The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

	Udhampur-Katra rail link by year-end Devinder Thakur Katra, January 30 The Udhampur-Katra rail section will get operational by the year-end, providing a direct link to the pilgrims visiting the Vaishno Devi shrine to the Katra base camp. While the Katra station is almost ready, work on the Udhampur-Katra line is under way and is expected to be commissioned by December, 2012, said the Adviser to the Chief Minister, Mubarak Gul, while chairing a meeting convened to review the progress of land acquisition cases under various state and centrally-sponsored development schemes here on Saturday. This will help pilgrims, especially women, children and the elderly, reach Katra without having to halt at Jammu. The current rail link up to Udhampur fails to serve the purpose, as pilgrims have to travel around 30 km by road to reach Katra. With the completion of the project by the end of this year, pilgrims from across the country can reach the Katra base camp by train. The facility is also expected to give a push to the economy of the area. The 53-km long Jammu-Udhampur rail line is already operational. Once the 25-km-long Udhampur-Katra line, which is part of the Kashmir rail link project, becomes operational, trains can reach Katra from anywhere in the country. Katra town in Reasi is the base camp for pilgrims visiting the Vaishno Devi shrine, which witnesses at least 10 million devotees every year. The Udhampur-Katra rail route, estimated to cost Rs 928 crore, passes through inhospitable terrain, making it an extremely challenging engineering project. An official of Northern Railway at Katra said the 25-km-long route consists of seven tunnels and 30 small and big bridges, including one which is higher than the Qutub Minar when measured from the ground. The total length of the seven tunnels is 12 km. While the construction of five tunnels has been completed, work is under way on two tunnels - T1 and T3. The project has been delayed due to some problems in the construction of the two tunnels. “A portion of the 3-km-long T1 collapsed due to seepage, dealing a blow to the project,” an official said. Also, the engineers constructing the T3 were faced with challenge of plugging the constant flow of trapped water in the construction area. “The problem has been rectified and the tunnelling work is nearing completion,” he said, adding that the latest Austrian tunnelling method was being used in the project.
	PDP lent credibility to electoral process, says Mehbooba Tribune News Service Srinagar, January 30 The opposition PDP president, Mehbooba Mufti, has said the party had a realistic and pragmatic vision that could transform the state into a dynamic and developed one and it had proven it credentials already. Addressing party workers at Budgam, near here, today, Mehbooba claimed that the performance of the PDP in coalition with the Congress had set new standards of governance that “helped the people distinguish between good and bad governance”. She said the arrival of the PDP on the scene had redefined the rules of politics in the state with people, for the first time, getting an alternative to monopolistic forces. This, she said, had introduced elements of “performance audit, political accountability and governance consciousness”. She pointed out that the participation of the PDP in the election process with a solid agenda for resolution and good governance had lent credibility to the electoral process in the state for the first time since independence, though the process was yet to be fully cleansed of manipulation and “tactical management”. The PDP president said the situation in the state had started turning around after the historic initiatives of the PDP-Congress coalition but subsequent events led to a reversal of all these initiatives. The previous government had brought in significant reforms in the crucial power sector by enlisting people’s cooperation and a major improvement in quality of everybody’s life had occurred. Similarly for the first time, foreign investment was secured from Asian Development Bank in the water, roads and drinking water sectors. Mehbooba said the economic activity had received a major boost by the revival of tourism activity.
