Jammu, March 27
The security forces gunned down four dreaded terrorists of the Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) in two encounters in Rajouri and Kishtwar districts today.

Acting upon intelligence inputs, the security forces launched a search operation in a forest area near Kartiyan Bazimal village of Kabakot in Kalakote tehsil of Rajouri district this morning, official sources said.

They said around 9.20 am the security forces comprising troops of 63 Rashtriya Rifles of Uniform Force, troops of 152 Battalion of the CRPF and the police established contact with the terrorists.

The security forces challenged the terrorists, who opened indiscriminate fire on the former, and in the ensuing gun battle two terrorists were killed, the sources added. Jammu-based defence PRO Lt-Col Biplab Nath said the slain terrorists were identified as Abu Osama and Abu Sorab of the LeT. They belonged to Pakistan, he added. Two AK-47 assault rifles and some magazines were seized from the site of encounter.

Brig General Staff, Gurdeep Singh of 16 Corps, said though our troops killed two terrorists in the Kalakote area the operation was on because two more terrorists were hiding in the jungles.

The sources said the security forces had been tracking a group of six to seven terrorists in the area from quite some time. Additional forces had been rushed to the area and senior officers were supervising the operation.

Meanwhile, the security forces shot dead two other Lashkar terrorists in another encounter in the Dool area in Kishtwar district today. Troops of 26 Rashtriya Rifles and the police had launched an operation in Merul Nallah last night and contact was established with the terrorists early this morning.

“In the ensuing gun battle two hardcore LeT terrorists identified as Rehmatulla, alias Saifullah, self-styled district commander active in the Patimahal area and Nissar Ahmed Parrey, who had recently been recruited into the LeT, were killed,” said the defence PRO. One AK-47 assault rifle and one Chinese grenade were seized from the slain terrorists.

Rehmatulla, alias Saifullah, a resident of Kulhand in Doda district, was a dreaded terrorist whose writ ran large in Doda and Kishtwar districts. He was chiefly responsible for revitalising the LeT in Kishtwar after the security forces eliminated Nissar, alias Abu Maaz, on February 5. Saifullah had been resorting to extortions and harassing locals in Patimahal. The LeT, which had virtually been wiped out from the area, was in the process of revival under Saifullah.

Srinagar, March 27
The Army foiled a major infiltration bid from across the Line of Control in the Keran sector of Kupwara district and killed five heavily armed militants today.

Srinagar-based spokesman for the Defence Ministry Lt-Col JS Brar told The Tribune that a group of heavily armed militants was noticed by Army jawans while it was trying to infiltrate into the Indian side.

“They were challenged by our soldiers and asked to surrender, but the infiltrators started firing on them. The firing was retaliated effectively in which five terrorists were killed,” Lt-Col Brar said.

This was the second major infiltration attempt in the past four days. On March 24, the Army gunned down three infiltrators in the same sector. “In the last four days, we have gunned down eight infiltrators and the operation is still going on,” Lt-Col Brar said.

A large quantity of arms and ammunition was also seized from the slain militants. The area where the infiltration attempt took place was a high altitude area with dense vegetation and is still under 12 to 15 feet of residual snow. Though there has been a ‘remarkable decline’ in violent incidents in the Kashmir valley last year, there has been a steep increase in infiltration attempts from across the border, sources say. There has also been many successful bids in which militants managed to sneak into the Indian side, they add.

Just yesterday the Chief of the Army Staff had said there was an increase in infiltration attempts and there were intelligence inputs that a large number of trained militants were waiting across the border to infiltrate. Meanwhile, Lt-Col Brar said the identity of the killed militants was yet to be ascertained.

Jammu, March 27
The government today moved a Bill in the Legislative Assembly to bring total reforms in the power sector and encourage the participation of private entrepreneurs in the sector. The Bill seeks to amend the Jammu and Kashmir State Electricity Act and also to replace the Central Electricity Act by a new enactment. It seeks to encourage private participation in the power sector, plug revenue losses, facilitate fixation of tariff and speedy trail of those who violated the electricity Act and matters connected therewith. Introducing the Bill on behalf of Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, Minister for Tourism Nawang Rigzin Jora said the aim of the Bill was to “consolidate the laws relating to generation, transmission, distribution, trading and use of electricity and generally for taking measures conducive to the development of the electricity industry”.

Explaining the objectives of the Bill, the minister said, “The existing Act is not adequate to affect reforms in the power sector and particularly to encourage the participation of private entrepreneurs in the power sector,” he said.

