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Ruling coalition bags all four RS
seats
3 cops among four hurt in clashes
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Sonia flags off train today
PDP doubts viability of Bani-Bhaderwah road
Power bills jolt people
Three gangs of thieves busted
4 more hostels sought
Hizbul ultra gets 19-year RI for killing ex-MLA
Mubarak Mandi Fire
Plan to check Pak’s anti-India broadcast
Youth returns from
PoK, arrested
Bank relief package for industrialists, farmers
‘Decline’ in infiltration
Maqbool Bhat’s brother held
Dismay over Power Dept functioning
Free books up
to class VIII
Porn CD accused denied bail
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Ruling coalition bags all four RS
seats
Jammu, February 13 Both NC candidates - former CM and NC president Farooq Abdullah and former minister Mohammad Shafi Uri - got elected to the Upper House, defeating PDP candidate Altaf Bukhari and BJP-supported Independent candidate AV Gupta in the third phase of the elections. While Dr Abdullah polled 27 votes, including a second preference vote, Uri got 25 votes, Bukhari 23 and Gupta 11. The NC has 27 MLAs, Congress 17, PDP 21 and BJP 11 while smaller parties and Independents account for the remaining 10 MLAs. The ruling coalition, having 44 MLAs, got 51 first preference votes, which means it managed to garner the support of seven of the 10 MLAs belonging to smaller parties and Independents. On the other hand, NC's arch rival, PDP, which has 21 MLAs, only got the support of two other MLAs. Out of the total 86 MLAs, 85 participated in the polling process. Independent MLA from Bishnah, Ashwani Kumar, abstained from voting. At present the 87-member House had an effective polling strength of 86, as Dr Farooq Abdullah quit one of the two Assembly seats that he won in the elections. The polling, however, was marred by a heated argument between NC MLA from Sonawari Mohd Akbar Lone and PDP MLA from Shangus Peerzada Mansoor Hussain. The altercation broke out around 3.30 pm when Lone while casting his vote mistakenly gave second preference to the PDP candidate. However, when pointed by his party's chief whip he corrected his mistake by striking off PDP candidate's name. His act irked Hussain who demanded that his vote be declared invalid. The two MLAs had an argument over the issue. They calmed down when CM Omar Abdullah along with his father, Dr Farooq Abdullah, reached the Central Hall of the Assembly to cast their votes. However, as soon as the father-son duo left they again exchanged heated words. Talking to the mediapersons after the announcement of results, chief electoral officer BR Sharma said Lone's vote was counted as valid. Earlier, in the first two phases both Congress candidates - Union Minister for Water Resources Prof Saif-ud-Din Soz and former CM Ghulam Nabi Azad - were declared elected unopposed as they were the lone candidates in notification Nos.1 and 2, respectively. The ruling coalition has thus bagged all four Rajya Sabha seats from the state.
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3 cops among four hurt in clashes
Srinagar, February 13 Protests were held for the fourth consecutive day today in Maisuma locality after the Friday prayers though the situation was brought under control when the police chased away stone-pelting youths. The trouble started on Tuesday last when JKLF supporters opposed the detention of a youth during a commemorative congregation for its founder leader, Maqbool Bhat. The JKLF has its office in Maisuma near Budshah Chowk in the central Lal Chowk area, the nerve centre of Srinagar. There were reports of stone pelting followed by clashes between the youth and police personnel in downtown areas of Nowhatta in the Jama Masjid area, Rajouri Kadal, Gojwara and Fateh Kadal. The police resorted to a lathicharge and lobbed tear gas shells to quell the demonstrators. Three policemen were injured in the stone-pelting, reports said. A youth was seriously inured when hit by a tear gas shell in the area, and he was shifted to the SKIMS hospital, Soura, where his condition was stated to be out of danger. |
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Sonia flags off train today
Srinagar, February 13 Gandhi will flag off the specially designed 1,400 HP engine train from Mazhom railway station in Budgam district tomorrow, an official spokesman said here today. The train would run tomorrow between Baramulla and Mazhom from 12.30 pm and 1.40 pm, he said, adding that its regular service would commence from February 15. With the completion of the rail link up to Baramulla, people could now travel from Baramulla to Anantnag, a distance of 101 km, he said. The stoppages would be Sopore, Hamre, Pattan, Mazhom, Budgam, Srinagar, Pampore, Kakapora, Awantipora, Panjgam, Bijbehara and Anantnag stations, he added. Tight security arrangements are in place here in view of the visit of the UPA chairperson and other senior leaders and union ministers. Chief minister Omar Abdullah will be the chief guest on the occasion, while Praful Patel, Union Minister of State for Civil Aviation, will preside over the function. Railway Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav will also be present, while Sonia Gandhi will press the button for the extension of the railway line. Budgam MLA Agha Syed Ruhulla will be the guest of honour at the airport function, as the Srinagar airport falls in his district, near here. The inauguration of the Srinagar international airport is the third major event during the UPA government in the state. These include the inauguration of the Srinagar-Muzaffarabad bus service and the launch of train service within the valley, which, however, awaits link with the Udhampur-Jammu line from Qazigund. Meanwhile, protest demonstrations were held by scores of land owners here today demanding jobs in lieu of their land used for the railway line between Qazigund in south Kashmir and Baramulla in the north. They threatened to launch a “Rail Roko” programme in case their demands were not fulfilled within two weeks. The agitated farmers said over the past six years the Railways had been assuring them that each family would be given a job, and this had not been done so far. “If promises are not fulfilled during the next two weeks, we will launch a rail rook programme”, the agitated farmers said. They blamed the railway authorities for delaying the process and creating problems for the poor farmers, who had no other source of income. Meanwhile, the PDP has reiterated its demand for naming the airport as “Sheikh-ul-Alam International Airport”.
