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Union Home Secy reviews relief work
Kupwara, Handwara await relief
IAF to adopt village
Aftershocks rattle J&K |
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Mufti hails Musharraf’s offer
33 passengers across LoC may return by Id
7 killed, 9 injured in J&K
From homemakers to home protectors
Ex-minister joins PDP
Vehicles’ movement hours changed
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Union Home Secy reviews relief work
Srinagar, October 19 This was disclosed by the Union Home Secretary, Mr V.K. Duggal, who arrived here this morning to review the relief and rehabilitation measures for the quake-affected people of the state. Addressing a press conference at the end of his day-long visit to the state, where he visited the most-affected area of Uri, Mr Duggal said a detailed review of the measures was held. He appreciated the efforts of the civil administration assisted by the armed forces in reaching out to the affected people. Asked about the militant attack in the high security zone of Tulsi Bagh in which the Minister of State for Education, Dr Ghulam Nabi Lone, was killed here yesterday, the Union Home Secretary said it was “condemnable and unacceptable”. The security scenario arising out of the minister’s killing was also reviewed during his day-long visit to the state, Mr Duggal said. He said security personnel were alert to avoid any such incident, but militants had managed to succeed in their designs. He held that cent per cent security measures were in place, but “something lacking” at times benefited such elements. He lamented that the incident had taken place at a time when the administration was engaged in providing relief and rehabilitation measures to the quake-hit people of the state. Referring to the relief and rehabilitation measures, the Union Home Secretary said these were in full swing by the involvement of the state administration with different departments of the Central Government and the armed forces. “These measures will continue without any delay”, he commented. He said the focus of the administration was on providing preventive shelters to those whose houses had been damaged due to the quake. He, however, said the supply of tents would continue for some more days in view of the bad weather ahead. Mr Duggal held that temporary structures were also coming up with the help of the Union Urban Development Ministry to provide shelter ahead of the winter to those rendered houseless due to the quake.
The cash assistance of Rs 40,000 was provided as first instalment to the affected families to start the construction of their houses. The remaining Rs 60,000 of the Rs 1 lakh assistance to such families would be provided in the second phase of assistance. The Home Secretary disclosed that 21 villages in the quake-affected areas of Jammu and Kashmir had been adopted by different agencies for an overall development with modern facilities. These villages would come up as model villages with modern facilities and “continuing partnership”, for which work had already been started. Giving details, Mr Duggal said that the Army, the IAF and the BSF had adopted four villages each, while six villages had been adopted by the NHPC, two by the CRPF and one by the ITBP. |
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Kupwara, Handwara await relief
Kupwara, October 19 “Over 80 per cent houses were damaged in the earthquake, forcing us to spend nights in the open,” villagers said. They said a local MLA and some revenue officials had visited them after the quake, but no relief had come so far. “We urgently need tents so that we could save our family members, particularly children and women, from the icy winds sweeping the entire area after upper reaches witnessed snowfall, agitated villagers said. At Gogloosa, 15 km from here, villagers said all houses were completely damaged or had developed big cracks here. Abdul Rashid, a villager, said some people had purchased tents of their own while some lucky ones managed these from the Army. However, majority of villagers were still without any roof on their heads. Kupwara Additional Deputy Commissioner Sheikh Ghulam Rasool admitted they were facing shortage of tents. He said out of 130 villages in Kupwara, 123 were affected by the killer quake. In Handwara tehsil, out of 230 villages, 95 were affected. He said the field staff had been directed to visit the affected villages for preparing a list of those whose houses had been damaged. About the complaints that no senior official visited them since the quake hit the state, Mr Sheikh said he visited Dardpora after trekking the entire hilly area on foot. He said only one person had died in the tehsil. He said since winter was fast approaching they want to complete the survey of damage so that relief work could be undertaken immediately. Mr Sheikh said the field staff and villagers had been directed to photograph damaged houses so that relief cases could be settled.
— UNI |
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IAF to adopt village
Jammu October 19 According to a spokesman for the IAF AN-32 and IL-76 aircraft have so far flown over 60 sorties and carried 770 tonnes of relief material. The IAF helicopters have flown for over 150 hours in nearly 500 sorties and have airlifted 75 tonnes of load for the army, civil and paramilitary forces. The helicopters have evacuated over 700 casualties and the attendants and a number of dead bodies. The helicopters are now engaged in carrying bulldozers to rebuild roads which have been destroyed by the earthquake. The IAF has decided to adopt Urusa village near the LoC on the Srinagar — Muzaffarabad road. The area is totally
cut off due to the devastation. |
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Aftershocks rattle J&K Jammu, October 19 The tremors felt at 8.03 am and 8.46 am rattle the buildings and people ran out of their houses. While the aftershock at 8.03 was of 5.8 magnitude on the Richter scale, the one that followed was of 5.6 intensity. Three aftershocks were felt after midnight at 12.02 am, 2.50 am and 2.51 am. These were recorded of 4.5, 4.5 and 5.3 magnitude. Reports said there was panic in the border district of Poonch, Udhampur and Jammu as these places had witnessed damage due to the earlier quake. The aftershocks of the deadly earthquake since October 8, when large-scale destruction was caused in India and Pakistan, have scared the people. About 47 aftershocks have been felt since then. Dr S.K. Pandita, a seismologist in Jammu University, said the situation was being monitored in the seismology centre of the university. He said there were no aftershocks yesterday, while there was one on Monday, which was of 5.1 magnitude on the Richter scale.
