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Huge cache of arms seized near LoC
An Army jawan displays arms, ammunition and explosives recovered in two separate operations in the area around Rewari Baihk in the Gund Rishi Forest of Tangdhar Sector of Kupwara district, about 150 km from Srinagar, on Sunday. — Tribune photo by Amin War
PDP, Congress to retain portfolios
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Quake survivors in grip of mental trauma
Power supply back in Uri villages
Quake fails to check infiltration
Lok Adalats to be set up for quake-hit
Aftershock jolts state
UN chopper carrying relief to PoK lands in Uri
Kalam to visit Kashmir on Nov 11
Panthers Party sets up disciplinary panel
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Huge cache of arms seized near LoC
Srinagar, November 6 Addressing a news conference here, Chief of Staff of 15 Corps Major-General V K Singh said troops, on an intelligence tip-off, carried out an extensive search of the area around Rewari Baihak in Gund Rishi forest in the Tangdhar sector of the frontier Kupwara district. He said a large quantity of arms, ammunition and explosives were seized from the area. The seizure includes three Sniper Rifles, two AK-56 assault rifles, three pistols and two Under Barrel Grenade Launchers (UBGLs). Besides, a radio set, a Russian-made binocular and large quantity of ammunition and explosives were seized, he added. Major-Gen Singh said the arms, ammunition and explosives were hidden in the hollow trunk of a tree surrounded by thick undergrowth and were well wrapped in polythene sheets. In another operation in the Uri area of the Baramulla district, troops, on noticing suspicious movement along the LoC, carried out an extensive search in the Torna area. Major-Gen Singh said the search operation in the area, which is under the direct observation and fire of the Pakistani post, was carried out during the night. The cache seized was packed in two rucksacks and plastic sheets and hidden between two rocks, he added. The seizure included two AK-47 assault rifles, five Chinese pistols, two UBGLs, 24 UBGL grenades, 43 hand grenades, three radio sets, one binocular, one walkman, five wrist watches, two rucksacks, 3.5 kg of plastic explosives, 10 detonators, 575 rounds of AK ammunition and 152 rounds of pistol ammunition. Meanwhile, five persons, including two militants, were killed while a civilian was injured in Jammu and Kashmir since last evening, an official spokesman said today. Security forces killed Mohammad Rustam, a resident of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), during an encounter at Warnu Lolab village in the frontier district of Kupwara today. An AK rifle, four magazines, 99 rounds and a hand grenade were seized from him. In another encounter, security forces killed a militant at Frisal village in Yaripora area of south Kashmir’s Anantnag district. Some recoveries were also made by the forces. Militants intruded into the house of Abdul Rashid at Chakras village in Udhampur district late last night and shot dead the house owner. Unidentified gunmen shot at and wounded Riyaz Ahmad Najar at Batapora Sopore in north Kashmir late last night. Riyaz was immediately shifted to the district hospital. However, he was referred to the SMHS hospital here where he succumbed to his wounds this morning, the spokesman said. The sources said Riyaz was believed to be an informer of the security forces. In another incident, unknown gunmen shot dead a driver Farooq Ahmad, at Kulgam in south Kashmir last evening, he added. A civilian Bashir Ahmad Pala was injured during an encounter between militants and the security forces at Watipora Tulbagh in Pulwama district early today. Security forces busted a militant hideout and seized 43 rounds, two binoculars, two UBGL grenades, one air pistol and one camera from the site. — UNI
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PDP, Congress to retain portfolios
Srinagar, November 6 Deputy Chief Minister Muzaffar Hussain Baig will retain the important portfolios of Law, Finance, Planning and Parliamentary Affairs for the time being, they added. The sources said Mr Abdul Aziz Zargar will continue to hold Agriculture and Cooperatives portfolio while Mr Qazi Mohammad Afzal will retain the Public Health Engineering Ministry. Mr Tariq Hamid Qarra, the new entrant, will be given Urban Development Ministry and also hold the additional charge of Forests and Environment Department, they added. The sources said Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad will keep with himself the all important portfolio of Home. Former Deputy Chief Minister Mangat Ram Sharma will hold the charge of Transport and Industry ministries while Mr Peerzada Mohammad Sayeed will continue to be the Rural Development Minister, they added. However, Mr Taj Mohi-ud-Din’s portfolio was not known yet. He was the Food and Consumer Affairs Minister in the PDP-led coalition government. Congress MLC Gulchain Singh Charak may be given the Education portfolio. The Ministry was held by Harshdev Singh of the Panthers Party. The Panthers Party, a coalition partner in the Mufti Mohammad Sayeed government, is yet undecided about joining the Ghulam Nabi Azad-led dispensation. The PDP handed over the reins of administration to the Congress on November 2. Peoples Democratic Forum (PDF) Chairman Hakeem Mohammad Yaseen is also likely to retain the Revenue, Relief and Rehabilitation portfolio. Congress associate member and former Minister of State for Finance Jitender Singh alias Babu Singh, who has been elevated in the new Ministry, will hold the independent charge. Independents from Ladakh Nawang Rigzin Zora and Haji Nisar Ali are also to retain their portfolios of Science and Technology and Sports and Youth affairs, respectively, the sources said.
