Cabinet orders transfers in R&B Department

SRINAGAR, AUGUST, 21: The Cabinet which met here today under the chairmanship of Chief Minister, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed approved the following transfers and postings of Chief Engineers in the R&B Department.

Abdul Hamid Sheikh, has been posted as Managing Director, JKPCC vice Mr P L Bhushan.

P L Bhushan I/C Chief Engineer, Managing Director, JKPCC, has been transferred and posted as I/C Chief Engineer SKUAST-K vice Mohammad Sultan Najar.

Mohammad Sultan Najar I/C Chief Engineer SKUAST-K transferred and posted as I/C Chief Engineer SKIMS Kashmir vice Mr Raman Puri.

Raman Puri I/C Chief Engineer SKIMS Kashmir has been transferred and posted as I/C Chief Engineer (General Manager) Chenab Valley Power Development Corporation relieving Mr Ravinder Gupta of the additional charge.

Amresh Raina has been posted as Director Stores and Procurement Department (I/C Chief Engineer) relieving Mr Deepak Razdan of the additional charge.

T R Baghat I/C Chief Engineer SKUAST Jammu to hold additional charge of PIU World Bank Project.

END

Cabinet orders transfers in Forest Department

SRINAGAR, AUGUST, 21: The Cabinet which met here today under the chairmanship of Chief Minister, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed approved the following transfers and postings in the Forest Department.

Suresh Chugh, IFS, Director, Ecology Environment and Remote Sensing, has been transferred and posted as Director Social Forestry Department vice A K Tickoo.

A K Tickoo, Director Social forestry, has been transferred and posted as Managing Director State Forest Corporation.

O P Sharma, CCF Central, has been transferred and posted as Director, Ecology, Environment and Remote Sensing vice Suresh Chugh.

Roshan Jaggi, CCF Wildlife, Jammu, has been transferred and posted as CCF Jammu vice Asif Mehmood.

Asif Mehmood, CCF Jammu, has been transferred and posted as CCF Settlement and Demarcation.

Ashwani K Gupta, CCF, Eco Tourism Department of Wildlife Protection, has been transferred and posted as I/C Regional Wildlife Warden, Jammu.

Vasu Yadav, CF Working Plan, has been transferred and posted as Member/Secretary, Pollution control Board vice J I Panjoo.

J I Panjoo, Member/Secretary, Pollution Control Board, shall report to PCCF, J&K.

Chaturbuj Behra who was on Central deputation and has reported back, has been posted as Regional Wildlife Warden, Kashmir.

End

Mufti Cabinet orders major reshuffle in administration

Ahmed Ali Fayyaz
---------------------

SRINAGAR, AUGUST 21: The Cabinet which met here today under the chairmanship of Chief Minister, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed approved the following transfers and postings in the administration.

1. Mr. Ashok Kumar Parmar, IAS, awaiting orders of adjustment in the General Administration Department has been posted as Commissioner/Secretary to the Government, Tribal Affairs Department, relieving Mr. Saurabh Bhagat of the additional charge.

2. Mr. Shailendra Kumar, IAS, Commissioner/Secretary to the Government, Tourism & Culture Department has been transferred and posted as Commissioner /Secretary to the Government, Labour & Employment Department, vice Mr. Shahid Anayatullah. He shall also look after the work relating to Skill Development.

3. Mr. Shahid Anayatullah, IAS, Secretary to the Government, Labour & Employment Department has been transferred and posted as Commissioner, Survey and Land Records, J&K against the available vacancy.

4. Mr. Baseer Ahmad Khan, IAS, Secretary to the Government, Transport Department has been transferred and posted as Commissioner, Commercial Taxes, J&K, vice Mr. Zaffar Ahmad Bhat.

5. Mr. R.K. Bhagat, IAS, Member, J&K Special Tribunal has been transferred and posted as Secretary in the Industries & Commerce Department.

6. Mr. Zaffar Ahmad Bhat, IAS, Commissioner, Commercial Taxes Department has been transferred and posted as Director General, Information, J&K, vice Mr Muneer-ul-Islam.

7. Mr. Hemant Kumar Sharma, IAS, Director, Command Area Development Department, Jammu has been transferred and posted as Secretary, Culture, in the Tourism & Culture Department. The Cabinet has decided to create a separate Department of Culture in the State.

8. Mr. Kifayat Hussain Rizvi, IAS, MD, SIDCO, J&K has been transferred and posted as Secretary to the Government, Transport Department, vice Mr. Baseer Ahmad Khan.

9. Mr. Basharat Saleem, IAS, Registrar, Cooperative Societies, J&K has been transferred and posted as Additional Commissioner, Kashmir, against the available vacancy.

10. Ms. Mandeep Kour, IAS awaiting orders of posting in the General Administration Department has been posted as Commissioner, Jammu Municipal Corporation, vice Mr. Soujanya Kumar Sharma, KAS.

11. Mr. Farooq Ahmad Shah, IAS, MD, J&K Tourism Development Corporation, shall look after the work of Administrative Secretary, Tourism Department, in addition to his own duties, till further orders.

12. Mr. Saugat Biswas, IAS, Deputy Commissioner, Leh has been transferred and posted as Deputy Commissioner, Kishtwar, vice Mr. M. Javid Khan presently on training in LBSNAA,

13. Ms. Yasha Mudgal, IAS, Director, School Education, Jammu has been transferred and posted as Deputy Commissioner, Baramulla, vice Mr. Mushtaq Ahmad Shah, KAS.

