8 Hizbul men shot in encounter

1,500 stranded on Srinagar highway

Pandemonium in J&K Assembly
Tribune News Service

JAMMU, March 8 — Amid breezy pandemonium in the Assembly here today in protest against the Budget proposal providing for hike in taxes three members, Mr Ashok Sharma, Congress, Mr Jagdish Raj Dubey, Janata Dal and Mr Lal Singh, Congress, resorted to slogan-shouting and demonstration in the well of the House.

As Mr Ashok Sharma was more articulate in condemning the Budget proposals the Speaker, Mr Abdul Ahad Vapil, directed the members not to violate the norms and discipline of the House. When his warning was not heeded to by the members the Speaker ordered the Marshal to lift Mr Ashok Sharma out of the House. The watch and ward officials were seen carrying Mr Sharma out of the House. Mr Jagdish Raj Dubey and Mr Lal Singh also joined Mr Sharma in staging a walkout from the House.

Soon after question hour Mr Sharma, Mr Lal Singh and Mr Dubey were seen on their feet protesting against what they called "anti-people" Budget proposals. Four BJP members who were present in the House also were on their feet demanding the withdrawal of the tax proposals. The leader of the BJP Legislature Party, Mr Shiv Charan Gupta, was seen advising his party members to be seated.

And when Mr Ashok Sharma marched to the well along with Mr Dubey and Mr Singh BJP members did not support them. Mr Vakil said he expected members to behave and anyone trying to disrupt the business of the House would be penalised. At this juncture, Mr Ali Mohd Naik, Revenue Minister, said every member had a right to speak in favour or against the Budget proposals but nobody should create scenes in the House.

Participating in the discussion on the Budget the CPM member Mr M.Y. Tarigami, said the Centre had to be blamed for the hard Budget the Finance Minister, Mr Mohd. Shafi, had to present in the House. He said people had expected some relief in the Budget proposals but the heavy dose of new taxes would cause further hardships to the people whose lives had been rendered miserable owing to 10-year-long insurgency in the state.

Mr Tarigami said the heavy dose of taxes would thwart the political process which the National Conference government had initiated over two years ago. He wanted to know why the National Conference continued to support the BJP-led government at the centre when the state had received a stepmotherly treatment from the Centre? He felt intrigued over the way the Centre had sanctioned economic package for Punjab and Assam but nothing had been done to rebuild the economy of Jammu and Kashmir. He warned the Centre that in case it failed to bail out the state government from the existing financial crisis it would result in alienation of people.

The National Conference member, Mr G.M. Bawan, said the Finance Minister had no other alternative but to present a hard Budget. He said the critics of the government had given a new twist to the Budget proposals. He explained that new taxes proposed to be imposed were to yield only Rs 150 crore and the remaining Rs 400 crore were to be added to the state exchequer from 10 per cent cut in government expenses saving Rs 100 crore and from cess on power generation which had no direct impact on the people of the state.

Mr Bawan wanted the Centre to waive the loan given to the state in the past 50 years as servicing of this loan would cost the state exchequer Rs 600 crore per year. He said the Centre had helped several state governments to install major projects for power generation but the state of Jammu and Kashmir, which had the potential of generating 15,000 MW of electricity, was not given any help to tap power resources.

Mr Shiv Charan Gupta of the BJP said common people would be hit by increase in sales tax on kerosene, diesel, and other consumer items. He said prices would shoot up and the government had not spared anyone. It was unfortunate that even Class III employees would have to pay professional tax, he added.

Mr Gupta said had the government forced people to clear the arrears as far as sales tax and power tariff were concerned it would not have to resort to the imposition of heavy taxes.

The Chief Minister, Dr Farooq Abdullah, informed the House that measures would be taken shortly to remove the shortage of teachers in the state. He said the state government had followed the pattern adopted by other states as far as emoluments of men of the Home Guards were concerned.

The issue of demonstration and hunger strike launched by jawans of the Home Guards was raised by Sheikh Abdul Rehman of the BSP. The Chief Minister said the government had no funds and it would stick to the norm of paying wages for 13 days out of one month to the Home Guards.

Militancy, migrations figure in council
From Our Correspondent

JAMMU, March 8 — The spurt in the militancy-related incidents in the Jammu region, apprehension of large-scale migrations from the mountainous areas of Jammu, large-scale corruption in the state and matters of other public interests like the availability of civic amenities to the people, the supply of power and water etc, dominated the proceedings in the state Legislative Council here today.

