|
|
Talks fail, SRTC staff
to continue stir
Editors’ Conference Efforts on to start FM broadcast in remote areas: Soni
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
PC in valley to review situation for PM’s visit
Shopian Case
Councillors want Cong MC chairman to quit
26 Pak ultras to be freed ahead of Diwali
Lawyers strike work against HC order
Docs’ strike: Poor patients worst sufferers
New solar policy on Nov 14: Farooq
Workshop on traffic awareness held
Protesting docs call on Azad
Farmers seek relief
MC plans sanitation
drive
Housing board staff extend strike
|
|
Talks fail, SRTC staff
to continue stir
Jammu, October 13 “The talks in Srinagar too were not affirmative, so we have decided to carry on with the ongoing strike, which has completed 49 days today,” said Ashok Mehra, president of the SRTC employees union. He said the employees again held a protest demonstration inside the SRTC office at Bikram Chowk, though they had suspended their “Jail Bharo Andolan” for some time. “Though the negotiator from the government side agreed that our demands were genuine and he would take them up with the minister concerned and who again would apprise Chief Minister Omar Abdullah about our demands to find a solution to end the stalemate,” Mehra said. He expressed hope that the government would come up with a “long-term” solution to end the impasse between the two sides that is about to complete two months. “We will hold a meeting tomorrow evening to decide our future course of action, if the government takes no action to resolve our problems we would intensify our stir, we have also plans to make a committee that would go to New Delhi to meet Congress chief Sonia Gandhi,” Mehra said. The SRTC employees are on protest for the past 49 days demanding the release of their pending salaries as per the old and new slab and are also demanding the implementation of the recommendations of the Sixth Pay Commission. “We cannot say that the talks have completely failed as the government representative has noted our demands and would discuss it with the ministers, let them come up with a proposal we will see it and if they fail to redress our grievances we would
continue with the strike,” said Paramjeet Singh, general secretary, SRTC employees union |
|
Resume talks with Pakistan: Omar
Ehsan Fazili Tribune News Service
Srinagar, October 13 Inaugurating the three-day All India Editors’ Conference on Social and infrastructure issues at the SKICC here today, the Chief Minister said the Centre had fulfilled developmental needs of the state and there was an earnest need to address the political aspects of the problems. The Press Information Bureau (PIB) in association with the state Department of Information and Public Relations has organised the conference. He lamented that the dialogue process with Paksitan had been delayed due to the Mumbai attacks. “We are looking forward to the dialogue process at both levels to move forward,” Omar said. He held that every political voice in the state with different shade of opinion would have to be taken on board. Omar referred to different shades of opinion, including his party’s demand for the grant of autonomy, PDP’s self rule and BJP’s demand for the abrogation of Article 370, saying the idea should be to engage all parties in the dialogue. The Chief Minister said it was vital and unique for social and infrastructure issues being intertwined. He said the state passed through the difficult phase of militancy and the same had been fought with fortitude and strong belief. “We see a light at the end of a very long and dark tunnel,” Omar said. The Chief Minister added that there was a significant improvement in the situation during the last few years. Since his government took over, Omar said he had focused on five basic sectors of power, water, road, health and education. He expressed gratitude to the UPA government for granting highest ever annual plan of Rs 5,500 crore and Rs 1,200 crore under the Prime Minister’s Reconstruction Plan (PMRP) to the state. “Onus is on the state administration and executing agencies to spend the funds meaningfully to achieve the goals of faster development and progress of all areas equitably,” he added.
