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Bar assn to strike work today against renaming of Bahu Fort area
The Bahu Fort area in Jammu. A Tribune file photograph
J-K panchayats to get more powers as House clears Bill
State programme officers demand regular release of funds
J&K Assembly refers temples Bill to panel
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Farooq’s remark sparks protests
180 stranded passengers on Kupwara road rescued
JKCA members press for treasurer’s resignation
DGP hears grievances of Poonch cops
Rights panel lacks funds, infrastructure
220-bedded super speciality hospital inaugurated in J&K
58% transmission and distribution losses in 2012-13
Govt employees get election training in Poonch
Doda villages rue lack of health care facilities
BJP holds ‘chai per charcha’ in Srinagar
Power dept daily wagers demand regularisation, hold protest
PHE employees stage protest
Guv briefed on work of rights commission
Srinagar residents raise a stink over piling garbage
Female infanticide on the rise in Kashmir
Mir is acting VC of Kashmir Central University
Apple Kids students hold audience spellbound
Students perform during the annual function of Apple Kids in Jammu on Tuesday. Tribune photo: Inderjeet Singh
Hockey championship: J&K team leaves for Lucknow
Youth commits suicide in Ganderbal
Five held with arms
Extortionist arrested
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Bar assn to strike work today against renaming of Bahu Fort area
Jammu, March 4 The decision was taken during a meeting of the association at High Court (HC), which was chaired by Bar association president MK Bhardwaj. The Bar association alleged that attempts were being made to change the historical and cultural symbols in all the three regions of the state. The Bar association alleged that the Bahu Fort area is a symbol of Dogra identity. Recently during the laying of the foundation stone of a ropeway project by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, it was noticed that the area had been mentioned as 'Shahbad Colony' on a stone plaque installed at the site. This would not be tolerated by the people of Jammu. "The word 'Bahu' finds its mention in the revenue records of the area and any attempt to fiddle with the places or their names will be taken very seriously, as the sentiments of people are attached with them," the BAJ president said. Bhardwaj said the Bahu Fort was one of the ancient structures in Jammu and Kashmir and said to be originally built by Raja Jambu Lochan some 3,000 years ago and its identity could not be erased. Historical records say Raja Jambu Lochan decided to build the fort when he witnessed a strange scene of a tiger and a goat drinking water side by side at the same location from the Tawi. The fort was refurbished by the erstwhile Dogra rulers in the 19th century when Maharaja Gulab Singh started his reign after the fall of the Sikh empire in 1840. Historians say that the fort had survived countless sieges by foreign armies who tried to capture Jammu plains, but failed to do so due to the unique shape of the fort. Others who attended the meeting included Sindhu Sharma, vice-president, Ranjit S Jamwal, general secretary, Prem Sadotra, joint secretary, and Gurveer Singh, treasurer of the association.
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J-K panchayats to get more powers as House clears Bill
Jammu, March 4
The much-awaited Bill to amend the Panchayati Raj Act was tabled on the last day of the budget session of the Assembly and passed in no time. Passing of this Bill is considered a victory for the Congress as it had made it an issue to extend the 73rd Amendment to J&K to strengthen Panchayati Raj Institutions in the state. As the government has passed this Bill, Congress will make it an election issue in the forthcoming Lok Sabha polls to corner the BJP and its other opponents. Introducing the Bill, Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Minister Ali Mohammad Sagar said it was a historic event in the state’s history. New clauses have been incorporated in the existing Act to pay honorarium to chairpersons of the District Planning and Development Board and chairpersons and vice-chairpersons of the Block Development Councils (BDCs) as may be prescribed by the government from time to time. Clauses have also been incorporated to pay sitting fees to members of Panchayati Adalats at rates prescribed by the government. “The government, after consulting a cross-section of society and various stakeholders within the Panchayati Raj system, has brought in amendments to the J&K Panchayat Raj Act so as to strengthen the system and make it more democratic and participatory in nature,” Sagar said. The minister said the government had conducted panchayat elections in 2011, ushering in an era of local self-governance in the state after three decades. “The government is the process of holding elections to the BDCs and District Planning and Development Boards, which will complete the establishment of Panchayati Raj in the state,” Sagar said. 73rd Amendment extended to state n The Bill’s passage is seen as a victory for the Congress as it had been demanding extension of the 73rd Amendment to J&K to strengthen Panchayati Raj Institutions n New clauses allow payment of honorarium to chairpersons of the District Planning and Development Board and chairpersons and vice-chairpersons of the Block Development Councils .