— UNI
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Quake survivors in grip of mental trauma
Teethwal, Line of Control, November 6 As health authorities concentrate on physical injuries of the survivors caused by the October tremor.... the psychiatric impact of the large-scale tragedy on them has been totally neglected. The survivors, in this Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) facing village along the river Kishenganga which demarcates the Line of Control (LoC), are suffering from chronic trauma and fear psychosis. They have been left untreated almost a month after the quake. As 56-year-old Sakina Begum sits out besides her damaged house, she stares blankly at the ruins where her husband Hamid Khan is entombed. She keeps looking at the heap of rubble without even batting an eyelid. When spoken to there is no sign of reaction, she is completely oblivious to her surroundings. Her 20-year-old-daughter Shazia, who lives in a small tent with her two younger siblings just a few metres away from the rubble, feeds and looks after her. “My mother has been in this state since the quake.... she has not spoken or said a word. When the quake struck, I had gone to drop my brother and sister to school and my parents were home,” she says. “She was feeding cattle outside.... my father could not run out because he was sleeping. He was ill that day.... he is buried under the rubble of the house he built,’’ recalls Shazia, pointing towards the ruins. Since the 7.6 earthquake struck the village, Sakina and scores of people in Jammu and Kashmir and its adjoining areas have lost everything — their families and homes. Though medical teams were dispatched to these areas immediately it did not comprise any psychiatrist or counsellors to help the traumatised people cope with the tragedy. “No psychiatrist or any counsellor visited the quake-devastated areas so far.... We have some patients in Srinagar. But the impact of the tremor on these people is not known,” said Dr Ashraf Dada, Registrar of the Government Psychiatric Hospital in Srinagar. He said the initial areas of focus was relief and rescue and later it shifted to rehabilitation but professional help for trauma victims has not been attended to. The hospital has treated a few patients from Uri and Tangdhar, worst-hit by the quake, he added. Dr Dada said the impact of such large-scale death and devastation was very severe on people, particularly women and children, and the effect is permanent and at times fatal in most of the cases, if not treated immediately. “People have seen their near and dear ones die...Their houses collapsed like a pack of cards and their lives destroyed....they are quiet vulnerable at this time,” he said expressing grave concern over the situation. The Government Psychiatric Hospital here has just five doctors for the entire Kashmir and Ladakh regions and the Doda district of the Jammu division. For years before the ceasefire was declared along their borders by India and Pakistan, the village and its adjoining areas were target of shelling from across the border, affecting the people adversely. Even before the October 8 earthquake, healthcare in these remote mountainous area, was not a priority. The people had been through years of neglect and the tremor made the situation worse for them. More than 200 pa tients, who were recovering under medication, have suffered chronic relapse since almost a month, undoing years of counselling and therapy. And this rise graph is a cause of concern for the authorities. “The rise in relapse patients since the quake is quite high.... Each doctor treats 10 to 12 patients a day. That is a cause of concern,” said a senior doctor at the Government Psychiatric Hospital here, on the condition of anonymity.
— UNI
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Power supply back in Uri villages
Srinagar, November 6 “Power restoration work has been completed in 95 per cent of villages of Uri,” they said. “The restoration of power in the Tangdhar area of Kupwara district where the power house has been damaged is also going on,” the sources said. Meanwhile, the telecommunication authorities have provided around 100 satellite phones to the Army and the civil authorities for communication in the quake-ravaged districts of Baramula and Kupwara. A spokesman for the Communication Department said 75 satellite phones had been provided to the Army, while 35 phones had been given to the state government to continue communication in the two districts. He said it would take a few days to restore the telephone system in the Tangdhar sector.
