Reasi, September 28
Ali Mohammad Sagar, Minister for Rural Development and Panchayati Raj, today asked the separatists to accept the eight-point programme offered by the Central government as it was in the interest of the people of Kashmir.

Addressing a large number of rural people from far-flung areas of this hilly and backward district, especially the beneficiaries of the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, at the Maha Gram Sabha organised by the Rural Development Department here today, Sagar said the Central and state governments were making sincere efforts for the restoration of peace in the state.

He said for the purpose the eight-point programme of the Centre meant for the three regions of Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh should be acceptable to the separatists in the larger public interest. “They would do well to understand that dialogue is the only way to solve the Kashmir problem and as such should not hesitate from coming to the negotiating table,” he added.

Sagar reiterated the government’s commitment for an equitable development of all areas. But peace was a pre-requisite to give a push to the development process. He said the present situation in which people had been held hostage could have disastrous consequences on the economic front and other related sectors, especially the education of the younger generation.

The minister used the opportunity to tell the officers of the Rural Development Department (RDD) in the presence of their target beneficiaries to create greater awareness about the benefits of the rural development schemes so that the maximum number of people could be benefited. “The basic aim to hold the Maha Gram Sabha at the district level is to ensure that the rural masses are made aware so that they avail of the schemes of the RDD,” he added.

Last year, the state provided work worth Rs 190 crore under the employment guarantee Act. The target this fiscal was Rs 600 crore. Minister for State for Rural Development Aijaz Ahmed Khan, MLA, Reasi, Baldev Raj Sharma, former minister Jagjeevan Lal, District Development Commissioner PK Pole and senior officers of the district were present on the occasion.

Jammu, September 28
The Gram Vikas Sangh has stressed the need for involvement of school students in sapling plantation, besides creation of nurseries in schools so that students can develop interest in the preservation of the environment.

Social activist, environmentalist and academician OP Gupta who is also the chairman of the organisation told The Tribune that he had taken up the issue with the Director,Horticulture, Jammu, Jia Lal, and Regional Director, Social Forestry, AK Tikoo, recently and submitted a plan of action.

“With the involvement of students, plants can be distributed among the people and better results can be expected as students are always honest in their efforts,” Gupta said and added, “Involvement of school students in tree plantation will not only ensure the protection of the environment and saving of Mother Earth from extinction, but also make the system of education purposeful as well as value-oriented.”

He said students could take up plantation under the existing schemes. “The schemes like water harvesting, water conservation and organising awareness camps could be implemented with the involvement of other departments like Rural Development, Environment.The school could also take up the scheme of establishment of a ‘School Nursery’ under the ‘Work Experience’ programme for which funds could be arranged from within and technical know-how could be provided by the departments like the horticulture and forestry,” said Gupta.

“Both officials expressed their willingness to give practical shape to the suggested plan of action that was discussed and a copy of which was submitted to them,” he said. 

Srinagar, September 28
The first lot of about 1,296 heavy quilts, out of the 5,000 announced by Governor NN Vohra for being provided to the flood-affected people in Ladakh, reached Leh today.

The Governor, on the conclusion of his three-day visit to Leh district last month, had announced that Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board would provide 5,000 heavy quilts for distribution among the flood-affected people of Leh district. On the instructions of the Governor, who is also the chairman of the shrine board, the Chief Executive Officer of the board, RK Goyal, had dispatched a team of the board officers headed by Dr Mandeep Bhandari, Additional Chief Executive Officer, to various manufacturing units in Punjab to procure specially designed heavy quilts. The procured quilts were now being made available to the district administration for their immediate distribution among the affected people in view of the advancing harsh winter in Ladakh.

Goyal, according to an official spokesman, said three trucks carrying 1,296 quilts reached Leh today while another instalment of nearly 900 quilts was scheduled to reach Leh on Thursday. He added that the Deputy Commissioner, Leh, had been requested to start the distribution of quilts to the identified beneficiaries at the earliest.

Udhampur, September 28
The District Development Commissioner(DDC), Baseer Ahmed Khan who is also the chairman of district level Coordination Committee today approved Technology Mission plan of Rs 125.87 lakh for the development of horticulture and agriculture in the district for the financial year 2010-11.

The DDC approved the plan after the presentations made by Chief Horticulture Officer (CHO) Tarvinder Singh and Chief Agriculture Officer (CAO) Sunil Koul at the meeting of the Coordination Committee organised for the purpose here.

