Jammu

Ultras may get access to N-arms: Governor
JAMMU, Dec 19 — The Jammu and Kashmir Governor, Mr Girish Chander Saxena has warned that terrorists might get access to sophisticated arms and equipment, including nuclear and chemical warfare materials, in the coming century.

Woman cop among five killed
SRINAGAR, Dec 19 — Five persons, including two cops and a militant, were killed and a Village Defence Committee member was injured in separate incidents, while the police repulsed militant attacks on their security posts in Jammu and Kashmir since last evening, an official spokesman said today.

Grim security set-up in valley
Tribune News Service

SRINAGAR, Dec19 — The recent attacks by militants on Jammu and Kashmir Police personnel in which a DSP, an ASI and six others were killed, has put a question mark on the security setup in the Kashmir valley.

There are conflicting reports about the two latest incidents, including a rocket attack on a camp of the Special Operations Group (SOG) at Palhalan, Pattan, in Baramula district and killing of two youths here on Friday. There were conflicting reports about the attack on the SOG camp at Palhalan, in which DSP Kuldeep Singh got killed.

The daily police press note issued here stated that "militants fired a rocket on the building in which the SOG, Palhalan, was housed, as a result of which the DSP lost his life. However, police personnel staying in the adjoining rooms escaped unhurt."

Senior police officers are reported to have said the explosion took place in a box of apples which had been kept under the bed of the DSP. The explosive went off at about 1.20 am, blowing up the DSP and his belongings into pieces.

The Minister of State, Mushtaq Ahmad Lone, who held a high-level meeting here on Wednesday immediately ordered an inquiry into the attack on the SOG camp.

These attacks on the police are connected with stepped up militant attacks during the past three months. An attack by suicide squad of the "Lashkar-e Toiba" on the Badami Bagh Cantonment on November 3 last was one of the major attacks. At least eight armymen, including Major Pramod Purshottam, Defence PRO, were killed in the attack.

The Director General of Jammu and Kashmir Police, Mr Gurbachan Jagat concluded his four-day tour to the valley yesterday.

He held a series of meetings with the senior officers and visited Baramula and Kupwara districts.

A high-level Central team led by the Special Secretary, Home, Mr T.R. Kakkar, also reviewed the security situation here on Tuesday. The team had a detailed discussion with the Chief Minister, Dr Farooq Abdullah, on the recent attacks on the police personnel. The Special Secretary, Home, was accompanied by the Director General of Border Security Force (BSF), Mr E.N.Rammohan.

Separatist militants have made a series of major attacks on the security forces, police and high-security Army and government installations, in the summer capital after the Kargil war. Senior police and security officers believe that a number of separatist militants, mostly foreigners, sneaked into the valley through the porous border, when the Army was engaged in fighting the intruders in Kargil.

The series of such attacks started with the killing of a DIG of the Border Security Force (BSF) at Bandipore in July last. Later the militants attacked at least three Army camps in Kupwara district. A Colonel was also killed in an ambush by militants at Chak Nutnus in Kupwara district. Militants succeeded in firing grenades with the help of grenade rifles on the Civil Secretariat on September 29 and October 28 last. About half a dozen employees were killed and over two dozen others including police personnel and employees were injured.

A section of security forces from the valley was sent to Kargil early in May last. The State received only 20 battalions of para-military forces in place of 58 battalions of the Army shifted to Kargil. The Centre has again ordered withdrawal of the 20 battalions of para-military troops from the trouble-torn State. However, the senior state officials have urged the Centre to reconsider these orders in view of the present security scenario. These views were conveyed to the Centre at a high-level meeting convened by the Union Home Minister, Mr Lal Krishan Advani, at New Delhi on November 17 last.

Copter service to Vaishno Devi
Tribune News Service

JAMMU, Dec 19 — Those who are infirm or hard-pressed for time can complete their pilgrimage to the ancient shrine of Mata Vaishno Devi, nestled atop Trikuta hills, within less than half an hour with the introduction of a helicopter service between Jammu and the shrine shortly.

An agreement has been signed between the Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board and Pawan Hans Ltd for operating a helicopter service on the Jammu-Katra-Sanjhichhat route. The Union Minister of State for Civil Aviation, Prof Chaman Lal Gupta, has taken personal interest in the project. The helicopter service would have been started but the spot where a plan had been conceived for constructing a helipad had been acquired for establishing Mata Vaishno Devi University. Secondly, the road strip connecting the new helipad was under completion.

