New Delhi, November 9
The Supreme Court today dismissed a petition by Panthers Party chief Bhim Singh against the state government’s decision to defer the delimitation exercise for the Assembly constituencies till the first Census after 2026, ruling that the relevant laws were out of bounds for judiciary.

“Clearly, there is an express constitutional bar to any challenge being made to the delimitation law which is made under Constitutional provisions. Therefore, the substantial challenge of the appellant in this proceeding is not to be entertained by any court, including this court,” a Bench comprising Justices GS Singhvi and AK Ganguly held.

The petitioners had also contended that the amendment to Section 47(3) of the Constitution of Jammu and Kashmir violated the basic structure of the Constitution. “This challenge is also not based on a sound principle,” the Bench ruled.

Bhim Singh and others had argued that postponing the delimitation of the constituencies as a result of the amendment would accentuate the growing imbalance in the matter of the composition of various constituencies.

It was further reasoned that without an exercise in delimitation immediately upon the completion of the Census, the election in Jammu and Kashmir would not reflect the “true voice of democracy and the popular view, therefore, would be gagged and would not find a proper representation.”

Bhim Singh had also contended that of the 37 constituencies in Jammu, some were reserved for the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes while of the 46 constituencies in the Kashmir valley, not a single was reserved for the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes. But if the Census operation was properly perused, it would become clear that some of the constituencies in the Kashmir valley should also have been reserved for SCs/STs had a delimitation exercise been conducted on the basis of the Census.

Rejecting this, the apex court said it was of the opinion that “a right to cast vote was a valuable right but to demand any uniform value of one’s voting right through the process of delimitation, disregarding the statutory and constitutional dispensation based on historical reasons was not a justiciable right.”

Therefore, the argument on the question of the basic structure was also without substance, the court held.

Jammu, November 9
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said his government would initiate all possible measures to assist the State Road Transport Corporation (SRTC) enabling it to flourish and making it an economically viable unit.

“We are working to revive the SRTC on a strong footing to help expand its field of operation, making it an economically sound and a professionally prosperous public undertaking,” he said. He asked the functionaries of the corporation to compliment the governmental efforts in this direction by putting in honest, dedicated and professional service.

Addressing a function organised by the SRTC Union to felicitate the Chief Minister; Omar Abdullah conveyed gratitude to the employees for keen their interest in reviving the corporation.

Omar said the government would take all necessary measures to expand the orbit of operations of the corporation in the state and add a new fleet of modern buses to the existing one provided to run the corporation on a profit basis and come out of the losses incurred by it in the past.

The corporation was recently provided a fleet of over 160 new and modern buses while additional 100 were in pipeline. The step was taken to help the corporation enhance its operational capacity and come out of the losses. He asked the functionaries of the corporation to take advantage of the help the government was providing.

“My government will take steps to give you strength and enable SRTC to run on all routes in the state,” he said. Omar urged the functionaries of the corporation to give their best to SRTC and make honesty and dedication a benchmark in functioning.

“You should work to earn name and make the corporation popular by giving your best,” he said adding that the government would work at every level to help the growth of the cooperation enabling it to become one of the best and the most viable transport corporations in the country.

The function was also addressed by the Minister of State for Transport, Shabir Ahmad Khan, while the Advisors to the Chief Minster, Mubarak Gul and Devinder Singh Rana, were also present.

Leh, November 9
The process of reclamation of agricultural land by removing the debris and boulders has begun in flood-hit Leh district.

Two Leh-based NGOs -- Leh Nutrition Project (LNP) and Ladakh Environment and Health Organisation (LEHO) -- with the support of the Sir Dorabji Tata Trust, Mumbai, have started removing the debris, silt and boulders from the flood-affected agricultural land at Igoo village in the Kharu block and Umla village in the Leh block of the flood devastated district.

LNP Director Lobzang Tsultim said:“Villagers are actively involved in the debris clearance. A village-level committee and a sub-level committee at the ward level have been constituted to monitor the reclamation of the land. As per a rapid assessment at Igoo village, 900 kanals were damaged in the recent cloudburst. The reclamation work has been planned to finish in a month in view of winter.”

The reclamation of damaged agricultural land remains a major work for the rehabilitation of the flood-affected people and is proving to be the most challenging rehabilitation work due to the accumulation of silt and boulders as high as five feet in the fields. Also, as per the assessment report of the district-level committee constituted to find ways to reclaim the agricultural land, 660 hectares were damaged and out of these 120 hectares had been found not fit for cultivation. The committee comprised officials and scientists of the Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agriculture Sciences and Technology, DIHAR, Agriculture, Horticulture and Command Area Development departments.

The removal of the debris was recommended by the committee after an analysis of flood-affected soil conducted by the scientists of the Defence Institute of High Altitude Research (DIHAR), a unit of DRDO, found that the flood-affected soil was not suitable for cultivation, as its nutrient content and the water holding capacity was very low and almost negligible.

Tourism and Culture Minister Nawang Rigzin Jora, who hails from Leh, said Chief Secretary SS Kapur headed a high-level committee constituted by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for the rehabilitation of flood-devastated Leh district. The committee had submitted a Rs 16.50 crore project for the reclamation work and Union Home Minister P Chidambaram during his visit to Leh had assured to provide the same under the National Calamity Fund.

Thinlay Dawa, an agricultural scientist, who is one of the members of the district-level committee, told The Tribune, “On the basis of the trial of reclamation work conducted at Taru village in the Leh block by the committee, one of the most flood devastated village of the district, the flood-affected agricultural land has been put in three categories. Land filled with the debris, silt and boulders less than three feet, three to five feet and above five feet have been listed in A, B and C categories, respectively.”

Sunder Bani, November 9
Hundreds of farmers from about 10 villages staged a protest at the main chowk, thereby disrupting vehicular traffic on the Jammu-Poonch national highway for nearly three hours here today.

The farmers were protesting against the shortage of seeds and fertilisers. However, they lifted the dharna only after the local administration intervened. They alleged that they never got seeds and fertilisers in time due to the official apathy and the indifference of the local MLA towards their problems.

The farmers from villages like Basian, Kul-Dabbi, Madwal, Ghai, Sufa, Nah, Peli, Kangri and Thichkaw, led by Lok Nath, former sarpanch of Bhajwal, converged on the highway and shouted slogans against the local MLA and the Department of Agriculture.

“We have ploughed our fields and if seeds are not given in time, the soil will loose moisture,” they apprehended and said, “Thereafter, seeds and fertilisers will have no relevance for us.”

“The farmers of Sunder Bani tehsil need 700 quintals of seed and 600 quintals of fertiliser. However, till now only 60 quintals of seed and the same quantity of fertiliser have been made available,” said Lok Nath.

Later, the Tehsildar, Sunder Bani, the SDPO and the SDM, Nowshera, pacified the protesters and assured them that the seeds and fertilisers would be made available to them on Thursday.

However, the agitating farmers threatened that if their demands were not fulfilled within the given time, they would block the national highway along with their bovines.

Jammu, November 9
As Union Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad visits Jammu tomorrow, his supporters are organising functions to show their strength to take on the rival group in the party.

Although Azad loyalists have been claiming that they are organising functions to welcome their leader, it is widely believed that these are being organised as a show of strength. The pro-Azad faction led by Deputy Chief Minister Tara Chand has been gradually disintegrating as a number of activists belonging to this lobby have shifted their loyalty during the last few months.

Interestingly, while the pro-Azad lobby in the Congress has declared a war on the faction loyal to Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) chief Saifuddin Soz, the infighting among the leaders of this group has also intensified. Leaders claiming to be loyal to Azad have been baying for each other’s blood.

Sources in the Congress said the pro-Soz faction had been taking the benefit of the division among the activists of the rival faction. As the dissidents failed to present a united face, the pro-Soz faction started presenting new leaders in the constituencies earlier represented by Azad’s loyalists. The pro-Soz faction has already started patronising new leaders in the RS Pura, Suchetgarh, Reasi, Marh and Nagrota Assembly segments where Azad’s loyalists have stakes.

