Jammu, January 17
On their third visit to the Jammu region, the Centre’s interlocutors today broke ice with state BJP leaders and termed their first meeting with the party as satisfactory.

One of the interlocutors, Dileep Padgaonkar, though refusing to divulge what transpired at their first interaction with local BJP leaders, said it was a good beginning as they held detailed discussions on many important issues.

Facing criticism for not giving importance to Jammu-based political groups, the interlocutors,who are here on their third visit to the region, made it a point to reach out to the BJP and the Panthers Party. After reaching Jammu, they went to the office of the BJP at Kacchi Chowk and held discussions with party leaders for about one-and-a- half hour.

The state unit of the BJP had boycotted the first visit of the interlocutors to the city for their controversial statements in the Kashmir valley.The interlocutors,who visited Jammu again in December could not meet party leaders due to a goof-up by the local administration.

Meanwhile,interacting with mediapersons after the meeting, the newly appointed chief spokesman of the BJP, Dr Jatinder Singh, said the party highlighted the issue of discrimination against the Jammu and Ladakh regions. “To substantiate our allegations, we provided documented proofs to the interlocutors and they were convinced with the our arguments”, Singh claimed, and added “the interlocutors informed us that they had already sought records of funds allocated to different regions in the last two decades”.

The BJP delegation also drew their attention to the disparity in the creation of Assembly segments. “We have forcefully put forth our demand for the constitution of a delimitation commission to remove the disparity with the Jammu region”, he said.

“We asked the interlocutors to enquire from the state government about the criteria adopted for creating Assembly segments”, the Singh said, and added the party delegation informed them that despite having more voters and more geographical area, Jammu had less number of Assembly seats as compared to the Kashmir valley.

The delegation also demanded the abrogation of Article 370. “We requested them to hold a debate on Article 370”, the BJP spokesman said.

The interlocutors assured the BJP leaders that they would meet them again during their next visit in February. Later, the interlocutors met Panthers Party leaders who submitted a17-point charter to them.

New Delhi, January 17
Asking the state government not to just harp on “dream proposals”, the Supreme Court today wanted it to explain whether even one of the thousands of Kashmiri Pandits, who fled the Valley due to militancy, had been provided with house or employment.

The court’s remarks came on a petition filed by the All-India Kashmiri Samaj, which alleged that neither the state nor the Centre, was addressing the grievances of the Kashmiri Pandits who had been suffering for over two decades.

A three-judge Bench of Chief Justice SH Kapadia, Justice KS Radhakrishnan and Swatanter Kumar asked the state to come out with the actual data on the steps taken to ameliorate the plight of the Pandits.

“Tell us what have you done with your promise of providing 15,000 jobs.... Have you given a single job? Or for that matter have you given them a single house.
”We don’t want to go by your dream proposals, but want some firm action,” the Bench told state counsel while adjourning the matter by four weeks.

The apex court further asked the government to explain whether it had declared illegal even a single sale of house since hundreds of houses between 1990 and 1997 belonging to the Kashmiri Pandits had been auctioned and sold illegally by vested interests after the victims fled the Valley.

“Can you show us even one instance where you have set aside the sale and given it back to the victim?” the Bench queried. Counsel said he would respond to the posers at the next date of hearing.

The apex court during an earlier hearing had sought a response from the state government on the Rs 1,618-crore special package offered by the Centre for restoring properties and providing jobs to the Pandits.

It had then expressed reservations over the Centre’s scheme as it was not clear as to how the migrants on return would stay without any accommodation.

Additional Solicitor-General Indira Jaising had said the properties auctioned between 1990 and 1997 would be declared “illegal” and would be “restored”.

”All those auctions are illegal and they will be cancelled,” she had said.

However, according to the Centre, Rs 12.5 crore had already been allocated to the state government for providing transit housing to the migrants. An estimated 4.5 lakh Kashmiri Pandits had migrated from the Valley 20 years ago. — PTI

Srinagar, January 17
The PDP today lashed out at the NC-led coalition government for allegedly unleashing a reign of terror on the people.

