Jammu, November 23
Contrary to the claims of the state government of treating all regions equally, land owners of Ramban district, whose land has been acquired by the authorities for the widening of the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway-1A, have been offered Rs 2.65 lakh per kanal as compensation, while their counterparts in the Kashmir valley are getting Rs 8 lakh per kanal for the same project.

Interestingly, land on the both sides of the Jawahar Tunnel has been acquired by the authorities for the widening of the highway but different yardsticks are being adopted by the departments concerned for paying compensation.

Over 700 families of Ramban district have been facing discrimination as the authorities on this side of the Jawahar Tunnel are adamant on not giving compensation to them on a par with other people whose land has been acquired for the purpose.

“It is a glaring example of discrimination, which needs to be removed as early as possible because there should be one yardstick for all people of the state,” remarked Vakar Rasool, national general secretary of the Youth Congress and MLA from Banihal.

Rasool said he along with other leaders of the district had repeatedly taken up the matter with the authorities concerned but no step had been taken so far to remove the disparity or discrimination.

Ironically, Rasool represents the Congress, which is a coalition partner with the NC in the state, but the MLA seems to be helpless. He blamed local officers for the discrimination. “Officers in the Kashmir valley have effectively taken up the case of land owners there while officers here have failed to do so,” he said.

According to a rough estimate, the authorities have acquired around 5,000 kanals and over 1,600 structures, including houses, which would be demolished for widening the highway. “Different yardsticks also being adopted in giving compensation to those whose houses will be demolished,” said Bali Bhagat, a senior BJP leader and former MLA from Ramban.

To substantiate his allegations, Bali said, “A compensation of Rs 610 and Rs 253 per square feet has been given for A and D grade residential houses, but in the Kashmir valley this rate is Rs 1,320 and Rs 1,000, respectively, for the same type of residential houses.”

Echoing a similar voice, district president of the PDP Abdul Ahad Wani said over 700 families of Ramban had been bearing the brunt of the discriminatory policy of the authorities. “We are living in the same state but the government has been adopting different yardsticks for different people,” he said. He warned that land owners would not allow the government to acquire their land if compensation on a par with the people of Kashmir was not given to them. 

Jammu, November 23
To activate party cadre for the scheduled Chakka Jaam on November 27, state president of the BJP Shamsher Singh Manhas convened a meeting of the office-bearers of the Schedule Caste Morcha and the Yuva Morcha this afternoon.

Manhas said the party had decided to hold Chakka Jaam in protest against the “unconstitutional” utterances of Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, continuous discrimination against Jammu and the denial of compensation to transporters, industrialists and the tourism industry.

Terming the proposed three-hour Chakka Jaam as a symbolic protest exhibiting the struggle for justice, Manhas said Jammu had been facing discrimination and deprivation continuously since 1947 at the hands of Valley-based politicians. He added that the Congress had been rubbing salt on the wounds of Jammu people by playing the second fiddle to the Kashmir-based ruling class. “Jammu has always been an oasis of peace, secularism and a democratic temper and it has always been exploited by the unscrupulous ruling elite because of the peace loving nature of its people,” he said.

He highlighted the continuous struggle being waged by the BJP and its predecessor Praja Parishad and Jana Sangh to seek a fair treatment and deal not only for Jammu but also for all exploited and neglected sections of society of the state.

Manhas asked the office-bearers of the party morchas to go to people, apprise them of the need to protest and also to display unity among all nationalist people.

The meeting was attended by Yuva Morcha president Munish Sharma, SC Morcha prabhari and president Bansi Lal Bharti and Chaman Lal Kanathia, respectively, and BJP state press secretary Balbir Ram.

Jammu, November 23
A review meeting for Access and Special Training was held under the chairmanship of the State Project Director, Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA), Vinay Mohan Raina, at the Directorate of SSA here yesterday.

According to an official statement issued here, 22 participants, including CEOs, DEPOs and DRPs of all districts of Jammu division, attended the meeting.

Raina stressed on the CEOs and the DPRs of the districts concerned to work hard to achieve the desired goal of the scheme.

The meeting discussed various issues pertaining to progress up to 2010 with regard to direct admission of Out of School Children (OOSC) to school/Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya (KGBV), operationalisation of sanctioned Non-Residential Bridge Courses (NRBC) and the coverage of children therein with a breakup into never enrolled and dropout (gender-wise and category-wise), progress in seasonal centres along with the list of candidates with name of EVs in each district, new format for the household survey and quarterly progress report, date of the opening of primary schools and their upgrading since 2002 to 2010. The officers from new districts were requested to get the reconciliation of data with the parent district since 2002 to the creation of the new district and the status of computer-aided learning centres. 

