Jammu, October 24
In yet another ceasefire violation, Pakistani troops today resorted to unprovoked firing on an Indian post in the Mendhar sector of Poonch district leaving an Army soldier.

“Pakistani troops resorted to unprovoked firing from small arms on Kirpan post in the KG sector of Poonch district this morning,” Jammu-based defence PRO Lt-Col Biplab Nath told The Tribune. The unprovoked firing, which started at 9.30 am today continued for half an hour, added the PRO.

During the firing a jawan Naik Om Bahadur was injured, who was immediately evacuated to a hospital, he said.

Lt-Col Biplab Nath said the matter had been taken up with the counterparts at the appropriate level. However, defence sources said after the Pakistani troops resorted to unprovoked firing using LMGs and MMGs, the Army men guarding the post also retaliated and both sides traded small arm fire.

They said the Pakistani troops fired approximately 500 rounds.

It may be stated that the Pakistani troops had been violating the ceasefire in a bid to push in armed ultras to fuel terrorism in the restive state. On September 21, the Pakistani troops had fired nearly 135 rounds on Indian posts in the same district.

In recent times, ultras under cover fire provided by the Pakistani troops had also tried to force their entry into the Indian territory.

On September 18, the Pakistani troops had opened fire on Nikowal post in the Pargwal sector in Akhnoor subdivision.

Meanwhile, BSF troops opened fire late last night after observing some suspicious movement along the border in Kathua district. Official sources said, a patrol party noticed some suspicious movement along the border near the Pansar area in the Hiranagar sector past midnight. The patrol party opened fire to thwart any kind of intrusion. However, there was no casualty or injury, they said.

Srinagar, October 24
With the carbon dioxide (CO2) levels crossing normal limit across the globe, a programme aimed at creating awareness was held in the placid waters of the Dal lake, near Nehru Park here. Shikaras lined up and formed figure of 350.

The programme was held in connection with International Day of Climate Action, and was organised by the Indian Youth Climate Network (IYCN) in collaboration with the Lakes and Waterways Development Authority (LAWDA).

“Three hundred fifty (350) parts per million (ppm) is a safe limit in atmosphere as given by NASA scientists. Over the past 16 years it has reached 387 ppm. The same is increasing by 2 per cent every year. This leads to global warming, melting of glaciers and other environmental problems,” Ritu Asrani, project coordinator, IYCN, and 350 organisation, Mumbai, said.

The 350 organisation is an international campaign dedicated to uniting people on environment issues.

She warned that in few years the ppm level would reach 400 and according to her this would be dangerous for the environment. She said the programme was being organised at 4,617 places in 177 countries, simultaneously.

She said: “Because of the significance of the Dal lake, the programme here would be the best. The photograph of Shikara formation in the Dal lake would be projected on the giant screen at the Times Square, New York.”

Ritu said the ppm level could be brought down by controlling industrialisation, coal mining, reducing carbon monoxide, saving electricity and using solar and wind energy.

The shikara owners were not aware about the purpose behind the formation of 350. “We don’t know why they have asked us to form the shape of 350 as we were asked just to provide the shikaras.”

Jammu, October 24
Councillors of the Congress and the NC today alleged bungling in allocation of streetlights and CFL bulbs to the councillors by the electric division of the MC.

This allegation was levelled by the councillors in a general house meeting, which was held under the chairmanship of Mayor Kavinder Gupta, Deputy Mayor Dharamvir Singh Jamwal and Commissioner Mubarak Singh.

During the previous meeting two months ago, it was decided that 7,10 streetlights and 50 FSL bulbs would be given to each ward before Diwali, but no such decision had been implemented on ground so far, a majority of the councillors alleged.

They alleged that the executive engineer of the electric division of the corporation two months ago announced that he had purchased 600 bulbs, which he had in his store room.

Alleging his involvement in the bungling of bulbs, the councillors said they were not issued bulbs by the executive engineer despite repeated requests.

Demanding a proper clarification over the number of streetlights and FSL bulbs purchased by the electric division and names of beneficiary to whom bulbs were issued, the Congress and NC councillors boycotted the meeting under the leadership of Narrinder Singh, Congress councillor and former Mayor.

