Comprehensive economic package being
prepared for J&K: Mufti
*Ours is a Govt with difference: Azad

Excelsior Corespondent

DODA, Nov 15: The Chief Minister, Mufti Mohammed Sayeed,has announced his Government’s involvement in the task of preparing a comprehensive package to boost economic and other developmental activities in Jammu and Kashmir.

The announcement came on Friday in the course of Mufti Sayeed’s speech at the joint meeting of the State Cabinet and District Development Board here. He briefly discussed geographical features of the district and acknowledged the fact that the landlocked region required "a massive effort" for its economic development.

The Chief Minister, obviously, had a specific purpose when he also made a pointed reference to enormous natural resources in the shape of water and forest cover the district of Doda possessed. These resources, he said, were sufficient to meet the district’s requirements on the economic front.

But these resources, he lamented, had not been fully tapped. His assurance: PDP-led coalition Government would see how best could these resources be utilised for the welfare of the people.

The Chief Minister, while alluding to a number of hydel projects under execution in the Doda district, asked the Deputy Commissioner to coordinate with their managements and work out training schedule for youth in local technical institutions so as to meet the requirements of skilled and other manpower resource locally. Mufti Sayeed pointed out that the management of these projects would be asked to use available local talent instead of importing the workforce from outside the State.

The Chief Minister, who has, in recent days, made it a point to take on-the-spot decisions, announced sanctioning of additional allocation of Rs 5 crores for development works and programmes approved by the Cabinet for Doda district, raising its current year’s plan allocation to Rs 66.71 crores.

Responding to the demands voiced by legislators at the meeting, the Chief Minister said that several roads would be taken up for execution and upgradation during the current financial year. This, he explained, was being done to open more areas for economic development and to improve the existing communication network.

These roads include Ramsoo-Ukhral, Kewa-Bunjwa, Synthan, Marwah, Badyal Chilli roads. Mufti Sayeed said that he would soon take up with the Government of India the question of upgrading Kishtwar-Synthan-Daksum roads as alternative route, besides Bhaderwah-Chamba and Bhaderwah-Bani-Basohli roads. All these roads, he argued, were important for ensuring economic development in the region. Dachan-Marwah road will be handed over to NHPC for upgradation, for which the J&K Government would make a provision.

Mufti Sayeed also made public decisions for improving health care facilities in the far-flung areas. Thathri PHC would be upgraded as accidental-cum-emergency hospital, while the Chatro PHC will be provided with ambulance and x-ray machine. The Bhaderwah sub-district hospital will also be strengthened as accidental-cum-emergency hospital with additional accommodation for doctors.

The Deputy Commissioner has been assigned the responsibility of upkeeping the district hospital, Doda. While additional grants were given for the completion of OPD block and necessary repairs and renovation of Doda hospital, Goha health centre will be constructed by the Army and district administration jointly to benefit the people of the backward pocket. Yardu will also have a health centre.

The Chief Minister sanctioned higher secondary schools at Neel, Desa and Bannan. Commerce subject, he said, would be introduced in Kishtwar’s degree college.

To mitigate the people’s problems arising from the scarcity of drinking water facilities, the Mufti approved Rs 50 lakhs for immediate augmentation of water supply for Doda town. Additional capacity of one lakh gallons will be added.

Kishtwar town also faces acute shortage of drinking water facility. The Chief Minister also sanctioned Rs 1 crore for taking up a new water supply scheme for the town.

This apart, all the damaged power transformers would either be repaired or replaced in order to improve power supply in the district. The Chief Minister also ordered shifting of post office to Kastigarh when the local MLA brought to his notice problem being faced by the people of the area on account of shifting of post office to Doda.

Meanwhile, Mr Ghulam Nabi Azad, MP, who also participated in the meeting, said that the coalition Government in J&K is a Government with difference. It has made a good start and proved that things could be improved if someone has the will and determination. He complimented the Chief Minister for taking a series of important decisions including holding district development board meetings for nine disticts in a short span of a fortnight in office. He, however, stressed the need for making everyone in the administration accountable.

Expressing concern over continuous neglect of Doda district in the past, he said the district has not been given its due on development front. It has been neglected by senior officers and funds remained unutilized. Speaking from his personal experience, he said even MP local area development fund was not utilized fully in the past.

Seeking special attention of the coalition Government for its development, Mr Azad asked the ministers and senior officers to frequently visit the district, listen to the problems of the people and personally monitor development works to ensure utilization of available grants and early completion thereof.

