Rajouri, December 27
Can the monthly family income of a government officer, whose wife is also a government employee, be less than Rs 9,000.

Surprisingly, there are such cases here in the district where government officials, who have more than one government servants in their family, in connivance with revenue officials have reportedly managed to get income certificates much less than their actual income.

Parents (government employees) of some students belonging to the Scheduled Tribe category seeking admissions to various graduate and postgraduate courses in government and private colleges in or outside the state have reportedly managed to get income certificates much less than their family income and have been able to get government scholarships for their wards.

The scholarship in the form of payment of fees for the course and mess charges in case of hostelers, which is given by the state’s Social Welfare Department, is awarded to students of various categories, including Scheduled Tribes (ST), Scheduled Castes (SC), residents of backward areas (RBA), residents of actual line of control (ALC) and other categories.

Whereas the maximum income limit of family of a candidate belonging to the ST category is Rs 1.08 lakh, for SC it is Rs 1lakh and for the majority of other categories it is Rs 44,500. The income certificate is issued by the tehsildar of the area after a field report by patwari and verification by naib tehsildar.

In one such case, a senior health officer posted in Poonch district, whose wife is also a government servant, in connivance with local revenue officials, has reportedly managed a monthly income certificate of Rs 2,500 for getting scholarship meant for ST students for one of his wards.

In another such case, the principal of a Government Higher Secondary School, whose wife is also a government employee, has managed an income certificate of below Rs 9,000 for availing the ST category scholarship for his ward.

A senior officer in the Intelligence Department confirmed that they had received public complaints against 12 government officials, who had reportedly produced wrong income certificates to the office of the district social welfare officer concerned for availing scholarships under various categories for their wards seeking admissions to various professional and degree colleges and universities.

These government officials had managed these income certificates by allegedly bribing the revenue officials. “We are probing the matter”, the officer said.

Though senior officers of the Social Welfare Department declined to comment on the issue, official sources confirmed that such false income certificates were received by the department.

“How can a gazetted government official,whose wife is also a government servant, just have a income of less than Rs 9,000? They are eating the share of poor and deserving needy students”.

Jammu, December 27
Under its operation Sadbhavna, the Army today organised an arms and ammunition exhibition near the Line of Control (LoC) in Akhnoor sector.

The Army kept on display Russian-made rifles, Swedish rocket launchers, tanks and guns. Young school kids were also briefed about the use of weaponry.

Bomb defusing gear and other related equipment like remote controlled robotic vehicles, which they use to defuse bombs, were also displayed in the exhibition. The Russian-made T-55 Tank was displayed at the function.

Later, a dog show was also held in which a specially trained Army dog was made to find explosive in an Army jeep.

Srinagar, December 27
The results of Assembly elections are set to be declared by afternoon tomorrow. Poll officials said the counting of votes for 87 seats, 46 in Kashmir, 37 in Jammu and four in Ladakh, that went to the polls in seven phases, would begin at 9 am amid tight security at 22 designated centres.

The NC and the PDP are the main contenders in the valley with the Congress having a decent chance on some seats.

A number of Independents and former MLAs and ministers like Hakeem Yasin and Ghulam Hassan Mir and militant-turned-politician Usman Majid also have a decent chance of victory and their emergence would only make the new Assembly trickier.

In Jammu division, a multi-cornered battle occurred with the NC, BJP, Congress, Panthers Party and the PDP, especially in Muslim-majority seats, fighting it out.

An alliance of the Ladakh Union Territory Front and the NC is slugging it out against the Congress and its Independent allies in Ladakh.

As many as 1,353 candidates contested the elections with former chief ministers Farooq Abdullah of the NC fighting from Hazratbal and Sonawar in Srinagar, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed of PDP from Anantnag, and Ghulam Nabi Azad from Bhadarwah.

The fate of NC president Omar Abdullah and Mufti’s daughter Mehbooba Mufti would also be known tomorrow from Ganderbal and Wachi constituencies, respectively.

The stakes are rather high in 46 seats of Kashmir where both NC and PDP need to do good to have a realistic chance of forming the government.

