SPECIAL COVERAGE
CHANDIGARH

LUDHIANA

DELHI


THE TRIBUNE SPECIALS
50 YEARS OF INDEPENDENCE

TERCENTENARY CELEBRATIONS
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J A M M U   &   K A S H M I R    E D I T I O N

Cong minister, NC MLA enter into verbal duel
Jammu, December 13
A meeting convened by Health Minister Sham Lal to review performance of his ministry turned into a battlefield after Congress Minister Shabbir Khan and National Conference MLA Rashpal Singh entered into a verbal duel and levelled serious charges against each other.

Leh road to be built despite Chinese pressure: Minister
Jammu, December 13
The state government is determined to construct the remaining 8 km portion of the controversial Damchuk road in Leh, near China border, even as a controversy continues on yet again buckling by the Indian government under Chinese pressure.

Shopian Case
CBI likely to submit report in HC today
Srinagar, December 13
The CBI is expected to submit its investigation report into the mysterious death of two women in Shopian before a Division Bench of the Jammu and Kashmir High Court tomorrow.


YOUR TOWN
Jammu
Srinagar


EARLIER STORIES

Pay Parity with Police Inspectors
HC declines forest inspectors’ petition
Jammu, December 13
Justice Sunil Hali of the J&K High Court has dismissed the writ petition filed by Jawahar Singh and others, holding that though the petitioners may be performing the same functions, their quality and responsibility may vary with those of the inspectors working in the Police Department.

Make ‘quiet talks’ public, BJP to Centre
BJP MP SS Ahluwalia inaugurates a general awareness programme in Jammu on Sunday. Jammu, December 13
Questioning the rationale behind starting the ‘quiet dialogue’ with the separatists to solve the vexed Kashmir problem, the BJP today asked the Centre to make the whole process public.



BJP MP SS Ahluwalia inaugurates a general awareness programme in Jammu on Sunday. A Tribune photograph

Govt working on modalities of job fairs: Malik
Jammu, December 13
The state government is working on finalising the modalities of “employment melas” after it recently announced the much awaited employment policy in the state.

Demand for Statehood
BJP sabotaged Jammu’s cause: JSM
Jammu, December 13
The Jammu State Morcha-Progressive (JSM-P) yesterday alleged that the BJP had sabotaged the cause of Jammu region by forcing the RSS to disassociate from the demand of reorganisation of the state.

Govt supporting Jamaat on bandhs, says Bhim Singh
Jammu, December 13
The chairman of the National Panthers Party, Bhim Singh, yesterday accused the Congress-National Conference ruling alliance of deliberately choosing to observe an absolute silence on the Jamaat-e-Islami’s anti-people and anti-social bandh calls in the Kashmir province, which literally amounts to supporting the bandh calls regularly announced by Jamaat leaders in Kashmir to disrupt peace.

Kashmir varsity to hold ski courses
Srinagar, December 13
Kashmir University would organise ski courses in Gulmarg for students this winter. Official sources said the Directorate of Sports and Physical Education, Kashmir University, would join hands with the Tourism Department, which organised a number of winter sports, including ski, in Gulmarg every year, for conducting the sport for two months.

Students’ body rues delay in results
Jammu, December 13
With the results of the final semester of several postgraduate courses still awaited in Jammu University, the Sangharsh, a students’ organisation, has expressed concern over the varsity inviting application forms for enrolment in Ph.D courses.

Policemen cane charge a youth during a musical night in Jammu on Saturday night. Musical night: 20 hurt in cane charge 
Jammu, December 13
The police resorted to cane charge to disperse youngsters who had come to witness a show by Jazzy B at a stadium here late last night. Nearly 20 persons, including three scribes, were injured during the Mega Star Night organised by the VRV Mega Events.


Policemen cane charge a youth during a musical night in Jammu on Saturday night. Tribune photo : Anand Sharma

BSF foils infiltration bid
Jammu, December 13
Within few hours after the Union Home Secretary, GK Pillai, inspected the security situation along the India-Pakistan International Border (IB), the BSF foiled a major infiltration bid on the same spot where last month a DIG of the force had died in an IED blast.

Highway blocked over girl’s death
Jammu, December 13
An angry mob blocked the Rajouri-Jammu highway for about two hours, after a 13-year-old girl died in a road accident in Muradpur near Rajouri.

