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BJP seeks white paper on encroachments
31 pc Kashmiri Pandits cast votes
Kashmiri migrant voters are all smiles after casting votes for the Barmualla LS seat in Jammu on Wednesday. A Tribune photograph
61 pc polling in Ladakh, 40 in Baramulla |
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It’s just 10 per cent in Sopore amid boycott
Major admn reshuffle on the cards
Belicharana Clash
Belicharana Incident
Amarnath yatra begins on June 7
VHP for probe into encroachments
Bickerings in Doda Cong to the fore
Ration shortage: PDP threatens stir
Helpline to check illegal constructions
Kishtwar residents protest on 10th day of accident
84 illegal banquet halls in Jammu
Newly married woman set afire
Cop booked for bribery
Business rivalry led to fruit dealer’s murder; 3 held
1984 riots
Army holds symposium
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BJP seeks white paper on encroachments
Jammu, May 13 “Land grabbers and mafia are operating in the state and are getting protection, shelter and encouragement from political leaders. The state government should also disclose in white paper about the steps taken to get the forestland vacated and result thereof,” BJP state spokesperson said. He said the Supreme Court had given a clear direction to all states that forestland was to be protected at all cost, and its use could not be diverted or allotted to anyone because the forest must be protected for the survival of humanity. Arora alleged that the government was not serious about this direction as forestland had been encroached by people under political protection throughout the state in large scale. He said immediately the forestland illegally occupied by people irrespective of their status should be vacated immediately. He said the BJP was ready to cooperate with the government over this issue, provided the government should be sincere and serious about this problem. He also called it a nexus between politicians and land grabbers and asked it to be dealt strongly irrespective of political affiliation. The BJP demanded that if state government failed to publish white paper over the issue, the BJP would take up the matter with the High Court or even the Supreme Court. |
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31 pc Kashmiri Pandits cast votes
Jammu, May 13 Scorching heat was also responsible for the low turnout. The highest turnout was reported from Purkhu camp, where 486 votes were cast for the Kupwara region, while the lowest turnout was registered from Rehari with only 16 voters coming out to exercise their franchise. Vinod Kaul, Relief and Rehabilitation Commissioner, informed that only 1,870 out of the total 5,900 voters, who had filled M-form, voted today. Whereas the total number of registered Kashmiri Pandit voters was around 18,000. The issue of the cumbersome procedure of M-form loomed large in almost all polling booths, as people were seen complaining that despite taking pains in going through the tortuous rounds of filling M-form, their names were missing from the voter list. Bhushan Bhatt complained, “I was aghast to see the names of all six members of my family missing from the voter list. I complained to the officer sitting there, but he too expressed his helplessness. This is injustice meted out to us, where should we go? ” Vinod Pandit, president of the All Parties Migrant Coordination Committee, called the voting percentage system a mere eyewash. He said, “This is mere pen terrorism, where our electoral system follows an English system of deducting percentage out of any number. Nobody knows the exact total. In this case also, the registered numbers are something else, whereas the deduction is done from the total number of M-forms. The names deleted from the voter list are huge and the Election Commission must check these irregularities.” |
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61 pc polling in Ladakh, 40 in Baramulla
Srinagar, May 13 Due to bad weather conditions and inaccessible areas in the frontier cold desert region of Ladakh, Sharma said extensive use of air sorties was made to ferry polling staff and material. Out of 97 such polling stations, the requisite material could not reach two polling stations in the Zanskar Assembly segment of Kargil district. Polling would now be held at the two polling stations on Friday, Sharma said. The tentative poll percentage of about 61 per cent was expected to go higher as reports were pouring in from some distant polling stations Tight security arrangements were made across the valley in view of the separatists’ call to boycott elections and the 50-hour bandh call of hard line APHC leader Syed Ali Geelani. Trouble erupted at Seelu village near Sopore this afternoon when the villagers held protest demonstrations against the alleged excesses by the security forces deployed in the area. The residents agitated over the reports of coercion by troops held protests and pelted the polling station with stones. The police lobbed teargas shells and fired in the air to quell the protests, which, however, disrupted