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Residents out to check overloading of vehicles Amarnath yatra starts from Pahalgam route Valley shut, CRPF man accused of teasing girl |
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Devise strategy to rein in accidents: CM
PDP objects to doc’s suspension Sibal’s Proposals Drug policy within a month: Sham Lal Illegal opium cultivation in 4 Jammu districts
Canal water ‘diverted’ for non-farm purposes
Business rivalry leads to clash, NH blocked Illegal Study Centres 2 killed, 3 hurt in mishap Rush for college admissions
Ex-CM Mir Qasim’s wife dies
Labourer killed by
co-workers
Rallies mark anti-drugs day
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Residents out to check overloading of vehicles Udhampur, June 26 “We have lost faith in government agencies,” said Ravinder Slathia, who along with other youths was intercepting overloaded passenger vehicles plying on the road near Udhampur. He opined that it was due to the lack of will among politicians that road accidents were taking place frequently in the hilly areas of the Jammu region. In Udhampur and its outskirts, people have constituted squads to keep a tab on overloading and plying of condemned passenger vehicles. They intercepted an overloaded minibus, which was on its way to Bharmin from Udhampur. Passengers standing in the minibus were asked to come out and the bus driver was warned. Besides checking the overloading of passenger vehicles, people have also decided to check documents of the vehicles, including fitness certificates and driving licences of the drivers. It is widely alleged that drivers plying vehicles in the remote hilly areas do not have valid driving licences and most of them have managed the licences with out a proper test. Anil Sharma, a local resident, said it was not wise to depend upon the traffic police or the Motor Vehicle Department as these departments had failed to perform their duties. Most hilly areas of the Jammu region have been confronting a shortage of passenger vehicles and people have to travel in overloaded buses and mini buses.
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Amarnath yatra starts from Pahalgam route Srinagar, June 26 According to a spokesperson of the Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board, 11,676 pilgrims had darshan at the holy cave shrine yesterday, while another batch of 7,500 pilgrims left the Baltal Base camp early in the morning today for the holy cave. A batch of 1,415 pilgrims, who were camping at the Nunwan Base Camp, Pahalgam, was allowed to proceed for the pilgrimage this morning via the traditional Chandanwari route. Meanwhile, the board has once again appealed to the intending pilgrims registered for the Pahalgam route to keep adequate flexibility in their travel plans as only 2,000 registered pilgrims per day would be permitted in the initial phase to proceed on the yatra on a first-come, first-served basis on the traditional Pahalgam-Chandanwari-holy cave route in view of the track and weather conditions. No old or infirm person and children below 12 years will be permitted to undertake the yatra on the Sheshnag route in view of the difficult snow route. Women pilgrims have been advised to avoid undertaking the yatra on this route, at least for the next seven days or so. 1,410 pilgrims leave Jammu
JAMMU: Amidst tight security, 1,410 Amarnath pilgrims left the Yatri Niwas base camp this morning for the Baltal and Pahalgam base camps. As many as 1,410 pilgrims, comprising 948 men, 249 women, 69 children and 144 sadhus, left the base camp around 5 am in a convoy of 30 buses and nine light motor vehicles, SP Benam Tosh, security in charge of Yatri Niwas, told The Tribune. The batch also included around 500 pilgrims, who would be undertaking the pilgrimage from the traditional route of Pahalgam, he added. |
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Valley shut, CRPF man accused of teasing girl Srinagar, June 26 However, a different controversy sparked protests and violence in Shoura when a CRPF man was accused of eve-teasing. The police said a jawan of 158 battalion of the CRPF was assaulted by some locals for behaving “indecently” with a girl. As often is the case in Kashmir involving anything involving central forces, the controversy soon brought a large number of protesters on road, forcing the police to fire tear gas shells to disperse the crowd. At least four cops were injured in rescuing the jawan from the crowd, locals said. The police later registered a case against the CRPF jawan. The situation elsewhere remained under control as commercial establishments were closed and traffic remained off the roads. However, many shops outside major commercial areas remained open. Groups of separatist supporters at some places in Srinagar, Sopore, Baramulla and Shopian raised slogans after the Friday prayers. Police and CRPF personnel also restricted public traffic and many accused them of blocking their movement. “I was going to Lal Chowk from Sant Nagar in my car to meet a relative. But the police turned me away at Jahangir Chowk, ” Abdul Rouf, a banker, said. The separatists have been calling for frequent shutdowns against the alleged rape and murder of two young women in Shopian, and the initial mishandling of the crime by the government, which dismissed it as a case of drowning, only fuelled the public ire. Shopian remained shut for 27th consecutive day today and the group steering the protests has warned of “extreme steps” if the guilty are not caught by June 29. According to PTI, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq was again put under house arrest.
