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Budget session to be advanced NEW DELHI, Nov 8: Breaking from the tradition, the Jammu and Kashmir Government has opted for a January-December financial year, as against April-March in the country, and consequently would hold its budget session in January 2007. This was announced by State Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad after a two-hour long meeting with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who has given his nod for the proposal. "Normally in the State, the working season in the State began in March and April, which got affected due to the budget session and presentation of Finance Bill dragged till June of every year," Azad told reporters after the meeting. "Now, with the session being held in January, the allocation of funds for various ministries would be completed by March leaving enough time for implementation of plans of the State Government," the Chief Minister, who was flanked by State Finance Minister Tariq Hamid Qarra and other senior bureaucrats, said. Azad said the Prime Minister had directed the Finance Ministry as well as the Planning Commission to extend all the help to the State Government in implementation of the new proposal. With this, Jammu and Kashmir will be the only State in the country whose financial year will start on January one and run till December 31, while all other States as well as the Centre follow the April one to March 31 fiscal year. Azad said that an annual plan outlay of the State could be discussed with the Planning Commission in December only. If there are any changes due in the budgetary allocation of the Centre, the State would be holding a small safe end to adjust the suitable changes, he said. Ahead of his meeting with the Prime Minister, Mr Azad had held a meeting with the Finance Minister P Chidambaram on the same issue. Among other’s issues, Azad said PM also directed the Finance Ministry and Planning Commission to release Rs 150 crore towards the rehabilitation of victims of last year earthquake. The State Government’s request for extending the implementation of PM’s rehabilitation package J&K upto 2008 was also agreed by the PM at the meeting. Assistance of Rs 543 crore has already been provided to the State for immediate relief and temporary shelters. In the Power sector, it was decided to consider that Pakal Dul Hydro-electric project be taken up as part the State sector rather than through NHPC. The Prime Minister asked the Central Electricity Authority and the Union Power Ministry to provide adequate power for this winter in the Kashmir valley. Education was identified as an area deserving more attention and resources. The review meeting decided to include establishment of 10 new degree colleges and five new ITIs in the Reconstruction Plan. The State will be given special dispensation for Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan and provided Central share of funds to 90 per cent instead of 75 per cent. Earlier the top brass of the State administration led by Chief Secretary C. Phunsog met Planning Commission of India and informed it about the steps taken by the State Government for pre-ponement of state budget by the legislature which was accordingly appreciated by the Planning Commission.(Agencies) |
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42 killed in suicide attack on Pak army training camp ISLAMABAD, Nov 8: A suicide bomber killed 42 Pakistani soldiers at an Army training ground today in an attack the military said was linked to a bloody army assault on a militant camp last week. The blast, the most serious militant attack on the Pakistani military since it joined the U S-led war on terrorism, took place in the town of Dargai, in North West Frontier Province. It came nine days after security forces attacked a Madrasa, or religious school, in a nearby tribal area, killing 80 people, the biggest number of suspected militants killed in an assault. "The bomber wrapped a Chadar (cloak) around his body and came running into the training area and exploded himself where recruits had gathered for training," a military official said. The death toll rose to 42 after several wounded men died, said military spokesman Major-General Shaukat Sultan. Pakistan, a major U S ally, has been battling militants in its Northwest over the past few years. Hundreds of militants and members of the security forces have been killed. A prominent journalist in the area, Rahimullah Yusufzai, said he got a call from a man saying "Pakistani Taliban" carried out the attack in revenge for the Oct 30 raid on the Madrasa. The caller did not identify himself but said the bomber had taped a statement that would soon be released, Yusufzai said. Dargai, 130 km Northwest of the capital Islamabad, is a stronghold of the Tehrik-e-Nifaz-e-Shariat-e-Mohammadi (movement for the implementation of Mohammad’s Sharia law) militant group. The Group, which backs Afghanistan’s Taliban, was banned by the Government in 2002. Last week, security forces attacked the group’s school in the Bajaur tribal area about 40 km to the Northwest of