Kulgam, Sopore fail to cause 2010-type eruption

Mehbooba under house arrest, Geelani calls for shutdown over Sopore killing

Ahmed Ali Fayyaz

SRINAGAR, Aug 1: Eight-month-long period of peace in the Valley seems to have survived two major tests as neither the alleged gang rape of a woman in Kulgam nor a brazen custodial killing in Sopore has led to a mass uprising like in the summer of 2008 and 2010.

Barring few minor incidents, no significant provocation had come from government agencies to the people in Valley since September 13^th 2010---the last episode of street violence and killing. The first major threat to peace surfaced last fortnight when 28-year-old Ruqayya W/o Lateef Bhatti of Gujjardhar (Manzgam), Kulgam, complained that she had been kidnapped, held in wrongful confinement and subjected to “gang rape” by two soldiers of the Indian army.

Unlike in several incidents last year, Government quickly filed an FIR, got the complainant’s as well as other witnesses’ statements recorded and also submitted the vaginal swabs to the FSL. Even as the FSL report is still under wraps, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah told mediapersons at SKICC today that a breakthrough had been achieved. He asserted that it would be shared with the press and the common people in a couple of days.

Second serious threat to the season’s peace came from Sopore where the counter-insurgent Special Operations Group (SOG) of Jammu & Kashmir Police arrested a 27-year-old shopkeeper who died during the course of custodial interrogation. In 31-month-long Omar Abdullah government, one Manzoor Ahmed Baig had died in custody of SOG Srinagar on 19^th of May, 2009. It was quickly established a death due to cardiac arrest. Baig had been called to the SOG by an official and asked to return an amount of money he had borrowed from another civilian but had failed to liquidate the debt.

Registration of a murder case and immediate attachment of the head of SOG Sopore, Dy SP Ashiq Hussain Tak, came as an official confirmation of the custodial killing. On Sunday, as well as today, trouble remained restricted to Krankshivan Colony, in the periphery of the apple-rich township in north Kashmir. No major clash between the residents and Police/CRPF has been reported in the last 48 hours, though hundreds of people gathered at the funeral and shouted anti-India and pro-Azadi slogans. Late last night, Minister of State for Home, Nasir Aslam Wani, Director General of Police, Kuldeep Khoda, as also DC Baramulla, Bashir Ahmed Bhat, and DIG North Kashmir, Munir Khan, visited Sopore. They made a failed attempt to meet with members of the bereaved family. Nevertheless, their interaction with a number of influential citizens reduced tension to a great extent.

Today’s reports from Sopore indicated that vehicular traffic operated without any disruption, though most of the shops in the town remained shut. Small number of visitors to the bereaved family served as an indicator of the masses being not much involved.

Politicians are, nevertheless, making the best of their efforts to visit Sopore and create some trouble for the NC-Congress ruling coalition. Almost all of the Valley’s political and social organizations have condemned the custodial killing of the youth and made varied demands.

Chairman of the radical faction of Hurriyat Conference, Syed Ali Shah Geelani, who happens to be a resident of Sopore area, today called for total shutdown on August 3^rd. He, significantly, complained that Nazim Rashid alias Naveed Anjum had been eliminated for he, according to Geelani, was an eyewitness to the killing of another civilian, Mohammad Ashraf Dar. Geelani said that the sequence of fresh killings in Sopore, including the death of Ashraf and Nazim Rashid, was the “handiwork of agencies”. Word “Indian” was significantly missing in his statement.

With many eyes on response to Geelani’s call, Omar Abdullah government has, for the first time, placed leader of the principal opposition party (PDP), Mehbooba Mufti, under “house arrest”. She was not allowed to proceed to Sopore yesterday. Mehbooba attended District Development Board meeting of Shopian but was prevented from visiting Sopore in the afternoon today. She was forcibly lifted, alongwith a number of her party colleagues, from a dharna at the old TRC complex and confined to her official accommodation at Gupkar Road. Police put up a heavy lock on the main gate and served on her District Magistrate’s order that asked her to remain confined within the premises.

It was first time that District Magistrate has served such an order on a mainstream political leader in the last over two years.

Much remains to be seen on Wednesday next but, as of now, it appears that a major volcanic eruption is not around the corner in Kashmir.

