Jammu, February 7
Affirming that people of Jammu and Kashmir will not be divided on the caste factor in the name of reservation in jobs, the state government yesterday categorically stated that since the other backward classes(OBCs) did not figure in the J and K Reservation Act, the implementation of a Supreme Court directive in this regard would not be followed in the state.

''As there is no OBC list framed in the state of J and K in the 2001 census or otherwise, the Supreme Court directive for reservation for OBCs is not J and K specific,'' the state's Social Welfare Minister Haji Nissar Ali stated during a discussion on the issue in the Legislative Council.

Replying to a question posed by Panthers Party's Prof Bhim Singh, the minister said reservation in jobs had been kept in the state on the basis of "economically and socially weaker sections" which had been collectively identified as "social caste", Mr Ali said.

He, however, stated in a written reply that the list of weak and under-privileged classes, being recognised as "social caste", included shikarawallas, fishermen, markabans, potters, shaksaz, shoe repairers, sweepers, barbers, washermen, bhands, mirasis, bazigars, kulfaqir, dambali faqir, dooms, shupri wattal, sansis, sikligars, jheewers, gharati, teeli, lohars, tarkhans, and masons.

"There is 2 per cent reservation for this weak social caste collectively in the state," the minister said.

However, Prof Bhim Singh pointed out, the Justice Anand Commission had specifically fixed reservation in jobs for the mentioned "backward classes".

He also accused the state government of issuing OBC certificates to some persons in the recent past.

The state government today also clarified that it had taken up the issue of granting the Scheduled Tribe (ST) status to pahari-speaking people with the Central Government." The resolution passed by the Legislative Assembly has been forwarded to the Prime Minister's Office with a request to consider it," Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad said in a written reply to the question on the issue.

Mr Azad stated that no timeframe could be fixed in this direction as the power to declare any ethnic group as Scheduled Tribes vested with the Central Government under Article 362 of the Indian Constitution.

Jammu, February 7
The Centre is spending Rs 7,000 crore to construct highways and other roads in Jammu and Kashmir.

Mr T.R. Baalu, Union Minister for Shipping, Road Transport and Highways, yesterday reviewed the central sector road projects under implementation in the state with Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad at a high-level meeting here.

These include the 20 road sector projects being implemented by the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) under various phases of the National Highway Development Programme (NHDP) to be implemented at a cost of Rs 7,000 crore in three years. These projects include six national highway road stretches already under advanced stage of completion.

Of total length of 1245 km of national highway in J&K , 437 km is entrusted to the NHAI and remaining 808 km to the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) for improvement and strengthening to two four laning stretches.

The NHAI officials informed that two tunnels of 8.5 km and 9.2 km each have been envisaged for the state of the art construction utilising French know-how on the Jammu-Srinagar national highway besides 12 short tunnels, 34 major bridges and 24 viaducts which would permit all-weather road connectivity to commuters and reduce distance between Jammu and Srinagar by 60 km.

Minister reviewed the programme implementation of strengthening seven road stretches in the state announced by the Prime Minister as J&K special package.

The minister instructed the Border Roads Organisation authorities — the implementing agency for most of these road stretches, to implement this special package in a time-bound manner.

Jammu, February 7
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) President and Member of Parliament, Ms Mehbooba Mufti, has called for the complete end of hostilities in Jammu and Kashmir to prevent further destruction of life and property in the state, which has suffered enormously because of the turmoil.

Addressing a public meeting in the border area of Manjakot in Rajouri district on Monday, she said, “We have suffered immensely and this trauma must end now”.

She said violence had left behind traumatised orphans, widows and destitutes and with every killing the number of such hapless children, mothers and widows was growing. She said all sides having armed involvement in Jammu and Kashmir must facilitate in ending the gun culture to ensure the safety of the common and poor people. "It is the poor people who suffer the most in such situations as the rich have several safeguards," she said. " Even in the recent fake encounters, the victims have turned out to be the poorest of the poor, who were earning their livelihood through tedious labour away from their homes,” she added.

