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Cong backs Independent for Mayor’s post
Three more bodies recovered from snow
Heavy snowfall may have damaged fence along LoC |
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Commandoes to launch rescue operation
Work on upgradation of Srinagar-Uri route soon
Three foreign trekkers return to Gulmarg
Two militants killed
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Cong backs Independent for Mayor’s post
Jammu, March 3 On the other side, the BJP and the National Conference (NC) have joined hands and have fielded Mr Kavinder Gupta (BJP) and Mr Dharamvir Jamwal (NC) for the post of Mayor and Deputy Mayor respectively. Election for the post would be held here on March 7 and no single party was in a position to reach the magic figure of 36 without the support of Independents. It was an anti-climax for the Congress workers when the party leadership in a surprise action abandoned the claim for the mayor’s chair and supported Mr Bansi Lal, who was spearheading a group of eight Independents. The Congress was earlier firm on not backing any Independent for the post, but a Minister of State, Mr Raman Bhalla, who is also a Congressman, wanted the Mayor to be from the Gandhi Nagar area of the city which he himself represents in the Assembly. The Deputy Chief Minister, Mr Mangat Ram Sharma, had so far been supporting Mrs Beloria, who is wife of Chief Secretary S.S.Beloria. A Congress functionary told this correspondent that the party had no choice but to support an Independent to keep the BJP away from the office of Mayor. However, Independents have become “king makers” in the JMC because of the crucial number game. As far as the strength was concerned, the BJP with 25 councillors in the 71 member House was nearer the magic figure with the support of six NC councillors and one each of Shiv Sena and BSP. But the Congress has 27 councillors of its own and also enjoys the support of 2 men of the PDP. The BJP was also trying to woo Independents to capture the prestigious JMC. This is for the first time that elections for the JMC were being held after having recently been upgraded from the status of Municipal Council. Meanwhile, the Deputy Commissioner, Jammu, has postponed the election for the post of president of the Municipal Committee of Akhnoor amidst tension created following allegations of the BJP that the Congress tried to kidnap some councillors. The state BJP chief, Mr Nirmal Singh, alleged that the police and the local administration was threatening BJP councillors at Akhnoor and pressurising them to support the Congress nominee.
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Three more bodies recovered from snow
Srinagar, March 3 To expedite the rescue operations, the police has sought certain scientific methods in the snow-bound area. So far, the IRP battalions of the police have been using only the rods and spades. The demand for modern scientific methods has been put before the authorities after its efforts to expedite rescue operations had been delayed. The scientific methods include thermal imaging cameras and sniffer dogs, an official said. This would help as the level of snow had reduced to over three feet now and it could be possible for making use of such tools, the officer added. Rescue operations in the area near Qazigund in Anantnag district were going on, while one ITBP company had joined the operations in Nageenpora and Pachgam villages near Waltengoo, Deputy SP V.K. Bhat, supervising the operations, said. A special team of the Army was also undertaking the operations. Though no exact figure of those buried in snow was available with the authorities, it was believed that their number could be anything between 25 and 30 in Waltengoo area. The bodies recovered today were identified as Mohammad Shafi Deddar, Bagh Hussain and Shafi all belonging to one family. The body of Mohammad Yusuf, belonging to the family, was recovered yesterday.
