The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

	AAP ‘offers’ BJP stalwart Nirmal Singh ticket Tribune News Service Jammu, March 1 After nominating RTI activist and citizen journalist Dr Raja Muzaffar Bhat as its party candidate from the Srinagar-Budgam seat, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has approached BJP stalwart Prof Nirmal Singh to contest on party ticket. Prof Nirmal Singh was one of the strongest claimants for the ticket for the Udhampur-Doda Lok Sabha seat, but the BJP high command has denied him the ticket and announced Dr Jatinder Singh, a noted diabetologist, as a party nominee. In 2009 Lok Sabha elections, Nirmal Singh was the BJP candidate from the Udhampur-Doda seat and had lost elections by a narrow margin. Although both Nirmal Singh and local leaders of the AAP are tight-lipped over any such development, highly placed sources said a group of Jammu University teachers, who had close association with AAP leader Yogendra Yadav, had reportedly approached Prof Nirmal Singh on the suggestion of Yadav. “A group of Jammu University teachers visited the residence of Prof Nirmal Singh on Friday evening just to enquire about reasons for the BJP denying him ticket. During the meeting they gave the BJP stalwart the AAP offer,” the sources said, adding that Prof Nirmal Singh had neither accepted nor rejected the offer. “During the meeting, some teachers even contacted a senior AAP leader on phone,” a source said. The sources said AAP leader Yogendra Yadav visited Jammu University a number of times as an academician and had good relations with some members of the teaching faculty and students of social sciences. A number of scholars of Jammu University had worked with the Centre for Study of Developing Society (CSDS) when Yogendra Yadav was its project director. “After the BJP denied ticket to Prof Nirmal Singh, these academicians and students have suggested AAP leaders to approach Singh,” the sources said. One of the former scholars of Jammu University, who worked with Yadav as a CSDS fellow, said talks had been started with Prof Nirmal Singh. “We have suggested the AAP leader to convince Prof Singh to join the party because he would a big asset for the AAP in Jammu and Kashmir due to his clean image and grass-root s network,” the former scholar said. "Annoyed" over denial of party ticket by the BJP, Nirmal Singh was not ready to speak at this juncture. He refused to comment on reports regarding the AAP's offer.
	Aam Aadmi Party reaches Srinagar Tribune News Service Srinagar, March 1 The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) today held its first public rally here after its candidate for the Srinagar Parliamentary constituency Raja Muzaffar Bhat returned from New Delhi. The party vowed to fight against dynasty rule, corruption and unemployment in J&K and work towards the return of power projects run by the National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC) to the state. On his return, Bhat along with his supporters took out a rally from the Srinagar International Airport and before reaching the Sher-e-Kashmir Park staged a brief protest outside Lal Ded Hospital against the bad health services. Wearing the trademark white caps with "Aam Aadmi Party" written in Urdu, the workers also swept the road with brooms. Later, Bhat, while talking to reporters after addressing party workers outside the Sher-e-Kashmir Park said the AAP would fight against the dynasty rule in the state. Bhat, who was recently announced to be the AAP candidate for Srinagar, will contest against Union Minister Farooq Abdullah of the ruling National Conference (NC) and Tariq Hamid Karra of opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Abdullah had figured in AAP convener Arvind Kejriwal's list of "corrupt" politicians. Hitting out at the NC, Bhat said the party had failed to fulfil its promises made in its 2008 election manifesto. He said the NC was the "root cause" of all the problems faced by the people. Bhat, who is an RTI activist and former PDP member, said the party would fight against corruption and unemployment. The AAP would also fight for return of power projects run by the NHPC. Several quarters in the state had for long been demanding the return of NHPC power projects. The AAP is scheduled to formally open its office in the summer capital on March 8.
