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Coalition govt completes one year in office Help resolve Kashmir
issue,separatists urge UN |
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Cong not junior partner: Soz
Constable killed in blast
Get ready for GST, Rather tells industry
Traders protest against police
Citizenship Rights to Refugees
No headway in lecturer’s death case
Tributes paid to CPM leader
Forum activists interact with varsity faculty
Set up tribal affairs ministry, demand Gujjars
School timings changed
National highway reopens
Free eye-cum-medical camp held
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Coalition govt completes one year in office
Jammu, January 5 “We have brought the state police on the forefront to deal with the law and order situation, putting security forces in the second line,” he said, adding that the number of security forces had been reduced in the past year. “My government is committed to facilitating a dialogue between the Centre and those who shun violence and are prepared to discuss issues on table,” he said while addressing a big gathering at his official house here today. Omar said the launch of the historic Sher-e-Kashmir Employment and Welfare Programme for Youth was his government’s sincere step towards addressing the unemployment problem in the state. “A holistic approach has been adopted in the employment policy to provide a multi-pronged strategy for educated skilled and unskilled youth so that they earn their livelihood in a dignified manner,” he said. “While ample opportunities for government jobs will be available under the new policy, greater avenues have also been created for self-employment and skill development for young persons,” he said. Further improvement and strengthening of the policy would take place soon, he added. Omar said as part of the government policy to make administration prompt and responsive, the Chief Minister’s grievance cell had been made functional. “The cell receives complaints from all across the state, which are being recorded, attended, responded and disposed of to the satisfaction of the people,” he said, adding that he himself monitored the functioning of the grievance cell. The Chief Minister said his government had earmarked five basic sectors of road communication, water supply, power, health and education as focused areas and huge amounts had been allocated for the development of these sectors to bring about a healthy change in the availability of basic amenities, especially in rural areas. “The state has been successful in getting the highest ever plan allocation of Rs 6,700 crore, including Rs 1,200 crore, under the Prime Minister’s Reconstruction Plan this year,” he said. The meetings of the District Development Boards in all districts had been held and allocations distributed adequately, he added. Omar also highlighted the Centre’s nod to two central varsities and Justice Sagir’s recommendations on Centre-state relations endorsing the NC’s viewpoint regarding autonomy.
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Cong not junior partner: Soz
Jammu, January 5 Addressing a meeting of party workes at Muthi, Soz made it clear his party wanted to strengthen the coalition in the state and it was the duty of the partners to give due regard to the aspirations and demands of the leaders of the National Conference and the Congress. “We want to make it clear that the Congress is not the B team in the coalition”, he asserted and asked ministers in the coalition to respond to the demands of workers of both parties. The PCC chief, however, made it clear that Congress workers would work for strengthening the coalition in the state. “For the last one year, we have been working overtime to make the coalition a success”, he said and called upon the party workers to coordinate with the National Conference to strengthen the government. In an obvious reference to activities of dissidents, Soz said those indulging in disruptive activities would not succeed in disintegrating the party. Without naming any leader, he said that some disgruntled elements have been indulging in petty things to damage the Congress. “We have to iron out our differences to strengthen the party”, he said. Soz ruled out any serious differences in the party. “There is no factionalism in the party. Some leaders organising functions in their respective areas does not mean groupism in the party”, he said. Exhorting the party workers to gear up for the forthcoming panchayats and civic bodies elections, the PCC chief exuded confidence that the Congress would emerge victorious. He also assured to give equal representation to all sections of society in the polls. Later interacting with mediapersons, Soz said the Disciplinary Action Committee of the pary had already submitted its report. The committee was constituted to recommend cases of those party leaders who had contested last assembly elections as rebel candidates. Former minister Mula Ram highlighted problems being faced by the residents of the belt. The PCC chief assured the gathering that he would bring the matter to the notice of the ministers concerned for their grievances’ redressal. Former Deputy Chief Minister Mangat Ram Sharma, Mahila Congress chief Indu Pawar and other senior leaders also addressed the meeting.
