The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

	Amarnath yatra Cave shrine area still under snow More labourers deployed for snow clearance on twin tracks Tribune News Service Srinagar, June 21 Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board (SASB) Navin K Choudhary has returned after undertaking a three-day survey of all the camps on yatra routes and checked arrangements and the pace of snow clearance and repair work of tracks. He started his survey with an extensive review at the Baltal base camp and returned here yesterday after inspecting arrangements at the holy cave, Panjtarni, Sheshnag, Zojibal, Pissu Top, Chandanwari and the Nunwan base camp. Governor NN Vohra, who is also the Chairman of the SASB, is scheduled to visit the Nunwan and Baltal base camps tomorrow to see arrangements made on the ground. He will visit the holy cave, Panjtarni, Sheshnag and Chandanwari camps on Saturday. In his report to the Governor, the CEO has said the holy cave area was still covered with considerable snow and the SASB engineering wing and the Pahalgam Development Authority (PDA) had put in extra labourers to make a satisfactory track for yatris. The PDA’s snow clearance work from Sangam to the cave is expected to be completed by Friday. The CEO stated that the issue of power supply at the holy cave was taken up with the higher authorities in the Power Development Department, who had said the power supply at the holy cave, Panjtarni and Sheshnag camps would be restored by today evening. The SASB engineering wing is repairing the staircase and railing leading to the cave shrine, which had broken at few places due to heavy snow last winter. The repair work and erection of toilets is being completed during the next two days, it has been reported. The CEO has said water, power, toilet and bath facilities and a sewage treatment plant have been made available at the Baltal base camp and shelter sheds in the Baltal-Domel sector. The entry gate for access to the Baltal-holy cave track is also getting ready. He said langars were being set up at the Baltal base camp. Regarding the snow clearance between Sheshnag and Mahagunus Top, the CEO reported that most of the area of Mahagunus Top was covered with considerable snow and the track from Bahubal Top to Sheshnag was slippery due to melting of snow. At his direction, the PDA has deployed additional labourers to clear the snow and improve the track in the strip before the yatra starts.
	Yatris can bank on advance weather systems M Aamir Khan Tribune News Service Srinagar, June 21 The Meteorological Department has installed three advance weather systems (AWS) at Sheshnag, Panjtarni and the holy cave area to provide reliable weather forecasts to yatris during the Amarnath yatra, which will start from June 25. “The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) was earlier providing weather related information, but the AWS will provide more accurate weather forecasts,” Director, Meteorological Department, Sonam Lotus told mediapersons here today. “Besides installing the three advance weather systems, two weather display boards have been set up at the Pahalgam and Baltal base camps,” he said. Lotus said the “real time weather information” from these locations was now available on www.imdaws.com. He said another website - www.amssdelhi.gov.in - would provide weather related information exclusively for Amarnath yatris. He said the website would provide three hourly and weekly weather forecasts while the AWS would also help in preparing the long-term climatology of the yatra area. “A team of technicians and scientists of the Deputy Director General of Meteorology, Surface Instruments, Pune, set up the AWS at the three places,” Lotus said. While the government is planning to set up a Doppler radar station here to provide more accurate weather forecasts, Lotus said its establishment would take one year. Lotus said the setting up of the advance weather system was made possible with the help of Governor NN Vohra, who is also the Chairman of the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board (SASB). The Governor had directed the IMD to install latest equipment to provide accurate weather forecasts. WEATHER WATCH n Three advance weather systems installed at Sheshnag, Panjtarni and the holy cave area n The advance weather system will provide more accurate weather forecasts during the yatra n Two weather display boards set up at the Pahalgam and Baltal base camps n Weather information from Sheshnag, Panjtarni and holy cave area now available on www.imdaws.com n Pilgrims can check weather-related information on www.amssdelhi.gov.in n The weather system will also help in long-term climatology of the yatra area
