Udhampur, May 31
The Congress leadership has been desperately trying to rope in some social activists with clean image to face the Panthers Party and the BJP in Udhampur in order to open its account in the district in the coming Assembly elections.

In two successive Assembly elections, the Congress miserable failed to win from the area, which falls under Udhampur.

As the present leadership in this district failed to expand base of the party, the Congress high command has decided to introduce fresh and young faces in the coming Assembly elections. Janak Raj Gupta, political advisor to Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad has been frequently visiting Udhampur district to shortlist some potential candidates.

Interestingly, more than 20 leaders are staking claims on three seats of Udhampur district. “People are fed up with present Congress leaders of Udhampur. To meet the challenges of the BJP and the Panthers, the party has to field some young candidates,” a senior Congress leader told The Tribune and admitted that party has been trying to woo some leaders of the BJP.

According to party sources, a senior Congress minister, who was assigned the job to rope in some BJP leaders for the Udhampur seat, was in touch with some leaders.

“It is too early to say who will be the party candidate for the Udhampur seat but one thing is clear that the Congress would field a strong and potential candidate of clean image this time,” sources said.

Despite strong wave in its favour in 2002 Assembly elections, the Congress failed to win even a single from the present Udhampur district. Although the party candidate Jugal Kishore had won Reasi seat, this area has been now carved out from Udhampur district.

Udhampur district comprised three seats namely Udhampur, Ramnagar and Chenani. After Doda, Udhampur is another crucial district for the Congress where party has been facing stiff challenge from the BJP and the Panthers Party.

Dhammi (Nagrota), May 31
The political rivalry among parties in the state seems to be the only reason that orders issued by Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad stand unimplemented in the constituency of the opposition party.

Two years ago, the Chief Minister had announced to upgrade Government Middle School, Dhami, Dhansal division, to the level of a high school.

But two years have passed and the school is still waiting to be upgraded.

“The Chief Minister during a visit to the school in April, 2006, had announced to upgrade the school. However, we are still waiting for it to happen,” Naseeb Singh, headmaster, said.

He added that students faced various hardships due to the absence of a high school in the region.

The locals blame the ruling coalition alliance of playing politics with the people as a BJP MLA represented the constituency in the state Assembly.

“Is this the value of the promise made to us by the Chief Minister? Two years have passed, but his promise stands unfulfilled,” Bishandas, a resident of Dhami village, said.

Adding he said, “Our children are made to suffer because we voted for a BJP candidate in the state Assembly. This was not taken well by the ruling coalition in the state.”

The students who pass from this middle school have to take admission in a high school in Nagrota, which is around 10 to 15 km from here.

“If the school is upgraded, it will ease the problem of the students who mostly belong to the lower strata of the society,” Abdul Kadir, a resident of Dhami, said.

The school caters to a population of more than 2,000 in and around Dhami village.

It also recorded a pass percentage of 75 per cent in the class VIII board examination.

A state education department official said, “We expect the school to be upgraded shortly.”

However, residents of the area said they were being made a “victim” of politics and had started to doubt whether the school would ever be upgraded.

“The department has upgraded various schools in the constituency of the ruling alliance,” a local resident rued.

Udhampur, May 31
Enraged over failure of the coalition regime to remove discrimination with employees of the Jammu region, the Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC)- a labour wing of the Congress, yesterday threatened to revive the agitation, which was suspended following an assurance of Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad. "Except assurances nothing concrete has been done by the state government to bring employees of the Jammu region at par with their colleagues of the Kashmir valley", regretted Som Nath, a senior leader of INTUC and president of the PHE Employees Union. "It is a mockery that employees working in the Jammu region have been getting a meager salary of Rs 500 per month but their counterparts in Kashmir, who have been working on same post and position are drawing Rs 2100 per month", he pointed out. Issue of the disparity between salaries of daily wage workers of Jammu and Kashmir regions, engaged by the Public Health Engineering (PHE) Department, has rocked the state assembly a number of times. The state government has assured to remove this disparity but this discrimination is still persisting.

Srinagar, May 31
Militants attacked company headquarters of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) in Sapore by hurling a hand grenade last evening, official sources said today.

The militants hurled a hand grenade towards the headquarters of the 92 Batallion, housed in Kapra theater, Sopore, about 55 km from here, the sources said.

However, it missed the main camp building and exploded in the compound without causing any damage. No militant outfit has claimed responsibility for the attack.

Meanwhile, security forces today foiled an infiltration bid when they gunned down a heavily armed militant near the Line of Control (LoC) in the frontier district of Kupwara, a defence ministry spokesman said.

He said troops guarding the LoC noticed a group of militants sneaking into this side from Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) in the Keran sector early this morning.

When challenged near Kolang, militants opened fire with automatic weapons. Troops also retaliated and in the ensuing gunbattle, one infiltrator was killed. He said the operation was still going on when the reports last came in.

About a dozen militants were killed by the troops after they entered this side from PoK since the snow started melting on the routes being used for infiltration. A senior Army officer said more than 1,500 trained militants were waiting across the border to cross over into this side this summer.

