Liquor hike irks defence staff
JAMMU, March 4 — The budget proposals providing for a major hike in sale of liquor in the Canteen Stores Department has evoked sharp reaction in the defence circles.

Industrial policy flayed
JAMMU, March 4 — Noisy scenes were witnessed for a brief period during question hour in the state Assembly here today when members cutting across party lines grilled the government on its defective industrial policy which had resulted in an increase in the number of sick units in the state.

Umar Farooq leaves for Haj
SRINAGAR, March 4 — Former chairman of the All Parties Hurriyat Conference, Moulvi Umar Farooq, was among 45 Haj pilgrims, who left for Delhi today for their onward journey to Jeddah.

Shafi's briefcase wouldn't open
Tribune News Service

JAMMU, March 4 — The Finance Minister entered the Assembly with a briefcase carrying his Budget speech, a minute before the end of question hour. He wore a smile on his face. Some members mistook it for a light dose of taxes. They were disappointed. Mr Shafi walked straight towards the Chief Minister's seat. He wanted to shake hands with Dr Farooq Abdullah but could not do so because the Chief Minister was on his feet to reply a question.

Mr Shafi tried opening the briefcase containing the Budget speech. He fiddled with the lock but could not open it. His colleague, Mr Abdul Rahim Rathor, Rural Development Minister, who was seated close to him, tried to help him but in vain. The Finance Minister then sent the briefcase to the Commissioner, Finance, Mr Ajit Kumar, who was present in the official gallery.

He pressed the correct numbers and opened the briefcase which was then carried to the Finance Minister by the watch and ward official.

The moment the Finance Minister got up to deliver the speech, BJP members led by Mr Shiv Charan Gupta staged a walkout not in protest against the Budget proposals, but against the failure of the Minister of Industries to give a satisfactory reply.

Several Opposition members made feeble protests when the Finance Minister started referring to new taxes. One of the them, Mr Piara Singh, was heard shouting: "Transporters to pahley hee mar rahein hain" (transporters are already crumbling under heavy taxes). The moment Mr Shafi referred to his proposal to the hike in water rates, he took a sip from a glass of water that had been kept on the table. Mr Ashok Khajuria of the BJP had a dig at him, saying: "yeh jo panni aap pee rehain hein, ab mehnga hoga" (the water you drink will be dearer now).

Mr Lal Singh of the Congress was heard shouting: "Hum sub pis jayangey is Budget se" (We all will be crushed under the heavy dose of taxes). Mr Shafi ended his speech by reciting an Urdu couplet praying to God to "give us the requisite strength to restore the state to its pristine glory".

Ultras' curbs on cable operations
Tribune News Service

SRINAGAR, March 4 — Uncertainty prevails over cable television operations in Kashmir after an underground militant outfit imposed restrictions on showing "obscene and un-Islamic" programmes. Restrictions have also been imposed on wearing Western system clothes, particularly by Muslim women in the valley.

A statement issued by Harkat-ul-Mujahideen on February 21 last asked the cable operators to stop showing programmes that "polluted young minds". These programmes include obscene programmes, movies and music, some of which were considered to be "un-Islamic". The cable operators were asked to respect Islam put it above their business interests. The statement also asked people not to wear Western style clothes as these were not permitted in Islam. The outfit threatened to initiate action against those violating the Islamic code by going an un-Islamic way.

At least four persons, including two girls and two cable operators, sustained injuries in the interior city as they were shot at by suspected militants for violating the code. Two girls, one of them at Lal Bazar locality, was shot at and injured for wearing jeans. These incidents took place within days after Harkat-ul-Mujahideen issued the statement.

According to Lt-Gen Krishan Pal, GOC 15 Corps, and also the Security Adviser to Jammu and Kashmir Government, such steps taken by the militants were "reflective of their frustration". "In this modern age of information they cannot prevent people from witnessing programmes in the name of Jehad", he said. Lt-Gen Krishan Pal questioned as to whether these things were banned in Islamic countries. He added that local elements were involved in such statements.

"These cable operators have been making a good business quite for some time", said Mr P.L. Gupta, DIG, Kashmir Range. He added that these elements wanted a greater share in terms of cash as cable operators had good earning. Mr Gupta admitted that suspected militants targeted a couple of cable operators and those wearing jeans after the statement, appeared in a local daily.

Following the imposition of restrictions, some of the cable operators had suspended the operations, but lately they had started again, minus the music and movie channels. Some of these operators have since winded up these cables in outskirts of the city. The cable operators had also approached APHC chairman, Syed Ali Shah Geelani, who is reported to have asked them to restore their services with censoring the movie and music channels. According to former APHC chairman, Mirwaiz Moulvi Umar Farooq, there was no harm in watching the informative programmes but he also sought to stop obscene programmes.

