Jammu, January 19
The stage was set today for a power tariff hike in Jammu and Kashmir with Mr Rigzin Zora, Power Development Minister, introducing in the Assembly a Bill seeking to amend the Electricity Regulatory Commission Act to provide for a "gradual increase of tariff".

This sparked angry protests by members of the National Conference (NC), the Panthers Party, the BJP and the JSM who accused the government of being anti-people.

They said that there was no justification in increasing the tariff as the government had failed to supply uninterrupted power to the consumers.

In the statement of objects and reasons attached to the Bill, the minister said the current provision of sub-section (3) of section 17 of the J&K State Electricity Regulatory Commission ACT required that no consumer should be charged less than 50 per cent of the average cost of supply of energy. The current average tariff was only about 28 per cent of the cost of supply of energy. Since the sudden enhancement of tariff to a level of 50 per cent of the average cost of supply would result in public outcry, the government proposed to increase the tariff gradually.

Meanwhile, it is learnt that the Power Development Department (PDD) had already filed a petition before the commission for fixation of tariff.

While the PDD was set to again penalise the consumers for its own follies, no steps had been taken to plug the power leakage of 47 per cent that was the highest in the country. Installation of electronic power meters was being done at a snail's pace in the state. The annual deficit of about Rs 1,600 crore in the power sector had resulted in distortion of the financial position of the state.

Jammu, January 19
Five persons have been arrested on charges of poaching following the recovery of carcasses of four musk deer from them at a wildlife sanctuary in the Pir Panjal ranges in Poonch district of Jammu.

The arrests were made yesterday following complaints of poaching in the high altitude sanctuary in Behram-Gala. Three others escaped when a team of officials of the Wildlife Department raided the area, regional wildlife warden Nissar Kitchloo said.

Those arrested were identified as Mansoor Hussain, Abdul Majid, Mohammad Shabir, Mohammad Muneer and Sayed Akbar. Three others, Nazir Hussain, Sher Mohammad and Majid, escaped.

Meanwhile, wildlife officials this morning captured a leopard that had strayed into Baguna village in the Hiranagar tehsil of Kathua.

The leopard was tranquilized and brought to the zoo.

Reports of leopards attacking women and children in the Naushera area of Rajouri and the Kashmir valley have also been received.

Srinagar, January 19
Seeking a time-bound implementation of employment schemes in Jammu and Kashmir, PDP president Mehbooba Mufti has hailed the Budget proposals, especially for employment generation, presented by the Finance Minister in the state Assembly on Wednesday. She described it as a progressive, growth oriented and employment intensive.

Ms Mufti said the announcement of the employment generation package for educated unemployed girls in the Budget was the need of the hour “I have been raising this issue for quite some time as I know what kind of problems the educated unemployed girls are facing in society today,” she said and urged the government to provide adequate funds for implementation of the scheme in a time-bound manner.

The PDP president also called for setting up of skill-development centres in the state to impart training to the educated youth in job-oriented courses. She also called for establishing technical training universities on the pattern of Indian Institute of Technology in the state.

Welcoming the setting up of the Employment Mission, Ms Mufti said it must be made a professional body with experts from various fields as its members to draw the desired results.

Jammu, January 19
More than 70 police officers in the rank of DSP continue to be attached to various police stations and district offices as the orders regarding their postings have not been issued for the past three months.

Earlier an impression had been allowed to gain ground that it was the Cabinet that could issue the posting orders but these 70 officers felt amazed when they were told that the matter was within the competence of the Director-General Police. Out of these 70 officers 45 are direct recruits who completed their training three months ago. The others are promotees who were waiting for their postings.

One officer said: "The delay in the issuance of the posting orders has resulted in our emotional stress. As being attached officers we do not have the requisite powers to carry out day-to-day policing."

The police authorities said today that "issuing posting orders is not as easy as is being construed by people. We have to post officers as per their calibre and capacity." They said the top brass of the police remained engaged with the security related matters

It was disclosed that the entire police force, from top to the bottom, was busy in making foolproof arrangements for the ensuing Republic Day celebrations and after the end of these functions the Director-General of Police would apply his mind to the matter. The police sources said that the DGP was already aware of it and there was a possibility that the orders would be issued towards the end of this month.