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Ladakh MP Ghulam Hassan Khan joins
NC
Hassan’s homecoming upsets Cong
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MC dumping garbage into stream
Heaps of garbage on the banks of Rajouri nullah. Photo by writer
Protest against hike in parking fee
Class XII Results
Omar for preserving forests, water bodies
Probe ordered into death in custody
Hike wages of contractual workers: Harsh Dev
Farooq is Scouts & Guides president
Vohra hosts IAS entrants
Air chief Homi Major visits Leh
Two Unani docs attempt suicide
PDP worker escapes grenade attack
College sought for Sunderbani
Shepherd held in PoK
Scholarships for wards of cops
Pilgrim slips to death
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Ladakh MP Ghulam Hassan Khan joins
NC
Srinagar, May 18 The Chief Minister was talking to mediapersons when Ghulam Hassan Khan, newly elected MP from Ladakh, joined the National Conference. “Soon after the new government settles at New Delhi, we would take the initiative in this direction”, Omar Abdullah said. He observed that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi were fully aware of the requirements of J&K for faster development and economic growth, adding that his party’s support to the UPA was wholehearted and unconditional. The Chief Minister said he did not believe in bargaining or demanding anything in lieu of support and added that the NC had always followed the path of principle-based politics and “we will continue to uphold the same.” Omar Abdullah asserted that there was no underhand deal whatsoever in fighting elections by rebel NC candidate Ghulam Hassan Khan from Ladakh. “We sincerely campaigned for the NC-Congress coalition candidate and appealed to the voters to support him but the wisdom of voters was different and they returned Khan who today joined the NC without any condition or bargain”, he said. Welcoming his return to the NC, Farooq Abdullah described it as a homecoming for Ghulam Hassan Khan. He said Khan’s joining the NC had the approval of the Congress high command and expressed hope that this would prove beneficial for the people of Leh and Kargil who require focus of attention in the development process. Commenting on his decision, Khan explained the spirit behind his fighting as an independent candidate from Ladakh and said that it was actually on the demand of people that he fought the elections. He added that his joining back the NC was his homecoming.
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Hassan’s homecoming upsets Cong
Jammu, May 18 Though Chief Minister Omar Abdullah claimed that the Congress high command was taken into confidence over Hassan Khan, the PCC felt that the NC had violated the coalition dharma. Hassan, a rebel NC leader, won the Ladakh Lok Sabha seat as an Independent defeating Congress candidate P. Namgyal. “This seat had been a bone of contention between the Congress and the NC and at the same time it was a foregone conclusion that if Hassan Khan wins the seat, he would rejoin the NC,” said a PCC leader. However, by welcoming Hassan Khan into the party, the NC had not only violated the coalition dharma, but also indulged in an unethical practice, he added. Sources in the PCC said the day Hassan Khan had filed nomination papers as an independent, the Congress knew that the NC was hand-in-glove with the “rebel” leader. But the Congress did not want to attach too much importance to this development because ultimately the coalition partners made a clean sweep of all six Lok Sabha seats, said another party leader.
