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Sunday,
May 18, 2003, Chandigarh, India  
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George asks separatists to join talks
Militants kill two policemen on patrol Border villagers see no hope |
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Dharna against rights’ violation Bid to revive tourism in Valley Ban on land
allotment Gen Sharma is 14 Corps Commander Centre refers Bagliar project to ADB
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George asks separatists to join talks Srinagar, May 17 Talking to mediapersons after inaugurating a two-day training programme for the Jammu and Kashmir panchayat representatives at the SKICC here today, Mr Fernandes said various steps had already been taken ahead of an Indo-Pak dialogue following the Prime Minister’s initiative taken from the soil of Kashmir. He said gun was no solution to problems and dialogue was the only way to restore peace in this trouble-torn state, which had witnessed turbulence for over 12 years now. Replying to questions, Mr Fernandes said though nothing had come to the fore on the talks process, a number of steps had been taken by the two neighbouring countries following Mr Vajpayee’s initiative of extending a hand of friendship to Pakistan. Enumerating the steps taken by the Government of India, Mr Fernandes referred to the appointment of a High Commissioner to Pakistan, opening of airspace on either side and beginning of trade activities. He also referred to the ongoing visit of a Pakistani parliamentary delegation to India — a move that would be reciprocated shortly. Earlier, addressing the inaugural function, the Defence Minister suggested that the preamble to the Panchayati Raj Act should be defined and it should be clear so that it would be an expedient to promote and develop panchayati raj effectively at the grass-roots level. He said a comprehensive system would go a long way to introduce local self-government to secure effective participation of the rural people in the decision-making process for overseeing the implementation of development programmes. Mr Fernandes said the advice for the effective governance and plan formulation needed to be sought from the panchayat level instead of dictating it from the state or the Central levels. The training programme, organised by the institute of Social Sciences (ISS), New Delhi, in collaboration with the State Rural Development Department, was addressed by the Director, ISS, Dr George Mathew, and former Jammu and Kashmir Finance Minister, Mr A.R. Rather, who highlighted the significance of the Panchayati Raj Act and other related aspects. Later a presentation on the Panchayat Raj Act and other parameters entitled “A Retrospect “ was also shown to the participants. Agencies add: Asked whether his government planned a fresh cease-fire with militants in the state, Mr Fernandes replied in the negative saying “no, there is no such plan”. Calling on the Hurriyat Conference to begin talks with the Centre’s interlocutor, Mr N.N. Vohra, Mr Fernandes said the separatists should join the mainstream and think of the future development of Jammu and Kashmir. Asked whether New Delhi would respond in kind to the Pakistani announcement of releasing Indian prisoners, the Defence Minister said “we do not have any Pakistani prisoners in our jails, so there is no possibility of such a step.” Mr Fernandes expressed satisfaction that at least Islamabad had accepted the presence of Indian prisoners after denying it for a long time at the highest level. Mr Fernandes said there was no possibility of summit level talks with Pakistan in the immediate future as “we have not reached that stage yet”. “Several CBMs have been announced by either said to create an atmosphere conducive for talks. Once that happens we will have dialogue to resolve the outstanding issues,” he added. Asked if the Centre was considering a ceasefire with militants in Jammu and Kashmir, Fernandes replied in negative saying “no such proposal was before us.” On the delay in unveiling mobile telephone services in the state at the behest of some Defence Ministry officials, the minister said, “I do not know of any such thing. I will inquire about it when I reach Delhi. |
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Militants kill two policemen on patrol Srinagar, May 17 While constable Mushtaq Ahmad died on the spot, Abdul Khaliq succumbed to injuries while being taken to hospital, sources said adding the constables belonged to the Ram Munshibagh police station. The militants escaped from the scene of the incident immediately taking advantage of the panic which followed the shooting, they said. The area at Badyari Chowk in Dalgate was cordoned off and a hunt launched to nab the militants. On May 13, sub-inspector Fauja Singh of Karan Nagar police station was shot dead by militants at Kak Sarai chowk in the city. JAMMU: Army jawans today shot dead three top Pakistani militants near the Line of Control (LoC) in Rajouri district of Jammu and Kashmir, official sources said. Troops patrolling Chingus forest belt in Rajouri district noticed a group of Pakistani militants 400 metres inside Indian territory early this morning and challenged them, the sources told PTI. In the encounter that followed, three of them were killed on the spot, they said. The recoveries from them included three AK rifles, four magazines, six