J&K to get 1000 mw thermal project
Sewa-II to be completed by June 2009: Shinde

Excelsior Correspondent

JAMMU, May 7: Union Power Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde today said 120 mw Phase-II of Sewa Hydel Power Project will be completed by June 2009. He also announced sanction of a 1000 mw thermal power project for the State shortly.

In an informal chat with reporters after inaugurating Rotar Rowering of three turbines of 40 mw each in Sewa Hydel Power Project Phase-II at Hat Mashka in Basohli area of Kathua district this afternoon, Mr Shinde said all efforts are being made by National Hydro-electric Power Corporation (NHPC) to complete Phase-II of the project by June 2009.

It will cost Rs 665 crore, he added.

Flanked by Congress leader and MP from Udhampur-Doda Lok Sabha seat Choudhary Lal Singh and MLA Basohli Kanta Andotra besides top brass of Power Ministry and NHPC, Mr Shinde announced that J&K will soon get a 1000 mw thermal power project to meet its demand for less production during winter due to snowfall and water shortage.

However, he remained non committal on handing over of Dul Hasti Power Project to Jammu and Kashmir. The project had been dedicated to the nation by Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh in Kishtwar last month.

The Union Power Minister said a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Power Ministry and J&K Government on construction of three power projects over river Chenab in Kishtwar district will be signed within the next 3-4 days. The projects include Karwa, Pakal Dul and Kiru.

These three power projects, he added, would go a long way in meeting power requirements of the State.

Mr Shinde said that with the completion of Sewa Hydel Power Project Phase-II, J&K will get 12.5 per cent free power which too would contribute a lot in increasing power capacity of the State.

Mr Shinde announced Rs 3 crore for carrying out development works in the area around Sewa Hydel Project. The amount would be utilised for road connectivity, construction of a hospital and other development works, he said.

The Union Power Minister later left for Himachal Pradesh where he will visit Chamba tomorrow to inaugurated a project. Before his Basohli visit, he had inspected Chamera power project in Himachal. He was on a two days visit of Jammu and Himachal Pradesh.

In his address, Choudhary Lal Singh hoped that local youths would be given employment in Sewa Hydel project.

Mr Shinde was accompanied by Anil Razdan, Union Power Secretary, Jayant S Kable, Joint Secretary (Hydro) Power, S K Garg, CMD NHPC Limited, S K Dodeja, Director Project NHPC and B K Rattan, General Manager NHPC, Sewa Hydel Phase-II.

Javed Dar joins NC, says PDP is haven for capitalists
Farooq hints at blasting off sex scam before elections

From Ahmed Ali Fayyaz

SRINAGAR, May 7: With the infamous Srinagar sex scandal threatening to generate fresh tremors for Congress over a purported statement from Lok Sabha member Madan Lal Sharma, opposition National Conference (NC) today indicated that it would blast off this two-year-long controversy around the forthcoming Assembly elections in Jammu & Kashmir. NC held Srinagar-based lawyers responsible for shifting of the sex scam trial to Chandigarh and asserted that a diktat from the Bar had led to ignominy for the Kashmiri women.

Addressing a news conference on occasion of a PDP leader Javed Ahmed Dar's admission into the NC, Farooq Abdullah said that the Congress Lok Sabha Member Madan Lal Sharma's purported statement about two of his colleagues' involvement in the Srinagar sex scandal was the ruling party's "internal matter". When journalists pointed out that Speaker had been dragged into a controversy by a Member of the Parliament and insisted to know official reaction of the single largest party in the State Legislative Assembly, Dr Abdullah asked Leader of the Opposition, Abdul Rahim Rather, to respond to the question.

Rather, who was among the senior NC leaders present at the news conference, played it down and said that Madan Lal Sharma had denied a part of his purported statement and withdrawn another part of it as "slip of tongue". Joined by Dr Abdullah and another senior colleague, Ali Mohammad Sagar, Rather, nevertheless, called for an investigation into the MP's statement involving the Speaker and a former Minister of Congress party.