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State programme officers demand regular release of funds
Jammu, March 4 A meeting of the NPCB was held under the leadership of Sujaya Krishnan, Joint Secretary, NPCB, in New Delhi to review the status of the utilisation of grants released to the state health societies during 2012-13. Other issues related to physical performance during 2012-13, cataract operations, school eye screening, eye donation, training, etc, were also discussed during the meeting. Sources said the SPO, Kashmir division, demanded hike in the salary of contractual staff claiming that the persons on the same posts under other Centrally sponsored schemes were getting more salaries. He also appealed to the authorities to enhance grant-in-aid for cataract surgeries to Rs 1,000. The sources claimed that the official appealed to the authorities to conduct a survey to find prevalence of cataract blindness in the Kashmir division. The SPO requested the NPCB to conduct training programmes on routine basis. As per data available, 48,654 children came to the state health societies during 2013-14 for screening of their eyes in the Jammu division. In 2012-13, 2,32,018 children were screened, while in 2011-12, the number stood at 99,349. Similarly, in the Kashmir division, eyes of 19,188 children were checked at the state health societies in 2013-14. In 2012-13, the number stood at 28,423, while in 2011-12, the eyes of 47,959 children were checked. Sujaya Krishnan assured the SPOs of availability of sufficient funds for implementing the programme. She stressed upon the improvement in quality and quantity of eye-care services by utilising the allotted funds judiciously as per the approved norms. Sujaya Krishnan also directed the officials to utilise 25 per cent state share of funds to supplement the efforts in providing eye-care services. She said no reimbursement for cataract operations would be made to NGOs who had not entered data in the Management Information System (MIS). |
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J&K Assembly refers temples Bill to panel
Jammu, March 4 PDP, CPM and Peoples Democratic Front (PDF) legislators walked out against the decision, with the PDP accusing the government of making a “mockery” of the House. The demand for referring the Bill to the committee was made by the ruling alliance partner, the Congress. The Bill was introduced in the House on March 9, 2009, and was taken up on April 5 last year. Later, the Bill was sent to a select committee constituted by the Speaker to evolve a consensus on some contentious issues after MLAs of various political parties had expressed certain reservations. On February 26, the Minister for Law and Parliamentary Affairs had presented the Select Committee report, which also failed to evolve a
consensus on inclusion of all temples, including those administered by trusts, under the ambit of the Bill. It all started soon after Zero Hour when Minister for Finance Abdul Rahim Rather on the behalf of the Law Minister moved the Bill for consideration and passage in the House. Leader of the Panthers Legislature Party Harsh Dev Singh, who moved an amendment to the
legislation seeking that temples and shrines managed by some trusts be exempt from the purview of the Bill, said the government should not forcibly take control over Hindu shrines. He also objected to the nomenclature of the Bill and said it was an attempt to create a “wedge” among the Hindus. “We should not categorise Hindus as Kashmiri Hindus, Dogra Hindus or someone else. Also, the Bill should only bring abandoned, ruined and encroached upon shrines under its ambit,” he said. His views were endorsed by BJP legislators Jugal Kishore Sharma and Ashok Khajuria, JSM legislator Ashwani Kumar Sharma and expelled BJP MLA Jagdish Sapolia. They warned it would lead to another Amarnath land row like agitation if the Bill was passed in its original form. Making an intervention on the issue, senior Cabinet minister from the Congress Sham Lal Sharma urged Speaker Mubarak Gul to refer the Bill to the Joint Select Committee of both Houses following lack of consensus in the Legislative Assembly over some important provisions of the legislation. |
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Farooq’s remark sparks protests
Srinagar, March 4 Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leaders and supporters took out a protest march against Farooq from the party headquarters towards the Regal Chowk in Srinagar. The protesters burnt Farooq’s effigy and also demanded an apology from him for allegedly calling the people of the state ‘mahachor’ (big thieves) while commenting recently in New Delhi on the dismal power scenario in the state. Former employee leader Khursheed Alam, who joined the PDP last year, said Farooq’s reported remarks had insulted the people and he should apologise. However, the Union Minister had yesterday denied calling people thieves. He had said that he was misquoted. Later, the PDP’s attempt to take out a march towards city centre Lal Chowk was foiled. The opposition party also staged a protest in Kupwara town. “Instead of terming people ‘thieves’, he should look at himself and reflect on where he stands in public life,” said PDP candidate for Kupwara Fayaz Mir, who led the protest. Farooq’s effigy was burnt in Kupwara as well. |
