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Thursday,
October
2, 2003,
Chandigarh, India  
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Panchayat poll
notification issued Plan to make state poverty free Abbas faction engaged in APHC unity efforts 3 Pak militants among 5 killed |
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630 cr grant for Baglihar project Gang selling girls busted, kingpin held Insurance company told to pay Rs 30-lakh relief
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Panchayat poll
notification issued Srinagar, October 1 Elections to 1691 out of the 2700 halqa panchayats were held during National Conference regime in 2001, while these could not be held due to various reasons, including the security scenario, in 1009 halqas. A decision to hold these elections by the end of this year was taken by the state Cabinet under the chairmanship of Chief Minister, Mufti Mohammed Sayeed here on June 23 last. According to the notification issued by the Deputy Chief Electoral Officer today, the last date for filing of nomination papers is November 12 in Kupwara and Baramula districts November 15 in Srinagar and Budgam, November 19 for Pulwama and Anantnag, and November 29 in Doda and Udhampur, an official spokesman said. In respect of Poonch and Rajouri districts the last date for filing of nominations is December 3 and for Kathua and Jammu, December 10. The scrutiny of nomination papers will be held on November 13 in Kupwara and Baramula, November 17 for Srinagar and Budgam, November 20 for Pulwama and Anantnag, December 1 for Doda and Udhampur, December 4 for Poonch and Rajouri and December 11 for Kathua and Jammu. The last date of withdrawal of nominations papers in November 15 for Kupwara and Baramula, November 19 for Srinagar and Budgam, November 22 for Pulwama and Anantnag, December 3 for Doda and Udhampur, December 6 for Poonch and Rajouri and December 13 for Kathua and Jammu. Polling and counting for Kupwara and Baramula would take place on November 29 Srinagar and Budgam on December 4, Pulwama and Anantnag on December 6 Doda and Udhampur on December 18, Poonch and Rajouri on December 22 and Kathua and Jammu on December 28. Meanwhile, a high-level meeting presided over by the Rural Development Minister, Peerzada Mohammad Sayeed, here today reviewed the measures already initiated with regard to updating of electoral rolls and allied formalities for conducting free and fair elections in the left over panchayats in the
state. |
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Plan to make state poverty free Srinagar, October 1 Disclosing this here today, eminent agriculture scientist, Prof M.S. Swaminathan, observed that there was no food insecurity in Jammu and Kashmir where over 70 per cent of the population was dependent on agriculture. Dr Swaminathan was addressing a press conference following a national consultation on “Agenda 2007: A food-secure and poverty-free Jammu and Kashmir”. The day-long meeting attended by 60 experts from the state and outside was inaugurated by the Chief Minister, Mufti Mohammed Sayeed, here yesterday. The Governor and the Chief Minister emphasised that agriculture was the backbone of the state’s food, livelihood and ecological security system and the mainstay of its economy. After the discussions, the participants adopted a 15-point road map presented by Dr Swaminathan. “The average consumption of foodgrains (in J&K) is higher than the Indian Council of Medical Research norm of 420 gm per capita per day. Hence the state is in an excellent position to ensure that no one is below the poverty line by August 15, 2007”, the action plan said. It also laid thrust on the strategy to promote job-led economic growth by maximising benefits from four different agro-climatic endowments of the state. The plan also laid emphasis on special measures to be taken to rehabilitate hydrologic hot spots and water bodies like the Dal and Wullar lakes. A special programme was developed for the frontier cold desert region of Ladakh to increase productivity, quality, profitability and sustainability of its farm enterprises. It lays thrust on eco-tourism through a Rare Birds Park in the region and developing human resources on priority. Concern was felt for the major chunks of agricultural land in Kashmir being converted into residential colonies. In order to overcome this problem and become the first state in the country with no one below poverty line, Dr Swaminathan proposed to “design a new kind of farming”. He said green house horticulture would help overcome this problem in the state with only 8 lakh hectares of agricultural land. |
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Abbas faction engaged in APHC unity efforts Srinagar, October 1 Mirwaiz Umar Farooq has been deputed by the four-member APHC executive led by Maulana Abbas Ansari to meet all constituent groups following the split last month. The four-member executive committee comprises chairman Abbas Ansari, former chairman Abdul Ghani Bhat, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Bilal Ghani Lone. The JKLF led by Mohammed Yaseen Malik and
Jamaat-e-Islami, that was represented in the APHC by firebrand leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani, have remained away from both the factions. The split in the 23-member separatist Hurriyat Conference followed the alleged participation of the People’s Conference in the last Assembly elections. Senior separatist leader and chairman of the Democratic Freedom Party
