Governor studies report, Speaker meets CM
Oppn to continue uproar, NCLP again meets today
*Discussion on Kundal, CM’s grants listed today

By Sanjeev Pargal

JAMMU, Governor Lt Gen (Retd) S K Sinha was said to be studying Kundal Committee report and "serious charges" levelled by National Conference Legislature Party (NCLP) in a memorandum submitted to him the other day while the NCLP, which met at party headquarters tonight, chalked out its strategy for tomorrow when Legislature will meet after three days adjournment.

NCLP leader in Assembly Abdul Rahim Rather said there was no "dilution" in NC’s stand of seeking nothing less than the resignation of two coalition Ministers, Tariq Hamid Qarra, Incharge Finance and Qazi Afzal, Incharge Forests, both from the PDP.

As no business has virtually been carried out in the Assembly on Wednesday and Thursday, a day after Kundal Committee report was tabled in both Houses of the Legislature which forced Speaker Tara Chand to adjourn the House on Thursday afternoon till Monday, the Speaker tonight met Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad for more than half an hour since grants of the Departments held by the Chief Minister are listed in the Assembly tomorrow.

Sources said both the leaders discussed how to run the House in the event of entire Opposition virtually holding the Assembly to ransom.

The Assembly Secretariat tonight issued business calendar for tomorrow which include a discussion on Kundal Committee report immediately after the Question Hour. Debate and reply on the grants of Chief Minister’s Departments which include Home, GAD, Revenue, Relief & Rehabilitation, Information, Hospitality & Protocol etc have been listed after discussion on Kundal report.

Main Opposition, National Conference, has already made it clear that it didn’t want a discussion on Kundal report on the ground that it was "self speaking" and two Ministers have been clearly indicted and they must quit.

Official sources said soon after the NCLP comprising all MLAs and MLCs led by Leader of Opposition met the Governor on Friday, Mr Azad also had a meeting with the Governor for one and a half hour. What transpired between the two was not officially disclosed but, according to sources, the allegations levelled by the NCLP in memorandum as well as Kundal Committee report were discussed.

Today, the Governor spent most of his time reading Kundal Committee report and the allegations levelled in NC memorandum, sources said but declined to elaborate.

The NCLP is again scheduled to meet tomorrow afternoon soon after the arrival of NC president Omar Abdullah here from Srinagar. The party will chalk out its future strategy vis-a-vis Legislature session and Kundal Committee report in the meeting. The NC planned to take its fight to streets pressing for the demand for resignation of two Ministers.

"If the House is adjourned due to NC protests, the party will protest and then return to Sher-i-Kashmir Bhawan, the party headquarters for Omar Abdullah’s meeting. However, if the House is not adjourned, the party will stage a walk-out and attend the meeting", sources said.

The NCLP, which met tonight for about two hours under the chairmanship of Mr Rather, elicited the opinion of legislators and finally decided to go ahead with its demand for the two Ministers’ resignations and also continue with their protests.

Meanwhile, CPM leader and MLA Mohd Yusuf Tarigami has said there were other ways and means for the NC to protest but they should allow the House proceedings to go on since every Department has to be scrutinised during grants of all Ministries, starting tomorrow.

"There are other serious issues to be raised in the House. The NC should adopt other means of protests and let the House function smoothly", Mr Tarigami said.

National Panthers Party leader and former Minister Harshdev Singh observed that the party wants to expose the Government inside the House instead of forcing adjournments.

"Only the Government purpose will be served if the NC repeatedly force adjournment of the House. There are very important issues which are required to be discussed in the House. The NC can resort to legal remedies also for their demands", Mr Singh said adding the issues of Delimitation Commission, functioning of new administrative units on papers only, unemployment, problems of farms and civic amenities etc are to be raised in the House.

BJP national executive reaffirms Advani as PM candidate

NEW DELHI, Jan 27: Buoyed by the saffron surge in States including Gujarat, BJP today reaffirmed L K Advani as its Prime Ministerial candidate in the next Lok Sabha polls and declared NDA as the "need of the hour".

A meeting of the national executive endorsed Advani’s projection as the PM candidate, days after it got NDA’s stamp of approval, with party chief Rajnath Singh describing him as the "natural choice" of the party and the alliance for the top post.