Two kidnapped students rescued

Excelsior Correspondent

JAMMU, Nov 15: Acting swiftly, Bakshi Nagar police last night rescued two teen-aged students of Udhampur, who had been kidnapped by a TATA Sumo operator from Masjid Road in Udhampur and brought here for seeking ransom from their parents.

Identified as Puneet Gupta son of Pawan Gupta and Saleem Khan son of Farooq Khan, both residents of Udhampur town, the boys were sixth class students of Happy Model School, Udhampur and had gone for private tuition in the evening.

Police said when the students were returning home, they were intercepted by a TATA Sumo operator at Masjid Road and forcibly packed into the vehicle. The accused, whose identity hadn’t been established so far, drove the boys to Rehari Chungi where he forced them to ring up at their residence and inform them about their kidnapping.

Since Pawan Gupta had installed a Caller ID with his telephone number, the ID splashed the telephone number of the PCO from where the hostage was forced to make the call. Taking a cue from the telephone number, Bakshi Nagar police parties led by DySP Bhupinder Singh and SHO Mohd Rafiq under the supervision of SP City (North) Parbhat Singh swung into action and deployed plain clothesmen in all surrounding areas of Rehari including Bakshi Nagar, Shakti Nagar, Rajpura and Rehari Colony.

Police said from Rehari, the Sumo driver took the hostages near Bakshi Nagar shopping complex and asked them to sit near a culvert. He also slapped the boys in a bid to terrorise them and told them to keep sitting behind the culvert till he returns. According to police, the kidnapper might be looking for a safe hideout to keep the hostages.

In the meantime, a plainclothesman of Bakshi Nagar police identified as Ravinder Kumar, spotted the boys weeping at culvert and immediately shifted them to Bakshi Nagar police station, where they narrated the entire incident.

Police re-united the hostages with their families within three to four hours of the incident. Police have now launched a hunt for the kidnapper but he hadn’t been arrested so far.

People’s pressure will force Govt to deliver: CM
*It is credibility that is important

Excelsior Correspondent

SRINAGAR, Nov 15: Mufti Mohammed Sayeed has let it be known that he would be the last person to worry about the numbers in the Assembly. He, in fact, emphasized that he would rather concentrate on earning people’s trust for his Government than worry about the numbers.

The Chief Minister considers credibility as more important for his Government than the numbers in the Legislative Assembly. "Stability (of a Government) is not by numbers alone, it is the credibility that is important", Mufti Sayeed told senior journalist, Mr Muhammed Syed Malik, in an interview, broadcast on the State hookup of Radio Kashmir on Thursday evening.

Was his coalition Government stable, given its composition? The Chief Minister made it plain that good performance "builds credibility". And if the Government was credible in the eyes of the public, it would be stable.

He reckoned the fact that the people were watching the new Government with expectations. "So much of euphoria has been created and I am worried how not to fail my people", he said and added: "People’s pressure will force us to deliver".

He recalled how after the recent Assembly poll when Government formation was taking long time, the pressure from the people and the media forced the present coalition partners to come together and form the Government.

The Chief Minister placed himself on record as asserting that the elections to the J&K Assembly were the "fairest of all held in the country". He said that he had conveyed this to the Prime Minister, Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee.

While praising the Election Commission for its "commendable" job, the Mufti said that the fair conduct of elections had sent a positive message to people and as a result raised their expectations. He spelt out what he described as the ‘multi-pronged strategy’ of his Government to meet the challenge.

His priority, he also made it clear, was to give a healing touch to the situation and minimize people’s sufferings. The administration,he said, had been asked to present a humane face.

He said that he would request the Centre to initiate a dialogue with the elected representatives and others in Jammu and Kashmir. He made a pointed reference to Mr Vajpayee’s Independence Day speech from the ramparts of the Red Fort and recalled that the Prime Minister had promised to initiate dialogue with the elected representatives.

The assumption of office by a representative Government in J&K, the Mufti said, had created the atmosphere of dialogue. He added that the common minimum programme (CMP) of the coalition Government had also stressed on unconditional dialogue between the Centre and the people of the State.

Expressing his deep faith in democracy, the Chief Minister said that it was a battle of ideas, not bullets. The previous Government, he stated, lost the opportunity it had got in 1996 to change the situation.

The Mufti emphasized that he would go by the pledges made in the common minimum programme and reorganize the Special Operation Group (SOG) of the J&K police, not implement the POTA and gradually release political detainees against whom there were no charges.

