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Protest over clean chit to Tytler
‘Bring BJP to power to eliminate bias’
Mendhar voters not satisfied with sitting Cong MP
Mir likely to be PDP candidate from Baramulla
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Polling booths for Talwara migrants
Alliance to work for equal growth
LS nominees have less than Rs 10 lakh in bank deposits
Jammu-Poonch
Minister asks nomads to take benefits of schemes
New govt colleges lack basic amenities
Alarm over fresh infiltrations
Robbers blamed for murder of Malik’s kin
Encroachments blot on Gulmarg beauty
People have a close look at Tata Nano on display in Jammu on Sunday.
Tribune photo: Anand Sharma
ATMs fail to deliver
Election complaint cell at Marh
Hubby pierces wife’s eyes with screwdriver
Zuna Reshi Encounter
4 hideouts busted, arms seized
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Protest over clean chit to Tytler
Jammu, April 5 From the very first day when the CBI sought the permission of the court to withdraw cases against the Congress leader who was allegedly behind the “Sikh Genocide” of 1984, the Sikh community in the state is annoyed against the Congress-led UPA government for ditching them and not ‘punishing the guilty.’ Protest demonstrations by various Jammu and Kashmir-based Sikh organisations have become a daily routine, where they burn effigies of Tytler and shout slogans against the Congress. It is pertinent to mention here that Sikh votes in Jammu played a major role in the victory of Congress candidate from Gandhi Nagar, Raman Bhalla, despite the wave flowing in favour of the BJP candidate. Many of the 20 Assembly segments that comprise the Jammu-Poonch Lok Sabha seat, areas like Samba, Vijaypur, Gandhi Nagar, RS Pura, Suchetgarh, Jammu west, Nowshera and Poonch have a sizeable population of Sikh voters, that exceeds to more than about 1 lakh Sikh votes. Though the Congress in Jammu says that they would get the support of Sikh voters in the region, however, the community seems to be in a mood to teach a lesson to the Congress for giving a clean chit to Tytler. “There are people who saw Tytler giving orders to his goons to burn Sikhs alive, kill them and loot their property, then how can the CBI give him a clean chit without even investigating the truth and not entertaining the eye witnesses account, this clearly shows that the Congress has again adopted anti-Sikh policies.” said Paramjeet Singh, a resident of Gandhi Nagar. |
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‘Bring BJP to power to eliminate bias’
Jammu, April 5 Arora said the PDP and the NC were local parties and had to watch their vote bank so many a times their actions could prove detrimental for the unity of the country. “Their slogans like autonomy, self-rule, joint mechanism, demilitarisation, joint currency are meant to appease voters of a particular region and religion. They are not serious about the problems people in Jammu are facing such as Kashmiri Pandit’s migration, refugee problem, delimitation etc.” He said: “Allocation of funds speaks the history of discrimination with Jammu and the Congress is no exception to it.” He said in field of agriculture, discrimination with Jammu has been repeated again and again in various five-year plans. In the eighth plan (1992-1997), Rs 57.61 crore was spent on Jammu, whereas Rs 104.5 crore on Kashmir. In the ninth plan (2002-2007), Rs 147.31 crore was spent on Jammu and Rs 253.17 crore on Kashmir. In the 10th plan, Rs 270.49 crore was allocated for the Jammu region and Rs 380.29 for Kashmir. In the 11th plan (2007-2012), Rs 337.56 crore was proposed for Jammu as Rs 519.41 crore for Kashmir. Similarly, in the irrigation sector, in the ongoing 11th plan, proposed expenditure for Jammu has been to the tune of Rs 282.04 crore, while Rs 365.36 crore for Kashmir. In the health sector, in the 11th plan, Rs 510.81 crore is proposed for Jammu and Rs 819.22 for Kashmir. Ramesh Arora said: “If we want to make balanced development, we have to vote for the BJP candidates in the parliamentary elections. The BJP appeals to the people to vote and elect its candidates Leela Karan Sharma and Dr. Nirmal Singh if they want to protect their own rights.” |
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Mendhar voters not satisfied with sitting Cong MP
Mendhar (Poonch), April 5 The other major players in fray from the Jammu-Poonch parliamentary segment are former convenor of Shri Amarnath Yatra Sangharsh Samiti and BJP’s candidate Leela Karan Sharma, who is seeking to cash in on religious sentiments flared up by Amarnath Land Agitation, and PDP’s Tarlok Singh Bajwa. Irked by the alleged “non-performance” of sitting Congress MP Madan Lal Sharma, who is seeking re-election from the Jammu-Poonch parliamentary seat of which this area is a part, residents say that not speaking of spending any funds under the MP fund in this area, the MP didn’t bother to visit them even once during his tenure of five years. The voters here numbering more than 77,000 added that even as people in this frontier tehsil continue to suffer due to lack of development, the MP allegedly did nothing