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NIA seizes 3 cellphones from Kishtwar, Jammu
Panel must take suo moto notice of Yousuf case, says Mehbooba
Omar flags off Force India team
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Non-bailable warrant against BJP state president
Govt adopting anti-farmer policies: BJP
Minister reviews bridge work
Security beefed up in Jammu ahead of Diwali
Army donates sports items
Governor asks affluent class to help orphans
Demand to fill posts of Punjabi teacher
ST status demanded for Koli community
Second batch of Haj pilgrims flagged off
Streamlining of admission to B.Ed demanded
Union minister inaugurates Consumer Court
Military bands enthral audience
Army holds collage contest
Firecrackers to be sold at Subhash Stadium
Army Vice-Chief visits Northern Command
Two killed, 7 injured in road mishap
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NIA seizes 3 cellphones from Kishtwar, Jammu
Jammu, October 19 An NIA team flew to Jammu in a special BSF plane along with Wasim Ahmed Malik, a medical student who was arrested from Bangladesh, and carried out a search operation last night at his Bhatindi house in Jammu and recovered his mobile phones from there, sources privy to the probe said here. Later, they flew to Kishtwar in a helicopter and recovered another mobile phone besides some more documents from the residence of Wasim, who along with his brother Junaid Akram Malik are emerging as prime suspects in the case, the sources said. “The mobile phone belonged to Wasim’s mother Shamima Begum,” the sources added. Wasim is said to have named the two people who purportedly planted the bomb outside the High Court on September 7 that left 15 persons dead and over 80 injured. The NIA team headed by an additional superintendent of police has been camping in the city and has brought in CCTV footage of Jammu and Kashmir Bank’s ATM from where he had withdrawn the cash a day before and after the blast, the sources said. There were big financial transactions in his account. Investigators suspect that that he might have been accompanied by two bombers while withdrawing the cash. The two people named by Wasim are said to have links with Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed terror outfit, the sources said, adding that a massive manhunt had been launched to nab them. The NIA has also sought assistance from the Bangladesh Police on the source of the money transferred into the account of Wasim, who has been studying in a medical college at Shylet, 200 km northeast of Dhaka, for the last five years. Wasim’s family has been crying foul about their arrest. The family members said the brothers had no role to play in the blast. The father of the duo, Reyaz Malik, has been maintaining that the NIA stories were nothing but a bunch of lies being spread about his sons. Recalling the incident about Junaid, he said his son had gone missing last year in August after appearing in matriculation exams. He also said it was surprising that while they had lodged an FIR about him going missing in Kishtwar police station, his son was being labelled as a terrorist. He alleged that it was an act of vengeance orchestrated by Hizb conduit Azhar Ali, whose family had been their tenant in Kishtwar. Information about Wasim was given by Azhar Ali, an overground worker of Hizb, who is in Kotbalwal Jail in Jammu since 2009 after the NIA team questioned him for his alleged involvement in recruiting people from the Kishtwar area besides securing SIM cards for the outfit. This was to know about some of the youths, including Junaid Akram, whom he had allegedly sent for training to Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, the sources said. The NIA has arrested Abid Abbas, a high school boy, on charges of having sent an email after the Delhi High Court blast. The probe agency had detained Abbas' brother from Shillong who expressed complete ignorance about the matter. Besides Abbas and Malik, the NIA has arrested Hafiz Aamir Abbas Dev, another Kishtwar resident, who is alleged to have helped in drafting the email.
