New Delhi: The government on Tuesday said the people of Jammu and Kashmir participated with enthusiasm in the Block Development Councils (BDC) and District Development Councils (DDCs) elections in the Union Territory.

“The elections to the Block Development Councils (BDC) and District Development Councils (DDCs) in Kashmir were conducted peacefully and successfully in 2019 and 2020 respectively. There was an enthusiastic participation of the people,” said Minister of State in the Ministry of Home Affairs Nityanand Rai, in a written reply in the Lok Sabha. The minister said that there was a turnout of 98.29 per cent in BDC elections and 51.42 per cent in the DDC elections.

Notably, the People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD) swept the first-ever District Development Council (DDC) polls held in December 2020 in Jammu and Kashmir after the revocation of Article 370. A year before, in 2019, a high turnout of 98.29 per cent was witnessed despite the National Conference, Congress and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) boycotting the electoral exercise.

The government said that it has taken several steps to boost the development of Jammu & Kashmir. “During the year 2020-21, 1289 road construction works were completed at a cost of Rs 1638 crore. The construction work of 14500 km of roads has been completed so far under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojna, which has connected about 2000 places,” the Minister said.

Listing several developmental activities, Rai stated that an international flight from Srinagar to Sharjah was started on October 23. In addition, night flights from Jammu and Srinagar have also been started. He informed that under the fast-track recruitment, 20,323 posts are being filled by the Jammu & Kashmir Services Selection Board. The 2119 selections for gazetted posts have been made by the Jammu & Kashmir Public Service Commission in various departments.

New Delhi: Home Ministry on Tuesday said there are no plans to amend the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA), Minister of State for Home Nityanad Rai informed the Lok Sabha on Tuesday.

In response to a question by several opposition MPs, whether the Government plans to amend the existing Act “in the light of recent evidence about the large number of acquittals and for preventing the harassment of innocent people in wake of misuse of this law”, Minister of State for Home, Nityanand Rai in his reply said, “Conviction is an outcome of an elaborate judicial process and is dependent on various factors, such as, duration of trial, appraisal of evidence, examination of witnesses, etc. There are adequate Constitutional, institutional and statutory safeguards including inbuilt safeguards in the UAPA itself, to prevent misuse of the law.”

“The UAPA has been amended in the past keeping in view the requirement. Presently no amendments in the UAPA are under consideration,”

The information regarding custodial deaths of the persons in custody under the UAPA is not maintained by NCRB,” he said.

He also said information regarding custodial deaths of the persons in custody under the UAPA is not maintained by NCRB. (UNI)

Srinagar: The death toll in fatal attack by militants on a police bus on Srinagar-Jammu highway near Zeewan in city outskirts rose to three as one among the 12 injured police personnel succumbed to wounds at a hospital here on Tuesday.

A police official said that Constable Rameez Ahmad son of Mohammad Amin of Yachama Ganderbal lost battle for life at hospital here.

A bus of police’s armed forces was fired upon near Aripora Zeewan in outskirts of Srinagar on Monday evening, leaving 14 men injured.

Later two of them, Assistant Sub Inspector Ghulam Hassan of Top Neel Bharthand Ramban and Safique Ali (Sgct) of Mamakoti Mahore in Reasi district succumbed to injuries at army’s 92 base camp at Badami bagh hospital here.

Police has said that the attack was carried out by three militants of “Kashmir Tigers” which it said is an “offshoot” of Jash-e-Mohammad.

‘Preliminary investigation has revealed that three (militants) had fired indiscriminately upon a police vehicle carrying police personnel of 9th Battalion near Zewan Pantha Chowk area of Srinagar,” a police spokesperson had said, adding, “The police party were coming back to their campus after finishing their duties.”

Although the fire was retaliated, he said, militants however taking advantage of darkness managed to escape from the spot.

“Credible sources revealed that the attack was carried by Kashmir Tigers, an offshoot of JeM. In the retaliatory firing, one of the militants got injured and the group involved in this attack will be soon brought to justice,” the spokesperson had added.

