The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

	LPG crisis: State govt fears public unrest in snowbound areas Sumit Hakhoo Jammu, October 19 With the Centre still undecided about raising the cap on subsidised LPG cylinders from six to nine in Jammu and Kashmir, the state government apprehends public unrest in areas which will get cut-off from the rest of the country due to snowfall in the coming weeks. Till March, 2013, consumers in the state will get only three subsided cylinders and from November to May, heavy snowfall will block the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway, Srinagar-Kargil-Leh highway and the interior roads in the Jammu region. In case the Central government does not give any concession, thousands of people in the snowbound areas will have to buy cylinders on non-subsided rates after consuming the allotted number of cylinders. This assumes more significance in the backdrop of thriving black marketing gangs, whose business is denying genuine consumers their share. Sources said officials of the Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution (CAPD) were in a tizzy as they are in the middle of the winter-stocking exercise in Leh, Kargil, Gurez, Karnah, Tangdar, Uri and the erstwhile Doda district, which are lashed by heavy snowfall in winter. Recently, Minister for CAPD Qamar Ali Akhoon had discussed the issue with Union Petroleum Minister Jaipal Reddy but there was no assurance about treating the state under a special category, keeping in view its geographical condition. “There’s every possibility of a public unrest and this issue has been discussed in a meeting also. In winter, the demand for the LPG is higher in the Kashmir valley, Ladhak and the snowbound areas of the Jammu region,” a senior CAPD officer said. On September 15, a Union Cabinet committee had decided to restrict the sale of subsidised LPG cylinders to six per household annually to check the huge losses incurred by the oil companies. The Congress MLA from Bhaderwah-Bellassa constituency in Doda district, Muhammad Sharief Niaz, said people were apprehensive about the new norms and were visiting him everyday to express their concern. “A large population is dependent on the LPG as it has discarded traditional methods of cooking. Even electricity is not available in winter. What will the middle-class and poor people do?” Niaz questioned. Even the state legislature in its recently concluded autumn session had unanimously passed a resolution to enhance the cap on subsidised LPG cylinders in J&K. The Minister for CAPD said a team of ministers would meet the Prime Minister to discuss the issue. “We are expecting a positive response from the Centre. Every aspect of the issue and problems due to weather will be put before the Prime Minister. People will face a lot of problems if the cap is not increased,” he said. There’s every possibility of public unrest and this issue has been discussed in a meeting also. In winter, the demand for the LPG is higher in the Kashmir valley, Ladhak and the snowbound areas of the Jammu region — A senior CAPD officer A large population is dependent on the LPG as it has discarded traditional methods of cooking. Even electricity is not available in winter. What will the middle-class and poor people do? — Muhammad Sharief Niaz, Bhaderwah-Bellassa MLA
	Rehab policy for ultras requires a ‘relook’ Ravi Krishnan Khajuria Tribune News Service Jammu, October 19 With not even a single Kashmiri militant returning from terror camps in Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir (PoK) to Jammu and Kashmir in the past two years via officially identified routes, security forces say the much-hyped rehabilitation policy for such “misguided” youth needs a relook. The state government in consultation with the UPA regime had announced the rehabilitation policy for the “misguided Kashmiri” youth in 2010, giving them an opportunity to return to the state and start their lives afresh as law abiding citizens. “This policy certainly needs a relook, particularly when Kashmiri militants are returning via Nepal with fake passports and names,” said a senior Army officer, on condition of anonymity. Under the policy, the state government had identified the Wagah border, PCP Attari, Salamabad in Baramulla district, Chakan-da-Bagh in Poonch district and the Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi as routes for the return of such youth. “Militants with fake names and passports from Pakistan and PoK are entering India via Nepal and then reaching Jammu and Kashmir. It’s a disturbing trend, which needs to be checked immediately and effectively,” said the officer. The officer said that the policy had no life in it. “When India and Pakistan are not on the same page vis-à-vis this policy and when India has not even discussed it with Pakistan, how can one expect it to work. And why will Pakistan, ever agree to it when it is aiding and abetting terrorism in the state. To me, this policy is nothing more than a political gimmick,” he said. Why would Pakistan ever expose itself before the international community, he said. Echoing similar views, Major General (retd) GS Jamwal said, any policy, which depended upon an enemy, was based on a supposition. Going by the dismal performance of this policy, it needs a re-look and revision, he said. At the same time the state government and even the Centre should check the entry of Kashmiri militants via Nepal for the simple reason that