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Cadres resent working of Cong ministers
Special attention for bridges to connect cut-off areas: Omar
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah along with Social Welfare Minister Sakina Itoo inaugurates a bridge over the Romshi stream in Pulwama district on Sunday.
Tribune photo: Amin War
After Kashmir, high airfares hit tourism in Ladakh
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On the
frontline
Legislators turn fashion conscious
Shehnaz Ganai at a Legislative Council session. Tribune photo: Amin War
Governor inaugurates Aashirwad Bhawan at
Katra
Durbar Move: Offices to close in Srinagar on October 25
Vohra for speedy completion of sports stadium in Katra
Guv launches photo-based yatra registration system
Discussion on Gen VK Singh’s remarks today
Northern Army Commander calls on Omar
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Cadres resent working of Cong ministers
Jammu, October 6 There is a feeling among party leaders that this attitude of the ministers would prove disastrous for the Congress in the next parliamentary and state Assembly elections. Although Congress leaders and workers are publicly hesitating to criticise their ministers, internally the cadre has repeatedly brought the issue to the notice of the Central leadership and Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) chief Saifuddin Soz. “Congress ministers have not only confined their activities to their respective constituencies, but they also have failed to pursue the party’s agenda in the government,” a senior party leader told The Tribune and added that the matter was repeatedly brought to the notice of the JKPCC chief and Central leaders but to no avail. “Brisk development activities have been going on in constituencies being represented by the party ministers but at the cost of other areas where Congress candidates have failed to perform well in the 2008 Assembly elections,” the leader said. He said except getting some development projects, approved for their respective constituencies, the Congress ministers had failed to implement promises which the party had made with the people in the 2002 and 2008 Assembly elections. Sources said a couple of days ago, a meeting of Congress workers and leaders was held at the party office, in which the participants expressed their anger against the ministers and said the party ministers had ignored all areas, except their constituencies. The sources said the Jammu-based party leaders, at the meeting, had also expressed their resentment over the failure of the party leadership to take a stand against the “controversial” statements being given by National Conference leaders from time to time. They said the BJP was all out to exploit the controversial statements of the National Conference leadership but the Congress ministers had failed to even express the party’s viewpoint on the issues. Congress workers took the party leadership to task for its failure to convince the National Conference to incorporate the relevant clauses of the 73rd Amendment of the Indian Constitution in the J&K Panchayati Raj Act. After her appointment as the in charge of the J&K Congress, All India Congress Committee general secretary Ambika Soni, during her first visit to the state, had asked the party ministers to mend their ways and come out of their constituencies to expand the party. Soni, while addressing a closed-door convention of party workers, had used the terminology of “constituency ministers” for the party ministers in the coalition government.
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Special attention for bridges to connect cut-off areas: Omar
Srinagar, October 6 Expressing dismay over the delay caused in the completion of the bridge, since the laying of its foundation stone by him in 2002, the Chief Minister said: “Had the requisite funds been provided for the construction of the bridge by the earlier government, it would have been completed long back.” An official said the bridge was constructed at a cost of Rs 3.10 crore. The bridge will provide an all-weather connectivity for all types of traffic. “The bridge will improve the economic standard of the people residing in villages, Ashmeader, Chevakhurd, Chevakalan, Wahibugh, Kaima, Abadgouson in Pulwama district and Kampora Sarai, Nowpora and Hayatpora in Budgam district. It also provides an alternative link to the famous shrine of Sheikh Noor-ud-Din Noorani (RA) in Charar-i-Sharief and also to Pakherpora,” the official said. Underlining the importance of bridges in the communication network, Omar said during the last over four and a half years, his government had focused on upgrade and construction of road communication, with special attention to building important bridges to open up cut-off areas and interlink various districts in the state. Later, the Chief Minister visited the Pahalgam Hydel Electric Project and inspected its various units. He was briefed on the newly approved 1.5 MW 3rd unit of the project. The new unit has been allotted for construction in March 2012 at a cost of Rs 5.31 crore.