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Heavy snowfall may have damaged fence along LoC Chandigarh, March 3 Stating this here today, the General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Western Command, Lieut-Gen S. Pattabhiraman, added that there were troops earmarked to maintain the fence and any repair work warranted would be undertaken on priority. He was interacting with media persons on the sidelights of a visit of students from Jammu and Kashmir to Chandimandir. He said additional Territorial Army battalions based upon the home and hearth concept were also being raised in Jammu and Kashmir. He added there had also been an increase in enthusiasm among the local populace for recruitment into the Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry Regiment. Additional battalions, he said, were being raised to provide greater employment opportunities to the local youth and check them from going astray. The General said there was a need to distinguish between local terrorists and foreign infiltrators. "Locals who have been led astray can be reformed and integrated into the mainstream," he said. "The Army, however, will be tough on foreign terrorists operating in J&K," he added. Stating that bad governance over a period of time had resulted in disillusionment among the people of Jammu and Kashmir, he said the Army was reaching out to those suffering, and trying to integrate them with the mainstream. He said two Army Public Schools were being set up in Rajouri and Pahalgam. "The locals have to be brought into the mainstream and the perception that they have not been looked after has to be changed," General Pattabhiraman said. The Army Commander also termed as "harsh" a budgetary proposal to levy a surcharge on bank withdrawals. He said given that amount of cash withdrawn by army establishments, the tax would affect them. He added even jawans would be effected as they drew large amounts of money while proceeding on leave after prolonged periods. "We hope that the proposal would be re-considered," he added. |
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Commandoes to launch rescue operation
Jammu, March 3 Major Vinay Sadasivan, who leads the team of commandos, said: “We are being assisted by a four-year-old avalanche tracker dog, Hinny.” He said the commandos were being divided into two teams so that bigger areas were covered under the operation. Lieut-Gen Sudhir Sharma of 16 Corps said: “After I carried out an extensive aerial survey of the entire Doda district I found that the areas in and around Marwah, Dechhan and Gulabgarh were the worst affected by snow and avalanches.” He said since it would take five to seven days for the foot patrol to reach these villages located on heights ranging from 9,000 ft to 12,000 ft, the Northern Command decided to hand over the rescue and relief operations to the commandos of high-altitude warfare school. Major Vinay said that the tracker dog accompanying the commandos has the capacity of sniffing bodies lying under 20 ft of snow. He said that the aerial survey had revealed that people in scores of villages continued to be trapped in snow and the commandos would reach them for carrying out relief and rescue operations. Packets of essential items would be distributed among the villagers. Major Vinay said: “Our task includes retrieving bodies, if there are any, from under the deep snow. These commandos have been christened as “hunters” whose task was to hunt for bodies and for those people who are still trapped in snow. Army officials said that the upper reaches of Doda, Kishtwar and Udhampur continued to be buried under deep snow. In certain areas several houses seem to have been flattened either by the avalanches or by heavy snow. They said that so far 30 people have died in Doda district out of the total death of 280 in the state.
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Work on upgradation of Srinagar-Uri route soon
Jammu, March 3 In this connection an official team comprising Additional Director-General of Police (CID), passport officer, senior officials of IB, RAW, Central Customs, Tourism and State Road Transport Corporation, visited Uri yesterday to give final touches to the arrangements being made for the travellers. They were accompanied by the DIG, Deputy Commissioner and Senior Superintendent of Police, Baramula. The Army was represented by the Divisional Commander at Baramula. Official sources said to start with the passport office in Srinagar would issue 100 application forms. After the applicant fills the forms the passport office will forward them to the CID and the police for verification. After receipt of the report, the permits would be issued. According to these sources, 30 persons will be allowed to cross the LOC from Uri per fortnight. And if the programme did not create any law and order problem the authorities would consider permission to over 100 passengers to travel on the Uri-Muzaffarabad road per day.
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Three foreign trekkers return to Gulmarg
Srinagar, March 3 The three tourists, Mikko Hasman and Tino Malinan, from Finland, and Stew Calfam from Canada, had left Gulmarg with the information that they would return after about a week of skiing in the Sunshine peak area. A BSF spokesman stated here that the foreigners “who had gone missing since February 26” reported at the BSF 57 battalion at Post Barbad this afternoon. They were provided all assistance by the BSF and were handed over to the police, a spokesman said. “They were not missing, but had gone on adventure skiing in the world famous slopes of the Gulmarg area”, said Mr Farooq Ahmad Shah, Chief Executive Officer of the Gulmarg Development Authority (GDA). |
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Srinagar, March 3 He said the security forces gunned down two HM militants, Pirpanchal Range Mohammad Ali and Aijaz Ahmad, in an encounter at Aral Mandi last evening. Two AK rifles and other arms and ammunition were seized from the slain militants. The body of Mushtaq Ahmad Bhat was recovered from Kheepora village in Anantnag district last night. He was tortured to death by militants. The security forces arrested a self-styled battalion commander of pro-Pakistan Hizbul Mujahideen (HM) and seized a large cache of arms and ammunition in Kashmir last night, a Defence Ministry spokesman said today. He said based on a specific information troops along with Special Operation Group (SOG) of the state police conducted a search operation at Kaparan village in the district of Anantnag last evening. He said after a long search, troops finally unearthed the hideout and arrested the HM commander Abdul Hamid Teli, alias Major, alias Rahi. Three AK rifles, nine magazines, 300 cartridge one hand grenade and four pouches were seized . The militant was later handed over to Pulwama police station, he said. — UNI
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