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Report on Centre-state relations
Organisations hold protest against govt
2009 was year of hope
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Four-year new course for medicos soon: Azad
Govt to help militancy-hit youth: Minister
Mobile Phone Issue
PDP for separate council in Doda district
Statement on accession of J&K flayed
5,500 new posts for healthcare sector
Ladakhis’ “bid to save” customs
BJP demands opening of
Bhaderwah-Chamba road
5.42 cr for tourism infrastructure: Jora
Lawyers observe strike
3 militants nabbed, IED defused
Shopian Case
Educational tour flagged off
White paper on GMCH purchases demanded
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Report on
Centre-state relations Jupinderjit Singh Tribune News Service
Jammu, December 23 Also, it recommended encouraging Kashmiri Pandits to return to the valley while calling for financial package to the 1947, 1965 and 1971 migrants and reservation for West Pakistan migrants. The report said the Central and State Governments must take all steps to implement the relief and rehabilitation packages sanctioned in regard to Kashmir Pandits, including the package announced by the Prime Minister. The progress made should be regularly reviewed by a group of senior officers from the Government of India and the State Government. Migrant employees should be encouraged to return to the valley on a guarantee of their children being admitted to educational training institutions and they and their families be provided full security, it said. Large industrial units like Industrial Training Institute and Hindustan Machine Tools should be revived and migrants can also be housed in secure zones in these campuses, and also given employment. Migrants within the Jammu region may also be provided relief on the same pattern as the Kashmiri Migrants. Regarding the issues relating to refugees of 1947, 1965 and 1971 and other migrants within the Jammu region, the report said the recommendations of the Wadhwa Committee Report be implemented and an Empowered Group of Senior officers of Government of Indian or state Government be appointed to monitor the implementation of these recommendations and other measures as may be sanctioned by the State Government. It said the State Government may consider providing relief to the Refugees from West Pakistan as permissible under the Constitution. Otherwise an alternative package providing cash relief as one-time settlement should be considered. The state government may provide a limited number of seats to the children of the refugees from West Pakistan in technical institutions and the Government of India may provide employment to them in Central Government offices located in Jammu and Kashmir to the extent of 2 per cent. Other refugees and border migrants displaced as a result of conflict at international border or LOC be given suitable compensation and proper steps taken for their rehabilitation. Similarly those who were displaced in 1999 (after Kargil conflict) should be properly settled, the report recommended.
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Organisations hold protest against govt
Jammu, December 23
The J&K Government Employees Joint Action Committee (EJAC) observed one-day strike and staged a protest near Bikram Chowk. The protesting employees raised slogans in support of their demands. They maintained that on August 18 this year, government had assured fulfillment of all the demands before October 2009 but nothing was done so far.
They have been demanding release of arrears in accordance with the provisions of Sixth Pay Commission in favour of the state government and PSU employees, conversion of COLA into DA with immediate effect, enhancement of retirement age from 58 to 60 years, removal of pay anomalies, regularisation of ad-hoc, contractual, consolidated and daily workers and uniform HRA to state government employees. The committee has called for a day-long strike on December 30 for implementation of various agreements and SROs (Sadar-e-Riyasat Ordinances) in this respect. Rajneesh death case
A protest rally was organised by Nirbhow Nirvair organisation (J&K) under Harjeet Singh Katar, president of the organisation, at Karan Bagh Chowk on the Airport Road. The protesters criticised the state government for remaining silent over the alleged custodial death of Rajnesh Sharma in Ram Munshi Bagh police station at Srinagar. Vice-president, Harmeet Singh, demanded immediate CBI enquiry into the case besides seeking an amount of Rs 10 lakh as immediate relief to the family of the deceased. Protest against troop reduction
