Jammu, June 30
The prayers of the residents of the Jammu region were answered by the rain God, as the much-awaited rain last night brought some relief to them. The residents had been reeling under intense heat wave for the past few weeks.

The pre-monsoon showers accompanied by a thunderstorm lashed Jammu city since late last night, brining down the daytime temperature in the city by almost 10°C.

“The pre-monsoon showers accompanied by a thunderstorm have brought the daytime temperature in the region down by 10°C,” an official of the state Met Department said. The maximum daytime temperature yesterday was 44.4°C, whereas due to the rain and thunderstorms the daytime maximum temperature today dropped to 34°C, he added.

“The monsoon has already set over Jammu and Kashmir and last night Jammu experienced pre-monsoon showers. We expect the monsoon to arrive in the next 24 hours. The rains would be accompanied by thunderstorms,” Sonam Lotus, director of the Met Department, told The Tribune.

He said the region would witness more pre-monsoon showers this evening, whereas the monsoon would hit the region in the next 24 hours.

For the past few weeks, the residents of Jammu had been reeling under intense heat wave and the daytime temperature had broken all previous records. Farmers were also worried as their crops were wilting due to the shortage of water for irrigation.

“The arrival of the monsoon has brought a good news for the farmers of the areas at the tail-end of the Ranbir canal, as they could not get water from the canal and the rains were their only hope,” said Pankaj Kumar, a farmer in Samba.

Another farmer in bordering village of RS Pura said, “The paddy farmers were the worst affected, as their crops were dying due to the shortage of water. But now with the arrival of the monsoon they expect a good crop this season.”

Jammu, June 30
The first merit list of BA, BSc and BCom Part-I was declared today. The second merit list would be declared on July 4.

Students were seen busy in searching their name on the merit list. However, the list brought happiness for some students and disappointment for others who were expecting their name on the list.

Shiveta Sharma, a student, said, “I was expecting my name on the first list in arts stream but the merit is extremely high. I hope in the second list I will see my name on top of the list.”

In Government College for Women, Parade, the merit touched 93 per cent in arts stream, 90 per cent in science stream and 93 per cent in commerce stream. The cut-off for all three streams remained 55 per cent in arts, 64 per cent in science and 57 per cent in commerce.

The college has nearly 1,700 seats in all three streams and on the first day 120 students got admission in the college, which includes 52 in commerce, 45 in arts and 23 in science. Similarly, in Government College for Women, Gandhi Nagar, in arts the merit touched 93.70 per cent in psychology, 85 per cent in geography and 71 per cent in statistics related combinations.

In medical the merit touched 90.81 per cent and in non-medical it touched 90.53 per cent. In Government Gandhi Memorial Science College, for non-medical stream the highest merit was 90.80 per cent and lowest was 55.26 per cent and the available numbers of seats in this stream are 450.

In medical stream the highest merit remained 93.40 per cent while the lowest merit remained 45.30 per cent and seats available are 350.

For electronics combination, highest merit was 88.60 per cent and lowest touched 71 per cent, whereas available number of seats are 150. In computer science combination the highest merit was 83.87 per cent and lowest was 77.13 and available numbers of seats are 30. The highest merit in bio-technology was 82.30 per cent and the lowest was 69.10 per cent. On the first day, 22 students got their admission in this college. In Maulana Azad Memorial College the upper merit in the arts stream touched 83.03 per cent while the cut of was 43.60 per cent. The available seats in this stream are 750 and today the college registered 18 admissions.

In medical the upper and lower merit touched 79.53 per cent and 45.20 per cent, respectively, and the seats available are 450. This college has received nearly 2,000 application forms for 1,200 seats.

Srinagar, June 30
Life across the valley was paralysed today due to the three-day shutdown called by the hard line Hurriyat faction led by Syed Ali Shah Geelani against the death of two youths in Baramulla in police firing yesterday and the Shopian incident. The curfew in Baramulla continued for the second day today as strict restrictions on people’s movement were put in place.

