Srinagar, May 7
The Civil Secretariat and other state government offices re-opened in the summer capital here today after their closure in Jammu, the winter capital of the state on April 27, as part of annual durbar move between the two capital cities. The offices included the offices of Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad, ministers and senior state government officers, which started formal functioning for summer months.

Azad was presented a guard of honour by contingents of the state police on his arrival at the civil secretariat this morning. He arrived minutes before 9.30 am and was received by senior Congress leader and minister Mangat Ram Sharma. Others present on the occasion were director-general of Jammu and Kashmir police Gopal Sharma, chief secretary C. Phunsong, divisional commissioner, Kashmir, Basharat Ahmad, and inspector-general of police, Kashmir Range, S.M. Sahai .Other ministers both from the Congress, the PDP and the PDF later joined the Chief Minister when he visited various offices in the secretariat.

As part of the government’s initiative on e-governance, the Chief Minister inaugurated the official website of the General Administration Department (GAD) on the occasion. About the website, principal secretary, GAD, Khurshid Ahmad Ganai revealed all government orders issued from the secretariat would be available on the website and it would be updated daily.

The secretariat and other offices re-opened amid tight security though least restrictions were imposed on the movement of civilian traffic on the main road along the secretariat. The police and the CRPF have tightened security around the offices and the areas where government houses for the ministers, secretaries and heads of departments are located for summer months.

While work in the secretariat was affected a few weeks earlier in Jammu, couple of weeks would be required to re-start normal work after opening of the office records in these departments here.

In view of durbar move from Jammu to Srinagar the capital city has been getting facelift over the past few weeks. Thrust has been on the upkeep of the main roads leading to the secretariat and renovation of office complexes, houses for the ministers, senior officers and other employees in different parts of the city.

Around 5,000 employees had already shifted from Jammu to Srinagar in the past one week. The employees belonging to the Kashmir division had already arrived from Jammu to Srinagar on April 28 and 29, while some of them had already volunteered to move with the advance party. The employees belonging to Jammu region arrived here during the past two days ahead of the opening of the offices. About 350 employees of the civil secretariat have been provided government houses, while 1600 to 1800 rooms in different hotels and guest houses booked for nearly 3,000 other employees, director estates B A Runyal said. He said special teams had been formed to guide and officers and employees at their places of accommodation. Chartered buses to ferry the employees from their hotels and guest houses to their offices have been arranged.

Jammu, May 7
The BJP has criticised the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) for “politicising the office of the J and K Governor’’ by opposing Governor S. K. Sinha’s stand against the proposed demilitarisation in the state.

In a statement here yesterday, J and K BJP spokesman Hari Om said it was for the Army commanders to deploy or re-deploy and locate or relocate troops in the area according to the prevailing security environment in the state and the political parties had no business to interfere in security matters.

The J and K Governor had recently stated that pulling out troops from the state was not possible even if complete peace was restored, because J and K was a border state which had been “invaded several times’’.

PDP vice-president Rangil Singh on Saturday criticized the Governor for making such a statement asking Sinha “not to interfere in sensitive political issues and polity matters’’.

When the union government had made three committees to look into the demand of demilitarisation, neither the Governor nor any political party, like the BJP, should interfere or make any political or administrative pressure on the Centre’s move to look into the possibility of demilitarisation, the PDP leader had said.

However, Hari Om stated that whatever the Governor said on the issue of demilitarisation was correct as he was here in the state to protect the country’s sovereign interests and not for toeing the line of the PDP.

“The PDP is doing its best to demoralise the security forces and promote the cause of Pakistan and its agents in Kashmir,’’ Hari Om said.

He also endorsed the view of the Governor that people of J and K were already enjoying self-rule as they themselves had elected their government from time to time.

He hoped the PDP would “abandon its withdraw-the-Army-from-the-state campaign and join the stream which wants to merge with the national mainstream’’. 

Udhampur, May 7
Demanding action against shopkeepers involved in attacking anti-encroachment team, employees of the Udhampur Municipal Committee resorted to indefinite strike today, triggering civic crises in the town.

Situation took an ugly turn when some scavengers threw garbage in front of shops of the shopkeepers allegedly involved in attacking employees.

Reacting to the action of the scavengers, the shopkeepers joined by some locals staged demonstration against the municipal employees. However, councillors intervened and tried to ease the situation but of no avail.

The committee had launched an anti-encroachment drive in the town to ease congestion. Some shopkeepers attacked anti-encroachment team at Dabbar Chowk during the drive last evening.

This morning employees of the committee resorted to indefinite strike demanding police action against the shopkeepers involved in attacking the team. They alleged that some shopkeepers had threatened them of dire consequences if they continued their encroachment drive. They demanded police protection during the drive.

As civic conditions were worsening following the strike, an emergency meeting of the committee was called to pacify the agitating employees. When the meeting was going, a group of scavengers threw garbage in front of the some shops triggering reactions from shopkeepers also. They too resorted to shouting slogans against the municipal employees.

The chairman of the municipal committee, Ashok Gupta, told The Tribune that they had been trying their best to pacify the agitating employees. He assured to take action against those who were involved in attacking the employees.

On the other hand, former chairman Pawan Khajuria blamed the committee for the present situation. 

Srinagar, May 7
Three persons were killed and four others injured in separate road accidents across the Kashmir valley since yesterday.

One person died when he was hit by a Maruti car at Qaimooh in Kulgam district of south Kashmir.

Rafiqa Bano was killed while her husband and child were injured when their motorcycle was hit by a tanker at Malpora, about 40 km from here, on the Srinagar-Jammu national highway.

Ghulam Nabi Shah, who was injured in a road accident at Hazratbal yesterday, succumbed to his injuries at SKIMS, Soura today.