the polling process. A vehicle of the SDM, Sopore, parked near the polling station, was torched by the agitated mob, while several other vehicles were damaged in stone throwing, reports said. Sharma, however, denied the disruption of polling due to the violence. At least 12 persons were injured in the clashes, while the police had detained more than 20 persons. Reports of demonstrations prompting the police to lob teargas shells have also come from Dooru village near Sopore, Bandipore and Kreeri areas in north Kashmir. Two persons were injured when the security forces opened fire on agitated youths trying to attack a poll staff party at Dooru village. Sharma said Handwara registered the highest turnout of 67 per cent, followed by 59 per cent in Karnah and 50 per cent in Lolab constituencies of Kupwara district. Of the seven constituencies of Baramulla district, the polling percentage was Uri 37, Rafiabad 63, Sopore 12, Sangrama 27, Baramulla 22, Gulmarg 28 and Pattan 29. In the three constituencies of Bandipore district, Gurez recorded 50, Bandipore 32 and Sonawari 51. In the Ladakh constituency, the Nobra Assembly segment recorded 70 per cent, Leh 50 per cent, Kargil and Zanskar 67 each.
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It’s just 10 per cent in Sopore amid boycott
Bomai (Sopore), May 13 Bomai village, which had remained in the news during February-March in view of the agitation over the killing of two youths, Mohammad Amin Tantray and Javed Ahmad Dar, at the hands of Army personnel on February 21 last, revealed the popular mood across the entire constituency today. The village, about 4 km from Geelani’s village of Dooru, a part of the Sopore constituency, has over 3000 voters for which three polling stations were set up. One of these polling stations with 1022 voters had polled only 13 votes around noon while 83 votes had been polled out of 1158 at another polling station around the same time. A group of voters after they had exercised their franchise in a nearby polling booth were chased away by an angry group of neighbours who had chosen to boycott the elections. Shamima, a young woman, crying hoarse over the situation rued the location of her house in the midst of the township, about 7 km from Sopore. Her house had come in the midst of stone pelting between those favouring boycott and those having voted earlier this morning. The police, assisted by CRPF men, had to intervene to bring the situation to normal as police officers impressed upon the villagers to maintain law and order. Only scores of yards away from police and CRPF personnel, the agitating youth and women burnt the rubber tyres to protest against the poll process. They raised slogans like “boycott boycott-election boycott”, “we want freedom”, and marched along the main road passing through the village from Sopore to the holy town of Tujar Sharief, where the shrine of Sheikh Hamza Makhdoom is located. For young Mushtaq Ahmad, a shopkeeper near the bridge on the Jhelum connecting the dilapidated 7 km-long Sangrama-Sopore road, the election is no issue. “We have been with the boycott of elections in the past and will continue…..”, he opines. He does not have any complaints against the administration for not completing the work on the road over the past three to four years. “Elections have been held in the past and we had many MLAs. They have not done anything for the public good… “, he said.
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Major admn reshuffle on the cards
Jammu, May 13 Sources told The Tribune that due to the model code of conduct in place, the state government did not carry out the reshuffle. They revealed that the transfer lists had already been prepared. It would be released and brought into effect after May 16. Police and civil administration officers are on tenterhooks, some of them are even calling up mediapersons for information. |
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Belicharana Clash
Jammu, May 13 At least six persons, including Mubasir Latifi, SP, South, and two policemen, were injured in a bloody clash between officials of police and forest departments in Belicharana in the Phalian Mandal area on May 9. Three Gujjars were also injured as a strong posse of police tried to evict the nomads from the government land. Aijaz assured the Gujjars of Belicharana of all support and justice from the government. He said the government would take stern action against the guilty officials of the police and the Forest Department. He, however, said the administration should apologise to the Gujjar community by taking moral responsibility for the inhumane and ruthless action against the Gujjars. The MLA said some anti-social elements were trying to disrupt the tribal status of Gujjars and the state government should take stern action against them as well. Aijaz demanded adequate compensation for the affected families, besides a magisterial inquiry into the incident. The nomadic families had allegedly encroached upon 10 hectares of government land in Belicharana and had raised around 50 makeshift shelters.