	Social taboos hinder rehabilitation of addicts in Valley M Aamir Khan Tribune News Service Srinagar, June 21 Riyaz had to muster a lot of courage to approach a de-addiction centre after he found himself caught in a cesspool of drug abuse. The fear of people coming to know of his addiction bringing disrepute to his family prevented him from seeking professional help for long. However, he finally got admitted to the drug de-addiction centre of Police Control Room (PCR), Srinagar, and that helped him kick addiction out of his life. While Riyaz managed to get rid of his addiction, social taboos are preventing many others, especially the female drug addicts, to seek professional help. “In the recent past, I got 11 calls from women, who wanted to seek treatment. But only five reported. I tried to motivate them over the phone to come here but failed,” said social worker and de-addiction social expert Yasir Arafat. Dr Muzaffar Khan, who heads the PCR drug de-addiction centre, said social taboos were the main deterrents in tackling the issue. “Moreover, people fear that even after getting their children or relatives to a de-addiction clinic, their problems may not get resolved. They fear that the addict may run away from the rehab centre which would leave their problem unaddressed and also bring disrepute to the family,” he added. Unemployment, political uncertainty besides failed personal relationships are the main reasons why people take to drugs, said Dr Waqar Bashir, who has been treating drug addicts in the Valley for over five years. “Lack of recreational avenues and climatic conditions also play a role. I have noticed that more people take to drugs in winters as the dull weather adds to the depression,” he added. Experts say there is a dire need for creating awareness among the drug addicts as well as their parents over the importance of seeking medical treatment given that more and more people are taking to drugs in the Kashmir valley with every passing day. There is no official data available over the exact number of addicts in the Valley but a United Nations International Drug Control Programme (UNDCP) report in 2008 had said there were more than 60,000 drug addicts. Another independent study conducted in 2008 by an expert on disaster psychiatry, Dr Mushtaq Margoob, who heads the Institute of Mental Health and Behavioural Sciences, Srinagar, had stated that the Valley had 2.11 lakh drug abusers. (To be continued) Expert Take n Unemployment, political uncertainty and failed personal relationships are the main reasons why people take to drugs n Lack of recreational avenues and climatic conditions also play a role. People take to drugs in winters as the dull weather adds to the depression n There is a dire need for creating awareness among the drug addicts as well as their parents over the importance of seeking medical treatment n A 2008 study states that the Valley has 2.11 lakh drug abusers
	Yousuf’s case: Ex-IGP, DSP cross-examined Majid Jahangir/TNS Srinagar, June 21 The Judicial Commission of Inquiry, which is probing the custodial death of ruling National Conference worker Syed Yousuf in September last year, today cross-examined a former Inspector General Police, Crime, and a Deputy Superintendent of Police in the case. The former IGP, Crime, Raja Ajaz Ali, and DSP Bashir Ahmad, who are important witnesses in the case, reiterated during the daylong hearing that Yousuf had died of heart attack. On June 3, two NC workers Abdul Salam Rishi and Mohammad Yousuf Bhat had also been cross-examined in the case. “There were a lot of contradictions by both witnesses (IGP and DSP) in what they had revealed during the investigation,” said Mushtaq Ahmed, the counsel for Yousuf’s family. “Both continued to reiterate during the hearing that Yousuf had died of heart attack, but there were many missing links,” he added. In April, advocate Ahmed had submitted a list of 14 witnesses, including Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, his political adviser Devender Rana, and Minister of State for Home Nasir Aslam Wani, to be summoned for cross-examination, but the Commission had disallowed the plea to summon Omar and his aides for the cross-examination. Justice (Retd) H S Bedi, who is heading the Judicial Commission of Inquiry, had, however, allowed summoning of 10 witnesses, including the then IGP, Crime, and the doctors who had conducted the postmortem on Yousuf. The cross-examination of two doctors, Fareeda Noor and Irshad Ahmed, would be held on Friday. The Bedi Commission is probing the mysterious death of Yousuf, who died on September 30, 2011. Yousuf's family has alleged that he died in the custody of the police after he was handed over to crime branch of the police by the Chief Minister. The Chief Minister had summoned Yousuf to his official residence after two party workers had alleged that Yousuf had taken bribes from them after promising one of them a legislator's job and the other a ministerial berth. On November 18, 2011, the state government had appointed the retired Supreme Court judge as the head of the one-man Commission to probe the death of Yousuf in police custody. A magisterial probe has already given a clean chit to Omar in Yousuf’s death case.
