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Sunday,
December 1, 2002, Chandigarh, India  
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Dal Lake,
migrants on CM’s agenda Sweeping
changes in NC on cards
5
infiltrators killed |
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ultras among eight killed in Jammu Jammu, November 30 Eight persons, including four infiltrators, were killed at two places by the Army and the BSF in the Jammu region today. According to the official reports, the troops eliminated four infiltrators who had intruded into the Indian territory from across the Poonch sector at Manjakot area this morning. 
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Dal Lake, migrants on CM’s agenda Jammu, November 30 The Mufti is keen on the conservation and preservation of the Dal Lake, power generation, the return of migrants to the valley and improvement in the system of recruitment. Mufti Sayeed has decided to entrust the task of setting up mini and micro-hydel projects to Nabard. On receiving reports that the two de-weeding machines have proved ineffective in removing weeds and silt from the Dal Lake, the Chief Minister has decided to invite contractors and allot them areas for de-weeding. Improvement of sewerage and removing encroachments on the lake are another priorities. Before calling it a day in the Secretariat, he ensures that all files pending for his approval are cleared. He has also asked all senior officers to follow suit. He has also directed divisional commissioners and deputy commissioners not to waste time in receiving or seeing off the Chief Minister and his ministerial colleagues at airports. “Spend your time in the offices and the field to mitigate the problems of the people,” he has told the bureaucracy. He is keen on making a beginning as far as the return of the migrants to the valley is concerned. Whether or not the Centre agrees to fund the package for the migrants ready to return to the valley, as recommended by the Kaul Committee, the Mufti has asked the Director-General Police to submit a report on the security cover that could be made available to the migrants once they are rehabilitated at a couple of places. In this context he has in mind two areas — Mattan, in south Kashmir and Khirbhawani, 25 km north-west of Srinagar, where the migrants could be rehabilitated in clusters. The Chief Minister has plans of providing these migrants ration at their camps in Kashmir free of cost and jobs within the area. Another reform he plans is in the release of money under Indira Awaas Yojna through cheques. He has received reports that the beneficiaries receive only a part of the money as official and middlemen allegedly take a lion’s share of the fund. He wants to eliminate the middlemen and the touts in this sector and in the job market. The Chief Minister has advised his ministerial colleagues and legislators to avoid extracting money from youth wanting jobs as then the bureaucracy would not have the guts to indulge in extortion and other corrupt practices. As far as the Accountability Commission is concerned, the Chief Minister has brushed aside the suggestion from his ministerial colleagues and legislators for appointing the Chairman and members of their choice. Instead, he has decided to request the Chief Justice of the high court to recommend a panel of names of former judges of the high court or the Supreme Court for heading the commission. Though the Chief Minister remains busy even while on work, he does not feel disturbed if people from different walks of life wish to call on him. He usually gives the caller the time. The Mufti will leave for Delhi tomorrow and during his meetings with the Prime Minister and the Deputy Prime Minister, he is likely to discuss the security situation and make a plea for liberal financial assistance to rid the coalition government of a difficult legacy it has inherited. He has in mind the Bhagliar power project which is estimated to cost Rs 4,600 crore. So far, it has received Rs 1,400 crore and with the stoppage of financial assistance, work on the project has been suspended. He would also make a plea for waiving the Central debt to the tune of Rs 1,275 crore as the state has to spend Rs 600 crore on servicing of the debt per year. |
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Sweeping
changes in NC on cards Jammu, November 30 It is learnt that many leaders holding organisational posts here and in the Kashmir valley might be replaced as the party cadres have not reconciled to the National Conference (NC) government being voted out of power after 27 years. Although the state remained under the Governor’s rule in between, but most of the time the NC was in power. It is being said that the provincial President of the Jammu unit, Mr Bodh Raj Bali, might be packed off because of the poor performance of the party here. Four of the five ministers in the government of Dr Farooq Abdullah lost the election in Jammu district. In the last election in 1996, the party won 19 seats in Jammu division and had expected to improve the tally this time. However, the NC lost many seats in the Muslims dominated areas where it never expected to meet the Waterloo. The younger elements in the party have reportedly made it clear to Dr Abdullah that someone with the capacity to organise the things