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Campaign Trail
Poll Politics |
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Security tightened for remaining phases
PDP banks on self-rule idea to open account
After quitting, Hari Om attacks BJP
Voter turnout should not be ‘misconstrued’
Kashmir Issue
Polls no farce, Pak media desperate: Mattoo
CPM: Better job policy need of hour
Notification for 7th phase issued
Parties bank on leaders’ charisma
Traders Flout Norms
Painting worth Rs 5 lakh sold at Rs 50
Poverty ratio on decline in rural, urban areas
Panel to check activities of govt staff
Bridge collapse: Death toll rises to 19
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Campaign Trail
Jammu, November 26 The duo would reach the winter capital of the state to intensify the party's political activities. “Both of us, me and Jaitley will be reaching Jammu on November 30 and during our stay till December 25 in the region, various arrangements and political scenario for the polls in 13 important constituencies of Jammu district will be discussed with the local as well as the senior leadership,” Singh said. Singh said senior leadership from Punjab, including MLAs and the ministers are frequently visiting Jammu and helping the BJP candidates in campaigning. “The leadership from Punjab have been assigned the task to accompany the party candidates to conduct door to door campaign and address the public rallies in various constituencies, which will go to poll in the fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh phases on December 7, 13, 17 and 24 respectively,” added the BJP leader. Meanwhile, Congress youth icon and All India General Secretary Rahul Gandhi will arrive here on November 28 to intensify his party’s election campaign in Jammu and Kashmir, an official spokesman said today. The Lok Sabha MP, who will be campaigning in Jammu and Kashmir for the first time, will address an election rally in Kupwara district, five Assembly constituencies, which goes to poll on November 30, a Congress spokesman said. “After public meeting in
Kupwara, Mr Gandhi will fly down to Udhampur town to address an election rally on November 28,” the spokesman said. Eleven constituencies of Jammu and Kashmir, including three in Udhampur district, will go to polls on December 13. Besides Gandhi, his mother and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will also visit Jammu and Kashmir to woo voters for the remaining five phases of ongoing seven-phased Assembly elections in the state. Gandhi would visit the state on December 3 to campaign for the party candidates, the spokesman added. She will address public meetings in Uri in Kashmir and in the Doda district of Jammu region. In the second week of December the Prime Minister would come to rally voters for the sixth and seventh phases. Dr Singh will follow Gandhi to campaign for six and the final phases of polls in the state.
— UNI |
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Cong, PDP highlight feats of their respective terms, blame each other for wrongs Bouquets for me, brickbats for you Perneet Singh Tribune News Service
Jammu, November 26 While the PDP led the coalition government in the first three years, the Congress got its turn in the latter half of the state government’s six-year tenure. However, it’s a different matter that the PDP, in view of the Amarnath land row, pulled the plug on the Congress-led government a few months prior to completion of its three-year term. Now, as both the parties have parted ways after a bitter experience of running a coalition government in the strife-torn state, none of them is talking about the other alliance partner’s term. And they don’t forget to blame each other for the Amarnath land row and the subsequent turmoil in the state. For instance, the Congress manifesto, in its opening paragraphs, says: “The progress recorded in two and a half years during the Congress-led coalition with Ghulam Nabi Azad as the chief minister has been quite impressive and this fact has very widely been appreciated by the people of Jammu and Kashmir.” Similarly, the PDP boasts of ushering in a sense of security among the people and restoring peace and tranquility in the state during its three-year rule from 2002 to 2005. State Congress spokesperson Ravinder Sharma said they do talk of the entire five-and-a-half-year term of the coalition government. However, he went a step further and said even during the PDP’s tenure from 2002-05 it was the moral and financial support from the Congress-led UPA government at the Centre that led to restoration of peace in the state and opening of cross-LoC routes for travel. He said the PDP didn't fully cooperate during the Congress’ term and at the time of the Amarnath land row it “became a part of the problem” instead of helping in its resolution. Similarly, while attributing the move to “unfortunate divorce” between the two parties, PDP general secretary Daman Bhasin, said: “Everything went right under our leader Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, but there was unpleasantness at the fag end of the coalition government's term due to lack of vision on the part of Azad.” Noted political analyst Rekha Chowdhary said the Congress and the PDP want to use anti-incumbency against each other. “These parties are taking credit of whatever is good for them while criticising the other for whatever went wrong during the coalition regime. None of them is willing to take the responsibility of any of the failures. They are also doing it probably because they know that they will not come together to form a coalition this time,” she averred.
