Pilgrims on way to the Amarnath cave shrine are enjoying peace in the Kashmir valley and are praying it lasts forever. It is a pilgrimage for peace for them.After having witnessed four-month violence during the summer last year, a positive change is being felt by the Amarnath pilgrims arriving here and the local residents.

Talking to The Tribune, Suresh Kumar, a pilgrim from New Delhi, who has been visiting the cave shrine since 1996, said, “I witnessed the unrest during the summer last year when I came for the Amarnath yatra, but this time a congenial atmosphere has restored the confidence of the pilgrims and the tourists visiting the Valley”.

An influx of Amarnath pilgrims into the Valley was a good omen for the people of Kashmir, he added.

“In 2010, stone throwing and the imposition of the curfew were routine and I was shaken by the situation then. But this year, it seems, peace has finally returned. Now, we should not allow the elements inimical to peace to vitiate the atmosphere again,” said Suresh.

Triloki Nath, a pilgrim from Gwalior, said it was better to forget the past and move ahead. “ In 2011, I hope peace will prevail throughout the year and, if possible, forever, because Kashmir is one of the most popular tourist places in the country.It should not face any law and order problem,” said Nath. “We all know that peace brings prosperity and tourism being the mainstay of the state’s economy, the people of Kashmir should come forward to give peace a chance,” he added.

A CRPF jawan, Deepak Kumar, guarding Hanuman Mandir in Srinagar city, told this correspondent on Tuesday that there was a realisation among the common man that peace was necessary for more tourist and pilgrim arrivals in the Valley. “After witnessing militancy for the past two decades and the unrest during the summer last year, the people have realised the importance of peace because everything from academics of children to livelihood and tourism were badly affected last year,” he said.

A cab driver, Latif Ahmed of Srinagar, the only breadwinner of a family of seven, like several others, had to face a harrowing time last year. “Last year, the entire tourism sector was adversely affected by a continuous cycle of violence. Thank God, this time the arrival of pilgrims has improved a lot. Overall, I can say that there is a 75 per cent improvement,” said Ahmed.

“Now, I can think of paying bank instalments of my cab on time,” he said, and added that Kashmir faced a continuous shutdown during the unrest last year. 

Jammu, June 28
Some groups here have started serious efforts to form a third front to emerge as a political alternative to the PDP and the Congress-NC alliance in the state.Former state Revenue Minister Hakim Mohammad Yasin and CPM leader Mohammad Yosuf Tarigami are striving to bring all like-minded parties together to jointly fight on common issues. An imminent split in the BJP has boosted the morale of those behind the idea.

“It is premature to say what will be the shape of the third front, but we are trying to bring all like-minded parties on a platform so that we can take up issues on which we have a consensus,” Tarigami told The Tribune. He added that corruption, price rise and unemployment were non-controversial issues on which the parties could corner the government. He emphasised the need for evolving a consensus among the parties on certain issues.

Yasin, who was instrumental in forming the Peoples Democratic Front (PDF) after the 2002 Assembly elections, argued that the people were fed up with the role of the “big parties” and hence they were looking for an alternative to such political groups.

“The so-called big parties have failed to come up to the expectations of the people. We are working overtime to provide an alternative to these parties,” Yasin said and admitted that the process of constituting the front had already started.

Asked whether the front would rope in some disgruntled leaders of “big parties”, he said, “It is premature to say anything.” He, however, hastened to add that nothing was impossible in politics.

Although Yasin refused to comment on the role of the suspended BJP MLAs in the proposed front, he said those who believed in democracy, secularism and socialism were welcome to join it.

Expelled BJP leader and former Union minister Chaman Lal Gupta said despite his expulsion from the party, his faction was in favour of the total integration of the state with the nation and an end to discrimination against the Jammu region.

He, however, said he was ready to join any front that would take up non-controversial issues like the price rise, corruption and unemployment. “These issues are directly related to common masses and we are ready to support anyone on these,” he said.

Srinagar, June 28
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah today left a public meeting midway when he came to know that his party men had gathered people for the function by making “false promises”.

The Chief Minister had gone to Budgam to address the meeting.A leader of the National Conference, Prof Abdul Majid Matoo, had called the people to attend the meeting by promising them that the Chief Minister would announce the creation of a separate district of Beerwa.

On coming to know about it,Omar told the people that even though he sympathised with them, he could not make a false commitment and explained to them the procedure adopted for the creation of new districts. But when some of the organisers insisted that he should make a commitment to please the gathering, he refused and left the venue.

“My colleagues are well advised to learn that I refuse to hold out false promises just to see a public meeting succeed. I would rather short-circuit the public meeting and leave than promise a new district when I could not give one in a short term,” the Chief Minister wrote on the social networking site, Twitter, soon after leaving the venue.

He firmly told the organisers that it was not in his grain to befool the people and make false promises because “his politics is based on the principles of truth and integrity”. He said he would only promise what he could deliver. He would never make a false promise to the people even if he had to face some temporary setbacks due to this attitude because people had reposed faith and trust in him and he could not betray them.