|
|
Efforts on to start FM broadcast in remote areas: Soni
Srinagar, October 13 Announcing this, Information and Broadcasting Minister Ambika Soni said the possibilities of opening private FM channels were being worked out to broaden the broadcasting in the state covering uncovered and far-off areas. She was speaking on the occasion of the inauguration of the three-day All India Editors Conference on Social and Infrastructure issues at the SKICC here today. Union Minister for New and Renewable Energy Farooq Abdullah, Minister for Minority Affairs Salman Khurshid, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, Deputy Chief Minister Tara Chand were also present. Soni lauded the bravery of Rajouri girl, Rukhsana, who showed tremendous courage in fighting the militants recently and sought to ‘create more Rukhsanas’ to fight bravely against all odds. She announced a branch of the Indian Institute of Mass Communication for the state and asked the Chief Minister to earmark some acres for the same. She said this would open new vistas of jobs for the youth of the state. Farooq Abdullah urged the media to play a positive role in the endeavours of the government aimed at peace and development of the state. He underscored the need for upgrading radio and television transmitters, especially in rural and border areas, so that people could watch and listen to the programmes telecast and broadcast by Doordarshan and the AIR. He also asked for reviewing the functioning of “Kasheer Channel” and called for making it a more useful and meaningful medium of entertainment and positive change. He said his ministry was keen to help Jammu and Kashmir in harnessing solar, wind and hydel energy so that “a new chapter of new and renewable energy is written in the state”. He asked the state government to push forward the projects in this sector and take the best advantage of the schemes extended to it by this ministry. The Principal Director General of the PIB, Neelam Kapur, in her address expressed gratitude to the state government for providing all facilities to her department to organise the event. |
|
|
PC in valley to review situation for PM’s visit
Srinagar, October 13 While several other union ministers are already camping here, the Home Minister’s visit assumes significance in view of the reports about the dialogue process between the Centre and separatist leaders and the mainstream parties in the state. Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, while inaugurating the All India Editors’ Conference here today, hinted at an early
beginning of a dialogue with Kashmir separatists during the next couple of months. APHC chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq has already hoped that the Prime Minister would come out with a firm policy for Kashmir resolution. Chidambaram would also be attending the ongoing editors’ conference here tomorrow. Soon after his arrival here this afternoon, the Union Home Minister held separate meetings with Congress workers and office-bearers at the PCC headquarters on the Moulana Azad Road. Lauding the role of the police, he said the police would be on the front line in the fight against militants, while other security forces would be forming the second line. The Union Home Minister remained with the party men for over two and half hours and informed them that he had been invited by state PCC chief
Saifuddin Soz, currently on a visit abroad. Senior leaders, including ministers Taj Mohiuddin, Peerzada Mohammad Sayeed, RS Chib and Raman Bhalla, were
among those present on the occasion. Chidambaram addressing the party men said the Union government would take all possible steps to ensure complete peace in the state and also address the problems like unemployment faced by the educated youth. The government had a comprehensive plan for addressing various problems faced by the state, he added. |
|
|
CBI yet to get forensic reports, seeks more time
HC fixes Dec 14 as date for next hearing Tribune News Service
Srinagar, October 13 CBI’s counsel Anil Bhan told the Bench that their probe into the alleged rape and murder of two women would move forward only after they received forensic reports, which were expected to throw light on the cause of their deaths and whether they were sexually assaulted or not, and sought a reasonable period of time. The CBI also presented its progress and other relevant reports in two sealed covers to the Bench, which asked it to expedite the probe and conclude it “as quickly as possible”. Bhan assured the Bench of a fast probe and said it would press ahead once they got medical reports. He said the CBI had been able to do in 15 days what others could not do in three months, in an obvious reference to the Special Investigation Team constituted by the state government to probe the case before it called out for the CBI. One of the important breakthroughs of the CBI has been the confession by Dr Nighat Shaheen to it that she had fabricated the vaginal samples of the two women. The Bench also asked the CBI that it could produce the challan against the accused in the relevant court in case it managed to crack the mystery before the next date of hearing. However, it would have to make a presentation to the Bench before it. The Bench also asked Shaqil Ahangar, husband of Neelofar Jan and brother of Aasiya Jan, the two victims, and a Majlis-e-Mashawarat, which spearheaded protests against their alleged rape and murder, member if they had to say anything. The Majlis member put it on record that a doctor nominated by them had witnessed the exhumation of two bodies on September 28 and the extraction of samples from them. The Bench asked him to give it a bio-data of its doctor in a week. Shaqil did not make any comment. Significantly, the Kashmir High Court Bar Association, on whose plea the High Court began supervising the sensational case, had withdrawn itself in the last hearing, claiming it had no faith in the CBI. However, the Majlis had been satisfied with the probe so far. |
