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assembly in session Amarnath yatra: Online booking of copter tickets from April 20
Every Kashmiri is not a terrorist: Omar
Union Minister Jairam Ramesh and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah at a function in the University of Jammu on Wednesday. Tribune photo: Anand Sharma |
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MLAs demand probe into hiring of workers in PHE Dept
Docs’ negligence helped rape accused flee in VVIP copter
Legislators unhappy with bureaucrats’ attitude
Centre trying to improve status of women: Usha Vohra
Guv urged to release Rs 500 cr for drought-hit farmers
Chamel’s family urges Omar to lend a helping hand
Self-employment in rural areas to get major boost: Jairam
Prof SM Quadri
Chenani-Nashri Tunnel project
Jawan with eye gouged out ruffles police
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assembly in session
Jammu, April 3 As soon as the House assembled this morning, Panthers Party members pressed for adopting their adjournment motion as, according to them, the government itself had admitted that terrorists were illegally entering Jammu and Kashmir through the Nepal border. “This is a very serious matter because Pakistan-trained terrorists, entering into our state, are posing grave security risk,” said Panthers Party member Harsh Dev Singh. He was supported by his party colleague Balwant Singh who urged the Speaker to allow discussion on the controversial rehabilitation plan announced by the state government. “Pakistan-trained terrorists are entering Jammu and Kashmir with the families, but the government is facilitating their infiltration,” Mankotia. The Speaker clarified that the government was facilitating entry of only those youth who were not involved in any militant activities. “You have to maintain faith in the system,” the Speaker said. Panthers Party, Jammu State Morcha and rebel BJP members resorted to sloganeering against the policy. Harsh Dev Singh pointed out that government had admitted on the floor of the House that 241 terrorists had entered the state. “Despite the fact that terrorists are entering through illegal means, the government has been facilitating their entry. This is ridiculous,” Singh said. Minister of State for Home Sajjad Ahmed Kitchloo said there was a clerical error in the government reply regarding entry of terrorists from the other side of the border. “The rehabilitation policy was formulated in consultation with the Union Home Ministry,” he said. The government was facilitating entry of only those people who were not involved any terrorist activities, he said. CPM member MY Tarigami observed that the government itself had created confusion on the issue. The Speaker tried to pacify the agitating members, but to no avail. “Those coming to J&K through the Nepal border under the grab of rehabilitation policy are travelling on Pakistani passports,” said Mankotia. Independent MLA Abdul Rashid Engineer entered the Well and supported the rehabilitation policy. The rehabilitation policy (surrender policy) was introduced by the state government for those, who went to Pakistan for arms training and wanted to return with their families to lead a normal life. In a written reply to a question by Chaman Lal Gupta, the state government had, on March 11, admitted that during the past three years, 241 ex-terrorists had returned illegally via Nepal and other routes. Out of these terrorists, 113 had also brought their families and children with them. Point of contention *
Panthers Party members pressed for adopting their adjournment motion to discuss the “attempt of the Omar government to legitimise illegal infiltration” of Pakistan-trained terrorists under the garb of “rehabilitation policy” *
They said the government itself had admitted that terrorists were illegally entering J&K through the Nepal border |
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Amarnath yatra: Online booking of copter tickets from April 20
Jammu, April 3 The Shri Amarnath Shrine Board (SASB) has made arrangements with the Global Vectra Private Limited and the Himalayan Heli Services Private Limited for providing heli services on the Baltal-Panjtarni-Baltal sector and the Pawan Hans Private Limited for the heli services on the Pahalgam-Panjtarni-Pahalgam sector. Chief Executive Officer, SASB, Navin K Choudhary said the online booking facility shall be available to the intending yatris from April 20 on websites of the helicopter companies, www.onlineglobalhelicorp.com and www.himalayanheli.com for the Baltal-Panjtarni sector and www. booking.pawanhans.co.in for the Pahalgam-Panjtarni sector. The CEO said the one-way fare per passenger for the Baltal-Panjtarni and Pahalgam-Panjtarni sectors had been fixed at Rs 1,500 and Rs 2,400, respectively. The Chief Executive Officer said the yatris, who wished to avail the heli service for their pilgrimage, do not need to register through the designated bank branches as their applications for purchasing heli tickets shall contain the required information and shall be treated as the yatra permits for undertaking the pilgrimage. However, yatris would not be able to avail the heli services unless they produce the required compulsory health certificate issued by authorised doctors and institutes which have been notified by their respective state governments. |
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Every Kashmiri is not a terrorist: Omar
