Jammu, June 17
Devotees unable to go to the original shrine of Mata Kheer Bhawani at Tulmullah in Ganderbal district of Kashmir but their faith has brought the Goddess here.

Devotees thronged the replica of the original shrine, the Mata Kheer Bhawani Temple at Bhawani Nagar here today to celebrate annual Jaishta Ashtami festival.

A hawan was also organised by Ardratri Maha Ragniya Sewa Sanstha, which manages the shrine.

The replica was built by displaced Kashmiri Pandits after they migrated from militancy-infested Valley.

Devotees made a beeline to pay obeisance at the shrine since early morning. The rush increased as the day passed. Various social and religious organisations set up stalls offering eatables and water to the devotees. “It is an important religious event among Kashmiri Hindus. Though we could not visit Valley this year, but we celebrated the festival here,” said Sonali Bhat, a devotee.

The police and other departments had made elaborate arrangements for the devotees. Kheer Bhawani temple is dedicated to Goddess Rajnya Devi. "It is believed that offering milk and 'kheer' to the sacred spring at the shrine wards off impending disaster," said Ravinder Dhar, another devotee.

A large number of devotees from Jammu paid obeisance at Manzgam, Khanbarnian shrines in Kulgam district and Tikker in Kupwara district and took part in the Mela Kheer Bhawani.

Jammu, June 17
The increasing rush of tourists in Jammu and Kashmir has led to an increase in the taxi and air fare from here to Srinagar by 20-50 per cent.

This has dampened the spirit of many planning to their summer break in Srinagar.

Tour operators and airlines have hiked the fares by 20-50 per cent than the average rates.

The average rate of the airfare for Jammu- Srinagar was Rs 4,500 but in June the fare has touched Rs 7,000 for any flight, even the Air India is charging Rs 8,604 for Srinagar from Jammu. As far as the flights from Delhi to Srinagar are concerned, they are also charging higher rates. The cheapest flight from Delhi to Srinagar is above Rs 10,000 from the earlier average rate of Rs 6,000.

"I usually get a ticket for Srinagar in Rs 5,000, but I was shocked when I checked the rates for June 20, there was no ticket below Rs 7,500,” said Abhijit Gupta, a local businessman.

Sanjeev Misri, Station Manager, Air India, said, “It is on first-come-first- serve basis, during the summer vacation the demand is high, so people who book their tickets earlier get them at cheaper rates.”

A spokesperson of Spicejet airline said, "This is the law of demand and supply, whenever the demand increases and supply is less the rates will increase. There is nothing new in it."

From May to August there is a rush of tourists and pilgrims to Vaishno Devi and Amarnath shrines to the state and tour operators take advantage of the peak season by increasing the taxi and air fares.

Same is the case with the taxi operators.

From Jammu to Srinagar, they are charging rs 7,000 from Rs 5,500. The taxi fare per day for Srinagar was Rs 2,400 per day for non-AC and Rs 2,600 for AC, but now it is Rs 3,200 for non-AC and Rs 3,500 for AC, that too for the tour of more than six days for Kashmir Valley from Jammu.

"The taxi operators are dictating their own terms. A taxi operator asked me for Rs 17,000 for a five-day tour to Srinagar, when I offered him Rs 15,000, he refused," said Subhash Tiwari from Lucknow.

“There should be a check on the rates and a rate list should be with all the taxi operators," he added.

Kuldeep Sharma, a tour operator said, "The rates always vary during the peak season. During off season, we work for a very marginal profit, so this is the only time when we can earn some money."

Transport Commissioner, Jammu, Sanjeev Verma, said he was not aware of the issue. “I will check higher rates are being charged at which taxi stand,” he said.

Jammu, June 17
The fifth bridge on Tawi River has failed to serve as a viable alternative to end traffic chaos on the Satwari-Amphalla road for Talab Tillo and Akhnoor route vehicles due to a narrow approach road and dilapidated condition of the road.

Though the 500-metre long bridge has been completed in record time and was inaugurated by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah in May, but officials say due to several flaws in the design and lack of wide road on Bhagwati Nagar side, it has failed in its purpose.

Sources said till the 13-km long four-lane bye pass road from Bhagwati Nagar to Akhnoor Road near TV Towers at Muthi is not constructed, the bridge will not serve its purpose as it cannot handle heavy rush of vehicles.

“It will meet the fate of Gujjar Nagar Bridge, as due to the narrow approach road on the side of Gujjar Nagar, heavy vehicles don’t use it and mostly two wheelers and cars moving towards the old city use the road”, said Nasir Ahmed Khan, a fruit merchant.

