|
|
|
|
|
Kargil under tight security for council elections today
Alliance partners NC, Cong locked in grim battle
|
|
|
Voters return to native places to cast
ballot
All-party delegation a divided house
Onions from Pakistan may bring down soaring prices
Trans-LoC trade continues amid flare-up
Amendments
to anti-corruption Act
Encroachment
along banks of sindh
Pause in Pak firing along LoC
Construction work on Ravi bridge reviewed
|
|
Kargil under tight security for council elections today
Kargil (Ladakh), August 21 In view of the sensitive law and order situation in different areas of the district, particularly in Zanskar where the situation had been “volatile” due to some local issues, polling stations have been categorised as hypersensitive, sensitive and normal. Out of the 257 polling stations, there are 87 hypersensitive, 78 sensitive and 92 normal polling stations. More than 1,500 additional paramilitary forces personnel have been deployed in the district to handle the situation, said the SP, Kargil, Sujit Kumar. He said the government had provided additional contingents of the J&K Police, J&K Armed Police, Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) and Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB. The security deployment was three times more than that in the last election. These personnel were flagged off to the polling stations by the Deputy Commissioner and Kargil SP in two batches today. The Deputy Commissioner said the polling staff and the 14 Zonal Magistrates and 30 Sectoral Magistrates had also reached their respective areas. The staff and security for five far-off polling stations in the Zanskar area had left on Sunday. The polling staff, comprising 972 officials, included 243 presiding officers and 729 polling officers. Deputy Commissioner, Kargil, Fida Hussain said 13 polling stations in and around Kargil town were exclusively meant for women. An electorate of 77,158 voters, including 40,477 men and 36,681 women, would decide the fate of 84 candidates tomorrow. Out of the 26 constituencies, two Independent candidates have already been elected unopposed. The polling will be held tomorrow for 24 constituencies. The counting of votes will be held on August 28 at the District Institute of Education (DIET), Kargil, and the whole process of constituting the LAHDC would be completed by September 2. The ballot boxes of the Kargil area would be collected at the DIET, Kargil, by tomorrow midnight. The ballot boxes from far-flung areas of the Zanskar area will be collected at the Treasury Office, Zanskar, under the supervision of the SDM concerned by August 24, the Kargil DC said. The ballot boxes would be transferred to the DIET before the date of counting.
|
||
|
Alliance partners NC, Cong locked in grim battle
Kargil (Ladakh), August 21 The National Conference is using all its might to sweep the elections, with its sitting MP Ghulam Hassan Khan contesting the polls from Silmo constituency in the Batalik area of Kargil. Ghulam Hassan is pitted against Niaz Ali Khan of Congress and PDP’s Kulsoom Bee, only woman candidate in the elections. Former National Conference Minister and four-time MLA from Kargil Qamar Ali Akhoon might not be contesting the polls, but his presence is surely going to have an impact on the results. Regardless his disappointment with the party higher-ups for his exclusion from the council of ministers during the last reshuffle, Akhoon has been vigorously campaigning for his party for the past one month. However, the covert differences between the cadres of Ghulam Hassan Khan and Akhoon might spoil the party for National Conference. What also matters is the role of Islamia School Kargil, whose leader Asghar Ali Karbalai is also in the fray. The school, like in the past, has an alliance with the National Conference. On the other hand Congress has an alliance with Imam Khomeini Memorial Trust, Kargil. The two religious schools have an impact on any of the elections in the Kargil district and the situation may be no different this time. While the Leh district is mostly inhabited with the Buddhist population, Kargil has Muslims in majority. While National Conference has fielded 13 candidates and is supporting 11 others, mainly the Islamia School Kargil nominees, Congress has fielded 18 candidates and supports six other independents, mainly those from the Imam Khomeini Memorial Trust. PDP and BJP have also fielded their candidates, though for the first time. |
||
|
Voters return to native places to cast
ballot
Kargil, August 21 A majority of the people working here have left for their native places to vote in the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC), Kargil polls tomorrow. Government employees, workers at various business establishments and labourers, besides the candidates have left Kargil town to be at their respective villages to cast their votes. The Kargil population is scattered in hamlets and villages in the high mountainous ranges, spread over more than 14,000 sq kms. PDP candidate and the only woman participant in the polls, Kulsoom Bee left the town to be at her polling station, back home, on time. Kulsoom is up against the National Conference bigwig and Member Parliament, Ghulam Hassan Khan, from Silmo constituency of Batalik area, about 60 kms from here. Another independent candidate, Haji Ehsan Ali, returned to his home in Gonkha Chouskar village, about 12 kms from here, after hectic days of campaigning. “I will not be here tomorrow because I am going to my village to cast my vote,” said Fida Hussain, a shop owner before pulling the shutter down. “Each and every vote is important to get the candidate of choice elected...every vote has a weight. Let us not lose the opportunity,” he added. Nineteen-year-old Ghulam Haider, working as a waiter at a local hotel, also left in haste. “My name figures for the first time in the voters list,” he said enthusiastically, adding, “It is important to cast your vote.”
