Centre okays 370 road projects for J&K
Azad meets PM; reviews economic, political issues

Excelsior Correspondent

New Delhi, Mar 1: Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad had a meeting with Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh here last evening during which they discussed issues relating to economy of Jammu & Kashmir including power reform grant, Prime Minister’s Reconstruction Plan (PMRP) and setting up of a 1000 MW thermal power project.

Mr Azad took up with Dr. Singh the issue of power reform grant for 2007-08, the release of which has been delayed so far to the State. The Prime Minister assured him that the grant would be released within next two to three days.

The issue of PMRP Phase 2, based on the report of a high level Task Force set up by the PM headed by Dr. C. Rangarajan, was also discussed in the meeting, which deliberated on how to operationalise and implement the report. Dr Singh asked the State Government to take up matter with the Planning Commission for working out its implementation. In the course of two to three months, the Government would start working on the implementation of Rangarajan Committee report as PMRP, Phase 2.

The meeting also reviewed the ongoing PMRP, Phase 1. The State Government sought some restructuring of resources earmarked for power sector. It may be recalled that out of total Rs. 24,000 crore PMRP, Rs. 18,000 crore were earmarked for power. The Chief Minister sought to restructure Rs. 18,000 crore allocation to make it more suitable for J&K. The Prime Minister asked the State officials to sit with the Planning Commission and PMO and see how it could be done.

The setting up of a 1000 MW thermal power project at Udhampur was also discussed. The project, mooted by the State Government, has already received the nod from Union Ministry for Power. The Prime Minister liked the idea and said he would like to see work on the project started soon.

Mr Azad requested the Prime Minister to formally inaugurate the Dul-Hasti hydroelectric project. Dr. Singh assured him that he would be visiting the State at the earliest convenience for inauguration of 390 MW project.

The meeting was also attended by Economic Advisor to J&K Government, Dr. Haseeb Drabu, Commissioner/Secretary, Finance, B. B. Vyas and Joint Secretary in Prime Minister’s Office, Sanjay Mitra.

Later, the Chief Minister had a one on one meeting with the Prime Minister on political situation. They also discussed implementation of the recommendations of Working Groups on Jammu & Kashmir and the recent elections held in Pakistan.

Meanwhile, on persuasion of the Chief Minister, the Centre has sanctioned 370 road projects for J&K under Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojna (PMGSY) worth Rs. 1175 crore. The projects are expected to cover 700 rural habitations in the State.

The decision was taken at a meeting Mr. Azad had with Union Minister for Rural Development, Dr. Raghuvansh Prasad Singh here today. The meeting was also attended by Dr. Drabu, Principal Resident Commissioner, S. V. Bhave, Commissioner/Secretary, Finance, B. B. Vyas, Joint Secretary, Union Ministry for Rural Development and Director General, PMGSY, J. S. Mahapatra and Secretary, R&B, Shailendra Kumar.

Mr Azad made a strong case for road connectivity in rural J&K. He said being a hilly State the road construction cost was considerably more than in plain areas. He said J&K had minimum road connectivity compared to other States of the country. He asked for adopting 90:10 funding pattern in rural development projects in J&K on the lines of Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission. Presently, projects in Rural Development sector are funded on 50:50 basis between State and Central Governments.

While sanctioning 370 odd road projects, the Union Ministry for Rural Development advised the State Government to accord first priority to 1000 plus population unconnected habitations. The State Government was also asked to create more project implementation units (PIU) for implementation of PMGSY as per requirement of the districts, besides charging service tax at the rate of 4.2% on the projects tendered and allotted by April 1, 2007. In view of the quantum of work, the Ministry suggested that the works should be tendered in three phases.

The Ministry also proposed that the machinery being purchased for implementation of PMGSY be exempted from entry tax in J&K as per the Union notification.

In Jammu & Kashmir, the annual funds utilization under PMGSY remained at Rs. 10 crore from 2001 to 2006 while it is now Rs. 10 crore per month. The Ministry desired that steps be taken to raise it to Rs. 50 crore per month as there was no dearth of resources in this sector. The Ministry also pointed out delays in acquisition of forest and private land for PMGSY projects in the State and urged the Chief Minister to address this issue.

The Chief Minister assured Dr. Singh that he would issue necessary instructions to the concerned departments in a meeting next week to be attended by Forest and R&B ministers and administrative secretaries of concerned departments.

