Jammu, September 27
Terrorist attacks at Hiranagar and Samba in Jammu led to a complete shutdown here on a call given by the Bhartya Janata Party (BJP). The administration has also closed the educational institutions in the district.

A man rests outside closed shops; (below) lawyers protest against terror strikes in Jammu on Friday. Tribune photos: Inderjeet Singh

Security has also been beefed up in the city after the terrorist attack at Hiranagar and Samba on Thursday.

More policemen have been deployed at all the roads, chowks and markets of the city. The main markets of the city wore a deserted look as all the shops were closed and all commercial vehicles remained off the road throughout the day today.

Shops remained shut as a mark of protest against the attacks as well as to pay tribute to the martyrs. Transporters also extended their support to the bandh call.

“I salute Lt Col Bikramjit Singh and others who laid down their lives in the battle against the terrorists, but the government should learn a lesson from the incident and the country must not softness towards Pakistan," said Sunil Sharma, a shopkeeper.

Sourabh Chopra, a resident of Shastri Nagar said, "Yesterday's incident is total negligence of the government. The police, Army and the BSF should be always active in providing security to the city and the border area. The Army should be more attentive on normal days also by keeping a regular check in the state especially in the border areas," he added.

Members of some political parties, including social and business organisations extended support to the call given by BJP for the Jammu bandh. The BJP and other organisations also staged protest demonstration at different places of the city and burned the effigies of the UPA government and Pakistan.

The BJP leaders and party activists held a massive protest followed by burning of the effigies of Pakistan and the UPA government.

Meanwhile, the Deputy Commissioner, Jammu, in view of the prevailing law and order situation had already ordered the government and private educational institutions, including colleges to remain closed on Friday in Jammu district.

However, the college and university examination were conducted as per schedule.

“There was no report of any untoward incident in Jammu region and the bandh in most of the districts was peaceful.”

Rishika, 22, a student said, “I feel very sad about the yesterday's incident which took various lives. I think the non serious attitude of the government it is to be blamed for it. Whenever such incidents occur, the government becomes active, the other times it shows careless attitude towards the security of the borders. The government should take necessary steps to ensure safe borders. It should deploy proper checking points in and around the city and should take necessary actions so that no incident like this again takes place in the future.”

Sandeep Sadhotra, 28, of RS Pura said, "Keeping in view yesterday's militant attack at Samba, I strongly feel that some more deployment of security agencies is required in the state, especially in the border areas. The politicians who always ask for removal of the Armed Forces Special Power Act (AFSPA) should see that such incidents are still happening and who will save our borders if we remove Army and their powers from the state.”

Pankaj Sharma, 29, a teacher said, "I fear that the there may be some more terrorists, how can we say that they were only three, if three terrorists can infiltrate then others can too. Security should be full proofed at the border to avoid any such militant attack in future.”

Katra, September 27
Complete shutdown was observed in Reasi today in protest against the twin strike by three militants at Hiranagar police station in Kathua, and the second at an Army base camp in Samba, which claimed at least nine lives.

Dressed in Army uniforms, the militants killed five policemen, three soldiers and a civilian.

The shutdown call was given by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and supported by the Jammu Chamber of Commerce and Industries.

All shops, business establishments remained shut. Members of the BJP held a protest against the attacks. They said the security lapses by the government had led to the incident.

Protesters said the country will have to talk tough with Pakistan.

Meanwhile the situation was normal at the Katra base camp of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine where the BJP’s bandh call had no impact.

The Shrine Board officials said over 25,000 devotees had visited the shrine since Thursday.

Security has been beefed up in and around Katra town as a precautionary measure, said a senior police official at Katra.

Rajouri, September 27
Reacting over the cowardly terror attacks in which 12 persons, including a Lieutenant Colonel, died in two militant attacks on police and Army formations in Kathua and Samba districts on Thursday, Bhartiya Janata Party, Bajrang Dal and Congress held protest demonstrations against Pakistan in different places here today.

The district unit of the BJP burnt an effigy of Pakistan and raised slogans against Pakistan for yesterdays attack on in Samba and Kathua early morning at Rajouri bus stand.

Similarly, the Bajrang Dal also burnt an effigy of Pakistan at Panja Chowk, Rajouri, under the leadership of Karan Thakur, district president of Bajrang Dal.

Karan Thakur demanded that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh should immediately stop talks with Pakistan. He also criticised Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and his soft policies against militants.

He demanded that Governor N N Vohra should take over Omar government because he had completely failed to fulfil people's aspirations in the state.

Meanwhile, Congress workers protested against Pakistan and condemned the brutal attack on the police and the Army yesterday. The Congress workers said the attacks were aimed at derailing the proposed talks between Indian and Pakistan. They suggest that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh should go on with the peace initiative.

Doda, September 27
Two persons were killed when a vehicle fell into the Chenab near Krara police post on the Batote-Kishtwar national highway. Army divers fished out the body of one of the deceased. The second body is yet to be found.

The soldiers of Eight Rashtrya Rifle battalion of the Army began the rescue operation. The soldiers helped in evacuating the damaged vehicle. Eyewitnesses said the vehicle was on way to Kishtwar from Jammu when it met with an accident near Krara police station under the jurisdiction of Prem Nagar police station in Doda district. Two persons, Chuni Lal, a resident of Sheyan Gwari of Padder and Gyan Chand, a resident of Kandni in Kishtwar, were inside the vehicle at the time of accident.

The Army fished out the body of Chuni Lal but Gyan Chand’s body could not be found. The vehicle was brought out of the river by Jawans of the 8 Rashtriya Rifles with the help of a crane.

This is the seventh accident on this stretch of road over past one year, in which scores of people have been killed.