On this occasion, Dr Abdullah said that he would "unfold many things (regarding the sex scandal) at an appropriate time" around the forthcoming Assembly elections. "I am a General and no General would open up all of his cards before the war", Dr Abdullah said and declined to elaborate. He refused to accept that NC had not come out with an explicit reaction on the subject and asserted that his party had said what it had to say. "Yes, we didn't go to the rooftops to shout over the ignominy of our daughters and sisters. All of our daughters and sisters are not prostitutes", Dr Abdullah said and put the blame of pushing the Kashmiri women into a slander on Srinagar-based lawyers.

"Had the lawyers here not decided to decline defence to the accused, this bomb wouldn't have blown up in Chandigarh. Even a murder accused is entitled to the defence counsel. It's because of this that the Kashmiri women were subjected to ignominy in Chandigarh, where nobody had control over the situation", Dr Abdullah said and grumbled that he would never "strip my daughters and sisters out in a bazaar".

Dr Abdullah shifted part of his ire to New Delhi-based media and said that Times Now television news channel had removed recent sex scam controversy on "pressure from New Delhi" but at the same time dragged his brother, Dr Mustafa Kamal, in a controversy over the latter's visit to the bereaved families of two commanders of Hizbul Mujahideen killed in a gunbattle in Baramulla district.

"They people (in New Delhi) have created a storm on this visit and forgotten our sacrifices (for the country) since 1990. What's wrong in it if he (Dr Kamal) has gone to express sympathies with the two families?" He said that owners of the news channel were labouring under a misconception if they believed that the NC leaders were their "slaves". "All others are their slaves but we (NC leaders) are not", Farooq asserted.

The NC patriarch claimed that the PDP and Congress-led coalition Government had failed to deliver in the last five-and-a-half years and only a fool would expect miracles from it in the next six months. "They have begun to feel that their ship is sinking. All of this frustration is part of the election blues", Farooq observed. He reiterated that the four Working Groups' recommendations (on Jammu & Kashmir) had been lying with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for the last over 18 months and none had been implemented so far.

Farooq Abdullah dismissed current slew of promises and announcements by the coalition leaders as an "election stunt" and asked why all of it had been ignored in the last over five years. He said that his party would soon take decisions with regard to the Chief Ministerial and other candidates as well as their constituencies and added that "young and energetic faces" would be installed as the frontrunners. He admitted PDP leader from Rafiabad, Javed Ahmed Dar, into the NC and expressed hope that young leaders like Dar would not only strengthen his party but would also defend Jammu and Kashmir's distinct identity.

On this occasion, Javed Dar called the PDP as a "hub of capitalists" and insisted that it had ceased to be a political party. He, however, refused to name the "capitalists" and maintained that every body in Kashmir knew them well. He claimed that NC alone was representative of the people and capable to achieve something for the people of the State. A former Congress MLA's son, then PDP candidate Javed Dar had lost to then NC's nominee, Dilawar Mir, in the Assembly elections of 2002 in Rafiabad segment. Later, Mir too joined the PDP and marginalized Dar only to conveniently defeat a nondescript NC candidate in the Assembly by-elections of 2006.

While Dar was joining the NC, senior Congress leader and a superior major in Rafiabad, Abdul Gani Vakil, organized a well attended rally in the former's residential village of Ladoora in Sopore-Dangiwacha belt today. He was accompanied by Ministerial colleagues Gulchain Singh Charak and Gharu Ram.

Militant outfits reluctant to name new commanders

By Sanjeev Pargal

JAMMU, May 7: With the elimination of top leadership of militants in Doda, Kishtwar, Reasi, Poonch and Rajouri districts besides several other arrest and surrenders, the militant outfits were now hesitant to name the successors of their slain commanders.

The new militant commanders were not being named as outfits like Hizbul Mujahideen, Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) and Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) feared that new commanders would also be targeted by police, which has decided to go for the top guns first.