The intended reforms in the Bill entail revenue receipts and also expenditure of recurring and non-recurring nature. The Bill provides for the establishment of a State Electricity Regulatory Commission (SERC) to regulate power tariffs and also constitute a special court for the purpose of offences under the new Act.

To encourage private players in the power sector, the Bill intends to empower the SERC to grant a licence to any person to transmit, distribute or undertake trading in electricity as a trader in any area as may be specified in the licence.

A licence shall continue to be in force for a maximum period of 25 years unless such licence is revoked, or unless otherwise specified to be in force for a period of less than 25 years.

Furthermore, the Bill also aims at encouraging the private sector in the generation of electricity. It is clearly mentioned in the part III of the proposed Bill that “any generation company may establish, operate and maintain a generation station under the Act if it complies with the technical standards relating to connectivity with the grid”.

It also aims at promoting competition among private players, protecting interests of consumers and supply of electricity to all areas, rationalisation of electricity tariffs, ensuring transparent policies regarding subsidies, promotion of efficient and environmentally benign policies etc.

Jammu, March 27
Finance Minister Abdul Rahim Rather has pleaded with the Centre for a financial support of Rs 7,206 crore comprising Rs 6,000 crore as the annual plan and Rs 1,206 crore under the Prime Minister’s Reconstruction Plan (PMRP), to the state for the next financial year, besides an aid of Rs 4,200 crore for paying arrears to the state government employees on account of the Sixth Pay Commission.

In an hour-long meeting with Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee late last evening, Rather also sought the release of the balance amount of Rs 1,300 crore outstanding on account of the current year’s annual plan.

According to an official note issued by the State Information Department, Rather discussed with Pranab the next year’s annual plan for the state, funding for various centrally sponsored schemes and steps being taken to improve the financial health of the state by ensuring effective revenue mobilisation etc.

The Finance Minister called for releasing Rs 2,372 crore central share for the centrally-sponsored schemes, as the state would be allocating its matching share of Rs 721 crore. Last year, the Centre had provided Rs 1,800 crore on this account as against the state’s matching share of Rs 643 crore, he added.

Rather referred to the steps taken by the state government on the suggestion of the Planning Commission to have a third party monitoring of 145 projects worth Rs 1,200 crore across the state.

“This is for the first time that such a mechanism has been adopted,” the minister said, exuding confidence that it will enhance the monitoring and evaluation of various schemes, improve the delivery system and help the expeditious completion of various projects.

On revenue mobilisation, Rather briefed the Union Finance Minister about the measures taken during the concluding financial year, which included austerity measures to reduce non-plan expenditure, imposition of various levies on VAT, toll tax etc proposed in the Budget. He said the state had registered 17 per cent increase in VAT, which is likely to go up to 26 per cent next year, highest in the country. He also referred to the steps taken for reducing deficit in the power sector.

Jammu, March 27
The Legislative Assembly saw pandemonium again today as the entire Opposition held a protest against the coalition government for allegedly withdrawing security of some of leaders. The proceedings of the Assembly remained disrupted for more than half an hour over the issue.

The order was restored in the House only after Speaker Mohammad Akbar Lone directed the ADGP (CID) to give a report to him in this regard.

After the completion of Question Hour, PDP member and former Home Minister Abdul Rahman Veeri raised the issue and alleged that Chief Minister Omar Abdullah had withdrawn the security of opposition leaders due to his policy of witch-hunting and vindictiveness towards them.

He especially mentioned the case of his party leader Khawaza Ghulam Mohammad Mir, whose security has been withdrawn some days back.

“We had raised this issue in the House on March 17, and particularly the withdrawal of security of Mir,” Veeri said, adding that the Speaker had given direction to look into this issue but nothing has been done so far.

All PDP members rushed towards the front row and resorted to shouting slogans. Amid pandemonium, senior PDP member Moulvi Iftikhar Hussain Ansari informed the House that Mir, who had Y category security, had been attacked by militants twice. “His father was killed by militants so don’t make it a prestige issue to provide him security,” he said.

Members of the BJP, Panthers and the JSM also joined the agitating PDP members. Panthers Party MLA Harsh Dev Singh cautioned the government against behaving in a vindictive manner. He further asked the government not to provide security to leaders on political considerations.

BJP leader Ashok Khajuria also supported the concern shown by PDP members and warned the government against indulging in witch hunting. All opposition members resorted to slogan shouting. The Speaker also supported the concern shown by the opposition members and directed the ADGP (CID) to submit a report in this regard.

