NH stays blocked, flights cancelled
Valley cut off for 4th day
*3 die of cold in Chenani

Excelsior Correspondent

JAMMU, Feb 6: The summer capital of the State remained totally cut off from the rest of the country due to unprecedented snowfall which led to closure of the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway for the fourth consecutive day today and cancellation of all flights.

The severe cold wave prevailing due to continuous snowfall has also claimed the lives of three members of a family in village Nagolta under the jurisdiction of Chenani Police Station.

An official spokesman said that for the first time during this year’s winter, heavy snowfall was experienced in several villages of Chenani tehsil on the intervening night of February 4 and 5 dipping the temperature considerably.

Three members of a family, who were residing in a mud house at village Nagolta, died of intense cold wave. Their death was spotted this morning by their neighbours, who immediately informed Chenani Police about the incident.

The bodies were shifted to local hospital for post-mortem and then handed over to the relatives of the deceased for last rites. The deceased have been identified as Ashru Devi, wife of late Bhagat Ram, her son Girdhari Lal and a 15-year old girp Ashoki Devi, daughter of Prem Chand.

As moderate to heavy snowfall was lashing the major stretch of the Jammu-Srinagar highway for the past three days, the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) could not carry out any road clearance work for the second day today, Senior Superintendent of Traffic Police, National Highway, Danish Rana said.

He said that from the Dogran area near Chenani upto Jawahar Tunnel the highway has been blocked badly at many places due to accumulation of snow, adding about four feet of snow was accumulated at Patnitop till this evening.

"We are not allowing any sort of vehicle from Udhampur onwards as Doda-Batote, Doda-Bhaderwah, Doda-Kishtwar, Ramban-Gool and Banihal-Neel roads are also blocked due to heavy snowfall and BRO personnel could not carry out any sort of work due to continuous snowing", Mr Rana said.

According to him, about 1200 trucks carrying essential commodities for Srinagar were stranded at different places on the highway besides 35 passenger vehicles at Ramban, 15 at Banihal and 40 at Udhampur. He said that these Light Motor Vehicles will be given priority following opening of the highway after improvement in weather conditions.

He appealed the people stranded at Jammu and Srinagar to strictly adhere to the travel advisories being issued by the administration and don’t adventure to proceed on the highway keeping in view the continuous inhospitable weather conditions.

Meanwhile, disaster management control room has been set up at District Headquarters, Ramban for 24 hours coordination keeping in view bad weather condition.

According to Additional Deputy Commissioner, Ramban, Ajit Kumar Sahu the people can contact disaster management control room on telephone number 01998-266627. He said that police control room can also be approached on 01998-266384.

He further said that leave and all official engagement of officers and staff of Ramban district out of the district headquarters has been cancelled by the Deputy Commissioner and such staff has been called back to the headquarters.

Meanwhile, all flights for Srinagar from Jammu airport were cancelled for the second day today due to poor visibility and heavy accumulation of snow at Srinagar airport.

Though the sky remained cloudy throughout the day today here also yet there was not any impact on the flights operating between Jammu-Delhi and vice-versa, SSP Anti-Hijacking, Jammu Airport Raghubir Singh said.

Reports from Udhampur, Kathua and Poonch districts said that several interior roads got blocked either due to snowfall or landslides triggered by the rains.

In Kathua district, Basohli-Bani and other interior roads got blocked and Deputy Commissioner Kathua Sarita Chouhan was personally supervising the road clearance operations.

Soldier killed under snow avalanche, 12 rescued
Supplies disrupted, prices up, roads closed in Valley

Excelsior Special Correspondent

SRINAGAR, Feb 6: One soldier has died and half-a-dozen people have sustained injuries in different incidents related to the current snowfall since last evening in Kashmir valley where supplies have been disrupted, prices of essential commodities have gone up and many roads in the countryside are closed for traffic.

