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Cong may go for Govt formation without PDP Excelsior Team NEW DELHI, Oct 22: Amidst indication that Congress will stake claim to form a Government in Jammu and Kashmir bypassing PDP, the party tonight took a decision which it kept under wraps to be announced by its president Sonia Gandhi. Capping nearly two weeks of battle of attrition with PDP, top Congress leaders met here for over two and a half hours after which senior leader Manmohan Singh made a cryptic announcement to the media that a decision has been taken which will be announced by Gandhi "shortly." However, he parried all questions on what the decision was and when it would be announced. Indications that the 20-member Congress might stake claim to power without PDP came earlier in the day when state CLP leader Ghulam Nabi Azad said how long could the party go on with talks with the regional party and a time has come it has to decide whether to bid goodbye. In the 87-member House PDP has 16, NC 28 and independents and others number 23. According to the sources, during the meeting, it was strongly projected that in the recent Assembly polls in Jammu and Kashmir, Congress emerged as the most strong party with mass base from all the three regions of the State. Substantiating their claim, the sources said that it was recalled during the meeting, that in 1983 Assembly polls, Congress had got just two seats from the Valley despite the fact that even then Prime Ministers Mrs Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi had joined the electioneering. Similarly, in 1996 Assembly polls, Congress could get just one seat of Pattan. But this time in the given situation, Congress had considerably performed well by getting five seats for the first time and lost nine seats by 40 to 450 votes. Similarly, in Jammu region, Congress had created a dent in other-wise staunch BJP vote bank by getting overall 15 seats from the region. The Congress had almost wiped off BJP in Jammu region, despite the fact that in the Parliamentary elections, its two MPs— Prof Chaman Lal Gupta and Late Vaid Vishnu Dutt were leading in 31 Assembly segments. On the contrary, the sources said that it was discussed that how could PDP claim to be meeting the regional aspirations of the people when this Party was confined only to the Valley and that too, it had got just 16 seats in 46 Assembly segments from Kashmir region, where National Conference got 18, Congress five, CPI-M two, Awami League one and rest by independents. The sources said that it was discussed during the meeting that Congress infact represented the people in all the three regions and with its secular credentials, the people had reposed faith in it: firstly, because it had performed excellently in the Valley for the first time and secondly, it had defeated RSS backed Jammu State Morcha and eliminated BJP in Jammu region. It was further discussed during the meeting that PDP should have not brought into the issue of regionalism in the selection of the Chief Ministerial candidate, since such feelings were never in the interests of the unity and integrity of the State. CWC sources said after the meeting, presided over by Gandhi, that the party president was conscious of the fact that people of Jammu and Kashmir wanted an elected Government in office and would not like the Governor’s rule for long. Azad said Congress’claim to Chief Ministership was "just" and PDP had even rejected the proposal for rotation of Chief Ministership. Emerging from the meeting of senior party leaders chaired by Gandhi to discuss the continuing stalemate with PDP in Government formation, Manmohan Singh said "a decision has been taken. It will be announced by the party president". Asked when the decision would be made public, he said "it is left to her". Querried if Congress would stake claim to form a Government in the state, Singh said all these matters have been left to Gandhi and she would be announcing her decision "shortly." Asked whether Mr Azad will go to Srinagar tomorrow to stake claim for a Government formation, he parried the question, saying "I donot keep travel programmes of senior leaders." Asked about the possibility of Congress-PDP alliance, Singh said "we are still hopeful." He said all issues relating to Government-formation were discussed threadbare. |
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Governor assigns Ministerial powers to CS, FCs Excelsior Correspondent SRINAGAR, Oct 22: Governor Mr Girish Chander Saxena today ordered that the powers exercisable by a Minister shall be exercised by the Chief Secretary and Financial Commissioners. Those who will exercise Ministers’ powers included I S Malhi, Chief Secretary, K B Pillai, J A Khan, S D Singh and M S Pandit, Financial Commissioners. As per the Governor’s order under SRO 143, Chief Secretary I S Malhi has been assigned the Departments of General Administration, Health and Medical Education, Planning and Development, Law and Parliamentary Affairs, Information, Civil Aviation, Hospitality and Protocol and Election. Mr K B Pillai, Financial Commissioner, Industries and Commerce has been assigned the Departments of Industries and Commerce, Power Development, Public Works, Science and Technology and Ladakh Affairs. Mr J A Khan, Financial