In another incident, the police arrested a Lashkar-e-Toiba militant here last evening.. Acting on a tip-off, the police arrested LeT militant Gowhar Ali Ganie, a resident of Koil Pulwama at Dalgate area here, official sources said. One Chinese pistol with a magazine and four rounds were recovered from his possession. — UNI

Rajouri, May 31
Even as the state government is spending huge funds for providing quality education in its schools, it has failed to achieve the desired results. Of the 17 government-run high and higher secondary schools in Kalakote tehsil, the pass percentage in five schools is zero per cent, that is, none passed.

Sources in the district education department disclosed that students in five schools in Kalakote tehsil had failed in the class X examination. The schools included Higher Secondary School (HSS) Broh, HSS, Kameela and HSS, Kalakote.

Sources further said the results of class X in other government schools were also bad. High School, Dhayla, Kalakote, with 57 per cent marks has achieved the maximum pass percentage in class X, High School, Rainthal, has secured a pass percentage of 29 per cent. Schools like HSS, Mogla and HSS, Syal Sui, have registered a pass percentage of 33 per cent and 36 per cent, respectively.

However, sources said in the four private-run schools in Kalakote tehsil, the pass percentage in class X examination was 100 per cent.

A senior education department officer said teachers took their assignments lightly and were not bothered about the career of students. Director, school education, was not available for comments.

Pahalgam, May 31
The tourist resort of Pahalgam, about 100 km south of Srinagar, which also serves as a base camp for the annual pilgrimage to holy cave shrine of Amarnath, awaits the beginning of yatra.

While it is already abuzz with moderate flow of domestic tourists, the two-month-long yatra from June 18 to the holy cave, 48 kms from here, would be an addition to the tourism activity around the lush green slopes on either side of the river Lidder with its gushing waters between the high mountains covered by long pine trees.

Those associated with the tourism trade including hotel owners, taxi operators and pony-wallahs here await the implementation of the decisions taken by the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board (SASB) over free movement of pilgrims to the tourist spot, unlike since militancy erupted.

The pilgrims would be totally free to decide as to whether they wish to stay in Pahalgam hotels or in the Nunwan camp, a meeting of the SASB officials and the local civil and police officials decided here last week.

It also decided that as the first step the security check post at Serbal would be relocated near Nunwan and the usual tourist traffic diverted to Pahalgam via the circuit road.

Arun Kumar, chief executive officer (CEO) of the SASB and principal secretary to the Governor, said domestic tourists from outside the state could visit Pahalgam even during the yatra period without any obstacles. The measure would boost the occupancy of Pahalgam hotels even when schools re-open in the rest of the country after the summer vacations, he said.

According to Javed Burza, representative of the traders, this was a “positive step and various other measures are being taken in the long run to regulate the tourist and pilgrim traffic here,” he said.

“Tourists would be coming to this place directly,” Ghulam Nabi, president of taxi union said and added that things would be clear only when the yatra begins.

“If the tourists from outside the valley, who are lodged in various hotels and huts, and move around so freely, are safe now, then why can’t the yatris be safe,” he asked.

The “security measures” taken up by the government hampered trade and business here over the years, he lamented. Ramesh Saproo, a hotel owner, said that most of the local tourists and school children were not visiting here for undue delay on the road from Anantnag, for frequent security checks leading to long wait in queues.

Srinagar, May 31
After a gap of 22 years, the Awami National Conference led by former Chief Minister Ghulam Mohammad Shah formally announced its decision to participate in the forthcoming Assembly elections here today.

Addressing mediapersons, the former chief minister said this decision taken to provide a “clean administration” would, however, be only an “administrative measure with no bearing on the future of the disputed status of Jammu and Kashmir.”

He announced that he would talk to the leaders of both factions of the separatist Hurriyat Conference and other leaders to garner their support.

Both the moderate and hardline factions of the Hurriyat Conference led by Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Syed Geelani Shah Geelani, respectively, were important organizations, he added.

These parties supported tripartite talks for the resolution of Kashmir issue, the view supported by the Awami National Conference as well, Shah said in reply to questions. “I want to meet the leaders of both the factions of the Hurriyat Conference and other pro-freedom parties,” he said.

Shah reiterated his party’s stand on the tripartite talks to resolve the Kashmir issue in accordance with the aspirations of its people. “Though elections are the soul of democracy, but in no way are a substitute towards the final settlement of the Kashmir dispute. After a gap of 22 years, the ANC has been forced to participate in the elections only as an administrative measure,” Shah stated.

The manifesto in the making would focus on economic rehabilitation, clean and corruption free administration, human rights and tackling unemployment, he said.

The former chief minister had taken up various issues including human rights, conduct of free and fair elections and holding intra-Kashmir conference during his meeting with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in New Delhi recently.

Accordingly the ANC has chalked out the first list of former Prime Ministers and over 100 political personalities, former chief justices and judges, intellectuals and media persons as elections observers in the state.

Srinagar, May 31
A few days back four school going girls entered the J&K Welfare Organisation, a de-addiction centre in Khanyar, and pleaded with the doctor to make their lives free of drugs.