The Union Minister said that additional administrative and programme funds would be released to the State in the coming week including for cost overrun schemes of Phase I and II being implemented through rural engineering wing.

Dr. Singh assured the Chief Minister all possible help from his ministry to implement PMGSY in the State. He said that special specifications have been devised for the projects falling in the areas having frequent snowfall.

New tax slabs to stay: FM

NEW DELHI, Mar 1: After giving bonanza to Income-Tax payers by changing the slabs, Finance Minister P Chidambaram today said the next step should be removal of surcharges if the revenue buoyancy continued.

"Last time anyone has set the tax rates was 1997. This time we have set the tax slabs. I am reasonably confident that these tax slabs are going to stay for long, long time, we have brought moderate taxes and reasonable tax slabs," Chidambaram told TV channels.

The individuals with income of more than Rs 10 lakh and corporates pay surcharge at the rate of 10 per cent and there was a strong demand from corporate houses to do away with surcharges.

"If revenue buoyancy continues, I am sure the next Finance Minister, which I am sure would be from the Congress party, will begin to remove the surcharges. I think surcharges should go... May be in two steps or four steps," he said.

Chidambaram had changed the personal income-tax rates to 10, 20 and 30 per cent in 1997-98 budget, which was touted as "dream budget". Again it was Chidambaram who restructured the tax slabs in his budget yesterday.

Asked whether general elections were in mind while making this budget, he said, "every year there are elections in the country, 2006 was an election year, 2007 was an election year and 2008 is an election year. I have presented my fifth budget...."

"...According to schedules, elections are in May, 2009. Budgets don’t decide election agenda. Its how you communicate to the people what budget contains that can help win elections... And what is wrong in that."

Chidambaram said, "I think we have done fiscal consolidation. We have demonstrated that moderated and stable tax rate can bring better tax compliance."

Speaking about his tenure, Chidambaram said, "I am happy that the batting average has been 8.8 per cent in the last four years."

He, however, admitted that the Government should have taken reforms process faster.

"There are large areas of economy where reforms should have taken place and controls were removed...If we can remove them, economy would grow even faster," he said.

On signs of global economic recession, Chidambaram said, "conscious that the world economy is likely to slow down, we have decided to induce demand through consumption by taking fiscal steps, and correct every possible fall out of a slower global economy."

There is slowing down, especially in consumer goods, more particularly in consumer durables and I have identified the sectors—cars, two-wheelers, three-wheelers, paper, he said.

The budget 2008-09 proposed much higher excise duty cuts on these items than the general two per cent cut announced across-the-board.

Defending his decision to keep corporate rates unchanged, he said corporates are doing well, they are making good profits, they are paying good taxes and effective tax rates on them works out to be 22-23 per cent.

"There is no reason to tinker with rates this year. You do not fix something which is not broken," he said.(PTI)

Earthquake shakes Valley twice

SRINAGAR, Mar 1: Two earthquakes of slight intensity shook the Kashmir valley today forcing people to rush out from their houses.

However, there was no report of any loss of life or damage to property during these tremors, officials said.

A weather office spokesman said the tremors measuring 4.1 on richter scale were felt at 1406 hrs in Srinagar and its adjoining areas and lasted a few seconds.

Earlier, an earthquake with a magnitude of 3.4 was felt for a few seconds shortly after midnight last night. The quake, felt at 0011 hrs, was centred at 33.8 degrees north and 74.5 degrees east latitude.

On February 25, tremors measuring 3.9 on the richter scale were recorded and on February 20, earthquake with a magnitude of 2.9 was felt in Srinagar. (UNI)

New Pak Govt ready to set aside Kashmir issue: Zardari
*Favours people-to-people contacts, inter-dependence in trade

ISLAMABAD, Mar 1: In a major shift from Pakistan’s long-standing position, PPP Chairman Asif Ali Zardari, whose party is set to take reins of the country, has expressed readiness to set aside the Kashmir issue to focus on other aspects for improving relations with India.

He emphasised that the relations between India and Pakistan should not be held "hostage" to the Kashmir issue and that the two countries "can wait" so that future generations resolve the dispute in a mature manner in an atmosphere of "trust".

In views reflecting India’s position, Zardari said he was determined to break the barriers and mindsets that deter trade between the two countries.

