Return of migrants discussed
CM reviews cross LoC travel, refugees issue in Delhi meet

Excelsior Correspondent

New Delhi, Jan 13: A joint meeting of senior Central and J&K Government officials was convened here at J&K House on Saturday evening, by Chief Minister, Ghulam Nabi Azad. The meeting was held to oversee implementation of recommendations of various Working Groups set up by Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh in 2006.

Mr Azad stressed for streamlining formalities for cross LoC travel in order to minimize delay and inconvenience caused to the people intending to undertake the journey. He also called for undertaking a comprehensive census of militancy related widows and orphans in the State.

The issues pertaining to rehabilitation and return of Kashmiri Pandits were also discussed. The issue of early return of some migrants from Doda, Poonch, Rajouri and Udhampur also came up for discussion, official sources said. 

The meeting also deliberated upon the issue of West Pakistan refugees of 1947 who are still facing considerable hardships with regard to employment, education and other issues like raising loans from banks etc.

The issues with regard to compensation of land and other property left behind by PoK refugees of 1947 was also discussed

It was agreed in the meeting that a committee of senior officers from the concerned Ministries in the Government of India, including a representative of the State Government would be set up to oversee the implementation of Working Groups' recommendations.

The Chief Minister impressed upon officers of the State and the Central Governments to work in unison to achieve the desired goals.

The meeting was attended by National Security Advisor to Prime Minister, M. K. Narayanan, Secretary Planning Commission Dr. Subas Pani, Special Representative on Kashmir, N. N. Vohra, Union Home Secretary, Madhukar Gupta, Special Secretary Home Kumawat, Joint Secretary, Home Mitali Sen Gavai and Joint Secretary Ministry of External Affairs T.C.A. Raghavan. Besides, senior officers of PMO, Home, Defence and Cabinet Secretariat were also present.

From J&K side besides the Chief Minister, Chief Secretary, B. R. Kundal, Financial Commissioner, Planning & Development, S. S. Kapur, Director General of Police, Kuldeep Khoda, Principal Secretary to Chief Minister, Anil Goswami, Commissioner Secretary, Finance, B. B. Vyas and Commissioner Secretary, Power Development, Basharat Ahmad Dar attended the meeting.

Adjournment motion unlikely to be admitted
Opposition, treasury benches all set for a showdown today

By Sanjeev Pargal

JAMMU, Jan 13: Stage was set for a showdown between Opposition and treasury benches in the Assembly tomorrow when it resumes its sitting after a two days break with National Conference, National Panthers Party, BJP and even CPM gearing up to corner the Government on "serious charges" levelled by Independent MLA Shoaib Lone on corruption taken from him by a Minister and assassination of his father, Dr Ghulam Nabi Lone, a Minister in Mufti Sayeed led coalition Government, by the then Government.

Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad, who is scheduled to reply to four days debate on Governor’s Address at 11 am tomorrow in the Assembly soon after the Question Hour, returned here this afternoon from New Delhi and spoke to some important coalition leaders on Friday’s developments in Lower House when he had gone to Delhi.

Official sources said Mr Azad didn’t want his nearly 100 minutes reply to be disrupted by the Opposition or given even in the absence of Opposition members (in the eventuality of their walk-out if their demand for a CBI probe into Dr Lone’s killing and dismissal of corrupt Minister is not accepted). Hectic efforts were on till late this evening to work out a patch up with Opposition especially the National Conference, which has 26 MLAs in the House, to ensure that CM’s reply goes well without any major interruption and is not boycotted by the Opposition, an option being explored by the NC if their demands are rejected. The NC has already directed its all MLAs to remain present in the House tomorrow.

According to sources, Mr Azad wanted to make his reply in the House tomorrow a very significant one since it would be his last major policy statement on floor of the Lower House as it was last budget session of present political dispensation with Assembly elections scheduled in later part of this year.

