The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

	NCTC Row NC treads middle path Farooq for cooperation between Centre, states on national security Dinesh Manhotra Tribune News Service Jammu, February 18 While most regional parties are opposing the constitution of the National Counter-Terrorism Centre (NCTC), alleging that its blueprint violates the principles of federalism by encroaching on the rights of states, the National Conference, which advocates more autonomy to states, has adopted a middle path on this issue. Instead of toeing the lines of other regional parties, NC president and Union Minister Dr Farooq Abdullah today suggested that the Centre and states must cooperate with each other, particularly in matters pertaining to the security of the country. Interacting with mediapersons after addressing a working committee meeting of the party here, Dr Abdullah said Home Minister P Chidambaram was going to explain his position. “Let us wait till the Home Minister explains his position,” Omar said while reply to the stance of his party on the issue, which is directly related to Centre-state relations. “Ours is a federal structure and in this system, the Centre and states have certain priorities .... Certain laws lie with the Centre, while there are other that rest with states.” Indirectly supporting the Union Home Minister, Dr Abdullah observed that the Centre and states must cooperate with each other, especially when the security of the country was concerned. The NC president, however, said nothing should be done that could infringe upon the federal structure of the country. “I am sure that the Union Home Minister will explain his position on the matter to the Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir,” he said. It is believed that the NC has adopted the middle path on the controversial issue owing to compulsions arising out of its coalition with the Congress in the state. The survival of the state government is solely dependent upon the support of the Congress. The NC president maintained a guarded silence on the issue of notice served on the Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah, and eight others by the State Accountability Commission (SAC) for violating the law by conferring the status of Cabinet Minister and Minister of State on two advisers and six chairpersons of various advisory boards at the expense of the public exchequer. “Let the law take its own course,” said Farooq Abdullah on the controversy.
	NC president announces party elections Tribune News Service Jammu February 18 A meeting of the Provincial Working Committee of the National Conference (NC), Jammu province, was held here today under the chairmanship of Dr Farooq Abdullah, NC president and Union Minister for New and Renewable Energy, in which the members of the committee discussed organisational issues and future course of strategy to strengthen the party at the grass-roots level. Addressing the meeting, Farooq announced the holding of party elections and said the process would be started in a week. The NC president expressed gratitude to UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh for all the support extended to the coalition government. Farooq said, “The state government has completed three years, witnessing holistic development in all the spheres and it is our (party’s) responsibility to take the message of the government to the people and strengthen the bonds of the coalition at the grass-roots level.”
	Dilution of federal structure to create problems: Mehbooba Welcomes SAC notice to Omar over appointments Tribune News Service Srinagar, February 18 PDP president Mehbooba Mufti, while appreciating the assertion of various states against attempts by the Centre to encroach on their powers, has said the dilution of the federal structure may lead to serious problems in the country. “India has reached a stage in political evolution where such attempts will invariably meet stiff resistance,” Mehbooba said while addressing a workers’ meeting at Ganderbal district today. She said the relations between the Centre and states were ideally structured. On relations between the Centre and Jammu and Kashmir, she lamented that the powers of the state had been usurped beyond recognition and despite special status for the state, curfews were announced from Delhi. “It will take a great effort and collective assertion through democratic means to be counted