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Committee soon to look into
unemployment, Excelsior Correspondent JAMMU, Nov 7: Chief Minister, Ghulam Nabi Azad today announced that Government will soon constitute a Committee of four to five members to look into the unemployment problem being faced by the displaced Pandits and other allied issues concerning the community. This Committee which besides having a representative from Pandit community will have representatives from Kashmir valley as well as Jammu region and it will submit its report within one and a half month to the Government. Mr Azad who was addressing a conference of Kashmiri Pandits organized by Congress Minority Cell at Abhinav Theatre here today, said the memorandum submitted to him will be handed over to this Committee. On the distress sale and forcible occupation of migrants’ property in the Valley as alleged in the memorandum, the Chief Minister said, the quick action will be taken if any case of distress sale or encroachment of land is brought to his notice. He also announced that if need be his Government will not hesitate in bringing a legislation for declaring the distress sale null and void. Mr Azad declared that if the cases of mutation of land records is also brought to the notice of Government strict action will be taken against the erring Patwaris. Regarding the occupation of orchards by security forces , he said the issue will be taken up with Prime Minister for release of the rent for the same. "But I will not suggest the eviction of the forces from these orchards as they will be encroached by the land grabbers", he added. Regarding the enhancement of cash assistance he said the issue will also be taken up with the Prime Minister by him. He also gave an assurance to the displaced people that he will soon visit the Battal Ballian and other camps to have on the spot study of the problems there. Maintaining that Pandits were part and parcel of Kashmir and Kashmiriyat was incomplete without them, he admitted that education standard declined in Valley after their migration. This is felt by the majority community also, he asserted. He said hundreds of years of Pandit Muslim unity was the inner soul of Kashmiriyat and Kashmiris going to any corner of world were feeling proud of being Kashmiris. Referring to the poem of Badri Nath Abilash he said it is the unique feature of Kashmir where the poets can compose poems with reference to both Hindu or Muslim religions. But unfortunately we are today deprived of this brotherhood and unity, he regretted. Referring to the construction of two room sets for the migrants, the Chief Minister said that for their speedy construction the work will start in double shifts. He said Rs 184 cr have been sanctioned by the Centre for construction of 5242 two room sets for the Pandits and these quarters will be for their temporary rehabilitation till the situation becomes conducive for their return in Valley. He said presently work is going on 1500 quarters in Jammu besides 200 quarters are ready at Sheikhpora in Badgam, 72 in Khir Bhawani and 18 in Mattan, Anantnag. He requested the migrants who had already agreed to return to the concentrated quarters in Valley to shift in these quarters. "These are the transit quarters and have been constructed keeping the security point in view", he added. He also declared that if the migrants are ready to return to Valley, the Government will take the construction of other quarters in hand and side by side conditions will be created for restoration of conducive atmosphere so that they can settle in their original places. He said many steps in this regard have already been taken up by the Government and in two round table conference and working groups the Pandit community was given the representation though their was the voice of dissent also in the community. He said seven meetings were held by these working groups so far and in next two months five to six meetings are expected to be held. He said when complete normalcy will return to Valley the doors will automatically be opened for the return. He said the Congress Party has many relations with the Pandit community and one of the biggest relationship is that of humanity. "Where humanity is weak it becomes a concern for entire society and Government", he added. He said if KPs are in distress today it is the concern of Government as well as all people of the State. Minister of Health and Medical Education, Mangat Ram Sharma also highlighted various steps taken by the Government for mitigating the problems of the displaced Pandits. Among others the Minister of State for Revenue, Prem Sagar Aziz and MLA Khem Lata Wakhloo were also present in the meeting. The programme was compared by Pradhuman Krishen Raina, while it was organised by Chuni Lal Bhat, general secretary of Congress Ministry cell. |
