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PDP to support resolution seeking clemency for Guru
Assembly Speaker urged not to allow discussion
Explosive-like device creates panic in Jammu area
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Vaishno Devi shrine to have material, passenger ropeways
Roads backbone of rural economy, says Dy CM
Delhi blast accused remanded in NIA custody
CAPD ex-officials in vigilance net
North Zonal Council meeting postponed
Railways guards’ meeting today
JCC hails govt for meeting its demands
Revive sick handloom units, says minister
60 cancer patients examined
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PDP to support resolution seeking clemency for Guru
Srinagar, September 23 “The party as per its policy is against capital punishment,” PDP president Mehbooba Mufti said while addressing a press conference at her residence after a legislature party meeting here today. “We support the resolution moved by the independent MLA from Langate, Sheikh Abdul Rashid,” Mehbooba said. She said while the death sentence of Nalini, a convict in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case, was commuted to life imprisonment, a similar resolution had been passed by the Tamil Nadu Assembly, seeking clemency for three other convicts in the case. The meeting was also attended by party patron Mufti Mohammad Sayeed and senior leaders Muzaffar Hussain Beig and Molvi Iftkhar Hussain Ansari. Listing the issues to be taken up during the session, Mehbooba said it would be of seven-day duration, which was inadequate in view of a large number of problems and issues being faced by the people. She said the development in the state had come to a standstill under the present government and all the major initiatives taken by the previous government like the Prime Minister’s Reconstruction Programme and Asian Development Bank-funded schemes were behind schedule. She said no action had been taken even in a single case of 120 killings in the Valley during the summer last year. She said some of the cases were well- documented and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah had promised action within 24 hours in cases like the killing of three youth in Anantnag and one in Sopore. She said the party would press the government for action on the four directives issued by the State Human Rights Commission on the subject. These included the identification of the killed persons, the payment of compensation to their families, the prosecution of the guilty and the creation of a mandatory body to take specific action on the issue. Mehbooba said the empowerment of panchayats was reduced to making the same announcement after every fortnight. She added that the actual empowerment had not been done and the PDP would raise this issue in the
legislature.
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Assembly Speaker urged not to allow discussion
Jammu, September 23 Independent MLA Engineer Rashid had moved a resolution in the House, seeking clemency for Guru. In a letter to the Speaker,Gupta said it was beyond the legislative competence of the state legislature to discuss the issue. “The Constitution clearly provides for the distribution of administrative, legislative and judicial powers among the states and the Central government. Afzal Guru was tried and punished for being involved in the Parliament blast case,” Gupta said “His death sentence was upheld by the apex court and even his plea for clemency has been turned down by the President of India,” he said and added that “The plea was considered by the President of India only on the advice of theUnion Council of Ministers.” He further said it was the Union Council of Ministers, which was answerable to Parliament, which could advise the President of India. “The state Assembly has no legislative competence, either to adopt any Bill or pass any resolution in this regard. Any discussion on any such resolution shall be without the jurisdiction of the state legislature and against the provisions of the Constitution of the state and the Constitution of India,” he said. Gupta added that the Assembly had important pending business for discussion. “The Assembly always falls short of time for discussing important issues. Any discussion on a motion, regarding which the Assembly has no jurisdiction, shall be a wastage of time,” he said. |
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Explosive-like device creates panic in Jammu area
Jammu, September 23 Official sources said a packet attached to a clock was spotted lying near the bushes adjacent to the nullah in the Belicharana area, which created panic among the residents. The sources added that police and Army personnel rushed to the spot and cordoned off the area. “We have cordoned off the area and a bomb disposal squad has been requisitioned. As for now, nobody is being allowed to go near the suspicious object, which resembles an IED,” said an official of the Military Intelligence. Later, the bomb disposal squad of the police defused the explosive-like device. |
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Vaishno Devi shrine to have material, passenger ropeways
