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5 killed as militants blow up vehicle
3 killed, 32 hurt as
bus falls into nullah
Dy Speaker violates model
code
Deputy Speaker Sartaj Madni holds a PDP
workers’ meeting at Tourist Bungalow, Ramban, in violation of the model code
of conduct. Tribune photo |
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Shifting of Security camps
Farmers rue absence of procurement
Defacement goes unchecked in city
NC creating fear psychosis: Mufti
Bharatiya Janshakti Party president Uma Bharti stresses a point at a press conference in Jammu on Tuesday. Photo: Inderjeet Singh
Indus
Waters
Seminar on climate change begins
Two chain-snatchers held
Daily-wage employees of the Power Development Department protest outside the chief engineer’s office in Jammu on Tuesday. Photo: Inderjeet Singh
Sale of cooling gadgets up as mercury soars
Tanker drivers trained in fire-fighting
Minister pays surprise visit to hospital
BJP legislator’s car impounded
Forest employee ends life
Sagar lashes out at PDP
Man arrested for raping daughter-in-law
Hideout destroyed in Kupwara
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5 killed as militants blow up vehicle
Jammu, April 21 The dead included the driver of the ill-fated vehicle and his young daughter. Official sources told The Tribune that the ill-fated Tatamobile (JK12/1795), which was on its way to Kulali Marah from Surankote, was badly damaged in the high-intensity explosion as it bore maximum brunt of the blast. The incident occurred at Traranwali, just 1 km short of Bafliaz, on the Surankote-Kulali Marah road around 5 pm today. Those killed have been identified as Mohammed Rafiq, Shaheen Akhtar, driver Ashiq Hussain and his daughter Anita, all residents of Marah, and Ghulam Ahmed of Gothal. The injured included Fauzia Dukhtar, Mohammed Fazil, Mohammed Haneef, Javed Iqbal, Lal Mohammed, Majid Majeed, Mohammed Hanif, Mohammed Irshad, all residents of Marah and Mohammed Bashir of Gandoh in Doda. Sources said the high-intensity explosion was probably triggered by a landmine planted by suspected militants. The sources said soon after the incident troops of the 16 RR and the police launched a combing operation. “As soon as we got the information, a police party from the Surankote police station and jawans of the 16 Rashtriya Rifles from a nearby camp rushed to the spot”, a duty officer at the police station told The Tribune. The dead and injured were retrieved from the badly mangled vehicle and shifted to the Subdistrict Hospital in Surankote, he added. Poonch SSP Basant Kumar Rath said it was an IED explosion and a massive hunt was on to track down the ultras responsible for the attack. No militant outfit had so far claimed responsibility for the blast. |
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3 killed, 32 hurt as
bus falls into nullah
Jammu, April 21 The bus ( PB08AZ/9165) was on its way to Jammu from Amritsar. Official sources said the bus first rammed into the bridge railing and then plunged into the nullah after the driver lost control over the vehicle. While Massa Singh of Gurdaspur died on the spot, two other passengers succumbed to their injuries at the local Government Medical College (GMC). The bodies after autopsy have been kept at the GMC morgue. Locals from surrounding villages and a police party from Rajbagh police station rushed to the spot and launched rescue operations. However, the bus driver fled from the spot. The sources said passers-by and the police shifted the victims in their vehicles to Kathua district hospital, adding that 15 critically injured passengers were referred to the local GMC. A police officer said that the families of dead and injured passengers were being informed. |
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Dy Speaker violates model
code
In Jammu and Kashmir, it is common for people like the Deputy Speaker of the Jammu and Kashmir Vidhan Sabha to flout the model code with impunity. Deputy Speaker Sartaj Madni and senior leaders of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) used the government tourist bungalow here for addressing a workers’ meeting. In what can be termed as a gross violation of the model code, Madni, in an objection to the use of the bungalow, said the place was inappropriate for political meetings as the room had less space and it could not fit large number of people. “Had the meeting been held in a basti or by the national highway, many passersby would have stopped to listen,” he added. The Deputy Speaker also addressed a meeting at tourist bungalow in Banihal. He travelled in his official ambassador car JK01M 2532 along with CRPF personnel. When asked if he approved of the use of government building for holding political meetings, especially hours before campaigning came to an end, Madni said: “I have already said in my speech that the place is not appropriate for such a meeting.” Another senior PDP leader AK Sahni said, “We had not planned the meeting. People just came along.” However, neither Madni nor Sahni had an explanation for the fact that preparations for the meeting were going on since yesterday and special chairs had been arranged from outside. Madni told party workers in his address that he was to address four election meetings in his home constituency, Devsar in Kulgam district, but he received a message from Mufti Mohammed Sayeed last night to go to Ramban and address local party workers before proceeding further. Madni and other party leaders were accompanied by security personnel deployed with them for their protection. Though, the meeting was aimed at boosting the morale of party workers, the event turned into a mini-rally where the PDP leadership lost no opportunity to enforce the party’s policies and agendas. He said: “Go tell the people in your respective areas what you have heard here and there is no way PDP candidate Thakur Balbir Singh can be defeated.” The PDP is seeking votes in the area in the name of “Mufti Sahib” who helped restore the “honour” of the people of the state and accorded his assent to allow a person from the Jammu region (Gulam Nabi Azad) to become the Chief Minister of the state. Azad hails from Bhaderwah and headed the Congress-PDP coalition government during the second part of the six-year term. The campaigning in the Udhampur-Doda elections came to an end today and the polling will take place on April 23. The Ramban segment of the constituency has been relatively free from militancy and will vote on the issue of development.
