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Saturday,
May 24, 2003, Chandigarh, India  
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New
strategy of militants in Kashmir J&K to
be showcased in Gulf countries
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Poppy
crop on 22,473 hectares destroyed NHPC
takes J&K Govt to court Pandits
demand ‘Kashyap state’
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New strategy of militants in Kashmir Surankote , May 23 The militants, who were being aided and abetted by Islamabad, had set up a command and control centre in Hilkaka village, about 25 km inside the LoC, which could be reached after a 10-hour walk from the Pirpanjal Range. While the main centre in Hilkaka village and other vantageous bunkers have been destroyed using helicopter gunships for the first time in the anti-terrorist operation, the military action continues in the area as the Army has been able to mop up only 30 per cent of the total 100 km area in which the militants were operating. “Despite being in a remote and inaccessible area, the militants, were coordinating strikes in Poonch and Rajouri sector and were in touch with a number of persons in Pakistan, Kuwait and India through satellite and mobile phones,” the GoC of Poonch sector told a team of visiting newspersons here today. The militants had set up bunkers and hideouts in the ranges and on hilltops using local material. One such hideout was in the dimension of 60 feet by 20 feet, big enough to shelter 50 militants. Records and equipments seized from the area indicate that they had been using the area for the past two to three years. “The area is remote and inaccessible, so the intelligence was not so good,” the senior Army official said. Geographically the area is cut off the most part of the year with snow remaining in the region till April and monsoon lashing the area from June. The local population is mainly of
migratory Gujjars community, who use the area for cattle grazing. The arrest of a militant in February this year indicated that more than 300 terrorists were holed up there. The GoC of the area said the operation was launched in a four-phased manner with the construction of a helipad, setting up of a occupation base and the assault on Hilkaka village. The mop up operation is still continuing. As a planned strategy, the migrants were prevented from entering the area and a compensation of Rs 7.5 crore was given by the administration. “After ensuring that the area was devoid of civilian population, we attacked the militant base camp and other bunkers they had set up on hilltops with helicopter gunships and Army personnel physically moving inch by inch in a rugged terrain where the ranges reach a height of nearly 3500 metres,” he said. The assault on the base camp on the night of April 21 took the militants by surprise and 30 terrorists were killed and three ultras, including two minor boys, were apprehended. The others managed to escape in the nearby jungle and some of those who tried to cross the Pirpanjal Range were later killed. The boys in the age of 11 and 13, who had been forcibly recruited by the LeT, were later re-united with their parents in Thanamandi, he said. Records seized from the hideout indicate that there were 147 militants staying there, in the ratio of four foreign mercenaries for one local ultra. Apart from a huge cache of arms and ammunition, the files containing extensive data of each militant faction, recovery of about 7,000 kg of ration, surgical equipment and handwritten notes on the use of chemicals and other available materials for
guerrilla warfare indicate the new methods they were planning to adopt. The extensive notes on `touch poison’,
'cynide’ indicated that they could have been used these to poison the local water sources to spread terror, he said. Further, the presence of different militant factions in one area under one roof indicate their coordinated activity in the region. “The immediate impact of the operation is that militant activity in Poonh and Rajouri has decreased. What needs to be done is to establish motorable road in the area to prevent re-emergence of such base,” he said. The senior Army official assured that there were no other similar inaccessible area in the Poonch sector, which could be used by militants for setting up such bases.