	Power pangs: Omar calls for some soul searching M Aamir Khan/TNS Srinagar, June 21 After receiving complaints about the erratic power supply in the state, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has urged locals to do some “soul searching” while admitting that power thefts were taking place in “collusion” with employees of the Power Development Department (PDD). “The theft doesn't happen without collusion of the department, which is why the process of unbundling the T&D (transmission and distribution) sector has been started. So while it’s easy to blame the government for everything, some amount of soul searching is also called for. Till then load-shedding is a reality,” Omar wrote on the micro-blogging website, Twitter. He made the comments after his tweet, where he defended the harsh power cuts, triggered a debate over the power situation of the state. “Power in J&K is the second cheapest in the country after Sikkim. How about all of you complaining about load-shedding start paying the market price,” Omar said, triggering reactions that why even the metered areas were facing regular power cuts. “But even metered areas don't stick to schedule. Darkness galore. Why so?” wrote Umar Farooq, a follower of Omar’s Twitter account. To this, the Chief Minister wrote: “The metered areas, where earlier there was no loss, now have massive amounts of theft and bypassing of meters --- so metered areas face load-shedding. Non-metered areas resist installation of meters because they don't want to pay for the power that they use.” While some agreed with Omar, others questioned why the government was only blaming the common man and whether the National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC), which has been accused of “exploiting” the local water resources, was paying the market price to the state. “Does NHPC pay you the market price? Easy to blame poor consumers,” said another follower Nazir Qadri.
	Still no response from Pak on flag meeting Ravi Krishnan Khajuria Tribune News Service Jammu, June 21 After shelling the Indian forward posts since June 13, the Pakistani guns have remained silent for the past 48 hours along the Line of Control (LoC) in the Krishna Ghati sector of Poonch district. However, the Pak Army has not yet responded to India’s demand for holding a flag meeting to restore normalcy. “There has been no firing along the LoC in the KG sector since yesterday but they have also not responded to our demand for holding a flag meeting,” the Jammu-based Defence PRO, Col RK Palta, told The Tribune. The guns have been silent for the past 48 hours now, he said. An Army officer said, “We are keenly watching the situation and hope that good sense prevails over them to hold the much-needed flag meeting to resolve the differences.” “Usually, we avoid retaliating against their fire but this time around they had crossed all limits, compelling us to give them an effective response,” he said. “Not only did they snipe at our soldiers, but they even fired mortars targeting our posts,” he added. It may be recalled here that since June 13, two soldiers -- Lance Naik Harvinder Singh of 3 Grenadiers and BSF jawan PK Mishra of 94 battalion — were killed in the Pakistani firing. Meanwhile, the cross-LoC trade and travel between Pak-occupied Kashmir and Jammu and Kashmir via Chakan-da-Bagh in Poonch remains suspended since June 14. However, the same mode of trade and travel is going on smoothly on the Uri-Muzaffarabad route.