to highlight their pain and agony. “Our area is quite underdeveloped. For decades together we have been waiting for a representative who not only feels our sufferings but also gets money for development of our area. We don’t have proper infrastructure in schools, hospitals. In this entire town, there are no bathrooms for visitors nor there is any parking facility here,” says Chander Mohan Sharma, a photographer who runs his shop in Muhalla Saraf here. Another resident of Balakote block (which enjoyed tehsil status before 1965) near here, Muhammad Amin, a farmer, says “Even as our MP did nothing good to us and didn’t spend even a single penny of his MP fund here, we will vote in this parliamentary elections just to teach him a lesson for non-performing. For more than four decades we have been demanding Tehsil status back for Balakote and basic amenities like safe drinking water, better roads. But there is no one to listen to our demands”. Mendhar tehsil is one of the largest tehsil of border district Poonch having about 78,000 voters out of which there are more than 39,000 male and 38,830 females. This tehsil has remained highly militant infested area and continues to report militant activity. People here are now looking for development, better amenities and implementation of centrally sponsored schemes like National Rural Employment Guarantee and execution of schemes under Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana. |
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Mir likely to be PDP candidate from Baramulla
Srinagar, April 5 Mir, a Cabinet minister in the previous PDP-Congress coalition government, is the party’s unanimous choice for the north Kashmir seat, said PDP general secretary and MLA Nizamuddin Bhat, adding that his name was likely to be announced in a few days. Mir suffered a rare defeat from his stronghold in Rafiabad in the recent Assembly elections when NC greenhorn Javaid Dar pipped him, bagging 13,198 against his 12,982 votes. Party sources said they were also coming around to the names of Peer Muhammad Hussain and Moulvi Iftikar Ansari from Anantnag and Srinagar, respectively. The Anantnag seat offers the PDP its best chance as the party had bagged 12 out of 16 Assembly seats falling in the LS constituency. |
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Polling booths for Talwara migrants
Udhampur, April 5 A majority of the 40,00 eligible voters, who have been living in this camp, could not exercise their franchise in the recent Assembly elections due to, what they alleged, indifferent attitude of the authorities concerned. The displaced people have given a week’s time to the authorities to start the process for setting up separate polling booths for them in the camp. “This time we will not hesitate to take extreme steps if our demand for setting up polling booths in the camp was not fulfilled within a week, chairman of the Migrant Action Committee Balwan Singh said. As all these camp dwellers were displaced from militancy-plagued areas, they were demanding that fresh electoral rolls should be made for them and they should be given an opportunity to cast votes at Talwara. It is not possible for us to go to our native place to cast votes due to militant threats, Pardeep Singh, a migrant from Parankote, said. “Being citizens of the state we have every right to participate in democratic process”, Sham Lal, a camp dweller, said. The migration from the upper reaches of Reasi and Rajouri districts started after the 1998 Lok Sabha elections. It was only after the infamous Parankote massacre just after the 1998 Lok Sabha poll that hundreds of families left their native places and took shelter in the Talwara and Pouni areas of Reasi district. Besides demanding the restoration of their voting right, these displaced people have also been struggling to get relief at par with the Kashmiri migrants for the past over a decade. |
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Alliance to work for equal growth
Jammu, April 5 Addressing a joint workers meeting of the NC and the Congress at Nagrota here today, Rana said the coalition government was bound by a common ideological thread based on secularism. He said the NC and the Congress had always stood for amity, peace and equitable development of all areas and sections of society irrespective any consideration of creed, caste, colour, region or religion and would continue to work in unison for the prosperity and overall development of the state. Rana appealed to people to support Madan Lal Sharma, NC-Congress coalition candidate from the Jammu-Poonch parliamentary constituency. |
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LS nominees have less than Rs 10 lakh in bank deposits
