The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

	Farmers suffer in absence of paddy procurement centres State govt, FCI don’t see eye to eye, send separate proposals to Centre Archit Watts Tribune News Service Jammu, October 17 The paddy growers in the state may have to wait for more time to get procurement centres (mandis), as there is a conflict between the Agriculture Department and the Food Corporation of India (FCI) over the establishment of these centres. Being a Central government project, the state government through the Agriculture Department has proposed the setting up of 26 procurement centres, while the FCI, which is the nodal agency that procures the farmers’ produce, has sent a proposal for the creation of only 10 centres. Minister for Agriculture Ghulam Hassan Mir had last year assured the paddy growers that the procurement centres would be created soon to lift their produce at the minimum support prices (MSP). However, in the absence of these procurement centres, farmers have no other option but to sell their produce to mill owners. As a result, they are getting a lesser price for their produce. “Though the state government has fixed Rs 1,080 per quintal as the MSP for the procurement of rice yet growers are getting just Rs 800 to 850 per quintal, as mill owners are fleecing the growers,” said Dev Raj, president of the RS Pura Rice Growers Association. He alleged, “The government is not much concerned about the problems being faced by farmers. The most important project of creating the procurement centres is getting delayed. The authorities concerned should reach a consensus over the procurement centres so that they can be set up in a short period.” He added that almost three months ago the authorities concerned had identified the land for these centres, but nothing was done after that. VK Bhakri, Joint Director, Agriculture Department, said: “We have completed the formalities and have submitted the proposal for the creation of 26 procurement centres to the Central government for its approval.” Bhakri accepted the fact that mill owners and agents were fleecing farmers. “The private mill owners are fleecing farmers and that is why we have planned to create procurement centres so that farmers can get genuine price for their produce,” added Bhakri. Meanwhile, Rajesh Meena, deputy general manager of the FCI, Jammu, said: “We have sent the proposal to create 10 procurement centres and as soon as the government will approve it, we will be ready to start procurement through mandis. We have enough storage capacity and we are waiting for the approval of the much-awaited project.”
	Raid-De-Himalaya Need to promote adventure sports in state, says Omar Tribune News Service Srinagar, October 17 Calling for promoting adventure sports activities in the state, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has said different adventure sports will help rope in sports lovers and showcase the potential of the state universally. Omar said three motor rallies had already held here and another one was scheduled soon. “This indicates the interest of motorists in travelling on the challenging routes in Jammu and Kashmir,” he said and stressed on organising motorcycle rallies also in the state to provide an opportunity to bikers to take part in adventure sports. He was speaking at the prize-giving ceremony of the 13th Raid-De-Himalaya Motor Sports organised by the Tourism Department and the Himalayan Motor Sports Association in collaboration with corporate bodies. Omar said the Valley witnessed a good tourist season this year as more than 10 lakh tourists had visited till date. He expressed the hope that the tourist season next year would also be successful. He asked the Tourism Department and the organisations like the Himalayan Motor Sports Association to play their important role in this regard. The rally started on October 9 and concluded here today. The extreme category group of the rally travelled on the Shimla-Manali-Leh-Zanskar-Kargil-Srinagar route while the adventure group travelled on the Shimla- Manali-Dalhousie-Srinagar-Zanskar-Kargil-Srinagar route. While Umesh Raheja lifted the trophy in the adventure category, the first prize in the extreme category (car)was won by Pratap Thakur. Suresh Rana received the first prize in the 4x4 extreme category while Helmut won the first prize in the motorcycle category. As many as 160 teams, including motorcyclists, participated in the nine-day “Raid”. In the extreme category, the first prize carried Rs 1 lakh and a trophy and in the motorcycle category the first prize carried Rs 50,000 and a trophy. The Himalayan Motor Sports Association also presented a cheque for Rs 10 lakh to the Chief Minister for flood-hit families of Ladakh.