Protesting against the Union government for withdrawing security forces from the state, Ram Sena, today held a demonstration at Ambphalla Chowk. President of the Sena, Rajiv Mahajan strongly condemned the government for withdrawing 30,000 troops from the state. He apprehended that the move would revert the situation back to militancy. He alleged that government was pursuing appeasement policy with an eye on particular section in the valley. |
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Four-year new course for medicos soon: Azad Jammu,December 23 Addressing a function after laying the foundation stone of a hospital here, Union Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad disclosed that his ministry had already finalised a four-year course for doctors to create another cadre of medicos. “This new cadre would be below the present MBBS doctors but their degrees would be recognised by the MCI”. The new course would comprise a three-year academic course and a one-year house job, he said and added that the MCI had already prepared the syllabus and it had already been sent to different states for approval. “We have already completed all formalities and now state governments have to take the final decision”, he said.“Ultimately, state universities have to recognise the course”. Expressing confidence that the new cadre of medicos would revolutionise the health sector, Azad said it was mandatory for all doctors, trained in the four-year course, to serve only in the rural areas. “They would not be allowed to serve in the urban areas”, he said and added that apart from this new cadre, MBBS doctors would also be deployed in the rural areas. Emphasising the need for roping in private players in the health sector, Azad said the opening of private hospitals would ease pressure on government institutes. To simplify the procedure of opening medical colleges in the underdeveloped and backward areas, the Health Ministry had amended the existing Act of the MCI. “The entire country has been divided into three zones and special attention will be given to those areas which lack basic health facilities.Various concessions have been already announced by the Health and Medical Education Ministry”, he said.With new concessions every year, 4000 specialist doctors and a similar number of super-specialist doctors would pass out from different medical colleges. Azad further informed that his ministry had given sanction to open 19 medical institutes on a par with the All-India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) and 250 nursing colleges all over the country to cope with the problem of shortage of doctors and paramedical staff. “On an average, 20,000 candidates would pass out as qualified nurses every year from these colleges”, he hoped. |
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2009 was year of hope
Jammu, December 23 However, there was unrest among government employees; the shocking involvement of senior cops in tampering with evidence in the Amandeep murder case; and the custodial death of city resident Rajneesh allegedly due to an interfaith marriage. But the government’s success in convincing most of the employees in the closing days of the year gives the hope that the grievances of employees will be redressed. Also, the arrest of former SSP Manohar Singh and powerful businessman Nagar Khan in Amandeep murder indicates that law is equal for all. Infiltration bids from across the border continued but the fact that not a single incident of terrorism took place in Jammu division, meant the forces did not let any terrorist enter the country and carry out subversive activities.This was the first year since the start of militancy two decades ago that there was not a single terrorist attack in Jammu. Civilians not only participated in elections and helped security forces against militants but also a brave girl, Rukhsana, led all by killing a militant and wounding another. Her act of courage made the strongest statement against militancy in the state. In another move towards normalcy, an Army Division was moved out in phases apart from a number of CRPF battalions. Organisation of sports and cultural events is a major indicator of normalcy and Jammu played host to some such events this year. The inter-university hockey tournament was held in Jammu after 21 years. Similarly,the All-India Police Lawn Tennis Tournament was held. Some players excelled at the international level as well. Nippu Jamwal won gold in Junior Asian Judo Championship. Time moves into 2010 with the likelihood of further strengthening of the peace process. The challenge of fulfilling promises made to the agitated employees for ending their strike, especially to the SRTC and the doctors would be quite strong. Similarly, avoiding the misuse of authority by the police like in the Amandeep murder case would be the biggest challenge. Tapping energy of youths would be on test in the coming year. The government has unveiled a special employment policy besides encouraging private companies to set up business here. The government managed to handle the agitation for separate central university for Jammu. The fulfillment of promise of setting up the university in Jammu, providing employment to youth would largely decide the degree of protests and rallies next year. |
