Jammu, August 12
The Jammu (West) unit of the J&K Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) today staged a protest at Government Medical College (GMC), Jammu, on the issue of privatisation of government hospitals under the public-private partnership (PPP) mode.

The protest was led by president of the Jammu (West) unit of the PDP Puneet Jamwal, who 
said the inauguration of the Super Speciality Hospital was done only to befool people claiming that it lacked necessary facilities.

“How a Pune-based firm has been provided space and that too with readily available clientele without paying anything to the hospital for space and facilities? The company has made a one-time investment in installing machines,” Puneet claimed.

Vice-president Gurdev Singh said it was a million-dollar question why the GMC adopted the PPP mode when the CT scan machine, owned by the hospital itself, used to generate good revenue.

He alleged that some influential persons had favoured this mode for their betterment and harassment of the public.

“It is clear that the main motive of the private firm is to earn money and they don’t care about the sentiments of poor people. In the PPP mode the private firm also has the liberty of establishing similar diagnostic centres in other hospitals and GMC will not object to it,” another office-bearer of the PDP Chetan Jamwal claimed.

Others present on the occasion included Shamsher Singh, Sishu Gandotra, Bharat Kumar, Sumit Chadda, Aseem, Abhishek Sharma, Rahul Sharma, Kunal Bakshi, Sunil, Anil Gandjoo, Gurdev, Sonu and Rajkumar.

Jammu, August 12
Notwithstanding veiled threats from the National Conference (NC) leadership against the “provocative” statement of Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee chief Saifuddin Soz, the Congress has asserted that vital issues incorporated in the party’s manifesto for the 2008 Assembly elections should be addressed by the state government at any cost.

“It is unfortunate that NC leaders boycotted an important meeting of the coalition coordination committee (CCC) merely to show their resentment against statements of some Congress leaders,” said All-India Congress Committee general secretary and state Congress affairs in charge Ambika Soni.

“As Assembly elections are likely to be held within a couple of months, we cannot ignore important issues like demands of refugees, problems of border migrants and implementation of the 73rd and 74th Amendments at this juncture,” Soni said. She added, “Instead of being adamant on trivial issues, NC and state Congress leaders should work towards fulfilling the promises made to the people.”

In an obvious reference to media reports that the NC boycotted the CCC meeting scheduled to be held on Sunday in protest against the statement of Soz, she said the NC leadership had to realise that coalition partners could not escape their responsibilities of fulfilling the promises made to the people.

NC leaders decided not to attend the CCC meeting on Sunday as a mark of protest against the statement of Soz in Kathua that the Congress had suffered in the Lok Sabha due to “misgovernance” of the NC. The Congress leadership stated that the meeting was postponed due to Raksha Bandhan, but it was believed that Soz was forced to cancel the meeting as the coalition partner boycotted it.

In an obvious reference to repeated “provocative” statements of NC leader Sheikh Mustafa Kamal against the Congress leadership, Soni said some statements in bad taste were made by other leaders earlier as well. “Trivial issues like statements of some leaders should not be taken so seriously that important issues are sidelined,” she said.

She asserted that the Congress would aggressively pursue issues like problems of refugees and border migrants. “I am aware of the statements of NC leaders during their political programmes in different parts of the state,” Soni said. She added that every political party had its own agenda, but the government should not take such statements as an excuse to ignore important issues.

“A year back, I had asked the state government to implement the 73rd and 74th Amendments of the Constitution, but nothing concrete was done in this regard,” she said. She expressed anguish over the delay tactics being adopted by the NC to properly empower panchayats.

“At least some sort of respectable honorarium should be given to panches and sarpanches,” she said. She hinted that the Congress would not compromise on these issues. She said it was the duty of all secular forces to work jointly to thwart the attempt of those who had been trying to polarise voters ahead of the Assembly elections.

Leh, August 12
Touching diverse issues, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today sent out a message to Pakistan that the Siachen Glacier was non-negotiable while blaming it for a continued proxy war in Jammu and Kashmir.

He promised Rs 8,000-crore package to build better roads connecting major cities in the state and laid the foundation stone of the Leh-Kargil-Srinagar power grid. It would be completed by 2017 at a cost of Rs 1,800 crore, with the Centre funding 95 per cent of the cost.

In his second visit to the state since taking over as Prime Minister, Modi arrived in Leh this morning. At a closed-door interaction with Army and IAF personnel at the 14 Corps headquarters, he ended all ambiguity on Siachen.

Modi said, “There will be no compromise on Siachen.” The audience included National Security Adviser Ajit Doval. His views matched those of successive Army Chiefs, who had maintained that vacating the glacier would be ‘hara-kiri’ as it would allow the Pakistan-China combine to cut off northern Ladakh.