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After Kashmir, high airfares hit tourism in Ladakh
Srinagar, October 6 Till August-end, only 1.20 lakh tourists had arrived in Ladakh as compared to 1.25 lakh up to the corresponding period last year. The Tourism Ministry, in a written reply in the ongoing session of the Legislative Assembly, blamed the increased airfares, among other reasons, for the dip in tourist arrivals. “In the initial months of the current year, tourist arrivals in Leh declined a little due to a sudden spurt in airfares and curtailment in daily flights from
Delhi to Leh,” the Tourism Ministry said. Last year, 1.79 lakh tourists had visited Ladakh, which included 1.4 lakh domestic tourists. The Tourism Ministry said the reduction in airfares and increasing the number of flights to Ladakh had been taken up with the Centre from time to time. The state government has also been urging New Delhi to keep a tab on high airfares during the peak tourist season in the Valley. Minister for Tourism Ghulam Ahmad Mir recently said the steep airfares were affecting the tourist flow to Kashmir as travel packages to the Valley were becoming costlier than those offered by many European countries during the peak season. Stakeholders of the Valley’s tourism sector, too, have been repeatedly making pleas for the reduction in airfares during the peak season. The Kashmir Hotel and Restaurant Owners Federation, a hoteliers’ group, had submitted a memorandum to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh during his visit to the Valley in June this year. “It has become a regular practice with the national and private sector carriers to raise fares on sectors connecting Jammu and Kashmir to unimaginable levels, thereby adversely affecting tourism in the state. The fare is disproportionate by any standards considering the distance and other factors. The travel to Srinagar/Jammu is twice costly than to Dubai or any Southeast Asian countries like Bangkok, Singapore and Malaysia,” the memorandum had stated.
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On
the frontline
The Army is calling it an infiltration attempt on a large scale; others have gone to the extent of measuring it into a mini-Kargil conflict. The only fact that has emerged so far is that highly trained terrorists backed by 'special forces' are fighting Indian troops to advance and infiltrate into this side of the LoC. Unlike in the past, they have neither retreated, nor do they look like backing off. Rather, they are holding on to their entrenched positions in the cave while troops are fighting it hard to evict them from their positions. It appears a long-drawn battle. Such a scenario offers a glimpse of what the Army has been projecting in its 2014 scenario ahead of the pullout of Western forces from Afghanistan, which many had dismissed as a highly exaggerated imagery woven by the Army to deflect the question of revocation of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act AFSPA). The fact is that what is happening in Keran is exactly the same as what the Army has projected. Let facts be facts. The Army had been voicing apprehensions that infiltration would be stepped up from across the Line of Control this year. The number has already crossed the century mark, excluding the one in the Keran sector, if it falls in the category of infiltration at all. There is a change in the nature of infiltrations. The intruding terrorists are highly trained. They are displaying the kind of training and fighting skills so far unseen by the Army. Whenever confronted with the Indian response, they would prefer to retreat rather than fight for long. But it is also not what the Army was confronted with in Kargil in 1999. That was an altogether different situation where the Army was caught napping and had deliberately ignored warning signals. The Pakistani army, which is the decoded version of the 'special forces which 15 Corps Commander Lt Gen Gurmit Singh had mentioned during his recent press conference in Srinagar, is actively assisting the terrorists. Otherwise, they could not have continued with the prolonged gun battle. Some reports suggest that they are receiving uninterrupted supply of ammunition and food. If that is the case, which the Army has not so far admitted, it is a much more serious situation than is being given out by the Army. This standoff clearly indicates that there are certain loopholes in the defence mechanism. When the Army was so active in telling the Omar Abdullah government that AFSPA cannot be revoked because of these reasons, why was the Line of Control left the way it had been? It is despite the fact that many units from the counter-insurgency grid were shifted to the borderline. How could soldiers of the Pakistani army come