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| Monday, April 16, 2001, Chandigarh, India   
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3 Lashkar men shot in encounter
CM for better vigil against infiltration Aid for refugees being used to buy arms |
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Pension scheme for J&K to be
revised Militancy stunts industrial growth Jammu festival a big draw
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3 Lashkar men shot in encounter Srinagar, April 15 Three militants of the Lashkar-e Toiba and a jawan of the BSF were killed in an encounter early today at Zonimar on the outskirts of Srinagar city. One house where the militants were hiding was also gutted in the exchange of firing, a police spokesman said. Those killed were identified as Aijaz, alias Janbaz alias Kitan, District commander of the Lashkar-e-Toiba, Farooq Bhai and Mir Sawa. One AK 56 rifle, two pistols, two wireless sets and 20 damaged hand grenades were recovered from the site of the encounter. The security forces cordoned off the locality early in the morning on a tip off and were fired upon by the hiding militants. A major tragedy was averted here when the police detected an abandoned vehicle carrying a powerful IED weighing 25 kgs in the Kokar Bazar area of the central Lal Chowk in Srinagar. The bomb disposal squad defused the IED, the police said. The car belonging to the Telecom Department had been snatched at gun point from the Nowshera area of the city yesterday the police said. The death toll in yesterday’s attack by militants in the Lal Chowk area here has gone up to six including two BSF jawans, two civilians, a police constable and one militant. As already reported three persons, including one BSF jawan, one civilian and one militant were killed in the incident last evening. Three police personnel were injured in the incident while the security forces seized one AK rifle, ammunition and two hand grenades. Giving details of the incident, a police spokesman today clarified that two foreign militants of the Lashkar-e-Toiba posing as policemen while planning some action were spotted by the alert police and BSF personnel while sitting in a hotel. As soon as asked to verify their identity they opened fire indiscriminately which was returned killing one militant while the other escaped. JAMMU: Three BSF jawans were killed and three others were wounded when militants opened fire on a BSF patrol party in Chapra village in the Gool area of Udhampur district today. The police said on a tip off a BSF party cordoned off a militant hideout in the village. As the BSF party was nearing the hideout it came under heavy fire killing three jawans on the spot and wounding three others who were shifted to hospital. According to the police in the retaliatory firing one militant are a foreign mercenary were killed. Others, however, escaped. |
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CM for better vigil against infiltration Srinagar, April 15 Talking to mediapersons here today after the commissioning of a 15-lakh gallon service reservoir at the Doodganga Water Supply scheme at Kralpora on the outskirts of the Srinagar city, Mr Abdullah denied that the situation in the valley had worsened. He was replying to queries from mediapersons on the increase in the number of suicide attacks by militants recently. He said that there was always a strategy to stop such incidents. The Chief Minister clarified that such incidents of suicide attacks were “bound to be there” as the police and the security forces had been on the high alert and frustrated the designs of the militants. He added that it was out of frustration that suicide attacks were being made by the militants. Referring to the latest offer of peace talks to the Hurriyat Conference and other militant groups in Kashmir for initiation of a peace process in Jammu and Kashmir, the Chief Minister said that it was a welcome step. He said that if Hurriyat Conference did not respond to the offer in a positive manner, it would be alienated. In reply to a question on the recent visit of the former Defence Minister, Mr Sharad Pawar, the Chief Minister denied that there were any aims and objectives behind the visit, as reported. He denied that Mr Pawar was on a “mission Kashmir” to initiate dialogue with the separatist leaders here. “Mr Pawar came on a holiday with all his family members... I hope his visit will bring more tourists to the Kashmir valley this season,” Mr Farooq Abdullah said. The Chief Minister also expressed his dissatisfaction over the flow of funds from the Centre. He pointed out that instead of Rs 1750 crore planned funds for the last financial year, only Rs 1050 crore were received. He questioned how could be the reconstruction work of the damaged structures started and completed. The paucity of funds came in the way of development works in the state, the Chief Minister said. |
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Aid for refugees being used to buy arms Jammu, April 15 What has worried the politicians and common people, who have no interest in the style of functioning of mullahas, is the way supporters of various fundamentalist organisations have been displaying arms during religious congregations. “Guns are more easily available than bread in Pakistan”, according to sources. The fundamentalists have been held responsible for misusing funds meant for relief to refugees. These fundamentalists have sought heavy financial assistance from Islamic countries and other Muslims settled in the USA, the UK, Canada, France and Germany so that relief measures were taken for the survival of Kashmiri and Afghan refugees camping in Pakistan and occupied Kashmir. These fundamentalists have been blamed for having used 80 per cent of these funds for purchase of arms and ammunition. Majority of the supporters of these fundamentalist groups have been provided with sophisticated weapons and explosives. Part of the weapons and ammunition was being diverted to Jammu and Kashmir for equipping militants who are engaged in carrying out armed attacks on camps and pickets of security forces and mainstream political leaders. Even some of the leading newspapers in Pakistan had, in recent months, cautioned Gen Pervez Musharraf against the race for arms started by the fundamentalists. The columnists said that in case the government did not come down heavily on the fundamentalists Pakistan would “slide to utter chaos.” They said that lengthening shadows of Taliban may lead to chaos in the country. In this context they referred to display of arms during prayers in mosques and the failure of the security forces to prevent those holding guns from making a show of their firearms. “There is no fear of law and arms being displayed in violation of law” is the common refrain in Pakistan. There was a growing fear that if the fundamentalists were allowed to build their “military power” the chances of restoration of democracy to Pakistan would be remote as the day was not far off when the mullahas would try to grab power from the military regime. Another fear was that even if General Masharraf was forced to have a change of heart and announced suspension of material support to militants operating in Jammu and Kashmir he may not succeed in that case because the fundamentalist groups would continue to smuggle weapons and explosives into Kashmir. As far as the flow of foreign donations to various religious groups in India was concerned it witnessed 113 per cent increase during the past five years. Official reports indicated that fundamentalist in Pakistan and in other countries had started sending huge sums of money to Christian and Muslim organisations in India. The Christian missionaries had been getting heavy financial assistance from the USA, the UK, Canada whereas Islamic nations increased material aid to Muslim organisations in India. During 1999 about Rs 400 crore had reached these religious groups in India from various foreign channels out of which over Rs 269 crore was meant for Christian missionaries and over Rs 25 crore for Muslim organisations. Official reports said that Kuwait had been on the top of the list as about Rs 450 crore come from this oil-rich nation for the fundamentalists in India and Pakistan. |