Commissioner, Finance has been assigned the Departments of Finance, Housing and Urban Development, Rural Development, Education, Tourism and Public Enterprises. Mr S D Singh, Financial Commissioner Home has been assigned the Departments of Home, Revenue and Rehabilitation, Food and Supplies, Social Welfare, Transport, Labour and Employment and ARI and Trainings. Mr M S Pandit, Financial Commissioner Agriculture has been assigned the Departments of Agriculture, Forest, Animal Husbandry, Sheep Husbandry, Cooperatives, Environment and Ecology, Fisheries and Floriculture. This notification has been issued by Governor this evening, in terms of the provisions of the J&K Delegation of Powers Act, 2002 (Governor’s Act 1 of 2002). Each officer shall by means of standing orders arrange with the Secretary of the Department what matters or classes of matters are to be brought to his personal notice. Copies of such standing orders shall be sent to the Governor. The Secretaries to Government incharge of various Departments shall continue to dispose of cases in terms of any delegation already made to them before the issue of Proclamation No: P-1/2002 dated 18.10.2002 and such other delegations as may be made in their favour in pursuance of this SRO. |
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Coalition formula runs
into rough weather Excelsior Special Correspondent SRINAGAR, Oct 22: The war of attrition between the Congress and People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has taken a serious turn, with Ms Mehbooba Mufti openly rejecting Mr Ghulam Nabi Azad’s claim for Chief Ministership. Ms Mehbooba Mufti, all-important functionary of the PDP, on Tuesday turned the tables on the Congress and that too at a time when the talk did continue about last-ditch efforts to bring about unity of purpose and of action between the two sides. Significantly, while favouring a coalition Government with the Congress, Ms Mehbooba held the stick from a different end as she declared: "We are ready to sacrifice power and sit in the opposition, if our demands were not conceded by the Congress". In plain language, the People’s Democratic Party wants to head a coalition Government and, in the process, capture the coveted Chief Minister’s gaddi. Equally significant was Ms Mehbooba’s strong advocacy of regional aspirations in the specific context of the Valley’s vote the PDP had managed to obtain during the just-concluded Assembly polls. Reiterating her party’s desire to form a coalition Government along with smaller parties and independents, Ms Mehbooba emphasized that PDP would not compromise on its stand on regional aspirations. "We are ready for negotiations. We will continue them till the last moment", was her assurance. But she ran fast and furious against the Congress party’s move to have Chief Ministership and to lead a coalition arrangement. "There will be no compromise on our stand. Alliance with Congress and others should be led by the PDP", she declared. At a time when the State’s political class in general and newly-elected legislators in particular seemed keen on an early end to the deadlock over Government formation, Ms Mehbooba Mufti had a startling revelation: Most of the offers from the Congress have been rejected by the PDP. She left none in doubt as she made public: "We rejected the offer of rotational Chief Minister as it does not serve the purpose. We also turned down the post of Deputy Chief Minister, Home Minister and chairman of coordination committee". If Mr Ghulam Nabi Azad termed as "reasonable" his party’s claim over Chief Ministership, Ms Mehboob Mufti chose to reiterate her party’s warning: If the Chief Ministerial candidate came from the region other than Kashmir valley, it would increase the alienation among the people of the Valley. She also reiterated her party’s standpoint: "We got the mandate in Kashmir valley against the National Conference, and the Congress got it in Jammu region against the BJP. We represent the regional aspirations and we have to fulfil them". She went a step further by stressing: "We will not let down the people of Kashmir. J&K is not just another State that Congress needs to put in its kitty". And as reports poured in from New Delhi about Congress High Command’s preparations for taking a final position on the deadlock, PDP’s vice-president, Mr Muzaffar Beig, arrived on the scene to vehemently argue that any Gongress-led Government in the State without the presence of his party will be "unstable". Mr Beig’s assurance: "Our efforts will be to continue talks to form a stable Government in cooperation with the Congeress... Doors are not closed by the Congress (on talks with the PDP) because Congress is a larger party". His remarks, in fact, came in response to comments by Mr Ghulam Nabi Azad on how long can the Congress go on in holding parleys with the PDP to break the deadlock on the contentious issue of Chief Ministership. "We need them (Congress). They need us. We must respect the verdict of the people and provide a responsible, stable Government", Mr Beig told reporters. Mr Beig sought to clarify the matter by saying: "Our stand (claiming Chief Ministership) was not because we are power hungry". If the Congress, he said, tried to form a Government without the PDP and National Conference, it would be like the one which was formed in New Delhi by Mr PV Narasimha Rao in 1991. Mr Beig had a significant remark: "With NC and PDP sitting in opposition, it would be difficult for the Congress to provide a stable Government. I don’t think Congress will approach any factions of NC and PDP". |
