Jammu, January 12
The NC-Congress government faces onerous task in the implementation of the Prime Minister's return and rehabilitation package for the displaced Kashmiri Pandit community.

While a section of the community is ready to return to the valley, key Kashmiri Pandit outfits have expressed reservations over the package. The Panun Kashmir Movement (PKM feels that the issues pertaining to their return and resettlement are the most important political issues for the community. Referring to employment being offered to the KP youth under the package, PKM president Ashwani Chrungoo said: " There can be no relationship between the resettlement of the community in Kashmir with the employment of its youth. Such a linkage is not only direct human rights violation of the people living in exile but also a stark attack on the dignity of the community as a whole." He went on to add that "employing coercive methods to implement the so-called return plan will prove counter-productive" and face stiff opposition by the community.

The Jammu and Kashmir National United Front (JKNUF), a political outfit promoted by KPs, also supports delinking the issue of return with employment. JKNUF working president AK Dewani said the linking of the two issues turned the entire process into a "mechanism of attracting the people to return to the valley". He felt that it should not be a "forced return". According to him, the biggest challenge for the new government would be to create gainful employment for the youth and not the one on the lines of Rehber-e-Taleem. He also advocated the creation of meaningful self-employment ventures by setting up SEZs.

There are different voices in the community as well. While a few opine that if youth were provided jobs in the valley and they feel secure there the return would not be a problem, the others say they are fed up of filling forms and if the government has a political will, ensuring jobs for youth, security for their families and a roof over their head is no big deal. However, there is also a section which, like the PKM, feels that the return should not be linked to employment in the valley.

The package announced in April last year initially received a lukewarm response and was virtually grounded in the wake of the turmoil caused due to the Amarnath land row in June-August, 2008. However, the higher voter turnout in the elections and a large number of KP contestants in the electoral fray resulted in long queues outside the Relief Commissioner's office here. The number of forms submitted went up from a few hundreds to thousands. Now, it will be for the new government to create an atmosphere conducive for the return of KPs to the Kashmir valley.

Srinagar, January 12
Western disturbances (WD) from the Arabian Sea, through Afghanistan and Pakistan, are fast approaching the region, while nights in the Kashmir valley and the Ladakh region remained cold with minus temperature.

Pahalgam remained coldest in the valley with mercury dipping to - 6.4°C, while Drass in the Ladakh region recorded - 25°C and nearby Kargil recorded a temperature of - 20.2°C this morning.

Officer on Special Duty (OSD) in the Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir’s office, Aamir Ali said today that WDs were likely to hit the state on Wednesday, which could result in rain or snowfall at a few places.

However, he said, fairly widespread rain or snow of moderate to heavy intensity was likely from January 15 to 17.

Higher reaches might experience heavy snowfall during the period, he said.

A weather office spokesman said it was again a cold night in Srinagar, where the minimum dipped to - 2.4°C this morning against yesterday’s 2.4°C, which was three degrees above normal. However, the Pahalgam base camp of the Amarnath cave in south Himalayas remained the coldest in the valley with mercury touching - 6.4°C followed by - 5.5°C in Qazigund, Kokernag - 3.7°C and Kupwara - 2.7°C.

However, in the Ladakh region the night remained coldest with the minimum dipping to - 7.8°C to - 25°C this morning. — UNI

Srinagar, January 12
Chairman of the United Breweries (UB) Group and the Kingfisher Airlines Vijay Mallya today rolled out a slew of measures to give boost to Kashmir’s promising but instable tourism sector in the wake of success of elections and passing of reigns to determined Omar Abdullah.

Mallya, a Rajya Sabha MP, said the Kingfisher Airlines would be proposing to the government for operating an international flight to Dubai from Srinagar via New Delhi and offering complete tourism packages, including hotel, golf and skiing facilities to tourists.

“I have been to major tourist destinations across the world and facilities here are world-class. It is all about instilling confidence in people,” he told media persons. He put the tentative time frame for the start of the flight in April, the beginning of tourism season here. Already the most frequent airlines in the state, Kingfisher, he said, would be working to connect Srinagar to Leh, Jammu and Chandigarh and Jammu and Srinagar.

Mumbai terror attacks combined with global meltdown in the economy had definitely affected the tourism sector but the impacts were not profound, he said.