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Belicharana Incident
Jammu, May 13 Addressing a press conference at the University of Jammu, president of the federation Haq Nawaz Choudhary said if the government failed to take action against the culprits within seven days, members of the federation would observe a hunger strike. He and other office-bearers of the federation alleged that the Gujjars were being discriminated against by the state as well as Central governments. Choudhary alleged that thousands acres of land had been illegally occupied by VIPs and VVIPs. He said the police officers and other forest officers should be booked under the law and dismissed from service for misusing their power with criminal and communal intent. They demanded that immediate relief should be provided to the affected Gujjar families. Choudhary also demanded separate hostel facilities for SC/ST students in the university campus, opening of a Gojjari department, immediate release of scholarships for SC/ST students, exemption from NET/SLET/ M.Phil/Ph.D for SC/ST students, who are appearing for higher education, and to make a special drive of recruitment of teaching and non-teaching employees in Jammu University so that the genuine rights of community should be fulfilled.
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Amarnath yatra begins on June 7
Srinagar, May 13 The registration of the yatris on both routes viz. Pahalgam and Baltal will commence on May 20 in 110 designated branches of Jammu and Kashmir Bank all over the country. While no registration of pilgrims from the Pahalgam route will be allowed beyond August 2, the registration on the Baltal route will close on August 4. The requisite forms for registration can be collected from the designated Jammu and Kashmir Bank branches by paying Rs 15 per form as the handling charges. To ensure smooth conduct of the registration process, the J&K Bank has been requested to open two separate windows at each of its designated branches. The registration can also be made through J&K Bank on its on-line service:
www.jkbank.net/yatra2009. The bank is also making arrangements for optional accident insurance cover for the
yatris. The shrine and the government agencies concerned are being geared up for making the necessary arrangements at the base camps and all along both routes to the cave shrine. Due emphasis is being laid on the preservation and conservation of ecology and environment of the area. A plan is also being currently implemented to clean the entire base camp areas in Baltal and Nunwan and action is under way to collect all plastic and solid waste to ensure sanitary conditions and a clean environment. A detailed monitoring protocol for monitoring the discharge into water bodies would be put into place before the commencement of the
yatra. |
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VHP for probe into encroachments
Jammu, May 13 He asked for a judicial inquiry by a retired High Court Judge, who investigates the illegal encroachments in areas such as Rajouri, Rehari, Poonch, Mendhar, Swarnkot and Sunderbani belt from Kathua to Poonch and nullahs covering till the border. He said the state government had let 95 per cent Muslim population from Bangladesh, Myanmar, Kashmir and the Sidhra Bathindi region to occupy land and settle down here, where they mount attacks from dense forests on the border and the defence area. He asked the government to show the same sincerity to settle down 7,00,000 displaced Kashmiri Pandits. He asked for their swift settlement around Kazinag and some parts of Anantnag. |
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Bickerings in Doda Cong to the fore
Udhampur, May 13 Without taking names, Niaz alleged that some senior party leaders had supported the BJP and the PDP to divide voters on communal lines. “It is unfortunate that senior leaders of our party are hand in glove with communal forces,” he stated in a letter to the party high command. The prestigious Bhaderwah seat fell vacant when former Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad resigned from the Assembly after his election to the Rajya Sabha. Despite opposition by a faction, the Congress high command gave ticket to Niaz, who is a cousin of Ghulam Nabi Azad. During campaign, Niaz avoided confrontation with the dissidents, but now he had declared a “war” on them. Niaz said the disgruntled Congress leaders of Doda district had helped and supported the candidates of the BJP and the PDP by financing and sending workers. He said some members of the Bhaderwah Municipal Council also colluded with NC workers and helped the PDP and the BJP. Niaz said some contractors owing alliance to the Congress also helped the opposition candidates and some of them even openly joined the BJP. The Congress candidate also criticised the conduct of the Election Commission officials, who, according to him, openly sided with the disgruntled Congress leaders and helped the opposition candidates violate the model code of conduct.
