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Govt failure to surrender savings deprived needy sectors of funds: CAG
Hizb has well-knit network in Nepal, cautions Army
Mirwaiz softens Friday sermon, takes up public issues
Govt to pay rent for IGNOU study centres in Valley
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Police remand of four accused extended by five days
Governor greets people on Baisakhi
NIA records statements of Liyaqat Shah’s family
Jammuites to celebrate Baisakhi after 8 years,
three-day celebrations to begin today
Develop university campuses as centres of excellence: Governor tells JU, KU VCs
In poll mode NC, PDP engage in war of words
Residents of remote village call on
Governor
Gujjars yet to get due representation in decision-making process
Soz writes to PM to seek release of two youths
Separatists react to CM’s remarks
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Govt failure to surrender savings deprived needy sectors of funds: CAG
Jammu, April 12 The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India in its latest report has pulled up the state government for failing to surrender these savings and termed it a violation of the state budget manual. The CAG also pointed out expenditure in excess of the legislative approved by 15 government departments. Pointing out that anticipated savings were not surrendered, the report observed that as per the state budget manual, the spending departments were required to surrender grants, appropriations or saving portion there of to the Finance Department as and when the savings were anticipated. “At the close of 2011-12, there were 18 grants and four appropriations in which saving occurred but no part of which had been surrendered by the government departments concerned. The savings in these cases was of the order of Rs 5,038.65 crore in 42 cases involving 27 budget grants and three appropriations,” the CAG report said. The report also pointed out that the Finance Department had saved Rs1,732.77 crore but had failed to surrender the same. Similarly, the Education Department had saved Rs 335.02 crore, Power Development Department saved Rs 304.91 crore and Home Department had saved Rs 291.09 crore but these savings were not surrendered as per manual of the state budget. “The non-surrender of the funds deprived the government of the opportunity to transfer these funds to other needy sectors” the report states. The CAG report also revealed that some departments had incurred expenditure in excess of legislative approval. “In 15 cases, expenditure aggregating Rs 15,418.52 crore exceeded by Rs 5,638.79 crore the total approved provisions, in each case by Rs one crore or by more than 20 per cent of the provisions, the reported points out. “Of these, excess expenditure by more than 20 per cent has been observed consistently for the last five years in respect of one appropriation,” the report adds. In another case of violation of guidelines, the CAG report said as per the budget manual, the expenditure should not be incurred on a scheme/service without provision of funds. “It was, however, noticed that the expenditure of Rs 1,408.38 crore was incurred without any provision in the original estimates, supplementary demand and without any re-appropriation orders to this effect,” the report said. |
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Hizb has well-knit network in Nepal, cautions Army
Jammu, April 12 Close on the heels of a verbal spar between the state government and Delhi Police over suspected Hizb man Liyaqat Ali Shah, who had entered via the Indo-Nepal border, arrest of 12 Kashmiris, including five children and three women at the porous border in Madhubani area of Bihar on April 10, could also be a “game-plan” of the Pakistan to test the waters in the aftermath of Liyaqat episode, said a senior Army officer. Among the 12 Kashmiris from the PoK, who were trying to enter India via Nepal, four were allegedly militants from Kashmir and one of them allegedly a close associate of Hizbul Mujahideen chief Syed Salahuddin. Time is running out fast and we must plug Nepal border effectively because the neighbouring country is becoming a “steering” post for terror outfits like Hizb, Lashkar and Jaish-e-Mohammed, he claimed. He said the rehabilitation policy was designed to reduce militancy in J&K but it seems to have recoiled as not a single militant returned via four officially identified routes while scores keep on coming via porous Nepal border. State Home Secretary, Suresh Kumar said, “Kashmiri people are allowed to return under the rehabilitation policy from Wagah border, Salamabad in Baramulla, Chakan-da-Bagh in Poonch and IGIA in Delhi, but Nepal border is not one of the routes.” |
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Mirwaiz softens Friday sermon, takes up public issues