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PDP doubts viability of Bani-Bhaderwah road
Udhampur, February 13 PDP secretary Sayed Asgar Ali has suggested that instead of wasting energy on opening the Bani-Bhaderwah road, the government should rather open the Kishtwar-Sinthantop-Anantnag road to provide essential commodities in the cut off areas. Sayed said the Sinthantop-Anantnag road was already opened for traffic and vehicles were plying on this road. He suggested that the authorities should open this road as it was the only feasible and viable track for the vehicular movement at this juncture. Demanding a comprehensive plan to construct road to connect Doda and Kishtwar with rest of the state, the PDP leader said the government should seriously take up this issue to protect lifeline of the people of Kishtwar and
Doda. “Instead of taking cosmetic measures to open the road for time being, the authorities should rather develop a concrete plan for this road,” he said, adding that the track from Batote to Pul Doda had been weakening with every passing due to continuous soil erosion in this belt. He said from Batote to Pul Doda the entire area was landslide prone area and according to geological experts, the lake had further loosened the soil that had caused sinking at many places. In a statement issued here he demanded that banks of the Chenab river needed to be treated and concretised at vulnerable points to prevent seepage of water. Expressing concern over increasing miseries of residents of Kishtwar, he demanded that chopper services on reasonable fare should be started for the passengers so that stranded people should reach to their destination. He regretted that during the past one week the authorities had ignored Kishtwar district despite being the fact that the Centre had been earning whooping revenue from this area per day due to location of Dul Hasti power project. |
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Girl topper the toast of valley
Srinagar, February 13 "I believe my success will show others the way. I always knew that I could do it but to be the number one is a heady experience," she says. A product of St. Joseph school in Baramulla, she is being hailed as a determined student who wanted to prove a point to a patriarchal order as her parents were not too happy at her birth. Local media has highlighted this as to how she was brought up by her uncle Ghulam Mujtaba and grandparent, Abdul Wahid Tugoo and his wife, who ensured that she got the best of resources. She, in turn, never let them down. "We did our bit and gave her all we could. She has done us proud," her uncle says. Anjuman makes it clear that she owes her success to God, grandparents, uncle and parents, in that order. "It is obvious that I will give credit to the people I have lived with. But my parents are very happy with my success. Which parents won't," she asks? Anjuman says she wants to be a cardiologist as doctors are the "noblest" lot in society. |
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Power bills jolt people
Jammu, February 13 “I have been handed over a bill for Rs 25,762 and I cannot remit such a hefty amount in one instalment. How can the PDD expect a common man to remit hefty arrears in one go? he asked, adding that even if he sold his only source of livelihood-an old autorickshaw-- he would not be able to remit the money. Echoing similar views Nitin Sharma, a government employee, said, no doubt “we defaulted on payments but the PDD, too, cannot escape the blame of being into an unethical practice. Since long PDD employees had been encouraging the malpractice and now suddenly the department has started giving nightmares to us. The bolt from the blue has struck the poor commoners, he said. I am the sole breadwinner of my family comprising five members and I, too, cannot pay a bill for Rs 19,323 in one instalment. The government should better apply some sense and come out with an easy instalments plan, he added. Further, the department should stop levying a surcharge on arrears. Otherwise, remitting bills in instalments would serve no purpose because arrears would continue to swell, said Sharma. A retired police officer, who pleaded anonymity, said he had been served with a bill for Rs 84,685. “Being a retired police officer with a petty pension I cannot remit such a huge amount of money”, he added. A senior PDD official said the arrears had to be remitted at any cost. The department had been purchasing power at around Rs 4.50 per unit and had been providing it to the people at 90 paise, Rs 1 and Rs 1.50 per unit for domestic use, he said. Though the PDD had no provision for instalments to get back its arrears, people could remit their dues in two or three instalments in specific cases, he said. The department had set the recovery targets of Rs 408 crore and Rs 623 crore for the Jammu and Kashmir regions, respectively.