Jammu, April 5 Madan Lal, the sitting MP, does not have even Rs 5 lakh in his bank accounts. A matriculate from Government High School, Pallanwala, he has shown Rs 4,56,164 and and Rs 41,287 in his bank accounts. Furthermore, he has a petty cash of Rs 70,500 and bonds, debentures and shares worth over Rs 16 lakh. The sitting MP has claimed he has a Mahindra Bolero and his wife, Channo Devi, had 155 tolas of gold jewellery valuing Rs 23 lakh. Coming from a farming family, the former Army soldier, who fought the 1971 war sustaining a serious injury in his eyes, has over 75 kanals of agricultural land in Pallanwala, Palatan and Channi Dewanu and 88 kanals of non-agricultural land. The Congress MP has a plot measuring 60’x 90’ in Roop Nagar Colony and a 10-marla plot valuing Rs 12 lakh. He has a double-storeyed house in Roop Nagar on an area of 4,000 sq ft while two houses in Choudhriwala and another house in Palatan in Akhnoor have been valued at Rs 35 lakh in the affidavit. Madan Lal also has a shop in Choudhriwala. Leela Karan has a bank deposit of Rs 8,90,886 and cash of Rs 1 lakh. His wife, Nirmal Sharma, has Rs 1.85 lakh and a bank deposit of Rs 3.68 lakh. A high court lawyer of repute, Leela Karan has shares, bonds and debentures worth Rs 3.12 lakh while his wife has invested Rs 2.50 lakh. Likewise, he has jewellery weighing 30 tolas valued at Rs 4.20 lakh while his wife has 50 tolas of gold jewellery worth Rs 7 lakh. He also owns a car. However, Leela Karan is no comparison to Madan Lal in land holdings. He has four kanals of agricultural land in Suketar and owns one kanal non-agricultural land in Mishriwalla and a 10-marla plot in the name of his wife at Chowadi. Under the commercial and residential premises category, Leela Karan claims that he has two shops in the city valued at Rs 10 lakh and half of the house on one kanal in Talab Tillo valued at Rs 40 lakh. The other half of the house is in the name of his wife. He has an outstanding loan of Rs 1,21,108 to pay to Jammu and Kashmir Bankas on March, 2009. |
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Jammu-Poonch
Jammu, April 5 To woo the Gujjar vote bank that could play a decisive role in the constituency, the BSP has fielded prominent Gujjar leader Chowdhary Hussain Ali Waffa belonging to the community. While the BJP has fielded the ‘hero’ of the Amarnath land row agitation, Leela Karan Sharma, the Congress has repeated Madan Lal Sharma, who won in 2004 general election. Though the seat is held by the Congress, the BSP candidate could be a cause of worry for the Congress and BJP candidates. A majority of the 20 Assembly segments that comprise the parliamentary seat
are dominated by members of the Gujjar community. The Gujjar factor has become a major force to reckon with and all political parties and candidates are trying to woo Gujjar voters. “The main contest will be among the
BJP, Congress and the BSP. While the BJP has again toed the line of discrimination with the Jammu region, the Congress is fighting over the issue of equitable development in the state. The BSP has played a trump card by fielding a Gujjar candidate,” said Pardeep Singh, a political analyst. “If the BSP fails to win the seat but succeeded in getting a good number of votes, it could still create a dent in the prospects of the Congress candidate,” he said. |
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Minister asks nomads to take benefits of schemes
Jammu, April 5 Taj was addressing a Gujjar and Bakarwal conference at Swankha Kalla village, Vijaypur, in Samba district yesterday. The conference was organised to provide the participants an opportunity to highlight the problems confronting the twin tribal communities putting up in various areas of Jammu division. Listing the various schemes meant for the Scheduled Tribes and the Scheduled Castes, Taj called upon the participants to share the information about the welfare schemes with their community members and create widespread awareness about the schemes that are in vogue for their betterment. Taj assured the communities that each department entrusted with the implementation of various welfare schemes would be asked to organise awareness campaigns in far-flung areas so that the people inhabiting tribal areas are kept abreast about the welfare measures available for them at near their doorsteps. Taj said unless these communities recognises the importance of education for their children in the changing world scenario they cannot be in a position to avail the benefits of various development schemes meant for them. He told them to adopt latest and modern techniques for earning maximum dividends from their traditional occupation. The conference was attended by Gujjar and Bakerwals who had come all along from far-off areas of Doda, Kathua, Udhampur and Samba. |
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New govt colleges lack basic amenities
