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Revocation of Armed Forces Special Powers Act
Four cops among 10 hurt in Maisuma clashes
A Kashmiri youth holds a shield left behind by policemen after being attacked by stone throwing protesters in Srinagar on Thursday.
Tribune photo: Amin War
Department ‘squanders’ sports funds
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2 killed as truck falls into gorge
Rs 5.08 Lakh Fraud
Airtel subscribers rue delay in bills
Amarnath Yatra
Mentally disabled mistaken for ultra
NIT to set up quake engg centre
Tributes to Venkataraman, VP Singh
Grenade attack on CRPF bunker
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Revocation of Armed Forces Special Powers Act Ravi Krishnan Khajuria Tribune News Service
Jammu, February 26 Former DGP MM Khajooria felt that in the present situation raising such demands had no justification whatsoever. “Special laws are meant for special circumstances and present situation is not ripe for scrapping the AFSPA and troops cut,” said the former DGP. Troops and the AFSPA would remain here as long as they were required, he said, adding that the government never want to come out with stringent measures in any part of the country but special actions were needed to tackle special situations. Though there had been a steep decline in militancy last year, the situation continued to change drastically but the PDP demand had no justification at present. The former DGP felt that under the garb of AFSPA revocation and troops reduction, the PDP had been trying to further its political gains. “It’s nothing but a gimmick of the Muftis to further their political interests,” said Bhumesh Sharma, a lawyer. The security aspect and special laws had always been the responsibility of experts at New Delhi and hence the PDP should stop raking up the issue. Referring to the PDP’s stint in the previous coalition government, Sharma said the then Chief Minister Mufti Mohammed Sayeed, who also remained chairman of the Unified Command, never talked about repealing the AFSPA and troops cut. But as soon as the PDP’s three-year stint to head the coalition was over, it started crying hoarse over special law and presence of security forces in the state, he added.
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Four cops among 10 hurt in Maisuma clashes
Srinagar, February 26 The body of an auto rickshaw driver, Shabir Ahmad Sheikh, a cousin of JKLF chairman Yasin Malik, was recovered from the Bemina area of the city on Tuesday morning, leading to trouble in the Civil Lines area. Fresh trouble started this morning soon after shops and business establishments were opened after yesterday’s general strike and protest demonstrations. Groups of agitated youth, demanding strict action against the killers, started throwing stones on police and other security personnel in Maisuma locality. The police lobbed teargas shells and resorted to cane charge to drive away the demonstrators, who continued to create trouble intermittently throughout the day. The killed youth was a resident of the area and had temporarily shifted to the Bemina area, where his body was recovered on Tuesday. Shops and business establishments were closed in and around Maisuma, including Gowkadal, Budshah Chowk, Lal Chowk, Koker Bazar, Residency Road and the adjacent localities. Normal life was affected in the City Centre, while traffic was also disrupted for some time, but was resumed later. |
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Department ‘squanders’ sports funds
Chauki Chawra (Jammu), February 26 Students rue that despite collecting the sports fee, the department doesn’t supply the sports material for years together and even if it supplies, the quality of material is ‘substandard’. “We want to play during games period but due to non-availability of the sports material, we can’t do so. We even pay Rs 30 as sports fee,” rued Sandeep Sharma, a student of Government Higher Secondary School here. A teacher of the school, on condition of anonymity, confirmed that though they had deposited the money with the department for supplying the material, it hardly provided the same for years together. The teacher further alleged that the department had provided the sports material a few years back, but it was found to be of substandard quality. “There is a large scale corruption in the department and orders for the supply of material are placed with a company that gives bribes to officials,” the teacher alleged. However, director, Youth Services and Sports, Jaipal Singh said the money collected from the sports fee was meant for other activities like holding competitions and was not for supplying the sports material to schools. He refused to comment on other issues. Meanwhile, sources in the state Finance Department averred that the government provided huge funds to the department for holding various competitions under the sports fund.
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2 killed as truck falls into gorge
Udhampur, February 26 Reports said the driver of the ill-fated truck bearing registration No. 5745-JK02 lost control over it while negotiating a sharp curve at Mansoor Bhagwa on the Doda-Desa road. The vehicle skidded off the road and rolled down into the gorge. A woman passenger was killed on the spot. Another passenger succumbed to his injuries on way to hospital. Before the police could reach the accident site, the locals had started rescue operations. All injured were shifted to hospital immediately. Meanwhile, local MLC and former minister Mohammad Shrief Naiz demanded adequate compensation for the families of the victims. He flayed the traffic police for its failure to keep a check on the plying of old vehicles. This is the second accident in this mountainous belt within 24 hours. Yesterday, 40 passengers were killed when a bus fell into the Neeru river. 11 CRPF personnel
hurt in road mishap
Srinagar: Eleven CRPF personnel were injured when their vehicle skidded off the road at picturesque Aru in the periphery of famous Pahalgam hill resort and fell into a stream in Anantnag district last night, official sources said today. The sources said the accident was caused by the slippery road conditions due to the accumulated snow on the road. The injured CRPF personnel were shifted to hospital and their condition was stated to be "stable", the sources said.