The bridge has been constructed at a cost of Rs 93 crore and has been completed in record time of three years to provide an alternative route to the drivers moving towards Akhnoor, Muthi, Domana and Poonch and Rajouri districts.

“I don’t know who proposed the plan for new bridge. But till the approach road on Bhagwati nagar stretch is not widened, people will continue to face problems. Further, it leads to jam near the Canal road, as space to manoeuvre vehicle is very small,” said Darshan Singh of Shakti Nagar. 

Jammu, June 17
Superintendent of Police (SP), Railways, Shiv Kumar held a meeting in connection with Shri Amarnath Yatra in his office at Jammu railway station to review the security arrangements.

All the participants were directed to strengthen the security arrangements made at present and utilize the proper services of electronic gadgets viz, x-ray baggage scanners, HHMDs, DFMDs etc. to thwart the evil designs of ANE/ASEs and brief all the nafri under their command and control to remain careful and extra vigilant during the duty hours, particularly peak hours, so that militants may not succeed to sneak into any railway station and indulge in subversive act during the yatra, especially at railway station, Jammu which is the biggest railway station in the state. — TNS

Batote, June 17
The Rashtriya Rifles (RR), under the aegis of the Counter Insurgency Force (Delta) organised a horse race for Gujjars at Padri Gali in Bhaderwah on Sunday.

Every year, during the summer season hundreds of Gujjar families from the planes of the state and Punjab migrate to the meadows of Bhadarwah.

To break monotony and promote recreational activities, the Rashtriya Rifles had organised the horse race.

As many as 36 Gujjars took part in the equestrian contest and cash prizes were given to the winners.

The Namberdar of the Gujjars,Fakir Hussain thanked the Army. He said such activities kept them motivated.

Jammu, June 17
The Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution Department has issued renewed ration cards for Jammu district. The cards can be collected from the ration depots on the payment of the fee fixed for each category of ration cards. — TNS

Jammu, June 17
Dr BG Mukhopadhyay took over as the head of NABARD, Jammu & Kashmir, Regional Office, today. Dr Mukhopadhyay, a doctorate from the Indian Agricultural Research Institute, Delhi, has served as the General Manager, Corporate Planning Department at NABARD, Mumbai. — TNS

Batote, June 17
Even though the problem of landslide and shooting-stones at Panthial on the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway (NH-44) has reduced, illegal quarrying on the 100-m stretch at Seri continues to be a problem for the commuters, traffic police and the General Reserve Engineering Force (GREF).

“It has been keeping us on our toes for a couple of years and may remain a matter of worry during the ongoing Amarnath Yatra that coincides with the onset of monsoon,” said one of the GREF officials on the condition of anonymity.

“Despite our repeated complaints to the district administration and warnings to local owner of a nearby stone-crusher Farooq Nizami all these years, this spot was being used for quarrying to extract the stones in a blatant contravention of law,” he said.

Under the law, the area within 50 to 75 ft on the either side or middle of the NH44 is considered property of the highway construction agency like GREF/ Beacon or PWD. Any construction activity, extraction, erection of any structure within this area is strictly prohibited.

Very often, the NH-44 blockade causes inconvenience to the stranded passengers during snowfall and it is particularly difficult for woman, infants, patients, tourists, military or paramilitary men, who often miss their trains or buses due to this.

“I have been depositing money per cubic feet of the debris lifted, which is about Rs 20,000 per month, to the Department of J&K Mining and Minerals. Besides, it was a give and take affair, as I often used to help them in road clearance operations free of cost, irrespective of the risk to my men and JCB,” said Nizami.

“Instead of excavation, I always lifted the stones from the debris lying on the road. But fearing public wrath, I have changed the location a few month ago,” he said.

“As I have been posted here only recently, I cannot say whose fault it is. I have constituted a committee to verify all quarries in Ramban district,” said Ramban DC SV Meena.

Rajouri, June 17
Describing peace imperative for development, Minister for Forests, Ecology and Environment Mian Altaf has said better Indo-Pak relations are in favour of both the countries and the people of the state, particularly living in border areas.

The minister was addressing public after inaugurating a one-day awareness camp organised by the J&K Advisory Board for Development of Kisans at Pukharni Lam on the LoC in Rajouri district today.

Altaf said Chief Minister Omar Abdullah was keen to see the friendly ties between the two countries which would direct bearing on the situation in the state. Good Indo-Pak relations would make peace prevail in the state besides giving border people a chance to live a peaceful life. The people living in border areas were most affected by the hostility between the two countries, he said. Describing agriculture as backbone of the economy of the state, the minister said the government had introduced several incentives to increase production and improve the economy of the farmers. The government had launched several schemes in the agriculture sector and had asked the farmers to come forward and avail benefits. He said hybrid seeds of different varieties were being provided to the farmers by the Agriculture Department and financial incentives for purchasing of inputs, including machinery, were also being provided.

