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Largely peaceful poll in Anantnag
Militant threats keep voters away here
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Only 20 pc Kashmiri Pandits vote
Poor turnout in Udhampur also
Hazratbal Assembly bypoll on
May 30
2 LeT ultras killed in Bhaderwah
Labour panel not reorganised since 1972 Major fire near Army ammo depot
Lecturers seek salary as per pay
Kashmiri trader sends onions to PoK
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Largely peaceful poll in Anantnag
Anantnag, April 30 Those who stayed away from the poll did so not because of any fear or threat, but because they differed over the issue of using elections as a mean to solve the Kashmir problem. “Some have chosen to boycott the poll because they want a dialogue on the Kashmir problem prior to the elections. Those who have come here are fed up with militancy and hope that their vote may help improve their existence,” is how those who voted reacted. Yet, here the poll percentage nearly doubled the 2004 figures of 15 per cent. Roads and streets at most places in
Pulwama, Shopian, Kulgam and Anantnag districts that constitute this parliamentary segment were deserted. Barring Tral in Pulwama district, which recorded the lowest polling, there were young as well as old who braved odds during the earlier part of the day and cast their vote. Regions like Tangmarg
(Aharbal) witnessed long queues with the polling crossing over 50 per cent two hours before close. Voters came with a conviction that their vote mattered. Abdul
Rashid, a shopkeeper from Wookh in Pampore, first ignored a bunch of local goons who tired to prevent him from entering Government Higher Secondary School,
Kakapore, but was also roughed up when he was trying to leave. “We have suffered a lot over the past two decades. From a youngster, I have grown old, but I don’t want my children to face humiliation and suffering anymore. My vote has the power to bring about a change and I will exercise it, even if people are hostile toward me”, he told The Tribune at polling booth 80-B,
Kakapore. Ghulam Mohideen Bhat, 75, who had brought his six-year-old grandson to see him cast vote at a booth in Pinglena
(Pulwama), said, “I want to tell this young generation that the gun will yield nothing, and solutions emerge from talks only.” Similarly, in
Khudwani, Taja Begum and her brother Wali Mohammad Bhatt, both of whom claimed to be aged over 100 years, came and voted saying “a boycott is a curse for the people of the state”. Though Anantnag being the hometown of PDP patron Mufti Mohammad Sayeed is considered to be the party stronghold, a heavy polling in some the NC strongholds like Noorabad and low turnout in the PDP strongholds like Pahalgam and Bijbehara have put both PDP’s Peer Mohammad Hussain and NC Mirza Mehboob Beg on a tricky wicket. 26 pc voting in Anantnag Srinagar, April 30 It, however, has increased from 15 per cent in the last Lok Sabha elections in the constituency comprising 16 Assembly segments across four districts. CEO BR Sharma told mediapersons here this evening that the polling was overall peaceful barring eight complaints from political parties, which were looked into and found baseless. There were 11 complaints about the functioning of EVMs, which were rectified to ensure smooth and uninterrupted polling, Sharma said. At least three persons were injured in clashes between the ruling Congress-NC alliance and the PDP, IG, Kashmir range, B Srinivas told mediapersons. These incidents took place at Gopalpora and Nagam in Anantnag district. The elections were held amid a complete shutdown across the Kashmir valley on the call of the separatist Hurriyat and the JKLF. Hurriyat leader Syed Ali Geelani continues to be under house arrest, while Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and several others have also been kept under house arrest to prevent them from taking out anti-elections demonstrations. |
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Militant threats keep voters away here
Pulwama/Anantnag, April 30 Threat by militants and general apathy for the LS elections kept the voters in many places away from polling booths. Even in the previous elections, militants had issued threats but the security forces had ensured that they could not carry out any violence in the run up to polls. However, this time things are different as militants shot dead three persons that included two men actively associated with the NC and the PDP. “The fear of gun is a strong factor. If there is no fear, then those who do not subscribe to separatist ideology vote, but not when the threat of death dangles over us,” Abdul Ajiz, a government servant based in Tral, said. PDP supporters alleged that there was a political design behind low percentage in many places where there party has a strong base. “If the turnout is low, we suffer and the NC benefits. All four Assembly constituencies in Pulwama district support Mufti sahab (PDP’s patron) and the government has deliberately tried to enforce a low turnout,” Akbar Dar, a PDP worker from Pulwama, said. “A large section of voters spread across the 16 Assembly constituencies of Anantnag seat also expressed their disinterest for the parliamentary polls. Most of them voted in the state polls defying separatists’ call for boycott as MLAs are more accessible and remain in the state,” Irshad Lone, a young trader, said outside a booth in Kakpora. “The MP sits in New Delhi and shows little concern for local affairs,” he said.
