Jammu, November 6
Traffic restrictions imposed due to the visit of All India Congress Committee (AICC) vice-president Rahul Gandhi today posed inconvenience to the common man. The Jewel Chowk area, including the Tawi Bridge, was closed for hours together. Routes of buses were also changed.

One lane of the bridge, which goes towards the Jewel Chowk and MA Stadium, was closed by the traffic police as Rahul was at the stadium. Many commuters were seen moving on foot as vehicles were stranded on this lane. All the buses coming to Jammu were diverted to Narwal via the by-pass road and were not allowed to enter the city till the AICC vice-president was here. The matadors, which move via the Jewel chowk, were diverted via the fly-over.

Sunil Sharma, a commuter said, "I wonder why these kinds of restrictions have been imposed. Just because he belongs to the Gandhi family? He is just an MP. How can the administration harass the common man in the name of security?"

"I had an important meeting with a client. I had to postpone it as I am stuck here for more than 30 minutes," he added.

There was a heavy deployment of traffic policemen to smoothen the movement of the Gandhi scion in here. However, there was no check on the violation of traffic rules in the city.

Commercial vehicles were overloaded and three persons were seen riding on many two-wheelers.

Shabir Ahmed, who was seen walking with two bags on his shoulders near the Jewel Chowk, said, "I had to go to the bus stand but the matador left me on the bridge due to the rally of Rahul Gandhi at MA Stadium today. The visits of VIPs poses problems for the general public."

Senior Superintendent of Police, Traffic, Manmohan Singh said, "As Rahul Gandhi comes under the SPG category, we have diverted some traffic routes, but the traffic was moving smoothly in the city."

"The diversion of traffic was for six hours, from 9 am to 3 pm. After 3pm, all the routes were restored." he added.

Batote, November 6
A CRPF constable on duty at a company headquarters shot himself dead with his service gun at Chanderkot this morning.

CRPF sources said Rashpal Singh (31), son of Punjab Singh, of Chaksajjan village in Kathua shot himself with his service gun (INSAS) while he was on sentry duty at about 6 am at Bhoom in Chanderkot today. He had pulled the trigger after pointing the gun under his chin.

“He was recently transferred here in the F-Company of the CRPF, 84 Battalion, and reportedly showed no signs of depression or abnormal behaviour. He was blessed with a son ten days ago but unlike his other colleagues as per tradition here, he didn’t reveal it to any of his colleagues by distributing sweets during a roll call etc,” said a CRPF officer of 84 Battalion. “To ascertain the reason behind his death under mysterious circumstances, besides the police (Chanderkot) inquiry, a departmental inquiry has also been initiated,” he said.

After a post-mortem examination, his body was sent to his native village. 

Rajouri, November 6
The driver and conductor of a mini-bus were arrested on the charges of molesting a woman in the Kangdi area of Sundarbani in Rajouri district today.

"Rajinder Kumar Sharma and Banti Sharma, the driver and the conductor, respectively, allegedly passed lewd comments and outraged the modesty of a woman travelling in their mini-bus," the police said. The woman was on her way to meet her relatives a few kilometres away from Sundarbani, they said.

The police said the woman was the only passenger in the mini-bus when the incident happened. Station House Officer, Sudnarbani, Davidner Singh Katoch said the duo was booked on the complaint of the woman. The first information report had been registered under Section 354 of the RPC and both the accused had been arrested, he said.

Jammu, November 6
It seems the authorities are waiting for a tragedy to happen before taking any action with regard to a damaged traffic light pole, which stands precariously at an angle after being hit by a vehicle, near Janipur police station here.

The pole was damaged in an accident 20 days ago but is yet to repaired and poses a great risk to commuters moving nearby. The pole at the Roop Nagar Chowk was hit by an unknown vehicle at night and since then, it stands inclined over more than a 4-feet area of the road. The pole might fall anytime. Moreover, it can lead to an accident at night due to little lighting in the area.

"It was broken around 20 days ago, but the authorities seem to be in a slumber. Are they waiting for a tragedy to occur?" said Sahil Mahajan, a shopkeeper at Roop Nagar.

"There is no lighting here, which is why during night hours, commuters cannot see this broken pole. Many bikers have already been injured due to this pole. If they cannot repair it, they should remove it," he added.

Manmohan Singh, Senior Superintendent of Police, Traffic, said, "I visited that place and have informed the agency concerned to repair it. It will be done soon."

Jammu, November 6
The Jammu Municipal Corporation (JMC) has extended the last date for renewing trading licences under the new Food Safety Act to February 4, 2014.

Despite warnings, a majority of the traders have failed to comply with the rules of the new Act, which lays strict norms for preparing and serving eatables to consumers.

