3 militants, 3 jawans killed in encounter

JAMMU, March 11 (PTI) — Three soldiers and an equal number of militants killed in an encounter in Rajouri district, official sources said today.

The Army launched an operation in the Narsinghpora-Baljaralan area of Rajouri district yesterday on specific information about the presence of militants there, the sources said.

As the troops neared the militants’ hideout, they came under heavy fire. In the exchange, three militants of the Lashkar-e-Toiba and three soldiers were killed and two jawans and a civilian injured, they said.

The encounter was still on till last reports came in, the sources said, adding further details were awaited.

Some arms and ammunition, including three automatic rifles, were seized from the site, they said.

SRINAGAR: Militants gunned down a released militant and clashed with the security forces in separate incidents, while a militant was arrested and four hideouts were smashed by the security forces in Kashmir.

An official spokesman said unidentified gunmen shot dead a released militant, Mohammad Aslam Lone, at Haritar-Pul in Baramula district of north Kashmir last evening.

Lone had given up violence after his release from jail, he said, adding the motive behind his killing was not known.

He said militants clashed with a security search party at Akingam village in Anantnag district of south Kashmir last night. However, no casualty was reported.

A militant belonging to "Jamait-ul Mujahideen outfit surrendered and handed over an AK assault rifle, four magazines and 20 rounds of ammunition, he said.

He said the security forces arrested a militant along with an AK assault rifle, its two magazines and 30 rounds from Arampora in Sopore area of Baramula district yesterday.

Wordy duels, walkouts in J & K House
Tribune News Service

JAMMU, March 11 — A spate of walkouts by the opposition, noisy scenes in which several members exchanged hot words, were witnessed in the state Assembly here today. A major row between the Treasury Benches and the Opposition stalled the proceedings for 15 minutes when the Rural Development Minister, Mr Abdul Rahim Rather, moved demands for grants for three departments for the year 1999-2000.

Members belonging to the BJP, the Congress, the Panthers Party, the BSP and the Janata Dal were seen on their feet protesting against the clubbing of demands for grants of three separate ministries. Shouting "it is a mockery of the democracy" Opposition members staged a walkout.

As they re-entered the House they were again on their feet trying to disrupt the proceedings while demanding that the demands for Agriculture, Animal Husbandry and Rural Development be moved separately.

The Deputy Speaker, Mr Ghulam Haider, who was in the Chair, said during the Business Advisory Committee's meeting in which leaders of the Opposition groups were also present it had been decided to club the demands of inter-related ministries to save time. Congress member, Mr Ashok Sharma, contested the assertion of the Deputy Speaker and said it had been decided that two sittings be held to cover the demands of each ministry.

Mr Harsh Dev Singh of the Panthers Party raised loud protests against the way one minister had been assigned the task of moving the demands for three ministries when other ministers were present in the House. Here were noisy scenes and despite Deputy Speaker's advice to the members to maintain the decorum of the House all Opposition members remained on their feet pressing for the presentation of the demands of each ministry separately so that the Opposition had adequate time to discuss them in details.

When members tried to prevent the Rural Development Minister, Mr Rather to present the government viewpoint the House witnessed added confusion. At this juncture the Speaker, Mr Abdul Ahad Vakil, entered the House to supervise the proceedings. The moment he sat in the Chair Mr Ashok Sharma protested and alleged that the Deputy Speaker had ordered the snapping of mike connections. The Deputy Speaker denied the allegations and this led to the exchange of hot words between him and the Congress member.

The Speaker chided the members for trying to violate the decorum of the House. He said in case the members wanted more time for discussion on the demands for grants it would be considered. He asked Mr Rather take clarify the government's stand on the clubbing of the demand for grants of three ministries. Mr Rather said these three departments were inter-linked and the Finance Minister had under Rule 221 of the Rules of Procedure had clubbed the demands of three departments. He informed the members that in case they wanted reply to their queries from the ministers concerned it could be given.

Sheikh Abdul Rehman of the BSP said the situation did not warrant the application of Rule 221 of the Rules of procedure. He said the Opposition needed time to discuss the demands and expressed shock over what type of democracy being promoted in the House by the government. It was under persistent pleadings from the Speaker that Mr Rather was allowed to move the demands.

Earlier, during question hour several Opposition members, including those belonging to the BJP, the Congress and the Panthers Party staged a walkout in protest against what they called unsatisfactory reply from the Minister for Revenue. Mr Alid Mohd. Naik. During question hour another walkout was staged by three Opposition members.

These walkouts were staged in protest against government's meagre relief to those farmers who could not carry out farming operations in the border areas because of Pak firing in the past two years. The second protest was registered by the Opposition in protest against the refusal of the government to increase the quantity of ration in the rural and kandi areas where people were not able to cultivate crops.

The Minister for Revenue, Mr Ali Mohd. Naik, informed the House that in the past two years some farmers were not able to till their fields in villages on this side of the Line of Actual Control and international border. He said the rate of ex-gratia relief to next of kin of those killed as a result of Pak firing had been raised to Rs 1.25 lakh. Those permanently disabled in firing received Rs 75,000, those partially disabled Rs 5,000, injured Rs 1,000 and those with minor injuries received Rs 500.

He said 15,137 affected had been provided ration free of cost at the rate of 5 kg per head per month for a period of six months. And each family got Rs 600 per month for purchasing fodder for the cattle.

When the members expressed dissatisfaction over the quantum of relief the Chief Minister, Dr Farooq Abdullah, intervened to inform the House that his government was aware of the problem. He said he had taken up the matter with the Government of India and a series of meetings between the sector commanders had been held to defuse the situation. He said it was after several years that the state government could help cultivate on 40,000 kanal of land in border villages with the help of the BSF and the Army.