Reacting to the allegation, the Commissioner warned the executive engineer concerned to issue streetlights and CFL bulbs to all councillors within 15 days, otherwise, he along with all officers of the electric division would be transferred.

The Mayor stressed for maintaining digital inventory of purchase and issuance of all bulbs and other goods. He also assured for issuance of streetlights, FSL bulbs and high-mask lights in extended wards.

Replying to the query of Narsingh Das, a councillor, the Mayor held that lack of adequate staff was responsible for the slow pace of the developmental works within all municipal wards.

Jammu, October 24
While family members of Rajnish Sharma didn’t depose before the Crime Branch (CB) today because of the latter’s ‘pre-occupation’, the Crime Branch team in Srinagar has got a lukewarm response from the Mirazi family.

Rajnish, who died in Srinagar police lock up on October 5, had married Anchal Sharma, aka Amina Yousuf, before a Jammu court on August 21.

Official sources said the two-member Crime Branch team, which has gone to Srinagar, had got a lukewarm response from Mohammed Yousuf Mirazi and his two sons Tariq and Javed. The Mirazi family still maintained that the deceased was Pawan and not Rajnish, sources said.

However, talking to The Tribune, Pawan Sharma, brother of the deceased, said this morning around 10 am when he telephoned a Crime Branch officer he informed me about their busy schedule and asked me to call him again at 1 pm. “When I called him up again at 1 pm, the officer asked me to come on Monday,” said Pawan.

A senior Crime Branch officer told The Tribune that no proceedings in the case could be conducted today. But a two-member team, which has gone to Srinagar, was busy in gathering requisite records from the DC’s office, police station concerned, besides recording statements of others connected with the case, he added.

Meanwhile, Rajnish’s family, including his young widow Anchal Sharma, asked BJP MLA Chaman Lal Gupta that it had no faith in any other probe than a CBI inquiry. Gupta had visited the family this afternoon.

Jammu, October 24
Fake certificates of class X and XII being furnished by youths for recruitment in the Army have become a big problem even as the Army struggles to understand the growing interest of the youngsters towards a career in the CRPF.

About 40 fake certificates were detected in the last Army recruitment rally held in Samba forcing the officials to carry “fake notes detecting machines” at a rally underway in Jammu these days. The machines are being used to verify the certificates, disclosed a senior Army officer.

The rally for the recruitment of soldiers on general, technical and clerical duties, besides as nursing assistants under process since October 20 at the Sanjuwan military station has attracted around 15,000 candidates from 10 districts of the Jammu division.

This is too low compared to near 35,000 candidates who had queued up at an Army recruitment rally in Samba in January this year. The Army is deliberating on the causes that are attracting youths towards the CRPF.

“The CRPF is also in the process of recruiting constables in the state. We have noticed youngsters prefer the CRPF more as it may offer them more postings near home or in urban areas than the Army, where every two years the place of posting is changed,” said Col Sanjeev Dubey, Director, Zonal recruiting office, Jalandhar. The directorate recruits youths from Punjab and Jammu and Kashmir.

CRPF spokesman Prabhakar Tripathi, while talking to The Tribune over the phone, confirmed the growing interest of youngsters towards the CRPF. “I don’t have ready data available, but we have received a overwhelming response to the recruitment rally in the state,” he said.

While the Army in a bid to attract youths pasted posters regarding the recruitment rally in civil areas instead of the usual practise of displaying them near Amry offices this time, the detection of fake certificates is giving the officials quite a headache.

“We have written to the Board of School Education (BOSE) to take necessary action against students faking certificates, check the hologram on the certificates and take some steps,” said Dubey.

Dubey revealed the Army had already spread awareness against agents who claimed they could manage recruitment. “We conduct tests before all candidates and invite the media also. Agents just cheat youths by taking money from them and claim credit if any of them is selected,” he added.

The basic education qualification for recruitment as soldiers is class XII. “But we get youths with higher qualification. There are many studying in graduation classes while a few are even science graduates.”

