No threat to NDA Govt from scam
Jaswant rule out third party mediation on J&K
* Cease-fire a continuous process

Excelsior Correspondent

JAMMU, Mar 17: External Affairs Minister Jaswant Singh today categorically ruled out any third party mediation on Kashmir and cautioned that peace initiative taken by Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee shouldn’t be misunderstood or taken as weakness of India.

Talking informally to media persons after delivering 10th convocation address of Jammu University here today, Singh said the question of third party mediation on Kashmir doesn’t arise at all as Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of India.

Regarding Centre’s peace initiative in the form of cease-fire, the Foreign Minister said ‘peace is a continuous process and it will take sometime for things to settle down’. However, he warned, that India’s peace process shouldn’t be mis-understood as its weakness by anyone.

Jaswant Singh didn’t agree with a questioner that peace process has become futile in view of continued blood-shed in the State. "Bullets and talks can’t go together", he asserted.

Admitting that revelations made by tehelka.com in a secretly taped video camera, he, however, maintained that there was no threat to National Democratic Alliance (NDA) Government. "Revelations do have created some problems for the BJP but there was absolutely no threat to Centre Government", he asserted.

Singh denied that image of India has got tainted in the international fora due to tehelka-com controversy and said there will be no permanent effect of the revelations made in the fictitious defence deal.

"The NDA Government was concerned over the revelations and it was because of this fact that Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee has ordered an inquiry by a sitting Supreme Court Judge to find out the truth.

The External Affairs Minister, while delivering the convocation address, said that Jammu and Kashmir was not a core issue between Indian and Pakistan. Kashmir is the core of Indian nationhood, he commented.

Referring to his recent meeting with visiting United Nations secretary general Kofi Annan in New Delhi, Singh said the Indian stand on Kashmir was finding favour with all world bodies. "Not only United Nations but Saudi Arabia, where I visited few days back, has also appreciated Indian stand on Kashmir", he said.

Maintaining that India, Pakistan and Bangladesh are of the same bone, the Minister invited all neighbouring countries to come forward and join hands for development of the region. "Unfinished agenda of partition is to find lasting peace, normalcy and stability in the region so that we can address the problems, which have arisen due to poverty", he said.

"The caravan of India can not stop as it has a special place in the world. We, the Indians must recognise what India is all about and one billion human beings can not be kept in the limits of South Asia. Our efforts should be to carve a place for India in the world tapestry where India’s place should be", Jaswant Singh said.

Coming down heavily on super powers, the Union Minister said the tussle between the then USSR and United States of America had brought miseries to neighbouring country Afghanistan. "They left but the South Asian countries especially India is paying the price for their misadventure in Afghanistan", he quipped.

Singh said economically sound, viable and stable Pakistan is not only good for Pakistan but also for the whole South Asia and added that India has never occupied even a millimeter of any country’s territory.

When his attention was drawn to the statement of Afghanistan Foreign Minister that after Indian Airlines hijacking the attitude of India towards Kabul has changed, Singh said that he does not recognise Mr Mutwakil as the Foreign Minister of Afghanistan but he is a part of Taliban. He said he did praise them during the hijacking incident but neither those days nor now India accepted Talibans as the Government of Afghanistan.

On Indian Ocean, he said it is not mere a salt-water resource but a strategic extension of India.

He congratulated scholars and urged them to give a part of what they attained in the form of strengthening harmony and unity and preserving traditional ethos. He said Kashmiriyat stands for cementing the bonds of love, brotherhood and tranquility and this concept has to be preserved at all costs, he added.

Governor Girish Chandra Saxena, who is also the Chancellor of the University, said the convocation is a great event for scholars and students and an occasion to acknowledge the academic excellence. He called upon students to re-evaluate their achievements and channelise their energies for establishing a model and healthy society.

Departments conceal vacancies, refer few to PSC
Irregularities galore in gazetted appointments

From Ahmed Ali Fayaz

SRINAGAR, Mar 17: Like in Governor’s seven-year-long rule, backdoor appointments against gazetted vacancies has survived as a routine during the last four years of National Conference (NC) Government in Jammu & Kashmir. While the legislators have restricted their outcry to a few prize slots involving the Chief Minister and a small number of influential people around him, the institutions of legislature, media and judiciary have provided support of silence to the executive in the real field of irregularities.

