J A M M U   &   K A S H M I R

Sharma to continue as police chief
till March
Jammu, October 1
The state government is said to have decided to retain Mr Gopal Sharma as Director General Police till March 2007. A couple of police officers of the rank of Additional Director General Police had expected that the cabinet, at a meeting on Saturday, will choose one among them for replacing Mr Sharma.

Boy among three drowned in floods
Jammu, October 1
A teenaged boy was among three persons drowned in flash floods in two separate incidents in Udhampur and Poonch districts of Jammu and Kashmir today, official sources said.

VAT on walnut goes
Srinagar, October 1
A decision, which will fulfil a long-pending demand of fruit growers in Jammu and Kashmir, the Centre’s Empowered Committee on Value Added Taxes has granted tax exemption on walnuts.

Sharma to continue as police chief till March
M.L. Kak

Jammu, October 1
The state government is said to have decided to retain Mr Gopal Sharma as Director General Police till March 2007. A couple of police officers of the rank of Additional Director General Police had expected that the cabinet, at a meeting on Saturday, will choose one among them for replacing Mr Sharma. However, the matter was not discussed at the cabinet meeting and instead Mr Sharma has received a hint that he would continue at least till March next year.

Official sources told this correspondent today that the Union Home Ministry is also in favour of Mr Gopal Sharma’s continuance as police chief. Earlier Mr Sharma, after his empanelment, was being tipped to head the CRPF whose present Director General J.K.Sinha, was to retire soon but both state government and the Union Home Ministry have found in Mr Gopal Sharma the most non-controversial police officer.

Mr Gopal Sharma was appointed as the DG Police soon after the PDP headed coalition government was formed on November 2, 2002. The dice was cast in his favour because he had the reputation of being a police officer with a human face. That was the reason he was elevated to the DG rank after superseding five officer, Mr Rajinder Tikoo, Mr Anjan Ghosh, Mr M.K.Mohanty,  Mr A.C Chaturvedi and Mr Rajan Bakshi. Mr Chaturvedi has already attained superannuation and the four others hold the rank of DG.

Official sources said that the union Home secretary, Mr V.K. Duggal, is satisfied with professional competence of Mr Gopal Sharma and he is said to have ignored recommendations from a VIP quarter for the elevation of one ADGP to replace Mr Gopal Sharma. According to these sources, the state government will watch the performance of Mr Sharma for another six months and in case it had no complaint against him he might be asked to continue even beyond March.

Boy among three drowned in floods

Jammu, October 1
A teenaged boy was among three persons drowned in flash floods in two separate incidents in Udhampur and Poonch districts of Jammu and Kashmir today, official sources said.

Mahesh Kumar and Jamaldin were swept away by flash floods while fishing in a local river in the Nambla area in Reasi tehsil in Udhampur district this afternoon, they said.

A search operation has been launched to recover the bodies.

In another incident, teenager Sarfarz Husain was drowned after being washed away by flash floods in the Nandi river in Poonch district today, they said, adding that the body had not yet been recovered. — PTI

VAT on walnut goes

Srinagar, October 1
A decision, which will fulfil a long-pending demand of fruit growers in Jammu and Kashmir, the Centre’s Empowered Committee on Value Added Taxes (VAT) has granted tax exemption on walnuts.

A statement by the Finance, Planning, Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister of the state, Mr Tariq Hameed Karra, said the decision was conveyed to him yesterday.
— UNI