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7th anniversary of opening LoC to travel, trade
Land
acquired by BSF for border fencing |
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Advice to fresh police cadets: Be worthy of uniform and public trust
Road scheme miles away from target, courtesy poor planning
Generation capacity of hydel projects to be reviewed
Centre to improve functioning of media units in J-K
Go for blanket ban on polybags, Katra MC told
Pak should only support Kashmiris’ right to self determination: Geelani
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7th
anniversary of opening LoC to travel, trade
Jammu, April 6 Mufti, who was addressing a gathering today at Jammu to welcome a prominent Dalit leader, Suraj Parkash from Kathua, who has joined the PDP, expressed his concern over the lack of progress in connection with this CBM and cautioned leadership of India and Pakistan against the pitfalls that could result from it. He maintained that it was due to the efforts of the pro-peace policies pioneered and implemented by the PDP that the LoC was opened for trade and travel. He, however, observed that much more was needed to be done. “The movement should not be confined only to the divided families and all facilities should be provided for trade,” he said. “The bus service across the LoC was started after 58 years by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Sonia Gandhi from Srinagar on April 7, 2005, to facilitate the coming together of divided families, and with a vision to turn it into a regular travel facility to break the decades-long siege around the state,” recalled Mufti, who was Chief Minister of the state at that time. Mufti observed it was sad that India and Pakistan had failed to implement the decisions taken by their foreign ministers more than a year ago to carry forward the original vision of bringing the two sides closer through trade, travel, joint ventures and cultural exchanges. He said there was no reason as to why the two governments should take so long to implement the decision to open more routes in Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh regions, increase bus frequency, remove hassles in providing permits and, more importantly, extend the facility to all categories for tourism and pilgrimage purposes. “It is time the implementation of the decision is fast-tracked if dividends of the peace process are to last and reach the common man,” he said and asked the national leadership “not to test the patience of the people of the state”. Mufti said lifting the “siege” around the three regions of the state was an important element in making the resolution process meaningful. The trade across the LoC was not just about exchanging goods but has an important historic, cultural and economic perspective, he added. n
Open more routes to cross LoC in Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh regions |
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Land
acquired by BSF for border fencing
Jammu, April 6 Official sources said the state government had directed all Deputy Commissioners to prepare the revenue papers of landowners and they were asked to complete the “verification process” within 45 days. “The state government had sent a proposal to the Centre on compensating farmers living in border belts. After getting a clearance from the Centre, the state government has started the process of preparing revenue papers of the land which had been acquired by the BSF to build the fence or for other security reasons,” sources added. A top official of the revenue department, who wished not to be identified, told The Tribune that the Centre had settled the rates of compensation and the farmers would be recompensed in the form of ‘rent’ with arrears from the time their land was acquired. The 198-km international border — from Kathua, bordering Punjab, to Akhnoor, north of Jammu -— is manned by the BSF. This is apart from the 778-km Line of Control (LoC), between the Kashmir valley and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), and the 110-km actual ground position line along the Siachen glacier. The official further said that nearly 60 villages close to the border were affected in Jammu district alone. Around 6,000 kanals had been acquired by the BSF. “The administration had several rounds of meetings with the BSF authorities while verifying the revenue records and the BSF was ready to support the government’s decision vis-a-vis compensation to the farmers,” he maintained. He, however, said that the exact number of farmers entitled to compensation will be known to the administration after completion of the verification process. “We have decided to pay compensation soon after the verification process,” the official maintained. On February 15, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, while chairing a meeting of the District Development Board (DDB), Jammu, too had shared his concern about the plight of the farmers in border belts and had stated that the farmers would be “duly compensated” for their lands. Sources said around 800 families had been awaiting “relief” in the form of compensation or rent for their land acquired by the BSF in the Bishnah Assembly segment alone. In Suchetgarh, there are 71 families whose lands measuring nearly 45 hectares have been taken for the fence. The MLA, Bishnah assembly segment, Ashwani Sharma, said, “Government records say that nearly 1,500 kanals had been acquired by the BSF along the border in Bishnah. People have been suffering for the past 20 years due to non-payment of compensation to them. In some cases, it has become difficult for these families to earn their livelihood since they are dependent on farming.” |
