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Farooq rules out rotation
of chief ministership
Prevailing Cold Wave |
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Talks can’t resolve Kashmir
issue, says Geelani
CM asks BJP not to hoist National Flag at Lal Chowk
Yatra to promote sovereignty: Jaitley Murder of Liquor Shop Cashier in Baltana
Mattoo’s Appointment as VC
Erratic Power Supply
Raise wages of PHE workers: Harsh Dev
Two thieves held, jewellery recovered
Separate Development Boards
Boosting Tourism
Youth shot dead during Army ambush
Anti-adulteration drive conducted
NSF forms unit in commerce college
‘Protect Chenab banks from
soil erosion’
Special athletes back from
coaching camp
Four SHOs transferred
45 pc rise in drugs peddling cases in 2010: Khoda
Valley, Ladakh shiver under sub-zero temperature
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Farooq rules out rotation
of chief ministership
Jammu, January 5 Dr Abdullah was addressing a press conference here today to mark the completion of the NC-Congress coalition government’s two years. Intervening, the Chief Minister made it clear that he would not vacate his post for the Congress and would head the state government for six years. All was well between the two allies and there was no threat whatsoever to the government, the two leaders said. “It was decided by the Congress high command and the National Conference that there will be no such arrangement for the full term of the Assembly,” said Dr Abdullah. The NC president said there was no change now in the Congress leadership’s views. Omar said: “After the 2008 Assembly elections and subsequent discussions between AICC president Sonia Gandhi and me in the capacity of the National Conference president, we were clear that neither of the two parties was interested in rotational chief ministership”. “I was told that I would be the Chief Minister for the full term and the Congress high command is happy with my performance, which leaves no scope for any speculation,” he said. “The present government, including state Cabinet, is based on this premise and I request you ( the media) not to lend credence to the remarks of any individual from the local unit of the Congress,” he added. “We had 25 Cabinet meetings so far wherein there was not even a single voice of dissent by any minister.It shows the coalition partners want to deliver the goods”, Omar said. It may be stated here that Congress leader and former Deputy Chief Minister Mangat Ram Sharma had recently suggested rotational chief ministership for smooth functioning of the coalition government. Omar also rubbished reports of differences between the two parties over incorporating provisions of the 73rd Amendment of the Constitution of India in the J&K Panchayati Raj Act. A committee had already been constituted and it was studying the provisions, he said. Agreeing with the Hurriyat Conference leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq’s views that the United Nations had become a redundant body, Farooq asked the Mirwaiz to start a dialogue with the Centre to solve the
Kashmir issue. “I request the Mirwaiz to start a dialogue with the Centre. We must find a solution (to the Kashmir dispute) and it can be found through talks only,” he said. “I agree that a solution has to be found as per the aspirations of all stakeholders, including people of the state, India and Pakistan, to resolve the Kashmir issue,” he said. “Prime Minister Manmohan Singh tried his best to take forward the dialogue process, but unfortunately, we have petty politics here in the country and on the other side (Pakistan) also, which delays things,” he added. “But there has to be a dialogue for peace.When they (separatists) can meet MPs, why can’t they talk to the Centre,” Abdullah asked. On the Mirwaiz’s statement that the United Nations was a “failed body”, Farooq said, “Yes it has failed like in Palestine, but at the same time it has helped the world in many ways”. “I also agree with him (Mirwaiz) that a solution has to be found by the people of Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh, and people on the other side of the fence ,” he said. “Why can’t I go and have a cup of tea in Sialkot across the border and with people of Sialkot living in Jammu. Paradoxically, in 74 years of my age, I have seen nothing but troubles,” Abdullah said. On Hurriyat leader Abdul Ghani Bhat’s recent remarks that Mirwaiz Mohammed Farooq and Abdul Gani Lone were killed by “ our own people”, and not the security forces, Farooq described it as a better late than never act. |
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Prevailing Cold Wave