Officials said keeping in view the health of people, the municipal corporation was organising awareness camps in various markets to urge people associated with food business to maintain cleanliness. However, he said no strict action was being taken against violators.

Food business operators include small retailers, roadside vendors, hawkers, stall holders, cottage industries related to food business, meat/mutton/poultry business operators with the slaughtering capacity of two large animals or 10 small animals or 50 poultry birds per day.

All food business operators have been directed to renew their existing licenses, registration granted under the repealed Food Act/Order under the Food Safety & Standards Act, 2006, and the Food Safety & Standards (Licensing & Regulation of Food Business) Regulations, 2011, by February 4 next year.

Moreover, workers coming in direct contact with food as part of their job have to get a “fitness for work” certificate, following concern expressed by NGOs and government agencies that people were getting low-quality and unhygienic food in the city.

Municipal corporation health officer Dr Vinod Sharma said routine inspections were being conducted in the city and samples were being lifted. “Several samples were lifted today from Peer Mitha, Mast Garh and other areas. We check whether eateries are maintaining hygiene standards but educating food operators about the Food Safety Act is also necessary,” Dr Sharma said.

The health officer said it had been decided to put a ban on the issuance or renewal of the licence if the operators fail to produce the fitness for work certificate. He said this was to ensure that food sellers, regardless of the safety precautions they take at work, undergo a mandatory medical examination for ratifying their physical fitness to pursue their trade. — TNS

Jammu, November 6
The tall claims of the authorities about providing necessary facilities and improvement of stadiums for its sportspersons were dashed to the ground with players expressing resentment over the poor condition of MA Stadium here.

"Non-functional fountains, broken benches, lack of infrastructure is all that the J&K State Sports Council has for its budding sportspersons. It seems that the autonomous sports body is in a slumber over the pathetic condition of the main coaching centre," said a player on the condition of anonymity.

"The main stadium, where players of various disciplines attend practice sessions, needs immediate attention of the authorities for its renovation. Though the Sports Council has the required staff to maintain the stadium, it hardly utilises them," he claimed.

"There is grass growing all over the sitting stairs, where we used to relax during our practice sessions. In fact, we had requested the authorities concerned to clean it but they hardly care," said another player.

"There is no proper place for parents of the players to sit in the stadium. It seems that there is nobody to take care of Jammu's main sports venue, which has hosted many national tournaments," said Karun Singh, a player's parent.

"The state government has very high expectations from its players but they also need to provide the necessary infrastructural facilities to them for their training," a player said.

Sources said the manager of both indoor and outdoor stadiums are getting a meagre amount for the maintenance of the stadium, which is adversely affecting its functioning.

A senior official of the department admitted that there was a need to create adequate infrastructure for players of the state. "Some important decisions have been taken recently by the authorities to improve the playing conditions and stadiums and we are hopeful that they will be executed," he said.

Jammu, November 6
The team of "Yeh Meri Kahani Hai - Damini" today visited The Movie Time, the erstwhile Indira cinema here and interacted with people who watched the movie released on November 3.

The team, including the movie's director, Shahid Kazmi, and its producer Parvinder Pal Singh, interacted with viewers to gauge their reactions.

Viewers expressed their pleasure after meet the actors of the movie.

Kazmi said, "The entire team was overwhelmed with the response we got form the audience in Jammu and hope that more people will watch the movie."

Parvinder Pal Singh appealed to the state government to make the movie tax-free. "Since this movie is based on a social issue, it is our request to the government to make the movie tax-free. A number of schools are willing to show it to students."

Others who accompanied the duo were Sonam Manhas, Arjun Manhas, Raja Sarfraz, Shammi Malhotra, JR Sagar, Lalita Tapsvi and Vansheen Suri.

"The music department was headed by Shubdeep Singh in collaboration with Ashu Kumar, Vineet Singh and Jaganjot Singh," Parvinder said, adding that the movie also had the special appearance of Actor Raghubir Yadav.

Jammu, November 6
Unemployed Veterinaries Association (UVA), a representative body of veterinary doctors, today alleged that about 750 veterinary doctors were unemployed in Jammu and Kashmir but the government had no policy to recruit and utilise their experience to develop livestock rearing in the state, which was dependent upon other states of India.

Speaking on the occasion, UVA president Dr Ishfaq said Jammu and Kashmir, being an agriculture state, had a tremendous potential for livestock and its products. “The consumption of meat, milk and other products is significantly high in our state as compared to other states, but we have to import everything from other parts of the country because successive state governments did not have any policy”, Dr Ishfaq added.