The CHO informed the meeting that an amount of Rs 95.97 lakh was meant for the scheme under which over 300 hectares of land would be covered by new plantation of fruit saplings of different varieties. Under the area expansion programme, Rs 4.12 lakh should be earmarked for creation of water resources whereas the proposed fund’s utilisation should be Rs 7.04 lakh for protected cultivation, Rs 4.55 lakh for mechanisation, Rs 8.87 lakh for human resource development and Rs 2 lakh for production of planting material.

The CAO told the meeting that for the different components of the agriculture sector, the allocation of Rs 30.89 lakh was desirable under which an area of 3,307 hectares would be brought under high-yielding and hybrid crop varieties of vegetables. This would help meet the target of producing 57,375 metric ton vegetables during the current financial year.

The DDC while approving the plan directed the officers concerned to ensure photo documentation of their work along with statements of work done. He also asked them to plan and arrange maximum tours for farmers within and outside the state to improve their knowledge regarding the latest farming techniques.

Jammu, September 28
The Commander of Nowshera brigade today flagged off an educational-cum-motivational tour named ‘Bharat Ek Khoj--II’ for the students of terrorism hit far flung border areas of Nowshera in Rajouri district.

The tour has been organised under ‘Project Sadbhavana’ by the Ace of Spades Division and Nowshera brigade from September 28 to October 13.

Several senior officers and civilian dignitaries were present on the occasion.

Speaking on the occasion, Commander of Nowshera garrison urged the students to spread the message of peace and tranquility at the places they visit and see how the country was developing.

The tour will provide the children a brief exposure to the development, quality of life and historical places of interest in other parts of the country.

The tour will also instill a sense of awareness and national integration among the children of these areas.

The children will visit various places of interest at Trivandrum, Kanyakumari and Chennai. In Chennai they will interact with the Governor of Tamil Nadu.

Jammu, September 28
After terming the eight-point formula given by the Central government as Kashmir-centric and pro-separatist, the BJP has given a call for a bandh in the Jammu region on September 30 to oppose the move of the Union government to appease what it calls anti-national forces in the Kashmir valley.

The initiatives announced by the Centre for restoring peace in the Valley have triggered another controversy as Jammu-based political, social and business groups have rejected the formula as, according to them, nothing has been mentioned for this part of the state. These groups observed that instead of addressing political problems of the Jammu region, the Centre has promised to constitute a task force for initiating developmental activities, which according to them, would not serve any purpose.

“After consulting different social, religious and political organisations of the state, we have given a call to observe a bandh on September 30 in protest against pro-separatist policies being propagated by the state and Central governments”, state president of the BJP, Shamsher Singh Manhas, told the Tribune after presiding over a meeting of senior party leaders. 

Manhas gave a clarion call to the people of the Jammu region, irrespective of their caste, creed, colour, religion and party affiliations, to oppose the move of the Central government to succumb to blackmail tactics of the state government headed by Omar Abdullah.

Giving reasons for the bandh, Manhas regretted that the nationalist people of the state had been repeatedly cautioning the Centre against the game plan of the state government to accomplish the secessionist agenda of the Hurriyat Conference. 

“Instead of boosting the morale of the pro-India elements, the Central government has been gradually succumbing before the separatists and other fundamentalist forces active in the Valley,” Manhas said.

“The Jammu and Ladakh regions constituted 80 per cent of the state. A handful of elements in the Kashmir valley were holding the entire state to ransom and the government was trying to appease them by ignoring wishes of peace-loving people,” he said. 

As many as 18 persons were killed during the Amarnath land agitation in the year 2008 in Jammu. Neither the Centre nor the state government uttered even a single word in their favour. But for stone throwers, the government had announced Rs 5 lakh as compensation, he rued.

Meanwhile, some other social and political groups of the state have offered their support for the bandh call. “We will definitely support the strike call,” said Anil Gour, leader of the Jammu Mukti Morcha.

The Shri Amarnath Yatra Sangharsh Samiti has also supported the bandh call even as the Chamber of Commerce and Industries has convened a meeting of its Executive Committee to discuss the issue.

Jammu, September 28
Going through a rough patch for the past over three months, the people in the Kashmir valley finally defied the diktats of separatists for the sake of the future and education of their children.