Jammu, January 5 Qureshi ordered that all government and private schools falling in the summer zone of the Jammu province would function from 10 am to 3 pm with effect from January 6 to 31. “Besides, students should be given relaxation in school uniform to enable them to wear warm clothing,” said the Director. The schools should make up for the loss of one hour in the school timing in the morning assembly. Meanwhile, a steep fall in the temperature has thrown normal life out of gear. After the winter vacation, the schools reopened on January 3, but most of the parents have appealed to the authorities concerned to extend the vacation. “Children have to face problems while going to schools early morning. There are no heating arrangements in classrooms and it gets very cold these days,” said Sheetu Bhat, a parent, who is a teacher in a private school. Varun Mishra, another parent, said, “To board a minibus to reach the school, children of our area have to walk 2 km on foot in the bone-chilling weather. I appeal to the school education authorities to extend the winter vacation in the schools for some time.” Talking to The Tribune, the Director, School Education, said though there was no proposal to extend the winter vacation, a decision in this regard would be taken keeping in view the weather conditions. |
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Talks can’t resolve Kashmir
issue, says Geelani
Srinagar, January 5 Geelani said the five permanent members, due to their interests, were coming in the way of the implemention of the UN resolutions on Kashmir and the only way out was to end their veto power. He asked the international community to play its role and help resolve the Kashmir issue through the grant of right to self-determination to over 1.3 crore people of the state. Referring to the dialogue process, Geelani said the five-point formula proposed by his party on August 31 last year, was the basis for the Hurriyat Conference to enter into a dialogue to resolve the Kashmir issue. He held that talks in the past could not resolve the Kashmir issue and if the five-point formula was accepted by the Centre, it would create a conducive atmosphere for tripartite talks to find an amicable solution to the problem. Disputes in other parts of the world were being resolved, but the Kashmir issue was not being addressed due to the “biased opinion” of the powerful countries against the Muslims, he alleged. Geelani alleged that excesses were being committed by the security forces in Kashmir. He blamed the government for indulging in state terrorism and the killing of 112 persons last year. |
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CM asks BJP not to hoist National Flag at Lal Chowk
Jammu, January 5 It may be recalled here that during its Ekta Sankalp Rally here on December 24, the BJP had announced to start the “yatra” from Kolkata on January 12, which would reach Lakhanpur on January 24. On January 26, the party’s youth wing would unfurl the Tricolour at Lal Chowk in Srinagar, the BJP had announced. “If there are any repercussions in the Kashmir valley, I will hold them personally responsible,” Omar told reporters. “The BJP’s aim is to set Kashmir on fire. If there are any repercussions, they should come and sort out the matter. I should not be held responsible,” he said. On Congress minister Sham Lal Sharma’s recent controversial speech wherein he advocated statehood for Jammu and UT status for the Ladakh region, Omar said it was not his job to clarify the remarks of the minister. If his party (Congress) was happy with him, “I don’t have a problem”, he said, and added in the given situation, he could only say that Sham Lal’s remarks were his individual views.
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Murder of Liquor Shop Cashier in Baltana
Jammu, January 5 The Punjab police had arrested the three suspects -- Kashu Sharma, a resident of RS Pura, Bikram and Rajinder Kumar- from a flat in a private colony at Baltana yesterday in connection with the killing of Singla. Terming Kashu as a proclaimed offender, SDPO, RS Pura, HS Gill said, “Kashu, along with some persons, had attempted to kill a businessman here in 2007 and a case under Section 307 of the RPC and Section 4/25 of the Arms Act was registered against him,”. He said Kashu, a resident of Ward No 4 in RS Pura, was involved in a number of criminal activities. He had also opened fire at SHO, Gandhi Nagar police station, Rafiq Manhas, at Bakshi Nagar here, about two years ago. Manhas told The Tribune that he had gone to Bakshi Nagar to arrest Kashu, but the criminal along with some persons opened fire at him. The Jammu police said the Punjab police was yet to inform it about the arrest of Kashu. As per the reports, on January 3, two masked motorcycle-borne youths shot dead Singla. The incident took place near the Bank Square in Kalgidhar Enclave on the Zirakpur-Kalka highway when the liquor shop cashier was on his way to a bank.
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Mattoo’s Appointment as VC
Jammu, January 5 According to a statement issued here, the protest will be the first phase of the movement being launched by the forum and other organisations to highlight their opposition against the appointment of Prof Mattoo as the first Vice-Chancellor of the Central University of Jammu. The chairman of the forum, Pavitar Singh, a former Sessions Judge, said the next phase of the action plan against the appointment of Mattoo would be announced tomorrow.