Jammu, September 23 The establishment of the passenger ropeway between the Bhawan and the Bhairon Temple is estimated to cost over Rs 55 crore while the material ropeway between Siar Dabri (near Katra) and Bhawan will involve an expenditure of about Rs 9 crore. The work on the projects, expected to commence soon, is expected to be completed in two years. The projects are part of several recent initiatives for the augmentation of the facilities to be provided for the progressively increasing pilgrimage to the holy shrine. The members of the board, E. Sreedharan, Managing Director, Delhi Metro Rail Corporation, Dr S. S. Bloeria, Vice-Chancellor, Central University of Jammu, Sudha Murthy, Chairperson, Infosys Foundation, and Padma Sachdev, well-known Dogri poetess, attended the meeting. Besides, the board’s Chief Executive Officer, R. K. Goyal, the Additional Chief Executive Officer, Dr Mandeep K. Bhandari, and the Technical Consultant, H. L. Maini, were present at the meeting. The three-hour meeting held extensive discussions on various aspects of the Yatra management.The board also took note of the calendar of activities drawn up for its year-long silver jubilee celebrations, which had commenced on August 30 this year. These included the ongoing special sanitation drive involving manual collection and disposal of garbage, which had accumulated over the past years on the hill slopes along the Yatra route between Banganga and the Bhawan, the setting up of additional toilet units along the track,an extensive renovation of the existing toilet blocks, urgent finalisation of the projects for augmenting accommodation facilities for the yatris, the compilation of the history and evolution of the Shrine Board since 1986 and the launching of various programmes for the welfare of the board employees and their children, which would particularly enhance accommodation, education and medical facilities for the Shrine Board employees and
their families. The board appreciated large-scale afforestation efforts launched in the past two years in the shrine area. The board was informed that about 1.5 lakh plants of forest/floriculture species had been planted in the past two years on the specific directions of the Governor. Besides, several measures, including the creation of fire lines and controlled burning of grasses, had been taken, which had yielded encouraging results in regard to the prevention of forest fires. The meeting also discussed the board’s activities, particularly those relating to facilities provided to the yatris and endorsed the Chairman’s continuing initiatives to carry through a sustained programme to enlarge, augment and upgrade the infrastructure for providing the required facilities for the increasing pilgrimage. |
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Carbon dioxide laser surgeries to start soon at GMCH
Jammu, September 23 Inaugurating a two-day-long 35th North West Zone Annual Conference of the Association of Otolaryngologists of India at the hospital auditorium here today, Minister for Medical Education RS Chib said he would take up the matter with the Centre, so that the surgeries could be started soon. “As the hospital authorities have asked me to take up the matter with the Centre, I guarantee that the assurance once given by Union Minister for New and Renewable Energy Farooq Abdullah to start carbon dioxide laser surgeries in the hospital will be a reality. I will definitely take up the matter on a priority basis,” Chib said. Nearly 300 delegates and doctors from Delhi, Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Chandigarh will be participating in the conference. Those present on the occasion included Dr SK Kakkar, Ex-Director AIIMS, Delhi; Dr Karan Sharma, Head of the ENT Department, GMC, Amritsar; Dr Munish Munjal, DMC, Ludhiana; and Dr Aniece Chowdhary, Head of the ENT Department, GMCH, Jammu. During the conference, the otolaryngologists chose Dr Aniece Chowdhary as their president for 2011-2012. Dr Chowdhary said this was the first-ever conference at Jammu. He added that the purpose of the conference was to upgrade the skills and knowledge of the freshers. “We will conduct live surgeries here so that the skills of the freshers can be developed. This is basically a platform to debate the subject,” Dr Chowdhary added. The delegates discussed the starting of a national programme to control deafness. Meanwhile, the Minister for Medical Education RS Chib, Minister of State for Medical Education Javed Ahmad Dar and Dr Rajinder Singh, Principal, GMCH, honoured the students who had got distinctions in the ENT Department in the past few years. |
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Roads backbone of rural economy, says Dy CM
Jammu, September 23 He added that better infrastructure had opened new vistas for economic activities in the far-flung areas. Tara Chand was addressing a series of public rallies at Bakore and Hamirpur in the Khour Block today. “Our aim is to connect new areas and undertake new infrastructure projects in the far-flung and rural areas, as improved infrastructure is directly connected to the all round economic development,” he said. Enlisting various infrastructure projects launched in the area, the Deputy Chief Minister said the work on the prestigious Khour-Sunderbani road project was already underway and the road would be soon thrown open to the public, adding that once completed, the direct road link would be a boon for the people of the area. While responding to the demand for a bridge over the Chenab to connect Khour with Pargwal, Tara Chand said the government was aware of the problems of the people due to the lack of direct connectivity with the block headquarters, adding that the foundation stone of the bridge had already been laid and work on the project would be started at the earliest. Taking note of the damage to crop of pulses in the area, Tara Chand directed the revenue authorities to undertake a special girdawari and submit the case for proper compensation. He also directed the irrigation authorities to immediately undertake the de-silting of canals, so that water reached the tail-end and poor farmers of the area were able to utilise the water to the maximum. Tara Chand said the government’s work on mega development projects to upgrade the infrastructure in the rural areas was going on at a fast pace and on completion, the projects would address the infrastructure requirements of the areas. He added that the present coalition government was carrying forward the agenda of the allround development, set by former Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad. On the occasion, newly elected sarpanches, naib-sarpanches and panches of the area along with scores of supporters joined the Congress.