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Devise strategy to rein in accidents: CM Srinagar, June 26
He said important aspects of issuing hill licences, providing adequate number of vehicles, curbing overloading and upgrading road stretches in the accident-prone areas should be focused in the strategy, an official spokesman said here. The Chief Minister was chairing a meeting to discuss measures to reduce road accidents on the hill roads, especially in Doda and Kishtwar districts. Omar said overloading could be eradicated by enhancing the availability of public transport on the busy routes. Not only was the enforcement of strict regulations a must to stop this, it also required public awareness. The Chief Minister asked the Traffic Department to place reflectors in highly accident-prone stretches so that drivers, at least, get reference of road. “This could be short-term temporary measure till vulnerable road stretches are upgraded and improved,” he added. Referring to the traffic management in the twin cities of Srinagar and Jammu, the Chief Minister said some incentives for best traffic managers in the traffic police should be introduced to encourage them for rendering extraordinary service in this regard. “We should also think of some Urban Transport Authority or Corporation to manage traffic in the cities,” he added. The Chief Minister gave directions for enforcing rules pertaining to the use of helmets and registration number-plates on the vehicles and said this should begin from the government departments. He said the traffic police should launch a drive to make people aware about the size and type of the registration number-plates they require to use on their vehicles. He also directed for placing motorcycle traffic police squad on duty in the cities to enforce traffic regulations and manage the flow of traffic.
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Delayed rain drying up Tawi river Jammu, June 26 Water level at the Sitlee Water Project made on the Tawi river has touched the lowest level, “The water level is 1.80 metre. If the rain delays by a week or ten days, water supply to the Jammu residents would be a problem,” said an official. The Tawi river is virtually drying up after Sitlee. The Public Health Engineering Department has installed two pumps there which supply water to the city after filtration. The aquatic life of the river is already dying. The water level has gone so down that small fish species were found dead in the dried up bed. The river was first reduced to a stream but now it appears like a small seasonal rivulet. With the river drying up rapidly, the people dependent on it would be hit hard. Ramesh Khajuria, who sells fish at Satwari Chowk said he could not find any in the past two days, “There were only small species, which were of no use. Though there is not much demand of fish in this summer, I still managed to make some money by supplying a pair or two.”