Cinema halls and wine shops in the valley were closed down with the eruption of militancy about a decade back. All these remain closed till date, except for the re-opening of Broadway Cinema in Badami Bagh cantonment area. The Broadway Cinema was reconstructed and thrown open for public in August last year following an assistance provided by the Jammu and Kashmir Government. All other cinema halls, eight in Srinagar city and many others in other towns of the valley continue to remain closed. Some of these halls are occupied by the security forces or others are damaged.

Dukhtaran-e-Millat, the only women's underground outfit had in early 1990's asked women to wear "burqa". A number of acid throwing incidents were reported then after many women did not use the veil or burqa.

Liquor hike irks defence staff
Tribune News Service

JAMMU, March 4 — The budget proposals providing for a major hike in sale of liquor in the Canteen Stores Department (CSD) has evoked sharp reaction in the defence circles. Cross section of officials in the armed forces and the paramilitary forces interviewed by TNS described the proposal of raising the excise duty on CSD liquor by Rs 75 a litre as "unjust" and "unwise".

They said this hike would impose heavy burden on the security forces engaged in the task of containing militancy. One senior Army officer said that the troops deployed on the border had instructions not to consume liquor while on duty and the jawans had been following these directions in letter and spirit. He said that the soldiers and men of the paramilitary forces relaxed over a pint of liquor while they were on leave or were not on duty.

Another officer said the Defence Ministry and the Union Home Ministry should intervene and immediately persuade the state government to desist from hiking the excise by almost 100 per cent. He said in case there was urgency to increase the excise duty the state government should have proposed a hike of 5 to 10 per cent.

The Defence Ministry sources said the budget proposal would result in anger among the security personnel. They said that the forces required further concessions when they were on duty in an area which "is almost a war zone". They said no where in the country the prices of liquor in CSD have been brought at a par with the open market.

The sources disputed the claim of the Finance Minister that a portion of the CSD liquor found way to civilians.

The Chamber of Commerce and Industries has described the budget proposals inflationary. Senior functionaries of the chamber said all sections of the people in the state would suffer as hike in sales tax on series of items and increase in special toll tax would shoot up the prices of consumer items.

Several political leaders, including those belonging to the BJP, the Congress the CPM and the Panthers Party flayed the budget proposals and disputed the claim of the Finance Minister that the poor would not be affected by the tax hike.

The Congress leaders including Mr Ashok Sharma, MLA, said the reckless spending by the state government especially the members of the council of ministers had caused financial crisis. The government should have adopted severe austerity measures instead of imposing heavy taxes.

Attack on Chogal post: 2 SPOs held
Tribune News Service and PTI

SRINAGAR, March 4 — Two SPOs (special police officers) engaged in the counter-insurgency operations by the Jammu and Kashmir police have been arrested following the killing of four SPOs and a constable at the Chogal police post in Kupwara district on Friday.

The arrest came close on the heels of the attack on the police post amid reports that some of these counter-insurgents were involved in the incident. Four SPOs and a constable manning the post, out of a total of 11 personnel, were kidnapped late on Friday evening. Their bodies were recovered by the police from a nearby place the next day. All others posted at the picket were absent from duty at the time of the kidnapping and the subsequent killing. They have been placed under suspension.

The post was closed following the attack last week. The attack and the subsequent action taken by the police have put a question mark on the working and functioning of the police and the counter-insurgents, especially in the border district of Kupwara. The district had witnessed a number of anti-militant operations and the number of militants killed along the LoC on the periphery of the district and within, has been more than any other militancy-infested district of the state.

The two SPOs are being questioned. At first, the police claimed that the attack and subsequent killing of the five personnel will carried out by militants in connivance with those posted at Chogal. This reportedly led to the arrest of the two personnel.

There has been a sense of dissatisfaction among the SPOs in recent months because of the delay in the payment of their dues. The counter-insurgents have been getting Rs 1500 per month and are engaged in the anti-militancy operations.

Due to the financial constraints faced by the state most of the counter-insurgents have not been getting their dues for the past two to three months, leading to dissatisfaction among them, a police officer told TNS.

Sources said complaints regarding extortions and harassment by counter-insurgents had been received.

A number of such reports of extortion had been reported from time to time during the past four years since surrendered militants were engaged in counter-insurgency operations. The latest report had come from the Bandipore area of Baramula district, where these militants or counter-insurgents indulged in acts of extortion. A number of residents were relieved of cash and costly household items in Patooshai village of Bandipore tehsil, this week.

