J A M M U   &   K A S H M I R

Palaeolithic Age tools found in J&K
SRINAGAR, Oct 30 — Geo-scientists have discovered a set of 18 basalt tools, believed to be that of the palaeolithic age, which they say will take the history of Kashmir back to eight lakh years.

Unique water supply experiment in J&K
SRINAGAR, Oct 30 — In a unique experiment, a new concept of plan, execute, own and operate water supply schemes to be implemented by people themselves has been introduced in Jammu and Kashmir, Union Minister of State for Industries and Commerce Omar Abdullah has said.

Trifurcation not to be allowed: NC
SRINAGAR, Oct 30 — The General Secretary of the ruling National Conference, Sheikh Nazir Ahmad, today said that any attempt to divide Jammu and Kashmir would prove dangerous to the integrity of the country.

Army’s gesture to slain Pak, Afghan militants
Tribune News Service

SRINAGAR, Oct 30 — In a rare gesture, the Army has extended condolences to the kin of 58 more Pakistani and Afghan militants killed in different encounters between July and September this year in Kashmir. The Army earlier, for the first time in September, had extended similar messages to 48 such militants killed between January and March this year in the valley.

“Their tragic end was but a foregone conclusion and it is sincerely hoped that better sense will prevail among those still alive to shun violence for the betterment of Kashmir,” a Defence spokesman stated here today in a special press release. Those killed between July and September this year included 55 militants from Pakistan and three from Afghanistan. “It is unfortunate that these individuals were psychologically brainwashed to tread the path of extreme violence by the ISI on grounds of religious intolerance and pecuniary gain,” the statement added.

Out of 58 militants killed, 28 owed their allegiance to Lashkar-e-Toiba, 25 of them from Pakistan and three from Afghanistan. Others included seven from Jaish-e-Mohammad of Azhar Mehmood, who constituted the outfit after his release in exchange of over 150 IA plane passengers at Kandhar late last year. Eight others belonged to AI-Badr, three were from Hizbul Mujahideen, two were from Harket-ul-Mujahideen and one from Jamiat-ul-Mujahideen. Nine others were killed and were identified as Pak nationals but their groups could not be identified.

This is for the first time that the Army claimed to have killed seven foreign nationals all belonging to Pakistan, who owed their allegiance to Jaish-e-Mohammad. Several other militants belonging to the outfit have been killed in different encounters, including one suicider who was blown to pieces in a car while trying to enter the BB Cantonment area of the Army here early this year.

Most of the militants killed between January and March this year belonged to Harkat-ul-Mujahindeen, Lashkar-e-Toiba and Al-Badr. 

Palaeolithic Age tools found in J&K

SRINAGAR, Oct 30 (PTI) — Geo-scientists have discovered a set of 18 basalt tools, believed to be that of the palaeolithic age, which they say will take the history of Kashmir back to eight lakh years.

Led by Dr G.M. Bhat of Geology and Geo-physics Department of the University of Kashmir, a four-member team carried out exhaustive excavation for nearly two months at Galender in Pampore, 18 km from here on the Srinagar-Jammu national highway, which led to the discovery.

The implements of the stone age, excavated by them, included “flake implements” and a “spearhead”, a spokesman of the department told PTI.

A huge skull believed to be that of a mammoth elephant with broken tusks was excavated two months ago.

He said the team had so far unearthed 18 such tools which might have been used for hunting and butchering of animals by the stone age homonids who inhabited this part of the world a few lakh years ago.

This discovery was among the earliest evidences of hunting by homonids in the world in general and this part of South Asia in particular, he added.

The sedimentary strata at Sambur, near the pre-historic archaeological site, had been dated back to about 7,30,000 years by the early excavaters, he said.

This site was older than the Sambur site and surpassed an identical discovery made at the pre-historic site of Gesher Berot near the banks of the Jordan river (Israel), which was 78,000 years old.

Unique water supply experiment in J&K

SRINAGAR, Oct 30 (PTI) — In a unique experiment, a new concept of plan, execute, own and operate (PEOO) water supply schemes to be implemented by people themselves has been introduced in Jammu and Kashmir, Union Minister of State for Industries and Commerce Omar Abdullah has said.

The pilot project is the first experiment in the country where the implementation of water supply schemes has been shifted from the government sector to the village community, he said on Saturday after inaugurating the centrally-sponsored pilot project for Srinagar.

The community has been empowered to plan, execute, own and operate the water supply schemes. This would ensure safe drinking water to the rural population, Mr Abdullah said, adding that the people should monitor the implementation of the schemes.

The minister said the Centre had released Rs 20 crore for the construction and repair of roads in the state and steps had been taken to develop the industrial and handicrafts sector in all three regions, Kashmir, Jammu and Ladakh, to generate greater avenues of employment for the unemployed youth.

He said the new phase of development had been going on in the militancy-torn state since the state government took office four years ago. The reconstruction of the damaged infrastructure taken up by the government had opened new vista of development in the state.

Jammu and Kashmir Public Works Minister Ali Mohammad Sagar said two districts, Srinagar and Udhampur, had been taken up under the pilot project for which the Centre would provide Rs 15 crore for each district, and close to half the amount had already been released.

The work on 242 water supply schemes, which were taken up in Kashmir division involving an expenditure of Rs 30.22 crore, was going on.

He said of these, 54 schemes had already been completed with an expenditure of Rs 21 crore.

Earlier, Mr Abdullah released the village-wise directory of water supply schemes in Kashmir.

The directory, first ever in the country, gives detail of all villages fully or partially provided drinking water facilities and total population benefited. The directory has been printed by the state’s Public Health Engineering Department.

Trifurcation not to be allowed: NC

SRINAGAR, Oct 30 (PTI) — The General Secretary of the ruling National Conference (NC), Sheikh Nazir Ahmad, today said that any attempt to divide Jammu and Kashmir would prove dangerous to the integrity of the country.

Referring to the demands from some quarters for the trifurcation of the state, he said: “No one will be allowed to divide Jammu and Kashmir on the basis of religion or language”.

He said the unity of the state and communal harmony for which Kashmir was known, would be maintained at all costs as the people of all three regions — Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh — had made sacrifices to attain freedom from the centuries-old autocratic rule.

He said the NC was against violence and favoured peaceful means to resolve issues.