	Seven killed militants identified as foreigners Tribune News Service Srinagar, March 1 The police today claimed to have ascertained the identity of all seven militants killed in an encounter with security forces in the Dardpora forests in Kupwara district on Monday. Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Police, north Kashmir range, JP Singh told mediapersons in Baramulla today that those killed were all foreign militants belonging to the Lashkar-e-Toiba. They were identified as Kashif and Rehman from Pakistan, Sufian, Qari, Dawood and Arqam/Irkam from Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. However, one slain militant is yet to be identified. “All these militants were categorised and listed,” the DIG said. The unidentified militant was also of foreign origin and had been seen with the same group, he added. The DIG said photographs of the slain militants were taken and DNA samples collected. The bodies were handed over to the local Auqaf committee for burial. The Auqaf committee conducted the burial only after proper verification and ascertaining that none of them was a local resident. Local residents, according to JP Singh, confirmed that the militants were foreigners and had been staying in the area for quite a long time. The groups had been operating in the areas of the Hardoona forest of Vilgam, Handwara police district, Lolab and Dardpora forests for quite sometime, the police said The group had been responsible for the killing of a head constable, Sonauallah, by slitting his throat in the forests of Hardoona. Meanwhile, life in Kupwara returned to normal after four days of restrictions, protests and clashes over the killing of the seven militants. Curfew was also lifted from Lalpora village of the Lolab valley. Shops, commercial establishments and government offices remained open in major towns of the district. Heavy movement of traffic was seen on the roads in Kupwara. Shoppers thronged the markets for buying essentials in Kupwara, Handwara, Trehgam and Kralpora. “We were confined to our homes for the past four days and were facing shortage of essentials. Today, we bought essentials and visited offices,” said Abrar Ahmad Bhat, a Kupwara resident. Government and private schools also witnessed a good attendance. The high schools in the Valley re-opened after three months of winter vacation.
	Registration for Amarnath yatra begins Tribune News Service Jammu, March 1 The registration for the Amarnath yatra started today. The process began in 425 designated branches of Jammu and Kashmir Bank, YES Bank and Punjab National Bank. Ujjwal Sharma, 28, a resident of Laxmi Nagar in Jammu, was the first person to register for the yatra from the Jammu region. Ujjwal said he had registered himself at Jammu and Kashmir Bank, Residency Road, early morning today. “I have been visiting the cave shrine since 2001. Since 2005 I have been the first yatri from Jammu to register for the pilgrimage.” “I had the compulsory health certificate from one of the authorised medical institutions to ensure that I become the first yatri to get registered,” he said. Lakhs of pilgrims from all over the country perform the pilgrimage to the Amarnath cave in the south Kashmir Himalayas every year. The pilgrims reach the cave shrine from two routes — traditional Pahalgam-Chandanwari route — and the new and easy Baltal route. The Amarnath yatra will start on June 28 and culminate on August 10. Meanwhile, the yatra registration began in 301 Punjab National Bank (PNB) branches all over the country. The bank participated in the registration process in 2013 with 100 designated branches. For registration and obtaining the yatra permit, an intending pilgrim will have to submit a filled prescribed application form and the compulsory health certificate issued by an authorised doctor or medical institution of the respective state governments. PNB is the only bank authorised to register NRI yatris this year. An NRI pilgrim will have to send scanned copies of the registering documents on email address nkanand@pnb.co.in to get registered. Muhammad Latif Mir, Deputy General Manager, PNB, J&K, inaugurated the registration process at Rehari in Jammu and handed over yatra permit forms to the intending pilgrims. Punjab National Bank was the first bank to register yatris through their core banking solution (online system) last year and has continued to leverage its technological advancement. Pan India process * The registration process for the Amarnath yatra began in 425 designated branches of Jammu and Kashmir Bank, YES Bank and Punjab National Bank on Saturday. * For registration and obtaining the yatra permit, an intending pilgrim will have to submit a filled prescribed application form and the compulsory health certificate issued by an authorised doctor or medical institution of the respective state governments. * Punjab National Bank is the only bank authorised to register NRI yatris this year.