But surprisingly when asked to bring their parents along, as part of de-addiction care, these girls never came back. “I still wonder what they would be doing now; Must be feeling bad about themselves and taking painkillers and anti-depressant pills,” says the general secretary of the society, recollecting the whole episode.

In Kashmir, a myriad of factors have coalesced together to give drug abuse an unprecedented rise among the youth. And these days it’s prevalent among the girls.

“Our survey shows 50 per cent of male and 20 per cent of female have some kind of dependency on drugs,” he says. For many, these unproven figures are exaggerated, but experts admit that things are getting worse.

Shafat Unnabi, a project director with the HNSS, a well recognised anti-drugs NGO, says he ran his centre exclusively for girls for one month and seven of them came forward. “If you evaluate this number in the context of the conservatism in our society and the added stigma associated with it, it’s worrisome,” he says.

The NGO came into being some 10 years back when besides hashish the use of brown sugar had taken roots in the valley.

Shabir Ahmad Shabir, who runs the J&K Welfare Organisation, and Unnabi say drug abuse took firm roots in the valley during the militancy when people, especially men, lived under the fear of militants and security forces chasing them.

And smuggling of heroin through Pakistan found ready market in the valley. “This was so bad. Hashish is less dangerous but people took to brown sugar (prepared from heroin) because it did not smell like hashish and alcohol," Unnabi says. Militants were harsh on those drinking alcohol or smoking hashish, but it did not really help the society.

A government psychiatrist told The Tribune drug-abuse was rife, but couldn't say how much. “There is no such study to my knowledge. But I can sense it from the number of patients coming to us,” he said, wishing not to be quoted due to departmental rules.

He said lack of recreation for the young in the valley, which has only one cinema hall in Srinagar and not much of outdoor life, is one of the contributing factors.

Udhampur, May 31
In connection with the World Anti-tobacco Day, hundreds of students today took out a rally to educate masses against consequences of consuming tobacco.

This impressive rally was organised by the Guru Gobind Singh Study Circle, an NGO working for the eradication of social evils. Students from 22 educational institutes of Udhampur town participated in the rally which started from the main chowk and passed through different bazaars of the town.

Carrying banners and posters depicting messages, students educated the people against smoking and consuming tobacco. Some placards depicted smoking as the main cause of heart attack, tuberculosis and lung diseases. Students also tried to educate how smoking affected others who worked near a smoker.

Addressing the rally, some senior students asked the authorities to strictly implement ban on the sale of cigarettes and other tobacco products within 100 yards of educational institutions.

In this connection a poster-making contest was also organised here in which large number of students participated.

Jammu, May 31
As a result of resource crunch, the state government plans to carry out development of technologies required for post-harvest management in the horticulture sector.

It also plans to improve grading and cold-chain system for the preservation of fresh fruits in a phased manner. Official sources today said the entire scheme required over Rs 170 crore.

The scheme include modernisation of infrastructure needed for ensuring dependable connectivity to potential areas of fruit production, replacing old and senile fruit trees by hybrid varieties, upgrade of the irrigation system by installing deep bore wells, shallow wells, tube wells and water storage in orchards.

Horticulture department officials claimed that as a result of better management and plantation of hybrid fruit trees, the total annual fruit production had increased from 10.97 lakh tonnes to over 15 lakh tonnes during the past five years.

This has helped the state to record an annual turnout of Rs 1,900 crore in case of fresh fruits like apple and Rs 300 crore from dry fruits. A government report has indicated that walnut continued to be the main dry fruit export item as it yielded Rs 300 crore per year out of which foreign exchange amounted to Rs 120 crore.

They said once the upgrade of the infrastructure was completed, the annual production of fruits could touch over 17 lakh tonnes.

Sources further said the state had the potential of producing fruits of the value of Rs 3,000 crore.

The government has taken several measures for promoting dry land horticulture in hilly and backward areas like improving scientific management of orchards and introduction of high density plantation programmes.

Srinagar, May 31
Slightly shifting from his stand, hardline Hurriyat Conference chairman Syed Ali Shah Geelani has said he would accept an independent state of the entire Jammu and Kashmir in view of an indifferent approach of the Pakistan government.

Geelani was speaking to mediapersons at the Central Press Club of Muzaffarabd in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir in a telephonic press conference from here recently.

Geelani, who parted ways from the erstwhile All-Party Hurriyat Conference five years ago, has not been happy with the Pakistan’s approach on the Kashmir issue, and has been averse to the ongoing dialogue process between Mirwaiz-led APHC and the leadership in India and Pakistan.

Mirwaiz had had several rounds of talks with the Central government and also visited PoK and Pakistan during the past four years.

Srinagar, May 31
The Army remembered its youngest Maha Vir Chakra awardee Colonel Chhewang Rinchen in Leh.

The Army rechristened the Corps Lecture Hall located near the Leh airport as the Rinchen Auditorium.

Northern Command GoC-in-C Lt-Gen P.C. Bhardwaj unveiled a bust of Colonel Chhewang Rinchen, the Army said yesterday.