Srinagar, July 12
In a major administrative shake up, first after the Governor's rule was imposed in Jammu and Kashmir, 42 senior officers (25 IAS and 17 KAS officers) were transferred today.

The following officers are transferred:

S.V. Bhave, (IAS) principal resident commissioner, J&K Government, New Delhi has been transferred and posted as financial commissioner (coordination), New Delhi.

S.S. Sahni has been transferred and posted as principal resident commissioner.

B.L. Nimesh, principal secretary to the government, Labour and Employment Department, has transferred and posted as chairman, J&K Special Tribunal vice Atul Dulloo. Anil Goswami, principal secretary to the government has transferred and posted as principal secretary to government, home department relieving chief secretary of the additional charge of the post.

Lokesh Dutt Jha, commissioner-cum-secretary to the government, ARI & Trainings Department, has been transferred and posted as commissioner-cum-secretary to the government, Revenue, Relief and Rehabilitation Department, vice Masaud Samoon.

Atul Dulloo, chairman of J&K Special Tribunal has been transferred and posted as commissioner-cum-secretary to the Government, Health and Medical Education Department.

Mehboob Iqbal, divisional commissioner, Kashmir has been transferred and posted as commissioner-cum-secretary to the government, Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution Department vice Khalid Habib. Khalid Habib, has been transferred and posted as commissioner-cum-secretary to Government, Labour and Employment Department.

Prithpal Singh Betab, Labour Commissioner, J&K has been transferred and posted as Commissioner-cum-Secretary to Government, ARI & Trainings Department vice Lokesh Dutt Jha.

Masaud Samoon, Commissioner-cum-Secretary to Government, Revenue Department has been transferred and posted as Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir vice Mehboob Iqbal.

K.B. Jandial, secretary to the government, Health and Medical Education Department, has been transferred and posted as secretary to the government, Information and Floriculture Departments. Syed Mohammad Fazalullah, Secretary, Home Department has been transferred and posted as Commissioner of Enquiries, J&K vice Sunita Sharma.

B.D. Sharma, Deputy Commissioner, Poonch has been transferred and posted as Labour Commissioner, J&K vice Prithpal Singh Betab.

Sheikh Ejaz Iqbal, deputy commissioner, Srinagar has been transferred and posted as managing director, J&K State Financial Corporation on deputation basis relieving the Vice Chairman, Srinagar Development Authority of the additional charge of the post.

Farooq Ahmad Peer, awaiting orders of adjustment has been posted as secretary in the Home Department vice Syed Mohammad Fazalullah.

Yedullah, special secretary to the government, Housing and Urban Development Department has been transferred and posted as Secretary in the Planning and Development Department.

Sunita Sharma, commissioner of enquiries, J&K has been transferred and posted as Additional Commissioner, Jammu against an available vacancy.

Kachoo Isfandyar Khan, deputy commissioner, Kupwara has been transferred and posted as deputy commissioner, Srinagar vice Sheikh Ejaz Iqbal.

Jammu, July 12
Amid the controversy surrounding the land diversion to Shri Amarnath Shrine Board (SASB), the National Conference (NC), the only party with wider acceptability in all three regions of the state, has maintained a studied silence in Jammu region in view of the upcoming Assembly polls.

While the party patron, Farooq Abdullah, drew flak from various quarters for reportedly indulging in doublespeak on the issue in the initial days of the controversy, the local party leaders have done a fine balancing act in Jammu region after it. Either they chose to keep mum on the issue or simply said they were not against the Amarnath Yatra.

They would also advocate extending more facilities to the Amarnath pilgrims. The party broke its silence over the issue on July 10. However, the party again evaded any direct comment on the controversy and restricted itself to greeting the people of Jammu for maintaining communal harmony and brotherhood despite “provocations”.

The party’s Jammu province president, Ajay Sadhotra, praised the people for exhibiting tolerance and urged them to be aware of the forces trying to play politics on the Amarnath Yatra and create a rift between Jammu and Kashmir.

Talking to The Tribune, former National Conference minister Harbans Singh said their party had formed Shri Amarnath Shrine Board with an aim to provide better facilities to the pilgrims and they will continue the good work if the state’s people voted them to power in the coming elections. He said the National Conference is the true representative of all the regions and religions of the state, adding that the party is known for its secular character.

The National Conference had secured a thumping majority by winning 57 of the 81 Assembly seats it contested in 1996 Assembly elections. The party had polled 34.70 per cent of votes. However, its graph plummeted drastically in the last Assembly elections and it only managed to win 28 seats. The number was later reduced to 24, as the party lost Batmaloo and Zanskar Assembly constituencies in the byelections, while two of its MLAs - Dilawar Mir and Moulvi Iftikhar Hussain Ansari - quit the party as well as the Assembly.

