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| Tuesday, October 24, 2000, Chandigarh, India   
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10.94 cr relief for J&K farmers Bogus membership drive, allege Cong
men 10 militants killed in J&K Spurt in militant
ranks Army to buy more from J&K
industry Advani meets MLAs, top brass of J&K |
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‘Include Gujjars in negotiations’ GREF celebrates
silver jubilee Stir threat by
Kashmiri Pandits
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10.94 cr relief for J&K farmers NEW DELHI, Oct 23 — For the restoration of agriculture and allied sectors to pre-Kargil conflict level, including necessary input relief for accomplishing rabi sowings in the affected border areas, the Centre has released Rs 10.94 crore as relief to border farmers in Jammu and Kashmir. The amount had been released from the National Defence Fund (NDF) for providing necessary input relief to the farmers whose crops had been damaged or were not able to cultivate due to cross-border firing, official sources said today. As a result of heavy shelling along the border during the Kargil conflict and after, crops were damaged and the people were not able to cultivate their fields. Farming being their only means of livelihood the farmers required immediate financial help. The Centre’s nod for release of Rs 10.94 crore came on the recommendations made by a two-member team of the Ministry of Agriculture which visited the border areas during the last week of October 1999 for assessing the damage to standing crops and the extent to which farmers were not able to cultivate the land due to cross-border shelling, they said. In another major step to revive tourism, transport, trade and small scale industry sectors in Jammu and Kashmir, the Centre has released Rs 250 crore to banks and financial institutions to write off outstanding loans and interest of all borrowers whose original borrowing was less than or up to Rs 50,000. The funds to the banks and financial institutions have been released under the ”Debt relief scheme for the borrowers in the State of Jammu and Kashmir” launched by the Ministry of Finance (Department of Economic Affairs). The claims which are submitted by the banks are formally approved by a committee at the state level headed by the Additional Chief Secretary (Finance) and then forwarded to the Department of Jammu and Kashmir Affairs through the state Finance Department for direct disbursement to the banks or financial institutions concerned. The state government had forwarded claims of Rs 301 crore in respect of 33 banks, financial institutions after approval of the state-level apex committee. The total claims forwarded by the state government were worth Rs 301
crore. |
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Bogus membership drive, allege Cong
men JAMMU, Oct 23 — Several Congress leaders have lodged a complaint with Mr S.S. Surjewala, chairman, party’s election committee, that a number of PCC office-bearers had resorted to bogus membership soon after he had announced that the organisational elections would be completed in Jammu and Kashmir by November 10. Mr Surjewala was told that a PCC general secretary had filled 3,000 membership slips but the money was not deposited immediately. When Mr Surjewala assured the agitated Congressmen that bogus membership slips would be cancelled on scrutiny, party leaders informed him that complaints could be lodged in Jammu and Srinagar. Party sources said more than three lakh members had been enrolled in the Congress in the state and of them one lakh belonged to the Kashmir valley. Inside reports said a member of PCC office-bearers had been unnerved by the decision of the AICC to hold organisational elections in order to end the prolonged groupism in the party. These office-bearers had allegedly no footing in the party and were apprehensive over their success in case the elections were held. PCC chief Mohammad Shafi Qureshi has also been included in this category. According to these reports several senior party leaders remained absent when Mr Surjewala convened a meeting of PCC office-bearers, party legislators and presidents of district
units in Jammu. He had to face an awkward situation when on Saturday he found the PCC headquarters locked in Srinagar, despite the fact that his scheduled visit was known to the party functionaries. Mr Surjewala had asked a couple of Congressmen to open the locks of the headquarters so that a meeting could be held for finalising the election schedule, nobody cooperated. Mr Taj Mohiuddin and others had detailed discussion with Mr Surjewala in the lawns of the PCC headquarters. It was the chief of Congress Seva Dal who opened the lock and a meeting was held. Reports said those PCC leaders, who were not sure of their success in the organisational elections were trying their best to postpone the poll. Mr Mohiuddin has conveyed to Mr Surjewala that in case the elections were not held on schedule he would quit the party and politics. He was in favour of seeing genuine Congressmen who had support among the Congress workers getting elected to the PCC and the district units of the party.
