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244 natives of border village return after a decade
Heavy rain snaps road link with Billawar tehsil
Governor, CM greet people on Shab-i-Qadr
Heavy rush in Valley markets ahead of Eid
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Kailash Kund Yatra
Union Territory status for Ladakh
Kalidhar Brigade provides computers to school
Exemption from VAT
Army sends three families back to PoK
BJP, PDP extend support
to Anna’s campaign
Staff shortage affecting constitutional bodies, says Harsh Dev
Super speciality hospital in Jammu nearing completion, Azad told
Omar asked to clear stand on Lokpal Bill
Two timber smugglers arrested
Tiger Division hosts iftaar
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244 natives of border village return after a decade
Jammu, August 27 Owing to an intense firing by the Pakistan troops, the villagers had been relocated to Kallu Colony and New Colony in 2001. However, after a ceasefire agreement was signed with Pakistan in 2003 and peace returned gradually on the LoC, the villagers yearned to return home. Keeping security concerns in mind, a framework to relocate the villagers was worked out with their active participation. The long-cherished dream of Kerni villagers came true on April 21 this year when 108 villagers comprising women and children were relocated to their original homes in Kerni from Kallu Colony and New Colony. Though the relocation was to be done in phases, the remaining 244 villagers had requested that they be shifted in one go. Their request was duly considered by the Army and the civil administration. Facilitated by district administration officials and the Army, the villagers expressed happiness that they would be able to celebrate Eid at their homes. Elders, women and children were ecstatic on returning home after a long wait. The residents of Kerni village have vowed to give their full support to the Army, the police and the civil administration. Maj-Gen KH Singh, GOC, Ace of Spades Division, conveyed the best wishes to the villagers. He said there was a great responsibility on the shoulders of the village elders to ensure that the trust reposed in the people was not defied and no anti-national
activities took place in the village. A local from Poonch told The Tribune that a panch of Kerni village, Faqir Mohammed, had requested the Army and the district administration to settle
the remaining families in one go. |
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Heavy rain snaps road link with Billawar tehsil
Jammu, August 27 Traffic on most of the roads in Billawar, Basholi and Bani tehsils remained suspended due to landslides at various places. Executive Engineer, Roads and Buildings (R&B), Kathua, NK Sharma said it would take at least two weeks to repair the damaged stretch of the Dayalachak-Billawar road. “We have started repair work on the road but it is not possible to make it fit for traffic in the next two weeks,” he said, adding that the repair work had to be done manually. As the Dayalachak-Billawar road is also an alternative route to Kashmir, a large number of trucks were standard in the area. Some stranded passenger vehicles were rescued and guided onto alternative routes. “We have diverted traffic through the Mansar road via Battal,” an officer of the Traffic Department said. He added that efforts were on to rescue all the stranded vehicles. To ensure the supply of essential commodities, the authorities had decided to deploy vehicles on the Lakhanpur-Basholi road. Traffic on the Bani-Basholi road also remained suspended for more than five hours due to landslides triggered by heavy rain at various places. “The only road that connects Bani with the rest of the state has remained closed since the morning. It was around 4 pm that the first vehicle carrying vegetables and other essential commodities reached Bani,” Ganesh Sharma, a resident of Bani, told The Tribune over the phone. He said the road usually remained blocked due to the ongoing expansion work. He expressed surprise that though the earth movers were in place to clear the debris in the event of landslides, the road remained closed. In June, the Bani-Basholi road remained closed for more than 15 days, leading to a shortage of essential commodities in this backward mountainous belt. |
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Governor, CM greet people on Shab-i-Qadr
Srinagar, August 27 In a message of greetings, the Governor hoped that the auspicious occasion would strengthen the bonds of communal harmony and brotherhood and usher in a period of sustained peace, progress and prosperity. The Governor prayed for the well-being of the people of the state. The Chief Minister underlined the significance of Shab-i-Qadr, for being a unique and holy night, which Allah had chosen to reveal the holy Koran to Prophet Muhammad for the guidance of the mankind. In his message of greetings, Omar said the occasion provided an opportunity to the people to spend the night praying and seeking forgiveness from Allah.
