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Fear of cross-voting haunts J&K coalition
Mufti makes promises aplenty to Pandits
Security cover for kin of bus passengers
Over Rs 3 crore spent on Kaman bridge uplift |
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Work on Baglihar project to be over by June Srinagar, April 9 Work on the Baglihar power project, which was delayed by two months due to a snow-storm past winter, is being completed by June this year, according to the Jammu and Kashmir Power Minister, Mr Mohammad Sharief Niaz.
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Fear of cross-voting haunts J&K coalition
Jammu, April 9 The Peoples Democratic Front (PDF) of independent MLAs who are supporting the Mufti government suffered a setback when the papers of their candidate were rejected by the returning officer. Later, the Panthers Party withdrew its candidate, Mr Mushtaq Khan, providing a breather to the Chief Minister, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, and also to the Congress leadership that was being accused of not accommodating the smaller parties with whose support the coalition government came to power in the state. With these developments, the opposition National Conference (NC) was trying to poach on the dissident legislators to improve its tally in the Upper House. The NC, with its present strength of 27, is in a position to win one of the six seats, but with dissidence within the ruling coalition, it is eyeing at least one more seat from the Jammu region. The decision of the NC to make its stalwart, Mr Mohammad Shaffi, withdraw his papers and also let Mr T.S. Wazir be in the fray indicates that the party is trying to draw benefit out of cross voting. The last-minute decision of the NC to withdraw Mr Shaffi has caused embarrassment to the senior partymen. The party is expected to give first preference to Ms Sakina Ittoo in the Kashmir valley in the election. The PDF members have not yet reconciled to themselves rejection of their candidate’s papers. The Congress is trying to keep its flock together to see its candidates through. The Congress and the PDP were sharing three seats each in the election. The Mufti hosted a dinner party for his coalition partners in a bid to pacify them and get the papers of the rebel withdrawn. Although things have seemingly moved in the desired direction, cross-voting at the last minute cannot be ruled out. The Congress is expected to issue a whip by this evening to ensure that the party MLAs vote in favour of its candidates. |
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Mufti makes promises aplenty to Pandits
Srinagar, April 9 He was addressing a congregation of Kashmiri Pandits at Zeastha Temple in the foothills of Zabarwan on the occasion of Navreh today. He held that there were inputs that a local political leader in Muzaffarabad had renovated the famous temple. He also assured active measures would be taken to bring Zeastha Temple on the tourism map and said it would be presented as a pilgrim spot in the publicity material of the Tourism Department. A large number of Kashmiri Pandits from all over the valley visited Zeastha Temple on the occasion of Navreh. It was the largest congregation at the shrine in many years. Women and young people registered their presence in big numbers. Several Muslims also visited the place to felicitate their Pandit brethren. The Minister for Tourism and Urban Development, Mr Ghulam Hassan Mir, the Minister of State for R&B, Mr G.A. Mir, and the Minister of State for Industries and Commerce, Mr. Raman Mattoo, also attended the function organised by the Hindu Welfare Society of Kashmir. The Chief Minister paid compliments to members of the Kashmiri Pandit community who had stayed put in Kashmir despite heavy odds. He said by staying back in a very difficult situation these people had displayed great courage and immense love for their motherland. He also complimented their Muslim neighbours for being a great support and source of courage to the community in a very difficult situation. The two kept aloft the glorious traditions of Kashmir, he said. The Chief Minister said the government had received 2,000 written applications from migrant Pandit families expressing their desire and will to return to Kashmir. He said 200 residential quarters were under construction at Sheikhpora and Budgam. These would be completed by May 15 this year. Similar accommodation was being raised at Khirbhawani, Mattan and Kupwara and has also being explored at Indira Nagar and Ganpatyar in Srinagar city. He said the migrant families who returned to Kashmir would be provided one job per family. He said alongside this the community members who stayed back in the valley during the turmoil would have to be made comfortable. He said the situation in the valley had improved a lot and the caravan of peace was on the move. He gave full credit to the people for the change in the situation, saying that their determination had made it possible. He, however, maintained the dream of complete peace would be realised when the Kashmiri migrants returned to their homes in the valley. He said his government was taking concrete steps for their return and did not believe in lip service only. He said at various places in the valley composite clusters were being raised so that the members of the community did not feel cut off from the mainstream. He said members of other communities who migrated from the valley during the turmoil would also be settled there. |
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Security cover for kin of bus passengers
Jammu, April 9 The police post was set up soon after the tourist reception centre was attacked by Fidayeen in protest against the opening of the Srinagar-Muzaffarabad
road. Police officials said in order to ensure safety of the relatives of those seven persons a BSF cover was provided in the village. However,a number of villagers of Muradpur said they had not demanded any security cover. “We informed the police authorities about the need to remove the police post, but all in vain.” Police officials in Jammu said “where ever we feel security is needed, we will do provide it to prevent any ugly incident from taking place.” One thing is certain: the rebel attack on the tourist reception centre has added to the scare among people. However, such an atmosphere, according to reports reaching here from across the border, is missing in Muzaffarabad and elsewhere. Several political leaders, including chairman of the Muslim Conference, Sardar Atik Khan, hosted a number of functions in honour of the group of visitors from Jammu and Kashmir. Interviews conducted by a private TV channel in occupied Kashmir indicated that students, traders, employees and political workers were highly excited over the opening of the Srinagar-Muzaffarabad road for bus service. The spirit of excitement was reflected on the faces of common people who greeted visitors from Jammu and Kashmir. About 11 visitors from Pakistan and occupied Kashmir who spent the night in Jammu before leaving for Rajouri and Mendhar in Poonch today were given a reception in the winter capital under tight security. However, after reaching their relatives in different villages in Jammu and Kashmir nobody from across the border was given any security cover. “We do not want to make them conspicuous and thus vulnerable to any mischief from the militants,” said a senior police officer. He said it was the government’s responsbility to bring some of the visitors from Pakistan under security cover from Srinagar to Jammu. Yesterday a group of Pakistani visitors visited the historic Hazratbal shrine for offering prayers along with their relations in Kashmir. Those from across the border meeting their relations in Rajouri and Mendhar and Poonch plan to visit Shadra Sharief,a religious place,in Rajouri where they will offer prayers. |
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Over Rs 3 crore spent on Kaman bridge uplift
Srinagar, April 9 Replying to questions at a press conference here this afternoon, Brig S.S.
