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Recruitment issue rocks J&K Assembly
Power transmission losses go
up
5 militants shot in J&K, arms
seized
Man dies in accidental fire
Infant trampled to death during
clash
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Avalanches toll climbs to
312
Four-laning: casualty green
trees
Railway official shot dead
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Recruitment issue rocks J & K Assembly
Jammu, March 9 Amidst noisy scenes that were continuing in the House since the morning on the issue of recruitments in the Floriculture Department, the Chief Minister, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, urged the Speaker that the Opposition members were apparently not interested in listening to his reply and as such the motion should be passed. Thereafter, the motion was passed with voice vote immediately. Talking to mediapersons outside the House, the Leader of the Opposition, Mr Abdul Rahim Rather, said it was for the first time in the history of the legislature of the state that the motion of thanks had been passed without the Chief Minister’s reply. Mr Mohammad Yousus Tarigami (CPM) described it as an “unhealthy Parliamentary practice”. Earlier in the morning, the Assembly was adjourned for 30 minutes amidst noisy scenes over the issue of “violation” of rules in appointments in the Floriculture Department. There was pandemonium in the House on the issue as Opposition members alleged that the polling agents of the ruling PDP were appointed in the department in violation of norms. The Opposition members were not satisfied with the reply of Finance Minister Muzaffar Hussain Baig and continued to seek explanation from the Treasury Benches. Mr Rather (NC) alleged the recent 150 appointments in the department were illegal as rules were flouted to adjust the PDP activists. The issue did not subside even after the House reassembled for a debate on the Governor’s address. Mr Rather and other NC members alleged that the Mufti-led government had violated its own orders for austerity that stipulated that no fresh recruitments would be made and no new posts would be created. Mr Rather said the government did not let the ink of these orders dry and started violating these. The Finance and the Planning Departments also remained quiet while sanctioning these posts. Mr Rather criticised these “backdoor” appointments and also pointed out that 300 candidates were admitted to the ITIs of Anantnag and Kulgam in the Kashmir valley without undergoing the due process of interviews or entrance test. Noisy scenes were also witnessed on the issue of implementation of the Wazir Commission report that recommended three new districts in the Jammu division. Mr G.M. Saroori (Cong) during the question hour demanded that Kishtwar in Doda should be granted district status as had been recommended by the commission. He said the Doda district was unwieldy and a separate district should be created in Kishtwar. He pointed out that large-scale damage was caused due to the recent snowstorm and avalanches in the area and the rescue operations could not properly be carried on from Doda. Mr Balwant Singh Mankotia (Panthers Party) alleged that the PDP-led coalition government was not interested in creating three districts in Jammu, while the previous NC government lost no time in setting up three new districts in the Kashmir valley as soon as the report of the commission came. He described this as discrimination towards the Jammu region. Mr Ghulam Hassan Mir Housing Minister, while replying to the question, said the issue was yet to be considered by the government. Mr Mangat Ram Sharma, Deputy Chief Minister, intervened to say that implementation of the report of the commission was one of the main points of the common minimum programme of the coalition government and action would be taken in this direction. |
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Power transmission losses go
up
Jammu, March 9 The transmission and distribution loss
had, in fact, increased from Rs 507.13 crore in 2003-2004 to Rs 619.46 crore in 2004-2005. It is estimated to rise to Rs. 627.92 crore in 2005-2006. Official sources said the recurring loss was the result of several thousand illegal connections and faulty transmission lines. Despite a major drive launched for realisation of power tariff arrears the government could recover Rs 483 crore in 2004-2005 against the purchase bill of Rs 1318 crore. In 2003-2004, the collection of arrears was to the tune of Rs 343.28 crore. The Finance Minister, Mr Muzaffar Hussain Beig, informed the Assembly that “almost all state’s revenue, tax and
non-tax, was consumed in the purchase of power”. To tide over the heavy losses electronic metres are being installed in the domestic and commercial sectors. But vast areas in the state are yet to be covered. What has amazed consumers is the fact that ministerial bungalows and those occupied by senior bureaucrats and politicians have yet to be covered under the metering system. However, the government has, in view of the rising demand for electricity, allotted Rs 1336 crore for purchase of power in 2005-2006.It expects to realise a tariff to the tune of Rs 623 crore. The distribution and transmission loss is estimated at Rs 627.92 crore. |
