The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

	Department ill-prepared to control floods Fresh rain may trigger migration from villages near Tawi Ashutosh Sharma Tribune News Service Jammu, August 24 People in villages along the Tawi in RS Pura are living in fear as flash floods triggered by heavy rain across the region recently have exposed the helplessness of the Flood Control Department to ensure the safety of their lives and property. In the absence of concrete embankments along the Tawi, which meanders into Pakistan, large tracts of cultivated land were washed away in the recent floods. This happened in spite of repeated reminders to the civil administration and the Department of Flood Control by villagers to take preventive measures. As a result, many villagers living close to the river have migrated to other places due to the threat to life and property. A deserted locality near the river, that touches Jassore village on its left bank, bears testimony to the fact that at least 20 households have shifted to other places. “In the recent floods, two kanals of my cultivated land with paddy were washed away,” said Sham Lal, a retired Army man, at Jassore, showing copies of letters he wrote to government officials requesting for flood control measures. “My house is barely at a distance of 20 feet from the Tawi. In the event of another flash flood, my house will be washed away in no time,” he feared. Another resident of Jassore, Balak Ram, said, “I lost vegetable crop on five kanals due to the floods last week. There are many others who also suffered losses. Many villagers have migrated. We will also move out as there is no security of life or property here.” Shattu, a resident of Dasore village, said, “The floods washed away my livestock, besides four kanals.” There were similar complaints from Hansu Chak, Katiyal, Shamka, Sangral and Mangral villages. “At certain places,embankments were built before the monsoon, but they were washed away,” the villagers said. They added that they did not get any compensation for the losses. “At RS Pura, two rivers, namely, Balol Nullah and Nikki Tawi, need embankments,” the villagers said, adding that, “Every year people living in the area and growing crops on 5,000 acres are affected by floods. In 2002, the area, including many BSF posts, got submerged, but still nothing was done,” they complained. SDM, RS Pura, Ashwani Khajuria said, “Six villages were affected by the floods recently. I have personally visited the villages, which are situated on a high altitude. The building of embankments along the river requires the state-of-art technology and a huge budget. The Department of Flood Control is working on many projects, but it has not informed me about their status.” “At least, 73 cases of losses due to rain have been reported to me and the department is preparing a list of affected families for the payment of compensation,” he said. “The matter relating to livestock and property, which were washed away, has been taken up with the IG, BSF,” “People migrated from Jassore many years ago and there has been no fresh migration,” he added. Chief Engineer, Flood Control, Ashwani Sharma said he was in Srinagar for some official work.
	Samba boy was drugged, killed, claims mother Ravi Krishnan Khajuria Tribune News Service Jammu, August 24 Veena Devi, a resident of Vijaypur tehsil in Samba district, has claimed before the police that her nine-year-old son, Shubam Sharma, was drugged and killed by her paramour on March 30. She claimed she, too, was drugged and, therefore, could not do anything to save her son. The Samba police said following sustained questioning, Veena confessed that her son was murdered in front of her, but since she had been also been drugged by her paramour, with whom she had also consumed alcohol on the fateful day, she could not do anything to save the boy. “We have identified three eyewitnesses in the age group 12-16,” said a senior police officer on condition of anonymity. Veena’s paramour, Darshan Kumar, drugged the boy and then hanged him from a ceiling fan , said the officer. “We feel that Veena Devi, Shubam’s mother, was involved in the crime along with her paramour,second husband Vinod Singh and an influential man of the area. She not only played an active role in the crime but also helped her paramour in disposing of her son’s body. After committing the crime, the accused put the body in a rucksack and later buried it in a pit near a graveyard,” he added. The DNA profiling of the femur bone of a skeleton, which the police had recovered and was believed to be Shubam’s, had matched with the samples of Veena Devi and the boy’s paternal aunt. Shubam had been missing since March 30 and the police suspected he might have been murdered because his late father, Kaka Ram Sharma, had left a sizeable property in his name. SSP, Samba, Israr Khan said the police had summoned all the suspects tomorrow. “Since Veena is one of the prime suspects, we have not recorded her statement under Section 164,” said Khan, adding that once the case was solved, the accused shall be formally arrested.