|
||
|
Road, air connectivity taken up during campaigning
Kargil, August 21 These issues are particular to the district which has a vast area with scanty population. Kargil, which is at the centre of the Silk Route which connects to Central Asia, is equidistant from four important locations, each at a distance of around 200 km. These are the capital city of Srinagar on the one hand and Leh on the other. The two other centres include Zanskar touching the Himachal Pradesh borders and Skardu on the other side of the border. Kargil, the first district headquarters of the Ladakh region, remains cut off from the rest of the country by road surface for six winter months. The Central government plans to construct a 13-km-long tunnel at Zojilla that would ensure all-weather connectivity to the region. The foundation stone of
the Zojilla tunnel, connecting Sonmarg in Kashmir with Minimarg in Kargil, was laid by the Congress vice president near Sonmarg last year. Another tunnel, which is part of the link, connecting Gagangir with Sonmarg, was also inaugurated by the Congress leader and other Central government officials. This raised the hopes of the people of the Ladakh region for an overall development and connectivity. “No further development has taken place in this regard,” says Mohammad Haneefa, one of the Independent candidates contesting the LAHDC elections from Kargil town. “This would be the only reliable surface link with the rest of the world,” Haneefa adds. The youth and the business community also have pinned their hopes on the tunnel for round the year “vibrant life”. “Once the tunnel is constructed, there would be business and tourism flow round the year,” said a youth, Murtaza Ali. The business activity and hotels remain closed in the Ladakh region in winter. The candidates, mainly Independents, and the youth are sore over the “hollow promises” made to the people on air connectivity to Kargil. One flight was arranged in February this year, but the flight operations did not continue, much to the disappointment of the people. |
||
|
Peace march taken out in Kishtwar, day curfew lifted
Doda, August 21 The peace march, led by members of the all-party delegation, and attended by people of both communities, passed through various markets of the town and culminated at the Deputy Commissioner’s office. The march was taken out to defuse the tension in the town where people had been kept hostages by the administration for the past 13 days. The march became possible after efforts by a group of ministers and the all-party delegation. The all-party delegation was in the town for the past three days and had been meeting people of both communities to bring them to a joint platform. Today, the ice was broken and the all-party delegation held a joint meeting with leaders of both communities and took out a peace march in the town. The delegation comprised members of the BJP, Congress, National Conference, Panthers Party, SP, CPM, BSP and Akali Dal. An official spokesperson said the peace meeting was held in a cordial manner with both sides stressing for restoring peace and harmony in the district. “All issues raised by leaders of the two communities relating to compensation, lifting of curfew and check on anti-social elements were resolved amicably,” the spokesperson said. After the peace march, curfew was relaxed in the town from 1 to 4 pm,
which was later extended up to 6 pm. It is for the first time in the past 13 days that curfew was relaxed in the entire town at the same time. “People from both communities came out of their houses and took a round in the town to take stock of the losses. So far it is normal and peaceful in the town but it looks like fragile peace,” said Kuldeep Kumar, a resident of Kishtwar town. On August 9, communal clashes broke out in Kishtwar town when some miscreants threw stones at a procession heading towards the Chowgan ground to offer prayers. Two people lost their lives in the clashes while one was killed in the Paddar area of Kishtwar district. Shops were looted and gutted by angry mobs on the same day and curfew was clamped in the town. The Army was called in to maintain law and order. |
||
|
All-party delegation a divided house