Srinagar, April 12 Mirwaiz’s earlier sermons were mostly rhetoric over solving the Kashmir issue and on Indo-Pak dialogue. Addressing the congregation today, Mirwaiz termed the supply of spurious drugs to hospitals in Kashmir “a conspiracy to kill” Kashmiris. “Under a well orchestrated plan, Kashmir was being fast turned into a fake medicine market, where the drug mafia has the direct patronage of the state and are being encouraged to sell fake drugs in the state, which is rendering the life of people in danger,” Mirwaiz said in his address. With supply of spurious medicines coming to the fore in Kahsmir, the J&K State Human Rights Commission (SHRC) had on April 10 issued notices to the state government, asking it to submit details regarding the alleged supply of spurious and expired drugs to the GB Pant Hospital, which had resulted in deaths of infants in the hospital last year. “Seven hundred people have died due to intake of spurious drugs in 2012, let alone dozens of infants in children hospitals,” Mirwaiz claimed in his addresses. Highlighting the issue of unscheduled power cuts, which have become a routine across Kashmir, Mirwaiz termed the “curtailment of power supply” to Kashmiri households the “worst form of injustice”. Without naming the NHPC, Mirwaiz said the “authorities were plundering water resources” of Kashmir. “The authorities produce 1600 MW of power. However, it is an irony that Kashmiris are being asked to do with only 170 MW of power,” he said while demanding the return of power projects to the state. “The pro-India parties sitting at the helm of power since 1947 were not only exploiting people on political level, but on the economic front as well. All the hydel power projects should be handed over back to Kashmir since its people are the owners of the water resources of J&K,” he said. He said the Hurriyat Conference “cannot remain silent” over the issue when “things are being done against the Kashmiris interests”. Mirwaiz in his address also demanded removal of bunkers from all areas of Kashmir and reiterated his demand for the return of mortal remains of
Azfal Guru. |
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Govt to pay rent for IGNOU study centres in Valley
Srinagar, April 12 He was speaking on the occasion of the 26th Annual IGNOU Convocation at the Government College of Education, Srinagar auditorium today. He said of IGNOU’s 38 study centres in Kashmir, wherever the buildings are housed in rented accommodation, the state government would pay their rent. “Mostly, it is the students from poor economic background and rural areas who study in IGNOU study centres as they either cannot afford direct education programmes or have no accessibility to the colleges and universities. IGNOU courses are thus a great approach to help educate such masses and improve the literacy rate in the state. The
administration would provide all possible help to the IGNOU regional management in the Valley,” Shailendra Kumar said. The IGNOU Regional Centre, Kashmir had enrolled 15,000 students for various courses in 2012 as per the university statistics. This year, over 5,000 students have already enrolled with the IGNOU and the next batch of classes will begin in July. Presently IGNOU’s Regional Centre, Srinagar, offers 250 programmes ranging from certificate, diplomas, advance diplomas, postgraduate diplomas, bachelors and masters in various disciplines. The professional programmes offered include MBA, MCA, B.Ed, PG diploma in hospital health management, geriatric medicine, food science, information security, bachelor and diploma programmes in nursing. |
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March 13 Suicide Attack
Srinagar, April 12 The accused also include a Pakistani militant Zubair, who was arrested by the security forces from the outskirts of the city, just a day after a squad of two fidayeen (suicide) militants had attacked CRPF men in a Police Public School ground in Bemina, Srinagar on February 13. In the suicide attack by the militants, five CRPF personnel were killed and six other CRPF personnel and four civilians were injured. Two fidayeen militants were also killed in retaliatory firing in the same incident. They were later identified as Saif and Haider, both natives of Pakistan. “The four accused in the Bemina Fidayeen attack case were today produced by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the police before a city court here for extending their remand,” a court official said. The court later extended the remand of the four accused by five days till April 17, he added. The four accused include Muhammad Zubair alias Talha Zaraar, a native of Multan in Pakistan, Bashir Ahmad Mir alias Haroon, a resident of Uri, identified by police as the local “co-commander”, Mukhtar Ahmad Shah, a released militant and Pradeep Singh, a contractual employee in Health Department hailing from Baramulla. On April 2, the Court of Second Munsif (a subordinate court) had remanded these four arrested persons to 10 days police custody, which ended today. During a press conference on March 19, Inspector General of Police, Kashmir Range, AG Mir had said the investigations had revealed that the attack was carried out by two Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) cadres, identified as Saif, a resident of Dera Ghazi Khan, and Haider, a resident of Multan in Pakistan, at the behest of their commander Ahmad and logistics chief Anas Bilal who are based across the LoC. |
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Governor greets people on Baisakhi
