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| Sunday, March 12, 2000, Chandigarh, India  
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Fernandes
justifies defence allocation Walkout
in J&K House over prohibition 4
Lashkar militants killed in encounter Airport
security plan soon Clashes,
curfew in Rajouri Constable
shoots inspector dead |
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Fernandes justifies defence allocation LEH, March 11 (PTI) — Defence Minister George Fernandes today asked the world community not to be “alarmed” at the hike in India’s defence Budget saying “we are not going to attack anyone”. “Several countries have raised their eyebrows on the increase in our defence Budget. We are not going to attack anyone. We just want our armed forces to keep pace with modern scientific and technological developments,” he said while addressing troops at a forward post near here. He said the defence sector had remained “neglected” for the past eight years and it was imperative that the allocation was raised this time. In the backdrop of Kargil intrusions and the subsequent 50-day war, “it is absolutely necessary that we modernise our armed forces. Most of the resources allocated in the latest Budget would be spent on modernisation,” the minister stressed. The Defence Minister, who is on a two-day visit to the forward areas, could not visit some areas as scheduled today due to bad weather. Referring to the Subrahmanyam-Committee report on the Kargil conflict and its recommendations, he said many of these were already being acted upon. He said the suggestions to improve the security network in the Kargil sector had also been taken note of and some of them were under implementation. The creation of a separate corps of the Army to permanently man this sector — 14 Corps — was also suggested after the Kargil war, the minister said. The new corps set up in September last year has been made responsible for the Leh. Kargil, Drass and Siachen areas. The Defence Minister is
scheduled to visit some more forward areas tomorrow. |
Walkout in J&K House over
prohibition JAMMU, March 11 — Members belonging to the BJP, the BSP and the Congress today staged a walkout from the Assembly in protest against the state government's failure to impose prohibition and against giving fresh licences for sale and manufacture of liquor in the Jammu region. The question was raised by Mr Hans Raj Dogra of the BJP and the moment Finance Minister Abdul Rather told the House that fresh licences had been given only in the Jammu region because there were not applicants from the Kashmir valley, opposition members were on their feet alleging that under a conspiracy the state government wanted people to get liquor addicted in Jammu only. Mr Rather explained that imposition of prohibition in isolation was not a successful experiment as had been the case in several states where consumption of liquor increased despite prohibition. He said since 1975 liquor prices and excise in the state had been subjected to annual hike and at present the prices of country liquor or Indian manufactured foreign liquor (IMFL) was the highest so that people could not afford to buy it which could lead to voluntary prohibition. Mr Shiv Charan Gupta of the BJP protested against the opening of liquor shops near temples and schools. Mr Rather assured him and Mr Lal Singh of the Congress that he would examine it and order removal of these shops. At this stage the opposition members felt dissatisfied with the minister's reply and staged a walkout. The Finance Minister dished out figures indicating that revenue from country liquor and IMFL had been on the increase since 1994. There had been no figure regarding revenue from country liquor from the Kashmir valley but as far as IMFL was concerned its revenue had increased from Rs 1275 lakh in 1994-95 to Rs 2237 lakh during 1999 and end of January 2000. In case of IMFL revenue from the Jammu region the annual figures were Rs 30.79 lakh for 1994-95 which had shot up to Rs 6630 lakh during 1999 and end of January 2000. In reply to another question, the Finance Minister informed the House that the government had to recover sales tax arrears of the tune of over Rs 463 crore. Mr Harsh Dev Singh of the Panthers Party and other opposition members protested over the failure of the government to recover these huge arrears when the state was faced with acute cash crunch. Mr Rather informed them that some recovery measures had been stalled when the defaulters got a stay from the courts. Others had been given general amnesty and they were supposed to clear the arrears in 30 instalments. The House again witnessed noisy scenes when the members registered their anger over delay in filling vacant posts of teachers which had led to the closure of several schools in the state. The question was raised by Mr R.S. Sharma of the Congress. The Education Minister, Mr Mohd Shafi, assured the House that the Services Selection Board has been asked to send the list of the selected candidates by the end of the current month. In case the list was not available alternate arrangements would be made to remove shortage of teachers. During the question House Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah intervened and assured the House that work on Bandipore-Sumbal road would be completed this year. He informed the House that legislators' constituency development fund had been released in instalments. He said that three instalments had been released and the fourth was being released shortly. Later, the House passed
the grants for the Ministry of Housing and Urban
Development. |
4 Lashkar militants killed
