Jammu, August 13
The Jammu police has sought assistance of "special counter-insurgency units" of the paramilitary forces to meet any eventuality during the Independence Day celebrations at the Parade ground mini-stadium here on August 15.

The police today said it did not want to take chance in the wake of an encounter in which Jaish-e-Mohammad commander Saifulah Qari was killed in a joint operation by Jammu and Delhi cops on August 10 midnight. Qari was said to have masterminded the Ayodhya temple terrorist attack in 2005.

J and K health minister Mangat Ram Sharma, who has been a former deputy Chief Minister in the erstwhile Mufti regime, is scheduled to hoist the national flag at the Parade Ground on August 15.

"We are taking fool- proof security measures with the help of special groups for anti-insurgency of the paramilitary forces," Jammu SSP Ravinder Singh said at a press conference here.

The additional security forces have been deployed at all entry points of Jammu, while special checking was being carried out at the city Railway station, inter- state bus terminus and other crucial points.

Srinagar, August 13
Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad has asked people not to heed rumours spread by vested interests on the fall-out of the Khundru incident as these only added to problems of the affected people.

He called upon people to cooperate with the administration to provide relief to the villagers affected by the incident. Azad asked people of the affected villages, who have been evacuated to safer places, not to rush back to their homes till the area was cleared of unexploded ammunition.

He said joint teams of the Army, the police and the civil administration had been formed to survey the villages for unexploded ammunition to be defused subsequently by experts.

He asked people not to touch any suspicious object, they might notice as it could endanger their lives. A woman was killed and three were injured yesterday when she touched an unexploded shell. Today also a child was seriously injured in a similar way .

Azad said adequate arrangements for food, shelter, drinking water and medicines had been made for the affected people. Langars have been set up at several places and teams of senior officers were camping in the area to supervise arrangements.

Meanwhile, the Hurriyat Conference led by Mirwaiz Umar Farooq has expressed concern over the presence of heavy stock of arms and ammunition in Kashmir that would only lead to any explosive situation. In a statement here the Mirwaiz said the fire at Khundru in south Kashmir resulted in damage to crops and orchards while displacing people from their villages. Unless the Kashmir issue was solved there would be no end to the arms race, he said.

Srinagar, August 13
With the recovery of 15 bodies from the site of fire at the Army ammunition depot, Khundru in south Kashmir today, death toll has gone up to 18, officials confirmed here this evening. The 15-km-long road from Anantnag to Shangus via Achchabal in the affected area has been cleared for the movement of traffic, following major fire at the ammunition depot, on Saturday morning.

Defence spokesman Lt Col A. K. Mathur said the 15 bodies retrieved included 13 of the missing firemen, Major Tarun Kumar and an unidentified body. As already reported 25 missing persons, included 13 firemen, one Army officer, Major Tarun Kumar, nine other Army men and two civilian labourers.

According to deputy inspector general of police, Anantnag-Pulwama Range, Hemant Kumar Lohia, 15 bodies recovered today included 13 of firemen, an Army officer and an unidentified person. Two others including that of a fireman, and a butcher, who happened to be at the gate at the time of the incident had already been retrieved. Woman Jameela died while she had touched an unexploded shell in the area yesterday, reports said. The police, however, believes she had died due to the explosion caused by an LPG cylinder.

Jammu, August 13
The Jammu and Kashmir government has formulated it’s first-ever employment policy to generate job opportunities in the state to meet the challenge of mounting unemployment and boost economy hit by militancy for the past 18 years. The draft of policy has been prepared and will be tabled in the coming session of the legislature.

The policy aims at shifting focus of the 11th Plan from output generation to employment creation. The policy envisages streamlining the market intervention scheme, introducing legislation on contract farming, strengthening the rural banks and formulating innovative self-employment schemes.

A high-power employment mission (HPEM) headed by the Chief Minister will be set up to monitor implementation of the policy. Other members of the HPEM include the finance minister, planning minister, industries minister, three legislators and a set of professionals, corporate, bankers and NGOs. While the HPEM will determine the policy and lay down general directions, there will be an executive body headed by the chief secretary to oversee execution and give monthly reports.

The thrust of the government was to initiate a multi-pronged strategy for employment generation to confront the mounting challenge of unemployment in the state. The policy framework on employment generation would be presented by the finance minister Tariq Hameed Karra in the upcoming session of the state legislature.

It lays emphasis on pursuing a strict policy on import substitution and localisation of the production and distribution systems. Karra in his 2007-08 budget speech had announced that the state government would constitute the HPEM.

The main objectives of HPEM shall be generation of adequate employment opportunities through a policy framework, initiate bold steps for infrastructure development, to act as a catalyst in opening of marketing opportunities for commodities and goods produced in the state, to mount special drive for creation of employment opportunities. 

Udhampur, August 13
Migrants of Talwara camp, agitating for relief on a par with Kashmiri migrants, have decided to suspend their stir till August 15. This decision was taken keeping in view the threats of militants during the Independence Day celebrations in different parts of the state.

“Security forces and the local police have been working overtime to frustrate designs of militants out to disturb Independence Day celebrations. We do not want to create any law and order problem for the authorities'', said Balwan Singh, president of the Migrant Action Committee, and added all agitational programmes had been suspended. He, however, announced indefinite dharna, which was started 15 days back, would continue.

Although the district administration has invoked Section 144, Cr PC, in Talwara, chief of the Jammu and Kashmir National Panthers Party (JKNPP) Bhim Singh has announced to celebrate Independence Day in the camp of displaced people. He has asked camp dwellers to celebrate Independence Day with enthusiasm.