Army facilitates urs celebrations
SRINAGAR, Nov 20 — The eight-day-long urs of Sai Mitha Paji which concluded yesterday amidst religious fervour and sublime faith at a small army post near the Line of Control in Kupwara district was a unique example of the strong binding force of love, faith and religious tolerance.

SAD membership drive
in valley
JAMMU, Nov 20 — Senior Shiromani Akali Dal leaders have launched a membership drive in Kashmir in view of the elections to the valley unit of the SAD next month.

J&K action plan a non-starter
Tribune News Service

JAMMU, Nov 20 — The much-publicised action plan to counter insurgency in Jammu and Kashmir is becoming a "non-action plan" due to an inordinate delay in releasing funds.

It was in July last that the Rs 567 crore action plan was formulated by the Union Home Ministry in consultation with the senior functionaries of the state police, the Army and the paramilitary forces. Under the plan the state government was to get about Rs 200 crore for the modernisation of police communication, transport system and for equipping the police with sophisticated weapons. The plan funds were to be utilised on raising two additional battalions of the armed police. The Army and the BSF were to get about Rs 367 crore for improving the communication, transport and weaponry system.

It was in late September that the state government broached the issue of the delay in releasing the funds for the action plan with the Centre.

The Union Home Ministry had assured the state government that funds would be made available by the first week of November. However, so far not a penny has been received by the state government.

What seems to have caused concern to the state government is the sudden escalation in militancy-related violence not only in Poonch, Rajouri and Doda districts of the Jammu region but in parts of the Kashmir valley which, in the past one year, has registered marked improvement in the security scenario. The state government authorities, including those manning the police, are of the view that the security forces have come under pressure following increasing demand from the people for the setting up additional pickets for providing security to them. This needed more forces. In addition, the police continues to fight with obsolete weapons when the militants have sophisticated arms.

The state police chief, Mr Gurbachan Jagat, is said to have formulated a plan of further increasing the number of village defence committees (VDCs) but paucity of funds has come in the way. He has already communicated to the Centre that the police had been revamped to take on the militants and what they needed was effective support from the VDCs and better weapons, means of communication and mobility. Reports say that neither the Army nor the BSF have so far received even part of the funds for the action plan.

Army facilitates urs celebrations
Tribune News Service

SRINAGAR, Nov 20 — The eight-day-long urs of Sai Mitha Paji which concluded yesterday amidst religious fervour and sublime faith at a small army post near the Line of Control in Kupwara district was a unique example of the strong binding force of love, faith and religious tolerance.

The urs served as a unique example of national integration as troops from Assam Regiment turned out to be the benefactors of the local Kashmiri populace by facilitating their desire to offer obeisance to their saint and seek his blessings.

The urs (mela) used to be held and is still being celebrated at the ziarat of Sai Mitha Paji (now in the occupied Kashmir for the past 60 years in third week of November every year. Devotees from India used to attend the urs till as late as November 1988. But consequent upon the outbreak of Pak provoked militancy in Jammu and Kashmir and border tensions, Pakistan stopped the entry of Indian devotees to the shrine in November, 1988.

Keeping in view the religious sentiments and faith of the locals, the spokesman added, Commander Tangdhar Brigade, Brig. J.S. Grewal, SM, started organising urs near the army post on this side of the Line of Control since 1997, where the ziarat of Fatima Bibi, who was the sister of Sai Mitha Paji, existed.

SAD membership drive in valley
Tribune News Service

JAMMU, Nov 20 — Senior Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leaders have launched a membership drive in Kashmir in view of the elections to the valley unit of the SAD next month.

Mr Charan Singh and Jathedar Mohan Singh have been made in-charge of the elections and Mr Basant Singh Khalsa and Mr Kishan Jeet have been appointed observers.

The convener of the SAD's valley unit, Mr Gurbaksh Singh Kala, in a statement here today, said that the Sikhs should beware of the "self-styled" leaders who had no locus standi after Mr Sucha Singh Langah, in-charge of the party affairs in Jammu and Kashmir dissolved all SAD units in the valley.

3 mauled to death

SRINAGAR, Nov 20 (PTI) — Three persons, including a woman, were mauled to death by a wild bear at the Telbal area on the outskirts of Srinagar yesterday, the police said.

The wild animal which had strayed into the area fled to the nearby forest after the attack.

Meanwhile, reports from Frontier district of Kupwara said at least 15 persons had been mauled to death by leopards in the past three months in Highhama and Balpora villages.

Residents have urged the authorities to take cognisance of the growing incidents of attack from the straying wild beasts.