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Power dept daily wage workers hold protest
Ration meant for winter sold in the open
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Welfare of Kids
Construction of Public Health Centres
AIDS cases on the rise
2 cops killed in militant attack
DIG’s daughter commits suicide
Pak troops fire at two posts
SC body seeks implementation
of quota policy
Environment Protection
Youth denied passport
for being kin of separatist
Major booked for torturing civilian
Rukhsana, brother appointed constables
Omar calls on Governor
One killed in road mishap
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Power dept daily wage workers hold protest
Jammu, December 22 Hundreds of protestors raised slogans in favour of their demands, including regularisation of daily wage employees, who were employed after 1994, release of all pending wages and conversion of need-based employees into daily-wagers. The union’s senior vice-president, Tarun Gupta, while addressing the protesters warned the state government that in case heed was not paid to their ‘genuine’ demands, they would intensify the agitation. Tarun claimed that power minister Shabir Khan had invited them for a dialogue in a bid to find a solution to the problems. CBI probe sought in Rajneesh case
Continuing with its demand for a CBI enquiry into the alleged custodial death case of Rajneesh Sharma, activists of Bajrang Dal held a demonstration at Gole Puli, Digiana, here today. The protesters burnt an effigy of state government and disrupted vehicular traffic for some time. They also demanded that security to the family of the deceased be beefed up. The protest was held under the leadership of city co-convener of the organisation Neeraj Kumar. LIC staff seek wage revision
In protest against alleged delay in wage revision that is pending since August 2007, work at all the offices of LIC across the state remained affected today. The agitating employees under the banner of North Zone Insurance Employees Association (NZIEA) assembled on the premises of their head office at railhead complex this morning and raised slogans. “We have been demanding wage revision on the basis of performance and capabili1ty,” said divisional secretary of the association Pawan Gupta. Divisional president of NZIEA, Srinagar, strongly opposed the decision of the LIC management. “The wage revision offer remains at 17.5 percent; unless the management comes out with improved offers, the industry is bound to find itself in a state of serious unrest,” he said. Students protest at university
Students of the University of Jammu (JU) today continued their protest for the second consecutive day.
Protesting under the banner of National Secular Forum (NSF), the students have been demanding action against the accused in marks tampering case and mass copying in B.Ed examination this year. The protesters led by NSF president Vikas Sharma today gheroed the office of dean students’ welfare (DSW) Prof J S Tara and other officials for nearly an hour. NSF, which has given a call for indefinite strike, today held a protest that started from the Fountain Plaza and after passing through the campus ended in front of the Vice Chancellor’s office. Shiv Sainiks take out rally
The state unit of the Shiv Sena today held a rally against senior leader of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Mufti Mohammad Sayed and his daughter, Mehboba Mufti. The rally led by state president of the organisation Ashok Gupta started from the Rani Park and after passing through Raj Tilak road and Purani Mandi, ended at the city chowk. Speaking on the occasion, Gupta alleged that PDP leaders were puppets in the hands of the Pakistani government. He also alleged that the party was inciting anti-national sentiments
in Kashmir. |
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Ration meant for winter sold in the open
Jammu, December 22 The embezzlement worth crores of rupees came to the fore during the visit of the minister concerned to the areas. The officers have not only swindled the foodgrains and sold the same in the open market but they also received payment of carriage of 7300 quintals of ration which never reached the destination. The ration embezzled by the officers was actually meant to be stocked for the winter in the inaccessible areas of Kishtwar district, namely Inshan, Nawapachi, Dacchan and Marwah, bordering South Kashmir. Instead of transporting the ration to the stores, the officers concerned allegedly sold the same in the open market. As soon as the embezzlement of ration came to the notice of the minister, he immediately ordered an enquiry. “It was a serious matter and I have directed Assistant Development Commissioner (ADC), Kishtwar, to conduct an inquiry and submit a report within 20 days”, CAPD Minister Qamar Ali Akhoon told The Tribune. He, however, said that the exact quantity of ration embezzled would be known only after the completion of the inquiry. Sources said the ration was dispatched through Anantnag district. From Anantnag to the Inshan area of Kishtwar, the ration was ”dispatched” on trucks and from there onwards the same was “transported” on mules in the inaccessible areas. It was alleged the ration was embezzled while being transported on mules. Meanwhile, the minister has placed under suspension the Tehsil Supply Officer (TSO), Marwah, following large-scale complaints of the locals. The naib tehsildar concerned had been asked to conduct an inquiry. |
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Rights panel team meets CM
Tribune News Service
Jammu, December 22 “Children in the state have to bear the brunt of militancy, which mars their smooth development,” he said, adding that this area needed a lot of attention from both the central and state governments, and the NCPCR had a special role to play in this direction. An NCPCR team led by its chairperson, Dr Shantha Sinha, called on the Chief Minister here and discussed various issues relating to child development. Omar said the state government had initiated various schemes for the development of children focusing on the welfare and rehabilitation of militancy-affected kids. “We require your cooperation and help in this stupendous task,” he told the commission. Meanwhile, the Chief Minister released a calendar carrying a message to enlighten society about the heinous tendency of female foeticide.
