Jammu, February 1
Irked over the nonchalant attitude of the state government, students of Indira Gandhi Government Dental College, Jammu, today forcibly closed the hospital’s OPD and staged a dharna in front of the college gate for the second day.

Secretary, health and medical education K.B. Jandial’s intervention to pacify the agitating students failed to end the deadlock. It may be mentioned that 58 students of the previous three batches have been pursuing their BDS course from the college without the approval of the Dental Council of India (DCI).

Aggrieved students wearing black badges staged a dharna in front of the college gate and forced the closure of the OPD.

To prevent the situation from taking an ugly turn, around a dozen policemen were deployed at the college.

Students said, “Instead of solving our long-standing grievances, the government has been trying to intimidate us by deploying police who has threatened us of dire consequences.”

“We would not succumb to their pressures and would continue with the strike till the government concedes to our demand,” they added.

A senior official of the department said, “The state government has already approached the Union government and now it is up to the DCI to decide. There are certain rules.”

“The college was approved last year and now batches should also be approved. There is no need to create hue and cry,” he added.

The students protested till 3 pm before dispersing off peacefully.

Srinagar, February 1
Jammu and Kashmir High Court today deferred till February 14 the hearing on a petition against Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad and others in connection with the timber scam in the state which also saw the Budget session being cut short earlier this week.

Justice Bashir Ahmad Kirmani fixed February 14 as the next date of hearing after the state counsel sought more time to file objections to the petition filed by former general manager of State Forest Corporation Ghulam Hassan Marazi.

The state counsel pleaded that since the government functionaries were busy with Assembly proceedings over the past one month, more time should be granted for filing objections.

Marazi, who was suspended following his indictment by Kundal report for his alleged involvement in the forest scam, filed the petition in the High Court claiming that he had been made a scapegoat for bunglings committed by the brothers of Azad.

Marazi has sought quashing of the punitive orders passed by the Chief Minister against him claiming that it was done at the instance of Azad's brothers who were making undue demands as forest contractors.

During the last hearing on December 27, the court had directed the respondents excluding the Chief Minister to file objections to the petition.

The Chief Minister was exempted from filing objections for the time being by the court which maintained that after other respondents filed their replies, it will get an idea about the gravity of situation as projected in the petition.

While not brushing aside the allegations leveled in the petition, the constitutional post of the Chief Minister should not be trivialised, the judge had added.

In his petition, Marazi claimed that as General Manager of the corporation he had rejected the demand of contractors from Jammu region, which included brothers of the Chief Minister, to increase the rates of timber extraction and stopping import of timber into the state.

The contractors through the brothers of the Chief Minister boycotted the tendering process and did not allow the corporation to make allotments after inviting tenders under the pretext that the conditions imposed were harsh and meagre rates were being offered, he alleged.

It was named as timber import scam and alleged that Rs 300 crore had been embezzled when the fact was that not even a single cubic foot of timber has been imported. Thus the question of scam does not arise, he alleged.

Marazi also alleged that removal of PDP leader Qazi Mohammad Afzal as Forest Minister in September and subsequent reinstatement in December was only done to facilitate allotment of timber extraction works to brothers of the chief minister.

The forest scam saw disruption of proceedings of both Houses of the state Legislature leading to adjournment of the budget session over the demand by Opposition National Conference for resignation of Afzal and former forest minister T H Karra, who is finance minister. Both Houses had to be adjourned sine die as the opposition refused to relent on their demand. — PTI

Srinagar, February 1
Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad has asserted that attempts to drag his name in the forest scandal would not dilute his determination to fight corruption in Jammu and Kashmir.

He said he was ready to have CBI inquiry into the alleged wanton exploitation of forest wealth in Doda district in late 80's and early 90's. However, he added that the irregularities probed by the Kundal Committee would not be referred to the central agency. Talking to media persons here today, the Chief Minister said the news story run by a national news channel yesterday and carried by a section of the press today, was one sided and highlighted the allegations made by the two tainted officers of the Forest Department.

Azad said elements, who had been proceeded against for corrupt practices since he became the Chief Minister had ganged up and were trying to drag his name into controversies in an attempt to dilute his resolve against corruption. Nothing, he asserted, would dissuade him from his agenda to eradicate the menace from the state. Azad said the Kundal Committee appointed to investigate into the irregularities in the Forest Department had proved the case against both these officials and recommended their termination from service. He said the two officials in order to avoid further action against them had gone to the court and were now trying to malign the Chief Minister in a bid to dilute his resolve to fight corrupt elements.

