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Trade can’t resume till LoC situation turns normal: PoK
UN has failed to ensure sanctity of LoC: Omar
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Mirwaiz questions India’s stance on UN mission
Ahead of R-Day, security tightened across Valley
Out of Cabinet, miffed Slathia to show strength at rally
Four days on, power restored partially in Poonch
Youth’s prank call triggers protest
Senior cops to get posting orders after Republic Day
PDP flays NC for failing to address people’s problems
BJP to hold statewide protests against Shinde’s statement
Budget session to begin from February 28
Governor briefed on security in Jammu
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Trade can’t resume till LoC situation turns normal: PoK
Jammu, January 22 To bring trade and travel back on the rails, the Director General of Trans-LoC Trade and Travel in PoK, Ismail Khan, this morning talked to Chakan da Bagh cross-LoC trade facilitation official in Poonch Abdul Hamid Sheikh on the hotline. Both officials hoped for early resumption of trade and travel between the two sides. Interestingly, Ismail Khan wanted an assurance from the Indian official that
once things returned to normal, trucks from PoK would not be fired upon by Indian troops. “This morning I talked to the DG, Trans-LoC Trade and Travel in PoK, Ismail Khan, who said that until and unless the situation turned normal on the LoC, trade and travel via Chakan da Bagh would not be resumed between the two sides,” Sheikh told
The Tribune. “The PoK official also wanted an assurance that once the trade and travel resumed via Chakan da Bagh, trucks from PoK would not be fired upon,” he said. “However, both of us hoped for an early resumption of the trade and travel, added Sheikh. Trade and travel between PoK and India via Chakan da Bagh had come to a halt on January 8, the day soldiers of 29 Baloch Regiment had brutally killed two Indian soldiers — Lance Naiks Hemraj Singh and Sudhakar Singh of 13 Rajputana Rifles — in the Balnoi sector. Sheikh disclosed that in the past 15 days, Indian businessmen had suffered a loss of over Rs 3.37 crore. “On an average, 25 trucks carrying merchandise worth about Rs 1.50 lakh entered PoK via Chakan da Bagh on every trading day (trade takes place four days in a week from Tuesday to Friday),” he said. About civilians left stranded following the suspension of cross-LoC bus service, he said 109 PoK citizens are stranded in J&K and 108 from the state were stranded in PoK. Since these civilians, who are members of divided families, have their relatives in J&K and PoK, they are being properly looked after, said the official. However, the cross-LoC trade via Salamabad has been going on smoothly between Uri and Muzaffarabad. “Despite LoC killings on January 8 in Poonch, the trade via Salamabad is going on smoothly and so does the bus service ‘Karvan-e-Aman’, which had to be stopped yesterday because of the snowfall,” said Salambad cross-LoC trade facilitation official Nazir Ahmed Baba. Loss incurred In the past 15 days, Indian businessmen have suffered a loss of over Rs 3.37 crore. On an average, 25 trucks carrying merchandise worth about Rs 1.50 lakh entered PoK via Chakan da Bagh on every trading day (trade takes place four days in a week from Tuesday to Friday) |
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UN has failed to ensure sanctity of LoC: Omar
Srinagar, January 22 “The intent behind placing the observer group was to ensure the sanctity of the Line of Control. Unfortunately, in the last two and a half decades this organisation has done nothing to maintain the sanctity of the LoC. For more than 22 years, J&K has been a victim of cross-border, LoC terror. In spite of the presence of the UN, I am yet to see any notice being taken of this repeated violation of the LoC,” Omar told reporters here on the sidelines of a function. He said this when asked about India’s suggestion to wind up the UNMOGIP during a debate on UN peacekeeping operations. Stating that the Kargil conflict too had taken place as a result of the violation of LoC, Omar said the UN had been “singularly unsuccessful” in either avoiding or resolving the conflict. The Chief Minister underscored the need for not confusing India's suggestion to wind up the UNMOGIP with the resolution of the Kashmir issue. “I understand some people will confuse this move with the ultimate resolution of the problem of Jammu and Kashmir. I think it is important to understand that this observer group was placed here not because of Partition in 1947 but because of tension along the LoC, and that this group has failed to resolve or sort it out,” he said. The UNMOGIP office is located at the Sonwar area of the summer capital. Omar said the tension along the LoC would have no bearing on the Kashmir’s tourism industry. On Union Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde’s allegation wherein he linked the BJP and RSS with terror, Omar said: “I can only talk about Jammu and Kashmir. What he said must be based on some inputs… he is not so irresponsible that he would say something like this without any information.” |
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Mirwaiz questions India’s stance on UN mission