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Khaigam deadline extended till April 30
Ehsan Fazili Tribune News service
Srinagar, April 21 The authorities have, however, sought a time period till May 7, when the elections are over in the Srinagar-Budgam constituency. The elections are to be held on April 30 in Pulwama district, a part of the Anantnag constituency, in which Khaigam village falls. The villagers have been protesting against the killing of a carpenter, Ghulam Mohiuddin Malik at the hands of CRPF personnel on March 18, which led to the continued protests over the past 34 days. The villagers have been demanding shifting of the 181 CRPF, two Army camps and a police post from the area on the plea that the presence of the security forces was responsible for the harassment of the public. The coordination committee had set a deadline of April 20 for the migration from the village on the pattern of Bomai village near Sopore in Baramulla district of north Kashmir. The Bomai villagers had succeeded in the fulfillment of their demand of shifting the Army camp from the village. This followed the killing of two youths at the hands of the Army on February 21. Taking a cue from the Bomai incident, the villagers of Khaigam in Pulwama district of south Kashmir had set a deadline of April 20 earlier. There was an extension in the deadline yesterday, after the district authorities approached the committee. A meeting of the eight members of the committee with the district administration officers was held at Pulwama today to resolve the issue. Even as the authorities asked the members to wait till May 7, the members of the committee were bent upon the deadline of April 30 in support of their demand.
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Farmers rue absence of procurement
RS
Pura, April 21 Around 7-8 years ago there were multipurpose cooperative societies set up by the government at block-level for the procurement, but as of now there is no such mechanism. As a result of which millers, middlemen and businessmen are pocketing huge profits. Maintaining that agriculture is not so rewarding these days, farmers in this border area have demanded a pro-farmer policy to assist them for continuing with farming. “There is always a looming uncertainty over the fate of crop. Despite odds agriculture has remained our main source of livelihood but now the younger generation has started looking at other avenues of income,” local farmers said. “There should be a transparent and logical method of procurement and we should get better support prices so that benefits don’t accrue to the middlemen,” they added. “This year farmers in all major wheat growing areas like
Kathua, Vijaypur, Samba, Heera Nagar, RS Pura and Marh have suffered 60 per cent losses due to disease, fire and untimely rains but we don’t foresee any relief or compensation from the government,” president of the Kisaan Cell, RS
Pura, Rajesh Sharma said. Sharma said: “Generally we get Rs 800 for each quintal of wheat in the open market. In the absence of any storage facility, poor farmers cannot wait till the prices soar. Resultantly, they have no option but to sell off their produce at spend throw prices,” he added. “To make agriculture popular, we have been asking government to grant 50 per cent subsidy on seed and fertiliser for small farmers and 33 per cent subsidy for the marginal farmers,” president of the Panch Sarpanch Association of the block Choudhary Dev Raj
said. Choudhary said: “To bolster industrial growth, government is offering all subsidies and stimulus packages but it seems callous towards the farming community.” Director (Agriculture) Vinod Bala said: “The FCI has no infrastructure for procuring wheat and rice from the region. Despite our efforts it has not responded positively.” General Manager of the FCI FA Khan and Minister for Consumers Affairs and Public Distribution Surjeet Singh Salathia could not be reached for their comments despite several attempts. |
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Defacement goes unchecked in city
Jammu, April 21 Written slogans and posters pasted on the walls and pillars of the flyovers give a shabby look to the main crossings of the city. Violation could also be seen on the walls of Commerce College, Government Gandhi Memorial Science College and the Women College in Parade. Tall claims made by the Jammu Municipal Corporation to stop violation of the public property have proven wrong as this malpractice is still going on in the city. Earlier, the authorities have claimed that they would issue a notice to the institutions that are engaged in this malpractice but nothing has been done so far. Vandana Sharma, a student of Women College said the walls of the college are covered with the posters pasted by different coaching centres giving an untidy look to it. “I think the corporation is not competent enough to restrain the violators from doing this illegal practice,” she added. Vikram Kohli, a resident of Janipur, alleged that some of the officers of the corporation are hand in glove with the owners of the coaching centers and the political parties, who are violating the public property. Showing disappointment over the way the different organisations are defacing the public property, Sanmeet Kaur, a resident of Nanak Nagar said, “The continuation of defacement of the public property done by these institutions shows that the corporation has not taken this problem seriously.” However, rejecting the allegations, Mayor Kavinder Gupta said the corporation has already deputed its men for removing the posters and attributed the reason behind the slow process on shortage of