India occupies the glacier since 1984. Pakistan had, in the past, suggested demilitarisation of the 2,600 square kilometre glacier. Previous Defence Minister AK Antony had stonewalled the move.

Modi went on to blame Pakistan, saying, “The neighbouring country has lost all strength to fight a conventional war, but continues to engage in the proxy war of terrorism.”

He mentioned how India had lost more soldiers in the proxy war in Jammu and Kashmir than in all wars combined. He listed ‘one rank one pension’ as his target. He said the government was committed to building a national war memorial.

Later, at a separate function at the Polo Ground in Leh, Modi wore the traditional Ladakhi dress of ‘kos’ and ‘kantop tibi” (full coat with waistband and hat).

He was accompanied by Governor NN Vohra, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, Power Minister Piyush Goyal and MPs Thupstan Chhewang, Avinash Rai Khanna and Tarun Vijay.

Modi promised that the Rs 1,800-crore 220-KV grid line would light up Ladakh. The grid would have an underground cable segment under the Zojila Pass. Large parts of the remote region use diesel generators to meet their power needs.

The 45-MW Nimoo-Bazgo run-of-the river hydel project on the Indus meets some needs. Modi dedicated the hydel project to the nation. Then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had laid the foundation stone in 2005.

Modi had a simplistic suggestion of having 3Ps to develop Ladakh — prakash (light), paryavaran (environment), paryatan (tourism). “The Centre will work shoulder to shoulder with Jammu and Kashmir for development,” he added.

The Prime Minister asserted that the ‘kesar’ (saffron) grown in the Kashmir Valley would get special attention from the spice board. He said special attention would be given to ‘pashmina’, the livelihood of Ladakh, and setting up solar energy initiatives.

Jammu, August 12
The Civic Safaikaramchari Union has threatened to suspend work if the Jammu Municipal Corporation (JMC) goes ahead with disbanding the NGO engaged in the sanitation work.

There are 1,245 NGO workers, including those working in different wards of the municipality as well as others who have been engaged as skilled and unskilled workers in different sections of the corporation.

The union has also demanded increase in salary of contractual workers engaged by the corporation and constitution of the Departmental Promotion Committee (DPC) for the in charge Sanitary Supervisors working in the department for the last many years.

Temporary daily labourers at present are being paid Rs 2,100 per month, while monthly wage set by the government is Rs 4,500. The Jammu Municipal Drivers’ Union (JMDU) alleged that the administration had only given them false assurances and not paid any heed to their demands.

Union members alleged that despite assurance none of them had received five marlas of land promised by the government to construct houses. “We are not demanding land for free, but there should be easy instalments as most of the karamcharies are living in rented accommodations,” said Rinku Gill, senior union leader.

Srinagar, August 12
Governor NN Vohra today summoned the Legislature to commence the session on August 25.

The Legislative Assembly and the Legislative Council will meet at Srinagar on Monday, the August 25 at 10 am and 11 am, respectively, a spokesperson said.

Speaker of the Legislative Assembly Mubarak Gul, meanwhile, issued a provisional calendar for the sitting of 12th session of the 11th Legislative Assembly today.

As per the calendar, there will be government business on August 25, 26, 29 and 30. Similarly, the Private Members Resolutions shall be placed on August 27, while the Private Members Bills would be tabled on August 28.

Jammu, August 12
The five-day workshop on the English-Hindi-Dogri glossary concluded at the Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of (SKUAST), Jammu.

The workshop was organised by the Commission for Scientific and Technical Terminology (CSTT), Union Ministry for Human Resource Development, with a view to develop the scientific elementary glossary of agriculture in Dogri language.

Shailender Singh, Assistant Scientific Officer (Agriculture) from the commission, elucidated the objective of the workshop before the experts and invited threadbare discussion before finalising the scientific and technical terms in Dogri language.

Nautiyal, former secretary, CSTT, and the commission’s facilitator, assisted the experts in coining the technical terms.

Experts from various fields discussed and developed scientific and technical glossary of Dogri language.

Jammu, August 12
The ‘Sanskrit Week’ celebrations began at Rashtriya Sanskrit Sansthan, Shri Ranbir Campus, Kot Bhalwal, from yesterday.

Divisional Commissioner, Jammu, Shantmanu was the chief guest at the inaugural function, while Prof Priyatam Chandra Shastri, former Principal of the campus, and Prof PK Koul, principal, Trikuta Degree College, were the guest of honour and special guest, respectively.

