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12 killed, 28 hurt in road mishap
Darbar move at expense of state exchequer
Govt favours Assembly election in 4 phases
Dual Currency
Jobless Hindus take to guns for livelihood
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For them, home still a distant dream
Changing home twice a day
OBCs to launch mass movement
Separatists fail to come on same dais
I’ll raise ‘grave’ issue with Antony: Soz
Rs 750 cr collected as power revenue
Govt ignored Kashmiri migrants: NC
Minister’s kin booked under Arms Act
One ultra surrenders, four nabbed
Creating awareness through folk culture
20 kids to get ‘Gift of Life’
Co-op bank sets 100-cr loan target
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12 killed, 28 hurt in road mishap
Udhampur, April 20 The overloaded bus was on its way to Banihal from Jammu, when the accident took place. Senior police and civil officers rushed to the spot to supervise the rescue operations. According to the police, the driver of bus lost control of the vehicle while negotiating a blind curve near Anokhi Fall at Digdolh near Ramban on the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway. The ill-fated vehicle rolled down into a 400-feet deep nullah on side of the road. Before the police could reach the spot, locals have swung into action and started rescue operation. Senior police officers including SHO Ramban Ajay Jamwal rushed to the spot and started rescue operation. Army troops also joined in the rescue operation. Twelve bodies have been recovered so far from site and 15 injured have been shifted to the Ramban hospital. It is believed that many passengers were still trapped in the vehicle. SHO Ramban Ajay Jamwal said exact number of killed and injured would be known after completion of the rescue operation. He, however, said so far 28 injured have been rescued by the police and 15 of them have been already rushed the Ramban hospital. Additional forces have been rushed to the spot. According to the police, identities of the deceased have not been established yet but it was believed that most the victim were residents of Banihal and adjoining localities. Rescue operation was going on till the filing of this report. |
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Darbar move at expense of state exchequer
Jammu, April 20 Started by Maharaja Gujab Singh, the erstwhile ruler of the princely state of Jammu and Kashmir, the trend of shifting was made regular by his son, Maharaja Ranbir Singh, in 1872. But economic experts now consider the move to be a simple wastage of hard-earned money. Last year the government had hired 100 trucks for shifting furniture and other documents from Srinagar to Jammu and each truck charged an amount of Rs 26,000 for one trip from Srinagar to Jammu and back. This time too an equal number of trucks have been hired for the purpose. “Earlier during the Darbar move, Rs 2.6 crore was spent on transportation of furniture but this time the figure may go up,” said an official in the civil secretariat. Around 7,000 employees, who get shifted, would be paid an amount of Rs 5,000 each as travelling allowance. “The amount given as TA to the employees is more than Rs seven crore. Further Rs 4.5 crore is spent on the employees engaged in moving the offices at Rs 550 per month as move allowance,” the official said. The only state in the entire country with two capitals, economic experts in Jammu and Kashmir felt that the government should take a decision of declaring only one permanent capital. In 1987, the National Conference-Congress government in the state, led by Farooq Abdullah, had tried to stop the practice by keeping the civil secretariat permanently in Srinagar. But people from Jammu opposed the move. The Jammu region remained closed for a week and all supplies to the valley were cut off during the strike period. The government had to withdraw the decision and the civil secretariat moved to Jammu for winter. |
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Govt favours Assembly election in 4 phases
Jammu, April 20 The government has made it clear that in case the polling was to be conducted in less than four phases, additional companies of the paramilitary forces should be sent to the state in advance for further strengthening the security grid. According to Director General of Police Kuldeep Khoda, “The issue pertaining to the deployment of the paramilitary forces and additional companies required for ensuring smooth conduct of the poll has not yet been discussed.” However, he said, “Additional companies of the security forces were required for ensuring incident free pre-poll campaign and polling.” He said if the polling was conducted in four phases “we may not require more than 10 additional companies of paramilitary forces but if it was restricted to a two-phase process, the state may require at least 25 extra companies of the security forces.” In reply to a question, he said the government is in favour of holding the polling in four phases as was done in 2002 when the entire election process ended peacefully. He said under the preliminary plan, the police would be in charge of the security while the paramilitary forces were to be deployed in and around the polling booths. These jawans of the paramilitary forces would have to guard the polling stations and regulate the entrance of voters in the polling booths. Several other senior police officers wanted the security grid to be fully strengthened and tightened in view of the call for poll boycott given by the separatists and on account of reports that militants had been directed to lie low till the poll schedule was announced by the Election Commission. They said the election was not only going to be a tussle for survival among the three main contending political parties, the National Conference, the Congress and the PDP, but also between the opponents in the poll process. In this connection, the officers referred to a number of clashes between the PDP and the National Conference workers during pre-poll campaign even before the campaign’s launch on a regular basis. To them the atmosphere in the state has already surcharged with slogans in favour of dual control, dual currency and demilitarisation, raised by the PDP, and the one in support of autonomy being raked up by the National Conference. |