manpower. |
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NC creating fear psychosis: Mufti
Srinagar, April 21 He was addressing an election rally in the Pampore Assembly segment of the Anantnag parliamentary constituency today. He said the recent events had established beyond doubt that the government had returned to the age-old tactics of NC to use fear as a ploy for political survival. The PDP patron said deliberate leaks were made through obliging news channels about infiltration of Taliban into Kashmir and even highly placed officials went to town suggesting their imminent arrival. This, he said, was followed up with unfounded statements planted through shady news agencies in papers across the country about warnings of ‘suicide bombings by militant groups to disrupt poll’. Mufti said though underground organisations had denied the deliberate leaks by the intended quarters, there was no let up in creating a fear psychosis in the hope of a low turnout favouring NC candidates. “The ruling party is trying to convert entire state after the Srinagar model where it had been able to take all seats in the last Assembly elections as a result of effective boycott,” he added. In this context, he referred to the 25 per cent drop in poll percentage in the first phase of elections in comparison with the turnout in the last Assembly elections, which he said was a complete reversal of the trend witnessed in the 2002 Assembly elections and the 2004 parliamentary polls.
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Uma Bharti campaigns for Nirmal Singh
Jammu, April 21 Bharti, while addressing mediapersons, avoided taking potshot at Priyanka Gandhi’s remarks to defend her mother on foreign issue saying “When I say something, I get caught in unnecessary controversy. Fake CD’s in my name throng the market. So I would keep mum on this issue.” However, she said: “Even the Congress has fielded again Manmohan Singh as Prime Ministerial candidate not Sonia Gandhi. I’ll continue to rake up the issue as long as it does not die down.” Despite leaving the BJP on serious differences, and later on floating her own party, she has recently patched up with LK Advani, whom she calls as ‘father figure’ and, is now fervently campaigning for the BJP to show her camaraderie with Advani. When asked when she was making a comeback to the BJP as per ‘some secret deal’ with the BJP, she bypassed the question saying that she still had a letter of open invitation from the BJP. On Varun Gandhi issue, she said he had been unnecessarily implicated under the NSA whereas actor Sanjay Dutt, who had done far more serious crimes, was campaigning freely. Bharti treaded her own line, contrary to the BJP, when it came to supporting candidature of separatist leader, Sajjad Lone in Srinagar. She urged people not to vote him for his profile, whereas the BJP had supported Lone’s participation in the fray. |
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Indus
Waters
Srinagar, April 21 In a statement issued here today, Tarigami said it was an apt time to review the treaty as it had affected the state badly, making it unable to harness the immense hydel power potential. In 2002, he had initiated a short discussion in the Legislative Assembly, urging the Centre to safeguard the economic interests of the state as it was bearing a recurring loss of Rs 65 billion annually due to treaty. The CPM leader held that the state could not harness its 15,000 MW power generation potential due to the treaty and concerted efforts made to persuade the Centre to compensate these losses have been futile. He urged that the state be accorded a participatory status so that it could get additional power generated from the Ravi, Beas and the Sutlej rivers for its own requirements. “We cannot make an optimum use of waters of the Indus, Chenab and the Jehlum rivers for power generation and irrigation. We cannot raise dams and reservoirs for storing water which could be utilised during the lean period. This goes against the interests of our state,” he added.
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Seminar on climate change begins
Leh, April 21 The issues of climate change and adaptation of renewal energy to combat global warming would be deliberated during the seminar. “The experts will share their experiences in using alternative energies in their respective country,” said Vincent Stauffer, Geres. “The participants will also be taken for the field visits at the artificial glacier site in Igoo village, 100 KV/PV power station at Tangste that supplies electricity to 15 rural villages in Changthang, solar greenhouses in Basgo villages and passive solar poultry farm at Shey,” he added. Forest conservator of the Wildlife Protection Department, Leh, Jimet Takpa, who spoke on climate change and micro level planning in Changthang, said the seminar assumes significance as it would help Ladakh to seek more projects to promote renewal energy, as the place has abundant solar, wind and geo thermal sources. Over 100 experts representing Germany, Laos, France, Switzerland, China, Norway, Nepal, Combodia, Tajkistan, Kyrgyztan, Afganistan and India are participating in the event.
