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BJP seeks probe into allotment of two-room tenements at Jagti
Snowstorm death toll touches 17
Women afraid to report sexual harassment at workplaces: Panel
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To strengthen base in Jammu, BJP wants to win over Gujjars, OBCs
Poll official orders action in 2 cases of code violation
Board issues teacher appointment norms
Former DGP traces Pak’s journey under Army rule
Governor releases ‘Theatre An Introduction’
Sopore welfare forum calls on Governor
Distance learning vital to education system: VC
Without power and food supplies, Valley gets disenchanted with govt
Omar briefed on restoration of essential services in state
Rain, hail damage wheat crop
Govt urged to redress LoC traders’ grievances
Interviews for teachers’ selection postponed
Congress seeks adequate relief for snow-hit areas
Congress condoles demise of educationist
Poor Net connectivity irks subscribers
Traffic violation notice to mediapersons
Programme on AIDS held for teachers
Rana urges people to defeat communalism
Road safety awareness camp held
Holi holiday on March 17
IMF to hold expeditions
JSM to ask candidates to put forward their achievements, agenda
Women outnumber men in voters’ enrolment drive
Trains resume full operation from Baramulla to Banihal after 2 days
Surgeries in hospitals deferred
Ailing Geelani flown to Delhi
Electrician found dead
Ministers, babus live it up in cash-strapped state Coordination group for security forces comes up Govt unable to handle snow fury: CPM
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BJP seeks probe into allotment of two-room tenements at Jagti
Jammu, March 13 “The Relief and Rehabilitation Commissioner office, which has been assigned to verify the credentials and allot TRTs to the deserving people at the Jagti township, has kept the State Legislative Assembly and the Legislative Council in the dark by giving varied replies to questions raised by MLAs and MLCs in the Houses. There have been gross irregularities in the allotment and re-allotment of TRTs. We appeal to Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and Minister for Revenue Aijaz Ahmad Khan to conduct a thorough probe into the issue,” said Sheela Koul Handoo, national executive member of the BJP. The BJP leader said applications were invited from non-camp migrants for the 750 un-allotted TRTs at the Jagti township. “The Relief and Rehabilitation Commissioner in his reply to the State Legislative Assembly said there were only 600 un-allotted TRTs and 16,000 applications were received. At least 150 quarters have been allotted on paper applications without any proper records,” Handoo said. She alleged that the Relief and Rehabilitation Commissioner office had illegally allotted 22 TRTs to one of the senior leaders of the ruling National Conference and no norm was followed vis-à-vis the allotment of these TRTs. “There are allegations and reports that a huge transaction has been taken place while allotting the TRTs. We request the state administration to order a high-level probe into the issue so that the people get justice,” said
Handoo.
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Snowstorm death toll touches 17
Srinagar, March 13 Since last night, the death toll has increased from 11 to 17, a senior government official said today. Eleven people have died in the Kashmir division while six fatalities were reported in the Jammu division. The snowstorm ended on Wednesday morning. “We have 17 deaths in the state till today morning, which includes five in Kargil, four in Reasi and three in Kulgam,” said Secretary of State, Revenue Department, Vinod Koul. The rest of the fatalities occurred in Kashmir's Shopian and Budgam districts and in Jammu's Doda district. The dead include two soldiers, who were buried under an avalanche which hit a camp in Kargil district’s Drass sector, and three Nepali labourers, who were killed by another avalanche in Kargil’s Kaksar sector. Two children were among the three killed when an avalanche swept over a village in south Kashmir’s Kulgam district. The official said nearly 1,900 houses have been partially or completely damaged by the heavy snowfall in the state. “Nearly 50 per cent of the damage has happened in Budgam district,” Koul said, adding that these are initial estimates as assessment of the damage was still being carried out. “Some places hit by the storm are far off, so these figures may change,” he said. The state administration said it was working to restore essential services as the three days of incessant snowfall caused widespread damage to infrastructure and inundated roads and residential colonies. Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir, Shailendra Kumar, who addressed reporters here in the city along with senior officials of various departments, said efforts were being made to restore all essential services. “If reports are to be believed this has not happened in the last four decades. This kind of snowfall was definitely not predicted,” Kumar said. “We tried to respond positively... avalanche alert was already given to all districts,” he said. The worst-affected areas by the snow storm are the Gurez region of north Kashmir’s Bandipora district and south Kashmir’s Shopian district, where more than 40 inches of snow has fallen, Kumar said. Army rescues 9 persons Srinagar:The Army has rescued around nine people trapped in avalanche-hit areas of south Kashmir. A Defence spokesman said in the past two days, Army teams rescued many people, including two pregnant women. “Information regarding an avalanche in south Kashmir’s Kulgam district was received on Wednesday and a rescue team of a Rashtriya Rifles unit was rushed to the spot. The team managed to rescue seven civilians. However, before the team reached the place, three persons had died,” the spokesman said. — TNS |
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Women afraid to report sexual harassment at workplaces: Panel
