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Delhi High Court Blast Case
PDP patron for national consensus on Kashmir
Government to create Mughal Road-Poonch tourist circuit
Cultural festivals promote national integration, says Governor
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Entrance exam board to conduct fresh counselling on Sept 26
Railways guards demand better service conditions
Adhere to guidelines while shifting staff: High Court to govt
Employees’ body to go on strike from Sept 26
Govt to provide better basic amenities to people: Minister
Students’ industrial tour flagged off to Chandigarh
Pandits demand satellite townships in Valley
Awareness programme on pollution
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Delhi High Court Blast Case
Jammu, September 24 While two youths, Amir Abbas and Abid Hussain Wani from Kishtwar, were taken to New Delhi by a NIA team to facilitate further probe, Shariq had remained under the custody of the Kishtwar police. “For the time being, Shariq has been released. He along with his classmate Abid Hussain Wani was taken into custody on September 10,” said a senior police officer from Kishtwar. When asked whether Shariq had been given a clean chit, the officer said, “I will not use the word clean chit, but surely he has been released for the time being”. At this stage of investigation, nothing was found against him and, therefore, the NIA gave us a go-ahead to release the youth, he said. However, the officer refused to divulge other details. Sources in Kishtwar said Shariq, who remained in the police custody for 12 days, was in a state of shock and had turned silent. “After being interrogated for over 12 days, the boy is in a state of shock and has turned silent,” they said, adding that to avoid visitors and mediapersons in the house, his family had shifted him to a relative’s house. Meanwhile, Shariq’s family heaved a sigh of relief on his return. “I had firm belief in the God that he would protect my innocent son,” Shariq’s father, Mohammed Rafi Butt, said. Shariq is a student of Islamia Faridia Higher Secondary School in Kishtwar. The three youths were arrested after the NIA traced an e-mail sent to media houses a few hours after the September 7 Delhi blast to Global Internet cyber cafe in Kishtwar town. The e-mail had claimed that the blast was carried out by the terror group Harkat-ul-Jehadi
Islami. |
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PDP patron for national consensus on Kashmir
RS Pura, September 24 Addressing a public meeting at the border town of RS Pura, Mufti said it was an appropriate time to take some bold steps to take the peace and reconciliation process to its logical conclusion. He said there was no substitute to dialogue process, therefore, the policy of peace and reconciliation started by the PDP must be taken to its logical conclusion for establishing a lasting peace in the region. He impressed upon the need of evolving a political consensus at the national level by involving political groups of all the spectrum, including the BJP, on the Kashmir issue. “It is the Prime Minister’s desire to solve all the issues with Pakistan and the present situation is appropriate to take some bold initiatives,” he added. The PDP patron said instead of sticking to hackneyed slogans, both countries should adopt a realistic and purposeful policy to resolve all the issues, especially the Kashmir problem. Mufti said it was the result of the reconciliatory policy of the PDP that peace was restored on the border after both countries announced a few confidence-building measures (CBMs). Reaffirming his party’s commitment to aggressively pursue the agenda of reconciliation and development in the state, he said his party, with the support of the masses, would not allow the peace process to be derailed. Mufti criticised the NC-led coalition regime for not taking any effective measures to practically empower the panchayats. He said the government was not interested in giving powers to the panchayats. Mufti said it was a historical fact that the successive NC regimes had undermined democratic institutions like the panchayats and local bodies by not empowering such vital institutions. “The panchayat elections were also held in 2001 when Farooq Abdullah was the Chief Minister, but the powers were not given to the panchayats at that time also,” he said. “More than four months have passed since the completion of the panchayat elections, still the government has not taken any step to equip its members with power and facilities,” he said. He demanded constitution of district and block level committees to make the Panchayati Raj Institutions functional in the real sense. It is the Prime Minister’s desire to solve all the issues with Pakistan
and the present situation is appropriate to take some bold initiatives — Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, PDP patron
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Government to create Mughal Road-Poonch tourist circuit
Srinagar, September 24 “The development of the tourism circuit along the Mughal Road-Poonch is under the active consideration of the government. For the purpose, a project of Rs 8 crore has been prioritised for the Central funding to create the necessary tourist infrastructure in the area,” Minister for Tourism and Culture Nawang Rogzin Jora said. The minister, who was chairing the meeting of the Poonch Development Authority (PDA) here yesterday, said the heritage Moti Mahal in Poonch would be converted into a museum. — Nawang Rogzin Jora, Minister for Tourism and Culture The government’s endeavour is aimed at showcasing the tourism potential of Poonch along the Mughal Road in and outside the country, Jora said. He added that the tourism potential of the Poonch area was being tapped. “The creation and the upgradation of the necessary tourist infrastructure facilities is underway. New scenic spots like Pushana, Doogron, Chadinarh, Sailan, Bhuriekhat, Buffliaz, Mandi Phegla, Mandi Laran and Bhimber Gali, would be brought under the jurisdiction of the PDA for their development,” he said. A lake circuit is also being developed in the area for the tourist attraction, the minister said, adding that the matter of providing road connectivity at these lakes would be taken with authorities concerned. Due to an increase in the trade facilities across the LoC from Poonch, an interpretation centre would be created for visiting families and traders of both sides, he said. Jora said the promotion of heritage tourism in the area also received a focused attention of the government. “The Centre has already approved the state government’s project for the conservation and restoration of the Poonch fort and has released Rs 3.79 crore after the completion of codal formalities,” he said.
