Jammu welcomes move
LS passes bill recognising Dogri, 3 other languages

Excelsior Special Correspondent

JAMMU/NEW DELHI, Dec 22: December 22 will be remembered as the red letter day in the history of Dogri language. The news of the inclusion of Dogri in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution was celebrated by writers, litterateurs, and common masses in Jammu after the news spread that Dogri among other three languages has been included in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution when Lok Sabha unanimously approved an amendment in the Constitution to give due share to these languages today.

Displaying the jubilation at the logical conclusion of the half a century struggle, Dogri Sanstha Bhavan was lit with ‘deepak mala’ and presented a festive atmosphere. Every body wanted to share the good news with friends and relatives. The telephone lines seemed to be clogged for few hours in the evening as people were found to be congratulating each other.

Reacting to the recognition of Dogri in the Eighth Schedule of Indian Constitution, Padamshree Ram Nath Shashtri said that it was the happy ending to the long struggle for Dogri’s rightful place. He said the credit goes to present Government at the Centre, especially Prime Minister Mr Atal Bihari Vajpayee, who has fulfilled the promise he made during his visit to Jammu on August 18.

Prof. Hari Om, spokesman and vice president, state unit of BJP, said that our party has fulfilled the promise made with people of Jammu region. Recounting the latest efforts of the State unit of BJP, he said that we had given a memorandum in this regard on August 30 and were given assurance. The Deputy Prime Minister, L. K. Advani, on Dec 18, again assured that the Bill to this effect will be tabled in the Lok Sabha session.

Mohan Singh, convenor, Dogri Sangharsh Morcha, said that by including Dogri in the Eighth Schedule, the Centre has finally given recognition to the Dogras and their identity. Criticizing heavily all those who were using the issue as only a political tool for their self promotion Mr Mohan Singh thanked those who were part of the All-Party delegation, including delegation from Doda and Poonch, to Delhi on December 18 and which met Deputy Prime Minister and sought his assurance for the recognition of Dogri.

Prof. Lalit Magotra, president, Dogri Sanstha, said that we thank people, all political parties and the Parliamentarians , who have helped in fulfilling the long pending demand of Dogri speaking people.

Earlier, carrying forward the Bodo peace initiative, the Lok Sabha today unanimously approved an amendment in the Constitution to recognise Bodo language besides including Dogri, Maithili and Santhali languages in the 8th Schedule.

The Constitution (one hundreth amendment) Bill, 2003, was passed after all the 338 members present in the Lok Sabha voted in favour.

Moving the Bill for inclusion of Bodo language in the 8th Schedule, Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani said it was being done "in pursuance of memorandum of settlement between Bodos, Assam Government and Government of India. It was part of settlement to include Bodo language."

Referring to amendments moved by Priyaranjan Dasmunsi (Cong) and Basudev Acharia (CPM), Advani said three other languages — Santhali, Maithili and Dogri— are being included in the 8th Schedule.

The Bill triggered off a spate of demand from members from different states cutting across the party line, to include their respective languages in the 8th Schedule which lists 18 languages.

About 25 members including Vishwamutiyari (Ind) participated in the debate and welcomed the move to include these languages in the 8th Schedule.

The members suggested that Rajasthani, Bhojpuri, Khasi, Tulu, Pharsi, Bundeli, Braj and Pahari should also be recognised and included in the Schedule.

Raghuvansh Prasad (RJD) and Prabhunath Singh (Samata) regretted that Bhojpuri, spoked by over 20 crore people around the world, including 16 crore in India, was not considered.

Responding to the suggestions, Mr Advani said as many as 33 languages were pending consideration for inclusion in the 8th Schedule and exuded confidence that one day these would also be included.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed has welcomed passing of 100th constitution amendment bill by Lok Sabha today for inclusion of Dogri in the 8th Schedule of the Constitution alongwith three other languages.

The Chief Minister thanked Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee for meeting this long pending demand of the people of the State particularly the Dogri speaking population.

Mufti Sayeed said that it is fulfillment of yet another commitment made by the coalition Government to the people in its common minimum programme.

