|
|
China-Pak ties no cause for concern: Raju
No-confidence motion against Mayor
Panun Kashmir council expels Chrungoo
Vigilance fails to prove charges against ex-MC officer
PDP flays lathi charge on SRTC employees
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Cold wave in valley
13 years on, govt alters alignment
SRTC staff threaten ‘unusual protest’ Striking SRTC employees hold a demonstration in Jammu on Friday. Photo: Inderjeet Singh
Junior engineer suspended
Geelani’s Speech
Election of PYC Chief
Rs 7,600 cr flyover project on cards
PDD daily wagers threaten to go on strike
|
|
China-Pak ties no cause for concern: Raju
Jammu, November 13 In an informal chat with mediapersons after inaugurating the Lauki bridge in Akhnoor tehsil, Raju downplayed the threat perception from China and its collaboration with Pakistan. “The collaboration between China and Pakistan is not alarming, as the Indian Army is equipped enough to face any eventuality,” he said. “Keeping in view the defence deals between China and Pakistan, India is also upgrading and modernising its security and defence setups,” he added. “Pakistan and China collaborating in various fields, including security and defence, does not alarm us at all. We are building and upgrading our security and defence setups to deal with any situation,” the minister said. Biggest threats before the country were internal security, international terrorism and infiltration, Raju said. When his attention was drawn towards reports that Taliban had been trying to infiltrate into this side, the MoS Defence said, “We are aware that our neighbour is aiding infiltration.” On the question of ban on pre-paid cellphone connections in the state, the minister said the decision was taken after proper consideration. He said the militants active in the state were using pre-paid connections and the decision was taken to ban it as a preventive measure. Later the Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) submitted a memorandum to the visiting minister and drew his attention towards discrimination meted out to the youth of the Jammu region in recruitment in the Army. The minister assured it to remove the discrimination. |
|
No-confidence motion against Mayor
Jammu, November 13 Agreeing to the division in the Congress rank and file , Narinder Singh said he had informed some of the bureaucrats and the ministers of his party before taking this move and it was up to them to take others into confidence. The former Mayor maintained that commissioner of the Jammu Municipal Corporation Mubarak Singh was bound under the Municipal Act to call the extraordinary meeting before November 15 and ask the Mayor to prove his majority. Alleging an increase in corruption and the Mayor showing lack of interest in the works of the Municipal Corporation, the former Mayor moved the no-confidence motion having the signature of 39 councillors to the commissioner of the Municipal Corporation on November 10. Immediately after the Deputy Chief Minister’s statement, four Congress councillors had withdrawn their names from the motion. Calling the councillors who had withdrawn their names as black sheep, the former Mayor still claimed the support of 38 councillors. “Even if four councillors had withdrawn their names, we still have support of 38 councillors whereas only 36 votes are required to pass the no-confidence motion,” Narinder Singh said. He said: “Though we have support of independent Councillors, we need the support of our fellow Councillors
as well.” He claimed that he would take recourse to all legal measures if the commissioner fails to call the no-confidence motion within the stipulated time. However, taking full advantage of the division within the Congress on the issue, Mayor Gupta is hopeful to win the no-confidence motion even if the motion is pressed to vote by the commissioner. |
|
Panun Kashmir council expels Chrungoo
Jammu, November 13 Chrungoo, who was earlier heading the Panun Kashmir Movement had merged his organisation with the Panun Kashmir headed by Dr Agnishekhar a few months ago to jointly fight for the cause of displaced Kashmiri Pandits. According to a statement issued here, the supreme council under the chairmanship of Daya Krishan Koul condemned the deliberate defiance by Chrungoo of directives , in which all office-bearers of the organisation, including the convener, Dr Agnishekher, and the president were directed to surrender their respective positions to the council. The members of the council said the attempts of Chrungoo to distort facts of the exodus and genocide of Kashmiri Pandits were deplored and rejected by the council. |
|
Vigilance fails to prove charges against ex-MC officer