"The idea is that we feel for Kashmir, the PPP (Pakistan People’s Party) has always felt for Kashmir. We have a strong Kashmir policy. We have always had one," he said.

"But having said that, we don’t want to be hostage to that situation. That is a situation we can agree to disagree (on). Countries do, we have positions, you have positions. We can agree to disagree on everything," he told Karan Thapar’s ‘Devil’s Advocate’ programme for CNN-IBN.

Noting that India and Pakistan could "agree to disagree on (the UN resolutions)," he said "We can wait. We can be patient till everybody grows up further. Maybe the coming generation grows up even further and then let’s interact as human beings and come to a position of love."

Asked if the PPP would be willing to put aside the Kashmir issue just as India and China had set aside their border dispute to focus on other aspects of their ties, Zardari said: "Exactly."

The statement marks a shift in Pakistan’s stated position that Kashmir issue has to be tackled along with efforts on other fronts to improve relations between the two countries.

Pakistan has held this position despite India’s repeated insistence that the two countries set aside the Kashmir issue because of its complexity and work for developing relations in other fields, particularly trade.

When bilateral relations improve, the two nations can come back and tackle thorny issues with the benefit of improved ties, Zardari, widower of former premier Benazir Bhutto, said.

"Today, there are fixed notions. When dependency increases (and) we have matured enough (and) we’ve got trust between us, then nobody has fixed issues," the PPP leader said.

Agreeing that Kashmir issue should be set aside for a wiser generation and a better time, he said: "As it is, it’s going to be a no-border world in the end."

Asked about the Charter of Democracy signed by the PPP and the PML-N in 2006 that committed both parties to resolving Kashmir issue in line with UN resolutions, Zardari said, "I am not getting hostage to that issue."

Disagreeing that the Kashmir issue could best be sorted out while the army is in power in Pakistan, Zardari said people-to-people contacts and inter-dependence in trade could help negate the "fear factor" in both countries.

"Well, we’ve had army rule for eight years. Have they solved it? I don’t need to convince them, it talks for itself," he argued.

While conceding that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and President Pervez Musharraf "may have probably had the best understanding ever", he said: "I want to take (the relations) to a stage of such confidence-building that the fear factor diminishes from both angles.

"People-to-people contacts should be improved, then trade, inter-dependence of trade, if Indian industry depends on Pakistani energy and I depend on the Indian market for my product to be sold, we are both inter-dependent, financially integrated industry-wise."

Asked if there would be support across the Pakistani political establishment for his views, Zardari said: "I think the economical dependency that I’m talking about, nobody has really made the Pakistanis aware what position they are (in) and what they can gain.

"When they realise that they can change, the world will change. Economically, it’s a thousand per cent leap we’ll get into and the benefit of the thousand per cent leap is going to (have an) effect across the board."

About the response to a possible invitation for the new Pakistani Prime Minister to visit India, Zardari said he (the Prime Minister) would be accompanied by leaders from all other parties that are part of the Government.

"I think the new PM of Pakistan will not only visit India, he will visit India with the political parties’ leaders following him. When he gets down, he’ll be first (with) me, Mr Nawaz Sharif (of PML-N), Mr Asfandyar Wali Khan (of ANP), hopefully Maulana Fazlur Rehman (of MMA), hopefully Mr Altaf (Hussain)’s party (MQM). We should all walk behind him, greeting India," he said.

The PPP leader added: "I think we should go further than that. Just not visiting and meeting... Let’s hit the road running let’s meet with concrete steps, let’s talk about SAARC, modern technology."

Asked if such a move could trigger a backlash in Pakistan, he replied: "That’s what leadership is all about, that’s what popularity is all about the fact that I do something with the will of the people is my plus, not my minus."

Describing UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi as "too great" for him to emulate, Zardari said his role in a new Pakistani Government would be of someone who is with the administration, not above it.

"She’s too great for me to be Sonia," he said when asked whether he intended to play a role like Congress President Sonia Gandhi in India.

"I don’t want to be above the Government, I want to be with the Government, supporting the Government...," said Zardari.

Asked what would be his role in the new Government, Zardari said, "Well, I’ll take a leaf out of your politics and do something like an inter-political role. Talking to the allied parties, making democracy come alive."

