Udhampur, October 16
The participation of a Muslim girl in the ongoing navratra celebrations bears an ample testimony to peace and harmony in the region.

The festival is being organised by Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board and the Tourism Department in collaboration with the district administration, Reasi, and local organisations.

Twelve-year-old Mahapara Mughal is the first Muslim girl to have led the traditional shobha yatra, in which she dresses up as Goddess Durga in all her nine forms. She has been playing the role on all nine days of the yatra.

A student of Class VI of the local government school, Mahapara said she had a strong desire to lead the yatra this year, as she was much impressed by another girl who had been leading it till the last year.

She had first shared the wish to do so with her father Mohammad Yusuf Mughal, who runs a small dhaba at Katra. The family had shifted to Katra 17 years back from Ramban district. Yusuf said initially the entire family was surprised, but gave its nod to her decision of observing a fast on all nine days of navratras.

Reportedly, there are several Muslim artistes who come to perform in these festivals. Make up artistes, musicians, who participate in devotional music competitions and Pakistan wrestlers in the “Mission Dosti Rustem-e-Hind” wrestling competition organised during the festival are examples of inter-religious participation at the festival.

Srinagar, October 16
Normal life was restored across Kashmir today, as no curfew restrictions were imposed on any area of the Valley where these were enforced to prevent demonstrations or protest marches yesterday. The restrictions, however, remained in force in Pampore township, near here, and in the two localities of Palhalan and Delina in Baramulla district.

The curfew restrictions, imposed on parts of downtown here and some other towns of the Valley to prevent protests and proposed marches yesterday, were lifted today. The restrictions were enforced to prevent any trouble over the death of one person, who died in hospital yesterday. He had allegedly been beaten by the police a week ago.

Tension continued to grip Palhalan and Delina localities on the Srinagar-Baramulla highway for the past several weeks. These areas had witnessed demonstrations over the killing of a nine-year-old boy at Delina and three others at Palhalan in police firing during the recent turmoil. The restrictions continued in these areas today as well.

In yet another day of normal life, the market places were abuzz with a heavy rush of people after days of bandhs and curfew restrictions in some areas here. All shops and business establishments were open and traffic was back on the roads. While government offices, educational institutions and many banks were closed on the occasion of Mahanavami today, several private educational institutions were open to overcome the losses due to the continuing bandhs and restrictions during the past four months.

Today, normal life was restored though the hardline APHC led by Syed Ali Shah Geelani had issued a fresh protest calendar last evening. As per the calendar, there would be no strike for three days on October 17, 20 and 24. The APHC (Geelani) has also reiterated its call for resuming normal working of transport and factories between 7 pm and 7 am. 

Srinagar, October 16
The government is seeking a Central assistance of Rs 5,851 crore for the implementation of a turnaround project submitted by The Energy Resources Institute (TERI), New Delhi, for the power sector reforms and improvement in the distribution and transmission system in the state.

Disclosing this here today, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said 12 major power projects, besides dozens of smaller ones had been initiated to generate about 5,000 MW of power in the state in the next five to six years. “Vigorous efforts are on to give a new dimension to power generation and for its proper distribution,” he said.

Omar added that 30 towns in the state, including Jammu and Srinagar cities, had been brought under the new Restructured Accelerated Power Development Reforms Programme estimated to cost Rs 144.11 crore.

He said a chain of grid stations, receiving stations and sub-stations was already under various stages of completion in the state. He was speaking on the occasion of commissioning a receiving station at Jawahar Nagar that would provide efficient power supply to Jawahar Nagar, Mehjoor Nagar, Kursoo, Padshahi Bagh, Tusli Bagh, Gogji Bagh, Rambagh and adjoining areas, benefiting thousands of households.

He stressed the need to improve and upgrade the power transmission and distribution system in the state, initiate reforms at various levels to make good of the transmission losses and also keep the system pilferage-free.

Equating the importance of power generation with the significance of an efficient energy distribution and transmission system, the Chief Minister said his government was giving due attention to establishing a dependable and modern electricity distribution network in the state.

Minister of State for Housing and Tourism Nasir Aslam Wani, who is also the MLA from the area, was accompanying the Chief Minister. Commissioner/Secretary, Power, Basharat Ahmad Dhar and other senior officers were present on the occasion. The residents of the area accorded a rousing reception to the Chief Minister.

The new power receiving station has been developed with full modern gadgets and entire HT and LT lines along with other transmission system have been appropriately developed for its automatic operation. The people of the area, due to increase in the population and construction of new houses in the area, have been facing a shortage of power during peak hours, particularly morning and evening hours. 

Srinagar, October 16
Governor NN Vohra paid obeisance at the Mata Vaishno Devi shrine on the auspicious occasion of Mahanavami today. He prayed for communal harmony, brotherhood, peace, progress and prosperity of the state.

The Governor offered “Purna Ahuti” on the conclusion of the nine-day Chhat Chandi Maha Yajna organised by Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board. The Governor, who is also the Chairman of the board, inaugurated a large accommodation complex, the second phase of the Manokamna Bhawan, in the Bhawan area. Constructed by the board at a cost of approx Rs 4.5 crore, this complex would augment the existing accommodation facilities for those pilgrims who wished to stay free of charge.