“Instead of strengthening their own group, some leaders, claiming to be the staunch supporters of Azad, have been in constant touch with Soz,” the sources said. They added that the dissidents, who owed allegiance to Azad, had been fighting for the survival of their group.

Azad, who would reach Jammu early tomorrow, would participate in a function that had been organised by Lok Sabha member Choudhary Lal Singh. Although it was being projected as a non-political function, a rally had been organised to give a message to the pro-Soz faction.

Later in the evening, Azad would attend Divali Milan, a function organised by a non-political organisation, Jammu Lawyers. “Our’s is purely a non political function,” said BS Slathia, a former president of the Bar Association, Jammu, who is instrumental in organising the function. Slathia said the function had been arranged by the lawyers of Jammu and the Union Health Minister had given his consent to attend it.

Jammu, November 9
Criticising Chief Minister Omar Abdullah for repeating his stand on the issue of accession, the state BJP today flayed the Congress-led UPA government for its silence on the controversial statement.

“Continued silence of the Congress leadership amounts to their agreeing with Omar’s statement that Jammu and Kashmir had only acceded and not merged with the Union of India”, said president of the state unit of the BJP Shamsher Singh Manhas at a press conference here today.

Reminding the National Conference and the Congress leadership that the late Sheikh Mohammed Abdullah had to pay the price for such kind of utterances when the Government of India had put him behind bars despite the fact that he was a close friend of the

first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru,Manhas said “Omar Abdullah should not remain under the impression that action can’t be taken against him for his provocative and anti-national utterances because some leaders in the Congress are backing him”.

Asking the Congress leadership to come out with a clear stand on the issue, the BJP president warned that the party would launch a nationwide campaign to expose the Congress for defending and patronising the elements who spoke and worked against national interests.

Reiterating his party’s demand for citizenship rights to the refugees from West Pakistan and rehabilitation of PoK refugees, Manhas said lakhs of such people had been living under miserable conditions. He regretted the state government was worried about those who had crossed over to Pakistan for getting arms training, but no action had been taken so far to grant citizenship rights to those who had been living in the state since 1947.

Jammu, November 9
Although Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has asserted that no further talks on the Kashmir issue will be held till Islamabad curbs terror, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on the other hand has favoured a dialogue with Pakistan for restoring lasting peace in this region.

In an informal conversation with the mediapersons after addressing a function at Kisan Bhawan here today, Omar Abdullah said Pakistan could play an important role in solving the Kashmir problem,but was quick to add that the neighbouring country should hold a mature perspective in the matter. “If Pakistan plays its role in a responsible manner, it would be helpful for the neighbouring country,” Omar observed.

In a veiled attack on the BJP for criticising interlocutors for advocating the involvement of Pakistan in solving Kashmir problem, Omar said, “When our interlocutors talk about role of Pakistan, some person get worried, but when Obama makes a reference to it, you say he does the right thing.” He termed such a stand as double standard to hoodwink the people. Omar Abdullah, the only Chief Minister who has attended dinner with the US President hoisted by the Prime Minister, remarked that Barack Obama had given his statement after properly assessing the ground situation in the region. “There is no new thing in it. We all are worried about the internal situation in Pakistan and we are aware about the role Pakistan is playing in the state,” he said. The Chief Minister said the US President’s visit to India would prove helpful in strengthening the relations between the two countries.

“I am satisfied with President Obama’s visit. The tone and tenure of the speech he made in Parliament, the content of address in Parliament and the joint statement that has been put by the government of India and US recognises the ground reality and is a strong foundation, which will help in taking the relations forward,” he stated.

Earlier, addressing the function at Kisan Bhawan, the Chief Minister said his government was committed to solving problems of the farmers. He said the government had taken many steps for the socio-economic growth of the farming community. Minister of Agriculture Ghulam Hassan Mir also addressed the function and pointed towards various steps being taken by the coalition government for increasing the agricultural produce in the state.

Jammu, November 9
Calming the fears of Kashmiri employees, the All Jammu Hotels and Lodges Association (AJHLA) said the Jammu bandh staged yesterday was against the anti-Jammu policy of the present government and not against them.

