J A M M U   &   K A S H M I R

Jammu remains sans power
Power Development Department staff on strike
Jammu, October 5
The winter capital today witnessed a day-long power shutdown when the Power Development Department employees went on strike in protest against the attack on the office of the Chief Engineer here yesterday. 

USA using Pak as tool: RSS chief
Jammu, October 5
The RSS chief, Mr C. Sudarshan, has said that India should fight terrorism on its own and not bank on other countries. Mr Sudarshan told a group of newsmen that the American government has sought cooperation from Pakistan only to enable the US administration launch an effective attack on the Taliban.

Srinagar Civil Secretariat under tight security arrangements—a fear of more fidayeen attacks on important government establishments after the attack on the Assembly building. — photo Amin War

Jammu remains sans power
Power Development Department staff on strike
M.L. Kak
Tribune News Service

Jammu, October 5
The winter capital today witnessed a day-long power shutdown when the Power Development Department (PDD) employees went on strike in protest against the attack on the office of the Chief Engineer here yesterday. The office was ransacked and various gadgets were damaged by a group of demonstrators who were enraged over a nine-hour power cut during the day.

The PDD employees switched off power supply to essential services, including the Water Supply Department and hospitals. As a result, the Punjab Health Engineering Department failed to supply drinking water to the people.

A spokesman for the Public Health Engineering said in the absence of power supply the department could not lift water to its reservoirs for supply to the people.

The PDD employees demanded arrest of the attackers. In this connection one person was arrested and police raids were carried out at a number of residential houses and the local BJP office.

The raids evoked a sharp reaction and BJP workers and activists of the BJP’s Youth Wing held demonstrations and burnt the effigies of the Chief Minister, Dr Farooq Abdullah, and the Chief Engineer of the PDD.

“Bijli do yaa kursi chod do”, shouted the BJP protesters. The BJP leaders alleged that party workers were being harassed. They threatened to intensify their agitation against long power cuts. They said “we have a right to protest against the wrong policies of the government.”

A government spokesman said load-shedding had been increased from seven-and-a-half hours to nine hours following a marked drop in the generation of electricity from the local power projects. He said the fall in the power generation was a result of fall in the water level in various rivers, especially the Jehlum which fed three power projects in Kashmir.

He said at present four power projects were generating only 25 to 30 per cent of the installed capacity. He said the northern grid did not supply additional power and the state government had no money to buy more electricity from the northern grid. He stated that against Rs 1,000 crore spent on purchasing power, the government could recover only Rs 3,300 crore as revenue from power tariff per year.

USA using Pak as tool: RSS chief
Tribune News Service

Jammu, October 5
The RSS chief, Mr C. Sudarshan, has said that India should fight terrorism on its own and not bank on other countries.

Mr Sudarshan told a group of newsmen that the American government has sought cooperation from Pakistan only to enable the US administration launch an effective attack on the Taliban. It wanted to use Pakistan as an instrument for demolishing the terrorist bases in Afghanistan.

Mr Sudarshan said that under the international law, no country could attack a neighbour to grab territory. And what Pakistan has been doing for the last several years was violation of international law and India should hit back, he added.

He did not agree with those casting aspersions on the activities of the RSS and VHP. He said that these two organisations had geared up to safeguard the interests of India. “We are determined to protect the sovereignty and solidarity of the country,” he said.

Later, Mr Sudarshan presided over a number of organisational functions in Jammu where he urged the Sangh volunteers to remain vigilant against the enemies who were bent upon destabilising peace in the state.