Nazki among 85 post-retirement backdoor entrants in Omar Govt

Chief Secretary Kapur, GR Sofi, Ahmedullah lobbying for top positions in CIC

Ahmed Ali Fayyaz

JAMMU, Jan 16: Jammu & Kashmir Chief Secretary, Sham Singh Kapur, recently failed in his attempt of getting a post-retirement rehabilitation at Sher-e-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS). Reaching superannuation on January 31^st, this 1974-batch IAS officer from Himachal Pradesh, who has already completed over 36 years of his service in J&K, is now making desperate attempts to get a top level post-retirement extension of five years to his service. He is, however, paying a price to achieve the goal.

Kapur is leaving no stone unturned to garner support from different political parties and the Centre to grab the plum position of Chief Information Commissioner (CIC). A three-member committee, comprising Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, PDP President Mehbooba Mufti and Deputy Chief Minister Tara Chand is scheduled to select J&K’s first CIC and two Information Commissioners in a meeting here on January 27^th.

According to well connected sources, former Income Tax commissioner, Ghulam Rasool Sofi, is among two retired officials who are currently lobbying for the two positions of Information Commissioners. Kashmir Administrative Service (KAS) official, Ahmedullah Shah, who retired on December 31, 2010 as Special Secretary to Government General Administration Department (GAD), is strongly lobbying for the post of Secretary in the State Information Commission. Since his joining KAS in 1984, Shah remained continuously posted in GAD and created a record of being never transferred in his entire service career.

Commissioner of Sales Tax, Bashir Ahmad Khwaja, who was due to retire on December 31, 2010, is one-odd official who has been granted extension of one year on the basis of his performance and integrity. Sources revealed to Early Times that Khwaja’s name had been recommended by Minister of Finance, Abdul Rahim Rather. However, most of the rehabilitated officials have been favoured on account of their political and bureaucratic clout. Very few of these extensions have been announced publicly.

In the middle of 2010, retired Director of Doordarshan Kendra Srinagar, Farooq Nazki, who is now 75-year-old, was appointed as “Media Consult” to Omar Abdullah-led government for monthly remuneration of Rs 50,000. For many in politics and bureaucracy, this was the most surprising rehabilitation as Nazki was known to have hurled choicest of his invectives on National Conference and its top leadership for over a decade. Maternal uncle to PDP ideologue, Naeem Akhtar, Nazki had publicly supported Mufti Mohammad Sayeed and his PDP during the Assembly elections of 2002 and 2008 besides Lok Sabha elections of 2004 and 2009. Interestingly, Government’s worst ever media management was witnessed after Nazki’s engagement in June 2010.

Former Managing Director of J&K State Tourism Development Corporation, Rafeeq Qadiri, was silently appointed as a “Consultant” to government on “arts and handicrafts” immediately after his retirement from service last year. C K Abrol, former Chief Engineer with Public Health Engineering Department was given extension as ­consultant to the Centrally sponsored schemes in PHE sector.

SKA Qadiri, who retired as Director General of  Archives, Archaeology and Museums, is now a “Consultant” on cultural affairs. Senior NC activist, Rafiq Ahmed Dar, who retired as additional Deputy Commissioner was given a one-year extension as Special Officer Auqaf. He has recently completed his term. Ajaz Ahmad Kakroo, who functioned as Special Secretary to former Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad, got a year-long assignment as Principal of Sainik School at Manasbal.

Another official, Bashir Ahmad Banday, who retired as Joint Director in the Department of Horticulture last year, is presently Officer on Special Duty with Minister of Industries.

Even the judiciary has had its share of shadowy appointments. Andhra Pradesh Chief Justice Nisar Ahmad Kakroo, during his tenure as Acting Chief Justice of J&K High Court, ensured the appointment of his son Tariq Ahmad Kakroo as a junior manager in J&K State Power Development Corporation in violation of all norms of appointment set by the J&K Government. Chief Minister Omar Abdullah subsequently picked him up as an OSD in his Chief Minister’s Secretariat.