He said the hearing of the case in the High Court was listed for today and the timing of the telecast of the news report and its publication by a section of the press had only furthered their interest. He said he would have appreciated if the news story was based on the allegations of some politician but making the petition of the two former officials with such a track record as its basis had raised questions about its credibility and intent.

He showed the letters and said one of these addressed by the then Commissioner and Secretary, Forest, Najmus Saqib to the Commissioner and Secretary, Finance, B. B. Vyas was about seeking the latter’s "cooperation in bringing to book some unscrupulous elements including officials who have played a role in wanton exploitation of forest wealth in Doda district since late 80s and early 90s." He said the letter does not refer to any of his relatives and talks about the period when he was out of the state.

Srinagar, February 1
At least four militants were killed in an encounter with security forces in North Kashmir, while a battalion commander of Hizbul Mujahideen was killed in another encounter in Kulgam district of South Kashmir today.

The police here said a battalion commander of Hizbul Mujahideen, was killed in an encounter with the police and the Army at Tangbal, Yaripora in Kulgam district of South Kashmir today. He was identified as Ghulam Rasool Bhat of Pulwama district, and had been a close associate of Sajad Ahmad Bhat alias Tahir Maqsood, district commander of Hizbul Mujahideen, Kulga, who was among four militants killed on Wednesday in the Kulgam area.

Four unidentified militants were killed in an encounter with the police and security forces at Drusoo Jagir in the Rafiabad area of Baramulla district in North Kashmir today. The police here said that the militants were hiding in a concrete underground chamber in the house of Mohammad Maqbool Sheikh and it was difficult to dislodge them.

“To neutralise the militants, water was directed into the hideout in which four militants are believed to be killed", a police spokesman stated here this evening.

Jammu, February 1
In a significant judgment, the Jammu and Kashmir High Court today set aside the acquittal of a person in the corruption case.

While setting aside the acquittal of Mohammad Aslam Laigroo in a case of possessing disproportionate assets, Justice B.A. Kirmani directed the trial court to proceed and record evidence of the remaining witnesses from the state it was left over.

The state Vigilance Organisation during the investigation had established that Laigroo had acquired assets disproportionate to his known sources of income of Rs 44.98 lakh.

The case was produced in the court of law on June 3, 1998 and charges framed in June 2001. However, the anti-corruption judge had acquitted the accused on June 22, 2006 on the ground that the prosecution had failed to link acquisition of two flats at Vasant Kunj, in New Delhi to the accused.

The state preferred a criminal acquittal appeal before the high court on the ground that the anti-corruption judge had acquitted the accused without providing reasonable and sufficient opportunity to the prosecution to prove its case. It was pleaded that many witnesses were not allowed to be produced, which had direct bearing on the outcome of the case.

The high court, while agreeing with the contention of the state, has quashed the acquittal and allowed continuance of recording of evidence by the trial court. Additional Advocate General AM Magray represented the state.

Jammu, February 1
Dhadikaie village in Gandoh block of Udhampur district seems to be left to the mercy of God. The village has over 70 deaf and dumb families, who continue to live in oblivion. For them, silence is their lifelong companion.

The coalition government neither has any remorse nor any plans up its sleeves to cure the village of deaf and dumb people, except for extending cooperation to an AIIMS medico for carrying out further studies.

The coalition government claims that it has been in touch with a doctor from AIIMS for carrying out further studies.

Talking to The Tribune, a senior official of the Health and Medical Education Department said, “The entire village suffers from a genetic disorder and there is no scope to cure the disease.”

“Since former minister Mohammed Sharief Niaz raised the issue in the upper House, we have no other option than to say that the government has been constantly pursuing the case with an AIIMS doctor, who too, has shown interest in undertaking further studies,” he added.

Earlier, the Health Department had conducted a survey through which it found 70 such cases in the village. Subsequently, the matter was taken up with the additional professor of genetic unit of paediatrics in AIIMS, Dr Madhulika Kabra, who in turn conducted a genetic study on blood samples of the villagers.

