Jammu, September 25
Denying any fissures within the Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC), party chief and Union minister for water resources Saif-ud-Din Soz today agreed that in the backdrop of the present political scenario, the party faced several challenges but it would convert them into opportunities.

Responding to mediapersons before the PCC’s executive meet here, Soz said: “Though a few narrow-minded individuals do keep on saying something, there had been no differences whatsoever within the party.”

When asked whether the Amarnath land row had forced the Congress on the back foot and what strategy the party would adopt for the upcoming Assembly polls, Soz said: “Though the Congress is ready to face the elections and it would go by the decision of the apex body, we have requested the Election Commission to assess the situation in the state before taking any decision.”

AICC general secretary and in charge J&K Affairs, Prithivi Raj Chauhan, who had come to Jammu and Kashmir to assess the situation, said development and secularism had always been high on the Congress agenda.

Soz said: “To feel people’s pulse, we first convened a delegate session in Srinagar and now in Jammu. We will give a detailed account to party president Sonia Gandhi.”

Jammu, September 25
A court in Samba today pulled up the Jammu and Kashmir police for failing to register a case on its direction against SSP Prabhat Singh in connection with the death of two youths in police firing during the Amarnath agitation and ordered the crime branch to do so.

The chief judicial magistrate warned crime branch officials of contempt proceedings if they failed to register a case against the SSP within 24 hours.

"The case should be registered against the SSP within 24 hours and a copy of the FIR should be submitted in court within this period," the CJM said.

The court said the probe should begin immediately after the registration of case and a progress report should be given to it on a fortnightly basis.

The court had on September 11 directed the crime branch to register a case against SSP Prabhat Singh in connection with the police firing in Samba which killed two youths during the agitation.

Taking action on a complaint of Chanchal Singh and Khem Raj Pandha, parents of the deceased Sanjeev Singh and Sunny Pandha, the court had directed the crime branch also to submit a report within 15 days.

Sanjeev and Sunny were killed in police firing on protesters in Samba on August 4.

The crime branch plea that a case of death of two youths was already registered in Samba police station and was being probed was turned down by the court.

SSP Prabhat Singh has already been transfered from Samba. — PTI

Jammu, September 25
The BJP today accused the Congress-led UPA government of bartering away the national interests by accepting the demand of Kashmiri leaders to start cross-LoC trade with Pakistan via the Uri-Muzaffarabad and Poonch-Rawalakot routes.

Addressing a press conference here today, state BJP president Ashok Khajuria said the move to open cross-LoC trade negated the unanimous resolution of the Parliament of 1994 which had demonstrated India’s resolve to take from Pakistan all illegally occupied areas, including PoK and Gilgit-Baltistan.

“If at all the government wants to open trade routes with Pakistan then why not through the international border in Suchetgarh or the R.S. Pura in Jammu”, he wondered, stating that the BJP would oppose the cross-LoC trade tooth and nail.

“By agreeing to cross-LoC trade, the UPA government has virtually accepted that Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) is a part of Pakistan”, he said, accusing the Centre of “surrendering before the separatists”.

Khajuria also charged the Kashmiri leaders with not only seeking to establish Greater Kashmir, comprising Kashmir and Muslim-majority areas of Jammu and Ladakh, but also working overtime to get Kashmir separated from India and destroy Jammu economically, politically and geographically.

“Recognition of Pakistan as a deciding factor in PoK by the Congress-led UPA government is an act of treason and the Congress would have to pay a heavy price for this act of betrayal in the national interest”, Khajuria said.

He opined that “the opening of cross-LoC trade would facilitate the task of Kashmiri leaders, who have also said that it would make Kashmir less dependent on Jammu and New Delhi and will adversely impact trade links between Kashmir and Jammu leading to the economic destruction of Jammu”.

Khajuria urged the people of Jammu province, its trading community and industrial houses to “defeat the evil designs of the Congress, which is weakening India’s position in Jammu and Kashmir in order to enable Pakistan and Kashmiri leaders, without any exception, achieve what they couldn't during all these 61 years”.

Jammu, September 25
Panthers Party president Prof Bhim Singh today alleged that former chief minister Ghulam Nabi Azad and other ex-ministers of the previous coalition regime were still occupying their official residences despite the fall of the Azad government.

Interacting with mediapersons, Prof Singh said if the government did not initiate any action on the issue till October 2, they would sit on a hunger strike outside the Election Commission’s office in New Delhi on October 3.

He said the party would also move the Supreme Court if needed.

