J A M M U   &   K A S H M I R

Poll promises not kept for Jammu, Ladakh regions
Jammu, January 5
The three election promises of emotional importance to the Jammu and the Ladakh regions that the Congress made when Mr Ghulam Nabi Azad was the PCC chief during the last Assembly elections have become a thorn in his flesh after becoming the Chief Minister of the state.

927 terrorists killed in 2005
Jammu, January 5
As many as 927 militants were killed and 233 apprehended during counter terrorist operations by the Army in 2005.

Storage facilities for essential goods mooted
Jammu, January 5
The state government has decided to develop storage facilities where essential commodities, including rice, wheat atta, kerosene edible oil, salt, LPG cylinders, could be stored for distribution among people during winter.

77 Bangladeshis held in Kathua
Jammu, January 5
Seventy-seven Bangladeshis, including a guide, were arrested yesterday at Tarnah near Hiranagar in Kathua district, police said today.

Territorial Army recruitment put off
Srinagar, January 5
The Defence authorities have postponed the recruitment in the Territorial Army Home and Hearth battalion following heavy snowfall.

Jawan stabs officer
Jammu, January 5
A jawan allegedly stabbed and critically wounded a Sub Inspector of the Central Reserve Police today after a scuffle at the force’s camp here, official sources said.

14 die in mishap
Jammu, January 5
Fourteen labourers working with the Himank project of the Border Roads Organisation were killed and 16 injured when a truck in which they were travelling rolled down the road at Phiang in Leh today.

BSNL services disrupted
Srinagar, January 5
A day-long strike by the employees of Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) has disrupted the telephone service in the Kashmir valley.

Poll promises not kept for Jammu, Ladakh regions
S.P. Sharma
Tribune News Service

Jammu, January 5
The three election promises of emotional importance to the Jammu and the Ladakh regions that the Congress made when Mr Ghulam Nabi Azad was the PCC chief during the last Assembly elections have become a thorn in his flesh after becoming the Chief Minister of the state.

These promises include the implementation of the report of the Wazir Commission, appointment of a delimitation commission and a finance commission.

Although three years of the Congress-PDP coalition rule have passed and the power has been transferred to the Congress, no steps have been taken so far to keep these promises that carry an emotional importance here as well as Ladakh.

Political observers feel that the Congress could manage to secure the highest number of Assembly seats in Jammu only by fulfilling its promises on these issues that had remained contentious during the previous regime of the National Conference (NC). However, during the first three years of the PDP rule when Mufti Mohammed Sayeed was the Chief Minister, no steps were taken to keep these promises and these were brushed aside whenever a demand arose.

But what has surprised the people was the recent statement of Mr Azad that many modifications shall have to be made in the recommendations of the Wazir Commission as several changes have come in demography, population and perception during all these years when the report of the commission was lying in the cold store.

His statement is being seen with suspicion although he has not ruled out the implementation of the report while candidly stating that the new districts and tehsils might be created after taking into view the latest requirements. The constituents of the ruling coalition and the opposition would also be taken into confidence on the issue.

It is worth mentioning that the Wazir Commission was set up following angry protests in the Jammu region in support for the reorganisation of the revenue units about two decades ago. The commission recommended the creation of three new districts in the Jammu division, 21 tehsils and almost an equal number of blocks in the state. The commission also recommended the creation of one new district in Kashmir valley.

However, the then NC rulers created three districts in Kashmir valley and left the Jammu region crying.

The other emotional issue of setting up a delimitation commission to meet the grouse of the Jammu region having a less number of Assembly seats than the Kashmir valley has also not been implemented by the government.

Interestingly, the Congress president, Ms Sonia Gandhi, while campaigning here three years ago had endorsed these demands of people and had also promised that a finance commission would be established for the equitable distribution of funds among the three regions.

The demand for the implementation of these promises that were included in the common minimum programme (CMP) of the coalition figured prominently during the recent session of the legislature.

While a number of Congress leaders from the Jammu region were pressurising Mr Azad to implement these promises to prevent a waterloo for the party in the next elections, those belonging to the valley were reluctant on the issue. A senior coalition partner recently claimed that the CMP did not promise the implementation of the report of the Wazir Commission but specifically mentions that the issue would be “considered”.

It is worth mentioning that during the PDP rule when the Mufti was abroad on Haj two years ago, a meeting of the cabinet that was held here under the chairmanship of Mr Mangat Ram Sharma, who was deputy Chief Minister at that time, principally decided to set up a finance commission. However, the decision of the Cabinet was never implemented.

The Panthers Party, which is a coalition partner here, has also started putting pressure on Mr Azad for implementing the CMP. The party chief, Mr Bhim Singh, recently wrote a letter to the Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, and the UPA chairperson, Ms Sonia Gandhi, to get the CMP implemented without further delay.

The demand for a union territory status was being made in the Ladakh region where a general complaint of discrimination exists.

The BJP has also started raising these issues in public.

927 terrorists killed in 2005
Tribune News Service

Jammu, January 5
As many as 927 militants were killed and 233 apprehended during counter terrorist operations by the Army in 2005.

A spokesman for the Army said today that 180 of these terrorists were shot when they made 67 attempts to cross the fencing along the Line of Control (LoC) from the Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK). Against this, 138 terrorists were killed in 79 infiltration bids during the previous year.

Eightytwo terrorists surrendered before the troops during the year.

In selective killing, as many as 209 top terrorist leaders were eliminated in joint operations by the Army, security forces and the state police. the Hizb-ul Mujaheedin lost its 69 top leaders.

Among the 82 terrorists who surrendered, atleast nine were top commanders of various outfits.

The number of surrenders increased in the past two months indicating demoralisation among the rank and file of terrorists due to sustained pressure and area domination by the security forces.

Storage facilities for essential goods mooted
Our Correspondent

Jammu, January 5
The state government has decided to develop storage facilities where essential commodities, including rice, wheat atta, kerosene edible oil, salt, LPG cylinders, could be stored for distribution among people during winter.

According to the Consumer Affairs Minister, Hakeem Mohd. Yaseen, the government has decided to build the godowns not only at the district headquarters but also in tehsils and in those forward and remote areas which remain cut off owing to snow for more than four months.

He told mediamen here today that already land for such programmes had been identified at the district and tehsil headquarters. He said the government had, in the past, banked on supply of essential commodities to the remote areas before the belts became impassable owing to snow but “we have seen that the supply has outstripped the demand leading to problems to people,”

He said that once the scheme was operational the government would add many other consumer items in the list of items that were to be stored in the godowns.

Mr Yaseen stated that efforts were on for making basic consumer items available to people in remote areas at their doorstep.

77 Bangladeshis held in Kathua

Territorial Army recruitment put off

Jawan stabs officer

14 die in mishap

Jammu, January 5
Fourteen labourers working with the Himank project of the Border Roads Organisation were killed and 16 injured when a truck in which they were travelling rolled down the road at Phiang in Leh today.

The 5 critically injured labourers have been sent to the medical institute at Srinagar for treatment. The injured have been provided an ex-gratia relief of Rs 5000 each and will be given free medical treatment. — TNS

BSNL services disrupted

Srinagar, January 5
A day-long strike by the employees of Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) has disrupted the telephone service in the Kashmir valley.

Complaints from the subscribers remained unattended as the employees went on day-long strike in support of their demands.

The employees are against hike in the FDI ceiling from 49 per cent to 74 per cent, reduction of ILD and NLD license fee from Rs 100 crore to uniform Rs 2.5 crore.

Telephone system remained affected in several areas as field staff also joined the strike. — UNI