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BJP disfavours poll deferment
Clear stand, PDP to National Conference
NCP pleads for delimitation
Hold poll only after situation improves: CPM
Vohra offers talks to separatists
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Vohra reviews projects
Kashyap to manage BSP campaign
in Jammu
Class XII students feel heat after bandh
Grenade Attacks
Forces Housed in Ashram
Panthers lend support to SRTC employees
24 hurt as police, protesters clash
Jammu hospitals lack staff to cope with rush
‘Structuring’ disaster
DGP sanctions 65 scholarships
Baglihar Project
Steps to curb infiltration discussed
Residents struggle for parking space
Jammu to have statue of Kuldeep Dogra
No money to pay VRS, sick PSUs kept running
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BJP disfavours poll deferment
Jammu, September 9 Addressing a press conference state BJP president Ashok Khajuria said: "There are reports that the Election Commission may defer the Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir at the behest of parties like the Congress, Jammu and Kashmir National Panthers Party, National Conference and the PDP." "The BJP strongly urges Nirvachan Sadan not to succumb to the pressure being exerted by such parties and hold the elections on time," Khajuria said, adding that the party was opposed to Governor’s rule as it was not a substitute to a democratically elected government. He said the parties advocating the postponement of the Assembly elections had become unpopular for their role in the 63-day-long agitation in Jammu. "As these political parties have lost their ground and people no longer like them, they want to defer the Assembly elections in the state," Khajuria said. The situation in the state was conducive for undertaking the electoral process. "Those who are seeking postponement are simply afraid of facing the angry people,' he said. About the statement of Mirwaiz Umar Farooq that he has received a communication from Pakistan that Pakistan is willing for cross-LoC trade and that the Hurriyat Conference was finalising the names of Kashmiri traders who would go to PoK for negotiating a trade agreement, Khajuria said: "We don't know who is ruling the state; it appears that the authorities in the state and at the Centre have abdicated their authority in favour of the likes of Mirwaiz who are calling the shots." Khajuria said. |
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Clear stand, PDP to National Conference
Srinagar, September 9 “While NC patron Farooq Abdullah made it clear yesterday that his party strongly favours early elections, even if there was 1 per cent participation, his son and party president Omar Abdullah made a completely contradictory statement in Delhi on the issue”, a PDP spokesman said here today. He said in the prevailing uncertain situation when people felt suffocated with mounting mass alienation, the priority of political parties, cutting across the divide, must be resolution of the problem instead of hankering after power. “We hope that the NC leadership would, instead of resorting to deceitful tactics, play a constructive role at this crucial juncture and ensure that the just concerns and aspirations of the people are addressed before pushing them into any electoral process”, he said. The spokesman said the primary concern of all political parties should be restoration of peace and normalcy and not the elections. “We can not force people into an electoral process by holding a gun at their head”, he said and added that, while some NC leaders corroborate such views, their leaders seem to be playing a different ball game as they did in case of the agreement between the government and the samiti. |
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NCP pleads for delimitation
Jammu, September 9 Without delimitation, Kapoor said, holding elections would serve no purpose to the people of Jammu, who felt let down by the “Kashmir’s hegemony” for the past 61 years. “The Kashmiri leadership, since the days of Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah, has been treating people of Jammu as second-class citizens,” he alleged and appealed people of Jammu to stay prepared for another mass agitation for the delimitation of the constituencies. |
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Hold poll only after situation improves: CPM
Srinagar, September 9 In a statement issued here today, CPM state secretary and former MLA, M.Y. Tarigami opined that elections under the present circumstances would not yield any results. Tarigami said: “Let me reiterate that the CPM is of the considered opinion that unless conditions on the ground improved, unless faith of electorate is restored in the process, unless specific problems, issues and concerns of the general public are addressed, rushing with elections will not yield the desired results, for which these are to be held.” Referring to media reports about yesterday’s meeting with the Election Commission, Tarigami clarified that there had been an “unnecessary” distortion of the opinion expressed by the leaders in the meeting in New Delhi. Tarigami said the CPM stressed upon creating a conducive atmosphere for holding free and fair polls. |
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Vohra offers talks to separatists
