Kishtwar, May 5
Shops and business houses here remained closed today and government employees took out a rally in protest against the death of 30 people in a road accident, attributing it to the alleged failure of the government to ply state-run vehicles in the district.

Accusing the government of failing to provide adequate SRTC vehicles for movement of people and employees in the district, the shops and the business establishments pulled down their shutters.

Traffic was also thin in this town, about 230 km from Jammu, since morning.

Nearly 200 employees, most of them teachers, also took out a procession from the Dak Bunglow up to the DC office demanding operation of new SRTC vehicles in the town.

The employees, who participated in the rally, said: “We are forced to travel in private vehicles, which are in bad condition, and the traffic authorities have already disapproved their plying on the roads.

State’s teachers’ association president Mehboob Qazi said the number of accidents in the district as also in adjoining district of Doda had increased manifold due to the bad condition of vehicles plying in these areas.

Attributing yesterday’s accident in the district in which 30 persons, including 14 teachers, were killed due to the bad condition of private vehicles plying in the district, Qazi said employees and people were forced to travel in such vehicles in the absence of SRTC vehicles.

He demanded operation of adequate number of SRTC vehicles and strict checking on overloading. — PTI

Jammu, May 5
The dream to be an IAS officer finally came true for 28-year-old Dr Shahid Iqbal Chaudhary today. He became the first Gujjar in the state to become an IAS officer, securing the 51st all-India rank.

Shahid grew up in the backward Rehan village of Rajouri district and studied in a government school and a government college.

An alumnus of the Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Science and Technology, Shahid completed his BVSC & AH degree in 2005.

A meritorious student throughout, he got many awards. At the LBS National Academy of Administration, he got the LM Singhvi award and the Director’s medal.

This veterinary surgeon, who made it to the IFS in 2005 and was allotted the J&K cadre, is working as DFO, Srinagar. He came home here from Srinagar this afternoon to celebrate his success.

Shahid said, “I always dreamt big. Watching IAS officers from close quarters while interacting with my father Aslam Din Choudhary, an employee in the Revenue Department, fuelled my passion to be an IAS officer.

The desire was further fanned when a resident professor during my internship in the veterinary college, who was also preparing for the civil services exam, encouraged me to do the same.”

Shahid made it to the IFS in the first attempt. This was his second attempt when he finally got into the IAS.

As an IAS officer, he aims to rid the bureaucracy of corruption and red tape. 

Mattan (Anantnag), May 5
Hindus have started trickling back to the Kashmir valley with militancy on the ebb during the recent past. A number of Hindus, who are coming back to take stock of their properties and homes which they left abruptly, wish to stay back.

But they feel insecure due to lack of confidence about their safety and are now demanding that the government formulates a strategy for their rehabilitation.

Over 10 Hindu Pandit families have returned to live in or around Mattan that houses Martand - the sun temple (the only other sun temple in India besides Konark).

“There were about 500 Hindu families living in the area who left in 1990. But in the recent past about 10-12 families have returned and expressed their desire to stay here”, says Vimal Tikoo, the temple pujari.

As things have improved, Hindus prefer to stay in the valley during the summer, but return to Jammu, Udhampur or even Delhi. After living the life of a refugee for nearly two decades, many like Saligram Mussa, Bholenath Sidh, Khanaya Lal, Makhan Lal and Badrinath Tikoo have now made the valley their permanent home. “Of course, we feel unsettled the moment there is some untoward incident anywhere”, they told The Tribune.

Prithvinathji has rebuilt his house that was “mysteriously” burnt down after he left the valley in the 90s. “I intend to go nowhere now. Sometimes, I have to go to meet social obligations or meet relatives elsewhere, but I always want to return to Mattan at the earliest”, he says.

He says if the government came up with incentives for the migrants and assures their safety, many would return for good.

At least three migrants have got themselves transferred to local government schools to test waters before settling here permanently. According to members of the Tirath Sabha comprising the “prohits” of the Amamrnath shrine and other Pandits of Martand, there has been a steady rise in the flow of Hindus back to the valley. But every single incident acts like a deterrent and scares away more than those who come back.

It is not only areas in Anantnag district like like Nagbal, Bumzu, Paibook, Lonepora and Karalpora that has seen return of Hindus, but even in Pulwama and Shopian districts - the worst affected by militancy some Hindus have returned, but do not prefer to stay more than a few days.

Hawal in Shopian has a rare example in Omkar Nath, who stayed put there despite militancy. Brijnath Bhatt has renovated his house here, but prefers to shuttle between Jammu and Hawal.

Many Hindu migrants are willing to return to the valley, but want some measures to be adopted by the government for their safety and security.

Besides they want some kind of package that will not put them at a financial disadvantage, grant soft loans or grants for rebuilding their homes, besides adequate security.

Srinagar, May 5
The election campaign for the Srinagar Lok Sabha constituency, which goes to the polls on May 7, ended today. NC president Farooq Abdullah is among the 15 candidates in the fray and is pitted against PDP’s Iftikhar Hussain Ansari, while Farooq’s sister Khalida Shah of the Awami National Conference (ANC) is also contesting.