	Save Sharmila Solidarity Campaign reaches Jammu Ravi Krishnan Khajuria Tribune News Service Jammu, October 17 After raising its voice for the “Save Sharmila Solidarity Campaign” in Srinagar yesterday, the Jan Karwan, which will be covering 4,500 km from Srinagar to Imphal, reached here today. The campaign activists, who have been seeking amendments to the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA), staged a dharna on the University of Jammu campus. They were joined by members of the Progressive Students’ Alliance (PSA) and the Forum for Democratic Rights (FDR). Yesterday, social activist Medha Patkar had led the protest demonstration in Srinagar, demanding that the AFSPA should either be repealed or made more humane. The 4,500-km-long journey, which started yesterday at Srinagar, will reach Imphal on October 26 after passing through Jammu, Ludhiana, Panipat, New Delhi, Aligarh, Kanpur, Lucknow, Varanasi, Ranchi, Patna, Kolkata, Guwahati and Dibrugarh. On the campus, the activists threw light on the life and struggle of Irom Sharmila, also known as the “Iron Lady of Manipur”, who has been sitting on hunger strike for the last 11 years, demanding the withdrawal of the AFSPA. Nearly 200 students participated in the protest. Meanwhile, the PSA while participating in the campaign today, appreciated the role of various organisations for bringing the issue of the withdrawal of the AFSPA to the forefront. Some students of the PSA sung a song supporting the people’s movement over the issue in various parts of India. The PSA said the Prime Minister should meet Irom Sharmila and also address her demands at the earliest.
	First batch of Haj pilgrims leaves for Mecca Over 8,000 pilgrims from state to perform Haj this year Srinagar, October 17 The first batch of 200 Haj pilgrims from Jammu and Kashmir today embarked on the journey to Saudi Arabia for the annual pilgrimage. Chief Minister Omar Abdullah accompanied by Haj and Auqaf Minister Aijaz Ahmad Khan flagged off the group which boarded a plane at Srinagar International Airport for Delhi, from where they will catch a flight to Jeddah. Omar asked the pilgrims to pray for peace, prosperity and well-being of the people of the state and the country during their stay in the holy land. Dressed in white, the pilgrims arrived at the Haj house in Bemina in the wee hours as hundreds of their relatives and well-wishers came to see them off. Slogans in praise of the God and chants of 'Labbaik Allahumma Labbaik' (I am coming to you, Oh Lord) rented the air. Omar also wished the pilgrims good health and success in performing all requirements of the pilgrimage. As the departure of pilgrims from the state was delayed due to some unavoidable reasons, the state Haj Committee will be operating four flights daily from Srinagar to Delhi for first eight days to clear the backlog. More than 8,000 pilgrims from the state will be performing the Haj this year which will culminate with Eid-ul-Azha. — PTI
	Hisar was no test for Anna influence: CM Srinagar, October 17 Chief Minister Omar Abdullah today downplayed the defeat of its coalition partner Congress in the Hisar Lok Sabha bypoll, saying that Team Anna should have chosen a constituency where the party was “sure to win”. “Hisar was not a Cong(ress) seat so it’s hardly indicative of anything in the scheme of things,” Omar wrote on the micro-blogging site Twitter. Omar, who heads the National Conference-Congress coalition, said since Hisar was not a Congress seat, the result did not indicate the ability of Team Anna to influence the poll outcome. “Does anyone else think Team Anna should have chosen a seat Cong(ress) was sure to win and then tested their ability to manipulate the result?” he asked. Haryana Janhit Congress chief Kuldeep Bishnoi won the prestigious Hisar Lok Sabha byelection in Haryana in a closely fought battle in which Team Anna sought a crushing defeat for the Congress, which was pushed to a far third position. — PTI
	Intra-university youth festival inaugurated Tribune News Service Srinagar, October 17 Describing the youth as the future leaders, Governor NN Vohra said extra-curricular activities were an essential component of the education process for preparing the students to effectively face the future challenges. He said this while inaugurating a six-day intra-university youth festival, “Sonzal-2011”, organised by the Department of Students Welfare at the University of Kashmir here today. Students from about 40 degree colleges and 45 departments of the university are participating in the festival. The Governor, who is the Chancellor of the university, observed that the aim of the education was not to merely pass the examinations, but to produce balanced personalities. He said alongside the academic pursuit, the youth festivals and similar other activities provided an excellent opportunity to the youth to exhibit and develop their creative talents and, besides, acquire meaningful understandings, which would help them to lead harmonious lives. Referring to “Sonzal-2011”, the Governor said, to begin with, some of the events of the youth festival could, in future, be organised in identified affiliated colleges, for expanding the coverage and impact of the festival. He suggested organising an essay competition on a topic, enabling the students to offer their views on how Jammu and Kashmir could be made a developed state. He observed that the views expressed by the students would be most useful in critically evaluating the approaches towards the all-round growth of the state. He said he would give away two cash prizes of Rs 10,000 each, to be awarded to the boy and the girl whose essays were adjudged the best. The Governor congratulated Vice-Chancellor Talat Ahmad and Nilofar Khan, Dean, Students Welfare for organising the festival and wished all the participants high success in the event. The Governor released “Sonzal-11”, the souvenir brought out on the occasion. Speaking on the occasion, Vice-Chancellor of the university Talat Ahmad said the Department of Students Welfare had worked hard to organise the event. He said the festival had provided an opportunity to the students to express and develop their creative talents. Earlier, Nilofar gave details of the activities planned during “Sonzal-2011”. She added that competitions would be held in quiz, debate, elocution, poster making, painting, cartoon making, rangoli, clay modelling, on-the-spot photography, one act play, mimicry and classical, folk and instrumental music.
