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Budget session likely to be stormy today
Include Gojri in Constitution: Gujjars
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CM takes critics of development to task
Jammu, January 6 Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad appears to have started gearing up for the elections. A so-far sober Chief Minister who would seldom react to the Opposition criticism, today lashed out at his critics who said the so-called development was hollow and nothing had been done at the ground level.
For 1 cr Pilgrims at Vaishno Devi
India can’t be complacent over Pak crisis: Ex-chief secy
A healing touch for special people
Jail doctors refuse to join duty in protest
Separate Homeland
Relief for displaced families
Hizbul man from Jammu held in Kerala
Officers shuffled
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Budget session likely to be stormy today
Jammu, January 6 The opposition is already up in arms against the reduced duration of the session. Usually the assembly session in the state lasts for about two months. However, this time it is going to be one of the briefest with just 22 days that brings the working days to still lesser number. The main opposition party, the National Conference has already spelt out its agenda and criticised the government. Besides, the issue of the separate currency is all set to dominate the beginning of the session. And above all the budget itself is likely to raise so many questions. According to the leader of the opposition Abdul Rahim Rather, the budget session should ideally be long as lot of discussions take place. Besides it relates to the finances and money allocated to various departments. By organising such a brief session the government appears to rush through the process to avoid uncomfortable questions. Rather, who has himself served as finance minister in the previous National Conference government expressed surprise that when the budget session was about to start, finance minister Tariq Hameed Karra was taking round of the streets of Srinagar city. The Jammu and Kashmir National Panthers’ Party is also likely to take the government to task on several counts. These include the discrimination with the Jammu region and undoing the controversial resettlement bill that allows the people who had migrated to Pakistan from Jammu and Kashmir in 1947 to come back and own property here. Senior party leader and former minister Harshdev Singh has already listed a bill on the issue which will come up for discussion during the session. The issue of opening up of colleges at some places while leaving other deserving areas will also come during the session. |
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Include Gojri in Constitution: Gujjars
Srinagar, January 6 This demand was made through a memorandum to all the major political parties, a spokesman of the Tribal Research and Cultural Foundation said. He added the tribal Muslim Gujjar community formed the third largest entity of the state having 20 to 25 per cent population and demanded constitutional safeguards to their language and ethnicity. The memorandum sought the intervention of state government to recommend the case of Gojri to Centre for inclusion in the list of official languages of India. |
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With a year left, poll fever picks up in state
Jammu, January 6 Responding to media queries after inducting former general secretary of People’s Democratic Party (PDP) Ramesh Mottan into the National Conference here this evening, party president Omar Abdullah said, “As of now it would be premature to say that party has decided of a pre-poll alliance.” Omar announced that new incumbent Ramesh Mottan would contest coming elections on party ticket. “I hope he will not only contest the elections but would emerge victorious,” he said, adding “he would play a long innings in the party.” “However, party patron Dr Farooq Abdullah has hinted on possibilities of such an alliance with like-minded parties and certainly the party can consider the option,” he added. “It is an open secret that the ruling partners Congress and PDP has decided for a pre-poll alliance for the elections and we too can ponder over such a possibility, provided there is no harm to the National Conference and the like-minded party,” he said. To a question, he said, “Though we have started identifying one to two prospective candidates for the elections but the final decision would be taken by the party’s parliamentary board.” About possible rigging in the coming elections, Omar said, “I hope our umpire (government) will remain unbiased and will deliver true verdict.” “In 2002 we had promised free and fair elections. We kept our word but I fail to understand why the present regime has maintained a silence,” he said, adding “I hope Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh and the state government also announce impartial polls in 2008.” He said, “In Poonch-Haveli by-election, the government machinery