“The outside world felt that the continuing violence in the Valley was a mass movement but in fact every possible ploy was being used to incite their passions,” said sources in the Army.

The separatists backed by their mentors from across the border used everything from freedom struggle to religious sentiments and spread canards against the security forces to foment trouble in the Valley, they added.

Initially, when things went awry after June 11 and hundreds of people were taking to streets in Kashmir, we also felt that something terribly wrong had happened but gradually the hazy picture became clear, said the sources.

“It came to our notice that the separatists, particularly the supporters of the Hizbul Mujahideen and their agents, had been arousing the sentiments of the people to wage a war against the troops deployed in the Valley,” they added.

However, when in a frenzy people started attacking the security forces and started getting killed that they eventually realised that the separatists were simply adding fuel to the fire and the common Kashmiri was suffering.

While Dukhtaran-e-Millat chief Asiya Andrabi sought a visa for her son to pursue studies in Malaysia, she and others of her ilk in the separatist camp left no stone unturned to flare up violence in Kashmir, said an Army officer.

However, better late than never people in the Valley realised the agenda of the separatists and started opposing them openly to end the ongoing cycle of violence for the sake of their children, he added. The officer quoted some instances of public revolt against the separatists in Kashmir.

In first week of this month, a priest, which controls 30 villages in Tral, had appealed for peace and had questioned why Jamait schools were open while others were shut, he said. The priest had in fact wanted to take out a peace march.

Similarly on September 21, around 30 students took out a procession in Manigam in favour of saving education and their future, the Army officer said, adding that on September 24 a similar procession was taken out by five maulvis and 25 students at Kichpora favouring the opening of schools for a better future of children.

“There were several instances where people came out in the open opposing the Hurriyat Conference’s call to observe shutdowns. On September 26 schoolchildren also staged a march demanding their schools be opened,” said the officer.

Interestingly, on September 27 Kanihama Madina Public School being run by a separatist leader had to be opened following protests by children and their parents, he added.

“It will be good for the separatists to read the writing on the wall and adopt reconciliatory measures by engaging themselves in a dialogue,” he said.

Jammu, September 28 
unching an anti-encroachment drive in the city is proving to be a tough task for the Jammu Municipal Corporation (JMC).

It is not because of any staff shortage in the enforcement wing of the JMC, but due to the non-cooperation of the local police which is allegedly not assisting the corporation in carrying out such drives. 

“Whenever we launch an anti-encroachment drive in the city, we write to senior police officers to provide us some cops for safety , but it seems these days, the police has either no time for such drives or is facing staff shortage. That’s why even after our repeated requests, it does not provide us any assistance”, said SC Sawhney, Commissioner, JMC.

He further said earlier the JMC had demolished a large number of illegal structures in and around the city, but these days they had to think a number of times before launching a demolition drive anywhere in the city. 

Narrating an incident, which happened a few days ago in Sidhra, Sawhney added:”I along with some officials of the JMC went to Sidhra to demolish some structures there, but the police failed to give us any protection and we had to return from the spot without demolishing the illegal structures. That’s why we again went there but at night and demolished the structures and that too in the absence of any cop”.

Explaining the need for cops while carrying out such drives, Sawhney said:”As per the rules, we issue notices to the encroachers to vacate the land on or before any fixed date, but when he/she fails to do so, we use our machines and demolish the structures.At that time, some people create obstacles in our work and also try to beat them up.That’s why we need the police to be present at the time of any anti-encroachment drive”.

It may be mentioned here that earlier a number of brawls had taken place during anti-encroachment drives in the city this year.

However, the police denied any such allegation and said it deployed the maximum number of cops along with the JMC officials while carrying out such drives.
Repeated attempts to contact the SSP, Jammu, Basant Rath proved futile. 

Jammu, September 28
e Jammu and Kashmir Children’s Welfare Society, an NGO, has adopted four girl children for providing education. Chairman of the society Gurdeep Singh Sasan at a media conference here today said the society was sending 130 cheques for Rs 500 each to the Deputy Commissioner, Leh, for distribution among children affected by the recent flash floods.

The society also dispatched a truck loaded with quilts for Leh, which would be handed over to the Deputy Commissioner, Leh, for further distribution among the flood-hit people. Sasan expressed solidarity and whole-hearted support to the victims of Leh.

He said the two-member team that was deputed to assess the losses was camping in Leh and had provided the first-hand information regarding the plight of the people.
Sasan urged the administration to make sure that destroyed houses were constructed before the onset of winter. 