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Security tightened for remaining phases
Jammu, November 26 Inspector General of Police (Jammu range) K. Rajendra Kumar said: “Yes, we know that militants are desperate to carry out attacks on the political rallies and candidates.” He said: “PSOs have been provided to escort candidates besides security guards at their residences. On polling days adequate security arrangements would be kept in place to provide safety to the voters who could exercise their franchise without any fear.” He said: “Close coordination between the police and other security agencies and the surgical operations carried out against the militants spoiled the terror plans.” The BSF has also stepped up its vigil along the IB in Jammu, said BSF DIG J.B. Sangwan adding, “Post-infiltration attempts from the international border, various measures have been kept in place to check any such attempt by militants.” General officer in Command of the Jammu-based Tiger Division of the Army, Major General D.L. Chowdhary said: “We need to exercise more caution and show more alertness with every passing phase of the elections.” “There is a three-tier security along the border with Pakistan, BSF is on the border, then the local police and then the Army,” said General officer in
Command Major-Gen Chowdhary said. |
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Sajjad refutes Geelani’s charges
Srinagar, November 26 Reacting sharply to the statement made by the hardline APHC chairman, Lone held that if these allegations were proved he would quit politics. “These are false allegations”, he said at a hurriedly called press conference hours after Geelani held one earlier in the day. Sajad held that he had met his sister only twice during the past 10 years and there was no question of supporting her. His sister, Shabnam Lone, is contesting as an independent from Kupwara district, while two others, Ghulam Mohiuddin Sofi and Sheikh Rashid are also contesting from the district. Sajad said Sofi and Sheikh Rashid were already out of the People’s Conference. Syed Ali Geelani during his press conference earlier lamented on the role of Peoples Conference in the elections, particularly in view of polling in Kupwara Assembly constituency, where polling is scheduled for November 30 alongwith four other constituencies in the district. He said the candidates in fray from Kupwara constituency were banking upon the People’s Conference. “This is a contradictory approach”, Geelani said adding that the Peoples Conference, led by Shabnam’s brother, Bilal Lone, is the constituent group of the coordination committee. Their younger brother, Sajjad Lone, heading his faction of the Peoples Conference, had chalked out an anti-election campaign here recently. The assassinated Abdul Gani Lone, belonging to the district, had been enjoying mass support from the area. Rejecting the ongoing elections as “farce exercise”, All Party Huriyat Conference (APHC) chairman Syed Ali Geelani has questioned the credibility of the polls that are being held under heavy presence of security forces in the state. While addressing a press conference, he challenged the government for not taking notice of the lakhs of people taking to roads during the Amarnath land row in support of the right of self-determination and, instead, holding elections in seven long phases. Referring to the poll percentage in the first two phases, hardliner Geelani challenged the government to remove the security forces and lift restrictions on the separatist leaders. “It is all a ‘fauji drama’ in Kashmir. We reject it as such process has been going on in the state since 1952”, he said. “Let us go to the people…. They will boycott the elections”, Geelani said. He added that with the arrests of several leaders and presence of eight lakh troops and additional deployment of 600 companies of paramilitary troops, it was an undemocratic process. |
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PDP banks on self-rule idea to open account
Reasi, November 26 Former Chief Minister and patron of the Peoples Democratic Party Mufti Mohammad Sayed, with self-rule document in his hands, has completed first round of visit in these areas and addressed more than a dozen meetings to lure voters of this backward mountainous belt. In every public meeting, Mufti tried to convince the people that self-rule is the only viable solution of the Kashmir problem. Even as the PDP’s arch rival National Conference has shelved its greater autonomy proposal in the on-going elections, the former contesting polls on the self-rule plank to counter the anti-incumbency factor. Keeping in view the backwardness of these areas, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed mentioned that it was only through the self-rule proposal backwardness of Reasi and Doda be removed. In its document, the PDP has promised to create regional councils to decentralise the power at grass-root level. As this mountainous belt always remained a stronghold of the National Conference, PDP leaders highlighting backwardness of this belt in every public meeting and blamed former for the miseries of people. Although PDP candidates are in fray in the nine seats of this belt, the party is concentrating on Mahore, Banihal and Kishtwar assembly segments. At Mahore, Peoples Democratic Party candidate Mumtaz Kousar is fighting against two times NC MLA Abdul Gani Malik, while in Kishtwar segment, former director, Rural Development, Sayed Asgar Ali is pitted against strong NC man Sajjad Ahmed Kitchloo. |
