J A M M U   &   K A S H M I R

Combing operation on Amarnath route
JAMMU, June 5 — The exercise for sanitising the 280 km Jammu-Pahalgam route against possible militant attacks during the one-month-long annual Amarnath pilgrimage has begun. The yatra will commence from July 16.

Amarnath yatra from July 13
SRINAGAR, June 5 — The annual Amarnath yatra is scheduled to commence from July 13 and conclude on August 18 this year. During this period about 3000 pilgrims are expected to arrive daily.

20 killed in bus mishap in Doda
JAMMU, June 5 — At least 20 persons were killed and 13 were injured when a bus skidded off the road and rolled down 200 feet into a gorge in Doda district today.

2 soldiers killed in Poonch
JAMMU, June 5 — Three foreign mercenaries, including a top commander of the Hizbul Mujahideen, Pir Panjal range, were killed in an encounter with the security forces at Palanagar in Poonch district of Jammu division, official sources said here today.

Panun leaders suspicious
JAMMU, June 5 — Panun Kashmir, a premier organisation of Kashmiri displaced families, is highly worried over the recent Union Home Ministry communication to the state government questioning its exercise of appointing migrant youths in various government departments when it knows that they would not join the place of posting in the Kashmir valley.

Combing operation on Amarnath route
From M.L. Kak
Tribune News Service

JAMMU, June 5 — The exercise for sanitising the 280 km Jammu-Pahalgam route against possible militant attacks during the one-month-long annual Amarnath pilgrimage has begun. The yatra will commence from July 16.

The Army besides the BSF and the police have been asked to carry out combing operations on either side of the hilly route from Jammu to Pahalgam. Columns of the Army and the security forces have been sent to clear the 40 km mountain track between Pahalgam, the base camp, and the holy cave, nestled at a height of 13,500 feet, of any IEDs and landmines which the militants may have planted in advance to disrupt the yatra.

Though no militant outfit has given a call for boycotting the yatra the government does not want to take any risk. The security forces have been directed to carry out combing operations in the 5 sq km area around the cave and make use of metal detectors and other gadgets to keep the Pahalgam-cave track free of any explosives.

From the first week of July security pickets would be set up all along the route so that not a single militant is in a position to establish hideouts for the rebels.

In fact more than 5,000 men from the Army, the BSF and the police have been selected for ensuring an incident-free yatra. In addition to this, several sensitive spots have been identified which would be provided heavy security cover. These areas include the Batote-Banihal belt on the Jammu-Srinagar highway, Qazigund to Anantnag and Pahalgam to the cave. In these belts troops would be deployed for pre-yatra combing operations. The police and the BSF personnel would be deployed for security checkup of all pilgrims.

Various state agencies have been directed to repair the Pahalgam-cave route which had been damaged owing to the winter snow. More shelter sheds are being raised for the convenience of the pilgrims during inclement weather. The state government with the help of the Army is keeping three helicopters ready for meeting any eventuality.

Most of the pilgrims would be registered in Jammu as had been the case during the past 10 years. From Jammu groups of pilgrims would be carried to Pahalgam under security cover. This drill would continue for one month. The state government expects to attract more than 1.50 lakh pilgrims. The state Finance Ministry has been approached by some philanthropists who have demanded that foodgrains for free langar should be exempted from toll tax at the Lakhanpore barrier.

Amarnath yatra from July 13
Tribune News Service

SRINAGAR, June 5 — The annual Amarnath yatra is scheduled to commence from July 13 and conclude on August 18 this year. During this period about 3000 pilgrims are expected to arrive daily.

This was stated at an officers’ meeting held in Anantnag today in connection with the yatra. The District Development Commissioner chaired the meeting which was attended by senior officers of various departments, police, Army, BSF, CRPF and representatives of various insurance companies, an official spokesman said.

It was given out that the Tourism Department will register yatris at various places across the country. The first batch of yatris is likely to arrive on July 13, 2000. A transit camp will be set up at Government Degree College for Boys, Anantnag, while a Joint Control Room will be operational at Pahalgam from middle of this month. The Animal Husbandry Department will register the ponies. About 5,000 riding and 1000 pack ponies will be available to the yatris.

It was told that repairs of the Khannabal-Pahalgam road at certain places is being carried out while the necessary repairs on the track from Chandanwari to the holy cave are in progress. The Telecommunication Department will ensure setting up of PCOs at various places en route to yatra to provide communication facilities to yatris. The sanitation in and around Pahalgam town is being improved and sites for setting up of langars by various NGOs identified.

