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| Wednesday, December 20, 2000, Chandigarh, India   
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J&K announces poll schedule Bridge to be built
under NCRF Slathia allotted
power portfolio Plan to hold fruit
mandi discussed JD(U) undertakes
‘aman yatras’ |
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J&K announces poll schedule JAMMU, Dec 19 — The National Conference Government headed by Dr Farooq Abdullah today added another feather to its cap when it announced the election schedule for panchayats in Jammu and Kashmir. The schedule was finalised at a meeting of the state Cabinet which was presided over by the Chief Minister, Dr Farooq Abdullah. The Chief Secretary, Mr Ashok Jaitly, said the panchayat elections, to be held in the state after 23 years would start from January 15. The polling time would be between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. The poll would be held on a non-party basis for the first time. Election symbols of political parties would be “frozen” and the candidates given a choice from a wide range of symbols. Mr Jaitly said since the Jammu and Kashmir Panchayat Raj Rules, 1996, had been amended, a 15-day canvassing period had been provided to the candidates after the last date of withdrawal of nominations. Earlier there would be 35 days for canvassing. He said all ballot papers would be in printed form and two separate ballot papers in district colours, one for the election of the panch and the other for the sarpanch, were being printed. The elections would be in seven phases. In view of the vast hilly terrain and on account of the security arrangements needed for a free and fair poll. In the first phase, the districts of Kupwara, Poonch and Rajouri would go to the polls from January 15, covering 21 blocks comprising 499 panchayats with 3875 constituencies. The first phase would have three-days of polling. Eight blocks comprising 183 panchayats and 396 constituencies in Kathua district would be covered in the three-day polling schedule in the second phase beginning January 21. In the third phase, Baramula and Jammu districts would go to the polls, commencing February 1. These two districts had 571 panchayats and 4599 constituencies. The fourth phase would cover Srinagar and Badgam districts where the polling would be held on February 12, 13 and 14. In this phase, 2110 constituencies in 446 would go to the polls. In Udhampur district, the polling would start from February 10 and be completed only by March 14 due to the vast hilly area in the district, which had no motorable road. The district had 215 panchayats and 1840 constituencies which were to be covered in five days of polling. In view of the difficult hill terrain and vastness of the area, Doda district would have a seven-day polling schedule from February 16. The district had 266 panchayats and 2004 constituencies. Pulwama in south Kashmir with 236 panchayats and 1586 constituencies would have a two-day polling schedule. The seventh and the last phase would begin on March 12 covering Leh, Kargil and Anantnag districts. These had 442 panchayats and 3142 constituencies. The Chief Electoral Officer had been nominated as the election authority under the Panchayat Act for conducting the elections. There would be in all 21,000 constituencies of panches and 2700 of sarpanches. The total electorate eligible for casting vote was 35.35 lakh. At least an 80,000 strong staff were to be deployed for the massive exercise. There would be 1000 Returning Officers, one for three panchayats. They would be supported by 2,000 Assistant Returning Officers, 22,000 attendants and 11,000 Presiding Officers. Informed sources said the Cabinet decided to complete the panchayat poll in seven phases because of paucity of security forces. The Centre is yet to deploy additional security personnel for the poll. Under the seven-phased poll programme, the government would be able to rush several companies of security forces from one district, where the polling has been completed, to the other. Seven Opposition parties, including the BJP, the Congress and the PDP, while welcoming the poll schedule, have criticised the government for holding the poll on a non-party basis. Mr Raman Bhalla of the Congress said the Cabinet had decided to hold the poll on a non-party basis because the National Conference was not sure of its success. The Opposition also criticised the government for having provided 33 per cent representation to women by nominating them as panches. |
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Bridge to be built
under NCRF JAMMU, Dec 19 — The Nehama bridge over the Vishu
Nullah in the Damhal Hanjkipora area in the Kashmir valley is being constructed under the natural calamity relief fund (NCRF) at an estimated cost of Rs 6 crore. So far, Rs 1.60 crore has been utilised on it while Rs 40 lakh will be spent this year. This was disclosed at a meeting of the Natural Calamity Relief Fund Committee by the Chief Secretary, Mr Ashok Jaitly here yesterday. The committee released Rs 40 lakh for the Nehama bridge for the current financial year. The committee also released the second instalment of Rs 30 lakh for the current financial year for the construction of the Dudhi Nullah Machhil bridge in Kupwara district. The bridge will be completed at a cost of Rs 58.72 lakh under the NCRF. An amount of Rs 18 lakh has been spent on its construction so far. The Brazalla bridge over the Vishu Nullah in the Qwazigund area has been completed at a cost of Rs 1.25 crore and thrown open to traffic. The meeting also released Rs 1.61 lakh for providing input subsidy to the affected farmers of Gurez whose potato crop was damaged to the extent of more than 50 per cent due to fungal disease. The farmers will get the input subsidy at the rate of Rs 37.50 per kanal. To simplify the procedure for expeditious discouragement of exgratia to victims of road accident, the committee decided that henceforth, the Deputy Commissioners would authorised to sanction ex gratia relief of Rs 10,000 for next of kin of the road accident victims. Slathia allotted
power portfolio JAMMU, Dec 19 — In order to improve working of the Power Development Department, the Chief Minister, Dr Farooq Abdullah, has also allotted the portfolio of power to the Tourism Minister, Mr S.S. Slathia. Since 1996, when the National Conference was voted to power, the Power Development Department remained with the Chief Minister. Dr Abdullah is said to have realised that he has not been able to give more time to the power sector. The Chief Minister has allotted power portfolio to Mr Slathia who has assured him that he would improve the working of the department. |
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Plan to hold fruit
mandi discussed JAMMU, Dec 19 — Issues related to the development of the second phase of the modern fruit and vegetable mandi coming up at Marwal near railway station, were discussed at a meeting presided over by the Minister for Agriculture and Rural development, Mr Mohammad Ramzan, here yesterday. The mandi will have 302 shop cites and three cold storage units in the second phace with 24 shops sites reserved for seed and vegetable growers. In the first phase, 240 shop cites were allotted to the fruit growers while another 140 shop cites were provided for vegetable market. The two phases of the mandi would be
spread over 800 kanals. The mandi will have the provision for cold storage, common facility centres, bank, post-office, canteen, lavatories, car parking, truck terminals and storage sheds. It was decided at the meeting the matter be taken up with the Forest Department regarding transfer of 276 kanals of land to Jammu Development Authority (JDA) for the development of fruit
mandi. |
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JD(U) undertakes
‘aman yatras’ JAMMU, Dec 19 — The state unit of the Janata Dal (United) — JD(U) — has come up with a novel way of promoting peace in the troubled areas of Jammu and Kashmir by organising “aman yatras” (peace missions). After the success of its mission in Uri, the JD(U) has started another “aman yatra” from Jammu to Rajouri. Supporters and activists of the JD(U), led by its President, Mohammad Maqbool Dar, a former Union Minister of State for Home, marched through some militancy-infested areas, including Reasi and Kalakot, to reach Rajouri. People welcomed the yatris and organised rallies where the cooperation of people was sought for promoting peace in the state. The party’s General Secretary, Dr A.K. Kharu, flagged off the “aman yatra” in Jammu. JAMMU, Dec 19 (PTI) — Fortyfour Bangladeshi nationals trying to cross over to Pakistan were apprehended by BSF troops at the border outpost of Pindi Khurd in Arinia area of R.S. Pura sector last night, an official spokesman said here today.
Those apprehended included 34 men, nine women and a child, he said. They have been handed over to the police for further investigation, the spokesman added. |
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