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Heavy rush in Valley markets ahead of Eid
Srinagar, August 27 After Jumat-ul-Vida (the last Friday of the holy month was observed yesterday), Shab-i-Qadr is being observed with religious fervour and gaiety with the devotees offering night-long prayers at various shrines and mosques throughout the Valley. The administration has been taking several measures in connection with the availability of the essential commodities, including vegetables, mutton, chicken and other eatables. The Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir, Abdul Majid Mir, has instructed the Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution (CAPD) Department and all the Deputy Commissioners (DC) to intensify market checks and take effective measures to curb overpricing of goods, especially in view of Eid-ul-Fitr. Mir ordered all the Deputy Commissioners to constitute special market checking squads. He appealed to the traders to offer a special rebate to the customers on the occasion of Eid. He also warned them that stern action would be taken against those found overcharging customers. Adequate stocks of essential commodities were available with the CAPD Department and the government had also announced the release of additional 1 kg of sugar per ration card in view of Eid, an official spokesman said. According to the Traffic Police, it had also taken various measures to regulate traffic in different parts of the city ahead of Eid. It had also made elaborate arrangements to discourage traffic gridlocks along the Residency Road and MA Road stretches, which, otherwise, put the common man to a lot of inconvenience. No vehicular traffic would be allowed on the Residency Road from Radio Kashmir to the Hari Singh High Street on the one side and along the Moulana Azad Road from the SRTC Crossing to Jehangir Chowk on the other side.
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Kailash Kund Yatra
Udhampur, August 27 Though the yatra organisers were happy over a large number of pilgrims turning up on the opening day of the three-day religious event, they were expecting the helicopter service to increase the number of yatris. SDM, Dudu-Basantgarh, Amit Sharma told The Tribune over the phone that they expected the number of pilgrims to touch 15,000 mark this year, but adverse weather played spoilsport. More than 10,000 devotees undertook the yatra last year when it was revived after a gap of more than 15 years. The yatra was discontinued due to militancy. The Kailash Kund yatra along with Charri Mubarak was flagged off from the Vasuki Nag Temple, Dudu, by MLA, Chenani, KC Bhagat and the
SDM, who is the Nodal Officer for the yatra. The SDM said a large number of queries were received from the pilgrims wanting to avail of the helicopter service for the yatra. The chopper service would have facilitated the old and weak pilgrims. All the formalities for the necessary clearance for the service from the higher authorities had already been completed. Till the last moment, the officials were hoping that weather might clear up, but were disappointed. The administration has roped in Global Vectra, which is also operating the helicopter service to the Mata Vaishno Devi shrine. Shankh Padder, 1 km from Kailash Kund, has been identified as the common landing point for the yatra routes originating from Bhadarwah in Doda district and Dudu in Udhampur district. The proposed fare from Bhadarwah and Dudu is between Rs 5,000 and Rs 6,000 per person. “We are trying our best to bring more pilgrims and tourists to this remote mountainous area endowed with rich natural beauty. We were keen to introduce the helicopter service this year,” added the SDM, who was instrumental in the yatra’s revival. |
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Union Territory status for Ladakh
Leh, August 27 He said even though all the political parties in Ladakh were supporting the UT status demand, they didn’t come together due to differences. Chhewang was speaking at a function in Leh today organised to observe Martyrs’ Day in the memory of those who died in police firing during an agitation in the support of the UT status in 1989. The function was organised by the Ladakh Buddhist Association and was attended by Asharaf Ali, president of the Anjuman Imami, Koja Saifdin, president of the Anjuman Min-ul-Islam, and various political leaders. A half-day bandh was also observed in Leh in the memory of martyrs Nawang Rinchan, Tsewang Dorje and Tsering Stobdan, who died for the cause of the UT status demand. The Chairman of the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council, Leh, said a consensus on the UT status demand among all the religious communities of Leh was being evolved and many leaders from Kargil district were also supporting it.