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Advice to fresh police cadets: Be worthy of uniform and public trust
Katra, April 6 While addressing cadets, the Minister told them that they had become a part of one of the best police forces in the country and they had to prove their mettle as qualified and worthy members of the force. “You will witness good and bad situations. You have to take right decisions at right times to handle situations,” he told them. “Honesty should be your standard and justice the basis of your performance,” he told cadets, adding that they have to come up to the expectations of the people and their seniors. “People have great expectations from the J&K Police. You have to ensure their security and give them a feeling of being their best friend,” he added and asked them to enhance the reputation of the state police in all fields. “I hope that the training you have been given would help you in proving your capacity,” he told them, hoping that many among them would lead the state police in future. Congratulating the passing out cadets, the Minister said their conscience should be their judge to ascertain their day-to-day performance. “You will face many challenges. You should be tolerant to bear the public criticism. You should render your service sincerely without expecting any public reward,” he said. Director General of Police, J&K, Kuldeep Khoda presented a resume of the training given to the cadets in the PTC and said the state had witnessed 47 per cent decline in militancy as compared to 2010. He said the state police had rendered laudable service in combating militancy and dealing with the law and order situations. Congratulating the cadets for entering into the state police, the DGP told them to work with professional zest and capacity and exhibit a public-friendly approach. A batch of 1,097 cadets passed out from the PTC today. Cadet Mohammad Ishtkhar was awarded the all round best award. |
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More militants to cross LoC in coming months: Army
Srinagar, April 6 Briefing media at Handwara in Kupwara district, about 90 km from here, General officer Commanding (GoC), 15 Corps, Lt General SA Hasnain termed the yesterday’s encounter at the Zachaldara forests in Kupwara as a “major success” that
had created a void in militant ranks. He said the five slain LeT militants were active in Kupwara and had been assigned to guide infiltrators from across the LoC. Hasnain added that the Army was expecting infiltration attempts in the coming months, as efforts would be made to fill the “void” following the killing of 10 militants since
March 28. A major encounter had taken place in the same area on March 28, in which five LeT militants
were killed. Speaking on the occasion, GoC, 7 RR, KJS Dhillon said the main task of militants who were killed yesterday was to receive foreign ultras and depute them to various parts of
the Valley. He said the Army had been tracking the militants for a long time. Even as their identity was not revealed, the GoC said the
slain militants were Pakistan-based, as some Pakistani SIM cards were recovered from their
possession. A large quantity of arms and ammunition were also recovered from the Zachaldara forests where the encounter took place. The recoveries included five AK assault rifles, 17 magazines, 350 rounds, five hand grenades, one radio set, two GPS devices,
two mobile chargers and two diaries. |
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Road scheme miles away from target, courtesy poor planning
Like other parts of the country, the PMGSY scheme was implemented in Jammu and Kashmir in 2000 but only 39 per cent of the target has been achieved till the end of January this year. In the backward areas like Leh, Doda and Poonch, the target achieved by the authorities was 17 per cent, 24 per cent and 29 per cent, respectively, since the implementation of this scheme in the state. The official data available with The Tribune discloses that under the PMGSY programme, ending January 2012, out of the 1,346 works sanctioned by the authorities, only 521 have been completed. This means that only 39 per cent of the target has been achieved during the last 12 years. The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) in its latest report has also recorded loopholes in implementation of the PMGSY in the state. “Sufficient funds are being poured into the schemes. Despite huge spending in this sector, the outcome has not been up to the mark primarily due to non-prioritisation of schemes, taking up the unapproved schemes for execution and incurring huge sums on execution without ensuring that the land on which the works are being executed is free from all encumbrances,” the report mentioned. Listing reasons for delay in completion of the projects, the report pointed out that no comprehensive road planning policy was in place in the state. The planning of work was not up to the mark. No baseline survey had been conducted in the absence of which the gap between the availability and the demand had not been analysed. Works taken up on disputed sites resulted in blocking of Rs 140.34 crore on 112 roads projects. “It was noticed that 112 works taken for execution had been lying incomplete due to land disputes, inadequate funding and improper planning,” the report pointed out and added that the expenditure incurred thereon had proved unproductive. |