14. Dr. Shah Faesal, IAS, Deputy Commissioner, Bandipora has been transferred and posted as Director, School Education, Kashmir, vice Mr. Showkat Ahmad Beigh

15. Mr. Prasana Ramaswamy G, IAS, awaiting orders of posting in General Administration Department has been posted as Deputy Commissioner, Leh, vice Mr. Saugat Biswas, IAS.

16. Ms. Deepti Uppal, IAS, Deputy Commissioner, Rajouri, has been transferred and posted as Additional Secretary, CAPD.

17. Syed Abid Rashid Shah, IAS, Joint Director, School Education Kashmir has been transferred and posted as Deputy Commissioner, Kulgam, vice Mr. R.K. Bhat, KAS.

18. Mr. Ramesh Kumar, IAS, Project Director, RAMSA, J&K has been transferred and posted as Deputy Commissioner, Kathua, vice Mr. Ajay Singh Jamwal, KAS, who shall report in the General Administration Department for further posting.

19. Mr. Ravinder Kumar, IAS, Deputy Secretary to the Government, Floriculture Department shall also hold the additional charge of the Director, Floriculture, Kashmir, till further orders.

20. Mr. Showkat Ahmad Zargar, KAS, Director, Technical Education, J&K has been transferred and posted as Commissioner, Srinagar Municipal Corporation, vice Mr. Tufail Mattoo, who shall report in the Industries & Commerce Department for further posting.

21. Mr. Shabir Ahmad Bhat, KAS, Director, Area Planning / Ex-officio Special Secretary, Planning & Development Department has been transferred and posted as Deputy Commissioner, Rajouri, vice Ms. Deepti Uppal, IAS.

22. Mr. Showkat Ahmad Beigh, KAS, Director, School Education Kashmir has been transferred and posted as Director, Rural Sanitation, J&K, vice Saleem Mohammad who shall report in the GAD for further posting.

23. Mr. Mir Tariq Ali, KAS, awaiting orders of posting in GAD has been transferred and posted as Special Secretary to the Government, Social Welfare Department.

24. Mr. Mushtaq Ahmad Shah, KAS, Deputy Commissioner, Baramulla has been transferred and posted as Registrar, Cooperative Societies, J&K, vice Mr. Basharat Saleem.

25. Mr. Soujanya Kumar Sharma, KAS, Commissioner, Jammu Municipal Corporation has been transferred and posted as Director, Urban Local Bodies, Jammu, vice Mr. Kuldip Lal Khajuria, KAS, who shall report in the GAD for further posting.

26. Mr. Asif Hamid Khan, KAS, MD, J&K Agro Industries Development Corporation has been transferred and shall report in the GAD for further posting. Mr. Rakesh Khajuria, Director, Finance, J&K Agro Industries Development Corporation shall look after the work of MD, J&K Agro Industries Development Corporation in addition to his own duties, till further orders.

27. Mr. Amit Sharma, KAS, Special Secretary to the Government, Animal & Sheep Husbandry Department has been transferred and posted as Managing Director, J&K SIDCO, vice Mr. Kifayat Hussain Rizvi, IAS.

28. Mr. Mukhtar-ul-Aziz, KAS, Mission Director, ICDS Project, Social Welfare Department has been transferred and posted as Director, Libraries, J&K, against available vacancy. Mr. Hashmat Ali Yattoo, KAS, Director, Social Welfare, Kashmir, shall hold the additional charge of the post of Mission Director, ICDS, J&K, till further orders.

29. Mr. Bashir Ahmad Dar, KAS, Special Secretary to the Government, General Administration Department has been transferred and posted as Deputy Commissioner, Ramban vice Mr. Farooq Ahmad Shah, KAS, who shall report in the GAD for further posting.

30. Mr. Bashir Ahmad Khan, KAS, Deputy Commissioner, Anantnag has been transferred and posted as CEO, Integrated Watershed Management Programme against available vacancy.

31. Mr. Reyaz Ahmad, KAS, Joint Director, SKIMS & Ex-officio Special Secretary to the Government has been transferred and posted as Special Secretary to Government, Forest Department vice Mr. Arun Kumar Sharma.

32. Ms. Shabnam Kamili, KAS, Special Secretary to Government, BPE, Floriculture & Horticulture Department has been transferred and posted as Director, Technical Education, J&K, vice Mr. Showkat Ahmad Zargar.

33. Mr. R.K. Bhat, KAS, Deputy Commissioner, Kulgam has been transferred and posted as Director, Panchayati Raj Institution, J&K, against the available vacancy.

34. Mr. Muneer-ul-Islam, KAS, Director, Information, J&K has been transferred and posted as Deputy Commissioner, Anantnag, vice Mr. B.A. Khan, KAS.

35. Mr. Sajad Hussain Ganai, KAS, ADDC, Kulgam has been transferred and posted as Deputy Commissioner, Bandipora vice Mr. Shah Faesal, IAS.

36. Mr. Mohammad Harun Malik, KAS, Director, Agriculture, Kashmir shall report in the GAD for further posting. Mr. Altaf Indrabi, Joint Director, Agriculture, Kashmir, shall look after the work of Director, Agriculture, Kashmir, in addition to his own duties, till further orders.

37. Ms. Smita Sethi, KAS, Additional Commissioner, Commercial Taxes (Hqr), Jammu has been transferred and posted as Director, School Education, Jammu, vice Ms. Yasha Mudgal, IAS.