The entire House protested strongly when the Minister for School Education, Mr Mohammad Sharief Tariq, during a call attention motion, said during the massacres, not only Hindus but Muslims were also killed by the militants. Giving details, he said 25 Hindus were killed in the massacres while 85 Muslims were also shot by the militants.

The matter regarding the reported threat of mass migration of inhabitants of Baljaralla, Kher Bani villages of Rajouri districts and Arnas village of Udhampur district who are fearing more attacks by the militants, was raised by Gulchain Singh Charak.

The minister's reply, however, evoked criticism from the members of the House, including the BJP state unit chief, Daya Krishan Kotwal, who said the NC minister was trying to give a communal colour to the killings. He also criticised the government for not taking adequate steps to prevent the killings despite the fact that they had information about some possible strikes.

During question hour, G.N. Shaheen alleged bungling in the purchase of transformers by the Power Development Department in the Kashmir valley during 1998. He said most of the transformers purchased by the PDD, were out of order.

Replying to the question, the minister in charge for Power, Mr Abdul Rashid, said out of 53 transformers purchased by the PDD, none was reported to be lying out of order.

Mr Shaheen, however, came out with the data and said the transformer at Nujganda, just 12 km from Srinagar city was out of order. He said there were many such other transformers which were not functional and unfortunately, the government had no information regarding this.

The other members, including the BJP state chief Daya Krishan Kotwal, Bhushan Lal Bhat and militant-turned-legislator Javed Shah alleged that the transformers bought were substandard and involved huge amount of money. "There is no check on the corruption in the PDD which is also evident from the fact that on the name of maintenance expenditure, some overused wires and material is being used, "they alleged.

Regarding the non-availability of goods in the Ladakh region due to closure of the Zojila Pass, causing great hardships to the people, the Minister for Food and Supplies, Mr Ajay Sadotra said before the official closure of the Zojila Pass on October 30, full requirement of essential commodities were despatched to the two districts of Leh and Kargil." Infact, some stocks of flour in the Kargil which were gutted due to shelling from across the border, were replenished by despatching 800 mt of flour in addition to the annual requirement.

The Parliamentary Secretary, Mr Ram Paul, while replying to a question regarding the upgradation of municipalities to corporation, informed the House that the government would soon introduce a Bill regarding this. Responding to the supplementaries, he said the sanitary condition in Jammu city had witnessed much improvement in the past three months and steps had been taken to further improve the civic conditions in the city. Denying the accusations that there were heaps of garbage on the road, he said not only 350 truck load of garbage was removed from different parts of the city but new schemes of door-to-door garbage collections had also been introduced in some pockets of the city. The strength of municipality was 1054 in 1984 which needs to be increased as there has been a manifold increase in the population.

The minister in charge Tourism, Mr T. Nangyal informed the House the state government was contemplating to prepare a 20-year perspective plan for the planned development to tourism. As part of the proposed Plan, he said the government wanted to conduct a feasibility study of all potential tourist spots so that these could be developed in a phased manner subject to the availability of required funds.

Earlier, during zero hour, the state government came in for sharp criticism from a legislator G.S. Charak as there was only one National Conference minister present in the House. "If the practice to be that only one minister will be present in the House, there is no need at all to hold the proceedings," said Mr Charak.

Ultras smile at CM’s discomfiture
Tribune News Service

JAMMU, March 8 — Separatists, especially the All-Party Hurriyat Conference, are making the most of the circumstances that have forced the state government to propose enhancement of taxes.

They appear happy over the sharp reaction of different sections of people against the Budget proposals. It was for the first time that the Hurriyat leaders did not give a call for a Kashmir bandh in protest against the hike in taxes when they are known to have given bandh calls even on trifle issues.

Going by the analogy that any loss of reputation of the government would be a gain for the separatists, several National Conference leaders feel intrigued over the Central Government's stand vis-a-vis Kashmir. Their hopes of receiving full financial support from the Centre have been belied. The state has been given a "raw deal". Punjab, they argue, received a major economic package when the Centre waived the entire central loan. Assam has been given a 10-year tax holiday. Against this, it has refused to waive the Rs 1275 crore loan to Kashmir.

The Hurriyat leaders anticipate a "storm protest" by the people against the government on economic issues. A Hurriyat leader said the uprising may not be of a political nature, but "our opponents will be in difficulty, which is a pleasure to us."

Several National Conference leaders say the Centre may be trying to either aggravate the security situation to facilitate imposition of Governor’s rule or create conditions in which the National Conference party would lose its shine.

