J A M M U   &   K A S H M I R

Amarnath yatra resumes
Jammu, June 18
A batch of 3214 pilgrims, including 121 children, bound for the Amarnath shrine was allowed to proceed to Pahalgam from here this morning. Dr Arun Kumar, chief executive officer of the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board who is also the secretary to the governor, said on the phone that all those waiting at Pahalgam and Baltal were also allowed to proceed to the shrine today.

National Conference President Omar Abdullah distributes langar among Amarnath pilgrims at a camp in Jammu on Sunday. — PTI photo

With files piling up, clamour for Cabinet expansion rises
Jammu, June 18
The Chief Minister, Mr Ghulam Nabi Azad, is under fresh pressure from the Congress legislators and the PDP for expanding his 13-member Council of Ministers on the plea that Mr Azad has not been able to clear files gathering dust on his table in the Civil Secretariat.

Two militants killed
Srinagar, June 18
The security forces killed two militants and apprehended another in three incidents during the past 24 hours, an official spokesman said today. In an encounter at Banday Balla village in Baramula district early today, the security forces shot dead a militant, Abdul Rashid Pandit, and seized an AK rifle, two magazines, two hand grenades, one cell phone with six SIM cards, one head phone, one charger and four rounds.

Youths take part in a boat race being organised as part of a five-day training course by the Jammu and Kashmir Tourism Department on the Dal Lake, Srinagar, on Saturday. — Tribune photo by Amin War

Amarnath yatra resumes
S.P. Sharma
Tribune News Service

Jammu, June 18
A batch of 3214 pilgrims, including 121 children, bound for the Amarnath shrine was allowed to proceed to Pahalgam from here this morning.

Dr Arun Kumar, chief executive officer of the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board who is also the secretary to the governor, said on the phone that all those waiting at Pahalgam and Baltal were also allowed to proceed to the shrine today.

Meanwhile, hundreds of pilgrims bound for the Amarnath shrine have been stranded here as the “yatra” has remained suspended for most days after it officially began on June 11.

The annual pilgrimage got stalled due to bad weather and snowfall on the trek route to the cave shrine.

Government functionaries were not in favour of allowing all pilgrims stranded here to leave for Pahalgam and Baltal in the Kashmir valley as this would create problems at the two base camps. The base camps were already overflowing with people who are waiting for their turn to go to the cave shrine.

Almost all transit camps, earmarked for pilgrims here, were full. Fresh batches were forced to find shelter in private hotels and guest houses as rising temperatures made it difficult for the pilgrims to remain outdoors.

There were reports of traffic police personnel stopping vehicles carrying pilgrims at Udhampur and other places on the highway.

According to Dr Arun Kumar, there was no need to stop the pilgrims at Jammu or other places as tents were available at the base camps.

Many of the low-budget pilgrims have started running out of cash. Several pilgrims, including women, were forced to spend the nights on the pavements and in other roadside shelters as they were not allowed to enter the protected take-off point in the Maulana Azad Stadium.

The Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) came to the rescue of the stranded pilgrims today by providing them with free boarding and lodging facilities at the Geeta Bhavan.

Dr Ramakant Dubey, president of the state VHP, said that the facility would be made available to the pilgrims till the complete duration of the pilgrimage.

A number of pilgrims, who have come along with their children, were now planning to return without performing the pilgrimage as a small amount of money was left in their pockets. Dharampal, a pilgrim from Madhya Pradesh, said that private hotels and ‘dhaba’ owners here were fleecing the pilgrims and in the past five days, he had almost spent all his money. He has already booked the return railway ticket.

Bimla Devi, who belongs to a well-to-do family of Rajasthan, said that the entire group of 24 persons with her was forced to take shelter under the sheds in the exhibition ground. She complained that the attitude of the local government officials towards the pilgrims left a lot to be desired.

With files piling up, clamour
for Cabinet expansion rises
Our Correspondent

Jammu, June 18
The Chief Minister, Mr Ghulam Nabi Azad, is under fresh pressure from the Congress legislators and the PDP for expanding his 13-member Council of Ministers on the plea that Mr Azad has not been able to clear files gathering dust on his table in the Civil Secretariat.

A number of Congress legislators told this correspondent here on Friday, “More than 2,400 files are pending for the Chief Minister’s clearance.”

They added, “Since Mr Azad held six key portfolios, including home, health, and education, files from these departments continue to pile up on the table of the Chief Minister who could not get time to examine them as he remains engaged in various vital activities, including the security related matters.”

The PDP, which shares power with the Congress, too has suggested the Chief Minister not only to increase the size of the ministry but also drop those ministers whose performance has not been satisfactory.

Mr Azad had contemplated to expand the Council of Ministers soon after the end of the Budget session of the Assembly in April last. But the exercise could not be carried out on one pretext or the other.

The byelection in the four Assembly constituencies, followed by the election for one Rajya Sabha seat, had caused delay in the expansion of the ministry.

Since the flagging of the bus service on the Poonch-Rawalakot route, to be thrown open on July 19, is expected to see Ms Sonia Gandhi and the Defence Minister, Mr Pranab Mukherjee, in Poonch, the Chief Minister is likely to go in for Cabinet expansion and reshuffle after July 19 only.

As the Chief Minister’s hands have been tied by the law, he cannot include more than 12 new faces in the Council of Ministers.

With pressure from the PDP, the Congress and the Panthers Party for a share in the Cabinet, Mr Azad’s task of increasing the size of the ministry is not an easy affair.

Indications are that when he goes in for the expansion of the council, he may take eight to nine persons and could watch the reaction.

If there would be need for more, four more legislators could be accommodated.

First of all, he has to see whether he would give representation to five districts from where no legislator has found a place in the 13-member ministry.

Two militants killed

Srinagar, June 18
The security forces killed two militants and apprehended another in three incidents during the past 24 hours, an official spokesman said today.

In an encounter at Banday Balla village in Baramula district early today, the security forces shot dead a militant, Abdul Rashid Pandit, and seized an AK rifle, two magazines, two hand grenades, one cell phone with six SIM cards, one head phone, one charger and four rounds.

Hizbul Mujahideen militant Ishrat Ali was shot dead during a search operation at Padri village in Doda district.

One self-loading rifle, two magazines and 15 rounds were recovered from the encounter site. A Tehreek-ul-Mujahideen ultra was apprehended along with an AK rifle and a hand grenade in the Machil sector in the frontier district of Kupwara last evening. — UNI