Jammu, April 12 The Governor said in the northern states, Baisakhi also marks the commencement of the harvesting season, when farmers reap the fruit of their hard work. He said the celebration of this festival was an example of our glorious pluralistic traditions. — TNS |
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NIA records statements of Liyaqat Shah’s family
Srinagar, April 12 Liyaqat, a Hizbul militants was arrested by the Special Cell of Delhi Police from Indo- Nepal border on March 22. With his arrest, the Special Cell of Delhi Police had claimed to have foiled a 'fidayeen attack in Delhi on the
Holi eve. This claim was however rejected by the Jammu and Kashmir Police, which said Liyaqat was coming to Kashmir via Nepal from PoK to surrender in J&K under the special rehabilitation policy for PoK militants. |
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Jammuites to celebrate Baisakhi after 8 years,
three-day celebrations to begin today
Jammu, April 12 The three-day festival is being orgainsed by the Department of Tourism in collaboration with the Mubarak Mandi Jammu Heritage Society (MMJHS). The festival will begin tomorrow and conclude with glittering fireworks on April 15. Earlier, Baisakhi was organised in 2005 during the regime of former Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad (presently the Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare). Thousands of people from various walks of life had thronged the complex during the festival. According to the Department of Tourism, the festival is being organised at the newly renovated Army headquarters and Foreign Office located inside the complex. The building has been illuminated with colourful lightings and buntings to give a festival look. “The Baisakhi festival is being organised at Mubarak Mandi complex after a gap of almost eight years. Variety of cultural programmes and food stalls will be organised to attract people from all over the state,” Soujanya Sharma, director, Department of Tourism and executive director, MMJHS, told The Tribune. He said the renovated building housing erstwhile Army headquarters and Foreign Office of the Dogra rulers has been illuminated. “The department will organise a painting and photograph exhibition. Some photographs of prominent faces of Jammu will also be put on display. The main attraction of the festival will be the audio-visual feature on the coronation of Maharaja Hari Singh, the last ruler of the princely state of Jammu and Kashmir,” Sharma said. He said a variety of food stalls including ‘Navratras special’ will also be set up for the visitors during the festival. The Mubarak Mandi complex spreads over 14 acres in the heart of the old city and is steeped in history of 187 years. The oldest building in the palace complex dates back to 1824. The Archeological Survey of India (ASI) has been entrusted the task of renovation of this complex. The restoration work was started in 2008 and the Government of India had announced a grant of Rs 296 crore, including Rs 52 crore, under the 13th Finance Commission for renovation of the entire complex after the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) submitted a detailed project report on the complex. |
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74th Meeting of JU Council
Jammu, April 12 He called on Prof MPS Ishar, Vice-Chancellor, University of Jammu and Prof Talat Ahmad, Vice-Chancellor, University of Kashmir, to devote sustained attention towards this goal. He said this would require providing a sound faculty, adequate infrastructure and all other necessary facilities to impart education of the highest standard in sync with the requirements of the existing and emerging job markets within the country and abroad. The Governor, who is also the Chancellor of the Jammu University, was chairing the 74th meeting of the University Council, at Raj Bhavan here today. The Governor urged the Vice-Chancellors to urgently explore the possibility of the main campuses and the off-site campuses of the Universities in the state be suitably linked to optimally utilise the medium of video conferencing and other technological tools so that the students could benefit from the lectures delivered by experts in various institutions all over the country. He also urged them to critically examine the employability potential while considering the introduction of any new course and the selected courses should provide inherent advantage of greater job opportunities for the students. He said the employment potential of the selected courses, in the catchments area of the offsite campuses must also invariably be kept in view. Referring to complaints about delays in the declaration of various examination results, the Governor urged the Vice Chancellor to take all required steps to ensure that the results of all examinations were declared within stipulated time frame. Regarding the functioning of the affiliated colleges of the University, the Governor stressed upon the importance to ensure that all such institutions followed the prescribed norms to impart quality education. He added that to achieve this objective a comprehensive mechanism should be put in place for these institutions to be monitored on a regular basis. Reviewing the status of the creation of infrastructure in the main campus and off site campuses of the University, the