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Give work, not doles, Mufti to Manmohan
Ladakhis seek UT status from Patil
J&K gets Rs 2,711 cr from Centre
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Geelani’s son-in-law hurt in attack
Israeli help sought to install sensors on border
Pak trying to control secessionists
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Give work, not doles, Mufti to Manmohan
Jammu, November 8 The Mufti was talking to mediapersons at the secretariat, which reopened this morning for the winter. The secretariat had closed at Srinagar last week. The Chief Minister said the biggest challenge before the government was of unemployment and he hoped that Dr Manmohan Singh, whom he described as the architect of the new economic policy of the country, would take steps to solve the problem. The Mufti, who was greeted by anti-government slogans by employees in the secretariat, said the government was considering the demand of the employees for the merger of dearness allowance with the basic pay. He said the decision could not be taken because of financial constraints as an annual expenditure of Rs 350 crore was involved in it. The secretariat wore a deserted look as many employees joined the protest outside. |
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Ladakhis seek UT status from Patil Leh, November 8 He, however, assured all possible help from the Centre to bolster development of the region and to protect the ethnic and cultural identity of Ladakhis. “We can talk about it (the demand for UT status to Ladakh) only after due thought...as it is a big issue, which can integrate or disintegrate (Jammu and Kashmir),” Mr Patil told newspersons here after meeting various Ladakhi delegations at Officers’s Guest House. Mr Patil, who reached here as part of his three-day tour to Jammu and Kashmir to assess the ground situation in the state and also acquaint himself with the “aspirations and problems” of the people, asserted that his visit to the State was a “first step” forward in extending wholehearted support to the people of the state. “I do understand a single trip will not lead to miracles, but this visit has helped us to understand various needs and problems of the people. This trip has also helped to see for oneself the notable improvement in the situation,” he said, adding that “we are now sure that we are moving ahead and not moving backward.” Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad, who also accompanied Mr Patil, hailed the good work being done by the Ladakh Autonomous Council (LAC) saying that “LAC is the best administered hill council, which utilised its developmental funds fully and there is no leakage.” Earlier, various Ladakhi organisations submitted memorandum to Union Home Minister, demanding Union Territory status to Ladakh and “substantial” Central fund for the development of the region. Delegation after delegation, comprising representatives of the Ladakh Autonomous Council, the Ladakh Buddhist Association, District Congress Committee met Mr Patil at the Officers’ Guest House and urged the Centre to respect the “aspirations and sentiments’ of this far-flung region of the state by according the Union Territory status for Ladakh. District Congress Committee leaders, while demanding the UT status to Ladakh, hoped that any announcement of an economic package by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh during his proposed tour of Jammu and Kashmir later this month would cover Ladakh sufficiently in view of its vast area, abject backwardness, difficult terrain and strategic importance.
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J&K gets Rs 2,711 cr from Centre
Jammu, November 8 According to an official spokesman, Rs 246 crore was released during the last financial year towards additional expenditure on police action plan and A sum of Rs 145 crore was reimbursed towards relief and rehabilitation activities during the last financial year. The spokesman said that an SRE of Rs 1302 crore was also released to the neighbouring Himachal Pradesh between 1999 and 2003 to control spillover of terrorism-related activities from Jammu and Kashmir. Besides, Rs 20 crore was released out of the National Defence Fund for purchase of tents and providing civic amenities in the camps set up for the border migrants at various places. A sum of Rs 10 crore was provided as advance from the SRE to J&K for relief, including cash, free ration, kerosene and medical aid. A sum of Rs 11 crore was provided for repair of the damaged houses in the border areas of Jammu district to enable the migrants return to their homes. |
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Geelani’s son-in-law hurt in attack
Srinagar, November 8 The police here said a gunman shot at Shah, 46, from close range while he was returning to his house after offering evening Iftar prayers around 6 pm in Bachpora locality on the outskirts of Srinagar. He was hit by two bullets and rushed to the nearby SKIMS,
Soura. His condition is stated to be serious, according to family members. A militant was killed and seven persons — four Army personnel and three civilians — were injured in an explosion when a militant tried to enter an Army camp at
Sonarwani, Bandipore, in Baramula district this afternoon. The police said a sentry shot dead the militant. The militant had an IED tied to his body, which exploded, injuring seven persons. A defence spokesman, however, said three Army personnel were injured in an IED explosion near
Sonarwani. The IED planted by suspected militants went off when their patrol party was passing by, the spokesman said. The injured have been shifted to the 92 base hospital where their condition is stated to out of danger. Two militants were killed in an encounter with security forces at Zainapora in Pulwama district today. Two AK rifles, eight magazines, 240 rounds, one radio set and two hand grenades were recovered from the site of the encounter. The police said both militants were locals belonging to Hizbul
Mujahideen. A district commander of Jaish-e-Mohammad, Abdul Subhan Qureshi, alias