was used to change the course. However, general assembly elections are always different from by-polls.” On finance minister Tariq Hamid Karra’s idea of having separate currency in the state, he said, “His own party has distanced itself from the leader and Deputy Chief Minister Muzaffar Hussain Beigh has also criticised him.” “Since his own party has distanced itself from Karra, we would only raise the issue without disrupting proceedings of the Assembly,” he said. He again reiterated party stand of restoring pre-1953 status in the state. On party strategy during budget session commencing from tomorrow, the leader of the opposition in lower house and former finance minister Abdul Rahim Rather said, “Though we would corner the government on issues like political corruption, HR violations, inflation, financial mismanagement, unemployment and several other issues but this government has called the session just for 21 days.” “It would be shortest session in the history of the state legislature,” he said, adding, “Time is less and issues are countless.” |
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PDP, NC woo Dogra belt
Udhampur, January 6 The PDP and National Conference organised two separate public meetings in Udhampur town today in which leaders of both the parties avoided touching controversial issues and raised only those points which suit voters of this belt. Neither the issues of “self-rule” or “demilitarisation” were raised by PDP leaders nor did the National Conference patron speak about “greater autonomy”. Deputy Chief Minister Muzaffar Hussain Beigh addressed a public meeting of the PDP in place of party patron and the former Chief Minister, Mufti Mohammed Sayeed, who could not turn up due to his pre-occupation at union capital. National Conference patron and former Chief Minister, Dr Farooq Abdullah converted a prize distribution ceremony of the sports event into a political function. While on the one hand Beigh sought to remove "misconception" about the policies of the PDP, on the other hand, Dr Abdullah also seized the opportunity to convince the people of Udhampur that only the National Conference can serve the interests of all sections of society as well as regions and sub-regions of the state. "Policies and programmes of the PDP have been guided by the wishes and aspirations of the people of all regions of the State", Beigh said and cautioned the people against the "malicious" campaign launched by some vested interests against PDP. "For us, people of all regions and sub-regions are equal", he said. |
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CM takes critics of development to task
Jammu, January 6 Apparently overjoyed at the good turnout at a rally at Samba about 50 km from here, Azad said that any attempt to mislead the people by false slogans needed to be frustrated and his party would resist those who try to divert people’s attention from development to hollow promises. Without referring directly to any particular group or party, the CM appeared to be addressing both the opposition and those in his coalition party who were critical of his functioning. “We have concentrated on development instead of feeding people on false slogans and misleading statements”, an overcharged Chief Minister said and maintained that the atmosphere of progress would not be allowed to be impacted by empty sloganeering. He said the politics of selling unrealisable dreams to people had left them far behind in progress and now was the time that development of the state was made the foremost agenda by all political parties. Azad was addressing a public meeting here today where he distributed ownership rights among farmers on government land under the revolutionary Roshni Act enacted by his government last year. Ministers, Gulchain Singh Charak, Babu Singh and Ajaz Ahmad Khan, advisor to Chief Minister, Janak Raj Gupta, legislators Girdhari Lal, Dr Manohar Lal Sharma and Yashpal Kundal, divisional commissioner, Jammu and several political leaders were present. The Chief Minister said that his government was focused on equitable development of all regions with emphasis on rural and remote areas where the fruits of development had not reached the people so far. He said he believed in justice with all and has based his development strategy on this principle. He said political leanings or regional and religious affiliation was not any consideration for his government to extend basic facilities to people. These issues, he said, were decided on merit and need basis. He cited the instance of the creation of eight new districts and said that out of these only one district had a Congress MLA. He said the government belonged to all people and was committed to the development of all sections of the society. The Chief Minister alluded to the massive development initiatives taken by his government to strengthen facilities at all levels. He said roads, hospitals and schools were in a shambles and people were facing problems on account of lack or deficiency of drinking water, electricity and irrigation facilities. He said his government chalked out a strategy with the support of the central government and drew a blueprint for addressing the situation. He said development projects were taken up in large numbers and the process of progress was taken to the village level. He said a network of roads, schools and health institutions was laid across the State to facilitate people. He said opening and up-gradation of schools and healthcare institutions was taken up on a massive scale. In the coming five years, he said, every village would have road connectivity, drinking water and electricity. Talking about infrastructure development, the Chief Minister said that it remained a priority area for his government. |
