|
|
Official found dead, gardener arrested
SRTC stir: Centre seeks report
Striking State Road Transport Corporation employees scuffle with police personnel during a protest
march in Jammu on Monday. Photo: Inderjeet Singh
Power scenario reviewed
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Rajnish Death Case
Anchal Sharma, aka Amina Yousuf, flanked by Mahila Sanrakshan Samiti members, talks to reporters in Jammu on Monday. A Tribune photograph
Projects under way to improve road connectivity: Saroori
‘Expedite’ land acquisition cases
Probe delay in meeting on Phd cases: NSF
Triangular Talks
Development Works Seminar on disability from Dec 3 Id festivities continue Efforts
to boost bear conservation
Driver, cleaner killed in mishap
Marwah takes charge of Chinar Corps
Community hall opened
Youth gives ultras the slip
Principal ‘gheraoed’
Communal Harmony Week concludes
Kanwar wins Rangoli contest
|
|
Official found dead, gardener arrested
Jammu, November 30 Official sources said this morning some passersby spotted a body lying behind bushes near a nursery of the Horticulture Department. They informed the Miran Sahib police, which shifted the body to the Government Medical College and Hospital (GMC&H) here. Sources said: “Victim’s wife Nirmala Kichloo in her complaint to the police claimed that a gardener of the Horticulture Department Chander Prakash had visited their residence last night, informing them about injuries to their driver Vinod Kumar in a road accident. Sources said subsequently the officer along with Chander went to a hospital in Jammu. However, after around three hours Chander returned to the residence of Kichloo to inform his wife that her husband stayed at the hospital to look after their driver Vinod, sources said. They said Chander of Prem Nagar in Miran Sahib, who had a hazy past, had some dispute over money with the victim. This morning when the police started the investigation, it came to know that the driver, a resident of Maralia, last night attended a marriage function. SP Headquarters JS Johar told The Tribune that acting upon the complaint of the victim’s wife the police had arrested Chander. He was being subjected to questioning and the case would be worked out shortly, he added. This morning the the body was found behind bushes with injury marks on his left ear and mouth, he said. Autopsy was conducted at the GMC&H and the report was awaited, he added. A case under Section 364/302, RPC, stand registered at the Miran Sahib police station. The official had two sons who had been pursuing their engineering studies in New Delhi and Dehradun. |
|
SRTC stir: Centre seeks report
Jammu, November 30 The SRTC employees led by their union chairman had protested in Delhi and met Union Surface and Transport Minister Kamal Nath and apprised him about their problems. “He listened to our problems patiently and said he had already directed the state government to submit a detailed report,” Shakeel Ahmed Kuchay, union leader, told The Tribune over telephone from New Delhi. He said the minister assured that he would discuss the matter with the state government and ensure a lasting solution to the problems. “He told us that the Madhya Pradesh Government had sent a proposal to him for the closure of the MP State Road Corporation, but he refused to do so. He also assured us that he won’t allow injustice done to us to continue,” Kuchay said. The employees also filed a case against the state government with the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) for not obeying the rulings of the State Human Rights Commission (SHRC), which were in favour of the employees. “The SHRC in its ruling on March 2008 had said the non-payment of salaries to the SRTC employees amounted to violation of their human rights and instructed the government to release our salaries, but the state government did not implement the ruling,” Kuchay said. He said the employees submitted the case to the NHRC and the commission was apprised that they had not been paid salaries for the past seven months. “We told the commission that how our children felt to see their parents being beaten up by the police for demanding salaries. We don’t have ration to feed our children and we are forced to send them to do labour, which is violation of their human rights,” Kuchay said. In the morning, defying the chilling cold of Delhi, the employees, who had been camping in Delhi for the past few days, held a protest outside Jantar Mantar and proceeded towards the Parliament gate, where they protested, in the afternoon. Meanwhile, at least six employees were injured when the police cane charged the employees trying to come out of the yard to hold a protest in Jammu today. “Six employees were injured when the police resorted to an unprovoked cane charge on the employees, who wanted to hold a peaceful protest,” said Paramjeet Singh, general secretary of the SRTC Workers Union. |
|
Power scenario reviewed