“Tourists are still coming in large numbers. But we are not doing enough to promote our world-class destinations,” he said. Mallya said global advisories against visiting India or some Indian destinations were not very important and people were always willing to travel.

He said he would work to revive hops’ plantation, a major ingredient for beer in which UB Group enjoys over 50 per cent market share, in Kashmir which was destroyed by extremists when militancy broke out in 1989.

He also spoke of reviving an industrial plant in Zainakote in Srinagar, which used to make eye drops, but was more enthusiastic about the starting of hops’ plantation. Mallya said the new government in the state following the surprisingly high turnout and assurance of one Chief Minister for six years had infused a lot of hope and goodwill in India Inc about the future of the state.

When asked about the heightened tensions with Pakistan and its effects, he said industries did not want war as it brought instability but added that the government was the best judge.

He said scandal in the Satyam had been shocking. “We should understand that such scandals do happen everywhere and I believe it’s an one-off incident as our laws and regulations are stringent”.

Srinagar, January 12
The Chinar Corps celebrated the 94th Raising Day with traditional enthusiasm at a solemn and austere ceremony at the Bdamai Bagh Cantonment here today.

Lt-Gen Bikram Singh, GOC of the 15 Corps, also known as the Chinar Corps, laid floral wreath at the Corps War Memorial on behalf of all ranks as a mark of respect to all martyrs who laid down their lives in the call of duty. The Chinar Corps was first raised on January 12, 1916, at Port Said in Egypt and was demobilised after the First World War. It was re-raised on January 4, 1955, at Udhampur and, subsequently, moved to Srinagar on May 1, 1972.

On the occasion, the GOC praised all ranks for their selfless service under trying conditions and for upholding highest values and traditions of the Indian Army. He exhorted all ranks to rededicate themselves to the security of the nation, a defence spokesman here said.

The Chinar Corps has been awarded with six Victoria Crosses, three Military Crosses, One Distinguished Service Order, 13 Param Vir Chakras, 14 Ashok Chakras, five Param Vishist Seval Medals, 83 Maha Vir Chakras, 72 Kirti Chakras, 13 Uttam Yudh Seva Medals, 31 Ati Vishit Seva Medals, 473 Vir Chakras, 479 Shaurya Chakras, 47 Yudh Seva Medals, 110 Vishist Seva Medals and 1,789 Sena Medals, the spokesman stated.

Jammu, January 12
The Jammu SSP today handed over the stolen property of worth Rs 23 lakh to their owners. The items were recovered as the police claimed to have solved various cases of burglary.

SSP Manohar Singh said the police last year busted various gangs, wherein, it arrested many thieves and car lifters.

The SSP claimed that 85 kg of narcotics was seized besides a sizable amount of Hawala money and fake currency was recovered from them. Thirteen stolen vehicles were also recovered. A gang of chain snatchers was busted and 32 persons involved in these crimes were also arrested.

While appreciating the role of the police party in solving a murder case in Sainik Colony within 48 hours, he said the accused were identified and arrested within 48 hours of the incident.

Jammu, January 12
City markets wore a festive look today, as people were busy shopping for Lohri. City residents thronged shops selling dry fruits, groundnuts and sugar candies.

Lohri is celebrated with great fervour and people revel by dancing around a bonfire and sing traditional songs associated with the festival. “For the past few days, we are witnessing a good sale, as people are busy purchasing items for Lohri. There is a huge demand for groundnuts, popcorns and sugar candies,” said Pawan Kumar, a hawker selling the items.

Children could be seen going from one house to the other asking for Lohri gifts.

“It is a tradition that children visit every house in the locality and ask for Lohri gifts. No one rejects their request,” said Sunita Gupta, a resident of Nai Basti in Jammu.

Shops selling baskets also witnessed a heavy rush as children use them for asking Lohri gifts. Children use these baskets when they go to ask for Lohri gifts from people. Shops selling firewood also witnessed a huge rush.

Jammu, January 12
The Jammu State Morcha (P) has rejected the proposal of Chief Minister Omar Abdullah for constituting a commission to identify the points of discrimination against various regions of the state.

The leaders of the JSM (P) dubbed the move as a ploy to hoodwink the people of the Jammu region.

