The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

	Assembly in session Unrecognised by govt, Nepal route ex-militants' favourite Ishfaq Tantry Tribune News Service Srinagar, October 5 Nepal appears to be the favourite route with former Kashmiri militants in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) wanting to return to lead a normal life as 417 people, including 140 women, besides 438 children have arrived in the state via this route so far. This became evident as the J&K Government today revealed that so far, no individual had returned to the state via the routes identified under the rehabilitation policy. It clarified that under the policy, Nepal was not an “approved or recognised” route for former militants willing to return to the state. This was revealed today by the government in a written reply to a question raised by Leader of Opposition and PDP president Mehbooba during the Assembly session. Mehbooba, in her query, wanted to know the number of youth who had returned from PoK under the rehabilitation policy and details of financial aid provided under the policy for the rehabilitation of these youth. The policy for rehabilitation of the youth who had earlier crossed to PoK for arms training and had stayed back was notified by the J&K Government in 2010. The government said the policy was introduced for those youth who stayed back in PoK after crossing the LoC and had given up insurgency activities due to change of heart and were willing to return to Jammu and Kashmir to lead a normal life. Stating that the implemented of the rehabilitation policy has been initiated, the government today revealed that 1,171 applications had been received on behalf of the people wanting to return from PoK. “Out of these, 12 cases have been recommended after clearance by the high-level committee to the Union Ministry of Home Affairs for further necessary action,” the government further revealed in the Assembly, adding that 386 cases were under examination in the state Home Department. As per official records, 3,947 Kashmiris who had crossed the Line of Control were still in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir or Pakistan. “The application of 24 individuals submitted by their relatives could not be considered further by the committee as these individuals had returned via Nepal, which was not a recognised route under the policy,” the J&K Government said. It added that the rest of the applications received under the rehabilitation policy were being scrutinised and verified by intelligence agencies. “It may be mentioned that 277 individuals, along with 140 wives and 438 children, have returned via Nepal, which is not an approved route under the 2010 policy. Besides, five women, who had exfiltrated earlier, had returned along with 10 children,” the government further revealed in the documents placed in the Assembly today. It said due to some “inexplicable” reasons, no individual (former PoK militant) had returned from Pakistan or PoK to the state through the routes identified under the rehabilitation policy so far. “Therefore, the benefit of the policy cannot be extended to any of the individuals,” the government further elaborated. Rehabilitation policy for former militants In 2010, the J&K Government headed by Omar Abdullah notified the rehabilitation policy for the youth who had crossed the LoC for arms training in PoK and now wanted to return home due to change of heart. So far, the state Home Department had received 1,171 applications on behalf of individuals, mostly former militants in PoK, willing to return. The government clarified on Saturday that Nepal was not a recognised or approved route for return. No individual had returned via recognised routes like the Kaman Post in Uri and the Chakan Da Bagh crossing point in Poonch.
	Uproarious scenes over SMC drive, employees’ strike Ehsan Fazili Tribune News Service Srinagar, October 5 The Legislative Assembly witnessed noisy scenes as members from various parties sought the government attention towards various issues, including the ongoing employees’ strike, a discussion over the former Army Chief’s statement and the demolition drive launched by the Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC). Soon after proceedings started, the lone CPI(M) MLA from Kulgam, MY Tarigami, raised the issue of the ongoing strike of state government employees and urged the government to take the House into confidence. He asked the government to come out with its policy on ways to resolve the issue of the employees’ strike, which had been hampering working in government offices. Speaker Mubarak Gul said the government would come out with a statement on its stand on the issue, but opposition members continued to be on their toes. Members of opposition parties, including the BJP and Panthers Party, mostly from the Jammu region, sought to reschedule the discussion over former Army Chief Gen (retd) VK Singh’s statement on account of the Navratras. The Speaker, extending Navratra greetings to the members, announced that the discussion would be held on Monday. PDP member and former minister Javed Mustafa Mir raised the issue of the ongoing drive which had been launched by the SMC, sealing illegal structures in the city. The high court had last week directed the government to seal all illegal structures already identified by the SMC. The SMC had launched the drive of sealing such structures in Jawahar Nagar and Sanat Nagar areas of the city. The PDP MLA claimed that the government had initiated the drive and spared its own likes in the two posh localities of Srinagar. Intervening over the issue, Minister for Law and Parliamentary Affairs Mir Saifullah said there was no discrimination in the drive and added that the grievances of parties, if any, would be looked into.
