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| Thursday, October 5, 2000, Chandigarh, India   
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Troops on alert as Pak fires artillery Blasts in Rajouri
town Sikh bodies oppose
trifurcation of J&K J&K staff to
get DA slab 2 boys crushed
to death Surjewala offers
support to agitators |
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More powercut in
valley from
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Troops on alert as Pak fires artillery JAMMU, Oct 4 — The LoC area in the Poonch sector has become tense following Pakistani troops pounding Indian border villages with artillery fire. The Defence Ministry authorities say, “It is for the first time after the 1971 war that Pakistani troops have resorted to artillery fire on our villages in the Poonch sector”. Brig Randhir Sinh said, “During the past 48 hours, Pakistani firing on our villages has killed one woman and injured three others, including an old man”. He said that under an agreement reached between the two sides after the 1971 war, artillery guns were not to be used while exchanging fire during the no-war period. He blamed Pakistan for violating the agreement by using 105-mm guns to pound Indian border villages in the Poonch sector in which several civilian structures were destroyed. The Defence Ministry authorities said, “It is an alarming development and troops have been put on the alert”. They added “Use of artillery will have serious ramifications as it would result in heavy casualties among the civilians”. The authorities said, “The Indian troops have so far exercised most restraint, but cannot remain a silent spectator and may have to retaliate. Pakistan will be responsible for the consequences”. It was revealed that the Pakistani troops were hitherto using
small-calibre weapons and mortar shells to carve infiltration routes for the militants. But realising that the mortar shelling and small arms fire had not succeeded in breaking through the Indian troops’ anti-infiltration barriers, they had now resorted to heavy artillery fire. In fact, Pakistani troops have been fomenting tension on the LoC and the international border by resorting to mortar shelling and MMG firing for the past several months. Scores of civilian structures have been destroyed in the Uri, Tangdhar, Kupwara, Keran and Akhnoor sectors. More than 20 civilians and eight soldiers, including three officers, have been killed in the past three months. The sources said heavy mortar shelling was resorted to push groups of militants into Jammu and Kashmir under the cover of fire. When they failed to send large groups of rebels into the state, Pakistani troops had resorted to artillery fire which could trigger a major Indo-Pakistan armed conflict. Field commanders in the Poonch, Rajouri and Akhnoor sectors have sent their reports to the Army commander about latest situation on the LoC. The report is expected to be discussed with the Army Chief, Gen S. Padmanabhan, who is scheduled to visit Srinagar today or tomorrow. In the meantime, the Indian troops have been kept on maximum alert on the entire LoC and the international border to foil the gameplan of Pakistan to push groups of rebels into the state and capture some Indian posts on the Kargil pattern and force a bargain later. The Pakistani troops have, since January last, made several bids to capture forward Indian posts in Poonch, Rajouri, Samba, Keran, and Tangdhar, but the Indian troops retaliated and so far, more than 25 Pakistani soldiers have been killed in the process. Meanwhile, several groups of youth around Zaffarwal in Pakistan, Kotli and Balakot in occupied Kashmir have refused to become cannon fodder for Pakistani designs of pushing them into the Jammu sector for kicking up subversive violence. These groups of youth had been lured to arms training camps but when they learnt that militants were being eliminated in groups in Poonch, Rajouri and other border areas, they refused to infiltrate into the Indian territory which could result in their killing. To make up for this debacle, Pakistani troops have resorted to artillery fire to encourage and motivate militants to cross into the Jammu sector under the cover of the fire. |
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JAMMU, Oct 4 (PTI) — The border town of Rajouri in Jammu division was rattled with a series of explosions last night causing panic among the people, official sources said here today. The sources said the explosions, which started around 2100 hours last night and continued intermittently till midnight in the mountain-locked town, however did not cause any loss of life or damage to property. The explosions caused by rockets and mortar fire by militants were mostly directed towards Army installations but these missed the target and exploded in open areas. Soon after these attacks, militants opened fire from Dandidhar and Kappakhan forests which the troops retailated, the sources said. Major operations have been launched by security forces to track down the militants, they said. This was the third attack by militants on Rajouri during night hours for the past one month. Five militants, including one belonging to Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT), were killed in two separate incidents in Poonch and Samba areas of Jammu division, an official spokesman said today. He said four Pakistani militants of the Islamic Front were shot dead during an encounter near Kalti Nullah in Samba tehsil during the intervening night of October 2 and 3. The spokesman said two arrested militants — Mohammad Bashir and Fateh Mohammad — both of Narwar Lahore in Pakistan had revealed to the police that two of their associates were hiding near Katli forests. Ambush parties were sent there along with the militants, but they opened fire on the security forces. In the ensuing encounter, yesterday, four militants were killed while two of them escaped. Four kgs of RDX and some arms and ammunition were found on them. In another encounter, Army personnel gunned down a militant Abu Hansa of the LeT, near Bhagiot village in Poonch district. They also busted a militant hideout in Barapathar village in Mandi tehsil of Poonch district and found a large quantity of weapons, he said. One militant Sabzar Ahmed, alias Arif of Harkat-ul-Jehadi Islami (HUJI) outfit, surrendered to Rashtriya troops at Pattan near Surankote last evening. Meanwhile, the BSF apprehended 28 Bangladeshi nationals in the Samba sector yesterday when they crossed over to India from Pakistan. |
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Sikh bodies oppose