10 militants killed in J&K SRINAGAR, Oct 23 — At least 12 persons including 10 militants, were killed in separate incidents of violence in Jammu and Kashmir since yesterday while the security forces apprehended two suspects and two others were kidnapped by militants. Four militants were killed in an encounter with the security forces at Tantna in Doda district yesterday. They were identified as Ishtiaq Ahmed, Javid Iqbal, Mohammad Saleem, all belonging to Doda district and a foreigner identified as code Sofi. Three AK rifles, one pistol, two wireless sets, four magazines with 105 rounds and two hand grenades were seized from the site of the encounter, a police spokesman stated here this evening. Two unidentified militants were killed in an encounter with security forces at Kalali in Rajouri district of the Jammu region. Two AK rifles were seized from the site of the encounter. One militant, Yusuf Hussain Shah, was killed in an encounter with security forces at Bruthi-Panjni in the Kalakote sector of Poonch district. One AK rifle, three magazines 90 rounds and 11 rockets were seized from the site of the encounter, the police said. An unidentified militant was killed in an encounter with security forces and the J&K Police at BOP Mawa in the Hiranagar sector of Kathua district in the Jammu region. One AK rifle, two magazines with 42 rounds and some other ammunition were seized from the site of the encounter. A militant of the Al-Barq outfit, identified as Fareed Ahmad Dar, was killed in an encounter with security forces at Dolipora, Vilgam in Kupwara district of North Kashmir. An AK rifle, two magazines with 60 rounds, two hand grenades and a wireless set were seized from the site of the encounter. One foreign militant, Abdul Rashid, alias Larif Bhai, from Pakistan was killed in an encounter with security forces at Chowan, Keller forest area of Pulwama district. Unidentified militants intruded into the house of Sonaullah Bhat at Machipora village in the Handwara area of Kupwara district last night and shot dead his wife Syeda. A jawan was killed in an exchange of fire with the militants at Vilgam in Kupwara district. JAMMU (PTI): A girl was killed when Pakistani Rangers opened fire on civilian areas along the International Border (IB) in Samba and RS Pora sub-sectors of the Jammu frontier, official sources said today. The Pakistani forces targeted 22 areas of the region last night in which a young girl was killed in Sumb village of Samba. Indian forces retaliated and the exchange of fire continued till this morning.
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Spurt in militant
ranks JAMMU, Oct 23 — Security and intelligence agencies have expressed concern at a sudden increase in the rate of infiltration and egress on the Indo-Pak border in Jammu and Kashmir. This concern was voiced at the two-hour meeting of the Unified Headquarters in Srinagar on Sunday presided over by Union Home Minister L.K. Advani and Defence Minister George Fernandes. This is the first time that the Army authorities have agreed with the observation of the police and intelligence agencies over the issue. These officers admitted before the Defence Minister that the rate of infiltration of militants, especially of foreign mercenaries, was up not only in the Poonch and Rajouri sectors but from across the 187-km- long international border between Kathua and Akhnoor in the Jammu sector. The security forces and agencies are also worried at an increase in egress. Between 1995 and 1999 the rate of egress had sharply declined as Kashmiris were not willing to cross over to Pakistan for arms training. It was disclosed at the meeting that various militant outfits, including Jas-e-Mohammad, and Lashkar-i-Toiba, had launched a recruitment drive and young boys were either being lured into militancy or being taken across the border at gunpoint. A reference was also made to the stretching of security forces given that the militants had extended their areas of operation into new zones and those which had been sanitised four years ago had witnessed the return of militancy. In fact the one bright spot was that the incidents of militancy had been contained to an extent because the elimination rate of rebels was much higher during the past 10 months. During this period more than1200 militants, 60 per cent of them foreign mercenaries were killed by the security forces against nearly 250 security personnel killed. When Mr Advani suggested that ongoing operations against the militants be stepped up the Director General Police, Mr Gurbachan Jagat suggested a need for strengthening the village defence committees by giving them better arms and increasing the number and that of special police officers. He is stated to have said that if this was done they could be posted to protect railway tracks and other vital installations permiting redeployment of CRPF and BSF personnel for anti-insurgency operations. The Union Home Ministry was given a fresh plan for modernisation of the police. The first phase of modernisation, including upgrading of the communication system had been completed at a cost of Rs 193 crore. The fresh plan envisages an expenditure of Rs 380 crores. But some senior state officers present at the meeting were not too enthusiastic about the outcome. They said no concrete steps were taken to solve underlying problems. They felt that besides security the central team should have also approved the fiscal requirements of the state government to stem growing alienation, the outcome of unemployment and suspension of development work. |
