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House adjourned over Pak blocking leaders’ visit J&K House passes VAT Bill |
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House adjourned over Pak blocking leaders’ visit Jammu, April 2 Pakistan had yesterday rejected the travel documents of the political leaders, including the NC chief, Mr Omar Abdullah, the ruling PDP chief, Ms. Mahbooba Mufti, the Panthers Party chief, Mr Bhim Singh and a CPM legislator, Mr Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami, for visiting the Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). The NC members were on their feet as soon as the two Houses assembled in the morning and started accusing the Centre and the state government of having failed miserably in persuading Pakistan to allow the delegation to visit PoK. The opposition members chanted “shame-shame” as they were not satisfied with the statement of the Chief Minister, Mufti Sayeed, on the issue. The speaker, Mr Tarachand, adjourned the House for about an hour amid their protests. The same was the picture in the legislative council where the NC and the PDP members traded charges and the Chairman, Mr Abdul Rashid, adjourned the House to restore order. The NC members raised slogans against the Mufti. Responding to the protests of the opposition members in the lower House, the Mufti said that denial of permission to the delegation by Pakistan was “unfortunate and a setback to the peace process”. He said he would take up the matter with the Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh. The Chief Minister said that Pakistan’s action had not reduced the significance of restarting the bus service after six decades as a part of the peace process. He said it would have to be seen why Pakistan refused permission to the delegation. It had been decided that the first priority for travel would be given to members of the divided families, but it was also decided to send an all-party delegation in the first bus and a list was forwarded to Pakistan. The Minister for Tourism, Mr Ghulam Hassan Mir, made a statement on the issue in the upper house. Mr Bhim Singh (Panthers Party) said the action of Pakistan had not surprised him. The visit of the delegation would have made the residents of PoK understand how “azad” they were. This was expected from Gen Parvez Musharraf who was a military dictator and not a democratically elected leader.
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J&K House passes VAT Bill Jammu, April 2 However, the NC members protested against the imposition of VAT in view of apprehensions in the minds of traders and the consumers. The Finance Minister, Mr Muzaffar Hussain Baig, moved the VAT Bill in the House. Replying to the criticism by the Opposition, Mr Baig accused them of politicising the issue without going into the merits of the law that was not only trader friendly, but also beneficial to the consumers. He said the government would implement the law leniently and liberally to ensure greater cooperation between the administration and traders. He expressed surprise that even the fruit and vegetable vendors and wine dealers who do not come under the VAT, had been misled and forced to join the strike. The House also passed a Bill seeking to hike the monthly salary of legislatory by Rs 10,000. Meanwhile, according to a PTI report from Srinagar the business community today went on an indefinite strike seeking deferment of the decision of the state government to implement VAT. Business activities in the valley were severely affected for the fourth consecutive day with traders pulling down their shutters. Jammu and Kashmir had seen a similar response during the three-day nationwide strike which ended yesterday to oppose the implementation of the new tax. The impact of the strike was felt more today as petty shopkeepers also joined the strike. Terming VAT as an “anti-trader and anti-customer” regime, the Kashmir Traders and Manufacturers Federation (KTMF), a representative body of business community in the valley, said the shutdown would continue till the government postponed the implementation of the new tax. It also appealed to transporters to extend support to them. |
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JAMMU PAK BOY: As a goodwill gesture, a 15-year-old Pakistani boy, who had strayed into Indian territory, was handed over on Saturday to Pakistani rangers at Octerio border outpost (BOP), 40 km from here, Border Security Force (BSF) sources said. Identified as Israr, the Pakistani boy, who had crossed the Indo-Pak border on March 31, was handed over to Chinab rangers at a flag meeting function, the sources said. ULTRA KILLED: A foreign militant was killed by troops in an encounter in Bhiwani village in Rajouri district on Friday. Official sources said a foreign militant was shot dead by troops in a brief exchange of fire near the house of ex-serviceman Roshan Lal at Bhiwani on Friday night. ARRESTED: The CBI on Saturday arrested an Assistant Divisional Engineer of Northern Railway while allegedly accepting an illegal gratification of Rs 20,000 from a contractor here, official sources said. On receiving specific information, Senior Superintendent of Police of the probe agency O.P. Gaur organised a trap at the office of A.K. Sanyal and caught him accepting a sum of Rs 20,000 from contractor Gurminder Singh of Nanak Nagar, they said. Srinagar |
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