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Only 20 pc Kashmiri Pandits vote
Jammu, April 30 Just 20 per cent of the 9,981 Kashmiri Pandits voted in the constituency, which was once their homeland. Only 2,083 votes were recorded, as the Kashmiri Pandits stayed away due to the election boycott call by some Kashmiri Pandit organisations, which protested to show anger at the deletion of names of thousands of Kashmiri Pandits from the voter list. Also, the sweltering heat forced many to stay indoors. The police resorted to a lathicharge at the Muthi polling station where agitating Kashmiri Pandits went berserk raising slogans. Fifteen youths were reportedly arrested. The trouble arose when activists of the Jammu Kashmir National Front (JKNF) and other voters found their names missing from the voter list. They burnt the effigy of the EC, staged a demonstration, and raised slogans against the government and the EC. Members of the All India Kashmiri Samaj and the Jammu Kashmir National United Front also reached the protest site in their support. Two youths were injured in the lathicharge. Five persons, including Surinder Kumar, founder-president of the JKNF, were arrested and taken to Domana police station. Surinder Kumar accused the EC of turning a deaf ear to their demands. “We have met the state Election Officer many times, and requested him to simplify the cumbersome procedure of filling M-Form before the parliamentary elections or postpone the elections till this task gets done. But despite a promise, nothing has been done. Our names are still missing from the voter list.” BJP Migrant Cell convener Hira Lal Chatta blamed the NC for playing foul in the matter saying “we have found the signature of an NC worker on some 600 forms, which has also been accepted. This shows how the NC is tilting the balance in its favour through a proxy war.” He charged the police with using force against the Kashmiri Pandits, who were demonstrating peacefully. Domana DSP Mohit Gupta said the youths had been booked for causing violence and disturbing law and order. “We have informed the EC,” he said. Those who came to vote despite all odds said they were voting against the separatists. “The Kashmiri Pandits purely stand against the separatists and the division of the state on communal lines,” said Rajinder Kumar Bhat. Vinod Pandit, chairman of the All Parties Migrant Coordination Committee, said it was a conspiracy against the Kashmiri Pandits as our votes had been reduced from 1.5 lakh to 28,000.
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Poor turnout in Udhampur also
Udhampur, April 30 The polling station that was especially set up for displaced Kashmiri migrants at the District Industries Centre, Udhampur, wore a deserted look throughout the day. Sunil Kumar, originally from Pampore district of Kashmir, was the first to cast his vote.