IEDs, 12 grenades, two radio sets, the sources said. Two militants were shot dead yesterday in the same area by troops who also lost a jawan in the gunbattle, they added. Militants killed a woman and injured her husband while security forces arrested a militant of the Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) outfit in Rajouri areas of Jammu division since last evening, police sources said today. Militants had kidnapped Rataya Parveen and her husband Nasir Hussain from Bandi village in Rajouri district early yesterday, the sources said, adding later they killed Parveen and critically injured her husband critically, last night. Hussain has been admitted in Poonch district hospital for treatment, they said. In another incident border security force troops arrested a militant of JeM outfit Sher Khan from Chansi forest area in Kalakote Tehsil of Rajouri district last evening. Two hand grenades were recovered from his possession, the sources said and added that 18-year Khan, who belongs to the Mahore area of Udhampur district, is being interrogated. Meanwhile search was on in the Chingus area of the district where security forces had gunned down two militants in an encounter early yesterday, the sources said. SRINAGAR: An Army jawan was killed and two others injured in an encounter with militants in a forest in Bandipora area of Baramula district in North Kashmir last night, the police said today. The encounter stated when the troops of the Rashtriya Rifles laid cordon around the Shogbaba forest following information about the presence of militants, the police said. As the troops began searching the area, militants opened fire and in the fight a jawan was killed and two other soldiers injured. The police said reinforcements had been rushed to the area and the combing intensified to flush the militants out. The operation was on when last reports were received today, the police added. Meanwhile, Army jawans busted three militant hideouts at Muqam-Bandipora during search early today. Ten kg of the RDX, some ammunition and a large quantity of utensils, eatables and blankets were recovered from the hideouts which were later destroyed by the troops, official sources said. JAMMU: Three militants, two of them foreign mercenaries, were shot by security forces at Dhamwa Kote and Lower Kote in Rajouri district today. They had infiltrated into Indian side from across the border. Two of them have been identified as Abu Zar and Abu Hamza, both Pakistanis and another as Mohammad Iqbal Malik, a local militant, the sources said adding three AK rifles along with 10 magzines and 160 rounds and seven hand grenades were recovered from the slain militants. Army jawan Mahabir Singh was killed when a gun went off while he was cleaning it at Mendhar in Poonch district last evening. The rifle was recovered in a encounter by the security forces from Kasalbari encounter. The body of the jawan was later handed over to the unit concerned for last rites after a post-mortem examination, they said.
PTI, UNI |
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Border villagers see no hope Suchetgarh (Indo-Pak border), May 17 The residents appear to be a depressed lot because of the almost daily firing on them by the Pakistani troops. Their problems have been compounded as large chunks of their fertile lands have been occupied by the Army and the BSF for which a paltry amount of compensation is being paid to them. Subhash Chand, a panch of the village, came out of his room carrying bullets fired by the Pakistani troops at his house and said that he had no hope that the talks with Pakistan would succeed as the previous experience of the Lahore bus trip and the Agra summit had been a bad dream. The Pakistanis rained bullets on their village almost every day. He said that the Pakistanis indiscriminately fired in the nearby Arnia village on Monday and what can be expected from them. Some village or the other on the border is targeted almost every night. He said that the residents which once produced high quality basmati, were now financially broken as mines had been laid in their fields. Demining was started in some areas, but the work had been stopped by the Army and it was expected to be resumed after the monsoons. Almost the entire population of 1500 in the village had been hit hard because of the tension on the border. The panch said that he himself used to produce about 250 bags of basmati rice every season, but now his yield had been reduced to just 25 bags because most of his land was not approachable. He said that about 3000 kanals of land had been rendered uncultivable because of mines and fencing of the border. The BSF had initially assured that the fencing would be on the “0 line”, but now the cultivable land had been put under it. The revenue authorities of the area confirmed that about 65,000 kanals of fertile land was under the occupation of the army and the security forces in the Ranbirsingh Pura tehsil and about 35,342 persons had been affected because of this. Some other residents said the only telephone there had been out of order for the past five months and no one had come to rectify the fault despite repeated complaints. The condition of residents of the villages on the border in the Akhnoor and the adjoining areas was equally bad because many people had left their hearth and homes because of firing by Pakistanis and had been living in tents in the rear for the past many months. |