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180 stranded passengers on Kupwara road rescued
Kupwara, March 4 The passengers, some of them women and children, were on way to Kupwara and Tanghdar when an avalanche and landslides blocked the road near high-altitude Sadhna Top last evening leaving them stranded. Deputy Commissioner, Kupwara, Itrat Hussain Rafique visited the Neelum post, near Sadhna Top, this morning to supervise the rescue operation. "In a joint rescue operation, the police, Beacon and the Army cleared snow from the road and all stranded passengers were rescued. The vehicles which had got trapped due to the avalanche left for Kupwara and Tanghdar today," he said. "More than 2 ft of snow had accumulated on the road since yesterday. There was a light snowfall this morning, but now the weather has improved," he added. The police in Srinagar said, "In a night-long rescue operation, the police, Army and civil administration rescued about 200 people, who had got stranded due to bad weather and landslides on the Kupwara-Karnah road last night near Sadnah Top." "The Beacon authorities worked hard for the clearance of the road. The rescue operation was supervised by the top police, civil and Army officers," a police spokesman said. Earlier on Monday, three persons were injured when a tipper they were travelling in from Kupwara to Tangdhar met with an accident near Sadhna Top, which separates the Karnah area from the rest of the Kupwara district. Ghulam Hassan Bhat, an employee in the Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution (CAPD) Department, who was critically injured in the accident, was shifted to a Kupwara hospital today, after the ambulance was also stranded. The 80-km vital surface link between bordering Tanghdar town (Karnah area) and Kupwara headquarters was blocked due to heavy snowfall last evening. The snowfall also closed roads leading to the bordering Keran and Macchil areas in Kupwara district. The incessant rains since yesterday led
to flooding of streets in Kupwara and Handwara towns.
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JKCA members press for treasurer’s resignation
Jammu, March 4 The three-hour crucial meeting from 11:30 am was chaired by Union Minister for New and Renewable Energy and JKCA president Farooq Abdullah at a hotel here. Sources said the JKCA chief ruled out immediate suspension of Wazir. “Yes, some of the members have demanded his resignation but the JKCA chief maintained that it is not appropriate to take a decision soon. In fact, Wazir offered his resignation to Dr Abdullah but he refused to accept it,” a source in the JKCA said. A Kashmir-based daily had reported that a Right to Information (RTI) query revealed that the JKCA in the 1990s had issued a number of ‘fake’ certificates to a number of beneficiaries for getting admission into professional colleges. The reply to an RTI application, submitted at SKIMS Medical College by a Baramulla youth, confirmed that during the 1999 session Wazir’s son took admission in the college under the sports category. Meanwhile, the working committee also demanded reconstitution of the
in-house probe panel investigating the JKCA multi-crore scam, the sources said. Regarding the much-awaited JKCA elections, Farooq said the elections of the state’s cricket
body would be held after the parliamentary elections. The Union Minister at the meeting announced a hike of 25 per cent in the salary of JKCA employees. He also informed the working committee that fresh estimates would be made to construct the international-level cricket stadium at Bajalta, near Sidhra. |
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DGP hears grievances of Poonch cops
Poonch, March 4 The DGP listened to various grievances highlighted by the police personnel, which included regularisation and enhancement of honorarium of special police officers (SPOs), enhancement of ration money allowance, quota in police recruitment for the ward of serving/retired police personnel, changing the pattern of uniform to make it more comfortable and operational. The DGP in his address informed the police personnel that most of the demands were already under the active consideration of the police headquarters, Central/state governments and the
other grievances would be addressed as early as possible. The DGP complimented the good work done by the district police in handling law and order and on the anti-militancy front. The DGP also impressed upon the police personnel to work with sincerity and dedication and maintain good police-public relations. The DGP also asked the police personnel to remain more vigilant in view of the forthcoming parliamentary elections. The IGP, Jammu Zone, discussed various issues related to the welfare of the police personnel initiated by the police headquarters under the able guidance of the DGP. Earlier, Poonch SP Shamsheer Hussain highlighted the achievements of the Poonch district police on crime, law and order and on the anti-militancy front. He thanked the DGP for visiting the border district of Poonch. He assured the DGP and other senior officers that the Poonch police would remain committed to the people and come up to the expectations of the general masses, which was a hallmark of the police.
