1800 militants infiltrated into Kashmir this summer: DGP

SRINAGAR, Oct 24: Conceding that there has been a spurt in militancy-related incidents in Kashmir, Director General of Jammu and Kashmir Police Gurbachan Jagat has said nearly 1,800 militants sneaked into Kashmir from different sectors on the Line of Control (LoC) during this summer.

Taking advantage of the withdrawal of troops for Kargil operations and involvement of police and paramilitary forces in the elections and smooth conduct of Amarnath Yatra, the militants, 60 per cent of whom are foreign mercenaries, sneaked into the Valley with directions to disturb peace, he told reporters at Baramulla, 55 kms from here, yesterday.

During the past two weeks several foreign militants had been killed and large cache of arms seized by the security forces in a major offensive launched in Kupwara, Poonch and other places.

Jagat said the operation had contained militancy to a large extent.

On the recent incident in which three pro-Government militants owing allegiance to Ikhwan, working with Army and had succeeded in looting Rs 10,000 at gunpoint from two jawans of 63rd battalion of Border Security Force (BSF) at Bandipora, Jagat said action under law would be taken against those found guilty.

Earlier, Jagat inaugurated a bridge over river Jhelum which has been renovated by the state police at a cost of Rs 90,000. This bridge is the only communication mode to Bihama and other surrounding villages in the Baramulla district.

The police chief also visited the rehabilitation centre set up under the civic action programme of J&K Police at Bijhama in Uri area of the district for the destitute.

Jagat said on the occasion that a computer training centre would be set up at the rehabilitation centre.

The police chief also inspected police stations at Sheri and Baramulla and the Indian Reserve Police Fifth Battalion headquarters. (PTI)

State level tribal folk festival organised

Excelsior Correspondent

SRINAGAR, Oct 24: Adabi Sangat Kashmir in collaboration with Ministry of Human Resources and Development, Department of Culture, Government of India organised a state level tribal folk festival at Wanghat Kangan today.

Minister for Social Welfare, Labour and Employment Mian Altaf Ahmed was the chief guest on the occasion. Speaking on the inaugural function, Mian Altaf said that in Northern region, Jammu and Kashmir is the only state which is thickly populated with different tribes and these tribes have their own cultural heritage and traditions. Appreciating the efforts of Adabi Sangat Kashmir, Mr Altaf said that Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) should come forward to provide cooperation to the Government for the development of tribal population enabling them to join the main stream of the society.

Earlier, Mr Iqbal Azeem Choudhar, the president of Adabi Sangat welcomed the folk-artists and distinguished guests. While speaking on the occasion, Mr Iqbal said that the State Government must establish tribal cultural centres at various places so that the heritage of different tribes could be preserved for future generations.

The festival started with fold cultural show in which Mr Abdul Roof, Mr Jon Mohammad, Choudhary Mohd Shafi Parvaz, Miss Begum Jan and their parties presented folk-songs in Dardi, Gojri and Ladakhi. The main attraction of the festival was the folk-drama which was presented by the artists of Asar Dramatic Club, Rajouri. Lar Cultural Club also performed the dance of Pakhtoon tribe. The cultural show was followed by state level mushiara in tribal languages.

Among other poets who were present on the occasion include, Ismail Asar, Ch Naseem Poonchi, Ch Ishtiaq Shoq, Javid Rahi, Ch Sharif Shaheen and Mian Irshad Qumar. The programme was conducted by Ch Mansha Khaki and Mr Javid Rahi presented vote of thanks on behalf of Adabi Sangat Kashmir.

PEEU assails govt, demands arrears

Excelsior Correspondent

UDHAMPUR, Oct 24: Provincial Electric Employees Union for district Udhampur has criticised the Government for not paying arrears of the employees and non-regularisation of daily wagers.

According to a release, a meeting of the Union was held here today, under the chairmanship of Mr Satpaul Sharma, District president of the organisation. He also criticised the Government for withdrawing SRO 43. He urged the Government to deposit the second installment of 5th Pay Commission arrears in the GP Fund account.

Mr Sharma also demanded both DA installments at the rate of 10 % & 5 % and second installment of 5th Pay Commission arrears in cash before Diwali festival. He further demanded regularisation of daily wagers working in various wings, who have completed the tenure of seven years.

The other prominent members who spoke on the occasion include—Messers Ashok Kumar Khajuria, Bansi Lal Honda, Punjab Chand, Ram Rattan Sharma, Yog Raj Padha, Jia Lal, Moti Lal Raina, Brij Mohan Sharma and Rajinder Singh.

CAG report indicts J&K Govt

NEW DELHI, Oct 24: The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India has revealed that as against a net surplus of Rs 357 crore projected in the budget estimates of the Farooq Abdullah Government in Jammu and Kashmir in 1997-98, the surplus in the consolidated fund amounted to only Rs 90 crore.