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Ahead of darbar move, efforts on to streamline traffic in Srinagar
Srinagar, April 6 The meeting discussed various suggestions for removing bottlenecks, particularly problems created by footpath vendors in various areas, pushcart owners and shopkeepers, who occupy footpaths illegally. The SP, Traffic, Srinagar, and the SP, Srinagar, were asked to ensure removal of hurdles for hassle-free movement of traffic in the city. Meanwhile, the Commissioner, Srinagar Municipal Corporation, GN Qasba, disclosed in the meeting that in the first phase, traffic signals would be installed at four vulnerable places in Srinagar city like Rambagh, Jehangir Chowk, Dalgate (Badyari-Chowk) and Radio Kashmir in the first week of May. Other locations of both the corridors would be covered by June 2012. He also informed the meeting that a British-South African company would install a free of cost traffic signal at Karan Nagar Chowk in the first week of May, 2012. The meeting was told that widening of roads at many places, including in downtown Srinagar, was in full swing while work on the upcoming flyover from Jehangir Chowk to Natipora was also in progress. During the meeting, SSP Traffic and Police were asked to start a campaign to train drivers and transporters on the utilisation of traffic signal lights and follow the rules and regulations of traffic signals. Drivers of mini-buses should not be allowed to stand at any bus stop for more than two minutes and should stop only at identified bus stands. Later, the Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir, asked all agencies concerned to implement the traffic rules in letter and spirit and take strict action against defaulters. The meeting was attended by Commissioner, Srinagar Municipal Corporation, GN Qasba; District Development Commissioner, Srinagar, Baseer Ahmed Khan; DIG, SP, Traffic; SP, Srinagar city; Joint Director, Information, Itrat Hussain Rafique and other officials concerned. |
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Generation capacity of hydel projects to be reviewed
Jammu, April 6 Puzzled by this disclosure, the government has decided to review the potential of other power projects coming up in the state, being executed by the National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC) and the Chenab Valley Power Project Limited. Official sources said Chief Minister Omar Abdullah had directed the Jammu and Kashmir Power Development Corporation (JKPDC) to submit a detailed report in this regard and again assess the generation capacity of power projects being executed in the state. “The news is a surprise as by using the latest technology for hydrological analysis, new data is being generated, which has a potential to better use our water resources,” said a source. The construction of the Baglihar-II on the Chenab at Chanderkote in Ramban district is expected to start in the middle of this year. It involves two types of works, civil and electro-mechanical. While electro-mechanical part would be taken care of by the Voith Hydro and the Andritz Hydro (Siemens), the Jayprakash Industries would execute civil works. The Chief Minister has recently said in the Assembly that new technology and techniques were being used to review the electricity generation capacity of various hydropower projects. “They have told us that without bringing any major change in design, the generation could be increased. We are looking into it,” Omar had said. The sources said fresh generation potential of 100 MW Pakaldul, 600 MW Kiru and 520 MW Kawar being constructed, was also being assessed. According to data, the estimated hydropower potential of the state is 20,000 MW out of which about 16,697 MW has been identified by the government. On the other hand a total potential of 2,457.96 MW has been harnessed so far, which comprises 760.46 MW in the state sector, 1,680 MW in the Central sector and 17.5 MW in the private sector. The state government is embarking upon an ambitious Hydel Capacity Addition Programme, under which 6,760 MW hydropower will be tapped by the end of the 12th plan to cope up with the power shortage in the state, with main focus on public private partnership (PPP). The state Cabinet had approved the Jammu and Kashmir State Hydro Projects Development Policy-2011, which opened vistas for launch of various hydroelectric projects in the state, thus paving the way for new survey of the huge water resources. |
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Centre to improve functioning of media units in J-K
