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Jail Superintendent shifted
J & K Govt gears up to save
saffron crop
Filling of 8 posts of DIG put off
Police officers
transferred
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2 Hizb commanders, Cong worker killed
J&K to buy power from PTC, Punjab
Shameem Azad felicitated
Id festival in J&K today
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Jail Superintendent shifted
Jammu, October 24 The transfer of the Jail Superintendent has been ordered following seizure of a mobile phone from a hardcore inmate a few days ago and a SIM card of the Airtel last night. Pakistan-backed terrorists are lodged in the Kot-Bhalwal jail. The SIM card was seized from Altaf Choudhary, a terrorist belonging to the Hizbul Mujahideen outfit, last night. A thorough search of the prisoners was ordered following seizure of a mobile phone from an under trial a few days ago. During interrogation by intelligence sleuths, the under trial is learnt to have stated that the mobile phone was passed on to him by Rohail Hashmi, a terrorist of the Harkat-ul-Ansar outfit, who was recently shifted to the Sangrur jail in Punjab. Seizure of the SIM cards of the private cellular operator has rung warning bells among the jail officers and the matter was being viewed seriously. A team of counter intelligence officers is being sent to Sangrur to further investigate as to how the Pakistani ultras managed to get the SIM cards. It is worth mentioning here that an incident of hawala money being pilfered into the jail was detected recently when an official of the prison was taken into custody by a central intelligence agency while he was allegedly receiving the money from a shopkeeper for being given to a terrorist inside. |
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J & K Govt gears up to save
saffron crop
Chandigarh, October 24 With the Iranian saffron invading the markets and being used as an adulterant in the Kashmir saffron, the J& K Government is gearing up to save its indigenous crop. It has now been decided to set grading standards for saffron and market it according to its quality, to ensure that it is available to a wider section of the population, at prices according to its quality. The state government has also decided to establish a laboratory for certifying the quality of saffron and for refining standards. Mr S S Sahni, Principal Secretary, Agriculture, Jammu and Kashmir, informed TNS that the main thrust of the government was to add post- harvest infrastructure for the saffron crop, to make it economically viable for the cultivators. "This year, the saffron cultivation is expected to improve after two years of drought in the Kashmir valley. This is what we are thus hoping for. "We are also in touch with agri-retail business groups so that the Kashmir saffron can be retailed through their outlets in different parts of the country. We are also trying to get the agri retail majors to enter J & K in a big way, by offering them some incentives," he added. He said in the last Assembly session, the government had introduced the Jammu and Kashmir Saffron Bill to encourage cultivation of saffron and check the change in land use (from saffron cultivation for construction purposes). The Bill also seeks to regulate the quality of saffron meant for sale. With Pampore (the main saffron growing area) witnessing a real estate boom because of its location on the outskirts of Srinagar, many saffron farmers are now selling off their land, leading to a reduction in area under saffron cultivation. As per a survey conducted by the Agriculture Department in the mid-eighties, 5,000 hectares were covered under saffron cultivation in Pulwama district. The total cultivable area under saffron at present is 3830 hectares. There are 8300 cultivators and 125 wholesalers and retailers in the area. One of the main factors responsible for reduction in the area of saffron fields was due to drought, which prevailed during 2001-02 and 2002-03. During this period the production per kanal was as low as 50 gm, though the productivity of saffron had never exceeded 150 gm per kanal. "Another factor for reduction in saffron yield has been the outbreak of corm rot syndrome, for which necessary campaigns have been launched to educate farmers to treat corms before plantation. We have also improved the irrigation system in the area by installing tubewells at Pampore," said Mr Sahni.
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Filling of 8 posts of DIG put off
Jammu, October 24 Sources said here today the government had decided to discuss the issue of the elevation of eight senior superintendents of police to the rank of DIG at a Cabinet meeting either in December or January. Reports had indicated that soon after the adjustment of 57 officers of the rank of superintendents of police the eight posts of DIG would be filled. Yesterday 57 officers, who had been elevated from the DSP rank to the SP rank a year ago and were not given any assignment, were adjusted as per the government’s order. Official sources said the government had planned to elevate 10 SSPs to the rank of DIG as by December-January two more posts would fall vacant. According to these sources, those waiting to be elevated to the post of DIG include, Mr Raful Hassan, Mr Suleiman Salaria, Mr Sunil Sharma, Dr Kamal Saini, Mr Farooq Khan, Mr Alok Puri, Mr Munir Khan and Mr Qyaoom Manhas. Meanwhile, Chief Minister, Ghulam Nabi Azad, is said to be toying with the idea of raising the retirement age for government employees from 58 years to 60 years. Government sources said the matter would be sent to the Cabinet only after Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh, assured the state Government of financial package required for absorbing more groups of educated unemployed youth in government service. At present 80 per cent of Rs 4000 crores spent on the annual wage bill of over 3.50 lakh government employees is met from the central financial assistance. The Chief Minister is keen for bringing Jammu and Kashmir on a par with the central services where retirement age is 60 years. But at the same time he is eager to tackle the problem of unemployment on a war footing.