Srinagar, March 13 Fear of accusations becoming public, of having their entire lives scrutinised. Fear they may be judged by people who don’t even know them. Thousands of women are subjected to sexual harassment at work, yet most are too scared or embarrassed to make a formal complaint. Sexual exploitation of women has existed for ages. It is only in recent times that modern states have started taking harassment at the workplace seriously, putting in place laws that seek to provide a safer work environment for women. However, a complaint committee constituted at the civil secretariat for registering cases of women employees, who face harassment at workplace, has not received a single complaint in a year. Tanveer Jaha, who heads the committee, blames lack of family and social support behind females keeping away from filing complaints. “In a year, we have not received a single complaint. Women fear to come forward all because of social taboos. Women need to have confidence and become fearless to come in front,” said Jaha, who also serves as a Commissioner in the Public works Department in the civil secretariat. Jaha said the need of the hour was to make women aware so that they come out of this mental setup. She said, “The society needs to change its attitude towards women. “Even if a woman lodges a complaint, she is seen as stigmatised. These things need to be changed. Family support in this particular case is very important. Our committee encourages women to come forward but unfortunately so far no one has come,” Jaha added. The directions of forming a complaint committee had come last year after the Supreme Court had directed all regulatory bodies such as the BCI and the MCI, which regulate different professions, to set up a committee to deal with all cases of sexual harassment at workplace. The guidelines also said the victims or witnesses would not be victimised or discriminated against while dealing with complaints of sexual harassment. The guidelines had recommended that the complaint committee should be headed by a woman and half of its members should comprise women. The issue came to light last month when a senior woman doctor accused former Health Minister Shabir Ahmad Khan of sexual assault. The allegations forced the minister to resign from his position. Jaha said the case should encourage women to come forward against any harassment. There are less than 3 per cent females working in government departments in the state. They say apart from social stigma, there is a fear of transfer or revenge from male colleagues. “It is not always about social stigma. Sometimes there is a fear of revenge from male colleagues, including transfer or withholding of salaries,” said a working woman. |
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To strengthen base in Jammu, BJP wants to win over Gujjars, OBCs
Jammu, March 13 The BJP has realised that it is important to strengthen its base in these two Muslim-dominated districts of the Jammu province to win the “prestigious” Jammu-Poonch Lok Sabha seat. Sources in the BJP said the party had devised a strategy to woo the nomadic Gujjar-Bakerwal community and OBC Muslims to widen its base. The Gujjars-Bakerwals, who have been granted the Scheduled Tribe (ST) status, have been agitating to get political reservation for STs but successive governments in the state have denied this right to the community citing Article 370. BJP state president Jugal Kishore Sharma will rake up the issue of misuse of Article 370 to woo the Gujjars-Bakerwals. “We are supporting the demand for Scheduled Tribes’ political reservation,” said BJP leader Hari Om. BJP has reason to target the community as Gujjars and Bakerwals comprise more than 42 per cent of the total population of Poonch and Rajouri. The BJP is raking up the issue of Article 370 to please OBC Muslims. This community is not getting 27 per cent reservation in the state due to the Article. BJP’s prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi had also tried to reach out to these two communities during the “Lalkar rally” in Jammu on December 1 last year. Interestingly, the BJP is not abandoning its ideology to win over these two communities. The party is rather propagating its agenda of abrogation of Article 370 to get their support. In 1998 and 1999 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP had managed to get the support of Gujjars and Bakerwals and the party had won the Jammu-Poonch Lok Sabha seat in two successive elections. But the party could not rope in Gujjars and Bakerwals for the 2004 and 2009 Lok Sabha elections, which it lost. Swaying poll results
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Poll official orders action in 2 cases of code violation
Katra, March 13 The cases involve the transfer of the Executive Engineer, Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY), and the Assistant Director, Handlooms, after the Model Code of Conduct came into force. On a complaint against the Executive Engineer, Public Works Department, taking over charge of the PMGSY division, Reasi, the matter was referred to the Nodal Officer, Model Code of Conduct, Rajinder Singh Tara on March 7. On inquiry, it was revealed that the Model Code of Conduct was violated with the transfer of Hem Raj Langey as the Executive Engineer, PMGSY, Reasi, on March 6 afternoon. The Commissioner/Secretary, Public Works Department, was told by the election authorities on March 7 to take corrective measures as the predecessor of the Executive Engineer was the Sector Officer, assigned election duties. The District Election Officer issued an order directing the officer to immediately leave the territorial jurisdiction of the district. The department has been told to make alternative arrangements. Another order was issued by the Director, Handicrafts, on March 13, transferring the Assistant Director, Handicrafts, Reasi, Manu Hansa. He was ordered to take additional charge of the same post at Poonch, which was also found to be a violation of the Model Code of Conduct. The District Election Officer issued orders that action under election laws be taken for the violation of the code. The Director, Handlooms, has been told to withdraw the order and seek approval of the Election Commission of India through the Chief Electoral Officer, J&K. The Media Certification and Monitoring Committee also issued notices in two cases of paid news involving leaders of a national political party in the Udhampur-Kathua constituency. — OC |
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Board issues teacher appointment norms