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Govt to help militancy-hit youth: Minister
Jammu,December 23 The minister was addressing inmates of Balnikatan Orphanage Home, Ved Mandir, after inaugurating a free dental camp, here today. The camp was organised by Baba Beerun Shah Charitable Trust, Jammu, to provide free dental and medical care to orphans.Mubarak Gul, Adviser to the Chief Minister was also present. The minister said that contribution of parents towards the child was enormous as they kept no stone unturned to polish their character. Sakina said the havoc wrecked by 20 years of militancy in the state deprived large number of children of their parental affection and created a vacuum in their life which was difficult to fill. “We cannot bring back their lost ones but can endeavour to fulfill their bare minimum needs”, she maintained. Acknowledging the duty of society and the government towards the orphans, she said though nothing in this world could compensate the loss of parents, but it becomes “our moral duty to bring some amount of happiness in their lives”. She urged the orphan students to come out from gloom of loneliness and yearn for better studies and outshine in every field of activity to face the world. The Minister said the government had introduced various welfare schemes under the scheme for the rehabilitation of militancy victims, under which due assistance was being provided to orphans for imparting education, besides, technical training of various crafts so that they could earn their livelihood, independently and live a respectable life in the society. She stressed on the concerned authorities to work with missionary spirit for the upliftment of weaker sections of the society and ensure that all such families should be brought under the benefit of welfare schemes tailored by the government. |
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Bhim seeks intervention of Minister
Tribune News Service
Jammu, December 23 In a statement issued here yesterday, Singh alleged that service providers had been robbing Rs 40 crore every month from the poor subscribers. A writ petition was filed by the JKNPP challenging the validity of the union minister’s orders to ban the pre-paid mobile in Jammu and Kashmir.
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PDP for separate council in Doda district
Jammu, December 23 Addressing meetings of youth-wing of the party at Ramban and Batote, president of youth-wing of PDP Bashir Asad warned against adopting delay tactics in creating Chenab Valley Hill Development Council. Asad strongly supported the demands of the locals that they should be included as “Paharies”. Asad said life style of the people of Doda belt was same as that of their counterparts in Poonch and Rajouri districts. Expressing concern over delay in creation of Chenab Valley Hill Development Council, he reminded that resolution in this regard had been already passed in the Legislative Council so the state government should take effective steps to fulfill this long pending demand. He blamed successive National Conference regimes for the backwardness and underdevelopment of erstwhile Doda district. He reminded people that it was during the three years regime of Mufti Mohammad Sayed that many revolutionary steps were taken for the development of this region.
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Statement on accession of J&K flayed
Jammu,December 23 Commenting on the statement of the NC general secretary Sheikh Nazir Ahmed, the leader of the BJP Legislature Party, Chaman Lal Gupta said the then Maharaja of the state, Hari Singh, had signed the same Instrument of Accession which was signed by over 550 princely states of the country in 1947. Under the law regarding the country’s Independence, the accession was full and final. He regretted that leaders of the NC had resorted to communal blackmail and the leadership of the Congress buckled in 1950 at the time of framing of the Constitution. Article 370 was, of course, a temporary provision which granted certain separate status to Jammu and Kashmir, he added and observed these tactics later led to the controversial agreement between the two leaders, namely Pt Jawahar Lal Nehru and Sheikh Abdullah in 1952. However, this agreement had no legal sanction and it was never approved by Parliament. |
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5,500 new posts for healthcare sector