Sources said under no circumstances, Speaker Tara Chand is going to admit adjournment motion being moved by Leader of Opposition Abdul Rahim Rather and his party colleagues in the House tomorrow seeking suspension of entire business to discuss the charges levelled by Shoaib Lone.

"Under the rules, an adjournment motion can’t be admitted on an issue which has already been discussed in the House. In this case, several members spoke after Lone levelled charges and the issue generated heat in the Assembly on Friday itself", Legislature sources said.

However, according to sources, the Government was not averse to discuss the issue but it wants the Chief Minister’s reply to go on smoothly first.

According to sources in the NC, the party was in a no mood to relent. Having been handed over a major issue to corner the Government on a platter by Shoaib Lone, it didn’t want to let the issue go out of its hands. Especially, with Shoaib Lone virtually directly blaming the then PDP Government for the killing of his father, the NC has got an opportunity to target its arch political rival in Kashmir. On the issue of corruption also, the NC wants the Minister to be identified and dismissed from the Cabinet.

As the Chief Minister has made war against corruption a major issue of his Government, the Opposition now wants to stick him to his promise, seek name of the Minister from Lone (who was on record in the Assembly having said that he will reveal name of the Minister to the Chief Minister) and remove him from the Cabinet.

According to sources, the NC was weighing pros and cons in case their adjournment motion is rejected. It would keep up its protests and disrupt proceedings of the House insisting on the demands for a CBI probe into Dr Lone’s killing and removal of the corrupt Minister. If the Chief Minister tries to go ahead with his reply, the Opposition, may as a last resort, boycott the reply by staging a walk-out. However, majority view in the NC was that proceedings of the House shouldn’t be allowed to run till their demands are conceded by the Government.

Meanwhile, Shoaib Lone was reported to have met some prominent political leaders of different parties especially those who were close to his father and apprised them of the name of the corrupt Minister.

According to sources, besides the National Conference, NPP, BJP and even CPM were planning to corner the Government and will like Shoaib Lone’s demand for a CBI probe into Dr Lone’s killing conceded by the Government and corrupt Minister identified and dismissed.

Manmohan meets Wen for informal talks
India, China to find solution to festering boundary issue

BEIJING, Jan 13: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today kicked-off his three-day maiden visit to China with an informal meeting with his Chinese counterpart Wen Jiabao as both sides grapple to find a mutually acceptable solution to the festering boundary issue.

Singh and Wen discussed a range of issues of mutual interest during their ‘restricted meeting’, held at the Diaoyutai state guest house.

National Security Advisor, M K Narayanan, Foreign Secretary Shivshankar Menon and Indian Ambassador to China Nirupama Rao were also present during the parleys.

Striking a positive note before his talks, Singh said bilateral ties were now poised to enter a "vibrant and dynamic phase".

"We attach high priority to strengthening our relations with China," he said adding that China was India’s largest neighbour and a "focal point" of its "look east" policy.

The vexed boundary issue is expected to figure prominently during the discussions though both sides do not expect any breakthrough at this stage. Special representatives M K Narayanan and Dai Bingguo, Senior Vice Foreign Minister, will brief the leaders on the progress in negotiations on the boundary problem.

"An early settlement of the boundary question will advance the basic interests of the two countries and should, therefore, be pursued as a strategic objective," Singh, who arrived here today, said in an interview to Chinese media. Singh, who was accorded a red carpet welcome at the Beijing International Airport, will have official delegation-level talks with Wen at the Great Hall of the People tomorrow.

This is Singh’s first visit to China. Singh has met Wen many times in the recent past, the latest in Singapore on the sidelines of the East Asia Summit in November.

Singh’s visit comes amidst reports of recent Chinese intrusions across the Line of Actual Control (LAC). New Delhi has said that there are differences of perception with Beijing over certain areas but both countries are committed to maintaining peace and tranquility along the border.

"There are individual areas where we think there are activities and infrastructure development. We have ways of dealing with this and it has always been successful," senior Indian officials said.

"We have worked together to maintain peace and tranquility along the border.... We do have areas where we have differences of perception. We do not see any change in the situation. The border is peaceful and has remained peaceful," they said.

