Jammu, July 11
Maintaining that a consensus has emerged on a large number of issues concerning Jammu and Kashmir at the Roundtable Conference, the three interlocutors said today that the conference’s recommendations would be submitted to the Centre.

“By tomorrow, we will have a document that will give a detailed account of what can be done (on Jammu and Kashmir). This will be in the shape of recommendations that the participants will make to the group of interlocutors,” head of the three-member team Dileep Padgaonkar told reporters after the conclusion of the two-day meeting in Jammu this evening.

Padgaonkar, who, along with Prof Radha Kumar and MM Ansari, chaired the meeting, said, “We will, in turn, forward these recommendations to the Government of India.”

He expressed happiness over the outcome of the conference and said, “There has been a wide consensus on a large number of issues”. “We had two meetings in Srinagar, one with women and another with academics.

This was with cultural activists and others,” he said.

Over 50 eminent persons from various walks of life, including culture, heritage, academics, journalism and civil society, took part in the meeting today.

Before the confernce the interlocutors held an interaction with some pro-Jammu organisations. A delegation of West Pakistan refugees, under the leadership of Laba Ram Gandhi, also met the interlocutors.

A delegation of the Jammu Mukhti Morcha, led by its chairman, Prof Virender Gupta, met them and highlighted the alleged discrimination against the Jammu region. 

Srinagar/Udhampur, July 11
The state government will transfer powers to sarpanches and panches for effective implementation of work at the grass-roots level, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said today.

“My government is keen on transferring powers to you and decentralising the administration so that the grass-roots public representatives are involved in policy framing and execution of works in their localities,” he said.

The Chief Minister told the newly elected sarpanches and panches at Aishmuqam in Anantnag district that they would be issued photo-identity cards to help them carry out their work properly.

“I have asked the Rural Development Department to provide photo-identity cards to sarpanches and panches, so that they can meet officials without any hassles and their dignity is also protected at all levels,” he said.

He underlined the importance of public empowerment in reducing malpractices, saying the development process in the state would witness transformation due to the Panchayati Raj for which all decks had been cleared. “The Panchayat Raj in the state is an important measure to realise the dream of Naya Kashmir (new Kashmir),” he said. Omar told the newly elected sarpanches and panches to shoulder their responsibilities towards the people on the socio-economic fronts.

He said a state like Jammu and Kashmir could not be run from the secretariat or on a provincial level.

“We have vast mountainous and far-off areas, besides geographical diversity and climatic variation. The situation like this demands area specific attention,” he said, maintaining that the panchayat system was the only way forward to address such a requirement.

Meanwhile, District Development Commissioner (DDC), Kishtwar, MH Malik has asked newly-elected sarpanches and panches of Kishtwar district to monitor various ongoing development works in their areas.

Addressing the people’s representatives at a public darbar at Thakrai yesterday, Malik said the feedback provided by them would help improve the quality of development works at the village level. This would also ensure a proper use of the funds for the purpose.

Additional District Development Commissioner, Kishtwar, Nazir Ahmad Shah, Chief Planning Officer, Kishtwar, YP Bhagat and other district and sectoral Officers were also present at the meeting. The DDC praised the people of the area for their wholehearted participation in the recent panchayat elections.

The elected representatives raised various demands, including the upgradation of government schools, augmentation of the drinking water supply schemes in the area, installation of transformers and electric poles and other allied equipment, implementation of schemes related to agriculture, horticulture, sericulture and other development aspects on priority, teaching staff in various schools, ration depots, adequate transport facilities and the payment of pending land compensation cases.

Malik directed the officers concerned to address the genuine demands raised by the panchayat members. He also inspected various developmental works in the area under the Prime Minister’s Gramin Sadak Yojna and the JKPCC and issued directions for expediting the works.

Jammu, July 11
About 30 passengers, mainly children, had a miraculous escape when the steering wheel of the bus they were travelling in got jammed on the Katra-Reasi road this afternoonBus driver Sukhdev Singh said the steering wheel was jammed and he lost control over the vehicle. “Luckily, the bus got stuck on the parapet after the right front wheel moved over it,” he added.

The passengers, mostly residents of villages around Katra town, were on the way to Sulah Park, a picnic spot, near Reasi.

“We saw the bus going towards the gorge when it stopped on its own. We thought we were going to die,” said 12-year-old Amit, who was sitting on the seat behind the driver.

