J A M M U   &   K A S H M I R

Ten hurt in grenade attack
SRINAGAR, Jan 5 — Ten persons, including four Border Security Force personnel, were injured when militants made an attempt to blow up a police station and a security picket with grenades in Srinagar today, an official spokesman said here. Two grenades were lobbed by militants within a span of 10 minutes at a BSF picket at Hanuman Mandir in the heart of the city and the Khanyar police station, the spokesman said.

Boycott poll, Hizb tells people
SRINAGAR, Jan 5 — The radical Hizb-ul-Mujahideen today cautioned the people of Jammu and Kashmir against participating in the panchayat elections, even as the state government today resolved to go ahead with the poll as per schedule.





Security men search for explosive devices in the Maulana Azad Sports Stadium in Jammu on Friday. Security agencies sealed the stadium, which will be the official venue for the Republic Day celebrations on January 26. 
— Reuters photo

100 pc increase in J&K fruit exports
JAMMU, Jan 5 — Jammu and Kashmir braved militancy and killings to record a 100 per cent increase in fruit exports in the past decade, state Horticulture Director B. L. Bhat today said. The exports touched 7.72 lakh metric tonnes in 1999-2000 compared to 3.95 lakh metric tonnes in 1990-91, Mr Bhat said. 

Development works reviewed
KATHUA, Jan 5 — The District Development Commissioner, Kathua, Mr Mehboob Iqbal, reviewed the physical and financial achievements registered under the engineering sector up to November, 2000 at a meeting of engineers of the PHE, Irrigation and PWD held under his chairmanship here yesterday.

NSS camp concludes
KATHUA, Jan 5 — A 10-day NSS camp organised by the NSS unit of Government Degree College, Kathua, at Chack Sajjan village concluded here yesterday. As many as 132 NSS volunteers participated in the camp. The all-India secretary, Bharat Vikas Parishad, Mr Lalit Mahajan, was the chief guest.

Ten hurt in grenade attack
Tribune News Service and PTI

SRINAGAR, Jan 5 — Ten persons, including four Border Security Force (BSF) personnel, were injured when militants made an attempt to blow up a police station and a security picket with grenades in Srinagar today, an official spokesman said here.

Two grenades were lobbed by militants within a span of 10 minutes at a BSF picket at Hanuman Mandir in the heart of the city and the Khanyar police station, the spokesman said. The first exploded but the second did not and was defused by the experts.

Four BSF jawans and six pedestrians were injured in the explosion at the BSF picket at Hanuman Mandir. The militants escaped as panicky people ran helter-skelter after the blast.

A police spokesman said here this evening that three militants were killed in Doda, Rajouri and Poonch districts of Jammu region. An unidentified militant was killed in an encounter with the police at Haddle (Gandoh) village in Doda district. A police constable was also injured in the incident.

A militant of the Lashkar-e-Toiba, Abu Subhan Umar, was killed in an encounter at Azmatabad, Thanamandi, in Rajouri district yesterday. A rifle, three magazines, and a hand grenade were recovered from the slain militant.

An unidentified militant was killed in an encounter with the security forces at Salouian-Gali-Pindi village in the Mandi sector of Poonch district last night.

Unidentified militants shot dead a surrendered militant, Javed Ahmad Wani, when they intruded into his house at Takia Bahramshah in Anantnag district last evening.

An employee of the Forest Department, Mohammad Ashraf Dar, was shot dead by unidentified militants at Laharwavpora in Bandipore area of Baramula district yesterday.

The police recovered the body of Bashir Ahmad War of Dachanpora, Panzla from Chechi Gujri in Baramula district. He had been kidnapped by unidentified militants from his house yesterday and killed for being an “informer”.

A counter-insurgent, an activist of the “Ikhwan”, was injured when militant fired at him in Aminoo village of Anantnag district. He has been identified as Bilal Ahmad Thokar.

Two persons, Tanveer Hussain and Shafat Hussain, were abducted by unidentified militants in Army uniform from their houses in Kundan, Shahdra Sharief in Rajouri district.

Four persons reportedly kidnapped by militants from Arai Mandi in Poonch district have been set free, the police said. They have been identified as Mohammad Bashir, Saifuddin, Shah Faisal and Mohammad Aslam.

JAMMU: Three Pakistani intruders were killed and a huge cache of arms and ammunition recovered by the Indian Army in Poonch district last night.

Defence sources said troops noticed suspicious movement closer to the Line of Control (LoC) in Haveli tehsil of Poonch district at about 2200 hours on Thursday.

The militants opened indiscriminate fire on the troops, who retaliated and in the ensuing gunfire three infiltrators were killed.

Later, the troops conducted a search of the area and recovered a large quantity of arms and ammunition, including a missile launcher of Chinese origin, a 60 mm mortar with accessories, 10 60 mm mortar bombs, two missiles, two AK assault rifles with two magazines and 10 rounds, a Chinese-made pistol with a magazine, a Pika sealed ammunition box, two hand grenades and 25 anti-tank rifle grenades.

Boycott poll, Hizb tells people

SRINAGAR, Jan 5 (UNI) — The radical Hizb-ul-Mujahideen today cautioned the people of Jammu and Kashmir against participating in the panchayat elections, even as the state government today resolved to go ahead with the poll as per schedule.

In a statement here today, the front-ranking group said the people of the state would participate in any such election in large numbers if held to decide the future of the state.

“The people of Jammu and Kashmir have time and again rejected the election drama”, the statement issued by commander Masood said.

However, if plebiscite was held, for which the Hizb was fighting, large number of the people from the state would participate in such an exercise, it said.

Commander Masood claimed that holding of the panchayat elections at a time when efforts were being made to find a peaceful solution to the Kashmir issue showed “frustration” of the state government which saw danger to its chair.

