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Centre plans embankment along border
Jawan injured in militant attack in Kupwara
3 counters opened for Vaishno Devi
pilgrims To get biometric slips at Saraswati
Dham, Vaishnavi Dham, Jammu airport |
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Governor greets
people on Gurupurb
Azad lashes out at communal forces for misusing democracy
JKPCC chief Saifuddin Soz with Minister for Tourism Ghulam Ahmad Mir and other Congress leaders during a rally in Anantnag district on Saturday.
Tribune photo: Amin War
Not interested in being with BJP: Mehbooba
This winter, Ladakh to make do
without electricity
Difficult to imagine cricket without Sachin, tweets Omar
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Centre plans embankment along border
Jammu, November 16 “Though we have quietly expedited the process with the state government to acquire land for fortifying the international border after the September 26 terror strikes, we have strong apprehensions that once the actual work starts, Pakistan will apply every possible ploy to stall it,” said a senior BSF source. He recalled that the Rangers used to open fire on excavators when the BSF had to raise the border fence in phases from 1995. “The firing did not deter us from our mission. We had to modify our excavators, putting bullet-proof metal canopies on them to provide a shield to our men, who sweat in hot and humid conditions, but completed the task,” he further said. The source further said the Rangers were known for the sniper fire. “They did it during border fencing and we suspect that they may indulge in it again when actual work on embankment begins,” he added. During the border fencing project, at least six BSF men were killed in Pak firing and nearly 60 others injured. “The border fence has checked to a considerable extent their attempts of pushing in militants and smugglers. But once this embankment, 41 metres wide and 10 metres high, comes up, it will be an impregnable wall of defence,” he said. He divulged that before initiating the actual work, a lot of calculation would go into it. “It is yet to be decided who will execute the project. Whosoever does it, safety will be one of the prime concerns. The BSF raised the border fence on its own under hostile conditions,” he asserted. To a query, the source said before starting the actual work, the BSF might inform the Rangers through proper channels to avoid any confrontation. “It has to be decided by the Ministry of Home Affairs. Moreover, the embankment has to come up well inside Indian territory. Therefore, Pakistan should not have any objection to it,” he said. Talking about the rivulets that had been flowing from the Jammu region into Pakistan, he said the BSF was looking for technological solutions. |
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Jawan injured in militant attack in Kupwara
Srinagar/Kupwara, November 16 “The militants wearing pherans (traditional cloak) had been waiting along the road. A part of the convoy had crossed when they opened fire on two vehicles, injuring the driver of an Army vehicle. The troops retaliated, but the militants managed to escape,” a police source said. An Army vehicle that came under militant attack skidded off the road and fell into a paddy field. Army men, along with CRPF and police personnel, cordoned off Dhobi Mohalla and Water-Khani village areas and launched a hunt to nab the militants. “A grenade and some live rounds were seized during searches,” the police said. Inspector General of Police, Kashmir, Abdul Ghani Mir said an operation was under progress to trace the militants involved in the attack. “The search operation is on and we will get them,” he said. |
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3 counters opened for Vaishno Devi
pilgrims
Jammu, November 16
The counters have been opened at Saraswati Dham, Vaishnavi Dham near the Jammu railway station and at the Jammu airport. The board has introduced a new biometric yatra slip system, wherein every pilgrim gets a slip after getting photograph, name and other particulars recorded on computer. The database contains the details of pilgrims visiting the cave shrine. Pilgrims are allowed to embark on the pilgrimage only after the yatra slip, having a token number, is decoded with the use of a bar-coder by the board staff at the Ban Ganga check point in Katra, from where the 13-km long pilgrimage starts. “The basic purpose behind opening counters at Saraswati Dham, Vaishnavi Dham and the airport is to decentralise the yatra slip system and avoid inconvenience to pilgrims. It is an endeavour to extend the facility in Jammu so that they feel reassured,” SMVDSB CEO Mandeep K Bhandari told The Tribune. He added that the board had already set up 30 counters in Katra and was in the process of adding more counters to the existing number at the Sanji Chat helipad and various bhawans to make the pilgrimage more convenient. Bhandari said, “By introducing the new yatra slip