Srinagar, September 30
While the separatist coordination committee has been giving final touches to the Lal Chowk rally scheduled for Monday, markets in the city and in other major towns of the Kashmir valley have been presenting a festive look with shoppers having a splendid time in purchasing.

Over the past several days, people have been thronging market places here for buying eatables, mutton, vegetables, chicken, other essential commodities and dress materials, ahead of Eid.

The festival, subject to the appearance of crescent, is celebrated at the end of the holy month of Ramazaan, with Muslims keeping fast from dawn to dusk. It was celebrated in Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries today.

People bought heavy stocks of essential commodities, rice, cereals and LPG in view of Lal Chowk march called by the separatist coordination committee for October 6.

Apprehending strict curfew restrictions and general strikes similar to that in August, when three massive rallies were held, people have made stocks of essential commodities to overcome any eventualities.

Ahead of the Lal Chowk march, the coordination committee had called for Eid prayers congregations at Eidgah and the TRC grounds.

While Syed Ali Shah Geelani and Mirwaiz Umar Farooq would be offering prayers after addressing the congregation at Eidgah, JKLF chairman Mohammad Yasin Malik and chief of the Jamiat-e-Ahl-e-Hadeeth, Showkat Ahmad Shah, would address the gathering at the TRC grounds.

Meanwhile, Governor N.N. Vohra has extended warm greeting to the people of Jammu and Kashmir on the auspicious occasion of Id-ul-Fitr. Vohra said: “Let this Eid rekindle the spirit of sacrifice and promote deep bonds of harmony and brotherhood”.

Advisers to the Governor - H.H. Tyabji, S. S. Bloeria and C. Phunsog have also felicitated the people on the auspicious occasion of Id-ul-Fitr.

Responding to local demands, the Governor assured that he would take up on priority the transfer of the Kurbathanga plateau, currently with the Army, to address the expansion needs of Kargil.

However, militants withdrew back to Pakistan side taking cover of thick growth of sarkanda and trees.

Katra, September 30
The annual Navratra festival commenced here today in this holy town amidst unprecedented security.

Katra town, which is base camp of the shrine of Mata Vaishno Devi, was completely fortified to foil nefarious designs of militants.

Thousands of devotees from different parts of the country participated in the
inaugural function of the festival, which was inaugurated by S.S. Bleoira, adviser
to the Governor.

Artistes from different regions of Jammu presented cultural items showcasing ethos and traditions of Dogra culture.

Keeping in view the repeated bomb blasts in different parts of the country and reports of the infiltration of some terrorists a red alert has been already sounded in this town while as all routes were plugged by the police.

Large number of policemen has been deployed in the town in civil dress to keep a vigil on the activities of suspicious elements.

DIG, Udhampur-Reasi range, Alok Puri, who is camping in the town to supervise security arrangements, disclosed that this time more cops have been deployed.

More than 100 sensitive spots have been identified by the police on 14-km track from Banganga to Bhawan and additional cops have been deployed on these spots.

The police has been entrusted with the security management of the pilgrims on the track. Some troops of the Army were also deployed on sensitive areas to guard the hills surrounding the cave.

New X-ray machines and metal detector gates have been installed all along the
track. Notwithstanding threats of militants, there was lot of enthusiasm among
the devotees.

Hundreds of devotees participated in the impressive procession which was taken out in the town and passed through different bazaars.

Students from different educational institutions also participated in the procession.

This year, the Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board and the Tourism Department have initiated several measures to make the Navratra festival more attractive.

Beijing Olympic bronze medalist Sushil Kumar and 10 wrestlers from Pakistan are also participating in this year’s festival.

Udhampur, September 30
Agitating Talwara migrants today threatened to launch a march towards Jammu if the authorities failed to accept their demands within a week.

The migrants held a demonstration and burnt effigies of the relief commissioner this evening for adopting delaying tactics in resolving their demands.

They regretted that most Talwara camp dwellers were on the verge of starvation due to non-availability of ration but the relief commissioner and his officers were not interested in mitigating their miseries.