	Delhi HC Blast Fallout Govt begins regulation of cyber cafés Owners to keep record of visitors’ ID, maintain log register Arteev Sharma Tribune News Service Jammu, January 30 Almost four months after a blast rocked the Delhi High Court, which was masterminded in a cyber café in the hilly Kishtwar town last year, the Jammu and Kashmir government has started the registration of all cafés in the state to keep a strict vigil over the Netizens. The sensitive Jammu and Kashmir — unlike other states of the countries — currently doesn’t have a “regulation or licencing authority” to regulate the functioning of cyber cafés. The plan aims at ensuring maintenance of registers bearing the name, addresses and other details of the Internet users frequenting cyber cafés. “Cyber café owners and network service providers, who provide computer services, including Internet access to general public either against payment or free of charge for any purpose, including recreation or amusement, shall register their cyber cafés and network service,” District Magistrate, Udhampur, Pandurang K Pole said while taking a lead in regulating the functioning of cyber cafés in the state. He said though there was a decline in militancy, untoward incidents couldn’t be ruled out and prevention needed to be taken. The District Magistrate said the decision was taken as anti-national elements, including militants and over ground workers (OGWs) were using new technology for communication and spread of hatred and terror. “Cyber cafés and computer centres shall ensure proper identification of users before allowing them to use their computer resources. Proper maintenance and safety of log register and identification documents shall be ensured by café owners or operators,” Pole maintained. The Harkat-ul-Jehadi Islami (HUJI) militants had sent a terror email after the Delhi High Court blast in New Delhi, in which 15 people were killed, from a cyber cafe in Kishtwar district in September last year. Inspector General of Police, Jammu, Dilbagh Singh, however, said there was no regulation or licencing authority to regulate the functioning of cyber cafés in the state. “At official level, there is no restriction on anyone to run a cyber café in the state. But, we have directed all café owners to follow the standard set of norms,” the IGP said. He added that all district superintendents of police had been directed to closely monitor the functioning of cyber cafés. “We have also directed all cafés to install closed-circuit televisions to keep a vigil on Internet users,” Singh added.
	Local bodies staff stage protest, five detained Our Correspondent Srinagar, January 30 At least five members of the Jammu and Kashmir Urban Local Bodies Employees United Forum were taken into preventive custody after they staged a protest here against the alleged failure of the government in fulfilling their long-pending demands. The members of the forum gathered in the Press Enclave area here and staged a protest demanding the fulfillment of their long-pending demands. President of the forum Manzoor Ahmad Pampori said their demands included release of salaries as per the reorganisation pattern of the department, regularisation of daily wagers, implementation of service recruitment rules, release of 20 per cent arrears under the sixth pay commission and transparent transfer policy within the department. Citing local media reports alleging non-utilisation of funds in the Housing and Urban Development Department, Pampori said it was not possible for the department to function properly as long as its administration was not held accountable. “It is not possible to implement and provide basic facilities to the general masses without the support of an accountable administration, for which the problems and genuine long-pending grievances of the employees need to be looked into in the first instance,” he added. After staging a protest at the Press Enclave, the forum members tried to hold a procession towards Lal Chowk. However, the police foiled their bid by taking at least five protesters into preventive custody.
	Hit & Run Case Youth Cong leader evades arrest Had hit a bike twice, killing rider Tribune News Service Jammu, January 30 A youth Congress leader, who chased a youth and a girl riding a motorcycle before hitting them twice with his Mahindra Xylo car in Rajouri town on Saturday night, continues to be at large. The youth riding the motorcycle was killed on the spot, while the girl was battling for life at the Government Medical College and Hospital, Jammu. “The accused is still absconding and we have deputed several teams to conduct raids on different places to arrest him at the earliest,” Senior Superintendent of Police, Rajouri, Vijay Singh Sambyal told The Tribune. On Saturday night, a district youth Congress leader, identified as Imtiaz, of Rajouri had allegedly chased the youth, Mohammad Tahir (19) and the girl, Lubna Kouser (23), riding a motorcycle and hit their two-wheeler twice, killing the youth on the spot and causing multiple injuries to the girl. Sources said Mohd Tahir and Lubna Kouser were returning home after dropping Neeraj Kumar at his residence on the outskirts of the town when they were chased by Imtiaz and his friends. Neeraj works at Kouser’s shop. Yesterday, hundreds of local residents, including family and relatives of the deceased youth, staged a protest at Gujjar Mandi and blocked traffic for two hours. They demanded the accused’s arrest, alleging he had hit the motorcycle twice and even abused the deceased and the girl. They alleged that that police failed to intercept the vehicle or arrest the youth even after an alert was flashed to a nearby police station soon after the incident. They alleged that the police was shielding the accused under the influence of certain Congress leaders. The SSP, Rajouri, visited the scene of the protest and said the FIR under Section 307 had been converted to 302, RPC, against the accused.
