The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

	PDP protests against erratic power supply Our Correspondent Kupwara, December 26 Scores of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) activist, led by Member of Legislative Assembly from Lolab Abdul Haq Khan, today held a protest march against the erratic power supply and hike in power tariff. The protesters also expressed their anguish over the lack of developmental work in Kupwara district. The PDP activists raised slogans against the government and marched across the Kupwara town. “At least 50 transformers in Kupwara constituency were lying defunct and people in many areas were living in darkness,” Mir Fayaz Ahmad, the party candidate for the Kupwara constituency, alleged. “The government has miserably failed to ensure basic facilities to the people. Despite a hike in tariff, power scenario has worsened in this border district, especially during past two months. People are also facing problems due to shortage of potable water in many areas of the district,” he said. The Lolab MLA, meanwhile, said the government has “neglected” Kupwara district and warned that if it did not stop the “discrimination” the party will be forced to intensify its protest. “The government has neglected Kupwara district on almost all fronts. People are suffering for want of basic amenities like potable water, good roads and power. Barring Kupwara district, the government organised special recruitment drive in every district of the state,” Khan alleged. “The government should stop discriminating with people of the district, otherwise we will be forced to intensify protests,” he said.
	Protests in south Kashmir over erratic power supply Suhail A Shah Anantnag, December 26 As the power crisis deepens, people in many parts of south Kashmir today came on to the streets and held protests against the Power Development Department (PDD). Reports said CPM workers held protests in Kulgam town of south Kashmir against erratic power supply in their area and other parts of the Valley. CPM workers reportedly took out a rally and carried banners to lodge their protest against the power department. Protesters alleged that politicians and bureaucrats had shifted to Jammu and were living a comfortable life while the people of the Valley had been reeling under constant darkness. In the Mir Bazaar area of Kulgam district, protesters blocked the Jammu-Srinagar national highway for more than two hours. They were pacified after senior officials of the district administration reached the spot and assured them immediate action in this regard. In Pulwama district, residents of Chak Midoora village of the Tral area blocked the Awantipora-Tral road and held a massive anti-PDD protest. Protesters said they had been reeling under darkness for more than a month and the authorities had been acting as mute spectators. “The plight of the people is of no significance to the babus, enjoying their days in Jammu,” a protester said. Meanwhile, residents of the Srigufwara area of Bijbehara in Anantnag blocked the Bijbehara-Pahalgam road for hours to lodge their protest against erratic power supply. People in Bijbehara town said they were not getting power supply for more than two hours a day. “We had held a protest a week ago but it turned violent after police high handedness,” said a local. Highway blocked for two hours In the Mir Bazaar area of Kulgam district, protesters blocked the Jammu-Srinagar national highway for more than two hours. They were pacified after senior officials of the district administration reached the spot and assured them immediate action in this regard.
	Projects worth Rs 217 cr sanctioned for Leh town under JNNURM Foundation stone of solid waste management project laid Yangchan Dolma Leh, December 26 For creation of civic infrastructure in Leh town, four major projects worth Rs 217.33 crore have been sanctioned from the union urban development ministry under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewable Mission (JNNURM). The Urban Development and Local Bodies Minister Nawang Rigzin Jora and the Chief Executive Councilor of Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council, Leh, Rigin Spalbar jointly laid the foundation stone of the Rs 70.48 crore augmentation and reorganisation of Leh water supply project, Rs 59.39 crore sewerage project, Rs 10.94 crore solid waste management project and Rs 76.53 improvement of road project near Jama Masjid here on Tuesday. It is being considered as a huge emolument, as a lot of money is being spent on raising the standard of civic amenities in Leh town. The completion of schemes is targeted by the end of 2016. Projects are being implemented by the Public Works Department of the district administration. PHE Executive Engineer Tashi Tundup said such projects were being implemented by the PWD for the first time and a government undertaking firm Wapcos has been engaged as a consultant during the execution of the projects. He said the 90% of the project cost has been financed by the Centre and the rest 10% would be borne by the state government. Addressing a function, Nawang Rigzin Jora said that all four major urban development projects were the dream projects for residents of Leh town, as the development of civic amenities and projects were planned keeping in view their needs for the next 30 years. The minister also said that the civic needs of the people would be enhanced and first sewage treatment plant would be set up in town. LAHDC Chief Executive Councillor, Leh, Rigzin Spalbar, while addressing the gathering on the occasion said: “Leh used to be a trade centre of the silk-route trades for Central Asian countries till Independence. Hence, the aim is to develop Leh as a heritage town by reviving old heritage and by beautifying it.” He added that keeping the challenges during the implementation of the projects in mind, which involves digging near residential areas or acquiring land for projects, a joint meeting of religious, political and all stakeholders was convened to seek support for successful implementation of schemes.
	Army to hold recruitment rally on Monday Our correspondent Udhampur, December 26 The Army is all set to organise a mega recruitment rally in the cantonment area of Jalandhar on Monday for the unemployed youth of north India. As per the official communication issued by the Northern Command head quarter here today 112 Infantry Battalion of the Territorial Army will be organising a recruitment rally for the posts of general duty soldier, clerk and tradesmen (chef community, washer man and house keeper) at the Jalandhar Cantonment on December 30 from 9 am onwards. Candidates belonging to the state of Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Delhi and the Union Territory of Chandigarh, can participate in the rally.
