News Analysis India

Tag: Jammu and Kashmir

  • BSF detects underground tunnel at IB in J-K’s Kathua, second within 10 days

    By PTI
    JAMMU: The Border Security Force (BSF) on Saturday detected another underground tunnel, constructed by Pakistan at the International Border (IB) to facilitate infiltration of terrorists into Jammu and Kashmir, in Kathua district during the past 10 days, a spokesperson of the border guarding force said.

    The secret tunnel was detected during an anti-tunnelling operation in the border outpost Pansar area of Hiranagar sector, he said.

    This is the second underground tunnel detected by BSF personnel in Hiranagar sector during the past 10 days, fourth in the past six months along the IB in Samba and Kathua districts and 10th in the past decade.

    On January 13, a 150-metre-long tunnel was detected in Bobiyaan village in the same sector.

    A BSF officer said the latest tunnel is believed to be 150-metre-long originating from the Pakistan side with a depth of about 30 feet and three feet diameter.

    The whole area has been cordoned off and further details are awaited, he said.

  • Industrial growth gets push in J&K as govt clears new land allotment policy

    Express News Service
    SRINAGAR:  In a significant move, the Jammu and Kashmir government has approved an Industrial Land Allotment policy which will create a structured industrial land bank. Under the policy, land will be leased to investors within 30-45 days for a period of 40 years, which can be extended to up to 99 years. 

    The Administrative Council (AC), which met in Jammu on Friday under the chairmanship of Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, approved the adoption of J&K Industrial Land Allotment Policy 2021-30 for promoting equitable industrial growth, an official spokesman said. The new policy, he said, attempts to address various landrelated issues impeding industrial development in J&K.

    The policy provides for the constitution of divisional level project appraisal and evaluation committees to scrutinise applications received for allotment of land within 30 days. “Apex level, high level and divisional level land allotment committees will decide and allot industrial land to the applicants within 45 days in cases of projects worth Rs 200 crore, Rs 50- 200 crore and up to Rs 50 crore, respectively,” the spokesman said. 

    However, the allotment can be cancelled in case of failure of the investor to take effective steps within the stipulated time of two years, failure of the industrial unit to come into production within three years, violation of provisions under the lease deed, and non-cooperation of an enterprise for a period of five years. The government has already transferred 24,000 kanals (1 kanal = 0.125 acre) to the Industries and Commerce department for setting up industrial estates.

    The new policy will also cover land allotment for health care and educational institutions. There is also provision for renting out 60 percent of built-up area of a business enterprise to set up ancillary industrial enterprises through a tripartite agreement. The policy aims at achieving inclusive growth through sustainable industrialisation, employment generation, and includes provisions for evolving a fair and transparent mechanism for land allotment for industrial use.

  • Poor road defeats Jammu and Kashmir tourism goals

    Express News Service
    SRINAGAR: A delegation of Parliamentary Standing Committee on Transport, Tourism and Culture met different trade, tourism and transport groups on Thursday. The groups complained of the pitiable state of the lifeline of the Valley, Srinagar-Jammu national highway.

    They also highlighted the skyrocketing airfares. The standing committee led by chairman and MP (RS) T G Venkatesh arrived here on Wednesday. Representatives of tour, travel and hospitality sector, including KCCI, Hotelier Club, TAAK, TASK, PILTOF, HBOA, CTT, AKTO,  NTTA, HSG and DTOAK, raised issues of connectivity and tourism promotion.

    Speaking to Express, KCCI chief Sheikh Ashiq said they conveyed to the delegation that prosperity of the region was dependent on better connectivity.

    “We are always cut off from the rest of the country. Even if there is a minor drizzle, the Srinagar-Jammu highway gets disconnected. The pitiable state of the highway defeats the efforts to increase tourism inflow into the Valley. Any disruption affects our access to essential supplies,” he said.

  • Four soldiers injured in Pakistani firing along LoC in Jammu and Kashmir’s Akhnoor sector

    By PTI
    KAMMU: Four soldiers of the Army sustained injuries as Pakistani troops opened fire targeting forward areas along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir’s Akhnoor sector, official sources said on Wednesday.

    The ceasefire violation from across the LoC in the Keri Battal area took place on the intervening night of Tuesday and Wednesday, they said.

    Four soldiers suffered splinter injuries and were shifted to the military hospital in Udhampur for treatment, the sources added.

  • Won’t hand over bodies of three youth killed in Srinagar encounter: IGP

    Express News Service
    SRI NAGAR: The Jammu and Kashmir police on Monday ruled out the possibility of handing over bodies of the three youth killed in the December 30 encounter at Lawaypora to their families.

    The police maintained that the trio was involved in militancy, and the evidence establishing their role would be shared with the families. 

    Talking to reporters, Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kashmir, Vijay Kumar said the three youth killed in Lawypora encounter on the outskirts of Srinagar were involved in militancy.