IGP Jammu zone K Rajendra told the Excelsior that the new trend (the militant outfits not naming successors to slain commanders) has been noticed during last couple of months especially after the killing of three top commanders Badshah Khan in Reasi, Shamim Thool in Doda and Sabha Kashmiri in Kishtwar.

"As soon as the outfits name their commanders, we go all out to eliminate or apprehend them as we are trying to finish the militancy from the top. This fear is preventing the militant outfits from appointing their new commanders", Mr Rajendra said.

Militants, according to him, were in total disarray after suffering several major setbacks with the killing, arrest and surrender of their cadre during past few months. Intercepts clearly revealed that militancy was tattering and the ultras have become directionless.

The number of militants has also come down considerably in Jammu division from over 1000 to 650-700, the IGP said, adding only 300 of them were actively operating while rest of them were either lying low or had gone across the border.

About 30 per cent of the active militants were foreign mercenaries.

"Infiltration of the militants has been made very difficult though they continued to make attempts", Mr Rajendra said but added that infiltration has gone down as compared to last year. He attributed decline in infiltration to "more of our efforts" and change in political situation in Pakistan.

According to him, statements of new leadership in Pakistan has also led to frustration among militants. However, infrastructure and other support base of militants remained intact across the border. It could be possible that the militants are waiting for an opportune time to sneak in, he said.

Some infiltration attempts have been reported from Baramulla and Kupwara districts. The possibility that some of them could be meant for Jammu region is not ruled out.

The IGP Jammu said even after the killing of top militant commanders and arrest of others, police has not lowered its guard in militancy infested areas. "We keep on moving operational groups, security pickets and raise the number of VDCs wherever required as per operational requirements", he added.

Ready to face consequences if charges proved: Speaker

Excelsior Correspondent

JAMMU, May 7: Speaker Tara Chand today declared that he was ready to face any consequences if allegations of his involvement in sex scandal were proved by the Central Bureau of Investigations (CBI) or any other investigating agency.

Making his first public appearance in his home town and Assembly constituency at Khour in Akhnoor tehsil, Tara Chand, without naming Congress leader and MP from Jammu-Poonch constituency Madan Lal Sharma, described the charges levelled against him as baseless, motivated and frivolous.

Speaking before a huge crowd which accorded him tumultous reception taking him in a large convoy of vehicles from Jourian to Khour, the Speaker, who has been representing Chhamb Assembly constituency for last 12 years, said the people of his area as well as the Congress high command was very well aware of his image and he didn’t require character certificate from anyone.

"I have spent my childhood, the days of my young life and my married life among you people. You are the better judge to decide my image", Tara Chand said as the crowd shouted "Goondagardi Naheen Chalegi" and "Tara Chand Aage Bado, Hum Tumhare Saath Hain".

The Speaker, however, repeatedly appealed to the people as well as some Panchayat members not to speak any word against any party leader. He also advised the crowd not to raise provocative slogans. Still, some Panchayat members threatened that any attempt to tarnish the image of their leader by some "disgruntled elements" will not be tolerated. They said the growing popularity of the Speaker has frustrated certain party leaders and it was in the frustration that they have levelled baseless allegations against him.

"If we speak against any party leader, it will bring bad name to the Congress. I am a loyal soldier of the party and will remain committed to the organisation", the Speaker said.

Leaving the issue to party high command, he said whatever decision was taken by the party he will abide by that.

He clarified that today’s public meeting has nothing to do with the allegations levelled against him but was just a part of his routine monthly inter-action with the public.

The Speaker listed the development works done by him in his constituency including sanction of relief, plots etc for border migrants. Earlier, Tara Chand was taken to Khour from Jourian in a large convoy of motor-cycles, scooters, cars, jeeps and buses. It took the rally more than two hours to reach from Jourian to Khour where the Speaker addressed a public meeting.

7 officers transferred

Excelsior Correspondent

SRINAGAR, May 7: Government today ordered transfers and postings of seven officers with immediate effect.