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Construction of Public Health Centres Tribune News Service
Jammu, December 22 Addressing mediapersons here today, JKCCC general secretary Balwinder Singh said the advance payment for five buildings to be constructed at the cost of Rs 1.6 crore each had already been sanctioned to the Public Works Department (PWD). He termed the act of the state Health Minister as arbitrary. The secretary, works, vide SRO 122 dated May 8, 2009, had enhanced the capacity of “A” class contractors to carry out works up to Rs 3 crore, he said. Hence, to debar the registered “A” class contractors of the state to execute works up to Rs 3 crore was an unjustified move, he added. JKCCC vice-chairmen Sham Singh Jamwal, Yogesh Singh Jamwal and Ravinder Nath Sharma also requested the Chief Minister to look into the matter.
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AIDS cases on the rise
Siora (Akhnoor), December 22 In only one panchayat of Akhnoor subdivision, eight of 17 people affected with HIV/AIDS have died so far. But officials maintain that Jammu and Kashmir has the lowest prevalence rate of AIDS in the country. Sadly, while awareness remains a casualty in this area, the children of these persons continue to get infected from their parents. For the past six years, the number of HIV positive patients is increasing in Tanda Gandarwan Panchayat, which consists of only a few villages. Thanks to large population of truck drivers here. Most of the HIV positive patients were drivers and have died, but now their children are facing the disease. As many as six deaths took place in this area in 2001-02 and two others died recently. A visit to village Siora, 13-km from Akhnoor on the Jammu-Poonch national highway, revealed that two minor students infected with HIV were studying in the government primary school. Both are real brothers, one in grade III and the other in grade V, and aspire to join the army or police, unaware of the disease they are afflicted with. Regarding their courage, a teacher Devender Kumar Mishra, said: “These students are good in academics and unaware about the disease are hopeful of making big in life.” Pushpa, their grandmother, said: “My son and daughter-in-law died a few years back from this disease and now my two grandsons are infected. Not even a single doctor or any other health officer has visited our area, even though AIDS cases are rising in this region. There are three more families where chjildren are infectd.” She said the health minister is the only support to them and gives them Rs 500 per month from his own account, but this was too less as they had to visit the government hospital in Akhnoor every month for check-up. “A number of people have died, but the government has done nothing to prevent the spread AIDS in the area,” said a resident of village Thati. He rued the fact that no awareness drives or free check-up camps were being held in the area. “If the area of the health minister is facing this major scourge, what will become of people living in far-flung situated areas?” questioned an elderly woman from the area. Some residents revealed that two more families are infected with HIV, but they had not been tested yet. Surprisingly, no one from these villages was aware about the symptoms, tests or prevention of AIDS. Commissioner secretary health, J&K, Atal Dulloo and project director of the state AIDS Prevention and Control Society, MA Wani, said the health minister was in a better position to comment on the issue. When contacted, Health Minister Sham Lal said the cases had not come to his notice. He added that he would verify the claims. |
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2 cops killed in militant attack
Srinagar, December 22 Although the police did not officially confirm it, a senior official said two cops, Farooq Ahmad, a constable, and Khurshid, a special police officer, were killed in the attack. The incident happened at around 7.30 pm when the police party, which was on its routine naka duty, came under fire of militants. “We would have a naka there every day. Militants were in know of it and targeted them,” an official said. One more cop is battling for his life. Official sources said the militants were evidently looking for a soft target and fired upon the party. |
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DIG’s daughter commits suicide
Jammu, December 22 Aparna Saini (23), third year MBBS student at ASCOM, was found hanging from the ceiling in her room. According to sources, her mother was the first to see her and with the help of security guards rushed Aparna to the Government Medical College (GMC), Jammu, where she was declared brought-dead. The police has registered a case. — TNS |
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Pak troops fire at two posts