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PDP objects to doc’s suspension Srinagar, June 26 Dr Shaheen said she had been victimised. “I was the one who said first that they were raped and murdered. I was not responsible for their postmortem as I was called for gynaecological tests,” she said. Separatist bodies and the PDP claimed that the government was getting back at her for exposing the crime. However, commission sources backed the government’s decision and said it had acted according to its advice. “It does not matter what a doctor says. It is about how they go about fulfilling their responsibilities and there is little doubt in our mind that doctors responsible for medical reports bungled their job,” an official said. A government spokesman said the government suspended the doctor on the basis of recommendation of the Justice Jan Commission. In case Dr Nighat had any grievances, she was at liberty to bring it to the notice of the commission, he added. “The government is committed to uphold truth and deliver justice in a fair and transparent manner, without sparing any police or civil official who is found guilty, involved or negligent. All actions, so far taken, are on the basis of interim report submitted by the Jan Commission, he said. Doctors threaten strike
Srinagar, June 26 The Specialist Doctors Association Kashmir (SDAK) threatened to strike work in hospitals from next week if the government did not revoke the suspension of the doctors immediately. “We condemn the suspension of two doctors for speaking truth regarding the Shopian incident. We will come on the streets and strike work in hospitals across the valley from next week if the government does not revoke this order with immediate effect,” a spokesman for the SDAK told reporters here today. Doctor Nighat Shaheen and Bilal Ahmad were placed under suspension yesterday for their failure to follow due procedure during autopsy of the two women who were allegedly raped and murdered in Shopian on May 30. The SDAK said doctors Nighat Shaheen and Bilal were part of first and second teams to give their opinion and examined the bodies of the victims at Shopian. “Nighat was the first to confirm that Asiya and Nelofar were gang raped before their murder,” it said. The spokesman said heads should roll from the top and action should be taken against the top brass and not against those doctors who brought the truth out. —
PTI |
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Sibal’s Proposals Srinagar/Jammu, June 26 GA Peer, Secretary, School Education, said any reaction without studying the proposal would be “knee-jerk”. “It will be a major policy decision and it would require comprehensive debate before we make the final decision. But we are open to the idea as it may be a better option,” Peer said. He said the government would like to know the exact options offered by the Union government in place of the Class X examination. Abdul Gani Madhosh, a former Kashmir University professor and well-known educationist, gave his “thumbs down” to the idea and said it was not a well-thought move. “I agree that students get overburdened but the need is to revamp the system not to do away with an exam that is stepping stone to a student’s career,” he said. He proposed that the Class VIII examination, which the J&K board conducts across the state, be done away with and the Class X examination should be staggered. He added that Class XII examination be rather scrapped as students are at a decisive stage at that point of time in their career and the examination only burdens them. When professional institutes mostly take their own exams for admission then what was the need for Class XII exam, he asked? “The board examinations are no test of intelligence. Sound guess work and rote methods work more than anything else in the Class X examination. The fear of failure is also very disturbing,” Ishan Ahmad, who passed his Class X exam last year, said. In Jammu, people have mostly welcomed the proposal. A majority of the educationists welcomed the proposal saying that changes and innovations in the present education system were necessary to make the students stress free and to have a check on the increasing cases of suicides by students. Appreciating the proposal, Dr. Bashir Ahmed , Secretary, Jammu and Kashmir Board of School Education (JKBOSE), said there was necessity for bringing changes and innovations in the present examination system but examination in the Class X should not be abolished completely. He said there should be some other way for taking this examination. Dr. Ahmad , however said:“If the proposal is student-friendly we will not have any objection in adopting it”, he added. Ajay Pandita, a student, said that the proposal was good for students and it could help in making the students stress free. Dalip Singh Jamwal, president, Jammu University Teachers Association, said there should be some other alternative for judging the knowledge of students. He said a phase-wise examination should be introduced instead of the annual and half-yearly examination, which could prove helpful in the stress level of students.
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Drug policy within a month: Sham Lal Srinagar, June 26 “I have set a deadline of one month for the formulation of the drug policy and have already issued directions to drug controller in this respect. Chemists are providing medicines without any prescriptions and this has worsened the situation on account of drug abuse,” said Sham Lal Sharma, Health Minister, here today. Sharma was speaking at a function organised by the state Police Department in connection with the international day against drug abuse and illicit trafficking. He said the government intended to strengthen outpatient department (OPD) facilities for drug addicts and was also thinking of starting a rehabilitation centre for such people. He expressed dismay that people were not willing to share information vis-à-vis their role and involvement in drug abuse. Calling for a missionary spirit from various sections of society in eradicating the menace, the minister said groups of religious scholars and social workers should educate masses about ill-effects of drug addiction. Dr Shahida Mir, principal,Government Medical College, Srinagar, said drug abuse had assumed an alarming proportion. She said 17 per cent of youths in the 18-35 age group were drug addicts. Kuldeep Khoda, DGP, said drug abuse was directly related with crime, as a person resorted to theft in order to fulfil his/her need for drugs.