|
|
Councillors want Cong MC chairman to quit
Udhampur, October 13 The Udhampur Municipal Council is headed by Congress councillor Ashok Kumar but his party colleagues are against his style of functioning. In the meeting, Congress councillors and BJP members said the incumbent chairman should resign and a governing board should be constituted to run affairs of the council. Former chairman of the council Pawan
Khajuria, while demanding the sacking of the present chairman, said: “Due to a casual approach being adopted by Ashok not even a single project for Udhampur town has been approved during the past three years.” He alleged that Ashok had no right to remain as chairman as he had lost confidence of the
councillors. With the support of some Congress councillors, no confidence motion was moved against Ashok some time ago but the chairman got stay from the court. For the past one year, opposition as well as his own party councillors had been demanding voting on the no confidence motion. In the 17-member Udhampur Municipal Council, the Congress and the BJP have seven members each followed by two Panthers Party members and one independent. Congress councillor Ashok had wrested the post of chairman from the BJP with the support of the Panthers Party and independent councillors in 2007. Earlier, Ashok had tendered his resignation to PCC chief Saif-ud-Din Soz in June to mount pressure on his party colleagues. After the intervention of the PCC he had withdrawn his resignation. |
|
|
26 Pak ultras to be freed ahead of Diwali
Jammu, October 13 The terrorists, including a woman , lodged in different jails of the state were taken to Amritsar for Pakistan consular access and brought back to the jails this evening, sources said. Most of them were booked under the Public Safety Act and anti-India activities. An official of the Pakistan Ministry of External Affairs personally met the terrorists in Amritsar. Sources said the documents of identity of the terrorists, who have spent more than eight years in the jails of Jammu and Kashmir were handed over to Pakistan officials at Wagah Border. The officials of the neighbouring country with get on confirmation of the identities and addresses of the terrorists after which the confirmed cases would be released. Sources said Pakistan could respond by releasing Indian prisoners or refuse to acknowledge these militants were their citizens. Twenty of those terrorists were jailed in Kot Bhalwal Jail here, one was in Uri police station while five were kept in Srinagar Central Jail. List of prisoners taken for consular access printed in local media said those lodged in Jammu jails were Zaheer Abbasi of Muzaffarabad, Mohd Hashim Khan of Balochistan, Mohd Imran Bhat of Pak Punjab, Arif of Narowal, Mubashir Alai Shah and Ahsan Shah of Sialkote, Mohd Ismail of Muzaffarabad, Mohd Yaseen Niyazi of Sialkote, Mohd Aslam Khokhar, Arabi Ishaq Abdul Razaq Mughal of Sialkote, Anwar Massiah of Shakergarh, Riyaz Ahmed of Mehrabal, Latif Ahmed of Kirni, PoK, Nadeem Akhtar of Shakergarh, Mohd Khalid Jawed of Bhawalpur, Sher Ali and Nazar Mohammad of the PoK. A woman, Kapoor Jan, who was accused of illegally crossing the border, was lodged in Uri police station, Uncle Babar was lodged in Jammu jail. Those lodged in Srinagar jails were Capt Abdullah Umar of Rawalkote , PoK, Fakhar-ul-Zaman of Gujranwala, Syed Moin Ullah Shah of Northwest Frontier Province, Mohd Ismail and Badashah of Peshawar.
|
|
|
Lawyers strike work against HC order
Jammu,
October 13 General Secretary of the Bar Association Rajesh
Kumar Thappa disclosed that a lot of difficulties and inconvenience were
being faced by public and advocates because of introduction of new
system of registration of documents. The decision to strike work for
one day was taken in the Executive Committee meeting held under the
chairmanship of its President Sunil Sethi, a senior advocate. Rajesh
Thappa told that none of the advocates caused appearance in the high
court or courts subordinate to it. The extreme step of resorting to
suspension of work was taken because of non-consideration of repeated
requests of the Bar Association sent in writing sent to the high
court. According to the general secretary, the meeting of the Executive
Committee of Bar Association will now be held on October 14 to decide
the further course of action. |
|
|
Docs’ strike: Poor patients worst sufferers
