J A M M U   &   K A S H M I R

‘Place PoK on summit agenda’
Jammu, July 8
Students held a demonstration here today and later marched to the UN Military Observers Group headquarters demanding the liberation of the Pakistan held Kashmir.

Labour panel for new laws
Jammu, July 8
The Chairman of the Second National Labour Commission, Mr Ravinder Verma, has said certain measures, including enactment of some new laws, were needed to protect the interests of the labour class.

CM’s guard hurt as carbine goes off
Srinagar, July 8
A BSF jawan posted at the residence of Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah was injured when his carbine went off accidentally last night, official sources said today.

Two blind sadhus being helped by a pilgrim on their way to the 3880-metre high holy cave shrine of Amarnath in Kashmir.  — PTI	An Army jawan posted inside the shrine  of Amarnath distributing "prasad" among pilgrims who come for a view of naturally formed "shivlingam." — PTI

‘Place PoK on summit agenda’
Tribune News Service

Jammu, July 8
Students held a demonstration here today and later marched to the UN Military Observers Group headquarters demanding the liberation of the Pakistan held Kashmir.

The demonstration was organised by the S.O.S., an international organisation for the Pakistan occupied Kashmir refugees, which has been in the forefront of an agitation for just treatment to the refugees staying in Jammu for the past over five decades.

Shouting slogans “We want justice, we want our land back,” the protesters, children in the 12-18 age group, were not allowed to march to the headquarters. However, a small group of protesters took an alternative route and reached the gates of UNMOG headquarters where they submitted a three-page memorandum to Mr Kai Lethonn, a senior official, who assured them that the same would be forwarded to the UN Secretary General.

Three teenagers, Pritika Gupta, Akash, and Ali Shah Kohli, said “Prime Minister, Atal Behari Vajpayee should only discuss the future of the Pak held Kashmir with President, General Musharraf.”

“Our forefathers left valuable landed estates in the areas now held by Pakistan and we have been forced to live as refugees in Jammu,” they said.

Mr Rajiv Chuni, chairman of the organisation said. “We have received a raw deal from the successive state and Central Governments and the only way to get justice is to liberate the Pak held Kashmir.”

In the memorandum submitted to the UN official the S.O.S. organisation said “The Government of India has made a plea that since the area that belonged to the refugees was a disputed territory their future could be settled only after the settlement of the dispute over Pak held Kashmir.”

The memorandum called for UN intervention in securing the liberation of the Pakistan occupied Kashmir. It demanded that the UN should persuade the Government of India to ameliorate the lot of the refugees from the Pak occupied Kashmir.

The memorandum said since Parliament had adopted a resolution in favour of liberation of the Pak Kashmir, Mr Vajpayee should discuss it with General Musharraf during the ensuing summit.

Labour panel for new laws

Jammu, July 8
The Chairman of the Second National Labour Commission, Mr Ravinder Verma, has said certain measures, including enactment of some new laws, were needed to protect the interests of the labour class.

There was an urgent need to organise this lot and protect their interests as 90 per cent of labourers in the country were unorganised, he told reporters here.

The commission had been visiting different parts of the country to enquire about the problems being faced by the labourers and seek opinion from different sections of people in making laws or bringing about changes in the existing laws in order to safeguard their interests in the era of globalisation and open market, he said.

The commission, which arrived here on July 5 on the last leg of its five-day tour to Jammu and Kashmir, met 36 delegations in this regard.

The chairman said he had received information from various delegations that the Jammu and Kashmir Government was not able to pay allowances to its employees at the appropriate time.

He was critical of the delay in payment of dearness allowance, cost of living allowance and salaries to employees in public sector undertakings.

Mr Verma said he had been told about the plight of the labourers working in various power projects. He said the commission would recommend to the Union Government to take some measures for safeguarding the rights of these labourers, particularly migrant workers.

Asked whether the commission had received any information about bonded labourers, the Chairman replied in the affirmative. He said very few cases had come to the notice of the commission. The government had a policy to get the bonded labourers freed and to rehabilitate them.

He said industrial development in the state was inadequate and underlined the need to set up industries to boost employment. PTI

CM’s guard hurt as carbine goes off

Srinagar, July 8
A BSF jawan posted at the residence of Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah was injured when his carbine went off accidentally last night, official sources said today.

The jawan, Gurdesh Paul Singh of 98th Battalion of the BSF, was injured in the right shoulder when his rifle went off accidentally around 9.30 p.m. at the Chief Minister’s residence at Gupkar near here, they said.

A contingent of BSF is deployed at the Chief Minister’s residence in addition to other contingents of the police and the CRPF.

An FIR has been registered, the sources said. PTI