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July 2, 2001, Chandigarh, India   
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Hurriyat awaits PM response Amarnath Yatra begins
today Summit may pave way for dialogue:
NC 3 militants killed; 9 hurt in
blast |
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Novel way to check canine
population
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Hurriyat awaits PM response New Delhi, July 1 Baffled at the reported decision of Pakistan not to allow Hurriyat leaders to meet Gen Musharraf here, the amalgam maintained that the two countries cannot afford to ignore Kashmiris and a final decision on the issue will be taken at its Executive Committee meeting this week. “We are very closely watching the developments and will chalk out our future course of action in the forthcoming meeting of the Executive Committee,” Hurriyat spokesman Abdul Majid Bandey said. However, he said the amalgam was still awaiting a formal response from the Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee and President Musharraf. Reports from Islamabad said the row between India and Pakistan over inviting Hurriyat leaders to meet the Pakistani President during his New Delhi visit was finally settled with Islamabad agreeing to India’s request not to do so. Pakistani English daily “Dawn”, quoted a senior government official as having said: “We are not pressing hard for the meeting. We expected that the Indians would show better judgement and not impede the Hurriyat’s formal meeting with Gen Musharraf. That did not happen. So at this point our focus is on the main summit.” “The Hurriyat, however, reiterates its stand that the people of Jammu and Kashmir are the primary party to the dispute,” Mr Bandey said.
PTI |
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Amarnath Yatra begins
today Jammu, July 1 The 240-km belt of the national highway between Jammu and Khannabal has been handed over to the Army for sanitising the mountain road against any explosive that may have been planted by the militants for blowing up the convoys of the security forces and the pilgrims. The Army has set up pickets on the upper reaches of this mountain highway to check infiltration of rebels from the interior areas of Kishtwar and Udhampur belts. In addition to this the Army jawans have been entrusted with the task of carrying out road opening exercise from early hours of next morning. According to the DIG, Police, Dr S.P. Vaid, police barriers have been set up at different focal points to search all incoming vehicles. Even those coming from Srinagar were being searched. So far, 50 vehicles have been impounded as some of them were moving without proper number plates and others had incomplete registration documents. Maulana Azad Stadium has been ringed by the security forces as from this place the convoys of pilgrims would leave for Pahalgam every day. According to the Commissioner, Tourism, and the Chief Executive Officer, Amarnath Shrine Board, more than 1.05 lakh pilgrims have been registered and on an average 3500 yatris would be allowed to leave Jammu for Pahalgam, the base camp for the yatra to the cave, situated at a height of 13,500 ft in eastern Kashmir and supposed to be the abode of Lord Shiva and his consort Parvati. Mr Dewan said last year out of over 1.70 lakh pilgrims having had darshan of the ice lingam inside the cave over 80,000 yatris had travelled on fake registration. “This year we have taken measures to check any illegal registration and for this each day pilgrims will be provided with slips of different colours,” Mr Dewan said. Already several thousand pilgrims besides a large groups of sadhus and hermits with ash layers on their bodies have reached Jammu. Each batch of the yatris would be taken to Pahalgam in buses and other vehicles under tight security cover. The government has made free lodging arrangements for 3,000 pilgrims everyday and for this school buildings have been reserved for the yatris. In Jammu the total room capacity in hotels, guest houses and other private lodges is between 10,000 and 12,000. Mr Dewan said there was chaos in Jammu last year when the winter capital was thronged by over 35,000 pilgrims. This time the government has regulated the flow of the pilgrim traffic to Jammu. Activists of the VHP and other Hindu organisations have been demonstrating in Jammu for the past several days demanding extension in the dates for the registration of pilgrims, which had expired on June 26. The government has refused to concede their demand because the pilgrim traffic for the month-long pilgrimage has already reached the saturation point. Meanwhile, Mahant Deepinder Giri of the holy mace of Amarnath has conveyed his good wishes to the pilgrims who will start their journey tomorrow for the holy cave shrine of Amarnath to have darshan of Himlinga on Vyas Purnima. He has also extended his greetings to all those joining the annual pilgrimage during the month-long yatra. The mahant has also appealed to the people of Jammu and Kashmir, particularly the residents of Jammu, Anantnag and Srinagar districts, to help and assist the pilgrims, setting an example of communal harmony like yesteryears. A spokesman of the Mahadev Giri Dashnami Akhara Trust, Srinagar, said the management of the trust had made all arrangements for sadhus at akhara who shall be joining the holy mace. Other religious ceremonies in connection with the annual pilgrimage, including bhoomi pujan and dhwajarohan, will be performed at Pahalgam on July 5. The annual pilgrimage to the holy cave shrine of Amarnath is scheduled to start with the darshan at the holy cave on July 4. The first batch of the pilgrims from Jammu will start tomorrow for onward journey to the cave shrine through the Pahalgam cave route and Baltal route. In the meantime, the Minister of State for Tourism, Ms Sakina Ittoo,has paid a visit to Pahalgam and Chandanwari to take stock of the arrangements made for the smooth conduct of the forthcoming Amarnath Yatra. An official spokesman said here the minister interacted with various langarwallas at the base camp at Nunwan, 2 km short of Pahalgam, today and was informed about the arrangements for providing free food to the yatris. She also inquired about the arrangements made for bathing and other conveniences. The minister also inspected the parking site at Nunwan which has been constructed by the Jammu and Kashmir Tourism Development, Corporation (JKTDC). She was told that sufficient quantity of rice, atta, sugar, medicine, firewood and kerosene had been stocked at various stations of the
