Wednesday, July 31, 2002, Chandigarh, India
 Updated at 3:00 am (IST)

4-phase poll likely in J&K
More paramilitary forces soon
New Delhi, July 30
Elections in Jammu and Kashmir are likely to be conducted in four phases and the Centre will deploy only paramilitary forces instead of the Army in the state as the elections are going to be watched keenly by the international community. The four phases are likely to be spread over September-October.

    J&K page: NC on weak wicket, Mufti making inroads

Srinagar, July 30 In the first major strike on Amarnath pilgrims, militants today blasted a vehicle carrying a group of yatris from Uttar Pradesh, killing a yatri and a driver and injuring four in South Kashmir.
A policeman guards a group of sadhus on a pilgrimage in Jammu on Tuesday. Despite fears of militant attacks, some 100,000 devotees are pouring in for the annual pilgrimage to the icy mountain cave in Kashmir. — Reuters photo

PM, Advani face Mamata’s ire
Kolkata, July 30
A day ahead of the Trinamool Congress working committee meeting here to decide its relationship with the NDA following the Union Cabinet’s rejection of her demand for revoking the bifurcation of Eastern Railway, party chief Mamata Banerjee today rejected a Cabinet berth and made a veiled attack on Deputy Prime Minister L.K. Advani.

       Rail row: walkout by Trinamool
       Graphic: Seven new railway zones

Drought: Centre sets up task force
New Delhi, July 30
Describing as ‘serious’ the prevailing drought conditions in the country, Finance Minister Jaswant Singh today announced setting up of a special task force by Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee under the chairmanship of Deputy Prime Minister L.K. Advani to carry out relief work in the affected states on a war footing.

   Nation page:  MSP for sugarcane up

Pervez’s regret not enough: B’desh Oppn
Dhaka, July 30
Visiting Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf in his note in the visitor’s book at the Mausoleum of the Martyrs of 1971 liberation war at Savar, 30 km from here expressed “regrets” for “excesses committed during the unfortunate period”.

Osama alive, in Pak: George
London, July 30
Indian Defence Minister George Fernandes has said that “unimpeachable sources” had told him that Osama bin Laden, chief suspect of the September 11 attacks in the USA, was still alive. 

Allow 8-hr sleep to Langah: court
Counsel permitted to meet him twice daily

Kharar, July 30 Mr Roshan Lal Chouhan, Judicial Magistrate, Kharar, today extended the police remand of Sucha Singh Langah, a former Minister for Public Works, Punjab, till August 1 and ordered that he should be produced before the court at 2 p.m. on that day.

Policemen have a tough time controlling the crowd outside the Kharar Judicial Courts Complex at the time of the appearance of former Public Works Minister Sucha Singh Langah in court on Tuesday. — Tribune photo Manoj Mahajan

   Punjab page: Langah’s ‘torture’: CM hits out at Badal

Missing school students traced
Ropar, July 30
All 35 students of Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya situated at Sandhuan village near Chamkaur Sahib, who fled from here yesterday, were traced at 7 p.m. today.

   Editorial: A glaring failure

Selling tractors to make both ends meet Jatana Kalan (Mansa), July 30 Even as moneylenders have hiked the rate of interest on loans, farmers have started devising ways to generate cash to make both ends meet. Tractor bazaars are being set up following huge losses.