Satarian (RS Pura), November 19
On the occasion of the birth anniversary of Indira Gandhi today, rival groups within the PCC organised parallel functions at three places. It was coincidental that the meetings were held on the international border and leaders of the warring functions used the opportunity to take on their rivals.

The faction headed by PCC chief Saifuddin Soz organised a function at Satarian, the native village of Minister for Medical Education and Sports RS Chib. Just a few kilometres away from the spot, where a battery of ministers and the PCC chief were present, dissident Congress leader Choudhary Garu Ram organised another function at Suchetgarh. The Azad faction organised a function at Hamirpur village in the home constituency of Deputy Chief Minister Tara Chand.

Though Soz avoid a direct attack on his detractors, his rivals declared a war against him and vowed to expose, what they alleged, a coterie of leaders who had virtually hijacked the PCC. In an obvious reference to Chib, Gharu Ram regretted that the genuine Congress workers had been neglected and turncoats had been given priority.

Soz did not see any reason for the rivals to organise parallel functions as all leaders, including Tara Chand and Garu Ram, were invited to the official function at Satarian village. “Instead of organising parallel functions, the rivals should have participated in the official function to give a positive message,” he said and claimed that the PCC, including vice-presidents and other office-bearers, were in his group.

Nagrota, November 19
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has applauded the role of Sainik School, Nagrota, for preparing students to compete in academics and co-curricular activities.

Speaking at the function to celebrate the 37th annual day of the school yesterday, the Chief Minister said children were the future of the nation and they needed to be groomed in a way that they could become an asset for nation building. “The school not only trains children to safeguard the nation, but also to compete with students of other states in every field of life,” Omar said.

He said, “During childhood children want to become free, but when they attain the age of maturity they want to go back to the days of their childhood. When we become adults, we miss the days of our childhood.”

Omar said his government would extend every possible help to the school for its smooth functioning. “I just came to know that some of the proposals of the school are pending with the government. In the next few days, I will take up the issue with the Chief Secretary and will do all to help the school,” he said. “Sainik School, Nagrota, has made us proud by bagging this year’s Defence Ministry award for sending the maximum number of cadets to the NDA and I hope that it continues to do so in the years to come,” the Chief Minister said.

Recalling his association with the school, Omar said he felt honoured to be in the school as chief guest on the annual day function. “I was eight years’ old when I first visited this school with my grandfather and then I came with my father and now I feel proud to be here as the chief guest,” Omar said.

Welcoming the guest, Major-General RH Vardhan, chairman of the local board of the school administration, said the school had produced more than 350 officers for the armed forces in the past three decades.

Earlier the Chief Minister also inaugurated the mathematics laboratory in the school and inspected science, life-science and IT labs. The students exhibited innovative experiments in the labs and explained various scientific methods commonly utilised.

Jammu, November 19
Governor NN Vohra hosted a farewell dinner for the Army Commander, Western Command, Lt-Gen TK Sapru and the Vice-Chancellor, Shri Mata Vaishno Devi University, Prof NK Bansal, at Raj Bhavan, here last evening.

Lt-Gen Sapru is retiring on November 30 and Prof Bansal is retiring as Vice Chancellor of the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi University.

The Governor lauded Lt-Gen Sapru for his service of over 40 years.

He complimented Prof Bansal for having built the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi University from scratch, in the past five years. He presented mementos to Lt-Gen Sapru and Prof Bansal and wished them good health and happiness in future.

Jammu, November 19
Even as the police failed to record the statement of a schoolgirl for the third consecutive day, Chief Education Officer (CEO) Natha Ram said today based upon the findings of the inquiry report disciplinary action would be initiated against the school principal tomorrow positively.

Raj Rani (12), a student of class VI of Government Girls Middle School, had set herself ablaze at her house in Gorkha Nagar on November 17 after her school principal Rizwan Ara had accused her of trying to steal money from her purse. The principal had also slapped the girl and then paraded her on the school premises in front of other schoolchildren.