Apart from Wen, Singh will call on Chinese President Hu Jintao during his three-day stay.

Singh is the fifth Indian Prime Minister to visit China after Jawaharlal Nehru, Rajiv Gandhi, P V Narasimha Rao and Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

"This visit is important as it comes after a series of events which have strengthened the strategic and cooperative partnership between the two countries," officials said while referring to several high level visits from both sides since last year.(PTI)

We won’t be stumbling block to CBI probe: Zargar

By Mohinder Verma

JAMMU, Jan 13: Though it was satisfied beyond any shadow of doubt with the enquiry conducted by senior bureaucrat V V Vyas into the killing of Dr Ghulam Nabi Lone yet People’s Democratic Party (PDP), which was targeted by the independent MLA from Sangrama and son of slain PDP Minister on the floor of House, is not averse to Government ordering probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) as demanded by Shoaib Lone.

"We are satisfied with the investigation conducted into our party Minister’s killing as the same was carried out by a man of integrity V V Vyas", PDP’s Legislature Party leader in the Assembly and Minister for Agriculture Abdul Aziz Zargar said while talking to the EXCELSIOR.

"The major security lapse, according to the enquiry report, was the non-presence of the Personal Safety Officers (PSOs) of the Minister at his residence at the time of unfortunate incident", he said, adding "such lapses can be at the residence of any Minister".

But Mr Zargar hastened to add "we will not become a stumbling block if the Chief Minister after making a statement on the floor of the House wishes to get the killing further investigated that too by the CBI as demanded by Shoaib Lone because Dr Lone was dearer to all of us".

Expressing his inability to understand as to why Shoaib Lone all of a sudden started raising the issue of his father’s killing after about two years, PDP’s Legislature Party leader suspected the act as an election stunt to get the sympathy of the people once again. Why not he demanded CBI enquiry during the past two years? Mr Zargar questioned.

About the startling disclosures by Shoaib Lone with regard to the corruption at the Cabinet Ministers level, the PDP Minister said "even on the floor of the House he was repeatedly asked not only by the Opposition but by the Treasury Benches particularly Health and Medical Education Minister Mangat Ram Sharma to divulge the name of the Minister with the assurance to take action against him but he preferred to remain mum."

He further said "we will request the Chief Minister to take action against the corrupt Minister even if the Minister belongs to our party".

Meanwhile, the sources said that People’s Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti will arrive here tomorrow from Srinagar and within a day or two the party will discuss the serious accusations of Shoaib Lone against People’s Democratic Party.

Mr Zargar has already apprised Ms Mufti and party patron Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, who is currently in Delhi, about the development that has taken place in the Assembly viz-a-viz Shoaib Lone’s allegations against the Party.

It is worthwhile to mention here that Shoaib Lone, on the floor of the House, alleged that his father fell victim to the ‘political conspiracy’ and he openly raised accusing fingers towards PDP by stating that at that time PDP was on the verge of split and his father was not in the favour of party’s policies.

Hike in petrol prices imminent

NEW DELHI, Jan 13: A hike in petrol and diesel prices and possibly also on LPG looks certain, with the Left leaders agreeing for a marginal increase in prices along with duty cuts to rein in 100 dollars a barrel crude oil price.

The toss is between a Rs 4 a litre hike in petrol and Rs 2 per litre increase in diesel prices, and Rs 2 a litre rise in petrol and Re 1 per litre hike in diesel prices, Government sources said.

The former option is to come with a 2.5 per cent cut in customs duty on crude oil and petroleum products and a Re 1 a litre excise duty reduction on petrol and diesel. The latter option, however, is to be coupled with a 5 per cent cut in customs duty on crude oil and petroleum products and a Re 1 a litre excise duty drop on petrol and diesel.

On domestic LPG, the hike may be in the order of Rs 20 per 14.5-kg cylinder even though the public sector oil firms have been pushing for an increase of Rs 50 per cylinder.

