India wants stability in Pak: NSA
Infiltration may increase from sea, other routes

ON BOARD PM’s SPECIAL AIRCRAFT, Nov 11: Viewing with "concern" the situation in Pakistan, India today said it had tightened security at its borders with the strife-torn country as it feared infiltration by militants.

New Delhi favoured stability in Pakistan and hoped the "transition" there would be peaceful.

"We are very worried about what is happening in Pakistan. We are concerned. We have tightened our borders tremendously and are on our guard," National Security Adviser M K Narayanan told journalists accompanying Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on his two-day visit to Russia.

He said India will not lower its guard and take all steps to check infiltration.

Commenting on the prevailing situation in Pakistan, Narayanan said the Prime Minister has consistently maintained that India wants a stable Pakistan.

"We want a stable Pakistan but more importantly an unstable Pakistan means increased problems and aggravated militancy within our borders," he said.

Answering questions on Pakistan developments, Foreign Secretary Shiv Shankar Menon said India hoped the transition in Pakistan will be peaceful.

Menon said India would like to carry forward the Indo-Pak peace process.

"There have been improvements in Indo-Pak relations in the last two-three years. This process we will like to carry forward to its logical conclusion," he said.

Narayanan said tightening of security along the Indo-Pak border and Line of Control will not suffice. "There are sea borders and various other borders with other countries and the possibility that there would be increased infiltration across these various borders loom large in our perception," he said.

"As a matter of fact for the last two weeks, we have seen an increase in the intensity of militancy in Jammu and Kashmir. We are proud that there was a decline in militancy as compared to previous year, but two-three bad incidents and it has put clamp to some extent on our determination to reduce that truce level,’’ the National Security Adviser added. He said no effort would be spared in enhancing security at the border.

Foreign Secretary Shivshanker Menon expressed the hope that the political transition in Pakistan would be carried out in a peaceful manner. However, he made it clear that only the people of the country will decide what kind of governance to want.

"Our hope is that the transition in Pakistan is peaceful but how and who would rule the country is for the people of Pakistan to decide," Mr Menon, who is also part of the high-level delegation accompanying the Prime Minister, said. Mr Menon exuded confidence that the ongoing peace process between India and Pakistan would not be affected and it will reach its "logical conclusion".

"For us the process of improvement in bilateral relations that has started three-four years back should be taken forward to its logical conclusion," he said. (AGENCIES)

Sopore encounter ends; 2 LeT fidayeen, jawan killed

Excelsior Correspondent

SRINAGAR, Nov 11: Two ‘Fidayeen’ of Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT), who were holed up in a hotel at apple rich Sopore town in Baramulla district for the past three days, were killed by security forces.

A police spokesman said a CRPF jawan was also killed and six other security personnel wounded in the gun-fight.

He said the slain militants were identified as Abu Osama Zeeshan alias Qasim, of Leh district in North Western Frontier Province of Pakistan and Abu Talha alias Janbaz Mumtaz Ullah, of district Meanwali, Pakistan.

Two AK assault rifles, two magazines and two pouches were also recovered from the site of encounter, the spokesman added. However, for security reasons, security forces were still searching the area, a CRPF spokesman said.

He said fire-fight began early today when security forces tried to storm the area, where the militant was hiding in the hotel.

He said at 0930 hrs the second Fidayeen (member of a suicide squad) was also killed. The first Fidayeen was killed on the first day of the operation on November 8.

The spokesman said the operation pro-longed as security forces did not want to cause damage to the hotel.

Senior officials, including Inspector General of CRPF for Kashmir Range M S Gupta, remained present on the spot during the operation.

He said there were about 16 rooms in the three-storey hotel and the holed up militants were often changing their positions.

On November 8 afternoon, a small hut near the hotel was damaged in the encounter.

Six security personnel were injured in the gun-battle, the spokesman said.

He said in order to avoid civilian casualties, security forces exercised restrain and did not return the fire till all those present in the hotel were rescued by the CRPF and the Special Operation Group (SOG) of State Police.