The Chief Minister also emphasized that the solution to the problems facing Jammu and Kashmir was not in using force but in winning over the alienated people.

He also spoke of providing a clean, transparent and accountable administration to the people and said that procedures would be simplified to minimize their inconvenience. He said that his Government would create an institution for accountability that would cover everybody, including Chief Minister, Ministers and legislators.

IKT demands Hill Council for Kargil, opposes trifurcation

SRINAGAR, Nov 15: Demanding an Autonomous Hill Development Council (AHDC) for Kargil district, the Imam Khomani Trust IKT said any move to divide the State on communal lines would not be tolerated.

Welcoming the announcement made in the Common Minimum Programme (CMP) that the district of Kargil will be granted an autonomous hill development council, IKT secretary general Asgar Karbalayee said that the step would help in the overall development of the district.

Mr Karbalayee said the people of the border district of Kargil would oppose any move to divide Jammu and Kashmir on communal lines.

"We will fight against any move of granting Union Territory (UT) status to Ladakh region as demanded by the recently formed Leh Union Territory Front (LUTF)," he said.

Urging the Government not to succumb before the LUTF demand, he said in case the Ladakh region was granted UT status, Kargil would remain with the Kashmir valley.

"The people of Jammu and Kashmir joined secular India at the time of partition. How can we allow the division of the State now on communal lines," he said.

The LUTF played an important role in getting two independents Sonam Wangchok Nurboo (Nobra) and Nawang Rigzin (Leh) elected unopposed after the senior leaders of all regional and national political parties resigned from their respective parties and joined the LUTF. The Zanaskar seat was retained by Mohammad Abbas for the National Conference while the Kargil seat was won by independent Haji Nissar Ali backed by the IKT and others.

The LUTF has been demanding Union Territory status to the entire Ladakh region—Leh and Kargil districts. The Minister of State for Works Mr Karbalyee said "besides granting AHDC to Kargil, we demand an economic package for the area, which remained backward even after 55 years of independence".

He said there was shortage of essential commodities in Kargil during the holy month of Ramzan.

The Srinagar-Kargil highway should remain open till there was snowfall, he said.

He said the National Conference (NC) candidates were defeated in the region as the NC Government had failed to address the problems of the people of the area.

"We are not against Leh, but at least the people of Kargil should not be ignored," he said.

"Our area has the vast potential of hydro power, which needs to be tapped to meet the demand of the entire region," he observed.

He, however, was critical of sanctioning Rs 360 crore for a tunnel that connects Leh with Himachal Mradesh. "It was unfortunate that the package was sanctioned for the Jammu and Kashmir, but will be spent in Himachal Pradesh", he said.

Mr Karbalyee also pointed out that the entire Kargil district has only one college, which is yet to get affiliation from the Kashmir University.

Moreover, the college has not been receiving funds from the University Grants Commission since it has not been granted affiliation by the Kashmir University, he said.

The health care system in the district was poor as compared to other districts of the State, he said and demanded that a sub-office of the school board of education should be opened in the region to conduct board examinations. (UNI)

VHP rejects PM’s appeal, to go ahead with yatra

AHMEDABAD, Nov 15: Brushing aside Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee’s appeal not to go ahead with its controversial yatra and to make Godhra a poll issue, the VHP today said it would go ahead with the march from Sunday with a replica of the S-6 coach in which 58 people were burnt to death.

Backing the Election Commission’s decision to ban the yatra and the Gujarat Government’s refusal of permission to the VHP, Vajpayee issued a statement in which he appealed to "all organisations" to honour the constitutional authority’s directive and help the state administration in discharging its duty.

He also disagreed with the BJP’s criticism of the EC decision. Replying to a question by "Aaj Tak" television channel, Vajpayee said "on the face of it, the decision might look wrong but given the circumstances in Gujarat, the ban order is correct."

The Prime Minister said Godhra violence and subsequent communal violence should not be made an election issue.

He asked the parties to debate development issues and not the ones that will inflame passions and vitiate the atmosphere.

Sharply reacting to Vajpayee’s statement, VHP international general secretary Praveen Togadia said, "we are ready to face any consequences. We will go ahead with it and there is no change in the yatra programme."

Referring to Vajpayee’s advice not to make Godhra a poll issue, the VHP leader retorted "Godhra is the heart of Hindutva and it was impossible to forget the gruesome Godhra carnage. Godhra is the part of the issue."

"I expect the PM to safeguard the basic fundamental rights of Hindus and not succumb to pressure from secular forces", Togadia said.

Addressing newspersons here after a three-hour high-level meeting of the top brass of VHP and Bajrang Dal to discuss further course of action following Gujarat Government’s refusal to grant permission for the yatra, Togadia said "I am going ahead with the yatra to uphold the fundamental rights of Hindu society."

Giving details of the yatra, Togadia said before commencing the yatra from science college ground in Godhra, ‘Puja’ will be performed in Karnavati (Ahmedabad) in presence of Acharya Dharmendra Maharaj.

"I am Shivaji-protector of Hindu religion," will be the message of the ‘footmarch’ which will stop at atleast 200 places in the entire 21-day journey, Togadia said.

He reiterated that the VHP has no plans to enter mainstream politics.

"All the arrangements for the kick-off are almost done. And it is in the wake of the Prime Minister’s speech that we are conveying our resolve to media as well as the entire nation," Togadia said.

"We will go ahead with it and there is no change in the yatra programme," he added.

Meanwhile, the construction of dais, putting up of banners and saffron flags at the site of the ‘Dharam Sabha’ in Godhra are underway, according to reports received from Godhra.

The district administration of Panchamahals has made elaborate security arrangements at the site and are taking all precautionary measures to avoid any untoward incident.

In his statement, Vajpayee said "with elections less than a month away, it is natural for political and social organisations who want to go among the people and conduct their campaign. It is their democratic right.

"However, it is also the democratic duty of one and all to exercise it in a lawful way. Even protest has to be expressed in a peaceful manner without inflaming passions. It is only through scrupulous obedience of the law that we can enhance the prestige and efficacy of our democracy," he said.

Vajpayee said anyway the people of Gujarat would give their verdict soon and there was no need for making allegations and counter allegations.

"I urge all political parties and organisations to focus their election campaign on issues of development and governance and not on matters that vitiate the atmosphere. I do hope that after the State Government’s decision all concerned would work towards peaceful conclusion of the polls," he said.

Asked about the VHP announcing its decision to go ahead with the yatra, Vajpayee said the Gujarat Government had initially given permission to it but later thought it fit not to allow it after assessing the situation.

"I hope all parties and outfits will abide by it," the Prime Minister later told "Aaj Tak".

He said he was in constant touch with the Gujarat Government and had advised everyone to concentrate on the polls and not take any steps that may fan passions and disrupt the poll process.

On the path chosen by VHP, Vajpayee said "it is difficult to say what it will do..... But I feel things will settle down with attention being focussed on the elections."

To a question about degeneration in Gujarat politics, he said "it was happening all over the country and not just in Gujarat."

Regarding the poll campaign in the State, Vajpayee said elections should be fought on development issues and not by inflaming emotions.

He asserted that Godhra cannot and should not be made an election issue. "If it is done, it will look like there is no other issue and votes are being played with like a toy."

Expressing the hope that the elections will usher in a "new beginning" for Gujarat, the Prime Minister said it should bring communal harmony and end political instability in the State. (PTI)

Civilian, terrorist killed; woman hurt

Excelsior Correspondent

JAMMU, Nov 15: A civilian and a terrorist were killed in two encounters in Poonch and Doda district overnight while a woman was injured in an incident of shoot-out.

Official sources said a civilian Kashmir Singh son of Hem Raj, a resident of Jagot, Doda, who had been kidnapped by the terrorists from his house on November 1, was killed in the captivity. Bullet-riddled body of Kashmir Singh was recovered from Jagot forest area during a search operation carried out by police this morning.

Police sent the body for post-mortem and later handed it over to the family for cremation. No reasons had been ascertained behind the killing of Kashmir Singh. Police have, however, registered a case for further investigations.

Meanwhile, security forces today gunned down a foreign mercenary in general area of Karmara under Poonch police station’s jurisdiction. The unidentified terrorist was killed during a two hour long operation carried out jointly by army and police.

No casualties were reported on security forces side, the sources said, adding that operation was still going on in the village in search of two more terrorists, who had escaped during the exchange of gun-fighting.

Recoveries made from the scene of encounter included one AK-56 rifle, 70 AK rounds, one radio set, one box full of AK ammunition, 15 hand grenades, some Indian currency in burnt condition, one shawl, one walking stick and some dry fruit.

Meanwhile, a woman Safia Mushtaq daughter of Mushtaq Ahmed, a resident of Ward No. 10, Rajouri was seriously injured when she fiddled with a rifle issued to her relative Mohd Yasir, a Special Police Officer (SPO), posted with local police.

Injured woman has been shifted to the district hospital.