Earlier addressing the gathering, Omar assured the people that the areas hitherto remaining out of the purview of development would receive focused attention during his government’s tenure to ensure justice to the people living in these areas. He said the decentralisation of powers and the involvement of grass-roots representatives in the development process were the initiatives in this direction.

Omar said during the last two-and-a-half years, his government had focused on the devolution of powers and various measures had been initiated to make development programmes balanced, compact and equitable all across the state. “We want to deliver efficiently and as per the aspirations of the people,” he said

The Chief Minister said the administration had been sensitised at all levels to be prompt and responsive to public requirements in every area and project the demands of the people in the development plans positively so that the necessary action was taken. He said development was a continuous process and “our endeavour is to take progress to every nook and corner of the state”. 

Kishtwar, June 28
Local residents and the district administration today accorded a warm welcome to the first batch of Amarnath pilgrims on reaching Udhampur on their way to Srinagar.Besides a large number of local residents, including prominent citizens, DIG, Udhampur-Reasi Range, Jagjit Kumar; Deputy Commissioner, Udhampur, Baseer Ahmed Khan; SSP, Udhampur, Shakeel Ahmed Baig; and Assistant Commissioner, Revenue, were present on the occasion.

The pilgrims were received at Jakhani Chowk, Udhampur, and were offered light refreshment, sweets and drinking water. The authorities had made arrangements for their medical check up and medicines useful during the yatra were distributed among them. The pilgrims were also informed about the arrangements made for them at the base camp, besides other facilities.

The authorities urged upon the pilgrims to utilise all facilities being provided to them by the government. The pilgrims appreciated the police and the civil administration, Udhampur, for according them a warm reception.

The District Administration, Udhampur, has made elaborate arrangements of drinking water, power supply, medicare, temporary toilets, traffic regulation and security between Tikri and Kud, the yatra stretch passing through the district, besides a special control room at the PWD Dak Banglow, Udhampur, on the national highway with phone number 01992-273344, which will function round the clock for the assistance of the pilgrims.

Jammu, June 28
The first batch of 2,096 pilgrims for the annual Amarnath yatra was flagged off amid tight security and religious fervour from the Bhagwati Nagar base camp here today.The Minister for Tourism and Culture, Nawang Rigzin Jora, flagged off a cavalcade of 73 vehicles carrying the pilgrims to Baltal as well as the traditional Pahalgam route from the Yatri Niwas at Bhagwati Nagar here.

The pilgrims (1,369 men, 421 women, 110 children and 196 sadhus), before leaving the base camp in 49 buses and 24 light motor vehicles (LMVs), offered prayers and chanted slogans like “Bam Bam Bhole” and “Har Har Mahadev”.

The first batch included a few pilgrims who were going for the first time to the holy cave shrine. “I am going for the first time to pay obeisance at the holy cave shrine and very excited to reach there. Before arriving here, I was worried about the security arrangements, but after reaching here, I saw the men in uniform deployed on every nook and corner and now, I have no fear,” said Krishan Kumar, a pilgrim from Rohtak in Haryana.

At 4:45pm, the cavalcade reached the Jawahar Tunnel in Banihal and was expected to reach Pahalgam and Baltal at night.

The security forces had turned the city into a fortress and took the first batch of pilgrims to the 312-km-long Jammu-Srinagar National Highway, where the CRPF has been keeping a strict vigil. The authorities made tight security arrangements and appealed to the pilgrims to cooperate during the journey.

Both tracks would be opened tomorrow as the arrangements had been put in place for the smooth conduct of the yatra. So far, 2.5 lakh pilgrims had been registered, said the Minister for Tourism and Culture, adding that the number of pilgrims to the Mata Vaishno Devi shrine had also increased.

“More than 40 lakh people have paid obeisance at the Mata Vaishno Devi shrine this year as compared to last year’s figures till date. We are sure the number of pilgrims will touch the 90- lakh mark this year,” added Jora. He also expected a better tourism season this summer.

Jora, accompanied by senior officials, including the Divisional Commissioner, Jammu, Pawan Kotwal and IGP, Jammu, Dilbagh Singh, appealed to the pilgrims to maintain the sanctity of the holy cave shrine.

The Divisional Commissioner said: “All possible arrangements have been made for the yatra and a batch of pilgrims will leave here daily for Pahalgam and Baltal”.

The IGP said, “The J&K police and the CRPF companies are deployed everywhere”. Meanwhile, hoteliers in Jammu and Katra have offered a special discount of 30 per cent on the room tariff to all pilgrims making advance bookings. 

Srinagar, June 28
Governor NN Vohra, who is also chairman of the Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board (SASB), undertook a comprehensive review of the arrangements for the Amarnath yatra at a meeting held on the eve of the commencement of the pilgrimage here today.

RK Goyal, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the board, informed the Governor that till last evening 2.47 lakh pilgrims had secured yatra permits through 149 designated bank branches across the country and through online e-Registration facility. Every registered yatri had been provided an accidental insurance cover of Rs 1 lakh, he added.

The CEO cautioned the yatris against undertaking the arduous yatra without securing a yatra permit to avoid any inconvenience.

