Jammu, March 23
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah today renewed his appeal to separatists to be part of the process of “political engagement” in the state and come forward to hold talks with the Centre’s interlocutors.

“They (separatists) should come forward for talks with interlocutors. There is no need for them to surrender, no need to sign any documents (to hold talks with the interlocutors),” Omar told the state Legislative Assembly.

Winding up a discussion on demands for grants for his departments, Omar said, “You (separatists) do not have to sign any agreement or paper. Come forward and hold talks. If you can freely say outside about Azadi, merger with Pakistan, Plebiscite, they should tell it to the interlocutors”.

“They (interlocutors) have never said that they were not ready to listen to them. They have not laid any pre-condition,” he said ,adding it (separatists point of view) would be registered in their report once they meet them and the Centre would have to look over it.

Terming the Kashmir issue as a political problem, Omar stressed the need for engaging people of the region politically to solve the problem. He said economic packages were must for the development of the state, but the problem could only be solved by taking a few bold political decisions. He added that for taking such initiatives, conducive atmosphere was a must.

The Chief Minister was of the view that appointment of the interlocutors was a big step towards engaging the people of the state in the political process. However, he expressed his reservation over the way the interlocutors had been giving reports in instalments. “Instead of going to the media, these interlocutors should work as facilitator of dialogue and should engage those in the dialogue process, who have not come forward so far,” he said and suggested the interlocutors to submit their final report after meeting all people instead of releasing it in instalments.

In an obvious reference towards the Hurriyat leaders, who have not met the interlocutors so far, Omar said there were no pre-conditions for meeting, so I failed to understand why they (Hurriyat leaders) were hesitating to hold dialogue with the interlocutors. Taking a dig at the Opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for trying to score political points on all issues, Omar said peace was imperative for revoking laws like the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) and the Distributed Area Act (DAA). “Let peace prevail in the Valley, such steps will be automatically taken by the government,” he said and reminded that in the year 2009, the process was started to withdraw troops from the civilians areas, but situation further deteriorated during the summer of 2010. He added that during the past five months, the situation had improved in the Valley due to which 39 bunkers of the CRPF were removed recently.

(With PTI inputs)

Jammu, March 23
Allegation made by PDP spokesman Nayeem Akhtar and MLA Nizam-ud-din Bhat at a press conference on August 25 against Chief Minister Omar Abdullah took a dramatic turn today when Bhat stood up in the Assembly and sought an apology and withdrew the allegation.

In the said press conference, both PDP leaders had alleged that the Chief Minister was guilty of huge kickbacks of 500 crore. They had claimed that they would provide evidence for the same.

On the same evening, Finance Minister Abdul Rahim Rather refuted the allegations categorically at a press conference and challenged the PDP and the two legislators to prove charges or face legal action.

Since both Bhat and Akhtar failed to provide any evidence, a criminal defamation case was lodged and the court issued warrants and started legal proceedings against them.

In a statement here today, Bhat, the main accused in the criminal defamation case, sought public apology in the House and withdrew all allegations. Omar appreciated the MLA for showing magnanimity in accepting the truth and decided to withdraw the case against him. However, he said the criminal defamation case would continue against Akthar, unless he also withdraws his allegations.

Jammu, March 23
The state government today tabled a Bill in the Legislative Assembly to enact a law to prohibit ragging in educational institutions and to give severe punishment to those found committing or abetting the crime.

Tabling the Bill in the Assembly, Minister of Higher Education Abdul Gani Malik said that the practice of ragging in educational institutions had assumed an alarming dimension, which needed to be curbed so as to make educational institutions ragging-free.

“The Supreme Court has also taken strong note of the menace of ragging and has formulated guidelines, which would be introduced by the University Grants Commission (UGC) in educational institutions,” he said.

The anti-ragging law would be called as Jammu and Kashmir Prohibition of Ragging Act, 2011. “From the date of commencement of the Act, ragging within or outside any educational institutions in the state shall be prohibited and no person shall commit, abet, propagate or participate in ragging within or outside any educational institution,” Malik said. The Bill reads: “Whosoever directly or indirectly commits or participate in or abets or propagates ragging within or outside any educational institution shall, on conviction, be punished with imprisonment for a term which may be extended to two years or with a fine which may be extended to Rs 10,000 or with both.”