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Rights panel lacks funds, infrastructure
Jammu, March 4 In its annual report for 2012-13 tabled in the Legislative Assembly recently, the State Human Rights Commission once again brought to the fore
the constraints that have been hampering its functioning. Signed by State Human Rights Commission secretary Tariq Ahmad Banday and three other members, Amolak Singh, Rafiq Fida and Jabvid Kawos, the annual report says, “We hope that in Jammu some government accommodation will be provided for a sub-office, so that the inherent difficulties of rented accommodation will be solved.” The report observes, “We want to place on record that much needs to be done so far as other spheres of the working of the commission are concerned. Adequate funds under additional budget/revised budget are not allotted, hampering the smooth functioning of the commission. To overcome the financial constraints, the commission has been repeatedly requesting the government to allot funds to the commission in the shape of grants as provided under Section 21 of the J&K Protection of Human Rights Act, 1997, instead of the normal annual budgetary allotment;
the demand is again reiterated.” The report also pointed out that the government has not taken any step
for more than a year to fill vacant posts following transfer and retirement
of some of the officials. “Last but not the least, the government is in the know that the commission is at present working without a chairperson since October 24, 2011…. We hope that all vacancies will be filled without
any delay,” reads the report. |
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220-bedded super speciality hospital inaugurated in J&K
Jammu, March 4 The state has become the first state to get the Project Swasthya Slate, launched to cover most difficult parts of Jammu and Kashmir. Deputy Chief Minister Tara Chand, Minister for Health and Medical Education Taj Mohiuddin, Minister for Roads and Buildings Abdul Majid Wani, Minister for Culture Raman Bhalla, MPs Choudhary Lal Singh and Madan Lal Sharma, Minister of State for Planning and Finance Manohar Lal, MLAs, MLCs, and officials were present. The Union Health Minister was optimistic about the functioning of the centre which will play a key role in increasing medicare facilities in the state. Azad said focus was being laid on extending optimum relief to the people within the state so that they don’t have to wait for months to avail of the special health care services as in other states. The Union Health Minister said: “We have not only given new dimensions to the health sector but the development fields have also witnessed a discernible change during the past 4 or 5 years.” He said one more medical college had been sanctioned for Rajouri, raising the total number of newly sanctioned medical colleges to five. He said the government had given a nod to establishment of 75 cancer institutions in the country as compared to only one such centre in the last 65 years. Referring to the shortage of medical faculty in the state, Azad told the state government to enhance the retirement age of doctors so that the health sector does not suffer for want of adequate staff. Regarding 102 referral service, he told the state minister to buy the remaining sanctioned 200 ambulances at the earliest. Farooq extended his gratitude to the Centre for giving special consideration to development of the state, in view of its tough terrain and hoped that it would continue in the future. He also appreciated Azad for transforming the health care profile of the state. He said no doubt the state had recorded tremendous progress but there was a huge space to march further towards growth and development.
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58% transmission and distribution losses in 2012-13
Jammu, March 4 The main reason for the T&D losses is the state is both technical and commercial as the existing system is outdated and theft and unaccounted and uncontrolled consumption of power go on unabated. As per the economic survey report of 2012-13 financial year, the demand for electricity in the state was 17,669.46 million units and 12,120.025 million units of electricity were available with the Power Development Department (PDD). The T&D losses during this financial year stood at 6,957.147 million units, which is 57.4 per cent of electricity available. Only 5,162 million units were available by the department for sale. In 2006-07 financial year, the state had to bear around 51.06 per cent T&D losses which showed an upward trend up to 2011-2012 financial year. The highest T&D losses were seen in 2009-10 financial year at 63.04 per cent. So far, only 48 per cent households in the state have been metered. As per the Census report of 2011, during the year 2010-11, 1,75,3,201 out of total 2,01,5,088 households are getting electricity but only 1,49,0,696 households are registered with the PDD. The power department is being headed by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and as per the economic survey report, the department needs to improve the system. The survey report has suggested that highly subsidised tariff combined with poor metering is financially unsustainable and economically distortionary for the state. To decrease the losses, the report has suggested that the government should ensure transparency and accountability in the T&D sector, besides corporatisation of the PDD and public-private partnership through franchise in distribution of electricity. It has further suggested ban on incandescent lamps in government departments, public sector establishments, industrial and commercial installations and procurement of four-star rated appliances for government offices.
