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Tuesday,
April 15, 2003, Chandigarh, India  
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NEWS ANALYSIS
‘Durbar
move’ on April 25 ‘Bring
communities together for migrants’ return’ |
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60 pc of
de-mining work completed Pahalgam
to get parks, cable car Ambedkar
Jayanti celebrations House of
NC MP attacked Promises
not fulfilled 
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NEWS ANALYSIS Jammu, April 14 It is learnt that the decision to revert to its previous stand was taken in the two-day meeting of the state executive of the BJP which concluded here on Saturday. Many leaders of the BJP were critical of the change in the party’s stand during the elections when the achievements at the national-level were highlighted rather than the emotional issue of “discrimination” against the Jammu region by the state government. The Congress, the Panthers Party and the newly-formed Jammu State Morcha
(JSM) hijacked the sensitive issue and gave a drubbing to the BJP in its own stronghold. This was for the first time that the strength of the BJP got reduced to a single member in the 79-member Assembly. Sources said the BJP had now asked its activists to be prepared to come on the roads to oppose the “pro-terrorists” healing touch policy of Chief Minister Mufti Sayeed and the Congress “anti-Jammu” stance by supporting the policy and backing out of its promise of this time selecting the Chief Minister from the Jammu region. The political resolution adopted by the BJP in the presence of its general secretaries, Mr Raj Nath Singh and Mr
O.P. Kohli, is an indication of the BJP reverting to its old stand by seeking a “definite political instrument” invested with legislative, executive and financial powers for the Jammu region. The BJP leadership was also making efforts to pacify the JSM to prevent further damage to the party as the new outfit had made inroads in the BJP bastion at least in seven places. The Congress has clinched the sensitive issue of removing discrimination with the Jammu region, but the people here are not satisfied with its performance because it has so far failed to get the report of the Wazir Commission implemented. The statutory finance commission and the apparatus for development promised by Ms Sonia Gandhi has also not been provided by the PDP-led coalition government. The outburst of Mr Mangat Ram Sharma, Deputy Chief Minister and a Congress leader, against the Panthers Party for raising the issues of discrimination with the Jammu region has not been relished by the people in general. Mr Sharma snubbed a newcomer MLA of the Panthers Party, Mr Balwant Singh, for raising these issues. He said the government would not fall even if the four MLAs of the Panthers Party quit the coalition. The BJP has accused the Panthers Party chief, Mr Bhim Singh, of trying to mislead the people of Jammu on the issue of discrimination. A BJP leader pointed out that Mr Bhim Singh had initially given a deadline of six months to the Mufti to take steps for removing imbalances with regard to the Jammu region, but has now indefinitely extended the time frame. The BJP pointed out that while on the one hand the Panthers Party had demanded during the elections statehood for Jammu, but now it was extending the functioning of the party to the Kashmir valley which was contrary to its stand . With this type of situation prevailing here, none of the parties was in the favour of elections for the Jammu Municipal Corporation and other local bodies in the state being held in the near future. Most of the parties were making efforts to get these elections delayed as the people were upset with their performance. |
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‘Durbar move’ on April 25 Jammu, April 14 Although the state government has ordered that the Secretariat will close here on the afternoon of April 25, the offices have virtually shut down because of a holiday bonanza those days. The offices will reopen on Wednesday and again there will be some holidays before the offices move to Srinagar. The government spends something around Rs 4 crore on the move of offices every six months which has become a ritual over the years. The move of offices is popularly known as “durbar move” since the times of the princely rule in the
state. The Kashmir valley is the seat of administration during the summer, while Jammu becomes the hub of government activity during the winter when the valley is under a thick blanket of snow. It is learnt that more than 100 truckloads of files and other official documents are carried between the two state capitals during each move. These offices will reopen at Srinagar nine days later on May 5. The bi-annual move results in a paid holiday of 18 days to those officials who shift with the offices. Those in the advance party enjoy a bonus holiday of additional four days as they have been allowed to leave for Srinagar in the forenoon of April 21. Besides the Secretariat, as many as 22 offices will move in full, while camp offices of the other 26 departments will go to Srinagar. Although it has been ordered that the record will be closed here on April 25, but the general practice has been that the files are packed much earlier. A gazetted officer accompanied with four other employees from each office forms the advance party which will leave for the valley on April 21 to receive the record at Srinagar. The salary for the month of April will be paid to the moving employees on April 23. Many futile attempts were made by various governments to discontinue the age-old practice of “durbar move”, but these were met with strong resistance from the people who did not want to be deprived of the offices coming to their respective region every six months. However, the shifting has been curtailed to some extent by bifurcating some offices with separate directorates for the two regions and partial moving of certain establishments. The offices of the boards and corporations have been ordered to be permanently located at the place where these were actually registered. |
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‘Bring communities together for migrants’ return’ Jammu, April 14 This demand was contained in a resolution adopted at a meeting of the action committee here today. During the meeting, Mr Rafiq Sadiq, son of a former state Chief Minister, Mr
G.M. Sadiq, and a senior Congress leader, was unanimously elected the vice-president of the committee. The resolution, moved by the committee chairman, Mr Jatender
Bakshi, said the committee had sent a communication in this regard to the state government and the Centre long ago, but, so far, received no assistance from them. It said: “The return of the migrants to the Valley cannot be arranged by government agencies without the participation of local people. First of all, a congenial atmosphere will have to be built, so that, all displaced families could be invited by the majority community back to the Valley.” Mr Rafiq Sadiq said the return of the migrants was not possible only with the government providing security cover to them. The process required mobilisation of public opinion, for which, leaders of different communities would have to sit and find out the way. Mr Jatender Bakshi said the action committee was ready to help all agencies trying for the return of the migrants. It could initiate measures, in which, Muslim leaders would be invited for enlisting their support for creating a suitable atmosphere for rehabilitation of displaced families. He said a project should be sanctioned by the government for bringing representatives of the migrants and the majority community in the Valley to the negotiating table. |
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60 pc of de-mining work completed Jammu, April 14 The de-mining operation was started by the Army’s engineering wing along 182 km of IB in Jammu and Kathua districts of the state, the sources told reporters. The engineering wing, popularly known as ‘Sappers’ are engaged in removal of Anti-Tank Mines (ATMs) and Anti-Personnel Mines (APMs) laid during ‘Operation Parakaram’ along Jammu borders in December 2001, they said. Some areas of the R.S. Pura, Samba, Hiranagar and Amgarh in Jammu sectors have been de-mined, while work in other areas was on, they said. As many as 14 persons were killed and 39 others injured in the de-mining operations along the border line during the period. The Centre had decided to de-mine all areas falling along IB in Gujarat, Rajasthan, Punjab and Jammu and Kashmir in December 2001 after Operations Parakaram was called off after one year of border buildup. The government had also paid Rs 34 crore to the border people on whose land mines were laid during the operations.