— PTI
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Cultural festivals promote national integration, says Governor
Srinagar, September 24 More than 230 artists from various parts of the country, including 80 from the state are participating in the cultural event, which has been organised in collaboration with the Department of Information and Public Relations and the Tourism Department of the state. Speaking on the occasion at the Nigeen Club, the Governor said the cultural festivals promoted national integration and communal harmony and build bridges of understanding among the people. Referring to the event, the Governor said some months ago during a conversation with a senior official of the Union Information and Broadcasting Ministry he had mentioned about the profitability of reviving the activities of the Song and Drama Division in the state. He added that the Song and Drama Division had been promoting cultural linkages and harmony among the people of the country, by organising cultural performances over the past decades. The Governor congratulated the Song and Drama Division for organising the festival and urged Minister for Tourism and Culture Nawang Rigzin Jora and Director Information to enable the Kashmir unit to organise similar cultural festivals in the rural areas of the state for the larger benefit of the people. Lighting of the ceremonial lamp by the Governor marked the commencement of the festival. Speaking on the occasion, Jora said with the return of peace and normalcy, cultural activities had started picking up in the Valley. Earlier, in his welcome address, Arvind Kumar, Joint Secretary, Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, gave details of the history, evolution and activities of the Song and Drama Division, which was set up in 1954.
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Entrance exam board to conduct fresh counselling on Sept 26
Jammu, September 24 The board has decided to conduct a fresh counselling on September 26 and 27 for all those candidates who had not been allotted any course or had joined a course, but wanted to upgrade. Prof Gopal Gupta, Controller of Examination BOPEE, said a few seats were lying vacant in some courses and all those, who had attended the first counselling, were eligible to attend this counselling too. “As per the rules, we can fill the seats till October 31 and after that no new admissions can be considered. So, we are conducting fresh counselling for the benefits of the students. All those who have taken admissions in other courses, due to the non-availability of seats in their most preferred course may now come in for the counselling,” said Prof Gupta. He added, “Medical courses has always remained the first preference of the students, but when some students take admission in other courses or leave their seats due to some reason, a few seats become vacant. So, now there is an opportunity for the candidates to get admission in medical courses too.” Giving further details, Gupta said the interested candidates should register themselves before 9 am at the BOPEE office, Srinagar, so that there was no confusion. “The counselling will be purely done on the merit basis,” he said, adding, “that the interested candidates can also get the information on the board’s official website.” |
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Railways guards demand better service conditions
Jammu, September 24 While speaking at the 22nd Zonal Conference of the North Zone here, Congress MPs Lal Singh and Kamal Kishore Commando assured the council, affiliated to the All-India Railways Employees Confederation, of raising their demands in the Lok Sabha. “Both MPs assured us of raising our long-pending demands in the Lok Sabha,” RN Dixit, national general secretary of the All-India Guards Council, said. “Without electricity, water and lavatory in the brake vans, our guards have been discharging their duties ranging between 12 to 16 hours at a stretch. The time has come when the Railways administration should look into our grievances,” he said. He said the guards should be included in the pay band-2 and risk allowance should be given to all categories of guards, adding that their duty should be only eight hours a day. Dixit said a detailed memorandum had also been submitted to the chairman of the Railways Board. Ram Paul Sharma, spokesman of the All-India Guards Council, said it was for the first time that such a conference was held in the state in which difficulties being faced by the running staff of the Indian Railways were discussed. About 400 to 500 railways guards from other states are also expected to attended the meeting.
