 |
Saturday,
August 31, 2002, Chandigarh, India  
|
APHC asks people to stay away from poll KRM threat to withdraw from poll BJP in spot over resignations BJP leaves 8 seats for Morcha 332 hypersensitive poll stations in Kupwara |
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Four KAS officers transferred NC not to contest 2 seats in Ladakh DD to give candidates airtime
Omar turns taxi driver Strike hits life in Kashmir
Closure of Centaur hotel ordered
|
|
APHC asks people to stay away from poll Srinagar, August 30 The separatist conglomeration of 23 parties, which has entered into a dialogue with the Kashmir Committee on the Kashmir issue and has declared non-participation in the elections, has not issued any “boycott call” this time. “Hurriyat leaders have appealed the people to stay away from election politics” an APHC spokesman said, adding that its top leaders launched its mass contact programme across the Kashmir valley today. The leaders included its chairman Prof Abdul Ghani
Bhat, former chairman Mirwaiz Moulvi Umar Farooq and Shia leader, Moulvi Abbas
Ansari. Referring to the talks with the Kashmir Committee, led by former Union Law Minister Ram
Jethmalani, the leaders said the committee had come with an offer of participation in the elections. “But we rejected the offer and put forth our viewpoint for peaceful settlement of the Kashmir issue”, the spokesman said quoting Hurriyat leaders. The leaders, he said, pointed out that the Hurriyat was not running away from a democratic process, but favoured a complete settlement of the issue that was purely political in nature. The leaders also reiterated the stand on tripartite talks for a resolution of the Kashmir issue, the spokesman added. Mr Umar Farooq, addressing a Friday congregation at the Jamia Masjid here, said the Hurriyat Conference would enter into unconditional talks only when these were aimed at resolving the Kashmir issue. |
|
Hurriyat executive meeting on Sept 2 Srinagar, August 30 People’s Conference leaders Ghulam Mohiuddin Sofi and Abdul Haq Khan, who filed their papers from the Handwara and Lolab constituencies of Kupwara district, were said to be close lieutenants of late Abdul Ghani Lone, founder-member of the All-Party Hurriyat Conference. Mr Sajad Lone, who took over reins of the Peoples Conference after his father was slain, said Mr Sofi had resigned from the primary membership of the party. Hurriyat sources said today that the meeting had been called for Monday to discuss the situation in view of the separatist amalgam’s stand of not participating “in any election meant for governance.” Several Independents contesting five segments of Kupwara district are believed to be backed by the Peoples Conference. Some little-known separatist leaders have also joined the electoral process with Mr Abdul Khaliq Haneef, an expelled Jamaat-e-Islami leader, filing his nomination from the Sonawari constituency in Baramula district. Mr Ghulam Rasool Shah, a former “divisional commander” of pro-Pakistan Hizbul Mujahideen, also filed his nomination as an Independent from
Lolab.
PTI |
|
|
KRM threat to withdraw from poll Srinagar, August 30 “We can make a complete U-turn from participating in the polls, if Election Commission and Government of India do not take positive steps to ensure free and fair polls in Jammu and Kashmir,” KRM general secretary Basheer Assad told reporters here. Assad alleged that the KRM’s candidates were being denied a level-playing field with the state government turning down their requests for security, transport and residential facilities. He said his group took the “courageous” decision to participate in the polls following assurances from diplomatic quarters especially the UK, USA and Canada that this time, the polls would be “different from the previous ones”. “We were also assured that talks would be held with the elected represenatives and they would be taken into confidence before any solution to the Kashmir problem is arrived at,” Assad said. “We entered the fray to play whatever little role we could in bringing together India and Pakistan. If the two countries do not take the initiative, we will withdraw from the polls,” he added. Assad said the movement was confident that if elections were linked to the resolution of Kashmir issue, the people of the state would participate with greater enthusiasm. Casting doubts over the intentions of the Centre vis-a-vis elections in the state, he said “the state government would not have dared to go against the directives of the Election Commission on providing security to the candidates.” Though KRM is not registered as a party with the Election Commission, Assad said they had put up 10 candidates—five each in Baramula and Kupwara districts—as independents. Prominent among them is movement chairman Abdul Khaliq Baneef, an expelled Jamaat-e-Islami leader, who is contesting the polls from Sonawari segment against counter insurgency leader and chairman of Awami League Mohammad Yousuf Parray alias Kuka Parray. Assad said the Amalgam, which was formed recently with 11 constituents, now has included three more members. He said the party was faced with a “peculiar” problem in the selection of candidates for the second phase of polls to be held in Badgam, Srinagar and Jammu districts. “In the first phase, we had to look for candidates and that is why we had only 10 candidates. Now, we have to make a choice among the prospects,” Assad said, adding the party would have put up a far better show but the paucity of time hampered preparations. |
|