system, the board has not only streamlined the pilgrimage, but has added to the security of the pilgrimage because now you have information of visiting pilgrims, including their photographs and particulars.” In 2011, a total of 1.01 crore pilgrims had visited the cave shrine, followed by 1.05 crore in 2012. The board also provides free registration online to intending pilgrims on its website www.maavaishnodevi.org. Santosh Kumar, a 20-year old youth from Patna in Bihar, who got himself registered at Saraswati Dham here, said, “I have been visiting various places of pilgrimage in the country, but nowhere did I come across such a system to get photographed and then be issued a biometric card. I feel secure.” Harsh and Shubham, cousins from Rohtak in Haryana, said, “We last visited the shrine six years ago. This time, we had to produce the biometric slip at Ban Ganga check point, where an employee decoded it with a bar-coder and then allowed us to embark on the pilgrimage. We had to deposit the slips at the
bhawan.” |
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Governor greets
people on Gurupurb
Jammu, November 16 In his message of greetings, the Governor described Guru
Nanak Dev as an apostle of peace and tolerance, adding that his
teachings will continue to inspire the generations, leading them to the
path of righteousness and brotherhood. He said Guru Nanak Dev strove
all his life for social justice and equality and to bring peace and
harmony in society. The Governor hoped that the auspicious occasion
would further strengthen brotherhood, communal harmony, amity and
secular traditions and be a harbinger of peace, progress and prosperity
in the state. |
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Azad pays visit to Kishtwar riot victims
Jammu, November 16 The Health Minister visited the house of Arvind Raj Bhagat and Bashir Ahmed Moochi of Sangrambhatta in Kishtwar. The family members of the deceased put forth their views before him and demanded justice. Azad also visited the shrines of 17th century Sufi saints Hazrat Shah Mohammad Fareed-ud-Din Baghdadi and Hazrat Shah Mohammad Asrar-ud-Din Baghdadi and prayed for peace and tranquillity in Kishtwar and the state. Both shrines are considered a symbol of communal harmony and brotherhood as people from both communities pray there every day. The Union Minister was accompanied by senior Congress leader and MLA, Inderwal, Ghulam Mohammed Saroori, Deputy Commissioner, Kishtwar, Basheer Khan and other officials of the Kishtwar district administration and the police. |
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Azad lashes out at communal forces for misusing democracy
Jammu, November 16 Without naming any party, Azad observed that some individuals and parties were trying to polarise society to reap political benefits. “A new but dangerous trend has emerged recently in the country to divide the people in the name of religion and caste just for political gains,” Azad said. He recalled that the earlier elections were contested on the basis of programmes and policies. “Earlier, political parties used to seek the mandate of the people on the performance of their work,” Azad said. He especially mentioned about Uttar Pradesh, which he said was a glaring example of divisive politics in the country. As Azad was addressing a Eid, Diwali and Gurpurb milan function organised by eminent lawyer BS Slathia under the banner of the Jammu lawyers, he preached the message of brotherhood and amity. Calling upon the people to defeat such divisive forces, Azad said those trying to create a division among the people in the name of caste and religion should be exposed and every step should be taken to frustrate the nefarious designs of such forces. He, however, expressed his happiness that some individuals and some people were collectively working to cement relations among various communities. “At the time of the crisis, the voice of these individuals mostly remained unheard,” he observed and called upon the members of the civil society to support such individuals who had been working for strengthening communal harmony and brotherhood. Azad gave the example of Kishtwar violence which created a division among communities in the name of religion. |
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Soz slams Geelani for calling gun a solution to K-issue
