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CM pardons shoe thrower, orders his release
Rajouri Attack
Give UT status to Ladakh, demands Cong leader
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City residents donate for Ladakh flood victims
Turmoil in Valley
MC intensifies anti-adulteration drive
6 administrative officers shifted
Cabinet nod to job policy amendment
Provider of SIM cards to
militants held
2 drown in ponds
Parthenium awareness week concludes
Governor urged to convene Assembly session
200 saplings planted
in college
NHPC commissions 120 MW Sewa project
NCC naval unit to come up
in Jammu
Govt for e-governance in Revenue Dept: Minister
BSP slammed for opposing Omar govt
Mufti regrets Centre’s approach to Kashmir Shops, banks reopen in Srinagar Governor felicitates student
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CM pardons shoe thrower, orders his release
Srinagar, August 17 Ordering his release on compassionate grounds, Omar called Jan to his residence and gave him a patient hearing after which he directed the police authorities to release him immediately. Omar said, “The holy month of Ramzan teaches us to be compassionate and forgive everyone. My steps are in conformity with the teachings of Islam, which does not teach hatred but only love and brotherhood.” He directed officials to accompany him to his native village so that he could be with his family members during the fasting month, an official spokesman said. Jan, when he walked out of the Chief Minister’s private office at his residence, was overwhelmed with the Chief Minister’s gesture and was in tears and thanked him profusely. He was equally thrilled to know that Omar was making arrangements to fly him out by the state helicopter to his native village in Ajjas in Bandipore. Jan was taken into custody immediately after he hurled a shoe towards the Chief Minister while he was taking the salute from marching contingents after unfurling the Tricolour during the official Independence Day function here on August 15.
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Three suspects held for helping militants
7 SIM cards, Rs 35,000 seized Ravi Krishnan Khajuria Tribune News Service
Jammu, August 17 If official sources are to be believed, the Rajouri police has picked up seven persons, including a government schoolteacher, besides confiscated seven SIM cards and Rs 35,000 of hawala money. The sources identified the suspects as Mohammed Younis, Abdul Rashid, both residents of Bangai village, Javed Ahmed of Kotranka, Muzamil Hussain, a government schoolteacher and resident of Bangai, Nazir Hussain of Kot Dhara, Naseeb Shah and Tufail Ahmed, both residents of Azmatabad. The Rajouri police said of the seven suspects,it had detained three , who were being questioned. SSP, Rajouri, R.K.Jalla, said Muzamil Hussain, Naseeb Shah, Tufail Ahmed and Nazir Hussain were released after questioning. “We have detained three persons identified as Mohammed Younis, Abdul Rashid, both residents of Bangai village, and Javed Ahmed of Koteranka,” Jalla told The Tribune. Though the police had seized Rs 35,000 from Mohammed Younis, “we were verifying whether it was hawala money or his own”, he said. “We are also questioning Abdul Rashid for his suspicious role in recharging SIM cards of the militants,” he added. The sources said after intercepting a telephonic conversation the personnel of the Special Operations Group, in a raid, seized seven SIM cards, Rs 35,000 of hawala money and a bank passbook from Younis. Younis along with Muzamil Hussain had returned from the Kashmir valley a week ago, they added. The sources, however, refused to divulge the purpose of their visit to the Valley. Regarding Naseeb Shah and Tufail Ahmed, they said the duo was picked up on the suspicion of arranging shelter and then guiding the three ultras to maize fields in Azmatabad to ambush the Army convoy ferrying the Commanding Officer of 48 Rashtriya Rifles, Col P Singpal. It may be stated here that two passengers were killed and 18 others, including two soldiers, were injured in the attack on August 11. A soldier had also attained martyrdom in the ensuing gun-battle. Meanwhile, the security forces continued their operations to locate three other ultras in the mountainous district.