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RSS warns against granting more concessions to J&K
Jammu, September 23 Interacting with intellectuals of Jammu here this evening, Bhagwat said the Kashmir problem was not confined only to the people of the state. “It is a national issue and we have to keep the national perspective in mind while looking for a solution to this problem,” he said and announced that the RSS, along with other nationalist organisations, would create awareness among the people against any such move. In an obvious reference to statements of Union Home Minister P Chidambaram, in which he had termed the Kashmir issue as a “unique problem”, the RSS chief termed such statements as a reflection of “political selfishness”. He said the RSS would not allow the government to compromise with the integrity of the nation. “The accession of the state with India is final,” he added. Although the RSS had earlier supported the demand for the trifurcation of the state, Bhagwat refused to comment on this demand this time. “The solution to the problem will emerge at an appropriate time,” he said. “The discrimination against Jammu and Ladakh should be stopped by making some institutional arrangements,” he said, adding that the return of the displaced Kashmiri Pandits to their native places was their fundamental right. As the participants sought his reaction to the alleged involvement of a few RSS men in militancy, Bhagwat denied all such allegations and alleged that a vicious campaign had been launched against the organisation for petty political gains. “The Union government will have to pay a heavy price for launching malicious campaign against the RSS,” he said. “Those arrested for their alleged involvement in militancy have no relations with the RSS,” he added. |
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Delhi blast accused remanded in NIA custody
New Delhi, September 23 Special NIA Judge HS Sharma remanded Dev in the custody of the NIA till October 7 on a plea filed by the agency. The judge passed the order in an in-camera proceeding, which was attended only by defence counsel Ravi Kazi, besides NIA investigators. The court turned down Kazi's opposition to the plea by the NIA, which had produced him before the court yesterday, after bringing him from Kishtwar in Jammu and Kashmir, where he was arrested. Dev’s co-accused, Abid Hussain, has been remanded to the NIA custody till October 5. Hussain and Dev were brought to Delhi day before yesterday, following their arrest at Kishtwar. They had allegedly sent e-mails to media houses, claiming responsibility for the Delhi High Court blast, on behalf of the banned terror outfit, Harkat-ul-Jihad-al-Islami (HuJI).