END

First custodial killing of Omar Govt happens in Geelani’s Sopore

·        Omar on Twitter: Inexcusable human rights violation

·        Murder case filed, Dy SP attached, 3 cops placed under suspension

Ahmed Ali Fayyaz

SRINAGAR, Jul 31: Thirty-one-month-old Omar Abdullah government’s first custodial killing has occurred in the separatist hawk Syed Ali Shah Geelani’s hometown of Sopore in north Kashmir. Twenty-five-year-old shopkeeper’s death has led to minor street demonstrations in the apple-rich town, besides “house arrest” of a number of separatist and mainstream political leaders in Srinagar even as the government has registered a murder case against Police, a Dy SP has been attached and three more personnel have been placed under suspension.

Informed sources told Early Times that a unit of Special Operations Group (SOG) had picked up a young grocer, Nazim Rashid Shala alias Anjum---lonely son of a retired Police Sub Inspector Abdul Rashid Shala---from his locality of Krankshivan Colony of Sopore in the afternoon on Saturday. Reportedly wanted in the investigation of the killing of one Mohammad Ashraf Dar, who was gunned down by suspected militants near his home at Naseembagh, Sopore, on July 27^th evening, Nazim was detained and subjected to custodial interrogation. In the wee hours today, he breathed his last in custody of SOG Sopore.

Apprehending anti-Police and anti-Government demonstrations, included violent clashes at several places, authorities in the morning sounded an alert throughout the Valley. After the pause of calm for nearly eight months, Police and CRPF personnel carrying batons, shields and tearsmoke canisters, were spotted in movement at several places in this capital city and other major towns in the Valley. People at large, however, remained indifferent to the news of first killing by Police after September 13^th, 2010.

Even as the wave of unrest remained restricted to just a part of Sopore town and it did not engulf the Valley, authorities forced home confinement of a number of separatist leaders, including heads of both factions of the Hurriyat Conference, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Syed Ali Shah Geelani. Sources said that Police also locked the main entrance of the PDP President Mehbooba Mufti’s official premises at Gupkar Road and thus prevented her from proceeding to Sopore.

Reports from Sopore said that traffic and commercial establishments functioned normally in Sopore. However, shops were seen shut in Krankshivan Colony. Scores of people in Krankshivan Colony and its adjoining peripheries staged anti-Government, anti-Police, anti-India and pro-Azadi demonstration while shouting slogans and demanding immediate arrest and termination of the services of the Police personnel responsible for the youth’s custodial killing. Police resorted to baton charge and tearsmoke to disperse the angry crowds. This led to stone pelting and clashes between demonstrators and Police, though not largescale.

Reports said that at least six demonstrators and Police and paramilitary personnel sustained minor injuries in the clashes. According to reports, trouble did not spread to other areas because of heavy deployment of Police and CRPF. Severe restrictions on movement were not enforced. Reports said that the dead body was handed over to the family in the evening but the family members and other residents declined to conduct the funeral.

It was at around 2130 hours that the family relented and the funeral rites were conducted. Reports said that the youth was buried in a local graveyard. MoS Home Nasir Aslam Wani and DGP, Kuldeep Khoda, drove to Sopore at 2200 hours tonight. Police and civil administration were trying to ferry members of the bereaved family and some senior citizens for a meeting with MoS Home and DGP at a private Education college at Lalad, in Sopore outskirts, when this story was filed at 2300 hours. Sources told Early Times that influential citizens like Inayatullah Hajini, Ghulam Nabi Shala and Farooq Ahmed Hakeem attended the meeting with MoS Home, DGP, IGP, DIG and DC Baramulla but Nazim Rashid’s father refused to meet the government team.

Authoritative sources said that, earlier today, on the instructions from Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and MoS Home, Nasir Aslam Wani, Police Station of Sopore registered a murder case against SOG personnel under section 302 of Ranbir Penal Code. Dy SP of SOG Sopore, Ashiq Hussain Tak, was attached and three more personnel were placed under suspension. They included incharge of the component, incharge of guard and a sentry. Under orders from the government, Deputy Commissioner of Baramulla, Bashir Ahmed Bhat, would personally conduct an investigation into the circumstances that led to the death of Nazim Rashid Shala in SOG custody.

Block Medical Officer of Sopore conducted the post-mortem alongwith three other doctors. He was expected to submit his detailed report, through CMO Baramulla, to the District Magistrate on Monday. Nazim Rashid is widely believed to have been tortured to death and registration of murder case against SOG has come as an official confirmation. Officials associated with the procedure said that marks of physical torture were tell-tale on the dead body.