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Give UT status to Ladakh, demands Cong leader
Jammu, August 17 Although the Pradesh Congress Committee leadership has maintained a silence on the issue,a veteran Congress leader from Ladakh has announced to oppose any move to grant autonomy to the state. “People of Ladakh don’t want autonomy. We want Union Territory (UT) status for the entire Ladakh region, including Kargil,” P Namgyal, Congress leader and former MP told The Tribune. He said the stand of the Ladakh unit of the Congress was quite clear as people there were least concerned over the autonomy. “The Centre can accept any proposal within the Constitution of the country to solve the Kashmir problem, but that solution should not be imposed on the people of Jammu and Ladakh regions,” he said and demanded granting UT status to Ladakh. Namgyal said even at the all-party meeting, which was convened by the Prime Minister to discuss the prevailing situation in the state, he had raised the issue of the UT status for the Ladakh region. “Solution of Kashmir problem should not be imposed on people, who want full integration with the Union Government,” he said, adding that though people of Ladakh wanted UT status, wishes of people of the Jammu region should also be taken into consideration while evolving any consensus on the issue. The Panthers Party has already rejected the Prime Minister’s suggestion to discuss the autonomy issue. “As compared to the other parts of the country, Jammu and Kashmir is already enjoying more powers and these powers have been brazenly abused by the ruling elites of Kashmir for furthering their political interests,” said Harsh Dev Singh, Panthers Party leader and former Education Minister. He added that more autonomy to the state would prove disastrous for people of the state as rulers would misuse such powers to make the democratic institutions defunct in the state. Meanwhile, the BJP has intensified its campaign against the autonomy proposal. The party has started convening meetings at all district headquarters to mobilise public opinion against the autonomy. However, for the past four days, the BJP organised a series of meetings in different areas of the Jammu region to “educate” public against the autonomy.
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City residents donate for Ladakh flood victims
Jammu, August 17 Besides, the Jammu Heritage Society, which is meant for conservation of heritage buildings and to promote the culture of the state, has found a novel way to collect relief material. They have arranged for an open jeep for collecting relief material and so far they have collected one container of relief material and are waiting for the deputy commissioner’s nod to send it to Leh. “In five days, we collected around 1,000 kg of wheat flour, pulses and rice. Besides, people have also donated clothes,” said Baldev Khullar, president, Jammu Heritage Society. He added, “The flight to Leh is scheduled for Friday and we are trying our best to send it as early as possible”. Meanwhile, nine NGOs under a joint banner have pitched their tent in Gole Market Chowk in Gandhi Nagar here. The NGOs include Sawera, Green Alternative, Aasra, Sangharsh, Arohi Sangeet, Helpage, Giant International, Vichar Kranti Manch International and Panchkarma Herbal Research. Gurmeet Singh, a social activist, said, “So far we have collected Rs 66,928 and a truck of relief material has already been sent to Leh,” adding that the second truck of relief material was also about to deliver. Some student unions have also set up their relief counters at all prime locations in the city. Some Ladakh students are also helping flood victims admitted in the Government Medical College and Hospital since August 10.
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Turmoil in Valley
Jammu, August 17 Addressing a press conference here, the members of the forum said the ‘inability’ of the government to deal with the crisis had created an extra ordinary law and order situation. “The present situation in the Valley needs to be dealt with a firm hand, while the state government is persisting with its ‘weak-kneed’ response and is ‘pooh-poohing’ the secessionist elements,” said the members of the forum. They alleged that the so-called ‘innocent’ protesters over whom a great hue and cry was being raised were well directed and funded saboteurs, who had held the entire administration of the state to ransom. “These saboteurs have used stone throwing as a weapon to blackmail the nation and paralyse the state administration,” they said. Meanwhile, the forum expressed satisfaction over the recent statement of the Prime Minister of the UK, David Cameroon, on his visit to India that “Pakistan needs to stop the export of terrorism to India, Afghanistan and the rest of the world”. “The government needs to take firm measures to deal with Pakistan keeping in view that terrorism has caused havoc on the whole of India and the world over the last three decades,” said the forum members. Expressing concern over the reported attack on a Sikh youth in the Valley, they said the government must ensure security to the minority community in Kashmir. |
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MC intensifies anti-adulteration drive
Jammu, August 17 A team of food inspectors led by health officer of the corporation inspected around 40 food establishments in various areas. As many as 29 defaulters were booked under the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act, 1954, and J&K Municipal Corporation Act, 2000. A fine of Rs 9,000 was also charged from the defaulters. The team inspected food establishments, like sweet shops, khoya shops, milk and chess shops, manufacturers and milk vendors in the areas of Hari Market, BC Road, Bus Stand, Jewel Chowk, Bikram Chowk, Dogra Chowk, Satwari, Nai Basti and Indira Chowk.
