‘Baaridars’ being removed
Govt set to takeover Sukrala Mata, Bala Sundri shrines

By Sanjeev Pargal

JAMMU, Feb 3: In a significant decision, the Government is all set to take over centuries old historical shrines of Sukrala Devi and Bala Sundri in Billawar tehsil of Kathua district.

A notification to this effect is likely to be issued by the Law Department in next few days, official sources told the Excelsior.

The decision, which is being widely appreciated by the people, comes close on the heels of the State Legislature passing a bill to set up Shiv Khori Shrine Board (SKSB). With both Houses approving the Bill, the Board which is to be headed over by Divisional Commissioner, Jammu, will be set up after the Governor’s assent to legislation.

Sources said the Government has given nod to takeover of widely revered Mata Sukrala Devi and Mata Bala Sundri shrines. As per the proposed order, which is expected to be issued by the Law Department this week, Sub Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Billawar will head a Management Committee for both the temples. The SDM will be chairman of the Committee while Tehsildar Billawar will be its vice chairman.

Block Development Officer (BDO) Billawar, AEE PWD Billawar and Tourist Officer of Lakhanpur Tourist Development Authority will be members of the Committee.

Three prominent local people having knowledge of Hindu culture, ritual and traditions including retired bureaucrats, social workers and journalists etc will be members of the Committee

The MLA Billawar will be a special invitee to the Committee meetings.

Dr Manohar Lal Sharma, MLA Billawar for the past quite sometime had been making efforts to bring the two religious shrines under Government control which will ensure not only development of the shrines but also Billawar town and areas surrounding them. Dr Sharma had also raised the issue repeatedly in the Legislative Assembly and pursued matter with the Government which finally agreed to the MLA’s proposal.

According to sources, soon after a notification for the Government control over two shrines is issued, ‘baaridars’ will forfeit their right to manage them. There was a proposal from some quarters to keep 25 per cent share for ‘baaridars’ from the offerings made at two shrines but the Government has reportedly shot down the proposal. However, the Government is likely to authorise Divisional Commissioner, Jammu to settle any disputes arising out of the takeover of two holy shrines. A one time settlement for ‘baaridars’ is not ruled out.

It may be mentioned here that the two shrines are visited by lakhs of people every year but ‘baaridars’ despite earning huge sum from the offerings had failed to develop the shrines as well as the area surrounding them, leading to strong resentment among not only the local people but across the region as the shrines are visited by people from far off areas.

The Government takeover will not only lead to development of area but will also attract tourist pilgrims to Billawar, sources said.

They added that the Government has been receiving similar proposals from different quarters to take over centuries old historic temple of Kali Mata at Bahu Fort in Jammu, which too is thronged by a large number of people daily as present management of the temple has too miserably failed to generate any facility for the visitors. A number of similar appeals were also pending with Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board (SMVDSB) to take over management of the temple, they said.

After the SMVDSB and Shri Amarnath Shrine Board (SASB), Shiv Khori Shrine Board (SKSB) will be the third autonomous Board set up to manage affairs of Hindu religious shrines. Pilgrimage to Mata Vaishno Devi ji and Amarnath ji shrines has increased manifold after setting up of the Boards to manage their affairs. Pilgrimage to Shiv Khori shrine has also started picking up, sources said. They hoped that pilgrims’ rush to Sukrala Mata and Bala Sundri shrines will also increase after the Government takeover.

PDP president calls on PM
Facilitate return of youths, leaders from across: Mehbooba

Excelsior Correspondent

New Delhi, Feb 3: People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has asked the Government of India to facilitate safe return of youths and political leaders who had gone across during turmoil and are now ‘‘eager to return’’ and live peacefully with their families.

Raising the issue at a meeting with Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh here last evening, PDP president Ms Mehbooba Mufti said any relief to the youth who had gone across for arms training and are now eager to return and live normal life, should be extended to non-combatants as well who had gone across during the turmoil, under whatever circumstances.

"It will be a significant goodwill gesture and a reconciliatory move of great essence on behalf of the Government of India," she said.