	Online accreditation made must for CBSE schools Vikas Sharma Tribune News Service Jammu, December 26 On the directions of the Union Ministry of Human Resource Development, the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has issued a circular to all its affiliated schools in the state to apply online for the mandatory accreditation process called the School Quality Assessment and Accreditation Scheme. KCS Mehta, Principal, Army Public School, Akhnoor, and president of the Jammu Sahodaya School Complex, a body of CBSE schools, told The Tribune, “Yes, the circular has been received by all schools. There are more than 40 CBSE-affiliated schools in the state which have most of the facilities as per the new directions to seek accreditation but still we need to focus on some areas.” To apply online for the accreditation, the schools need to fill the form of intent on the CBSE website. The accreditation process entails three phases, with the first being the submission of online application along with relevant evidence to support the data. “It is brought to the notice of all heads of the affiliated schools that it has been made mandatory to get accredited once every five years. Schools will have to pay an affiliation fee of Rs 55,000,” a CBSE circular said. “The accreditation is mandatory for schools because it will guarantee a permanently affiliated status to them and increase transparency by making infrastructure, staff and other details public. Further, the accreditation will help schools identify their strengths and weakness by comparing themselves with other schools,” the circular said. Sources said after the schools applied online for the accreditation, a visit to the school by Peer Assessor Team (PAT) or agency for validation of data and collection of supporting evidence, would complete the second phase. The PAT will comprise three members who will be school principals and certified to be assessors for the accreditation by the central board. Sources added that the third and the final phase would entail reporting on the applicant school’s accreditation by the PAT/agency to the CBSE. A final decision on whether to give accreditation would be taken by the CBSE. Process begins * The accreditation will guarantee a permanently affiliated status to schools and increase transparency by making infrastructure, staff and other details public * There are more than 40 CBSE-affiliated schools in the state which will seek accreditation * It will help schools identify their strengths and weakness by comparing themselves with other schools
	Panel approves project for electrification of 9,524 habitations Tribune News Service Jammu, December 26 A state-level panel of the government on Tuesday approved the detailed project reports (DPRs) for electrification of 9,524 habitations in Jammu and Kashmir, having a population of 100 and more, under the second phase of the Rajiv Gandhi Gramin Vidyut Yojana (RGGVY). The total cost of the scheme, which will cover a population of 2.50 lakh including 1,119 lakh below poverty line households, is projected at Rs 2,770 crore. The detailed project reports were approved during a meeting of the state-level Standing Committee headed by Chief Secretary Mohammad Iqbal Khandey. The meeting discussed the implementation of the second phase of the Rajiv Gandhi Gramin Vidyut Yojana in the state and decided to submit the detailed project reports to the Government of India for funding. “About 94 per cent habitations and 98 per cent households would be covered under the second phase of the Rajiv Gandhi Gramin Vidyut Yojana and it is expected to be completed within two years,” an official spokesperson said. The Chief Secretary, on the occasion, also called for the formation of a state-level monitoring committee under the chairmanship of the Principal Secretary, Power Development Department, to ensure that the implementation of the project starts at the earliest. He also instructed that similar committees be constituted at the divisional and district level to be headed by the respective Divisional Commissioners and Deputy Commissioners. The Chief Secretary, Mohammad Iqbal Khandey, also reviewed the complaints regarding the damaged transformers related to the phase first of the Rajiv Gandhi Gramin Vidyut Yojana and instructed the department to take appropriate measures in this regard, the spokesperson said. Principal Secretary, Power Development Department, Arun Kumar Mehta informed the meeting that the phase first of the Rajiv Gandhi Gramin Vidyut Yojana, in most of the districts, including Anantnag, Kathua, Udhampur, Poonch and Rajouri, had been completed, while in the remaining districts it was in the final stage of completion. Rural electrification * The second phase of the Rajiv Gandhi Gramin Vidyut Yojana will cover a population of 2.50 lakh, including 1,119 lakh below poverty line households * The total cost of the scheme is projected at Rs 2,770 crore * The detailed project reports in this regard were approved during a meeting of the state-level Standing Committee headed by Chief Secretary Mohammad Iqbal Khandey * J&K will further submit the DPRs to the Centre for funding * The Chief Secretary called for the formation of a state-level-monitoring committee, under the chairmanship of the Principal Secretary, power department, to ensure that the implementation of the project starts at the earliest
	7 yrs on, Pulwama ringroad still awaits completion Farooz Ahmad Bhat Pulwama, December 26 Seven years have already passed, but the 11.90 kilometre ring road project in Pulwama is far from completion. Reason: the district authorities have failed to negotiate terms of compensation with farmers over all these years. Lack of funds is said to be another reason, which is delaying the completion of the project. The work on the road from Gangoo to Bonoora villages in the district was started in 2005-06 financial year to streamline traffic to the new bus stand being constructed at Drusoo and to Shopian district, including traffic on the Mughal Road to Srinagar city. The project, which costs Rs 28.27 crore has been divided into two phases and its first phase from Gangoo to BSNL Exchange Pulwama on the Pulwama-Awantipora Road was completed few years back. The second phase, which includes Awantipora Road junction to Boonora, is yet to be constructed. Locals said due to non-completion of the road, the traffic increases manifold especially during peak hours at Pulwama and commuters have to suffer, as they have to wait. If the work completes on time, their sufferings could be lessened, they added. Manzoor Ahmad, Assistant Executive Engineer Road & Buildings department, Pulwama, said the 2.5 km road has already been completed and that a central line for another kilometre from Awantipora Road junction to Tahab road junction has also been drawn, on which the work would begin soon. The authorities said the delay in the construction of Phase-II of the ring road was due to