J&K State Public Service Commission has come under severe criticism as it is not chaired by a serving officer but a retired officer on extension, namely Shiban Lal Bhat. During Ghulam Nabi Azad-led coalition government, PDP had strongly lobbied for Bhat’s appointment as Chief Secretary when he was on Central deputation as a Joint Secretary in Government of India. Four other bureaucrats, Khazir Muhammad Wani, Manzoor Ahmad Bhat, Masood Samoon and KB Jandial, were appointed as PSC members after their retirement. However, Wani and Jandial were reportedly honoured on account of their integrity and performance.

PSC Secretary, Muhammad Ashraf Bukhari, was transferred twice but he managed to stay on. When Bukhari refused to join as Deputy Commissioner and the incumbent Showkat Ahmed Mir’s nephew died in a road accident, Kupwara remained a headless district for several days last year.

Private Secretary to DGP, Shadi Lal, has managed to get extensions every six months for the past two years. DGP’s PRO, Qazi Mohammad Shafi, was also granted an extension after he retired as Information Officer in 2010.

Even those who run employees' unions get their share of extensions. Civil Secretariat Non-Gazetted Employees president Nazir Ahmad Mir got an extension from Chief Secretary for one year after promising not to raise his voice against extensions to retired employees. Sources claimed that identical extensions to service are currently underway in favour of a number of vociferous trade union leaders, including Khursheed Aalam, who have either retired or happen to be at the fag end of their public service.

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J&K Judiciary can’t shut eyes to Army chief’s slur

Bar chief Qayoom’s being ‘rabidly anti-India’ doesn’t mean courts have no credibility in J&K

Ahmed Ali Fayyaz

SRINAGAR, Jan 17: In the middle of 2006, Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) completed investigation in the infamous Pathribal fake encounter of March 2000. The Challan produced in the court of Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) Srinagar, that happens to be designated court of CBI cases in Kashmir, established that men from a unit of Rashtriya Rifles 7^th Bn had kidnapped five innocent civilians from their respective localities in Anantnag district and subsequently killed them all with the label of “foreign terrorists responsible for massacre of 35 Sikhs at Chittisinghpura on March 20, 2000”.

It was probably for the first time that an “Indian” institution had established its credibility in 16 years of the conflict in the Valley. Those found guilty of killing innocent civilians included five officers. One of them, who headed the unit as a Major in 2000, had reached the rank of Brigadier and was posted somewhere in Maharashtra.

Even as CBI contested that special powers could not be misused to protect the personnel committing crime when not on duty, defence lawyers insisted that in any circumstances no soldiers posted in J&K could be tried as normal murderers. They argued that J&K Armed Forces Special Powers Act would serve as immunity to any soldier whether on duty or otherwise. Within days, Army provided institutional support to the accused when one organization of  the Government of India went to fight another organization of the union government (CBI).

Years later, when the Machhil fake encounter surfaced in May 2010, Army sought to make it clear through a host of statements that justice would be done without providing institutional support to the soldiers in any found involved. All the three “unidentified terrorists” were found as none other than the civilians of a Rafiabad village hired as porters. Living witnesses revealed that the innocent civilians had been “bought” for Rs 50,000 each and eliminated as “infiltrators” so as to claim reward money and higher ranks.

Army might have reasons to be disappointed with the way Sopore Police handled the accused. It might have found stimulants of displeasure during proceedings at a civil court in Sopore. But, soon the angry institution, like in Pathribal, delivered its ‘judgment’---of supporting the accused in all circumstances---when it approached far higher judicial forums, while claiming that the soldiers should enjoy immunity under provisions of AFSPA.

Even as both matters were sub judice, Army Chief, Gen V K Singh, delivered his own ‘judgment’ in New Delhi on January 14^th---not on AFSPA but on credibility of entire judiciary in Jammu & Kashmir.

"I don't know how much you are aware of the legal system in the valley. There are various pressures out there. You are aware of Mian Qayoom Khan, who was President of the Bar Association and now he is in detention and he has been rabidly anti-India. Now, with that kind of a situation, what kind of a justice we would expect and legal provisions would be followed, leaves a question mark," he told a press conference. Gen Singh was responding to a journalist’s question on the Machhil ‘fake encounter’.

Commenting on the inquiry in the case, he said, the probe was delayed initially "because of the local courts putting a ban on the witnesses being available to the Army and after that, there were lot of legal wrangles in trying to get the issue sorted out."