He said immediately after the rescue operation, security forces also retaliated and killed one of the militants.

IGP Kashmir S M Sahai camped at Sopore for three days supervising the entire operation. Sources said the operation lasted three days as police and security forces wanted to avoid collateral damage.

Police and security forces first evacuated people from their houses and ensured that there was minimum damage to property and no civilian casualties. The operation was prolonged but it was ensured that all civilians in the area were taken to safety before targeting the militants, sources said, describing the operation as clean.

A spokesman of the LeT Abdullah Gaznavi, however, said that the two holed up LeT militants have managed to escape from the hotel, while two others were fighting the troops.

He claimed that about 15 security forces personnel were killed or wounded in the encounter.

This was the second pro-longed encounter in north Kashmir during the past one week. In a three-day-long encounter, which ended on November 9 afternoon, five LeT foreign militants and four soldiers, including Major Virender Singh were killed and more than a dozen houses were gutted.

Meanwhile, a Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) jawan was killed when militants ambushed a Road Opening Party (ROP) in Sopore.

Official sources said militants fired upon the ROP of 177 Battalion of CRPF near Channakhan Bridge, in Sopore town of this district.

Security forces retaliated and in the ensuring encounter, one CRPF jawan Yumana Rumio was killed. However, militants managed to escape from the scene, the sources said.

A massive hunt has been launched to nab the militants.

A Bofors shell was found in a village in Anantnag district where a massive fire destroyed in an Army Ordnance Depot three months ago, a police spokesman said today.

The shell was found at Moominabad village last evening. It was later destroyed by the Bomb Disposal Squad.

Militant gunned down in Rajouri
6 yr old boy, Cong worker killed by ultras

Excelsior Correspondent

JAMMU, Nov 11: Two civilians including a 6 year old boy and a Congress activist were killed by militants in Rajouri and Kishtwar districts since last evening while security forces eliminated a militant at Narla Bambal in Dharamsal area of Rajouri today.

In a brutal incident, the militants slit throat of a 6 year old son of a Territorial Army jawan Mohd Rafiq Gujjar in his house at village Hubbi, Koteranka in Kandi area of Rajouri district at 10 am today.

The boy, Aijaz Rafiq was playing along with his cousin outside the house in the morning. At about 10 am, he went inside. He was alone in the house at that time as his father was on duty while the mother had gone out in the fields.

The militants appeared to have entered the house and beheaded the boy finding him alone. They escaped from the house. An hour later, the boy’s cousin spotted his body in the house and raised an alarm. Local people rushed to the house and sounded security forces and police.

Police parties from Kandi and security forces rushed to the spot. SP Rajouri T R Katoch also reached the village this afternoon.

Sources said Mohd Rafiq’s brother had also been killed by the militants in August last year.

Police and security forces have cordoned off the area and launched a hunt for the militants involved in gruesome killing. Sources said local villagers have strongly resented the killing.

A Congress activist and formerly a Panchayat member, Manzoor Ahmed son of Ibrahim Sheikh was kidnapped by the militants from his house at Budhar Naka in Bunjwah area of Kishtwar district last night.

The militants whisked away the Congress worker to a nearby isolated area where he was killed. His body was recovered from Patnak Gali, about one kilometer from his house, this morning.

Police have sent the body for post-mortem.

A joint team of police and troops of 54 Rashtriya Rifles gunned down a militant at Narla Bambal under the jurisdiction of Dharamsal police station in Rajouri district this evening.

Sources said an operation was launched by police and security forces at Narla Bambal this morning after people observed movement of two militants in the village and sounded the security personnel.

The militants lobbed grenades on security forces from a dhok where they were hiding. In retaliatory firing, one of the militant, whose identity has not been established so far, was killed while his associate managed to escape. A search was on for the absconding militant.

One damaged .303 rifle, one pistol, 2 hand grenades and some incriminating documents were recovered from the scene of encounter.