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Excelsior Special Correspondent SRINAGAR, Nov 7: In a joint operation, Police and security forces have killed two militants in Kupwara district even as suspected militants have gunned down a Police constable at his home in Rajwar area of the same border district in Kashmir valley since last evening. Meanwhile, eight persons have sustained injuries in different incidents of violence in the Valley today. Informed sources said that on the basis of a specific infiltration regarding the movement of a recently pushed in group of militants, troops of 14 Grenadiers and SOG Kupwara conducted a search operation at Bari Behak in Rangwar forest in Chowkibal area of Kupwara district. During the operation, an encounter took place between the militants and security forces which left two of the militants dead by this evening. Sources said that both of the militants killed in action were unidentified though officials believed them to be Pakistani cadres of Lashkar-e-Toiba. Sources said that the search was in progress for other militants of the group who were believed to have escaped. Sources said that suspected militants barged into the residence of Constable Abur Rasheed Mir of Police Post Chogal at Sarmarg in Zachaldara area of Kupwara district late last night and shot him dead. At Mundji in Sopore, suspected militants fired upon class 12th student, Mohammad Shafi Chopan S/o Khizar Mohammad Chopan and left him injured last evening. In the afternoon today, a suspected militant lobbed a hand grenade on an Army vehicle near Government Boys Higher Secondary School, Chandilora, in Tangmarg. Sources said that two soldiers sustained minor injuries and they were treated at a local hospital. Here in the capital city, suspected militants lobbed a hand grenade towards a CRPF camp near Shiraz Cinema. It exploded, causing injuries to two constables and an equal number of civilians. CRPF observed restraint and did not open fire. A search operation was conducted but the militants managed to escape. Reports from south Kashmir said that during a search operation troops of RR 44 Bn opened fire on a group of timber smugglers at Guglora in Shopian area. One of the smugglers, namely Zaffar Khan sustained injuries but his horse died on the spot. Others of the group ran away with their horses. Officials said that troops opened fire as they took the timber smugglers for militants. |
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NEW DELHI, Nov 7: The Government is likely to consider reducing petrol and diesel prices if international crude oil prices fall below 52 dollars a barrel. Petroleum Minister Murli Deora today said the Government was examining the impact of fall in global crude prices, but there was no proposal to cut prices immediately. However, Petroleum Secretary M S Srinivasan said if global crude prices fall below 52 dollars a barrel, the Government could allow oil marketing companies to reduce prices on petrol and diesel. International crude oil prices are ruling at around 60 dollars a barrel, compared to a high of 76 dollars in August. Srinivasan said oil companies were estimated to make a loss of Rs 2,700 crore in November on sale of diesel, kerosene and liquefied petroleum gas (cooking gas). While on petrol, oil firms were making a profit of more than Rs 4 per litre, but on diesel they were incurring a loss of Rs 1.62 per litre. In kerosene, the companies were losing Rs 14.75 per litre. On LPG, the under-recoveries were to the tune of Rs 102 per cylinder, Srinivasan said. (PTI) |
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5 member delegation to meet
Pak FS SRINAGAR, Nov 7: Awami Action Committee (AAC) chief Mirwaiz Umar Farooq was today re-elected as chairman of moderate faction of the Hurriyat Conference for another term of two years. The Mirwaiz was unanimously re-elected as the Hurriyat chairman after his term expired today. The decision was taken at an extra-ordinary meeting called at the Hurriyat Conference headquarters at Raj Bagh here this morning. The name of Mirwaiz Farooq was proposed by former Hurriyat chairman Prof Abdul Ghani Bhat and seconded by all the other executive committee members. After the name was cleared by the Hurriyat executive committee, the decision was confirmed by the general council. Born on March 23, 1973 at their ancestral house in Rajouri Kadal in the downtown city, Mirwaiz Farooq is the youngest prominent Kashmiri separatist leader. He did his matriculation from the prestigious Burn Hall school in 1990 and took over the reigns of the AAC after his father Mirwaiz Moulvi Mohammad Farooq was assassinated on May 21, 1990. His late father had founded the AAC. The Mirwaiz went