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Erratic Power Supply
Jammu, January 5 The residents came out on the road around 10:30 am and blocked the traffic demanding regular power supply in their area. They alleged that officials of the Power Development Department (PDD) were not listening to their genuine demand. “We have met the PDD officials a number of times, but no one is ready to act upon our complaints. So, the area residents blocked the road today,” said Sham Lal, a resident of Qasim Nagar. He added that if their demand was not accepted in a short period, they would intensify the stir. Meanwhile, a police party reached the spot and pacified the agitators and assured them that their demand would be discussed with the authorities concerned. It said no untoward incident took place and within an hour, the road was opened to traffic. The area residents had earlier also protested a number of times over the erratic power supply. |
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Hospitals to be provided with solar plants: Farooq
Jammu, January 5 “On the request of the state government, all hospitals will be provided with solar power plants to meet their requirements,” Farooq told mediapersons here today. Describing renewable energy sources as indispensable in the backdrop of rapidly depleting conventional sources, he said since March 2010, his ministry had given a central financial assistance of Rs 130.36 crore to the state. He urged the state government to start using renewable energy sources like the solar energy, hydel energy, wind energy, bio-mass and geo-thermal energy to meet the energy requirements. The state government had agreed to have solar power plants in all hospitals, he added. However, two such plants at RS Pura Government Hospital and Government Emergency Hospital, Vijaypur, have already been inaugurated. “My ministry has a scheme for private sector people to avail solar water heating system as well,” he said, adding that he had plans of electrifying via renewable energy sources the Raghunath Temple in Jammu, Chrar-e-Sharief shrine in Kashmir and a gurdwara at Akhnoor. “Similarly, geo-thermal energy is important and we have a vast potential to exploit it in areas like Rajouri, Tattapani and Ladakh region,” he said. Farooq said his ministry had tied up with Iceland for the purpose, adding that, “We have already given Rs 474 crore to exploit the potential of geo-thermal energy in the Ladakh region”. “We hope that Jammu and Kashmir will give a push to this form of energy so as to illuminate remote and inaccessible areas,” Farooq said. The Prime Minister also wanted renewable energy sources to grow in a big way in the country because they don’t produce carbon dioxide and could make the country self-sufficient in the energy sector, he added. Farooq’s ministry has so far sanctioned Rs 30.31 crore for setting up solar power plants in 69 hospitals, Rs 3.63 crore for solar lanterns for 73 Gujjar dwellings, Rs 1.50 crore for solar power plant at a cricket stadium in Srinagar, Rs 4 crore under special area demonstration programme, Rs 58.80 crore under remote village electrification programme, 0.16 crore for solar water heating systems for government institutions, Rs 6.05 crore for 550 water mills, Rs 1.02 crore for 1,000 bio-gas plants and Rs 23.18 crore for 56 micro-hydel programme.
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Raise wages of PHE workers: Harsh Dev
Jammu, January 5 “Assurances to redress the grievances of the PHE workers were given after the issue was raised vociferously in the Assembly during the 2009 Budget session and the government had also agreed to enhance their wages from Rs 500 to Rs 3,300 per month to bring them on a par with the PHE workers of Kashmir division,” he said. Harsh Dev, however, regretted that even after more than 18 months, no action had been taken by the government to honour its commitment and fulfil the legitimate demands of the workers. He said the non-initiation of action amounted to not only dishonouring the assurance given by the Assembly but also contravening the Minimum Wages Act. The most intriguing aspect of the issue was that such employees were paid Rs 500 as wages in the Jammu region while their counterparts in Kashmir were paid wages equivalent to the minimum wages as envisaged in the Act, he added. Harsh Dev said the most distressing was the non-payment of even the meagre Rs 500 wages to the workers for months in the Jammu region. “It is a sin and a depravity of the highest order to withhold the negligible wages of such employees,” the Panthers Party leader said. He demanded the claims of all PHE workers be cleared before the forthcoming Budget session and the government should make an announcement similar to the assurance given in the Assembly and enhance the wages of the PHE workers from Rs 500 to Rs 3,300 per month. He said his party would vigorously pursue the cause of such workers in and outside the Assembly so as to ensure that they were paid the minimum wages as envisaged in the Act.