BJP in spot over resignations Jammu, August 30 While MLA, Piara Singh has recently joined the National Conference, another MLA, Prem Lal, disclosed to a group of newspersons here today that he had also decided to join the conference. He said he was awaiting the nod from Dr Farooq Abdullah and NC president Omar Abdullah so that he could make a formal announcement at a rally at Hiranagar from where he was elected to the Assembly in the 1996 poll. Mr Lal said he felt “suffocated” in the BJP as some senior party leaders “gave him a shabby treatment because he was a Scheduled Caste.” However, BJP general secretary, O.P. Kohli denied the reports that Mr Lal was joining the National Conference. The Union Minister of State for Defence, Prof Chaman Lal Gupta, said, “We have no such information. Mr Prem Lal has not formally joined the NC.” Professor Gupta refused to comment when asked whether Mr Lal was mounting pressure on the BJP leadership for ensuring the party ticket for himself from the Hiranagar constituency. The BJP suffered another setback when office-bearers of the party block units in Sunderbani and Nowshehra submitted their resignations in Rajouri district. Moreover, BJP workers announced their support for Mr Vishwinder Sharma, who is contesting as an Independent from Nowshehra constituency. BJP leaders in Nowshehra said Mr Vishwinder Sharma had recently resigned from government service to join the BJP after he was assured the party ticket from Nowshehra. But he was, however, denied the party ticket and the seat was surrendered to the State Morcha which fielded Mr Sushil Sharma. Meanwhile, Mr Mohammad Hussain, Minister of State for Revenue, has resigned in protest against the refusal of the National Conference to field his son from
Darhal. |
|
BJP leaves 8 seats for Morcha Jammu, August 30 The BJP general secretary, Mr O.P. Kohli, who has been deputed along with the Union Minister of State for Defence, Prof Chaman Lal Gupta, to sort out the rift between the RSS and the state unit of the BJP told newsmen here today that the BJP had cleared nominees for 45 constituencies, 27 in the Kashmir valley, 17 in the Jammu region and one in Kargil district. He said it has been decided not to field BJP candidates against eight State Morcha candidates. He stated that the issue of 12 other seats was yet to be resolved, but the talks between the two sides were expected to yield results within a day or two. Mr Kohli said that in all the BJP would contest 50 to 52 seats out of 87 in the state. It has not fielded any candidate in Leh district where it would support the recently-floated Ladakh Front. The seats the BJP has surrendered to the State Morcha are: Kishtwar, Banihal, R.S. Pora, Chhamb, Billawar, Nagrota and Mendhar. Mr Kohli and Prof Gupta are said to have conveyed to the State Morcha leaders that the BJP high command had decided to leave only eight seats for the Morcha in the Jammu region. The main tussle between the two organisations is for Jammu (East) and Jammu (West) constituencies. The BJP leadership is dead set to field its candidates from the Jammu city’s three Assembly constituencies which had elected BJP candidates in the 1996 poll. Mr Kohli said that the BJP will campaign for the Morcha candidates only in those constituencies where the BJP has not fielded its candidates. In other constituencies where both the parties have their candidates “our campaign will be separate”. He said that the BJP’s main poll issue would fight against discrimination of people Jammu and Ladakh regions, oppose the Resettlement Act under which Pakistanis citizens, belonging to Jammu and Kashmir, could be entitled to all rights in case they returned to the state. Mr Kohli stated that the BJP would campaign against subtle moves of the National Conference to assist those forces that were engaged in altering the demographic character of the Jammu region. “Our main task in the pre-poll campaign would be to contain the Congress and the National Conference,” he said adding that people had to make a choice between misrule of the National Conference and a rule of accountability and transparency which the BJP is committed to provide. Poll analysts said that the BJP may have a tough going because challenge from the State Morcha, backed by the RSS, and fielding of more candidates in the Kashmir valley (27), where the BJP base is very weak, may not enable it to emerge as one of the largest singly party in the Assembly. In 1996 it had won eight seats thereby being at the top in the Opposition. |
|
332 hypersensitive poll stations in Kupwara Kupwara, August 30 Mr Nawaz told reporters that 402 polling stations have been set up for around 2,95,000 voters to exercise their franchise for five constituencies in the district. In view of the strong militant presence in the district, 332 polling stations have been classified as hypersensitive and the remaining 70 as sensitive. In view of the intermittent shelling from across the LoC, he said the five polling stations close to the ceasefire line have been so located as to avoid coming under fire. For effective running of the election process the district has been divided into 11 zones with a zonal magistrate and a zonal police officer overseeing the process, he added. On the preparations for the poll, Mr Nawaz said around 47,000 electoral photo-identity cards have been issued of the 96,000 forms received so far and 28,000 were still under process. We hope to issue the rest of the cards within the next two days, he added. He said special arrangements had been made for the migrant voters with electoral rolls being dispatched to relief commissioner in Jammu and Delhi and district election officer, Udhampur, for their convenience. Electoral rolls were displayed at all major places in the district and we received a massive response with over 50,000 applications for corrections coming, of which we found 38,000 to be valid, he added. The DEO said five returning officers assisted by 11 assistant returning officers have been deployed for the poll.