Anantnag, November 16 “Some separatist leaders advocate the use of gun as a solution to the Kashmir issue,” the JKPCC chief said while addressing a public rally in Lalan Ganoor village of Anantnag district in south “The need of the hour for us is to protect our internal autonomy,” Soz said. “Gun can only bring destruction to Kashmir,” he said. Geelani recently said gun could be an option for the resolution of the long-pending Kashmir issue. Soz, while stating that he respects the view point of the separatist leaders, castigated Geelani for launching a boycott campaign against the forthcoming Assembly elections. “Hartals and boycott calls will fetch the people of Kashmir nothing but miseries,” said Soz. The JKPCC chief hailed Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, chairman of the moderate faction of the Hurriyat Conference, for advocacy of dialogue. “I will facilitate talks with New Delhi. I believe Mirwaiz should directly talk to New Delhi,” Soz said. The JKPCC chief lashed out at the BJP for criticising the government on allowing separatist leaders to meet Sartaj Aziz, Pakistan Prime Minister’s adviser on external affairs. “Such meetings have been taking place in the past as well, including during the tenure of the BJP at the Centre,” Soz said. Terming the Congress as the only party working for safeguarding the interests of the Muslims in India, Soz said the Congress was the only hope for 20 crore Muslims of India. |
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Not interested in being with BJP: Mehbooba
New Delhi, November 16 PDP president Mehbooba Mufti told a select gathering here that the perception in the state was that the BJP and Narendra Modi were “anti-secular” and her party would respect the sentiments of the people. “We are not interested in being with the BJP which has on its agenda to do away with Article 370 (of the Constitution, giving a special status to the state).” Addressing members at the Foreign Correspondents Club of South Asia here, the PDP chief was sceptical about the decision of not extending the ‘None of the Above (NOTA)’ voting button provision to the state; praised the efforts made by former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee to gain the trust of the people of the state and poured scorn over the National Conference government for “lack of governance”. As for NOTA, Mehbooba wondered over the faith of the authorities on the maturity of the voters in the state, charging that there was a view that the exercise of the option could convey a message to the international community. |
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This winter, Ladakh to make do
without electricity
Jammu, November 16 Sources in the PDD told The Tribune that due to non-installation of meters and new low tension (LT) and high tension (HT) transmission lines, the department fears that if they charge substation in Kargil without getting the actual load, the station may start tripping, which will lead to damage. “Thus, the PDD has postponed the charging process to next year and people will have to rely on diesel generator sets to arrange electricity during the winter,” the sources said. During summer, Leh and Kargil towns are provided electricity being generated from these two power houses of 89 megawatt capacity, but with the absence of new LT and HT lines and metering, a majority of people may not get power during winter. The sources said that there were apprehensions that in the absence of metering and new transmission lines, controlling load during winter was not possible. “If load does not remain under control and exceeds the normal level, substations will start tripping and transformers and other important equipment will be damaged, which will be a disaster for the department,” the sources added. Under Rajiv Gandhi Grameen Vidyutikaran Yojna, the PDD had to lay down LT and HT lines in the Ladakh area so that the power being generated from two hydroelectric projects, Nimo Bazgo and Chutuk, reach the people. But so far, the transmission lines have not been completed, which is the only hurdle in taking the hydro power to the people of Ladakh. The PDD authorities have a different view on the issue. “This is not the case. The LT and HT transmission lines have not yet reached everywhere and there is no chance that load will increase. We are on the job to take the transmission network to the whole area and by December we are hopeful to do that,” said a senior PDD official, wishing not to be named. The sources said a few days back, a chief engineer level officer of the PDD visited Kargil, where he made it clear that further work on expansion of the transmission network and metering would be done next summer and the substation would not be charged. |
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Difficult to imagine cricket without Sachin,
Srinagar, November 16 “Difficult to imagine Indian Cricket without Sachin --- the highs, the lows, the celebration and the exasperation that he brought,” Omar wrote on micro-blogging site Twitter. The Chief Minister, while calling Sachin a “true gentleman”, said his retirement brought a “lump to my throat”. “Haven’t been a big cricket fan for a while now but to see Sachin retire today brought a lump to my throat,” the Chief Minister wrote on Twitter. Sachin, the now former Indian batsman --- a title which shocked his millions of fans --- has been widely described as one of the greatest player of cricket who made his debut at the age of 16 and went on to clinch several high-profile records in a career which ended today after 24 years and 200 test matches. |
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