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Embankment of nullah collapses
Amarnath yatra remains suspended |
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Amarnath Yatra
Flash floods in Chenab
Flash floods damage houses, crops in Valley
Relief for firing victims in Valley
Govt at mercy of stone throwers: BJP
MC seizes 10 milk cans
Omar for periodic review of urban renewal projects
Attack on Youth Sikhs protest, seek security 123 scholarships for children
of policemen
Chib inaugurates paediatric block
Govt reschedules Summer Secretariat calendar
Six promoted as Chief Engineers
Militant sympathiser arrested
Civilian Deaths in Valley Rail services suspended
for a day
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Embankment of nullah collapses
Jammu, July 29 A culvert (small pulli) constructed over the nullah, which joins the two villages/wards, has now become a constant cause of worry for the villagers. They fear that an untoward incident could occur as soil around the culvert had eroded away due to rainfall. The culvert, according to villagers, was inaugurated about two years ago by Minister for Relief, Revenue and Rehabilitation Raman Bhalla. While appealing for an immediate intervention of the Minister in the matter, the villagers demanded that the authorities concerned should raise the level of the culvert and further expand it, so as to facilitate the villagers. Though the culvert is the only pathway for two villages, i.e. ward number one and two, due to soil erosion around the culvert, the villagers have stopped using it. “This culvert has become a threat for the residents, as it can submerge any time,” said Jasbir Singh, a resident. Describing the event of flooding of the area, Jasbir Singh said, “After continuous rainfall for the last two days, the nullah overflowed and water entered into the houses of the residents who reside near it. The water also entered into the premises of a primary school which is situated in front of the nullah.” He added another flood could cause a lot of destruction in the area, so the authorities concerned should divert their attention immediately towards this nullah. Reshpal Singh, another resident, said the flood-like situation could emerge again in the area as the rainwater level was increasing in the nullah. Villagers alleged the department concerned, which had constructed the culvert and the embankment of the nullah, had used substandard material during the construction work. “The department concerned had utilised less funds while constructing the culvert and embankment of the nullah,” alleged Balbir Singh, a resident. |
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Amarnath yatra remains suspended
Jammu, July 29 With the suspension of the yatra, the pilgrims are finding it difficult to get accommodations. All major hotels in the city have been occupied, as there are very little chances of weather improving in the next 24 hours. After visiting a few hotels on the Residency road and Gummat, it was observed that almost all the rooms had been already occupied and the tariff was also increased. A famous hotelier at Gummat said: “This is a perfect season for tourism. We are getting the maximum customers these days. Most of them have already reserved the rooms on the telephone.” He added, “We have 18 rooms and only one room is left to be booked.” “This year the yatra will definitely set a record of the highest number of pilgrims, as it has already reached near 3.75 lakh visitors,” said Ganesh Kumar, a hotelier in Gummat market, adding with the influx of pilgrims, room tariff had also increased. “The situation was almost similar at the Yatri Niwas and the base camps for pilgrims at Bhagwati Nagar, where many pilgrims were seen sitting in an open area of the building waiting to get accommodation. Many were also seen waiting before a registration counter of the Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board (SASB) at the Yatri Niwas, to get yatra slips. An official of the State Tourism Department at the Yatri Niwas said the yatra had been stopped from Jammu, but the yatris were continuously coming in the city, so the authorities were finding it difficult to provide accommodation to all yatris. He further said they had made staying arrangement for a fixed number of pilgrims. But if the yatra remained suspended for a day or two, then the situation may force the authorities to find some alternative places. Sahi Ram, a pilgrim from Bhopal, who has come here with his family, said, “We reached the city on Tuesday and preferred to halt at the Yatri Niwas. Since the yatra has been suspended for two consecutive days, the base camp is over-crowded.” However, Deputy Commissioner MK Dwivedi assured that they had made adequate staying arrangements and there was nothing to worry about.
