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Nathatop gets season’s first snowfall
Farm technocrat refuses to take medical treatment
Jammu gets model police station
BSP demands restoration of bus service
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Vohra, CM mourn death of BB Vyas’s mother
District jail starts computer course for inmates
CM favours composite dialogue with Pak
Dissidents egg on ‘thrashed’ Cong worker to talk to media
Fill teacher’s posts in varsity, demands scholars’ body
Refugees flay Centre over rights violation
Crime File
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Nathatop gets season’s first snowfall
Jammu, December 10 Besides Nathatop, upper reaches of bordering Doda, Seozdhar, Kailashtop, Dessa, Daldraman and Gundoh experienced the season’s first snowfall late last night and this morning. Snowfall has already been reported in Srinagar. The timely snowfall would not only beckon tourists and help economy, it would also be beneficial to the crops. Last year, the region received snowfall in early January, hitting tourism and agriculture. Assistant director of the State Meteorology Department TK Jotshi told The Tribune that the snow was expected to fall anytime between December 9 and 11. “This is an encouraging beginning to winter season. We have given an advisory to the state government on the likely days of snowfall. The snow cover is about six inches. We are monitoring the weather closely and the next forecast will be announced shortly.” Tourism director SM Sahni said though snow was melting rapidly, it may pile up after the second snowfall. “A large number of persons, who were visiting the Vaishno Devi shrine, have reportedly rushed to Nathatop.” He said adequate facilities were in place for the tourists. Javed Rahi, national general secretary of the Tribal Research Foundation, said snowfall was important for mushroom cultivation. “The gucchhi variety of mushroom crop, which is sown mainly in the snow area of Nathitop and Patnitop, would give better production. This variety is exported to European countries and has a high medicinal value also,” he said. Kanta Chawhan, a tourist from Ahmedabad, said: “Early morning, our hotel manager informed us that Nathatop received snowfall. This place is rightly called as heaven on earth.” “All hoteliers here expect heavy snowfall in the coming days and are hoping a good season as tourists throng on December 31,” Koushal Sharma, vice-president of the Patnitop Hotel Association, said. Meanwhile, the Snow and Avalanche Study Establishment has warned of a heavy snow and avalanches in next 24 hours in the higher altitudes of the Kashmir region. A press release said there could be a threat of avalanches in Kupwara, Bandipora and Kargil. |
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Farm technocrat refuses to take medical treatment
Jammu, December 10 Tariq replaced Yaqoob Ahmed on December 7 after the latter’s condition deteriorated and was shifted to the hospital. Agitating agricultural technocrats went on an indefinite fast on December 5 after 18 days of chain fast could not yield any result from the government. Tariq had been admitted to the emergency ward of the hospital. However, he continued with the fast even there. Doctors’ treating him said he had refused to take anything orally or intravenously. “Unless Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and Agricultural Minister Ghulam Hasan Mir approach me here and fulfil the promise for regularisation of our services, I won’t end my fast…….even if it costs me my life,” Tariq said. Surinder Radhotra, president of the Jammu and Kashmir Agriculture Technocrats Association (JKATA), Jammu, said, “We have decided that our hunger strike will continue in front of the Press Club and the GMCH. If the state government does not wake up to the issue, we will soon sit on an indefinite fast at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi.” Besides Tariq in the GMCH, Rajeev Singh Chib, Vijay Verma and Ashiq Ahmed have been observing indefinite fast. |
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Jammu gets model police station
Jammu, December 10 The newly-built police station has been set up on a 6,136 sq-ft area with an estimated cost Rs 45 lakh and designed by a famous architect of the winter capital. “I was given the project and has successfully developed it into a model police station. It was the need of the hour to develop the infrastructure, as most of the police stations in the state are in a shambles and need repair work,” said Manjit Kaur, architect of the model police station. Chief Minister Omar Abdullah today inaugurated the police station that resembles a guest house and had been decorated with various fixtures and luxurious furniture. Lust green sprawling lawns and a fountain further add to the architectural splendour of the police station. It includes two offices-one for the station house officer (SHO) and another for additional SHO. A spacious waiting hall had been demarcated for the convenience of complainants. Apart from it, each investigation officer (IO) had been provided with a separate cabin in the hall whereas a separate room equipped with cupboards had also been designed for clerk “munshi” to keep the records safely. To keep the records update online, a separate computer room had also been designed. All other requirements had been kept in mind and two lock-ups, malkhana, kot and armoury have been built inside the premises, said IG Ashok Gupta. |
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BSP demands restoration of bus service
Jammu, December 10 Wazir, who conducted three tours of this belt, was told by the residents that the bus service from Khour Gali to Bariot Sari was stopped for want of clearance. This had caused a lot of inconvenience, especially to children, women and the elderly, who had to travel 10 km on foot. Wazir has urged the authorities, especially the PWD, to take up the matter at the earliest and restore the bus service. |
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Vohra, CM mourn death of BB Vyas’s mother
Jammu, December 10 He remained with the bereaved family for some time and conveyed his
sympathies. |
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District jail starts computer course for inmates