Jammu, December 23 This was stated by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah after he along with Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare, Ghulam Nabi Azad jointly inaugurated the Ayurveda Regional Research Institute here this morning. On the occasion, Omar and Azad, also launched the national-level Mother and Child Care Training Programme for doctors. As a first step, as many as 30 doctors from across the state would be trained for the implementation of the welfare scheme.“Ayurveda and unani systems of treatment have been popular in the state for a long time. Ayurveda in Jammu and unani in Kashmir have lived as trusted medicare disciplines among the people,” the Chief Minister said and added, “Presently AYUSH is gaining ground globally and people in Europe, America and other countries are attracted towards allopathic treatment.” Meanwhile, Azad announced two colleges one each of unani and ayurveda for Kashmir and Jammu divisions, respectively. He said the construction work of building complexes for the colleges would be started as soon as the state government identified land for the purpose. “Thirty years back these colleges were closed but now they would be restarted. The Union Cabinet has approved the Ladakhi treatment of ailments known as AMCHI and this will also be included in AYUSH,” he stated. Azad said during the current 11th Five Year Plan, the Union government had earmarked Rs 4,000 crore for the development of AYUSH in the country. He said there were seven lakh registered practitioners of AYUSH in the country whereas there were 300 hospitals as well as 450 colleges for AYUSH in the entire country. “More than 30,000 graduate and postgraduate students pass out from these institutions yearly. The number of AYUSH dispensaries in the country is 21,000 whereas the number of these is 590 in Jammu and Kashmir besides 82 AMCHI (Ladakhi Herbal Treatment) centres in Ladakh. There are over 4,000 registered practitioner in AYUSH in the state,” he said. Prominent among others who were present on the occasion included deputy chief minister, Tara Chand, Minister for Roads and Buildings, GM Saroori, Minister for Education, Peerzada Mohammad Sayeed, MP Madan Lal, Minister of State for Cooperatives, Manohar Lal Minister for State for Health, Javaid Ahmed Dar, Minister of State for Power, Shabir Ahmed Khan and political adviser to chief minister, Devender Singh Rana.
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Ladakhis’ “bid to save” customs
Jammu, December 23
“If some immediate action is not taken, our centuries-old culture will be extinct,” said Tashi Targis Dembir, leader of the group. Tashi, who has been struggling to protect Ladakhi culture, said the mountaineous region had been facing internal and external aggression and it was high time to take some effective steps to protect their customs. ‘Bhoti’ - the mother tongue of Himalayan Buddhists - is virtually on the verge of extinction and the association has stepped up a campaign for inclussion of this language in the 8th Schedule of the Constitution. “ The then Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad had submitted his recommendations to the Prime Minister of India vide letter No 778/PG/11CM/, dated 17-12-07, to include Bhoti in the 8th Schedule, but nothing has been done so far,” said
Tashi. He added that the delegation would take up the matter with the state and union governments once again. Encouraged by the developments on the Telengana issue, the association had also decided to intensify the struggle for getting a Union Territory (UT) status for the Ladakh region.
“The aspirations of Ladakhi Buddhists are not going to be fulfilled in the present dispensation,” Tashi argued and said all problems of the inhabitants of the region would be resolved once the UT status is granted. The Association also demanded opening of Mansarovar road from Ladakh as it would help in strengthening ties between the people of this region with rest of the country. “Before 1959, Buddhists of Ladakh freely visited Kailash Mansarovar. Demjok is the only shortest possible route for all the pilgrims and opening of this route will be in the interest of both India and China,” he added. Women wing president of the association Tsewang Dolma said China was gradually increasing its presence in the Ladakh region. “It is very unfortunate that our government is not countering the aggression of China in our region,” she said. The association has decided to approach all political parties in Jammu, social activists and intellectuals to mobilise support for their struggle. To educate the ruling elite about threats to the culture of Himalayan Buddhists, the Association has also decided to take this battle to the national capital.