Tolerating “rabidly anti-Indian” elements has been unmistakably a weakness of the Indian democratic system for which J&K judiciary can not be singularly abused. Citizens from Arundhati Roy to Syed Ali Shah Geelani to Mian Abdul Qayoom are pretty aware of that. Who doesn’t know, Srinagar-based High Court Bar Association of Mr Qayoom served as a constituent of the separatist umbrella, All Parties Hurriyat Conference? Who doesn’t know, Qayoom was appointed as head of the Valley’s first secessionist amalgam, Tehreek-e-Hurriyat, as early as in 1990? Who doesn’t know he has been pleading for Kashmir’s separation from India everywhere, be that a judge’s chamber or a street in Srinagar? Who doesn’t know he told a High Court judge on record that he didn’t consider himself as an Indian citizen?

But, does this infinite tolerance of the Indian democratic system discredit entire judiciary in J&K? Gen Singh perhaps needs to learn that all judges of High Courts, who control the subordinate judiciary, are appointed on warrants of the President of India---Supreme Commander of all Indian defence forces. If, according to him, all judges are susceptible to “various pressures” from the “rabidly anti-Indian” legal practitioners, he is clearly questioning competence of not only the country’s agencies certifying integrity of would-be judges but also that of the Supreme Commander of all defence forces.

Chief Justice is far away in Gowahati and his colleagues on the month-long winter vacation. But a many eyes seem to be inquisitive whether custodians of the sanctity and credibility of judiciary would persist with the tradition of “tolerance” or assert to make it clear whether the Indian Army chief was right or wrong in declaring the J&K judiciary as subservient to “various pressures” from “rabidly anti-Indian” elements. Days to come may make it clear whether the instrument of “suo motto cognizance” was restricted to only “sex scandals” or free enough to the courtyard of the executive’s strongest arm.

END

Madhav Lal is new Chief Secretary

Ahmed Ali Fayyaz

SRINAGAR, Jan 14: 1977-batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer from Delhi, Mr Madhav Lal, is being relieved from the Central deputation and appointed as new Chief Secretary in Jammu & Kashmir. Presently posted as Additional Secretary and Development Commissioner in Union Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, Madhav Lal happens to be the senior most IAS officer in J&K Cadre after the superannuation of Chief Secretary Sham Singh Kapur on 31-01-2011 and his immediate follower Sameul Varghese on 28-02-2011.

Highly placed government sources told Early Times that the State Cabinet, which met today to select the new head of the bureaucracy, considered the names of three of the senior most IAS officers, namely Madhav Lal (1977), Pervez Dewan (1977) and Anil Goswami (1978). The Cabinet finally decided to appoint Mr Madhav Lal as the new Chief Secretary of Jammu & Kashmir. Sources revealed that his order of appointment would be issued shortly after Chief Minister’s routine conversation with the Prime Minister and the Cabinet Secretary in New Delhi. He will be joining as Chief Secretary in Jammu on February 1^st.

Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah, confirmed to this journalist that the Cabinet decided to pick up the senior most official who was none other than Madhav Lal after the retirement of Kapur at the end of current month and Varghese at the end of next month. He said that he was personally interested in maintaining the sanctity of seniority, though merit and suitability had also a bearing on this selection. His order of appointment would be issued shortly.

With today’s deliberations in the Cabinet, all speculations have been set at rest with regard to granting extension to Mr Kapur. It has simultaneously proved wrong speculations in a section of media that 1978-batch IAS officer and a state subject, Mohammad Iqbal Khanday, was being appointed as the new head of bureaucracy in Jammu & Kashmir. Presently posted as Principal Secretary to Government, Department of Agriculture Production, Khanday happens to be junior, in ascending order, to Pankaj Jain (1978), Anil Goswami (1978), Pervez Dewan (1977) and Madhav Lal (1977).

Born on 4-06-1955, Madhav Lal has post-graduation in Physics and Public Administration. He joined IAS on 12-07-1977 and was allotted J&K cadre. During his 33-year service, he has held key positions in the state administration. In Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah’s government (1996-2002), he served as Commissioner-Secretary General Administration Department. Later he functioned as Financial Commissioner Revenue, Principal Secretary Forest, Principal Secretary Planning & Development Department and Department of Ladakh Affairs. He remained briefly posted as Official on Special Duty in the office of Resident Commissioner in New Delhi.