Now, after remaining out of power for almost six years, the National Conference would like to repeat its performance of 1996. Political observers here feel that though the party may not find the going difficult in the valley, it would have to continue with its cautious approach vis-à-vis the Amarnath land row in Jammu for achieving good results in the region.

Srinagar, July 12
PDP president Mehbooba Mufti has said her party was ready to discuss the Amarnath land issue.

Addressing a daylong session of members of party’s general council after her return from the union capital here today, Mehbooba said the party would expose all those responsible for the controversy.

She said taking reins of the state government in 2002 was a crown of thorns coupled with the inherited follies committed by the National Conference leadership in its three-decades-long regime.

She claimed that countless blunders of the National Conference regime including laws like the POTA, special task force, corruption and favoritism in the recruitment process, and a sense of insecurity made her party’s task very difficult.

She said the task for her party was tough that too coming with only 16 MLAs and heading the coalition government.

The PDP president said in spite of all challenges her party withstood all odds and succeeded in effecting a noticeable change in the situation on the ground.

She held that withstanding all challenges, Mufti Sayeed did not allow “sinister designs” of former Governor S.K. Sinha to succeed.

She said Mufti’s during his tenure as the Chief Minister refused the land transfer as demanded by the former Governor for the Amaranth Shrine Board. During that time, many Congress ministers threatened to resign but Mufti stuck to his stand, foreseeing the repercussions of any such move.

Mehbooba said the shrine board being one of the follies of the NC created in connivance with the BJP was to implement the communal agenda of the fascist forces.

She said, “And unfortunately after the transfer of power, Sinha as the governor and chairman of the shrine board acted as a parallel government in close proximity with Ghulam Nabi Azad. Sinha like a politician started criticising the PDP’s agenda and proposals, be it withdrawal of troops, duel currency, regional council.”

“He also went to the extent of calling the PDP as anti-national and a supporter of militants”, she said.

Referring to her party’s pull-out from the state government, Mehbooba said it was an example, “which should open eyes of the PDP critics and detractors, who have committed blunders in their 30 years regime but never ever took the responsibility.”

Senior PDP leader, Muzaffar Hussain Beig lashed out at the National Conference saying that people of Jammu and Kashmir including the PDP had once again paid a huge price for the NC’s follies.

Srinagar, July 12
The literacy rate in Jammu and Kashmir has shown a significant improvement over the past seven years. According to the latest figures revealed by chief secretary S S Kapur, the state now has a 65 per cent literate population.

Kapur speaking at an interactive session on a Jammu and Kashmir human development report at SKICC here today, said introduction of Sarva Shikha Abhiyan (SSA) and other education related schemes have helped raising the literacy rate, which stood at 43 per cent seven years back, and improving educational standards in the state.

The drop out rate, he said, also has gone down considerably and expressed hope that significant strides would be made in this important sector of human development.

The chief secretary said vital sectors like education, health, tourism etc which had been affected during militancy have been brought back on rails due to strenuous efforts by the government.

He said steps were taken to improve infrastructure in health sector. Referring to the progress in this sector, he said even in far-flung regions like Ladakh adequate healthcare facilities were available to the people.

Kapur had a detailed interaction with the experts and participants and called for adopting positive aspects of the findings and focus on suggestions aimed at providing better facilities to the people.

The day-long workshop was organised by the Universities of Kashmir and Jammu and was attended by Planning Commission member Prof Jayanti Gosh, vice-chancellors of both universities, Prof Riyaz Punjabi and Prof Amitabh Matoo, Jammu and Kashmir Bank chairman Dr Haseeb Drabu, academicians, experts and other senior officers. Jayanti Gosh also spoke on the occasion and highlighted different sectors of human development.

Jammu, July 12
The CPM, headed by M.Y. Tarigami, and the Jammu Kashmir Democratic Party, led by Ghulam Hassan Mir, have not yet given up on their efforts for forming the Third Front in the state.

Though the two feel the need for a new platform in the state, not many political leaders and former legislators have given their nod for joining the proposed front.

In reply to a question, Tarigami said, “Key political leaders would join the front when it takes a definite shape.” On being asked whether the fall of the Azad-led government and the imposition of Governor’s rule had left no scope for the formation of the Third Front, Tarigami said, “The recent developments have no bearing on our efforts for giving shape to a new platform.”

A month ago he had stated that the front would be formed within a few weeks.

