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CAG report finds chinks in PHE
working
Sports policy draft ‘confusing’ for affiliated bodies
House panel to probe JAKFED scam
First Hackathon gets underway at JU
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Rejection of Reservation Bill infuriates Gujjars
LC chairman asks govt to reconsider issuance of reservation certificate
Mantalia to be developed under PPP mode: Govt
50% subsidy on hybrid maize seeds for Ramban farmers
Activists of Dogra front and Shiv Sena scuffle with police during the protest in Jammu on Saturday. Tribune Photo: Inderjeet Singh
34,753 electricity connections regularised in a year in state
Glaciology institute receives Rs 4.35 crore
Market Assn urges CGM BSNL to complete cable-laying work
Open air restaurant opened in Jammu
Groom among six hurt in cylinder blast
J&K finishes 3rd in fencing championship
Medal winners of the Fencing Championship pose for a photograph. A Tribune
photo
Eye check-up camp held
Demand to declare May Day as gazetted holiday
Knowledge leads to character building: Taj
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CAG report finds chinks in PHE
working
Jammu, April 6 As per the report, despite claims of acting against illegal water connections, nearly 9,526 illegal water connections had been regularised without imposing any penalty during the period 2007-2012, while a meagre penalty was imposed on 20,662 illegal water connections, leading to a loss of Rs 2.07 crore to the exchequer as only Rs 94.78 lakh was recovered from defaulters. As many as 30,188 illegal water connections have been regularised in the state so far, after a sustained campaign launched by the PHE department, the CAG has revealed many loopholes in the conduct of operations by them. The report states that shortfall in the realisation of revenue with reference to budget estimates of water usage and delays in remittance of revenue to the government account. “There was no effective system of recovery of revenue from the consumers, which resulted in an increase of upstanding revenue during 2007-12,” it says. During 2011-2012, the gap was Rs 709.62 crore as against Rs 399.21 crore during 2007-08. The government has informed the Legislative Assembly through the statements placed under the financial reforms on Budget Management Act that all departments are expected to recover at least 50 per cent of the service charges as recommended by the 13th Finance Commission. The CAG has recommended an effective monitoring system to recover the water usage charges and government funds be deposited in the separate account. The report states the gap between revenue receipts and revenue expenditure on water supply was growing. The Audit Department has noticed that the department did not conduct enough number of inspections of water installations. It revealed that the percentage of inspections ranged between 0.03 and 0.19 per cent of the number of connections in the two divisions. What the report says
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Sports policy draft ‘confusing’ for affiliated bodies
Jammu, April 6 Sources said the affiliated sports associations had claimed that on one hand, the government had asked the members of the autonomous sports bodies to give them suggestions to bring further necessary changes in the draft. But on the other hand, it had implemented it without following the set procedures. It may be mentioned here that as per the directions of Chief Minister Omar Abdullah in the recently held 53rd General Council Meeting, the J&K State Sports Council, in its proposed sports policy draft, had categorised various sports disciplines under the Olympic and Non-Olympic charter on the basis of the present level of performance at the state and National level. Sources added that suggestions were invited from all the members of the sports council within a stipulated time but the date was further extended to get a comprehensive data of concrete suggestions before fully implementing the policy. In an interesting revelation, the J&K Korfball Association has claimed that it had recently applied for release of grant-in-aid for 2012-13. It had claimed that Rs 42,088 was spent for conducting the 20th Junior National Korfball Championship at Srinagar from July 19 to 22, 2012. But to the surprise of the association, the sports council had restricted the grant up to 60 per cent and sanctioned an amount of Rs 25,200, saying that the game fell under category B of the Non-Olympic discipline.
