Udhampur, July 24
The employment scheme under the much-publicised National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA) has received a poor response in Udhampur district. The scheme was implemented for the first time in the district in financial year 2008-09.

Although employment avenues are less in rural areas of Udhampur district comprising 90 per cent of the Kandi belt, villagers are not enthusiastic about the NREGA scheme. Villagers attribute many reasons for the failure of the scheme in this belt.

According to the official data, in the first year of its implementation in Udhampur district, job cards were issued to 24,157 persons for 100 days’ employment in 2008-09. Interestingly, out of the total 24,157 cardholders, only 21 got 100 days’ employment in the previous financial year.

The situation is even worse in the present financial year, as people are not coming forward to get jobs under the scheme.

According to sources, except Majalta and Ramnagar, cardholders of Chenani, Dodu, Ghordhi, Panchari and Udhampur have not come forward for getting employment under the scheme in the first four months of the present financial year.

Out of more than 24,000 cardholders, only 108 have demanded employment in the prevailing financial year.

“There is no fun in the implementation of this scheme in our area as it has failed to fulfil the spirit for which the NREGA was formulated,” pointed out Haridutt, a resident of Ghordhi village. He said there were many reasons for the failure of the scheme.

“Non-serious attitude of the implementation authorities, prevailing red tape and less wages being paid to labourers are some of the visible reasons,” he said, adding that the wages paid to workers in Jammu and Kashmir were less as compared to the neighbouring states.

“We are getting Rs 70 per day. So, the people are hesitating to come forward to get employment under the scheme,” Dwarka Nath, a resident of Chenani, said.

People’s poor response to the scheme can be gauged from the fact that in the present financial year, out of the total 4,087 cardholders, not even a single person has demanded job under the scheme.

Same is the situation in Dodu where total cardholders are 3,004, but none of them have demanded job. Two persons out of the total 3,410 cardholders in Ghordhi have demanded job, while there was no response in the Udhampur and Panchari blocks.

In the previous financial year, 816 projects were identified for completion under the NREGA and it was due to the lacklustre response of the people that only 315 projects were started.

Recently, a team of the Central government had visited Udhampur district to inspect the implementation of the scheme in this belt.

Keeping in view the topography of the area, the visiting team had recommended a hike in the wages, but the authorities have not taken any decision in this regard.

Srinagar, July 24
Trains are set to run their full stretch in the Kashmir valley in August as work on the Qazigund-Anantnag line is nearing completion.

Sources in Ircon, which is responsible for building rail infrastructure in the valley, said the work on the bridge between Qazigund and Anantnag, which is the longest in Kashmir, is complete and trains might begin running in August.

With this, the Railways would complete the first phase of its work of covering the 118-km distance to Qazigund, called the gateway to Kashmir because of it being the first town on the way to the valley.

The much arduous exercise of connecting Katra in Jammu division to Qazigund remains a huge task as the efforts of the Railways have been hampered by a series of engineering challenges.

Official sources said they had spent a whopping Rs 2,551 crore on the Qazigund-Baramulla line till December last, but the enthusiastic response for the public had come as a major fillip despite initial apprehensions.

There will be 15 stations between the two ends of the Kashmir rail network and a train will cover the distance in less than two hours against close to four and a half hours consumed in road journey.

Rail commuters will also benefit economically as at present, they will have to pay Rs 150 for the road journey, if they opt for commercial vehicles like Tata Sumo, the normal mode of road transport in the valley, while the train journey will cost them less than Rs 25.

The Qazigund-Baramulla section would have 64 major bridges, 640 minor bridges and the longest one, which is between Qazigund and Ananrnag, would cover a distance of 45 km. The maximum height of a bridge is 25 m.

People in Qazigund have expressed happiness over the development as it allayed their fears that trains might skirt them.

“This is the first major town but it always faces neglect so far as development is concerned. We feared that the Railways would keep its service between Anantnag and Baramulla only, but their speedy work has reassured us,” Abdul Majid, an apple farmer here, said.

Jammu, July 24
A large number of thefts and the alleged failure of the police in solving such cases have forced residents of Sarswati Vihar, Bohri, to start night vigil on their own.

Having lost faith in the law and order machinery, the residents of lane no. 5,6,7 and general lane have started keeping vigil in groups.

Interestingly, an area police officer claimed that there were no thefts while his senior officer said the police was aware of the problem and had also started night patrolling. Thirteen major and numerous minor theft cases have been reported so far since February.

Talking to The Tribune, Shiban Krishan Tickoo said, “I have lost 10 tola gold, an ATM card, a mobile handset, a DVD player, a pen drive and Rs 30,000. The house was locked and we all were on a religious trip to Tulmula in Kashmir. My relatives who live nearby informed me about the theft. Later, I filed a complaint with the Ponichek police post”.

