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Over 15 ITBP posts to come up along LAC in Ladakh
Cong hints at going it alone in 2014 Assembly polls
Omar wants Indo-Pak
talks over Kashmir
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Infiltration bid foiled, 5 militants killed in Kupwara
Upset over failed promises, Soni asks partymen to mend ways
Govt could have avoided Kishtwar flareup: Rajnath
Protests mar Congress unity convention in Jammu
Trans-LoC trade runs into rough weather
Jammu roots for singing show contestant
Rs 19.87 crore for 4 J&K varsities under XII plan
BJP may get seven rebel MLAs back
Ban on mango export to
Pak Activist Ashok Arora meets Governor
Govt should go ahead with
Zubin Mehta concert: Azad
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Over 15 ITBP posts to come up along LAC in Ladakh
Jammu, August 31 “We are likely to get 15 to 16 new border outposts and more personnel to strengthen border security along the LAC in the Ladakh region. Similarly, Arunachal Pradesh would be another area where there would be an increase in our posts and men,” a senior ITBP source told The Tribune. The 4,057-km-long LAC between India and China, also known as the MacCartney-MacDonald Line, runs through J&K, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh. The Ladakh region has about 955 km border with China, out of which the LAC forms 700 km and rest is the undisputed international border. The officer said areas such as Chumar, Daulat Beg Oldie and Demchok, where Chinese incursions had increased in recent times would get ‘focused’ attention with the setting up of the new posts over the next few years. Chumar, located 300 km from Leh, is an area where both countries have major perception differences on the LAC. “At a time when China has been ramping up its infrastructure on the other side of the LAC, at least 10 of our strategically located posts with 1,500 personnel in the Ladakh region get cut off every winter for over six months. And, there is a spurt in the Chinese incursions as well. So, the Home Ministry has decided to focus more on Ladakh,” he said. He admitted that the spurt in the Chinese incursions had made the Indian Army readjust its troops this year after the April stand-off between the two countries in Daulat Beg Oldie. On April 15 and 16 this year, 50 troops of the People’s Liberation Army of China along with Molosser dogs had intruded 19-km inside the Indian territory in the Daulat Beg Oldie sector in Ladakh and pitched up tents. The Ministry of Home Affairs has also been thinking over a proposal to give us Mi-17 copter in Ladakh, said the source.
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Cong hints at going it alone in 2014 Assembly polls
Jammu, August 31 “Officially” the Congress leadership has kept the alliance option open but in the “closed-door” meeting of party workers, Union Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad and AICC general secretary and in charge of party’s J&K affairs Ambika Soni today gave a clear indication that the party would contest the elections on all 87 seats in the coming Assembly elections. “You have only five months to fulfil the promises which our party has made to the people in the 2008 Assembly elections. In five months you have to prepare yourself to contest the elections on all 87 Assembly seats,” one of the participants at the closed-door meeting of the executive committee of the Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) told The Tribune while quoting Ghulam Nabi Azad. Azad’s message to the executive members of the JKPCC was loud and clear that the Assembly elections would likely be held simultaneously with the Lok Sabha elections. Participants, quoting Azad, said the Union Minister disclosed that the state government headed by the National Conference had made up its mind to conduct the Assembly and Lok Sabha elections simultaneously so the Congress should also prepare for early polls. As a majority of speakers at the convention expressed their resentment over the failure of the party to pursue its own agenda in the government, Azad made it clear that without forming the government on its own, it was not possible for the Congress to implement its agenda in totality. “Out of the total 87 seats, we have to win at least 50 seats to implement our agenda,” the participant said, quoting Azad. While exhorting party workers to prepare for the coming Assembly elections, Azad, as stated by one of the participants, admitted that apart from the BJP, the Congress had been facing a tough challenge from two regional parties, NC and People's Democratic Party. Azad, while elaborating the party’s position in the Jammu region, made it clear that the Congress has a strong hold in five districts, Doda, Kishtwar, Ramban, Reasi and Udhampur, but in Poonch and Rajouri districts, it has to face a tough fight from the regional parties. Although Ambika Soni officially announced that the decision on the alliance would be taken after getting feedback from workers, in the closed-door meeting she told the workers that she had directed the state leadership to hold conventions in all 87 Assembly segments in the coming days. “I have directed JKPCC chief Saifuddin Soz to arrange meetings in all 87 Assembly segments in the next two months to solve the basic issues of the people,” a Congress leader said while quoting Ambika Soni. Sources said, in the convention, a number of participants opposed the pre-poll alliance with the NC while giving the example of the Kargil Council where both parties had contested against each other and the Congress had secured more seats than the NC.