Even before availability of the post-mortem report, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah posted on Twitter: “The death of Anjum Rashid in police custody is a gross human rights violation and inexcusable. Things like this cannot be allowed to happen”. He added: “I expect the police to do nothing less than make an example of those responsible so that nothing like this ever happens again. Swift & exemplary action. No delays, no cover ups, no excuses. That’s all I can promise & ensure. It’s not enough, of that too I’m aware”.

Scores of his nearly 40,000 followers on Twitter, however, viewed the government action as an eyewash and stressed on immediate, demonstrable action in the matter. Some of them taunted Omar with inability to deliver.

Sources revealed that Police and security forces arrested Nazim Rashid Shala after his name figured “as the person who had called three civilians out before they were separately shot dead by unidentified militants in Sopore town in the last one month”. Sources said that his identification became available with the help of Police sources and technical corroboration in the afternoon on Saturday.

Quoting Nazim’s father, KNS reported that a Major of Army had called Nazim to his camp but he was arrested from his shop when he did not go to the camp. He was later handed over to the local SOG camp wherefrom he called his father, first to bring his cellphone to the camp at 8.00 p.m last evening and then some of his medicines at 9.00 pm. Retired SI, Ab Rashid Shala, according to KNS, was not allowed in and the sentries took custody of the youth’s mobile phone and medicines. Ab Rashid has confirmed that that his son and Mohammad Ashraf Dar were together when the latter was gunned down by unidentified assassins on Wednesday last.

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Minister manhandled at SKIMS, DM chief gets VIP treatment

Ahmed Ali Fayyaz

SRINAGAR, Jul 29: Lately appointed Director of Sher-e-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS), Dr Shaukat Ali Zargar, has allegedly manhandled Minister of Animal Husbandry, Science & Technology and Information Technology, Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi, alongwith his security guards and, at the same time, allotted a VIP Room to the outlawed Dukhtaraan-e-Millat Chairperson, Asiya Andrabi, at Jammu and Kashmir’s only tertiary care hospital. Attack on a Cabinet Minister by a public servant has put entire Council of Ministers in an awkward position even as a number of Ministerial colleagues are now asking Aga Ruhullah to get his dignity “restored” by Chief Minister and Speaker of Legislative Assembly.

Authoritative sources revealed to Early Times that a number of Ministers and legislators have taken the July 26^th “attack” on Aga Ruhullah seriously and they are likely to agitate the matter before Chief Minister Omar Abdullah. Aga has been counseled to assert and get his dignity “restored” as acceptance of the attack mutely could encourage similar attacks by public servants on Ministers and legislators in Jammu and Kashmir. Taking action in this matter is the prerogative of Chief Minister who also happens to be the Chairman of Governing Body of SKIMS. Omar had picked up eminent gastroenterologist, Dr Shaukat Zargar, as the new Director of SKIMS three months back.

Chief Minister has been indisposed since Wednesday last and all appointments with him have been frozen. Sources said that the Ministers were also waiting for Speaker Mohammad Akbar Lone, who has returned to New Delhi today from a 14-day tour of Saudi Arabia and England. Mr Lone is scheduled to reach back his office tomorrow. Aga, as a cabinet Minister and MLA, is entitled to move a privilege motion against Director SKIMS in case Government does not initiate disciplinary action and remedial measures to safeguard honour, dignity and privilege of the complainant Minister.

The first ever physical attack, if established, by a public servant---incidents like a Police official’s throwing his shoes on Chief Minister on the Independence Day last year excluded---happened at 8.30 pm on July 26^th when Aga Ruhullah was attending on his ailing mother inside VIP Room at SKIMS. Eyewitnesses said that Dr Zargar and his PSO argued with the Minister and physically pushed him towards the exit when he did not clear the way for the Director’s passage.

Sources revealed that Dr Zargar was going to examine Chairperson of the outlawed Dukhtaraan-e-Millat, Asiya Andrabi, in another VIP Room adjacent to the VIP Room occupied by Aga’s mother. A PSA detainee, Asiya Andrabi, has been under treatment at the VIP Room for the last over 10 days. With complaint of backache, besides heart and chest pain, Asiya is being specially attended by a team of doctors from the departments of General Medicine and Physical Medicine. Aga’s mother, who had a neurology-related problem, has been discharged on July 27^th.