“The inquiry report has reached me and now it would be put before Director School Education Zahida Parveen Khan tomorrow,” Natha Ram told The Tribune.

Bagh-e-Bahu police station SHO Anu Kumar said today that he had personally gone to the Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) to record the statement of the victim but the doctors concerned described her condition as not fit for giving statement.

“The doctors gave us in writing that the victim is still not fit for giving her statement but the case is under active consideration. Once we record her statement, action under relevant Section would be initiated,” the SHO said.

While the police await doctors’ nod to record the statement of the minor girl, the latter had talked to the media narrating the entire incident.

The girl, who has suffered 15 to 20 per cent burns, has been declared out of danger by a senior doctor, but for inexplicable reasons the police continues to maintain that the doctors concerned have not granted permission to record her statement. The inordinate delay in recording the statement of the victim has put the police and the authorities concerned in a dock.

Jammu, November 19
The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) started the World Heritage Week celebrations at Thalora (Manwal) in Majalta tehsil of Udhampur district today with a large number of students from various educational institutes and locals participating in it.

MLA, Nagrota, Jugal Kishore and District Development Commissioner (DDC), Udhampur, Ajay Khajuria inaugurated the week-long celebrations. Kiran Bakshi, principal, GCW, Udhampur, presided over the function.

The MLA said the main objective of holding the celebrations was to make the younger generation aware about the ancient art, culture and traditions. With proper maintenance of these monuments, we could also attract tourists and generate employment opportunities for the local unemployed youth, he added.

The superintending archaeologist in his address said the ASI was maintaining nearly 69 sites of cultural, religious and historical importance in the state, including 41 in Kashmir, 15 in the Jammu region and 13 in Ladakh.

The school students presented colourful cultural programmes based on national integration and patriotism that were appreciated by the audience.

The DDC had organised a photo exhibition depicting places of historical and religious importance by the ASI and appreciated the efforts of the agency.

Jammu, November 19
Justice JP Singh of the J&K High Court declined to upset the selection of dental surgeons, observing that the interest of justice will be put to jeopardy with the quashing of selection and appointment of dental surgeons serving the state government for the past eight years.

The counsel for the Public Service Commission defended the selection of dental surgeons on the ground that the selection in the instant case was made prior to the final verdict on Rule 51 of the J&K Public Service Commission Rules, 1980, delivered by the Supreme Court in the case “Inder Parkash Gupta Vs State of J&K”.

Justice JP Singh, while dismissing the writ petition filed by Dr Neeru Sharma, observed that the Supreme Court had found the commission keeping 100 marks for viva-voce test to determine the eligibility of the candidates, contrary to the law laid down by the Supreme Court.

The Supreme Court directed the Public Service Commission to recast the rule, meaning thereby that the vice in the rule had been directed to be removed by the commission so that it did not affect selections to be made after the judgment.

The selection of private respondents, having taken place prior to the judgment of the Supreme Court, vice pointed out in the rule by the petitioner’s counsel, may not thus affect the selection of respondents as it would not be in the interest of justice to upset the selection and appointment of private respondents, who are serving the state for the last eight years as dental surgeons. With these observations the court dismissed the writ petition.

Jammu, November 19
Qamar Ali Akhoon, Minister for Transport and CAPD, said on Thursday that the State Transport Authority (STA) was being recast to provide hassle-free and comfortable transport facilities to passengers on all routes in the state. Minister of State for Transport Shabir Ahmad Khan, Secretary Transport Asgar Ali Samoon, Transport Commissioner AK Mohanty, besides Director State Motor Garages GA Sofi were among others present in the meeting.

The two-hour meeting held threadbare discussions on various agenda points, including smooth plying of transport and upgrading of infrastructure, strict implementation of rules, speedy revenue generation and improved facilities to passengers, particularly those belonging to remote and hilly areas.

The minister directed the authorities to give priority to the issuance of route permits for passenger vehicles, besides driving licences to unemployed educated youth.

The Minister of State for Transport stressed on smooth traffic on all routes of the state.

