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Cabinet expansion faces delay as Congress battles dissent
Village heads seek security cover in sensitive areas
Rebel BJP MLAs support separate statehood for Jammu
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Clerics for boycott of US goods
Work on tunnel near Sonamarg to start in April ’13
Vice-Prez briefed about ‘hangul’ conservation
Resolution of K-issue
Jammu farmer awarded for boosting mushroom yield
NC, BJP workers join Congress in Ramban
Arms, ammunition recovered
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Cabinet expansion faces delay as Congress battles dissent
Jammu, September 16 The faction has warned that Saroori’s reinduction by ignoring two other veteran Congress legislators — Mohammed Sharief Naiz and Abdul Majid Wani — will open a Pandora’s box in the faction-ridden state unit of the party. All three leaders belong to the erstwhile Doda district and have been staking their claim to a ministerial berth due to their political experience. Saroori, who was Minister for Roads and Buildings in the Omar-led NC-Congress coalition government, was asked to resign from his post on August 26, 2010 after an impostor was found taking a medical entrance examination in place of his daughter. On August 28, Saroori got a “clean chit” in the case and has since been campaigning aggressively to get back his ministerial berth. Congress leadership has not made up its mind for a Cabinet expansion or a reshuffle as there is a feeling within the party that by ignoring the other two veteran leaders, the party will lose its edge in the next Assembly elections in erstwhile Doda district. In the 2008 Assembly elections, the Congress had won five out of the six seats in erstwhile Doda district, comprising Kishtwar, Doda and Ramban districts. In spite of having five legislators from this belt, Saroori was the only one to be inducted into the Cabinet but was asked to resign within two years. Sources in the Congress leadership say there is a strong resentment within the workers against the failure of the party to give due representation in the Cabinet to this region. But the party is in dilemma over selecting the name from this “unrepresented” belt. “Ignoring this belt will prove disastrous for the party in the coming Assembly elections,” Doda MLA Abdul Majid Wani told The Tribune. He alleged that the Congress leadership was meting out step-motherly treatment to the mountainous belt. He said four Cabinet ministers had been made from Jammu district, where the party had won just three out of the total 11 seats. “Anger is brewing among people against the party and the state government for ignoring this region,” he pointed out. Mohammad Sharief Naiz said party workers were putting pressure on the legislators to quit the party as it had failed to give due share to this region in the government. tough posturing
A Congress faction has warned that Ghulam Mohammad Saroori’s reinduction by ignoring two other veteran Congress legislators — Mohammed Sharief Naiz and Abdul Majid Wani — will open a Pandora’s box in the faction-ridden state unit |
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Village heads seek security cover in sensitive areas
Jammu, September 16 “The brutal killing of elected representatives amounts to murder of democracy. The government has ignored the security concerns of sarpanches and panches in vulnerable areas, which has led to repeated killings,” said Kulbhushan Khajuria, working president AJKPCC, while interacting with mediapersons. Flanked by sarpanches from various districts of the Jammu region, Khajuria said seven sarpanches and panches had been killed ever since the election of 33,000 grass-roots level representatives in the 2011 elections, held after a gap of 30 years. “All legislators, bureaucrats and workers of various parties have been provided with necessary security cover but sarpanches and panches continue to perform their duties in vulnerable areas despite the risk involved,” Khajuria said. He said the elected representatives had faith in the Constitution but they were under a lot of pressure following repeated killings. “The alarming situation can be gauged from the fact that around 500 sarpanches and panches have resigned following threats from militants in the Valley,” he claimed. The AJKPCC leader pointed out that some vested interests were trying to give a “wrong impression” that sarpanches and panches belonged to a particular political group. “We want to clarify that we do not represent any political party, as the elections were held on a non-party basis. We are working for the development and peace at the grass-roots level,” Khajuria said. He said it was high time for the government to put in place a strong mechanism to bring back confidence among sarpanches and panches in the system. “If immediate steps are not taken, more panchayat members will follow suit (tender their resignations),” Khajuria said. Hardline Hurriyat leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani had yesterday condemned the killing of sarpanches in Kashmir, saying: “No person should be killed for his political ideology.” |