— TNS |
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Hazratbal Assembly bypoll on May 30
New Delhi, April 30 The bylections to the Hazratbal Assembly would be held on May 30, Deputy Election Commissioner R Balakrishnan told reporters here. The Assembly seat, which fell vacant after Farroq Abdullah resigned on being elected to the Rajya
Sabha, was scheduled to go to polls on May seven along with the Srinagar Lok Sabha constituency. — PTI
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2 LeT ultras killed in Bhaderwah
Udhampur, April 30 Based on specific information about the presence of a group of militants, a joint operation was launched by the troops of the 4 Rashtriya Rifles and the police in the Chinote area of Bhaderwah, official sources said. Sources said as soon as the security forces reached near a house at Chinote, the militants hiding in the house opened fire on the search party, triggering into a fierce encounter in which two Lashkar militants were gunned down. The slain militants had been identified as Mohammad Ashraf, alias Gazi, and Mudassir, alias Abu Phurkan.The operation was in progress. The sources said the slain militants were spotted three days back at the Marsoo village in the Gatha area of Bhadewah. For the past three days we had been chasing the militants who managed give a slip to the forces,” sources said. Meanwhile, the security forces seized one grenade and some ammunition in the forest area of Reasi district. A joint search operation was launched by the police and the troops of the 61 Rashtriya Rifles yesterday in the Khori forest area of Chilla Bas in Mahore tehsil in which one grenade and ammunition, including 20 pikka rounds, 10 SLR rounds, one 9 mm round, were seized this afternoon. |
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Labour panel not reorganised since 1972
Jammu, April 30 On crutches since its inception in 1958, the labour panel had not been reorganised since 1972 and the sorry state of affairs had badly affected its functioning. Under the rules, an Assistant Labour Commissioner (ALC) backed by a labour officer, a labour inspector, a junior assistant and a senior assistant heads every district. Official sources told The Tribune, posts of ALC in Doda, Kishtwar and Poonch districts had been lying vacant for around two years. Further, the four districts of Reasi, Ramban, Kishtwar and Samba were without ALCs and till date posts had not been created for the new administrative units carved out during the tenure of former Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad. However, at present four districts of Rajouri, Udhampur, Kathua and Jammu had ALCs in the Jammu region, which has 10 districts in total, they said. The ALCs in the four districts had not been provided with official vehicles and they used public transport to enforce labour laws and conduct inspections in industrial estates and the corporate sector. “The ALCs use minibuses, buses, auto-rickshaws and other modes of public transport for inspections, investigations and enforcing labour laws,” said an official of the Labour Commission. The dearth of staff and vehicles were the main hurdles for us to ensure the implementation of labour laws in letter and in spirit, he added. Similarly, six posts of labour officer and 10 posts of ministerial staff comprising junior and senior assistants continue to remain vacant for the past two years, he said. Even the sanctioned staff strength to support an ALC for a single district was insufficient to look after a district, the sources divulged.
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Major fire near Army ammo depot Jammu, April 30 Official sources told The Tribune that the wild fire started around 10.30 am today. Helped by winds and hot weather conditions, it kept raging making the task very difficult for the firefighters and the Army jawans to control the blaze, they added. Director of the Fire and Emergency Services Department RS Sodhi said the fire started in the upper reaches of the Birpur area and the Army had a big ammunition depot just 1 km away. “If the fire kept raging and spreads further then it may pose a threat to the ammunition depot,” Sodhi said, adding that as of now there was no serious risk to the ammunition depot. He said water tankers of the Army in adequate numbers had been pressed into service. Though the operation was on, we anticipated that it might take an hour or so for us to completely extinguish the fire, he said. A defence spokesperson confirmed the incident and said the fire had engulfed a jungle, but the ammunition depot was totally safe. “There is no threat, whatsoever, to the ammunition depot and our jawans are at the job. In fact, the fire has been brought under control and now jawans are sifting through the jungle to extinguish small fires so as ensure that it doesn’t erupt again,” the spokesperson said.
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Lecturers seek salary as per pay band III
Jammu, April 30 The lecturers unanimously passed a resolution in the meeting calling for immediate amendment in the SRO 93 (2009) in accordance with recommendations of the SL Bhatt Committee constituted. According to a statement issued here, district president, Samba, Tarsem Singh expressed concern over the damage caused to the Class XII cadres particularly with the placement in Pay Band No. II instead of Pay Band No. III by violating the recommendations of the SL Bhatt Committee Report and the Central Pay Commission Report. A press note said principal and state coordinator Didar Singh criticised the government for anti-working class attitude and termed the order a cruel joke with the state employees. |
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Kashmiri trader sends onions to PoK
Rajouri, April 30 While Kashmiri trader Sheeraz has sent onion to the PoK and received garlic, trader from Muzzafarabad Shaeed Masood has sent garlic to the state and received ginger. Sources in the district administration facilitating the trade at the cross LoC point of Chakkan Da Bagh told The Tribune that six traders from India, including two from Jammu and one from Kulgam in Kashmir, sent goods worth Rs 31.87 lakh in 20 trucks to the PoK, whereas the PoK traders exported goods worth Rs 14.31 lakh. |
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Rajouri, April 30
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In a largely peaceful poll, conducted across the 16 Assembly segments falling under the Anantnag Lok Sabha constituency in the Kashmir valley, a large number of people today voted with a hope for return of peace, development and an end to uncertain life due to frequent bandhs and strikes.