Dargai, near the Afghan border. About 80 suspected militants were killed, authorities said. The group denied that militants were being trained at the school. Its supporters and local politicians said the attack was carried out by U S forces. Military spokesman Sultan said the suicide blast was linked to the attack on the Madrasa in Bajaur. "We can trace back the linkage with Bajaur. We have been receiving intelligence reports about militants being trained for such activities," he said. "Maulana Faqir has been clearly assisting them and recruiting them for terrorist activities," he said, referring to the group’s fugitive leader, Faqir Mohammad. The group launched a campaign in the 1990s to enforce Taliban-style rules in the area and sent thousands of tribesmen to Afghanistan to fight alongside the Taliban following the U S-led invasion in 2001. The Army recruits had gathered to rest after finishing a training session when the bomber struck, a resident said. The training ground was littered with body parts, military caps and shoes, witnesses said. Soldiers were later seen picking up pieces of flesh and filling in a crater left by the blast. President Pervez Musharraf told a meeting of Ministers and various Members of Parliament extremism and terrorism were critical problems and his Government was determined to eliminate them, the Information Ministry said. "We have to deal with it very forcefully," the Ministry quoted Musharraf as saying. (REUTERS) |
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A train to Kashmir! A dream comes true SRINAGAR, Nov 8: 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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HM ultra shot dead by LeT cadre Excelsior Correspondent JAMMU, Nov 8: Security forces and police tonight gunned down three top Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) militants, all ‘commanders’ at Draman in Gandoh area of Doda district while LeT ultras clashed with Hizbul Mujahideen activists at Ghuroo, Gandoh early this morning in which a top Hizbul Mujahideen ultra was killed. Security forces recovered 10 kg RDX in Thathri and a consignment of explosives in Banihal. SSP Doda Manohar Singh said Doda police and Army launched a search operation at Draman, Gandoh at 4 pm after developing an information that three top Lashkar ‘commanders’ were meeting in the house of LeT ‘area commander’ Shabir Ahmed alias Abu Bakar son of Mohd Subhan Wani. The house was surrounded. A contact with the militants was established at 6 pm. The militants were killed at 9 pm after a heavy exchange of gunbattle for three hours. Security forces or police didn’t suffer any casualties. Bodies of two LeT ‘commanders’ including Shabir Ahmed in whose house the encounter took place have been recovered from the spot. Second militant has been identified as Ashiq Hussain, a ‘section commander’ son of Abdul Qayoom Mir R/o Tanta, Gandoh. Official sources said body of third militant hasn’t been recovered so far but he was believed to be Saifullah, also an ‘area commander’ of the outfit. Searches were going on in the area till late tonight to recover Saifullah’s body. Recoveries made from the scene of encounter include one AK rifle with three magazines and one SLR with three magazines. More recoveries were expected to be made from the spot tomorrow morning, sources said. In another incident, a top Hizbul ultra Gul Nawaz Shah alias Abu Hamza son of Ghulam Mohd Shah R/o Jora, Gandoh was killed in exchange of firing between Lashkar and Hizbul militants at Chohan Wali Ghat in Ghuroo area of Gandoh in Doda this morning. After the clash, activists of both the group fled away from the spot. The LeT militants took away with them Shah’s AK rifle with them. Police and security forces rushed to the spot and have launched a search operation for militants of the two outfits. Sources said Shah was earlier working with LeT outfit but had sometime back switched over to Hizbul Mujahideen as he was virtually rendered to a coolie by foreign mercenaries of Lashkar cadre. Since then Shah was being searched by Lashkar militants and was finally killed this morning. Shah was a dreaded militant and was surviving for last six to seven years. His body has been handed over to his family for performing last rites. Army today recovered 10 kg RDX hidden between boulders and wrapped in polythene on outskirts of Thathri in Doda. No arrests were made from the spot, sources said. Troops destroyed a hide-out of the militants at Badi Naal in Banihal tehsil of Ramban police district and recovered one 12 bore single barrel gun, 125 AK rounds, two UBGL grenades, two Chinese hand grenades, one remote control IED receiver and one binocular. |
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Rs 1.60 cr embezzlement established
