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Soz apprises Sonia of dissidents’ activities
CCI demands setting up of atomic power station in state
Use of force can’t resolve Kashmir issue: Mehbooba
3 Hizbul Mujahideen militants killed in Ramban gunfight
Gang of drug peddlers busted
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Woman found unconscious in Hemkund Express
Gujjar-Bakerwal cell for creation of eco-villages
Pre-recruitment training for Rajouri, Poonch youth
Ranbir canal turns into drain
Truck falls into river, 3 killed
Workshop on rural development
Man killed in mishap
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Soz apprises Sonia of dissidents’ activities
Jammu, February 8 Although Soz said he discussed the prevailing political situation with the party chief, sources said the meeting was important as the PCC president met Sonia Gandhi for the first time after the January 30 rallies. Sources close to Soz said he had taken a serious view of a parallel rally organised by the pro-Azad group on January 30 under the banner of the Gandhi Global Family. The main aim of meeting with Sonia Gandhi was to apprise her of activities of the pro-Azad group, which had raised a banner of revolt against him. The statement of Union Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad, in which he tried to protect former Roads and Buildings (R&B) Minister GM Saroori, was also brought to the notice of Sonia Gandhi. Azad had stated that Saroori, who was forced to resign after his daughter was caught in an impersonation case, was a victim of a conspiracy. The sources said the PCC chief requested Sonia to allow him to take strict action against the dissidents. He told her that the dissidents enjoyed the patronage of some senior leaders. The functioning of the coalition was also discussed, the sources said. Soz informed the party president about some contentious issues affecting the smooth functioning of the Congress-NC government in the state. Meanwhile, according to a press note issued by the Congress, Soz had a detailed discussion with Sonia Gandhi on several issues pertaining to the party and the coalition government. The political situation in the state was also discussed. “Among other things, Soz also apprised her (Sonia Gandhi) of P. Chidambaram’s visit to Jammu this month and his discussions with Congress leaders there. Soz was of the view that since the Union Home Minister had received reports from the interlocutors, it was necessary that he should have an interaction with various parties,” the press note said. |
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CCI demands setting up of atomic power station in state
Jammu, February 8 In the pre-budget discussions with the Finance Minister, Abdul Rahim Rather, a delegation of the CCI highlighted the problems being faced by the industry and traders of the region and suggested measures to solve them. The delegation said there was need to promote trade, industry and production. “Uninterrupted, round-the-clock and hassle-free power supply is the backbone of any industry.We have a hydroelectric capacity of around 20,000 MW. This is a great asset, but has not been fully tapped,” the delegation said, adding, “We can also have small thermal power units in the remote areas of the region”. It demanded that the state government should use its position to generate the maximum power in the state which should not only be sufficient for the state but also earn hefty revenue for the state. “The state government can also plead with Union Minister Farooq Abdullah to get an atomic power station sanctioned for the state,” the delegation said, adding, “This will go a long way in providing an ever-lasting infrastructure for the industries in the form of power”. The delegation also demanded the removal of irregularities and anomalies in VAT. |
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Use of force can’t resolve Kashmir issue: Mehbooba
Srinagar, February 8 Mehbooba was addressing a meeting of senior party leaders, legislators and district and zonal
presidents today, which was convened to decide the party’s future course of action for a permanent resolution of
the Kashmir issue. As part of the programme, rallies would be held in Srinagar and Jammu on February 14, a party spokesman said. The PDP president said the people of the state had been suffering for decades on account of political instability that had affected its economy and human resource development. Mehbooba said after the turmoil last year, it was hoped that the Central Government would initiate meaningful measures for a permanent resolution of the issue. Instead, security measures had been further tightened without providing any relief to the common man or even taking any action on the eight-point programme, she added. She regretted that Jammu and Kashmir was fast turning into a police state. Explaining features of the self-rule agenda, Mehbooba told the party functionaries to bring home to the masses its core elements and the fact that it was a programme of hope and reconciliation aimed at liberating the state from the siege that had engulfed it after
Partition. She said the party would intensify its peaceful struggle for the renegotiation of the water and power projects with the Central Government. “We must get adequate returns for our water resources,” she added. |
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3 Hizbul Mujahideen militants killed in Ramban gunfight
Jammu, February 8 The DIG, Ramban-Kishtwar-Doda range, Maneesh K Sinha, told The Tribune over the phone: “We received information about the presence of some militants in the Manjos Khari belt and with the help of the Army cordoned off the area. The militants fired at the security forces and in the encounter that followed,the three militants were killed.” As per reports, the bodies of the three militants, who were hiding in a nullah, had been recovered. Sinha said the SP, Ramban, Anil Mangotra, had gone to the scene of the encounter. The militants belonged to the Hizbul Mujahideen. Sources said one of the slain militants was identified as district commander Qari Zuber, who had been active in the area for the last 19 years, while the other two were Nazir Ahmed and Mushtaq Ahmed, who had been active for the last eight and two and a half years, respectively. Additional troops were rushed and two AK rifles and one UBGL grenade were recovered from the site. In another incident, the security forces smashed a hideout of militants and seized arms and ammunition from the Hari Budha forests in the Mandi belt of Poonch district today. A senior police officer said on specific information about the presence of some militants, a hideout was busted. Two RPG guns, four rocket- launchers, four anti-tank rifle grenades, five RPG boosters, four hand grenades, 12 UBGL shells, two pressure mines, four detonators, one Pika belt, 136 rounds of AK rifle and one AK magazine were seizedfrom the hideout. |