All through his career in J&K and a couple of Central deputations, Madhav Lal has enjoyed the reputation of a meticulously honest public servant, though quite a number of Ministers in different governments did not seem to be impressed with his speed of processing matters in the past.

Madhav Lal shall stay in service till 30-06-2015.With his appointment as Chief Secretary, prospects of a number of senior IAS officers reaching the top of bureaucracy in J&K would become automatically bleak. They include prospective contenders like Pervez Dewan (Date of Retirement: 31-10-2014), Anil Goswami (Date of Retirement: 31-01-2015) and Pankaj Jain (Date of Retirement: 30-09-2014). Chief Secretary S S Kapur, Chairman J&K Special Tribunal Sameul Varghese, Madhav Lal, Pervez Dewan, Anil Goswami and Pankaj Jain are currently designated as Financial Commissioners---top most rung in the state bureaucracy. Madhav, Dewan and Goswani are currently on Central Deputation.

After the retirement of Madhav Lal on 30-06-2015, none other than Principal Secretary Dr Arun Kumar (1979 batch) and Principal Secretary Mr B R Sharma (1984) will be left with the prospects of reaching the top slot of Chief Secretary in J&K. They will be reaching superannuation on 31-12-2016 and 30-04-2020 respectively. Potential competitors Iqbal Khanday (1978), Mrs Sonali Kumar (1979), P G Dhar Chakravarty, Dr R K Jeerath, A K Angurana and Khursheed Ahmed Ganai will be retiring from service on 30-11-2015, 30-11-2015, 30-10-2013, 30-04-2012, 30-04-2016 and 30-10-2015 respectively.

END

Omar to Hurriyat in Shahr-e-Khaas: “Read the writing on the wall”

Dastaarbandi at shrine after months of stone pelting in downtown Srinagar

Ahmed Ali Fayyaz

SRINAGAR, Jan 13: Downtown Srinagar remained out of bounds for every pro-India politician for five months of the street turbulence in 2010. ‘Go India Go Back’ was literally the only writing on all walls. This is not exactly a ‘Come India Come Back’ but what was witnessed in the core of the intellectually decorated Shahr-e-Khaas today, after 120 days of shutdown and 114 ‘killings by Police’, is a contrast by all interpretations. Chief Minister Omar Abdullah was honoured with the traditional ‘Dastaarbandi’ (ritual of girdling a turban around a very respected pilgrim’s head) at a much revered shrine. Minutes later, he advised both factions of the separatist Hurriyat Conference to “read the writing on the wall” and respond positively to New Delhi’s offer of resolving the Kashmir problem by way of dialogue.

It was a chilly day of the core of winter---Chilla Kalaan---but there was no rain, no snow contrary to the predictions of the weatherman. The political weather was not hostile either. There was no curfew, no shutdown in this Capital city of 15 Lakh residents. Suddenly, a flowing cavalcade screeched to halt and the man in the hot seat walked straight into the shrine of Kashmir’s revered saint Ameer-e-Kabeer Mir Syed Ali Hamadani---a founder preacher of Islam known as Shah-e-Hamadan. Omar, faithfully escorted by senior party colleague and Minister of Rural Development, Ali Mohammad Sagar, offered a Fatiha to Shah-e-Hamadan and his followers.

Next moment, custodians of nearly 700-year-old shrine performed the rare ritual of Dastaarbandi on Omar, and also Sagar---known for his firm faith in shrines and saints. In next few moments, Omar inaugurated Shah-e-Hamadan Community Centre in the city interior of Chalpan Kocha, Zainakadal, where a restricted crowd of 1,000 people seemed to be eagerly waiting for the young Chief Minister they had seen nowhere before other than on television and front pages of local newspapers. Few in the gathering turned to their nostalgia----when Omar’s mother, Molly, drove all alone in her black Ambassador to her duty at then fast coming up Sher-e-Kshmir Institute of Medical Sciences in 1980; when all the top Indian Opposition leaders hosted by Farooq Abdullah drowned dangerously in the Jhelum as their boat capsized well in front of Shah-e-Hamadan’s shrine in 1983.