and respected at the national level and the PDP will spearhead this effort,” she said. Lashing out at the performance of the coalition government in the state, Mehbooba said the decisions on the return of power projects were the worst examples of political deceit. She said after having handed over the rivers and power projects to the NHPC six decades ago, the NC leadership was now talking of their return, as though it was an issue between two state government departments. “The NC would do a great service if it could stop the further handing over of projects. But the Omar government had already given away three most feasible projects to the NHPC in the name of joint venture,” she added. On the decision of the State Accountability Commission (SAC) to hold an inquiry into political appointments made by the Omar government, Mehbooba said it was the second inquiry after Haji Yusuf’s death, involving a sitting Chief Minister for the first time in the history of the country. “We don’t expect Omar to take a moral call on any setback after the Haji Yusuf episode but the SAC intervention could prove to be a boon for constitutional governance in the state in the long run,” she said. “The lawlessness and jungle raj promoted by the present government to serve personal interests need to be curbed and the SAC initiative in that direction is welcome,” she said. — TNS
	Soz, Ved Bhasin call on Governor Jammu, February 18 Prof Saifuddin Soz, president of the J&K Pradesh Congress Committee, met Governor NN Vohra at Raj Bhawan here this evening. Soz briefed the Governor on several important matters relating to the rapid socio-economic development of the state. Meanwhile, Ved Bhasin, chairman, Kashmir Times Group, called on Governor NN Vohra at Raj Bhawan this evening. They discussed issues relating to the state. He also briefed the Governor about the outcome of the 8th Joint Convention of the Pakistan-India People’s Forum for Peace and Democracy, held at Allahabad recently. — TNS
	Need to raise awareness on job scheme: Omar Tribune News Service Srinagar, February 18 Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has stressed on bringing more educated youth under the ambit of Sher-e-Kashmir Employment Programme for Welfare of Youth (SKEPWY) to address unemployment crisis in the state. “The awareness and education about the scheme needs to be adequately disseminated among the youth and the flow of finances for earning livelihood smoothened,” he said. Reviewing the progress of District Plan 2011-12 of Kulgam district in a District Development Board meeting at Sher-e-Kashmir International Convention Complex (SKICC) here on Thursday, Omar said the state government had allotted substantial funds under the SKEPWY to provide financial assistance to youth to start their ventures, an official spokesman said. The Chief Minister told field officers them that no laxity or delay would be tolerated over submission of utilisation certificates. “I will not tolerate any delay in submitting of utilisation certificates,” he asserted. He said it would be criminal on the part of officers to delay the submission of utilisation certificates as that would hit the flow of funds from the Centre for various schemes. The Chief Minister asked the district administration to ensure the completion of ongoing schemes during the last year of the Eleventh Five Year Plan. “You should try your best to complete as many ongoing schemes as possible during the current Five Year Plan period so that the 12th Five Year Plan is launched in the state on a clean slate,” he stressed. Underlining the importance of the Right to Information Act (RTI) and the Public Service Guarantee Act (PSGA) in bringing transparency in the functioning of the administration and making public service delivery time bound, the Chief Minister asked the administration to launch a comprehensive awareness campaign to make the public fully aware about their powers to question government departments about every commission and omission and obtain public services within the fixed time limit. “If you require any assistance from the Information Department in this regard, it will be provided to you,” he added. The meeting was attended by Minister for Forests Mian Altaf Ahmad, Minister for Social Welfare Sakina Itoo, Advisers to the Chief Minister Mubarak Gul and Devender Singh Rana, Deputy Speaker, Legislative Assembly, Sartaj Madni and other senior officers.