Jammu, August 21 BJP representatives MLA Ashok Khajuria and Nirmal Singh left Kishtwar without informing the delegation leader or any other member. Last evening, it was decided that a peace march would be held in Kishtwar after holding a joint meeting with leaders of both communities. “It is unfortunate that two leaders of the BJP, Ashok Khajuria and Nirmal Singh, left Kishtwar at 9.30 am on Wednesday without informing the leader of the delegation or any other member. The reason is best known to them,” said Devender Singh Rana, National Conference provincial president, who was part of the delegation. Rana said not even the local BJP leaders participated in the joint meeting and peace march. “Probably, they got direction from somewhere not to attend the meeting and march, which they can’t deny,” Rana said. Many rounds of talks were held between leaders of both communities before reaching an agreement of holding a joint meeting and taking out the peace march. BJP leader Ashok Khajuria, however, said they were not in favour of holding the joint meeting and peace march with those who had burnt down the shops of Hindus. “We left Kishtwar deliberately and didn’t want to participate in the joint meeting or peace march with those who are responsible for burning the shops of Hindus,” Khajuria said. He admitted that they hadn't taken any decision in haste and had talked to the high command before leaving Kishtwar. “We skipped the joint meeting and peace march after discussing the issue with the high command. We sensed in the earlier meetings that the all-party delegation is not agreeing to the demands of the minority community and without giving compensation, holding a peace march in the town is not possible,” the BJP MLA said. The delegation had arrived in Kishtwar on Monday to hold meetings with people of both communities and bring back peace to the town. |
||
|
BJP women MPs visit Suchetgarh border
Jammu, August 21 BJP Member of Parliament and Mahila Morcha national president, Saroj Pandey, along with parliamentarians, Darshna Jardosh from Surat, Jaishriben Patel from Mehsana and Rama Devi from Bihar visited the 94th Batallion at Suchetgarh and tied rakhis to the soldiers on the occasion of Raksha Bandhan. Mahila Morcha national vice-president, Latika Sharma, and national secretary, Rekha Gupta, were also part of the visiting team. Expressing her gratitude to G S Dhaliwal, Commandant of the battalion, for extending all the cooperation in making the arrangements for the programme, Saroj Pandey said it was a matter of great pride and lifetime experience for her to be among the members of the security forces on the occasion. “It is a matter of great pride for me to be among the soldiers who even on the occasion of Raksha Bandhan continue to perform their duty of safeguarding the citizens of their country and enable them to celebrate the festival with their families,” Pandey said. Pointing out to the spurt in infiltration bids along the fence, Pandey said, “The prevailing situation in the border state of J&K is a matter of grave concern as there was an escalation in cross border intrusions from Pakistan and China.” She attributed the rise in intrusions to the weak policies of the Congress-led UPA government. “The rise in infiltration is due to the weak policies of the Manmohan Singh-led UPA government and the lack of will to deal with Pakistan and China with determination,” she said. BJP state president, Jugal Kishore Sharma, general secretary (organisation) Ashok Koul, Jammu-Poonch constituency in charge, Yudhvir Sethi, Suchetgarh MLA, Sham Choudhary and Mahila Morcha state president Priya Sethi were also present on the occasion. |
||
|
Onions from Pakistan may bring down soaring prices
Srinagar, August 21 After the resumption of the cross-Line of Control (LoC) trade on Tuesday on the Uri-Chakothi axis, 95 trucks loaded with 950 tonnes of onions arrived from Pakistan. “On the first day, after the resumption of the cross-LoC trade after two weeks, 50 trucks of onions crossed from the other side. Today, 45 onion trucks arrived from Pakistan,” custodian, Trade Facilitation Centre, Salamabad-Uri, Raja Ehsan told the Tribune. “The large number of onion import is likely to bring down the soaring prices of onions in the state,” Ehsan said, adding that in the Indian currency, the rate of imported onions was between Rs 35 and 40 per kg. Cross-LoC traders said more supplies of onions were expected in the Valley in the next two days from Pakistan. “The trans-LoC trade on the Uri-Chakothi axis is conducted for four days and we expect more trucks of onions from Pakistan this week,” said a trader, adding that more supply will bring down the soaring prices of onions in the state. The trader said onions from Pakistan were being despatched to various districts in the state to cater to the huge demand. |
