Intelligence opposes safe passage to Kashmiri youths

By Sanjeev Pargal

JAMMU, Mar 7: In a major setback to some prominent political parties, both in the ruling coalition as well as in the opposition, the Intelligence agencies have strongly opposed their demand for giving "safe passage" to nearly 3500 Kashmiri youths, held up in Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) for last several years.

In their report, the Intelligence agencies have outrightly rejected the proposal on "security grounds" observing that the move could put State’s security in jeopardy.

It may be recalled that PDP, a major partner in the coalition Government, National Conference, the main opposition and CPM besides some separatist organisations had been supporting the demand for giving "safe passage" to over 3500 Kashmiri youths, who were putting up in PoK. One out of the five Working Groups set up by Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh on Jammu and Kashmir on "Cross LoC Relations" had also favoured return of the youths.

The Intelligence agencies have pointed out that majority of youths, who, as per Intelligence reports were numbered at 3500 though some "human rights activists" have put their number as high as 10,000, were militants having undergone training in the camps run by Pakistan army, ISI, Lashkar-e-Toiba, Jaish-e-Mohammed, Hizbul Mujahideen and some smaller outfits.

"There is no guarantee that after their return these youths will not be exploited by the militant outfits after allowing them to lie low for few months", the Intelligence agencies have said pointing out that there had been a number of instances where surrendered militants after availing all benefits, or even joining the Government services, have rejoined militancy or were found working for the militants as Over Ground Workers (OGWs).

Some of these youths had gone across way back in 1990 and after getting training for themselves were now further training the youths for militancy. After spending such a long time with militants, it would be virtually impossible to reform them, the agencies have pointed out.

"Even if it is presumed that some of them might have been lured across by militants or their agents, they too were vulnerable after spending such a long time in militant training camps and religious centres and could pose a serious security risk", they said.

The agencies have cautioned that the "safe passage" would give a boost to the militancy, which was clearly on the decline during last three to four years, "instead of serving any other purpose".

According to figures available with the Intelligence agencies, barring 250-300 youths from Jammu region, all other youths held up in PoK belonged to Kashmir valley.

Out of 250-300 youths from Jammu region, about 100 hailed from Doda, Kishtwar and Ramban districts while rest of them belonged to Rajouri and Poonch districts. Very few of them could be from other parts of the region.

Sources claimed that some senior functionaries in the Government were also in conformity with the Intelligence report opposing "safe passage" to Kashmiri youths.

Agitating employees lathicharged, 400 arrested
SRTC workers, families to launch 'Jail Bharo Andolan'

Excelsior Correspondent

JAMMU/ SRINAGAR, Mar 7: While police continued to raid the houses of the leaders of State Road Transport Corporation (SRTC) Union, at least 400 employees and workers were arrested in Jammu and Srinagar when they were staging protest demonstration, demanding their 5-months salary from the Government.

In the winter capital city of Jammu today, 205 SRTC employees including 22 ladies were arrested by strong police contingent which prevented them to take out protest rally and packed them into police vehicles after dragging. The State Administration has already deployed strong force at Bikram Chowk Yard of the SRTC, Railway Station Yard of the Corporation and also at General Manager’s office since morning.

The employees then decided to assemble outside Press Club near Tawi bridge and hold protest rally there. As the programme was going on the strong police contingent rounded up all the agitating workers and arrested. While some of them including one of the leaders Dev Raj Bali were taken to Bakshi Nagar Police Station and rest to the District Police lines. A spokesman of the SRTC said that a total 205 workers were today arrested by police while the District Police authorities denied any arrest and detention. It was reliably learnt that out of the total arrested nearly 190 workers were let off in the evening while others were still in custody. Several top leaders of the Corporation employees have already gone underground.

In Srinagar, a protest rally was taken out from Sonwar Yard of the SRTC and after Friday prayers the employees and their families started protest march towards the office of State Human Rights Commission at Dal Gate. They submitted a memorandum to the Chairman of the Commission alleging that Government has failed to provide them the wages against the work and their families were facing starvation and their children have been thrown out of the schools as they could not deposit their school fee.