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Gang of drug peddlers busted
Awantipora, February 8 “On specific information that a large quantity of opium and poppy husk was being smuggled in a truck carrying fruit from Kashmir to Punjab,a police party started checking vehicles and found 30 sacks of opium and poppy husk from a Punjab-bound truck,” SP, Awantipora, Mohammad Irshad told The Tribune. “The driver, Balraj Singh, a resident of Patiala,who was arrested disclosed the names of other members of the gang. Balraj told the interrogators that the contraband was meant for dealers in Batala,” added the SP. Preliminary investigations revealed that Ghulam Mohammad Makroo,a resident of Arwani,Bijbehara, and Shabir Ahmad Bhat and Mohammad Akbar Wani, residents of
Chursoo, were the leaders of the gang. A case under the NDPS Act has been registered. |
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Ad Hoc Workers' Issue
Jammu, February 8 Addressing a press conference here today, the Panthers Party chief, Bhim Singh, warned that if the state government failed to regularise the services of the contractual, ad hoc and other government employees working in different departments within 30 days, he would start an indefinite fast. “This is a shocking state of affairs and there is no governance. Corrupt politicians in connivance with high-profile bureaucrats have reduced the dignity and social security of contractual and ad hoc employees by treating them as bonded labourers,” he said. He added that the party had set up a committee under the chairmanship of former Education Minister Harsh Dev Singh, leader of the Legislature Party, to devise ways to end the discrimination and undignified treatment. |
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Basant Panchami celebrated with fervour in Valley
Srinagar, February 8 The KPSS expressed concern about encroachments on temple properties by some “unscrupulous elements” who tried to be custodians of the properties. The successive governments and local parties allegedly ignored their concerns with respect to the identity and religious sentiments of the community, leaders of the KPSS said. The leaders, including samiti president Sanjay Tikkoo and the chairman, TN Ganjoo, said the MLA, Habba Kadal, had on this occasion last year assured the community that funds would be provided to renovate the temple,which was reopened after 21 years on January 20 last year. But till date, nothing had been done, the KPSS leaders claimed. The KPSS decided to apprise the government of the condition of temples in the Valley and the rehabilitation of Kashmiri Pandits living there as they continued to be ignored by the successive Central and the state governments. “The KPSS strongly believes that the government is treating the Kashmiri Pandits as ‘Class II’ citizens as there is not a single programme to rehabilitate us,” Ganjoo said. |
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Woman found unconscious in Hemkund Express
Jammu, February 8
A police party took her to the Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) here where she regained consciousness. The police said the woman, Raj Dulari, a resident of Ashok Nagar, was carrying a bag. “The bag was searched and we called up one of her relatives,” said Jagjeet Singh, Inspector of the GRP (East). He added, “Her relatives ruled out a foul play as her belongings, including gold ornaments, were found intact. The statement of the woman is yet to be recorded.” |
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Gujjar-Bakerwal cell for creation of eco-villages
Jammu, February 8 At the conference, a demand for the creation of eco-villages was raised for the rehabilitation of tribes on the pattern of Uttarakhand and other north-eastern states, besides a special census. Mubarak Gul, Adviser to the Chief Minister, Minister of State for Tourism Nasir Aslam Wani,Devinder Singh Rana, Political Adviser to the Chief Minister, Vice-Chairman, Pahari Advisory Board, Mushtaq Ahmad Bukhari, Vice-Chairman, Kissan Development Board, Thakur Rachpal Singh, Provincial President of the National Conference, Rattan Lal Gupta, Provincial President (NC) Women’s Wing, Vijay Lakshmi Dutta, and others addressed the conference. |
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Pre-recruitment training for Rajouri, Poonch youth
Jammu, February 8 As part of the initiative,
battalions of the Rashtriya Rifles under the aegis of the Romeo Force were screening eligible youth in the areas of their responsibility, the spokesperson added. He further said that the training is being conducted at nine different
locations, where a total of 135 candidates are immensely benefiting from the efforts of the army training teams. |
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Ranbir canal turns into drain
Jammu, February 8 Due to the lack of civic sense among people, the canal and its tributaries have acquired the shape of drains and emit foul smell. Most of the people living adjacent to the canal and its tributaries were seen dumping domestic garbage into the canal. Some vehicles carrying hospital waste were also seen dumping waste into the canal. In Talab Tillo, Go-Manasa, Nai Basti, Digiana, and Satwari, the tributaries of the canal remained choked with polythene bags, earthen wares and other waste materials. |
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Truck falls into river, 3 killed
Jammu, February 8 The police said around 7:30 am, it got information that a truck had fallen into the river and a rescue operation was launched. “During the two-hour rescue operation, the bodies of the truck driver, Gurmail Singh (33), and two helpers, Jasvir Singh (30) and Pardeep Singh, were fished out of the river,” it added. The victims were residents of Ferozepur district in Punjab. Meanwhile, the bodies were taken to the District Hospital, Kathua, for a post-mortem. |
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Nine of family rescued
Srinagar, February 8 “Nine family members of Wali Mohammad Moonchi were rescued from their house at Akhran in Kulgam
district on Monday evening after it was flooded due to heavy rain,” a police spokesman said. Seven houses were also damaged due to strong winds in the Harwan area of
Srinagar. However, none was injured, he added. — PTI |
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Workshop on rural development
Jammu, February 8 Nearly 20 field communicators from different parts of the state attended it. Dr Bharat Bhushan, deputy director, Rural Development Department, Jammu, was the chief guest.
— TNS |
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Man killed in mishap
Jammu, February 8 An officer at Domana police station said they got information about the accident and a team was sent to the spot. The body was shifted to the Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) here for a post-mortem.
— TNS |
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