Chanderkote (Ramban), October 10
The Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, today reiterated that India would abide by its commitments under the Indus Water Treaty and made it clear that the treaty was sincerely observed while constructing the 450-MW Baglihar hydroelectric project on the Chenab at Ramban in the state.

Addressing a function after dedicating the Baglihar project to the nation, the Prime Minister said objections raised by Pakistan were taken into consideration while constructing the project.

“We are committed to abiding by the Indus Water Treaty as it is a duty of both India and Pakistan to follow it with sincerity so as to properly and adequately utilise the Indus waters”, Dr Manmohan Singh said.

“Both India and Pakistan should join hands to solve the problems of the common masses of both countries”, Dr Manmohan Singh said. The Prime Minister dedicated the project to the nation in the presence of UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, railway minister Lalu Prasad Yadav, water resources minister Saif-ud-Din Soz, Union power minister Jairam Ramesh and Union minister of state Prithivi Raj Chouhan.

Terming Baglihar has a vital project for development, Dr Manmohan Singh said it was funded under the reconstruction plan for Jammu and Kashmir. The Prime Minister said after commissioning the Baglihar project, power generation in the state would be doubled. He said presently, state sector projects generated only 309 MW of power. Furthermore, the state government would earn a revenue of Rs 900 crore annually from the project.

Dr Manmohan Singh said there was a huge potential of hydroelectricity in the North-East and the state for which the government had formulated a comprehensive plan. “In the 11th Five Year Plan, our government has decided to increase the power generation capacity to 78,000 MW”, he said. Dr Manmohan Singh said: “The Central Electricity Authority has identified that India has a capacity of generating 14,9000 MW of hydroelectricity, out of which, we are generating only 36,000 MW”.

Earlier, the state government signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Centre for constructing the 1,000 MW Pakal Dul hydroelectric project on the Chenab at Paddar area in Kishtwar district.

Governor N.N. Vohra said the state would get 13 per cent free power from the project. He further said Ramban and Kishtwar districts would also get an additional 1 per cent free electricity for the local area development.

Jammu, October 10
While the Congress may have been terming the Prime Minister’s two-day visit to the state as “purely apolitical”, the people here see more in the inauguration of the mega power project at Baglihar and a rail line in the regions of Jammu and Kashmir, respectively.

“As the Congress’ image has taken a beating in the state in the wake of the Amarnath land row, the party is now pulling all stops to undo the damage and the inauguration of these two key projects is a step in that direction only,” said Navdeep Raina, a private firm employee.

“The inclusion of UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi in the PM’s visit speaks volumes about the Congress’ intent to woo the electorate ahead of the crucial Assembly poll,” averred R.K. Gupta, a retired government employee.

“The Congress knows it has lost ground in view of the Amarnath land row and now it wants to divert the people’s attention towards development works carried out in the state by inaugurating the Baglihar and rail projects, both vital in their own way,” averred Deepak Sharma, a university student.

Political parties too echo similar sentiments. State BJP vice-president Hari Om said: “It’s nothing but a political stunt. The inauguration of a rail line in the valley now seems less of the Railways’ and more of a Congress party’s function. The presence of national and state leadership of the party underlines the political meaning of the Prime Minister’s visit to the state.”

A.K. Diwani, working president of the J&K National United Front, said the Congress was eying the forthcoming Assembly elections. “The Congress wants to regain the lost ground in the state, particularly the Jammu region,” he said while accusing the party of appeasing fundamentalists in Kashmir. “While the government was quick to agree on cross-LoC trade with Pakistan, nobody seemed to be bothered about the fate of the relief package announced by the Prime Minister for Kashmiri Pandits during his last visit to the state,” he rued.

Jammu, October 10
The state BJP has welcomed the inauguration of the first unit of the 450-MW Baglihar hydel power project on the Chenab and the inauguration of the first phase of the railway in the Kashmir valley.

Senior BJP leader and former Union minister of state for defence Prof Chaman Lal Gupta, while welcoming the opening of the two projects, pressed upon the PM as to when the eight under-construction hydel power projects in the state would be completed.

“Seven years have passed since the Centre signed the Memorandum of Understanding with the state government regarding the construction of eight hydel projects, but the work is yet to complete”, Gupta said.