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J&K
to be showcased in Gulf countries Srinagar, May 23 While various tourism sites of the country would be highlighted, Kashmir would get the main focus in the Union Tourism Ministry's tourist road shows in the Gulf this year for which Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed has also been invited. The Ministry is working out programme for the purpose, an official spokesman said. Meanwhile, the Union Ministry of Tourism has sanctioned Rs. 6.60 crore for various tourism related projects in Jammu and Kashmir in a bid to revive tourism. This follows the meeting of Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed with the Union Minister for Tourism and Cultural Affairs, Mr Jagmohan at New Delhi on May 14 and a follow up meeting of the Secretary Tourism, Mr Najmus Saqib and other Central Government authorities on May 21. The Chief Minister has appreciated the quick response of the Union Minister to his proposal for revival of tourism in Jammu and Kashmir. Amount released is meant for phase-I of the seven projects being taken up by the state government with central assistance. The Union Tourism Ministry has sanctioned Rs 1.07 crore for famous Khir Bhawani and Rs 1.03 crore for Mattan pilgrim centres. As regards Khir Bhawani shrine project, the funds would be spent on renovation of Dharamshala, its electrification, construction of yatrika and renovation of fencing to the holy spring and premises of the shrine. Khir Bhawani is an important pilgrim centre. The restoration and development works proposed to be taken up at Mattan include construction of yatrika, public conveniences, renovation of temple and gurdwara, restoration of spring and chain-link fencing. The project relating to Baba Reshi shrine at Tangmarg that has been approved includes construction of drain, parking places and road besides development of parks. Rupees one crore have been sanctioned for this project. Another scheme approved by the Union Tourism Ministry is construction of shelter sheds and toilet blocks on Amarnath route. These works include construction of three shelter sheds each at Sheshnag and Panchtarni with toilet blocks each having 20 units. The works also include drinking water facilities at these two halting places. An allocation of Rs. one crore has been made for it. An amount of Rs. one crore has been sanctioned for promotion of tourism for Katra-Patnitop circuit. It will be spent on improvement in drainage system at Katra and improvement of tourist circuit between Vaishno Devi and Patnitop. Another famous Muslim shrine, Aishmuqam would also be developed to promote pilgrim tourism. The development works proposed to be taken up there include construction of a hall, pavements, fencing and development of parks around the shrine. An amount of Rs 50 lakh has been sanctioned for these works. Another project for which Rs. one crore have been sanctioned is the famous Mughal garden-Nishat over looking world famous Dal Lake. It will be renovated as per Mughal architecture. The Chief Minister has also ordered that the project for development of the surroundings of famous shrine of Shah Hamdan, Khanqah-i-Moulla be prepared and sent to the Union Ministry of Tourism for funding. A similar project is being prepared for preservation of the historic Jama Masjid in downtown Srinagar which is an icon of Islamic architecture. In a communication to Mufti Sayeed after his meeting, Mr Jagmohan has informed that the Central Government would set up an Institute of Skiing and Mountaineering from its own funds. The remaining construction work of the Institute, abandoned by the contractor, would be completed expeditiously. New complex would be constructed for the Institute of Hotel Management, presently housed in a rented premises. Instructions have been issued by him for its expeditious completion. These issues were among many raised by the Chief Minister with Mr Jagmohan during his meeting. |
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Poppy crop on 22,473 hectares destroyed Jammu, May 23 According to an official spokesman, the poppy crop on 22,473 hectares has so far been destroyed in the past one week by Customs officials with the help of the RR. Mr V. Prabhakar, Assistant Commissioner of Customs, Jammu, supervised the anti-poppy cultivation drive. The villages where the crop has been destroyed are Panjpora Chak-Panjpora, Chachkot, Haripari, Kanilwan, Shawlgul, Waghhama, Ketritang, Dadu, Beighpora, Gopalpur, Akingam and Keharbal. The RR had last year seized about 3.5 tonnes of contraband. The spokesman said that cultivation of the contraband is suspected to be the handiwork of syndicates in the Kashmir valley which are supplying the produce to local residents and transporting it to other states. Poppy seeds are sold at Rs 100 per kg and dried poppy pods are ground and the resultant narcotic material known as “bhuki, doda chura or goldy” is sold in Punjab at Rs 200 per kg. |
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NHPC takes J&K Govt to court Jammu, May 23 The NHPC stated that the state enjoyed 12 per cent free power generated by the corporation and added that the state was the biggest beneficiary of the hydel project as it had been allocated 114.6 MW, which is nearly 33.2 per cent of the total power generated by the NHPC in the state. A Division Bench comprising acting Chief Justice V.K. Jhanji and Justice R.C. Gandhi of the Jammu and Kashmir High Court, adjourned the matter yesterday and directed the registry to list it again. The court observed that the matter needed consideration of a Division Bench and had put the case before the Chief Justice for the constitution of the Bench. The questions involved are “whether the Section -3 of J and K Electricity (duty) Act 1963 authorises the state government to levy electricity duty on electric energy generation as in the present case,” the Bench observed. The NHPC submitted that the state government had not paid electricity dues to the tune of Rs 462.56 crore till date.
PTI |
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Pandits
demand ‘Kashyap state’ Jammu, May 23 Pandits feel there should be a “Kashyap state” for the displaced community within the valley so that it could live without any interference from hostile forces and with rights guaranteed to it by the Indian constitution, he said.
PTI |
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2 infiltrators, 4 ultras shot Srinagar, May 23 Two infiltrators were killed in the gunfight near the Line of Control at Tootmargali. In another fierce gunbattle, two Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) militants were killed by the police and security forces at Sangpora in Rajouri district last night.
PTI |
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5 trucks seized Jammu, May 23 |
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