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Four terrorists
surrender with arms Excelsior Correspondent JAMMU, Oct 22: In continued offensive, army today killed six more terrorists in Mendhar and Gool areas but lost one more jawan while four terrorists surrendered before BSF and police in Doda. Army personnel, who were hunting a group of infiltrators in Mankot area of Mendhar sector since last evening after killing one of them, came across a group of three infiltrators, moving along Mankot nullah, in early hours of this morning. One of the terrorists, tried to flee, and was shot dead instantly by the troops while two others took positions and traded firing with the army jawans for about one hour before they were eliminated, Defence sources said. In the exchange of firing, one army porter Bagh Hussain son of Sain Mohd R/o Mankot was killed and two others including Subedar Umesh Chander and another porter Mohd Rashid son of Jumma R/o Mankot were injured. Subedar Umesh Chander, who had sustained serious injuries in the encounter, was airlifted to a Military Hospital. With the killing of three terrorists and one army jawan today, the death toll in Mankot encounter has gone upto seven. Yesterday, one terrorist and two army soldiers identified as Havildar Parmod Kumar Mishra and Rifleman Pankaj Rawat were killed. Sources said the bodies of all four terrorists have been recovered from the scene of encounter but their identity hasn’t been established so far. All of them hailed from Rawalpindi, Pakistan and were affiliated with Tehreek-ul-Mujahideen outfit. Recoveries made from them included three AK rifles, 14 magazines, 461 rounds, three radio sets, Rs 53,000 Indian currency and one rocket with booster. They said the search operation was going on in the area as about six to eight more terrorists were suspected to be hiding in Mankot forests after their infiltration from Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) yesterday. In another successful operation, the troops eliminated three terrorists in Seel Dhar under Gool police station’s jurisdiction in Udhampur district today. The terrorists were killed after over four hour long search operation this morning.They have been identified as Abu Shahid, Abu Harera and Noosar Ulllah. A guide of the terrorists was arrested from the spot. Three AK-56 rifles, five magazines, 93 rounds, one wireless set, six hand grenades and two pouches were recovered from their possession, the sources said, adding that no casualties were reported on army side in the operation. Meanwhile, a Pak trained terrorist Shamas-ud-Din Lohar (code Khalid), an ‘area commander’ of Hizbul Mujahideen outfit surrendered before BSF Sector headquarters at Seri in Ramban tehsil of Doda district this morning. He handed over one AK-47 rifle, four magazines, 115 rounds, two hand grenades and one radio set to BSF officers at the time of surrender. Shamas-ud-Din hailed from Kainthli Budhan village in Gool and was operating in Gool and Ramban areas for last more than two years. He was reportedly motivated by some elderly people and BSF officers for surrender. Another terrorist Ghulam Hussain son of Mohd Ramzan surrendered before police in Marmat area of Doda. He was a Hizbul Mujahideen activist and laid down one rifle and ammunition. Two more terrorists—Ghulam Mohd and Nazir Ahmed laid down their arms and ammunition before Special Task Force (STF) in Chatror area of Doda this afternoon. Police sources, however, said that both the terrorists were arrested during a search operation. Some arms, ammunition and explosives devices were recovered from them. |
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16 CRPF recruits terminated for misbehaving with girls THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, Oct 22: The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) tonight dismissed from service 16 recruits on charges of outraging the modesty of school children from Madhya Pradesh on board the New Delhi-Thiruvananthapuram Kerala Express during their 30 hours of journey together last week. The order of termination of temporary service of the jawans, who were recruited just two months ago at Rampur CRPF camp in Uttar Pradesh, followed their identification by the victim students of the Bershebha English Medium School at Peppariya in Madhya Pradesh at a special identification parade held at the Kerala Police Training College in the city after they were arrested earlier in the day. "I have just signed the order and it will be handed over to the boys tonight itself," Mr P G Gopinathan Nair, Additional DIG and Principal of the CRPF Group Training Centre at Pallippuram, 25 kms from here, told UNI. The termination order was signed at 2000 hrs, a few hours after the Government Railway Police (GRP) arrested the 16 among the 50 recruits who today appeared for the once-postponed identification parade. The arrests were effected immediately after the identification parade was over. A majority of the students