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Mountaineering experts to assist Amarnath yatris
Jammu varsity declares first year results
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Train service resumes partially in Valley
Srinagar, July 12 After its launch on October 11, 2008, by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, the first ever train service in the Kashmir valley had to be suspended for five days owing to the ongoing turmoil in the Kashmir valley.
Rs 50.6-cr annual plan for Reasi approved
Omar victim of his own party: Bhim Singh
Surprise Checking
Poor man worst hit due to turmoil
Govt must take firm stand on Kashmir: Panun Kashmir
Rail fare concession for veer naris
2 students drown in canals in Jammu, Kathua
Filling of lecturers’ posts demanded
2 SPOs booked for losing rifles
Musical concert at Leh
Power shutdown
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Mountaineering experts to assist Amarnath yatris
Srinagar, July 12 In the wake of the reports of increase in the number of accidents due to the extreme slippery conditions, Governor NN Vohra, who is also the chairman of Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board, today appointed an eight-member team of mountaineers to assist the yatris. On the instructions of the Governor, the Jawahar Institute of Mountaineering, Pahalgam, today deputed an eight-member team of its trained personnel to assist the yatris on the snow-bound and slippery stretch of the track between Sangam Top and the holy cave shrine. Sangam is a point en route the 3,880 m high cave shrine where pilgrims from both traditional Pahalgam route in Anantnag district and the shorter Baltal route in Ganderbal district meet. The CEO of the SASB, RK Goyal, said the team was deputed after the Governor had given instructions following reports of accidents on this difficult stretch. He said two mobile rescue teams comprising 20 state police personnel had already been deployed to assist the yatris between Sheshnag and Poshpathri and they were doing a commendable job. He said the movement of the yatris was being monitored several times daily and appropriate directions were issued to the camp directors with regard to providing requisite facilities to the pilgrims. Meanwhile, the Governor today took stock of various arrangements made for the yatris at the two base camps and the cave shrine. He also reviewed the security and other arrangements made to facilitate a smooth pilgrimage. He reiterated the importance of ensuring day-to-day cleanliness and the protection of environment in the entire yatra area on a continuing basis. |
Bandh hits life, varsity postpones exams
Srinagar, July 12 However, restrictions remained in force in downtown localities today to prevent any untoward incident, as the area had witnessed a series of protests during the recent days. The APHC chairman, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, held public meetings in the area on Saturday in protest against the alleged human rights violations. All shops and business establishments and educational institutions remained closed. Passenger transport was off the roads, while private transport and auto-rickshaws plied normally. In view of the prevailing situation, Kashmir University has postponed all examinations scheduled to be held by July 20, a spokesman for the university said. Fresh exam dates would be notified separately, he added. The examinations scheduled to commence from July 15 have been postponed. The fresh date sheet and the revised centre notice will be issued separately. |
Jammu varsity declares first year results
Jammu, July 12 Around 25,119 candidates were enrolled for the examination out of which only 34 per cent candidates cleared the exams. For the first time, the result has been put on the website, providing all information, including mark sheet, to the students. “Earlier, students had to wait for days to know subject-wise results. Now, they need not wait as they can get all details on the university website,” said a senior officer of the university. “This innovation will particularly help the private students, who earlier used to get results by post after around 15 days,” the officer added. This time, the students could also get a duplicate copy of the mark sheet through Internet. “The duplicate copy of the result self-attested by the candidate will be accepted for re-evaluation or the examination purpose by the university.” said the officer. The gazette and the mark sheets would be made available to the students in their respective colleges on Wednesday. According to the officer, the gazette and marks sheets would be handed over to the college authorities on Wednesday. This time, the university has announced the results around two months before as compared to the previous year. Last year, the result was declared on September 3. The result has been declared after 16 days from the culmination of examination on June 25. “Around 20 years ago, the results were declared in June and we are trying to continue the same practice by improving our examination system. This time, we attempted for it and we achieved success,” Prof GM Bhatt, Controller Examination, University of Jammu, told the Tribune. “We bring reforms for the benefit of students. Due to the support of parents and students we were able to declare the results quickly,” he said. Though the result was available on the university website, a majority of the students failed to check their results. As a result, students returned disappointed from the cyber café and were seen annoyed with the university authorities. |
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Train service resumes partially in Valley