those travelling from Pakistan or PoK to Nepal could have been easily doing so on fake passports and identities, said Major General Jamwal. They could also be agents of Pakistan, and if so, they could cast a cascading effect on counter-insurgency operations in the state, he added. He said all the policies, which did not solely depend on the elected government of a country or a state, need timely revisions. An Army source said bringing Nepal into the list of official routes for the policy might not be feasible for the government as a lot of smuggling, including that of fake currency, took place on the Indo-Nepal border. A senior police officer refused to comment on the policy and Minister of State for Home Affairs Nasir Aslam Wani, too, was reluctant to speak on the issue. Applications from PoK So far, 1,082 applications have been received on behalf of persons in PoK who intend to return 218 cases have been recommended by the state government to the Centre Out of 1,082 applicants, 123 persons, some with their families, have returned illegally via Nepal and other routes in the past two years 90 had brought families from Pakistan and PoK An estimated 3,000 to 3,500 Kashmiri youth are still living in different parts of Pakistan and PoK
	High Court sets targets for clearing backlog Tribune News Service Srinagar, October 19 In an effort to minimise the pendency of cases in the courts, the J&K High Court has formulated an action plan under which all the Principal District and Sessions Judges (PDJs) have been advised to clear the backlog by December 31. Under the plan, which was formulated by Chief Justice MM Kumar during a full court meeting held in September, targets were fixed for disposing of cases of undertrials, criminal appeals and criminal challans. Over 2.7 lakh cases were reportedly pending in different courts across the state and more than 80,000 cases were pending in both the wings of the high court in Srinagar and Jammu till May, 2012. To assess the implementation of the action plan, the Chief Justice held meetings with the district and sessions judges this week through video-conferencing at High Court in Srinagar, which concluded yesterday. “Under the action plan, the PDJs have been advised to take decisions in the criminal appeals and revisions filed till March 31, 2012. This means that there should not be any criminal revision pending for more than six months,” a source in the High Court told the Tribune. Sources said as per the guidelines of the plan adopted through a full court resolution in September, the cases of undertrials wherein the chargesheet stands filed on or before December 31, 2007, are to be decided by the concerned judges by December 31, 2012. This means there should be no case pending before the courts for more than five years. Likewise, as per the Action Plan, the concerned Principal District Judges have asked to decide or dispose of “all criminal revisions filed on or before March 31, 2012 by December 31, 2012’. According to the plan, judges have to decide by or before December 31, 2012, all criminal challans except those involving undertrials, which have been filed on or before December 31, 2002, sources said. “The judges have also been directed to reduce the pendency in criminal miscellaneous appeals, which are more than six months old, by December,” said a source. Likewise, in the anti-corruption and the CBI cases, the judges have been directed to dispose of the cases which were filed by or before December 31, 2007, till December 31, 2012. Till May, over 2.7 lakh cases were reportedly pending in different courts across the state and more than 80,000 cases were pending in both wings of the high court in Srinagar and Jammu
	Use Geelani’s remarks evoke strong reaction from BJP, Panthers Party Tribune News Service Jammu, October 19 The statement of leader of the hardline faction of the Hurriyat Conference Syed Ali Shah Geelani on Amarnath yatra has evoked a strong reaction in the Jammu region. Political parties have lambasted the coalition government for not keeping a check on people like Geelani who are opposing facilities to Amarnath pilgrims. BJP leader Ashok Khajuria, while addressing a function at Kanji House in Jammu city, flayed National Conference-Congress for allowing separatists to provoke religious sentiments of people across the country. Khajuria said it had become a matter of routine for Kashmir-based political parties and separatist organisations to make statements which were aimed at pleasing Kashmiris and hurting the religious sentiments of minorities in Jammu and Kashmir. Bhim Singh, Chairman, National Panthers Party (NPP), said Geelani had made a statement without even reading the judgment of the Supreme Court, which had directed the state government and the Shrine Board to widen the road. “There is no judgment of the Supreme Court on constructing a road up to the holy cave,” he said. Expressing concern over Geelani’s threat to launch an agitation against the widening of the existing track between Baltal and the Amarnath cave, the Panun Kashmir has urged the authorities concerned not to pay heed to his communal outbursts under the guise of his concern for ecology. In a political affairs committee meeting chaired by its convener Agnishekhar, Panun Kashmir condemned the communal intentions of Geelani. Agnishekhar said Geelani should have expressed similar apprehensions when the Dacsum-Kishtwar road and Mughal Road were constructed cutting through forests.
