Jammu, October 4
The Jammu and Kashmir government has set up a dedicated railway police wing to deal with security of trains, tracks, railway stations and passengers in state.

“We have set up a separate railway police force wing to guard the railway assets and passengers in Jammu and Kashmir. The state government has sanctioned 2,637 posts for the force,” DGP Kuldeep Khoda said.

He said more people would be recruited soon to raise the strength of the sanctioned number, adding the process had already begun.

The force, which will deal exclusively with the security of trains, tracks, railway stations and passengers in the state, will be headed by an officer of the rank of IGP.

The wing will also include a deputy inspector general, two senior superintendents, eight deputy superintendents, 17 inspectors, 88 sub-inspectors, 142 assistant sub-inspectors, 309 head constables, 24 selection grade constables, 1,922 constables, 122 followers, two police medical officers, six nursing orderlies and four pharmacists, he said.

The post of IGP of Railways has already been bifurcated from the state police's crime wing, he said.

The railway police, which used to guard the Jammu-Pathankote railway track and Jammu railway station, had a strength of just 442, with 30 posts still lying vacant.

Besides this, over 300 special police officers and over 100 ex-servicemen will be raised as part of the railway security wing.

“There was a long-felt need for strengthening of separate wings of the police. These steps will enhance the quality of policing on both law and order and militancy fronts,” he said.

Under the plan, which would come up at a cost of nearly Rs 10 crore, seven new railway police stations and nine police posts have been created while an existing police station and four railway police posts regularised.

The state has railway networks in Pathankot-Jammu, Jammu-Udhampur and
Udhampur-Katra sections in the Jammu region while the Katra-Qazigund section
is under construction.

Besides, rail network is spread in Qazigund-Anantnag-Budgam- Baramulla section in the Kashmir valley.

Khoda said the government has also accorded sanction to the creation of
seven more police stations at Katra, Qazigund, Anantnag, Awantipora, Nowgam,
Hamare and Baramulla.

While rail traffic on the Udhampur-Katra and Qazigund-Baramula tracks is likely to start this year, the security need has been felt to guard track, railway station and trains in these sections.

The issue of sanctioning posts and creation of police stations and police posts was cleared in concurrence with the finance department and the order to this effect was issued by principal secretary (Home) Anil Goswami. — PTI

Jammu, October 4
With an eye on forthcoming elections, the Panthers Party has strongly castigated the “biased” approach of the state government towards the people of Jammu.

After the BJP raked up the issue of bias with Jammu aspirants in the selection list of professional exams recently conducted by the Board for Professional Entrance Examinations (BPEE), the Panthers Party claimed that neglect, discrimination and repression of the people of Jammu had become a permanent phenomenon of sorts.

Party chairman Prof Bhim Singh said the discrimination with the Jammu region
continued unabated.

Bhim said: “Yet again it has been proved by what happened with the candidates from Jammu. Out of 252, only 13 candidates from Jammu were selected in the finance department.”

In the MBSS selection list, only 93 candidates belonged to Jammu, while 197 were from the Kashmir valley, he said.

Furthermore, even if selected, most of the candidates from Jammu can not afford to join valley-based medical colleges for security reasons, he added.

Bhim said since Jammu had its own medical colleges, the selection of candidates for the MBBS course should be done from Jammu region, while the same principle should also be adopted for the valley.

Bhim has urged Governor N.N. Vohra to issue an ordinance accordingly in the interest of justice and equity to students of both the regions lest integrity of the state would be paralysed.

Meanwhile, the party has postponed its hunger strike outside the Election Commission in New Delhi to October 10.

The strike, in support of delimitation of Assembly constituencies had to begin
on October 6.

The party has also demanded that migrants from Doda, Ramban, Kishtwar, Bhaderwah, Poonch, Reasi, and Rajouri be included in the electoral list on the lines of the Kashmir migrants.

Bhim also asked for a comprehensive revision of electoral rolls as per the Peoples Representation Act and that electors be provided with electors photo I-cards.

Jammu, October 4
The Jammu Municipal Corporation has decided to launch a special anti-adulteration drive during the festive season in the city.

Owners of hotels, restaurants, sweetshops or any other food outlet if they are found selling or supplying adulterated food items or drinks would be fined.

Though sale of adulterated food and drinks continue throughout the year, sales pick up during festive season due to heavy demand and rush.

