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C-type houses to give way to
multi-storey flats
All set for Dalai Lama’s visit to Kishtwar
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Pak militant shot dead in
Surankote
Development in district to get boost
Mysterious death of tailor’s wife
Steps being taken to check rights violations: Govt
Delay in reopening road
Demand for ST Status to Paharis
Theatre workshop for kids concludes
45 kg of unhygienic food items destroyed
Stone crusher owners to plant 10,000 saplings
Poetry recitation competition held
Women’s chapter formed
6,000 Scouts, Guides to be nominated to National Youth Corps, says Chib
Mahayajna for lasting peace
Accident victims die
Sainik School students on motivational tour
Six-year-old boy killed
by cousin
Bus damaged in fire
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C-type houses to give way to
multi-storey flats
Jammu, June 2 The Estate Department, which manages government buildings, has been assigned the job of getting the flats constructed. In the first phase, 58 government houses of C type at Gandhi Nagar will be demolished to construct multi-storey flats. These quarters are constructed on 43 kanals in the posh Gandhi Nagar locality and this prime land will be properly utilised to increase the number of government houses manifold. The construction of flats not only helps in properly utilising the prime land in the city and solving the problem of accommodation for officers, but also reduces financial burden on the government to some extent. The authorities have hired a number of private buildings to provide accommodation to VIPs
in the city. “We have already floated tenders for the construction of flats by demolishing C-type houses at Gandhi Nagar,” Arun Manhas, a senior officer of the Estate Department, told The Tribune. He further informed that the department had received an overwhelming response from some private builders. With the construction of flats, the availability of accommodation would increase,
he added. The Estate Department has 3,300 houses in Jammu, but these are not sufficient to provide accommodation to all deserving people during winter when the Civil Secretariat moves from Srinagar to Jammu. Every year the Estate Department has to hire as many as 300 rooms in different hotels for six months to provide accommodation to secretariat employees. Similarly, the department has hired as many as 67 private buildings to provide accommodation to ministers, legislators and former legislators. The C-type quarters at Gandhi Nagar are meant for officers up to the rank of Deputy Secretary and Secretary. Some houses in this block are also allotted to politicians of lower rank for ‘security’ reasons. After these houses are dismantled, all occupants will be provided accommodation in the flats. According to the criteria fixed by the Estate Department, 84 per cent of the government houses are kept for Darbar Move employees, 7 per cent for non-move employees, 5 per cent as
discretionary quota, 3 per cent for judiciary and one per cent for Central government employees. |
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All set for Dalai Lama’s visit to Kishtwar
Udhampur, June 2 Informally, it is being packaged as a goodwill visit since he will be addressing general public of Paddar area where non-Buddhist people, including Hindus and Muslims, comprise almost 90 per cent of the total population. As per the official brief, the Dalai Lama will address public, meet local religious personalities of other faiths and social leaders. His Holiness will also formally open the first Buddhist monastery in the area as well as attend the annual function of a school being run by the Himalayan Buddhist Cultural Society. Elaborate security arrangements have been made for the visit. Around eight companies of the police, Armed Police, CRPF and the Army have been deployed. The geographical location of the Gulabgarh area seems a natural choice to spread the activities of the faith due to its proximity to the Pangi valley of Chamba district of Himachal Pradesh, which is 45 km from Gulabgarh. Gulabgarh shares border with the Zanskar valley of Kargil district, having good Buddhist population. It is situated on the confluence of the Machail nullah and the Chanderbagga river. On the other hand, Kishtwar town is 65 km from it. The Buddhist population in Kishtwar district is mainly residing in some six interior villages in Paddar tehsil. As such, the visit is likely to leave its impact in terms of promoting Buddhism and spreading awareness about the cause of Tibetans’ freedom in this part. As per SP, Kishtwar, Dr Mohammad Hasib Mughal besides locals, the organisers are anticipating between 15,000 to 20,000 people from Jammu, Himachal Pradesh, Kishtwar district and Ladakh on the occasion. The preparations at all venues are in full swing over the past many days to welcome the dignitary. Entire Gulabgarh town is being decked up. MLA, Kishtwar, Sajad Ahmed Kichlu, Divisional Commissioner, Jammu, Pawan Kotwal, and other senior officers today reviewed the arrangements and held a meeting with the organisers. |
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Pak militant shot dead in
Surankote Ravi Krishnan Khajuria Tribune News Service