(DFP) Shabir Shah, who has been away from the APHC since 1997, also met Mirwaiz Umar Farooq on the issue of unity. Mr Shah said that he put forth his point of view on the issue of resolving the differences. He said, “We are for unity and want to have meetings with all like-minded parties and leaders”. Both factions of the Hurriyat Conference have made their respective stands clear. The Abbas faction, awaiting response from various groups and leaders, has reiterated its stand on the resolution of Kashmir through tripartite talks. Syed Ali Geelani, on the other hand, has been touring different areas of the Kashmir valley, reiterating his stand on the resolution of the Kashmir issue by granting right of self-determination to the people of Jammu and Kashmir under the relevant UN resolutions. |
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3 Pak militants among 5 killed Jammu, October 1 The security forces launched a seek and destroy operation in the Bhudal forest belt of Rajouri district last night to track a group of foreign mercenaries belonging to huji. When troops reached the Gundah area in the forest belt, it was heavily fired upon by militants. In the encounter, two huji militants, including the tehsil commander codenamed Abu Raza, and Abu Mir Bhai, were killed. Militants barged into house of Mohammad Javed in the Dodi area of Surankote tehsil of Poonch district last night and fired upon Javed and his brother-in-law Mohammad Akram. In the firing, Javed was killed and Akram critically wounded. The militants later escaped from the spot. The security forces, during an encounter, in the Duligam area of Banihal tehsil in Doda district shot dead an unidentified militant last evening. Reports from Udhampur district said one Village Defence Committee (vdc) member, Abdul Rashid, who was on routine patrol at Thoru Patian village in the Mahore area, was shot dead by militants last night. Meanwhile, security forces during search operation in the Thanamdni area of Rajouri district, seized nine rounds of ak ammunition and one hand grenade. The troops also busted a hideout in the Doligam area of Doda district early today and seized 150 kg of ration, 50 litres of kerosene, three stoves and two kg of tea. Srinagar: An Assistant Manager of the State Bank of India and two security personnel were injured in two separate grenade attacks in the Kashmir valley overnight. A grenade hurled by militants exploded at the heavily guarded main office of the SBI at Residency Road near here on Tuesday evening, injuring Assistant Manager Dalmesh Mehar and damaging a vehicle. Another hand grenade lobbed at a security force camp at Mominabad in Anantnag district last night, exploded injuring two jawans. The militants however, managed to escape. In another incident a tourism department official Mohammad Ramzan Wani was injured after being shot at, in his Batakote Pahalgam residence on Tuesday. He was hospitalised. Meanwhile, with the recovery of four more bodies, the number of Pakistani militants killed in the seven-day operation to nab infiltrators in the Gurez sector has risen to 19, an official spokesman said on Wednesday. Two soldiers were also killed in the encounter which had begun on September 23.
— PTI, UNI |
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Chattisinghpora massacre still haunts them Chattisinghpora, October 1 The then 17-year-old Amrik was preparing for his medical entrance test when his father, Gurbaksh Singh, and 35 other Sikhs were massacred in March, 2000, by unidentified gunmen in this hamlet and adjoining Shaukinpora village in Anantnag district of Jammu and Kashmir. The Sikhs killed were soft targets for militants but their next of kin are still paying the price. Traumatised and living in fear of their neighbours, they have witnessed the indifference of the state towards their welfare and lack of avenues for their children. Mere words cannot sum the extent of the damage caused to the community by just one senseless act, termed as one of the most brutal massacres in Kashmir’s long history of bloodshed. More than three years after that ill-fated night and long struggle for survival, villagers still brood over the loss that their generations were going to weather. Nonagenarian Baldev Singh who has
witnessed much bloodshed during the freedom struggle, the partition and
subsequent Indo-Pak wars, saw his son, son-in-law and other relatives shot dead before his eyes. Now he is living with just one wish, “To know the real murderers and their motives.” He terms the massacre as no less than a repeat of the Jallianwala Bagh massacre. Security agencies were still groping in the dark about who had scripted and executed the worst mayhem in the state. On revisiting the villages, The Tribune found people talking about the irreparable damage they would have to suffer for generations. One comes across children (mainly girls) and women on the streets of the village. Men, mainly elders, prefer remaining inside for obvious reasons. An eerie silence still engulfs the village even after three years of the incident. Women and children show you the spot where the bloodshed occurred. For the villagers, the site of the executions — ironically an outer wall of the gurdwara — is a sacred spot and has been befittingly preserved. The walls where the victims were lined up and shot have been covered with glass and wire mesh. The bullet marks — encircled with yellow markers — are a silent testimony of the bloody tale. If this is not enough to develop a lump in one’s throat, one has to wait till villagers come to pay homage daily in the morning or the evening. It’s a heart-wrenching sight to see small children, some of whom were in their mother’s womb at the time of the tragedy, come and embrace the wire mesh. Though unable to gauge the extent of the tragedy, they
