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Pre-paid Mobile Phone Connections
Subscribers shocked Pak army shells Indian posts Pandits jubilant over sanction of posts
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Udhampur residents want strict measures to curb crime Water overflow worries farmers Power employees allege bias Quake jolts state, no injuries reported 15 senior officers shifted PM’s Talks Offer CII-Shiksha in
govt, pvt schools Crime File Udhampur blind murder solved, 3 held Jammu body disappointed at PM’s visit Over 400 cases settled in mega lok adalat NSF celebrates victory of members Firing at Police
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Pre-paid Mobile Phone Connections Jammu, October 30 “I am using a pre-paid connection and have recharge coupons worth Rs 50,000. What am I supposed to do with them. The distributors are not answering calls,” said a puzzled Subash, who deals in mobile phone connections. With an estimated over eight lakh subscribers of various telecom operators in the state and a huge demand for cellphone connections, dealers, shopkeepers and distributors are suffering losses in form of unsold recharge coupons. The ban was necessitated as over 30,000 fake subscribers were found in police investigations a few months ago. The police had cracked down on various mobile service providers and dealers for not following the norms, thus compromising with the security of the state. Multiple SIM cards had been seized from terrorists. Many dealers selling pre-paid connections, however, did a brisk business this evening by telling customers that the ban was on connections sold after November 1. “What can I do. I will try to sell as many connections as possible and let the mobile service companies handle them,” said the shopkeepers. A spokesperson for mobile service providers refused to comment saying they had no idea about the ban orders and the process to be followed at this juncture. “We are awaiting guidelines from our head office in Delhi,” they said. The Union Ministry of Home Affairs had in an order issued earlier in the day said, “No pre-paid mobile connections should be issued and existing pre-paid SIM cards should not be renewed in Jammu and Kashmir after November 1.” The ministry further asked the Department of Telecommunications to take appropriate action in the matter for the implementation of the decision. The step comes in the wake of the reports that proper verification was not being done by the service providers/vendors while providing pre-paid connections. The orders said in some cases a person had been issued several connections. Fake documents/identity numbers were also reportedly being used by vendors, particularly in the case of pre-paid connections.
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Subscribers shocked Srinagar, October 30 Though lakhs of honest subscribers of prepaid connections, which make an overwhelming majority of the complete subscriber base, will suffer due to the government decision to ban them, security officials said it was unavoidable. Almost every militant in the state had more than one pre-paid connections that they had obtained on unverified documents. Even if the security agencies are aware of mobile phone numbers of militants, they could not be traced. The police has registered several FIRs against mobile service providers and dealers, but the problem remains. The pre-paid connection base is close to 37 to 38 lakh in the state. Militants with the help of their overground workers
(OGWs) buy prepaid SIM cards from genuine subscribers on exorbitant prices. Many of them were found using as many as 10 connections to keep the security agencies guessing. “It has become a menace and spiralled out of control,” an official said. The ban has also set panic among mobile phone dealers, who have grown manifold over the last few years, as several private operators launched their services in the state. Lakhs of subscribers, mostly those coming from the low income group and earning their livelihood outside their native places, could never have a post-paid connection, as it was more extensive and required more stringent proofs of residence and identity. As the news of ban on pre-paid connections reached here, many in Kashmir reacted angrily and said they found it bizarre at a time when everybody, including Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, said the militant violence was at an all-time low and militancy had been tamed. “It is nothing but hypocrisy. They keep telling us that our comfort is important to them and they could do anything in the name of security,” Javed Dar, 22, said. Thousands of people also earn their livelihood by selling recharge coupons and working for dealers and the ban is set to affect their livelihood. |