— PTI |
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CAPD ex-officials in vigilance net
Jammu, September 23 An official release here said a verification conducted into the allegations of black marketing the subsidised kerosene oil by the officials of the CAPD Department and stockists of Udhampur revealed that between December 2009 and March 2010, Tinder Pal Singh and Narinder Singh had hatched a conspiracy with stockists of the Udhampur Trading Corporation, Pee Cee Oil Agencies, Little Sons & Co, Devi Dass Gopal Krishen and Sital Singh Khorana. Subsequently, they misappropriated and sold on the black market 2,89,900 litres of subsidised kerosene oil, by showing fake allotments in favour of some oil dealers of Udhampur. The accused public servants by abuse of their official position dishonestly and fraudulently manipulated documents and recorded fake allotments of kerosene oil to get undue pecuniary benefits. Accordingly, an FIR No 22/2011 under Sections 5(1)(c)(d), 5(2) of the Jammu and Kashmir Prevention of Corruption Act read with Sections 409, 420, 467, 468 and 120-B of the RPC stood registered at the Vigilance Police Station, Jammu, against the accused. |
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Geelani put under house arrest
Srinagar, September 23 “He has been placed under house arrest to prevent him from fomenting trouble in the city,” a police officer said. “Wherever he wants to address the people, trouble has erupted there immediately. His speeches are aimed at stirring the passion of the youth,” the officer said. However, a spokesman of the hardline Hurriyat Conference maintained that Geelani’s house arrest was a proof of the high-handedness of the authorities. “Invariably, the police has been disallowing Geelani from going out of his house to offer the Friday prayers. This is a direct interference in the religious affairs of the leader,” the spokesman said.
— IANS |
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North Zonal Council meeting postponed
Srinagar, September 23 “The North Zonal Council Secretariat has informed us that the meeting has been postponed for the time being,” Chief Secretary Madhav Lal said. He said the Assemblies of many constituent states of the council would be in session next week, coinciding with the scheduled dates of the meeting. While a fresh date had not been notified to the states, the meeting was likely to be held before the end of October, he added. The council, comprising Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Rajasthan, New Delhi and the Union Territory of Chandigarh would focus on areas of common interest and seek a solution to the pending issues among the neighbouring states in the zone.
— PTI
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Railways guards’ meeting today
Jammu, September 23 Ram Paul Sharma, spokesman of the All-India Guards’ Council said it was for the first time that such a conference was going to be held in the state, in which problems being faced by the running staff of the Indian Railways would be discussed. RN Dikshit, general secretary of the council, said all the guards should be included in the pay band-2 and risk allowance should be given to them. He said the duty of staff should be only 8 hours a day. AK Srivastava, president of the council, also said allowances should be given on the basic pay as per the Bhalla Committee report. He added that about 400 to 500 railways guards from other states were expected to attend the proposed meeting in which MP, Lal Singh, would be the chief guest and MP, Kamal Kishore, would preside over the conference.
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JCC hails govt for meeting its demands
Jammu, September 23 After a day-long session of the JCC here today, its spokesperson Ram Kumar Sharma said the employees hailed the government’s decision of releasing 100 per cent arrears without any locking period instead of 50 per cent arrears in five instalments with a five-year moratorium on each instalment. Besides, the government had agreed to form an appropriate policy for regularising casual and temporary employees working in various government departments, removal of disparities of clerical cadre and removal of identified anomalies of various cadres, he said. Sharma said the government had also agreed to enhance the retirement age from 58 years and the committee constituted for the purpose should submit its report before March 2012. He said the orders of regularising ad-hoc, contractual and consolidated workers, who had completed seven years of service after 1994, should also be issued at the earliest. Sharma added that for the purpose, the government had constituted committees for getting required information in respect of such ad-hoc, contractual and consolidated workers. |
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Revive sick handloom units, says minister
Jammu, September 23 The meeting discussed the revival of sick handloom units in the state. Speaking on the occasion, the minister asked the officials to extend full cooperation to the weavers in reviving their units. He said for the purpose, the Central and state governments would provide flexible loans. He asked the officials concerned to work in coordination so that the benefit could reach the deserving weavers. He directed the officialsto prepare a detailed project report in this regard so that the same could be forwarded to the Planning Department for consideration. Later, deputations from the Salore Panchayat, Marwian Ward No 3, Municipal Committee, Billawar, Aurang Panchayat and others met the minister and put forth various demands, which included construction of link roads, lanes, drains, supply of potable water, uninterrupted power supply and construction of school buildings.
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60 cancer patients examined
Jammu, September 23 This was the 16th visit of Dr Vaid, Chairman, Institute of Oncology Medanta-The Medicity, Gurgaon, for providing free check-up and consultation to cancer patients. Shastri said besides the free check-up and consultation, medicines worth Rs 2.5 lakh were also distributed free of cost among the needy patients.
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Srinagar, September 23
Jammu, September 23
