The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

	Campaigning for Legislative Council elections ends Polling tomorrow; 37 candidates in the fray for four seats Tribune News Service Srinagar, December 1 During the election campaign for four seats of the Legislative Council in Jammu and Kashmir, which concluded today, the coalition partners and the opposition PDP have debated the conduct of last panchayat elections and empowerment of these institutions so far. These elections, for two seats each in Kashmir and Jammu divisions, would decide the fate of 37 candidates, 16 in Kashmir and 21 in Jammu. The issue of holding panchayat elections and the empowerment of Panchayati Raj Institutions in the absence of Block Development Councils has been debated in their tide both by the coalition parties and the opposition. This followed the threat perception to panchayat members after two of them were killed by suspected militants in Kashmir in September last. Though the Congress had been at loggerheads with the National Conference on the 73rd amendment, the two parties entered into the joint contest putting this issue under the carpet. In its campaign at the block levels and through local print media, the coalition has tried to cash upon the holding of panchayat elections after a gap of over three decades in the state. An eight-point agenda set by the ruling coalition includes transfer of powers under 14 different departments to the panchayat institutions, identification of homeless families and assistance provided to them and construction work on panchayat ghars taken up during the past nearly two years. These panchayat elections were held early last year, while the government deferred the elections to Block Development Councils and the constitution of District Councils. On the other hand, the opposition PDP has been criticising the government for “playing a joke” with the panchayat institutions and incomplete basic democratic institutions in the absence of block and district institutions. It has also questioned the government as to why it had decided to hold the Legislative Council elections from panchayat quota in the absence of Block and District level Councils. For the two seats from Kashmir Division, comprising 12 districts, 10 in the Kashmir valley and two in the Ladakh region, the PDP has fielded its former minister Peer Mohammad Hussain and a young face Mohammad Yasir Reshi. Election stats 16 candidates are in the fray for two Legislative Council seats from the Kashmir valley 17,891 elected panchayat members will exercise their franchise in the Valley 77 polling stations have been set up, one each at all the block headquarters Out of 77 polling stations, 42 have been categorised as sensitive, 11 as hyper-sensitive and 24 as normal
	News Analysis Omar on the threshold of becoming a political hero? Arun Joshi Tribune News Service Jammu, December 1 At 42, Omar Abdullah, who until recently was profiled as “youngest Chief Minister” of Jammu and Kashmir, is on the threshold of becoming a political hero in his own right, if the ruling combine of National Conference and Congress wins all four seats of the Legislative Council from panchayat quota next week. The polls are scheduled to be held on Monday. About 33,000 panches and sarpanches are expected to vote on Monday. If calculations of his political adviser, Devender Singh Rana, and others in the coalition government, and an aggressive campaign are to be taken into account, the coalition would be winner all the way. “Take it from me that we will win all the four seats,” Rana keeps on telling people. But the Congress, despite echoing the NC leadership, is a divided house. Those owing allegiance to Union Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad, who is keen to return to the state politics as the Chief Minister, and the other camp loyal to Pradesh Congress Committee chief Saifuddin Soz, is also pushing his name for the same job. These panches and sarpanches represent more than 50 lakh people who had voted for them in 2011 spring polls, which were held after 10 years. The last panchayats polls were held in 2001. Most of the voters had stayed back in their homes for the fear of inviting reprisal by militants who had given the call to boycott poll. In reality, these elections were held after over three decades. The participation was 79.6 per cent in the 2011 polls, never seen or heard of in the electoral history of this sensitive state, where news of blazing guns, grenade and IED explosions used