For example, hardly anybody has raised a question as to why total transparency and accountability was still non-existent in the lucrative domain of appointments in Government services. Whether it was the case of backdoor appointment of Patwaris, or metre readers, or ACFs in Forest Department, whatever the criticism it came only after the process of selection was complete. That suggests either the crass ignorance of watchdogs or the fact that men of certain institutions do have their vested interest in such a dubious arrangement.

Hardly anybody has asked, till date, why hundreds of the vacancies of Guards in Sales Tax and Excise departments were currently being filled up by the so-called departmental committee. There have been just feeble voices demanding recruitment of all non-gazetted posts by SSSRB on the pattern of Staff Selection Commission which selects personnel for all non-gazetted central services as also several banks, corporations and semi-Government bodies.

With little regard for even the Supreme Court orders, officers here have been promoting their favourites on ad hoc and stop-gap arrangements and hundreds of such incumbents are currently manning the quota of services actually reserved for direct recruitment. Resultant vacancies in the lower rungs are clandestinely filled up, either to benefit the unemployed favourites or for other unfair considerations. Total silence of Treasury Officers, according to well-placed sources in the administration, has been meaningful.

Judiciary has recently done a timely service when it quashed the backdoor appointment of about 50 persons, appointed as ACFs and Assistant Directors of Forest Protection Force. These incumbents had been appointed on the so-called ad hoc arrangement in violation of rules and norms by the Government. The court has also nullified the backdoor appointment of 73 other incumbents who had been appointed as Foresters or against other class-III vacancies existing in the department.

Nevertheless, the rot of backdoor appointments has not been arrested in Social Welfare and other such departments where the rules of recruitment, as well as promotion, have been brazenly violated. Over 35 favourites have been given charge of gazetted posts in Social Welfare Department on the so-called temporary arrangement. They include even Matriculate tailor masters known for nothing but their strong political clout. Notwithstanding a senior bureaucrat’s resistance, the process of the appointment of Female Supervisors is currently underway in the department.

There are 120 posts of Child Development Project Officers (CDPOs) in Social Welfare Department. According to the rules and norms in vogue, 60 officers should have been direct appointees and the rest 60 in-service promotees. However, there are only 30 direct appointees and others __ mostly far junior officials __ are holding charge on temporary arrangement. Sources revealed that even three teachers have been "imported" from Education Department and given the charge of CDPOs. Even as 30 vacancies of direct appointees exist in the department, just 7 have been referred to PSC.

Similarly, against the total strength of 20 posts of Assistant Directors (ADs) in Social Welfare Department, only 3 have been recruited on the basis of the selection made by PSC. Seven slots of the direct quota have been gifted away to favourites who include a stenographer and a section officer. None of these vacancies has been referred to PSC.

There are 16 posts of ADs in Handicrafts Department. Just four officers are direct appointees. Four vacancies of the direct quota are manned by favourites and the same have never been referred to PSC. Among the 12 ADs in Handloom Department, only one is direct appointee. Charge of five vacancies of this quota rests with blue-eyed officials in total violation of the Supreme Court directions.

While as currently there are 25 posts of ADs in Food & Supplies Department, the in-service promotees have not only exhausted their reserved quota of 12 posts but they are also manning several posts of the direct appointment quota.

In the Revenue Department, there are 146 posts of Tehsildars and only 41 officials are direct appointees. Even as there are 32 vacancies in the direct appointment quota, just 20 have been referred to PSC.

While there is no effort to fill up the vacancies of Information Officers and Assistant Information Officers through the competent authority, a number of incumbents enjoying political clout or other influences have been absorbed in the concerned department on pick-and-choose basis. Though this too is ostensibly a temporary arrangement, it has instantly caused unrest among a multitude of post-graduates in journalism and mass communication who have been jobless for the last five to ten years.

Earlier too, a host of blue-eyed boys have been surreptitiously appointed as "PROs" with some ministers.