He also urged the Central government to enhance the rehabilitation package and make sure that the relief was distributed properly. 

Sasan asked the government to immediately identity orphans and open an orphanage home. The relief material for Leh was flagged off by former minister Ajay Sadhotra.

mmu, September 28
A high drama was witnessed for over three hours at the Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) here today after a teenage boy died of his injuries. The boy was injured after he was hit by a tractor-trolley at Munshi Chak village yesterday.

After receiving information about the death of Hamidoo, a Class VIII student and resident of Munshi Chak village, as many as 50 resident of the same village reached the hospital and tried to take away the body without a post-mortem. When the police objected to the action of the villagers, a verbal duel ensued.

Despite repeated requests by the police, the bereaved family members did not budge and approached the Deputy Commissioner requesting him to allow them to take the body home without a post-mortem.

However, the matter was resolved after 5 pm and the family was allowed to take the body home, the police said. It said the parents of Hamidoo also gave in writing that they did not want to register a case against the driver of the tractor-trolley and the Deputy Commissioner accepted their request. 

Jammu, September 28
National Secular Forum (NSF), Jammu University unit today celebrated birth anniversary of Shaheed Bhagat Singh by distributing sweets among the students, scholars and faculty members.

Floral tributes were paid to the revolutionary martyr. MLC and former minister Ajay Sadhotra was the chief guest while Dean Students Welfare, Prof NK Thripathi was the special guest on the occasion.

Among others who paid tributes to the martyr included Head of Urdu department, Prof Shohab Inayat Malik, Prof HR Sharma, Ankush Aborl, Chander Mohan Sharma and president of NSF--Vikas Sharma.

Speaking on the occasion, Sadhotra appreciated the initiative of NSF and stressed upon the youth to shun their self-centered outlook and contribute in the development of the nation.

Prof Shohab Inayat Malik recalled the planning capability and courage of Bhagat Singh and asked the youth to follow his ideas.

Prof NK Thripathi appealed to the youth to come forward to eliminate all evils from the society. Bhagat Singh’s legacy prompted youth in India to begin their fight for India’s independence and also paved the way for the rise of socialism in India,
he said.

Rakesh Chib, president of Jammu University Research Scholars Executive Association and Vikas Sharma, president NSF demanded that Jewel Chowk be named after the great martyr. 

Jammu, September 28
A Canadian mathematician, Prof P.M. Gauthier, today delivered an extension lecture on “Universal Functions- Functions that approximate all functions”.

The function was organised by the Mathematics Club of Government Maulana Azad Memorial (MAM) College on the college premises. 

Gauthier is Professor in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Montreal, Canada. He has written and edited many books. While delivering a lecture, Prof Gauthier threw light on the approximation theory and Riemann Hypothesis in Complex Analysis. 

The Principal of the College, Prof Ajeet Angral, said a Canadian professor proved that Riemann Zeta Functions were universal whereas there was no such example known for entire functions that were universal.

The lecture was followed by an interaction session in which the number of enquiries were made by the staff and the students, which were replied by the resourceperson in a most polite and effective manner. 

Jalandhar, September 28
Questioning the tactics of the Maoists, CPI general secretary AB Bardhan said today that killing policemen and ordinary persons could not bring about revolution in the country.

Talking to The Tribune, the CPI leader said there were different conditions in China when Mao Tse Tung had to resort to armed revolution in that country. “There was no democracy in China at that time. Only warlords were ruling that country and were killing communists. Owing to this, Red Guards led by Mao had to launch armed attack against warlords”, said Bardhan, who was here today to speak at the opening session of the All-India Youth Federation Conference.

“In India, there is democracy though it has many shortcomings and power has been monopolised by some families. People have right to vote, change the governments through ballot and also to change the system by choosing people of their own liking”, said Bardhan, adding that here revolution would not be possible without peoples’ movement.

The Maoists in red corridor were killing the common man by branding them as police touts and also killing cops by abducting them, he said, adding that these were most reprehensible tactics adopted by them.

“The Maoists are extracting money from contractors and other rich people and provide them shelter in the red corridor,” he alleged.

Mao faced an extensive criticism in China for his various acts such as Cultural Revolution and also for Great Leap Forward. People there did not blindly follow him, he added. In the name of China, the Maoists in India should not run roughshod, he added.

