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5 indicted officers still on plum posts
Azad rejects Musharraf’s ideas
SPO among 2 killed; 40 kg RDX seized
Valentine Day cards trashed
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Soldier cremated
Srinagar, February 10 The mortal remains of rifleman Mohd Amin Lone of 17 Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry were laid to rest with full military honours at Phalmargi village in Kupwara district, a defence spokesman said here today.
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5 indicted officers still on plum posts
Jammu, February 10 Interestingly, three governments have changed in the state after a top level enquiry pointed out a scam worth over Rs 300 crore in
JAKFED, but no action has so far been taken against five IAS officers and 40 others who were indicted. These IAS officers had from time to time, functioned as Managing Directors of JAKFED that turned out to be a den of corruption. Immediately after taking over the reins of the state government, Mr Azad had pledged to remove the stigma of Jammu and Kashmir being the second most corrupt state of the country. However, the JAKFED scam continues to remain in the cold store. It is learnt that the political clout has so far prevented the authorities from taking action against those involved in the multi-crore scam. The State Accountability Commission has now asked for an action taken report on the matter by February 20. A top IAS officer, Mr
K.B. Pillai, had submitted his 129-page report on the scam in August 2000, but successive governments have been sitting on it. About 15 FIRs were registered by the vigilance organisation against the small fries named in the report. The report pointed out that JAKFED had been decimated in the most blatant manner and without any feeling of repentance on the part of the managements concerned. It pointed out serious financial irregularities and embezzlement by successive managements. The mafia that is having a stranglehold on JAKFED is still effective and large-scale fake movement of fertiliser is being committed under the very nose of the management. The report pointed out that the excise commissioner had confirmed that large quantities of fertiliser shown in the books of JAKFED to have been despatched to various destinations in Rajouri and Poonch districts actually never reached there. It was most probably sold in the market in Jammu. Without touching other places, the enquiry officer had taken up the two districts as a test case. Mr Pillai had pointed out that the scam assessed during the enquiry was only a fraction of the loss suffered by the government. A thorough probe based on the report will be needed to establish the total ramifications. He suggested that a judicial probe should be ordered into the scam. He also observed extreme urgency in taking exemplary action against the guilty who were in service and those who have retired. It is worth mentioning here that the scam was highlighted in the legislature several times, but even then the guilty were allowed to go scot-free. |
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Azad rejects Musharraf’s ideas
Jammu, February 10 “I have not been able to understand that what is self-rule, who is the architect of the self-rule. The proposal lacks definition on the face value,” he told PTI on the eve of completion of 100 days of his government. “So far as my knowledge goes, the definition of self-rule is government by the people, of the people, for the people. If that be so, we already have a self-rule in the state,” Mr Azad said, adding “we in the state have our own Constitution, we have a flag that makes us very special from the rest of the country.” To a question about his alliance partner the PDP extending support to the self-rule proposal, the Chief Minister said the Congress and the PDP are two different parties and “they (PDP) can form their own view. But as far as the running of the coalition government is considered, they will have to stick to the common minimum Programme.” The PDP, in its recent party meeting, had advocated discussion on self-governance, which it termed as one of the possible solution to the Kashmir issue despite the fact that New Delhi had rejected the proposal outrightly. “What they (PDP) think is not what we should be thinking,” he said. The Chief Minister said the state had duly elected representatives and it was an internationally recognised fact that the 2002 were “the fairest elections. So all these qualify what they
propagate self-governance.” Referring to the talks between the Centre and
separatist leaders in Jammu and Kashmir, he said “its good. Anybody can talk. Each potential party will be taken on board for talks.” “We will also like the Centre to hold talks with the elected representatives of the state Assembly so that a peaceful solution emerged for Kashmir,” he said. Azad, who has talked about taking into confidence the aspirations of people in the Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir, Gilgit and Baltistan, defends his decision saying “we do not want any patch work.” After all, Pakistan should not forget the rights of the people in these regions. Azad expressed satisfaction over the progress achieved in the Indo-Pak dialogue over the past two years and said “our approach must take into account both the aspirations of the people of the state as well as the existing ground realities.” Azad, however, said it was imperative for Pakistan to fully honour its commitment of not to allow its territory or parts of Kashmir under its control, for terrorist acts against India.
— PTI |
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SPO among 2 killed; 40 kg RDX seized
Srinagar, February 10 He said militants attacked security forces and a police party during a search operation at Kither Bunjwa last night. The Security forces retaliated and in the fierce clash an SPO, Noor Mohammad, and a woman, Naseema Begum, were injured. The injured were admitted to hospital where both of them died, he said. Militants, however, to escaped he said. Another SPO Sajjad Ahmad was injured when militants attacked a patrol party at Batogra under police
station Thathri last night. The injured SPO was admitted to hospital. Militants shot at and wounded Abdul Rashid Ganai at Main market Bandipora last evening. He has been hospitalised. The spokesman said security forces and the police, during overnight operations, busted hideouts at Rajpora, Parvote Pul Doda, Shahpur and Galhuta.
— UNI |
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Valentine Day cards trashed
Srinagar, February 10 Describing Valentines Day as ‘’un-Islamic and against the Kashmiri culture’’ the Dukhtaran-e-Millat activists led by Chairman Aasiya Andrabi raided several shops in the Lal Chowk area, forcibly took away the love cards and later destroyed them. The activists lit a bonfire of such cards. Before dispersing, they shouted anti-Valentines Day and anti-US slogans.
— UNI |
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Soldier cremated
Srinagar, February 10 Lone died in an accident while participating in a military exercise near Pokharan in Rajasthan. A solemn ceremony was conducted yesterday at Phalmargi where he was laid to rest, the spokesman said.
— PTI |
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