Addressing mediapersons here today, PDP president Mehbooba Mufti also announced the party’s programme to hold demonstrations at all district headquarters in the state on Wednesday in support of its demands, including a resolution of the Kashmir issue, a reduction in troops, the revocation of AFSPA and the release of all those detained, particularly during the five- month-long turmoil last year.

The demonstrations would, however, not be held in Srinagar district in view of security arrangements being made ahead of the Republic Day celebrations, Mehbooba said.

The demonstrations would also focus on action on the return of power and water resources and the renegotiation of terms with the NHPC, hassle-free trans-LoC trade and travel, the resumption of a dialogue with all stakeholders, an improvement in governance and transparency in recruitments.

Mehbooba pointed out that during the past three months, it was expected that the government would change in its approach after the death of 115 persons that was followed by all- party meetings and the visit of an all-party parliamentary delegation to the state. “But the government instead of relaxing the elements of siege has further tightened its arrangements and methods of repression”, Mehbooba commented.

She added that her party sincerely hoped that things would change and there would be positive action by the government. “Our three-month-long self-imposed silence even invited criticism”, Mehbooba said, and added that things seemed to be going in the wrong direction with the government engaged in raking up non-issues to divert attention from real problems.

The PDP president claimed that the eight-point package announced by the Centre had been observed only in breach so far and nothing had been implemented on the ground. Instead of releasing those imprisoned, a large number of youth were being arrested even now, she alleged.

Mehbooba also expressed concern about the continued detention of the hardline Hurriyat Conference leaders, including Ghulam Nabi Sumjhi, Ashraf Sehrai, Moosa, Mohammad Shafi Reshi, and the High Court Bar Association president, Mian Abdul Qayoom, and his colleague, G.N Shaheen.

The PDP president also regretted the government’s approach on projecting the entire population as stone throwers and terrorists. “After attaching tags of LeT, paid agents and anti-nationals, it has defamed the youth throughout the country by issuing advisories like in Maharashtra”, Mehbooba said. This had threatened the safety of the youth in and outside the state.

Jammu, January 17
Tonnes of salt has been spread on the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway to make it motorable after heavy snowfall in the region left many stretches slippery.

“We have a difficult time as the snow on the road makes it highly slippery, where controlling a vehicle becomes difficult. So, we have spread several tonnes of salt to keep the highway motorable,” SSP, JK National Highway, Kifayat Hyder told PTI.

The frozen ice condition on the road are done away by spreading salt, which is the oldest method of not only clearing the highway or roads of snow but also to make them motorable. “Ice can still be seen on the road stretches in Patnitop, Kud and Banihal areas of the highway, he said.” He added it slowed down the traffic, which was already moving at the snail’s pace. “Work is going on round-the-clock. There was a heavy jam yesterday,” the SSP said.

The highway was open to one-way traffic from Jammu to Srinagar. However, no vehicle would be allowed to move from Srinagar to Jammu, he added.

Meanwhile, inter-district roads Batote-Kishtwar highway and Rajouri-Poonch highway were closed for vehicular traffic due to landslides, police officials said. The Batote-Kishtwar highway got blocked due to a landslide at Drabshalla yesterday and over 200 vehicles were stranded, they said. The Rajouri-Poonch highway was also blocked following a landslide at Dera-Ki Gali and the Surankote area today.

Meanwhile, chilly winds heightened the cold wave in the state today. Kargil town in the Ladakh region was the coldest, recording the minimum temperature of minus 16.8°C under a clear sky. — PTI

Jammu, January 17
Minister for Revenue and Relief Raman Bhalla along with DIG Farooq Khan and other officers today visited the house of Vijay Kumar,a vegetable vendor, who died allegedly in police custody yesterday, to console the bereaved family and offer financial help.