Omar Abdullah said he was sure that the NC would emerge the single largest party and his PDP counterpart Mehbooba Mufti also expressed similar optimism.

The NC had emerged the largest party in the last elections with 28 seats followed by the Congress with 20 and the PDP 16 seats.

Independents had won 15 seats and played a key role in helping the Congress-PDP alliance to reach the magic number of 44.

Srinagar, December 27
The high voter turnout witnessed in the Assembly elections despite boycott calls by separatists reflects the people’s assertion of self-respect and aspiration for day-to-day needs, according to a general feeling of common people of the valley.

There is a widespread feeling among commoners that the rejection of the Hurriyat’s boycott call indicated the people’s desire to keep the resolution of the Kashmir issue separate from their daily needs, which can be fulfilled by an elected government.

“People of late have realised that development and resolution of the Kashmir problem are two separate issues,” said Mohammad Siddique, a retired government officer.

“Bijli (power), paani (water) and sadak (road) are the issues of common concern, but the encouraging participation of the people in the democratic process is fundamentally an assertion of their self-respect and identity,” he said.

He, however, said the participation of people would create an enabling environment for the peaceful and amicable settlement of the Kashmir issue.

Echoing Siddique’s views, political commentator Javid Ahmad said the scenario should not make Centre complacent and the problem should not be left unaddressed.

“The heavy voter turnout reflected people’s aspiration for a peaceful resolution of the Kashmir issue. The polling has not lowered the basics of the issue. The participation only reflects their desire for a peaceful resolution of this crucial problem through dialogue,” he said.

According to Ahmad, the high turnout was not only a setback for separatists but also a shock for contesting parties, which were surprised by the massive turnout.

“They (political parties) were expecting a low turnout, especially in the valley, in the backdrop of massive summer demonstrations for right of self determination,” he said.

A supporter of separatists said people came out of their houses to vote on the hope that elected representatives would address their day-to-day problems.

“Although the sentiment of freedom is alive in our hearts, we voted for better facilities as elections and resolution of Kashmir issue are not linked with each other,” Ashiq Hussain, a resident of Khushipora area in Batmaloo, said. — PTI

Srinagar, December 27
As thousands of paramilitary personnel left Srinagar in a long convoy after the peaceful conduct of elections, the hard work put in by them amid not “so friendly” circumstances is unlikely to be remembered by many.

These unsung heroes of the valley’s most incident-free elections in the recent times braved harsh cold Kashmir nights, many of them put in 15 hours of duty to keep thing under control and slept fitfully for weeks.

When two jawans of the CRPF were shot by militants in Sopore on December 21 in a crowded market, their deaths brought alive the worst fears of thousands of personnel of paramilitary forces who guards highways and national properties, knowing well that militants could target them any where, any time.

Vivek Singh, a BSF jawan who would not like his battalion identity to be published, told The Tribune that he and hundreds of his colleagues had been through most arduous of difficulties in last months.

Originally posted in Tripura, he said they were sent to Chhattisgarh for the conduct of elections in that Naxalism-infested state and were dispatched to Kashmir as soon as the elections were over.

At least three jawans died when they contracted PF malaria in Chhattisgarh and, worse, the curable disease could not be diagnosed soon enough.

“I am not bitter. We are working for the country. But it would be good if our hard work could be recognised,” he said.

The most common complaints among these jawans are their low salary, barely five digit, even after the implementation of the Sixth Pay Commission recommendations, and overstretched duties.

A BSF officer says even they feel hard done, let alone the jawans. Unlike the Army, paramilitary forces at its senior positions have IPS officers on deputation and they, many believe, do not really have the experience and temperament to understand the organisations’ inherent problems and needs.

A CRPF jawan says the security duties of his section, posted in a hotel where government officials are putting up, are such that they are on a two-hour sentry duty at every four-hour interval.

It means that could never sleep more than three hours at a stretch. No wonder, many of them prefer to quit services after serving the minimal required period.

Jammu, December 27
From highest voter turnout in last two decades to a record number of contestants in the fray, the state Assembly elections this year had many firsts to its credit.