“The discrimination and disparity against the Jammu region is well documented and stated in the official records of the state government’s Planning and Statistical Department. This must be balanced immediately before any such commission is appointed,” morcha president Virender Gupta said.

The JSM (P) demanded that the state government in order to show its willingness to give due share to the Jammu region must undertake proper steps immediately.

“The government must conduct delimitation immediately to enhance the representation of Jammu province in the Assembly to 52 seats vis-a-vis 46 of the valley as per the criteria laid down in the Representation of the People’s Act,” Gupta demanded.

He also sought 50 per cent representation to the Jammu region in the civil secretariat and other government departments, including Jammu and Kashmir Bank, other corporations and semi-government departments.Gupta further demanded the implementation of the Singhal Committee report regarding admissions to medical, engineering and other professional colleges.

He also demanded the allocation of developmental funds to Jammu and Kashmir divisions in equal proportion.

The morcha president said the government should also upgrade Jammu Medical College as an autonomous postgraduate institute and the Jammu College of Engineering to an autonomous institute of the level of NIT.

He also demanded the creation of a separate tribal affairs ministry in the state to exclusively look after the wellbeing of various schedule tribes in the state.

The JSM (P) leaders also questioned the composition of the ministry in the light of the resolve of the Chief Minister to provide a clean and corruption-free governance.

Srinagar, January 12
NC patron Farooq Abdullah said today that his party would continue to impress upon India and Pakistan to resolve the Kashmir issue amicably through a dialogue for peace in the region.

Addressing workers at the party headquarters, Nawa-e-Subh, here, Farooq asserted that autonomy, the main NC plank in the elections, was the basis for the resolution of the Kashmir issue. He, however, added that any better option would be welcome for finding a viable solution to the problem. Farooq Abdullah would take over the reins of the party as its president here tomorrow.

Farooq said priority of the NC-led coalition government included an end to unemployment, better power and drinking water facilities and reconstruction of roads. Steps would be taken to mobilise resources within the country and outside for generation of employment for the educated youth, adding that there was enough potential for employment generation in tourism and handicraft.

Jammu, January 12
Even as Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has said that the NC and the Congress will find a way out to approach the issues of greater autonomy and delimitation commission, the ruling allies would find it an uphill task to deliver on their agendas.

While the Abdullahs had again this time promised greater autonomy to people, the Congress, since the 2002 poll , had been harping on the need for a delimitation commission.

The Congress had even included the delimitation commission issue in the common minimum programme (CMP) of its coalition government with the PDP.

While the NC may find it hard to convince the Congress on greater autonomy, the latter may also get a cold shoulder to its agenda.

Sources in the Congress said though PCC chief Prof Saif-ud-Din had stated the NC’s proposal could be discussed, the Congress could not afford to annoy its voters in the Jammu region, that too when the parliamentary elections were drawing near.

The Congress, in the 2002 elections, had won 15 seats from Jammu and five in the Kashmir valley, but this time it had to contend with 17 seats (13 from Jammu and four from the valley).

The sources said, “The BJP, of which the NC was a partner in the NDA government, had given a lukewarm response to the greater autonomy proposal and now the Congress, too, has reservations about it”.

Greater autonomy guaranteed unbridled freedom to the state, which New Delhi could not give, they added.

No doubt, Prof Saif-ud-Din had said the proposal could be discussed, but he never said it could be adopted without looking into its pros and cons, said a party leader, pleading anonymity.

At a time, when the parliamentary elections are a few months away, the Congress could not gamble on such a sensitive issue, he said, while trying to convey that both parties, with a tacit understanding, would try and keep these two issues under the carpet till the parliamentary elections were over.

Though it was discarded by the NDA government, the NC would not drop the greater autonomy issue, said a party leader, adding that it was a road map toward the resolution of Kashmir dispute.

Greater autonomy guarantees the restoration of the pre-1953 status in the state, but the Congress had been averse to it.

However, the NC sees the delimitation commission demand as its Achilles’ heel.

The sources said the NC, having major stakes in the Kashmir valley, would not let it happen. It required a two-thirds majority in the House to have a Bill so as to pave the way for the delimitation commission. But we all remember that the PDP (a partner in the previous coalition government), NC, CPM, and the PDF had defeated a private member’s Bill.