Jammu, March 13 Sources said the initiative was taken by the J&K Board of School Education (JKBOSE) after it came to the fore that some of the institutes were running without adequate qualified staff and infrastructure. The sources added that the institutions concerned would be informed through a letter of intent regarding the decision for grant of affiliation or permission subject to appointment of qualified faculty members before the commencement of the academic session. The letter would mention that the process of appointment of qualified staff would be done as per policy of state government university/board and the institution would have to ensure that the staff or faculty was appointed as per the JKBOSE/state norms within two months. Further, it is mandatory for the institutions to submit the list of the faculty to board for its approval. All the affiliated institutions should launch their own website with hyperlink to JKBOSE website www.jkbose.co.in soon after the receipt of the letter of intent from the board covering inter alia the details of the institution, its location, name of the course available with intake, availability of physical infrastructure and other facilities or amenities and instructional facilities for the information of all concerned, a school education board notification said. “The copy of the affidavit shall be displayed by the institution on its official website. In case, the contents of the affidavit are found to be incorrect or false, the society or trust or the institution concerned shall be liable for civil and criminal action under the relevant provisions of the Indian Penal Code/Ranbir Penal Code and other relevant laws and shall also be liable for withdrawal of affiliation by the JKBOSE,” the notification maintained. Sources in the BOSE said the society sponsoring the institution would have to ensure that proposed teacher education institution had a well demarcated land area as specified by the norms. The teacher education institution would not be allowed to have any other institution within its demarcated area or building and should not have any other course(s) in its building. |
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Former DGP traces Pak’s journey under Army rule
Jammu, March 13 The Governor observed that the book had come out at a momentous time when there was a new government in Pakistan, important constitutional developments were due to take place in Afghanistan and India was soon electing a new government. He said for peace and stability in the sub-continent, it was necessary for all countries in South Asia to have deeper and better understandings of mutual concerns. The Governor congratulated Khajooria for his research in bringing out a substantial volume and hoped that the book would contribute to better understandings and better relations between neighbours. The welcome address was presented by Seema Shekhar Khajooria and a vote of thanks was presented by Chander Shekhar Gupta. |
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Governor releases ‘Theatre An Introduction’
Jammu, March 13 The book encompasses inter alia a global overview of drama, technical aspects of theatre and the status of play acting in Kashmir. The Governor complimented the writer for bringing out a book which he hoped would prove useful to the students pursuing studies in the field of theatre and fine arts. The Governor interacted with two dozen invited persons from the field of art and literature on the occasion. They spoke about the problems being faced by artists and theatre actors and reflected on various ongoing projects for the development of theatre-related infrastructure in the state. They urged the introduction of postgraduate programme on drama/theatre in Jammu and Kashmir universities. The Governor assured them that their suggestions would be looked into by the authorities of both universities. Balwant Thakur, Director, Natrang, Jammu, Dr Sohan Lal Koul, Director, DDK, Jammu, Ayash Arif, Director, Festivals and Publications (J&K Film Makers and Artists Cooperative Ltd.), Mushtaq Kak, stage director and film actor, Prof Tej Raina, writer and journalist, and Mohan Singh, Dogri writer, were present. Navin K Choudhary, Principal Secretary to the Governor, was also present. The Governor NN Vohra was presented a copy of “Takhat-i-Galib” by Avtar Krishen Ganjoo, well-known author and translator, at Raj Bhawan today. The volume in Urdu focuses on varied aspects of Mirza Ghalib’s poetry. The Governor complimented Ganjoo for bringing out “Takhat-i-Galib” and hoped he would continue his contributions towards the enrichment of Urdu literature. Rameshwar Singh Jamwal today presented his book, “Controlling the Mind of a Criminal- the Yogic Way”, to the Governor. The book is a research-based approach to deal with criminals and bring about a behavioural change in them. The author has also propounded the “yogic crime theory” which explains the aberrations in the minds of criminals and anti-social elements. The Governor complimented the writer for his work and wished him success. |
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Sopore welfare forum calls on Governor
Jammu, March 13 The delegation complained to the Governor about the reported decision to shift the faculties of agricultural engineering, forestry and horticulture from the College of Agriculture at Wadura to Shalimar and other locations. They also apprised the Governor about difficulties being faced by the people of Sopore with regard to lack of infrastructure and civic problems. The Governor heard the demands of the forum and observed that there was no decision of the
SKUAST-Kashmir University Council to shift any faculty from the Wadura campus. He assured the delegation that he would look into the other issues raised by them. |
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Distance learning vital to education system: VC
