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Wednesday,
December 18, 2002, Chandigarh, India  
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Rs 27 cr for border
farmers 767 civilians killed in J&K Wear
burqas, ultras threaten students Gen Vij reviews security |
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Mufti exhorts people to help restore
peace IAS quota for J&K
faces cut Shabir Shah holds
protest march Protest against
deaths in custody Fog disrupts life in valley
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Rs 27 cr for border
farmers Jammu, December 17 Speaking at a function held here in connection with the release of compensation to border farmers who had been affected by the military build-up on the IB and the
LoC, Mufti Sayeed said that a new beginning had been made and sought the people’s cooperation to end the turmoil in the state. While listing some of the measures his government had initiated for winning the hearts of people, the Chief Minister referred to the recent decision of giving jobs to victims of militancy. He said when he took over, he found that the state’s resources were not in bad shape but the funds had not been utilised properly. He said he was aware of the problems of the border villagers and added that the state government would allot land where huts could be built with central assistance for people who had to flee their villages during Pakistani shelling and firing. He said the state government would provide assistance for the completion of the railway link between Jammu and Udhampur, Reasi and Qazigund and Udhampur and Katra within the next five years. The Union Minister of State for Defence, Prof Chaman Lal Gupta, handed over a cheque for Rs 27.12 crore to the Chief Minister for farmers who had been affected by Army’s occupation of their land during the past one year. He said the Defence Ministry had already released Rs 9.98 crore for compensation to the farmers. Professor Gupta said that there was considerable delay in the release of the amount in the Jammu region while persons in Punjab and Rajasthan had received it long ago. Professor Gupta said the delay was the result of two factors. First, the assessment of losses done by the state agencies and the Army authorities had not tallied. Later a joint survey team was set up which completed the work in a few months. Secondly, the payment of compensation had to be postponed on the instructions of the Chief Election Commission in view of the Assembly poll. Addressing the function, Professor Gupta called for the people’s cooperation in defeating the designs of Pakistan. His demand for jobs to those who had lost their limbs in Pak firing and shelling was accepted by the Chief Minister, who said that the state government would examine the issue. The Director-General, Defence Estates, Dr Veena Maitra, said that under the joint survey over 28,000 acres in Jammu, Poonch, Rajouri, Kathua and Udhampur had been occupied by the Army during the past one year as part of the defence preparedness. She said the Board of Officers had assessed the losses to border farmers at more than Rs 37 crore till the end of October this year. She said the process of assessment of losses would continue till the farmers were able to sow their crops. |
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767 civilians killed in J&K Jammu, December 17 According to a spokesman for the Army’s Northern Command, May and July witnessed 91 and 81 civilian killings, respectively. The spokesman said between January 1 and November 30, 2002 the security forces eliminated 1,582 militants. Out of them 358 were killed on the LoC during 171 encounters and the rest within the state in operations launched by the security forces. He said as far as counter-infiltration encounters on the LoC were concerned there were only 171 such incidents between January 1 and November 30, 2002 against 264 last year indicating that there was drop in the level of ingress from across the border. The spokesman said large quantities of arms, ammunition and explosives were seized from the slain militants and from the hideouts of the rebel groups in different parts of the state during the first 11 months of the current year. He said during the period 1,411 assault rifles, 46 rocket launchers, 37 machine guns, 299 pistols and revolvers, 6,683 grenades and 2,226 kg of high-grade explosives were seized. As far as the seizure of assault rifles was concerned the security forces seized more assault rifles, pistols and revolvers besides explosives than during the last year, he said. He said there was no let up in operations against militants and despite snow and chill on the Kashmir border with Pakistan the troops had been directed to remain on the alert to foil any attempt by the Pakistani agencies to push into Jammu and Kashmir groups of militants. He claimed that as a result of round-the-clock patrolling of the border the number of encounters with the infiltrators had dropped as compared to those in earlier years. Agencies across the border had received a clear message that “we are not going to let in any intruders and hence no liberty is being taken while planning to send militants into the state,” he said. |
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Wear burqas, ultras threaten students Jammu, December 17 The police has seized two such posters pasted on the walls of two senior secondary schools in Rajouri town yesterday. They were brought out by a lesser-known terrorist outfit, Lashker-e-Jabbar, in hand-written Urdu, official sources said today. Some posters were also seen in the Darhal area of the same district last week following which some students have left their schools while others have begun wearing burqas. UNI
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Gen Vij reviews security Jammu, December 17 At the corps headquarters General Vij, who is to takeover as the Army chief within next 15 days, was briefed on the security and operation scenario by the GOC 16 Corps, Lt Gen T.P.S. Brar. The two discussed the border situation with reference to Pak shelling and firing and infiltration. General Brar is said to have informed the Army chief designate that the level of Pak firing and shelling had considerably dropped. General Vij expressed his “satisfaction” over the security and operation preparedness of the Army and appreciated the high “morale” of the troops. He advised the field commanders to remain vigilant against the machinations of the enemy troops. |
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Mufti exhorts people to help restore
peace Jammu, December 17 He made a fervent appeal to all for contributing to the restoration of peace in the state. He said during his recent visit to New Delhi he had requested the Prime Minister, Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee, for initiating a dialogue with the political parties in the state. |
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IAS quota for J&K
faces cut Srinagar, December 17 This, according to sources, is being pursued vigorously by the PDP-Congress coalition government, as against the administrative policy adopted by the previous National Conference government headed by Dr Farooq Abdullah. But, the IAS officers in the state, according to sources, are opposed to this move. The sources said the policy of the previous government to allegedly ignore the Kashmir Administrative Service (KAS) officers, was being contained by the new government. IAS officers have been in service in Jammu and Kashmir since 1962. Prior to this there were no IAS officers working in the state. Several officers were granted the KAS cadre in the name of technical quota, and amendments were also made in its rules in 1993. By virtue of these amendments, according to a local news agency, only one doctor who happens to be close relative of a top bureaucrat also presently working in the state, was granted the KAS cadre. The strength of about 50 IAS officers from outside the state comes in the way of several KAS officers’ appointment in the secretariat. Resentment against such “anti-local” policy among the KAS officers has been brewing over decades. Moreover, five KAS super time scale posts have neither been filled nor has the number of these posts been increased. |
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Shabir Shah holds protest march Srinagar, December 17 He was addressing a small gathering of party supporters after taking out a symbolic march from Jehangir Chowk to Regal Chowk in protest against custodial killings and the detention of political prisoners in jails outside the state. Mr Shah urged the government to withdraw all “fabricated” cases against separatist leaders, intellectuals, scholars and journalists in the state. The protesters carried placards denouncing POTA and raised slogans against the special operations group of the local police, demanding that it be disbanded.
PTI |
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Protest against
deaths in custody Srinagar, December 17 A large number of DFP supporters holding placards and raising slogans held out a procession from Jehangir Chowk to Regal Chowk in support of their demands of an end to human rights violations, custodial killings and shifting of detainees from jails outside the state to detention centres in Kashmir. The demonstration was also held against a judgement of the state high court envisaging right to property to those women married outside the state. It may be mentioned here that no non-subject is entitled to purchase of immovable property in Jammu and Kashmir. |
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Fog disrupts life in valley Srinagar, December 17 All flights were cancelled today due to poor visibility, an airport official said. Vehicles moved at a slow pace due to low visibility, causing traffic jams. The Kashmir Valley is witnessing a dry winter, due to weak western disturbances that bring in moisture for snow and rain formation, a Meteorological Department official said. Light rain or snow was falling in the upper reaches of the valley in northern parts, he said PTI. |
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Jammu, December 17
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