In the non-gazetted categories alone, there are at least 20,000 vacancies and less than 8,000 have been referred to SSSRB. A typical example is that of the Junior Agriculture Assistants. While as over 1500 Agriculture graduates are at the moment unemployed — a number of them about to cross the age bar for recruitment — presently there are about 200 unfilled vacancies in the State Agriculture Department.

Consequently, the trained Agriculture graduates are now desperately looking for the job of Village Level Workers (VLWs) in Rural Development Department. Dozens of Civil and Electrical Engineering graduates have already been selected as Works Supervisors and Technicians for which the required qualification is Matriculation.

Shutdown, violence in Srinagar
Valley tense as Geelani roughed up

Excelsior Special Correspondent

SRINAGAR, Mar 17: Even as the detained Jamaat-e-Islami leader Syed Ali Shah was released today, Police roughed him up while dropping him near his Hyderpora residence. As the senior pro-Pakistan leader activist lost consciousness and was admitted at Soura Medical Institute, rumours went round that Geelani had died due to Police beating. Suddenly there was near total shutdown in the capital city as dozens of protesters came out on streets and engaged Police in ding-dong clashes.

In a hand-out, Police claimed that as soon as the Police party dropped Geelani near his residence, he started shouting and the people around resorted to stone-pelting on the Police vehicle. It claimed that Police showed restraint and left the spot. After some time Geelani drove in a vehicle to Soura Medical Institute where doctors examined him and informed that they had found nothing abnormal in his health condition. Quoting the hospital authorities, Police claimed that Geelani was being discharged.

However, a Jamaat-e-Islami statement claimed that the septuagenarian political leader with cardiac disorders was forcibly thrown out of the Police vehicle and went unconsciousness while sustaining injuries in his hand. It claimed that Geelani was rushed to Soura Medical Institute and admitted in Intensive Care Unit in critical condition. The Jamaat statement said that Police went cruel on Geelani as he had insisted that all of his detained associates , particularly Mohammad Yusuf Mujahid, be also released.

As already reported, Geelani alongwith half-a-dozen of his associates had been arrested by police for violating prohibitory orders on Friday when Kashmir valley observed a shutdown on Geelani’s call in protest against the alleged desecration of holy Quran by VHP activists at New Delhi last week.

NC support to NDA Govt will continue: Farooq

Excelsior Correspondent

JAMMU, Mar 17: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Dr Farooq Abdullah today stressed for inquiring into all gamut of Tehlka.Com expose and said the guilty must be severely punished.

Talking to media persons after the 10th convocation of University of Jammu here this afternoon, he said the country is passing through a very difficult times and anybody going through corrupt practices will harm the nation in a great deal especially when it receives a very positive response from the world to its problems.

‘‘Such standards (corrupt) are really tragic,’ he said.

Welcoming the enquiry by the Supreme Court Judge into Tehelka.Com revelations, he said since the probe has been set in motion ‘‘we must wait for findings’’. He said he was satisfied with the judicial probe and hoped it will cover all aspects of allegations. He, however, said if charges are found false, those leveling these against innocent persons should be punished.

Dr Abdullah said the National Conference will continue its support to National Democratic Alliance and described any differences within his party on the issue, as stated by a questioner, as the creation of media.

He did not agree with a reporter that the exposure would affect the morale of soldiers fighting militancy in Jammu and Kashmir and said ‘we are fighting a battle in J&K, which will continue’.

He congratulated the recipients for conferment of degrees and medals.

Introducing the Union Minister Jaswant Singh, the Chief Minister expressed his gratitude to him for his immense help to Jammu and Kashmir as Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission and said as Minister for External Affairs too he pleaded the case of the State before the Prime Minister for having known its difficult situation while serving as an army officer.

Singh, the Chief Minister said, gave a new direction to India’s foreign policy and his dynamic diplomacy has entirely changed the position vis a vis Jammu and Kashmir because of his presenting India’s case before the world in an effective manner. It goes also to his credit that relations with Saudi Arabia, which were cold after Mrs Indira Gandhi’s tenure, got a new look.

