Assar(Ramban), September 7
Infuriated over the failure of the authorities to streamline traffic on the Batote-Kishtwar highway, residents of Assar and adjoining localities today came on the road and resorted to heavy stone-pelting on senior officers who reached the spot after the accident. Minister of Roads and Buildings Ghulam Mohammad Saroori also had to face the mob anger when he reached the spot to “supervise” the rescue operation.

Over 20 persons, including RS Charak, Assistant Regional Transport Officer (ARTO), Doda, and Batote SHO Bhushan Manhas, were injured in the violence.

The official vehicle of the SHO was also ransacked by the irate mob. The situation was controlled only after a heavy contingent of the police rushed to the spot and shifted the bodies to Batote Hospital.

Mushtaq Ahmed Rather, an eyewitnesses, told the Tribune that the situation took an ugly turn when local people shifted the injured to Assar hospital where only two doctors were available. “At least 10 passengers, including two children, lost their lives due to non-availability of timely medical aid”, he said. As neither medical staff nor medicines were available in the hospital, local youth who run medical shops at Assar rushed to the hospital and started treatment. Pritam Singh and Ishtaq Ahmed, who run medical shops, not only treated injured passengers but also provided medicines to them.

Eyewitnesses said when ARTO RS Charak, along with some cops, reached the spot people turned violent and pelted stone on the officials. The Doda ADC also faced the mob anger. The ARTO who received severe injuries in the stone-pelting was rescued by cops after using mild force.

A large number of villagers who turned up at the accident site, shouted slogans against the state government. They were demanding air-lifting of the injured passengers to Jammu.

The people got infuriated when the chopper carrying the Roads and Buildings Minister landed at Assar. As soon as the minister reached the spot, the enraged mob gharaoed him and started shouting anti-government slogans.

Before the situation could have taken an ugly turn, a heavy police contingent rushed to the spot and started shifting the injured to Batote Hospital. The minister later pacified the agitating mob and promised an inquiry into the accident.

JAMMU: Dr Romesh Gupta, GMCH Medical Superintendent, told The Tribune that one of the injured who was declared brought dead at the hospital, had been identified as Gauri Lal of Moghala in Kalakote. However, the identity of the other could not been ascertained, he added.

Dr Gupta said doctors and paramedics had been alerted after the news of the tragic accident was received.

Meanwhile, Medical Education Minister RS Chib visited the hospital late this evening and enquired about the well-being of injured. He also asked the hospital authorities to make all requisite medicines available.

GMCH Principal Dr Rajinder Singh gave the first hand report of the 23 injured airlifted to the hospital.

GMCH Administrator Dr Rakesh Khajuria and a team of doctors also briefed the minister.

Srinagar, September 7
An Army vehicle ran over a six-year-old child in Sumbal, about 25 km from here, and angry residents torched two Army vehicles in retaliation. The Army vehicles were on their way to Bandipora from Sumbal when the accident took place

At least eight persons were injured as angry protesters demanding action against the Army personnel clashed with the police. Cops fired tear gas shells and baton-charged the crowd to bring the situation under control.

Sources said Insha Javaid, a girl, was crushed to death when she was crossing the Srinagar-Bandipora road, prompting protests from locals. Immediately after the accident, Hundreds of people of Sumbal and adjoining villages took to the streets and blocked the main road demanding action against the erring driver. They surrounded two vehicles and burnt these down.

Bandipora SSP Sheikh Junaid Ahmad rushed to the scene along with senior administrative officers to deal with the situation.

Reinforcements have also been rushed to the area to restore law and order as the situation was “tense”, official sources said. The police said it had registered an FIR in this regard while the Army was also probing the incident.

Jammu, September 7
The Central University Andolan Samiti (CUAS) has decided to stage dharnas in all districts on September 14 to intensify its ongoing agitation for the central university in Jammu.

Pavitar Singh, convener of the CUAS, announced that the andolan samiti members would stage two-hour dharnas in all district and tehsil headquarters of Jammu province on September 14.

Pamphlets would be distributed among people in these districts and stickers would be pasted on vehicles to spread awareness among the people regarding the issue, said Pavitar Singh.

Warning the state government, he said this agitation would be more vigorous than the Amarnath land agitation, as people from all religions would participate in it.

Condemning Chief Minister Omar Abdhullah’s silence over the issue, the convener said the samiti had taken the decision to make the Chief Minister understand people’s sentiments.