The injured police personnel have been identified Sajad Ahmad of Hariparigam Tral Pulwama, Bishmber Dass of Rabta Jammu, Sanjay Kumar of Dhanera rajouri, Vikas Sharma, Abdul Majeed of Sangiiwani Rajpora Pulwama, Mudasir Ahamd of Panner Tral, Ravi Kanth of Heranagar Kathua, Showkat Ali of Hadrdumir Tral, Arshid Mohammad of badibrahmana Jammu, Liyaqat Ali of Mohichak Kathua, and Narinder Singh (driver of the bus). Besides one constable Adil has received minor injuries, the police said. (GNS)

Jammu: Director General of Police (DGP) Dilbag Singh Tuesday visited the place of incident where police bus was ambushed by the militants near Zewan, and Armed Police Complex.

He later visited 92 Base Hospital to enquire about health of police personnel who were injured yesterday in the attack.

The DGP first visited the place of incident and afterwards held interaction with the officers and cops at the Armed Police Complex Zewan. ADGP, Armed, S. J. M. Gillani, IGP Kashmir, Vijay Kumar, DIG Central Kashmir Range, Sujit Kumar, Commandants of IR/ARP and SSP Srinagar were present on the occasion.

During his interaction with the officers and cops, the DGP on the very outset paid tributes to the police personnel who were killed in yesterday’s militant attack.

Two minutes’ silence was observed in memory of these fallen heroes.

The DGP appreciated the cops for retaliating the militant attack, saying that immediate response avoided what would have been possibly a huge loss.

He also complimented the driver for his sensible and quick action during the incident. He said that in the retaliation one militant was reportedly injured and vowed that perpetrators would be brought to justice very soon.

He directed the personnel to use the protective gear while on duty for personal safety, and take all protection on duty as well as during to and fro travel from the camps to deployments places.

“We have successfully faced challenges in the past and with the dedicated and committed efforts of Jammu and Kashmir Police and other security forces, the situation is progressively improving. Attempts are being made to cause damage to the peace and every such attempt would be foiled with fortitude,” the DGP added.

He also interacted with the senior officers and ordered a series of measures to be adopted while making the deployment of the personnel, their travel as well as in other different situations.

The DGP also went on to see the Police Bus which was attacked in the incident.

Accompanied by ADGP, Armed, IGP Kashmir, Vijay Kumar, DIG CKR, the DGP in the afternoon visited 92 Base Hospital BB Cantt Srinagar and enquired about the health of the Police personnel injured yesterday in the attack.

The DGP J&K and GOC 15 corps Lt Gen DP Pandey alongwith other officers went to all the injured individually and enquired about their well being.

He met the doctors treating the injured and impressed for all possible treatment for their early recovery.

DGP wished for the speedy recovery of the injured officials. He also met the parents and relatives of the injured policemen and assured them that all help will be provided to injured policemen. He was briefed by the hospital authorities about the treatment being administered to the injured officials.

Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir police on Tuesday said two foreign and a local militant were involved in the attack on a police bus in the outskirts of Srinagar at Zewan that left three policemen dead and 11 others injured.

Inspector General of Police (IGP) Kashmir Vijay Kumar said 25 policemen were in the bus at the time of the attack which was carried by a Jaish-e-Mohammad offshoot.

“Two foreigners and a local militant  carried out Zewan attack. ..One militant got injured and his blood trail suggests that the group fled to Pampore and then to the Tral area and we are tracking them and very soon they will be neutralized,” Kumar told reporters on the sidelines of a wreath laying ceremony for the slain cops in Srinagar. We have other leads as well and will track down the group”, he added

Kumar also informed that one more policeman injured in the attack succumbed to injuries this morning.

“Yesterday evening, two policemen including an ASI succumbed to their injuries at the hospital and today morning one more policeman succumbed,” he said.

The attack on a police bus was the first major attack on security forces in the Kashmir since the Lethpora Pulwama car bombing in February 2019 that killed 40 CRPF personnel.

The IGP said the policemen foiled the weapon snatching attempt at Zewan by retaliating to the firing.

“The aim was to carryout weapon snatching but our jawans effectively retaliated and foiled their attempt,” he said while terming the attack a planned one.

The senior police officer said preventive measures would be taken to prevent such attacks n the future. (UNI)