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Govt employees get election training in Poonch
Poonch, March 4 Employees of the Education Department attended the training on the first day. Instructors and trainers told the employees how to handle the election process and set electronic voting machines (EVMs). Employees of other departments will also be given the training. Experts and trainers told employees to make themselves conversant with handling the election process promptly and smoothly. Officials were also given training in various fields such as poll day arrangement, establishment of voting compartment, setting of EVMs and timely start of polling. They were also briefed about the operating system of the EVMs, collection of election material and other necessary documentation. — OC
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Doda villages rue lack of health care facilities
Doda, March 4 Patients from remote rural areas in the district have to trek miles to get first aid and medicines. The worst affected are pregnant women for whom no doctors are available at the district health centres. In many cases, deliveries are done without the help of doctor or paramedical staff. Nuzhat Iqbal, a social activist of Doda, said: “It is unfortunate. Even after having got Independence six decades ago, we are unable to connect our villages with link roads, without which we cannot provide medical care to the people living in remote areas.” She said, “I have never heard any child was born in a dispensary here. Most of these dispensaries are in a poor condition and are being run by medical assistants. These lack equipment, medical kits and medicines. “Women are the worst suffers. In their stages of pregnancy, they have to be carried to district hospitals for delivery which sometimes, especially during rough weather, proves fatal. “Highly qualified doctors are not ready to work in rural areas due to lack of infrastructure. There is no facility for them (doctors) in these areas and until the government takes the matter seriously, the problem cannot be solved.” Om Prakash, a sarpanch, said the dispensary of Malan village was damaged due to snowfall in January. “Patients have to be carried on palki to District Hospital, Doda,” the sarpanch said. Malan is not the only village in Doda which lacks basic health facilities. Laloor, Juartund, Kunda, Grambdi, Saras, Gorkund, Chanderbatan, Thana, and Mushal villages of the Dessa area, having a population of about 50,000, also lack basic health care facilities. People of these villages have to walk a whole day to reach the district hospital. There has been a thrust on infrastructure development by creating super speciality hospitals in urban areas to provide better medical facilities to the people of the state in the past decade.
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BJP holds ‘chai per charcha’ in Srinagar
Srinagar, March 4 “Through ‘chai per charcha’, we want to tell the people that anyone, including a chaiwallah, can become the Prime Minister of the country,” said media in charge of the BJP unit in Kashmir Altaf Thakur. Thakur said that during the discussion the party highlighted the benefits that the people would receive if Narendra Modi would become the Prime Minister of the country. He said the unit also highlighted the ‘failures’ of the Congress and invited suggestions from people for the success of the BJP in the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections. The programme was organised by ‘Volunteers for Mission 272+’ of the BJP. Thakur said the group had been formed to secure 272 seats that would give the BJP a simple majority in the coming elections. The BJP had yesterday organised ‘chai per charcha’ at the Sainik Colony area of the Gandhi Nagar Assembly constituency in the Jammu region. |
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Power dept daily wagers demand regularisation, hold protest
Poonch, March 4 Under the banner of the J&K Casual Labour Union, the Power Development Department labourers assembled outside the office of the Executive Engineer, Power Development Department , Poonch, and raised slogans against the government. Later, they marched towards Nakhan Wali Chowk through the main market and staged a dharna at the main market. They disrupted the traffic movement and raised slogans against the local MLA and MLCs for not highlighting their demands in the Assembly. Protesters demanded immediate completion of the verification process of casual workers and publication of the verification list in newspapers and posting it on the official website of the department. The protesting employees raised slogans against the government for not regularising their services even after completion of over 7 to 14 years of services in the department. Their demands include regularisation of daily wagers, grade against works assigned, one-step promotion to all Power Development Department employees who have rendered more than seven years of service and payment to need-based workers at the earliest. The employees appealed to the authorities concerned to immediately consider their demands at the earliest for the welfare of employees. They threatened that they would intensify the agitation if their demands were not met soon.