It may be recalled that the coordination committee of the coalition Government had recommended to the State Government to take up the matter with Centre for according due status to Dogri language by including it in the 8th Schedule of the Constitution of India. Consequently, the state cabinet had passed a resolution recommending to the centre for inclusion of Dogri in the 8th Schedule.

Deputy Prime Minister L. K. Advani in a recent communication had also assured Mufti Sayeed that the demand for inclusion of Dogri in the 8th Schedule would be addressed on top priority.

Meanwhile, Deputy Chief Minister Mangat Ram Sharma has hailed the passing of constitutional amendment by Lok Sabha for inclusion of Dogri in the 8th Schedule. He said this has fulfilled a most genuine and long pending demand of the people of Jammu region. A struggle of the people of Jammu has culminated in getting rightful place for Dogri in the Constitution of India, he added.

Mr Sharma said that the step would help in promotion of Dogri alongwith other languages of the country.

Pant releases development report,
says J&K has bright future

Excelsior Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI, Dec 22 : The Planning Commission today asked the Jammu and Kashmir Government to accord top priority in creating a secure environment by improving the law and order situation to step up economic development, as well as take steps to ensure better fiscal management and devise a sound strategy to exploit the sectors of strength.

"Sound policy and good governance can lead the State of Jammu and Kashmir to a faster development plan," the ‘Jammu and Kashmir State Development Report’ released here today says.

The report, produced by the Planning Commission, was launched by Planning Commission Deputy Chairman K C Pant in presence of Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mufti Mohammed Sayeed.

The State Development Reports brought out by the Commission serve as "credible documents" to help set the agenda for economic growth of States in the perspective of National Development. The Planning Commission has so far released such reports for three other States — Orissa, Punjab and Assam.

The report says the development of potential sectors such as horticulture, handloom, handicrafts, biotechnology, tourism and Information Technology will have strong inter-linkages with the rest of the sectors.

Mr Pant said he visualised a bright future for the State as practices of good governance were in place and the State Government has drawn up an ambitious plan to provide employment to people and boost industrial growth.

Mr Mufti said his Government was giving high priority to education and 28,000 teachers have been recently recruited to meet this need.

He said he was confident that the Government will be able to find buyers for the sale of PSUs which cannot be revived. He said the first priority of his Government was to revive the PSUs where-ever possible. In the event that this was not possible, the State Government would put them up for sale.

Among the 20 PSUs, majority are running into losses with the exception of four that are earning revenues to meet their day-to-day expenses.

The report lists some of the PSUs that are moribund and in the red. "Public Sector Undertakings like the JAKFED, AIDC, JKTDC, JK Cable Car and HPMC can be privatised. Rather, some of these organisations own large assets including cold storage, buildings, huge lands which can fetch good money to the Government for investment in the development activities," the report says. The report outlines a strategy to step up agricultural growth rate by three to four per cent during the Tenth Plan period and calls for a shift to value additive mode.

The thrust should be on sericulture and improving the utilisation of ground water from 1.33 per cent at present.

It also suggests power sector reforms, completion of on-going rail projects, improvement in rural telephone connectivity, stress on vocational education, provision of urban services by the private sector, setting up of export promotion zones to step-up export of fruits and vegetables and setting up of a biotechnology park.

It suggests putting Kargil on the air map and conversion of Srinagar Airport into an International Airport.

The report calls upon the Government to lay stress on vocational education and suggests administrative and financial devolution to Panchayats.

The Planning Commission recommends establishment of a university in the private sector on the lines of the National Institute of Information Technology.

The report points out that the growth of per capita net state domestic product at current prices was lagging behind most Indian States.

"The slow growth of State of Jammu and Kashmir can be attributed to various factors. The climate of armed militancy in Kashmir during the past decade has been a major factor," the document says.

Low productivity in agriculture and allied sectors has impeded employment and income generation. Poor industrial infrastructure along with poor investment climate has left the industrial sector in its infancy. There has not been a suitable strategy for the potential sectors to achieve higher economic growth, the report adds.