The function was presided over by Prof Ramanuja Devanathan, Principal of the campus. Speaking on the occasion, Divisional Commissioner Shantmanu appreciated that the sansthan had decided to take out a “Sanskrit rally” in the city as a part of the “Sanskrit Week” celebrations. He expressed hope that such celebrations would help dispel the impression that Sanskrit is a dead language. He pointed out that anything that has lasted from thousands of years must be having something great in it to make such longevity possible. He said students and scholars of the language and literature should never let inferiority complex invade their minds.

Prof PK Koul, Principal, Trikuta Degree College, said Sanskrit is a great ancient language, which has given the world great philosophies and various branches of knowledge. — TNS

Leh, August 12
The Leh Autonomous Hill District Council (LAHDC) today asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to allow trade between India and Tibet in China through Demchok in south eastern Ladakh and open another access route through the same place for the Kailash Mansarovar yatra.

Demchok, a small hamlet is the last Indian military outpost. It sits on the banks of Indus. The Kailash Mansarovar is located in Tibet and the present Yatra is a six-day trek through Uttarakhand. Ladakh offers access to the holy spot through a motorable road.

LAHDC chairman Rigzin Spalbar gave the representation to Modi, saying “Demchok in the Ladakh area provides the easiest and the safest access to Kailash Mansarovar. Pilgrims can approach the holy mountain and the sacred lake in two days”. Notably, the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China is disputed in this sector.

Spalbar demanded that Demchok be opened for the cross-border trade on the pattern of Nathu-la pass in Sikkim, as it boosted the regional economy. Historically, during the British rule in Jammu and Kashmir (1846-1947), Leh was a caravan town and a trading post connecting with the Central Asian silk route at Kashgar – now in Xinjiang, China. Demchok was an access to Kashmir and used by Punjab ruler Ranjit Singh’s General Zorawar Singh to annex large parts of Tibet.

The LAHDC demanded a grant-in-aid of Rs 200 crore to LAHDC and suggested work on two important road axis.

First, it demanded a multipurpose tunnel under the Khardungla Pass — the highest motorable road at an elevation of 18,000 ft connecting Leh with the Siachen Glacier and vital Daulat Baig Oldie (DBO) in northern Ladakh. Second, it sought an all-weather road across Parang La (pass) connecting Korzok in Ladakh with Spiti in Himachal Pradesh.

Only 80 km of the road needed to be constructed and will help avoid the snow-bound passes on the Leh-Manali route. Paranag La does not get snow and this would be an all-weather road connecting Ladakh with the rest of the country throughout the year. The LAHDC has also suggested opening of a high-altitude sports institute in Ladakh.

Jammu, August 12
The state is yet to learn a lesson from the recent incidents of mid-day meal poisoning in government schools in Bihar as it does not have a proper mechanism to check the quality of food being served to children under the Centre’s flagship programme.

The School Education Department, the implementing agency of the mid-day meal scheme, could conduct random tests of food samples collected from various schools with the help of Health Department officials.

“In their last meeting with the Programme Approval Board of the Union Human Resource Development Ministry, senior officers of the School Education Department admitted that there was no proper mechanism to check the quality of food served to children in schools,” sources said.

The sources said the officers told the board authorities that forensic laboratories in the state were reluctant to test samples of cooked food and they had conducted random tests of food samples collected from schools with the help of the Health Department.

On July 5, at least 54 children fell ill after eating their mid-day meal at a government school in Bihar’s Sitamarhi district where a snake-like reptile was found in cooked food. In 2013, a mid-day meal disaster in Bihar had claimed the lives of 23 schoolchildren.

“The Union ministry expressed displeasure over the slow pace of construction of kitchen-cum-stores and asked the state government to expedite the project. The government had released Rs 83.94 crore between 2006-07 and 2013-14 for constructing 11,815 kitchen-cum-stores,” the sources said.

“Cnstruction was started in 2008-09. Construction of 4,803 kitchen-cum-stores was completed till December 2013 and of 2,315 was in progress,” the sources said. They added that food for children was still being prepared in the open in most schools.

During the last financial year, no kitchen-cum-store was constructed, the sources said, adding that the target for the current year was 1,869 kitchen-cum-stores. They said around 5,000 government schools in the state did not have kitchen-cum-stores, resulting in a serious problem of storing material and utensils.

“In Jammu alone, construction of kitchen-cum-stores in more than 950 primary and upper primary schools has not been started,” the sources said. They said the Union ministry questioned the monitoring mechanism of the government as it inspected around 48 per cent schools during the last financial year.

“The School Education Department pleaded that it was difficult to inspect all institutions serving mid-day meals due to tough topography and shortage of manpower,” the sources said. When contacted, Nirmal Sharma, Secretary for School Education,, said she held a meeting with senior officers of the department and food safety officials.