In its latest report (1997-98) which was made available to UNI here, the CAG said the capital expenditure of the State Government decreased from Rs 1000.11 crore in 1996-97 to Rs 889.47 crore in 1997-98 indicating an eleven per cent decrease over that of the previous year. The capital expenditure during 1997-98 fell short of budget estimates by Rs 457.90 crore (34 per cent).

The State Government investment in the statutory corporations, Government companies, joint-stock companies, cooperative banks and societies increased from Rs 244.22 crore in 1993-94 to 324.76 crore at the end of 1997-98. However, no dividend was received from these during 1994-95 to 1997-98. In the case of 13 loss making companies in which the State Government had invested Rs 124.62 crore as share capital upto 1997-98, the accummulated losses amounted to Rs 27.24 crore.

While the percentage of expenditure on general services to total expenditure varied between 24 and 34 during 1993-94 to 1997-98, the percentage of expenditure on social services and economic services decreased from 29 and 42 in 1993-94 to 25 and 41 in 1997-98.

The total indebtedness of the state increased by 41 per cent from Rs 4157.92 crore at the end of 1993-94 to Rs 5857.48 crore at the end of 1997-98. The percentage of gross state domestic product ranged between 66 and 91 during the period.

According to the report, the State Government obtained Rs 3861.84 crore temporary loans from the Jammu and Kashmir Bank during the year and paid an interest of Rs 117.48 crore. Temporary loans outstanding at the end of 1997-98 amounted to Rs 1003.72 crore which were 34 per cent more than the preceding year.

The revenue realised from six major revenue earning irrigation projects with a total capital outlay of Rs 66.07 crore was only Rs nine lakh. The Rs 35 lakh revenue realised from these projects over a period of five years was not enough to cover interest charges of Rs 4.46 crore paid during the above period.

The report says the total expenditure of the State Government aggregated Rs 9544.61 crore against the provision of Rs 6373.49 crore resulting in excess of Rs 3171.12 crore, reflecting inadequacies of the budgetary control mechanism.

The report also revealed many irregularities in the centrally-sponsored command area development programme which was launched in selected irrigation commands with the objective of ensuring efficient utilisation of created irrigation potential and increasing agricultural production on sustainable basis.

Among various irregularies it says were payment of Rs 1.56 crore to farmers for land levelling and shaping works without preparing estimates and maintaining inventory of works executed, installation of 642 pumps at a cost of Rs 44.11 lakh without conducting surveys, cash subsidy of Rs 3.79 crore and Rs 81.08 lakh for on-farm development works in disregard of approved pattern of assistance and without identifying beneficiaries and failure to lift seeds from the agriculture department for sale to farmers resulting in loss of Rs 18.70 lakh.

The report states that statutory command area development boards and command area councils at the state level had not been set up for monitoring the programm and evaluation studies had also not been undertaken.

In a strong indictment of the State Industries and Commerce Department, the report says there was a shortfall between six and 51 per cent in utilisation of funds allotted by the Government during 1993-94 to 1997-98. Registers of grants/appropriations and other budgetary control records had not been maintained on a monthly basis or at the end of each year by any of the administrative/controlling officers level. An expenditure of Rs 7.78 crore was incurred by the officers of the department without any budget provision.

Loan ledgers and other relevant records for watching recovery of loans aggregating Rs 188.67 crore, advanced during the period 1988-89 to 1997-98 to Government companies had not been maintained. As many as 172 officials in different cadres were irregularly appointed between 1990 and 1997 in violation of Government orders.

Sixty one per cent of 1244 handicraft cooperative societies in kashmir division and 78 per cent of 361 societies in Jammu division were either defunct or under liquidation.

There was no proper followup to the training programme as no carpet weaving unit had come up either in cooperative or private sector despite an expenditure of Rs 3 crore during 1993-94 to 1997-98 on massive carpet training programme in Jammu division.

About the Public Works Division (PWD) responsible for construction of roads, bridges and Government buildings, the report says that advance payments of Rs 6.33 crore were made to Government companies/undertakings for supply of cement during 1992-93 to 1997-98 without sanction. Cement supplies had not been received worth Rs 29.36 lakh against these advances as on September 1998.

Also, material valued at Rs 27.44 lakh lifted by R and B Construction Division, Jammu, had not been accounted for while material valued at Rs 81.78 lakh issued for use against 32 Junior Engineers was outstanding.

The report also says :

—Long-term loans aggregating Rs 367.74 crore were outstanding as on March 31, 1998 against 14 Government companies of which Rs 211.98 crore were invested by the State Government.

—The expenditure of Rs 6.48 crore incurred on minor irrigation scheme raya was rendered unfruitful because of improper planning.

