Kishtwar, April 26
With militancy on the wane in this hinterhand district, the people of Kishtwar are pinning hope for a promising future on power projects being set up in the Chenab basin. Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh's announcement that the vast hydo-electricity potential of Jammu and Kashmir needs to be exploited to bring in a socio-economic revolution in these underdeveloped areas of the state is a welcome news for them.

Addressing a gathering of several thousand people at this township today, the Prime Minister said that the state had a hydro-electric potential for 14,000 MW, but only 1,865 MW had been tapped so far. "Tapping the remaining 90 per cent potential would bring in a significant socio-economic change," he said.

He was here to commission the 390 MW Dul Hasti hydro-electric project, constructed by the National Hydro-Electric Power Corporation on the Chenab. This is the first visit of a prime minister to Kishtwar since Indira Gandhi had laid the project's foundation stone 25 years ago.

Though elections in the state are around the corner, the Prime Minister's focus during his address was on power generation and its consequent impact on the region rather than on politics or on projection of the Congress. He was accompanied by the J&K Governor, Lt-Gen S K Sinha (retd), Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad and other leaders, including Sushil Kumar Schinde, Saif-ud-din Soz, Mufti Mohammed Sayeed and Member of Parliament Lal Singh.

Complementing the locals for their resilience during the tough times, he said the government had formed working groups comprising representatives from all parties, groups and factions with the sole aim to work towards the state's development and progress. Consequent to the working groups' suggestion, a special task force headed by former Governor of the Reserve Bank of India, Rangarajan was set up, which has delved upon several issues. These include exploitation of natural resources, focus on development of roads and electricity, strengthening the social structure and health services, encouragement of private investment and availability of funds.

Asserting that the Centre wants to end the power shortage in the state, the Prime Minister said a lot still needed to be done by Jammu and Kashmir to improve power generation and distribution. "Without improving the distribution system, there cannot be an increase in the power generation capacity," he said.

In his address, the chief minister, Ghulam Nabi Azad said that Dul Hasti project, which was envisioned to be completed within four or five years took about 25 years to be commisssioned because of the ups and downs in the internal situation of the state.

Power projects in this area would provide much needed sucuur to the people of this region, who are badly affected by unemployment and lack of economic development.

Claiming out that militancy in this region had come down by about 90 per cent, Shahid Rashid, a local contractor who was present at the PM's rally, said he expected the projects would see the light of the day as things had greatly improved over the past couple of years.

Surinder Parihar, a former power company employee, however, was cautious. “It is not necessary that the announcements made would be implemented. It could well be a political gimmick in view of the elections.”

Gulzar Ahmed, a government servant, said that there was a lot of unemployment in the region, which was a major issue with the locals and he hoped that announcements made would generate opportunities for the local youth. Echoing his views, Jai Krishan Sharma, a retired teacher, said that there iwas no longer any tension among the locals. They move about freely and go about their normal day-to-day business, he added.

Srinagar, April 26
The PDP leadership has welcomed the assertions of Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh on a wide range of issues from development and rehabilitation measures to implementation of the Working Groups recommendations during his two-day visit to Jammu and Kashmir.

On the assertion of making Jammu and Kashmir a bridge of friendship and cooperation between India and Pakistan, PDP patron and former chief minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed has said peace and progress in the South Asia have probably been never as critically linked as they are today.

In a statement Mufti said at one end, the South Asian region strived to catch up in the global race for economic prosperity and at the other it was beset with the hazards of regional problems.

Mufti Sayeed said the inter and intra-state confidence and reconciliation measures announced by Dr Singh for various sections of the society and also for easing cross-LoC movement of people and goods through existing and new routes, was another milestone towards the implementation of the vision that had developed over the past few years for the peaceful and amicable settlement of the Kashmir issue and securing peace, progress and dignity for its people.

Welcoming the Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh’s announcement about the implementation of Working Group recommendations, the PDP president Mehbooba Mufti has said the decision vindicated her party’s stand on socio-economic and political dimensions of Kashmir.

