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Belicharana Incident
State govt in name only: Harsh Dev
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Tibetans ‘boycott’ Chinese goods
Guv for promoting health insurance
Police to scan arms licence holders
Jammuites worried over voltage fluctuation
Amarnath Yatra
Renowned artiste Majboor dead
Financial bungling
LS poll counting today
Militants kill two in Handwara
Christian schools ‘misleading’ children
CBI opens office in valley
A security personnel responds to heavy stone-pelting by protesters in Srinagar on Friday.
Tribune photo: Amin War
Facilities at airports to be improved
Notification issued for LAHDC seats
Guv’s decision of shifting of helipad hailed
Polling held in two Ladakh stations
Special train between Jammu, Delhi
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Eviction shatters Gujjar kids’ education dream
Jupinderjit Singh/Ashutosh Sharma Tribune News Service
Jammu, May 15 Children are no more coming to the school that was being conducted in the open on the government land. They have just become the unintended victims of the controversial eviction of the Gujjars. The state government had already ordered an inquiry into the incident. The Forest Department officials, who carried out the eviction, had been attached to another wing of the department. Scared of the police, and without uniform, schoolbags and books, all of which were burnt or damaged during the eviction action, the children are not attending the school anymore. The incident ensured that the very purpose of setting up schools in Gujjar colonies was defeated. “The policemen burnt our bags and threw them here and there. We were beaten and even our clothes caught fire. Other children ran away after the incident. My parents have remained here and we have been told the school will be shut down sooner or later,” said Sultana, a student. The children were being taught under a tree in the Gujjar colony for the past three years. A fact that revealed that why the authorities let it function in the “illegal” colony all those years. A local group of youths, who run an NGO, carried out an independent inquiry into the incident. They video-recorded the broken and burnt houses, motorcycles and the statement of the schoolchildren. A Tribune team visited the site today. The video showed the evicted Gujjars had voter I-cards, ration cards and even electricity connections. It was strange that the government provided these facilities to them in an “illegal” colony. “Only eight students have remained. We don’t know where others and their parents have disappeared,” said Nasir Latif Mir and Mussarat Choudhary, teachers of the school. “Students are yet to come to terms with what happened recently. Their families are living in the open in scorching summer,” the teachers said. Meanwhile, Manohar Singh, SSP, said an inquiry was already under way in the the incident. The Gujjars already have a low literacy rate. According to Javid Rahi, national general secretary of the Tribal Research and Cultural Council,“Gujjars don’t have a literacy rate of even 0.5 per cent.”
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State govt in name only: Harsh Dev
Jammu, May 15 Harsh Dev said there was a serious shortage of potable water not only in rural areas and suburbs but also in cities and towns with the government paying no heed to people’s problems. He said power shortage too had become a routine feature. He said the condition of rural health institutions was most deplorable with a majority of heath centres lacking proper staff, medicine, equipment and accommodation. Harsh Dev said education institutions also faced an acute shortage of staff in rural areas. He said the condition of rural roads was most pathetic with a majority of the planned works remaining unattended and incomplete. The Panthers leader regretted that the earlier decisions of District Development Boards were not being implemented and their meetings were not being called for the current year. He said not a single penny out of the funds authorised by the Assembly by way of ‘vote on Account’ in February this year had been spent by any state department. Harsh Dev said the government was trying to hide its inefficiency behind the ‘model code of conduct’ quite oblivious of the fact that routine development works were excluded from the purview of the
code. |
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Tibetans ‘boycott’ Chinese goods
Leh, May 15 Hundreds of Tibetan migrants settled in Leh used to smuggle in cheap Chinese goods, whose annual worth by official estimate was a few hundred crores, through Demchok, which is close to 300 km from Leh and on the Line of Actual Control that separates India and China. The authorities on both sides of border tacitly approved the trade as it benefited everybody concerned, but the recent Chinese crackdown on the Tibetans has come as a major dampener. There were talks in the past to formalise the blossoming trade, but it seems a distant dream now. “Why should we buy products from them and benefit the Chinese economy when they are repressing our people,” says N Tethong, a trader in the famous Tibetan market in Leh. The Tibetans living here would smuggle in winter clothes and electronic goods among other items from their counterparts on the Chinese side, and sell them at much higher rates to ready overseas and Indian customers. “The product quality was good and cost much less compared to prevailing rates in Indian markets. So they had a good market here, but our cause is much more important than the mere monitory gains,” Tethong, joined by a number of other traders, said. “We used to simply walk across the border, buy products and come back. Now Chinese have become more suspicious of everyone entering through Demchok due to our sympathies with the Tibetans. The risk is too high,” Tashi Norbe, a Ladakhi trader, who is not a Tibetan, said. “Some traders who are well-known in China continue to smuggle in goods, but the volume has come done by a huge margin,” an official said. |
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Guv for promoting health insurance
Srinagar, May 15 He was addressing the inaugural session of the three-day 55th Annual Conference of the Indian Association of Cardiovascular Thoracic Surgeons at the Sher-e-Kashmir International Convention Complex, here yesterday. Vohra said the incidence of cardiovascular diseases, particularly coronary artery diseases, had witnessed a growing trend in the past few years, and along with it the cost of treatment of such ailments had also gone high. This called for an urgent need to make the treatment of such diseases cost-effective and within the reach of various sections of the society, he said. He also emphasised the need for expanding and upgrading healthcare services by according more focus on primary healthcare facilities, adding that this sector needs drastic improvement. He said keeping in view the high cost of various treatments, health insurance schemes need to be popularised and the procedures to be observed by the beneficiary should be simplified. Chief Secretary SS Kapur emphasised on developing low-cost indigenous products to bring down the cost of medicare. Dean, SKIMS, Prof Imtiyaz Ali, secretary, Indian Association of Cardiovascular Thoracic Surgeons,
Prof CP Srivastava and Prof and Head of the Department of Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery, SKIMS, Srinagar, Dr AG Ahanger also addressed the inaugural session of the conference.