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Panel must take suo moto notice of Yousuf case, says Mehbooba
Jammu, October 19 Interacting with mediapersons after winding up her tour of Jammu region, the PDP chief said that since nothing was known about the probe announced by the state government on Yousuf’s death, the SAC must take suo moto notice of the “high-profile murder”. “As the case reeks of political corruption, the SAC has reason to take cognisance of this incident,” she asserted. Taking a dig at all national parties for not effectively taking up the corruption cases in the state, she said it was a tragedy with Jammu and Kashmir that there was no accountability at the political level, which was leading to reversal of the democratic process and erosion of democratic institutions. When asked whether the Congress was shielding Omar Abdullah, she said not only the Congress but all national parties had been adopting different anti-corruption yardsticks in the region. “Even the BJP, which is the main opposition party of the country, has failed to effectively take up the corruption issue in the state. As far as the state unit of the BJP is concerned, its MLAs are already on the payroll of the ruling NC,” she alleged. Launching a direct attack on Omar, she said: “With Yousuf’s death in such unfortunate circumstances, we have learnt about the dark realities of his government and the NC family.” She sought a reply from Omar about his relations with Yousuf. Terming the regime headed by Omar as inefficient, insensitive and corrupt, she observed that the state had been facing a crisis of governance. |
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Omar flags off Force India team
Srinagar, October 19 Speaking on the occasion, the Chief Minister expressed the hope that Sahara Force India would organise a motorsports event in Srinagar next year, providing opportunity to the people to witness it at the banks of the Dal Lake. Omar wished success to the team in the coming car race event to be held in New Delhi. The event was chosen by the Sahara Force India Formula One Team to flag off the Srinagar leg of Sahara Force India’s raise the Flag campaign here today. |
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Non-bailable warrant against BJP state president
Jammu, October 19 The court ordered the issuance of non-bailable warrants against Shamsher Singh Manhas and Bali Bhagat for securing their presence and further directed the sureties to produce them on or before next date of court hearing. Pt. Mangat Ram Sharma, in the capacity of Cabinet Minister, had held a press conference on October 3, 2007, when the alleged accused persons, Shamsher Singh Manhas, the then general-secretary of the BJP, and presently president of the state BJP and Bali Bhagat, the then general-secretary of the BJP, made written and oral defamatory statements against complainant Pt. Mangat Ram Sharma, which was highlighted in print and electronic media. The complainant alleged that “This was intentionally done by the alleged accused knowing that such imputations were bound to harm the reputation of the complainant. The alleged accused also started character assassination campaign of the complainant, by making willful and reckless denigrating and defamatory imputation publicity.” The complainant prayed for initiation of process against the alleged accused persons and sought their conviction and sentence, on proof of the charge. |
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Govt adopting anti-farmer policies: BJP
Jammu, October 19 Addressing a press conference here, BJP MLAs Choudhary Sukhnandan and Choudhary Sham Lal said while poor farmers were suffering huge losses, the middle men were reaping gains. They added the farmers of the Jammu province were made to suffer every year as the state government and the Agriculture Department had adopted a negative approach towards them. The MLAs said the farmers did not get a fair price for their produce as there were no procurement centres. “Procurement centres were closed about 20 years ago and till date no step had been taken to revive them,” they alleged. “In the absence of procurement centres, the farmers have to sell their produce at the rates fixed by the middle men, who sell them at high rates in the market. This is happening due to a nexus between officials of the Agriculture Department and private parties,” they said. Sukhnandan, while speaking about his meetings with the officials of the Food Corporation of India (FCI), said none from the state government attended a national-level meeting called for providing the details for setting procurement centres. The state government later approached the FCI with a request to open procurement centres, but it too seemed to be an eyewash. Despite repeated representations from the farmers, only three centre had been set up at Nagrota, Chattha and Kathua. But these centres had failed to provided any relief to the farmers, he said. |
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Minister reviews bridge work
Udhampur, October 19 The minister was reviewing the progress of the bridge, coming up at a cost of Rs 30 crore over the Chenab in Doda district. MLA, Doda, Abdul Majeed Wani; Principal Secretary, R&B, KB Aggarwal; Managing Director of the JKPCC, MM Gupta; Chief Engineer, R&B, Tehsin Mustafa and Chief Engineer of the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojna (PMGSY), Jammu, DL Sharma were also present. The minister said the delay caused in the completion of the project showed a lack of coordination between the department and the executing agency. The executing agency was asked to submit the requisite information by the consultancy so that the design of the bridge was finalised. The meeting was informed that Rs 13 crore had been spent on the project so far. |