Srinagar, September 9 He was interacting with members of the Citizen’s Council and leaders of various political parties and social organisations during his visit to Kupwara district in north Kashmir yesterday. The Governor stressed the vital importance of peace, especially in Jammu and Kashmir which has suffered immensely due to disturbed conditions for about two decades. Referring to the setback caused to the overall economic development of the state in the wake of recent disturbances, Vohra hoped that with the return of normalcy, the developmental tempo would regain momentum. He reiterated the commitment of the state administration to ensure equitable development of all regions and sub-regions. Responding to the issues raised by the Citizens' Council, the Governor said a working group had been set up to examine the losses suffered by different segments of society. The recommendations of the group would be applicable to the regions of Jammu and Kashmir uniformly. Vohra’s move comes in the wake of over two-month-long trouble in Jammu and Kashmir over the land transfer to the Amarnathji Shrine Board that engulfed both regions of Kashmir and Jammu. It all began with demonstrations led by separatist organisations in Kashmir, seeking the revocation of the May 26 order, transferring 39.88 hectares of forestland to the shrine board. The continued demonstrations disrupting normal life across Kashmir for nine days ended with the government revoking the order on July 1. However, the revocation of land transfer order made the Amarnath Yatra Sangharsh Samiti launch an agitation in Jammu, which continued for over 60 days. The Jammu stir came to an end after an agreement between the government and the samiti, restoring the use of land to the shrine board during the yatra period. |
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Vohra reviews projects
Kishtwar, September 9 Interacting with the deputations, Vohra said normalcy and communal harmony were imperative for speeding up work on various development projects and welfare schemes. He said the recently constituted Working Group, for assessing the losses incurred in Jammu and Kashmir during the recent disturbances, would also cover this tehsil and recommend measures to provide respite to the affected families. In all, 11 deputations met the Governor and apprised him of their demands, which, inter alia, related to the probing of the recent communal flare-up, strong action against the culprits found guilty of disturbing harmony, economic and employment package for the district etc. The district development commissioner, Sudershan Sharma, briefed Vohra about the progress registered in various sectors, since the creation of the new district. Vohra also sanctioned an additional Rs 3 crore for construction of the Vailu-Inchan stretch on the Sinthon-Daksum alternate road, besides the 56-meter-bridge at far-off Wadwan. He also sanctioned Rs 40 lakh for the Gulabgarh-Machail track and directed the officers concerned to speed up the required clearance from the Forest Advisory Committee to clear the Inchan-Nawapachi Road Project. Vohra said these roads would improve connectivity in the remote areas, leading to faster development of the geographically difficult areas. Vohra also undertook an aerial visit to view the stretch of the Synthon-Daksum Road and directed all officers concerned to expedite work in various sectors. |
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Kashyap to manage BSP campaign
in Jammu
Udhampur, September 9 The party today convened a meeting under state coordinator B.S. Chauhan to give a red carpet welcome to party general secretary Narinder
Kashyap, who would visit the state from Wednesday to kickstart the election campaign.
Kashyap is scheduled to meet and address the district party office-bearers of the region and later he would address and review the state office-bearers committee.
Kashyap would convene a meeting of selected candidates for Lok Sabha as well as the Assembly to chalk out the future course of action. The BSP leaders would also visit Ladakh to explore the possibilities. A
Kashyap-led team would hold an interaction with some prominent persons of Ladakh during their two-day stay in the region. They would also inaugurate the party office at
Ladakh. The meeting among others was attended by state vice-president
T.D. Langeh, state general secretary Rakesh Wazir and Assembly coordinators Vinod
Khajuria. |
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Class XII students feel heat after bandh
Jammu, September 9 In 2008 examinations, the government made all the five subjects compulsory as a pass criterion. The parents of such parents said the authorities concerned should go back to the 2007 practice so that the students could prepare for the professional entrance examinations simultaneously, while preparing for final examination. Rajesh Gupta, a student of Class 12th said, “I hope that the educational authorities will make one subject out of five as optional for the final exams.” Meanwhile, Luthra School principal Sanjeev Luthra said, “The demand of the students is genuine and the educational authorities should make one subject optional. If the authorities do so, it will provide relief to the students to some extent.” However, an officer of the of Academics on basis of anonymity said this order has been issued by the Director Academics J&K State Board of School Education last year and it is not possible to withdraw it now. Moreover, such orders are issued in tune with the line of education prevalent in CBSE, he added. K.K. Koul, deputy secretary, J&K State Board of School Education, said: “Making all the five subjects compulsory will help the students to obtain more percentage of marks which in turn can help them in becoming entitled for sitting in the CET and in other competitive examinations.” |
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Grenade Attacks
Srinagar, September 9 The police arrested the accused in Handwara in Kupwara, a police spokesman said quoting the area SP. Acting on a tip-off, the police nabbed two militants, identified as Ali Mohd Dar and Manzoor Ahmad Sheikh, of the Al-Badr outfit in Kralgnud area and recovered three grenades and 109 rounds of AK-47 from them. Dar belonged to Rawoocha village and Sheikh was a resident of Budbugh Ashpora village. On questioning, militants confessed to their crimes. They were directly working under the command of Al-Badr commander Tamim of Pakistan and were involved in three grenade attacks across the valley, including a blast on tourists at the pony stand in Gulmarg on July 20 and another blast at the bus stand in Batamaloo, Srinagar on July 24. They also revealed the involvement of two more Al-Badr militants, Mushtaq Ahmad Malla and Manzoor Ahmad Bhat, who were later arrested from Monabal Kralgund along with two grenades and 82 rounds of AK-47, the police said.