Buntings and banners on the incoming alleys in the congested locality communicated to the VVIP that there was nothing in the air to make him fumble or turn him pale. So, there was no reference to Kashmir being “essentially a political problem”, to withdrawal of Armed Forces Special Powers Act, withdrawal of troops and inquiries against the Police officials. There was also no reference to Syed Ali Shah Geelani’s 5 points, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq’s 4 points or the UPA Government’s 8 points.

Omar straightaway referred to the greater transformation and advised his separatist rivals to read “today’s only writing on the wall”. He emphasized that neither rigidity of politicians nor any kind of violence---bullets or stones---would help in resolving the Kashmir problem. “Be it Geelani’s Hurriyat or Mirwaiz’s Hurriyat, everyone needs to realize that nothing but a political process of dialogue would churn out a solution”, Omar asserted.

According to him, it was high time that Kashmiri separatists abandoned their “double speak” and entered into a process of dialogue (with Government of India). Without naming hardliner Geelani, Omar ridiculed the practice of the separatists’ meetings with men like Ram Villas Paswan even as they had been continuously shying away from interacting with the Centre’s interlocutors. “This double speak”, he asseted “shall have to go now”. He described the senior Hurriyat leader Prof Abdul Gani Bhat’s recent admission---that Kashmir’s political leaders and intellectuals were killed “by our own men”---as an eye-opener for all separatist politicians and asked how long they could hide the facts.

Omar also assailed the principal opposition parties, PDP and BJP over their “divisive politics”. He spurned PDP’s lantern rally and claimed that his coalition had done much more than what had been done on the development front by the previous government. Referring to the BJP’s proposed flag Yatra, Omar said it was strange that after 1992 when BJP hoisted flag in Lal Chowk, after 19 years it had again struck to their minds to hoist national flag, adding that it had exposed their intentions of creating trouble in the valley.

Chief Minister later flew to Baramulla to attend passing-out ceremony at a Police school at Sheeri. In the evening, he returned to the winter capital of Jammu.

END

For Govt, it’s now Khanyar today and Maharaj Gunj tomorrow

After Police recruitment rally, Omar’s maiden foray into ‘Chhota Pakistan’

Ahmed Ali Fayyaz

SRINAGAR, Jan 12: The Indian Republic Day (Jan 26^th) is two weeks away. Twenty-first anniversary of Kashmir’s first massacre, that triggered off an unending era of killings with the felling of over three dozen civilian lives at Gawkadal on January 21, 1990, is just one week away. Separatist hardliner Syed Ali Shah Geelani’s first “total shutdown” of the year stands fixed even nearer on January 15^th.

Where does Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and his Director General of Police, Kuldeep Khoda, stand in such tense situation? In safe environs of the winter capital? No. In the fortified colonial bungalows on Gupkar Road and Sonwar Bagh? Not, at all. Believe it or not, Jammu & Kashmir’s most protected government functionaries, who failed to travel by road in the Valley for four months of Intifada-2010, are having a date with downtown Srinagar localities of Khanyar and Maharaj Gunj.

While as DGP held an on-spot Police recruitment rally at Khanyar---where over 8,000 unemployed youth lined up for 100-odd vacancies of Constables today---Chief Minister is making his first visit to the city interior tomorrow. He is scheduled to inaugurate a community centre in the densely-populated Maharaj Gung locality.

Last time, Omar Abdullah had ventured into this core of ‘Chhota Pakistan’, in company of two persons including this writer, in the thick of his election campaigning in December 2008. Not for addressing a rally, but only to call on the bereaved family of a senior National Conference leader, Ali Mohammad Sagar, whose mother-in-law had passed away a couple of days back. There were few smiles and waving of hands but no invectives, no grenades, no stones either, en route to Jamalata.

All mainstream politicians had been rendered irrelevant due to Amarnath land allotment mayhem in the months of June, July, August and September in 2008. Only one slogan was heard in entire Valley: “kaun karega tarjumanii? Syed Ali Shah Geelani”. With inking a deal in Jammu and subsequently announcement of elections turned the tables in Valley. Then the “youngest Chief Minister” dominated every inch of the space.

Omar survived the Shopian blaze as well as PDP’s offensive to dump him in the debris of Srinagar Sex Scandal in 2009. There was worse in store for him in 2010. Failing to gain his grip on the executive, he was virtually buried alive. But, like his age and his political Mecca of New Delhi (read Gandhi family), his stars were firmly on his side. Yet again, Geelani had staged a dramatic comeback and his slogan of “Go India Go Back” reverberated in all directions in the Valley.