Jammu, June 2 “Though the slain ultra, Abu Umar, alias Nazakat Ali, of the LeT belonged to Pakistan, we are trying to ascertain whether he was an operative or a regular militant of the LeT,” SSP, Poonch district, Manmohan Singh told The Tribune. There were contradictory reports about him, terming him as a top terrorist or an operative of the LeT in Poonch district. Ample evidence, including a diary found from the slain ultra, established his identity and nationality, the SSP added. “We are investigating the case and the clear picture will emerge after thorough investigations,” he said. The police had initially claimed that the security forces achieved a major success by eliminating one dreaded terrorist of Pakistan-based LeT and injuring his accomplice in a fierce gun-battle in Theru Top near Gali Girjan in Surankote tehsil, 230 km north of Jammu. The troops of 16 Rashtriya Rifles and the police had participated in the operation, which was still on to track down the injured ultra. One AK 47 assault rifle with two magazines and two grenades were seized from the site of the encounter. About the injured militant, the SSP said the area had been cordoned off. “The cordon is in place to track him down, but his identity is yet to be established,” he added. Brig General Staff of 16 Corps, Brig Gurdeep Singh, also said the slain militant was a foreign mercenary but was not a leader or a top terrorist of the LeT. Official sources said the security forces, including the police, were sifting through dossiers and other secret records to see whether Abu Umar was involved in major militant activities in the area. Last evening, a joint column of the Army and the police had cordoned off the Theru Top area and established a contact with the hiding terrorists, who were asked to surrender. However, the militants opened indiscriminate firing and lobbed grenades towards the troops. While Abu Umar was killed in the gunfight his accomplice was injured.
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Development in district to get boost
Jammu, June 2 Prof B Labh, Head of Department of Buddhist Studies, Jammu University, said the visit was highly significant. “Earlier it was considered that the Buddhism reached Kashmir first when King Ashoka embraced it. But in the last couple of years, it has been established, and I too have proved it through my research, that the Buddhism had spread first in the ancient state called Madhar Desh having Sagal (the modern day Sialkote in Pakistan) as the capital and including the Kishtwar region. A Buddhist Stupa found in Ambaran in Akhnoor near Jammu a few years ago proved that the Buddhists lived along the Chenab that flows through Kishtwar also.” Labh said the Buddhist families in Gulabgarh were scattered and settled far and near. Another interesting fact is that many Buddhists were Hindus, who after conversion, were still retaining both Hindu as well as Buddhist names.” Dr Lalit Gupta, a PhD in Art and Architecture of Buddhist era in the Jammu-Shivalik region, said the Dalai Lama’s visit would bring development in a badly underdeveloped area. “The Gulabgarh area is better known for the Mata Machail yatra. It has local tourism potential but with the visit of the spiritual leader of the Tibetans, tourism would grow further,” he said. |
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Mysterious death of tailor’s wife Archit Watts Tribune News Service
Jammu, June 2 He had also tried to cremate the body without informing the police at the Jogi Gate cremation ground on May 24. The police is relying upon a small blackboard, seized from the house, carrying the “signature” of the deceased, wherein she had alleged that her husband “Ajay is responsible for my death”. Since neither the postmortem nor the FSL reports have been received so far, further investigation have been delayed. SDPO (West), Vishav Kumar Chauhan, said: “The statements of the deceased’s husband, son and father-in-law have been recorded, but we are waiting for the FSL report to come, which would enable us to proceed further.” However, sources said the case had become weak as the parents of the deceased had not filed any complaint with the police. SHO, Janipur police station, Rajinder Bhardwaj, said: “Whether the deceased’s parents have filed any report or not, the police is doing its duty.Whenever we call the husband of the deceased, he comes to the police station to join the investigation.” The police said Sumit, the son of the deceased, was living with his father as the brother of the deceased, Harish, a resident of Delhi, who performed the last rites of his sister, had not taken the custody of child as both the families had not good relations. When this correspondent visited their house in Basant Nagar, it was locked.
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Steps being taken to check rights violations: Govt
Srinagar, June 2 On the killing of three youths in a fake encounter, the Adviser said the government had initiated the necessary action against the culprits and whosoever was found involved would not be spared. He added that justice would be provided to the bereaved families at the earliest. The coalition government was fully aware of the incident, he said, and added the Defence Minister had also said that those found involved would be punished. Meanwhile, state PCC chief and former union minister Saifuddin Soz on Wednesday welcomed the statement of Defence Minister A K Antony in which he had said that those indulging in human rights violations in the state would not be spared. In a statement here, Soz said Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on many occasions had made it clear that all those involved in the system to administer justice must show zero tolerance to human rights violations. Referring to the mysterious killing of three youths from Nadihal village of Baramulla district in the Machil sector of Kupwara district recently, Saifuddin Soz demanded a magisterial probe to identify and punish the culprits.
