Mohinder Verma

JAMMU, July 2: Following intensive pressure from the Congress Ministers, State Cabinet today directed the Revenue Department to move fresh memorandum on Rs 7000 crore worth package prepared for all sorts of refugees. The resubmission of this package was necessitated as no headway could be made on the same since last year due to referring of the package to the Cabinet Sub-Committee on Justice Sageer Committee report, which forced the Congress Ministers to lodge strong protest.
Sources told EXCELSIOR that when the Cabinet, which met under the chairmanship of Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah  this evening, was discussing the revised package for the Kashmiri migrants, Minister for PHE, Irrigation and Flood Control, Sham Lal Sharma sought to know the reason behind giving step motherly treatment to the displaced persons of 1947, 1965 and 1971.
“I have failed to understand as to why there are different yardsticks for Kashmiri migrants and refugees”, sources said quoting Sham Lal Sharma, adding “the PHE Minister even said that this is a human issue and needs to be resolved sympathetically”.
Expressing serious concern over the hanging fate of Rs 7000 crore package prepared by the Revenue Department for these refugees, Mr Sharma, according to the sources, said, “this indicates that they are being sidelined by the Government despite the fact that much exercise has already been carried out for their one time settlement”.
“There was no justification behind referring the refugees’ package to the Cabinet Sub-Committee examining Justice Sageer Committee report merely on the ground that Justice Sageer had also deliberated upon the issues of displaced persons”, sources further said quoting PHE Minister’s remarks in the Cabinet.
He was joined by another Congress Minister, Raman Bhalla, who said, “we should not treat Kashmiri migrants and refugees differently”. Even National Conference Minister, Ajay Kumar Sadhotra supported the issue projected by the Congress Ministers.
After intense pressure from the Congress Ministers in the Cabinet meeting, the Revenue Department was directed to move fresh memorandum on Rs 7000 crore worth package prepared for all sorts of refugees for the consideration of the Cabinet, sources informed.
“As no time-frame was fixed for the Revenue Department in this regard, the Congress Ministers have reportedly decided to get the same placed before the Cabinet very shortly”, sources said.
It is pertinent to mention here that a high-powered Congress delegation led by JKPCC chief Prof Saif-ud-Din Soz had called on the then Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh and stressed the need for one time settlement of refugees. The memorandum submitted by the Congress delegation to the Prime Minister was then sent to J&K Government.
Even the then Union Minister, Ghulam Nabi Azad vociferously pleaded the case of refugees at various forums and tried to build consensus on the issue.
Following this, the Revenue Department prepared Rs 7000 crore worth package for the refugees and submitted the same to the General Administration Department for the consideration of the Cabinet. However, the General Administration Department forwarded the Revenue Department’s Cabinet memorandum to the Cabinet Sub-Committee on Justice Sageer Committee report and since then the fate of the package is hanging in balance.
“All the issues of refugees have been addressed in the package on which the Revenue Department had already held detailed discussions with all the stakeholders”, they said, adding “almost all the demands of the refugees like reservation in professional colleges, compensation against land deficiency as per market value, conferring of ownership rights/tenancy rights on land allotted to Chhamb refugees, disposal of pending applications for compensation etc have been incorporated in the package”.

Nishikant Khajuria

JAMMU, July 2: Interaction of Monsoon current and Western Disturbances resulted into light to moderate rains in Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday bringing much respite to people as mercury dipped to below normal temperature today.
According to Prof B C Sharma, Head of Agrometrolgy Department in SKUAST-Jammu,   the monsoon current touched foothills of Himalayas in Jammu Kashmir today after entering some parts of Punjab and Haryana.
The interaction of monsoon current with Western Disturbances resulted into thunderstorms and light to medium rainfall at various places in Jammu region. SKUAST observatory at Chatha campus recorded 10.6 mm rainfall today though the capital city witnessed light showers and heavy rains lashed other areas of Jammu province.
Since June 29 was expected date for arrival of monsoon in Jammu Kashmir, we can term the onset timely, Prof Sharma said predicting that weather in next two days will remain cloudy with thunderstorm and light to moderate rains at various places in Jammu region.
Cloudy weather with scattered rainfall from 8-10 mm is expected in next two days, which are likely to be followed by a brief dry spell of two- three days notwithstanding onset of monsoon, he explained.
The cloudy weather conditions and thunderstorms in Jammu on Wednesday dipped mercury six degrees below the normal temperature thus brining much respite to people here .  Today, the Maximum temperature was recorded at 30.8 degree Celsius while the minimum temperature was 26.5 degree Celsius.
In Udhampur, the maximum temperature on Wednesday was 30.4 degree Celsius while Ramban registered maximum temperature 32.8 degree Celsius.

