J A M M U   &   K A S H M I R

Lack of interest among workers worries parties
Jammu, April 15
Lack of enthusiasm among grass-root workers has become a cause of concern for candidates of the Congress, BJP and National Conference, the main parties in the fray for the Jammu Lok Sabha seat.

Shah detained ahead of anti-poll rally
Srinagar, April 15
Separatist leader and Democratic Freedom Party president Shabir Ahmad Shah was today detained along with seven of his associates while on the way to Baramula to ask the electorate not to vote in the elections scheduled for April 20.

Shabir Ahmad Shah, Chairman of the Democratic Freedom Party, being taken away by the police in Srinagar on Thursday. — A Tribune photograph.

Home Ministry team reviews poll arrangements
Jammu, April 15
Following terrorist attacks on various election rallies in Jammu and Kashmir, a high-level team of the Home Ministry arrived here today from Delhi and held detailed discussions with the Chief Secretary, Mr S.S. Bloeria, and officers of the security agencies to review the arrangements for the smooth conduct of the Lok Sabha elections.

Jammu varsity B.Sc papers stolen
Jammu, April 15
Question papers of BSc (III) examination of Jammu University have allegedly been stolen, leading to the authorities cancelling the papers without changing the dates of the examination and ordering an inquiry into the incident.

Amarnath yatra from August 1
Srinagar, April 15
A meeting of high-level officers here has reviewed the arrangements for the Amarnath Yatra, 2004, commencing from August 1.

16 Bangladeshis crossing over to Pakistan held
Jammu, April 15
The Border Security Force today foiled an exfiltration attempt and arrested 16 Bangladeshi nationals, including five women and three children, on the Indo-Pak border in this district, official sources said.

Demand to open college at Billawar
Jammu, April 15
The Billawar college action committee today organised a dharna outside the office of the Divisional Commissioner here today in support of its demand for opening a college at Billawar town.

Lack of interest among workers worries parties
S.P. Sharma
Tribune News Service

Jammu, April 15
Lack of enthusiasm among grass-root workers has become a cause of concern for candidates of the Congress, BJP and National Conference, the main parties in the fray for the Jammu Lok Sabha seat.

With only four days left for polling, activists of these parties have not yet come out to campaign for their leaders. Only the top leaders have been addressing election rallies in the rural areas.

The BJP sympathisers point out that the grass-root workers of the party have so far not come out in support of Dr Nirmal Singh, state chief of the BJP, who is testing his luck in the polls for the second time. Last time he lost the election mainly due to lack of support of a section of the party leadership.

Although Mr Chaman Lal Gupta, Minister of State for Defence, has held a series of election meetings in support of Dr Nirmal Singh, there is need to mobilise party cadres. Mr Gupta was himself a BJP candidate for the Udhampur seat and has also to take care of his own constituency.

The BJP faces an uphill task in the border district of Poonch and parts of the Rajouri district where it has negligible following. In such circumstances, the Jammu district with 13 segments will play a crucial role for Dr Nirmal Singh. Moreover, all will depend on how much effort the party workers make in persuading the electorate to come out of their houses to exercise their franchise.

The BJP activists believe that yesterday’s election rally of Mr Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Prime Minister, here has helped the prospects of the party candidate.

While the election banners of the Congress were also missing at most of places, the party leaders claim that Mr Madan Lal Sharma, PWD Minister and the Congress candidate, has activated the common workers. Mr Sharma had lost twice from the seat, but this time his candidature came following refusal of Mr Mangat Ram Sharma, Deputy Chief Minister, to contest the election.

The Chief Minister, Mufti Sayeed, AICC leader, Ambika Soni and the PCC chief, Mr Ghulam Nabi Azad, have campaigned for Mr Sharma at various places in the constituency.

The NC leaders, Dr Farooq Abdullah and Mr Omar Abdullah, concentrated on the campaign for their nominee, Mr Surjeet Singh Salathia, mostly in the Muslim-dominated areas of Rajouri and Poonch districts. Mr Omar Abdullah did some campaigning in the Jammu district also.

Mr Salathia was Power Minister in the Abdullah cabinet, but he lost the assembly election in 2002. He was testing his luck for the Lok Sabha seat for the first time.

The total number of candidates for the seat has reduced to 26 following rejection of the papers of Mr Zulfikar Ali after a special re-scrutiny that was held when a complaint of his being a Pakistani national was received.