He questioned how would the state progress when the government ignored the contribution of livestock sector and the highly qualified doctors who could contribute in development of dairy sector. “The number of unemployed has increased in the past one decade. There has been meagre recruitment of veterinaries in the last 10 years as compared to other departments like the health sector. There has been a creation of only 14 posts from 1984-1989 and since then, no new posts have been created”, alleged Dr Abinav.

The Association alleged that the intake capacity of state veterinary colleges had tripled but no steps had been taken for the employment of the highly trained doctors. 

Jammu, November 6
The regional office of NHPC Limited, Jammu, has selected 100 paintings of students of various schools in J&K, during the School-Level Painting Competition organised by NHPC on Energy Conservation-2013.

The paintings were selected by a jury comprising Ekramul Haque, Chief (HR), NHPC Limited, H R Pakhroo, Joint Director, Trainings, State Institute of Education, Jammu, Subhash Anand, renowned cartoonist, Rohit Verma, Institute of Fine Arts College, Jammu, Akram Khan, Milian Sharma and Parveen Singh.

The selected students will participate in the State-Level Painting Competition on Energy Conservation-2013 which will be held on November 12 at General Zorawar Singh, Auditorium, University of Jammu.

In order to promote energy conservation in the country, Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) under Ministry of Power, Government of India, has launched a nation-wide campaign by inviting all the schoolchildren from class IV to IX for participation in the school, state and national-level painting competition. 

Poonch, November 6
A batch of 23 girl students from Surankote area of Poonch met UPA Chairperson and AICC president Sonia Gandhi and urged her to visit the militancy-affected area. These students are on a 16-day visit of the country under Operation Sadhbhavna.

The aim of the tour is to spread the message of peace and harmony and also to make the border and remote area girls aware of the rich heritage and cultural grandeur of the country, a defence spokesperson said here today.

While interacting with Sonia at her residence in New Delhi on Monday, the students expressed their gratitude to the UPA Chairperson for sparing her valuable time, he added.

They also requested Sonia to visit their college in Poonch.

The AICC president, meanwhile, told them that she is always happy to meet and interact with the future of the nation.

She insisted that they should make the best out of the tour and interact freely with children of other part of the country, since the exchange of ideas and vision is what will propel the nation ahead, he said.

She also told them that she will be happy to visit their college and will schedule a visit to Poonch District in the near future.

The students are scheduled to visit New Delhi, Bangalore, Mysore, Ooty, Kanyakumari and Trivandrum during the tour.

They are also slated to meet Union Foreign Affairs Minister Salman Kurshid, former India cricket captains Mohd Azharuddin and Rahul Dravid, Governor of Kerala and Chief Minister of Karnataka, the spokesperson said. 

Jammu, November 6
Mohalla Jindrahia Welfare Society (MJWS) presented Thakur Raunaq Singh Memorial Awards to eminent residents of Jindrah village for their outstanding achievements in various fields, in a function held at Pacca Danga today.

Padamshree S P Verma was the chief guest while Praduman Singh Jamwal, chief patron, MJWS, and Kuldeep Singh Jamwal, president, MJWS, were the guests of honour on the occasion.

Late Kuldeep Singh Jindrahia was presented the award posthumously for his outstanding contribution to the field of Dogri literature, while Aryaveer Singh, Ankush Kohli, Gagan Singh Jamwal, Pardeep Singh Jamwal and Narinder Malhotra of Roller Skating Club, Jindrah, were jointly presented the award for promoting the sport across the state.

Vidhi Singh Jamwal was presented the award for his entrepreneurial achievements in the field of technical education. Praduman Singh Jamwal was presented the award for his outstanding achievements in the field of Dogri Folk Music and S P Verma was also presented the award for being conferred with the prestigious 'Padamshree'.

The chief guest urged the youth of Jammu to channelise their energy in various fields so that they could bring laurels to the state and the country.

He praised the efforts of the MJWS for organising the award ceremony and assured his full cooperation to the society for promoting the social activities across the Jammu region.

Gagan Pratap Singh, general secretary, MJWS, also spoke on the occasion while Deep Singh Jamwal, vice-president, MJWS, presented the vote of thanks.

Jammu, November 6
In an informal ceremony, GOC Tiger Division, Maj Gen Ashwani Kumar, bid farewell to Col RK Palta, Jammu-based PRO and spokesperson for Ministry of Defence, on his retirement from service at the headquarters of the Tiger Division here today.

The PRO had assumed the post in April 2012 to provide media cover for White Knight Corps and Rising Star Corps zone area.

The GOC lauded the efforts of Colonel Palta in successfully covering various media events of the formation.

He said, “I am enamored by the high level of professionalism and standards of PRO Jammu. I appreciate his initiatives, especially in the field of civil-military liaison and media-military relationship. I assure you of all my support to overcome the challenges you face.”