Many hotels, bakeries, restaurants, sweetshops, dhabas and tea stalls located within the municipal limits sell adulterated food openly.

Use of chemicals to prolong the shelf life of food items or to enhance their taste has become a common practice.

Besides the owners hardly maintain hygiene standard in their hotels or shops. The interiors in most of the hotels and restaurants are unhygienic and dirty.

Health officer K.D. Singh Sambyal said, “We will start a special drive in the city particularly against those sweet shops that are selling adulterated khoya during this festival season.”

“During routine checking last month we had registered 44 cases against several hotels, restaurants and dhabas involved in selling adulterated food and had charged fine of Rs 3,000 each from them,” he averred.

Sambyal said during this drive, steps would be taken to check food given to students at their hostels.

He said: “Consumers should report if they find any hotel, dhaba, restaurant, teal stall and sweetshop engaged in selling adulterated food. We will take immediate action against the owner.”

He said, “Last year, we found hotels, restaurants, dhabas, sweetshops and meat shops engaged in selling unhygienic food at Residency Road, Gumat, B.C. Road, Gandhi Nagar and at several other places.”

Srinagar, October 4
The authorities today imposed Section 144 CrPc in Srinagar, Budgam and Pulwama districts in the Kashmir valley to prevent people from marching towards Lal Chowk on October 6, on the call given by the separatist coordination committee (CC), who had threatened to defy any restrictions.

The orders were issued by the District Magistrates of Srinagar, Budgam and Pulwama. Curfew restrictions may also be imposed to prevent public movement and prevent the sit-in at the central Lal Chowk, the nerve centre of the summer capital on October 6.

The separatist coordination committee had already given the call for Lal Chowk Chalo on August 25, but the rally had been prevented with the arrest of top Hurriyat Conference leaders and imposition of curfew in all 10 districts of Kashmir valley.

The coordination committee later rescheduled the march for October 6.

A meeting of the moderate faction of the Hurriyat Conference was held here today under the chairmanship of Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and arrangements for the proposed rally were discussed.

The separatists view the rally as the “right of self-determination” for the people
of Jammu and Kashmir.

Their demands include opening of all cross-Line of Control (LoC) roads for trade and free movement, release of all detainees and withdrawal of troops and special powers to security forces in the state.

Hurriyat leaders Abdul Ghani Bhat, Moulana Abbas Ansari, Bilal Lone, Agha Syed Hassan and Fazal-e-Haq Qureshi were also present at the meeting.

The coordination committee, earlier this week, constituted an organising committee comprising five members each, from the two factions of the Hurriyat Conference and the JKLF to overlook the arrangements for the rally.

The organising committee has been working under the supervision of JKLF chairman Mohammad Yasin Malik.

Malik said it would go ahead with the march against all odds. He said over 1,000 volunteers would coordinate the march.

Srinagar, October 4
Governor N.N. Vohra today reviewed preparations and arrangements for launch of cross-LoC trade on Srinagar-Muzaffarabad road scheduled to begin on October 21.

During his visit to Salamabad in Uri near the LoC, the Governor reviewed the ongoing work for the establishment of the Trade Facilitation Centre, coming up on war-footing basis for meeting the deadline.

He called upon executing agencies to complete remaining work on time-bound basis.

He has been personally monitoring the arrangements being made for cross-LoC trade via the Chakan-da-Bagh and Salamabad routes, an official spokesman here said.

The Governor was informed about the quantum of work already completed at Salamabad under phase I and about the preliminary work on phase II, which has been started on 50 kanals of land, where a full-fledged trade complex along with a modern truck terminal will come up in due course.

To start with, the required infrastructure, which includes a ware house, office
block for customs, rummaging ramps, temporary truck terminal and a waiting hall
have been erected.

The Governor also inspected the road-upgradation work from Salamabad to Kaman Post and directed that the remaining work particularly black topping of the road, must be completed well before the commencement of the trade.

District development commissioner, Baramulla, Baseer Khan apprised the Governor
about the infrastructural facilities and other logistics available at the Trade
Facilitation Centre.

Accompanied by senior Army officers, the Governor also visited the Kaman Post and was given a detailed briefing about the arrangements and services which were being provided for the passengers traveling to Muzaffarabad, now on weekly basis. Vohra had also visited Chakkan-da-Bagh and Zero Point in Poonch on September 28.

