Udhampur/Rajouri, May 21
It was a day of road accidents today in Jammu division as 24 persons were killed and 95 others injured in four separate mishaps near Sunderbani and Surankote in Rajouri district and Katra and Reasi.

Promising careers of a Major and five soldiers were cut short while dreams of securing a police job of several among the 18 persons killed were dashed. Wishes of 22 Mata Vaishno Devi pilgrims from Moradabad were disrupted near Katra.

Once again it was the perennial problem of over-loading, rash driving, narrow roads and blind curves, which consume more lives than militancy in the state every year.

Eighteen passengers were killed and 65 sustained injuries when their bus fell into a 250 ft deep gorge near Bidda vilage. All the deceased belonged to Reasi district.None of them was identified till reports last came in.

The overloaded private bus was on its way to Mahore from Reasi when the driver failed to negotiate a sharp bend.

CRPF personnel from a nearby camp were the first to rescue the injured. Help also came from the staff at the administrative office of the Salal Power Station, about 5 km from the spot.

Of the total injured, 22 were airlifted in a critical condition to Jammu Medical College. The remaining 45 were admitted to the district hospital, Reasi.

In another mishap near Sunderbani, the Rajouri police said Major Vasant Gaurav of the 54 Rashtriya Rifles of Belgaum (Karnataka) was killed and two soldiers were injured when their official vehicle collided head-on with a tipper truck in the Balshama area of Dharamsal this morning. A Lt-Col LK Chatri travelling with the Major had a miraculous escape.

SHO, Dharamsal police station, Bashir said, “The truck driver fled from the spot but the hunt was on to nab him.”

In the third accident, five jawans of the 43 Rashtriya Rifles died and six others were injured when an Army truck in which they were travelling, fell into a deep gorge at Dunga Kallan village in Rajouri.

The police said the accident happened around 7:45 am when the truck was going to Surankote from the headquarters. The deceased have been identified as Riflemen Parminder Kumar Sharma of the 306 Field Regiment, SK Singh of Signals, Dinesh Singh of 13 Rajputana Rifles, B Venakatrao of 201Engineer Regiment and Rakesh Gulia of 306 Field Regiment.

Lt-Col Biplab Nath, an Army spokesperson, said, “A court of inquiry has been ordered to ascertain the exact cause of the accidents.”

In the fourth accident, a bus of Uttar Pradesh Transport Corporation hit the hill side while it was on its way to Katra.from Moradabad. The accident occurred around 8 am near Moori check post, about 44 km from Katra. A total of 22 passengers sustained injuries. Of them, four were rushed to JMC in a critical condition. All the injured were from Moradabad and were on a pilgrimage to the shrine of Mata Vaishno Devi.

Meanwhile, twelve students of Harsh Niketan Higher Secondary School, Sunderbani, and a teacher were injured when the bus they were travelling in overturned near Bandhla, about 10 km from Sunderbani, this evening.

The students were returning from a school trip to Mata Vaishno Devi. The accident took place when the driver failed to negotiate a sharp curve. The accident triggered panic as parents of the children and a large number of area residents thronged the Sunderbani hospital where the injured were brought.

Srinagar, May 21
Asserting that “quite dialogue” was not going on with the separatist leadership in Kashmir, APHC chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq here today put forth a four-point formula for entering into a dialogue with the Centre for the resolution of the Kashmir issue.

The Mirwaiz (chief priest) was addressing a largely attended gathering on the occasion of the twentieth death anniversary of his father Mirwaiz Mohammad Farooq at the Eidgah here today.

Mirwaiz Mohammad Farooq was killed by unidentified gunmen at his Nigeen residence on this day in 1990. A former senior leader of the Hurriyat Conference, Abdul Ghani Lone, was also killed on this day in 2002 when the separatist leaders had converged on the occasion at Eidgah. While the APHC had called for the Eidgah rally here today, it has called for a public rally at Handwara, home town of Abdul Ghani Lone, in Kupwara district tomorrow.

A complete shutdown was observed on the call of the APHC to commemorate the death anniversaries of Mirwaiz Farooq and Lone across the Kashmir valley today. All shops and business establishments were closed and traffic was off the roads.

Educational institutions and banks and offices remained closed while thousands of people attended the Eidgah rally after the Friday prayers. The Mirwaiz led a procession from the Jamia Masjid after the Friday prayers and reached the Eidgah at a distance of about three kms after about two hours.

“If India is ready for any kind of talks, open or quiet dialogue, we have four points to put forth,” he said at the rally. These are (a) an unconditional release of all political prisoners, (b) revocation of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA), Public Safety Act (PSA) and Disturbed Areas Act (DAA), (c) withdrawal of armed forces from cities and towns and, (d) comprehensive political package.

