Jammu, August 4
Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, patron of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), today said the state's political leadership must take charge of the situation, by expanding and consolidating democratic institutions to create a coalition for peace and resolution of problems.

At a function organised in connection with the party's foundation day celebrations here, the Mufti emphasised the state's political decision-making apparatus must represent views and concerns of people instead of indulging in politics of exclusion for extraneous considerations. The solution to most of the problems lay with people and what requires to be done is to provide to people an enabling political environment to ensure their participation in peace and development.

He said there was need to open up and connect the state economically, academically, socially and culturally with the world. To make people come out of the siege mentality, we shall have to accelerate process of inter and intra-state connectivity reviving all traditional routes passing through the state. The road link between Suchetgarh in Jammu and Sialkot in Pakistan should be restored.

Admitting the Indo-Pak dialogue, despite occasional hiccups, was moving on the right path, the Mufti said recent movement on boosting business between the two countries and resuming trade on the Srinagar-Muzaffarabad road was indicative of the inevitability of the peace process in the larger economic interest of the region. He said as people of the state had favoured reconciliation process, they deserved share in its fruits. Free movement of people and goods should not be confined to the Srinagar-Muzaffarabad road only, but should be extended to all traditional routes,including Suchetgarh-Sialkote, Kargil-Skardu, Bandipora-Gurez-Gilgit, Poonch-Rawalakote and Nowshehra-Mirpur roads," he said.

The Mufti said the PDP's vision of a South Asian region free of friction emanates from the basic oneness of its people that would, ultimately, dominate all other considerations in an atmosphere of goodwill.

Srinagar, August 4
Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad today asked numberdars and chowkidars across the state to oversee government works, ranging from midday meal scheme to the functioning of schools and work like road construction, water and electricity projects.

Azad has hiked wages of low-paid employees who used to get little over Rs 80 per month to Rs 501 to boost their morale.

Addressing a convention of numberdars and chowkidars here,Azad again exhibited mistrust of the government machinery in charge of development projects. He said was in the dark about what was happening in villages. "We spend Rs 275 crore on primary and middle education, but I don't know if the money is being spent rightly," he told the audience, adding that's why he decided to empower them.

There was also a suggestion from within the government that the posts of numberdar and chowkidar be abolished,but he decided against it as they remained the most-spread official tier in the villages. He said they were entitled to report irregularities they found in development and other works going on in their villages. They could also report, Azad said,on the teachers who came late to schools.

Though his speech drew cheers from numberdars and chowkidars,officials said the government would have to put in checks and balances if this system had to run.

Srinagar, August 4
Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad visited SMHS Hospital here today to enquire after the condition of victims of the grenade blast at Banihal yesterday.

Thirteen seriously injured persons had been shifted to the main city hospital here for treatment. The Chief Minister was informed of 13 persons, three were operated upon while one seriously injured was shifted to SKIMS, Soura, for specialised treatment. He had received splinter injuries on the head.

Doctors told the Chief Minister that the injured were out of danger.