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Security beefed up in Jammu ahead of Diwali
Jammu, October 19 Random security checks are being conducted by the police in and around the winter capital, said a senior police officer. “The police has stepped up vigil in and around the capital city, deploying sufficient cops, besides keeping Quick Reaction Teams (QRTs) of the Special Operations Group (SOG) in a state of preparedness to ensure incident-free Diwali celebrations,” he said. Being a festive season, the security has been heightened to the optimum and random checking of vehicles at various crossings and rotaries have also been initiated, he added. Checking and frisking at various check posts have been increased as a precautionary measure to foil possible attempts of any misadventure by militants and their sympathisers, he said. Police sources said flying squads in sufficient numbers had been relocated. Besides this, surveillance and intelligence network has also been upped. Sources said, the SOG, which has been trained to tackle terror attacks, has also kept its QRTs ready to deal with any contingency. “Policemen in civvies have also been deployed at crowded places and busy markets like Raghunath Bazar, Purani Mandi, Link Road, Bahu Fort, Jailway Station, Bus Stand, Airport and Apsara Road Market,” they said. To assist the police, CRPF personnel have also been deployed in and around vital installations. The security grid at the border has also been upped. While the BSF has intensified patrolling all along the 198-km-long International Border, the border police has alerted its posts, besides asking VDC members to keep a strict vigil. Meanwhile, IGP, Jammu zone, Dilbagh Singh chaired a high-level meeting of senior officers, including SSPs here this evening to take stock of the security scenario. |
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Army donates sports items
Udhampur, October 19 Officiating PRO, (Defence), Jammu, SN Acharya said the Army unit located at the Kalakote area of Rajouri made this gesture in response to a request by teaching staff of the school and residents of Potha. The donated sports items related to cricket, badminton, chess, carom, volleyball and football. The students and teachers assured to make full use of these items by having regular games in the school. Headmaster of the school Purshottam Lal, sarpanch of Potha village Vijay Kumar Sharma, sarpanch of Godhar village Mohammad Yaqoob and retired government official Bansi Lal appreciated the Army’s gesture and expressed the hope that it would help the area youth and students in a positive way. — TNS
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Governor asks affluent class to help orphans
Srinagar, October 19 He was addressing a gathering after inaugurating the Dar-Ul-Salam Children’s Home at Sopore in north Kashmir today, which has been established by the J&K PET (Peoples Educational Trust) Welfare Society. To begin with, 200 orphan and destitute boys aged 7 to 10 will be provided free boarding and lodging facilities by the welfare society. The society will also facilitate the education of these children. The Governor stressed the need for focussing on nurturing the moral and ethical values among the children along with their academic learning. He observed that education should not aim only at acquiring knowledge and passing examinations, but must also promote and inculcate moral values among the youth. Referring to the J&K PET Welfare Society, the Governor lauded its initiatives to secure the welfare of orphans and hoped that many others would emulate the good work being done by the organisation to help destitute children to stand on their feet. The Governor complimented the functionaries of the welfare society for setting such a good example of paying back to society at least a small part of what they had received from it. The Governor distributed merit-cum-means scholarships to four meritorious students on the occasion, besides Rs 5,000 to a widow on behalf of the society. A warm welcome was accorded to the Governor on his arrival. On the occasion, Justice BA Kirmani (Retd) and Mohammad Muzaffar War, president of the society, honoured the Governor, by presenting to him a memento. Muzaffar War in his address dwelt on the history, evolution, activities and future action plan of the organisation. He also gave details of the facilities being provided to the orphan and destitute girls at the PET Children’s Home at Baramulla. He thanked the Governor for taking a keen interest, particularly in the welfare and education of orphans, destitute, physically challenged and other less privileged children. |
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Demand to fill posts of Punjabi teacher