to make it to the headlines of TV channels and newspapers. The tit for tat with main opposition PDP leaders can be gauged from the fact that the Chief Minister charged the PDP with make-up kits to women panchayat members and the rebuttal that the PDP offered, saying it amounted to “undermining the dignity of women”. The hostility in words was mutual. Omar saw himself criss-crossing the Valley for most of the electioneering. If this electioneering brings four seats of the LC polls to the coalition, he would enter the world of heroic politics on his own. Contrast this situation with 2002 and 2008 Assembly polls, which were contested when he was the National Conference president. The Congress was more of an adversary than a friend. In 2002, his father was the Chief Minister and Omar was the chief ministerial candidate. After the elections, the National Conference lost power. Omar had the first-ever taste of defeat in those polls. He lost from Ganderbal, the constituency represented by his grandfather and father. In 2008, Omar was the NC president, but his father Farooq Abdullah was the chief ministerial candidate. But that didn’t make any difference as far the election results were concerned. The NC stood at 28, the number of seats it had won in 2002, when it lost power to the PDP and the Congress. But political equations changed. The NC befriended the Congress and formed the government. This time, Omar is wearing two hats, one of the Chief Minister and the other of “working president” of the party. He has nearly a four-year record of governance to sell or hide, because there were many ifs between promises and delivery. “We held panchayat elections, hence these elections, and soon we will hold block development council and urban local bodies elections and so on,” he also counts, “how many jobs have been given to youth and how the peace has returned to the Valley and tourism has generated jobs and stakes in the state.” The PDP has challenged all these assertions and pointed fingers to the dark side of the four years of governance. “The peace is elusive and the common man is living in fear”, Mehbooba and her father Mufti Mohammad Sayeed have chosen this mantra to pin down the NC. Omar rarely flashes a smile. Perhaps, he is waiting for the day when results would be out.
	Police, 27 CRPF companies to ensure peaceful polling Tribune News Service Jammu, December 1 The state government has mobilised all its resources to ensure peaceful polling on Monday for four Legislative Council seats in all the 147 blocks of 22 districts in the state. “For 66 blocks of Jammu region comprising 10 districts, we have deployed 17 companies of the Jammu and Kashmir Armed Police and Indian Reserve Police besides roping in seven companies of the CRPF. Besides this, the district police will be there in their respective blocks to ensure hassle-free polling,” Jammu zone IGP Dilbag Singh told The Tribune. He said though no classification of hyper-sensitive and sensitive blocks in Jammu region has been done but remote areas which are sensitive to militancy and where we don’t have requisite support system are being given more attention. He said in the remote areas of Dachhan, Marwah and Warwan of Kishtwar district, security personnel, polling staff and polling material had been air-lifted today. Security personnel, polling staff and material have already reached snow-bound Dachhan, Marwah and Warwan today, he added. Similarly, in other difficult areas of the Jammu region, security personnel, polling staff and material would reach tomorrow, he said. The IGP further said offices of the block development officers would be used as counting centres. A senior CRPF officer from the Jammu region said in districts such as Doda, Kishtwar, Ramban, Rajouri, Poonch and Udhampur, which are sensitive, the CRPF would assist the state police in ensuring peaceful polling. “The Kashmir region, including Ladakh, which has 12 districts, has a total of 81 blocks where all necessary arrangements of security, polling staff and material have been done,” said Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir, Asgar Samoon. For the Kashmir region, where capital city of Srinagar is witnessing curfew in some parts due to sectarian clashes, the CRPF has deployed 20 additional companies for the polling on December 3. “Besides the police and our routine deployment, 20 additional companies of the CRPF have been deployed for polling on December 3 in Kashmir,” said a senior CRPF officer on the condition of anonymity.