With no flight operating from Srinagar Airport on the second consecutive day and the National Highway remaining closed for traffic on the fourth consecutive day due to snowfall and landslides, essential services were threatening to collapse in the morning today. Informed sources said that Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad’s direct interaction through video conferencing and telephone with the Divisional Administration, followed by all the 10 District Development Commissioners, had immediately a positive impact. Sources said that leave of all employees in essential services was cancelled and they were all put on tenterhooks to ensure that the systems didn't collapse and there were no casualties due to falling of houses and avalanches.

A senior official admitted that there would have been considerable damage had Chief Minister not issued very strict instructions to the Divisional Commissioner, IGP and all the 10 DCs. One rifleman of 13 JAKLI and two civilian porters were missing after a snow avalanche rolled down the slope across Sadhna Top on Kupwara-Tangdar Road. Six more soldiers were reportedly missing in a similar incident in Nowgam sector in Police District Handwara.

Spokesman at headquarters 15 Corps, Col A K Mathur, told EXCELSIOR that all but one were successfully evacuated by this evening. He confirmed the death of one soldier in Nowgam sector but heaved a sigh of relief that all others, including the two civilian porters of Nachiyan, Karnah, had been rescued. DIG north Kashmir, Dr B Srinivas, said that a high degree of alert and preparedness did matter and much of the possible loss of life and property was averted.

Reports collected from all the 10 district headquarters said that a total of 12 to 15 residential houses had collapsed at different places yet the number of injured was less than half-a-dozen, including two people, who sustained injuries in an avalanche in Hengipora Hargwas in Dooru area of Anantnag district. Two cattle heads have also perished in this tragedy. Reports said that a few avalanches occurred in Karnah, Nowgam and also at Jawahar Tunnel. Two of three structures of Army and Police were destroyed, though there was no loss of life barring a soldier in Nowgam.

Notwithstanding the official claims, consumers in Srinagar and other district headquarters complained that shopkeepers had begun to charge 30 to 50% more than the prices of essential commodities last week. They complained that LPG and kerosene oil were not available in adequate quantities while as the rates of meat, chicken, vegetables and fruit had been increased overnight.

People in the rural districts complained that most of the roads were closed for traffic notwithstanding the claims of senior officials. Pulwama-Shopian-Kulgam belt in south Kashmir is the worst affected. However, traffic was plying smoothly on the National Highway from Qazigund to Kupwara and Uri via Srinagar as also to the tourist attractions of Gulmarg and Pahalgam. Reports said that a number of main arteries were still closed for traffic in Kupwara and upper Budgam.

Drainage of water appeared to be the biggest problem in the Capital city as most of the sewerage and drainage schemes have either failed or got chocked due to non-clearance for several years. Srinagar-Airport Road is a glaring example of the neglect by the establishment which has spent more than Rs 5 crore on a drainage scheme in Peerbagh-Hyderpora area. Officials responsible for this neglect have escaped inspite of the fact that the Chief Minister and other senior functionaries of the Government have been traveling on this road almost daily.

Officials of Power Development Department seem to be on the job as the supplies in Srinagar and major towns in the Valley are not disrupted to a large extent. However, complaints are pouring in from residents of the localities close to the district headquarters and sprawling villages that the power supply is restricted only to the major towns. According to today's reports, more than 70 percent of the population in the countryside is without electricity. Water plants have also been affected at certain places.

Power failure is reportedly the worst in Budgam and Kupwara districts. Residents complained that villages close to DC's office in Budgam, have been attached to long distance feeders from Budgam Receiving Station and even a minor fault 15 Kms away has been disrupting entire power supply system in the area. They complained that PDD officials have provided 24-hour supply system to Army's Sector 12 headquarters, besides residential houses of influential officials and civilians in brazen violation of rules and only to appease certain individuals.

Incessant snowfall since Monday last has crippled the normal life in south Kashmir's twin districts of Shopian and Kulgam. Normal life has got affected as these two districts are cut off from the rest of Valley. The area is without electricity and water. 200 people have been evacuated from the avalanche prone area of Waltengunar and have been put in the nearby villages of Niginpora and Vilo as a precautionary major.