	Man who probed 26/11 attacks dies of blood cancer Arun Joshi Tribune News Service Jammu, June 21 Radha Vinod Raju is no more. The man who had fought terrorism and had laid ground-breaking rules in the field of investigation could not win the battle against blood cancer. He breathed his last in a hospital in Kochi, Kerala. He has left behind a legacy of new rules to combat terrorism in all its forms. For many, he was the founder of the National Investigating Agency. He was much more than that high-sounding designation. He became head of the NIA in January 2009. He was chosen for the job immediately after P Chidambaram took over as Home Minister of the country and had gone through the service record of the officers who could handle the challenging assignment of cracking the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks. The officer’s record was self-speaking. When he was Deputy Inspector General of Police, Anantnag, Kashmir, in 1991, he was chosen to probe the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case. And, he unravelled the truth. Besides being a fine IPS officer - 1975 batch of J&K cadre - he knew the global scenario like a globe on his table. This master investigator worked quietly. No one ever knew what he was looking for, but at the end of the day, he would finish the job well. He was the first one to tell the state and the Central government the reason for the insistence on the release of Moulana Masood Azhar, founder of Jaish-e-Mohammad, in exchange for the passengers and crew of IC 814 that was hijacked to Kandahar on December 24, 1999. “Pakistan and ISI will not mind the loss of hundreds of gun-wielding militants. They want Azhar because he is a motivator. He can produce militants in hundreds.” And he was right. His NIA assignment as its first Director-General was recognition of his abilities. He was a man of substance and a thorough professional, whose integrity was unchallengeable and so was his commitment to his profession. For his conviction, he was lauded by everyone in the state, the police force in particular. Chidambaram had known Raju’s investigating skills which he had demonstrated while working on the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case. The bespectacled Raju was brought back from the Central government to Jammu and Kashmir as head of the Vigilance Commission.
	Death of Raju widely mourned Srinagar/ Jammu, June 21 The death of Radha Vinod Raju, a 1975-batch IPS officer of Jammu and Kashmir cadre and founder DG of the National Investigation Agency (NIA), has been widely mourned across the state. Governor NN Vohra expressed his condolences over the death of Raju. Recalling Raju’s dedicated services to the state, the Governor conveyed his sympathy to members of the bereaved family and prayed for eternal peace to the departed soul. Chief Minister Omar Abdullah while expressing grief on Raju’s death said he was a gentleman, who led a principled life. “Raju was an extremely competent police officer with unblemished meritorious career,” Omar said. The state government had deputed Additional Director General of Police, Security, Ram Lubhaya to attend the funeral of Raju at Kochi. Raju was a well-known police officer in the state, before he earned national fame after playing an active role in investigating the killing of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. Raju had also led the CBI operation against the LTTE in early 1990s. Raju also took over as the first head of the NIA, which was formed after the 26/11 Mumbai attacks. IGP, Kashmir, SM Sahai said the nation in general and the J&K Police in particular had lost an ace police officer. A condolence meet was organised at the District Police Lines, Jammu, today morning. It was attended by officers and jawans of various wings of the state police, retired police officers, senior and prominent citizens and mediapersons. A two-minute silence was observed on the occasion. — TNS
	Prosecution yet to confirm death of Maj Avtar Singh Majid Jahangir Tribune News Service Srinagar, June 21 The prosecution is yet to confirm the death of Major Avtar Singh, the main accused in the murder of lawyer and human rights activist Jaleel Andrabi in 1996. Major Singh had shot himself dead after killing his two children and wife in his California home on June 9. The prosecution informed the Court of Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM), Srinagar, hearing the murder of Jaleel Andrabi case, that they had written to the Inspector General of Police, Kashmir, seeking confirmation of the death of Maj Avtar Singh. “We are yet to get the confirmation report from the IGP,” the prosecution told the CJM court. On June 13, the CJM court had directed the prosecution to produce the report authenticating Maj Avtar Singh’s death in his California home after the court was informed by the prosecution about the death of the main accused in the case. On March 27, 1996, the body of human right activist Jaleel Andrabi was fished out of the Jhelum river in Srinagar after he was kidnapped on March 8, 1996, by counter-insurgency personnel allegedly working for Major Singh of the Territorial Army. An investigation by a Special Investigation Team (SIT) constituted by the Jammu and Kashmir High Court had “identified an Army Major posted in the Rawalpora Camp of the 103 Territorial Army” as prima facie responsible for the death of Andrabi. Soon after Major Singh was accused of the murder, he fled to Canada and later settled in the US. After hearing the plea, the CJM granted the prosecution more time to confirm Major Singh’s death. The court has listed the matter for hearing on July 21.
