Srinagar, March 31
Senior leaders of the mainstream political parties from Jammu and Kashmir have had meetings with top leaders of different political parties on the sidelines of two-day Pugwash conference to discuss Kashmir that concluded in the Pakistan capital, Islamabad yesterday.

They included among others presidents of ruling PDP, Mehbooba Mufti, and opposition National Conference, Omar Abdullah, while separatist leadership stayed away from the Pugwash meet.

PDP president Mehbooba Mufti, who had held meeting with the co-chairman of the Pakistan Peoples Conference, Asif Ali Zardari, the other day, had a meeting with Muslim Conference patriarch Sardar Abdul Qayoom Khan in Rawalpindi today.

A PDP spokesman here said the PDP president called on the Muslim Conference patriarch and former president and prime minister of Pakistan-administered Kashmir (PAK) Sardar Abdul Qayyum Khan to discuss the political and economic issues concerning the two parts of Jammu and Kashmir.

The two leaders also discussed the measures to ensure lasting peace and stability in the state.

In an hour-long meeting the two leaders resolved to press for the speedy implementation of the J&K-specific cross-LoC confidence building measures including facilitation of free movement of people and goods across the two sides through all the traditional routes.

They said the governments in New Delhi and Islamabad must, without any further wait, remove the impediments delaying trade through Srinagar-Muzaffarabad road.

The spokesman said several youth, who had crossed over to PoK for arms training in early nineties and were now eager to return and live peaceful lives, called on Mufti today and sought her intervention in facilitating their safe return back home.

Some non-combatant political activists, who had also crossed-over to PoK in early nineties also called on Mufti with the similar plea, the spokesman added.

Mufti told these youth and the non-combatant political activists that her party had been vocally raising their issue at various forums and it had also been made a part of the recommendations of the Prime Minister’s Working Groups on Kashmir.

She assured the youth that she would again raise the issue with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and other authorities concerned in New Delhi.

Meanwhile, the opposition National Conference MP, A.R. Shaheen called on the Pakistan Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani yesterday to congratulate him for his nomination on behalf of the party patron Dr Farooq Abdullah and Party president Omar Abdullah.

During the meeting, Shaheen stressed on to further boost the people to people contact so that the divided families could meet each other. He urged Gilani to extend all possible support for the early resolution of Kashmir issue.

Jammu, March 31
The BJP and the Panthers Party have ridiculed Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad's plan of showcasing the development scenario to garner votes during the ensuing Assembly election, on the plea that people in Jammu region were still deprived of basic amenities like sufficient water, electricity supply, better schooling and medicare.

President of the state unit of the BJP, Ashok Khajuria said, “Azad's plan of imitating Narender Modi, who succeeded in trouncing the Congress in the recent elections in Gujarat on the slogan of development, has already been grounded because of the government's failure to ensure development in the industrial sector.”

He said a recent survey had indicated that several thousand units in the state had been closed and several hundred units which had secured incentives from the government were untraceable.

The BJP chief said, “Azad's intentions may have been genuine but his failure to check corruption had not allowed him to translate his ideas and dreams into reality.”

Leader of the Panthers Party in the state Assembly, Harsh Dev Singh said, “The setting up of the tulip garden are not the projects which can change people’s lives. What people need is good road connectivity, better facilities for health care and education,” he said adding that the plan of developing two medical colleges in Srinagar and Jammu had not been completed since the past four years.

Harsh Dev said, “Though the government had ordered the upgradation of hundreds of schools and opening

of several degree colleges, the paucity of staff and infrastructure have added to the woes of the people.” He said for the past five years the government had failed to fill up over 20,000 vacant post in several departments, especially in the Education Department. He also said the government had done nothing to improve the pace of selection of candidates for gazetted and non-gazetted posts due to the tardy selection process adopted by the Public Service Commission and the Subordinate Service Selection Board.

However, Congress spokesman Ravinder Sharma ridiculed the allegations levelled against the Chief Minister by the opposition parties and said what the previous governments could not achieve in 27 years was achieved by the Congress-PDP coalition government in five years. He asked opposition leaders to study relevant records which proved that the ruling coalition had improved the security scenario and had carried out development activities like road and sewage building, opening of new primary health centres, hospitals and upgradation of medical facilities. He said it was for the first time in the past 60 years that power and drinking water availability had improved in Jammu under Azad’s rule.