"We evacuated six families from the avalanche prone Waltengunar as a precautionary major and some other people from the same area too voluntarily vacated their houses there", said Lateef-uz-Zama Deva, Deputy Commissioner Kulgam. "All these have been temporarily shifted to Niginpora and Vilo villages where we have put a special camp for these people and have arranged proper food and shelter for them there", he added.

These two districts situated on the foothills of Pirpanchal mountain range from Qazigund to Kellar have received heavy snowfall from four to six feet. Even at some places upto 8 feet snow has been reported.

Sedew, Ramnagri and Heerpor in Shopian district and Badjihalan, Waltengunar, Aharbal in Kulgam district have received above 6 feet snow. In DK Marag, Damhal Hanjipora, Kellar, Kund, from 5 to 6 feet snow has been reported. Shopian town has received about four feet where as Kulgam town has received relatively bit lower about two and a half feet.

Though the snow is being removed from the roads again and again but due to continuous snowing and heavy accumulation of snow on roads the vehicles are not able to ply on the roads. The two major roads connecting the district headquarters with the rest of Valley though clear but have very restricted vehicular movement.

Chief Engineer Mechanical Engineering Department (MED), Gul Mohammad, who is himself monitoring the snow clearance in Kulgam, said, "We are working day and night to clear the roads. But we have to clear again and again the same roads as the snowing does not stop. The road which we have cleared in the morning needs to be cleared again in the afternoon, so we cannot reach to farther places."

Gul Mohammad said, "We have enough snow clearance machines for the usual snowfall but this is a heavy snowfall so we felt the shortage".

Presently MED has three snow clearing machines at Kulgam and two at the Shopian. The only snow cutter machine, which melts snow into water and is used for heavy snowfall, in Kulgam is dysfunctional while as the district administration of Shopian has asked for the one but has not been provided yet, say official sources.

However Chief Engineer MED said, in absence of snow cutters, bulldozers and excavators of Roads and Buildings department have been utilized to fill the shortage.

According to information received by Excelsior, most of the trunk roads, except two district roads, connecting different areas of the twin districts were still not cleared of the snow. If some of the roads have been cleared but very narrowly and were not fit for the vehicular movement.

Some of the areas like Kanjiullar, Reshnagri, Dangham Wangam are without drinking water in Shopian. The electricity is out of gear in whole of the district Shopian and most of the area of Kulgam except the town. The electricity poles and cables can be seen lying topsy-turvy on the ground which will need some time for the repair and reinstallation.

Additional Deputy Commissioner Shopian, Mohammad Yusuf said, the district administration is ready to handle any untoward situation and has enough stock of essential commodities at every corner of the district.

Advani questions PM’s track record on tackling terrorism

JABALPUR, Feb 6: Forced to reschedule his nation-wide rallies in the wake of security concerns, senior BJP leader L K Advani today attacked Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s track record on tackling terrorism and asserted that his rallies will continue.

Addressing a rally here which was scheduled to be the launch of his "sankalp yatra", he sought to know from the Prime Minister whether Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru has been given "unofficial clemency" and the number of terrorist modules busted by his Government in the last three-and-a-half years.

In his first public meeting after securing a stamp of approval by the NDA as its Prime Ministerial candidate, Advani attacked the Congress saying the unresolved boundary issues with Pakistan and China are the legacy of successive Congress Governments and blamed it for virtually all the problems faced by the country.

Advani posed four questions to Manmohan Singh — whether Afzal Guru has been given unofficial clemency, disclose the progress of investigation in terror attacks since 2004, number of terror modules busted and militants arrested or killed and steps taken to check Bangladeshi infiltration in Assam.

Referring to postponement of his rallies, he said Government has sought some time to provide enough security and the party has decided to reschedule the programme and not cancel.

