Jammu, March 11
After the presentation of the annual Budget for 2010-2011, the state Cabinet will meet at 4 pm tomorrow to discuss some important issues.

Highly placed sources told The Tribune that Chief Minister Omar Abdullah had convened a meeting of the Cabinet after the presentation of the annual Budget.

The sources said the Cabinet would take decision on the future of the employees, who had been appointed on contract. It is believed that the Cabinet would take a decision on the regularisation of services of all contractual employees. For the past three years, the contractual employees had been agitating for the regularisation of their services.

The sources further said the Cabinet would also make amendment to Sections 7 and 31 of the State Electricity Act, besides taking decision on imposing taxes.

Meanwhile, the visiting team of the Finance Department today held detailed meetings with the Planning Commission for the finalisation of the annual plan for 2010-11.

The sources said no final decision had been taken on the annual plan, but the Planning Commission had verbally accepted a hike of 10 per cent in the previous annual plan. The annual plan worth Rs 6,000 crore has been approved verbally, besides Rs 1,200 crore under the Prime Minister Reconstruction Plan. A decision of power reforms grants would be taken later.

Jammu, March 11
Keeping in view the soaring prices of essential commodities, the commoners as well as traders have pinned their hopes on Finance Minister Abdul Rahim Rather to present a tax-free Budget tomorrow so that there would be no further increase in the prices of essential commodities.

“In our pre-Budget discussions with the Finance Minister, we have suggested that there should be at least no tax on essential commodities so as to provide some sort of relief to the people,” said Yashpal Gupta, president of the Retailers Association.

Gupta told The Tribune that common people had already been burdened after hike in the tax on petrol and diesel in the Union Budget.

During the pre-Budget discussions with the members of the trading and business community, the Finance Minister had assured to not putting any extra burden on the people due to unprecedented hike in the prices of essential commodities.

“The shopkeepers and traders have high hopes from the Finance Minister in the coming Budget,” Gupta said.

President of the Chamber of Commerce and Industries (CCI) YV Sharma hoped that the Finance Minister would present an industry- friendly budget to boost industrial growth. “The government should formulate a comprehensive policy to exploit natural resources, especially, the hydro electricity which has huge potential in the state”, Sharma argued.

The CCI president demanded that the remission of VAT incentives should be extended for the growth of the industry. “VAT remission is expiring on March 31 so it should be extended for more time to encourage investment”, he said.

In 2011, the government is going to introduce Goods and Service Tax (GST) to replace the existing VAT. “By implementing this new system, the government should remove the existing irrationalities in the VAT,” Sharma suggested. Another industrialist Anil Suri is of the view that the government should formulate a comprehensive system for providing power in industrial areas.

“According to the government record, power Transmission and Distribution (T&D) losses in the state is between 60 to 70 per cent and the industrialists have been forced to bear these losses despite the fact that the same losses in the industrial areas are between 7 to 10 per cent”, Suri pointed out and hoped that the Finance Minister should seriously consider their suggestions to give priority to the industry.

Industrialists are hoping that the Finance Minister would increase the Budget allocation for state incentives in the industry and earmarked more funds for the growth of industry.

Jammu, March 11
The ghost of the Jammu and Kashmir Women Permanent Resident Disqualification Bill, which had nearly brought the PDP-Congress coalition regime in 2004 to the brink of collapse, refuses to die down, and the fair gender in the winter capital sees nothing but politics by Kashmir-centric parties to deprive women of their citizenship rights.

Yet again skeletons tumbled out of the cupboard when PDP MLC Murtaza Khan introduced the controversial Bill in the Upper House on March 8.

“I am not aware whether it was an individual initiative or a move by the PDP, but the government should come clean that why it allowed the introduction of the Bill, which is regressive and discriminatory in nature,” Prof Rekha Choudhary, a political analyst in the Department of Political Sciences at Jammu University, said.

“On the one hand we are celebrating the passage to the Women’s Quota Bill and on the other we are trying to take away the citizenship rights of the state subject women,” she added.

Though the Bill was defeated during the Congress-PDP regime, its introduction in the Upper House conveyed some kind of understanding between the ruling alliance and the PDP, she said.

The Bill provides for disqualification of a woman from being permanent resident of the state on her marriage with a non-permanent resident man and on the termination of marriage of a non-resident woman with a permanent resident husband. It deprives such women from the right to own and inherit immovable property, get state government jobs and other privileges.

“It makes no sense that if a permanent resident woman marries a non-permanent resident man, she has to surrender her roots,” Rekha said, adding that the political parties should come clean on the entire issue.

Dr Poonam Dhawan, director of the Centre for Women Studies, who also described the Bill as highly discriminatory, said it would be violation of human rights and fundamental rights of the fair gender.