	Protest held in Anna’s support Tribune News Service Jammu, August 24 The Jammu Province Peoples Front (JPPF), a conglomeration of social and religious groups, held a protest in support of Anna Hazare here today. The JPPF activists, led by Justice Pavitar Singh (retd), staged a protest and flayed the UPA government for not conceding to Anna’s demands on the Lokpal Bill. He expressed concern over Anna’s health, whose fast entered its ninth day today. They shouted slogans like “Bharat Mata ki Jai”, “Vande Matram” and “Long Live Anna” and demanded that the government should ensure the passage of the Jan Lokpal Bill in Parliament by August 30. “People are fed up with corruption in public life and we are here to support Anna in his crusade against corruption,” said Justice Pavitar Singh. Meanwhile, the Jammu Chamber of Commerce and Industry (JCCI), at an emergency meeting chaired by its president YV Sharma, also expressed concern over Anna’s deteriorating health. It said the government should take some steps to eradicate corruption and pave the way for the progress of the country. The JCCI appealed to the government to incorporate stringent clauses as proposed by the civil society in the Lokpal Bill.
	Doda students suffering in govt schools Raju William Tribune News Service Doda, August 24 Thousands of students of government schools in Doda district are suffering due to unofficial attachments granted to teachers in schools of their choice, in spite of a government policy on the issue. On account of the blatant violation of the policy, the students are the worst sufferers, especially in the rural and remote hilly areas of the district. Due to the large-scale attachments of the teachers, the students have no replacements for subject specialist teachers. Sources said teachers took recourse to the attachment route as it conveniently camouflaged virtual transfer. Defying the government order, even ReTs and regularised ReTs had been attached to the schools of their choice. The government order dated February 15, 2011, clearly stated that any teacher recruited to an elementary school under the Rehbar-e-Taleem scheme and the Sarv Siksha Abhiyan scheme, on regularisation shall be considered for transfer only after their promotion to the next grade. The sources said the number of unofficial attachments in Gundna zone was 22 followed by 15 in the Bhagwah zone, eight in the Doda zone, eight in the Assar zone and 19 in the Ghat zone. The number could be higher, if other zones were considered.The sources alleged that this was being done under political influence and by bribing officials. Responding to complaints, District Development Commissioner (DDC), Doda, Farooq Ahmed Khan issued a circular on August 16, 2011, ordering the Chief Education Officer (CEO), Doda, YR Thusoo, to implement within seven days, the detachment order of those, who had been unofficially attached to other schools or even transferred. When asked, the CEO, Doda, claimed that about 50 per cent attached teachers had been asked to report on duty at their original posting in the wake of the order by the DDC. “We are doing our best to send the teachers back to their schools in the larger interest of the students,” said the CEO.
	12 arrested under Public Safety Act to be released Ehsan Fazili Tribune News Service Srinagar, August 24 Ahead of Eid-ul-Fitr, the state government today recommended the release of 12 persons, including two close associates of the chairman of the hardline faction of the Hurriyat Conference, Syed Ali Geelani, who were arrested under the Public Safety Act (PSA) recently. Following a decision taken at a meeting of the Unified Headquarters here yesterday,which was chaired by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, a meeting of the Review Committee was held today under the chairmanship of the Principal Secretary, Home, B. R. Sharma. The committee examined all cases and recommended the release of 12 PSA detainees, an official spokesman said. The detainees included Bashir Ahmed Mir of Bandipora, Qazi Yasir Ahmad of Anantnag, Mohammad Ashraf Khan, alias Sehrai, Ghulam Nabi Sumji, Ghulam Mohammad Bangi, Mushtaq Ahmed Nalband, Bilal Ahmed Hajam, Gazanfar Ahmed Hajam, Mohammad Iqbal Naikoo, Nissar Ahmed Thoker, Rouf Ahmed Bhat and Shabir Ahmed Batloo. Mohammad Ashraf and Ghulam Nabi Sumji are close associates of Hurriyat leader Geelani,whose faction has been demanding the release of all the political prisoners, particularly those held during the unrest last year, and nearly 100 youth, who had been picked up by the police from Srinagar and other areas during the past few months.The separatist leader had also threatened to launch an agitation in case all those detained were not released before Eid-ul-Fitr. The official spokesman said the Review Committee had been meeting periodically to review all PSA cases. The government had released 45 such detainees since October last year, the spokesman added.