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Police to scan arms licence holders
Udhampur, May 15 Surinder Gupta, SSP, Udhampur, saiod the administration had been requested to provide a list of all those who were issued weapon licences from 2006 to 2009. “The police and its allied departments, including the CID, will verify the credentials and character of all licence holders to single out those who have been indulging in criminal activities,” the SSP said. He said some people having licensed weapons had been indulging in anti-social activities. Besides Udhampur district, the local police has also written a letter to the DCs of adjoining Samba, Ramban, Doda and Reasi districts to provide lists of all weapon licence holders for verification. The authorities had taken this decision as some criminals of Udhampur had managed to acquire licences from neighbouring districts. “It is a time consuming process, but it will help contain crime in this belt,” the SSP said. If credentials of any licence holder were found to be doubtful, the person would be asked to surrender the weapon. |
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Jammuites worried over voltage fluctuation
Jammu, May 15 Officials of the Power Development Department
(PDD) say that fluctuation in the domestic electricity supply is due to overloading of transformer or loose wire connections. However, they attribute overloading of the main transformer responsible for the voltage fluctuation. “The main reason for voltage fluctuation to the domestic lines is overloading. When somebody switches on or switches off a heavy electrical item like
airconditioner, there is fluctuation in power supply,” an officer of the
PDD, Jammu, said. The frequency provided by the state Electricity Department is 50 hertz and the voltage ranges up to 220 volts for domestic connection in single-phase connection, and the same increases in case of a double-phase connection, which is 440 volts. “I am worried due to this fluctuation as last year too our refrigerator and television set got damaged,” Surjeet Singh of Nanak Nagar locality, Jammu, said. He said: “Later, I had to invest a large sum of money to purchase an automatic stabiliser to check the fluctuation in the power supply.” The residents in Jammu rue that they are unable to use many of their electronic gadgets as they fear that the same may get damaged due to voltage fluctuation . Meanwhile, PDD officers said voltage fluctuation could be due to loose electricity connections either on the electricity poles or in a house, and advise people to get it rectified. Ajay Gupta, chief engineer, maintenance and repairs,
PDD, Jammu, said: “Overloading has to be checked as it is responsible for the fluctuation in power supply.” |
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Protest over Geelani’s statement
Tribune News Service
Jammu, May 15 The BYJM staged a rally in front of Raj Bhawan, protesting over the statement. Nearly 100 activists, led by BJYM East Mandal president Sanjeev Gupta, raised slogans against Geelani and burnt his effigy in front of Raj Bhawan. They also urged the Governor not to pay any heed to the separatist leader. The activists also demanded stern action against Geelani’s communal statement, which tantamount to spreading disaffection against Hindus. Geelani had recently asked the shrine board to limit the yatra for 15 days as according to him the duration of two months of the yatra affects the ecology and environment in the valley. The BJP has also strongly condemned the statement of Geelani. State president Ashok Khajuria in a press conference asked Geelani not to play his vicious games in the religious affairs of the Hindu community and asked him to stop interfering. He emphasised that the yatra would continue as it had been since its inception.
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Renowned artiste Majboor dead
Srinagar, May 15 He had directed more than 200 plays and was “A” grade artiste of All India Radio, Doordarshan and the Jammu and Kashmir Academy of Art, Culture and Languages. He was a teacher by profession and remained associated with the State Academy of Art, Culture and Languages as a “visiting senior artist”. He was also a member of various high-level committees constituted by state and Central governments. Majboor was the founder member of Kashmir’s leading theatre group “National Bhand Theatre” and was the Director of National Bhand Theatre, Wathoora, till his death. He was also associated with a number of associations and groups working for the promotion of art, culture and languages in the state. He was born on December 17, 1952, at Hanji Gund, Wathoora, in a famous Mahagunee Gharana of Kashmiri folk theatre and inherited the thousand-year-old legacy of folk-theatre of Kashmir. |
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VC given 7 days to punish guilty
Tribune News Service
Jammu, May 15 The committee comprises Sunil Sharma, Varinder Singh Chib, Kuldeep Raj, Rahul Sharma, Mohinder Singh Pandu, Ajay Taluor and Bindu Abrol. Addressing a press conference here today, Varinder Singh Chib said students would launch an agitation if the guilty were not punished. The committee members alleged that the university authorities had been involved in financial bungling like the misuse of university social infrastructure funds and other funds provided by the state government. Highlighting the sufferings of poor students, Chib said scholarships for scholars had not been released for the past three months. At the same time, the university authorities had spent lakhs of rupees in the celebration of the anniversary of General Zorawar Singh Auditorium. The committee also demanded a white paper on the misuse of funds from Jammu University registrar GS Sambyal.
