The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

	Good monsoon augurs well for RS Pura rice growers Archit Watts Tribune News Service RS Pura, August 29 Farmers of RS Pura, known as the rice bowl of the state, are expecting a higher yield as the rainfall so far has been about 846.8 mm. “Last year, the monsoon was weak, which adversely affected the production.But this year, the recent heavy rain has helped in the proper growth of the crop,” said Gurdeep Singh, a rice grower. This correspondent talked to a number of farmers. “ We are expecting the yield to double, as the rain and the Agriculture Department have been helpful to us,” said Chaudhary Dev Raj, president of the RS Pura Rice Growers Association. The Agriculture Department had provided hybrid seeds to the farmers this year, which would increase the production. “Now, the government should make arrangements to ensure that the farmers get remunerative prices for their produce,” said Dev Raj. Meanwhile, officials of the Agriculture Department said they were also expecting a high yield and were arranging buyer-seller meets at various places across the state. “As per our fresh survey reports, the crop will be ready by the end of October.There has been an increase of 20 per cent in the total sown area this year, which will also lead to an overall increase in the production,” said VK Bhakri, joint director, Agriculture Department.So far, the crop had not come under any pest attack,he added. Scientists in the Agronomy Department of the Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology (SKUAST) also said that the monsoon this year would be good for the rice growers.
	Traffic restrictions in Lal Chowk to facilitate shoppers Tribune News Service Srinagar, August 29 Restrictions were imposed on the plying of vehicles in the Lal Chowk area today to ensure a free movement of Eid shoppers. “This practice was adopted for the first time in Kashmir and it showed good results,” said HK Lohia, IGP, Traffic. He added that the people were able to shop in a pollution-free and relaxed atmosphere. Around 10,000 vehicles pass through Lal Chowk everyday. Parking slots for shoppers were also identified about half a kilometre away from the shopping areas, Lohia said. The main markets, including Lal Chowk, and other areas of the capital and other major towns of the Valley witnessed a heavy rush of shoppers ahead of Eid-ul-Fitr. The markets bore a festive look and the shopkeepers did a brisk business. The restrictions will remain in force today and tomorrow and in case, Eid is celebrated on Thursday,t hese will be extended till Wednesday.
	CPM welcomes amnesty, Geelani calls it insufficient Tribune News Service Srinagar, August 29 CPM state secretary and MLA, Kulgam, MY Tarigami, has welcomed the decision of the state government to give general amnesty to youths involved in 1,200 cases of stone throwing last year and urged the government to implement the decision at the earliest. Tarigami said here today that political prisoners lodged in various jails under the Public Safety Act should also be released. The two confidence-building measures would help create an atmosphere of peace, trust and reconciliation. He also reiterated the party’s demand that the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) and the Disturbed Areas Act (DAA) should be revoked. In view of the overall improvement in the situation in the state, he said it was the ideal time to work for the revocation of AFSPA and DAA. Meanwhile, the chairman of the hardline faction of the Hurriyat Conference,Syed Ali Geelani,today described the amnesty plan as “insufficient and a late step,”. Reacting to Chief Minister Omar Abdullah’s announcement in this regard yesterday,Geelani criticised Omar for his remarks that the youth had been used by “vested interests” and separatists.He added that the demonstrations last year were against the fake encounter in the Macchil sector on the LoC in which three youths were shot dead and other killings. The Hurriyat leader also reiterated his demand that all the political prisoners should be released immediately. Geelani said there was no mention of the killing of 121 youths by the police and the CRPF during the violence and no action had been taken against the guilty. Such confidence-building measures will help create an atmosphere of peace, trust and reconciliation. — MY Tarigami, CPM state secretary It is insufficient and a late step — Syed Ali Geelani, Hurriyat Conference leader
	Romeo Force reviews security scenario in Rajouri, Poonch Tribune News Service Jammu, August 29 The Counter Insurgency Force (Romeo), along with other security forces, including the BSF, the police and the civil administration, reviewed the security scenario in twin districts of Rajouri and Poonch at its Palma headquarters today. The meeting chaired by Maj-Gen GS Shergill, General Officer Commanding, Romeo Force, was attended by GA Khwaja, Deputy Commissioner, Rajouri; Ajit Kumar Sahu, Deputy Commissioner, Poonch; Rajesh Kumar Yadav, DIG, Rajouri-Poonch Range; S Kapoor, Deputy DIG, BSF, Rajouri and Poonch; Ashkoor Ahmed Wani, Senior Superintendent of Police Poonch; VS Samyal, Senior Superintendent of Police, Rajouri, and representatives of various security and intelligence agencies. In his opening speech, Maj-Gen Shergill exhorted the efforts of the civil administration, the police and security agencies for the conduct of peaceful panchayat elections and incident-free visit of over 50,000 pilgrims for the Amarnath yatra. He stressed the need for a cohesiveness in intelligence-sharing by fastest means and conduct of counter-terrorist operations based on hard specific intelligence. He said the coordination between all the security forces at various levels of functioning was the need of the hour to achieve a synergy in operations against terrorists. Participants expressed views on improving the prevailing security situation and the measures to be taken for maintaining peace and tranquility in the twin districts of Rajouri and Poonch. The GOC thanked all the participants for their contribution.