Election officials here said the Assembly elections were one of the most keenly contested democratic exercises in the history of the state.

In terms of total number of contestants alone, this election broke all previous records with 1,353 candidates trying their luck for 87 assembly seats, they said.

Even in the case of Independents and women candidates, new records were created with 468 Independents and 67 females contesting the state polls.

The number of Independent contestants this time was also higher than the total number of candidates in the fray for the 1972 and 1977 Assembly elections.

The elections saw unexpected voter turnout despite the boycott call given by the Separatists Coordination Committee.

As compared to 43.69 per cent votes polled in 2002, this year 61.49 (39.60 lakh) per cent voters exercised their right to franchise.

The state witnessed some hectic campaigning by the political parties with as many as 4,346 rallies and public meetings were organised across the state.

Giving phase wise detail of the polls, the officials said the highest 69.02 per cent voter turnout was recorded in the first phase of the elections when four districts of Bandipora, Leh, Kargil and Poonch went to polls on November 17.

In the second phase, 68.29 per cent votes were polled in Ganderbal and Rajouri districts on November 23. On November 30, when polling for third phase was held in Kupwara, 68.22 per cent electorate reached polling stations to register their votes.

In the fourth phase, 59.24 per cent electorates cast their votes in Baramulla, Budgam, Reasi and Udhampur districts where polling was held on December 7.

The official said 58.50 per cent turnout was recorded in the fifth phase, 65.93 per cent in the sixth phase on December 17 and 55.6 per cent in the seventh and last phase of elections on December 24. — PTI

Jammu, December 27
The state has become a haven for poachers and smugglers, who kill wild animals to sell their hides and other body parts in national and international markets.

The ongoing armed insurgency in the state has provided a prefect cover to these poachers, who have been looting the fauna of the state for past many years and the wild life department has turned a mute spectator ruing that the department lacks staff and equipments to check the poaching of wild animals.

According to reliable sources, the poaching of wild animals, including snow leopards, leopards, deer, bear and various other wild animals and birds, is openly going on not only in far-off areas of the state but also in the wildlife reserves and sanctuaries.

The state, which boasts of its rich wildlife, is slowly losing what once used to be a major attraction for tourists from various parts of the world.

“Poaching is openly going on in various areas of the state and even animals are not safe in the wildlife sanctuaries and forest reserves,” an official of the state Wildlife Department said.

The official admitted that a larger nexus could be working behind the poaching of wild animals as it involves a huge amount of money.

“The skin and bones of snow leopards are in great demand in the international market. The illegal trade runs into crores of rupees so there could be an international racket operating behind all this,” the official said.

Officials of the state Wildlife Department blame the “lax attitude” of the successive state governments for not giving priority to reining in the menace of poaching as the department lacks basic facilities to help check it.

“Our department is understaffed, we don’t have proper equipment, no infrastructure, nothing for our mobility and, above all, we lack better communication equipment. In short, we don’t possess any means to stop animal poaching , admitted A.K. Shrivastva, chief wildlife warden.

Though his department had taken ‘stringent’ measures to check poaching, these were not sufficient as 88 per cent of the forest area comes under the state Forest Department, which was also facing similar problems.

“In 2002, the Jammu and Kashmir Anti-Poaching Act, 1928, was made more stringent, with the local police given the powers to arrest poachers . We also enlisted some endangered animals under Schedule I and II,” Shrivastva said.

However, the recent arrest of three persons along with two leopard hides has exposed the vulnerability of wildlife in the state.

The animals were killed in the upper reaches of Doda and Ramban districts. “We can’t rule out an international racket behind the killing of beasts in the state,” a senior police officer said.

They admitted that not only these schools had been charging as per their wish, but also evading income tax by forming trusts.

Jammu, December 27
The Jammu State Morcha (Progressive) (JSM-P) has welcomed the economic package announced by Governor NN Vohra but termed it “insufficient” in providing any succour to the common man.

Vice-president and spokesperson for the JSM (P) Capt Anil Gour (retd) today demanded that the state government should allocate the entire amount for installation of the electric meters, which got damaged during the land row agitation.