Manjeet Singh, general secretary of the J&K Korfball Association, while talking to The Tribune had blamed the authorities for cheating. “We were hoping that after receiving suggestions from all the members, the government would frame the sports policy with necessary changes but the council has deceived us by granting a meagre sum of Rs 25,200, instead of making full settlement”, he added. “We were informed by the council that the financial aid was approved by the Minister for Youth Services and Sports, vice-president of the State Sports Council, for clearing the liabilities incurred on conduct of the championship”, general secretary, the J&K Korfball Association said. MS Baba, Chief Sports Officer, said the proposed sports policy draft was yet to be
finalised. “As far as the policy draft is concerned, the department has yet to finalise it. After receiving all the suggestions, the policy would be sent to General Administration Department (GAD) to get the approval of disbursing finance to the sports associations under Olympic and Non-Olympic charter”, Baba said. |
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House panel to probe JAKFED scam
Jammu, April 6 Minister of State for Cooperatives Manohar Lal Sharma was also cornered by the members, including those of his own party, for not giving a satisfactory reply on the queries of the members regarding scandal in the JAKFED. Raising issue in the Legislative Council today, Congress MLA Naresh Kumar Gupta pointed out that an inquiry committee constituted by the government had detected a scam worth Rs 300 crore in the JAKFED but not even a single paisa had been recovered so far. “Inquiry report is just the tip of the iceberg. Officers had swindled crores in this scam which continued for more than two decades,” he alleged. He said the minister did not give a satisfactory reply. “JAKFED scam is like the 2G scam of Jammu and Kashmir so there is a need to constitute a House Committee to properly investigate the scam and single out those involved in the scam,” he said. Coalition members, including Jugal Kishore Sharma, Ghulam Nabi Monga, Khalid Najeeb Suharwardy and Ravinder Kumar Sharma, also demanded formation of a House panel. The minister said the scam took place much before he took over as the minister. He said most of officers allegedly involved in the scam had retired. “Out of 22 FIRs lodged during 1997-2001 against JAKFED, 14 FIRs were closed due to no evidence against the accused and seven are pending with the Vigilance Commission,” he said. The scam took place much before I took over as the minister. Most of officers involved in the scam have retired from service. Out of 22 FIRs lodged during 1997-2001 against JAKFED, 14 FIRs were closed due to no evidence against the accused and seven are pending with the Vigilance
Commission. — Manohar Lal Sharma, Minister of State for Cooperatives |
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First Hackathon gets underway at JU
Jammu, April 6 The other host institutions include IIT Delhi, Delhi University, Aligarh Muslim University, IIT Kanpur, IIT Kharagpur, TISS Mumbai, IIT Hyderabad, IISc Bangalore, IIT Madras and though virtual/online participation. Montek Singh Ahluwalia, Deputy Chairman, Planning Commission, and Sam Pitroda, Adviser to the Prime Minister on Public Information, Infrastructure and Innovation, addressed through video conferencing from New Delhi. The speakers
deliberated upon the various schemes undertaken in the 12th Five Year Plan and the Hackathon. The question-answer session was held through video conferencing wherein questions were put across to Montek Singh Ahluwalia and Sam Pitroda by the participants from across the country. The main objective of the Hackathon was to explore ways of communicating the 12th Five Year Plan through innovative visualisation like information graphics, short documentaries/stories, edutainment games, mobile applications and others. Prof MPS Ishar, Vice-Chancellor, JU, said the event would give wider exposer to the faculty, scholars and students of the varsity. “It is a privilege for JU to be among the 10 institutions across the country for participating in the event,” said Prof Ishar. “Such activities will immensely help the student s and provide them vistas in various fields,” he added. The main sectors shortlisted for the Hackathon included macroeconomic framework, agriculture and rural development, health, water and environment, energy, education and skill development, urban development. 3,000 participants from across the country are participating in the event. Prof Devanand, adviser to VC on IT, Prof Neelu Rohmetra, rector, Kathua Campus, Prof BC Sharma, dean placement, Guneet Sudan, assistant director and Vinay Thusoo, public relations officer, JU, besides faculty members, scholars and students were present on the occasion. |
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Rejection of Reservation Bill infuriates Gujjars
Jammu, April 6 They assailed the
state government for its apathy and discriminatory attitude towards Gujjar-Bakerwals who
constitute third largest group after Kashmiris and Dogras. Reacting with anger over the government’s move wherein the Assembly rejected a private member’s Bill introduced
by Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) Chaman Lal Gupta for providing political reservations to scheduled tribes in
the Assembly, Haji Shamsheer Ali Bokan, state president, Gujjars-Bakerwals Joint Forum, has called upon community members to launch a sustained struggle for seeking fulfillment of
the long-pending demand of political reservation at each level. “If we are getting reservations in all government recruitments, promotions under the scheduled tribes category which was
granted to us by the Union Government in 1991, then why the state government has rejected the Bill to deny political reservations i.e. reservation of seats for them in the Assembly
and Parliament from Jammu and Kashmir,” Haji questioned. Haji said being scheduled tribes Gujjars, Bakerwals, Gaddi, Sippis and eight other tribes of Ladakh and Gurez are entitled to political
