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CMs’ Conference on Internal Security
Hizb commander killed in Reasi
Militants using mortars to sneak in
Protest lodged with Pak over intrusion bid
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Swine Flu
Tieup between central Asian, Eurasian nations ‘needed’
Swine flu patients asked not to frequent hospitals
Renegotiate pacts with NHPC: PDP
Monitoring cell for development boards soon
Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan Guvs meet Vohra
Members of the J&K Blind Association protest in support of their demands in front of the Divisional Commissioner’s office in Jammu on Monday.
A Tribune photograph
Signature campaign over varsity issue
Students take part in a signature campaign for the setting up of the proposed central university in the Jammu region at the main gate of Government College for Women in Jammu on Monday.
Tribune photo: Anand Sharma
PDD daily-wage staff stir from today
Disappeared
Persons
Govt should wake up: KCCI
3 girls held on theft charges
Drought-like situation in Kathua, Hiranagar
Body found
19 challaned for using polythene bags
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CMs’ Conference on Internal Security Tribune News Service
Srinagar, August 17 The Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) played an important role in providing legal protection to the Army and paramilitary forces during the years when insurgency was at its peak in the state, but now it was time for shunning the “extreme positions” on the issue keeping the changed situation in view, he said at the Chief Ministers’ conference on internal security in New Delhi today. “Now that there is a distinct change in the security environment in the state, there is a good case for reviewing the continuation of the AFSPA, particularly in those areas of the state which are at the moment not unduly affected by insurgent or terrorist activities,” he said at the meeting, which was earlier addressed by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. In a veiled hint at the BJP and other political parties and the Defence Ministry, which were opposing the withdrawal of the AFSPA, he said “even though this is a highly emotive issue, which has provoked extreme positions, I would like to request that a pragmatic view about the continuation of the AFSPA be taken with a view to removing its applicability from those districts in the state where terrorist or insurgent activities are minimal or insignificant.” Omar also advocated that while dealing with internal security, adequate precautions should be taken so that no society felt alienated. “Due care must be taken while handling internal security situations to ensure that the human rights of the citizens are not violated. The necessity to maintain internal security must be balanced with the need to protect and respect human rights. “It must also be ensured that the response to internal security threats should not have the effect of creating paranoia among people about particular sections of society,” the Chief Minister said. Omar also asked the Centre to look beyond its role of providing paramilitary forces to any state as a response to internal security. “...it must be emphasised that most internal security problems have a political origin and, therefore, it is essential that a political strategy be worked out to deal with the root causes of the problem,” he said. “This admittedly may be difficult when political parties believing in different philosophies are ruling in the Centre and in the states, but nonetheless without a clear and coherent political strategy it will not be possible to counter or defeat the problem,” Omar said.
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Hizb commander killed in Reasi
Jammu, August 17 According to sources, acting on a tipoff, security forces today raided a militant hideout in remote Larad area of Mahore tehsil. As the troops zeroed in on the hideout, militants opened fire and in the gun-battle the HM commander was killed. He was later identified as Altaf Hussain responsible for many shootouts and blasts. He had joined the militant outfit in 2008. SSP (Reasi) Anand Jain confirmed the incident. Meanwhile, a villager was killed and a special police officer (SPO) injured by militants in two separate incidents in Doda district last night. Official sources said militants barged into the house of one Anayat-Ullah in Kashtigarh area and killed him. In another incident, militants shot at an SPO in Gandoh area of Doda. He was identified as Jaswant Kumar. The SPO was returning to his post at Joura when he was attacked, the police said. He was rushed to a hospital where his condition was stated to be stable. Meanwhile, the BSF today found a landmine from a hamlet at Arnia near the border here. On information given by a farmer, BSF troops of 110 Battalion recovered the explosive from Arnia, about 20 km from here, police officials said. The AM14 landmine was later defused, the police said. 18 kg of RDX seized
RAJOURI: The Army claimed having recovered an improvise explosive device (IED) with 18 kg of RDX from the Dorimal forests in the Ghambir Mughlan area on Monday. Army sources said after a tipoff, Manjakote based 38 Rashtriya Rifles launched a search operation in the Dorimal forest area and seized a cache comprising three packets of IED with 18 kg of RDX. |
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Militants using mortars to sneak in