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Help resolve Kashmir issue,separatists urge UN Srinagar, January 5 In a statement, the Mirwaiz said even after over six decades the UN had not played an effective role in the implementation of the resolutions passed by it on January 5, 1949. He expressed hope that in view of the changing international scenario, the UN would play an effective role for an everlasting solution to the Kashmir issue. Meanwhile, led by its leader Yasmeen Raja, separatist women’s organisation Muslim Khwateen Markaz (MKM) held protests here today. They were demanding the implementation of the UN resolutions on the right of self-determination for the people of Jammu and Kashmir. The MKM chief and some of her party colleagues were detained by the police and prevented from taking out a procession in the central Lal Chowk. Meanwhile, senior APHC leader Zaffar Akbar Bhat also called for the implementation of the UN’s January 5, 1949 resolution on Kashmir to enable Kashmiris to choose their future themselves. The head of the Salvation Movement, a constituent of the APHC, while addressing party members, said the demilitarisation of Kashmir was enshrined in the UN resolution of January 5, 1949, on Kashmir. He also appealed to the UN and the world community to pressure India to come to the negotiating table and resolve the Kashmir dispute amicably for permanent peace in South Asia.
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Constable killed in blast
Srinagar, January 5 They said it did not appear to be a militant attack. Senior officers also visited the spot. Constable Ramesh Kumar, a jawan of an armed police battalion, was doing some work in the compound when the blast occurred, resulting in his death. Meanwhile, supporters of the Panthers Party were attacked by a mob while passing through Sopore township of Baramulla district today. A group of youth pelted stones on a cavalcade of activists of the Panthers Party, which was on its way to Srinagar from Kupwara district. However, no one was hurt in the incident, official sources said. They added party activists were raising slogans in support of their chief Bhim Singh when they were attacked at Sopore, 55 km from here. The police immediately intervened and chased away the mob, who were raising anti-India slogans, the sources said. Meanwhile, groups of youth, who were demanding release of a youth arrested by the police for his alleged involvement in stone-pelting incidents last year, also indulged in stone-pelting at Nowhatta in the vicinity of Jamia Masjid. The police used batons to chase away the protesters but no one was hurt, the sources said. They said all shops and business establishments in the area remained closed while traffic was diverted through other routes following the clash. In another incident, the district administration today imposed curfew at Magam in Budgam after a clash between two Muslim communities broke out in the area late last night. The reason for the discord was one community’s objection to a board of a spiritual Irani leader put up by another community at a public place. Scuffle started there and spread to other areas, locals said. Budgam SSP Aftab Ahmad Kakroo said they enforced curfew in the morning to stop further spread of tension and the day passed off peacefully. “We have given relaxation in curfew from 5 pm and it is still on. We will take decision as things unfold,” he said.
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Get ready for GST, Rather tells industry
Jammu, January 5 Finance Minister Abdul Rahim Rather today asked the industry to be ready to switchover to the new tax regime. He said the adoption of tax reforms was imperative to compete in the world economy. He said the GST would be implemented shortly throughout the country. The minister was speaking at an interactive session with the representatives of tht trade and industry here today. He said the GST was not coming all of a sudden, but the spadework for this most progressive indirect tax reform was started immediately after the successful implementation of VAT in the country. Stressing on the advantages of the GST over VAT, Rather said the success of VAT notwithstanding, certain shortcomings continue in this tax regime in the form of cascading effects due to the inclusion of central taxes like central excise, additional custom duty, central sales tax and service tax etc., in its overall framework. He emphasised that the GST at the Central and state levels would provide more relief to all stakeholders -- trade, industry and consumers. Speaking about the first discussion paper on GST brought out by the Empowered Committee of State Finance Ministers, Rather said the document was a discussion paper only that had been put in the public domain soliciting response from various stakeholders. Giving an overview of the contents of the discussion paper, he explained that it had been divided into four sections. The first section traces the process of the introduction of VAT and indicates precisely the areas where there is a scope for further improvement. The second section describes the process of preparation for the GST, the third one presents the structure of the GST model and the fourth section enlists frequently asked questions with their answers. “Our effort will be to see that without compromising on the state’s revenue, the tax regime is in the larger interest of the stakeholders and fulfils their aspirations,” he added.
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Traders protest against police
Jammu, January 5 According to shopkeepers, last night they observed three persons - a truck driver, his helper and the owner of the truck - picking up some items from outside a godown.They apprehended them and handed them over to the police. However, there was a widespread anger amongst the shopkeepers when in the morning they came to know that the police had misbehaved with the shopkeepers and the porters of the area. “The police misbehaved with the shopkeepers and the porters and it was trying to shield the thieves. We came to know that the police was trying to let loose the thieves so we protested outside the police post,” said Rohit Kumar, a shopkeeper. He added traders in the market also decided to suspend their trade for the day in protest of the police inaction. A police officer at the police post said they had registered a case of theft against the three accused who were apprehended by the shopkeepers.