To make the peace and reconciliation process workable, Ms Mufti said it was imperative that it must show results on the ground. “On the ground I mean in Jammu and Kashmir and not in Islamabad or New Delhi,” she said and added that the confidence-building and reconciliatory measures would have no meaning unless these were complimented with the visible improvement in the state's security scenario so that the common people identified themselves with the process. She said both New Delhi and Islamabad must take solid measures to bring down the level of violence within the state and give Kashmiris the time to rebuild their shattered lives.

Referring to the recent statement of the Pakistan President, Gen Pervez Musharraf, denouncing violence, Ms Mufti said Pakistan must also use its influence over the warring groups to put an end to the vicious circle of violence in the state that had unfortunately turned into a commercial business now. “Militants must also realize that Kashmiris have suffered enormously because of the gun and peaceful resolution process must be given a chance," she said.

A senior PDP leader, Mr Ghulam Hassan Mir, reiterated the party's demand for the revocation of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) as an intra-Kashmir confidence-building measure. He said there was an urgent need to restore the public confidence and it could be done only through such concrete measures. He also stressed the need for initiating a comprehensive welfare scheme for the victims of violence.

Srinagar, February 7
People in the down town area again took to streets demanding the whereabouts of two youths missing since 1991 after their arrest allegedly by the security forces.

Raising anti-security force and anti-government slogans, hundreds of people took to streets at Lal Bazar this morning.

The marchers, who blocked traffic on the main road were demanding action against security personnel who arrested Mohammad Altaf in 1991.

People, including women and children, also took to streets at the Nowshera area demanding whereabouts of Fayaz Ahmad who disappeared after his arrest.

The family members of both youths alleged they might have been killed by the security forces in fake encounters and later labelled “foreign militants” for getting rewards and promotion.

The Association of Parents of Disappeared Persons (APDP) alleged thousands went missing after arrest by the security forces and the police.

Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) Chief Mohammad Yaseen Malik and the Hurriyat Conference (Omar) said about 8,000 Kashmiri youths have been missing since 1990.

However, the government admitted a few hundred persons were missing in the Jammu and Kashmir since 1990.

A three-day fast by Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) chairman Mohammad Yaseen Malik in protest against the killing of innocent Kashmiris in fake encounters, entered second day today.

Mr Malik, a heart patient, was sitting in a tent erected on the main road near the JKLF headquarter at Maisuma near here. A large number of people, including senior JKLF leaders and women, were seen wishing him success in his fight against the injustice.

the JKLF chief started the three-day fast yesterday when the entire Kashmir valley observed complete shutdown in protest against the killing of four innocent persons by the Special Operations Group (SOG) of the Jammu and Kashmir police in fake encounters and later buried them after labelling them as”terrorists”.

Strike call was given by Mr Malik, which was supported by other separatists and other organisations.

He has threatened indefinite fast if all human rights violations were not stopped.

Following massive protests, the Jammu and Kashmir government ordered a judicial inquiry into the fake encounter cases. The issue rocked the state Assembly now in session at Jammu. — UNI

Jammu, February 7
As many as 53,240 girl students have dropped out of various educational institutions during the past two years in Jammu and Kashmir. The figure does not include those in the Leh and Kargil districts of Ladakh.

This was stated by the Education Minister in a written reply to Ms Shanti Devi (PDP) in the Assembly today.

The minister said the dropout percentage of girls in rural areas of the Kashmir valley was 5.19, while in the urban areas it was 2.65 per cent.

The dropout percentage of girls in rural areas of Jammu division was 1.9 per cent, while in urban areas it was 0.47 per cent.

The minister said several steps had been taken to check incidence of dropout among girls in the state. Residential schools for girls belonging to the Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribes and OBC categories had been established in remote areas where the incidence of female dropout was more.

Free textbooks were being provided to girl students from Classes I to VIII and a mid-day meal scheme for Classes I to V had been introduced to improve retention. Besides, awareness programme had been launched in rural areas.

Bill to regularise encroachments: A Bill was introduced in the Assembly on the behalf of the Chief Minister today to regularise encroachments on government lands in the state.

Different slabs of rates are proposed to be fixed for regularising commercial and residential lands. The Bill seeks to replace the ordinance that has already been promulgated by the government.