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Sunday,
April 6, 2003, Chandigarh, India  
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Ultras
blow up BSF vehicle, six hurt Jawan
killed in Pak shelling J&K
takes note of LeT chief’s threat J&K to
involve private sector in power generation |
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POSTINGS/ TRANSFERS Sikhs
observe bandh in Baramula
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Ultras blow up BSF vehicle, six hurt
Srinagar, April 5 Militants triggered an improvised explosive device as the BSF vehicle crossed Kahleel road in Tral township of the district injuring four security personnel and two civilians. The injured BSF men have been identified as, Hans Raj, Hazar Singh, Nirmal Singh and M. Senthil Kumar. The condition of two of them was stated to be critical. The injured civilians have been identified as — Nissar Ahmad and Ghulam Mohiuddin. The pro-Pakistan militant outfit Hizb-ul-Mujahideen has claimed responsibility for the attack. Meanwhile, five ultras of Hizb-ul-Mujahideen militant outfit were arrested from different areas of the city in a joint operation by the BSF and the police here on Saturday. Describing the arrests as a “significant breakthrough”, the spokesman said the ultras confessed their involvement in a number of killings, including that of security personnel in the city, in recent months. The questioning of the arrested militants, hailing from Maisuma, Haft Chinar, Zero Bridge, Panthachowk and Tengpora localities, revealed they were part of a squad indulging in contract killings under instructions of Ibrahim Dar, alias Salim, a top militant of the outfit who was still at large, a BSF spokesman said. Two pistols, a few hand grenades and some incriminating material were recovered from the five — self-styled “platoon commander” Fayaz Ahmad Bilal, alias Rafiq, “company commander” Mohammad Altaf Mir, alias Hanief, Reyaz Ahmad Shah, alias Ishfaq, Shaukat Ahmad Wani Alia Rizwan and Samiullah Khan, alias Nasir. The kingpin of the squad — Feroz Ahmad Sheikh, alias Pupa, and another member Mehboob Jam, have already been arrested by the Delhi Police. BARAMULA: Three villages of Kashmiri Pandits were attacked by unidentified gunmen with automatic weapons in north Kashmir on Friday evening. However, there were no reports of any casualties. Official sources said unidentified gunmen opened indiscriminate fire at Kralgund, Rawalpora and Shalapora, where Kashmiri Pandits live. However, security forces deployed for the protection of the villagers also returned the fire and the exchange continued for some time. No one was wounded in the attack, sources said adding that the militants later managed to escape under the cover of darkness. JAMMU: Three Hizb-ul-Mujahideen militants were among four ultras shot dead by security forces in two separate encounters in Jammu and Kashmir since yesterday, official sources said here on Saturday. The Hizb-ul-Mujahideen militants were killed in the Dessa area of Doda district last night. While two bodies have been found, search was on for the body of the third slain militant at the encounter site from where two rifles and some arms and explosives have been recovered, the sources said. An unidentified militant was shot dead by BSF personnel at Mahore in Udhampur district. One AK rifle, 10 rounds and a hand grenade were recovered from the site. A Hizb militant, Mohammad
Iqbal, surrendered to the police at Ramban in Doda district last night.
PTI, UNI |
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Jawan killed in Pak shelling Jammu, April 5 Defence Ministry sources said the Pakistani troops fired between 250 and 300 mortar sheels from across the Bhawani sector and adjoining areas. According to the sources, one soldier was injured. However, the police said some civilian structures suffered minor damage. The sources said “our troops effectively retaliated by pounding Pakistani bunkers and military installations with mortar shells and heavy calibre weapons. The sources said the loss suffered by the enemy could not be known. The Defence Ministry sources and senior police functionaries said the main aim behind the unprovoked shelling by the Pak troops was to provide fire cover to groups of militants who were infiltrating into Rajouri district. |
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J&K takes note of LeT chief’s threat Jammu, April 5 According to press reports, Saeed had, while endorsing the act of the militants in the elimination of Kashmiri Pandits, stated that this was the only way to force India to settle the Kashmir issue. He had said it was wrong on the part of Islamabad to beg for the resumption of bilateral talks and added that the only way to make India agree to settle the dispute was by killing Pandits. This utterance had come from the LeT chief hardly after 13 days of the massacre in Nadimarg village, where the unidentified gunmen had killed 24 Pandits. In the wake of this utterance the state government has decided to chalk out a strategy for preventing carnages of the type of Nadimarg to be repeated by the militants. Under the revised strategy the security operations against the militants were to be intensified. In addition to this additional security pickets were being set up in villages where Pandits still live. According to a government report, between 8,000 and 10,000 Pandits are living in 815 places in the valley. During recent security review it had been realised that providing foolproof security cover to the Pandits living in remote villages was not possible as it required additional companies of security forces. The state government was contemplating a plan of rehabilitating, though temporarily, the Pandit families living in remote villages in clusters. These clusters, once raised, could easily be provided with better security cover. However, the scheme is to be implemented with the consent of the Pandits. The government has also taken up with the Union Home Ministry the threat of repetition of Nadimarg-type massacres by the Pakistan-side militants. The state authorities have urged the Centre to sanction additional companies of paramilitary forces till the state administration was able to raise two or three battalions of the police. Even for raising new police battalions additional financial support from the Centre was required, said a senior police officer. |