Srinagar, August 17 Official sources told The Tribune that soldiers of 12 Mahar were fired upon by 60 mm mortars from militants in the Keran sector in Kupwara. Two personnel of 12 Mahar, including a junior commissioner officer, lost their lives in the Keran sector last week as they engaged militants in a fierce gunfight
in which some militants were also killed. Army sources said they were shocked to know that militants had used mortar, which could fire at a target accurately from
up to 2.5 km and has been used by Pak troops in across-the-LoC fire, at troops. “The new groups of militants are much more hardcore and if they are equipped with mortars, it is a reason for concern,” an official said. Army spokesperson Lt Col JS Brar declined comment on the development. Militants mostly carry AK guns but use of deadlier weapons like mortar is not really unheard of in the valley. Though their use in recent years has been almost negligible, a senior police official said, as the security forces gained an upper hand in their fight against militants. Official sources said militants used mortar, which could blast through a target, in their strongholds like Sopore in their prime. Security forces have seized mortar, anti-aircraft machineguns and Chinese-made recoilless guns that can destroy bridges and buildings from a distance of 5-6 km, in past operations, but the recoveries in recent years have been mostly confined to more conventional weapons like AK guns and grenade launchers. Militants have been making determined bids in the past few weeks to cross into the valley from the Keran and Gurez
sectors. At least 11 infiltrators have been killed by the Army. Most of these militants are foreigners belonging to pan-Islamic outfits like the Lashkar-e-Toiba rather than the indigenous Hizbul Mijahideen. |
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Protest lodged with Pak over intrusion bid
Jammu, August 17 The protest was lodged during a commandant-level flag meeting in the Ramgarh sector along the border this morning. The BSF has given a written complaint along with the proofs of the infiltration bid that the BSF claimed was foiled. Speaking to The Tribune, AK
Surolia, IG, BSF, said, “The flag meeting was held in which we lodged a strong protest along with a written complaint to our Pakistani counterpart against the infiltration bid.” The BSF has claimed that it foiled the infiltration bid by a group of heavily armed militants, who wanted to cross over to India. As per reports, a group of three or four heavily armed terrorists tried to sneak into India from the Bhalarh border outpost in the Ramgarh sector. Though the BSF ruled out any attempt of ceasefire violation from across the border, there was an exchange of heavy gunfire between the militants and the BSF that lasted for more than an hour.“During the
gunbattle, the terrorists managed to run back to Pakistan,” JB Sangwan, DIG,
BSF, said. Meanwhile, the sources said the Pakistani side denied involvement in the intrusion bid. “As usual the Pakistani side was in a denial mode and ruled out any involvement in the infiltration bid,” a senior BSF official said. However,
Sangwan, who is responsible for the border security in Jammu, said he had no knowledge about what happened during the flag meeting. It is pertinent to mention here that last year the BSF had also claimed to have foiled an intrusion bid in the Samba sector, but within 48 hours some militants had surfaced in the area and had launched a suicide attack in the Samba sector in which six persons were killed. |
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Four more test positive
Tribune News Service
Jammu/Srinagar, August 17 “Two are students, aged between 26 years and 30 years and had returned recently from Maharashtra, while other two are a two-year-old boy and a 30-year-old man, who live in Nanak Nagar,” he said. To a query, he said, reports of 18 more blood samples were expected by tomorrow morning. However, it has been reliably learnt that the two-year-old boy and the 30-year-old man are the son and a tenant of a landlord, respectively, where lived the 22-year-old girl, who tested positive on August 11. “They contracted the virus as they lived in the same house in Nanak Nagar where the girl had been under treatment,” said a senior health official. However, all inmates of the house were already under treatment, he said, adding that though the boy was showing signs of improvement, he would be examined tomorrow morning by a team of doctors at the SMGS Hospital. The four patients, who had tested positive, had already been put on Tamiflu and had been kept in isolation at their respective houses, the health official added. He said in total results of 12 reports were received today from the National Institute of Communicable Diseases (NICD), New Delhi, and out of which four were tested positive. Meanwhile, two full-fledged swine flu control centres have been set up in the state, one each in Jammu and Srinagar. Sham Lal Sharma, Minister for Health, said this in the state Assembly while giving an account of measures and precautions taken to check swine flu. The minister said on the directions of the Union Health Ministry three surveillance teams had been set up at Srinagar, Jammu and Leh airports. So far more than 16,000 foreign tourists, NRIs and others had been screened. He said Jammu and Kashmir was the first state to have set up collection centres and isolation wards to tackle swine flu.
