Jammu, May 10
With religious fervour, the registration for the annual Amarnath yatra began across the country today. This year the registration slips for both traditional Pahalgam as well as Baltal routes have been printed in pink and blue colours, respectively.

As soon as the registration process began at 3 pm, a large number of pilgrims were seen visiting the designated bank branches to get the registration slips. Every pilgrim has to pay Rs 15 to get the yatra registration slip, which will also provide an accidental insurance cover of Rs 1 lakh to him/her.

This year, Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board (SASB) has made these slips mandatory for paying obeisance before the Ice Lingam at the holy cave shrine at a height of 13,500 feet. The pilgrims will have to show the slip while paying obeisance at the cave shrine, a senior official of the SASB told The Tribune.

Last year, some complaints were received that the pilgrims were paying obeisance at the shrine without having registration slips. This year, the pilgrimage would be held between June 29 and August 13 i.e. Raksha Bandhan.

Meanwhile, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, a member of the SASB, said, “The date of the commencement of the yatra was determined with a view to ensuring, as far as possible, that the yatris were not stranded, as in the past. As a member of the SASB, I say that the allegations levelled by a section of religious or other organisations are baseless”.

He added that, “June 15 is Jaisht Poornima, which is not a good day for the commencement of the yatra, as it is Dwanksha Yoga on that day. However, June 29 is a Wednesday, Maasa Shivratri having Rohini Nakshatra and Subha Yoga, which is good for the commencement of the pilgrimage”.

He also appealed to the people to stay away from rumours and believe in maintaining peace and harmony of the region. But there was no let up in the zeal of devotees as compared to the previous years, as with the formal beginning of the registration process for the yatra today, the enthusiastic devotees were singing religious hymns outside the bank branches.

Ujjwal Sharma, a resident of the Muthi area, who got the first registration slip from the Bahu Plaza branch of Jammu and Kashmir Bank, said, “For the last five years I am getting the first registration slip. It is my devotion towards Lord Shiva that gives me strength to face all challenges in life”.

Similarly, Vinod Anand, a resident of Samba, was the first to get the yatra registration slip at the Gole Market branch of J&K Bank. He said, “For the last nine years I have been paying obeisance at the holy cave shrine and have always been the first to get the registration slip”.

The SASB claimed that elaborate arrangements had been made for the smooth registration of the pilgrims at all registration counters across the country. “For this purpose, 121 branches of J&K bank, 24 branches of YES Bank and four branches of district cooperative banks have been designated across the country to issue registration slips,” said the SASB officials.

Pattan, May 10
The Baramulla police busted a module of the Hizbul Mujahideen operating in the Pattan-Kunzar area and arrested five militants today.

Addressing a press conference, DIG, north Kashmir range, Munir Khan said, “The Baramulla police and the 2 RR in a joint operation arrested five militants of the Hizbul Mujahideen and seized a large cache of arms and ammunition from their possession”. The arrested militants have been identified as Hilal Ahmad Palla, Abdul Rashid Bhatt, alias Molvi, Manzoor Ahmed Wani, Zahoor Ahmed Ganai, Mehraj-u-Din Ganaie and Mudasir Ahmed Sheikh.

Abdul Rashid Bhatt was arrested and one AK series rifle, one AK magazine, 140 rounds of AK ammunition were recovered from his possession. Wani was arrested with one AK series rifle, one AK magazine, 60 rounds of AK ammunition while one AK series rifle, one AK magazine and 100 rounds of AK ammunition was seized from Zahoor Ganai. A Chinese pistol, one pistol magazine, four rounds of pistol ammunition, one Kenwood radio set was seized from Mehraj-u-Din while two Chinese hand grenades were seized from Mudasir Sheikh.

Giving details of their activities, the DIG said the module had been constituted on the directions of Maqsood Ahmad Bhatt, alias Tariq, a self-styled Hizbul Mujahideen commander at present lodged in jail. Their aim was to revive militancy and create a sense of terror among people of Khore Pattan, Shirpora, Pattan, Kunzer and Tangmarg areas.

The module was tasked to selectively eliminate civilians and instil a sense of terror in the rural populace. The group had made an unsuccessful attempt on the life of the chairman of the Municipal Council, Kunzer, Abdul Karim Dar. It had been planning to eliminate more targets as directed by Maqsood Bhatt, but the timely action by the police thwarted their evil designs.

The group was also involved in two grenade blasts, including one on an Army convoy of 15 Grenadiers at Pattan. Three Army personnel were killed and five were injured in the incident.