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Separate Currency Row Snowballs
Jammu, January 6 Qarra told media men that he had simply repeated the views expressed by leaders on the need for common currency for South Asia region. He said he had suggested if the top leaders in the South Asian region pondered over the prospects of introducing a common currency let the experiment be started from Jammu and Kashmir. “If it has to happen in South Asia why not from Jammu and Kashmir.” He said during the Saarc conferences various leaders had supported the idea of free trade zones and common currency to give boost to trade activity in the region. The finance minister said introduction of common currency could help in the resolution of hostilities between India and Pakistan. On self-rule, he said it was a concept for promoting self-reliance, economic empowerment. He said the top leaders in India were for introduction of common currency in South Asian region and the Pakistan was the only impediment. Bhim criticises idea
Panthers Party chairman Bhim Singh has accused Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad of encouraging Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) ministers of going against the interests of the state and the country. Singh while reacting sharply to a PDP minister’s idea of having separate currency in the state said Azad had been treating PDP ministers like special envoys of a separate country. “The chief minister has not only allotted important portfolios to the PDP legislators in the state cabinet but has also encouraged PDP leader to abuse and accuse the Army so as to appease terrorists and enemies of the country,” he said. Singh has urged Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for immediate intervention besides sacking the PDP minister for his remarks of having separate currency, which amounts to treason under the Constitution. |
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PDP has nothing to do with FM’s remarks: Dy CM
Jammu, January 6 Qarra seemed to have made the statement with a view to appealing the secessionist sentiments in the valley in the election year. However, the Congress did not take it lightly lest it be considered to be endorsing the statement of the minister in a government which is led by it. And that too when assembly elections are scheduled to be held in several states like Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh. Stakes are quite high for the Congress at these places and party is directly placed against the Bhartiya Janata Party which could and probably will certainly rake up this issue. Congress spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi rejected the idea at a press conference in Delhi on Saturday. However, Qarra on his part remained firm on his statement and even tried to defend it. Putting it in, what he said, proper context, he remarked, “if the top leaders in South Asia ponder over the prospects of introducing a common currency let the experiment be started from Kashmir. Let India and Pakistan introduce a common currency in Kashmir and Pakistani Administered Kashmir...if it has to happen in South Asia why should it not happen in Kashmir”. The finance minister said during SAARC conferences, leaders of various countries supported the idea of free trade zones and a common currency to boost trade activity in the region. In the same context, he said, introduction of common currency in Kashmir could help in the resolution of hostilities between India and Pakistan. The main opposition party, the National Conference, which is a staunch advocate of greater autonomy for the state has already clarified that there can be no two currency in a single country. Former Chief Minister and party patron, Farooq Abdullah said, his party was clear that defence, foreign affairs and currency would remain with the government of India. Interestingly the PDP president Mehbooba Mufti and the patron and former Chief Minister, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, have maintained a silence on the issue, which is likely to rock the state assembly which sits for the budget session from tomorrow. |
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Heavy snow grounds flights, highway remains closed