	Top Hizb militant, four associates arrested Tribune News Service Srinagar, October 5 The J&K Police today claimed to have busted a module of the Hizbul Mujahideen in north Kashmir by arresting a top militant commander of the outfit and four associates. Deputy Inspector General of Police, North Kashmir, JP Singh said they arrested top Hizbul Mujahideen militant commander Nisar Ahmad Dar, alias Usman, alias Umar, a resident of Saidpora in Sopore, involved in many militancy related incidents. Arms and ammunition were recovered. The Tribune reported the arrest of the top militant commander on Kupwara-Sopore highway in north Kashmir on October 2. Singh today said the militant commander was involved in many incidents, including threat to workers last year at a construction site of a Wular Lake conservation project near the abandoned Tulbul navigation project near Sopore and the attack on a liquor shop in Srinagar last year. “The militant commander was part of the group that executed an attack on contractors and workers at the Wullar flood conservation project site at Adipora on August 28 last year. During questioning and investigation, it had surfaced that directions for the attack were passed on by Hizbul Mujahideen supreme commander Mohammad Yousf Shah, alias Salahudin, and Amir Khan based in PoK to scuttle the efforts to conserve the Wullar Lake. They also take directions from Abdul Majeed Sofi, alias Bisati, alias Shaheen, based in PoK,” he said. The police said Dar was earlier active with the Lashkar-e-Toiba and was apprehended in 2007. After release in 2009, he joined Hizbul Mujahideen. “He is a very crucial member of the Hizbul Mujahideen terror network operating in north Kashmir and Srinagar,” Singh told reporters in Sopore. “He has been involved in a number of terrorist actions undertaken by him independently and jointly with his other associates in Handwara, Sopore, Pattan and Srinagar,” he said. The police said Dar was involved in the attack on a wine shop at Hotel Heemal in Srinagar on October 15 , 2012, along with Tariq Mir. “The arrested militant also led the police and security forces to arrest some of his associates and overground militants of the module who were arrested from various areas of Sopore and Handwara. They include Inaytullah Ganie of Pohru Peth, Handwara, Ashiq Hussain Mir of Guloora, Handwara, Khazir Ahmad Ganie of Pohru Peth, Handwara, and Bilal Ahmad Kaloo of Takiyabal, Sopore,” the DIG said.
	Keran operation enters 12th day Majid Jahangir Tribune News Service Srinagar, October 5 While there was no exchange of fire at Shalbato in the Keran sector of Kupwara district today, the massive operation to flush out a group of between 30 and 40 heavily armed militants backed by the Pakistani special troops entered the 12th day today. Sources said there seemed no sign of an immediate end to the operation as the militants continued to hide in the huts and natural caves in Shalbato, a ruined village between the Line of Control (LoC) and the border fence, which was abandoned by residents in the early 1990s. “The hiding militants open fire on troops whenever the troops try to move towards these huts. Though the area has been cordoned and militant movement has been restricted, it will take some time before the militants are flushed out,” said the sources. These sources said the way the militants were holding in the area indicated that they were getting continuous supplies from across the border. The militants are believed to have divided themselves into small groups. “The Army is taking extreme precautions in the operation as they do not want fatal casualties. Things are in our control and we are in no hurry to end the operation,” defence sources said. The sources said because of the tough terrain, the Army was not able to airdrop more paratroopers where the militants were hiding. The Udhampur-based spokesman of Northern Command, Col Rajesh Kalia, said the operation in Shalbato Keran was on. “The operation to flush out militants is continuing,” Colonel Kalia said. The operation began on September 24, when Army intercepted a group of militants at various points along the LoC. Meanwhile, Army Commander, Northern Command, Lt Gen Sanjiv Chachra, arrived in the Valley on a four-day visit. He also visited Kupwara. “The Army Commander carried out an aerial recce of forward posts. He expressed his satisfaction over the preparedness in ensuring safety and security of people in the Valley and praised the synergy between the police, the CRPF and the Army,” a defence spokesman said.