Pavitar Singh said, “I think the Chief Minister is afraid of PDP leaders due to which he is not taking any decision over the issue. But PDP leaders supported us wholeheartedly yesterday and cleared that they never demanded a central university for Kashmir.”

He also criticised the statement of Union Minister for Renewable Energy Farooq Abdullah that its up to the Central government to decide where the central university should to be set up.

Extending gratitude to the ministers and the MLAs, Pavitar Singh said, “It is a matter of happiness that leaders from the Congress, BJP, PDP and other political parties are supporting the CUAS and on the issue of the central university in Jammu.”

He disclosed that a resolution was passed in a meeting with these leaders yesterday and that would be sent to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and HRD Minister Kapil Sibal.

Jammu, September 7
Even though Chief Minister Omar Abdullah kept his word by replacing the J&K RTI Act, 2004, with a new one in 2009, bringing it at par with the Central legislation, the ‘revolutionary’ Act remains a casualty as far as its usage is concerned in the strife-torn state.

RTI crusaders in the state attributed the malady to the alleged malafide intentions of the government so as to keep several skeletons under the wraps.

“Ever since the NC-Congress combine passed the new Act on March 20 this year, around 50 to 60 applications were moved by the information seekers, out of which 35 applications alone were moved by us,” said Dr Raja Muzaffar Bhat, convener of the J&K RTI Movement, who is acclaimed across the country for his crusade against red-tape.

However, the Act remains a non-starter in this state because the government doesn’t want to create awareness among the people, he added.

“If the government can come up with big campaigns on AIDS, tuberculosis and consumer rights then why it continues to give a cold shoulder to the revolutionary Act directly associated with the people and the governance,” Bhat asked.

He also expressed regrets over certain provisions incorporated in the new Act. An applicant has to cough up Rs 50 as application fee while for Xerox of every single document he has to pay Rs 10 each, he said, adding “how a poor person can afford to apply under the new provisions.”

It clearly shows that the government wants to discourage the people from using the legislation, he said. Quoting a couple of instances from his personal experiences, he said he had sought information from the General Administration Department (GAD) about expenditure incurred on IAS officers, who had travelled by air outside the state. “Paradoxically, the GAD - nodal agency for implementing the RTI Act - first responded to my application after 50 days and then provided totally misleading and distorted information to me,” he said.

The GAD just gave me venues and dates of the bureaucrats where they attended official meetings and not even a single word was mentioned about their expenditure, Bhat claimed.

Similarly, I had moved another application under the RTI Act seeking information about advocates hired by the government for various legal suits, he said.

He added, over 50 days have passed since I moved the application but I still await reply from the GAD. He now waits for the State Information Commission to come up.

Jammu, September 7
The Income Tax Department has asked about 100 political leaders of different parties in the state to pay their due taxes as calculated from their details of assets declared in their affidavits filed before the Election Commission along with their nomination papers.

“We got the information from the Election Commission and have asked around 100 political leaders in the state to pay their income tax to avoid action as per norms,” said BL Razdan, who recently assumed charge as Commissioner, Income Tax.

Razdan said the Jammu region was paying more taxes as compared to the Kashmir valley. Last year, tax collection from Jammu was around Rs 115 crore as compared to just Rs 4.87 crore from the Kashmir region.

“There are various reasons for high tax collection from Jammu as compared to Kashmir as some of the state corporate houses are based here,” Razdan said.

“Last year, tax collection in the state was Rs 454 crore whereas the target for this year was set at Rs 510 crore.

However, the target has again been revised to around Rs 550 crore,” Razdan said.

Jammu, September 7
If you think that the residents of Kashmir are less alcoholic than those in Jammu, the figures available with the state Excise Department say otherwise.

There has been a sharp increase in the sale of the liquor in the valley despite the fact that Kashmir region (including Ladakh) has only eight liquor shops whereas rest of the shops are in Jammu region.

As per official figures the Islamist region consumes more liquor as compared to Jammu.

Figures reveal that more than 6.25 lakh liquor bottles were consumed in the state in 2007-08 out of which 3.85 lakh bottles were consumed in Kashmir valley alone.

After the eruption of the armed insurgency in the Kashmir valley, militants imposed ban on the sale of alcohol, but despite the ban there has been an increase in the sale of liquor in the valley.

Interestingly, the liquor sale has been a major source of revenue in the state according to the state finance minister Abdul Rahim Rather. Talking to the TNS Abdul said, “The government earned Rs 203.62 crore in 2005-06, Rs 211.10 crore in 2006-07 and Rs 242.64 crore in 2007-08.”

