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Trans-LoC trade runs into rough weather over apples
Centre okays quake relief, state yet to finalise report
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Former spies living in poverty feel used and dumped
BJP invites ’84 riots survivor to address Sikhs
New strain of drug-resistant TB virus a major challenge
Foundation stone of Mughal Road lies destroyed
Kupwara operation extended to Handwara
State gets its first all-woman post office
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Trans-LoC trade runs into rough weather over apples
Jammu, May 16 Consequently, at least 21 truckloads of apples worth Rs 1.68 crore are rotting in the godowns of the Salamabad and Chakan da Bagh trade centres. Sulking over the move of the Customs authorities, LoC (Line of Control) traders from Kashmir have threatened to line up their trucks outside the civil secretariat in Srinagar and set them afire on May 20 if the matter is not resolved by May 19. They have also threatened to stop the trade. They are also likely to seek a meeting with Governor NN Vohra on the issue. The Customs authorities, without serving any prior notice, banned apples from the PoK, said Pawan Anand, president of the Chakan da Bagh Cross LoC Traders’ Association. He said three truckloads of apples from the PoK were unloaded at the Chakan da Bagh trade centre but were not released to the Indian trader for inexplicable reasons. The general secretary of the J&K Chamber of the LoC Trade and Salamabad Cross LoC Traders’ Association, Hilal Khan, said 18 truckloads of apples from PoK continue to rot at the Salamabad trade centre in Baramulla district. “All this happened because of 10 to 15 boxes of apples which had stickers on them in some language. If there was any violation of the trade norms, they should have returned these boxes but it doesn’t make any sense to withhold 18 truckloads worth over Rs 1.50 crore,” said Khan. Three days ago, the consignment had come from the PoK and now 25 per cent of the stock has already rotted, he added. “From 21 items on the trade list, the trade has already come down to fresh and dry fruits. We had over 600 traders doing business from Salamabad. Their number has now come down to 50,” said Khan. The two custodians of the Salamabad and Chakan da Bagh trade centres, Ehsan-ul-Haq Khan and M Bashir Lone, respectively, expressed their helplessness in the matter. “Two officials of the Customs Department objected to the consignment of apples saying they were Chinese products but an agriculture expert described them as apples grown in PoK,” said Ehsan-ul-Haq. Haq maintained that similar apples were being imported from the PoK for the past five years and there had been no problem till May 14. “The issue has been taken up with Kashmir Divisional Commissioner Shailendra Kumar and Baramulla Deputy Commissioner GA Khawja,” said Haq. Lone termed the move of Customs Department as ridiculous, bereft of any logic. The Baramulla DC said he had received a letter from the Customs authorities stating that if the apples were not from a third country, they could be kept but in case the consignments were from a third country, they would have to be returned. He admitted that the decision of the Customs authorities had caused immense hardship to the Indian traders. “The Kashmir Divisional Commissioner and the Customs Department Commissioner have been briefed about the issue and we are trying to resolve it,” he said. The Deputy Commissioner also admitted that the trans-LoC trade, a confidence-building measure between India and Pakistan, had been dying a slow death.
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Centre okays quake relief, state yet to finalise report
Jammu, May 16 The Rs-334 crore package will cover all affected families whose houses have been completely, severely or partially damaged. The Doda and Kishtwar administrations are on the job to prepare the report of loss caused by the May 1 quake which was followed by nine moderate-intensity tremors. Earlier, the deadline for the completion of the assessment report was May 10 which was extended up to May 15. The report has not yet been finalised. The government expects that the assessment process will be completed this week and a memorandum in this regard will be sent to the Central government next week. “We have to cover three districts where people live in the hills and far-flung areas. The assessment process is going on and we expect that by this weekend officials will be able to submit the report,” said Chief Secretary Mohammad Iqbal Khanday. The Chief Secretary said after preparing the assessment report, a memorandum would be sent to the Centre for seeking a relief package for the affected families. As per the initial assessment, 80 to 90 per cent structures have been damaged in the May 1 quake, including school, college and other government buildings. Regular tremors are causing more damage to the already damaged structures and the people of the area are living in fear. Khanday said, “Nobody can predict an earthquake. Even advanced countries such as Japan, which is prone to earthquakes, can’t predict the timing of earthquakes. Still the Meteorological Department is keeping an eye on the situation and addressing things accordingly.” Meanwhile, people of the area are alleging a pick and choose policy is being adopted while distributing tents. “These allegations are levelled every time, but I assure you that there will be no pick and choose policy and affected families will be provided relief,” he said. |
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Former spies living in poverty feel used and dumped