Prof Singh alleged that former deputy chief minister and senior Congress leader Mangat Ram Sharma was yet to vacate his official residence in Srinagar.

“When the former ministers are enjoying the same facilities as they did in power, how one can expect free and fair elections in the state”, he asked.

While referring to the snapping of trade ties by Kashmiri traders with Jammu, Prof Singh accused the “Congress and the NC-sponsored groups” of creating a wedge between the two regions.

Renewing his party’s demand for delimitation prior to the Assembly elections, Prof Singh alleged that the NC, PDP and the Congress were not in favour of the delimitation of constituencies. “Had the Congress not betrayed the trust of the people in Jammu, delimitation would have been done long back”, he said.

Bhim also sought the transfers of the officials occupying key posts in the state and alleged that they had been “appointed by Azad for rigging”.

On cross-LoC trade, Prof Singh said the party advocated opening of all pre-1947 trade routes between the two countries, including the Jammu-Sialkot route.

Prof Singh announced the appointment of Inder Koul as president of the European Committee of the party with its headquarters in Vienna, Austria.

Jammu, September 25
The administration plans to convert Raghunath Bazar here into a heritage site by year-end.

The bazar will get a facelift befitting its traditional importance and heritage status.

''A committee has been framed to execute the project, which will submit its proposals within 15 days while all different departments will procure necessary construction material and other equipment for the plan,'' Sudhanshu Pandey, divisional commissioner, Jammu, said at a high level meeting here yesterday.

A multi-purpose duct would be built at Raghunath Bazar to remove overhead electric and telephone cables, besides a multi-tier parking in the vicinity.

''The shops running in Raghunath Bazar will be given a uniform colour with attractive display boards and hoardings in sync with its traditional ambience,’’ Pandey said.

The bazar will have aesthetically built entry points by renowned and experienced artists and architects.’’

Converting Raghunath Bazar into a heritage bazar aims at developing Jammu as an upcoming tourists centre and attracting the pilgrims thronging Mata Vaishno Devi. Projects like restoration of the Mubarak Mandi complex and a cable car were also in the pipeline, the divisional commissioner asserted. — UNI

Srinagar, September 25
Concerned over the frequent complaints of traffic jams in Jammu and Srinagar, the government has created 1433 posts in the Traffic Department and 2,625 in railway wing of the police.

Official sources said the State Administrative Council (SAC) has approved the creation of new posts in the traffic and railway wings of the state police. DGP Kuldeep Khoda said this would help streamline traffic movement in the state.

Khoda said 1433 posts in traffic included one DIG, four SPs, 23 DSPs, 59 inspectors, 149 sub-inspectors, 151 ASIs, 200 head constables, 846 selection grade constables and constables.

Jammu, September 25
A scheme for the promotion and development of the Indian System of Medicines (ISM) is being formulated in Jammu and Kashmir.

Under this scheme, a vast infrastructure will be set up for undertaking manufacturing, testing, standardisation and quality control of Ayurveda, Unani, Sidha and Homeopathic (AYUSH) drugs in the state.

Presently, there are 11 local pharmaceutical centres operating in the state which manufacture Ayurvedic and Unani medicines but fail to compete in the absence of poor infrastructure and drug-testing facilities.

Official sources said in a bid to boost their productivity, the scheme had been formulated where under 60 per cent of the project cost, subject to a maximum project cost of Rs 10 crore, shall be borne by the Centre.

In this connection, the controller, Drugs and Food Control Organisation, who is also a licensing authority for the sale and manufacturing of the drugs, convened a meeting of all AYUSH drug manufacturing units of Jammu division yesterday.

During the meeting, the manufacturers were asked to come up with a definite proposal for the development of the AYUSH clusters that would also provide among other things, employment to people in the state.

Hailing the government’s decision, general secretary of Indigenous Medicines Organisation (IMO), Dr Mahesh Sharma, said authorities the should strengthen the department by filling up vacant posts.

He said there were 45 single-handed dispensaries operating in the state. He also demanded creation of the posts of the chief medical officer (ISM), deputy CMO, assistant director of yoga and homeopathy and posts of B-grade specialists at the district-level.

Jammu, September 25
The National Conference (NC) has demanded adequate compensation, besides soft loans, to the aggrieved families whose shops were burnt during communal clashes in Poonch on August 23.

It may be recalled here that miscreants had burnt at least 56 shops belonging to different communities during the communal clashes.