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After quitting, Hari Om attacks BJP
Jammu, November 26 During his recent tours to various constituencies in Jammu Hari Om gave credit to the Congress for having made 260 out of 395 central laws, 94 out of 97 entries in the union list and 26 out of 47 concurrent list applicable to Jammu and Kashmir. He said the Congress regimes at the Centre were instrumental in the abrogation of the constitutional provision of having a Sadr-i-Riyasat and prime minister. Hari Om said it was amazing that on one hand the BJP has been crying loud in favour of the repeal of Article 370 of the Constitution of India, which gives special status to Jammu and Kashmir in the Indian union, on the other its poll manifesto is silent on the issue. He did not hesitate in giving credit to the Congress for having abolished the permit system under which visitors to the state had to seek permits for entry. He was greeted with cheers when he blamed the BJP for having supported the bill, moved by the National Conference in the Assembly over nine years ago, providing for laying an embargo on the constitution of a delimitation commission till 2026. He said this time the BJP was raising a hue and cry while blaming the successive state governments for having blocked the provision for establishment of delimitation commission. |
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Voter turnout should not be ‘misconstrued’
Srinagar, November 26 “The renewed trust people of the state have reposed in the democratic institutions, offers a fresh opportunity to work through peaceful and reconciliatory means towards addressing all the dimensions of the Kashmir issue in a manner that balances and promotes enduring political and economic stability in the state and the region,” Mufti said. He was addressing a public rally at Lalpora in Lolab constituency of Kupwara district in north Kashmir today. He said that PDP visualises a space of dignity, opportunity and prosperity for the people of Jammu & Kashmir in the paradigm of friendship and cooperative relationship between India and Pakistan. The former chief minister called for speeding up and expanding the Indo-Pak peace process to find substantial solution to the problem of Jammu & Kashmir and addressing the legitimate aspirations of its people. “The ongoing peace process has reached a critically positive stage and this historic opportunity must now translate into concrete measures for the betterment of the people in Jammu and Kashmir who have suffered immensely because of the hostility in the region”, he said. Mufti added that the emerging situation necessitates a set of substantive political and economic measures to consolidate the situation to the extent that holds a promise for enduring peace and prosperity. |
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Kashmir Issue
National Conference patron Farooq Abdullah has stressed the need for better relations between India and Pakistan for the resolution of the Kashmir issue to ensure peace and stability in south Asia.
Abdullah and his son Omar Abdullah were addressing a series of election meetings in the far-flung areas of Keran and Karnah in Kupwara district of north Kashmir today. Farooq said the growing trade relations between the two sides of Kashmir would help in closer relations and better economy in the region for uplift of the people on both the sides. In his address, the NC president expressed concern over the performance of the six years of coalition government in the state adding that the government had failed in addressing the basic issues of unemployment. He said the previous government had failed on all fronts of development and progress despite of the huge amount of money provided by the central government. |
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Polls no farce, Pak media desperate: Mattoo
Jammu, November 26 Various media organisations in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir are terming the ongoing elections as ‘fraud’ and a ploy of the Central government to project that everything was okay in Kashmir. “The figures are false and that could be proved from the fact when the number of police, paramilitary and army personnel exceeds the number of voters at the polling booths,” said Miya Abdul Qayoom, president Kashmir Bar Council and member of the Hurriyat-led coordination committee. However, Jammu University vice-chancellor Amitabh Mattoo, who is also an expert on Kashmir affairs, said the act by Pakistan and Pakistani media to project the elections as farce was an act of desperation. “The turnout during the two phases of elections in the state reflects the desire of people for good governance, who want peace to prevail in the state,” said
Mattoo. Prof Mattoo said though there was no ban on any of the independent observer from outside to come and monitor the ongoing Assembly elections in the state, the matter was related to the sovereignty of the country. “Whatever the Pakistani media and the separatists say the turnout during the first two phases of the assembly elections in the state have justified that fact that the people in the state have shown their faith in the democratic setup of the country and have voted for the desire of good governance,” Mattoo
