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Senior Jamaat leader shot dead
CAG raps J&K on fiscal indiscipline
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Lobbying for Basholi, Akhnoor seats begins
BJP seeks Governor’s intervention in recruitments
2 Nigerians held with
foreign currency
1,750-km cycle expedition flagged off
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Senior Jamaat leader shot dead
Srinagar, September 15 According to members of his family, two youths approached Peer Hissamuddin at his house in the MIG Colony, Bemina, around noon to seek some legal assistance. The youths fired at him from a close range and fled away from the house. Peer Hissamuddin, 57, who received two bullet injuries, was immediately rushed to hospital, where he succumbed to the injuries. Peer Hissamuddin was a close associate of senior Jamaat-e-Islami leader and now chief of the Tehreek-e-Hurriyat Jammu and Kashmir Syed Ali Shah Geelani. Presently, he was political secretary to Syed Ali Shah Geelani. The Bar Association and the APHC-Geelani have called for a general strike tomorrow in protest against the killing. The Bar has also called for a three-day strike in the courts from tomorrow to mourn the death. The last rites would be held at Mazaar-e-Shohda at Iddgah tomorrow, after Syed Ali Shah Geelani returns from New Delhi, an APHC spokesman said. Meanwhile, the CM, Mufti Mohammed Sayeed, has condemned the killing of Peer Hissamuddin, saying that the incident once again highlighted the viciousness of violence as a means of agitation. In a statement, the Chief Minister said it was time intellectuals and opinion leaders of the society thought over the present scenario and devised ways to help the state come out of the vortex of violence. The efforts of the government, he said, needed support from all sections of society to end violence. The Chief Minister said he believed that dialogue was the only way to resolve problems and those wielding the gun must try to read this writing on the wall. He conveyed his condolences to the bereaved family. Elsewhere, militants shot dead three persons, including a woman, in separate incidents in Jammu and Kashmir since yesterday. Two suspected militants were also held by the security forces. The police said militants shot dead a woman, Shariefa Bano, at her residence in the Kokernag area of Anantnag district today. The bullet-ridden body of a former militant of the Hizbul Mujahideen, Fayaz Ahmad Dar, was recovered from the Tral area in Pulwama district today. Unidentified militants shot dead Razaullah Shah, a panch of Narole Mendhar in Poonch district last night. In another incident, militants shot dead Ghulam Qadir in the Banihal area of Doda district last night. |
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CAG raps J&K on fiscal indiscipline
Jammu, September 15 The CAG has pointed out that various departments have indulged in "poor budgeting" and the monitoring system is "lax" These observations have been made by the CAG in the latest report pertaining to the financial year 2002-2003. It has been pointed out that although no expenditure is to be incurred unless it has been provided in the budget estimates, an expenditure of Rs 824.95 crore was made under 51 major heads of account without any provision in the Budget. Expenditure in the absence of Budget provisions reflects financial indiscipline and a lax monitoring system, the CAG has said. Among the departments involved in such violation of rules are the Departments of Power Development (Rs 285.84 crore), Finance (Rs 120.35 crore), PWD (Rs 218.34 crore) Rural Development (Rs 33.91 crore) Forest (Rs 14.63 crore), Social Welfare (Rs 27.40 crore) and Home (Rs 17.59 crore). Pointing out at poor budgeting, the CAG has said that the supplementary provision of Rs 129.42 crore was obtained in anticipation of higher expenditure in 13 cases relating to 10 grants. However, these departments failed to spend the original grants and made savings of Rs 446.03 crore that exceeded the entire supplementary allotment. In eight other cases, supplementary grants aggregating Rs 358.59 crore were obtained against the requirement of Rs 216.27 crore, resulting in a saving of Rs 142.32 crore. As a "breach of financial rules", expenditure was not evenly distributed throughout the year and there was a rush in spending particularly during the last quarter, and also in the closing month. All this was done in spite of warnings by the Senior Deputy Accountant-General from time to time. While only 13.91 per cent expenditure was incurred during the first quarter, it increased to 40.82 per cent during the fourth quarter of the financial year. Irregularities had been noticed in surrender of unutilised funds by certain departments. In seven cases, a sum of Rs 56.07 crore was surrendered although the expenditure exceeded the actual grant by Rs 67.89 crore. In the revenue section, against the estimated recoveries of Rs 77.45 crore, the actual recoveries were Rs 68.51 crore, while in the capital section against the estimated recoveries of Rs 639.93 crore, these were only Rs 385.98 crore. The CAG has pointed out that the overall fiscal liabilities of the state increased from Rs 6835 crore in 1998-99 to Rs 12,279 crore in 2002-03. These liabilities constituted about 59 per cent of the 66 per cent of the GSDP during 1998-2003 and were 1.58 times its revenue receipts and 7.75 times its own resources, comprising its own tax and non-tax revenue. The direct fiscal liabilities of the state grew much faster compared to its revenue receipts during the period. |