lack of funds and refusal by farmers to allow the R&B to construct road through their land, as they were being paid very less. However, Assistant Commissioner, revenue, Shah Faesal said an additional Rs 5 crore were released on December 24 this year, which would be disbursed at the earnest and that the construction would resume soon. “We have further divided the Phase-II into two phases and the first phase includes a 1 km road from Awantipora Road junction to Tahab Road junction, whereas the second phase includes a road from Tahab Road junction to Drusoo,” Faesal said. He further informed that the revenue department has negotiated with farmers on land measuring 29 canals, whereas negotiation on the land measuring 18 canals is yet to be worked out. Rs 28-crore project * The project, which costs Rs 28.27 crore has been divided into two phases and its first phase from Gangoo to BSNL Exchange Pulwama on the Pulwama-Awantipora Road was completed few years back. The second phase, which includes Awantipora Road junction to Boonora, is yet to be constructed
	NC to fight divisive forces, says Kichloo Tribune News Service Jammu, December 26 Flaying opportunist political parties for creating wedge between the communities on the basis of religion, region, caste and creed, Minister for Industries and Commerce Sajjad Ahmed Kichloo today asked the people to “foil” any such machinations. He said there was need to uphold the integrity of all the three regions of the state. “Communal and anti-national forces are hell bent on polarising society by exploiting regional and religious sentiments of the people,” Kichloo said, adding that the need of the hour was to thwart their designs. He said the coalition government, headed by CM Omar Abdullah, would fight tooth and nail to defeat such divisive forces and not allow anyone to disintegrate the state and its people.
	Minister welcomes court martial of Army men Our correspondent Pulwama, December 26 Minister for Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Ali Mohammad Sagar today welcomed the court martial of Army personnel involved in the Machil fake encounter and said bringing the culprits to book was a good step. Sagar was on a visit to Shopian today where he inaugurated Kegam, a model village. He hailed Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and said Omar’s stand on the Indo-Pak friendship was getting clear. “Until and unless there is normalcy in Jammu and Kashmir, we cannot think of any solution to the Kashmir issue,” said the minister. While answering a question on the dismal condition of model villages, inaugurated earlier, the Rural Development Minister said there were 120 villages out of which 118 had been given the status of model villages while the rest two were pending due to some dispute in courts. He said the National Conference government had to complete the projects taken up by the previous government. Sagar said the National Conference-Congress coalition government had disbursed about Rs 111 crore to 100 villages for their development.
	5,000 pension cases pending in Udhampur for past 5 yrs Deepanker Gupta Udhampur, December 26 While the Centre has announced a number of schemes for the uplift of the marginalised and neglected people, the authorities in Udhampur have failed to implement the existing welfare schemes. According to official data, around 5,000 applications are pending at the District Social Welfare Office in Udhampur for the past five years. The Integrated Social Security Scheme, which provides pension to physically challenged, destitute, widows/divorcees and aged persons, was to be implemented as per the Centre’s guidelines five years ago. The authorities admit that 5,000 applications are pending in the district. However, sources in the Social Welfare Department say the number is more because the department concerned did not have a record of the exact number of pending applications. “The number continues to fluctuate every month,” a source said. “Under this scheme, a meagre amount of Rs 200 per month is to be paid to widows, destitutes, divorcees and old people, while Rs 400 is to be paid to physically challenged persons. The authorities are delaying in providing the same,” said advocate GR Khajuria. “We fail to understand why a Centrally sponsored scheme is not being implemented by the authorities concerned at the earliest so that people get benefited,” Khajuria said. “Our priority is to give benefit to physically handicapped, senior citizens, widows, destitutes, divorcees and old people but procedural problems have led to delays,” said Yash Paul Sharma, district social welfare officer, Udhampur. “We are making all our efforts to make sure all these 5,000 cases are disposed of in the current financial year. Thereafter, they will get regular incentives every month under the direct cash transfer scheme,” he said. “Officials have been assuring us that we will get the benefits at the earliest but it has not yet been practically started,” said Nitya Nand, a physically challenged person from Udhampur. The scheme * The Integrated Social Security Scheme, which provides pension to physically challenged, destitute, widows/divorcees and aged persons, was to be implemented as per the Centre’s guidelines five years ago
	Chill slackens grip on Srinagar Day, night temperatures remain above normal in the city Tribune News Service Srinagar, December 26 Even as the cold wave continues to tighten its grip elsewhere in the state, Srinagar city saw an improvement in weather as the day and night temperatures went up slightly. A Meteorological Department official said the minimum temperature in the city rose to 1.8 degree Celsius last night as compared to 0.6 degree the night before. He said the minimum temperature was four degrees above normal as the Valley is currently undergoing ‘Chillai Kalaan’ — harshest 40-day winter period that began on December 21. The city had been recording sub-zero night temperatures for the past one week before receiving the winter season’s first snowfall on December 21-22. Similarly, the maximum temperature in Srinagar climbed to 10.2 degrees today from yesterday’s 7.1 degrees. The MeT official said the maximum temperature today was two degrees above normal. Meanwhile, most of the other places in the Valley except Qazigund, the gateway town to Kashmir, recorded sub-zero night temperature. Qazigund recorded the minimum temperature of 0.2 degrees while border town Kupwara saw a low of -3°C. The mercury in Pahalgam, south Kashmir’s tourist resort, settled at a low of -2.4°Celsius while ski resort Gulmarg remained the coldest place in the Valley at -7.4°C. Leh in the Ladakh region recorded the coldest night of the current winter season at -14.1° C. One-way vehicular traffic continued to ply on the 300-km Srinagar-Jammu national highway — the Valley’s only surface link to the rest of the country. The weatherman has predicted mainly dry weather in the Valley over the next 24 hours.