Jammu, December 22 A group of terrorists tried to sneak into the Indian territory last night and when BSF jawans challenged them they started firing on the security personnel. When the BSF jawans retaliated, two posts, SM Pur and SM Pur-one, in the Ramgarh sector came under fire from the Pakistani forces. The firing that started late Monday evening continued this morning, making it the third ceasefire violation from the Pakistani forces in the past three days. There had been two more ceasefire violations earlier, taking the total number to five in one week. IG, BSF, AK Surollia, said, “We visited the spot and found that one or two militants were injured as bloodstains were seen. However, they may have been evacuated by their accomplices.” He said the situation along the border was under control, but the forces were on high alert. “Situation is well under control and peaceful. The infiltration bid was successfully foiled,” Surollia said. He said a red alert had been sounded in the entire borderline with Pakistan and patrolling had also been intensified. The security forces had been conducting extensive searches in the areas to find out if any militant had succeeded in infiltrating. A few hours before the firing, the BSF had held a flag meeting with their Pakistani counterparts and lodged a ‘strong protest’ over the ceasefire violation on Sunday. The Pakistani forces had resorted to unprovoked firing on the Balad border outpost in the same sector where a DIG of the BSF, OP Tanwar, was killed last month in an IED blast planted by militants in the Indian territory. Surollia said the Pakistani forces used small arms and the fire was also retaliated in the same manner. The BSF officer said five or six armed intruders had managed to enter 40 to 50 metres inside the Indian territory, but were ahead of the border fencing. He said the militants fired from automatic weapons on the BSF personnel. “Last night, a vehicle was seen plying close to the border on the Pakistani side. We presume that the vehicle was part of their reinforcement for the action. There was firing from the Pakistan border outpost Gandiyal towards our side Immediately. The firing was aimed at evacuating some injured militants and it continued till midnight,” Deputy Commandant of the BSF AK Choudhary said. He said the Pakistani troops resorted to sporadic firing in the morning to disturb the search operation launched by the BSF. However, there was no casualty on the Indian side. The BSF has called a flag meeting to lodge protest over the incident. |
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SC body seeks implementation
of quota policy
Jammu, December 22 The demands, among others, include strict implementation of the reservation policy and rules, maintenance of the roster system, appointment of nodal officers in all departments and strengthening of NGO movement in the state. The deputation, comprising president of the association, BR Kundal, secretary Om Raj Bhall, and member Bhagat Ram Saran, thanked the Governor for providing grant-in-aid of Rs 10,000 to the Association, which is not receiving any support from the state government to run its affairs. They briefed the Governor about the activities being undertaken by the association such as various camps to create awareness among the Scheduled Caste population about reservation rules and the schemes being implemented for their overall socio-economic uplift. The delegation complained that no action had been taken on their demands presented to the Governor in March this year. Vohra informed them that the demands had been duly conveyed to the state government and promised that he would talk to the Chief Minister in this regard. Meanwhile, another deputation of Durga Nagar Welfare Committee led by its president RL Raina met the Governor and presented a memorandum on various difficulties faced by over 30,000 persons who live in this migrants’ colony. Their demands included opening of ration depots and fair price shops, setting up of a dispensary, improving power supply and construction of a community hall in the area. Other demands in the memorandum were making land available for construction of the higher secondary school building in the locality and representation to Kashmiri Pandit community in the state council of ministers. The Governor assured that their denmands would be taken up for discussion with the state government. |
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Children should take lead, says Vohra
Tribune News Service