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MC dumping garbage into stream
Rajouri, May 18 Residents complained that by doing so, they are not only polluting the Rajouri stream, which ultimately will lead to the death of aquatic animals, but are also causing great pain to the people who pass through the area as foul smell emanates from the stream. “The municipal authorities after collecting garbage from various parts of the town and directly throw it into the nullah. We have complained to the authorities many times, but to no avail. Now we have given up complaining,” Ishtiyaq Ahmed, a local resident, said. An official of the Fisheries Department said due to the negligence of the municipal authorities, the life of fauna and flora in the stream had been badly affected. “On several occasions we have told the municipal authorities not to throw garbage into the stream,
but the authorities refuse to pay any heed to our repeated requests,” the official said. Admitting that the municipal authorities are throwing garbage into the nullah in Rajouri, Rajinder Gupta, chairman of the Rajouri Municipal Committee, said: “We have submitted a proposal to the government for scientific disposal of the garbage. The project is awaiting approval.” |
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Protest against hike in parking fee
Jammu, May 18 Earlier, The Tribune in its columns had highlighted the plight of the people due to the nexus between the police personnel deployed for the security of the railway station and the contractors, who had won the contracts of the parking lots. Reacting to the news item published in The Tribune, various social organisations in the region had reacted to the plight of the passengers and the Nirbhow Nirvair Organisation Jammu and Kashmir under the chairmanship of its president, Harjeet Singh, held a protest demonstration in Jammu, terming the charging of hefty amount by the contractors as atrocities on the common man. The organisation burnt the effigy of the railway authorities for restrictions on taking the vehicle inside the railway station premises and asking them to park in a separate parking lot leased out to the contractors. “On one hand they have restricted the parking inside the premises of the railway complex citing the security reasons and on the other have left their gundas (contractors) to collect Rs 20 from each and every vehicle that stops there to leave or receive their guests from the railway station,” said Harjeet Singh. They alleged that there was a nexus between the security personnel, the railway authorities and the contractors, who were fleecing the people who had to stop their vehicles near the railway station. “There is a deep-rooted nexus and everyone seems to be involved in it, people from top to bottom are involved in it,” Ramneek Singh, general secretary of NNO, said. Every year the railway invites tenders from the contractors to lease out the parking space and the contractor with the highest bid gets the contract. However, to get profit out of the venture, they fix the parking rates by themselves. “There is no check on the parking fee from the railway authorities. They should at least make a slab, but every time you visit here to pick or drop a passengers you find that the parking fee has been increased,” a local resident said. Officers of the railway station have maintained a guarded silence over the issue and refused to comment. However, they admitted that the contractors were fleecing the people and did not have any objection if the security personnel allow the people to bring their vehicles to the entrance or exit point. |
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Class XII Results
Jammu, May 18 Dipesh Gupta, a student of RS Jagriti Niketan Higher Secondary School, Kathua, stood first in the science stream securing 91.6 per cent marks, while Sushel Gupta of SM Jain Higher Secondary School, Jammu, secured the first position in commerce with 92.8 per cent marks. Prety Bhagat of Green Model Higher Secondary School, Doda, stood first in the arts stream securing 83.1 per cent marks. Compared to last year, a decline of four per cent in the overall results was witnessed this year. Last year, the overall pass percentage was 44 per cent and girls took the top positions. Whereas, this year, the overall pass percentage was 40 per cent and boys topped in science and commerce streams. Of the 17,182 students who took the exams, 5,412 students were declared as failed, while 20,263 students got reappear in various subjects. While 557 students got distinctions, 445 students secured first division, 356 got second division and 265 students secured third division. The results of 1,951 students were not declared, whereas 111 students were disqualified from taking the exams and 15 cases of using unfair means were registered by the education board. In the science stream, Suresh Kumar, a student of Akhnoor Government Higher Secondary School (Boys), stood second securing 90.8 per cent marks, whereas Radhika Gupta of Model Academy Higher Secondary School, BC Road, Jammu, got the third position securing 90.4 per cent marks. In commerce, Vipen Sharma of SRML Higher Secondary School, Parade Ground, secured the second position getting 88.8 per cent marks, whereas Urvashi Aggarwal of SM Jain Higher Secondary School stood third with 88 per cent marks. However, in the arts stream, Sanjeet Singh of GHSS (Boys), Udhampur, stood second securing 81.9 per cent marks, while Shannu Devi of Thatri GHSS (Girls) stood third getting 81.6 per cent marks.