He also asked the Prime Minister to come out with the time frame for the completion of the railway track from Udhampur to Katra Vaishno Devi and onwards from Katra to Qazigund to link the Kashmir valley with the rest of the country via rail link.

Gupta said the Prime Minister during his November 18, 2004, visit had said that a comprehensive plan was being formulated to solve the power crisis in the state and it was aimed to make the state power surplus by 2007.

“People want to know why the eight hydel power projects, including Bursur (1,020 MW), Pakal Dool (1,000 MW), Kishan Ganga (330 MW) Uri, Sewa II, Chuttak and NOMO Bazgo, could not go ahead”, he said.

Gupta said the Baglihar project would provide some relief to people of the state, but “would not fully solve the power crisis.”

He said the PM during the inauguration of the Jammu-Udhampur rail link on April 13, 2005, had pledged that the Katra-Qazigund track would be ready by 2007.

“By the inauguration of just a small part of the railway track in the valley, the PM has failed to fulfil the promise he made to the people”, Gupta said. While criticising the move of the realignment of the railway track, Gupta said Rs 6,000 crore had been spent and lakhs of deodar trees had been cut for the purpose.

Jammu, October 10
Even as several journalists have been killed in the line of duty in the state, security insurance cover still eludes them.

Notably, the Haryana Union of Journalists offers a capital sum risk insured to the tune of Rs 5 lakh to its members, but journalists working in militancy-infested areas are devoid of any such privilege. Despite the fact that a number of journalists, especially cameramen, have fallen victims to astray bullets, the authorities concerned have not provided insurance cover to them.

Mushtaq Ali, a cameraman with ANI; Parvaz Mohammad Sultan, a cameraman with NAFA; Syadan Shafi, a cameraman with Ankhon Dekhi; Pradeep Bhatia, a cameraman with Hindustan Times; Javed, cameraman with a local cable TV channel are among those who were killed in the valley.

In the recent Samba encounter on May 11 last, Ashok Sodhi, a photographer with a local daily Excelsior, was killed, while covering the event. While commenting on the issue, a senior journalist opined that there was an urgent need for risk covering insurance coverage for working journalists and lensmen. He said it was heart-breaking to collect donations for the aggrieved family after an earning member got killed in the line of duty.

The need became more acute in the light of the fact that mediapersons are killed while discharging their professional duty. A senior member of the valley-based Kashmir Journalists Corps, Tariq Bhatt, said the corps was mulling to provide insurance cover to its nearly 40 members. Besides, he said the government should also play its part by extending insurance cover to mediapersons.

Zorawar Singh, executive committee member, Press Club, Jammu, said the club offered Rs 1 lakh accidental insurance to its members, but felt the government should also extend insurance cover to provide social security to lensmen and journalists. K.B. Jandiyal, information secretary, said the government had not offered any insurance cover to journalists and lensmen.

The 14-year-long wait of the Kashmiris to see a train run through the valley would come to an end tomorrow when Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will flag off the train service from Nowgam railway station.

Although the Prime Minister would flag off the train service tomorrow, the operations on the rail line would start only from Sunday when the red coloured trains start running on the Anantnag-Rajwansher section of the Quazigund-Baramulla route.

It will be a dream come true for the Kashmiris, a senior official of the administration said here.

Reports suggested that the Prime Minister will board DMU (diesel multiple unit) train from Nowgam station as a symbolic gesture.

To begin with the trains will run from Rajwansher (Budgam) to Anantnag covering a distance of 66 kilometers. The fare for travel between Rajwansher to Anantnag will be Rs 15.

The regular service of the train will commence from October 12. There will be eight coach Demu Rake in the train.

The rail service will have stations at Budgam, Srinagar, Pampore, Kakapora, Awantipora, Panjgam, Bijbehara besides Rajwansher and Anantnag.

The train will leave Budgam at 7.10 am and arrive at Anantnag at about 8.45 am. In the afternoon, the train will depart from Rajwansher at 2.25 pm and reach Anantnag at 4 pm.

From the Anantnag side, it will leave at 9.05 am and arrive Rajwansher at 10.40 am. In the afternoon, the departure timing from Anantnag will be 4.15 pm to reach Rajwansher at 5.50 pm. The total project is over 148 km which runs through Jammu also. However 119 kms of it falls in Kashmir.

