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Health, medical education sectors to get fillip: Omar
Over 1,400 varsity students recruited by pvt cos in 2 yrs
Six months on, Doda, Kishtwar quake victims await relief
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Lawyers to challenge HC verdict on religious nationalism
BJP pins hopes on Modi’s Dec 1 rally
Bandipora firing: PDP MLA’s escort detained
Amendments to Anti-Corruption Act
Juvenile Justice Act yet to be implemented fully in J&K
Guv, CM pay tributes to Karbala martyrs
Azad promises development of remote areas
Kamal urges India, Pak to resume dialogue
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Health, medical education sectors to get fillip: Omar
Reviewing the health and medical education sectors at a high-level meeting here, the Chief Minister said the focus of the government during the past some years was on consolidation and now the expansion part would also receive a fillip. “The government has also taken various measures to provide specialists, doctors, staff nurses and other para-medics in the health institutions to improve health care service to the people,” Omar said. He said various incentives were being given to doctors and other staff to work in far-off health institutions. He called for proper utilisation of facilities available to the state in the health sector under various flagship
programmes. The Chief Minister received a brief on the progress registered under various state and Centrally sponsored health schemes, on ongoing hospital buildings and the functioning of various disciplines in the health and medical education sectors, including medical colleges, dental colleges, health services, Indian Systems of Medicine, National Rural Health Mission (NRHM), Drugs and Food Control Organisation, J&K, and Medical Supplies Corporation. It was given out that as many as 122 hospital projects were under progress across the state at an estimated cost of Rs 1,481.62 crore. Moreover, 600 new sub-centres, including 238 in hilly and remote areas, had been proposed under the State PIP, 2013-14. It was also told that the Central government had selected six high-priority districts of the state for support of the United Nations Development Programme, Norway India Partnership Initiative. While receiving a brief on the progress under the Indian Systems of Medicine (ISM), the Chief Minister asked the director of the ISM to establish contacts with the Jammu and Kashmir Entrepreneurship Development Institute and the Agriculture Department to steer some of the entrepreneurs towards growing and processing medicinal plants. Under the NRHM, it was informed that six district hospitals, 15 community health centres, 23 primary health centres, 63 sub-centres have been completed while the work on the remaining will be completed soon. |
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Over 1,400 varsity students recruited by pvt cos in 2 yrs
Jammu, November 14 He had also addressed the chairmen of several companies to undertake campus recruitments in the Katra and Srinagar campuses. The Governor had also asked the Vice Chancellor of the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi University to get together BE, ME and MBA students of all universities in the Jammu division and the Vice Chancellor of the University of Kashmir to do the same in the Kashmir division so that the recruiting companies could have a good number from whom they could select. The Governor reviewed the campus recruitment programme yesterday for the past year and for the first 10 months of 2013. As many as 519 students were selected in 2012, out of whom 350 were from the University of Kashmir, followed by 136 from
the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi University. From January to October this year, 900 students were selected, of whom 734 were from the Kashmir varsity and 137 from the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi University. As far as the University of Jammu is concerned, 43 students secured jobs during the period under review, besides, 1,209 were selected under the “UDAAN” scheme. In the two state agricultural universities, 19 students were selected but all
of them did not take up the offer. It is stated that the reason perhaps was that a significantly large number of
students of the Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology-Kashmir (SKUAST-K) and SKUAST-Jammu had passed competitive examinations and many
had received well-paid scholarships for pursuing higher studies. The Governor has again addressed the Vice Chancellors to further invigorate the campus recruitment programme and thanked the TCS, BHEL, NTPC, Wipro, Axis Bank, Yes Bank, Airtel, HDFC Bank, HCL, Amul, Infotech, HCCL, ICICI Bank, Mahindra Logistics, IFFCO, Bank of India and all other companies which have been deputing teams to undertake campus recruitments. The Chancellor has also thanked the Army, Air Force and the Navy for taking the initiative to step-up officer-level selections in J&K. |
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Six months on, Doda, Kishtwar quake victims await relief