    Security forces had killed Athar Mushtaq (16), Aijaz Ahmad Ganai, and Zubair Ahmad Lone during a two-day gunfight on December 30. However, their families decried the security forces’ claims.

    “We have evidence that they were involved in militancy. They were providing logistic support to militants. We have collected 60 per cent evidence so far. Once 100 per cent evidence is collected, we will share it with their families. We will try to show them about how and where their wards were involved,” Kumar said.Taling on the demand of the families that bodies of the youth should be handed over to them for proper burial, IGP said, “There is no question of handing over bodies to the families.”

    “The burial took place in front of the family members. The parents, family members, police, and magistrate were present,” he said. The bodies were buried in a graveyard in Sonamarg in central Kashmir. After the outbreak of Covid-19 pandemic in March last year, police have not been handing over bodies of local militants to their families. 

    Stating that the Covid problem is still persisting in the region, the IGP said, “We all know that in case of a civilian death, certain protocol is followed at their burial. If we give bodies of killed militants to their families, people may turn emotional and participate in thousands, and violate the protocol.

    It will become difficult to stop them and we will have to use force,” he said. “For the larger interest, we are not handing over bodies of militants to their families,” added the IGP.

    Have evidence of youth’s militancy link, says top cop

    “We have evidence that they were involved in militancy. They were providing logistic support to militants. Once 100 per cent evidence is collected, we will share it with their families,” the IGP said

  • No encounter in Jammu and Kashmir so far in new year

    Express News Service
    SRI NAGAR: The  militancy-hit Kashmir has been peaceful this year so far with no encounter taking place between the militants and security forces and no death reported in militancyrelated violence in the first two weeks of 2021. The last encounter in the Valley took place on December 30, 2020 at Lawapora in the outskirts of Srinagar. The incident raised some controversy as the security forces claimed the three men died in the encounter were militants, while the relatives of slain youth alleged their wards were innocent civilians. Also, the police said the three youth were not listed as militants.

    Compared to this year, the first encounter in 2020 took place on the 7th day of New Year, in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district in which a local militant was killed. When asked about the current situation, a security official said there have been no let up in anti-militancy operations and security personnel are continuing their operations even in the chilling and intense cold in the Valley.

    In 2020, a total of 225 militants, including 46 commanders of different militant outfits, were killed in Jammu and Kashmir. Of them, 207 were killed in 90 gunfights in Kashmir and 18 in 13 gunfights in Jammu region. About 60 security personnel were also killed in militancyrelated violence last year.

    Barring a grenade attack on an ITBP vehicle at Tral in Pulwama district on January 2 in which eight civilians were injured, no other major militancy incident has taken place in the Valley so far this year. Last year 38 civilians were killed in militancy-related incidents in the J&K. Meanwhile, a police officer said the security forces have arrested around 10 militant associates in the Valley. Five of them, who were pasting threat posters in some villages of Tral, were arrested on Saturday.

  • Two Jammu and Kashmir policemen receive awards for saving lives during Pakistan ceasefire violations

    By PTI
    JAMMU: Two policemen received ‘Jeevan Raksha Padak’ awards on Saturday for saving the lives of civilians during ceasefire violations by Pakistan along the Line of Control in Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir in March 2018, an official said.

    Selection Grade Constable Maqsood Ahmad in Poonch district police and Follower Zakir Hussain of sixth battalion J&K Armed Police (JKAP) were awarded ‘Jeevan Raksha Padak 2019’ by the Union Home Ministry last year.

    Poonch Deputy Commissioner Rahul Yadav and Senior Superintendent of Police Ramesh Kumar Angral handed over the awards to the policemen in a function at Dak Bungalow, Poonch, the police official said.

    He said the award comprises a medal, certificate and cash reward of Rs 1 lakh. The function was attended by other senior civil and police officers of the district who appreciated the role of police personnel for their bravery.

  • No Jammu & Kashmir face in Rajya Sabha from February 16

    Express News Service
    SRINAGAR: With the terms of its four sitting MPs in Rajya Sabha ending by February 15, the Jammu and Kashmir is unlikely to be represented in the upper house any time soon. The likelihood of Assembly election is slim in the near future, meaning a college of elected members cannot be formed to elect representatives to Rajya Sabha.

    Jammu and Kashmir presently has four representatives in Rajya Sabha – Ghulam Nabi Azad of Congress, Shamsher Singh Manhas of BJP, Mir Mohammad Fayaz  of PDP, and Nazir Ahmad Laway (expelled from PDP). The terms of Fayaz and Manhas expire on February 10, while the terms of Azad and Laway end on February 15.

    After the fall of the then BJP-PDP coalition government on June 18, 2018, the Governor’s rule was imposed in the erstwhile J&K state. After the dissolution of J&K Assembly in November 2018, President’s rule was imposed on J&K on December 19, 2019. After the abrogation of Article 370 and bifurcation of J&K into two Union Territories, the Centre has been ruling J&K through Lt Governor.