Three bodies recovered
Jammu, December 13
The police today claimed to have recovered three bodies from different parts of the Jammu region.

Two killed, 18 hurt in mishaps
Jammu,December 13
Two persons were killed and 18 others injured in different road accidents in the Jammu region today. In a major accident, a water tanker fell into a nullah at Latori in Katra, resulting into the death of two persons. Two injured were rushed to the GMCH, Jammu,the police said.

First-ever Sanskrit play in Sunday Theatre
A scene from a play, “Abhigyan Shakuntalam”, staged in Jammu on Saturday. Jammu, December 13
An act from the famous Sanskrit play, ‘Abhigyan Shakuntlam’, written by Kalidas was staged by Natrang in its Sunday theatre under the direction of Sumeet Sharma here today.



A scene from a play, “Abhigyan Shakuntalam”, staged in Jammu on Saturday. A Tribune photograph

PSA opposes police post at varsity
Jammu, December 13
The Progressive Students Association (PSA) has opposed the Jammu University’s proposal for setting up a police post on the campus.

Fasting farm technocrat refuses medical aid
Jammu, December 13
Another farm technocrat on an indefinite fast today refused medical treatment after he developed serious complications this morning.

Physical education college sought
Jammu, December 13
The Jammu Joint Students’ Federation (JJSF) held a demonstration against the state government at the Shaheedi Sthal, Canal Road, opposite the SPMR College of Commerce, here.

Artificial cattle insemination to get a boost
Jammu December 13
The Centre has agreed to provide funds for the purchase of more cryocans so that the frozen semen facilities for the artificial insemination of cattle were extended to breeders in the uncovered areas of the state. It has also been agreed to provide funds for the establishment of more liquid nitrogen plants in Jammu division.

First swine flu death in valley
Srinagar, December 13
Amidst the surge in the cases of swine flu in the state, a 21-year-old girl became the first casualty of the disease.

Two jawans commit suicide
Srinagar, December 13
Two CRPF personnel committed suicide while two BSF porters came under an avalanche with one of them being rescued later, the police said today.

Srinagar peaceful
Srinagar, December 13
Broken glasses and burnt tyres were strewn across the streets in Maisuma and groups of youths kept provoking the police, but the city seemed to be limping back to normalcy today.

Attack on Parliament
Tributes paid to martyrs
Jammu,December 13
The Jammu West Assembly Movement (JWAM) today paid rich tributes to the martyrs who scarified their lives during an attack on Parliament eight years ago.

Anganwari workers to hold protest rally
Jammu, December 13
The Jammu and Kashmir Anganwari Workers and Helpers Union has decided to hold a protest rally at the Press Club on December 14.







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Cong minister, NC MLA enter into verbal duel
Tribune News Service

Jammu, December 13
A meeting convened by Health Minister Sham Lal to review performance of his ministry turned into a battlefield after Congress Minister Shabbir Khan and National Conference MLA Rashpal Singh entered into a verbal duel and levelled serious charges against each other.

Meeting witnessed pandemonium and chaos as both the leaders, who represent assembly segments of Rajouri and Kalakote, respectively, shouted loudly and even publicly threatened to teach a lesson to each other.

Interestingly, when two coalition partners were clashing with each other, it was a PDP MLA who pacified both the “fighting” leaders and saved the situation from worsening further.

Later, Khan, who entered into a verbal duel with the NC MLA, termed the whole episode as a “minor incident”.

“Differences erupted on trivial issues which were later sorted out,” Khan said while admitting that he had entered into heated exchanges with the coalition MLA.

Eyewitnesses said Minister of State for Power Shabbir Khan tried to snub Kalakote MLA Rashpal Singh when the later raised the question of sanction given to the buildings for Indian System of Medicines (ISM) hospitals. The MLA got infuriated due to the action of the minister and asked him not to show him the power.

“I have seen so many ministers like you. I will not allow you to discriminate with my Assembly segment,” the MLA shouted.

The minister also entered into the verbal duel with the MLA and told him that being a minister he has all powers to take important decisions.

“I will not succumb before your pressure tactics,” the minister said. There was total chaos in the meeting.

The Health Minister, who had convened the meeting, was helplessly watching both the coalition partners clashing with each other. Before the situation could have taken an ugly turn, PDP MLA from Darhal Choudhary Zulfikar Ali intervened and pacified the fighting leaders and restored order in the meeting.

