J A M M U   &   K A S H M I R

Rail connectivity
Rs 52-lakh shortage costs Kashmir 118 years

Jammu, October 4 It was because of the deficiency of Rs 52 lakh in the state treasury that the people of the Kashmir valley had to wait for more than 118 years for railway connectivity with rest of the country.

An Archival picture of the light electric train which was to run between Jammu and Srinagar 118 years ago.—Tribune photo by Anand Sharma

Peace prevails between communities
Rajouri, October 4
The communal tension that followed the violent clashes between two communities, after India’s victory in the finals of the Twenty-20 World Cup, was today eased, with the two communities warning the troublemongers and asking the "Jammu-based politicians" to desist from giving the "minor tension" between a group of people, a communal colour.

Chemists, pharmacies told to use green cross, not red
Jammu, October 4
The controller drugs has, in a communication, directed all pharmacies, chemists, retailers, wholesalers and other drug establishments in Jammu and Kashmir not to misuse the Red Cross emblem.

2 ropeways to link Siaraz with state
Udhampur, October 4
After the death of three teenagers by drowning in the Chenab here, the authorities have decided to take preventive measures. The state government has persuaded the Power Development Corporation to construct two ropeways to connect the entire Siaraz belt of Doda and Ramban districts with the rest of the state.

Army bids tearful goodbye to martyrs

Srinagar, October 4 Army today bid a tearful goodbye to Major K.P. Vinay and Major D.R. Raman, who were killed in a 40 hours long gunbattle with militants in the Tangmarg area of Baramula district. Lt-Gen A.S. Sekhon, GOC 15 Corps, salutes Major D.R. Raman’s Coffin at the Army base camp in Srinagar on Thursday.— Tribune photo by Mohd Amin War 2 LeT militants killed Srinagar, October 4 A day after killing nine militants of the Al-badr outfit, the security forces today killed two LeT militants, including a top commander, at a village in Bandipore. A soldier was also killed in the encounter.

Rail connectivity
Rs 52-lakh shortage costs Kashmir 118 years
Tejinder Singh Sodhi
Tribune News Service

Jammu, October 4
It was because of the deficiency of Rs 52 lakh in the state treasury that the people of the Kashmir valley had to wait for more than 118 years for railway connectivity with rest of the country.

Kashmir could have been connected with a railway line 118 years ago if the then British India government had given a grant of Rs 52 lakh to the then rulers of Jammu and Kashmir.

“The project that now runs at an estimated cost of more than Rs 11,000 crore and is also running behind schedule could have been completed 118 years back, if Rs 52 lakh could have been arranged,” said Peerzada Mohammed Ashraf, assistant director, Archives, Jammu

According to the records present with the state Archival Department, the then ruler of J&K Maharaja Partap Singh had decided to connect the Kashmir valley with Jammu (then Jammoo) with a railway line

“A team of engineers to survey the possibilities of laying a railway line between the two parts of the state was also formed in 1889,” said the assistant director.

He added, “The team of engineers, after surveying the mountainous belt, submitted its report to the Maharaja in 1892 in which it recommended a 197.5-km rail line between the two regions.”

On March 1, 1992, Maharaja Partap Singh laid the foundation stone of the Kashmir railway at Hazoori bagh in Srinagar.

The work on the project started and as it had to be an electric train, some electric power stations were also constructed en route to the train.

Rs 3.52 crore was the budget for the whole project that was named as Jammu and Kashmir Light Electric Railway.

“The Maharaja had Rs 3 crore in his treasury but was running short of Rs 52 lakh, for which he requested the then British India government, but the demand was not met and the project was stalled,” Ashraf said.

Though the project could not materialise due the refusal of grant by British government, the survey conducted at that time was used after more than 60 years for constructing the Jawahar tunnel.

“The Jawahar tunnel was constructed at the same place where the Maharaja’s engineers had proposed a railway tunnel after undertaking the soil tests,” Ashraf added.

In 1983, the then Prime Minister of India laid the foundation of the 50-km Jammu Udhampur rail line which was to be completed in five years with a budget of Rs 50 crore, but the line was only inaugurated after 21 years with a total budget of Rs 550 crore.

Work on the Jammu-Baramulla railway line was initiated by the then Railway Minister of India Jaffer Sharief in 1994 and in 2002 then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee declared it as a national project and August 15, 2007 was set as the deadline.

However, the deadline had passed and a new deadline has been set and people of the valley have to wait for more years to see the completion of the railway project.

