J&K seeks wheat, rice on credit
Tribune News Service

JAMMU, April 2 — The state Food and Supplies Minister, Mr Ajay Sadhotra, today left for Delhi to persuade the Centre, especially the Union Minister for Food, Mr Surjit Singh Barnala, to continue credit facility for procuring wheat and rice from the FCI.

Since yesterday the FCI has stopped supplying foodgrains to Jammu and Kashmir on credit after it demanded that the state should first clear the arrears amounting to over Rs 142 crore. Though the foodgrain stocks in the remote rural areas are expected to last till June, the situation in the urban areas is said to be grim because the stocks of wheat and rice may not last for more than 45 days.

The state government reimbursed to the FCI Rs 25 crore but the corporation refused to supply wheat and rice till the remaining amount of Rs 117 crore were paid. The state government has conveyed to the Centre that the state had to clear the arrears of only Rs 90 crore because more than Rs 15 crore were in dispute over the hike in rates and over the central subsidy.

Mr Sadhotra is hopeful that Mr Barnala would help the state government as he had done in the past. "I am sure the Centre will not allow people of this sensitive border state to starve," he said while leaving for Delhi.

The state government officials are of the view that since Jammu and Kashmir state was faced with an unprecedented cash crises it was not possible for it to clear the arrears in one go. The Government has already assured the FCI that the arrears would be cleared in instalments and Mr Sadhotra is said to have already briefed the Chief Minister, Dr Farooq Abdullah, who is in Delhi for the past three days trying to prevail upon the Prime Minister and the Union Finance Minister to release additional financial package for the state.

Reports said that besides Mr Sadhotra the Chief Minister will also discuss the food crisis that may hit the state if the FCI refused to extend the credit facility. Government sources said that a demand had been made to the Centre to place at the disposal of the FCI a revolving fund of Rs 320 crore so that it could supply wheat and rice to cash starved states on credit. However, this demand has been rejected by the Centre and hence the FCI, which too is faced with financial crisis, has stopped extending credit facility to Jammu and Kashmir state.

The state authorities procure wheat and rice from the FCI for Rs 20 to Rs 25 crore a month. The state has to bank on heavy imports because of three factors. First, during the past eight years the pilgrim traffic to the shrine of Mata Vaishno Devi has registered a phenomenal increase and the annual traffic has touched 40 lakh. This calls for bigger availability of foodgrains in Jammu. In addition to this the annual pilgrimage to Amarnath also has registered increase and last year more than 1.50 lakh pilgrims visited the holy cave thereby increasing dependence on imports.

Secondly, rise of militancy had warranted deployment of additional companies of Army and paramilitary forces which called for bigger supply to security agencies for feeding the security personnel.

Thirdly, the increase in production of wheat and rice has not kept pace with the increase in the population and demand. The problem has been compounded by usual losses to the standing wheat and rice crops either owing to floods or on account of drought.

The state government has cautioned the Centre that in case the problems relating to cash crisis, foodgrains shortage and shortage in electricity continued it could have adverse impact on the state administration's plan of restoring peace and normalcy in the state. One senior government officer quoted an old saying "hunger is the source of anarchy" and appealed to the Centre to treat Jammu and Kashmir a special state requiring special economic package.

Five of family shot dead by militants
Tribune News Service

SRINAGAR, April 2 — At least 13 persons have been killed and four others injured in separate incidents of militancy in Jammu and Kashmir since yesterday, while the security forces recovered a large quantity of arms and ammunition in search operations.

The police said militants killed five of a family, all of them women, at Harimohr in the Surankote area of Rajouri district today. The militants intruded into the house of Zaman Shah early this morning and shot dead his wife, Barkat Bibi and his three daughters. A child was also killed in the attack by the militants. The police has registered a case.

A delayed report from Doda said militants shot dead three members of a family at Kilhar village in the Kishtwar area of Doda district on Wednesday. They have been identified as Mohammad Akbar, his wife Gulshan Begum and their son, Aziz Hussain.

The police today recovered the dead body of Ram Lal of Kerni Ludhna from Badargawari Gundna in Doda district. He had been kidnapped by militants on February 16.

In the Kashmir valley, four persons, including two militants were killed in separate incidents in Srinagar, Pulwama, Anantnag and Kupwara districts. Fayaz Ahmad Bhat, a militant of Zainapora, Shopian was killed in an encounter with the special operations group (SOG) of the J & K police at Saidpora Harwan here the last night. One SOG personnel was also injured in the incident. The police recovered an AK rifle, three magazines and 38 rounds of ammunition from the site of the encounter.

Bashir Ahmed of the Hizbul Mujahideen, was killed in an encounter with the security forces at Rajpora in Pulwama district. The police said a patrol party was fired at by militants from the house of Mohammad Yousuf Mir.

The house of Mohammad Yousuf Mir, in which the militants were hiding, was gutted in the exchange of fire. One AK rifle, a magazine and a pouch were recovered from the site of the encounter.

Abdul Ahad Mir of Targund village in the Qazigund area of Anantnag district of south Kashmir was killed after he was left in an injured condition by the militants, this morning. Mir was kidnapped by militants last night and was set free later in an injured condition. He was admitted to a hospital by his family members where he died.

Militants shot dead Nooruddin Gujri in his house at Kandi Handwara in north Kashmir district of Kupwara last night. His daughter, Roshni was injured in the attack, after the militants intruded into their house and dragged the house owner.

Unidentified militants shot at and injured Munshi Ghulam Mohammad at Umar Colony here last evening. He was hospitalised and is stated to be out of danger.

Tragedy averted on J&K highway

JAMMU, April 2 (PTI) — The security forces today averted a major tragedy on the Jammu and Kashmir national highway at Banihal, about 186 km from here, by destroying a powerful improvised explosive device (IED), a defence statement said.

The IED, containing about 3 kg of explosives, was powerful enough to blow up a heavy vehicle, said the statement issued from Northern Command headquarters at Udhampur.

A road opening party led by Major RB Upadyaya, on its routine road clearance, detected a patch of mud on the broken area of the Tarmacked Road.

On suspecting foul play, the team put mine detector and sniffer dogs into action which confirmed the presence of the explosive material, it said.

The area was later cordoned off and an explosive handling squad was pressed into action which finally destroyed the IED.