38. Mr. Mushtaq Ahmad, KAS, ADC, Kathua has been transferred and posted as Joint Director in the Directorate of Industries & Commerce, Jammu, against available vacancy.

39. Mr. G. A. Sofi, Director General, State Motor Garages has been transferred and posted as Managing Director, SRTC, against the available vacancy.

40. Dr. Yashpal Sharma, Mission Director, NRHM has been transferred and posted as Managing Director, J&K Medical Supplies Corporation against the available vacancy in relaxation of the Cabinet decision No.130/15/2013, dated:21.05.2013.

41. Dr Saleem-ul-Rehman, awaiting orders of posting has been posted as Project Director, State Aids Control Society, vice Dr. Mohan Singh.

42. Mr. Sunil Misri, Director, Floriculture, Kashmir has been transferred and posted as Project Director, Bagh-e-Bahu Project.

43. Mr. K.K. Sharma, Director, Floriculture, Jammu has been transferred and shall report in the Department of Floriculture for further posting. Mr. Ashok Kumar Gupta, Deputy Director, Floriculture, Jammu, shall look after the work of Director, Floriculture, Jammu, in addition to his own duties, till further orders.

44. Dr. Mohan Singh, Project Director, J&K State Aids Control Society has been transferred and posted as Mission Director, National Health Mission, vice Dr Yashpaul Sharma.

45. Mr. Ashok Kumar Malhotra, Joint Director, Agriculture (Extension), Jammu, shall look after the work of Director, Command Area Development Department, Jammu, in addition to his own duties, till further orders.

46. Mr. Zakir Hussain, Deputy Director, State Motor Garages, Jammu has been posted as Director, State Motor Garages, J&K, in his own pay and grade.

END

Govt orders ration distribution as per fresh survey

Additional 6.70 lakh families to be covered under PDS from next month: Zulfkar

JAMMU, AUGUST 21- Jammu and Kashmir Government is going to provide ration to additional 6.70 lakh families from next month taking the total number of families to be covered under the Public Distribution System in the state to 24.72 lakh.

 Addressing a press conference here today, the Minister for Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution and Tribal Affairs, Choudhary Zulfkar Ali, said the Government has decided that from September 1, 2015 ration would be provided on existing-prevalent scale to uncovered/additional families worked out after taking into account the authenticated lists provided by the Deputy Commissioners of all the districts of the state. He said the Government is presently distributing ration to 99.47 lakh population as projected in the year 2000.
“As per Census 2011 the estimated population of the State is 125 lakh and as per survey conducted by Deputy Commissioners the projected population has been worked out to 136 lakh,” the Minister said.

           He said presently there were 18.02 lakh ration ticket holders and now the ration ticket holders as per fresh survey works out to be 24.72 lakh families and the State Government is going to provide ration to 6.70 lakh additional families.
Elaborating further, he said the total requirement of food-grains in the State was 7.56 lakh MTs and with addition of uncovered families there is an additional requirement of 2.81 lakh MTs.

“On account of increase in population from 2000 to 2015, the total requirement of the food grains for the State will be 10.38 lakhs MTs, while the procurement cost will increase from Rs. 474 crores to Rs. 647.32 crore” he said and added that there will be additional requirement of Rs. 54.50 crore on account of handing and transport charges. “The total requirement of funds for providing ration as per the fresh survey will be Rs 701.82 crores” the Minister said.

          The Minister said that the funds required for the purpose will be met out under State Plan.

          The ration shall be distributed under the close supervision of Director CA&PD Kashmir and Jammu and necessary instructions in this regard have already been issued to both the Directors for effective implementation, he added.

“To ensure proper monitoring at grass root level, the vigilance and monitoring committees have been constituted to monitor the movement of food grains sale, stocks and distribution of public distribution supply” the Minister said. He added that the Deputy Commissioners have also been asked to closely monitor the distribution of the ration in their respective districts.

Director CAPD Jammu G. S. Chib, Joint Director Information Jammu Nagendra Singh Jamwal, Deputy Director CAPD Supplies Atam Dev Singh, Deputy Director F&R Arun Kotwal, Chief Accounts Officer Iftikar Hussain, other senior officers of CAPD were present during the press conference.

Earlier, the Minister also convened a meeting with representatives of Flour Mills of Jammu Region and listened to their issues related to procurement of Atta for Public Distribution. The Minister asked the Flour Mill owners to adhere to the norms set by the department regarding the quality and quantity of the Atta being supplied by them. He also assured the Mill owners that the issues raised by them will be given due consideration.

end

Mufti reiterates Govt’s resolve to confront political, economic challenges with commitment

Hails administration for partnering in ensuring transparent, effective, people-friendly governance

SRINAGAR, AUGUST 21: The Chief Minister, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed today said the present government assumed office amid arduous political and administrative challenges and some of these challenges continue to dog the Government even today.
Education Minister, Mr Naeem Akhtar, who is also the Government Spokesman, said the Chief Minister in his opening remarks at the State Cabinet meeting today made it clear that the state cabinet represents the diversity and the composite culture of Jammu and Kashmir, and with the active support of the administration, the Government has started confronting these enormous and intricate challenges with great maturity and political sagacity.