—Grants aggregating Rs 88.30 crore were paid by the Government to various local bodies/authorities during 1997-98. A total of 7063 utilisation certificates about Rs 523.44 crore grants were awaited.

—The accounts of 35 bodies were in arrears for periods ranging between one year and 26 years as on September 30, 1998. The main defaulters were Srinagar/Jammu Development Authority, J and K Board of Secondary Education, Kashmir University and J and K State Council for Science and Technology.

—Failure of the Directorate of Health Services, Kashmir, to install and commission eight X-ray machines purchased at a cost of Rs 16.84 lakh in 1993-94 resulted in idle investment for over five years.

—Unplanned purchase of a computer system by the Principal, Government Medical College, Jammu, in March 1992 without ensuring availability of trained staff to run it, resulted in unproductive expenditure of Rs 7.75 lakh for over six years.

—Construction of a tourist complex by the Tourist Department at TSO-Marari lake in July 1995 without consulting the Wildlife Department was abandoned in June 1996 after incurring an expenditure of Rs 6.45 lakh rendering the amount wasteful, it pointed out. (UNI)

Ex-JKLF leader reveals Pak hand in Kashmir militancy

NEW DELHI, Oct 24: Contesting of-repeated Pakistani claims that it had no role in ongoing militancy in Jammu and Kashmir, a top separatist Kashmiri leader has asserted that Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) conceptualised the plan to sponsor militancy as back as in 1984.

Hashim Qureshi, former organising Chairman of Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF), has revealed that ISI officials approached him in 1984 seeking his organisation’s cooperation in starting militancy in Jammu and Kashmir.

Militancy showed its first signs in Kashmir in 1988 with isolated bomb blasts and it turned into full-fledged armed campaign a year later.

According to Qureshi, ISI engaged in intense talks in Pakistan with a four-member JKLF team, led by him, to impress upon the organisation to bring Kashmiri youth from across the border so that they could be used as gun fodder against Indian security forces.

After four months of discussions, I refused to become kothedar (a Kashmiri term meaning supplier of sheep to butcher) for ISI’s grand game plan, Qureshi, one of the two Kashmiri hijackers of an Indian Airlines plane from Srinagar to Lahore in 1971, writes in his book - ‘Unveiling the truth’.

My conscience refused to even consider such a scenario and I revolted against the very idea.... There were also fears that the ISI would backtrack on its tall promises and succeed only in ensuring genocide of Kashmiris at the hands of Indian Army, as Pakistan did with the Bengalis in East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) in 1971, he says.

Qureshi says that following his non-cooperation, he was targeted by ISI in every conceivable way resulting in his expatriation to Europe where he is currently staying.

Unfortunately, others fell for isi trap, he says apparently referring to the incumbent chairman Amanullah Khan.

The Kalashnikov culture came with large scale Pakistan funding. Weapons of all kinds were freely distributed to Kashmiri youth brought into the training camps (in Pakistan) by the self-styled nationalists, writes Qureshi, who later founded Jammu and Kashmir Democratic Liberation Front (JKDLF).

Asserting that ISI and its creations have done enough damage in Kashmir, he says time has come for Pakistan to stop meddling in affairs of Kashmir.

Stating that Pakistan’s sincerity towards Kashmir has always been dictated only by one factor — to enslave the people of Kashmir, he says time has come not only to expose Pakistani rulers’ designs but also to reveal its real intentions to people of Kashmir.

For the last 50 years, Pakistan rulers and politicians have made people sentimental on the basis of religion and Kashmir.... There was a time when i shared the same blind emotions about Pakistan, which many sentimental Kashmiris do today, says Qureshi, who was one of the early separatists of Kashmir.

Narrating an incident about his sentimentalism regarding pakistan, he writes: In 1969, while visiting Pakistan for the first time, at the Ganda Singh border, I bowed and kissed the land.

The Pakistan ranger on duty looked genuinely surprised and asked me what I was doing. I explained that Pakistan was ‘mecca and medina’ for us.

He adds that later he realised that Pakistan may be Mecca and medina for its feudal lords, its Army Generals and its bureaucrats but it is certainly not the promised land for Muslims of the sub-continent.

Qureshi also narrates the bad experiences he underwent after the ia plane hijacked by him and Ashraf Qureshi landed at Lahore airport. He repeatedly writes in the book that he always considered Pakistan a friend of Kashmir but realised the contrary.

After the hijacking, the mood was initially euphoric in Lahore and even the then Pakistan Prime Minister Z A Bhutto came to meet me and Ashraf Qureshi, he recalls, adding, however, later the two hijackers were labelled as Indian agents and tried in a special court following which he had to spend 10 years in Pakistani jails. (PTI)

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