"The rallies will continue and I want to tell the terrorists that no political party in India is afraid of them," he said.

"I can say right now that the Prime Minister will answer none of these questions because he does not have the courage to tell the truth to the nation," Advani said addressing the rally at the Garrison Ground in this Cantonment town.

The truth, Advani said was that "Congress party’s inaction is dictated by its short-term vote bank considerations, because of which it is imperilling the country’s unity, integrity and security in the long term."

Continuing to target Singh, the leader of the Opposition said "India today is in need of strong leadership that can tackle the threat of jehadi terrorism" and "resolve the big legacy problem that India has inherited from the past bungling by Congress Governments."

Claiming that "people of India are looking for a change at the Centre, Advani said they are, however, not looking only for a change in Government but looking for a change in politics. They want a new kind of politics".

In his hour-long speech, Advani accused of Congress of being responsible for India having lost territories during wars with Pakistan and China and charged it with going soft against terrorism.

"Successive Congress Governments including the Congress-led UPA one, have reduced India to a soft state, one that lacks the political will at the top to confront the enemy and neutralize him," he said.

"Today, India has been saddled with unresolved boundary problems with two of our big neighbours—Pakistan and China. Both problems were created due to bungling of Congress Governments", Advani said.

He said BJP was committed to good governance, development and security and pledged to provide an alternative culture of governance rooted in these ideals.(PTI)

New distts suffer due to staff shortage
Govt turns defaulter; LIC, HUDCO loans unavailed

By Sanjeev Pargal

JAMMU, Feb 6: The Government has not been able to utilise the loan available to it by several Centrally and externally funded agencies like NABARD, HUDCO and LIC etc. Eight newly created districts—four each in Jammu and Kashmir regions—have also not been able to utilise approved plan outlay for the current year.

Official sources said against the tied allocation of Rs 355 crore under Externally Aided Projects (EAPs), only Rs 79.60 crore have been lifted by the Government till January when only two months were left for the current financial year to close.

"Against the availability of Rs 635 crore worth loan, an expenditure of only Rs 73.49 crore has been made by the end of November last year i.e. eight months into the current financial year", sources said.

They added that Rs 100 crore worth loan available under HUDCO has not been released due to default in repayment by the State Government.

Similarly the LIC loan (power sector: Rs 95 crore and PHE: Rs 20 crore) has also not been lifted by the Government so far due to some outstandings.

Figures revealed that default in payment of HUDCO loan and outstandings of LIC has cost the Government Rs 215 crore worth loans.

The Government had sanctioned Rs 40 crore under approved plan outlay for creation of eight new districts but the amount remained under-utilised due to delay in posting of adequate staff there.

An outlay of Rs 45 crore was also provided for establishment of infrastructure in new districts. However, due to delay in finalisation of designs etc, the expenditure has now started picking up when the State was into second last month of the financial year.

"One of the key reasons for low expenditure is the fact that new districts continued to be disadvantaged by way of non-availability of full complement of staff, which is hampering developmental activities", sources admitted.

Percentage of expenditure by the end of November during last financial year was 30.71 per cent while for the current year it was 30.47 per cent. Similarly, Capital component expenditure under the district plan has also gone down to 28.19 per cent by the end of November this financial year as compared to 32.72 per cent last year.

Power sector remained major consumer of plan funds, both under the State Plan as well as Prime Minister’s Re-construction Plan (PMRP). However, utilisation of funds in this sector has also been low under the schemes like APDRP and strengthening of transmission and distribution network.

During last financial year, transfers from Centre were estimated at Rs 7985 crore but they fell short by a whopping Rs 1008 crore. The Government had, according to sources, estimated Rs 700 crore under Centrally sponsored schemes but actual receipts were only Rs 539 crore— a shortfall of Rs 161 crore. Power reforms grant of Rs 300 crore was not released while the Government didn’t claim amount for EAPs as no scheme was put forth—again a shortfall of Rs 298 crore.