Jammu, November 14 The Doda DC received Rs 19 crore from the government, but it is yet to be distributed among victims. “I have not received money from the administration, but we are expecting that the authorities concerned will distribute it in a few days,” said Roshan Lal Bhagat, one of the victims from Ghat village, Doda. Since May 1, when the 5.8-quake hit Doda and Kishtwar districts with epicentre at Jangalwar near Bhaderwah, more than 100 tremors have made people’s lives miserable. Under the revised plan of the SDRF, the owners of completely damaged concrete houses will get Rs 70,000, completely damaged mud houses will get Rs 15,000, severely damaged concrete houses Rs 6,300, severely damaged mud houses Rs 3,200 and partially damaged houses will get Rs 1,900. Over 80,000 structures were damaged in these quakes. Over 1,000 structures were categorised as completely damaged, around 10,000 structures as severely damaged and rest of the structures as partially damaged. All houses, which are partially damaged in the quake, are facing the threat of collapse with the onset of winter. This concern was conveyed to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and Union Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad on June 25 at Kishtwar, but to no avail. “The area receives snowfall during winters and spending nights in the open is not possible for us. My house was completely damaged and to reconstruct it, a huge amount is required,” said Ram Raj of Bhaderwah. “Many people from Bhaderwah have been heading towards Jammu to spend winters, but we don’t have resources to afford our stay in Jammu for 4-5 months of winters,” he added. Doda DC Mubarak Singh said he had authorised tehsildars to distribute the relief money among the victims. “Around 40 per cent of victims have received the relief amount and if any body hasn’t received it, he should convey us,” the DC said. |
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Governor reiterates importance of preserving scenic areas
Jammu, November 14 During his meeting with the Irrigation Minister at Raj Bhawan here, the Governor discussed issues related to drinking water and irrigation facilities. He also sought to know facilities in various parts of the state for effectively meeting the existing and increasing demands in both sectors. The status of utilisation of the available resources under various Central schemes was also discussed. Referring to the fast-increasing demand for water to cater to the requirements of the Vaishno Devi yatra, the Governor stressed the importance of timely planning and executing the new water supply schemes to meet the future requirements of the fast-expanding Katra town and its surrounding areas. In a separate meeting, the Tourism Minister briefed the Governor about various initiatives taken by the Tourism Department in the past year for the promotion of tourism in the three regions of the state. The Governor reiterated his concern about the importance of protecting and preserving the natural beauty of the scenic areas through effective enforcement of traffic regulations, maintenance of roads and bridges, collection and disposal of garbage, identification of landfill sites and storm water drainage system. He said the most important concern would be to ensure against buildings, of whatever kind, coming up along the streams and rivers and the need to strictly implement a master plan for sewage treatment in every town. Mir stated that his
department was aware of the concerns. Director General of Police (DGP) Ashok Prasad and Jammu Divisional Commissioner, Shantmanu also called on the Governor. The DGP briefed the Governor in detail about the obtaining security situation in the state. They also discussed important issues, with long term implications, which relate to internal security management by the state police. Shantmanu briefed the Governor about the overall law and order situation and about the implementation of various important development projects in the Jammu division. The Governor suggested to him to ensure that the high incidence of road accidents in the region was brought down and satisfactory traffic-management systems enforced. The Governor also advised Shantmanu to take preventive measures to ensure against encroachments along both sides of the new four-lane national highway to Srinagar and enforce similar preventive measures along the Mughal Road, right up to Peer Ki Gali. |
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Lawyers to challenge HC verdict on religious nationalism
Srinagar, November 14 Before filing the appeal, the Bar has decided to call a meeting of religious leaders and scholars to discuss the future course of action to be adopted for challenging the verdict. “The Executive Committee and the Advisory Committee has decided to call a meeting of prominent religious scholars, preachers and leaders to discuss the future course of action in the matter of filing a Letters Patent Appeal in the case titled Sanjay Tikoo versus State and others,” said bar secretary Mohammad Ashraf Bhat. The appeal is being filed as the bar feels that the judgment on religious nationalism, if unchallenged, will have far-reaching consequences, particularly for the religio-political parties of the state. “The judgment says that in India it is only Indianism which has to exist and all other ‘isms’ have to disappear from the firmament of the country called India,” a senior lawyer said, adding that the judgment will impact J&K state, where there many religious groups. Senior bar member and high court lawyer advocate Arshad Hussain said there was every likelihood that the judgment might be used to ban religious organizations, like what is happening in Bangladesh, where efforts are on to ban the Jamaat-e-Islami, a religio-political
organisation. What the court said
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BJP pins hopes on Modi’s Dec 1 rally