Hundreds of migrants took out a procession from Club Chowk to Zero Chowk. The processionists also shouted slogans against the Jammu divisional commissioner and the Reasi deputy commissioner for their failure to effectively put up their cases before the authorities concerned.

Addressing the agitating people, Balwan Singh, president of the Migrant Action Committee, regretted that except for promises the authorities concerned had done nothing to solve their problems.

Relief to the displaced families had been stopped without any reason and a majority of the camp dwellers were at the verge of starvation.

He reiterated the demand that the migrants camping at Talwara and adjoining localities should be given relief at par with that to their Kashmiri counterparts.

Jammu, September 30
A disease hitting the paddy crop, a low rainfall affecting the maize crop and non-availability of DAP has the farming community worried here these days.

Shyam Gorkha, a progressive farmer from RS Pura, said heavy storms over the past 10 days have taken a toll on the paddy crop in terms of quality as well as yield.

The disease, in which black spots had emerged on leaves, would have a direct bearing on the yield of premium basmati rice grown in the area, as it would stop grain formation, he claimed. "We would not be able to market it in the national and international market this time," he said.

Holder of a field transfer licence, he said 250 farmers had sown paddy in around 400 acres under his guidance in a programme being run by the Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agriculture Sciences and Technology (SKUAST).

He said paddy farmers, particularly in the RS Pura and Bishnah areas, would suffer economic losses due to the disease.

He asserted that the disease could still be controlled but the Agriculture Department "was not making any efforts".

Sham Singh, a farmer from Badoi village, rued that while they had suffered 50 per cent losses in paddy, the losses were as high as 80 per cent in the case of maize.

"The crop of basmati rice has been hit adversely in the RS Pura, Kathua and Samba areas." He said he was forced to feed most of his destroyed maize crop to cattle.

"The rest I have retained for inspection by Agriculture Department officials, but they seem least bothered about our plight," he said, alleging that the department has not even prepared the list of farmers who have cultivated maize.

"How are they going to provide compensation when they don't know which farmer had cultivated maize in how much area? " he wondered.

Regarding DAP, he said it had not been available for the past few months. "I will manage with organic fertilisers to some extent, but sooner DAP is made available the better it would be for the farming community," he averred.

Agriculture director Vinod Bala Sharma said she had sent a team of senior officials to inspect paddy fields.

She claimed the emergence of black spots in the paddy crop would not at all affect its quality and production.

She admitted that the maize crop had been hit due to a lower rainfall in various areas of the Jammu region.

About shortage of DAP, she said the two-month-long Amarnath land agitation had affected its supply to the region.

However, she said, the matter had been taken up with the agencies concerned and DAP supply would soon return to normal.

Jammu, September 30
Accusing the Board of Professional Entrance Examinations (JKBPEE) of denying Jammu aspirants their due share in admission to MBBS, BDS and BVSc courses, the BJP today sought cancellation of all selection lists, holding of fresh examinations and implementation of the 1999 Singhal committee report in full.

State BJP vice-president and spokesman Prof Hari Om said: “Cancellation of all selection lists, fresh examination by an impartial authority to be constituted by the Universities of Jammu and Kashmir and implementation of the Singhal report are a must to undo the wrong committed by the biased and Kashmir-centric JKBPEE on non-Muslims, including Hindus, Sikhs and Buddhists, and Muslim youth of Poonch-Rajouri, Doda, Kishtwar and Kargil.”

Hari Om said out of a total of 290 MBBS seats, only 93 (32 per cent) had gone to non-Muslims, including Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists and Kashmiri Hindus and that their share in the open category was only 12.5 per cent (33 out of 125 seats).

He alleged that the Muslim aspirants hailing from Jammu province and Kargil had also been treated unfairly by the JKBPEE and that they had been allotted not more than a couple of dozen seats in MBBS.

He further charged that the Muslim candidates belonging to Jammu province had been virtually denied admission under the open category.

“It is also a fact that the accused is a non-resident of J&K, so there is every apprehension of his fleeing from trial.

“Being an Army personnel, he can threaten the prosecution witnesses. The act of the accused has shaken the consciousness of the public at large.”