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Two thieves held, jewellery recovered
Jammu, January 5 It said Deepak Kumar Jain, owner of Chowdhary Shanker Shah Jewellers at Jain Bazaar here, had filed a compliant that his employee, Dhukhi Ram, a resident of West Bengal, along with other artisans committed a theft in his shop. “Acting upon the complaint, a team headed by Sub-Inspector Naveen Sharma was formed. The police team succeeded in arresting Dhukhi Ram and Parveen Karar from Howrah in West Bengal and recovered stolen goods worth Rs 5.5 lakh from their possession,” said Vishal Sharma, SHO, Pacca Danga police station. He said one of the accused was still at large.
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Separate Development Boards
Jammu, January 5 The report indicates gross discrimination against the Jammu and Ladakh regions with regard to economic development.Expressing concern over the report submitted by the chairman of the State Finance Commission,Mehmood-ur-Rehman, the forum solicited the government’s reaction to it. In a statement issued here, president of the forum RK Chadha said the state and Central governments should implement the recommendations of the two members of the Finance Commission regarding separate development boards and the allocation of separate funds for the three regions of the state. Chadha alleged that since its establishment over a year ago, the commission had not held any meeting with any section. The chairman and members of the commission were drawing salaries without any practical task assigned to them. In case the recommendations of the members from Jammu and Ladakh were not accepted by the government, it would be in the interest of the state that the commission be wound up. The forum also described the setting up of a task force for the development of Jammu and Ladakh as a futile exercise and mere eyewash. The government amply knew the development requirements of the Jammu and Ladakh regions and instead of setting up commissions or a task force, practical steps for an equitable development of the regions were needed. Further, criticising the Central and state governments for “discrimination” against the Jammu region on the tourism front, Chadha demanded that three separate tourism development boards for Jammu, Kashmir, and Ladakh should be set up. Separate funds should also be allocated by the Centre for the development of tourism infrastructure in the state. |
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Boosting Tourism
Jammu, January 5 Jora was speaking at a meeting attended by Minister of State for Housing and Urban Development Nasir Aslam Wani; Director, Tourism, Jammu, RK Verma; Special Secretary, Tourism Department, Altaf Ahmed; General Manager, Jammu and Kashmir Tourism Development Corporation, Shamim Ahmed; and other senior officers of the Tourism Department. Parikshat Singh Manhas, associate prof, School of Hospitality and Tourism Management and Business School, Jammu University, who is also a representative of the World Centre of Excellence for Destinations in India, highlighted the possibilities that the state could explore to benefit from the partnership with the World Centre of Excellence for Destinations. The minister ordered the creation of a committee consisting of Atal Dulloo, Commissioner/Secretary, Tourism; Parikshat Singh Manhas, associate prof; and Altaf Ahmed, Special Secretary, Tourism, for preparing a content paper before the arrival of the representatives of the World Centre of Excellence for Destinations. A team led by Dr François Bédard, Director-General of the World
Centre of Excellence for Destinations, is expected to arrive in Jammu in
February in connection with the Sustainable Destination Excellence: Innovations in Alternative Tourism (SDEIAT-2011) conference, which is being hosted by the School of Hospitality and Tourism Management, Jammu
University. |
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Youth shot dead during Army ambush
Srinagar, January 5 “Troops of the 18 Rashtriya Rifles had laid an ambush in the forest area of Warnav in Lolab, 120 km from here, last night. “They noticed some suspicious movement and opened fire, resulting in the death of the youth,” Muneer Ahmad Khan, DIG, north Kashmir said. He said the Army reported the matter to the police and efforts were being made to identify the deceased youth. “We called residents from nearby villages but no one has identified the deceased so far,”
Khan added. The officer said investigations were going on to ascertain the reasons for the presence of the youth in the area at the time of the incident which took place at 9.30 pm.
— PTI |
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Anti-adulteration drive conducted
Jammu, January 5 According to an official statement, the defaulters were booked under the provisions of the Jammu and Kashmir Municipal Corporation Act-2000 and Prevention of Food Adulteration Act-1954. Both drives were conducted in the areas of Kachi Chowni, Maheshpura Chowk, Jewel Area, Bikram Chowk, Gandhi Nagar and Shastri Nagar.