Security Related Expenditure (SRE) was estimated at Rs 325 crore but actual expenditure was less and amount re-imbursed was only Rs 163 crore, again a shortfall of Rs 171 crore.

"The total shortfall amount of Rs 931 crore was on account of such schemes for which amount is not spent till the grants are received", sources said.

Rs 1344 cr required for left over areas
4885 habitations still yearn for potable water supply

By Mohinder Verma

JAMMU, Feb 6: Of the total 12015 habitations in the State, 4885 are still yearning for the potable water supply despite the fact that several hundred schemes worth crores of rupees are presently under implementation in all the districts.

The latest official figures revealed that out of total 12015 habitations in the State, 7130 were fully covered under potable water supply upto March 2006 while 1570 habitations are yet to be covered and 3315 have been partially covered with majority of them still yearning for drop of drinking water through potable system.

To provide potable drinking water to all the uncovered habitations, the Government required an amount of Rs 2030 crore of which Rs 692.79 crore have already been provided. Since Government plans to cover all the habitations by end of 2008-09, it requires Rs 1344 crore more for meeting the target in the 11th Plan.

Notwithstanding plans of the Government, the target of providing potable water supply to all left-over habitations across the State that too within a period of one year seems to be a daunting task because of the huge investment required for the same.

Of the total requirement of Rs 1344 crore for meeting the target, the State Government is banking upon 50 per cent share—Rs 672 crore from the Centre and an equal amount is required to be provided in the State Plan.

Though 747 schemes in rural areas are under implementation in all the districts and 196 have been completed so far yet a lot has to be done to cover all the habitations for providing safe drinking water within one year which is a difficult task for the concerned Departments, an official document of State Finance Ministry said.

Besides 4885 habitations, the Government has also failed to provide potable drinking water supply to 7249 schools till March, 2007, the document pointed out.

The official document also put a question mark on the implementation of Accelerated Urban Water Supply Programme (AUWSP) which is aimed at providing water supply to all the towns and remarked "the scarcity of water is experienced generally as the existing water supply schemes don’t meet the demand for potable water which is increasing in the towns".

It cited increase in urban population due to migration from rural areas, short-fall of rains and more importantly the non-availability of means to store water for utilizing during dry spell and delay in the completion of the water supply schemes meant for augmenting the supply of water in urban areas, as reasons behind the increasing scarcity of water.

HUJI militant surrenders

Excelsior Correspondent

JAMMU, Feb 6: A militant of HUJI outfit surrendered before Rashtriya Rifles in Kishtwar district yesterday.

Official sources said that Adbul Majid (26) alias Ayubi, resident of Tandar surrendered before 63 Rashtriya Rifles under the aegis of 9 Sector Rashtriya Rifles, Delta Force yesterday evening.

"The surrendered militant had joined HUJI in March 2007 and also remained a member of Hizb-ul-Mujahideen for 3 months," sources said.

India, Pak to discuss frequency of bus services

ISLAMABAD, Feb 6: Indian and Pakistani officials will meet in New Delhi on February 13 and 14 for discussions on streamlining bus services between the two countries, especially on routes that have proved to be non-remunerative.

Foreign Office spokesman Mohammad Sadiq today dismissed reports that the frequency of certain bus services would be reduced and said the officials would discuss the "merger or re-routing" of certain services that had not attracted too many passengers.

The discussions would largely focus on bus services linking Pakistan’s Punjab province to India’s Punjab state and New Delhi, he said. These include the bus services between Nankana Sahib and Lahore in Pakistan and Amritsar in India as also the service linking Lahore and New Delhi.

Some of these services, Sadiq said, had not attracted many passengers and were "non-commercial".

Answering a question on the proposed Iran-Pakistan-India gas pipeline during his weekly news briefing, Sadiq said negotiations on the project were under way.

There were reports that the Indian Petroleum Minister would visit Iran for talks with his Iranian and Pakistani counterparts but there had been a change in plans, he said.