Srinagar/Jammu, January 6 The police said that traffic on the highway was blocked due to accumulation of heavy snow between Qazigund and Banihal through the Jawahar Tunnel, about 100 km from here. The level of snow accumulated between Jawahar Tunnel and Banihal was recorded at 9 to 10 ft, police said. This led to the blockade of traffic on the highway. A large number of Srinagar-bound trucks carrying essential commodities for the valley had been stranded in Banihal area on the highway since last evening, police said. There were, however, no reports of the number of passenger vehicles stranded on the highway. The traffic police had already stopped the Jammu-bound vehicular traffic here to avoid any inconvenience to the passengers on the way. According to forecast of the Met department, there could be rains and snowfall in the region with heavy snowfall in many places during the next two to three days. It recorded 4 mm of snow between 8.30 am and 5.30 pm here today. While most parts of the valley witnessed rains and snow since yesterday, its upper reaches, including the scenic spots of Gulmarg, Pahalgam and Sonmarg have been witnessing heavy snow, much to the attraction of tourists. A large number of tourists have been thronging Gulmarg, which is getting ready for the winter games next month. Pulse polio drive hot
Despite snowfall and chill, people thronged the pulse polio booths set up across the valley by the Health department. According to the Health department, about 10 lakh children up to the age of five years were being administered pulse polio drops at 5,046 booths. The director health services kicked off the campaign by giving pulse polio drops to some children in Dal Lake, where pulse polio booths were established in Shikaras, besides dispensaries already functioning in the area. In Jammu, minister for health and medical education Mangat Ram Sharma launched the first round of pulse polio immunisation of 2008 at Miran Sahib R.S. Pura and Samba today. |
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5 killed as bus falls in Chenab
Udhampur, January 6 According to the police, all five inmates, including the driver and conductor, who were traveling in the mini-bus died on the spot when the vehicle rolled down into the Chenab. The driver of the mini-bus, resident of Bujwandh village, was going to his house along with some passengers of the same locality. As the vehicle reached near Bujwandh, about 14 kilometres from Kishtwar town, the driver of the mini-bus lost control while negotiating a blind curve. The vehicle skidded off the road and fell in the Chenab. The deceased were identified as Imtiyaz Ahmed (driver of the vehicle), Ferdous Ahmed, Ghulam Nabi, Mohammed Rafi and Faqir Din. Though the incident took place late Saturday night, the police got information about the mishap this morning. Bodies of five people have been recovered from the accident site. |
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For 1 cr Pilgrims at Vaishno Devi
The proposal has been approved by the Shri Mata Vaishnodevi Shrine Board (SMVDSB) with a view to host as many as one crore pilgrims who would visit the shrine in the coming years. “We have to create state-of-the-art infrastructure to meet the future target of one crore pilgrim turnout. For this, we are making three-tunnel path operational and setting up a three-storeyed aarti complex at cave shrine for free movement of devotees instead of existing one tunnel path", board officials said. For this purpose, another tunnel -- which would be the third one as two already exist -- is being set up for the free movement of the pilgrims at Vaishnodevi shrine, they said, adding that the chairman of the board and Governor Lt-Gen S. K. Sinha (retd) had recently approved the mega plan costing several crores. “In this direction, a presentation of the setting up of the third tunnel has been made to the Governor in New Delhi,” they said, adding that the design of the tunnel would be of 'M' shape, similar to the insignia of fast-food chain Mcdonald’s. The blueprint of the project has been finalised and this also includes re-activation of one old tunnel and construction of three-storeyed building at cave shrine. Two tunnels already exist at the shrine complex apart from the old cave pilgrim route for the passage of devotees to have darshan of mata inside the natural cave. “The pilgrims would enter through two-lane central tunnel and would perform darshan quickly without any wait and leave from right and left tunnels thereby cutting wait in lines to zero”, they said. Technical survey has been conducted at the shrine and companies for construction were being considered and work was expected to start in February this year. “This is very sensitive job in view of the existence of the shrine. We have to be careful in the work specifications and constructions and a very technically sound company will be selected,” they said. Besides, “for accommodating thousands of people, a three-storeyed building is also being set up at the Bhawan which would give a new face lift to shrine”, they said.
