Jammu, October 26
Even as all three contenders for the post of president of the Chamber of Commerce and Industries (CCI) have approached Veer Bhawan, RSS headquarters in the state, to seek blessings, supporters of the Sangh Parivar are in a dilemma because all the contesting candidates have been claiming to be supporters of Jammu’s cause.

The Sangh Parivar holds the key in the prestigious elections. Before the emergence of Ram Sahai, it was traders and industrialists supporting the RSS who used to decide candidates for the CCI. Although Ram Sahai did not come into direct confrontation with RSS loyalists, he had created his own votebank and dominated the scene for more than a decade. After his death, the RSS factor has once again become important in the elections.

Unlike the previous elections, this time the RSS leadership is also moving cautiously and not coming openly in support of any candidate.

It has reasons not to openly support any candidate as all the contenders have been repeatedly visiting Veer Bhawan and assuring the leadership to follow pro-Jammu line which suits the Sangh Parivar.

Among the three contesting candidates , Ramesh Gupta is brother of former union minister Chaman Lal Gupta while another strong contender, YV Sharma, too, belongs to a Sangh Parivar family and his brother, Omkar Sharma, is a prominent RSS leader of the Jammu region. YV had joined the Congress sometime back, but his family claimed that he never became active in that party. The third contender Rakesh Gupta has been seeking blessings of the RSS on the ground that during the Amarnath land agitation, he was at the forefront and had played a major role in convincing the traders to observe a shutdown for 60 days.

A senior leader of the Sangh Parivar told The Tribune on condition of anonymity that all the three contenders were directly or indirectly associated with the RSS.So, it had decided to remain neutral this time. While on the one hand, RSS leaders want to regain control on the CCI which is considered a prestigious body of the Jammu region, on the other hand they don’t want to repeat the mistakes which the organisation had committed in the last elections.

Interestingly, Sangh Parivar supporters have been anxiously waiting for directions from Veer Bhawan, but the decision of the RSS leadership to remain neutral has created confusion among its cadre.

Srinagar, October 26
Arrangements for the Prime Minister’s visit to Kashmir, during which he is scheduled to inaugurate the Anantnag-Qazigund rail link in south Kashmir on Wednesday, were reviewed at a high-level meeting here today.

The arrangements were reviewed at a meeting of officials presided over by the senior minister, Peerzada Mohammad Sayeed. Other ministers attending the meeting included Sakina Itoo and Ministers of State, Nasir Aslam Aslam Wani and Javid Ahmad Dar.

The Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is scheduled to address a public meeting on the occasion at Qazigund. He would be accompanied by the UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and the Railways Minister, Mamta Banerjee.

Singh had inaugurated the first-ever train service in Kashmir on October 11 last year, when he flagged off the Srinagar-Mazhom rail line. Later the line was extended from Mazhom in central Kashmir district of Budgam to Baramulla in north Kashmir on February 14 this year.

Ahead of the PM’s visit ministers, Peerzada Muhammad Sayeed and Sakina Itoo, and Ministers of State, Nasir Aslam Aslam Wani and Javid Ahmad Dar earlier today visited Anantnag Railway station to take an overview of the arrangements being made by the administration for the visit of Manmohan Singh.

The team of ministers went to the place of formal inauguration of the track and reviewed the arrangements. They also went through the podium and also saw the arrangements being made for the media for the coverage of the event.

The ministers gave on-the-spot instructions about further improving the arrangements. They directed the administration that while maintaining the security at the venue, people should not feel any sort of discomfort. They directed availability of drinking water and hassle-free traffic management at the venue.

Jammu, October 26
No member of Rajnish Sharma’s family could depose before the Crime Branch (CB), investigating his alleged custodial killing, for the second day here today.

A senior CB official said the investigation officer concerned had been requisitioned by a court in another case and, hence, no proceedings could be conducted today.

Describing it as a “sensitive case”, he, however, said that from now onwards, Additional SP Kulbir Singh would supervise it.

The CB still awaits the requisite records from Srinagar, including the autopsy report, conducted at Srinagar, as per the Srinagar Deputy Commissioner’s order following the death of the youth and police report.

“We went to the CB office around 11.30 a.m. and waited there till 1.30 p.m. before Deputy Superintendent of Police Varinder Manhas informed us that he had been shifted from the case,” Pawan Sharma, elder brother of Rajnish, told The Tribune.

Pawan and his brother-in-law Koushal Sharma, who had to depose before the officer concerned on October 24, met similar fate today, when none from the CB recorded their statements.

