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PDP politics: Blow to Azad, N-support to Sonia
Protests outside Vohra’s house
Vohra urged to solve land row
Governor renews peace call
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VAT exemption sought
People relieved over end of unrest
Post-turmoil: Jammu conveys clear message
3 LeT ultras shot dead
With caretaker govt in place, secretariat wears holiday look
Kargil council seeks extension
of term
Militant aide with ‘PDP links’ held
Parties hopeful of fair poll
Prisoner’s release rekindles hopes among other Indians
Pilgrim flow to cross 80-lakh mark
School building collapses
Mughal Road Project Labourers working along the Mughal Road which is under construction. Photo by writer
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PDP politics: Blow to Azad, N-support to Sonia
Jammu, July 9 Political observers here saw the rapport the Mufti family shares with UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi behind the move. Talking to The Tribune, PDP supremo Mehbooba Mufti justified her move to support the UPA government. “We have been a part of the UPA for long.” “We pulled out of the state government for a reason. The state was in turmoil and the people were being killed. Also after taking over the reigns from Mufti Sahab, the Azad government had deviated from the healing touch policy. The situation was kind of getting back to 1990s,” she said. Interestingly, she was all praise for the UPA chairperson and Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh for “always supporting Mufti's policies.” “It was the PM who set up a panel to look into our demand of troop withdrawal after the idea was opposed by Azad,” she said. Refusing to brand the deal as anti-Muslim, she said it was good for everyone. “We would not like to do anything that makes way for the communal forces to take over the country,” she averred. Meanwhile, the National Conference, which has two MPs, seemed to be keeping its options open on the deal as of now. Party president Omar Abdullah said, “I'm in New Delhi, meeting the parties who are for and against the deal. I will get their views and put them before our party before reaching a final decision on it.” However, he has made some positive remarks about the deal in his blog. “I can understand it being against national interest or against economic interest but I can’t understand how it can be against any one religion,” he said. Political analyst Prof Rekha Chaudhary attributed the PDP’s stand to the Mufti family’s personal rapport with Sonia Gandhi. She said the National Conference too would not like to be seen siding with the NDA at this point of time due to the BJP factor.
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Protests outside Vohra’s house
Jammu, July 9 The demonstrators included BJP state president Ashok Khajuria; Vishav Hindu Parishad (VHP) state president Ramakant Dubey; chamber of commerce and industries (CCI) president Ram Sahai; former MoS Defence and senior BJP leader Chaman Lal Gupta; representatives of Bar Association, Jammu, and various religious, social and business outfits that were a part of the samiti. Earlier, different groups of agitators, followed by their leaders assembled outside the Raj Bhawan and raised slogans in favour of the samiti’s demands. Addressing the gathering, samiti members assured the people that they would not back off from their goal. Most of the samiti members said they would stop the protests if the Governor agreed to their demands. “The samiti will continue the protest demonstrations along with the signature campaign and send it to President Pratibha Patil,” Sharma added. Sharma informed that the signature campaign reflected that people were dissatisfied with the land revocation order. He added that block level committees of the samiti would be formed and they would also start the signature campaign.