Jammu, November 13 Kiran Wattal, who was last posted in the JMC, has been attached with the Civil Secretariat after an FIR was registered against him under the provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act in 2006. His immovable property worth Rs 1 crore, located in the prime location, was also attached by the SVO. Highly placed sources told The Tribune that a proposal of reinstating Wattal had been placed before the General Administrative Department (GAD) and a decision in this regard would be taken soon. Sources further disclosed that the government had initiated a process of changing parent organisation of Wattal, who belongs to the Municipal cadre. “Wattal is likely to get an important posting in Housing and Urban Development Department”, sources disclosed, adding that “a senior Cabinet Minister is seriously pursuing the case of the attached officer, who is considered very close to him”. After three years of investigation, the SVO failed to prove charges against Wattal. After the completion of the investigation the SVO admitted in its report that charges framed against the former Joint Commissioner was not proved. Though the SVO had given “clean chit” to Wattal three months ago, the higher authorities were hesitating to reinstate him due to some unknown reasons. Sources said the government had ultimately decided to give him
important posting. |
|
PDP flays lathi charge on SRTC employees
Jammu, November 13 In a joint statement issued here today, PDP leaders regretted that instead of adopting democratic means to resolve the issue, the authorities had been adopting oppressive measures to stifle the voice of the agitating SRTC employees. They condemned the lathi charge on the employees, terming it inhuman. Extending full support to the SRTC employees, the PDP flayed the coalition regime for not fulfilling their genuine demands. |
|
Cold wave in valley
Srinagar, November 13 The minimum temperature in Srinagar was minus 0.5°C and it was much less in high altitudes like Pehalgam and Gulmarg. Amidst general constraints brought to day-to-day life by the harsh winter, revelry marked the mood among many tourists and locals who decided to enjoy the cold in snowy plateaus of ski resort Gulmarg. Tourism officials said over three feet of snow had covered it in the past few days. Tourism officials plan to promote ice hockey here this year to keep tourists hooked for as many days as they can and will be holding winter festivals in coming weeks |
|
|
13 years on, govt alters alignment
Jammu, November 13 The project conceived way back in 1996 during the NC regime was to connect heritage complexes of Mubarak Mandi and Bahu Fort across the Tawi river. The alignment of the project had been changed, and now we would be having two spans of the ropeway project, Farooq Khan, Managing Director of Jammu and Kashmir State Cable Car Corporation Limited told The Tribune. Law says that within 100 metres of any heritage monument no construction work could be taken up and, hence, the alignment had to be changed and now the government has proposed a new project with two spans, first one from Bagh-e-Bahu, near Bahu Fort, to the Mahamaya Temple and the second one between Mahamaya to Mubarak Mandi, Khan said. Earlier, under the previous project pegged at Rs 24 crore only one span from Mubarak Mandi to Bahu Fort had to be constructed. However, now the government in a bid to attract tourists has also decided to allot a land for the construction of eateries, restaurants and hotels. The government yesterday issued a letter to RITES Limited for a fresh survey, he said. “Thrice we had invited tenders in the past on BOT basis (built, operate and transfer basis), but we didn’t get any response because a few construction companies that approached us found the project economically unfeasible,” he said. However, if we fail to get any response after the RITES’ fresh survey, we would explore the possibilities of constructing the project on our own, Khan said. After the project remained a non-starter for the past over a decade, the government on October 28 constituted a high-powered committee headed by Jammu Divisional Commissioner Pawan Kotwal. Sources said the committee had officials from departments like Wildlife, Tourism, State Archives etc. After the declaration of Mubarak Mandi and Bahu Fort as heritage sites, the project had to be relocated. On November 11, the committee under the Divisional Commissioner visited Mubarak Mandi, Bahu Fort and the Mahamaya Forest to identify new sites, sources said. |
|
|
SRTC staff threaten ‘unusual protest’
Jammu, November 13 The command council of the SRTC employees, comprising representatives from all three regions of the state, held a meeting today and decided to give the government time till Monday. “It was decided to hold an unusual protest. We stand united and will continue to fight for justice,” said Shakeel Ahmed Kuchay, chairman of the JKSRTC Workers Union. Without giving details of the ‘unusual protest’, Kuchay said, “We won’t disclose the details of the protest. But it would be unusual. Like yesterday we surprised the authorities by reaching near the Civil Secretariat.” It was also decided at the meeting that if the government failed to fulfil their demands, they would march towards New Delhi and hold a protest outside Parliament or Red Fort. “We have asked for a list of employees who are willing to march on foot to New Delhi,” Kuchay said. The time frame for launching the agitation had been extended as Chief Minister Omar Abdullah was out of the country and the Minister for Transport was also not in Jammu. “Till Monday, we would hold protests inside the offices and after the Chief Minister and the Transport Minister return, we would decide the future course of action,” said Ashok Mehra, president of the union. Meanwhile, all employees who were injured in yesterday’s police action, were today discharged from the hospital and their condition was stated to be stable. |
