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Police vehicle set ablaze
Need to rework police deployment: Omar
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Exploiting Hydroelectric Potential
Demand good roads, streetlights
Panel to probe Wakf Board bungling
Ex gratia for kin of 2 killed porters
BSF makes villagers see reason
Tour operators blame unrest on vested interests
Jammuites turn to rain gods
Disproportionate Assets
Shepherd booked on rape charge
BJP for special package to Jammu
Encroachments removed
Stok Kangri peak scaled
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Police vehicle set ablaze
Srinagar, July 2 The police said the driver lost control of the vehicle after hit by stones pelted by a mob, causing the vehicle to hit two persons near Prechhoo village. Nazir Ahmad Bhat and Pervaiz were injured and cops had to fire tear gas shells to disperse the crowd to rescue driver Mohammad Amin. Some locals claimed that the police fired bullets at the protesters but cops have denied it. At least five persons, including a man and his mother, were injured in the police action. The crowd was protesting the killing of four youths in Baramulla in police firing at the violent mobs and the police’ failure in solving the alleged rape and murder of two women in Shopian. Baramulla continued to witnesse protests, though with lesser intensity, and the police fire tear gas shells in Khanpore and old Baramulla town to quell the protests. Curfew remains in force in Baramulla and Sopore but officials have refrained from enforcing it strictly in order to let normal life return there. Parts of Srinagar also witnesses protests. The withdrawal of the CRPF from Baramulla and CM Omar Abdullah’s directions to DGP Kuldeep Khoda yesterday to formulate a strategy within 10 days for the withdrawal of the CRPF from certain urban centres and replacing it with the state police has been welcomed by the common man. Meanwhile, the police today stopped on the outskirts of Srinagar a delegation of PDP leaders headed by Mehbooba Mufti from visiting Baramulla. She said the government was deliberately stopping the voice of the opposition and damaging the efforts to revive the democratic structure in the state. Amidst the sporadic violence, Kashmir remained closed on the thrid successive day and the call given by the Hurriyat faction headed by Syed Ali Shah Geelani ended today. A party spokesperson said there would be no strike tomorrow and asked the people to protest peacefully after Friday prayers tomorrow.
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Need to rework police deployment: Omar
Srinagar, July 2 The Chief Minister said in the changed scenario, the police was supposed to be better equipped and trained to deal with the law and order situation and as such a change in the mindset of the force was also required. He, while chairing the Unified Command meeting here yesterday, asked DGP Kuldeep Khoda, DG, CRPF, and other concerned to formulate an effective plan in this regard within 10 days. Omar also directed the placement of magistrates in every district, adding that for dealing with law and order the police should accompany the magistrate. “No law and order situation or protests should be dealt without the presence of a magistrate,” he
emphasised. The Chief Minister also called for the formulation of Citizens’ Advisory Committees in every district and directed the Deputy Commissioners to flag this issue for immediate implementation. This, he said, would help to develop a constant rapport between the citizens and the administration and avoid misunderstandings that usually occurred between the administration and public on sensitive issues relating to the maintenance of law and order. The Unified Command meeting was attended by Lt-Gen Bikram Singh, GOC 15 Corps, SS Kapur, Chief Secretary, Samuel Verghese, Financial Commissioner, Home, Kuldeep Khoda, DGP, Ashok Bhan, DG, CID, Khurshid Ahmad Ganai, Principal Secretary to Chief Minister, Karam Vir Singh, ADGP, CRPF, SK Sinha, Joint Director, IB, Kashmir, Masaud Samoon, Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir, Dr B. Srinivas, IG, Kashmir, Sheikh Ovais, IG Armed, Kashmir and IG, HQs. |
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Exploiting Hydroelectric Potential