in encounter KATHUA, March 11 — In a major operation today a joint party of the police paramilitary forces and Army gunned down four heavily armed foreign mercenaries of the Lashkar-e-Toiba in a fierce encounter at Goran village, 26 km from here. According to DIG Jammu-Kathua Range. Dr S.P. Vaid, some villagers informed the Samba police of the four armed militants hiding in a bakerwal hut. On receiving the information Samba police SHO, Mr H.S. Gill sought the help of the Army and a joint team of the police, para-military force and army rushed the village. The information was received at about 10.05 a.m. and the forces reached there at 11.15 a.m. The hideout of the militants was identified and surrounded. The militants opened fire and the forces retaliated. In the fierce encounter that followed the ultras gave a tough fight hurling grenades and firing rockets. Col Choudhary and SHO Samba, Mr Gill had a narrow escape when two rockets passed over their heads and exploded behind them. The army finally managed to blow up the hut which caught fire. One of the militants who tried to escape was shot dead. He has been identified as Mohammad Iqbal, of Euni, a guide for foreign ultras. All the three foreign ultras were charred beyond recognition. They were buried in the village. Some arms and ammunition including three AK-47 rifles, grenades, rucksacks 12 magazines of AK rifles, knives, 200 rounds or AK-47 and a sophisticated wireless set were recovered from the site. Briefing media persons here Dr Vaid lauded the swift action of the SHO Samba and stated that today's encounter would send a clear message to the ISI. Expressing satisfaction over the well co-ordinated and well-planned operation carried out by the army and the police, he hoped that offensives against the anti-national elements in future will be executed in the same manner. Commandant K.S. Chaudhary said the ultras had probably come from Doda or Udhampur and were waiting to crossover into Pakistan. However, the police said
the ultras were on their way to Doda. |
Airport security plan soon JAMMU, March 11 — The Civil Aviation Ministry plans to take up with Defence Ministry the issue of securing the Kargil airport against frequent Pakistan shelling. This matter will be raised in the light of major damage caused to the airport during the Pakistan shelling in Kargil and Dras, last year. The Civil Aviation Ministry has formulated a Rs 100-crore plan for Civil the expansion and upgradation of Jammu, Kargil and Srinagar airports. Explaining the salient features of this upgradation scheme the Union Minister of State for Aviation, Prof Chaman Lal Gupta, said at a press conference here today that Rs 35 crore had been earmarked for the Kargil, Rs 15 crore for the Srinagar and Rs 50 crore for the Jammu airports, respectively. He said the scheme was likely to be completed within 18 months and after the upgradation scheme for the Srinagar and Jammu airports was completed these two airports might be accorded international status. He said the expansion programme was being taken in such a manner as would allow four big planes to land and take off simultaneously. Referring to the security arrangements being made at several sensitive airports in view of the hijacking of an Indian Airlines plane by the militants from Kathmandu, Prof Gupta said an elaborate plan was being formulated to ensure safety of the passengers and the planes. He said “sky marshals” would be recruited which would be trained in commando-type operations in case of any emergency. In addition to this, sensitive airports including Srinagar, Jammu, Amritsar, Ahmedabad and Jodhpur, would have a heavy security cover under which passengers, other staff of the airlines and those in charge of ground operations would be thoroughly checked before entering the plane or the airfield. He said the Civil Aviation Ministry had sent a proposal to the Union Cabinet in this connection, and if approved air travel facilities within and outside India could be enhanced through privatisation of some air routes and through the introduction of small aircraft. Referring to the
introduction of Pawan Hans helicopter services to Mata
Vaishno Devi shrine, Prof Gupta said these services would
be started within the next two months. Under the
programme daily five to six sorties would be made from
Jammu to Katra and eight to nine sorties from Katra to
Sanjichat. To and fro trip would cost Rs 5,000 per head,
he added. |
Clashes, curfew in Rajouri JAMMU, March 11 — Curfew restrictions were imposed in Rajouri today to prevent communal violence after the police opened fire in the air to disperse two groups of processionists headed for a showdown. Reports from this border town revealed that a group of youths belonging to one community took out a procession demanding security to contest the college union elections. In the meanwhile another group of youth from a different community also took out a procession through town. As the two processions approached the town centre, shopkeepers, fearing trouble, closed their business establishments. At the town centre the two groups clashed and the police fired several warning shots in the air to disperse the rival groups. According to BJP leaders, during the past several days some Hindu boys were being threatened and had been beaten up by outsiders. This matter had been brought to the notice of the district administration, but no action was taken. However, official sources said some of the boys in the first procession manhandled a couple of persons of the other community provoking a counter-procession and clashes, forcing the authorities to impose curfew restrictions. Reports said that the situation in Rajouri district had been quite delicate for some time with fundamentalists from both communities inciting people. The Deputy Commissioner and senior police officers rushed to the spot to defuse the situation which was said to be under control. Official sources said that in case there was a need to the Army would be asked to remain on stand by. Police and paramilitary forces have been directed to carry out round-the-clock patrolling to deal with mischief-mongers. The Sanatan Dharam Sabha
at an emergency meeting in the town condemned those
trying to communalise the situation and blamed the
district administration for not setting up police pickets
out side the college. It also filed a complaint against
Shafqat Ali, Sabzar Dar, Sonu Dar and Mushtaq, who they
alleged beat up some shopkeepers. |
Constable shoots inspector dead BARAMULA, March 11 (PTI) — A police officer of the Indian Reserve Police (IRP) was shot dead by a constable at Nowpora-Sopore area in Baramula district last night, police sources said today. The constable, identified as Parwaiz Ahmad, was later arrested. Ahmad shot at Inspector Harnam Singh when the latter prevented him from using his service revolver for threatening a local shopkeeper with whom the constable had a row, the sources said. Bleeding profusely,
Singh was shifted to a hospital where he succumbed to his
injuries. A case has been registered against Ahmed in the
local police station. |
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