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April 1, 2001, Chandigarh, India   
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Improve
response, forces told Oppn members marshalled out Union minister given
clean chit People’s League chief
held |
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Register migrant families: panel Yadava takes over as 16 Corps Commander Four
crushed to death Investment up on roads,
bridges
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Improve
response, forces told Srinagar,
March 31 According
to the police, the Lashkar-e-Toiba has carried out 15 suicide attacks
since November 28 last year when the Prime Minister, Mr Atal Behari
Vajpayee, announced a ceasefire. These attacks have claimed the lives
of 40 security personnel and 20 ‘fidayeen’ at least 30 security
personnel and 15 militants have been killed in six major suicide
attacks over the past four months on CRPF camps in Anantnag, Wazir
Bagh, Srinagar, the Srinagar airport and the Police Control room (PCR),
Srinagar. The suicide attacks in Kashmir began with an attack on the Border Security Force (BSF) Sector headquarters at Bandipore in Baramula district in July, 1999. The DIG, BSF, and four others were killed in the incident. A series of attacks followed in several parts of the valley and the first such attack in Srinagar was made at the Badami Bagh cantonment on November 3, 1999. The Defence PRO and five of his colleagues were among 11 persons killed in the incident two militants were also shot. “Fidayeen
(suicide) attacks are acts of desperation which give them publicity”,
said Mr K.Rajendra, DIG Srinagar. He said militants often chose soft
targets . Despite every precaution even such attacks could not be
prevent as the “militants appear in the guise of security forces
wearing uniform”. What enables the militants to approach their
targets “unnoticed” is the easy availability of Army uniform. In
both major attacks, one at the Srinagar airport on January 16 and the
other on the CRPF camp at Wazir Bagh here on march 26, the militants
were in uniform. Six militants who attacked the outer gate of the
Srinagar airport and the two militants who intruded into the Wazir
Bagh camp of the CRPF wearing uniform were killed in retaliatory
action by CRPF personnel. During the past three months a total of 250 persons have been killed, including 44 militants, 36 civilians, 14 security personnel and five police personnel besides 150 others. Those injured in these incidents during the past three months include 196 civilians, 59 security force personnel and 17 police personnel. Thirteen militants have been arrested, according to official estimates. A study shows that the number of these incidents considerably fell last year as compared to 1999. Against 11,212 militancy-related incidents registered in 1999, there were 10684 incidents in the year 2000. Accordingly, the number of civilians killed last (342) was less than the 558 during 1999. In
1999, at least 699 local militants, 144 foreign militants and 143
security personnel were killed while 260 security personnel were
injured. Against it, 829 local militants, 279 foreign militants and
196 security personnel were killed and 501 others injured last year.
The police here believe that this is on account of the ceasfire. |
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Oppn members marshalled out Jammu, March 31 Before the start of question hour, members belonging to the Congress, the BSP, the PDP and the CPM were seen on their feet, demanding a CBI probe. They were referring to newspaper reports alleging that a CID team had found in Ludhiana stickers of a Pakistan make being used to label shawls and blankets. As the Speaker disallowed any discussion, the protesting members walked to the entrance of the House and staged a demonstration. Mr Vakil watched the scene for a couple of minutes. As the members, including Mr Ashok Sharma, Mr Lal Singh, Mr Balbir Singh and Mr Cherring Dorje (all Congress) and Mr Sagar Chand and Mr Som Nath (BSP), raised slogans, the Speaker directed the watch and ward staff to remove them from the House. The security staff grappled with a couple of members and dragged them out. The Speaker directed the security officials to close the door and not allow them to re-enter. He also directed the BJP members to exercise restraint and not raise counter-slogans. Later, the CPM member, Mr M.Y. Tarigami, and the BSP leader, Mr Sheikh Abdul Rehman, pleaded with the Speaker for reconsideration of his ruling. They requested him to allow the members to re-enter the House. The Speaker was reluctant and wanted the members to given in writing that they would not misbehave. Ultimately, the members were allowed in. Members cutting across party affiliations expressed concern at the inordinate delay in the release of ex gratia to the king of those killed by militants. Mr Bali Bhagat of the BJP and Mir Saifullah and Mr Najib Sohrawardhy of the NC said old cases were still pending while the cases of those killed in the recent months had been finalised. The Speaker directed the Minister of State for Home to set up a firm criteria for the release of ex gratia and recruitment in government departments on compassionate grounds.