on to complete his MA in Islamic studies from the Kashmir university in 2000 as a private candidate and later obtained an M.Phil degree as well. Mirwaiz Farooq did not join Columbia University even after getting an admission there and preferred to stay in Kashmir. He is also the chief priest of the historic Jama Masjid, the main mosque of Kashmir. The Mirwaiz will attend the six-day Pugwash International conference at Cairo in Egypt from November 10. The Mirwaiz will attend the Pugwash conference in Cairo from November 10-15 this year, a hurriyat spokesman said. He said Pugwash International, a Non-Governmental Organisation, had invited the Mirwaiz for the conference. The invitation has been accepted and the Hurriyat Conference chairman would attend the conference, the spokesman added. Islamic scholars and intellectuals would take part in the conference to discuss issues of Islam and the West. Besides discussing the moral issues facing the Islamic world, the seminar would also deliberate on misleading campaign about Islam and the negative attitude of western world towards it. Meanwhile, a five-member strong Hurriyat Conference delegation, led by the Mirwaiz will meet Pakistan Foreign Secretary Riaz Ahmed Khan during his forthcoming visit to New Delhi for talks with his Indian counterpart Shiv Shankar Menon to discuss Jammu and Kashmir, Siachen, Sir Creek among other issues. The decision was taken at an extra-ordinary meeting of the Hurriyat Conference called at the amalgam headquarters at Raj Bagh here this morning. A Hurriyat spokesman said Mr Khan has expressed a desire to meet the Kashmir separatist leaders during his India visit. "We had also been invited for a meeting with Pakistan’s Foreign Secretary. We have accepted the invitation and would be going to New Delhi to meet Mr Khan," he added. The spokesman said a five-member Hurriyat delegation was nominated for a meeting with Mr Khan. The Mirwaiz would lead the delegation while the other members of the team were Prof Abdul Ghani Bhat, Maulana Abbas Ansari, Bilal Ghani Lone and Aga Syed Hassan. Indications are that chairman of the hardline faction of the Hurriyat Conference Syed Ali Shah Geelani would also meet the visiting Pakistani dignitary. It would be after a long time that the firebrand leader meets any Pakistani leader. (agencies) |
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Smooth sailing for Khajuria as Joshi persuades ‘dissidents’ Excelsior Correspondent JAMMU, Nov 7: Emergent visit of all powerful general secretary (organization) Sanjay Joshi and national secretary incharge Jammu and Kashmir Manohar Lal ultimately resolved crises in the Pradesh BJP as no candidate except Ashok Khajuria, who was choice of the party highcommand, filed his nomination paper for the post of the State president. As only one candidate is in the fray, election of Mr Khajuria as new president is foregone conclusion and formal announcement in this regard will be made tomorrow at 11.30 am. Although some senior leaders of party had earlier dropped much hints to contest elections, it was all due to the hectic efforts of Sanjay Joshi and Manohar Lal that consensus was ultimately evolved and enraged leaders, who had decided to oppose ‘dictatorial’ attitude of the highcommand, were persuaded. Two senior leaders, who were deputed by the highcommand to evolve consensus on the name of Ashok Khajuria, arrived here on Monday and held discussions with cross sections of the party. Known as organizational men, they held one to one discussions with district presidents, State office bearers and other prominent workers throughout the day. "We met as many as over 200 leaders and workers in this regard’’, Manohar Lal told the EXCELSIOR. He admitted that there was difference of opinion among party leaders. He, however, hastened to add that these types of differences were normal things during organizational elections. After holding discussions with party cadre, Sanjay Joshi announced his decision to nominate Ashok Khajuria as new president this morning. A meeting of State office bearers and prominent leaders was convened this morning. All prominent leaders except Prof Chaman Lal Gupta participated in the meeting. After this announcement Ashok Khajuria filed his nomination papers in the presence of almost all senior leaders of the party. Worthwhile to mention here that there were reports that some senior leaders of the party including former Union Minister, Prof Chaman Lal Gupta, party spokesman Prof Hari Om and former Mayor Kavinder Gupta will contest elections. It was only after these reports, Sanjay Joshi and Manohar Lal rushed to Jammu to resolve crises within the State unit. Ashok Khajuria, told the Excelsior that he will work under the guidance of senior leaders and party will be further strengthened. |