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6 administrative officers shifted
Srinagar, August 17 Tashi Dorjee, Secretary in the Home Department, has been transferred and posted as Secretary, Administrative Reforms, Inspections, Trainings and Grievances Department, while Abdul Majid Wani, Project Director, Integrated Rural Energy Programme (IREP), has been transferred as Additional Commissioner, Kashmir. The Chief Executive Officer, Jammu and Kashmir Energy Development Agency, will hold the additional charge of the Project Director of Integrated Rural Energy Programme. The other officers transferred are Sajad Ahmad Khan, Joint Director, SKIMS and ex-officio Special Secretary, has been posted as Special Secretary, Health and Medical Education Department. Rita Parimoo has been posted as Secretary, State Commission for Backward Classes, while Rafiq Ahmad Hakim, Joint Registrar, Cooperatives (Special), Srinagar, has been transferred as Joint Director, SKIMS and ex-officio Additional Secretary to the government. Reva Kumari, Additional Secretary, Technical Education, has been posted as Joint Director, Handicrafts, Jammu.
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Cabinet nod to job policy amendment
Srinagar, August 17 As per the amendment, the age limit for eligibility to the Voluntary Service Alliance has now been reduced to 26 from 28 years and there will be no ceiling on land holdings. Moreover, the income limit has also been raised from Rs 50,000 to Rs 1.5 lakh per annum. The Cabinet has also approved an increase of Rs 100 in the VSA applicable under the SKEWPY across the board. According to a spokesman, the Cabinet constituted a subcommittee comprising Minister for Irrigation and Flood Control, Minister for Agriculture Production and Minister for Higher Education with a view to carrying out a comprehensive review for the implementation of the programme, especially to make appropriate recommendation for bringing about further improvement in its implementation. |
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Provider of SIM cards to
militants held
Jammu, August 17 After taking SIM cards on their own names or in the names of naive and gullible people, these sympathisers had been providing them to the militants. Not only this, they were also passing on the information to the ultras regarding the movement of security forces and shared their own plans on these cards. During the investigations, the Kishtwar police found that the sympathisers were using multiple phone sets and multiple SIM cards in a bid to give a boost to the residual militancy. Because of free and uninterrupted flow of information through such cards to the militants, the counter-terrorism operations in the areas of Keshwan, Bonjwah and Chichha areas proved futile despite hard intelligence. The Kishtwar police arrested a sympathiser of Lashkar-e-Tayyaba identified as Mohammed Shafi, son of Noor Mohammed of Tipri Bonjwah. The accused had provided two SIM cards to the slain Lashkar District Commander Mohammed Ishaq Bhutt, alias Ateeq. The SIM card was later recovered from an apprehended ultra Mohammed Shafi Pathan. During investigations it was found that two SIM cards recovered from the militant Shafi Pathan were actually drawn by Mohammed Shafi on his name. He had passed on the same to the LeT Commander Ateeq, who later handed it to Shafi Pathan. Since then Kishtwar Police was in search of Mohammed
Shafi. |
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2 drown in ponds
Jammu, August 17 Rahul Kumar, a teenager and resident of Bakshi Kate in Phalyan Mandal, died after he fell into a pond in his village, it said. It added that the body was fished out and was taken to hospital. In another incident, 60-year-old Dilbagh, a resident of Jamian Masjid, Batote, died after he fell into a pond in Nagrota here. The police said the bodies had been kept in a mortuary and after a post-mortem would be handed over to their families. |
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Parthenium awareness week concludes
Jammu, August 17 The programme was conducted by a team of experts comprising Dr MK Khushu, Dr Anil Kumat and Dr BC Sharma of the division of agronomy along with Dr BR Bazaya, Neetu Sharma, Vikas Sharma, Rakesh Sharma and Brij Nandan. Farmers as well as students were educated about the weed, parthenium, and its ill- effects, besides economically viable solutions on a large- scale in crop and non-crop areas. The deliberations included physical, chemical, biological and integrated management of the deadened species, which is a threat to the native biodiversity. A rally was also organised at the main campus of the university at Chatha on the occasion. |