RS Pura/Kathua, May 16 This is what Kumar, a resident of ward number 4 in RS Pura, got in return for serving the country. In the eerie silence of the cremation ground at RS Pura, Raj Kumar now looks more like a saint with his grey beard and moustache. Though not in a proper state of mind because of continued third-degree torture in Pakistan jails, Raj Kumar remembers his ordeal. He responded to some of The Tribune queries in presence of Vinod Sawhney, president of the Jammu Ex-Sleuths Association, with whom he spent his days in various Pakistan prisons. “I spent 14 years in Pakistan jails in Sialkot, Mianwali and Lahore. I was 25 years old when I went to Pakistan on my first mission. My parents died long ago, but I do have brothers and sisters,” Kumar said before turning quiet. When asked about the torture that he was subjected to in various Pakistan prisons, Kumar showed signs of nails that were hammered into his legs and soles of the feet. Soon, he starting behaving incoherently, telling this correspondent to leave the place. Kumar’s is not the only ex-spy who is suffering and lives in penury. Krishan Lal Bali (74), an ex-spy and a resident of Kathua, voluntarily retired from the BSF to serve a premier spying agency of the country. Bali lost his wife, Satya Devi, in 2008 because he could not afford an injection which cost him Rs 150. His son, Deepak Bali (27), committed suicide on June 3, 2010. Deepak was unemployed and the family impoverished. Bali, a resident of ward number 10 in Kathua district, today feels used and dumped. “In 1975, I was caught in Pakistan and thereafter jailed for 14 years and kept in various jails. I had started working for the spying agency in 1968 after undergoing a year-long training in Jammu, Delhi and Guwahati,” said Bali. He said he had voluntarily resigned from the BSF after nine years of service to join the intelligence agency. “The barbaric killing of the nephew of Prem Nath Dogra, a colleague of mine, in 1965 by Pakistani raiders had driven me into spying. From 1968 to 1975, I carried out several espionage missions in Pakistan. But after my release in 1989, the agency for which I worked gave me a raw deal,” said Bali. Instead of recognising Bali’s work for the country, the agency sent him to an interrogation centre at Jammu. Bali, whose lower limbs have now been rendered useless, has been issued a freedom fighter’s identity card. But he neither gets freedom fighters’ pension nor old-age pension from the administration. Kathua Deputy Commissioner Jatinder Kumar Singh said the District Social Welfare Officer had been asked to include the former spy in the old-age pension scheme. “There are two pension schemes — one of the Centre and another being run by the state. We have decided to include him (Bali) in one of them. From now on, the old man would be getting the pension,” said the Kathua Deputy Commissioner. |
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BJP invites ’84 riots survivor to address Sikhs
Jammu, May 16 Nirpreet, one of the key witnesses to the riots, had started a fast at Jantar Mantar in Delhi, demanding justice for the riot victims earlier this month. She had ended her fast on the assurance of Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal. “Bibi Nirpreet Kour is visiting Jammu as part of a campaign to expose the Congress for shielding and protecting those who were involved in the 1984 riots”, the spokesman of the state BJP said. Sikh leaders of the party have decided to organise a gathering of intellectuals and social activists of their community to mobilise public opinion against the Congress-led UPA government. The BJP high command has also deputed central leader R P Singh for the programme. The BJP has been trying to woo the Sikh community for the last one year. |
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New strain of drug-resistant TB virus a major challenge
Jammu, May 16 Though the state has a full-fledged anti-TB wing which has in recent years curbed the mortality rate among patients, the new strain has caught the health workers by surprise and could adversely affect the success of schemes implemented to eradicate the disease. If sources are to be believed, the new strain of the virus is spreading fast and could affect hundreds of people every year. The worry for doctors is that most of the infected and identified patients belong to the labour class and those living in dingy houses, particularly in the rural and far-flung areas of the state, where medical facilities are poor. Presently, the Centrally sponsored DOTS (Directly Observed Treatment Strategy) and DOTS-Plus project is under operation in the state, but the emergence of the new strain of the drug-resistant TB virus is a major challenge as to some extent the drugs presently available are unable to fight the virus. “Tuberculosis is an infectious disease which usually affects the lungs. If not treated, each person with active TB can infect on an average 10 to 15 people a year. We are worried. It could become an epidemic in the coming years,” said a senior doctor on condition of anonymity. In 2006, the number of tuberculosis patients was 2,059, while the number increased to 3,174 in the Jammu region in 2010. The cases in Kashmir province in 2006 were 827, but 1,476 cases were detected in 2010. Last year, about 4,000 old-type TB cases were detected. Multi-drug resistant tuberculosis is resistant to at least two powerful first-line anti-TB drugs, Isoniazid (INH) and Rifampicin (RMP). “We have to put the patients on other drugs but they are costly,” said district tuberculosis officer, Jammu, VP Sharma. He said the cases have been detected, but it is a global trend. “We have already established two laboratories with the help of the Central government to detect the strain of the resistant virus at Jammu and Srinagar. Drugs are available but detection is a problem as most patients are first given normal DOTS doses. The virus is difficult to detect,” the district tuberculosis officer said. In the state, a majority of TB cases have been detected in Rajouri, Poonch, Doda, Kishtwar and Bhaderwah. The tribals are the worst affected as they live in congested hutments, with only one opening for fresh air. Sharma said medical professionals had to remain cautious as improper treatment could lead to a drug-resistant form of MDR-TB. A doctor at Chest Diseases Hospital here said during 2010-11, nearly 30,000 people visited the hospital with symptoms of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, chronic bronchitis and lung cancer, with many of them having strains of TB.