Katra, September 27
Deputy Commissioner, Reasi, Dr Shahid Iqbal Choudhary, launched a website for the ‘Navratra Festival Celebration Katra-2013’ to seek greater participation and to raise donations to organise colourful programmes and religious events. The decision was earlier taken in a meeting chaired by Divisional Commissioner Shantmanu.

Devotees and visitors as well as pilgrims can log on to http://www.reasi.gov.in for information on Navratra Festival Katra and they also have the option to deposit or online transfer their donations to account number 913010039609535 of the AXIS Bank for this purpose. The contribution statement and expenditure details will be displayed online. Every year the government contributes Rs 40 lakh for the face-lifting of Katra and to organise various programmes during the Navratras and double this amount is raised by local people of katra as per reports.

This year, the district administration decided to increase the quantum of participation and draw donations across the country for celebration of the famous Navratra festival at base camp of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Ji Shrine in Katra. Later, the DC, accompanied by Director Tourism Saujanya Sharma convened meetings of various committees at Katra to review and finalise the arrangements for the celebrations.

Various cultural and religious programmes will be organised during the nine-day festival which is scheduled to be attended by top dignitaries of state.

The Governor has been invited for the inaugural function while Deputy Chief Minister Tara Chand, Tourism Minister GA Mir, PHE & Irrigation Minister Sham Lal Sharma, Housing Minister Raman Bhalla, Housing and Urban Development Minister Nawang Rigzin Jora will attend the functions. 

Jammu, September 27
The Public Health Engineering (PHE) Department has paid Rs 3.7 crore to private contractors for providing tankers to supply drinking water to the residential colonies for the past five years (2008-2012).

Despite several centrally-sponsored schemes, water shortage remains a major challenge for the administration in the city, whose population has touched 15 lakh.

Officials said nearly 87.4 per cent of the total households in the city were covered by house connections, 56 per cent households get water supply for less than an hour per day, while 96 per cent households spend extra money, besides paying water tariff, on purchasing water, pumping, electricity consumption and on treatment methods.

“There are 43 tankers of the department while 20 to 40 private tankers are also engaged to meet the requirements of residents,” said a PHE official. The department claims to have installed 2,890 hand pumps and bore pumps in 2012-13 ending January in the state.

As per the data, the department has been providing nearly 42 MGL of water per day to the population of over 13 lakh in Jammu city. The net requirement of potable water against this population is 45 MGL per day. “So, the gap of 3 MGL per day is still exists,” said an official.

Areas such as Sainik Colony, Bathindi, Sunjwan, Narwal, Greater Kailash, Roop Nagar, Janipur, Naseeb Nagar, Ploura, Durga Nagar, Muthi, Ban Talab, New Plots, Indira Colony and Buta Nagar have been facing acute water shortage regularly in summer.

“The period from April-August brings water shortage due to long and frequent power cuts and tankers are necessary to ensure supply,” the official said.

The department, as part of strategy to ensure drinking water supply as per schedule and to curb absenteeism, has already passed directions to officials to submit a weekly attendance report of the staff posted at water stations.

Batote,September 27
Sports kits were distributed by the Rashtriya Rifles under the aegis of Counter Insurgecy Force (Uniform) under the Operation Sadbhavna to the students of Government, Middle School, Jawari,Gool in Ramban district on Wednesday. Its aim was to provide the sports facilities in educational institutes of far-flung areas.

The Commanding Officer (CO) of the battalion handed over the sports items to the headmaster of the school thus fulfilling the demand of students and the school teachers. As a mark of gratitude to the Army the students presented a cultural programme on the occasion in the presence of a large number of villagers.

The CO motivated the students to work hard in studies as well as in sports activities for a bright future in today’s competitive world. 

Jammu, September 27
Continuing a drive against the menace of adulteration, the Health Officer Jammu Municipal Corporation (JMC), Dr Vinod Sharma along-with a team of the Food Safety Officers conducted an extensive tour in Talab Tillo and its surrounding localities.

The drive was intended to check the quality of commonly used food items by general public like vegetables, fruits and sweets. During the drive, 12 kg of polythene was also seized.

The team also made residents aware of the ban on the use of polythene carry bags and the adverse effects of carry bags which are made of Non - Bio-degradable material and requested them to use such bags to carry commodities.

Pertinent to mention here that the JMC had launched routine checking and much publicity is being given to such events.

There were 71 wards spread over 112 sq km which make up Jammu city and its newly developed colonies which came up after 1,990 and the health wing of the corporation had the responsibility of ward no 1 to 48, while the remaining wards were looked after by the Legal Meteorology Department.

Corporation has also constituted special teams to check production of poor quality food items and the influx of adulterated raw material from various markets in Jammu.

The adulteration is mainly found in milk, sweets, meat products, processed food and eatables served at hotels and restaurants where hygienic conditions are sometimes appealing which directly affect the lives of the common man.

Batote, September 27
A legal literacy camp on the resolution of disputes through the Alternate Dispute Resolution (ADR) or awareness camps relating to the availability of the healthcare for HIV was organised by the District Legal Services Authority, Ramban under the chairmanship of Rajesh Sekhri yesterday.

The function was presided over by the chairman of the Tehsil Legal Services Committee (TLSC) of India, Mushtaq A Chak in presence of the Secretary of the Tehsil Legal Services Committee, Arun Kotwal, Munsif Judge, Ramban, SP, Ramban, Javed Iqbal Mattoo, Advocate, AR Mushtaq, Dr Pervez Katoch and penal lawyers AH Yattu, TS Malik and SS Parihar.

The speakers highlighted the need to educate the masses about the mechanism of the Alternate Dispute Resolution and its importance.

Dr Pervez Katoch educated the gathering about the deadly disease of HIV-AIDS. A large number of people, schoolchildren teachers, and other officials were present on the occasion.