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Amid shelling, Pak moves 150 ultras across Poonch
Govt clears air on property tax
24 killed, over 7,000 houses damaged due to rain in Jammu region
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Pulwama youth doing B.Tech in Chandigarh joins Hizb outfit
Stage set for Kargil Council elections
People head for an election rally in Drass on Monday. Tribune photo: Amin War
All-party delegation sans PDP visits violence-hit Kishtwar
Government peaceniks hopeful of return of
normalcy
20,000 participate in annual Charri yatra to Buddha
Amarnath
Amarnath yatra to conclude tomorrow
CRPF IG calls on Governor
Governor NN Vohra with PK Singh, CRPF IG, Srinagar, at Raj Bhawan on Monday. A Tribune photograph
Governor briefed on law and order situation
Governor NN Vohra with Jammu Divisional Commissioner Shantmanu
at Raj Bhawan in Srinagar on Monday. A Tribune photograph
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Amid shelling, Pak moves 150 ultras across Poonch
Jammu, August 19 Amid booming guns, the Army is also alert to the possibilities of attacks by Pakistan’s Border Action Teams (BATs)- an amalgam of soldiers from the Special Services Group and terror outfit Lashkar-e-Toiba. “There is a heavy concentration of armed terrorists in six launch pads opposite the Mendhar, Saujiyan, Hamirpur and Doda Battalion areas in Poonch district,” a top Army source told The Tribune. He said that there were adequate inputs of concentration of terrorists in six launch pads. The source put the number of armed terrorists in these launch pads at approximately 150. “There has been no let-up in ceasefire violations by Pakistan in Poonch district. We are responding adequately and effectively. And, we also anticipate that the Pakistan army would try and push these men into the Indian territory during the ongoing skirmishes,” divulged the source. He, however, said that so far there had been no attempt of pushing terrorists into the Indian side. “In this volume, intensity and duration of fire only a fool or a highly motivated (brainwashed) ultra could attempt infiltration. But there are stretches where gun fight is not on and we are maintaining a strict vigil all along the border via enhanced alertness and security,” he said. The officer disclosed that there had been increased movement on the other side of the LoC in the Poonch sector lately. “Some of their posts have been decimated by us and they have deserted them. At the same time some of their posts have now a larger number of troops,” he said. The Army has been keeping a close watch on the movements with the help of surveillance and spying gadgets, including unmanned aerial vehicles. Cross-border terror
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Govt clears air on property tax
Jammu, August 19 The government also hinted that it was in no mood for immediate imposition of property tax on commercial and residential properties as the coalition partners - National Conference and Congress - fear losing votes in the 2014 parliamentary and Assembly elections. On August 16, the state Cabinet, headed by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, had approved the constitution of the J&K Property Tax Board. The Board would study various models of property tax across the country and recommend some “suitable models” for its implementation in the state. It has been entrusted with the task for suggesting “people-friendly” tax slabs so that the public doesn’t feel burdened and local bodies, which would implement the tax, also earn good revenue. “The constitution of the Property Tax Board is a prerequisite for access to funds from the Centre under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) and other Centrally sponsored schemes. It doesn’t mean the government is immediately levying tax on the people. It is all rubbish (to create propaganda against the legislation),” said Nawang Rigzin Jora, Minister for Urban Development. Members of the civil society and separatists, including hardline Hurriyat Conference chairman Syed Ali Shah Geelani, have opposed the imposition of property tax, alleging that the proposed legislation would put financial burden on the people in the state. The Urban Development Minister said the government was left with two options, including constitution of the Property Tax Board and holding the urban local bodies elections to access funds from the Central government, as the Centre had blocked some grants of the state for delaying the implementation of urban tax reforms. “We are yet to conduct the urban local bodies elections in the state. And, if we don’t constitute the Board, the Central government may slash our money under the JNNURM, 13th Finance Commission, and even for major projects sanctioned to the Economic Reconstruction Agency,” Jora said. The minister, however, said the imposition of property tax was a “political decision” and it could take time to implement it effectively. Under the property tax law, it is proposed that up to 10 per cent tax would be imposed on all commercial and four per cent tax on residential properties falling within the limits of the municipal corporations of Srinagar and Jammu. In municipal committees, three per cent tax would be levied on commercial properties, and in municipal councils, commercial properties would be charged up to seven per cent and tax on residential properties would be a maximum of three per cent.