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Ration shortage: PDP threatens stir
Udhampur, May 13 Senior leaders of the PDP in a joint statement issued here expressed their grave concern over shortage of ration in Banihal and adjoining localities. Coming down heavily on the Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution (CAPD) Department for its failure to provide ration in Mendhar and adjoining localities they said the ration was not available in government-run outlets so both BPL and APL families had been facing hardships. Most of the poor families are on the
verge of starvation due to the non-availability of ration. They regretted that problems
of the people were brought to the notice of the authorities but no action had been
taken so far. PDP zonal president Abdul Ahad Wani said: “He has brought the matter to the notice of CAPD officers, who have promised to solve this problem within a day or two.” The PDP leaders also demanded compensation for those fruit growers whose crop has been damaged due to hailstorm in
the area. They asked the Horticulture Department to conduct a survey to assess the total loss. |
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Helpline to check illegal constructions
Jammu, May 13 According to a statement, in order to curb unauthorised constructions in the region, the MC has established a control room with Helpline No. 2571308 to receive complaints regarding unauthorised constructions and take immediate action for the demolition of such structures. Meanwhile, for ensuring quality of sweets and eatables being sold in the region, the MC has accelerated its drive against adulterated foodstuff in the market. Today, officials of the MC health wing lifted samples from some prominent shops at Peer Mitha, Pacca Danga, Raghunath Chowk, Canal Road, Talab Tillo, Rehari Colony, Gandhi Nagar and Digiana. Municipal veterinary officer Umesh Sharma inspected milk shops and seized 12 cans of milk and charged a fine of Rs 1,600 from shopkeepers for selling poor quality milk. Besides, 16 stray animals were impounded and a fine of Rs 6,210 was imposed on defaulters. During inspection on the BC Road, the MC enforcement wing booked two persons for the violation of building permission granted to them.
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Kishtwar residents protest on 10th day of accident
Udhampur, May 13 Today was the 10th day of the accident, and people in a large number visited the bereaved families to expressed their condolences. In many places, Muslim brethren made arrangements for the religious function of their Hindu neighbours killed in the accident. On the 10th day of the accident victims, residents of Kishtwar observed a total shutdown and people staged a massive demonstration in front of the office of the Deputy Commissioner to protest against the callousness of the authorities. Leaders of all political groups joined the protesting people and threatened to launch a mass movement if their demands were not fulfilled before May 16. Residents were also annoyed over the non-serious approach of the authorities in sanctioning ex-gratia relief to the affected families. Shakir Saddiqui, a local resident, said the authorities had been adopting delaying tactics in settling cases under SRO-43.
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84 illegal banquet halls in Jammu
Jammu, May 13 The JMC has served notices on the owners of the banquet halls, asking them to close these immediately. One of these banquet halls, owned by the Deputy Mayor’s family at Camp Road, Tallab Tillo, has also been served notice by the corporation. The action follows complaints from residents of the areas where these halls are functioning. The residents complain that these banquet halls are a big source of noise pollution. Moreover, high-volume music in these marriage halls affects the studies of their children during night hours. Commissioner Mubarak Singh said out of 104 banquet halls operating within the municipal limits, 84 were running without taking the requisite permission from the corporation. He said: “If these marriage halls do not obey the JMC directions, the corporation will take police help to enforcing the directions of the High Court effectively.”