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17 quintals spurious chilli, turmeric seized Excelsior Correspondent SRINAGAR, Nov 7: Police has seized 1,700 kgs of spurious chilli and turmeric and arrested both the persons who had smuggled in the spices from Jammu. Informed sources told the EXCELSIOR that during a routine checking of vehicles, a Police team, headed by SHO Karan Nagar Mushtaq Ahmed, intercepted Tata Mobile-207, bearing registration No:JK02AB-9104, at Karan Nagar Crossing today. During a search, Police recovered 850 kgs of spurious chilli and 850 kgs of spurious turmeric. With "Suraj" trademark, the spurious spices were found packed in5-kg bags. Dates of manufacture and expiry had not been recorded on the packaging. Driver Ashok Kumar Gupta S/o Nathu Ram R/o Mandli, Billawar, was taken into custody and his vehicle was seized. Two persons, who were travelling in the same vehicle and admitted to have carried the spurious spices from Satwari in Jammu to Srinagar, were also arrested. They were identified as Dharampal Singh S/o Dewan Chand and Subhash Chand S/o Bhuka Ram, residents of Satwari. During interrogation, Police observed that the driver had no knowledge of the spices being spurious. However, Police learned that the other two persons were carrying the quantity for sale and subsequent retail circulation in Batmaloo area. Sources said that the Jammu duo had earlier too carried a truckload of spurious spices all the way from Jammu and sold it off to a dealer in Sopore. Two of the detained accused revealed that they had purchased the spices at Rs 21.75 per Kg from its manufacturer, Bharat Industries, Raipur, Satwari, were going to supply it to a Batmaloo dealer for Rs 30 per Kg. Like other standard brands in the market, the retail price of the spices would have been Rs 80 to 90 per Kg for the last-end consumer. According to doctors, consuming of the adulterated and spurious spices would have led to serious health hazards among the human beings. SHO Karan Nagar, Mushtaq Ahmed, said that members of the Police party smelled the chilli and it had no impact. He said that the turmeric powder was poured into water and stirred but, rather than turning the water yellow, it settled on the bottom and the colour of the water did not change. Case FIR No: 50 of 2006, under sections 272 (adulteration) and 420 (deceit) Cr PC was registered at Police Station Karan Nagar. Sources said that Police collected samples of the spices and sealed the same for an analysis. The samples would be sent to Public Analyst of Jammu on Wednesday. SHO said that the driver was found innocent. He said that after completion of necessary formalities at court, the detained driver and the seized vehicle would be released. |
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Situation not conducive for KPs’ return: Farooq Excelsior Correspondent JAMMU, Nov 7: Former Chief Minister and patron National Conference (NC) Dr Farooq Abdullah has said that the present situation was not conducive for the return of Kashmiri Pandits to the Valley. Addressing a public meeting at Mishriwala Migrant Camp today, he said that those who talk about the return of Pandits to the Valley were telling lies. "There is no conducive situation as yet that Hindus can visit freely to their temples in the morning. The situation can be called normal only when you will be able to visit Hari Parbhat or Shankaracharya temples early in the morning" he added. Dr Abdullah said return of Pandits was not possible unless and untill India and Pakistan resolve the issue. Without naming People’s Democratic Party (PDP), he said those who advocate for demilitarization and claim that situation has become normal in the Valley should first try by withdrawing their own security guards. Reiterating that Kashmir was incomplete without Pandits, the NC leader said, Pandits living in any part of the world have to feel proud of being Kashmiri Brahmins. "Mass exodus of Pandits is not only the murder of Kashmiriyat but also a black spot on it," he added. But I can’t say that the community will return tomorrow as the situation is not conducive as yet. He however, said let us pray for restoration of the conducive atmosphere in the Valley. Pointing towards the problems of the displaced Pandits, Dr Abdullah held the community leadership responsible for the same. "Your leadership is divided due to which your problems are piling up", he asserted. He urged the migrants to suggest the names of 10 leaders from five camps including five women and I will arrange their meeting with Prime Minister, President, Leader of Opposition, L K Advani and former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee to apprise them of the genuine demands of the community during the commencement of