The .303 rifle appeared to have been snatched by the militants from a VDC member earlier.

In a search operation in Gulabgarh forests of Dharamsal area, police busted two hide-outs of the militants and recovered four grenades, 90 AK rounds, three AK magazines, one wireless antenna, 30 pistol rounds, 20 dry batteries and one AK Butt.

Court frames charges in Kishenganga scandal

SRINAGAR, Nov 11:A local court here framed charges against the accused in the multi-crore Kishenganga Power Project scam.

The scam related to the embezzlement of crores of rupees after which the 330 mw mega project, was abandoned.

The accused included eight former Chief Engineers, Executive Engineers and 135 Contractors.

In his judgement, District and Sessions Judge Syed Tariq Ahmad Naqshbandi said from the records seized during the investigations, particularly reports of experts and statements of witnesses, the involvement of all the public servants and contractors arraigned as the accused in the charge-sheet was quite evident.

"There are sufficient grounds for presuming that all surviving accused have prima facie committed offences punishable under the Jammu and Kashmir Prevention of Corruption Act, 2006. The accused in the case will now have to face trial," the Judge said.

It was in 1992 when the Jammu and Kashmir Government, in order to overcome the acute power shortage in the State, asked the National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC) to undertake a survey for the Kishenganga Hydroelectric Power Project.

The survey was completed in the same year and subsequently in 1992-93, the project was transferred and taken over by the State.

The State Government later handed it over to the Power Development Corporation (PDC), which had to construct a power project at Kralpora Bandipora and a dam in Gurez. This would have enabled the dam water to flow into Kralpora through a tunnel.

The State Government asked the PDC to macadamise and widen the road from Sumbal to Sunderwani for carrying construction material and heavy machines to the dam site.

The dam site was connected between Bandipora and Srinagar by 60 km all-weather road and 85 km from Bandipora to Gurez, which remains snowbound from November to May.

Interestingly, the PDC had allotted about 1222 works in the Rs 1500 crore project to different contractors.

The Vigilance Organisation took suo moto cognizance of the alleged fraud and started investigations, which were completed in 10 months and a charge-sheet of 74 pages was filed in the court.

During investigations, the Vigilance revealed that the PDC had issued two tenders for each work in newspapers with negligible circulation, saying it was "manipulation and sham".

The Vigilance Organisation claimed that even the then Chief Engineer had issued a notice that walls should be constructed wherever necessary, thus "opening gates for corrupt practice and throwing Financial Code of Conduct to winds," the court said.

During investigations, the PDC claimed it had executed 1222 works. But, when Vigilance officials made an on-the-spot inspection, only 157 works were on record and only 48 among these found genuine.

The probe further revealed that the Roads and Building Department had taken up the construction work of Papchaan bridge in Bandipora, which collapsed soon after the completion.

When the Roads and Building Department refused to pay the money to the contractor concerned, he approached the PDC and the money was subsequently released to him.

During investigations, it was found that works to the tune of Rs 1,15,206 lakh were shown executed without tenders and an amount of Rs 1581 lakh spent on 1222 works from 1992 to 1997.

In a criminal conspiracy, documents were fabricated to create false liabilities to defraud the State and an illegal expenditure of Rs 1481 lakh allegedly incurred.

The then Executive Engineer M J Buch managed to continue even after being transferred from the project on December 10, 1993, which caused enormous loss to the State exchequer.

On April 4, 1994, when Buch demitted office, he showered undue favours and allegedly allotted as many as 95 works involving Rs one crore and subsequently payments were made by his successors as part of the criminal conspiracy.

Some of the senior officers accused in the case were the then PDC Chief Engineers Sheikh Mushtaq Ahmad, Ghulam Nabi Shah, G M Kanth, Mohammad Shafi Hakak, Sheikh Abdul Hafiz and B A Ganjoo, and the then Executive Engineer Ejaz Rasool and B A Illahi.

