Jammu, December 6
A candid admission of grave injustice and discrimination against the Jammu and Ladakh regions by Sham Lal Sharma, a senior Congress minister in the Omar Abdullah Cabinet, has triggered a fresh debate in the already surcharged political atmosphere of the State.

Sharma, who is the state’s Health Minister, while addressing a rally at Bani in Kathua district yesterday, had regretted that the two regions were being discriminated against in all spheres of life. He had warned that a separate state for the Jammu region and Union Territory status for Ladakh would be the only option, if the government continued to pursue its discriminatory policies.

The minister’s statement has not only boosted the morale of the pro-Jammu groups, but also people of Ladakh, who often complain of stepmotherly treatment by successive state governments, have praised Sham Lal for taking “a bold step”.

“For the first time, a senior Congress leader has admitted publicly that the Jammu and Ladakh regions have been discriminated against by successive state governments in all spheres of life. It is high time people of the two regions join hands to fight against this injustice”, P Namgyal, veteran Congress leader from Ladakh, told The Tribune.

Although officially the Congress leadership has maintained a guarded silence over the controversial statement,party workers in Jammu have supported Sham Lal.”He has taken a bold stand and we will wholeheartedly support him”, asserted Rajiv Bhagat, a Congress worker from Akhnoor, and added, “After the late Pandit Trilochan Dutt, Sham Lal Sharma is the only Congress leader who has shown the courage to accept this hard reality”.

A Congress leader on condition of anonymity told The Tribune that as the minister had admitted the reality,he should be appreciated by all.”If Chief Minister Omar Abdullah can challenge the accession of the state to Indian Union, what is wrong if Sham Lal has admitted that people of the Jammu region are being discriminated against?” he asked.

The BJP has termed the minister’s statement as an endorsement of its stand. “We have been repeatedly highlighting discrimination against the Jammu region and now a Congress leader has accepted this reality”,said Chaman Lal Gupta, BJP Legislature Party leader.

The Jammu State Morcha (JSM) has congratulated Sham Lal.” We appreciate his courage and boldness”, said Anil Gour, leader of the JSM.

The Jammu Province People’s Forum has hailed the minister’s statement and extended all support to him.

The Duggar Vikas Manch, a conglomerate of several Jammu-based NGOs and non-political, social, religious and business organisations, has also welcomed the statement. Dineshwar Singh Jamwal, convener of the manch, said the courageous statement must be hailed by people of Jammu and Ladakh who had been suffering at the hands of leaders of Kashmir.

New Delhi, December 6
The Supreme Court today wanted to know from the Centre and the Jammu and Kashmir Government as to how Kashmiri migrants could go back to their home state when their houses had been auctioned.

“How can they go back,” a three-member Bench headed by Chief Justice SH Kapadia asked when Additional Solicitor-General Indira Jaisingh contended that the Centre’s economic package announced for the rehabilitation of the Kashmiri migrants in 2008 was meant only for those willing to return to the state.

The Bench, which included Justices KS Panicker Radhakrishnan and Swatanter Kumar, also wanted to know whether several cases were pending in the state High Court challenging the auctions.

The ASG and the state counsel acknowledged that such cases were pending in the High Court. The ASG said all these auctions were illegal as there was a statute against such sales.

“Without the houses, people are not going to return to their state,” the Bench clarified and directed the state government to submit a status report within two weeks on the implementation of the Central Government’s economic package, including the construction of new housing tenements and provision of jobs.

The Centre clarified that it had already transferred the relevant funds to the state account. The ASG said the Centre had filed an updated affidavit on the status of the package.

Earlier, the PIL petitioner, the All-India Kashmiri Samaj, had contended that the migrants were in no position to return as the state government had failed to take action against even a single person responsible for the killing of 2,000 people. These cases pending in the state should be transferred to some other state, it said.

Also, the state government had passed a law in the Assembly declaring the “distress sale” of properties by migrants as null and void. However, it backed out of implementing the law, stating it was against Constitutional provisions.

The migrants pleaded for the setting up of a committee headed by a retired Judge to monitor the implementation of the package.