The meeting was also told that the Tourism Department and the JKTDC will ensure adequate accommodation at Pahalgam and other places along the yatra. The Food and Supplies Department will make available adequate quantity of foodgrains, LPG and kerosene while the Forest Department will stock sufficient quantity of firewood at various halting places.

20 killed in bus mishap in Doda

JAMMU, June 5 (UNI) — At least 20 persons were killed and 13 were injured when a bus skidded off the road and rolled down 200 feet into a gorge in Doda district today.

A police spokesman said the ill-fated bus was taking a sharp turn when the driver lost control and the bus rolled down. The police has registered a case.

All senior officers of the district have rushed to the spot. The injured have been taken to the district hospital, Doda. Rescue operation was continuing.

2 soldiers killed in Poonch

JAMMU, June 5 (Agencies) — Three foreign mercenaries, including a top commander of the Hizbul Mujahideen, Pir Panjal range, were killed in an encounter with the security forces at Palanagar in Poonch district of Jammu division, official sources said here today.

On specific information, counter-insurgency forces had set up columns to track down the militants who were on the run after having fired on one of the columns at Palanagar.

One militant was killed while others managed to escape in retaliatory attack by the troops early yesterday. Later, the troops shot dead two militants and in the exchange of fire, two soldiers were also killed.

Arms and ammunition were also seized from the militants which included a pistol with a magazine and eight rounds of ammunition, three AK-47 rifles, 11 AK-magazines, 108 rounds of AK-ammunition, one radio set and a map sheet. SRINAGAR: A police constable and a foreign militant were killed in the Kashmir valley since Sunday evening.

An official spokesman said Constable Abdul Hamid who was shot at and critically wounded by militants at Dalgate on Sunday evening died in hospital on Monday morning.

Security forces killed a foreign militant, Sabir Bhai, in an encounter at Shashwari in Kupwara district on Sunday evening. One AK rifle, four magazines, 25 rounds, four grenades and five kg of RDX were seized from the slain militant.

Panun leaders suspicious
Tribune News Service

JAMMU, June 5 — Panun Kashmir, a premier organisation of Kashmiri displaced families, is highly worried over the recent Union Home Ministry communication to the state government questioning its exercise of appointing migrant youths in various government departments when it knows that they would not join the place of posting in the Kashmir valley.

Informed sources said the Union Home Ministry had on May 30 sent a communication to the state’s General Administrative Department seeking information regarding the Kashmiri migrant employees. In the letter, the state government has been asked to give details of the number of employees who migrated from the Kashmir valley in 1990. Another information the Union Home Ministry has sought is about the number of migrant employees who have retired during the past 10 years, how many have been adjusted in the Jammu region and how many continue to draw their monthly salary without attending the offices. It has also asked the state government to give figures about how many migrant employees would retire during the next three years.

Panun Kashmir leaders have become suspicious over this exercise of the Union Home Ministry in the light of a recent suggestion given by the Union Home Minister to the Chief Minister, Dr Farooq Abdullah, that the state government should stop paying monthly salary to the migrant employees in case they do not return to Kashmir and join their duties. The Chief Minister is said to have refused to shoulder the responsibility for this highly controversial decision and instead suggested to the Union Home Minister to announce his plan in public, which he had not done so far.

Panun Kashmir leaders’ worry stems from the way the Union Home Ministry has questioned the genuineness of appointing migrant youth in various departments in the Kashmir valley when they refuse to join their duties and keep on receiving monthly salary. Panun Kashmir leaders said it was totally wrong and recently more than 14 women candidates, including those from Jammu, were appointed college lecturers and all of them have joined their duties in Srinagar despite lack of conducive atmosphere.

The leaders have stated that during the past three years not more than 100 educated Kashmiri youth were given government jobs out of over 1.58 lakh finding jobs in government departments, including the police.

They have said that during the past 10 years Kashmiri Pandit youth could not get jobs in government departments on one pretext or the other which led to further scattering of the community people after the educated youth, including women, went to different states in search of jobs in the private sector.

Panun Kashmir leaders are critical of the Union Home Ministry’s plan of carrying out forcible return of the migrants to Kashmir. In this connection, they referred to a recent meeting the Revenue Minister, Mr Abdul Qayoom, had held with several Kashmiri Pandit leaders in Jammu. The meeting had been arranged to finalise the return programme to the valley where some pockets had been identified for rehabilitating the displaced families under security cover.

The leaders opposed the hurry in which the government was trying to push its plan of carrying the displaced families back to the valley. Representatives of the Pandit organisations suggested to the Revenue Minister to first consult prominent Muslim leaders and build an atmosphere for “our return.” They did not want to go back to the valley where the security situation continued to be quite bad.

The meeting had ended without any concrete results.