The Opposition members wanted better security cover for the border people and compensation for those whose land had been on the other side of the fence.

Mr Mushtaq Ahmed Lone, Minister of State for Home, said two special police officers, Nazir Ahmed and Ghulam Mohd, had been arrested and three constables had been placed under suspension on the charge of dereliction of duty which led to the killing of five police officials at Chogal police picket in the Handwara area on February 26.

In reply to a call attention motion tabled by three NC members, Mr Sadiq Ali, Mir Saifullah, and Mr Khalid Najeeb Soharwardhy, the minister said militants had attacked the police post and kidnapped four special police officers and two constables.

Plan to tap Patnitop’s potential

UDHAMPUR: Patnitop, located at the highest point (6400 ft.) on the Jammu-Srinagar national highway, nearly 50 km from here, is a beautiful and developed tourist spot, second to none in its natural charm, salubrious climate, pine forests and lush green deodar forests. The state government has raised adequate tourism infrastructure, including dak bungalows, huts, hotels, clubs, roads and parks for the tourists visiting the spot. Occupancy of huts and dak bungalows is high, particularly during summer months. During summer, Vaishno Devi pilgrims too come here in large numbers.

To give a fillip to the development activities at Patnitop and its adjoining places of tourists potential like Kud, Sanasar, Sudhmahadev and Mantalai, the Patnitop Development Authority has drawn up an ambitious plan. Under the plan, a number of development projects have been taken up. These include augmentation of water supply at Patnitop, construction of 12-km-long Patnitop Gouri Kund road, completion of tourist circuit, Jammu, Katra, Vaishnodevi, Kud, Sanasar, Patnitop, Gourikund, Sudhmahadev and Mantalai extending upto Latti Dhuna, Jakhed, Dudu and Basantgarh. Construction work on the Mall Road at Kud is also proposed to be taken up. The Patnitop Sanasar road is being up graded and improved.The trekking route from Kud to Patnitop has already been completed. After implementation of the Patnitop master plan, the area will receive major thrust in tourism development.

Although Patnitop has emerged a well developed tourist spot of Jammu division, it still lacks board and lodging facilities for the common man. The charges of huts, dak bungalows and hotels are beyond the reach of the common man. It is imperative that some low-cost infrastructure facilities like dormitories and cheap hotels should be provided for tourists.

The development of Patnitop under the master plan is presently being looked after by the Jammu tourism authorities. Besides this, booking of huts and dak bungalows is also being managed by them even, though there is a full-fledged tourist office headed by a tourist officer at Udhampur district headquarters. This creates inconvenience, particularly for Vaishno Devi pilgrims, who have to go to Jammu for booking of huts and other rented accommodation at Patnitop.

The district-level tourism office has been functioning at Udhampur since July, 1997, but it is disgusting that the tourist office has not been vested with financial and administrative powers. It is even not vested with the power for booking huts at Patnitop.

Meanwhile, a Yatra registration counter for Amar Nath yatris is also run from Jammu during yatra period and the people from Udhampur district and outsiders face a lot of problems. During the Amar Nath yatra of 1998, the Jammu authorities established a yatra counter at Udhampur, but it functioned temporarily.

To tap the available tourism potential in Udhampur district and gear up development activities at Patnitop, it is essential that the Udhampur tourism office is properly strengthened and delegated with financial and administrative powers apart from opening a permanent Amar Nath yatra counter.

Central funds: J&K denies mismanagement
Tribune News Service

JAMMU, March 11 — Reacting to the Centre's charge that the current financial crisis in Jammu and Kashmir was the result of state government's financial mismanagement and reckless spending on non-productive works a spokesman for the government said here today that the Centre had given assistance but its failure to fulfil its commitments had created problems for us.

He said the state government was entitled under a constitutional provision to statutory devolutions, including the share of taxes and other grants. It was also entitled to plan assistance and funds under the centrally sponsored schemes. As such there was nothing special about the Centre's claim that adequate funds had been released in favour of Jammu and Kashmir.

The spokesman said the state government had never stated that no funds had flowed from the Centre to the state. The main contention of the state government was that the Centre did not fulfil its commitment to cover fully the non-Plan deficit with the result the gap of Rs 710 crore had been left uncovered in 1998-99.

He said the Centre had assured that the matter regarding the clearing of bank overdraft of Rs 900 crore in a phased manner would be examined by it. But no action was taken with the result the state's meagre resources did not allow it to repay the overdraft.

He said the Planning Commission had indicated that the Plan for 1998-99 would be Rs 1900 crore and in addition to other items Rs 262 crore would be provided by joint efforts of the Centre and the state government. This was kept intact up to December 1998 when the state was asked to reduce its Plan from Rs 1900 crore to Rs 1750 crore. He said there was no question of financial mismanagement and the implementation of the Fifth Pay Commission report had burdened the state by Rs 510 crore.

Currency racket busted, 2 held

SRINAGAR, March 11 (PTI) — The BSF has smashed a fake currency racket in downtown Srinagar with the arrest of two persons along with equipment used for printing counterfeit currency notes.

A BSF party conducted raids in the Lal Bazaar and Karan Nagar areas of the city late last night and arrested two persons, including the alleged mastermind, and seized fake currency worth over Rs 20,000 and the equipment, Deputy Inspector-General of the BSF R.N. Sharma said today.

The BSF party first picked up Sajjad Ahmad Bhat from Umar colony in Lal Bazaar and seized 43 fake currency notes of the Rs 500 denomination from his possession.

Later, Bhat led the BSF men to the mastermind behind the racket, Sameer Ahmad Qureshi, from whose possession a computer, scanner, keyboard, mouse, floppies and a CD were recovered.

Troops also recovered 52 sheets containing prints of Rs 50 and Rs 100 from Qureshi’s hideout.