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Illegal opium cultivation in 4 Jammu districts Jammu, June 26 In its drive against drug abuse the NCB had recently destroyed the crop of cannabis and opium on 2000 kanals of land in the Kashmir valley. However, 8000 kanals of land in the valley still remained under illegal cultivation of these drug-oriented crops. Only three states, Madhya Pradesh, UP and Rajasthan, have so far been given licences for cultivating these drug-oriented crops but purely for medicinal purposes. Sharma said after satellite imaging in Pulwama, Anantnag, Shopian and Budgam districts of the Kashmir valley confirmed illegitimate cultivation of opium and cannabis for commercial purposes, the NCB had launched a crackdown by destroying the crops. About the modus-operandi of the smugglers, he said they tried to smuggle charas in fruit-laden trucks from Kashmir to Punjab and Himachal via two routes of Dhar Road and Jammu. Once the contraband reached Chakki Bank near Pathankot they took it via train to places like Jaipur, Ahmedabad and Mumbai with the help of their conduits, he added. He, however, said that heroin, the costliest of all drugs, came from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iran. The consignments entered India via borders with active help of Pakistan’s ISI, he added. Expressing concern over constant rise in drug abuse, particularly among school and college-going students, Sharma said parents should also contribute their bit before it was too late. Despite being understaffed, the NCB had been doing everything possible to check drug menace, Sharma maintained. Meanwhile, the traffic police and several other NGOs organised awareness programmes against drug abuse in the capital city on World Anti-narcotics Day.
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Canal
water ‘diverted’ for non-farm purposes Jammu, June 26 Disgruntled farmers maintain that brick-kiln (almost all of them are on agricultural land) and farmhouse owners were indulging in illegal lifting of water from the ‘irrigation canal’. “Tube wells were installed to ensure water supply to fields, but most of them are out of order for the past several years. No one from the department concerned has turned up to look into the matter,” they said. “Right from Baba-Talab on the Akhnoor road to Maralia in Meera Sahib, as many as 200 illegal motors have been pumping canal water out for purposes other than agriculture. Tube wells have not been functioning for the past 25 years,” alleged Dev Raj, RS Pura Rice Growers Association president. “Poor farmers pay maalia (revenue) for using the canal water, which is exclusively meant for agriculture. But brick-kilns have been using the water in connivance with the officials concerned,” he alleged. The Irrigation Department was least worried about the rural economy that depended on agriculture, he added. The tail-end villages devoid of water supply from the canal include Baspur Bangla, Suchetgarh, Abdal, Grhana, Chakroi, Chandu-Chak, Abdullian, Vidhipur, Samka, Dera, Raipur Saida, Biyaspur and Parlah etc. Vice-president of the association Tejinder Singh said: “We need about 7 feet of water in the canal from Belicharana to Maralian to solve the problem of farmers.” Demanding round-the-clock patrol by the police along the canal, residents of forward villages alleged that some people obstructed the flow of the canal water in the midway and that is why they were not getting their share of water for cultivation of paddy and seasonal vegetables. “We have not seen any Pansaal (employees responsible for the supervision of canals) and Baildaar (whose prime job is to keep a check on water theft and entry of stray animals into the canal, besides ensuring that no one dumps debris into it) for several years,” said farmers. They alleged, “Their was no proper mechanism for the distribution of water. At present, distributaries No. 1 and 8 have been getting plenty of supply at the cost of others.” Daleep Bakshi, chief engineer, Department of Irrigation and Flood Control, agreed that 70 per cent of the posts of Pansaal and Baildaar were vacant. “There are some brick-kilns that were sanctioned canal water some 20 years ago. However, no new kiln or farmhouse owner had been authorised to use the canal water. If someone has a specific case, he could approach him,” Bakshi said. He added the Tawi water had already been diverted into the canal. |
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Business rivalry leads to clash, NH blocked Rajouri, June 26 The protesters threatened that if the attackers were not arrested by tomorrow morning, they would again block the highway. Police sources said the members of a group blocked the highway for three hours in the morning after one of their members Ranjeet Singh was attacked by his business rival Balbinder Singh and his supporters. They added that Ranjeet and Balbinder ran travel agencies and were business rivals. They have had many fights in the past few years. The sources said owing to frequent fights between them, Bhupinder Singh and Satnam Singh, brother and friend of Balbinder, respectively, were booked under the Public Safety Act (PSA). They, however, were released recently. They said around 9 am today, Balbinder and Ranjeet again came face to face and picked up a fight. Following a heated argument, Balbinder and his supporters allegedly pierced a sword into the back of Ranjeet, they added. The sources added that as soon as the family members and supporters of Ranjeet came to know about the attack, they blocked the highway. However, they lifted the blockade after three hours following an assurance from civil and police authorities that action would be taken against the culprits. Even as the protesters lifted the blockade, they warned the authorities that they would block the highway again if the 11 accused named by them in the FIR were not arrested by tomorrow morning. Meanwhile, SHO, Nowshera, Abdul Rehman, while confirming the incident, said they had registered a case and arrested one of the attackers.