A 22-year-old youth, Fiaz Ahmed Gojri, was killed in police firing when a violent mob attacked a police party at Khanpura in Baramulla.

The police opened fire on violent protesters in Baramulla again today as the latter took to the streets despite curfew. Bilal Bashar was seriously injured, the police said. Several others were also injured in clashes. The district administration extended the curfew to Sopore town as well, apprehending angry demonstrations in the wake of the two deaths.

Separatist leaders Javed Mir and Zafar Akbar Bhat, of the moderate Hurriyat faction were detained by the police and lodged in Pattan police station, when they were on their way to Baramulla to express solidarity with the victims’ families.The police said they could not have been allowed due to the curfew.

Meanwhile, the government yesterday ordered a magisterial probe into the Baramulla violence and asked the inquiry officer to find out if the police resorted to a disproportionate use of force on protesters that left Saleem Wani and Tariq Ahmad Malik dead.

The inquiry officer, additional district magistrate Ashraf Shanthoo, has been asked to submit his report in 10 days. Tight security measures restricting people’s movement were imposed in downtown Srinagar today and the police and the CRPF had to fire teargas shells to disperse the protesters.

Shops, banks, educational institutes remained closed and the traffic was reduced to a trickle across the valley. Though some minibuses could be seen plying on their usual routes, the attendance in government office was low and employees posted in the secretariat were carried amid security cover to their offices.

The government deployed state transport buses to ferry its employees and officials said the arrangement would continue till the strike continued.

The only place in Srinagar that had a semblance of busy life, which is the hallmark of the valley during summers when thousands of tourists arrive here, was the stretch along the Dal lake. Many shops were open there to cater to a large population of tourists.

Srinagar, June 30
On the instructions of Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, Minister for Rural Development and Panchayats Ali Mohammad Sagar and Minister for School Education and Public Enterprises Peerzada Mohammad Sayeed today visited Baramulla to take stock of the situation emanating out of yesterday’s incident.

The ministers were accompanied by DGP Kuldeep Khoda, Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir, Masaud Samoon, Deputy Commissioner, Baramulla, Latif-u-Zaman Deva, besides other officers.

Terming yesterday’s incident as unfortunate, the ministers regretted the loss of precious lives. While interacting with local people in a meeting called on the occasion, the ministers assured them that the culprits identified in the inquiry report would be given exemplary punishment, an official spokesman said.

Urging people to exercise restraint, Sagar and Peerzada asked them to be vigilant against forces bent upon disturbing peace in the district.

The ministers asked the district administration to provide ex gratia relief to the next of kin of those killed and also prepare their cases for benefit under SRO 43.

The Baramulla Deputy Commissioner briefed the ministers about the current situation and said an inquiry had been ordered under the Additional Deputy Commissioner, Baramulla, and asked to submit the report within 10 days.

Meanwhile, JKPCC president Saifuddin Soz has condemned the firing incidents and clashes in Baramulla during the past two days.

He has also asked the police to exhibit restrain and use rubber bullets to minimise the losses. The former Union minister also rejected the ‘hartal politics’ by the separatist organisations as these only led to more miseries to the people.

Srinagar, June 30
Around 13,500 pilgrims performed darshan at the holy cave shrine of Amarnath yesterday, which included 5,661 pilgrims who had reached the cave from Baltal route and over 6,100 yatris via Pahalgam route.

Pilgrims trudge along an arduous route to the Amarnath shrine in south Kashmir. Tribune photo: Anand Sharma

While another batch of 3,702 pilgrims left Baltal base camp for the yatra today, 2,080 pilgrims commenced their yatra on the traditional route from Nunwan (Pahalgam) base camp early this morning. A spokesman of the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board said a batch of 1,809 pilgrims also left Jammu today for the Nunwan and Baltal base camps.

It was further said additional chief executive officer of the board Madan Mantoo returned to Srinagar last night after a two-day visit to the holy cave, Panjtarni and other camps and locations en route the holy cave shrine.

He reviewed the status of arrangements relating, inter alia, to cleanliness and sanitation and emphasised upon all stakeholders, including shops, tents and langars to support and strengthen the board’s efforts to keep the areas in and around the shrine neat and clean.