of the team, which lodged a complaint against the recruits at the Railway police station at Kochi on October 18, today reached the city for identifying the culprits at the parade. The student team, consisting of 29 girls, 20 boys and 16 teachers, including Principal Joy Varghese, were on a sight-seeing trip. GRP Superintendent of Police K J Thomas, who was also present at the identification parade, told UNI that the accused would be produced before the Court tomorrow. They were charged under Sections 143, 147, 149, 323 and 354 of the Indian Penal Code and under Section 145 of the Railway Act. There were 50 recruits in the group which travelled by train from Rampur to join the CRPF centre at Pallipuram for a further training of ten months. The identification parade of the 50 recruits were conducted in the same dress that they had during the train journey. Yesterday, the recruits presented themselves for the identification parade at Kochi in their uniforms. But when the students found it difficult to identify them, it was decided to conduct another parade with their train journey dress here today. The students boarded the Kerala Express from Itarsi. According to the complaint, the recruit constables were drunk when the students saw them first. The recruits allegedly used filthy and abusive language over a dispute relating to a berth in the compartment. They created problems deliberately in such a way that most of the girls could not go to the toilet, it was complained. It was also alleged that the recruits had misbehaved with the girls and even tried to touch the cheeks of some of them while alighting at Aluva, near Kochi, on October 18. The Principal of the school was roughed up and some of the boy students bashed during the course of the journey. While all the recruit jawans were in the 19-23 age group, the students were in the age group of 13-16. Mr P G Gopinathan Nair, Additional DIG and Principal of the CRPF Group Training Centre at Pallippuram, 25 km from here, today said that the incident had "sullied" the image of the force. While underlining that those involved in the incident were just recruits who had completed only two months, he said there was no scope for such an incident, involving CRPF personnel who had completed rigorous one-year training. He said the CRPF had conceded the demand of the railway police to ensure the presence of the 50 jawan recruits in their train journey dress because of the serious nature of the complaint which could not be ignored. "We have extended our maximum cooperation in the investigation. Let the law take its own course," he added. (UNI) |
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Food storage, houses
damaged in Karnah Excelsior Correspondent SRINAGAR, Oct 22: As Pakistani troops directed heavy gunfire on Indian positions in Karnah and Uri sectors, close to LoC, last evening, one porter has got killed and four others injured. In a landmine explosion, targeting security forces, militants have killed a Kashmiri counter-insurgent in Kupwara district. Informed sources in north Kashmir told EXCELSIOR that Pakistani troops targeted some Indian positions in heavy gunfiring, in Uri sector, during last night. A 5-Mehar picket suffered damage. It could not be ascertained whether the regular troops had suffered any casualty or not. However, sources said, one local porter, working with Army, got killed. He was identified as Jalal-ud-din S/o Ali Mohammad R/o Kathan, Bijhama. Two more porters sustained injuries. One of them was identified as Ali Mohammad Lone S/o Ghulam Mohammad Lone. Earlier, last evening Pakistani troops attacked Indian positions and outposts in Karnah sector, in Kupwara district. Nawa Gabra and Sayeedpora villages, close to LoC, suffered the brunt of Pak shelling. At Sayeedpora, two local porters, who have been working with Army, sustained injuries. They were identified as Ghulam Murtaza S/o Salam-ud-din and Matloob Hussain Mir S/o Mohammad Akbar Mir. A storage of Food & Supplies Department as also two residential houses suffered extensive damage in the Pak shelling at Nawa Gabra. Sources said that in Uri as well as in Karnah, Indian troops retaliated with heavy gunfire on the Pakistani positions. However, it could not be ascertained whether the security forces or the civilian population across the LoC suffered any damage. Meanwhile, sources said that militants targeted a vehicle of Rashtriya Rifles 18th Bn, when it was in movement at Khurhama village in Lolab valley of Kupwara district, early this morning. One Army vehicle suffered extensive damage in the powerful blast. While as one rifleman, Gulzari Lal, sustained injuries, his associate, namely Chana Mohammad Mir S/o Mohammad Dilawar Mir, got killed. Reports available from south Kashmir said that militants exchanged gunfire with troops of BSF 120 Bn and SOG Tral in Laam hilly terrain of Tral today. As troops closed in, militants managed to escape. B L Kak adds from Jammu: Pakistani forces resorted to heavy artillery shelling on the Indian side in Mushkov and Dras sections of Kargil district after midnight on Monday. There were no reports of any casuality on the Indian side. None of the Pak shells could target any Indian post or picket, EXCELSIOR was officially told. Pak guns also roared from a couple of locations close to the 18,000-foot-high Siachen glacier for nearly six hours (from 3.40 pm to 9.40 pm), without causing any damage to any Indian position in the area. In Siachen valley and elsewhere on the LoC, Indian troops effectively returned fire. Unconfirmed reports suggested that more than 12 Pak posts on the other side of the LoC in Nawgam and Uri sections had been fully or partially damaged. |
