Jammu, March 12
The Upper House of the state legislature today passed the amended Jammu and Kashmir Rights to Information Bill. The Bill that was passed by a voice vote would pave the way for the creation of a state information commission.

The Bill was passed by the Assembly on Monday. It would now be sent to the Governor for approval. It would then become an Act facilitating the creation of a state information commission.

The Legislative Council also gave concurrence to the recommendations of the Assembly that the council join the Joint Select Committee on “a Bill to provide for equitable opportunities of employment in the civil services in the state keeping in view its complex socio-economic and geographical, topographical, linguistic, security concerns and matters connected therewith and incidental thereto (LA Bill No. 1 of 2009), that had already been referred to the Joint Select Committee by the Assembly.”

Srinagar, March 12
The byelections to three Assembly constituencies that fell vacant following the Rajya Sabha elections from Jammu and Kashmir last month would be held with the forthcoming general election.

These three constituencies of Hazratbal and Sonwar in Srinagar and Bhaderwah in Doda district fell vacant after two former Chief Ministers, Ghulam Nabi Azad and Farooq Abdullah, got elected to the Rajya Sabha last month.

According to the five-phased schedule of the Lok Sabha elections in the state, Bhaderwah constituency of Doda district would go to the polls on April 23. The byelections to the Hazratbal and Sonwar constituencies of Srinagar district would be held on May 7.

Though the two coalition partners, the Congress and the NC, have agreed upon fighting the Lok Sabha seats jointly, there is no word yet on the three Assembly constituencies.

In the case of Lok Sabha elections, it is believed that the NC would contest the three seats of Srinagar, Baramull and Anantnag in Kashmir, while the Congress would field its candidates from Jammu, Udhampur and Ladakh.

Meanwhile, reports suggest that the NC was considering several names for the Assembly seats of Hazratbal and Sonwar. These included two former MLAs, Mohammad Sayeed Akhoon and Mohammad Yaseen Shah, who had earlier represented the Hazratbal and Sonwar seats, respectively. Farooq Abdullah’s brother, Mustafa Kamaal, who unsuccessfully contested from Tangmarg constituency in the last elections, was also being considered for the Hazratbal seat.

Srinagar, March 12
Unlike in the past, the PDP has decided to contest all six Lok Sabha constituencies in the state without any alliance after it snapped its tie with the Congress in the wake of Amarnath land row last year.

PDP patron and former Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed was talking to the mediapersons here today. He stressed the need for an end to “atmosphere of uncertainties” prevailing in the state saying that his party continued to work for the resolution of the Kashmir issue. The party was also for addressing the basic problems of bijli, paani and sadaak. He said the NC-Cong coalition government lacked a programme-based agenda, while the PDP in alliance with the Congress after the 2002 elections formulated a Common Minimum Programme. “We do not want to compromise on basic issues,” Mufti commented.

Earlier, former NC MLA from Shopian Sheikh Mohammad Rafi joined the PDP along with his supporters. Two other political activists Ali Mohammad, who had contested last election and Nazir Ahmed Itoo of Chrar-e-Sharief and Ghulam Hassan Bhat, also joined the party.

Welcoming them in the party fold, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed said the post-poll arrival of several political leaders and activists in the PDP was the wide-ranging public acknowledgement of the fact that a credible leadership and pro-people agenda of the PDP had discernibly impacted the state’s political landscape. “But the challenging task of securing sustainable peace for our state, dignity for my people and prosperity for our future generations is still unaccomplished,” he said.

Reiterating that Jammu and Kashmir was not a place to be tackled through packages and doles, Mufti said it had to be facilitated and assisted in realising its potential of natural resources. “We have done it in the past, and I am sure if there is a political will we can do it again,” he said. Mufti added that the PDP accorded highest priority to economic rejuvenation of the state in proportion to the immense potential it had in the region.

Udhampur, March 12
PDP patron Mufti Mohammad Sayeed has questioned the credibility and sincerity of the NC’s latest stance in pleading for a dialogue with separatists to resolve the Kashmir problem.

Addressing a public meeting at Banihal in Ramban district yesterday, Sayeed said the NC’s plea was hogwash by a party that had virtually abandoned the state’s political and economic interests for the allurement of power.

The Mufti said it was ironical that the NC had now cast off even the ritual lip service to the cause of autonomy, which it always projected as the cure for all ills of the state. “Their interests lie somewhere else”, he said.

He added the people knew how the NC allowed the autonomy proposal to be treated with contempt by the NDA government at the Centre, of which the NC was a partner and Omar Abdullah a minister.