During the last three days, this was the second time when this minister and MLA have exchanged heated arguments with each other. On December 10, both of them clashed when review meeting of the District Development Board was held at Rajouri. The MLA alleged that instead of distributing funds equally in all four constituencies of Rajouri district, the minister has been concentrating only on his home constituency. 

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Leh road to be built despite Chinese pressure: Minister
Jupinderjit Singh
Tribune News Service

Jammu, December 13
The state government is determined to construct the remaining 8 km portion of the controversial Damchuk road in Leh, near China border, even as a controversy continues on yet again buckling by the Indian government under Chinese pressure.

The road construction taken under the NREGA was mysteriously stopped last week with different versions ranging from Chinese objection to weather conditions to non-permission by the Centre being floated around.

Rural Development Minister Ali Mohd Sagar told The Tribune that after the statement made by the Foreign Minister in the Parliament that the state government did not take permission for working close to the border, “we have now sought permission for constructing the road”.

“It is NREGA project and taking permission is just a formality. We are seeking permission now after the work had been stopped at the behest of the Indian Army. Earlier, we were unaware that we need permission from the Centre,” he said. However, the work would be started in March due to harsh winter conditions, he said.

What baffles still is that the first report came that the Chinese Army had got the work stopped. Later, it was said the Indian Army ordered the halt due to objection made by the Chinese Army. However, Union Minister Farooq Abdullah said in Delhi that the work was stopped due to bad weather. Later, the Foreign Minister said the work was stopped as no permission was sought from the Centre. He argued that the state government had to take permission for any construction within 15 km of the border.

Interestingly, sources in the state government said, “NREGA is a central government scheme so work executed under it is funded by the Centre. Under such circumstances, how is it possible that the Centre was not aware of the use of money on a road near the border? Especially when, the state government regularly gives updates to the Centre on use of NREGA money.”

The State Rural Development Minister said the road was vital for linking many villages in that border belt with the rest of the country. “Those residents will have road connectivity by April,” he said.

The road is part of a stretch connecting Ladakh with Tibet, due to which China discourages any construction activity. China ha, however, built roads on their part of the land.

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Shopian Case
CBI likely to submit report in HC today
Tribune News Service

Srinagar, December 13
The CBI is expected to submit its investigation report into the mysterious death of two women in Shopian before a Division Bench of the Jammu and Kashmir High Court tomorrow.

The Bench headed by Justice Barin Ghosh had given the CBI eight weeks as sought by its counsel in its last hearing on October 13 as he said this time was needed for the agency to come out with its finding, either in part or full depending upon how the probe unfolds.

Media reports quoting CBI sources have said the agency has dismissed the possibility of rape and murder of Nilofar Jan and Asiya Jan, as alleged by their family members. The case has been listed on the top of the cause list.

Meanwhile, the Majlis-e-Mashawarat, a consultative committee formed by locals in Shopian to spearhead their agitation, and some avowed separatist groups today upped the ante against the CBI in anticipation of a report that could dismiss their allegations of rape and murder.

At a discussion, “Shopian: A case of institutional denial”, held here, the Majlis-e-Mashawarat accused the CBI of budging under political pressure and its spokesperson Mohammad Shafi Khan said the committee was determined to take the case to its logical conclusion.

Joined by members of the Jammu Kashmir Coalition of Civil Society (JKCCS) and the Kashmir High Court Bar Association, Khan said they welcomed the probe by the CBI initially, but the agency started to hush up the case.

Khan alleged that the Centre by design handed over the case to the CBI in order to shield the culprits. He demanded that the Shopian incident should be probed by the United Nations so that real culprits were identified. Bar Association’s president Mian Abdul Qayoom said the Shopian incident should be probed by a team of honest lawyers and judges.

The Bar Association, on whose plea that the High Court had started supervising the probe, had withdrawn from the case soon after the state government handed over the probe to the CBI when the police failed to show any result.

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Pay Parity with Police Inspectors
HC declines forest inspectors’ petition
DS Chauhan

Jammu, December 13
Justice Sunil Hali of the J&K High Court has dismissed the writ petition filed by Jawahar Singh and others, holding that though the petitioners may be performing the same functions, their quality and responsibility may vary with those of the inspectors working in the Police Department.