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BJP demands opening of
Bhaderwah-Chamba road
Jammu, December 23 The party said connecting Doda with Himachal Pradesh through this road would boost the economy of the area. Addressing a meeting of party workers of the Bhaderwah mandal, BJP leader Desraj Katal said work on the widening of the Bhaderwah-Basholi road had already started, but the work on the Bhaderwah-Chamba road had not been taken up by the authorities concerned. He demanded that work on this road be started on priority as it would boost tourism and help in the economic uplift of the entire region. Katal said roads, lanes and link roads under construction in Bhaderwah be completed with black topping. Culverts and bridges required for the completion of roads be taken up for execution so that these roads were made
trafficworthy. BJP members expressed concern over the shortage of foodgrains in government-run depots. The meeting observed that residents had been facing hardship due to the non-availability of ration. The meeting appealed to the government and the administration to make all possible efforts for providing adequate ration facilities to the locals in addition to making available fodder for cattle at an earliest so as to relieve the locals of suffering and hardship. Prominent among others present in the meeting included Koushal Kotwal, Raj Singh Kotwal, Narinder Kotwal, Anoop Kotwal, Kishori Lal Kotwal, Manjeet Razdan and others. |
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5.42 cr for tourism infrastructure: Jora
Jammu, December 23 The meeting approved current years works plan of Rs 4.15 crore with an additional amount of Rs 1.15 crore for execution of various tourism related works under the PDA. The authority also approved next year’s action plan of Rs 6.84
crore. During the meeting, various issues related to improving tourism infrastructure at Patnitop and Sanasar were discussed. It was stated that construction of Mal Road phase-1 had been completed at a cost of Rs 6.15 crore while the development of bus stand at Sanasar and Sudmahadev had been completed at a total cost of Rs 1.24 crore. Construction of trekking shed with toilet facilities at Dudu and renovation of ancient Nagh temple besides Art Craft centre at Sanasar have also been completed at an amount of Rs 97 lakh, the meeting said. It was decided that the Master Plan of the area would be revised for exploring new tourist under PDA. The meeting also approved creation of tourist facilities at Lotti, Duna, Dudu and Basantgarh. The meeting also decided that Mantalai Ashram tourist resort would be developed as Spa on Public Private Partnership mode. |
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Lawyers observe strike
Srinagar,December 23 The Bar had appealed to the associations in Doda, Poonch and Rajouri in Jammu division to observe the strike as well, but reports reaching here said its call did not draw much response. However, work in the High Court and the district courts in Kashmir was paralysed as lawyers observed a strike. Lawyers in Shopian district took out a procession against the CBI and demanded an international probe into the death of the two women.The CBI had said they died of drowning. High Cout Bar Association president Mian Qayoom, a close associate of Hurriyat hardliner Syed Ali Shah Geelani, said they would continue with their protests and mount a legal challenge against the CBI report. He also demanded re-investigation by an international agency.
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3 militants nabbed, IED defused
Srinagar, December 23 The bomb disposal squad defused it with no casualties. Meanwhile, the Srinagar police arrested three militants of Hizbul Mujahideen, Rafiq Magray alias Aadil, Mohammad Ramzan alias Ibrahim and Iqbal Haroon alias Muzaffar. The police recovered one AK-47 rifle and two grenades from their possession.
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Omar to ‘wait for’ HC verdict
Tribune News Service
Srinagar, December 23 He said yesterday at a conference that the matter was in the High Court and it was still supervising the case while evading any direct reply. He refused to be drawn into the debate, which had been raging in the valley, over the CBI’s report and claimed his government had not received its copy yet. He said he would wait for the verdict of the HC and the government would follow it. Omar had said preliminary probe suggested that they might had died of drowning. Opposition PDP and Hurriyat had pounced upon it as violence and strife erupted in the valley and a repentant Abdullah apologised time and again and shunted several top police officials associated with the probe. However, the CBI report has proved their early observations correct but the CM has decided to tread cautiously till the High Court disposes of the case.
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Educational tour flagged off
Jammu, December 23 The tour will provide the children an exposure to the development, quality of life, important places of historical interest and cultural value of central part of India. The tour will also instill a sense of awareness and national integration amongst the children of the areas. During the tour, children will be visiting Bhul Bhulaiya, Imam Bara, Gorkha Rifles Centre, Ambedkar Park, CM and Governor’s Houses and the Vidhan Sabha in Lucknow and the ordinance factory in Kanpur.
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White paper on GMCH purchases demanded Jammu, December 23 In a meeting presided over by state president of the BVS Vikrant Sharma here, the youth wing condemned the working of the state Health Ministry. The BVS would take up the issue with the Chief Minister and the Union Health Minister as poor patients were being left unattended by the staff of the GMCH, he added. The department needed overhauling and corrupt medical staff be removed, he said.
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Jammu, December 23
Jammu, December 23
Jammu,December 23
Jammu, December 23