Jammu, October 4
Even though the first-ever state-owned Baglihar hydroelectric project over Chenab river in Chanderkote is all set to be commissioned next month, the $335-million project may not generate its full capacity of 450 MW till March next year.

Official sources in the Jammu and Kashmir Power Development Corporation told The Tribune that till March next year only one of the three turbines of 150 MW each could be run because of the reduced water discharge in Chenab and chances of full-capacity generation as of now look bleak.

“All the three turbines would be put into operation only after March next year
when rain increases water discharge in the river,” said a senior official on the
condition of anonymity.

Once the project starts generating its full capacity, it would not only provide much- needed succour to the people of the state but we would be able to earn good revenue, he said.

We had been working hard to see this project come up at the earliest but unfortunately it hit several roadblocks, he added.

He said the process of filling the dam had already been completed and impounding the river water had been mandatory to raise the water level so as to run turbines.

It may be stated here that Pakistan had recently objected to the reduced water level in Chenab threatening India to take up the matter with World Bank.

“Pakistan had been duly informed about it,” he said and attributed the reduced water discharge to lesser rain.

Under the Indus Water Treaty of 1960 on six rivers, we daily communicate water discharge to them at Lahore but since Pakistan has a tendency of raising a hue and cry over every trivial issue, it accused us of violating the treaty on restoration of Chenab water, he said.

No doubt we had to fill the dam and had informed Pakistan about it but if water discharge to Pakistan remains low because of lesser rain then holding us responsible makes no sense, the official said.

Jammu, October 4
Shortage coupled with lax approach adopted by the authorities concerned in taking action against the erring vendors has led to the rise in adulteration of milk in Jammu.

With the increase in population, the demand of milk has increased manifold. But a majority of consumers are not satisfied with the quality of milk they receive from vendors. Around 90 per cent people complain of adulteration in milk.

Kanta Sharma, a resident of Roop Nagar, said, “The quality and taste of milk that we get everyday from our milkman is not up to the mark. We have complained several times but he is selling adulterated milk without any fear. The authorities have also failed to keep a check on them.”

He lamented that the quality of the milk selling at Rs 25 per litre is same as that available at Rs 15 per litre.

Health officer K.D. Singh said, “I have eight health inspectors under my supervision for checking out the adulteration of milk under the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act. However, he did not reveal the number of adulteration cases this year.

Jammu, October 4
The security forces arrested a woman, suspected to be a Bangladeshi national, from the Kanachak area close to the international border.

Official sources said the security forces deployed near the border spotted the woman in the area and she was taken into custody.

A BSF spokesperson said the Army detained the woman while she was roaming under suspicious circumstances in Kanachak.

Army sources said that she was roaming under mysterious circumstances and after checking her antecedents she was handed over to the police.

She told security officials that her name was Rama and she was from Bangladesh, they said. However, the police denied that they had arrested the woman.

She was a mentally-retarded, who was quite often seen in Domana, Kanachak and other adjoining areas, said a police officer of the Kanachak police station.

Jammu, October 4
Two people were killed and 36 others injured in different road accidents in Jammu region in the last 24 hours, the police today said.

“A truck driver identified as Gurmeet Singh, resident of Dhanowa, Tehsil Mukherian died on the spot when his truck, loaded with FCI rice, which was on its way from Jammu to Srinagar met with an accident near Khooni Nallah on the National Highway in Ramban district,” the police said.

The truck rolled down and fell into a 1000-feet deep gorge while both driver and his associate died on the spot.

Meanwhile four people were injured when a truck, on its way from Doda to Batote, skidded off the road at Haldanoo near Batote on Jammu-Srinagar National Highway.

Meanwhile 32 people sustained injuries in different road accidents in Jammu city and outskirts and have been hospitalised. — UNI

Meanwhile, security forces today recovered a landmine near Indo-Pak border in Kathua district, official sources said.

Acting on an information provided by Lal Singh that a landmine was laid in his fields in Bobiya village of Hiranagar tehsil in the district, the Army rushed to the spot and unearthed the mine and defused it, they said. — PTI

Jammu, October 4
Pradeep Gupta, director, Industries and Commerce, Jammu, today exhorted the industrialists to adopt environment friendly technology in order to curb the emission of greenhouse gases.

Addressing a workshop on ‘Climate Change and Clean Development Mechanism (CDM)’ here, Gupta said the industrialists needed to adopt CDM projects, which cut down net global greenhouse gases emission at a much lower global cost.