Ten members of Bhutto’s party shift loyalties

ISLAMABAD, Nov 15: In a major jolt to former Premier Benazir Bhutto on the eve of the inaugural session of the newly elected Parliament, 10 members of her PPP party have broken ranks and extended support to pro-Musharraf PML-Q boosting its chances to form a Government.

At a hurriedly called press conference here around midnight, the PPP dissenters, led by Faisal Saleh Hayat, announced the formation of a Forward Bloc within the party to take independent decisions.

They said they were backing a "Government of national consensus", a term used here for a proposed coalition between PML-Q and PPP.

Despite the support of the breakaway group, Pakistan Muslim League - Quaide Azam (PML-Q) still falls short by 22 votes in the National Assembly to get a simple majority.

PML-Q and its allies were reported to have secured 150 votes so far against the minimum required numbers of 172 in the 342-member national assembly.

Hayat, however, declined to call it a split within the party saying they would continue to regard Bhutto as their leader.

Reacting to Hayat’s announcement, PPP general secretary Raza Rabbani accused Musharraf Government of breaking his party on the eve of national assembly session with coercion and inducements.

"As just a day is left in the inaugural session of the national assembly, the regime has stepped up its efforts to create dissensions within the ranks of the PPP. This is being done to facilitate the king’s party to secure `artificial’ majority in Parliament" Rubbani said in a statement.

He alleged that the PPPP MNAs-elect were being subjected to inducements and intimidation to break ranks and vote for the formation of Government with the king’s party.

"This is worst kind of horse-trading and is condemned in the strongest possible terms", he said.

The announcement of the new group with in the PPPP followed the failure of Musharraf to secure the support of the religious parties alliance, Muthahida Majlis Amal (MMA) for retaining his presidency as well as his controversial constitutional amendments which empowered him and the army with more powers.

The Forward Bloc in PPPP was announced in a hurry, as a conclave of MMA leaders in Karachi yesterday declined to reach an agreement with PML-Q despite the last minute phone call from Musharraf himself to MMA president Shah Ahmad Noorani to seek his support for the Legal Framework Order (LFO).

The order had incorporated Musharraf’s election as President through referendum this year and his other constitutional amendments.

More ominously for Musharraf, the MMA prime ministerial candidate Maulana Fazlur Rehman, who has the support of 70 MNAs warmed up to PPPP to form an anti-Musharraf Government.

Rehman created stir by travelling to Nawabshah in southern Sindh province after the MMA leaders meeting in Karachi to personally condole the death of the mother of jailed husband of Bhutto, Asif Ali Zardari. (PTI)

Petrol, diesel prices slashed

NEW DELHI, Nov 15: State-run oil companies today slashed petrol and diesel prices by 68 to 81 paise per litre, effective midnight tonight.

Petrol would cost Rs 29.57 per litre in Delhi as against the prevailing Rs 30.26 a litre while diesel prices have come down from Rs 19.25 to Rs 18.57 per litre, official sources said here.

Oil companies announced reduction in petrol and diesel prices following a fall in international crude oil prices. Indian basket of crude oil averaged 23.36 dollars a barrel this month as against average procurement price of 26.65 dollars per barrel in the second half of October.

During October, the average price of Indian basket of crude was 26.89 dollars per barrel.

Petrol prices in Kolkata have been reduced by 69 paise to Rs 31.01 per litre while in Mumbai a litre of petrol would cost Rs 34.23 as opposed to prevailing Rs 34.98. Chennai also saw a 75 paise per litre reduction in petrol prices to Rs 32.05.

Diesel prices in Kolkata fell from Rs 20.64 to Rs 19.96. In Mumbai, the fall was of 81 paise per litre to Rs 23.57 while that in Chennai, diesel prices fell from Rs 21.18 per litre to Rs 20.43 a litre. (PTI)

Blackwill to visit J&K

JAMMU, Nov 15: The United States Ambassador Robert Blackwill will arrive here soon on a "familarisation" tour and is expected to meet representatives of the new Government in Jammu and Kashmir.

Blackwill, during his stay in the city of temples, is also expected to meet Kashmiri migrants, who had left the Valley after the onset of militancy, official sources said here.

The sources said his programme was being kept a closely-guarded secret in view of threats from various militant groups against Americans.

He would later visit Kashmir valley, where, besides holding talks with the cross section of people, he was also likely to meet separatist groups.

An advance team from the American Mission was in the Valley to line up engagements for the American Ambassador, who would be flying into the border State in a special aircraft.