Ever since Zardari was appointed PPP co-chairman, the party leaders had been comparing his role with that of Sonia Gandhi. (PTI)

Lt Gen Bhardwaj takes over as GOC-in-C

Excelsior Correspondent

JAMMU, Mar 1: Lt Gen PC Bhardwaj today assumed the command of the prestigious Northern Command as GOC-in-C while as Lt General V K Ahluwalia took over as GOC 14 Corps.

Lt Gen Bhardwaj belongs to the elite special forces and was commissioned into the First Battalion of the Parachute Regiment in June 1970.

He is an alumni of the National Defence Academy, Indian Military Academy and Defence Services Staff College, Wellington. The General Officer has undergone a Special Forces Officers Course at Special Forces School, Fort Bragg, USA.

He was decorated with a Vir Chakra in the 1971 Indo-Pak war and Shaurya Chakra for a daring rescue operation. He commanded the elite Parachute Brigade and was the Defence Attache at Myanmar.

He has vast experience in J&K having been, the Brigadier General Staff at Nagrota, commanded a Counter Insurgency Force in Doda and the Corps Cdr of 14 Corps at Leh.

His wife Deepa Bhardwaj also assumed responsibility of President AWWA, Northern Command.

Meanwhile, Lt General V K Ahluwalia assumed the command of Leh based 14 Corps. He relieved Lt Gen P C Bhardwaj, who has been promoted as GOC-in-C Northern Command.

Lt Gen Ahluwalia was commissioned into the Regiment of Artillery on November 14, 1971. He has held a large number of important command, instructional and staff appointments during his career spanning over 36 years.

The General has a vast and varied experience of operations in Jammu and Kashmir. He commanded his unit in Counter Insurgency Operations in Rajouri sector. Thereafter, he was commander of a brigade on the Line of Control in Uri and General Officer Commanding a division in Kargil sector in Ladakh.

He also served as Colonel General Staff (Operations) in the Nagrota-based Headquarters 16 Corps. He is a graduate of Defence Services Staff College, Higher Command and National Defence College.

Lt Gen Ahluwalia was serving as the Officiating Director General of Military Training at Army Headquarters prior to assumption of the present appointment.

J&K faces shortage of Civil Services officers

By Sanjeev Pargal

JAMMU, Mar 1: The State of Jammu and Kashmir, which already has a very less quota of Civil Services officers as compared to other States, is, at present, short by 48 officers in three categories of Indian Administrative Services (IAS), Indian Police Services (IPS) and Indian Forest Services (IFS).

Official sources admitted that shortage of Civil Services officers did affect the State as it leads to posting of the officers, who are not Direct Recruits, in some Departments which, otherwise, are supposed to be held by them.

Official figures revealed that out of 48 Civil Services officers short in the State, IAS strength was less by 14, IPS by 23 and IFS by 11.

As against the sanctioned strength of 112 IAS officers, the State has only 98 officers. Of 98 IAS officers, 57 were local and 41 non-local. Similarly, in IPS cadre of J&K, the total authorised strength is 135 but only 112 officers were in position. They include 65 local and 47 non-local officers.

The State has sanctioned strength of 106 IFS officers, of whom, 95 were in position (60 locals and 35 non-locals)

Presently, 39 Civil Services officers were on Central deputation, working on different assignments of the Centre Government, sources said.

Among them 19 were IAS, 11 IPS and 9 IFS officers.

"The All India Services Rules provide for maintaining a Central Deputation Reserve of 40 per cent in IAS and IPS while in respect of IFS, the Central Deputation Reserve is 20 per cent. In order to maintain this ratio, the officers in three services have to be posted on Central deputation on the basis of their eligibility as per the rules", sources said.

They added that some of the officers on Central deputation, who either hailed from New Delhi or have settled in the Union capital, have got their deputation extended using their influence in the bureaucratic circles.

"Even after the expiry of their deputation, few officers were reluctant to return to the State as some of them have got good postings while others preferred to stay in Union capital for better education prospectus of their children", sources said.

Recently, the Government has written a letter to all officers, who were on extended deputation to the Centre, to clarify their position as to whether they want to return or not. Reply of most of them was awaited, they added.

According to sources, if the officers refused to return, the State Government will write to the Central authorities seeking posting of more IAS and IPS officers in the State to overcome the shortage.