"I feel elated in saying that by approving our decision of declaring Advani as future Prime Minister, all our friends in NDA have given a message of unity and collectivity," Singh said in the presence of the 80-year-old leader of the Opposition and top brass of the party.

Singh spoke of Advani being given the responsibility to realise the unfulfilled dreams of Vajpayee and said "We have to convert this golden opportunity into victory."

The prominent absentee at the national executive, the first since Advani was projected for the high post both by BJP and NDA, was an unwell Vajpayee who did not even send a message or letter as he had done during the last executive meeting in Bhopal in September, which had triggered the leadership debate.

"Atalji has always been source of our inspiration and guide and he will remain so in future too," Singh said as the baton passed into the hands of Advani with the "blessings" of the party patriarch.

It was an Advani show all the way as Singh showered encomiums on the senior leader who he said is has "A special place among all the political parties in the contemporary politics."

BJP, which never really came to terms with the shock defeat in 2004 general elections, had showed all signs of a revival in 2007.

The meet to review the poll preparedness was told that it the first time in the history of the party that it has formed Governments in States in one year—Punjab, Uttaranchal, Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh.

The executive meeting ahead of the two-day national council beginning tomorrow discussed the party’s strategy for coming Assembly polls in several States with Singh laying special emphasis on the ‘agni-pariksha’ of retaining party-ruled Madhya Pradesh, Chattisgarh and Rajasthan.

The party made it clear that it would go it alone in Karnataka Assembly elections and warned the Central Government against delaying the holding of the polls there.

Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi was a star attraction at the executive and received fullsome praise from the BJP chief who even asked other party chief ministers to emulate his feat of retaining power.

With as many as 10 States going to polls this year, the party chief sought to raise the morale of the workers by saying that he fully believed that the string of successes would further lead the party to victory.

The executive was the start of an intense exercise to finetune BJP’s strategy for Assembly and Lok Sabha polls early next year which is to be given a final shape at the national council.

In his hour-long address, the BJP chief spoke on several issues including expansion of BJP, growth of terror, plight of farmers and landless labourers and the need to avoid frequent elections.

He attacked the UPA, dubbing it as an "unnatural" alliance and claimed the Congress-led Government has "failed" and "lost" the confidence of the people given the series of setbacks Congress and its allies suffered in several States.

Singh also targetted Left parties, saying Congress and the Marxists are engaged in "fooling" the people through shadow boxing.

"The more bitterly the Leftists criticise the Central Government in media the more warmly they are hand in hand insidiously," Singh charged.

The national council will discuss two resolutions on the political situation and the plight of farmers besides debating issues like price rise, Ram Setu, internal security and poll strategy.

The party is expected to come down heavily on the UPA Government in the resolutions and discussions.

Singh alleged that in the United Progressive Alliance, there is nothing that either appears united or progressive and claimed the recent elections and political developments show that UPA has also "lost" the confidence of the people.

In the last three-and-a-half years, Congress has lost its Governments in six States, its ally RJD lost power in Bihar, TRS has withdrawn support while Vaiko’s MDMK left UPA and Lok Dal distanced itself from it, he pointed out.

Though technically Congress has BSP’s support at the Centre the relation between them is such that both are engaged in publicly denigrating each other, Singh said.

As against this, the manner in which BJP has observed the responsibilities of alliance and continues to follow that in several States has become an "ideal in Indian politics," he said.

Singh appealed to the Election Commission and all political parties to start thinking on the issue of frequent polls which leave no time for parties to engage in constructive work.

If a way out is found, it might lead to solution of the many problems and set the national parties free from the elections held in every two-three months.(PTI)

‘Decision on troop cut should be left to Govt’
Comparison on troop deployment out of place: Mehbooba

Excelsior Correspondent

NEW DELHI, Jan 27: People's Democratic Party (PDP) President Mehbooba Mufti has reiterated her party’s resolve to work for reduction of troops deployed on internal security in Jammu and Kashmir and get the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) scrapped.

Reacting to the Republic Day message of the Governor Lt Gen (Retd) S K Sinha, Ms Mufti said "comparisons of different territorial situations on troop deployment are not only surprising but out of place", adding "while the views of the State Governor deserve to be respected, if expressed in confidence, their public expression was completely uncalled for, especially if references were made to situations prevailing in three different and independent countries".