Asked whether the Maoists would harm the Left Front politically in West Bengal, he alleged Maoists, Mamata Banerjee and other forces had come on one platform to defeat the Left Front in that state. He alleged Mamata Banerjee was openly supporting the Maoists in the Lalgarh area of West Bengal.

On a query that whether there was a scope for patch up with the Congress, he said there was no possibility. The Congress was promoting new liberal capitalist system, a most exploitative one, dictated by the US. A big gap had emerged in the ideological path followed by the Congress and the mainstream communist parties and there was no scope of patch up in such a situation.

Jalandhar, September 28
Giving a call for a nationwide youth uprising against corruption and unemployment, thousands of members of the All-India Youth Federation today gathered on the premises of Desh Bhagat Yaadgar Hall, Jalandhar, on the first day of four-day national-level conference of the federation. Over 800 delegates from all states will participate in the conference.

Besides, Leftist leaders, including CPI general secretary AB Bardhan, Comrade P Santosh and Comrade K Murugan, president and general secretary of the federation, and Comrade Joginder Dayal, representatives of the leftist youth organisations of Portugal, Vietnam, Kenya, Burma, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka attended the rally.

Comrade Dera from Portugal, president, World Federation of Democratic Youth, an international conglomerate of leftist youth organisations, also participated in the rally.

The conference was started with torches, carried by groups of hundreds of youth from the respective birthplaces of Bhagat Singh, Udham Singh, Lala Lajpat Rai, Kartar Singh Sarabha and from the Jallianwala Bagh and Hussainiwala.

Addressing the gathering, AB Bardhan said dream of rapid economic growth and thriving GDP was a farce and division between rich and poor in the country was deepening with every passing day.

Taking a dig over the policies of the UPA-II, he said over 80 per cent people were bearing the brunt of inflation, unemployment and corruption and 2G spectrum scam and controversy over the Commonwealth Games were classical examples of the prevailing corruption.

On the occasion of 103rd anniversary of Bhagat Singh, he called upon youth to build mass movement against such evils, adding that he never resorted to violence to build mass movement and used violence only as a symbol to draw attention of imperialists. Later, the volunteers took out a protest march in the city.

Jalandhar, September 28
State Local Bodies Minister Manoranjan Kalia today met Union Minister of State for Railways E. Ahamed to seek the early completion of under-construction railway overbridges (ROBs) in the state.

Kalia, who was accompanied by Amritsar MP Navjot Singh Sidhu and officials of the Local Bodies Department, said Ahamed had assured to do the needful.

At several places, ROBs have not been opened for traffic because the portion to be constructed by the Railways is yet to be completed. The Railways build vital part of ROBs, especially the portion of the bridge under which rail lines pass, and officials of the state government concerned construct the other portion.

Kalia said there was Domoria ROB, which needed to be completed soon in Jalandhar. Beside it, there was an ROB near DAV college here which was also incomplete. The Jalandhar Municipal Corporation is also keen to widen the road along the Domoria bridge to 125 ft from the existing 30 ft to smoothen the flow of traffic.

It has also submitted another proposal to the Railways to construct an under pass in Chander Nagar. Kalia said the corporation was prepared to bear 50 per cent cost of the under pass and remaining would have to be borne by the Railways. A proposal in this regard has been submitted to the Railways.

The issue of Dana Mandi and Pakhowal ROBs at Ludhiana was also taken up with the minister.

Chandigarh, September 28
The Congress Legislature Party (CLP) has decided to take up the issue of the shortening of the duration of the Punjab Vidhan Sabha session in the House when it meets tomorrow afternoon. CLP leader Rajinder Kaur Bhattal has said the ruling SAD-BJP alliance was trying to run away from the real issues facing the people and had, therefore, reduced the monsoon session.

Describing it as “escapism” Bhattal said the CLP had decided not to let go the decision of Speaker Nirmal Singh Kahlon without challenging it. Two Congress members, Avtar Singh Brar and Lal Singh, she said had put a dissent note and opposed the Business Advisory Committee’s decision to reduce the session of the House at its last meeting.

The Congress has identified 12 major issues facing the people of the state.The issues would be taken up in the House and a debate sought on these, before the House was adjourned for this session. Bhattal said besides other issues, the Congress would raise the issues of deteriorating law and order, use of funds received from the Centre, seeking loans to the tune of Rs 500 crore, bad handling of floods and the misuse of funds received from the Asian Development Bank.

