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Id Celebrations
Dental students’ career in jeopardy
‘21 days too short to hold budget session’
Nod to new degree colleges evokes more ire
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Region reeling under ‘planned’ political domination: Parties
Bio-medical waste-treatment plant needed
Haj pilgrims complain of bad arrangements
Mobile network in
shambles in Poonch
Death of 20-yr-old: Police exhumes body
Centre keeping people in dark: Panun Kashmir
PSU employees protest against state govt
Police-public meet at Uri
Mufti favours free movement of people across LoC
Staff to stage protest
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Id Celebrations
Srinagar, December 19 For the past several days the shoppers have been thronging the markets for a variety of items from bakery and mutton to the readymade garments, which mainly include the woolen garments in view of intense cold conditions. The temperature during the past few days has remarkably been at the lowest so far this winter touching the level of minus 5.4 degrees Celsius, following the snowfall in the upper reaches and rainfall in planes across Kashmir early last week. This had also led to the closure of the 300-kms-long Srinagar-Jammu national highway, lifeline of the valley for two days. Panic bells rang up among the consumers and the suppliers of mutton, mainly for the sacrificial sheep and goat, and LPG, which are transported to the valley through the only road link. The police and its various wings have been maintaining close vigil on the heavy rush of shoppers in the markets and maintaining smooth regulation of traffic. Though no trouble could be anticipated, but a close watch is being maintained to prevent any untoward incidents like targeting of some important persons on Id. In the past, suspected militants have targeted some important persons on the occasions of Id and, therefore, adequate arrangements are being made for smooth conduct of the Id Namaz being offered at all the major shrines, mosques and places of worship here and across the valley. Adequate security arrangements have been taken in view of the large number of people busy in shopping and many others including protected persons offering special Id-ul-Azha prayers, said Inspector General of Police, Kashmir range, Shiv Morari Sahai. Though the Hizbul Mujahideen outfit has already announced its decision banning the grenade attacks, the security agencies here are not complacent in view of many such attacks have taken place due to the presence of several other militant organisations, the police officials opined. The main markets here have been abuzz with the shoppers busy in purchases of fresh vegetables, mutton, poultry, eggs, other essential commodities like the kerosene and LPG, and the dress material. The most items in demand have been the mutton, fish, poultry, bakery and confectionery items, while the confectionery items have increased demand here during the past few decades replacing traditional Kashmiri Tandoori items. For the past three days, the footpath vendors have also set up their stalls across the main streets in the central Lal Chowk, Residency Road and Jehangir Chowk areas, leaving little space for the pedestrian-cum-shoppers and the plying of traffic. However, the flocks of sheep and goat meant for the sale for sacrificial purposes have been restricted to certain spots only including Eidgah here, to avoid any congestion in the main markets. Meanwhile, Kashmir divisional commissioner Mehboob Iqbal visited Jama Masjid, Dargah Hazratbal and TRC ground yesterday to review the arrangements made for offering Eid prayers. He also visited Jama Market and enquired about the rates of different commodities. He directed the concerned to ensure availability of electricity at Jama Masjid and install flood lights for convenience of people.