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NSF forms unit in commerce college
Jammu, January 5 According to a statement issued here, the unit was formed in a meeting held under the chairmanship of Vikas Sharma, president of the NSF, and Rakesh Chib, senior vice-president, at the college. While Magan Singh Chib was appointed president, Mandeep Singh, Amandeep Singh, Rajinder Singh Jamwal, Kulvant Sangra and Davinder Singh were appointed vice-presidents. Paramvir Singh was appointed general secretary. The others appointed office-bearers are Gagandeep Singh as organising secretary, Harinder Singh, Ramandeep Singh, Manmeet Singh and Rajeshwar as secretaries, Rander Singh as cashier, Rohit Shan as press secretary and Manipal Singh as convener. Kuldeep Raj, Vicky and Surinder Singh Chib were appointed members of the NSF. — TNS
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‘Protect Chenab banks from
soil erosion’
Jammu, January 5 The minister was on an extensive tour of the flood-prone areas of Akhnoor to review the pace of the ongoing works. Chief Engineer, Irrigation and Flood Control, BR Dogra said the department had already identified the vulnerable spots from Akhnoor to Hamirpur Kona and the work for plugging these was in full swing. He informed the minister that a comprehensive proposal for channelling the Chenab at different locations had been approved at a cost of Rs 19 crore and the amount would be spent in a phased manner. He assured the minister that all river banks would be repaired before the summer. |
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Special athletes back from
coaching camp
Jammu, January 5 The contingent returned from Ludhiana after participating in a week-long national coaching camp of badminton. The event was organised by the Punjab chapter of the Special Olympics Bharat.
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Four SHOs transferred
Jammu, January 5 The
SHO, Trikuta Nagar police station, Inspector Yash Pal Jamwal, was transferred and posted as the new SHO, Jhajjar Kotli police station. Inspector Mahesh Kumar was posted as the new SHO,Trikuta Nagar police station.
— TNS
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45 pc rise in drugs peddling cases in 2010: Khoda
Jammu, January 5 There has been a 45 per cent rise in the number of such cases in 2010 as compared to 2009. The situation has perhaps obtained due to the rise in the number of such cases in Punjab. Even the police has accepted the fact that drug peddling mostly takes place through Lakhanpur, which borders Pathankot in Punjab. DGP Kuldeep Khoda recently admitted that the situation had become alarming as the number of cases registered under the Narcotics Drugs Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act had increased by 45 per cent in 2010. Replying to a query, Khoda said, “We have launched a campaign to curb the menace of drugs and a number of cases have been registered in this regard.” However, he failed to give a satisfactory reply about the pendency or investigations in such cases. He also termed the unrest in the Valley as the major reason behind the rise in the crime graph in the state. “Most of the police force was busy handling the situation in Kashmir. This resulted in an increase in crime in other parts of the state. But this year the force will be handling all situations simultaneously,” said Khoda. The perusal of an official document also suggests that drug peddlers are arrested and intoxicant capsules and injections seized mostly from Kathua, Samba and Jammu districts. Sources said the officials of the Sales Tax, Excise and Customs Department and the police deployed at the Lakhanpur toll post either neglected their duty or were allegedly taking bribes from drug peddlers, thus boosting the menace of drugs in the state. They said most of the officials deployed at such locations were not transferred for a long period, as there was a nexus between some corrupt officials and drug peddlers. When the matter was brought to the notice of the DGP, he said he would look into the matter.
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Valley, Ladakh shiver under sub-zero temperature
Srinagar, January 5 The Meteorology Department has forecast mainly dry weather across the state over the next 24 hours. The sub-zero temperature during the past few weeks has led to the freezing of water bodies, including lakes and the Jhelum and its tributaries, which have a lower water level during winter. The minimum temperature recorded was - 5.4°C here last night while the maximum temperature was 7.5°C during the today. The tourist resort of Pahalgam recorded a minimum of -11.6°C and a maximum temperature of 4.9°C today. Qazigund close to the Jawahar Tunnel, recorded a minimum of -10.6°C and a maximum of 8.5°C. Ladakh, which remains cut off from the rest of the country during the winter due to a heavy snow accumulation along the Zojila Pass, is also witnessing the coldest days of the season. Leh town recorded - 23°C and -3°C as the minimum and maximum temperatures, respectively, today. |
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The National Conference president and Union Minister for New and Renewable Energy,Dr Farooq Abdullah,today put to rest speculation of rotational chief ministership in the state and said Omar Abdullah would continue in the post for the Assembly’s six-year term.
In view of a severe cold wave in the region for the past few days, the Director, School Education, Gulzar Ahmad Qureshi, today issued orders for change in school timings from tomorrow.