On January 13, 1997, the Vigilance Organisation registered a case against 216 accused, including 54 public servants such as Chief Engineers, Financial Officers, Executive Engineers and Clerks, and produced a charge-sheet against them in 1998.

The court ordered that charges be framed against all surviving accused. However, keeping in mind the large number of accused, the court said it would not be possible to frame charges in one go.

The court further ordered the case should come up for trial on day-to-day basis for framing the charges in a batch of 25 accused. It said the charges against the first batch of 25 accused should be framed on November 26. (UNI)

HC asks CB to probe multi-crore bag scam

SRINAGAR, Nov 11: The State High Court has directed the Crime Branch to constitute a special team to probe the multi-crore gunny bag scam in the State.

The court said the case was of "great public interest" as a loss of Rs 3.50 crore was caused to the State exchequer in a span of just 13 months with the shortfall of about 33 lakh gunny bags.

"Crores of rupees were being shrouded in dark corners of godowns not noticeable to the public eye. In a month, more than one lakh gunny bags had gone missing. It is extremely surprising that such a colossal loss to the State exchequer had gone unnoticed," it added.

A single bench of Justice Bashir Ahmad Kirmani directed the Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution Department (CAPD) to provide all assistance to the Crime Branch.

The court also directed the CAPD to furnish details of all Directors who had served on the post from January 2005 to November 2007 and other officials who were concerned with Managing, Inspecting and Administering the godown.

The petitioners, posted as Assistant Storekeepers at Gulab Bagh godown, were aggrieved over an official communication of July 20, 2007 in which more than Rs 3.66 crore had been deducted from their personal accounts following shortfall of thousands of gunny bags.

The petitioners had also challenged their suspension order passed by the then Director on July 20, 2007.

The petitioners, through their counsels, pleaded that they should not be held responsible for the shortfall as they had been requesting the authorities concerned to sell the empty gunny bags.

They further pleaded that since gunny bags do not remain usable after three years, the department had faulted while stock taking and fixation of liability on them was wrong.

"In case of accepted shortfalls, all those officials who were in charge from time to time should be also held responsible," they contended and claimed that the department has repeatedly flouted the norm of stock checking required to be done after every six months.

The CAPD filed its reply through State Advocate General Altaf Hussain Naik who pleaded the department had two godowns at Lethapora and Gulab Bagh, the charge of which was with the petitioners.

From January 2005 to July 2007, he said 1,67,238 gunny bags had been sold while 59 lakh stocked at Gulab Bagh for which tenders were invited in March 2005 and then in December 2005.

The auction was finally conducted on March 29, 2005 and March 29, 2006, Mr Naik said, adding around 48,91,930 gunny bags should have been available at the Gulab Bagh store on January 31, 2007.

After perusal of records and hearing of arguments, the court said the entire matter required to be thoroughly investigated so that all the people directly or indirectly involved in the scam be brought to book and the losses recovered from them.

The bench admitted the petition for hearing with directions to the Advocate General to file a counter affidavit within six weeks.

However, the court stayed the order of deducting over Rs 3.50 crore from the personal account of the petitioners and directed the capd to register a case with the Crime Branch within one week. (UNI)

Another cyber crime unearthed, CA cheated
*Case goes to CB’s Cyber Cell

By Sanjeev Pargal

JAMMU, Nov 11: Another international cyber lottery scam has surfaced in the State. This time the victim is a Chartered Accountant from Hyderpora, Srinagar.

Investigations being carried out by the Crime Branch in second cyber lottery scam in the State in less than six months revealed that a lottery on the name of ‘Software Lottery Award’ was introduced by the scamsters on internet.

Rashid Duloo, a Chartered Accountant and a resident of Hyderpora, Srinagar was recently informed on his e-mail that he had won a lottery worth 5 lakh Great Britain pounds, official sources said.