— PTI |
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Vigilance challan against four
Tribune News Service
Jammu, February 26 A case was registered following verification which prima-facie established that the ZEO Drabshalla, Doda, in furtherance of a criminal conspiracy with other officials and private persons have fraudulently drawn bills showing renovation/repairs of Government Middle School, Patnazi, Doda, which was actually executed by 26-Rashtriya Rifles with the help of local people. During investigation, it was found that on the intervening night of September 2 and 3, 1999, a double-storeyed school building comprising 10 rooms of Government Middle School, Patnazi, Doda, was gutted in a fire, resulting in complete damage of wooden material and tin roofing. In the year 2000, local inhabitants of the Patnazi area with the help of 26 RR deployed in the area carried out voluntary repairs/renovations of the ground floor of the gutted building comprising five rooms. Investigation has found that Farooq Ahmad Keen, accused contractor on February 9, 2005, moved an application before the then ZEO, Drabshalla, falsely claiming therein the release of payment for the work done in the school building. Oma Devi, then ZEO, Drabshalla, despite the knowledge that Keen had not executed the work, processed the claim of the accused contractor for release of payment. The accused ZEO passed the bill for Rs 5.08 lakh on March 31, 2006, which was drawn from Kishtwar treasury on the same day. To facilitate drawal of the amount she managed preparation of estimates for repairs of the building in March, 2006, through accused engineers - Majid Hussan Bhat, then Jr. Engineer, Education Department, Doda; and Abdul Ghani Sheikh, then Jr. Engineer, PWD (R&B), Kishtwar division.
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Airtel subscribers rue delay in bills
Jammu, February 26 The Customer Relation Officer (CRO) who looks after queries and process bills at the primary level is not ‘efficient’, which has further aggravated problems. “I have not received my bill for the past three months. I made several rounds of the CRO to complain in this regard, but in vain,” a customer said. An Airtel customer executive, on condition of anonymity, revealed: “I am tired of informing seniors in this regard but they seem to be least concerned.” “Ever since Airtel has joined hands with the department, this perpetual delay has become a headache for us,” the executive said. Nischal Kumar, senior official, Airtel, said the department was proving to be much cheaper than the courier system. Interestingly, top officials with both the postal department and Airtel express ignorance about the problem. DK Budiki, chief post master general, said, “I am not aware of any such problem which Airtel subscribers are facing. But I promise to look into the matter and solve it.” Ajay Khajuria, sales and CSD head, Airtel, said some of the subscribers were facing this problem and assured that from next month all subscribers would get their bills
on time. |
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Amarnath Yatra
Jammu, February 26 The subcommittee, headed by Dr Sunita Narain, an eminent environmentalist, will have Dr Ved Kumari Ghai and BB Vyas as its members. Madan Mantoo, Additional Chief Executive Officer of the board, will be the member- secretary of the subcommittee. With a view to ensuring the conservation of ecology and environment of the fragile Himalayan region, the abode of the holy cave and its tracks from both Baltal and Pahalgam axis, and all camping sites, the Governor, who is also chairman of the board, issued the necessary notification this morning with regard to the formulation of the subcommittee. According to a board spokesman, the subcommittee will hold its first meeting in Srinagar on March 11 to deliberate over the entire gamut of issues connected with environment and ecology of the area. |
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Mentally disabled mistaken for ultra
Jammu, February 26 Official sources said Parvez Ahmed (30), a resident of Kishtwar, had come to his sister’s house in the Christian Colony to get treatment from the Government Psychiatric Diseases Hospital here. They said Parvez came out of his sister’s house and by mistake entered another house from where he picked up a knife. As he came out of the house, some residents mistook him for a militant and informed the police. A police party immediately reached the spot and detained him. However, he was let off after being examined by psychiatrists. |
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NIT to set up quake engg centre
Srinagar, February 26 Dr AR Dar, HoD, civil engineering, NIT, said a list of objectives had been prepared for the centre and the same would be submitted before the centre became fully functional. The HOD said traditional structures would be studied by the new centre and flaws would also be looked into. He added that this would be followed by making necessary changes so that these structures were made earthquake resistant. Meanwhile, a six-day training for masons organised by the United Nations Development Programme in collaboration with the Divisional Commissioner Kashmir’s office is going on. Today, masons were informed about measures needed to be taken for retrofitting of existing structures. |
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Tributes to Venkataraman, VP Singh
Jammu, February 26
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Grenade attack on CRPF bunker
Srinagar February 26 The police here said no one was injured in the
incident. No militant outfit had so far claimed responsibility for the attack. |
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At least 10 persons, including four policemen, were injured in fresh clashes between protesters and the police in the central Lal Chowk area today. The protesters for the third consecutive day were demanding action against the killers of a youth from the area.