Jammu, December 6
About 1,706 displaced youth,who are being recruited in various state government departments in the Valley under the Prime Minister’s Employment Package for Kashmiri Migrants,are getting ready to join their services as soon as possible.

The appointment orders were published in the print media. The appointees can also check the orders on the website of the Commissioner for Relief and Rehabilitation i.e jkmigrantrelief.nic.in.

The employment package will mark the return of displaced Kashmiri Pandits to the Valley and the youth will be encouraged to settle there.

The appointees and their families were in a jubilant mood today. One of them,Meenakshi Bhat,said:“During the last 2-3 years,many displaced Kashmiri boys and girls, who were appointed in the state government service in the Valley have not faced any problems and as such we are eager to do so.We will not listen to any propaganda by people with vested interests.”

Those who are married and have children are worried about the adjustment of their families in a way that does not disturb their family lives. Sunita Raina, who has got her appointment letter, but the name of her husband is figuring in the waiting list said: “I have a child and I am worried about the accommodation to ensure that my family, particularly my baby, does not get disturbed by my joining there.”

Vinod Koul, Commissioner for Relief and Rehabilitation, said no mess facility would be provided to the appointees in the Valley and they would have to make their own arrangements.

The appointees would have to submit the required documents to their respective district headquarters where they would join their duties.

The appointees had been asked to submit application forms for the allotment of shared residential accommodation to the Relief Commissioner’s office in two days, said Vinod Koul.

Jammu, December 6
Minister of State for Cooperative, Finance and Planning Manohar Lal Sharma today inaugurated a three-day employment fair at Phinter in Billawar tehsil of Kathua district today.

District Development Commissioner, Kathua, Zahida Parveen Khan; SDM, Billawar, Jatinder Kumar Singh; officers of various departments, besides a large number of people, including unemployed educated youth, were present on the occasion.

As many as 20 stalls have been installed in the fair by various departments, including sheep husbandry, animal husbandry, social welfare, cooperatives, fisheries, floriculture, agriculture, horticulture, handloom, handicrafts, District Industries Centre, Jammu and Kashmir Bank, State Bank of India, Nabard and the District Employment and Counselling Centre at Kathua.

On the first day, the Agriculture and District Employment and Counselling Centre, Kathua, gave a presentation of various schemes. Deputy Director, District Employment and Counselling Centre, Kathua, Nitasha Kalsotra, appealed to the youth to get them registered to avail the benefits under the Sher-i-Kashmir Employment and Welfare Programme for Youth.

Later the minister inaugurated a municipal committee building at Billawar constructed at an estimated cost of about Rs 16 lakh. — TNS

Jammu, December 6
The state government announced here today that all schools in the Kashmir valley would remain open in the winter. However, elementary classes would be exempted.

Chief Minister Omar Abdullah accepted a proposal of the School Education Board in this regard. At a high-level meeting chaired by Omar, it was decided that all government, private, high and higher secondary schools in Kashmir would remain open during the winter.

However, all elementary schools, including classes attached to high and higher secondary schools, would have winter vacation. However, the staff of the elementary schools needed for teaching at high and higher secondary stage should be retained as per requirement by heads of the institutions.

The state government also ordered that the functioning of private schools during the winter for high and higher secondary classes was mandatory. The managements were asked to make the necessary arrangements in this regard.

Those teaching during the period shall be entitled to one month’s earned leave as was applicable to non-vocational employees for which the heads of institutions concerned would make the necessary entries in their service records duly countersigned by the respective Chief Education Officers.

Lecturers working on academic arrangements would continue to work.

This would, however, not confer any right on them for permanent absorption or continuation in the department.

The state government also ordered that the Chief Education Officers of the respective districts would ensure effective heating arrangements in all high and higher secondary schools in their respective jurisdiction after observing all codal formalities or procedures. The funds for heating arrangements as per norms would be provided by the CEOs to the heads of institution well in time.

The Principal, SIE, Srinagar would be responsible for imparting necessary 10-day training to teaching personnel through the DIETs/SIE concerned and would develop a special capsule course for outgoing class XII students.

