Jammu, July 20
With two academic sessions of the much-hyped Central University of Jammu already wasted, intellectuals here are irked over the inordinate delay in the appointment of the university’s Vice-Chancellor.

Following opposition from some pro-Jammu groups, former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Jammu, Prof Amitabh Mattoo, had declined to accept his appointment as the first Vice-Chancellor of the Central university in February this year.

The groups, who have now softened their stand, are demanding the appointment of a local person as the Vice-Chancellor.“If there are two persons equally positioned, the local man should get preference. But if the government is not able to find a local person for the post, it could go to an outsider. The future of the students cannot be spoiled,” said former DGP MM Khajooria.

“The Central university was sanctioned for Jammu after a long time and we should not waste the opportunity just because some groups want a local person as the Vice-Chancellor,” he added.

Khajooria described such groups as “anti-Jammu because they are constantly denying their own boys and girls the opportunity to go for higher studies at the Central university.”

The Central universities in other parts of the country started functioning in 2009. It may be stated here that the Union Human Resource Development Ministry had initially announced a Central university for Srinagar, which led to a spate of protests in Jammu and compelled New Delhi to sanction another Central university for Jammu.

Prof RK Ganjoo, Director, Institute of Himalayan Glaciology, University of Jammu, also expressed resentment against the politicisation of the issue. “Peeved over the politicisation of the issue, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and the Union HRD Ministry have distanced themselves from the issue,” he said.

“People should understand that ultimately they are the losers and the appointment of the Vice-Chancellor of a Central university is the prerogative of the President,” said Ganjoo. “There is no role of state politics in it,” he added.

“It is high time that the groups should withdraw their demand in the larger interest of Jammu and its people,” Ganjoo said. “It is ironical that those who are demanding a local to be appointed as the Vice-Chancellor have themselves not been able to suggest a suitable name. By remaining adamant on their demand, they are playing with the careers of the youth of the region,” said an academician of the University of Jammu.

Srinagar, July 20
The PDP has convened a day-long panchayat conference here on July 28 to discuss the political situation in the state.

PDP president Mehbooba Mufti said here today that the panchayat members from both the Kashmir and Jammu regions, who were elected recently and were affiliated to the party, would attend the conference. It would also focus on the important issue of the empowerment of panchayats, she said.

The empowerment had become important in view of the state government’s failure to formally set up these institutions, Mehbooba said.

The notification about the elected members of the panchayats had not been issued even though some of them were elected three months ago, she added. She said the NC-led government was trying to subvert the Panchayati Raj system.

Instead of institutionalising the panchayats, the NC had been trying to pressure or lure the sarpanches and the panches into joining the party.

Mehbooba said even though most of the candidates supported by the NC had lost the elections, the party was now patronising them rather than helping establish a genuine Panchayati Raj through the elected members.

She lamented that the NC first started luring the sarpanches and panches in the Ganderbal constituency represented by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and was now doing it in other areas.

Meanwhile, Minister for Rural Development, Law and Parliamentary Affairs Ali Mohammad Sagar said here that a formal notification regarding the election of the sarpanches and panches was issued on July 15 when the term of the panchayats began.

He added that the oath would be administered to the newly-elected members from July 19 to 26.

Srinagar, July 20
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah today said a committee headed by the Chief Secretary to formulate a road map and identify the quantum of powers to be transferred to panchayats had submitted its report and the Cabinet would soon take a decision on it.

“My government is committed to the transfer of powers to the panchayats,” he said.In a state like Jammu and Kashmir, the government could not be run only from the Secretariat.

The Chief Minister was addressing newly elected panches and sarpanches of the Pulwama and Pampore Assembly segments after inaugurating four-day training camps there.

The Chief Minister has so far visited 30 Assembly constituencies,interacted with the newly elected panchayat members, heard their views and suggestions about the establishment of the Panchayati Raj system in the state and apprised them of their duties towards the public.

Omar said the opponents of his government had tried their best to mislead the people on the intention of the government to hold the panchayat elections in the state. “They spread rumours about the holding of the elections, the participation of candidates and the turnout. But we were sincere and determined to hold the elections. We succeeded with your support and proved all speculations in this regard totally incorrect. We are committed to empower you so that you deliver properly and purposefully,” he added.

Meanwhile, the Chief Minister said his focus now is on the creation of a dependable public service delivery system in the state, where the administration will be answerable for any delay in providing services to the people.

“To move ahead on this count, my government has made public service delivery a legal binding on the administration, guaranteeing it to the ‘Aam Admi’, under a law recently enacted by the state legislature,” he said.The new law would also help check corruption.

Speaking to various deputations at his ‘public-mulaqat’ here today, the Chief Minister said a prompt and responsive administration was his government’s priority.“We want a hassle-free service delivery system in all areas,” he said, adding that erring officials would be punished and fined under the Public Services Delivery Guarantee Act, 2011.

The Chief Minister said the new Act would largely address complaints of the people about delays and corrupt practices in the process of obtaining ration cards, driving licences, water and electricity connections, revenue papers, registration of vehicles, no-objection certificates and other services.

“We have empowered the people to demand punishment under the new Act for any official delaying the delivery of services within the prescribed time-frame,” he added. 

Jammu, July 20
President of the Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar) Simranjit Singh Mann today demanded adequate presentation of Sikhs in the state government.

Addressing a press conference here today, Mann pointed out that adequate representation was not given to the Sikh community in the government and emphasised the need for giving due representation to the community.

On the proposed rehabilitation policy of the government for the militants, who had crossed over to Pakistan for arms training, Mann questioned the intentions of the Central government and demanded that the International Red Cross should be assigned the job to bring back the youth, who wanted to return to their native places.

Mann expressed concern over the unabated human rights violations in Jammu and Kashmir and asked the government to stop the killing of innocent people.

