 |
|
Cong holds convention to woo minorities
Security at Jammu cinema houses lax
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Arrangements for Darbar Move 2007 reviewed
All-India editors’ conference begins today
3 LeT militants shot dead
Bhaderwah hills have season’s first snowfall
|
|
Cong holds convention to woo minorities
Udhampur, October 16 Congress minority cell president Arminder Singh Micky and party's MLC Farida Mir came from Jammu to address the convention and educate people on steps being taken by the UPA regime for the welfare and uplift of the minorities in the country. People belonging to the minority communities attended the convention and pledged to strengthen the party at the grass-root level. Addressing the convention, Micky pointed towards steps by the government, especially the constitution of the Sachar Committee to suggest measures for the uplift of minorities. He added that the union government had initiated steps to implement recommendations of the committee for the betterment of Muslims and other neglected communities. Farida Mir, in her address, said the Congress was the only party committed to the betterment and uplift of all sections of society. She cautioned people against fundamentalist forces, bent on creating communal division in the state for their petty political interests. She exhorted women and minorities in particular to strengthen the Congress party as, according to her, it was the only party policies and programmes of which were guided by the interests of all sections of society. As the Jammu and Kashmir National Panthers Party (JKNPP) of Prof Bhim Singh has consolidating its position in this district, the Congress has activated its wings to revive the party in Udhampur. The Youth Congress has already launched a campaign and the party's minority wing has also started its activities in the district to meet the challenge of the JKNPP. |
|
Security at Jammu cinema houses lax
Jammu, October 16 Despite Jammu and Kashmir being the worst terrorism-affected state in the country, security has been lax in cinema halls of the Jammu region. Despite warning by the security agencies, soft targets, including film theatres in Jammu, are on the target list of terrorists planning to damage public life, no steps have been taken to secure places like movie theatres in and around the city. Only one person stands outside the entry to the movie hall whose job is to check the entry ticket and make frisking of the people who go inside. Despite written warnings that eatables and other baggage are not allowed inside the hall, people take such stuff without any hesitation inside the hall and nobody is there to stop them. Militants operative in the state are against running of movie theatres in the state and in the early ’90s, cinema halls in Jammu were the target of militant attacks. All movie halls in the Kashmir region were shut following the eruption of armed insurgency in the state 17 years ago. Only two cinema halls were opened after providing these with foolproof security arrangements. However, these two cinema halls in Srinagar get very minimal turnout of viewers, as both halls often become target of militants. The “security staff” in the cinema halls of Jammu have no knowledge of any explosive material and whatsoever. The staff lack training and can only identify a bomb-like substance if it looks so. When asked how can he differentiate between RDX (research developed explosive) or any other type of explosive material which doesn’t carry wires, he said, “I don’t know what are you talking about. I am an illiterate man and don’t know about all this stuff.” Almost the entire “security staff” appointed by theatre operators in the city are illiterate and lack basic knowledge about the types and nature of explosive materials used in blasts. With such a lean security arrangement for the movie lovers in the city, nothing can be predicted as they can anytime become “sitting ducks on fire”. “Our city has always been a soft target for militants, earlier they had attacked Raghunath temple and Jammu Railway station twice. Every time when the terrorists succeed in executing their plans many innocent people lose lives” said Aditya Gandotra a resident of Jammu. Sanjay Kotwal, SP, Jammu (north), under whose jurisdiction cinema halls of Jammu fall said, “Just a day before I had a meeting with managers of all cinema halls of the region and issued them certain guidelines to follow. All people who enter the hall must be properly frisked and there must be two separate queues for women and men. No person would be allowed to leave the hall without proper verification.”
|
|
Arrangements for Darbar Move 2007 reviewed
Srinagar, October 16 The review meeting was chaired by principal secretary, General Administration Department, Khursheed Ahmad Ganai. It was informed that the State Road Transport Corporation (SRTC) will provide 25 buses for transporting Jammu-based employees from Srinagar to Jammu on October 27 and 28 and 60 buses for Kashmir-based employees on November 3 and 4. Trucks will also be provided by the SRTC for carrying record to Jammu for which the departments have submitted
requisitions. The Health Department will provide medical facilities along the highway. The principal secretary, GAD, directed SP traffic to ensure that Sumo operators did not overcharge the employees during move days. It was decided vehicles carrying employees and record shall be given priority on move days at toll post and Jawahar tunnel. It was decided that all employees be given LPG connections on production of necessary documents and officials not possessing valid documents could obtain temporary connections on production of identity card. |
|
All-India editors’ conference begins today
Srinagar, October 16 Union minister for rural development Raghuvansh Prasad Singh and Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad will jointly inaugurate it. There will be various sessions on core social issues like rural development, education and health. Union ministers M.A.A. Fatmi and R. Velu, Jammu and Kashmir health minister Mangat Ram Sharma and tourism minister Mohammad Dilawar Mir will also interact with the editors. Nearly 100 mediapersons will be attending the conference. |
|
3 LeT militants shot dead
Udhampur, October 16 According to reports, on specific information about the movement of some militants, 61 Rashtriya Rifles and the police launched a joint operation in the Lancha area of Gool tehsil of Ramban district. As security personnel zeroed in to the hideout of militants, ultras resorted to firing. In the one-hour-long gun battle security forces killed three terrorists. The slain militants were involved in many incidents and were active for the past
three years. In the gunbattle, two militants identified as Rafeeq and Liyaqat were killed, while the identity of the third ultra was not known. |
|
Bhaderwah hills have season’s first snowfall
Udhampur, October 16 Kailash Kund, Seoj Dhaar, Ashapati and other higher reaches of Bhaderwah witnessed snowfall last night. Although Kailash Kund usually witnesses snowfall before Diwali, peaks like Ashapati and Seoz Dhaar too have received snowfall in the month of October this year.
|
| 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 | |
Video