Where Govt fails, people show the way

By Mohinder Verma

JAMMU, Mar 1: It’s not the usual case where the people propose and the Government disposes. Rather, this is the case where the people have shown the way to the Government and the latter started treading the same to give practical shape to its announcement.

It is due to the generosity of the people that the financial assistance to the State Government which remained ‘with-held’ for the past two and half years is going to be released before the end of the current financial year.

The case is of Government Degree College at newly carved district of Ramban which started functioning in two rooms and one computer lab of the Government Higher Secondary School, Ramban, on August, 2005.

For the past two and half years, the College continue to be operated from the ‘crammed’ rooms of the Higher Secondary School but despite being aware of this fact the Government could neither find out suitable State land nor acquire the private land to pave the way for construction of the College selected by the Ministry of Human Resource Development for funding through University Grants Commission.

Since the career prospects of the youth of the newly carved district were dependent on the full-fledged functioning of the College, the prominent citizens of the Ramban framed a committee which started exercise to find out the suitable land. The committee also collected donations from the public to procure required land for the College and people donated generously as it was the question of higher education of their wards.

"About 52 kanals and eight marlas of land at Karol, near Ramban town has been procured from eight owners in lieu of Rs 20000 per kanal and a compensation to the tune of Rs 10 lakh was purely made by the citizens committee", the sources said, adding "the land was donated to the Higher Education Department few days back without receiving even a single penny from the Government".

The land was acquired from Prem Lal, son of Dev Sharan, Hem Raj, son of Raghunath, Shiv Lal and Ganpati, sons of Mohar Singh, Chuni Lal, son of Mathura Dass, Datta Ram, son of Baghu, his son Nasib Singh and Shanti and Suram Devi, daughters of Tej Ram, the sources disclosed.

When contacted, Director Colleges, N D Wani confirmed that the land has been donated by the people for construction of the College which started functioning in Higher Secondary School building in August, 2005. "The construction of the College infrastructure could not be taken up so far because there was no State land available in the Ramban district", he said.

He disclosed that after the donation of the land by the people, the issue of construction of College was taken up with the University Grants Commission (UGC) which has agreed to release first installment of the financial assistance during the current financial year.

"Though we require about 50 kanals of more land for raising complete infrastructure for the College, the Government as well as citizens committee, whose initiative has helped the Government a lot, are on the job and something concrete will come out shortly", Mr Wani said.

Principal of the College, Dr Perminder Bandesha, who too attended the meeting with the Chairman of the UGC, said that the Higher Education Department has been assured that major component of the financial assistance will be released during the next financial year.

She disclosed that State has projected requirement of Rs 12 crore for the complete construction of the College but on the request of the UGC Chairman, the project estimate is being revised. She lauded the people for their efforts and said they have helped a lot in giving practical shape to the College.

13 lakh appear in CBSE exams

NEW DELHI, Mar 1: Easy but tricky — that is how the students described the question papers as the examinations for class X and class XII under Central Board of Secondary Education started today across the country and abroad.

For the first time, 20 per cent of the questions required ‘high-order thinking skills’ as prescribed by the National Curriculum Framework (NCF), the guiding document for preparation of NCERT textbooks.

The class-XII students appeared the Chemistry paper while class-X students sat for Information Technology. However, the students did not find any problem to answer them.

"It was not at all difficult. Those questions were bit tricky," Ananya Roy Choudhary, a class-XII student of Delhi Public School, Dwarka, said.

She said the question paper was a bit lengthy as there were many questions which warranted brief answers.

"But I could answer them before time. It took me two hours to answer all questions and I had one hour time to revise," she said.

"If you are thorough with the textbooks, you would not find any problem to answer," said another student.

The class-X students appeared in the Information Technology paper which was on expected line, students said.

"The questions were as per expectations. We could answer them before time," Snehashis Mitra, a student of Mount St Mary School, said with a smile.

CBSE spokesperson Roma Sharma said the exam was conducted in a peaceful manner.

"There was no disturbance anywhere," she said.

While there are 7,65,095 candidates for the class X exam, 5,48,815 students have registered for the class XII exam.

The total number of registered candidates shows an eight per cent increase over the number of students last year. Over 12 lakh students had appeared in the exams last year.

About 2,500 physically-challenged students have registered for this year’s exams. They include 373 visually-challenged students in class X and 214 such candidates in class XII.

