Jammu, January 30
Normal work in government offices was partially affected today due to the strike call by another faction of government employees in support of their demands. They gave a 10-day ultimatum to the government to fulfil their demands.

The government employees observed a one-day token strike following the call by the J&K Government Employees Joint Action Committee. The committee members held a rally at the Exhibition Ground and raised slogans in support of their demands.

Employee leaders Jaswant Singh, Parshottam Sharma and Balwinder Singh addressed the rally. The leaders said despite promising to implement the 6th Pay Commission in their election manifestos the ruling coalition partners were now “resorting to dilly-dallying tactics” over the issue.

They dubbed it as a “breach of trust of the electorate” and “political opportunism”. The leaders said the salaried class was facing a tough time due to the government’s failure to contain prices of essential commodities. They warned if their demands were not within 10 days or before Feb ruary 9, they would intensify their struggle.

Besides the implementation of the commission report, the employees’ demands include the implementation of agreement reached with the clerical cadre, removal of pay anomalies/disparities relating to drivers and others, absorption of retrenched excise and commercial tax department employees, enhancement of retirement age from 58 to 60 years, regularisation of all daily wage workers and enhancement of daily wage rates to Rs 217 per day.

Earlier, another faction of the Jammu and Kashmir Employees Joint Action Committee had gone on a strike on January 27 and 28. 

Jammu, January 30
The Jammu Development Authority (JDA) has lodged an FIR with the police regarding yesterday’s violent incident when its staff on an anti-encroachment drive in the Camp Gole Gujral area were injured by Gujjars. It has asked the police for more security for its staff while on such a drive.

The JDA drive in the Camp Gole Gujral area turned ugly yesterday when the Gujjars resorted to stone throwing, injuring 17 policemen and two JDA employees.

Director, land management, JDA, Asgar Ali Choudhary, who headed the anti-encroachment team, said, “The land has to be vacated as the Gujjars are illegally occupying a large chunk of it by constructing kullas (makeshift huts).”

Around 12 to 13 Gujjar families have encroached upon more than 132 kanals of JDA land by constructing kullas there.

“They have constructed around 30 kullas encroaching upon 132 kanals. Yesterday, when we went there to get the land vacated, they pelted our staff members with stones, injuring two of them,” Choudhary said.

He said, “We have lodged a formal complaint with the police regarding yesterday’s incident.” He added the department had asked the police to provide elaborate security to its team for the drive next time. “We will go to the area again to remove encroachments as the land has to be vacated at all costs,” Choudhary said.

The JDA has proposed a residential colony over the occupied land.

The agitated Gujjars also injured Kanachak SHO Surinder Singh and Pouni police post in charge Javed Ahmed, besides 15 other policemen. They also damaged two vehicles of the Fire and Emergency Services and the JDA.

New Delhi, January 30
The Supreme Court yesterday allowed private nursing homes and hospitals in Jammu and Kashmir to function for six more months under the old guidelines.

A Bench headed by Chief Justice K.G. Balakrishnan also gave them one year for complying with the new guidelines approved by the Jammu and Kashmir High Court wherever these involved structural changes in the building.

The affected nursing homes and hospitals, numbering about 70, could meanwhile approach the Director of Health Services in the state, seeking 25 per cent exemption from the new guidelines, the apex court said in its order.

While counsel U. Hazarika, appearing for the petitioners, contended that a number of guidelines making ICU and operation theatres mandatory were not necessary for nursing homes which were not offering such facilities.

State counsel Anis Suhrawardy, however, maintained that the HC guidelines for issue of license and registration were in public interest and the stipulations were not difficult to meet.

The apex court, however, made it clear that the nursing homes would have to comply with the new guidelines after the breathing time given to them, subject to the changes allowed by the state on the pleas of individual hospitals and nursing homes.

Srinagar, January 30
Noted industrialist Altaf Bukhari is all set to become a member of the Rajya Sabha on PDP ticket from the Kashmir valley.

Bukhari has been nominated to the Rajya Sabha by the PDP. He is at present a member of the PDP’s working committee and is also serving as party’s treasurer.

Sources told The Tribune that the NC, the Congress and the PDP have decided not to field candidates against each other for the Rajya Sabha elections. According to this understanding, the NC will be fielding two candidates while both Congress and PDP will nominate one member each.

From the NC, party president Farooq Abdullah and Mohammad Yusuf Khan will be the candidates, while Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) chief and Union Minister for Water Resources Saif-ud-Din Soz is all set to retain his Rajya Sabha seat like Farooq Abdullah.

Sources said the candidature of Bukhari along with others was finalised after a meeting of leaders of the NC, the Congress and the PDP in New Delhi yesterday.

The elections were necessitated after the seats fell vacant following the completion of term of its members. Farooq Abdullah and Soz, Tarlok Singh and Chaudhary Mohammad Aslam were nominated to the Rajya Sabha last time.

The last date for making nominations is February 3, while the scrutiny of papers will take place on February 4. The last date for the withdrawal of candidature is February 6. The elections, if required, will be held on February 13 and the counting will take place the same day.

Jammu, January 30
The Election Commission of India has ordered a special summary revision of electoral rolls in all parliamentary constituencies in the state with reference to January 1, 2009, as the qualifying date.

According to the Chief Electoral Officer of the state, all those who have attained the age of 18 on or before January 1, 2009, are eligible to get themselves enrolled as an elector by filling Form 6.