Jammu, March 13 The conference is being organised by the Directorate of Distance Education, University of Jammu, in collaboration with IDEA. The first conference took place in 2002 at the University of Jammu (JU). Inaugurating the three-day conference, Vice Chancellor of the University of Jammu Prof Mohan Paul Singh Ishar said open distance learning programmes were the important components of the education system of any country, particularly in the Indian context, keeping in view the projected gross enrolment ratio of 30 per cent. He said at the same time there were concerns associated with the quality of the system. “About 15 to 20 years back when universities started the distance learning system, people were sceptical about it and it was considered a money-spinning enterprise. But now it is considered an alternate mode of education. The concerns for quality remain the same,” Ishar said. He said there was a need to maintain the quality of the education system, be it technology, information communication technology or online education. He said the support system was important in all and the students must get adequate support system. In his welcome address, VD Singh, Director, Directorate of Distance Education, University of Jammu, gave a brief about distance education. He said the Directorate was one of the oldest open and distance learning institutions in the country and was active in promoting distance learning in Jammu and Kashmir. Prof Romesh Varma, general secretary, IDEA, said the association was the leading national professional body of academicians, policy-makers, administrators and other stakeholders of the distance and open learning system of education. IDEA president Prof K Murali Manohar spoke on IDEA’s role and activities in the changing context of higher education and also deliberated upon the quality component vital to maintaining the standards of the education system through open and distance learning. Prof CRK Murthy, Director, Staff Training and Research Institute of Distance Education, New Delhi, delivered the keynote address. In his presentation, Murthy dwelt upon various issues related to quality assurance and said it was a continuous and never-ending process. A souvenir of the conference was also released. Sandeep Tandon, organising secretary, delivered a vote of thanks. |
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Without power and food supplies, Valley gets disenchanted with govt
Srinagar, March 13 “Only God can help us as the government has failed this time. We have kept our fingers crossed as more downpour has been forecast for the weekend. If this is the condition of an area which is close to the Civil Secretariat and the High Court, one can imagine the plight of the inner areas,” said Rashid. Seventyfive dewatering stations pressed into service in Srinagar city, as per Srinagar Municipal Corporation Commissioner GN Qasba, have failed to bring respite to the people. The troubles of Magarmal Bagh shopkeepers, though great, appear nothing as compared to many others. As per official estimates, heavy rain and snowfall from Monday night have left 17 persons dead in the state (11 in Kashmir). Also, 57 cattle were killed and 1,922 houses damaged in the Valley. Besides, electricity at several places has not been restored while the weather condition took a toll on all walks of life, be it health care or education. All schools and colleges remained closed for the week and will reopen on Monday. Due to snow-covered roads, patients, especially from far-flung areas, are finding it difficult to reach hospitals. Reports of surgeries being postponed in rural hospitals due to the lack of staff and electricity too have been doing the rounds. Even though air traffic was restored yesterday amid protests at the Srinagar airport, the Jammu-Srinagar national highway —the Valley’s only surface link with the rest of the country — remained closed and only some stranded vehicles were cleared. The closure of the highway has now started having a bearing on the supply of eatables in markets here. “I could not find meat (mutton) today and I have a patient at home. Evening is approaching and electricity too has not been restored for the third day,” said Abdul Hamid, a resident of the Rawalpora area in the city. He said: “It snowed only eight inches in the city for the last three days which was less as compared to other areas. We are without electricity and the government’s claim about restoration of services on the radio and in newspapers is adding insult to injury,” said Hamid. While Chief Minister Omar Abdullah had posted on social networking site Twitter that full restoration of services would take "some days", Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir, Shailendra Kumar said the administration had utilised all its resources and was trying its best to help restore normal life. |
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Omar briefed on restoration of essential services in state
Jammu, March 13 Two teams comprising top-ranking officers headed by Chief Secretary Muhammad Iqbal Khandey and Financial Commissioner, Revenue, Arun Kumar, who visited the Kashmir valley, Doda, Ramban and Kishtwar districts yesterday to oversee the restoration of essential services, briefed the Chief Minister. It was stated in the meeting that snow fury claimed as many as 17 lives, while 57 cattle got killed in the calamity. Around 1,922 houses were partially or fully damaged in Kashmir division, while the damage to the property in Jammu division was being assessed. An amount of Rs 5 crore have been released to Kashmir division and Rs 1.2 crore to Doda, Reasi, Kishtwar and Ramban districts for meeting urgent exigencies, the meeting was told. The Chief Minister was informed that 80 per cent to 90 per cent power supply had been restored in most of the areas, barring a few places, where the equipment has been severely damaged. The Chief Minister directed the Power Department to install lightning conductors with transformers in lightning-prone areas so that they don’t get damage due to lightning. The meeting was informed that all priority-1 roads had been cleared off snow, while the work to clear priority-II and priority-III road communication links was on. The Chief Minister was told that the work on clearance of snow from the national highway was in full swing and the road was expected to be open for traffic by today evening. The Chief Minister also ascertained the dewatering operation in Srinagar city and nearby areas. Taking brief on the status of damage caused to the water supply service due to heavy snowfall and rain, the Chief Minister was told that most of the water supply schemes had been restored and restoration work on the rest was on fast track. The Chief Minister was informed that most of the telecommunication services had also been restored and there would be total restoration within a couple of days. The Chief Minister while receiving the brief about the stock and supply position of essential commodities was informed that most of the areas hit by snow have good stock of fuel and essential commodities. The Chief Minister also directed the authorities concerned to arrange helicopter sorties for evacuating persons from snow-bound areas. He also directed the authorities concerned to keep a close eye on the markets so that unscrupulous elements did not exploit the situation and create scarcity of essentials. |