Jammu, November 30 The meeting was a follow up of the recent visit by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to the state in October, during which he had stressed on bringing reforms in the power sector in the state. During the meeting, the status of various flagship power projects being executed by the National Hydel Power Corporation (NHPC) and measures to remove bottlenecks in their speedy execution were discussed threadbare. The meeting was told that the NHPC was executing 5,470 MW of power projects, including Pukal Dul, 1020 MW Bursar, 390 MW Kishen Ganga, 120 MW Sewa-II 450 MW Baglihar-II and 990 MW Kirthai-II power projects. The Chief Secretary briefed the Central team about the measures under way to improve the power position in the state. He added the state Power Development Department (PDD) had already procured two lakh electronic meters for installation in the leftover areas of Srinagar and Jammu, besides 28 major towns of the state. He said the state authorities had been directed to procure quality electronic meters through competitive bidding. Regular meetings were being convened to review the progress of electronic metering, the Chief Secretary added. Kapur also apprised the Central team about the vast power potential in the state and measures taken by Central and state governments to harness this potential optimally. He said periodical meetings were needed to review the progress of various proposed and under execution power projects. He urged the Centre to be liberal in assisting the state in overcoming power shortage. Chairman, Central Electricity Authority (CEA), Rakesh Nath, Member CEA Gurdial Singh, Joint Adviser of the Planning Commission RK Koul, Commissioner/Secretary, Power, J&K, BR Sharma, Deputy Secretary, Union Ministry of Finance, Neeher Ranjan Pandey, and the state Power Development Commissioner were also present in the meeting. |
|
|
Govt maintaining silence, minorities insecure: Anchal
Tribune News Service
Jammu, November 30 Addressing the media here this afternoon, Anchal said the silence of the present government forced her to move the apex court, which had issued notice to the state government. She along with her mother-in-law Raj Kumari and brother-in-law Pawan Sharma have filed a law suit in the apex court. “The Chief Minister has not bothered to react even to the barbaric act of the state police, which killed my husband in the custody,” the 27-year-old widow alleged. The police till date had not registered any FIR against my father, brothers and officers, who connived and tortured my husband to death, she added. Peeved over the government’s lukewarm response we moved the Supreme Court, she said, adding that she along with her in-laws still faced threat to their lives. Had there been a minister’s son in place of my husband, stringent action would have followed within two days, but in my case the state government had maintained silence, she said. “Going by the atrocities being committed upon the minorities, it would be better if the state was divided into two parts because it seems law doesn’t exist here”, she said “In our plea to the Supreme Court we have requested a CBI probe because we simply have no faith in this government and the probe being conducted by the state crime branch,” she said. If marrying a Hindu boy was a crime then what about leaders in the state, who too had interfaith marriages, she asked. Anchal and her in-laws have already refused to accept government compensation and two jobs. “I want justice. Those who killed my husband should be hanged and no compensation could soothe my wounds,” she added. During her stay at New Delhi, Anchal along with her in-laws also visited the NHRC and the Women Commission, narrating the entire incident. Meanwhile, the Mahila Sanrakshan Samiti (MSS) has decided to hold a silent rally outside the Chief Minister’s official residence. The MSS in its signature campaign has already garnered 50,000 signatures.
|
|
|
Projects under way to improve road connectivity: Saroori
Jammu, November 30 Addressing a public meeting at Chatroo in Kishtwar today, Saroori said the government’s endeavour was to improve basic amenities across the state and for that road connectivity was imperative. He later announced Rs 1 crore for upgrading the Kisthwar-Chingam road. He thanked Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi for their positive approach towards the development of the state, which was evident from the liberal financial assistance by the Centre. Saroori said erstwhile Doda district lagged in road connectivity, but due to the concerted efforts of former Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad this sector in the district received a focused attention. He reiterated that the road network in erstwhile Doda district would be improved keeping in view its hilly terrain and inconvenience to people in commuting from one region to another. Saroori said under the PMGSY Phase-VII, a number of habitations were being connected with towns and urban areas by link roads. He said the reopening of the historic Mughal Road was a landmark initiative of the present dispensation. The minister said the Centre had agreed to fully funding the construction of the Mughal Road. He added that the road would be thrown open to general public in June next year. He said work on the Kisthwar-Simthen-Kokernag road was also being completed, which would connect erstwhile district Doda with the Kashmir valley. Calling upon people to be vigilant against vested elements bent upon disturbing peaceful atmosphere in the state, Saroori said the government did not believe in rhetoric and its performance spoke for itself. He sought people’s cooperation for making Jammu and Kashmir a model state. Later, he inspected the site of the Singpora-Viloo tunnel, which would connect to the Kishtwar-Kokernag road. He also announced Rs 1 crore for upgrading the Kisthwar-Chingam road. Saroori also inspected the upgrading of the Ponder Khul-Dachhin road and directed the authorities concerned to accelerate the work to ensure its timely completion. He said the road would not only provide a feeding channel to Bursar and Pukhadul Power projects, but also redress the long pending demand of the villagers of Pathi, Mohal and Dug Duroo.