Jammu, April 3 “There are people here who want to give a political colour to everything. In Hyderabad, a boy commits suicide for personal reasons and in Kashmir it is analysed in a different way, as if he was murdered,” Omar said. Omar along with Union Minister of Rural Development Jairam Ramesh was here today to distribute offer letters to trainees under the Centre-sponsored Himayat scheme at a valedictory function organised at Jammu University. Talking about another incident in Bangalore, in which some boys from Kashmir were beaten up, Omar said, “Recently in Bangalore, the fight took place because they (Kashmiri boys) were making fun of children from Bihar. If they would not have been doing that, probably the incident would not have taken place.” But, “some of our people here tried to give it a different colour” by saying that “these children were from Kashmir, they were racially profiled and wherever they go they are beaten.” “To say that these children were from Kashmir and that is why they were beaten up is totally wrong,” Omar said. He, however, reiterated that people from other states should not see Kashmiris through the prism of terrorism. “In every internal security conference, I request my counterparts from other states not to see every citizen of Jammu and Kashmir through the prism of terrorism,” Omar said. “Every citizen of Jammu and Kashmir is not a terrorist. He does not come (to your state) with the intention of attack. If they come, they come under compulsion or for their benefit,” he reiterated. Reaffirming his government’s determination to tackle the unemployment crisis purposefully by providing ample opportunities to youth both in the government and the private sectors, the Chief Minister urged the jobless young boys and girls to utilise the opportunities created by the government in this regard to the fullest. Speaking on the occasion, Jairam Ramesh said the scheme Himayat launched in the state in 2011 was marching ahead towards its goal of providing training and jobs to one lakh youth of Jammu and Kashmir in the five-year period. He said over 5,000 youth had been provided jobs in various companies within and outside the state since the inception of the scheme and over 15,000 would be given training and offered placements during 2013-14. |
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MLAs demand probe into hiring of workers in PHE Dept
Jammu, April 3 The MLAs cutting across party lines, however, vociferously demanded a thorough probe into the appointment of daily wagers and casual workers in the department. It all happened soon after Zero Hour when Taj stood up from his seat and said he had collected the year-wise details of all causal workers engaged in the department and they had been appointed between 1994 and 2005. “I got a bad name when an impression was given that I engaged 7,390 daily wagers and casual workers, which is absolutely wrong. I collected the details and I want to provide the documents to all members so that it becomes clear that all these engagements were made before I took over the ministry,” the minister said. Taj claimed that he had not appointed a single daily wager or casual worker during his tenure and said with folded hands before the House that he was not their (members’) culprit. Yesterday, Taj had blamed present PHE Minister Sham Lal Sharma for implicating him in false cases while raising the issue of alleged irregularities in the department because his name was doing the rounds as the next president of J-K Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC). Sham had yesterday also said on the floor of House that engagement of daily wagers or casual workers were made on “political considerations” and he would hold an inquiry into the matter. The lone CPM legislator, Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami, remarked: “It is not the matter of the year when these engagements were made. The government should disclose the criteria followed for such engagements and the matter must be thoroughly investigated.”
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Docs’ negligence helped rape accused flee in VVIP copter
Rajouri, April 3 District Development Commissioner, Rajouri, Sougat Biswas had initiated the inquiry into the incident by constituting a two-member team of Assistant Commissioner, Revenue, Sachin Dev Singh and Nowshera Sub-district Magistrate Rajeev Khajuri to look into the lapse on the part of the District Hospital authorities The inquiry committee has found that the accused was referred to the GMCH, Jammu, on the basis of haemoperitonium while the required collections and tests such as tapping were not done. With just one ultrasonography (which was actually not done), the doctors concluded the patient was a case of haemoperitonium. The inquiry officers are of the opinion that it appears that the doctors manipulated the medical report as a cover-up by making the entry such as spleenic hematoma, pleural fluid on the right side of the chest and fluid in pelvis, after the issue of wrong reference came to their notice. The report has been submitted to the Director, Health Services, Jammu. The accused, Parvez Ahmed, a resident of Panjgrain Mohra village of Rajouri district, had fled in a state helicopter used by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and VVIPs, after he conned the police in Rajouri by mingling with accident victims, who were being airlifted to Government Medical College and Hospital, Jammu, last month. He also managed to get a compensation of Rs 5,000 from the district administration, which was later recovered from him. The District Development Commissioner, Rajouri, has written in his inquiry report to the Director, Health Services, to take necessary action in the matter as the lapse occurred due to negligence on the part of doctors at District Hospital, Rajouri. Though the inquiry committee has confirmed the manipulation on the part of doctors, the Director, Health Services, has not yet initiated any action against the doctors concerned. Despite repeated attempts, Director, Health Services, Madhu Khullar was not available for comment. |