Srinagar, April 6 The issue came up at a meeting of heads of all media units chaired by Uday Kumar Varma, Secretary Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, here today. He stressed the need for a close coordination and synchronisation to improve the performance of media units for effective results. Varma said all media units needed to bring transparency and encourage work culture to flourish and to improve the information dissemination mechanism. He said this would help in reaching out to the common masses with information about policies, programmes, achievements and initiatives of the Central government, in a better way. He also called for strengthening the Inter Media Publicity Coordination Committee (IMPCC) with the instruction to hold the IMPCC meetings on a monthly basis for better coordination. Varma informed the meeting that the Ministry would constitute a recruitment board and frame rules within six months, for strengthening the Prasar Bharti Broadcasting Corporation of India (PBBCI). He assured the meeting that the issue of office accommodation for media units other than the Prasar Bharti would be looked into seriously and instructed the officials concerned to work out some temporary feasible arrangements. The meeting was attended by LR Vishwanathan, Director, S&DD, New Delhi, besides heads and representatives of local offices of AIR, DDK, PIB, DFP, S&DD, AIR and DDK (news) and engineering wings. Earlier, the Secretary chaired a meeting at Jammu. He also visited the proposed site for the High Power Transmitter of the AIR and Doordarshan at Nathatop in Patnitop. Varma is on a four-day official visit to the state to review issues pertaining to the functioning of all the media units under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting in the state. |
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Go for blanket ban on polybags, Katra MC told
Katra, April 6 The Pollution Control Board seized about 10 kg of polythene carry bags at Reasi recently. Sheetal said halfhearted measures by the authorities concerned and becoming active occasionally to check the menace of the banned item would not serve the desired purpose to control environmental pollution and health hazards caused by it. The ban imposed by the state government after directions by the Jammu and Kashmir High Court against storage, transportation and use of polythene carry bags has completely failed. Traders continue to sell their merchandise in polythene carry bags. Vegetables, fruit, milk, curds, cheese, mutton, dressed etc are still being sold in polythene carry bags. The used polythene bags are still found littered on the lanes and choking drains.
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Poor sanitation irks Mendher residents
Poonch, April 6 Expressing concern over the garbage removal system in the locality, residents said the authorities were least concerned about the issue. They added garbage bins were spilling with garbage. They claimed that drains were clogged with garbage and sewage water was overflowing onto the roads, creating inconvenience for pedestrians and shopkeepers. “Garbage is lying outside the Tehsil Court complex, Sub District Hospital and in the main bus stand area. Foul smell emanates from it, making it difficult for pedestrians,” a resident said. “The main reason behind this condition of the town is the infighting between politicians, who for their pity interests, never raise such issues before the authorities concerned,” said another resident. The residents alleged that the authorities concerned were least concerned about the removal of garbage from the town and drains were in a dilapidated condition. They also complained about the lack of toilet facilities in the town. They added as the town had two panchayats with a huge population, their demand for bringing the town under the Notified Area Committee had been raised many times, but nothing had been done so far. They demanded that the area should be brought under the Notified Area Committee so that drainage and sanitation system would improve. SDM, Mendher, Ranjit Singh said, “The matter of bringing the town under the Notified Area Committee is already under consideration. The Block Development Officer has appointed some sweepers, whose number is less as compared to the area and population.” “Despite shortage of sweepers, adequate measures are being taken to maintain sanitation in the town,” said Ranjit Singh. |
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Pak should only support Kashmiris’ right to self determination: Geelani
Srinagar, April 6 “Pakistan should only advocate the struggle of Kashmiri people for right to self determination. We have not given any other mandate to Pakistan. Any other formula from the leadership of Pakistan will harm the interests of Kashmir and that of Pakistan,” he said while addressing a gathering at Baramulla town in north Kashmir. Asserting that the people of the Kashmir valley had rejected the four-point formula of former Pakistan president Pervez Musharraf, Geelani said Pakistan was an “important party” to the Kashmir issue. He reiterated his boycott call for the upcoming Municipal elections while urging the people to make the shutdown call tomorrow successful, given to protest against the imprisonment of US-based Kashmiri activist Dr GN Fai. Meanwhile, soon after Geelani addressed the gathering, a group of protesters resorted to stone-throwing. A police spokesman here said protesters threw stones at the police station in Baramulla after Geelani’s address. “The police exercised maximum restraint and dispersed the protesters. Stone-throwing incidents after the address of Geelani have taken place last year also,” the spokesman added. |
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Jammu, April 6
Katra, April 6
Jammu, April 6