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LS poll counting today
Srinagar, May 15 Prominent among those in the fray include NC president and former Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah, contesting the prestigious Srinagar constituency. He is pitted against his old party colleague, Iftikhar Hussain Ansari of the PDP and his own sister, Begum Khalida Shah of the Awami National Conference (ANC). Srinagar DC Mehraj Ahmad Kakroo today convened a high-level meeting to finalise the arrangements for counting of votes at Sangarmal Shopping Complex. The meeting also took review of the security arrangements made in and around the counting
centre.
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Militants kill two in Handwara
Srinagar, May 15 While guard Ghulam Mohiuddin Sheikh was beheaded in the forest area, 22-year-old Riyaz Ahmad Mir was shot dead inside his house, official sources said. They said both persons were killed on suspicion of being informers of security forces. The head of Sheikh (35), a resident of Hangal village, was found lying at Laribal-Shartigam in the Zachaldara forest area of Handwara this morning. Mir was shot dead by the militants inside his house at Bhawan village of Zachaldara in the wee hours. So far, no militant outfit has claimed responsibility for the two incidents, which created panic in the border town.
— PTI
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Christian schools ‘misleading’ children
Jammu, May 15 In a meeting, Harjeet Singh, president of the organisation, along with other representatives had appealed to the state government to instruct the Education Department to warn these institutions “The very purpose of teaching religious issues is to convert the students into their own religion,” the statement issued by the NNO said. They said various incidents in the state had come to the fore where these missionary schools were indulged in motivating the children to join their religion. Meanwhile, a representative of the Christian schools said the allegations levied against them were false and motivated with ill
will. |
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CBI opens office in valley
Srinagar, May 15 A top CBI official said SP Javed Siraj would head the Kashmir operations to curb corruption in units of the central government and PSUs located in these regions. The CBI earlier had only a few inspector-level officials here who had to take consent of the SP sitting in Jammu to register a case. Lack of manpower was a major hindrance as well. The CBI has asked people to report any bribery and corrupt malpractices in central government offices and PSUs at phone Nos 2455514 and 2452200.
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12 injured in Friday clashes
Srinagar, May 15 The police said scores of youths began throwing stones at CRPF personnel and the local police as soon as prayers ended. Hurriyat leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani has called for protests and said he would organise rallies in coming weeks against what he called Indian occupation in Jammu and Kashmir. Similar clashes occurred in Sopore and Baramulla, Hurriyat leaders said. Police and CRPF personnel baton-charged the crowd and lobbed tear gas shells to disperse them. |
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Facilities at airports to be improved
Srinagar, May 15 He was chairing a high-level meeting of officers to review the functioning of airports in the state here yesterday. The meeting discussed in detail the extension of airstrips at Leh, Kargil and Kishtwar, besides working out the feasibility of developing new airstrips at Surankote and Rajouri. The Chief Secretary asked the authorities concerned to prepare a proposal for inclusion of one MIG-17 helicopter for the state in the Tribal Sub-plan which would be forwarded to the Centre for necessary funding. He said other states had also procured helicopters from the Centre under the same scheme.
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Notification issued for LAHDC seats
Srinagar, May 15 The vacancies have arisen due to election of Aga Syed Ahmed representing Parkachik as a Member of the Legislative Council, and Feroz Ahmed Khan, representing Silmo, as the MLA from Zanskar. Nominations can be made from May 25 to June 1. Scrutiny will take place the next day while the last date for withdrawal is June 4. Polling will take place on June 19 and counting on June 22. |
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Guv’s decision of shifting of helipad hailed
Jammu, May 15 The Governor, who is also the chairman of the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board (SASB), had decided to shift the helipad 1 km short of the present location. A meeting of the mandal held, under the chairmanship of its president Kuldeep Wahi, said here today that it was the long-pending demand of the JPVM as well as many NGOs and organisations connected with the pilgrimage to keep the helipad at distance from the cave shrine to save the ice-lingam from melting due to the gasses emitted by choppers and helicopters landing close to the shrine. Welcoming the announcement by the SASB to commence the Amarnath yatra from June 7 and lasting for two months, the JPVM said this should set at rest all fears expressed by certain sections that there was a move to curtail the period of the yatra. |
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Polling held in two Ladakh stations
Srinagar, May 15 An official spokesman said here that 22 out of the total 23 votes were polled at Ralakung, while at Phema all 14 voters exercised their franchise.
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Special train between Jammu, Delhi
Jammu, May 15 The train (No 0405) would leave Delhi every Friday at 10:50 pm and reach Jammu on Saturday at 9:10 am, the train would leave Jammu the same day at 10:15 pm and reach Delhi at 6:35 am the next day. |
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Soz urges PM to hike Haj quota
Jammu, May 15 |
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