Before leaving for Srinagar to meet separatist leaders and family members of those who were killed last year, Mann interacted with various delegations and discussed the problems being faced by the Sikh community in the state.

Jammu, July 20
The 10-day annual Budda Amarnath yatra in Poonch district will begin from August 1. Addressing mediapersons here today, Rajesh Pandey, national co-convener of the Bajrang Dal, said “pratham poojan (first prayers) would be held in the shrine of Lord Shiva in the Mandi belt of Poonch district on August 1.

The first batch of pilgrims would leave for the yatra from the Bhagwati Nagar base camp here on August 2. Over 2 lakh pilgrims were expected to visit the shrine, he said.

Pandey appreciated the efforts of the state government in including the shrine in pilgrim tourism and constructing a yatri bhawan in the shrine complex.

All the arrangements for the yatra were in place and nearly two lakh pilgrims from across the country were expected to undertake the pilgrimage.

He also felt that eversince the pilgrimage was restarted in 2005,the migration of the people from Mandi and the adjoining areas had stopped.

“The yatra helped boost the sagging morale of the people in the area ever since Swami Vishwatamanand was installed at the religious seat of the Dashnami Akhara in Mandi in 2009,” he said.

He expressed his gratitude to the state Tourism Department for providing all the necessary help for the forthcoming pilgrimage.

Doda, July 20
The Minister for Transport, Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution, Qamar Ali Akhoon, has asked officials of the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) to install crash barriers on the Batote-Doda-Kishtwar stretch of the National Highway-1B to prevent accidents.

Reviewing road and transport facilities here, Akhoon, asked the BRO authorities to prepare a proposal in this regard.

Interestingly, MLA, Doda, Majid Wani, has repeatedly alleged that the state transport and traffic authorities have failed to take preventive measures like installing crash barriers, parapets and regular checking of overspeeding and overloading of buses on the accident-prone stretch of the National Highway.

The BRO officials informed the minister that a proposal in this regard had already been submitted to the Union Surface Transport Ministry.

The BRO officials claimed to have installed crash barriers on the 23-km stretch, besides constructing parapets walls on 5 km and earthfilled barrels on 300 metres between Khellani and Thatri on the highway.

However, Wani alleged the barriers at a few places were not erected properly and were of poor quality.

The minister also asked the BRO authorities to expedite work on various roads so that they could be completed in a time-bound manner. The officials also presented a power point presentation regarding the new alignment of the Khelani-Galginder bypass road.

The minister distributed Rs 2.90 lakh among the 45 beneficiaries, who were injured in various road accidents in Doda district. Of these, 13 seriously injured beneficiaries were given Rs 10,000 each while 32, who had sustained minor injuries, were given Rs 5,000 each. 

Jammu, July 20
Justice JP Singh of the Jammu and Kashmir High Court today set aside the order of the prescribed authority of February 10, 2006, whereby, the petitioner’s election as councillor from Ward No. 13 of the Municipal Committee, Doda, was cancelled and he was declared disqualified under the Jammu and Kashmir Municipal Act. 

The High Court held that, “Without calling upon the respondent to lead evidence in support of his election petition, the authorised officer chose to rely upon the reports of the revenue officers to arrive at the conclusion that the petitioner was unauthorisedly occupying state land and thus was not qualified to contest the municipal elections and that too without recording the statements of the revenue officers.”

“Therefore, there being no legal evidence on record justifying the finding that the petitioner was unauthorisedly occupying state land, the authorised officer’s ruling that the petitioner was unqualified under the Municipal Act to seek election as a municipal councillor cannot be sustained. The officer’s order on the election petition of the respondent declaring the petitioner as disqualified without following the procedure prescribed under Section 289 of the Municipal Act and in the absence of any evidence of any type, whatsoever, on record justifying the disqualification, cannot be sustained,” the Judge held.

Zaffar Ullah Rather’s election as a councillor from Ward No. 13 of the Municipal Committee, Doda, was challenged by Ghulam Nabi Shah before the authorised officer, who allowed Shah’s election petition ex-parte and set aside the petitioner’s election vide order of February 10, 2006.

The High Court, while allowing the petition, observed that, “As the authorised officer himself was the prescribed appellate authority, the petitioner had no forum available where he could exercise his right of appeal under Section 303 of the Municipal Act and in this view of the matter the petitioner’s writ petition cannot be held to be not maintainable. Even otherwise, the availability of an alternative remedy may not always operate as bar on the exercise of extra-ordinary writ jurisdiction, if the court was satisfied that the facts and circumstances of the case warranted the exercise of such a jurisdiction to advance the cause of justice.”

The High Court, while allowing the writ petition, held the petitioner entitled to remuneration, sitting fee as admissible under the rules to a councillor.

Jammu, July 20
The PDP has charged the Omar Abdulllah-led government with adopting anti-people policies. Addressing a public meeting in the Sumb area of Samba today, PDP leaders said all sections of society had been bearing the brunt of the government’s misdeeds.

They alleged that the state had plunged into an unprecedented crisis due to the wrong policies of the Chief Minister, whose inability to connect with the people had worsened the situation. They said during the last two-and-a- half years, the government had done nothing to ameliorate the lot of the people and had instead compounded their woes. “Instead of solving the problems of the people, the government has compounded their misery due to its wrong policies,” they said.

The leaders criticised the government for its failure to provide rations to the people of the Kandi areas. “The scarcity of rations in this belt reveals the casual approach of the government towards the people’s problems,” they said and called upon the party workers to expose the misdeeds of the government.

They alleged that the coalition government was formed without any programme and policy and the NC leaders had been misleading the people by making false promises. Trilok Singh Bajwa, Balbir Singh, Ved Mahajan and others also addressed the meeting.