Srinagar, July 2 The Finance Minister, while giving a resume of the memorandum the state has submitted to the visiting 13th Finance Commission for liberal financial award, said here yesterday liberal assistance was required to exploit its rich hydroelectric potential and natural resources. Referring to the 20,000 MW hydroelectric generation potential, Rather said a case had been made for compensation to the state for losses on account of the Indus Water Treaty by way of liberal funding for indigenous power generation. “Despite 20,000 MW potential in hydroelectric energy, we cannot harness it optimally because of the restrictions imposed by the Indus Water Treaty, which deprives the state of its right over the usage of the waters of the Indus, Jhelum and Chenab in perpetuity,” he said. He added that the treaty also deprived the state of using our waters for irrigation except to a limited acreage of 13.96 lakh, which was about to be exhausted in near future. He urged the 13th Finance Commission to address this issue afresh and find a just and lasting solution. “We feel that pending a final quantification of a proper compensation package, the commission may allocate Rs 15,000 crore exclusively for full funding about 1,500 to 2,000 MW of hydroelectric capacity under the state sector so that we are not required to raise any loans from the market,” he explained. On the formidable challenge of development, Rather said the state had to reconstruct the economy ravaged by two decades of militancy and at the same time deliver quickly on growth intensification and poverty alleviation. Flagging the trio of handicrafts, tourism and fruit industry as the three important plus points of the state’s fragile economy, Rather said the state had been endowed with numerous attractive tourist destinations, which attracted lakhs of visitors. “For this, we have to maintain high class infrastructure and facilities at all such places and on tourist routes. We continuously need to upgrade these facilities,” he said. |
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Demand good roads, streetlights
Surankote (Poonch), July 2 Last night, people allegedly threw stones on the vehicle of Deputy Commissioner Muhammad Afzal Bhatt, who was on his way from Jammu to Poonch, for not “paying heed” to their demands. However, Bhatt escaped unhurt. A large number of people held a protest in support of their demands here this morning. They forced the closure of shops, business establishments and educational institutions and blocked the Jammu-Poonch National Highway from 5 am to 2.30 pm. Shanty Manhas, president of the Beopar Mandal, Surankote, said, “For years, we have been demanding that the condition of roads be improved. We have also been demanding a municipality for the town, besides streetlights, a good bus stand and toilet facilities. However, even as every politician has been promising to change our fate, they have virtually done nothing.” “The government should know that this is just the beginning of our fight. We will intensify our protests if the government did not fulfil our demands,” he added. Even as protests affected life in the town and made travelling from Jammu and other neighbouring towns to Poonch difficult, the DC and other officers reached the town at 12.30 pm to mollify of the protesters. The protest was suspended after the DC assured the protesters that their demands would be taken up with the higher authorities. However, the protesters warned that in case their demands were not fulfilled in a specific time limit, they would resume the protests. Meanwhile, the BRO authorities, who accompanied the DC, assured the people that the work on the main road would start within two days. |
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Panel to probe Wakf Board bungling
Srinagar, July 2 This was decided at the first meeting of the newly constituted Wakf Board here today, an official spokesman said. The status report revealed large-scale irregularities and mismanagement in the functioning of the last board, while the Chief Minister asked the committee to present the report with its recommendations within a period of 15 days so that a white paper for the information of legislators and general public was issued accordingly. The meeting was attended by Finance Minister Abdul Rahim Rather, Minister for Rural Development, Ali Mohammad Sagar, vice-chairman of the Muslim Wakf Board MY Qadri and members of the board. The meeting was informed that among many other irregularities, important records of the board were missing. It was also informed that the number of employees of the board had been more than doubled, raising the wage bill to Rs 6 crore from Rs 2 crore. Various works had been started without proper tendering and expenditures had been made without approval, the meeting was informed. Fixed deposits with the banks running into crores of rupees were withdrawn without any sanction from the board and the utilisation of the money remained unexplained. Safes worth lakhs of rupees were purchased that now lie in storage as there was no requirement for these. Purchases were made without transparency and it appeared to have been done to benefit a handful of vested interests at the cost of the shrines and devotees. It was added that the Muslim Auqaf Trust constituted with the objective of maintaining, preserving and upgrading mosques, shrines and other Wakf properties, besides rendering service to the Muslims, had lost