She was addressing a public meeting near Pattan in Baramulla district today. The PDP president said she welcomed Dr Singh’s assertion that Srinagar-Muzaffarabad and Poonch Rawlakote roads would be used for trade and travel like Attari-Wagah and Khokhrapar-Munnabao roads.

She said triple entry permit was being considered to facilitate this initiative and applications in this regard would be disposed off within six weeks.

Mehbooba hoped that the Working Group recommendations on return of youth from across the border, compensation of Indus Water Treaty (IWT), which includes increase in royalty or transfer of power house to the state and a movement forward on Centre-state relationship, would be implemented very soon.

The proposed significant confidence building measures (CBM), announced by Dr Singh, including facilitating easier and more frequent travel and trade through Srinagar-Muzafarabad and Poonch-Rawalakote roads, opening of Kargil-Skardu and Suchetgarh-Sialkote roads, opening of passport offices, rehabilitation of the victims of violence-irrespective of their affiliation and relief measures for border migrants and refugees are going to boost the peace and reconciliation process.

Referring to the PDP’s demand of troop reduction, she held that it had been taken seriously by the Central government that was vindicated by the PM’s announcement in which he said instructions had been issued for vacation of educational and health institution buildings under the use of security forces and payment of adequate rent would be disbursed to the owners of private properties.

Jammu, April 26
A delegation of senior leaders of Jammu & Kashmir’s main opposition party the National Conference headed by Ajay Sadhotra, provincial president of the party, today met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh here to raise the party’s demand for autonomy in the state.

“The National Conference delegation emphasised the need of a political package in the shape of restoration of autonomy in the state in order to have lasting peace and for making Assembly elections more credible”, a party statement issued here said.

The delegation further demanded that the Central government should ensure free and fair Assembly elections in the state.

The delegation demanded that recommendations of the Working Groups be implemented in total and at an earliest as it had emerged out of consensus arrived at by the different political parties and groups that participated in the Working Groups meetings.

The delegation urged the Prime Minister to give employment package to the youth as unemployment among youth in the state had created unrest and frustration. The delegation further said 2 per cent reservation for J&K youth should be made mandatory in the Central government departments, private and public sectors. The delegation also urged the Indian government to restore the industrial package which had been recently withdrawn in order to strengthen the economy of the state.

The Prime Minister gave patient hearing to the delegation and assured that the points projected by the National Conference leaders would be given due consideration.

Kakryal (Udhampur) April 26
Terming teaching as his first priority, Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh yesterday said that he had strayed into politics by accident but his preferred career was teaching.

Addressing the first convocation of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi University (SMVDU) Dr Singh stressed on the need of reviving the tradition of good research along with good teaching in the universities.

"I recall that in the days I used to be a student and a teacher, universities placed great emphasis on doing research along with teaching", he said, adding, "it is a matter of concern that over the years many universities have become teaching shops and degree-giving authorities".

The Prime Minister said that UPA government had given the highest priority to a quantum leap in higher education and there has been an unprecedented expansion in higher education during the regime of present government. "The 11th Five-Year Plan offers the framework for this new phase of development of higher education in India. We are establishing 30 new central universities of which half will be conceived as world class institutions", he said and promised that there would be a central university in every state, including Jammu and Kashmir.

"Promoting excellence and providing greater access to all sections of society in higher education have been the guiding principles of our new initiatives", Dr Singh said and added that to ensure equality of opportunity the government had increased the number of scholarships available to students, especially the Scheduled Castes, the Scheduled Tribes and minorities.

Later, the degrees were awarded to students of the university. 

Poonch, April 26
For 55-year-old Abdul Razzak Khan, a resident of Mendhar here, the announcement of the measures by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for easing travel across Line of Control (LoC) has come as blessing. Two years back Razzak applied for the permit to travel to Kotli in Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) to meet his uncle Misri Khan, who got separated from them in 1965. He is yet to receive the permit.

However, the Prime Minister’s announcement of various measures to ease travel across the LoC has given a ray of hope to Razzak Khan, who wishes to meet his relative.