In the state there were 227 liquor shops, 62 out of which are owned by women, as per official figures.

“Though there are only eight liquor shops in the valley, but the liquor sale had increased in last few years,” an official of the state excise department said. “It is a myth that people in Kashmir valley don’t drink, but in the past three years more than 10-lakh liquor bottles were consumed in the valley.”

The increased in the consumption of liquor could also be attributed to the inflow of tourists.

The liquor dealers in Jammu say that though the state government keeps a check on the sale and consumption of liquor in Jammu but there were no laws governing the sale in Kashmir.

“We have to strictly adhere to the rules and regulations and sell the liquor as per the price, but in Kashmir the vendors are selling liquor at much exorbitant rates with no one to check the irregularities,” a liquor vendor in Jammu said on the condition of anonymity.

As per the official figures Jammu district has the highest number of liquor shops (135), Leh has two, Kashmir has six with four in Srinagar, one each in Baramulla and Anantnag.

Jammu, September 7
The Joint Action Committee of Displaced Kashmiri Pandits held a protest at the Press Club in support of their demands today. It served a 15-day ultimatum on the state government for fulfilling their demands.

The protest was organised to highlight the demands that included the implementation of the Prime Minister’s employment package, enhancement of cash assistance and a one-time stipend of Rs 25 lakh to over-aged educated youths for self employment.

Roshan Lal Raina, a member of the committee, said the state government should announce the time frame for implementing the PM’s employment package and cash assistance, which is Rs 33 per person, should be increased to Rs 100 each.

Criticising the irresponsible attitude of the successive state and Central governments towards the plight of Kashmiri Pandits, Raina said the state government was supporting the Islamic fundamentalists in the valley who wanted to remove Kashmiri Pandits from the valley and even from Jammu.

He appealed to the state government to come out with a concrete plan to asses the problems of the community. He said, “We will intensify our struggle by observing a relay fast and the state government will be responsible for that.”

Meanwhile, the continuing dharna by Kashimiri migrants at the Purkhoo migrant camp entered its 20th day today.

Srinagar, September 7
Rejecting Chief Minister Omar Abdullah’s contention that the withdrawal of troops from civilian areas will have to wait till an unspecified date in future, the PDP has described the government stance as being against the interests of normalcy in the state.

Addressing a workers’ convention at Kupwara today, PDP president Mehbooba Mufti said the situation in the state was now almost normal except for incidents triggered by the government and the security forces.

She added that people having reposed a renewed trust in the democratic system needed to be responded to with a matching trust from the state.

“The men in uniform after having completed their duty in civilian areas will have to go back to barracks like any disciplined force and the time for that is now,” she said.

The PDP president alleged that the government was now using political dissent as an alibi for continuing with overwhelming militarisation of the state. This coupled with indiscriminate invocation of laws like the AFPSA and the PSA could only breed cynicism once again that was primarily responsible for the trouble in Kashmir, she said.

Mehbooba said the state government was indulging in double speak on all matters of concern for the common man.

It had been unable to push forward the legislation on the inter district recruitment even though it had promised so and a majority of members would have supported it. Instead of protecting the interests of people, the government opted to protect itself as had always been the preference of the NC, she added.

She said the government turned a blind eye to protests, particularly from Kupwara, and shelved the legislation even after it had been approved by the joint select committee.

Referring to the mounting problems faced by the people, Mehbooba said food crisis had hit everybody hard and the poor were the worst hit. The government had mismanaged the public distribution system to the extent that the department concerned was now identified with scandal, scarcity and crisis more than being a utility service, which is in sharp contrast to its traditional and assigned role, she added.

Chandigarh, September 7
Military farms in Jammu and Kashmir are under the scanner for alleged large-scale irregularities. Acting upon official reports, the General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Northern Command, is learnt to have ordered a court of inquiry (COI) into the matter.

Irregularities in the supply of fresh milk for troops, fraudulent hiring of civilian vehicles, lapses in procurement of fodder for animals, recruitment of permanent employees in violation of government policies and some controversy pertaining to construction of buildings are issues to be investigated by the COI.

Sources in Northern Command reveal that given the scale of procurement and the time-frame over which the alleged irregularities were taking place, the financial misappropriation could run into crores of rupees. There are at present five military farms in J&K. Different irregularities were found at different farms.

The COI will be presided over by the Chief of Staff of the Nagrota-based 16 Corps and has a brigadier each from the Signals and the Army Service Corps as members. The COI is expected to commence its proceedings shortly.