Addressing mediapersons here today after visiting Rajouri and Poonch districts, party's provincial president Ajay Sadhotra a party team had visited all burnt shops. "But the compensation being given for the burnt shops is inadequate and the government should not only increase it accordingly but also provide soft loans to the aggrieved families to help them stand on their feet," he added. The NC had directed all its local units to act as peace committees to strengthen the secular fibre in Poonch, Sadhotra added.

The people had apprised the team of acute shortage of essential commodities in rural areas of Poonch district, he said.

Srinagar, September 25
Unidentified gunmen shot dead PDP leader Ghulam Mohammad Mir in Baramulla district today.

The police said Mir, party’s zonal president, was fired at from a close range at Dangiwachi in Rafiabad, a constituency in Baramulla district, in afternoon when he had just stepped out of a mosque after offering prayers.

He was rushed to a hospital where doctors declared him dead.

Mir, a contractor by profession, was a close associate of former minister and PDP leader Dilawar Mir, who held Rafiabad seat in recently-dissolved Assembly.

The broad daylight killing created chaos in the market crowded due to Eid festivity and as a result few persons were injured.

Markets were shut and hundreds thronged the grief-stricken house of the deceased, who, the locals said, was popular among masses for his personal conduct and interest in social work.

The PDP has expressed shock over the killing. Terming the murder a “deep-rooted conspiracy”, a party spokesperson demanded a judicial probe into it.

Mir did not have any security cover and the police sources said he had refused any protection. “We had offered him security but he wrote us back refusing any security cover,” an official said.

Srinagar, September 25
The state government has conveyed its decision to the Amarnath Shrine Board to set aside 800 kanal of land at Baltal and Domail for use during the period of the annual yatra, as per the agreement reached between the government panel and the Sangharsh Samiti.

In a communication addressed to the chief executive officer of the shrine board, the government informed about the specific arrangements for the use of land at Baltal-Domail, an official spokesman said here this evening.

He said as per the communication, the proprietary status, ownership and title of the land would not undergo any change. The board would use the land only for the duration of the yatra (including the period of making the required arrangements and winding up of the same) for the purpose of use by each of the various service providers according to its needs and priorities, as determined by the board.

Further, the use of the land would be only for raising temporary pre-fabricated accommodation and toilet facilities by the board; establishment of tented accommodation by private camping agencies and setting up of shops by shopkeepers (locals, permanent residents of the state); facilities for ponywallahs and pithuwallahs; provision of healthcare and medical facilities; setting up of free langars by private persons and groups which are licensed by the board and facilities for helicopter operations/parking of vehicles and security arrangements.

The spokesman said the board shall continue to remain responsible for the overall arrangements of the yatra on both the routes during the yatra period, including all arrangements as mandated under the provisions of the Amarnath Shrine Act.

Srinagar, September 25
D.C. Raina has replaced Altaf Ahmad Naik as the Advocate-General of the state. The State Administrative Council (SAC) in a meeting, chaired by Governor N.N. Vohra, here yesterday approved the appointment of Raina and accepted Naik’s resignation.

The SAC also took some important decisions that of the appointment of R.V. Raju, holding the rank of Director-General of Police, as vigilance commissioner of Jammu and Kashmir, an official spokesman said.

In another decision, the SAC approved promotion of Shamim Ahmad Lehrwal, Director, State Motor Garages to a common pool post in the pay scale of Rs 18,400-22,400 and re-designation as Director-General, State Motor Garages.

The SAC also approved placement of S.S. Anand, Mushtaq Ahmad Malik and A.K. Bhat, in charge Superintending Engineer (Mech) as in charge chief engineers in their own pay and grade with charge allowance as admissible under rules.

Consequent upon their promotions, Mushtaq Ahmad Malik has been posted as in charge chief engineer, Stores and Procurement Department, and A.K. Bhat as in charge chief engineer, Mechanical Engineering Department, Jammu.

The SAC also approved promotion of 20 officers as chief engineers in the pay scale of Rs 14,300-18,300. Consequent upon these promotions, the following transfers and postings were also approved:

V.K. Abrol, chief engineer, Irrigation and Flood Control Department, Jammu as chief engineer, PHE Department, Jammu.

B.R. Dogra as chief engineer, RTIC, Jammu; O.P. Bajotra as chief engineer, Project Manager Urban Kashmir, ERA; B.B. Sharma as chief engineer, Power Development Corporation; Daleep Bakshi as chief engineer, Irrigation and Flood Control Department, Jammu; and Ashwani Kumar Sharma as chief engineer, J&K UEED.