Jammu, November 14 Realising that the rally is a chance to again connect itself with the masses, the BJP has decided to involve all social, political, religious and trader associations to make the rally a grand success. Modi is going to address a rally at Maulana Azad Stadium here on December 1, the same venue where AICC vice-president Rahul Gandhi had addressed the Panchayat Conference on November 6. The BJP is all out to seize this opportunity to connect itself with the masses by raking pro-Jammu sentiments. The cross-voting episode, in which seven of the total 11 BJP MLAs had voted in favour of the Congress and National Conference candidates in the Legislative Council elections on April 13 2011, had badly tarnished the image of the BJP in the Jammu region. First time in the political history of the state, the BJP had crossed the double digit by winning 11 Assembly seats, but the party had lost its credibility due to cross-voting. Although the party high command had expelled the seven “rebel” MLAs yet the party has failed to earn faith of the people due to the image of some “loyalists”. The state unit of the party convened a meeting of associations and unions of different markets to seek their support for the rally. In the meeting, BJP leaders tried to convince that the rally would be an opportunity to give the message of “Jammu’s unity” so as to vociferously take up discrimination issue in the future. Trying to attach “Jammu’s pride” with Modi’s rally, the BJP leaders impressed representatives of market associations that success of the rally would give a clear message to those who have been discriminating with the Jammu region. Sources in the party said the party had also decided to contact office-bearers of all ‘biradaries’ and ‘sabhas’ irrespective of their political affiliations. To involve women folk in the rally, the BJP has decided to collect more than one lakh food packets from different localities of the city and outskirts for those who will come from rural areas.
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Bandipora firing: PDP MLA’s escort detained
Srinagar, November 14 The policeman, Altaf Hussain Baba, was detained after allegations surfaced that he was behind the shootout, in which Mudasir Ahmad Baba and Abdul Majid Khan of Barazulla, Bandipora, were injured. While Khan has been discharged, Mudasir is undergoing treatment at Bone and Joints Hospital, Srinagar. The firing took place on Wednesday evening in Barzulla, Bandipora, about 60 km from here. “Baba has been detained and is being questioned,” a police source said. “So far, over two dozen people have been questioned. While we do not rule out the possibility of it being a militant attack, this can be a result of some property dispute between the police constable with his neighbours, which led to the shootout,” the source said. The police constable, Altaf Hussain Baba, is deployed on an escort duty with PDP MLA Nizamuddin Bhat who blamed the Congress for defaming him. “I was in Jammu when the firing took place. I do not know anything and I am in touch with the SP, Bandipora, who has assured me investigation into the case,” Bhat told The Tribune. “Baba is not my Personal Security Officer. He was deputed on escort duty during VIP travel or movement by the department concerned. He (constable) hails from the same village and has reportedly some personal dispute with the injured persons. It is the duty of the police now to ascertain the facts and bring the culprits to book,” the PDP leader said. Sources said Baba’s service rifle was checked by the police and it was found that no gunshot was fired from it. Bhat accused militant-turned Congress politician and former minister Usman Majeed for a false, frivolous and concocted campaign against him. Majeed said the attack was politically motivated. “Mudasir is the district secretary of the youth wing of the Congress and Khan is a party worker and that the attack was politically motivated,” he said. Superintendent of Police (SP), Bandipora, Bashir Ahmed said, “We have registered a case and recorded the statement of a lot of people. The investigation is on,” the SP said. “The investigation is open so far and we are looking into all angles.” |
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Amendments to Anti-Corruption Act Ishfaq Tantry Tribune News Service
Srinagar, November 14 The recommendations for amending the J&K Prevention of Corruption Act-2006 have been made by a high-level committee headed by the Chief Secretary, which was tasked to study the suggestions made by the high court in this regard earlier. This has been revealed by the government in its compliance report to the high court, which had on August 7 asked it to file a fresh compliance report with regard to the set of seven suggestions passed by a division bench on July 7 in a PIL. The seven listed suggestions were aimed at strengthening the anti-corruption measures in the state. “In compliance with one of the directions, power has been conferred on the Additional District Judges to function as Special Judges (Anti-corruption) within their respective jurisdiction,” a division bench of the high court comprising Justice Mohammad Yaqoob Mir and Muzaffar Hussain Attar said in its orders made available today. “Regarding the suggestions for amending the Prevention of Corruption Act (PC Act), the committee constituted by the government and headed by the Chief Secretary has discussed the same threadbare; thereafter recommendations have been made which have been sent to the Law Department,” the high court observed. “The learned Advocate General submits that within one week’s time, according to the information of the Law Secretary, recommendations as made shall be sent to the General administration Department for submission to the Cabinet,” the high court said. The court also directed the state government to comply with its earlier directions and evolve a scheme for the welfare of vulnerable and weaker sections of society and make poor girls and women self-sufficient and independent. CHANGES SUGGESTED BY hc