Meanwhile, a 53-year-old pilgrim died of cardiac arrest en route the Amarnath cave shrine in south Kashmir Himalayas, raising the death toll in the ongoing yatra to 16, official sources said today. Kishan Lal, a resident of Jaipur in Rajasthan, died at Ranga Morh along the Baltal route yesterday, the sources said.

1,809 pilgrims leave Jammu

Jammu: Amid tight security, a fresh batch of 1,809 Amarnath pilgrims left the Yatri Niwas base camp this morning for Baltal and Pahalgam base camps.

A total of 1,809 pilgrims comprising 1,221 men, 332 women, 56 children and 200 sadhus left the base camp around 5 am in a convoy of 35 buses, one truck and nine light motor vehicles, SP Benam Tosh, security in charge of the Yatri Niwas, said.

Jammu, June 30
Strongly castigating what he claimed “jaundiced mindset of certain elements to restrict Amarnath pilgrimage”, Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) today avowed to defeat such moves with full strength.

“We won’t allow such a psyche advocating restriction on Amarnath Yatra and if the government tried to limit the annual pilgrimage it would face stiff resistance,” said VHP’s national secretary Khemchand Sharma.

A similar attempt had been made in 1996 when militants had threatened to disrupt the Amarnath Yatra, but accepting the challenge around 60,000 Bajrang Dal activists had come from various parts of the country and eventually two lakh pilgrims had thronged the cave shrine, said Sharma.

He felt that the annual pilgrimage had become a bridge of integrity between the country and the state.

Paradoxically, for the Kashmir-centric government this pilgrimage had always remained an eyesore, he said.

He also felt that current system of registration for the Amarnath pilgrimage through Jammu and Kashmir Bank Limited was not sufficient.

The history of the Bajrang Dal was replete with instances of struggle in the interest of country’s sovereignty and integrity, said the VHP leader.

Since its inception in 1984, the Bajrang Dal had been coordinating in organising Baba Budda Amarnath Yatra in Poonch, he said, adding that the pilgrimage would be held from July 25 to August 2.

We hope that the state government would make all necessary arrangements of security and lodging for the devotees at Jammu and Poonch, respectively, he said.

The first batch of pilgrims would reach here on July 25 and it would leave for Budda Amarnath on July 27.

Apart from 10,000 Bajrang Dal activists, we anticipate participation of 1.5 lakh pilgrims in Budda Amarnath Yatra, Sharma said. Our motive was to ensure maximum participation of devotees in the pilgrimage and hence we hope that the government comes up with requisite arrangements to ensure hassle-free yatra, he added.

Udhampur, June 30
Charging the state government with discriminating against the employees of the Jammu region, hundreds of employees of the Public Health Engineering (PHE) Department held a massive demonstration here today.

The protesting employees were demanding the removal of disparities and wages on a par with their counterparts in the Kashmir valley.

Employees of Udhampur and Reasi districts jointly organised the protest today to draw the attention of the coalition regime toward discrimination against the employees of the Jammu region.

Addressing the gathering, Som Nath, leader of the PHE employees, regretted that the successive state governments had done nothing to remove this discriminatory attitude.

He pointed out that daily wage workers in the Jammu region had been getting a meagre sum of Rs 500 per month, while those working on the same posts in the valley had been getting Rs 2,100 per month.

The PHE employees also demanded the regularisation of services of daily wage workers who had completed seven years of service. They said a large number of employees had completed seven years of service and the government should regularise their services as per the rules.

The employees further demanding filling of the vacant posts and the reorganisation of the PHE Department to make it functional.

Som Nath, while exhorting the employees to prepare themselves for a decisive battle, warned the government of extreme steps if their demands were not fulfilled.

Jammu, June 30
Jammu and Kashmir National Panthers Party chairman Professor Bhim Singh today demanded the resignation of Chief Minister Omar Abdullah for his alleged total failure to meet the expectations of the people of the state.