“And in case the particular person committing or abetting ragging is not identified”, the Bill reads, “every person participating in, or present at, such ragging activity shall be liable to punishment under the Act and collective punishment shall be resorted to so as to act as a deterrent punishment and to ensure collective pressure on the potential raggers.”

Malik said any student convicted of an offence under the Act shall be removed from the rolls of the educational institution and would not be admitted in any educational institution in the state for a period of three years from the date of such removal. It is clearly mentioned in the Bill that it shall be the duty of every educational institution to prevent ragging by clearly mentioning related guidelines on the prospectus, form of admission or any other literature issued to the aspirants for admission.

Jammu, March 23
Advocating the strengthening of relations among the people of the three regions of the state, and vis-a-vis between the state and the rest of the country, PDP senior leader and former Deputy Chief Minister Muzaffar Hussain Beig today said “trust deficit” should be removed to strengthen the regional bond.

“We need to reduce trust deficit between the people of Jammu and Kashmir and India vis-a-vis among the people of all the three regions of the state to strengthen the bond of integration," Beig said while speaking in the Legislative Assembly.

He said, "The people of Jammu have trust deficit for the people of Kashmir and we need to reduce this." On the present Kashmir situation, he said, "Kashmir is a political situation and it cannot be solved through development. The issue is needed to be settled down in view of present Kashmir situation; nobody is interested in investing to promote tourism."

The PDP leader said big and transparent initiatives are required to settle down the issue. "PDP is always blamed for adding fuel to the fire but we assure the government that we will never hatch a conspiracy to pull you down from the chair."

Srinagar, March 23
The process of filing of nominations for the 16-phase panchayat elections in Jammu and Kashmir began here last evening.

The panchayat elections, which are seen as a powerful tool to strengthen the democracy at the grassroots level, are being held on a non-party basis with none of the mainstream political parties officially fielding their candidates. The elections, being held after a gap of 10 years, will elect 4,130 village heads and 29,719 panchayat members in 143 development blocks of the state.

“Any political party intervening directly in the panchayat elections will be in violation of the modal code of conduct,” said an official of the Election Office here.

The main Opposition party in the state legislature, the People's Democratic Party (PDP), has expressed reservation about the decision to hold the panchayat elections on a non-party basis.

“The PDP will work out a strategy for the panchayat polls after the end of the ongoing Budget session of the state legislature,” said PDP spokesperson Naeem Akhtar.

“Although we are not directly involved in the panchayat elections, it is important to ensure that honest candidates are fielded because ultimately the democratic dispensation at the grassroots level is to be made by the sarpanches and panches, who are elected through these elections,” said a leader of the ruling National Conference-Congress coalition.

Jammu, March 23
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah today announced in the Assembly that a Bill to increase the salaries of the legislators would be introduced in the on-going session.

Responding to the demands of members of all political parties in the Assembly, Omar said that demand of the members was genuine and the government had decided to re-introduce the Bill, which had been already prepared by the government. He said that a consensus would also be evolved in this regard.

On the Constituency Development Fund allotted to all members, Omar said that the matter would be discussed with the Finance and Planning departments before taking the final decision. — TNS

Jammu, March 23
A total of 475 Special Police Officers have been killed since eruption of militancy in Jammu and Kashmir, the government said today.

475 SPOs have laid down their lives in terrorist incidents since eruption of militancy in the state, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said in reply to a question in the Assembly.

Regarding payment of compensation to the next of kin of the deceased SPOs, he said that power to grant ex-gratia in this respect is vested with the DGP since March 2001.

Out of 265 cases received since March 2001, 262 have been settled for which Rs 5,19,50,000 was sanctioned, while remaining three cases are under process.

With regard to compassionate appointments in this respect, Abdullah said the Deputy Commissioners (DCs) of the concerned districts are vested with the powers of making such appointments.

However, to expedite the disposal of the cases of deceased SPOs, the DGP has been authorised to make appointment of an eligible family member of an SPO killed in militancy related violence in the police department.

