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Shalin Murder Case
Facing flak over Shalin’s murder, police claims crime has come down
City witnessing protests
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Inclusion of Govind Pura in MC limits demanded
Gujjars come in support of varsity VC
Striking students suspend fast
Nod to set up two hospitals in state
State Youth Cong Chief’s Appointment
Ladakh to be made self-sufficient in power, says Omar
Devise policy to curb
corruption, says manch
Guv felicitates IIT topper
Free insurance cover for Amarnath yatris
33 from Shah Faesal’s district to join Army
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Shalin Murder Case
Jammu, June 15 While PDP president Mehbooba Mufti targeted NC leaders for patronising criminals, the BJP minced no words in attacking a Congress minister and demanded his resignation to ensure a free and fair inquiry into the incident. Mehbooba expressed ignorance about reports regarding the role of a Congress minister in getting the accused released after he was arrested for kidnapping Shalin. However, she targeted the NC for “institutionalising crime in Jammu city for petty political gains”. “Direct or indirect involvement of NC leaders have been established in recent crime incidents in the city,” she said while addressing a press conference here this morning. Asked about the involvement of a Congress leader in the case, she said, “As per my information an NC leader was involved in getting the main accused in the case released.” “Had the NC leader not interfered in the functioning of the police, the life of an innocent child could have been saved,” she said. “Crime and corruption combination is a deadly trend and it will be prove disastrous for the region,” Mehbooba said and alleged that ruling party politicians had been encouraging crime in Jammu. Being the the main coalition partner, it was the responsibility of the NC to protect the lives of people, she added. The BJP on the other hand targeted the Congress leader and demanded his resignation to ensure a free and fair inquiry. BJP president Shamsher Singh Manhas, who reached Jammu today from Patna, candidly admitted that the party leadership had failed to take up the issue effectively. “Being an opposition party it is our duty to take the Shalin murder case to its logical end,” he said and accused Congress leaders of shielding criminals. “We were in Patna to attend the national executive meeting of the party. Now, our party will take up the issue effectively to expose those involved in the heinous crime,” Manhas said. Another BJP leader Nirmal Singh, who was also away to Patna, demanded that those who got the accused released should be booked for encouraging the kidnapper to commit the gruesome crime. Meanwhile, the NC leader whom Mehbooba accused of getting the accused released countered the allegation. He said those involved in the incident had been exposed by the media. |
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Facing flak over Shalin’s murder, police claims crime has come down
Jammu, June 15 Denying any nexus between the police and politicians, a spokesperson for the local police termed as false some reports published in some newspapers that there had been an increase in the incidence of crime in the Jammu zone. He further said during the last one decade the crime had decreased. As the official data shows, 427 murders took place in year 2001 while in year 2009 the figure came down to 123. And this year up to May 31 a total of 34 murders had taken place in the Jammu zone. Even the number of attempt to murder cases decreased this year. This number was 720 in year 2001 and 276 in year 2009, but decreased to 144 till May 31 this year. While seven robberies took place in year 2001 and one in year 2009, only one robbery has taken place till May 31. Theft incidents have also decreased, as in year 2001 the number was 480 and 466 in year 2009, while this year 136 theft took place. The number of hurt and stabbing incidents, which was 223 in year 2001, and 187 in year 2009, decreased to 67 this year. There has also been a decline in assaults on public servants. The official data says 155 assaults took place in year 2001 and 135 in year 2009, this year the
number of such incidents was 73. The cases registered under the Arms Act have also decreased to 24 as compared to 86 cases in year 2001 and 62
last year. The police also appealed to the city residents to make full use of the SMS complaint service by lodging their complaints through SMS on number 9469300300. |
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City witnessing protests
Jammu, June 15 In this regard, the Jammu Bar Association has announced free legal help to the aggrieved family. “We have announced free legal help to the family and they can hire any advocate”, said Sunil Sethi, President of the association. He alleged that the police failed in taking timely action against the accused, which led to the killing of the boy. Earlier, some non-political organisations, including the Nirbhow Nirvair Organisation (NNO) and the Jammu Youth Wing, lodged protests and held a candle march at Bikram Chowk here. Demanding a speedy trial and harsh punishment to the accused, Nai Basti residents have also been holding protest rallies daily. Angry over the alleged failure of the police in taking timely action,women held a staged a rally in the Nai Basti and Gandhi Nagar areas today. Holding placards, the protesters shouted anti-government and anti- police slogans and demanded harsh punishment to the accused. |
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Inclusion of Govind Pura in MC limits demanded
Jammu, June 15 The residents maintain that despite several representations to the administration nothing has been done. Govind Pura falls in the Gandhi Nagar constituency but still is not under the MC jurisdiction or the cantonment board and as a result there is no development in the area. “The area has a population of more than 9,000 but still the administration is not concerned about its development,” said president of the Nav Youth Club Madan Mohan Sharma. “Heaps of garbage and domestic refuse can be seen every where and there is no one to clean it up. Lanes and drains are broken and chocked by filth, which emits a foul smell,” he said. Sharma added that people were compelled to live in unhygienic conditions. Other residents of the area demanded a library. “We want a community library where residents could read newspapers and books. Hence funds should be granted immediately for the purpose,” they said. “Medical camps should be held for old people and the poor,” the residents demanded. They said, “The transformer that caters to the needs of the entire area be replaced as despite increase in population over the years its capacity has remained the same.” The residents demanded the installation of streetlights to prevent robberies and incidents of dog bites. “There are no public toilets for women. Such facilities should be created at an appropriate distance in the area,” said Trilochan Singh. He further demanded tube wells to overcome water shortage during summer. |