“Omar Abdullah should resign in his own interest, interest of his family and the state for the reason that he has totally failed to deliver. There is no governance in the state, administration is not under his control and it is not possible for the Chief Minister to look after even law and order situation”, said Bhim singh.

The situation in Shopian, and the killing in Baramulla and total insecurity caused in the state because of the bad governance demanded Chief Minister’s exit from power, he added.

He said the Chief Minister could not expand his cabinet for obvious reason, the situation in Shopian and Baramulla were threatening the security of the state.

Bhim Singh said the Chief Minister must resign and the Governor should form an all-party government so that a representative government could be formed which was essential to create a consensus for the final resolution of the situation in the state.

Jammu, June 30
Various associations of the Power Development Department, Jammu, today held a protest against the assault on a foreman of the department late last night.

The protesters were demanding the arrest of the persons responsible for the assault. The foreman was on duty when he was assaulted by a group of six to seven persons.

“Last night, one of our foremen was restoring the electricity supply that was affected by the thunderstorm in the city as various transmission lines were damaged when trees fell on them,” said Jasbeer Singh, president of the ITI Diploma Holders Association.

He added, “When the foreman returned to the canal powerhouse to switch on the supply, six to seven residents of the Krishna Nagar locality arrived there and assaulted him without any provocation. He was hit on the head by an iron rod and he fell unconscious.”

Jasbeer said when other employees came to know about the attack they rushed the foreman to a hospital, where his condition was stated to be critical, but out of danger.

“Three PDD associations protested today and demanded the immediate arrest of the accused. Later, we came to know that the police had arrested the main accused,” Jasbeer said.

He added that the accused owed Rs 64,000 as rent to the department and the electricity supply to his house and shop had been discontinued. This had provoked him to attack the foreman.

Ramnagar (Udhampur), June 30
Fear has gripped residents of the militancy-plagued Basantgarh belt of Ramnagar subdivision, as the authorities have shifted the Army from this area and handed over its security to the local police.

Demanding the redeployment of the Army, the residents of over 25 villages of this belt have warned the authorities this decision to shift the Army would help anti-national elements to consolidate themselves in the area.

Though villagers were opposing demilitarisation due to threats from militants, the authorities, without taking the locals into confidence, shifted the troops from Basantgarh, Lodra and Sangh areas where the Rashtriya Riffles (RR) had its base camps. The process of demilitarisation was started a week ago and completed two days ago.

Even as the local administration has assured the people that the Army troops would be replaced by paramilitary forces, fear-stricken villagers were of the view that the withdrawal of the Army would help the militants to regroup in this belt. “In 2006, when the troops were withdrawn, militants struck within 24 hours and killed 10 members of a minority community in this belt,” recalled Rakesh Kumar, a resident of Lodra village.

“Militant activities were contained all due to the presence of the Army in this belt,” RS Pathania, a social activist, told The Tribune and pointed out that the confidence of the people had been badly shattered due to the shifting of the troops. “It is a hasty decision,” he said.

“Instead of removing the troops in one stroke, it should have been done gradually by taking the locals into confidence,” said Hakim Din, a resident of Sangh village.

A senior police officer said the decision would demoralise the forces active in the anti-militancy operation. “The presence of the Army always boost the moral of those fighting militants,” he observed.

Udhampur, June 30
Udhampur DC Ajay Khajuria today directed the departments concerned to prepare an integrated and perspective project to develop holy Devika and its peripheries for the promotion of pilgrimage-cum-heritage tourism.

In a meeting of the senior officers of the departments concerned, the DC directed the officers to prepare the project with cost estimates and drawing within seven days time so as to ensure its early submission to the Union Tourism Ministry for its approval.

While addressing the meeting, Khajuria said holy Devika held as an accessible pilgrimage tourism attraction as large numbers of people throng the site paying their obeisance at ancient temples and performing religious rites.

He also directed the Divisional Town Planner to prepare comprehensive project for the development and beautification of Devika site after getting the adequate feed back from the officers of the engineering concerned and other related departments so as to ensure its early submission to the ministry concerned.