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Forces Housed in Ashram
Jammu, September 9 The direction came after the court allowed a petition filed by Swami Hari Bhagat Chaitnaya, owner of Vishwayatan Yog Ashram. The government was asked to pay the rent within a period of two months. The central security forces occupied a part of building, halls and rooms in different blocks of different dimensions and sizes duly furnished with modern facilities, including space and land appurtenant thereto from May 1994. They also raised their tents on the portion of an adjoining vacant land for providing shelter to the jawans but did not pay any rent or compensation for use and occupation of the said property to which the petitioners are entitled to as per the rates prescribed by the state. The respondents in their reply affidavit did not deny occupation of property but argued that paramilitary forces are directly under the control of the Central government and have been deployed in the state at the request of state government. The court said: “It is the duty of the state government to pay compensation to the petitioners and not the Central government.” The high court observed: “Articles 19 and 31 of the Constitution have not been abrogated so far as the state of J&K is concerned. The state in exercise of its power of eminent domain can acquire the property provided the compensation is paid to the owners.” “What compensation is payable to the petitioners has already been determined by the additional deputy commissioner (ADC), Udhampur, when directed by this court to hold inquiry regarding rent/compensation payable to petitioners from May 1994 onwards,” the court added. In the said report, the ADC found that petitioners are entitled to receive a rent to the tune of Rs 20,68,928 up to September 2001.
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Panthers lend support to SRTC employees
Jammu, September 9 The party has also demanded release of the cost of living allowance (COLA) in favour of the government, private and public sector employees. Meanwhile, the party has extended full support to the agitating State Roads Transport Corporation (SRTC) employees who have not got salaries for the past several months. The party urged Governor N. N. Vohra to implement the agreement reached between SRTC employees and the former government a few months back. |
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24 hurt as police, protesters clash
Srinagar, September 9 The situation in the valley remained peaceful and all shops, business, establishments, educational institutions functioned normally and traffic plied smoothly on all routes, an official spokesman said here However, shops were closed at Nowhatta, BohriKadal and Nalamar roads due to ‘chaharum’ of Javed Ahmad. Intermittent stone pelting was reported by a small group of people in the Nowhatta area. A complete shutdown on the call of the Hurriyat-led coordination committee paralysed life across the valley on Saturday in which one youth was killed at Nowhatta in downtown here. This was followed by protest demonstrations and clashes between protesters and police and CRPF personnel against the killings and unabated use of force against unarmed civilians. A complete shutdown was also observed across the valley yesterday on the call of hardline APHC chairman Syed Ali Shah Geelani. At least 14 persons were injured in clashes with the police in the Nowhatta area of downtown and adjacent areas of Khanyar, Bohri Kadal and Rajouri Kadal today. The clashes took place on the occasion of the fourth day observance (chaharum) of Javed Ahmad, who was killed during clashes at Nowhatta on Saturday. While several separatist leaders visited the residence of the deceased on the occasion, the youth engaged themselves in ding-dong battles with the police against the excesses and harassment by CRPF personnel in the area last evening. Protest demonstrations were held and a general strike was observed in the Baghe Mehtab area on the outskirts of Srinagar against the harassment of the residents at the hands of CRPF personnel yesterday. However, the demonstrations passed off peacefully without any further clashes with the police and security forces. In continued trouble in Anantnag town of south Kashmir, at least 10 persons were injured, two with bullet injuries, in clashes with security personnel this morning. Trouble had started on Friday afternoon when miscreants indulged in stone pelting on the police leading to an instant shutdown and clashes for several hours. There was no curfew but only deployment of policemen to maintain law and order, claimed Munir Ahmad Khan, DIG, south Kashmir range. |
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Jammu hospitals lack staff to cope with rush
