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Faction-ridden state Congress puts up unity show in Jammu
Violence-prone north Kashmir to get two new police posts
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Increase in VAT on cigarettes has led to illegal trade: Study
Normalcy in Indo-Pak ties must for subcontinent's growth: Mufti
Pak targets Jourian sector in Jammu
Pak govt has no control over army: Azad
Man posing as IAS officer held
Vaishno Devi shrine board gets CEO
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Faction-ridden state Congress puts up unity show in Jammu
Jammu, October 31 Union Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad participated in a function organised by the Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) chief Saifuddin Soz at the Congress office here. To have the two leaders of rival groups jointly attend a function was a rare occasion for party workers. As a goodwill gesture, Soz reached the Congress office before the arrival of the Health Minister to receive him. In turn, Azad announced that in the coming months the JKPCC chief would organise a number of party functions, which would be attended by both of them. “It is not an appropriate occasion to express happiness over the unity exhibited by Congress leaders and workers today,” Azad said while observing that today’s function would strengthen the unity among Congress workers at grass-roots level. The Congress in Jammu and Kashmir is divided between two factions --- one headed by Soz and the other group owes its allegiance to Azad. During the last couple of months, the Congress has taken steps to iron out differences between the two factions lest the coalition partner National Conference takes benefit of the factionalism. In a Congress convention held on August 31 here, AICC general secretary and in charge of party affairs in J&K Ambika Soni had asked local leaders to present a united face to face the challenges. Exactly two months after Soni’s advice, Congress leaders today shared a platform. Two rival groups
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Violence-prone north Kashmir to get two new police posts
Srinagar, October 31 Both areas are considered the bastions of separatists and have been witnessing frequent clashes between the police and protesters since 2008. “The government has decided to open police posts in the old town of Baramulla and Palhalan village,” said Deputy Commissioner, Baramulla, Ghulam Ahmad Khwaja. “In Baramulla, we have identified the land for the police post and we will shortly identify the land in Palhalan,” he added. Khwaja said the civil administration was trying to improve the infrastructure in the two areas as well. “The government recently released Rs 4 crore for various developmental works in Palhalan.” Police sources said the proposal for setting up the two police posts had been moved by the Police Headquarters to the state Home Department, which was likely to give the sanction shortly. Palhalan village and Baramulla town, 30 km and 50 km, respectively, from here, witness frequent clashes between the police and youth. In 2010, seven protestors were killed in Palhalan village, and since then the area has witnessed several clashes. Recently, Palhalan was put under curfew-like restrictions for four days after a police driver died when his vehicle allegedly came under attack from a group of stone-throwers after Eid prayers on October 16. The police claimed a stone had hit the driver, who lost control of his vehicle and hit an electric pole. “Palhalan village is one of the biggest villages of north Kashmir but it lacks the basic facilities. There is hardly any government office in the village. The government needs to do something to get connected with the people here,” said a police officer. |
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Leh highway closes after season’s first snowfall
Srinagar, October 31 The highway remains closed in winter months due to accumulation of snow on the 11,500-ft-high Zoji La connecting the Kashmir valley with the Ladakh region. “The highway was closed to traffic due to snowfall in the Gumri area last night. As the weather is improving, the road is expected to be opened for traffic by tomorrow,” Fida Hussain, Deputy Commissioner, Kargil, told The Tribune. He said the stock of essential commodities in the district was satisfactory with nearly 95 per cent of the stock been received so far. The remaining stock would reach via the Zoji La in the coming weeks before the road is finally closed to vehicular movement, he added. On account of being cut-off in winter, essential commodities are usually stored in bulk to cater to requirement in this season. The region, however, remains linked by air between Leh and other destinations outside, including Srinagar and Jammu. Arrangements are being made for IAF services to ferry passengers between Kargil and the two state capitals — Srinagar and Jammu — during the season. The Ladakh highway is usually closed to traffic by mid-November every year, but sometimes the movement of traffic continues till the weather and road conditions remain favourable extending up to December. Issues of an all-weather road link and air connectivity to Kargil district headquarters, falling on the highway, remained at the top of the agenda in the Ladakakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC), Kargil, meeting held in August this year. The people of the region are looking up to the prestigious Zoji La tunnel between Sonmarg and Minimarg connecting Kashmir with the Ladakh region, which is scheduled to be completed by 2018. The foundation stones of the 13-km-long Zoji La tunnel and a six-km-long tunnel connecting Gagangir with Sonmarg, were laid in August last year. |
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Increase in VAT on cigarettes has led to illegal trade: Study