Meanwhile, continued tax and non-tax revenue shortfalls and steep rise in expenditure during the years of turmoil have increased the fiscal deficit of Jammu and Kashmir by a whopping 40 per cent to Rs 1873 crore in 2000-01 from Rs 1338 crore during the previous year, adversely affecting the State’s development.

The deficit has been increasing as the account of the State Government for 2000-01 closed with a revenue deficit of Rs 961 crore showing an increase of 77 per cent over the deficit in the previous year.

The fiscal deficit increased from Rs 1338 crore in the year 1999-00 to Rs 1873 crore in 2000-01 registering a rise of 40 per cent.

These glaring facts are highlighted in this State Development Report. Pointing out that the State has not been able to generate sufficient revenue from its own resources, the report noted that the problem of Jammu and Kashmir, which has been facing financial crisis for long, became all the more serious due to the prevailing circumstances in the State affecting both revenue and expenditure.

The State has been suffering from militancy since 1989, resulting in the erosion of tax base, increase in expenditure, destruction of infrastructure and various other factors related to disturbed law and order situation.

The State income did not grow and it became difficult to collect user charges and sales tax revenue, which also went into arrears, the report said, adding that its inability to generate sufficient financial resources has resulted in the increased dependence on central assistance and borrowings. In 2000-01, the State Government’s revenue from its own resources constituted only 21 per cent of the total revenue receipts of Rs 5,660 crore while grant-in-aid from the Centre registered 67 per cent increase and the state’s share of union taxes and duties was 12 per cent.

While the debt requirements of the State have been growing very fast, the mounting debt servicing burden has been reducing the availability of resources for investment in developmental projects and other services. The interest payment during 2000-01 amounted to Rs 769 crore constituting 12 per cent of the revenue expenditure.

According to the report, though the State Government has always been looking out for new ways of augmenting its revenue income, the requirement of development and other expenditure has been so enormous that it has been increasingly difficult to contain the deficit or debt.

The total expenditure increased from Rs 4180 crore in 1996-97 to Rs 7547 crore in 2000-01 showing an increase of 80.50 per cent.

Describing the problem of large and persistent revenue and fiscal deficits as serious, Planning Commission observed that the increasing fiscal deficit of the State Government over the years and the adverse financial indicators point to improper financial management.

While the State Government needs enough resources for discharging its legitimate functions effectively, the finances of the State have been under considerable stress particularly during the last few years, it added.

The Commission asked the Jammu and Kashmir Government to bring efficiency in the management of State finances and make constant efforts towards mobilisation of additional resources.

2 militants killed in Qazigund; 12 injured in Kulgam blast
Militants, troops share 2 civilian killings in Budgam

Excelsior Special Correspondent

SRINAGAR, Dec 22: Even as a class 12th girl student was killed by unidentified gunmen and Government ordered magisterial inquiry into a custodial killing, three civilians and two militants have died in different incidents of violence in Kashmir valley since last evening. Twelve persons have sustained injuries in a grenade explosion in Kulgam area of south Kashmir today.

Informed sources told EXCELSIOR that on the instance of an informer troops of Rashtriya Rifles 53 Bn had lifted 30-year-old Ghulam Mohammad Hajjam S/o Khuda Bakhsh and Nizam-ud-din Hajjam S/o Maqsood Ahmed at Darwan (Nowgam) in Braripathri in Chrar-e-Sharif area of Budgam district on Sunday. During sustained interrogation, Ghulam Mohammad Hajjam succumbed to physical torture. As his custodial killing sent shockwaves in a vast area, Police and senior officials rushed to the spot to keep the situation under control. Police registered FIR at Police Station Chrar-e-Sharif. In the evening, dead body was taken to Braripathri after a post mortem and handed over to the bereaved Gujjar family for burial.

Deputy Commissioner of Budgam, Khwaja Bashir Ahmed, ordered a magisterial inquiry into the custodial killing and asked the Additional District Magistrate, Mohammad Maqbool Wani, to submit the detailed report within one month. Army neither responded to telephone calls nor made any version of the incident available till late tonight. Unconfirmed reports, however, said that Hajjam had been accused of repairing the wireless sets of militants, as he was also a radio mechanic. He was a farmer with three sons and three daughters.