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Legislators unhappy with bureaucrats’ attitude
Jammu, April 3 It said all Heads of Departments (HoDs) were under an obligation to extend due regard and protocol to legislators and directed the Assembly Secretariat to inform the General Administration Department accordingly. Six cases of breach of privilege were referred to the Committee where senior government officials had allegedly violated the protocol of legislators. The findings of the Committee remained inconclusive in three cases till the commencement of the current Budget session on February 28. “It has been observed that the bureaucracy is not giving due regard to privileges and immunities conferred upon the legislators under Section 72 of the Constitution of Jammu and Kashmir. The privileges, powers and immunities had been given to them in order to perform their duty freely, besides maintain the dignity and independence of the legislature,” the Committee on Privileges said in its second report which was tabled in the Legislative Assembly today. The nine-member Committee comprised chairman Harsh Dev Singh, Hakeem Mohammad Yaseen, Mohammad Irfan Shah, Syed Basharat Ahmad Bukhari, Feroz Ahmad Khan, Aijaz Ahmad Jan, Krishan Chander, Ashok Kumar and Durga Dass, all members. Feroz Ahmad Khan was inducted into the Council of Ministers and Yashpaul Kundal was nominated to serve as the member of the Committee in his place. Last year, the panel in its first report, had expressed concern over the violation of the legislators’ protocol, and said, “The status of a legislator was higher than that of the Chief Secretary as reflected in the warrant of the precedence but this fact was only observed in papers and officials had failed to implement the warrant of precedence, issued by the government, in letter and spirit.” The Committee said it was unfortunate that eight vehicles were at the disposal of SP while an MLA representing a big chunk of population was having one vehicle at his disposal and that too in a bad condition. The panel also made it clear that the devolution of powers to the Panchayati Raj Institutions should be followed but the authority of the legislators should not get diluted in any way. It recommended that the legislators should be provided free of cost electricity and water up to 15,000 units and 2,000 kilo litres of water per annum, respectively. |
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Centre trying to improve status of women: Usha Vohra
Jammu, April 3 The foreword of the book has been written by Usha Vohra. It has been jointly edited by Prof Posh Charak, Director, Centre for New Literatures, Culture and Communication, University of Jammu, and Prof Chandra Mohan, advisor, International Higher Education, Central University of Gujarat, Gandhinagar. Usha Vohra observed that women empowerment was a much-deliberated subject and the Central government was doing all that it could in all spheres to improve the status of women in society. Emphasising the role which the civil society has to play in securing the objective of women empowerment, she said, “It is for the civil society and one and all to get together and see what we can do to improve the lives of women, as it would go a long way in improving the lives of children to be and the generations to come.” She said, “We cannot say emancipation in the West has brought us all the good things of life that we
needed.” She said, “Given our cultural past, we have to evolve on our own, being particularly sensitive to what is good for us.” “There cannot be any copy book style which we can adopt. Every country is unique and every country has a unique culture,” she said, emphasising that it is the civil society which has to determine the best approach and direction in moving towards the future and the lines on which our children, especially girls, should grow and develop. She congratulated professor Charak and professor Mohan for putting together a number of articles in an appropriate manner and by dividing the book into four sections. She expressed happiness for being associated with the volume which has been well-produced. A memento was presented to her. Prof MPS Ishar, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Jammu, threw light on various aspects of women empowerment and thanked Usha Vohra for releasing the book. Prof Hemla Aggarwal, Principal, Government College for Women, Parade, Jammu, gave a detailed review of the book, describing it as a well-researched and well-documented volume. Professor Mohan said the book contained 23 articles on varied aspects of women empowerment. He said some of these were papers presented during a workshop organised at the University of Jammu three years ago while others were write-ups which were invited for publication in the book. |
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Guv urged to release Rs 500 cr for drought-hit farmers