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Rebel BJP MLAs support separate statehood for Jammu
Jammu, September 16 After the cross-voting controversy of April 13, 2011, seven legislators headed by Chaman Lal Gupta were expelled from the BJP on charges of voting in favour of National Conference and Congress candidates. The BJP had written to the Speaker and asked him to disqualify the seven MLAs from the Assembly. The Speaker on the floor of the Assembly on March 27, 2012, had stated that he treated Chaman Lal Gupta as the leader of the BJP. The Speaker had refused to accept a split in the party. After the ruling of the Speaker, the dissident MLAs stepped up their aggressive campaigns in their respective areas to counter, what they called, a vicious propaganda launched by some BJP leaders against them. While addressing a rally at the Badrore panchayat in the Raipur-Domana Assembly segment today, leader of the dissident BJP MLAs Chaman Lal Gupta said, “There is a dire need to have separate Jammu so that its voice can be raised.” “As far as the seven MLAs are concerned, they are committed to end discrimination with Jammu,” Gupta said, adding, “We (seven MLAs) are united for the cause of Jammu, we will be the first to protect the interests of Jammu.” The dissident BJP MLAs open support to the statehood demand was a clear indication that the faction wanted to hijack the pro-Jammu agenda of the BJP. The rebels have already launched a campaign to end discrimination with the Jammu region. Gupta also availed the opportunity to clear their position before the people regarding the cross-voting controversy. “The cross-voting episode was a conspiracy to malign their (MLAs) image. The move of the BJP high command of issuing disqualification notice was totally unconstitutional,” he said. Accusing the BJP and the National Conference (NC), he said it was a well-planned conspiracy of the NC and some leaders of the BJP to wipe out the BJP from Jammu and Kashmir for their vested interests. MLA Raipur-Domana Bharat Bhushan, MLA Jagdish Raj Sapolia and MLA Gharu Ram addressed the meeting. |
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Attendants clash with striking doctors
Srinagar, September 16 Two resident doctors were on duty in the surgical casualty ward when the patient died around 2 am. Soon after, his relatives assaulted the two doctors - Dr Hamza and Dr Alfar - injuring them severely. The resident doctors posted in the casualty wards went on strike as well, causing more anger among the attendants. A group of attendants reportedly clashed with the striking doctors this morning and broke windowpanes of the hospital. Hospital Chief Medical Officer lodged an FIR against the attendants at the Karan Nagar police station after receiving
complaints from the resident doctors. After repeated assurances from the hospital administration, the resident doctors resumed work in casualty wards of the hospital, but those in the OPD and general ward sections continued to be on strike. Srinagar SSP Ashiq Bukhari met with the protesting doctors and assured the provision of adequate security on the hospital premises for the doctors. “The SSP has deputed 50 security personnel on the hospital premises, prompting some of the resident doctors in the ICU, casualty and emergency wards to rejoin work. But the strike continues,” said Dr Adil, president, Resident Doctors’ Association. Sources said that the Additional District Commissioner, Srinagar, had met with the hospital management and discussed the proposal of deputing 40 SPOs at the hospital. “Since the SMHS is one of the most crowded health facilities in the Valley, the provision of 40 SPOs is not enough to instill a sense of security in doctors. Unless we are satisfied with the security measures, we are not calling off the strike,” said Dr Ashfaq, a protesting doctor. |
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Parents abandon child born with cleft lip at GB Pant Hospital
Srinagar, September 16 The doctors and patients in the hospital were shocked to find the infant lying in the corridor of the casualty ward, where her parents had deserted her. The infant was later shifted to the ICU and was being looked after by the hospital staff. The hospital administration says the infant cannot be kept there for long and that she needs to be adopted by a family or an orphanage. “We are looking for adoption measures. In case no family comes forward, we may refer her to an NGO. But it is a medico-legal case now. The court will decide her fate eventually,” said Dr Muhammad Salim Khan, Deputy Medical Superintendent, GB Pant Hospital. The authorities maintain records of all children treated in the paediatric hospital. But in this case, the baby wasn’t undergoing treatment at the facility and has been dumped on the premises, making it difficult for the hospital administration to trace her family. The girl is suffering from cleft lip, a common