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Vohra urged to solve land row
Udhampur, July 9 Expressing his concern over the death of youth in the recent violence, Yogi urged upon the district administration to take disciplinary action against the miscreants who were responsible for lobbying a grenade. He demanded that a government job be given to the widow of deceased Manjeet Singh along with an ex-gratia relief of Rs 10 lakh. Meanwhile, National Conference leader Mohammad Aslam Goni has demanded a judicial probe into the whole episode. |
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Governor renews peace call
Srinagar, July 9 Interacting with delegations representing various segments of the society here yesterday, the Governor exhorted leaders of different political parties and social organisations to display their time-tested sagacity and redouble their efforts to bring about harmony which, he stressed, was imperative at this crucial juncture when the state is treading the path of development after having suffered the onslaught of violence and terrorism nearly for two decades. An 11-member National Conference legislators’ delegation from Jammu, led by provincial president Ajay
Sadhotra, urged the Governor to ensure adequate arrangements for pilgrims visiting Jammu, the gateway to two important pilgrimages of Mata Vaishno Devi and
Amarnath. They said the traditional hospitality of the people of Jammu has remained unmatched and the local citizens always have risen to the occasion in providing shelter to those in distress, even during the most testing times. Responding to the suggestions made by the delegation from Jammu, the Governor reiterated that the restoration of peace and ensuring the welfare of all sections of the society is on the top of the government’s agenda and sought the cooperation of one and all in restoring normalcy. He stressed that peace was imperative for the development and prosperity Vohra also had an interaction with Prof Saif-ud-Din Soz, union minister and Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee chief. He also met a delegation comprising Ghulam Hassan Mir and Hakim Mohammed
Yaseen, an official spokesman said. Earlier, the Governor held separate meetings with chief secretary S.S. Kapur and DGP Kuldeep
Khoda. |
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VAT exemption sought
Jammu, July 9 Though various states, including Himachal Pradesh and Punjab, have given VAT exemption to the CSD, but repeated requests of the ex-servicemen league to the state government had yielded no results. Speaking to The Tribune, president of the Jammu and Kashmir Ex-servicemen League Major-Gen Goverdhan Singh Jamwal(retd), said, "We had strongly taken up the issue of VAT exemption with the state government, even I held a meeting with former chief minister Ghulam Nabi Azad on the issue and he had assured of extending VAT exemption to the CSD." He said, "The case was sent to the cabinet sub-committee which then forwarded it to the state finance department; however, no decision has so far been taken in this regard." The serving army officials are also annoyed on what they term as the indifferent attitude of the state government for not extending VAT exemption to the CSDs in the state. "The states like West Bengal charge only 2 to 4 per cent of VAT from defence services, but in Jammu and Kashmir we are being charged at 12.5 per cent," said an army officer Major-Gen Goverdhan Singh Jamwal (retd) who himself held rounds of meeting with Azad says that the state should identify the services being provided by the armed forces and should immediately extend VAT exemption to them. The profit that comes from the sales at the CSD is being used for the welfare of the troops, however, levying of VAT on the CSD has brought the sales down, thus reducing the profits. "With the opening of mega malls in the state, the sales at the CSD have been affected, thus reducing the profits, as a result fewer amounts are being generated to be used for the welfare of the troops,” said an army officer. |
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People relieved over end of unrest
Jammu, July 9 Following violent protest demonstrations in and around Jammu the authorities had clamped indefinite curfew and had called in the Rapid Action Force (RAF). As the curfew was lifted following the suspension of strike for seven days; people in large number came out to resume their normal routines. Shops and business establishments that remained closed for more than nine days opened today and people in large numbers thronged the markets to purchase items of daily use. "We were facing an acute shortage of essential commodities as these were not available as the markers remained closed for more than nine days; however, we don't want to take any chance as after seven days the agitation might start again,” said Manisha Mangotra, a resident of Gandhi Nagar, Jammu. He said, "At fist we were caught unawares as we never knew that the strike would continue for so long, but this time we want to be fully prepared." Vehicular traffic that remained off the road following the violent protests resumed normally on all roads across the Jammu region. Hundreds of vehicles thronged the city petrol and diesel stations, which had remained closed because of the complete shutdown and curfew. After remaining cash starved for many days people of Jammu in large numbers thronged the banks and ATMs where long queues of people were seen.