They wanted to move towards Hotel Broadway in Srinagar to meet visiting Human Rights activist Asma Jahangir from Pakistan but they were not allowed to move and police used force (lathis) to disperse them. Nearly 150 workers and their family members were arrested and taken to police lines and a few police stations. Some of them were released in the evening.

Chairman of the SRTC employees union Shakeel Ahmed Kuchey who too, has gone underground, alleged that nearly 400 employees and their family members have been lifted by police so far in last three days. He said family members of the employees leaders are being harassed and some of them have been detained by police. He said instead of giving them wages, the Government is using force and lathis and this attitude of the Government would cost it dearly.

Mr Kuchey said that SRTC employees and their families which are facing starvation have now resolved to launch ‘Jail Bharo Andolan’ from tomorrow and all the units of the Corporation in the State have been issued directions to intensify the agitation.

Meanwhile, former Minister and leader of opposition (NC) in the J&K Legislative Assembly, Abdul Rahim Rather has strongly condemned the use of brutal force against SRTC employees who have been peacefully fighting for their rights for the last so many days. In a press statement he said it is unfortunate that houses of these employees and leaders were being raided by police and many of them including wives and children were detained as if they were criminals. He asked the Government to immediately release them and release their pending salaries and COLA slabs.

J&K Awami Tehreek led by Mohd Altaf Dar in a meeting here condemned the use of force on agitating SRTC employees and urged the Chief Minister to personally intervene and release the salaries and COLA of the employees as their families were facing starvation. Mr Dar said Government itself was responsible for the situation as it failed to provide the wages to the workers.

CPI(M) leader, Mohd Yousuf Tarigami (MLA), in a statement issued here today condemned the ‘excesses’ committed by police on the striking SRTC employees. He alleged that successive Governments have created a mess in the Corporation and never addressed the issues faced by workers. He criticised police action and said Government should immediately release all the arrested workers and their family members and disburse their pending salary and COLA slabs. He suggested that Government should stop victimization of the SRTC workers and initiate negotiations with the representatives of protesting employees.

Rs 195 crore tax evasion case
IT Deptt’s action leads to recovery of Rs 35 crore

By Mohinder Verma

JAMMU, Mar 7: The Income Tax Department has intensified recovery drive into Rs 195 crore income tax evasion detected during the current financial year and an amount of Rs 35 crore was realised from the tax evadors till February ending.

Authoritative sources told the EXCELSIOR that after serving proper notices to all the 953 evadors and giving them required time-frame as per Income Tax laws, the Department initiated recovery proceedings. In some cases, the persuasions helped in realizing the evaded tax amount from several defaulters.

"However, in several other cases, the Income Tax Department had to resort to attachment of the bank accounts of the defaulters as they were not ready to cooperate with the Department", the sources said while disclosing that around 325 bank accounts of the tax evadors were attached till February ending.

They said that an amount to the tune of Rs 35 crore was realized from the evadors till February 29, 2008 and the figure would go up considerably as the recovery proceedings have been intensified keeping in view the last month of the current fiscal year.

Sources said that about 50 per cent of the evasion will be realised during the current fiscal and remaining in the next financial year as directed by the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT).

It is worthwhile to mention here that Rs 195 crore income tax evasion was detected during the scrutiny of 953 returns of the tax payers till December 31, 2007. Of the total evasion, Rs 93 crore was unearthed in one case only.

Meanwhile, the Department has directed all the 15 Assessing Officers in the State to monitor 200 cases each for the Advance Tax payments the last date for which is March 15, 2008.

"The monitoring is being done to ensure that the assesses don’t make short payment of Advance Tax and even clear the shortfall in earlier three installments", the sources said, adding "after March 15, the Department will resort to necessary action against the defaulters".

They disclosed that considerable improvement has been witnessed in the filing of IT returns after December 31, 2007 when the total number of returns were 84807 as against 87675 of 2006-07. "Now the figure has touched 92000 and the Department is expecting more returns during the past month of current fiscal", the sources said.