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Newly married woman set afire
Jammu, May 13 Talking to The Tribune, Hema’s brother and uncle accused her in-laws of setting her ablaze. Hema’s uncle Jagdish Verma said the incident occurred around 10.30 am today, but none from Hema’s in-laws family informed us about it. We came to know about the incident from one of our relatives living in Akhnoor. We took her to the Government Medical College here around 3.30 pm, he said. On the day of marriage, Hema was taken ill and since then her in-laws had been harassing her, Verma said. He added that Hema’s sister took her to her residence at Sujanpur for treatment and she lived there for over a month. However, a week ago, Hema’s husband Rajesh Verma took her back to Akhnoor and this morning she was set on fire, Verma said. Hema’s brother Vishal Khanna said around 9.45 am today his sister called him up and told him that she was being maltreated and harassed by her in-laws. “She said she would come back to her parental house, but before she could return she was set ablaze,” Vishal said. To substantiate his claims, he said Hema’s back and other body parts were severely burnt. Her tongue was also completely burnt and it appeared that something had been forcibly put into her mouth, he said. Though Hema’s in-laws, including her mother-in-law, father-in-law and husband, first took her to the Akhnoor hospital and then brought her to the Government Medical College, at no point of time they thought it right to inform us, said Vishal. Since the day of marriage, Hema’s in-laws had been accusing us of marrying an ill girl with their son, which was totally false as she had been leading a normal life before marriage, said the victim’s uncle. Meanwhile, the duty officer at Akhnoor police station said the statement of the victim could not be recorded because of her serious condition. He said action would be taken against Hema’s in-laws after her family lodged a complaint.
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Cop booked for bribery
Jammu, May 13 Official sources told The Tribune that sub-inspector Rajeshwar Singh, then posted as in-charge of the Digiana police post, had allegedly demanded and accepted Rs 2 lakh for releasing the complainant, Surjit Singh of Alochabagh in Srinagar, from the police custody. Sources said during the investigations the VO found that the accused officer had demanded an illegal gratification of Rs 4 lakh from the complainant and his family members for releasing Surjit Singh from the police custody. Dr Kanwarjit Singh, brother of the complainant, approached the accused police officer on August 30, 2005, when Rajeshwar Singh accepted a bribe of Rs 2 lakh before releasing the complainant. The investigation is still in progress. After thorough investigations the Vigilance Organisation today registered a case under Section 5(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act. |
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Business rivalry led to fruit dealer’s murder; 3 held
Udhampur, May 13 Addressing a press conference Udhampur SSP Surinder Gupta said on a tipoff that all three accused were hiding in a house on the Jammu-Punjab border, a team of the Udhampur police raided the house and arrested all of them. The accused have been identified as Ankush Pandoh, Adil Shah and Rahil Chandel, all resident of Udhampur town. According to the police, business rivalry was the main cause of the murder. Sanju Jandial and Ankush Pandoh were business rivals in the fruit market. As the business of Ankush Pandoh was affected due to competition from Sanju Jandial, the former decided to kill Jandial. Ankush hatched a plan with Rahil and Adil, leading to the murder of Jandial on May 2. The SSP said it was a planned murder as all three accused ran away from the spot only after confirming that Sanju was no more. After killing the victim, all three accused ran away in a vehicle and later managed to escape on a bike through the bypass. Although the police claimed that the accused were arrested from within the state, sources said all three assailants had managed to cross the border and they were arrested from a house in Pathankot.
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1984 riots
Jammu, May 13 The NSF leader Varinderjeet Singh said the PM should not have added insult to injury of the riot victims. “That was a national shame. How can we forget that? We want to ask the Congress whether it has till date forgotten the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi and the fact that his killer was an RSS man,” said Varinderjeet Singh. It was shocking that a Sikh could say such a thing, said the NSF leader, adding that clearly he (PM) had been forced to make such an unwarranted statement under pressure from 10 Janpath. |
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Army holds symposium
Udhampur, May 13 A compendium of innovative engineering solutions relevant to Army units was released by Gen Bhardwaj. The symposium was visited by a large number of military dignitaries and even schoolchildren evinced keen interest. Prizes were given away to various participants.
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Enthusiasm was again missing among displaced Kashmiri Pandits, as only 31 per cent of them cast votes in 12 booths in the city for the Baramulla Lok Sabha seat.
about 40 per cent of polling was recorded today in the Baramulla Lok Sabha constituency amid an anti-election shutdown and tight security arrangements in Kashmir.
