Jammu, July 24
Scholars of Jammu University today threatened to close the varsity if the government failed to make Central University functional at the earliest.

The Jammu Province Peoples Forum (JPPF), a conglomerate of social, trade, and student groups, has also given a call for a 15-day hunger strike on the issue. The pro-Jammu groups have been demanding appointment of a local person from Jammu region as Vice-Chancellor of the Central varsity.

Scholars of Jammu University Research Scholars Forum (JURSF) threatened an indefinite shutdown in Jammu University in case the HRD Ministry did not make Central University of Jammu functional at the earliest.

The JURSF was critical of ministers, MLAs and MPs from Jammu region for their “anti-Jammu approach” vis-à-vis the Central varsity.

Chief Minister Omar Abdullah owes an explanation to the people of Jammu over the inordinate delay in making the Central varsity functional, said JURSF president Suresh Ajay Magotra.

The JPPF has decided to launch a relay hunger strike from tomorrow onwards as the government has failed to start the Central varsity despite several reminders and ultimatums, JPPF convener Justice (retired) Paviter Singh told mediapersons here today.

“If the government does not appoint a competent VC, preferably a local academician, within 15 days then we will be compelled to take our agitation to every tehsil and block,” he said.

The Congress has finally broken its silence on the matter. In a belated move, the party has urged the HRD Ministry to start the varsity soon.

Meanwhile, the student wing of Panthers Party and the National Secular Forum today declared that they would intensify their agitations till the government accepted their demand of appointing a local VC to the varsity.

Activists of the National Panthers Students’ Union (NPSU) said they would not suppress their agitation.

Pushvinder Singh Manhas, in charge, NPSU, said they would go on a hunger strike from Monday and continue boycotting the classes.

“Our protest will continue until and unless the demand for the establishment of the CUJ is conceded. No one can suppress our voice with the use of force,” he said.

He further demanded the immediate suspension of the SHO of the Nowabad police station, Ajay Bhat, alleging that Bhat was responsible for the brutalities on students, who were peacefully demonstrating outside the GGM Science College on July 22. 

Akhnoor/Jammu, July 24
Due to downpour in the Jammu region today, the water level in the Chenab at Akhnoor has touched 29 ft and is flowing 5 ft above normal.

The Flood Control Department has also become active and alerted all its officials to regularly monitor the situation and prepare reports after every half an hour.

The downpour, which was measured at 78.7 mm in Jammu city, affected normal life. As the drainage system was choked, the rainwater flooded various city roads, caused extensive damage to roads and gave commuters a tough time.

At some places rainwater entered into moving vehicles and some houses. Though the Jammu Municipal Corporation (JMC) officials came out with heavy machinery to clear the roads, yet little could be done to ease the situation. Diversions were made at many places so that commuters could reach their destinations.

“The drainage system has totally collapsed and the officials concerned are the least bothered about the problems being faced by the common man,” said Savita Khajuria, a housewife.

The officials of the Meteorological Department at Srinagar said the situation was almost similar in Samba, RS Pura, Katra, Banihal, Batote and Bhadarwah, where the downpour created chaos and confusion.

They predicted more showers in the next 24 hours across the region.

SD Sharma, Assistant Engineer, Flood Control Department, Akhnoor, said: “Due to downpour in the region, especially in the upper areas, the water level in the Chenab has reached up to the height of 29 ft. The department officials have been alerted and all possible steps are being taken. Minute-to-minute reports are being sent to the higher-ups, who are regularly in touch with the Army and the Air Force. In case, any odd situation arises, the Army and the Air Force officials could be called for rescue operations.”

He added that “so far, we have not received any information about any losses, but if the rain continues till night, any untoward situation can happen, as the water level in other canals and tributaries has also increased.”

Sharma also appealed to the people living in low-lying areas to follow the department’s advisories and avoid going near the river.

Jammu, July 24
Even as the Jammu Kashmir Study Group has intensified its activities to make the scheduled Round Table Conference (RTC) a grand success, intellectuals and members of the civil society here have started exerting pressure on the study group not to invite Dileep Padgaonkar in the function as he had attended a seminar organised by the Kashmiri American Council (KAC) headed by Sayeed Ghulam Nabi Fai.

Fai was arrested on July 20 by the Federal Bureau of Investigation for his nexus with the Pakistan’s ISI.

Padgaonkar is heading the three-member team of interlocutors appointed by the Union Government to hold interactions with people of the state and prepare a report for the resolution of the Kashmir problem.

Prof Hari Om, former professor of the Maharaja Gulab Singh Chair, University of Jammu, and former member of the Indian Council of Historical Research (ICHR) said Padgaonkar had lost his credibility and people would find it difficult to repose faith in him and hope for an unbiased approach from him towards the Kashmir problem.

“Padgaonkar who is heading the team of interlocutors owes an explanation to the people of the country and that of Jammu and Kashmir for his participation in the conference organised by Fai, an ISI agent working as principal representative of Kashmiri separatist movement in the US,” Prof Varinder Gupta, former head of the department of physics in Jammu University said, demanding the resignation of Padgaonkar from his present assignment of an interlocutor.

