BJP leader hits out at Farooq
JAMMU Sept 19 — Lashing out at the Farooq Abdullah-led National Conference government, the BJP' leader and former MP, Mr Vaid Vishnu Dutt has demanded that a Central team of officials should immediately visit the over 50,000 displaced persons from the Line of Control and international border in the Jammu region who are now languishing in camps at Akhnoor, Devipur and various other places since June in the wake of heavy mortar fire from across the border.

• Shelling by Pak troops

6 militants among 9 killed in J&K

SRINAGAR, Sept 19 (PTI) — A dreaded militant of the Hizbul Mujahideen and five other ultras were among nine persons killed in Jammu and Kashmir, official sources said here today.

Border Security Force (BSF) troops, during a "seek and destroy" operation in the Hauli area of Rajouri were ambushed by ultras and in the ensuing encounter, Nasib Mohmmad, alias Fauji, codenamed Osama, a self-styled deputy district commander of Hizbul Mujahideen, was killed, the sources said.

A report from Poonch said two members of a group of infiltrators, who crossed over to the Indian side from Pakistan in the Balakote area last night, were killed by security forces at Behramgala after a four-hour long gunbattle.

Two other militants were killed in the Mogah Morh area, near the Behramgala area, by the troops, who chased the fleeing militants from Balakote. An Army jawan was also killed in the fight.

In another encounter, a security jawan was killed by the militants at Mughal Mode in the Bufliaz area of Poonch district in Jammu last night, the sources said.

An unidentified militant was also killed in an encounter with security forces at Kand-Kot Ranka in the same district last night. An AK rifle, four magazines, two grenades and a wireless set were recovered from him.

In Doda district, the militants kidnapped a person and later killed him. His body was found in a forest area near Thatri last night, they said.

Three militants, including a self-styled financial chief of the Hizbul Mujahideen, were arrested from the Badgam area of central Kashmir last night, the sources said.

The militants were identified as Khurshid Ahmad Rather (Financial Chief) Shabir Ahmad Rather and Mushtaq Ahmad Khan, they said, adding that a rocket, four medium machine gun belts and some other ammunition was seized from them.

Security forces also smashed a militant hideout during search operations at Bander forest in the frontier district of Kupwara and seized eight rockets with boosters and two grenades from them, the sources said.

Meanwhile, a policeman was wounded in a militant ambush at Chandirigam in Anantnag district of south Kashmir today.

The militants also exploded a powerful grenade at Sumbal main market in Baramula district of north Kashmir today, injuring Bilai Ahmad Bhat, a shopkeeper, the sources said.

In another incident, the militants attacked a security camp with sophisticated weapons at Dangiwacha in Baramula district last night. The security forces, in retaliation, opened fire and the shootout lasted for nearly an hour. No one was injured in the incident.

Generating power amid shelling
By Balkrishan Prashar

CONSTRUCTION of hydroelectric projects incorporates many challenges against nature, but constructing a hydroelectric project in the Kashmir valley, that too right on the border with Pakistan, adds further to such challenges.

The 480MW Uri hydroelectric project is one such project which has been constructed by the National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC) in Uri sector. During the recent Kargil turmoil, the project has faced shelling from across the Line of Control (LoC) that continued generating power even during such a situation.

The hydroelectric proeject is situated on the Jhelum in Uri tehsil of Baramula district of Jammu and Kashmir. The prestigious project is on the Srinagar-Uri national highway, 380 km away from the nearest railhead at Jammu Tawi and 90 km away from Srinagar domestic airport. The project utilises the gross water head of 254.8 metre with installed capacity of 480-MW (4X120MW) under stage-I with a provision to instal an identical capacity under the stage-II when the additional regulated water becomes available with the construction of the Wuller Barrage and Kishen Ganga hydel project.

The project comprises 21.5 m-high and 95 m-long barrage with six radial spillway gates and three radial under sluice gates. The underground power house contains four generating units of 120 MW each.

The construction was commenced on a turnkey basis in November, 1989, with the completion period of six years.

The NHPC signed an agreement with the Swedish British Consortium in October, 1989. While the project was started, militancy in the Kashmir valley was on the rise and throughout its construction period, the project witnessed turmoil in the form of militancy, including the kidnapping of two Swedish engineers on March 30, 1991. This delayed the progress of the project by almost 18 months.

Despite the odds, progress on all fronts was achieved and commissioned in May, 1997.

Most modern construction techniques, including steel fibre shocreting, hydroelectric slip-form shutters and latest type of scaffolding have been used on inclined surfaces of barrage, tunnels and shafts. Use of cable anchors for reinforcement of power house wall and raise borer/raise climbers for shafts are another examples of adoption of the latest techniques. About 4000 personnel, worked on this project round-the-clock to complete it.

According to Mr V.K. Kanjalia, General Manager of Uri project, power generated is being transmitted through a 93 km-long 400 KV double circuit transmission line from Uri to Wazoora (near Srinagar), through 220 KV double circuit transmission line from Wazoora to Pampore and further Pampore to Kishanpur (near Udhampur). The annual generating capacity of this project is 2,663 million units (MUs) power is distributed to beneficiaries, i.e. Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Chandigarh. The project has so far generated over 6,500 MV in 2 years of operation.