by SVO By Sanjeev Pargal JAMMU, Nov 8: The State Vigilance Organisation (SVO) has completed investigations in much publicised rural electrification scam in Baramulla and Anantnag districts in which more than a dozen senior officers are involved. Nearly Rs 1.60 crore have been embezzled in rural electrification of some parts of the two districts in Kashmir, investigations completed by a high level team of the SVO revealed. The Vigilance Organisation has sent the case to State Government for obtaining necessary sanction to prosecute the Government officers against whom charges of misappropriation have been established. Vigilance Commissioner Dr Ashok Bhan told the Excelsior that investigations in rural electrification scam, which had been rated by the SVO as among few important cases taken up for investigations, have been completed. "Out of Rs 2 crore allotted for electrification of some rural areas of Baramulla and Anantnag districts, only Rs 40 lakh appeared to have been spent and rest misappropriated by the officers", Dr Bhan said. Among the accused officers include a former Director of Rural Development Department (RDD) Kashmir, who has already been dismissed from services, Assistant Commissioners, Executive Engineers and Block Development Officers (BDOs) etc. Charges against the officers have been established through evidence collected by the SVO. The SVO has also completed investigations in some other important cases including disproportionate assets case of Kiran Wattal, former Executive Engineer, Jammu Municipal Corporation (Rs 80 lakh), Purshotam Girdawar of Udhampur (Rs 1 crore), Mohd Ramzan Nadaf, Executive Engineer (Rs 1.39 crore), Sher Mohd Khan, former Executive Engineer, Doda (Rs 1 crore), Ashwani Kumar, AE (Rs 50 lakh), Hakim Mukhtiar Ahmed, Range Officer (Rs 1 crore), Abdul Rashid Haji, Mechanical Engineer (several lakhs), Manzoor Ahmed Dar, Executive Engineer (Rs 35 lakh), Abdul Hamid Shawl, Executive Engineer, Bijbehara (Rs 3 crore) and Shamas-ud-Din Koka, former Chief Engineer (misappropriation of funds). Investigations in all these cases have been completed and they are ready for challan. It may be mentioned here that investigations in some cases have been completed within a time period of two months, which was a record in the history of Vigilance Organisation. The Vigilance Organisation was now more concentrating on conduits, who were working for "some corrupt officers", collecting money on their behalf and handing over them in places other than their offices and houses to escape Vigilance raids. With intensification of drive against corruption, both by the State Government and the Vigilance Organisation, the "corrupt officers" have also changed their strategy, sources said, adding a new strategy has been adopted by the SVO to take on them. Efforts were also on to spread the Vigilance drive in rural areas as majority of traps and cases registered earlier pertained to two capital cities. "Now complaints have started pouring in from far off areas and we are acting on them", the Vigilance Commissioner said. Vigilance officers had already been directed to visit all districts of the State every month to take complaints of corruption, he added.
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Jail Supdt held hostage, rescued
Hai’s arrest Excelsior Correspondent JAMMU, Nov 8: Pakistan and Kashmiri militants today again clashed inside high security Kot Bhalwal jail late this afternoon after Jail Superintendent Sheikh Abdul Rashid was held hostage by a couple of Pak ultras inside a barrack demanding release of their colleague Abdul Hai, who was detained by the CID for questioning in connection with recovery of mobile telephones from inside the jail premises few days back. In the clash, a former Hizbul Mujahideen militant Ashraf Parray Ilyas, a resident of Pulwama, was injured after he was hit on his nose by a Pakistani militant Zafar Jamali. Official sources said the clash took place inside barrack No. 17 of block No. 9 when Zafar Jamali and his Pakistani associates including Aijaz Khokhar called the Jail Superintendent for talks when he was watching a cricket match being played among the detenues at 4.55 pm. The Jail Superintendent went to meet Pakistani detenues in nearby barrack No. 17 where he was held hostage. The Pakistani detenues started shouting slogans like "Abdul Hai to Wapas Lao" (bring Abdul Hai back) and "Jail Superintendent Kafir Hai" (Jail Superintendent is traitor). Abdul Hai, a Pakistani militant hailing from Jung in Punjab province, is among four detenues arrested by the CID (Counter Intelligence) after the recovery of two mobile telephones from inside the jail premises. As the report of Jail Superintendent being held hostage spread, local militants from Kashmir, Rajouri and Poonch including yesteryears top Hizbul commander General Moosa, Billal Siddiqui (JKLF) Altaf Mohd Choudhary (HM militant from Rajouri), Ashraf Parray Ilyas from Pulwama and Altaf Ahmed-II from Poonch rushed to the break and clashed with Pakistani ultras. The Jail Superintendent was rescued by Jail Staff and local militants at 5.30 pm. In the clash, Ashraf Parray Ilyas sustained injuries on his nose and was given first-aid inside the jail premises. Entire drama lasted 35 minutes after which the jail staff segregated local militants and foreign mercenaries and sent them to barracks. Sources said a complaint of clash inside the jail premises hasn’t been lodged with police by the jail authorities. The Jail Superintendent has, however, asked jail staff including security to be alert and maintain extra ordinary vigil on the militants. |