Srinagar, October 19 “We are compelled to protest to highlight the step-motherly attitude of the Central and state governments towards the development of Punjabi language,” Sikh leader Jagmohan Singh Raina said after the protest. He said 20 per cent of the population living in rural and urban Kashmir either write or speak Punjabi. “Punjabi being an old and widely spoken language of Jammu and Kashmir was included as a regional language in the Sixth Schedule of Section 146 of the Jammu and Kashmir Constitution,” he said. “By virtue of it being recognised as a regional language, Punjabi remains an important language along with Dogri, Balti, Dardi, Pahari and Ladakhi,” Raina said. Punjabi was taught in almost all government schools and colleges earlier but it was now dying as most of the colleges and schools did not have Punjabi teachers and the posts were lying vacant, he said. |
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ST status demanded for Koli community
Jammu, October 19 In a statement issued here today, Pathania said the Gaddis, the Sippis and the Kolis were one caste with identical living, culture, clothing, language, customs and nature of livelihood. “It is disheartening that while the Gaddis and the Sippis have been granted the ST status, the Kolis have been neglected,” he said. Pathania also highlighted the plight of the Gaddis and the Sippis. “The Gaddis and the Sippis were ignored by the previous governments in all the spheres of life and they had been facing a step-motherly treatment,” he said. These tribes had a very low literacy rate and negligible representation in government jobs and other important assignments, he added. “It is unfortunate that though the population of Gaddis and Sippis is about 2.5 lakh in the state, there is no separate advisory board for their development and uplift,” he regretted.
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Second batch of Haj pilgrims flagged off
Udhampur, October 19 The batch comprising 14 male and 7 female pilgrims left for Srinagar from where they will fly to Jeddah. The district administration had made their arrangements for stay at Gujjar and Bakerwal (G&B) Hostel, Udhampur. Naib Tehsildar, Chenani, Rafeeq Ahmed accompanied them as Liaison Officer. Administrator Auqaf, Udhampur, Shakeel Shah, Warden of the G&B Hostel, Udhampur, Shakeel Ahmed were present on the occasion. — TNS
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Streamlining of admission to B.Ed demanded
Udhampur, October 19 Demanding this in its meeting held here yesterday, the DYWA deliberated on the problem while reviewing the just concluded B.Ed examination, conducted by the University of Jammu. The meeting, however, put on record some positive steps taken by the university to streamline the examination in which thousands of students of the state as well as from outside appeared. The association drew the attention of the civil society and university authorities to disturbing cases of impersonations that came to light during the examination. Several candidates whose photographs and signatures did not match the ones in the records of the university were caught during the examination. The association alleged that this had happened because these candidates had never come to their respective B.Ed colleges or the university, either for admission or instructions. The scale of the problem was discovered this year, as exam centres were swapped and therefore the parent institution could not change the university records in the form of counterfoils to hide the facts. It was alleged in the meeting that the problem acquired endemic proportions because the College Development Council of the University of Jammu, which was supposed to deal with B.Ed admissions through counselling was either unable or unwilling to do its job properly. Thus unscrupulous agents with the help of alleged corrupt college managements were able to trap and befool students from outside the state, by promising them that they would not have to attend the classes. Appreciating the university for standing up to the pressure exerted by some B. Ed colleges to reverse the policy of swapping examination centres, the association urged its authorities that they should follow up its success in conducting the B.Ed examination this year by a thorough cleaning up of the process of B.Ed admissions and instituting a more rigorous method of inspection than was being followed currently. Those who addressed the meeting included Rizwan Tasaduk, Amir Malik, Rashid Iqbal, Preetam Katoch, Sunil Kotwal, Mohsin Hafiz, Sujata Parihar, Sughanda Soni, Neelam Devi and Vishal Kumar. |
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Union minister inaugurates Consumer Court
Srinagar, October 19 Speaking on the occasion, the Union minister asked the state government functionaries to set up one Consumer Court in Jammu also. Thomas said the setting up of the Consumer Court would facilitate the consumers on the one hand and ease the burden of judicial courts in settling consumer cases on the other. He also inspected the godown of the Food Corporation of India at Shaheed Gunj and checked the quality of foodgrains being transported here from Punjab and Haryana. He was informed that the godown had a storage capacity of 8,000 quintals only while 14,000 quintals of foodgrains were required every month. He ordered the construction of a new godown on the land available nearby with a sufficient storage capacity. Jammu and Kashmir Minister for CAPD Qamar Ali Akhoon informed the Union minister that the state government was contemplating setting up consumer courts at every district headquarters of the state. He said the proposal for the construction of a divisional-level Consumer Court in Jammu would be taken up in the state Cabinet for approval.