The doctor said there was no curative treatment. However, she opined that future generations could be saved provided villagers avoid getting married within close relations. However, National Conference legislator Sajjad Ahmed Kichloo described the government’s claim as a bundle of lies.

“Despite repeatedly raising the issue in the lower House, none from the government has visited the village,” he said.

He further said, “The government is simply not bothered about the problem and poor villagers continue to live in shambles.” “The village is located in Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad’s constituency but he too has turned a blind eye towards these villagers,” he added.

Talking to The Tribune, associate professor, ENT, in SMGS hospital, Dr Sunil Kotwal said, “The villagers might have been suffering from a congenital disease. Abnormality in chromosomes could easily affect the hearing apparatus but there could also be multiple factors.”

“However, the primary cause needs to be investigated thoroughly but if they want their children to be normal, they should avoid marrying in close relations,” he added.

Jammu, February 1
In an apparent shift in their strategy, militants have decided not to force boycott of the assembly elections in the state at gunpoint. Instead, they have appealed to the people to voluntarily boycott the elections. The “change of heart” seems more due to the realisation of ground realities in Kashmir than any serious and sincere intention to let people exercise their free will without any fear.

Recently, Pakistan-occupied Kashmir-based chairman of the United Jihad Council, Sayeed Salaudin, told a local news agency that the militants would not use weapons to enforce the poll boycott. However, he sought to clarify that in case the security forces tried to force people for voting, they will resort to guns.

There are two significant aspects of his latest stand. First, that the secessionist forces want to convey to the international community that there was no “enforced” boycott of elections and it was all voluntary. That is why the UJC chairman has insisted upon the overground secessionist leaders to move from village to village and convince people against participating in the assembly elections.

At the first instance the UJC chairman appears to trust the people not to participate in the polling. Second, he seems to have kept his options open that “in case the security forces force people to vote” the militants will resort to gun. That too is understandable. The security forces have never forced people at gunpoint to vote. The UJC strategy is too clear. In case people come out to vote, as there is a strong probability of greater voter turnout this time, they will attribute it to “coercion by the security forces” and in the process might resort to violence also to scare away people.

There has practically been no “change of heart” in the UJC. Salaudin has neither been unambiguous nor unconditional about “not using the gun” to enforce poll boycott. The only thing that can be made out from his “changed stance” is the realisation among the militant groups of the grassroots realities in Kashmir. The situation is not what it was in 2002 and it is far too different than what it had been in 1996.

Quite a number of developments in the recent past have led to lot of disillusionment about violence among the Kashmiris. The assassination of former Pakistan Prime Minister, Benazir Bhutto, the storming of Lal Masjid in Pakistan, use of brute force against the militants in different parts of Pakistan and the confrontation with the blunt truth about Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir after relaxed norms about visits across the Line of Control have certainly led to a significant change among the people in Kashmir.

In fact, Sayeed Salaudin is not the only person who has noticed the change at the grassroots level in Kashmir. Even the moderate and overground secessionist leaders like those from the Hurriyat Conference and others like Shabir Shah have also started feeling the mood of people in Kashmir. That is why they have started talking about unity among the secessionist forces. No wonder there are reports that some constituents of the Hurriyat Conference might field proxy candidates in more numbers than they did in the previous elections.

Jammu, February 1
At the end of the day, it is the National Conference which has been placed at a great disadvantage vis-à-vis the Congress-People's Democratic Party alliance in the state on the issue of getting the Assembly adjourned sine die.

The NC's calculations appear to have gone awfully wrong as instead of being able to create a wedge between the Congress and the PDP, it has contributed to further strengthening their ties.

The NC gameplan was too obvious in seeking the resignation of the two PDP ministers, Tariq Hameed Karra and Qazi Mohammad Afzal, who were alleged to have been implicated in an inquiry, from the government.

The party had expected that the way Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad had made his own state party president and education minister Peerzada Mohammad Sayeed to resign merely on the basis of allegations, the exit of two PDP ministers would be quite convenient and imminent.

Azad might have initially been inclined to oblige the NC. His “cordial” relationship with the NC is no secret. In fact he was considered to be more close to the NC than his alliance partner the PDP. And once he had managed to take resignation from his own PCC president, it appeared that the stage was set for the resignation of two PDP ministers, who were allegedly indicted in the Kundal Committee.