At Dalwash (Khag) village in Beerwah, unidentified gunmen, widely believed to be militants, appeared at the residence of one Ghulam Ahmed Ganai S/o Abdur Razak Ganai. They dragged out the house-owner and shot him dead without questioning in the courtyard. In November, militants had kidnapped Ganai, slit his throat with a sharp-edged weapon and left him as dead. However, he had regained his consciousness and had reached back his home next morning. He was rushed to SKIMS Soura for medical treatment. Last week he had returned to his home after he was discharged from hospital. Finally, during last night, Ganai was shot dead at his home without any resistance. He was allegedly an informer of the troops of RR 34 Bn.

Sources said that a group of unidentified gunmen appeared at Tarhama, Kunzar (Tangmarg), late last evening and kidnapped a class 12th girl student, namely Kulsuma D/o Ghulam Rasool War, on gunpoint from her home. They fired upon her over a dozen rounds. She was rushed to hospital where she was declared as brought dead. Officials confirmed that the 18-year-old girl was shot dead with an AK rifle but insisted that it was not militancy related incident. Across the Gogaldara hillock, some unidentified gunmen barged into the house of Head Constable Syed Bashir Ahmed at Alamnag, Pushkar, in Khag area, late last evening. Facing resistance from the house-owner’s three daughters and a son, the gunman had to retreat. However, they opened indiscriminate gunfire. Two sisters, namely Nuzhat and Zahida, sustained gunshot wounds. They were rushed to Srinagar and admitted at SMHS Hospital.

Officials said that the three young daughters of the head constable were allegedly overground workers with Hizbul Mujahideen. A detained militant Sajjad Khan’s gun had been recovered from their house. They maintained that the matter was under investigation. However, the injured girls told mediapersons at SMHS Hospital that soldiers of RR 34 Bn had barged into their house "with a bad intention" last night. As the girls raised commotion, the gunmen fled the house while firing in several directions. Father of the three girls has been bed-ridden with a brain tumour.

2 militants killed

Sources said that over a specific information, troops of Rashtriya Rifles 49th Bn raided a militant hideout at Shampora, near Qazigund, in the afternoon today. During the search operation, some holed up militants opened fire and made unsuccessful attempts to escape. In retaliation, troops destroyed the house. Two unidentified militants are believed to have been killed. However, no dead body had been recovered under the debris till late tonight. Residents said that the two militants killed in a fierce gunbattle were local cadres of Hizbul Mujahideen. They identified one of them as Tariq.

Reports said that unidentified persons fired upon one Abdul Gani Wani S/o Ghulam Nabi Wani at his home in Hillar, Arhama, in Anantnag district. He was left wounded. Family members and neighbourers rushed him to hospital.

Militants also appeared at Kolhar in Kokernag area and caused a grenade blast at the house of a Congress activist, Mohammad Yusuf Naikoo S/o Wali Mohammad Naikoo. The house suffered some damage but nobody was dead or injured. Thereafter, militants appeared at the house of another Congress activist, Manzoor Ahmed Bhat S/o Late Mohammad Yusuf Bhat, in the same village. They forced all the inmates to assemble in the courtyard and subjected them to severe thrashing.

Decomposed dead body of a Hizbul Mujahideen militant, Mashooq Ahmed Sheikh S/o Ghulam Hassan R/o Budan, Rafiabad, has been recovered from Mandnar forest area of Panzla. He had reportedly got injured and later died in a gunbattle with troops of RR 28 Bn last month.

12 injured in blast

In the afternoon today, militants lobbed a hand grenade on some Police personnel working with SOG Kulgam, at Qazigund Adda in Kulgam town. It exploded, causing injuries to two SOG personnel and ten civilians. The injured civilians included six women. They were rushed to hospital and given medical treatment. By this evening, almost all of the injured had been discharged from hospital.

Teacher, police officer's kin held for militant links
*Cop removed from Billawar PS, arrest likely

By Sanjeev Pargal

JAMMU, Dec 22: In another important success, police today arrested a Government teacher and a close relative of a junior police officer as they moved close to smashing a wide network of the Hizbul Mujahideen outfit in Billawar-Basohli-Bani belt in Kathua district.