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Tieup between central Asian, Eurasian nations ‘needed’
Srinagar, August 17 A three-day international conference has been organised by Centre of Central Asian Studies, University of Kashmir. Speaking at the inaugural function of the conference, Prof Greagory Gleason from University of Mexico, US, said countries must give due credit to legacy of their past, competition over resources and anticipation of the future while building relations. “Situation is different today. There are two choices. One is the choice by which they get what they want and the other is a strategic choice where they think others are deciding for them. If the latter is our goal, let’s rethink,” Gleason said. Referring to Samuel Huntington’s theory of Clash of
Civilisations, Gleason said when they hear that fault lines of civilisations would become battle lines for the future, many take strong exception.” In his presidential address, KU Vice-Chancellor Prof Riyaz Punjabi said two decades was a small period to assess growth and stability of countries. “These countries or states are still under going transition. We have to keep in mind that they have their own cultural and identity. These societies are emerging back in the wake of identity consciousness, though they are multi-ethnic,” he said, adding that there was a need to revive Kashmir’s linkages with central Asia like opening of the Silk
Route. Saidbeg Saidov, Ambassador, Republic of Tajikistan, called for improving relations between central Asian nations and India.
Irina Abdyevna Orolbaeva, Ambassador, Republic of Krygstan, asserted that there was an international understanding that peaceful central Asia was important because of its strategic location, natural and energy resources. |
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Swine flu patients asked not to frequent hospitals
Srinagar, August 17 “There is a lot of panic regarding swine flu and it is necessary that we respond to the situation calmly. Once a person is detected to be H1N1virus positive he/she should sit at home and get quarantined, instead of moving from one doctor to another and visiting hospital to hospital,” says Prof Zargar here, during a discussion on swine flu. The SKIMS Director said infected persons should seek the help of a doctor as and when he/she is detected to be H1N1 positive. “Your frequent visits to a doctor or a hospital would trigger a situation where we would not be able to control the virus. Then H1N1 virus would become a destructive disorder and many people would be affected by it,” he added. Prof Zargar said children below the age of five and senior citizens come under the susceptible group and they should not travel to places where the H1N1 cases had been reported. He added that people should not attach social taboos to the isolation of a H1N1 positive case, saying this would help control the situation arising out of this virus. Dr Parvaiz A. Koul from the Department of Internal and Pulmonary Medicine, SKIMS, says, “So far, 177,475 cases have been detected world over and 1,462 deaths have been reported. We need not panic, but should not lower our guard.” Dr Dalip K. Kakru, Professor and Head Microbiology, said the collection of nasopharyngeal swab or nasal aspirate and sputum etc., was important. “We need to be prepared and have a policy to handle such cases. Transportation is also important,” says Prof Imtiyaz Ali. |
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Renegotiate pacts with NHPC: PDP
Srinagar August 17 Addressing a workers’ convention, Mufti said the people had the first right on the water resources the state was endowed with. He said it was unfortunate that his predecessor Farooq Abdullah had signed away water resources without any consideration for the state’s interests and jeopardised the future of the residents. Referring to the PDP’s “self-rule” vision, Mufti said it had envisaged renegotiation of the ongoing projects and return of assets, like the Salal Project, to the state that had earned the NHPC its investment many times over. The minister said even the working group appointed by the Prime Minister on economic issues had recommended the return of Salal and Dul Hasti projects to the state to compensate for the perennial loss it had suffered on the account of
NHPC. Even though these would only be measures of interim nature, the Centre was yet to respond to these recommendations, he pointed
out. PDP patron said unemployment problem faced by the state was related with the position of resources in the state. “While the NHPC is filling its coffers, youth of the state is left to seek crumbs out of an unfair system,” he said. Opening of borders between the partitioned state could bring it back into the trading mainstream of South and central Asia that it had ceased to be after 1947, he said. |
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Monitoring cell for development boards soon
Srinagar, August 17 Replying to a discussion on the DDBs during Zero Hour here today, Rather said a monitoring cell would be constituted after the current session of the legislature for an effective working of the DDBs. He said Chief Minister Omar Abdullah had taken notice of the working of the boards and assured that more steps would be taken to strengthen them. CPM member MY Tarigami called for thorough improvement in the functioning of the boards to make them capable of catering to present day needs of the state. He suggested amendment in the Panchayat Raj Act to make zila parishads an elected body vested with powers to elect chairman of the DDBs. This, he said was imperative to strengthen the boards and improve mechanism of decentralisation of authority. Tarigami said direct election of the chairman would help the institution to be more accountable and functioning transparent. He also added that the same was required for speedy implementation of the district plan.
