Srinagar: Security forces shot dead two local militants in a gun battle in Kashmir on Wednesday morning, officials said.

They said the duo were Involved in the recent killing of a Sarpanch in the city outskirts.

Officials said the gunfight broke in Tral area of Awantipora sub-district in south Kashmir when joint forces launched a cordon and search operation following an input about the presence of militants there.

“As the cordon was being laid, the militants opened fire triggering a gunfight with the security forces. Two militants have been killed in the gunfight,” a security official said.

Inspector General of Police Vijay Kumar identified the slain militants as Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind’s (AGuH) Safat Muzzaffar Sofi alias Muavia and Lashker-e-Toiba’s Umer Teli alias Talha.

“Before shifting to Tral area both were involved in several terror crimes in Srinagar city including recent killing of Sarpanch (Sameer Ahmad) in Khanmoh Srinagar,” a police tweet quoting the IGP Kashmir said

Sarpanch Sameer Ahmed Bhat was killed on March 9 at Khonmoh in Srinagar district. Days later police had said the three militants killed in a gunfight at Nowgam in Srinagar outskirts on March 16, were involved in the Sameer’s killing.

New Delhi: Since the repeal of Article 370 in August 2019, about 2105 migrants have returned to the Kashmir Valley for taking up the jobs provided under Prime Minister’ Development Package, the government informed Rajya Sabha on Wednesday.

Under the said package, Minister of State for Home Affairs, Nityanand Rai said, 841 appointments were made in 2020-21 and 1264 were made in 2021-22.

The minister was responding to a query by four Rajya Sabha members who sought to know the details of number of Kashmiri Pandits rehabilitated in Kashmir Valley by the central government after abolition of Article 370 in Aug 2019.

The minister said that 14 Hindus have been killed by militants in Jammu and Kashmir between August 2019 and March 2022.

Rai said that the government has taken several measures to ensure safety of minorities in the valley, he added.

“These include a robust security and intelligence grid, group security in the form of static guards, day and night area domination, round the clock checking at Nakas, patrolling in the areas where the minorities reside besides proactive operations against terrorists,” he said.

New Delhi: There has been a four-fold fall in incidents of cross-border infiltration in Jammu and Kashmir in the past five years, according to statistics provided by the Home Ministry in the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday.

Responding to members Rakesh Sinha and Satish Chandra Dubey, Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai said” “Cross-border infiltration has decreased significantly in Jammu and Kashmir.”

The Minister said 136 incidents of infiltration were noticed in 2017, 143 in 2018, 138 in 2019, 51 in 2020 and 34 in 2021.

The incidents of cross-border infiltration declined sharply post abolition of Article 370 in August 2019, he said.

He said the government adopted a multi-pronged approach to contain cross-border infiltration.

These included multi-tiered deployment along the international border, border fencing, improved intelligence and operational coordination, equipping security forces with advanced weapons and taking proactive action against infiltrators, Rai said.

New Delhi: Hitting out at the family-led political parties, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday said that they never allowed the youth to progress.

Addressing the BJP workers on the 42nd foundation of the party, Modi said that while for others it is ‘parivar bhakti’, for the BJP it is ‘rastra bhakti’.

“Some political parties are working for the interest of one family. They are present in different states but cover up corruption and misdeeds of each other.

“Country has suffered huge losses due to family-led political parties. Family-led parties have never allowed the youths of the country to progress. They have always betrayed youth. And today BJP is the only party which has alerted the country about this and made a political issue. Today everyone understands that family-led parties are against democracy,” Modi said.

Referring to political violence and killing of BJP workers in opposition-ruled states, Prime Minister Modi said, “BJP workers are fighting and losing lives. I assure that our fight will continue till we restore the democratic values in those states.”

The Prime Minister told the party leaders and workers that the BJP is working day and night for the upliftment of poor, downtrodden, women and backwards, these are core values of the party.

He claimed that several political parties indulged in vote bank politics for decades and the BJP has been successful in countering these unfair practices

Starting his address, Modi said, “Today is the fifth day of Navratri. Today we worship Maa Skandamata. We’ve seen that she sits on a Lotus throne and holds Lotus flowers in both her hands. I pray for her blessings.”

He told the party leaders and workers that from Kashmir to Kanyakumari, Kutch to Kohima, the BJP is continuously strengthening the resolve of one India — ‘Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat’.

“This year’s foundation day has become very important due to three reasons. We are celebrating 75 years of Independence and this is a major occasion for inspiration for us. Second, rapidly changing global order and new opportunities are coming up for India continuously. Third, BJP’s double engine government has formed once again in four states and after three decades a party has touched the mark of 100 members in Rajya Sabha,” Modi said.

He claimed that today India is firmly standing for its interests without any fear or pressure. “When the entire world is divided into two rival factions, India is being viewed as a nation that can firmly speak about humanity,” he said.

He also said that there was a time when the people had accepted that be it a government of any party, nothing will be done for the country. “Today, every citizen of the country is proudly saying that the nation is changing,” Modi said.