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Omar for preserving forests, water bodies
Srinagar, May 18 He said in the present age climate change issues got the prime focus, given the fact that the survival of mankind hinged on sustaining our ecosystem and saving it from the hazards of global warming. The Chief Minister was chairing a high-level meeting of the Forest Department here today to discuss matters regarding the implementation of the World Bank-aided Jammu and Kashmir Participatory Water Management Project. “Possibilities for aerial seeding of plants in upper reaches and inaccessible mountainous ranges should be explored to rejuvenate forest wealth,” he stressed. Omar said in order to protect and conserve the forests and water-bodies of the state, innovative measures by roping in specialists and involving people need to be taken to address the issue of eco-significance. He asked the Forest Department to look for modern means for rejuvenating forests and ensuring the conservation and protection of environment. “State’s forests and water bodies are the fundamental ingredients of natural beauty and economic resources. We have to focus on their protection at all costs,” the Chief Minister maintained. The meeting was told that the project envisaged coverage of 4,32,920 hectares and was spread over 11 sub-watershed areas for adopting an integrated watershed management to reverse the process of degradation of the natural resource base, as well as enhance its productivity and improve livelihood of poor rural households in the project area. The project would be operative in 11 sub-watershed areas of the Indus in Leh and Suru in Kargil, Kahmil in Kupwara, Jhelum in Baramulla, Sind in Ganderbal, Sukhnag in Budgam, Lidder in Anantnag, Ans in Budhal, Rajouri, Munawar Tawi in Khour, Jammu, Kuntwara in Balassea, Doda and the Tawi in Jindhra, Jammu. As many as 1,74,250 households would be covered under the project, while as 50,675 households would get direct benefit. The project is likely to benefit over 10 lakh people and generate 45 lakh person-days of wage employment besides providing jobs to 2,000 persons regularly for seven years. |
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Probe ordered into death in custody
Srinagar, May 18 Manzoor Ahmad Beig, a resident of Aloochibagh here, was called for questioning by the SOG to its camp in connection with a complaint lodged by a person, who alleged that Beig had fraudulently taken away Rs 40,000 from him, official sources said. Beig was accompanied by three friends, who were not allowed inside the camp. After about one-and-a-half hours when the trio were leaving, one of them saw Beig being boarded on an autorickshaw in an unconscious state by a person outside a nearby nursing home, the sources said. When he raised an alarm, the person abandoned the vehicle and fled the scene, the sources said. Beig was immediately rushed to the SMHS hospital where he was declared brought dead, they added. Taking strong note of the incident, District Magistrate Mehraj Ahmad Kakroo ordered an inquiry. He visited the SMHS hospital along with SSP SA Mujtaba. "The case will be properly investigated and those found responsible for Beig's death would be punished." Kakroo said. — PTI
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Hike wages of contractual workers: Harsh Dev
Jammu, May 18 Legislative party leader of the party Harsh Dev Singh said while the elite classes and categories had been given substantial benefit, the deprived classes and categories, including ad hoc employees, daily wage workers, contractual Rehbar-e-Taleem and SPOs had been neglected by the government. Expressing concern over the government’s silence with regard to the fate of employees of these categories, he said they had made significant contributions in carrying forward the policies and programmes of the government. Harsh Dev called for the enhancing the wages of daily wage workers from Rs 70 per day to Rs 200 per day in conformity with the hike affected in the salaries of various other categories. He regretted that due to neglect of the government towards the plight of the daily rated workers, the execution of several schemes had been adversely affected. Harsh Dev said hundreds of crores of rupees provided under NREGA scheme could not be utilised, as the daily wage of Rs 70 as stipulated by the government was not acceptable to the labour class. Likewise, he said the daily wage earners working in the the PHE, PWD, PDD, Forest Department, Health Department and the Education Department, besides others had been eagerly awaiting the much-assured hike in their wages. Harsh Dev further demanded an increase in honorarium of Rehbar-e-Taleem and SPOs to a minimum of Rs 5,000 per month. He also urged the government to take corrective action so as to rectify pay anomalies caused due to the random implementation of the commission’s report.