|
|
|
‘Expedite’ land acquisition cases
Jammu, November 30 At the meeting, the cases of land requisition and acquisition were reviewed by the Divisional Commissioner and a threadbare discussion was held on each case. It was decided that the Army officers concerned would hold a meeting with their respective district collectors on a monthly basis to expedite the disposal of land requisition and land acquisition cases. Kotwal directed the revenue authorities to provide the latest revenue records/papers to the Army authorities, wherever required. He also asked the authorities concerned to expedite the payment of rentals to land owners. Kotwal also urged that unless land was properly requisitioned or acquired under law, the land owners should not be deprived of enjoying the fruits of their land. He further informed that all land requisition and land acquisition cases would be cleared in a time bound and well coordinated manner. He would be closely monitoring the progress in this regard, he added. The Divisional Commissioner asked the officers to remain in close contact with each other so that necessary queries and issues could be addressed promptly and cases be expedited and disposed of in a time-bound manner. He said such meetings shall be convened on a regular basis in future with the Army authorities concerned to resolve the land requisition and land acquisition cases. |
|
|
Probe delay in meeting on Phd cases: NSF
Jammu, November 30 The meeting scheduled to be held on November 2 was held on November 25. The forum alleged that only two cases out of total 30 were selected to be presented in the meeting by the Director Business School. In a press conference here, Vikas Sharma, president of the NSF, demanded that the director be replaced immediately for his alleged indifference towards aspiring Phd students. “After we raised a hue and cry, the Dean Student Welfare had assured to hold an inquiry. This prompted the director to present all cases in the meeting. But the delay is certainly going to impact the time frame for the completion of research work,” alleged Sharma. “Whenever a student commits a wrong, the varsity orders an inquiry immediately and takes appropriate action against him. But when it comes to faculty members, the varsity dithers or starts protecting the faculty member,” he alleged. “Out of 30 students who had qualified the entrance test, the cases of only two students were presented in the meeting. Due to a protest by students, the meeting was delayed,” he alleged. Meanwhile, the NSF activists held a protest on the university campus and shouted slogans against the varsity administration for not initiating any action against the Director Business School. The Dean Students Welfare, Prof JS Tara, said: “I looked into the matter, but did not find any official record that stated that only two cases were supposed to be discussed in the meeting. All 30 cases were discussed.” “The meeting was delayed due to the preoccupation of the Vice-Chancellor and several other meetings had also got delayed along with the Board of Research Studies’ meeting,” he added.
|
|
|
Triangular
Talks
Jammu, November 30 According to a statement issued here today, Vinod Pandit, chairman of the APMCC, said the stand of the Chief Minister was not tolerable. Asking the Chief Minister to issue a rejoinder,he said other pro-India sections of the society of the state like Gujjars, Dogras, KPs, Buddhists and the common Kashmiri Muslims would not sit silent and let the separatists and militants decide their future. Vinod maintained that Kashmiri Pandits were simmering with anger over no mention of the Pandits in the Chief Minister’s statement which only showed his pro-separatist bent of mind. He said that neither the Chief Minister nor the Indian government should ignore around eight lakh Kashmiri Pandits (KPs), who had faced persecution since 1947 till date, while discussing anything for the Kashmir issue’s
resolution.
