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Sex scandal: Accused IAS officer reinstated
Militants holed up
near Lolab
BSF man killed, 6 hurt in blast
Karan Singh backs Sanskrit teaching
Jammu-Srinagar road remains closed
No fresh milk, veggies in Kashmir
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15 injured in bus mishap
Jammu’s garbage dumped along Tawi
Polybags to be banned in Kargil
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Sex scandal: Accused IAS officer reinstated
Jammu, March 18 Khandey was placed under suspension in June last year as he was arrested by the CBI for his alleged involvement in the sex scandal. He was currently facing trial in a Chandigarh court that released him on bail. Khandey, who was principal secretary to the Chief Minister when Mufti Sayeed led the coalition government, has now been appointed chairman of the Bureau of Public Enterprises. Sources said the cabinet deliberated on various aspects before reinstating Khandey. Some ministers were reportedly of the view that when the two MLAs also allegedly involved in the sex scandal were allowed to attend the budget session of the assembly after their release on bail, why should the bureaucrat be prevented from joining his duties until or unless the case was proved against him by the court. In a bid to humiliate the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), whose ministers boycotted today's cabinet meeting for the third time, the cabinet put in cold store all transfers and postings ordered by the ministers in the departments under their control. It is worth mentioning that only yesterday finance minister Tariq Hameed Karra of the PDP had ordered about 60 promotions and transfers in the finance department. Earlier some transfers and postings were ordered in the irrigation department by the PDP minister Dillawar Mir. The order issued by the general administration department after the cabinet meeting said that all transfers and postings ordered during the current month in various departments without approval of the cabinet had been kept in abeyance. The cabinet ordered reshuffle of senior bureaucrats and police officers. AS Sidhu, chairman, Bureau of Public Enterprises, has been appointed principal secretary, information technology and science and technology departments. Pankaj Jain, on repatriation from central deputation, has been posted as Director General, Institute of Management and Public Administration (IMPA). Nazir Ahmad Bhat, KAS, Managing Director, J&K Cable Car Corporation, has been transferred as secretary in the Department of Higher and Technical Education in place of GN Mir, who is retiring on superannuation on March 31. The charge of MD, J&K Cable Car Corporation, will be held by Farooq Ahmad Shah, Director Tourism, Kashmir, in addition to his own duties.
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Srinagar, March 18 He said security forces and J&K police launched a joint operation at Putushahi, Lolab, in the frontier district of Kupwara this evening following information that some militants were hiding there. He said when the troops were about storm a particular house, militants opened fire. The fire was returned by the security forces. He said it is believed that two militants are inside the house. — UNI
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BSF man killed, 6 hurt in blast
Jammu, March 18 "The BSF jawan died on the spot, while six others were injured in the blast during the training session at BSF training centre in the Jaganoo area of Udhampur last evening," they said. An instructor was training the jawans on the handling of grenades when an explosive accidentally exploded resulting in the death of the jawan. The deceased jawan has been identified as P.K. Kundi. The injured jawans have been hospitalised. Senior BSF officers and police rushed to the spot. SRINAGAR: A Hizbul Mujahideen militant was killed in an encounter with the security forces while another militant of Jaish-e-Muhammad was apprehended in Anantnag and Pulwama districts of Jammu and Kashmir. Hizbul militant Mohammad Qasim Batana was killed in an encounter with the security forces at Kokernag in Anantnag district last night, official sources said. One AK rifle, one magazine and some ammunition were recovered from the possession of the slain militant. Meanwhile, a Jaish-e-Muhammad militant was arrested by the security forces at Sangoo in the Kakapora area of Pulwama district last evening. Three Chinese grenades, four detonators, 700 gm of explosives, seven AK cartridges, one knife and a copper wire were recovered from his possession, the sources added. — PTI
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Karan Singh backs Sanskrit teaching
Jammu, March 18 Dr Singh, himself a scholar of Sanskrit, said ancient scriptures in Sanskrit could be very helpful to research scholars in fields like history, sociology, religion etc. ''Our Upanishads and Vedas, written in Sanskrit, have an answer to every query posed by scientists and researchers. Hence universities and other centres of learning should establish Sanskrit departments, he said. Conveying a message to the young generation, he said people should have faith in their own religion instead of hating other religions. He said violence in the name of religion had always been condemnable. Jammu Lok Sabha member Madan Lal Sharma also expressed the hope that this deemed university would attract scholars from other countries as well. Vice-Chancellor V. Kutumba Shastri also expressed his gratitude to Dr Karan Singh for his efforts in espousing the cause of Sanskrit.