	Employment scheme ‘Himayat’ falls flat Yet to take off in 11 out of 22 districts in the state Arteev Sharma Tribune News Service Jammu, December 1 The Government of India’s much-touted skill empowerment and employment scheme, ‘Himayat’ (support and protection) for one lakh unemployed youth of Jammu and Kashmir appears to have failed in yielding desired results. Out of total 4,500 trained youth, a meagre 1,900 have been placed since its inception on August 21 last year. Much to the Centre’s disappointment, the scheme virtually failed to take off in 11 out of 22 districts where either a single or no unemployed youth was trained and got employment during the past 15 months. The figures were in sharp contrast to the Centre’s objective to develop training centres in all blocks of the state in the next five years. “No unemployed youth has been imparted training in Kargil, Kupwara, Leh, Poonch, Shopian and Kishtwar during the past 15 months. Similarly, in five districts, including Kathua, Bandipora, Kulgam, Reasi and Ramban, only one youth was imparted training and employment for the period,” sources said. Ironically, the Government of India, however, in the Rajya Sabha had said the ‘Himayat’ programme evoked positive response from the youth. It had also said if any lacuna was brought to the notice of the government, it would take appropriate measures to address the same. The salient features of the scheme include implementation of the scheme by private companies or NGOs. It aims to target 1,00,000 youth in 5 years, training centres will be developed at the block level where youth from low-income families will be trained and support will be available for trainees after training and during placement as well. Sources said out of total trained youth, on an average, 13 per cent women turned up to get benefit of the scheme and barring four districts, the performance of all other districts remained below expectations. Similarly, another Rs 1,000-crore job scheme of Union Home Ministry, ‘Udaan’, to provide skills and enhance employability for 8,000 youth of the state every year for next five years, has been facing “procedural glitches and poor response”. The placement record under the scheme had also remained abysmal as not even a single youth out of 150 trained youth had got placement. “The Centre had recently announced hike in relocation allowance for the beneficiaries to Rs 12,000 for six months from Rs 2,000 for two months to make the scheme more lucrative. It is also contemplating to sort out the problem of accommodation for these youth and steps like providing them vacant government houses and hostels,” the sources said. A professor of Jammu University, who declined to be named, blamed the state government for its failure to create awareness among unemployed youth about the scheme. “A major section of the unemployed youth, whose number has crossed a staggering 6-lakh mark, in Jammu and Kashmir doesn’t have adequate knowledge about the programme. Until and unless the government creates proper arrangement to make unemployed youth aware, it will not yield desired results,” the professor said. He believed the educational institutions, particularly colleges and higher secondary schools, have greater responsibility to make students aware about the scheme. Minister for Labour and Employment Abdul Gani Malik has admitted that the government was facing problems in popularising the job-oriented schemes. At the same time, he claimed that various universities and colleges had been directed to promote the scheme.
	Lohai-Malhar sarpanches to boycott LC elections Resent setting up of polling station away from block HQ Dinesh Manhotra Tribune News Service Jammu, December 1 Enraged over decision of the authorities to set up a polling station away from their block headquarter, panchayat members of the entire Lohai-Malhar block of Kathua district today announced to boycott the Legislative Council elections. Polling for the four seats of the Legislative Council from the quota of panchayats will be held on December 3 and only elected panchayat members are entitled to cast their votes in the poll. The Lohai-Malhar block, which is a part of the Bani tehsil, comprises nine panchayats, namely Malad, Malhar, Madgoon, Upper Baggan, Lower Baggan, Upper Thall, Lower Thall, Badnota and Kindli. Lohai-Malhar is a block headquarter but the authorities have set up a polling station at Machadhi, which is far away block headquarter and this decision has evoked strong reaction from the panchayat members. “We have decided to boycott the elections because Machadhi is not less than 20 km away from our village and we will not cover such a long distance to cast our votes”, Parveen Akthar, sarpanch of Malhar panchayat told The Tribune over the phone. She said the panchayat members of Lohai-Malhar block were shocked over the decision of the authorities to ignore their block headquarter by setting up a polling station at Machadhi. A delegation of panchayat members and other prominent persons today met the higher authorities at Billawar and Bani and demanded shifting of polling station from Machadhi to Lohai-Malhar to ensure participation of panchayat members in the elections. “The authorities have so far not given any response to our demand”, said Abdul Gani, a social activist of Lohai-Malhar, adding the panchayat members of their block were left with no other option but to boycott the elections. Gani alleged that the polling station was deliberately set up in a far-flung area to discourage panchayat members to participate in the democratic process. Gani argued that there was no reason to set up the polling station at Machadhi, which was not a block headquarter.