Udhampur, March 31
The regiment of the Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry (JAKLI) is celebrating its diamond jubilee and fourth regimental reunion at the Regimental Centre from April 3 to 6, 2008. The celebrations will commence by paying a tribute to martyrs who laid down their lives for their country. This will be followed by a grand ceremonial parade wherein widows of martyrs will be felicitated. Senior and retired officers of the regiment will address the troops at the Sainik Sammelan on April 5.

According to PRO, Northern Command, Col D.K Kachari, the JAKLI was raised as a volunteer force on April 15, 1948, when Pakistani raiders invaded Kashmir.

A clarion call was given by late Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah at the historic Lal Chowk for volunteers to come forward to protect the state and to push back the raiders supported by Pakistan.

Thousands volunteered with sticks, spears and some with single barrel guns came forward to save Kashmir from Pakistani raiders. This action of the Kashmiri people had facilitated the Indian Army to launch operations with volunteers acting as guides, porters and even leading assaults. After the nefarious designs of the the raiders were thwarted, the volunteers were organised into fighting units under the banner of the Jammu and Kashmir Militia. The regiment remained deployed along the Line of Control (LoC) as a regional force and participated in all operations.

Soon after the 1971 Indo-Pak conflict, the Indian government on December 2, 1972, recognised the valour displayed and accorded it the status of a regular regiment of the Indian Army. In April 1976, the regiment was re-designated as “The Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry.” 

Jammu,March 31
The State Wildlife Department has started census operation in Surinsar and Mansar wildlife sanctuaries in Jammu for identifying wildlife species.

According to Chief Wildlife Warden,Nasir AhmedKichloo,census of different wildlife species, including leopards, Asian bears, Hangul (Kashmiri stag)and snow leopards across Jammu and Kashmir was in the pipeline.He said today that it was a massive project and required proper equipment and funds.

In reply to a question he said for the time being census in Surinsar and Mansar sanctuaries was expected to be completed within three days. Experts from the Wildlife Institute Dehradun, are assisting the state Wildlife Department experts in carrying out the census.

Kichloo stated that the current census operation was being carried out on direct and indirect evidence and in certain cases global positioning system was one among the scientific methodology used in the operation.

In Surinsar and Mansar sanctuaries March to May period is considered suitable for bird viewing and the period between September and March is proper for viewing mammals.The census will cover various species of mammals,including goral,wild bear,barking deer and leopard besides 15 species of birds. Census operations are to be carried out later on in Poonch, Rajouri, Udhampur and Doda districts.The Wildlife Department experts said census with the help of latest equipment was called for determining whether the number of endangered Hangul (Kashmiri stag), found only in the valley,had increased or not.They said in the past census operations used to be carried out on the basis of pug marks and direct spotting. It is not yet known whether the department has plans of carrying out a census on black neck crane found in the forward Ladakh area.

Jammu, March 31
The recent decision of the central government to dilute the industrial incentives package given to the industries of Jammu and Kashmir would prove to be a death knell for the already sick industry of the state.

The central government had issued a notification in which the excise refund available to the industry in state has been reduced only to an extend of value addition. This means that excise exemption benefit to the state industry has been effectively reduced from 10-14 per cent to 0.5 to 1.5 per cent.

Speaking to The Tribune, Annil Suri, president of the Federation of Industries, Jammu, said, “In 2002, the Union government had made a commitment to the unit holders of Jammu and Kashmir that the industrial incentive package would be given for 10 years, but diluting the package in mid way would harm the interest of the industry unit holders in the state.”

The Jammu and Kashmir industry which was on a revival path after the incentive package was announced by the Union government has received a major setback with the roll back of the package.

“The repercussions of this decision would be very bad for not only the industries but for the residents of the area, many units would not survive after this roll back and it would leave thousands of residents unemployed in the area,” Suri said.

The neighboring states of Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand have been kept out of the ambit of the roll back and they would continue to enjoy the benefits under the package.