Srinagar, July 12 Though after suspension for five days the train service resumed today, it was resumed partially from Badgam to Qaigund. According to sources, it would take a few more days to restore the service completely. The train in Kashmir that chugs between north Kashmir’s Baramulla and south Kashmir’s Qazigund was suspended on July 7 following the imposition of the indefinite curfew over the killing of four persons allegedly by the CRPF on July 6. Speaking to The Tribune, Upinder Singh, Chief Area Manager of Northern Railway, said, “Due to the turmoil the train service remained suspended for five days. Today, the service between Badgam and Qazigund was resumed partially. The decision to resume it completely would be taken soon.” He added the daily income of the Railways in Kashmir was Rs 60,000. The dream to connect the Kashmir valley with the rest of the country was first nurtured by Maharaja Partap Singh of the erstwhile princely state of Jammu and Kashmir almost a century ago, but due to the refusal of the British government in India to provide additional funds the project had to be shelved. It was only after then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee declared the project as a national project that work gathered pace and on October 11, 2008, the first train service in the Valley was inaugurated.The work to connect the Kashmir valley with the rest of the country is still going on. In the past too the train remained on the target of the militants who attacked the rail line on April 2 this year at Kakapora in Pulwama by blowing around two feet of it by exploding a powerful IED. On June 26 this year, an unruly mob attacked a train moving from Baramulla to Srinagar with stones. |
Heavy rains lash city
Jammu, July 12 “The region will witness moderate to heavy rains for the next three days and the humidity level will also remain on the higher side. However, the day temperature will remain as high as 34°C,” Sonam Lotus, Director, Meteorological Department, told The Tribune. Yesterday, the region received 12.2 mm rain, whereas it was 15.8 mm between 8:30 am and 2:30 pm today, according to reports of the Meteorological Department. “Though the last week’s showers were due to the monsoon that arrived in the state on July 5, today’s downpour was the result of some western disturbances that is being witnessed in the air,” said the Director. The rains brought much-need relief to the residents by bringing the temperature down by around 6°C. The maximum day temperature today was 30.1°C while the humidity level remained at 85 per cent due to the heavy rains. The maximum day temperature recorded on Saturday was 37°C while the temperature was 36.2°C on Sunday, a decline of 1°C. While the temperature dipped due to the rains, the humidity level rose, causing much discomfort to the people in the city. The humidity level, which was 73 per cent on Saturday, increased up to 90 per cent on Sunday. “The humidity level is expected to remain high for the next three days,” said Lotus. Besides the high humidity level, long power cuts added to the woes of the people. |
Rs 50.6-cr annual plan for Reasi approved
Jammu, July 12 Minister for Higher Education, Labour and Employment Abdul Gani Malik, Minister of State for Power, Forest, Environment (vice-chairman of the DDB, Reasi) Shabir Ahmed Khan, Vice-Chairman of the J&K State Advisory Board for Welfare of Pahari-speaking People MA Bukhari, Vice-Chairman of the J&K State Advisory Board for Welfare of Gujjar and Bakerwals BA Naaz, Vice-Chairman of the J&K State Advisory Board for Welfare of OBCs Kuldeep Raj Verma, MLA, Reasi, Baldev Raj Sharma, District Development Commissioner, Reasi, PK Pole, Director Area Planning, MH Malik and heads of various departments and district officers were present in the meeting. While exhorting them to rejuvenate efforts for accomplishing targets and making optimum utilisation of funds, Saroori called upon the officers to focus their attention on underdeveloped and backward areas of the district taking the legislators of the areas into confidence, besides keeping them abreast with the details of the projects and state and centrally-sponsored schemes beforehand and also seek their suggestions. Saroori said the Central and state governments had launched many welfare schemes to raise the socioeconomic status of the people, especially those living below poverty line, and instructed the officers of different departments to hold joint awareness camps in remote areas for the benefit of poor masses. During the meeting, Saroori also enquired about the plan proposals of different departments from the officers concerned to be implemented during the current financial year and accordingly issued on the spot instructions to them for accelerating the tempo of development in Reasi district. To maintain a continuous flow of funds from the government, the minister called upon the officers for the timely submission of utilisation certificates of works executed so that the completion of different schemes could be ensured in a specified time frame. The Minister for Higher Education said the economic transformation of the masses was the need of the hour. “Let us make earnest efforts in providing a corruption free and accountable administration to people, especially those residing in remote corners, by reaching out to the grass-roots level,” he asserted. Malik also highlighted the different demands of his constituency which primarily included the time-bound clearance of rent of buildings occupied by the security, a provision of more funds under NERGA, creation, upgrading and construction of buildings of various health centres, filling of vacant posts in health centres, construction of officers’ hostel at Mahore, construction of roads and foot suspension bridges and schools buildings, drinking water supply to uncovered Mohras in the Gulabgarh constituency etc. |
Omar victim of his own party: Bhim Singh