Commander Masood alleged that the state government was using the elections as a tool to sabotage peace efforts.

He cautioned the people not to participate in the “election drama”.

“When parliamentary and Assembly elections could not resolve the problem, how can the panchayat elections help” he asked.

He threatened the state government with dire consequences if it did not restrain from holding elections in the state.

Meanwhile, state Minister for Agriculture and Rural Development Choudhary Mohammad Ramzan said the panchayat elections would be held in all 2700 constituencies in Jammu and Kashmir as per schedule.

He said 80,000 officials would be deployed for ensuring a free and fair poll. The elections were being held after 23 years and would be conducted in seven phases from January 15 to March 15, Mr Ramzan added.

On the security measures, he said 150 companies of the security forces would be deployed to ensure the safety of voters and officials.

100 pc increase in J&K fruit exports

JAMMU, Jan 5 (UNI) — Jammu and Kashmir braved militancy and killings to record a 100 per cent increase in fruit exports in the past decade, state Horticulture Director B. L. Bhat today said.

The exports touched 7.72 lakh metric tonnes in 1999-2000 compared to 3.95 lakh metric tonnes in 1990-91, Mr Bhat said. The exports showed a quantum jump of 1.73 lakh metric tonnes in 1999-2000 alone.

Mr Bhat said this “remarkable increase” had been achieved because of a massive campaign launched by the government to popularise agricultural products, exploration of markets and diversification.

The export had been about 4.5 lakh metric tonnes during the first nine months of the current financial year compared to 5.99 lakh metric tonnes in 1998-99, he said.

Jammu and Kashmir was the country’s largest apple-producing state contributing more than 62 per cent of India’s apple production.

The increase in fruit production had opened new challenges in fruit marketing and the Horticulture Department had a major role to play in helping fruit growers, he said.

The department participated in 79 exhibitions, fairs and fruit shows in various parts of the country, including Mumbai, Lucknow, Chennai, Hyderabad and Chandigarh.

Mr Bhat said efforts were on to identify new markets both within and outside the country. A six-member team comprising officials of the Horticulture Department and representatives of fruit growers’ associations recently visited Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.

The toll tax earnings on account of exports of fruit also registered a two-fold increase last year. The state earned a revenue of Rs 32 crore as tool tax in 1999-2000 as against Rs 16.6 crore in 1998-99.

Last year’s revenue from fruit exports up to November last year had been Rs 19 crore. The foreign exchange earned by the state on account of exports of dry fruits, including walnuts, had been Rs 203.71 crore in 1996-97 and 1998-99, Mr Bhat said.

Development works reviewed
From Our Correspondent

KATHUA, Jan 5 — The District Development Commissioner, Kathua, Mr Mehboob Iqbal, reviewed the physical and financial achievements registered under the engineering sector up to November, 2000 at a meeting of engineers of the PHE, Irrigation and PWD held under his chairmanship here yesterday.

The meeting was told that under R & B sector Rs 31.87 lakh had been spent against the allocation of Rs 96 lakh on the improvement and upgradation of different roads in Kathua district.

The meeting was further told that under the Border Area Development Programme Rs 18.45 lakh had been released under the education sector for the construction of primary school buildings and construction of additional class room for the primary and middle schools. Under the power sector an amount of Rs 6.39 lakh had been spent on the improvement of existing substations and HT/LT etc. Under the agriculture sector an Rs 1.07 lakh had been spent for the purchase of spray pumps, and electric pump sets.

Under the health sector Rs 9 lakh had been released for the construction of two medical officer’s quarters at Marheen and for the completion of additional accommodation in Primary Health Centre, Dinga Amb. Under the Border Area Development Programme Phase-VIII an amount of Rs 19.65 lakh had been released for the purchase of an X-ray plant, dental chairs, ambulance and ECG machines and for organising health awareness camps. Under the R&B sector an amount of Rs 40.80 lakh had been spent on the upgradation of existing border link roads by way of shingling, metalling and pre-mixing.

Addressing the meeting the District Development Commissioner impressed upon the functionaries of the Engineering Departments to step up their efforts and complete the ongoing schemes under the district plan and the Border Area Development Programme and utilise the funds before the close of the current financial year.

NSS camp concludes
From Our Correspondent

KATHUA, Jan 5 — A 10-day NSS camp organised by the NSS unit of Government Degree College, Kathua, at Chack Sajjan village concluded here yesterday. As many as 132 NSS volunteers participated in the camp.

The all-India secretary, Bharat Vikas Parishad, Mr Lalit Mahajan, was the chief guest.

A number of symposiums and cultural programmes, were held during the camp. The volunteers also contributed Rs 1400 for the construction of a class-room which was taken in hand by them. The participating NSS volunteers also conducted a socio-economic and rural development and literacy rate survey of the adopted village, and its peripheral localities besides cleaning of local ‘bowlies,’ Vridh ashram, the cremation ground and the college campus.

In symposium, Mr Ajat Shatru Singh, Miss Shital Sharma and Mr Krishan Kumar Bhardwaj bagged first, second and third positions. In the 200 metre race first position was bagged by Mr Arun Sharma while as Mr Vrinder Singh and Mr Suram Singh were won second and third positions, respectively. In the 100 metre women group race competition, Miss Sanjogeta Gupta, Miss Minakshi Gupta and Miss Jiven Jyoti baged first, second and third positions respectively.

In the poster writing competition the first three prizes were bagged by Miss Provjot Kaur, Mr Rajinder Singh Janwal and Mr Ankush while in the slogan writing contest, Miss Ranu Sharma, Mr Arun Kumar and Miss Monika Sharma got first, second and third positions respectively.