	Peerzada not off the hook just yet Sonia to take final decision after poll, says Farooq Dinesh Manhotra Tribune News Service Jammu, February 18 Claims of beleaguered Congress minister Peerzada Mohammad Sayeed that the All-India Congress Committee chief, Sonia Gandhi, had rejected his resignation notwithstanding, the Union Minister and president of the National Conference, Dr Farooq Abdullah, today said the final decision on Peerzada’s fate would be taken once the Congress president was done canvassing in various states ahead of the Assembly elections there. Dr Abdullah’s statement to mediapersons on the sidelines of the working committee meeting of the National Conference has given a new twist to the Peerzada episode, as the Congress leadership had been claiming that the resignation controversy was a closed chapter. Although Dr Abdullah did not see anything wrong in Peerzada’s decision to send his resignation directly to Sonia Gandhi, he said it was up to her to decide on the issue. “I am sure the investigation report has also been sent to her. As soon as she is free from the elections, she will sit down and see what is the right thing to do,” Farooq said. On Peerzada’s statement that the AICC president had rejected his resignation, Farooq said: “I do not know what she has really done. I cannot speak on Sonia Gandhi’s behalf. I don’t think even Peerzada has the right to speak for her.” Countering Peerzada’s claim, the NC president said the rejection of resignation should come through Sonia Gandhi’s office. “Only then will all of us know what the Congress president’s opinion is on this issue.” On if the Congress president had set a wrong precedent by rejecting the resignation of a minister facing charges of nepotism and misuse of office, Dr Abdullah observed that Sonia Gandhi had been busy in the elections and hadn’t had the time to take a final decision on the issue. “She has taken away the Education portfolio from him (Peerzada) and I am sure the final decision will be taken after the elections are over,” he maintained. Peerzada had submitted his resignation on February 10 after the Crime Branch submitted its report regarding the use of unfair means in the Secondary School Examination by his foster son. On February 11, Peerzada had claimed that AICC chief Sonia Gandhi had rejected his resignation. The minister was subsequently divested of the Education portfolio. He now holds the Ministry of Public Enterprises Department.
	Snatchers have a free run on Jammu roads Five incidents reported in 48 hours Arteev Sharma Tribune News Service Jammu, February 18 The police crackdown on chain-snatchers seems to have run out of steam, giving perpetrators a free run on the roads of the winter capital of the state. The recent spurt in incidents of chain snatching, coupled with the failure of the police to nab the culprits, has instilled a sense of insecurity among women, who are under a constant fear of falling prey to the notorious gangs active in the city and its suburbs. “Due to a rise in the prices of gold, youngsters, mostly drug addicts, find it easy to make money by snatching jewellery,” sources said. “Gangs often target women walking alone along the roads or streets in the city. They commit the crime either during the day or at twilight.” A senior police official said five incidents had been reported in different parts of the city during the past 48 hours. Two youngsters riding a motorcycle snatched a gold chain from Manju Devi, a housewife living in Nanak Nagar, as she was returning home from market yesterday. Similarly, Jammu University student Ravinder Kour, a resident of RS Pura, was attacked by two motorbike-borne youths when she was on her way back home yesterday. “The perpetrators stabbed her with a sharp-edged weapon after she raised the alarm. They fled the scene. Some passerby shifted the woman to a hospital,” sources said. In two more incidents, unidentified bikers snatched gold chains and lockets from women in the posh Trikuta Nagar locality yesterday. The victims were identified as Shashi Bala, a resident of Nanak Nagar, and Parveen Gupta, a resident of Trikuta Nagar. On Thursday, an Army jawan’s wife was attacked by two men riding a bike at the busy Shivaji Chowk. They took off with her “mangal sutra”. “The incident took place just a few meters from a police checkpoint,” sources said. “While the police has failed to nab the culprits, it is harassing two-wheelers riders in the name of frisking,” said a resident. Jammu SSP Prabhat Singh said: “Necessary deployment of force has been made to deal with such incidents.”