“Education officers at the district level have been asked to coordinate with food safety officials to check the quality of food being served to children in schools,” she said. She added that officers concerned had been directed to come up with substantial suggestions for implementation of the scheme in a hygienic manner.

Srinagar, August 12
After its journey to the cave shrine of Amarnath, the ‘Chhari-Mubarak’ (the holy mace of Lord Shiva) returned to its abode at the Dashnami Akhara here today.

The holy mace returned to the Dashnami Akhara late in the afternoon after a “pujan” and “visarjan” was performed on the banks of the Lidder
river in Pahalgam.

A large number of sadhus and pilgrims were present during the ceremony.

The Chhari-Mubarak had reached the cave shrine on August 10, the concluding day of the yatra.

Custodian of the mace Mahant Deependra Giri, on the occasion, thanked the state and district administration, the security agencies, the various government departments and the agencies connected with the annual yatra for making the pilgrimage successful.

Srinagar, August 12
In a significant development, the J&K Government has said it is not averse to paying compensation to the victims of the 1991 Kunan Poshpora “mass rape” incident.

This was submitted today by the government attorney before the Jammu and Kashmir High Court, which is hearing a petition by the survivors of the case.

Over 30 women were allegedly raped by Army personnel in the remote Kunan Poshpora village of Kupwara on February 23, 1991. The charges have not been proved as no trial has been held.

In his submission, Additional Advocate General Riyaz Khan, representing the state, said, “The J&K Government has agreed in principle to pay compensation to the tune of Rs 2 lakh each to the 23 victims named in the first FIR of the incident.”

This was, however, was objected to by the counsel representing the survivors, who said the number of victims were much higher.

Seeking more time to implement the decision, Khan submitted that the decision to pay compensation to the victims of the 1991 incident had been taken at the highest level and soon formal orders would be passed in this regard.

Earlier in its July 1 orders, the Jammu and Kashmir High Court had directed the government to explore the possibility of giving relief to the 1991 Kunan Poshpora “mass” rape victims as was recommended earlier by the State Human Rights Commission.

Observing that there is no reason for delaying the investigation into the matter further, the High Court had also asked the government to file a status report with regard to the investigation and compensation within three weeks.

On the other hand, the counsel representing the survivors and the victims’ families submitted that the government could not limit the amount of compensation (Rs 2 lakh) as suggested by the government or the number of persons who would be benefited by it.

“The Supreme Court of India has ordered compensation as high as Rs 10 lakh in other cases and in the present case, the number of rape victims as confirmed by the investigations and the SHRC is much higher than 23,” he submitted.

Giving the government further time to implement the orders, a High Court Division Bench comprising Justice Muzaffar Hussain Attar and Justice AM Margay today directed the government to file a status report about the ongoing investigations into the matter within three weeks.

The court also directed the counsel representing victims/survivors to file an affidavit giving details of the victims/affected families.

The court also directed the Union of India to file its response into the matter while fixing the matter for further consideration on September 8. 

Rajouri, August 12
Doctors, pharmacists, nurses and other staff members of the district hospital observed a strike for more than two hours on Tuesday in protest against the reported manhandling of Dr Mehmood, medical superintendent, by the family of a cancer patient inside his office on Monday.

The strike was observed by the Hospital Employee’s Association headed by Mohd Farooq and doctors joined the protest. The employees demanded action against those who ransacked the office of the medical superintendent and manhandled him.

They reportedly indulged in it after the delay in providing an ambulance to the cancer patient who was declared to be at the terminal stage by doctors at the All-India Institute of Medical Sciences in New Delhi and at a hospital in Chandigarh.

Dr Rajiv Sharma, chief medical officer, and Shiv Kumar Chohan, assistant superintendent of police (ASP), rushed to district hospital and held a detailed discussion with the striking doctors and other employees.

The protesters demanded that action should be taken against troublemakers at the earliest and the police post at the district hospital, which was removed last month over a dispute between the hospital staff and policemen, should be restored.

The ASP told the employees that the police had registered a case against the troublemakers and action would be taken against them soon. He assured them that the police post would be reestablished soon under the overall control of the medical superintendent.

After the assurance by the ASP, the employees ended their strike and resumed work around 10 am. They asserted that they would resume their strike if action was not taken within the next few days.

On Monday, Shamsheer Hussain, who was declared terminally ill by doctors in New Delhi and Chandigarh and had been admitted to the district hospital in Rajouri on humanitarian grounds, was discharged on the request of his family after his condition started deteriorating.

The hospital authorities claimed that an ambulance, along with a pharmacist and an oxygen cylinder, was provided to the patient as Dr Mehmood and he had studied together and were residents of the same village.

