Jammu, March 6
Hundreds of employees from the Public Health Engineering (PHE) Department today staged protest rallies here to press the government to accept their long-pending demands. They also gave a call for a 48-hour pen/tool-down strike from March 8.

The employees under the banner of the PHE Employees’ United Front assembled in front of the office of the chief engineer on the BC Road here and shouted slogans against PHE Minister Taj Mohi-ud-Din.

They said the issues of the employees were considered by the PHE Minister on July 14 last year, and they were given an assurance regarding the implementation of decisions within a month, but even after seven months nothing had been done.

The leaders further alleged that instead of redressing the grievances of the employees, the PHE Minister allegedly threatened them and their leadership to avoid confrontation and even accused them of amassing huge wealth disproportionate to their known sources of income.

It may be stated here that Taj Mohi-ud-Din on March 4 had accused the trade union leaders of amassing huge wealth through unfair means and had threatened them of a vigilance probe.

The employee leaders claimed that protest rallies were also held at Poonch, Rajouri, Nowshera, Reasi, Akhnoor, Dharmari, Udhampur, Ramban, Doda, Kishtwar, Samba and Kathua.

The employees have been demanding a daily wage hike for casual workers from Rs 70 to Rs 150, regularisation of the services of workers having completed seven years of service, higher scale as per SRO 149 to permanent employees, technical grade as per SRO 59 and amendments to the transfer policy.

Srinagar, March 6
As many as 36 former militants, who had been working as special police officers (SPOs), have been appointed as constables for their bravery while taking part in anti-militancy operations, besides saving lives and property of people.

Those appointed as constables included 32 from Srinagar district and four from other districts of the Kashmir division. The appointment orders were handed over by DGP Kuldeep Khoda at a function organised to honour the jawans here yesterday.

Speaking on the occasion, Khoda said the performance of the jawans and officers of the force during the operations was being monitored at the highest level and it was after thorough scrutiny that such appointments were ordered.

He stressed upon the jawans to maintain zeal and courage in future also. He said more SPOs would be appointed as constables in a phased-manner on the basis of their good performance.

Khoda said the police was determined to fight the militancy in a more professional manner. He asked the jawans and officers to strengthen police-public relationship and maintain a close vigil on the activities of anti-national elements. He said people suffered a lot during militancy and had high hopes from the police.

The police, along with other security agencies, was determined to eradicate militancy and bring normalcy to the state, he added. The DGP said the department would always encourage jawans and officers, who preferred professional duties over personal comforts, and ensure that no collateral damage takes place and human rights of people were respected at all costs.

Jammu, March 6
After the meeting of the Coordination Committee of the ruling coalition, the Congress has started the process of shortlisting the candidates for the forthcoming elections of the Jammu Municipal Corporation (JMC). Though the party has already announced a committee to finalise the names of potential party candidates for the elections, the Congress leaders have been trying to “accommodate” their own loyalists for party ticket.

Sources in the Congress disclosed that being the only Congress MLA of Jammu city, Raman Bhalla, who is Relief, Revenue and Rehabilitation Minister, had been assigned the job to finalise the names of the potential candidates for the JMC elections. Bhalla has been shortlisting candidates who have been aspiring to contest the coming elections.

As the Congress has announced to jointly contest the elections with its coalition partner NC, the party has decided to leave those seats for its partner where it had performed well in the last JMC elections.

The NC had won five seats in the JMC elections, while its candidates exhibited their strength in four other constituencies. Surinder Singh Shingari, one of the NC corporater, had later joined the Congress after the Amarnath land row.

Besides five seats, the NC has been pressuring the Congress leadership to leave about a dozen seats for the party in the JMC elections as it wants to keep balance of power in its hand. Despite having just five members in its kitty, NC member Dharamvir Singh Jamwal has managed to win the election of Deputy Mayor of the JMC for four consecutive terms.

Sources said the Congress and the NC leadership had devised a strategy to defeat the BJP in the coming JMC elections. Leaders of both parties have announced that they would take every possible effort to stop the BJP from retaining the JMC. Instead of indulging into friendly contest, both
parties have decided to evolve consensus to avoid division of votes.

Insiders in the Congress told The Tribune that some BJP leaders had also assured indirect support to the coalition in the coming JMC elections to cut present Mayor Kavinder Gupta to size. A group of BJP leaders are not happy with the growing popularity of Mayor Kavinder Gupta.

Jammu, March 6
A commercial complex comprising several shops, including a media house, was gutted in fire in Banihal last night. However, there was no loss of life, besides damage to property, the police said.

The police said it was an old building and electric short circuit could be the reason behind the incident.

Sajjad, SHO, Banihal police station, said, “The fire emanated from an electronics shop at 1 am and soon spread to the adjoining shops. It gutted the two-storeyed commercial complex.”

He further said fire engines were pressed into service immediately after the incident and it took about one-and-a-half hours to douse the flames. However, belongings of the shop owners were totally destroyed before the fire engines could reach the spot, he added.

The SHO said, “The office of the J&K Democratic Liberation Party (DLP), a godown, a chamber of an advocate, a computer shop and a few private offices were destroyed in the fire.”

He said Javed Ahmed Mir and Raees Ahmed received burn injuries. The injured were rushed to the local hospital and later Javed was shifted to Srinagar hospital. Javed’s condition was stated to be critical as he received burn injuries on abdomen, face, arms and legs, he added.

The police is trying to ascertain the cause of fire.

Jammu, March 6
Castigating the NC-Congress coalition government for arresting a senior BSF officer allegedly in connection with the killing of a teenage boy on February 5 and at the same time proposing a policy for granting amnesty to militants, who had crossed over to the PoK for arms training, the Poorva Sainik Seva Parishad of Jammu and Kashmir today asked Governor NN Vohra to dismiss Omar Abdullah-led government immediately.