Srinagar, October 13 Doctors in Kashmir joined the strike started by their Jammu colleagues much later, but they have stepped up the pressure on the government by virtually crippling the health car services. Patients could be seen distressed and agonised outside LD Hospital, Kashmir’s leading government gynaecology hospital, as the few consultants available there were unable to deal with a heavy rush of patients. “It’s a hell. My wife is crying in pain, but there is nobody to attend to her. I am out of my mind as everybody around me looks infuriated over lack of service,” Ishan Alam, a resident of Baramulla, said. Poor families especially depend upon LD Hospital, as they find a steep fees of private maternity hospitals in Srinagar unbearable and, naturally, they are the worst victims of the junior doctors’ strike. The doctors say the government has been insensitive towards their demands and has left them with no choice but to stop working. “Our counterparts in other states get much more stipend and better perks and the recommendations of the SL Bhat Pay Committee support us on this,” a doctor said. |
|
|
New solar policy on Nov 14: Farooq
Srinagar, October
13 He was interacting with mediapersons at an interactive session of the ongoing Editors’ conference here today. Farooq said the Gurez valley in north Kashmir was fully covered by solar lights even as the state had a good potential for generating wind power. He said the state had the highest potential for small and micro hydro power projects after Himachal Pradesh and
Uttarakhand. Farooq said 246 SHPs sites of 25 MW capacity each aggregating 1,411 MW had been identified. He said the Jammu and Kashmir State Power Development Corporation had been entrusted to formulate proposals of such power projects in the state. He added that 111.83 MW had so far been installed in the state. The Union Ministry was preparing a development plan for renewable energy for the Ladakh region, Farooq informed. He said the entire region had been divided into 11 clusters keeping in view the expected load and potential for SHP sites. Farooq said under the PMRP 1,000 micro hydro projects had been taken up of which Ladakh had 10, the Kashmir region 550 and the Jammu region 350 projects. |
|
|
Workshop on traffic awareness held
Jammu, October 13 “We asked them to obey the traffic rules to avoid inconvenience to the commuters, as there have been many complaints of passengers against these transport operators who are violating the traffic norms,” said Parminder Singh, SSP Traffic, Jammu. He said the traffic police also listened to the grievances of operators and assured them that steps would be taken to redress those grievances. They asked us that they did not have proper parking space so they have no choice but to stop their vehicles wherever the passenger asks them to stop, Parminder added. Pankaj Saxsena, DIG, Traffic, also assured the mini bus and matador operators that their genuine grievances would be taken up at appropriate platform. Earlier, officers of the Traffic Police Department delivered lectures to the mini bus operators in which they were informed about various traffic laws. “It was an educative session, we came to know a lot about the traffic laws and inconvenience faced by the commuters, our livelihood depends on the passengers, so we have requested them to redress our grievances,” said a mini bus operator.
|
|
|
Protesting docs call on Azad
Jammu, October 13 Due to indefinite strike of junior doctors, senior resident doctors and assistant surgeons, all services barring emergency services remained affected at the Government Medical College and Hospital and its associated hospitals, besides district and subdistrict hospitals. The Doctors Joint Action Committee, which has been leading the agitation in favour of the long-pending demands of doctors, alleged that the government was deliberately making the situation volatile.
|
|
|
Farmers seek relief
Jammu, October 13 The federation held a day-long convention at Kah Pota village in Dansal block and discussed burning issues facing the farmers. Convener of the federation, Hari Chand Jalmeria maintained that most of the farmers had small land holdings and were poverty ridden. “The farmers need immediate support of government to tide over the present crisis,” he said.
— TNS |
|
|
MC plans sanitation
drive
Jammu, October 13 According to a statement issued here yesterday, this decision was taken in the 37th meeting of the Public Health and Sanitation Standing Committee, which was held under the supervision of its chairman Satish Sharma. In the meeting, the members decided to check the eatable items, including milk products, sweets, and if anybody found guilty, he would be punished under law and his licence might be cancelled. The meeting also decided that outlets of milk counters would be opened by the JMC at some sites. The wages of the Temporary Daily Wagers
(TDL) and Permanent Daily Wagers (PDL) safai karmcharies would be paid through bank to maintain proper record. |
|
|
Housing board staff extend strike
Jammu, October 13 President of the association, Mohammad Farooq, said the peaceful strike would continue till the demands of the employees were met. The Employees’ Joint Action Committee (EJAC) had also come forward to support the strike call of the association, they said.
— TNS
|
|
| HOME PAGE | |
Punjab | Haryana | Jammu & Kashmir |
Himachal Pradesh | Regional Briefs |
Nation | Opinions | | Business | Sports | World | Letters | Chandigarh | Ludhiana | Delhi | | Calendar | Weather | Archive | Subscribe | Suggestion | E-mail | |
Even though the state government called leaders of the union of the striking employees of the SRTC for holding two rounds of talks, there seems to be no end to the stalemate between the two sides.