	Cross-border bus service resumes Srinagar, January 30 ‘Karvan-e-Aman’ (peace carvan), the weekly bus service between Srinagar and Muzaffarabad, resumed today after remaining suspended for the past two weeks due to heavy snowfall. The bus service resumed with 42 passengers crossing over to Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) from this side while 36 travelled from there, official sources said. The Srinagar-Muzaffarabad bus service and the cross-LoC trade had remained suspended since January 16 following heavy snowfall and avalanche warnings. The sources said the trade between the two divided parts of Kashmir will resume tomorrow. The bus service between Srinagar and Muzaffarabad, capital of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, started in April 2005 to facilitate meeting of divided families and was billed as the ‘mother of all confidence-building measures’ aimed at restoring peace in the state. — PTI
	Omar skips book award ceremony Attended similar function at Kolkata recently; Leaves writers dejected Varun Suthra/TNS Jammu, January 30 Much to the disappointment of litterateurs and writers of Jammu and Kashmir, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, who participated in the recently-concluded “Kolkata Literary Meet”, failed to turn up at the Best Book Award presentation ceremony of the state here today. The award ceremony had been organised by the Jammu and Kashmir Academy of Art, Culture and Languages, a body headed by the Chief Minister. Left sulking over Omar’s absence, the litterateurs and writers present had no choice but to go ahead with the ceremony. Disappointment was prevalent at the Police Auditorium here with Omar skipping the presentation ceremony of the most prestigious literary award of the state. Omar had wasted no time in expressing his keenness on micro-blogging networking site “Twitter” about his participation in the Kolkata Meet. “Looking forward to a great discussion this evening at the Kolkata Literary Meet. At least no Rushdie to overshadow everything else :-),” Omar had tweeted on January 28. Being the president of the Jammu and Kashmir Academy of Art, Culture and Languages, Omar was the chief guest at the ceremony today. People from all walks of life, including litterateurs and intellectuals from various fields, award winners, performers, besides organisers, kept waiting for Omar’s arrival throughout the proceedings of the function. “We represent a neglected lot and there are hardly any occasions when writers of the state are appreciated or honoured. His (Omar’s) absence has disappointed us, as artists need recognition as well as criticism from the patrons of art,” said one of the awardees. A veteran writer, wishing anonymity, said it was regretful that the head of the institution was not present at the ceremony. “The organisers could have postponed the programme considering Omar’s ‘pressing’ engagements. We are feeling a sort of hollowness in the event now. It’s just like carrying out a ritual now,” he said. Some among the writers opined that Omar might have been miffed at a Kashmiri Pandit writer’s unprecedented move of refusing to accept the award after it was conferred on him for his book in Hindi, Jawahar Tunnel. “The event was marred by controversies. The award winning writer, Agnishekhar, had revealed through the media that he would not accept the award from Omar, and his statement might have annoyed the CM,” said an insider, adding that Omar was ready to attend the programme and it was only after his consent that the event was organised. The proceedings were carried out in the presence of Nwang Rigzin Zora, Minister for Tourism and Culture and Nasir Aslam Wani, Minister of State Tourism and Culture, who presented awards to eight awardees. Those who were honoured included Lalit Magotra, Ghulam Nabi Khayal, Mohammad Mansha Khaki, Late Bashir Akhtar, Nawang Gyatso, Mir Hyder Nadeem, Baljit Singh and Khalid Bashir Ahmad.