	ICCR centre opens in Kashmir CM says it will help Valley showcase its culture to world Bismah Malik Tribune News Service Srinagar, October 19 Chief Minister Omar Abdullah today inaugurated the regional centre of the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) at the banks of the Dal Lake in Srinagar as a part of an initiative of the Union Ministry of External Affairs to exchange and foster cultural relations between Kashmir and the rest of the country and other countries. He said that it was through initiatives like these that the image of Kashmir as a place of violence could be rectified and that its culture and heritage could be presented before the world. Omar said the opening up of the ICCR centre in Kashmir had filled the long-felt void in the cultural arena of state. The Chief Minister thanked MP and ICCR president Dr Karan Singh for being instrumental in making the centre a reality in the Valley. “It has been only through the persistent efforts of Dr Karan Singh that we have been able to achieve this milestone and I am hopeful that this will go a long way in highlighting the culture and the glorious past of Kashmir through an exchange of cultural programmes,” he said. Omar also hoped that ICCR regional director Ayaz Rasool Nazki, who is a former registrar, Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences, Kashmir, and an eminent artist, would revive the cultural history of Kashmir through the platform. On the occasion, Dr Karan Singh said Jammu and Kashmir was the only state which had been provided with two regional centres in the Jammu and Kashmir regions. He credited this to the multiple cultural ethos of the state. He said the centres would provide an apt platform for unifying the diverse cultures of the Kashmiris, Dogris, Punjabis and the Gujjars in the state. Praising the Kashmiri residents for not losing their touch with the rich culture despite the odds, Singh reiterated that culture was present in the genes of the place, which also explained his association with cultural events taking place in the country. “I am hopeful that the ICCR’s regional centre provides a platform to the indigenous artists of the state and presents itself as a window of Kashmir’s culture to the outside world,” he said. The event witnessed cultural performances by local artistes. The event was attended by Minister for Culture and Tourism Nawang Rigzin Jora, Advisor to the Chief Minister Mubarak Gul, Minister of State for Culture Nasir Aslam Wani and Kashmir Divisional Commissioner Asgar Samoon among others. I am hopeful that the ICCR’s regional centre will provide a platform to the indigenous artists of the state and present itself as a window of Kashmir’s culture to the outside world — Dr Karan Singh, MP and ICCR president
	Army holds training session with villagers in Bhaderwah Tribune News Service Jammu, October 19 Ahead of winter when militants try to sneak into the state in a bid to flare up militancy, the Army has trained members of the Village Defence Committee (VDC) in a remote village of Sankhoja in Bhaderwah tehsil in Doda district. The Army yesterday organised a meeting and training session at Sankhoja village wherein 15 VDC members from various villages like Sankhoja, Dharamkot and Puneju participated in the Rashtriya Rifles Camp, said Jammu-based Defence PRO Col RK Palta in a release issued here today. The aim of organising the meeting was to enable interaction and discussion between the Army and VDC members on security issues. During the meeting, the Army instructors laid emphasis on the safety and security of villagers and also briefed the VDC members about the law and order situation in the area. The VDC members were explained the importance of co-ordination between the security forces, VDCs and the civil administration. The role and contribution of the VDCs towards synergising the efforts of the Army and the civil administration for ushering in development and the elimination of negative elements from society were also discussed. The Army had trained a VDC in Kulali village near Hill Kaka where “Operation Sarp Vinash” was carried out by the Army in 2003 when over 60 terrorists were killed. Even today, the Kulali VDC is effective and is working in tandem with the Army. It is the most successful VDC. Before 2003, the Hill Kaka region near Surankote tehsil of Rajouri district had over 300 terrorists.