The state government realising the urgency of ensuring protection of forests in the state, particularly taking into consideration that the territorial staff of the Forest Department was not adequate and equipped to deal with the problem of armed smuggling and forest encroachment, took a decision to constitute the Forest Protection Force.

The writ petitioners, after their selection and appointment to the posts of forest inspector, were placed in the pay scale of Rs 1,400-2,300 and projected that their services should have been placed in the grade of Rs 6,500-10,500 as was being granted to the inspectors in the Police Department.

Justice Sunil Hali, while dismissing the writ petition, held that “the doctrine of equal pay is not an abstract doctrine and is capable of being enforced in the court of law, but the equal pay must be for equal work of equal value.

The minimum qualification provided for appointment against the post the petitioners are working is class XII, while in case of inspectors working in the Police Department the qualification prescribed is graduation, and there is also no direct recruitment against the said post of inspector in the Police Department”.

The activities of the petitioners are restricted to the forest alone, while in case of police inspectors, it is both forest as well as other offences under the Penal Code. The Police Department is also required to look after the law and order. Thereby, the responsibilities attached to their job admittedly are more than the petitioners.

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Make ‘quiet talks’ public, BJP to Centre
Tribune News Service

Jammu, December 13
Questioning the rationale behind starting the ‘quiet dialogue’ with the separatists to solve the vexed Kashmir problem, the BJP today asked the Centre to make the whole process public.

Senior BJP leader and deputy leader in the Rajya Sabha SS Ahluwalia asked Union Home Minister P Chidambaram not to befool the people on quiet diplomacy and make the entire process public so that the misconceptions and apprehensions aired by different sections of the society could be removed.

“There are apprehensions among people that the quiet diplomacy is favouring only separatist groups and those who have been advocating controversial self-rule and greater autonomy proposals, which need to be clarified,” he sserted.

Kicking off a campaign to make public aware of the ramifications of the quiet dialogue, Ahluwalia made it clear that his party was not against talks with different groups to restore lasting peace in this region.

“Talks should continue but the nation should not be kept in dark about mechanism adopted by the Centre to hold a dialogue with the separatist groups of Kashmir,” he said, demanding that the whole country should be informed about the proposals on which the Centre has initiated talks.

Cautioning the Centre against succumbing before the pressure of separatists and militant groups of the valley, Ahluwalia reminded that whenever the Congress regimes took such steps it had proved disastrous for the whole nation.

“People of Jammu and Ladakh as well as all sections of the society be involved in the dialogue process to make the process more vibrant,” he said, adding that Kashmir problem was not confined only to the valley, people of Jammu and Ladakh were also stakeholders in this issue.

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Govt working on modalities of job fairs: Malik

Jammu, December 13
The state government is working on finalising the modalities of “employment melas” after it recently announced the much awaited employment policy in the state.

“The state government is finalising the modalities of employment melas. This is being done on the instructions of Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, who had recently launched the Sher-e-Kashmir Employment and Welfare Programme for Youth (SKEWPY),” Minister for Higher Education, Labour and Employment Abdul Gani Malik told mediapersons here.

Malik said the five-day “employment fair” would be hosted in each district of the state in January and February.

Giving further details on various issues related to the event, the Minister said 28 departments would participate and install stalls in every district during the employment fair lasting for five days. District development commissioners were assured that extra expenditures would be met out of the district plan if the available allocations with the departments concerned did not suffice the requirements.

The dates and the venues regarding the “employment fair” in respective districts were also finalised, he said. All departments, agencies and financial institutions concerned were impressed upon for making the scheme result oriented.

Malik also emphasised for the need of disseminating information to the public and unemployed youth about the employment programme launched by the government recently. Expert counsel to facilitate the employment of educated youth was stressed by the Minister.

The district development commissioners of the Jammu division were also asked to ensure the success of employment fairs in each district so that information of job opportunities outside the government sector would be available to the youths. — PTI

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Demand for Statehood
BJP sabotaged Jammu’s cause: JSM
Tribune News Service

Jammu, December 13
The Jammu State Morcha-Progressive (JSM-P) yesterday alleged that the BJP had sabotaged the cause of Jammu region by forcing the RSS to disassociate from the demand of reorganisation of the state.

Replying to queries in a press conference held here yesterday, morcha president Varinder Gupta recalled that the RSS in its executive committee meeting in 2002 had passed a resolution for the reorganisation of the state. “The RSS had even constituted the Jammu State Morcha - a conglomeration of various pro-Jammu organisations to launch the struggle but BJP leaders had sabotaged the cause due to their petty political gains,” he said, urging all political parties to come forward and support Jammu’s battle against discrimination and injustice.

