Kashmir polls

BJP no force to damage NC prospects in Kashmir polls: Rather

Ravi Krishnan Khajuria

Tribune News Service

Jammu, November 4:

The National Conference, even in the backdrop of the Amarnath land agitation, doesn’t see the BJP as a force that can damage its poll prospects in Jammu.

The BJP projected the NC as a Kashmir-centric party and alleged that the latter worked against the interests of Jammu during the two-month-long agitation. Talking to The Tribune, former finance minister and senior NC leader Abdul Rahim Rather said in fact the party played a significant role in ending the stalemate over the land dispute.

Rather said: “We reject communal and regional politics and ours being a secular party, we are committed for the equitable development of all the three regions. We have envisaged a planning mechanism in our recently released vision document.”

When asked how the NC would counter BJP’s campaign, he said: “We don’t need any strategy to counter divisive politics. The finance commission is already in place and once the state planning commission was set up it won't be possible for any government to discriminate with any region.”
During the coalition rule, there had been enormous increase in socio-economic and political problems of the people and now they desperately want the NC back, he claimed.
Party’s provincial president and former minister Ajay Sadhotra said people know about real culprits responsible for the Amarnath land dispute. Instead of raising fingers on others, the BJP should better do some soul-searching, he said.
He said the BJP has already been under fire from its own workers and it should better set its own house in order. As far as we are concerned people would be apprised about party policies and programmes and they would decide about what actually they want.

Kashmir polls

600 companies comprise multi-tier security grid in Kashmir

Ravi Krishnan Khajuria

Tribune News Service

Jammu, November 4:

A massive multi-tier security grid comprising the central police forces and police has been finalised to ensure violence-free elections in the strife-torn Jammu and Kashmir. At least 538 companies of the central police forces, 60 to 70 companies of the police and armed police will be deployed. Though the Rashtriya Rifles of the Army would not be directly associated in the electoral process, it would certainly play its role in the security grid.

Talking to The Tribune, K Rajindera, IGP Jammu zone, said every aspect of seven-phase elections from campaigning to polling and safety of political leaders, especially the contesting candidates has been minutely discussed.
It may be mentioned here that a large number of security forces have already arrived in the state.
Rajindera said since the election would be held in two-month period, security forces would be moving around as per requirements. Sources said contesting candidates in militancy infested areas of Poonch, Rajouri, Doda, and Udhampur districts have also been issued an advisory apprising them about dos and don'ts.
Apart from the central police forces, services of special operations group, special police officers and village defence committees too would be utilised, they added. Similarly adequate security arrangements would be made for employees deputed on poll duties, the IGP said.
Meanwhile, DGP Kuldeep Khoda took stock of the security arrangements in a high-level meeting.
Sources said, the DGP asked the senior officers to pay special attention to sensitive polling stations.

Eve teasing on rise in Jammu

Ravi Krishnan Khajuria
Tribune News Service
Jammu, February 17: Even though Jammu SSP Manohar Singh had constituted an anti-eve teasing squad, the menace continues to haunt school and college-going girls in the winter capital.
“Street ‘romeos’ stalk us and pass obscene remarks, but we have to quietly tolerate their nonsense,” says a second-year student of Government College for Women, Parade.
Though girls should not keep quiet and “some of us do muster courage and lodge complaint with the police, most of the times we keep mum”, she adds. “Even if we try to teach a lesson to such elements, people in our so-called civilised society don’t come to our rescue leaving us alone to fend for ourselves”, says a student of the women’s college in Gandhi Nagar, who quoted a recent incident when two ruffians misbehaved with her friend while returning home after attending their tuition classes.
The police alone cannot end the menace and society at large has to put up a brave face against such elements, she says.
She, however, attributes the rise in eve teasing to the fast changing lifestyle in Jammu where people have been blindly following western lifestyles.
Sources in the police department admit that though the anti-eve teasing squad has been constituted, the practice continues in the city.
SSP Manohar Singh constituted anti-eve teasing and anti-goonda squads in September last year, they say, adding that the then inspector, who has been promoted as deputy superintendent of police, Rajni Sharma, and inspector Vishal Sharma headed the teams, respectively.
Though initially these squads launched a crusade against eve teasing, for the past few months such crimes are being handled by the police stations concerned.
However, a senior police officer says the anti- eve teasing squad has been doing its job efficiently, but isolated cases do happen. “One cannot expect that there would be 100 per cent check on eve teasing in a big and constantly expanding city like Jammu, which has witnessed a mushroom growth of schools, colleges and private coaching centres in the recent times,” he says.

Ropeway project makes no headway

Ropeway project makes no headway
Ravi Krishnan Khajuria
Tribune News Service
Jammu, February 17Conceived over six years back, the ropeway project to connect the Bhairon Ghati Temple with the holy cave shrine of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi, nestled amidst the Trikuta hills in Katra, hangs in balance.
Despite being the second richest autonomous body in the country after the Tirupati Dev Sthanam (TDS) of the famous Tirupati Temple, the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi shrine board (SMVDSB) so far has failed to initiate work on the ambitious Rs 18 crore project.
Undoubtedly, ever since the then Governor Jagmohan created the SMVDSB, it has not only streamlined the entire pilgrimage but also improved existing facilities at the holy town of Katra and the 13km long route till the Bhawan.
However, the ambitious project costing Rs 18 crore has not seen the light of the day as yet, said a SMVDSB official on the condition of anonymity.
He said, "In a bid to attract more pilgrims, the board has decided to come up with the project at a cost of Rs 17.88 crores. The proposed ropeway will be 450 metres in length.”
“Since without paying obeisance at the Bhairon Ghati temple, pilgrimage remains incomplete, so we decided to have a ropeway,” he added.
Board has been into consultations with the rail India transport and economic service (RITES) and a preliminary report, too, has been prepared but a final word was yet to be taken in the board meeting, he said.
No work, whatsoever, has been started as of now, he added while expressing regrets over inordinate delay in executing the project. Every year lakhs of pilgrims from around the world visit the famous cave shrine but a miniscule number among them go to the Bhairon Ghati because of the fatigue.
However, SMVDSB's assistant chief executive officer Bodh Raj claimed that the board has been actively deliberating upon the issue. “We are actively considering the project, but as of now no final decision has been taken,” he said