The PDP President said her party had taken up the matter of troop cut with the Central Government which was the ultimate decision-making authority and the Prime Minister had responded positively by putting in place a mechanism to address the issue.

"Some small beginnings had in fact been made, though these are inadequate," she said and added that the decision on troop cut, whenever taken, will be on the basis of the ground situation in the State and could not be influenced by what is happening in Waziristan or Tibet.

"It is for the Governments of those countries to assess their requirements in Waziristan and Tibet and respond as they think fit," she said, adding "what is good for a goose was not the same in the case for the gander".

Ms Mehbooba maintained that at one point of time heavy deployment of forces was necessary to curb violence in the State, but that situation exists no more. "Levels of violence have gone down sharply and people's participation in political and democratic exercises has increased to unprecedented levels," she said and added that in election after election people are participating in great numbers and economic activity is back.

"The one negative feedback on the reviving tourism industry is the rather intruding and overwhelming presence of security forces, bunkers and barbed wire fencings on Kashmir landscape," she said and added this unfortunate trend is now finding more and more mention in travel write-ups from Kashmir.

"While one would desist from offering public advice to the constitutional head of the State, it is expected that the Governor as a fatherly figure for the whole State takes note of the public sentiment rather than bringing totally extraneous elements into the discourse on State’s internal security," Mehbooba said.

The PDP President pointed out that it has always been maintained as part of the country’s national policy that decisions on the troop deployment in Jammu and Kashmir will be taken strictly on the merits of the situation.

"But Gen Sinha’s point of view could create wrong and exploitable apprehensions on this count, both within and outside the State," she said and added that drawing parallels with other countries internal matters would only complicate the situation and tend to increase the difficulties for the people and the country.

"Should it then be concluded that the levels of deployment in Kashmir should be dictated by the actions of Pakistan in Waziristan and China in Tibet," Ms Mufti wondered and said this has to be a decision of the nation of India, its Government and its elected representatives in the larger interest of the State and the country.

She said one of the Working Groups had clearly recommended scrapping of the laws giving special powers to the security forces and implementation of these recommendations along-with other proposals should be put on a fast track in the interest of peace and stability in the State.

Out of 27 assigned projects, only 8 taken up
ERA’s road, bridge projects moving at snail’s pace

By Mohinder Verma

JAMMU, Jan 27: Could Economic Reconstruction Agency (ERA) prove its worth for the timely execution of projects relating to the development of the State? If one goes through the progress on the number of road and bridge projects assigned to it in Jammu division the answer to this million dollar question seems to be contrary to the aims and objectives for which it was established.

The ERA, which came into being on December 28, 2004, was assigned 27 road and bridge projects worth Rs 328.6 crore across the Jammu division under Transport Sector during 2005-06, 2006-07 and 2007-08 (till November 2007) but astonishingly work on only eight projects has so far been started by the agency, official figures available with the EXCELSIOR revealed.

Of the remaining 19 projects, nine are yet to be tendered while six have only gone through tendering process and four others were still at the stage of awarding of contract and finalisation of designs.

In Jammu district, ERA has been assigned four projects worth Rs 49.22 crore and two projects—construction of fly over from Jewel Chowk to Canal (Akhnoor end road) and construction of flyover from Vikram Chowk to Presentation Convent School, under proposed Mega Cities’ project of R&B Department.

But work on only two projects—improvement/upgradation of Sidhra-Surinsar-Mansar road at the estimated cost of Rs 39.90 crore and double lanning of Bari Brahmana-Bishnah Road at the cost of Rs 6.33 crore has so far been started. However, expenditure to the tune of Rs 4.07 crore and Rs 0.88 crore respectively has been incurred on these two projects till ending November 2007.

The fate of remaining four projects including construction of 42 metre bridge over Mananu Nullah on Samba-Mansar Road, 138.6 metre long multibarrel box culvert over Devak Nullah on Nagrota Road continue to hang in balance.

Against Rs 66.68 crore worth six projects in the Kathua district, the work on not even a single project has so far been started by the Economic Reconstruction Agency. Of these projects, three are yet to be tendered, two have been tendered and design of one was yet to be received from the contractor.