He said the threat of climate change has made a strong case for repositioning of the Indian industry by switching over to low carbon technologies and at the same time availing carbon-trading opportunities.

“Switching over to CDM projects will open a window of opportunity for the industry wherein they will be able to protect the environment and also simultaneously make money, a win-win situation,” he added.

Gupta opined that the nuclear deal with the US would go a long way in reducing greenhouse gases and meeting the energy needs of the country.

State Forest Research Institute Director R.D. Tiwari said unless the problem of climate change was addressed with the sense of compelling urgency its consequences could be catastrophic.

Sanjay Puri, chairman, CII J&K State Council, said effects of climate change were very much visible in the state, adding that glaciers in the valley were fast melting.

He said half a century back Kashmir’s forest cover was 37 per cent, which has now reduced to a mere 11 per cent.

“The situation is alarming and we need to do our bit to reduce the greenhouse gases,” he concluded.

Jammu, October 4
Vehicles ferrying children to and fro schools and houses are flouting traffic norms with impunity.

A majority of school authorities and school bus operators seem to be ignorant of traffic norms.

Overloaded autorickshaws, matadors and buses, parking of vehicles outside schools seem to have become order of the day.

As per the norms, schools are not supposed to allow parking of vehicles outside its buildings. However, rarely the rule is being followed.

When a senior teacher of a leading private school was asked regarding this rule, she expressed ignorance but added that the school staff practised extreme caution in handling vehicles during closing of school.

As per traffic guidelines, all drivers and conductors of schools, colleges and other educational institutions, are to wear uniforms, nameplates with license numbers, while plying vehicles.

Contrarily, a majority of the drivers are unaware of any such norm. The rule clearly states that vehicles can not carry students more than 1.5 times of the sanctioned capacity of vehicles. However, the rule is rarely followed.

Guidelines also stipulate that registered owners of school buses and school authorities were under obligation to organise refresher courses for conductors and drivers of school buses at least once in two years.

F.C. Bhagat, regional transport officer, said: “My department was strictly implementing traffic rules to fill the lacunae.” He said Rs 28.62 lakh was fined from overloaded vehicles.

Udhampur, October 4
an encouragement to budding artistes, eminent personalities from the film industry have given their consent to become judges in the mega final of the All-India Devotional Song Contest, which would be held on October 8 at Katra.

According to Rakesh Wazir, chairman of the committee, top film personalities from Mumbai including producer/director Mukesh Bhatt, Venus Recording & Tapes Ltd MD Ganesh Jain, Tips Industries Ltd director Ramesh Turani, actress Preeti Sapru, trade analyst Vikas Mohan, vice- president Zee Jagran Bharkha Arora are supposed to come on the final of the competition.

He further said discussions have been going on with more personalities from the film industry to have their presence on the final of the competition besides guest items by previous toppers of the competition..

Meanwhile on the fourth day of competition, Manoj Diwedi, additional chief executive officer of S.M.V.D. Shrine Board and vice-chairman Navratra Festival Committee was the chief guest on the occasion.

He inaugurated the event by lightening the traditional lamp. On the fourth day, out of 14 selected candidates from audition, Priyanka from Vijaypur Samba stood first.

Srinagar, October 4
The PDP has condemned the authorities for the alleged adopting dubious tactics to harass and intimidate the Kashmiri traders and businessmen in the aftermath of the recent unrest.

Expressing anguish over the reported issuance of notices to the Kashmiri traders by the Income Tax Department, senior PDP leader Tariq Hameed Karra asked the concerned authorities to stop such persecuting policies immediately.

He said it was ironic that instead of reaching out to various sections of the Kashmiri society with reconciliatory and confidence building measures, certain sections in the establishment were, through their cynical policies, fueling discontent and alienation.

The senior PDP leader and former finance minister expressed dismay over the reported impounding of the passport of Kashmir Chamber of Industry (KCCI) president Dr Mubeen Shah and sought the intervention of the Governor to prevent selectively targeting representatives of Kashmiri traders.

Karra said the leaders of the Jammu Chamber of Commerce and Industry, who seem to be highly concerned about restoring cordial trade ties between the two regions of the state, should have voiced their concern over the off-putting policies of the authorities towards their counterparts in Kashmir region.

“Such a gesture by the JCCI leaders would have been befitting in a situation when a vilification and victimisation campaign is on against the Kashmiri traders,” he said.