“I had applied for permit to travel to PoK about two years back, but till date I couldn’t get the permission”, said Razak Khan. “We welcome the statement of Manmohan Singh regarding the easing travel across the LoC and urge him to take up the issue with the Pakistan government in the earnest so that we can meet our family members who got separated from us”, he added.

The Prime Minister while addressing a public meeting in Akhnoor on Friday announced triple entry permits and completion of the verification process within six weeks.

The Prime Minister said he wanted to see the Srinagar-Muzaffarabad and Poonch Rawlakote roads to be used for trade and travel like Attari-Wagah and Khokhrapar-Munnabao roads.

“A triple entry permit is being considered to facilitate this. Besides, it has been decided to dispose off applications within six weeks,” said the PM, adding that India wanted the bus service on Srinagar-Muzaffarabad and Poonch-Rawlakote to be weekly instead of fortnightly as at present.

Srinagar, April 26
As many as 18 persons were killed and 129 injured in road accidents across the valley between March 20 and April 20. A police official said reckless and untrained drivers, who barely knew the basics of driving, were responsible for causing over 90 per cent of the accidents. He added they had tried to improve things in Srinagar but things remained bad elsewhere in the state.

Private transport is a big business in the valley where people depend wholly on road transport and there was little enforcement of laws and regulations over drivers. Police sources said most of the accidents were caused by drivers, employed by private operators, who cared little about rules.

“As the city has narrow roads, the average speed was hardly above 35 km per hour. If it causes inconvenience to commuters, it also acts as a deterrent against serious accidents,” a traffic official said.

Traffic officials said the Army and CRPF vehicles were also responsible for a number of accidents as drivers cared little about traffic rules.

Jammu, April 26
The Jammu and Kashmir High Court has disposed of petition filed by the BSF deputy inspector general and directed the BSF director general to dispose of representation/application of petitioner for his terminal posting in New Delhi.

While deciding the representation of the petitioner, the high court further told the director general that the authority concerned shall also consider the request of petitioner for his retention at the subsidiary training centre (STC) Udhampur as his terminal posting in case vacancy is not available at New Delhi.

DIG Rattan Lal Sharma was posted at the STC on December 6, 2006, when respondents invited applications from all eligible officers of the BSF for consideration of their cases for terminal posting to suitable places.

The petitioner submitted representation on November 16, 2007 seeking terminal posting at New Delhi. However, without considering application of the petitioner, the respondent authorities transferred his at SHQ Guwahati.

Sharma thereafter submitted another representation to the DG BSF for cancelling his order of transfer from Udhampur to SHQ Guwahati, which representation also stood rejected vide letter dated March 28, 2008.

Ajay Sharma, CGSC appearing for the respondent BSF, argued that the competent authority considered the case of the petitioner but he was found more suitable to be posted as the DIG at SHQ Guwahati and was allowed to retain government accommodation at New Delhi.

The petitioner’s posting at New Delhi could not be considered due to non-availability of a suitable vacancy and also due to reason that the petitioner has about thirteen and half year’s tenure at Delhi on different occasions during his service tenure.

“This court is normally not to interfere in such matters unless the order passed in this regard is malafide or is passed by an incompetent authority,” Justice Nirmal Singh of the high 
court held.

“However, in case, there are some rules governing the field so far as the transfer of an employee of a particular department is concerned and if such rules are not adhered to, even then, this court can interfere in such matters.”

The court added, “The application of petitioner in pursuance to communication was recommended by the officiating inspector general, keeping in view his outstanding service record and performance, has still not been decided and is lying pending with the said authority. Therefore, instant is a case where interference is called for.”

Jammu, April 26
A militant of the Lashkar-e-Toiba outfit has surrendered before security forces in Reasi district, a defence spokesman said here today.

The LeT militant, Hamza alias Shamsher, surrendered before the Rashtriya Rifle troops at Gulabgarh here yesterday, he said.

He also handed over  an AK-47 rifle with its  31 rounds and a binocular to the officials, the spokesman said. — PTI