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Juvenile Justice Act yet to be implemented fully in J&K
Srinagar, November 14 There are no separate courts, adequate juvenile homes, rehabilitation policy for juveniles in the state despite amendments to the Act early this year in the Legislative Assembly. Child rights activists feel that the implementation of the Act has remained a half-hearted exercise in the state, with the police acting as a major agency for dealing with juveniles instead of any alternate state government-appointed agency. Srinagar-based advocate Babar Qadri, a human rights activist, who has fought as many as 500 cases of juveniles in J&K courts said despite raising the age bar of juveniles in the state from 16 to 18 years in the recent amendments, justice remained elusive to juveniles here. The constitution of the District Juvenile Welfare Boards by the Social Welfare Department in August this year has also not instilled any hope of fair justice to juveniles. The members of the Boards, who are the District Social Welfare Officers, are still unaware of the child rights. Idrees Beigh, a human rights activist, said from March 2013 when the fresh amendments were brought to the J&K Justice Juvenile Act, nothing concrete had been done to address the problems juveniles face. Beigh said various members of the boards comprising the Chief Medical Officer, Assistant Labour Commissioner, Tehsildar and Territorial and District Social Welfare Officer should be trained first about their rights and responsibilities while acting as guardians of juvenile rights. The Central government had amended the national juvenile justice law to make it consistent with the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. The state law was in violation of the convention. The state government had come under severe criticism from various human rights bodies, including the Amnesty International, during the unrest in the summer of 2010 in Kashmir for putting many youths in jails alongside adult convicts for their alleged involvement in stone-throwing incidents. “The Social Welfare Department has simply passed a random order regarding the set-up of these boards. They will serve no purpose until there are separate courts in place in the state. As far as juveniles are concerned, 90 per cent of them are found involved in stone-throwing incidents,” Babar Qadri said. “The treatment meted out to juveniles in the only juvenile home of Srinagar is despicable. Under extreme cold weather conditions, there are no heating arrangements in the 50-room building which is manned by a few people,” Qadri said. Kalpana Tikku, chairperson of Arnimaal, Child and Women Welfare Organisation, said the expectations the amendments to the Act raised had been dashed as juveniles in the state continued to suffer from solitary confinement. “After almost a year of campaigning by civil society members, we had finally convinced the state government to protect the rights of children by at least making some changes in the law. Although the draft of the juvenile justice Bill was made public and open to suggestions, the suggestions have not even been followed and implemented,” Tikku told The Tribune. |
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Guv, CM pay tributes to Karbala martyrs
Jammu, November 14 He added that their martyrdom reminded the mankind of the high principles of human dignity and morality. The Governor prayed for peace, harmony and normalcy in the state. Omar said Imam Hussain (AS) symbolised the firm faith in Almighty, high principles of righteousness, purity of thought and highest degree of sacrifice to uphold truth and human dignity. The Chief Minister prayed for peace and well-being of the state.
— TNS |
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Azad promises development of remote areas
Jammu, November 14 Local MLA and Minister of State for Technical Education (independent charge) Viqar Rasool was also present. During the public meetings, the Union Health Minister announced six primary health centres in the Banihal Assembly segment. He also announced to set-up 22 new medical
sub-centres in the remote areas of the Banihal Assembly segment. Azad, on behalf of Viqar
Rasool, also announced skill development centres for the Khari and Ukhral areas. |
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Kamal urges India, Pak to resume dialogue
Srinagar, November 14 “No one in the state is ready to face such a situation again,” said Kamal. He said the resolution of the Kashmir issue was a dialogue and urged India and Pakistan to immediately resume talks. “The people of the state can no longer be held hostage and they should not be made to live in the present situation of uncertainties,” he said. Kamal said the NC would keep on reiterating its demand of restoration of autonomy in the state. People had already rejected the election boycott call of several leaders, he said. “Instead of boycotting the elections, the need is to rectify the errors in the poll process,” he said.
— TNS |
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Jammu, November 14