	Refresher course for teachers begins at Kashmir varsity Tribune News Service Srinagar, December 26 The 63rd general orientation course and a three-week refresher course in computer application were inaugurated at the University of Kashmir (KU) here today. The courses were organised by Academic Staff College (ASC) for university and college teachers. After inaugurating the courses, KU Vice Chancellor Talat Ahmad urged the teachers to keep themselves abreast of latest developments so as to respond to the increasing demands and queries of students, who have become more inquisitive than ever before. “Today, things have undergone a considerable change in higher education. A student can ask anything in the classroom and teachers have to be ready and equipped with the right kind of knowledge and information to answer his or her query which at times may not be related to your own area or specialisation or subject,” he said. In his welcome address, ASC director Farooq Fayaz said the efforts and hard work put in by the ASC staff had been acknowledged at the state and national level. The courses organised by the college were designed to provide an insight of the changing scenario in higher education to the participants. Recruitment drive held The Centre for Career Planning and Counselling (CCPC), KU, in collaboration with Cognizant Technologies, has organised a recruitment drive. In a statement issued today, the KU spokesperson said the drive was held on December 21 and 22. The drive was organised for BE, B Tech, ME, M Tech and MCA students. Over 100 students took an online test. Welcoming the companies for taking interest in the talent pool of the Valley, the KU Vice Chancellor said with proper guidance and training, the local youth could beat the best in the world. He further assured the corporate houses that the university would pool all its resources to help them in their initiative to tap the talent pool of the Valley. CCPC director Shabir A Bhat said the objective of the centre was to enhance the skills of the youth and to help them in realising their professional goals. He said companies such as TCS, ONGC, NTPC and Infosys Technologies had recruited students from the KU campus.
	Adulteration fallout: Surge in demand for whole spices Our Correspondent Srinagar, December 24 After Kashmir’s top brand spice companies were found selling adulterated products, Kashmiris have turned to whole spices, which can be processed at home. Spice sellers at the old market in Maharaja Bazaar said a dip had been witnessed in the sales of local companies during the last week, when the Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) revealed that products of these companies were substandard and unsafe for consumption. “This week, a rise in the demand for raw turmeric, red chillies, fennel, and rock salt has been witnessed. Now, people prefer grinding these spices at home, rather than buying packed ones. They are sceptical of buying packaged products,” said Sajad Ahmad, who has been selling spices in Srinagar for the past 15 years. Last week, a report by the Central Food Laboratory, Kolkata, found some product samples manufactured by Kanwal and Khyber adulterated. The court has asked the companies to deposit Rs 10 crore as fine. After the court order, the department ordered an inquiry into the issue. After the media highlighted health hazards linked to consumption of adulterated products, people have stopped using these brands. “We should avoid packaged products as they might be unfit for consumption. Now, we prefer whole spices, which we can be processed at home,” said Saira Begum, a resident of Srinagar. SMC health officer said the department had always advised people to go for natural products. “As a health officer, I will advise the people for natural and organic food items. They must opt for organic farming and use products cultivated in their own backyard,” said Dr Shafaqat Hussain. Sellerspeak "This week, a rise in the demand for raw turmeric, red chillies, fennel, and rock salt has been witnessed. Now, people prefer grinding these spices at home, rather than buying packed ones. They are sceptical of buying packaged products." Sajad Ahmad, a spice seller Officialspeak "As a Health Officer, I will advise people to go for natural and organic food items. They must opt for organic farming and use products that are cultivated in their own backyard. " Dr Shafaqat Hussain, Health Officer
	Teetwal telephone exchange inaugurated Tribune News Service Srinagar, December 26 A state-of-the-art technology “electronic AN RAX telephone exchange” was inaugurated at Teetwal near the Line of Control (LoC) from here. An official statement issued here today said Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) had added another feather to its cap by commissioning the exchange at Teetwal in Kupwara district. The exchange was inaugurated by RK Kaul, Chief General Manager, BSNL, J&K Circle, yesterday in the presence of Charan Dass, General Manager, Telecom, Srinagar; MG Mufti, DGM, Srinagar and Nazir Joo, DGM (mobile), Srinagar. “The inaugural call was made by Kaul from Srinagar to Teetwal which was received by Teetwal SHO Farooq Ahmad,” the statement said. Kaul also greeted the people of Teetwal who were having no telecommunication facility so far except a village public telephone on satellite. He conveyed that the exchange would feed the local populace of Teetwal which otherwise remains cut off from the rest of the world especially during winters. With the commissioning of the exchange, the demand of this hinterland has been fulfilled and the local population will be benefited with the provisioning of landline telephony in this remote border area, a BSNL official said. He said the mobile communication could not be extended to this area as it was in the vicinity of the LoC. Improving network * The exchange was inaugurated by RK Kaul, Chief General Manager, BSNL, J&K Circle, on Thursday * The inaugural call was made by Kaul from Srinagar to Teetwal which was received by Teetwal SHO Farooq Ahmad * the exchange would feed the local populace of Teetwal which otherwise remains cut off from the rest of the world especially during winters