Jammu, December 6
The Jammu University SC/ST Employees Association observed “Nirvan Divas” on the university campus here today to pay tributes to Bharat Ratna Dr BR Ambedkar. Speaking on the occasion, association president RL Kaith said.

“Ambedkar was a renowned social reformer and politician. His emphasis was on unity and uniformity and that too not verbal but secured through provisions in the Constitution.”

He added that the best tribute to the great soul would be when people follow into his footsteps. 

Jammu, December 6
A Rashtriya Rifles Battalion, under the aegis of Counter-Insurgency Force (Delta), today flagged off an education-cum-motivational tour for the students of backward and remote areas of Doda district to Pune, Mumbai, Daman and Diu from the Tourist Reception Centre, Bhaderwah.

The tour has been organised under the Operation Sadhbhavana and the students will return on December 20. A total of 23 children and two teachers have been selected for the tour, said an Army spokesperson.

The tour was flagged off by the Sector Commander, Rashtriya Rifles, in the presence of other officers and a large number of civilian dignitaries and parents of the children.

During the tour, the students will visit the National Defence Academy, Khadakwasla, Osho Museum, Singarh Fort, Mahatma Phule Museum, Aga Khan Palace in Pune. Besides, the children will visit the INS Vikrant Museum, Nehru Planetarium, Haji Ali Masjid, Hanging Garden, Zoo, Elephanta Caves and the Choupati beach in Mumbai.

These children will also get an opportunity to meet and interact with the Governor of Maharashtra, K Sankaranarayanan.

The tour will subsequently move to Daman, where they will visit the Fort Moti Daman, Kadiaya Lake Garden, Bom Jesus Church and Jampore Beach.

At Diu, the contingent will visit the St. Thomas Church and Museum, Diu Fort, Nagau Beach and Jeti Garden.

The aim of this tour is to acquaint the children with the rich heritage of the country and increase their awareness about the culture, traditions, and economic prosperity of other parts of our nation. It also aims at developing a spirit of adventure and national integration among the children.

Srinagar, December 6
The first air courier service between Srinagar and Kargil in the Ladakh region began with 21 passengers flying from here to Kargil and 19 from Kargil to the summer capital in an Air Force AN-32 courier plane today.

An official spokesman here said Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir, Asgar Samoon had made elaborate arrangements for the Kargil-bound passengers. The Srinagar-Kargil road has been officially closed to vehicular traffic due to snowfall at Zojila.

The road linking the Kashmir valley with the frontier cold desert region of Ladahk remains closed till the end of May as Zojila experiences a heavy snowfall.

The flight would operate thrice a week, on every Monday, Wednesday and Thursday, between Srinagar and Kargil. A weekly flight, on every Tuesday, would also operate between Kargil and Jammu, the spokesman said.

The passengers assemble at Kargil House in Bemina here and taken to the airport in SRTC buses. The same buses ferry passengers arriving at the Srinagar airport to the Kargil House. In case of cancellation of flights, the passengers are provided refreshments at the airport.

Srinagar, December 6
The summer capital registered the coldest night of the season so far, with the mercury plummeting to minus 3.4°C as the Valley continued to reel under dry cold wave conditions.

Besides Srinagar, the other parts of Kashmir and the frontier region of Ladakh also witnessed intense cold as the mercury continued its downslide owing to clear skies and wet weather.

Leh district in Ladakh continued to be the coldest place in Jammu and Kashmir with a minimum of minus 12.8°C, followed by nearby Kargil where the night temperature dipped several degrees compared to the previous night and settled at minus 11.2°C.

The famous health resort of Pahalgam in south Kashmir was the coldest place in the Valley with a minimum of minus 4.7°C.

The ski resort of Gulmarg in north Kashmir recorded a low of minus 4.4°C while the border town of Kupwara, also in north, was reeling at minus 3.6°C, a spokesman for the MET office told PTI.

Meanwhile, Jammu recorded a minimum of 10°C. Katra, which serves as the base camp for the pilgrims visiting Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine, also showed a slight improvement in the night temperature, which was recorded at 8.2°C, he said.

The weatherman has forecast that dry conditions would continue but it may rain or snow at isolated places in the Valley over the next 24 hours. — PTI