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Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan Guvs meet Vohra
Srinagar, August 17 The Ambassadors are in Srinagar to attend the two-day conference on “Eurasian Peace and Cooperation”, which began at Kashmir University today. The Governor, while interacting with the visiting Ambassadors, dwelt on the historic and close ties between India and the Central Asian countries, particularly Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan, and the large scope for further enhancing and strengthening cooperation to boost trade, commerce and tourism. He also spoke about the progressively growing educational and cultural relations between India and the Central Asian countries and how these could be advanced further, an official spokesman said. Riyaz Punjabi, Vice-Chancellor, Kashmir University, and Raj Kumar Goyal, Principal Secretary to the Governor, were also present on the occasion.
— TNS |
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Visually impaired want Raina panel report scrapped
Jammu, August 17 They later submitted a memorandum of demands to the Chief Minister. General Secretary of the federation Ram Das Dubey criticised the successive state governments for meeting out “step-motherly” treatment to the visually-challenged. Dubey said the government had constituted a committee for identification of posts for handicapped under the chairmanship of Satish Raina in 2001. “The report submitted by Raina while identifying the cases of differently handicapped persons does not provide equitable chance for job opportunity to the disabled and hence needs to be scrapped immediately,” said Dubey. The federation has demanded 3 per cent reservation for different disabilities, including vision, orthopaedics, speech and hearing. |
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Signature campaign over varsity issue
Jammu, August 17 About 10,000 signatures were taken on a 30-meter-long cloth. The campaign has been launched at district and block level in Samba, Heeranagar, and Kathua also. Harsh Dev Singh, Legislature Party leader, had launched the campaign four days ago to generate public support for the establishment of a central university in Jammu. The campaign was held in front of Government Gandhi Memorial Science College where around 6, 000 people had signed. Students in charge Anita Thakur said a similar campaign would be held on Tuesday in front of Government College for Women, Gandhi Nagar. “People appreciated this act of the PSA for highlighting this noble cause,” she
said. |
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PDD daily-wage staff stir from today
Jammu, August 17 The daily wagers working for the past more than seven years have been demanding regularisation of their services in the department against available vacancies. “The authorities are creating undue delay in absorbing the daily wagers of the department. We had met the Finance Minister who said he had allocated funds, but was awaiting the list from the officers concerned,” Tarun Gupta, president of the PDD Daily Wagers Association said. He said that the association would hold rallies in Srinagar to press the administration to regularise them. “We would hold a demonstration along with our family members,”
Gupta said. The daily wagers have been instrumental in handling the critical power supply system of and many daily-wage linemen have lost their lives while discharging their duty. “The state government and the department have not given any compensation to the daily wagers who were injured or totally disabled while performing their duty.” Gupta said. |
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Disappeared
Persons
Srinagar, August 17 "No such proposal with regard to the constitution of a commission is under consideration as of now," the government said in a written reply. NGOs have been demanding the setting up of such a commission in the state It said 3,429 persons had gone missing from their homes while 110 persons disappeared after arrest from 1990 to July, 2009. Of the missing persons, 2,367 persons belong to Jammu and 1,062 to Kashmir zone. It said there were 110 registered cases related to those persons who allegedly disappeared in custody from 1990 up to July this year. Of them, 33 disappeared in custody during Governor's rule from 1990 to September, 1996, 56 disappeared during NC rule from 1996 to 2002, 18 in PDP rule from November, 2002 to October,2005, and three during Congress rule from November.2005, to July 10,2008, the House was informed. Asked whether the government intends to provide adequate financial support to the families of these missing people, the government said "The family of a missing person is considered for compassionate appointment or cash compensation in lieu of a government job in terms of the government compassionate appointment rules, 1994".