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Adhere to guidelines while shifting staff: High Court to govt
Jammu, September 24 The High Court further held that for the aforesaid period, the impugned transfer order to the extent of those petitioners shall not be acted upon. Sudershan Kumar Mishra and others, holding the posts of junior engineers (Civil) sought the quashing of the government order dated July 28, 2011, on the ground that they had not completed a minimum tenure of two years at their places of posting, wherefrom they had been ordered to be transferred and that some persons had more tenure than the petitioners, who had been retained in exercise of their mala fide powers. However, the state in its reply had submitted that in order to streamline the administration, 94 junior engineers were ordered to be withdrawn when their services were not required at a particular place and were ordered to be posted to places, where their services were required. The High Court while disposing of the writ petitions observed that, “The power of the transfer is conferred on the competent authority in terms of the Rule 27 of the Jammu and Kashmir Civil Services (Classification, Control and Appeal) Rules, 1956. In order to regulate the power conferred by Rules of 1956, vide government order 861-GAD of 2010, the transfer policy was framed. The strict adherence of these guidelines in all circumstances may not be called for, but as far as possible they are to be adhered to exclude the arbitrariness in exercise of the power of transfer. It is for this reason that the competent authority will be bound to follow these guidelines in matter of transferring an employee from one place to another.”
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Employees’ body to go on strike from Sept 26
Jammu, September 24 Addressing a press conference here, the employees demanded that the department should immediately be reorganised, which was not done since 1973. Prem Singh Bawa, president of the association, said they had no other option left but to resort to strike, as no heed was paid to their long-pending demands. “The reorganisation of the department is our main demand, besides regularisation of temporary, daily wagers, ad hoc and contractual employees. The office of the Deputy Director should also be shifted from the outskirts of the city to some suitable location,” Bawa said, adding that other employees association would also support their cause.
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Govt to provide better basic amenities to people: Minister
Jammu, September 24 He said the government was also committed to ensure basic amenities to the people at their doorsteps. Bhalla was addressing a series of public meetings in the Gandhi Nagar Assembly segment. He assured the people that all their genuine demands and development needs would be fulfilled in a phased manner. “There is no constraint of funds in providing adequate basic amenities to the people of the three regions,” he said. He added that the government was determined to provide better basic amenities to the people of the state. The minister said before the Darbar Move, the work on blacktopping and beautification of roads would be completed in the entire Jammu city. He added that the Centre had been providing liberal funding to the state for the execution of various development projects. |
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Students’ industrial tour flagged off to Chandigarh
Jammu, September 24 During the tour, the students will witness the infrastructural development and working of industries at the IT Park, Chandigarh. Prof Parveen Singh, Head of Department of Computer Sciences, said in the second phase, the students would leave for Doaba College, Jalandhar, on September 28, where they would participate in various cultural as well as information technology-related competitions. Dr Kiran Bakshi, principal of the college, welcomed all the dignitaries.
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Pandits demand satellite townships in Valley
Jammu, September 24 “Three satellite townships should be set up in Anantnag, Srinagar and Baramulla districts for the rehabilitation of the displaced Kashmiri community,” Jagti Tenement Committee chief Shadi Lal Pandita said at a meeting here. The townships should have the capacity to accommodate at least 25,000 to 30,000 families each, he said. “If the demand is not acceptable to the government, then it should consider allocating the Kashmiri Pandits their share of land in the Valley,” Pandita said. The KP leader said though the government had constructed two-room tenements at Jagti in Nagrota for the migrants, it was not attending to their basic problems of lack of communication, electricity, drinking water and sanitation in the area. — PTI
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Awareness programme on pollution
Jammu, September 24 M Laxmi Naryana, Principal of the school, inaugurated the programme and Shivam Bhalla, coordinator of the Go Green Club, delivered a lecture on environmental pollution and focused on how the environment could be saved from pollution.
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RS Pura, September 24
Jammu, September 24