AJHLA also hoped that re-opening of the Darbar Move offices in the winter capital would facilitate a smooth functioning of the government here.

In a meeting held here today, the AJHLA president Inderjeet Khajuria said shifting of the seat of power to the temple city would facilitate the smooth functioning of the government unlike the situation in Srinagar where protests and strikes were the order of the day. Due to disturbances, violent and scenario, continuous shut downs and curfews, the functioning in the government offices remained paralyzed in Srinagar, he added.

He also calmed the fears of Kashmiri employees and said the bandh and demonstrations held at Jammu on the opening of the Move offices was not against the Kashmiri employees and common Kashmiris coming to Jammu for winters. It was against the anti-Jammu and anti-national policies of the state government, he added. The people of Jammu harbour no ill will against the Kashmiri employees or common Kashmiris, who are our brethren, he said.

Khajuria has appealed to the Association members and common people of Jammu to extend their warmest hospitality to the Kashmiri employees and common Kashmiris.

Srinagar, November 9
After three consecutive days of strike, normalcy was restored in the Kashmir valley today. All shops and business establishments reopened and government offices, educational institutions, banks and other private institutions functioned normally.There was a heavy traffic, leading to snarls at several places. Even though the Civil Secretariat and Durbar offices have been closed here since October 29, there has not been any discernible change in the density of traffic.

A large number of people visited markets here and in other major towns of the Valley for shopping ahead of the Eid-ul-Azha celebrations on November 17, which coincide with the annual Haj pilgrimage. The main markets in the Valley have remained closed for most of the time during the past five months of the turmoil.In view of the fresh protest calendar, the residents have started shopping in a big way.

The chairman of the hardline faction of the Hurriyat Conference, Syed Ali Geelani, has announced an amendment to the protest programme by withdrawing a strike call for November 13 and 15 in view of the Eid celebrations. He has called for a shutdown on November 20 that was earlier scheduled to be a normal day.

Meanwhile,two persons were injured in a clash between protesters and the police in Baramulla town this afternoon.

The trouble started following reports of the arrest of a youth,Parvaiz Ahmed, on a charge of stone throwing. The police lobbed tear gas shells and resorted to a cane-charge to disperse the demonstrators in the Cement Bridge area in Baramulla. The injured civilian, Bilal Ahmad Bhat of Khanqahi Mohalla, Srinagar,was shifted to the hospital here, the police said.

Srinagar, November 9
A group of 30 boys and girls belonging to Shopian, Pulwama and Kishtwar districts, accompanied by their teachers, yesterday embarked on a 12-day tour to Mumbai, carrying the message of ‘unity in diversity’.

A defence spokesman here said during the tour the children would visit various places of historical importance such as the Gateway of India, Nehru Planetarium, Haji Ali Dargah, Film City and Essel World. The children thus would not only be exposed to the rich culture and heritage of the country but would also witness the advancements made in all fields. They would also meet K Shankaranarayanan, Governor of Maharastra, and other senior officers of the Army in Mumbai.

The tour was flagged off by the Commander of 12 Sector Rashtriya Rifles and Deputy Commissioner, Shopian, MS Sood and other prominent personalities and dignitaries of the civil administration.

Jammu, November 9
Minister for Science and Technology Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi has said nine solar power plants and four district- level energy parks of different capacities being installed at various health and educational institutions in the state will be commissioned by next month.

According to an official statement issued here, these projects were sanctioned by the Ministry of New and Renewal Energy (MNRE) under the Border Area Development Programme (BADP) and the Special Area Demonstration Programme (SADP) at a meeting held here today.

The installing agencies engaged would be responsible for the upkeep and maintenance of the projects for a period of five years.

It was informed in the meeting work on other 14 solar power plants and four energy parks at various health and educational institutions was going on. The MNRE had also sanctioned three more such projects for Ziarat Sharief Dargah, Hazratbal, Ziarat Sharief, Hazrat Noor-ud-Din Wali, Chrar-e-Sharief and Legislative Assembly complexes both in Srinagar and Jammu.