“I was an attendant with my mother for two days. I had two PSOs with me but I did not allow them to enter the main entrance of the VIP Rooms. It was around 8.30 pm on July 26^th that Director came in to visit a patient. His PSO ordered loudly to clear the way. Before, I could move, Director began shouting on me as to why I had not moved away. Even as it was he who had allotted one of the two VIP Rooms to my mother, I humbly introduced myself to him as Aga Ruhullah. He asked me to get away and mind my work. As I told him that I was not an employee but a Minister attending on my mother, his PSO began shouting and physically removing me. On hearing the heated exchange, a number of attendants gathered and my PSOs rushed in. They rescued me but Director’s PSO scuffled with them. In the course of scuffle, he sustained a minor injury”, Aga Ruhullah revealed to Early Times.

However, some of the eyewitnesses insisted that Director and his armed PSO pushed the Minister repeatedly towards the exit till his PSO came to his rescue. They even threatened to open fire but stopped short of the extreme action. Within minutes, SHO Soura reached the spot but the matter was resolved. Aga’s mother was discharged from the hospital next day.

SP Hazratbal, Abdul Waheed Shah, confirmed that a physical dual took place between the PSOs of Director and Minister in which Director’s PSO got injured. “SHO Soura rushed to the spot immediately after he received reports of a scuffle at the VIP Rooms of SKIMS. We did not register FIR as the parties did not insist on submitting a written complaint”, SP Hazratbal said. Other informed sources in Police, however, said that the SHO decided to remain neutral and inactive as he was under pressure from both sides to file criminal complaints on their allegations and counter-allegations.

Director SKIMS, Dr Shaukat Zargar, denied that he scuffled or physically pushed the Minister. “It was a minor incident. I was a little away, attending another patient, and heard my PSO arguing with the Minister and his PSOs. Things were resolved amicably. I did not know the Minister by face. I had only heard his name. I did not recognize him”, Dr Zargar asserted. He added: “Sometimes VIP attendants get angry. The other day only, I stopped coming in of home meals for Asiya Ji. I objected when I found six attendants in her room. Now, they too are angry with me”.

State’s youngest ever Cabinet Minister, Aga Ruhullah had joined National Conference in 2002, two years after his father Aga Syed Mehdi, a Congress leader, was killed in a powerful landmine blast, along with his driver and seven Police guards, on Srinagar-Gulmarg Road. He served as NC’s MLA of Budgam from 2002 t0 2008. In December 2009 he was returned for second term and was inducted as a Minister of his Cabinet by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah in July 2009.

END

Home Minister visits JuM chief’s home

Nasir Aslam Wani: “Deceased woman’s mother was from my village”

Ahmed Ali Fayyaz

SRINAGAR, Jul 27: After years of blaming Mehbooba Mufti’s Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for being soft and sympathetic to militants, Omar Abdullah’s National Conference (NC) seems to have adopted the policy of winning the goodwill of top militant commanders in the Valley. In a significant development yesterday, Chief Minister’s confidante and Minister of State for Home, Nasir Aslam Wani, attended a condolence meeting at the home of “Commander-in-Chief” of Jamiatul Mujahideen, Ghulam Rasool Shah alias ‘General’ Abdullah in his home district of Kupwara.

Informed sources in Kupwara told Early Times that during his tour of Haihama area, MoS Home, Nasir Aslam Wani, paid a visit to the home of Ghulam Rasool Shah alias ‘General’ Abdullah and Ali Mohammad Shah at Mirnag hamlet in the afternoon on Wednesday. Ghulam Rasool Shah and Ali Mohammad Shah are real brothers. Ali Mohammad Shah’s wife, Ayesha Begum, had passed away last week. Sources said that Mr Wani, alongwith a number of his party activists and government officials of his subordinate departments, stayed at the Shah’s house for about 20 minutes. In the evening, Minister returned to Srinagar.

Brother of the deceased woman’s husband, Ghulam Rasool Shah alias General Abdullah, has been operating as “Commander-in-Chief” of the dreaded militant organisation Jamiatul Mujahideen (JuM) since 1995-96. He had been arrested by security forces but gave a slip to his Police guards at SMHS Hospital in Srinagar in 1997. He is reported to have crossed the LoC and established his base in Muzaffarabad and Islamabad in the same year. According to official records and other independent reports, ‘General’ Abdullah has been operating as “Commander-in-Chief” of JuM in Pakistan and Pakistan-controlled Kashmir and has never returned to Valley in the last 14 years. He also happens to be one of the most important functionaries of the guerrilla umbrella, United Jihad Council (UJC), next in hierarchy to only its Chairman and “Supreme Commander” of Hizbul Mujahideen, Mohammad Yousuf Shah alias Syed Salah-ud-din.