birth defect which is treatable using plastic reconstructive surgery. Doctors say the surgery is possible when the baby is at least six months old due to high anesthetic complications involved. Cleft palate repair surgery can be conducted on patients aged between six and 18 months (though the favoured age for cleft lip repair is generally much earlier, around 10 to 12 weeks). “Early surgery involves high risk especially due to anesthetic complications and is directly proportional to the age of the infant. So someone has to own the baby before surgery can happen. I am sure there are people who want to own this angel,” said Dr Yasir Wani, a paediatrician. Valley’s renowned maxillofacial specialist surgeon Dr Mohammad Shakeel has agreed to carry out surgery free of cost but the child will have to be at least a year old to undergo such a complicated procedure. “We have to buy some time and will need people who want to adopt her,” said Dr Shakeel. Birth disorder
The girl is suffering from cleft lip, a common birth defect, which is treatable using plastic reconstructive surgery |
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Clerics for boycott of US goods
Srinagar, September 16 “A three-member delegation will talk to all Islamic consulates soon for the boycott of American products,” said Qazi Yasir, spokesperson for Mutahida Ulmayee Aehlay Sunnah (MUAS), at a press conference here today. The move comes in the wake of protests across the Valley against an anti-Islam film, “Innocence of Muslims”, reportedly shot in the US. Qazi said the Muslims would continue to stage protests whenever “such incidents” took place and asserted that the US could not hurt religious sentiments “in the name of freedom of speech”. He criticised Saudi Arabia for not “publicly” condemning the film and asked the nation to come forward and register its protest. MUAS patron Maulana Ghulam Rasool Hami
reiterated the shutdown call for Tuesday to protest the film. He urged the students and business community to extend support to the call, as it was an “expression of umbrage” against the US. “We cannot tolerate blasphemy and our sentiments have been deeply hurt,” Hami added. The MUAS also intends to hold “peaceful” protests after Zuhar prayers across the Valley on Tuesday. On its future course of action, Qazi said: “We are not seeking an apology…. Our protest will continue and we will announce the future programme in due course of time.” He warned some local NGOs against taking funds from the US. |
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Work on tunnel near Sonamarg to start in April ’13
Jammu, September 16 The decision will pave the way for a long-term plan of the Central government to create an all-weather surface link between the cold desert with the rest of the country. Sources said though the foundation stone was expected to be laid before December 2012, actual work would start after winter. The decision to build the tunnel is part of Central government’s efforts to end isolation of the region, which holds immense strategic value. The Z-Morh tunnel will be completed in the first phase. Subsequently, the 15-km-long Zojila tunnel, cutting through the Zojila mountain range will be taken up. “If everything goes well, the tunnel will be completed in three years. The tendering process will be cleared on a fast track basis,” a senior Border Roads Official (BRO) said. Z-Morh is so called because of the zigzag pattern followed by Army convoys and civilian traffic while travelling from Srinagar to Kargil and Ladakh. A Cabinet Committee on Infrastructure yesterday approved the construction of the tunnel which will cost Rs 2,717 crore. The tunnel will be built on build, operate and transfer (annuity) basis. Kashmir Divisional Commissioner Asgar Samoon said, “Ladakh remains cut off from the mainland for six to seven months during winter. The Jammu-Srinagar-Zojila-Kargil-Leh and Manali-Sarchu-Leh roads that connect Leh to the mainland remain closed in winter due to accumulation of snow.” Leh is connected to the mainland via Srinagar. This is the only lifeline for the Army also, which has to send supplies to troops stationed at Siachen Glacier and other remote border posts. “When the two tunnels will be completed, these will enable movement of men and machines throughout the year. Due to heavy snowfall, recurring avalanches, high velocity winds and sub-zero temperatures, the area remains completely closed for the outside world from November to April,” said Chief Engineer, BRO, Brig TPS Rawat. Sources said a team from the Snow and Research Studies Establishment under the Defence Research Development Organisation, which specialises in snow physics and cold weather, had carried out preliminary studies and submitted to the Central government. “Now the decision will go through a tendering process and we expect the ground work will start before winter. It will make the road stretch beyond Sonamarg all-weather,” said the BRO Chief Engineer. An all-weather tunnel
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Mughal Road changing regional dynamics
Jammu, September 16 Since the 84-km-long highway became functional, traders’ dependence on Jammu has reduced and the economic ties between the twin border districts and the Valley have strenghtened, providing people some ‘independence’ over choosing the markets. Before the establishment of the Mughal road, Jammu was the only market available. Now, Kashmir seems to be a more preferred destination which has brought down the cost of goods here. The Mughal road was originally known as the ‘Namak’ road (salt route) as rock salt from mines of the North West Frontier Province of Pakistan was transported to the Valley via this route, a practice which abruptly stopped in 1947 after the Partition. This explains why the demand for reconstructing the road was a major political slogan in the region for decades. “Apart from serving as the alternative highway between Srinagar and Jammu, the road would also allow greater inter-regional cultural and economic exchanges. The geographical isolation, which discouraged people-to-people contact, will go away with time,” said political scientist and expert on Kashmir Prof Rekha Choudhary. Prof Chaudhary said the access to goods from across the Line of Control (LoC) would be easier for traders in the Kashmir valley, allowing them two access points to Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir (PoK), Salamabad in Uri and Chakka-Da-Bagh in Poonch. Initially, the road started from Jhelum town of Punjab (Pakistan), touching Kotli (in PoK), Thanamandi (Rajouri district) and Chandimarh in the Pir Panjal mountains. “In the past few years, rates of many commodities in the markets have drastically reduced as traders from Jammu are facing competition from those in the Valley, which is benefiting the people (in Kashmir). For traders from border districts, on the other hand, their products are getting better price from the outsiders,” said Shafiq Mir, a sarpanch. The highway is slowly becoming a major tourist attraction as the road is dotted with the remains of the Mughal empire. It was at Chingus in Rajouri district that emperor Jehangir died while returning from Kashmir. A rest house built by the Mughals on this road still exists at Muradapora. Another rest house at Nayn Sukh (Fatehpur), a grand ‘sarai’ at Thanamandi and ‘Noori Chhamb’ waterfalls named after Jehangir’s queen Noor Jehan are other remains of the empire. Others historical places like ‘Ziarat of Peer Baba’ at Pir-Ki-Gali, Dubjian, near the Sulphur Springs and a big rest house are now in a dilapidated condition at Hirpura. |
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Mirwaiz to raise unmarked graves issue at Geneva
Srinagar, September 16 He is also planning to present a documentary on “torture practices” in Kashmir during the conference. The Mirwaiz left for Delhi today morning, from where he will fly to Geneva to attend the conference. “The Mirwaiz would raise the issue of discovery of unmarked graves in Kashmir before international human rights defenders,” said Hurriyat spokesman Shahid-ul-Islam. He said, “The Mirwaiz would talk about how the government has been callous about not digging deeper to find whether those buried in graves were people subjected to enforced disappearance.” An inquiry by the State Human Rights Commission (SHRC) and human rights activists has found 2,156 bodies buried in unmarked graves at 38 places in north Kashmir. The Association of Parents of Disappeared Persons (APDP), which says around 10,000 people have gone missing in the past 20 years, claims that many (missing persons) may have ended up in the unmarked graves. In a petition before the SHRC, the APDP had demanded DNA test of the bodies buried in the unmarked graves, which was rejected by the state government in its Action Taken Report to the SHRC. “The Mirwaiz would also present a detailed account about gross human rights violations with prisoners living in sub-human conditions in various jails,” the spokesman said. The spokesman said the Hurriyat chairman would also appeal to the international community to “address the issue of human rights violations and prisoners rights” in Kashmir. |
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Vice-Prez briefed about ‘hangul’ conservation
Srinagar, September 16 Governor NN Vohra and his wife Usha Vohra, Vice-President Hamid Ansari’s wife Salma Ansari, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and Minister for Forests Mian Altaf Ahmad accompanied the Vice-President, an official said. Through a PowerPoint presentation, Divisional Forest Officer Rashid Naqash briefed the Vice-President about the rich biodiversity of the Dachigam National Park. The national park is spread over 141 sq km. Over 50 species of trees, 20 species of shrubs and 500 species of herbs are found in the park. Besides hangul, the dominant species of the park are Himalayan black bear, common leopard, Himalayan langur, red fox, Himalayan marmot, leopard cat, jungle cat, Himalayan mouse hare and musk deer. The park has over 150 species of birds. The hangul population in the park as per the Census 2011 was 218. Ansari was told that the hangul conservation plan was being implemented with the support of the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests. The Central Zoo Authority is also supporting the conservation programme of the critically endangered species. |
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Resolution of K-issue