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Shopkeepers protest against MC
Jammu, June 15 State youth president of Kranti Dal Samerjeet Singh led the demonstration. The shopkeepers raised slogans against the MC and demanded allocation of quality floor tiles in the market. Around more than 100 shops are situated in this busy market and almost all of them were annoyed with this step of the MC. “Allocation of the floor tiles for the market was the long-pending demand of the shopkeepers of the area. It was for the first time that the MC allocated floor tiles in the market,” said
Samerjeet. |
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Boy killed by tear-gas shell, says autopsy report
Srinagar, June 15 The police has been changing its statement over his death. While initially it said the boy died after being hit by a stone, it later said this could a murder. “ We have been saying that it was a cold- blooded murder and Tufail was killed by a tear-gas shell fired by the police from a close range when he was returning home from tuition on Friday evening”, a relative of the family told The Tribune. The autopsy conducted by a team of doctors belonging to the Health Department ,the Medical Education and those nominated by the family revealed that the boy was hit hard on the head by a circular object which fractured his skull bone. Sources said the doctors matched the dimension of the wound with a live tear gas shell which they had sought from the police and found that the injury resulting into the death of the boy was caused due to the shell. The report of the autopsy would be submitted to the Deputy Commissioner, Srinagar, after which he would order further investigations. Speaking to The Tribune, the Deputy Commissioner,Meraj Kakroo, said: “The autopsy has been conducted, but I am yet to receive the report and I can only comment after getting it”. The sources told The Tribune that the police would hold a free and fair enquiry and if someone was found involved,strict action would be taken. “The autopsy has been conducted in the most transparent and professional manner and the entire proceedings have been videographed”, police source said. Students of various schools and colleges today boycotted classes and held demonstrations here to demand the arrest of those involved in the death of Tufail. The hardline faction of the Hurriyat conference led by Syed Ali Shah Geelani has said that there will be no strike for the next three days and the next course of action will be decided on Thursday. Meanwhile, after days of demonstrations and shutdown, normalcy returned to the Kashmir valley and barring a few incidents of violence in the downtown locality, the situation remained peaceful. |
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Gujjars come in support of varsity VC
Jammu, June 15 In a joint statement issued here today, Gujjar organisations alleged that some influential Pahari speaking leaders of twin-border districts of Poonch and Rajouri were playing dirty politics over the incident occurred recently at the BGSBU campus. They sought the Chief Minister’s intervention in the case. Terming the incident at the university as a well-conceived conspiracy of local non-Gujjar leaders against the Vice Chancellor (VC), who belongs to a particular marginalised tribal community, these organisations in a joint statement condemned those forces, who were trying to create hatred among tribal and non-tribal groups in the sensitive border area. They impressed upon the government to take a strong view of these nefarious plans to defame and dislodge a Gujjar educationist heading the university since last five years. The social organisations working for Gujjars, including the Tribal Research and Cultural Foundation, Jammu, Kashmir Gujjars Bakerwals Joint Forum, J&K Gujjars United Front, JK Tribal United Forum, Akhil Bhartiya Gujjar Maha Sabha, All-India Confederation of SC/ST and OBCs and State Gujjars Student Federation, urged upon the state government to take action against the officers,
who were openly involved in using excessive force against the students to
dislodge the VC from his chair. |
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Striking students suspend fast
Jammu, June 15 In a meeting with the minister at Dak Bungalow, Rajouri, the students were assured that Chief Minister Omar Abdullah would call a delegation of students to Srinagar in next two-three days, sources said. After the assurance, the students, who were demanding a chance to appear in supplementary exams and starting of the re-evaluation system as prevalent in other universities, suspended the fast with immediate effect. The university authorities have also announced the summer vacation of one month and ordered the hostelers to leave hostels. The mess services were also been discontinued for the vacation period. |
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Nod to set up two hospitals in state
New Delhi, June 15 A proposal to promote menstrual hygiene among adolescent girls in the rural areas has also been given approval. The initiatives will cost Rs 250 crore-- Rs 100 crore for the hospitals in J&K and Rs 150 crore for menstrual hygiene. Meeting under chairmanship of Union Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad, the MSG also agreed to provide an additional incentive of Rs 50 per ASHA upon identification of suspected Kala Azar cases and referring them to the nearest health centre. They will get another Rs 150 per case if they ensure complete treatment through regular follow-ups and patients who show up for regular treatment will get Rs 50 a day. The meeting further decided to involve ASHAs in all 257 malaria endemic districts and provide them performance-based incentives. The funds required for 257 districts for this performance-linked payment would be Rs 8.69 crore. For the new hospitals in J&K, the state would be provided Rs 50 crore each beyond the resource envelope under the
NRHM. |
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State Youth Cong Chief’s Appointment
Jammu, June 15 They have demanded equal representation of all regions and sub-regions in the PYC, instead of imposing loyalists of a particular group and that genuine workers should be given responsibility of the Youth Congress. Sources in the party told The Tribune that the Congress leadership has almost finalised the name for the PYC chief and other factions have been organising such protests to exert pressure on the leadership to postpone its decision. It was pointed out that the PCC chief, CLP leader and other senior leaders belong to a majority community, so minority community should be given adequate opportunities, as the Congress was a secular party.