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24 killed, over 7,000 houses damaged due to rain in Jammu region
Jammu, August 19 According to preliminary information provided by the officials, in Udhampur district 500 houses got fully damaged, while 1,100 others were damaged partially due to rain and floods in the past five days. The district also reported three rain related deaths. At various places landslides blocked the roads. While some places
have been cleared of the debris, there are places where the work is still on, officials said. “Continuous rains have caused serious damage to the life and property in the district. Udhampur, these days, is witnessing bad weather, which can cause more landslides,” Deputy Commissioner Udhampur, Yasha Mudgal, told The Tribune. Rajouri has also reported “serious loss” to the property. Preliminary data provided by the officials show that a total of 431 houses have been fully damaged, while 989 houses have received partial damages. There are also reports of damage to the cattle sheds. In Samba district, three people have lost their life in rain related incidents. Officials have also reported damage to the property. As many as 286 houses have been fully damaged, while 1,236 houses have been damaged partially. Farmers of the area have also suffered losses, as 3,000 acres of paddy crop was affected due to the floods. When contacted, DC Samba R K Verma said, “Besides loss to property and lives, agricultural sector of the district has also been extensively affected.” In Reasi district a total
of 280 houses have been damaged. There are also reports that around 104 cattle sheds were damaged, besides the loss of cattle. One person has died due to floods and seven others have been left injured. Landslides were reported at 13 places in the district. Reasi district has received 120 per cent above normal rainfall, followed by Doda district with 92 per cent and Samba with 88 per cent above normal rain. In Kathua district, at least two women were killed in rain-related incidents and around 1,000 houses, including cattle sheds were damaged, as heavy rains continued to wreak havoc across the district. Meanwhile, in other parts of Jammu province, 14 people have been reported killed and around 900 houses have been reported to be damaged because of the rain in the past five days. Jammu district received 867.8 mm rainfall, which is 46 per cent above normal.
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Pulwama youth doing B.Tech in Chandigarh joins Hizb outfit
Srinagar, August 19 The sources said Zakir, in his early twenties, has joined the ranks of Hizb-ul-Mujahideen. Zakir left his home on July 17, days after three militants were killed in a fierce gunfight in the nearby Mandora village, a police officer who requested anonymity said. “It is confirmed that Zakir has joined Hizb-ul-Mujahideen,” the police officer said. His comments were corroborated by other police officers, who said that Zakir has joined the outfit and is now marked as a militant. Zakir is now believed to be a part of the militant unit, which includes Adil Ahmad Mir of Dadsara village, Adil Ahmad Shah of Rathsuna village and 17-year-old Burhan-ud-din of Tral town, a police officer added. A resident of Noorpora village, meanwhile, disclosed that Zakir’s father was an engineer and his elder brother was an MBBS student. The Tribune was the first to highlight the trend of new generation well-educated Kashmiri boys, many of whom were not even born when the conflict started in 1990, picking up arms, even as the militancy decreased drastically during the past decade. The number of militants believed to be operating in the Kashmir region is in the range of 130 to 150. A complete new set of militants, though few in number, have emerged in recent years in this region and are now leading the fight against the security forces. Zakir is the second engineering student to join the militant ranks this year after 20-year-old Saifullah Ahangar. Ahangar, a civil engineering student at SSM College of Engineering and Technology, was killed when a group of militants ambushed soldiers of Rashtriya Rifles at Buchoo village near Tral on May 24. Four soldiers of the Rashtriya Rifles were also killed in the attack. Saifullah had taken to arms just two months before he was killed. Earlier in 2011, Masiullah Khan, a mechanical engineer, was killed during a gun fight in a south Kashmir forest. Khan, a resident of south Kashmir’s Tral area was in his early twenties and had completed a degree
course in mechanical engineering when he joined the militant ranks. In two separate gun fights this year, security forces killed Sajad Yousuf and Hilal Ahmad Rather. Sajad, a Hizbul Mujahideen militant from south Kashmir’s Pulwama district, had a postgraduate degree in Islamic studies and was also a postgraduate student of computer applications. He had picked up arms last year. Hilal, a resident of Sopore town, was a Mufti — a scholar of Islamic laws —and was an alumnus of the famous Deoband seminary in Saharanpur, Uttar Pradesh. Security officials have described local militants as more lethal and potent than the foreign cadres, as
they are well versed with the region’s topography and culture.
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Stage set for Kargil Council elections
Srinagar, August 19 “In view of the situation, the number of troops has been doubled than the last elections. A three-tier security set-up had been established in view of the situation,” the Kargil SSP said. He said the district had been divided into four major blocks of Kargil, Drass, Zanskar and Batalik and three quick response teams had been constituted for each block. A vibrant election campaign will end tomorrow, though prominent leaders of the Congress and the National Conference have not visited the district during the past two to three weeks. The opposition People's Democratic Party and the BJP have also supported their candidates in the election campaign. The Leh and Kargil districts in the Ladakh region are the only districts in the state which have their respective Autonomous Hill Development Council for the overall comprehensive development. The region remains cut off from the rest of the country for more than six months during the winter as heavy snowfall blocks the 434-km-long Srinagar-Leh highway. The first Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC) elections were held in Kargil in 2003. The second elections were held in 2008. Leh district was the first to get the status of the LAHDC, Leh, by a 1995 Act of the state government. While two candidates have been elected uncontested, four others are being nominated by the state government for the LAHDC, Kargil, to be headed by a Chief Executive Councillor, who will be elected by the elected councillors. The LAHDC is headed by the Deputy Commissioner, who is also the Chief Executive Officer of the Council. He supervises the overall comprehensive development.