PTI |
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Pahalgam
to get parks, cable car Pahalgam, April 14 The decision was taken at the first meeting of the newly constituted nine-member Pahalgam Development Authority held here yesterday under the chairmanship of the Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed. Deputy Chief Minister Mangat Ram Sharma and Tourism Housing and Urban Development Minister Ghulam Hasan Mir were among others who attended the meeting alongwith other senior officers. The action plan, approved by the authority, for the development of the town also includes adjacent villages. While the authority has proposed a comprehensive development plan, the Chief Minister, however, gave emphasis on short-term works. To provide recreational facilities to the tourists and pilgrims the Chief Minister said the Rs 9 crore gondola cable car project should be set up with the participation of the private sector. The proposed amusement park will be developed by Jammu and Kashmir Bank. The Wildlife Department has been asked to set up a deer park. A similar park would be set up at Gulmarg also, the Chief Minister announced. Like Gulmarg underground cables would be laid here to provide regular power supply even during snowfall. |
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Ambedkar
Jayanti celebrations Jammu, April 14 Addressing a function organised by the Bhartiya Dalit Sahitya Academy, J&K, here today to mark the 112th birth anniversary of Dr Bhim Rao Ambedkar, the Mufti said be it terrorism or fight against inequality and injustice, only non-violent methods held the key to solution. Saying that the coalition government, which he described as people’s government, will not belie the expectations, the Chief Minister highlighted his government’s policy of removing injustice. He said the state was passing through a critical phase and the government and people should work together to bring about the desired change. The Chief Minister announced that his government had decided to give another chance to sick public sector undertakings, recommendations of Dr Godbole committee notwithstanding. He said the government was aware of the fact that closing down such units would lead to a lot of economic distress for the working class. In an era of automation, jobs have become limited and it would be the policy of his government to give a fair chance to those working in sick units to redouble their efforts and bring these out of the red. The Governor of Haryana, Babu Parmanand, called upon the people to supplement the efforts of the Mufti to restore peace in the state. Babu Parmanand, who is also the president of the Bhartiya Dalit Sahitya Academy, said the universally acknowledged free and fair elections to the state Assembly had provided an opportunity to restore peace in the state. The Minister of State for Defence, Mr Chaman Lal Gupta, paid tributes to Dr Ambedkar. |
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House of NC MP attacked Jammu, April 14 However, no loss of life was reported. According to the police, the security personnel effectively replied to the firing of terrorists and the encounter continued for an hour before the terrorists fled. This is the second attack on the residence of Chaudhary Talib Hussain in the past few days. In another incident, terrorists set on fire a police post in the Gandoh area of the Doda district. Four terrorists, including one identified as Abdul Rehman of the Lashkar-e-Toiba, were killed in separate encounters with the security forces. Meanwhile, Pakistani troops opened fire at the Indian positions in the Chambyal and Bhawani sectors in Jammu region. Reports said firing was continuing in the Bhawani sector in Rajouri. SRINAGAR: Five persons, including a woman, were injured today in grenade attacks by militants at a security picket and crowded Mughal Garden Nishat here, official sources said. The blast at Nishat came barely three hours after an abortive attempt by militants to target a BSF picket with a grenade in the heart of the city at Amirakadal injuring three pedestrians, including a woman. |
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Promises
not fulfilled Jammu, April 14 Although the then Communications Minister, Mr Parmod Mahajan, had assured Chief Minister, Mufti Sayeed, that the cellular phone service would be launched in Jammu, Srinagar and Vaishno Devi shrine on Baisakhi, but BSNL authorities have failed to provide the infrastructure for the service. PWD Minister, Madan Lal Sharma, had set the target opening the new bridge on the Tawi on Baisakhi, but work on the bridge had come to a halt for the past few months when the shuttering was washed away by a flood. A pier has also reportedly been damaged. |
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CBI to probe DD engineer’s death Srinagar, April 14 |
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