BSF officer RK Birdi, commandant of the 68th battalion, has been charged by the state police with murder, abetment to crime and destruction of evidence after BSF constable Lakhvinder Kumar claimed that he shot dead 16-year-old Zahid Farooq Sheikh on the orders of Birdi.

The incident that triggered widespread protests across Kashmir happened in Nishat area near Srinagar. “The arrest of a senior BSF officer was a deliberate step by the state government to demoralise security forces combating terrorism in the state. It appears that separatist sentiments are being encouraged by the government,” parishad president Brig SS Saini (retd) told reporters here today.

“The security forces have been functioning in a volatile and vicious atmosphere in Kashmir, but the arrest of a BSF commandant, that, too, on a false pretext of recording his statement, is not only unjustified but also a clear move of the government to demoralise the security forces,” said Brig Saini.

Now, imagine what would be the mental condition of 800 or 900 men, who had been under his command, he asked. If the officer was involved in the incident, there were ample provisions for the armed and paramilitary forces to run a fair trial and convict him under the harshest of the laws, if found guilty, added the retired Army officer.

Within 10 days, we had lost two Army officers and four jawans in the Kashmir valley in encounters with militants and this government had now opened a Pandora’s box to grant amnesty to militants based in the PoK and rehabilitate them, rued Brig Saini.

He expressed regrets that politics was being played over Birdi and amnesty to militants. “It does not augur well for the security forces combating militancy for the past two decades in the state,” he said.

May we ask the state government whether the so-called misguided Kashmiri youths had sought permission from the government before crossing over to the PoK for arms training, he said? If they return, who would guarantee they would maintain lawful behaviour in society, he added? The ruling dispensation should follow the doctrine of justice to all and appeasement to none, he concluded.

Col KN Raina (retd) and retired BSF Commandant Surinder Kumar also addressed the mediapersons.

Jammu, March 6
The BJP started a signature campaign and held demonstrations in different areas of the Gandhi Nagar Assembly segment, while activists of the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) organised a protest rally in the old city today.CITU’s protest started from the office of the Divisional Commissioner, Jammu, and passed through Jain Bazaar, Kachi Chowni, Purani Mandi, City Chowk, Ragunath Bazaar, Hari Market and Indra Chowk.

 The protest was organised against the “destructive” economic policies of the Central government, non-implementation of labour laws, lack of social security to workers in unorganised sector and the retrenchment of workers/employees on the pretext of recession.

The protesters also demanded stern action against hoarders and black marketeers. They were carrying flags, banners and placards and shouting slogans against the anti-people economic policies of the Centre. The demonstration was led among others by MY Tarigami, state president of CITU.

While addressing the rally, Tarigami highlighted the consequences of neo-liberal economic policies pursued by the Central government since early nineties. “The net result of these policies is accumulation of wealth in a few hands and thereby rendering a vast section of population hapless without any sustainable source of livelihood,” he observed. The prices of essential commodities like food items have increased disproportionately, putting the working class and the lower income group to great hardships.

Tarigami stressed on strict implementation of labour laws and providing good working conditions for workers in the state. He also reiterated the demand for bringing a legislation to ensure social security to the workers of the unorganised sector, who constitute about 90 per cent of the working force of the country and lived in deplorable and sub-human conditions.

On the other hand, the BJP also organised rallies at different places in the Gandhi Nagar Assembly segment against the price rise. BJP workers shouted slogans against the Union government for its failure to contain rising prices of essential commodities.

Jammu, March 6
Union Minister for New and Renewal Energy Farooq Abdullah said today that nothing could stop India from carrying out development works in Afghanistan to reconstruct the shattered infrastructure there.

Replying to the queries of mediapersons after releasing two books on Ladakh here this morning, Farooq Abdullah, while condemning the attack on Indians in Kabul on February 26, said India continued to work in humanitarian and reconstruction sectors in Afghanistan and no force could stop it.

“We have centuries-old relations with Afghanistan and would further cement relations for the development and economic growth of both countries,” he said and exuded confidence that developmental activities would be accelerated in Afghanistan with the support of India. Six Indians, including two Army officers and one engineer from Jammu, were killed in the Kabul suicide attack.

Farooq also assured full support of the NC to the UPA government over the Women Reservation Bill to be presented in the Rajya Sabha on March 8.

“Keeping in view their population, I think women in the country need 50 per cent share in real power,” he observed. But hastened to add that steps initiated by the government to grant reservation were in the direction to empowering women.

“It’s high time that women, who have been neglected for such a long time from holding real power, get 50 per cent share in power,” Farooq said, who is also the NC president.

“Thirty-three per cent reservation is a good start and I hope the Bill will be passed,” Farooq said, adding that “gradually, I believe, they would get 50 per cent share in the real power.”

When his attention was drawn towards the opposition from the Samajwadi Party, Rashtriya Janata Dal and the Janata Dal-United (JD-U) on the proposed Bill, Farooq said: “ I don’t know why they are opposing it.”

Jammu, March 6
The VHP has demanded the dismissal of the state government and imposition of Governor rule in the state, as according to it Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has failed to fulfil the aspirations of people.

Addressing mediapersons against the proposed surrender policy, state president of the VHP Rama Kant Dubey has questioned the creditability of such a move, which according to him, was fraught with catastrophic consequences as far as the security and integrity of the country was concerned.

“How many youths have gone to the PoK for training? Were they sent there with the consent of their parents and who instigated them to go there?” Dubey questioned.