Expressing disappointment, another resident of the area said, "See how much the police is vigilant in the area? Now, thefts are occurring even during the daytime”.

In the past, any house that remained locked for a couple of days was struck by thieves. This had added to the worries of those inhabitants who had to lock their houses for participating in a wedding or had to admit a patient in the hospital or attend some function that warranted the closure of their house.

But, with the night patrolling started by the residents, people feel relieved on this account as at least there are people to take care of the closed houses now.

The results are encouraging. No theft case has taken place in this area since the beginning of the night patrol. The residents of these lanes feel relieved of the sense of insecurity they were subjected to due to recurrent thefts.

President of the area ML Raina said, “We are performing this duty in groups from 10 pm to 5 am. Earlier, whenever a theft occurred, unwanted elements were found roaming in the area before the incident. The night patrolling has slowed down the theft cases. The police has also started night patrolling in the area everyday which has further restricted the occurrence of thefts”.

Meanwhile, area police officials seem more concerned about suppressing the incidents. Javid Ahmad, chowki officer, police post Ponichek, said residents were filing false complaints and not even a single theft had occurred in the area.

He refused to say anything on the issue of night patrolling started by the residents of the area.

Senior officers, however, are quite aware of the problem. SP, Rural, Mohan Lal Bhagat said he was aware of the situation and had himself visited the area recently.

He said the department had enhanced the vehicle and foot patrolling in the area in view of the rising theft cases. He said the department had even deputed its personnel in civil dress to keep an eye on suspected elements.

Bhagat further said, “We are also trying to educate people on how they can avoid theft. I have directed the residents not to leave their house without informing the neighbours, lock the main gate from inside and not from outside, and if possible, hire a private watchman for the area”. He also assured that all efforts would be taken to nab the thieves immediately.

Jammu, July 24
Girls in Jammu have shaken the male dominion over kite-flying as in various localities they have outnumbered boys and are seen flying kites under the scorching sun.

Youngsters and children have started doing so and a large number of girls can also be seen flying kites on terraces.

This is in view of the forthcoming kite festival in the state. Last year, the enthusiasm was missing due to the Amarnath land row.

Jasleem Kour, a student who resides in Nanak Nagar, said that for the past several years she had been flying kites during the festival.

She disclosed that she learnt the art from her younger brother and now she could give a tough fight to trained boys and could even defeat them.

Neelam Choudhary, a resident of Indira Chowk, said: “I started kite-flying five years ago and it is the most beautiful game which a girl can play at home, along with friends and relatives. I get a lot of enjoyment while flying kites. Last year, I could not enjoy it because of the land controversy, but this year I will enjoy it fully. I hope in future more and more girls will participate in kite-flying”.

Expressing excitement, Rekha Bhat, a college student who resides in Muthi, said, “It was my childhood dream to fly kites, but my parents told me that girls could not do so. Now, I have got the opportunity to fly kites and this time, I will show my parents that girls can also fly kites”.

Jammu, July 24
The sky in Jammu these days is dotted with different types of kites, as people in the region prepare themselves to celebrate the ongoing season.

There is, however, no theory why people here get so passionate about kite-flying during this season that would last for more than a month.

Most shopkeepers in Jammu these days have kept kites. Such is the craze for kites that many grocery stores, tailors and other shopkeepers have kept kites for sale.

Kewal Krishan is in the profession of making kites for the past 25 years as he finds it a profitable business. He has been making kites carrying a price tag between Rs 1 and Rs 100.

“People of Jammu indulge in flying kites like anything during this season,” Krishan said, adding, “On an average, I sell more than 15,000 kites per season and I manufacture more than 700 kites a day”.

The shopkeepers selling kites are having a gala time this year as last year they had suffered huge losses due to the two-month protest following the Amarnath land row.

This season, the kite manufacturers and sellers are happy that the passion for kite-flying has once again returned to the region.

“Though this is an unorganised sector, every year the turnover of kite sellers runs into crores of rupees,” said a kite maker.

He said, “Numerous shopkeepers temporarily shut their other businesses and resort to selling kites during this season”.

People fly kites during Raksha Bandhan and Janamashtmi, but many have already started doing so. We have placed orders for thousands of more kites,” said Sumit, a kite seller.

“We make big-sized kites also. But such kites are made on order as they are quite costly,” Krishan said.

He said though paper for manufacturing of such kites is easily available in Jammu, they have to bring bamboo sticks from Punjab.

This season, the kite flyers are also elated as kites made in China are also available for sale in the city, although the Chinese kites are quite costly but people are still buying them.

“People are passionate about flying kites and we expect to have a profitable season this year,” said Sonu, a kite seller in Pucca Danga market here.