its goal. While reviewing the beautification of surroundings of the shrines and the construction works, he directed the formulation of a project for the Ziarat Peer Dastageer Saheb (RA), Khanyar. He added that the experience of those who had visited Baghdad-e-Sharief could be utilised for the preparation of the project. The Chief Minister also asked the Board to also expedite improving Hazratbal surroundings. |
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Ex gratia for kin of 2 killed porters
Srinagar, July 2 The two porters, Ghulam Rasool from Kangan and Riyaz Ahmad from Rajouri, had died in a landslide incident at Kachi Morh, Railpathri, on the second day of the commencement of this year’s yatra from the Baltal route. A spokesman of the SASB here said the ex gratia relief had been sanctioned as a special dispensation since the porters were not registered with the Labour Department and were, therefore, not eligible for obtaining an insurance cover of
Rs 50,000 each as is available to all porters who are duly registered with the Labour Department. He said the Governor has directed for providing financial assistance to the bereaved families of these victims on compassionate grounds keeping in view the most useful contribution made by the pithu and ponywalas in facilitating the yatra. During his visit to the Baltal Base Camp, a few days before the unfortunate mishap, the Governor had impressed upon the officers of the Labour Department to register all pithu and ponywalas and also ensure their insurance coverage. Meanwhile, 7,983 pilgrims performed darshan at Amarnath shrine yesterday. The yatra had to be suspended for some time yesterday afternoon in view of rains and snowfall in the holy cave periphery. As the weather showed signs of improvement this morning, the yatra to the holy cave resumed from both Base Camps of Pahalgam and Baltal. A batch of 3,240 pilgrims left the Baltal Base Camp around 9 am while 1,417 pilgrims proceeded for the yatra on the traditional route of Pahalgam. According to a report received from Jammu, a contingent of 1,437 yatris left Jammu today for the Amarnath Yatra via Nunwan and Baltal. |
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BSF makes villagers see reason
Jammu, July 2 The villagers complained that by fencing up to 300 metres a major chunk of their agricultural land would get wasted, as they had already lost a lot of land to fencing in the past few years, and that too without compensation. But the BSF convinced the villagers that Kathmaria land being low lying and marshy was not cultivable and could not be fenced in a small periphery for the same reasons. “We did not get any compensation for acres that we lost to fencing. We are already facing a financial crisis. Our point is that the fencing should be restricted up to 100 metres,” said a farmer. The claim was rejected by the BSF later as the land at Kathmaria was not found suitable for fencing up to 100 metres for being low lying. The farmers were convinced, as explained by JD Sangwan, DIG BSF. “Out of 30-40 km of fencing, which has been done on the stretch, it is only the Kathmaria post that is problematic for being marshy and low lying. This land is also not of any use to farmers as it is not cultivable. Moreover, we cannot do fencing up to the zero level for security reasons. Though the work on the patch is being done by the CPWD, the BSF took an initiative in pacifying people as it is posted in the region.” Sangwan also denied the allegation that the farmers were bearing the brunt by losing their agricultural land to fencing saying “in year 2001-03, we had to do fencing at far distances from the border due to a heavy firing from the Pakistani side. But now the situation is not grim. We let farmers go across the fencing within the Indian border in the company of our guards, and cultivate their lands.” |
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Tour operators blame unrest on vested interests
Jammu, July 2 “Some politicians for their petty vote bank are creating turmoil in the state and disturbing the inflow of tourists in the state,” said Anil Gour, chairman of
IATO, J&K. He said it was the peak season for the tourist inflow and the ongoing unrest in the valley was the creation of some people with vested interests who were trying to spoil the peace in the state. “The tourism sector is the affected by the ongoing turmoil and the sector, the backbone of the state economy, has suffered a severe blow due to the frequent unrest in the Kashmir valley due to which the tour operators have come on the verge of starvation,” Gaur said He alleged that some political parties were trying their level best to minimise the tenure of the ongoing Amarnath yatra, thus creating dearth of pilgrim tourism. |