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Army to buy more from J&K
industry SRINAGAR, Oct 23 — Union Defence Minister George Fernandes today said appropriate measures would be initiated for giving preference to products manufactured by entrepreneurs of Jammu and Kashmir to meet the requirements of army units in the state. Inaugurating a Buyer-Seller Meet, the first of its kind in the valley and second in Jammu and Kashmir, the Defence Minister asked industry to raise standards as no compromise would be made on quality. He said the Army was seized of the recommendations of the Subramanium Committee Report on Kargil that inter-alia dwells on procurement also. He said a four-member ministerial committee will meet soon at New Delhi to take stock of the report’s recommendations. The Minister said the team of senior Army officers accompanying him have thoroughly examined the produce manufactured in Jammu and Kashmir and the Director General Procurement was impressed by the products. Referring to the Centre’s keenness to boost to industry sector in Jammu and Kashmir, Mr Fernandes said the Hindustan Machine Tools factory operating in Srinagar would be strengthened. The state has just two factories in the public sector. He said the purpose of holding a buyer-seller meet was to arrange interaction between sellers and buyers, mainly the Army. Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah, urged the Defence Ministry to modify its procurement policy to enable Army units stationed in Jammu and Kashmir or other state to make purchase within the state. |
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Advani meets MLAs, top brass of J&K SRINAGAR, Oct 23 — Claiming that the state and the security forces in Jammu and Kashmir have gained “the upper hand” in the battle against militancy, Union Home Minister L.K. Advani said the fight had to be “accompanied by acceleration of the developmental process.” He was briefing newspersons at the end of high-level meetings with legislators and senior state government functionaries here yesterday. He was accompanied by the Defence Minister, Mr George Fernandes, and the Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister, Dr Farooq Abdullah, and the Governor, Mr Girish Chandra Saxena, led the state delegation. The two sides attended a meeting with the MLAs and MLCs from border areas of the state and the unified headquarters. The legislators apprised the delegation of the situation in the border areas in the wake of the continued firing from across the border and the consequent migration of the population from the areas. The members demanded adequate relief and rehabilitation measures and fencing of the border areas in the Jammu region. The members from the Kashmir valley stressed the need for a check on the alleged human rights violations by the security forces and extortions by the surrendered militants or counter-insurgents. While Commanders of the three Army Corps in Jammu and Kashmir and the top brass of other security and intelligence agencies apprised the Union Ministers of the situation, Mr Advani said the state government and its police were the “principal contributors to the country’s battle against insurgency.” Replying to questions, the Home Minister said the Central Government had responded positively to the unilateral ceasefire and the offer of talks of the Hizbul-Mujahideen, adding that Pakistan “saw to it that dialogue was subverted.” He said the government was willing to hold a dialogue with the militants if they laid down their arms and came to the negotiating table. Mr Advani commented that in the post-Kargil situation, India had achieved remarkable success with regard to the international opinion against “cross-border terrorism and states abetting such terrorism.” Pakistan was certainly such a state, and India was strong enough to “deal with the menace effectively,” he said. In reply to a question on the rejection of the autonomy resolution, the Home Minister held that it sought a return to the pre-1953 position to which the Government of India did not agree. However, he added, the Prime Minister had conveyed to the Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister that all issues which give greater powers to the state could be discussed. The Home Minister categorically stated that the Centre was against the trifurcation of the state, as proposed by the RSS at its recent meeting held in Agra. He said the state would get more benefits for its development in all sectors.