In another development, SHO, Janipur police station, Jaipal Sharma, who was attached to the Police Lines last evening, was again given the charge of officiating SHO of the police station.

Senior officers had claimed yesterday that the police had arrested Vijay Kumar from Katra in connection with a theft case registered against him at Janipur police station. He was arrested a day before his death, they had claimed,adding he was a drug addict and had died due to an overdose of drugs.

However, it was still not clear if Vijay was arrested on January 15, how did he get the drugs in police custody.

According to sources, the post-mortem report suggested no external injuries on the body of the deceased, but undigested meal was found in his stomach, .The sources said the report mentioned that Vijay had taken dinner before his death. A police officer said: “A magisterial probe has been ordered and the truth will come out shortly.” SSP Basant Rath could not be contacted even today.

This is not the only incident which has put a qustion mark over the functioning of the Jammu police.In May last year, a similar incident took place at Bakshi Nagar police station when an auto-rickshaw driver allegedly died in police custody.

Jammu, January 17
As a goodwill gesture, the Romeo Force of the Army sent 23 schoolchildren from far-flung and militancy-hit Poonch district on an educational tour, Paigam-e-Aman, today.

During the tour, the children will visit the INS, Mumbai, Naval Dockyard, Gateway of India, Nehru Planetarium, Marine Drive, Haji Ali and Essel World Amusement Park in Mumbai; Commando School, Junior Leader Wing and Maratha Regimental Centre Museum in Belgaum and the National Defence Academy, College of Military Engineering, Army Sports Institute, Bajaj Auto factory, offices of Telco, Infosys and Wipro and the Kelkar Museum in Pune.

Major-Gen KAS Bhullar, GOC of Counter-Insurgency Force (Romeo), flagged off the tour from Surankote today.

Prominent military and civilian dignitaries were present on the occasion. The guest of honour during an interaction with the children urged them to make the most of the opportunity and see the enormous developments taking place in the country. The locals and the parents of the children expressed gratitude to the Army.

Meanwhile, to highlight the services of the Army in support of the local population, a Sadbhavana Mela was organised under the aegis of the Romeo Force at Surankote today.

KL Khajuria, Deputy Commissioner, Poonch, lauded the efforts of the Rashtriya Rifles in restoring normalcy and improving socio-economic conditions of the people by infrastructure development through Operation Sadbhavana.

Srinagar, January 17
The police has detained a Class XII student here for allegedly espousing the separatist cause on a social networking site, Facebook.

Irfan Ahmad Bhat was picked up for questioning by a special investigation team of the Jammu and Kashmir Police from the Ganderpora locality of downtown Srinagar on the weekend, official sources said today.

Hailing from the Nigeen locality, the youth was being questioned by the police’s cyber cell for his alleged role in establishing an “anti-national” group on Facebook. “Bhat has not been arrested. He is being interrogated for his role in establishing a group on Facebook by the name of ‘Kalekharab’,” a senior police officer said.

Kalekharab, which means ‘hotheaded’, is one among hundreds of pages that have sprouted on Facebook and vow support for the independence of Kashmir. — PTI

Jammu, January 17
Government schools have claimed that they have completed the entire syllabus of the Class X and XII board examinations that are scheduled to commence from March.

The Board of School Education (BOSE) has issued a date sheet for the commencement of board examinations from March. The Class X examination is scheduled from March 14 to 28 and the examination of Class XII is scheduled from March 1 to April 13.

JK Sooden, principal, Ranbir Higher Secondary School, said, “We have completed more than 95 per cent syllabus of both board classes. We started the academic session earlier in April due to which we were able to complete the syllabus on time”.

He added that students of Class X had started revising their syllabus and the students of Class XII were appearing in internal examination being conducted by the school.

Similarly, Shresta Sharma, principal of Government Girls High School, Resham Ghar, said they had completed the entire syllabus of Class X.

“The students of Class X have been revising the syllabus from the first week of the month and we are expecting that our students will secure good marks in the examination,” she said.