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Foundation stone of Mughal Road lies destroyed
The foundation stone of the prestigious road, the shortest link (85 km) between the Kashmir and Jammu regions, was laid by Sayeed along with Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad, who succeeded him as Chief Minister in November 2005. But now the stone has been destroyed and the names of Mufti and Azad are missing from the marble plaque at Bafliaz. Locals allege it has been destroyed by National Conference workers. Mohammad Bashir, a shopkeeper at Bafliaz, said: “This (NC) government is trying to erase the name of Mufti and his government from the Mughal Road, but work on it was started by the PDP-led government in 2005,” “They (NC-led coalition) have done nothing for the area during their five-year tenure, but are trying to draw political mileage from the work started by the previous government,” he added. “It was destroyed by some unknown people, but
the way it has been broken it appears that the intention was to remove the names
of Mufti Mohammad Sayeed and Ghulam Nabi Azad,” said Qamir Din, a farmer at Bafliaz. “The previous government has done a lot for this region. They started the Mughal Road project and Poonch-Rawlakot bus service. Baba Ghulam Shah University also came up at Rajouri. Now, the present government is trying to take credit for the work done by the previous government,” he added. PDP spokesperson Naeem Akhtar said: “This is very unfortunate that our politics has been degraded to this level that someone has erased the name of the former Chief Minister from the plaque of the foundation stone. It should have not happened.” “But I think it won’t affect us, because everyone knows, who made it (Mughal Road project) happen in the state,” he added. However, NC additional general secretary Mustafa Kamal said: “This project was started in 1980, when Sheikh sahib was Chief Minister. He had already laid the foundation stone, so how can they (Mufti government) lay another foundation stone on the same project.” “When Mufti laid the foundation stone, then 15-km road from Bafliaz and 20 km from Kashmir was completed. I think people can gauge for themselves who is trying to grab credit for the road,” he added. Congress MLC Jugal Kishore Sharma said: “Whosoever has destroyed it has done wrong. It should not have been done.” The Mughal Road project was taken up in the late 1970s. No significant work had been done on it before that. The construction of the road started in October 2005 and the project was handed over to Hindustan Construction Company (HCC). Originally, the idea of constructing the Mughal Road, the route that Mughal emperors used to take to travel to Kashmir, was that of Syed Mir Qasim, who was the Chief Minister of the state from 1971 to 1975. |
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Kupwara operation extended to Handwara
Srinagar, May 16 The police said the searches near the Line of Control (LoC) in Kupwara district were going on in all sectors expect Machil and Karnah. “The search operation in Budnamal, Rahanpora in the Kralpora sector, Hafrada and Hachmarg part of the Vilgam sector and Kruhmohra in the Rajwar sector is going on. The search was launched in Budnambal, Chowkibal forests, near the LoC on May 7 after a movement of militants was noticed in the area. The operation has since then been extended up to Vilgam, Handwara,” said a police officer. The Army had also used helicopters to locate the militants on the first two days. Hundreds of Army troops, men of the Special Operations Group of the police and Paratroopers are involved in the search operation. During the searches, there has so far reportedly been a brief exchange of fire between militants and troops. The troops have also recovered four haversacks during the searches. “The haversack bags contained dry fruits, fried chicken, first aid and snow cutters. The recovery of snow cutters showed that the group of nearly four to six militants had infiltrated from Pakistan recently,” said another police officer. The Army, however, said the exact number of militants in the jungle was not confirmed but believed they were four to six in number. Sources said there was a possibility that militants could have escaped. |
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State gets its first all-woman post office
Jammu, May 16 The post office will be operated entirely by women staff. John Samuel said, “The Department of Posts, acknowledging the role of women in society, has set up the all-woman post office here in Jammu. This is the first fully-air conditioned post office in the state. To ensure security of women officials, CCTV cameras have been installed at the post office.” “Opening of all-woman post office will boost the morale of the women staff besides give a clear signal to society that women are not behind in any field. The all-woman post office in Jammu offers traditional and modern services like booking of registered and speed post articles, e-money order, Western Union Money Transfer, e-payment besides the post office savings bank transactions,” Samuel said. Jagdeep Gupta, Director, Postal Services, J&K,
also spoke on the occasion. — TNS |
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RS Pura/Kathua, May 16
Jammu, May 16