|
|
Land not yet identified for central varsity Srinagar, November 13 While the government had decided to set up the university in Ganderbal district of central Kashmir (Chief Minister Omar Abdullah represents the Ganderbal constituency), it is yet to see a final decision for want of “quality and quantity” for setting up of the campus. Five locations were identified for the purpose in the newly created district that comprises two constituencies -- Ganderbal represented by Omar and Kangan by his senior party colleague and minister Mian Altaf Ahmad. One of these locations, Rakh-e-Kujar, had already been found unsuitable for the purpose, as already reported by The Tribune. Four other locations, according to sources, are two in Tulamulla, another in the Laar area and Dignibal. Three of these locations, including two in Tulamulla, had been found much less in size and quality of land. Another location had been found rocky and insufficient by the standard size for the university, the sources said. The standard area for setting up a central university laid by the Union Human Resources Development (HRD) Ministry is 600 acres, equivalent to 4,800 kanals. Though available in size, it was found to be poor in quality at Rakh-e-Kujar, near Ganderbal. Other locations had been found poor both in quality as well as area, the sources revealed. However, in view of the political significance of the district, the state government is yet to consider any other area outside Ganderbal, north east of Srinagar, for setting up the university. Political opponents point out that all major educational institutions, Kashmir University, Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology, Kashmir (SKAST-K), and the IIT on the periphery of Srinagar, are located close to Ganderbal district. The government was not also giving due consideration to the locational standards of vicinity to the airport and railway station, both of which fall in Budgam district, northwest of Srinagar, they added. |
|
|
Junior engineer suspended
Jammu, November 13 The minister while visiting Khour inspected a link road at Chak Malal and found that the road had not been macadamized as per the set specifications. The minister asked the Superintending Engineer (SE) concerned to collect the samples of the material used for the macadamization and get its laboratory analysis and report within three days. Saroori also instructed the SE to get the work re-done by the engineer concerned at his own cost. He asked the SE to blacklist the contractor and stop the payment till the contractor completed the assigned work. The minister also ordered the constitution of a team headed by the SE to check whether a proper procedure was adopted in macadamization of all the roads in Khour and other blocks of Jammu. |
|
|
BJP flays Kashmir varsity authorities
Tribune News Service
Jammu, November 13 Interacting with mediapersons here yesterday, BJP state president Ashok Khajuria has expressed surprise “how a religious bigot and separatist leader like Geelani was allowed to use the university premises for provoking anti-India sentiments and asking the students to take the oath for jehad”. He added that this happened for the first time in 50 years that the sanctity of an academic institution had been eroded by people like Geelani. He alleged that the University of Kashmir had been conducting itself in a fashion like the Deoband School (Saharanpur), which recently adopted a resolution asking the Muslims of the country not to sing national song Vande Matram. “Time has now come for the Union government to review its whole Kashmir policy and rein in the likes of Omar Abdullah, who have become a threat to national security and integrity,” he said. Khajuria once again reiterated that the BJP would not allow the Centre to announce any concession to Kashmiri separatists and protagonists of greater autonomy and self-rule as any such concession would not only give legitimacy to the cult of terror and politics of rabid communalism but would also dilute the Indian sovereignty in the state. Meanwhile,BJP Legislative Party leader Chaman Lal Gupta has impressed upon the state government to take early steps for extending the 73rd and 74th amendments of the Constitution to the state before going for panchayat and civic bodies elections so as to make the exercise really democratic to empower these institutions. Gupta, while commenting on the statements of the Chief Minister and other government leaders ensuring early elections, said it was strange that leaders of the ruling parties were still hesitating to get extended the 73rd and 74th amendments of the Indian constitution to the state. He pointed out that it was strange that even after repeated suggestions by Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh and report submitted by the expert committee headed by Godbole in 1988, the ruling coalitions in all these years had been evading the issue of empowering the basic democracies.