The meeting reviewed the yatra-related arrangements made at the base camps, camps en route and in the holy cave area, including arrangements regarding sanitation, water and power supply, medicare, telecommunications, safety and security of the yatris, essential commodities, accommodation and the functioning of the langars.

The CEO informed the Governor that the Shri Amarnath Barfani Langar Organisation (SABLO), with a view to maintaining cleanliness in the entire yatra area, particularly in and around the langar areas, would start a sanitation drive from tomorrow.

The SABLO would also distribute free of cost cotton bags to the pilgrims and dissuade them from using plastic bags with a view to preserving the environment and ecology of the entire yatra area.

The CEO further informed that 20 members from two mobile rescue teams of the J&K armed police , each comprising 10 experienced and well-trained mountaineers, had been stationed at Sheshnag and Poshpathri to facilitate the movement of the yatris along the vulnerable stretches.

Kishtwar, June 28
The leopard scare in the areas under Chenab division in Kishtwar has brought into focus the immediate need to strengthen the Wildlife Department, which lacks adequate manpower and sophisticated equipment to effectively deal with the present and unforeseen recurrence of the situation.

Given the sense of fear among the people, particularly among those living on the outskirts and rural areas of Ramban and Doda districts, the upgrade of the Wildlife Department could help make people feel secure. Two persons and livestock have become victims of leopard attacks in the recent past.

Sources said the Chenab division spread over Kishtwar, Ramban and Doda districts, besides the Kishtwar High Altitude National Park (KHANP), which is its core area of responsibility, had a strength of 48 employees from Range Officers to chowkidars. But it required at least 10 wildlife personnel each at its six control rooms at Batote, Banihal, Doda, Kishtwar, Marwah and Chatroo in the wake of the scare created by prowling leopards.

“Besides, each control room is at present being manned by 15 wildlife personnel in association with the Forest Department and the Forest Protection Force. Moreover, a special rescue van and at least one sophisticated tranquiliser gun as well as modern tracking system is also required at each control room. There are at present four such guns at the disposal of the wildlife personnel. In fact, Chenab division has no infrastructure of its own outside the KHANP,” they said.

But Wildlife Warden of the Chenab division AR Malik said the issue of strengthening the department was under the active consideration of the state government. “Since the leopard scare is a new and unexpected development and part of the wider problem of the man-animal conflict, the department is taking all necessary steps to rid the people of this menace,” said Malik.

The sources maintained that the division also woefully lacked funds for upgrading the department. Its funding from the state sector and the centrally-sponsored schemes (CSS) was around Rs 20 lakh each per annum.

The funds under the CSS were meant for the maintenance and improvement of animal habitat and infrastructure at the KHANP. Interestingly, the total salary expenditure of the department in the division was almost double the total funds being received from both accounts.

Doda, June 28
Expressing grave concern about the deteriorating condition of roads in Doda during the last two years, MLA, Doda, Abdul Majid Wani yesterday demanded an enquiry into their construction as the norms and conditions specified in the allotment of contracts were allegedly violated, resulting in poor quality of works.

Unnecessary delays in the completion of earthwork and a lackadaisical approach adopted by engineers to start the work on the metalling/ blacktopping of these crucial road links had worsened the situation. Most of the road links had been washed away.

The MLA expressed the hope that Chief Minister Omar Abdullah would take serious note of the situation and take remedial measures for the restoration of road links connecting Doda district with the remote areas.

He also demanded that ample funds should be made available for the improvement of the roads sector in Doda and an effective & practical monitoring system should be started for close surveillance over the execution of all types of infrastructural development works in the district. 

Srinagar, June 28
The power-starved state will be self-sufficient in seven years when it gets an additional 1,300 MW as its share (62 per cent) of the power generated from the three hydroelectric projects on the Chenab in Kishtwar district of the Jammu region.

This was stated by MY Khan, chairperson of the newly-constituted Chenab Valley Power Projects Limited, here today. He said the three projects, which were being constructed at a cost of Rs 18,000 crore, would make the state self-sufficient in the next seven years.

Initially, the projects were being taken up under a joint venture, Khan said, adding that immediately, there would be tendering for various works on the projects.

“We are going for global tendering to get the best,” he said, adding that the work on the projects would be launched in the next financial year.

The three projects comprise Pakhaldul for the generation of 1,000 MW, Kiru for 600 MW and Kwar for 650 MW.

The first project involved a lot of tunnelling and efforts were being made to complete the project within a stipulated time, Khan said, adding that the second project would take about four years. “So we expect that all three projects will come up within the next six years and by 2018, there will be no power shortage in the state,” he added.

Khan said the company would provide direct jobs to at least 1,000 qualified persons in various fields and 6,000 indirect employments.

Under the joint venture between the Power Development Department of the state government and the NHPC through a MoU in 2008, the state would be getting a share of 62 per cent of power generated from its own water resources. Thus, out of the total 2,250 MW of power generated, the state would be getting 1,300 MW against the present 13 per cent from other power projects with the NHPC.

Khan was accompanied by SK Raina, General Manager, NHPC, and SC Gupta, Managing Director, NHPC.