Much to our chagrin, we remained seated there for two hours, said Pawan, who insisted on CBI probe.

He expressed regret over “raw deal” being meted out to the family, which had lost its sole bread-earner.

Though acting upon an order of the CJM YP Bourney, the CB initiated the process, so far it has not recorded statement of any of the family member.

Hitherto, Rajnish’s mother Raj Kumari, his young widow Anchal Sharma, aka Amina Yousuf, and his sister-in-law Shallu Sharma have deposed before the CB.

“Being a sensitive case, we don’t want to take any chances and, hence, Additional SP Kulbir Singh has been asked to supervise the case,” a senior CB officer told The Tribune.

Srinagar, October 26
Patient care continues to be affected in associated hospitals of Government Medical College, Srinagar, and the Sher-e-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS), Soura, due to the ongoing doctors’ strike.

Poor patients felt the heat, as hospital administrations denied them the facility of indoor treatment.

This correspondent visited Shri Maharaja Hari Singh (SMHS) Hospital and Lalded Hospital here yesterday. Many wards in these hospitals were deserted and not a single patient was admitted there.

“Doctors are only attending emergency cases and they are asking others to return. Many expecting women had to go back, as there were no doctors to attend to them. This has been going on for a month now. I wonder when the strike will end,” said Haleema, an attendant at Lalded, the maternity hospital of Kashmir.

Drug dispensaries located in the hospital were also closed. This aggravated problems for patients.

At the SMHS hospital, ward numbers 3 and 6 were deserted, as no patient was admitted there, with renovation going on in the latter case. In ward number 5, out of 12 beds just one patient was admitted and he, too, was waiting for the day of discharge.

Thin attendance of patients was also seen in ward numbers 1, 2, 16, 18, 19 and 20. The situation was comparatively better in both medical and surgical emergencies, but rush of patients as well as attendants was less compared to other days.

“I have come from Bandipora and during the last six days, a few doctors have turned up to treat my brother. They would come when we approach them,” said Abdul Razaq, an attendant.

The junior doctors and house surgeons of associated hospitals and SKIMS are on strike, demanding their inclusion in pay band 3 compared to existing pay band 2.

Jammu, October 26
Continuing with its firm policy against the protesting doctors, the government today invited fresh applications for the posts of registrar and demonstrator.

Many jobless doctors filed their applications amidst protest demonstrations by the doctors and strong security arrangements at Government Medical College (GMC) and Hospital.

It’s being seen as the second harsh step taken by the state government to curb the agitation after 26 protesting doctors were suspended and 24 others were reverted to the health department from medical education.

To facilitate trouble-free walk-in interviews, a strong posse of security forces was deputed at the GMCH. “The basic qualification for the applicants was classified as MBBS, but MD and MS doctors would be preferred to others. The applicants would remain standby as replacement for the protesting doctors in different disciplines,” said principal of the GMC and Hospital Prof Rajinder Singh.

Singh further claimed that as many 47 candidates walked into the interview and they would be appointed on a contractual or regular basis as per the requirement.

Official sources said the government had again cautioned the “absentees” to get back to job, besides asking the house surgeons to resume their services as the patients were suffering. The Doctors Joint Action Committee (DJAC) has been continuing with its protest demonstration for the past 21 days. The protesting medicos today held a rally of nearly 400 doctors from the PG boys hostel of the GMC that passed through Maheshpura Chowk and culminated at the gate of the GMC.

Jammu, October 26
Employees of the Jammu and Kashmir State Road Transport Corporation (SRTC) from all the three provinces of the state have decided to march towards Jammu and hold their protest demonstrations against the government if it fails to fulfill their “genuine” demands.

The employees were eagerly waiting for a decision over their fate in the proposed cabinet meeting that was scheduled to be held today in Srinagar. However, the meeting was postponed. As a result, the employees have decided to march towards Jammu to hold joint protest demonstrations.

“We were hopeful of a favourable decision in today’s proposed cabinet meeting, as our demands too were there in the agenda of the meeting. However, as the meeting has been cancelled, our hopes too have been shattered,” said Paramjeet Singh, general secretary of the SRTC Employees Union.

He said the employees of the corporation from all the three provinces of the state would wait for the next two days and would then march towards Jammu to hold their joint protest demonstrations.

“As soon as the Darbar reaches Jammu, the employees from all the three regions of the state would march towards there and hold protest demonstration in front of the civil secretariat,” Singh said.

