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Vigilance case against Farooq’s brother Decks cleared for Cabinet reshuffle Mufti calls for project to augment PDP mobilising support for Jan 1 rally Power Minister
pays surprise visit to store Jammu, Srinagar
civic bodies upgraded |
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Vigilance case against Farooq’s brother Jammu, December 30 In an FIR the Vigilance Department said yesterday, “Pragati Bhawan, a commercial complex was allotted to Madre-e-Meharban Institute of Health Sciences, Jammu, on a monthly rent of Rs 1.25 lakh against a rent of Rs 2.5 lakh charged earlier from the management of KHN hospital by the Jammu Development Authority. An FIR has also been registered against the then vice-chairman of Jammu Development Authority Mohammad Aslam Qureshi and others under different sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act and 120-B of the Ranbir Penal Code (RPC). The vigilance spokesman said the Board of Directors of JDA subsequently approved monthly rent of Rs 1.25 lakh for the basements, ground floor and first floor of the complex. The management of Mader-e-Meharban headed by its president, ex-minister Mustafa Kamal in connivance with the then JDA vice-chairman Mohammad Aslam Qureshi and others also illegally occupied the remaining portion of the building against an advanced payment of Rs 3.75 lakh, it said.
— PTI |
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Decks cleared for Cabinet reshuffle Jammu, December 30 Earlier, the plan for the reshuffle was to be carried out soon after the special session of the state legislature, which ended here recently, but it has been deferred till January 14 when the expanded ministry completes one year in office. According to the PDP and Congress circles, the Chief Minister has conveyed the broadlines of the proposed reshuffle to a couple of legislators during his recent meeting with them. These circles said the Chief Minister was likely to include at least six legislators, three belonging to the Congress, two from the PDP and one from the PDF, in the Council of Ministers and drop three ministers who would be assured of party tickets for contesting the ensuing Lok Sabha elections. Indications are that one woman MLA is to be inducted in the Cabinet. The probable candidates are Ms Suman Bhagat, MLA from
RS Pora and Ms Khemlata Wakhloo, nominated member of the Assembly. Sources said Mr Raman Bhalla, a Congress MLA, who has become quite popular among the people in the Gandhi Nagar constituency, is to get a berth in the Council of Ministers and his name has already been okayed by the AICC President, Ms Sonia Gandhi, and the PCC chief, Mr Ghulam Nabi Azad. Another probable is Mr Manjit Singh, an independent MLA. The sources said in view of the belligerent mood having been adopted by dissidents in the Congress and PDF, a group of independent MLAs, the Chief Minister planned to carry out the Cabinet reshuffle before the start of the Budget session of the Assembly, which is to begin in Jammu from the third week of February, in order to ensure a hassle-free session. As far as the exercise of including some Congress MLAs in the Council of Ministers and dropping of a couple of ministers belonging to the Congress was concerned Mufti Sayeed will first discuss it with Mr Ghulam Nabi Azad and then seek approval from Ms Sonia Gandhi. |
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Mufti calls for project to augment water supply Jammu, December 30 The Chief Minister was reviewing the functioning of the PHE, irrigation and flood control departments here today. He said steps should be taken for the funding of these projects by the World Bank or some other international agency. The project for Jammu has already been sent to the Union Ministry of Economic Affairs for funding by the Asian Development Bank while the project for Srinagar would also be taken up for institutional funding. The Chief Minister asked the department to prepare a water supply scheme for the Kandi areas for which a sum of Rs 175 crore has been earmarked. He ordered that the target of installing 1,200 hand pumps in Jammu and 1,160 in the Kashmir valley should be achieved during the current financial year. So far, 483 hand pumps have been installed in the Jammu region and 249 in the valley. The municipal corporations of Jammu and Srinagar should make it compulsory for the people to install hand pumps in their houses which are under construction, he said. The Mufti expressed concern over the failure of several water supply schemes for which proper survey was not conducted. He said the engineers concerned would be held responsible in case any water supply scheme became defunct henceforth. He said while formulating new schemes, priority should be given to the left-out hamlets facing acute water scarcity. The “problem villages” should be identified within a fortnight in consultation with the local MLAs, he stated. He took serious note of the delay in the completion of various irrigation schemes and asked for a status report. |
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PDP mobilising support for Jan 1 rally Jammu, December 30 While party activists have hired tailors and artists for preparing banners and bunting, the security agencies have started sanitising Shere Kashmir Park, the venue for the rally, and its adjoining areas by installing metal detectors. The PDP leaders will organise a symbolic bus journey from Srinagar to Uri, covering a distance of 168 km, with a message that reopening of the road could be another milestone in the normalisation of relations between India and Pakistan. In the wake of a call for “hartal” by the Jamaitul Mujahideen with regard to the PDP rally, the PDP leaders have started motivating people of their respective constituencies for taking part in the rally. Private transporters have been paid some money in advance for carrying the workers from Srinagar to Uri. Most PDP ministers and legislators have been camping in Srinagar and in their constituencies for securing peoples’ support. |
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Power Minister
pays surprise visit to store Jammu, December 30 In yet another decision, the minister ordered that the computers lying in the store would be utilised for imparting training to the employees of the department. The minister paid a surprise visit to the Gladni store today morning after receiving complaints that the computers replaced from the Canal power station were missing. The computers were, however, found in tact and instructions for their proper use were issued by the minister on the spot. |
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Jammu, Srinagar
civic bodies upgraded Jammu, December 30 A notification demarcating new wards has been issued. Territorial descriptions are available with respective corporation offices. The newly carved wards would be the constituencies for election of Municipal Councillors scheduled to be held in February next year, 30 years after the elections held for these democratic institutions. |
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