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Rs 100-cr Central aid on cards Militant, SPO killed Power consumers not issued bills Migrants sceptic of rehabilitation move Srinagar, December 29 Struck by poverty and unable to see their only brother writhe in pain due to cancer, two sisters tried to commit suicide at a village in Budgam district, official sources said today. Hospital partially gutted in Anantnag |
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| Preparedness
of Signals reviewed Jammu, December 29 Lt-Gen D.P. Sehgal, Signal Officer in Chief (SO-in-C) and Colonel Commandant of the Corps of Signals, visited Northern Command and 16 Crops from December 27 to 29.
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Rs 100-cr Central aid on cards Jammu, December 29 For the first time, Jammu and Kashmir has sought the release of the second installment of the Central assistance in all major rural development schemes after spending the first installment during the current year. Of the 37 special rural development projects, involving a total cost of Rs 153 crore, sent to the Centre this year, 11 projects with an estimated cost of Rs 45 crore have been sanctioned. This was stated at a review meeting of the department chaired by Chief Minister Mufti Mohammed Sayeed here today. This was the first in the series of department-wise and mid-term review being undertaken by the Chief Minister to monitor the execution of schemes in different departments. The Minister for Finance and Planning, Mr Muzaffar Hussain Baig, the Minister of State for Rural Development, Mr Gharu Ram, and the Principal Secretary, Finance and Planning and Development, Mr Vijay Bakaya, also participated in the deliberations. Commending the vast improvement in the execution of rural development schemes during the past year, the Mufti called for formulating a comprehensive project for the construction of model villages by implementing the Indira Awas Yojana and other schemes for providing shelter to the homeless in the state. To begin with, one such model village with a cluster approach will be set up in each district. The Chief Minister said the Indira Awas Yojana needed to be given a greater focus so that the homeless could optimally benefit from it, adding that the state government could also contribute to this Centrally sponsored scheme by arranging timber for the beneficiaries. He said the model villages to be set up under the scheme should have all modern facilities and solar lighting for better living. He said a good design should be formulated for the constructions of such houses. The Chief Minister also asked the department to set up model villages at pilgrim centres like Kheer Bhavani, Aishmuqam, Mattan, Baba Resli Nadihal and Baba Shukur-ud-Din at Watlab and other such places in Jammu. He said the concept of setting up tourists villages at Pahalgam and other spots in the state should also be promoted to expand infrastructure for tourists and supplement the income of people residing in surrounding villages. The Mufti ordered the construction of multipurpose community centres at all block headquarters at the earliest so that the Rs 41 crore project for setting up community information centres could take off, giving a fillip to the promotion of information technology at the grassroots level. He also called for the construction of godowns in the private sector for the storage of foodgrains in rural areas by availing of the FCI scheme, adding that sites for the purpose need to be identified immediately. He said there should be a mali-cum-chowkidar for each panchayat to look after the assets of these grassroots democratic institutions. He said this had to be done
promptly to make panchayat ghars the nerve centre of rural activity. Over Rs 37.43 crore were spent on the construction of panchayat ghars out of the nearly Rs 75 crore that were made available to the state under the 11th Finance Commission up to March last while Rs 21.90 crore were being utilised this year. The Mufti ordered for the completion of elections to left-out panchayats in the Kashmir valley at the earliest, nomination of woman to the panchayats and giving priority to the construction of primary school buildings and panchayat ghars. He said the construction of dispensaries and first-aid centres, too, needed immediate attention. |
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Militant, SPO killed Srinagar, December 29 Two militants hiding in a house at Arihal village in Pulwama district engaged policemen in an exchange of fire for the second day, injuring a woman and a constable, Mohammad Ayub, official sources said, adding that the woman later succumbed to injuries. In another encounter, which broke out during search operations, security forces shot dead a militant at Kralipora village in Kupwara district. Militants abducted and killed special police officer Sabzar Ahmad Mir at Boomrath village in Anantnag district. Mohammad Sultan was shot at and injured in his house at Safalpora-Handwara in Kupwara district. Militants fired two rifle grenades at a CRPF bunker at Lal Chowk in Anantnag district yesterday but no one was injured. While one grenade did not explode, the other exploded on the roadside, the sources said. JAMMU: Two women were injured in crossfire between militants and security forces, even as militants set afire seven houses in Poonch and Udhampur districts since Sunday night, official sources said here on Monday. A woman, identified as Neena Bkerwal was injured during an exchange of fire between militants and security forces in Narkote area of Reasi tehsil in Udhampur district on Monday, the sources said, adding that the militants managed to escape. A search operation has been launched to nab them. Militants opened fire on a patrol party in the Sollian forest belt of Surankote tehsil in Poonch district on Sunday evening, the sources said, adding that a woman caught in the crossfire was injured. The woman, Naseema Akhtar, was later shifted to Poonch hospital, where her condition was stated to be out of danger. The militants managed to escape after engaging the security forces in a brief gunbattle, the sources said. Seven houses were set on fire by militants at Hari Mohalla Khet in Surankote tehsil of Poonch district. However, no loss of life and property was reported. At least nine persons were injured when militants hurled a grenade at Indira Chowk near the general bus stand here this evening. Windscreens of buses and other vehicles parked on the roadside were broken due to the explosion. The militants fled after hurling the grenade. The injured have been rushed to the medical college hospital. The area has been cordoned off by the police.