Ms Mufti told the Prime Minister that given the fast-changing equations in the sub-continent, fresh initiatives must be taken to bring various shades of the State’s political opinion on board to work-out a broad-based consensus for peaceful resolution of the issue. "The Government of India will be well-devised to realize this historical opportunity and expressively involve the Hurriyat Conference and other political groups in meaningful deliberations for realistic and just resolution of the problem," she said.

The PDP president said while political instability in Pakistan has temporarily impacted the bilateral confidence building process, the Government of India must move ahead with added resolve, to address internal dimensions of the problem.

"Implementation of the recommendations of Working Groups, pertaining to intra-State issues, could set foundations for the reconciliation and resolution process," she said and added that with considerable improvement in the situation, the Government must now start pruning the strength of troops deployed for anti-militancy operations and act with political resolve on the recommendations of one of the Working Groups for scrapping the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA).

"Such measures have now become unavoidable," she said.

The PDP president said the measures like rehabilitation of the victims of violence - irrespective of their affiliation, easing restrictions on the cross-LoC movement of people and goods and rehabilitation of Kashmiri migrants mark a welcome beginning that would further consolidate the constituency for peace.

Ms Mufti discussed in detail the political scenario and the State’s developmental issues with the Prime Minister. The functioning of the coalition Government in the State also figured prominently in deliberations of the PDP President with Dr Singh.

2 kids injured in tear smoke blast

Excelsior Correspondent

SRINAGAR, Feb 3: Two children have sustained injuries when they picked up and put a tear smoke shell in their Kangri in Tarzoo village in Sopore area of north Kashmir.

Informed sources said that two children in age group of 9-11 years, picked up an unexploded tear smoke shell in their locality of Tarzoo last evening and put it in their Kangri (typical Kashmiri pot filled with angers to emit warmth) late last evening. It exploded causing injuries to both the children, who were identified as Tariq Ahmed Sheikh S/o Mohammad Maqbool Sheikh and Imtiyaz Ahmed Sofi S/o Ghulam Mohiuddin Sofi.

Sources said that both the injured were evacuated and admitted to SMHS Hospital in Srinagar where they were treated and discharged in the evening today. Doctors said that both would fully recuperate in a week’s time.

Officials said that Sopore police had fired some tear smoke shells to disperse a mob which attempted to torch the shop of one Abdul Ahad Malla and demanded his hanging to death in public. Malla had been detained after a 9-year old girl complained to her parents that the shopkeeper had stripped her inside his storeroom and raped her when she had gone to buy a handigas refill.

Police have registered a matter of rape on the minor and started legal proceedings against Malla. Sources said that some tear smoke shells seem to have remained unexploded. One of such shells has been picked up and mishandled by the two children, officials said and added that a search has been immediately conducted to see if there were any more unexploded shells in the locality.

Meanwhile, senior separatist leader Shabir Ahmed Shah has taken objection to the way Sopore police eliminated four Pakistani militants of Lashkar-e-Toiba by pumping water and passing current in their underground concrete hideout at Drusoo in Rafiabad area three days ago. Shah has called it a human rights violation. He visited Rafiabad area and mobilized a small group of local residents to shout slogans in favour of the slain militants and against the police.

Meanwhile, spokesman of Lashkar-e-Toiba, Dr Abdullah Gaznavi, paid tributes to the four militants killed in Drusoo and asserted that the armed strife with police and military forces would continue in Kashmir ‘‘till Kashmir’s freedom.’’ He made an appeal to the people of Kashmir to discourage the local helpers of security forces and get them back on the ‘‘path of righteousness.’’

Fahim escapes bid on life

ISLAMABAD, Feb 3: Senior Pakistan People’s Party leader Makhdoom Amin Fahim today escaped unhurt in an apparent bid on his life at a party rally in Sindh Province.

Media reports said that some persons opened fire at Fahim, the vice chairman of the PPP, while he was addressing the rally at Mithi in Sindh Province.

The PPP said Fahim is safe and would address a press conference shortly.

The bid on Fahim’s life sparked tension in Sindh Province, the reports said.

Incidentally, PPP chief Benazir Bhutto was assassinated during an election rally in Rawalpindi on December 27 last year.