Meanwhile, replying to a question by Choudary Mohmmad Ramzan in the Assembly, the government stated in a written reply that 136 government buildings had been vacated by the security forces in the valley in the last three years and the government was keen on ensuring that all its buildings were vacated.

Jammu, March 27
Infuriated over what he claimed injustice meted out to people of Kupwara district by not sanctioning a government degree college, Panthers Party legislator Rafiq Shah staged a walkout from the Upper House today.

“I want to know whether the government has fixed any deadline to open a women degree college in Kupwara,” said Rafiq. Responding to his queries, Minister of State for Higher Education Manohar Lal Sharma said, “It was not possible for the government to give any time limit but the government was actively considering a proposal to make recommendations to the HRD Ministry for sanctioning a degree college for women in every district of the state.”

As and when we get the sanction a women college will be opened in Kupwara, said Sharma. Similarly, a proposal for having separate girls’ hostels in all degree colleges of the state, including Kupwara, was under the active consideration of the state government, he added. However, the minister’s reply failed to satisfy Rafiq, who staged a walkout from the House.

Jammu, March 27
The performance review of the Drug and Food Control Organisation in the recently released report compiled by the Department of Health and Family Welfare has several discrepancies lacking clarity.

The Tribune has purused the copy of the report. It has been hailed as a “document painting true picture of the department” that will help in future planning for better health care facilities and duly undersigned by the Health Minister, Minister of State for Health and the principal secretary, health and medical education.

On page number 37, under the title work done in the Jammu region, the report maintains that 556 samples were lifted out of which test report for 385 samples was received and 15 samples were found sub-standard. However, there is no mention that the samples belong to the drugs or the public health sector. Again, the facts have not been classified as legal or informal entries.

Interestingly, on page number 40, the report says that the drug testing laboratory of Jammu division tested 654 samples and found 24 as sub-standard. Again it does not specify the status of the samples. The confusion continues.

On page number 38, the amount collected as fine or license fee deposited in the treasury has not been specifically mentioned. Again on page 40, report says that the state food health authority imposed fine in two different cases, but there is no distinction between the nature of fine.

Drug controller Satish Gupta said: “The details on page 37 to 39 belong to the drug sector with samples having legal sanctions. However, details on page 40 pertain to informal samples only.”

Gupta further said the state food health authority realised fine in two cases, each pertaining to adulteration.

During the last year, the organisation claims to have cancelled as many as 130 licenses, besides suspending 63 licenses. In Jammu division alone at least 23 shops were detected being run by unqualified persons, while 31 chemist shops were booked for not maintaining sale and purchase records. The organisation detected three unlicensed shops and issued show cause notices to 90 shops.

Against the total sanction strength of 367 in the entire state, the department says that nearly 66 gazetted and non-gazetted posts in the department are lying vacant. Among the gazetted posts, the department is short of 10 assistant controllers, one assistant drug analyst and three public analysts.

Similarly, in the non-gazetted category, it is short of 12 drug inspectors, five food inspectors, one accountant, two senior laboratory assistants, four laboratory technicians, three junior assistants, one gas mechanic and one glass blower. The organisation is again short of 19 class IV employees.

Jammu, March 27
A Class X student appearing in the final exam of biology allegedly fled the examination centre with the answer sheet from Government Higher Secondary School, Muthi, here today. A case has been registered. The student was still absconding, the police said.

A case under Section 406, RPC, and Section 5 (2) of the UMC Act had been registered against the student.

A senior police officer said the superintendent of the examination centre had lodged a complaint alleging that a student ran away from the examination hall during the exam without submitting the answer sheet to his teacher.

Official sources revealed that the incident came to light when the teacher counted the answer sheets and found one answer sheet missing. The teacher rushed to the superintendent, whose preliminary investigation found that a student was missing. He brought this to the notice of the police, they said.

Superintendent of the examination centre Rajesh Gupta said: “We waited for the student till the exam was over, but he did not return. We have filed a complaint with the police about his mysterious disappearance with the answer sheet.”

“We are conducting raids on the house of the student and are inquiring about his whereabouts from his friends,” Brahm Dev, Additional SHO, Domana police station, said.

However, Javed Iqbal, secretary (UMC), State Board of School Education, expressed ignorance about the incident. He said: “I have not received any complaint as yet. If the incident has occurred, it will definitely come to my knowledge. So far, no one has told me about any such an incident.”