Usman, from Pakistan was killed in an encounter with the security forces at Khumriyal in Kupwara district today. One AK rifle, a magazine, 35 rounds and two hand grenades were recovered from the site of the encounter. Security forces recovered a remote control
IED, two magazines, 36 rounds, eight UBGL grenades and five hand grenades from a house in Boniyar area of Baramula district last night. The house owner, Mohammad Yaqoob Shah, has been arrested. |
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Rape case: protests continue in
Handwara
Srinagar, November 8 Protest demonstrations were also held here today while over 20 protesters were held by the police in the central Lal Chowk area. Students at the University of Kashmir boycotted classes and held demonstrations against the incident. Reports from Handwara said angry protesters demanding action against the culprits resorted to stone throwing in the town, leading to a shutdown this afternoon. Some separatist leaders, including JKLF leader Mohammad Yaseen Malik, also visited the area and expressed concern over the “repeated incidents of outraging of modesty of women”. The incident had allegedly taken place on Saturday night while the troops were conducting search operations on getting information about the presence of militants in Badra village, about 15 km from the town. Taking cognizance of the incident, the State Human Rights Commission here today issued a notice to the Inspector General of Police, Kashmir Range, to submit a report before its hearing on December 1. The commission had on Friday also taken cognizance of another alleged report of rape of a woman at Mattan in Anantnag district, allegedly by security personnel. Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed said here that the medical report in the case of alleged rape of a minor girl and her mother had been conducted. The report confirmed sexual assault on the 29-year-old mother, while it had not been confirmed about her 11-year- old daughter. He said investigations into the incident had started. The Mufti was replying to questions at a press conference with Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil here last evening. The Additional Deputy Commissioner, Kupwara, has been asked to probe and submit his report to the Deputy Commissioner within 10 days. According to a defence spokesman here, the matter was under investigation and stern action would be taken against those found guilty. Giving details, the spokesman said police personnel at the Shallapora police station had sought the help of the Army after militants fired at the station. While the troops moved to the police station, they were informed that the militants involved in the attack had fled away. They were also conveyed by some sources to conduct searches in the house of Abdul Rashid Dar, which the militants had been frequently visiting. The troops searched the house and came out, the defence spokesman said. |
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Israeli help sought to install sensors on border
Jammu, November 8 Following demand from the sector commanders for the installation of sensors, the Government of India preferred to import the sophisticated machines from Israel. Each machine is said to cost about Rs 20 lakh. Police sources said the Israeli experts were not only imparting training to the Indian security personnel in Jammu but were educating them on the specific locations where the sensors were to be installed. Sources said during the last one year barbed wire fence and the sensors had been instrumental in foiling series of infiltration bids from across the border. According to the Union Home Ministry officials, fencing and sensors had resulted in drop in the level of ingress. The ministry figures revealed that prior to the completion of the fence and the installation of sensors more than 1728 infiltrators had attempted to sneak into the Indian territory from across Poonch, Rajouri, Kupwara, Uri and other areas in 2002. The figure in 2003 was 1315 but during the last nine months the figure was 467. The report said out of 93 infiltration bids 36 were foiled in which 75 militants were killed during the past nine months. In their report to the Union Home Ministry and the Ministry of Defence the sector commanders, posted on the LOC and the IB, have demanded about 400 sensors which were to be installed on the border. During his visit to the Jammu border areas on Sunday the Union Home Minister, Mr Shivraj Patil, had said that the government would favourably consider the demand for installation of more sensors on the border. The field officers of various security agencies said Israeli sensors could help “us” in monitoring the movement of militants even before they attempt to sneak into Indian territory as the range of the each machine is 2 to 4 km. One field officer said the sensors could help them, if every vital route had one to two sensors, in monitoring the activities of those infiltrators who had been found using insulated ladders and scissors for snapping the barbed wire or diving over it. The officer said the Union Home Ministry had been advised to sanction installation of sensors on the India-Bangladesh border, which over the years, has been frequented by infiltrators. He
said one Pakistani national was arrested while crossing into the Indian territory from across the octroi post in R.S. Pora Sector today only after his movement had been monitored on the sensor. |
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Pak trying to control secessionists
Jammu, November 8 Another attempt of Pakistan, which was talking friendship with India, to regain control of the secessionist movement by uniting it under the leadership of Syed Ali Shah Geelani was equally disturbing for the Home Ministry. A Home Ministry officer said some disturbing indications such as slide in the ratio of terrorists killed, continuing propensity of militants to indulge in demonstrative actions and their growing reliance on OGWs in carrying out strikes have been witnessed during the current year. |
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