Professor Gupta had approached the state government asking it to provide the helipad built years ago by late Swami Dhirendra Brahamachari to Pawan Hans Ltd.

The permission to use the helipad was refused on the ground that the case was in a court. Professor Gupta had even pleaded for temporary permission till the court decided the case but it was turned down.

Under the project, Pawan Hans Ltd will provide one helicopter for this sector. Initially, it will have a biweekly service from Jammu and Sanjhichhat but from Katra it will have 15 sorties per day up to Sanjhichhat. In case the demand increases, the sorties will be increased and another helicopter will be pressed into service.

Normally, it takes about five hours from Katra, the base camp, to the shrine on foot. However, it will take less than 10 minutes aboard a helicopter to reach Sanjhichhat from Katra.

Though the fare is yet to be determined, authorities said it might cost a pilgrim Rs 4,200 for a two-way journey between Jammu and Sanjhichhat and Rs 2,000 between Katra and Sanjhichhat.

Ultras may get access to N-arms: Governor

JAMMU, Dec 19 (PTI) — The Jammu and Kashmir Governor, Mr Girish Chander Saxena has warned that terrorists might get access to sophisticated arms and equipment, including nuclear and chemical warfare materials, in the coming century.

This is a disturbing phenomenon which can only be combated successfully through much better coordination within the country and effective international cooperation, he said while addressing a seminar organised by the J and K Citizens Committee on the "Challenges of next millennium" here last evening.

Stating that problems of ethnic conflicts, internal and external security, rule of law and human rights casteism, empowerment of women and child abuse would be some of the challenges in next millennium, he said the international fundamentalist and narco-terrorists now have sophisticated equipment like latest communication systems and cellular and satellite phones.

The Chief Minister, Dr Farooq Abdullah, described communalism as the biggest challenge in the new millennium.

The Union Minister of State for Civil Aviation, Mr Chaman Lal Gupta, expressed concern over the eroding moral values in the society and stressed the need for preserving them.

Farooq to press for ST status to Paharis

JAMMU, Dec 19 (UNI) — Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah today said he would urge Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee to expedite granting of Scheduled Tribe status to the Pahari people of the state.

Addressing a meeting of the advisory board for the Pahari speaking people here, the Chief Minister said the promotion of Pahari language, especially on the electronic media, would be taken up with the ministries concerned at the Centre.

Dr Abdullah said necessary infrastructure should be created for imparting higher education to the Pahari youths.

He called upon the legislators and parliamentarians to contribute from their constituency development fund to the construction of hostels for Pahari students at Srinagar and Jammu.

He said a supplementary plan for the development of Pahari areas would be considered to give a fillip to various schemes aimed at the welfare of these people.

Woman cop among five killed

SRINAGAR, Dec 19 (PTI) — Five persons, including two cops and a militant, were killed and a Village Defence Committee member was injured in separate incidents, while the police repulsed militant attacks on their security posts in Jammu and Kashmir since last evening, an official spokesman said today.

A woman constable working as special police officer, Dilshada Akhter, was shot dead by ultras outside Tral police station in Pulwama district.

Another police constable Abdul Hamid, seriously injured in a militant firing here on December 13, died last night.

Militants severely beat up one person at Tantra-Thathri in Doda district, causing multiple injuries to him. He died at a hospital today.

A militant was killed in an encounter with security forces at Dadasun-Thana mandi in Rajouri district last night.

The militants shot dead a shopkeeper in his village at Chak-e-Natnusa in the frontier district of Kupwara last night.

In other militancy-related violence, the ultras hurled grenades and opened fire at police posts set up to protect minority community at Dalhasanyar-Habakadal in Srinagar and Naidgam-Shopian in Pulwama today.

Security forces seized a grenade and some ammunition from a militant hideout at Ganasthan in Baramula district last night.

The militants shot at and injured a Village Defence Committee member, Ajit Singh at Swanga in the Thathri area of Doda district in Jammu last evening.

In other incidents, the ultras also set ablaze two houses at Budhli-Gandoh village in Doda district yesterday.