The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

	Yellow Rust Free ration to farmers for 6 months Admn seeks compensation under NCRF Ashutosh Sharma Tribune News Service Jammu, March 8 Following a report in The Tribune about the airborne yellow rust disease hitting the standing wheat crop badly in border villages of the Ramgarh sector, the administration has decided to provide free ration to the affected farmers for six months and issued orders to find out the cause of rapid spread of this disease. It has sought relief under the National Calamity Relief Fund (NCRF) for the purpose. As a damage-control exercise, the administration has also procured around 400 litres of fungicide from Delhi. To prevent further spread of the disease, the Department of Agriculture has engaged workers to spray fungicide over the affected crops spread across 3000 acres in the border areas. Dugh village in Chamlyal remains the epicenter of the calamity as the airborne fungal disease has almost destroyed the entire crop in the Ramgarh agriculture zone, revealed Samba Deputy Commissioner Sourav Bhagat. The DC disclosed that reports from field agencies said the disease had affected the standing crop in 5,000 acres while it had completely destroyed the crop in 2,000 acres in “We have sought relief for the affected farmers under the NCRF and the Agricultural Department is preparing a case for the damages, he added. The disease is no longer spreading to other crops as the changing climate is not suitable for pathogens, said Arun Kumar Makhnotra, chief agricultural officer of Samba. Makhnotra said he would file a damage assessment report to the administration for awarding compensation to the farmers. On the other hand, farmers were apprehensive over the methodology of assessment conducted by the administration. They alleged that such damages had become an annual feature as they lost their crop to hailstorm last year too but no compensation was awarded for 75 per cent loss to the crop. They also alleged that the department concerned did not ensure availability of the requisite chemicals in the market as a result of which crops suffered an extensive damage.
	Territorial Army jawan joins LeT Dinesh Manhotra Tribune News Service Udhampur, March 8 A red alert has been sounded in mountainous Doda district after a soldier of the Territorial Army attached with the 8 Rashtriya Rifles (RR) deserted the Army with weapons. The deserter soldier is brother of the dreaded Laskher-e-Toiba (LeT) militant Hanief Mohammad, who has presently taken shelter at Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). Zafarullah of Udaranpur, Doda, was recruited as solider in the Territorial Army three years back. Zafarullah’s brother is a dreaded militant and he himself had also remained associated with militant organisations. For quite some time he was attached with the 8 RR, stationed near Doda, on the Bharat road at Deshnan. Although the Army authorities have maintained a guarded silence over the incident, sources said Zafarullah deserted the Army early today morning. He escaped with two AK-47 riffles, one Insas riffle and seven magazines with him. As soon as the authorities got the information about the incident, all police stations and posts were alerted. Keeping in view the background of the deserter and involvement of his brother in many militant incidents, the Doda police has deputed some teams in the sensitive areas to frustrate evil designs of the terrorists. “A massive manhunt has been launched in Doda and Kishtwar districts to nab the deserter,” DIG, Doda-Ramban range, Hemant Kumar Lohia told The Tribune. He said the cops had been put on alter and all routes were plugged already to stop the deserter from moving out of Doda district. A case in this regard has been registered in the Doda Police Station for further investigation. Sources said even after his recruitment in the Army, Zafarullah was in constant touch with his brother Hanif, who had earlier let loose a reign of terror in some parts of Doda district. Hanif was earlier associated with Hizbul Mujahiden (HM) outfit in the early 90s. After joining LeT, he crossed over to the PoK for training and since then he has taken shelter there. The sources said due to political pressure many youth of suspicious character were recruited in the Territorial Army. Some these recruit are still in touch with militant outfits.
