Udhampur, May 28
In a big success security forces this afternoon killed a self- styled divisional commander of Laskher-e-Toiba (LeT) along with his paramour in the Gondana area of Doda district. The slain militant commander has been identified as Shabir Ahmed Itoo, son of Abdul Reham Itoo of Lundan, Doda, while the identity of his lover has been established as Samrina Bano, daughter of Ghulam Nabi Shah of Faridabad Mohalla, Doda.

For the first time during the past 15 years of militancy, a woman militant has been killed in an encounter. In the past, a number of women have been nabbed by the police and security agencies for their links with terrorists.

Samrina Bano, who was getting training as a nurse in the Health Department, was earlier arrested by the police on January 24 this year for her links with LeT commander but was later released allegedly due to some political pressure.

Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Doda-Ramban range, Hemant Kumar Lohia told The Tribune that Samrina Bano was an over ground worker (OGW) and was under the surveillance of the police. "Due to her involvement in militant activities she was asked to show her presence to police regularly after getting bail", the DIG said and added that the woman jumped the bail and joined the militant outfit with her lover Shabir Ahmed with whom she was killed this afternoon.

The slain militant was involved in more than 50 killings and had masterminded many attacks in this mountainous belt.

As the intelligence agencies were chasing Samrina Bano, this morning they got input about presence of a couple in the house of one Mohammed Sabar Bhat of Gondana.

The Doda police along with troops of the Rashstriya Riffles launched an operation to nab the militant duo.

As soon as the security forces zeroed in on the hideout where Shabir Ahmed was hiding, he resorted to indiscriminate firing which led to fierce encounter. In the gun battle which lasted for two hours, Shabir Ahmed along with Samrina Bano was killed.

A large quantity of arms and ammunition were also recovered from the site of the encounter. 

Srinagar, May 28
Giving a boost to connectivity and traffic movement, Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad has inaugurated two bridges at Padgampora in Pulwama district and Sitkari at Sonamarg in north and south Kashmir, respectively.

Project Beacon of the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) has constructed the bridges.

The Padgampora bridge over the Jhelum is about 540-ft-long and has been constructed at a cost of Rs 6.25 crore. The defence ministry through the Indian Air Force funded the bridge, which replaced an old wooden bridge constructed about 55 years ago.

At the inauguration function, Air Officer Commanding, J&K, Air Vice-Marshal A.V. Chauhan, GoC, Victor Force, Major General Kishen Singh, chief engineer, Beacon, Brigadier A. K. Bhutani and district development commissioner, Pulwama, Meraj Ahmad Kakroo were present.

The Sitkari Bridge over the Sindh, 2 km to the famous tourist resort of Sonamarg, is 172-ft-long bridge has been constructed at a cost of Rs 3 crore. The bridge has been completed in 15 months and forms part of the 434-km Srinagar-Leh National Highway.

The upgrade and double-laning of the highway have been kicked off. Currently work is apace on 160-km stretch on the highway.

Speaking on the occasion, the Chief Minister lauded the Indian Air Force for providing funds for the construction of the Padgampora bridge, saying the facility had come as a great relief to the people.

At Sonamarg, the Chief Minister said the Prime Minister has been very generous towards Jammu and Kashmir and its development. He said during the last four years the state received immense financial support from the Central government.

He said the Ladakh region has also received his focused attention. He referred to two important power projects in Leh and Kargil districts work on which is going on round the clock. He said the projects on completion, would change the power scenario in the region. He said the two projects would be completed ahead of schedule and open a new chapter of development in the history of Ladakh.

Jammu, May 28
While lakhs of devotees continue to pour in to pay obeisance at Mata Vaishno Devi shrine every year, Shiv Khori, one of the most venerated cave shrines of Lord Shiva, has also caught the fancy of devotees in recent times.

Located at about 130 km from Jammu, the holy cave is nearly 100 metres long ending into a huge hall, and houses a four-foot high Svayambu lingam which constantly bathes in a milky limestone fluid dripping from a tiny stalactite jetting down from the ceiling.

The cave is formed in the shape of Lord Shiva's “Damroo”, that is, wider at the two ends and narrow at the centre. The presence of naturally formed figurines of other deities adds to the significance of the holy cave. A major three-day fair is held here on Shivratri every year which attracts thousands of devotees. The pilgrims have to walk a distance of 3 km from the base camp through a picturesque valley to reach the main shrine.