Elaborating, the Mirwaiz said as the government claimed that the situation in the valley had improved there was no need of security forces camps and pickets all over. On the comprehensive political package he urged the Centre to have talks with the Kashmir separatists and Pakistan.

On the forthcoming visit of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to the state early next month, the Mirwaiz said there was an earnest need for a dialogue with the Kashmir leadership and Pakistan to resolve the Kashmir issue. No economic and developmental packages would be of any help, though development was also necessary, the Mirwaiz said, adding that peace was important for the entire region.

He blamed the Centre for adopting a non-serious approach on the resolution of the Kashmir issue saying there was a need for consensus both in India and Pakistan on the issue. He also welcomed the statement of Pakistan Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani, who had supported the idea of involving Kashmir people in any dialogue process. 

Jammu, May 21
To accelerate the concept of e-governance in the country, all panchayats will be connected with the broadband services by the end of 2012. Minister of State for Information Technology Sachin Pilot announced this while addressing a seminar organised by the National Student Union of India (NSUI) to observe the death anniversary of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. He said there was a need to provide all facilities at the grass-roots level to streamline the functioning of the administration.

Pilot said villagers should be given the benefit of the information technology revolution as the development of the country was possible only through the development of rural India.

Meanwhile, rich tributes were paid to Rajiv Gandhi on his 19th death anniversary today in different functions. The main function held at the Congress headquarters was presided over by PCC chief Saifuddin Soz and all senior leaders were present.

Speakers recalled the contribution of late Rajiv Gandhi in bringing technology revolution in the country. They asked the party workers to follow the path shown by Rajiv Gandhi and exhorted them to work for the integration of the party.

Soz said Rajiv Gandhi was a dynamic leader who served the nation and countrymen with full dedication and devotion.

Another function was organised by the Rajiv Gandhi Study Circle in collaboration with Rajiv Gandhi College of Education at Kathua.

Jammu, May 21
Over 300 kids from different schools of the city and outskirts were forced to stay outside the Abhinav Theatre for three hours in scorching heat as the venue of their function was occupied by the National Student Union of India (NSUI), a student wing of the Congress.

NSUI leaders had chosen to organise a seminar against terrorism to observe the martyrdom of the late Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi at the same venue, despite the fact that it was already booked for a students’ contest. Union Minister of State for Information Technology Sachin Pilot, Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) chief Saifudin Soz, Minister of Medical and Technical Education RS Chib, Lok Sabha member Madan Lal and a battery of senior Congress leaders were present.

Kids and their parents were not aware that the venue had already been occupied by the politicians so they reached in time to participate in the talent contest organised by Manoran Kala Kendra on the occasion of World Day for Cultural Diversity for Development. They were surprised to see that a political function was already going on in the theatre. While some of them managed to enter the hall, all others were stopped in the lobby as VIPs were present inside.

From 12 noon to 3.30 pm over 300 students along with their parents were virtually crammed in the lobby as agencies deployed to provide security cover to the VIPs didn’t want to take any risk. “For the last two hours we are sitting in this lobby. Neither the cops are allowing us to enter the hall nor the authorities making any arrangement to provide drinking water to us,” complained Sukleen Kour, a teacher of Tiny Tots School, who came along with 26 kids of her school.

Daleep Gupta, who came with his son Garb, a student of second standard, regretted that politicians sitting in the airconditioned hall were not aware of the hardships faced by the small kids due to unbearable heat. “For the last three hours, I along with my son and wife have been waiting for the beginning of the cultural function”, he said.

Expressing her anger against the politicians who had occupied the hall, Kritika, a student of Model Academy, who along with her 32 classmates turned up to participate in the cultural function, regretted that they have to bear the brunt of the misuse of power by politicians.

Elderly couple YM Bakshi and Meena Bakshi was trying to encourage their grandsons Arsh Bakshi and Krish Baskhi as kids were virtually suffocating in the lobby. The couple had come with the kids to watch their cultural activities.

Interestingly, political functions have been banned in the Abhinav Theatre. “It is a standing order of the president of the Cultural Academy that no political function should be held at the Abhinav Theatre. I will inquire who has allotted the hall for such a function,” secretary of the Cultural Academy Zafar Iqbal Manhas told the Tribune. When attention of Sachin Pilot was drawn towards hardship being faced by the kids outside the hall, he reacted, “Sorry, I am not aware. You better ask the organisers.”

Jammu, May 21
Pigeons are usually associated with love and peace. But for the last 24 hours in this highly sensitive state, where any unusual activity draws attention and causes suspicion, two white pigeons, having Pakistan phone numbers and some names painted and stamped on their wings, are being termed as “flying terrorists” and “messengers of terror” or “flying spies”.