— PTI
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Govt should wake up: KCCI
Srinagar, August 17 Kashmir Chamber of Commerce and Industry president Mubeen Shah said if the state government cleared their pending projects, which were meant to benefit from the central government’s schemes but requires state’s permission for consideration, their business could create anywhere between two to three lakh jobs. He said the Ministry of Commerce, Government of India, had been more helpful to them than previous state governments. “Government has been unable to create necessary skills in our workforce but we can do it and needs its support,” an articulate Shah said. He said the recent international buyers-sellers meet organised by the KCCI was successful and attracted over 40 buyers, a good response “considering the adverse publicity and foreign government’s advisories to their nationals against travelling to the Valley.” He demanded that the export office, presently in Jammu, be shifted to Srinagar as there was no export from Jammu. He said an inland container depot in Jammu was used for storing coals while Kashmir goods suffered in its absence. He said there was a constraint in availability of stocks in Srinagar, especially high-end Kashmiri products like carpets, as the local traders kept them in New Delhi for selling. “The Kashmiri carpets’ export is worth around Rs 1,000 crore annually and Srinagar’s share is only Rs 150 crore,” he said. 5 Indians board bus to PoK Rajouri: The Pakistani authorities have again stopped giving permits to Indian citizens wishing to travel to the PoK through the cross-LoC Poonch-Rawlakot bus service. Sources in the Poonch district administration said even as 29 Pakistani visitors from the PoK reached here on the bus and 50 visitors returned to the PoK, just five Indian citizens, whose permits were cleared by the Pakistan’s Ministry of Home Affairs some time back, managed to board the bus.
— TNS
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3 girls held on theft charges
Jammu, August 17 Official sources said Suresh
Kumari, a native of Samba, after withdrawing Rs 50,000 from the State Bank of India was on her way home when three young girls stole the money using a razor. The victim had kept the money in an envelope. The sources said, however, some locals noticed the girls stealing the money and raised the alarm. They added the girls, who by then had boarded a bus, threw the money to escape. But the locals chased them and caught them at a distance. The girls were later handed over to the Samba police and a case was registered. They have been identified as
Priyanka, Chandani and Sonu, natives of Madhya Pradesh, who had come to Samba from
Pathankot. |
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Drought-like situation in Kathua, Hiranagar
Srinagar, August 17 Over 25,000 acres in the Hiranagar area of Jammu district had suffered 90 per cent loss due to the drought-like situation, while in Kathua district over 14,000 acres had been affected, accounting for 64 per cent loss. Revenue and Relief Minister Raman Bhall said this in the Assembly today. He said Poonch, Rajouri, Udhampur, Reasi, Doda and Kishtwar districts had not been affected. The government had directed revenue and agriculture officials to assess the losses immediately. Less rainfall in most parts of the Jammu division has led to the drought-like situation. — PTI
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Body found
Jammu, August 17 The deceased who was around 35 years of age was wearing blue jeans and a yellow shirt. No injury marks were found on the body. The police has initiated investigations. |
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19 challaned for using polythene bags
Jammu, August 17 As many as 19 challans were issued and Rs 4,200 was charged as a fine from the defaulters for using polythene bags in the Gumat, Vinayak Bazar, Gandhi Nagar, Shastri Nagar, Nai Basti and Trikuta Nagar areas. The sanitation wing of the JMC issued 20 challans against the defaulters for poor hygienic conditions under the provisions of J&K Municipal Corporation Act, 2000. The JMC issued 10 challans for violating the PFA Act, 1954.
— TNS |
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Jammu, August 17