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Police officers
transferred
Srinagar, October 24 An official spokesman said here that consequent upon these the transfers of eight more Superintendents were also ordered. Mr Pankaj Maghu, Additional SP, Kistwar, has been transferred and posted as Commandant IR 13th Bn. Mr Virender Sharma, Additional SP, Doda, has been posted as Commandant IR 12th Bn. Mr Ashok Sharma SP (OPG), Additional SP, Baderwah, and Mr M.L. Mehra, SP (OPG), Additional SP Katra, will swap their places of postings. Mr Zakir Hussain, SP (OPG), Additional SP, Spore, has been transferred and posted as Deputy Commandant JKAP 14th Bn. against a vacancy. Mr Abdul Razaq Khan, SP (OPG), Additional SP, Srinagar, has been transferred and posted as Additional SP Udhampur (Ops). He will draw pay against the post of Deputy Commandant IR-6th Bn. Mr Rafiq Ahmad Vakil, SP (OPG), Additional SP, Anantnag, has been transferred and posted as Deputy Commandant, IR 10th Bn. against a vacancy. Mr Bashir Ahmad Parray, SP (OPG), SP Hazratbal, has been posted as Deputy Commandant, IR-Ist Bn. against a vacancy. Mr Bashir Ahmad Mukhdoomi, SP (OPG), Additional SP Kupwara, is transferred and posted as Deputy Commandant IR-12th Bn. against a vacancy.
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2 Hizb commanders, Cong worker killed
Srinagar, October 24 He said the security forces gunned down three Hizb militants in an encounter at Keen Dhar village in the Gandoh area of Doda district in the Jammu region today. Hizb divisional commander Mushtaq Ahmed Malik, alias Rahi, who had been active in the district since 1992, his accomplice, section commander Abdul Latif Gujar, and an overground worker, Mohammad Ishaq, were killed by the security forces during the gunbattle. The spokesman said a special police officer (SPO), Naresh Kumar, was wounded in the gunfight. Two Ak rifles, two magazines and a pouch were recovered from the possession of the slain militants. He said the operation was still on when the reports last came in. The spokesman said militants shot at and wounded Mohammad Afzal Beigh, a Congress worker, at Changoo Dooru in Anantnag district. Beigh was rushed to a hospital where he succumbed to his injuries. A head constable of the Special Operation Group, Mohammad Hanief Khan, was shot dead by suspected militants at the Baramula main chowk at 1.15 p.m. today. Khan died before he could be shifted to a hospital. Suspected militants triggered a powerful IED in the Pattan area of Baramula district, official sources said. They said the explosion took place at around 4 p.m. when a vehicle carrying security personnel was passing through Kuta Morh in the Pattan area. However, there were no reports of any casualty or damage to property, the sources added.
— UNI |
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J&K to buy power from PTC, Punjab
Srinagar, October 24 This was stated at a high-level meeting of the Power Development Department (PDD) here yesterday held under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad. The meeting was convened to review power supply to the Kashmir valley during winter when the water level in rivers declines considerably, resulting in a decrease in electricity generation, an official spokesman said. Reviewing the status of installation work of transmission lines from Jammu to Srinagar and in Poonch district, the Chief Minister underscored the need for early completion of transmission lines saying that finance should be no constraint in its completion. He fixed middle of the next year as the target date for completing the installation work of transmission line in all respects. The Chief Minister said that those contractors who did not adhere to the fixed terms and conditions and were responsible for delay in the completion of projects should be penalised and, if required, black-listed. The meeting was attended by Minister for Power Rigzan Jora, Chief Secretary C. Phonsung, Principal Secretary to Chief Minster Anil Goswami, Power Development Department (PDD) Principal Secretary and other senior officers of the department.
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Shameem Azad felicitated
Srinagar, October 24 The award was given away at a function organised jointly by the Department of Information, Doordarshan Srinagar, Radio Kashmir Srinagar, Mahjoor Foundation, Cultural Academy and Radio Listeners Forum. While reading out the citation of Mrs Shameem Azad since her Class IX days it was highlighted that she had received numerous gold medals, awards and certificates at the national and international levels and is also recipient of the Padmashree Award. The Governor described Mrs Azad as nightingale of Kashmir and said that she had not only brought laurel to the state but the nation is proud of her rich contributions in the field of literature and culture. |
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Id festival in J&K today
Srinagar, October 24 The Head Mufti of Jammu and Kashmir, Mufti Azam, Mohammad Bashir-u-Din, said here last evening that the Shawal crescent was not sighted in any part of the valley and, therefore, Id-ul-Fitr would be celebrated on Wednesday. A large number of devotees offered special prayers throughout the fasting month at the mosques. There has been a hustle and bustle in the markets here and other major towns of the valley over the past couple of weeks with shoppers thronging for Id purchases. A heavy rush has been observed at bakery and confectionery shops, provision stores and readymade garments. It has also been hectic for the tailors for ensuring delivery of clothes to their customers ahead of the festival.
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