“The state government has to show seriousness and take the issue with the Union government, as the decision would create a flight of the capital from the state as the investors would loose faith and won’t come to invest in the state.”

The decision to dilute the industrial incentive package given to the industries in the state was taken after few industrial units in the state evaded the excise duty; however the representatives of the industries hold the excise department responsible for the evasion of the excise duty.

“You can’t punish the entire 2,500 units for the mistake of three or four units that evaded the excise duty that too was due to the fault of the Excise Department and not the unit holders,” Suri said.

Terming the decision of the Union ministry as ‘unfortunate’, president of the Chambers of Commerce and Industries, Jammu, Ram Sahai said, “This is a major setback for the industries and economy of the state; this would result in closure of the units in the state.”

Jammu, March 31
Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad today dedicated the newly developed flower garden at Bhour Camp to the people.

Spread over 563 kanals, the garden was conceived by Azad himself, with a view to attract visitors to the state.

In the first phase, the flower garden has been developed on 200 kanals, while work on the second phase is going on. The entire project is estimated at a cost of Rs 8.50 crore.

As many as 20 varieties of flowers of different shapes and colours have been cultivated in the garden. A children’s park will also be developed in the second 
phase.

Interacting with mediapersons, Azad said, “The government has accorded top priority to the all-round development of the state.”

“Many prestigious high public utility projects started in the past few years are being commissioned. These include roads, bridges, hospitals, school and college buildings, drinking water and power supply schemes besides, raising, expanding and modernising tourism infrastructure,” he added.

The Chief Minister said Asia’s largest tulip garden at Srinagar and the flower garden here would attract tourists to the state.

Advisor to Chief Minister Janak Raj Gupta, MLA Raman Bhalla,chief secretary B.R. Kundal, principal secretary Anil Goswami, divisional commissioner Sudhanshu Pandey and other senior officers were also present on the occasion.

Jammu, March 31
Senior PDP leader Choudhary Zulfikar has strongly condemned the Social Welfare Department for misusing and diversion of funds under SCA to TSP component of the plan, which was meant for the tribal population of the state.

In a statement issued in Jammu today, Zulfikar said funds were meant for income generating units (70 per cent) but not even a single penny was put for them.

The PDP leader, who is also member of the Gujjar and Bakerwal Advisory Board, alleged that the guidelines issued by the Government of India, minister of tribal affairs, for utilisation of these funds, were neither adhered to nor even seen by the officers at the helm of the affairs.

He regretted that this year all the procedures and past precedents were ignored and plans were formulated by the officers while sitting in secrecy but the real representatives of the tribal people including members of the Gujjar and Bakerwal Advisory Board were not taken into confidence.

He further said funds were released to the workers of a one political party while as genuine persons were ignored by floating all norms and rules.

Zulfikar alleged that funds worth crores of rupees under SCA to TSP and under Act 275 (I) were released from March 15 to March 27, 2008 and were drawn before March 31, 2008. 

Srinagar, March 31
The 434 km-long Srinagar-Leh highway, the only surface link connecting Ladakh region with the rest of the country, is being opened shortly as snow clearance on the Zojila pass has been completed.

This information was given to the minister for technical education and youth services and sports, Haji Nissar Ali, who visited Zojila pass yesterday and took stock of the condition. He said the decision for throwing the Srinagar-Leh road open for vehicular traffic would be taken shortly at a high-level meeting. He said as soon as the road would be officially declared open, essential commodities would start reaching in various parts of the Ladakh region.

The snow clearance operation on the road was taken up by Himank project of BRO from Kargil and Beacon from Sonamarg areas. The road normally remains closed for six months but due to strenuous efforts of the BRO, the road has been cleared in March instead of May. The road for the vehicular traffic was closed in mid December, 2007.

The minister was accompanied by the chairman, Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council, Kargil Asgar Ali Karbalai, executive councillor Kachoo Gulzar Hussain.

Jammu, March 31
With the arrival of summer season the people are face to face with the problem of unscheduled electricity cuts in the area that leaves them high and dry.

The unscheduled power cuts have left the people worried and at many places people have started coming on streets to protest against the unscheduled power cuts in the city.