In another incident, two women were injured when their motorcycle was hit by an Alto car.

UDHAMPUR: Three persons were killed in two different accidents on the Jammu-Srinagar national highway on Monday.

A truck, bearing registration number 8678-JKO2V, collided with a Gypsy of Jammu Central Cooperative Bank at Nandani killing Ashok Kumar Raval, manager, Citizen Cooprative Bank, Udhampur branch, and his driver, Baldev, and injuring chief manager of the bank Subhash Sharma. He has been shifted to Government Medical College and Hospital, Jammu, where his condition remains critical.

In another incident, an unidentified vehicle crushed Mohinder Kumar (32) at Dhrunshal near Chenani on the Jammu-Srinagar national highway.

Srinagar, May 7
After the launch of his "journey for freedom" from Kokernag in south Kashmir was prevented yesterday, JKLF chairman Mohammad Yasin Malik announced here today to re -start it from May 20 at the same venue. In case the government again prevented the march, Malik threatened an indefinite fast outside the party’s office at Maisuma here from May 26.

At a press conference in the front’s office, Maqbool Manzil, here this afternoon, after a meeting of the party yesterday, Malik said the government prevented them from expressing views. "We will fight for the freedom of speech and hope we will not be stopped", Malik said. He added on the other hand mainstream political parties were allowed to hold public meetings across the valley, where leaders expressed viewpoints. He claimed three public meetings including that of the PDP patron and former Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed and his daughter and PDP president Mehbooba Mufti were held in the same area of south Kashmir while his party was prevented from launching its campaign.

For four days the police and civil administration watched the JKLF preparatory camp at Kokernag, the venue of launching the "journey of freedom", but were stopped and prevented only a day before actual start of the march, he alleged. Malik claimed he had oral permission from the authorities to go ahead with the programme and if required he would be seeking permission in writing for the future programme beginning on May 20.

The JKLF chairman said "Safar-e-Azadi" (journey of freedom) aimed at seeking the involvement of Kashmiris in the decision-making process between India and Pakistan on the resolution of Kashmir. He said though India and Pakistan were in favour of involving people of Jammu and Kashmir in the dialogue they were not being involved in the decision-making process. "We have been supporting the peace process with the involvement of Kashmiris", he said. The JKLF chairman asked the Prime Minister whether the "Kashmiris’ involvement" was to derail or strengthen the peace process.

Malik here on April 18 announced to launch the "journey for freedom" across Kashmir to impress upon India and Pakistan to include people of Jammu and Kashmir and make Kashmiris party in the dialogue process. The march "Peace in South Asia---Kashmir First, Kashmiris First" will cover entire Jammu and Kashmir in support of his demand, he had declared. This decision of the JKLF chairman came days before the third round-table conference held under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. The round-table conference was attended by all mainstream political parties, while the Kashmir separatists invited to the meet stayed away. Malik favours inclusion of the people of Jammu and Kashmir in the dialogue process to resolve the Kashmir issue.

Udhampur, May 7
The Special Striking Reserve Force today shot dead one of the most wanted militants of the Bhaderwah area. The encounter took place in Quaila Mohalla of Bhaderwah.

The slain militant, Irshad Khan, a self-styled commander of the Hizbul Mujahiden, had been active in Bhaderwah and adjoining localities since 1996 and was one of the few longest surviving militants in the district. With the killing of Khan, the Hizbul Mujahiden has been virtually wiped out from this belt.

“The killing of Irshad Khan is a big blow to the Hizbul Mujahiden,” said DIG, Udhampur-Doda range, L.M. Mohanty on Sunday.

Jammu, May 7
The chief of the Art of Living, Shri Shri Ravi Shankar, today met inmates of district jail here and held deliberations with Kashmiri Pandits. He arrived here today on a three-day visit for talks with Kashmiri Pandits, who have been displaced due to terrorism in the valley.

He also had discussions with community members about their psychological stress, problems and future plans. He also visited the camp at Muthi on the outskirts of Jammu.

The spiritual guru also delivered a lecture at the district jail at Ambphalla where he urged the inmates to lead a clean life.

Besides visiting the Sharika Temple, Makhdoom Sahib Ziyarat and Chattipadshahi, Ravi Shankar is also expected to meet separatist leaders and Muslim intellectuals to impress upon them the need for return of peace and normalcy in the valley. — TNS

Udhampur, May 7
Demonstrations for proper water supply in Udhampur has become a routine affair as the town and nearby Kandi areas have been facing acute shortage of drinking water, especially in summer.

Despite the implemention of various schemes by the authorities, inhabitants of this belt have to contend with shortage of drinking water every year this season. Udhampur town alone has been facing a shortage of about 12 lakh gallons water every day what to talk of rural Kandi areas.

``Panchayats namely Jhakhar, Thanba and Darsu have been facing acute shortage of drinking water'', said local MLA Balwant Singh Mankotia, He told the Tribune water supply schemes have been approved for Seenphakera, Garnai panchayats but these schemes would be complete in a year’s time. He informed Batter Ballian water supply scheme would start functioning in a month's time.

According to data population of Udhampur town is over 90,000 souls and 34 lakh gallons of water is required to meet the requirement but only 22 lakh gallons of it is available from all sources in the town.

Chief engineer, Public Heath Engineering (PHE), Vinod Goswami admitted the town had been facing shortage of water but he claimed the problem would be solved with the approval of the Natural Urban Renewal Mission (NURM) scheme estimated cost Rs 2882 lakh..

Meanwhile opposition parties are up in arms against the government’s to provide drinking water in the town. ``Every year during summer people of this town have to face such problem'', said state president of the BJYM.