Instead of taking him home, his family kept him outside, claiming that the senior superintendent of police (SSP) would visit the hospital to see the patient as was a police constable.

As the SSP did not turn up, the family of the patient got infuriated. In a fit of rage, they entered the office of the medical superintendent and ransacked his office. They assaulted the medical superintendent as well. The ASP reached the hospital, pacified the family and provided a vehicle to shift the patient home.

The patient’s family alleged that they were asked to foot the petrol bill, which enraged them. The hospital authorities claimed that the patient was provided an ambulance, an oxygen cylinder and other facilities, but they refused as they wanted to go in a police vehicle.

Srinagar, August 12
Over 60 per cent of government schools in J&K have no toilets, a Department of School Education and Literacy (DISE) survey 2013- 2014 conducted by the Union Ministry of Human Resources and Development (MHRD) survey revealed.

According to the MHRD’s nation-wide survey, 18.7 per cent government schools in the state have dysfunctional toilets.

J&K figures at the fourth rank among 36 states where a majority of government schools have either no toilets or dysfunctional toilets. Meghalaya (94 per cent), Arunachal Pradesh, (80 per cent) and Telangana (77 per cent) are the three states which have fared worse than J&K when it comes to government schools without toilets.

In J&K, boy students seem to suffer more than girl students when it comes to having accessibility to toilets in schools as per the MHRD survey. Out of 23, 234 government schools in the state, there are 7,822 schools which do not have boys’ toilets and 6, 294 schools which do not have girls’ toilets.

As many as 4, 350 schools in the state have dysfunctional toilets. These include 2,797 schools with dysfunctional girls’ toilets and 1,553 schools with dysfunctional boys’ toilets. Educationists have observed that sanitation in schools plays a key role in checking the drop out rate of students in schools, particularly that of girls.

“It has been a national trend that a large number of girls drop out of schools, particularly around the time they reach Class VIII, due to lack of toilet facilities. The problem is even more serious in rural areas, where according to a State Education Department survey, 77 per cent schools are without toilets. Even teachers are affected by the unavailability of toilets in schools,” Qurat-ul-Ain, a Srinagar-based educationist said.

Batote, August 12
The government has provided solar lights to all major police stations in Ramban district as a supplementary source of power.

“Non-conventional power supply has not only come in good stead in view of security concerns, but also in view of the escalating bill of electricity and generators,” said Ramban SSP Javed Iqbal Mattu.

He said besides the District Police Lines at Chandrog in Ramban, police stations at Ramban, Banihal, Batote, Chanderkot, Dharamkund and Gool have been provided solar lighting system. — OC

Batote, August 12
Panic gripped the area after the carjacking of a Srinagar-bound taxi (PB-35P-4434) from National Highway 44 near Karol bridge in Ramban in the wee hours on Tuesday.

The CRPF personnel found the owner of the Maruti Swift taxi, identified as Karamveer of Pathankot, choked with a cloth and tied with a rope to a roadside tree at a secluded place around 8 am.

The taxi was reportedly hired at Pathankot by two unidentified Punjabi-speaking persons for a trip to Srinagar on a cash payment of Rs 5,000. On reaching Jammu, two unidentified Kashmiri-speaking persons reportedly known to the duo boarded it.

The carjackers allegedly drove the taxi towards Srinagar after decamping with the mobile phone and driving licence of the driver on gun point around 1:30 am. — OC

Srinagar, August 12
Faculty of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Kanpur, Central University, Hyderabad, and National Institute of Immunology are in fray for the coveted post of the Vice Chancellor of Kashmir University.

Eleven candidates, who have been shortlisted by the three-member search committee, will be interviewed by the committee members on August 23 in Delhi.

The 11 candidates selected from a list of 42 applicants on the basis of their CVs include the current acting Vice Chancellor, AM Shah; Dean, Research, KU, Khursheed Andrabi; Director, Department of Students Welfare, Neelofer Khan; and Dean, College Development Council, Mustafa Shah.

The search panel that includes three eminent scientists is headed by former director of the Indian Institute of Sciences Goverdhan Mehta. The candidates have been shortlisted on the basis of academic/administration capabilities as well as experience, sources told The Tribune.

Interviews process to be followed will select three candidates from the 11 shortlisted from among which the Vice Chancellor will be appointed by Governor NN Vohra, who is also the Chancellor, KU, in consultation with Pro-Chancellor and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah.

The search committee members were on a tour to the Valley during which they held extensive discussions with the senior faculty members and students at KU.

Earlier, Kashmir University Teachers Association (KUTA) members in one of its meetings had urged to select a candidate from the Valley for the VC’s post through a resolution. However, the KUTA could not arrive at a consensus later and withdrew the resolution.

