 |
|
Army Depot Fire
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
3 CRPF jawans succumb to blast injuries
Vaishno Devi pilgrimage generates
Rs 474-cr revenue a year
Army starts afforestation
in villages
|
|
Evacuees may return home after 5 days
Ehsan Fazili Tribune News Service
Khundroo (Anantnag), August 18 Major-Gen S. N. Handa, Chief of Staff of the Srinagar-based 15 Corps of the Army, stated this today after disbursing cash relief to the kin of the killed and the injured in the fire. Cash relief of Rs 1.50 lakh was disbursed each to the kin of 11 firemen and Rs 1 lakh each to four seriously injured in the incident. At least 18 persons, including 11 firemen on duty and two civilians, were killed by the fire, while another jawan died and three others injured during the clearing operations in the area yesterday. In all at least 30 persons have been injured in the fire at the depot and due to the unexploded material since the fire broke out in the depot last Saturday morning. The lanes and link roads of Somrun village, on the outer side of the fencing of depot, are deserted with houses fencing walls and tin sheds smashed by the explosive objects. "Armymen have cleared the house of explosives", said one of the lone house owner, Mohammad Ibrahim Mir.His old neighbour, Abdul Aziz Mir, accompanies the jawans as they clear the area of explosives."It is not safe now even if the explosives are cleared", laments Abdul Aziz Mir. "The quantum of relief cannot fill the gap created by those whom you have lost in the fire", said General Handa addressing the kin of the killed and injured in the fire. This is only immediate relief to help after the death of the breadwinners, he added. Opinderjit Singh (26) from Soimu, Tral, in nearby Pulwama district, had joined as fireman a year ago and was the only hope of his father, Naseeb Singh, a retired government schoolteacher. Reports had suggested the young fireman died on Saturday when the fire broke out, but the body was handed over to the family after two days. "The parents were shocked…we were planning to get him married, but destiny had something different in store", Naseeb Singh said. Of the 26,000 evacuated people, only 6,000 are staying in different camps set up by the administration, while others have been residing with relatives. "The area is being sanitised and people would be allowed after it is complete and safe", said G. A. Peer, DC, Anantnag. Apart from the cash relief from the Army, the disbursement of ex-gratia payment by the state government, Rs 1 lakh each to the kin would be made tomorrow, Peer said. For those with 40 to 75 per cent injuries, the cash relief has been fixed at Rs 35,000 each, Rs 50,000 for those with over 75 per cent injuries, while for other grievous injuries, a compensation of Rs 7,500 has been fixed, the DC detailed.
|
|
3 CRPF jawans succumb to blast injuries
Srinagar, August 18 Elsewhere, suspected militants shot dead a police constable and his father in Bandipore district, the police here said. A CRPF spokesman said two jawans, Aijaz Ahmad and S. K. Mahapatra, died on the spot and six were injured when militants detonated an IED on their vehicle at the Kawany link road in the Awantipora area of Pulwama district yesterday. Three of the injured succumbed to injuries in the hospital here today and were identified as Bhagwan Singh, Tejeswar Rao and constable driver I. Jagappa, all from 130 Battalion of the CRPF. Wreaths were laid on the bodies of those killed here today and the body of Aijaz Ahmad wrapped in the Tricolour was sent to his village in the Uri area of Baramula district in north Kashmir. The bodies of four others from Orissa and southern areas were being flown from here tomorrow. Suspected militants killed constable Manzoor Ahmad Mir and his father Mohammad Yaqoob Mir at their Chak-e-Arsala Khan village of Bandipora district yesterday.
|
|
Vaishno Devi pilgrimage generates
Rs 474-cr revenue a year
Jammu, August 18 The first-ever official study on the economy by the shrine has projected these figures. The study was conducted by S.K.Jain, principal investigator, Department of Management Studies, Indian Institute of Technology, New Delhi. A draft report compiled over three years was submitted to Governor S.K.Sinha at a meeting of the Shri Mata Vaishnodevi Shrine Board (SMVDSB) at Katra today. Pilgrimage has emerged as a big economic boon for Katra,the base camp of the pilgrimage, by generating income of Rs 474.36 crore per annum. The sum excludes the amount received by the shrine Board as offerings or donations. The three-year study was carried out to analyse the impact of pilgrimage on the economy of Jammu & Kashmir with special reference to Katra. The Governor, who is also chairman of the SMVDSB, appreciated the effort saying it will be a useful document for working out strategies by all those concerned with the yatra to make improvements in the infrastructure for growing number of pilgrims. Chief executive officer, SMVDSB, Arun Kumar and additional CEO Puneet Kumar were also present at the meeting. The study reveals Rs 474.36 crore being injected into the Katra economy, commercial establishments account for Rs 283. 66 crore, followed by hospitality sector comprising hotels and lodging Rs 72. 15 crore, transport Rs 69.23 crore, ponywallahs Rs 33.15 crore and pithoos (carriers) Rs 16.15 crore.Commercial establishments provide jobs to 7,781 persons followed by 4,950 by hospitality sector and 1,500 by transport sector. Pithoos number 8,000 and ponywallahs constitute 4,747 persons. Pilgrims prefer visiting the holy shrine in groups. Over 60 per cent pilgrims come in groups of two to five. The average duration of stay of 46.4 per cent pilgrims is one to two days; whereas 36.4 per cent stay up to four days i.e. 82.8 per cent pilgrims stay for one to four days. More than 50 per cent pilgrims stay in hotels. About 65 per cent of the pilgrims prefer to visit the shrine between March and June while over 75 per cent prefer to visit the shrine during winter and summer vacations. About 40 per cent and 30 per cent pilgrims visit Jammu and Patnitop, respectively, while visiting the holy shrine. And 65 per cent of these pilgrims stay for about one to two days, whereas 27 per cent stay for an extended period of three to four days. As for the mode of transportation for embarking on the pilgrimage is concerned, the study reveals about 42 per cent travel by train, 34 per cent by bus and 15 per cent in their vehicles. Similarly, 8 per cent pilgrims hire a pony to reach the shrine, 3 per cent use pithoos and just 1 per cent pilgrims use palki (palanquin) for going up and coming down. Over 57 per cent pilgrims spend Rs 200 to Rs 500 on pithoos or palkis per head. The study says 82 per cent pilgrims purchase puja material near the holy shrine. The average expenditure on puja material is Rs 136. Over 49 per cent of the pilgrims donate less than Rs 100 to the shrine Board and about 40 per cent donate between Rs 100 to Rs 500. As many as 26.7 per cent pilgrims purchase dry fruit, 16.3 per cent buy religious items, 13.4 per cent purchase gift items, 7.3 per cent go in for souvenirs and clothes each, 7.6 purchase woollens and 4 per cent spend on toys during the pilgrimage. |
|
Army starts afforestation
in villages
Jammu, August 18 A hockey ground was constructed and handed over recently to civilians by Brig V.K. Chand and Col Ajai Sharma. Similarly, a playground for secondary school, Rajpur-Kamila was created. The ground was inaugurated with a volleyball match between locals and schoolchildren on Thursday and handed over to the village panchayat. These troops have launched month-long afforestation drive in the area with civilians participating in it. |
|
| HOME PAGE | |
Punjab | Haryana | Jammu & Kashmir |
Himachal Pradesh | Regional Briefs |
Nation | Opinions | | Business | Sports | World | Mailbag | Chandigarh | Ludhiana | Delhi | | Calendar | Weather | Archive | Subscribe | Suggestion | E-mail | |