	Missing Pak-born starlet case Prime suspect nabbed by police Ravi Krishnan Khajuria & RK Kichlu Jammu/ Batote, June 21 As whereabouts of Pakistan-born Bollywood starlet Laila Khan are still unknown, the police today the nabbed prime suspect, Parvez Ahmed Tak, a resident of Kishtwar town, from the temple city here. Laila went missing along with her family a year ago. Recently the police recovered Laila’s luxury vehicle Mitsubishi Outlander from a shop in Kishtwar town, which had been rented out to Tak, a forest contractor by profession. “Yes, we have nabbed Parvez Ahmed Tak from Jammu city today. We are now confident that we will unravel the mystery behind the missing of Laila and her family,” DIG, Kishtwar-Ramban-Doda Range, Garib Dass told The Tribune. “All details and his involvement in the crime, especially the Delhi High Court blast, would be revealed only after we interrogate him,” said the DIG. The DIG said Parvez had been continuously changing his location to evade arrest. “The luxury vehicle belongs to Laila Khan and her family and with the arrest of Parvez many riddles about the high-profile family will be solved,” said Dass. Dass didn’t rule out the possibility of the luxury vehicle being used in the Delhi High Court blast on September 7, 2011. He said Parvez had suspected antecedents. “An FIR under Section 420 of the IPC had been registered against him in Haryana,” he said. The starlet along with her mother Saleena Patel, sister, brother and a cousin had come to Jammu with Tak last year. Shakir Hussain, Tak’s friend, has already been detained by the Kishtwar police after the recovery of the vehicle. Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad is also looking for the actor and her family.
	Shutdown in Bhaderwah over Health Minister’s remark Tribune News Service Udhampur, June 21 Bhaderwah town today observed complete shutdown over alleged anti-people remark by a minister on the issue of shortage of doctors at the local sub-district hospital. A protest rally was taken out in the town, but no untoward incident took place during the protest. A large number of protesting youth cutting across political and religious lines took part in the protest. They were led by former Youth Congress president, Doda, Manish Kotwal; youth president of the Panthers Party, Doda, Neeraj Manhas and Doda district in charge of the VHP Satish Kotwal. All the business establishments, schools and Government Postgraduate College, Bhaderwah, remain closed today. Protesters took out a rally and raised slogans against Health Minister Sham Lal Sharma, who visited the town yesterday. Kotwal alleged that the Health Minister remarked in the presence of some local leaders during his visit to the new building of the sub-district hospital at Gwari yesterday that four doctors at the existing hospital were sufficient for people of Bhaderwah. “We protested because the remarks of the Minister were insulting and discriminatory and hurt the sentiments of people. People of Bhaderwah have been suffering for a long time due to shortage of doctors at the hospital. Thirtyseven sanctioned posts of doctors at the hospital are lying vacant,” said Kotwal. The protesters gheraoed the Dak Bungalow, Bhaderwah, yesterday evening where the Minister was putting up. “We started the protest at the existing hospital building thinking that the Minister would visit it and we would highlight problems being faced by the people due to an acute shortage of doctors. We went to the Dak Bungalow on learning that the Minister had reached there. We protested outside the Dak Bungalow and demanded a meeting with him, but he refused to meet us. So we continued the protest till 10 pm yesterday,” said Neeraj Manhas. The leaders then gave a strike call for today and reassembled at 7 am. A rally was taken out through Bhaderwah town. “People of Bhaderwah, especially businessmen, fully cooperated in making the shutdown a success because it was a common issue. We have given an ultimatum to the government to fill up all the posts of doctors at the hospital by June 27. If it fails to do so we will intensify our stir,” said Kotwal.
	Sikhs demand implementation of Minorities Act Tribune News Service Srinagar, June 21 The All Parties Sikh Coordination Committee (APSCC) today demanded the implementation of the National Commission for Minorities Act. It said the minorities in the state would soon hold protests in this regard. “Various Christian organisations of the state have expressed solidarity with the APSCC on the implementation of the National Commission for Minorities Act in Jammu and Kashmir. The Ladakh Buddhists Association also expressed its willingness in the implementation of the Act. We will hold protests to stress upon the state government to implement the Act soon without any delay,” ASPCC chairman Jagmohan Singh Raina said in a statement issued here.