J A M M U   &   K A S H M I R

Militants attack post
SRINAGAR, Nov 21 — Ignoring the ceasefire offered by the Centre, militants fired a rocket at a BSF headquarter and attacked a police post in the Kashmir valley since last evening, injuring a police officer, the police said today.

Coop banks to be farmer-friendly
JAMMU, Nov 21 — The Agriculture and Cooperative Minister, Chaudhary Mohammad Ramzan, has said the lending policy of the cooperative banks would be made farmer friendly. He said the cooperative banks should ensure 70 per cent of their investments in the farm sector.

Guru Granth Sahib's open sale banned
JAMMU, Nov 21 — Jammu’s district authorities have prohibited the sale of Guru Granth Sahib in the open market following complaints that booksellers were showing no respect to the sacred text.

Property of former minister attached
SRINAGAR, Nov 21 — The Sales Tax Department today attached the property of a business house dealing in automobiles owned by a former minister and member of the J and K legislative Assembly, Mr Iftikhar Hussain Ansari, and his family for default of sales tax payment.

Conference on peace in J&K from Nov 25
NEW DELHI, Nov 21 — Close on the heels of Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee’s offer of a unilateral ceasefire, an international conference with extensive participation is going to deliberate this weekend on ways for giving peace a chance in Jammu and Kashmir.

Militants attack post

SRINAGAR, Nov 21 (PTI) — Ignoring the ceasefire offered by the Centre, militants fired a rocket at a BSF headquarter and attacked a police post in the Kashmir valley since last evening, injuring a police officer, the police said today.

Sub-Inspector Haji Ghulam Mohiuddin received gunshot wounds when militants attacked a police post at Keller in Pulwama district of south Kashmir this morning.

Militants fired a rocket at the headquarters of 84th Battalion of the BSF in Sopore in north Kashmir late last night which missed its target and caused no loss of life or damage to property.

Militants also hurled a grenade on a security patrol at Alamgiri Bazar in downtown Srinagar last evening. However, nobody was hurt in the incident.

Militants shot at and wounded two persons at Galwanpora in Hyderpora locality near the Srinagar airport road this morning.

The injured were rushed to a hospital where the condition of one of them was stated to be “critical”. 

Coop banks to be farmer-friendly
From Our Correspondent

JAMMU, Nov 21 — The Agriculture and Cooperative Minister, Chaudhary Mohammad Ramzan, has said the lending policy of the cooperative banks would be made farmer friendly. He said the cooperative banks should ensure 70 per cent of their investments in the farm sector.

Addressing one-day seminar organised jointly by the Indian Farmers Fertiliser Cooperative Limited and the J and K Cooperative Union in connection with the ongoing All India Cooperative Week at Udhaywalla near Jammu on Sunday. The minister said credit-deposit ratio of the cooperative banks would be rationalised to make it more beneficial for the farmers. The minister said efforts would be made to establish one cooperative bank in each district of the state with an apex body at the divisional level to govern the service matters on various banks. This would provide efficient banking with transparency and accountability.

The minister announced that government has formulated an ambitious plan to issue about 42,000 kisan credit cards, 3000 cards from each 14 districts of the state, by the end of next month. Strict instructions in this regard have been given to the district heads of agriculture, horticulture and cooperative departments. The minister added that strict action would be taken against the officers failing to meet this commitment. He said kisan credit cards would facilitate farmers get required financial assistance from the banks.

The minister also announced that elections to the cooperative institutions would be held after panchayati raj elections.

Guru Granth Sahib's open sale banned

JAMMU, Nov 21 (UNI) — Jammu’s district authorities have prohibited the sale of Guru Granth Sahib in the open market following complaints that booksellers were showing no respect to the sacred text.

Sikhs had complained that Guru Granth Sahib and other sacred books were being stored and displayed for sale by booksellers without observing any respect.

They were being put in the most ordinary manner at places were acts of sacrilege, such as smoking, occured with impunity, the Sikhs said in their representation.

Also, they said such religious books could not be sold in the open market as these could only be requisitioned and procured from the SGPC.

District Magistrate R.K. Goyal said in his order, which he issued under Section 144 of the CrPC, that one such instance was brought to his notice where public sentiments were hurt.

He said there was apprehension that the sale of the Holy Granth in such a manner could disturb peace and tranquility.

Property of former minister attached

SRINAGAR, Nov 21 (PTI) — The Sales Tax Department today attached the property of a business house dealing in automobiles owned by a former minister and member of the J and K legislative Assembly, Mr Iftikhar Hussain Ansari, and his family for default of sales tax payment.

The attachment of M/s Ansari Motors owned by Mr Ansari, his brother Abid Hussain Ansari and another family member was carried out for a default of sales tax amounting to Rs 1.11 crore as of March, 1994, the Deputy Commissioner, Sales Tax (Recovery), Kashmir division, said here today.

He said in respect of assessment for 1994-95, 1995-96 and 1996-97, action was being taken separately by the department in the light of the directions by the Supreme Court. 

Conference on peace in J&K from Nov 25
Tribune News Service

NEW DELHI, Nov 21 — Close on the heels of Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee’s offer of a unilateral ceasefire, an international conference with extensive participation is going to deliberate this weekend on ways for giving peace a chance in Jammu and Kashmir.

The two-day conference, beginning from November 25, being organised by the International Centre for Peace Initiatives in close collaboration with Oslo based Chr Michelson Institution, is going to be attended not only by some leaders of the All-Party Hurriyat Conference, including Mr Yasin Malik of the Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front, but also by over 100 political leaders, experts, academics, social activists and others from both sides of the state as well as from abroad.

Peace march taken out

SRINAGAR, Nov 21 (PTI) — Counter-insurgent-turned-politician Javid Hussain Shah today took out a peace march here today.

Organised by Mr Shah’s Nation Security Organisation (NSO) and the Jammu and Kashmir Welfare Forum (JKWF), the peace march was joined by about 100 persons at Sonawar.

Carrying placards and banners marchers raised slogans against the gun-culture and in favour of peace.

The march comes close on the heels of a unilateral ceasefire announced by the Centre in Jammu and Kashmir, effective from the holy month of Ramzan.