	Better facilities at migrant township demanded Tribune News Service Jammu, August 29 A delegation of the Kashmira Vahini, a welfare organisation of displaced Kashmiri Pandits, today demanded better civic amenities for those community members who were living in the Jagati Migrant Township, near Nagrota, here. The delegation visited the township to know about the plight of the migrants and held a meeting with the community members, particularly women, yesterday. During the meeting, the township residents complained that the government had not identified any place nearby to serve as a cremation ground and they had to travel 10 to 15 km for cremating the dead, said Meenakshi Sidha, a Kashmiri Pandit. She said the transport facilities were also poor there. The delegation assured the members of the displaced community that the struggle for better infrastructure in the township would be intensified.
	Sikh bodies protest Ashutosh Maharaj’s proposed visit Tribune News Service Jammu, August 29 Tension is brewing in the capital city here over the proposed August 30 visit of the head of the Divya Jyoti Jagriti Sansthan, Ashutosh Maharaj, as the district administration remains undecided on allowing the function and various Sikh organisations threatening protests against it. Representatives of various Sikh bodies and heads of gurdwaras met Sanjeev Verma, Deputy Commissioner, Jammu, and Raj Kumar Bhagat, Assistant Commissioner, here today. They demanded that the proposed visit and “satsang” be banned. Announcements were also made in various gurdwaras here informing the Sikh community about the proposed visit of the “godman” and his activities. Sikh leader Avtar Singh Khalsa told The Tribune that during the meeting, the Deputy Commissioner informed a Sikh delegation that no permission had been given for the satsang in the city tomorrow. He also informed that nobody would be allowed to vitiate the peaceful atmosphere of the city. “He (Ashutosh Maharaj) has already tried to vitiate the peaceful atmosphere in Punjab and now wants to do the same in Jammu. But we will not allow his nefarious designs to succeed,” Khalsa said. In the afternoon, members of the Sikh community staged a protest outside the Divisional Commissioner’s office demanding the cancellation of the proposed visit.
	Free Jammu youth held during Amarnath land row: Bajrang Dal Jammu, August 29 Accusing the state government of adopting double standards, the Bajrang Dal said today that while amnesty for stone throwers in the Valley had been announced, those arrested during the 2008 Amarnath land agitation had been ignored. “We are demanding that the government should release 196 youths arrested during the Amarnath land agitation in 2008 and withdraw cases against them,” state coordinator of the Bajrang Dal Rakesh Sharma said here today. “There cannot be two set of rules for youths of Kashmir and Jammu,” said Sharma, who led the protest against the government for announcing general amnesty for stone throwers. Chief Minister Omar Abdullah yesterday announced amnesty for 1,200 youths arrested for stone throwing during the unrest in the Valley last year. — PTI
	Poonch Fake Encounter Youth’s body to be exhumed today Ravi Krishnan Khajuria Tribune News Service Jammu, August 29 The body of a mentally challenged youth, allegedly killed in a fake encounter by the security forces in Surankote on August 6 this year, could not be exhumed today. The body was to be exhumed in the presence of a magistrate for collecting a fresh DNA sample. Earlier, the Poonch police had sent a “clotted” DNA sample of the slain youth to the FSL, Hyderabad, which hampered the investigation. The initial sample was taken in formalin solution, which doesn’t preserve it beyond 30 hours. “The last three days were holidays. Therefore, AK Sahu, Deputy Commissioner, Poonch, who had a meeting with the Romeo Force today, couldn’t issue orders to exhume the body,” Ashkoor Wani, SSP, Poonch, told The Tribune over the phone. “We hope that the Deputy Commissioner will issue the orders tomorrow. Even if we get the orders by tomorrow afternoon, the body will be exhumed in the presence of a magistrate and a team of doctors will collect a fresh DNA sample,” the SSP said. This time, it would be ensured that the sample was collected in saline solution, police sources said. Subsequently, it would be sent to Hyderabad for DNA profiling with the samples of two others, who had staked claim to the slain youth’s body, they added. “After we sought an explanation from the doctors about the collection of the sample in a formalin solution, they said the formalin solution was the usual practice to collect such samples,” said the sources. “We want to establish the identity of the deceased and find out his family and, hence, the question of complacency doesn’t arise at all,” the sources added. On August 7, a day after the fake encounter, the Army had claimed that it had killed a top Lashkar-e-Toiba commander, Abu Usman, alias Adnan of Pakistan, in a fierce gunfight, who later turned out to be a mentally challenged youth.