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Lobbying for Basholi, Akhnoor seats begins
Jammu, September 15 Its supremo, Prof Bhim Singh, plans to field the party candidates, at least from the Akhnoor and Basholi constituencies. Judged by the candidate selection process going on in the Congress and the PDP, it is evident that while the PDP will field its candidates from the Batamaloo and Pahalgam constituencies, the Congress has almost prepared its panel for the Akhnoor and Basholi constituencies. Basholi, Akhnoor and Pahalgam seats fell vacant following Mr Lal Singh, Mr Madan Lal (both Congress) and Ms Mehbooba Mufti (PDP) having been elected to the Lok Sabha. The bypoll in the Batamaloo constituency was necessitated by the death of Ghulam Mohiuddin Shah (NC). As compared to the BJP and the BSP, the rush of ticket-seekers in the Congress for Basholi and Akhnoor is so heavy that the PCC leadership is unable to finalise the candidates. The problem has been compounded after a couple of political heavyweights joined the Congress after defecting from the NC. Mr Govind Ram, who was elected to the Assembly from Akhnoor in 1996, has joined the Congress and he, besides another NC defector, Mr Ajat Shatru Singh, son of Dr Karan Singh, are still in the race for the Congress ticket from Akhnoor. A former MP and MLA, Mr Dharampal Sharma, has staked his claim for the Congress ticket on the plea that he is among the seniormost leaders in the state and had helped Mr Madan Lal Sharma win the seat in the 2002 Assembly poll. However, Mr Madan Lal Sharma, too, has begun efforts for getting the party ticket either for his brother or son. In the case of the BJP, Prof Chaman Lal Gupta, a former Union Minister of state for Defence, Mr Ram Swarup, who lost the poll in 1996 by a narrow margin, Master Sohan Lal and Mr Shamsher Singh Manhas are in the race for the ticket. Dr Adbul Gafoor is a sure candidate from the BSP in Akhnoor. As far as the Basholi seat is concerned, Mr Lal Singh, a former minister, is being banked on for selecting a suitable candidate. Mr Balbir Singh, a former MLA, Mr Pankaj Dogra, secretary, youth Congress, and four others are being considered for the Congress ticket. Mr Lal Singh has assured the party high command that if the ticket is given to his wife or brother, the Congress was sure to win the Basholi seat. Mr Jagdish Sapolia may to be the BJP candidate. The NC has not yet finalised its panel. It has, however, tentatively decided to field Mr Irfan Shah from the Batamaloo seat. It favours Mr Rafi Ahmed Mir, a former MLC, as party candidate from Pahalgam. While the PDP has decided to field Mr Hamid Karra from Batamaloo, it has yet to select a candidate for the Pahalgam constituency. At one stage, the PDP sent feelers to Ms Sakina Itoo, a former NC MLA, to join the PDP so that she could be the party candidate from Pahalgam but she is yet to make up her mind. As compared to Batamaloo and Pahalgam, the contest in Basholi and Akhnoor is likely to be not only neck and neck, but also there are going to be more than 10 candidates in each constituency, thereby compounding the fight among the BJP, the Congress and the NC. |
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BJP seeks Governor’s intervention in recruitments
Jammu, September 15 In a statement here today, Prof Hari Om, Vice-president of the party, alleged that of the 31 persons recruited by the university recently, only three belonged to Jammu, while 28 belonged to Kashmir. He said that of the total faculty of 173 in the university, only 50 teachers were from Jammu, while the others were either the Kashmir Valley or other places. He said that the BJP was not opposed to non-Jammuites being appointed in the university, but the aspirations of the people of Jammu should not be ignored. |
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2 Nigerians held with
foreign currency
Jammu, September 15 The two have been identified as Nigerian nationals who had allegedly established contact with some militant outfits. The police raided the hotel in which they were staying. It is learnt that the hotel owner had informed the police about suspicious movement of these two. |
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1,750-km cycle expedition flagged off
Jammu, September 15 A team of officers and 20 jawans led by Capt Rishil Bhanot, is participating in the expedition. The team will cross J&K, Punjab and Himachal Pradesh. The team members will pedal through heights varying from 10,000 to 16,000 ft. Adventure activities are an integral part of the spirit of the regiment as it has participated in the expedition to Antarctica, trekking in Eastern Himalayas, crusing across the Indian ocean and wind surfing in deep ocean waters. |
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