	Theatre camp for children Tribune News Service Jammu, December 26 Natrang will organise a theatre camp for children at Natrang Studio Theatre from December 28. Natrang director Balwant Thakur informed this during a press briefing today. He said the nine-day workshop would conclude on January 5, adding that the camp would begin from 11 am and would continue till 1 pm everyday, where the participants would get an opportunity to get training under professionals. “A short play will also be produced during the course of the training. Children between the age of 7 and 14 will be considered for the programme,” Balwant Thakur said. He appealed to the parents to take benefit of this opportunity and allow their wards to get training
	Five-day national integration camp begins at Mubarak Mandi Tribune News Service Jammu, December 26 Minister for Youth Services and Sports, Taj Mohiuddin and Minister for Tourism, Ghulam Ahmad Mir, today inaugurated the five-day National Integration Camp at Mubarak Mandi, Jammu. The camp is being organised by Nehru Yuva Kendra, Jammu, in collaboration with youth services and sports and tourism departments, besides cooperation from the district administration. Over 300 youth from states, including Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha and J&K are attending the camp. A colourful programme depicting the culture of their respective states was also presented on the occasion. Taj Mohiuddin called on them to act as ambassadors to spread awareness about the rich culture, language, traditions and heritage of Jammu back in their home states. “Youth need to inculcate in them the ideals shown by great leaders such as Mahatma Gandhi. They should spread the message of mutual co-existence and brotherhood,” he exhorted. He said: “The younger generation has a special role in nation-building, as the future of the nation rests on their shoulders.” He said youth were future leaders, bureaucrats and citizens of a country and they have to get actively involved in various social activities to bring a positive change in the system. Minister for Tourism, Mir, called on participants to work for modern India and play an important role in fulfilling the dreams of Mahatma Gandhi, Swami Vivekananda, Rajiv Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru. He said Nehru Yuva Kendra deserves a special accolade, as it has made possible the integration of varied cultures and traditions from across the country. He also announced a Patnitop trip for the guest participants adding that the boarding and lodging facilities would be provided free by the Tourism and Youth Services Department to the participants.
	Protester demanding Lokayukta defers strike Tribune News Service Jammu, December 26 An Anna Hazare follower and a social activist from Jammu, Om Parkash Sharma, who was sitting on a dharna since December 10 demanding Lokayukta Bill in state has decided to defer his strike. “The doctors have advised me to avoid severe cold. Moreover, Anna has also directed me to follow doctors’ advice to lead the fight against corruption with more strength, as it is a long-drawn battle,” Om Parkash Sharma said. “Hence on his directions, I have decided to postpone my strike for a month, but my resolve to not take food until and unless the state assembly passes the Lokayukta Bill to eliminate deep-rooted corruption will continue,” he added.
	Machil verdict: Army proves all doubters wrong Arun Joshi Tribune News Service New Delhi, December 26 The initiation of court martial proceedings by the Army against six of its men in the Machil encounter on April 30, 2010, has changed the whole story line of Jammu and Kashmir of that year and subsequent discourse about the role of the Army in checking the human rights excesses instead of taking cover under the special powers it has in this conflict- ridden state. Gathering evidence against its own men and then taking them to the trial stage was not an easy task for the Army. The Army has defied the whole campaign against it and clearly rebuffed those who were accusing that it might take cover under the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) to save its men. Instead, it has gone ahead, step by step, as per the law, to bring the men charged with committing the heinous crime of killing three civilians as “terrorists” to book. The Army’s court of inquiry had the option to let off the accused soldiers saying that there was no evidence against them or they enjoyed immunity under the AFSPA. But it did not do that. Against this backdrop, all issues of the role of the Army in Jammu and Kashmir, diversionary tactics of vested interests, including some in the state government of the day, and the bloody year of 2010 when street protests and action against the protesters left 120 youth dead, will be read with fresh lenses. With this act of the Army, it has become crystal clear that the soldiers had indeed committed the shocking crime of killing the three civilians of Nadihal in Baramulla district --- Mohammad Shafi Lone, Riyaz Ahmad Lone and Shahzad Ahmad Khan --- and passed them off as terrorists infiltrating from across the Line of Control (LoC) in the Machil sector for monetary considerations. There is a mechanism of reward of cash and promotions for those killing terrorists in the counter-terrorist operations, which has been unashamedly used by some sections of the security forces over the years. In this case, the three civilians were lured by fellow villagers for jobs and taken from