, who claimed that Kashmir was a disturbed area.

Nightlife has once again resumed here, as people in a large number thronged a trade fair on the TRC ground in Srinagar city and shopped till late in the night. “We face no threat. It is like any other part of the country. People come here for shopping till late in the evening. We have put up two big stalls here while in Jammu we would put up only one stall,” said Kulbir, a manager at the Life Style Trade Fair.

While last year saw a sharp decline in the number of tourists visiting the Tulip Garden due to the summer unrest, this year a record number of domestic and foreign tourists had already visited the garden. “So far more than 70,000 tourists have visited the Tulip Garden,” said Javed Ahmed Shah, District Floriculture Officer, Srinagar.

“Despite boycott calls by separatists, we had more than 90 per cent voting in the four phases of the panchayat elections. A large number of Kashmiri Pandits, who left Kashmir two decades ago, had returned to the Valley,” a senior police officer told The Tribune.

He said some people with vested interests were working hard to create disturbance in the Valley, but they won’t be allowed to succeed in their nefarious designs, he added.

The General-Officer-Commanding of Srinagar-based 15 Corps, Lt-Gen SA Hasnain, had said this year would mark the end of militancy in the Kashmir valley.

Srinagar, May 1
The PDP has asked the government to intervene in arranging transport for the students of Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) who have not been able to get the bookings. All students of the university have been evicted from hostels after the sudden closure of the campus.

While other states had organised special trains for the students, the Jammu and Kashmir authorities had failed to respond, a spokesman of the party said.

He said the government must immediately take up the matter with the Railway Ministry and organise transport for the stranded students. The AMU was today shut down indefinitely after violence erupted in the campus on Friday night as students of two rival groups clashed with each other. — TNS