Srinagar, August 12
A census workstation will be set up at Kashmir University in September as the university has signed an MoU with the Directorate of Census Operations, J&K, for the overall benefit of the students, scholars and faculty members of the university.

This was informed by Head, Department of Economics, KU, Iffat Yasmin during a one-day workshop on census data dissemination at KU today.

She added that with the help of the Directorate of Census Operations, J&K, GOI, infrastructure for the workstation had been put in place and the facility would be thrown open very soon.

According to the organisers of the workshop, the one-day programme was an effort to underscore the point that in today's dynamic world the census data besides providing an insight into the demographic profile of a region also played an important role in decision-making, policy planning, better governance, judicious use of resources and equitable distribution of essential commodities.

Inaugurating the workshop, KU VC AM Shah said, "There is a need to disseminate the benefits of this exercise in the society so that all stakeholders are benefited by the census data." — TNS

Srinagar, August 12
Seeking fulfilment of long pending demands, casual workers of the Public Health Engineering (PHE) Department staged a protest here today and also attempted to march towards the city centre.

Carrying placards and raising slogans, the protesters under the banner of the PHE Employees and Workers Union, Kashmir Province, gathered at the Press Enclave. The protesters, who have resorted to novel ways of protests in the past as well, today were seen wearing shrouds and black bands over their heads.

“We have tried everything, including going on hunger strikes, but all our pleas have always fallen on deaf ears,” said a protester, adding that they would continue to hold protests to seek justice.

The union demands include regularisation of services and release of pending salaries. The protesters were also demanding that the salaries of the casual employees be released on a monthly basis.

After protesting at the Press Enclave, the demonstrators attempted to march towards Lal Chowk. However, the police personnel on duty there foiled the bid by taking several protesters into preventive custody.

Srinagar, August 12
The moderate faction of the Hurriyat Conference and the Kashmir Bar Association have called for a complete shutdown in the Valley on August 15.

"We are not against the celebration of Independence Day by any country, but the people of Kashmir have a right to express strong protest against suppression," a Hurriyat spokesman said in a statement here, while ruing the "restrictions" imposed by the government on the "political and religious activities" of the separatists.

"The manner in which the political voice and demand of freedom is being suppressed by the use of force and repressive tactics in Kashmir warrants the observance of complete strike by the people on this day," a Hurriyat spokesman said in a statement here.

On the other hand, the Bar also decided to observe a strike on August 15.

"This is to show our solidarity with the movement and to send a message across the world that the people of J&K want the implementation of the Security Council resolutions," Bar secretary advocate M Ashraf Bhat said. — TNS

Kargil, August 12
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s speech at a massive gathering in Kargil was significant on two counts. He held the rally at the extreme end of the country where no other PM has done so. Second, the gathering of predominantly Muslim population was a statement across the country to “inspire” other people.

“Many people in the country would not have believed any leader addressing such a huge gathering here. The whole country will be astounded after seeing such a gathering and they will be inspired by your patriotism,” said Modi at the public rally.

At Kargil, Modi dedicated the 44 MW Chutak Hydro Electric Power Project to the nation. Modi was accompanied by Minister of State for Power Piyush Goel, Jammu and Kashmir Governor NN Vohra and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah.

Modi became the first PM to address a public rally in the heart of the town after the 1999 Kargil war. A grim reminder of the fragile situation was witnessed even last night as there was a minor ceasefire violation in the Dras sector, 60 km from the venue where the PM addressed the public gathering.

At the rally, Modi praised the people of Kargil for their patriotism and said they had inspired the whole nation.

Recalling his first-hand experience of the Kargil war, Modi said he was in the town during the war as a BJP worker.

“When I came in 1999, no one knew me. At that time there were massive explosions of bombs. I was given tea and food free of cost and people welcomed me. The people were helping the soldiers who were fighting. I remember how Kargil people celebrated when Tiger Hill was won. People of Kargil have shown great patriotism,” he said.

During the war, the neighbouring area around the Khee Sultan Choo stadium, where the public rally was held today, was pounded by the Pakistan army as it housed the Army’s ammunition depot.

The PM again stressed that development and prosperity was solution to the problems of border residents.

“I have the experience of my state when I was the Chief Minister. One of our border district Kutch was facing lots of problems. Every leader used to focus on issues pertaining to border. After the earthquake, some people from there came to meet me and said they came not to talk about the border, but to discuss future. Our focus shifted later to development and I must say that it is the fastest-growing districts of the country. This is the model I would replicate in the border and hilly areas to make them prosperous,” he said. He said he was the one who opens road rather blocking them.