Jammu, September 9 Most of the projects in government hospitals, including the Government Medical College (GMC), Shri Maharaja Ghulab Singh (SMGS) Hospital, Gandhi Nagar Hospital and Sarwal Hospital, were taken up by the then Congress-led state government in 2006 on a double-shift basis. Despite a shortage of manpower in most hospitals across the city, the department has still not started any formal process for their recruitment. Resultantly, the medical staff, which is already overburdened with their routine duties, is likely to find more work in their hands as and when the new blocks are made operational. The 850-bedded GMC Hospital, Jammu, the prime hospital in the city, caters to more than 1,500 patients per day and is also facing shortage of manpower like its associated hospitals. Consequently, the GMC and its associated hospitals have engaged several employees under contractual, ad-hoc and consolidated basis. Apart from this, medicos grieve that most of the time, they had to give round-the-clock duty in their respective hospitals. The 570-bedded SMGS Hospital draws more than 1,000 patients in its OPD every day. An additional block with a capacity of 200 extra beds has also been raised on the hospital premises. As per the hospital authorities, for the time being, there is 40 per cent staff shortage in the hospital. Similarly, in the 100-bedded Gandhi Nagar Hospital, the OPD project with a cost of Rs 10 crore stands completed. Similarly, the construction of an emergency block in the GMC also stands completed, whereas the construction work in the Sarwal Hospital is in progress on a war-footing. Meanwhile, the ad-hoc, contractual and consolidated employees of the department said the government should prefer them during the process of recruitment as they had been rendering service to the department for the past several years. Meanwhile, official sources in the Directorate of Health Services told The Tribune that as many as 385 gazetted posts, including surgeons, specialists and dental doctors were lying vacant whereas as 793 posts of non- gazetted, including paramedical staff, besides others were lying vacant in the department. Similarly, there are 250 gazetted and 300 non-gazetted vacant posts in the GMC Hospital, Jammu, and its associated hospitals, including SMGS Hospital, Chest Disease Hospital and Psychiatric Hospital. |
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‘Structuring’ disaster
Jammu, September 9 Though the authorities pledged their involvement in taking every possible precautionary measure subscribed in the book, the ground realities speak something else. Whereas strict implementation of rules and regulations is the need of the hour, people flout them without hesitation. Not going too far down the memory lane, on October 8, 2005, a temblor measuring 7.6 on the Richter scale wreaked havoc, killing over 1,400 people in Jammu and Kashmir and over 70,000 in PoK. “When natural calamities are uncontrollable, the government should not turn a blind eye to unplanned and illegal constructions coming up at rapid pace, particularly in Jammu city,” said sources in the Housing and Urban Department. Sources substantiate their point of view by referring to Kosi river’s misadventures. “It’s in front of us. Whatever happened in Bihar could have been avoided had the government been conscious taking up the repair work of Kosi’s embankments in time,” they said. The erstwhile coalition government had framed a disaster management committee to meet unforeseen events but high-rise structures without quake-resistant technology continue to come up in the unplanned city, they said. However, Jammu Municipal Corporation commissioner Parshottam Kumar Sharma said, “Disaster management committees at state, regional and district level have already been framed and departments like the police, fire and emergency services, PHE, PDD, health, Government Medical College, JMC etc have been included to deal with such contingencies.” As far as illegal construction in 71 wards is concerned, the JMC takes all measures to either stop or dismantle them, said Sharma. In stark reality to some high-rise structures raised recently in the congested old city, the JMC commissioner asserted that his officials regularly serve notice to the offenders and wherever required such constructions were razed to the ground. Even the sources in the JMC admitted that unplanned and illegal structures continue to come up in the winter capital. Not to forget that fault lines pass beneath Gujjar Nagar and Tawi river, they said, adding that in the old city there were several localities where rescue vehicles could not enter and hence one could anticipate the spine-chilling picture during any unforeseen event. On September 5 and 6, two quakes with moderate intensity of 5.8 and 5.5 on the Richter scale struck Srinagar and Jammu, respectively, triggering panic among the people. |
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DGP sanctions 65 scholarships
Srinagar September 9 An official spokesman said here that the amount had been sanctioned for the children of police personnel who laid down their lives fighting militancy and those died in service. A sum of Rs 1.45 lakh has been sanctioned in favour of 38 wards of police personnel who laid down their lives fighting militancy while Rs 32000 was also released for 27 wards of policemen who had natural death. The DGP said the department would make all possible efforts for ensuring quality education to the wards of police personnel. |
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Baglihar Project