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Amarnath Yatra
Srinagar, July 29 The Governor addressed a meeting of the Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board (SASB) here on Tuesday. The new measures taken this year include increasing the number of registration counters of the Jammu and Kashmir Bank from 103 to 121, provision of a free accidental insurance cover of Rs 1lakh for a registered yatri, which has been introduced for the first time this year, with the entire expenditure towards the insurance premium being borne by the board. Till last year, a yatri seeking an accidental insurance cover was required to pay Rs 24 at the time of registration. Further, with support from the state government, the shrine board had also provided the accidental insurance cover to all the registered labourers (persons carrying baggage, ponywallahs and dandiwallahs) as also to the pony owners whose pony may be involved in an accidental death. The Governor thanked the Union Ministry of Communications for making available cellular phone connectivity at Baltal, Domel, Chandanwari, Panjtarni and Sheshnag. He said this had provided the much-needed telecommunication facility to the pilgrims and for enabling effective yatra management.
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Flash floods in Chenab
Jammu, July 29 The government had already sounded a flood alert in at least 12 villages downstream the Chenab. “Ration, tents and other relief material have been dispatched to the areas prone to floods in Akhnoor,” Divisional Commissioner, Jammu, Pawan Kotwal told The Tribune. “Though the water level receded to 31 feet this afternoon, we are constantly monitoring the situation,” he added. Around 40 families from Kot Patu village had already been evacuated to safety after floodwater inundated the village. They were kept in a school where requisite relief material was provided to them, said Kotwal. Chief Engineer, Flood Control, BR Dogra said a core group comprising officials from the district administration, Army, the SDM Akhnoor, Red Cross, police, health and flood control departments had been formed. In case of any emergency the action plan would be put in place immediately, he added. “So far there has been no breach on both banks of the river. At the same time we are also in constant touch with the authorities of the Salal Hydroelectric project in Reasi and keeping a track of water overflowing from the dam,” Dogra said. Yesterday, Health Minister Sham Lal Sharma and a team of officials had toured the villages situated close to the river. The state had been witnessing torrential rain from the past over a week now, particularly in the higher reaches. The Army and the Air Force had been kept standby. The river that passes through mountainous districts of Jammu flows into Pakistan.
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Flash floods damage houses, crops in Valley
Baramulla, July 29 As per a police spokesman, 81 structures, including houses and bridges, have been washed away in flash floods. “Floodwaters entered some houses at Pehlipora, Malangam, Shaikhmuqam, Banilpora, Keema, Quilmuqam, Turkpora and Panzigam in Bandipora district. Six houses, two saw mills and a shop were reportedly damaged,” he said. The Army saved around 500 families from flash floods in various villages of Bandipora district last night. A defence spokesman said the flash floods, caused by a cloudburst and a heavy rain in the Rishi Canal at Malangam, threatened the villages in the vicinity. He said the Army unit deployed in the area immediately rushed to the affected areas and rescued nearly 500 marooned families. In Baramulla floodwaters from the Qazi Naag Bijhama nullah completely damaged 10 houses, eight cowsheds, six huts, two shops, one vehicle, one Army bridge, five foot bridges. “Thirty-nine houses were also partially damaged in the incident. Water and electricity supply have been totally disrupted,” the spokesman said. Meanwhile, a truck fell into a nullah as a pillar on the Goshi Bridge was washed away due to the flash floods. Two persons travelling in the truck were rescued by the police and the locals. In another incident, a Tata Sumo driven by Mohammad Ramzan Dar was washed away in the Khah nullah at Baderkoot in Tangmarg. The vehicle was damaged in the incident but no loss of life or injury to anyone was reported in the incident. The passengers of the vehicle were rescued by the police and the locals. Meanwhile, the flash floods have damaged paddy and other standing crops in various parts of the Valley. The authorities have also asked the local administration to remain alert. Speaking to The Tribune, in charge of the Disaster Management Centre, Jammu and Kashmir, and the OSD at the Divisional Commissioner Kashmir’s office, Amir Ali, said, “As such we have not asked the local administration to evacuate people, but heavy to moderate rain is expected at various places tonight so we have asked the local administration to remain alert. The farmers in north Kashmir say they have suffered huge losses due to the flash floods. “All standing crops have been damaged due to the flash floods and the rainwater,” said a farmer in Bandipora. Amir Ali said: “ A flood alert has been sounded in the entire Kupwara district and 15 families have also been evacuated from the Hanjipora area.Three nullahs are flowing above the danger mark in the area.”