reservation which was denied to them by the National Conference-Congress governments since last 22 years. |
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LC chairman asks govt to reconsider issuance of reservation certificate
Jammu, April 6 He passed the directions when several members expressed apprehensions on the issuance of the certificate. Replying to the Calling Attention Notice by Dr Shehnaz
Ganai, the Minister of State for Power, Vikar Rasool informed the House that the J&K Reservation Act, 2004 and the rules made there under, say, “Section 21, clause III, provides that a person claiming benefit for being a resident of a backward area or an area near the Line of Actual Control, must establish that he or she has resided in the area for a period of not less than 15 years before the date of application and is actually residing in the said area”, he maintained. He said a person may not be disentitled from claiming the benefit only on the ground that his or her father or a person on whom he or she is dependent is living in a place which is not identified as a backward area or an area near the Line of Actual Control on account of his employment, business or other professional or vocational
reasons. Vikar said the provision had been kept in the rules to avoid availing of undue benefit by the vested interests. He said as the people may play mischief on the grounds of fake marriages and the spirit of the reservation rules would get defeated thereby, benefit of genuine people would be snatched by the ineligible persons. |
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Mantalia to be developed under PPP mode: Govt
Jammu, April 6 As per the revenue records, 1,002 kanal-8 marlas of land was available with Aparna Ashram which was transferred to the PDA during February 2011. The Minister said the Patnitop Development Authority had spent Rs 14.63 lakh on the upkeep of the property at Mantalai since 2008-09. Kichloo said the development of Mantalai was being done under the PPP mode as decided during the 16th meeting of Patnitop Development Authority with the then Chief Minister. A detailed proposal was being prepared through M/s Jones Lang Lasalle, Property Consultants India Private Limited (JLL), New Delhi, who had been engaged by the Union Ministry of Tourism, as state level project management agency for the projects to be sanctioned for the state during the 12th Five Year Plan. He said the development of Mantalai was of an identified project for funding during the 12th Financial Year Plan under the PPP mode. He said a multi-storey building (under construction) namely Aparna Ashram situated at Gandhi Nagar, Jammu, opposite Police Lines was handed over to Directorate of Tourism, Jammu, to conduct training programmes to train youth to be employed in the tourism industry through six months or one year courses. |
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50% subsidy on hybrid maize seeds for Ramban farmers
Batote, April 6 This announcement was made by J&K State Agriculture Minister Ghulam Hassan Mir, during his recent tour to the Ramban district. He expressed despair about the fact that during the last year, when there was a revolution in the maize production in all other parts of Jammu division, only 275 quintal of HYH maize seed was sown in Ramban district, which resulted in a decreased maize
production. Realising the extreme backwardness and the farmers’ unaffordability to buy the HYH maize seeds here, Mir announced the subsidy of 50% on the seeds. “The figures show that the district is far behind in respect of agricultural production as compared to the other districts of the state. It will be an endeavour of me and my colleagues to help this district make
big strides in agriculture,” he said. “I know the main pursuit of people here is only farming and the area being drought prone and totally hilly, we cannot think of using common farming technology,” he added. Exhorting the farmers of the district to switch over to organic farming by using natural manure, insecticides and pesticides, he also announced a special programme for the cultivation of potato, peas and maize along with the HYH maize seed for this year in Ramban district, for their bumper crop. |
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Shiv Sena, Dogra Front demand separate Jammu state
Jammu, April 6 Protesters also clashed with the police personnel when they tried to move towards Civil Secretariat to present a memorandum to CM Omar Abdullah. Sena president Ashok Gupta alleged that the Central government was following Kashmir centric policies while ignoring the nationalist forces of the state. “By trifurcating J&K, Ladakh and Jammu, all will get their share without discrimination. For the past six decades, Kashmir centric policies have affected the development of both the regions,” Gupta said. He said thousands of people were displaced from Pakistan Occupied Kashmir
(PoK) in 1947 and they were staying in Jammu region but the government had failed to resolve their issues. “Refugees who entered the state from West Pakistan in 1947 were made to stay in Jammu by Maharaja Hari Singh, but after 65 years of partition, they are without citizenship,” he said. Gupta said, “The party is of firm opinion that to remove the growing regional tensions, alienation among the people of different regions and give an opportunity to each region to develop according to its needs and aspirations, the
re-organisation of the present state is the need of the hour. It is now up to the MLAs of the BJP and the Congress, particularly from Jammu province, to respond to this issue and take up our demand so as to free the region from discrimination. |
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34,753 electricity connections regularised in a year in state