As per an official estimate, over 1.8 lakh devotees have paid a visit to Shiv Khori from January to May 15 this year. However, now people from as far as Gujarat, Maharashtra and Rajasthan have started visiting the shrine. "About 90 per cent of the devotees came from outside the state this year as against the previous years when a majority hailed from different parts of the state," said an official of the tourism department posted at Ransoo.

“At present, most of the pilgrims visiting Shiv Khori prefer to stay in Katra and return the same day after offering the prayers,” he added.

“We have set up tourism reception centres at Ransoo besides raising some rooms for facilitating stay for the devotees. Four rooms have already been built and the work on another four is on,” said R.S. Mehta, deputy director, tourism. He told that the increasing flow of pilgrims has also attracted the attention of private players who are setting hotels, shops and other business establishments at Ransoo.

Jammu, May 28
Taking a cue from unsavoury rows of the past two years, the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board (SASB) has initiated various measures to steer clear of any controversy ahead of the annual Amarnath yatra, starting June 18.

Firstly, the board has erected a grill 38 feet away from the cave shrine to ensure that nobody can reach the cave before the pilgrimage commences.

Thalail Singh, deputy CEO of the shrine board, said their staff had already been deployed at the shrine and the grill would only be opened after the yatra began officially. The move is aimed at preserving the Shivlingam.

Last year, over 50,000 unregistered pilgrims visited the cave shrine prior to its official beginning.

However, this time, the government has issued prohibitory orders, restricting people from heading towards the cave shrine either from Pahalgam or Baltal before June 18.

He added that the board was taking all precautions to protect the environment en route the cave shrine.

Udhampur, May 28
The National Conference (NC) today flayed the state government for politicising the visit of President Pratibha Patil who visited Bhaderwah on Monday to inaugurate the extension campus of the Jammu University.

In a statement issued here today, senior NC leader and party candidate for Bhaderwah Assembly constituency Aslam Goni has regretted that the Congress-led coalition regime has degraded office of the President by politicising her visit at Bhaderwah.

“Although it was a historical visit to Bhaderwah yet we were forced to boycott President’s function at Bhaderwah as it was turned into a political function,” Goni stated and took strong exception of the “political” speech of Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad in the presence of the President.

Quoting speech of Ghulam Nabi Azad, the NC leader said it was more a political address.

People irrespective of their party affiliations were gathered there to listen speech of the President but the Chief Minister delivered political speech on that occasion.

Goni, who had unsuccessfully contested last Assembly election from Bhaderwah, said that residents of this mountainous belt were eagerly waiting for the visit of the President. He, however, hastened to add that people were disappointed the way the Congress had tried to take political mileage of this visit.

Defending decision of the NC to boycott inauguration of Bhaderwah campus, Goni said there was no reason for party workers to go there as the official function was completely turned into a Congress rally.

“It is fault on the part of the government to politicise the function,” he stated and added that the Congress party through these gimmicks has exposed before the common masses. 

Srinagar, May 28
National Conference patron Farooq Abdullah has asked Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to adopt flexible approach on Kashmir during his visit to Pakistan saying peace could be restored only when the Kashmir issue is resolved.

Addressing a public meeting in Pahalgam area yesterday, Abdullah said Kashmiris continued to suffer due to ongoing bloodshed, the menace of unemployment and economic hardships.

He claimed that during the last six years of the Congress-PDP coalition rule, the problems of people had increased manifold. The youths of today are a frustrated lot and could easily become a pawn in the hands of anti-social elements.

The former chief minister said during the NC regime, 1.43 lakh jobs were provided to the unemployed youth but the PDP-led government headed by Mufti Mohammad Sayeed sacked 24,000 employees when it came to power. He said all these employees were drawing meager salaries and were hard pressed.

NC president Omar Abdullah announced that if voted to power, we would provide stipend to the unemployed youth till they get a jobs. “We will fulfill all our election promises when voted to power,” Omar said adding, “Those harping on demilitarisation issue have taken refuge in silence when more and more troops are being inducted into Jammu and Kashmir and are dotting every nook and corner of Kashmir.”

Leader of Opposition and senior leader Abdul Rahim Rather addressing the meeting said the PDP-Cong coalition government had taken many anti-people decision including amendments in the PRC Act and the Land Transfer Act, which had affected the individuality of a Kashmiri.

He said the government claims to have spent Rs 87,000 crore on development in state but not even Rs 100 crore is seen to have been spent, he claimed.

Jammu, May 28
A large number of people belonging to the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and other backward classes (OBCs) today took out a protest rally demanding immediate modification and implementation of SRO 294.

Under the aegis of the All-India Confederation of SC/ST OBC Organisation, the protest rally led by its state president R.K. Kalsotra culminated outside Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad’s residence here.