  • Restore Jammu & Kashmir’s statehood, says Apni Party

    Express News Service
    SRINAGAR: Lashing out at the Jammu and Kashmir administration for falling short on development goals, J&K Apni Party president Altaf Bukhari on Tuesday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to come true on his promise on the restoration of statehood. 

    Addressing a press conference in Jammu, Bukhari said, “Send a fact-finding team to J&K to assess the real situation. There has been no development. The administration is defunct,” he alleged. He sought a CBI probe into the plight of the strategic Srinagar-Jammu highway, which he said remained mostly closed.

    “The engineers and contractors should be booked under the NSA for they are compromising the nation’s security,” he claimed. Later, he lashed out at the Gupkar Alliance for creating a smokescreen of lies to deceive people with promises of restoration of Article 370.

    “It was an alliance of parties for the parties. We never accepted it as peoples’ alliance. It is crumbling sooner than expected,” he said. 

  • JKAP president Altaf Bukhari advocates early restoration of statehood, assembly polls in J&K

    By PTI
    JAMMU: Jammu and Kashmir Apni Party (JKAP) president Syed Mohammed Altaf Bukhari on Tuesday advocated the early restoration of statehood and holding of assembly elections in the Union Territory, asserting that the people desperately need a popular government as the present administration is “paralysed”.

    Bukhari also pitched for the immediate restoration of the 4G internet mobile service, stipend for unemployed educated youth, release of arrested youth and rehabilitation policy for “misguided” youth who are returning to the mainstream after shunning the path of violence.

    Making a fervent appeal to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the former minister said, “We are waiting for the fulfillment of the promise made to us from the floor of Parliament that the statehood to J-K would be restored.

    “We want our identity back,” Bukhari, who was flanked by senior party leaders from both Kashmir and Jammu regions, told reporters here after felicitating party candidates and independents who successfully contested the recently held District Development Council (DDC) elections.

    He said the prime minister made a promise about the restoration of the statehood to the JKAP delegation when they called on him after formation of the party last year.

    Criticising the opponents, he said, “Our detractors attacked us for our meeting with prime minister and home minister…there were some who were thinking that statehood will be restored in due course of time but we know it is a hard battle and we have to work jointly to achieve this.”

    On August 5, 2019, the central government scrapped the special status of J-K under Article 370 and bifurcated it into union territories.

    “We take the credit for restoring politics in J-K. Politics was said goodbye on August 5, 2019 (when majority of the leaders including three former chief ministers were detained). We came forward though the decision of the August 5 was not in good taste for us as well. The people want restoration of statehood and safeguards for their land and jobs,” he said.

    Referring to the various PIL’s pending in the Supreme Court challenging the Centre’s move, Bukhari said they are expecting a decision form the Supreme Court which is in accordance with the “heart-beat” of the people of J-K.

    Batting for early assembly elections after the successful conduct of the recently held DDC polls, the JKAP leader said the people want a popular government so that their problems get solved.

    “We want assembly elections be held sooner even before the completion of the delimitation process. The delimitation process can complete its work of creating seven more seats. We used to nominate two seats, let it be seven this time around as you have already changed so much and this will make no difference,” he said, adding at least people will get a popular government which is responsive, responsible and answerable to them.

    He claimed that the present administration is “paralysed” and both the regions are facing a lack of developmental work and administration inertia.

    “You (Prime Minister) are told that a lot had happened in J-K over the past two and a half years. For God’s sake, send a team which does not restrict itself to computer presentations and can see practically whether anything had happened,” he said.

    Bukhari said, “We do not see any development taking place in any of part of the two regions. Development has come to a grinding halt and the administration is paralysed and restricted to advertisements only. People are facing lot of problems.”

    He also demanded a probe into the frequent closure of the Jammu-Srinagar national highway and the ongoing four-lanning project.

    “Jammu-Srinagar highway is the lifeline as far as national security is concerned. Why there should be no CBI probes against engineers and contractors who vandalised the hills overlooking the strategic highway. They should be booked under national security act,” he said, adding there was no preparedness of the administration to tackle the situation in the aftermath of the snowfall which is a regular feature during winters.

    Referring to the continued snapping of 4G mobile internet services in most of J-K post-August 5 development, he said there is a lot of improvement as far as security scenario is concerned as militancy-related incidents had come down and there was a peaceful DDC election as well so there is no justification in the ban.

    “Our children are suffering because they are unable to attend online classes. Prime Minister, you are very brave and have a lion’s heart so please give them 4G as they are the future of this country,” the JKAP leader said.

    He also demanded the release of youth undergoing detention and said “now is the time for normalcy and reconciliation”.

    “Those who have gone astray are coming back and need a rehabilitation package,” he said and called for a stipend of Rs 10,000 for unemployed educated youth and said they cannot wait for three to four years for reaping the benefits of the recently announced industrial package.

    Bukahri also demanded covering of the old unit holders in the new industrial package.