Udhampur, April 1
Succumbing to the party high command’s warning, four BJP MLAs, who have raised a banner of revolt against the party decision to field Dr Nirmal Singh from the Udhampur-Doda Lok Sabha seat, have finally started campaigning with the official party candidate.

Rebel BJP leader Anil Gupta, who has announced to contest as an Independent candidate, has also decided not to oppose Nirmal Singh.

Hiranagar MLA Durga Dass, who vehemently opposed the candidature of Nirmal Singh, told The Tribune that as a disciplined and dedicated party worker he would work for the success of the BJP candidate. “There is no question of fielding any rebel candidate against Nirmal Singh”, he clarified.

Interestingly, Durga Dass along with three other MLAs had boycotted the meeting of national party president Rajnath Singh to express their resentment against fielding Nirmal Singh. All efforts of Rajnath to placate the annoyed leaders had failed, as the latter were adamant on getting the decision of fielding Nirmal Singh revoked.

Sources said after returning to Union Capital, Rajnath started the damage control exercise and involved some other senior leaders to resolve the crisis. The party high command gave strict warning to the four dissident MLAs.

Following the warning from the high command, three other MLAs namely Baldev Sharma of Reasi, Master Lal Chand of Bani and Jagdish Sapolia of Basholi started campaigning with Nirmal Singh.

Today, during campaign in the Hiranagar assembly segment, Nirmal Singh called up Durga Dass to accompany him in his constituency. Durga Dass joined Nirmal Singh.

BJP sources disclosed that Rajnath Singh and party general secretary Arun Jatiley warned the dissidents of strict action.

Jaitely also discussed the issue with veteran leader Chaman Lal Gupta, who is annoyed with the party for not giving ticket to his son Anil Gupta. All four annoyed MLAs are supporters of Chaman Lal Gupta.

The sources further said Nirmal Singh had also brought the matter to the notice of the party high command and pointed out that some MLAs were encouraging rebel activities in the party. He also took up the issue of dissidents with the leaders of some sister organisations of the Sangh Parivar. “Everything has been sorted out”, Nirmal Singh told The Tribune. 

Jammu, April 1
The Jammu and Kashmir High Court has issued notices to the Election Commission (EC), Union Minister and two former Chief Ministers on a petition by the J&K National Panthers Party, challenging the holding of three bi-annual elections for filling up of four vacancies for Rajya Sabha from the state in January. Union Minister for Water Resources Saifuddin Soz, former CMs Farooq Abdullah and Gulab Nabi Azad along with Mohammad Shafi Uri, AV Gupta and Altaf Bukhari were served notice on the petition filed by Panthers Party MLAs yesterday.

Justice Nirmal Singh issued notices returnable within four weeks after Harsh Dev Singh and Balwant Singh Mankotia challenged the notifications issued by the EC dated January 12 whereby it decided to hold three bi-annual elections for filling up the vacancies for Rajya Sabha seats in the state. While Azad and Soz were declared unopposed for biennial polls in two out of four Rajya Sabha seats in the state on February 6, Abdullah and Uri were elected to Rajya Sabha from February 13. — PTI

Jammu, April 1
In a brazen instance of undermining the constitutional authority of the state Legislative Assembly, most of the ministers and legislators of the NC-Congress coalition and even some former legislators have engaged over 40 employees of the Assembly Secretariat for their works, both official and personal.

Official sources told The Tribune that in utter violation of rules some ministers, legislators and former legislators had engaged over 40 employees of the Legislative Assembly Secretariat, including Class IV employees and even some officers.

These employees and officials though religiously mark their attendance on the register of the Legislative Assembly and get their salaries in time, they work for ministers, legislators and former legislators, they added.

The matter came to light after Speaker Mohammed Akbar Lone paid a surprise visit to the MLA Hostel here yesterday and found most of the Assembly Secretariat staff absent from duty.

Sources said Lone requisitioned his Legislative Assembly Secretary Mohammed Ramzan, who informed the former about the malpractice and political pressure to oblige.