Jammu, April 3 The demands presented by the 16-member delegation, led by chairman Ashok Sharma, included provision of a special package of Rs 500 crore for drought-hit farmers of Jammu region for the loss of their crops in 2012, supply of free rations for six months and free seeds and fertilisers for kharif 2013 to the affected farmers, issuance of Kisan Credit Cards and land passbooks to the farmers in the state and provision of free crop and cattle insurance. Other demands highlighted by the delegation included provision of separate agriculture budget in the state and the Centre, formulation of a comprehensive farm policy in J&K, establishment of Kisan Mandis and Kisan Bhawans at the block, district, divisional and state levels, providing soft loans to the growers, bringing small and marginal farmers under the BPL category, strengthening local self government by incorporating the 73rd and 74th Constitutional Amendments in the state, settling of the issues of 1947, 1965, 1971 and West Pakistan refugees and providing relief to the migrants of Jammu region at par with the Kashmiri migrants. After hearing the delegation, the Governor observed that their demands would be taken up with the Agriculture Minister and other ministers concerned. Navin K Choudhary, Principal Secretary to the Governor, was present on the occasion. The delegation comprised MS Jamwal, Om Parkash Sharma, Raghunandan Khajuria, Col (Retd) Bana Ram, Sushil Jamwal, Dr Iftkhar Hussain, Vijay Sharma, Vinod Sharma, Som Raj Khajuria, JL Bhagat, MY Mughal, Hans Raj Sharma, Chaman Lal, Kashmir Singh and Dr Yash Paul Sharma. A 13-member delegation of the All J&K National Youth Corps Volunteers also met the Governor. The delegation, led by Asif Ali Bhati, state vice-president of the association and Sayed Bakar Jafri, joint secretary, presented their demands to the Governor, which included continuation of their services and their retention in the departments in which they were deployed and converting their monthly honorarium into salary. Interacting with the delegation, the Governor observed that the issues raised by them would
be taken up with the Minister for Youth Services and Sports. |
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Chamel’s family urges Omar to lend a helping hand
Jammu, April 3 “What it (Pakistan) did can’t be reversed. We would certainly want to see that those responsible for the torture and murder of my father are punished, but at the same time there is no denying that no compensation or job has been provided to us by the state government so far,” Deepak Singh, one of Singh’s four sons told The Tribune. He said no one from the government had so far visited his family to express sympathy with them. “Following my father’s murder in Lahore prison, Deputy Chief Minister Tara Chand, who is the sitting MLA from our area, had come to Pargwal village, but he didn’t come to meet us, he said. Deepak was unhappy over the raw deal being given to his family. “We urge Chief Minister Omar Abdullah to lend a helping hand to us as well in the form of compensation and job,” said Deepak. Chamel Singh, who was arrested, tried and consequently imprisoned on charges of espionage under the 59 Pakistani Army Act by a Pakistani court, was brutally tortured and murdered by staff of Kot Lakhpat prison on January 15 over a trivial issue of washing clothes. After a protracted battle of 57 days, his body was finally brought back from Pakistan via the Wagah border on March 13 and cremated at his native village the next day. “We are four brothers. The youngest one is a Class 9 student while the other three, including me, work as labourers to eke out a living. I work at a saw mill and two of my brothers do menial jobs,” he said.“We request the Chief Minister to help us with compensation and job,” said Deepak. Singh, a small time marginal farmer from Molu Pargwal, a border area in Akhnoor sub-division, was launched into Pakistan on December 22, 2008. Kamlesh Devi, Singh’s wife, said, “We kept waiting for him to return but he didn’t return alive. I request the government to help us with some ex gratia relief and job to eke out a living.” |
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Self-employment in rural areas to get major boost: Jairam
Udhampur, April 3 He said this during an interactive session with women self help groups at Bagpur village of Udhampur district. He said 9 lakh rural families would be covered under the mission and at least one woman from each household would be linked with the self-help groups in the state during the next five years. “Banks act as oxygen for self-help groups and linking such groups with banks is the basic aim of the NRLM,” the Union Minister said and added that efforts were being made to open up new bank branches in rural areas so that members of the self-help groups did not face any difficulty in availing banking facility. Strengthening of women self-help groups in the state is imperative to bring back economic prosperity in the state of Jammu and Kashmir, the Union Minister said. He said, “We have to empower the Panchayati Raj Institutions for meaningful rural development. For the purpose, the Central government is committed to providing liberal support to the state for its socio-economic prosperity.” He called upon the members of the women self-help groups to initiate a campaign for construction of toilets in their respective areas to maintain clean environment by way of safe disposal of wastes. “For the purpose, the Rural Development Department provides a financial assistance of Rs 10,000 instead of Rs 4,500.” Expressing concern over the declining sex ratio, the Union Minister called upon the members of the women self-help groups to raise their voice against social evils such as growing liquor consumption and violence against women. Responding to the demand for provision of houses under the Indira Awaas Yojana (IAY) to the deserving, the Union Minister said operational guidelines would be revised soon to sanction houses under IAY, irrespective of restriction between the BPL and poor. |