	JE, others appointed in violation of rules Seema Sharma Tribune News Service Jammu, March 8 A scrutiny of records of May, 2007, of the EE, Local Bodies Division-1, Jammu, has revealed that the Director, Local Bodies, Jammu, violated rules and appointed a junior engineer and a computer assistant in January 2002 and February 2005, respectively, without referring the vacancies to the Service Selection Board (SSB). In terms of the State Subordinate Services Recruitment Rules, the SSB makes appointments on non-gazetted posts after the vacancies in a department are referred to it by the Administrative Department concerned. Further, in terms of the Municipal Act 2000, municipalities are required to obtain the government’s approval before filling vacancies. But the procedure was blatantly violated in these cases. An expenditure of Rs 26.31 lakh was incurred between July 2002 and August 2008 on account of pay and allowances to 11 employees so appointed. The matter was mentioned in the CAG report. Further scrutiny of records of the Director, Local Bodies, revealed that the municipal committees of Sumbal, Kunzur and Lankhanpur had also made nine casual appointments in various cadres between February 2003 and March 2007 without obtaining the prior approval of the government. The Director, Urban Local Bodies, accepted the audit observation and stated that instructions had been issued to all municipal committees not to make such appointments. It also mentioned the officials responsible for making casual appointments. The EE, Local Bodies, Division-1, stated that the appointments were regularised by the Director, Urban Local Bodies. “The reply is not acceptable, as he was not competent to make appointments in violation of the prescribed recruitment rules without referring the vacancies to the SSB.” The matter was referred to the government in July, 2008. However, no reply has so far been received from the government.
	Legislative Council Poll Ruling alliance wins 7 seats Tribune News Service Jammu, March 8 Two former chief secretaries and the scion of the erstwhile Dogra ruler of the state were among nine persons elected to the Upper House of the state legislature during a secret ballot in the legislative complex here yesterday. The two former chief secretaries, who won the election, are Vijay Bakaya of the NC and BR Kundal of the Congress. While the NC won five seats, the Congress secured two and the PDP one. The surprise element was the Panthers Party candidate, who won the seat by 31 votes. The Panthers Party has only three members in the Assembly. The contest yesterday took an interesting turn when electoral officer, Jammu, BR Sharma had to decide the fate of two candidates by a draw of lots. “There was a clash of votes between NC candidate Vijay Bakaya and Congress candidate Ghulam Nabi Monga, as both of them secured 26 votes. Under the conduct of the election rules, a draw of lots was conducted and Vijay Bakaya was declared the winner,” the chief electoral officer told The Tribune. Under the provision, a draw of lot is conducted and the candidate whose name comes out of the box is expelled and the other one is declared elected. Yesterday’s voting was held for three seats that fell vacant in the valley after Sakina Itoo of the NC, Nizam-ud Din Bhat and Syed Basharat Bukhari, both of the PDP, were elected to the Lower House. “The term of the members, who won the byelections, will be only for the balance period, whereas others who won have been elected for the full tenure of six years,” Sharma said. The five NC candidates who won are Khalid Sorwardi, Altaf Kaloo, Showkat Hussain Ganie, Ajat Shatru Singh and Vijay Bakaya, while Jahangir Mir and BR Kundal of the Congress were declared winners. Asgar Ali of the PDP and Rafiq Shah of the Panthers Party also won the elections. After the results were declared, the legislative Assembly saw charges being traded among the members of the Opposition and the ruling coalition alliance, as members of the Treasury Benches accused the PDP and the BJP of joining hands. As the House witnessed a ruckus over the alleged cross-voting, Minister for Rural Development Ali Mohammed Sagar accused the PDP and the BJP of creating communal tension in the state over the Amarnath land agitation. “You two created communal tension in the state over the land row in which more than 70 innocent people lost their lives, and now you two have joined hands. You all stand exposed in the eyes of people,” he added.