Earlier, Colonel Palta was given a warm send off by Lt Gen DS Hooda, GOC White Knight Corps. Lieutenant General Hooda lauded the efforts of Colonel Palta for his exceptional PR skills to handle difficult situations.

In a distinguished career spanning almost 32 years, Colonel Palta held various command, staff and instructional appointments.

He was commissioned in 15 PUNJAB (1st Patiala). He had also achieved a rare feat of being a member of two new raising units.

He has the distinction of serving in various combat scenarios such as Operation Bluestar and Operation Rakshak in his career. Colonel Palta was a meritorious student also in his service career.

He is gold medalist in Masters of Science in Mass Communication from Bangalore University. He joined the Directorate of Public Relations of Ministry of Defence and is well known in media circles for his effective PR skills, flair of writing and down to earth behaviour.

On his retirement, he has handed over the charge to SN Acharya, who will officiate as spokesperson and PRO of Ministry of Defence, Jammu region.

Jammu, November 6
A two-day painting exhibition is being organised by Sunil Gupta at Kala Kendra from November 9.

The exhibition would include landscapes, still life, aesthetic beauty, wildlife and caricatures. Minister for Planning and Development Ajay Sadhotra will inaugurate the exhibition.

Jammu, November 6
Natrang actor Asheish Nijhawan has been awarded the prestigious National Junior Fellowship (NJF) of the Ministry of Culture, Government of India, for the year 2013.

Asheish is the only theatre person from the state to win the fellowship which carries an amount of Rs 10,000 per month. He will receive the amout for a period of two years to work on a research project on theatre.

Natrang Director Balwant Thakur complimented Asheish for bringing laurels to Natrang as well as the state.

Jammu, November 6
Jakh Volleyball Club overcame the challenge of Swankha Volleyball Club in the summit clash to clinch the 1st Open District Samba Volleyball Championship held at Government Higher Secondary School, Jakh.

Jakh Club took the opening set by a narrow margin of 27-25 but just could not get the momentum going in the next.

Spikers of Swankha Club got back into the match by pocketing two consecutive sets by 25-22 and 26-24. Jakh Club won the fourth set 25-16.

In the decider, Jakh Club continued to dominate the proceedings and emerged victorious with a set margin of 15-12.

In the valedictory function, former minister and MLA Surjit Singh Slathia was the chief guest who gave away winner and runner-up trophies and other individual prizes.

The best spiker trophies were awarded to Mukesh and Ankush. Prominent among others present on the occasion were Kuldeep Magotra, Romesh Sharma and R K Sharma.

A total of eight teams participated in the two-day championship held on knock-out basis. The competition was officiated by Mulkh Raj Sharma and Organising Secretary Balwinder Singh.

Jammu, November 6
Barmota Club got the better of Dullangal Club by seven wickets in the final to win a cricket tournament organised by social worker Pranav Sharma in Dullangal village in Bani. Sharma was also the chief guest at the valedictory function while Zonal Education Officer, Bani, Milkhi Ram was the guest of honour.

Batting first, Dullangal Club accumulated 84 runs. In reply, Barmota Club achieved the target losing just three wickets in the process.

Rohit Billowria was declared the man of the match, Kuldesh Kumar as the best player, Sunil Rajwal as the best bowler, Kuldip Kumar as the best keeper while Yash Pal was declared the best fielder. Des Raj got the best sportsmanship award.

The chief guest gave away a prize of Rs 4,000 and a trophy to the winning team while the runner-up team got a cash award of Rs 3,000 and a trophy.

Prominent among others present on the occasion were chairman of the 
club Rajesh Rajwal, members Tilak Ram, Sanjay Kumar, Kuldeep Kumar and Sham Lal.

Jammu, November 6
Gurjot Singh struck a brilliant hat-trick to script a 6-0 win for Power House Club (PHC) over Baba Banda Singh Bahadur Club (BBSBC) in the ongoing District Poonch Sub-Junior Boys Hockey Tournament.

The tournament is being organised by Hockey Poonch, under the aegis of Hockey J&K at Sports Stadium, Poonch.

With that win, the 
club has entered into the final where it will take on Stadium Orange for the title clash.

In the semifinal, Gurjot scored goals in the 15th, 22nd and 52nd minutes, respectively, for PHC. Tushar, Saval and Ishtiaq were the other goal scorers who scored a goal each in the 11th, 13th and 28th minutes of the match.

The match was officiated by Mukesh Kumar, NIS hockey coach and Kavaldeep Singh while Talvinder Pal Singh and Vikas Sharma were the technical officials.

Nirdosh Kumar, in charge, Sports Stadium, Poonch was the chief guest. The matches are being held under the overall supervision of SAI hockey coach Sham Lal Sharma.