He said 7 such appointments have been made in the state police. — PTI

Jammu, March 23
Minister for Medical Education RS Chib has said that a super-speciality hospital in Jammu will be completed and made functional by the mid of this year at a cost of Rs 122 crore with the state-of-the-art facilities. He said this while presiding over a meeting of the officers convened to review the pace of work on the mega project here today.

Chib directed the executing agency to complete the work within a stipulated time frame. He called for submission of a weekly progress report to the Principal Secretary, Health and Medical Education. He added that the executing agency should bring difficulties, if any, into the notice of the higher authority for a timely action.

He urged the executing agency to adhere to the timeline fixed for the completion of the project while making it clear that no further delay would be tolerated.

Referring to the construction of a multi-storied parking on the premises of the hospital, Chib directed the authorities concerned for the construction of parking slots with capacity for further expansion. He called for outsourcing diet, laundry, security and sanitation for the hospital.

The meeting was informed that the civil, mechanical and electrical work of the project had been completed and the CPWD would maintain the hospital for two years from its inception.

Those who attended the meeting included Dr RK Jerath, Principal Secretary, Health and Medical Education; Dr Rakesh Khajuria, Director, Family Welfare; Dr Rajinder Singh, Principal, GMC, Jammu; Bashir Ahmad Dar, Chief Engineer, PWD, besides representatives from the Jammu Municipal Corporation, PDD and the CPWD.

Jammu, March 23
A two-day seminar on “Teacher Education-Challenges and Initiatives” organised by the KCS College of Education (Women) concluded here today.

The seminar was sponsored by the National Assessment and Accreditation Council, Bangalore, and 55 papers were presented. The first technical session was held on March 22, wherein papers on the sub-theme “Total Quality Management in Teacher Education” were presented.

On the concluding day of the seminar, four technical sessions were held.

The second technical session was chaired by Prof Lokesh Koul, Prof Emeritus, Himachal Pradesh University, Shimla, and papers on the sub-theme “Comprehensive and Continuous Evaluation - A Proposed Initiative on Teacher Education” were presented.

Prof Koul, in his concluding remarks, gave a detailed description of the concept of comprehensive and continuous evaluation and its need in the present education scenario.

The third session was chaired by Prof YK Sharma, dean, Department of Education, HP University, in which papers on sub-theme “Knowledge Management- Access and Delivery” were presented.

Srinagar, March 23
The separatist leadership in the Kashmir valley have welcomed the report released by the Amnesty International in which the Public Safety Act (PSA) has been termed as the ‘Lawless Law’. They have termed it as a vindication of their stand.

The chairman of the hardline faction of the Hurriyat conference, Syed Ali Shah Geelani said, “We are thankful to the Amnesty International for highlighting the human rights violations being committed on the people of Kashmir and their demand for immediate repeal of the PSA and the AFSPA”.

The chairman of the moderate faction of the Hurriyat conference, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq said, “The Amnesty International has virtually said that Jammu and Kashmir is a police state and there is no accountability. We are hopeful that they will take these issues with the Central Government at the highest level and ensure justice is done to the people of the state”.

Another senior separatist leader and chairman of the JKLF, Mohammed Yasin Malik said, “The Centre and the state government should stop the human rights violations in the state. Detentions under the PSA are administrative detentions without any chargesheet and trial. This is criminalisation of dissent in Kashmir and punishing people for years without trial”.

While the separatists have welcomed the report of the Amnesty International, the mainstream parties like the PDP have termed the report as a “black spot” on the democratic system of the Country.

Jammu, March 23
A bootlegger was today arrested in Bishnah, near here, under the Public Safety Act (PSA). He had been booked earlier 20 times for selling illicit liquor, the police said.

The accused, Amarjit Singh (45), alias Kaka, a resident of Deoli village in the Bishnah tehsil of the RS Pura subdivision, was today sent to the district jail, Jammu.

The police said his family had been a habitual offender, as Amarjit’s mother had also been a bootlegger, who had been booked 10 times under the Jammu and Kashmir Excise Act for selling illicit liquor in the area.

In view of the ensuing panchayat elections, the production and consumption of illicit liquor has alarmingly increased in the area.

Shailender Singh, SP Headquarters, said: “The accused was counselled by many senior police officials from time to time, but to no avail. Today, he was arrested under the PSA.”