and behead and shoot Indian soldiers; how could three terrorists mount a 'fidayeen' attack in Samba; and how could Keran happen? These are some tough questions that the Army needs to find answers to identify the loopholes. In the backdrop of its knowledge what the Pakistani army was up to, there were greater reasons for the Army to be extra vigilant. The Indian concerns that Pakistan was never interested in peace cannot be doubted. Pakistan had started violating the ceasefire from January 2005 itself, hardly 14 months after it was put in place in November 2003. Thereafter, the number of ceasefire violations has been on the rise. That time, President Gen Pervez Musharraf was in charge of the government and the army in Pakistan. It was he who had vowed in the Islamabad Declaration that Pakistani territory or territory under its control would not be used for any terrorist activity against India. That word was
not kept. The case is similar now. Nawaz Sharif was not able to ensure 'peace and tranquility' on the Line of Control in 1999, when Kargil happened. He is again a helpless Premier of Pakistan. That time, the US intervened and saved the day for him. This time, it is different. The pullout from Afghanistan will bring greater pressure on the Line of Control and the hinterland in Kashmir. The Army will have to revisit its defence mechanism before it is too late. |
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Legislators turn fashion conscious
Srinagar, October 6 Fashion designers in the Valley compare Shehnaz to Pakistan’s ex-Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar, who was extremely popular for being able to mix fashion with politics. Fashion designers say politicians, especially those who are legislators, should be fashion conscious, especially when the media glare is on them. “Gone are the days when politics had no relation with fashion. These days, politicians do not ignore their dresses and accessories. The latest talk of the town is Pakistan’s ex- Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar, who was spotted in exquisite yet minimalist pearl jewellery, her designer wear salwar kameez and luxury bags. Shehnaz Ganai is somewhat a reflection of Khar’s style, although her salwar suits also have a Kashmiri embroidery tinge,” says Humaira Khan, a Srinagar-based fashion designer. Since her election to the Upper House of the legislature last year, Shehnaz has also been very vocal in terms of representing women's rights, raising their concerns and meeting top Union and state ministers from time to time. Fashionistas in the Valley say Shehnaz has easily outclassed other woman legislators, including Leader of Opposition Mehbooba Mufti and Minister for Social Welfare Sakina Itoo, in the state legislature. When it comes to men, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah is easily the best dressed legislator for his choice of elegant suits and Khan dresses with waistcoats. “Ever since Omar got featured on the GQ fashion magazine a few years back, he has turned more fashion conscious and hardly makes mistakes when it comes to combining clothes with footwear or other accessories. He is always dressed for the occasion,” says Shahbaz Ali, owner of a men’s designer wear store in Srinagar. Srinagar-based social activist-cum-educationist Qurat-ul-Ain feels that the fashion consciousness among politicians is a positive change, but that should not override their ground work, which is working for the people. “Beauty with brains combined with class is always attractive, but the real work lies on the ground. People ultimately need to be happy with these politicians,” says Qurat.
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Governor inaugurates Aashirwad Bhawan at
Katra
Jammu, October 6 The Governor emphasised the need for effective day-to-day maintenance of the newly created facility. He also laid the foundation stone of Aastha
Bhawan, a five-storey complex, which will have 20 residential sets for the Board officials. The complex is envisaged to be completed within two years at an estimated cost of Rs 11.50 crore. HL
Maini, Board member and technical consultant, briefed the Governor about the salient features and the facilities planned to be created at the complex. The Governor stressed the need to ensure completion of the complex within 18 months instead of 24, as planned presently. Later, the Governor visited the mule dung-based biogas plant at
Katra. He was briefed about the functioning of the plant. HL Maini, Navin K
Choudhary, Chief Executive Officer, Mandeep K Bhandari, Additional CEO, and other Board officers concerned were also present. The Governor directed the Additional CEO to undertake a critical appraisal of the functional efficiency of the plant and review its economics.
