Basholi (Kathua), May 23
Appreciating the people of Jammu and Kashmir for their overwhelming response to the ongoing panchayat poll, UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, in a veiled attack on separatists, said today that a healthy turnout of voters (between 80 and 90 per cent) was a message to the perpetrators of terrorism to clearly read the writing on the wall.

Without naming Pakistan, she also seized the opportunity to tell Islamabad that despite being a victim of terrorism, New Delhi had resumed dialogue for peace with its neighbour.

Addressing a well-attended gathering here this morning after laying the concept stone of a strategic 592-metre cable-stayed bridge on the Ravi, Sonia congratulated the people of the state for their overwhelming response to the panchayat elections.

“Despite facing several hardships like militancy, the people of the state have showed a overwhelming response to the ongoing panchayat elections. A good turnout of 80 to 90 per cent is a message to the perpetrators of terrorism that people here want peace and progress,” she said.

The UPA chairperson, who spoke in Hindi, also reiterated an oft-repeated announcement that the UPA government in the next three to five years would explore the possibilities of employment to over one lakh unemployed youth of Jammu and Kashmir. For the purpose their skills would be honed through skill development training programmes, she added.

Sonia said Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was working in tandem with Chief Minister Omar Abdullah to see progress and all-round development in all the three regions of the state.

On the UPA’s report card, she said the UPA government, which had completed two years in office, had several accomplishments to its credit in the form of secularism, growing economy and a tough stand against terrorism.

“We are firmly opposed to terrorism and without compromising on it the UPA government has resumed dialogue for peace with its neighbour,” she added. Earlier, after laying the concept stone of the bridge, Sonia said the proposed project had a history. In 1989, Rajiv Gandhi had to lay the foundation stone of the project but elections were announced and somehow things didn’t move further, she said, adding that eventually the dream of the people of Kathua turned true today.

“Once the bridge comes up at this historical place of Basohli, famous for its miniature paintings, it will give an impetus to the economy and will also go a long way in benefiting the people of Bani-Bhaderwah, Chatroo-Kishtwar and Sinthan-Anantnag,” she added.

Besides, it would also connect Jammu and Kashmir with Punjab and Himachal Pradesh, which in turn would give a push to tourism as well, Sonia said. Basic infrastructure being indispensable for development and economy, the bridge would improve the socio-economic condition of the locals here, she added.

She hoped that the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) would complete the project within three years by 2014.

Defence Minister AK Antony, Union Minister for New and Renewable Energy Farooq Abdullah, Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare Ghulam Nabi Azad, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah also spoke on the occasion.

Jammu, May 23
With 97.8 per cent marks in the science stream, Nipun Gupta, a student of BB Shanti Vidyapeeth Higher Secondary School, Udhampur, secured the overall first position in the Class XII examinations (Jammu division) the results of which were declared by the J&K State Board of School Education here today.

However, girls yet again outshone boys by securing 33 positions out of the total 40 on the merit list.

The overall results witnessed a decline of 6 per cent, as the pass percentage this year was 39 per cent as compared to 45 per cent last year. While Nipun Gupta topped in the science stream, girls also topped in the commerce, arts and home science streams.

Of 44,986 students who appeared in the exams, 17,545 were declared pass. While 24 students of private schools figured on the merit list, only 16 students of government schools appeared on the merit list and that too in the arts and home science streams.

Of the 40 students on the merit list (all streams), 11 were from Government Girls Higher Secondary School, Mubarak Mandi, and 10 from Shiksha Niketan Higher Secondary School, Jeevan Nagar, Jammu.

Even the first position in the commerce stream went to Shiksha Niketan Higher Secondary School, as Supriya Gupta, daughter of Rajesh Gupta, got 97 per cent marks.

In the arts stream, Chander Mohini, daughter of Milkhi Ram Sharma, a student of Government Higher Secondary School, Jourian, stood first by securing 93.4 per cent marks. In the home science stream, Sonal Jain, daughter of Vaneet Jain, a student of Government Higher Secondary School, Mubarak Mandi, secured the first position with 84.9 per cent marks. Meanwhile, Joint Secretary, School Education (Jammu Division), Dr Javid Iqbal Khatib congratulated the students whose names appeared on the merit list.

Dr Khatib said, “Despite heavy snowfall, bad weather conditions and the ongoing panchayat elections in the region, the board has declared the results in a record time of 37 days this year and the credit goes to the entire staff”. He added that they were also trying to declare the Class X results in a short period.

New Delhi, May 23
Two years after the Central government announced a Central University each for Jammu and Kashmir, the one in Jammu is nowhere near the operational stage. In fact, Central University of Jammu is the only one among the 16 Central universities set up under the Central Universities Act of 2009 that has failed to take off due to the absence of a Vice-Chancellor.

After a long lull following the refusal by the international affairs expert, Amitabh Mattoo, to take over as the Vice-Chancellor of the university, the Central government has now begun a fresh hunt for an administrative and academic head for the university.