The meeting further informed that the MNRE had also sanctioned Rs 16 lakh for installing solar water heating systems at 11 locations that had already been identified. As many as 68 un-electrified villages would be electrified under the Remote Village Electrification Programme, besides 210 locations for installing solar streetlights and five wind hybrid systems had been sanctioned, the meeting was apprised of.

The meeting was also apprised that the JK Science and Technology Council in collaboration with Kashmir University and the Department of Science and Technology, Government of India, would organise the 6th JK Science Congress on November 29, 2011 at Kashmir University.

The focal theme of the congress would be “Science, Technology and Sustainable Development” in which about 600 delegates from across the country would participate. As many as five young scientists would be awarded for their outstanding contribution in their respective fields.

The meeting was informed that the council would provide science equipment for the upgrade of laboratories of 15 schools backward areas of the state.

Jammu, November 9
Minister for Higher Education Abdul Gani Malik said today that the government would take adequate steps to promote the Dogri language.

The minister was interacting with a delegation of the Dogri Sanstha, Jammu, led by its president Lalit Magotra and general secretary Veena Gupta, that called on him here today. The delegation demanded the introduction of Dogri in all colleges of the Jammu region, particularly in the areas where the language was spoken by the majority of people.

Responding to the demands put forth by the delegation members, Malik said the possibilities would be explored to introduce the teaching of Dogri as a subject in all left-out colleges. Earlier, the delegation members told the minister that the subject was being taught in 17 colleges, while the remaining colleges, particularly in Dogri-speaking areas of Ramban, Bani, Palloura and Noushera, still lacked this facility.

The delegation also demanded adequate staff in the colleges having the Dogri subject, a Dogri teacher in Government B.Ed College, Jammu, as Dogri had been included at the B.Ed level by Jammu University, procurement of Dogri books through a robust system for libraries of Jammu colleges, a centre for folklore and linguistic studies be set up in Jammu University and the integration of people of different regions of the state through culture and literature.

The delegation also demanded exploring the possibilities of introducing Dogri in the maximum number of schools at higher secondary, secondary and primary levels and a centralised system for the purchase of Dogri books for libraries on a regular basis.

Jammu, November 9
The Jammu Private Schools and Elementary Teachers Training (ETT) Institutes Association (Progressive) yesterday criticised the state government for its alleged “casual” attitude towards school education.

Addressing a press conference here, members of the association criticised the “double standard” of the state government while issuing directives to private schools relating to the schedule and the vacation.

The association further expressed its resentment against the Directorate of School Education for exempting CBSE schools from the implementation of its directions despite having territorial jurisdiction under law.

The association further expressed its concern over the “non- seriousness” of the state government, particularly the ministry concerned, while dealing with the question paper leak scam in the recent past.

“There has been no outcome of the long-pending police investigations till date and moreover a constant and suspicious silence in this regard from the government is sufficient to measure its seriousness ”, it said.

The association stressed upon the Chief Minister for a fresh and time-bound probe by a special investigation team (SIT) comprising some prominent personalities in order to expose the black sheep behind the menace.

Meanwhile, the association termed the state government’s recent labour law amendments as an attempt to wind up the existing private school education sector, which was already under a strain.

Ninetyfive per cent private schools were not in a position to adopt the proposed minimum wages scheme and financial assistance from the government would be the only way out.

Jammu, November 9
Employees of the Jammu Municipal Corporation today expressed gratitude to Deputy Chief Minister Tara Chand for fulfilling their long-pending demands. The employees organised a function on the premises of the Municipal Corporation to celebrate the occasion.

While talking to The Tribune, Devanand Gill, chairman of the Municipal Employees Union, said Tara Chand had assured them to provide 600 permanent posts of safaikaramcharis in order to end the NGO system in the Municipal Corporation.

He said the other demands of the employees were also accepted by the authorities in the meeting held under the chairmanship of the Deputy Chief Minister.

Gill said Tara Chand had issued orders for the immediate release of pending arrears of around 125 safaikaramcharis, whose services were regularised in 2005, and time-bound promotions of the corporation employees due since January 1, 2006.