M Raju, Sub-Divisional Magistrate, Nyoma has been transferred and posted as Sub-Divisional Magistrate, Basohli vice Ajay Singh Jamwal, who has been posted as Project Officer, Watershed Development, Jammu against available vacancy.

Tsering Narboo, Assistant Director, Information, Leh has been transferred and posted as Sub-Divisional Magistrate, Nyoma vice M Raju.

Ghulam Rasool Badana, Assistant Director, Information has been transferred and posted as Deputy Director, Information, Kashmir against available vacancy.

Mohammad Ashraf Shanthoo, Deputy Director, Handicrafts has been transferred and posted as General Manager, DIC, Budgam vice Ghulam Hassan Wani, who has been transferred and posted as Deputy Director, Handicrafts vice Mohammad Ashraf Shanthoo.

Shakeel-ul-Rehman Rather, Deputy Secretary to Government, Finance Department has been transferred and posted as Deputy Secretary to Government, Higher Education Department against available vacancy.

Ex-CE PWD, supplier in Vigilance net

Excelsior Correspondent

JAMMU, May 7: State Vigilance Organisation (SVO) has booked former Chief Engineer of Public Works Department, a supplier and others for causing Rs 4 lakh loss to the State exchequer and conferring undue benefits upon them.

An official spokesman said that Vigilance Organisation received a complaint with regard to purchase of floronite concrete hardner on highly exorbitant rates in 2005 by the PWD (R&B) Divisions, Bhaderwah and Kishtwar.

Subsequently, an enquiry was started during which it came to fore that in April 2005, a criminal conspiracy was hatched by Mushtaq Ahmed Dar, the then Superintending Engineer, PWD (R&B) Circle, Doda (now retired as Chief Engineer) with a supplier Nazir Ahmed Tramboo with the object of purchasing floronite concrete hardner on highly exorbitant rates to confer undue benefit upon the supplier and himself.

In furtherance of the criminal conspiracy, Mushtaq Ahmed Dar without receiving any requisition from the subordinate officers and units placed supply orders in April 2005 with Nazir Ahmed Tramboo for supplying 100 quintals of floronite concrete hardner, 50 quintals each for Executive Engineers of PWD (R&B) Bhaderwah and Kishtwar divisions.

The Executive Engineers, in furtherance of the criminal conspiracy, received the supply of 100 quintals of floronite concrete hardner at a highly unreasonable and exorbitant rate of Rs 4400 per quintal whereas the supplier had purchased the material from M/s Aggarwal Traders, Akhnoor Road, Jammu at the rate of Rs 450 per quintal only.

The criminal conspiracy caused a loss of approximately Rs 4 lakh to the State exchequer in the purchase of the material on highly exorbitant rate.

The Vigilance investigation revealed that in April 2005, a huge quantity of floronite concrete hardner was already available in the Divisional Store of PWD (R&B) Division, Kishtwar and further purchase of 100 quintals of floronite concrete hardner by the Department remained un-utilized.

The floronite concrete hardner was found dumped in the divisional stores on the date of enquiry—March 18, 2008 which clearly indicates that the purchase of material was not at all required and the Department had incurred wasteful expenditure.

The ill-intentions of the accused officers can be gauged from the fact that no tenders were invited to ensure fair competition and the rates were worked out on the basis of repeat orders in utter violation of the rules.

After years in NC, ANC, PDP, Hassan Mir launches JKDP

Excelsior Special Correspondent

SRINAGAR, May 7: PDP rebel, Ghulam Hassan Mir, who has been earlier expelled from the party for his public statements against Mufti Mohammad Sayeed and Mehbooba Mufti, has finally launched his own banner of "Jammu & Kashmir Democratic Party" (JKDP).

Addressing a news conference immediately after setting up headquarters of his new party, JKDP, in the Hurriyat Colony, Kursoo Rajbagh, Ghulam Hassan Mir said that Jammu & Kashmir's politics had remained confined to "pro-India, pro-Pakistan shell" for the last six years. He claimed that JKDP would introduce the cult of "pro-people politics" in the State. He expressed his agony that the State politicians had promised the moon to the poor people but had never taken practical measures to create avenues of employment and development in the last 60 years.