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Relief for firing victims in Valley
Jammu, July 29 Residents of the Jammu region are already enraged over the failure of the state government to implement an agreement reached between the Shri Amarnath Yatra Sanghsharsh Samiti (SAYSS) and authorities after a two-month long stir on the Amarnath land row in 2008. The SAYSS, which was virtually disintegrated after differences over giving the Jammu bandh call on July 3, has decided to effectively rake up this issue to rope in the annoyed constituents. “Obviously, we will try to take this issue among the masses as the government has been adopting discriminatory policy in sanctioning compensation to the victims,” Narinder Singh, a spokesman of the SAYSS said. The spokesman, who was among the four leaders who had signed the agreement with the government during the Amarnath land row, regretted that the government had promised to give compensation to those who were killed during the Amarnath land row two years back but nothing concrete has been done so far. Sources said the samiti had decided to raise the issue in a big way to placate the annoyed constituents. During a meeting of the samiti yesterday, representatives of various social, business and religious organisations had given their consent to effectively take up this issue to expose the government. Besides, some other Hindu groups have also decided to take this issue on the streets as, according to them, this was an attempt to appease to the fundamentalist and secessionist elements. The VHP, Bajrang Dal and other Hindu groups convened a meeting today to devise a strategy to launch an agitation on this issue. The BJP has already jumped into this issue by announcing to launch an agitation if the victims of Jammu were ignored. “The decision of the government reflects mindset of those who are at the helm of the affairs,” observed Nirmal Singh, BJP leader and professor of history in Jammu University. He opined such a decision would provoke sentiments of people of the Jammu region who had been facing discrimination in every sphere of life. He pointed out that 13 people had lost their lives during the Amarnath land row but the government had not announced any compensation for them. |
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Govt at mercy of stone throwers: BJP
Jammu, July 29 In a statement issued here today, Chaman Lal Gupta, leader of the BJP legislators party, who returned here from Srinagar, said the situation was so grave that the government functioning had paralysed. “Many officials are not attending to their duties. Even in the civil secretariat the attendance is so poor that the locks of certain offices may not get opened if there are no men from the Jammu and Ladakh regions,” he said, adding, “All the more astonishing is that many of the ministers are not coming to the secretariat and mysteriously they have confined themselves to their bungalows or have left the Valley at the mercy of stone throwers and anti-social elements.” Gupta regretted that there were continued efforts by the enemy agents to demoralise the forces by raising the boggy of human rights violation. And the leaders of the coalition had joined the chorus in parroting that there would be no tolerance of the violations of rights, he pointed out. He said the controversial statements made by the ruling leaders in the recent past had only provided strength to the secessionists and extremists to bring the Valley to a position of turmoil. “But more astonishing are the decisions of the coalition cabinet, especially the appointment of a commission of inquiry, when the turmoil is engulfing many areas and the existence of the authority is being missed badly,” he said.
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MC seizes 10 milk cans
Jammu, July 29 According to a statement issued here, the team checked 48 milk cans in various areas. Besides lifting the 10 milk cans, the team also destroyed one milk can, which was found unfit for human consumption. A fine of Rs 1,300 was also realised from the erring milk vendors on the spot. The Municipal Veterinary Officer along with the field staff visited Amphalla, Panjtirthi, Pacca Danga, Gujjar Nagar and Narwal areas.—
TNS |
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Omar for periodic review of urban renewal projects
Srinagar, July 29 “This is imperative to ensure a complete monitoring of the mission at various levels and fast-tracking its implementation,” he added. The Chief Minister gave these directions at a high-level meeting held under his chairmanship here today. This centrally-sponsored scheme envisages upgrading and improvement of twin cities of Jammu and Srinagar and all towns in the state, besides other urban development programmes. Omar highlighted the importance of incorporating reforms under the mission in a fixed time line so that funds flow regularly and the projects were completed according to the targets. The Chief Minister asked the Housing Department and the agencies concerned with the mission to gear up at all levels and ensure benefits of the programme to people in the prescribed time frame. He said the upgrading and improvement of cities and towns constituted a necessary part of the development agenda of his government.