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Pak army shells Indian posts Srinagar, October 30 A Srinagar-based Army spokesperson, Lt-Col JS Brar, said they foiled a “major infiltration bid” and shot dead two infiltrators. What has added more significance to the incident is the probability of one of them being a Pakistani army jawan. The identity card recovered from him is that of sepahi Zohaid Ayaz of Punjab Regiment of the Pakistani army with serial number 2412010, a senior Army officer told The Tribune. The card and other details had been sent to the higher authorities for detailed analysis, Lt-Col Brar said. The Army has protested the violation of ceasefire and sought a flag meeting with the Pakistani army. Fourteen mortar shells were fired from across the LoC and the movement of infiltrators was spotted. “We retaliated with small arms,” the Army officer said. The bodies of two intruders were found in the search the Army carried out in the morning. The identity of other infiltrator has not been established yet. Two AK rifles, an under barrel grenade launcher, an ICOM radio set and a Thuraya radio set were seized. It is not clear as to how many infiltrators were pushed from across the LoC and the Army is carrying out searches in the region. The violation of the ceasefire, which both countries agreed to in November 2003, by the Pakistani army has seen an uptick for over a year, though last some weeks have been quieter. Home Minister P Chidambaram in his recent visits to the valley had expressed concern over an increase in infiltration bids, as ceasefire violations often go proportionately with such bids. |
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Pandits jubilant over sanction of posts Jammu, October 30 “By announcing jobs for the unemployed Kashmiri Pandit youths, the state government has shown its seriousness for the implementation of the Prime Minister’s employment package,” said Vinod Bhat, a youth from the Purkhoo camp. “It is a welcome step. But at the same time it is little disappointing, as the government has not mentioned about age relaxation and one-time stipend to overage Kashmiri Pandit youths,” said Pinto Ji Pandita, youth president of the Kashmiri Pandit Welfare Movement at the Mishriwala Camp. The Prime Minister’s employment package for the unemployed youths of the displaced community had lately sparked a debate among the community members in Jammu and outside about their return to the Kashmir valley. Pinto said, “This is an eyewash. The package will never be implemented by the state government. If at all it is implemented, the unemployed youths will be absorbed in the police force or they will be given Class IV jobs.” The identification of 3,000 posts in the education and engineering departments has come as a happy news for the community. This announcement has allayed their apprehensions of not getting a proper representation in civil service departments like education, revenue, PHE or PDD. Advocate BL Pandita, co-convener of the Jammu Kashmir National Movement, said, “It is a welcome step by the state government. The Central government should also announce 3,000 jobs immediately.”
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Udhampur residents want strict measures to curb crime Jammu, October 30 During the meeting, residents of Udhampur expressed their concern over increasing crime graph in the town and demanded that strict measures should be taken to contain crime in the town. The residents also expressed anguish over failure of the police to solve some blind murders in Udhampur and adjoining localities. Gupta said the police, besides maintaining law and order, had the biggest onus of providing security to the life and property of the people for which the cops had been well-equipped and were working with dedication and commitment to extend every possible help to citizens without any fear and favouritism. In this direction, he directed police officers to deal sternly with anti-social and criminals with iron hand and put them behind bars. The IGP said the police could respond effectively only when the people were ready to provide clues to the police about the nefarious designs and activities of anti-national, anti-social and other petty criminals. Gupta urged the citizens to cooperate with the police in conducting investigations, which would surely help in reducing the crime graph. Gupta said the district police had started police census of outsiders who had migrated and taken shelter in different colonies and areas of Udhampur town to verify their credentials so that a strict vigil could be kept to check their activities. |
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Water overflow worries farmers RS Pura, October 30 A visit by The Tribune team revealed that a large number of farmers had blocked their tributaries because the canal was flooded and water was overflowing from the banks, causing damage to the crops. On the way from Jammu to RS Pura, most of the farmers were found making all such possible arrangements to save their fields from water. Darshan Lal of Kullian village said: “Last night, the water was continuously overflowing from the canal, which entered into my fields and destroyed my ready crop.” Rohdu Singh, another farmer of Nihalpur village, said: “We barely have a few means to earn our bread and butter, and are depending on a small chunk of land and a dairy. But most of paddy has been damaged due to water.” Rohdu further alleged they had appealed to the authorities concerned, but not even a single official had visited the site to know the plight of farmers. Most of the farmers in the region stated that excessive water in the canal was damaging the paddy of Nihalpur, Ballian, Korotana Kalan, Banota, Bangla and Fatehpur villages. The residents told that local MLA Sham Chaudhary visited the area to inspect the situation and assured them to solve the problem soon. However, chief engineer of the Irrigation Department Daleep Bakshi was not available for his comments. |