somehow seem to sense the sanctity of the daily ritual performed by the elders. Sharandeep Singh, who turned three last week, was one such child. His mother Mohinder Kaur, is working as a school teacher in a local Khalsa school. “ We prefer jobs in the village only. We are still scared to work in some other village and travel daily,” she revealed. She added that not all were lucky like her. “Take the case of Amrik Singh, who is working as a peon. We used to see him studying under a tree near the gurdwara. Now he doesn’t like even looking at the spot which is near to the place of massacre.” Amrit Kaur, who lost two sons and the husband, was facing another problem. She has no one left to take care of the fields and the orchards. “People of other villages were slowly encroaching upon our trees and lands. They also take away our crops and fruits.” Most of the compensation has been paid, though some villagers say that the Punjab Government and the SGPC did not pay the promised amount. ‘‘We don’t go to these people with begging bowls. We are thankful for whatever they have done,’’ said Baldev Singh, refusing to take names or give more details. The village deserted from inside wears a cantonment like appearance from outside. Army and CRPF personnel have constructed several pickets around the village to provide round-the-clock security. The Tribune team learnt later that a number of menfolk of the village had gone to the security officials to confirm if they had given permission to The Tribune team to visit the village. Who scripted the massacre? Was it the government or the militants? These are the questions villagers ask mediapersons. Were they punished by militants for being suspected informers to the police or the Army or were they punished by the security forces for being the suspected harbourers of the militants. These questions haunt the villagers and only a thorough probe can find answers to them. |
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630 cr grant for Baglihar project
Srinagar, October 1 The Central Government has agreed to provide the grant for the execution of the 450 mw Baglihar hydel project to help the state in completing it by 2005, Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed said while addressing a meeting of Board of Directors of the Power Development Corporation (PDC) here yesterday, official sources said here today. He also said the Central Power Finance Corporation had agreed to take the lead role for financing the project and was likely to contribute Rs 600 crore. The remaining Rs 1,400 crore would be arranged from different financial institutions, Mr Sayeed said. He said the state government was planning to set up a new company to raise finance and give guarantee for the loans to be raised for completion of the project. The board had also been informed about the financial re-appraisal of Sawalkote hydel project being taken up in the state.
— PTI |
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Gang selling girls busted, kingpin held Jammu, October 1 The Senior Superinten-dent of Police (SSP) Jammu, Mr Kamal Saini, said acting on a tip-off the city police raided Waa village in the Khem Karan area in Punjab last evening and rescued a 13-year old girl, who was allegedly sold by Sukhdev Raj, a resident of the Akhnoor area of Jammu district. Sukhdev had kidnapped the girl from Patoli Magotroian on the outskirts of Jammu city and sold her to a person engaged in flesh trade in Amritsar. The accused revealed during interrogation that he was associated with an inter state racket involved in selling girls, especially those belonging to the labour class in the border Khem Karan area near Amritsar, the SSP said. He said with the arrest of Sukhdev, a number of missing girls were now likely to be traced. Sukhdev, had himself married twice. He had kidnapped a minor girl from his native village and later married her. The police had also unearthed about five brothels in Jammu city during the past two months, Mr Saini said.
UNI |
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Insurance company told to pay Rs 30-lakh relief Srinagar, October 1 Dismissing the insurance company’s contention that the claim was fraudulent as the fire was manipulated by the complainant himself, the Chairman of the SCPC, Justice M.Y. Kawoosa, said it was an admitted fact that a devastating fire took place on the date of occurence (September 27, 1989) with not an iota of direct evidence showing the involvement of the complainant in igniting the fire. Disposing of the case, he observed that the Consumer Protection Act was a socially oriented legislation providing easy remedy to
grievances of consumes in speedy manner. The complainant, Mr Abdul Rehman Bhat, had insured his factory building, machinery and raw material with the company for Rs 41.50 lakh.
— PTI |
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