Meanwhile the PPP dismissed reports about an attack on him.

PPP spokesman Waqar Medhi said there was no attack or incident of firing on Fahim. He said such reports were being spread by "vested interests".

Fahim, projected by some sections of the party as its Prime Ministerial candidate for the upcoming general election, too spoke to TV channels and journalists and said he was safe.

Fahim’s son Makhdoom Jamil Zaman said there was an incident of firing at a PPP rally, but his father was not present at that time.

As the report spread, markets in several towns and cities closed down. There were also traffic snarls as people rushed back home. (PTI)

Heavy snowfall, rains force closure of highway

Excelsior Correspondent

JAMMU, Feb 3: The Jammu-Srinagar National Highway was officially declared closed for all sorts of vehicles this evening keeping in view the slippery condition of the road at various places and resumption of heavy snowfall at Jawahar Tunnel.

Senior Superintendent of Traffic Police, National Highway, Danish Rana said that traffic on the National Highway was suspended this morning following landslides at Panthyal and heavy accumulation of snow at Patnitop and Jawahar Tunnel.

The Border Roads Organisation (BRO) immediately pressed men and machinery to clear the landslides and accumulated snow. As the continuous rainfall was hampering the road clearance work, it took three hours to the BRO to make the highway worthy for plying of the vehicles.

The passenger vehicles from Jammu and Srinagar were allowed after receiving green signal from the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) and traffic officials posted at different places on the highway.

However, trucks and other heavy vehicles were not allowed from either side of the highway as a precautionary measure to avoid traffic jams, Mr Rana said, adding the movement of passenger vehicles from both sides continued till 5 pm despite continuous rainfall.

The Traffic Police had to officially declare the highway closed at 5 pm as heavy snowfall again started lashing Jawahar Tunnel, Patnitop and other areas making the highway slippery.

According to SP Traffic National Highway, several hundred trucks carrying essential commodities to Kashmir valley were stranded at different places on the highway besides passenger vehicles which could not cross Jawahar Tunnel till 5 pm.

"We will assess the highway condition tomorrow morning before taking any decision about plying of the vehicles", he said, adding "if the weather remains favourable the stranded passenger vehicles will be given priority".

Meanwhile, cold wave conditions further intensified across the State due to fresh spell of snowfall and continuous rainfall since yesterday.

Reports said that the cave shrine of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi experienced two feet of snowfall while Adhkuwari witnessed few inches of snowfall. However, there was no impact of the inhospitable weather conditions on the yatra which was continuing smoothly.

Kupwara in north Kashmir was the coldest place in the State with minimum temperature dipping to minus 6.8 degree celsius, a spokesman of IMD said.

The tourist resort of Pahalgam in south Kashmir recorded a minimum temperature of minus 4.0 degrees while nearby Kokernag recorded a minimum of minus 2.5 degrees.

Srinagar, the summer capital of the State, received 0.5 mm of snow while the minimum temperature dipped to minus 0.6 degree celsius.

No leniency for rapists of minors: SC

NEW DELHI, Feb 3: The Supreme Court has asserted that the gravity of an offence shall be the sole criteria for imposing punishments on those indulging in heinous offence on innocent helpless girls of tender age.

A bench of Justices Arijit Pasayat and P Sathasivam upheld an appeal filed by the Rajasthan Government against a High Court order which reduced to seven years, the 10-year RI imposed on Madan Singh by a sessions court for raping a minor girl.

"The measure of punishment in a case of rape cannot depend upon the social status of the victim or the accused. It must depend upon the conduct of the accused, the state and age of the sexually assaulted female and the gravity of the criminal act," the apex court observed.

The apex court recalled that the statutory provision under section 376 (2)(f) IPC ordained a minimum sentence of 10 years which can be reduced only in exceptional and special circumstances.

"The protection of society and deterring the criminal is the avowed object of law and that is required to be achieved by imposing an appropriate sentence," the apex court observed.

The apex court said that sentencing courts are expected to consider all relevant facts and circumstances bearing on the question of sentence and proceed to impose a sentence commensurate with the gravity of the offence.