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India rebuts Pak claim on self-determination 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 people's 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 people's 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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US dividing Muslims over Saddam: Farooq JAMMU, Nov 8: National Conference patron and former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah today accused the United States (US) and the Western world of dividing Muslims over death penalty to deposed Iraqi President Saddam Hussein. Talking to mediapersons here this evening in a ‘Diwali and Eid Milan’ programme, he said the situation in Iraq was much better under the regime of Saddam than what it has become now. "Under Saddam Hussein Iraq was peaceful and the people were happy but after the US invasion the circumstances have changed for worse," he said. "The US war on global terrorism was taking a definite shape and the ground reality is that ‘one does not know what will happen within next 24 hours", he said. Strongly flaying the militancy, he said in the name of Islam and Jehad militant groups and separatists had amassed fortune. They received enormous funds from across the border for creating unrest and violence which had led to death and destruction, he added. He lambasted separatists for encouraging those who had indulged in violence and asked, "does Islam permit such acts?’’ Governor Lt Gen (Retd) SK Sinha and other dignitaries participated in the function.(UNI) |
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Excelsior Correspondent JAMMU, Nov 8: A FIR has been registered against suspended SHO of Darhal Farooq Ahmed and a suspended Sub Inspector Bashir Ahmed for torture to a civilian Ghulam Qadir in custody of Darhal police station in Rajouri district. SSP Rajouri Farooq Khan said the FIR was registered against the suspended SHO and Sub Inspector after it was established during a preliminary probe that they had tortured Farooq Ahmed in custody. The SHO was suspended on November 5 when Ghulam Qadir was brought to District Hospital Rajouri on the intervention of DC Rajouri Pervez Malik and SSP Farooq Khan. Qadir was last night referred to Government Medical College Jammu, where he was operated upon, GMC Medical Superintendent Dr Vinod Gupta said describing condition of the patient as stable. Dr Gupta said Ghulam Qadir was operated for contusion in gluteal region with perianal abscess. He was responding to the treatment, he added. SPO Basharat Ahmed has been arrested in Darhal in a separate case of teasing a woman and not in connection with torture, Mr Khan said. |
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Major fire in NHPC Kargil office Excelsior Correspondent JAMMU, Nov 8: A major fire broke out in the office complex of National Hydro-electric Power Corporation (NHPC) at Chutuk project, about eight kms from Kargil this morning reducing a portion of the office virtually to ashes. Eight to 10 rooms of the NHPC office including a conference hall were destroyed in the blaze that erupted at 11 am, SSP Kargil Gareeb Dass said. He said the Fire Brigades were rushed to the spot as soon as the fire was noticed. Fire tenders fought for more than three hours to control sky-rocketing flames. However, there was no loss of life or injuries to anyone in the devastating fire. Apparent reason behind the fire was stated to be short circuit but investigations were on, the SSP said, adding exact loss caused by the fire is also being ascertained. |
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Patwari's assets worth lakhs detected Excelsior Correspondent JAMMU, Nov 8: The State Vigilance Organisation has registered a case of possession of disproportionate assets against Ghulam Hassan Sofi, Patwari Halqa Gogo, Budgam. Official sources said the SVO had received complaints alleging that Sofi was indulging in corrupt practices and had raised huge assets disproportionate to his known sources of income which include a house and annexe constructed on two kanals of land at Kremshore, Budgam. The SVO sleuths started a search of his palatial house at Kremshore this morning which revealed that three storey concrete house was having a double storey annexe and a shop line comprising six shops. It had three kitchens and was fitted with household gadgetry besides being furnished with carpets. Approximate value of the house was Rs 45 lakh, sources said adding it was built in more than two kanals of land, which valued between Rs 8 lakh to Rs 10 lakh. Search of the house also revealed that the Patwari had purchased over 17 kanals of land worth more than Rs 35 lakh. Documents such as insurance policies worth Rs 2.50 lakh and bank deposits of Rs 4.5 lakh have also been recovered from his house. Information about some bank accounts is being verified. 115 grams of gold was also recovered from his house, sources said. |