— PTI |
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Quake fails to check infiltration
Srinagar, November 6 “There is no let up in infiltration bids or terrorist activities despite the earthquake on October 8,” Maj-Gen V.K. Singh, Chief of Staff of Srinagar-based 15 corps, told reporters here. He said this year there had been 39 infiltration bids, all of them which were foiled by the troops, resulting in killing of 147 militants. Though the infiltration attempts this year were less, the number of persons wanting to cross over to this side were more as evident from the number of militants killed this year, the General said. Giving details of recent operations, he said the Army seized a large cache of arms, ammunition and explosives near the LoC in separate operations in North Kashmir on the eve of Id-ul-Fitr. On observing suspicious movement along the LoC, the troops carried out a search in the Torna area in the Uri sector of Baramula district on November 2 and recovered the cache. In the Tangdhar sector of Kupwara district, he said the troops carried out a search around Rewari Baihk in the Gund Rishi forest and seized a large quantity of arms, ammunition and explosives.
— PTI |
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Lok Adalats to be set up for quake-hit
Srinagar, November 6 Lok Adalats will start working from November 14 at Tangdhar while these will become operational at Uri from November 16, Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir Mr B.B. Vyas, told reporters here today. He said the decision to set up Lok Adalats had been taken as there were some procedural wrangles which were coming in the way of speedy disposal of claims in the affected areas. These adalats would make it possible that all claims are settled on spot and justice was delivered to the affected people, he said. The setting up of the Lok Adalats would make sure that claims as well as counter claims were settled on the spot and there were no legal implications at the later stage, Registrar-General of Jammu and Kashmir High Court Hasnain Masoodi said, adding that there were certain legal implications which were involved with providing relief to quake-affected people. About the nature of grievances, Mr Vyas said people claim that cracks have developed in their houses and they have become unsafe for living. In certain cases three to four families which used to live in a single structure have been making demand that they should be given monetary relief separately. The absence of names in the lists, overestimation and underestimation are other issues which are being raised by the people.
— PTI
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Srinagar, November 6 An IMD official said the 5.3 magnitude aftershock had its epicenter at 34.8 degrees north latitude and 74.00 degrees east longitude in Pakistan. The aftershock occurred at 7.41 am, the official said. However, no casualties or damage to property were reported so far. The region has been experiencing a series of aftershocks, about 100 so far, after the October 8 massive quake wreaked death and destruction in Jammu and Kashmir and its neighbouring areas, killing thousands of people and rendering millions homeless. Terrified people rushed out of their houses as the earth shook. — UNI
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UN chopper carrying relief to PoK lands in Uri
Srinagar, November 6 The UN helicopter landed at Uroosa helipad by mistake around 2 PM. The chopper was
coming back after delivering relief in earthquake-hit areas of PoK, the defence spokesman Col V K Batra told PTI. He said the chopper was checked by Indian Army officials who found nothing suspicious about the helicopter. The chopper carrying the pilot and 10 crew members was allowed to fly back into PoK at around 3.15 p.m, he said. Earlier, another UN helicopter landed inadvertently at makeshift helipad in Teetwal village in Tanghdar on November 2.
— PTI
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Kalam to visit Kashmir on Nov 11
Jammu, November 6 Official sources told UNI in Jammu that Dr Kalam would reach Srinagar on November 11 and head straightway for the Earthquake-affected areas, including Tangdhar and Uri. He would spend the day with the quake victims and enquire after their health. He is also scheduled to hold a meeting with senior officers of the state administration to know about the relief operations in the quake-affected areas of the state, the sources added.
— PTI
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Panthers Party sets up disciplinary panel
Jammu, November 6 The disciplinary committee headed by Mr Navin Bakshi was appointed in an extra-ordinary meeting of the working committee of the party here. Mr Bhim Singh presided over the meeting. Two former minister, Mr Harshdev Singh and Mr Yashpal Kaundal, who have raised a banner of revolt against Mr Bhim Singh for not allowing the party to join the coalition government headed by Mr Ghulam Nabi Azad, did not attend the working committee meeting. The two other MLAs, Mr Balwant Singh Mankotia and Mr Faqir Nath, were present in the meeting. The state president of the party, Mr Bharat Bhushan Kotwal, moved a resolution seeking setting up of the disciplinary committee in which the other two members are Mr Bansi Lal Sharma and Mr Ghulam Ali. The working committee authorised Mr Bhim Singh to take action against any member on the basis of the report of the committee. It was also decided to reconstitute various committees of the party at the national and state level. The party urged Mrs Sonia Gandhi to immediately convene a meeting of the coalition partners and also implement the common minimum programme (CPM) in letter and spirit. The report of the Wazir Commission should be implemented and a delimitation commission established, besides other commitments in the CMP.
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570 litres of unclaimed diesel recovered
Jammu, November 6 Acting on a tip-off, the police went to Batote, 110km from here, and recovered the unclaimed diesel yesterday, official sources said today. A case has been registered.
— PTI |
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Five killed in valley