Sources in the Ministry of Human Resource Development today told The Tribune that additional names of potential candidates had been sought for inclusion in the panel that would be sent to President Pratibha Patil for the final selection of the Vice-Chancellor.

The Central government had decided against resending the old panel (excluding Prof Mattoo) to the President, the Visitor of Central Universities, on the grounds that the panel was too weak with just two candidates left to choose from.

Earlier, Patil had selected Prof Mattoo from a panel, which also comprised Prof R Bhatnagar from the School of Biotechnology at Jawaharlal Nehru University; Prof Anil Kumar Singh from the IIT Bombay’s Chemistry Department and Prof MP Mahajan, Prof Emeritus at the Chemistry Department of Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar. With Mattoo declining the offer to take over as the Vice-Chancellor of the university and Anil Kumar Singh proceeding to join as the Vice-Chancellor of Allahabad Central University, the panel now has just two candidates left.

“Although it would have been easier to choose from the remaining two candidates, it was not considered appropriate to send to the President a panel, which offered a limited choice. It, therefore, was decided that the original search and selection panel set up to find a Vice-Chancellor for the Central University of Jammu should call for some additional names to reconstitute the panel and allow the Visitor a broader choice,” sources in the HRD Ministry said.

With the process beginning afresh and delays in the appointment of the Vice-Chancellor already dotting the entire process, an academic session in the near future looks unlikely. It may be recalled here that Prof Mattoo was selected to head the university eight months after the Central government had recommended his name to the Visitor.

Jammu, May 23
The state government has decided to appoint as many as 440 Master Resource persons to train the newly-elected panchayat members as well as the official functionaries of the Panchayati Raj institutions, as a majority of them are not aware of various welfare and development schemes.

According to an official estimate, the government will spend about Rs 35 crore to train the newly-elected panchayat members. The ongoing panchayat elections, being held after a gap of more than a decade, will train 34,000 sarpanches and panches in the 16th-phased elections, of which 10 phases have already been completed.

The commissioner/secretary of the Rural Development Department, Yedullah, told The Tribune that it was the first time that the Panchayati Raj system had been introduced in the state. He said there was need to train the elected representatives and officials of the department concerned.

“In the initial phase the services of these Master Resource Persons will be utilised as trainers for the training of the elected representatives and officials in the state,” he said.

He added, “The Master Resource Persons will train the panchayat members about the Panchayati Raj Act and other laws pertaining to the local-self government”.

To make the Panchayati Raj system more vibrant and effective the government has decided to recruit postgraduates in economics, sociology, management, finance, social work, law and rural development as Master Resource Persons.

Before giving them the job to train the panchayat members, the selected candidates will have to undergo training in the designated training institutions in accordance with the module evolved for the purpose.

Besides making the elected representatives aware of their rights, services of the Master Resource Persons will also be utilised for poverty alleviation, employment generation and capacity-building programmes. They will be appointed in all 22 districts of the state.

Jammu, May 23
Justice Mansoor Ahmad Mir of the Jammu and Kashmir High Court, while allowing a writ petition filed by Kulsoom Bano, being a victim of the negligent conduct of GREF employees, was held entitled to a total compensation of Rs 10,10,800 along with interest at the rate of 6 per cent per annum from the date of filing of the writ petition till its final realisation.

Employees of the GREF, who were on duty at Shajroo village, conducted a blasting on September 10, 2004, by filling huge explosive material without taking any precaution or warning. While doing so, a big size boulder hit the roof of the petitioner’s house. The house collapsed and she suffered grievous injuries while her sister, Rubina Akhtar, died on the spot. An FIR was lodged at Mahore police station under Sections 304-A, 337 and 286 of the RPC. The petitioner was admitted to a local hospital and then was shifted to the Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), Jammu, on September 11, 2004, as a case of crush injury. The GMCH doctors amputated her left leg above the knee level and also applied an external fixtor for the treatment of the right leg. On her discharge from the GMCH, she was certified to have suffered 80 per cent disability.

The High Court, while allowing the writ petition, observed that, “The medical certificate is the prima facie proof to the effect that she suffered 80 per cent permanent disability. By guesswork, it can be said and held that she could have earned at least Rs 3,000 per month while working as a domestic labourer, which she could not do now. She could not maintain household goods and other activities the way she would have done had she not suffered permanent disability. Thus, it could be held that the said disability had affected at least 80 per cent of her earning capacity”.

“The petitioner cannot contract marriage, if at all she could, she cannot have a good match. Thus, virtually her life has become hell and has lost the chances of a wonderful marriageable life, which she would have enjoyed had she not suffered 80 per cent permanent disability,” held the court.

Ramban, May 23
Daughter of a poor auto-rickshaw driver, Rimpy Gupta (20), who has created a history by becoming the first girl from Ramban district to top the BA Final (Arts) examination 2010-11 conducted by the University of Jammu, cannot afford to pursue higher studies.