The other grenade attack was carried out by the same group at the Magam market during a Pulse Polio Immunisation Programme. One CRPF personnel and six civilians were injured in the incident.

The DIG said the Hizbul module was trying to involve schoolboys to work for it. It was also training the boys about how to use AK series rifles and pistols in the adjoining orchards. “The police and the local Army unit used to hear gunshots during nights hours regular in the general area of Khore, Shirpora, Hanjivera. On this the police started investigation and the 2 RR started laying night ambushes in the area. After hectic efforts the success was achieved when the police interrogated a few people and apprehended Hizbul Mujahideen commander Hilal Ahmad Palla of Dangerpora,” DIG said.

The group had been threatening people not to participate in the panchayat elections by way of pasting election boycott posters.

Keerian (Kathua), May 10
Sri Lanka, a name given to a cluster of villages situated across the Ravi, awaits a bridge to connect to the mainland even after over six decades. Politically situated in Jammu and Kashmir, the villagers do not know where they actually exist. Most of their phone connections are of the Punjab telecom circle. Their children study in schools in Punjab and they too go to hospitals in Punjab.

Since Independence villagers were being promised that their villages would be connected with the district headquarters Kathua via a bridge over the Ravi. The bridge would have ended their misery, shortened journey to Kathua and brought development to the villages. But all they got were promises from politicians during every elections.

What to talk of fulfilling promises, no Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir had ever visited this “Sri Lanka”, villagers claimed. The five villages are covered under two panchayats - Keeriyan and Gangyal. The panchayat elections here are scheduled later this week.

The villagers have to travel 40-45 km for all revenue, police, judicial work at the district headquarters Kathua while the bridge will shorten the journey to just 5 to 7 km. With 15,000 population spread over five villages, people here do not have much hope from the panchayat elections.

Bishambhar, a septuagenarian farmer, said their destiny had been cruel to them. “We are Jammu and Kashmir residents. Most of us have got the state subject certificates. These villages were historically part of the Kashmir kingdom even though they were situated across the Ravi”.

“But we are Jammu and Kashmir residents for the revenue purposes only. The road connectivity, power supply and phone network, all are mostly of Punjab. Most of our children are married in Punjab villages,” he said.

Tony Sharma, a youth, who runs a dhaba near the prospective site for the bridge, said he hoped traffic would increase after the bridge comes up. “But the promises have proved to be hollow. Without the bridge we are cut off from the state’s mainland”.

“We have to travel 40-45 km via Pathankot and pay a hefty toll tax at the Lakhanpur barrier were tax is collected from people entering the state. Irony is that we live in the state, but we have to go outside to enter the state,” he said.

He added that, “The mobile phone connectivity of the Jammu and Kashmir circle is poor. We rely mainly on the Punjab telecom circle. Interestingly, many houses have landline connections of Punjab as well as Jammu and Kashmir”.

Rashid Ahmed, another farmer, said the campaigning for the panchayat elections was on but it won’t make any difference here. “When the Assembly and General elections have not changed our fate, what will the panchayat elections do,” he asks politicians.

Udhampur, May 10
To control the possible incidents of wildfires with the onset of summer, the Ramnagar Forest Division authorities have decided to set up six fire control rooms in the area under their jurisdiction.

The decision to this effect was taken today at a meeting of the range officers chaired by the Divisional Forest Officer, Ramnagar Forest Division, Anil Mangotra.

Going by the past record, the fire-prone areas of Chowki, Ghordi, Kaitha, Basantgarh, Ramnagar and Rang were selected for the purpose. The control rooms would be equipped with necessary fire-fighting infrastructure, which would function round-the-clock till the end of summer, said Mangotra.

He added that instructions were being issued to the in charge of each control room to remain in touch with nambardars and chowkidars concerned for their assistance in terms of timely information and control in case of a fire in their respective areas.

Each in charge would also report to the range officer concerned in writing about any act of non-cooperation by them or public in this regard, Mangotra added.

Jammu, May 10
District Magistrate, Jammu, Sanjeev Verma banned the movement, assembly and stay of individuals or groups within a radius of 100 metres of the examination centres under Section 144 of the CrPC here today.

The legitimate and bona fide activities along thoroughfare, private houses, offices and religious places or any other type of accommodations and premises will be barred from this order. The order shall remain in force from the date of the beginning of the examinations till it is over. — TNS

Srinagar, May 10
Describing the present generation of youth as the leaders of tomorrow, Governor NN Vohra has said the future of the state is very bright in the hands of the talented youth of Jammu and Kashmir.

