J A M M U   &   K A S H M I R

Walkout in J&K House
JAMMU, March 30 — Congress members today staged a walkout from the state assembly in protest against the ‘failure’ of the Government to rehabilitate several thousand families that had migrated from the border villages of Pallanwala and Chamb sectors owing to heavy Pakistan firing.

Forces repulse attack on Army camp
SRINAGAR, March 30 — The security forces killed two militants and recovered a huge cache of arms and ammunition while militants shot at and injured two persons and attacked an Army camp in the valley in the past 24 hours.

Walkout in J&K House
Tribune News Service

JAMMU, March 30 — Congress members today staged a walkout from the state assembly in protest against the ‘failure’ of the Government to rehabilitate several thousand families that had migrated from the border villages of Pallanwala and Chamb sectors owing to heavy Pakistan firing.

The Congress members insisted that the government make a statement indicating whether there was any plan to rehabilitate these refugees. As the Treasury Benches remained silent on the issue, the Congress members, barring Mr Ashok Sharma, walked out of the House.

Later, a big procession of these refugees was organised by the Pradesh Congress Committee. Mr Tara Chand, leader of the Congress Legislature Party, led the procession to Raj Bhawan, where hundreds of Congress workers and refugees staged a dharna. The protesters shouted slogans against the Chief Minister, Dr Farooq Abdullah.

Mr Prem Lal of the BJP staged a walkout when the Speaker did not permit him to raise supplementaries during the question hour.

Several members belonging to the National Conference and the CPM raised the issue of custodial killings in Kashmir. Mr M.Y. Tarigami of the CPM, Mr Mohd Syed Akhoon and Mr Syed Abdul Rashid of the National Conference spoke about five youths who have been missing in Anantnag. They wanted to know whether these youths had been killed or were in the custody of the security forces.

Mr Tarigami referred to peoples’ protest march in Anantnag over the reported killing of five militants who were allegedly involved in the Chatti Singhpora massacre. He wanted to know that if those killed were militants why did the people register their protest.

At this stage, the Chief Minister informed the House that he had sent the Director-General of Police, Mr Gurbachan Jagat, and the Additional Director-General, Intelligence, Mr R. Tikoo, to Anantnag to investigate the incident. He assured the members that he would make a statement in the House on the issue tomorrow.

The state government admitted on the floor of the House that the state was facing “acute cash crunch”. In reply to a question tabled by Mr Sadiq Ali, Mr Khalid Najeeb Sohrawardhy of the National Conference and Mr Bali Bhagat of the BJP, the Finance Minister, Mr Abdul Rahim Rather, said that the acute financial problem was the result of the fact that the tax and non-tax revenue did not keep pace with increase in expenditure, mainly on the salaries of the employees and maintenance.

He said that refusal of the Centre to give a retrospective effect to 90 per cent grant and 10 per cent loan formula and non-reimbursement of security-related expenses in full had aggravated the cash crunch.

Mr Rather said that the Centre did not approve several items, including salary to the migrant employees and financial assistance to the public sector undertakings, and this increased expenditure on implementing the Fifth Pay Commission report, having an impact of more than Rs 550 crore a year. Besides, payment of arrears had added to the fiscal problems in the state.

The Finance Minister said that the state government had neither indulged in financial mismanagement nor violated rules. He said that during the past three years the state had received from the Centre Rs 3610.98 crore as grant, Rs 382.10 crore as loan in 1997-98, Rs 3669.13 crore as grant and Rs 434.08 crore as loan during 1998-99, and Rs 3590.85 crore as grant and Rs 398.70 crore as loan during the current financial year.

The BJP member, Mr Shiv Charan Gupta, ridiculed the National Conference Government, saying that on the one hand it goes to the Centre with a begging bowl and on the other hand, it continued to criticise the Central Government for releasing limited funds.

Forces repulse attack on Army camp

SRINAGAR, March 30 (UNI) — The security forces killed two militants and recovered a huge cache of arms and ammunition while militants shot at and injured two persons and attacked an Army camp in the valley in the past 24 hours.

An official spokesman said militants attacked an Army camp at Wawoora in Kupwara district with automatic weapons late last night. The security forces retaliated and the exchange continued for several hours. However, there were no reports of any casualities, he said and added that the militants escaped.

The security forces killed two militants in an encounter at Varyana village last evening. Three AK rifles, 19 magazines, 1100 rounds, 20 grenades and three wireless sets were seized.

He said the militants shot at and wounded Nazir Ahmad Mir at Beerwah while Mohammad Maqbool Rather was injured at Tangmarg last evening. The injured were hospitalised.

He said the security forces arrested a militant and recovered 5 kg of RDX at Badampora in Srinagar while the forces recovered two pistols, 11 grenades, a remote control device, two mines, one detonator and 700 rounds of ammunition in Baramula last evening.