The areas where tamperproof electronic meters have been installed are also facing the problem.

“In our area the state electricity department had installed electronic meters to check pilferage and during installation we were promised continuous electricity supply throughout the season, but for the past few days the electricity supply has been irregular,” said Abaha Mehra, a resident of Digiana Pully locality of Jammu city.

The people here allege that the unscheduled power curtailments were deliberately being made in the wee hours of the morning due to which the people have to face various problems.

“Suddenly, fan and coolers stop functioning early in the morning due to electricity breakdown, it is too hot and people cannot manage without these gadgets during this season,” said Vikas Kumar, another resident of Digiana Pully.

“There is no power cut in the posh localities of the city, to feed those people with the uninterrupted power supply we are made to suffer,” said Mukesh Malhotra, a resident of Model Town, Jammu.

An official of the state electricity department requesting anonymity said, “There is always shortage of power production against the power consumption during summer season and to mitigate the difference the department has to resort to unscheduled power cuts during summer.”

“We are committed to supply uninterrupted power supply to the areas which have been covered with tamperproof electronic meters, but when there is shortage we have to bring those areas also under power cuts.?

Repeated attempts to contact the power minister proved futile.

Srinagar, March 31
Minister for industries and commerce Nawang Rigzin Jora has urged the rural people of Ladakh to take active part in formulation of development schemes so that maximum benefit could percolate to every needy and deserving.

The minister was speaking at public darbars at Umla, Nimoo, Taroo and Phaying yesterday. He was on a three-day tour to the district to review the pace of developmental works being executed in Leh and to mitigate public grievances, an official spokesman said.

At Umla, Jora was briefed that 8-km highway-Umla road is being upgraded at a cost of Rs 1.51 crore under Nabard assistance and the road had been black topped up to 4 km at a cost of Rs 35 lakh. Besides, the widening, soling and metalling work was in progress, the minister was told.

Addressing a gathering at Nimoo, the minister said the government was committed to develop the entire villages of the district by creating vast infrastructure. Besides district plan, funds are being floated under centrally sponsored schemes as well as Nabard and ADB to execute the schemes, Jora said.

Responding to public demands like upgradation of high school Nimoo to higher secondary school, opening of a branch of J&K Bank, upgradation of Nimoo-Dukpa road, black topping of the highway etc, the minister assured that he would take up these matters with the concerned authorities. Besides, upgradation of Nimoo-Dukpa road was being taken under Nabard.

During his visit to Taroo, the minister inspected Rs 1.10 crore Taroo-Farka road being constructed under Nabard. The minister was informed that Rs 15 lakh have been spent on upgradation of the road. The people of Taroo demanded extension of this road up to Onpo.

At Phayang village, the minister said assistance has been given to the victims under Indra Awas Yojna whose houses were completely washed away. 

Srinagar, March 31
The Jammu and Kashmir Co-operative Bank through its network of 210 branches has conducted a business of over Rs 2,000 crore till date, while its credit deposit ratio has increased to 40 per cent.

This was stated by minister for agriculture and co-operative Abdul Aziz Zargar today at a bank function. He said the bank along with other leading banks had played an important role in boosting the state’s economy and its customer base had increased to 25 lakh.

Zargar said the overall banking scenario was changing fast and the entry of private sector and foreign banks had posed a threat to small banks. He said co-operative credit institutions accounted for a significant share in rural credit flow for agriculture in terms of network, coverage and catering to the needs of small and marginal farmers.

He added that co-operative banks alone had issued the largest number of kisan credit cards accounting for 70 per cent of the total kisan credit cards issued in country.

Bank's chairman Abdul Haq said facilities like core banking, ATM, SMS and RTGS banking were in the pipeline, while seven new branches would be opened during 2008-09. He said under micro-financing, the highest number of self-help groups had been financed by co-operative banks. 

Srinagar, March 31
Four senior leaders of the People's Democratic Forum (PDF) have joined the Awami National Conference (ANC).