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Power employees allege bias Jammu, October 30 Chairman of the Provincial Power Employees Union Shakti Gupta urged the chief minister to intervene personally and direct the PDD authorities to issue orders for early implementation of the SRO for power development department employees of the Jammu province. He warned that if the state government failed to do so in the next 15 days, the union would be forced to start an agitation. |
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Quake jolts state, no injuries reported Jammu, October 30 The quake lasted for a few seconds. Though there was no report of any loss of life or damage to the property, it created panic among people in Poonch, Rajouri, Udhampur, Kathua and Jammu districts. A week ago on the intervening night of October 22 and 23, another quake had rocked the region at 1.21 am. Jammu University geologist Dr GM Bhat attributed frequent tremors in the state to constant stress (crustal shortening)
in the Himalayan mountain range. Another expert from Jammu University Dr Sandeep Pandita said danger in the form of a major quake loomed large over the state and, hence, we should be prepared for it. It may be recalled here that on October 8, 2005, a killer temblor in the region had wreaked havoc, snuffing out lives of 1,400 persons in the state here and over 70,000 in the PoK. “Being a state that falls in seismic category 4 and 5 (highly prone to quakes), the entire region right from Muzaffarabad to Kangra is a locked area and the Himalayan belt is prone to seismic activity. Hence, the state is faced with a problem of a huge quake in coming years,” Dr Pandita said. The expert informed that the Jammu region alone had five to six major fault lines and the winter capital itself sits on one of them. At least five to six major fault lines pass through the Jammu region alone that include Jammu city, Udhampur, Batote-Peera and area around Ramsu, near Ramban. “Quakes can’t be prevented but certainly we can minimise loss of lives and properties provided reconciliatory measures are adopted,” he said. |
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15 senior officers shifted Srinagar, October 30 Asgar Hassan Samoon, awaiting orders of posting, has been posted as commissioner-secretary to the government, Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution vice KB Jandial, whose orders of appointment as member PSC are being issued separately. RK Thussu, secretary, Animal and Sheep Husbandry Department, has been transferred as secretary, ARI and Trainings. Bishan Dass Sharma, settlement commissioner, has been posted as secretary, Animal and Sheep Husbandry Department. Kachoo Isfandyar Khan, director, Land Records Kashmir, has been transferred as director, Industries and Commerce, Kashmir. Ghulam Hassan Tantray, special secretary, Law Department, would be holding charge of the secretary, Law Department, upon the retirement of AH Kochak, principal secretary, Law Department, on October 31. Sarita Chouhan, special secretary, PHE, Irrigation and Flood Control, has been transferred as deputy commissioner, Udhampur. Shamim Ahmad Leharwal, director general, State Motor Garages, has been transferred and posted as director general, Youth Services & Sports, along with a common pool post held by him. Abdul Majid Mir, special secretary, Animal and Sheep Husbandry Department, has been transferred as director, Land Records, Kashmir. Ajay Khajuria, deputy commissioner, Udhampur, has been posted as director, Tourism, Jammu. Shafaat Noor, managing director, JAKFED, has been transferred as director, Employment. Mehmood Rana, director, Libraries, has been posted as director, Social welfare, Jammu. Ravinder Gupta, special secretary, Social Welfare Department, has been posted as managing director, JAKFED. Bashir Ahmad Bhat, special secretary and ex-officio CEO, SUIDA Housing and Urban Development Department, has been transferred and posted as director, Libraries. Fida Hussain, joint agrarian reforms commissioner, Kashmir, has posted as chief executive officer, JAKEDA, against available vacancy. Mohammad Mouzam, general manager, SIDCO, has been posted as in charge managing director, SIDCO. |
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PM’s Talks Offer Srinagar, October 30 Party MP and former minister Mohammad Shafi, while talking to reporters here today, elaborated on the meeting the party leaders had with the Prime Minister during
his visit. He said the party fully supported the Prime Minister’s assertions on a dialogue for resolving the Kashmir issue both on internal and external dimensions. The NC leader held that it also took up the issue of greater autonomy to the state, adding that the party made it clear that it was for any sort of talks to find a solution to the problem. “If there is any better solution (than autonomy) to the problem, we would support it,” Shafi maintained. “We have appealed to the Prime Minister to involve more and more people and make people’s and goods movement across border hassle free,” Shafi said. This would make the CBMs taken over the past some years important, he added. Referring to the security situation that had improved over the years, the NC MP said there was a need to evaluate and decide on the revocation of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) and the Disturbed Areas Act in force in the state. With the Army guarding the borders, there was a need to revoke these laws, Shafi added. On the Indus Water Treaty (IWT), he said the state had been losing its water resources and was demanding due compensation. The NC also sought a special package from the Centre for generating employment for the unemployed youth. It also sought job opportunities in the Central government and PSUs outside the state, as the state lacked resources to accommodate such a large number of unemployed youth, Shafi said. |