Jammu, December 10 In a first ever initiative, the Prisons Department in collaboration with the Department of Electronics and Computer Certification (DOEACC) started a computer course for inmates of the district jail, Amphala, here yesterday. It is a dream come true for 16 inmates of the jail here. Swayed by militancy or crime, these persons had ended up in jail with education left in between. “This would enable them to find their feet in the civilised society outside, which is becoming computer-based,” said DGP, Prisons, Ashok Bhan, while inaugurating the course at the jail. “The jail is the first in the state. We are starting a similar course in the Srinagar jail from December 22,” Bhan added. A militant facing 10-year imprisonment is one of the 16 inmates chosen by the jail administration. “I hope the diploma given by DOEACC after clearing exams would help me get a job after my release,” he said. Another inmate, a school principal, was also quite excited. The jail authorities said he always wanted to learn computers. “I have a working knowledge of computers, but this course would enable me to get some expertise,” he said. |
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CM favours composite dialogue with Pak
Kotranka (Rajouri), December 10 Addressing NC workers’ conventions at Kotranka and Mendhar in Rajouri and Poonch districts, respectively, Omar said: “Our efforts are yielding positive results and soon people will see problems getting resolved across the table in an amicable manner.” “We are in favour of a composite dialogue with Pakistan and wish the internal turmoil in Pakistan settles soon and peace prevails. We also want the relations between the two neighbours improve fast, borders remain peaceful and trade and travel across the LoC expand further,” he said, adding that his government would actively strive for it. Asking for a unified approach for lasting peace and prosperity, Omar stressed on active public involvement in the task of socio-economic reconstruction of the state in a peaceful and tranquil atmosphere. “Youth have an important role to play in this direction,” he said. “While we have sensitised the administration at all levels to be quick to public needs and responsive towards accomplishing the works entrusted to officers and government functionaries, people have to play an important role of monitoring the successful implementation of projects and actively helping the government in its efforts of restoring and maintaining peace,” he maintained. Omar emphasised for joint efforts for the development and welfare of society as a whole. “Every member of society is equally important for us and welfare of all areas, regions and communities without any consideration is our motto and trait,” he asserted Stating that the government has prioritised the road communication sector for focused attention to open cut off and far-flung areas for all-round development, Omar said the completion of the Mughal Road was on fast track and getting additional Rs 350 crore Central assistance by his government had fulfilled the long-cherished dream of people. On recently announced Sher-e-Kashmir Employment and Welfare Programme for Youth (SKEWPY), the Chief Minister said for the first time a comprehensive policy for unemployed had been formulated to address the problem. The Chief Minister said his government was committed to fulfilling promises made to public and measures were already afoot in this regard. |
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Dissidents egg on ‘thrashed’ Cong worker to talk to media
Jammu, December 10 On the other hand, dissidents have intensified their activities to take mileage out of yesterday’s drama at the Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) headquarters when party leaders were celebrating the birthday of All India Congress Committee (AICC) chief Sonia Gandhi. Sources in the Congress told The Tribune that after yesterday’s incident the dissidents had been in touch with Raina, who was allegedly thrashed by the minister. They offered him all possible support in his campaign against the Health Minister and suggested him to hold a press conference. Buoyed over the support from the dissidents, Raina announced to address a press conference at the PCC headquarters on the Residence Road today. As soon as senior party leaders got information of the scheduled press conference of Raina, they closed all rooms of the PCC headquarters. Two members of the disciplinary committee, Yashpal Khajuria and Amolakh Singh, remained in the party headquarters to debar Raina from holding the planned press conference in the office. At the end, the Congress Sewa Dal opened its office and provided an opportunity to him to address mediapersons. During the press conference, Raina denied that he had passed any derogatory remarks against the minister, who, according to him, thrashed him in the presence of senior leaders without any reason. “All senior leaders are witness to the whole episode,” he said. The matter had been brought to the notice of the party high command for an inquiry, he added. Meanwhile, the disciplinary committee of the Congress is all prepared to take strict action against him. “We have already prepared a report of the whole episode as three of the five members of the committee were present when the incident took place,” a member said. The guilty person would be shown the door soon. he added. |
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Fill teacher’s posts in varsity, demands scholars’ body
Jammu, December 10 He demanded that all Phd and MPhil scholars be given Rs 10,000 and Rs 8,000 per month as scholarship. Chib also said self-attestation by students while filing application forms in the varsity be allowed. “When the same university has issued degrees and certificates, where is the need for the students to get them attested. It’s a weird and time consuming exercise. The varsity must do away with this rule,” he added. —
TNS |
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Refugees flay Centre over rights violation
Jammu, December 10 According to a statement issued here, Rajiv Chuni, chairman of the organisation, said for the past 62 years the basic and fundamental rights of over 12 lakh PoK refugees were being violated by the Centre. Chuni said the Centre had not even been able to provide temporary settlement to the PoK refugees, which was promised in 1954. Chuni said the Centre had formulated many policies over the Kashmir issue, but had never bothered to invite PoK refugees despite they being the real victims. “Now, the government is pursing a new policy of ‘quiet diplomacy’, but this time too the PoK refugees are being ignored,” he condemned. |
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Youth’s body recovered
Tribune News Service
Jammu, December 10 Kidnapped girls found
The police on Wednesday found two minor girls, who were kidnapped from the Bathindi area a few days back. The police said the girls were found in Budhal, Rajouri, and had been restored to their families. The girls have been identified as Mumtaz (16) and Rehana (11). |
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Jammu, December 10