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Military bands enthral audience
Jammu, October 19 The military bands from various Army units of Tiger Division presented a spectacular display of martial music, leaving the audience spellbound. The bands were attired in their respective regimental colourful regalia. Maj Gen Waraich said the military bands had been a symbol of pride, bravery and motivation for the jawans in battlefield since long. “The martial music of the military bands fills the people with patriotism and national pride,” he said. — TNS |
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Army holds collage contest
Udhampur, October 19 Fifteen teams of five students each from the school participated in the competition on the twin theme of gender equality and environment pollution. The participants showed creativity with enthusiasm. Principal of the school SB Singh said the students were excited about participating in the competition organised for the first time at the school. Block Development Officer Qayoom Malik gave away prizes to the winners and the runners up. — TNS
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Firecrackers to be sold at Subhash Stadium
Udhampur, October 19 The instructions were part of the measures decided by the district administration at a meeting under Baseer’s chairmanship here yesterday. The SSP, Udhampur, Shakeel Ahmed Beig, the Assistant Commissioner, Revenue, the Chief Medical Officer, the Assistant Director, CAPD, the Assistant Director, Fire Services, officers of utility services and representatives of trade unions were present at the meeting. The DDC said the Subhash Stadium had been earmarked for the sale of firecrackers where 65 stalls were being installed for the purpose. He told shopkeepers not to sell firecrackers except at the designated venue and anyone found disobeying the order would face action. It was decided at the meeting that a joint team of officers of the Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution, Health, Municipality, Legal, Meteorology and Revenue departments would conduct frequent checks in the markets to keep a check on the rates and quality of products, especially sweets and fruits. The DDC told the representatives of the unions of fruit sellers and sweet shopkeepers and others to ensure the sale of quality sweets and fruits to consumers on reasonable rates by displaying the rate lists at their shops. He said special squads would keep a vigil on the quality and rates of eatables during the festival. Discussions were also held on the related arrangements, including security, maintenance of law and order, traffic regulation, drinking water and power supply, sanitation, medicare, checking of rates and quality of eatables and the deployment of fire engines. The officers of the Public Health Engineering Department and the Power Development Department (PDD) were directed to ensure adequate drinking water and uninterrupted power supply, especially to the stadium. The Executive Officer, Municipal Committee, was ordered to ensure cleanliness at the stadium and other public places. Similarly, the officials of the Health and Fire departments were directed to make the arrangements of first-aid and fire engines to meet any eventuality. |
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Army Vice-Chief visits Northern Command
Udhampur, October 19 Lt Gen AS Lamba is on a visit to the Northern theatre and has already visited Chinar and Fire and Fury Corps. An Army spokesperson said, the VCOAS discussed the operational preparedness of the Northern Command and the security situation with the Northern Army Commander, Lt Gen KT Parnaik. — TNS
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Two killed, 7 injured in road mishap
Banihal, October 19 The vehicle, which was on its way from Jammu to Gool, met with the accident in the Mehar area of Banihal district, the police said.
— PTI
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Questioning the credibility of the existing anti-corruption organisations in the state, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chief Mehbooba Mufti today observed that the State Accountability Commission (SAC) should take suo moto cognisance of the “killing” of National Conference (NC) worker Syed Yousuf as it was a “clear case of political corruption”.