It is learnt that Azad was cautioned by the party high command against taking any such decision that could threaten the Congress-PDP coalition in the state. Even the arguments of taking high moral ground even if it meant putting at stake the survival of the government, did not find many takers with the high command.

This was for the obvious reasons. The party high command must be too wary of loosing another state in 2008 that too on the eve of the general elections scheduled to be held in 2009. Once Congress-PDP alliance breaks up, it would be almost a certain win for the NC. The Congress can hardly afford such a situation, in the aftermath of the Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh defeats.

Never during the past few years had the Congress and the PDP presented such a strong show of solidarity. The two parties were always seen to be suspicious of each other. But during and in the aftermath of the NC onslaught, the two parties closed their ranks and ignored their differences and gave it (the NC) the right fight back expected of the coalition partners.

The NC, which had expected to further deepen the differences between the two coalition partners, had to cut a sorry figure at the end of the day. Yesterday, after the Speaker Tara Chand adjourned the Assembly sine die, the Congress and PDP ministers, led by Deputy Chief Minister Muzaffar Hussein Beig presented a united face.

When Beig was addressing a press conference, he was flanked by senior PDP and Congress ministers together. This was seen for the first during last couple of years. Under this situation even Azad, his cordial relations with the NC notwithstanding, could hardly afford to do anything that could provide an honourable retreat to the party (the NC). Obviously and understandably he has stood by the two accused ministers much to the disappointment of the NC.

The message appears to be too clear that when it comes to choosing between the two, Azad will necessarily have to choose the PDP, his personal likes or dislikes notwithstanding.

Udhampur, February 1
While the opposition has already come on streets to intensify its fight to "protect democracy", the Scheduled Castes, the Scheduled Tribes and other backward classes have also decided to adopt warpath against a decision of the ruling coalition of the Jammu and Kashmir for not amending the controversial "anti-weaker sections" Reservation Act, officially known as SRO-294, in the just concluded session of the Assembly.

"Weaker sections" smelt a deep-rooted conspiracy as despite repeated promises by the state government controversial SRO was not amended in the Assembly which was adjourned sine die after unprecedented pandemonium.

Confederation of the SC-ST-OBC Association has already announced a massive protest on February 4 against delay tactics being adopted by ruling elites to restore genuine and legal rights of the "weaker sections". Some other organisations of OBCs are also flexing their muscles to intensify their stir against this controversial act as, according to them, the government has failed to keep its promise of amending this Act in the budget session.

Terming government's decision as "betrayal" with weaker sections, Dr Satpal, state president of the Bahujan Samaj Movement, a splinter group of the BSP, said it was high time for affected communities to come on a common plateform to oppose "anti-poor" policies being propagated by this dispensation.

"The government has cheated the weaker sections as the Chief Minister had himself promised to amend this Act in the budget session", Dr Satpal told The Tribune and vowed to expose pro-rich policies of the Congress- led coalition in Jammu and Kashmir.

President of the SC-ST-OBC Confederation, R K Kalsotra also warned the government against playing with the rights of the weaker sections. He reminded that the state government had promised to amend this Act but failed to do so. "We are watching the situation and appropriate action will be taken very soon", he asserted.

As resentment brewing among weaker sections, Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad had convened a meeting of SC-ST and OBC Confederation on Thursday but nothing concrete was reportedly emerged.

"The Chief Minister has promised to issue an ordinance and has asked to get it passed in the next Assembly session", Kalsotra disclosed but hastened to add that weaker sections would not hesitate to launch a mass movement if ordinance was not issued within timeframe.

Srinagar, February 1
Senior National Conference leader and MLA, Mian Altaf Ahmad has expressed dismay over the alleged breach of trust and commitment made by the government to the Scheduled Tribes and the Scheduled Castes for brining amendments during the budget session, which concluded without fulfilment of pledge.

The communities felt cheated as the government had adopted a deliberate attitude to sabotage the constitutional safeguards available to the tribal and marginal groups in the state by issuing of SRO 294 way back in 2005, Mian Altaf Ahmad said. He alleged that the coalition partners were befooling SCs and STs that the SRO 294 has been rolled back, adding that "keeping in mind difficulties of these sections the National Conference government had issued the orders.