PTI |
|
Four KAS officers transferred Srinagar, August 30 An official spokesman said here that Mrs Roma
Wani, Managing Director, J&K Women’s Development Corporation, has been transferred and posted as Assistant Deputy Commissioner, Anantnag. Mr Sham
Lal, IAS, Secretary, Housing and Urban Development Department, shall hold the additional charge of the Managing Director, J&K Women’s Development Corporation, till further orders. Mr K.B. Magotra, KAS, Deputy Secretary to Government, Rural Development Department has been transferred and posted as the Sub-Divisional Magistrate, Mahore, vice Mr Indo Bhushan, KAS, who shall remain attached with the Divisional Commissioner, Jammu, till further orders. Mr B.A. Saraf, KAS has been posted as the Deputy Commissioner, Sales Tax (Vigilance), Jammu, vice R.C. Sharma, KAS, who shall remain attached with the Divisional Commissioner, Jammu, till further orders. Mohammad Yusuf Dar, Assistant Director, Handicrafts, Direction Office, Srinagar, has been transferred and posted as Assistant Director, Handicrafts, Baramula, vice Mr M.Y. Figar, who shall remain attached with the Director, Handicrafts, till further orders, the official spokesman added. |
|
NC not to contest 2 seats in Ladakh Srinagar, August 30 “We have decided not to field candidates from Nobra and Leh as we fear that vested interests will whip up communal passions in the region,” party president Omar Abdullah said. Mr Omar said he did not want a repetition of 1989, when communal clashes took place in the region. He rejected the contention that his party was succumbing to pressure from the Ladakh Buddhist Association, which was championing the cause for union territory status to the region. A National Conference Rajya Sabha MP and two ministers in the state government were asked by the party to resign after they extended support to the newly formed Ladakh Union Territory Front.
PTI |
|
DD to give candidates airtime Srinagar, August 30 “We have launched a lot of programmes to drive home the point that the democratic process is the only answer we have to develop this part of the country,” Chief Executive Officer
K.S. Sharma told reporters at the end of his three-day visit to the valley. He said Prasar Bharti had decided to give airtime to the candidates to reach out to the public. Over Rs 1 crore has been sanctioned for the coverage of elections in the state over a period of 60 days. “Rs 60 lakh to Rs 90 lakh would be given to Doordarshan for news and a few lakh to All India Radio for the coverage of elections,” said Mr Sharma who led a 20 member delegation that visited J&K. Prasar Bharti has deployed additional staff and state-of-the-art equipment at DD and AIR stations in the state. Meanwhile, DD Kashmir, the regional channel of Doordarshan for Jammu and Kashmir, might be upgraded to a 24-hour channel, he indicated. Mr Sharma said six additional high power transmitters were being installed in the remote areas of Jammu and Kashmir to increase the coverage of DD and AIR in the state. He warned of stern action against cable operators not showing the three major channels of Doordarshan — DD1, DD2 and DD Kashmir. He admitted that satellite channels had an edge over Doordarshan as their primary objective was to entertain, while the national broadcaster aimed at educating the public.
PTI |
|
Omar turns taxi driver Srinagar, August 30 As soon as the minister arrived at the area, he was escorted to a waiting taxi which would have taken him to the venue. However, the minister chose to drive the taxi himself as he was getting late for the meeting. Confirming this, Mr Abdullah said, “Well, I want to reach to as many people as I can. The time was less and I decided to drive the taxi myself.
PTI |
|
Strike hits life in Kashmir Srinagar, August 30 Shops and business establishments in Srinagar and other major towns of the valley remained closed. Traffic was also off the road. Government offices and educational institutions remained closed on account of a holiday. The JuM had given the call to protest against the killing of 10 persons at Doda and burning of about 150 houses in Rajouri recently, allegedly by the security forces.
UNI |
|
Closure of Centaur hotel ordered Srinagar, August 30 The court, in its verdict, also directed the Pollution Control Board (PCB) to ascertain whether the effluent treatment plants of all other hotels around the lake were operational and working in accordance with the norms. The Division Bench comprising Chief Justice B.C. Patel and Mr Justice Muzaffar Jain, acting on a public interest litigation, directed the closure of the hotel saying even after the report of the PCB that the effluent treatment of the hotel was not up to the approved standard and norms, the hotel authorities had shown no response to abide by the rules. The court observed that effluents containing oxidisable and organic matter given to fermentation cause depletion of dissolved oxygen affecting aquatic life and flora of lake besides causing objectionable odour. Mr S.P. Sharma, Managing Engineer and Ishtiyaq Khan, Manager of the hotel contended that no pollutants were discharged in the lake since the effluent from the hotel were released through underground pipes to the Royal Springs Golf Course. However, the court rejected the arguments saying the management of hotel was given many opportunities to set right the treatment plant and told not to discharge effluents into the Dal Lake or any water body around it. The court further directed the PCB to collect samples and submit a report regarding the release of effluent from Soura Medical Institute.
PTI |
 |
| Punjab | Haryana | Jammu & Kashmir | Himachal Pradesh | Regional Briefs | Nation | Editorial | | Business | Sport | World | Mailbag | In Spotlight | Chandigarh Tribune | Ludhiana Tribune 50 years of Independence | Tercentenary Celebrations | | 122 Years of Trust | Calendar | Weather | Archive | Subscribe | Suggestion | E-mail | |
In
video
(