Jammu, April 5 Government colleges are grappling for basic infrastructure. Most of these don’t have even a building at their disposal what to speak of other amenities. Out of the total 36 newly opened colleges across the state, 18 in the Jammu region don’t have even a post of principal or a peon. Most of such colleges are operating from 3-4 rooms of local schools. Government degree colleges at Bani, Ramban, Kalakote, Klotrian (Doda), Palora and Nowshera in the Jammu division portray a gloomy picture of higher education. “These college were opened up under a lot of political pressure under the previous government. Now a swelled number of colleges have become a headache for the new government. Government needs a rethink whether they are viable or not,” said a senior academician, wishing not to disclose his identity. According to contractual teachers at Government Degree College, Bani, Kathua district, with started its functioning on May 26, 2008, there is not even a peon or watchman due to which they have to do the odd jobs like opening of locks, managing books in the library, besides other petty jobs. Since the academic year is going to conclude they have not got their remuneration as yet. “We were promised Rs 12,000 per month, besides other allowances, but we have not got anything so far,” they rued. The quality of education in this college could be gauged from the fact that there is no English teacher even on ad-hoc basis. “Out of the newly opened colleges in the state, construction work on several colleges is going on. The land for rest of the colleges is being acquired while the posts of principals would be finalised soon,” said director colleges, ND Wani, adding that salaries of contractual lecturers would be disbursed with in 3-4 days. |
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Alarm over fresh infiltrations
Srinagar, April 5 Alarm bells have rung among security agencies as they come to terms with the scale of infiltrations in the past month and some say the number of fresh militants is well over 50. Official sources told The Tribune that the Army, which had launched an operation in the Gurez sector after killing one infiltrating militant, is unlikely to find any more infiltrator as most of them have reached their hideouts, especially in the Lolab belt. The number of militants who have tiptoed their way into Kashmir through the Gurez sector is anywhere between 15 and 20, they said. Though infiltration is nothing new in the valley, the cause of concern is that it is still a bit early for crossing the border and the impending elections in the state might have brought urgency among militant’s masters in Pakistan. “Most of the routes used by infiltrators are still snowbound and difficult. We are still working to work out their plans and designs,” an official said. Some villagers at places like Lolab have spoken about militants roaming in their villages mostly at night. At Hafrada, whose forests witnessed some of the fiercest gunfights between militants and the Army, two militants last week walked into the house of a moulvi and demanded food. “He handed them over whatever cooked food was there at and begged them to leave. He still keeps away from his house in case security personnel come looking for him,” a villager said. Official sources said the 18 militants killed by the Army were likely to be a part of a much bigger group which crossed the LOC in several smaller batches, some of whom were intercepted by the Army. Some infiltrators were launched from “launching pads” in Dudhniyal and Jura in PoK, they said. The fact that the fresh arrivals are mostly foreigners drawn from Islamist outfits like the LeT and the JeM is another cause of concern. The militants gunned down in recent encounters, in which the Army also lost eight of its men, were from the LeT and the Pakistani group had warned of more such attacks. |
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Robbers blamed for murder of Malik’s kin
Srinagar, April 5 The body of Shabir Ahmad Sheikh was recovered on February 23 and he was found to have been strangled. An auto-driver by profession, he used to live in Maisuma, Malik’s address, but had shifted to Bemina some time back and his body was recovered in Parimpora. The police had recovered the body of another auto-driver on February 9 and he was killed by the same way. The police arrested one suspect and the mobile phone of Shabir Ahmad Sheikh was recovered from his possession. Two persons, Barkat Ali Rather and Rouf Ahmad Khanday, both local residents, were interrogated and established as the main accused in both cases. It was revealed that the accused used to wait for an auto in the Bemina area late in the evening to book the vehicle for some rural area. They used to attack the driver from behind by putting a scarf around his neck. Interestingly, the police said the accused used to avoid reading newspapers as it kept their minds away from any fear. |
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Encroachments blot on Gulmarg beauty
Jammu, April 5 Documents available with The Tribune indicate encroachment on government land belonging to the Gulmarg Development Authority (GDA) as over 163 kanals is under illegal occupation of 17 persons. Official sources said in the past three years a vast chunk of land belonging to the GDA had been encroached upon. Despite slapping notices to the lessees under Section 4 of the Public Premises (Eviction of Unauthorised Occupants) Act, 1988, the GDA had not been able to completely free its land from the illegal possession, they said. Sources said two kanals had been leased in favour of one Dr Shabir Ahmad Malik vide government order number 753-UD dated August 23, 1979, but the lessee had encroached upon additional 1 kanal and 1 marla. Similarly, the GDA had slapped a notice upon the Highland Park vide number