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Farooq is Scouts & Guides president
Srinagar, May 18 Addressing the annual general meeting of the J&K Chapter of Bharat Scouts and Guides after being elected its president, Abdullah said: “Scouting provides a blend of physical, mental and moral training to youth and prepare them to share the responsibilities. Farooq asked them to prepare a charter of demands and promised them to take up the matter with the Chief Minister. He also suggested extending the benefits of reservations to the scouting youth in admissions and employment, hoping it would further strengthen the movement in the state. Earlier, the results of elections of the J&K Chapter were announced. Roma Wani, Pawan Kotwal, Shagufta Parveen, Zahida Khan, SA Rana were elected vice-presidents while NA Khan was elected the state chief commissioner of the organisation. |
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Vohra hosts IAS entrants
Srinagar, May 18 The Governor was interacting with four youths of the state who had been selected for the coveted All India Services from the state this year. They are Raghav Langer, Shahid Iqbal, Sumeet Kumar Jarangal and Imtiaz Ismail Parray. While Langer, Iqbal and Jarangal have made it to the IAS, Parray has been selected for the IPS. Vohra, who had invited the four youths to have tea with him at the Raj Bhavan, wished them a successful career in the Civil Services. The Governor felicitated the future administrators and hoped that many other boys and girls from the state would get inspiration from them and make to the IAS in the coming years.
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Air chief Homi Major visits Leh
Srinagar, May 18 On his arrival at Leh, the Air Force chief laid the foundation stone of the Officers’ Mess. He inspected various units at the base and expressed his satisfaction over the operational readiness of the units. While addressing the station personnel, he stressed upon continuous improvement in the quality of life of the personnel posted at such a high altitude. The Air Chief Marshal, according to an official spokesman, also took stock of various welfare measures being undertaken by the station administration for the welfare of the personnel and their families. |
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Two Unani docs attempt suicide
Srinagar, May 18 A group of Bachelor of Unani Medicine and Surgery (BUMS) doctors staged a demonstration outside the Civil
Secretariat. As nobody lent an ear to their grievances, Shavi Vardan Gupta of RS Pura, Jammu, and Bashir Ahmad Bhat of Tarzoo village, Sopore, set themselves on fire, the sources said. The police immediately swung into action and saved the duo and later took them in custody. A case has been registered against the
two. — PTI |
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PDP worker escapes grenade attack
Srinagar, May 18 The attack was made on Abdul Majid Teli's residence at Teli Mohalla of Pattan, 27 km from here, around 4.30 am, the sources said, adding that the grenade exploded in the compound of the house and shattered the windowpanes. It was the first attack on any political activist in the valley after the parliamentary elections. The police and the security forces have launched a hunt to nab the militants who fled the scene soon after the incident, the sources said. No militant outfit has so far claimed responsibility for the incident.
— PTI |
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College sought for Sunderbani
Rajouri, May 18 They demanded setting up of a district in the area with its headquarters at
Siot, which would benefit the areas of Sunderbani, Nowshera and Kalakote. They also demanded an Assembly constituency for Sunderbani and setting up of a Trauma hospital in the area. |
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Shepherd held in PoK
Jammu, May 18 Mohammad Safed (17) was
arrested by the Pakistani troops as he strayed into the PoK while
getting his cattle grazed near the LoC in the Bagayal-Dara area. The
matter was brought to the notice of his family members, who informed it
to the police. — PTI |
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Scholarships for wards of cops
Srinagar, May 18 The state police sanctioned the scholarships to 28 such children for the 2007, 2008 and 2009 academic years, DGP Kuldeep Khoda said today. Besides, scholarships had been given to the wards of those personnel who died due to natural causes or in accident. Over Rs 1.08 lakh had been sanctioned for the purpose, Khoda said.
— PTI |
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Pilgrim slips to death
Jammu, May 18 Anupama Sharma of Chandigarh was on her way to the cave shrine, when she slipped and fell into the 200-feet deep gorge near the Durga temple late last night. She was rushed to the hospital, where doctors declared her as brought dead. Later, her body was handed over to the family for last rites.
— PTI |
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Instead of disposing of garbage and other waste material at a dumping ground, the municipal authorities here are directly throwing garbage into a nullah (stream) in
Rajouri. Residents complained that by doing so, they are not only polluting the Rajouri stream, which ultimately will lead to the death of aquatic animals, but are also causing great pain to the people who pass through the area as foul smell emanates from the stream.