Police and security forces have conducted scores of raids on Shah’s house in search of militants. The Shahs dismantled their house and later constructed a new one in the same hamlet, nearly 8 Kms from Kupwara. Forces have allegedly picked up one of Ayesha’s sons and made him a victim of enforced disappearance over a decade ago.

MLA of Amirakadal constituency in Srinagar, Nasir Aslam Wani is originally a resident of Sogam village of Kupwara district. He happens to be the grandson of legendary politician, late Ghulam Nabi Wani Sogami, who functioned as MLA of Kupwara and Minister of Forest in then Prime Minister of Jammu and Kashmir Bakhshi Ghulam Mohammad’s Cabinet for several years in 1950s. Nasir and his father, who passed away recently, have been living in the posh locality of Rajbagh in Srinagar since 1970s. He contested his maiden elections in 2008 and was returned from Amirakadal.

Chief Minister Omar Abdullah inducted Nasir as a junior Minister in his Council of Ministers in July 2009. Already functioning as MoS of Revenue, Irrigation & PHE, Housing & Urban Development, besides few other departments, he has been lately assigned the most sensitive Home portfolio.

Mr Wani confirmed his participation in a condolence meeting at Ghulam Rasool Shah’s and Ali Mohammad Shah’s home at Mirnag, Haihama but maintained that he had no knowledge of Ghulam Rasool Shah’s being the fugitive “Commander-in-Chief” of Jamiatul Mujahideen. “I have no idea even about the background of another brother Ali Mohammad Shah. I went there simply because of the fact that the deceased woman, Ayesha, happened to be the daughter of a woman from my village Sogam. Ayesha’s mother, who has died 25 years ago, was close to my mother and others in our family at Sogam”, Mr Wani said.

Residents of Mirnag, however, refused to buy the Minister’s argument. “Nasir Sahab came here only for General Abdullah. Had he been concerned about the woman, he would have visited her when she was ill for a long time or was searching for her missing son”, said a neighbour.

A number of Kashmiri mainstream politicians have been keeping top-ranking militant commanders in good humour by way of visiting their homes on occasions of a death or wedding, shifting officials according to their choice and even distributing IAY units and Anganwari centres and allotting developmental works on their recommendations. However, none of such allegations has so far surfaced against Mr Wani.

Number of militant-friendly leaders in NC has remained the lowest. Under Dr Farooq Abdullah’s leadership, NC had taken a tough stand against militants. Nevertheless, leaders like the high profile Sharief-ud-din Shariq and late Mushtaq Ahmed Lone, who functioned as MoS Home till his assassination in September 2002, were known for their soft corner and good relations with militants. During the street turbulence of 2008, NC’s senior leader and Dr Abdullah’s brother, Dr Mustafa Kamal, had hogged headlines when he visited families of two slain militants in Palhalan, Pattan.

In recent times, longtime associate of the slain separatist leader Abdul Gani Lone, Engineer Sheikh Abdul Rasheed, has attained the profile of a militant-friendly mainstream politician. He has been functioning as independent MLA of Langate, Kupwara, since January 2009. With his several speeches in Assembly, Er Rasheed has created ripples in the state. While stressing on inclusion of Hizb chief Salah-ud-din in the dialogue process to resolve Kashmir, Er Rasheed has also attended funeral prayers of a number of militants killed in gunbattles with security forces.

Even as pro-militant tantrums have become a mark of identification for the PDP and the party’s President, Mehbooba Mufti, has been frequently accused of her “connections” with top militants like Aamir Khan, former Janata Dal leader and union MoS Home, Mohammad Maqbool Dar, had also visited residences and hideouts of top militant commanders, including that of Aamir Khan, in 1998 and 1999 Lok Sabha elections.

END

[Posted at 0820 hours July 27th Indian Standard Time and 2250 hours July 26th New York Time]

Fai released on bail bond of $ 100,000

Will remain GPS-tethered at home, movement barred

Ahmed Ali Fayyaz

SRINAGAR, Jul27: Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) today delivered a charge sheet of his being an unregistered foreign agent on Kashmiri American lobbyist, Dr Ghulam Nabi Fai, who was, for the first time after his arrest last week, produced in a court. Judge ordered his release on submission of bail bond of $ 100,000, barred his movement out of his home and ordered further that the accused would remain tied to a Global Positioning System.