Parliament session from November 22 this year. He asked the community to prepare a charter of demands which is justified and reasonable. "We will give them some time for the redressal of these problems and meantime the meetings will also be held here with Chief Minister and State Governor", he added. In case the Government fails to concede the demands NC will take up the issue in State Assembly vociferously and Party will also join struggle with you, he declared. He cautioned that there should not be any politics in it and "this all should be confined to problems of the displaced people only". Dr Abdullah also announced an ambulance for the Mishriwala camp inmates from his Constituency fund. Addressing the meeting NC patriarch Omar Abdullah said that leaders should openly accept that promises made with the displaced Pandits were not fulfilled. He also took the Pandit leadership to task for the present plight of the community and blamed them for politicking on the issue only. Making a dig at the State Government he alleged that construction work on quarters was going on at snails pace. "This Government has money for purchase of a helicopter but not for the construction of quarters for the migrants", he alleged. He said if migrants are annoyed today they are justified because whosoever made promises with them betrayed the community. " I have myself heard the leaders saying that if we provide all basic facilities to migrants in camps they will not be ready to return to their homes and hearths", Mr Omar Abdullah said. Maintaining that Pandits did not migrate from Valley due to their sweet will, the NC chief said though 100 per cent people will not return but those living in inhuman conditions in camps will prefer to go back to their homes and hearths in the Valley. Opposing the construction of concentrated camps for the migrants in the Valley, Omar Abdullah said when the army and BSF camps were not safe there how the camps inhabited by the minority Pandits be?. Without naming the PDP, he said I ask its leadership who had promised two jobs per family what happened to that. He also ridiculed Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh for stating that Centre has paid Rs 24000 crore package to J&K , saying if such huge amount comes to State it means every constituency will get Rs 240 crore out of which migrants' share too will be Rs 200 crore. But they have not even spent Rs 100 lakh on you, he added. He said Pandits did not come here with their sweet will but due to compulsions and the majority community is duty bound to come forward so that the community will return with honour and dignity to their homes and hearths. Earlier addressing the gathering Minority Cell leaders ex MLC B L Bhat, Anil Dhar, Ashok Ji, Nana Ji Sarpanch, Roop Krishen Raina, Roshan Lal, Ashok Hangloo and Piaray Lal highlighted the plight of the displaced people. Dr Abdullah was accompanied by NC provincial chief, Ajay Sadhotra, Mushtaq Ahmed Bukhari, MLA, T S Wazir, MLC and Surjit Singh Slathia, former Minister. |
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Remove obstacles impeding SAFTA: India NEW DELHI, Nov 7: India today asked Pakistan to remove "obstructions" and allow free trade under SAARC Free Trade Arrangement (SAFTA) failing which operationalisation of the mechanism will be difficult. External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee hoped India would be able to convince Pakistan as it wants to encourage SAFTA for which it has offered very substantive tariff reduction to all the countries of the regional grouping. "The tariff reduction negotiations have been completed and operationalised from January 1," he said addressing the Silver Jubilee function of economic think-tank Indian Council for Research and International Economic Relations (ICRIER) here. Mukherjee, addressing his first public function after assuming charge as External Affairs Minister on October 25, said all SAARC member countries have agreed to implement the SAFTA but there are "some problems" with Pakistan which have been identified. "Our trade with Pakistan is on the basis of positive list," he said, adding Islamabad has said that "it is not free trade". He said Pakistan recently "expanded the basket (of trading goods under positive list) by adding 78 items". But "I am not interested in the number of items. I am interested in seeing that the obstructions, which are there, are removed and there should be free flow of trade," the External Affairs Minister said. India has maintained that Pakistan has deviated from the agreement on SAFTA and refused to implement it in letter and spirit. India is "suggesting that unless they (Pakistan) agree (to implement SAFTA) what was strenously built up, it will be difficult to operationalise SAFTA," the External Affairs Minister said. "I do hope it will be possible to convince them (Pakistan), he said. Mukherjee said the matter was discussed informally at the SAARC Council of Ministers in September. India says Pakistan is attaching conditionalities to trade with it under SAFTA which was against the essence of the agreement and contradicts the commitment made by its leaders at the 13th SAARC Summit in Dhaka last year. New Delhi formally lodged its protest at the SAARC Foreign Ministers’ Conference held in Dhaka in August after which the matter was referred to the SAARC Council of Ministers, comprising Commerce Ministers of the member countries. (PTI) |
