The Congress members led by CLP leader Tara Chand left the House as they were not “satisfied” with the statement made by the Minister of State for Home, Mr Mushtaq Ahmad Lone, giving details of the relief being provided to the displaced persons.

“We are not satisfied with the reply”, Mr Tara Chand told reporters outside the house.

He alleged the situation in the border areas of Jammu was deteriorating with each passing day because of “inaction” on the part of the government.

A large number of people were migrating to safer areas in the entire border belt and the number of such persons was increasing, he said.

Earlier, Mr Lone told the House 12 persons were killed and 37 injured due to intense cross-border firing and shelling since May 1999 forcing 18,582 families to migrate from the affected border villages in Jammu.

He said two relief packages were sanctioned in July 1999 in view of the incessant firing and shelling from across the international border and the Line of Control (LoC).

An ex gratia of Rs 1,00,000 in each case had been paid to next of kin and Rs 5000 to each injured.

A survey had been carried out to quantify the loss of immovable property and it had been decided to disburse relief subject to a ceiling of Rs 1,00,000 in each case.

No temporary displacement had taken place in Poonch and Rajouri districts so far, he informed.

An additional amount of Rs 12 crore had been requisitioned by the Jammu Divisional Commissioner to adjust against expenditure on the relief works in Jammu and Kathua districts up to October 2000.

However, the BJP and Congress members were on their feet immediately after the minister completed his statement.

Later, Mr Vakil intervened and said he also shared the concern of the members on the welfare of people who were forced to leave their homes due to Pakistani shelling and firing.

The Congress members later handed over a letter to the Speaker which among other things demanded a five marla plot besides Rs 25,000 for constructing a one-room set to the displaced people.

They also demanded increase in the ex gratia to Rs 5,00,000, ration from 7 kg to 15 kg and special recruitment drive in police and paramilitary forces for the unemployed youths.

Speaking in the Assembly, the Chief Minister, Dr Farooq Abdullah, said the people of this state never accepted Pakistan otherwise we would have joined them in 1947. The people of Jammu and Kashmir were not alone in their fight against Pak-sponsored militancy, but the entire nation was behind them.

Talking about the situation in Doda and other Jammu areas, he said, “militants killed Hindus only to divide Hindus and Muslims. However, people maintained peace and harmony despite all the attempts by the enemy forces”.

The situation in the militancy-affected areas in Jammu had improved. It could not be solved overnight, he said adding that our security forces were doing their best to control militancy.

Quoting Chief of Army General S. Padmanabhan, who visited the state immediately after taking over, he said steps were being taken to seal the border properly to stop infiltration from across the border.

Dr Abdullah said the village defence committee members would be provided with wireless sets and self-loading guns instead of .303 rifles and their wages would also be increased.

He said he had directed the officials to recruit VDC members from all communities to fight unitedly against militancy.

Meanwhile, Jammu and Kashmir Revenue Minister Qayoum today informed the state Assembly that the authorities had detected 26,000 fake migrant families who had been registered in Jammu.

In a written reply to a question by Sheikh Abdul Rehman of the BSP, the minister said, Rs 31,6061800 in cash assistance and 95139.45 quintals of rice, 21171.87 quintals of atta and 3390.90 quintals of sugar were issued to these fake ration card holders.

Recently, 14 such cases were also detected and handed over to the Crime Branch for further action.

Mr Qayoum said there were clear instructions to relief officials that until a person obtained a certificate from the CID Department that there was a threat to his life, he or she should not be declared a migrant.

A couple and their son were killed when a group of unidentified militants raided their house at Kangroosa in Rafiabad area of Baramula in north Kashmir today, he said. The ultras entered the house in search of another son of the couple Khursheed, who was helping the security forces in their drive against militancy in north Kashmir.

Bodies of three police personnel were recovered from Chamrair in Buffliaz sector of Poonch district yesterday. The deceased cops were abducted by militants from Draba village of Surankote and tortured severely before being strangulated, the spokesman said.

Two militants identified as Mohammad Iqbal and Mohammad Ashraf were killed in an encounter with the security forces at Changjloo in the Banihal area of Doda district today, he said.

Militants attacked the camp of special operations group (SOG) of the Jammu and Kashmir Police in Baramula district in the wee hours today, injuring Head Constable Bashir Ahmad, the spokesman said. The SOG party returned the fire, but the militants managed to escape.

He said two policemen were injured when militants opened fire on their post at Daida Gool in Udhampur district last night.

Militants also exploded a grenade near a security picket at Rajourikadal in downtown Srinagar last night, but no one was hurt, he said.

The police apprehended three militants during search operations at Wayul-Wodder in the Gutlibagh area of Ganderbal in Srinagar last evening.

Security forces found five disposable rocket launchers and some ammunition during search operations at village Gurdhan Pain in Rajouri district yesterday, the police said.

Two Hizbul militants were killed and another surrendered before the security forces during search operation at Drager and Kozveer-Chadora in Badgam district last evening, the spokesman said.

Security forces shot dead two militants during search operations at Lalad-Sopore in Baramulla district and Keri muglan in Rajouri district last evening, he said.

Militants kidnapped and later shot dead one Mohammad Sharief in Doba forest in Poonch district last evening.

A group of five militants abducted one Ashiq Hussain Mir from his house at Dani-Trinthal in Doda district and tortured him in a nearby house, he said. They slit his right wrist, but the house owner showed resistance to the militants who in a fit of anger set ablaze his house. In the meantime Ashiq Hussain managed his escape.