To facilitate the assesses in filing the returns, the Department has decided to organise camps in several districts of the State particularly Rajouri, Poonch, Anantnag, Doda and Pulwama. "The Additional Commissioners of the Department have been directed by the Commissioner to approach the Deputy Commissioners of the districts and seek their help in organising camps", they said.

In the camps, the officers of the Income Tax Department alongwith Tax Return Preparers (TRPs) will help the people in filing Income Tax returns.

Kashmir seeks better deal for undercover agents

CHANDIGARH, Mar 7: The ‘spy who came in from the cold’ has regretted that the Indian Government made no efforts to secure his release from Pakistan following his arrest on charges of espionage in June 1974.

"I give credit for my release and home coming to Pakistan Human Rights Minister Ansar Burney, who met me in Kot Lakhpat jail last month", Kashmir Singh, the oldest Indian national serving death row in Pakistan who returned home on March 4, stated here today.

"I gave up my religion for the sake of my country but neither me nor my family got anything in return," Kashmir Singh said at a meet-the-press programme at the Chandigarh Press Club.

Flanked by his wife, Paramjit Kaur, he said except for exchanging few papers about his whereabouts, the Indian Government made little effort to trace him. He said that as an undercover agent for the Indian intelligence he cut his hair short and became a Muslim.

" I learnt to recite ‘namaz’ and even followed the ‘rozas’ so that I could pass off as a citizen of Pakistan", he said and disclosed that at the time of his arrest he was known by the name of ‘Ibraham’.

Undercover agents and their families need to be looked after by the Government, he said, while pointing out that all his family got after his arrest was Rs 5000, that too in 1978 after he was sentenced to death.

" Not a penny was given to my wife, who toiled hard in the agricultural fields to bring up our three children", he added.

G C Bhardwaj, who retired as AIR, Director (News) some years back informed that Kashmir Singh would be filing a case in the Punjab and Haryana High Court for seeking compensation from the Government. Mr Bhardwaj who hails from the same village (Nangal Choran) as Kashmir Singh in Hoshiarpur district too shared credit in his childhood friend’s release, as he made a number of representations to the Pakistan Government in the last few years.

Ranjan Lakhpal a human rights lawyer who was also present said he had already filed a case on behalf of Kashmir’s wife in the High Court.

Asked about his days in Pakistan jails, Kashmir said he would prefer not to narrate the experiences. " I do not want to endanger the lives of the other Indian prisoners who are in Pak-jails", he added, while requesting the media not to make any such querries.

He also made an appeal to the Pakistan Government to release Sarabjit Singh and Kirpal Singh, two other Indian prisoners who had been sentenced to death.

" I think now the relations between the two nations are cordial and if these two prisoners are released it will further bring the two neighbours closer", he added, saying that he had met Sarabjit Singh in Kot Lakhpat jail in Lahore just 15 days before his release.

Kashmir Singh along with his wife, Paramjit Kaur met Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal here today. The Chief Minister honoured the couple at his residences.

Later Mr Badal announced that the two would be given a monthly pension of Rs 5000 each by the State Government. " Kashmir is a national hero", the Chief Minister stated at the meeting.

The Chief Minister also announced that the State Government would construct a house at Mahilpur town which is close to Kashmir’s village. The house would be constructed on a plot of land owned by Harcharan Bains, media advisor to the Chief Minister.

Mr Bains has agreed to donate this land to Kashmir Singh.

Mr Badal also announced that the Government would give a Government job to Shishpal Singh, the 40-year old handicapped son of Kashmir Singh. Shishpal who is a graduate will get a job as per his qualification. (UNI)

Wild cat lands in police lock-up

Excelsior Correspondent

RAJOURI, Mar 7: Captured by locals after hot chase and long efforts from Pangai village of Thannamandi, a ‘big wild cat’ has landed in police lock-up.

This two year old grown, leopard was giving sleepless nights to the people of the area for the last several weeks. It had reportedly killed many sheep and goats besides causing injuries to few villagers.

Last evening, this wild beast was spotted near a water-mill (Gharat) at Pangai Nalla, near Rajdani and Pangai village. At least half a dozen villagers including mill owner Bashir Ahmed Ganai and his brother and one son were also there. They took out lathis and started chasing the leopard. After seeing people chasing, the leopard started fleeing and then moved down the big rocks. He was then trapped in the boulders.