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Kargil area faces shortage of essential
items
Yangchan Dolma
Leh, June 2 Closed in November 2009, the road was reopened till Rangdum village, 110 km ahead of Padum, in the second week of May for six days by the district authorities. During the short period, many stranded passengers were able to cross the Penzila Pass. The recent snowfall at the Pass has hampered snow clearance on the road. Sonam Namgyal, councillor of the Karsha Stod constituency of the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council, Kargil, said, “With no alternative connectivity for transportation and communication after the closure of the Chader Trek route and the suspension of helicopter services in winter from Leh and Kargil to Padum and Zanskar, life there has been affected and developmental works badly hit.” Chader Trek is an alternative footpath made in winter months on the frozen Indus and people walk for three to four days to reach Padum from Chilling village of Leh district. Namgyal added the residents of four villages near the Phey area were going without power at night since December 2009 when the diesel generator in Phey developed technical problems. People were still waiting for its restoration by the authorities. Yeshi Tundeup, a student stranded in Kargil, who, along with, other passengers held a procession in Kargil yesterday to press the district authorities for the reopening of the road, said the delay in snow-clearance had badly affected the academics of students, particularly of those studying in government-run schools.
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Demand for ST Status to Paharis Dinesh Manhotra Tribune News Service
Jammu, June 2 Besides, the implementation of the Mandal Commission report is also on top of the agenda of the organisations. Gujjars are also opposing the demand. A plea was made yesterday to intensify the struggle in this regard at a function which was organised to pay tributes to Amarnath Bhagat, a crusader for the cause of the weaker sections. Paying tributes, president of the Confederation of SCs, STs and OBCs, R K Kalsotra said the weaker sections should unitedly fight to accomplish his unfinished task. He said it was high time to launch a decisive battle for getting the Mandal Commission’s report implemented in the state.Kalsotra made it clear that they would stoutly oppose any move to grant ST status to Paharis as promised by the state government. Others speakers said the struggle for the cause of the weaker sections was the real tribute to the late leader who had sacrificed his life for the cause of the neglected sections of society. Remembered as Dr B R Ambedkar of Jammu and Kashmir, Bhagat had launched an agitation for extending the provision of reservation to the state in 1970. Due to the special status of the state, it was not done despite the provision being implemented in all parts of the country. Bhagat sat on a fast-unto death on May 21, 1970, and died during the agitation on June 1, 1970. His death sparked massive protests from the weaker sections and ultimately the then state government decided to provide reservation to the SCs in 1971.
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Theatre workshop for kids concludes
Jammu, June 2 A play, “Akhir Kab Tak”, written and directed by Ravinder Sharma was staged on the occasion. The play depicted the harmful affects of smoking and tobacco. Besides, a Punjabi play based on a short story of Krishan Chander, Toa, was prepared in the one-month workshop and staged. The play highlighted the plight of the downtrodden
strata of society. The play revolved around a man who falls into a deep pit and learns many things while seeking help from people belonging to different walks of life. The children who participated were Jasmeet Kour, Manisha Chib, Manisha Bhagat, Reema Choudhary, Neho Choudhary Jasmeet Kour, Arti Chib, Gurdeep Kour, Sonali Choudhary,Radha Chid, Bharti Choudhary, Neha Devi, Manisha chib, Sneha Chib, Diksha Choudhary, Rubia Choudhary, Kajal Choudhary,Aman Singh, Rammu Choudhary, Abinash Choudhary, Jagdeep Singh, Rajan Choudhary, Aryan Sharma, Sukhvinder, Vikram Chib, Balvir Singh, Deepak Choudhary, Chandan, Nitish Rohit, Sachin, Lukhvinder, Vishal and Ajay. The participating children were presented medals by a senior teacher of the school, Ashok Kumar. Meanwhile, a week-long acting workshop being conducted by a student of Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), Pune, started here today. It was inaugurated by Natrang Director Balwant Thakur at Natrang Studio Theatre, Jammu. The workshop is being conducted by Sunil Palwal who is specialising in acting at the FTII. Palwal will introduce the latest methods of training which improve concentration, imagination and observation of performers. The new techniques of instant transformation from one character to another will be the focus of the programme. Speaking on the occasion, Thakur said with growing demand of actors in theatre and films, it had become imperative for the aspiring actors to update their skills with the latest innovations in acting styles. Thakur further said Natrang was going to start a 40-day children’s theatre workshop from next week in which the children would be trained in the art of acting, dance and music. He appealed to the interested parents to register their children in the age group 7-15 so that they were considered for this training programme. |