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J&K to involve private sector in power generation Jammu, April 5 Making the announcement before mediapersons, the Power Minister, Mr Mohammad Sharief Niaz, said steps had been taken to tap the nearly 20,000 MW of power potential which was going waste in various river basins. So far only 1500 MW of power potential has been tapped. He said private parties constructing power projects here would be allowed to transmit the power to their industries elsewhere in the country. The Chief Secretary, Mr S.S. Bleoria and the Principal Secretary, Power, Mr B.R. Kundal, were also present in the press conference. In a landmark provision in the policy that has been framed for involving the private sector in generation, no royalty shall be charged for the first five years by the government from the projects with installed capacity of more than 25 MWs. For the next 10 years, the royalty shall be charged at the rate of 15 per cent of the net energy wheeled or supplied. The royalty will be charged at the rate of 18 per cent after 15 years. Giving more incentives to the projects below 25 MW capacity, Mr Niaz said they would be exempted from royalty for the first 15 years of operations. In case of sale of power to other parties of the Power Department thereafter, 12 per cent royalty shall be charged. Mr Niaz said no entry tax would be levied on the equipment and building material that was required for such projects. The income from the power projects shall be exempted from income tax. The government will allow these projects to be constructed also in the joint sector or by the other state governments. Jammu and Kashmir Power Development Corporation shall notify the projects indicating their installed capacity after pre-feasibility studies and seek bids. The detailed project reports of 42 projects had already been prepared and 29 projects were being surveyed. The projects shall be offered for a period of 45 years from the date of the award and on completion, they will revert back to the state government or re-extended on mutually agreeable terms. Grid interfacing, transmission, banking, royalty and time limit for completion of the projects are, however, different for both the categories of projects. Accordingly, two separate policies have been formulated for projects having installed capacity less and more than 25 MW. The Minister said the policy envisaged pre-qualification for the IPPs and bidders based on their experience in hydro-power projects and financial capacity to mobilise required resources or raise equity contribution. Weightage will be given to those having financial capacity, technical capability and experience. The IPPs can give contract to sell power to any HT consumer within Jammu and Kashmir, to local grids which are not connected to Jammu and Kashmir Power Development Department’s main grid, or to any consumer outside the state or to J&K Power Development Department. The sale to J&K Power Development Department will be mutually negotiated. |
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POSTINGS/ TRANSFERS Jammu, April 5 This is the first major shakeup of the administration that the Mufti government has ordered in the past five months since it came to power. Mr Ajit Kumar, Principal Secretary, Works, has been shifted to the Administrative Reforms and Trainings Department. Mr B.R. Singh, who was a close confidant of a former Chief Minister, Dr Farooq Abdullah, has been sent out of the Secretariat as Member, Special Tribunal, Jammu. He was Principal Secretary, Science, Technology and Information Technology. Mr B.R. Kundal has been shifted from Power Development and appointed Principal Secretary, Agriculture. Mr Anil Goswami, Divisional Commissioner, Jammu, has been appointed as Principal Secretary, Power Development. Mr S.L. Bhat on repatriation from the Centre has been appointed Principal Secretary, Social Welfare, in place of Mr B.L. Nimesh, who goes as Chief Electoral Officer. Mr P.G. Dhar Chakrobarty on repatriation from the Centre has been appointed Principal Secretary, Housing and Urban Development. Mr A.R. Parray, Secretary, Administrative Reforms and Trainings, has been given charge of Health and Medical Education. Mr Pramod Jain, Chief Electoral Officer, has been appointed Secretary, Roads and Buildings. Mr I.D. Jha on repatriation from the Centre has been posted as Divisional Commissioner, Jammu, Mr R.K. Gupta on repatriation from the Centre has been given charge of Science and Technology. Mr P.K. Tripathi on repatriation from the Centre has been posted Managing Director, Power Development Corporation. Mr Khurshid Malik, Secretary, Industry, has been transferred and posted as Secretary, Public Health Engineering and Irrigation. Mr A.R. Mubarki, Sales Tax Commissioner, has been posted as Chairman of the Board of Competent Authority Entrance Examinations. Mr Firoz Ahmed, Director, Social Welfare, has been appointed Sales Tax Commissioner. Mr Manoj Pant has been posted as Director, Youth Services and Sports. Dr Ved Gupta has been posted as Secretary, Health and Medical Education. Dr Parveen Kaur has been posted as member of the Board of Competent Authority, Entrance Examinations. Mr Bashir Ahmed Khan, Additional Secretary, Tourism, has been shifted as Deputy Commissioner, Pulwama. Mr I.S. Wazir, Special Secretary, Information, has been posted as Director, Estates, in place of Syed Ahmed Sheikh, who goes as Special Secretary, Food and Supplies. |
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Sikhs observe bandh in Baramula Baramula, April 5 They took to the streets and blocked the Srinagar-Uri highway for some time in support of their demand. Shops belonging to Sikhs remained closed at Kanspora and adjoining villages in protest against the death of Mr Bali. Mr Bali, who was working as an Assistant Engineer in Srinagar Doordarshan, went missing on March 22 during his visit to Bandipora. However, his body was fished out of the Jhelum river at Uri yesterday. Meanwhile, Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir, the Deputy
Commissioner, Baramula, and other senior civil and police officials visited Mr Bali’s residence and condoled his death.
UNI |
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