"You are very lucky. You have won 5 lakh Great Britain pounds (nearly Rs 1.5 crore in Indian currency). You will get your reward money by courier. What you have to do is to pay meager charges as processing fee to take home the prize", Duloo was informed on his e-mail with these words by the fake lottery operators.

As Duloo responded and asked for completion of formalities, he was told by the cheat to deposit Rs 40,950 in ICICI bank’s account (number withheld by the investigating agency in view of investigations). The account holder’s name has, however, been detected as Khan Nargis Ahmed, which appeared to be a fictitious one, sources said.

A day after the deposit of "processing fee", Duloo was again informed on his e-mail that the fee has been increased by the company running the lottery and that he will have to deposit Rs 30,000 more in the same account.

As Duloo spoke to his friend, he was told that he has been cheated and that lottery racket was part of cyber crime. Later, he lodged a complaint with Crime Branch, Kashmir.

Sources said IGP Crime and Railways, J&K, Dilbagh Singh has handed over investigations of the lottery scam to newly formed Cyber Cell, Crime Branch, Jammu.

Investigations have revealed that within few minutes after Duloo deposited Rs 40,950 in ICICI bank’s Residency Road branch in Srinagar, the cash had been withdrawn by the racketeers. Balance in the account was found nil.

Several e-mails dropped on the address of fake lottery operators by the victim as well as Cyber Cell of Crime Branch were not responded. While the bank account holder’s identity appeared to be fake, his address has been obtained by Cyber Cell. However, sources said, it appeared that the account too had been opened on a fake address.

This is the first case from Kashmir valley which has been handed over to Cyber Cell for investigations. Three cases of Cyber Crime from Jammu were being investigated by Cyber Cell while some more complaints have poured in.

Few months back, an RS Pura youth, Gursharan Singh was also cheated in similar modus operandi adopted by the fictitious international lottery operators. As Gursharan Singh continued to deposit money as asked by the scamsters, he too realised that he had been cheated but not before he had deposited more than Rs 1 lakh in a bank account.

Gursharan’s case is also being investigated by Cyber Cell. In his cases, it was initially observed that the lottery scam was being operated from Switzerland but subsequent investigations by Cyber Cell have revealed that the scam had its origin in Nigeria, a South African country and was being carried out by Saroj Paul, a Non Resident Indian (NRI).

Earlier, Paul was a resident of Mumbai but now he used to shift countries quite often to get detected by the Interpol, which has been alerted for his arrest.

Sources didn’t rule out the possibility of Paul or his associates being responsible for the lottery scam in which the Kashmir CA has been cheated. Further investigations in the case were in progress.

Cabinet expansion shortly

Excelsior Correspondent

JAMMU, Nov 11: Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad is likely to expand his Council of Ministers soon. Scheduled Castes (SCs), Kashmiri Pandits and a representative from Kishtwar district are likely to find a berth in the Ministry.

Authoritative sources said the Congress is keen to fill its quota of three vacancies (one Cabinet rank and two Ministers of State) in the Ministry shortly. As far as the PDP is concerned, the party will submit its list to the Chief Minister.

Speaker Tara Chand is likely to be inducted as a Cabinet Minister to give representation to the SCs. Congress MLA from Inderwal and Vice Chairman, Social Welfare Advisory Board, Ghulam Mohd Saroori is likely to get a berth in the Ministry as a MoS to give representation to Kishtwar district. Khem Lata Wakhloo, a nominated MLA, appeared to be the front runner from KP slot.

Congress MLC Arvinder Singh Mickey is expected to be the new Deputy Chairman of Legislative Council, a post presently lying vacant.

Parties gear up for Poonch bypoll

Excelsior Correspondent

JAMMU, Nov 11: While the National Conference party high command may toss between the two favourites- Ejaz Jan, the son of late Poonch MLA GM Jan and Dr Shehnaz Ganai, Yash Pal Sharma emerges as the strong Congress contender for the Poonch Assembly constituency by-elections.