their village to the LoC, where they were shot dead and weapons were placed on their bodies by soldiers and officers of 4 Rajput Regiment. The whole operation was conducted for the sake of three reasons: money, promotions and appeasing superiors. The villagers who took Riyaz, Shahzad and Shafi got Rs 1.50 lakh — Rs 50, 000 for each of the three victims — and the rest of Rs 4.5 lakh was shared by Army men. The reward for killing a terrorist is Rs 2 lakh. The identification of the photographs of the slain civilians by their family members uncovered the whole truth and facts about the fake encounter staged for the sake of money and promotions by Army men, including a colonel and a major. This fact has more or less been established during the course of the court of the inquiry. There is substantial evidence against the soldiers and officers, sources disclosed. The process of investigation was speeded up from day one. There was a lot of pressure from the state government. The state government had approached the Centre for action against the men who had sullied the image of the force and widened the trust deficit between Delhi and Jammu and Kashmir. Recently, Northern Command chief Lt Gen Sanjiv Chachra had directed all his troops to “show zero tolerance to human rights excesses”. The Army’s action of conducting trial (GCM) against its own men has effectively rebuffed the theorists that men in uniform would take recourse to the AFSPA. It has proved all these theorists wrong and upheld that the Act is no escape route for the men in uniform committing a crime. “Each and every case is investigated and it is dealt with on merit,” an officer, who disclosed the course that has been followed so far in the Machil case, told The Tribune. Questions were raised about the case and all sorts of doubts were expressed whether the Army would take any action against the accused soldiers. The Army has proved all doubters wrong.
	Budgam encounter ends, Lashkar militant killed Slain militant was Pak national, second ultra manages to escape Ehsan Fazili Tribune News Service Srinagar, December 26 A Lashkar-e-Toiba militant belonging to Pakistan was killed today in an encounter with security forces after a nightlong operation in Hushroo village in Budgam district, about 20 km from here. The police said the Lashkar militant, identified as Umar, was killed in the encounter that took place between the holed up militants and security forces early this morning. Another militant, Riyaz Ahmad, who was also hiding in a house in the village, managed to escape, the police said. One residential house got damaged in the gunfight. Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG), Central Kashmir range, Syed Afadul-Mujtaba said the identity of the slain Pakistani militant had been ascertained. However, residents of Lelhar village in the Kakpora area of the adjacent Pulwama district claimed that the militant killed in the encounter was from their village. They claimed that a youth, Showkat Ahmad Lone, who had joined militant ranks was missing since November 30 and had been killed today in the Budgam encounter. The DIG Police said the body of the militant would be kept in the mortuary and a DNA test would be conducted to ascertain the claims of the Lelhar villagers. Meanwhile, a report from Pulwama said a complete bandh was observed in the area in support of the demand for handing over the militant’s body to the villagers. The police claim the slain militant was involved in the killing of a police officer, Sub Inspector Shabir Ahmad, SHO of Chadoora in Budgam district on December 2. At least four others, including two policemen and two civilians, were also injured in the attack, which had taken place in Chadoora town. On December 8, one of the civilians injured in the attack, Ghulam Mohammad Dar, succumbed to his injuries in a hospital here. With the militant’s killing in Hushroo village, the search operation launched by the security forces on Tuesday came to an end nearly after 48 hours today. Acting on specific information about the presence of Lashkar militant Umar, the security forces launched a search operation in Ichkoot village near Budgam on Tuesday. However, Umar and his associate Riyaz Ahmad, a local militant, managed to give the security forces the slip taking advantage of the darkness. The search operation was again launched in adjacent villages, and security forces cordoned off Hushroo village last evening leading to a nightlong siege.
	Gun battle in Tral, militants manage to flee Tribune News Service Srinagar, December 26 An encounter took place between security forces and militants at a village near Tral in Pulwama district in the wee hours today. However, the ultras “managed to escape” taking the advantage of darkness. The incident took place in Garhpora village, about 8 km from Tral town of south Kashmir at 4 am today. “No damage was caused in the encounter, which continued for about three hours,” an official said, adding that the suspected Jaish-e-Mohammad militants hiding in the area “managed to escape” taking the advantage of darkness. The gun battle erupted after the security forces, following a tip-off, cordoned off the village and launched search operation to flush out the militants. The encounter began around 4 am, an hour after the security forces launched the search operation, sources said. “Two militants were believed to be hiding in a house and they engaged the security forces in an encounter for about three hours. The militants, however, managed to escape taking the advantage of darkness,” a source said. The duo was reportedly hiding in a residential house in the village where a CRPF camp is also located. Meanwhile soon after, the security forces launched another search operation in a nearby Pastum village. However, the four-hour-long exercise did not yield any results.