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Dental students’ career in jeopardy
Jammu, December 19 Three batches of 58 students have been pursuing their BDS course from the college without the approval of the apex body--Dental Council of India (DCI). Experiencing teething problems since its inception in February 2004, the state government admitted 58 students to the college without the DCI’s approval and the recognition to them still remains elusive. However, the DCI had approved the first batch of 50 students this year. Talking to The Tribune, college principal Prof M.R. Sharma said, “We had forwarded a letter to the state government during August this year for taking up the matter with the DCI, but the latter has not responded to us so far.” Sharma added, “However, the state government has been constantly pursuing the issue with the DCI and Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad had also assured the students of a positive response.” Azad, during recent inaugural ceremony of college’s administrative block, had assured the students that DCI president Dr Anil Kohli being his personal dentist would oblige to his request. However, a senior official of the Health and Medical Education Department maintained, “Nothing has changed despite Chief Minister’s assurance.” Pleading anonymity, some students of the third batch said, “Our exams ended just a couple of days back but the DCI approval still remains elusive.” They further said, “The government continues to play with our careers. In absence of the DCI approval we would not be able to work in other DCI approved dental colleges across the country.” However, Health and Medical Education Minister Mangat Ram Sharma, who has to undergo minor surgery in New Delhi, could not be reached for his comments. It may be mentioned here that earlier, the Government of India had not only described admissions of these students as “irregular”, but had warned action under Section 10B of the Dentists (Amendment) Act 1993, that warrants non-recognition of degrees. Under secretary to the Government of India, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Raj Singh, in his letter dated July 14, 2007, sent to the college principal had clearly mentioned that admissions made in violation of certain conditions would be treated as “irregular”. |
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‘21 days too short to hold budget session’
Jammu, December 19 “Twenty one days is just insufficient time to hold state budget session. The government is trying to finish everything in a hurry so that nobody can raise question on its functioning and other issues,” said senior leader Harsh dev Singh said. Blaming the government of playing tricks to ‘deviate’ from the main issue of development, corruption and unemployment in the state, he said, “The decision of the government to hold budget session of the assembly for only 21 days is just insufficient, as four days would be taken by the address of governor then we would be left with only 17 days.” He said, “In all we have 29 departments in the state that need financial grants, members need to debate over that. “The government is planning to take four departments in only one day and then we would be left with only one day to hold other government business in the house.” The former minister who was spewing fire against the Azad-led government informed that the government has earmarked only a day to take up the private member bills and another day for private members resolutions. “We already have 30 to 35 private member bills pending and more bills might be introduced also one member can take up two resolutions in a sitting, but the government has formed such a tight schedule that it has left with no scope for important issues to be raised, the government is not ready to face any opposition,” he said. He said his party is in direct consultation with the leaders of other parties including CPI (M) and main opposition National Conference to take up the issue and demand for increasing the time period of holding of the state, budget session for a longer period. “We are in consultation with other parties over the issue and even we are discussing the issue with main opposition party National conference to take up the demand of increasing the time for holding the budget session of the state assembly,” said Harsh Dev Singh. Adding he said, “A national consensus to hold assembly sessions of various states for 100 days was reached, but ours is the only state that does not utilise 25 per cent of that time.” Harsh Dev Singh said the party was planning to raise various important issues in the assembly but they won’t get time to bring these issues in the assembly. “Parliamentary report has shown that our state stand last in the implementation of the Prime Minister’s Gramin Sarak Yojna (PMGSY) and we also stand last in the implementation of the National Rural Health Programme, these issues are important and need to be discussed in the assembly, but the government is providing no time to take up such issues,” he said. Meanwhile, Harsh Dev Singh was overwhelmed with the induction of Congress rebel state secretary Sardari Lal Dubey into the party who formally joined the Panthers party today. |
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Nod to new degree colleges evokes more ire
Udhampur, December 19 Anger of the people can be gauged by the fact that leaders to two archrival political groups, the PDP and NC, joined hands to oppose, what they called, opening of degree college in the “house” of education minister at Dharmari in Reasi district. Activists of the BJP of Majalata tehsil of Udhampur district are also devising strategy to launch agitation. Putting aside their political affiliations, the leaders took to streets to “protect” the interests of more than one lakh population of Reasi district. "It is not the question of politics. This issue is directly linked to the future of more than 30,000 students,” asserted Abdul Gani Malik, NC MLA from Mahore, who has announced to take up a march from Mahore to Jammu to ghareo the civil secretariat. Mumtaz Kousar, PDP leader from Mahore, also echoed same views and threatened to launch a mass movement against this “injustice”. “No question of tolerating this betrayal,” she said and vowed to take the agitation to the logical conclusion. As 70 per cent 12th pass outs discontinue their higher studies, people of Mahore for the last 10 years have been agitating for a degree college. Due to its geographical disadvantage, students of Mahore sub-division have to travel about 150 kilometres to reach colleges either at Reasi or Udhampur. Keeping in view the pressing demand of the people and educational requirements, the government gave its nod to open a degree college in the area. Ironically, instead