One white pigeon was spotted on the roof of White Orchard hotel in Katra, near Mata Vaishno Devi, last evening, while another was spotted in the Khor area near Ahknoor this morning. The police has caught both pigeons and “ample care is being taken of them.”

Both carried different painted names in Urdu and phone numbers bearing Pakistan codes. The police has not disclosed the details.

The recovery kept the police, intelligence agencies and mediapersons on their toes all night and day as all kinds of theories about the birds and the motive of their arrival here doing the rounds.

While one theory said they could be carrying messages for some militants in hiding, the other said it was just a prank played by terror groups from across the border. The third theory is that the names and the numbers could be those of the owners of the pigeons. They could be from Sialkote town in Pakistan where people keep pigeons as pets and play bets and games worth lakhs on them.

A police official said the pet pigeon theory seemed to be the most plausible, but the only question was that it was for the first time pigeons were spotted and caught. He said maybe people had started stamping their pigeons to assert ownership.

He added so far they were seeing only humour in the incident. “Not much should be read into it. I think the pigeons should be handed over to mediapersons for investigation. No case has been registered and I hope no animal rights agency grills us tomorrow. We are taking ample care of the birds,” he said.

For the record, SSP, Reasi, Anand Jain, who is investigating the case of the pigeon caught in Katra, said the probe was on and all efforts were being made to unravel the mystery.

Srinagar, May 21
Recognising the need for ensuring greater economic benefits to the travel and tour industry in the state, Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board (SASB) has decided to substantially enhance the allocation of helicopter seats during the forthcoming Amarnath yatra. The move is aimed at promoting tourism-related activities in the state with increased participation of local stakeholders.

The decision to this effect was taken at a meeting headed by Governor NN Vohra, who is the chairman of the SASB, with the representatives of travel and tour operators at Raj Bhavan here today.

It was announced that the SASB would earmark a daily quota of 140 helicopter seats for four recognised travel and tour operators, two each from Kashmir and Jammu divisions. Thus, 35 seats shall be allocated to each of the two travel and tour operators from Kashmir and another 35 each to the two travel and tour operators from Jammu division.

Of the daily quota of 140 helicopter seats, 120 will be for the Baltal-Panchtarni route and 20 for the Pahalgam-Panchtarni sector.

Speaking on the occasion, the Governor said every stakeholder must work in the best interest of the state and put in all possible efforts to make every visitor to the state feel comfortable. They said the travel and tour operators were working in tandem with the shrine board for facilitating pilgrims. The representatives of the travel and tour operators who participated in the meeting included managing partner of Shiraz Travels Nazir A. Bakshi, president of the Travel Agents Association of Kashmir Rauf Tramboo, president of the Association of Jammu Travel Agents Rajesh Gupta, and Director of Prince Tours GR Siah.

Principal Secretary to the Governor and chief executive officer of the shrine board, Raj Kumar Goyal and Additional Chief Executive Officer Saugat Biswas were also present in the meeting.

Jammu, May 21
Tension in Bakshi Nagar over the alleged custodial death of an auto-rickshaw driver eased today when the district administration announced jobs for the wife and the son of the deceased and cash compensation, besides assurance to take action against guilty policemen after a magisterial Inquiry.

The day began with a road blockade and a protest in Bakshi Nagar as well as near the mortuary in the government hospital. But after Deputy Commissioner MK Dwivedi announced jobs for the wife and the son of Paramjit Singh, a fair inquiry and post-mortem by a board of doctors to be video-graphed, the protesting relatives relented. Dwivedi also handed over a cheque for Rs 1 lakh to them as compensation.

He said another Rs 1.5 lakh would be given to the aggrieved family within a few days. A magisterial probe has also been ordered into the incident.

To avoid any untoward incident, a huge police posse was deployed at the GMCH so that post-mortem could be conducted peacefully as the aggrieved family members, including Paramjit’s wife Charanjit Kaur, son Sandeep Singh and daughter Simran Kaur, were mourning there over the ‘killing’ of Paramjit.

As the doctors handed over the body to the relatives, the latter shouted anti-government and anti-police slogans and took the body out of the hospital and kept it on the road near Vishal Mega Mart in Bakshi Nagar. They blocked the road for nearly an hour till 11:30 am. The protesters also burnt tyres on the road.

Later, Dwivedi, along with DIG Farooq Khan, visited the protest site and assured the protesters of a legal action against the guilty. He also invited them to attend a meeting with the senior officers to talk on length on the issue. SSP, Jammu, Basant Rath said, “Stern action will be taken against all those who are found guilty and no one will be spared.”