Jammu, November 23
A week-long UGC-sponsored workshop on “ Capacity-Building of Women Managers in Higher Education ” was organised by the Shanti Gupta Centre for Women Studies at the Model Institute of Education and Research (MIER) College of Education yesterday.

The workshop was inaugurated by Sham Lal Sharma, Minister for Health, Horticulture and Floriculture.

Inaugurating the workshop, the minister lauded the role of the MIER Group of Institutions in the overall socio-economic transformation of society with special emphasis on minority groups and the suppressed sections, including women.

He congratulated Dr Arun K.Gupta, Chairman of the MIER Group of Institutions, and Dr Renu Gupta, Director of the Shanti Gupta Centre for Women Studies, on the occasion.

The minister said to achieve gender equality in the institutions of higher learning, it was imperative to train women to shoulder higher responsibilities. He appreciated the role of the UGC in having a programme for empowering women.

Prof Jaya Indiresan, a known champion of women empowerment both as a prolific writer and practical orator, impressed the audience with her views.

She said, “India is one among the Commonwealth countries with the lowest percentage of women at the senior managerial level. We need to address the factors that are holding back women from achieving success and take measures to break the proverbial glass ceiling.”

Dr Arun. K Gupta enlightened the gathering of distinguished educationists from different parts of the country, including Punjab, Himachal Pradesh and Chandigarh, by highlighting the need for creating gender friendly institutions in which women could grow and develop by upgrading their knowledge, skills and managerial capabilities.

Dr Renu Gupta said the workshop was specifically addressed to women with an agenda to empower them through capacity building measures.

On the occasion, a beautiful action song ‘Jago-Jago’ on women’s empowerment was also presented by students of MIER College that enthralled the audience. 

Udhampur, November 23
On the orders of Minister for Haj, Auqaf and Rural Development Aijaz Ahmed Khan, the Chief Education Officer, Reasi, Kushal Kumar Sharma, yesterday placed seven teachers of a government school in Reasi district under suspension on the charge of being absent from duty.

The absence of the teachers came to the notice of the minister when he was on a surprise checking of development works in Reasi. While he was inspecting the progress of the works in Sirla Bhaga village, he was told that seven teachers of local Government High School were absent from duty. He immediately instructed the CEO, Reasi, to place them under suspension. 

Jammu, November 23
Two students of a local public school here were reprimanded today for putting the profile of the school Principal on a social networking site.

The school is affiliated to the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE).

According to a source, both students of the secondary class were reprimanded in the morning on the school premises for creating a face profile of the Principal on social networking site Facebook.

The parents of the students, too, were summoned by the authorities, the source added.

When The Tribune team reached the school, the authorities tried to hush up the matter.

The Principal said, “I do not know anything about the matter”.

The Principal also misbehaved with the Tribune reporter and even stopped her from further investigation.

The authorities raised an objection to the taking of a photograph of the school.

The Headmistress said: “We have many internal issues of the school that we solve ourselves”.

She added, “We have not punished any student in the school, but when some students are on the wrong path, then showing them the right path is not a wrong thing.”

Jammu, November 23
The National Secular Forum (NSF) unit in University of Jammu organised a programme in the university to celebrate Gurpurb, the birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev, today.

According to a statement issued here, NSF activists distributed sweets among students, scholars and faculty members. Prof Shohab Inayat Malik, Head of Urdu Department, was the chief guest on the occasion while Ankush Aborl, a member of the Working Committee of the JKCA, was the guest of honour.

Rakesh Chib, president of the Jammu University Research Scholars Executive Association, was the special guest, while Vikas Sharma, state president of the NSF, presided over the function.

Speaking on the occasion, Prof Malik appreciated the initiative of the NSF members to celebrate Gurpurb.

Srinagar, November 23
While the situation remained peaceful in Srinagar for the third consecutive day today, a shutdown wazxs observed in Anantnag,50 km from here, in protest against the arrests of some youths during the past few days.

The town, which has been in the grip of tension following the killing of three teenagers allegedly by the police on June 29, observed a strike in protest against the arrest of at least 10 youths in the past few days. All shops and business establishments were closed and traffic was off the road. There was thin attendance in government offices, while educational institutions in the rural areas around the main town functioned normally.

Demonstrators indulged in stone throwing on the police and security forces in different parts of the town, including Lal Chowk and Mattan Chowk. Elsewhere in the Kashmir valley, all shops and business establishments were open and traffic plied normally in major towns. There was a heavy rush in markets.

Meanwhile, at least six persons were injured in police action during the demolition of unauthorised residential houses and other structures in the Dal Lake area carried out by the Lakes and Waterways Development Authority (LAWDA) here today.

Residents of Kohnakhan near Dalgate on the periphery of the Dal Lake resented the demolition of the residential and other structures. The LAWDA officials, supported by a contingent of police, continued with their drive, leading to clashes in which at least six persons were injured.

The LAWDA has intensified its operations to clear the Dal periphery of encroachments as part of the preservation and conservation plan for the lake.

The clearing operations remained weak due to the turmoil during the past several months. A mega project funded by the Central government to preserve the Dal Lake in Srinagar is underway, which also includes the rehabilitation of the Dal dwellers. A residential colony is being set up at Rakh-e-Arth, near here, for the rehabilitation of the Dal dwellers.

Jammu, November 23
Even two days after a shootout near Satyam Resorts in the Channi area here in which a gangster was killed and another injured, the role of the third gangster, Sunny Baba, who fled the spot, remains a mystery.

The police claimed that even though various teams had been constituted to nab Sunny, he had not been caught so far.

Giving details of his criminal record, a senior police officer said Sunny Baba, alias Saleem Sheikh, alias Sumit Chaudhary, a resident of Nai Basti here, was a notorious gangster, as over 10 criminal cases were pending against him at various police stations for his involvement in attempt to murder and other incidents.

“He also fired at inspector Bishnesh Kumar, then SHO, bus stand, near the Manda Park in 2008,” the officer said.

He said in the 2008 shootout, the chasing police party fired at Sunny and one of the bullets hit him on the back. However, he managed to flee from the spot.

After that, he remained underground for sometime, and later surrendered before the Srinagar police in a “dramatised manner” and was brought here, where he was put behind the bars. After getting the bail, he again started criminal activities. It is to mention here that Sunny is the main lead in this case, as only after his arrest it could be established who had given “contract” money to kill whom.

Not just Sunny, his family, too, has a tainted past, as his father Romesh Chaudhary, alias Baba, was a dreaded criminal and was killed in a gang rivalry in the broad daylight at a tea stall near his house about 10 years ago.

However, the injured gangster, Yudhveer, alias Babloo, had claimed that it was a well-planned game of the police and Sunny to kill him and Giri.

“Sunny had called Giri to come near Satyam Resorts, but, he himself (Sunny) didn’t turn up there,” alleged Babloo. But the police said Giri, Babloo and Sunny had hatched a plan to kill someone in the city and were on their way to eliminate that person.

Babloo is still awaiting to get operated as doctors have not yet removed a bullet from his thigh. Although he was admitted to the Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) immediately after his arrest, yet the doctors had been citing one or the other reason in delaying the operation, sources said.

It said some cops came to record his statement today, but they did not ask the doctors when he will be operated upon. On being asked, GMCH Superintendent Ramesh Gupta tried to evade the question saying, “I am on leave. It would be better to talk the Deputy Superintendent of the hospital.”

However, GMCH Deputy Superintendent Manoj Chalotra stated, “I am totally unaware about the matter”.

Meanwhile, family members of slain gangster Rakesh Kumar, alias Giri, after getting his body from the GMCH, tried to block the road at Satwari and then near the Kunjwani area.

However, they were dispersed away by the police and were sent back to their house to perform the last rites of Giri.

Srinagar/ Jammu, November 23
The security forces busted a hideout of militants in the Pattan area of Baramulla district today and seized a large quantity of arms and ammunition from it.

Acting on information provided by a militant, the police and the 29 RR busted a hideout in Waripora in the Pattan area of Baramulla district. Two solar rockets, four explosive rods, four IED circuits, 5 kg of explosive powder, six IED detonators, one pistol along with magazine and six rounds, one AK magazine, 121 rounds of AK ammunition, a satellite phone with two batteries, one radio set, one binocular, one anti-tank mine, four IED pipes, two IED fuses and one Chitra uniform were seized from the hideout. Meanwhile, a report from Jammu said at least two security personnel were injured in a brief exchange of fire between militants and the security forces in Poonch district late last evening.

Official sources said, acting on a specific input, the security forces launched an operation last evening near the Sanie Top area of Surankote tehsil in Poonch district.

However, the ultras opened fire on the securitymen during the operation, injuring at least two of them, including a Special Police Officer, they added.

Jammu, November 23
A youth, who was injured after falling from a tractor that he was driving on a link road near Samba this afternoon, later died in hospital, the police said. Neeraj Kumar, a resident of Mava village in Samba, was going on some errand when he lost control over the tractor and fell on the road. He received multiple injuries, it said.

It added that the injured was taken to the GMCH here, but he died in the evening. The police has initiated inquest proceedings under Section 174 of CrPC in this regard.