||
|
Trans-LoC trade continues amid flare-up
Jammu, August 21 Chakan-da-Bagh was the same area where Pakistan’s border action team had killed five Indian soldiers on the intervening night of August 5 and 6. “On Monday, 30 Pakistanis returned to Pak-occupied Kashmir (PoK) while 37 fresh Pakistan citizens entered India. Also 17 Indians returned from PoK,” custodian of the Chakan-da-Bagh Trade Facilitation Centre, Mohammed Bashir Lone, told The Tribune. The trans-LoC travel between the two divided parts of Kashmir takes place every Monday and the trade takes place four days a week from Tuesday to Friday. “On Tuesday, one truckload of dry dates came from Tetrinote in PoK and it was delivered to the Indian trader,” said Lone. However, no trucks from Indian traders were dispatched to PoK in return, he informed. “Constant firing in Mendhar, Hamirpur and other areas along the LoC in Poonch district and killing of five Indian troopers has caused doubts among the Indian traders, but we are confident that at least 10 to 15 trucks of Indian merchandise would be exported to the PoK traders tomorrow,” he said. Lone added that the present flare-up on the fence has not cast its shadow on the trans-LoC trade and travel. The trade and travel between the divided parts of Kashmir had remained suspended between August 6 and August 18 on the pretext of Eid-ul-Fitr. The trans-LoC travel and trade via Chakan-da-Bagh in Poonch and Salamabad in Uri were started in 2005 and 2008 respectively, as a confidence-building measure.
|
||
|
Amendments
to anti-corruption Act
Srinagar, August 21 The senior additional advocate general of the state disclosed that the government had passed this order during his submissions before the J&K High Court this week in response to a PIL (public interest litigation). On August 7, the J&K High Court had asked the state government to file a fresh compliance report with regard to the set of seven suggestions passed by a division bench on July 7 in the PIL. The seven listed suggestions were aimed at strengthening anti-corruption measures in the state. “The senior state counsel who appeared before the bench comprising Justice Mansoor A Mir and Justice Muzaffar Attar on Tuesday submitted that government had passed an order wherein all additional and sessions judges have been conferred powers under the J&K Prevention Act, 2006, to try offences of corruption,” high court amicus curiae Bashir A Bashir told The Tribune, adding that the state counsel sought further time for placing the formal government orders before the bench. Currently, in J&K there are only four designated courts --- two each at Jammu and Srinagar --- that try offences of corruption under the J&K Prevention Act, 2006. Now that the government has given powers to all courts of additional and sessions judges for trying offences of corruption, the move is expected to speed up the prosecution of corrupt officials in the state besides lowering the pendency of such cases. Earlier in his compliance report to the High Court in the first week of August, the Chief Secretary had submitted that for purposes of conferment of powers under the J&K Prevention Act, 2006, to all courts of additional and sessions judges, the response/compliance from the Registrar General was awaited. However in its orders dated August 7, the high court while terming the compliance report by the Chief secretary as “unsatisfactory” had termed the statement by him as “blatantly incorrect” by observing that the Registrar General had already responded to the aforementioned communication of the Chief Secretary. Subsequently, the court had asked the respondent Chief Secretary to explain his position as to how he had stated incorrect information in paragraph 3 of his compliance report, which was not based on facts. Accordingly, he was directed to “file a fresh compliance report” by or before August 21.