The Board has set up 2,624 centres for class X and 2,394 centres for class XII students.

There are about 18,000 candidates from foreign countries.

In Delhi region of the Board, 2,19,796 students have registered for the class X exam, while there are 1,60,414 students for the class XII exam. (PTI)

No talks with foreign militants: Baig

Excelsior Correspondent

SRINAGAR, Mar 1: Deputy Chief Minister and senior PDP leader Muzaffar Hussain Baig has ruled out any process of dialogue with foreign militants who, he asserted, had no locus standi in Kashmir.

In an interview with a local news agency Kashmir News Service, the ebullient lawyer-turned-politician today said: "There can be no talks with the foreign mercenaries. Those who call General Musharraf an infidel; those who gunned down Benazir Bhutto; and, those who are themselves enemies of Pakistan, can not be associated with any dialogue process".

Baig, however, added that doors (of returning and getting engaged with talks) were wide open for the Kashmiri militants as Jammu & Kashmir was their own land. Nonetheless, he said that those willing to join a dialogue process would have to denounce violence. He said that his party was keen to materialize return of all Kashmiri militants from across the LoC through a safe passage. PDP, according to him, had raised this issue at a Working Group meeting of Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh's initiative of roundtable conference on Jammu & Kashmir.

He said that PDP desired the Kashmiri militant youth to return and live a life with honour and dignity "unlike the Ikhwanis".

Baig is reported to have further said that his party, led by Mufti Mohammad Sayeed and Mehbooba Mufti, would soon select its candidates for the forthcoming Assembly elections and none of the "tainted" aspirants would be given a ticket. He said it was his personal observation after meeting Congress chief Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh that the Congress high command was in favour of an electoral alliance with the coalition partner PDP. The situation, according to Baig, would become clear in the next two months.

NC, independents hold key

By Avtar Bhat

JAMMU, Mar 1: With no political party having clear majority in Jammu Municipal Corporation (JMC), the National Conference (NC) and independents will hold key to the elections of Mayor and Deputy Mayor for the civic body, the elections of which are going to be held on March 5.

Both Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) which have 27 and 25 members respectively in 71 member House of JMC are looking towards the support of NC and independents for election of their candidates.

The NC has six members in the House, PDP two while Shiv Sena and BSP have one each member besides the nine independents.

There are two candidates in the fray for the Mayor’s post and it will be a straight contest between Manmohan Singh of Congress and Kavinder Gupta of BJP.

While Manmohan Singh filed his nomination papers yesterday, Kavinder Gupta filed his papers today.

However there will be a triangular contest for the post of Deputy Mayor. Besides Dharamvir Singh of NC, BJP’s Usha Choudhary and independent Jaswant Singh Sudhan are also in the fray.

While Narinder Singh Jamwal filed his nomination papers yesterday, Usha Choudhary and Mr Sudhan filed their papers today.

Meanwhile senior BJP leaders including the Party president, Ashok Khajuria, former Minister of State for Defence prof. Chaman Lal Gupta, former BJP chief, Dr Nirmal Singh, Shamsher Singh Manhas, all corporators of the Party besides a number of BJP activists were present in the Returning Officer’s Office at Town Hall Complex in JMC while filing of nomination papers by Kavinder Gupta and Usha Choudhary.

Earlier the duo were taken into a big procession to the Town Hall for filing nomination papers. The procession passed through different parts of the city.

HM militant surrenders

Excelsior Correspondent

SRINAGAR, Mar 1: A Hizbul Mujahideen militant surrendered before the Rashtriya Rifles in Kashmir valley.

The militant identified as Irshad Kalas surrendered before the Commanding Officer of five Rashtriya Rifles along with his weapons, the spokesman said. He said Kalas, a resident of Wani Yaeram-Kangan in Ganderbal district, handed over one AK rifle, its three magazines and 87 rounds.

The militant was active in anti-security operations for the last six months in Ganderbal area, he added.

Kalas said that he was disillusioned with militancy and now wanted to lead a peaceful life with his family, the spokesman said.

Meanwhile, body of a person, bearing head injuries suggestive of his murder, was recovered in Anantnag district today.

Body of Manzoor Ahmad Najar was recovered from Gundi-Nowroz village in Bijbehara area of the district, a police spokesman said.

Police have registered a case in this regard and started investigations.