He said both the Scheduled Castes (SC) and the Scheduled Tribes (ST) suffered a lot during the past 60 years. Mia urged the Governor seeking his personal intervention into the demands and immediate scrapping of controversial SRO 294, implementation of the Mandal Commission report in Jammu and Kashmir, reservation in private sector, and stopping of alleged atrocities on Gujjars and Dalits in the state.

He said that reservation for SCs and STs should be according to population proportion at the state, district and divisional level. He said the Centre had provided tribal status to the community in 1991 but the present coalition made all efforts “to grab our legitimate rights by issuing different SROs from time to time", senior Gujjar leader said. “It was a political aggression against Gujjars, the third largest community of the state after Kashmiris and Dogras,'' he said. He added that there appeared to be a well- throughout conspiracy against not only the Gujjars and Bakerwals but all the ST/SC communities.

Srinagar, February 1
Jammu and Kashmir police's Crime Branch (CB) has filed a challan in a local court against eight person, who duped people of lakhs of rupees through a bogus non banking financial company.

The challan filed in the court of Chief Judicial Magistrate, Srinagar, said the accused were running the company and grabbed lakhs of rupees from people fraudulently.

A CB spokesman said kingpin Mohammad Sharief Mir, a resident of Kulgam in south Kashmir, and seven others motivated innocent people to deposit their money in their finance company for better returns.

The challan added that the accused used different methods to lure the people to invest in the company for better interest rates. People deposited lakhs of rupees in the company, it said adding the company refused to pay the amount on maturity date.

However, the company was closed, the depositors approached CB, the spokesman said adding during the investigation it was found that the accused had committed a fraud and cheated innocent people. The other accused have been identified as Mohammad Abbas Mir, Muktiar Ahmad Mir, Ghulam Mohammad Dar, Farooq Ahmad Parray, Zaffer Ahmad Rather, Mohammad Yaseen Mir and Ghulam Hassan Wani. — UNI

Srinagar, February 1
The Jammu and Kashmir Vigilance Organisation (VO) has registered a case against an official of the state tourism department and a hotel owner for entering into a criminal conspiracy and causing loss to the state exchequer.

VO sources said a case was registered in VO, Kashmir, against then Deputy Director, Tourism, Leh, and owner of a hotel after it was established that the two had entered into criminal conspiracy and drew Rs 7.68 lakh as 30 per cent capital investment subsidy against central heating system of the hotel in 2005.

They said the accused tourism official had reported that central heating system costing Rs 22.76 lakh and boiler costing 80,000 had been installed in the hotel.

However, when the VO officials visited the hotel to ascertain the facts, it found that there was no central heating system or boiler.

The VO team found that subsidy amount of Rs 7.68 lakh has actually been drawn and misappropriated.

The VO seized the material, they said. — UNI

Meanwhile, three hundred kanals of land have been identified in the district for unemployed persons for establishing their income generating units. In all one thousand such persons can establish their units after being duly registered with the Industries department, he added. He said General Manager Industries Baramulla has sponsored 1,484 cases to various banks during the past three years.

However, Rs 7.89 crore have been sanctioned in favour of 623 unit holders only and Rs 27.78 lakh provided as interest subsidy by the department.

Srinagar, February 1
The Jammu and Kashmir Vigilance Organisation (VO) has registered a case and initiated proceedings against two officials of the Education Department for illegally appointing one Mohammad Showket in the department.

A vigilance spokesman said a complaint was received by the VO that Showket was appointed as a Class IV employee in the Education Department by officials of the Chief Education Office (CEO), Rajouri, in 2005.

During investigations, the VO found that in September and October, 2005, Mohammad Yousuf - the then head assistant entered into a criminal conspiracy with Mohammad Sharief, the then deputy CEO and other officials in the CEO office - to manage the appointment of his son Showket through dubious means in the Education 
Department.

Later, verification revealed that the government had issued an order containing a list of employees working on consolidated salaries in the School Education Department, Jammu, for their regularisation. — UNI

Udhampur, February 1
Activists of the Shiv Sena today staged a demonstration against failure of the Power Development Department (PDD) to ensure interrupted power supply in Udhampur and adjoining localities.

Led by their president Sunil Gudda, a large number of the activists of the Shiv Sena came out on the streets and shouted slogans against the PDD authorities for their failure to supply power in the town. The activists took out a procession which passed through parts of the town. The activists also burnt an effigy of power minister, Babu Singh.