Srinagar, October 24
Expressing concern over the lack of a serious policy on Kashmir, Kashmiri Pandits living in the valley have demanded the setting up of a “truth and justice commission” comprising MPs to look into the causes of trouble in Kashmir. These Kashmiri Pandits, whose number is estimated to be around 3,000, have been staying in the trouble-torn Kashmir despite the mass exodus of over two lakh members of the community with the eruption of militancy in early 1989-90.

In an open memorandum, Sanjay K Tickoo, president of the Kashmiri Pandit Sangarsh Samiti (KPSS), has urged the Central government to set up the commission comprising MPs on three points. First, to find out as to why the government failed to protect the lives of its citizens in Kashmir. Second, how thousands of youths crossed the LoC before and after armed uprising in the Kashmir? And finally, who is responsible for the mass exodus of the minorities from the valley and why democratic institutions failed to protect their rights? The copies of the memorandum are being circulated among the Parliament members, the KPSS spokesman said.

The KPSS alleged that the Central government never had any serious policy on Kashmir, and instead was being misled by a group of corrupt Central and state bureaucratic set up. “These officials are believed to have developed vested interest in the turbulent situations in the state,” the memorandum stated. It added that the Prime Minister’s or Union Home Minister’s observations based on the reports from the security and bureaucratic set up were only “motivated”. “Thus, the Kashmir Pandit Sangrash Samiti urges upon Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to order an in depth probe into the above mentioned concerns of the Kashmir situation. The probe should be conducted by a commission of veteran parliamentarians headed by an experienced parliamentarian, who had worked on the Kashmir problem in the past or are at present associated with it,” Tickoo stated.

Referring to the seizure of huge arms and ammunition, the arrest of 28,025 armed militants, and the killing of 16,774 militants during the past two decades in Kashmir, the KPSS said the reasons behind these be probed. “How is this possible that such a big number of local youths crossed the LoC and return with weapons to create havoc in the state without the active support of tools of the government machinery. We demand that all these aspects should be investigated in detail to fix the responsibility on the erring officials,” the KPSS said. 

Reasi, October 24
Notwithstanding claims of the authorities, inmates of Ankur Orphanage are facing hardship due to inadequate ration and drinking water in the orphanage. The inmates were found eating stale food in breakfast on Wednesday. The food was prepared for Tuesday’s lunch.

This orphanage was constructed by the Army for those children whose parents or relatives were killed by militants. For more than three years, the Army has effectively looked after the orphanage but the administration seems to have failed to perform its duty after the defence authorities decided to hand over the orphanage to the local administration.

Even as the authorities have directed seven departments to provide facilities to the inmates, fear of uncertainty is visible on the faces of orphans. “I don’t know for how long this system will continue,” asked Omkar Singh of Budhal, Rajouri, who along with his younger brother, Kewal Singh, have been living in this orphanage. Their parents were killed by terrorists on January 1, 2002.

Omkar Singh told The Tribune that for the past three months, problems in the orphanage had been increasing. Pointing towards the breakfast being served to them, he rued that the authorities were indifferent towards the inmates.

Echoing similar views, Mohammed Assgar of Tulibana, Chasana, said: “Adequate water and food is not available in the orphanage.” “ The situation has been deteriorating after the project was handed over to the authorities,” he said. He disclosed that two children - Mohammed Tariq of Samote and Liquat Ali of Tulibana - had already left the orphanage due to poor facilities.

Reasi Deputy Commissioner PK Pole claimed that adequate arrangements being made by the authorities to look after the inmates. He, however, admitted that the administration could not provide the facilities which were earlier provided by the Army.

Jammu, October 24
The police picked up a journalist running a local news agency in the Nowabad area here last night while he was returning home after finishing work.

As the journalist, son of a former minister in the NC government from Dooru in Anantnag district, did not return home, his family started searching for him. Though the family lodged a missing complaint today at Nowabad police station, it came to know that the police had picked him up. The police confiscated two computers from the news agency’s office located in the Jewel Chowk area.

Farooq Khan, DIG, Jammu-Kathua range, said the journalist was picked up on the ground of suspicion and the police was looking into the matter. However, Basant Kumar Rath, Jammu SSP, informed that a case stand registered against the scribe.