Jammu, July 12 “You pick up courage and get ready for the worst; to remain out of power for some time. This is the time for you to demonstrate your wisdom and vision that you are not interested in sticking to power,” Bhim Singh said in a letter written to the Chief Minister. He advised Omar, “Let the Governor take care of the state administration for a couple of months. Let the busy bodies inside and outside the government take rest. Let you be free from the routine heckles of the administrative anarchy.” The letter further said, “I would like to reveal the truth that none shall dare tell you. The truth is that you are a victim of your own party and your ruling associate right from the day one. Where were they when you were facing turmoil in the Valley alone?” “Mysterious killing of two Shopian women was the first attempt to dislodge you. You were misled on the situation and the circumstances that led to the killing,” Bhim said adding that “the killing of innocent youths in Srinagar and Baramulla was another attempt to hasten you departure”. |
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Martyrs’ Day
Srinagar, July 12 The Governor called upon the people of the state to rededicate themselves to democratic values, reinvigorate the secular traditions and the bonds of brotherhood, amity and communal harmony for realising the goal of a peaceful, developed and prosperous state. In his message, the Governor said peace and tranquillity was a vital prerequisite for achieving progress and all stakeholders must work closely to achieve this objective. The Chief Minister, in his message, said the martyrs of July 13 laid down their lives for the development, progress and democracy in the state. He said the martyrs laid out the contours of a prosperous and peaceful Jammu and Kashmir with their blood. Former Chief Minister Mufti Mohammed Sayeed and PDP president Mehbooba Mufti said the martyrs sacrificed their lives in pursuit of the highest human ideals and the state would always remain indebted to them. They paid rich tributes to the martyrs, saying they continue to inspire their vision of peace with dignity. The two leaders said the martyrs laid down their lives at the time when Kashmir was suffering from the worst tyranny and denial of justice. These martyrs with their blood wrote a new chapter in the history of the state which created an urge among the people for freedom and dignity. Both factions of the Hurriyat Conference also paid tributes and chalked out their separate programmes for the occasion tomorrow. Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, who has launched a vigorous campaign against the alleged human rights violations, particularly in view of the killings of 15 youths during the past one month, has called for a march tomorrow. The march, according to a spokesman for the APHC, would be taken out from the Martyrs Graveyard, at the shrine of Naqshband Sahib in downtown tomorrow afternoon, after offering prayers at the nearby Jamia Masjid. The hardline faction of the APHC led by its detained chairman Syed Ali Geelani has called for a march from the Martyrs Graveyard to Eidgah. Security arrangements are in place around the martyrs’ graveyard at Naqshabnd Sahib, where 22 martyrs are buried, ahead of tomorrow’s programmes. The Chief Minister and leaders of other mainstream parties would be paying tributes at the mazar tomorrow. |
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Surprise Checking
Jammu, July 12 The team also conducted a checking at the office of the Deputy Director, Forest Protection Force, and placed two employees under suspension. According to reports, on the direction of Deputy Commissioner, Kathua, Sanjeev Verma a team of officers comprising Assistant Commissioner (Revenue), Kathua, Dr Vikas Gupta accompanied by the Tehsildar, Kathua, conducted a surprise checking in the office of the RTO, Lakhanpur. The team members were surprised to see that agents were roaming freely on the premises of the office. Some agents were collecting documents from common people who had come for official work. During investigations the team observed that the work of some officials was not satisfactory. Taking a serious note of the attitude of these employees, the team attached them with the Chief Planning Officer, Kathua, and an inquiry was initiated against them. People, who had come to the office of the RTO, Lakhanpur, apprised the visiting team about the irregularities being committed in the RTO office. They alleged that the employees of the department concerned were patronising agents. The RTO, Lakhanpur, was also directed to furnish the list of employees, along with their names, who were deployed on night duty on weighing bridges. He was also directed to monitor the working of these employees during night hours. The Assistant Commissioner (Revenue), Kathua, Dr Vikas Gupta, told The Tribune that a surprise checking was conducted in the office of the RTO after a large number of complaints about irregularities in the office were received. He asserted that strict action would be taken against those found involved in committing irregularities. Gupta informed that initially some employees had been attached and an inquiry initiated against them. He said the team would continue the random checking in different departments to ensure the presence of employees on duty. Meanwhile, the team also conducted a surprise checking in the office of the Deputy Director, Forest Protection Force, and placed two employees under suspension. Both employees were absent from duty without permission. Some employees, who reached the office late, were given warnings to be punctual in duty. |
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Poor man worst hit due to turmoil
