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Interlocutors begin third visit to state
Probe begins into Reasi resident’s custodial death
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Study of Panchayati Raj Acts
Omar govt a failure on all fronts: PDP
Global peace rally reaches Reasi
Muharram Processions
Security beefed up in region
Harsh winter makes schooling tough for Valley children
Thief held, stolen goods recovered
Social Welfare Board chief meets Governor
Eminent scientist meets Governor
Guv lauds IAF’s role in emergencies
Multilingual mushaira
tomorrow
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Interlocutors begin third visit to state
Jammu, December 17 Veteran journalist Dileep Padgaonkar along with former Central Information Commissioner MM Ansari reached here this morning while academician Radha Kumar was expected to join the team tomorrow. The interlocutors would also visit twin border districts of Poonch and Rajouri. Interacting with mediapersons, Padgaonkar rubbished news reports that quoted him having criticised the Omar-led government. “We are here to fulfil our mandate and not to pass judgements. No such words have been said by me,” Padgaonkar clarified. He said during their three-day stay in Jammu, they would meet different sections of people and also visit Rajouri and Poonch districts to review the situation there. “We are going to all people and we have asked them to come up with detailed suggestions as how to arrive at a political settlement,” he said. “We are trying to evolve a broad-based political settlement in Jammu and Kashmir keeping in view the aspirations of the people of the three regions as well as various communities,” he added. Referring to the setting up of “broad contours” for a political settlement to the decades-old issue, Padgaonkar said, “We will visit various areas of the Jammu region. We will start with Rajouri and Poonch districts tomorrow and hold talks with various sections of people.” The interlocutors would also meet the Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah. He said to facilitate the dialogue process, there was need to implement confidence building measures (CBMs) and the Centre and the state government were “sympathetically considering these. To assess the security situation, the interlocutors held detailed discussions with the IG, Jammu, and other senior officers of the CRPF deployed in the Jammu region. Today’s was the third visit of the interlocutors to the state. They had earlier visited the Kashmir valley twice while it was their second tour of the Jammu region today. The interlocutors met representatives of various social, political and other groups.
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Probe begins into Reasi resident’s custodial death
Udhampur, December 17 As part of the inquiry, the relevant police record was seized today. But the medical reports related to the treatment of Manoj at the District Hospital, Reasi, and the Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), Jammu, were still awaited. The inquiry officer said, among other things, it would also be examined whether any medical negligence led to the death of Manoj Kumar. Earlier, the post-mortem of the deceased was video-graphed in the presence of the Magistrate. On public demand, a medical board comprising Dr RC Sharma, Dr PS Thakur and Dr Mohan Attri of the District Hospital, Reasi, was constituted for a post-mortem. A large number of people gathered at the Reasi hospital here when Manoj’s body was brought from the GMCH last night. They along with the family members and relatives of Manoj held a demonstration and demanded action against SHO, Reasi, Varinder Gupta and other policemen allegedly involved in the torture and death of Manoj. They blocked traffic on the main road for about two hours and also demanded a job for the wife of Manoj. The protesters beat up a Sub-Inspector. Deputy Commissioner PK Pole said the inquiry report would be submitted within a month. The autopsy report would be sent to the Forensic Science Laboratory, Jammu, and the process might take some time. The SSP, Reasi, Anand Jain, however denied that Manoj, who was arrested under Section 48 A of the Excise Act, died in police custody after torture. Claiming that Manoj died at the GMCH, Jammu, he said the inquiry would establish the facts. Jain added that the policemen concerned would face action only after charges were proved against them in the inquiry.