However, Lone asked the Secretary to immediately bring back all employees engaged by the ministers, legislators and former legislators, they added.

They said some of the employees and officials had obtained orders of their engagement from the General Administration Department (GAD), which, however, has no authority to engage the Assembly Secretariat staff with the ministers, legislators and former legislators.

In 2007, the Assembly Secretariat had requested the government to create 60 new posts so as to ensure hassle-free functioning, they said, adding that if the Assembly Secretariat had surplus staff then why new posts were sought. An official of the State Legislative Assembly described it a malpractice undermining the constitutional authority of the House.

However, Lone said no staff of the Legislative Assembly Secretariat had been attached with the ministers and legislators but at the same time he assured to take strict action against employees and officials, who had been working for them at the expense of his office.

Jammu, April 1
The Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution (CAPD) Department authorities today ordered a probe into the artificial scarcity of ration in the Billawar area of Kathua district.

The Tribune in its columns yesterday had reported that 27,000 families registered with the CAPD Department in Billawar tehsil were hit hard because a local dealer, who enjoys political patronage, had been diverting government ration to the open market.

General manager, FCI, FA Khan said the FCI had been delivering the full quota of foodgrains to the CAPD Department. “Our food storage depots in the entire state are flooded with stocks and we are facing problems to accommodate the same. For the past several months, no allocation of foodgrains has lapsed,” Khan maintained.

“We are in constant touch with the state authorities for making financial arrangements and lifting of stocks so that there is a regular flow of stocks in the state,” Khan said.

He said as far as the problem of irregular supply of ration and its diversion to the open market was concerned, the FCI’s role was limited to providing foodgrains to the CAPD Department, while the latter would arrange for supplying BPL and APL ration to the beneficiaries. He also demanded an investigation into the issue by the state agencies concerned.

Earlier, Assistant Director, Kathua, Romesh Bhagat said the supply from the FCI had dwindled in January and February. However, he refuted the allegations that ration was not being distributed well in time. “People are aggrieved as they want more ration, while the government has sanctioned 35 kg of ration per family,” he added.

“There is no shortage of ration,” said director, CAPD, Hemant Kumar. He maintained “Hundred per cent BPL ration under the Antodaya scheme is being distributed on a regular basis,” he said.

“The problem is with the supply and demand for APL ration, but we are looking into the matter of reported pilferage. If there is a fault with the dealers, we will look for alternatives,” he said.

“The department will also take cognisance of as to why Jitender Malhotra, who had filed an RTI application in this regard, did not get a reply from the officials concerned within the stipulated time,” he said. He added that the reply to the RTI application would soon be made public.

Srinagar, April 1
The rhetoric from mainstream as well as separatist leaders for the return of Kashmiri Pandits to their homeland gets only shriller with passing time, but on the ground their already minuscule population is decreasing.

According to a latest survey by an organisation of local Kashmiri Pandits, at present there are 2,865 Pandits in Kashmir.

Kashmiri Pandit Sangharsh Samiti president Sanjay K Tickoo said they were around 19,900 in 1998, a figure endorsed by officials, and then fell to around 10,000 in 2001 and now total below 3,000.

Manoj Handoo, a retired government official, returned with his wife to his ancestral village in Pulwama in October to see if old ties could be restored again. They could not, he told The Tribune.

“Security is a concern, but it is just one reason. My Muslims neighbours welcomed us but it is no longer the same place. I can sense the polarisation caused by militancy and my three sons and daughter told me to be practical and return to Jammu,” he said with a touch of nostalgia.

Many young Kashmiri Pandits often prefer studying in other cities because of better opportunities. “It is not about the grim security situation in the valley only. It is also about hope and opportunities outside,” Handoo said, blaming the local government for lack of concrete measures for their welfare.

Tickoo said the present population was scattered across the valley. “These few people are living in 182 locations and may be more. Most of them are unhappy due to unemployment scenario, poor economy and social security,” he said.