Srinagar, October 31 This was stated in a study conducted by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry — Committee Against Smuggling and Counterfeiting Activities Destroying the Economy (FICCI-CASCADE). “In J&K, VAT on cigarettes has increased from 13.5 per cent to 40 per cent in the last two years (along with toll tax of Rs 35 per kg), thereby, giving an impetus to the inter-state smuggling and illegal trade. There are more than 20 million illegal cigarettes sold in the state every month. Consequently, the state government suffers an annual tax loss of about Rs 50 crore,” said the study. The findings of the study were put forward during a seminar titled ‘Kong Posh- Fight Against Counterfeiting and Smuggling’ held here yesterday. FICCI-CASCADE Advisor P C Jha said an increase in excise and VAT rates would not curtail consumption of “sin products” and instead led to “smuggling and counterfeiting therefore causing heavy losses to the exchequer”. “This is only a myth that the high rate of tax can reduce consumption of sin products and discourage purchase of such goods. On the contrary this gives incentive to unscrupulous and anti-social elements in society creating a major security threat to the nation. Policy makers should ensure that there is moderation in taxation so that we create a climate of win-win for the government and the consumer,” he added. He said high taxation on cigarettes in the country was the “key reason” for the large and growing market of illegal/ tax-evaded cigarettes. India was the fastest growing and world’s sixth largest market for illicit cigarettes and J&K represented “one of the largest markets” for illegal cigarettes in the country. The FICCI-CASCADE study also stated counterfeiting was being considered the world’s fastest growing industry and as per current estimates represented up to 10 per cent of the world trade. |
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Normalcy in Indo-Pak ties must for subcontinent's growth: Mufti
Jammu, October 31 He said normalcy in ties between India and Pakistan was a must for the socio-economic growth of the South-Asian region. Mufti along with senior leaders of the party today conducted a tour of the border areas of RS Pura, Suchetgarh and Bishnah Assembly segments. He said the escalation of border tension was against the interest of both the countries. “From these border areas, I appeal Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh and the leadership of the opposition NDA to evolve a consensus for taking some concerted steps to control the escalation of tension on the borders as people of Jammu and Kashmir want peace,” he said while addressing border residents at several places. He said people of Jammu and Kashmir bore the maximum brunt of hostility between the two countries. “Do not allow all gains of ceasefire to go waste,” he said, adding it was high time that the leadership of both the countries showed wisdom as the security and stability of the subcontinent would largely depend on how they behaved in the given situation. |
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Pak targets Jourian sector in Jammu
Jammu, October 31 Defence public relations officer (PRO), Jammu, Col RK Palta said, “The firing started around 7.45 pm and continued intermittently till 1.30 am. There was no loss of life or property on our side. The Pakistani army fired small arms and automatics, which was retaliated by us with similar weapons." The Jourian sector falls in the area where the LoC ends and beyond it begins the international border of the Jammu frontier. It is for the first in recent months that the Pakistan army targeted the Jourian sector. Since August this year, it has been violating the truce pact in Rajouri and Poonch districts of the Jammu region. Most of the times, the truce violation by Pakistan is aimed at pushing militants into the Indian side. On October 28, a JCO was killed in the Uri sector when the Pakistani army fired upon a patrolling party of the Indian Army. |
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Pak govt has no control over army: Azad
Jammu, October 31 Interacting with mediapersons after conducting a tour of border areas which were affected by the recent Pakistani firing, Azad said a dialogue with the civil administration of Pakistan was the only solution for this problem. He, however, added that the Pakistan government had no control over its army and that was why the dialogue had proved futile so far. "Being a democracy, we can not talk to the army of Pakistan for the de-escalation of tension on the borders," Azad said. "The Government of India has taken up this issue at appropriate platforms but the response from the Pakistani side has not been as expected," he said, adding that it was the first time that such a large number of ceasefire violations had occurred on the international border. Earlier, Azad along with Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee chief Saifuddin Soz and other Congress leaders visited the Nanga, Chamlayal, Suchetgarh Kulian area on the international border and interacted with people. Locals reminded Azad that the Congress had promised to provide alternative land to people living in the firing range in safer areas. They asked him to fulfil the promise. They said due to tension on the borders, they could not cultivate on their land. They demanded adequate compensation as well as ‘resident of backward areas’ status. "As far as issues related to the Central government are concerned, I will take them up (with authorities concerned)," he said and also asked Deputy Chief Minister Tara Chand, who was accompanying him, to take up the matter with the state government. |
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Man posing as IAS officer held
Srinagar, October 31 The accused, identified as Showkat Ahamd Lone of Batwina, Ganzpora, used to call senior officers of the state government for various favours. “The Srinagar police had received information that from the past two months, some officers of the state were receiving calls from a mobile number. The caller used to reveal his identity as Dr Shah Faesal and asked for favours from them,” a police spokesman said. A case was registered under Section 66 of the
IT Act in the Saddar police station. “During the investigation, the cell number was traced to being that of Showkat Ahamd Lone. He was arrested and the mobile phone with that particular number was recovered from his possession. During the interrogation, he confessed impersonating as Shah Faesal (IAS) for extracting favours from government officials,” the police spokesman said. Faesal, who hails from a remote village in Kupwara district of north Kashmir, had become popular in Kashmir after he topped the IAS examination in 2009. He is now posted
in Pulwama district of south Kashmir. |
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Vaishno Devi shrine board gets CEO
Jammu, October 31 In view of the increasing responsibilities of the board, the Governor decided that it was necessary for the CEO to be a full-time officer, an official spokesperson said. |
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