The projects assigned to ERA in Kathua are improvement/upgradation of Kalibari-Kathua-Hatli Morh road, Bani-Dhagger road, Madli-Kough road, Basohli-Dhar-Mahanpur road via Sananghat, Hiranagar to Katal Zandi road via Hiranagar and construction of 30 metre span RCC bridge over Trida Nullah on Parnalla-Seri Mouni Road.

In Udhampur district, four road and bridge projects worth Rs 65.30 crore have been assigned to ERA and work on all of them have been going on. But the expenditure of Rs 6.48 crore on Rs 65.30 crore projects was a clear indication of slow pace of work and a pointer towards the time which the ERA would consume to complete these projects of much public importance.

The projects are improvement/upgradation of Chenani-Sudh Mahadev Road upto Mantalai, Udhampur-Ramnagar road, construction of 45 metre span steel girder bridge over Kooh Nullah on Udhampur-Ramnagar road and 41 metre bridge over Kaghote Nallah.

As against Rs 75.49 crore worth seven projects given to the ERA in Doda district, the work on only one has so far been awarded while the other six projects are either to be tendered or only tendered, the official data revealed.

The projects are improvement/upgradation of Makerkote-Ukhral-Senabati road, Doda-Bharath road, Drabshalla-Bimanag road, Malipeth-Pushal-Poochal road, single laning of Kahra-Bagdar road, construction of 45 metre span steel girder bridge over Singhpura nullah and 32 metre span steel girder bridge over Chhatroo Nullah on Chhatroo-Gurinal link road.

In Rajouri district, two projects—improvement/upgradation of Solki-Arthama road and Siot-Kalakote road have been assigned to ERA but work on them has not been started so far.

Similarly, two projects worth Rs 23.27 crore have been assigned to ERA in Poonch district but work on only improvement of Saki Maidan-Kalai road has so far been started. The fate of another road Drungli Bypass continue to hang in the tendering process.

Keeping in view the present snail’s pace of work over eight projects and fate of other assigned projects it can be easily presumed that ERA would take several years to complete these projects of immense public utility.

This agency can meet its aims and objectives of promoting the economic, financial and social development of the State only when the projects assigned to it are completed in time-bound period otherwise it would not make any difference whether the projects are executed by the Government departments or ERA.

It is worthwhile to mention here that several legislators raised the issue of delay in execution of projects by the ERA and put a question mark on its functioning in both houses of State Legislature.

Govt can sign n deal on its own: SC

NEW DELHI, Jan 27: In a major setback to the opponents of Indo-US nuclear deal, the Supreme Court has held that the Government is not bound to place the nuclear deal before Parliament and can sign the deal on its own.

A bench comprising Chief Justice K G Balakrishnan and Justice R V Raveendran told the petitioner M Ravi Prakash " there is no provision in the Constitution of India which makes it mandatory for the Union Government to take into confidence before signing any international agreement or treaty and asked the petitioner to show the provision under which the Government is bound to take Parliament into confidence before signing a deal."

The Supreme Court had earlier on January 25 dismissed a similar petition holding that this court cannot interfere in the policy matters and the Government is competent enough to look after the interest of the nation.

The order was a major shot in the arm for the Manmohan Singh Government. The Left and the Opposition parties including the BJP has been demanding that the nuclear deal should be debated in Parliament before signing the agreement.(UNI)

Norwegian skier feared dead

SRINAGAR, Jan 27: A Norwegian woman skier, missing since January 8 in snowbound Gulmarg heights in north Kashmir, is feared dead under snow, official sources said.

They said besides 10 feet to 15 feet of snow in the avalanche prone heights, there was also a threat of wild animals.

However, a State Tourism Department official said rescue operations were still on to trace the skier Francesca Rongne. This is the second time Rongne went missing in Gulmarg. Last year she was rescued after a couple of days from a snow cave after being caught in a snow storm. However, this time she was not so lucky as the teams rushed for her rescue, returned without any success.

He said, "we still hope she is alive and a number of teams rushed to different heights in the area were still looking for her."