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PHE employees stage protest
Poonch, March 4 The protest was held under the leadership of president of the association Faiz Akbar. Protesters raised slogans against the government and demanded a solution to their long-pending demands. Their demands included releasing their salary that has been pending for the last 20 months, to conduct DPC at divisional level, to regularise daily wagers, to provide benches and tools at pumping stations and to carry out repair work of all pumping stations. Later, the protesters called on the XEN, PHE, Poonch, who assured them to take their matter with the government and the higher authorities of the department for an early solution.
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Guv briefed on work of rights commission
Jammu, March 4 The Governor told Fida to ensure that the Commission’s objectives were publicised and its work carried out effectively.
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Srinagar residents raise a stink over piling garbage
Srinagar, March 4 Residents of Magarmal Bagh said stinking smell emanating from the garbage had made it very difficult to walk on the roads and streets. They said that they had lodged complaints with the departments concerned many a time, but they fell on deaf ears. They said, "The authorities concerned do not check dumping of garbage that has led to serious problems in the area. The site has turned into a shelter for dozens of canines. The garbage gets scattered all around, owing to stray dogs and cattle. We do not even allow children to walk from there," said a resident of Magarmal Bagh, Srinagar. The residents claimed that the scattered garbage at several places had created many health-related problems for the past couple of months. The district administration banned throwing of any trash, including farmyard manure, on roads. Officials said in a bid to restore the pristine glory of Srinagar, a world-known tourist destination, District Magistrate Farooq Ahmed Shah banned dumping of trash, terming any violation as "criminal offence." The official documents revealed that the DM order dated February 21, 2014, observed that the "some unscrupulous elements residing in and around Srinagar city cause a great damage to the fame of Srinagar by dumping garbage and raw farmyard manure on the roadsides, which often causes a great nuisance to the public residing in the city and also cause a great discomfort to the tourists visiting the state." Even after the official warning, the residents blamed the authorities concerned for not installing the dustbins on the roadsides or taking any other proper solid waste management step. The Srinagar Municipal Corporation officials,
however, blamed residents for throwing all waste on roads. "When we install dustbins on roadsides, dogs keep roaming around the area, but I will still look into the matter," said SMC Commissioner GN Qasba. |
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Female infanticide on the rise in Kashmir
Srinagar, March 4 The police found the baby near Zeyarat Makhdoom Sahib in Nowhatta area in the old city, a police spokesman said. "The two-day-old baby is under treatment and in good health," said Dr Muneer Hussein, Medical Superintendent of GB Panth hospital. The recovery of the abandoned baby comes days after the state Assembly adopted a private member's resolution seeking necessary measures to check female foeticide. Hussein said, "In two days, eight families have approached the hospital for adoption of the child. We told them to get orders from the court. Whoever will get the permission for adoption, we will hand over the child to that family," the doctor said. The rising incidents of abandoning infants have generated a huge debate as the dark trend is increasing in Kashmir. In one of the incidents, a five-year-old girl with cleft lip was found abandoned in the corridors GB Panth hospital last year, whose responsibility for treatment was later taken by the authorities. Later, the child was adopted by a family of central Kashmir's Ganderbal area. Most doctors though are not sure about the exact reason behind the rising trend. A noted sociologist, however, said, "There are multiple reasons behind the increase of this dark trend. There is no particular reason, but we think that it is the outcome of material orientation towards child development which ignores the morality and religious principles of life. Our social attitude is changing. In every home, preference is given to male child." “In some cases, people are forced to abandon baby girls as they are not welcomed in families," said Dr Bashir Ahmad, who heads the department of sociology in Kashmir University. He said building a value-based society that follows religious and moral education could help people change their mindset.
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Mir is acting VC of Kashmir Central University
Srinagar, March 4 He took the charge after the founder Vice Chancellor of the university, Abdul Wahid, completed his five-year term. Mir has worked in different capacities in University of Kashmir. He has served as Registrar, Controller of Examinations, Dean, Student Welfare, Head and Dean, Faculty of Law, KU. Mir did his PhD, LLB and LLM from Aligarh Muslim University. He has also authored books on diverse subjects. Mir is a recipient of national and international awards, including the fellowship of Max Plank Institute of International Criminal Law (Germany), Management of Social Transformation Programme, UNESCO, and LOSOU Consultant Malaysia Fellowships. — TNS
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Apple Kids students hold audience spellbound
Jammu, March 4 The function commenced with the lighting of ceremonial lamp by
the chief guest. Students presented various colourful items. Abhayjeet Singh of senior KG enthralled the audience with his solo performance of "gatka", a traditional India martial art. Children presented cultural items like jungle theme dance, "titli and bhawre" dance and prop dance. In the end a skit on national symbols and national song was presented. The programme culminated by singing of the National Anthem. The tiny tots held the audience spellbound throughout the function and the confidence exhibited by them was applauded by all.