	LC poll: Parties woo voters on last day of campaigning Tribune News Service Jammu, December 1 All political parties organised a series of meetings of panches and sarpanches in the Jammu region to garner support for their candidates on the last day of the campaign for the Legislative Council (LC) elections. Addressing a meeting at Hiranagar, Minister for Industries and Commerce Surjeet Singh Slathia said only the National Conference (NC) and the Congress were working seriously for the empowerment of the panches and sarpanches. Slathia said the allegations of the opposition about the misuse of the official machinery in the LC elections proved that it had foreseen its defeat and was now beating around the bush to hoodwink the public opinion. He questioned how can those claim to be the champions of Panchayati Raj, who did nothing in this regard during their regime but were only creating hurdles in the completion of a vibrant three-tier Panchayati Raj system in the state. He said the panchayat members were aware of the skullduggery of the opposition and would inflict a crashing defeat on it in the ensuing elections. Minister of State for Power Shabir Ahmed Khan said people had fastened their hopes on public representatives and asked the panches and sarpanches to work sincerely for the welfare and development of the people. He was addressing public rallies at Sawni, Muradpure, Kaller and Dalogra in Rajouri. Shabir appealed to the panches and sarpanches to remain vigilant against cunning policies adopted by the opposition party. BJP candidates, Uttam Singh and Rashpal Verma, today toured Ghatti, Barhwal, Sahar, Logate, Janglot, Badala, Drala and Mirpur panchayats in the Kathua and Hiranagar areas to garner support from voters and aware them of the ongoing “fallacious” campaign launched by the ruling government candidates.
	PDP blames National Conference for not devolving powers to panchayat members Tribune News Service Jammu, December 1 Senior leader of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Tariq Hamid Qarra today said the National Conference-led government was responsible for not delegating powers to the panchayats. He called upon panches and sarpanches to teach the coalition government a lesson for eroding the sanctity of the Panchayati Raj Insitutions. He was addressing a series of meetings of panches and sarpanches at the Nagrota, March, Muthi and Vijaypur areas. Qarra said on the one hand the government was claiming that conducting of the panchayat elections was its big achievement, but on the other hand it had betrayed the people, who had turned out in large numbers to cast vote in the panchayat elections, by not allowing proper functioning of the Panchayati Raj Institutions in the state. Qarra, who is the coordinator of the PDP’s campaign committee, said the elected panchayat members were feeling betrayed by the ruling coalition and were looking for an opportunity to give a befitting reply to the government for dishonouring the peoples’ mandate. He reminded the panches and sarpanches that Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh during his Independence Day address this year had also termed the panchayat elections in the state as one of the biggest achievements to strengthen democracy in the state. He, however, regretted that the present government had failed to take any step to make panchayats properly functional at the grass-roots level. “Instead of strengthening the Panchayati Raj Institutions in the state by honouring the mandate of the people, the government is trying to rehabilitate its four blue-eyed persons in the Legislative Council from the panchayat quota,” he said.
	Omar’s statements juvenile pranks: PDP Tribune News Service Srinagar, December 1 The PDP has termed Chief Minister Omar Abdullah’s statements as juvenile pranks, lacking tangible content and intellectual depth. It has said instead of indulging in histrionics and rhetoric, he should focus on governance. “With four years of his tenure over, we challenge Omar to show one major development project, pioneered, executed and accomplished by his government, as was done by the PDP-led government in the shape of universities, institutions, campuses of existing universities, fly-overs, roads, bridges, tourism development, parks and beautification programmes,” PDP president Mehbooba Mufti said in a statement here today. “Having failed on every front, Omar would now do a great favour to the people, if he can ensure at least some good power supply during the remaining two winters of his tenure,” Mehbooba said. Mehbooba said while the electricity crisis had started with the arrival of the present government in 2009, it was going from bad to worse with people complaining against the deteriorating electricity supply. “This government has not only failed to take big development initiatives, but also meagre development needs of the people.” The PDP urged the government to regularise the power supply.
	Another BSF soldier injured in mine blast Tribune News Service Jammu, December 1 Akin to what it had been doing along the international border, Pakistan, it seems, has adopted a similar modus operandi to target Indian troops along the Line of Control (LoC) in the Krishna Ghati (KG) sector of Poonch district. A day after a BSF constable, Harinder Singh, was injured in a mine blast in the KG sector, a BSF sub-inspector, Kalu Ram, who had gone to the same place for investigation, was injured in a blast which tore off his left toe. Both the soldiers belong to 135 Battalion of the BSF. An Intelligence source said the two consecutive incidents were the handiwork of the Pakistan army, which had used militants to plant explosives on the Indian side of the LoC during ceasefire violations in the KG sector from November 25. Officiating Defence PRO SN Acharya described it as another mine blast and ruled out the possibility of Pakistan planting explosives with the help of ultras along the LoC. Though the Army has the operational responsibility of the 776-km-long LoC in the state, the BSF also has its presence in some stretches, including the KG sector. A BSF officer confirmed that sub-inspector Kalu Ram had suffered injuries in a mine blast and was airlifted to Military Hospital in Satwari.
