J A M M U   &   K A S H M I R

Top LeT commander killed
Srinagar, March 7
A top commander of Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) was among three militants killed by security forces while a powerful improvised explosive device (IED) was detected and defused on the Srinagar-Jammu national highway, an official spokesman said.

Walkout by four MLAs in Assembly
Jammu, March 7
Four MLAs belonging to the Panthers Party, BJP and Jammu State Morcha (JSM) staged a walkout in the Assembly today, demanding the implementation of the report of the Wazir Commission and other promises made in the common minimum programme (CMP) for the benefit of Jammu.

Jammu MC election: NC “engineered” cross-voting
Jammu, March 7
The National Conference (NC) once again played spoilsport for the ruling Congress-PDP coalition in Jammu and Kashmir by engineering cross voting in election for the Jammu Municipal Corporation (JMC) in which its nominee for deputy mayor’s post won despite the party’s strength of only six in the house of 71.

Top JKSFC official arrested
Srinagar, March 7
A top official of a leading financial institution in Jammu and Kashmir has been arrested by the state vigilance organisation while accepting bribe from an entrepreneur, an official spokesman said today.

Top LeT commander killed

Srinagar, March 7
A top commander of Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) was among three militants killed by security forces while a powerful improvised explosive device (IED) was detected and defused on the Srinagar-Jammu national highway, an official spokesman said.

Security forces launched a search operation following a tip-off that some militants were holding a meeting at Achabal in Anantnag district of south Kashmir.

During the operation, militants fired on the search party.

The security force personnel retaliated.

In the ensuing encounter, LeT commander Irshad Ahmad Khan, alias Abu Khalid, alias Gulla, was killed.

A house was also damaged in the exchange of fire.

The militant had been active in south Kashmir.

In another encounter, security forces killed a militant at Shokbaba Bandipora in Baramula district of north Kashmir.

The encounter took place after a search party was attacked by militants.

In yet another encounter, a militant was killed by security forces at Sadoogaga Kandi village in Kupwara district.

Security forces today averted a major tragedy on the Srinagar-Jammu national highway when they defused a powerful IED.

A road opening party, during routine checking, noticed an IED planted by militants at Padgampora Awantipora in Pulwama district.

Militants kidnapped a Class XI student, Mashook Ahmad Raina, from Kulgam and later chopped off two fingers of his right hand. — UNI

Walkout by four MLAs in Assembly
Tribune News Service

Jammu, March 7
Four MLAs belonging to the Panthers Party, BJP and Jammu State Morcha (JSM) staged a walkout in the Assembly today, demanding the implementation of the report of the Wazir Commission and other promises made in the common minimum programme (CMP) for the benefit of Jammu.

These legislators, Mr Balwant Singh Mankotia, Mr Faqir Nath (both Panthers Party), Mr Jugal Kishore (BJP) and Mr Ashwani Sharma (JSM), were on their feet as soon as the House assembled in the morning and started demanding the immediate implementation of the report that recommended the creation of three new districts in the Jammu division, setting up of a finance commission and a delimitation commission.

They raised slogans in support of their demands.

Mr Mankotia invited the Congress and National Conference legislators to join them in the protest, as the commission had recommended that besides Samba, Reasi and Kishtwar should also be granted the status of district.

Before walking out, Mr Mankotia, in a taunt, said that the MLAs belonging to Jammu should not hope that they would be inducted into his ministry by Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad simply because they were sitting quiet on these issues.

Mr Jugal Kishore (BJP) accused the Congress led government of having somersaulted on these issues after coming to power.

Later, these MLAs staged a dharna outside the legislature complex and raised slogans against the government.

In a written reply, the Chief Minister informed Mr Ali Mohammad Sagar (NC) that the Estates Department during the past four years had purchased furniture and furnishing items worth Rs8 crore.

A sum of Rs 2 crore had been spent on the repair and renovation of furniture during the past two years.

He informed the members that 92 private houses, 43 at Jammu and 49 at Srinagar, had been hired by the Estates Department for which a rent of Rs1.12 crore was being paid.

Jammu MC election: NC “engineered” cross-voting
S.P. Sharma
Tribune News Service

Jammu, March 7
The National Conference (NC) once again played spoilsport for the ruling Congress-PDP coalition in Jammu and Kashmir by engineering cross voting in election for the Jammu Municipal Corporation (JMC) in which its nominee for deputy mayor’s post won despite the party’s strength of only six in the house of 71.

Pattern of polling yesterday also sounded warning bells for the ruling coalition as Congress nominee for the post of mayor Mr Manmohan Chaudhary, won with three votes, while the candidate for the post of deputy mayor, Mr H.S. Mankotia, lost by getting only 27 votes. This indicates chinks among the coalition partners.

NC candidate for deputy mayor’s post, Dharamveer Singh Jamwal got the highest number of 44 votes although the party has only 6 councillors.

Cross voting among all six political parties and eight independents is believed to have upset the result of the election. Results also indicate that groupism within the Congress has not been contained even after Mr Ghulam Nabi Azad becoming the Chief Minister. He was considered one of the shrewdest persons within the Congress while at Delhi where he was used to be assigned the task of putting out fire in the troubled states, but has failed to handle rebels in the municipal elections in his home state. He had tried to set the house in order by convening a meeting of all party councillors and changing the candidate for the post of deputy mayor on the eve of polling.

The Congress suffered a set back in the JMC election last year also when it failed to get its candidate for the mayor’s post elected despite being the largest party. The BJP and the NC joined hands to get the former’s nominee, Mr Kavinder Gupta, elected. The NC candidates also won the elections for the Srinagar Municipal Corporation last year.

Top JKSFC official arrested

Srinagar, March 7
A top official of a leading financial institution in Jammu and Kashmir has been arrested by the state vigilance organisation while accepting bribe from an entrepreneur, an official spokesman said today.

He said the Deputy General Manager of the Jammu and Kashmir State Financial Corporation (JKSFC) was caught red-handed while accepting a bribe of Rs 5,000 from a small scale industry (SSI) entrepreneur.

The Deputy General Manager was taken in custody, the spokesman said, adding further investigations have been launched into the case. — UNI