However, in the event of any failure on Mir’s and Tarigami’s part, five mainstream political parties, including the PDP, the Congress, the National Conference, the BJP and the Panthers party, would fight it out in the forthcoming elections.

The two factions of the BSP besides, a large number of political leaders, who plan to contest as Independent candidates, are going to play a supplementary role.

Jammu, July 12
Jammu and Kashmir National Panthers Party (JKNPP) chief Bhim Singh today submitted a 13-point memorandum to Governor N.N. Vohra, urging him to withdraw all cases registered against the protesters during the Amarnath land row and sought unconditional release of those who were not involved in any heinous crime.

Bhim Singh also demanded cancellation of all the orders, directions and transfers that were made by the Ghulam Nabi Azad government after Azad was asked by the Governor to prove his majority on the floor of the House, which he failed to do. He also stressed on the constitution of Delimitation Commission in the state before holding the Assembly elections, besides seeking a comprehensive revision of voters’ lists before the polls.

He informed the Governor that the ousted government “had withdrawn the security cover” of many Panthers Party leaders and demanded that the cover be restored to all leaders operating in militancy-affected areas. Bhim Singh also urged that a judicial commission be constituted to inquire into acts of corruption, omission and commission by the ousted government’s ministers.

Jammu, July 12
Former minister and senior Congress leader Gulchain Singh Charak has blamed Kashmir-based leaders for launching a campaign against former chief minister Ghulam Nabi Azad.

Addressing a press conference here, Charak said, “A tirade was launched against the Azad-led government to project its false image. These people with vested interests were feeling insecure with Azad’s growing popularity due to the progressive work he carried out in the state,” he said.

He blamed the Kashmir-based political parties for forming a united front to work against the government and to ensure its fall. “The parties made a united front to see the government’s fall and they also instigated the religious sentiments of the people,” he said.

He said the events that followed the chaos in Jammu province resulted in the government’s downfall. “The PDP legislators withdrew support to the government, leading to its downfall,” Charak said.

Srinagar, July 12
The mainstream and separatist political parties would pay homage to the martyrs of July 13, 1931, at the martyrs graveyard in downtown here tomorrow.

For the first time after five years, both factions of the separatist Hurriyat Conference, have decided to take out a joint march from the Jamia Masjid at Nawhatta to the nearby shrine of Khwaja Naqshband Sahib in Khwaja Bazar, to observe the commemoration day.

This was stated at an APHC meeting presided over by Mirwaiz Umar Farooq. Senior leaders from both factions of the APHC would participate in the procession.

National Conference president Omar Abdullah would be among the mainstream leaders addressing the congregation. Party patron and former chief minister Farooq Abdullah and general secretary Sheikh Nazir Ahmad have also paid their homage to the martyrs in their separate messages.

Srinagar, July 12
Asking Governor N.N. Vohra to start the process of delimitation of the assembly seats, Panthers party chairman Bhim Singh today said elections could wait till the process was over.

Addressing a press conference here, the party chief said the PDP-Congress government deliberately kept the state out of delimitation exercise.

He said the number of seats in all three divisions of the state might not be affected, but reserved seats in the Jammu division should be changed on a rotational basis and geographical proximity while delineating assembly seats should also be kept in mind.

“There are seats like Wachi in Kashmir which spread across four districts and such administration and geographical incongruity do not help matters,” he said.

He also demanded the scrapping of all orders made by outgoing ministers of the Ghulam Nabi Azad government after it lost trust vote in assembly. “Around 1,500 employees were transferred in the last three days of the government. The Governor should take note,” he said.

The Panthers chairman also urged Vohra to withdraw cases against the protestors in Jammu and Kashmir during agitations in both parts over the land transfer controversy.

Though critical of the state Congress leadership, Singh was full of praise for Manmohan Singh and said he ensured that there was no horse-trading prior to the trust vote. He also praised Vohra for timely proclamation of the Governor's rule in the state.

Srinagar, July 12
The Jammu and Kashmir police in a statement issued here has rejected the claim of the Delhi police and stated that militant Tariq Batloo was arrested by them.

Tariq’s earlier arrest had generated a controversy with his family members alleging that the Delhi police had “illegally” arrested him after he was acquitted by a Goa court of terror charges. The police said Tariq used to operate under the code name “Doctor Burhan.” Tariq was first arrested in 1997 and two AK rifles were recovered from his possession. He remained affiliated with the Tehreek-ul-Mujahideen.

He was detained under the PSA and was subsequently released. He was again arrested in 1999. After his release, Tariq was again arrested but he managed to escape from police custody near Zaldagar, Srinagar, and went to Goa from where he was ex-filtrated to Pakistan through Bangladesh on forged travel documents.