“The Government is, with the spirited support of all its instruments, firm in its resolve to put the state back on the path of peace, progress and prosperity with accountability, transparency and good governance being the fundamental inputs for its functioning,” Akhtar quoted Chief Minister having stated at the meeting.
“We are committed and will play our role in the protection and promotion of the political, economic and social well-being of our citizens,” the Chief Minister, according to Akhtar, said.

According to Akhtar, the Chief Minister told his cabinet colleagues that while he is personally not inclined much towards making frequent changes in the administration, but sometimes, such exercises are imperative in the larger interest of the effective delivery of governance so that the right person is placed at the right place and do away with stagnation at various levels.

Hailing the administration for having got fully involved in infusing new life in governance and systems of delivery, the Chief Minister, according to Akhtar, said while the political executive frames the broader policy guidelines, it is the administration that has to ultimately take the process to its logical conclusion so that the people on ground get the much-needed relief and reap the benefits of the Government’s welfare measures.

The Chief Minister, according to Akhtar, also hailed the police and other security forces for showing utmost restraint amid difficult situations in the larger interest of peace. “Except for some unfortunate incidents where police and paramilitary forces actions resulted in tragic loss of civilian lives, which needs to be avoided in future, the police has tried its best to maintain peace without going to extremes,” the Chief Minister said and added that the Government would always encourage its administrative instruments to come up to the expectations of the masses.

The Chief Minister said that during the two latest cabinet meetings, the Government has taken some significant decisions which will go a long way in ensuring larger public welfare and effective governance.

-----------------

Cabinet approves Amnesty Scheme for electricity consumers
Waives 100% surcharge on outstanding electricity bills, Electricity duty reduced by 12%

SRINAGAR, AUGUST 21: The Cabinet which met here today under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, approved rationalisation of the electricity duty by reducing the existing rate of 22% to 10% in respect of all consumers w.e.f the date of notification.

The Cabinet also approved waiver of 100% surcharge on outstanding electricity bills as on 1st August 2015, provided the domestic consumer makes the outstanding payment by or before 31st March 2016, in maximum of four equal installments. The domestic and agriculture (excluding government) categories of consumers who have fully paid their bills shall not be eligible under this scheme.

It also asked PDD to organise special camps in each division for successful implementation of the scheme besides approved outsourcing of the activities of meter reading and bill distribution by the PDD.

The Cabinet also passed instructions for the J&K State Electricity Regulatory Commission to review distribution of tariff structure twice a year and make recommendations to the government for its consideration.
------------------------

Cabinet extends Industrial Policy-2004

SRINAGAR, AUGUST 21: The Cabinet which met here today under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, accorded sanction to the extension of existing Industrial Policy-2004, for a further period of two months w.e.f 1st September to 31st October 2015 or till the New Industrial Policy -2015 is notified, whichever, is earlier.

----------------------
Cabinet gives authorisation to procure 6500MT of Bitumen VG-10 from open market

SRINAGAR, AUGUST 21: The Cabinet which met here today under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, authorised the Stores Procurement Department of PW(R&B) to buy/ procure deficit Bitumen of VG-10 grade amounting to 6500MT from open market.

The PW(R&B) Department has undertaken a massive up-gradation programme of more than 1000km with a consequent large requirement of Bitumen. Further, the short working season in the State, particularly in Kashmir renders the entire exercise critically time bound for which availability of the full quantity of Bitumen within the working season is a must.
--------------------

BREAKING HERE

Prof Amitabh Matoo, former Vice Chancellor University of Jammu and eminent academic, appointed as Advisor to Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed. He will hold the rank of a Cabinet Minister. Congratulations to him on getting an important assignment in PDP-BJP government.

                          Fresh spell of militancy in Jammu and Kashmir

                                                                  (3)

  
In green land of ‘resistance’, law takes political course to protect an accused


Govt. hired Harish Salve for Rs 16 lakh to fail SP Javed Matoo’s bail in Shopian ‘rape-cum-murder’. When hero of the story Shakeel Ahangar attempted to burn his second wife to death, Police didn’t arrest him for two months till he got bail


Ahmed Ali Fayyaz
________

SRINAGAR, Aug 20:  A total of 12 successful operations by security forces and Police in entire Kashmir valley in eight months of the current year could be an indicator of the diminishing insurgency. However, the lately captured militant Naveed’s purported disclosures during interrogation make it clear that both, Kashmiri as well as Pakistani militants, have been moving throughput the hinterland with their arms and ammunition and without fear of being intercepted.

Of the 31 people killed in these operations, 22 were militants. However, the damage suffered by Police and security forces was no less significant. While the militants in an ambush gunned down three unarmed Policemen in Shopian, Commanding Officer of a Rashtriya Rifles battalion Col. M.N. Roy and another soldier were killed in a fierce encounter with militants in Tral area of Awantipora.

Striking at will, suspected militants shot dead as many as 11 civilians during the same period. Death of six civilians associated with mobile telecommunication in Sopore area spread a wave of fresh terror across the Valley.

While as the 12 successful operations occurred in Sopore, Awantipora, Shopian, Baramulla and Pulwama districts, not one took place in Kupwara, Handwara, Bandipore, Ganderbal, Budgam, Srinagar and Anantnag. One of the senior Police officers disclosed to STATE TIMES that the new brand of militants was trying to set up base and hideouts in the areas perceived to be free of insurgency.

With the senior officers and politicians neither visiting the sites of encounters and wreath-laying functions nor making a statement to contest the rumour mills, many of the Kashmiris still believe that Naveed is a "fake". Social media went uncontested till it successfully projected him as “an Indian”.