yatra. |
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Summit may pave way for dialogue:
NC Srinagar, July 1 “We are extremely hopeful....no miracles are even possible at the meeting,” said Mr Omar Abdullah, Union Minister of State for Commerce and Industry and the state Youth National Conference President. He said the forthcoming summit between the Prime Minister, Atal Behari Vajpayee, and the Pakistan President, Gen Pervez Musharraf, would pave the way for a “future dialogue”. Talking to mediapersons after the foundation stone laying ceremony of the Food Processing Industrial Park at Khonmoh, near here, last evening, Mr Abdullah said an overnight solution to the crisis was not possible. Replying to questions, Mr Abdullah, who represents Srinagar Parliamentary constituency in the Lok Sabha, allayed fears on reports like the withdrawal of troops from Siachen and various other steps as reported during the past couple of weeks. Mr Omar Abdullah described as “unfortunate” the circumstances under which the DMK leader and former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi was arrested in Chennai yesterday. He said the manner in which the former Chief Minister was arrested was not proper. “That is not the way to treat a former Chief Minister.” Earlier, the Union Minister of State for Food Processing Industries, Mr Chaoba Singh, laid the foundation stone of the park. He said the park to be constructed at an estimated cost of Rs 7.25 crore would be completed within 18 months. An amount of Rs 2 crore had already been released by the centre for it. The park would have 60 sites for setting up industrial units and there would be possibility of expansion also. The Union Minister, Mr Chaoba Singh, announced that the park would generate 2,000 direct jobs and 5,000 indirect jobs. The Central Government would provide an additional amount of Rs 2 crore for the project while the SIDCO would provide Rs 325.82 lakh for the project. The facilities to be provided at the park would include fully developed industrial plots, common effluent treatment plant, quality control equipment, design development centre, cold storage, warehousing facility, internet connectivity, post office facility and a telephone exchange. |
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3 militants
killed; 9 hurt in
blast Jammu, July 1 The Defence Ministry reports said after a tip-off when the security forces were carrying out search operations regarding some militant hide-outs they came under fire from the upper reaches of Chattroo. The security forces retaliated and killed two militants on the spot. The security forces were engaged in a similar mission 3 km away from the scene of first incident where they killed a militant on the spot. Another militant, who was injured, was caught. He was identified as Shameem and the killed militant was identified as Shamsuddin. Both hail from Kishtwar tehsil. Large quantities of arms and ammunition were recovered from them. SRINAGAR: At least three persons, including one militant, were killed and nine others injured in separate incidents in the Kashmir valley since yesterday. According to a police spokesman, one militant was killed in an encounter with the security forces at Manigah in Kupwara district of North Kashmir. One assault rifle, two magazines, one wireless set and 20 kg of explosives were seized from the site of the encounter. Meanwhile, militants shot dead Ghulam Nabi Dar near his book shop at Samboora, Pampore, in Pulwama district. Bashir Ahmad was killed after he was kidnapped from Gantamula area of Uri in Baramula district. Nine pedestrians were injured when militants hurled a grenade near a shop at Dharmuna Soibugh in Budgam district last evening. A teenage girl was injured in firing from across the international border, while two Bangladeshi nationals were arrested by the BSF troops in separate incidents since last evening, official sources said today. Pakistani rangers resorted to heavy firing in 43 areas along the border in Samba, R.S. Pura, Akhnoor, Hiranagar sub-sectors of Jammu frontier since last evening, the sources said, adding that a girl, Sushma Devi, was injured when she was hit by a volley of bullets at Jabowal village near the border. BSF jawans retaliated and exchange of fire continued till today morning, the sources said. Meanwhile, BSF personnel arrested two Bangladeshi nationals when they were crossing over from Pakistan to India near Gulabgarh border outpost in R.S. Pura sector last night. |
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Novel way to check canine
population Jammu, July 1 Explaining the need for implementing the programme, Dr Kotwal said there were more than 12,000 stray dogs. The case of dog bite had increased. He said there were about 3,500 pet dogs. Dr Rajinder Khajuria, who heads a team of surgeons, said, “We carry out five operations a day.” Both doctors said dog catchers had been pressed into service who got Rs 10 per catch. “It takes 15 minutes for making a dog infertile and an hour to make a bitch so,” they said. Before the operation the dogs are made to go without food for 10 hours and are administered anaesthesia. After the operation they are administered antibiotics for five to seven days. During their stay in the hospital ward they are given milk and other dainties. “That is why the operation and treatment cost Rs 40 per dog,” Dr Kotwal said. He said after the operation each dog is tied with a tag or affixed an identification mark so that the catchers do not bring the same dog to the hospital. After the operation the dogs are dropped in their respective areas. He said if the programme continued like this “we may be able to control the canine population within the next five years and remove the menace of rabies.” |
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