Based upon official inspection reports and scrutiny of documents, a COI had been ordered into the aforesaid irregularities last year. The proceedings of the COI were submitted to Headquarters (Northern Command), but they were, for some reason, not finalised and no directions were passed upon it. Last month, the Northern Army Commander ordered a fresh COI to investigate the findings and contents of the official reports.

Sources said government orders state that troops have to be supplied only fresh milk. In J&K, milk is either procured from military farms or from state cooperatives. It was found that owing to heavy deficiency in availability of fresh milk, “re-constituted” milk, that is milk mixed with water and milk powder, was being produced to make up the shortfall. Milk powder can be used as a short-term interim measure in an emergent situation and not as a regular supply.

In the records, however, it was being reflected that the entire quantity procured and supplied was fresh milk even though large quantities of re-constituted milk was being used. There is a large difference in the price of both, with re-constituted milk being 40-50 per cent cheaper.

In fact, the Comptroller and Auditor General had in its report in 2006 revealed that military farms produced only 30 per cent of the Army’s requirement of milk while 23 per cent was purchased and supplied to the Army at prices higher than the market rate. Though they have a secondary role for producing fodder for animals, 81 per cent of the requirement was purchased from the market at a price three times higher than the market rate.

Jammu, September 7
As the Army plays down the reports of the incursion by the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) into Indian territory, former Ladakh MP P Namgyalhad made a startling revelation, saying the Chinese Army in the past too had helped settle their nomads on Indian territory.

“There is a place in Ladakh called Dumtsele, a few years ago there were clashes between the PLA and the Indian Army and the PLA captured our post there, since then the post is with them,” Namgyal said, adding, “Our nomads who migrate to Skagzung, a grazing land near the LAC, had reported that Chinese Army had helped settle their nomads in that place. In the past, they were pushed back by the police, but this time too there are reports that they (PLA) have again settled their nomads in the area.”

Namgyal said the latest incursion by Chinese troops in Skagzung where they settled their nomads took place in January this year.

After the reports of incursion by the PLA on the Indian territory into the Ladakh region, the Army has said there was nothing new as armies on both sides keep on doing such things.

When asked what measures have been taken after the reports of recent incursion by the PLA into the Indian territory in which they had entered 1.5 km inside and painted the rocks and boulders red, a senior Army officer of the Udhampur-based Northern Command said, “Routine border management activities are going on, regular patrol of the area is being conducted and there is nothing to worry about.”

Commenting on the reports that Leh Deputy Commissioner AK Sahu had written a letter to the Centre, saying the Chinese troops had occupied some of the areas in the region and had also threatened the tribes in the area to vacate the land, the officer said, “It is the matter that the state government can comment upon.”

Meanwhile, reports said the GoC-in-C of the Northern Command would visit Ladakh soon to assess the situation there. 

Srinagar, September 7
The 27th death anniversary of the National Conference founder leader and former Chief Minister Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah is being observed across the State with the main congregation at his mausoleum at Naseem Bagh near Hazratbal here tomorrow.

The party is organizing a public congregation at the mausoleum tomorrow that would be attended by a large number of party workers and cadres from across the valley. The former chief minister, Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah, whose political career spanned over five decades, passed away on September 8 in 1982. 

Jammu, September 7
Close on the heels of suicide by a young girl in Durga Nagar yesterday, a young homemaker, married a year back, allegedly committed suicide in her in-laws house in the Paloura area here today.

Official sources said, 27-year-old Daisy Jamwal, aka Riya, wife of Rajeshwar Singh Jamwal, committed suicide allegedly by hanging herself from a ceiling fan in her in-laws’ house at Masjid Mohalla of Paloura around 2.30 am today.

Daisy had married Rajeshwar, a property dealer, 13 months back, but the couple had no issue.

Initially, Daisy’s parents, who got a call from her in-laws around 3 am about the incident, suspected some foul play and levelled charges against Daisy’s in-laws, but the matter was later sorted out, said a police officer from Janipur police station. Subsequently, the body after an autopsy was handed over to the in-laws for the last rites, he added. Daisy’s family lived in Pucca Danga.

“It appears that the couple had heated arguments over some trivial issue and in a fit of rage the woman took the extreme step around 2.30 am,” he said.

However, sources said the victim was spotted in one of the rooms by her husband Rajeshwar and he shifted her to the Government Medical College (GMC) without informing the police. The in-laws then informed Daisy’s parents about the incident.