Udhampur, September 9 The Governor accompanied by senior officers reviewed the pace of progress of the project, which is nearing completion. The machines were currently under testing and the first unit of 150 MW was expected to become operational soon. Vohra discussed the laying of the 400-KV transmission line from Baghliar to Kishenpur and asked them to meet the deadline for starting the first unit of this prestigious project considered to be vital for providing both energy and financial relief to the state. The managing director of the State Power Development Corporation, Shantmanu, informed the Governor that the annual generation from the project will be about 2800 million units for 90 per cent dependable year. |
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Steps to curb infiltration discussed
Jammu, September 9 Lt-Gen Tej Sapru, GOC-in-Chief, Western Command, along with Lt-Gen Vinay Sharma, GOC, Yole-based Rising Star Corps, and Major-General D.L. Chowdhary, GOC, 26 Infantry Division, interacted with senior military, para-military and police officers to devise a strategy to thwart infiltration by terrorists, Goswami said. — PTI |
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Residents struggle for parking space
Jammu, September 9 In the ever-bustling areas in the old city, including Jain Bazar, Panjtirthi, Parade Shalamar, Purani Mandi, Raghunath Bazar, BC road, High Court road and Canal Road, shopkeepers and vendors have encroached upon roads with their merchandise. It’s an arduous task for pedestrians to walk through these areas where honking and screeching vehicles are the order of the day. Accidents and head-on collisions are a common sight. Commenting upon the traffic problem, Mayor Kavinder Gupta said: “Due to lack of coordination between different departments, projects often run into rough weather.” Gupta said the Jammu Municipal Corporation (JMC) did not have any land within the city limits. Holding lesser revenue generation avenues, Gupta said financial constraint was a major impediment in the execution of development works. “The ownership rights of most of the government land as well as income-generating units are accorded to the Jammu Development Authority (JDA),” Gupta said. “Work on the ambitious three-story parking lot under private public partnership, which would be a first of its kind in the city, is likely to come up near the sabzi mandi at Parade within two-three months”, he disclosed. Gupta said all construction agencies in the city would be brought under one umbrella for speedy execution of development works. “Traffic cops hardly bother to evacuate buses or other vehicles from the Banihal Cart Road,” complained shopkeepers in and around the bus stand. They said private bus operators now parked their vehicles on the main road and managed from there. Parminder Singh, SSP, Traffic, said due to shortage of parking space, people parked their vehicles on roads, adding to traffic woes. Sources in the Regional Transport Office (RTO) said, as many as 3 lakh vehicles plied on the roads of Jammu city, while road infrastructure within the municipal limits had not been expanded for the past over 10 years. Meanwhile, all efforts to contact the vice-chairman, JDA, proved futile.
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Jammu to have statue of Kuldeep Dogra
Jammu, September 9 Kuldeep Dogra sacrificed his life for the restoration of land to the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board. Noted artist Brij Anand has been accorded the contract by the Jammu Municipal Corporation to build these statues at a cost of Rs 12 lakh. Kavinder Gupta, Mayor, JMC, said while the statues of Maharaja Hari Singh, Jaiprakash Narayan, Chankya would be installed at CPU Chowk, Gummat Chowk and in front of the Brahmin Sabha office, respectively, the venue for the statue of Kuldeep Dogra was yet to be earmarked. |
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No money to pay VRS, sick PSUs kept running
Jammu, September 9 And this crunch has delayed the scheme of closing down these sick units. Official sources said for implementing the scheme along with the introduction of the VRS or GHS, the government needed several hundred crores of rupees. For the time being the government has made available Rs 40 crore for providing residuary support to the ailing PSUs in their endeavour to offer VRS and GHS to their employees. Till the funds were available, the government has decided to provide budgetary support to those corporations which are running in losses. The Kundal Committee has identified 253 of various PSUs, which were to be closed down. But for that, the government needed huge funds for providing one time benefit to its employees. Official sources said that the Government has decided to increase the budgetary support to the ailing units on need felt basis. In the meantime, the ailing units or those corporations running in losses have been asked to improve managerial system so that they too could begin showing marginal profits. In view of the dismal industrial scenario, the government has asked the management of the ailing corporation not to release any installment of the COLA until the corporations repaid statutory liabilities and loans.
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