State treasuries to be computerised in phased manner
JAMMU, Feb 10 — The taxation system and government treasuries will be computerised in the state in a phased manner. This was stated at a meeting of the committee of secretaries held under the chairmanship of the chief secretary, Mr Ashok Jaitly, here today.

Jammu region given "raw deal" on power supply
From M.L. Kak
Tribune News Service

JAMMU, Feb 10 — On the one hand, the state government has increased the duration of electricity load shedding (on an average consumer get power for four hours a day while on the other, a major drive has been launched for recovery of the power tariff and its arrears.

A cross-section of power consumers, including industrialists, interviewed said that people in the Jammu region were being given a raw deal on two fronts. First, out of over 590 mws fed to the distribution system, 60 per cent was made available to the Kashmir valley and 40 per cent to the Jammu region.

Second, the government's drive for recovery of power tariff arrears in the Kashmir valley during the past two years had yielded results poorer than in the Jammu region. In Jammu last year Rs 50 crore were recovered as power tariff arrears against not more than Rs 15 crore from Kashmir, of which 60 per cent share was from the government sector.

Those interviewed by TNS said the government had hiked the power tariff by about 47 per cent without ensuring adequate power supply to consumers. A section of consumers said those who paid under the flat rate system were the worst sufferers. Prolonged load shedding should have been accompanied by some in flat rate. But this had not been done.

The state government has a different tale to tell. According to official sources, during 1990-1996 power tariff arrears in the state, especially in the valley, was not recovered. The arrears piled up to over Rs 400 crore. The state, which remained under Central rule for six years, continued to draw power from the Northern Grid. The expenditure on power purchase exceeded the budgetary allocation. The overall result has been that the state government owes Rs 500 crore to the Northern Grid. Since the state government is faced with an acute cash crunch, it had resorted to heavy load shedding to enable it to sell power to the Northern Grid and, thereby, reduce the size of the arrears.

At a recent meeting of senior government functionaries, which was presided over by the Chief Secretary, Mr Ashok Jaitly, it was decided to resort to heavy load shedding to avoid incurring expenses on power purchase beyond the budgetary allocation.

3 militants, jawan killed in valley

SRINAGAR, Feb 10 (PTI) — A prominent Congress leader escaped an attempt on his life while three militants and a jawan were killed since last evening in Kashmir valley, an official spokesman said here today.

Unidentified militants, armed with sophisticated weapons, entered the house of Pulwama District Congress president, Mohammad Anwar Bhat, at Kakpora last night and fired on the inmates.

Security guards retaliated by firing, forcing the militants to flee, but no loss of life was reported in the incident, the spokesman said.

Two militants and a jawan were killed in an encounter with security forces at Dharona-Badasgam village in Anantnag district last evening, he said.

Another militant of the Hizbul Mujahideen outfit was killed when security forces returned fire after being attacked during security checks at Kushipora village in Anantang yesterday, he said.

Security forces seized an RPG rocket with one booster, a remote control device, a silencer and some ammunition during search operations at Wopazwan village in frontier district of Kupwara, he added.

State treasuries to be computerised
in phased manner
From Our Correspondent

JAMMU, Feb 10 — The taxation system and government treasuries will be computerised in the state in a phased manner. This was stated at a meeting of the committee of secretaries held under the chairmanship of the chief secretary, Mr Ashok Jaitly, here today.

He said the computerisation of 21 treasuries was already in progress and similar exercise would be started for other treasuries gradually.

The Geographical Information System (GIS) will also be introduced in two districts of the state, one each in Jammu region and Kashmir valley. The scheme will be extended later, to other districts also. The financial commissioner, Agriculture and Rural Development, will coordinate the programme.

The meeting decided that payrolls and personnel data base of the government employees will also be computerised within the next six months. The format for it will be standardised soon.

The electoral rolls will also be computerised in Jammu and Kashmir. A project estimated to cost Rs 2 crore is being prepared for the purpose. The Centre would provide 50 per cent of the funds required for the project.

J&K panchayat poll soon
From Our Correspondent

JAMMU, Feb 10 — The Social Welfare and Labour Minister, Mian Altaf Ahmad, has said that the authority to settle and redress local problems is being entrusted to panchayats after completion of the panchayat elections in the state shortly. Accordingly the people, he said should elect candidates of good reputation for ensuring speedy development of their areas.

The minister was addressing a public conference at Kasba-Bala, Naushera, in Rajouri district. He said the state government headed by Dr Farooq Abdullah was keen to restore all the democratic institutions in the state. Despite much opposition from various quarters, the government had decided to hold panchayat elections in the state after a long time.

Highlighting achievements of the government, Mian Altaf said the state government had launched development programmes for speedy development of the state. The minister said that the present government was facing many challenges and fighting on many fronts. He said fundamental forces were bent upon destabilising the state but the National Conference Government would not allow such elements to succeed in their nefarious designs.

Referring to the recent statements of some leaders, especially belonging to the Congress party, about holding talks with militants, Altaf said it was during the Congress regime that militancy first raised its ugly head in the state but Congress leaders, particularly hailing from the state never talked of a dialogue with the militants.

Severe tremors rattle Srinagar

SRINAGAR, Feb 10 (PTI) — A severe earthquake shook Srinagar and its adjoining areas last night, official sources said here today.

No loss of life or damage to property has been reported so far, the sources said.

Doors and windows of houses and buildings in the city and its surrounding areas were rattled under the impact of the tremor that took place at 11 p.m. yesterday, the sources said.

The epicentre of the earthquake was at Hindukash in the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, the sources said.