Srinagar, October 10
The Kashmir Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) and its visiting counterpart from Pakistan-occupied Kashmir today suggested to form a joint federation.

The constitution of the federation, which would be drafted by the presidents of the two sides of Chamber of Commerce and Industry, would be formally announced by October 16 before the departure of the PoK delegation. The two chambers, in a meeting at Grand Palace hotel this morning, hold detailed discussions on the modalities of cross-LoC trade.

The PoK delegation, led by Zulfikar Abbasi, arrived yesterday via Srinagar-Muzaffarabad road here.

Their visit is significant in view of the cross LoC trade beginning along the Srinagar-Muzaffarabad and Poonch-Rawlkaote routes from October 21.

Apart from the listed items for trade between the two sides, the two chambers dwelt upon a series of other related issues for boosting trade in the region.

KCCI president Dr Mubeen Shah suggested the import of various edible items and essential commodities, some of which are already in the Kashmir markets via Wagah border.

“In case there is another blockade from Jammu side, we will have the edible items available in the valley,” Rouf Ahmad Punjabi of the KCCI, told The Tribune after the meeting.

It was also suggested to allow Kashmir fruit via the LoC that would save 20 to 30 per cent of the fruit product that gets damaged during transportation to distant parts of the country, Kashmir Chamber members said.

The KCCI has also suggested the inclusion of silk carpets and floriculture in the list of items to be exported from this side.

“We suggested some more items like cricket bats, marble woolen products, gypsum, wood-based items, mineral water, jams, juices…. Wheat produce, green pea, plastic goods steel furniture, pharmaceutical..”, Punjabi said.

The KCCI also stressed the need for a thrust on tourism exchange to boost the tourist trade in Kashmir, exchange of professionals, like doctors, engineers, IT professionals and educationists.

It has also laid thrust on hydro power sector, saying that Kashmir has the immense potential for power generation which could be exploited for more trade and business.

Jammu, October 10
The holding of Assembly elections shall be an illegal and unconstitutional exercise without delimitation of the constituencies, particularly when eight new districts have been created in the state and the existing Assembly seats have split in different districts.

This was stated by Panthers Party chief Bhim Singh in a memorandum submitted to the Prime Minister in Srinagar today.

As per a statement released here by the party headquarters, the party said the Election Commission was competent to intervene and direct the authorities to conduct delimitation of Assembly constituencies according to the rules before holding the elections. “Holding Assembly elections without going for delimitation would be a sad precedent and the validity of the elections can be challenged by any voter,” it added.

According to the memorandum, the Prime Minister’s working group on Centre-state relations has chosen not to submit its recommendations as the deliberations were kept inconclusive, having a bearing on the process of holding a free and fair poll in the state. “This group was supposed to recommend measures for the removal of regional imbalances which was essential to make the democratic process acceptable for its smooth functioning. The proposals submitted by the Panthers Party to the said working group to hold fresh delimitation for the rectification of the regional imbalances remained untouched,” it read.

The party said the Assembly elections were essential for the return of a popular and democratic government in the state, but delimitation of the Assembly seats could not be sacrificed in the interest of democracy and the rule of law.

The party also raised doubts over the Census conducted in the state in 2001. “The Census showed an increase of 11 lakh in the population of the valley as compared to Jammu. About 5 lakh Kashmiri Pandits were forced to leave the valley while 1.5 lakh died due to militancy. In spite of all this the Census report showed the valley to have gained a lead of 11 lakh,” reads the memorandum.

Jammu, October 10
Village Lalyal Camp, one kilometre from the Indo-Pak border here, has been grappling with lack of basic amenities.

With just one primary school in the village, majority of students pursuing higher education either drop out or are left to fulfil their desire by walking every day at least 5 km, be it harsh winters or blistering summers, to Jehri village. “We have been a facing lot of difficulties due to lack of middle and higher secondary school in the village. The authorities concerned should construct at least a middle school in the village,” said Rohit Verma, a Class 10 student.

Zhida Khan, director, School Education, said, “We have a scheme to upgrade schools and we will soon cover all border villages under it.” Another problem the village faces is the pathetic condition of the main road, which leads to the village. As far as water supply is concerned, the Public Heath Engineering Department has provided single tap connection to the village.