Srinagar, July 12 Ghulam Nabi Sheikh, 43, of the downtown locality used to earn his livelihood working as a labourer. But for the past 15 days he had not been able to get work for even a single day because of the ongoing turmoil in the Valley. “Whatever I earned daily helped me sustain my family. For the past 15 days I haven’t been able to get work due to the strike and then the curfew in the city,” a dejected Sheikh told The Tribune. Due to the strike and the curfew Sheikh had been confined to his house and all his savings had been exhausted. A father of four daughters and two sons, Sheikh had the plan to marry off his elder daughter, but he could not save enough money for her marriage. “Due to my weak financial condition, my daughters had to leave their studies. I was planning to get one of my daughters married, but I don’t have enough money. I was expecting to save some money this season as this was expected to be a good season as fewer migrant labourers arrived here. But due to the ongoing turmoil all my hopes have been shattered,” Sheikh said, adding that he used to earn about Rs 200 a day but for the past more than 15 days he had been without work. “We were almost on the verge of starvation, but thanks to some mohalla committees that have come forward to help us and are giving us rice and dals,” he said. |
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Govt must take firm stand on Kashmir: Panun Kashmir
Jammu, July 12 The organisation has asked the UPA government to rise to the occasion or get ready to face the consequences of the current strife in Kashmir. Addressing a meeting here yesterday, president of the organisation Ashwani Kumar Chrungoo said the time had come when the Union government should take a firm position to uphold its writ in the state. Virender Raina, national spokesperson, said India must give a strong message to Pakistan. After the assurances given by Pakistan to Union Home Minister P Chidambaram during his recent visit to Pakistan that its territory would not be used for sponsoring terrorism against India, it had taken a U-turn with regard to the handing over of the 26/11 culprits, he said. The present strife in the Valley was to provide Pakistan with some ‘degree of leverage’ against India, he said. Raina said there was an attempt to force India to concede to the demands aimed at diluting the sovereignty of India but this could not be allowed under any circumstances. |
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Rail fare concession for veer naris
Kathua, July 12 Lt-Col (retd) JS Agoria from the ZSWO, Kathua, said the war widows who wanted to claim this benefit, should immediately deposit the service particulars of their deceased husbands along with photo copies of the PPO and identity card issued by the ZSWO. Agoria said as a one time incentive to the wards of ex-servicemen and war widows, all such students having secured over 60 per cent marks in 8th, 10th and 12th standards, 70 per cent at the graduation level and 65 percent in postgraduation should also submit their applications to the ZSWO, Kathua, along with documentary proofs. The last date for submitting such forms is August 15, he informed.
— OC |
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2 students drown in canals in Jammu, Kathua
Jammu, July 12 Seeing Ajay falling into the canal, Rajesh made a failed attempt to save Ajay. Rajesh jumped into the canal. As he did not know how to swim, a passerby jumped into the canal and saved Rajesh from drowning. Ajay’s body was yet to be found. In another incident in Kathua district, a Class X student, Sanjay Raj, was drowned when he was crossing a canal in the Chak Dessa area of Hiranagar tehsil along with his father, who is physically disabled, last evening, the police said. |
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Filling of lecturers’ posts demanded
Jammu, July 12 According to a statement issued here today, HD Qureshi appealed to the Director School Education, Zahida Khan, to issue orders for all lecturers in different disciplines at present awaiting adjustments in the directorate before the reopening of the schools to ensure that classwork did not suffer. Meanwhile, Qureshi expressed gratitude to Zahida Khan for accepting their demand to provide subject experts in higher secondary schools in the province. |
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2 SPOs booked for losing rifles
Jammu, July 12 According to reports, during investigation Anil Kumar Sharma and Shah Jahan revealed that their service rifles were stolen from the residence of the SDM, Mendhar, MA Choudhary, when they had gone to hospital to enquire about the well-being of a patient. The SPOs were deployed as personal security officers of the SDM, who was out of station when the incident happened. However, police sources said the SPOs were not living at the official residence of the SDM in his absence and were concocting a story. A case has been registered under Sections 457 and 380 of the RPC and the investigation was on. |
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Musical concert at Leh
Leh, July 12 Deputy Commissioner, Leh, Tsering Angchuk, who was the chief guest on the occasion, said the district administration would like to welcome more and more of such music concerts which would help integrate Ladakh with other parts of the country through tradition and culture. People from all walks of life were also present to witness the musical event. |
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Power shutdown
Jammu, July 12 According to Chief Engineer, EM&RE Wing, Jammu, during the shutdown period, the power supply to Canal Grid station shall be fed from Gladni Grid Station through 132 KV D/C Miransahib-Canal transmission line for catering to the essential loads. The shutdown shall be subject to fair weather
conditions. — TNS |
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