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Illegal Study Centres Jammu, June 26 Meanehile, the public notice on the mushroom growth of private educational institutions without permission from the government has created mess among students and parents. The notice in the beginning advised the people not to seek admission to these colleges not registered with the state government, but instead of releasing the list of illegal private educational institutions, a list of private institutions approved by the state government has been given. Trilok Nath, a parent said, “The notice was totally confusing. At first glance I thought that the list is of illegal private institutions as the notice advised us not to seek admissions in illegal private education institutions. But instead of giving list of illegal study centres they have released list of legal private educational institutions.” Commissioner of Higher Education NK Verma refused to comment saying that he was busy in meeting.
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Jammu, June 26 The vehicle later fell into a gorge, injuring the driver and two women. The incident happened this afternoon when the driver of Maruti van lost balance and hit a tree and killed two persons, who were sitting under it, on the spot.One of the deceased, Chinu Ram, was an employee of Shri Mata Vaishnovdevi Shrine Board while another was identified as Rahul. The injured were rushed to sub-district hospital at Katra for treatment, they added. — PTI
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Rush for college admissions Jammu, June 26 Government College for Women, Gandhi Nagar, has sold 2,715 admission forms, while Government Gandhi Memorial Science College has sold 2,350 forms. Around 2,500 forms have been sold in Maulana Azad Memorial (MAM) College, while 765 forms have been sold in SPMR Commerce College since June 23. However, around 22,000 students, who have passed the higher secondary exam through the Jammu and Kashmir Board of School Education and the CBSE, would compete for nearly 14,000 seats in BA/B.Sc/B. Com courses in 24 degree colleges in the Jammu division. |
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Ex-CM Mir Qasim’s wife dies Srinagar, June 26 Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, PDP patron Mufti Mohammad Sayeed and PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti and other leaders have mourned the demise of Mariam Begum. In a condolence message, the Chief Minister expressed sympathy with the bereaved family and prayed for peace to the departed soul. |
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Srinagar, June 26 Mohammad Abbass Rather, 20, was killed by his colleagues over a tiff at a construction site at Batpora village of Budgam, 20 km from here, last night, the spokesman said. Abbass was a resident of Sohipora-Garend village. The police later arrested two persons in connection with the murder, he said, adding that the body had been sent for post-mortem and investigations were on. PTI Meanwhile, a labourer hailing from Assam was found dead under suspicious circumstances in Kargil district of the Ladakh region today, the police said. The body of Rajindra Narzary (35) was found at Hunkey Nullah near Heera Bridge Magmore in Kargil, it said. — PTI
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Rallies mark anti-drugs day Udhampur, June 26 Rallies, symposium, debates and awareness camps were organised by the Drug and Food Control Organisation, government educational institutions, Health Department, district Red Cross Society and others social organisations. A symposium on “Drug abuse. A social curse” was organised in Government Higher Secondary School, Kud. Students also took out a rally to create awareness among masses. At Chenani, a large number of students took out an awareness rally. At Tikri another awareness programme was held.
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Srinagar, June 26