	Jammu Festival-2013: Heritage walk held Tribune News Service Jammu, December 26 On the second day of the ongoing Jammu Festival, the Tourism Department today organised a heritage walk from Amar Mahal to Mubarak Mandi. The walk was flagged off by Tourism Minister Ghulam Ahmad Mir. The six-day Jammu Festival-2013 was inaugurated by Governor NN Vohra at General Zorawar Singh Auditorium in the University of Jammu yesterday. Over 1,000 students and Nehru Yuva Kendra volunteers participated in the walk. The minister underscored the importance of the ancient sites of Jammu and highlighted the government’s efforts of showcasing the city as a leisure and heritage tourist destination. Mir said through such festivals, Jammu would world over gain recognition as a heritage tourist destination. He also appreciated the cooperation extended by the local administration and the education department in organising the walk to make the younger generation aware about the richness of the Dogra heritage. He told the students to disseminate information about the historical importance of these places wherever they went. The minister said with the increase in the tourist influx, J&K was fast recapturing its position as the most liked tourism destination among India. Governor NN Vohra yesterday evening complimented Minister for Tourism Ghulam Ahmad Mir for taking the initiative of reviving the Jammu Festival after a gap of six years. He congratulated Mir and the Department of Tourism for organising the Jammu Festival and wished them high success in their endeavour. The Governor hoped that the people of Jammu would enjoy all programmes in the next five days and the festival would be a memorable experience for them. Mir said the festival was being organised by the Department of Tourism not only to promote culture but also to attract tourists from within and outside the state and to showcase the rich cultural heritage of the state. He said the objective of organising the festival was to attract a large number of tourists to Jammu and Kashmir and to present the rich art, culture and the scenic beauty of the state to them. He said about 1.5 crore pilgrims offer prayers at Vaishno Devi shrine in Katra annually. He said if even one half of the pilgrims could be attracted to stay on and visit the tourist spots of Patnitop, Mansar-Surinsar, Rajouri-Poonch, Bani-Basohli, Bhaderwah and other scenic spots, the economy of the state would receive a big boost. Mir appealed to the private sector to participate in the infrastructure building in the tourism sector and provide quality services to the tourists. Soujanya Sharma, Director, Tourism, Jammu, presented the welcome address. Pandit Shiv Kumar Sharma, recipient of Padam Vibhushan and santoor maestro made a scintillating one and a half hour presentation.
	MLC discusses environmental issues with Governor Tribune News Service Jammu, December 26 Member of Legislative Council, Dr Syed Bashir Ahmad Veeri called on Governor NN Vohra at Raj Bhawan here today. The legislator discussed with the Governor the serious issues related to ensuring of environmental protection in the state, which has a fragile bio-diversity. He also spoke about the fast advancing threats emanating from the phenomenon of climate change and global warming. Vohra, on the occasion, mentioned few steps in this regard which had been initiated by the Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology, Kashmir. He suggested to Dr Veeri the usefulness of a planned consultation being organised for involving all authorities concerned to enlarge awareness of the time-bound measures that need to be urgently implemented to mitigate the awaiting disasters.
	Guv briefed on Science Congress Tribune News Service Jammu, December 26 Vice Chancellor, University of Jammu, Prof MPS Ishar today called on Governor NN Vohra at Raj Bhawan here and briefed him about the to date status of the ongoing preparations for hosting the 101st session of the Indian Science Congress to be held from February 3 to February 7 next year. He also briefed the Governor, who is the Chancellor of the University of Jammu, about the projects undertaken by the university administration for infrastructure up-gradation within the campus. Principal Secretary to the Governor, Navin K Choudhary, was also present on the occasion. Vohra emphasised the need for putting in place all the required arrangements well in time for the first ever mega scientific event in the state. He observed that the progress on various aspects and components of the arrangements being made for the Indian Science Congress is required to be regularly reviewed and monitored so that all logistics and other facilities are timely positioned.
	No Ranji team player was harassed: J&K Police Tribune News Service Jammu, December 26 The Jammu and Kashmir Police today dismissed the allegations that it “harassed” the state cricketers during a search operation on the intervening night of December 24 and 25. “There is no question of harassment and humiliation of any Ranji team player. It was a routine security check following a specific input. We had just verified the documents of cricket players and no one was humiliated or harassed during this exercise,” Inspector General of Police (IGP), Jammu Zone, Rajesh Kumar told reporters here today. The IGP said the hotel, in which the players were staying, was one among those locations which came under scanner following a specific input. “We didn’t stay there whole night with guns. We also conducted search operation in other hotels and locations of Jammu city on that night,” the officer said while vehemently refuting the allegations levelled by a state cricketer that they were “harassed” by men in uniform. Replying to a query regarding the claims made by a Jammu and Kashmir Ranji player that they were harassed by the police ahead of a crucial match, the IGP said: “The police team had just visited the hotel and it didn’t have the prior information that the Ranji team was staying there.” “Police was not aware of the fact that they are the members of the Ranji team. So it is possible they must have been questioned,” Kumar said, adding that it was only after verification of their documents and identity cards, the police came to know that they were Ranji players. Cricketer Samiullah Beig had earlier alleged that they were harassed for hours by the police. “Couldn’t sleep whole night. Police came to search our hotel at midnight and questioned us for hours,” Beig had posted on the social networking site Facebook. “We are still feeling the shock and horror of finding uniformed people with guns surrounding us,” he added. The incident happened hours before the final day of the Ranji Trophy Group C match between Jammu and Kashmir and Hyderabad. Parvez Rasool, the captain of J&K Ranji team, reportedly denied the charges made by his teammate. “Yes, police came to our hotel at midnight, but not in a least bit they harassed us. They even did not search our rooms. They simply asked us to show our identity cards,” Rasool had said.