An electorate of 11,02,451 voters, including 5,28,008 females, will decide the fate of the 15 candidates across the 15 Assembly segments in Srinagar, Budgam and Ganderbal districts, where 1,483 polling stations have been set up to facilitate voters.

Ganderbal comprising two Assembly segments of Ganderbal and Kangan will vote in the elections for the first time as an independent district, while Srinagar has eight Assembly segments followed by five in Budgam district.

Out of the total 15 candidates, five are Independents, while two are women candidates.

After Anantnag constituency, Srinagar is the largest constituency going to the polls in Kashmir division.

The Election Commission has appointed three election observers and 913 micro observers in the three districts of Ganderbal, Srinagar and Budgam to ensure free, fair and transparent elections in the constituency.

While both factions of the separatist Hurriyat Conference had earlier called for a general strike on the polling days -- April 30, May 7 and May 13 -- the Geelani faction has renewed the bandh call.

Srinagar, May 5
The PDP looks forward to “a stable government and strong leadership” at the Centre that would be able to protect the interests of all sections of society, including minorities, in the country. Even as it had parted ways with the Congress following skirmishes over the Amarnath land row last year, it has not closed its options for any future alliances.

Mehbooba Mufti, president of the PDP, said her party would like to see a kind of leadership that would take bold initiatives related to Jammu and Kashmir. She said if the secular parties were not able to prevent communal riots, these should “at least be able to deliver justice to the minorities”.

She said the PDP was formed to “help people and bring about change, normalcy, peace and facilitate the peace process”. She added that the alliance with the Congress was based on an agenda to bring relief and peace in the state. “We left the Congress-led government because we were against the allotment of land to the shrine board.

It was not a Hindu-Muslim issue,” she said. Mehbooba added her party thought that it was not needed since the government was doing everything for the yatris. In the case of joining hands with the Congress again “we would have carried our manifesto and insisted on the common minimum programme,” she said.

Commenting on the dialogue process with Pakistan, the PDP chief lamented that there had always been a tendency to “do something” only when the situation turned bad. “And when things are good, we say we do not need to do anything,” she said.

Mehbooba added that with 60 percent polling in the 2008 Assembly elections, people had reposed faith in the democratic process for the “resolution of day-to-day problems and the Kashmir issue”. She stressed the need to “take forward the peace process” by talking to the separatist leadership here.

Mehbooba was first elected to the Lok Sabha from Anantnag in 2004. She was elected to the state Assembly in 1996 (Congress) and 2002 (PDP). Mehbooba, 50, got elected from the Wachi constituency of Shopian district in south Kashmir in the Assembly elections, and is along with her father not contesting the Parliament elections this time.

Srinagar, May 5
Come elections and Shahar-e-Khas - Srinagar’s downtown - is on the boil with frequent incidents of stone-pelting, resulting in clashes between the protesting youth and the police, particularly after the Friday prayers that would paralyses life across the city in the coming poll days.

The trouble, which has started again over the past one week since the polling in the Anantnag Lok Sabha constituency, has attracted attention of all those concerned - the Hurriyat Conference calling for boycott of elections and protests, religious leadership, mainstream political parties and the administration.

The Srinagar LS constituency goes to the polls in the fourth phase on Thursday and hard line (Geelani) APHC has called for a 50-hour bandh beginning this evening.

Taking a strong exception to the “restrictions” on Friday prayers at Jamia Masjid last week, APHC chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq has called for an agitation in case such “restrictions” were re-imposed next Friday.

Former Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed has also expressed concern over the “oppressive tactics” against the people in the city. “The strong-arm tactics adopted by the state administration against the youth in Srinagar, through arrests and intimidation, are only going to vitiate the atmosphere further,” he said while addressing an election rally.

He said imposing restrictions on Friday congregations in the historic Jamia Masjid and other local mosques was against the civilised and democratic conduct.

Officials claim that there were no restrictions on Friday prayers. “The separatists’ call to protest after the Friday prayers leads to trouble and measures are taken to provide security to the lives and property,” they said.

“Bigger issues cannot be solved by stone-pelting. Separatist leaders are looking for every small opportunity to disrupt peace, which in turn creates problems,” a senior officer said.

Jammu, May 5
The PDP has blamed the low turnout of voters in the LS elections on the state government. PDP leader and MLA Darhal Chowdhary Zulfkar Ali has criticised the state government for what he termed its failure on all fronts due to which the public was suffering badly.

“The public in retaliation has shown its anger by not participating in the electoral process. The low turnout is the reflection of the working of the present regime in the state,” Zulfkar said.

The people had reposed full faith in electing their leaders during the Assembly elections (2008) with enthusiasm, which itself speaks the confidence and poise of the public in the country’s democratic set-up.

But their (people) dreams had been shattered due to the failure of the state government in addressing their genuine and basic demands like road connectivity, electricity, water supply and employment.