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Woman, militant killed in Valley Excelsior Correspondent SRINAGAR, Nov 8: While security forces have killed a militant in Handwara area, militants have shot dead a middle-aged woman in Sopore area of north Kashmir. Informed sources said that security forces have killed one unidentified militant in an operation at Drangiyari in Handwara area. In north Kashmir again, militants appeared in Warpora, 8 Km from Sopore, and they short dead a 50-year-old woman, namely Raja w/o Mohammad Yusuf Mir. Sources said that on the day of arrival of the first rail coach in Kashmir valley today, militants caused an IED near the railway track at Gulzarpora in Awantipore area of south Kashmir. Their obvious target was a paramilitary patrol. Even as all soldiers of the CRPF patrol escaped unhurt in the blast, a civilian watchman, namely Abdus Salam Bhat of Rishipora, sustained injuries. He was rushed to a hospital. Militants caused another IED at Kehlil in Tral area. However, there was no damage. Hizbul Mujahideen has claimed to have killed six soldiers in the twin blasts. Police sources insisted that only one person sustained injuries. Army busted a militant hideout last night and seized two rocket projectile guns, two AK assault rifle magazines and 103 rounds of ammunition, six IEDs and electric detonators. Meanwhile, four suspected militants have been arrested in Baramulla district of Jammu and Kashmir, police said today. They were arrested by security forces from a forward village in Uri sector, 100 kms from here, last night, it said. The four, whose names were not disclosed, were later handed over to the local police for questioning.
Kashmiris gaze in wonder as train chugs on road SRINAGAR: ''Is this the train?'' asked 72-year-old Hajra Begum as she looked agape at two rail coaches being pulled by a trailer-truck and chugging on the Srinagar-Jammu national highway on its way to the Badgam yard for being placed on the track. Hajra Begum is among several hundred Kashmiris who have never seen a train in their lifetime. In fact, she has never come out of her village. Today early morning, Hajra Begum along with her neighbours and relatives had lined up on both sides of the road at Lethpora, a small hamlet lying on the national highway in Pulwama district of south Kashmir, to see this ''unbelievable sight''. ''We had heard that the train would be passing through our village early in the morning. I was so excited to see the train that I finished all the household chores immediately after morning prayers at dawn to be ready to see this rare spectacle,'' she said. ''I have only heard about the trains from my grandsons who go out of the state for their livelihood during winters. They had asked me several times to accompany them, but I don't want to leave my house at the fag end of my life....I want to die here only,'' she added. And 77-year-old Ghulam Mohammad of the same village was struck by surprise. Though having visited Srinagar and other areas of Kashmir during his lifetime, he had never gone out of the Valley and has no desire to do so. ''I knew that the train is coming to Kashmir and will make the distance between Jammu and Srinagar easier and shorter. But, I had never heard that the train would chug on the road. That is why when my friends told me that the train would pass through our village, I was surprised and wondered how it was possible,'' he said. Ghulam Mohammad had made himself comfortable on the roadside and did not allow anybody to block his view to watch the Indian Railways perform the first of its kind exercise in its history. And as Joginder Singh, the driver of the trailer-truck, steered the vehicle pulling the two train coaches towards Srinagar, Ghulam Mohammad waved at him vigorously with his gnarled hands. ''This is incredible. Now, I have come to know how the train was chugging on the road and not on the track,'' he said after seeing the coaches fitted with tyres being pulled by a trailer-truck. Hundreds of residents of Lethpora and several other villages along the national highway, who had gathered early this morning, were dumbfounded to see this unique and incredible spectacle. For the people of Kashmir and the Indian Railways, it is a dream come true. It was after decades of wait that a train has finally reached Kashmir, but they have to wait for some more time before it actually starts running on iron wheels or rail tracks. To meet the deadline of February next year for a train to start running in Kashmir, the Northern Railways was faced with a tough task of transporting about eight coaches to the Valley. Railway engineers had suggested three ways for transporting coaches to Kashmir. Firstly, it was decided to transport these 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 finally decided to replace the iron wheels with special rubber truck wheels and take the coaches/DMU (Diesel Multiple Unit) through the 300-km 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 on Tuesday. 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 the train service from there. (UNI )
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