Dasaka, Chief Engineer of the Project Beacon of the Border Roads Organisation (BRO), looking after the border roads in Kashmir valley, said the 6.5 km stretch to the LoC was made operational in a record time. Of the 38 days available from February 24 to March 31, the bad weather conditions prevailed for 27 days, leaving only 11 days of dry weather. Various techniques of black topping the road were employed from the normal to the specialised techniques and kept working even during inclement weather and round-the-clock, the Chief Engineer said. It had employed over 150 GREF personnel, 50
labourers, a fleet of over 100 trucks and other equipment for moving 6,000 tonnes of road construction material, Brigadier Dasaka said. He said that 11-km stretch from Uri to Red Bridge was developed to Class 9 specification last year. Later it was tasked to black top the entire road surface of 17.5 km. |
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Work on Baglihar project to be over by June
Srinagar, April 9 The minister also announced the entire state would be electrified by 2007-8 and “if some village or home is left” it would be completed during 2009. Mr Niaz claimed the state had achieved great success in the power sector during the past two years. He pointed out that of the Rs 24,000 crore PM’s package announced here in November last year at least Rs 15,000 crore had been set aside for the power sector alone. Answering questions at a press conference here today, the Power Minister made it clear there was no violation of the Indus Water Treaty while work on the prestigious Baglihar project was under completion. He said Pakistan’s move to raise objections on the project was only a “misunderstanding”. “We are not violating the indus water treaty nor is any water being stored”, Mr Sharief Niaz said. He pointed out the geographical position of the state was such that there was no way to store water, adding that there would only be “dead water” that would later keep flowing to Pakistan. In this connection, the Power Minister also pointed out that militants targeted towers of the two major transmission lines to the Kashmir valley on Wednesday and Thursday last, leading to power shortage. This would be rectified within a period of two months, the minister said. It was on Thursday evening that a tower of the 220 KV Kishenpur Pampore transmission line was damaged in a militant attack at Beijbehara in Anantnag district of south Kashmir. This plunged most parts of the city, particularly the SKICC, into darkness at a time when the guests were being felicitated that evening soon after their arrival on the first bus from Muzaffarabad. The minister regretted the act of the militants and held that the separatists were not happy with “our peace efforts”. Giving details of the achievements in the power sector, the minister said the daily power curtailment had been brought down from over 12 hours daily to a mere four and a half hours at present. He said by doing so the state was making an additional expenditure of Rs 1 crore daily. This was possible with the reconstruction of damaged structures and relaying of power lines, which could not be taken up during militancy. “Now there is very little problem in the power sector”, Mr Niaz commented. He held there was a remarkable decline in the arrears in the power sector, saying that it had come down from over Rs 800 crore to over Rs 700 crore at present. |
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All set for rail link between Jammu and Udhampur
Jammu, April 9 Those who accompanied Mr Koul in the special train included the Chief Operation Manager, Northern Railway, Mr Pankaj
Malvya, the Chief Commercial Manager, Mr Kailash Gupta, the CAO. (Construction), Mr
A.P. Mishra, and the Chief Engineer, Northern Railway, Mr B.D. Garg. The District Development Commissioner, Udhampur, Mr Ashok
Parmar, was also present on the occasion. The team held discussions regarding various arrangements like sitting, parking, electrification, water supply, security and other necessities. Talking to the mediapersons at the Udhampur Railway Station, Mr Koul said the arrangements for the flagging off the Uttar Sampark Karanti Express have been completed. He apprised that 53 km Jammu-Udhampur railway line is having 20 tunnels and 150 bridges, besides 68-metre height bridge over Duddar Nullah and longest tunnel of about 2.5 km between Sanger and Bajalta railway stations. Mr Kaul also said that 25 km
Udhampur-Katra rail line would be completed within next two years. |
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