Mir said that mainstream politicians had invariable exploited the Kashmiri youth and created a consumer state. "We require to turn it into a real production State", Mir said and underscored the need to make J&K a self-reliant state. He said that the State was in possession of rich hydraulic resources and it had hydroelectric potential enough to grow as not only India's richest state but also one of the most prosperous States in the world.

He said that there would be no room for "dynastic rule" ---a dig on PDP and NC---and empowerment of the common people would be a key endeavour of his new political party. He said that New Delhi and Islamabad had been calling J&K a disputed State and he or his party were none to negate it. He complained that the State had been kept unexploited and under-developed and forced to always go to Delhi with a begging bowl. "I don't say that we should not get financial support from New Delhi. We should get it and utilize the same judiciously so that the State heads for self-reliance", Mir said.

Mir appreciated Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's developmental packages to J&K and emphasized that an employment package should also be launched. "There should be key thrust on employment" Mir said. He said that politics of realism must replace politics of emotion in J&K. Mir said that the people of J&K had been relieved of a great stress in the wake of ceasefire and freezing of hostility between New Delhi and Islamabad. He said that the common people had always become victims of hostility between the two neighbouring countries.

When asked why he had rushed all the way to New Delhi to seek Prime Minister's blessings before launching his new party, Mir asserted that he was not in need of blessings from any political leader or party. He admitted to have met with the PM but insisted that employment and development were his key demands in favour of the Kashmiris.

Former MLA of National Conference, Ghulam Mohammad Bhavan, and the rebel PDP MLA Sarfaraz Khan's son, Nazir Khan, were among prominent political leaders who flanked Mir at the inaugural ceremony followed by Press conference.

Maj Vinay among 65 honoured

NEW DELHI, May 7: Four Army men, including Major K Prabhakar Vinay, who laid down his life after killing two terrorists in the Kashmir valley are among 65 Armed Forces personnel decorated by President Pratibha Devisingh Patil at a Military Investiture at the Rashtrapati Bhawan today.

The late Major Prabhakar Vinay and three others — Major Shtrujeet Kotwal of the Jat Regiment, Capt Pankaj Kumar of the Gorkha Rifles and Sepoy Suresh were awarded Kirti Chakras, the nation’s second highest peacetime gallantry award in the military roll of honours.

Major Kotwal pursued an escaped dreaded terrorist and raided their hide out in the deep jungle in Budgam district, killing two terrorists.

Sepoy Suresh who died while engaging heavily armed group of terrorists near the Line of Control in Kupwara district was also awarded Kirti Chakra posthumously for killing two terrorists single handedly.

The military roll of honours included 13 Param Vishist Seva Medals, 27 AVSMs and 29 Shauraya Chakras for exceptional bravery in the face of the enemy.

Chief of Integrated Defence Staff Lt General Hardev Singh Lidder, Dy Chief of Army Staff Lt General Zameer Uddin Shah, the elder brother of cine star Nassiruddin Shah, Lt General Kuldip Singh Jamwal and Air Marshal Pradeep Vasant Naik were among those decorated with PVSM.

The recipients of the Ati Vishist Seva Medal include Srinagar based 15 Corps Commander, Lt General Mukesh Sabharwal, Military Secretary to the President, Lt Gen Vinod Chopra and Vice-Admiral Krishan Raina, Chief of Logistics at the Naval Headquarters here.

Both Sabharwal and Chopra are receiving the award for the second time.

Two other Vice Admirals Shekhar Sinha and surgeon Admiral V K Saxena were also decorated with the AVSM.

Twenty-one Army and Air Force personnel were decorated with Shaurya Chakras including six posthumously.(PTI)

Computer engg held for ATM fraud

Excelsior Correspondent

JAMMU, May 7: Police today arrested a computer engineer for misusing ATM card of a New Delhi based businessman and withdrawing Rs 75,000 using the card at State Bank of India (SBI) ATMs at Super Bazar and Gandhi Nagar.