A New York-based Kashmiri American solicitor who watched the first hearing told Early Times over telephone from Alexandria, Virginia, that the charge sheet against the 62-year-old Executive Director and founder of Kashmiri American Council (KAC) held him guilty of operating as an agent of the Pakistani government agencies without registration and authorization in United States of America.  “Conspiracy to act as an agent of a foreign principal without registering with the Attorney General, and to falsify, conceal, and cover up material by tricks, schemes and devices, in matters within the jurisdiction of agencies of the executive branch of the government of the United States” has been mentioned as the subject of the criminal complaint against Fai.

FBI solicitors, including Special Agent Sarah Web Linden, were present when the criminal complaint against Fai [case No: 1:11MJ558] came up for hearing in the United States Court for the Eastern District of Virginia. The accused has been detained in a lock-up of the court building since his arrest by FBI on July 18^th. Fai had been picked up from his home at Fairfax, not far away from Alexandria town.

FBI solicitors stressed on Fai’s continued detention in a prison with the argument that the accused had high profile international connections and he could conveniently escape the trial. The defense lawyers asserted that Fai was a permanent resident and American national and he had high stakes in staying in USA. They pointed out that even last fortnight, days before his arrest, he had kept the world of appearing before the FBI agents when they wanted him not to travel to Tajikistan to participate in a conference of the Organisation of Islamic Countries (OIC).

Pressing for bail, Fai’s solicitors assured the court that the accused would in no way attempt to influence any evidences and he would cooperate with the FBI, as well as the court, all through the course of trial. Thereupon, judge ordered Fai’s release on bail.

According to an order passed by the judge, Dr Fai would submit a bail bond of $ 100,000. He and his wife, Chang, would surrender their passports which would remain in custody of the court. The accused would remain confined to his house in Fairfax and he would not make any movement outside the premises excluding meetings with his lawyers with the prior permission of the court. Besides, a GPS device would remain tied to his foot to facilitate FBI to monitor his movement. Fai was likely to be released in a day after completion of formalities by his wife.

FBI solicitors strongly insisted on collateral of the forfeiture of Fai’s house with the argument that its acquisition was the result of the operation of funds illegally provided to the accused by the government agencies of Pakistan. The court, however, did not concede. Fai’s solicitors looked triumphant as bail bonds in such high profile criminal matters were normally to the tune of $ 2 to 3 million.

Proceedings continued for 45 minutes and were watched by a number of Fai’s friends, associates and relatives including his wife.

END

Govt ignored my repeated requests for over 4 months: CIC

‘RTI was born in J&K 7 years back but it is still not fully operational’

Ahmed Ali Fayyaz

SRINAGAR, Jul 26: Chief Information Commissioner (CIC), Ghulam Rasool Sufi, today lamented that Government of Jammu and Kashmir was not showing seriousness in implementation of the Right to Information (RTI) Act. He expressed displeasure over the government’s inaction in making the State Information Commission (SIC) fully operational and, after months of silence, disclosed that the Government had ignored his repeated requests of appointing two commissioners for the SIC.

Breaking his silence with regard to excessive delay in appointment of the two Information Commissioners, CIC told Early Times that his repeated requests to the Government had failed to yield anything in the last over four months. Appointment of two Information Commissioners, as provided in the law, would make the SIC complete and fully functional for implementation of the RTI Act. Sufi expressed his shock and anguish over the fact that the SIC was incomplete and the RTI was not fully in operation even after seven years of its birth in the state.

According to him, it was a matter of pride for Jammu and Kashmir that this strife-ravaged state had pioneered in making the legislation on RTI in 2004 and subsequently making it equivalent of the Central law with an amendment in 2009. Even as RTI had been made stronger and more comprehensive in recent past, it was not fully in force in absence of a complete SIC, he said. Sufi revealed that after his appointment on February 9th this year and particularly in the last four months, he had been meeting the ruling as well as opposition parties and pursuing the matter of the appointment of two Information Commissioners but there had been no action from the concerned authorities.

CIC said that he would like to see the SIC fully operational with one Information Commissioner holding the office in Jammu and another in Srinagar. He said that since February this year, he had been single-handedly conducting the SIC’s business while shuttling between Srinagar, Jammu and Leh. He made yet another passionate appeal---this time through media---to the Government to accomplish the constitution of the SIC with the appointment of two Information Commissioners so as to fulfill the mandate of the Legislature “without further loss of time”.