Srinagar, August 12
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah praised former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for setting up and funding two power projects which were inaugurated on Tuesday by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

“On this occasion, I want to thank former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who approved this project and fully funded it,” Omar said in Leh, where Modi inaugurated the Nemo-Bazgo power project.

The Chief Minister welcomed the Prime Minister and urged speeding up of power grid connectivity in the Ladakh region. “I hope that we get the chance to welcome you here again soon,” Omar said.

Omar’s praise for Manmohan Singh was a reminder of the alliance between the National Conference and the Congress and highlighted the sour relations between his party and Modi’s BJP, which had traded barbs against each other.

The Chief Minister said the National Hydroelectric Power Corporation could not have completed the two power projects had adequate funds not been released under Prime Minister’s reconstruction programme.

Omar said Ladakh had solar energy potential similar to the Prime Minister’s home state Gujarat and advocated power connectivity projects which could help harness and import solar energy.

Srinagar, August 12
Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his visit to the Ladakh region today talked about bringing in a saffron revolution by giving a boost and special impetus to its production in Kashmir. For this purpose, he said, a new unit for saffron would be specifically established in the Spices Board of India, a government regulatory and promotion agency for Indian origin spices.

The announcement has been welcomed by saffron growers in Kashmir, who hope that the project is implemented by taking into account the ground realities, including the concerns about conversion and encroachments on the saffron fields in Pampore. Saffron is one of the high-valued spices grown exclusively in the fields of Pampore in south Kashmir. However, over the years, the cultivation has decreased considerably.

“We need to bring in a saffron revolution. Special attention should be given to farmers growing saffron,” Modi said in Leh.

Jammu, August 12
Displaced Kashmiri Pandits have urged the Central government to end “policy paralysis” over Kashmir and provide justice to the people affected by militancy during the last 25 years.

While thanking the Members of Parliament (MPs) who raised the plight of Kashmiri Pandits in Parliament on Monday, the Panun Kashmir (PK) and Kashmir Overseas Association (KOA) urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to take steps for the final settlement of the displaced community in their homeland.

“On behalf of our members, I would like to convey our profound thanks to MPs for raising the plight of the Kashmiri Pandit community in Parliament. Such an endorsement in 25 years of our exile is very reassuring,” said KOA president Surinder Koul in a statement. Koul said the video of the speech had given the community a sense of belonging and reiterated their faith in the Indian democracy. 

Srinagar, August 12
Eight BSF personnel, including an officer, were injured when militants ambushed a two-vehicle paramilitary convoy outside Srinagar city on the eve of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the state.

The convoy was ambushed on a highway at Pampore town, 14 km from here, hours before the Prime Minister was scheduled to visit the state to inaugurate power projects in the Ladakh region.

Sources said eight paramilitary personnel were injured, two of them critically, when militants attacked their convoy from both sides of the highway around 10:30 pm on Monday. The BSF personnel were returning to Srinagar from Pahalgam in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district where they were deployed on the yatra duty, a BSF officer said.

Assistant Commandant of the 59 Battalion of the BSF, Bishan Lal, was among the injured paramilitary personnel, he said, adding that the officer was stated to be in a critical condition.

All the injured were being treated at the nearby base hospital of the Army’s 15 Corps Headquarters.

The militants escaped from the scene after the ambush even as security forces swooped on the highway town and launched late night searches to track the assailants.

The Hizb-ul-Mujahideen militant outfit claimed the responsibility, saying that the attack was in response to the Prime Minister’s visit to the state.

A Hizb-ul-Mujahideen spokesperson told a local news agency that the outfit’s “special highway squad” had ambushed the BSF vehicles. Last year, eight soldiers were killed in a similar ambush on the Army convoy on the highway ahead of the then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s visit to the city.

Sources in the state police’s counter-insurgency wing said two or three gunmen were suspected to have ambushed the convoy. 

Kargil, August 12
Many people who turned up at the rally venue to listen to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s speech in Muslim-dominated Kargil were against abrogation of Article 370 that grants special status to Jammu and Kashmir.

“Article 370 cannot be touched as it will create further divisions in the state,” said Hussain Mohammad, a participant in the rally. “The BJP has recently made it clear that there was no proposal to abrogate Article 370 and even the PM did not mention it in today’s rally,” he added.

Another youth at the rally said by attending the rally today, it never meant that they endorsed the BJP’s plans to abrogate Article 370. “I have come to listen to the PM who had single-handedly managed the party’s victory in the general elections. I wanted to hear him and his plans for the Kargil region. My coming here does not endorse the BJP’s policy on Article 370,” he said

Srinagar, August 12
In absence of an adequate theatre hall in the city, the drama school, EKTA-School of Drama, Srinagar, was forced to stage their play - The Black Calendar - in the seminar hall of the J&K Cultural Academy yesterday.