In the meantime, many people of the area assembled there. Later police party from Thannamandi police station led by SHO Talib Malik also reached. Then the water channel was created and the water of the nallah was flown down the boulders. The wild beast tried to move out but could not. The legs of the animals were tied by the villagers and a cloth was put into his mouth. It was dragged out with tough efforts but in the process, he caused injuries to the three villagers namely-Shah Nawaj, his father Bashir Ahmed Ganai and Abdul Qayoom Ganai.

Later, the limbs-cuffed wild animal was taken to Thanna Mandi police station and put into the lock up with ‘offence’ to cause injuries to three. Today, he was handed over to Wild Life officials and shifted to Jammu for keeping the same at Manda Wild Life Park in a special van.

Mehboob Beig: 'Tell Pak leaders enough is enough in Kashmir'
Asma meets NC, Cong, JKLF leaders

Excelsior Special Correspondent

SRINAGAR, Mar 7: United Nations Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion and Faith, Asma Jehangir, has begun her chain of meetings with mainstream as well as separatist Kashmiri leaders immediately after her landing in Srinagar today.

Celebrated Pakistani human rights activist and Chairperson of a national level human rights commission in Pakistan, Asma Jehangir, made it clear, both in Jammu on Thursday and here this afternoon, that her mission Kashmir was restricted to study the existing scenario of the religious freedom in India. She, nevertheless, asserted in reply to questions from media that participation in elections was a fundamental democratic right of every individual. Preventing people from participating in elections---which is known as anti-election campaign among the separatist circles in Kashmir---was, according to her, a violation of human rights.

Asma's first appointment here was fixed with the senior National Conference (NC) leader, Dr Mehboob Beig. Dr Beig said that during his half-an-hour-long interaction with Asma, he asserted that General Pervez Musharraf had played a significant role in dismantling the walls of mistrust and hatred between Islamabad and New Delhi, particularly with reference to the Kashmir problem. "I told Ms Jehangir that inspite of her bitter opposition to the military regime, she would have to endorse that Gen Musharraf had a remarkable contribution to the process of dialogue and understanding between the two countries as it was he who had pioneered a great flexibility on Kashmir", Dr Beig said.

Dr Beig, as revealed by him, told Asma that the people of the Sub-continent, particularly the Kashmiris, were expecting the new leadership in Pakistan to carry forward the peace process and bring veritable relief to the embattled State. He told his guest that the Pakistani leadership had a great responsibility of getting Kashmir out of the 20-year-long quagmire of political uncertainty and bloodshed. He referred to varied statements of the Pakistani leaders---from late Zulfikar Ali Bhutto's threat of 1000-year-long war with India to Asif Ali Zardari's suggestion of burying the Kashmir imbroglio for posterity---and asserted that Islamabad needed to evolve a realistic and clear policy.

"When you'll reach back home, please tell the leadership in Islamabad that enough is enough in Kashmir. More than one hundred thousand Kashmiris have been killed in the last 20 years and there's no achievement", Dr Beig said. He told his guest that Islamabad, alongside New Delhi, would have to accept the reality and address the totality of the Kashmir crisis without becoming prisoners of emotion. In reply to a question, he told Asma that the separatist Hurriyat leaders were not expected to participate in the elections as they had, according to him, no achievement in hand.

Dr Beig said that in reply to another question regarding freedom of religion and faith, he explained to Asma Jehangir that a secular ethos was the corner-stone of J&K's plural society. He took pride in saying that no communal clash had taken place in Kashmir in the last 60 years after the Partition. "I explained to her how all Muslims, Pandits and Sikhs in Anantnag avoid to take non-vegetarian food for five days during the annual festival of the revered saint Rishi Mol", he said.

After a brief interface with media, Asma Jehangir met two leaders of the Congress party, namely Bashir Ahmed Magray and Ali Mohammad Bhat. Sources said that they too explained in detail how the 20-year-long gun culture had "destroyed" Kashmir and created instability and political uncertainty in the Sub-continent. They asserted that Ghulam Nabi Azad-led coalition Government was in the middle of a grand socio-economic transformation in the State which was enjoying "total support from the common masses".

