Jammu, January 12
Jammu and Kashmir will have a plan allocation of Rs 4,500 crore for the next fiscal (2008-09), which is Rs 500 crore more than the current year. The plan will be fully funded and include a component of Rs 993 crore of special plan assistance, over and above the power reform grant.

This was decided at a meeting between Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad and the Deputy Chairman, Planning Commission, Montek Singh Ahluwalia in New Delhi today, official sources said here.

Ahluwalia announced that the Prime Minister's Reconstruction Plan for the state would continue as planned and funded by the Union government separately.

Appreciating the efforts of the Chief Minister for the reforms and infrastructure development undertaken in the state, Ahluwalia and other members of the commission observed, there was clear improvement in resource management and distinct signs of turnaround in the state economy.

He noted with satisfaction the qualitative improvement in the state finances and the impressive performance of the power sector.

The commission felt the need for higher public and private investment in the agriculture and allied sectors. Ahluwalia assured the Chief Minister that the fund release mechanism would be rationalised and unnecessary bottlenecks will be removed. He also appreciated the implementation of Prime Minister's Reconstruction Plan in the state.

Earlier, making a strong case for enhanced allocation for the coming fiscal, the Chief Minister said the last five years have shown that the only route to achieve long lasting peace in the state is through economic reconstruction and prosperity.

He said the help extended by the Planning Commission and Ministry of Finance has been a key factor in making a turnaround in the state.

With transition to VAT regime, he said, the tax collection has become much more buoyant and the expenditure mechanism is equally improving. Backed with this confidence, he said, the state has set a target of eight per cent growth in SDP over Eleventh Five Year Plan.

Rajouri, January 12
The 48 Rashtriya Rifles under the aegis of 13 Sector Romeo Force, today said it has vacated all 11 occupied government buildings in Darhal tehsil of this frontier district and handed them over to the respective departments of the civil administration.

A Defence spokesperson said the handing over ceremony was done in presence of prominent government officials of Darhal including the tehsildar and the block development officer.

He said this was done by the Army primarily to "facilitate" functioning of the government and civil administrative machinery. "These buildings were under security forces occupation since last couple of years to facilitate counter terrorism operations against terrorists in the region and provide protection to people from terrorist atrocities,” he claimed.

Spokesperson said the initiative to vacate the government buildings was taken by 48 Rashtriya Rifles when it invited the Deputy Commissioner Rajouri to the Army post at Darhal on 26 December 2007 to discuss implementation of this proposed plan.

He said the entire delegation of government officials including tehsildar and representative of Horticulture, Education, Agriculture Irrigation, Veterinary and the Public Works Department (R&B) attended the meeting.

“During the course of meeting, the common concern voiced by attending government officials was their own security and the need for continued Army presence in the vicinity to ensure security in the region,” he claimed.

"Realising the importance of the issue and with consent of the Deputy Commissioner, Rajouri and the respective department heads, the battalion has re-demarcated it's boundary after handing over the eleven government building including the Dak Bunglow of the Public Works Department.” 

Chandigarh, January 12
A peaceful democratic Pakistan is indispensable for a lasting solution to the Kashmir problem, said former Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir Dr Farooq Abdullah here today.

Dr Abdullah was speaking to media persons after launching ‘Vision Millennium’ at the Technical Teachers Training Institute (TTTI) here this evening. Expressing great worry over the developments in Pakistan, Dr Abdullah said the conditions in Jammu and Kashmir depended entirely on Pakistan and the assassination of Benazir Bhutto has added to the Kashmir problem.

Attacking the ruling Congress-People’s Democratic Party alliance, Dr Abdullah said they had failed to solve the problem in the six years that they were in power.

“The first two years of General Parvez Musharraf were wasted by India. Then he was the centre of all activity in Pakistan. A final settlement with Pakistan could have been achieved. Now if and when elections take place in Pakistan there would be three centres of activity including the army chief and the Prime Minister,” said Dr Abdullah.

Confident of winning the forthcoming elections in the state, Dr Abdullah said, “We are ready even if we have elections tomorrow.” When asked if peace and the lack of it would be the sole poll plank for elections, Dr Abdullah said peace is necessary for economic development. “The Congress-PDP alliance got at least three times the grants which we got during our time but it has not achieved anything,” he said.

Earlier addressing a gathering of Kashmiri Pandits, he exhorted them to forgive the past and look towards the future. Stating that the situation in Kashmir was still not conducive for their return, Dr Abdullah, however, said, “Don’t teach your young to hate the young in Kashmir. It is not the people of Kashmir but the politics and politicians that have ruined Kashmir,” he added. 