Meanwhile two persons including a policeman have been killed in two separate incidents, while militants clashed with the security forces at various places in the Kashmir valley since last evening.

The bullet-riddled body of a Jammu and Kashmir police constable, identified as Mohammad Ashraf, was found at his native village Noorpora in Pulwama district today.

The cop was reportedly abducted and later shot dead by suspected militants, the spokesman said, adding a hunt had been launched to nab the militants.

In another incident, the body of a 70-year-old person was fished out of the Jhelum near Sopore in Baramula district last night.

Militants also clashed with the security forces at Batmaloo in central Srinagar, Kalaroos and Lalpora-Lolab in Kupwara and Panzath-Warpora in the Qazigund area of Anantnag yesterday. No loss of life was reported in the shootouts.

The police on Thursday claimed to have recovered 30 kg of RDX from a militant hideout in Anantnag district of south Kashmir.

The explosive was hidden by militants in Khayur village probably to set off a series of explosions in south Kashmir, an official spokesman said.

He said the Special Operation Group of the police, acting on specific information, raided the place and unearthed the explosive hidden in a gunny bag last evening.

No one had been arrested yet in this connection, the spokesman said.

Industrial policy flayed
From M.L. Kak
Tribune News Service

JAMMU, March 4 — Noisy scenes were witnessed for a brief period during question hour in the state Assembly here today when members cutting across party lines grilled the government on its defective industrial policy which had resulted in an increase in the number of sick units in the state.

In reply to a question from Mr Sadiq Ali of the National Conference, the Minister for Industries, Mr Bodh Raj Bali, said the government had identified 494 sick units in the state and efforts were being made to revive those units which could be made functional again. He said under the new industrial policy new industrial entrepreneurs would receive several incentives and subsidies for opening the units.

The House witnessed noisy scenes when the minister could not give specific details to the supplementaries asked by Ms Mehbooba Mufti of the Congress, Mr Shiv Charan Gupta of the BJP and Mr M.Y. Tarigami of the CPM regarding the number of sick units revived by the government so far.

On two occasions, the Speaker, Mr Abdul Ahad Vakil, intervened to guide the minister in furnishing the exact details about the revival of sick units. The members said 90 per cent of the units had become defunct. They said a large number of bogus units existed on paper. The owners of such units had gulped subsidies and incentives with the result the genuine entrepreneurs had to suffer.

The Home Minister, Mr Mushtaq Ahmed Lone, informed the House during question hour that challans had been filed in 17 cases regarding smuggling of fake Indian currency notes and printing of fake currency notes within the valley. He said fake currency notes of the value of over Rs 4 lakh had been seized. He said one person had been arrested after a machine which could print fake currency notes had been seized from him. He admitted that militants and their supporters would use these fake currency notes. He told Mr Hans Raj Dogra of the BJP the names of the secessionists and fundamentalists receiving funds through hawala could not be disclosed for security reasons.

The Chief Minister, Dr Farooq Abdullah, said in reply to a question that during the past two years Rs 50 crore had been spent on the conservation of Dal Lake. He said the Dal development project needed several hundreds crores of rupees and without financial support from the Centre and other international agencies the project would not be completed.

Umar Farooq leaves for Haj
Tribune News Service

SRINAGAR, March 4 — Former chairman of the All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC), Moulvi Umar Farooq, was among 45 Haj pilgrims, who left for Delhi today for their onward journey to Jeddah. With these a total of 3,256 pilgrims from Jammu and Kashmir have left to perform Haj this year.

Thousands of persons in the form of a procession gave a warm send off to Umar Farooq, chief of the Awami Action Committee. The police had a tough time in stopping the procession from moving towards the airport. Only Haj pilgrims along with one attendant are allowed to proceed to the airport to avoid rush and for smooth checking and frisking facilities.

Umar Farooq was among about 100 pilgrims whose case was sent to the Centre for verification. Earlier, he had alleged that he was not allowed to proceed for the pilgrimage adding that the Deputy Commissioner, Srinagar, sent him a written message in this regard. Addressing a press conference here on Friday, Umar Farooq had threatened to approach the Supreme Court against the government decision of not allowing him to perform the Haj.

The divisional administration, State Haj Committee, Director, Srinagar airport, Indian Airlines, Customs, Srinagar municipality, State Bank of India, Jammu and Kashmir Bank and several other government departments and voluntary organisations had made elaborate arrangements for the pilgrims for their comfortable departure and journey to the holy destination. The State Road Transport Corporation plied special bus services to take the pilgrims up to the airport.