	Governor calls for promotion of Gandhian values Donates 25-seater bus to Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam Sarvodaya Vidyalaya Tribune News Service Jammu, January 30 Governor NN Vohra has emphasised the need for the promotion of Gandhian values and philosophy of peace, harmony, tolerance, brotherhood, secularism and non-violence to establish a more harmonious and prosperous society. He was speaking at a function organised by the Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam Welfare Society (VKWS) to pay homage to Mahatma Gandhi at the Government College for Women, Gandhi Nagar, here today. Referring to the loss of life and property and the difficulties faced by the people of the state during the past years of turmoil, the Governor observed that sustained peace and harmony was essential for growth, development and prosperity, adding that one and all would need to work collectively to secure these goals. He said Gandhiji secured freedom for the country by pursuing his philosophy of non-violence. He added that we should endeavour to establish a more tolerant and harmonious society as envisioned by Gandhiji. Referring to the Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam Welfare Society, he complimented Prof Ved Kumari Ghai for the missionary work being done under her care. He said this organization had been doing laudable work for the educational and socio-economic advancement of the less-privileged sections of the society. Referring to the high quality of songs and other items presented by the children of the schools run by the VKWS on the occasion, he said many of these children, despite their disadvantaged background, were highly talented. He suggested Prof Ved Kumari Ghai, President of the VKWS, to organise essay writing, debates and painting competitions on Gandhi Jayanti or on January 30 on the teachings of Gandhiji, and agreed to award prizes to the best adjudged participants. He also announced that scholarships would be provided to the meritorious students of the schools run by the Society. The Governor and First Lady paid tributes to the Father of Nation on the occasion. The Governor also launched the website of the VKWS. He also honoured Sudhir Mahajan of Samooh Theatre for directing a skit presented by the children on the theme of communal harmony. Earlier, the Governor, who is the Chairman, Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board, donated a 25-seater bus to the Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam Sarvodaya Vidyalaya, Rajiv Nagar. The Governor also inaugurated a photo exhibition on the occasion. Raj Bhawan staff remember martyrs Governor NN Vohra led the civil employees and security staff of Raj Bhawan in paying homage to those who gave their lives in the struggle for freedom by observing a two-minute silence in their memory today. The Governor was joined by K Vijay Kumar, Director General, CRPF, and Anirudh Uppal, Special Director General, CRPF, J&K, who had called on the Governor this morning. CRPF DG briefs Governor Director General, CRPF, K Vijay Kumar called on Governor NN Vohra at Raj Bhawan, here today. He was accompanied by Special Director General, CRPF, J&K, Anirudh Uppal. During their meeting, the Governor and the Director General, CRPF, discussed various matters relating to the management of security in the state. The Governor also discussed with Kumar issues relating to effective coordination among the security forces. J&K Bank chief meets Governor Chairman, Jammu and Kashmir Bank, Mushtaq Ahmad called on Governor NN Vohra at Raj Bhawan here today. During the meeting, Ahmad apprised the Governor of the measures being taken by the bank to advance loans to the unemployed youth for establishing ventures under various self-employment schemes. The Governor congratulated Mushtaq Ahmad on the recently reported operational results of the bank during the current financial year and stressed the vital role that the bank needed to play, on a much larger scale, to speed up all-round growth and development in the state.
	AIDS awareness programme Tribune News Service Jammu, January 30 The Jammu and Kashmir State Aids Prevention and Control Society in collaboration with the State Institute of Education today organised an adolescence education programme here. Students and teachers from 30 schools of Samba district participated in the programme. Dr Arti Bakshi, HoD, Department of Psychology, University of Jammu, and coordinator, The Global Fund to Fight AIDS (commonly known as GFATM), talked about adolescents, physical, mental and social changes and how the teenagers need to interact with peers and adults. Dr Arun Sharma, Medical Superintendent, Government Hospital, Sarwal, Jammu, talked about reproductive tract infections, sexually transmitted diseases, HIV and AIDS and the need to aware adolescents about them and its importance. The Adolescent Education Programme (AEP) is one of the key policy initiatives of the National AIDS Control Programme (NACP II). The Ministry of HRD and the National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO) collaborated to develop this school-based programme, which is implemented across 1,44,409 secondary and senior secondary schools with the objective of reaching out to about 33 million students within two years. The AEP is implemented by the Department of Education in collaboration with the State AIDS Prevention and Control Societies.