	Shiv Khori gears up for Shivratri festival Devinder Thakur Katra, February 18 Shiv Khori-the cave of Lord Shiva is wearing a festive look ahead of the Shivkhori festival. Massive preparations are on to decorate the town for the three-day festival, which will begin tomorrow. Over one lakh pilgrims from across the country are expected to pay obeisance at the cave shrine of Shiv Khori. Various cultural shows, processions and a freestyle wrestling competition will be held here as part of the three-day celebrations. Divisional Commissioner, Jammu, Pawan Kotwal, reviewed the arrangements of the festival yesterday. Kotwal, who is also the chairman of the Shri Shiv Khori Shrine Board (SSKSB) told mediapersons in Ransoo that Minister for Tourism and Culture Nawang Rigzin Jora would open the festival at Ransoo on Monday. “The festival will signify peace in the region. We invite pilgrims, tourists to visit the state during this auspicious occasion and there is no fear from any quarter,” Kotwal said. The Deputy Commissioner, Reasi, Sheetal Nanda, who is also the vice-chairman of the SSKSB said the peaceful situation was revealed from the record number of devotees, who visit the shrine. Last year, the number of pilgrims, who visited the shrine was about 10 lakh. Security tightened The security has been beefed-up at the famous cave shine of Shiv Khori, in view of the three-day Shivratri festival, starting tomorrow. Atul Goel, SP, Reasi, said keeping the festival in mind we have alerted our forces. “We have a very good liaison with the Army and the CRPF and all the teams are out. The traffic coming from Jammu will be checked at Kanda and the traffic coming from Rajouri is being checked at Ransoo,” said Goel. All pilgrims are being frisked properly with metal detectors. Shivratri, which literally means the night of Lord Shiva, is observed once in a year. The festival lasts for three days in honour of Lord Shiva. It is believed that during Shivratri, Lord Shiva descends on the earth to rid it of demons and blesses his devotees with happiness and prosperity.
	IAF airlifts injured civilian to Jammu Jammu, February 18 Yet again the Helicopter Unit of the Indian Air Force (IAF) came to the rescue of civilians and saved a precious life in Doda district yesterday. The Udhampur-based Helicopter Unit of the IAF received an urgent request from the state government on February 17 for evacuating an injured civilian. The civilian was injured in an avalanche and had to be evacuated from Tanta Kuthal village in Doda district, said Lt Col Rajesh Kalia, Defence PRO of the Northern Command. The exact coordinates of the place were not known and it was confirmed that there was no helipad available in the village and the pilot would have to look for some open ground to undertake a landing. Wing Commander Ajay Bhardwaj, Commanding Officer of the Udhampur-based Chetak Helicopter Unit, undertook the task along with Flight Lieutenant Milind as co-pilot, he said. The area of evacuation was snow-bound and the pilots used their experience to identify the site. Since the place was on a steep snow-bound hill at an elevation of 8,000 ft and no open place was available for landing, the villagers had prepared a rooftop as a makeshift helipad. On identifying the site, the pilots used their flying skills to manoeuvre the helicopter so that it could land on the rooftop. On landing at the rooftop, it was realised that the makeshift helipad was not able to take the weight of the helicopter, therefore Wing Commander Ajay Bhardwaj decided to hold the helicopter lightly on wheels. The captain displayed exemplary skills and courage to hold on controls when the injured person was being loaded on to the helicopter. Thereafter, the helicopter flew to Jammu where the injured person was handed over to a medical team, said Kalia. — TNS
	Jammu residents oppose Local Bodies’ poll Tribune News Service Jammu, February 18 People from the most populated Jammu West Assembly Constituency in the winter capital today opposed the holding of Local Bodies’ elections, demanding that the government should first bring its act together by updating voters’ lists and delimiting the wards proportionate to the existing population. The Jammu West Assembly Constituency has a population of over eight lakh. Addressing mediapersons here today, president of the Jammu West Assembly Movement Sunil Dimple opposed the holding of the Jammu Municipal Corporation elections in the given scenario. The ground work has not been done for holding free and fair polls and in this context we have submitted a memorandum to Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, Chief Election Commissioner BR Sharma and the state government, Dimple said. He demanded that till all the old and new voters’ lists were corrected and updated, the elections should not be held.