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Union minister given
clean chit Jammu, March 31 The Congress and the BSP had demanded a CBI probe, alleging that either the shawls had been smuggled from Pakistan or had been diverted from the relief consignment sent to Gujarat. Sources said an official of the state intelligence agency had gone to Ludhiana to confirm whether the shawls purchased from there carried fake labels. The Jammu-based shawl dealer, from whom the BJP unit had purchased the shawls, had stated that he had procured the shawls from Ludhiana. The CID official had contacted the dealer and others in Ludhiana and had found that the dealers used different stickers and labels. Some of these labels had been procured by traders in Jammu and Udhampur. The Ludhiana-based dealer had told the official that they had gradually discarded this practice as at times they would land in difficulty. According to the sources, sleuths of a central intelligence agency had purchased a shawl from the local market and from a different trader which also confirmed that different brands of shawls and blankets, under various labels, were being sold. Supporters of Prof Gupta said no FIR had been registered against the union minister. They said an application had been received by the police in Udhampur which had been forwarded to the SSP. Before the registeration of FIR, approval had to be sought from the President. A senior state government functionary said there would have been no controversy had local BJP leaders shown “indiscretion” while purchasing and distributing the shawls. He said BJP workers, entrusted with the task of purchasing the shawls, should have checked the labels. A supporter said the BJP Legislature Party was a divided house and, therefore, the controversy was blown out of proportion. People’s League chief held Srinagar, March 31 Khan, also associated with Al-Fateh, was arrested from his Chanapora residence. The People’s League chief and his associates have been receiving large amounts of money from Pakistan for distribution among militants in the valley. Khan’s arrest comes close on the heels of the arrest of two activists of the People’s League (Rehmani group) from Kathua district recently. A sum of Rs 18 lakh was recovered from the arrested persons.
PTI |
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Register migrant families: panel Jammu, March 31 The delegation informed that according to official records, 40,000 families migrated in 1947. Out of these, only 35,000 families have been registered. The others denied registration on grounds of legal technicalities like the families with monthly income of Rs 300, families which did not migrate on the crucial date and the families whose head did not migrate. The delegation demanded payment of compensation in lieu of loss of moveable and immoveable properties left by the displaced persons of the POK during 1947, and allotment of land declared surplus under the Agrarian Reform Act, 1976. The delegation recalled the recommendations of the rehabilitation board regarding allotment of plots to urban families, conferring proprietary rights over property allotted to the displaced persons and setting up of an agency on the pattern of CDPRA. The delegation informed the minister that the state administrative council had in 1990 sent to the Centre a memorandum of Rs 112 crore, including Rs 65.76 crore for payment of Rs 25,000 as lumpsum grant to each displaced person’s family. The delegation demanded the implementation of the financial memorandum besides the withdrawal of the controversial Resettlement Act of 1982. The delegation also demanded amendment in the Administration of Evacuees Property Act and Land Grant Act. The minister assured delegation that their genuine demands would be taken up with the authorities concerned. |
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Yadava takes over as 16 Corps Commander Jammu, March 31 Senior Army officers and other dignitaries were present when General Yadava assumed the charge from Lieut-Gen A.S. Khanna, who has been shifted to the Army headquarters in Delhi. General Yadava was commissioned into the 11 Gorkha Rifles in 1964 and has participated in the 1965 and 1971 wars. He was awarded the Vir Chakra for displaying outstanding leadership and valour in the battle of Bogra. During the days of militancy in Punjab, he commanded an Infantry Brigade and was awarded the VSM for carrying out successful operations against the militants. General Yadava was also the GOC in Kashmir. He was also awarded the AVSM for his distinguished services.
General Yadava has had a stint in Malaysia and Brunei as military attache. |
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Four
crushed to death Kathua, March 31 The ill-fated truck was on the way from Srinagar to Kathua. Meanwhile, truck driver Harjeet Singh, son of Mr Amar Singh of ward No. 10, Kathua, and conductor Dev Raj, son of Mr Jallu Ram, a resident of Kangra, have been arrested. In a similar accident, Inder Kumar, son of Mr Sham Lal, resident of Sherpur Hiranagar, was crushed to death by a speeding truck on the Jammu-Pathankot national highway. Truck driver Harpreet was arrested on the spot. |
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Investment up on roads,
bridges Jammu, March 31 Despite restrictions on the availability of funds, the state has mobilised itself to tapped institutional finances for the first time, resulting in considerable relief to large sections of population by way of extended roads and bridges. The Public Works Department invested Rs 126.98 crore in the R and B sector during the current financial year against Rs 99.63 crore during 1999-2000. The department at present maintains a road length of about 7129 km in the valley and 4494 km in the Jammu division. It has upgraded 1214 km road length during the current financial year. The major achievements of the R and B sector include macadamisation of 31-km long AKV road at a cost of Rs 4 crore. Similarly, under the Nabard assistance programme, Sopore-Bandipora road is being upgraded at a cost of Rs 1.90 crore, the Magam-Beerwa-Budgam road at a cost of Rs 7.02 crore and the Sumbal-Ganderbal Barsoo road at a cost of Rs 3.50 crore. A road length of 12 km was metalled in the Srinagar city during the current year. In the Jammu region, the major road schemes taken up under the Nabard programme include the Rs 7.41 crore Ramnagar-Dudu road, Rs 1.31 crore Korranka-Khar road, Rs 1 crore Thathri-Kilotarn road, Rs 70 lakh Baderwah-Jai road, Rs 2.34 crore Basohli-Dhar road and Rs 1.53 crore Kungwani-Sai road. The rural road connectivity, too, has shown an appreciable progress and out of 6477 inhabited villages, 4243 stand connected by road. |
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