Jammu, May 14
The state administration is in a fix over shifting of buses from the existing bus stand to the newly constructed Inter-State Bus Terminal (ISBT) at Narwal following a stiff resistance from various transport, trade and political groups, who have threatened to launch an agitation in case the government does not shelve the proposal.

Sources said the clouds of uncertainty looms large over the much ambitious project of the administration to construct a multi-tier parking complex at the existing bus stand by shifting buses to the ISBT at Narwal and other places after the fresh controversy.

“Various trade and tourism-related organisations, including the Chamber of Commerce and Industry Jammu (CCIJ), had held a joint meeting and decided to oppose the government move of shifting of buses from the bus stand to Narwal. They unanimously decided that they will call for a complete shutdown in Jammu if the state administration does not reconsider its decision,” the sources said.

The traffic police, however, said it was complying with the court directions which had ordered the shifting of all inter-state buses from the BC Road and the existing bus stand to the newly constructed ISBT at Narwal.

“In compliance with the court directions, we have restricted the entry and parking of buses at the General Bus Stand from 8 am to 8 pm. Some people with vested interests are creating hurdles in the shifting of buses, but they must understand that the traffic police is implementing the court directives,” Manmohan Singh, Senior Superintendent of Police, (Traffic), Jammu, told The Tribune.

Trying to distance himself from the controversy, Pardeep Gupta, Divisional Commissioner, Jammu, said the land, where the bus stand exists, belongs to the Jammu Development Authority (JDA).

“The orders for shifting of buses from the bus stand to the new ISBT at Narwal have been issued by the Transport Department. The JDA and the Transport Department are holding discussions to sort out the issue and we are hopeful that the issue will be settled soon,” Gupta said.

Satesh Nehru, vice-chairman, JDA, also tried to distance himself from the controversy saying it was an “administrative matter” and it (JDA) had no role vis-à-vis shifting of buses from the bus stand.

YV Sharma, president, CCIJ, said they had suggested that the existing bus stand should be a terminal point so that arrival and departure of buses could take place from there.

“Like railway station from where all trains operate, the arrival and departure of all the buses should be allowed from the bus stand so that the city remains well-connected. As far as decongestion in the area is concerned, they should modify and upgrade the existing bus stand on the modern lines,” Sharma said.

Inderjeet Khajuria, president, Jammu Hotels and Lodges Association, said, “The government move will adversely affect trade and will directly hit the economy of the city. Travelling will become expensive by Rs 100 to Rs 200. Besides, it will take at least one to two hours for a person to board a bus”.

He said, “We are not opposed to the shifting of idle parking and workshops from the bus stand to the ISBT, Narwal, or Khanpur Nagrota, but the complete of bus stand will not be allowed”.

The BJP had said yesterday that there was no justification with the coalition government to shift the decades-old General Bus Stand and warned that it would not tolerate any such move as it would add to the problems of the passengers and would affect the city as well.

The General Bus Stand, which is located in the heart of city, spreads over 52 kanal area. The JDA had proposed to construct a multi-tier parking complex on the existing bus stand with an estimated cost of Rs 35 crore. 

Jammu, May 14
As the Inter-State Bus Terminal (ISBT) has been shifted to Narwal from the bus stand, truckers are left with no other option but to park their vehicles on roads, causing frequent traffic jams in the area.

Trucks parked along roadside at Narwal are creating chaos at Transport Nagar. Transporters have expressed resentment over the issue, as they do not have any place to park their trucks.

Janak Singh, a transporter said, “More than 10,000 trucks are plying from Transport Nagar out of which 2,000-3,000 trucks stand here at a time. All the trucks are standing on the road these days as our parking space is being utilised by the ISBT”.

“The authorities have assured us to make separate stand for trucks in Birpur, but nothing has been done so far. They should make an arrangement for parking of more than 5,000 trucks as soon as possible,” he added.

Another transporter at Narwal said, “We welcome the step of the administration to shift the ISBT here to decongest the traffic of the city, but they should consider all the aspects of the shifting and arrangements for our trucks should be made first”.

“We do not mind to shift to Birpur, but proper arrangements should be there to park all the tucks systematically,” he added.

Pradeep Gupta, Divisional Commissioner, Jammu, said, “The JDA has to identify land for them and accommodate them accordingly”.

Satesh Nehru, vice-chairman, Jammu Development Authority (JDA), refused to take any responsibility to accommodate truckers and shifted the onus upon the Transport Department saying: “We have nothing to do with it. It is the responsibility of the Transport Department to make arrangement for the parking of trucks”.