With nobody contesting the separatists' allegations, many of the Kashmiris seemed to believe for about two months that the guerrillas striking on telecom operators were somewhere linked to the Union Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar's "counterterrorist militia". Coincidentally, the terrorist strikes in Sopore began in days of Parrikar's public statement that India should use terrorists against terrorists. Those attacked included some followers and workers of the pro-Pakistan hardliner Syed Ali Shah Geelani.

Though SSPs and DIGs do supervise an operation, senior officers avoid being seen on the forefront---a tradition set up and sustained by hardcore counter-insurgents of the yesteryears like P.S. Gill, K. Rajendra Kumar and S.M. Sahai.

Being soft to the contributors of turmoil and separatist movement turned bizarre when the Police, purportedly under instructions of the political executive, ignored a housewife’s complaint and avoided booking her husband when she alleged in April 2015 that he had attempted to burn her to death for her failure to get him dowry. The accused was none other than Shakeel Ahmad Ahangar who set entire Kashmir on fire in 2009 with his allegation that Police and security forces had “raped and murdered” his first wife and sister.

For months in 2009, Ahangar’s allegations helped the separatists and then mainstream opposition PDP to sustain turbulence till CBI established in its investigation that the two women had been neither raped nor murdered. It concluded that a group of lawyers and doctors had actually hatched up a conspiracy and dismissed Ahangar’s allegations as unfounded. Cornered by the opposition, Omar Abdullah’s government got four Police officers, including SP Javed Iqbal Matoo, arrested. In order to ensure that the accused are not enlarged on bail, Government hired eminent Supreme Court lawyer Harish Salve and reportedly paid him Rs 16 lakh only to contest the detainees’ plea in court. CBI later found all the four detainees innocent.

In April this year, Ahangar’s second wife got her statement recorded before a judicial magistrate under section 164 of Cr PC when she noticed that Police had no will to proceed against a man who had emerged as an icon of the separatist movement in 2009. Even after the complainant’s statement was recorded by a judge and a court rejected his anticipatory bail, Ahangar was not arrested for a second till, two months later, he, according to residents, succeeded to obtain bail from a magistrate. Ahangar’s second wife narrated to the judge how her husband and other members of his family sprinkled kersone oil on her clothes and body and attempted to burn her to death. Police admitted that the evidences of the crime had been seized.

"In such matters, Police normally conduct raids, arrest the accused and put him and his family members behind bars”, Shakeel Ahmad Bhat of Shopian observed. “But when the Police act selectively, as per the face of the accused, it makes a mockery of the whole system and provided confidence and over-empowerment to the elements who are sworn to exploit weaknesses of the system”. “Previously, a sense of injustice and victimhood made them extremists. Now, they feel stronger on noticing the weaknesses of law enforcement agencies”, Bhat added.

Even as the Police ducked in Ahangar’s matter, on April 6, militants ambushed and shot dead three unarmed Policemen in Shopian when they were returning from an investigation. 

[To be concluded]
  

                            Fresh spell of militancy in Jammu and Kashmir
                                                                        (2)

 

Militants escaped from 16 operations in 12 months

Ø Gallantry medals, out-of-turn promotions stopped for ‘operational’ personnel

 

Ø PSA detention dossiers turned down by District Magistrates

Ahmed Ali Fayyaz

_______

SRINAGAR, Aug 19: Disbanding the Special Operations Group (SOG) of the Jammu and Kashmir Police, prosecution of the ‘operational’ personnel allegedly involved in human rights abuse and revocation of J&K Armed Forces Special Powers Act were the key planks of Mufti Mohammad Sayeed’s Peoples Democratic Party in the 2002 and 2008 Assembly elections. Even after National Conference regained power in partnership with Congress in 2009, Omar Abdullah seemed to be implementing PDP’s manifesto in his attempt to outsmart his arch rival. However, in the year-2010 street turmoil, that left over a hundred demonstrators dead and many more injured, he was compelled to rely heavily on the hard face of Police and paramilitary forces.

Omar recalled the counterinsurgency’s iconic faces like the once unceremoniously removed IGP Shiv Murari Sahai and SSP Ashiq Bukhari---who was the first in 2009 to be sent on a punishment posting for his “pro-PDP” tag---when almost all the ‘soft faces’ failed to deliver. Sahai’s team not only controlled the law and order situation effectively but also brought militancy to its lowest ebb in 2011, 2012 and 2013. Around its exit, militants began to regroup and the next two years indicated an upward swing in their growth. Senior Police officers found themselves vulnerable to serious political interventions and the things came to a head when DGP Ashok Prasad stopped listening to both, MOS Home Sajjad Kichloo as well as Principal Secretary Home Suresh Kumar.

With the Lok Sabha and Assembly elections drawing nearer, Omar and his Cabinet began emitting starker signals of “soft separatism”. Most of the detained militants and separatist activists were released from jails. District Magistrates turned down PSA dossiers submitted to them previously by SPs. Home Department under Omar reduced the PSA detention period from two years to six months and most of the detainees got the orders revoked in court with little resistance from the State.

All out-of-turn promotions recommended on the basis of a performance on counterterrorism front were suspended. Even the Union Home Secretary Anil Goswami made magisterial inquiry mandatory for all the Gallantry Medals recommended on the basis of an officer’s role in a counterterrorism operation.

Ironically, it didn’t pay any electoral dividends to the National Conference that had to be content with just half the seats it had bagged in 2008 and 2002 and one-fourth of what it had got in 1996.

