J & K to go on website: Minister
JAMMU, Feb 24 — The Department of Information plans to go on website to counter the disinformation campaign launched by the Pakistani print and electronic media.

Three hardcore militants killed
JAMMU, Feb 24 — Three hardcore militants belonging to the Lashkar-e-Toiba were killed in an encounter with security forces in Chaklas, 7 km from Mohar, in Udhampur district today.

J & K to go on website: Minister
Tribune News Service

JAMMU, Feb 24 — The Department of Information plans to go on website to counter the disinformation campaign launched by the Pakistani print and electronic media.

During question hour in the state assembly here today, the minister of the department, Mr Ajat Shatru Singh, said that the department was keen to keep pace with new technology. Fax machines would be installed at the district headquarters and material would be sent to newsmen, news agencies and electronic media through these machines.

He told Mr Sadiq Ali of the National Conference and others that the government planned to have Internet connectivity and be on the website to disseminate information the world over.

When a BJP member, Mr Ashok Khajuria, was not satisfied with the answer to his question as to what action the government had taken against anti-national newspapers, he staged a walkout.

The Minister for Forests, Mr Mohammad Ramzan, informed Mr Mushtaq Ahmed Kuchey, Mr Mohammad Shafi Bhat of the National Conference and Mr Shiv Charan Gupta of the BJP that adequate timber was being made available at the depots. He said that in Pampore constituency, 42890 Cft timber had been supplied to different depots during 1997-98 and 8040 Cft till December, 1988.

The minister informed the House that the Parimpora depot in Srinagar had been closed because people would misuse the subsidy granted on the sale of timber.

The Minister for Transport, Mr Bashir Ahmed Kichloo, informed Mr Saifullah of the National Conference that between 1995 and 1997, 200 new buses were purchased by the state road transport corporation. He admitted that the number of buses on several routes had been reduced because of a cut in the total fleet of the buses.

Till then, private transporters would be given permits to ply buses on routes which have an inadequate number of passenger buses. In reply to a question, Mr Ramzan said that the Transport Commissioner would be directed to take action against those transporters who had not started bus services on routes for which permits had been given to them.

In reply to another question, the minister said that the corporation had sufferd a net loss of Rs 35.22 crore during the previous financial year. He said the corporation had 690 buses and 641 trucks and against this 5700 were working in the corporation, whose monthly wage bill had touched Rs 3.15 crore.

Several BJP members wanted to know why the corporation was allowed to function when its yearly losses run into several crores. Unsatisfied with the reply of the minister, all BJP members, led by their leader, Mr Shiv Charan Gupta, staged a walkout from the House. They, however, returned to the House within minutes.

The Chief Minister, Dr Farooq Abdullah, informed the House that one Chief Inspector (Inspections) and six other officials had been arrested after the raiding party had seized over Rs 62,000 and incriminating documents from two places in Srinagar. Challans against them had been filed before the Special Judge (Anti-Corruption).

Three hardcore militants killed
Tribune News Service

JAMMU, Feb 24 — Three hardcore militants belonging to the Lashkar-e-Toiba were killed in an encounter with security forces in Chaklas, 7 km from Mohar, in Udhampur district today.

Offical sources said security personnel who cordoned off a militant hideout came under a heavy fire. They returned the fire and in the ensuing encounter three militants were killed. Three assault rifles and ammunition and explosives were recovered from the scene of the encounter.

Sources said the militants were involved in the killing of two civilians in Mohar tehsil three days ago and had also planned the killing of nine persons in Briyana in Udhampur district.

Meanwhile in a joint operation by the Army and the Special Operations Group of the police, Abdul Qayoom was arrested at Mora in the Kandi belt of Rajouri along with a hand grenade. The police recovered a letter written by the "district commander" on the outfit's letterhead who had assigned him the task of killing SP (Operations) in Kandi.

In another incident, three civilians and three Army personnel were injured in an IED blast. They were admitted to hospital.