Jammu, January 12
Markets in the city were full of activity today, following a huge rush of people, who were busy shopping on the eve of Lohri. People thronged shops selling dry fruits, groundnuts and sugar candies.

Lohri is celebrated with great fervour and people revel by dancing around a bonfire and sing traditional songs associated with the festival. “For the past few days, we are witnessing a good sale as people are busy purchasing items for Lohri. There is a huge demand for groundnuts, popcorns and sugar candies,” said Ashok Kumar, a hawker selling the items.

Young children can be seen going from one house to the other asking for Lohri gifts.

“It is a tradition that children visit every house in the locality and ask for Lohri gifts. No one rejects their request,” said Anjali Mangotra, a resident of Navi basti in Jammu.

Shops selling baskets also witnessed a heavy rush as children use them for asking Lohri gifts.

“Children use these baskets when they go to ask for Lohri gifts from people. Shops selling firewood also witnessed a huge rush.

Srinagar, January 12
The state's first Army Corps, 15 Corps, celebrated its 93rd Raising Day amidst a walk down the memory lane by its oldest living officer, none other than Governor Lt-Gen SK Sinha(retd), who was the chief guest at the function.

The Corps, popularly known as chinar corps, has the honour of taking part in first and second world wars under the British command and defending the state's borders in '47, '65 and '71 wars, the Army said in a statement. Sinha said the "nuts and bolts" of fighting insurgency in Indonesia when the term was almost unheard of had kept it in good stead in this strife-torn state. The casualty has come down to less than two per day in 2007 from nine to 10 per day in 2003 and it's a singular achievement, he said.

The corps commemorated the event with a special philatelic cancellation ceremony and photo exhibition at its headquarters in Badami Bagh cant here. Its GoC Lt-Gen Mukesh Sabharwal said his Corps had won 13 Param Vir Chakras, 83 Maha Vir Chakras, 281 Shaurya Chakras and 13 Ashok Chakras in post-Independence India while it garnered six Victoria Cross and three Military Cross in the British era.

Rajouri, January 12
An Army sepoy allegedly committed suicide by shooting himself with his service rifle at his battalion headquarters in Keeri area, here this morning.

Police sources said preliminary investigation into the incident revealed that sepoy Ganesh Chander of Uttarakhand posted with 52 Engineers Regiment posted at Rajouri and presently attached with 2 Sikh Regiment at Keeri committed suicide at 11 am. They said the sepoy fired a bullet with his service rifle that after piercing through his chin passed out from the forehead killing him on the spot.

Police sources said during the visit of the police team, the colleagues of the deceased alleged that the sepoy had altercation with commanding officer of his battalion yesterday and was under tremendous mental pressure.

Though the army sources claimed that sepoy died of accidental fire, but in charge police post Chingus, sub inspector Mehmood told media persons that preliminary investigations revealed that Jawan has committed suicide.

Meanwhile, the doctors at district hospital here were conducting post mortem of the deceased at the time of filing of the news.

Jammu-based Defence Spokesperson told the Tribune by phone that court of enquiry has been ordered to ascertain the facts.

Jammu, January 12
About 100 workers from the National Conference and the Congress joined the BJP during a workers meet at Gajansoo, the party claimed today.

These workers, most of them youth, belonged to Malkechak, Nandni, Karwal, Gho-Manhasa and Akalpur areas. The function was presided over by BJP state president Ashok Khajuria, district Akhnoor president Uttam Singh and Kissan Morcha state president Sukhnandan.

Speaking on the occasion, Khajuria stressed upon strengthening the polling booth committees in order to win the elections. He said the polling booth committee is the real strength of the party and we have to put maximum efforts to ensure that the services of these committees are utilised in proper way.

Accusing the central as well as the state governments of surrendering before the anti-national elements, Ashok Khajuria said, the soft approach towards militants and their supporters in and outside the government has encouraged these elements and demoralised those, who have been sacrificing their lives in order to bring peace and normalcy in the state.

The BJP leader criticised the finance minister for his statement on separate currency for the state adding that the government had lost moral right to remain in power as its ministers are openly preaching sedition.

Khajuria criticised the Congress-led coalition government for its failure to provide jobs to the unemployed youth, grant citizenship rights to the refugees of west Pakistan and check the sky rocketing prices.