|
|
|
Dy CM for time-bound completion
Tribune News Service
Udhampur, November 30 Of the total outlay of Rs 63 crore, the DDB, Udhampur, could spend about Rs 17 crore as on November 30, 2009, of Rs 46 crore released this fiscal. The Deputy CM, who is also the chairman of the DDB, was dissatisfied with the pace of the ongoing development works. Legislators Harsh Dev Singh, Balwant Singh Mankotia, Krishan Chander Bhagat and Baldev Raj Sharma and heads of municipalities were present at the meeting. Tara Chand exhorted the officials concerned to ensure an optimum utilisation of funds to accomplish targets. He asked them to focus on underdeveloped and backward areas of the district by taking the area legislators into confidence, besides keeping them abreast about the details of the projects of various state and centrally sponsored schemes. The review meeting followed Chief Minister Omar Abdullah’s instructions for conducting a meeting to review decisions taken in the DDB meeting chaired by him at Jammu on October 3, 2009, by November end. The Deputy CM warned the officials for any slackness on their part in implementing the decisions of the DDB.
|
|
|
Seminar on disability from Dec 3 Srinagar, November 30 The seminar on the theme ‘Specially Challenged Community: Problems and Solution’ is being organised by the Department of Students’ Welfare and Faculty of Education, University of Kashmir. Several initiatives would be taken to raise the awareness of the rights of persons suffering disabilities in Kashmir, a spokesman for the University of Kashmir said. It is estimated that nearly 610 million people are existing with disabilities across the world. In India alone, nearly 60 million people suffer disabilities. ‘International Day of Disabled Persons’ is a yearly reminder of what each nation, community, group and individual can offer to improve the conditions for the disabled as well as muster world-wide assistance and support to champion the rights of people living with disabilities. Kashmir University Vice-chancellor Prof Riyaz Punjabi expressed happiness over the initiative taken by the Students’ Welfare Department. “It is a noble cause and I look forward to more student volunteers to champion the cause of the disabled,” he said. Punjabi stressed the need to awake to the realisation of existence of special children and their needs. “We need to devise methods to integrate special students with their normal counterparts by resorting to new communication technologies,” the VC said. He said quality of education and special care were concerns which needed to be addressed while thinking of the wellbeing of special children. Referring to the initiatives taken by the University Departments for the disabled community, the VC said the Disabilities Cell created by the university in 2008 was being strengthened and more initiatives were already in the pipeline for creating disability friendly environs. “The objective of this day is to help the disabled integrate into society by ironing out the impediments in their lives,” Prof Nilofar Khan, Dean Students Welfare, said. She informed that experts from major universities across the country would reach Kashmir University on December 2 to participate in the seminar. “We will come out with recommendations also at the end of the two-day seminar and approach the quarters concerned for implementation as well.”
|
|
|
Id festivities continue Srinagar, November 30 While the shops and business establishments remained closed here for the past two days, some of these re-opened with hardly any customers today. Private transport as well as passenger transport was plying on the roads today. Though it was not a holiday today, there was thin attendance in the government offices, educational institutions and banks. Over the past some years, there has been an addition of sending SMSs through mobiles, which for many has become a passion and for many others a hectic job to reply and exchange good wishes of others, colleagues, friends and relatives. Though the prepaid mobile services have been banned, these messages continued wherever the validity prevailed. Due to the cold weather conditions, though amid the continued dry spell ahead of the chilly winter, many people remained glued either to their mobiles or television watching different programmes of their choice. For many others like the newly weds and youth, it has been the opportunity to visit their relatives, nearby or at distant locations. With a little number of cops on the roads, traffic jams were frequent on the city roads at several places since yesterday, while a heavy rush of vehicles was witnessed on the entry points to the city with people, mostly the youth carrying gift packs in exchange from place to place. Most of the employees belonging to Kashmir valley, who are associated with the annual Durbar move, presently at the winter capital, Jammu, have shifted to their homes and joined their families on the occasion. While some of these families have already shifted to Jammu, those with their children taking various examinations being conducted by the State Board of School Education are stationed here.