The construction of the Uri project has improved socio-economic conditions of the local populace, besides improving the power situation in the northern region in general and Kashmir valley in particular. The overall development of the Kashmir valley as well as the entire state of Jammu and Kashmir has also been affected.

Morever, the project has drawn a contingency plan to shift the families of employees to the old colony at Gantamula, besides adequate ration has been stored at power house and the barrage for officers and staff. This is because of its location near the border.

Schemes for drought-hit
From Kavita Bhargava

SRINAGAR: Following a long dry spell in the Kashmir valley a meeting of the state-level Natural Calamity Relief Fund Committee was held. It suggested to the Finance Department to release Rs 20 crore to the Agriculture and Rural Development Department for launching employment generation schemes in the drought-hit areas. Of this, Rs 10 crore would be provided out of the Natural Calamity Relief Fund and another Rs 10 crore from rural development schemes. The Chief Secretary, Mr Ashok Jaitley, who chaired the meeting, asked the officers concerned to prepare a memorandum for the Government of India on the extent of damage to the crops.

The State government has strongly pleaded with the Union Government to enhance the monthly allocation of IR-8 rice quota for the state from 32,000 quintals to 40,000 metric tonnes. The Food and Supplies Minister, Mr Ajay Sadotra, also pleaded for building a buffer stock of foodgrains for remote areas like Tangdhar, Gurez, Marwah and Dachhan, which remain cut off during the winter.

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The Centre has approved Rs 294 crore for the conservation of the Dal Lake, which includes catchment area treatment, desilting and deweeding and peripheral sewerage treatment. This project envisages a Rs 194 crore rehabilitation programme for 6000 persons who would be displaced from the lake area.

The Housing and Development Minister, Maulvi Iftikhar Ansari, who recently visited some parts of Dal and Nageen lakes has issued directions against growing lilies in the lake area. The Srinagar Municipal Corporation has not shown sufficient enthusiasm to remove encroachments on the western shore of the lake. The cleaning of the Anchar Lake has yet to pick up.

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In view of the increased tourist rush to the valley a millennium week would be celebrated from December 24,1999, to January 3,2000. The week has been titled — "Begin the millennium on the auspicious note". Two major shrines — the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi in Jammu and the Baba Rishi near Gulmarg in Kashmir — are expected to receive a large number of visitors during the week. Giving this information, Mr Parvez Dewan, Secretary, Tourism, said a family from Calcutta was the first to reserve accommodation in Srinagar, Gulmarg and Pahalgam for the week. The J & K State Tourism Development Corporation (JKTDC) has started receiving requests for reservations at Pahalgam, a resort which normally remains closed during the winter.

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Following complaints by students of Sainik School Manasbal, the School Education Minister, Mr Mohammad Sharief Tariq, visited the school along with the Commissioner-Secretary Education, Mr P.L. Raina. The Minister directed the principal to improve the management of the school. He has also directed him to make appointments for vacant posts.

Submit report on refugees: NHRC
From Our Correspondent

JAMMU, Sept 19 — The National Human Rights Commission had directed the Union Home Ministry to submit its report regarding the measures for the final rehabilitation of the refugees of 1947 and non-camp refugees from the Chhamb sector in Jammu and Kashmir latest by October 31 this year. The commission has taken up the case on a complaint filed by the Jammu and Kashmir Sharnarthi Action Committee in 1994 and the complaints of the People's Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) which were filed in 1997.

The NHRC at its meeting held on August 12, 1998, which was attended by the representatives of the Union Home Ministry, the Chief Secretary of the state and Mr Balraj Puri, PUCL convener in the state had rejected the plea of the government that those refugees from Chhamb who did not stay at the refugee camps were not entitled to rehabilitation benefits and directed the government to announce rehabilitation package for them within three months.

The NHRC court, expressed displeasure over the delay by the Home Ministry to submit its proposal within the fixed time period and being insensitive to the humanitarian problems of the refugees.

BJP leader hits out at Farooq
From Our Correspondent

JAMMU Sept 19 — Lashing out at the Farooq Abdullah-led National Conference government, the BJP' leader and former MP, Mr Vaid Vishnu Dutt has demanded that a Central team of officials should immediately visit the over 50,000 displaced persons from the Line of Control (LoC) and international border in the Jammu region who are now languishing in camps at Akhnoor, Devipur and various other places since June in the wake of heavy mortar fire from across the border.

Talking to mediapersons, Mr Dutt said since May, 1999,over one lakh people had migrated to safer places from along the LoC to protect their lives.

He said these people, a majority of whom were agriculturists had not been able to plough their land and their cattle had been killed in the firing.

Many migrant families were virtually starving and had no roof above their heads, Mr Dutt said.

Accusing the state government of having adopted a negative attitude towards these migrants, he said the Centre had sent Rs 2 crore for the migrants, but the state government had only spent Rs 57 lakh. He said the central team should supervise relief operations.

Meanwhile, over 40,000 Parllanwalla migrants, who had given a deadline till the 18th of this month, have granted a few more days to the government to solve their problems failing which they would hold large-scale demonstrations at Akhnoor and later would launch "Jammu chalo" agitation.

Shelling by Pak troops

KARNAH (Kashmir), Sept 19 (PTI) — Pakistani troops shelled border villages falling near the Line of Control here in the Baramula parliamentary constituency throughout the night, forcing panic-stricken villagers to rush out of their homes, official sources said.