Late tonight, Asma Jehangir called on the JKLF Chairman Yasin Malik and discussed with him J&K's current political and religious scenario at a dinner meeting. Sources said that she would be meeting a number of separatist and mainstream leaders, besides Government functionaries, in Srinagar before returning to New Delhi. After visiting several Indian states, Ms Jehangir would compile an exhaustive report on the State of the freedom of religion and faith in India and submit it to the UN human rights body.

CPI writes to PM, warns withdrawal of support

NEW DELHI, Mar 7: In further hardening of Left stand, CPI today warned the Government of withdrawal of support if it goes ahead with the Indo-US nuclear deal.

"Should the Government decide to push ahead with the deal, we will not and cannot be a party to go along with it. We will then be left with no other option than to withdraw our support to the Government," CPI general secretary A B Bardhan said in a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

This is the first time a Left party supporting the Government from outside has officially written to the Prime Minister threatening withdrawal of support though Left leaders have been making tough statements ever since September when the 123 agreement was finalised.

CPI, which has 10 members in the Lok Sabha, is part of the CPI(M)-led Left Front that commands the backing of 59 members which is crucial to the Government.

Bardhan’s missive comes a day after stiff deadline set by CPI(M) to the Government to convene a meeting of the UPA-Left committee on the nuclear deal by March 15 to discuss issues in the wake of US "pressures" to implement the deal.

He criticised Prime Minister’s statements in Parliament on the issue, including his appeal to former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee to rise above party interests saying "it is an open effort at canvassing BJP’s support for the deal".

"Your talk of trying to build a consensus sounds hollow when you are fully aware that no such consensus is possible —a fact revealed in the Parliamentary debate itself," the CPI veteran said.

Bardhan said certain statements that have appeared in recent days have "greatly disturbed our party".

He said a series of statements from high official US sources have been mounting pressure on Government of India to hurry up and sign the Indo-US nuclear deal.

"The latest in the series is the one of Mr Richard Boucher, who by conveying that, `the nature of the Government, minority or caretaker, would be of no concern to the US when agreement is ready to be signed’, is in effect telling the Government that it should go ahead with the deal, regardless whether it is a minority or caretaker Government.

"We are shocked that such presumptuous statements go unchallenged," Bardhan said.

He told the Prime Minister that he knew the stand of Left parties that the deal would be "totally against our national interests, our sovereignty and independent foreign policy."

"In the midst of this plethora of statements made by the US side and by our own high officials, the solemn decision taken at the last meeting of UPA-Left parties Committee, that the Government will come back to the committee after IAEA negotiations and even before any text is initialled, is being totally sidetracked.

"Public opinion is bewildered at all this. We have been waiting with patience to clarify the situation," Bardhan said.

He said it was not the nuclear deal alone but many other violations of the Common Minimum Programme which was causing disquiet.

"I have been on tour in Khagaria (Bihar) and Jaunpur (UP) in connection with our State party conferences preceding our party congress. I am, therefore, faxing this letter to you, and hope that you will give it your serious consideration," Bardhan said. (PTI)

Govt hikes DA by 6 pc

NEW DELHI, Mar 7: The Government today approved a six per cent hike in Dearness Allowance (DA) to Central Government employees and an identical rate of dearness relief to pensioners with retrospective effect from January 1, this year.

"The Union Cabinet today gave its approval to release of additional installment of Dearness Allowance to the Central Government employees and Dearness Relief to pensioners," Information and Broadcasting Minister P R Dasmunsi told reporters after the Cabinet meeting that was chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

The rate of DA from january 1 would be 47 per cent, he said.

The combined impact on the exchequer on account of both DA and Dearness Relief would be Rs 3,297.12 crore in a full year and Rs 3,846.66 crore for the 14-month period from January 2008-February 2009, he said.(PTI)

PM, Governor greet Azad on birthday

Excelsior Correspondent

Jammu, Mar 7: Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad today turned 58. His birthday today was, as always, a low key affair as he did not believe in celebrating the occasion. It was a usual day for Mr. Azad who kept himself engaged with affairs of the State.

