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Another blow to strained
Cong-PDP ties
Rift in Udhampur Cong surfaces
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Two held for selling brown sugar
PDP revives troop withdrawal issue
Renovation of civil sectt, Assembly complex on
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Another blow to strained
Cong-PDP ties Tribune News Service
Srinagar, October 3 An official spokesman said Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad has assigned the charge of Housing and Urban Development to minister of state for forest Aijaz Ahmad Khan in addition to his own portfolio. "Khan would look after the government business related to the Housing and Urban Development till further order", a government order in this regard said here today. The decision is regarded another blow to strained relations between the two main coalition partners, the Congress and the PDP, following Azad’s decision of relieving the minister of the Forest and Environment Ministry on September 3 . A single line government order had similarly relieved Qazi of the Forest Ministry last month, who had submitted resignation from the Council of Ministers to the Chief minister two days later. The resignation, however, was not accepted by the Chief minister, who asked the PDP ministerial colleague to continue. This followed a series of missives between the Chief minister and the PDP leader, though the senior PDP leadership remained aloof from the controversy. The top leaders of the PDP, including patron and former Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed and president Mehbooba Mufti have been on visit abroad. After he was relieved of the Forest Ministry last month Qazi Mohammad Afzal, had not been attending office even as he had been in charge of the Housing and Urban Development Ministry. He had also left the decision of continuing in the Council of Ministers to his party, the PDP, which, however, did not take any decision in this regard. During visits to his home constituency of Ganderbal, he has been asserting these visits were only as MLA of the constituency and not as a minister.
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Rift in Udhampur Cong surfaces
Udhampur, October 3 Sharma today had a whirlwind tour of the areas in Udhampur Assembly constituency and addressed series of meeting. While Brij Mohan Sharma, whom a faction of the party has been projecting as next the candidate, accompanied the minister, another senior leader Yash Pal Khajuria and his loyalists virtually boycotted the tour. Khajuria contested last Assembly election from Udhampur constituency and has been again staking his claim to this seat. As his rival faction has been projecting Brij Mohan Sharma, Khajuria's supporters preferred to boycott the minister's visit. Khajuria said, ``only time will tell who is the real leader of the Congress in Udhampur district''. As he was aware of the minister's visit, Khajuria along with his supporters went to Chenani to address a meeting of party workers there. ``I was not aware of the minister's visit'', he clarified and said his meeting at Chenani was fixed some time back. The faction -ridden Congress in Udhampur district finds it difficult to evolve a consensus on the names of party candidates for next Assembly elections.One faction has been advocating Yash Pal Khajuria be repeated as candidate in next elections, another group in the party has been favouring fresh candidate for Udhampur seat. Recent visit of senior Congress leader and health minister Mangat Ram Sharma fuelled the infighting within the party as Sharma had publicly announced Brij Mohan Sharma’s candidature. Irked over the announcement of Mangat Ram Sharma, loyalists of Khajuria have intensified campaign to counter this move. They have already warned the high command not to ignore wishes and aspirations of genuine workers.
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Two held for selling brown sugar
Rajouri, October 3 Police sources said on a tip-off Muhammad Yaseen son of Lal Din and Muhammad Bashir son of Muneer Hussain of Kotli village and Paran ,respectively, in he Chingus area (believed to be Border Security Force (BSF) informers), allegedly seeking to sell 1 kg of brown sugar to a party from Punjab with which they had already struck a deal, a police team from Sunderbani, made contact with the drug peddlers with fake identity of the same team that was to come from Punjab. The police also included a Sikh to avoid suspicion from the drug peddlers’ side, and make them feel they were striking the deal with the same party from Punjab with which they had negotiated. "This was done because Muhammad Yaseen was found to be a hardcore criminal and was evading arrest since 1994 in a rape case after he was sentenced to seven years rigorous imprisonment by a sessions court here" sources said. Sources added the duo, initially had asked the police team to reach Sunderbani for finalising the deal, but later they asked the team to get to Thandi Kassi for the delivery of consignment, sources added. Not aware of the fact the duo were hiding behind the bushes to ascertain the authenticity of their customers, the police team kept waiting for the duo, but it was only after the two drug smugglers spotted one Sikh accompanying the team, they got the impression that the group of persons waiting for them were genuine customers who had come from Punjab, sources said. ‘However on brief interaction with the police team, the duo got suspicious and entered into scuffle with them", sources disclosed. "The duo even attacked the team members but were arrested after being overpowered by the six- member team", sources added. "Police recovered 1 kg of brown sugar from the possession of the smugglers", sources said. Officiating SSP Rajouri Tej Ram Katoch confirming the incident said the police team from Sunderbani arrested the two hardcore criminals and had handed the duo to the Rajouri police. "The duo is being interrogated at the Joint Interrogation Centre (JIC) here’ the SSP said. Meanwhile sources claimed the duo had misused their links with BSF officials and allegedly got the consignment from across the border from the Kotli area in |
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PDP revives troop withdrawal issue
Jammu, October 3 PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti, soon after her return from New York, met defence minister A.K. Antony and enquired why the Centre had been delaying implementation of the report of the defence committee set up by the Prime Minister on the PDP's demand for troop withdrawal. PDP leader Mufti Mohammed Sayeed has made the issue of gradual troop reduction his election agenda in the Kashmir valley. The PDP recently threatened to withdraw from the coalition if the demand was not met. The Prime Minister set up a committee under the chairmanship of the defence secretary to look into the aspect. However, the statement of Army chief Gen Deepak Kapoor, ruling out troop withdrawal at the moment, has upset the PDP leadership. Mehbooba today expressed astonishment over General Kapoor’s statement that normalcy was yet to return to Kashmir. Such contradictory statements from Army top brass created confusion among the masses, she said. Stating troop reduction had become imperative vis-à-vis the latest developments in valley, she regretted the “confusion” in Army ranks on the issue of troop reduction. Mehbooba pointed out that former Army chief Gen J.J. Singh, had stated Kashmir was a socio-political problem which needed to be addressed in a political way leaving no role for the security forces in solving the issue. |
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Renovation of civil sectt, Assembly complex on
Jammu,October 3 Labourers guided by engineers are busy whitewashing and painting the interiors and the exterior of the secretariat. Rooms of ministers are being spruced up with new furniture and furnishings. The Estates Department has taken in hand giving a facelift to the flats and quarters allotted to employees. Ministerial bungalows are being renovated by the Estates Department. |
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