Later, the minister reviewed the pace of developmental projects coming up in the R&B, PHE, power, education and health sectors at a meeting. He directed the district administration to address the problem related to roads, water and electricity on priority. Vice-chairperson of the J&K Advisory Board for Development of Kisans Radhay Sham Sharma, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, functionaries of the board, besides senior officials of the district administration, were present on the occasion.

Batote, June 17
Uniforms and ration were donated by the Satguru Seva Trust at the end of the three-day annual Ruhani Sant Sammelan organised in memory of Shri Shri 1,008 Swami Rameshvaranand.

The programme was organised under the aegis of Swamini Bhuvneshvri Devi at Gita Bhavan recently.

School uniforms were donated to 110 poor students. The chief guest, Assistant Commissioner, Revenue, Ramban, Dhanantar Singh, and the guest of honour, Commanding Officer, 52-RCC, GREF, SK Meena, donated rice, flour and pulses to 150 destitute.

Hundreds of Devi followers from Punjab, Haryana, Himachal, UP and Delhi contributed to the cause.

On the first day of the sammelan, Udhampur MLA Balwant Singh Mankotia unfurled the ‘Hanuman dhvaj’. Swami Parmatmanand (Vrindawan), Swami Akshranand (Haridwar), Swami Jamnagiri (Haridwar), Swami Atmjyoti (Amritsar), Swami Bua Ditta, Swami Virender and Swami Satyachetan (all three from Jammu) mesmerised the devotees with their ‘katha-kirtan’.

On the second day of the sammelan, a colourful grand ‘shobha yatra’ was taken out through Batote town, with devotees dressed as Hindu mythological characters and tableaus depicting major events. Also, Sandip Sood of Hoshiarpur enthralled the devotees with his mesmerising bhajans.

Jammu, June 17
Senior National Conference (NC) leaders Sheikh Mustafa Kamal and Devender Singh Rana on Sunday cautioned people against disruptive elements and urged them to identify, expose and isolate these forces in the larger interest of society, based on the principle of equality and social justice.

Speaking at a function here yesterday, held to mark the 87th birth anniversary of Babu Milkhi Ram, the two leaders recalled the role of Sheikh Mohammed Abdullah and Madr-e-Mehrban in the uplift of the weaker sections of society.

“Some forces are hell-bent to weaken the state by exploiting regional, communal and sectarian sentiments in pursuit of their sinister political agenda”, said Devender Singh Rana, NC Provincial president, adding that National Conference will foil their machinations with its full might. Rana emphasized the role of secular forces in sidelining elements inimical to peace and tranquility.

Expressing satisfaction over the socio-economic transformation of backward classes over the years, NC additional general secretary Sheikh Mustaffa Kamal said much had been achieved but more was needed to be done for their welfare.

He said the era of exploitation was over, as the backward classes had got constitutional guarantee to progress and prosper. Kamal and Rana paid tributes to Babu Milkhi Ram and he had left an indelible mark on public service. “Babuji has tirelessly strived for the uplift and emancipation of backward classes”, they added. —TNS

Rajouri June 17
The NSUI, Sewadal and Youth Congress hailed decisions of Sonia Gandhi for appointing Rahul Gandhi as in charge of frontal organizations of the Congress party. They also welcomed the appointment of Ambika Soni AICC General Secretary, in charge J&K state.

Iftkhar Ahmed, All-India Election Commissioner, NSUI and Youth Congress today hailed the decision of Sonia Gandhi, President, AICC, for reconstituting All-India Congress Committee which is blend of youth and experience.

Iftkhar while addressing the mediapersons at Rajouri thanked Sonia Gandhi for appointing Rahul Gandhi as in charge of frontal organizations that include his earlier responsibilities of the Youth Congress and NSUI apart from Mahila Congress and Seva Dal.

He thanked Rahul Gandhi for providing Rs 10 lakh per year directly from Ministry of Rural Development, Government of India to every panchayat of the state as special case for development works, who made announcement recently on his visit to Jammu and Kashmir which will help in strengthening panchayati raj institutions in the state.

Shoket Choudhary, assembly president, Youth Congress Darhal also appreciated the decision of party high command. He demanded that Panchayat should be empowered by making necessary amendment in Sections 73 and 74 of J&K Panchayati Raj Act

Batote, June 17
Stressing maintenance of refined and polite but impartial behaviour with the public, the Inspector General of Police, Jammu Zone, Rajesh Kumar, asked the policemen to avoid human rights violations and abide by the traffic rules.

