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MLAs protest ‘discrimination’ against Jammu, Ladakh
Republic Day function security tightened
All set for R-Day parade
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PDP chief to address global leaders’ conference
Lift ban on Muharram processions: Hurriyat doves
APHC team in Pak extends stay by 3 days
Medals awarded to 25 Army men
Army defuses mines
286 Indian pilgrims die during, after Haj
5 engineers booked for graft
Leopard attacks villager
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MLAs protest ‘discrimination’ against Jammu, Ladakh
Jammu, January 24 The members referred to the reply of the government to an earlier question in the House in which it said that out of a total of 1,725 gazetted and non-gazetted employees working in the Secretariat, only 489 belonged to the Jammu region, while 12 were from Ladakh. They pointed out that the number of employees belonging to the Kashmir region was 1,214. Ten officers were from outside the state. These members pointed out that while the state government was claiming to have removed regional imbalances, the figures provided by the government in the House indicated that the Jammu and Ladakh regions were getting step-motherly treatment. The House witnessed noisy scenes with opposition National Conference (NC) demanding stern action against the state BJP chief, Mr Ashok Khajuria, and other local party leaders for their "derogatory" remarks against the state flag. Shortly after the Question Hour, the Leader of the Opposition, Mr Abdul Rahim Rather, and Dr Mehboob Beg (both NC) raised the issue of "insult" to the state flag by Mr Khajuria and other local BJP leaders. Mr Khajuria and other party leaders demanded that Article 370 of the Constitution, which gives special status to J&K, should be scrapped. They also said there should be a single Constitution and one flag in the country, including in J&K, which at present has a separate flag and a Constitution. Demanding action against the persons repeatedly indulging in "such unconstitutional and unlawlful behaviour", the NC legislators said the government should not sleep over this issue but act swiftly as per the law of the land. The entire NC raised the demand which led to uproarious scenes in the House. The Speaker, Mr Tara Chand, said the issue pertained to the entire state and directed the government to take it seriously. He said the Deputy Speaker, Mr M.A Lone, had yesterday asked the government to take cognisance of the matter when the issue was raised in the House by Dr Beg, who had demanded immediate action. An agitated Dr Beg said if the government did not take immediate action against the persons responsible, then it would be deemed that it was a party to the "insult" to the Constitution and the flag. During the Question Hour, Mr Mubarak Gul (NC) and other members expressed concern over the deteriorating condition of the world famous lakes of Kashmir, including the Dal. Mr Gul alleged that the state government was not serious about protecting water bodies. The environment minister, Qazi Mohammad Afzal, while replying to his question said out of the Rs 299 crore sanctioned by the Centre for preservation of the Dal and Nageen lakes, a sum of Rs 56.62 crore had been spent during the past two years. The members took exception to the minister's reply that no money was spent on the Anchar lake and demanded immediate action to save the dying water bodies.
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Republic Day function security tightened
Srinagar, January 24 This search operation launched by the CRPF deployed in the area and assisted by local police, continued for a couple of hours was on the basis of a specific information, according to a CRPF spokesman. There were no reports as yet about any arrests made during the search. Such security arrangements and surprise checks have already led to the thinning down of public presence in the main markets and public places here as most of the people prefer to remain away for “frequent inconveniences” due to tightened security ahead of Republic Day. Though the police and security forces have strict instructions not to cause much inconvenience to public, these surprise checks and search operations have become routine as security is getting geared up to frustrate designs of militants to create any trouble on the occasion. Amid all these arrangements, militants have succeeded in causing two powerful explosions during the past few days. Three CRPF jawans were killed and five others seriously injured when an IED exploded targeting their vehicle in Awantipora area, 30 km south of here on Tuesday. Another grenade explosion causing injuries to 13 civilians took place at Pattan, 27 km north of here in Baramula district on Monday. Of these one person, succumbed to his injuries at the SKIMS, Soura here today. Meanwhile, the security around Bakshi Stadium, the venue of main RD function here and around other vital installations has been further tightened. Tight security arrangements have been made at vital installations and high-rise buildings in other major towns of the valley where various ministers and legislators would be attending the functions. Several separatist political and militant organisations have already called for general strike on Republic Day and asked the people to observe it as black day. While tight security is in place, a full dress rehearsal was held at the Bakshi Stadium here today, in which various teams participated ahead of the main functions. The dress rehearsal was attended among others by the Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir and Inspector General of Police, Kashmir range, S.M. Sahai. All routes leading to Bakshi Stadium here have been sealed and no movement of traffic is allowed on these routes. Director General of Jammu and Kashmir Police, Gopal Sharma, during his two-day visit to the Kashmir valley, reviewed the security arrangements for RD celebrations. |
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All set for R-Day parade
Jammu, January 24 Security and intelligence services have been put on a high alert to foil any attempt by anti-national elements. State police and para-military personnel have been deployed at all the strategic positions around the stadium, where the Governor Lieut-Gen S. K. Sinha (retd) will unfurl the National Flag and take salute of the marching contingents. The local police and civil administration have appealed to all citizens, via advertisements in newspapers, to grace the occasion in large numbers. At least 12 contingents of the Army, BSF, CRPF, JKAP, auxiliary police, fire services, ex-servicemen, NCC cadets and schoolchildren will take part in the march past. Special transport arrangements, route diversions and parkings have been made to facilitate people to reach the venue. —
UNI |
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PDP chief to address global leaders’ conference Jammu, January 24 Hosted by the Brookings Project on U.S. Relations with the Islamic World in collaboration with the Saban Centre for Middle East Policy, the conference will commence on February 17 at Doha. Policymakers, key political figures, NGO leaders, cultural icons and opinion-shapers from the United States and Muslim states and communities from around the world will engage in three day of meetings to share ideas on issues confronting the Muslim world. The theme of the 2007 US-Islamic World Forum is “Confronting what divides us”. The objective is to discuss the dangerous tension that has built up between the United States and the world’s Muslim states and communities today.
