J A M M U   &   K A S H M I R

No NC nominee against Azad
Srinagar, April 5
Extending its covert support to the ruling Congress, the opposition National Conference has decided not to field its candidate against Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad in the Bhaderwah constituency of Doda district going to byelections on April 24. Of the three seats in the valley, the NC will contest only two seats and support the independent candidate, Shoaib Lone, son of the slain former minister from Sangrama constituency.

14 hurt in blast
Srinagar, April 5
A counter-insurgency leader was killed and 16 others were injured, while the security forces averted a major tragedy in the Kashmir valley today, official sources said.

Government depts fail to give utilisation certificates
Jammu, April 5
The Comptroller and Auditor General of India,in its latest annual report, has blamed more than 11 government departments of not furnishing utilisation certificates as regards grants released to them.

Minor tremors rock Doda
A series of minor tremors have rocked the mountainous Doda district of Jammu and Kashmir since last night leading to panic among residents of the area, the Metereological Department said today.

No NC nominee against Azad
Tribune News Service

Srinagar, April 5
Extending its covert support to the ruling Congress, the opposition National Conference (NC) has decided not to field its candidate against Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad in the Bhaderwah constituency of Doda district going to byelections on April 24. Of the three seats in the valley, the NC will contest only two seats and support the independent candidate, Shoaib Lone, son of the slain former minister from Sangrama constituency.

The decision was announced by the NC president and MP, Mr Omar Abdullah, at a press conference at the party headquarters here this afternoon. Dr Farooq Abdullah’s younger brother and former minister, Dr Mustafa Kamal, who lost to a PDP candidate in the last elections from Tangmarg will be the NC’s candidate from Pattan. A new face, advocate Mohammad Maqbool, will be the National Conference candidate from Rafiabad, Omar said.

Announcing the party’s decision not to contest from Bhaderwah, Mr Omar Abdullah pointed out that it was felt that “it will not be beneficial to us”, adding that the decision had not been taken under any pressure. The decision was taken by him in association with the patron and his father, Dr Farooq Abdullah, and general secretary Sheikh Nazir Ahmad, he said. “We need to concentrate in Kashmir and it will be only after about two years that the Assembly elections are to be held” in the state, Omar commented.

The Chief Minister, Ghulam Nabi Azad, was “taking walkover by default and not by design”, Omar added. He said it was a “good decision” to contest only two seats in the valley. Both seats of Rafiabad and Pattan belonged to the NC in the last elections and fell vacant following the resignation of the two members from the Assembly and the party before joining the PDP.

The two members, Moulvi Iftikhar Hussain Ansari and Dilawar Mir are contesting candidates of the PDP from Pattan and Rafiabad.

Commenting on the support to Shoaib Lone, he said he was not satisfied with the government’s claim on the killing of former minister and PDP leader, Dr Ghulam Nabi Lone. The NC leader held that the report gave insufficient details about the attack on Dr Lone, where none had admitted to have seen the killers. He described it as a “political conspiracy” and questioned as to why did not the PDP give mandate to his son, and added that it was his party’s moral and political duty to support him. Omar held that there was, however, no offer from either side about Shoaib Lone’s joining the National Conference and added that any such decision would be taken only in the event of his election.

Senior PDP leader and former minister Ghulam Hassan Mir had already expressed resentment over the denial of mandate to Shoaib Lone.

Meanwhile, Omar Abdullah expressed concern over the recent incidents of the killings of its councillors by militants.

14 hurt in blast

Srinagar, April 5
A counter-insurgency leader was killed and 16 others were injured, while the security forces averted a major tragedy in the Kashmir valley today, official sources said.

They said militants shot dead a counter-insurgency leader Mohammad Yousuf Ganaie, inside a vehicle at Tawheed Gunj bus stand in Baramula, about 55 km from here in North Kashmir, this afternoon.

They said militants hurled a hand grenade towards the security forces at Kulgam in Anantnag district. Four CRPF personnel and 10 civilians were injured in the explosion.

The injured were hospitalised, they said, adding the area was cordoned off and a massive search operation was launched to nab the militants responsible for the blast. — UNI

Government depts fail to give utilisation certificates
Our Correspondent

Jammu, April 5
The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India,in its latest annual report, has blamed more than 11 government departments of not furnishing utilisation certificates as regards grants released to them.

The CAG has stated that as many as 9,092 utilisation certificates for an aggregate amount of over Rs 1,300 crore were awaited till the end of September, 2005.

In the absence of utilisation certificates, it was not clear as to how the department officials ascertained whether and to what extent the recipients utilised the grants for the purpose for which these were released, the report said.

The Education Department topped the list of defaulters as 116 certificates for the grants of over Rs 69 crore during 2002-2003 and 80 certificates for an amount of over Rs 44 crore had not been furnished.

It was followed by the Art and Culture Department that has a backlog of 55 utilisation certificates for an amount of over Rs 72 crore, the Housing and Urban Development Department (153 certificates for over Rs 68 crore), the Tourism Department (12 certificates for over Rs 38 crore), the Law and Justice Department (38 certificates for Rs 27.50 crore) and the Agriculture Department (58 certificates for over Rs 53 crore).

The CAG has indicted the Forest and the Law Departments for not furnishing details of grants or loans paid by them to various bodies during 2004-05.

The report has said the existing government accounting system did not cover comprehensive accounting of fixed assets, including land and buildings owned by the government.

However, the accounts have reflected financial liabilities of the government and the assets created out of the expenditure incurred by it.

It has cited 35 departments that have not furnished annual accounts for 2004-05. The CAG has pointed out that annual accounts were not furnished by some departments from 1995 to 2004.

The Jammu Development Authority had not furnished annual accounts from 1972-73 to 2004-05.

A senior government official confirmed that inordinate delay in the submission of utilisation certificates of the centrally funded schemes had resulted in either the curtailment of the annual financial assistance from the Central Government or withholding of the balance payment.

Minor tremors rock Doda
Doda, April 5