The string (thread for kites) sellers, who mostly come from outside the state during this season, are also elated at their sales.

“I have been coming to Jammu along with my team for the past 10 years. We make and sell kite threads in Jammu. People here prefer to fly kites during July to August while in Punjab, people indulge in kite-flying during Lohri,” said Parmod Kumar, a resident of Gurdaspur, Punjab.

He said, “This year, we expect to recover the losses that we suffered last year”.

“The rate of a thread roll ranges between Rs 5 and Rs 1,000. Sometimes people
bring their own tread and ask us to prepare it for kite-flying,” said Ankuj, also a
resident of Gurdaspur.

He said, “More than 100 thread-makers from outside the state have come to Jammu during the season and there is also a stiff competition between us to make more and durable thread.”

The residents, especially children, are also elated at cheaper kites and strings.

Jammu, July 24
These days, vibrant kites soaring in the azure sky have added zing to the city’ look. Children can be seen standing on rooftops stretching their arms to pull the strings to take their kites to the higher skies.

This blending of traditionalism with modernity makes one feel that we are still somewhere attached to our roots.

However, the trend of kite flying has seen a shift over the years. Who can vouch for this better than senior citizens?

Ratan Lal, a retired engineer, says, “Earlier, all kids, college-going boys and even men used to get together in open grounds or rooftops of their houses and share great fun in flying kites. It used to be a great social gathering. But now, you don’t see youngsters flying kites any more. It is only children who do so, but that too in villages or in old parts of the cities. You would hardly see any such activity in the posh areas of the city”.

This change in trend, values, preferences and time has taken its toll on people engaged in making and selling kites.

Pakka Dinga, the bastion of kite sellers, speaks aloud about this declining trend. Mintu Ram, a kite-seller, who has been in this business for many years, says, “We have been facing a tough time for the past two years. Last year, because of the Amarnath agitation, I had to go back with my raw material worth Rs 4.5 lakh after the season. And now, it is the high cost of paper and wood, which is making things difficult for us”.

It has become difficult for merchants to sustain the expenses of food, shelter and wages to labourers whom they hire from Amritsar, Jaipur and Lucknow to make kites for them for three months.

But even in this distressing scenario, the traders are doing everything to woo customers. One can see attractive kites, carrying pictures of cricketers, film stars, film posters, National Flag, slogans of “Vande Mataram”, and messages such as “I Love You” adoring these shops. Hope this beautiful trend never comes to an end.

Srinagar, July 24
The state government is focusing on creating and developing various places of attraction and also conserving and restoring historical places in Kashmir.

While pilgrimage tourism, mainly to the Vaishnodevi shrine in the Jammu region and the Amarnath cave shrine in the Kashmir valley, has already been developed, the state government is keen on promoting heritage tourism, not only in the valley but also in all the three regions --- Kashmir, Ladakh and Jammu.

As part of the plan, the old Rustum Garhi Cafeteria atop the hillock of Sulamanteng, which has attracted a large number of tourists in the past, has been reconstructed at a cost of Rs 40 lakh.

It was inaugurated by minister for tourism and culture Nawang Rigzin Jora here recently. The minister said the cafeteria was rebuilt in view of the past fame of the site which used to attract the tourists to view the scenic beauty of Srinagar city, and added it would be a major source of attraction for tourists as well as locals.

He said new tourist destinations were being identified in all regions and the necessary infrastructure was being provided.

He said it would help generate employment in the areas. Jora said a multi-pronged strategy was being evolved to attract domestic and foreign tourists and NRIs.

He said tourism-related infrastructure was being upgraded at all destinations under 19 tourism development authorities to facilitate the visitors by providing leisure accommodation, besides latest gadgets for enjoying adventure sports.

During his recent visit to the historic Hari Parbat Fort,the minister said the government would showcase the state’s rich heritage so that a new window was opened for visitors.

He said measures were afoot to bring all the heritage sites on the tourism map of Jammu and Kashmir.

Expressing his love for cross-cultural plurality of the state, Jora said artistic richness of the under-renovation Mubarak Mandi Complex in Jammu, Hari Parbat in Kashmir and Buddhist monasteries in Ladakh were apt indicators of the state’s homogeneity.

Chamba (Katra), July 24
This small village adjoining the holy town of Katra-the base camp of Vaishno Devi- was known for availability of adequate irrigation facilities and farmers of belt were, by and large, prosperous as they used to grow vegetables.

But today the situation is entirely different. A majority of the farmers have gradually shifted to other professions as farming is not possible due to the large- scale infiltration of monkeys.

The population of monkeys has increased manifold in the belt during the past year and the simians have made lives of the residents miserable.