	Chargesheet filed against 6 more students, 9 parents Ishfaq Tantray Tribune News Service Srinagar, March 1 The Crime Branch, investigating the scam involving sale of Common Entrance Test (CET)-2012 question papers, today produced a supplementary chargesheet against 19 persons before an anti-corruption court here. Those against against whom the chargesheet was produced today are six students, who secured admission to the MBBS course in 2012 through fradulent means, nine parents of the beneficiary students, two brokers Sajjad and Haroon and prime accused Mushtaq Peer. Sajjad, Haroon and Mushtaq Peer figured in the first chargesheet also. The MBBS exam scam involves the sale of CET-2012 question papers by former Chairman of the Board of Professional Entrance Examination and prime accused Mushtaq Peer in lieu of Rs 60 lakh through his brokers. “Today, we produced a supplementary chargesheet against 19 persons before the Special Judge, anti-corruption, ML Manhas,” crime branch CPO Khalid Muzaffar said. The court after accepting the challan or chargesheet has issued non-bailable arrest warrants against the accused named by the Crime Branch and who have been evading arrest. Earlier, the Crime Branch in its preliminary chargehseet had named 12 MBBS students and nine parents of beneficiary students as accused in the MBBS scam, all of whom are currently under judicial custody.
	Western Command Chief reviews security in Jammu Jammu, March 1 General Officer Commanding-in-Chief (GOC-in-C) of the Western Command Lt Gen Philip Campose visited the Satwari cantonment here today. The GOC-in-C was accompanied by his wife Sayona Philip, regional president of the Army Wives Welfare Association, Western Command. Lt General Campose was received by Lt Gen Praveen Bakshi, General Officer Commanding, Rising Star Corps, and Maj Gen Dushyant Singh, General Officer Commanding, Tiger Division, and his wife Usha Singh, chairperson, Family Welfare Organisation, Tiger Division. The Western Command Chief reviewed the security situation under Tiger Division. Usha Singh briefed Sayona Philip about welfare projects undertaken for improving the quality of life of families of the jawans in various garrisons of Jammu. During her visit to the Asha School of Special Children, Sayona was touched by the efforts put into making children self-reliant. She exhorted the families of soldiers to empower themselves by improving their education and knowledge, with the optimum use of the welfare projects made available under the Army Wives Welfare Association. The GOC-in-C and his wife left for Chandigarh in the afternoon. — TNS
	Army, militants exchange fire in Kupwara forest Search operation launched in Darpora village Our Correspondent Kupwara, March 1 Panic gripped Darpora village of Kupwara district after militants and a patrol party of the Special Operations Group (SOG) of the police and the Army exchanged fire in a nearby forest. A search operation was launched in Chan Mohalla of the village soon after the incident. However, militants believed to be four in number managed to escape, police sources said. “A joint patrol of 18 Rashtriya Rifles and the SOG cordoned off Chan Mohalla near the forest to nab the militants soon after the firing incident. The operation is on and nobody has been arrested so far,” a source said. The incident occurred a few hours after curfew was lifted from adjoining Lalpora village. The curfew remained imposed in the village for four days. Additional contingents of the Army and the police were rushed to the village, a source said. “Some gunshots created panic in the village around 2 pm. People were seen running for safety in Chan Mohalla,” said Latif Ahmad, a Darpora resident.
	Guv reviews development projects at SMVD varsity Tribune News Service Jammu, March 1 Governor NN Vohra today reviewed the ongoing infrastructure development projects at Shri Mata Vaishno Devi University (SMVDU), Kakriyal. The Governor, who is chairman of the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board and Chancellor of SMVDU, inspected buildings of Vaishnavi Girls Hostel, residential block for the university faculty and Basohli boys’ hostel. He asked Dr Sudhir K Jain, Vice Chancellor of the university, to complete the work on these projects before the start of the next academic session. He stressed the need for ensuring judicious use of the available land resources. The Governor highlighted the need for constructing more hostels to meet the increasing intake of students in the coming years. He also visited the upcoming Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Institute of Medical Excellence (SMVDIME) and reviewed nine under-construction residential blocks in the complex. He instructed the authorities concerned to install solar panels and rain water harvesting equipment and plant saplings in the SMVDIME area.