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Mufti hails Musharraf’s offer
Srinagar, October 19 “We want to help the victims of the earthquake on other side of the LoC,” the Chief Minister said after distributing relief cheques among the affected people at Uri. He said 600 people had perished in a village across the LoC. He welcomed the Pakistan President’s announcement. He said he would talk with the Prime Minister about the formalities for sending relief from Jammu and Kashmir.
— UNI
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33 passengers across LoC may return by Id
Srinagar, October 19 Of the 41 passengers who were stranded here after the quake, eight were sent back via Wagah in view of their eagerness to return to know about the welfare of their family members and relatives. The Regional Passport Officer, Mr S.L. Sreeramloo, said of the 54 stranded in the PoK, five had returned via Wagah while three others had returned via the LoC at the Kaman bridge. All three belonged to Uri tehsil of Baramula district, one of the worst-hit areas on this side of the LoC. Though there is no rush for fresh LoC permits to board the Srinagar-Muzaffarabad bus after the recent earthquake, enquiries have increased. The Regional Passport Office here has been getting a number of calls enquiring about the possibility of the re-opening of the road to Muzaffarabad and issuance of permits required to visit the PoK. A number of divided families living on either side of the LoC have been making frantic efforts to get in touch with their relatives. Officials here said efforts were being made for the immediate restoration of the bus service. The officials concerned have made lists of passengers seeking to board the next two or three buses. It all depended upon the restoration of traffic on the road, they said. |
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7 killed, 9 injured in J&K
Srinagar, October 19 Two civilians, including a woman, died on the spot while nine others were injured when unidentified militants opened fire at a police party at Kadlabal in the Pampore area, about 15 km from here, on the Srinagar-Jammu national highway this afternoon. Those killed have been identified as Shamsher Singh, a government employee from Hapu Tral, and a woman, Rahti, of Kadlabal Pampore. Those injured included a police Sub-Inspector of Pampore. Three militants were killed in an encounter with the security forces in the Keller area of Pulwama district this morning. The recoveries made from the spot included three AK rifles, 12 magazines, 385 rounds of ammunition, five kg RDX, 12 hand grenades, one wireless set, a mobile phone, one Deka phone and four gas cylinders. One militant, Farooq Ahmad Dar, was killed in an encounter with the security forces at Nal Poshpathri in the Kokernag area of Anantnag district. One AK rifle, three magazines, 79 rounds of ammunition, one loaded SLR magazine and one stamp of the tehsil commander of the HUM outfit were seized. The police found the dead body of Khursheed Ahmad, a militant of the Hizbul Mujahideen, at Halla Nallah in the Gool area of Udhampur district.
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From homemakers to home protectors Jammu, October 19 Talking to mediapersons at the academy, she said: “Had I received arms training prior to the massacre in my village I would not have allowed militants to carry out the carnage. I would have fought them till the end”. The academy has already trained two women from Chittisinghpora, where militants had killed 36 Sikhs, while six more women from the village have been shortlisted for the arms training. After receiving a 42-day-long training in the handling of weapons, they will be part of anti-insurgency operations in the troubled state. Chandrakanta from Jammu said: “The security scenario in Jammu and Kashmir is deteriorating with militants calling the shots by attacking women and children.” She said: “We cannot stay home under such a situation. If more women join the commando training our villages will remain insulated against militant attacks.” Director Police Academy Ram Lubhaya, said: “Initially, the response from women for the training was poor. But it is picking up with more women keen to join the academy.” He said: “Women are taught handling of different weapons and explosives. They are being trained in countering fidayeen (suicide) attacks, patrolling vital government installations, including bridges, and in carrying out search operations in remote villages.” He said so far 11 batches had passed out of the academy and the trained women had been deployed in
different places. Head Constable Balwant Singh, a
trainer, said: “We have imparted a rigorous training to these women and I am sure they are fully equipped to meet any eventuality.” Nilofar Jan from Srinagar and Neelam Sharma from Jammu, two more
trainees, took up assault rifles along with their mates and fired at the targets set by the
instructors. There were cheers from the academy officials as the women trainees hit the bull’s eye with perfection. Later, Nilofar told mediapersons: “I am keen to be posted in Srinagar where I can save women and children who are being targeted by militants.”
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Ex-minister joins PDP
Srinagar, October 19 Mr Mir, who recently resigned from the opposition National Conference and also from Legislative Assembly seat, pledged his support to the party under the leadership of Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed. He hoped that all like-minded
people would join hands and be united at this crucial juncture of the history.
— UNI |
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Vehicles’ movement hours changed Srinagar, October 19 He said that the up convoy from Sonamarg to Gumri would be on Sunday, Wednesday and Friday and depart from Sonamarg between 09.30 am and 11 am and arrive at Gumri between 12 noon and 2 pm. The down convoy from Gurmri to Sonamarg would be on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays and depart from Gumri between 0930 am and 11 am and arrive at Sonamarg between 12 noon and 2 pm. Dry day will be observed on Mondays, the spokesman said.
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