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House extends deadline for giving panel report NC Chief Whip suspended from Assembly
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APHC leaders meet foreign diplomats Notice to J&K Govt on Bemina killings Over 9,000 to perform Haj
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House extends deadline for giving panel report Jammu, December 18 The Finance Minister Mr Muzaffar Hussain Baig, tabled a motion seeking the extension of the deadline.The select committee was set up in the last session to make amendments to the Bill that was passed by the House last year. However, certain amendments were suggested as the appointment of the chairman was getting delayed. Mr Baig said two members of the National Conference in the select committee did not attend the previous meeting. The matter regarding the appointment of the Chairman was referred to the Chief Justice of the High Court, but no one has yet aggreed to accept the post. The original Bill provided that the High Court select a retired judge of the Supreme Court for the post. However some members later suggested that the government and the Leader of the Opposition should also be involved in the process. Following these suggestions, the issue was referred to the select committee. Earlier, during question hour, the Home Minister, in a written reply, informed Dr Mehboob Beg (NC) that a decline of 16 per cent had been registered in terrorist-related incidents during the past year compared to the corresponding peroid in the previous year. Civilian casualties have gone down to 885 from 1064. Wazir Commission In a written reply on the implementation of the recommendations of the Wazir Commission to Mr Raman Bhalla (Congress), Mr Babu Singh (Independent), Mr Sajjad Ahmad Kichloo (NC), Mr Jugal Kishore (BJP) and Mr Balwant Singh (Panthers Party), Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed said no progress had been made in the implementation of the report because of financial constraints. The Chief Minister said it was stated in the common minimum programme that the government would accord due consideration to the recommendations of the commission relating to the reorganisation of administrative units. He said as and when the financial position of the state improved, the matter would be given due consideration, taking into account the changes which had taken place since the submission of the report by the commission 20 years ago. In a written reply to Mr Faqir Nath (Panthers Party), the Chief Minister said under the healing touch policy of the state government, 1,523 persons in the Kashmir valley had been given government jobs during the past year since the coalition government came to power. A total of 513 appointments were made in the Jammu region, 13 in Leh and 14 in Kargil. The Chief Minister said among the persons given government jobs 312 were from Srinagar district, 195 (Budgam), 159 (Pulwana), 192 (Anantnag), 458 (Baramula), 207 (Kupwara), 14 (Leh), 13 (Kargil), 114 (Jammu), 34 (Kathua), 98 (Udhampur), 161 (Doda), 32 (Poonch) and 74 (Rajouri). Besides, 67 persons have been given jobs in the police. |
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NC Chief Whip suspended from Assembly Jammu, December 18 During question hour and later, several members protested that their questions had not been included in the proceedings, even as the winter session concluded today. Certain members of the coalition parties joined the protest and one of them walked out of the House. Mr Gul walked into the well of the House and made remarks against the Speaker. He also protested that a senior member like him was given a seat in the rear row. Thereafter, he staged a dharna in the well. The Finance Minister, Mr Muzaffar Hussain Baig, moved a resolution condemning the insulting behaviour of Mr Gul who, he said, also showed fists to the Speaker, and sought his suspension from the House for the day. The Deputy Chief Minister, Mr Mangat Ram Sharma, seconded the resolution and described Mr Gul’s behaviour as objectionable. The House passed the resolution in the absence of Mr Gul, who had walked out by then. However, following the intervention of Mr M.Y. Tarigami, the suspension was withdrawn. The NC members initially protested against the suspension of Mr Gul but later accepted the fault of the member and urged the Speaker to review his decision. Earlier in the day, seven members — Mr Sajjad Ahmad Kichloo (NC), Mr Balwant Singh, Mr Faqir Nath (both Panthers Party), Mr Manjeet Singh (BSP), Mr Babu Singh (Independent), Mr Jugal Kishore (BJP) and Mr Ashwani Sharma (JSM) — trooped towards the well of the House but stopped in-between from where they protested that their question regarding the implementation of the Wazir Commission report for creating three new districts in Jammu was not included in the proceedings. They returned to their seats following an assurance by the Speaker that they would be allowed to raise the issue later. Mr Nazir Ahmad Gurezi (NC) walked out protesting that he was not allowed to ask a question. Mr Yogesh Sawhney (Congress) walked out saying that much of the time during question hour was allowed to be wasted in raising other issues and genuine questions could not be taken up in the House. |
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APHC leaders meet foreign diplomats Jammu, December 18 According to sources the APHC leaders favoured demilitarisation of Jammu and Kashmir and the area under the occupation of Pakistan which could end human rights violations by security forces. The Kashmiri separatists have also supported the idea of throwing open direct road links between Muzaffarabad and Srinagar with easing of the travel facilities so that people of the divided families could meet freely. The APHC leaders have also favoured tripartite talks so that whatever solution was found had the seal of all three parties connected with the dispute. According to Moulvi Abbas
Ansari, chairman of the APHC, “even if India and Pakistan agree to resume bilateral dialogue our participation is a must as people of Kashmir are the main party to the dispute.” |
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Notice to J&K Govt on Bemina killings Srinagar, December 18 Taking note of the killing of a driver, Ghulam Nabi Pakhtoon, and a chemist, Sartaj Ahmad Handoo, the commission Chairman, Justice Ali Mohammmad Mir, issued notices to the IGP (Kashmir), asking him to furnish a detailed report before the commission. The police said the civilians were killed near the Bemina hospital on December 14 when they were caught in a crossfire between the BSF and a militant of the Jaish-e-Mohammad. However, locals of the area held demonstrations, alleging that they were killed by the BSF. Cutting across party lines and ideological differences, separatist and mainstream political parties, including the National Conference and both factions of the Hurriyat Conference, also condemned the killings and demanded a high-level probe and punishment to the guilty. —
PTI |
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Over 9,000 to perform Haj Srinagar, December 18 Meanwhile, for the third successive year, the first direct flight to Jeddah would take off from the Srinagar airport on December as more than 9000 pilgrims were performing the Haj this year from the state. There were 318 Kashmiris who were not entitled for the Haj subsidy this year and had to report at New Delhi for onward journey to Jeddah, State Haj Committee convenor Khursheed Ahmad Ganai said. He said as per the new central guidelines, a person who was an income tax payee or had performed the Haj pilgrimage earlier also, was not entitled for the subsidy. He said Air India and the Indian Airlines had decided to operate two flights daily from next Wednesday till January 7 while as from January 8 there would be only one flight and the process of taking the 9,080 pilgrims from the state to Jeddah will be completed by January 20. All the pilgrims should report at the tourist reception centre here about five hours before the departure time from where they would be taken to the airport in buses. About the general complaints from pilgrims that C-grade accommodation was being provided at the Mecca and Medina to those who pay for A grade, Mr Ganai said the Haj Committee had taken care of this problem. The pilgrims would be provided foreign exchange at the airport, said a manager of the Srinagar airport. He said a pilgrim can take only Rs 5000 Indian currency with him. —
UNI |
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