	CAG Report Students’ body seeks action Tribune News Service Jammu, March 8 The Sangharsh Movement, a student organisation, at Jammu University (JU) has taken serious cognisance of the annual report of the Comptroller And Auditor General of India that exposes irregularities of funds in the varsity. Addressing a press conference, student activists Ranjeet Sharma and Vikrant Sharma highlighted points mentioned in the report and subsequently demanded action over it. “We had been raising the issue since very beginning and now the CAG report has only reaffirmed our concern,” they said. They urged the Government of India to retrieve the “Padamshree Award” conferred upon the former Vice-chancellor of the varsity under whose supervision such irregularities happened. They also sought legal action against him. The report divulges that as many as 43 per cent of the PhD scholars have not submitted their thesis even after five years while research thesis of 48 scholars received two months to five years back are pending acceptance due to non-availability of experts to evaluate them. The report reveals that out of 554 scholars registered for pursuing PhD between April 1, 1998 and October 2003 only 306 scholars had submitted their thesis up to January 2008 due to laxity in monitoring the research program while registration of seven scholars had been cancelled. The report further reveals that JU during 2002-08, the JU undertook 33 research projects. As of March only three projects stand complete, there was time overrun of one to three years in respect of 14 projects due for completion up to March 2008. Out of remaining 16 ongoing projects, data in respect of nine projects was not available. Audit scrutiny of 16 projects cost Rs 1.26 crore taken up during 2002 and 03 revealed that the project was not completed. Within stipulated period despite Rs 1.01 crore having been incurred on them. Out of five research projects entrusted to the varsity, three projects had been left midway during 2003-08. Report says that an exchange tour was arranged for the students and faculty of Journalism and Mass Communication to China by India-China Alliance Center in October 2007 at Rs 8.70 lakh. But neither any such tour took place nor the varsity has any such department.
	Rs 73-cr project to tackle water scarcity in Katra Seema Sharma Tribune News Service Jammu, March 8 Seeing the scenario of global warming, where the mountains had less snowfall this year, the scarcity of water is bound to multiply. The alarming situation both in Katra town and the Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board (MVDSB) made the Public Health and Engineering department (PHE) to begin waterworks there. The state has approved a project of 73 crore for the PHE department to release the additional supply of 18 lakh gallon water daily for the town. Similarly, the board too has enrolled the PHE department for a project of 2.5 crore to augment the water supply on the premises with additional 4 lakh gallon of water on daily basis. The project for the shrine has already begun, whereas the PHE department has finished the modalities for the town and will soon begin the work. Giving more information about these projects, VK Abroh, chief engineer, PHE department, said, “We have earmarked Baba Dhasar village for the Katra project which is 50 km away from Katra. We will find out source springs in the village, and install water pipes and power station there.” The digging will not do any damage to the environment. Confirms, Abroh, “We are concerned about the surrounding environment, so we’ll use the electricity-driven equipment extensively to avoid any such damage. “The town which has shortfall of 10 lakh gallon water will get additional 18 lakh gallons, which will plug the shortage of water.” The budget to the tune of Rs 36 crore has been earmarked for the first phase, rest of the fund is allocated for the second phase for the project, which will take three years to complete. Similarly, seeing the massive footfall of devotees in summer months, it has always been challenge for the MVDSB to arrange for the required water supply. But now with the new initiative of laying out water pipes, the board has prepared itself for the paucity of water for future as well. MK Dwivedi, CEO, MVDSB, said, “The shrine needs 20,000 gallon water per hour on average for at least 16 hours everyday. And now seeing the less snowfall in mountains this year, the problem was deemed to compound further. To solve this, we gave funds from our own source so that work gets completed fast. The network of water pipes is being laid till Siardabri village, which is 6 km away from the shrine.”
	CAG indicts PWD for wasting funds Ashutosh Sharma Tribune News Service Jammu, March 8 Jammu division of the PWD (Roads and Buildings) has wasted lakhs of rupees in the past seven years due to lack of administrative coordination and poor planning, says the CAG annual report. The department advanced funds to the Collector, Land Acquisition, in 2003 for a Rs 14.31-crore railway overbridge at Channi Himmat without adhering to the rules. Material was procured without assessment resulting into blocking of Rs 1.50 crore. The work is on a standstill now due to a dispute over the construction site. With a view to providing road connectivity to villages along the left bank of Kandyar nullah in Katra tehsil, the department took up the construction of a motorable bridge in Feburary, 2004, and a 1.3-km road from the bridge to Tareen village without any administrative approval and technical sanction. As a result, the entire expenditure of Rs 67.09 lakh was rendered unfruitful. In another road project from Machedi to Duggian in Bhasoli division, no clearance was taken from the forest authorities, besides the requisite approvals from the competent authorities, resulting in an unfruitful expenditure of Rs 20.55 lakh. Similarly, the PWD took up the construction of a bridge at Dhanwan Chakli in Rajouri town in 2001. The PWD started the work without any administrative approval and technical sanctions and incurred an unauthorised expenditure of Rs 79.31 lakh. Initially, the bridge was envisaged to be a foot suspension bridge (FSB) and work started on in 2001.But work was stopped in March, 2005, as the local MLA proposed the construction of motorable bridge. The CAG report further maintains that the failure in deciding the type of the bridge to be constructed cost the PWD an unfruitful expenditure of Rs 12.08 lakh, besides the locking up of Rs 5.97 lakh.