But the water is never released, alleged Subash Chander, a resident of the village. There is not even a single hospital - neither for masses nor for cattle in the village. In case of serious illness, the villagers have to walk all the way to Kanhachak, 8 km from their place.

Harmeet Kaur, block development officer (BDO) of the area, attributed the pathetic condition of the border village to lack of funds.

Jammu, October 10
The Jammu State Morcha (P) has criticised the alleged step-motherly treatment being meted out to the workers of the Public Health Department (PHE) in the Jammu region.

Morcha’s state vice-president and spokesman Anil Gour said the PHE workers of the Jammu region were not paid their daily wages for the past 10 months.

“The JSM (P) strongly condemns the previous regime of the Congress-PDP coalition for its criminal negligence for the denial of equal wages to the same category of workers from Kashmir and Jammu," Gour said.

"A judicial inquiry should be held to go into this unjust denial of the same wages to Jammu workers," he added.

He expressed dismay and sought judicial action against guilty officials and ministers of the previous government responsible for the "blatant discrimination".

"The workers of the Kashmir region get Rs 2,100 per month, while those working on the same post in Jammu are paid Rs 500 to Rs 700 per month," Gour added.

The JSM (P) has demanded that the Governor should issue the necessary instructions to his advisers to immediately ensure that the workers in the Jammu region also get the same wages as their Kashmiri counterparts were getting and the arrears should also be released for the Jammu-based workers.

Jammu, October 10
Jammu University vice-chancellor Prof Amitabh Mattoo today acknowledged that Urdu as a language had played a key role in the freedom struggle of India.

He was speaking at a function organised to mark the release of an Urdu book titled “Secular Character of Urdu Language” in the university committee room. The book has been compiled by Prof Shohab Inayat Malik.

Vice-chancellor, Kashmir University, Prof Reyaz Punjabi and chairman, Kashmir Times Group of publication, Ved Bhasin, were the key dignitaries present on the occasion.

“Urdu journalism was the basic media that used to regulate the struggle for Independence and the number of Urdu publications during the struggle speak volumes about it”, Prof Punjabi said.

Prof Punjabi also paid tributes to Munshi Prem Chand, Rattan Nath Sarshar, Rajinder Singh Bedi and others whose works inspired patriotism among the youth irrespective of diverse religious affiliations.

Ved Bhasin congratulated Prof Shohab Inayat Malik for “bringing out the book at a time when the state needed revival of the old-age secularism”. He said communal forces were trying their best to bifurcate the state on religious lines.

Prof Punjabi also complimented Prof Malik for his book and said: “Though Urdu is an official language of the state, it is being given step-motherly treatment by the state government itself”.

In his address, Prof Malik dedicated the book to lovers of the language and thanked Prof Mattoo for bringing out such a book.

Jammu, October 10
The Jammu Municipal Corporation (JMC) has launched a drive to check adulteration during the festive season in the city.

The health wing of the corporation on Friday visited B.C. Road, Hari Market, Mohalla Raghunath Pura, Bahu Fort, Rehari Colony, New Plot, Talab Tillo and Parade and seized 50 kg adulterated “khoya”, which was destroyed on the spot.

Health officer K.D. Singh Sambyal said: “We have collected 11 samples of different commodities at various places and have sent the same to a public analyst for checking. We also challaned 15 shopkeepers”.

He said they would intensify their drive in the coming days, besides taking care of sanitation in Jammu city. “Instructions have been given to all food inspectors to maintain hygiene. The drive of lime spray and thermal fogging in all areas of Jammu are also underway”.

Jammu, October 10
A burglar decamped with about Rs 22,000 in cash from a hotel near the City Chowk on the intervening night of October 8 and 9.

Police sources said the burglar slipped into room 102 of Sain Kirpa Hotel, where Vijay Kumar, Satpal Sharma and Amit Gupta, all residents of Sunder Bani in Rajouri district, were putting up.

The trio had come to attend a marriage ceremony here.

They checked into the hotel at 11.20 pm and were fast asleep when the theft took place.

The incident came to light at 4 am when they woke up and found their cash missing. The room was bolted from the inside, while the ventilator right above the aluminium door was open as the TV cable runs through it, sources said. A case has been registered.