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Three gangs of thieves busted
Jammu, February 13 The SSP said special teams were constituted after an oil tanker (JK02V/6481) was stolen from Narwal Fruit Mandi on December 5. The police arrested Sham Lal, alias Pappu of Badyal Brahmana in RS Pura, and Surinder Singh, alias Didda, of Dharap in Gangyal, said the SSP, in this connection. The two had stolen the vehicle and disposed it of to Sarwan Singh, alias Sama, of Batala in Punjab. A police team arrested Sarwan Singh from Purana Pind in Batala and recovered the stolen vehicle. Similarly, three persons, who had stolen shafts of four trucks from Narwal Transport Yard, had also been arrested. They were Abdul Rahim, Abdul Ahad and Rashid Ahmed, all residents of Narwal Bala. In another case the Jhajjar Kotli Police had recovered gold ornaments worth Rs 50,000 stolen from the house of Daleep Kumar in Kanyala by Kalidas, alias Kali, of Kanyala. Goldsmith Gopal Saroop of Sunjwan, who had purchased the stolen property, too, had been arrested, the SSP said.
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4 more hostels sought
Jammu, February 13 Addressing a press conference, Krishan Dev Singh and Suresh Kumar, president and general secretary of the movement, respectively, in a joint statement, said the influx of students had increased in the varsity over the years, while no additional hostels had been built. “There is a need for two hostels each for boys and girls, and the work on the under construction boys hostel should be expedited,” they said. They also demanded two permanent mobile ambulances each for boys and girls hostels and more doctors and paramedical staff at the health centre for providing 24-hour medical facility. They appealed to the vice-chancellor to amend the criteria for allotting hostels. “Fifty per cent of the hostel seats should be filled on the basis of merit, while rest of the seats be filled on the basis of distance,” they sought. The student leaders further demanded that at least one canteen should remain open round-the-clock, as students study at the central library till late hours in the evening.
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Hizbul ultra gets 19-year RI for killing ex-MLA
Jammu, February 13 The court on Wednesday convicted Mohmmad Maqbool Tantray of conspiring with the other accused in kidnapping and killing of Mir Mustafa in 1990. In the 61-page judgment, the judge cited the “voluntary nature” of Tantaray’s confessional statement and sentenced him to five-year imprisonment besides imposing a fine Rs 1000 for kidnapping. He was handed down 14-year imprisonment and a fine of Rs 5000 on the murder charge. The court also issued arrest warrants against another accused Mohamad Rafiq Beigh. According to the CBI, the Chadodra police station had on March 23, 1990 received information of Mustafa going missing and his body was recovered two days later. The CBI, which started the probe in April 1999, found that he was kidnapped by accused Tantray, alias Aizaz, Nazir Ahmed Dar, alias Arif, Rauf Rasool Bhat, alias Yaseen and Abdul Rashid Dar, alias Imran on the instructions of Abdulla bangroo, self-styled chief area commander of Hizbul. Bangroo was killed in an encounter with the BSF on June 18, 1990. The court also issued an arrest warrant against Mohammad Rafiq Beigh. The other accused have already been discharged.
— PTI |
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Finish probe within 2 weeks: Charak
Tribune News Service
Jammu, February 13 “We have demanded that the security of the complex needs to be reviewed and strengthened by the state government,” Charak said. He said the inquiry already ordered by the Tourism Minister in the recent fire incident should be completed within two weeks and the report submitted to the government. “We request the Chief Minister to convene a joint meeting of the governing board and senior officers to review the implementation of the decisions taken in the previous meetings chaired by the Governor and the then Chief Minister,” Charak said. He asked the government to take measures to clear the rooms by the respective departments and hand over the same to the project management team with proper inventory in a neat and clean manner.