“Had the BJP allowed the JSM to flourish, the situation would have been entirely different in the Jammu region,” he observed and regretted that just for furthering their personal interests BJP leaders had sabotaged the larger interest of people.

Giving reasons for separate statehood for Jammu, Gupta said, “The reorganisation of the state shall go a long way in solving the Kashmir imbroglio as it will be instrumental in fulfilling the aspirations of all regions and communities of the state”.

He further argued, “Division of the state shall free the people of Jammu and Ladakh from the domination of fundamentalist, communal and secessionist leadership of the Kashmir valley.”

He pointed out that secessionist elements would remain confined within the Kashmir valley.

He said the demand for reorganisation of the state was not communal as being portrayed by the Kashmiri leaders of all hues.

“This demand is purely on regional considerations as the Jammu region has about 30 per cent Muslim population along with a sizeable population of Sikhs and Christians,” he added.

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Govt supporting Jamaat on bandhs, says Bhim Singh
Tribune News Service

Jammu, December 13
The chairman of the National Panthers Party, Bhim Singh, yesterday accused the Congress-National Conference ruling alliance of deliberately choosing to observe an absolute silence on the Jamaat-e-Islami’s anti-people and anti-social bandh calls in the Kashmir province, which literally amounts to supporting the bandh calls regularly announced by Jamaat leaders in Kashmir to disrupt peace.

In a statement issued here yesterday, the Panthers Party chairman said the Congress and NC leaderships of the Kashmir valley had been providing tactical support to the strike calls given by Ali Shah Geelani. He said support from these two parties left no doubt that Geelani had worked out a clear understanding with the ruling parties to disrupt peace in the valley so that they could continue blackmailing 
the Centre for their gains and personal interests.

He expressed surprise that not a single political party in power had ever made even an appeal to people in the valley about the damage and loss it had been causing to public, including daily labourers, shopkeepers, traders, and educational institutions, effects of which were experienced by the students at the time of appointments made by the Public Service Commission.

He urged Governor NN Vohra to dismiss the state government for allegedly working under the dictates of Jamaat-e-Islami and other anti-national groups.

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Kashmir varsity to hold ski courses
Tribune News Service

Srinagar, December 13
Kashmir University would organise ski courses in Gulmarg for students this winter .

Official sources said the Directorate of Sports and Physical Education, Kashmir University, would join hands with the Tourism Department, which organised a number of winter sports, including ski, in Gulmarg every year, for conducting the sport for two months. It was likely to commence from early January and students, depending upon their skills, would train for basic and advanced courses.

Gulmarg is one of the most popular ski resorts in the world and is particularly liked by high-skilled skiers for its natural slopes. Kashmir University officials said it was unfortunate that Kashmir ski players were not rated high, while adventure lovers from abroad camped here for weeks to enjoy skiing in Gulmarg.

The idea behind the camp for students was to hone their skills at one of the most adventurous slopes so that they could make a name at national and international levels. Prof Nisar Ahmad Rather, Director, Directorate of Sports and Physical Education, is playing a key role in the event.

The sources said around 60 students, including girls, were expected to take part in the sport and students taking distance education had also been enrolled. Students with some elementary knowledge of ski would be preferred and the tourism department would provide them necessary logistics like ski equipment for the event.

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Students’ body rues delay in results
Tribune News Service

Jammu, December 13
With the results of the final semester of several postgraduate courses still awaited in Jammu University, the Sangharsh, a students’ organisation, has expressed concern over the varsity inviting application forms for enrolment in Ph.D courses.

Suresh Kumar, general secretary of the organisation, asserted that the varsity should declare the results before inviting applications for Ph.D for the session 2009-10.

“The recent circular of the Dean, Academic Affairs, reflects lack of coordination between different departments of the varsity,” he said. He asked the Dean to clear his stand over the entire issue. He also appealed to the VC to direct the department concerned to declare the results.

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Musical night: 20 hurt in cane charge 
Tribune News Service

Jammu, December 13
The police resorted to cane charge to disperse youngsters who had come to witness a show by Jazzy B at a stadium here late last night.