According to a party release issued today, General Secretary of PDF Ghulam Mohammad Yatoo, along with senior party leaders Mohammad Shafi Sofi, Bashir Ahmad Malla, and Ghulam Hassan Reshi, and hundreds of its workers have joined the ANC.

The decision to join the ANC was taken during a meeting at Drubgam in Pulwama district of Jammu and Kashmir yesterday.

The leaders have affirmed their faith in the unblemished leadership of ANC President and former chief minister G.M. Shah and assured full support in strengthening the party, the release said.

The PDF, headed by Transport Minister Hakeem Mohammad Yasin, was floated by independent MLA's, shortly after 2002 Assembly elections in the state.

Meanwhile, the ANC, a breakaway group of the National Conference has sought a time frame for resolution of Kashmir issue.

Kashmir is a trilateral issue (between India, Pakistan and Kashmir) and must be resolved within a set time frame, ANC general secretary Muzzaffar Shah said addressing workers meet at Drubgam in Pulwama district yesterday. — PTI

Srinagar, March 31
With sizeable number of its top commanders killed in recent times, Hizbul Mujahideen has adopted some subterfuge methods to hide its top commanders from publicity glare and their hunt by security forces.

Kashmir IG S.M. Sahai today said some of the most accomplished militants of HM were strategically serving at the lower rung of its command structure so that they could escape the police glare normally reserved for the top commanders.

The disclosure followed IG's statement that they had achieved a big success with the arrest of Rais Ahmad Dar alias Rais Kachroo, who is a “leading” improvised explosive device (IED) expert of HM and supposed to be a lynchpin in militants’ plan to carry out subversive activities in the valley.

Kachroo, Sahai said to a question asked by The Tribune, was a company commander, a relatively junior position, but in effect a major catch for them due to his finesse in cobbling together deadly IEDs and carrying out lethal blasts.

In fact, the man, Mujaffar Dar, who is really running HM in the state is not really the marked top man in its hierarchy so that he could be spared the attention top commanders invite, Sahai said.

The IG said they recovered three LMGs, one sniper rifle, two rocket launchers besides bagfuls of bullets at his disclosure.

However, the most important recovery came in the form of 60 litre of liquid explosive, the same substance whose five litre was enough to cause a deafening blast in Jahangir Chowk a week back, which left one dead and at least 18 injured.

One of the most deadly attacks carried out by Kachroo was the killing of 11 soldiers, including an Army major, in an IED blast in Pulwama district, where he has been most active, in December 2004.

Meanwhile, the police today discounted a rights group report, which said close to

1,000 graves of unidentified persons in border sectors of Kupwara and Uri could include innocent persons missing from their homes in the valley.

The Association of Parents of Disappeared Persons (APDP) had said these persons might have been dubbed as militants, killed and given a nameless burial in these areas along with foreign militants.

There are hundreds of persons in the valley who remain disappeared in police files while their families suspect them killed by the security forces, police said they couldn't dig out every grave because of APDP's allegations.

Large number of unidentified militants and infiltrators have been killed along the border during militancy and buried there and they could take some action only when allegations are specific, Sahai said.

Srinagar, March 31
Upper reaches in the Kashmir valley received light fresh snowfall while plains, including Srinagar and adjoining areas, had rains overnight resulting in drop in temperature. Treetops in the hills at Harwan and Sonmarg experienced light fresh snowfall early this morning, resulting in drop in the temperature.

Zojila hills on the 434-km-long Srinagar-Leh national highway, which is scheduled to re-open on April 15 after remaining closed for winter due to six feet to 40 feet of snow, also received light snowfall.

The holy Amarnath cave and its periphery also experienced fresh snowfall since last night. Several inches of snow was experienced at Sheshnag, Mahaguns, Pisso top and Panjtherni.

Pahalgam, the base camp of holy shrine had rains, resulting in cold. A report from Gulmarg said the sky was heavily overcast after heavy rains during the night.

The upper reaches in Khilanmarg and Affarwat also experienced light snowfall. The summer capital, Srinagar, and its adjoining areas had rains early this morning.

Pedestrain movement in several areas was affected because of overflowing roads due to poor drainage system at Badshah Nagar, Azad Basti, Natipora, Bemina and Banapora Nowgam. — UNI