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Dual Currency
Udhampur, April 20 Addressing media persons here, BJP state secretary Pawan Gupta regretted that Congress, which claimed to be the nationalist party, has maintained a criminal silence over secessionist demand of former chief minister Mufti Mohammed Sayeed. The BJP has constituted various teams to visit each and every village of Udhampur constituency to educate the masses about anti-national policies of the PDP. “Beside price rise, demand of dual currency is also one of the main issue which we will take to the streets,” Gupta said and asked the Congress leaders to clear their stand on this demand. “It is unfortunate that the Congress leadership is supporting Mufti Mohammed Sayeed who has been furthering agenda of the secessionists,” the BJP leader said and added it was necessary to attack the Congress rather than the PDP. The BJP has reasons to take only the Congress leadership to task on the issue of dual currency, as the PDP does not have any base in Udhampur. Furthermore, the BJP leadership has decided to take this issue among the masses to revive morale of its cadres. “The PDP has its own secessionist agenda but the Congress has got votes from the people of Jammu so we have decided to target the Congress on this issue,” a senior BJP leader told the Tribune and disclosed that party highcommand has given directions of the State leadership to rake up this issue to put the Congress on the defensive. Meanwhile, the Congress is in a dilemma, as the party leadership has yet not evolved a consensus on proposal of dual currency. Some party leaders have opposed this suggestion but the Congress as a party has yet not given any statement on this demand. |
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Jobless Hindus take to guns for livelihood
Udhampur, April 20 This fact came to light with the arrest of Rashpal Singh (26) in Ramban. It is reported that the youth upon interrogation revealed many such names of youths of belonging to the community, who are actively participating in subversive activities. A Chinese grenade was recovered from his possession. Working in a PSO at Ramban town, Rashpal Singh during initial questioning told the police that a local youth has kept the grenade in his custody. However, after intense interrogation, he ultimately confessed that militants of the Laskher-e-Toiba (LeT) had given him the grenade to throw it in a crowded place, the police sources said. Although association of Hindu youth in subversive activities is not new in Jammu region, arrest of unemployed youth, without any criminal background, is a new headache for the security forces. The police officers believed that unemployment and poverty were the main reasons for Hindu youth to join militants. Furthermore hunger for power and opportunities to extort money are also luring these youths to indulge into such activities, they added. “Earlier Hindu youths with criminal records were found involved in militancy. This is new trend that unemployed innocent youth has been lured by the ultras to join their rank and file,” a senior police officer said and attributed this dangerous trend to growing unemployment in the state. Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Police, Doda-Ramban range, Hemant Kumar Lohia, while admitting arrest of a Hindu youth with grenade, told The Tribune that it was premature to say how many youth of minority community have been involved in subversive activities. “We are questioning the arrested youth to ascertain the real cause of his involvement in militancy,” he said, “We are also trying to know whether he is an active militant or just working as a courier.” In the past, some Hindu youth were found involved in militant activities. Some time back a Hindu area commander of Hizbul Mujahideen (HM) namely Uttam Singh was killed by the security forces in Doda. Intelligence agencies have already identified 15 to 20 Hindu youths, who joined militants' rank and file in Doda and Rajouri-Poonch areas. Involvement of Hindus in militancy first established in 1992 when a youth was arrested from Jammu while trying to throw grenade. In year 2001, the security forces had arrested a youth Bharat Kumar from Nai Basti, Satwari of Jammu city who had received military training in Pakistan and Afghanistan. In the same year security forces had killed a Hindu militant namely Kuldeep Singh in Doda. It is believed that his two brothers are still involved in subversive activities. On November 10, 2004, a dreaded Hindu militant Manoj Kumar had laid down his arms before the Army. Manoj Kumar had disclosed names of other Hindu youth who have been involved in militancy and other subversive activities. |
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For them, home still a distant dream