GDA/07/NT/2262-64 dated February 15, 2007, asking the lessee to vacate approximately 22 kanals illegally occupied by him. The owner had a lease deed in his favour for 65 kanals and six marlas vide a government order number 73-UD dated October 31, 1980, but the physical measurement conducted by the patwari showed that 87 kanals had been under occupation of the lessee, thereby, implying that nearly 22 kanals had been encroached upon, sources said. Vide another government order number 135-UD of February 26, 1981, a land measuring 12 kanals and 13 marlas had been leased out in favour of one Begam Saleema. However, physical measurement by revenue officials showed the lessee had encroached upon 88 kanals and seven marlas of the GDA land. The GDA vide an order number GDA/07/NT/2268-70 dated February 15, 2007, had served a notice to the lessee to vacate the illegally occupied land within a period of 15 days. Though we served notices to such lessees, the GDA hitherto had not been able to completely free the illegally occupied land, sources said while hinting at political interference. Deputy Chief Minister Tara Chand candidly admitted that land encroachment in the state has become a virtual headache for the government. Though GDA doesn't come under my department, the matter would be brought into the notice of minister concerned (Tourism Minister Nawang Rigzin Jora) and he would be asked to hold an enquiry and action under law would be initiated against the encroachers, he added. |
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Nano launched in Jammu
Jammu, April 5 “I have come all the way from Samba to have a glimpse of this car, as I want to purchase a one for myself,” said Ramesh Kumar, a schoolteacher. People said Nana had come as a blessing for the common man who otherwise could not afford to purchase a car. An employee in the showroom said: “Since the car was unveiled in Jammu this evening, people came in large numbers to have a glimpse of the car. They expressed their keen interest in the car as they saw, touched and sat inside the car.The showroom had a tough time controlling the people who thronged the showroom to have a glimpse of the much-hyped dream car Kamaljeet Singh of Gandhi Nagar, Jammu, said “Though I already own a big car, I want to gift this one to my college-going daughter. |
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ATMs fail to deliver
Jammu, April 5 Harpreet Singh, a customer of HDFC bank, said: “I went to the ATMs of almost all banks but these did not entertain my card and finally I had to visit an HDFC Bank’s ATM to take out money.” “As we had an ATM of J&K Bank near our house, I always used to carry out transactions from that ATM, incurring a charge of Rs 20 per transaction. It was fine as I had to spend more to reach an ATM of my own bank. But for the past two or three days, the J&K Bank’s ATM is not entertaining my card,” said Ankit Koul of RS Pura. Bank officials said: “These are initial technical hiccups that would go away soon”. |
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Election complaint cell at Marh
Jammu, April 5 The Cell comprises of assistant returning officer, Marh, SK Sharma who can be contacted at 9419185209, assistant ARO, Marh, Gurvinder Singh at 9419170742, CICO, Marh, Ashwani Kumar at 9419240808, computer assistant, Happy Kesar at 9419363930 and VLW, Marh, Mukesh Kumar at 9419111649. The help desk can also be contacted at 2636762. Any person desirous of election-related information or wants to lodge any complaint can contact any of the above phone numbers. |
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Hubby pierces wife’s eyes with screwdriver
Srinagar, April 5 Profusely bleeding, the victim was rushed to SMHS Hospital by her neighbours where her condition was stated to be "critical", the sources said. A case has been registered and a hunt is on for Sheikh, who is at
large. — PTI |
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Zuna Reshi Encounter
Srinagar, April 5 The police said they had launched search operations and believed that these militants were part of the infiltrators who recently sneaked into the valley and were intercepted by the Army in Samsbari forests. The security forces had spotted militants on Thursday and a soldier was killed in the initial exchange of bullets. One militant was also killed while another militants were killed yesterday. The forces were carrying out search operations in the area and they said some more militants might be hiding around. |
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4 hideouts busted, arms seized
Jammu, April 5 On a tip-off, the security forces raided two hideouts at Thala Chappar and Beli Nambal areas of Rajouri and seized two AK rifles, magazines, 99 rounds and one Chinese grenade. The troops busted another hideout at Gulabgarh area in Reasi district and seized one 7.62 mm rifle, 10 rounds, one UBGL grenade and some detonators. However, no one was arrested during the raids. Another hideout was raided in Mahore belt of Reasi district and 90 AKK rifles, 10 pika rounds
and one UBGL were seized. — PTI |
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