By the time, Mufti assumed power, in coalition with BJP, for his second term, an ‘operational tag’ had become a total liability. Most of the SOG components became non-functional as numerous appointments of SPs and SDPOs were the outcome of only the political references. Even the senior officers whose districts had overnight turned into the fortresses of new-found insurgency, indoctrination and recruitment, were picked up for prize postings.

In the beginning, militants re-established their bases in the areas where the separatists enjoyed a strong ideological and social support. In a short span of time, insurgents began surfacing on Handwara-Sopore-Palhalan strip in the North and Tral-Awantipore-Pulwama-Shopian axis in the South. With the people dying in a fast sequence and the militants enjoying a field day, the government ignored every criticism on the working of the Police officers in the two “liberated zones”.

With little emphasis on combating insurgency and none of the Ministers, legislators and senior mainstream politicians attending a slain civilian’s funeral or a soldier’s wreath-laying ritual, militants are now understood to be establishing hideouts, training camps and communication networks  without fear of any resistance or interception. Even the websites and Google and Facebook pages that had been shut down by Police last year, have surfaced again with blatant abuses for the administrators. The level of confidence among the guerrilla cadres could be gauged from the fact that the militants and their ‘fans’ have been regularly uploading and broadcasting pictures, videos and other data files of the Hizbul Mujahideen group.

“It is well possible to block this entire terror traffic but it needs will and accountability”, said a senior Police officer. He admitted, on the condition of anonymity, that the spiralling militancy was “nobody’s headache today”.

IGP Kashmir Javaid Mujtaba Gillani refused to accept that the militancy was gaining a fresh ground in Kashmir since the beginning of 2014. He told STATE TIMES that this perception was wrong and “not borne out by facts”. According to him, the situation in 2015 is no different from that of 2014. DGP K. Rajendra Kumar did not respond to a WhatsApp request from this newspaper.

Two of the lower rung Police officers, nonetheless, admitted that entire pro-Indian political activity had been grounded to a halt in both the territories in the North and South of Kashmir. “The interrogation account of the detained LeT militant Naveed makes it clear that the militants are moving around with unprecedented confidence and without fear of being intercepted”, an official pointed out. He asserted that Massarat Alam’s release by the Mufti government, followed by an unprecedented pro-Pakistan demonstration outside DGP’s office on the day of hardliner Syed Ali Shah Geelani’s arrival from New Delhi, were the major moral boosters for the militants on either side of LoC.

Significantly, in the last 12 months, holed up militants have escaped from as many as 16 cordon-and-search operations. Around a dozen of such incidents have occurred since March 1, 2015, when the PDP-BJP government assumed office. On March 24, militants escaped from an operation at Badipora, on May 8 in Sugan Shopian, on May 19 in Heff Shirmal Shopian, on June 14 from Bardalow Khrew, on July 2 from Rawatpora Delina, on July 8 from Imam Sahab Shopian, on July 24 from Bajren Khrew, on July 25 from Drubjan Dreinar, on August 6 from Kakpora Pulwama and on August 9 from Mahend Bijbehara.

On August 10, two militants escaped from Lajora in Pulwama but under pressure from top, Army put in reinforcement and employed an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle. Both the militants were spotted and killed in the successful operation witnessed first time in the last one year.

[To be continued tomorrow….]

END

                  Fresh spell of militancy in Jammu and Kashmir
                                                    (1)


In 23 Police districts in J&K, only 3 SPs have operational background

◆ PR, political clout take precedence over merit in Police transfers and appointments

◆ No mainstream politician contests the separatists politically


Ahmed Ali Fayyaz
______

SRINAGAR, Aug 18: When in 2003-04, Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed appointed arguably the best of the “operational” SPs as District Police chief in his home district of Anantnag, Syed Ashiq Hussain Bukhari said: “Sir, there can’t be two Ashiqs in Anantnag”. The younger Ashiq was a prominent commander of Hizbul Mujahideen---believed to have developed intimate relationship with some PDP leaders. “OK, you have your way”, Chief Minister is said to have retorted to the SP. Next couple of weeks witnessed the dreaded militant die in an encounter. It was followed by a chain of operations. By the time Mufti’s successor Ghulam Nabi Azad shifted Bukhari to Budgam, Anantnag and its adjoining areas had been completely cleared of the armed insurgency.

Call it irony or paradox, Mufti’s second tenure 10 years later appears to be a total contrast. In Awantipora, SP Mohammad Irshad is apparently disoriented to plan and execute counterterrorist operations as he has been prematurely shifted from Budgam and dumped in the State’s smallest Police district where he held the same post a decade ago. Consequently, the Lashkar-e-Tayyiba militant Irshad Ganai is calling the shots. In a short span of time---partly in Omar Abdullah’s and partly in Mufti Sayeed’s regime---two modules of LeT and Hizbul Mujahideen have set up so formidable a base in Pulwama-Awantipora belt that it is assuming all the trappings of a “liberated zone”.

This inspite of the fact that headquarters of Army’s counterterrorist Victor Force division is located at Awantipora.

LeT’s commanders like Irshad and Hamza, alongwith the Pakistanis Abu Qasim and Abu Dujana, have established a seemingly impregnable bastion in close vicinity of Awantipora. In rest of the district, Hizbul Mujahideen militant Burhan has grown as a household name while expanding his organisation with remarkable local recruitment and engaging the security forces in high profile encounters. For the first time, Burhan and his boys are openly operating through Internet---YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp etcetera.