Sanjeev Pargal

JAMMU, July 2: The Special Protection Group (SPG) today took over security of Katra railway station ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s first visit to Jammu and Kashmir on July 4 to link Katra town, the base camp of Mata Vaishno Devi ji shrine while authorities decided to suspend helicopter service for the pilgrims from Katra to Sanji Chat and back on Friday till the VVIP visit was over.
Railways authorities have meanwhile decided to link Modi’s Parliamentary constituency, Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh and Ahmedabad, the capital of Gujarat, a State Modi headed as the Chief Minister for three consecutive terms before becoming Prime Minister of the country, with Katra on priority basis.
Apart from Varanasi and Ahmedabad, Railways have also decided to link Mumbai, Chandigarh and New Delhi with Katra in the next few days.
Official sources told the Excelsior that Beghampura Express, which runs between Jammu to Varanasi is being extended to Katra on priority basis to link Modi’s Parliamentary constituency (Varanasi) with holy town of Katra.  Modi had won Varanasi and Vadodara (Gujarat) Lok Sabha seats with huge margin in recent Lok Sabha elections but retained Varanasi.
Sources said Jammu-Ahmedabad Express is also on the priority of the Railways for extension up to Katra town. Ahmedabad is capital of Gujarat, which Modi had served as the Chief Minister for three successive terms before becoming the Prime Minister of the country.
Apart from this, Mumbai, the commercial capital of India and the hub of Bollywood movies, is also being linked to Katra with the extension of Jammu Superfast. The Railways has already decided to start two new trains between Katra-Chandigarh and Katra-Delhi Rohilla Sarai, linking Chandigarh and New Delhi with the base camp of Mata Vaishno Devi shrine. Katra-Chandigarh train would take off from Kalika.
Katra-Kalika and Katra-Delhi Rohilla Sarai trains stood approved in the Railway budget. As there was more demand of people to reach Katra from New Delhi, Railways have decided to extend Jammu Mail and Uttar Samparak Kranti, which run between Udhampur to New Delhi to Katra.
Two DMU trains from Pathankot and Jammu, which run up to Udhampur, would be extended to Katra immediately after opening of the track.
In fact, Modi accompanied by Railways Minister Sadanand Gowda, Minister of State in PMO Dr Jitendra Singh and Minister of State for Railways Manoj Sinha would flag off DMU from Katra to Udhampur.
Governor NN Vohra, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, Railways Board Chairman and top officials of the Railways would be present at flagging of the train at 9.50 am at Katra railway station on July 4.
Sources said the DMUs would start plying between Katra-Jammu and Katra-Pathankot the same day while remaining trains would start in the next few days.
Meanwhile, seven teams of SPG headed by IG SPG Piyush Pandey today took control of security at Katra railway station ahead of flagging off the train by the Prime Minister in his first ever visit to Jammu and Kashmir after taking over as the PM.
DIG Udhampur-Reasi range Gareeb Dass would coordinate in security arrangements for the VVIP visit with the SPG.
Sources said SPG and police have decided to suspend helicopter service from Katra to Sanji Chat and back on the morning of July 4 till the VVIPs depart from Katra town. However, the yatra would continue smoothly from base camp of Katra, they added.
Modi would flag off the train at about 9.50 am and address the selected gathering for about 10 minutes before returning to Jammu and taking off for Srinagar for high level security review and inauguration of Uri-II hydro electric power project. He would return to New Delhi from Srinagar the same day.