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SRINAGAR, Nov 7: The State Human Rights Commission has indicted the security forces for the custodial deaths of two youths in 1993 and 2003. It has recommended Government jobs and ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh to the next of kin of Gowhar Amin Bahadur of Batmaloo in Srinagar who died allegedly in BSF custody in 1993, and Tahir Hussain of Tujjar Sharief in Sopore who was allegedly killed after his arrest in 2003. Bahadur’s wife Munawara Sultan filed a complaint with SHRC on October 21, 2000, that her husband was killed by soldiers of BSF’s 4th battalion on April 8, 1993 after his arrest in retaliation to a militant attack in the area. The SHRC in its judgment said the unfortunate part of the case was the BSF party "have not made themselves accountable before investigation of the case". It said the case record "speaks volumes in support of this presumption that death has taken place in BSF custody" during a cordon-and-search operation. It said the widow, a young girl, had a child and an old father and deserved to be paid Rs 2 lakh and "compassionate appointment" in Class IV service. Indicting soldiers of the 22 Rashtriya Rifles for killing Hussain, it directed the police to file a ‘challan’ against an officer and recommended Rs 2 lakh ex-gratia and a Government job to his next of kin. The victim’s family lodged a complaint with the SHRC stating that Tahir was arrested by Major Rajendra Singh of 22 RR in September 2003 and later his body was handed over to them. (PTI) |
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Miseries of people on rise: Omar Excelsior Correspondent JAMMU, Nov 7: National Conference president Omar Abdullah has asserted that the miseries of the common people have multiplied since the coalition Government took over in the State. Addressing a public meeting at Akhnoor today, Omar Abdullah remarked that there was no body to listen and see to the poor people whose houses have collapsed and to the farmers whose standing and harvested crops have been damaged. He said that the Government should have got the damages assessed and the relief/compensation should have been disbursed on war footing. The NC chief also expressed his concern over the rise in prices and said that it has become difficult for the poor people to make both ends meet and the common man is crushed under the weight of rise in prices. He further said that the corruption has become the order of the day and the common person has to grease the palms for getting his work done. According to Omar Abdullah, the much hyped double shift and work culture is not visible on ground and the people are fed up with the hollow slogans. The pace of development activities has become very slow and the claim of the Government that thousands of crores of rupees have come from Government of India seems to be a mere slogan, he said. The NC chief further said that the State Government has hiked the electricity charges, as a result poor people and the farmers were suffering. The public meeting was also addressed by party patron Dr Farooq Abdullah, who also referred to the hike in the prices of the essential commodities. Dr Abdullah said that the problem of water in Akhnoor needs to be redressed on priority and said that he will take up the matter with the concerned authorities for immediate redressal of the water scarcity problem. Among others present on the occasion included provincial president of NC Ajay Sadhotra, Surjit Singh Slathia, M A Bukhari, T S Wazir, Chander Mohan Sharma, Kashmira Singh and G S Sasan. |