Nearly 20 persons, including three scribes, were injured during the Mega Star Night organised by the VRV Mega Events. The trouble started when the singer was performing and some youngsters started raising slogans against the singer and the organisers for mismanagement and threw empty bottles on the stage. The police then tried to control the situation by resorting to cane charge.

In a few minutes, the road leading to the stadium and flyover turned into a battleground. Policemen resorted to cane charge and lobbed teargas shells, while protesters started pelting stones, burnt tyres and smashed windscreens of the buses and other vehicles.

A police official said the mob also tried to torch a truck loaded with fodder, but the timely intervention of the policemen and firemen averted the incident. There were about 3,000 persons, including children and women, inside the stadium.

Even three mediapersons were also injured and admitted to the hospital. Some eyewitnesses pointed out that some policemen were drunk.

“We had purchased two tickets by spending Rs 3,000 and were not even provided chairs. Within a few minutes the show was stopped and it was total wastage of money,” Vivek Gupta said.

“We have registered a case and are trying to find out the hooligans. We rounded up some of them in the night and have released them now. It was the case of total mismanagement by the organisers,” SHO, Nowabad police station, Sajjad Ahmed said, adding that these type of programmes should be banned in future.

“We will take stern action against the violators. In future, there will be no permission to conduct these star events in the city,” SSP Basant Rath said.

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BSF foils infiltration bid
Tribune News Service

Jammu, December 13
Within few hours after the Union Home Secretary, GK Pillai, inspected the security situation along the India-Pakistan International Border (IB), the BSF foiled a major infiltration bid on the same spot where last month a DIG of the force had died in an IED blast.

To “facilitate the infiltration bid” the Pakistani Rangers also fired several rounds of fire on the Indian side. The violation of cross border ceasefire was retaliated by the BSF, which led to heavy exchange of fire that lasted for almost half an hour.

As per a senior BSF officer, the BSF troops deployed along the IB at Balad Border Outpost noticed a group of suspected militants trying to infiltrate into the Indian side around 1:30 am. He said: “When our men deployed at the Border Outpost asked them to stop, the militants started firing on them. The fire also started from across the border, which was retaliated by the BSF that lasted for almost half an hour.”

Taking advantage of the heavy fire the militants managed to escape from the spot and managed to return into the Pakistani side, the officer said. The officer said during the combing operation they inspected the barbed fence along the border and found that there was no damage to the fence, which confirms that the bid was foiled, the officer said.

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Highway blocked over girl’s death
Tribune News Service

Jammu, December 13
An angry mob blocked the Rajouri-Jammu highway for about two hours, after a 13-year-old girl died in a road accident in Muradpur near Rajouri.

The police said the vehicular movement remained suspended completely, after an unidentified tipper crushed the girl, Razia Parveen, when she was crossing the road.

An eyewitness said the tipper driver ran away from the spot after crushing the girl to death.

“A case of causing death due to negligent driving has been registered. We are trying to nab the accused,” said a police official, adding about 100 persons came on the road and blocked the traffic. The highway could only be cleared after the police assured the angry mob of nabbing the accused at the earliest.

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Three bodies recovered
Tribune News Service

Jammu, December 13
The police today claimed to have recovered three bodies from different parts of the Jammu region.

While Ashok Kumar, a resident of Nepal, was found dead near Singh Hotel in Atholi, an unidentified person was found dead at Nanath Temple in Samba.

The body was shifted to District Hospital, Samba, for postmortem and identification, the police said.

In another incident, an unidentified body was recovered from near the income tax office at Trikuta Nagar in Jammu. The body of the deceased was shifted to GMCH, Jammu, for postmortem and identification, the police said.

Illicit liquor seized

The police on Sunday seized 36 sachets of illicit liquor from the possession of Guru Singh, son of Puran Singh, a resident of Dharian, Akhnoor. A case has been registered at the Domana police station in this connection.

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Two killed, 18 hurt in mishaps
Tribune News Service

Jammu,December 13
Two persons were killed and 18 others injured in different road accidents in the Jammu region today. In a major accident, a water tanker fell into a nullah at Latori in Katra, resulting into the death of two persons. Two injured were rushed to the GMCH, Jammu,the police said.

In another accident , a vehicle fell into a nullah at Topa Basali in Rajouri.Eight persons were injured. In other road mishaps, nine persons received injuries and were admitted to GMCH, Jammu.