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Jammu-Srinagar road remains closed
Jammu, March 18 Border Roads Organisation personnel were working to clear the blocked highway that links the Kashmir valley to the rest of the country and 700 stranded passengers were shifted in 22 buses via Panthal, officials said here. They said 6,000 passengers, stranded at Panthal due to landslides triggered by heavy rains since March 11, had so far been trans-shipped either to the Kashmir valley or Jammu. The arterial road had remained closed for 10 days from February 21 to March 3 as a 300-metre stretch at Panthal was damaged due to landslides. The Indian Air Force and Army launched a joint operation to airlift more than 10,000 stranded passengers from March 1 to 3. — PTI
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No fresh milk, veggies in Kashmir
Srinagar, March 18 People in Kashmir once again have to resort to pulses, vegetables and fish dried during the summer months for winter. The authorities have now decided airlift 200 tonnes of essential commodities, including milk, vegetables, eggs, kerosene and other commodities, daily from Jammu to Srinagar from March 19. Almost all shops selling meat, vegetables, eggs, chicken and other eatables in the valley, including Srinagar city, are closed for the past two weeks. The retail shops selling milk and other milk products in packets are also closed for the past three days, thus exposing the claim of different brands of milk producers that people in the valley were being supplied local milk. People alleged that these milk federations were importing milk from Jammu and supplying to Kashmiris in local packing. They said the authorities should initiate action against these federations for misleading the people in Kashmir. With no alternative, the people in the valley were seen purchasing dried vegetables and fish from the market in the city. In the past, until the eighties, people generally used to dry vegetables and fish during the summer for winter when the highway remains closed for months together due to heavy snowfall and landslides, particularly in the Shaitan Nullah area. But with the passage of time, things changed as fresh vegetables being imported from Jammu and other northern states remained available in the market throughout the year, including the winter months. People in the valley had almost stopped consuming dried vegetables after doctors said they caused cancer and other diseases. The prices of dried tomato, fish, brinjals, gourds and turnip have increased due to non-availability of fresh vegetables. The prices of all essential commodities have gone up manifold, while some items such as meat, chicken and eggs went out of stock a day after the highway, the only road linking the valley with the rest of the country, was closed on March 11. A UNI correspondent who visited a number of markets in the city saw all shops closed. A dozen eggs cost Rs 35 to Rs 50 while the government rate is Rs 24. Similarly, 1 kg of chicken is being sold at Rs 100 to Rs 110 per kg while the approved rate is Rs 55. The prices of local vegetables have also increased. The prices of local fish have also gone up several times. On the directions of Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad during a high-level meeting at Jammu last evening, it was said there is a sufficient stock of essential commodities, including foodgrains, LPG and kerosene, in the valley. However, the Chief Minister was not informed about the stock position of vegetables, meat, eggs, fruits and other essentials. It was also decided that from March 19, IAF planes would undertake four sorties, carrying 200 tonnes of essentials like milk, vegetables, eggs, kerosene and other commodities daily from Jammu to Srinagar.
— UNI
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15 injured in bus mishap
Srinagar, March 18 The bus was on its way to Budgam district when the incident occurred near Wadwan village. All the injured were hospitalised, the spokesman said. In another incident, a bus hit and injured a woman outside her house at Safapora in Baramula, causing critical injuries to her. The injured woman was hospitalised, the spokesman said, adding a case has been registered.
— PTI |
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Jammu’s garbage dumped along Tawi
Jammu, March 18 Nearly 75 per cent of 137 metric tonnes of garbage generated every day on an average remains on roadsides or chokes ‘nullahs’ or drains across the city, while the rest 25 per cent finds its way into bins, as per official figures of the Jammu Municipal Corporation. The Jammu Municipal Corporation has an excuse. It has been awaiting no-objection certificate (NOC) for years from the State Pollution Control Board and other authorities concerned for the four sites identified and proposed for dumping the solid waste. One of these sites has been identified at Kot Bhalwal, the Municipal Corporations own land 13 km from the heart of the city. ‘’We are still awaiting NOC from the State Pollution Control Board for Kot Bhalwal, proposed as dumping ground under the city’s master plan,’’ Jammu Municipal Commissioner Vinod Sharma said. Expressing the Municipal Corporation’s ‘’helplessness in managing the solid waste of the city with nearly 10 lakh population, Mr Sharma said besides the absence of a proper dumping ground, the factors leading to the mismanagement of garbage include absence of sufficient budget for solid waste management, absence of a system for segregation of the waste for organic and inorganic materials, insufficient equipment and absence of mass awareness. As per broad estimate, construction waste per day accounts up to 100 metric tonnes, he said. Further, with no incinerator at any of the two main hospitals in the city, the bio-medical waste from various smaller health institutions as well comprises six metric tonnes, of which two metric tonnes is highly infectious, the Commissioner said. As per official bifurcation figures, of the total solid waste generated in the city, 59.94 per cent is bio-degradable, 13.2 per cent recyclable and 25.87 per cent non-biodegradable and inert. Besides Kot Bhalwal, the Municipal Corporation has also proposed three more sites for the purpose, which include three different private lands, each at Ban Nagrota village, Simbalwal village on the Akhnoor Road and Gudhwal village on the Jammu-Pathankot highway. The State Pollution Control Board so far has not given an NOC to any of these identified sites as all these places are ‘’part of the inhabited villages’’ on the city’s outskirts, while as per the environmental norms, any dumping ground needs periphery of at least 500 metres width of idle land.
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Polybags to be banned in Kargil
Srinagar, March 18 The ban has been imposed by the district magistrate in Kargil and other places of the district, including Drass, Sankoo, Panikhar, Padum Zanskar, Shargole and Shakar Chickten, blocks under Section 133 of the CrP C, they said. The step has been taken in compliance with the State Pollution Control Board's direction to prohibit the use and sale of the polythene bags in major cities and towns. Any violation of the ban carries a punishment of up to five years’ imprisonment or a fine of Rs 1 lakh or both.
— PTI |
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