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Post-turmoil: Jammu conveys clear message
Jammu, July 9 Prof Virender Gupta of the Jammu State Morcha (Progressive) said, “The successive state governments have bowed before Kashmiri fundamentalists, turning a blind eye to the people of Jammu region, which has been amply corroborated by Muslims and Sikhs joining the land row agitation.” He said the ongoing stir was a struggle against the injustice meted out to the people of Jammu in the past 60 years by Kashmiri rulers. “It is a spontaneous outburst of the people irrespective of their religion, caste and political affiliations against the Kashmiri rule and domination,” Gupta said. Ashwani Kumar Sharma, Jammu State Morcha MLA, Bishnah, said, “Obviously there is anger among people as they were discriminated time and again. The Centre as well as the successive state governments had been giving in to the demands of anti-nationalist forces in Kashmir. The Azad government made a mistake by ignoring the interests of the people of Jammu.” |
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Srinagar, July 9 In another incident, shopkeeper Ghulam Hassan Baba was injured when militants carried out a grenade attack on a CRPF picket at Sarafkadal in interior city last evening, official sources said. The grenade fell short of the picket and exploded on the roadside causing splinter injuries to Baba who was later shifted to a hospital. Dreaded LeT militants -- Mohammad Amin Beg and his Pakistani associate Abu Qari -- were killed in a gunfight with security forces at Sumriyal forest near Lolab in Kupwara district last night. Four AK rifles, 16 magzines, 429 rounds of ammunition, five UBGL grenades and seven maps were recovered from the slain militants. Another LeT militant was killed in a gunfight during search operations at Shokbaba forest in Bandipora district this morning.One AK rifle and other arms and ammunition were recovered from the militant. Civilian Ghulam Mohiuddin Parra was killed when he was allegedly fired upon by an ambush party of security forces outside his house at Reram village in Tangmarg area of Baramulla in the wee hours today. Parra's death sparked off protests as hundreds of people blocked the Srinagar-Tangmarg road demanding an inquiry into his killing.The protesters, however, dispersed peacefully when senior civil officers visited the scene and assured that the incident would be looked into and the family of the deceased provided ex-gratia relief in accordance with the rules. aHe said security forces averted a major tragedy when they detected and defused an improvised explosive device (IED) in a bus at stadium colony, Baramulla. The bus was on way to Baramulla from Handwara. The driver and conductor were arrested, he added. — PTI/UNI
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With caretaker govt in place, secretariat wears holiday look
Srinagar, July 9 Work has come to a virtual standstill as the ministers of the caretaker government are keeping away from the office and, though, the Governor’s rule is impending there is no declaration of it yet. Many senior officers of the secretary level have also kept away from the offices and are taking an unofficial break. “Routine work is going on. Only those files have been kept in abeyance in which the view of the ministers has to be taken into account,” a senior officer said. However, the prevailing air of uncertainty over the governance and the take-it-easy mood have made many officers virtually stop working, another officer said. People have also taken a cue from the empty corridors of the secretariat. They apparently believe that the executive has stopped working and there is little need of wasting their time and money in reaching the secretariat. The common man is not coming. Only contractors and others who are routine fixtures in bureaucrats' offices could be seen, an employee said. However, chief secretary S.S. Kapoor is carrying out his work in overdrive as files have piled up in his office. Being the senior most officer and absence of any political master has added to his responsibility. Official sources said this would continue till a new elected government takes over. Even if the Governor’s rule comes into force, they said, he would not be taking any major policy decision.
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Kargil council seeks extension
of term
Srinagar, July 9 A delegation from Kargil led by chief executive councilor and chairman, KAHDC Asgar Ali Karbalai and comprising Haji Nissar Ali and Ghulam Raza, both legislators, met Governor N.N. Vohra at Raj Bhawan today. The delegation pleaded that in view of a very limited working season, the topographically disadvantageous district would suffer on the developmental front in case three consecutive elections are held- first to the Council, then to the Assembly followed by the elections to the Parliament after shorter intervals. Karbalai urged the Governor to consider extension in the term of the Council, as provided in the Act, so that focused attention is paid to the execution of development projects before the working season comes to a close later this year. The Governor assured that the demand would be appropriately examined by the Ladakh Affairs Department in the state government. The CEC briefed the Governor about the developmental activities undertaken in Kargil and said that every endeavour was being made to ensure completion of various projects on a time bound basis. |
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Militant aide with ‘PDP links’ held
Rajouri, July 9 Muhammad Naseem, a former numberdar, of Narole village in Mendhar was arrested on July 5. The police recovered a satellite phone and three mobile phones (two with Pakistani SIM cards) from his house. He has been handed over to the counter insurgency (CI) wing of the police for interrogation at a joint interrogation centre (JIC) Jammu. Police sources said about three weeks back, the Army had reportedly conveyed to the CI wing about some civilian using satellite phone in Mendhar area. The Army also informed that person use to shuttle between Mendhar and Jammu, sources added. The sources claimed that Muhammad Naseem used to go to Jammu, on the instructions of the ISI, to identify places to plant bombs so as to inflict maximum casualities ahead of the elections in the state. He was also reportedly monitoring the movement of VIPs, security forces including the Army and convey the same to his bosses across the border, they added. He was also providing the information regarding the deployment of different Army units and brigades in Poonch, Mendhar, Rajouri, Jammu, Akhnoor areas, the sources said. K. Rajendra Kumar, IG, Jammu region, confirmed that the police has arrested an OGW but he refused to divulge much. “We are investigating the matter,” IG averred.