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First-ever Sanskrit play in Sunday Theatre
Tribune News Service

Jammu, December 13
An act from the famous Sanskrit play, ‘Abhigyan Shakuntlam’, written by Kalidas was staged by Natrang in its Sunday theatre under the direction of Sumeet Sharma here today.

It was so authentically and impressively designed by Sharma, an SNA Yuva Awardee, that it received instant appreciation.

Director, Natrang, Balwant Thakur praised Sumeet for his continued thrust in the quest of a new dramaturgy of his own and also congratulated the Principal of Rashtriya Sanskrit Sansthan, Jammu, Prof Vishwamurty Shastri, who has taken the initiative to develop the Sanskrit language and theatre.

The play under the guidance of Dr Satish Kumar and Dr Jai Prakash Narayan has recently won a prestigious title and award in ‘Koumudi Mahotsava’ at New Delhi.

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PSA opposes police post at varsity
Tribune News Service

Jammu, December 13
The Progressive Students Association (PSA) has opposed the Jammu University’s proposal for setting up a police post on the campus.

In a statement, the PSA strongly opposed the step taken by the varsity administration.“ The university has its own sanctity and discipline.So, the police interference is an unwelcome move. The proposal indicates that the varsity administration has no belief in its own security personnel,” said president of the organisation, Rahul.

“At the time of admission, students furnish character certificate and affidavits. If protests demonstrations take place at the campus, it simply happens because of maladministration that needs to be streamlined,” he added.

Rohit Bharti, another activist said: “ The Kashmir region is facing militancy but despite that there is no police post in Kashmir University. Then what’s the need here?”

He said that before taking such a decision, the administration did not take any association of teachers, non-teaching staff or students into its confidence. “Any such lopsided decision would only increase the problems,” he said. 

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Fasting farm technocrat refuses medical aid
Tribune News Service

Jammu, December 13
Another farm technocrat on an indefinite fast today refused medical treatment after he developed serious complications this morning.

Rajiv Singh Chib of RS Pura has reportedly been fasting for the past six days.

“He is in a semi-conscious state but adamant on his stand. We tried to shift him to hospital but to no avail,” said Surinder Radhotra, president of the Jammu and Kashmir Agriculture Technocrats Association (JKATA), Jammu.

“Rajiv says that he would continue the fast until chief minister or agriculture minister fulfill their promise,” he added.

Today, nearly 150 farm technocrats joined their fasting colleagues near the Press Club.They expressed concern over the fast deteriorating health of the agricultural technocrats observing the indefinite fast.

“The entire government machinery is indifferent towards our plight. It’s a critical situation.If anything happens to any of fasting technocrats, the responsibility would lie on the government only,” they said. 

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Physical education college sought

Jammu, December 13
The Jammu Joint Students’ Federation (JJSF) held a demonstration against the state government at the Shaheedi Sthal, Canal Road, opposite the SPMR College of Commerce, here.

Members of the federation demanded that the government should set up a college of physical education in the Jammu province. The students burnt an effigy of CM Omar Abdullah and raised slogans against the government.

Pratap Singh Jamwal, state vice-president of the JJSF, alleged that the state government was playing with the sentiments of people of Jammu for the last 63 years in various fields. He said there was only one College of Physical Education in the state and that too in the Kashmir valley. — TNS

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Artificial cattle insemination to get a boost
Tribune News Service

Jammu December 13
The Centre has agreed to provide funds for the purchase of more cryocans so that the frozen semen facilities for the artificial insemination of cattle were extended to breeders in the uncovered areas of the state. It has also been agreed to provide funds for the establishment of more liquid nitrogen plants in Jammu division.

This was stated at a high-level meeting held here yesterday under the chairmanship of Rudra Gangadharan, Union Secretary for Animal, Sheep Husbandry and Fisheries.

Rudra was on a visit to the state to review various centrally-sponsored schemes under the sheep and animal husbandry sector.

He also assured funding for the purchase of murrah breed of buffalo breeding bulls for natural service in uncovered areas.

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First swine flu death in valley
Tribune News Service

Srinagar, December 13
Amidst the surge in the cases of swine flu in the state, a 21-year-old girl became the first casualty of the disease.

Muskan of Ganderbal was admitted to SKIMS with acute respiratory problem. However, she died on December 6.

