KILLED: Road accidents killed more people than militancy-related incidents in J&K in 2009, according to state home department. At least 1100 people were killed and 8199 persons injured in 5945 road accidents last year in the state, while 398 people were killed and over 300 injured in 1251 militancy-related incidents. Of 1100, 781 died in accidents in Jammu region and 319 in Kashmir.
HIKED: The monthly cash assistance in favour of Kashmiri migrants has been enhanced by Rs 1000 per family with retrospective effect from last July. Under the new slab a migrant family with four souls and above will receive a cash assistance of Rs 5000 per month.
CLASHED: Rift within Congress over the induction of Imtiyaz Parray son of Kuka Parray into the party led to clashes between two groups of party workers near party headquarters at M.A. road, Sringar. A group agitated over Parray’s inclusion raised slogans aginst PCC president Saif-u-Din Soz.
SEALED: Government has sealed 33 illegal clinics and private nursing homes in the State. Minister for Health Sham Lal Sharma said that about 90 percent of the private Nursing Homes, hospitals and clinics were operating illegally.
DISMISSED: The Upper House has dismissed the Permanent Resident Disqualification Bill, under which women from Jammu and Kashmir who marry outside the state cannot buy property here and lose many other privileges accorded to residents.
ENROLLED: The Congress party has enrolled 2.10 lakh members in Kashmir during the last five months. Meanwhile, 2000 delegates have been enrolled to form the electoral college that will choose the PCC office-bearers. Interestingly, Jammu region is lagging behind Kashmir in the memberships.
Charged: Two months after a teenaged boy was shot dead here sparking widespread protests, the Jammu and Kashmir Police has charged BSF Commandant R K Birdhi and constable Lakhvinder Kumar Singh with murder under section 302 of Ranbir Penal Code. The two have also been charged under Section 120-B (criminal conspiracy), Section 201 (destruction of evidence) and Section 307 (attempt to murder).
DETECTED: The government suspended a Tehsil Supply Officer (TSO) and two other employees of the department in yet another multi-crore food-grains scandal in remote Marwah-Warwan area of district Kishtwar.
REARRESTED: Police rearrested senior separatist leader Shabir Ahmad Shah immediately after his release from Kathua jail. Shah was released under court orders and as soon as he came out of the jail in Kathua, police whisked him away to some unknown destination.
CONVICTED: Fourteen years after 13 people were killed and 39 injured in a bomb blast in Lajpat Nagar market, a Delhi court convicted six accused including a woman, and acquitted four. All the accused are from Jammu and Kashmir. Mirza Nissar Hussain, Mohammad Naushad, Mohammad Ali Bhatt and Javed Ahmed Khan were held guilty for murder, attempt to murder, conspiracy and mischief. The four face a maximum punishment of death penalty. The two other accused were convicted under the Explosive Substances Act and the Arms Act. Farooq Ahmed Khan and Farida Dar, face a maximum punishment of seven years.
SOUGHT: The Government of India has claimed that back-channel talks with Hurriyat Conference leaders were on and it was open to negotiating anything less than independence for Kashmir.“Talks are going on and the talks will continue. These are back channel talks,” Union Home Secretary G K Pillai said.