	Morcha highlights suffering of women Tribune News Service Jammu, January 30 The Bharatiya Janata Party Mahila Morcha today called on the Minister of Social Welfare Sakina Itoo to highlight the suffering of women in the state and the attitude of the Social Welfare Department towards them. As per the records, at least 17,000 cases related to widow, old-age and handicapped pensions have been lying pending in the Social Welfare Department for the past three years in Jammu district. State president of the morcha Sakina Bano submitted a memorandum to the minister containing details of how women were made to suffer due to the callous attitude of the department. The memorandum stated that the widows and elderly women, who were registered pensioners, were not getting their dues on a regular basis. Bano raised a number of other issues, including delay in release of scholarships to SC students and disruption in the decade-old practice of giving sewing machines to the poor and needy women. She expressed concern over the discourteous behaviour of the employees of the department towards women visiting the office for pension-related matters. Bano demanded proper counselling of the employees of the department and also sought an early clearance of all pending cases of pension and those falling under the BPL category.
	Militant held with arms Our Correspondent Srinagar, January 30 The police today arrested a militant of Tehreeq-ul-Mujahidin (TeM) in Baramulla district. The militant, identified as Mushtaq Ahmad Malik, a resident of Doompora Dolatpora, was arrested at Kreeri in Baramulla district. One AK-47 rifle, one AK-47 magazine and eight rounds were recovered from an orchard in his house. The police has registered a case in this regard.. 1 killed in mishap A pedestrian was killed while another got seriously injured after being hit by an unidentified vehicle on the national highway in Pulwama district of Kashmir valley, the police said today. Two pedestrians, Mohammad Wajad and Asif Ahmad, both residents of Najeebabad, Bijnore, UP, were hit by an unidentified vehicle at Galander in Pulwama. While Wajad was killed on the spot, Asif was shifted to a hospital in a critical condition. The police has registered a case.
	Youth nabbed near LoC Jammu, January 30 The Army last night apprehended a mentally unstable youth near a forward post along the LoC in Balakote sector in Mendhar tehsil of Poonch district. Sources said, last night around 3 am, troops of 49 Rashtriya Rifles saw a man roaming under mysterious circumstances near a forward post. He was immediately detained and questioned, they added. Later, the Army handed over the man to the police, which found him to be mentally unstable. —TNS 4 arrested for gambling Our Correspondent Katra, January 30 The police today arrested four persons for gambling at a hotel here. SHO, Katra, Pardeep Gupta said on a tip-off, the police raided a hotel on the Panthal Road and found them gambling. The police recovered Rs 4,400 in cash from the spot. Those arrested have been identified as Gulshan Kumar, Surash Kumar, Raj Kumar and Rakesh Kumar. The police has registered a case in this regard.
	Mercury dips to -25 °C at Kargil Srinagar, January 30 The Kashmir valley continued to witness sub-zero minimum temperatures, even as Kargil in the Ladakh region recorded the coldest night of the season. According to an official of the meteorological department, Srinagar recorded a minimum temperature of -5.0 °C, while the tourist resort of Pahalgam in south Kashmir remained the coldest place of the Valley at -14.2 °C. Kargil remained the coldest place of the state, recording a minimum temperature of -25.0 °C, the lowest of this winter season. Leh recorded a minimum temperature of -23.4 °C. — OC
	Two held with 37-kg cannabis Udhampur, January 30 The police today claimed to have foiled an attempt to smuggle over 37 kg cannabis to Delhi with the arrest of two youths from Udhampur district of Jammu and Kashmir. Acting on a tip-off, the police intercepted a Delhi-bound car in the Jakhani area of Udhampur district. At least 37.85 kg cannabis was seized from the car, said SSP, Udhampur, Shakeel Beigh. Two persons, identified as Nazir Ahmed and Abdul Aziz, belonging to Srinagar district were arrested. — PTI