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Rain, hail damage wheat crop
Jammu, March 13 Ram Pal Sharma, a farmer from Chak Munar, Bishnah, said, “I was expecting about 30-35 quintals of wheat this season, but yesterday’s hailstorms and heavy rain damaged more than 30 per cent of the crop”. “Wheat crop requires bright sunlight for good yield, but due to the unexpected rain, I don’t think I will be able to get 20 quintals of wheat from my land,” he added. Sushil Sharma, another farmer from Mehra Mandra, said, “The rain has destroyed more than 50 per cent of the crop. It will take time to calculate the actual loss of the wheat crop”. Areas like Chak Munar, Kheri, Bishnah, Bari Brahmana, Vijaypur, Akhnoor, Chambh and Khor are the worst affected. Surinder Singh Jamwal, Director, Agriculture, Jammu, said, “Rain and hailstorm has damaged wheat crop in Jammu. We have directed our district officials to assess losses in the respective districts”. |
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Govt urged to redress LoC traders’ grievances
Jammu, March 13 A delegation led by JKJCCI president YV Sharma on Wednesday met Financial Commissioner Industries and Commerce KA Ganai and briefed him about the issues of the LoC traders. Ganai had convened the meeting to have first-hand information regarding the problems being faced by exporters on one hand and the LoC traders on the other. He wanted to have a brief before participating in a Union Home Ministry session to be held in Delhi. The issues raised at the meeting are lack of meetings between business houses from both sides (PoK and J&K), non-availability of ISD calling facility from the state to LoC traders, lack of banking facilities, issue of travel permits, the spoilage of goods during security procedures, sudden bans on movement of goods mentioned in the LoC trade list, and widening of items in the LoC list. Opening of more routes for LoC trade such as Suchetgarh-Sialkot, Nowshera-Kotli-Mirpur, Palanwala-Bhimber and Kargil-Skardu, arranging trade fairs on both sides of the LoC, exemption of tax on the import of LoC goods, provisions of warehousing and cold storage facilities for LoC traders at Jammu, Srinagar and trade facilitation centres for Uri-Salamabad and Poonch-Rawalakot are the others issues discussed at the meeting. Sujiv Jain, MD Karamhans Foods, EPIP, Bari Brahmana, Jammu, representing the Agro Industries in the state, highlighted the problems regarding the refund of service tax to J&K-based exporters and demanded special incentives for disadvantage regions of the state under the various schemes of the Foreign Trade Policy. He said specific provisions should be made in the legislation for allowing foreign investments in horticulture, pisciculture, eco-tourism sectors in the state. Anil Gupta, MD Anphar Laboratories, said exporters of the state should be given some incentives by the
Union Government such as two per cent cash incentive on the free on broad value as these would help them to increase their export volumes. |
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Interviews for teachers’ selection postponed
Srinagar, March 13 The Tribune had earlier carried a report on how the candidates faced a lot of inconvenience in reaching interview venues on March 11 due to heavy snowfall. According to a fresh notification issued here today, the SSB has also postponed the type-test for the posts of Junior Assistant in the districts of Anantnag, Bandipora, Baramulla and Budgam, which were scheduled to be held today. According to the Dean, Academic Affairs, Kashmir University, the university postgraduate entrance examinations for the subjects of education, biochemistry, geography, home sciences and commerce, which were to be held on March 11, 12 and 13, respectively, have been delayed till next week. They will be scheduled between March 14 and 19. The Directorate of Distance Education, KU, has extended the last date for issuance and submission of application forms for admission to various certificate courses till March 15 in the wake of inclement weather. Islamic University of Sciences and Technology (IUST), Awantipora, has also postponed the interviews to be held this week for the posts of Assistant Professor (Business Studies). As per the IUST notification, the candidates have been advised to stay in touch with the Department of Communications, IUST, for further dates of the interviews. Meanwhile, the J&K Board of School Education (BoSE) declared the results of matriculation private exams today. |
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Congress seeks adequate relief for snow-hit areas
Srinagar, March 13 “I mourn the death of a dozen persons in avalanches. I urge the state administration to rise to the occasion and provide the needed facilities to the people. The damage to all kinds of properties must be assessed properly and compensation offered at the earliest,” said Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) president Saifuddin Soz in a statement. Soz said as he was in Srinagar city recently, he could understand how people suffered for power, drinking water and other basic facilities of life. “It is on such trying occasions that the muscle of the administration is tested,” he added. According to the official estimates, 17 deaths have been reported due to the snow catastrophe across the state while 57 cattle were killed in the calamity. According to tentative official estimate, partial or full damage was caused to 1,922 houses in Kashmir. An amount of Rs 5 crore has already been released to Kashmir division. |
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Congress condoles demise of educationist
Srinagar, March 13 In a statement issued here, Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) president Saifuddin Soz said: “She enjoyed the patronage and respect from the ruling elite in the state, but she had never asked anything for herself. She lived a life of simplicity and dignity until her last breath.” Soz said Congress President Sonia Gandhi had also conveyed her condolences to the bereaved family. “Sonia lauded Mehmooda Shah’s contribution to the country as a patriot and a secularist,” he said.