A CLP meeting scheduled for tomorrow would also review the strategy to be adopted by the Congress in the House later in the day, besides incorporating any other issue on which a debate would be sought.

Bhattal expressed concern over what she said was the sale of government property and assets, including the lease of land to business schools for a mere Re 1. She said employees in the state were in a bad way.There was a ban on recruitment and people in the Malwa region were suffering due to the massive spread of cancer and other diseases, but the ruling alliance wanted to run away from such issues. She alleged the ruling alliance was not merely callous but had also murdered democratic norms and was now trying to stifle the Opposition by not giving it an opportunity to raise these issues on the floor of the House.

She said the Congress was opposed to the move of reviving the Upper House of the Legislature as it would add to the burden on the people and give the government an opportunity to induct leaders who had been rejected by the people.

Chandigarh September 28
The inter-state road connectivity of Punjab with Haryana and Rajasthan is set to get a boost with the Centre giving its nod to Punjab's proposal of four laning of Amritsar-Sri Ganganagar and Hoshiarpur-Jind, 
which is to be completed at the combined cost of Rs 1,950 crore.

The Centre today conveyed its approval in a communiqué to Deputy CM Sukhbir Singh Badal. Reviewing the progress of the ongoing projects, the Deputy CM asked RP Singh, chief engineer, Highways, to complete the projects by October 2011. The 290 km-long Amritsar-TarnTaran-Zira-Faridkot-Kotakpura-Goniana-Bathinda-Giddarbaha-Malout-Abohar-Sri Ganganagar road link would streamline the traffic flow on the crucial road.

However, the agency sought Sukhbir’s intervention in sorting out land acquisition of small stretches at Rajpura, Fatehgarh Sahib, Payal, Phillaur, Phagwara and Jalandhar. Reviewing the progress of road along Sidhwan Canal, the Deputy CM asked the department to expedite construction of five bridges on Sirhind and Sidhwan Canal, flyovers at Malerkotla and Dugri road, flyover-cum-ROB at Pakhowal road junction, Ferozepur Rail line and BRS Nagar. — TNS

Srinagar, September 28
The opposition PDP today stayed away from the all-party meeting called by the Speaker of the state Legislative Assembly, Mohammad Akbar Lone, ahead of the session which begins here on Thursday.

The PDP has called a meeting of its legislators here tomorrow to discuss various issues related to the Assembly session, which is expected to be stormy in view of the prevailing situation in the Valley over the past about four months.

An official spokesman here said legislators belonging to different political parties assured full cooperation in the smooth running of forth-coming session and conducting of proceedings thereof.

The representatives of various political parties were of the unanimous view that the Assembly session should run as per the established convention of Parliamentary democracy.

The Speaker, Mohammad Akbar Lone, who chaired the all-party meeting today in the run-up to the Assembly session, said he would provide ample time and opportunities to the legislators to highlight public-centric issues for seeking redress of the problems confronting people. He said summer session afforded opportunities to the legislators to make the Executive accountable for improving governance.

Meanwhile, Lone has assured full support to mediapersons covering the proceedings of the House and directed the authorities concerned to ensure that special car parking passes along with curfew passes issued by the competent authority were honoured.

This was stated by the Speaker while chairing the Press Advisory Committee (PAC) meeting here today. The meeting discussed certain issues related to traffic, security, issuance of curfew passes and space for the parking of vehicles.

Representatives of various media organisations raised issues regarding conveyance, seating arrangements etc., and sought their redress.

DGP Kuldeep Khoda assured the meeting that the curfew passes of mediapersons would be honoured. However, in the case of any difficulty they may contact the SSP, Security, the SP, PCR, Srinagar, and the SP, Civil Secretariat, he said.

Srinagar, September 28
ief Minister Omar Abdullah called on Governor N. N. Vohra at Raj Bhavan here today. 
During the meeting, the Chief Minister briefed the Governor about developments consequent to the visit of the all-party delegation to Srinagar and Jammu, an official spokesman said.

The Chief Minister also apprised the Governor about the measures under way for the restoration of normalcy in the Valley, particularly regarding the functioning of the schools, colleges and universities. The major issues before the forthcoming session of the State Assembly were also discussed. The brief session begins here on Thursday.