trifurcation of J&K JAMMU, Oct 4 — Various Sikh organisations have opposed the demand for the trifurcation of Jammu and Kashmir saying that it was a dangerous slogan which could undermine the security of the state. This was stated by the President of Gurdwara Prabandhak Board, Mr S.S. Wazir, at a press conference hero today. Mr Wazir accused the RSS and the BJP of patronising and encouraging several organisations for voicing the demand for the trifurcation of the state, which otherwise was a well knit and well integrated border state. Mr Wazir said by demanding trifurcation of Jammu and Kashmir the RSS and the BJP were lending indirect support to the gameplan of Pakistan in general and the ISI in particular. He urged the people to campaign against those demanding vivisection of the state as it would aggravate communal and regional conflicts. He also lambasted the BJP-led NDA Government for, what he called, misrule. In this connection he cited the recent price hike in petrol and petroleum products. He said it was only under the BJP rule that the prices of LPG cylinder had witnessed an increase of over Rs. 100 during the past two years. Mr Wazir criticised the RSS chief, Mr K.S. Sudershan’s demand for throwing out all the missionaries from the country. He urged all secular forces within the government and outside to unite and fight against the RSS gameplan of throwing out all non-Hindu elements. The President Shiromani Akali Dal, Mr Gurdev Singh, and the President state Akali Dal, Mr Jagdev Singh, expressed fears that the demand for trifurcation could lead to the disintegration of not only the state but the country also. They urged the Centre to put its foot down on those demanding creation of three states from one state of Jammu and Kashmir. |
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SRINAGAR, Oct 4 (PTI) — The Jammu and Kashmir government has decided to release another instalment of dearness allowance due from January this year to its employees. The decision to this effect was taken at a Cabinet meeting here today. This instalment of DA ,equivalent to 1 per cent of the basic pay, will be given to all state government employees including work charged, whole time contingent paid employees working in regular pay scales, an official announcement said, adding that this also applies to all India service officers working for the state government. With this the total DA payable to employees from January this year would increase from 37 per cent to 38 per cent of their basic pay. The decision has the financial implication of Rs 30.34 crore this year, the announcement said. The Cabinet also decided to release the similar instalment of 1 per cent to the state pensioners and family pensioners. |
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2 boys crushed
to death KATHUA, Oct 4 — Two boys were crushed to death in separate road accidents here yesterday. Happy (8) of Kamala village near Vijaypur, Samba Tehsil was crushed to death by a bus at Ambedkar Chowk, here. The police has impounded the bus. However, the driver is absconding. In another incident, Nitin Kumar (12) of Ward No 10 Kathua, was crushed to death by an unidentified vehicle at the local old bus stand. A case has been registered. Meanwhile, angry residents blocked traffic at Ambedkar Chowk, Shaheed Chowk and PWD Chowk for over two hours in protest against rash driving and the failure of the traffic police in curbing such incidents. |
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Surjewala offers
support to agitators JAMMU, Oct 4 — The cow slaughter incident on August 4 and arrest of various leaders for ransacking and damaging the tehsil office at R.S. Pora took a new turn with Pradesh Youth Congress leaders threatening to launch an agitation on the issue. Addressing a chetna rally at R.S. Pora today, the All India Youth Congress President, Mr Randeep Singh Surejwala, assured the agitators of the Youth Congress support in case they decided to launch an agitation against the issue. He demanded an inquiry into cases registered against leaders who were arrested for ransacking and damaging the tehsil office at R.S. Pora. |
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More powercut in
valley from
today SRINAGAR, Oct 4 — Additional power cuts will be enforced in the Kashmir valley from tomorrow. The revised schedule incorporates three and a half hours cut in the morning twice a week from 6.30 a.m. to 10 a.m. and another three and a half hours cut between 6 p.m. to 9.30 p.m. in the evening twice a week. These cuts are in addition to the four hours power cut in two blocks affected on a daily basis between 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. for Block 1 area and from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. in for block II area, an official spokesman announced here. The new revised schedule has been formulated by a committee comprising senior engineers of the Electricity Department and Power Development Department. The Chief Minister, Dr Farooq Abdullah said at a meeting held here yesterday that the state’s power procurement bill had touched a whopping Rs 930 crore against a revenue of Rs 231 crore which included Rs 75 crore from government departments. He said the Centre would be approached for more power for the winter. The Chief Minister said with fall in the water level in rivers, generation of power in Uri and Salal power projects and the supply from the Northern Grid affected power supply of the state. He said the first unit of 35-MW capacity Upper Sindh Hydel Project has started functioning while its other two units, 35-MW capacity each, would take some time to operate. He ordered setting up of a committee under the Chief Secretary to deliberate on proposed power cuts this year and power requirement so that the matter to plug shortfall was taken up with the Centre. He suggested that power cuts should be for shorter duration on daily basis rather than complete shut down periodically during evenings.
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2 Pak ultras held with arms KATHUA, Oct 4 — In a major breakthrough, the Samba police yesterday arrested two Pakistani nationals with a huge cache of arms and ammunition. According to reports available, Constable Prem Lal, Kathua police, informed the police about the two. The militants have been identified as Mehr Din (35), alias Feteh Mohammad, and Bashir Ahmed (40), alias
Sheeru, both residents of Narwal, Lahore. As many as 32 pistols, 61 pistol magazines, 7 kg of
RDX, one AK-47 rifle, two battery timers and Rs 5 lakh in Indian currency were seized from their possession.
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