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Study of Panchayati Raj Acts
Jammu, December 17 “The Congress-National Conference regime is not interested in decentralising power to the grass-roots level. The ruling elites of the state don’t want political power to be delegated to the grass-roots level,” said Nirmal Singh, former state president of the BJP, while addressing a press conference here today. Nirmal Singh regretted that instead of extending 73rd amendment of the Indian Constitution to the state, the government had been trying to befool the people with the implementation of only some clauses of the amendment. He said without the implementation of this amendment, the forthcoming panchayat elections in the state would be prove to be a farce. As reported earlier, the state government has decided to constitute a team of experts to conduct comparative study of Panchayati Raj Acts to evolve a consensus on the issue of implementing 73rd amendment of the Constitution of India in the state. Pointing towards the scheduled maha rally of the party on December 24, Nirmal Singh said in the rally public opinion would be created against the statement of Chief Minister Omar Abdullah in which he questioned the accession of the state to Indian Union. He added that national office-bearers of the BJP were going to hold a meeting in Jammu on December 23 to register their disapproval of the recent statement of Omar and those of the interlocutors. |
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Omar govt a failure on all fronts: PDP
Jammu, December 17 The party stated that except for promises nothing concrete had been done on the ground during the last two years. It added that instead of following the policies framed by the previous PDP-led regime, this government had reversed the whole process. Addressing a convention of the district committee members of Rajouri district, PDP leaders reminded that the Mufti government had formulated a comprehensive programme for the socio-economic growth of the backward districts of Rajouri. “As education is a vital component for the socio-economic uplift of the people, the PDP-led regime has given more thrust on creating educational infrastructure in areas like Rajouri that remained backward due to the wrong policies of the successive NC governments,” they said and pointed out that opening of Baba Ghulam Shah Badshah University at Rajouri was one of the biggest achievement during the Mufti regime. The leaders said first time after 1947 Education sector was given more importance and more than 40 new colleges were opened all over the state, adding that special attentions was given to the educationally backward areas. “Besides opening a large number of higher secondary schools, new degree colleges were also opened in Rajouri district to fulfil long pending demand of the people,” they said adding that the present government headed by Omar Abdullah had failed to continue this process which was aimed at the socio-economic growth of the people. Criticising the National Conference leadership for their efforts to take credit of opening of such educational institutions in the state, the leaders said the present government had been trying to get political mileage from the work done during the regime of the previous PDP-led government. Former Rajya Sabha member Trilok Singh Bajwa, Balbir Singh, Choudhary Zulfikar addressed the meeting.
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Global peace rally reaches Reasi
Udhampur, December 17 Starting from Kanyakumari on October 17, the rally aimed at spreading the Gandhian message of peace and brotherhood, has so far covered a distance of 10,500 km. It halted at Katra yesterday after visiting the Valley. Deputy Commissioner, Reasi, PK Pole, officials and general public interacted with the 30 rallyists at Reasi. Its leader Mohammad Hussain Gandhi said solution to the Kashmir problem lay in the Gandhian philosophy. That way dialogue not the use of force should be tried. The youth as well as the separatists should be talked to, he said, adding that the situation in the Valley was not so bad that it could not be improved. He said the rally would take 108 days to complete its mission and return to Kanyakumari after passing through Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan and other states. It halted at Reasi for two hours before proceeding to Pouni, Rajouri and Kalakote and other parts of the Jammu region.
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Muharram Processions
Srinagar, December 17 A senior police officer said, “The district administration has strictly imposed the curfew on areas falling under seven police stations.” These areas were under the police stations of Kothi
Bagh, Maisuma, Kralkhud, MR Gunj, Safa Kadal, Nowhatta and Khanyar. Traffic was also not allowed through the Jehangir
Chowk, Hari Singh High Street, Residency Road up to the Radio Kashmir Crossing. “To prevent sectarian clashes, as mischievous elements could take advantage of the religious processions and indulge in anti-national activities, the curfew was clamped,” a police officer said. The chairman of the moderate faction of the
Hurriyat, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, had yesterday threatened that despite restrictions he would offer Friday prayers at Jamia
Masjid. Meanwhile, the authorities also cordoned off Jamia Masjid and adjoining areas in the old city to prevent people from gathering on the call given by the Mirwaiz yesterday. The police raided the Mirwaiz Manzil at Rajouri Kadal last night and took the Mirwaiz to his Nageen home, besides arresting scores of activists of the Awami Action Committee and the
Hurriyat. A senior Hurriyat leader said the Mirwaiz had been placed under house arrest while Hurriyat and Awami Action Committee activists had been lodged in various police stations across the city. |
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Security beefed up in region
Jammu, December 17 Foolproof security arrangements have been made and senior police officers of all districts have been directed to keep round-the-clock vigil in their respective areas. The two interlocutors, Dileep Padgaonkar and MM Ansari, reached here this morning and met with a number of people. A senior police officer told The Tribune that special nakas had been set up at all entry and exit points of the winter capital. All vehicles coming or leaving the city were being checked thoroughly. He added that policemen in civvies had been deployed in all busy markets. Besides, the intelligence agencies like the CID and RAW had also been alerted. The security has also been beefed up around prominent public places like the railway station, bus stand and famous temples in the city. The officer said the interlocutors would stay one night here and leave for Poonch tomorrow and then they would go to Rajouri. After that they would return to Jammu to leave for the Kashmir valley. It is to mention here that Rajouri and Poonch are considered as sensitive districts of the Jammu region, as militant activities are still reported from these areas regularly. DIG, Poonch-Rajouri, SDS Jamwal said, “We are keeping a strict vigil on suspicious-looking elements in the area and during the visit of the interlocutors, our men will specially guard the upper reaches as well as interior areas of these districts.”