A few days ago, children of the SRTC employees too had come on roads in support of their parents and burnt their school books and bags as majority of them have been expelled from their schools for non-payment of their school fees.

“We are also the residents of the state, why are we being treated this way, the government should take a decision to redress our genuine grievances so that there is an end to our agony,” said Alok Kumar, an employee of the SRTC.

The employees say in absence of their monthly salaries for the past six months, the ration in their houses is almost finished and the families are at the verge of starvation. Their ailing colleagues don’t have enough money for treatment.

“One of our colleagues died due to an ailment a few days ago as his family had no money for his treatment. His only son was expelled from the school two months ago as he could not pay the school fee. Similar is the situation with majority of the employees,” said Ashok Mehra, president of the union.

“We don’t have money to support the education for our children, our parents are ailing without medicines, the ration in our houses has completely exhausted, but still the government does not show any mercy towards us,” Mehra said.

Meanwhile, the children of the agitating SRTC employees had today planned court arrest, but that had to be postponed following the cancellation of the proposed cabinet meeting in Srinagar.

Udhampur, October 26
To strengthen its base in the erstwhile Doda district, opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has been raking up the issue of creation of the Chenab Valley Development Council to put the ruling National Conference-Congress coalition on the defensive.

Erstwhile Doda district comprised the Kishtwar, Doda and Ramban areas. These areas are considered a stronghold of coalition partners. The PDP has been trying to fill the vacuum created following the Congress and the National Conference entering into an alliance.

In the on-going membership drive of the party, PDP leaders have been raking up the issue of a separate council for the erstwhile Doda district to remove backwardness in the area. As the legislative council has already passed a resolution for creating the Chenab Valley Hill Development Council, the PDP yesterday threatened to take the issue to the streets if the coalition regime failed to take some concrete steps in that regard.

Addressing a function after launching the membership drive of the party at Banihal, PDP leader and member of the Upper House Sayeed Asgar Ali warned the government against adopting delaying tactics in the creation of a separate council for the erstwhile district. Strongly supporting the demand, he observed that backward of the region could be removed only after a separate council was created for the region.

Inhabitants of Doda district have been raising the demand for a separate development council for the region. A forum has been already constituted to spearhead the agitation in support of the demand. Keeping in view the growing support for the demand, the PDP leadership has come out openly to strengthen its base in the area.

Srinagar, October 26
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has said efforts are on to upgrade and improve the power distribution and transmission system while his government is vigorously following the power generation schemes to bridge the gap between availability and demand.

He was reviewing the progress of Rajiv Gandhi Grammen Vidyutikaran Yojana (RGGVY) at a high-level meeting here today. Omar said advantage should be taken from the centrally funded RGGVY scheme to cover all un-electrified or de-electrified villages and hamlets, ensuring 100 per cent rural electrification. “This would in turn help in the overall development of rural areas and creation of employment opportunities for the people”, he added.

The Chief Minister said the power requirement for agriculture and irrigation sectors, besides industrial units, could be met under the scheme. “We can also benefit information technology, healthcare, education and other related sectors under the RGGVY,” he said. He told the Power Development Department to accelerate the work on all the 14 projects launched in all districts under the scheme. He emphasised on regular monitoring of the progress at all levels and timely completion of the works.

The Chief Minister took project-wise appraisal of the schemes and reviewed the progress threadbare. “Wherever the scope be, the Draft Project Reports (DPRs) should be upgraded to bring all un-electrified rural villages under the ambit of the RGGVY”, he stressed.

The meeting was informed that the scheme was sanctioned for Kupwara, Kathua and Udhampur districts under the 10th Plan while Srinagar, Jammu, Anantnag, Baramulla, Rajouri, Poonch, Doda, Pulwama, Budgam, Leh and Kargil have been covered under the scheme in the 11th Plan. These also include the areas under the newly created eight districts.

The meeting was also informed that the total cost of the 14 projects amounts to about Rs 783 crore, of which Rs 324 crore has been expended by the end of September 2009. The RGGVY envisages electrification of 309 un-electrified or de-electrified villages, besides energising 9,525 hamlets and benefiting 3,15,976 households.

BR Sharma, Principal Secretary, Power, said the scheme would help in a big way to create village electrification infrastructure and decentralise distribution, generation and supply. The scheme would also ensure electrification of un-electrified habitations with the population of above 100 persons. He said the scheme also provides for construction of 33/11 KV and 66/11 KV substations of adequate capacity and transmission lines in blocks where these do not exit.