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Kalidhar Brigade provides computers to school
Jammu, August 27 The school staff had approached the Army authorities at Sunderbani and requested them for the provision of computers. In keeping with the aspirations of the schoolchildren, the Army provided computers, furniture and other accessories for the computer lab. Maj-Gen Rakesh Sharma, General Officer Commanding of the Crossed Swords Division, said the Army would strive to provide all the possible educational facilities to the children in the border districts. Principal of the school Om Prakash Sharma expressed gratitude to the Army. He said the students of Sunderbani would now be able to compete with the students in cities. |
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Exemption from VAT
Jammu, August 27 Talking to The Tribune, Hilal Khan, general secretary of the Jammu and Kashmir Chamber of Cross-LoC Trade, said the government’s move would have no positive impact on the trade. “We have been demanding that VAT be exempted from items like medicinal herb, precious stones, carpets, spices and mushroom. But the government has confined the concession to goods manufactured in the state only. It is nothing but an old wine in a new bottle,” said Khan. “Everyone knows that the state doesn’t have enough factories to produce finished products and hence our raw material goes to other states and we, in turn, purchase the finished goods by paying taxes. By announcing that it has removed VAT for the locally manufactured goods for the cross-LoC trade, the government has played a prank on us,” he added. Khan recalled that Finance Minister AR Rather, in his first meeting with the trans-LoC traders, had assured that all merchandise being brought by the LoC traders from outside the state would be exempted from VAT. The government was non-serious about the cross-LoC trade, which had been described as the biggest confidence-building measure between India and Pakistan, Khan added. An official spokesman said the ordinance had come into force with immediate effect. However, the Jammu and Kashmir Value Added Tax (Amendment) Ordinance, 2011, would pave the way for the application of zero rate VAT on goods produced and manufactured in the state and sold or supplied to the traders across the LoC via Chakan-da-Bagh in Poonch and Salamabad in Uri. “We have been demanding that VAT be exempted from the entire cross-LoC trade making it a duty-free trade, but the government has not taken our view seriously,” Khan said. |
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Army sends three families back to PoK
Jammu, August 27 Official sources said the families consisting of three women, five children and two men wanted to come back to their ancestral village of Fatehpur in Rajouri district. “They had migrated to the PoK in the mid-70s and had settled there, while one of them, Abdul Qayoom (30), a resident of Pukherni village in Rajouri district, had crossed the LoC in the late 90s when militancy was at its peak,” they said. The families crossed the first fence early this morning but were stopped by Army soldiers near the second fence. They were then taken to a nearby camp, and subjected to questioning there, the sources said. They were also videographed at the camp. An Army spokesperson said, “We didn’t allow them to enter deep and persuaded them to return to the PoK. Since there were women and children, the Army troops didn’t open fire at them.” He added that, “Subsequently, they were sent back.” The Army has identified them as Mohammed Ayub (60), Zahida Bi (45), Qayoom (30), Nausheen (18), Sabina (17), Rabia (12), Aiza (8), Mohammed Razzaq (10), Mohammed Rizwan (7) and Sahjeb (5), all from the Lehran area of the PoK. However, it has been reliably learnt that the PoK families were desperate to come back to Rajouri. A correspondent of a local daily said during questioning the families told the Army authorities that they faced a threat to their lives in the PoK and hence wanted to return to their ancestral village. |
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BJP, PDP extend support
to Anna’s campaign