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Harsh winter makes schooling tough for Valley children
Srinagar, December 17 This year, the state government has decided to cancel the three-month winter vacation of various classes to make good the time lost during the four-month unrest in the Valley. However, thousands of students, who are forced to attend ‘winter schools’ in Kashmir shiver in the classrooms. The winter has been very harsh and the temperature has already dipped to subzero, making it difficult for the students to attend classes. The government had ordered to continue schools during winter in 272 secondary and 373 higher secondary schools in the Valley for Classes IX, X, XI and XII. However, it had exempted students of lower classes. Meanwhile, students and teachers said they were facing hardships owing to the lack of proper heating arrangements in the schools. “The response to winter schools is very poor as parents are not sending their wards to the schools due to the extreme cold conditions,” said a teacher of a Government Higher Secondary school in Srinagar. However, it was found that most of the classrooms in schools had broken windowpanes. In some classes the students were seen sitting around a coal bukhari (heating pot), which had no outlet for harmful fumes. Avinash Aima, Joint Director, Education Department, said heating arrangements would be provided in the schools on priority.
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Thief held, stolen goods recovered
Jammu, December 17 Addressing mediapersons, SSP, Railways (Jammu Zone), Vijay Kumar said Col Manish Sharma had lodged a complaint on November 25 saying a person snatched his wife’s purse in the Jammu Mail on November 16. However, a police team today arrested Aijaz, who had stolen some gold ornaments, Rs 2,600 and a mobile phone. A case under Section 382 of the RPC was registered. |
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Social Welfare Board chief meets Governor
Jammu, December 17 The Governor and Khem Lata discussed various schemes available with the Central Social Welfare Board and other agencies of the Central government for the welfare of the physically challenged and other underprivileged people of society. The Governor emphasised the need for
effective monitoring of the schemes, and the preparation of district-wise booklets of all schemes under implementation. This would also enable the potential beneficiaries to become aware of their entitlements. He called for creating awareness among the people about various schemes and monitoring their implementation thereof for maximising benefits to people. |
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Eminent scientist meets Governor
Jammu, December 17 Paolo briefed the Governor about various research projects being undertaken by his organisation. The Governor discussed various issues relating to the ALICE and the possibilities of research findings and experiences in identified arenas of science being shared with universities and institutions. On the occasion, Vice-Chancellor, Jammu University, Prof Varun Sahni said the High Energy Physics Group of the university had been collaborating in various front line experiments based at the CERN, Geneva, since 1985. He added that the Group members, physicists, engineers and research students had contributed to various experiments in hardware and software development at various accelerator sites all over the world. Sahni said for the ALICE data acquisition and analysis, the group was also involved in setting up of the GRID facility at Jammu with the aim of developing the High Energy Physics Lab at Jammu University to be viable for data analysis of large experiments. Meanwhile, The Special Director General, CRPF, J&K Zone, Anirudh Uppal, called on Governor NN Vohra here today and briefed him about the overall security situation in the state. Uppal gave a detailed briefing to the Governor about the role and responsibility of the CRPF being discharged in coordination with other security forces.
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Guv lauds IAF’s role in emergencies
Jammu, December 17 The Air Vice Marshal discussed various issues relating to the security situation in the state with the Governor, who complimented the IAF on various relief and rescue operations it had been carrying out in the state and supporting the administration in dealing with natural calamities and other emergencies. The IAF, he noted, had been providing succour to people in distress in the remote and inaccessible areas by airlifting essential commodities, medicines and relief materials, besides evacuating the injured.
— TNS |
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Multilingual mushaira
tomorrow
Jammu, December 17 The meet was presided over by poet, writer and freedom fighter, Muni Lal Puri, while renowned Urdu and Dogri poet and writer, Sushil Begana, conducted it. The president of the Adbi Kunj, Sham Talib, said the association in collaboration with the Vichar Kranti Manch International, was organising a mushaira at New Shastri Memorial Higher Secondary School on December 19. — TNS |
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Jammu, December 17
Following order by the Deputy Commissioner, Reasi, the Tehsildar (settlement), Reasi, Gopal Singh, started a probe into the alleged custodial death.
Jammu, December 17
Udhampur, December 17
Srinagar, December 17