Governor stressed that all new and under-construction buildings must have the provision to use solar energy and rain water harvesting. Mohammad Akbar Lone, Minister for Higher Education, stressed upon the need to enhance the employability potential of the students. He called for undertaking detailed analysis while introducing new courses so that these were in consonance with the emerging job market scenario. He said various courses need to be job-oriented, market-driven and industry-linked to maximise their benefits for the youth. He put forth several suggestions in regard to securing these objectives as also for the promotion of quality higher education in the state. The meeting discussed various items on the agenda in detail and took the required decisions. Action taken on the decisions of the earlier meeting of the University Council was also reviewed. Earlier, Prof MPS Ishar, Vice Chancellor, Jammu University, in his power point presentation, gave details of the academic and extracurricular achievements of the University. He also dwelt upon the efforts being made to improve the existing infrastructure and the initiatives taken in the fields of teaching, research and extension activities. He thanked the Governor to take a keen interest in the growth of the University. Prof Talat Ahmad, Vice Chancellor, University of Kashmir; BR Sharma, Principal Secretary, Planning and Development; KB Aggarwal, Principal Secretary, Higher Education; BB Vyas, Principal Secretary, Finance; Navin K Choudhary, Principal Secretary to the Governor; Prof RP Tandon and Prof Naresh Padha, Registrar, University of Jammu, were also present.
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In poll mode NC, PDP engage in war of words
Srinagar, April 12 It all began with the execution of the Parliament attack convict, Afzal Guru on February 9 last when the opposition PDP, expressing its disappointment, demanded the return of Guru’s body to his family in Kashmir. Within hours after the execution, the PDP made the demand, when the Chief Minister Omar Abdullah had appealed to the people to maintain calm and taken security arrangements to prevent any fall out of the execution. The PDP has been
confronting the coalition government on various issues related to the law and order situation, arrests of youths, peace process and governance, with the gradual improvement in the situation. PDP president, Mehbooba Mufti has been criticising the coalition government on various issues, mainly the execution of Afzal Guru and also blaming the NC for execution of JKLF founder leader, Mohammad Maqbool Bhat in 1984. “The National Conference after hanging its victims is trying to exploit the return of their bodies as political capital to mislead people,” Mehbooba said recently. She said the NC was trying to use the demand for the return of their mortal remains for its election campaign. Mehbooba has added that the peace process and governance were the worst sufferers of the present government. On the other hand the National Conference leadership has been banking upon its political initiatives in the past and the major achievements on the peace, governance and administrative fronts during the last four years of the coalition government. The NC’s new and young cadre in the Political Advisor, Tanvir Sadiq, claims that the party had to its credit the Autonomy Resolution in the Assembly and raising the K-issue in the Parliament as well, apart from seeking a peaceful resolution of the Kashmir issue. He also criticised the PDP on the issue of self-rule. While the two parties are engaged in a virtual war of words against each other, the Congress ally of the NC has been maintaining a cautious approach on the vital issues. The two coalition parties, the National Conference and the Congress have held a series of public meetings across the state. A series of public rallies were held by the NC in south Kashmir recently, that too in the PDP bastions, wherein the party lashed out at the opposition on different issues. |
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Residents of remote village call on
Governor
Jammu, April 12 The seven-member delegation led by Mohammad Shahnawaz Choudhary, president, Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Youth Congress, submitted a memorandum of their demands to the Governor. The demands include admission of children of Murrah village in Army Public Schools within and outside the state, construction of roads to increase connectivity, improvement of water and power supply and healthcare facilities and upgrade of telecommunication facilities. The delegation also demanded recruitment of youth of Poonch and Rajouri districts in the police and the Army, construction of airports in both the districts and development of a sports stadium at Surankote. The Governor said their demands would be taken up with the Chief Minister and the Army. — TNS
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Gujjars yet to get due representation in decision-making process