|
|
|
Azad, Soz factions step up campaign
Dinesh Manhotra Tribune News Service
Jammu, November 13 Congress circles the election of the PYC president is not only a competition among the aspiring candidates, who appeared in the “talent search” interviews but a battle for supremacy between the Saif-ud-Din Soz lobby and the pro-Ghulam Nabi Azad faction in the PCC. Sources in the Congress disclosed that the interviews were only a formality and both the factions have been working overtime to get the candidate of their own choice selected as the PYC chief. Although both the warring factions have not yet disclosed names of their candidates, a number of aspirants have been publicly claiming that they have the patronage of senior leaders. “Although the outgoing PYC president Mohammad Amin Bhat is an overage candidate, the pro-Azad faction is not happy with the way he has been sacked from the post”, said a senior Congress leader, who owes allegiance to the Union Health Minister.” Our group is working overtime to get our man elected as new PYC president”, he said and refused to disclose the name of the candidate. On the other hand, there is feeling among the pro-Soz faction that the selection of the PYC chief was an opportunity to cut rivals to size. “How the PYC president would be appointed against the wishes of the PCC chief ?”, asked a veteran Congress leader on condition of anonymity and disclosed that the choice of Saif-ud-Din Soz would ultimately prevail. While as the pro-Soz faction has been projecting names of three candidates, including kin of some leaders, the Azad group on the other hand supports a sitting legislature, the sources say.
|
|
|
Rs 7,600 cr flyover project on cards
Jammu, November 13 This was revealed by Minister of State for Planning Manohar Lal Sharma while talking to a deputation who called on him in his office chamber. The deputation was led by former minister Yogesh Sawhney. The Minister assured the deputation that the government was aware of the hardships being faced by people due to frequent traffic snarls in Jammu city and was exploring every possibility to construct the flyovers at vulnerable points, besides widening of roads from Jewel to Amphalla up to the Janipur High Court complex. He further assured them that the memorandum of demands submitted by them would be given due consideration. He also said the problems of the people due to traffic congestion would be brought to the notice of the Chief Minister for urgent attention and a meeting would be convened in this regard next week. Principal secretary, Planning, BB Vyas, who was also present in the meeting, assured that after the proposal for construction of flyovers was through, immediate funds would be arranged for the purpose. With regard to widening of roads, he said work had already been taken up at different points. He further said the road from Surinsar-Chenani to Sudhmahadev would be completed within six months so that tourists flow to Surinsar and Sudhmahdev remained unaffected. |
|
|
PDD daily wagers threaten to go on strike
Jammu, November 13 There are around 3,200 daily wage employees in the department who man the critical power system in the state.They have been demanding regularisation of their jobs, but in vain. Addressing a press conference here today,president of the All- Jammu and Kashmir Daily Wage Employees Association Tarun Gupta said they had served an ultimatum on the state government to regularise the services of 3200 employees against the requirement of additional posts of 9000 in the department by November 22 failing which the daily wage employees would proceed on an indefinite strike from November 23. “There are around 9000 vacancies in the department against which we are demanding regularisation of 3200 employees who are eligible and have all the requisite claims and qualification”, said Tarun Gupta. |
|
| 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 | |
Jammu, November 13