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Pension scheme for J&K to be
revised Jammu, April 15 These orders provide for full pension not less than 50 per cent of the minimum pay scale, irrespective of their date of retirement. The proforma is also applicable to similarly benefited family pensioners. In respect of employees who retired within 10 months from the date of coming over to the revised pay scales, i.e. with effect from January 1, 1996 to September 30, 1996, a revised formula for calculating their pension has been devised, vide order no. 122 dated March 28, 2001. All these pensioners are advised to apply to Accountant-General at Jammu or Srinagar as the case may be. The migrant pensioners will have to send their applications to the Accountant-General’s office at Jammu. |
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Militancy stunts industrial growth Jammu, April 15 The survey indicated that during the past 10 years 4840 units had been closed. Out of this 1583 units were closed due to inadequate loan and working capital, 939 units were shut down due to marketing problems, 470 units on account of non-availability of raw material. Over 670 units were closed, mainly in the Kashmir valley, due to militancy and migration. The experts have referred only 203 units to the government for rehabilitation. Official sources said due to militancy labourers failed to stick to the work schedule and frequent hartals and bandhs had also affected the work culture. A number of industrial unit holders closed down their units after they were being repeatedly approached by the militants for donations. In several cases the industrialists were threatened in case they registered the extortion bids. Wholesale dealers outside the state stopped credit facilities to unit holders in Kashmir with the result raw material was not available. Banks and financial institutions suspended credit facilities after scores of industrial unit holders failed to repay the interest and the principal amount. Those units which remained functional could not achieve the target as far as production was concerned. The average shortfall in production ranged between 30 and 50 per cent. Out of the 6,000 new units registered in 1980 only 1,000 were found functional in 1998. Apart from units working in various urban and rural areas the government had established 45 industrial estates. There was a race for procuring industrial plots in these estates but on an average more than 40 per cent of those plots could not be used for setting small or medium scale units. While some set up sheds others did not show their faces to the estate managers. The sources said as a result of threat perception and militancy-related violence the industrial unit holders did not make proper use of the incentives given by the government. Official figures revealed that during 1998-99 over Rs 84 crore had been released as incentives which shot up to over Rs 105 crore in 1999-2000. Incentives till January 2001 were to the tune of over Rs 92 crore. The survey revealed that a majority of unit holders manipulated their records to gobble up the incentives and after doing that their units had closed or turned sick. Some of the so-called entrepreneurs got their units registered only with an eye on the incentives which also increased the level of industrial sickness. However, leaders of Chambers and Commerce said erratic power supply had been a major factor responsible for increase in industrial sickness. They said unit holders did not receive power supply for 10 to 14 hours out of 24 hours. Invariably they were not permitted to keep the machines on during evening which is treated as a peak period for power consumption in the domestic sector. They said the government had decided to subside the purchase of diesel generators but keeping the generators on for a longer time had pushed the cost of production very high. This way “we could not compete with the products available in areas outside the state.” They also held the state government responsible for enhancing sales tax on raw material and for the inordinate delay in releasing the incentives and the bank loans. The government, they added, did not take sufficient measures for providing a market cover for the products from the local industrial units. At one stage the local units produced goods worth over Rs 726 crore but had to incur losses when they could not sell the entire produce. Of late the National Conference Government has taken several measures to arrest industrial depression. Many attractive incentives have been offered and measures taken to ensure market cover for the local unit holders. For instance it has abolished excise on beer and Indian manufactured foreign liquor meant to be exported but increased the excise on the imported liquor. Various government offices have been directed to give preferential treatment to the local industrial units while purchasing various office items, including furniture, furnishings etc. The government has simplified the registration process and banks and financial institutions have been asked to release loan soon after the relevant documents are received from the District Industries Centres. However, militancy has again discouraged big houses from setting up their units in Jammu and Kashmir. And three major units set up a decade ago by non-state subjects have been closed. |
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Jammu festival a big draw Jammu, April 15 The festival, organised by the state Tourism Department in collaboration with various trade, religious and social organisations, was the first of its kind in the state, depicting the glorious history of Jammu division and its great tourist potential. Thousands of people spent their evenings watching Qawalies. Nukkad plays and cultural shows simultaneously held at various chowks during the festival. Nearly 150 artists in traditional colourful costumes presented folk dances and music of the area, enchanting people at various places in the division. The festival concludes today with cultural activities being held at the Baghe-Bahu fort, where a photo exhibition has also been organised, focussing on the rich cultural heritage of Jammu.
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