of opening the college at Mahore, which is most suitable and centre place, education minister Aijaz Ahmed Khan allegedly managed to open at Dharmari, his native village. Giving reasons for agitation on place selected for opening new degree college, the residents pointed out that Dharmari is located just 50 kilometres away from Reasi where a degree college is already functioning. “Decision to open a degree college is not guided by the wishes and aspirations of the people but this were taken keeping in view the political considerations,” Kousar said. Authenticating their allegations that college was opened in the house of the education minister, she said there was no reason to set up higher studies institute in Dharmari. Mahore, which located about 72 kilometres from Reasi town, is surrounded by seven higher secondary schools while there are only two higher secondary schools near Dharmari. Meanwhile, discontent is also brewing in Majalata area of Udhampur as the authorities neglected this area in sanctioning new college. Activists of the BJP staged a demonstration to lodge protest against this decision. |
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Region reeling under ‘planned’ political domination: Parties
Jammu, December 19 The Jammu and Kashmir regions are distinctly separate entities with different language, culture and topography. While the Jammu region has an area of about 26 thousand square kilometres, the Kashmir region has about 15 thousand square kilometres. Besides, the number of voters in Jammu region is about 30 lakh and that in Kashmir about 28 lakh. Despite that, the number of legislators from the Jammu region is 37 and that from the Kashmir region is 46. The political parties like the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Jammu and Kashmir National Panthers' Party (JKPP) and Jammu State Morcha (Progressive) (JSM-P) have been crying hoarse for a long time to remove this disparity. They maintain that the “planned political domination” is the root cause of all the discrimination with the Jammu region. They have been asserting since by virtue of having more legislators in the legislature, the Kashmiris have dominated the whole of the state all through the 60 years of Independence. Harsh Dev Singh, leader of the JKNPP in the state legislature, had introduced a bill in the last budget session seeking “legislative parity” between the Jammu and the Kashmir regions. He had suggested that each region should have 52 legislators each with six more for the Ladakh region. "This would be the first step towards removing the disparity between the two regions and the prolonged discrimination with the people of Jammu,” he told The Tribune. Corroborating his argument, Virinder Gupta of the JSM-P, an organisation that seeks separate statehood for Jammu, pointed out, there is another difference of the terrain also. While the Kashmir region is totally plain and homogeneous, the Jammu region is hilly and inhomogeneous. He said the terrain is also an important factor while determining the contours of an assembly segment. According to Gupta, Jammu qualifies for more number of assembly segments than Kashmir. But, according to state BJP president Ashok Khajuria, as long as the state and central governments remain biased against the Jammu region, the people here can hardly expect any justice. He claimed that the successive regimes have always been discriminatory towards the Jammu region while pampering the Kashmir region. “Just because the people in the Jammu region have always been nationalistic,” he regretted. Even when it comes to the parliamentary seats, the Jammu region has just two as compared to three in Kashmir region. Besides the parliamentary constituencies are spread out far too wide, making the campaign difficult. For example the Udhampur parliamentary constituency is spread from Lakhanpur up to remote areas of Paddar with a diameter of about 300 kilometres. Although Kashmiri speaking, Ghulam Nabi Azad is the only chief minister from Bhaderwah in the Jammu region. It is for this reason that the organisations like the JKPP and the JSM-P have been demanding reorganisation of the state. And both these organisations have gained considerable support in different pockets of the region at the cost of mainstream political parties like the Congress and the BJP. Four JKPP legislators were elected to the assembly during last elections while one got elected from JSM-P. Besides, the two organisations polled good number of votes in other assembly segments as well.
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Bio-medical waste-treatment plant needed
Jammu, December 19 Though Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad has been on a spree to raise health infrastructure in the state, with over 32 new hospitals in the offing in different districts, besides inviting private players, yet health of the people in Jammu has been put at a risk. However, the coalition government has woken up to the problem and has acquired 156 kanal of land at Bhalwal, on the outskirts of the city, to come up with a project for disposing off solid wastes. Talking to The Tribune, JMC mayor Narinder Singh said, “We have acquired 156 kanal of government land at Bhalwal and need another 11 kanal and seven marla to raise a green patch.” He added, “Estimated at a cost of around Rs 60 - 70 crore, the solid waste management project would soon get underway. Once started it would be completed within a period of 15 to 18 months at most.” He further said, “Notification for another 11 kanal and seven marla of land has been issued by the Divisional Commissioner, Jammu, Sudhanshu Pandey.” Narinder emphasised, “The Jammu and Kashmir State Pollution Control Board has already issued a no-objection certificate for the project.” He termed the project indispensable “for us and the society at large. After its completion we would be able to dispose off industrial, domestic, commercial and bio-medical waste in an effective manner.” Jammu has a total of 4,000 beds in various government hospitals and private nursing homes, which roughly produce two kilogram of waste every day, including bio-medical waste. A senior official of the Health and Medical Education Department said, “The bio-medical waste being produced in the hospitals is treated in incinerators while that of private nursing homes is sent to Pathankote, which has a common treatment plant.” He added, “the plant costs around Rs 1 crore, but we don’t have it in the winter capital.” However, JMC mayor claimed that bio-medical waste from government hospitals and private nursing homes is being dumped in various nullahs in the city. When asked about common treatment plant, he said, “It would also be part of the solid waste management project at
Bhalwal.”