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Hockey championship: J&K team leaves for Lucknow
Jammu, March 4 Earlier, the team attended a coaching camp and then underwent screening by Sports Officer Rajan Sharma in the presence of office-bearers of the Hockey J&K. The team is being accompanied by coach Jagjeet Singh and manager Iqbal Singh. The J&K team will play its first match on March 6 against Himachal Pradesh. The team is comprised of Kishan Singh, Major Singh (both goalkeepers), Satwant Singh, Bharat Singh, Amarjeet Singh, Inderpal Singh, Gurjeet Singh, Sunil Kalsotra, Gurvadan Singh, Joseph, Surinder Singh, Manjeet Singh, Kulwant Singh, Sikander Pal Singh, Amrinder Singh, Jaspreet Singh, Ravneet Singh, Dharminder Singh and Javed Miandad. — TNS |
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Youth commits suicide in Ganderbal
Srinagar, March 4 Mursaleen Mushtaq Lone, 22, hanged himself last evening at his home in Parin-Kunamulla village of Ganderbal district, a police spokesman said. There has been a constant increase in the number of suicides and attempted suicides in Kashmir valley over the last few years. Experts have warned of growing stress levels among the residents in the region as one of the contributing factors. “After completing all medico-legal formalities, the police handed over the body of the deceased to his relatives,” the spokesman said. A 45-year-old man attempted to end his life by consuming poison at his home in Anantnag district, the police spokesman said. Bashir Ahmad Khan, a resident of Tangpora village in Kokernag area of the district, consumed “some poisonous substance” at his house, the spokesman said. He has been shifted to the District Hospital, Anantnag, for treatment. A case has been registered.
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Five held with arms
Rajouri, March 4 Police sources said all five were involved in drug-trafficking and other anti-social activities in the district. Acting on a tip-off, a police party led by the Deputy Superintendent, Operations, laid a naka at Danidhar and intercepted a car from which it recovered a country-made revolver and two sharp-edged knives. The occupants were immediately taken into custody. The police have started preliminary investigation into the matter.
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Extortionist arrested
Srinagar, March 4 “A toy pistol and some incriminating letter pads have been recovered from his possession,” a police spokesman said. The spokesman said the arrested person was involved in an extortion case.
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In protest against changing the name of the historic Bahu Fort area, the Bar Association of Jammu (BAJ) has decided to suspend court work tomorrow.
Union Minister Farooq Abdullah’s alleged remarks over power thefts in the state triggered widespread protests across the Valley today.
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leaders and supporters took out a protest march against Farooq from the party headquarters towards the Regal Chowk in
Srinagar. The protesters burnt Farooq’s effigy and also demanded an apology from him for allegedly calling the people of the state ‘mahachor’ (big thieves)
As part of its public-outreach programme, the BJP held ‘chai per charcha’ (discussion over tea) here today.
A group of BJP Kashmir unit leaders and workers organised the event outside the
Sher-e-Kashmir Park in Srinagar. “Through ‘chai per charcha’, we want to tell the people that anyone, including a
chaiwallah, can become the Prime Minister of the country,” said media in charge of the BJP unit in Kashmir Altaf
Thakur.
Acting chairperson of the J&K State Human Rights Commission Rafiq
Fida called on Governor NN Vohra at Raj Bhawan here today. Fida briefed the Governor about the functioning of the Commission, particularly the steps taken to stop harassment of women, underprivileged and weaker sections of society, and to monitor the condition of prisoners in jails.
Though the District Magistrate last week banned throwing of garbage on roads, heaps of garbage still lay unattended on city roads, emanating foul smell.
Residents of Magarmal Bagh said stinking smell emanating from the garbage had made it very difficult to walk on the roads and streets. They said that they had lodged complaints with the departments concerned many a time, but they fell on deaf ears.
Apple Kids, Sainik Colony, celebrated its annual day. BR Sharma, Principal Secretary, Planning and Development Department, was the chief guest, while Ruby Sharma was special guest.
The function commenced with the lighting of ceremonial lamp by
the chief guest. Students presented various colourful items.