— PTI |
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India can’t be complacent over Pak crisis: Ex-chief secy
Jammu, January 6 “Pakistan can always resort to some desperate measures as a diversionary tactics to divert attention of public from the crisis at home,” he said delivering a lecture organised by the Jammu chapter of the Indian Institute of Public Administration. Bloeria observed that the situation there was certainly critical and it needed to be watched cautiously. Pakistan was certain to survive the current crisis and for that matter any such crisis, he added. In a comprehensive analysis of the situation in Pakistan, particularly in the aftermath of the assassination of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto on October 27, Bloeria said, there was no need for any panic here, only thing required was caution. Replying to a question about chaos and anarchy in Pakistan and the possibility of the nuclear weapons landing in the hands of radicals like Al-Qaida, the former J-K chief secretary said, it is not possible. He pointed out the nuclear weapons are not kept in a readymade form and that too at a single place. These are to be assembled from different places. And above all the delivery system is equally important which the radicals can never have. Because, he argued, such groups operate in small modules, which can seldom carry such huge operations. Even for the argument sake, he remarked, if the “dirty bomb” is used against India, the retribution would be disastrous for Pakistan. He pointed out, India may face immense damage, but Pakistan will vanish. Bloeria also regretted the weak foreign policy pursued by India from day one in context of Kashmir. He said, “At best our efforts and focus have been to retain what is already with us...we have never talked about the northern areas (which were earlier in PoK but is now under direct control of Pakistan) which practically we have admitted as if that were the legitimate part of Pakistan.” He pointed out that Pakistan has successfully tried to keep India engaged by way of low intensity war. About the peace process, he said, this was not the right time. However, he added, Pakistan President Pervez Musharaf was still the best bet for India. Responding to an observation made from the audience that both unstable Pakistan and crisis-ridden Pakistan were equally dangerous for India, Bloeria said, the stability in Pakistan is thrust by the army. He remarked, once the democratic institutions come up in Pakistan, which are not dependent upon the army, there is likelihood of long-term peace. |
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A healing touch for special people
Jammu, January 6 The endeavour will not only overcome the shortage of psychiatrists but would also ensure adequate treatment to mentally challenged at the time of initiation of mental disorders in a restive state where stress due to militancy continues to take heavy toll on mental health of the people. Hitherto MBBS doctors and clinical psychologists with little exposure to complex branch of psychiatry were prescribing psychotropic drugs to such patients at the Government Psychiatric Diseases Hospital -the only psychiatric hospital in entire Jammu region. Talking to The Tribune, head of Psychiatry Department Government Medical College and Associated Hospitals Jammu Dr Chander Mohan Sharma said, “The Nimhans faculty in collaboration with department of psychiatry has been imparting three months training to 12 medicos.” “The training programme has been going on nicely from the last over month and a half and we are looking forward to send these medicos to various district hospitals where they would treat mentally challenged patients,” he said. “Similarly, six other doctors of the state have been sent to Nimhans Bangalore for undergoing three months training,” said Dr Sharma, adding “After completing their training at Bangalore and here at Jammu these 18 doctors would treat mentally challenged patients at the time of initiation of disease thereby preventing them from becoming chronic patients.” “These doctors would be posted in far-flung areas of the state so as to treat such patients,” he added. Admitting that state faces acute shortage of qualified psychiatrists, he said, “There are only eight MDs in psychiatry in the state and every third person in Jammu and Kashmir needs consultation for depression. The state has 40,000 drug-addicts and on an average we receive 200 patients daily at the OPD, and there are 29,000 admissions in the hospital in a year,” he said. The head of the psychiatry further said, “The government psychiatric diseases hospital in Jammu has only two MDs in the faculty but we are meeting the situation despite constraints.” An executive member of the National Mental Health Consultative Committee from Jammu and Kashmir, Dr Sharma said, “To overcome the crisis and ensure proper treatment to mentally challenged people, we requested Nimhans to train our doctors.” |
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Jail doctors refuse to join duty in protest