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Poor Net connectivity irks subscribers
Srinagar, March 13 However, officials of cellular companies said the problem had arisen due to snowfall and they were trying to restore the services. The Internet services went down following heavy snowfall on Tuesday evening. Though on Wednesday morning the services were restored, people complained of poor connectivity even today. People who are dependent on Internet for their work today said they had to face lot of hardships as the speed of BSNL broadband was very low. “Since morning I am trying to connect my net. The page opens for five minutes and then gets disconnected. The companies claim to provide uninterrupted services, but this time they have left people suffering," said BSNL customer Aliya Nazir. Subscribers of Airtel had similar complaints of poor connectivity. They said since Tuesday afternoon the service was being interrupted. The customer care executive of Airtel said there was some problem due to snow, but they would ensure uninterrupted services to customers till Thursday evening. |
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Traffic violation notice to mediapersons
Jammu, March 13 Journalists assembled at the Press Club here and while taking note of the conduct of the police officer, they alleged that he had been targeting the mediapersons ever since he joined the office. “The notice issued to mediapersons has been seen as a grave provocation by the SP (traffic). Instead of focusing on the alleged traffic violations by a few mediapersons, the SP should focus on streamlining traffic regulation and checking traffic violations committed by VIPs, including senior police officers, bureaucrats and senior state govt officers,” the association said. The journalists also drew attention of the traffic police authorities towards non-functioning of traffic signal lights and the unholy nexus between owners of commercial vehicles and men in blue uniform. Later, Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Police (Traffic) Shafqat Ali Wattali and Tassaduq Geelani, director information, J&K, met the journalists to take note of their problems. Wattali said the officer had circulated the notice without the knowledge of senior officers. “The issuance of notice targeting mediapersons was unwarranted and the same would be withdrawn and the said police officer would be directed to tender an apology before the mediapersons,” he said. The journalists also apprised Minister of State for Home Sajjad Ahmad Kitchloo of the latest episode on phone and have decided met him to highlight their genuine grievances. |
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Programme on AIDS held for teachers
Jammu, March 13 Prof (Dr) NK Resutra, nodal principal, Jammu Division Colleges, inaugurated the programme. Sabiha Iqbal, assistant director, mainstreaming, J&K State AIDS Prevention and Control Society, Jammu; Pallvi Singh, project director, JK Society for Promotion of Youth and Masses, and Prof (Dr) Rajinder Singh, a NSS programme official, were also present at the event. Prof Resutra appreciated the role of the J&K AIDS Prevention and Control Society in spreading the message against the disease and advised it to organise more such programmes not only for the teachers but for the students as well. He hoped that the teachers of the college would be benefited from the programme. Resource person Pallvi Singh gave a lecture on HIV/AIDS, the cause of its spread and remedial measures to be undertaken in order to control this menace. Later, Sabiha Iqbal appreciated the principal and the college administration in organising the function. The vote of thanks was presented by Prof Satish Bhan. The programme was coordinated by Prof Rajinder Singh. |
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Rana urges people to defeat communalism
Jammu, March 13 “Bidding adieu to political ethics, the plank of these elections have been set by reactionary and fascist forces to polarise society by exploiting religious sentiments to garner support,” he said while addressing a delegate session of the party functionaries here. Referring to behind-the-scene machinations of the Bharatya Janata Party (BJP) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), he said their modus-operandi would be to incite passion in one region for generating negative reactions in the other and vice-versa to polarise the situation. He exhorted the people to defeat this vicious plan as they did in the past. — TNS |
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Road safety awareness camp held
Jammu, March 13 The camp is a part of the ongoing drive by the department to sensitise the school and college students to the importance of the road safety rules and the procedures for making driving licences. Power point presentations on road markings and traffic signs and guidelines of filing online applications for learner’s licences and several films were shown at the camp. Further, learner’s licence forms were also distributed among the students and staff. In his address, Shaan, HoD, Centre for Education (research) called upon the students to make full use of this opportunity provided by the Motor Vehicles Department to imbibe the road safety norms and strictly adhere to the same for ensuring their and others’ safety. The Jammu RTO asked the students to spread the message of road safety among the peer group and family members. He stressed the need for cautious driving in-conformity with the road safety norms and motor vehicle rules. —TNS
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Holi holiday on March 17
Jammu, March 13 Similarly, the restricted holiday on account of Parshuram Jayanti, in the Jammu province only, will be observed on May 1 (Thursday) instead of May 5 (Monday).