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Excelsior Correspondent JAMMU, Nov 7: A top militant of Hizbul Mujahideen, who had deserted a police picket as a Special Police Officer (SPO) in Thathri in April this year, was gunned down by police and security forces at village Budhi in Gandoh area of Doda district today while a hide-out of Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) was destroyed by security forces in Surankote tehsil of Poonch district. Shabbir Ahmed alias Abu Abrar son of Abdul Rashid R/o Bani, Tanta in Gandoh area was trapped by a joint team of police and security forces at Budhi, Gandoh this morning after developing an information about his presence in a dhok. Shabbir Ahmed was reportedly scheduled to meet some upper ground workers to strengthen outfit’s network in Gandoh when his hide-out was surrounded by police and security personnel. SSP Doda Manohar Singh said the militant was gunned down after one and a half hour long gun-battle. Security forces or police didn’t suffer any casualties in the operation. One AK-56 rifle, three magazines, one wireless set, 14 rounds, one pouch and some documents were recovered from the slain militant. Mr Singh said Shabbir Ahmed had earlier worked as a SPO with police and was posted at Thathri when he deserted the post on April 20, 2006 along with an official weapon, an AK rifle and its magazines, given to him. After deserting the police picket, Shabbir had joined Hizbul Mujahideen out and participated in several militant acts, mostly in Gandoh and Thathri areas of Doda district. He was involved in attacks on security forces. A case of desertion against him stood registered at Thathri police station under First Information Report (FIR) No. 13/06. A 17 year old boy Afzal son of Ghulam Hussain R/o Wuid, Kishtwar in Doda district, who had been kidnapped by the militants on October 25 and was being taken for arms training, was rescued by Army during a search operation at Koat, Kishtwar today. Afzal is being questioned. A 70 year old Pakistan national Bahadur Khan R/o Hilam Mira was apprehended by Army on Line of Control (LoC) which he had crossed inadvertently and entered into Indian territory.
SVO nabs Girdawar taking graft Excelsior Correspondent JAMMU, Nov 7: The State Vigilance Organisation (SVO) today arrested a Girdawar red-handed while accepting a gratification of Rs 1000 from a civilian for making OBC certificate of his two children. Official sources said Girdawar Kanshi Ram, posted in Mangal Dei Circle in Nowshera tehsil of Rajouri district, was taken into custody by a team of the SVO as soon as he accepted Rs 1000 from Kirpal Singh in presence of a Magistrate and witnesses. The Girdawar had already charged Rs 1500 for making the certificates. He was shifted here this evening. A case has been registered against him for further investigations. Raid was conducted under the supervision of SSP Vigilance Nissar Ahmed.
35 dead in a suicide attack at Pak army training camp Peshawar: A suicide attacker detonated a bomb at a Pakistan army training base in northwestern Pakistan today, killing at least 35 soldiers and wounding a number of others, army and government officials said. A security official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he is not authorised to speak to media, said the suicide attacker had struck the army's main training center in the high-security area of Dargai, a town about 100 kilometers north of Peshawar, the capital of North West Frontier Province. No one claimed responsibility for the attack. A government official and
an army general, both speaking on condition of anonymity,
confirmed the death toll and said the attack was a
suicide bombing. India rebuts Pak claim on self-determination in J&K UNITED NATIONS, Nov 8: India has firmly rejected Pakistani’s claim that people of Jammu and Kashmir have been denied the right to self-determination and said subversion should not be allowed to be promoted under the garb of any right in a UN member state. The Kashmiri people had exercised that right at the time of country’s Independence and have since repeatedly participated in free and fair elections, Bollywood actor Shatrughan Sinha, who is a member of an Indian delegation to the UN, said. In contrast, Pakistan continued to deny such opportunities to its people in the part of the State occupied by it, he told the UNGA’s Social, Humanitarian and Cultural Committee yesterday. Countering Pakistan’s contention of self-determination, Sinha, a Rajya Sabha member, said the reference to J&K was "irrelevant to the deliberations" which were meant to focus on the right of peoples to self-determination. But no right, including the right of self-determination, should be used as an instrument to promote "subversion and erode the political cohension or territorial integrity of member states of the UN," he said without naming Pakistan. Self-determination, he said, has long been recognised as the right of peoples of non-self governing colonies and trust territories to independence and self-Government. "Attempts continue to be made at the United Nations and elsewhere to reinvent some of the basic principles of the Charter, such as self-determination, and to apply them selectively for narrow political ends. Those who do so would do well to realise that such a reinterpretation may sweep their own countries into its vortex," he warned. (PTI) |