	Seven injured in Srinagar clashes Tribune News Service Srinagar, March 8 Tension continued to grip Srinagar downtown for the third consecutive day today during which demonstrations were held at various places against Friday’s killing of one person and injuries to at least 30 others in clashes. At least seven persons, including two policemen, were injured in fresh clashes today as the police lobbed tear gas shells and resorted to a canecharge to quell the demonstrators in the Rainawari, Khanyar and MR Gunj areas. The police has already registered a case against the CRPF at Nowhatta police station for the killing of one person, Shahid Ahmad Ahangar, who died as a result of the bullet injury during protests in the Jama Masjid area on Friday last. Several others were also injured in the clashes between the police and the protesters after Friday prayers when agitated youths took to streets demanding action against the killers of two persons in Bomia(Sopore). Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, who arrived here today to oversee the arrangements for Eid-e-Milad-un-Nabi, has also taken cognizance of the situation arising out of the killing on Friday and injuries to several others. The government has already promised action against those found guilty in such incidents. Strict restrictions were imposed for the second consecutive day today in several parts of the city, including Nowhatta, Rainawari, Khanyar and MR Gunj. Protesters in these areas were engaged in clashes with police and CRPF personnel, making securitymen lob tear gas shells. The residents claimed that an undeclared curfew was imposed in these areas for the second consecutive day.
	Soldier gets justice after 8-yr legal battle Legal Correspondent Jammu, March 8 Justice JP Singh of the Jammu and Kashmir High Court quashed the memo of chief controller of Defence Accounts as also the appellate order issued by the Ministry of Defence, wherein, grant of disability pension to Joginder Singh, after having served the Army for more than 15 years, was declined. The petitioner was enrolled in the Indian Army on January 6, 1983, and was boarded out from service in April, 1998, due to invaliding disease - Affective Psychosis (Mania) ICD-296. The medical board viewed petitioner’s invaliding disability which was less than 20 per cent, as neither attributable to nor aggravated by the military service. The petitioner submitted that he had been suffering from Psychosis due to stress and strain of service attributable to and aggravated by the military service, as such, sought his entitlement to grant of disability pension. The Union of India in its counter affidavit defended the impugned orders on the ground that petitioner’s suffering from disease was constitutional in nature and sought dismissal of writ petition in view of opinion of the medical board. The High Court while allowing the writ petition observed, “The disease suffered by petitioner does not fall in the list of diseases which are not normally affected by the military service. His case, on the other hand, falls in the list of those diseases which are affected by stress and strain of the military service. The medical board records indicate that the petitioner had neither being found suffering from any disability before joining the Army service nor was he habitual to alcohol/intoxicants.”
	Man dies day before reunion with sister Shariq Majeed Tribune News Service Poonch, March 8 A sister who was separated from her brother during partition was to arrive here on the weekly cross LoC Poonch-Rawlakote bus service tomorrow to meet him. However, her brother died of a heart attack this morning as he could not bear the happiness of their reunion. Hakim Bi (in her 70s), wife of Fazal Din of Kala Mullah in PoK was to arrive here tomorrow to meet her brother Hakim Din (in his 80s) who got separated from her during partition. Even as the brother is no more to welcome her, the sister will be hoping that he will be the first one to welcome her. “After my aunty informed us from PoK that she has got the travel document to travel to India and will be coming on Monday, my father had gone restive and was making all sorts of preparation to welcome her. He had told us to keep a separate room for her so that she doesn’t face any problem staying here. He had told my mother to cook special mutton dishes for aunty. He went to every home in our neighbourhood to tell that aunty is arriving,” said Muhammad Abbas, elder son of Hakim Din. “But as the destiny has it, dad died of heart attack this morning. Even this morning there was call of confirmation of aunty’s visit from POK at 10.00 am, 15 minutes after dad died but we didn’t aunty that her brother is no more. Tomorrow I will go to receive her from the crossing point,” he added. Even neighbors are dumb struck with the tragedy. “Hakim sahib was so happy. After his sister told him that she will arrive here on March 9, he was making arrangements for her welcome. But today he died of a heart attack. It is quite shocking for the whole area”, said Muhammad Yaqoob, neighbour of the deceased.