The computer engineer, who was arrested by a City police station party today, has been identified as Umar Sarwar Mir son of Mohd Sarwar Mir R/o Lutnussa, Kupwara.

A Maruti car, which the accused had purchased from Rs 75,000 drawn from the ATM, has been seized by police. The case has been worked out by a City police station team headed by SDPO Sawtantar Arora and SHO City Inspector Jatinder Samyal under the supervision of DIG Jammu Farooq Khan and SSP Jammu Alok Kumar.

Police said Sarwar Mir spotted the ATM card at Super Bazar and rang up SBI’s toll free number in New Delhi to take address of the card holder on the pretext that he had to return it to him. He was given the address and telephone number of the card holder. The card belonged to Ram Prakash Nagpal son of Wasna Ram R/o New Delhi.

The accused rang up card holder’s house and posing as SBI Manager from Chandigarh took it’s password from Nagpal’s daughter on the ground that the card has to be closed. As Nagpal had already closed down the card, the accused again rang up SBI office and posed Nagpal asking them to open his card. As the SBI authorities refused to do so in the absence of a written request, the accused faxed a letter to them on behalf of Sarwar Mir and got the card opened.

He then withdrew Rs 75,000 from the card and purchased a Maruti car.

On the complaint of Nagpal, City police investigated the case and apprehended the accused.

8 kg RDX, grenades seized

Excelsior Correspondent

JAMMU, May 7: A large quantity of explosive devices and ammunition were recovered by police and Army from Rajouri and Reasi districts today.

SSP Rajouri Rajesh Kumar said an IED filled with eight kg RDX, two AK magazines, 120 rounds and one battery were recovered during a search operation at Matha Teka in Kandi area of Rajouri district this morning.

The recovery of RDX filled IED has averted a major catastrophe, he added.

SSP Reasi J L Sharma said Mahore police and 61 Rashtriya Rifles destroyed a hide-out of the militants at Kerkanwali in Lancha area of Mahore police station in Reasi district this morning.

Recoveries made from the hide-out include two hand grenades, four UBGL grenades, seven electric detonators, two hand grenades fuse, two AK magazines, 40 pistol rounds, 98 Pika rounds and seven ammunition belts.

Searches in the area were on.

Two killed, 2 injured in mishap

Excelsior Correspondent

JAMMU, May 7: Two persons were killed and two others sustained injuries when a Tata Sumo, they were travelling in, skidded off the road and rolled down in Balni Nullah under the jurisdiction of Katra Police Station last mid-night.

The ill-fated vehicle bearing registration number JK02A-3388 was on its way to Reasi from Jammu when met with accident. On the receipt of information about the accident, a police party from Katra led by SDPO Jugal Sharma rushed to the spot and started rescue operation.

All the four occupants of the ill-fated vehicle were brought out of the nullah after hectic efforts and rushed to hospital where two of them were pronounced as brought dead.

The condition of injured was stated to be out of danger when reports last came in.

The deceased have been identified as Neelam Kumari, wife of Sanjay Kumar of Reasi and Sham Lal (driver). The injured have been identified as Sanjay Kumar, son of Krishan Lal and Luv Kumar, son of Ishar Dass, both the residents of Reasi.

28 killed in bus mishap

JAMMU : At least 28 persons were killed and three others injured when a bus fell into Chenab river in Kishtwar district today.

The incident took place when the bus, with 30 passengers on board was proceeding towards Kishtwar from Jammu, skidded off the road and rolled down into the Chenab at Kandni-Phagumarh area at around 1230 hours, official sources said.

The bodies of 10 people have been recovered by Army and the Police, who launched rescue operations immediately after the mishap, they said.

The injured have been shifted to Kishtwar Hospital, they said, adding rescue operations were on to fish out bodies of other passengers as the death toll is likely to go up. (PTI)