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Omar wants Indo-Pak
talks over Kashmir
Srinagar, August 31 Addressing a gathering at Pattan in Baramulla district, the Chief Minister strongly criticised PDP patron and former Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayed for his statement that Pakistan had no role in the Kashmir issue. The Chief Minister criticised the PDP leadership for asking for 40 Assembly seats to solve the Kashmir issue. He challenged the PDP by announcing the support of 28 Assembly members and asked the party to come forward with a solution to the Kashmir issue. Omar asked the leaders of India and Pakistan to talk and talk in the right direction as well as perspective to resolve the issue once and for all. “We
want to tell our children that the Kashmir issue no longer exists and
peace and development have taken a permanent place in the state,” he
said. He stressed for the resumption of dialogue between India and
Pakistan. Omar said the Kashmir issue was born at the time of
Partition. India considers its accession to it necessary for the secular
characteristics of India while Pakistan wants the area to be with it for
having a Muslim majority representative character. “Both the countries
are nurturing their individual ideas in this regard and people of the
state are suffering constantly,” he said. Omar called for a summit to be held between the Prime Ministers of India and Pakistan to talk about the Kashmir issue. He said the state government or any political leadership here were not in a position to resolve the issues between the two countries. Omar
said some elements did not want India and Pakistan to talk. “They want
the burning issues to remain burning for their vested interests,” he
said. He said friendly ties between the two neighbours have a direct
bearing on the peace and development situation in the state and the
people of the state were eager to see the two countries talk amicably
and in a conducive atmosphere to resolve all issues, including Siachen,
Sir Creak, Kashmir, etc.
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Infiltration bid foiled, 5 militants killed in Kupwara
Srinagar, August 31 The Army foiled the infiltration bid near the Eagle post of the Tangdhar sector, 180 km from Srinagar. The operation was launched by 5/5 Gorkha Rifles after they received intelligence inputs about a group of militants trying to infiltrate into the Valley. “The troops guarding the LoC had specific inputs about an infiltration attempt by militants on the night of August 29. Around 11.30 pm, the intruders were spotted attempting to cross over. Troops established counter-infiltration posture to cover the route of infiltration. The terrorist group was trapped at a location around 1.5 km inside the LoC and the cordon remained in place for next 24 hours despite difficult terrain and bad weather,” Brigadier General Staff (BGS) of Srinagar-based 15 Corps Brig GS Sangha told reporters in Srinagar. “Two terrorists opened heavy fire on being challenged by troops around 9.30 pm. Four terrorists were killed in the gun battle that lasted several hours. Later, another terrorist was located in the area and was effectively engaged. On search, six AK-47 rifles and other warlike stores were recovered,” Brigadier Sangha said.
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Upset over failed promises, Soni asks partymen to mend ways
Jammu, August 31 Soni expressed her anger during a “closed door” convention of the executive members of the Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC). As some participants drew her attention towards a majority of Congress ministers, who had virtually surrendered before the coalition partner the National Conference for “lust” of power, Soni took the party ministers to task. She said, “It is really shameful on part of the party ministers that we are in power for the last 11 years but we failed to fulfil some of the promises made with the people”. “I am surprised that today we have passed same resolutions which we had passed in 2002, it means that we have failed to address these issues,” a source said. She also pointed out that despite the Congress being in power in the state as well as the Centre, many important issues had remained unsolved. “During my meetings with the people since last evening, I realised that they have lost faith in us”, she said. She asked the state party leadership to implement party’s agenda especially solution of the problems of refugees and strengthening panchayats as per the 73rd amendment of the Constitution. “If the state government is creating hurdle in implementing these issue we have to find way out,” she said. If there is a problem at the Centre, she will take up this issue with the Centre. She said if panchayats were not empowered, the party youth wing would be asked to launch an agitation over the issue. Soni told mediapersons that the Congress had given two months to the NC to strengthen panchayats. She said JKPCC chief
Saifuddin Soz had written to Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on July 26 to conduct Block
Development Councils (BDCs) elections as early as possible.
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Govt could have avoided Kishtwar flareup: Rajnath
Jammu, August 31 “Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and Home Minister Sajjad Ahmad Kitchloo, who was in the town, cannot run away from their responsibilities. What were his intelligence agencies doing when Kishtwar was on boil? The government should have taken pre-emptive measures to stop the violence but it failed to do so,” Rajnath said while addressing a meeting of workers here this afternoon. Singh, who was in town on his maiden visit after assuming the charge of the party national president, said Omar should step down if he failed to give a “substantial response”, including identification and strict action against miscreants who orchestrated trouble in region. “So far, no compensation has been paid to the victims. The government should immediately pay compensation on the basis of actual loss suffered by the traders and the shopkeepers,” he said. He said the Village Defence Committees (VDCs), had played a significant role in fighting militancy in the region. “Nearly 150 VDC members died from 1996 to 2007 while fighting militancy. We will strengthen and increase their honorarium if voted to power in next elections,” he claimed. Singh also opposed the proposed talks between Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his Pakistan counterpart Nawaz Sharief in New York in September in the wake of skirmish along the Line of Control and the international border.