The police officer, whose kin has been arrested for his links with the Hizbul Mujahideen outfit, was today attached to the District Police Lines (DPL) in Kathua from Billawar police station. He has been kept under surveillance and his arrest was imminent, police sources said today.

They said a Government teacher, Master Hafeez, a resident of village Phinter in Billawar tehsil and presently posted in a Government school at Machaidi Katli, was arrested this morning from a hideout in Billawar after more than a week long searches.

Involvement of Master Hafeez had surfaced in the militancy following the arrest of a woman Kulsoom Begum and her father Asif Ali during an encounter at Machaidi Katli on December 13 morning. The duo were arrested after eight militants including Hizbul Mujahideen’s ‘area commander’ Farooq Ahmed escaped in a fierce gun-battle with the Army and police.

During her interrogation, Kulsoom Begum, who happened to be the wife of Farooq Ahmed and enjoyed rank of a commander in the Hizbul Mujahideen outfit, had disclosed that the eight militants had gathered in her house to carry out the massacre of minority community members at Phinter the same night. They had to stay in the house of Master Hafeez before executing the massacre.

Master Hafeez had managed to escape after the arrest of Kulsoom Begum. Police was on the look out for him since then and he was finally arrested this morning from a hideout. He has been whisked away to a secret place for interrogation.

Police have also arrested another Hizbul Mujahideen militant Lateef Ahmed from Machaidi Katli last night. Lateef happened to be the brother-in-law (wife’s brother) of a junior police officer posted at Billawar police station under whose jurisdiction the village Machaidi Katli falls.

Sources said the Hizbul ‘area commander’ Farooq Ahmed was also related to the same police officer. Farooq was brother-in-law (sister’s husband) of the cop.

Immediately after receiving a report of the police officer’s links with the two militants, the authorities have ordered his attachment from Billawar police station to the DPL Kathua, the sources said, adding the officer is likely to be arrested.

"The officer, whose identity was not disclosed by the sources, was aware of the activities of his two militant relatives but he deliberately kept it a secret from the police officers, thus, facilitating the militants to carry out their activities in Billawar and other parts of the district", the sources said.

Lateef was today sent to the Joint Interrogation Centre (JIC) Jammu while Master Hafeez was likely to be sent to the JIC in next couple of days.

According to sources, Master Hafeez was instrumental in arranging ‘safe hideout’ for the militants including the foreign mercenaries in the upper reaches of Billawar after their infiltration from Hiranagar and surrounding sectors. He had also disbursed a large amount of cash among the militant groups, they said, adding it was being ascertained from him (during the questioning) about the source of cash.

Police said some more arrests in Billawar-Basohli belt are in the offing. Some of them are influential persons.

The operation to flush out the militants and their harbourers in Billawar-Basohli-Bani belt is being supervised by SP Kathua Raghubir Singh, who was frequently visiting the upper reaches.

Meanwhile, police today recovered skeleton of a militant from village Paharpur under the jurisdiction of Rajbagh police station in Kathua district. Recoveries made from his possession included one wireless set, one time bomb, 30 hand grenades, three magazines of AK-56, one boot, one jacket and one compass.

The skeleton was detected by a civilian Deepak Kumar son of Dewan Chand, a resident of Paharpur last evening when he was ploughing his fields. The civilian ploughed the fields after a long time near the Zero Line following declaration of a cease-fire.

Army and police have launched a search operation in the area for AK rifle of the militant. However, the possibility of some other militants having taken away his rifle was not ruled out.

Sources said it appeared that the militant might have been blown up with a land mine since the entire area was mined.

Army to raise TA Bns, units of surrendered militants

NEW DELHI, Dec 22: In a move aimed at ensuring the safety of people living near the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir from armed infiltrators, the Cabinet Committee on Security has cleared the Army’s proposal for raising six Territorial Army battalions.

The Cabinet also gave the green signal to the raising of a separate Army battalion comprising surrendered militants, labelled in local parleys as ‘Ikhwanis’ to provide them gainful employment and give them means for self-defence.