Wishing cementing of relations with the neighborly countries under the Prime Ministership of Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee, the Chief Minister said that the nation is looking forward towards better future. ‘Let this nation steer to peace and prosperity’, Dr Abdullah prayed.

Dr Abdullah, who is also the Pro-Chancellor of the University, said the major problem before the State is the growing unemployment as a lot many educated youth were without jobs. This factor has to be sorted out on priority, he emphasized.

Cong asks PM to look for consensus on Kashmir

RAJIV GANDHI NAGAR, Mar 17: The Congress today called upon the A B Vajpayee Government to rise above partisan considerations and search for a consensus on the Kashmir issue realising its national responsibility.

In its draft political resolution moved at the plenary session, the Congress charged that the Centre’s Kashmir policy lacked cohesiveness and consistancy and only confusion and contradictions marked its stand on Kashmir. What we have seen since the present Government took office is sporadic starts, unexplained pauses, and dramatic gestures not followed up by solid policy initiatives, resulting in unending agony of the people and danger to the country. More worrying still is the evident dictation of others in the course of events in Jammu and Kashmir, the resolution said.

It said most recently the Government seems to have encouraged the desire of elements of Hurriyat to travel across the International Border to meet with Pakistan and PoK based elements promoting cross-border terrorism, but without taking into account in advance the elementary question of travel documents for those whom the Hurriyat would want to send.

Reiterating the Congress stand that Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of the country, it said that the Kashmir issue is a domestic issue to be sorted out through dialogue. The dialogue should cover the entire spectrum of political opinion in the State. It must extend to every region of the State and there must also be an uninterrupted and uninterruptible dialogue with Pakistan to deal with the external dimensions of the issue including the core issue of cross-border terrorism sponsored from foreign soil, it said.

The Congress said that the dialogue should be based on the unwavering scheme of bilateralism which is the essence of Shimla agreement. Unfortunately a Government which is so much at odds with itself over the first principle of our nationhood cannot be trusted to keep India united, integrated and secular on any matter relating to the composite State of Jammu and Kashmir the resolution said. (UNI)

Advani dares oppn to bring no confidence motion

NEW DELHI, Mar 17: Home Minister L K Advani today dared the opposition to bring in a no confidence motion in Parliament against the Vajpayee Government on the Tehelka tapes issue saying they (the opposition) were simply interested in creating turmoil.

"The Government is ready to prove its majority on the floor of the House and willing to hold discussions on the issue," he said while addressing a meeting of senior party functionaries including MPs, legislators and corporators organised by the Delhi unit of the party.

Mr Advani said the main interest of the opposition was to create turmoil and mislead the people and not debate the issue threadbare on the floor of the House. It would be a good opportunity for the BJP if discussions were allowed to take place on the issue in Parliament.

"After the inquiry, truth will come out, giving a further boost to the party’s image. Also the opposition’s gameplan to destabilise the Government will be exposed."

There had been scams and scandals since the days of Jawaharlal Nehru but this was the first time when the ruling party had unanimously favoured a discussion on the issue.

He claimed that if the issue was allowed to be debated in Parliament, the ongoing malicious campaign by the opposition would be exposed.

Mr Advani hoped the opposition would agree to a debate on the issue when Parliament resumes on Monday. "The truth will emerge and the image of the NDA will be refurbished."

Commenting on the demand by some Congress leaders that an FIR should have been lodged against those involved in the scandal, he asserted that there was no case for an FIR against any NDA Minister. The party was, however, ready for an impartial inquiry which was announced by Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee yesterday.

He said there was not an iota of truth in the Tehelka tapes expose. Yet Defence Minister George Fernandes had resigned to get to the bottom of the controversy.

Complimenting Mr Fernandes, the Home Minister said there had not been any other Defence Minister like him who had earned respect and affection of all the Defence personnel. He had resigned to settle the controversy.

Mr Fernandes went to the Siachen eighteen times during the last three years as Defence Minister. No Minister had displayed such a courage in the past.

Law Minister Arun Jaitley said there had been a series of scams during the Congress regime including the Bofors and urea. But for the first time the Government had shown its willingness to order an inquiry.