	Dept of Posts to expand operations Tribune News Service Jammu, August 29 Chief Postmaster-General, Jammu and Kashmir, John Samuel said here today that the Department of Posts planned to expand its infrastructure and operations across the state. In a press note issued here, Samuel said the Katra post office would be developed into a tourist office and the working hours of the Bhawan post office would be extended for the benefit of Mata Vaishno Devi pilgrims. “Besides, a new post office at Ransu (Shiv Khori) will be opened to facilitate tourists as a large number of people visit this place. Within a month, a new post office will also start functioning at the Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology,” he said. Samuel added that a departmental mail motor service would also start running between Jammu and Samba shortly. A philatelic exhibition would also be held in Leh from September 1 to 5. Nearly 20,000 stamps depicting the themes mainly related to Ladakh would be displayed at the exhibition, which would be inaugurated by Governor NN Vohra.
	2 JeM militants killed in encounter Tribune News Service & PTI Srinagar/rajouri, August 29 Two militants of the Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM), including a foreigner, were killed in an encounter with the security forces in the Mitrigam area of Pulwama district this afternoon, while security forces busted a hideout of militants in Rajouri district. The killed militants have been identified as Ikram Bhai, a foreign militant, and Farooq Ahmed Lone, a resident of Aglar village, a defence spokesman here said. Two AK-47 rifles along with ammunition were seized from the site of the encounter. The operation was still on when the reports last came in, he said. Acting on a tip-off about the presence of the militants, the police and the Army launched a joint operation in Mitrigam in the Romu area of Pulwama district, ensuing the encounter, the spokesman said. He added that both militants were active in the area and were involved in a number of incidents. Meanwhile, the security forces busted a hideout of militants and seized arms and ammunition in Rajouri district today. Acting on a tip-off, personnel of the 60 Rashtriya Rifles and the police busted the hideout in the Chika Khet area of the Pir Panjal ranges under the jurisdiction of Budhal police station in the district, a police officer said. They seized two Chinese pistols, two magazines, six rounds, 30 rounds of Pika rifle and one Pika ammunition belt, he said.
	Govt to upgrade sports infrastructure: Chib Tribune News Service Jammu,August 29 The Department of Youth Services and Sports, Jammu and Kashmir, and the J&K Sports Council today celebrated National Sports Day on the birth anniversary of hockey wizard late Major Dhyan Chand at Hakku Stadium here today. Minister for Medical and Technical Education, Youth Services and Sports R.S. Chib was the chief guest. Speaking on the occasion, Chib said National Sports Day was of immense importance as it was celebrated all over the world. Describing Major Dhyan Chand as a sports legend,Chib said the late hockey wizard brought laurels to the country by winning consecutive trophies in Olympics in 1928 in Amsterdam, in 1932 in Los Angeles and in 1936 in Berlin. He said it was the endeavour of the state government to promote sports culture and the potential of games in the state by providing upgraded sports infrastructure, environment and incentives to outstanding sportspersons. He said the Department of Youth Services and Sports had decided to give awards to outstanding sportspersons in future to boost their morale. He said that scholarships were also being provided to renowned sportspersons. Chib said the sports council and the civil society had to play a pivotal role in promoting the sports culture, besides providing an appropriate platform to young players. Chib also announced that a sports academy would soon be set up at an estimated cost of Rs 40 lakh and three football stadiums would also be constructed. He said the department recently organised the Kashmir Premier League in Srinagar and would soon hold it in Jammu in October.