"Crimes of violence upon women need to be severely dealt with. The socio-economic status, religion, race, caste or creed of the accused or the victim are irrelevant considerations in sentencing policy," the bench observed.

Courts must hear the loud cry for justice by the society in cases of the heinous crime of rape on innocent helpless girls of tender years, as in this case, and respond by imposition of proper sentence, the apex court said.

Public abhorrence of the crime needs reflection through imposition of appropriate sentence by the Court, the bench observed while referring to the High Court’s reasoning that the accused was the sole bread winner of the family.

The bench pointed out that there are no extenuating or mitigating circumstances available on the record which may justify imposition of any sentence less than the prescribed minimum on Madan Singh.

"To show mercy in the case of such a heinous crime would be a travesty of justice and the plea for leniency is wholly misplaced," the apex court observed.

The provision to Section 376(2) IPC, of course, lays down that the court may, for adequate and special reasons to be mentioned in the judgement, impose sentence of imprisonment of either description for a term of less than 10 years.

Thus, the normal sentence in a case where rape is committed on a child below 12 years of age is a minimum 10 years RI though in exceptional cases "for special and adequate reasons" sentence of less than 10 years’ RI can also be awarded.

The courts are obliged to respect the legislative mandate in the matter of awarding of sentence in all such cases. Recourse to the proviso can be had for "special and adequate reasons" and not in a casual manner, the apex court said.

"Whether there exist any ‘special and adequate reasons’ would depend upon a variety of factors and the peculiar facts and circumstances of each case. No hard and fast rule of universal application can be laid down in that behalf," the bench observed while restoring the 10 years sentence imposed on the accused. (PTI)

Cabinet meets today on fuel prices

NEW DELHI, Feb 3: The Cabinet, headed by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, is likely to meet tomorrow to consider raising petrol and diesel prices necessitated due to a surge in international crude oil prices.

"As of now, the Cabinet is scheduled to meet at 4 pm tomorrow," a senior Government official said.

Petroleum Minister Murli Deora is, however, opposed to even a marginal increase in fuel prices and is instead seeking a cut in excise duties on petrol and diesel.

The official said the Cabinet will have to decide between raising of fuel prices that has the backing of Finance Minister P Chidambaram and cutting duties as desired by Deora.

Four of the seven-member Group of Ministers on fuel prices, headed by External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee, had met on Thursday last week and decided to leave the final decision to the Cabinet.

The GoM was understood to have narrowed down to two options - raising petrol price by Rs 4 or Rs 2 a litre and diesel by Rs 2 or Re 1 per litre.

Deora and Mukherjee, along with Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar and the Finance Minister, had dropped the idea of raising domestic cooking gas (LPG) prices and instead asked the Finance Minister to cut excise duties.

To effect a minimal price hike, Chidambaram was asked to cut customs duty on crude oil and petroleum products and Re 1 a litre excise duty reduction on petrol and diesel to avoid the around Rs 71,000 crore loss on fuel sales expected by the state oil firms in 2007-08 fiscal, sources had said. (PTI)

Official held for cheating youths

Excelsior Correspondent

JAMMU, Feb 3: Doda police today arrested a cheat and was hunting for two others, who have been charged with collecting money from unemployed youths and issuing them fake appointment orders.

Haji Abdul Salam son of Ali Mohd, a resident of Larkipora, Anantnag, who was working as a Field Assistant in Agriculture Department at Anantnag was arrested from Doda town this morning along with fake appointment orders for which he had charged money from unemployed youths.

Fake appointment orders of Supervisors, Field Assistants and Labourers were recovered from his possession. He had been charging Rs 60,000 for appointment as Supervisors, Rs 40,000 for Field Assistants and Rs 5,000 for Labourers.

During interrogation by police, he revealed that a ruling party activist Farooq Ahmed Mir of Batote and Mohd Amin Bhat of Chanderkoot, a Fire Services employee were assisting him in making fake appointment orders. Both of them were absconding.

A FIR has been registered against the accused at Doda police station for further investigations.

Army jawan commits suicide

Excelsior Correspondent

JAMMU, Feb 3: An Army jawan allegedly committed suicide by hanging himself on a tree in the premises of Military Hospital, Satwari.

