J A M M U   &   K A S H M I R

A Para military official wields a pistol as he orders a Kashmiri woman to go no further after a rocket attack on Friday. Three civilians including a child were wounded when a rocket fired by unidentified militants exploded near a residential house of Maisuma in the heart of Srinagar. — AFP photo

Political leaders prefer NCP fold
JAMMU, May 19 — The state unit of the Nationalist Congress Party has enrolled a large number of intellectuals and political leaders from different parties and ethnic groups in the organisation.

DG, Youth Services, transferred
SRINAGAR, May 19 (PTI) — The Jammu and Kashmir Government today transferred the Director-General of Youth Services in a minor reshuffle, an official spokesman said here.

Political leaders prefer NCP fold
Tribune News Service

JAMMU, May 19 — The state unit of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) has enrolled a large number of intellectuals and political leaders from different parties and ethnic groups in the organisation.

At a meeting of the NCP here today, which was presided over by the party president, Mr Randhir Singh, over 20 prominent intellectuals and political activists belonging to the Congress and other parties were admitted into the organisation. Those who joined the NCP said they did so because the Congress was under the threat of “total liquidation”. They said the National Conference had lost its mass support and the BJP had “dug its grave by its follies.”

Addressing the meeting Mr Randhir Singh blamed the NDA government at the Centre and the ruling National Conference for what he called “nourishing” militancy for their vested interests. He said the state and the central government did hardly anything to contain the activities of the Pakistan-trained militants, with the result during the past three years of the National Conference rule the security situation in the state had deteriorated.

The NCP pledged to focus on the problems of the people and claimed that within a short time it would replace the Congress in Jammu and Kashmir. Several NCP members accused the Congress of ignoring the Gujjars and said it was shocking that Mr Mohammed Aslam was replaced by Mr Mohammed Shafi Qureshi as the PCC president. The NCP leaders were of the view that change in the PCC presidentship would ultimately help the NCP to enroll more senior Congress and NC leaders in the organisation headed by Mr Sharad Pawar.

DG, Youth Services, transferred

SRINAGAR, May 19 (PTI) — The Jammu and Kashmir Government today transferred the Director-General of Youth Services in a minor reshuffle, an official spokesman said here.

Mr A.K. Suri, a senior IPS officer, who was functioning as Director-General of Youth and Sports, replaced Mr Rajinder Tickoo, who had been posted as Additional Director-General and Commissioner of Vigilance, the spokesman said.

Mr S.S. Kapur, an IAS officer, presently Commissioner of Vigilance, had been transferred and posted as Director-General of Youth Services and Sports, the spokesman said.