The PDP patron said the rejection of the autonomy resolution by the then NDA government was not only a rebuff to the NC, but also amounted to an insult to the state Legislature that had passed it with a huge majority. But just to save Omar’s job as a junior minister and keep Farooq Abdullah’s ambition to become Vice-President of the country alive, the NC did not protest even meekly, he said.

With such a background to its “core political agenda”, the Mufti wondered what moral authority the NC had to argue on how the Kashmir problem should be addressed, much less resolved. He said during the recent elections the NC swore by its non-political agenda and made clear that it would not have anything to do with the Kashmir issue other than carry out development works.

He pointed out that during the first two months, the Omar government had become noticeable only by its absence both from political and developmental fronts. No new initiatives had been witnessed in any field and government leaders survived in public either by their vilification of the Opposition or photo opportunities.

The PDP patron said the recent tragic incidents at Bomai, Sopore and Nowhatta, Srinagar, had vitiated the atmosphere and there was an urgent need to address the people’s just concerns with concrete action.

“I visualise a space of dignity and opportunity for my people who have been for long subjected to all sorts of political and economic subjugation,” Sayeed said.

Jammu, March 12
In the backdrop of the Lok Sabha poll, the state Congress leaders along with AICC general secretary Hari Prasad, in charge of J&K affairs Prithvi Raj Chavan and party leader Anand Sharma today held a meeting at the residence of Union Minister for Water Resources and PCC president Saif-ud-Din Soz in New Delhi to finalise candidates for three seats in Jammu.

Two former state Congress presidents Peerzada Mohammed Sayeed and Choudhary Mohammed Aslam, besides Deputy Chief Minister Tara Chand, former ministers Mula Ram, Mangat Ram Sharma, PCC women wing president Indu Pawar and sitting minister Taj Mohi-ud-Din also attended the meeting.

Reliable sources told the Tribune that a panel of candidates was finalised at the meeting.

A screening committee tomorrow would screen the panel and forward the final list to party president Sonia Gandhi, they said.

The sources said the names of candidates would be finalised within a few days.

The Lok Sabha election would be held in the state in five phases beginning April 16.

Sitting MP Madan Lal Sharma and P Namgyal are strong contenders for Jammu-Poonch and Ladakh seats, respectively, while Lal Singh’s chances look bleak, as he lost in the Assembly elections from Kathua, the sources added.

A senior party leader said the meeting in New Delhi decided that party president Sonia Gandhi would take the final decision on party candidates for the two seats in Jammu and one seat in Ladakh.

However, the sitting MPs were most likely to get the ticket, while those who tasted defeat in the Assembly elections may not be entertained, he said while hinting at Lal Singh.

He said as far as the three seats of the Kashmir valley were concerned, talks were on with the NC leaders in Delhi.

Srinagar, March 12
Security arrangements have been geared up in the wake of grenade explosions during the past few days, including two explosions in the city on Tuesday and Wednesday. These explosions have broken a long spell of lull in the valley ahead of the preparations for the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections in the state.

Two CRPF men were injured when unidentified militants hurled a grenade towards a bunker near Hari Singh High Street on Wednesday afternoon. It brought the normal life to a halt in the city.

In another incident, a grenade was hurled by unidentified person towards the 162 Battalion CRPF in the Nowhatta area here on Tuesday evening. The grenade exploded, however, there was no report of any loss of life or injury, the police here said.

The police held one over ground worker of Hizbul Mujahideen, Manzoor Ahmad Mir from his Rajpora residence in Pulwama district. Two letter pads were recovered from his possession.

The police and 29 RR held one person, Abdul Majid Parray, associated with Hizbul Mujahideen from Andergam, Pattan in Baramulla district. Recoveries made from him included 60 AK 47 rounds, two Chinese grenades, one Chinese pistol and one pistol magazine.

Srinagar, March 12
In connection with World Kidney Day observed across the globe, a function was organised at Shere Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences, Soura, here on Thursday.

Speaking on the occasion, Abdul Hameed Zargar, director of the institute, said since optimal health care facilities were not available in treating kidney disorders due to high costs, people should take safety measures to save their kidneys.

“In the contemporary world, disorders like cardio vascular disease, coronary artery disease and chronic renal failure are in a way or other related to kidney disorder. As such prevention holds key so that the overall health of people does not get affected on account of kidney disorder,” said Zargar.

Asking people, who have crossed 30 years of age, to get their blood pressure checked on a regular basis, the director said it would help check any kidney disorder.