However, the Senior Superintendent of Police, Traffic, said, “Truckers have sufficient space to park their trucks as the space was identified for the ISBT”.

Speaking out We welcome the move to shift the Inter-State Bus Terminal (ISBT) to Narwal, but it should be shifted completely as the partial shifting has created confusion among the passengers as well as the bus operators — Harbhajan Singh, a transporter Shifting the bus stand will badly affect my business, as we have perfection in repairing trucks. To get proper knowledge about bus repairing and making contacts with bus operators will take some time. Meanwhile, we will not be able to earn our livelihood — Inder Singh, a truck mechanic I appreciate the decision of shifting the bus stand here as it will reduce traffic pressure from the city and generate business for the people of the outskirts area of the city. As far as passengers are concerned, they may feel it difficult to reach Narwal, but they will get used to it after some time — Manmohan Singh, A businessman They should shift it completely or leave it as it is. They are allowing vehicles after 8 pm on the BC Road Bus Stand and during day time, we have to come via bypass road to Narwal. It creates confusion among passengers as well as bus operators — Lal Ji Ram, a bus conductor

Jammu, May 14
Uncovered manholes on the Channi Himmat road have become a death trap for commuters and drivers, but the Jammu Municipal Corporation (JMC) is not bothered to seal such drain openings in the city.

There is hardly any road here where one does not find uncovered manholes.

“Open manholes lead to accidents as they are mostly in the middle of roads. There is always a huge vehicular traffic and a large number of schoolchildren use the road everyday,” said Rajat Raina, a university student.

The Canal road, interior areas of Kachi Chawni, Talab Tillo, Janipur, Patoli and Subash Nagar are some of the worst affected areas.

However, a Central Government circular in 2009 had asked various departments like the Roads and Buildings, Irrigation and Flood Control, Rural Development, Power Development, Public Health Engineering, Geology and Mining, Economic Reconstruction Agency, municipal corporations, committees and other local bodies to ensure that no bore well, manhole or pit should be left open. 

Jammu, May 14
Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL), which is already falling behind its competitors in providing quality telecom services, is now even wrongly processing monthly telephone bills with errors, putting the people to mental agony.

In an incident, one of its regular consumer of landline and broadband connection was surprised to find that the public sector telecom giant had wrongly adjusted bill amount more than what was generated by the computer.

“Our total bill was Rs 5,087 for three landline phone connections with breakup of Rs 1,422, Rs 2,328 and Rs 1,337. But to our astonishment, they had adjusted Rs 3,338 against the bill whose total amount was Rs 2,328. What happened to Rs 327, we don’t know,” said a user.

“However, when the officer concerned was approached to rectify their error, they gave a total cold response that they were not at fault. Further they did not give receipts against the bill amount submitted,” he said.

BSNL subscribers from various areas of the city have decried its poor cellular services. Subscribers from various localities, including Sarwal, Channi Himmat, Gandhi Nagar, Shastri Nagar, Janipur and other areas, have been facing a lot of difficulty in making and receiving calls due to poor cellular signal.

“Due to poor service, I can’t make or receive calls. This has severely affected my business,” said Rahul Sharma, a businessman.

Batote, May 14
A .303 rifle, along with the 97 rounds, was reportedly stolen from the house of Village Defence Committee Member (VDCM) Pyar Singh from Digori village of Ramban district on July 24 last year.

Another .303 rifle was stolen from the house of VDCM Shamsher Singh at Gora Gandot of the Seri-B panchayat in Ramban on May 10.

It was the second instance in the past one year in the Ramban block in which a .303 rifle, issued by the district police to a VDCM, was stolen from his house and these incidents have left the police perplexedly clueless and tight-lipped even after such a long period.

Although the rifle stolen last year was found wrapped in a polythene bag, along with its 47 rounds, by a patrolling column of the Army from a forest at Paro village in the Kokernag area of Anantnag district on August 8 last year, the mystery still continues as the 50 bullets of the rifle, Rs 32,000 and 30 gm of gold ornaments are still missing and nobody has been arrested in the case as yet.

A steel box at the house of Pyar Singh on July 24 was broken.

It was not a coincidence that both the incidents occurred during the wedding season and in the families of Rajputs of the same area of contiguous panchayats of Gam and Seri-B, which are perched a few km above Ramban town and separated by a nullah flowing from atop the hill to merge into the Chenab at the bottom.

Local elders attribute the recurrence of such incidents to the prevalence of hard alcoholism, age-old vendettas, rivalries or jealousies among the families, illiteracy, unchecked practice of flaunting guns, firing openly in the air or dancing with them at weddings.