He stated this while interacting with the officers and cops at the DPL, Ramban. He was listening to their grievances after inspecting the Banihal police station.

Accompanied by Doda-Kishtwar-Ramban DIG Ashkoor Ahmed Wani and Ramban SP Javed Ahmed Mattoo, he directed the police officers to remain alert to thwart nefarious designs of the anti-social or anti-national elements through surprise checkings, special nakas and intensifying night-patrolling, especially in view of the coming Amarnath Yatra.

Lying stress on synergising police-public relationship, he directed the officers to conduct regular meetings with public and seek their cooperation.

He had yesterday held a meeting with the jawans at the TRC, Kishtwar. Welfare measures regarding range transfer, enhancement of ration money, providing quality uniform articles, proper accommodation for jawans, enhancement of hardship allowances from 10 per cent to 20 per cent, enhancement of SPO honorarium, SRO benefit and regularisation of SPOs were discussed at the meeting.

He inspected the under-construction DPL complex and other buildings awaiting the inauguration at Kishtwar. 

Batote, June 17
A group of 22 students of St Stephen’s College, Delhi, today interacted with Lt Gen DS Hooda, AVSM, VSM, General Officer Commanding (GOC), White Knight Corps, at Nagrota.

They are on a tour to the state, being organised by the Rashtriya Rifles under the aegis of the Counter Insurgency Force (Delta).

The GOC exhorted them to spread the message of unity, brotherhood and national integration.

The group yesterday interacted with Brig HS Faujdar, Officiating GOC, CIF (D). The team comprises 20 students, including two teachers.

Faujdar gave away participation certificates to the students.

During the tour, the team visited Patnitop and Baglihar Dam. Next two days, they visited the Khari and Banihal areas.

They also visited the Khari primary health centre and the local railway station. They also participated in a volleyball match at Trenna.

The students visited Arpinchala village, Army Post and Jawahar Tunnel in Banihal. They also participated in debate sessions at Degree College, Ramban.

The team interacted with sarpanches, surrendered terrorists and youth of the villages. They also visited the Dal Lake, Chashma Shahi, Shankracharya Temple, Nishat and Shalimar Gardens. They also met Ramban DC Shyam Vinod Meena, DYSS Officer DC Thakur and Horticulture Nursery at Ramban.

Odishee Kundu, an economics student, said she was lucky to experience the rich cultural heritage and traditions of the state and said it was a memorable tour.

Jammu, June 17
MLA Vijaypur and former minister, Surjeet Singh Slathia today launched the construction of link road to Rera village and inaugurated a community hall at Rahya, besides addressing a series of largely attended public meetings. The link road to Rera village, being constructed by the PWD (R&B) is estimated to cost Rs 25 lakh, while the community hall has been completed at a cost of Rs 5 lakh provided by the MLA from his constituency development fund.

Slathia said Omar-led coalition government was committed to provide all basic amenities in the remote and far-off pockets like road connectively, power and water supply, better medicare and education facilities.

Slathia said the sate and Central Governments had launched a number of flagship programmes and schemes to uplift the socio-economic status of the people, particularly living in the rural and far-flung areas. 

Jammu, June 17
Prof Shohab Inayat Malik of the Jammu University was today nominated as the Regional Secretary of Afro Asian Writers Union which has headquarters at Cairo in Egypt.

He was nominated by the Union chairman Dr Ali Javed. The Afro Asian Writers Union was established in 1956 and it aims to fight against all hatred and promote communal harmony and world peace.

He will look after the affairs of the Union in Jammu and Kashmir. In this connection he will visit Egypt in August-September to build better relations between the state and the Afro Asian Writers Union. Prof Shohab has authored 15 books in Urdu and is working as the Director of Kishtwar campus of Jammu University. He is associated with various literary and cultural organisations of the state. He is also the General Secretary of the All India Urdu Teachers Association. Winner of Shiksha Rattan award, Prof Shohab has been honoured by various organisations in the country for his contribution for the development of Urdu. —TNS

Rajouri, June 17
The Nowshera Brigade on Saturday organised the grand finale of Nowshera Idol, a singing competition.

Schoolchildren from various schools of Nowshera participated in the event.

The auditions for the competition were held in two categories- below 15 years and 16 to 30 years, for over four weeks. The top 10 participants were selected for the grand finale. The event culminated with a thrilling musical extravaganza held on June 15 at the Butalia Auditorium. The top two finalists and the runners-up from each category were felicitated with cash prizes by the Convener, Family Welfare Organization, Ace of Spades Division.

General Officer Commanding, Ace of Spades Division, was the chief guest for the event. He appreciated the efforts put in by the participants and organisers.