He mentioned that recently the country achieved its target of reaching $400 billion in exports.

“Our government is working keeping the national interest at forefront. Today the country has decision-making power as well as the determination to enact its decisions. Therefore, today while we are setting goals, we are also fulfilling them,” he added.

>Visits border village Kalyanpur; reviews developmental schemes
>  Under PM’s guidance J&K UT determined to remove developmental imbalances
> Rs 600 Crore allocated this year to strengthen border infrastructure

> Focus on saturation of development schemes benefit, financial inclusion of women

> Govt committed to provide better quality of life to citizens living in far-flung areas

 >Pays obeisance at the Baba Jitto temple at Jhiri

>Launches E-rent application for direct transfer of rent to landowners
> Hands over tractors; land passbooks; sports kits; sanction orders, wheelchairs, motorized vehicles, hearing aids to specially-abled

Jammu: Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Wednesday termed the border village development as the main pillar of the nation’s development.

He visited the border village Kalyanpur of Marh area and reviewed the implementation of the developmental schemes during Block Diwas.

The Lt Governor said, “Under the guidance of Hon’ble Prime Minister Narendra Modi Ji, J&K UT is determined to remove the developmental imbalances and truly realize the limitless potential and possibilities of border areas.”

Highlighting the reforms introduced to bridge the Rural-Urban gap, the Lt Governor said that an unprecedented Rs 600 Crore has been allocated in this financial year to strengthen border infrastructure, creation of modern agriculture and agro-based small-scale and village industries.

The Lt Governor reiterated the government’s commitment to the goal of providing a better quality of life to the citizens living in far-flung areas by ensuring access to modern health care, education, roads, clean drinking water, skill training, self-employment opportunity for complete spatial and socio-economic transformation of border villages, making them vibrant centers of rural prosperity.

Our focus is on saturation of development schemes benefit, financial inclusion of women and holistic development of each village for inclusive growth, the Lt Governor added.

The Lt Governor urged the PRIs to actively participate in the formulation of the District Plans as per the needs of the local population.

For participatory development and effective empowerment of PRIs, the district plans are being finalized by representatives from all three-tiers of grass-root democracy, he said.

The Lt Governor said apart from various new projects, the long-pending works under Border Area Development Programme (BADP) have been completed. In the district capex, 1158 projects were completed in border villages, he added.

The Lt Governor called for adopting best practices and getting desired results on ground by implementing schemes through convergence mode.

On the occasion, the Lt Governor also highlighted the impact of the governance reforms introduced in the last one and a half years.

The completion of more than 50,000 projects in the previous financial year as compared to around 9,200 projects in 2018-19 speaks volume about good governance in J&K, observed the Lt Governor.

On average, more than Rs One crore has been given to each panchayat for developmental works. Under Aapki Zameen Aap Ki Nigrani in Jammu district, the land records of almost all the villages have been digitized and passbooks have also been issued, in three languages, in most of the tehsils.

In Jammu district, 16,810 new eligible beneficiaries have been added in March this year for pension schemes of the Social Welfare Department. Apart from this, beneficiaries have been linked with other schemes by organizing special panchayat level camps. Mission Youth and Jammu District Administration are facilitating youths in their border belts through Centre for District Youth Training & Empowerment where facilities are being provided to young boys and girls preparing for army, paramilitary forces and other competitive examinations, added the Lt Governor.

It was informed that the BSF will support 80 youths of the area for skill development, besides 35 youth will be part of Bharat Darshan tour.  Moreover, the local youths will be provided support for their preparations for Paramilitary and CAPF recruitment, and three medical camps will be organized in the area in coming months.

On the occasion, the Lt Governor launched an E-rent application for direct money transfer to the accounts of all landowners in Jammu district benefitting around 30,000 people whose land is being used by the Armed Forces.

Earlier, the Lt Governor paid obeisance at the Baba Jitto temple at Jhiri and prayed for peace, progress and prosperity of the people of UT.

The Lt Governor interacted with the PRI members of the area and also inspected the stalls installed by various departments. He handed over tractors; land passbooks; sports kits; sanction orders to set up business units, houses under PMAY to the beneficiaries under different schemes, besides wheelchairs/motorized vehicles, hearing aids to specially-abled.

Bharat Bhushan, DDC Chairperson Jammu, while speaking on the occasion, expressed gratitude to the Lt Governor-led UT Administration for giving dedicated focus towards the development of border areas and villages of J&K.

Anshul Garg, Deputy Commissioner Jammu briefed about the development initiatives being undertaken by the administration with special focus on border villages.

Balbir Lal, DDC member; Surinder Kumar, BDC Chairperson; Mulkhraj, Sarpanch Kalyanpur also spoke on the occasion.

Dr. Raghav Langer, Divisional Commissioner Jammu; SK Singh, DIG BSF; senior Army officials, PRIs & youth club members, and people from all walks of life were present on the occasion.