Jammu, April 20 The younger generation of the displaced community has not only adopted the heterogeneous society in Jammu, but has no craving to go back to the valley. Born and brought up in different places across the Jammu region, the new generation has little inclination towards Kashmir. However, the older generation in the twilight of their life, certainly miss their land, the winds and the snow-clad mountains, which was once their home. No doubt militancy has declined and some Kashmiri Pandit families had returned to the valley, a majority of them still found themselves uncomfortable with the government endeavours. Talking to The Tribune, Asha Kaul, from the Purkhoo Migrants Camp said, “I remember the days when friends from the majority community turned foes overnight. Though the government says a lot about the improved situation, I feel the majority community should also welcome us back,” she added. Anil Tickoo from the Muthi migrants’ camp said the day was not far when Kashmiri Pandits would return to their native land. He said the changing situation in the valley conveyed a glimmer of hope but the majority community had to decide whether they needed Kashmiri Pandits or not. Ever since the government embarked upon housing projects, the displaced families in migrants’ camps, have a reason to smile as they would get a home away from home. Nearly 800 such flats have been allotted among camp dwellers at Muthi and Purkhoo, while the biggest satellite township at Jagti to be constructed at a cost of Rs 294 crore, is fast coming up. A senior official of the revenue department said, “The coalition government toiled hard to get the Union government’s consent for housing projects for the displaced community.” He said after 20 years of exile, very few Kashmiri Pandits would want to return to the valley. However, a senior official at the relief commissioner’s office said over 1,500 applications from people of the displaced community, seeking permission to go back to the valley, had been received. The coalition government in a bid to lure Kashmiri Pandits back to valley had assured to give one government job to every family which returned. |
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Changing home twice a day
Qasba-LoC (Poonch), April 20 And Maulvi sahib’s family is not the only one, which follows this timetable. There are around 150 such families, who have houses in both villages, live life literally on both sides of the fence. They take their lunch on the other side and dinner on this side. Natives of Kerni village had to move to this side after 1998 due to shelling along the LoC. They were reportedly given financial aid by the government for constructing houses in Qasba village. This timetable for these people has never changed and now has become a routine affair. “We have adapted ourselves to this routine. After crossing the fence we do farming in our native village and even rear our cattle. In the evening, we have to return since the Army doesn’t allow us to stay there,” says Qamar, who cultivates 15 kanals of land on the other side of fence and has half a dozen cattle. “We want to stay there but it is the government who has to ensure that. We hope that our government will take some effective step to mitigate our sufferings,” he adds. A senior Army officer posted in the area admits that these villagers are not allowed to stay in their village on other side of fence. However, he refuses to give reasons for it. Jammu-based-defence spokesperson Lt-Col S.D. Goswami says safety of these villagers is the prime concern of the Army and “it is being done just for security reasons.” |
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OBCs to launch mass movement
Udhampur, April 20 In a meeting of the OBCs, speakers termed this verdict as historic and called upon the weaker sections to prepare themselves for a mass movement to force the ruling elites of Jammu and Kashmir to restore their constitutional and legal rights. Representatives from different parts of the district attended the meeting and vowed to launch the decisive struggle. Unlike other states, the OBCs in Jammu and Kashmir have been denied 27 per cent reservation as per the recommendation of the Mandal Commission report as their quota has been bifurcated among different classes fall under reserve category. “For years together we have been deprived of our legal and constitutional rights,” said Sain Dass, a leader of the OBCs. “We have started door-to-door campaign to bring all OBCs under one platform to teach ruling coalition a lesson in the coming assembly elections,” he asserted and did not rule out possibility of OBCs fielding their own candidates. Another OBC leader Rajesh Dogra said as per the Mandal Commission recommendations, caste was the only base for reservation but in Jammu and Kashmir ruling elites had created classes on the basis of locations only to deny legal rights to the socially and educationally weaker sections of the society. H.R. Chargotra, who recently left the BSP to join the PDP, regretted that successive state governments in Jammu and Kashmir have cheated the OBCs and deprived this weaker section of their legal rights. The PDP leader said the OBCs of Jammu and Kashmir could not take benefit of the historic verdict of Supreme Court unless the state government amended the controversial SRO 294 and Reservation Act of 2005. |
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Separatists fail to come on same dais
Srinagar, April 20 This was evident today when moderate Hurriyat leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq declined “at the last minute” to participate in a seminar, which was attended by hardline Hurriyat leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani and JKLF head Yasin Malik. The Coalition of Civil Society, a NGO, which has been highlighting alleged human rights abuses by the security forces, had invited these three leaders, unarguably the three most visible and accepted faces in their stream. But Mirwaiz declined after initial confirmation, the moderator of the seminar ‘Self-determination & Elections under occupation’ said. They wanted people to hear from different separatist leaders, but the empty chair of Umar Farooq points to their failure, the moderator said. A Mirwaiz’s spokesperson, though, said the organisers had publicised about his participation without his consent. |