	One more militant killed in Gurez SPO shot at in Sopore; two ultras held in Pulwama Tribune News Service Srinagar, August 24 With the killing of another militant, the total number of ultras killed in an encounter near the LoC in the Gurez sector of north Kashmir, has gone up to 13.An intrusion attempt was foiled by the Army on Saturday in which at least 12 infiltrators and an officer were killed, a defence spokesman said here today. Meanwhile, suspected militants fired at and injured an SPO in the Sopore area in Baramulla district and the security forces apprehended two local militants in Pulwama district since yesterday.However, another report said the two militants surrendered before the security forces. The police here said the militants fired at the SPO, Javaid Ahmed Lone, at his house at Bomie in Sopore last evening, injuring him. Meanwhile,two militants, including a district commander of the Hizbul Mujahideen, were apprehended in a joint operation by the police and the security forces at Daroo, Wala Sangerwani in Pulwama district, a police spokesman here said. A large quantity of arms and ammunition were seized from their possession. The militants were identified as Shabir Ahmad Kalas, alias Waseem, district commander of the Hizbul Mujahideen, and Liyaqat Ahmed Gorsi, alias Umar, group commander, both residents of Pulwama district. Quoting SP, Pulwama, the spokesman said the Pulwama police, the 53 RR and the CRPF conducted the joint operation. The SP said it was a major success as Waseem was active in the Sangerwani and Keller areas. He was involved in a number of extortion and timber smuggling cases, besides the kidnapping of panches in the Sangerwani area recently. A defence spokesman, however, said on being challenged, the two militants surrendered. “Though the militants could have opened fire,considering the fact that they were locals, the security forces allowed them to surrender in the presence of the local sarpanch and panches,” he said. He added that the Army handed over the militants to the Special Operations Group, Pulwama.
	Suspended BJP MLAs defy high command, treat Gupta as leader Dinesh Manhotra/TNS Jammu, August 24 Repeated warnings of the BJP high command have failed to stop suspended party legislators from treating Chaman Lal Gupta as their leader in the state Legislative Assembly. Gupta, a former Union Minister and an MLA from the Jammu West Assembly segment, was expelled from the BJP after the cross-voting controversy. He was also removed from the post of the leader of the party. Besides, expelling Gupta, the party had also placed six legislators under suspension and announced that the decision on their fate would be taken soon. Despite being expelled, the six suspended MLAs have repeatedly declared that Gupta is their leader in the Assembly. The party high command has repeatedly given veiled warnings to the suspended MLAs against treating Gupta as their leader, but to no avail.On Tuesday, a group of the suspended MLAs led by Gupta met the newly appointed Vice-Chancellor of Jammu Central University, SS Bloeria, to congratulate him on his appointment. “What is wrong in meeting the newly appointed Vice-Chancellor under the leadership of Gupta,” said the suspended BJP MLA from Basholi, Jagdish Raj Sapolia. “Gupta is an experienced politician of the state,” he said, adding, “We still treat him as our leader in the Legislative Assembly”. “I don’t think the state BJP has any leader, who can match Chaman Lal Gupta in so far as his experience and dedication is concerned,” he said. Sapolia said their priority was to serve the interests of the people of Jammu and Kashmir and they would continue to struggle for that. Gupta led a delegation of three suspended BJP MLAs, Jagdish Raj Sapolia, Bharat Bhushan and Prof Garu Ram Bhagat, who met Jammu Central University Vice-Chancellor, SS Bloeria. In-charge of the state BJP affairs, Jagdish Mukhi, had held discussions with the suspended MLAs last month and discussed the cross-voting episode. The BJP leadership has been trying to isolate Gupta to avoid a split in the party, but the suspended MLAs are adamant.
	Use Rs 1,000-crore job package for youth of three regions: BJP Tribune News Service Jammu, August 24 Calling for an equitable distribution of the Rs 1,000 crore training-cum-job package announced by the Congress-led UPA government for the youth of the state, chief spokesman for the BJP Jitendra Singh said the Centre’s assertion that the package was aimed at “keeping Kashmir youth away from separatism” reinforced the feeling of discrimination among the youth of the Jammu and Ladakh regions. In a statement issued here today, Jitendra warned the state and Central governments against sending out a wrong signal that there was a premium on militancy or separatist activism. “There ought to be no indication of priority in government jobs to the youth, who are either former militants or potential militants because the state has around seven lakh educated unemployed youth, most of them residing in areas outside the Kashmir valley,” he said. He added that, “There is already a simmering discontent among the youth of Jammu and Ladakh that all the appointments in the recent years were marred by nepotism and discrimination and the new Central package should not be allowed to reinforce this feeling.” The BJP leader also demanded a clarification as how the project’s first component of Rs 235 crore would be utilised. The project was launched by Union Minister for Rural Development Jairam Ramesh. “What will be the criteria for selecting the youth for jobs under the programme and has the government thought of any transparent yardsticks to decide who are the poorer among the youth, who are the most deserving and what will be the methodology to offer an equal opportunity to all the sections of society and all the regions? he asked. Jitendra also called for the accountability of the package as well as all the other mega crore packages that the state government had received from the Centre in the recent years in the name of militancy.