He said it was a matter of concern that a labourer under the NREGA gets Rs 70 per day whereas the cost of rice was between Rs 20 to 30 per kg, making it difficult for him to make both ends meet.

The MLA also expressed distress over non-supply and provision of seed and fertilisers to farmers during the peak season. 

Udhampur, May 5
District Development Commissioner, Doda, Syed Sharief-ud-Din today convened a meeting to promote tourism and strengthen coordination between tour and travel operators with local people, hoteliers and the Beopar Mandal, Doda,

While addressing the meeting, Syed said the authorities had formulated short term and long term policies for the development of tourism in this belt. “Under the short term policy, we have to utilise the available resources in the best way to facilitate the movement of tourists in the district,” he said. He added “each one of us will be benefited directly or indirectly and this will stabilise our economy and reduce unemployment.

Under the long term policy, we are going to build infrastructure, including tourist reception centres, guest houses, parks, and augment and construct roads, etc.”

Syed said Doda was the gateway of the erstwhile Doda district. Recently, the government had declared the Baglihar water reservoir as a water body and now boats could be used commercially to attract and ferry tourists. A committee had been constituted to identify spots for the construction of ports to ferry tourists.

The DDC briefed the meeting about the schemes of the Tourism Department under which assistance was being provided to interested persons, who wished to make guest houses/suites in their residential houses. It was disclosed in the meeting that 15 guest houses had so far been registered.

Srinagar, May 5
The Jammu and Kashmir Bank has cut down its prime lending rate by 175 basis points from 14.50 per cent to 12.75 per cent, while from the sectoral point of view the interest rates have been even slashed by 3.75 per cent.

It has also announced four significant financial products under a special package for the revival of craft industries that have been hit hard by the global recession.

This was announced by Haseeb A. Drabu, chairman and chief executive, J&K Bank, here today. He said in order to “support the craft industries and around five lakh people associated with it, the Bank has devised four products for exporters, manufacturers, traders and artisans so that they are able to survive the recession which has dealt a blow to the crafts segment here that accounts for an annual turnover of Rs 2,000 crore.”

The package comprises four products that have been designed to support the industry through the expected recessionary period of 18 months. The major feature of the package is that the repayment of loan by exporters/manufacturers/traders will start only after 18 months, while craftsmen shall repay once their products are purchased by exporters/traders.

Expressing concern over distressed artisans, he said, “Lack of demand for exports, decline in sales of traders and no demand for weaving for artisans and its impact on dyers, washers etc. has put almost two lakh jobs at stake.

And we as the principal bankers of the state will provide them with finance for survival. Our intervention aims at cushioning the industry financially and avoiding extreme social situations like recent instances of farmers’ suicides in Orissa and other states,” said Drabu.

The four packages announced include the J&K Bank Handicrafts Sustenance Finance for Exporters, Manufacturers and Traders, Handicrafts Sustenance Finance for Craftsmen (under trilateral arrangement), Craftsmen Livelihood Finance and the Revised Dastakar Finance. 

Jammu, May 5
The J&K State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission, Jammu, headed by Justice GD Sharma (retd.) and BL Saraf, member, in a judgment held the complainant entitled to an amount of Rs 30 lakh as reimbursement of actual price of plot, the allotment whereof denied in a mala fide manner.

The complainant, Awtar Singh, was also awarded Rs 5 lakh in an aggregated form for physical, emotional and mental torture as well as pecuniary loss undergone by him. Besides that, the complainant was held entitled to the cost of litigation quantified at Rs 15,000 to be paid within one month, failing which interest shall become payable @ 8 per cent per annum till the final payment is made.

The complainant, who is a retired chief engineer having rendered excellent services in the J&K Public Works Department, has been forced to approach the commission against the alleged acts of misfeasance and malfeasance stated to have caused emotional, psychological and mental upheavals in his body and frame of mind.

The complainant, while serving as an assistant engineer, came across a notification, wherein, the Jammu Development Authority, invited applications for making allotments of residential plots in the Roop Nagar Housing Colony, Janipur.

Accordingly he applied in the prescribed manner and the JDA after accepting an amount of Rs 4,000 as earnest money, registered him in the register concerned as proposed allottee.

No formal order of allotment of plot was communicated to him even though he had been making oral and written requests. At last he heard through some sources that a plot of size of 12 marlas as against the proposed allotment of 1 kanal had been allotted in his favour.

On hearsay knowledge, his request was considered and on positive assurance, the remaining cost price of the said plot amounting to Rs. 20, 000 was accepted through bank draft. To his surprise and dismay, the alleged offer of allotment of plot was withdrawn on January 20, 1988, on the ground of having failed to comply with formalities enlisted in the letter of intent.

The commission observed: “In the event of abuse of power like falsification and destruction of public record as has been done in the case in hand, the rams of law are long enough to reach and hold the delinquent officials responsible to reimburse loss caused to state exchequer.”

The commission further observed that after making payment to the complainant, the opposition should recover whole amount from the delinquent officials from their pay/pension or other service benefits and deposit the same in the state exchequer.