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Haj pilgrims complain of bad arrangements
Srinagar, December 19 In a statement here, a PDP spokesman said a large number of Haj pilgrims from the state called on party chief Mehbooba Mufti at Makkah to bring to her notice various problems confronting them regarding accommodation and air travel. Quoting Ms Mufti, he said the Haj pilgrims expressed dismay over the bad arrangements made for their stay in Saudi Arabia. The Haj pilgrims complained that although most of them had booked for A-class accommodation they were lodged in hotels and apartments that offered not even C-class facilities, the spokesman said. ''There is no water and electricity in the rooms and we are forced to live in congested rooms in appalling hygienic conditions,'' the pilgrims are said to have told the PDP president. The spokesman said the Haj pilgrims also expressed dismay over the reported change of norms by the Air India authorities for Jammu and Kashmir and Varanasi for carrying extra baggage. ''While the standard rate for per kg extra baggage is around 11 Saudi Riyals, we are being asked to pay around 55 per kg,'' he quoted the pilgrims as having said. The spokesman said such an unwarranted practice by the Air India authorities was uncalled for as the pilgrims had to carry dates and Zum Zum (holy) water back home. ''We are being told that the extra baggage would be sent through cargo and not with the passengers. If extra baggage is coming through Air India cargo, there is absolutely no justification in charging high rates as cargo fares are usually reasonable,'' he further quoted the pilgrims as having said. Ms Mufti, who is also performing the Haj this year as part of the Indian goodwill delegation, assured them that due care would be taken to ensure proper accommodation for the pilgrims from Jammu and Kashmir in future. The spokesman said she had taken up the matter with the Prime Minister's Office in New Delhi. ''She spoke to the Minister of State in the Prime Minister's Office, Prithviraj Chauhan, in this regard seeking his intervention in mitigating the problems confronting the pilgrims from Jammu and Kashmir,'' he added. The spokesman said the PDP chief had also taken up the concerns of the Haj pilgrims regarding the extra baggage with the Civil Aviation Ministry, asking the authorities to look into the matter. Ms Mufti has asked the Jammu and Kashmir Government to take up the matter with the authorities concerned in New Delhi to ensure that the Haj pilgrims from the state were not put to any trouble, he added.
— UNI
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Mobile network in
shambles in Poonch
Poonch, December 19 Despite having a proud tagline, "Connecting India", the BSNL claiming to provide best mobile phone services in the country, has taken the subscribers here for a ride. Residents complain that BSNL's mobile service is so poor that most of the times the network is busy. “The mobile network here is so poor that it takes hours to make a call. On many occasions, we lodged severe protests, but the authorities do little to rectify the problem,” said Aejaz Ahmed, a resident. "The authorities have different excuses for poor connectivity here. Mostly they say that since the number of subscribers is high, the system is overloaded. They also attribute poor connectivity to the increasing number of intra-state roaming subscribers coming here and limited number of channels." Even about a fortnight back, National Conference president Omar Abdullah, while addressing an election rally here, had expressed disappointment over the poor mobile phone connectivity in this region. At present, the BSNL has two towers in this border township, one at Dalera, "Dalera 1" and other near here, "Dalera 2". The number of mobile subscribers here is more than five thousand. Sources said BSNL was facing shortage of channels, which results in poor connectivity. They did not rule out the existence of a nexus between some STD owners and BSNL employees here. "Though BSNL is facing shortage of channels here, yet there are reports that there exists a nexus between its employees and STD owners. Since the STD owners operate hundreds of STDs, they with the help of a local mediaperson, run a nexus with some BSNL employees who shut down the mobile network so that the STD owners do good business", sources added. Telecom district engineer (TDE), Rajouri-Poonch, M.L.Raina admitted the mobile connectivity in Poonch town is not satisfactory. "There is problem with the connectivity in Poonch town. However, we are upgrading the system and increasing the channels that will improve the connectivity," he assured. As regards the existence of nexus between some BSNL employees and the STD owners, TDE refuted the allegations and termed them "baseless".