The Manokamna Bhawan (phase-II) comprising four floors would provide accommodation free of cost to nearly 500 pilgrims. The complex had been equipped with a bhojanalaya for providing food at reasonable prices, a blanket store, a cloak room and a laundry. The Governor, accompanied by the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the shrine board, RK Goyal, and other officers, reviewed various facilities for the pilgrims. He also inspected various ongoing development works and reviewed the work done by the board’s Forest Division to grow flowers of varied varieties and plant saplings of flowering bushes and trees.

Expressing satisfaction over the facilities for the visiting pilgrims, the Governor stressed the need for continuous upgrading, modernisation and expansion of infrastructure and other facilities to meet the futuristic requirements of the progressively increasing pilgrimage. He was informed that special efforts had been made for the early completion of several ongoing construction works, which, inter alia, included the remodelling of the Adhkwari Complex, widening/improvement of the existing track at several locations, augmentation of existing toilet/bath facilities along the track and face-lifting of the entire shrine area.

The Governor also interacted with the yatris and enquired about the facilities made available to them for the smooth conduct of the pilgrimage, an official spokesman said.

Jammu, October 16
The statement of External Affairs Minister SM Krishna, in which he has defended Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on his controversial speech on accession, has revoked strong reactions from the BJP and the Panthers Party.

While the BJP has charged the Congress with supporting Omar’s “pro-separatist agenda”, the Panthers Party held demonstration against the minister’s statement.

Defending Omar for his remarks in the Legislative Assembly, Krishna said, “I don’t think Omar Abdullah has said anything objectionable. It is a fact that Jammu and Kashmir has acceded to India just like Mysore acceded to India”.

Taking strong note to the statement, Panthers Party chief Bhim Singh urged Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to take action against the minister.

He termed the statement as misleading, highly irresponsible and anti-national. According to him, the minister has praised Omar for declaring that J&K is not an integral part of India.

Meanwhile, BJP spokesperson Ramesh Arora said Omar’s speech on accession was the Centre’s brainchild, as was evident from Krishna’s statement, who had endorsed the same. He alleged that the Congress government at the Centre had been supporting the pro-separatist agenda of Omar Abdullah.

Jammu, October 16
Trying to track them down since October 12, the security forces finally killed two Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) militants, both foreign mercenaries, in the upper reaches of the Pir Panjal range in Budhal tehsil of Rajouri district, around 244 km from here, today.

One of the slain foreign mercenaries has been identified as Abu Hamza of the LeT, a dreaded terrorist, while the identity of the other is being ascertained.

“A joint party of the 60 Rashtriya Rifles and the police has been trying to track down the Lashkar ultras and today it succeeded in eliminating them in a dense forest near Andrachi, 22 km from here, in Budhal town,” SSP, Rajouri district, RK Jalla told The Tribune.

Following specific inputs about the movement of a group of four militants the operation was launched on October 12, said Jalla.

From telephonic intercepts we identified one of the slain terrorists as Abu Hamza, while the identify of the other was yet to be established, said the SSP.

“We are also trying to track down two of their accomplices, who we suspect were also moving in the same area,” he added.

The Brigadier General Staff of 16 Corps, Brig Satish Dua, also confirmed that two LeT militants were killed in the gun battle.

He said two AK-47 assault rifles, one satellite phone, one radio set, one GPS and some arms and ammunition were seized from the site of the encounter. “The area is now being sanitised by the troops,” he added.

Official sources said based on intelligence inputs the security forces launched an operation in the higher reaches of the Kagora area, about four hours track to Shopian in Kashmir.

They said the security forces had asked the ultras to surrender but the latter opened an indiscriminate fire and also lobbed a grenade towards the troops. A gunfight started in the process.

An official handout of the police issued here this evening stated that both the slain ultras were foreign mercenaries.

Jammu, October 16
Panthers Party leader and MLA from Ramnagar Harsh Dev Singh today regretted that the most ambitious flagship scheme launched by the Union government, Prime Minister Gramin Sadak Yojna (PMGSY), had succumbed to red tape and non-governance in the state.

In a statement issued here today, Harsh Dev said the state had recently been declared as a tail-ender in the implementation of the yojna to the disappointment of the rural areas, which were eagerly awaiting a road connectivity. He added, “Had it been implemented in a proper manner, the yojna would have transformed rural life.”

The core network of road connectivity for the state, as approved by the Central government, had assured a provision of roads to all villages in a time-bound manner and its completion before 2011. Despite launching the scheme more than 14 years ago, only 20 per cent success had been achieved so far. Even the schemes included in the priority list of the first core network had not been completed due to the failure of the Public Works Department (PWD).

Harsh Dev alleged that the PWD and the yojna authorities were collectively responsible for the defaults, irregularities and the non-performance of the roads and building sector. He alleged there was a nexus between the PWD authorities and the contractors, which had adversely affected the pace of work.

He added the contractors had been openly violating the terms of agreement stipulated under the scheme, resulting in delay in the completion of the project.

“The contractors have been abandoning the construction work half way, breaching the terms of the agreement. 

Jammu, October 16
Following a 40-year-old tradition, college students of the state today observed black day under the banner of the Jammu Joint Students Federation (JJSF) and Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarathi Parishad.

Every year, college students observe black day for three days, i.e. October 16-18, to pay tributes to the martyrs of 1966, who laid down their lives fighting against the discrimination meted out to the Jammu region.

Activists of the JJSF paid rich tributes to the martyrs at “Sheedi Sathal” near Government Gandhi Memorial Science College. — TNS