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Attack on Youth
Jammu, July 29 The Sikh leaders gathered outside the Digiana Ashram and protested by blocking the Jammu-Pathankot National Highway for a few minutes at Digiana this morning. They later burnt tyres outside a gurdwara in Nanak Nagar here. Mithunpal Singh, a resident of Tral in Kashmir, was attacked by some miscreants when he refused to raise anti-nation slogans yesterday. The leaders of Sikh organisations appealed to the government to take the matter seriously. They further appealed to the members of the Sikh community not to fall prey to the plots of vested interests. Later in the evening, various Sikh organisations, including the Shiromani Akali Dal (A), Dashmesh Youth Organisation (J&K) and the United Sikh Council (J&K), held a meeting and chalked out their future course of action. JS Mangal, senior vice-president of the SAD (A), said, “Earlier also a shop belonging to a Sikh family in Baramulla was gutted in fire causing a huge loss to the family. Now, it can’t be tolerated and the government should itself identify the accused persons to punish them.”
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Sikhs protest, seek security Srinagar July 29 While an FIR has been lodged in Awantipora police station, two suspects have been arrested in this connection. The protesters said a youth from Devar, Tral area, was stopped at Malangpora in Pulwama district last evening and asked to raise some slogans., When he refused, he was attacked. The protests were held at Gurdwara Jawahar Nagar and Amirakadal after which the agitated members of the community demonstrated in the Lal Chowk area. “Sikhs believe in peaceful co-existence and living together. We have never interfered in divisive politics of different agencies and have helped people in distress”, the Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee, Srinagar, stated. Thousands of Sikhs also blocked the Srinagar-Jammu national highway in Awantipora for about five hours demanding the arrest of the miscreants responsible for the dastardly act. Senior civil and police officers, including the DIG ( South Kashmir Range), visited the spot and assured the agitators of action against the culprits. Meanwhile, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has assured the Sikh community that its security and welfare would be ensured and the elements having nefarious designs to disturb the traditional communal harmony of the state would be dealt with sternly. Talking to a delegation of the Sikh community here today, Omar said the state government was committed to the cause of secularism and brotherhood, which is the essence of the ethos of Kashmir - Kashmiriyat. He condemned the incident and assured that the government would take all steps to safeguard the religious sentiments of the community. The delegation, which met the Chief Minister, included president of the Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee, Srinagar, SKN Singh, general secretary S Manjeet Singh, secretary S Gurmeet Singh and a senior citizen, S Mahinder Singh. . |
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123 scholarships for children
Srinagar, July 29 Giving the details, the DGP said over Rs 2.5 lakh had been sanctioned for 123 schoolgoing children of policemen which included 55 wards of serving personnel and 68 of deceased cops. The meritorious scholarships had been sanctioned for those securing 75 per cent and above marks in Classes VIII and IX and the scholarships for children of police martyrs who were studying in different classes from the primary to the graduation levels. The objective of granting scholarships was to boost talent among the children so that they could compete in different educational streams in future, he added. |
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Chib inaugurates paediatric block
Jammu, July 29 MLA, Jammu East, Ashok Khajuria, MLA Bimla Luthra, Chief Engineer, R&B, DL Sharma, acting principal of Government Medical College, Jammu, Dr Aniece Choudhary, Head of Paediatric Department, Dr Rekha Harish, Medical Superintendent, SMGS Hospital, Dr Romesh Gupta, head of various departments, medical and paramedical staff, besides other senior members of the Pradesh Congress Committee were present on the occasion. After inaugurating the paediatric block, Chib said the block comprised paediatrics emergency facilities, including an isolation room, nurses, doctors, three operating theatres with pre and post operative rooms, an intensive care unit, a procedure room, a social worker room, a seminar room with toilets, besides canteen facilities. He said with the inauguration of the block the rush in the existing 550-bedded paediatric block would reduce up to a large extent.
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Govt reschedules Summer Secretariat calendar
Jammu. July 29 As per the rescheduled calender, Minister of State for Forest , Environment and Ecology Shabir Ahmed Khan will attend the Summer Secretariat from August 2 to August 6, Minister for Industries and Commerce Surjit Singh Slathia from August 9 to August 13, Minister for Forest, Environment and Ecology Mian Altaf Ahmed from August 16 to August 20, Minister for Social Welfare, ARI and Trainings and Public Grievances Sakina Itoo from August 23 to August 27, Minister for Tourism and Culture, Nawang Rigzin Jora from August 30 to September 3, Minister of State for Haj Auqaf and Fisheries (Independent charge) Ajaz Ahmed Khan shall be available from September 6 to September 10, Minister for School Education and Public Enterprises Peerzada Mohammed Sayeed from September 13 to 17, Minister of State for Housing and Urban Development , PHE, Tourism, Revenue and Relief Nasir Aslam Wani, Minister of State for R&B, Mechanical Engineering, Health and Medical Education, Floriculture, Horticulture and Agriculture, Javid Ahmad Dar from September 27 to October 1, Minister for PHE, Irrigation and Flood Control , Taj Mohi-ud-Din from October 4 to October 8.