Peace prevails between communities
Tribune News Service

Rajouri, October 4
The communal tension that followed the violent clashes between two communities, after India’s victory in the finals of the Twenty-20 World Cup, was today eased, with the two communities warning the troublemongers and asking the "Jammu-based politicians" to desist from giving the "minor tension" between a group of people, a communal colour.

The 11-member peace committee comprising members of both communities, that was formed after the communal clashes to ascertain the identity of the miscreants involved and reasons for the violent breakout, has said elements spreading communal tension would not be spared. It warned “the Jammu-based leaders” who are bent on “disturbing the feeling of brotherhood” and the social fabric of Rajouri should not indulge in local matters of this border town for their “political interests”.

Addressing a news conference here, senior BJP leader and convener of the committee Kuldeep Raj Gupta and senior member Abdul Qayoom Dar said tension started when some people were celebrating India’s victory by bursting fire-crackers, and when somebody threw a cracker at the gate of the mosque the devotees offering prayers were disturbed due to the noise. However, the tension was defused due to the intervention of prominent citizens, they added.

Chemists, pharmacies told to use green cross, not red

Jammu, October 4
The controller drugs has, in a communication, directed all pharmacies, chemists, retailers, wholesalers and other drug establishments in Jammu and Kashmir not to misuse the Red Cross emblem.

They have been asked to use the emblem of the green cross on a white background which has been allotted to them. The controller has threatened to cancel their licences if they continued to use the Red Cross as an emblem instead of the green cross.

The licences cancelled on account of violation of the Act would not be renewed, the controller has said. — OC

2 ropeways to link Siaraz with state
Tribune News Service

Udhampur, October 4
After the death of three teenagers by drowning in the Chenab here, the authorities have decided to take preventive measures. The state government has persuaded the Power Development Corporation to construct two ropeways to connect the entire Siaraz belt of Doda and Ramban districts with the rest of the state.

The authorities have roped in the Power Development Corporation to construct ‘crane’ bridges at two places to avoid further such incidents, sources said.

The Siaraz belt, comprising more than 40 villages, has been cut off due to the submergence of three bridges after the construction of Baglihar hydro-electric project at Chanderkote in Ramban.

Divisional commissioner of Jammu, Sadanshu Pandey, who visited families of deceased students to hand over ex gratia relief of Rs 1 lakh from the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund to each of them, announced the construction of the ropeway bridges.

Anchal Singh, Desa Devi and Asha Devi were drowned in the Chenab when the boat in which they were crossing the river, capsized on September 10. The body of only Anchal Singh was recovered.

The drowning of the girls had triggered massive protests in Ramban, Assar and the adjoining localities, with residents blaming the lackadaisical approach of the administration in making transportation arrangements in this belt.

The Siaraz belt, comprising a population of more than 30,000, was connected with the rest of the country only through the Marsoo and Tringul ropeway bridges which gradually submerged.

Army bids tearful goodbye to martyrs

Srinagar, October 4
Army today bid a tearful goodbye to Major K.P. Vinay and Major D.R. Raman, who were killed in a 40 hours long gunbattle with militants in the Tangmarg area of Baramula district.

The Army officials paid tribute to their colleagues, whose bodies were kept in the coffins draped in the Tricolour, by laying wreaths.

The officers were killed while fighting a group of nine terrorists, who had infiltrated from across Line of Control in the Gulmarg sector.

All nine militants were killed in a three-day long gunbattle, in which deceased officers had led from the front. The bodies were later flown to the respective hometowns of the officers.

While Major Vinay, who was scheduled to get married later this month, hailed from Hyderabad, Major Raman belonged to Chennai. — PTI 

2 LeT militants killed
Tribune News Service

Srinagar, October 4
A day after killing nine militants of the Al-badr outfit, the security forces today killed two LeT militants, including a top commander, at a village in Bandipore. A soldier was also killed in the encounter.

Kashmir IG S.M. Sahai said one of the killed militants was Musa, alias Wafa, a divisional commander of the LeT who was looking after the outfit's operation in Bandipore. The other killed militant has been identified is Qasim Buddy.

10-Para and 23-Punjab units of the Army carried out an operation in which the militants were killed.

A junior commissioned officer, Naib Subedar Subhash, of 10-Para lost his life in the firefight. The nine militants killed at Tangmarg in the 36-hour encounter, which ended yesterday, were from Al-badr. Official sources claimed to have given big jolts to the two outfits in the valley.