BJP not to blame for J&K fiscal crisis
From Our Correspondent

JAMMU, March 8 — The Bharatiya Janata Party national vice-president Mr K.L. Sharma, has said that the BJP-led coalition government was not responsible for the present financial crisis in the state.

The BJP leader who was on a three-day visit to the mountainous areas of Jammu region which witnessed killings on February 19 last month, said the National Conference leaders were not right in their saying that the Centre was responsible for the present fiscal position in the state as it did not do anything to bail them out of the financial crisis.

Speaking to reporters late last evening soon after his arrival from visiting of killings site at Rajouri, Mr K.L. Sharma said the security situation in the Rajouri district was not quite good and it seemed there was a pressure on people by militants. Making his assessment about the whole situation in the border district, he said there were apprehensions about a large scale migration from that area in the near future.

Despite the pressure mounted on them by militants, the people in these areas have shown great determination in fighting militancy, said Mr Sharma adding if proper and adequate weapons were given to them along with due support, they would be able to fight militancy very effectively.

The BJP leader, while suggesting a three-pronged strategy to tackle militancy said more adequate deployment should be made in the sensitive areas, the police should be made more accountable and answerable in case such killings occur and the Village Defence Committees should be strengthened.

"As we feel that the matter of such a sensitive nature should not be left entirely with the state government, a joint action plan should be framed under which, both the Centre and state governments should work together, "said he adding that this joint action plan to tackle militancy in the region should be monitored by the Centre.

Stressing the need to strengthen the VDCs, he said the committee members should be provided adequate weapons, proper training, wireless sets and Rs 1000 as an honorarium per member. In Rajouri district alone, there are only 30 VDCs which are not sufficient for the whole district, he informed.

Criticising the state government for having failed in providing security to the people living in these areas and not preventing these massacres, he said despite having specific information about militants' plan to present some "gift" to Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee before riding the bus to Lahore, no steps were taken to prevent these. Even the Chief Minister of the state did not go to these people on the day of the killings when they needed the words of sympathy most.

When asked whether it was not also a failure on the part of central government, he replied the problem of militancy was deep-rooted in the state but the Centre government was trying its best to curb it. "The things have improved for better in whole of the state since we assumed power and we are working in the direction to stamp out militancy from the whole state", he said.

Mr Sharma, who visited the region on the instructions of party president Mr Kushabhau Thakre, said he would submit a detailed report on the situation in this region to the party president.

8 Hizbul men shot in encounter

SRINAGAR, March 8 (PTI) — Six persons including five militants belonging to the Hizbul Mujahideen, had been killed in separate incidents, while the security forces unearthed an arms dump in Jammu and Kashmir since last evening.

An Army jawan was killed when a patrol was ambushed by militants at Wagmoona in the Tangmarg area of Baramula district last night, an official spokesman said.

Four Hizbul militants were killed by army troops in an encounter at Nasu in the Bandipora area of the same district in north Kashmir last night, he said.

Those killed were identified as Khurshid Ahmad Lone, alias Bilal, self-styled battalion commander, Jalaldin Dar, self-styled company commander, Mohammad Aslam Mir and a suspected foreign national, the spokesman said, adding four AK assault rifles, a wireless set, 5 kg of explosives and eight grenades were recovered from the encounter site.

Ilyas Kashmir a hardcore militant was shot dead by the security forces in an encounter in the Noulrian-Chingas area of Rajouri district in Jammu yesterday.

An AK assault rifle and a programmed time device were seized, the spokesman added.

He said the security forces unearthed an arms dump during search operations in the Pandadoos forest area of Kupwara district and seized a rocket launcher, 27 rockets and 16 boosters.

The security forces also recovered a pistol, two bayonets, six rifle grenades and two dynamos from separate militant hideouts at Mangakote in Rajouri and Kutran in Kupwara, yesterday, the spokesman added.

JAMMU (FOC) — Three hardcore militants were gunned down by the Army in an encounter in Kalakote sector of Rajouri district today. They were killed under "seek and destroy," operation launched by the Army.

The encounter lasted for nine hours. The killed militants believed to be all Hizbul activists.

1,500 stranded on Srinagar highway

SRINAGAR, March 8 (PTI) — Over 1,500 passengers remained stranded on the 300-km-long Srinagar-Jammu national highway for the second successive day today as landslides continued to hamper the road clearance operation.

Over 1,500 passengers in several vehicles are held up at Digdole on the highway as heavy rain continued to lash many parts of the Kashmir valley, official sources said.