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Jammuites turn to rain gods
Jammu, July 2 At various places in the city residents could be seen chanting holy slogans sitting near fire to please the rain Gods to bless the region with a much-awaited downpour. “The people of Jammu still have faith on the rain Gods. This is the time-tested method to please the rain Gods and we expect that all our prayers will be answered and the region would get moderate rainfall in the coming days,” Prem
Lal, local resident, said. Though the Jammu region got some respite from the severe heat wave condition and the daytime temperature also dropped following the light showers that were accompanied by thunderstorm, there has been no rain in the region despite the Met Department’s claim that the monsoon had arrived in the
state. Sonam Lotus, director of the state Met department, said the reason for a meagre rainfall in the region despite the arrival of the monsoon was the weakened current. Meanwhile, the daytime temperature has witnessed a drop of more than 10°C after a light rainfall accompanied by a thunderstorm lashed Jammu. |
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Disproportionate Assets
Jammu, July 2 Disproportionate to his known sources of income, the official owned assets to the tune of Rs 21,53,736. Acting upon allegations against Khan, the SVO had registered a case on July 6, 2006, and initiated a probe. Official sources said during his service Khan, the then XEN, while abusing his post had raised assets disproportionate to his known sources of income. During the course of investigation, it was found that the officer possessed a commercial building on a piece of land measuring one kanal and 15 marlas in Channi Himmat, Jammu, worth over Rs 46 lakh, two-storeyed building at Bhatindi on a piece of land measuring one kanal 10 marlas, land measuring one kanal at Kursoo, Padshahi Bagh in Srinagar valued at Rs 1 lakh. The investigation also revealed that the accused public servant had made huge investments in various banks in his own name and in the name of his wife. The total value of his bank deposits was calculated at Rs 4,72,048. The total value of movable and immovable property acquired by the accused officer during the check period was calculated at Rs 54,18,048. The total expenditure on verifiable items during the check period was calculated at Rs 5,58,205 and the total income from all known and legal sources was found to be Rs 38,22,517. |
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Shepherd booked on rape charge
Jammu, July 2 Official sources said the girl belonging to a nomadic family from Razooli village in Purmandal block was raped on June 8 by Fiaz Ali of the same village. As the girl was taking her cattle for grazing, Fiaz Ali requested her to help him rescue his goat from a nullah. After descending into a gorge the old man overpowered the girl and allegedly raped her, they said. However, the girl narrated the incident to her mother on June 30 after which a written complaint was to the police today. “Medical examination of the victim was conducted at the Vijaypur hospital today and the report is awaited,” a police officer said. |
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BJP for special package to Jammu
Jammu, July 2 The delegation reasoned that separate allocation was necessary because the Jammu and Ladakh regions had so far been ignored by the successive Kashmir-centric leadership. Khajuria appreciated the demand of the Chamber of Commerce for a special allocation of Rs10,000 crore as a special package for the people of Jammu for the losses suffered by the business community and others during the Amatnath land row agitation.
— TNS |
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Encroachments removed
Jammu, July 2 The team was led by the chief enforcement officer along with field staff under the supervision of joint commissioner (A). The team removed the encroachments in Gumat, Sunder Singh Gurdwara Road, Raghunath Bazar, City Chowk, Old Hospital Road and Purani Mandi. They seized goods from the pavements in these areas. The JMC appealed to the shopkeepers to keep their goods within their shops to avoid seizure of their goods and penalty. |
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Stok Kangri peak scaled
Jammu, July 2 An official spokesman said two taems of "White Devils" ed by Capt Akshay Dogra and Capt Mirza Zahid
Begh, respectively, scaled the peak. It is one of the rarest moments when 103 climbers have reached the top in two days.
— TNS |
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