|
|
|
Efforts
to boost bear conservation Srinagar, November 30 Officials said they had chosen three bears, a male, a female and a cub, for the project and their study would be helpful in drawing a strategy for their conservation as well as efforts to minimise the incidents of man-animal conflict. The project has been undertaken in the Dachigam National Park in Srinagar and spread across over 140 sq km. It is not only home to endangered bears but also hanguls, a rare breed of deers. There are around 300 bears in the region. Officials said human habitat had encroached upon animal habitat over the years with the rising population and things were especially bad in regions close to the Line of Control. Troops movement in forests and division of animal habitat by the border have affected the animal life. Attacks on people by bears are common in Kashmir and villagers often unite to attack bears.
|
|
|
Driver, cleaner killed in mishap
Jammu, November 30 The victims have been identified as Mohammed Aslam Mir of Wathoo Shopian and cleaner Altaf Wagey of Shopian. Reports said after the mishap a police party from Ramban reached the spot and evacuated the occupants from the badly mangled vehicle to a hospital where both of them were declared brought dead. Meanwhile, five persons suffered injuries when a car in which they were traveling met with an accident at Kuriya bridge in Kishtwar district. The vehicle was on its way from Thakurai to Kishtwar when the mishap occurred. All the injured were shifted in sub-district hospital, Kishtwar. However, a critically injured woman, Rajna Devi of Thakurai, was later referred to Government Medical College and Hospital here.
|
|
|
Marwah takes charge of Chinar Corps
Srinagar, November 30 Lt-General Bikram Singh proceeds to the Army Headquarters as Director General Staff Duties. Before transferring of charge, both General Officers laid floral wreaths at the Corps War Memorial and paid rich tributes to the brave martyrs of the Corps. Lt-Gen Marwah, an alumni of the National Defence Academy, was commissioned into the Kumaon Regiment in 1973. A graduate of Defence Services Staff College and College of Defence Management, the General Officer had varied command and staff appointments during his distinguished career spanning 36 years. |
|
|
Community hall opened
Jammu, November 30 An official statement issued here said the hall was completed at a cost of Rs 6 lakh by the Relief Department. Speaking on the occasion, Bhalla said the hall would facilitate the Kashmiri migrants in organising functions there. He said the Centre and state governments were making allout efforts to provide basic amenities to the displaced families of the valley. Responding to the demand for construction of 12 additional rooms for students of Mixed Higher Secondary School, Camp, Roop Nagar, Muthi, Bhalla asked the Relief Commissioner to start the work on the proposed site soon. |
|
|
Youth gives ultras the slip
Jammu, November 30 Three militants had abducted Zakir Hussain, a resident of Prankote Morha village of Reasi district, and taken him to a nearby forest. However, Zakir managed to give them the slip today. After his family members informed the police about the abduction, the police and the Army launched a joint operation to track down the militants and rescue the youth. However, Zakir managed to escape. |
|
|
Principal ‘gheraoed’
Jammu, November 30 College students along with JJSF members Kulwinder Singh and Amandeep Singh “gheraoed” principal Hemla Aggarwal for more than an hour. Partap Singh Jamwal, vice-president of the JJSF, accused the principal of working under pressure of political parties and trying to suppress their voice. Jamwal warned that if the student union elections were further delayed, the JJSF would launch an agitation. However, refuting all allegations, Hemla Aggarwal said her college students had not approached her so far and she would talk to them before conducting elections. “I am student friendly and I not a dictator. Outsiders came to the college and protested,” she said.
|
|
Communal Harmony Week concludes
Jammu, November 30 The celebration started with a formal function. Dr Renu Gupta, director, MIER, was the chief guest. Vice-principal of the college, Dr Adit Gupta, administrator Dr Surinder Kaur, besides faculty members and all BEd students attended the function. As part of the programme, a group of 45 students visited Mother Teresa Home, Janipur, led by NSS programme officer Poonam
Soni.
|
||
|
Kanwar wins Rangoli contest
Jammu, November 30 Anjali Jamwal from Government College for Women, Gandhi Nagar, and Suman Kumari, Cosmic College of Education, Lakhanpur, bagged second and third prize, respectively. As many as 58 students from various colleges participated in the competition.
— 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 | |
The Union Surface and Transport Ministry has directed the state government to submit a report on the status of the strike of the employees of the State Road Transport Corporation and their demands.
Jammu, November 30