Srinagar, July 24
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah had an extended drive on the 85-km long road from Bandipore to Gurez today. He said the purpose behind his visiting Gurez by road was to assess the condition of the road and get a first-hand appraisal of the development works by interacting with the people at various places.

Omar was the first Chief Minister, who drove from Srinagar to Dawer, Gurez, by road. He inspected works en route and interacted with the locals at various places, an official spokesperson said.

The occasion was to inaugurate Gurez festival aimed at showcasing the area for tourism, which remains cut off from the rest of the Valley for winter months due to heavy accumulation of snow on the high mountains through which the road passes.

Omar said his government had paid attention on the development of good roads focusing on the construction of intra-district and intra-regional roads. “We have already received liberal financial support from the Central government for many road projects and our endeavour will be to seek further Central help for the purpose,” he said.

Underlining the accessibility prerequisite for the development of hilly and remote areas, the Chief Minister said he would take up the issue of boring of various tunnels in the state with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

Omar said the construction of tunnels and dependable road connectivity was essentially important in the state to help link up backward areas with the main highways and ensure integrated development and generation of economic activities in such areas.

He said regular helicopter service for such areas was necessary to assure the connection of the areas with the rest of the country, especially during winter.

“This issue stands taken up with the Central government,” Omar said, adding that he would further push it forward.

The theme of the festival is promotion of tourism. An exhibition, cultural programmes and folk dances are some of the attractions of the festival. As many as 24 stalls have been installed for the exhibition of various handicrafts, agricultural, horticultural and other items that are produced in the area and other parts of the state.

Jammu, July 24
The Natrang theatre group completed 400 shows in its weekly Sunday theatre series by staging Balwant Gargi’s popular play, ‘Lekhak’, under the direction of Neeraj Kant here today.

Natrang director, Balwant Thakur, while speaking on the completion of 400 shows said the Natrang’s Sunday theatre was the longest sustained weekly show of the country and was now being discussed in the global theatre scene as one of the regular happening shows of the world.

“In the last seven years the Natrang’s team of actors and technicians have been on their toes to meet the weekly commitment of performing a play every Sunday. There have been disturbances and constraints, but the Natrang team has really demonstrated that nothing is impossible,” Balwant said.

Claiming that the Natrang’s Sunday theatre had given a global identity to Jammu city in particular and Jammu and Kashmir in general, Balwant Thakur complimented all those, who had been a part of the creation of the history for the Indian theatre.

The play ‘Lekhak’ shows a creative person absorbed in the process of writing a play, quite pensively. Lot of things are going on in his mind. By the time he starts to put down something on paper, he is distracted by some visitors.

The writer in the play portrays a creative person, who is not being understood and cooperated by the people living around him. For the people, he is just an idle person. In the absence of a congenial environment, his artistic genius is shown vulnerable and victimised by the people in his social circle.

Balwant Gargi being a writer has beautifully depicted the life of a writer, his aspirations and frustrations.

Disturbed and distracted, the writer cries that the visitors had robbed him of everything, but the people around him believed that the writer was crying because of some frustration.

Pawan Verma successfully portrayed the inner turmoil of a writer. The visitors to the writer included Syed Fardeen (Manohar Lal), Vishal Sharma (Ram Bharose), Rajani Bhatti (Champa) and Rahul Singh (Purshotam). Lights were designed and executed by Neeraj Kant. Sumeet Sharma coordinated the show and did the presentations.

Jammu, July 24
Amid tight security, 25th batch of pilgrims comprising 1,504 people left for the Amarnath yatra from here today.

As many as 895 men, 297 women, 35 children and 277 sadhus left the Bhagwati Nagar base camp here this morning in a cavalcade of 50 vehicles for the 13,500-feet high cave shrine.

With 1,504 pilgrims leaving for the Amarnath cave shrine from the Bhagwati Nagar base camp, the annual pilgrimage has broken all the previous records as the number today crossed 5.50 lakh pilgrims.

“It’s an all time high. The figures crossed 5.50 lakh mark today breaking previous record of 5.34 lakh pilgrims in 2008,” Deepak Sharma, commanding officer of the 90 Battalion of the CRPF, which has been guarding the cave shrine, told The Tribune over the phone.

By this afternoon 7,740 more pilgrims had paid the obeisance at the cave shrine, he said.

Sharma added that the “Ice Lingam” today stood at 4 ft and the weather by and large at the cave shrine area remained sunny. “The pilgrimage has being going on smoothly and the CRPF in tandem with the police and the Army has been keeping a strict vigil,” he said.

On the 32-km long Chandanwari track and 14-km long Baltal track, CRPF personnel, along with the police, had been assisting the pilgrims, he added.

They would trek both Pahalgam and Baltal tracks as per their yatra permits to reach the cave shrine, he said.

He said a total of 5,16,537 pilgrims had performed darshan in the holy cave till July 22. “Come what may I will keep visiting the cave shrine every year till the age I am able to undertake the pilgrimage,” said Ashwin Kumar, a pilgrim from Lucknow.

He attributed the overwhelming response to the yatra to the prevailing peace situation in the Valley this year.