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Gurpurb celebrated with fervour
Jammu, January 5 Chief Minister Omar Abdullah also visited the gurdwara and greeted the members of the Sikh community. Omar was presented with a siropa at the gurdwara on the occasion. The Sikhs unanimously passed a resolution asking the ruling coalition to fulfil Farooq Abdullah’s promise to induct a member of the Sikh community into the state Cabinet. They said the majority of the Sikhs living in the state had migrated from the PoK and their status had not been defined till date. They said the government should grant some status to the uprooted Sikhs and recognise their contribution as the saviour of the state, as 45,000 Sikhs were killed during the tribal invasion of 1947. The devotees also demanded that the road from Bikram Chowk to the railway station via Jammu University be renamed as Guru Gobind Singh Marg and a chair in Jammu University be set up in the honour of Guru Gobind Singh. The Sikhs also demanded due recognition to the Punjabi language, as it was a widely spoken in the state. They said due space should be given to the Punjabi language in the programmes of Doordarshan, Radio Kashmir and the cultural academy. They urged the Chief Minister to set up a minority commission in the state as had been done in other states and grant five per cent reservation to Sikhs in all educational technical institutions and jobs on the pattern of reservation being given to other minority communities in other states. They said though several members of the community were killed and their property damaged in 1989 riots, the report of the government appointed commission had not been implemented. They said the commission’s report pinpointed several offenders, but the government had not taken action against anyone.
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Citizenship Rights to Refugees
Jammu, January 5 The BJP also asked the Congress to make a provision for reservation of seats for the migrants from occupied Kashmir (PoK), if the party was really sincere in the solution of their long-pending problems. Commenting upon the statements made by Congress leaders on the problems of refugees and displaced persons, Gupta said the basic problem of the refugees was not having citizenship rights in the state for over six decades. He alleged that the Congress and National Conference leaders were deliberately denying the rights to them by taking advantage of the “obnoxious” Article 370 of the Constitution and that of the separate Constitution of the state. “In both the cases, an amendment is essential and our party is ready to give unconditional support to the government in this regard”, he said, adding that problems of the West Pakistani refugees could not be solved by mere verbal promises. Because of Partition and follies of the Congress leadership in 1947, lakhs were massacred and over a crore were rendered refugees from the state of Pakistan, he said. All of them were rehabilitated but those who entered and stayed in Jammu areas had been denied the citizenship rights by the respective governments of the National Conference and those of the Congress, he added. “It is strange that instead of taking any concrete step in this direction, mere hollow and misleading promises are being made as was done the other day by the PCC chief “, he observed, adding, “Although such promises were made by the Congress and even the National Conference in their manifestoes at the time of 1996, 2002 and even in 2008 elections as also even during the time of Lok Sabha polls”.
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No headway in lecturer’s death case
Jammu,January 5 The police has also made no headway in the case so far with no suicide note recovered from the house. Police sources said the angle of dejection in love was being probed. According to faculty members of the department, the deceased had been working as a contractual lecturer for the past two months. “There was no sign of depression or anxiety on his face and his behavior was quite normal all through these days,” they said. While the family members were yet to give any statement, SHO concerned Bishnesh Kumar said: “We have not got any suicide note and,therefore, there is no development in the case.” Meanwhile, the Department of Statistics, University of Jammu, today condoled the death of Dr Chander. In a condolence message, the department said the deceased was dedicated and sincere towards his work and made an impact on students as well as fellow workers during his stay in the department. “During this hour of grief, the Department of Statistics stands with the aggrieved family and prays to the Almighty to give them strength to bear the irreparable loss,” it added.
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Tributes paid toCPM leader
Jammu, January 5 Those who paid tributes to the departed leader included state secretary of the CPM MY Tarigami, MLC Vijay Bakaya, former MLC Abdul Rehman Tukroo, regional secretary of the CPM Sham Prasad Kesar, senior CPM leader Abdul Gani Hafiz, president of migrant cell of the CPM Makhan Lal Bhat and others. Paying tributes to late Om Trisal, Tarigami appealed to all political parties to unitedly protect pluralism, communal brotherhood and unity of the state. He cautioned against divisive forces which were hell bent to divide the state on communal lines. He said empowerment at all levels was in the interest of all the regions and communities. He appealed to the poor and oppressed sections to unitedly struggle for the betterment of their lives. He also insisted that democratic protests should not be suppressed as it was the basic democratic right of the masses. Vijay Bakaya, Abdul Rehman Tukroo, Sham Prasad Kesar and Abdul Gani Hafiz, Dr Inder Pandita and Makhan Lal Bhat highlighted the contribution of the late leader in the progressive political movement of the state. Mohd Yousuf and Ganaie Nairang described the late leader as a dynamic personality with a scientific, objective and moderate approach in politics. His total commitment to the preservation of Kashmiri ethos and sympathy with the common man was also highlighted by Nairang and other speakers. Comrade Om Trisal, a prominent advocate from Kashmir, was associated with the Left for the last 15 years and had worked as a senior leader of the CPM. He was also the president of its peasant wing, J&K Kisan Tehrik. He passed away two years back on January 5, 2008.