The battalions, to be raised over a period of one year, would draw manpower from the border areas and would be essentially tasked to protect their ‘home and hearth’ on and near the LoC from marauding terrorists, a Defence Ministry spokesman here today said.

"The TA battalions would also be tasked to keep a vigil on the LoC and address environmental concerns", he said. Unlike the majority of TA units who constitute a part time force, the personnel of these battalions would be embodied to TA units outside the states to enable them draw full salary.

So far, the surrendered militants, whose figures have dwindled alarmingly from a peak of over 3,500 in 1994-95 to just a few hundred in 2003, have only been given rehabilitation packages in fits and starts.

They have been getting only meagre sustenance allowance, but with the ccs clearing the proposal to band them together as well equipped infantry battalions, these surrendered militants will now be eligible for receiving regular salaries as also special allowances for undertaking scouting work in anti-militancy operations.

Army sources said of the six TA battalions being raised, four would be based in vulnerable areas of Jammu in Basholi, Brahmana Di Bari, Kishtwar-Bhaderwah and Poonch- Rajouri sector and two in Kashmir valley in Kupwara-Baramulla sector and in district headquarters of Anantnag in south Kashmir.

The raising of two battalions to be based at Basholi and Brahmana Di Bari assume significance as both these places straddle the key Jammu-Pathankot highway from where the International Border with Pakistan is just a few kilometres away and which have been a scene of spate of terrorists hits recently. (PTI)

Suspect held with Godhra links

Excelsior Correspondent

JAMMU, Dec 22: A teen-aged suspect has been arrested by the police in Akhnoor alongwith the telephone numbers of Godhra (Gujarat) and Saudi Arabia.

The suspect was sent to the Joint Interrogation Centre (JIC) after his preliminary questioning, a report today said.

He has been identified as Taurez Ahmed, 12, a resident of Poonch. He was studying in A ‘ madarsa’ in Uttar Pradesh.

Report said the police became suspicious when it found the news cuttings of Godhra related violence including the killing of former Gujarat Home Minister Haren Pandeya and telephone numbers of a large number of people of Godhra and Saudi Arabia.

In addition, some provocative literature was also recovered from him.

After preliminary questioning, police sent him to the JIC for sustained interrogation.

Oppn walk-out on Haj subsidy

NEW DELHI, Dec 22: Agitated Congress and other opposition members today staged a walkout in the Lok Sabha protesting against Government’s refusal to remove restrictions on subsidies for Haj pilgrims.

The walk out came immediately after Civil Aviation Minister Rajiv Pratap Rudy told the Lok Sabha that the three conditions imposed by Union Cabinet for a Haj pilgrim to get subsidy would continue.

There was a furore after Rudy made the Government stand known with opposition members reacting angrily and condemning it for sticking to the restrictions.

Members from Left parties, Bahujan Samaj Party, Samajwadi Party, Rashtriya Janata Dal and Muslim league walked out along with those from Congress.

Rudy spoke after Speaker Manohar Joshi reminded the Government that the members had raised the Haj pilgrim issue last week and wanted to know whether it would like to react.

Recalling the conditions imposed by Union Cabinet, Rudy said the subsidy for Haj pilgrims would be once in lifetime, their stay would be arranged by the Haj committee and lastly Income Tax payees would not be entitled for any subsidy. He said the matter was taken up again at the last meeting of the Cabinet which reiterated that the conditions would continue.

The minister said all the 72,000 Haj pilgrims going this year had been asked to file affidavits confirming whether they fulfilled the conditions and so far 55,000 of them had done so.

Rudy said affidavits could be filed after check-in at airports where notaries would be present to help them.

Taking strong exception to the Government stand, Congress chief whip Priyaranjan Das Munsi described it as "absoutely improper" and said it was for the first time that such conditions have been imposed on the pilgrims.

"The conduct of the Government is condemnable," he added.

BSP leader Rashid Alvi and RJD leader Raghuvansh Prasad Singh said they condemned the Government decision.