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Two chain-snatchers held
Jammu, April 21 Addressing mediapersons here this afternoon, SSP, Jammu, Manohar Singh said the police has recovered gold ornaments and cell phones worth lakhs of rupees. The arrested criminals are identified as Jaswinder Singh of ward number two in the Bhour Camp and Jarnail Singh of the Chatha Farm. Both had been involved in a number of criminal activities and various cases have been registered against them at the Satwari and the Gandhi Nagar police stations,” said the SSP. A blue coloured Pulsar motorcycle used by the criminals was also seized from them.
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Daily-wage PDD staff protest
Jammu, April 21 “We demand compensation for our colleagues who were injured while performing their duties on high tension and low tension lines and are now admitted to various hospitals in the state,” general secretary of the union Balivinder Singh said. The protesters said some of the employees were injured days ago, but no officer had come to meet them and the department had paid no heed to treat the patients. “We approached development commissioner (Power) R K Seli. Though he forwarded our application to the chief engineer, so far there had been no response from the department,” he said.
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Sale of cooling gadgets up as mercury soars
Jammu, April 21 The mercury level has already touched the 40° C mark and as per the Metrological Department, the temperature is expected to break some old records of being at all time high this year. The dealers selling these products are elated with the increase in the sale and are also offering schemes to attract customers to purchase their products. “There is a tremendous increase in the sale of these products this year as compared to the last year’s sale during the same season,” said Mukesh Sharma, showroom owner of a branded AC company. The local manufacturers of the coolers and fans are also having a good time, as they are receiving orders from various companies to manufacture coolers for them. “The showroom owners are approaching us to manufacture desert coolers for them, so we are giving extra shifts to fulfill the order,” said Ashok Kumar, a cooler manufacturer. “With the drop in the steel prices due to the ongoing global recession, the rates of the coolers have dropped, enabling people of lower income group to buy them,” he added.
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Tanker drivers trained in fire-fighting
Srinagar, April 21 More than 40 tanker drivers participated in the programme. A fire mock drill was organised and truck
drivers were taught how to operate fire extinguishers. Posters and literature were also distributed on the occasion.
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Minister pays surprise visit to hospital
Jammu, April 21 He issued instructions to the medical superintendent to maintain proper sanitation in and around the hospital and facilities like proper sitting arrangements for -door patients and attendants. He also oredered computerised registration of outdoor patients. Sharma asked the hospital authorities not to refer routine cases to Government Medical College. For emergencies, he asked the director, health services, to arrange a special ambulance fitted with necessary equipment to deal with critical patients. |
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BJP legislator’s car impounded
Jammu, April 21 According to official sources, Gupta’s car was impounded for violating the EC guidelines, as it was carrying a beacon light on it. However, later the car was released, they added. Gupta first feigned ignorance and then said that he was in an election rally where this incident might have happened unintentionally. “I have no information,” said returning officer of the Doda-Udhampur Parliamentary constituency Mandeep Kour. Bhaderwah would go to the Assembly by-elections and Lok Sabha poll on April 23. |
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Forest employee ends life
Jammu, April 21 The sources said 46-year old Babu Ram, a senior assistant in the Forest Department, had been under depression for suffering from nephritis for the past one year. He shot himself dead with his licensed gun at his Swaran Vihar residence in the Domana area late last night. Hearing the gunshot Babu Ram’s family members rushed to his room and found him lying in a pool of blood, they said. The victim was immediately rushed to Government Medical College where doctors pronounced him as brought dead. The victim is survived by his wife, two sons and a daughter. A case under Section 174, Cr PC, has been
registered. |
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Sagar lashes out at PDP
Srinagar, April 21 Addressing election rallies in Pulwama today, Sagar said the present coalition government led by Omar Abdullah had a comprehensive plan for socio-economic development of the state. The NC leader said the PDP had always misled people by hollow slogans. The people had rejected the PDP and voted the NC to power, adding that the former could no longer exploit the sentiments of people.
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Man arrested for raping daughter-in-law
Jammu, April 21 Official sources said the Nagrota police arrested Noor Hussain, who had outraged the modesty of his maternal daughter-in-law, aged around 22 years, on the fateful night. They said Noor Hussain had forcibly taken the victim to a nearby field when the wedding ceremony was going on and raped her. A case under section 376, RPC, had been registered against the accused and the police was awaiting the medical report of the victim. |
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Hideout destroyed in Kupwara
Srinagar, April 21 The police said it seized one sniper rifle, one sniper magazine, one grenade, 30 AK rounds, one AK magazine, 18 RPG shells. The police had information regarding the militants’ movement in the area and stumbled upon the hideout during an operation. The area is near the spots which had seen a week-long fight between militants and the Army recently. |
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JUTA elections
Jammu, April 21 |
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In Jammu and Kashmir, it is common for people like the Deputy Speaker of the Jammu and Kashmir Vidhan Sabha to flout the model code with impunity.