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Lift ban on Muharram processions: Hurriyat doves
Srinagar, January 24 “The ban on Muharram processions is uncalled for and shall be lifted forthwith,” the moderate faction of the Hurriyat Conference, led by Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, said in a statement here. After the eruption of militancy in Jammu and Kashmir in 1989, authorities have banned Muharram processions in the heart of the city. The imposition of restrictions amounted to direct interference in religious matters, a spokesman of the moderate faction said. “Holding of religious processions is linked with the belief and, therefore, the stand of the government on the issue is unrealistic and undemocratic,” he said. “The ban on Muharram processions exposes claims of religious freedom being propogated by the government,” the spokesman said. —
PTI |
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APHC team in Pak extends stay by 3 days
Jammu, January 24 Reports reaching here said the Hurriyat leaders, led by APHC Chairman, Maulvi Umar Farooq, met several opposition leaders, including leader of the opposition in the National Assembly, Fazlur Rehman,and those belonging to the PPP, the Muslim League(N), the MQM. The success which the APHC leaders had in meeting several leaders of the United Jehad Council, excluding its chief Syed Salahuddin,is treated as a feather in their cap as it indicated that recent anti-Mirwaiz stand taken by the chief spokesman of the Jehad Council,in which he had ruled out the possibility of abandoning the armed struggle had not many buyers within the Council,an amalgam of 18 rebel outfits.
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Jammu, January 24 Lt Gen H.S. Panag, General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, (GoC-in-C) of the Command presented 22 Sena Medals and three Vishist Seva Medals to the awardees. GoC-in-C appreciation cards were given to the various units at the ceremony, an Army spokesman said. Two of the awards were presented posthumously to the next of kin of martyrs who laid down their lives for the nation, he said, adding that they were mother of Sepoy Rajesh Kumar (24 Punjab Regiment) and wife of Naik Om Raj (12 Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry). The function was attended by senior civil, paramilitary and military officers inclduing General Officer Commanding 16-corps, Lt Gen Tej Saproo and GoC 10th Division, Major General Anil Malik. General Panag commended the awardees for exemplary courage and devotion to duty while carrying out difficult tasks under most trying conditions of terrain and weather. He paid tributes to those soldiers who made the supreme sacrifice to preserve the unity and integrity of the country. President Northern Command Army Wives Welfare Association Annie Panag presented gifts to the kin of posthumous awardees. —
PTI
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Army defuses mines
Jammu, January 24 The area-specific demining operation was necessary in view of the state government’s resolve to clear agricultural land from the mines laid during the Indo-Pak border build- up in 2001, they said. —
PTI
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286 Indian pilgrims die during, after Haj
Srinagar, January 24 Majority of the pilgrims died of natural causes, mainly due to cardiac arrest, while some died in road accidents. While 58 deceased pilgrims were from Uttar Pradesh, 53 belonged to Kerala, 25 were from Karnataka, 24 from Maharashtra, 20 each from Tamil Nadu and Gujarat, 16 from Andhra Pradesh, 13 each from Bihar and Jammu and Kashmir, 12 from Rajasthan, nine belonged to Madhya Pradesh, seven from West Bengal, four from Uttaranchal, three from Assam, two each from Delhi, Haryana and Puducherry and one each belonged to Manipur, Jharkhand and Orissa. The deceased Haj pilgrims from Jammu and Kashmir included Ghulam Qadir Bhat, the brother of Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad. The five-day Haj ended on January 1 without the crowding or violent clashes which had marred the pilgrimage in other years. Last January, about 362 pilgrims were crushed to death during a stone-throwing ritual at the Jamarat Bridge in the worst Haj tragedy in 16 years. In 2004, 250 pilgrims died at the same spot. All able-bodied Muslims are required to perform the Haj at least once in their lifetime, if they can afford it. The pilgrims retrace the steps of the Prophet Mohammad in one of the world’s biggest annual mass movement of the people on the planet. — UNI
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5 engineers booked for graft Jammu, January 24 The commissioner of SVO, Dr Ashok Bhan, today said those booked were Hari Kishen Koul, the then superintending engineer, Puran Bharat Gandhi, Dharamveer Koul, D.K Sharma and T.R Sargotra (all executive engineers). Purchase of the material was done in Udhampur and the construction division I of Jammu without any requirement as the entire quantity purchased in 2003 was found unused in the stores. According to the SVO, orders for the supply of the material were allegedly made without seeking any competition. |
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Leopard attacks villager
Srinagar, January 24 They said Hafizullah Pajwal, a resident of Hallan in Kokernag area, was attacked and wounded by a leopard at
Hallan. He has been hospitalised. —
UNI
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