Sharma informed that the State Power Development Corporation was executing the projects in the districts of Rajouri, Poonch, Doda, Baramulla, Kupwara, Pulwama and Anantnag while the NHPC was looking after the implementation of work in Jammu, Udhampur, Kathua, Srinagar, Budgam, Leh and Kargil. He said RGGVY was funded by the Centre in the pattern of 90 per cent grant and 10 per cent loan.

Jammu, October 26
The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) has opposed the decision of the state government to bring in the bill for the conversion of agriculture land for other purposes.

At a meeting held today under the chairmanship of state president Tulsi Dass Langeh, the BSP strongly condemned the move of the government.

Adddressing the meeting, Langeh said according to the already existing sub-section 2 of Section 13 of the Agrarian Reforms Act, farmers can utilise only 2 kanals for residential purposes and even for using land more than 2 kanals, a permission from the revenue department is required.

He said if the government was interested in reforms, it should increase this limit to further include more kanals, which farmers could utilise according to their wishes and desires, but the bringing of the new law would open Pandora’s box of corruption. The poor farmers would not be able to use even their own land and would be dependant on government officials, which was the basic intention of certain people.

Jammu, October 26
The State Vigilance Organisation (SVO) has registered a case under the Prevention of Corruption Act and the Ranbir Penal Code (RPC) against a former official in the office of Resident Commissioner in Delhi for allegedly misappropriating nearly Rs 17 lakh of the state exchequer.

The SVO booked Shiban Lal, the then Revenue Collector in the office of the Resident Commissioner, Jammu and Kashmir Government, posted at Chanakayapuri in New Delhi for misappropriation of Rs 16.94 lakh, stated an official handout.

Following allegations, an inquiry was conducted by the SVO into the misappropriation of government revenue such as room rent, water, electricity charges, realised from guests staying at the J&K House in New Delhi during a specific period of time.

Subsequently, it was revealed that Shiban Lal, Superviser of the Food and Supply Department, was posted as Revenue Collector during the same period.

His duty was to collect revenue from receptionist-cum-telephone operator and deposit it with the cashier of the Resident Commission.

However, it was prima facie established that Shiban Lal had not deposited the full amount with the cashier and thereby had misappropriated Rs 16,94,948, added the handout.

In this manner, the public servant had abused his official position and committed misappropriation of public money, resulting into huge losses to the state exchequer.

A case under Section 5(1)(c), 5(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act read with Section 409 of the RPC stands registered against the accused at Jammu police station of the SVO.

Jammu, October 26
The state BJP has alleged that the ruling coalition government has failed to come up to the expectations of the people.

This was stated by BJP state president and MLA Ashok Khajuria while addressing a press conference here. He said even the people who opposed the BJP and voted overwhelmingly in favour of NC and Congress candidates during the last assembly elections were now feeling betrayed. Extending his party’s support to agitating junior doctors in the state, he said the government was not serious about breaking the deadlock by conceding to the genuine demands of doctors.

“In a democracy, everyone has the right to demand whatever he deserves, but in a peaceful manner. The junior doctors are doing the same. However, the adamant posture of the government has led to the deterioration of the situation as a result of which thousands of patients across the state are suffering in the absence of proper functioning of government hospitals,” he said.

“How unfortunate it is that the government has not bothered to end the strike of SRTC and housing board employees, who have been agitating for months now for their genuine demands. We cannot understand as to why the NC-Congress coalition under Omar Abdullah has not taken seriously the agitations by employees of various departments due to which the public has been suffering,” Khajuria said.

Commenting on the ongoing development work, Khajuria said, “Just have a round of Jammu city and see the condition of the roads that are in a shambles. Piles of sand, dust and traffic jams have become routine.”

The BJP chief asked the government to wake up, act as a responsible government and take immediate steps to meet the demands of all agitating employees, irrespective of their departments, and be practical instead of giving hollow slogans of development.

Jammu, October 26
The inaugural function of the mega lok adalat week was held at the District Court complex here today.

The Executive Chairman of the State Legal Services Authority, Justice Nissar Ahmad Kakroo, in his address, highlighted that social, political and economic justice for citizens was the cherished dream of the Constitution. Social justice formed the basis of progressive stability in society, as it ensured human progress. Speedy justice was the chief component of social justice.

It was informed by Justice Kakroo that during the week, lok adalats shall be organised in each district of the state.

Meanwhile, the inaugural day of the week witnessed confusion and chaos in the morning.