Jammu, January 6 Indicating that all is not well within the four walls of the jail premises these doctors, allegedly cornered by the jail superintendent, decided to stay away from their office after they found that the authorities had locked their offices on Friday. After bringing the matter to the notice of the senior health authorities, the doctors decided to launch a silent protest and refused to join their duties on Saturday also. To avoid further embarrassment, the state health department has, however, issued instructions to the protesting doctors to resume their duties at the earliest in the interest of the jail inmates and has also asked the prison authorities to look into the matter to defuse the crisis. “We have issued instructions to the authorities concerned to call a meeting of the doctors and the jail staff on Monday,” a senior health department official said here today. It is learnt that the trouble started when the jail superintendent, taking strong note of the repeated absence of doctors from the jail, shot off a letter to the director health services giving details of their attendance record. The doctors responded by levelling a series of allegations against the jail authorities, accusing them of undue harassment at the workplace and committing gross irregularities. A senior official of the health department said a high-level meeting between the prison authorities and the officials of the health department to sort out the issue was expected to take place on Monday. He, however, refused to comment whether any action would be taken against the doctors for dereliction of their duty. “I am not authorised to take any such decision,” he added. |
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Separate Homeland
Jammu, January 6 After their mass migration from the valley 18 years ago, following the outbreak of armed insurgency in the valley, various political parties that claim to represent the community surfaced. But now steps are being taken by all such parties to unite and project their demand for a separate homeland with more strength. Speaking to The Tribune, chairman of the Panun Kashmir Movement Ashwani Kumar Charangoo said, “As all of us share a similar agenda of a separate homeland within the valley, we all stand united and in this regard we all would jointly be organising the holocaust day on January 19, the day when Kashmiri Pandit were forced to leave the valley 18 years ago.” Though all Kashmiri Pandits share a similar political agenda of a separate homeland for the community in the valley, the community is suffering due to factionalism. “Every political party representing displaced Kashmiri Pandit community shares a single sentiment of a separate homeland within the state, and no party has compromised on this demand,” said Agnishekhar. |
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Relief for displaced families
Jammu, January 6 Before the Indo-Pak ceasefire, thousands of families living close to the international border in Khour had borne the brunt of Pakistan’s shelling. They fled their homes and since then have been living in camps under inhumane conditions. Pandey inquired about the pace of implementation of various programmes for rehabilitating Khour migrants. Giving details of works taken up in the second phase of the rehabilitation programme, deputy commissioner Hirdesh Singh said adequate land had already been acquired by the government for the construction of the colony. He further said, “For providing civic amenities in such colonies an amount of Rs 7 crore has been released.” He said Rs 10,000 had been distributed among the displaced families for the purchase of bullocks and Rs 10,000 per family had also been given to purchase household furniture. Singh said, “An amount of Rs 123.70 crore stands released out of which Rs 31,64,722 has been disbursed so far among the concerned landowners, tillers and cultivators whose land has been de-mined by the Army.” Other measures related for the rehabilitation of Khour migrants were also discussed which included payment of crop compensation, border fencing, waterlogged areas and construction of channels across the fencing etc. |
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Hizbul man from Jammu held in Kerala
Thiruvananthapuram, January 6 Altaf Ahammed (29), a native of Jammu and Kashmir, was involved in various crimes against the government, ASP Vikramjith Singh told UNI over phone from Idukki. According to the official, he was arrested last night following information from the Jammu and Kashmir Police. Ahammed had applied for a passport Idukki and the police sent his documents to their counterparts in Jammu and Kashmir for verification when his identity came to light, he said adding the accused got training from Pakistan. On interrogation, Ahammed admitted he had been working in the state for the last seven years as a salesman. However, his connection with other outfits functioning in the state has not come out so far. Following the arrest, the police conducted raids in the area. No further arrests had been made till now.
— UNI |
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Officers shuffled
Jammu, January 6 Consequently, secretary J&K State Accountability Commission Mohammad Syed Shah has been transferred and posted as secretary J&K State Human Rights Commission against the available post. Assistant legal remembrance, Law department, Baldev Raj has been transferred and posted as assistant registrar, J&K State Accountability Commission against the available post. |
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Jammu, January 6