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Durbar Move: Offices to close in Srinagar on October 25
Srinagar, October 6 The government offices observing five days week shall close on October 25 after office hours and the offices observing six days week shall close on Saturday, October 26, after office hours and reopen at Jammu on November 4, a government order issued here said yesterday. The order issued by the General Administration department said all departments shall ensure that records are packed in
boxes after working hours on last working day as indicated above. It has been ordered that the offices moving in camp shall carry only 33 per cent of the strength of staff in that particular office or with 10 officials whichever is minimum. All departments have been asked to send their advance parties on October 21 consisting of one gazetted officer and four to five non-gazetted employees to receive the records at Jammu. The departments would ensure that boxes are properly locked and their keys reach the advance parties at Jammu well in time. The Civil Secretariat and other move offices, including the Raj Bhawan secretariat and offices of the Chief Justice of Jammu and Kashmir High Court and Director General of Police, function for the six months of summer in Srinagar between May and October and six months of winter between November and April in Jammu.
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Vohra for speedy completion of sports stadium in Katra
Jammu, October 6 The Governor, while stressing for its speedy completion, issued instructions for planting fast-growing species of shady trees and shrubs along the boundary of the stadium. He directed the engineering wing of the Board to undertake the levelling of the stadium ground and thereafter commence laying of turf on the ground, taking into consideration the species of grass best suited to the local climate and its laying season. The Governor said with the completion of the stadium, the local youth and that of all adjoining districts would get the requisite facilities for participating in various sports activities. He added that the facility would go a long way in organising state and national-level sports events at Katra. HL Maini, member and technical consultant of the Shrine Board, Navin K Choudhary, Principal Secretary to the Governor and CEO of the Shrine Board, MK Bhandari, Additional CEO, and Board officials concerned were present.
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Guv launches photo-based yatra registration system
Jammu, October 6 The Governor viewed the functioning of the system and was informed that 60 counters would be set-up for issuing yatra access cards to ensure that the pilgrims did not have to wait for long. The launch of the photo-identity based system by the Shrine Board is a step towards improving yatra security. Under the system, every pilgrim visiting the shrine would be photographed and his or her relevant data captured in the Board’s data bank. Thus, in the event of any security related incident or even an accident on the tracks, it would be possible to establish the identities of the pilgrims. Usha Vohra, Governor’s wife, HL Maini, member and technical consultant of the Board, Navin K Choudhary, Chief Executive Officer, Mandeep K Bhandari, Additional CEO, and other officials concerned were present.
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Discussion on Gen VK Singh’s remarks today
Srinagar, October 6 The Speaker announced this decision after members of various political parties raised the issue of Navratra celebrations beginning yesterday as many of the members visited their homes across the state in view of the celebrations. Soon after the proceedings of the House began this morning, members from different parties raised the issue, in addition to the ongoing agitation of government employees and the SMC drive sealing illegal structures in Srinagar. Senior BJP member Chaman Lal Gupta urged the Speaker to look into the matter and defer the discussion over the former Army Chief’s remarks, which had been scheduled to be held this afternoon. The issue of VK Singh’s remarks rocked both Houses of the legislature from Day One of the ongoing session, which began on September 30. The ruling National Conference moved a privilege motion against the former Army Chief in the Assembly, which has been referred to the Business Advisory Committee.
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Chief Minister Omar Abdullah today inaugurated a bridge at Wahibugh in south Kashmir’s Pulwama district.
With her ankle-length Pakistani designer wear salwar suits, Member of Legislative Council
(MLC) Shehnaz Ganai is making many heads turn in the ongoing autumn session of the state legislature.
The reason is the unique fashion sense Shehnaz has portrayed, which makes her stand out among woman legislators. Hailing from the border district of Poonch in the Jammu region, she is a National Conference
MLC. Fashion designers in the Valley compare Shehnaz to Pakistan’s ex-Foreign
Minister Hina Rabbani Khar, who was extremely popular for being able to mix
fashion with politics.
Jammu, October 6
A full mirror-image of what is happening in Keran in Kupwara along the Line of Control in north Kashmir is yet to emerge as there are conflicting versions of the gun battle going on for the last fortnight or so.