Jammu, December 22 The Governor was interacting with a group of students of Delhi Public School, Jammu, who called on him at Raj Bhavan, today after participating in a rally to create awareness among people about global warming. The Governor said students could be valuable agents of change for spreading awareness about environmental concerns, issues emerging from the grave effects of global warming, most urgent need for water conservation, protection of fauna and flora, banning use of non bio-degradable materials, launching plantation and cleanliness drives, promoting the use of solar and other non-conventional energy sources. Observing that children were talented and full of zeal and energy, he said if they take a lead role in environment protection, it would have a telling effect on the campaign to protect environment. Vohra suggested that it would be productive if the students could form NGOs for this purpose. He suggested that they should also take up cleanliness and plantation drives in Jammu city and other towns and assured them all possible support for this purpose. Vohra said he would also ask the universities in the state to involve their students in a significant manner to supplement the environment protection efforts in Jammu and Kashmir divisions as well as in the Ladakh region. The Governor also asked the students and the management of DPS to explore possibilities for launching environment protection awareness campaigns at Katra and en route from the base camp to the holy cave shrine of Mata Vaishno Devi during the slack academic season. Referring to educational tours conducted by the DPS management for its students, the Governor observed that instead of seeking to go abroad it would be far educative if visits were organised to various parts of the country so that the students could experience the rich diversity of India and the progress it has registered in the field of science, technology and various other sectors.
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Youth denied passport
for being kin of separatist
Srinagar, December 22 A resident of Maisuma, a separatist bastion, Ajaz, 29, has lodged requests for a passport at all offices which matter, right from Chief Minister’s to that of CID bigwigs, and received words and letters of sympathy and assurance from everywhere. But he is yet to receive a passport as his police verification done by the CID remains pending. He had applied for a passport on February 27, 2008. What has apparently gone against Ajaz is that one of his elder brothers, Hilal War, is a separatist leader, while another was a militant, who was arrested in 1995 and has a clean record since then. “It’s all about connections. They have given passports to all sorts of former militants and their kin. And all separatist leaders, including Syed Ali Shah Geelani, have passports. Why punish me then?,” he asks. He has a clean record and is not involved in any criminal activity, he claims. Police officials say they have kept an index of all militants, present and former, and separatist leaders and their kin used to be denied passports even if they were not themselves involved in such activities as a matter of precaution. In fact, the issuance of passports and its renewal used to be seen as a yardstick of how dangerous somebody was perceived by the government. However, things have become liberal, as the police slowly but surely got better of militants. |
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Major booked for torturing civilian
Jammu, December 22 The case was filed under section 541, 343, 147 and 323 RPC in the police station Mahore against company commander 61 RR Batoi post. The complaint was filed on a written complaint filed by Fatima Begum, wife of Nizam Din. “An FIR has been registered against a Major and unidentified Army personnel in Reasi district for torturing a civilian,” said sub-divisional police officer, Mahore, Sujit Kumar. Fatima had alleged that her husband was picked by the Army personnel on December 12 and was hospitalised on December 18 with severe injuries. In her written complaint, Fatima had alleged that her husband was abandoned in a serious condition at a local hospital from where he was shifted to GMC Jammu. On the other hand, the Army maintained that Nizam Din was an overground worker with the militants. |
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Rukhsana, brother appointed constables
Jammu, December 22 DGP Kuldeep Khoda today appointed them as constables. He also presented a cheque for Rs 2.50 lakh to them for killing the LeT militant on September 27. Khoda announced her appointment as a police constable at a police darbar at Rajouri today. Meanwhile, the DGP said the police was ready to tackle any situation in Jammu and Kashmir if the government decided any other role for it. |
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Omar calls on Governor
Jammu, December 22 The CM briefed the Governor about the pace of various development projects,the implementation of welfare schemes and the measures being taken for fu ther speeding up execution of various high public utility projects for their time-bound completion. |
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One killed in road mishap
Jammu, December 22
The driver of car has been arrested and the vehicle has been seized. Meanwhile, six other persons were admitted to GMC, Jammu, after they were injured in different road accidents. — TNS
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Jammu, December 22
Jammu, December 22