	Man washed away in Tawi river Tribune News Service Jammu, August 24 A man, who was washed away in the Tawi in Katiyal Kalai village near the international border in RS Pura subdivision last evening, remained untraced. The police said Ashok Kumar (42), a resident of nearby Kotli Shah Dullian village, was catching fish in the river when he was swept away by a strong current of water. Meanwhile, the police apprehended that the body might have flown into Pakistan. “Our cops have been searching for the body. If it remains untraceable for long, the matter would be taken up with the BSF, as the body might have flown across the border,” said local police in-charge Shamsher Singh.
	Festival arrangements reviewed in Valley Tribune News Service Srinagar, August 24 All the security and other related arrangements have been made for the smooth celebration of Jumat-ul-Vida, Shab-i-Qadr and Eid-ul-Fitr over the next week. The arrangements were reviewed at a meeting, presided over by Mubarak Gul, Adviser to the Chief Minister, here today. Addressing the meeting, Gul asked the R&B Department to repair all the roads leading to Hazratbal, Jamia Masjid, Eidgah, Makhdoom Sahib, Dastgeer Sahib and other shrines where large congregations would be held on the auspicious occasions. He also directed the officials concerned for ensuring round-the-clock and uninterrupted water and power supply to the people. Giving details of the arrangements, Deputy Commissioner, Srinagar, Mehraj Ahmad Kakroo, said foolproof security arrangements had been made especially at Dargah-Hazratbal, Jamia Masjid, Eidgah, Makhdoom Sahib and all other shrines and religious places. The Chief Controller, Jammu and Kashmir Muslim Waqaf Board, informed the meeting that elaborate arrangements had been made by the board for the devotees at the Eidgah and other religious places and shrines. He said the necessary renovation works were being done in the Eidgah, including dewatering to ready it for the festivals. The meeting decided that in view of heavy rush of the people in Lal Chowk, Regal Chowk and Hari Singh High Street, there would be no movement of vehicles on the road from Radio Kashmir to Hari Singh High Street on August 29 and 30. The people had been advised to use alternative routes and park vehicles only at identified slots.
	Chain snatchers arrested, ornaments recovered Tribune News Service Jammu, August 24 The police today claimed to have arrested two notorious chain snatchers and recovered ornaments and other valuables worth Rs 1.12 lakh from their possession. According to a police handout, during a drive to apprehend criminals in and around Jammu, the Kanachak police apprehended Paramjeet Singh, alias Pumma, of Pandorian in Kanachak tehsil of Jammu along with his associate, Sunny Kumar, of the village. With the arrest of the two chain snatchers, the police claimed that it had solved at least three cases of chain snatching and burglaries, which were committed by the duo in Bern village and Mishriwala. Both of them have confessed that they snatched gold chains and committed burglaries in the area.
	State to have 18 new polytechnics soon Tribune News Service Srinagar, August 24 The construction of 18 new government polytechnics in the state will start soon and efforts are on to locate these in temporary accommodation at the earliest. This was revealed by the Minister for Technical Education, Medical Education and Youth Services and Sports, RS Chib, while inaugurating the Government Polytechnic Campus at Khurbuthang in Kargil district of the Ladakh region yesterday. The Chief Executive Councilor (CEC) of the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC), Kargil, Kacho Ahmad Ali Khan, and executive councilors were present at the function, an official spokesman said. The minister said the Centre was taking a keen interest in the development of technical education in the state and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was personally monitoring various schemes launched in this regard. The minister gave a detailed account of different schemes launched by the Centre and the state government under the Skill Development Initiative. Chib said the coalition government was committed to provide education at the doorstep in the state. While emphasising the need for the eradication of unemployment in the state in particular and the country in general for the inclusive growth of the nation, he said technical and vocational education and training had gained more importance than any other sector. Chib added that the Technical Education Department was taking all steps to meet the challenge of training four crore people by 2022, in various long-term and short-term market-oriented skilled courses.
	Jammu receives season’s highest rainfall in 24 hours Tribune News Service Jammu, August 24 Jammu district has recorded 126 mm of rain in the last 24 hours, the season’s highest. Earlier, the highest rainfall in 24 hours was 118 mm on August 6. Dr MK Khushu, Chief Scientist and head of the Division of Agronomy of the Sher-e-Kashmir University for Agricultural Sciences and Technology, told The Tribune that it had been raining continuously since 3:30 am today. However, he added that the rain was more intense on the intervening night of August 11-12, with 102 mm in three hours, including 66 mm in one hour. “Rain is good for paddy but not good for maize. Farmers should drain out water from maize fields,” Dr Khushu said. The weather was likely to remain cloudy tomorrow with scattered rain, he added. Meanwhile, the rain brought down the temperature today and many low-lying areas were flooded. At Channi Himmat, rainwater entered two shops adjoining the railway line. Similarly, rainwater entered a few houses in the Gangyal and Talab Tillo areas also. However, the damage was not much as the rain was not heavy. Dr Khushu said there was no major threat of floods as instead of falling heavily in one or two hours, the rain was spread over a long period.
