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Wednesday,
March 26, 2003, Chandigarh, India  
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Beig blames massacre on police laxity SOG disbanding led to massacre: Omar J&K ASSEMBLY Baghliar hydel project: Rs 20-cr graft alleged |
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Curb on sale of police, Army uniforms Captain, 4 ultras killed in Kashmir Jawan killed in Pak shelling Passbooks for power tariff dues soon
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Beig blames massacre on police laxity Jammu, March 25 Mr Beig, who was responding to the issue raised by Mr Ali Mohammad Sagar (National Conference) during zero hour in the Assembly today, said it appeared that the police did not react to the terrorist attack and many police personnel on security duty in the village were absent. He warned that the government would not tolerate such serious lapses by the police. The minister said the cabinet would study the report of the DGP on the incident and would not hesitate to order a judicial probe into the episode. Mr Sagar alleged that the Mufti-led coalition government was taking such serious incidents lightly and was sitting over the matter although the top police brass had admitted that the killings were due to the lapse on the part of the police. He demanded that persons behind the killing of these innocent people should be identified. |
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SOG disbanding led to massacre: Omar
Srinagar, March 25 Talking to reporters at the technical airport here, Mr Abdullah, who is also the National Conference (NC) President, said the disbanding of the SOG had created loopholes in the security system in the state. The SOG was the main source of information about the militant activities, he said. Indirectly referring to similar massacres during the NC rule, he said, “if we have committed mistakes, Mufti should have learned lessons from them”. Asked to comment on the coalition government’s proposal to rehabilitate the Kashmiri Pandits in the Valley, the former Union Minister of State for External Affairs said the situation was not conducive for their safe and honourable return. “You cannot bring any Kashmiri migrant here by force or against his or her will. You have to completely wipe out terrorism to give them a feel of security so that they return on their own,” he said. “Yesterday’s massacre is a clear message to migrants that the situation is not conducive for their return,” he added. Mr Abdullah said infiltration from across the border had come down from 40 to 30 per cent. “However, we have to measure this during the summer when there will be no snow on the infiltration routes,” he added. UNI
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J&K ASSEMBLY Jammu, March 25 The commission would be fully strengthened in terms of manpower and the wherewithal to perform its assigned role, the minister said, today while winding up the half an hour discussion on the points arising out of an answer given on February 26 to a starred question raised by Mir Saifullah in the legislative Assembly. The minister said the problem of missing persons should not be used for political ends but it should be viewed from a human angle. He said the coalition government was bound by its commitment made to the people in its common minimum programme. “Even if we have little political honesty, we must fulfil this commitment”, he said and added that Kashmir had been witnessing bloodshed for the past 13 years. Merely by change of government, the mindset and the attitude of the government’s available instruments could not be expected to undergo total transformation overnight. “Why did we assimilate the SOG into the police,” he asked and said that the government was keen to make the police a fighting force but with a clean image. Mr Baig said from 1990 to December 2002, 3744 persons were reported missing of whom 135 had been declared dead upto June 2002. The investigations were on and the process would continue. The number of disappearance cases could be even more, the minister added. He said while he did not doubt the integrity and honesty of the police officers, there were some whose conduct had not been up to the mark. Some might have made money or sought promotions. He was referring to a point raised by Mr Ali Mohammad Sagar about a DSP who had been accused of murder and declared as a most wanted person. The minister also agreed to receiving reports of the DSP having been given shelter by a senior police officer in some farmhouse in Punjab. The minister said the investigations would cover the entire gamut of disappearances, including the role of police officers from time to time. Mr Baig referred to the 14-odd guidelines issued by the Supreme Court about detentions under TADA that include information to the kin of detinue within a stipulated time frame and said it was common knowledge that these guidelines were not followed strictly. Mir Saiffullah, Mr Mohammad Khalil Bandh, Mr Mohammed Sayeed Akhoon, Mr Nazir Ahmed Gurezi and Mian Altaf Ahmed also participated in the discussion. The legislative Assembly today passed three Bills while the fourth was referred to the select committee. The House passed a Bill to amend the Jammu and Kashmir Board of Professional Entrance Examination Act, 2002, with some amendments moved by Mr Saifullah Mir (NC). The House also passed another Bill to amend the Transfer of Property Act. It also passed a Bill to amend the salaries and allowances of leaders of Opposition in the State Legislature Act, 1985. The Minister for Law and Parliamentary Affairs, Mr Muzaffar Hussain Baig, replying to the demands raised by Mr Mohammad Hussain for enhancing the salaries and other amenities of the MLAs, said he would look into the matter. The Bill to make provision for securing right to information and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto was referred to the select committee along with the amendments proposed by Mr Saifullah Mir on the suggestion of Mr Abdul Rahim Rather. |
