Anti-Budget stir hits life
Tribune News Service

SRINAGAR, March 22 — Life was paralysed throughout the valley today in response to a call by traders' organisations in protest against the heavy budgetary proposals targeted at mobilising Rs 565 crore in the next financial year in Jammu and Kashmir.

Over 10 activists of traders and other associations were held by the police in Baramula in the morning. They had held a procession against the Budget proposals seeking the withdrawal of the additional burden of taxes. The forum was constituted by the traders, transporters and the Bar Association in Baramula, one of the district headquarters in north Kashmir.

All shops and business establishments, educational institutions and banks remained closed. There was no transport on the roads. However, skeletal private transport plied in some parts of the Civil Lines here. Normal life was also paralysed in other major towns of the valley, including Anantnag, Baramula, Sopore, Pulwama and Kupwara. Inter-district transport was off the roads and there was thin attendance in government offices.

The divisional administration had made adequate arrangements of transport. This was to facilitate the attendance of employees in the state government offices. The Divisional Commissioner, had warned the employees against disciplinary action in case of absence from duties.

This was for the second time that Kashmir observed a total bandh against budgetary proposals this month. A two-day strike was observed early this month on a call of various trade and transport organisations and the Bar Association.

Pahari-speaking peoples' status
Centre rejects J&K demand
Tribune News Service

JAMMU, March 22 — The Chief Minister, Dr Farooq Abdullah, today announced in the state assembly that the Centre had not agreed to the state's request for including Pahari-speaking people in the list of the Scheduled Tribes.

Replying to a call attention motion tabled by Syed Mushtaq Bukhari (NC) the Chief Minister said the Centre had suggested to the state government that it could extend whatever facilities, it wanted, to the Pahari-speaking people through reservations to residents of the areas adjoining the Line of Actual Control by extending the terms of reference of the board for the development of Pahari-speaking people. The Centre, he added, had informed the state government that it was not necessary that the Pahari-speaking people should be declared as a Scheduled Tribe for their socio-economic uplift.

The Chief Minister said the matter would be reviewed during the next meeting of the Cabinet and the decision would be conveyed to the assembly. He said the government had constituted a Commission for the backward classes to examine the requests for the inclusion of any class of citizens as a backward class.

In reply to another call attention motion moved by the CPM member, Mr M.Y. Tarigami the Chief Minister denied the allegation that the list of selected candidates for the Kashmir Administrative Services (KAS) had been finalised in gross violation of the rules and procedure and smacked of "favouritism".

Dr Abdullah said the public service commission had observed all rules and norms for selecting candidates for the KAS and Junior KAS and other services. He said that under the junior KAS category three posts had to be filled in the open category and one each post from SC, ST and the backward area category. Similarly in other services 146 posts were being filled through open competition 21 posts from SC 26 posts from ST, 52 posts from the backward area and eight posts from the Line of Actual Control.

During question hour members belonging to the BJP, the Congress, the BSP and the Panthers Party alleged that the government had not enrolled all those who were below the poverty line. Mr Ajay Sadhotra, Minister for Food Supplies, informed the House that over 27 lakh persons had been covered under the below poverty line category and green cards had been issued in their favour.

Mr Bali Bhagat of the BJP and Mr Harsh Dev Singh of the Panthers Party raised a series of objections pleading with the Speaker that the information given by the minister was incorrect as a large number of people had not been issued green cards.

The Speaker, Mr Abul Ahad Vakil, suggested to the minister to circulate among the members of the assembly details regarding the families given green cards.

During question hour the Revenue Minister, Mr Ali Mohd. Naik informed the House that the government was keen to see Kashmiri migrants return to the valley as early as possible. He said the government had set up a committee, headed by Mr M.L. Kaul, Additional Chief Secretary Planning, and the government had discussed with the Centre the interim report of the Kaul committee.

He said since the Centre had not yet responded to the release of Rs 2800 crore which were required for the resettlement of the migrants the matter could not be carried to its logical conclusion.

The question had been tabled by Mr M.Y. Tarigami CPM and Mr Hans Raj Dogra (BJP), Mr Naik said in the meantime an inventory of the land and houses owned by the migrants had been prepared and Deputy Commissioners of each district had been appointed as custodians of the immovable assets left behind in the valley by the migrants.

Mr Harsh Dev Singh (PP) wanted to know as to why migrants from Doda, Poonch and Rajouri were not being provided relief on the pattern of the assistance given to Kashmiri migrants. The Revenue Minister said over three lakh persons had migrated from Kashmir in one go and they had to be provided with relief and ration. He also ruled out the possibility of sanctioning relief and ration in favour of small groups of migrants from the hilly region of Jammu.

The Chief Minister while intervening during question hour said the government would discuss with the association of private educational institutions the issue of fee hike and meagre salary given to the teachers. He said the government would be able to put pressure on private schools which receives aid from the government and might start negotiations with unaided schools so that teachers were given stipulated monthly salary.

3 militants among 5 killed in valley
Tribune News Service

JAMMU, March 22 — Two militants and one BSF personnel were killed and three others were wounded in an encounter between the insurgents and the security forces in Dalwa village in Mohar Tehsil of Udhampur district today.

A BSF spokesman said that the security forces launched an operation on receiving information that militants had taken shelter in a house. As some BSF personnel assisted by the police reached near the hideout they were greeted by gunfire by the militants. The BSF troops returned the fire and two militants were killed on the spot.

Two BSF officials and one police constable were wounded. Head constable, Sohan Lal of the BSF later succumbed to his injuries.

Reports said that additional BSF forces have been rushed to the area to hunt for militants who may have escaped from the area. 

SRINAGAR (PTI): Two persons, including a militant were killed in militancy-affected Jammu and Kashmir since Sunday evening, an official spokesman said here on Monday.

He said one security jawan and a militant were killed in Rajouri district of the Jammu region on Monday when the security forces laid a seize to flush out militants from Azmatbad village in this district.

The operation was still going on when reports last came in, the spokesman said, adding two security force personnel were also injured in the encounter.

Militants shot and wounded two special police officers (SPO) in Mehndar in nearby Poonch district on Sunday night, the spokesman said.

Another SPO was injured in Baramula of North Kashmir after militants forced their entry into his house on Sunday night, he said.

An Army jawan sustained bullet injuries when militants ambushed a search party in the frontier district Kupwara of North Kashmir, he said, adding two girls were also shot and injured by militants during the period.

An improvised explosive device (IED) was defused in South Kashmir, the spokesman said, adding the IED was kept at a passenger bus shed in Khanbal.

He said a militant surrendered to the police in Banihal on Jammu and Kashmir national highway.

Elsewhere, search parties seized arms and ammunition including rockets with boosters and three disposable rocket launchers in the state.

Bhim Singh re-elected

JAMMU, March 22 (PTI) — Mr Bhim Singh was re-elected national president of the Jammu and Kashmir National Panthers Party (JKNPP) at a Working Committee meeting of the party here yesterday.

His candidature was proposed by interim president Sardar Mushtaq Khan and seconded by Mr Harshdev Singh, a party MLA in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly.