Jammu, August 19
In yet another ceasefire violation along the Line of Control (LoC), Pakistan troops opened fire on at least three Indian posts in the Krishna Ghati sub-sector of Poonch district early today.

“The unprovoked firing started around 12.30 am and lasted over two hours,” said Brigadier General Staff of 16 Corps, Brig Satish Dua, describing it as a clear case of ceasefire violation.

“They opened heavy fire using rockets and mortar shells, but we also responded appropriately”, he added.

Official sources said around 12.30 am, the Pakistan troops opened heavy fire from Daku, Yellow Bump and Kaddy posts on their side , targeting Kranti, Kirpan, Ghorda and Chajja-1 posts of the Indian troops on this side of the LoC.

The Pakistan troops also fired mortar shells and rocket- propelled grenades, but they missed the target and exploded without causing any harm, they added.

Soldiers guarding the LoC in the KG sector immediately took positions and returned the fire, said sources, adding after exchanging fire for over two hours, guns on both sides fell silent.

Sources attributed the misadventure to a futile attempt to push in armed ultras.

They said the Army officers had sought a flag meeting at a forward post with their Pakistani counterparts at 3.30 pm, but the latter did not turn up till 5 pm.

Sources said Army headquarters in New Delhi had been briefed about the latest incident.

Meanwhile, troops have been put on a high alert on the LoC in the wake of the Budha Amarnath Yatra, which is currently underway in Mandi hills of the border district.

Srinagar, August 19
Justice Virender Singh of the high court and executive chairman of the State Legal Services Authority (SLSA) will visit the cloudburst and flood-hit areas of Leh on August 21 and 22 to assess the situation and interact with the affected people.

An official spokesman here said Justice Virender Singh would also oversee and supervise the functioning of the core group constituted as per the scheme of the National Legal Services Authority (NLSA) for providing legal services to the victims of disaster.

The core group was constituted after the news of the cloudburst disaster broke out. Under the supervision of the District Legal Services Authority, i.e. Principal District and Sessions Judge, Leh, the core group has already swung into action.

The core group comprises the Chief Judicial Magistrate, Leh, the President Bar Association, Leh; besides two more members of the bar, including a lady lawyer and a doctor nominated by the Chief Medical Officer, and members of the accredited NGOs.

Out of 19 strategic intervention points chalked out by the NLSA for strategic intervention by the State Legal Services Authorities, four points which need immediate attention by the core group are: ensuring immediate help by the governmental and non-governmental agencies to the victims, supervising the health care and sanitation of the victims and preventing the spread of epidemics, ensuring the availability of food, medicine and drinking water and assisting in the rehabilitation of the old and disabled, who lost their supporting families.

Bari Brahmana, August 19
The train services to Jammu may come to a halt, as the foundation of seven pillars beneath a railway bridge constructed over the Balole Nullah at Bari Brahmana in Samba district has been washed away partially.

The recent rain in the region has played havoc with the foundation of the bridge, whose condition is deteriorating with each passing day.

The bridge is about 1.5 km away from the Bari Brahmana railway station and all trains coming to Jammu cross it.

An official of the Northern Railways told The Tribune that 50 trains crossed the bridge daily. “If the bridge collapses, it will cause a huge loss to the Railways and the public too,” he added.

The authorities have advised drivers to run trains at a slow pace while crossing it. But all efforts made to save the foundation are going in vain as the cracks are rapidly increasing.

Right from the pillar number 3 to 9, the foundation has been washed away and the water is continuously flowing through it.

Some senior officers of the Ferozepur division of the Northern Railways reached the spot to take stock of the loss caused due to the recent rain. A large number of labourers along with heavy machines have been pressed into service for repair.

Even contractors have been providing free help to the railway authorities to save the bridge.

A railway employee said, “The bridge was built in 1971 and tenders have been floated for its repair work a number of times in the past three years, but no one was given the contract of maintenance.”

He added, “Had the contract been allotted in time to repair the bridge, it could have been saved easily.”

The first crack appeared on the night of August 17, when nearly 100-foot foundation was washed away. It has been increasing continuously since then. Though the railway officials started repair work the next morning, recent rain in the region is further damaging the foundation of the bridge and a large portion, measuring about 250-foot, has collapsed so far.

Last night’s rain damaged about 50-foot foundation and the pillar numbers 5 and 6 are the most affected, as merely six feet foundation is left. Cracks have appeared on the foundation and it can also get washed away in the next rain.

However, Naveen Aggarwal, Senior Divisional Engineer, Railways, who was present on the site, refused to comment over the issue.

Jammu, August 19
An Army man was killed while at least 17 others were injured, two of them critically, when a landslide triggered by a heavy rain hit them during a routine training at Laiter, 40 km from Reasi, this morning.

Sources said the incident occurred when soldiers of the 18 Dogra Regiment were busy in a routine training, climbing a hill, in Laiter.

The deceased soldier was identified as Havildar Gurdev Singh, a resident of Pathankot, while two critically injured soldiers, who were evacuated and admitted to Command Hospital, Udhampur, have been identified as Naik Surinder Singh and Sepoy Harvinder Singh, both natives of Gurdaspur.

Sources said the unit had recently come from Dalhousie for undergoing the training in mountain warfare.

Jammu, August 19
Heavy rain in the last 24 hours caused huge losses to people, as the rainwater inundated low-lying localities of the city today.

The rainwater entered houses and shops causing huge losses to people. It also entered Bhagwan Gopinath Ashram, Talab Tillo, and damaged the relief material collected for the Leh flood victims.

A follower at the ashram said, “We had collected clothes, grocery items and other articles for the Leh flood victims but most of these things washed away.” He added, “It appeared to be a cloudburst. However, the rainwater was drained later.”

Besides, the rainwater caused losses to the residents of the Barnai area in Chinore. The normal life remained out of gear, as the people remained busy preparing to deal with any untoward situation.

In another incident at Udheywalla here, the boundary wall of a house collapsed. However, no loss of life was reported. The officials of the civil administration remained on their toes, as there were rumours of a cloudburst in the upper reaches of the region.

The MET Department has forecast more rain in the region, especially the upper reaches, in the next 24 hours.

Meanwhile, most of the areas in Kathua town were also inundated by the rainwater. The seven-hour spell of rain caused difficulties to the residents, as the rainwater entered their houses and damaged household articles.

The fresh spell of rain started last night and lasted till this morning. All roads in the city were water-logged. The water level in rivers and rivulets in the area also increased. However, no untoward incident has been reported. Cracks have developed in roads following the rain.

Jammu, August 19
In the light of the Supreme Court directions, almost all city colleges have constituted anti-ragging committees/squads to curb the menace of ragging.

These committees comprise senior professors and other faculty members of the colleges. These members remain alert during working hours as the final year classes have started a few days ago. Considering ragging a criminal offence, the colleges have strictly prohibited it on their premises.

Besides giving strict warnings on their prospects, the colleges have also taken affidavits from the students and their parents to ensure that the students will not indulge in ragging.

While talking to The Tribune, Prof Ajeet Angral, principal of Maulana Azad Memorial (MAM) College, said they had constituted an anti-ragging squad, which consisted of seven professors of the college. “The committee makes rounds of the college during working hours to ensure that no such incident takes place in the college,” he added.

Dr Kiran Bakshi, principal of Government College for Women, Parade, said, “Everyday the anti-ragging committee strictly monitors the activities of senior students in the college.”

“I personally makes rounds of the classes along with the anti-ragging committee members. We will rusticate students found indulging in ragging,” said Prof Anita Sudan, principal of Sri Pratap Rajput Memorial (SPRM) College.

Sudan said she had received reports that some senior students were misguiding junior students asking the latter not to attend classes. “Strict action will be taken against such senior students,” she added. Government Gandhi Memorial (GGM) Science College has provided a helpline number to the newcomers.

Jammu, August 19
Enraged over the second marriage of their father, three sons of a retired head constable allegedly killed him with some sharp-edged weapons at his house in Tanda village of Nagrota today.

Nazir Ahmad, who was in his early fifties, was allegedly killed by his sons and their accomplices this morning when he was sleeping in his house, the police said.

It further said the deceased had married another woman about six months ago after divorcing his first wife last year. “The sons of the retired head constable were annoyed with him over the second marriage. They were also not on good terms with him, so they hatched a plan and killed him today,” a police officer said.

He further said a case of murder had been registered at Nagrota police station and the police was trying to nab the accused. However, the police did not divulge the identity of the accused.

Srinagar, August 19
Chhari Mubarak (the holy mace of Lord Shiva), led by Mahant Deependra Giri, which left from the Dashnami Akhara building this morning reached Pahalgam along with a number of sadhus.

Chhari Mubarak will reach the holy cave shrine of Amarnath on ‘Shravan-Purnima’ on August 24. It is on this occasion, coinciding with Raksha Bandhan, that the annual Amarnath yatra, which began on July 11 this year, would conclude.

The holy mace was received by Deputy Commissioner, Anantnag, Jaipal Singh, SP, Anantnag, Bashir Ahmad Bhat and other senior police and civil officers of the district administration.

Meanwhile, as many as 4,53,872 yatris had darshan of Shiv Lingam till last evening. The True Trust, founded by Mahant Deependra Giri in 2004, has finalised boarding, lodging and transport arrangements for sadhus and people coming from across the country to join Chhari Mubarak.

Jammu, August 19
Retrenched labourers of the Field Supply Depots of the Army held a demonstration in front of the office of the Divisional Commissioner, Jammu, today. They later submitted a memorandum of demands to the Divisional Commissioner. They warned that they would resort to extreme steps if they were not engaged again.

Choudhary Garu Ram, former MLA from the Suchetgarh Assembly segment, addressed the agitating workers and asked the authorities concerned to consider their demands sympathetically.

Garu Ram said 146 workers engaged in the Field Supply Depots of the Army for the last more than 20 years had been retrenched and outsiders hired in their place for loading and unloading.

He said the retrenched workers belonged to poor families and hence they should be re-engaged so that they could earn their livelihood.

Garu Ram said the Divisional Commissioner assured them that he would take up the matter with the authorities concerned. He also demanded that besides re-engaging the retrenched workers, their services should be regularised.

Jammu, August 19
To prevent illegal transportation of bovines for slaughtering, the District Magistrate, Udhampur, Baseer Ahmed Khan, has prohibited the ferrying of the bovines outside Udhampur district. The prohibitory orders have been imposed with immediate effect and shall remain in force for two months.

The bovines may be transported within the limits of Udhampur district to any place under a written authority from the District Magistrate, which could be issued on the production of a certificate from a qualified veterinary doctor. The mode of transport, timing of movement and the number of animals to be carried etc. shall be governed as per the conditions prescribed in the permit. The order shall not apply in the case of government agencies who take the cattle for departmental purposes.

Jammu, August 19
The state government has accorded approval for engagement of 261 fresh ReTs in various districts of the Jammu division.

According to an official statement issued here today, giving a breakup of these engagements, Director School Education Zahida Khan informed that 18 ReTs would be appointed in Jammu, 28 in Kathua, 13 in Samba, 72 in Udhampur, 29 in Doda, 10 in Kishtwar, 40 in Ramban, 14 in Reasi, 11 in Rajouri and 26 will be employed in Poonch.

Besides, 156 ReTs have also been regularised as General Line Teachers (GLTs) under the Sarv Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) scheme in the Jammu division.

Jammu, August 19
Deputy Director-General, NCC Directorate,J&K, Brig Anil Gupta today inaugurated the newly constructed multi-purpose hall-cum-auditorium at the NCC camp here. In his brief speech, Brig Gupta bestowed the NCC cadets with his valuable thoughts.

Later, the cadets presented a cultural programme and also expressed their gratitude to him for his contribution to the NCC in the form of construction of additional girls’ barracks, MI Room, officers’ mess, computer room and library.

Jammu, August 19
To celebrate the State Consumer Day, the Consumer Protection Organisation today organised a function at Government College for Women, Gandhi Nagar.

According to a statement issued here, underscoring the need for spreading awareness about consumer rights in semi-urban and rural areas, Minister of state for Cooperatives Dr Manohar Lal said the government was keen to enforce laws to ensure that the consumers got maximum value in return of what they spent.

Stressing the need for creating mass awareness about the consumer rights, Dr Manohar said there was a need for taking the campaign about the protection of consumer rights to rural areas as well.

He said the government had already initiated the process of consumer protection forums at the district level, but much was yet to be done to take the rural consumer on board in the consumer awareness campaign.

Jammu, August 19
In order to carry out the shifting of a 33 KV line from the premises of residential houses near Shanti Nagar, Janipur, the power supply to Muthi, Barnai, Patoli, Nagbani, Domana, KC House, Muthi Gaon, Akalpur, Lale-Da-Bagh, Sangrampur, Patialachak, Falora, Nagbani School and its adjoining areas shall remain affected on August 20 from 7 am to 1 pm.

According to Superintending Engineer, Electricity, M&RE, Circle-I, Jammu, the shutdown shall be subject to fair weather conditions.