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| Thursday, December 21, 2000, Chandigarh, India   
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Militants target Army
camp, girl killed Bhat welcomes ceasefire extension 500 cr HUDCO aid for J&K Working of J & K
Public Health Dept reviewed |
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Militants target Army camp, girl killed SRINAGAR, Dec 20 (PTI) — A 12-year-old girl was killed and two civilians injured as militants targeted an Army camp and an ITBP vehicle in Kashmir valley today, an official spokesman said. He said a group of militants launched several rockets followed by firing on troops at Hafrada in Kupwara district in north Kashmir. Army personnel returned the fire in which the girl, identified as Shaheena, was killed, he said, adding that the militants later escaped. Two persons were injured when the militants lobbed a grenade at an ITBP vehicle at Bidder market in Anantnag district, the spokesman said. The militants shot dead two counter-insurgents and wounded two others in separate attacks, while a BSF jawan succumbed to his injuries in the valley since last night, an official spokesman said here today. He said a counter-insurgent associated with Ikhwan outfit, Ghulam Mohammad Najar, was killed by the militants at Chewalgam in Anantnag district of south Kashmir last evening. The militants also killed an Ikhwan militant in Budyari in Kupwara district of north Kashmir today, the spokesman said. He said constable Jagroop Singh of 63 BSF Battalion, who was critically injured in a militant attack on his headquarters near Dalgate in Srinagar, succumbed to his injuries last night. A civilian Abdul Kabir Najar was wounded in a grenade explosion at a bus stand in Shopian town of Pulwama district, the spokesman said, adding that the militants also shot at and injured an Ikhwani, Abdul Rehman Khanday, at Khudwani in Anantnag district last night. Unidentified gunmen kidnapped a shopkeeper Nazir Ahmad from his house at Awantipora in Pulwama district last night, he said. He said the police foiled an attempt of two suspected militants to kidnap naib-tehsildar of Pahalgam in Anantnag district yesterday and arrested ]kidnappers Fayaz Ahmed and Mohammad Shafi. The spokesman said a group of gunmen forced their entry into the house of Noor Mohammad Khandji at Firdous Colony in Eidgah locality of downtown Srinagar last evening and looted ornaments and other valuables worth over Rs 3 lakh at gunpoint. Meanwhile, security forces recovered some arms and ammunition from Budnambal and Kralihar in Kupwara district yesterday. |
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Bhat welcomes ceasefire extension JAMMU, Dec 20 — Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee’s announcement extending the ceasefire period by another month has been welcomed even by the separatist leaders, including those in the All-Party Hurriyat Conference. The announcement made by Mr Vajpayee in Parliament that the ceasefire, which was to expire on Decembere 27, would be extended by one month was on the expected lines. This correspondent had stated in one of the news items, which appeared in The Tribune on December 16, that the ceasefire was to be extended following persistent demand from a cross-section of political leaders. The APHC Chairman Prof Abdul Gani Bhat, welcomed further extension in the ceasefire saying that one-month cessation of combat operations was too small a period for destroying the walls of mistrust and misunderstanding. “We need a longer time for finalising our strategy because we have to discuss the issues with Pakistan and militant groups,” he said. Professor Bhat said the APHC had already clarified its stand and it was up to the Government of India to carry the purpose of the ceasefire to its logical conclusion which could be achieved if Pakistan was involved in the talks and “we are allowed to visit Pakistan to talk to militant groups.” He made it clear the support of the militant groups for any decision was needed to ensure peace and durable settlement of the Kashmir issue. He said giving one month’s extension to the ceasefire offer would be meaningless if Delhi did not consider “our demand” with a spirit of sincerity. The Chief Minister, Dr Farooq Abdullah, said he was not against the ceasefire but India should tell Pakistan that it and the Pak-trained militants should end violence and stop killing of innocent people. He said by extending the ceasefire period by one month the Prime Minister had demonstrated that India was for peace in Kashmir. The state unit of the BJP has supported the Prime Minister’s decision. However, senior party leaders appealed to Mr Vajpayee to ensure that there was no laxity on the part of the security forces. They said during the first three weeks of the ceasefire militants had stepped up acts of violence and resorted to killing of innocent people. The security forces should be given a free hand in dealing firmly with the militants found sabotaging the peace process and indulging in attacking soft targets. Senior Congress leader Raman Bhalla said extension in the ceasefire was welcome but the BJP-led NDA government should make its policy on Kashmir clear. He said confusion had been created by the Prime Minister’s sudden announcement of ceasefire in November last because the government had stated that the cessation of operations