said. |
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CPM: Better job policy need of hour
Srinagar, November 26 The CPM leader said the private-public partnership, which was conceived to be launched in the state had not been given a serious view. Had it been encouraged more jobs would have been created for the educated youth, he added. He exhorted the youth to fight against the socio-economic policies, pursued by the powers that be, which had brought them to a position where their contribution towards the advancement of the society was being denied. |
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Notification for 7th phase issued
Jammu, November 26 While December 3 has been fixed as the last date for filing nominations, scrutiny of nominations will be done the next day. The last date for withdrawal of candidatures will be December 6. The final phase has the highest number of constituencies voting when people will exercise right to elect their representatives from 21 Assembly constituencies out of which Jammu has 11, Samba 2 and Srinagar 8 constituencies. |
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Parties bank on leaders’ charisma
Jammu, November 26 The state unit of the BJP has invited top party leaders from Delhi, including Rajnath Singh,
L.K. Advani, Sushma Swaraj, Arun Jaitley and Narinder Modi, to address election rallies in Jammu and neighbouring areas. BJP chief Ashok Khajuria indicated that Rajnath Singh might visit Srinagar. From the Congress side, Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi will visit the state. Sonia Gandhi is scheduled to address poll rallies in Uri constituency in North Kashmir and Doda on December 3 and Rahul Gandhi will visit Kupawara and Udhampur on November
28. |
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Traders Flout Norms
Jammu, November 26 The government had established Transport Nagar, on hundreds of acres of land at Narwal, for setting up of private godowns and cold storages. The step had been conceived to de-congest the busy Warehouse market. However, loading and unloading of goods is still on with impunity. The area is home to wholesale market for spices, grains and other eatable products. Besides, numerous government offices are also located there. The process of loading, unloading and parking of trucks many times results in traffic jams. However, the traders are of the view that since some of them had enough space to accommodate goods, they prefer to stuff their shops with them. “It also provides them advantage to display their items to prospective customers,” they said, while claiming that they unload merchandise only during the night to avoid any inconvenience. However, Joginder Kumar, a local, said numerous trucks were parked there during the day, which causes inconvenience to public. Besides, a bus stand for Kathua and R S Pura is also operational in the Warehouse area, which has compounded problems for the people. Though traffic police officials have been deployed in the area, it hasn't solved the problem. Yashpal Gupta, president of the Federation of Retailers Association, said about 200 warehouses were located in Transport yard, besides, nearly half a dozen cold storages. Chowdhury Azhgar Ali, director, Khilafwarzi Wing of the JDA, said a sustained effort was on to persuade the owners of the remaining warehouses to shift their units to Transport
Nagar. He said the department was in the process to issue notices to these warehouse proprietors, violation of which would invite action under the Public Premises Act. Some owners had also taken their cases in the court, he added. |
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Painting worth Rs 5 lakh sold at Rs 50
Srinagar, November 26 Sources said in 1995 when Jamshed Ahmad was curator at Sri Pratap Singh [SPS] Museum he found rare painting of Lord Krishna missing. But before he could inquire from then section-in-charge Abdul Samad Beigh, the latter passed away. “After demise of Beigh, his son Mushtaq Ahmad, in connivance with the then director and deputy director of the Directorate of Archives, Archaeology and Museums, sold the painting for Rs 50. The amount was deposited in the government treasury,” said the sources. The sources said that painting was worth Rs 5 lakh but was sold for just Rs 50. Ironically, instead of taking action against Mushtaq, he was given full-fledged charge of the section, said sources. They demanded setting up of a commission to probe “behind the curtain” deal. The sources said the then director had written off price of paintings, which were ten in number. “Even though the director did not have the power to write off the price of paintings, he still went ahead to do so. And no investigation was ever carried out by the authorities,” said the sources. “The director had purchased 10 paintings for Rs 50 long back. During the physical check, one of the paintings was found missing following this the director wrote off the price of all paintings such a development demanded that action be taken against the said officer. But no investigation was carried out in the case,” said the sources. Khurshid Ahmad Qadri, director Archives, Archaeology and Museums feigned ignorance about the issue and said the deputy director was the best person to be contacted. However, the deputy director put the ball in court of curator of museum, who could not be contacted. Sources in the department said a committee was constituted to look into matter, however they did not share the progress of case. |