— TNS |
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Ladakh to be made self-sufficient in power, says Omar
He said the state government would not only make Ladakh self-sufficient in power but also export power from the region to other places in the state after the commissioning of the Rs 950 crore Srinagar-Leh Transmission Line approved by the Prime Minister recently. The line would cater to the winter requirements of Ladakh as well, thereby mitigating the power shortage there. The Chief Minister along with Union Minister for New & Renewable Energy Farooq Abdullah reviewed the Rs 473 crore Ladakh Renewable Energy Project which is centrally-sponsored and slated to be completed by 2013. Under the project,Rs 266 crore would be spent on 30 small hydroelectric plants of various capacities totaling 23.5 MW and 70 villages of the Ladakh region each would be provided solar PV plants of 40-50 KW capacity. The project also envisages providing solar energy to 120 institutions, including health centres and schools.By 2013, 5500 green houses would be constructed and 25000 sq mt of solar collector area would be created for servicing the solar thermal heaters in Ladakh. The Chief Minister urged all concerned to ensure that the new initiatives being taken up for harnessing non-conventional energy should be financially sustainable standalone models so that the maximum benefit could be derived by those living below the poverty line. Earlier, the Chief Minister along with the Union Minister inspected the 45 MW Nemo Bazgo Hydroelectric Project being constructed under the Prime Minister’s Reconstruction Programme. He directed the executing agency, the NHPC, to speed up the pace of construction of the project so that it could be commissioned by the proposed deadline of February, 2011. He directed the machinery component of the project should be installed by December this year. Minister for Tourism Nawang Rigzin Jora and the CEC, LAHDC, Chering Dorgey also participated in the deliberations. |
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Devise policy to curb
corruption, says manch
Jammu, June 15 He alleged that the government seemed to be less bothered about the menace of corruption as it had not taken any concrete steps so far to curb the menace. “By indulging in corruption, ministers have minted crores and they run agencies, but the government has done nothing against them”, alleged Sharma. Expressing concern for the rural people, Sharma said some agents were openly fleecing rural youths by making fake promises to send them abroad or by convincing them that they would get government jobs.
— TNS |
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Guv felicitates IIT topper
Jammu, June 15 According to an official statement issued here today, Akhil has been nominated for this award for obtaining highest grade points among the students of all branches of the 2006 batch, while pursuing his B.Tech studies at IIT Roorkee. Akhil would receive this medal in October at the institute. The Governor, while presenting a pen to Akhil, congratulated him and hoped that other boys and girls from the state would draw inspiration from him. |
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Free insurance cover for Amarnath yatris
Srinagar, June 15 Chairman-cum-managing director of the New India Assurance Company, Mumbai, M. Ramadoss called on Governor NN Vohra at the Raj Bhavan here today and presented him the insurance policy. The policy has a provision of free-of-charge accident insurance cover of Rs one lakh for every yatri, who possesses a yatra permit. The entire expenditure for drawing this insurance cover is being borne by the board. In yatra-2009, a yatri seeking an accident insurance cover was required to pay Rs 24 at the time of registration for the yatra. The accidental insurance cover has also been provided with support from the state government to all registered labourers deployed during the yatra and the pony owners, in case their horse/pony is involved in an accidental death. This scheme is aimed to benefit about 20,000 labourers and 7,000 pony owners, belonging to the economically weaker sections of the
society. |
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33 from Shah Faesal’s district to join Army
Srinagar, June 15 An Army spokesman said around 4,500 candidates from 10 districts of the region had participated in the rally held last month in Kupwara district. Out of the 33 selected from Kupwara district, 24 are from the frontier tehsil of Karnah People have expressed gratitude to the Army for conducting training for nearly six months. “They made him run and sweat during the day and study during night. I thank the Army for helping my son realise his dream,” said Fazal Illahi of Tangdhar, whose 19-year-old son Zamir Ahmad is now looking forward to joining the training centre.
— TNS/PTI |
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Srinagar, June 15