Significantly, these summer months last year, entire South Kashmir, including Pulwama and Awantipora, was a hub of the mainstream political activity. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s large size hoardings besides BJP’s banners, buntings and flags remained intact for over two months even as the ruling party at the Centre had little fertile ground in the Valley’s saffron zone. PDP, NC and Congress conducted hundreds of well-attended rallies before the Valley witnessed arguably the best held and the least controversial Assembly elections.

Nothing of it is imaginable today. The only massive congregations happen on occasion of Eid and the funeral of a militant killed by security forces. According to Police intelligence reports, over 8,000 people participated in the Namaaz-e-Janazah of Talib Shah, a local militant who died in an encounter with Army at Kakpora on August 6. Again, notwithstanding undeclared curfew, thousands attended a civilian’s funeral who died in a clash with BSF. The paramilitary force opened fire when the residents near Malangpora resorted to heavy stone pelting after the operation at Kakpora concluded.

The second---and so far the last---hub of the year 2015 militancy is in Sopore, in North Kashmir. Here again, SP Qayyum appears to have surrendered considerable ground to the dreaded guerrilla commander Qayyum Najar. Najar’s group has grown so much confident that it had the spine to take direct confrontation with Hizbul Mujahideen supremo and United Jihad Council Chairman Syed Salahuddin. Operating from Pakistance since 1993, Salahuddin has finally announced Qayyum Najar’s expulsion from Hizbul Mujahideen with the allegation that he was behind the series of attacks on the mobile telephony operators. At least 5 persons have died in these guerrilla strikes in the last two months.

Sopore’s parent Police district of Baramulla witnessed appointment of SPs who were known for their political clout, not an operational background. During the NC-Congress government of Omar Abdullah, two of the Cabinet Ministers, namely Taj Mohiuddin and Ghulam Hassan Mir, opposed the proposal of the appointment of an SP in Baramulla on the ground that he belonged to “a particular sect”. The proposal was shelved notwithstanding the fact that the proposed officer was next only to Bukhari in the operational profile and he enjoyed the Chief Minister’s confidence and support. He was dumped in the areas anybody could have handled.

Consequently, a non-operational SP was appointed twice as District Police chief in Baramulla simply for his “merit” of having been a friend and class fellow to then J&K Pradesh Congress Committee head Saifuddin Soz’s son.

Today, out of the 25 Police districts, which include the militancy-free Leh and Kargil, there are only three SPs who have the background of counterterrorist operations or a past stint in Special Operations Group (SOG). They are the much demoralised Mohammad Irshad in Awantipora and Ghulam Jeelani in Handwara besides Dr Haseeb Mughal in Rajouri.

“Even two of them in Valley do not work hard on counterterrorism front. Every time, there remains the apprehension of a civilian casualty in an operation. Once it happens, nobody is expected to come to the Police officers’ rescue. They are left to fend for themselves. There are inquiries, suspensions, attachments and even arrests. Why should anybody take such a risk?” said an officer who has extensive experience of counterterrorist operations. “The result is that the militancy is gaining its lost ground fast”, he added. According to him, SPs and Dy SPs of SOG background were first removed to insignificant positions by Omar Abdullah ahead of the Lok Sabha and Assembly elections. Many more were removed when Governor ordered a major reshuffle in Police and bureaucracy in January 2015. Rest of them were removed by Mufti’s government.

[To be continued tomorrow. Published in today's STATE TIMES  http://news.statetimes.in/fresh-spell-of-militancy-in-jammu-kashmir-1-in-23-police-districts-only-2-sps-have-operational-background-in-jammu-Kashmir/ ]

END

Constable, civilian killed in Sopore shrine shootout

Ahmed Ali Fayyaz

______

SRINAGAR, Aug 18: Unidentified gunmen, widely suspected to be militants, shot dead and disarmed a Constable of an armed wing of Jammu and Kashmir Police in a broad daylight shootout outside a shrine in which a physically handicapped civilian also lost his life on Tuesday.

Director General of Police, K. Rajendra Kumar, told STATE TIMES that Constable Fayaz Ahmad of Indian Reserve Police 13^th battalion, who was a resident of the nearby Wadora village, was on duty outside the shrine of Sheikh Baba Ali Raina---older brother of the 16^th century revered cleric-saint Sultanul Aarifeen Sheikh Hamza Makhdoom, at Tujjar Sharief, 10 Km from Sopore on the road to Kupwara, when two motorcycle-born unidentified youths stopped and opened fire from an AK-47 rifle at 1.00 pm.

The single AK-47 shot pierced through the abdomen of the targeted Policeman and hit a physically handicapped Abdul Rahim Lone of Tujjar. Both of them succumbed to injuries when they were being evacuated to a local hospital. Sixty-year-old Lone used to move around in his wheelchair to collect donations for the shrine.

Police have recovered one AK-47 empty from the spot.

DGP said that the assailants disarmed the targeted Constable and decamped with his Insas rifle. He said that Police have registered a case and started search for the assailants in coordination with security forces.

“It was a guard of five Police personnel there. While Fayaz was on duty outside, his colleagues were inside. By the time they came out, the assailants had vanished into the neighbourhood”, DGP said. Asked if Police or security forces had any clue with regard to the organisational affiliation of the assailants, Rajendra said: “As of now, we have absolutely no clue. We are investigating”.