	Mirwaiz Farooq’s killer gets life term Jammu, March 8 Hizbul Mujahideen militant Mohd Ayub Dar has been awarded life imprisonment for killing Mirwaiz Moulvi Farooq, father of Hurriyat leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq in Srinagar in 1990. A TADA court also imposed a fine of Rs 6000 on Dar yesterday. Chairman of the moderate faction of the Hurriyat Mirwaiz Umar Farooq said Mohd Ayub Dar had confessed to the murder. Accused Mohd Ayub Dar, who was on bail, was present in High Court yesterday. Advocate M L Thusoo appeared for the CBI and advocate SK Nanda represented the accused, Mohd Ayub Dar. On May 21, 1990, three terrorists entered Mirwaiz Moulvi Farooq’s house and shot him. Farooq had succumbed to his injuries at the Soura Hospital in Srinagar. The case was transferred to the CBI on June 11, 1990. According to the CBI, accused Abdul Rehman Shingan, alias Inayat, was arrested on September 20, 1990. Shingan confessed that he along with Mohd Ayub Dar and Zahoor Ahmed entered Farooq’s office armed with pistols and had shot him. Shingan had died during the pendency of the trail. Accused Javed Ahmed, alias Ajmal Khan, and Zahoor Ahmed, alias Bilal, are absconding and investigation against them is continuing. — PTI
	Gujjar women face discrimination Tribune News Service Srinagar March 8 More than 1.4 million Gujjar women are facing utter gender discrimination in social, political and government organisations with a negligible presence in major institutions in the state. This has been revealed in a survey conducted by the Tribal Research and Cultural Foundation, a national organisation working on Indian Tribes with special focus on Gujjars, said Javaid Rahi, national secretary of the foundation, on the occasion of International Women’s Day today. This, he said, was because of the early marriage, illiteracy, extreme poverty, and nomadic way of life of the tribe comprising 14 per cent of the state’s population residing in the most backward, hill and border areas. Even as the state government had provided 10 per cent reservation since 1991 to Gujjars under the Scheduled Tribe category, there was a negligible presence of Gujjar women in political and government affairs, Rahi said. The survey had also revealed that since 1947 no Gujjar women had been elected or nominated to the Assembly, Legislative Council or Parliament so far. Only three women had so far qualified Kashmir Admistrative Service Examination (KAS), it added. No Gujjar woman has served as an under secretary or above in JK Civil Secretariat since its establishment. None of them had been SDM or above in the administration since 1947.
	Board fails to restrain students from cheating Sunaina Kaul Tribune News Service Jammu, March 8 As the examination of Class X and XII is going on in the state, large numbers of students are resorting to unfair means to clear examination. Though the State Board of School Education (BOSE) has constituted a ‘three-tier security’ team to restrain the students from cheating, its efforts seem to be unsuccessful. These days photostat shops in every nook and corner of the city are witnessing huge rush of students. They get their cheating material photostatted into a small size so that they could easily hide their material during the examination. Sameer Bhat, a Class XII student, said: “In our centre three students have been caught for cheating. This is a serious problem for students who are preparing for the exams with full dedication and hard work. The rising cases of cheating registered by the school authorities reveals the fact that the teams constituted by the department has failed to restrain the students from adopting unfair means during examination. BOSE chairman Deshbandu Gupta said: “We are trying to stop students from adopting unfair means in the examination. So far, we have received 23 cases from different centres and we will definitely take action against the culprits.”