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Governor urged to convene Assembly session
Jammu, August 17 In a statement issued here today, Bhim Singh suggested to Omar that he should resign to stop further bloodshed and violence in Kashmir as the ‘passions’ were running high against the NC-Congress government. The Panthers Party chief also suggested that Omar should expose the busy bodies and his political adversaries within and outside the government, who had been working overtime to ensure his exit from the office. He, however, said the things had gone so far that only Omar’s exit could save the Valley from further deaths and destruction. Bhim Singh, earlier in a letter on July 11, had suggested to the Chief Minister to resign from his office so that he was relieved of the company of corrupt and tainted ministers in his Cabinet.
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200 saplings planted
in college
Jammu, August 17 According to an official statement issued here, around 150 students participated in the drive and around 200 saplings of evergreen trees were planted along the boundary of new playfield. It was resolved by the students that they would work hard to save the environment from the menace of global warming. Internal coordinator of the CDTP scheme, Naresh Gupta, highlighted the activities of the CDTP wing. Gurbachan Singh, principal of the institute, appreciated the move of the wing and hoped that the deliberations would help the cause. |
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NHPC commissions 120 MW Sewa project
Jammu, August 17 The project comprises 53-metre high concrete gravity dam at Gatti village, 10 km from the head race tunnel, steel lined penstocks and surface power house with three units of 40 MW each at Mashka village in Basholi. The project has started full commercial generation of 120 MW. The project will generate 533.52 million units of energy annually. Power generated from this project will be supplied to the beneficiary states of Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi and the Union Territory of Chandigarh. Besides, J&K will get 12 per cent free share of power from the project. With the commission of the Sewa-II project, the installed capacity of NHPC has gone up to 5,295 MW.
— TNS |
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NCC naval unit to come up
in Jammu
Jammu, August 17 In a statement, Deputy Director General, NCC, Brig Anil Gupta said it would provide an ideal opportunity to the youth of the Jammu region to join the NCC and avail of various benefits. He said the venue for the annual training camp to conduct the NCC activities of the naval wing had been shifted from Srinagar to Mansar in Jammu due to the prevailing unrest in Kashmir. The camp that was supposed to start on August 10 was delayed and it started at Mansar yesterday. Brig Gupta said social awareness programmes on water conservation and environment preservation would also be included in the camp. |
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Govt for e-governance in Revenue Dept: Minister
Jammu, August 17 Addressing a series of public meetings in the Gandhi Nagar assembly segment, Bhalla said new revenue complexes were being developed on modern lines with focus on installation of people-friendly mechanism. He further added that the aim of the government was to evolve such a system in which offices functioned in a paper-free and hassle-free manner as envisaged in e-governance. He further announced that for the early disposal of revenue-related issues of the people of Satwari Zone, the government had approved Rs 172.80 lakh for construction of Revenue Complex (Niabat building) in Lower Gadigarh and the complex would be completed by the end of November this year. He said the coalition government, headed by Omar Abdullah, was committed to providing infrastructural facilities to inhabitants of the peripheral areas on a par with urban centres. While laying the foundation stone of cremation ground at Lower Gaddigarh near Rohi Morh, being constructed at an estimated cost of Rs. 78.08 lakh by Roads and Buildings (R&B) Department, Bhalla asked the executing agency to complete the ongoing construction work of cremation shed within stipulated time. He asked the locals to monitor the development works in their locality and inform the higher authorities in case of any laxity.