Under Geelani’s shutdown calendar, entire Valley froze for five months. Omar vanished in the smokes of 114 deaths on the streets and 120 days of total shutdown. Neither he nor any of his Ministers and officers demonstrated the courage of being seen anywhere or traveling by a road. Helicopters were used even from Airport to Gupkar Road. Taunting him with “governance deficit” and “disconnect with the people”, rivals forced him to once visit a hospital in Srinagar. He returned silently as the patients and attendants, with the background music from government officials, booed and heckled the “killer Chief Minister”.

Then the “governance deficit” drew narrower dramatically again, without Omar attempting a retake. Then, last week he sent shivers down the spine of his security when he arrived in town and decided to interact with patients, attendants and officials at the crowded SMHS Hospital. Bouquets replaced brickbats as the attendants demanded improvements in delivery and officials sought more funds and manpower. After his downtown venture on Thursday, Omar will be wending his way through the second worst spot of the summer turbulence---Baramulla---to attend a passing-out of Police recruits at Sheeri.

It’s indeed the Government’s day as the last political protester has died over four months ago. What’s brewing up for the summer next? Nobody knows----whether Year 2011 belongs to 82-year-old pro-Pakistan Geelani or 41-year-old pro-India Omar. Mirwaiz and Mehbooba indeed may have to be content with their second fiddle, for now.

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Biggest land acquisition scam in the making in CM’s own Ganderbal

4000 Kanal required for CU campus; 15,000 Kanal Govt land available; Revenue officials bent upon acquiring private land on formula 50:50

Ahmed Ali Fayyaz

SRINAGAR, Jan 11: Chief Minister’s snubbing of the District revenue authorities over their failure in acquiring land for the Central University campus at a high level review meeting last month has failed to break the jinx. Unfazed by the dressing down, the Revenue authorities are persisting with their controversial plans of taking over thousands of Kanals of the private agriculture land on exorbitant rates. Triple the area required for the campus is readily available from the government’s own reserve but the land acquisition, according to residents and informed official sources, is underway with the intention of paying double---even triple---the market value to the owners and subsequently sharing the “profit” on 50:50 basis.

According to well placed authoritative sources, an area of 4,000 Kanal of land is required for raising of the campus of the Central University at Tulmullah, in Chief Minister Omar Abdullah’s Assembly constituency of Ganderbal. Even as 15,000 Kanals of the government land is readily available, Revenue officials are bent upon acquiring private agriculture land from farmers of several villages. Expanse of the usable government land is spread over the adjoining Rakh-e-Tulmullah, Rakh-e-Wakoora, Rakh-e-Rabitaar, Rakh-e-Gogjigund, Rakh-e-Kurhama, Rakh-e-Sehpora and Rakh-e-Saloora.

Since Government of India is providing hundreds of Crores of Rupees for the land compensation, Revenue authorities want to grab the opportunity on the pattern of some previous land acquisitions in Ganderbal district. Residents insist that the modus operandi used in acquisition of land for the purpose of widening of Srinagar-Leh highway is being invoked in the matter of acquiring land for the Central University.

“Revenue officials have made huge money in recent land acquisitions in Ganderbal district by two methods: They approach the owners through their agents, fix double or triple the market value and release their payment on the condition that the extra amount would be shared between the officials and the owners on 50:50 basis. The land owners readily agree as it is a win-win situation for both”, revealed a well-informed official source. He added that even different types of government land at several places had been fraudulently shown as “private land” and the compensation thereto had been drawn from the treasury and shared with local operatives of the mafia.

He claimed that just one Revenue official, enjoying even an honest Minister’s goodwill, had earned over Rs 3 Crore in the dubious land acquisition for the highway and the same official had purchased land under benami arrangement for himself at several places in Ganderbal-Kangan belt---as much as 18 Kanal at one spot. Same Kashmir Administrative Service official, according to informed sources, is now assiduously making plans to go for private land acquisition. Sources revealed that the Revenue officials calling the shots in the whole deal had even prepared an alternative plan, in case Government decided to acquire its own land in the Rakhs. In this case, a fixed amount of Rs 40,000 per Kanal would be paid on the Rakh-e-Aarth pattern to the licensed farmers who have taken possession of the Rakh land in the last over 100 years and have been paying a minor amount annually to the Department of Rakhs and Farms.