Militants have targeted Pandit families in 2003 when they killed at least 24 persons, including 11 women, in Nadimarg in Pulwama to ensure that no organised population of their community stay in the valley. However, separatist leaders dispute these claims and say government wanted their migration to malign their movement.

Jammu, April 1
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah reviewed the progress of construction of a tourist facility center coming up at Nowgam, near Srinagar, at a meeting here today.

The meeting was attended by Minister for Tourism and Culture Nawang Rigzin Jora and other senior officers.

It was stated at the meeting that Rs.19.59-crore tourist reception centre (TRC) at Nowgam was necessitated after the gutting of such a centre at Srinagar in 2005. — TNS

Srinagar, April 1
PDP patron and former Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed is being tipped for the Anantnag Lok Sabha constituency. The seat was earlier represented by his daughter and PDP president Mehbooba Mufti, elected to the Lok Sabha for the first time in 2004. She had recently vacated the seat following her election to the Legislative Assembly from Wachi in Shopian district.

However, PDP sources claimed that former minister Peer Mohammad Hussain was also being considered for the Anantnag seat. Peer was elected to the State Assembly from Shangus in Anantnag district in 2002. The constituency of Anantnag, comprising four districts of Anantnag, Pulwama, Shopian and Kulgam, is considered to be the PDP “bastion”, where it had swept 14 of the 16 Assembly seats in the recent elections.

The party is giving the final touches to the list of candidates for the three Lok Sabha seats of Srinagar, Anantnag and Baramulla. A formal announcement is expected to be made on Sunday. Party sources said Kachoo Gulzar Ahmad would be its candidate from Ladakh.

Meanwhile, a meeting was convened by Mehraj Ahmad Kakroo, district election officer, Srinagar, today to review arrangements for forthcoming Srinagar parliamentary election and the Assembly byelections for Hazratbal and Sonawar.

Kakroo asked the officers concerned to ensure free and fair elections.

Jammu, April 1
Expressing concern over the mushrooming of non-recognised private educational institutions, the National Secular Forum (NSF) has urged Governor and Chancellor N N Vohra and Chief Minister and pro-chancellor Omar Abdullah to take cognizance of the matter.

The forum has demanded immediate action against such institutions that were allegedly playing with the careers of gullible students.

Addressing mediapersons here today, NSF president Vikas Sharma said: “Many educational institutions have been providing degrees as well as diploma courses in Jammu city and outskirts. Most of these institutions have no affiliation with any recognised university, state or central government, thus playing with the careers of thousands of students by issuing them fake certificates.”

“The degrees issued by these institutions are not valid and students completing their courses are not giving admission to any of the recognised institutions. If the degrees or diplomas issued by these institutions are not valid why does the state government give permission to these institutions to open shop?” he asked.

Sharma alleged the government has not yet set up any authority to check the operation of such illegal institutions that have no recognition or approved affiliation. “The government must ban all these institutions in the larger interest of society. It should also set up a competent authority to supervise all private coaching centres which should be registered under a government Act,” he demanded.

Jammu, April 1
Students of Jammu University (JU) held a protest today against delay in the submission of the inquiry report in the March 20 shootout on the campus.

The protesting students assembled near the administrative block this morning and shouted slogans against the committee members for delaying the inquiry report. “The committee was supposed to table its report within one week, but it has deliberately delayed it to shield the accused,” they alleged.

The students owing allegiance to various organisations joined the protest and demanded the formulation of the Jammu University Students Union. “We have demanded that a common students body be formed in the university and its executive members given representation in the varsity Academic Council and the Syndicate,” said president of the Progressive Students Association, Rahul.

Later a delegation of students called upon Vice-Chancellor Varun Sahni and submitted a memorandum of demands to him. 

Srinagar, April 1
Twelve films were screened during the third Shehjaar Children Film Festival with children from various schools from across the Kashmir valley enjoying its every bit.

While for some of them it was a day out with friends, for others it was something different from routine boredom. Every day, five schools and special homes from various districts participated in the four-day festival (March 28-31) organised by the Human Effort for Love and Peace (HELP) Foundation in collaboration with the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation, New Delhi, at Tagore Hall here.