Srinagar, January 22 “Even as the UN has so far failed to implement its own resolutions over Kashmir, raising such demands like recalling the UN mission from Kashmir amounts to questioning the role and the status of the UN,” the Hurriyat chairman said. — TNS |
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Ahead of R-Day, security tightened across Valley
Srinagar, January 22 “The police and paramilitary forces have stepped up surveillance to foil any militant attempt to enter into the capital city where the main Republic Day function will be held,” said a police officer. Sources said a three-tier security managed by the state police and the CRPF would be placed around Bakshi Stadium - the main venue for the R-Day function. The sources said the police and paramilitary forces have also been asked to keep a watch on localities around Bakshi Stadium. As part of the security measures, vehicles entering the city from various districts are being
checked at various places. Security around vital installations in Srinagar has also been increased. |
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Out of Cabinet, miffed Slathia to show strength at rally
Jammu, January 22 Slathia, who was holding the portfolio of Industries and Commerce in the Omar Abdullah government, is going to exhibit his strength by organising a rally at his native place Vijaypur. Supporters of Slathia have been utilising all their resources to make the rally a grand success to send out the message that the decision (of sacking Slathia) would prove disastrous for the party. By not inviting any party leader to the rally is a clear indication that Slathia is annoyed with the party
but he put the onus of sending the invites on local workers. “Since my supporters and the local leadership of the National Conference are organising the rally, they exercised their prerogative to send out the invites,” Slathia said when asked about not inviting other senior party leaders to the rally. “They have invited me to the rally so I will be there. I do not know whom they have invited to the function,” he added. After the Amarnath land row, Slathia was the only National Conference leader who got elected in the 2008 Assembly elections from the Hindu-dominated areas where the agitation had a large impact. Subash Chander, sarpanch of Garbal Panchayat, who is one of the organisers of the rally, said there was no reason to invite National Conference leaders to the rally. “We are organising the show to exhibit our strength and to give a message to the National Conference leadership that it has committed a blunder by dropping Slathia from the Cabinet,” the sarpanch said while adding that it is was “our unanimous decision not to extend the invite to
any senior National Conference leader.” Subash claimed that there was enthusiasm among “enraged” people of Vijaypur Assembly segment for Wednesday’s rally “as people want to give a befitting reply to the National Conference leadership”. Another National Conference leader from Vijaypur Sodhagar Mal Gupta, while tying to downplay
the whole controversy of not inviting party leaders to the rally, said: “We are organising the rally to exhibit our support to
Surjeet Singh Slathia so the question of other senior leaders coming or not
coming to the rally should not arise.” While lambasting the National Conference leadership for dropping Slathia from the Cabinet, Subash pointed out that in the 2008 Assembly elections Slathia was the only National Conference candidate who had emerged victorious from four districts — Jammu, Samba, Kathua and Udhampur. “We do not know what was the reason for sacking him (Slathia) from the Cabinet, but one thing is clear that this decision has sent out a very wrong message,” he said. |
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Four days on, power restored partially in Poonch
Poonch, January 22 Heavy snowfall in the district after 23 years, which began on Thursday evening, had put the entire district on standstill. The district remained cut off from the rest of the state in the past few days. Even now, the Power Development Department (PDD) has failed to restore the electricity supply in the entire district. The PDD maintained that electricity in Poonch and Mendher had been restored partially with the old 33-KV line last night but it would take two months to restore the 132-KV line. Poonch District Development Commissioner Ajeet Kumar Sahu in a press conference said the power supply in the district was snapped owing to damage to about 25 towers of the 132-KV main supply line due to heavy snowfall in the Dehra Ki Gali area. He said concerted efforts were being made to restore the power supply. “As more than 25 high transmission towers of the 132-KV line suffered damages worth Rs 4 crore due to snowfall, it will need two more months for repair. The power supply to the entire district will be possible thereafter,” Sahu said. “We have put all resources into action to clear the snow from all roads of the district and have managed to open the Poonch-Jammu highway. Hopefully, within two days the villages which have been cut off from the rest of the state will be accessible,” Sahi said. “The snowfall has also caused a partial damage to 25 to 30 houses in Mandi and Surankote