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Death of 20-yr-old: Police exhumes body
Udhampur, December 19 Although the body was badly decomposed, a special team of doctors today conducted autopsy of the body to ascertain real cause of the death. While as parents of the girl alleged Roma was killed by her in-laws and then buried without informing anybody, the in-laws termed the death as natural. “We are waiting for the postmortem report for further investigation,” SHO, Doda, Ashwani Sharma told the Tribune. Roma, daughter of late Neelkanth of Doda, had reportedly eloped with Mohammed Amin of
Sarow, Kashtigarh. Although parents of the girl lodged missing report, both the lovers married in the court in February 2007 and the girl embraced Islam and severed all relations with her parental family. Since February 2007, the Roma, who had changed her name as Halema Begum, was living with Mohammed Amin. On November 8, 2007, Halema died under mysterious circumstances at her in-laws house. As the in-laws buried the girl without informing her parents, Sharmila Devi mother of
Halema, approached the police for justice. She alleged that her daughter was killed with her in-laws and later buried. For the last 10 days, Sharmila Devi has been moving from the pillar to post to get justice for her deceased daughter. As the incident taking communal turn, the police approached the deputy commissioner for exhuming the body from the grave. |
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Centre keeping people in dark: Panun Kashmir
Jammu, December 19 Quoting the national security adviser the chairman of the Panun Kashmir, Ajay Chrungoo said, “The national security adviser while commenting on the ongoing parleys between India and Pakistan on Jammu and Kashmir had said, ‘I think there are things in the pipeline, things which are cooking, which are half-cooked and three quarters cooked, which we would like to take forward.” According to Ajay Chrungoo, the statement of the NSA is a testimony to the fact that the government has a clear picture of settlement of Jammu and Kashmir in mind. “Is not it an irony while people in Pakistan which never experienced democracy know much more about the ongoing Indo-Pak dialogue that the people of India. It is intriguing that the government at the helm in New Delhi has kept its people in the dark about the contours of Indo-Pak dialogue and the decisions arrived on issues which concern the sovereignty and integrity of the country.” He said. He said that Kashmiri Pandits who had been the main victims of terrorism and faced a complete religious cleansing had major stakes in the type of dispensation which the government of India was envisaging for Jammu and Kashmir. While reiterating the demand for creation of a new structure of Panun Kashmir with Union territory status in the Kashmir valley, he said.
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PSU employees protest against state govt
Jammu, December 19 Azad assured to fulfil the demands of the PSU employees during May Day rally last year. Under the banner of All-Public Sector Employees and Workers Federation, Jammu, employees of Jammu and Kashmir Projects Construction Corporation (JKPCC), State Road Transport Corporation, J&K Minerals, J&K Industries Corporation and several other PSUs staged protest at the office complex of JKPCC. Addressing the agitating employees, their leaders said the government is deliberately ignoring the employees and has been trying to create a wedge by releasing Cost of Living Allowance (COLA) for two years, besides imposing certain conditions. They appealed to Azad to fulfil his promise to end the miseries of the employees. They also demanded release of COLA of the last two years, conversion of COLA into Dearness Allowance (DA), merger of 50 per cent COLA with basic pay, regularisation of daily wagers, increase in their wages and pension benefits to the employees, besides constitution of the sixth pay commission for state-owned PSUs. Among others, the demonstration was addressed by Amrik Singh Sasan, Jag Mohan Sadhotra, Abdul Manan Bhat, J.K. Koul, Mohammed Sadiq, Arun Tandon and Baldev Raj.
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Police-public meet at Uri
Srinagar, December 19 The meet was held between for Charunda and Batgram villages which are very close to LoC in which, around 250 people participated. During the meeting, people highlighted their problems, regarding which instructions were given on the spot.
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Mufti favours free movement of people across LoC
Poonch, December 19 He was interacting with locals and pilgrims at the famous shrine of Baba Ghulam Shah Badshah at Shahdara Sharief in Rajouri district.
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Staff to stage protest
Jammu, December 19
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As shoppers throng the main markets ahead of Id, the cops have gone on high alert to give people a safe festival.
Jammu, December 19