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Dharna against rights’ violation Jammu, May 17 Ms Thakur criticised the “illegal” action of the police and the administration and take action against the guilty police officers without delay. Mr Balkar Singh was acquitted by the Sessions courts on January 31 and Mohan Singh was ordered to be released by the High Court after quashing the invocation of Public Safety Act against him. Balkar Singh is in detention in Satwari police station and Mohan Singh in Nawabad police station, she said. |
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Bid to revive tourism in Valley Jammu, May 17 Ms Sonia Gandhi, President of the Congress, has chosen Srinagar as the venue for examining the progress report of the Congress-ruled states apparently to create a sense of security not only among the local people but also among potential tourists who have abandoned Kashmir from their itinerary for the past about 13 years when Pakistan-sponsored terrorism began in the state. The Chief Minister, Mufti Sayeed, has also visited several places in the country in a bid to put the tourism industry back on the rails in the valley. The envoys of Singapore, the Czech Republic, Brunei, Argentina, Thailand, Spain, Morocco and Uruguay participated in the golf event. Some British business executives also played golf at the newly set up golf course on the banks of the world famous Dal Lake. The Mufti had throughout opposed the laying of the Royal Springs Golf Course by his predecessor, Dr Farooq Abdullah, in a forest area. However, now the Mufti is himself busy counting the plus points of the golf course and inviting people to play there. On the other hand, the PCC president, Mr Ghulam Nabi Azad, in these days busy supervising the arrangements for the crucial meeting of the Congress Chief Ministers which will be presided over by Ms Gandhi on May 30 and 31. Ms Gandhi had during her election meetings in Jammu and Kashmir said that she would monitor the functioning of the Congress-ruled states and pull up the Chief Ministers who were not taking adequate measures to implement schemes for the welfare of the common people. The exercise to normalise the situation in the valley was started recently by the Prime Minister, Mr Atal Bihari Vajpayee, by addressing two public meetings in Srinagar. It was after a gap of about 15 years that any Prime Minister addressed on public meetings there. A number of conferences of central ministries and business houses are on the cards this summer. Even opponents of the Mufti point out that the atmosphere in the state has become more relaxed after the coalition came to power. It is alleged that the coterie round the previous Chief Minister, Dr Farooq Abdullah, was also to be blamed for the current mess as it made no serious efforts to normalise the situation here. However, observers are keeping their fingers crossed following reports of the presence of a large number of terrorists, including foreign mercenaries, who are bent upon creating trouble in the state. |
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Ban on land
allotment Jammu, May 17 According to an order issued by the State Housing and Urban Development Ministry, all allotments of residential and commercial land and buildings by the JDA had been banned from May 5 this year. This has been done in view of the ongoing probe into the land and buildings allotment scandal in the JDA in which the JDA Vice-Chairman Aslam Qureshi and Secretary T.K. Sharma have allegedly been found misusing their official position by making illegal and irregular
allotments of 300 plots and buildings during the last two years. The state High Court has also banned the allotment of shops and commercial buildings by the JDA and directed it not to do the same till further orders. PTI Special Secretary, State Housing and Urban Development Ministry, A.K. Wani, who is holding the probe into the JDA scandal, will submit his report to the government next week, the sources said.
PTI |
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Gen Sharma is 14 Corps Commander Jammu, May 17 General Sharma replaces Lieut-Gen R.B. Singh, who relinquished the command after a year of his tenure in northern sector's most strategic area, the sources said. General Sharma would be the fourth Commander of 14 Corps set up after Kargil war in 1999, the sources said, adding that Lieut-Gen V. Masih, Lieut-Gen Ashok Ray and Lieut-Gen B.R. Singh had served in the area. Lieut-Gen R.B. Singh has been appointed Commandant, Army War College, Mhow.
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Centre refers Bagliar project to ADB Jammu, May 17 “The Indian Government sent the proposal for financing the state-owned 345 mw Bagliar project to the ADB recently,” the sources said. Due to major financial crises in Jammu and Kashmir, the state government had submitted the project along with seven other major projects for financing to the Centre during Mr Vajpayee’s visit to the state, the sources said. The Bagliar Project set up in 1998 at Chanderkote in Doda district on the Chenab needs roughly Rs 2,500 crore as revision cost. So far Rs 1,682 crore has been spent on it. Although work is in progress on the project, it is slow due to difficulty in raising finances within the state’s resources, they said.
PTI
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