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CII-Shiksha in
govt, pvt schools Jammu, October 30 Through Shiksha, a non-profit organisation launched during the Indian Economic Summit in December 2001, the CII is planning to initiate CII- Shiksha in government and private schools in Jammu. The aim would be to simplify technology for delivering the teaching learning process, encourage and promote e-teaching methodology, encourage and promote open source, free tools in schools and institutions. The ultimate aim would be to assist the schools to make a gradual shift from information technology to educational technology and in the process make the students and teachers computer savvy. As a pilot project, it is planning to start CII-Shiksha in 20 government schools of Jammu district. In this connection, CII today organised a presentation for principals and teachers concerned of selected government schools. The presentation was also attended by principals of other government schools wherein CII, Shiksha, would be launched subsequently. |
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Crime File Jammu, October 30 Official sources said, the outlet owner had been allegedly issuing SIM cards without proper verification.It was learnt the duo was released in the evening. 7 consume poison, 2 die A man and a girl, who had allegedly consumed some toxic substance died here at Government Medical College (GMC) while five others made similar bids in and around Jammu. Police reports said, Haqikat Singh of Paloura and Ritu Devi of Bana Chack in Bishnah, who were admitted to GMC after they had consumed poison, died on Friday. Body found During the intervening night of October 28 and 29, the police recovered the body of Hanief Ali of Chakhar in Udhampur.The body was found near the Railway bridge. |
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Udhampur blind murder solved, 3 held Jammu, October 30 The arrested have been identified as Sham Lal alias Shama, Shiv Kumar and Ajit Kumar. All of them are close relatives and they allegedly killed the mini-bus operator, Hanif Ali, as the victim had an affair with a girl belonging to their family. According to police sources, after family members of the deceased informed the investigating team about his affair with a local girl, cops picked up a suspect, who, during interrogation, confessed his involved in the killing. |
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Jammu body disappointed at PM’s visit
Jammu, October 30 |
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Over 400 cases settled in mega lok adalat Srinagar, October 30 Lakhs of rupees have been recovered as challan and fine during the adalats held so far. Out of 79 cases listed at two lok adalats at Baramulla, 29 cases were amicably settled. Besides, an amount of Rs 31,000 was awarded in 15 matrimonial cases here. Cases were settled under the chairmanship of Principal District and Sessions Judge, Baramulla Mohammad Nazir Fida and Additional District and Sessions Judge, Baramulla, Mohammad Yousuf. Out of 148 cases, 97 were decided on the spot in the court of Chief Judicial Magistrate, Sopore, while Rs 20,000 was recovered as fine against various challans. Half of the cases were decided out of 100 listed cases at munsif court Tangmarg and Rs 18,000 was recovered. The pending cases would reportedly be taken up on November 4 at the court of Sub-Judge Pattan. Similarly, 34 cases were settled at district legal services, Kupwara and Rs 12,000 was recovered as fine from transporters. Lok adalat at munsif court, Kangan, settled 41 cases and a fine of Rs 45,000 was recovered. Principal District and Sessions Judge, Ganderbal, Mohammad Shafi Khan was present. As many as 79 cases were settled at the district court, Ganderbal, and fine of Rs 3,500 was recovered. Addressing the inaugural function of mega lok adalat week at Ganderbal organised by the chairman of the district legal service authority, Minister for Forests and Environment Mian Altaf Ahmed impressed upon the authorities concerned to generate awareness about the lok adalats among people. |
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NSF celebrates victory of members Jammu, October 30 Speaking on the occasion, president of the NSF Vikas Sharma congratulated the victorious candidates and said this was for the first time in the history of Jammu University that all elected members were from the same panel. Sharma expressed hope that the new members of the JURSEA, under the leadership of Rakesh Chib, would work for the betterment of the student community. |
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Firing at Police Jammu, October 30 According to the prosecution, the accused, Joginder and Gurdeep, armed with illicit arms and ammunition were hiding in the house of Manjeet Singh in Sector 7, Nanak Nagar, Jammu, with the intention of committing a crime. When the police surrounded the house of Manjeet Singh, the accused fired at it.Thereafter, Joginder Lal was arrested and his Both the sentences would run concurrently. |
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