	GOC meets Mahar officers Jammu,August 24 Lieut-Gen A K Choudhary,Corps Commander of the Rising Star, met Mahar Regiment officers at Jammu today. A special lunch was hosted by the General and Madhuri Choudhary to honour the officers and families of the regiment located in Jammu. This is the first-ever mixed infantry regiment of the Army wherein soldiers from all states, classes and clans form cohesive fighting units. Many retired officers of the regiment were present on the occasion. The General interacted with the officers and ladies and emphasised upon closer cooperation to look after the welfare of soldiers and families of the regiment not only during service, but also after retirement. — TNS
	Sikh bodies demand judicial probe Jammu, August 24 Several Sikh organisations today staged a protest here and demanded a judicial enquiry into the death of Puneet Kour, a woman trainee Sub-Inspector, who died under mysterious circumstances in the Police Training Academy (PTA), Udhampur, on August 21. The Sikh youth belonging to different organisations today assembled outside the Press Club here and demanded a judicial probe into the incident, which led to the death of the woman cop. They demanded that a retired judge be appointed to probe the incident and submit his report within a stipulated time frame. On August 21, Puneet Kour, a resident of lower Gadigarh was found hanging in her hostel room at MU block of the Police Training Academy. She had joined the police training academy six months ago. The police claimed that the woman cop had committed suicide, but did not give any reason behind it. Protesters suspected foul play behind the death of the young woman saying, “A day before the incident she had called her mother on the phone, telling her about two government holidays and her plan to visit home.” The Sikh youth urged Chief Minister Omar Abdullah to order a judicial probe into the incident. The organisations, which participated in the protest included Bhai Kanhia Nishkam Sewa Society, Nirbhao Nirvair Organisation, Shiromani Youth Akali Dal, All India Sikh Students’ Federation, Sikh Noujwan Sabha, United Secular Forum and the Sikh Welfare Society.
	Transfers, postings of judges ordered Legal Correspondent Jammu, August 24 The Jammu and Kashmir High Court ordered transfers and postings in the higher judiciary of the state today. According to a notification issued by the Registrar General of the Jammu and Kashmir High Court, Sanjeev Gupta, First Additional District and Sessions Judge, Srinagar, has been transferred as Registrar (Judicial), Jammu and Kashmir High Court, Jammu Wing, in place of Jang Bahadur Singh Jamwal, who has been transferred as Principal District and Sessions Judge, Jammu. AK Shan, Principal District and Sessions Judge, Jammu, has been transferred on deputation as One-Man Forest Authority, Jammu and Kashmir, in place of Subash Chander Gupta, who has been transferred as Second Additional District and Sessions Judge, Jammu, in place of Vinod Chatterji Koul. Koul has been posted as Additional District and Sessions Judge, Udhampur. The other transfers and postings are Gopi Krishan Pandita, Additional District and Sessions Judge, Jammu, as Additional District Judge (Bank Cases), Jammu; Syed Tauqeer Ahmed, Principal District and Sessions Judge, Shopian, as Principal District and Sessions Judge, Ganderbal; Mohammad Shafi Khan, Principal District and Sessions Judge, Gandarbal, as Principal Sessions Judge, Baramulla; Mohammad Ali Khan, Principal District and Sessions Judge, Kulgam, as Principal Sessions Judge, Bandipora; Mohammad Akram Choudhary, Principal District and Sessions Judge, Bandipora, as Principal Sessions Judge, Ramban; Bala Joyti, Principal District and Sessions Judge, Ramban, on deputation as president of the Divisional Consumer Forum, Jammu.
	Inspecting Officer visits Sainik School Tribune News Service Jammu, August 24 Group Captain, VT Parnaik, Inspecting Officer, Sainik Schools Society, Ministry of Defence, is on a visit to Sainik School, Nagrota, for annual inspection from August 23 to August 25. Yesterday, cadets of the school presented an impressive guard of honour which was followed by an introduction with the staff, visit to hostels and the mess. Later, Parnaik addressed the cadets and the staff. He appreciated efforts of teachers in moulding the citizens of tomorrow.