Gour further demanded that the grant in aid be extended to tour and travel operators and individual taxi operators who lost their livelihood during the agitation. Similarly, fertiliser at subsidised rates should also be provided for the agriculturists.

The organisation also demanded a special grant in aid for the payment of wages to the employees of several sectors who did not get remunerations during their closure in the agitation.

Jammu, December 27
The Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA), a new scheme of education aimed at providing education to all children up to the secondary level, will be launched in the state soon.

The project is in the final stage and is scheduled to be forwarded to the Central government by month-end for the required grants.

The project is to be sent with a view to implementing the scheme the next year, said A.K. Raina, project director, Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA).

He added that, “The groundwork for the project has been completed. We have collected the details of all government schools in Jammu as well as in Kashmir. Now, we have sent our employees to collect details of all private schools in the state.”

In the recently conducted survey, the Education Department has identified eligible students belonging to the SC/ST category who would be provided a cash incentive of Rs 3,000 per annum to pursue their studies, besides requirement of infrastructure like school buildings, libraries and laboratories required for launching the scheme.

“The registration process and the job of opening of accounts have been started by the Education Department. The project has been sent to the project director, SSA, for further action,” said Zahida Khan, director, school education.

Under the scheme, the Central government provides 75 per cent of the funds, while the remaining 25 per cent is borne by the state government.

Besides allocating funds to the state government for building infrastructure, the Centre pays a stipend directly to the identified students by way of depositing the same in their bank accounts.

Chander Shekher Vaid, district coordinator of the SSA, said besides SC/ST students, the stipend would also be granted to meritorious students from the general category whose family’s annual income was less than Rs 1.05 lakh.

Regarding the financial problem being faced by some poor families for opening bank accounts of their girl children, Zahida Khan said, “I think it should not be a problem. In fact, the RMSA is an attractive scheme for them because they have to deposit a minimum Rs 500 for opening the account and they will receive Rs 3,000 every year. And their daughters can withdraw the accumulated amount when they turn 18.”

Srinagar, December 27
The Central government’s travel advisory asking Indians not to travel to Pakistan has had no immediate effect on the movement of people between the state and the neighbouring country, officials said today.

B.S. Manavalan, regional passport officer in Srinagar, told IANS: “I don’t think travel on the Srinagar-Muzaffarabad road from our side would be affected because of this travel advisory. We have not received any official intimation about the travel advisory so far.”

The state has two road links with Pakistan - the Srinagar-Muzaffarabad route and the Poonch-Rawalkote route.

Poonch Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Afzal Bhat said: “On the first Monday after the Mumbai attack only six persons from India went across the border and no one came from Pakistan. From December 1 only 145 Indians and 50 Pakistanis have used the weekly service although normally over 200 people use it. This Monday 51 persons are scheduled to go to Pakistan and 21 Pakistanis are coming here. The impact of the advisory will only be seen from next week since the bookings for now have already been done.” — IANS

Srinagar, December 27
A four-time increase in brain tumour cases has been recorded in the Kashmir valley over the past eight years.

Situation is more alarming as there has been an increase in patients suffering from cancerous brain tumour .

The Department of Neuro-surgery, SK Institute of Medical Sciences, Soura, organised a seminar on brain tumour here today.

Dr Abdul Rashid Bhat, organising secretary of the seminar, told The Tribune that while eight years ago 50 patients suffering from brain tumour used to come to the hospital every year, the number had risen to 200.

“Out of the patients being registered these days several suffered from cancerous brain tumour and their life span is not more than two years,” said Dr Abdul Rashid.

He said the prevalence of brain tumour was more in males. “Males are more prone to brain tumour and 41 to 50 years is the most affected age group. Continuous headache coupled with vomiting is an indication of brain tumour and the concerned person should immediately consult a specialist,” he said.

Dr Rashid attributed causative factors of brain tumour to pesticides and junk food. He said since the situation had assumed alarming proportions a research had been started so as to know the exact reasons for the increase in the number of such cases. Thirteen papers were presented and it was followed by a panel discussion.