Though only 800 Kanal of such government land is under the legitimate possession of bona fide farmers in Rakh-e-Kurhama, Ganderbal Revenue authorities have already shown as much as 1300 Kanals under such occupation. Currently agents are being created with the plan that they would project themselves as bona fide occupants of the land and claim Rs 40,000 per Kanal. Sources said that this fraudulently drawn money would be shared on 25:75 basis. Rs 30,000 per Kanal would straightaway go to the Revenue authorities. “That is exactly what was done in Rakh-e-Aarth, where Lakes and Waterways Development Authority is currently raising a colony on 7,000 Kanals of land”, revealed the sources.

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Delhi treated NC’s resolution of releasing prisoners with contempt: Geelani

‘Coalition just a puppet regime; Police taking diktats directly from Centre’

Ahmed Ali Fayyaz

SRINAGAR, Jan 10: Separatist hardliner Syed Ali Shah Geelani today dismissed the National Conference- Congress coalition government as a puppet regime and claimed that Police were taking diktats directly from New Delhi so as to continue “excesses and atrocities” on the Kashmiris. After a month-long hustle and bustle in the Valley, Geelani has also called for a total shutdown in Jammu & Kashmir on January 15^th.

Unceremoniously marginalized at the end of five-month-long mass agitation in the Valley, Syed Ali Shah Geelani held a well attended news conference at his Hyderpora residence. Building maximum possible pressure on the state authorities for seeking release of political detainees, particularly High Court Bar Association President Mian Abdul Qayoom and Dukhtaraan-e-Millat Chairperson Asiya Andrabi, appeared to be the main objective of the Hurriyat (G) patriarch.

While addressing the news conference, Geelani alleged that Police were persisting with their “reign of terror” in the Valley as there was no accountability in the law enforcing authorities. He said that Police and other security agencies were relentlessly committing excesses and atrocities on the hapless Kashmiris, notwithstanding an uneasy calm. He asserted that Police were directly taking diktats from the Union Home and Defence Ministries, without regard to the state authority.

“National Conference’s Working Committee passed the resolution of releasing all political prisoners in the month of July last year. It has been summarily rejected and treated with contempt by the Government of India”, Geelani said. He further pointed out that even the public declarations of the Centre’s J&K interlocutors had not resulted in the release of the political prisoners. He alleged that jail authorities were meting out inhuman treatment to the detained separatist activists in brazen violation of all jail manuals.

Lashing out at Police and security forces further, Geelani said that these agencies were leaving no stone unturned to revive armed insurgency that, according to him, provided the strongest justification for presence of huge size of troops in the state. He claimed that current drawing room slogan of “khoon ka badla June mein lenge” was the creation of Police and other government agencies who, he insisted, had developed vested interest in the bloody turbulence. He alleged that Police had discovered a “gold mine” in arresting Kashmiri youth and subsequently releasing them against cash payments.

“So many youngsters tell me that the Government was not allowing them to continue their political activity through democratic means. But, I always caution them against falling in the trap of the Government agencies who desperately want guns to roar”, Geelani asserted. “It’s all part of a well planned strategy”, he added. He claimed that constituting panels and fielding interlocutors were exercises in futility as none of them had mandate to resolve the real political dispute. “We will live on leaves of the trees but will never compromise on the Indian occupation in Jammu & Kashmir”, Geelani asserted.

Asked about BJP’s plans of hoisting the Indian national flag on the Clock Tower in Lalchowk on occasion of the Republic Day on January 26^th, Geelani said that it was no act of gallantry to do it under the protection of one million troopers. He asked people of all parts of the state to observe total shutdown against “continuing excesses and atrocities” by Police and security forces on January 15^th. This type of calls from Geelani, as also from Muslim League activist Massarat Aalam, who was finally arrested in September last year, had frozen the Valley for five long months from June to October 2010.

However, the situation changed dramatically in the months of September and October, following which Geelani’s shutdown calls had very limited impact. He has also abandoned his weekly shutdown calendars that were the main feature of last years’ mass agitation in Kashmir.

END