CHANDIGARH, Oct 23 — Mr Shamsher Hakla Poonchi, who claims to be a prominent Gujjar leader of Jammu and Kashmir, and Mr Jagpal Singh Chaudhary, vice-president of the All-India Gujjar Sudhar Sabha and former Haryana Minister, today urged the Union Government to take the Gujjar-Bakerwal community of J & K into its confidence in case talks were held with militant outfits for the restoration of peace in the Kashmir valley. There were 20 lakh Gujjars spread over 12 districts of J & K and only after the inclusion of their representatives in negotiations could an acceptable solution be arrived at, Mr Poonchi said. He added that the Gujjar-Bakerwal community was the vanguard of patriotism in J & K, though it was always neglected by the Union Government, which had always looked toward Kashmiri Muslims for finding a solution to the Kashmir problem. He said by politically strengthening the Hindus and the Gujjar-Bakerwal comminuty, a lasting solution could be found to the Kashmir problem. Even though the Gujjar community was Islamic by religion, it was being targeted by Kashmir militants. Till date the largest number of civilian casualties at the hands of the militants was from this community, Mr Poonchi claimed. He warned that any decision taken by the Union Government on Kashmir without involving the Gujjar Bakerwals would not be acceptable to them and they would oppose it. Mr Poonchi and Mr Chaudhary also appealed to the Union Government to direct the J & K Government to reserve Assembly and Lok Sabha constituencies with more than 40 per cent Gujjar population for Gujjar-Bakerwal representatives as per Artcle 334 of the Indian Constitution. At least 21 assembly seats out of a total of 87, and two Lok Sabha seats of J & K should be reserved for the Gujjar-Bakerwals, Mr Poonchi said. Even though the Gujjars of J & K were given Scheduled Tribes status back in 1991, the Farooq Abdullah-led state government was not implementing this decision because the National Conference wanted to suppress the political aspirations of the Gujjars, he said. Mr Poonchi said the autonomy resolution passed by the J & K Assembly was being opposed by the Gujjars. One of the reasons why they were opposing it was because it would rob them of the ST status they got after years of struggle. The Gujjar leaders also appealed to the Union Government to constitute a Gujjar Bakerwal autonomous council on the pattern of the Ladakh Autonomous Council to ensure the development of Gujjar-Bakerwals and also to safeguard the language and culture of the Gujjars. They also demanded reservation for Gujjars in J & K in panchayat elections, inclusion of the Gojri language in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution and proportional representation to Gujjars in government services in J & K. |
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GREF celebrates
silver jubilee JAMMU, Oct 23 — The General Road Engineering Force (GREF) which celebrated its silver jubilee here today, commemorate the event with sports competitions, cultural programme, pagal gymkhana and a bara khana. Officers of all units under command Project Sampark participated in the events. Brig MN Khan, Chief Engineer, Project Sampark, while addressing the GREF sammelan, said the selfless efforts of the men of the project had succeeded in contributing immensely toward defence preparedness of the northern threatre as well as the socio-economic development of Jammu. He said its load had increased from a meagre 843 km in 1975 to as much as 2310 km of roads and 145 km of ditch-cum-bunds. Project Sampark true to its name, has brought many remote locations and villages along the border and in the interior on the road map of Jammu and Kashmir. Important roads such as Akhnoor-Poonch, Domel-Katra-Pouni-Bhagot, Rajouri Kandi-Budhalk-Mohr-Gul, Dhar-Udhampur, Basohli-Bani-Bhaderwah-Doda were being developed to national highway specifications. |
Stir threat by
Kashmiri Pandits JAMMU, Oct 23 — Three main organisations of the displaced Kashmiri Pandit community have threatened to launch a struggle if the government did not cancel its notification under which Camp College has been affiliated with Jammu University. Addressing a joint press conference here today, the President of the All-State Kashmiri Pandit Conference, Dr A.N. Vaishnavi, the Convener, Panun Kashmir, Dr Agni Sheikhar, and the President, All-Kashmiri Pandit Solidarity Conference, Mr O.N. Trisal, sought an apology from Education Minister Mohammad Shafi for having allowed the Divisional Commissioner of Jammu to take the agitating students to Kashmir under police protection if they wanted to remain affiliated with Kashmir University. They said be closing Camp College for migrant students and affiliating it with Jammu University, the state government aimed at cutting the remaining roots or links the community has in Kashmir.
UDHAMPUR, Oct 23 — Dr Karan Singh M.P., inaugurated “Bridh Ashram here. This Ashram has been constructed by Jagriti Manch and of the MP’s fund. Speaking on the occasion Dr Karan Singh said he was the first person to raise the issue of discrimination against Jammu. |
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