Udhampur, May 2
Enraged over “indifferent” attitude of the authorities, displaced families of Reasi, Mahore and Bakuri tehsils today threatened to intensify their agitation suspended last week following an assurance from deputy commissioner Reasi, Sanjeev Verma to solve their problems in seven days.

As many as 938 displaced families, living in miserable conditions, have been demanding relief on a par with Kashmir migrants and implementation of the directions of the court wherein the government was directed to treat them on a par with other displaced communities of the state.

Migrants from militancy-hit areas of Rajauri and Reasi districts, these families have been putting up at Talwara, Granmorh, Salal, Pagha, Pouni and Ransoo camps which lack basic amenities like drinking water and sanitation.

Although they have been treated as migrants, but denied benefits being given to the displaced families from Kashmir Valley. For the past seven years these families have been struggling to get their grievances addressed but of no avail.

Chief of the Jammu and Kashmir National Panthers Party (JKNPP) Bhim Singh had moved court fort justice to these displaced families.

The court on the petition, had directed the state government to treat these displaced people on at par with migrants from the valley and give them relief on a par with other migrants. Despite court’s directions the displaced families are being denied their due.

"Our patience is running out and we are thinking seriously of taking some extreme step", Balwan Singh, chairman of the Migrant Union, told The Tribune.

He charged successive state governments with ignoring migrants of the Jammu region.

"Our agitation was suspended following an assurance from the deputy commissioner but we will not hesitate to revive the stir", warned Jagdev Singh, president of migrants from Bakuri.

Balwan Singh recalled the authorities had asked for one week’s time to conduct verification of all displaced families putting up at different camps to distribute cash relief among them.

"Except assurances nothing has been done so far", Balwan Singh rued and warned they were forced to start the stir again.

Jagdev Singh regretted conditions of these displaced families had been deteriorating with every passing day but authorities seemed to be unconcerned.

He pointed out the situation was not conducive for return to their native places sothe government should provide them some sort of relief.

Exodus of minorities started from higher reaches of Reasi district after the Prankote massacre in which 38 persons were hacked to death by terrorist in this mountainous area.

Srinagar, May 2
The 434-km Srinagar-Leh highway, connecting Ladakh with the rest of the country, was thrown open to vehicular traffic after the winter months yesterday.

The opening of this strategic road was made possible about one month and two weeks in advance as compared to last year.

The Regional Transport Officer (RTO) of Kashmir said the Srinagar-Sonmarg-Gumri road was declared open on Tuesday for an Army trial convoy to the Ladakh region.

The convoy from Kargil to Srinagar was allowed on the highway today, an official spokesman, quoting the RTO, said.

The movement of civil vehicular traffic would be allowed from tomorrow.

Lt Gen AS Sekhon, GOC 15 Corps, flagged off the first traffic movement towards Ladakh after nearly five months and lauded the efforts of task forces of Beacon and Himank Border Road Projects making the highway open for traffic.

Chief Engineer of Project Beacon Brig AK Bhutani also hailed the completion of the hard task by locals, civil administration and all ranks.

Truckloads of essential commodities, including food grains and petroleum products, are ready to be transported to the Ladakh region to overcome their paucity.

Zojila pass is the gateway to the land of Lamas and the adjoining Kashmir valley and the Indus valley through the 434-km Srinagar-Leh road.

Project Beacon keeps the stretch from Srinagar to Gagangir (72 km from here) open throughout the year, while Project Himank keeps the stretch from Leh to Drass (147 km from here) open throughout the year.

The high Zojila dividing line between Kashmir and Ladakh regions was closed on November 5 last year, while the summer snow clearance began on February 23. Late snowfall during March made the clearance task even more arduous.

The snow had accumulated from 40- 90 feet, making the work challenging.

Srinagar, May 2
Six days after reportedly having gone missing, the “absconding” youth, Parmeet Singh, was traced to a beer bar in the Rohini area of New Delhi today.

The police claimed to have traced Parmeet who had apparently deliberately gone missing in order to fool his creditors.

Held by the Delhi Police, Parmeet will be brought here by a team of the Jammu and Kashmir Police that was dispatched to the Capital today.

Parmeet, a resident of Gulshan Nagar was reported missing on Thursday from the Jehangir Chowk area.

The police said a missing person report was lodged at the Shaheed Gunj police station on Friday and a manhunt was launched to trace him.

This followed protest demonstrations by the youth’s relatives and others who had blamed the police for inaction.

A police spokesperson said Parmeet had gone in hiding as he reportedly owed a lot of money to various banks and individuals.

He had fraudulently managed to lodge a missing person report with the intention of making his disappearance appear genuine so as to get rid of his lenders, the spokesperson added.

Rajouri, May 2
Lauding the efforts of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi for giving due representation to all sections of the society, vice-chairman of the Jammu and Kashmir Pahari Advisory Board (JKPAB) Shabir Ahmed Khan hailed the Centre for considering the demands of the Pahari-speaking population.

He said the PM and the UPA chairperson had kept the interests of various ethnic groups of the state in mind during the third Round Table Conference (RTC).

Addressing a press conference here, Khan, who has participated in all the three RTCs, said, “Granting Scheduled Tribe status to the Pahari-speaking population finds place in the Common Minimum Programme of the state’s coalition government. It is a genuine demand since we are socio-economically very backward. I hope we will be given our due status.”

Appreciating the efforts of Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad for opening of trans-LoC road links like Uri-Muzzafarabad and Poonch-Rawlakote, he demanded the government take concrete steps for opening of Jhanjar-Mirpur-Kotli route and Tarkundi-Khahiratta to reunite divided families. He also demanded that educated unemployed youth be employed at the block level.