Srinagar, July 11
Tributes were paid to Begum Akbar Jahan, wife of the National Conference (NC) founder, Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah, and mother of Union Minister for New and Renewable Energy Farooq Abdullah, on her 11th death anniversary here today. Wreaths were laid on her grave at Naseem Bagh on the banks of the Dal Lake, near the Hazratbal shrine.

Dr Farooq Abdullah and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah offered special prayers at the graves of the Sheikh and Begum Jahan, popularly known as Madr-e-Meharban. Senior NC leaders, ministers, legislators and workers were present on the occasion.

Omar also addressed a gathering of students of Madr-e-Meharban Public School, Gulab Bagh, near here. He said assistance to institutions like the Madr-e-Meharban Welfare Society was the need of the hour to help it run schools, craft centres and educational institutions for the poor and the needy. He assured the society of all possible assistance from the government in this direction. “It is not only the present government but also the future governments as well which ought to come forward to support such institutions, as these supplement the government’s agenda of the universalisation of education, especially for the weaker and poor sections of society,” Omar said.

The Chief Minister said providing educational facilities to the children of the poor and the weaker sections of society was a stupendous task and the government would render every help to the organisations and the societies working for this noble cause.

The school provides free education to the children of weaker sections and tribals. It is part of the Miskeen Bagh Women Welfare Centre founded by Begum Jahan.

Omar said the establishment of the Gujjar and Bakarwal Advisory Board, mobile schools and dispensaries for these communities, strengthening of the Red Cross movement and the establishment of the Miskeen Bagh Education and Crafts Training Centre for Women were some of the historic decisions taken by the government on Begum Jahan’s advice.

Speaking on the occasion, Farooq stressed the need for nurturing children and advised the school management to give proper education to the students. Paying tributes to his mother, Farooq lauded her role in the development and growth of the Gujjars and the Bakarwals, women and children, poor and the needy. “Till she breathed her last, she worked for the uplift of the weaker sections, women and children,” he said.

Jammu, July 11
Special Judge, Anti-Corruption, Jammu, Pawan Dev Kotwal today rejected the bail applications of the then Director of the Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution Department, Hemant Kumar Sharma, at present serving as Special Secretary, Higher Education, and Saif-ud-Din Giri, Krishan Kumar Sharma and Zaffar Ullah Bhat, all then posted as Assistant Directors in Ramban district, in the foodgrain transport scam for causing a loss of Rs 25,67,106 to the exchequer.

It also rejected the bail pleas of contractors M/S Ghulam Rasool Bhat, Towseer Ahmed Paddar, Mohammad Rafiq Paddar, Abdul Gani and Fayaz Ahmed in the case.

The court held that, “The petitioner, Hemant Kumar, holds a high position in the state bureaucracy and though he ceases to be the Director, CAPD, he is holding an important post, as admitted by the parties. And, therefore, the possibility of Hemant Kumar and other petitioners influencing the witnesses and tampering with the prosecution evidence cannot be ruled out.”

The accused entered into a criminal conspiracy during 2009 and as part of it did not enter into a contract with four successful bidders (who had the lowest tenders) relating to the transportation of foodgrains to different areas of Ramban district. They dishonestly and wrongfully awarded the contract for the transportation of foodgrains to other four contractors on much higher rates and thus caused a wrongful loss of Rs 25,67,106 to the exchequer and a wrongful gain to the accused persons.

The Judge, while rejecting the bail applications, observed that, “The allegations levelled in the FIR are prima-facie well-founded and the investigation in the case is at the initial stage. Therefore, the apprehension of the prosecution that in case the bail is granted the accused will influence the witnesses is not unreasonable.”

Leh, July 11
Residents of three wards of the old Leh town, Skayosgoksum, Stalam and Stayoyokma, have decided to organise a cleanliness drive in the town on July 13.

The Chief Executive Councillor of the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC), Leh, Rigzin Spalbar, and three NGOs working in the old Leh town will also take part in the drive, along with residents and the Municipal Committee.

The drive is part of the beautification of the town. To share the experience in this regard, the LAHDC has also invited the Town Planner of Gangtok, which has a similar culture and features.

A discussion on the feasibility and willingness among the stakeholders of the town, political parties, religious organisations and NGOs on the need for a planned town was held recently at the conference hall, during which Gangtok Town Planner Rajesh Pradan shared his experiences.

However, the decision to start the cleanliness drive was taken during a heritage walk conducted by the Chief Executive Councillor, Rigzin Spalbar, along with executive councillors in the old Leh town, with an objective to identify the problems.