"It (the matter) is being pursued actively," Sadiq said. On the upcoming polls, Sadiq said the Government has issued visas to over 500 observers from abroad and 500 foreign journalists for the February 18 general election.

"About 500 foreign observers from different countries, including the US and the European Union requested visas for the forthcoming elections and their requests have been processed," he said.

Giving details, Sadiq said democracy international of the US is sending 35 observers while the EU has increased the strength of its observer mission from 70 to 110.

A special formula has been drawn up for the observers and journalists to visit different parts of Pakistan. They would be free to visit Islamabad and the four provincial capitals. "Beyond this, they have to make arrangements with the security agencies," he said.

Replying to a question about India’s plans to acquire armaments for its military, Sadiq reiterated that Pakistan is "against the introduction of new weapons in the region".

South Asia, he said, needs "economic and social development and not armaments". He added that Pakistan will do "whatever is necessary to defend its integrity".

Sadiq also dismissed concerns expressed by Indian Navy Chief Admiral Sureesh Mehta about Pakistan’s Gwadar port on the Balochistan coast, saying the project was part of the cooperation between Islamabad and Beijing.

"Gwadar is a project for the benefit of the people of Pakistan. It has nothing to do with any other country, so there should be no concerns on that," he said. (PTI)

Promotion is a fundamental right of an employee : SC

NEW DELHI, Feb 6: The Supreme Court has held that promotion is a fundamental right of an employee and even the State cannot deny it.

A bench comprising Justices S B Sinha and G S Singhvi, while dismissing the appeal of Food Corporation of India (FCI), also imposed costs of Rs 50,000 on FCI.

FCI had appealed against the judgement of the Andhra Pradesh High Court, which had upheld the right of engineers working with the corporation, for promotion.

FCI had excluded the engineers from its promotional scheme on the ground that they did not contribute towards the main function of the Corporation.

The apex court, in its judgement pronounced yesterday, noted, ‘‘when employees are denied an opportunity of promotion for a long time (in this case 30 years) on the grounds that they fell with in a category of employees excluded from promotional prospects, the superior court will have the jurisdiction to issue necessary directions.’’

‘‘If there is no channel of promotion in respect of a particular group of officers resulting in stagnation over the years, the court although may not issue any direction as to in which manner a scheme should be formulated or by reason thereof inference with the operation of existing channel of promotion to the officers working in different departments and Government officers but the jurisdiction to issue direction to make a scheme cannot be denied to a superior court of the country,’’ the court added.

The apex court, in its 12-page judgement written by Justice Sinha, also ruled, ‘‘we fail to understand how the cadre of medical officers would be important as, like the respondents, they also do not contribute towards the main function of the appellant. An employee is an employee. How the employees would be structured is undoubtedly within the realm of the statutory authority but by reason thereof, it cannot tinker with their essential fundamental rights.’’(UNI)

Degradation of Siachen to figure in talks

NEW DELHI, Feb 6: India and Pakistan are going to take up the issue of environmental degradation of the sensitive Siachin Glacier at a meeting in Islamabad soon.

Informing this to newspersons here, Pakistan Minister for Environment, local Government and rural development Minister Syed Wajid Husain Bukhari said the meeting, which would be a sort of regional workshop, would be attended by other affected SAARC Nations like Nepal and others.

Siachen Glacier, which is near the World’s second highest mountain K2 in the Karakoram range, is an endangered ecosystem, a situation caused by militarisation in the region.

Mr Bukhari, who has come here to take part in the Delhi Sustainable Summit, said the workshop would be attended by a number of experts too and it would discuss the various complexities of the situation.

He said that though no dates had been decided, the meeting would be held within a couple of months.

Studies say that apart from militarisation, the Siachen Glacier was also polluted by human waste which does not decompose easily at such high altitudes. Besides, there was chemical contamination due to the presence of armies. (UNI)