Jammu, April 12 As per the 2011 Census, the state has a total population of 1,25,48,926. “A community, which was given the Scheduled Tribe (ST) status and accordingly, a 10 per cent quota in government jobs in 1991, today has only one IAS and one IPS officer from the J&K cadre, Shahid Iqbal and Suleman Choudhary, respectively,” said Dr Javaid Rahi, secretary of the Tribal Research and Cultural Foundation (TRCF), a frontal organisation of the Gujjars. “In the past 22 years, only two boys of the community made it to the IAS and the IPS from the J&K cadre. The community, which is the third largest in the state, was given the ST status in 1991 but there is still not much change in its socio-economic condition,” said Rahi. According to a latest survey by the TRCF, the presence of Gujjars is almost negligible in 10 major
government institutions of the state. “They have no say in the decision-making bodies
of the state, which is why they are lagging behind in every sphere of life,” said Rahi. The survey has brought to the fore some startling revelations. There are 32 departments in the civil secretariat services, which have 208 posts - from under secretary to chief secretary. However, there are only two additional secretaries, two deputy secretaries and two under secretaries from the community. Going by the 10-per cent reservation quota, posts held by Gujjars should have been 21. In the district administration, out of 319 senior KAS officers, the community has only one officer as against 32 posts for Gujjars under the quota. Out of 163 heads of departments, including 96 IAS officers, the community has only one officer against their 16 reserved posts. Among 41 super scale officers/special secretaries, the community has only one official against four posts under the quota. Out of 39 above super scale officials, the community has no representation even though they have four seats in this category under the law. “Similarly, out of 22 district development commissioners, there is only one Gujjar district development commissioner against two posts meant for the community,” said Rahi. Out of 19 IGPs/ ADGs and 21 DIGs in the J&K Police, there is not even a single officer from the community, he added. Rahi also highlighted that there was no representation from the community in the judiciary. Out of the 14 high court judges, there is none from the community while out of 67 district and sessions judges, the community has only four such posts in their hand against seven posts meant for them under the law, he said. In educational institutions such as Jammu University, Kashmir University and medical colleges in Srinagar and Jammu, too, the community has been deprived of its due share, he said. He said the government had till date not constituted a tribal commission to do justice to the Gujjars and other tribes in the state. |
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Soz writes to PM to seek release of two youths
Srinagar, April 12 Through his letter, Soz wants to bring the attention of the Prime Minister towards the alleged atrocious behaviour of the Delhi Police in the case. Soz said that the two youths, Mirza Nisar Hussain and Mohammad Ali Bhat, were subjected to “indescribable atrocities” for 16 years. The Delhi High Court in its judgement had observed that the police was wrong in its action against these two boys and had ordered their immediate release, Soz said. He said the two were 16 years old in 1996 when they were arrested by the police. “The Delhi police has now again arrested the duo, who are now 32 years old, and their families are not in a position to move the court,” Soz said. The PCC chief has appealed to the Union Home Ministry to punish the policemen who were responsible for lodging false complaints and conducting “fictitious” investigations. |
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Separatists react to CM’s remarks
Srinagar, April 12 The APHC spokesperson stated that atrocities on Kashmiri youth were continuing. He stated that the Omar-led government was showing sympathy to the people of the state here but was actually trying to appease the Centre in New Delhi. In a statement, JKLF chairman Mohammad Yasin Malik said slapping Public Safety Act (PSA) on youngsters, dubbing those killed by security forces as drug addicts and using security force to curb political adversaries amounted to state terrorism. Malik said the Chief Minister, who was heading this oppression, had no moral right to talk about moral values and rights of Kashmiris. On the recent arrest of Liyaqat Ahmad Shah, who was returning to surrender, the JKLF chairman said the media was concerned about such people. He said he regretted the plight of the young boys on whom the PSA was being slapped. Malik stated that the Omar-led government, while replying to the public interest litigation for 2010 victims in the high court, dubbed all those killed by the police and security forces, including women, as drug addicts. Syed Ali Geelani of the Hurriyat Conference and JKLF chairman Mohammad Yasin Malik have been under house arrest since their return to Kashmir following the execution of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru. |
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Jammuites are all set to celebrate Baisakhi, also spelled as Vaishakhi festival at the historic Mubarak Mandi complex, the insignia of the royal memorabilia and seat of governance of the erstwhile Dogra rulers in Jammu and Kashmir after a gap of almost eight years.
