Excelsior Correspondent

Jammu, July 11: Prof Bhim Singh, supremo of National Panthers Party shot an urgent letter to Prime Minister, Narendra Modi on the fraud committed against the Jammu Hindu migrants who have been completely wiped out of NDA budget regarding their rehabilitation.
Prof. Singh has raised this issue with the Prime Minister so that he is adequately informed about the categories of the migrants and the refugees residing in J&K since 1947. In his letter to Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, Bhim Singh remined Mr Modi that his Government’s budget carried headlines in the daily newspapers that your Government has allotted about Rs.500 crores for the rehabilitation of the Kashmiri Pandit migrants. This is a great effort and deserves admiration. But we have right to know why Jammu Hindu migrants have been ignored. There is no mentioning even on their existence at all. The budget has talked so much about corporate sector but what happened to the rehabilitation plan other than the Kashmiri Pandit migrants. “You may not have been briefed adequately by your advisers that there are several hundred Kashmiri migrants other than Kashmiri Pandit migrants. They include the Kashmiri Dogra migrants, Kashmiri Punjabi migrants, Kashmiri Rajput migrants, Kashmiri Sikh migrants including Kashmiri Muslim migrants. It is hoped that your Finance Minister shall have relook into the entire situation so that justice shall be done to all the migrants from Jammu and other places,” he added.
Without entering into the merits of Government presented yesterday in the Parliament, I would like to restrict my views on plight of those Jammu Hindu Migrants who were forced out of their homes in 1990/2000 following Kargil war. Prankote (Reasi) massacre of the Hindu residents by the terrorists created such a panic that the people had to flee their homes. The 1998 Prankote massacre of 26 Hindus in the villages of Prankote and Dakikote in Udhampur district (Reasi district at present), J&K on 17th April, 1998. Entire leadership of the country including Sonia Gandhi and L.K. Advani landed in Prankote by helicopters to condole the inhuman killings of the innocent persons.
The Govt of J&K was reluctant to provide any relief to these migrants for the reasons to be understood by the leadership. The Govt. of India agreed to sanction relief both in cash and kind to these Jammu migrants as well as to the border migrants. The Jammu migrants were discriminated in the sanction of relief. They were given much less relief as compared to the Kashmiri Pandit migrants.
The Jammu migrants (about 2201 families) camping in Talwara, Udhampur and scattered all over Jammu do deserve rehabilitation back in their villages. Their properties and land has to be restored to them and they need to be provided finances to rebuild their houses and raise their cattle which they were forced to leave behind in their villages when they were made to run away by the terror of the militants.
J&K has about 15 lakh of migrants from PoK who came from Mirpur, Kotli, Rawalakote, Muzaffrabad and other places when Pak-sponsored raiders invaded J&K. They call themselves as refugees whereas, in the revenue record they have been registered as migrants. Governments after Government have been promising them comprehensive settlement but that never happened they have remained homeless, source less and penny less till day. There are other refugees of 1965 and 1971 most of them were forced out of their homes from Chhamb area (Jammu Pradesh) when India surrendered Chhamb-Batala to Pakistan in 1965. These Chhamb/Deva-Batala migrants have been living in the shattered camps like the Palestinian refugees living in Gaza strip. They are permanent residents of J&K but have been living as the refugees without any hope for their future survival. The budget remains silent in this regard.

Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, July 11: Chairman, Jammu and Kashmir National Panthers Party (JKNPP), Harshdev Singh today said that flagship programmes of Government of India (GoI) including PMGSY scheme have been crumbling due to official apathy.
He strongly flayed the PWD for total collapse of PMGSY scheme in the State which, he alleged, has failed to show any tangible results on the ground despite its launch in the State around 15 years back. He regretted that majority of the roads and bridges projects approved under the scheme have been abandoned half way by the contractors.
Singh said that J&K State had rightly been declared as tail-ender in the country in the implementation of PMGSY scheme as not even 20% of the sanctioned schemes of roads and bridges had actually been constructed on ground. He said that with regard to black topping of roads under PMGSY, the position was much worse as hardly 5 to 7 % of the sanctioned roads had actually been blacktopped.
The JKNPP leader accused the PMGSY authorities of unreasonable and in-explicable delay in tendering and allotment of contracts due to vested interests. He regretted that construction work in respect of several roads projects sanctioned in 2010 had not even been commenced by the contractors and PMGSY authorities had failed to take action against erring contractors. He said that there exists an unholy nexus between the R&B Department and the erring contractors and the two were looting the public exchequer in connivance.
Strongly condemning the State Government for total failure of PMGSY scheme in the State, Singh called upon the concerned authorities to wake up from their slumber and to remove the deadwood and the corrupt failing which the people would be forced to resort to direct action.

Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, July 11: The Jammu and Kashmir Batwal Welfare Association (JKBWA) has sought reservation for Scheduled Castes (SCs) in all the aided, unaided and private professional institutions of the State.
At a meeting held here today, citing the Apex Court decision the Association members urged the Government to direct all the aided, unaided and private professional institutions operating in the State to provide reservation to the SCs in MBBS, BDS and Engineering courses of their management quota.
The Association members also sought implementation of reservation policy in Rehbar-e-Taleem, Rehbar-e-Sehat and Rehbar-e-Zerat.
Addressing the meeting, the general secretary of the Association, RL Kaith urged the Government to enhance the reservation quota of SCs according to their population percentage, which is 9% of the total population.
He further urged the directorate of Social Welfare to collect data from all the Government Departments and offices, and ensure that reservation is implemented therein, in toto.

Excelsior Correspondent

SRINAGAR, July 11: Minister for Rural Development and Panchayat Ali Mohammad Sagar today said that the Government has put in place a vibrant mechanism for monitoring the developmental initiatives undertaken for the sustained development of the historic city.
The Minister was interacting with scores of deputations during his extensive tour of the old city Srinagar to get first hand information about the status of various developmental works under taken in the city.
He was accompanied by senior officers of various departments like R&B, PHE, PDD, SMC etc.
Mr. Sagar said that the Government has initiated several measures for the development of the Srinagar city so that the people get the requisite facilities in various sectors like housing, PDD, PHE and other related sectors. He said people should actively involve themselves in the implementation of the welfare schemes undertaken thereby involving themselves in day to day governance.
The Minister also inspected the pace of work on the community hall being constructed at Sheshgari Mohalla and directed for its early completion, maintaining that it would go a long way in providing the infrastructural assets to the people of the area for celebration of their social functions.
Mr. Sagar while interacting with the people at Roshangarh Mohallah in Nowhata said that a community hall would be constructed there and directed the officers to speed up the pace of work on the project. He said that adequate compensation should also be provided to the persons whose properties are acquired.
The Minister also inspected pace of work on the restoration being under taken in Dastigeer Sahib and Nagishband Sahib shrines asked the officers to speed up the left over work so that both get completed in all respects within the shortest possible time.
Mr. Sagar also inspected other developmental works and directed for speedy completion of these so that the people get benefited from them.

Excelsior Correspondent
POONCH, July 11: Trade worth over Rs 1.25 crore was witnessed at Chakkan-da-Bagh cross LoC point in district Poonch today.
Officials sources said that 25 trucks loaded with bananas, tamarind, chillies and Jeera crossed over to PoK today through Poonch LoC point. The value of the goods was put at Rs 65.97 lakh.
Only two trucks loaded with almonds, dry dates and herbs arrived here from the PoK side when the LOC point was opened. The value of goods was put at Rs 59.20 lakh. Total 27 trucks loaded with goods were exchanged at this cross LoC point today.

Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, July 11: Municipal Veterinary Officer, Dr Zafar Iqbal along with field staff, conducted a special drive today on the eve of Amarnath Yatra and Ramzan, covering areas of Jewel, Raghunath Bazar, Sheedi Chowk and Talab Khatikan.
While checking 70 quintals of milk was checked, 2.5 quintals of adulterated milk and about 40 kilograms of curd and sweets were discarded. Fine to the tune of Rs 27500 was realized from the different defaulters.
On the complaints of surrounding inhabitants and in light of spreading Zoonatic diseases, surprise raid was conducted by the team of Municipal Veterinary Officer along with Enforcement wing at Bahu Plaza, Valmaiki Chowk and Gandhi Nagar area.
The drive will remain continue against all the food vendors/establishments/pet shops/pet saloon/pet breeders/pet clinics running in the market which are strictly warned and directed to obtain proper license from the Municipal Corporation.
Meanwhile, JMC has appealed to all the establishments/rehries /vendors especially those dealing with food products to maintain hygienic environment and make available quality products to the consumers.

Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, July 11: Principal Sessions Judge Jammu, R S Jain today awarded one year imprisonment and fine of Rs 2000 to Subash Chander, who was booked by the police for torturing his wife for dowry, after 14 years long trial and investigation.
After hearing both the sides, Principal Sessions Judge observed, “the prosecution has succeeded in proving that the accused Subash Chander had treated the deceased with cruelty and made repeated demands of dowry items”.
“The prosecution has succeeded in proving beyond reasonable doubt that accused Subash Chander has committed offence under Section 498-A RPC and accordingly he is convicted”, the court said.
Accordingly, accused Subash Chander was awarded simple imprisonment for period of one year.