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All-party delegation sans PDP visits violence-hit Kishtwar
Doda, August 19 The visit of the delegation to Kishtwar has sparked off a political debate as PDP leader Syed Asgar Hussain has termed it a political stunt orchestrated by the NC. The delegation reached Kishtwar at 4 pm and drove straightaway to the Deputy Commissioner’s office where a delegation of Hindu leaders started their meeting around 6 pm. The Hindu leaders apprised the delegation about their viewpoint on the events which occurred on August 9. On August 9, communal clashes broke out in Kishtwar, which left two people dead and several injured. One more person was killed in the Padder area of the district on August 10. During the clashes, many shops were looted and put on fire by rioters after which curfew was imposed and the Army called in by the district administration. “This is a sinister move aimed at playing vote-bank politics over a colossal human tragedy,” said PDP leader Syed Asgar Hussain. “The so-called all-party delegation has no locus standi as the state’s main opposition, the PDP, has been kept out of it deliberately,” alleged the PDP leader. He said after having put Kishtwar on fire, the ruling alliance partners were now trying to play dirty vote-bank politics over the catastrophe by visiting the volatile region in hordes under a massive security cover. Expressing dismay over the arrests in the region, Asgar said instead of rounding up the real culprits who instigated communal riots on Eid, the state government was targeting the members of a particular community by resorting to mass arrest of its youths. “Such a discriminatory tactics is only going to fuel the alienation and deepen the divide in the communally fragile region,” he said. Demanding immediate disarming of the village defence committees, the PDP leader said after disarming its members, the committees could be converted into village welfare committees by giving proportionate representation to members of all the communities from the area.
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Government peaceniks hopeful of return of
normalcy
Doda, August 19 On Saturday, a group of ministers led by Deputy Chief Minister Tara Chand reached Kishtwar to hold meetings with people from both communities and defuse the tension. On that evening, the ministers held a meeting with the minority community, which continued late into the night. On Sunday morning, leaders of the majority community were called and their viewpoint was also heard. Despite these meetings, people in Kishtwar have got no relief as curfew continues in the town for the 11th day. “We held meetings with both communities and are hopeful that peace will return to the town,” Tara Chand told The Tribune. The PHE, Irrigation and Flood Control minister, Sham Lal Sharma, who was part of the GoM, said whatever happened was “very unfortunate” and they tried to cool down tempers of people of both communities. “We met with people of both communities and tried to defuse the situation. Tempers were high and people put forth their demands. We asked them to maintain peace,” Sharma said. The Muslim majority district of Kishtwar has a population of 230,696. On August 9, communal clashes broke out in Kishtwar which left two people dead and several injured. Another person was killed in the Padder area of the district on August 10. During these clashes, scores of shops were looted and burnt by rioters after which curfew was imposed and the Army was called by the district administration. After these clashes, the Deputy Commissioner and Senior Superintendent of Police, Kishtwar, were transferred out of the district. Even Minister of State for Home Sajjad Ahmad Kichloo, who is also the local MLA, had to resign. The ministers have tried to defuse the situation and break the ice between the two communities but the town continues to remain under curfew.
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20,000 participate in annual Charri yatra to Buddha
Amarnath
Poonch, August 19 The air was filed with the chants of ‘bam bam bolay’ and ‘har har
mahadev’ as the yatra moved on foot towards the shrine, situated 22 km from here. Minister for Urban Development, Horticulture and Culture, Raman
Bhalla, Commander Poonch Brigade, Brigadier S K Acharaya, and DC Poonch, Sajjad Ahmed Khan, among others were present on the occasion.
Bhalla said Poonch is known for its communal harmony and urged people to maintain the universal brotherhood. The annual Chhari yatra is taken out from the Dashnami Akhara here two days ahead of the Raksha Bandhan festival and is one of the most celebrated festivals of
Poonch.
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Srinagar, August 19
Has the group of ministers been able to defuse the tension in Kishtwar, which witnessed one of the worst communal clashes in the state on August 9 on Eid day? This is the question doing the rounds in J&K as Kishtwar town continues to remain under curfew.
Budgam districts.
The Inspector General (IG), CRPF, also informed the Governor about some aspects of the role and responsibility being
discharged by his force, in coordination with the state police. This was Singh’s first meeting with the Governor after recently taking over
as the IG (Operations), CRPF, Srinagar. — TNS
statement, briefed the Governor about the overall law and order situation in the
Jammu region.
This was Shantmanu’s first meeting with the Governor after recently taking over as the Divisional Commissioner, Jammu. The Governor wished him a successful tenure.
— TNS