	Jammu gears up to celebrate Accession Day Jupinderjit Singh Tribune News Service Jammu, October 17 The city is gearing up to celebrate a special Diwali this year, as Accession day of the state also falls on October 26. Maharaja Hari Singh had signed the Instrument of Accession to India on October 26, 1947. However, subsequent anniversaries of the historical event did not witness much celebrations till last year when Chief Minister Omar Abdullah questioned the Accession to India in the Assembly. Residents of Jammu responded by massive celebrations on the day. The Duggar Vikas Manch has already announced the celebrations on October 26. The Panthers Party has called for celebrations on the occasion this year. Prof Bhim Singh has announced the party would continue celebrating the day on October 27 when the Centre accepted the Accession. The Duggar Vikas Manch has announced making of a special 6.5 quintal laddoo on the day. Last year, it had made a 64 kg laddoo. Dineshwar Jamwal of the manch said a special jog through the city would be organised on the evening of October 25 in which people of all ages and all walks of life would participate. The ‘Accession Day Jog’ would start from Mubarak Mandi Complex and pass through various places, culminating at Mubarak Mandi Complex. The Flag hoisting ceremony would take place at Mubarak Mandi Complex on October 26, he said. More organisations are likely to take part in the celebrations, he said.
	Scholars pay tribute to Sir Syed Ahmed Tribune News Service Jammu, October 17 Sir Syed Ahmed Khan not only envisioned a progressive India with both Hindu and Muslim communities marching hand in hand but also made a concrete beginning by establishing Aligarh Muslim University to realise his dream. He was secular from the core of his heart, a towering Urdu writer and a social reformer. These views were expressed by eminent scholars of Urdu during a day-long national seminar on “Life and Works of Sir Syed Ahmed Khan”. The seminar was organised by the Department of Urdu, University of Jammu, here today. The inaugural function of the seminar was presided over by Prof Beig Ehsas, Head of Urdu Department, Central University of Hyderabad, while GA Qureshi, Director, School Education, was the chief guest. While presenting the keynote address, Dr Ali Javeed from Delhi University said Sir Syed Ahmed was the first person to bring renaissance in the outlook of the Indian Muslims. He was the first one to realise that there was no way out to become progressive other than to seize the weapons of scientific education and technology to counter the threat posed by Britishers to the existence of various religions, particularly Islam, said Dr Javeed. Qureshi said many aspects of the multi-dimensional personality of Sir Syed Ahmed needed to be explored. “He talked about the hard realities and this made Sir Syed Ahmed a great visionary,” he said. He described Sir Syed Ahmed as a towering Urdu writer and social reformer, who was most secular and a noble soul. Veteran journalist Ved Bhasin, Director of Distance Education Meenakshi Kelam and Head of Urdu Department, University of Jammu , Dr Shohab Inayat Malik also spoke on the occasion.