Jammu, July 24
A seminar on “Challenges to Freedom of Expression” was organised by the Forum for Democratic Rights (FDR), in collaboration with several other students and social organisations in which noted Gandhian activist, Himanshu Kumar was the key speaker.

Members of the civil society, students and social activists attended the seminar. “The inequality and injustice in the political and social apparatus of the country has been the prime reason for violence in the country,” said Himanshu Kumar and observed that denial of the fundamental rights to the victims of the government’s wrong policies was contributing to the growing political unrest in the country.

Himanshu, who has earlier worked for the welfare of tribals in Chhattisgarh for almost 15 years alleged, “The government has been adopting unconstitutional measures in evicting tribals from their land to pursue its faulty developmental policies.”

“Justice has been denied to tribals. The civil administration and courts have shut their doors on them. In spite of serious violation of their basic natural rights, tribals have no visibility in media as well,” Himanshu said, adding, that the prevailing situation was driving tribals towards Naxalites.

Himanshu added that, “Even those activists who had been working for the welfare of tribals have fallen victims to the state excesses under arbitrary laws like the Public Safety Act (PSA).”

Others who spoke on the occasion included the chairperson, Kashmir Times Group of Publications, Ved Bhasin, executive editor of Kashmir Times, Anuradha Bhasin Jamwal and president of the FDR, Prof Zahur-ud-Din.

Srinagar, July 24
Ahead of the Independence Day celebrations in the state, security has been beefed up in the Kashmir valley and surprise security checks are being conducted by the police and other security agencies to foil any attempt by militants to disrupt peace.

At various places, the police and the CRPF have started surprise checks. Vehicles are being stopped and the people asked to show their identity cards. “Every year militants try to disrupt peace during the Republic Day and Independence Day celebrations. Hence, security has been beefed up in the Valley and the surprise checks are part of the enhanced security arrangements,” a senior police officer said.

Sources said after the unsavoury incident of a police officer throwing a shoe at Chief Minister Omar Abdullah last year while he was unfurling the National Flag at the Bakshi Stadium in Srinagar, extra care would be taken this time. “Even though the issue was hushed up, it was a major embarrassment for the police and the security agencies. This year special entry passes would be issued to police officers and only senior most police officers would be allowed to sit on the podium behind the Chief Minister,” the officer said.

The sources said so far the police and other security agencies did not have any specific information about any terror group trying to disrupt the Independence Day celebrations, but the security agencies did not want to take any chance. “After the Mumbai blasts, we cannot take any chance with regard to security. There will be stringent security arrangements on August 15. Surprise security checks have already started as part of the overall security arrangements,” he said. — TNS

Srinagar, July 24
To discuss the status of implementation of the RTI Act, state Chief Information Commissioner (CIC) GR Sofi held a meeting with officials designated as Public Information Officers, Assistant Public Information Officers and first Appellate Authority at Kargil in Ladakh region yesterday.

Addressing the meeting at the district headquarters, Sofi said people had the right to know about the functioning of the administration and the status of development works being executed in their areas.

The CIC said it was the duty of every Public Information Officer (PIO) to provide the information within a period of 30 days from the date of filing of the application. He said if the information was not provided within the stipulated time, the applicant had the right to approach the Commission for demanding action against the erring official.

He also asked the PIOs to get full knowledge about the RTI Act and provide information strictly under the guidelines of the Act.

Earlier, highlighting the status of implementation of the RTI Act in the district, the Nodal Officer and Chief Executive Officer, Kargil Development Authority, Khadim Hussain Munshi, informed that under the RTI Act, 34 applications had been received so far and out of them 31 cases had been settled. He said awareness programmes had been organised at district headquarters and block headquarters to educate people about the RTI Act.

Senior officers of the district administration and public representatives attended the meetings.

Srinagar, July 24
An annual plan outlay of over Rs 103.52 crore for the current financial year, which is about Rs 5.23 crore more than last year’s plan allocation of Rs 99.56 crore, has been approved for Anantnag by the District Development Board.

This was approved at the District Development Board meeting held under the chairmanship of Finance Minister Abdul Rahim Rather at Anantnag yesterday. The current year’s plan allocation includes about Rs 37 crore as revenue component and Rs 66.50 crore as capital component, an official spokesman said.

While taking the sectoral review of the physical and financial progress of last year’s annual plan, Rather announced a new scheme for the construction of Martand Canal Gohan, which was abandoned after spending Rs 45 lakh due to non-fulfilment of norms. The canal would feed 14 villages comprising 25,000 persons from the Gujjar and Bakarwal communities.

On the insistence of some local legislators, Rather ordered an inquiry into the alleged violation of main guidelines in execution of Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MNREGA) in the district. He asked the Development Commissioner, Anantnag, to complete the inquiry within a month and report. He said stern action under the rules would be taken against the erring officials. 

Jammu, July 24
The District Development Board meeting of Samba was held under the chairmanship of Deputy Chief Minister Tara Chand and an annual district plan of Rs 56.85 crore for 2011-2012 was approved.

The plan included Rs 41.07 crore as the capital component. — TNS