areas. The assessment work is on,” Sahu said. Sources said dozens of far-flung and remote areas, including villages near the Line of Control in the Sabjian sector, Loran and Surankote, were cut off from the district headquarters and the disaster management teams were yet to reach there. The Power Development Department has geared up to restore the main power supply line from Thanamandi to Poonch via Draba which got damaged due to the bending of towers due to snowfall. People have been asked to cooperate with the district administration. Due to the power outage, drinking water supply has also been affected in the district. In Poonch town, however, it was restored last night. Chief Minister Omar Abdullah sent a team led by BR Sharma, Principal Secretary Planning, to Poonch to assess the damages due to the snowfall yesterday. The team conducted an aerial survey of the affected areas and also held a meeting with public representatives at Dak Bungalow in Poonch. The team assured the public representatives that the government had put all machineries into action to restore power, water and road connectivity. The Chief Minister has also directed PDD (operations) chief engineer Ajay Sharma to probe as to how the 132-KV line towers, which were well-designed, had failed to resist the snowfall. |
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Youth’s prank call triggers protest
Srinagar, January 22 The police traced the youth who had told his friend last night that he had been beaten up and tortured by men in uniform. A police spokesman in Srinagar said people of the Kunzar area blocked the Srinagar-Gulmarg road at Dobhiwan today to protest against the alleged disappearance and torture of Mohammad Yasin Mir, a resident of Utikoo, Kunzar. Mir’s family had lodged a missing report in the Kunzar police station wherein it had stated that he had been arrested by some security agency from Bonashooran in Khag last night. “The youth had made the last call to his friend Manzoor Ahmad Waza, a resident of Utikoo, Kunzar, in which he said he had been arrested last night at Bonashooran, Khag, and was being tortured at an unknown camp. After this call, his phone was switched off,” a police official said. Residents of Sheikhpora Bobiawan village assembled at the Srinagar-Gulmarg highway this morning and blocked it for almost three hours. The protesters raised slogans and demanded information about the whereabouts of the youth. Due to the protest, many commuters were stuck on the highway. The protesters dispersed only after the civil and police authorities assured them that they would look into the matter. “Immediately after the missing report was filed, the Kunzar police started the investigation into the case. The youth was tracked to the house of his relative Mohammad Ashraf Tantray, a resident of Shirpora, Pattan,” the official said. Preliminary investigations revealed that the youth had played the prank to settle a family dispute. “He was putting up at the house of his relative Farooq Ahmad Wani, a resident of Babapora at Zainapora, Shopian, from where he had made his last call yesterday night. This morning, he shifted back to Shirpora in Pattan,” the police official said. The youth was later handed over to his parents. A case has been registered against him. |
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Senior cops to get posting orders after Republic Day
Jammu, January 22 The Departmental Promotion Committee (DPC) had on December 11 last year given a green signal to the promotion of these officers. A senior official in the state Home Ministry said the final draft in this regard had been sent to the Chief Minister’s Secretariat and the approval and subsequent orders of the postings of the promoted officers will be issued after January 26. “The draft has been sent and the matter is in the domain of the state Cabinet,” Principal Secretary, Home, Suresh Kumar told The Tribune. The four officers promoted to ADGPs are IPS officers from the 1987 batch. They are VK Singh, IGP CIV, Training and Inspections, Police Headquarters, who had returned from deputation at the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) last year; SM Sahai, IGP, Kashmir; Dilbagh Singh, IGP, Jammu; and Sheikh Owais Ahmad, IGP, Personnel/Training, Police Headquarters/Technical. A screening committee comprising Chief Secretary Madhav Lal, Financial Commissioner (Finance) Mohammad Iqbal Khandey, the then Home Secretary BR Sharma and Director General of Police (DGP) Ashok Prasad had cleared the names of these officers. While VK Singh, SM Sahai and Dilbagh Singh are direct recruits of the 1987 batch, Sheikh Owais Ahmad was a KPS officer, who was promoted to IPS with effect from 1987. The promotion of these IGPs will take the total number of ADGPs in the state to 10. Besides four IGPs, five DIGs and four SSPs were cleared for the posts of IGP and DIG, respectively. The five DIGs of the 1995 batch of the IPS who have been cleared for promotion to IGPs are SD Singh, SS Khandare, Rajesh Kumar, T Namgayal and T Punchok. |
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PDP flays NC for failing to address people’s problems