Jammu, August 27 A group of BJP activists under the leadership of Yudhvir Sethi held a procession, which passed through different parts of the old city. The protesters shouted slogans against the Congress-led UPA government for not taking effective steps to eradicate the menace of corruption. Addressing the gathering, Sethi termed the Congress as the mother of all the problems. He said the only noticeable achievement of the UPA regime at the Centre was the legalisation of corruption. He said corruption had crossed all the limits as the Congress leadership was brazenly shielding corrupt leaders. Sethi mentioned the 2G spectrum scam and the Commonwealth Games scam to attack the Congress leadership. He asked the people to intensify the ongoing agitation to force the “arrogant” regime to accept Anna Hazare’s Jan Lokpal Bill. A large number of party workers participated in a procession held by the PDP in the border town of Arnia Former Rajya Sabha member Trilok Singh Bajwa called upon the people to support Anna’s campaign. “We are supporting Anna Hazare’s struggle because it is in the interest of the people and the country. The Jan Lokpal Bill will help in eliminating corruption,” he said, adding that, “Corruption has become a big issue in the country.” Bajwa also flayed the state government for its failure to contain corruption. He called upon the party workers to expose the corrupt practices of the government. |
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Staff shortage affecting constitutional bodies, says Harsh Dev
Jammu, August 27 Especially mentioning the Jammu and Kashmir Accountability Commission, the Backward Classes Commission and the Public Service Commission (PSC) , Harsh Dev said the functioning of the institutions had been adversely affected in the absence of even bare minimum staff and members. He said three members of the PSC had retired long back, but the government made no efforts to fill the vacancies. Two vacancies pertained to the Jammu region and the process to fill them was being arbitrarily delayed, he added. Harsh Dev questioned the credibility and authenticity of the selection process being held for the Kashmir Administrative Services (KAS) and other posts in view of several vacancies in the PSC. He said the selections made were to be approved by a full commission consisting of nine members, but at present it had only five members. Harsh Dev said several cases were pending for the past few years. He added that the government should address the issue of staff shortage at the earliest. |
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Super speciality hospital in Jammu nearing completion, Azad told
Jammu, August 27 Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare Ghulam Nabi Azad said this at a meeting convened to review the functioning of the state Medical Education Department here today. Minister for Medical Education RS Chib and Minister of State for Medical Education Javed Ahmed Dar were present at the meeting. The meeting discussed various issues relating to the medical education sector. The Union minister was told that the construction of a super speciality hospital in Jammu was nearing completion and it could not be made fully functional due to the absence of an integrated modular operating theatre. He was also told that the construction of a super speciality hospital in Srinagar was in full swing. |
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Omar asked to clear stand on Lokpal Bill
Jammu, August 27 In a statement issued here today, Gupta said the jurisdiction of the proposed Bill should be extended to Jammu and Kashmir also, which had earned notoriety for being the most corrupt state in the country. He said many evils, including secessionism, and public discontent were the result of the widespread corruption in the state. “This is because of the special status given to the state under Article 370 of the Indian Constitution,” he said. He added that the Jammu and Kashmir Accountability Commission had failed to check corruption.
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Two timber smugglers arrested
Jammu, August 27 Acting on a tip-off, SHO, Bari Brahmana, Arun Jamwal raided Sudh Pine factory at Bari-Brahmana and nabbed two timber smugglers. The arrested persons were identified as Nazir Mohammad, a resident of Toon village, and Gul Mohammad, a resident of Khada Madana. However, Din Mohammad, a resident of Toon village and supplier of timber, managed to escape. Meanwhile, the Samba police nabbed three drug-peddlers at Ghagwal and recovered 434 intoxicant capsules from their possession today. According to the reports, a police party headed by Inspector Tilak Raj Bhardwaj nabbed Bodh Raj of Raiyan, Monu Kumar of the New Bus Stand area in Samba, and Laddi, a resident of Basti Kullian in Jalandhar. — TNS
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Tiger Division hosts iftaar
Jammu, August 27 The party was attended by all those soldiers of the Tiger Division, who had been fasting during the holy month of Ramzan. Gen Waraich, along with other officers, Junior Commissioned Officers and religious teachers participated in the iftaar. While interacting with soldiers, Gen Waraich said the secular amity was the strongest binding force.
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Jammu, August 27