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Electoral rolls will be on internet before 2004 LS polls SHIMLA, Oct 22: The Election Commission would make an effort to make the electoral rolls available on website before the next Lok Sabha elections in 2004, Election Commissoner T S Krishnamurthy said here today. The electoral rolls for Delhi had already been made available on the website and efforts were on to cover more states, Krishanamurthy, who was here in connection with preparations for Himachal Pradesh Assembly elections slated for February next year, said. The ultimate aim of the Commission was to have the electoral rolls online with photograph and other details of the voter but it was a long process and might take a longer time, he said. Krishnamurthy expressed hope that photo identity cards would be provided to maximum number of voters in Assembly elections in Himachal Pradesh. He said a fresh round for preparing photo identity cards had commenced and it was expected that the percentage of voters with defectless I-cards would increase from 54.76 per cent to nearly 70 per cent at the time of elections. Krishnamurthy said identity-card was the most important mode of identification but it would not be made compulsory and other modes of identification would also be allowed to establish the identity of voters. Krishnamurthy said use of Electronic Voting Machines would be made compulsory in the Assembly polls in Himachal Pradesh. He said an intensive programme to train the voters, officials, media and public representative in the use of EVMs was underway. The Election Commission had already provided 8,000 EVMs for 6,230 polling booths in the State, Krishnamurthy said. He said the political parties who were initially apprehensive about the success of EVMs had completely accepted the switchover and even the Supreme Court had cleared its use. Krishnamurthy said the Election Commission required at least eight lakh EVMs for holding simultaneous polls in the country on one day and had at present about 3.50 lakh machines. He said that two Public Sector Undertakings were manufacturing the machines and there was demand for these from Singapore and South Africa also. Krishnamurthy said there were 39,87,124 voters in Himachal Pradesh as per the revised voters list with January 31, 2002 as cut off date and summary revision of electoral rolls would commence in November and the final electoral rolls would be published by January six, 2003 after disposing of all claims, objections, additions and deletions. Replying to a question, Krishnamurthy said it would be difficult to hold elections in snowbound tribal areas before the polls in other parts of the State and the Commission might go by the old practice of holding the polls in these areas later. He said about ten officials on poll duty died during the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly polls on of Rs five lakh was paid to the next of kin of each victims. The seriously injured persons were also paid adequate compensation, Krishnamurty added. (PTI) |
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Virbhadra Singh, ex-CS charged with forgery SHIMLA, Oct 22: Former Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh, former Chief Secretary O P Yadav and three others were today chargesheeted in a case accusing them of criminal breach of trust, conspiracy, forgery and misuse of position to cause pecuniary gains. They have been charged with wrongful allotment of 25 per cent khair wood quota to Sagar factory on March 7,1998, in violation of the rules of business. Geeta Ram, the then Deputy Secretary (Forests), Dinesh Kumar, a partner of Sagar Katha Factory and M/s Sagar Katha Factory, Kala Amb (Sirmaur) figure in the chargesheet filed by the Vigilance Department in the court of Special Judge M D Sharma. The then Forest Minister late Sant Ram, whose name figures in the case report, will not be prosecuted due to his death in June 1998. According to the case report, a preliminary enquiry was ordered into the matter on November 25, 1998 and a regular FIR registered in police station, (anti-corruption zone), Shimla on March 30, 2000 on the basis of oral and documentary evidence collected during investigations and the opinion of Government examiner of questioned documents. According to the case report, M/s Sagar Katha Factory had applied for allotment of 37.5 per cent khair wood in March 1997 and its application was sent to the then Forest Secretary, O P Yadav for comments, who sought the views of Principal Chief Conservtor of Forests H C Sharma. Sharma in his letter in August, 1997 said it was a policy matter and Government alone could decide on it but later he recommended 30 per cent quota to the applicant firm. The Secretary (Forest) noted that 25 to 30 per cent quota may be considered and the then Forest Minister recommended 25 per cent quota on November 7,1997, which was also approved by Singh on November 11,1997. Accordingly a letter was issued by the Deputy Secretary (Forests) on Nov 24,1997 to the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests and a draft agreement was sought on the lines of agreement earlier signed with Mahesh Katha Udyog. Subsequently, the file was recalled and the minister allegedly applied white fluid on his earlier noting and over writing was done by typing that ‘we may bring the matter before the cabinet.’ The matter was accordingly processed and draft memorandum was prepared in December, 1997 and submitted to Singh for approval. Later the then Forest Minister wrote on the file on Feb 25, 1998 that ‘the issue being a policy matter may not be reopened and the present policy may continue’, which was apparently approved by the CM who on March 7,1998 inserted the words ‘I have considered the matter. There is no need to bring the matter before the Cabinet’. According to the chargesheet, Singh chose to ignore his earlier directions and overruled the specific recommendation of the then Forest Minister and approved 25 per cent quota of khair wood on March 7,1998 in violation of rules of business and existing policy of the Government. The rules of business stipulated that all matters referred to in the schedule of business rules shall be brought before the Council of Ministers. According to the case report, the then Forest Secretary O P Yadav and the then Deputy Secretary (Forest) Geeta Ram allowed six per cent ‘inadmissible price benefit to the said firm for two years in an unauthorised manner.’ The case would come up for hearing on Oct 31. (PTI) |
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Ultra plotting to eliminate Advani, Modi killed AHMEDABAD, Oct 22: Suspected Jaish-e-Mohammad ultra Samir Khan, arrested on the charge of plotting to eliminate Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani and Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, was killed in an encounter with police after he "tried to make a bid to escape" in Usmanpura area here early this morning, sources said. Thirty-year old Khan, who had allegedly undertaken rigorous training in Karachi, Rawalpindi and militant hide-outs in Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir was picked up from the State Transport Bus Terminus here on September 27 on his arrival from Mumbai. Khan was since then in police custody for interrogation. "Late last night, he was being taken to a spot near Vidyanagar High School bus stand by a crime branch team headed by crime branch SI K M Vaghela around 2 am to confirm the location where he and his associates had killed a police constable Vishnu Jhala in 1996,"police said. As soon as they reached the spot, Khan snathced Vaghela’s revolver and tried to flee along the by-lane near NABARD building and "also opened fire", police said. In the ensuing encounter, the terrorist was grievously injured and rushed to the civil hospital where he was declared dead. City crime branch officials had said on October one that during intense interrogation, Khan confessed about hatching the conspiracy along with six others to kill Advani, Modi, VHP leader Pravin Togadia and prominent religious leaders during the course of ‘Gujarat Gaurav Yatra’ or at other public functions. (PTI) |
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Massive searches in Birpur area Excelsior Correspondent JAMMU, Oct 22: A search and cordon operation was launched tonight in Birpur area under Bari Barahamana police station’s jurisdiction following alleged movement of the terrorists. Police and CRPF teams led by SP (City) South Raghubir Singh were camping in Birpur and searching the suspected terrorists, police sources said. However, they declined to confirm presence of the terrorists saying it could be a rumour. According to reports, a political activist Mushtaq Khan reported movement of the terrorists to Bari Barahamana police. According to him, two terrorists were seen moving around the house of a Lambardar. Searches carried out by police and para-military yielded nothing till mid-night tonight, the sources said. They added that the searches will continue till tomorrow morning. |
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Two senior officers transferred Excelsior Correspondent SRINAGAR, Oct 22: The Government today ordered transfers and postings of two senior IAS officers. S D Singh, Financial Commissioner (Revenue) has been transferred and posted as Financial Commissioner, Home Department while H L Kadalbaju, Financial Commissioner Health and Medical Education Department has been transferred and posted as Financial Commissioner (Revenue), an official hand-out said. Ajit Kumar, Principal Secretary and Secretary to Government, Works Department will hold additional charge of Health and Medical Education Department till further orders. |
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Move offices to close on Oct 28 Excelsior Correspondent SRINAGAR, Oct 22: The Government today ordered that Durbar move offices will close at Srinagar on October 28 and re-open in Jammu on November 5. An official spokesman said the salary for the month of October in respect of the move employees will be paid on October 23. The Government also ordered that the departments observing five days week will ensure that records are packed after working hours on October 25 while the departments observing six days week will pack the records after working hours of October 26. The SRTC will make available the transport for shifting Jammu based employees to Jammu on October 26 and 27 and Srinagar based employees on November 3. |