	Doda officials told to complete projects on time Our Correspondent Doda, March 1 District Development Commissioner (DDC), Doda, Mubarak Singh today reviewed the status of the ongoing development activities in Bhaderwah and assessed the physical and financial progress made by various departments. The District Development Commissioner was accompanied by Additional Deputy Commissioner, Doda, Imam Din and Sub-Divisional Magistrate, Bhaderwah, Bhupinder Kumar. While inspecting the development works, Mubarak Singh exhorted the officials to utilise their resources and mobilise their field functionaries for better development of the region. He said targets fixed should be achieved in time and focused attention be provided to areas lagging behind in development. He directed the officials concerned to speed up the execution of works and ensure their timely completion. He told the officials to create awareness among people regarding various programmes and schemes initiated for the benefit and uplift of the poor. The Doda District Development Commissioner directed the officials to personally monitor the execution of works in their respective fields and ensure cent per cent expenditure without compromising on quality.
	Romeo Force celebrates Raising Day Rajouri, March 1 The Romeo Force today celebrated its Raising Day at its Palma headquarters, 8 km from Rajouri city. A solemn ceremony was held at Palma to commemorate the occasion. A two-minute silence was observed as a mark of respect for those who sacrificed their lives for the nation and humanity. Senior officers paid homage to the martyrs of the Romeo Force by laying wreaths at the war memorial. Major General PS Rajeshwar, GOC Romeo Force, exhorted all ranks of the force to dedicate themselves to maintaining peace in Rajouri and Poonch. He complimented the soldiers for their contributions towards the conduct of operations with a people-friendly approach. The Romeo Force, a counter insurgency force, was raised under the leadership of Major General Richard Khare (retd) at Danidhar Fort, Rajouri, on March 1, 2000, to combat the militancy in border districts of Rajouri and Poonch. It has been conducting various civic action and developmental projects in the area. — OC
	70 students complete ski training at Gulmarg Tribune News Service Srinagar, March 1 Seventy students passed out after undergoing skiing training at the Indian Institute of Skiing and Mountaineering (IISM) at Gulmarg in north Kashmir. Deputy Commissioner, Baramulla, Farooq Ahmad Lone, was the chief guest at the graduation ceremony of the fifth ski course of the season at the IISM. He said the institute was playing a vital role in promoting tourism and providing top class training. Lone said the state government would provide all help to make the IISM one of the best adventure academies of the world. Principal, IISM, JS Dhillon said the students who passed out were from different parts of the country while 20 students, sponsored by the Inspector General of Police, Kashmir, were from the rural areas of the Valley. He said the institute would organise adventure courses in the summer as well. Later, the Baramulla Deputy Commissioner gave away awards to the winners of various skiing events, held during the course.
	Driver hurt as truck falls into gorge Batote, March 1 A truck driver was injured when his Jammu-bound vehicle (PB07Z-3295) skidded off the road near Battery Chashma and fell into a 300-foot-deep gorge in the wee hours today. The injured has been identified as Kamaljeet Singh. Doctors at District Hospital, Ramban, referred him to Government Medical College and Hospital, Jammu. — OC
	Missing youth’s body found Our Correspondent Doda, March 1 The body of the 22-year-old youth of Kishtwar, who went missing 37 days ago, was today recovered from the Chenab. Some Army personnel fished the body of Ashwani Sharma out of the Chenab and informed the police about it. Kishtwar Station House Officer (SHO) Sameer Jilani said Ashwani went missing 37 days ago and his body was today recovered from the Chenab. He said the post-mortem had been conducted and the body was handed over to family for the last rites.