As of late on Tuesday night, there was no claim of responsibility. Several residents, however, suspected it as the handiwork of a breakaway group of Hizbul Mujahideen, led by the dreaded militant Qayyum Najar and they did not come out with any protest.

Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed and the Peoples’ Democratic Party President Mehbooba Mufti condemned the two killings and said in separately issued statement that violence was unacceptable as it had no room in a civilised society.

In his condolence message, Mufti Sayeed said those responsible for such dastardly acts had no respect for human lives. He said spilling blood of innocent persons unravels untold miseries upon the families of the victims. “There is no religion in the world which allows or justifies such inhuman acts where people are gunned down mercilessly in such cruel manner,” he stated. Chief Minister sent his condolences to both the bereaved families.

END

Baig, Karra absent in PDP-BJP Coordination Committee meet
 
Ahmed Ali Fayyaz
________
 
SRINAGAR, Aug 18: The much speculated coordination committee meeting of the ruling coalition partners, PDP and BJP, took place here after a long pause even as many of the members were conspicuously absent.
 
Informed sources told STATE TIMES that the meeting began at the Chief Minister’s official residence of Hari Niwas, though the CM lives in the adjoining Fort View guesthouse and he was not scheduled to attend. The proceedings initiated at 7.30 p.m. and lasted for over three hours. Sources said that after the meeting concluded, the participants headed for CM’s residence for dinner, late on Tuesday night. 

Deputy Chief Minister Nirmal Singh, Minister of Health Lal Singh, Lok Sabha member and J&K State President Jugal Kishore Sharma, Thupstan Chhewang and former MP Shamsher Singh Manhas are the representatives from BJP in the coordination committee. It is headed by Nirmal Singh. PDP President and Lok Sabha member Mehbooba Mufti, Lok Sabha members Muzaffar Hussain and Tariq Hameed Karra, Minister of Education Naeem Akhtar and Minister of Horticulture Abdul Rehman Veeri are the representatives from PDP.
 
However, many of the members, including Baig, Karra, Lal Singh and Jugal Kishore Sharma were conspicuously absent in the first round. Efforts to find if any of them later attended were not successful
 
Sources said that Nirmal Singh, Minister of Industries Chander Prakash Ganga, PDP President Mehbooba Mufti, PDP’s MLA and Minister of Law Basharat Bukhari and Minister of Horticulture Abdul Rehman Veeri attended the meeting.
 
Even as none of the participants responded to phone calls from media till late in the night, politicians believed to be privy to the developments said that the meeting discussed the performance of the Ministers and coordination between the partners in the last over five months. Some of the proposed appointments, including those in Backward Classes Commission and State Accountability Commission were reportedly discussed. Cabinet is understood to order a reshuffle in Police and civil administration on the basis of this discussion on Wednesday. 

Besides the agenda of cabinet other important issues including the ongoing development works in the state as well as overall security situation in the aftermath of the recent militant attacks were also discussed, sources said.
 
END

Constable, civilian killed in Sopore shrine shootout

Ahmed Ali Fayyaz

______

SRINAGAR, Aug 18: Unidentified gunmen, widely suspected to be militants, shot dead and disarmed a Constable of an armed wing of Jammu and Kashmir Police in a broad daylight shootout outside a shrine in which a physically handicapped civilian also lost his life on Tuesday.

Director General of Police, K. Rajendra Kumar, told STATE TIMES that Constable Fayaz Ahmad of Indian Reserve Police 13^th battalion, who was a resident of the nearby Wadora village, was on duty outside the shrine of Sheikh Baba Ali Raina---older brother of the 16^th century revered cleric-saint Sultanul Aarifeen Sheikh Hamza Makhdoom, at Tujjar Sharief, 10 Km from Sopore on the road to Kupwara, when two motorcycle-born unidentified youths stopped and opened fire from an AK-47 rifle at 1.00 pm.

The single AK-47 shot pierced through the abdomen of the targeted Policeman and hit a physically handicapped Abdul Rahim Lone of Tujjar. Both of them succumbed to injuries when they were being evacuated to a local hospital. Sixty-year-old Lone used to move around in his wheelchair to collect donations for the shrine.

Police have recovered one AK-47 empty from the spot.

DGP said that the assailants disarmed the targeted Constable and decamped with his Insas rifle. He said that Police have registered a case and started search for the assailants in coordination with security forces.

“It was a guard of five Police personnel there. While Fayaz was on duty outside, his colleagues were inside. By the time they came out, the assailants had vanished into the neighbourhood”, DGP said. Asked if Police or security forces had any clue with regard to the organisational affiliation of the assailants, Rajendra said: “As of now, we have absolutely no clue. We are investigating”.

As of late on Tuesday night, there was no claim of responsibility. Several residents, however, suspected it as the handiwork of a breakaway group of Hizbul Mujahideen, led by the dreaded militant Qayyum Najar and they did not come out with any protest.

Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed and the Peoples’ Democratic Party President Mehbooba Mufti condemned the two killings and said in separately issued statement that violence was unacceptable as it had no room in a civilised society.

In his condolence message, Mufti Sayeed said those responsible for such dastardly acts had no respect for human lives. He said spilling blood of innocent persons unravels untold miseries upon the families of the victims. “There is no religion in the world which allows or justifies such inhuman acts where people are gunned down mercilessly in such cruel manner,” he stated. Chief Minister sent his condolences to both the bereaved families.

END