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Forum activists interact with varsity faculty
Jammu, January 5 President of the organization Vikas Sharma said the organisation was also mobilising opinion against the purposed setting up of a police station on the campus. “Regarding the issue of proposed setting up of a police station on the campus, almost all teachers said that student at the varsity have good conduct.So,the need for establishing a police station is uncalled for”,he said. “Expressing their views, scholars and students opined that the decision of establishing a police station on the campus is baseless. What sort of message it would give to the society. Whether the highest learning institution in the society is home to criminals?”, he added. “ Over the issue of marks tempering and BEd mass copying case, the faculty and students hold the opinion that by hushing up the matter, the varsity authorities are bringing a bad name to the entire institution”, he said and added, they had demanded that the accused should be brought to book so that such incidents could not recur in future. He apprehended that if the necessary action was not taken against the accused, then it would certainly dampen the spirits and prospects of diligent and genuine students. He also raised doubts over the silence being adopted by the varsity administration on the issue.
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Set up tribal affairs ministry, demand Gujjars
Jammu, January 5 The nine-member delegation was led by the state president of the mahasabha, Eshfaq-ur-Rehman Poswal. The demands include the creation of a tribal affairs ministry in the state government, continuation of inter-district recruitment to protect the interests of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, strict implementation of the reservation policy and adoption and enactment of the Union Tribal Act for the benefit of the Gujjars and the Bakarwals. Other demands are the telecast of a Gojri news bulletin from Doordarshan kendras of Jammu and Srinagar, an employment package to all militancy affected sections of society and the speedy development of rural and militancy affected areas of the Kashmir valley and the Jammu division having Gujjar and other tribal population for their holistic socio-economic growth. The Governor gave a patient hearing to the deputation and assured it that he would take up its demands with the Chief Minister. The delegation included Nek Alam, Saraj Din Khatana, Isa Nambardar, Abdul Rashid, Munshi Khan and Farooq Ahmed Bajjard. Raj Kumar Goyal, Principal Secretary to the Governor, was present on the occasion. |
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School timings changed
Jammu, January 5 All the schools would start functioning from 10 a.m to 4 p.m from tomorrow. Earlier, the timings were from 9 a.m to 3 p.m. Talking to The Tribune, Chief Education Officer N.R.Dingra said the school timings had been changed keeping in view the intense cold. |
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National highway reopens
Srinagar, January 5 The weather remained mainly dry for the second consecutive day today even as day temperature had considerably fallen due to the recent snowfall in the region. The Met Department said there were no reports of any rains or snow in the region during the past 24 hours. The weather forecast revealed that it would remain mainly dry during the next 24 hours. The maximum temperature here today was 5.5 degrees Celsius and the minimum during the last night was recorded at 2.0 degrees Celsius. The day temperature has drastically come down due to the recent snowfall and rains in the region leading to disruption due to slippery conditions on the national highway. The highway is the only surface link and lifeline to the valley as all essential commodities and consumer goods are transported through it. The supplies of LPG, mutton and other essentials are immensely affected in the valley due to the blockade of the highway.
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Free eye-cum-medical camp held
Udhampur, January 5 Doctors and medical staff of Command Hospital (Northern Command) and the Primary Health Centre, Ghordi,conducted eye check-up and provided aid and treatment free of cost to people of Ghordi and the surrounding areas. Col KJS Dhaliwal, Sena Medal, Officiating Commander, Northern Command AD Brigade, inaugurated the camp.Around 800 patients of all age groups attended it. Besides free check-up and immunisation of children, patients were given medicines free of cost. The villagers were also provided information about the Ex-servicemen Contributory Health Scheme,the Resettlement Directorate and the Zila Sainik Board. Some cases of prolonged illness were also referred to the Command Hospital for further treatment.
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Hurriyat Conference chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq has urged the United Nations (UN) to play an effective role to resolve the Kashmir issue and ensure peace, security, political stability and development in South Asia.