Jammu, November 19
While the Congress and the NC have already started preparations for the forthcoming elections of the Municipal Corporation (MC), infighting in the faction-ridden BJP is likely to intensify after the formal announcement of the poll schedule.

Warring factions of the BJP headed by senior leaders want ticket for their men in the forthcoming elections to maintain dominance in the party, especially in the winter capital. A faction of the BJP has made it clear to the party leadership that Mayor Kavinder Gupta should be given a free hand to select candidates for the elections. The group, which has the patronage of some senior leaders, is of the opinion that the party could not get the majority in the last elections due to the wrong selection of candidates.

“We don’t want to take any chance this time. Instead of allowing state president Ashok Khajuria to decide candidates, we have already conveyed to the high command to allow Kavinder Gupta to finalise the names of potential candidates, as he has gained a lot of experience as Mayor,” a party leader told The Tribune.

There is a feeling among the BJP workers that the party had failed to get the majority in the 71-member MC due to the wrong distribution of ticket. The BJP had won only 25 seats in the last elections. “The party had lost as many as 10 seats because weak candidates were given ticket,” a senior worker said.

The faction headed by Ashok Khajuria is also desperate to accommodate its own men to maintain a grip over the party. Not only the Khajuria faction, but also all senior leaders want to ensure ticket for their loyalists.

Srinagar, November 19
While the Kashmir valley is facing power shortage, the government plans to launch a vigorous campaign to check the loss of electricity ahead of winter coupled with lesser generation of power from hydel projects due to a decline in the water level. It has also been found that the system of metering the power supply to consumers over the recent years did not yield any results, as the gap between the power supply and revenue realised was widening.

Talking to mediapersons here last evening, Principal Secretary, Power, BR Sharma said the average power consumption per consumer a month was at 540 units. The average cost of a unit is Rs 2.50 and the cost of energy consumed per consumer every month was Rs 1,350, while only Rs 93 was being realised per consumer a month.

Hinting at an increase in power tariffs in the near future, Sharma said the tariffs had not been revised during the past two years. The department had suffered a loss of 65 per cent in terms of bill realisation in metered areas of the state where the government had assured the consumers of providing round-the-clock power supply.

Sharma held that the consumers were indulging in power theft by various ways and means. With the result the power supply could not be maintained round-the-clock in even metered areas. Against the supply of around 400 MW in the metered areas costing the state Rs 223 crore, it earned only Rs 76 crore during the current financial year, he added.

In order to maintain a judicious use of power and ensure smooth supply, the department had worked out a curtailment programme in the valley, Sharma said. “This includes three-hour curtailment for three days every week in the morning. Another curtailment of five hours for three days around noon, and five hours curtailment thrice a week in the afternoon, on a rotation basis,” he added.

The campaign to save power includes educating consumers through print and electronic media and by intensifying inspection by officials.

Srinagar, November 19
The Hurriyat Conference led by Mirwaiz Umar Farooq discussed various issues related to the ‘quiet dialogue’ process following the recent visit of Hurriyat leaders to the Union Capital.

The meeting was held at the Nigeen residence of the Mirwaiz, chairman of the All Parties Hurriyat Conference, here today. Those who attended the day-long meeting included Abdul Ghani Bhat and Bilal Ghani Lone. However, the meeting remained inconclusive and was expected to continue further deliberations here tomorrow, a Hurriyat spokesman said.

Various issues, including the dialogue process with the Centre, roping in separatist leaders outside its fold, were discussed in the meeting.

Over the past two months, the Hurriyat Conference led by the Mirwaiz has renewed its efforts to rope in other groups, including hard line Syed Ali Geelani and JKLF chairman Yasin Malik. While the Geelani faction continues to be oppose the dialogue process with the Centre, the JKLF chairman outside its fold is in constant touch with Mirwaiz.

Jammu, November 19
A girl was killed when a vehicle she was travelling in met with an accident at Dara Dullian in Poonch district today. The police said Naseem Akhter, a resident of Dara Dullian, was seriously injured. She was rushed to the Poonch district hospital, where she died.