The teams, went to different directions from the base camp at Gulmarg and have searched more than a dozen dangerous heights, including Affarwat, Linganmarg, Dranga Gund and Tangmarg forests which are under 10 feet to 15 feet of snow, he said. Success still eludes to trace her, he added.

Official sources said her chances of survival in freezing temperature without food and shelter was bleak.

Besides more than 15 feet of snow in the avalanche prone heights, there was also a threat of wild animals, which generally come down from the upper forests, they added.

The rescue teams from Army, High Altitude Warfare School and Police searched the entire belt to locate Rongne without any success.

The official sources said she checked in a hotel on January 8 at 1430 hrs but left after 15 minutes for skiing. However, when she did not return, the hotel management lodged a missing report in the police station at Gulmarg on January 9.

Three officials from Norwegian Embassy in Delhi also joined the rescue operation but had to return without any success. (UNI)

Govt fans separatist feelings by floating trial balloons: BJP

NEW DELHI, The BJP today attacked the Congress-PDP coalition Government in Jammu and Kashmir for "constantly floating trial balloons that enhance separatist feelings" and sought scrapping of Article 370 and implementation of Uniform Civil Code to bring the troubled State into the national mainstream.

In his Presidential address at the two-day BJP National Council meeting here, party chief Rajnath Singh also demanded immediate announcement of a special package for the rehabilitation of Kashmiri Pandits, who migrated from the Valley in late 1980s following the outbreak of violence there.

"Despite the existence of Congress-led Coalition Governments at both the Centre and in Jammu and Kashmir, one is not being able to see any sort of improvement there," he said.

Mr Singh alleged that instead of trying to bring Jammu and Kashmir into the national mainstream, the State Government "constantly keeps floating trial balloons that enhance separatist feelings".

"Sometimes they talk about the pre-1953 situation or make a completely ludicrous demand such as asking for a separate currency for Jammu and Kashmir," he added.

Prior to 1953, the BJP president further claimed, when Kashmir had a separate Parliament, Prime Minister and flag, the State did not have a separate currency even at that time.

"This shows that the Congress is going even one step beyond that point in history."

He said the Government was not paying any attention towards the plight of the Kashmiri Pandits who were leading a "life of misery".

Mr Singh said there was no special provision for the Kashmiri Pandits in the Government package announced for Jammu and Kashmir.

"In my opinion, to bring Kashmir into the national mainstream and also to weaken the separatist forces, the time has now come for all political parties, in the national interest, to once again consider removal of Article 370 and implementation of the Union Civil Code," he said. (UNI)

Assembly adjourned after protest over forest scam

JAMMU, The Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly was today adjourned for nearly two hours amidst uproar over the Kundal Committee report with opposition parties demanding sacking of two ministers, for their alleged involvement in the forest scam.

As soon as the proceedings of the House started at 1000 hours with the Question Hour, the opposition National Conference (NC) members along with Jammu and Kashmir National Panthers Party (JKNPP) legislators raised slogans demanding resignation of two ministers whom they alleged were involved in the forest scam, as per the Kundal Committee report.

However, the Question Hour continued for 25 minutes with opposition members continuing their protests.

Minister for Health and Medical Education Mangat Ram Sharma said that opposition members were only creating disruption without allowing the proceedings to continue despite that discussions on the Kundal report was listed in today’s business.

Speaker Tara Chand urged the opposition members to allow the Question Hour to function normally which would be followed by discussions on the Kundal report. Some Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) members began arguing with the NC legislators.

As the furore continued in the Assembly, the Speaker adjourned the House for half an hour.

Later, the House again met around 1220 hours and NC legislators continued their protest.

Leader of Opposition A R Rather demanded assurance from Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad that action would be taken against Forest Minister Qazi Afzal and Finance Minister Tariq Hameed Qarra after the discussions on the issue are held.

Azad. While intervening in the discussion, said that unless the issue is discussed in the House, no conclusions can be drawn. "How can judgement be delivered unless lawyers of both the sides do not present their view points," he added.

He said that the treasury bench was prepared to discuss the issue and asked the opposition whether they were ready for it later in the day or any other day.

Unsatisfied with the definite assurance by the Chief Minister, opposition NC staged a walkout around 1300 hours.

In the Legislative Council, five NC legislators also held protest demonstration over the issue and later staged a walkout. (PTI)