The report confirming that she suffered from the swine flu came yesterday. “It is apparently a death due to swine flu. This is as much I can say,” a SKIMS doctor who attended on her said.

Dr Shafqat Khan, nodal officer for the disease, told The Tribune that the flu had seen a surge in last three weeks in the state and the rate of increase of the disease has gone up by 40 per cent. A total of 75 persons has contracted the potentially fatal flu, with Kashmir division reporting 27 cases and Jammu 48.

Muskan is also the first civilian to have died due to swine flu and one previous death was reported on November 20 by the Army at its Udhampur base.

Dr Khan, however, said the uptrend was not a big cause of worry as it was on expected lines and was happening everywhere. “It is a season where chances of contracting flu increase,” he said.

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Two jawans commit suicide
Tribune News Service

Srinagar, December 13
Two CRPF personnel committed suicide while two BSF porters came under an avalanche with one of them being rescued later, the police said today.

One washerman of the 158 Battalion of the CRPF, Om Prakash, committed suicide by hanging himself in a barrack at Vicharnag in Soura. In another case, a constable of the 157 Battalion of the CRPF, Ganesh Shankar, shot himself with his service rifle at the battalion headquarters.The police has started inquest proceedings under Section 174 of the CrPC.

Two porters, Farooq Ahmad Sangoo of Keran and Yaqoob Piswal of Kralpora, working with the 152 Battalion of the BSF came under a landslide at Nag Post, falling under the jurisdiction of Keran police station. In the rescue operation, Yaqoob Piswal was rescued but Farooq is still missing.Search operations were on to trace the missing porter. 

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Srinagar peaceful
Tribune News Service

Srinagar, December 13
Broken glasses and burnt tyres were strewn across the streets in Maisuma and groups of youths kept provoking the police, but the city seemed to be limping back to normalcy today.

The weekly flea market was spread across the Law Chowk and Residency Road and large crowd of buyers descended there to do some shopping. Many were just there soaking in the winter sun, which appeared after several days, after keeping indoors as protesters and the police clashed in different neighbourhoods.

Except flea market, shops are largely closed on Sundays but quite a few were open today because of the forced closure and loss of business in the last two days. “You never know about Kashmir. Everything appeared well till the attack on Qureshi sahib a few days back. We apprehend more disturbances in the coming days,” a shopkeeper said.

Things may heat up once Syed Ali Shah Geelani is released from the custody, which is expected anytime, as he is likely to announce fresh protests to keep up pressure on the government. The government is wary of slapping the Public Safety Act, which gives its power to detain people without filing any charges, after the high court quashed the last PSA against him and set him free.

His house-arrest was also revoked after Geelani moved the court, saying the police was not respecting the court verdict of granting him freedom of movement.

Police officials, however, said they were free to take legal action against Geelani again if he made renewed attempts to stir trouble. The octogenarian Islamist leader has already made it clear that he would continue with his protest programmes to force the government to withdraw security forces from the valley, something dismissed contemptuously by authorities.

Sources said there was also a sense of urgency among hardliners led by Geelani to show their mettle in the light of moderate faction’s ‘secret’ talks with the government and their allegation that Geelani’s rhetoric against them was responsible for murderous attack on Fazal-ul-Haq Qureshi.

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Attack on Parliament
Tributes paid to martyrs
Tribune News Service

Jammu,December 13
The Jammu West Assembly Movement (JWAM) today paid rich tributes to the martyrs who scarified their lives during an attack on Parliament eight years ago.

According to a statement issued here, under the leadership of Sunil Dimple, the Jammu JWAM held a massive anti-Pakistan and anti- China protest demonstration to express solidarity with the families of the martyrs.

The protestors burnt effigies of Pakistan and China and disrupted vehicular traffic.

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Anganwari workers to hold protest rally
Tribune News Service

Jammu, December 13
The Jammu and Kashmir Anganwari Workers and Helpers Union has decided to hold a protest rally at the Press Club on December 14.

While addressing a press conference here, Mohammad Ghafur Dar, president of the union, said the protest would be against the low wages being paid to them.

He said there were 26,000 anganwari centres in the state and as many as 52,000 workers were employed there.

Dar demanded that besides enhancing wages, the government should declare the promotion list of supervisors that was pending for the past two years. Anganwari workers also demanded the implementation of Bima Yojna and contributory pension schemes, and an amendment to the recruitment procedure as well as timely disbursement of wages to the employees.

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