“The possibility could also be that these guns might have been sold out for a hefty amount and then a drama of theft has been performed,” said one of the elders.

“The investigation is still on. We are looking at all angles. I cannot say anything yet,” said Ramban SP Anil Magotra.

Jammu, May 14
Planning and Development Minister Ajay Sadhotra took a stock of relief and rehabilitation measures for earthquake-hit areas of Bhaderwah tehsil, Doda district.

Sadhotra was stationed by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah at Bhaderwah to oversee the distribution of relief process in the area and listen to the grievances of the people and address them accordingly. He spent five days in the area.

Bhaderwah was the nearest town to the epicentre of May 1 earthquake and almost every house there developed cracks.

During his stay at Bhaderwah, Sadhotra visited far-flung areas and asked the administration to expedite the process of distribution of relief. Talking to The Tribune, Sadhotra said the earthquake had led to an extensive damage in the area as houses, religious places, school buildings and other government structures were damaged.

“In the first stage, tents are being distributed to those where damaged is the maximum. The government led by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah is aware of the damages and destruction caused by the earthquake in the region and is providing all sort of help to the people,” Sadhotra said.

He said the government had mobilised all its resources to provide the best possible relief to the affected people for the reconstruction and repair of their damaged structures.

“A survey has been conducted to know the damage occurred and officials have been directed that no one should be left in the survey. After the completion of the process, a comprehensive report will be sent to the Central government to get relief on the pattern of Leh,” the minister added.

Giving details of the measures taken by the Omar Abdullah government, he said, “The Chief Minister has sanctioned Rs 25 crore for speedy restoration of public services in the earthquake-hit areas, which has been released to the deputy commissioners concerned. “Besides, three months free ration will be provided to the affected families in the region as per the 2011 Census,” he said.

Jammu, May 14
The parents of Akshay Verma, who was found dead on a railway track last year, have demanded the setting up of a special investigation team (SIT) to probe the case, as they are suspecting it to be a murder.

They said their son had been allegedly killed by a prominent jeweller’s son in the city. However, due to the accused’s close association with political leaders, the police had failed to act. Akshya was found dead near a railway crossing by the railway police on September 24 last year.

Addressing a press conference, father of the victim Subhash Verma alleged that despite assurances by the administration that proper investigation would be conducted in the case, nothing has been done so far. “We have been running from pillar to the post for justice. We will continue our fight against the system, which is shielding the accused,” alleged Verma.

“We got courage from the way the family of Sarabjeet Singh fought for their rights. We have also decided to fight till justice is done. The police has been silent so far and the way the case is being conducted, it is a matter of great concern and we have no faith in the enquiry conducted,” he alleged.

The victim’s father demanded reinvestigation of the case in a transparent manner. “We would like to mention that the District Magistrate has already directed the J&K police to form an SIT to investigate the matter and register an FIR in the case. The order was given on October 1, 2012, but nothing has been done,” he said.

The family said they were preparing for Akshay's 25th birthday on September 27, 2012, but one of his friends called up and told us that they were going to have a party at Manda.

Doda, May 14
Director General of Police (DGP) Ashok Prasad today underscored the need for stepping up the relief works in the earthquake-hit areas. He asked to work in coordination with the civil administration to minimise the miseries of the victims.

Prasad was addressing the policemen and police officers of Ramban, Doda and Kishtwar at the District Police Lines, Doda.

He said their motto should be to serve and provide better police service to the public at all levels that could bring about a positive change in the public perception about the force.

Appreciating the role of the JKP in the quake-hit areas, the DGP said the force had demonstrated great valour and courage in providing rescue and relief to the people in these areas.

He said the force deemed it a human responsibility to come to the rescue of the people during the calamities and had always remained on a forefront in coordination with the civil administration to save life and property of the people.

The DGP said, “The police has the primary role of safeguarding the people in all situations and it is important to work with more dedication during calamities. More transparency in the day-to-day functioning of the police is required. The force has faced many tough situations with fortitude to bring about peace and order in the state.”

On the occasion, the DGP distributed rewards among the policemen and police officers of the three districts, who exhibited courage and valour in different operations and saved life and property in these districts. He asked the cops to strengthen their bonds with the public and achieve the desired results in their fight against evils.

Responding to the problems highlighted during the durbar, the DGP assured that these would be looked into for appropriate action. He asked the senior officers present at the durbar to maintain coordination among the ranks and work for the betterment of society.

Later, the DGP inspected some ongoing construction works at Doda and stressed executing agency to complete the works within the stipulated period. He also visited the youth club and was apprised by Jammu IGP Rajesh Kumar of the activities being carried out in the club for the welfare of the youth. 