However, his well wishers visited him or rang him up to convey their greetings. They include Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh who made the first 'Happy birthday call' in the morning. Dr. Singh wished Azad a blissful life.

Prominent among those who called on the Chief Minister to greet him was Governor, Lt. Gen (Retd) S. K. Sinha who arrived at the Wazarat Road residence of the Chief Minister at 10 a.m.

The Governor presented a bouquet to the Chief Minister and wished him good luck and eventful years ahead. The two were together for about 45 minutes.

Ministers, legislators and senior officials also greeted Mr. Azad on the occasion.

Ex-MLA's house gutted, 4 hurt

SRINAGAR, Mar 7: House of a former Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) was gutted and two fire-fighters were injured while two persons were wounded in a road accident in the Valley overnight, official sources said today.

They said fire broke out in the house of Ghulam Rasool Naz, a former MLA at Bandipora in north Kashmir.

Before the fire tenders could control the flames, the house and nearby cowshed were completely reduced to ashes.

Two fire-fighters were injured during the incident, they said adding the wounded were hospitalised.

In a separate incident, a motorcyclist was injured when he fell down after hitting a pedestrian at Mirgund on Srinagar-Baramulla road. Both the injured were hospitalised. (UNI)

2 thieves, 2 jewellers held

Excelsior Correspondent

JAMMU, Mar 7: Police today arrested two thieves and recovered stolen gold and cash from their possession in Talab Tillo which they had stolen from a Shankar Vihar before a marriage in a house. Two jewellers have also been arrested for receiving the stolen gold.

Police said the thieves had struck in the house of Pyare Krishan at Shankar Vihar, Talab Tillo ending last month and decamped with gold and cash when the family was preparing for a marriage.

On a tip off, police today arrested both the thieves, who had stolen gold ornaments, cash and other items from the house worth Rs 2 lakh. They have been identified as Amit Sharma alias Pandtu son of Prabhu Dayal R/o Sunder Nagar, Talab Tillo and Bittu Kumar alias Kandi son of Durga Dass R/o Kabir Nagar, Talab Tillo.

After their questioning, police also arrested two jewellers Hari Krishan and Rajinder Luthra of Janipura, having their jewellery shops at Talab Tillo and seized stolen gold from their shops, which they had purchased from the thieves.

All stolen items have been recovered by police.

A case against the accused has been registered at Nowabad police station.

A motor cycle lifter Gulshan Singh of Anand Nagar has also been arrested by police and a stolen Pulsar bike was recovered from him.

Arrests were made by a Nowabad police station party headed by SHO Kulbir Honda and Talab Tillo Police Post Incharge SI Manjit Singh under the supervision of SSP Jammu Parminder Singh, SP City (North) Sanjay Kotwal and SDPO Bakshi Nagar M L Kaith.

LD docs on strike after thunder from attendants

Excelsior Correspondent

SRINAGAR, Mar 7: In umpteenth incident of the doctor-attendant conflict, a thick crowd of attendants of female patients today roughed up medical and paramedical staff at Lal Del Hospital after a woman died due to profusion of bleeding under treatment. Doctors have proceeded on strike and refused to resume duty until the 'urchins' were arrested and the authorities came out with a credible assurance that no more incident of attack on the medical staff would be tolerated.

Fauzia Jan W/o Abdul Gaffar Dar R/o Bandipore had been admitted to LD Hospital on Wednesday last. In the course of a surgery, she delivered a baby on Thursday. While under treatment later in the post-operative ward, she bled profusely and died early in the morning today. As her attendants complained that Fauzia had died to negligence of the medical and paramedical staff on duty, her death created chaos and confusion. Her dead body was later handed over to her family members and an ambulance was provided which carried the body to Bandipore.

Minutes after the dead body was dispatched for funeral in Bandipore, scores of angry attendants gathered and began shouting slogans against the doctors. They alleged that doctors and the paramedical staff had paid no attention to the patient even after her attendants beseeched them that she was bleeding profusely and writhing in pain. The mob ransacked some wards and labour room and roughed up some lady doctors and nurses.