Jammu, September 16 The JSM also took exception to statements of leaders of both parties that any peace talks or confidence building measures should be focused on the Kashmir issue. Addressing a meeting, JSM leaders said the Kashmiri leadership was least concerned about infiltration from across the border, terrorist activities pursued by Pakistan and Pakistan-sponsored terrorist groups active in India. “They (leaders) do not feel perturbed by violations on the LoC or international border by the Pakistani forces, flushing of foreign currency or fake Indian currency and Pakistani agents through trade routes opened in J&K to assist anti-national elements and terrorist groups,” said a JSM leader. The JSM leaders observed that the leaders of these political parties always stood against the national interest and the integrity of the country. The JSM condemned statements made by PDP president Mehbooba Mufti and PDP patron Mufti Mohammed Sayeed after the recent visit of External Affairs Minister SM Krishna to Pakistan. “They (Mufti Sayeed and Mehbooba) criticised the visit on the account that no concrete steps were taken or discussed on the resolution of the Kashmir issue,” the JSM observed. The JSM said Mehbooba had threatened to launch an agitation against India and Pakistan for ignoring J&K in the talks. “The Kashmiri leaders have always fooled people by issuing statements which are anti-national and pro-secessionist. They do it for their ulterior designs and political motives. Their statements and anti-India posters are mostly responsible for the present turmoil in the state,” a JSM leader said. Varinder Gupta, HB Khajuria, Nathu Ram Gupta, Chandra Uday Sharma, Surjeet Singh Jamwal, Vishav Bandhu Gupta, VD Dogra, Rajinder Gupta, Pardeep Singh Jamwal, Yash Pal Gupta, RC Gupta, Divender Singh Jamwal and Subash Sharma spoke. |
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Jammu farmer awarded for boosting mushroom yield
Jammu, September 16 He was among the group of 35 farmers sent by the Department of Agriculture to participate in the mela under the Agriculture Technology Management Agency scheme. Director, Agriculture, Jammu, Ajay Khajuria said this while interacting with farmers at Jammu. Khajuria told those present at the meeting that Singh was one of the five progressive mushroom growers of the country who was selected for the award. He said the department had been making concerted efforts to promote mushroom cultivation through various awareness activities. He said it was for the first time that mushroom growers were sent to participate in the mela. The selection of mushroom growers for the award was done by a screening committee of the ICAR. Narrating his long Journey from a student to a progressive mushroom grower, Singh said he got training in mushroom cultivation from the Department of Agriculture when he was a Class X student in 1991. He started a mushroom unit with 50 trays provided by the department. He never looked back and increased the number of trays every year in close coordination with the Department of Agriculture. He said the department had helped him from supply of spawn, management at various stages and marketing through different schemes. Singh has 5,000 mushroom trays, produces 25 to 30 ton of mushroom and earns a profit Rs 5 lakh every year. |
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NC, BJP workers join Congress in Ramban
Batote, September 16 Besides Choudhary Abdul Gani, sarpanch, Parnote, and Mushtaq Ahmed, sarpanch, Chanderkot, a naib sarpanch and 19 panches of Ramban tehsil joined the Congress in the presence of Ramban MLA Ashok Kumar. Welcoming the new entrants into the Congress, Ashok assured them to come up to their expectations, continue development works initiated by former Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad and help the poor and downtrodden. A resolution urging the NC-Congress coalition government to induct Ashok Kumar into the Cabinet was unanimously passed on the occasion. The new incumbents said their reason for joining the Congress was disenchantment due to the performance and policies of the NC and the
BJP.
— OC |
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Army organises tour for schoolchildren
Rajouri, September 16 During the tour, children will visit various places of interest in Bangalore and Ooty. The group of 23 students and two teachers was flagged off from Usman Memorial. Army officers and civilians were present on the occasion. The students will spread the message of peace and tranquillity. The tour will expose children to development, quality of life and historical places of interest. It will instill in them a sense of awareness and national integration. The students were upbeat about the outing as they were moving out of Rajouri for the first time. |
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Arms, ammunition recovered
Batote, September 16 Army sources said the recoveries included one .12 bore rifle, three country made rifles, one SLR magazine, one AK-47 magazine, two Chinese grenades, two hand grenades, one Chinese UBGL grenade, 700 rounds of AK rifle and 50 small assorted arms and ammunition. |
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