A large number of people from the district, who had turned up at the venue, were seen roaming in perplexity on the premises to know about the status of their cases. Even the members of the Benches were seen enquiring about the related documents as well as their respective Chairs in the afternoon.

The reason behind this was stated to be delay in the inauguration ceremony, which took place around 1 pm instead of 10 am. The delay occurred as the chief guest could not turn up at the venue for some reasons.

Seeing the delay, the authorities decided to hold the pre-settlement session in the adjoining building of the courts. After the ceremony, the Benches were shifted to Conference Hall, the actual venue.

“I have been shuttling between the two buildings since morning, but still do not find where to go”, said Amar Singh, who visited the adalat to settle his vehicle challan case.

Similarly, another litigant, Kamal Kishore, said, “The whole day has gone, but I am not able to locate on which Bench my case would come up. An enquiry stall should be set up at the venue to inform about the proceedings as most of the people coming here have rural background.”

Jammu, October 26
Work at all units of the housing board remained paralysed as the strike by the All-Jammu and Kashmir Housing Board Employees Association continued for the 19th consecutive day today.

A protest demonstration in which employees from all units as well as the head office participated was held here.

Suman Sharma,secretary-general of the association, stressed upon the administration to take immediate steps to redress their genuine demands,including release of 6th Pay Commission scales, pensionery benefits on the pattern of JDA, SDA, local bodies, regularisation of daily wages, enhancement of wages of daily rated workers and filling of vacant posts.

He warned the authorities if their demands were not met immediately, the employees would have to adopt some other option of agitation.

The association has decided to hold a protest rally in front of the office of the Managing Director, J&K Housing Board, on October 28.

Jammu, October 26
Provincial president of the Jammu and Kashmir National Conference Rattan Lal Gupta yesterday met Minister for Industries and Commerce Surjit Singh Salathia and demanded a special package to boost industrial set-up in the state.

He said the package would be helpful in minimising the unemployment in the state. He also urged the minister that the package should be provided on the pattern of north-eastern states, keeping in view the backwardness of the state. The minister reportedly assured him that the government had sent the proposal to the Centre and discussions in that regard were on.

Jammu, October 26
With the arrest of Ashok Kumar, the Kishtwar police today claimed to have solved the sensational murder case of a housewife who was found dead with multiple injuries in a jute bag here on Sunday morning. The accused is husband of deceased woman Thakri Devi.

SP Hasib Mugal said after getting information about the recovery of a badly mutilated body, Ashok Kumar along with other suspects was picked up for questioning.

During the interrogation, cops got suspected when Ashok gave conflicting replies to queries raised by the investigating team.

Ultimately, the accused broke down and disclosed the brutal murder story.

He reportedly confessed before the police that the murder of his wife was the result of an ongoing family feud.

On Saturday night, both husband and wife entered into a verbal dual.

After prolonged altercations, the agitated husband repeatedly attacked her with a shard-edge weapon.

As the lady died instantly after the attack, her husband put the body in a jute bag and threw the same in the nearby nullah.

Within 24 hours of the murder, the police solved the blind murder and recovered the weapon also.

Srinagar, October 26
A group of local Sikhs protested outside the high court today over the alleged kidnap of a girl of their community by a boy of the majority community.

The police, however, said both had married and a local court had already bailed out the boy and there was little they could do now as the girl, an adult, had said she married him of her own volition. However, many Sikhs alleged that it was not first such instance and some fundamentalist organisations were encouraging such love marriages.

“We are the only minority left here and being targeted by some extremists in a manner which hurts our identity,” Bikram Singh and Sukhbir Singh, two youths, said as some other chanted slogans demanding justice and warning of migration from the valley. The girl is said to have converted.

However, many, including some Sikh lawyers, said it was more an emotional outburst and there was no illegality involved in the incident. “Two adults have married by their own choice. The police registered an FIR. But there is nothing else that can be done now after the girl’s stand,” a lawyer said.

Jammu, October 26
The Jammu Muslim Coordination Committee has urged the union government to take the Muslim population of the Jammu region into confidence before taking any decision on the vexed Kashmir issue.

The committee held a meeting to consider the developments after statements by Prime Ministers of India and Pakistan in Sharmul-Sheikh and also by Home Minister P. Chidambaram regarding the initiation of a dialogue for the resolution of the issue.

The committee impressed upon the government of India and Pakistan that the integrity of Jammu and Kashmir as it stood on August 15, 1947, should be maintained at all costs as any further division of the state would lead to more suffering for the people of the state, particularly the Muslims of the Jammu region.