Angry protesters shouted slogans against the coalition government for causing an inordinate delay in modifying and implementing SRO 294.

They castigated the government for what they claimed “step-motherly treatment” being meted out to SCs, STs and OBCs by the present dispensation.

Kalsotra said despite issuing an ordinance to enable modification in the SRO, the detrimental clauses had not been removed so far.

He demanded that reservation be restored to 8 per cent from 4 per cent to the SCs besides, increasing it to 10 per cent for STs.

He also demanded an additional 7 per cent reservation for OBCs of the state which fell within the limit of 50 per cent total reservation set by the apex court.

Rajouri, May 28
Even as the defence ministry has liberalised the leave policy for Army troops, a soldier whose leave was not reportedly sanctioned by his higher-ups, allegedly committed suicide by shooting himself with his service rifle here today.

Army sources said Swapnil Badane (21) of Usmanabad district in Maharashtra, posted with the 286 Medium Regiment at the Advanced Landing Ground (ALG), had applied for leave.

Since his higher-ups denied him the same, Swapnil in a fit of rage allegedly shot at himself at the ALG here, the sources added.

“This morning while jawans were undergoing physical training at the ALG, Swapnil pointed his service rifle at his throat. He then fired a bullet which pierced through his head. This happened in the presence of
officers”, the source said.

The jawan was taken to the district hospital where doctors declared him brought dead.

A senior Army officer said the jawan, who was unmarried, was working as a clerk and was undergoing better proficiency test.

Jammu-based defence spokesperson Lt-Col S.D.Goswami said a court of inquiry had been ordered. Meanwhile, the police has initiated inquest proceedings under Section 174 of the RPC.

“The police after a postmortem examination handed over his body to the Army authorities”, the source said.

Srinagar, May 28
The bad weather continues to play spoilsport in people’s lives. Two persons fell prey to cloudbursts and two received injuries when struck by lightening at different places in south Kashmir.

The deceased have been identified as Nazia (15) of Haptnar area in Anantnag district and Gul Mohd (36) of Qazigund area and the injured are two minor girls --- Shahnaza (8) and Rehana (6).

The police said Nazia died when she came under cloudburst while grazing cattle in Haptnar area of Anantnag district. Similarly, Gul Mohd died when he was working in the paddy fields in Qazigund area of Anantnag.

Two girls, Shahnaza and Rehana received injuries due to thundering and lightening at Sedow in Shopian district. They were shifted to hospital and discharged after getting treatment, the police said.

Hailstorms have caused heavy damage to horticulture crops, mainly in north Kashmir, during the past few days.

In view of the hailstorms and heavy rains in the region, minister for horticulture, PHE and irrigation Mohammad Dilawar Mir has directed the officers concerned and field agencies to conduct a thorough survey in various hailstorm-hit areas to assess quantum of damage caused to horticulture crop in the valley.

He was addressing an emergency meeting held here yesterday to take stock of the situation arisen out of massive hailstorm in the valley during last few days.

He directed the officers to launch a sustained awareness campaign through print and electronic media to educate orchard caretakers about remedial measures for minimising the impact of hail on the fruit-crop.

Deputy Chief Minister Muzaffar Hussain Baig conducted an extensive tour of Baramulla district yesterday to assess the damage caused to the property and crops due to the recent hailstorms. 

Srinagar, May 28
The state police has excelled in a field which one does not associate with policing - running a de-addiction centre. The de-addiction centre was set up in Srinagar in February this year by the police and has treated 67 patients so far.

Police sources said only two patients had relapsed into drug abuse after being discharged. “It is by medical standards a very healthy rate of success. The centre has shown brilliant results in a very short time,” sources said.

The centre is treating 32 patients in its indoor ward, while 35 were treated in the outdoor ward. Not only patients from Kashmir are being benefited but patients from outside the valley are also being treated.

Presently the number of patients in the waiting list is 62.Police officials who set up the centre said their claims were no hollow exercise in self-praise as hospitals in Srinagar like SKIMS, Soura, and SMHS hospital were referring their patients to the centre.

The number of patients referred from the Government Psychiatric Diseases Hospital, a hospital specialising in mental care, had also referred eight patients to the centre, 
officials added.

Police officials said drug abuse was substantial among the people. “The young generation has grown up amidst terror and violence. The dependence of this generation on drugs has increased manifold,” they said.

Indeed, police stations have referred 12 patients for treatment after officials came across them during patrol. However, limited resources of the centre has come across as a major handicap.