In his last leg of the tour, he was also likely to visit Ladakh region, the sources added. (PTI)

HM comdr, Geelani's son-in-law freed

SRINAGAR, Nov 15: Top Hizb-ul-Mujahideen commander Abdul Aziz Dar alias General Moosa and Altaf Fantoosh, son-in-law of jailed Hurryat former chairman Syed Ali Shah Geelani were released today from jail.

"General Moosa who was lodged in Sangrur Jail, Punjab reached home this evening, his family members said.

He was arrested 11-years-ago when he was leading a HM battalion in downtown Srinagar.

Fantoosh was arrested when his father-in-law was also taken in to custody under the Public Safety Act (PSA) early this year. (UNI)

Kashmir problem result of Britain's mistakes: Straw

LONDON, Nov 15: Britain has said that the Kashmir problem between India and Pakistan has stemmed out of "some quite serious mistakes" committed by it by not demarcating the boundaries even two days after their independence from the British rule.

"India, Pakistan - we made some quite serious mistakes. We were complacent with what happened in Kashmir, the boundaries weren’t published until two days after independence. Bad story for us, the consequences are still there," Britain’s Foreign Secretary Jack Straw said in an interview to the new statesman magazine.

In controversial remarks, Straw said that Britain was to blame for many of the world’s current crises, ranging from the Indian sub-continent to the Middle East and Africa.

"There’s a lot wrong with imperialism," he told the magazine. "A lot of the problems I have to deal with now are a consequence of our colonial past."

Straw, who described himself as a "democratic socialist", contradicted the views of Robert Cooper, one of his own senior diplomats, who coined the phrase "liberal imperialism" to describe recent military interventions by the Government in Kosovo, Sierra Leone and Afghanistan.

He also singled out Afghanistan, "where we played less than a glorious role over a century and a half."

Opposition conservative party accused him of undermining British foreign policy, particularly in Zimbabwe which has justified its land grab as a way of righting the wrongs of colonialism.

But Downing Street, the Prime Minister’s Office, stood by the Foreign Secretary, saying his remarks were "a sensible statement of history." (PTI)

Over 175 killed in Maoist violence

KATHMANDU, Nov 15: Over 175 security personnel and Maoist were killed in fierce gunbattle after hundreds of heavily armed rebels attacked Government establishments including police and army posts in two districts of Nepal overnight, dealing a severe blow to prospects of peace talks to end six-year insurgency.

Some 3,000 rebels, fighting to topple the monarchy in the Himalayan Kingdon, invaded the district headquarters in Khalanga town of Jumla district, 560 kms northwest of Kathmandu, just before midnight killing 27 policemen and four armymen, and losing 23 of their men, Defence Ministry sources said.

Twenty seven policemen including a Deputy Superintendent of Police were shot dead by the Maoists as they attacked the regional police office in Khalanga, they said, adding four army personnel were also killed during the gunbattle that lasted several hours.

Sources in the Home Ministry said that in Jumla alone over hundred rebels were killed.

In another attack, the Maoists bombed a security post and fired indiscriminately at Takukgt area in the district of Gurkha, the ancestral house of King Gyanendra, killing 23 policemen and injuring over a dozen.

"At least 50 Maoists are also feared killed in the attack," a Defence Ministry official said.

The number of Maoists killed in the exchange with security forces could climb upto 300, Radio Nepal said. However, this was not officially confirmed.

The rebels completely destroyed Jumla’s small airport and set fire to the Government buildings in the Khalanga area of the headquarters, briefly taking over the town before being driven out.

The ultras also targetted army barracks and a police office, where over 500 security personnel were deployed, army sources said.

The communication links were broken soon after the attack and additional security forces sent along with a night vision helicopter to counter the rebels could not land due to fog and smoke emanating from the buildings set ablaze by the Maoists.

Radio Nepal quoting eyewitnesses said rebels were seen carrying away bodies of their comrades in bamboo baskets.

As the day broke, the Army sent in reinforcements and launched both ground and air strikes to drive away the rebels from the district headquarters.

An increase in violence in the Himalayan Kingdom comes a day after the Maoist rebels accepted the offer for dialogue with the Government.

The Government accepted their three-point agenda which included, a round-table conference with all political forces, formation of an interim Government and election of a constituent assembly.

Meanwhile, a former member of Parliament belonging to the Nepal Communist Party (NML) Chakra Bahadur Dagaura Chaudhari was killed by Maoists in Kailali district yesterday while he was on his way home, party sources said. (PTI)

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