Nighat Shafi, chairperson, HELP Foundation, says, “Movies screened in the festival carry a message and a mission. We want children to relax, learn and interact with each other.”

“Taare Zameen Par” was among the 12 movies screened during the festival. “Abhay”, “Neetrheen Sakshi” and “Ek Aadesh” were some of the feature films screened during the festival.

Falaq, Azra and Saiqa, students of Vasanta High School, Nai Sarak, say, “We enjoyed watching films with friends.”

On the sidelines of the festival, products made by women under the banner of Shehjaar and books for children and adults and religious literature of the Islamic Book Centre were put on sale. 

Srinagar, April 1
Former chairman of the Hurriyat Conference Abdul Gani Bhat has stated that the terror attack in Lahore was more horrible in the sense that the terrorists got into a police academy where cadets were engaged in a morning parade.

In a statement, Bhat said, however, one could hardly resist feeling that “the leadership in Delhi and Islamabad owe a duty to people that purposeful peace is restored and good future ensured for them in India and Pakistan.” Bhat maintained that attacks took place both in India and Pakistan, adding that “let us summon courage and address the root causes”.

Another executive member of the Hurriyat Conference and acting chairman of the Peoples League Mukhtar Ahmad Waza also expressed shock over the terrorist attack in Lahore.

Javeed Mir, another APHC leader and chief of the Jammu Kashmir Liberation Forum, said only a viable Kashmir resolution could act as a symbol of rapprochement between India and Pakistan, ending the current impasse.

Jammu, April 1
The BJP has taken a strong view against the imposition of the NSA Act against Varun Gandhi for making alleged hate speech in Pilibhit. State party spokesperson Ramesh Arora said this act was not meant for political leaders.

If it had been imposed on political leaders, then why Omar Abdullah who made derogatory remarks against people of Jammu saying that he would not give a single inch of land to Jammu for Amarnath yatra and Mehbooba Mufti for making hate remarks of changing names of sacred city Anantnag as Islamabad, should also be dragged into the NSA loop.

The BJP is also concerned about the 4 per cent VAT which will be applicable from today onward on essential food items such as rice, sugar, pulses etc. as no more exemption shall be available on these articles and, life will get difficult for the common man. Arora lambasted the Congress for imposing the VAT on CSD items which took a beating on facilities available to servicemen and ex-servicemen.

Jammu, April 1
The Power Development Department in cooperation with the Government College of Engineering and Technology, Jammu, has established a meter-testing laboratory in the Electronic and Communication Department of the college. The laboratory has been established to check the complaints of consumers.

Speaking to The Tribune, Ajay Gupta, Chief Engineer, Maintenance and Repair Power Development Department said consumers had complaints that their temper-proof electronic meters were running at high speed and was responsible for their exorbitant bills, so we decided to engage a third party that could conduct the test and give a neutral decision in this regard.

Anyone can get his electronic meter checked in the laboratory at nominal charges, he added.

The laboratory has found that a majority of the complaints were genuine and in many cases the tamper-proof electronic meters were running at double speed, Sameru Sharma, head of the Department of Electronic and Communication, Government College of Engineering, told The Tribune.

She said though her department had so far not been equipped with the machinery to rectify the defects in the meters, such arrangements would be done at the later stage.

Jammu, April 1
The Viraat Socio Cultural Society in its maiden foray into the recently held Jammu Drama Festival made a clean sweep of all top awards. Eleven plays in different languages and dialects were staged here during the festival organised by the Jammu and Kashmir Academy of Art, Culture and Languages.

However, among 11 plays “Haadsa, Haqeeqat”, a Hindi play written by local writer Vikram Sharma, bagged seven awards for best production, best director, best actor, best actress, best music and two merit awards. Artists awarded with top honours include Himanshu Darshan (best actor) and Sapna Soni (best actress). Two actors, Jatinder Dhameer and Neha Bhardwaj, were given merit awards. Besides, playwright Vikram Sharma was given best director and best music awards.