The Governor was addressing students of Delhi Public School, Srinagar, during his visit to this institution today. He observed that given their high potential the youth of the state could become leaders in whatever careers they choose to pursue and bring laurels to the state by dint of their hard work. The First Lady, Usha Vohra, was also present on the occasion.

Noting the excellent achievements registered by this school in academic and extra-curricular activities, the Governor told the students that they were fortunate to receive education in such an institution. He made a special mention of Obair Khan, a class XII student of the school, who made an outstanding extempore speech in the inter-class debate contest organised in the English Lab of the institution today. He lauded Khan’s impressive articulation on the theme of corruption and gave him an on-the-spot a cash prize of Rs 1,000.

Jammu, May 10
Aspiring to get ministerial berths, Congress MLAs have started hectic lobbying following Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) chief Saifuddin Soz’s statement that the Cabinet would be expanded after the panchayat elections. The ongoing panchayat elections are scheduled to complete by mid June.

Sources in the Congress told The Tribune that the party leadership was very particular about the expansion of the ministry but the coalition partner, National Conference (NC), was not in a hurry. The Congress leadership, on the other hand, wants that the Cabinet expansion should be done as early as possible because resentment was brewing among the party MLAs for not getting the portfolio of Roads and Buildings (R&B) back which was earlier held by party legislator Ghulam Mohammad Saroori.

Saroori, Congress MLA from the Inderwal Assembly segment of Kishtwar district, who was earlier the R&B Minister, was forced to resign after his daughter’s name figured in the MBBS impersonation case. Following Saroori’s resignation, Chief Minister Omar Abdulllah is himself looking after this important department.

“There is a feeling among Congress MLAs that roads and buildings is an important portfolio and hence the party leadership must get it back,” sources said. They added that some senior party legislators were eyeing this ministry.

As Saroori belongs to erstwhile Doda district, MLAs of this mountainous belt have been staking claim to the R&B portfolio earlier held by their party colleague. Two former ministers and sitting MLAs, namely Abdul Majid Wani and Mohammad Sharief Naiz, have been doing a hectic lobbing to get ministerial berths. Wani is an MLA from Doda and Naiz is the MLA from the Bhaderwah segment.

As the Congress in the state is a divided house, these MLAs are trying to keep both warring factions in good humour. After Soz’s statement regarding the expansion of the ministry after the panchayat elections, these leaders have started a hectic lobbying. Saroori belongs to the pro-Ghulam Nabi Azad faction. Not only MLAs from Doda district, but also some sitting ministers of the Congress are eyeing this important portfolio.

Jammu, May 10
A cultural bonanza was held at the Gandhi Memorial College of Education, Raipur Bantalab, here today.

The function started with the lighting of the lamp by members of the teaching and non-teaching staff followed by a Saraswati Vandana and a cultural bonanza by the students. Students participated in various competitions like rangoli-making, candle-lighting, spoon race and musical chair.

Cultural programmes like bhajan singing, dandiya, skit performance and Gharwali song along with Kashmiri rouf were also held.

Prof Kusum Tiku, principal of the college, welcomed the gathering and read out the annual report, highlighting the achievements of the college.

Jammu, May 10
A militant-turned-Special Police Officer (SPO) shot dead his wife and brother-in-law at Mitra village of Ramban tehsil in Kishtwar district last night.

According to the police, following an altercation Abdul Gafoor fired at his wife Rehmata Begum, also an SPO, and brother-in-law Farooq Ahmed Mallik with an AK-47 at their rented accommodation.

While his brother-in-law died on the spot, Rehmta (32) was rushed to the Government Medical College and Hospital, where she succumbed to her injuries this afternoon.

Abdul, a native of Thatri, had been an active militant in the area. Later he surrendered with a group of militants in 1999. “Abdul was having strained relations with his wife for the past many years. They suspected each other of having illicit relations,” the police said.

Farooq had reportedly visited her sister’s home last night to resolve the differences between his sister and her husband. While he was trying to iron out the differences, Gafoor got infuriated and fired from his service rifle, killing Farooq on the spot.

After killing Farooq and critically injuring his wife, Abdul tried to escape, but was arrested on the national highway.

“We have arrested the accused and the weapon of offence has been seized,” SP, Ramban, Anil Kumar Mangotra said.