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5 militants shot in J&K, arms
seized
Srinagar, March 9 He said two militants were killed in an encounter at Behkipora Rafiabad in Baramula district today. The encounter ensued after a search party was attacked by the militants hiding there. Two more militants Shahid Hussain and Majeed were killed by security forces during a search operation at Titwan Chatroo last night. Two AK rifles, one 303 rifle and one wireless set were recovered from the slain militants. Another militant was killed at Garoora Bandipora last night. One AK rifle, two magazines, 22 rounds of ammunition, one wireless set and four grenades were recovered from the slain militant. Ultras shot dead Shakeel Ahmad at Kasbairi in Poonch district of Jammu region last night. The security forces arrested a militant of Al-badr and seized a handgrenade at Dangiwachi last night while a hide-out was busted at Sakampora. One remote-control device, one battery, one kg of nails, one handgrenade, 63 rounds of ammunition and two AK magzines were recovered from there. — UNI JAMMU: The security forces busted a hide-out in Telna area in Kalakote tehsil of Rajouri district today and seized two AK assault rifles and 60 rounds of ammunition. Another hide-out was busted by army at Salampura village in Thanamandi tehsil, Rajouri district, last night and seized an IED, 30 rounds and a 9-volt battery. —
PTI/UNI |
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Man dies in accidental fire
Jammu, March 9 Mansa Ram, a resident of Dharmkote in Billawer tehsil, was cleaning his rifle when it went off early today. The bullet pierced through his neck and he died on the spot. —
PTI |
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Infant trampled to death during
clash
Srinagar, March 9 The baby Umer Ahmad Kohli, fell down from the lap of her mother and was trampled to death by the clashing groups. An news of the death of the child broke out, the fight came to an end and the police was informed. A hunt has been launched to nab the culprits. — PTI |
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Avalanches toll climbs to
312
Srinagar, March 9 The body of a woman identified as Dilshada was recovered from a house by the search parties at Waltingu in Qazigund area of Anantnag district in South Kashmir last evening. 22-year-old Dilshada, a resident of Panjgamnar, had come to visit her relations at Waltingu on February 20, — the day when the village witnessed massive avalanches and snowstorm, and was among 36 persons missing since then. The recovery of Dilshada’s body took the number of persons killed in the village by the natural calamity to 168, while the number of missing persons has come down to 35. Sixtyfive more persons, including 19 securitymen and six BRO personnel, were killed in various avalanches in the valley, while 79 persons lost their lives in Jammu division, the sources said. The 613 rescued persons, 530, including 154 in injured condition, were rescued in Kashmir and 79 (13 in injured condition) in Jammu region. Similarly, 18 more persons were still missing in Jammu region. The search operation to trace the missing persons is continuing across the state with the police and ITBP personnel in the forefront. —
PTI |
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Four-laning: casualty green
trees
Lakhanpur (Kathua), March 9 However, widening of the highway is going on at a snail’s speed and during the past over two years, work has been taken in hand only on a stretch of 19 km. But no time is being lost in felling of thousands of trees that took several years to grow in the kandi belt. It is worth mentioning that about 60 km of road between Bari-Brahmanan and here was barren a couple of years ago. The Forest Department had initially made a lot of effort for saving of these trees in the kandi belt. Among the trees being axed, a large number of these belong to the wide- leaf species. A controversy over the disposal of these trees has already begun with allegations of pilferage of timber. Motorists, are being put to inconvenience at several places as vehicular traffic is stopped when the trees are being cut. Moreover, the traffic has been diverted at several places on the 19 km-stretch where the widening of road is in progress. On the other hand, the authorities have neglected the gateway to J&K here. traffic jams have become the order of the day. Tourists complain that the J&K government is fleecing motorists as the Excise Department here is charging an entry tax of Rs 65 from them. Not only that, but they have also to pay the same amount on their return journy. The practice of exit tax is not followed in any other state in the country, except here. |
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Railway official shot dead
Jammu, March 9 The police said store officer T. Vedalingam had an altercation with Krishan Singh, a class IV employee in the Public Works Department, at Salal at 2230 hours over a trivial issue. Krishan, who hails from Salal, went home, but returned to the store with his .12 bore gun. In a fit of rage, he fired at Vedalingam, wounding him critically. Vedalingam died on way to hospital. He was a resident of Tamil Nadu. The police said the accused had been arrested and the weapon of offence recovered from him. — UNI |
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