“The Bill, if passed in the House, would have far-reaching implications in society. It has raised questions on the institution of marriage,” Poonam said.

Meanwhile, a noted human rights activist and expert on Kashmir Affairs Balraj Puri has opposed the Bill. According to him, the proposed Bill violates the principle of gender equality guaranteed by the constitution of the state and universally respected.

The Bill, he adds, does not apply to men, who can marry outsiders and, hence, is discriminatory, but proposes to withdraw the permanent resident status of women.

Jammu, March 11
Work in the Jammu and Kashmir High Court of Judicature at Jammu and in the subordinate courts remained suspended on a call by the Bar Association, Jammu, today. Lawyers protested against the state government for allowing a PDP member of the Legislative Council to introduce a private member’s Bill pertaining to the disqualification of permanent residency of the state of resident women who married non-permanent residents of the state.

Interacting with mediapersons, Sunil Sethi, a senior advocate and president of the Bar Assocaition, Jammu, said the Bill was deemed to have been introduced in the House after the government, through Minister for Revenue, Relief and Rehabilitation Raman Bhalla, conveyed its ‘no objection’ to its introduction.

He further said a similar kind of Bill was introduced during Mufti Mohammad Sayeed’s regime, creating a nationwide uproar and resulting in chaos in the Legislative Council.

Sethi said discrimination against any citizen on the ground of gender violated Articles 15 (1) and 16 (i) of the Constitution of India, as women marrying a non-state subject shall lose employment and any future right to employment in Jammu and Kashmir.

Jammu, March 11
The BJP today offered unconditional support to the Congress-NC coalition in extending the Women’s Reservation Bill to Jammu and Kashmir also.

Addressing a joint press conference here this afternoon, BJP Legislature Party leader Chaman Lal Gupta and former state president Ashok Khajuria asked the Congress to take the initiative in bringing the same Bill in the state to empower women. “As a partner of the ruling coalition, the Congress has to play the important role in this regard,” said Gupta and termed the Bill as a revolutionary step in the direction of bringing equality in society.

“The BJP is not there to play cheap power politics and will fully cooperate with the state government over the issue of giving reservation to women,” they said, adding “We urge the government to make a similar Act in the state legislature. The BJP leaders, however, said the ruling coalition would not implement the Bill in the state. “Women of Jammu and Kashmir too deserve the same benefit, so there is a need to implement the reservation Bill in the state,” Khajuria said.

The BJP leaders, however, took a Cabinet minister from the Congress to task for allowing the introduction of the Jammu and Kashmir Women Permanent Resident (Disqualification) Bill in the Legislative Council.

“We express our total disagreement with the private member’s bill introduced in the Legislative Council by the PDP legislator, as it is against the spirit of the state constitution and its preamble, which guarantees equal rights and opportunities to women,” they said.

Jammu, March 11
Acrimony between doctors in the Cardiology Department of the Government Medical College Hospital (GMCH), Jammu, is affecting work in the department for the past one week, as a senior doctor brought here specially from the PGI has gone on protest leave.

The only expert in angioplasty, Dr Sushil Sharma, has gone on protest leave against the alleged indiscipline in the department.

“Some elements in the department have been involved in activities that are opposed to a healthy work culture,” he told The Tribune over the phone today explaining his status.

Consequently, reports said two cardiac patients in bed numbers 35 and 25 at the ward of the department had to leave the hospital for want of immediate surgery.

Official sources and complaints from aggrieved patients revealed that cardiologist Dr Sushil Sharma was on leave for the past one week. He was peeved over alleged misbehaviour by one of the two doctors, who were appointed on January 4.

Reports said the newly appointed doctor showed irresponsible behaviour on being asked by Dr Sushil for coming late as he was the in charge of the department that day.

Though the J&K Public Service Commission had recruited both doctors for the Medicine Department, GMCH principal Rajinder Singh appointed them in the Department of Cardiology, which was facing a staff crunch.

Earlier, the department was being run by only two doctors, Dean of the Department Dr Mohan Lal and Dr Sushil.

Dr Sushil said: “I will get back to work only when the hospital administration takes a decision in this regard. If someone does not want to work in the Cardiology Department, he should be placed in the department he was selected for.”

However, he alleged that the hospital authorities seemed unmoved over the issue. Dr Mohan Lal said: “I don’t know anything about that doctor. Ask the principal.”

“The administration has been decentralised. I don’t know anything about the Cardiology Department. Ask the HoD,” principal of the GMCH Prof Rajinder Singh said. “Despite the ongoing strike, the department has attended to more than 60 patients,” he said.

Srinagar, March 11
Work in government offices, including educational institutions and hospitals, remained affected across the Kashmir valley due to the ongoing five-day strike of employees for the third consecutive day today. However, the government is yet to take any decision to end the strike.