Muslim league member G M Banatwala said the action was an encroachment on the rights of a person to perform religious duties.

Samajwadi Party member Ramji Lal Suman said it was "uncalled for." (PTI)

Rao, Chandraswami acquitted

NEW DELHI, Dec 22: Former Prime Minister P V Narasimha Rao got a major relief today with a city Court acquitting him along with self-styled Godman Chandraswamy in the one lakh dollar cheating case instituted against them.

Ending a seven-year-old question mark hanging over Rao, Special Judge Dinesh Dayal today pronounced him "not guilty" rejecting the prosecution case that he as External Affairs Minister in 1983 had colluded with Chandraswami to dupe the NRI businessman Lakhubhai Pathak.

Incidentally, Pathak did not survive the long drawn judicial process which started with the businessman lodging a complaint against Chandraswami and his associate Kailash Nath Aggarwal alias Mamaji in 1987.

This was the last case pending against the former Prime Minister who has already been exonerated in the St Kitts forgery case and JMM bribery case.

Acquiting Rao, the Special Judge observed that there were enough contradictions in Pathak’s evidence.

"I find that Lakhubhai Pathak’s evidence is not reliable and it has not been corroborated. His evidence has been constantly changing and there has been contradictions on vital aspects of the case.

The order also highlighted the prosecution’s failure to explain the "inordinate delay" in filing the case.

Rao welcomed the decision saying he was happy. His laywer senior advocate Kapil Sibal chose to call Rao "born again" and termed it a historic verdict.

Pathak, a UK-based pickle tycoon, had alleged that during a meeting at hotel Holorum in New York, Rao promised to secure him a contract for supply of newsprint and paper pulp in India. In consideration, he had paid one lakh US dollars to Chandraswami, his complaint said. (PTI)

Mufti rejects Pak objection to Baglihar

Excelsior Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI, Dec 22: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed today rejected Pakistan’s objection to the prestigious Baglihar power project, stating Islamabad’s contentions were "unrealistic and unjustified".

Talking to newsmen here after the release of the state development report, he said Pakistan has unnecessarily raised objections to the Baglihar projects, which would help the State to overcome its power shortage.

"There is no storage plan at Baglihar. So Pakistan’s objection is not justified," he further stated. Pakistan has threatened to take legal recourse to stop India from going ahead with the power project. A high level technical team from Pakistan visited the site last month to make spot study of the project.

The Chief Minister said that he had pleaded with Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee to take up with the Pakistani leaders the issues relating to the Tul Bul project, where work had to be stopped due to Islamabad’s objection. He said there was an urgent need to store the water by constructing a barrage. This would also help Pakistan during the lean season.

Mr Sayeed said that ceasefire between the two countries has helped to create a climate of peace in the State. If peace is restored, it would help in the economic growth of Jammu and Kashmir. He said the focus of his Government is to promote tourism, education and power. He said jobs were being created for the educated youth.

He, however, admitted that the trend in the development of Jammu and Kashmir was not encouraging. It has been lagging behind most of the states as regards to the growth and development. But violence was the main cause behind it, he added.

Hurriyat leader booked under PSA

SRINAGAR, Dec 22: Rebel Hurriyat Conference leader and chairman of Democratic Political Movement (DPM) Firdous Ahmad Shah has been booked under Public Saftey Act (PSA), a senior police official said here today.

Shah has been detained under PSA and would be sent to Kot Bhalwal jail in Jammu region, Senior Superintendent of Police Syed Javed Mujtaba Gilani told PTI.

Shah, who broke the Hurriyat ranks to support Syed Ali Shah Geelani as chairman of the separatist amalgam, was detained by Kothibagh Police Station last night.

He had renamed Islamic students’ league as DPM during a party convention last year and was among the first to raise a question mark over the credibility of People’s Conference, which has been accused of fielding proxy candidates in last Assembly polls.

Meanwhile, Jamaat-e-Islami has condemned Shah’s detention under the draconian act.