— OC, PTI |
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Power consumers not issued bills Jammu, December 29 A large number of consumers are visiting PDD offices almost everyday to collect the bills, but they were told that the bills would be issued only after revision of the load agreements. It is learnt that coalition ministers have been put in a tight spot over the issue of the power hike as the elections to the Municipal Corporations of Jammu and Srinagar are being planned in February. Any hike in tariff is bound to hit the Congress in particular. It is being alleged by Opposition parties, including the BJP, that under the pressure of Congress activists verbal instructions have been issued to the department not to issue the bills for the time being. There are reports that the load agreement of each household would be at least doubled, as the system of installing meters on the premises of the consumers has not been introduced in Jammu and Kashmir. The system of charging the tariff on the basis of load agreement is prevalent here. The government does not seems to be in a mood to install meters as it believes that it would lead to power theft. However, those who want to pay the actual tariff for the electricity consumed by them are the real sufferers as they are being forced to pay on the basis of the load agreement even in case not a single unit is consumed during a particular month. The PDD itself is the biggest defaulter in the payment of bills of its offices in the state as its arrears amounted to Rs 1.90 crore. |
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Migrants sceptic of rehabilitation move Jammu, December 29 According to the state revenue authorities, 1,100 families have conveyed to the government their willingness to return to the valley. The authorities said their cases had been sent to the Central Government so that required funds could be released for their rehabilitation. The Minister for Revenue and Rehabilitation, Mohammad Hakim Yaseen, said the tenements being constructed at Sheikhpora in Budgam district were expected to be completed by April. Another cluster was to be raised near the Khirbhawani shrine where those willing to return would be rehabilitated. The Chief Minister, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, during a series of interaction with the migrants, had assured them a job each family besides medical and education facilities within the premises where the clusters were being constructed. However, several organisations of displaced people, including Panun Kashmir, All State Kashmiri Pandit Conference and Panun Kashmir Movement, have criticised the plan of the government which they describe as “forcible return of the migrants.” Dr Ajay Chrungoo, Chairman of Panun Kashmir, said “Settling displaced people in clusters will amount to placing us in concentration camps where our freedom of movement and expression will be jeopardised.” President of Panun Kashmir Movement Ashwani Chrungoo said: “suitable and dignified rehabilitation of the migrants could be possible only in a separate homeland.” A senior leader of the All-State Kashmiri Pandit, conference, Mr Hira Lal Chatha said: “The government had decided to take migrant
employees, especially, engineers and doctors back to the valley which has serious ramifications.” “The invitation for our return should come from leaders of the majority community, especially from those heading separatist outfits, because for our survival we need
cooperation from them," the leaders said. |
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Sisters’ bid to end life,
one dies Srinagar, December 29 Suraya and Mudassira, both 20 years old, were rushed to a hospital after they consumed some poisonous substance in their house in the Magam area of the district last night, the sources said. While Suraya breathed her last after efforts to save her failed, her sister is still battling for life. The sisters have five more siblings, including a brother, police sources said, adding that their father Ali Mihammad’s savings were exhausted in the treatment of their brother, driving them to poverty.
— PTI |
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Hospital partially gutted in Anantnag Srinagar, December 29 The fire broke out at 3.30 am on the third floor of the recently renovated hospital at the district headquarters, gutting the entire storey, the sources said. All patients in the hospital were evacuated before fire tenders doused the flames, they said. The in-patient wards were completely damaged while the operation theatre, labour room and other facilities did not suffer any damage. Cleaning of
debris had been completed and the hospital was expected to be functional soon.— PTI |
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Preparedness
of Signals reviewed Jammu, December 29 The
General Officer expressed his satisfaction with the communication
support being provided by the Signallers under difficult conditions. |
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Two killed as roof collapses Jammu, December 29 |
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