Although monkeys have been gradually infiltrating into small villages, they have let loose a reign of terror in five villages adjoining Katra,namely Chamba, Sherli, Nalia, Bhagata and Parodh.

Monkeys are the biggest problem in some areas of Udhampur and Reasi districts. Charai and Mutal villages came to notice when a majority of the population migrated to safer places to protect themselves from simian attacks.

After “conquering Charai and Mutal”, the “army of simians” has now moved towards Jib, Majalata, Bal Nagar, Kagga, Muttal, Sundarani, Manbayal and Paranoo villages where they are terrorising the residents.

“We are not in position to migrate to some other place”, Ravikant, a resident of
Chamba, said and also pointed out that the monkeys did not allow any type of
vegetation to grow.

“Earlier, we used to grow vegetables, but today most of the fields are without any crop due to the large-scale infiltration of monkeys”, he said.

Ravinder Thakur, while pointing towards groups of monkeys in his house, said people were afraid of coming out of their houses alone due to repeated attacks of simians.

Controlling the ever-increasing population of monkeys has become the biggest challenge for the authorities in two districts.

Although the Reasi Municipal Committee had hired a special team from Uttar Pradesh to trap the monkeys, the situation has not improved in the rural areas.

Jammu, July 24
It has been eight years since Bal Bhawan of RS Pura became a home for 14-year-old Abdul Gaffur, a resident of Prankot village in Riyasi district, after his parents were killed by militants and he escaped from their clutches.

However, neither Gaffur nor officials of Bal Bhawan have any idea about the compensation he will get from the state government.

He will not have anyone to fall back upon when he leaves the premises next year after completing Class X studies.

“I was at my grandmother’s place when militants killed my parents. I continued to stay for two years before I was abducted by militants. After staying with them for a month in a jungle, I escaped from their clutches. When I reached my uncle’s place in Udhampur, he handed me over to the police the next day. From there, I was sent to Bal Bhawan”, he said.

Except for a few times, none of his relatives came to enquire about him. When the matter was brought to the notice of Laj Ram Sharma, director, Social Welfare, he expressed ignorance, saying, “I have no idea about the compensation, but I would certainly look into the matter, and make sure that he gets it”.

Neither he nor the Bal Bhawan authorities have any clue to what happened to the house where his parents stayed.

“Once he completes his studies, we will hand him over to the police as the then SHO, Daljit Singh, had asked the bhawan authorities to hand him over to the police which will decide his future”, Sharma said.

When contacted, Daljeet Singh, who is now a DSP, said now he had forgotten all about the issue.

Incidentally, the boy was in the news recently when he had a scuffle with the superintendent of the bhawan along with three inmates.

Both sides accused each other of being involved with inmates of Nari Niketan. The matter was later resolved.

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Our society should give green signal to inter-religion marriages because there is nothing wrong in it. If the duo is ready to adapt their lifestyle according to their own wish, they should be allowed to do so. Honour killing is a wrong decision. Instead of wasting the precious life, girls should try to convince their parents. — Ravinder Sharma, student

It is said “Jab Miyan Biwi Razzi to Kya Karega Kazi” so the society should accept such relationships. An inter-religion marriage is accepted and valid according to our Constitution, so there should not be any objection to it. Honour killing is a wrong step and I think girls should tell their parents about their relationship without any hesitation. — Mukti Sharma, social activist

Marriage is between two persons and their souls so where religion does comes in the picture. We are living in the 21st century and we should also broaden our mind and should take good decisions by accepting inter-religion marriages. It will be a wise decision on the part of a girl if she tries to convince her parents by disclosing her will instead of wasting her precious life. — Javed Iqbal, university scholar

There will always be a problem with inter-religion marriages in future. This is because; you cannot change your religion. So such marriages should not be accepted by the society. Honour killing is a wrong decision because we get life once. — Sonika Sharma, student

I do not support inter-religion marriages, because these hurt no one except the caste/religion itself. It is a matter of personal choice, but conflicts may arise when it comes to the matter of culture the child will follow. Honour killing shows the weakness of a person who is in love. — Mohsin Raina, student

If two adults, who are educated and mature enough, want to live with each other then there should not be any objection to it. Our law has allowed inter-religion marriages and we should accept it. Honour killing is absolutely a wrong decision. — Sunita Manhas, student

I think there should not be any objection to inter-religion marriages. If our child wants to live his/her life with a person who belongs to another religion, then we should accept his/her will because being a parent we also want to see our child happy. Honour killing is a wrong decision. — Sudesh Sharma, employee

If my children express their willingness to marry with a person who belongs to other religion, I will allow them. Because, old days are gone and I do not think that there is anything wrong in it. We should always live with the present time that makes the life full of happiness. Honour killing is a wrong decision. — Kanchan Srivastva, housewife