The draft electoral rolls, which are the electoral rolls of 2008, along with supplement I and II have been kept at all district headquarters, tehsil offices, naib tehsildar offices, offices of Srinagar and Jammu Municipal corporations and polling stations. For Kashmiri migrants, these rolls will be available at AERO (migrants) in New Delhi and Jammu where the migrant voters living within their respective jurisdictions can register their claims and objections.

The electors can file their claims and objections regarding omissions and deletions in the draft electoral rolls from January 1 to February 10. From February 7 to 8, the booth-level agents of political parties will conduct special campaign for receiving claims and objections from voters. All claims and objections will be disposed by February 16 so that the updating of database and preparation and printing of supplement lists are completed by February 21. The final electoral rolls will be prepared by February 24.

Srinagar, January 30
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah here today announced Rs 50 lakh for the completion of all under-construction schools in Srinagar and Rs 50 lakh for the development of each constituency of the summer capital.

The Chief Minister, while chairing the District Development Board’s review meeting of Srinagar district here today, said still much was needed to be done in sectors like education, health, power, sanitation and drainage. He asked the officers concerned to remain non-aligned and ensure execution of development projects in the right perspective.

Outlining the significance of Dal Lake, Omar said the lake was the lifeline of Srinagar city and every effort would be made to restore its pristine glory. He asked the Lakes and Waterways Development Authority (LAWDA) and other agencies concerned to remove any encroachments on the lake and also on its periphery. However, he maintained that there should be no discrimination in the enforcement of law and removal of encroachments.

The Chief Minister directed the Principal, Government Medical College, Srinagar, to make the Maternity Hospital at Sanat Nagar fully functional. He instructed the health authorities to set up a dispensary in the Amira Kadal constituency. He also sanctioned a health centre for Faqir Gujri in the Sonwar constituency.

The Chief Minister asked the divisional commissioner, Kashmir, to make a proposal for the beautification of the embankment of inner canals in Srinagar city. He also asked MLAs to submit proposals to the Chief Engineer, PDD, regarding ways and means of bringing improvement in power distribution.

Deputy commissioner, Srinagar, Mehraj Ahmad Kakroo said Rs 17.72 crore had been utilised till mid-January against the revised allocation of Rs 38.95 crore.

Minister for Rural Development and Panchayats Ali Mohammad Sagar, former Chief Minister, Farooq Abdullah, legislators Mubarak Gul, Shameema Firdous, Peer Afaq, Nasir Aslam Wani and Mohammad Irfan Shah, Mayor, Srinagar MC, Salman Sagar and other senior officers attended the meeting. 

Udhampur, January 30
In a major development, the state police chief has directed Inspector General of Police, Jammu zone, to constitute a special police team headed by a senior officer known for his competence to investigate the murder case of Varinder Singh, who was shot dead on December 30, 2008, in Udhampur town.

The deceased was brother of Meenakshi Butyal, who was allegedly kidnapped by one Aftab Ahmed Chandel in 2001 and this sensational case had rocked the Jammu region for more than a month. Finally, the infamous case of Meenakshi was handed over to CBI, which solved the case and recovered the girl.

Sources at the police head quarter (PHQ) disclosed that “expressing dissatisfaction over the way the district police have so far investigated the murder case of Varinder Singh, in which three accused have been arrested and similar number of accused are still at large, DGP Kuldeep Khoda has instructed IGP, Jammu, K Rajendera and Deputy Inspector General of Police, Reasi-Udhampur range, to personally monitor the every day status of the investigation, which shall be handed over to a special team headed by a competent officer of integrity.”

About a fortnight ago, the Udhampur police had stake claims of solving the murder mystery, showing arrests of three accused and stating that hunt is on to nab other co-accused.

However, the major development surfaced following resentment by the people of Udhampur town, which have raised eyebrows the way the investigations have been carried out so far.

Sources indicated that “the present investigating team was unable to apprehend the conspirators who have planned the murder. Though one of the conspirators, who is a contractor, is known to most of the people, the police did not question him for the reasons best known to the investigating police team.”

Srinagar, January 30
At least 20 families have been rendered homeless after their houses were damaged in an exchange of fire between militants and security forces in Ayathmulla village of Bandipore district in north Kashmir on Wednesday last. Two foreign militants and a security forces jawan were killed in the encounter in which at least 10 houses were gutted rendering the 20 families homeless.

A complete shutdown was observed in the town yesterday, while the police and security forces continued combing operations in the village even after two days of the encounter. The villagers of Ayatmulla, about 2 km from Bandipore town, have expressed concern over negligence on the part of the civil administration in mitigating the sufferings of those whose houses have been damaged. They said four houses were razed to ground and six others suffered heavy damage leaving the families homeless.

The MLA from Bandipore, Nizamuddin Bhat (PDP), who visited the village today, alleged that the civil administration had been indifferent towards the sufferings of the people. He claimed that no representative of the civil administration had visited the area to assess the losses and undertake relief measures. Despite the Chief Minister’s claim of zero tolerance for corruption, the poor villagers suffered and were rendered homeless, he added.

Bhat said the affected families were without food, shelter and clothing in the severe cold conditions.

Srinagar, January 30
Haj pilgrims will require proper international travel documents or normal passports for annual pilgrimage to Kabba from this year onward. Temporary Haj passports issued by the Central Haj Committee would no longer be accepted.

Every year thousands of pilgrims from the valley go on Haj. Most people apprehend that the number of pilgrims might decline as availing travel documents here involves many interwoven intricacies.

“International travel documents are not an issue, but what worries me is the cumbersome procedure involved to avail the same. For years together people fail to get passport and Haj aspirants can’t afford delays and other intricacies. Then the procedure has to be made flexible and people-friendly,” says Pervez Ahmad, a city-resident.