Shah detained ahead of anti-poll rally

Srinagar, April 15
Separatist leader and Democratic Freedom Party president Shabir Ahmad Shah was today detained along with seven of his associates while on the way to Baramula to ask the electorate not to vote in the elections scheduled for April 20.

Shah, who earlier held a press conference and announced the launching of an anti-election campaign at Kothibagh, was heading towards Baramula when the police detained him and took him to the police station, official sources said.

Shah’s supporters following him in several vehicles pulled down banners of the PDP and the National Conference in the city.

He told reporters that the elections should serve as an eye-opener as the PDP, the National Conference and the Congress were advocating tripartite talks involving militant outfits—a demand being voiced by separatists—only to get votes. — PTI

Home Ministry team reviews poll arrangements
Tribune News Service

Jammu, April 15
Following terrorist attacks on various election rallies in Jammu and Kashmir, a high-level team of the Home Ministry arrived here today from Delhi and held detailed discussions with the Chief Secretary, Mr S.S. Bloeria, and officers of the security agencies to review the arrangements for the smooth conduct of the Lok Sabha elections.

The team, led by Mr B.B. Mishra, Special Secretary in the Home Ministry, included Mr Rakesh Hooja, Joint Secretary, Home.

Later, the team also had meetings with the Financial Commissioner, Home, Mr S.D. Singh, and the DGP, Mr Gopal Sharma, for the deployment of the police and other security forces for ensuring “area domination” during the poll process in the state.

Jammu varsity B.Sc papers stolen

Jammu, April 15
Question papers of BSc (III) examination of Jammu University have allegedly been stolen, leading to the authorities cancelling the papers without changing the dates of the examination and ordering an inquiry into the incident.

Admitting that there was a theft in the office of the Superintendent of Examination BSc (III) from Government Gandhi Memorial Science College here, the VC, Prof Amitabh Mattoo, said a probe committee headed by the Dean of School Welfare had been set up.

“We have cancelled all question papers pertaining to BSC (III). These papers will be changed but there would be no change in the dates of the examinations,” he said.

The Chemistry-B paper, scheduled to be held today, had been postponed and fresh notification would be issued later for the examination, he said.

An FIR has been lodged, the Principal of the college, Mr M.A. Wani, said, adding that show-cause notices had been issued to the watchman, head clerk and Superintendent B.Sc examinations). — PTI

Amarnath yatra from August 1

Srinagar, April 15
A meeting of high-level officers here has reviewed the arrangements for the Amarnath Yatra, 2004, commencing from August 1.

Chief Executive of the Amarnath Shrine Board Arun Kumar presided over the meeting.

Divisional Commissioner of Kashmir Khurshid Ahmad Ganai, the GOC, Victor Force, the IG, Kashmir, the IG, CRPF, the IG, BSF, the Chief Engineers of the PHE and Electric, the DCs of Srinagar, Baramula and Anantnag, the Directors, Local Bodies, Health and Food Supplies, were also present at the meeting.

The meeting was informed that 5,000 yatris (2,000 from Baltal and 3,000 from Pahalgam) would be allowed to proceed for the yatra daily.

The meeting discussed the arrangements for the successful conduct of the yatra. — UNI

16 Bangladeshis crossing over to Pakistan held

Jammu, April 15
The Border Security Force today foiled an exfiltration attempt and arrested 16 Bangladeshi nationals, including five women and three children, on the Indo-Pak border in this district, official sources said.

The group of Bangladeshi nationals was heading towards the border to cross over to Pakistan near the Mangral border outpost in Akhnoor early today.

After their arrest, they were handed over to the police, the sources said, adding that nothing incriminating was recovered from them. — PTI

Demand to open college at Billawar
Tribune News Service

Jammu, April 15
The Billawar college action committee today organised a dharna outside the office of the Divisional Commissioner here today in support of its demand for opening a college at Billawar town.

The action committee led by Mr Hari Chand Jalmeria shifted the scene of the agitation for the college here after organising a fast and rallies at Billawar during the past three months.

Many prominent residents participated in today’s dharna where slogans were raised against the “discriminatroy” attitude of the state government.

They submitted a memorandum to the Divisional Commissioner in support of their demand for opening a college at Billawar before the beginning of the new academic session.