Even as J&K had taken lead in the country in making RTI in 2004 and the law had been made stronger with two amendments in 2009 and 2011, successive governments failed to constitute the SIC for several years. For nearly two years, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah maintained that he was waiting for then Chairman of the Central Information Commission, Wajahat Habibullah, to take over as the maiden Chairman of SIC in Jammu and Kashmir. That, however, proved to be wrong as Wajahat did not accept the offer even after completing his 5-year-long tenure at the Central Information Commission. Then functioning as Chief Income Tax Commissioner for north India, a 1977 batch officer of Indian Revenue Service and a permanent resident of Srinagar,Sufi was finally appointed as the first CIC in J&K on February 9^th, 2011.

Governor is by law competent to appoint CIC and two Information Commissioners on the recommendations of a selection committee comprising Chief Minister, one Cabinet Minister to be nominated by him and Leader of the Opposition/ Leader of the single largest opposition party in Legislative Assembly.

 “The Information Commissioners shall be persons of eminence in public life with wide knowledge and experience in law, science and technology, social service, management, journalism, mass media or administration and governance”, says the law.

END

Govt wants more prisons, more prisoners

But selection process of 73 warders takes 5 years, still incomplete

Ahmed Ali Fayyaz

SRINAGAR, Jul 25: Notwithstanding Chief Minister Omar Abdullah’s emphasis on quick and efficient delivery systems in the state government, officials directly functioning under his Home Department seem to be unmoved with regard to recruitment of warders in different jails in Jammu and Kashmir. Department of Prisons has seen five successive heads in the last five years but it has failed to complete the recruitment process of 73 warders in 59 months.

Last recruitment of Warders has taken place in 1995. With the officials reaching superannuation and no replenishment of staff coming in over the last 16 years, the number of jails as well as prisoners and detainees has remarkably grown. One of the new jails has come up in Kupwara in 2010 and the proposal of establishing another sub jail in Anantnag is in the pipeline. Cabinet is likely to sanction the creation within the current year. Department is operating and managing the jails with mass deputations of staff from J&K executive and armed Police.

It was during Mufti Mohammad Sayeed-led coalition government that Department of Prisons had started the process of the recruitment of staff for different jails in the state. Department had notified 73 posts of Warders, besides 29 more Class III and Class IV vacancies, vide Notification No: 539 of 2005 Dated 25-08-2005. As many as 14076 male candidates submitted papers for 63 vacancies while as the number of applications received for 10 vacancies, reserved for females, was 484 in Kashmir Division.

Even as Chief Ministers, Home Commissioners, Chief Secretaries, DGPs and IGPs, heading the Department of Prison, kept coming and going, the selection process remained wrapped in the shrouds of inaction for over four years. When the number of fresh prisoners and detainees rose to a phenomenal 5,000 in Valley alone due to last year’s street turbulence, Government began waking out of slumber. It conducted the physical test of candidates in November 2010, followed by a ‘Literacy Test’ of all candidates on 24-12-2010. Still, the selection process has not been completed and results have not been declared till date.

Inspector General of Police, Prisons, Mohammad Amin Anjum has no hesitation to accept that inordinate delay in the process of recruitment, that has already spanned over five years, was the result of the lack of initiative and accountability. “Applications of thousands of candidates had been decaying in steel trunks since these had been received in 2005. Four of my predecessor DGs, who headed the department, did not open a single of these applications. It was me who started the process last year and the physical test and literacy test conducted within two months”, Mr Anjum said.

In Kashmir valley alone, 14,560 candidates---1957 in Srinagar, Ganderbal; 2360 in Baramulla, Bandipore; 1201 in Budgam; 673 in Kupwara; 5528 in Anantnag, Kulgam; and 2841 in Pulwama, Shopian---have been waiting for the results with the hope of getting a government job since August 2005. Some of the SC/ST and OBC candidates, who were eligible upto the age of 40 years in 2005, have already crossed 45. Even if they are recruited today, their total length of service would be just 13 years.

Mr Anjum said that one of the key members of the selection committee, IGP Traffic Hemant Kumar Lohia, was currently on an official assignment in Germany. “Mr Lohia is likely to return in the first week of August. I’m hopeful that we must complete the process and declare the results within a month from now”, he asserted. Still, he expressed apprehension that preoccupation of Police officials with Independence Day (Aug 15^th) could further delay the process.

END