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IMF to hold expeditions
Jammu, March 13 IMF North Zone Committee general secretary Ram Khajuria said, “Only qualified and competent climbers who have successfully completed at least an advance course in mountaineering and participated in some other expeditions are eligible for the selection for the expeditions to be sponsored and organised by the IMF.” He said the names of the peaks and the schedule of expeditions would be communicated to the selected candidates as and when they were finalised by the IMF, New Delhi. Interested mountaineers who want to take part in national expeditions as a leader, member, doctor or in any other capacity can contact Ram Khajuria (94191-96378). — TNS
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JSM to ask candidates to put forward their achievements, agenda
Jammu, March 13 The JSM said the party would ask them that what they had done in ending discrimination against the Jammu province and in empowering it vis-à-vis the Kashmir valley. Party office-bearers said the contesting candidates need to highlight their role in raising the issue of delimitation of the Assembly and parliamentary constituencies. The JSM said they had to explain that what they had done to make the Jammu province a terror-free zone and J&K a corruption-free state, and promote institutions like Lokayukta, vigilance organisation and the RTI Act. The party would also ask the candidates to solve the issues pertaining to the displaced persons from Pakistan-occupied J&K (POJK), west Pakistan refugees and terrorism-affected displaced persons of the Jammu province. Prof Virender Gupta, HB Khajuria, Nathu Ram Gupta, Divender Singh Jamwal, Subash Sharma, Vishav Bhandu, Prof Vijay Sharma, Rajeev Sharma, Surjeet Singh and VD Dogra were present on the occasion. |
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Women outnumber men in voters’ enrolment drive
Katra, March 13 The drive was conducted to enrol left-out voters and verify names ahead of the parliamentary elections. Statistics from the district election office showed that the Assembly constituency 57-Gulabgarh registered the maximum number of 1,434 voters, followed by 568 voters in Assembly constituency 59-Gool Arnas and 494 voters in Assembly constituency 58-Reasi. District election officer, Reasi, Shahid Iqbal Choudhary gave this information on Thursday at a SVEEP (Systmatic Voters’ Education and Electoral Participation) awareness review meeting. He said, “We received an overwhelming response for the special drive at 301 locations in the district. This could be considered one of the highest turnouts of prospective voters in a day. About 301 camera-equipped observers were deployed at voter camps to document the registration process.” The Reasi district election officer said the exercise would continue till March 26. |
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Trains resume full operation from Baramulla to Banihal after 2 days
Srinagar, March 13 Railways officials said the trains made normal 14 trips between Banihal and Baramulla as per the schedule. “Though the trains resumed full operation, snow accumulation on the tracks made the speed of trains slow,” said a Railways official. “The train speed was cut by 50 per cent due to the snow,” he said. The official said there was two or three foot of snow on the entire rail track while it was more in the south Kashmir’s Qazigund area. The snow accumulation on the track had forced the authorities on Tuesday to ply trains partially between Budgam and Banihal. Many commuters complained that a few trains were running behind schedule and they had to face hardships. |
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Surgeries in hospitals deferred
Kupwara, March 13 Consultant surgeon Dr Abdul Khaliq at Sub-District Hospital, Kupwara, said five patients listed for appendicitis surgery and three women patients who had to undergo uterus removal could not reach the hospital due to fresh snowfall. “The surgeries will be conducted from Monday onwards. Although a few patients from remote Kupwara villages reached the hospital today but their surgeries would be conducted after Monday,” the doctor said. At least eight patients, who had to undergo surgery at District Hospital, Handwara, failed to reach the hospital. “In the wake of a power breakdown, the hospital management had kept a generator ready to ensure hassle-free work in two operation theatres but due to the blockade of roads, patients failed to reach the hospital,” said Ishfaq Ahmad, who works at the operation theatre of the Handwara hospital. Reports said around six surgeries could not be performed in District Hospital, Bandipora. “The transport was off the roads due to a fresh snowfall and most of the people were confined to their homes. The patients scheduled to undergo surgery failed to reach the hospital,” said Riyaz Ahmad, a pharmacist. |
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Ailing Geelani flown to Delhi
Srinagar, March 13 “Geelani’s flight landed at New Delhi at 3 pm today. In the evening, he had a scheduled consultation with Dr Vikram Sarabhai at Vedanta Hospital, Gurgaon,” Hurriyat spokesman Ayaz Akbar told The Tribune. Earlier on Wednesday, Geelani had refused the state chopper for carrying him to Delhi. — TNS |
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Electrician found dead
Srinagar, March 13 The deceased has been identified as Mohammad Azad, a resident of Muzaffarpur of Bihar. He was working in the city’s SPS Museum as an electrician. Azad was taken to Shri Maharaja Hari Singh (SMHS) Hospital here, where he was declared brought dead. The police have initiated inquest proceedings under Section 174 of the CrPC, the spokesman said. After completing all legal formalities, the body of the deceased was handed over to his legal heirs for the last rites.