|
||
|
Encroachment
along banks of sindh
Srinagar, August 21 The directions were passed by a division bench of the High Court comprising Chief Justice MM Kumar and Justice DS Thakur yesterday, which were made available today. The court is hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) by Qazi Rashid Shams, seeking removal of illegal structures and constructions along the banks of the Sindh in the district. On July 10, the High court, while directing the authorities concerned to take necessary steps for removing illegal structures and constructions along the banks of the Sindh, had also asked the Chief Engineer, Irrigation and Flood Control (I&FC), who is the in charge of the areas along the banks of the river, to remove the illegal structures. It had further directed him to file a status report in this regard within six weeks. However, in his status report to the court filed this week, the Chief Engineer, I&FC, had submitted that his department was facing problems in carrying out its mandate with regard to the protection of the Sindh. He had further submitted that no records with respect to the exact banks of the Sindh were available with the department and the same had been sought from the Revenue Department authorities in 2011. In his report to the court, the Chief Engineer has further said in most of the cases of violations, people come up with reverse documents claiming proprietary rights on parts of the land along the Sindh banks, even in some cases within the existing course of the waterway. He had further submitted that no definite limits for restricting any construction on the banks of the water bodies had been defined in the J&K water Resources (Regulation and Management ) Act, 2010, nor had any direction been provided by the High court in this regard, as had been issued by the High Court in respect of the Dal lake and the Lidder river. The Chief Engineer had also pointed out that the filing of the petitions/suits by encroachers before the subordinate courts restrained the action of the department against them. However, unhappy over the non-filing of reports by the authorities concerned, the bench told the advocate general, who was present in the court, that “your officers are hand in glove with these people (encroachers).” ‘If this (practice) will continue, you are having another Uttarakhand here. They (officers) have to be strict in the larger interest of society,” the bench observed, while expressing concern over the claims of proprietary rights over the land falling within the course of waterways. The matter has been posted to August 23. The bench also issued notices to a judge in the subordinate court in Ganderbal district for entertaining a suit in a case which is the subject matter of the current
PIL.
|
||
|
Northern Command chief visits violence-hit Kishtwar
Jammu, August 21 Following communal clashes in Kishtwar on August 9, the Army was called in at least seven other districts of the Jammu region to restore law and order. During his visit to the Delta Force Headquarters (Rashtriya Rifles), Lt Gen Sanjiv Chachra was briefed about the Army’s efforts in restoring normalcy in
the Kishtwar and Gulabgarh areas. He complimented all ranks of the Delta Force for the assistance provided to the state administration in a most professional manner. The GOC-in-C was also briefed by the civil administration and the police. The Northern Command chief assured the civil administration of the full support and cooperation of the Army in handling the security situation. |
||
|
Pause in Pak firing along LoC
Jammu, August 21 “Pakistan troops had opened fire in the Hamirpur area along the LoC from 4 pm to 4.45 pm last evening and we had given them an effective response,” said defence spokesperson Col RK Palta. He said there was no injury or casualty on the Indian side. “So far, there are no reports of fresh firing by Pakistan troops on the LoC in Poonch today,” added the spokesperson “Since last evening, there has been no fresh firing from their side. We can’t call it a lull. Because of our strong and effective retaliation, they have stopped firing on us, probably to buy time and readjust their troops,” said a senior Army officer. The officer said that it was for the first time since August 6 that Pakistan guns fell silent for over 24 hours in the Mendhar and Hamirpur areas along the border. On the intervening night of August 5 and 6, Pakistan’s border action team had killed five Indian soldiers in the Chakan da Bagh area in Poonch district resulting in heavy exchange of fire between the two countries. |
||
|
Construction work on Ravi bridge reviewed
Jammu, August 21 The bridge is being constructed by the Project Sampark of the Border Roads Organisation (BRO). The under-construction Ravi bridge at Basohli, which is scheduled to be completed by September 2014, is a 592 meter long cable-stayed bridge over two pylons. The bridge will be the first of its kind in the entire north India and third in the entire country, after Hooghly and Rajeev Gandhi Sea Link in Mumbai. It will open up an alternate route to the National Highway 1A and to the Kashmir valley via Basohli, Bani, Bhaderwah, Kishtwar, Chhatroo and Anantnag. As of now, there is no direct route from Basohli to Pathankot and the only way available is via Ranjit Sagar Dam, Riyalta and Lakhanpur area, with a distance of 72 KM. Once the Ravi bridge is constructed, the total route distance will be reduced to 46 Km. It will also prove to be a tremendous boost to the socio-economic development of the region, in terms of an increase in the tourism and commercial activities. After inspection of the ongoing works, the Chief Engineer Western Command expressed his satisfaction regarding the progress of work and reiterated the commitment of Border Roads Organisation to ensure the completion of the bridge well within the scheduled date of completion.
|
|
| HOME PAGE | |
Punjab | Haryana | Jammu & Kashmir |
Himachal Pradesh | Regional Briefs |
Nation | Opinions | | Business | Sports | World | Letters | Chandigarh | Ludhiana | Delhi | | Calendar | Weather | Archive | Subscribe | E-mail | |