	Formation of citizen advisory committees demanded Tribune News Service Jammu, October 17 The Jammu and Kashmir Democratic Party Nationalist (DPN) has demanded the constitution of citizens’ advisory committees at the divisional and district levels for better coordination between the government and the people. A conference of activists of the youth wing of the DPN from Rajouri and Poonch districts, under the chairmanship of Vipul Bali, was held here today. It stressed on the need for involving well-meaning citizens and civil society members in defusing any tension and conflict between the government agencies and the people on the one hand and between various communities on the other. Stating that such forums were occasionally formed temporarily to remove irritants and clash of interests over some issues, as had been experienced during communal tension in Bhadarwah recently, the DPN suggested that these committees should be permanent in nature. It said the citizen advisory bodies at the divisional level should have 70 members each and at the district level 50 members each. The government should nominate these members chosen from among a cross section of society and prominent persons from different communities. These committees could also bring a liaison between the government and the people in making the government schemes and development projects successful. Speaking at the conference, Bali said these committees would fulfil the promises made by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah to empower the people and provide governance on their doorsteps. The other main speakers were Tajinder Singh, Kapil Mahajan, Tarun Tandon, Avinash Vohra and Gurpreet Singh.
	Comedy play ‘Girgit’ staged Jammu, October 17 Comedy Hindi play “Girgit”, directed by Balwant Thakur, was featured at Natrang’s weekly theatre series “Sunday Theatre” here today. Based on a Russian short story by Anton Chekhov, the play is a hard-hitting satire on the contemporary socio-political system. The play revolves around a dog and a corrupt police official, who changes colours like a chameleon as the situation changes. The stage action starts when a dog bites a pickpocket, who approaches the police official for help. Meanwhile, a passerby hints that the dog belongs to a local minister, as he has seen a similar dog moving around his (minister’s) bungalow. The official starts beating the pickpocket for teasing a “respectable” dog. The official claims that the minister’s dog cannot bite unless forced to do so. While the pickpocket is being thrashed, a man from the crowd observes that the local minister cannot keep such a dog, as he is known to have hunting dogs only. At this, the poor dog is thrashed and the search for its owner begins so that the pickpocket can claim compensation. The beating of the dog continues until a servant of the minister appears on the scene. At first he refuses to recognise the dog, but later identifies it as belonging to the minister’s brother, who lives in Delhi. Here the dog is escorted back home with full official protocol. Dimple Sharma played the role of the police official effortlessly and was equally supported by Uplaksh Singh Kotwal as his subordinate. Gaurav Jamwal successfully exhibited the characteristics of a senior bureaucrat. Among others who gave impressive performances were Rahul Singh as thief, Mohammad Yaseen as minister’s servant, Sushil Raina as dog, Pankaj Kumar, Vishal Sharma, Syed Fardeen and Abhinav Vimarsh. Ankush Lakhnotra operated the lights. The show was coordinated by Neeraj Kant while Sumeet Sharma did the presentations. — TNS
	Poor condition of institute of arts Jammu, October 17 State president of the Sri Ram Sena Rajiv Mahajan today called on the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Jammu, Prof Varun Sahni, and apprised him about the dilapidated condition of the building housing the Institute of Music and Fine Arts in Poonch House at Talab Tillo. Mahajan told the Vice-Chancellor that the building of the institute was in a shambles and an untoward incident could happen at anytime. He said Sahni gave him a patient hearing and assured him that efforts would be made to preserve the building. “The Vice-Chancellor said he had applied for permission for the construction of a new block for the institute,” he said. — TNS
	MLA inaugurates blacktopping of road Jammu, October 17 MLA Jammu East, Ashok Khajuria inaugurated the work of the blacktopping of the road from Mubarak Mandi to the Radio Station Chowk here today. Speaking on the occasion, Khajuria said roads and lanes in most of the areas of the old city had been dug by the NBCC for laying underground sewage pipes. Though the pipes had been laid, no proper covering, levelling and blacktopping had been done. The people had been protesting against the delay in making the roads and the lanes suitable for use, he said. Commuters, including old people and schoolchildren, were being inconvenienced for the last many months, he added. Khajuria said the people would get some relief with the completion of the blacktopping of the road, but there were many other areas where the roads needed immediate repairs, levelling and blacktopping. — TNS
	Militant killed in Pulwama encounter Tribune News Service Srinagar, October 17 An unidentified militant was killed in an ongoing encounter with the security forces in Pulwama district of south Kashmir today. The police said a joint party of the police and 53 RR of the Army cordoned off Yachgoosa village in Pulwama district early today. The holed up militants opened fire on the search party that was retaliated by the troops. The encounter was continuing till the reports last came in, the police said.