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Ministers, babus live it up in cash-strapped state Jammu, March 13 The state government is spending lavishly on their official bungalows, vehicles and air travel even as the total liabilities of the government have crossed a whopping Rs 40,000 crore. The Jammu and Kashmir government purchased 167 new luxurious vehicles for its ministers, chairpersons of various boards and commissions and bureaucrats between November 2008 and 2013. It spent Rs 20.72 crore on renovation of ministers’ bungalows, their travelling allowance and telephone bills in the last two years. Of the total amount, Rs 9.51 crore were incurred on ministers’ air travel alone. In December 2009, the Omar Abdullah government had introduced certain austerity measures to curb expenditure. It had banned parties by ministers, purchase of furniture, fixtures and other equipment. It had ordered Director Garages to keep a watch on allotment of vehicles to officers. The total liabilities of the state government are increasing with each passing year and these may touch a staggering Rs 45,000 crore-mark this fiscal. “The new vehicles purchased by the State Motor Garages (SMG) Department include Tata Safari, Mahindra Scorpio, Toyota Innova, Maruti SX4, Maruti Swift Dzire, Sonata Gold, Mahindra Xylo, Choverlet Optra “While 16 vehicles were provided to the Chief Minister’s Secretariat, eight vehicles each were given to Finance Department, Civil Secretariat and General Administration Department, two to Deputy Chief Minister, 25 to different courts and at least two each to members of council of ministers and their staff,” the sources said. Currently, there are 476 vehicles, including 212 Ambassador cars, 26 Innova, 33 Tavera, 26 Scorpio, 38 Bolero, 36 Gypsies,36 Safari and 32 Maruti “There are 342 vehicles of the SMG department allotted to various district-level officers. While no fuel is being provided by the SMG Department, the average monthly expenditure on maintenance per vehicle is Rs 1,680,” the sources said. Footing fat bills
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Coordination group for security forces comes up Srinagar, March 13 The group has been formed amid apprehensions that militants may try to target the polls. Therefore, the security forces have been asked to step up the security for holding free and fair elections in the state. “The SLCG will coordinate in deployment of the police and the paramilitary forces during the Lok Sabha elections,” said Special Director General, Police Headquarters, K Rajendra Kumar, who is heading this high-level security group. “The group will also ensure timely de-induction and assist in making necessary arrangements for accommodation, transport and other logistics to the forces during the election process,” he said. The 11-member group comprise top police and paramilitary forces security officials. The group members include Inspector General, CRPF, Jammu; IG (Operations), CRPF, Kashmir; IG Border Security Force, Jammu; IG BSF, Kashmir; IGP, Kashmir; IGP, Jammu; Deputy Inspector General, Indian Tibetan Border Police (ITBP); DIG Shastra Seema Bal (SSB); DIG Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) and the Commandant Railway Protection Force (RPF). Kumar said the meeting of the group would be held soon, which would discuss all issues pertaining to the coordination among the security forces. A senior officer from the CRPF in Kashmir said they were ready for holding the elections. The CRPF, which is the nodal agency for overseeing the deployment of the security forces for the Lok Sabha polls, said the security agencies were working on a plan for the upcoming polls. “A plan for the deployment is being worked out for holding free, fair and peaceful polls,” said IG, CRPF, Pradeep Kumar Singh. At present, there are nearly 48 battalions of the CRPF comprising nearly 45,000 men, which are deployed across the Valley.
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Govt unable to handle snow fury: CPM Jammu, March 13 Referring to the problems caused to the people by the recent snowfall, Tarigami asked the administration to expedite the restoration of power supply in the Valley, especially Srinagar city, where people had been reeling under biting cold in absence of alternative heating arrangements. “Most of the areas in north, south and central Kashmir are yet to see electricity and snow clearance from the roads,” Tarigami said. He urged the government to ensure that there should be proper arrangement of essential commodities, including LPG, kerosene oil, water, sugar and ration. He demanded that medical services, especially emergency services, should be monitored properly and the damaged power distribution lines should be repaired immediately.
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Jammu, March 13
Jammu, March 13
Srinagar, March 13
Geelani was accompanied by his family members when he boarded a flight from the Srinagar airport this afternoon.
Geelani, who heads the hardline faction of the Hurriyat Conference, has not been keeping well since last week. His condition deteriorated after returning from Delhi last week where he underwent a check-up at a hospital.