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Plan to create one lakh govt jobs: Omar
Srinagar, June 2 The Chief Minister said this while inaugurating the Northern Regional Round Table
Conference of Deans and Directors of Association of Indian Management School (AIMS)
on ‘Total Quality Management in Business Education-An Emerging Paradigm’ at the
university. He said a constant linkage between the educational institutions of the country and the state was imperative to provide a befitting platform for the youth to grow and exhibit their capacity and power of
delivering. “In fact a linkage between civil society of the country and the people of Jammu and Kashmir is necessitated in the present scenario,” Omar said, adding that people from outside the state had developed a mindset of visiting here either for the state being most beautiful or not visiting here for the place being
dangerous. He said there was a dire need for changing this mindset treating the state on a par with other places those were dangerous but not as beautiful as Kashmir. He hoped that the Round Table Conference would locate areas needing special attention for relationship development between the state educational institutions and the national academic concerns to thrive in this sector. Omar said he had flagged capacity building and employability as important aspects of policy planning. He added that stress had been laid on the development of skills. “We have more than five lakh registered unemployed educated youth in the state.
My endeavour is to engage about one lakh of them in the government sector during the next five years. I have to
work for creating jobs for the rest of four lakh persons in the private sector and measures are already afoot in this direction,” he said. “A peculiar mindset has developed in the youth in Jammu and Kashmir. They think themselves employed when in the government sector but jobless even if they are employed in the private sector,” he said. “This is because our private sector is under developed. We have to focus on this area,” the Chief Minister added. The Vice-Chancellor of
Kashmir University, Prof Reyaz Punjabi, Economic Adviser to the government, Jalil Ahmad Khan, president of the AIMS, Prof Shafali Gautam
and Director Business School, Kashmir University, Shabir Ahmad Bhat also spoke on
the occasion.
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45 kg of unhygienic food items destroyed
Jammu, June 2 During the drive, around 24 defaulters were booked under the J&K Municipal Corporation Act, 2000, and PFA Act, 1954. The team inspected various food establishments, including meat/chicken shops, ice cream stalls, fruit-juice shops, sweet shops, dhabas, restaurants in the areas of Vivekanand Nand chowk, Prem Nagar, Gujjar Nagar, Sainik Colony, Greater Kailash and Railway Station
market. The drive would remain continue and all owners of food establishments and vendors have been asked to ensure supply of pure and fresh food items to the public and to discard use of polythene carry bags. Meanwhile, the team also booked three persons under the Cigarettes and
Tobacco Act, 2003, who were found smoking at public places. |
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Stone crusher owners to plant 10,000 saplings
Jammu, June 2 The association also called on the newly appointed Chairman of the Pollution Control Board (PCB) Lal Chand here. The deputation was led by the Jammu province president of the association, Vikram Randhawa, who assured the PCB Chairman that the stone crushers of the province would follow all the rules and norms of PCB in their respective units. Randhawa, on the occasion, also handed over a written commitment to the chairman for planting 10,000 saplings in stone crushing units in the entire province in an effort to save and preserve the environment. Highlighting various problems being faced by stone crushers owner, Randhawa said every year they had to face harassment in taking no-objection certificates from the PCB as the department had not been providing the same in time. He mentioned that stone crushers had to wait for months to get NOC from the department. The PCB Chairman gave a patient hearing to the delegation and assured to do the needful in this regard.