	Government open to redress of employees’ genuine demands Tribune News Service Srinagar, October 5 Minister for Finance and Ladakh Affairs Abdul Rahim Rather today said the government was flexible in fulfilling the demands of the agitating employees but maintained that it “cannot be dictated” by them. While speaking in the state Assembly today, the minister said the government believed in discussion, reconciliation and dialogue to sort out the issues of its employees. He said the government had conceded to most of the demands of the employees and was open to redress their genuine grievances with a positive frame of mind. He advised the employees not to take the path of confrontation as it was in nobody’s interest. He said, in view of the employees unwarranted and rigid stand, the government was constrained to take action against them under the law as it could not allow the people to be held hostage by unlawful and illegal tactics. Rather said ever since the present government took over, the employees’ leaders were invited from time to time and their demands were discussed in detail. He said, a Cabinet Sub-Committee was formed which held detailed discussions with them, which culminated into an agreement in February 2009. Consequently, he said, from July 2009, the state employees were paid as per the sixth pay commission recommendations. Despite financial constraints, the government increased the employees’ house rent allowance, which is now on a par with the Central government employees, Rather said. Later, the employees again asked for pay arrears from January 2006, he said, adding the state government requested the Centre for financial assistance so that the arrears would be cleared, but the Centre advised the state to pay the same out of its own resources. Similar instructions were given to other states also. The government decided to pay the sixth pay commission arrears amounting to Rs 4,200 crore in five equal instalments, out of which three have already been paid to the employees and pensioners. He said despite limited resources, the wage Bill which was Rs 5,477 crore in 2008-09 when the present government took over, has now reached to more than Rs 16,000 crore, including pension. The minister said the issue of enhancing the retirement age from 58 to 60 years needed a consensus.
	Governor opens development projects at Vaishno Devi shrine Tribune News Service Jammu, October 5 Governor NN Vohra visited the Mata Vaishno Devi shrine today and inaugurated several infrastructure development projects, launched a number of schemes and reviewed various ongoing development works of the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board to meet the future requirements of the yatra. On the commencement of Navratras, the Governor, who is the chairman of the Shrine Board, paid obeisance at the shrine and prayed for peace, harmony and prosperity of the state. He was accompanied by his wife, Usha Vohra, HL Maini, member and technical consultant of the Shine Board, Navin K Choudhary and Mandeep K Bhandari, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Additional CEO of the Board, respectively. The Governor, while inspecting various projects of the Shrine Board, stressed the need for ensuring expeditious completion of all development schemes. He inspected the outer cave area and ATKA extension project. He also inaugurated Parvati Bhawan in the Bhawan area, constructed at a cost of Rs 3.58 crore. The four-storey building has dormitory accommodation for 200 people, besides locker facilities. He went around the building and was briefed about the facilities created for the pilgrims at the complex. The Governor also inaugurated Jaikara Bhojanalya at Bhawan. The Governor, who walked from Sanjichhat to Bhawan, met and spoke to pilgrims to know about the difficulties faced by them. He asked the CEO of the Shrine Board for exploring the possibility of replacing the existing tiles of the track by skid-proof material based on latest technology. Earlier, on arrival at Sanjichhat Helipad, the Governor was received by the Additional CEO; Shahid Iqbal, Reasi Deputy Commissioner; Reasi SP and other senior civil, police and Shrine Board officers.
	Sagar makes statement on Ahmed Nagar encounter Srinagar, October 5 Minister for Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Ali Mohammad Sagar has said eight police personnel, including two officers, were injured in an encounter with militants in the Ahmad Nagar area on the outskirts of Srinagar on Wednesday. Giving this information in the Legislative Assembly today, the minister said acting upon specific input regarding the presence of a militant, the police and security forces personnel cordoned off the area and started search operations. A militant fired indiscriminately upon the search party and lobbed grenades from a house. In order to avoid any collateral damage and keeping in view that it is a built-up area, Sagar said security forces exercised maximum restraint. Taking advantage of this and the darkness, the militant managed to escape. The search operation continued in the area, especially in the thick bushes and plants on the Anchar side till dawn. — TNS
	Four youths booked for clashes Ranjit Thakur Rajouri, October 5 The police has registered an FIR against four persons of the minority community, including a class X student, in Rajouri district following fresh clashes between two groups, in which three youths were injured seriously, at Naban Mohalla last night. The situation remained tense, but under control. There was a massive deployment of the CRPF and the police since last night. All areas were divided and cordoned off with barbed wire to avert any untoward incident. According to reports, the incident took place yesterday when members of the minority community changed the venue of their night drill to Naban Mohalla, but members of the majority community objected to the drill at a ground at Naban, which they claimed was a parking spot. Police parties headed by senior officers rushed to the spot. Mohammad Tariq (21) and his brother Shehzad (18) were referred to the Government Medical College and Hospital, where they were reported to be out of danger. Both sides lodged complaints and counter-complaints, alleging attacks.