The by-elections for the Poonch Assembly constituency, which fell vacant after the death of National Conference MLA G M Jan recently, is scheduled to be held on December 12, 2007. The Election Commission authorities have announced the last date for filing nominations for Poonch by-elections as November 23. November 26 has been declared as the date of scrutiny of nomination papers whereas, a formal notification for holding by-elections in Poonch will be issued by the J&K Election authorities on Nov 16.

According to Party sources, after the death of G M Jan, National Conference supremo, Dr Farooq Abdullah who himself led the funeral procession (Janaza) of Late MLA, had kept the turban on the head of young Ezaj Jan, shouldering the responsibility of his father on the young son and had asked the mammoth gathering to support young Jan in his political career.

Young Dr Shehnaz Ganai, another strong candidate, is the daughter of Late Ghulam Ahmed Ganai, a former legislator from Poonch and a former Minister in NC Government. The sources said that Dr Ganai, on the advise of Dr Farooq Abdullah resigned from the Government job and started working in Poonch constituency, which was once nurtured by her late father. She has been organizing several rallies in all the blocks of Poonch and managed to garner massive public support. Bashir Naz (MLC) is also one of the strong contenders for the Party mandate.

Sources in the Congress Party indicated that Yash Pal Sharma, who lost the elections in 2002 with a narrow margin of just 346 votes to G M Jan, is one of the strong contenders among the Congress candidates. The two other candidates who may claim for the ticket are Jahangir Mir, a nephew of former Congress minister GM Mir Poonchi and advocate Yunis Chauhan.

BJP turns Bangalore saffron

BANGALORE, Nov 11: Saffron flags are flying high as the BJP makes its foray into south India, with party senior leader B S Yeddyurappa all set to be sworn in as the 25th Chief Minister of Karnataka, tomorrow.

Main streets in the city were decorated with BJP banners and flags. A huge cutout of Mr Yeddyurappa was seen near the Chief Minister’s official residence ‘Krishna’ and near the Vidhana Soudha, the venue of the swearing-in ceremony. In contrast, only a few flags of the Janata Dal (secular), the coalition partner, could be seen.

BJP state unit president D V Sadananada Gowda said that only Mr Yeddyurappa and Deputy Chief Minister, to be selected by Janata Dal (secular), would take oath of office tomorrow.

About ministers and their portfolios, he said it would be decided in consultation with party senior leaders including party president Rajnath Singh, Opposition leader in the Lok Sabha L K Advani, Yeshwant Sinha, incharge of party affairs in Karnataka and other leaders, who were expected to attend the ceremony.

Police made elaborate security arrangements to maintain law and order and to regulate traffic as more than 350 buses with party workers, mainly from Shimoga, the home town of Mr Yeddyurappa, Mysore, Hubli, Mangalore, Davanagere were expected to move into the city.

Over 170 traffic police personnel were drawn up and public were advised to avoid roads leading to the venue. (UNI)

No fix date to lift emergency

ISLAMABAD, Nov 11: Facing mounting international and domestic pressure, Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf today announced that elections to national and four provincial assemblies would be held by January 9 but refused to fix a date for lifting emergency.

A caretaker Government would be in place by November 15 to oversee the poll process after the dissolution of the assemblies on that day, he said nine days after he imposed emergency.

Polls would be held simultaneously to the national and four provincial assemblies in the week preceding January 9 and the exact date would be decided by the Election Commission, Musharraf said.

Blaming the sacked Supreme Court Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry and some other Judges for paralysing the Pakistani administration and law enforcement agencies, he ruled out their re-instatement.

Without giving any time frame for lifting the emergency, the Pakistani leader said its imposition had reinforced the fight against terror in the north-west frontier province, including in Swat.

Musharraf also said he would take oath as a "civilian President" when the Supreme Court allowed the Election Commission to formally notify the result of the October 6 Presidential election.

"I hope that happens as soon as possible," he said. The President said he was addressing the press conference to dismiss "aspirations, rumours and speculation about my intentions".