“The Black Calendar”, which was a shift from the traditional theatrics of the Valley, was directed by an alumnus of National School of Drama, M Muzamil Hayat.

Tagore Hall, which is usually used for enacting the plays and dramas in the Valley, is under construction for over a year now due to which the theatre scene in the Valley has suffered to a great extent.

The play staged was an episodic collage of socio-political and cultural events in question having taken place in the past decades in Kashmir designed by Bashir Bhawani.

Srinagar, August 12
Commissioner Secretary to Government, Housing and Urban Development Department, Satish Nehru today inaugurated a conference hall and committee room at the Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) central office, Karan Nagar.

An SMC official said the Commissioner Secretary inaugurated the conference hall in the presence of SMC Commissioner GN Qasba.

Nehru also chaired a meeting with all senior municipal officers to review functioning of the SMC, including sanitation, food safety, building activities and online birth and death certification. Nehru later toured various areas of the city to review the developmental works.

He paid visit to the under construction community halls at Makhdoom Sahib and Rajouri Kadal. 

Jammu, August 12
The Crime Branch today produced a chargesheet against three persons for preparing a fake sale deed in order to get the registration of a piece of land done in their favour in a court.

The chargesheet was produced against the accused, identified as Nathu Ram of Kanji House, Jammu, Jugal Kishore Mahajan of Kalash Nagar Guest House, Jammu, and Raju Sharma of Bhagwati Nagar, Jammu, before the court of Chief Judicial Magistrate, Jammu.

According to the official spokesperson, the Crime Branch received a complaint from a couple, identified as Narinder Nath of Gandhi Nagar and his wife Usha Rani, wherein they alleged that they owned a piece of land measuring 4 kanals situated at Kalu Chak, Jammu.

“The couple had agreed to sell the land to Nathu Ram and the sale deeds were drafted in this regard but before the registration of it, he (Ram) disagreed to pay the agreed amount to the complainant and as such sale deeds were not registered before any court,” the spokesperson said.

In the meantime, the complainant and his wife sold their land to Mohammad Aslam through a sale deed, which was duly registered in the court of Sub-Registrar, Jammu, on January 6, 2001.

“It is alleged that accused Nathu Ram, who was having earlier drafted sale deeds with him produced some fake persons before the court and by impersonating them as complainant and his wife got the sale deeds registered in his favour fraudulently,” the spokesperson said.

During the course of investigation, oral, documentary and circumstantial evidences were collected and it was proved that Nathu Ram, Jugal Kishore Mahajan and Raju Sharma, who after hatching a criminal conspiracy with each other in 1995 took the signatures of Narinder Nath on a draft sale deed by deceitful means. After making insertions in the date of stamp papers as well as date of drafting of the sale deed to get the sale deed registered fraudulently, they made an unknown woman impersonate Usha Rani in the court and got the sale deed of the land registered in favour of Nathu Ram.

Samba, August 12
A 27-year-old youth was killed while two of his friends were injured when the motorcycle they were riding on was hit by an Army truck near the Kehli Mandi here today, the police said.

“The boys were on their way to the Vaishno Devi shrine on a motorcycle. When they reached near the Kehli Mandi in Samba an Army truck hit the bike resulting in the death of one of the riders. The other two sustained severe injuries and were rushed to District Hospital, Samba. Later the duo was referred to Government Medical College and Hospital, Jammu, where their condition was stated to be critical,” said a police official.

The deceased has been identified as Rakesh Singh, son of Jagga Singh, resident of Muktsar, Punjab, the police said.

The injured have been identified as Amandeep, son of Mukhtiar Singh, resident of Mukhtsar, and Joginder Singh, son of Uttam Singh resident of Ferozpur.

A case has been registered in this regard and inquest proceedings initiated, the police said.

Doda, August 12
A woman was killed while her son remained untraceable when the vehicle they were travelling in rolled down into the 200-foot deep Dunadhi Nullah in the Machipul area of Doda district today.

The vehicle bearing registration number JK02A-2905 was on its way to Thathri when it rolled down into the 200-foot deep Dunadhi Nullah this afternoon resulting in the death of Shamla Begum, wife of Mohammed Shafi, of Bhatri (Gandho), the police said.

Her son Abdul Wahi, however, remained untraceable till the reports came in.

Immediately after the incident, the locals rushed to spot along with the rescue team of the district administration and started the rescue work. They were able to fish out the body of Shamla Begum, but the body of Abdul Wahi remained untraced till the last report came in, the police said.

Officials said there was a possibility that Abdul might have been swept away by the strong current of the nullah.