Srinagar, July 11
A delegation of the Chamber of LoC Trade, Jammu and Kashmir, met Governor NN Vohra here today and submitted a memorandum containing their demands to him.

The demands, presented by the delegation led by president of the Chamber Mohammad Tariq Khan, included a review of the Standard Operating Procedure for the cross-LoC trade after three months,facilitating regular zero point meetings of traders from both sides, monthly visits of delegations of LoC traders for talks and a waiver from the payment of VAT on items covered under the trade.

The Governor assured the delegation that their issues would be taken up with the Union Home Minister.

The six-member delegation comprised Hilal Ahmad Turki, Raja Zahoor Khan, Asif Akbar Lone, Farooq Ahmad Baghu and Mohammad Syed Khan.

Meanwhile, Ravi Prakash, IG, CRPF (Administration), Srinagar, called on Governor NN Vohra here today.

During the meeting, the IG briefed the Governor about the functioning of the CRPF in Srinagar district and up to the Baltal base camp. The Governor discussed with Prakash various aspects of security arrangements for the Amarnath yatra and how the access control could be improved.

With regard to the maintenance of internal security, the Governor was keen to know about the revised standing operating procedure for crowd controlby using the non-lethal gadgetry.

This was Prakash’s first meeting with the Governor after he took over as the IG, CRPF (Administration), Srinagar, recently. The Governor wished him a successful tenure.

Jammu, July 11
When a school going girl and budding singer of Jammu, Seema performed before legendary Urdu poet Faiz Ahmed Faiz during one of his visits to Punjab, it got her accolades and a congratulatory note from the poet. The child artist was deeply touched by the encouraging gesture of Faiz Sahab.

Many years down the line, the same Seema, now Seema Anil Sehgal, noted peace singer of the sub-continent has been paying melodious tributes to the romantic-revolutionary poet by singing concerts in the US on the invitation of Moneeza Hashmi, younger daughter of Faiz, whose birth centenary is being celebrated around the world.

While her next concert is scheduled on July 16 at Maryland, Seema held first concert at Long Island in New York on June 25. On the occasion, ‘Bisaat-e-Yaaran’ - a music album of ghazals and nazms of Faiz - sung and composed by Seema was also released.

The funds raised through the concerts and sale proceeds of the album would be used for the upkeep of “Faiz Ghar” - a non profit organisation run in Lahore to keep the memories of the poet alive.

Talking to the Tribune over telephone from New York, Seema said: “Faiz Ghar is a project of the Faiz Foundation Trust at Model Town, Lahore, where Faiz lived his last years. It aims at promoting the humanistic and progressive ideals of the late poet. It is also a platform for the lovers of Faiz to see the manuscripts and other personal memorabilia of the poet, get materials for their research works related to Faiz besides interacting with fellow artists from across the world.”

“Poetry and music recognise no physical boundaries created by the man. My music and the poems of Faiz belong to the people from all nations,” she said.

The opening concert was the highlight of the three-day-long International Urdu Conference, organised by Khalil-ur-Rehman, an Urdu journalist of the US and presided by Taghi Ahmed Abidi, an Urdu scholar based in Canada.

“Seema is the only Indian singer who is making her contributions to raise funds for the Faiz Foundation Trust,” said her husband, Anil Sehgal, who is accompanying her through the tour.

Anil said, “When Moneeza heard Seema singing at New York, she was so enthused that she elicited a promise from the singer to sing for Faiz Ghar in Pakistan later this year.”

Revealing an interesting Faiz-Jammu Kashmir connection, Anil said: “Faiz shared a special relation with J&K. He was a close friend of Sheikh Muhammad Abdullah, grand father of CM Omar Abdullah. He solemnised the marriage of Faiz with Alys, a British journalist with Leftist leanings. During the wedding, he elicited a promise from Faiz that he will not marry another woman as long as Alys was living and married to him. As we all know, Faiz kept his wedding vow.”

About 'Bisaat-e-Yaaran', he said: “This album contains ghazals and nazms of Faiz. The masterpiece of the album seems to be ghazal ‘Jamegi kaise bisaat-e-yaaran?’, which gives the album its name. This ghazal has been exquisitely composed in Raag Pilu and evocatively sung by Seema.”

Jammu, July 11
A summer camp being organised by the PowerGrid Employees’ Welfare Association concluded at the community centre of PowerGrid here today. It was conducted under the patronage of Executive Director of PowerGrid SC Singh.

During the camp, experts conducted a number of hand writing and dancing classes and the children of the employees were trained in contemporary and western dances.