The employees began their five-day strike from Tuesday in support of their demands for releasing the arrears of the Sixth Pay Commission recommendations and other demands, including revision in retirement age from 58 to 60 years and regularisation of daily wage and contractual employees.

It affected work in schools and classwork in other educational institutions, creating resentment among students and their parents.

Normal work in government hospitals was also affected due to the strike, hampering OPD services, while emergency services functioned normally. Patients coming to hospitals here, including the SMHS, Lalla Ded Maternity Hospital and others, faced problems due to lack of staff in these hospitals.

The earlier demand of the state government employees for the implementation of the Sixth Pay Commission recommendations were fulfilled last year, while the employees had been demanding the release of arrears thereof.

The government had, according to reports, approached the Central government for the release of funds, but was still to receive them.

Srinagar, March 11
Hard line Hurriyat Conference chairman Syed Ali Shah Geelani has expressed concern over the alleged human rights violations by security forces in Kashmir and urged youths to abstain from indulging in stone throwing on troops. He has called for peaceful demonstrations against human rights violations after Friday prayers tomorrow.

He was addressing his supporters on his arrival near his Hyderpora home here after over two-month stay in New Delhi. He urged youths not to indulge in pelting security forces with stones, which had become common.

Geelani, who has been averse to talks with the Central government, reiterated his stand on the tripartite talks for the resolution of the Kashmir issue in accordance with the aspirations of the people of Jammu and Kashmir.

He expressed concern over human rights violations. He referred to the killings of teenagers Inayat Khan, Wamiq Farooq and Zahid Farooq allegedly in clashes with security forces in separate incidents during the past two months. He also referred to the Shopian incident in which the government failed to reveal the culprits even after 10 months.

Geelani claimed that an NC leader had assured to reveal the culprits of the Shopian incident within 24 hours after the incident, but nothing had been done.

Jammu, March 11
Governor NN Vohra has called for giving impetus to the Red Cross movement by bringing Ladakh and remote areas of the Kashmir and Jammu regions under the ambit of its activities to benefit distressed people in the hour of need.

The Governor was addressing a gathering at a prize distribution function at the Raj Bhavan here last evening after giving away awards to officers, individuals and organisations for their appreciable support in organising the Red Cross mela recently.

Appreciating the role of the Red Cross Society for providing timely aid to the injured, ill and others in distress, the Governor expressed satisfaction that the contributions made to the Red Cross corpus by citizens, philanthropists and organisations were growing year after year, which demonstrated the growth of the organisation.

Referring to the Red Cross melas-cum-raffle draws held in 2009 and 2010, the Governor said both events were well organised with a large participation and a host of activities.

Congratulating the winners, the Governor lauded their work towards the promotion of the Red Cross activities. He appreciated the role of Divisional Commissioner, Jammu, Pawan Kotwal, who is also the chairman of the regional Red Cross Society, its honorary secretary Anil K Padha and their team.

Earlier, in his welcome address, Kotwal gave a resume of the activities of the regional Red Cross Society and its future road map. He said these awards were being given in recognition of the support extended by the awardees in successful conduct of the two-day Red Cross mela-cum-raffle draw organised by the society at the Kala Kendra on February 6-7. He thanked the major sponsors of the Red Cross mela and added that a revenue of Rs 12 lakh was collected this year against Rs 10 lakh last year.

The awardees included IGP, Jammu Zone, Ashok Gupta; IG, CRPF, Jammu, Deputy Commissioners of Kathua, Samba, Udhampur and Rajouri, Sanjeev Verma, Saurabh Bhagat, Baseer Ahmed and Jai Pal Singh, respectively, chairman, J&K Bank, Deputy General Manager, State Bank of India, Zonal Office, Jammu, Secretary, J&K Academy of Art, Culture and Languages and Chairman, Citizens’ Cooperative Bank, various educational and other institutions, corporate and industrial houses, philanthropic organisations and other individuals.

Jammu, March 11
Rehriwallas outside the Trikuta Nagar railway station today filed a written complaint with the police alleging that two persons, including a senior officer of the Jammu Development Authority (JDA), assaulted them late last evening.

Rakesh Kumar, a rehriwalla, alleged: “A senior officer of the JDA assaulted and threatened me if I did not remove my rehri from outside the railway station by this evening, I will have to face dire consequences.”

He added: “The officer slapped me publically. Our matter is under adjudication and the court has already maintained status quo in the issue.”

Later in the evening, the rehriwallas protested against the JDA for using power against poor people.

However, Vijay Chaudhary, SHO, Trikuta Nagar police station, said: “A written complaint has been received against the JDA officer and we are investigating the matter. So far, no case has been registered in this regard.” However, the JDA authorities denied any such incident happened.