Stage set for durbar move
SRINAGAR, May 2 — Security is being beefed in connection with the reopening of civil secretariat and other state government offices for summer months here from next week. The summer capital is also getting a face-lift and all roads leading to the civil secretariat have been repaired and renovated during the recent weeks for the arrival of the top brass from Jammu.

Stage set for durbar move
Tribune News Service

SRINAGAR, May 2 — Security is being beefed in connection with the reopening of civil secretariat and other state government offices for summer months here from next week. The summer capital is also getting a face-lift and all roads leading to the civil secretariat have been repaired and renovated during the recent weeks for the arrival of the top brass from Jammu.

The civil secretariat, housing offices of the Chief Minister, his ministerial colleagues and senior government functionaries, was closed earlier this week in Jammu, the winter capital of Jammu and Kashmir. These offices will reopen here on May 10 for the summer.

In order to ensure smooth functioning of these offices and to provide security to the ministers and over 15,000 staff members, the security agencies have been alerted. "The entire city and its suburbs are being sanitised. Targeted operations against known militants have also been intensified", a senior police officer told TNS. He added that all arrangements were being made to dissuade the militants from disturbing the security atmosphere. " The militants do not have the striking power" in the city and all their designs will be frustrated", he said.

The police is taking extra precaution to avoid any untoward incident like IED (improvised explosive device) explosions at crowded places in the city. A number of such explosions have take place during the past three years, particularly in the Civil Lines area of the city. At least a dozen pedestrians were killed and scores of others injured in an IED explosion in early October 1995 at the Residency Road here. In another similar explosion half a dozen civilians and security personnel were killed and several others were injured in a car bomb explosion on October 31,1997, the last working day of the civil secretariat in Srinagar. The police recently averted a major tragedy by timely detection and defusing of over 23 kg of IED planted in two unidentical LPG cylinders left in an auto-rickshaw at the Residency Road here.

The police and security agencies also suspect the killing of "soft targets" by militants in the coming months. "The militants keep on holding such threats to the employees, tourists and even the Amarnath pilgrims ..... but all their attempts have been frustrated", the police officer said. He added that such threats were only to put psychological pressure on the people.

Paramilitary forces have already started checking passengers in the transport buses plying in different areas of the city. Most of the vehicles plying in the Civil Lines area around civil secretariat are being subjected to security checks. More police and paramilitary forces have been deployed in the city to provide adequate security cover to the civil secretariat employees.

Most of the employees working in the civil secretariat, who belong to Kashmir valley have already arrived here. Those belonging to Jammu and Ladakh region however are yet to arrive. The employees will arrive here by Sunday next as the summer session will begin from Monday next.

Various state government agencies have also been geared up to provide all facilities to the employees here. The facilities, include accommodation and transportation. The employees belonging to Jammu region and Kashmiri pandits have been accommodated in various apartments and in private hotels and guest houses at many places here. The Estate Department of the state government is undergoing a crucial drill of accommodating most of the employees at various places in the city for the next few months.

A fighter goes down fighting
Tribune News Service

SRINAGAR, May 2 — Displaying exemplary initiative and tremendous sense of urgency, Major Viney Chaudhary laid down his life while fighting militants near Pulwama in south Kashmir on Thursday last.

Born on February 18, 1968, at Jind in Haryana, Viney Chaudhary, son of Prof Zile Singh graduated from Government College, Jind. He was commissioned from IMA Dehardun on December 15, 1990 and joined 13 Punjab Battalion on January 23, 1991.

Major Viney killed three hardcore militants at Takya Wagun hamlet near Pulwama on Thursday before he was shot by the militants and later succumbed to his injuries while being shifted to the 92 Base Hospital here. Those killed by him included Moradbhai, alias Major Abdullah, a "Divisional commander" of Pir Panchal range of Hizbul Mujahideen outfit. Moradbhai, was one of the top 26 militant leaders. Others shot dead by Major Chaudhary, included Shabir Ahmad Rishi, and Abdul Hafiz Sofi, both company commanders of Hizbul Mujahideen. Three AK rifles, seven AK magazines, 45 rounds of ammunition and two radio sets were recovered from the site of the encounter.

In spite of his permanent low medical category and restriction on his employment in insurgency area, he gave in writing to the Army Headquarters to serve voluntarily with the battalion. To begin with and in keeping with his nature and past experience, Major Chaudhary quickly established an excellent intelligence network which led him to get hard intelligence about the militants. Based on his information, it was the first operation of the battalion when Major Chaudhary laid an ambush near Jandwal village and killed an IED expert and high ranking militant Mohammad Iqbal Sheikh, alias Munna, Pak-trained Hizbul Mujahideen battalion commander.

With his high risk profession, the officer continued stepping forward with total disregard to his life, which includes operation Jindwal, Ahgam and Gosu. His name was recommended twice for gallantry awards.

Based on spot information provided by his source on Thursday last, he led his column to establish a tight inner cordon around a cluster of houses at Takya Wagum at about 3 p.m. Contact was established after 15 minutes when the militants opened fire from the house. At 3.35 p.m. the officer spotted one militant, who was bringing down heavy fire on the inner cordon. Displaying excellent marksmanship, the Major shot down the first militant. In the ensuing exchange of fire, the officer crawled to a position of advantage under own covering fire and shot dead the second militant. At about 4.15 p.m. while firing, he was hit by a bullet in right thigh. Undaunted by his grave injury and loss of blood and sensing the threat to his men he charged towards the house and shot dead the third militant at point blank range.

The officer was given medical aid at the site and was immediately shifted to Srinagar. But he breathed his last at 5.10 p.m. minutes before reaching the hospital. His wife and four year old son had arrived here only five days ago for summer vacation in the valley.