Sources said Petroleum Minister Murli Deora has discussed the issue with key Left leaders including Sitaram Yechury of CPI(M) and Gurudas Dasgupta, who have agreed to a marginal increase in fuel prices.

A Group of Minister headed by External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee will meet on January 17 to discuss the options and make a recommendations to the Cabinet.

Indian Oil, Hindustan Petroleum and Bharat Petroleum together are projected to lose Rs 71,808 crore on fuel sale in fiscal 2007-08 if prices and duties are not revised. They currently lose Rs 9.20 per litre on petrol, Rs 11 a litre on diesel, Rs 331 per LPG cylinder and Rs 20 per litre on kerosene.

Sources said ad valorem duty rates on crude oil and petroleum products had resulted in a windfall rise in revenues for the Centre as well as State Governments due to the rise in price and quantity imported this year.

A 5 per cent cut in customs duty on crude oil and petroleum products and a Re 1 per litre reduction in excise duty on petrol and diesel would result in Rs 15,530 crore annual reduction in revenues for the Central Government.

Petrol and diesel prices were last raised in June 2006 when crude oil was at 67 dollars a barrel. It is at 92 dollars per barrel this year. LPG prices was last raised by Rs 20 per cylinder in November 2004 when crude was at 34 dollars a barrel, while kerosene prices have not been changed since 2002 when crude was at 23 dollars per barrel.

Sources said during April-September, oil bonds worth Rs 11,257 crore were issued to the oil companies and Rs 8,788 crore assistance was received from upstream companies like ONGC and GAIL.

A Re 1 per litre increase in petrol price would give Rs 90 crore a month additional revenue to oil companies. A similar hike in diesel and kerosene would fetch Rs 360 crore a month and Rs 95 crore respectively. A Rs 10 per cylinder increase in LPG prices would result in Rs 58 crore additional revenues every month. (PTI)

82 passengers airlifted from Kargil

Excelsior Correspondent

SRINAGAR, Jan 13: Two AN-32 flights were operated today between Srinagar and Kargil for stranded passengers as earlier flights were cancelled due to heavy snowfall last week.

An official spokesman said that about 82 passengers including one serious patient from Kargil were taken to Srinagar and 96 were brought to Kargil.

However, 55 passengers including 40 with confirm tickets were still waiting at Kargil after the first flight for Jammu was cancelled on Monday last due to snowfall.

CRPF pays Rs 3 lakh to ASI

SRINAGAR, Jan 13: The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) paid an ex-gratia of Rs 3 lakh to the next of kin of a Jammu and Kashmir police Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI), who was killed by militants.

Meanwhile, family members of every deceased police personnal in the State will get Rs 13.5 lakh ex-gratia besides other benefits, including free education and medical treatment.

A CRPF spokesman P Tripathy said M P Nathanael, DIG (operations), handed over a draft for Rs 3 lakh to Mehbooba Begum, wife of ASI and in charge of CIK, Nishat, Ali Mohammad Rather. He was killed by militants on April 27, 2005.

Mr Tripathy said the Centre sanctioned the amount in favour of the deceased family.

The family members of a Jammu and Kashmir Police Personnel, who has sacrificed his life in fighting against militants and criminals in the State, will get an amount of Rs 13.5 lakh as ex-gratia relief, officials said here.

They said immediately after the death of a police personnel, Rs 6 lakh will be paid to his family members from the Police Welfare Fund. Every police personnel is contributing Rs 220 to Rs 350 towards the fund from his monthly salary.

Besides, the officials said, an amount of Rs 5 lakh will be paid as ex-gratia and Rs 2.5 lakh as insurance to the family of the deceased personnel.

The children of the deceased police personnel will also be provided free education and medical facilities in police schools and hospitals respectively.

Under SRO-43, 414 sons and daughters of police personnel, who lost their lives in the State since 1990, were given employment in the police department. Of these 77 were appointed as Constables, 152 followers, one Inspector, one Sub-Inspector and 15 in civil services. (UNI)