Jammu, May 14
A woman has levelled charges against police for trying to hush up a dowry harassment case.

Addressing a press conference, Gurcharan Kour alleged that her in-laws had been harassing her for dowry ever since she got married to Preetam Singh about a decade ago. She alleged that she had been facing mental and physical harassment by her mother-in-law and other family members.

Gurcharan, who is working as a teacher in Army Public School (APS) in Jammu, alleged that her husband used to beat and humiliate her regularly over small issues. She said they had been demanding gold and money from her parents.

“In July 2011, things crossed the tolerance level and every member of the family started assaulting me. I had lodged a complaint at the women’s cell in December 2011 but was forced to make a compromise,” she alleged.

Narrating her ordeal, Gurcharan claimed that on April 28, her husband brutally beat her up and confined her to a room. She was not allowed to come out of the house.

“It was only in the morning that I moved out of the house to drop my son to school and then I lodged an FIR at the Chattha police station against my in-laws. I was later admitted to Gandhi Nagar Hospital with bruises all over my body,” she claimed.

In charge of the Chattha police post Jasbir Singh said they were investigating the matter. “We are waiting for the medical report from Government Hospital, Gandhi Nagar. We will start the investigation once we receive the report,” he added.

Rajouri, May 14
Equipped with modern technology, the India Post has opened its Modern Post Office at Baba Ghulam Shah Badshah University (BGSBU), which was inaugurated by MP Madan Lal Sharma in presence of the Vice-Chancellor, Prof Irshad A Hamal. The post office will cater to the needs of more than 2,500 university students and populace of the nearby Dhanore area.

In this connection, a programme was held in the Cultural Hall of the university in which Sharma was the chief guest and Prof Hamal was the guest of honour. Chief Postmaster General of the state John Samuel was also present at the function.

Speaking on the occasion, Sharma appreciated India Post for opening the post office on the university campus. He also congratulated the university and expressed satisfaction over the tremendous development in the university in the past two years.

He said he was happy that such a wonderful university had come up on the hillocks of Rajouri. He assured full support to the university in getting the aid from the Centre and has also announced the construction of a bore well on the university campus with a grant of the MP’s land area development fund and directed the Rajouri Deputy Commissioner and the department concerned to draft a plan for the same.

Speaking on the occasion, Prof Hamal also spoke on the development of the university. He also highlighted a few problems being faced by them and suggested ways to mitigate these. He said the Centre was providing grants for the salary component to many universities and the Ministry of Human Resource Development should also consider the demand to grant such funds for BGSB University to financially stabilise the institution that will further help in the development of the university.

The Vice-Chancellor also suggested the MP to initiate a water supply system so that the residents do not face water problem on the campus. He also thanked John Samuel for opening such the post office. Earlier, Samuel welcomed the guests and highlighted the importance of postal services in the present era. He said he was approached by the university for a post office which has been opened for the facility of the students and residents.

Jammu, May 14
A faculty member of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi University (SMVDU), Katra, has brought laurels for the university as he was a part of the international research team, which identified a susceptibility gene associated with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (also called AIS) across Asian and Caucasian populations.

The research team was mainly comprised scientists from Japan, China and the USA. Dr Swarkar Sharma, an assistant professor of School of Biology and Chemistry, SMVDU, Katra, was among the researchers who contributed to the study. He was also a co-author of the scientific paper. The study is published on May 12, 2013 in Nature Genetics, a scientific journal.

The gene ‘GPR126’ is involved in the growth and development of spine during childhood. The AIS is the most common skeletal deformity, affecting approximately 2-3 per cent of school-age children worldwide. Its patients suffer from curving of the spine in ‘S’ shape from side to side, instead of a straight spine.

This affects the posture of the body, gait and may compromise the functions of various organs of the body. The causes of scoliosis remain largely unknown and surgery or braces are the only treatment options, known so far. However, recent clinical and genetic studies suggest contribution of genetic factors.

Dr Swarkar was also a part of the research team, which had earlier reported the first gene ‘CHL1’ associated with the AIS.

Jammu, May 14
The Tribune today organised a function at Sainik School, Nagrota, to give away prizes to the students who participated in the Cognisance Scrapbook Competition in Jammu.

The second prize, a desktop computer, was given to Adhyaan Bhatti and a consolation prize was given to Umar Shafi. Over 30 participants of the competition were given certificates.

Those present on the occasion were Lt Col MP Singh, headmaster, Wing Commander, S Dominic Rayan, and senior master AS Raina.

The competition was organised by the newspaper in December in which more than 30 schools and thousands of students had participated.— TNS