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Six promoted as Chief Engineers
Srinagar, July 29 Consequent upon their promotions, Manzoor Ahmad Salroo has been posted as in-charge Chief Engineer, EMRE, Kashmir; Ajay Gupta as Chief Engineer, Generation Wing, JKPDC, Jammu; Syed Fayuz-ur-Rahman as Chief Engineer, Planning and Design Wing; Khurshid Ahmad Untoo as Chief Engineer, Commercial and Survey Wing; Sheikh Gul Ayaz as Chief Engineer, Systems and Operation Wing, Kashmir; and Mohammad Qasim as Chief Engineer, EMRE, Jammu. The transfers and postings of a few officers were also approved. Gazzanfar Hussain, Secretary, Information Commission, and Shafiq Ahmad Raina, Special Secretary, Agriculture Production Department, have been mutually transferred. |
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Militant sympathiser arrested
Jammu, July 29 Reports said a joint column of the Rashtriya Rifles and the Kishtwar police apprehended Hamza of Kunau village. The reports added that he had been providing logistic support to militant outfits in Kishtwar district. He was later handed over to the police for interrogation. — TNS |
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Civilian Deaths in Valley
Srinagar July 29 The PDP leaders, led by president Mehbooba Mufti, were holding placards to highlight atrocities on women, children and general public and demanded “dismantling of repressive arrangements in place to muzzle the voice of people”. Mehbooba said the government should lift the restrictions and release all detainees before the holy month of Ramazan. Speaking on the occasion, Mehbooba alleged that the government had let loose a reign of terror and by its own account as many as 1,400 teenagers had been arrested. She added that the actual figure of those arrested was far more. Mehbooba held that the continued undeclared curfew and inhuman restrictions had converted the whole Valley into a large prison. Demanding the immediate release of all ‘innocents’, Mehbooba said the government seemed to be at war with its own people and it had lost all credibility and moral authority. The undue restrictions, she said, had brought the life to a stand still and economic despair to entire society, especially the weaker and vulnerable sections. She said even though the community had responded to the needs of the poor, the government did not even allow the relief goods to reach those in need of them. Those who participated in the protest included Muzaffar Hussain Beig, Moulvi Iftikhar Hussain Ansari, Mohammad Dilawar Mir, Murataza Ahmad Khan, Abdul Rehman Veeri, Mohammad Khalil Bandh, Syed Basharat Bukhari, Syed Bashir Ahmad, Abdul Razak Zawoora, Mushtaq Ahmad Shah, Choudhry Zulufkar, Rafiq Hussain Khan, Zahoor Ahmad Mir, Mansoor Hussain, Nizamudin Bhat, Nizamudin Khatana and others. Meanwhile, life across the Kashmir valley continued to remain affected for the second consecutive day today in response to the bandh call given by the separatists. All shops and business establishments remained closed and traffic was off the roads. Educational institutions and banks remained closed here and there was a thin attendance in government offices. However, the attendance in the Civil Secretariat, housing the offices of the Chief Minister, his ministerial colleagues and Commissioner-Secretaries, was near normal. |
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Rail services suspended
for a day
Srinagar, July 29 Ghulam Qadir Hajam was crossing a railway line at Delina when he was hit by the train. He died on the spot, the police said. The train, which runs on the Kazigund-Baramulla route, was returning to Baramulla when some people blocked the track. The police used batons to disperse protesters. The train service was suspended for the day
— PTI |
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An embankment of a nullah at Bhour Camp collapsed after the continuous rainfall for the last two days, increasing miseries of the villagers.
Due to inclement weather and slippery road conditions in the region, the Amarnath yatra was suspended for the second consecutive day today.
Members of the Sikh community held demonstrations at various places in Kashmir today in protest against the attack on a youth by some miscreants in Pulwama district last evening.