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Baghliar
hydel project: Rs 20-cr graft alleged Jammu, March 25 Work for execution of the project was allocated during the regime of the previous National Conference (NC) government. There were noisy scenes as Mr Ali Mohammad Sagar (NC) alleged that the contractors had paid a bribe of Rs 20 crore to certain high-ups in the present government. Power Minister, Sarief Niaz, denied the allegation and said that the member should come out with evidence to enable the government to take an action. In view the questions on the project, Speaker, Tara Chand said that a discussion would be allowed on the issue tomorrow. Mr Manjeet Singh (BSP) alleged that a minister of the previous government took Rs 1 crore from the contractors. Mr M.Y. Tarigami (CPM), a coalition partner of the government, questioned why the government was hesitant in ordering an inquiry into the functioning of the project management which was
committing atrocities against the labourers by retrenching 1500 of them arbitrarily and not implementing the labour laws. Deputy Chief Minister, Mangat Ram Sharma said that the government might consider ordering an inquiry in case the norms were not observed in the allocation of the project. The main question was tabled by Mr Mohammad Hussain, Mr Mohammad Syed Akhnoor (NC) and Mr Ashwani Kumar (JSM). Mr Niaz said that an advance payment of Rs 405.60 crore was made to Jai Prakash Industries for civil and hydro-mechanical works, Rs 188.66 crore to Siemens Hydro Vevy for electrical and hydroelectric works. Three other companies were given advance payments of Rs 14 crore. He said that the government adopted a policy of executing the project on fast-track basis through MoU route. Limited bids were invited by approaching 12 executing agencies of international standards and work was allotted to the lowest bidder. In a written reply, the Home Minister informed Mr Jugal Kishore (BJP) that 803 militants were presently lodged in different jails and in the joint interrogation centres and 168 of them had been detained under the POTA, while 625 have been detained under the Public Safety Act, the Arms Act and the Explosive Substances Act. He said that 23 persons had been convicted under various Acts since 1990. In a written reply to Mr A.R. Rather (NC), the Power Minister informed him that the state government incurred a loss of Rs 864.32 crore on account of supply of electricity to the consumers last year. Against an expenditure of Rs 1105.30 crore, the Power department earned a revenue of Rs 240.98 crore. In a written reply to Mr Manjeet Singh (BSP), the Revenue Minister informed that out of over 50,000 families of Kashmiri migrants registered by the government, about 26,000 families were found fictitious after a screening. A committee has been set up to punish the guilty officials involved in the scam. The minister said that 16,679 families were receiving relief from the government. |
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Curb on sale of police, Army uniforms
Jammu, March 25 The Jammu District Magistrate Pawan Kotwal issued the order saying that all unauthorised firms and shops dealing in such articles should immediately inform the nearest police station in writing about the matter within seven days. All authorised firms and shops dealing in such articles have been asked to maintain registers giving details of their business. Authorised firms shall sell such articles to bona fide members of the Jammu and Kashmir police, central paramilitary forces and the armed forces after verifying their identity and also note down the name and the unit number of the buyer, the order said. The order also authorised a police officer of ASI rank and above to check such registers routinely as well as for purpose of investigation. UNI
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Captain, 4 ultras killed in Kashmir
Srinagar, March 25 Captain Dinesh Singh was killed in a night-long encounter between the security forces and a Jaish-e-Mohammad militant in the Sogam area of Kupwara district in north Kashmir early today. The militant was also gunned down, the sources said, adding that an AK rifle, four magazines, two grenades and an improvised explosive device (IED) were seized from him. In another encounter, three militants were killed by a joint search party of the police and the Army at Matribug village in Pulwama district in south Kashmir last night, the sources said. They said the encounter took place when the troops raided a militant hideout following specific information about the presence of militants. Two AK assault rifles and some ammunition were seized from the dead militants, they said. Meanwhile, the body of one person, who was kidnapped and later killed by militants was recovered by the police from Larnu village of Anantnag district in south Kashmir today, the sources said. PTI
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Jawan killed in Pak shelling Jammu, March 25 Indian troops also retaliated and exchange of fire was continuing when the reports last came in. A defence spokesman told reporters that Pakistani troops opened heavy and unprovoked mortar fire targeting Army installations and the bodering Indian villages in the Lam area of Nowshera sector along the Line of Control at around 4 p.m.
PTI, UNI
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Passbooks
for power tariff dues soon Jammu, March 25 |
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