An official spokesman said that Signalman Balbir Singh of 80 Brigade Signal Company and resident of Gandhi Nagar area was found hanging on a tree this morning by the staff of the hospital.

The matter was immediately brought to the notice of the senior officers of the hospital and later the body was handed over to family members for last rites after all legal formalities including post-mortem.

The preliminary investigations conducted by the Army revealed that he hanged himself on the intervening night of February 2 and 3 by making use of bed-sheet, the spokesman said.

He was suffering from depressive disorder and admitted to the Military Hospital on January 9, 2008, the spokesman said, adding he had some property dispute with other members of his family and this might be the main cause behind the depressive disorder.

Army authorities have lodged a case with the police and instituted a Court of Inquiry (CoI) to probe the reasons that compelled the patient to take the extreme step of snatching his life.

Srinagar-Jammu NH remains closed

SRINAGAR : The Srinagar-Jammu National Highway remained closed for the second successive day today due to fresh snowfall in the area.

Fresh snowfall hampered road-clearance operation on the arterial road at Panthal, Patnitop and Jawahar tunnel, a spokesman of the traffic department said.

The traffic on the highway was suspended yesterday following landslides at Panthal and heavy accumulation of snow at Patnitop and Jawahar Tunnel, the gateway to Kashmir.

Personnel of the Border Roads Organisation, which maintains the highway, are trying to clear the road.

Qazigund, Batote and Banihal on the highway recorded 26.6 M m, 25.4 M m and 21.0 M m of snowfall till 0830 hours, the spokesman said.

Meanwhile, there was no let up in the cold wave sweeping the valley which received a fresh spell of snowfall since last night.

The hill resort of Pahalgam in South Kashmir continued to be the coldest place in the valley with minimum temperature dipping to minus 4.4 degrees Celsius, the MET office said.

Kupwara in north Kashmir recorded the lowest temperature of minus 3.5 degrees Celsius while minimum temperature in Srinagar was 0 degrees Celsius, a spokesman of weather office said.

A report from Jammu said that the Doda-Bhaderwah link road is also closed due to landslides caused by heavy rains. (PTI)

Suicide attack targets Pak military bus, 8 killed

ISLAMABAD : About eight people were killed and 25 injured today when a suicide bomber rammed his explosive-laden motorcycle into a minibus ferrying trainee military doctors in a high-security area near the Pakistani army headquarters in Rawalpindi.

The explosion occurred at 7.15 AM outside the gate of the army’s National Logistics Cell on a road connecting the Royal Artillery Bazar to the General Headquarters in the nearby garrison city.

"It was a suicide attack... A man on a motorcycle rammed into the bus," a military official said.

The blast completely destroyed the bus carrying trainee doctors from the Army Medical College to the Combined Military Hospital and some other vehicles, turning them into a mangled heap of metal.

Eyewitnesses said that about eight persons were killed. The military, however, said four of its personnel, including an officer, had died.

"It was a very powerful explosion. I saw a big ball of fire and smoke," said a shopkeeper.

Rescue workers and ambulances rushed to the site soon after the blast, and security forces sealed off the area. Journalists and passers-by were sent away from the site as investigators scoured the area for clues.

The suicide bombing, the seventh to rock the city in the last six months, came just hours after security agencies sounded an alert in Islamabad and Rawalpindi against possible attacks by militants to avenge the military operation against Islamic extremists in Swat and South Waziristan.

On Dec 27, former premier Benazir Bhutto was killed in a gun and suicide attack during an election rally in the city.

Police had been told to step up security for prominent politicians, at international airports and military installations in the twin cities.

Besides the Combined Military Hospital, several other key army installations are located in the area around the General Headquarters which is passed in the morning by scores of security personnel going to work.

The same area had witnessed a suicide bombing on September 4 last year that killed 25 people. Seven people were killed in another suicide attack near President Pervez Musharraf’s military office on October 30.

Pakistani military has been battling local Taliban militants in the tribal areas bordering Afganistan and more than 300 people have died this year itself. (PTI)