He also expressed confidence that the party would be able to weather the storm and challenged the opposition to a full-fledged discussion.

Those who attended the meeting included Delhi party unit president Mange Ram Garg, party MPs Vijay Kumar Malhotra, Sahib Singh Verma, Vijay Goel, Anita Arya, Delhi unit treasurer Arun Jain and a number of MLAs and corporators.

Lashing out at the Congress, the Home Minister said that during its rule a number of scams had taken place but it never took the opposition demand for an inquiry as seriously as was taken by the BJP in this case.

It was strange that even after levelling serious allegations against the Government, the opposition was not even demanding an inquiry. "It is not willing to have a debate in Parliament but straightaway demanding the Government’s resignation," Mr Advani said urging the partymen to take it as a challenge.

Describing the Tehelka tapes as "misleading and devoid of facts" he said there was neither a scandal nor allegation against any Minister.

It was a matter of concern how a fictitious company had gained easy access to senior political leaders and army officials and misled them. There was a need to remain vigilant, he said. He regretted that there had been a steady decline in probity and honesty in society as a result of which corruption had gone up.

"If somebody claims, as in the case of Tehelka tapes, that he has proximity to L K Advani or Arun Jaitley, then I cannot help it." (UNI)

CBI quizzes Meenakshi’s father, uncle

Excelsior Correspondent

UDHAMPUR, Mar 17: A high level team of Central Bureau of Investigations (CBI) today quizzed Meenakshi’s father Natha Singh and uncle Balbir Singh in connection with girl’s kidnapping and alleged gang rape.

Both the brothers were questioned by CBI team at Dak Bungalow, where the team had been camping. The duo remained with CBI team for more than two hours during which their complete statement was recorded.

When approached by this correspondent, Natha and Balbir Singh refused to comment on the questions they were asked by CBI stating the agency officials have asked them not to talk to media.

Meanwhile, Joint Action Committee (JAC), which had spearheaded agitation against Meenakshi’s kidnapping, took out a rally in the town today demanded hard punishment for accused.

Rally started from Baryan, from where Meenakshi hailed, and culminated outside Deputy Commissioner’s office, where a dharna was held. JAC members thanked the district administration for a CBI inquiry into the entire episode.

Sikhs cremated, bandh in Poonch

Excelsior Correspondent

POONCH, Mar 17: Bodies of two Sikh youths, who were beheaded by the militants in Surankote, were cremated along Poonch river in the town here this afternoon amidst a complete bandh in the town.

Reports said bodies of Mohan Singh and Lakhbir Singh were brought here this morning and kept in a building. Family members of deceased had also reached here last night from Jammu.

A large number of people joined last rites of the victims amidst a highly surcharged atmosphere.

All shops remained closed in the town during the day today. Some Government offices and banks also remained closed in response to a bandh call given by Chamber president Sunil Gupta to protest the killings of Sikhs.

UN chief urged to restrain Pak, Taliban

NEW DELHI, Mar 17: The All India Shia Husaini Fund (AISHF) has slammed the Pakistan Government for patronising Sunni terrorists in Kashmir and orchestrating a campaign of destruction of Shia religious places in its own country.

In a letter to UN Secretary General Kofi Annan during his ongoing visit to India, AISHF secretary general Syed Hasan Mahdi today said the Pakistan-backed Sunni terrorists "are not only running terrorist activities in Kashmir and other parts of the country in the name of Jehad but are also brutally murdering the innocent minority community of Shias in Pakistan."

Syed Mahdi said while in Pakistan Shia religious places have been vandalised, the Taliban regime in neighbouring Afghanistan has also unleashed a similar campaign of destruction against the Shia community. The Taliban are also instigating the terrorist acts of Pakistan, he pointed out.

He also appealed to Dr Annan to intervene in the matter and instruct the Pakistan Government to protect the Shia Muslim community from "such terrorist acts and suppress the terrorist groups in their country."

In his missive to the UN Chief, the Shia leader also urged him to exert pressure on the "unrecognised Taliban Government" so that oppressive actions against the Shia Muslim community in Afghanistan are stopped forthwith. (UNI)

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