J A M M U   &   K A S H M I R

Police rescues 6 from snow in Sonmarg
Srinagar, March 11
The police has rescued six persons, who were buried due to a snow avalanche in the Sonmarg area on the Srinagar-Ladakh axis, three days after they had gone missing. A police party was rushed to Sarbal village, about 10 km from Sonmarg, yesterday, which rescued all the six villagers, after three days in about 20-foot-deep snow. 

J&K to set up finance commission
Jammu, March 11
The Jammu and Kashmir Government has decided to set up a finance commission to frame guidelines for equitable distribution of funds among the three regions of the state so as to accelerate their development.

Top Lashker commander killed in Kashmir
Srinagar, March 11
A Lashker-e-Toiba (LeT) commander, also a member of the Al-Mansoorian suicide squad, was killed by the security forces in South Kashmir late last night, a BSF spokesman said today. He said a patrol party of the 143 battalion flagged down a vehicle coming from Shopian at Yaripora Kulgam around 8.45 p.m. But instead of stopping, militants in a Tata Sumo opened indiscriminate fire on the patrol, injuring Constable P.C. Lal.

Legislators get a jump of 10,000 in salary
Jammu, March 11
The Jammu and Kashmir Government has decided to hike the monthly salary of the legislators by Rs 10,000. This was announced by the Finance Minister, Mr Muzaffar Hussain Baig, in the Assembly here today.

Anara’s confinement not justified, says DGP
Jammu, March 11
The Jammu and Kashmir police today admitted that the police custody of former Miss Jammu Anara Gupta in the porn CD case was “without any justification”. As directed by the Jammu and Kashmir High Court earlier, Director-General of state police Gopal Sharma presented his report to the court in which he said Gupta was kept in the police  station without any  justification.

Police rescues 6 from snow in Sonmarg
Tribune News Service

Srinagar, March 11
The police has rescued six persons, who were buried due to a snow avalanche in the Sonmarg area on the Srinagar-Ladakh axis, three days after they had gone missing. A police party was rushed to Sarbal village, about 10 km from Sonmarg, yesterday, which rescued all the six villagers, after three days in about 20-foot-deep snow. The villagers were spotted on Wednesday, leading to information to the Ganderbal police, which rushed a rescue team yesterday morning. While four villagers were rescued from deep snow, their two associates were helped out of the heavy snow.

All the six civilians, residents of Sarbal village, near Baltal, in the foothills of Zojila that divides Kashmir from Ladakh Division, were caught by a snow avalanche on Thursday. The residents had gone to their village from the Gund area, about 20 km short of Sonmarg.

The residents of four villages, including Sarbal, shift to Gund on the main road for winter months, as these villages remain cut off from the rest of the world due to heavy snow. The road to Ladakh from here passes through Zojila, the highest peak on the axis which remains under heavy snow for winter months, opening to the Kashmir Valley by April-May every year.

All the six civilians were taken to their homes today after providing them the necessary medical assistance. Senior police officials have appreciated the job of the rescue team led by ASI Mohammad Ayub. Services of an Army helicopter and an ITBP team were also requisitioned.

J&K to set up finance commission
Tribune New service

Jammu, March 11
The Jammu and Kashmir Government has decided to set up a finance commission to frame guidelines for equitable distribution of funds among the three regions of the state so as to accelerate their development.

This was announced by the Finance Minister, Mr Muzaffar Hussain Baig, while wrapping up the debate on the Budget proposals in the Assembly today.

He said that norms would be fixed for equitable distribution of funds after consulting legislators. The commission would take note of complaints of discrimination in allotment of funds, especially the hill areas, and make suitable recommendations to the government.

He said that the thrust of the government was on building infrastructure. The plan allocation had increased to Rs 2,200 crore from Rs 900 crore in 1996-97. Once adequate infrastructure was built in various sectors, the major portion of the Budget would be diverted towards the social sectors.

Mr Baig said that the government was expecting more multilateral funding from the Japan Industrial Development Corporation and the World Bank for infrastructure upgradation in the state.

He attributed the liberal flow of funds from the Centre to the hard bargaining done by Chief Minister Mufti Sayeed and his team with the Centre on one hand and the changing political and strategic scenario in the subcontinent on the other.

The minister said that the fast changing political developments in the subcontinent had not only benefited this part of Kashmir but also India and Pakistan have speeded development in both parts of Kashmir in the run up to the opening of the Srinagar-Muzaffarabad road.

Top Lashker commander killed in Kashmir

Srinagar, March 11
A Lashker-e-Toiba (LeT) commander, also a member of the Al-Mansoorian suicide squad, was killed by the security forces in South Kashmir late last night, a BSF spokesman said today. He said a patrol party of the 143 battalion flagged down a vehicle coming from Shopian at Yaripora Kulgam around 8.45 p.m. But instead of stopping, militants in a Tata Sumo opened indiscriminate fire on the patrol, injuring Constable P.C. Lal.

The security forces also retaliated and in the shootout, a militant was killed. However, three other militants, including one injured, escaped under the cover of darkness.

The slain militant was later identified as Pakistan-based LeT district commander Mohammad Sartaj Dar, alias Abu Amirul Islam, the spokesman said.

He was also a member of the Al-Mansoorian suicide squad. All the four fidayeen attacks in the city were carried out by the Al-Mansoorian this year.

One AK rifle, three magazines, 100 cartridges, one hand grenade, letter pads of LeT and Al-Mansoorian and Rs 11,330 were recovered from the slain militant. — UNI

Legislators get a jump of 10,000 in salary
Tribune News Service

Jammu, March 11
The Jammu and Kashmir Government has decided to hike the monthly salary of the legislators by Rs 10,000. This was announced by the Finance Minister, Mr Muzaffar Hussain Baig, in the Assembly here today.

He said that the legislators were at present getting a salary of Rs 4,000, besides other allowances.

Anara’s confinement not justified, says DGP

Jammu, March 11
The Jammu and Kashmir police today admitted that the police custody of former Miss Jammu Anara Gupta in the porn CD case was “without any justification”. As directed by the Jammu and Kashmir High Court earlier, Director-General of state police Gopal Sharma presented his report to the court in which he said Gupta was kept in the police station without any justification.

He said an FIR had been lodged against the officers concerned in the Crime Branch.

Gupta was kept in a police station between October 24 to November 3, when the case was lodged.

When asked by the court about the compensation for the illegal confinement, Additional Advocate-General, B. Salathia said the compensation issue had already been settled in the Supreme Court in the case of D.K. Basu in 1997.

The case came up today for hearing before the Division Bench comprising Chief Justice S.N. Jha and Mr Justice R.C. Gandhi who reserved their judgement. — PTI