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Thursday,
February 20, 2003, Chandigarh, India  
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Fresh taxes likely in J&K MVC winner’s kin ‘tortured’ Two ultras killed in Kashmir
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Vigilance begins proceedings against LWWDA officials Srinagar, February 19 The Jammu and Kashmir State Vigilance Organisation (SVO) has formally produced challan in the special anti-corruption court against 12 officers and 20 suppliers of Lakes and Waterways Development Authority (LWWDA). Rain, snow hit life in J&K
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Fresh taxes likely in J&K Jammu, February 19 It is to be seen whether fresh taxes pull the government out of the red because most of the fiscal problems here are because of gross mismanagement of funds and leakage of public exchequer. An indication to the imposition of taxes was given here yesterday by Mr Baig, who stressed the need for the formulation of predictable, reliable and
transparent policies and evolving a coherent mechanism to overcome the long and short term fiscal problems of the state. He sought the cooperation of the people to retrieve the state from the present fiscal mess. He said that out of the annual Plan allocation of Rs 2,100 crore for the current financial year, Rs. 1,600 crore went in debt servicing to the Centre. The liability of electricity arrears had accumulated to Rs 2,200 crore out of which a meagre Rs 100 crore is recovered as tariff annually. Out of the 19 lakh power connections in the state, only about nine lakh are legal. The Finance Minister offered an exclusive power package to the industry for which, he asked the industrialists to devise a proper distribution and revenue collection mechanism. He assured the industrialists that the government would consider all their problems before finalising the Budget. |
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MVC winner’s kin ‘tortured’ Jammu, February 19 Naubat Ram Sharma, who won the gallantry award while fighting the Pakistani forces at Haji Pir in 1965, is a ‘broken’ soldier now as the senior police officers have also refused to take action on his complaint about the sudden disappearance of his nephew on the night intervening January 10 and 11 from the training school. More than a month has passed, but the authorities have been trying to “hush up” the matter. “Was this the healing touch that Chief Minister, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, who holds the Home portfolio, was giving to the people of Jammu,” a woman closely related to the missing cop cried. Naubat Ram Sharma said that he had also met the DGP, Mr A.K. Suri, and brought the matter to his notice, but nothing had so far been heard about Ramesh Kumar. Aged parents of the missing cop, Mr Jiva Ram and Mrs Hemwati, were informed about the mysterious disappearance of their son by one of his batchmates on telephone. The victim’s brother then immediately rushed to
Baramula where he was informed by some trainees that Ramesh Kumar was tortured for a couple of days by some officers as he had tried to avail leave for coming home which those officers dubbed as a “false excuse”. He was physically punished by being made to carry a load of 22 bricks day and night and even during his sleep, it was alleged. The aggrieved parents had not been able to meet the Mufti till now despite numerous efforts and the senior police officers were busy in other matters. Naubat Ram said that the uniform of Ramesh Kumar was found in a nullah near the training school. He feared that the boy might have been lost for ever because the officers in the training school were afraid that a medical examination of the tortured Ramesh Kumar could have led to punishment for them. Batchmates of Ramesh Kumar reportedly told his parents that two days before his disappearance, he was suffering from dehydration and complained of a stomach ache. However, the training officers did not pay any attention to his failing health and continued with the punishment which was ordered to continue for 20 days. |
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Two ultras killed in Kashmir Baramula, February 19 Official sources said an encounter took place between militants and the security forces during a search operation at Dardpora Lolab last evening during which two militants were killed. One of the slain militants was identified as a Pakistani national. Two AK rifles and 94 rounds were seized from the slain militants.
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Vigilance begins proceedings against LWWDA officials Srinagar, February 19 A spokesman alleged the accused had purchased or supplied empty cement bags, barbed wire and half barrels at exorbitant rates and also fabricated official records thereby causing huge loss to the state exchequer. They had also tampered with the official documents in a bid to conceal their cheating, he said. LWWDA officers against whom the proceedings have been taken up have been identified as Executive Engineers Aijaz Rasool, Khurshid Ahmed Shahdad, Mohammad Ramzan Bhat (Mechanical), Assistant Executive Engineers Altaf Hussain Bhat and Shafat Hussain besides others. Works of construction of dykes for dumping slush of the Dal Lake, were executed in absence of administrative approval and technical sanction, the spokesman said. The accused officials got the works executed prior to approval by the competent authority allegedly to make pecuniary gains. The authority, the spokesman said, was set up in 1997 and crores of rupees were allotted for beautification of Dal and other lakes in the valley. A number of cases have earlier been registered against LWWDA officials for alleged misappropriation of funds. In
another case, the spokesman said, an FIR had been registered against
the Subdivisional Agriculture Officer, Doda, R.P. Manhas, SDAO Ramban
P.R. Shan, AEO Marmat Dalip Singh JAAs Yog Raj Singh and Bharti
Thursoo and several other officials of the Agriculture Department in
Doda district for fraudulent withdrawals as salaries of employees
under training outside the state as private candidates. UNI |
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Rain, snow hit life in J&K Srinagar, February 19 All deaths occurred as houses collapsed due to rain or snow, they said. One person was killed in house collapse in the Bhag-e-Bhau area of Jammu city last night while another died in the Pouni area of Reasi tehsil of Udhampur district. JAMMU: Life was thrown out of gear by incessant rain hitting electric and water supply for the past three days. Many areas went without drinking water for the third day today as the pumps did not function because of failure of electricity.
TNS, Agencies |
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