Later, the doctors gathered and proceeded on strike. Even as Medical Superintendent and other authorities attempted to persuade the doctors to resume, they refused to budge an inch until Principal Government Medical College Srinagar got an FIR registered against the assailants and came out with a credible assurance that no such incident of attack would be tolerated on the staff.

MS of LD Hospital, Dr Bashir Ahmed Shah, told EXCELSIOR that the attendants of the deceased patient did not create any scene. He said it were the attendants of other patients who created the trouble one hour after the dead body was dispatched for Bandipore. He said that Fauzia was in critical condition when she had been admitted to hospital on Wednesday, Doctors admitted her, performed an emergency operation to take out the baby. He said that the staff provided four points of blood free of cost which was transfused to the patient. But her bleeding could not be controlled due to several medical complications and she breathed her last.

Dr Bashir said that inspite of the doctors strike, emergency and OPD services operated at LD smoothly. He said that Principal GMC Srinagar would meet the doctors on strike on Saturday and the crisis would be hopefully resolved.

However, a number of attendants at LD complained that negligence of doctors and the paramedical staff had become order of the day at Lal Ded Hospital where scores of patients were dying unnatural death every month. They alleged that most of the staff had no human face and they were treating the humans like animals. They demanded that closed Circuit TVs should be installed and activity in all rooms and corridors should be monitored and recorded as it alone could minimize such incidents at the Valley's prime maternity hospital.

About 2 dozen injured, more than 130 arrested

SRINAGAR : About two dozen Jammu and Kashmir State Road Transport Corporation (SRTC) employees and their families were injured when police fired tear gas shells and resorted to baton charge to disperse them on Moulana Azad road this afternoon.

About 60 striking employees, besides 70 members of the State Government Employees Joint Action Committee (JAC) were also arrested by the police.

The SRTC employees were on indefinite strike for the past few weeks in support of their 13-point demands.

The employees, who had struck work despite threat by the Government declaring their strike unlawful, assembled in the SRTC headquarters along with their family members, including women and children today.

Raising slogans against Transport Minister Hakeem Yaseen, SRTC management and Government, the employees alleged that the authorities had failed to implement their promises from time to time.

As the employees tried to march towards the busy Moulana Azad Road, police resorted to baton charge. Later, the police fired tear gas shells to disperse the employees and their family members.

A UNI correspondent, who was on the spot saw about two dozen employees and their family members wounded in police action.

The police also detained more than 60 employees and their family members.

The SRTC union leaders claimed that hundreds of their workers were so far arrested by the police from different parts of the Valley.

The employees, joined by their family members, including children were demonstrating against the Government almost everyday for the past few weeks.

Children of the employees set on fire their uniform and books early this week saying that there were not being allowed to sit in the classes as they have no fees to deposit in school.

The Government had recently asked the striking employees to resume duty as their salaries would be released within a week. The release of salary, was one of the demands of the striking employees.

However, when the employees continued their stir, the Government had declared the strike unlawful and warned them to resume duty or face action under the essential services maintenance ordinance.

The striking employees said their General Provident Fund (GPF) had not been deposited with property authority by the SRTC management. They are not being paid GPF and other dues, they added.

They have presented a 13-point demands to the Government, which included release of wages, payment of cost of living from 2006, appointment of children of deceased employees under SRO-43 and appointment of a Commission to probe into the alleged scandals in the corporation.

The JAC also took to the streets at Partap Park near here in support of the striking SRTC employees.

A JAC spokesman said the police used force against them and also arrested more than 70 members.

State Secretary of the Communist Party of India (M) M Y Tarigami condemned the police excesses on the SRTC employees.

He said the Government should immediately meet the demands, including release of Cola, CP fund and salaries.

Mr Tarigami said the successive Government had created "mess" in the corporation and never addressed the issues faced by the workers.

He urged the Government to stop victimisation of the SRTC workers, release detained workers and initiate negotiations with the representatives of protesting workers.

He also appealed to the SRTC workers to enter negotiations with the Government for an early settlement of their issues. (UNI)