	Tributes paid to Yash Pal Khajuria Tribune News Service Jammu, December 26 Rich tributes were paid to Yash Paul Khajuria, former minister and senior Congress leader, on his second death anniversary here today. While paying tributes to the late leader, Congress members described him as a dedicated and sincere soldier of the party who devoted his entire life to the service of people. He was known in the party rank and file for his simplicity, honesty, integrity, commitment and dedication towards the service of people, especially the downtrodden and poor, speakers said. He rose to the position in the party by the dint of his hard work. Speakers further said Khajuria never shirked from any responsibility assigned to him by the party and urged the party workers to follow the late leader’s foot steps.
	Tantrik arrested for killing 7-year-old boy Brutally killed victim to 'gain magical powers' Arteev Sharma Tribune News Service Jammu, December 26 The police today claimed to have solved the mystery behind the brutal killing of a seven-year-old boy, whose mutilated body was recovered from a heap of straw at Khandwal village under Satwari police station on December 17, by arresting the main accused, who happen to be a tantrik. Sahil Kumar alias Pinky had gone missing on December 16 evening and his family had lodged a missing complaint with Chatha Police Post on December 17. The police had recovered Sahil’s body, with throat slit and an eye gouged out, from a paddy field, just 700-800 metres away from his house. “We have arrested the accused, who committed the murder for religious sacrifice and to gain ‘Tantrik’ (magic) powers. It was a full moon night (Purnima) on the fateful day, when the boy was brutally murdered,” Atul Goel, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Jammu, told reporters here. The accused has been identified as Tilak Raj alias Tinka, 24, who happens to be victim’s neighbour and was close to the aggrieved family. Accompanied by Superintendent of Police, City South, Rahul Malik and Sub-Divisional Police Officer, City South, Zahid Aziz Samoon, the SSP said that they had recovered some books of ‘Tantrik’ literature and a ‘darati’ (sickle), which was used by the accused for committing the crime. Blood-stained clothes were also recovered from his house, he added. “Being a neighbour, he was close to the family and murdered the boy in a well-planned fashion. He had kept the sickle and the knife in the heap of straw in advance and took the boy to the crime spot easily, as he was close to him. As per his confession, he first slit the boy’s throat with a sickle and later used a knife to gouge out his one of the eyes,” the SSP said. The police officer said the accused, after committing the crime, went to the bank of Tawi River, which flows close to the village, and washed his blood-stained clothes. “He was one of the suspects, who were picked up for questioning and was put under sustained interrogation, wherein he confessed to his crime,” Goel said. The police were yet to recover the knife used in taking out the boy’s eye, the SSP said. He said the boy had gone missing at around 7pm on December 16 and he was murdered between 7.30pm and 8.30pm. Goel said the investigation was still on in the case and the police were trying to ascertain as to whether somebody else was also involved in the crime.
	One killed, four injured in blast at scrap dealer’s shop Presence of explosive material in shop may have triggered explosion Tribune News Service Jammu, December 26 A person was killed while four others, including three children and a woman, were seriously injured in a blast that took place at a scrap shop in the outskirts of Jammu city late this morning. Police said that the blast occurred at scrap dealer Sonu Kabaria’s shop at Dilli and since some old explosive material was found in the shop, it might have triggered the explosion. The scrap dealer was not present at the shop, when the explosion occurred. Saifullah, 24, a labourer working at Sonu’s shop died on the spot. He was a native of Burma and was presently residing at Narwal. Four others, including Shehnaz, 25, Imran,6, one-year-old Tippu and Sahil, 4, a resident of Sector 7, Channi, got injured in the incident. Saifullah’s body has been shifted to the mortuary at Government Medical College (GMC), Jammu, and the injured are receiving treatment at the same hospital. Rahul Malik, Superintendent of Police (SP), South, said: “The blast occurred due to an old explosive in the scrap, we are investigating the matter.” A case has been registered at Channi police station and further investigations are on.
	Drug smuggling along Jammu-Srinagar highway on rise Deepanker Gupta Udhampur, December 26 Though the Udhampur police have successfully arrested five narcotic smugglers in three different cases in the last 20 days, senior police officers said smuggling had increased manifold on the Jammu-Srinagar national highway in the past three months, which is also the fruit season. As over 250 trucks carrying fruit boxes travel on the national highway every day, smuggling of narcotics in apple boxes has been on a rise. Smugglers are hiding huge quantities of narcotics, including poppy straw and cannabis, in apple boxes and smuggling them all over the country. Information available with various security agencies suggest that a huge quantity of narcotics is being smuggled in the absence of technical equipment, including sensor scanners for checking trucks. Recently, the police stopped a truck carrying fruit boxes near Kud, 30 km from Udhampur, and seized a huge quantity of poppy straw from it. Another consignment of narcotics was seized near Udhampur in which poppy straw had been hidden in apple boxes. Policemen along with officials of the Narcotic Control Bureau are not only trying hard to control the menace but also working on specific inputs. “We are trying our level best to control smuggling of narcotics on the highway but due to the shortage of manpower and technical equipment, it is tough to completely control it. Our men have to perform law and order duty, look into crime cases and after VIP movements. So it is tough to concentrate on narcotic smuggling only,” said a senior police officer.