She added that the students were happy with the date sheet issued by the board.

Jammu, January 17
Peeved over the alleged “nonchalant attitude” of the state government, employees of the Public Health Engineering (PHE) Department today announced a 72-hour “Kaam Chodo” strike from February 15.

“If the government failed to concede to our demands by February 14, we will go on a 72- hour strike from February 15,” leaders of the PHE Employees Union and the Joint Consultative Committee (JCC) told mediapersons here today.

The agitating employees served the ultimatum on the state government during a protest held at the PHE’s Mechanical Division at Panama Chowk here. They have been demanding an enhancement in the daily wages to Rs 110 per day, as promised by the government.

The employee leaders also decided to stage a dharna outside the Civil Secretariat on February 1. JCC leader Khurshid Alam said, “We have already afforded enough time to the government to accept our long pending demands, but it has turned a Nelson’s eye towards our demands.”

Another leader Kartar Chand said the state Cabinet had taken a decision in August 2009 to enhance the daily wages of workers in the PHE Department from Rs 70 to Rs 110 in Jammu province. “A similar assurance was given to the PHE employees by PHE Minister Taj Mohi-ud-Din in a written agreement which, hitherto, had not been honoured,” he said.

Kartar added after year 1994 the government had consistently failed to form any policy to regularise the services of daily wage workers serving in the department. “The government should regularise the services of those who have completed five years as daily wage workers in the department,” he said.

Kartar cited the example of Rehbar-e-Taleem (ReT) teachers, whose services had been regularised in the Education Department. The PHE employees also needed a policy akin to the ReT teachers, he said. Another leader Subhash Verma flayed the transfer policy adopted by the PHE Department. “The government should transfer a PHE employee to sections in a tehsil within 20 km. We have met the minister concerned and even he agreed to our demand. However, the demand remains unfulfilled,” said Verma.

The autocratic attitude of the higher authorities, including the minister, vis-à-vis the new transfer policy had created a feeling of alienation among the employees, he added.

Jammu, January 17
The Marshal of the Indian Air Force (IAF), Arjan Singh, will be visiting the Jammu Air Force Station on January 20.

He will inaugurate the newly-constructed Air Warriors’ living-in accommodation which is named after the Marshal as the Arjan Singh Block.

He will also visit various units, interact with personnel of the Air Force Station and schoolchildren.

He was born on April 15, 1919 in Lyalpur (Pakistan). In 1938, he was selected for the Empire Pilot Training course at RAF, Cranwell. After commissioning in December 1938, he was posted to the Air Force Squadron Headquarters at Ambala. In 1944, he led the squadron against the Japanese during the Arakan Campaign in the Burma Theatre. He provided close flying support during the crucial Imphal Campaign and later assisted the advance of the Allied forces to Rangoon, Burma.

For his role in successfully leading the squadron in combat, he received the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) in 1944.

On August 15, 1947, he had the honour of leading the fly-past of over a 100 IAF aircraft over the Red Fort.

On August 1, 1964, he took over as the Chief of the Air Staff in the rank of Air Marshal and was the first Air Chief who kept his flying category till his CAS rank.

He has flown over 60 different types of aircraft from the pre-WW-II era biplanes to the Super Constellation. Marshal of the Indian Air Force Arjan Singh led the Air Force through the 1965 war and was awarded with the Padma Vibhushan for his leadership. Subsequently, in recognition of the Air Force’s contribution during the war, his rank was upgraded to that of the Air Chief Marshal and Arjan Singh became the first Air Chief Marshal of the Indian Air Force.

After his retirement, he served the country as the Indian Ambassador to Switzerland from 1971-74, as the Indian High Commissioner to Kenya from 1974-77 and Lt- Governor of Delhi from 1989-90.

In recognition of his services, the Government of India conferred him the rank of the Marshal of the Indian Air Force on January 25, 2002, making him the first and the only ‘Five Star’ rank officer of the Indian Air Force.