	CJM denies bail to Pak-returned youth Tribune News Service Jammu, October 19 Chief Judicial Magistrate, Kishtwar, Ajay Kumar Gupta today rejected the bail of a youth, who had returned from Pakistan after spending 11 long years in the neighbouring country and had been booked for anti-national activities. Mohammed Ramzan, a native of Margi in the Warwan area of Kishtwar district, was booked under Sections 120-B/121 of the RPC and 7/27 of the Arms Act. He remained underground for 11 years in different parts of Pakistan. The bail application was moved by the accused pleading therein that he was not involved in any anti-national activities. He submitted that he was an innocent person with no criminal background and had been implicated in a false and frivolous case. However, Prosecuting Officer Mansoor Ahmad Sheikh opposed the bail on various counts, saying that the accused was involved in non-bailable offences. “The accused was absconding from his house and was residing in different areas of Pakistan for the last more than 11 years and the investigation is at the initial stage. The accusations against him are serious in nature of waging war against the state and he had also crossed the border,” submitted the Prosecuting Officer. After hearing the counsel for the accused and the Prosecuting Officer, the CJM observed that prima facie offences were made out against the accused, and the offences under Section 120-B/121 of the RPC carry punishment up to life imprisonment or death penalty. Before rejecting the bail plea, the CJM referred to the cases of Anwari Begum versus Sher Mohammed and others decided by the Supreme Court, and Sanjay Sharma versus the state of J&K decided by the J&K High Court. With these observations, the CJM rejected the bail plea of the accused. Incidentally, the Superintendent of Police, Kishtwar, has already placed under suspension investigating officer assistant sub-inspector Firdous Ahmad Giri in the instant case for tampering with the records with a motive to arrange the bail for the accused and his subsequent acquittal.
	Rs 1.2 lakh realised as power tariff in 2011-12 M Aamir Khan Tribune News Service Srinagar, October 19 The state government has realised revenue of Rs 1,20,008.54 lakh as power tariff during 2011-2012 against Rs 95,017.90 lakh during the previous financial year. A total of Rs 47,877.42 lakh was realised as power tariff from Kashmir and Ladakh regions while Rs 72,131.702 lakh was generated from the Jammu region in 2011-12, reveal official documents tabled in the recently concluded autumn session of the Assembly. The total power tariff realised in the last financial year as compared to 2010-11 saw an increase of Rs 24,990.84 lakh. In 2010-11, power tariff collected from Kashmir and Ladakh was Rs 36,300.06 lakh, while in Jammu the figure stood at Rs 58,717.88 lakh. In 2009-2010, Rs 31,491.71 lakh was realised as power tariff from Kashmir and Ladakh while Rs 50,762.09 lakh was generated in Jammu. In 2008-2009, power tariff collected from Kashmir and Ladakh was Rs 27,773.26 lakh, while in Jammu the figure stood at Rs 45,977.587 lakh. During 2011-12, the maximum power tariff of Rs 21,660.2 lakh from the Valley was realised from Srinagar district, and Rs 564.73 was realised from south Kashmir’s Shopian district, which was the lowest collection in the Valley from any district. In the Jammu region, the minimum power tariff of Rs 764.871 lakh from any district was realised from Doda in 2011-12. The maximum tariff of Rs 36,554.873 lakh was collected from Jammu city. Meanwhile, official documents said the rate of damage to transformers in the state was increasing due to “reckless and excessive” use of load by the consumers.
	Srinagar-Leh highway open till Nov 15 Srinagar, October 19 The 434-km-long Srinagar-Leh highway would remain open for vehicular traffic till November 15, depending upon the weather conditions, said a govt spokesman here today. This was announced at a high-level meeting of officers convened by Minister for Transport and Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution (CA&PD) Qamar Ali Akhoon to take stock of the condition of the highway. Describing the Srinagar-Kargil-Leh National Highway (NH) as the only lifeline for the people of Leh and Kargil, the minister said the requisite quantity of food grains and other essential commodities, including the K-oil and LPG, were to be stocked in these districts. He directed the concerned officials to ensure that stocks of these items should be stored in the area before the closure of this NH. — TNS