	Curfew lifted from Srinagar Tribune News Service Srinagar, December 1 Srinagar resumed its normal schedule after curfew was lifted from the jurisdiction of nine police stations today. The curfew, which was imposed on Wednesday evening in the city's nine out of 26 police stations, was lifted early today, a police spokesman said. However, as soon the curfew was lifted fresh clashes between two groups again erupted at Sazgaripora in the jurisdiction of Zadibal area. The police spokesman said restrictions were imposed in the jurisdiction of Zadibal police station after the fresh clashes. The spokesman said no clashes were reported from anywhere else in the city. Situation in Srinagar’s old city had grown tense on Wednesday when members of two Muslim sects had clashed with each other, forcing the district administration to impose indefinite curfew in several parts of the city. The curfew continued on Thursday and Friday with thousands of residents remaining locked up inside their houses as hundreds of police personnel patrolled the streets. Curfew was in place for two days in dozens of neighbourhoods falling in the jurisdiction of Nowhatta, M R Gunj, Safakadal, Khanyar, Rainawari, Nigeen, Lal Bazar, Zadibal and Parimpora police stations.
	Jammu set to host All India Police Hockey Championship Tribune News Service Jammu, December 1 The Additional Director General of Police (ADGP), Law and Order, K Rajendra Kumar, today reviewed arrangements for the prestigious 61st All India Police Hockey Championship at the Armed Police Headquarters in Jammu. The championship is being organised by the state police. After reviewing arrangements, the ADGP said more than 500 players from 26 teams, representing various states and Central police organisations, would participate in the eight-day-long championship. He said the championship would be inaugurated at KK Hakku Stadium on December 7. The venues for the championship will be KK Hakku Stadium and the University of Jammu. The championship is being held under the aegis of the All India Police Sports Control Board, he said. Rajendra stressed upon members of various committees to ensure all arrangements for the championship. Boarding and lodging for guest teams was also discussed in the meeting. It was decided that convenient accommodation would be provided to the visiting teams and the management. The meeting also discussed arrangements with regard to security, traffic, police arrangements, water supply and sanitation in and around the venues.
	14 polling stations set up in Anantnag Tribune News Service Srinagar, December 1 For the Legislative Council (LC) elections scheduled for December 3, the authorities have established 14 polling stations in Ananatnag district in south Kashmir, where the elected panchayat members will cast their vote to select their representatives. To finalise the arrangement for the forthcoming elections in south Kashmir, the authorities yesterday convened a meeting at Anantnag, which was chaired by Deputy Commissioner, Anantnag, Farooq Ahmad Shah. “As many as 14 polling stations have been established at Block Development Offices of the district. Zonal Magistrates and Sectoral Magistrates have been asked to make suitable arrangements at all polling stations,” a government spokesman said. In the meeting, the Micro-Observers appointed were acquainted with the guidelines for conducting free and fair elections. “All Block Development Officers have been directed to ensure heating, boarding and lodging facilities for officials deputed for the elections,” he said.
	I enjoy Twitter too much to be chased away: CM Tribune News Service Srinagar, December 1 Chief Minister Omar Abdullah today said he enjoyed social networking site Twitter to an extent that he won’t be forced to run away from it. “I enjoy Twitter too much to be chased away so I’m going to block ruthlessly. Have already let loose today,” Omar wrote on Twitter yesterday night. Omar in a reply to one of the queries wrote that he would not give “that much importance” to blocked tweeples and will issue a “hall of fame” of blocked Twitter handles. The tech-savvy Chief Minister has 1,93,390 Twitter followers and follows 80 accounts.