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Prof SM Quadri
Srinagar, April 3 Professor Quadri has 30 years of experience in the field of computer science. He has done his M.Tech from the Indian School
of Mines and Ph.D in the field of computer science with specialisation in software reliability. He has more than 65 publications and has authored six books, published at both the national and international level. — TNS
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Chenani-Nashri Tunnel project
Batote, April 3 The strike by labourers, drivers, operators, helpers, mechanics etc hired
on casual basis for Asia’s longest road tunnel project entered the seventh
day today. The Australian firm is executing work on the project for the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI). The regular staff stopped working yesterday and was sent on leave from today. “In the wake of serious threats to our national and foreign employees from the protestors and the failure of the administration to provide us a safe and conducive atmosphere to work, we were forced to inform the Deputy Commissioners of Ramban and Udhampur in writing regarding our decision to stop work on the project from today and send our all 162 national and foreign staffers on leave till further orders,” said a top LWCPL officer on the condition of anonymity. He said the letters were handed over to the personal assistants of both the Deputy Commissioners through their security officers yet the DC, Ramban and the office of the DC, Udhampur, denied having received the same. “Since, the LWCPL is financed by the Infrastructure Leasing and Financial Services (IL&FS) Transportation Networks Limited (ITNL) according to the daily construction progress, so, we can’t afford the loss of Rs 2 crore daily on the account of the frequent strikes by a few infamous persons whom the administration failed to rein in,” a source said. According to DIG, Doda, Ramban and Kishtwar, Ashqoor Wani, a deputation of several workers, led by eight sarpanches and several panches met him in his office yesterday evening and asked him to provide them security so that they could resume work as
they were being intimidated by the workers on strike. DIG Wani assured them that their problem would
be addressed within two days and work would resume soon. Meanwhile, all stakeholders, including the civil and police administrations of both the districts, workers led by their Union leaders and the LWCPL officers would meet at Patnitop today to resolve the stand off. Workers supported by the Central Indian Trade Union have been on a round-the-clock peaceful dharna since March 28 demanding the reinstatement of workers who were terminated on the allegations of assaulting or threatening the officers and other sabotage activities, wage parity and other rights as per the Labour Laws Act. |
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Jawan with eye gouged out
ruffles police Jammu, April 3 “A soldier identified as Rakesh Kumar, a resident of the Nowshera area of Rajouri district, was found in an injured condition around 10.30 am in a nullah in the Chowki Choura area on the Jammu-Poonch highway,” SP (Rural) Rajesh Kumar said. “One of his eyes was gouged out while the other was badly damaged. The soldier also bore minor injuries on the body,” the SP added. The victim was admitted to a hospital in Akhnoor from where he was referred to the Government Medical College and Hospital in Jammu. Later in the evening, a senior doctor at the hospital said the jawan was shifted to the Military Hospital in Satwari where his condition was stated to be stable. The SP said the jawan was shifted to the Military Hospital in the evening but said his statement could not be recorded because of his condition. Preliminary investigations suggest that the soldier who was on a leave had gone to Jammu on April 1 to get it extended further but failed to return home in Nowshera, said Kumar. A case under Section 307 of the RPC had been registered at the Akhnoor police station. Jammu-based Defence PRO Lt Col RK Palta said: “Sepoy Rakesh Kumar Dutta of 11 Rashtriya Rifles was on leave till March 31. He had applied for an extension of his leave by 15 days through his unit and the extension was granted.” “The Army is awaiting the outcome of the police investigation,” he said.
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The state Assembly today erupted into uproar and commotion after Speaker Mubarak Gul disallowed an adjournment motion moved by the Panthers Party to suspend normal business of the House for discussing “attempt of the Omar Abdullah government to legitimise illegal infiltration” of Pakistan-trained terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir 
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah today lambasted those who try to give a political colour to every incident involving Kashmiris outside Jammu and Kashmir. Such an approach creates a negative impact on the mindset of the people, he said while asking countrymen not to see every Kashmiri with suspicion.
Taj pleaded his innocence before the members of the House saying that all engagements were made from 1994 to 2005 - much before he took over charge of the department. Taj held charge of the PHE Ministry from 2009 till January 15 this year.