Giving details about the election process, Musharraf said the national assembly would be dissolved on November 15 when it completes its term while the provincial assemblies of Punjab, Sindh, NWFP and Balochistan, whose tenures would end on different dates in November and December, would be dissolved on November 20.

Caretaker Governments would be formed in the three provinces of Sindh, Punjab and Balochistan by November 20. The North West Frontier Province already has a caretaker set-up as the provincial Government resigned last month.

Musharraf defended his decision to impose emergency, insisting he had done nothing wrong and did not violate the Constitution.

"I did not violate the Constitution and the law of this land," he asserted.

Musharraf said he imposed emergency in the national interests of the country, calling it "the most difficult decision" of his life.

Replying to questions on a timeframe for lifting the emergency, Musharraf said he could not give any date.

"The emergency has to be lifted but I can’t give a date. We are having a difficult situation, so I cannot give a date," he said.

The imposition of emergency had reinforced the fight against terror in the North West Frontier Province, he said.

He claimed the emergency was to ensure betterment of the prevailing conditions in Pakistan.

He said it was a question of either not acting to reinvigorate the paralysed law enforcement system which had led to an economic downturn.

The Pakistani Government had "almost become non-functional" under the circumstances, he said.

Asked if he felt that the emergency rule could affect international aid from coming into Pakistan, Musharraf said all leaders who had spoken to him had stated that they understood the ground reality in the country.

He did not hope that there would be any disruption of international aid. Imposition of emergency, he said, had put the derailed part of democracy back on the rail.

Musharraf has come under fierce international pressure for imposing emergency rule, suspending the Constitution, sacking the nation’s Chief Justice and bringing in tight media curbs. (PTI)

Steps taken to protect border in wake
Pak emergency: Antony

KOZHIKODE : Centre is constantly monitoring the developments in Pakistan and taking necessary steps to protect the borders, Defence Minister A K Antony said today.

"In view of the ongoing developments in Pakistan, we are taking certain precautionary measures like tightening the security along the border and Line of Control, though the situation there is now peaceful," Antony told reporters here.

Terming the latest developments in the neighbouring country as their "internal matter", Antony said India he was hopeful that the "transition" would be peaceful there.

Although some attempts of infiltration by militants were being made at the borders, the situation was "by and large peaceful", he said adding for the last three years there was no exchange of fire in the border areas of the two nations.

"We are confident that the situation will continue to remain so, notwithstanding the developments there," he added.

The Centre was planning to tighten security in coastal areas of the country, Antony said.

"Coastal police stations will be set up in these areas to curb activities like arms smuggling," he said.

While the state governments would provide security along the coastal areas, Coast Guard and Navy would train the police in maintaining a strict vigil, he added.

Describing the developments in Nandigram in West Bengal an "unfortunate", Antony said the Left Government there should ensure restoration of peace and initiate action against those responsible for the incidents.

On the demand for allowing more foreign airlines to operate from the Karipur international airport here, he said Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had been apprised of the matter and steps were on to meet the requirements of the passengers, particularly those travelling in the Gulf sector.

"Very soon you can expect private airlines operating from the Karipur airport," he said, adding national carrier Air India had also been asked to avoid frequent cancellation of flights thereby putting passengers in hardship.

The Defence Ministry had already given its clearance to start a new airport at Kannur, he added. (PTI)

AI plane catches fire

SRINAGAR: An Air India plane caught fire soon after landing at the airport here today.

However, the crew of the plane that had come here to pick up Haj pilgrims bound for Saudi Arabia was safe, official sources said.

As soon as the plane landed here around 11.55 am, fire broke out in the left tyre and the crew was rescued immediately, the sources said.

Fire engines from air force and state fire services were rushed and doused the leaping flames. However, the fire again started in the plane and fire service personnel were engaged in putting off the blaze, the sources said.

Engineers from Delhi are being called to examine the plane. (PTI )