Srinagar, January 22 The protest was led by the party office-bearers, Ghulam Murtaza, Kacho Gulzar Hussain Khan, Najaf Ali and MI Baji. “The leaders highlighted the local issues such as incompetency of the KHDC to redress the day to day problems faced by the people of the area. The speakers also accused the executive members of the council of enjoying luxuries at Jammu and drawing huge amounts as TA which put a burden on the local exchequer,” a party spokesman said. The leaders also accused the present National Conference-led government for ignoring the KHDC. “Even the tall claims of the National Conference (NC) leadership of equal development of all regions have proved to be false and hollow. Its intentions have been exposed by the recent Cabinet reshuffle in which a senior leader from the region was dropped,” a party leader said. “They asked the NC leaders from Kargil to come clean on the issue and be answerable to the people of the area for the negligence and failure of the government in addressing the development and employment issues,” he said. |
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BJP to hold statewide protests against Shinde’s statement
Jammu, January 22 Addressing the newly appointed office-bearers, BJP state president Jugal Kishore Sharma said the party will organise protests in this regard at all district headquarters on January 24. He said the party would organise programmes in the coming days to expose the Congress-led UPA government and the state’s coalition wrong-doings. He said Shinde’s statement had encouraged terrorists who have been hatching conspiracies from Pakistan. Sharma while congratulating the new team members said the team had been constituted after taking into consideration the ability and capacity of each incumbent. He said it was the responsibility of each office-bearer to devote requisite time in order to do justice to the post. “Ours is not a dynastic party, it is a party which is totally of the workers. It is a party which provides equal opportunities to all activists to rise to a highest post,” he
said. BJP state general secretary Ashok Koul invited suggestions from the office-bearers for better coordination among the newly constituted team and smooth functioning at the party office. He said a well-informed and well-equipped team was the backbone of an
organisation. Shinde had on Sunday accused the BJP and the RSS of conducting “terror training” camps to spread saffron terrorism in the country. |
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Budget session to begin from February 28
Jammu, January 22 The Cabinet which met under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Omar Abdullah also approved the promotion of four senior officers. Official sources said the Cabinet had approved the schedule for holding the budget session from February 28. “The approved schedule of the budget session would be sent to Raj Bhawan and, thereafter, Governor NN Vohra would summon both the houses of the state legislature for a joint session to be held on February 28,” a source said. Sources said the session would be conducted in the existing complex and there would be no change in the venue following the collapse of a portion of the Legislative Assembly complex on December 11, 2012. “The damaged portion of the Legislative Assembly complex is being repaired and work on it would be completed before the start of the budget session,” the source said. Earlier, it was proposed that the proceedings of the Legislative Assembly would be conducted in the central hall of the state legislature complex while the joint session would be conducted outside the civil secretariat, following major damage to the Legislative Assembly complex. The Cabinet also approved the promotion of Sonali Kumar, Principal Secretary (Coordination), Resident Commission Office, J&K Government, New Delhi, to a fixed scale of IAS (Rs 80,000 per month) with effect from January 2, 2012. It also approved the promotion of three junior scale KAS officers of 2008-batch namely Jahangir Hashmi, Vaibhav Kohli and Dhanantar Singh to the time scale of the Kashmir Administrative Service. This was the first Cabinet meeting after the recent reshuffle in the Council of Ministers. |
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Governor briefed on security in Jammu
Jammu, January 22 The Governor discussed with Singh issues pertaining to the internal security management in the Jammu region. The IGP also briefed the Governor about the overall security situation in the Jammu region.
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While India has upped the ante for winding up of the United Nations Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP), Chief Minister Omar Abdullah today said the UN office here had failed to ensure the sanctity of the Line of Control.
Security has been strengthened across the Valley to ensure a peaceful Republic Day.
Though there is no specific intelligence input about any possible militant attack, security forces are taking no chance. The police, paramilitary and Army have been asked to increase surveillance and night patrol in their respective areas.
Though the supply of power and water was restored last night in Poonch town after four days of heavy snowfall in Poonch district, dozens of villages in Mandi and Surankote tehsils are still cut off from the rest of the district.