It is not that she has given up hope. But for want of financial support she is thinking of doing something which helps her fulfil her cherished dream of pursuing higher studies. A gritty girl indeed ! “My immediate aim is to do B.Ed through correspondence, if I am able to with whatever little financial support my family may provide,” said Rimpy, who wants to be a teacher. But whether it is to be in a school, college or university again depends on her financial status.

Meeting the expenses of higher studies for which she will have to go to Jammu is a Herculean task for her father Shiv Kumar Gupta. “I rue being unable to support my daughter’s aim. But I may have to ply my auto-rickshaw for extra hours, but will not let her give up studies. You can imagine the financial burden of educating my three daughters,” he said as tears well up in his eyes. Rimpy’s mother stitches clothes to supplement family’s income.

Rimpy stood second in Class X she passed from Government High School, Ramban. But the wish to become a topper fired her throughout the college years. And she finally achieved it with sheer determination to fight all odds. Interestingly, her elder sibling and classmate Chetna Gupta too has made her family proud by securing the first division. The youngest one studies in Class I. The age difference is understandable as the family has no son.

Kalpana Kesar, Principal of Government Degree College, Ramban, where Rimpy studied, praised the girl profusely for bringing laurels to this mofussil college set up just six years back. “I have offered to bear her university fee but the family is probably reluctant in accepting it. I have also offered that I may request the Vice-Chancellor to allow her admission to the postgraduate course as a special case because the entrance exam for the purpose was held before the declaration of her result,” she said.

Though appreciative of the principal’s gesture, Rimpy’s father is unable to identify the source of meeting the expenses of food, clothing and her stay in a place like Jammu. “Even if I get a chance to study higher, what will my sister think who has also done well. After all we are equal in the eyes of our father,” added Rimpy while giving a reason for not being able to accept her principal’s offer. Isn’t she a girl who really deserves help? 

Basholi (Kathua), May 23
The organiser of the function, Border Roads Organisation (BRO), here chose a subtle way, perhaps, to keep the people, including hundreds of women, children and old men, glued to their chairs amid hot weather conditions. It made a good use of technology. When UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi was yet to arrive, the BRO, which had installed two giant screens at the venue, started featuring clips of “Humara Dil Apke Pass Hai” featuring Bollywood diva Aishwarya Rai Bachhan and Anil Kapoor.

“The title song of the movie featuring Ash and Anil has come to me as a whiff of fresh air in this searing heat,” said a profusely sweating Rajesh Kumar, a young man from Seri Mohalla.

Not only Rajesh, but also young and old, men and women, besides children were glued to the giant screens watching the woman-oriented movie, while a Sikh youth held a few delicate branches of a mango tree on his forehead throughout the programme, gleefully listening to the politicians. — TNS

Jammu, May 23
Even as some veteran leaders of the Sangh Parivar are assiduously trying to avoid a split in the BJP, the “loyal” faction today triggered another controversy by serving notices of disqualification on seven suspended MLAs.

On the recommendation of the chief whip of the party, Ashok Khajuria, the acting leader of the BJP Legislature Party, Jugal Kishore Sharma, today issued a notice of disqualification to seven legislators. Disclosing this at a press conference here today, the BJP chief spokesperson, Jitendra Singh, said as per the para 2(1)(b) of the 7th Schedule of the Jammu and Kashmir Constitution, the BJP chief whip in the House, Ashok Khajuria, had filed a petition for the disqualification of the legislators with the acting leader of the BJP Legislature Party, Jugal Kishore Sharma, who under the J&K Constitution had the authority to disqualify the MLAs for the violation of the party’s whip.

“I have served notices on seven MLAs on the recommendation of the chief whip of the party, Ashok Khajuria,” Jugal Kishore Sharma told The Tribune. He added that one week had been given to the legislators to file their objections. The MLAs against whom the disqualification notices had been issued, include Chaman Lal Gupta, Bharat Bhushan, Gharu Ram Bhagat, Baldev Sharma, Master Lal Chand, Jagdish Raj Sapolia and Durga Dass. 

Leh, May 23
The five-day annual Ladakh Monlam Chenmo, centralised prayers of Buddhist monks of all monasteries of Changthang, central Leh, Nubra, Zangkar and Shyam regions of Ladakh, began at Chokhang Vihra here today.

Prayers for peace in the world and good crops are the main objectives of the Ladakh Monlam Chenmo, which is being organised by the All Ladakh Gonpa Association, and at least 1,500 monks and nuns from all over Ladakh are participating in the event.

Although the prayers are being organised on the pattern of the Lhasa Monlam Chenmo, it is different in Ladakh as all monasteries belonging to the four major schools of the Tibetan Buddhism are jointly performing the special prayers and both monks and nuns are participating. The tradition of the Monlam Chenmo in Ladakh began in 1991.