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A Train to Kashmir! A Dream Come True Srinagar : After decades of wait, a train has finally reached Kashmir via the 300-km Jammu-Srinagar national highway, pulled by a trailer-truck...And not on a rail track. For the people of Kashmir and the Indian Railways, it is a dream come true. But, they have to wait for some more time before the train starts to run on iron wheels or rail tracks. Hundreds of people were today lined up on both sides of the road between Qazigund and Khanabal to watch the Indian Railways perform the first of its kind exercise in its history as Joginder Singh, the driver of the trailer-truck, steered the vehicle pulling the two train coaches towards Srinagar. To meet the deadline of February next year for a train with eight bogeys to start running in Kashmir, the Northern Railways was faced with a tough task of transporting the train coaches to the Valley. Railway engineers had suggested three ways for transporting coaches to Kashmir. Firstly, it was decided to transport the coaches to the valley in a dismantled state, where these could be later assembled. However, it could not be done because of technical reasons. Secondly, it was proposed to airlift the coaches. However, the idea was promptly shelved because there is no plane in the country, which can carry train coaches and engines. Finally, it was decided to transport the coaches, each 23 meters long, through road. It was decided to replace the iron wheels with special rubber truck wheels and take the coaches/DMU (Diesel Multiple Unit) through the Jammu-Srinagar highway. In all 24 coaches -- two at a time -- plus two diesel engines will be transported from Jammu to Kashmir for running regular train services there from February 2007. The train would first run between Raj Winsher in the central Kashmir district of Badgam and Awantipora in south Kashmir's Pulwama district. Once the coaches reach the railway yard at Badgam in central Kashmir, their truck tyres will again be replaced by iron wheels for their normal run on rail tracks. Roads had been widened by cutting the corners wherever needed for the movement of this special vehicle fitted with 32-truck wheels and pulled by a 460-horse power and ten-wheel Volvo engine. The Railway was spending about Rs 15 lakh on the transportation of each coach to the valley and a leading transport company of the country was given the job. The trailer-truck had left for Srinagar from Jammu on October 31 and reached here after travelling for nine days at a speed of about 10 km per hour. It had crossed the 2.5 km Jawahar tunnel yesterday. The tyres were deflated before the Jawahar tunnel to enable the coaches to pass through it because these were higher by six inches. After crossing the tunnel, the tyres were again pumped with air. With this successful trial run of a broad-gauge rail coach/DMU on the road and not the rail track, a new chapter has been added in the history of Indian Railways. The transportation of the trial coach is part of the massive Jammu - Udhampur -Qazigund -Srinagar-Baramulla national rail project of Rs 4700 crore aimed at connecting the Kashmir valley with the railway network of mainland India. The project is managed by a professional organisation IRCON. In 1982, the Centre had given a green signal to construct a 287-km-long rail line between Jammu Tawi in Jammu to Baramulla in the Kashmir valley. To ensure that the work on the ambitious project was carried out speedily without any resource crunch, the Centre had declared it a National Rail Project. However, laying railway lines in Jammu and Kashmir, situated in the midst of the Himalayan mountain chain, was not easy and as the Railways started constructing the tracks as a separate project. Initially, rail lines were constructed from Jammu Tawi to Udhampur, which has now become operational. By February next year, Katra, the base camp for Vaishno Devi pilgrims, will also be linked through the rail route. However, the 148-km area from Katra to Qazigund lies in the Pir Panjal mountain ranges through which flows the turbulent Chenab and Ajni Khad rivers. As part of the project, the world's highest rail bridges have to be built on these rivers. It also includes construction of the country's longest tunnel -- 11.429-km-long -- in Pir Panjal. This is likely to be completed in 2008. Construction is being carried out on the 119-km-long rail line between Qazigund and Baramulla in the Valley, and this is relatively easier. Rail lines have already been laid from Kakapura to Badgam via Srinagar. A train yard has also been constructed in Badgam for starting train service from there. (UNI) |
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