“A regular monitoring of blood pressure will help in reducing hypertension, which in turn will lead to avoiding disorders, including kidney problems,” said Zargar. He expressed concern over the misuse of analgesic drugs and said the government should take a serious note of the flourishing drug industry in the Kashmir valley.

The director said even if all resources were utilised still just two per cent of people affected by any kidney disease could be treated through transplantation. “We should identify the target population and take steps to bring down the rate of kidney disorders,” he added.

Mohammad Saleem Najar, Head of Department, nephrology of the institute, said it would take spending of the whole budget of the country in treating kidney patients across the globe.

“In India, there are 800 nephrologists and as such prevention as well as early detection of the disorder is the only way out. Simple urine and blood examinations can easily lead to the diagnosis of the kidney problem. Dialysis, commonly available treatment of the kidney disorder, is very expensive and it costs $50,000 in treating a kidney patient annually,” says Dr Najar.

Jammu, March 12
Nearly 3,000 daily wagers, engaged by the Power Development Department (PDD), from various districts of the Jammu region today took out a protest rally here demanding that their services be regularised and their pending wages be released.

Shouting slogans against the government, the PDD daily wagers started their protest march from Janipur grid station that culminated at Indira Chowk here.

Led by All-Jammu and Kas hmir PDD Daily Wagers Association president Kuldeep Singh Rakwal protesting daily wagers from Kathua, Udhampur, Poonch, Rajouri, Kalakote, Katra, Basohli, Billawar and Srinagar staged a dharna at Indira Chowk.

Association president Kuldeep Singh Rakwal castigated the government for not regularising daily wagers, who have completed seven years of service.

There are several instances where daily wagers have been working from the past 12 years to 14 years, he said, adding that despite back-breaking inflation we work on petty wages of Rs 70 a day, which, too, has not been given to us from the past 30 months bringing our families at the brink of starvation.

Despite the fact that 24,000 posts have been lying vacant in the department, daily wagers work like bonded labourers, he added.

Till 2004, the PDD had engaged 5,403 daily wagers, out of which 2,483, who have completed 14 years of service, should be regularised, he said. Later, Singh, along with other members, submitted a memorandum to a revenue official who sought five days to apprise the government of their demands.

If the department failed to release our wages by March 19, we would approach the court of law, he said.

Power Development Commissioner RK Seli said till 1994 most of the daily wagers, who had completed seven years of service, were regularised. For those engaged after 1994 on operational duties, they were being paid regularly against progress of works and being a bigger policy decision only the government could decide, he said.

Srinagar, March 12
Observing that the preservation of ecology is a fundamental challenge, Governor NN Vohra has said Shri Amarnath Shrine Board will take a firm initiative in funding eco-awareness-cum-conservation campaigns and supplementing the afforestation programmes in selected areas.

He observed this at the first meeting of the Environment Sub-Committee of the board here yesterday. He said time-bound initiatives would be taken to secure the involvement of schoolchildren in carrying out plantation drives under the Social Forestry Programme and holding of debates and essay competitions in all regions of Jammu and Kashmir to enlarge awareness of the urgent need for preserving environment.

He also laid emphasis on creating adequate awareness on this vital issue among people, particularly tourists and pilgrims.

The Governor reiterated the shrine board’s commitment to preserve aesthetic and ecological aspects of the Amarnath yatra. He directed the chief executive officer of the board, BB Vyas, to set apart a corpus fund so that shortage of resources was not a constraint in the implementation of such measures.

An official spokesman said here that the Sub-Committee on Environment recommended that early action would be taken to launch two pilot projects for treating waste water and sewage through a host of innovative and organic measures for waste disposal involving micro-organism based technology for decomposition, temporary baffle reactors and reed beds at the Nunwan and Baltal base camps during the ensuing yatra.

To preserve ecology in the Pahalgam and Baltal axis of the yatra, the meeting also decided to set up plastic bins for the disposal of plastic bottles and other plastic materials. 

Jammu, March 12
Around 20 intravenous drug users got treated in the drug de-addiction camp which concluded today at Bhagwati Nagar. According to the statement issued here today, a number of clients registered in this 8-day long camp.

Pallavi Singh, project officer of the Jammu and Kashmir Society for Promotion of Youth and Masses said, “One of the major problems that came across while selecting those clients for de-addiction was abscess (collection of pus) problem. Many drug users were suffering from this problem.”

At the concluding day, the camp was attended by parents who were involved in family program of the camp.