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BSP slammed for opposing Omar govt
Jammu, August 17 Addressing a press conference, Vijay Lochan, chairman of the sabha, said, those demanding dismissal of the Omar Abdullah government were anti-nationals as the Chief Minister had been fighting a proxy war against Pakistan. “Those demanding dismissal of Omar Abdullah are actually trying to strengthen the anti-national forces,” he said. Launching an attack on the BSP for demanding removal of the Omar government, he said the party had lost its representative character and in the last Assembly elections, people of the region had rejected the party, which had always exploited poor and downtrodden. He said the people of the state had given a mandate to the coalition government for six years and it would complete its term with the support of the masses.
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Mufti regrets Centre’s approach to Kashmir Srinagar, August 17 In a statement here today, the PDP patron called upon the Centre to display the confidence, maturity and understanding of a large and strong democracy. On the Union Government’s “non-serious” attitude towards the crisis in Kashmir, he reiterated the problem would not disappear without actually resolving it . Trying to push it under the carpet in the hope of getting rid of it had cost the whole region its peace and Kashmir had to pay a heavy price, he said. Referring to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s recent statement about the current crisis, Mufti said it was sad listening to the Prime Minister virtually negating from the Red Fort what he himself had set out to do in his televised address only a few days before that. “How can conditions be set for any kind of dialogue as the Prime Minister seemed to be doing, if a solution is to be sought between diametrically opposite positions through mutual discussions,” he wondered. He said the dialogue had to be unconditional and had to engage all opinions, more importantly with those who questioned the status quo. Mufti said there was need for a serious political initiative on the lines of former Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee who had advocated a dialogue within the parameters of “humanity”. By talking of a solution away from the beaten track, Vajpayee had set off a new and refreshing thought process on Kashmir which had started showing results , he said, and cautioned against any further delay in reaching out to the people in the state in a meaningful manner. He said the non-serious approach to issues like the scrapping of AFSPA had created a sense of cynicism about anything that the government stated in the context of Kashmir. Although the issue had been raised constantly since 2007, it was responded to through tentative statements only when things seemed out of control here whereas what was needed was starting a process which was nowhere in evidence.
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Shops, banks reopen in Srinagar Srinagar, August 17 However, there were reports of fresh clashes between protesters and the police which left several persons injured in Baramulla, Anantnag and Pulwama districts. A youth, Mohammad Abbas Dhobi,who was injured in a clash at Mattan in Anantnag district on Friday, succumbed to his injuries in hospital here in the morning ,prompting the authorities to impose the curfew in Mattan, Anantnag and the Trehgam area of Kupwara district following tension and clashes. The PDP patron, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, said the death indicated how callously the situation was being treated. He said the government had failed to curb its forces. Three persons were injured when the police opened fire at a mob at Palhalan on the Srinagar-Baramulla highway this morning. A police spokesman said the mob surrounded a vehicle and attacked it ,forcing the policemen travelling in it to open fire in self- defence. In another incident, at least, six persons, including four CRPF men, were injured when a stone-throwing mob attacked some vehicles of the security forces near Aabghar in Tral town of Pulwama district yesterday. One policeman was injured when some militants opened fire at security personnel during a raid in the Trehgam area of Kupwara district. He was shifted to hospital, the police said, and added a stone thrower, Adil Manzoor Bhat, was arrested from his house.
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Governor felicitates student Srinagar, August 17 The SK Tickoo MicroE Scholarship launched by Powai Labs, an IIT-Bombay incubated and equity held entity, is especially meant for final year students of electronics, computers, IT and electrical branches to support them in the field of microelectronics. |
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In a goodwill gesture, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah today pardoned suspended Head Constable Abdul Ahad Jan, who had hurled a shoe towards him, and asked the police to withdraw the case
against him.
Jammu, August 17
Srinagar, August 17
Srinagar, August 17