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Plan to check Pak’s anti-India broadcast
Rajouri, February 13 Villagers near border as well as residents of twin border districts said: “The Pakistani government may have come under lot of pressure from the international community after the Mumbai terror attacks, its radio channels, especially those operating from the PoK, continue to spew venom against India.” Local intelligence and police sources confirmed that the Pakistan media especially radio stations continue to air anti-India programmes. According to them, a team had visited these twin border districts to find out measures to stop such propaganda as also to examine ways to strengthen the network of All-India Radio. Radio channels like Pakistan Radio, Mirpur FM Station, Muzzafarabad FM Station, Kral Khal FM and Sada-e-Hurriyat Kashmir have been accused indulging in spreading anti-India propaganda.
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Youth returns from
PoK, arrested
Jammu, February 13 Mohammad Rashid was arrested along the LoC when he was crossed into Kerni area of Poonch from the PoK yesterday. On March 26, 2007, Rashid along with a married woman Nagma Begum, wife of Mohammad Afzal, reportedly fled from their homes in Kerni village and crossed into the PoK along the LoC. After staying in Barbad Kerni village in the PoK, the woman along with her two-year-old child, crossed back to the state on June 14 leaving behind Rashid, who returned yesterday. The security forces have handed over Rashid to the police, who have registered a case against him.
— PTI |
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Bank relief package for industrialists, farmers
Jammu, February 13 Chairman of the bank Haseeb Drabu presented the package details to the Chief Minister here today. The package will come into effect from January this year. The package also includes relief and re-structuring scheme for MSMEs, industrial revival and rehabilitation scheme, special package for transporters, preferred interest rates for government employees and special scheme for fruit growers. Drabu said: “The package envisages reduction in the interest rate between 1 per cent to 3 per cent (100 basis points to 300 basis points) for all categories of borrowers, including agriculturists, horticulturists, producers, consumers and government employees.” |
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‘Decline’ in infiltration
Jammu, February 13 According to senior intelligence sources, there has been a decline in the number of infiltrations and infiltration attempts from across the border. In winter season, due to the heavy snow in the valley, the infiltrators used to turn towards the Jammu region, which is on the south of Pir Panchal, to infiltrate into the Indian territory. However, in the over the past two months, there has been ‘no’ attempt of infiltration reported from any quarters. “The diplomatic pressure that was built up on Pakistan had forced them to admit that their soil was used by the terrorists to carry out attack on Mumbai. They knew that any attempt of infiltration from their side could further weaken their position,” a senior Army officer said. |
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Srinagar, February 13 Official sources said Zahoor had crossed over to the PoK in the early 90s and had returned here three days ago, after illegally infiltrating into this side. The police raided his Trehgam house and other possible hideouts but failed to arrest him, sources said, adding that he attended a public meeting organised for the 25th death anniversary of Maqbool Bhat on February 11. Bhat was hanged to death on this day in Delhi’s Tihar jail. Zahoor was arrested yesterday from his house. He has been booked under three different laws, including the breach of the LoC. — UNI
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Dismay over Power Dept functioning
Jammu, February 13 Bhat said the commitment made by the Chief Minister regarding upkeep, repair and replacement of non-functional and damaged transformers had not been kept as most of the transformers in various areas like Ajas, Kajipora, Kuloosa and in gujjars patis had so far not been repaired or replaced. “At many places, people are forced to take to streets that cause embarrassment to public representatives,” Bhat
said.
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Free books up
to class VIII
Srinagar, February 13 Officials said the students studying in government schools across the valley would get textbooks free of cost. They said all officials of the schools concerned had been directed to remain present in their schools tomorrow and on February 15 and distribute textbooks among the students.
— UNI |
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Porn CD accused denied bail
Srinagar, February 13 Rejecting the bail application moved by the accused, the Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) said it was a heinous crime. “The accused was involved in a crime of making porn CDs so he cannot be granted bail,” the CJM said in the judgment. The CJM said the accused was not entitled for any concession at this stage since he was involved in circulating the CDs in the market. The accused was arrested by the police (Crime Branch) after a complaint was filed by the Forum Against Social Evils about some people involved in making and circulating porn CDs in the valley.
— UNI
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Jammu, February 13
were injured in clashes between stone-pelting protesters and cops as the police resorted to a lathicharge and lobbed tear gas shells in different areas of the capital city today.