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Protests mar Congress unity convention in Jammu
Jammu, August 31 The move brought the factionalism with the state Congress to the fore, as the leaders alleged that they were disallowed because of their loyalty towards Union Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad. As soon as the convention started, a group of former office-bearers of the Pradesh Youth Congress (PYC) gathered outside the venue, but they were not allowed to enter the convention hall by security personnel, as they did not find their names in the list of invitees. “This is injustice with us. We are associated with the Congress for the last so many years, but we have been debarred from attending the convention,” said Surinder Gupta, former senior vice president of the PYC. Gupta had contested election of the Jammu Municipal Corporation as the Congress candidate. “We are the loyalists of Ghulam Nabi Azad, so we have been victimised by the organisers,” he added. Gupta was joined by Tirth Ram Bhagat, Pawan Katoch, Rajinder Singh, Rachpal Singh, Baljeet Manhas, Pankaj Chibber and others. While the group was protesting, another bunch of Congress activists from Doda district entered into an argument with the security personnel, as they were also disallowed to enter the venue. However, after the intervention of AICC general secretary and party in charge of J&K affairs Ambika Soni, both groups were called in the convention. Sources, though, revealed that MLA Inderwal and former minister Ghulam Mohammad Saroori raised the issue before Soni during the convention following which the group was let in. Saroori alleged that dedicated Congress workers, who have ensured the victory of party candidates over the years were not given importance, the source said.
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Trans-LoC trade runs into rough weather
Jammu, August 31 “Following the autocratic decision of the Customs Department of banning mango from the trade list, Indian traders from the Kashmir and Jammu regions have decided to suspend the trans-border trade from both trade facilitation centres from September 3,” said Siraj Khan, spokesperson of the Chamber of Cross-LoC Trade, J&K. On August 27, the officials of the Customs Department at the Chakan da Bagh trade facilitation centre in Poonch district returned a consignment of four truckloads of mangoes from our counterparts in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) on flimsy grounds, said Khan. He said that mango was being exported and imported between Indian and Pakistani traders since the inception of the cross-LoC trade in 2008. “Under the standard operating procedure, the trade had to be done between residents of J&K and PoK on locally manufactured goods, but hardly any commodity that is being traded today is produced or manufactured in both parts of divided Kashmir,” Khan said. Though, the Customs officials in Salamabad this week released the consignment of mangoes from PoK to the Indian traders, they said from the next week it will be banned from there as well, he added.
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Jammu roots for singing show contestant
Jammu, August 31 People of Jammu have been campaigning for Anmol and voting for him. A non-governmental
organisation, Prayas, J&K Democratic Front and many people have been asking for votes and support for
Anmol. Even the Member Parliament from Udhampur-Doda-Kathua, Choudhary Lal Singh, urged people of the state to vote for Anmol and support
him. Anmol has been learning music since his childhood from his father, Surpal
Jaswal. During his two months in the show, Anmol has earned praise for his singing. Lata Mangeshkar also praised Anmol for his
singing. Anmol will be joined by his family, parents and sisters in Mumbai tomorrow, where he will perform at the grand finale. Back home, people from all walks have their fingers crossed and are hopeful of Anmol’s win
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Rs 19.87 crore for 4 J&K varsities under XII plan
Srinagar, August 31 These varsities are the University of Jammu, University of Kashmir, Shri Mata Vaishno Devi University and Baba Ghulam Shah Badshah University, Rajouri. The grants, under the XII plan, are against a tentative allocation of Rs 4,969 lakh to the four universities. The amount sanctioned so far is 40 per cent of the total allocations made by the UGC for the University of Jammu, University of Kashmir, Shri Mata Vaishno Devi University and Baba Ghulam Shah Badshah University. The communication received from the UGC, New Delhi, has intimated that out of a tentative XII plan allocation of Rs 1,404 lakh for the University of Jammu, Rs 561.60 lakh has been sanctioned till date.
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BJP may get seven rebel MLAs back
Jammu, August 31 The BJP had disqualified seven of the 11 legislators, including leader of the legislature party Chaman Lal Gupta, for their alleged involvement in cross-voting during the Legislative Council elections on April 13, 2011. There is a growing speculation in the town that the BJP may bring its stalwarts back into the party fold as part of the “party consolidation” exercise. The BJP chief’s statement had indirectly endorsed the party’s soft approach towards them. Meanwhile, former vice-president Hari Om, who had resigned from the party and joined the Congress during the Assembly elections in 2008, again joined the BJP today in the presence of the party national president, senior party leaders and workers.
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Ban on mango export to
Pak Jammu, August 31 “Following the autocratic decision of the Customs Department of banning mango from the trade list, Indian traders from Kashmir and Jammu regions have decided to suspend the trans-border trade from both the trade facilitation centres from September 3,” Siraj Khan, spokesperson of the Chamber of Cross-LoC Trade, J&K, said. On August 27, the officials of the Customs Department at the Chakan-da-Bagh trade facilitation centre in Poonch district returned a consignment of four truckloads of mangoes from our counterparts in Pak-occupied Kashmir on flimsy grounds, said Khan.
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