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I’ll raise ‘grave’ issue with Antony: Soz
Srinagar, April 20 Addressing a meeting in Sopore, he said the Congress and the UPA government at the Centre wanted lasting peace in the state. Expressing satisfaction that the situation had changed due to peoples’ cooperation and pro-people policies of the Centre and the state governments, he urged people to forget the past and instead invest in building a peaceful future. He said situation in the 1990s was worst and people faced enormous miseries, but now there was marked improvement and not a single case of human rights violation had taken place in the past six months. He said steps by the Union government were afoot to bring relief to the people particularly, victims of violence. He, however, urged the people to strengthen democratic atmosphere in the state. Soz exhorted the people to trust the Congress as an effective instrument of change for a better future. |
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Rs 750 cr collected as power revenue
Jammu, April 20 Denying the allegations made by the opposition for not utilising the Rs 24,000 crore package under Prime Minister Reconstruction Programme, he said, “The people of the state are themselves seeing that development works were being executed in every nook and corner. Out of Rs 24,000 crore, an amount of Rs 18,000 crore has been earmarked for completion of six major power projects in the state.” He said the first thermal power project with 1,000 MW capacity was already sanctioned for the state, he said and added the 390-MW Dul Hasti power project was ready for commissioning and would be inaugurated by the Prime Minister during his visit to the state next week. |
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Govt ignored Kashmiri migrants: NC
Jammu, April 20 This was stated by Shamima Firdous, senior NC leader and former MLC during a one-day convention of the Kashmiri migrants at Bantalab, Jammu. Expressing concern over the pathetic condition of Kashmiri migrants who had been forced to live in various dwellings, Shamima said it was unfortunate on part of the present coalition government to have ignored the problems faced by people living in migrant camps. She said while much was being claimed on the name of improving the condition of the displaced Kashmiri migrants, nothing had been done so far. |
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Minister’s kin booked under Arms Act
Jammu, April 20 Nitin was arrested after he allegedly brandished a pistol after he had an altercation with a few persons at a restaurant-cum-bar in Jammu on Saturday night. “Soon there was heated exchange of words which turned into a scuffle and Nitin took the pistol of his personal security officer and pointed it towards the other person,” a police source said. Sources said other people present at the restaurant intervened and the situation was brought under control. The police rushed to the spot and arrested Nitin. “He has been booked under the Arms Act and the pistol has been seized from him, a police source added. It is pertinent to mention that Nitin was arrested by the police in Kathua district in a case of attempted molestation last year. He was later released on bail. |
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One ultra surrenders, four nabbed
Udhampur/Srinagar, April 20 Sources said Qadir of Chilly Payan was in touch with the local police for the last 10 days and through mediators he expressed his desire to surrender. Qadir handed over AK47 riffle, nine magazines, 90 rounds, one binocular, one wireless set and other materials to the police. Deputy Inspector General (DIG), Doda-Ramban range, Hemant Kumar Lohia said on one hand, the local police has launched aggressive campaign to eliminate dreaded militants while on the other family members of the ultras have been involved to convince their wards to lay down arms. The police arrested a top commander of Hizbul Mujahideen outfit in Kulgam and three over ground workers of LeT outfit in Awantipora today. |
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Creating awareness through folk culture
Udhampur, April 20 In the ongoing Devika Baisakhi festival on the banks of river
Devika, artistes through folk songs and dances like “Koudh” educate the masses about health awareness
programmes. Special Dogri street plays are being staged to inform the people about programmes like National Rural Health Mission and National Employment Guarantee Scheme. Health and medical education minister, Mangat Ram, while inaugurating the festival, said the festival had gained prominence not only in the state but across the country. He said this was evident by the huge rush of tourists and pilgrims who had thronged the state to have a glimpse of the festival. |
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20 kids to get ‘Gift of Life’
Srinagar, April 20 Suffering from congenital heart diseases, the children up to the age of 20 years, who can not afford surgery and had no access to quality medical care, would be provided free treatment, a RCKM spokesman said. He said, “Many poor patients in Srinagar hospitals need help but there is no structural support system available.” He added that the club had decided to come to the rescue of the people suffering from these diseases in the valley.
— UNI |
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Co-op bank sets 100-cr loan target
Jammu, April 20 Chairman Abdul Haq Khan has said the bank had increased its customer base to 25 lakh and it would help them reach out to a large number of beneficiaries. Speaking at the “Agriculture loan mela” here, he said they would raise the number of branches in the state to 217 to meet their target. |
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