properly should be made in charge of the organisation in the Jammu region. Mr Bali was sometime ago removed from the ministry and assigned the organisational work on full-time basis, but the position started worsening. A section of the party has blamed Dr Abdullah for the rout and have alleged that he never took the challenges seriously. Moreover, installation of his son as President of the NC shortly before the elections was not a wise decision. It is learnt that some senior NC leaders were not satisfied with the “feudalistic” style of functioning of Sheikh Nazir, general secretary of the party and a cousin of Dr Abdullah, and have suggested that a change should be made in the valley also. The differences within the NC over the election of the leader of the opposition in the Legislative Council recently surfaced when many persons reportedly put forth their claim
without bothering for the wishes of Dr Abdullah and Mr Omar Abdullah. On the other hand, the groupism in the BJP has also intensified following the party’s debacle in the election. The party got only one seat against eight earlier. A section of the party has started demanding that the state BJP chief, Mr D.K. Kotwal, should resign as he had lost the election. However, his supporters have accused a senior leader of having engineered his defeat by supporting a rebel candidate. |
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5 infiltrators killed Jammu, November 30 However Indian troops retaliated killing five militants on the LoC before they could enter the Indian territory. The exchange of fire lasted for over three hours in which one Army Jawan was killed and three others were wounded. Official sources said that the Indian troops resorted to heavy calibre and mortar fire to silence Pak guns. In the retaliatory fire four Pakistan’s bunkers were destroyed and several Pakistani soldiers were killed. According to the sources, as tension mounted on the LoC additional troops were rushed to the spot to thwart Pakistani plan of pushing into the Jammu sector groups of militants. The reports said that several houses were damaged partially as a result of Pak shelling. Meanwhile security forces were rushed to Tikkri spot on the Jammu Udhampur highway this evening after civilians spotted five millitants, wearing Indian Army fatigue and equipped with sophisticated weapons, establishing bases in the sensitive area for targeting vehicles on the Jammu Srinagar highway. |
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Four ultras among eight killed in Jammu Jammu, November 30 According to the official reports, the troops eliminated four infiltrators who had intruded into the Indian territory from across the Poonch sector at Manjakot area this morning. The reports said that as the troops spotted a movement on the LoC the infiltrators were challenged to halt. Instead the rebels opened fire on the troops which was retaliated killing all the four on the spot. Large quantities of arms and ammunition were seized from the slain militants. In another incident, the BSF eliminated four militants in an operation launched to flush out rebels from the Gool area of Udhampur district. A senior BSF officer said on a specific information, BSF patrol parties cordoned off a belt in Gool where militants were found shifting their hideout from one place to the other. On seeing the BSF personnel zeroing in on them, the militants fired some rounds and tried to break the cordon. The BSF immediately retaliated and killed four rebels on the spot. Four assault rifles, grenades and large quantities of ammunition were recovered from them. At Manjakot and Gool search operations had been launched to nab or eliminated other militants. SRINAGAR: At least four persons, including two militants, were killed in separate incidents since Friday while 11 others were injured in a series of explosions across the Kashmir valley on Saturday. The police here said two foreign militants of the Lashkar-e-Toiba outfit were killed in an encounter with the security forces at Rebban, Sopore in Baramula district today. Identified as Abu Abdullah and Abu Numan from Lahore, Pakistan, two AK rifles, nine magazines, four handgrenades, one UBGL, and two pouches were recovered from their possession. Five persons, including three police personnel and two pedestrians were injured when an IED blast took place at Victory Crossing, Khanyar, in Srinagar city this afternoon. The IED (improvised explosive device) detonated by suspected militants was targeted at the police vehicle, that was also partially damaged in the explosion. Three pedestrians were injured when suspected militants lobbed a grenade in a busy market place at Awantipora, 30 km from here, on the Srinagar-Jammu national highway. Two persons, Gowhar Aziz and Nazir Ahmad Bhat were injured when the explosive device they were fiddling with went off in open field at Dyalgam in Anantnag district. A security force jawan was injured when suspected militants fired two rifle grenades towards their picket at Noorbagh in Srinagar city this morning. Unidentified militants shot dead Mushtaq Ahmad Malla in Lalpora area of Kupwara district last night. The police recovered a bullet-ridden dead body of Showkat Ahmad Dar of Sonwar, Srinagar from the Ganderbal area, about 30 km from here. |
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