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Parties hopeful of fair poll
Jammu, July 9 BJP president Ashok Khajuria today said, “We believe under the President’s rule, elections would not be rigged.” Khajuria said chances of rigging under a political regime were always quite high. He said the BJP had long ago raised the demand for imposition of the President’s rule because “free and fair poll could have not been possible under the PDP-Congress rule.” Leader of the Panthers Party, Harsh Dev Singh, said, “Governor N.N. Vohra is a seasoned bureaucrat who will not allow political leaders to misuse official machinery and resources during the election. He said whenever elections were held in the state under a political regime, the ruling party invariably misused official machinery for rigging the poll.” However, PDP general secretary Nizam-ud-Din Bhat and National Conference provincial president Ajay Sadhotra said, since the elections were to be held under the supervision of the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC), the Governor had no role to play. Bhat added, “We believe in the assurances given by the CEC regarding free poll. We have no reason to doubt his integrity.” Meanwhile, chief, Jammu and Kashmir Democratic Party, Ghulam Hassan Mir, said working of the Election Commission was fair and transparent. It was the commission which supervised the poll process, he added. As such the Governor had no role to play and his rule was an exception and could not be an alternate to the people’s government.
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Prisoner’s release rekindles hopes among other Indians
Kuccha Talab (Bisnah), July 9 Basking in his new found freedom, Ram Prakash claimed that he met 36 natives, including three women, during the 10 years that he spent at the Lahore jail. “There are 36 Indian prisoners, including three women, who are desperate to meet their families,” said Ram, while talking to The Tribune. Ram added that there were two Jammu natives - Kuldeep Singh and Ramraj - with him at the jail. “Both of them were convicted under the 59 Pakistani Army Act (PAA),” he said. Talking of Kuldeep, Ram said, “He has been awarded 25 years in jail.” He disclosed that Kuldeep was suffering from heart ailment and tuberculosis. “Kuldeep was nabbed from Aurangpur village in Sialkot district of Pakistan near Abdullian village on this side of the border in R.S. Pura sector on June 13, 1997,” he added. Talking of Ramraj (50), Ram said he had been awarded four years imprisonment. Recalling his days at the prison, Ram claimed that no inhumane treatment was meted out to Indian prisoners. But complications in the 59 PAA made it difficult for convicted people, while filing for an appeal or seeking clemency, he added. After spending 11 years in prison, Ram said his release had rekindled hopes among other Indian prisoners. “After knowing that I would be repatriated, other Indian prisoners congratulated me with a glimmer of hope that they too would be united with their families,” he said. Ram hoped that both the countries would take up the case of prisoners in the right earnest and reunite them with their families.
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Pilgrim flow to cross 80-lakh mark
Srinagar, July 9 The board was informed that 38.75 lakh pilgrims had visited the shrine during first half of this year, which was about 4.35 lakh more than the number, during the corresponding period last year. In June this year, over 10.50 lakh pilgrims visited the shrine, which was the highest ever so far in a single month. — TNS |
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School building collapses
Udhampur, July 9 They alleged that they had repeatedly informed the authorities about deplorable conditions of the building but of no avail. They demanded immediate repair of the building so that students would not suffer after opening of
the school. A large portion of the building collapsed when some children were playing in the premises of the school. It is believed that building collapsed due to heavy rains. |
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Mughal Road Project
Chattapani-Mughal Road, July 9 The locals have been frequenting the project sites to see the progress of work. The 89-km-long road, once completed, would reduce the travelling distance by three times. Besides, it would be a big boost for farmers, who would be able to sell their produce in Kashmir markets. The people are hoping that the project would also boost tourism prospects. “This road means a lot for us. Once the construction work of the road is completed and it is opened for vehicular traffic, it will change our destinies,” said Riyaz Ahmed, a engineer and resident of Surankote, who along with his two sons Aqib and Asif had come to the project site. Farooq Ahmed, a local farmer, here said, “I grow maize, turnip and Knol Khol in my land. At present we don’t have a good market for our produce. So we have to sell the produce at throw away prices in the local market but once this road opens, it will definitely help us in getting good rates in markets of Kashmir.” Jasbir Singh, junior engineer, Road and Buildings Department, said out of 89 km, 43 km of road lies in Poonch district and rest in Kashmir province. “We are hoping to construct the road on this side by the year end. Next year we will probably complete double laning of the road that lies in Poonch district,” he said.
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Srinagar, July 9
Chattapani-Mughal Road, July 9