	Bodies take to streets over stray dog menace Tribune News Service Srinagar, February 18 Members of various social organisations today organised a protest, urging the authorities to curb the stray dog menace that had been posing a threat to human lives. Holding placards and raising slogans, members of various organisations and NGOs demanded immediate action by the government to check the menace. On February 9, the organisations had held a meeting and chalked out a strategy to put forth their demand seeking immediate action. According to Imdad Saqi, head of the Valley Citizens’ Council spearheading the campaign here, the members had decided to launch massive demonstrations from February 25 if the government failed to take action in this regard. A number of members holding the protest at Press Enclave today were allegedly manhandled by the police as it tried to disperse the protesters. The organisations that joined the demonstration included Kashmir Traders and Manufacturers Federation, Employees Joint Action Committee, Kashmir Economic Alliance, hotel owners’ associations besides prominent citizens. The demonstrators expressed concern over the apathy of the government, saying laws were in place to save animals but no measures were being taken to save human lives, in the wake of rising number of dog bite cases in the Valley. The Kashmir valley has a population of over 10 lakh stray dogs, including one lakh in Srinagar city. The number of dog bite cases has gone up by at least 80 per cent during the past couple of years. As against 4,230 cases of dog bite in 2010, the number went up to 7,257 last year. Last year, the Srinagar Municipal Corporation had planned to launch a campaign to sterilise dogs to check their population, but it was halted following the intervention of animal rights activists.
	Lovebirds tied to tree, thrashed Arteev Sharma/TNS Jammu, February 18 A youth and his girlfriend were allegedly tied to a tree and beaten up after the girl’s family members spotted them in a room at Chak Chimna village in Bishnah on Friday. Sources said the marriage ceremony of the girl’s elder sister was on in the village and her family found the girl missing around midnight. “The family was aware of her affair with a youth of the same village. The girl’s brothers went to the youth’s residence and found the two in a room. They dragged them out and tied them to a tree. They were then beaten up,” a source said. After the village sarpanch’s efforts to sort out the mattter failed, he informed the police, which rescued the two. The police denied the youth and the girl had been tied to a tree but confirmed that they had been beaten up by the girl’s family. “We have registered a case and launched a hunt to arrest the culprits,” said SS Sambyal, Sub-Divisional Police Officer, RS Pura.
	7 killed, 4 hurt in accidents on NH Four of the dead belong to a Srinagar family Tribune News Service Jammu, February 18 At least seven persons — four of a family hailing from Srinagar — were killed and four others seriously injured when two vehicles were hit separately by falling rocks near Ramban on the 300-km Jammu-Srinagar national highway today. Official sources said a Maruti van, which was on its way to Srinagar from Jammu, was hit by a boulder around 4 am near Khooni Nullah, near Ramban town, on the highway. “Ten passengers travelling in the vehicle were trapped in the debris of a landslide that followed. Six persons were killed on the spot, while the injured were shifted to a nearby hospital after an hour-long rescue operation,” sources added. The deceased were identified as Mohd Yaqoob, his wife Shamima and their daughters Kousar and Nelofar Jaan, all residents of Srinagar city; and Fiazam and Muskhan, both residents of Habbakadal, Srinagar. The injured — Ulfat and Fatima, both residents of Habbakadal; and Nabbla and Parveena, both residents of Srinagar — were shifted to a nearby hospital. “Two-way traffic was restored on the highway yesterday after it remained closed for three days due to heavy snowfall and landslides triggered by incessant rain,” sources said. In yet another incident, 28-year-old Rayees Wani, a resident of Gund Adalkoot in Banihal, died on the spot when his vehicle was hit by falling rocks near the Panthial area on the highway around 5 pm today. Governor expresses grief Governor NN Vohra has expressed grief over the death of six persons in a road accident at the Khooni Nullah on the Jammu-Srinagar national highway in Ramban district today. The Governor expressed sympathy with the bereaved families.
	Jawan injured in grenade explosion Jammu, February 18 A Border Security Force jawan today received injuries after a grenade accidentally exploded near the border in RS Pura sector. The injured jawan, MD Zyullah, belongs to 135 Battalion of the BSF. Sources said the jawan was handling the grenade when it exploded. He was shifted to the Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), Jammu, where his condition was stated to be stable. IED defused Security forces today defused an IED in Kotli Kalaban village of Mendhar tehsil of Poonch district. Official sources said a joint patrolling party of the Rashtriya Rifles and the J&K Police spotted an IED near a flour mill. — TNS