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It will be unfortunate if
coalition with Cong SRINAGAR, Oct 22: The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) tonight said it would be "unfortunate" if its coalition Government with Congress did not materialise and wondered how the national party would run a minority Government. Reacting to indications in New Delhi that Congress may form Government without PDP, vice president of the regional party Muzaffar Hussain Beig said here the electoral mandate was clearly in favour of Congress and PDP to run a coalition Government. "I wonder how they (Congress) will manage to run a minority Government." Asked if Governor Girish Chandra Saxena can invite Congress, which has 20 MLAs, to form Government, Beig, a noted lawyer, said "it is the discreetion of the Governor." Beig said PDP MLAs would meet and decide the next course of action but did not specify when the meeting would take place. CPI(M) state general secretary Mohd Yusuf Tarigami said legislators of his party and independent MLAs under the banner of Democratic People’s Forum (DPF) would meet the Governor tomorrow and, after hearing official version of the Congress’ stand on Government formation, would decide future course of action. (PTI) |
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Governor rule in JK temporary: Sinha GWALIOR, Oct 22: External Affair Minister Yashwant Sinha said here today that even now Pakistan was orchestrating insurgent activities with a view to destabilise India and described the Governor’s rule in Jammu and Kashmir as a ‘temporary solution’. In a comment on the political tug-of-war now progressing in Jammu and Kashmir, the Minister said those who claimed to have the people’s mandate in the just-concluded democratic and impartial Assembly polls should speedily form a Government in the militancy-affected State. Sinha, who was here yesterday to take part in various programmes, told UNI that in view of Kashmir’s prevailing political uncertainty, Governor’s rule had been imposed as a temporary solution. "Politicians claiming that they had a mandate but yet not forming a Government were two things that simply could not go together," he added. Fielding a query regarding any possible help to the National Conference from the National Democratic Alliance by virtue of the NC having been a coalition partner, he said, "we are not in a position to provide any political help there." The unalloyed truth was that former Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah was himself unwilling to take up the post he had just quit, Sinha added. Sinha ruled out parleys of any kind with militants for tackling the problem of terrorism which he described as a 55-year-old phenomenon. When asked about the solution to the cancer of extremism that had affected large parts of India, Sinha said that the country would not go to war with Pakistan over the issue as India’s present strategy was the best recourse. He said, "the problem of militancy is not new to our country. Cross-border terrorism began in 1947 when Pakistan made tribesmen infiltrate and stage attacks." (UNI) |
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Finance Ministry Secretaries reshuffled NEW DELHI, Oct 22: In a reshuffle of Secretaries in the Finance Ministry, Expenditure Secretary C S Rao will replace Ajay Vikram Singh as Revenue Secretary, official sources said here today. Banking Secretary D C Gupta would be the new Expenditure Secretary and Vinita Rai, Special Secretary in Urban Development Ministry, will be the new Banking Secretary,they said. The reshuffle has been necessitated ahead of the budget exercise expected in the first week of November in view of the poor health of Ajay Vikram Singh. Singh who suffers from high blood pressure has been advised by doctors to take up a lighter assignment. He is expected to be shifted to Non-Conventional Energy Department as Secretary. S Narayan will continue to be the Finance Secretary in charge of Economic Affairs Department. (PTI) Congress-PDP should respect people’s mandate: BJP NEW DELHI, Oct 22: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) today expressed concern at the delay in forming a Government in Jammu and Kashmir as the main contenders — National Conference, Congress and People’s Democratic Party — were thinking along narrow party lines instead of keeping national interest uppermost. Talking to newspersons here, party spokesman Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said the people of the State had given a historic mandate which was a victory of democracy over terrorism. This should not go waste because of petty party politics. He said the BJP was hopeful that the parties would resolve the issue keeping national interest above all and a democratic and national Government which stood by the country’s constitution, would soon come into being in the State. (UNI) |
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