"The arrest amounts to violation of fundamental as well as human rights and is a regretable move," Jamaat spokesman advocate Zahid Ali Sai said in a statement here. (PTI)

Parliament passes bill on dual citizenship

NEW DELHI, Dec 22: Parliament today passed a bill to grant dual citizenship to the People of Indian Origin, with Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani saying the measure would go a long way to enable this section of people contribute to the cause of national development.

The citizenship (amendment) bill, 2003, would "enable both Bharatvasis and Bharatvanshis to contribute together to the cause of India’s development", he said while replying to a short debate on the legislation which was earlier adopted by the Upper House.

Among other things, the bill, to amend the Citizenship Act, 1955, simplifies the procedure to facilitate the re-acquisition of Indian citizenship by persons of full age who are children of Indian citizens and former Indian citizens, according to its statement of objects and reasons.

The bill provides for grant of overseas citizenship of India to persons of Indian origin belonging to 16 specified countries and Indian citizens who choose to acquire citizenship of any of these countries at a later date. It also makes acquisition of Indian citizenship and naturalisation more stringent and prevent illegal migrants from becoming eligible for Indian citizenship.

Advani said the passage of the bill would also fulfil the Government’s promise to the Persons of Indian Origin made at the last ‘Pravasi Bharatiya Divas’ in January this year and would be announced at the next celebrations on January 9-10.

Participating in the debate, P R Dasmunsi (Cong), P H Pandian (AIADMK) and Raghuvansh Prasad Singh (RJD) supported it and said the Government should state as to how it would go about to make the intellectual and financial capabilities of the PIOs contribute towards India’s development. (PTI)

No rollback of Kashmir policy: Musharraf

ISLAMABAD, Dec 22: Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf today assured the Kashmiri leaders that he was not rolling back his country’s Kashmir policy and the resolution of it would continue to be central to Indo-Pak relations.

"The way forward is finding a lasting and durable solution of Kashmir in accordance with the aspirations of the Kashmiri people," official APP news agency quoted him as telling an invited gathering of Kashmiri leaders.

Stating that "centrality" of Kashmir was important for durable peace in South Asia, he said Pakistan continues to have "unwavering" commitment to resolution of Kashmir issue.

"Pakistan has a principled stand on Kashmir and the country’s support for Kashmiris remains resolute," he told leaders of PoK.

The meeting was attended among others by President and Prime Minister of Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK), leaders of Hurriyat Conference unit of PoK, Foreign Minister Khurshid Mehmood Kasuri and Information Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmad.

While some leaders attending the meeting said Musharraf had assured them he still believed that the Kashmir issue should be resolved through UN resolutions, official media reports said he reiterated his comments given in a recent interview that India should show flexibility to resolve the Kashmir issue.

The meeting was Musharraf’s first with the Kashmiri leaders after an interview last week in which he indicated he was flexible over Pakistan’s enduring demand for a referendum to decide the future of Kashmir, a comment which created quite a stir. Prime Minister Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali and senior ministers told the media later that Pakistan had not abandoned its stand on UN resolutions.

"I haven’t given any proposal which might dent the Kashmir cause. The interview that I had given to a foreign news agency should be read in its real context," one Kashmir leader who do not want to be identified quoted Musharraf as saying.

According to the official media reports, Musharraf told the Kashmiri leaders today that New Delhi should show flexibility for resolving the dispute and hoped that the Indian public opinion would influence their leaders to enter into a dialogue process for durable peace in South Asia.

He said world leaders and the international community were interested in peace in South Asia and all major powers including, the US and European Union were focused on resolution of Kashmir issue. (AGENCIES)

Civilian shot dead in Doda

Excelsior Special Correspondent

JAMMU, Dec 22: A civilian was shot dead by the militants in his house at Brahman Mohalla in Kishtwar tehsil in Doda district last night.

He has been identified as Ghulam Rasool Hajam son of Abdul Hajam, a resident of Inshan Wadwan, who was presently putting up at Brahman Mohalla.

Police said two militants entered into the house of Hajam and fired two shots on him causing him serious injuries. He was shifted to the sub district hospital in Kishtwar where he succumbed to his injuries.

Militants, however, escaped after the killing.

A police party from Kishtwar police station visited the spot for the investigations.
 
 
 
 

 

 

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