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Poverty ratio on decline in rural, urban areas
Jammu, November 26 The survey report, ‘Below Poverty Line - 2008’, maintains that the poverty ratio of state has decreased by 14.06 per cent from the base year 1993-94, whereas the absolute poverty has shown an increase from 19.05, 1.86 and 20.92 lakh people for rural, urban and combined areas, respectively, during 1994 to 22, 2.21 and 24.21 lakh people for the year 2007-08. As per the survey, the newly carved out districts have shown higher BPL population percentage than the already existing. “This is because of remoteness of such areas as compared to the erstwhile district headquarters. Out of newly created eight districts, Reasi, Ramban and Kishtwar hold the first, second and third rank, respectively, registering more than 30 per cent incidence of poverty,” the report maintains. The highest estimated BPL population percentage in Reasi is 37.93 per cent, while Ramban and Kishtwar stand second and third with 37.73 per cent and 37.72 per cent, respectively. Similarly, the fourth and fifth rank is held by Poonch and Kupwara district, whereas Srinagar district stood at bottom level with 6.51 per cent BPL population. The study further divulged that in Jammu division Reasi, Ramban, Kishtwar and Poonch have registered the highest incidence of poverty, while as in Kashmir division, Kupwara, Bandipora, Kargil and Budgam have been observed to be the poorest districts. At the regional level, the total BPL estimated population ratio for Kashmir was worked out as 21.37 per cent, while in the Ladakh region the percentage was pegged at 27.03 per cent. For the Jammu region, the total estimated BPL population percentage was arrived at 21.67 per cent. The total BPL population when compared with the respective population of a particular category shows the dispersion of 42.05 per cent in case of Scheduled Tribes, 38.07 per cent in case of Other Backward Classes and 22.77 per cent in case of Scheduled Caste, while as other categories show only 16.85 per cent of population under the
BPL. By religion, the BPL population comprised of 22.68 per cent of total population of the state with distribution of 17.76 per cent as followers of Islam, 4.63 per cent Hindus, 0.20 per cent followers of Buddhism followed by 0.08 per cent Sikhs and 0.01 per cent Christian. The literacy rate for the BPL population was 42.15 per cent showing a dispensation of 48.55 per cent for males and 35.30 for females, respectively, against literacy rate of general public which is 64.18 per cent. |
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Fog disrupts life in valley
Srinagar, November 26 A weather office spokesman said minimum temperature was recorded at minus 2.2 degrees against 0 degree normal temperature during this period of winter. This was the coldest night as earlier minimum was recorded minus 1.9 last week. Though people remained indoor in the morning due to icy cold winds and fog, but small children, holding schools bags and water bottle in their hands, were seen waiting for their buses at different places. Vehicles used headlights to ply on streets because of fog. However, things become normal as the day progressed. Spokesman said the maximum was recorded at 12.4 degrees, also a one degree below normal.
— UNI |
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Panel to check activities of govt staff
Udhampur, November 26 “We have received a number of complaints that some government servants, especially teachers, and field staff have been participating in political activities”, Udhampur DEO Ajay Khajuria told The Tribune. He said a vigilance team had been constituted to single out those employees who were working for some political groups or influencing voters to cast votes in favour of a particular party or candidate. The team, comprising three officers, would visit different areas and cover rallies of the political parties. Khajuria admitted that he had received a number of complaints regarding involvement of government employees in the political activities. Last week sub-divisional magistrate
(SDM) of Mahore was suspended after a complaint was lodged that he was favouring candidate of a particular party. |
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Bridge collapse: Death toll rises to 19
Srinagar, November 26 The bodies of the labourers were recovered from under the debris of the bridge, a portion of which was blasted to speed up the operation, official sources said. The sources said efforts were on to trace five others who went missing after the incident. One of the deceased labourers was identified as Mohammad
Safeer, a local. However, the identity of the other man could not be ascertained, said the sources.
— PTI |
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