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Poetry recitation competition held
Jammu, June 2 In the Junior category, the first and second prize were won by Hivreen kour and Juicy Sharma of Presentation Convent. The third prize was bagged by Mavish Sharma of KC GPS, Paloura, and Ananya Kalsotra of KC GPS, Udhampur. In the senior category, the first prize was won by Smile Sharma of KC Gurukul, Udhampur, and second prize was won by Vitasla Jad of KC GPS, Paloura. Anmol Rathore of GD Goenka bagged the third prize. The overall trophy was clinched by Presentation Convent. For seniors, the topic was “Jeevan Ek Sangharsh” and for juniors the topic was “Desh Bhakti”. ID Soni, state commissioner, Bharat Scouts, and Guides, J&K state, was the chief guest on the occasion. |
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Women’s chapter formed
Jammu, June 2 According to a statement issued here, during the meeting, Prof Sarla Kohli was nominated president, Dr Renu Arun senior vice-president and Dr Indira Rathore general secretary. Savita Bakshi was nominated deputy secretary, J&K Cultural Academy, Dimple, Anil and Dr Parveen Sabherwal secretaries while Kanchan Sharma will act as press and public secretary and Raj Bharti was nominated treasurer. To give valuable suggestions for the empowerment and upliftment of women, an advisory board was
also formed. The Secretary, J&K Women’s Commission, Hafiza Muzaffer, Reeta Mandessa, Esther William and Nasreen Firoz Khan would be its members. In order to take care of the organisational activity at the rural level, Village Adult Education Committee was formed which would be headed by Nirmal Bakshi. Veena Handa, Chairman of Handa College of Education, would head the External Affairs Committee. On this occasion, an executive body was also constituted. |
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6,000 Scouts, Guides to be nominated to National Youth Corps, says Chib
Srinagar, June 2 Speaking on the occasion, Minister for Youth Services and Sports RS Chib said various steps were being taken by the state government for the development of sports culture. He added that the Central government had decided to nominate 20,000 volunteers to the National Youth Corps at the national level and out of which 6,000 volunteers would be selected from the state. Chib said the J&K Scouts and Guides, which is a chapter of the All India Boys Scouts, was a reputed organisation engaged in shaping the future of younger generations. The minister said a mega camp of volunteers was being held at Pahalgam on June 10, in which 700 Scouts and Guides from all over the country would participate.
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Mahayajna for lasting peace
Srinagar, June 2 Minister for Revenue, Relief and Rehabilitation, Raman Bhalla who paid obeisance at the shrine prayed for peace in the country, particularly in the state. The temple was thrown open to the public by a leading scholar of the community, Shastri Omkar Nath, and the function was inaugurated by Amarnath Vaishnavi while president, Kashmiri Samiti, Delhi, Rakesh Koul was also present on the occasion. A large number of devotees from the valley and outside visited the shrine to seek blessings of Mata Zeashta.The mahayajna was solemnised under the auspices of Shastri Omkar Nath, who also delivered a discourse.
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Accident victims die
Jammu, June 2 The deceased has been identified as Pardeep Singh of Akhnoor. He was injured when a Tata Mobile vehicle hit his motorcycle behind at Palwal Brahmana village in Akhnoor late yesterday night, the police added. A case under Section 304-A of the RPC has been registered in this regard. A 26-year-old man who was crushed by a Bolero at Bari Brahmana in Samba district on Monday night died yesterday, the police said. The deceased, Surjit Singh, a resident of Ramban, was admitted to the GMCH, Jammu, in a critical condition. A case has been registered.
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Sainik School students on motivational tour
Jammu, June 2 The tour is sponsored by White Knight Corps under Operation Sadhbhavana. The students will witness the passing-out parade of gentlemen cadets at the Indian Military Academy at Dehradun and will also visit the Defence Research and Development
Organisation, the Forest Research Institute and other important establishments.
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Six-year-old boy killed
by cousin
Jammu, June 2 The police said Abhi Jamwal, son of Amarjeet Singh, a resident of Kudera village, was killed by his 10-year-old cousin Vikram Singh, alias Sonu, who was fiddling with his father Sanjeev Singh’s gun at his house. Abhi had came to the house of his maternal uncle during his summer vacations and was declared on the spot dead after he received a bullet, the police said. Raghuvir Singh, SHO, Basohli police station, said: “A case under Section 304-A of the RPC has been registered and the accused has been detained.” |
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Bus damaged in fire
Jammu, June 2 It further said the bus caught fire around 4.30 pm when it was parked outside the house of the driver. A fire tender was called to control the fire. Till the firemen controlled the fire, the vehicle was turned into mangled remains. Rattan Singh, in charge, Sarwal police post, said: “So far neither the driver nor the vehicle owner has approached us but it was a case of accidental fire.”
— TNS |
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The Dalai Lama, spiritual head of Tibetans in exile, is for the first time visiting Gulabgarh, a small town in Atholi tehsil, popularly called Paddar of Kishtwar district, once a hotbed of militancy, on June 5.
Apparently, the visit has become a subject of general curiosity due to the high profile status of the Dalai Lama as well as due to the scheduled presence of Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on the occasion.