were meant to encourage separatists to hold talks for ending violence and restoring peace in the state. He said on the other hand the separatists were insisting that the Kashmir issue should be discussed at the proposed parleys and they should not be confirmed to the peace process. A large section of common people in Kashmir and in the Jammu region were seen happy over the Prime Minister’s announcement on the plea that further extension in the ceasefire would create an atmosphere for promoting peace. Nazir Ahmed, a trader selling Kashmiri handicrafts in plains, said before leaving for Calcutta he would feel free in West Bengal because of the extension in the ceasefire. He said at least “we belonging to the middle class would be saved from being getting caught in the crossfire between the security forces and the militants.” However, reports from inner circles of some separatist and militant groups in the state have indicated that the rebels were upset over Mr Vajpayee’s announcement. These rebels, reports said, were perturbed because they suspect the Prime Minister had played his cards well. The separatists had expected that there would be no extension in the ceasefire period so that they could blame the government for sabotaging the peace process. They have reportedly felt uneasy on the ground that Pakistan too would be forced to extend its period of restraint on the LoC. In fact, foreign mercenaries belonging to the Lashkar-i-Toiba, Jash-e-Mohammad and Al Badr have already rejected the peace initiative since November 27 when the ceasefire was enforced in the state as they have been demanding merger of Kashmir with Pakistan without having any negotiations with the Government of India. Experts said Mr Vajpayee had again upset the plans of the separatists who had thought of coming out of the difficult situation in which they had been placed by the ceasefire announcement. Informed sources said there were strong indications that the Government of India may allow some APHC leaders to visit Pakistan for discussing the issues with the militants. That stage may be followed by Delhi’s willingness to hold talks with Islamabad once India found that Pakistan’s support to those foreign mercenaries who had been carrying out killing of innocent people and armed attacks on the security forces had been stopped. This is the only condition New Delhi has put forward to Islamabad. And India has conveyed to several US and Britain leaders that ordering maximum restraint on the LoC Pakistan had responded half-heartedly to the ceasefire declaration. |
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500 cr HUDCO aid for J&K JAMMU, Dec 20 — The Housing and Urban Development Corporation (HUDCO) has indentified Rs 500 crore schemes for financing various agencies in Jammu and Kashmir. The corporation has offered to provide finance to the state agencies for launching remunerative and non-remunerative projects. Giving the profile of the corporation to the Chief Minister, Dr Farooq Abdullah, here yesterday morning, the HUDCO executives sought the state government’s guarantee for the projects to be financed by it. HUDCO schemes include bank loan to the state government under HUDCO Niwas Scheme and house building advance for the employees, housing, urban infrastructure development, besides line of credit to power development department for the proposed working capital projects. As regards the expansion of its activities, HUDCO plans establishment of building centres in the uncovered nine districts of the state with a grant of Rs 5 lakh each by the Centre. It has indentified specific proposals for rural housing programme in five districts, which include Budgam, Kupwara and Kathua. For this purpose the Centre has made available Rs 98 lakh as subsidy for 1,470 dwelling units. The corporation has sanctioned five schemes involving projects cost of Rs 51.87 crore and HUDCO loan component of Rs 34.10 crore since its inception in Jammu. Five more schemes with project cost of Rs 50.86 crore and loan amount of Rs 39.92 crore are in the process of sanction. HUDCO has also released a grant of Rs 1.4 crore to the Jammu and Kashmir Housing for development of two model villages and two “bastis”, each in Jammu and Kashmir. Acknowledging the effort of HUDCO, the Chief Minister said the issue regarding state government guarantee would be examined at an appropriate level and asked the Chief Secretary to work out modalities. Mr Ali Mohammed Sagar Works Minister, and Mr Ashok Jaitly, Chief Secretary, were present at the meeting. HUDCO was represented by Mr Vinod Kumar, Executive Director (North), Mr R.Ramaswami, Regional Chief (Jammu) and Mr Harsh Baweja, senior Finance Officer, among others. Later HUDCO team held a separate meeting with the Chief Secretary. |
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Working of J & K
Public Health Dept reviewed JAMMU, Dec 20 — The Committee on Public Accounts met here yesterday to review the functioning of the Public Health and Irrigation departments. The meeting discussed the CAG’s audit report on the PHE division, Sopore and the irrigation division, Baramula, between 1990-91 and 1995-96 with regard to the purchase of excess store articles. The meeting also discussed the CAG’s audit report for 1997-98 with regard to persistent shortages in the stores in the water supply. |
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