Srinagar, September 28
A militant was killed in an encounter with security forces near the LoC in Kupwara district, a defence spokesman said today.

A search party of the Army confronted militants late last night at Badi Behak in the Nowgam sector, 120 km from here, triggering a gunfight, the spokesman said.

An ultra was killed in the encounter though his identity and group affiliation could not be ascertained.

Jammu: In a swift and surgical operation by the Counter Insurgency Force (Uniform), troops of 59 Rashtriya Rifles along with the police apprehended a Hizbul Mujahideen militant from the Nihal area of Gulabgarh in Reasi district Monday evening.

An official handout stated that Hizbul Mujahideen militant Farooq was nabbed from the Nihal area of Gulabgarh last evening while he was attempting to cross over to the Pir Panjal range along with nomads. 

The terrorist, who is a resident of Chhota Nar in Mahore tehsil of Reasi, is wanted in a number of cases registered against him.

The students have been fasting for the past four days. One of them, Pawan Singh Jasrotia, had to be shifted to hospital late last evening. 

This morning, Mohd Imran Bandey, Sarfaraz Hussain, Mudassir Imtiyaz and Mohd Tabassum went on indefinite fast to press for their demands. 

Meanwhile, the students at the administrative block of the college continued their demonstration.  They have been protesting for the last 47 days. 

Srinagar, September 28
A day after the government ordered the reopening of the schools, there was thin attendance in private and government schools in Srinagar city, while those in the rural areas had near- normal functioning.

The government had ordered reopening of the schools in the Valley since yesterday when it claimed 28 per cent attendance in Srinagar and 80 per cent overall attendance in the Valley. Most of the students here stayed away from the schools in view of the continued curfew and the bandh call of the Geelani faction of the Hurriyat Conference, spearheading the agitation. Several schools, including Delhi Public School (DPS), were closed following difficulties faced by students in going to and coming back from the institutions yesterday.

Meanwhile, Geelani has rejected the statement of Union Home Minister P.Chidambaram on the “reopening” of schools in the Valley yesterday. In a statement, Geelani said the people of Kashmir did not require any advice from the minister on the importance of knowledge and learning. “We are a civilised nation and know the importance and significance of education”, he said. An impression had been created by the authorities and the media “as if we had opened a front or war against education in Kashmir”, he added. Geelani blamed the government for disruption in the functioning of schools and made it clear that according to the protest calendars before the Eid, there had been least disruptions. 

Srinagar, September 28
An Executive Engineer of the Jammu and Kashmir Projects Construction Corporation (JKPCC) received serious head injuries and his vehicle was damaged in stone throwing in Darish Kadal in Srinagar this evening.

The officer was returning home from the office when the incident took place.He was admitted to SMHS hospital, the police said.

Meanwhile, barring stray incidents, the situation across the Kashmir valley remained peaceful today, while life continued to be paralysed due to the curfew and a separatist-sponsored bandh.

Attendance in educational institutions was dismal a day after the state government reopened them.

One person was injured when the police dispersed demonstrators who threw stones and tried to block the Sopore-Kupwara road at Seelu in north Kashmir. The injured was provided medical aid and the situation brought under control, the police said.

The curfew was lifted from the Anantnag, Pulwama, Kulgam, Shopian, and Awantipora areas in south Kashmir and from the Baramulla, Handwara, and Bandipora areas in north Kashmir.

The restrictions were also lifted from Budgam district in central Kashmir,a police spokesman said. However, the curfew continued in Srinagar city where a relaxation was given in phases for three hours this afternoon.The restrictions also continued in Ganderbal, Kangan and Sopore towns. In the Kupwara,Trehgam and Kralpora areas of Kupwara, the curfew was relaxed from 9 a.m to 2 p.m.

Jammu, September 28
A local court today sent the three persons arrested in the case of burning of a woman and her daughter, both residents of Girgiyal village in the Khour block of Akhnoor, to police custody for seven days, the police said.

It said the accused, Parkash Chand, alias Kaku, Rashpal Chand and Gharu Ram, all residents of Girgiyal village, were produced in the court, which remanded them in seven days of police custody.

The police yesterday claimed that the trio had killed Krishna Devi (55) and her daughter Rajni (20) after sprinkling kerosene oil on them at their house on September 1 night while they were asleep. A relative of the deceased, Kajal, who was also set on fire by the trio, was struggling for life at hospital, it added.