Jammu, April 6 Minister said action was being taken against wrong doers as per the stipulations of the J&K Electricity Act-2010. Fine as admissible under the rules (relevant J&K SERC traffic and Supply code regulations) were being imposed against erring consumers and illegal connection holders. In the year ending January, 2013, 58,532 inspections were conducted by inspection squads and fine of Rs 12.37 crore was imposed. Fine of Rs 8.11 crore was recovered in the year ending January, 2013, for the current financial year. The Minister said disconnection of power connections of was being done regularly to recover pending electricity dues from the consumers. Recently, disconnection notices under Section 50 of the J&K Electricity
Act were being issued in the print media to the consumers having arrears above Rs 5 lakh to clear the outstanding revenue arrears. |
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Glaciology institute receives Rs 4.35 crore
Jammu, April 6 The project titled “The Himalayan Cryosphere: Science and Society” under the Climate Change Programme was submitted under the Inter University Consortium on Climate Change and Cryosphere (IUCCCC), consortia of Jawaharlal Nehru University, University of Jammu, University of Kashmir and Sikkim Central University to pursue and foster joint inter-disciplinary research projects in applied environmental sciences having human ramifications with focus on societal
needs. The project would enhance knowledge on climate change and its impact on water, agriculture, human health diseases etc with reference to the J&K state. Prof RK Ganjoo, Prof Jasbir Singh, Prof FS Sudan, Prof Arvind Jasrotia, Dr Arun and Dr S Kaul and various scientists and academicians belonging to the field of climate science, economics, environmental law and biotechnology are working on the project. |
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Market Assn urges CGM BSNL to complete cable-laying work
Jammu, April 6 A deputation of the association today called on RK Kaul, Chief General Manager, J&K Telecom Circle, BSNL and urged him to pass the directions to complete the project. The RBBA deputation, headed by the association president Baldev Khullar, told Kaul in the year 2003-04 under his supervision, 75 per cent telephone cables were laid underground in the bazaar, while 25 per cent of the cables were still hanging with poles. He requested Kaul to direct the officials to complete the remaining work soon. Kaul assured the deputation that underground GI pipes on both footpaths in the bazaar would be laid soon. Telephone poles in the bazaar would also be removed, he added.Those who accompanied Khullar included general secretary Sanjay Sethi, treasurer Amit Ramesh Kapoor and chairman of Jammu Heritage Society Om Parkash Gupta, along with its general secretary Bubhneshwar Gandotra and senior vice-president Ajesh Rohemetra. |
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Open air restaurant opened in Jammu
Jammu, April 6 Rakesh Dogra, General Manager, hotel Fortune Inn Riviera said, “We are excited to open The Oriental Pavilion restaurant in Jammu. The restaurant offers an open to sky view of the city, dim lights, magnificent view of the glittering Bahu Fort and Tawi river and its ambience is further enhanced by the Live Kitchen.” Oriental Master Chef Sadashankar said, “The restaurant will offer a complete Oriental meal from starters to desserts to the guests. We would be offering varieties of dimsums like Suimai and
GuoTie, soups like Tom Yum and Seafood Noodle Bowl Soup, starters like Satay and Tempura at this restaurant”. |
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Groom among six hurt in cylinder blast
Poonch, April 6 The accident took place at 9 am when guests were about to partake breakfast. The villagers began the rescue operation and shifted the injured to the Sub District Hospital, Mendhar. SDPO Mendhar Amit Bhasin along with Iqbal Singh, Tehsildar Mendhar, and SHO Maroof Badana rushed to the spot. The groom Imtiaz Ahmed, Mansha Bi, Shaqeela Bi, Maqsood Begum, Inqlab Ahmed and Kalsoom Bi were injured. The injured except Kalsoom Bi were referred to Jammu for specialised treatment, the police
said. — OC |
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J&K finishes 3rd in fencing championship
Jammu, April 6 In women’s sabre individual event, Shivani Hans had to settle for a bronze medal while Ranchan Sabarwal fetched the bronze medal in the men’s category in the same event. Ujjwal Gupta also won the bronze medal in men’s sabre individual event. SSCB bagged the top honours in the championship while Manipur finished second. The team was accompanied by Ajay Khartol and Dimple Thappa. |
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Eye check-up camp held
Jammu, April 6 Dr Jai Kumar Sharma, former Director, Health Services, inaugurated the camp. Dr Jugal Puri was the chief guest on the occasion. JC Sharma, secretary, Sanatan Dharam Sabha, Jammu, presided over the function. Dr Surbhi Gupta gave free consultation and examined the eyes of patients who attended the camp. The objective of the camp was to check the eyes of patients and to provide them free medicines. Around 150 persons attended the camp.
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Demand to declare May Day as gazetted holiday
Jammu, April 6 In separate memorandums to the PM and Union Labour Minister, Shastri said because of the May Day martyrs, the working class got their rights throughout the world. India being one of the largest democracy in the world and frontline welfare state should also declare May 1 as a gazetted holiday.
— TNS |
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Knowledge leads to character building: Taj
Jammu, April 6 Inaugurating a seminar organised by a private college here today, the minister said attainment of knowledge should lead to character building which would have far reaching consequences for society. He said the aim and objective of imparting knowledge and education is not only to create an aware citizenry but also to carve out charactered souls who would shape society of our
time. — TNS |
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Jammu, April 6
