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Alleged
Irregularities In J&K Bank Recruitments
Ex-MLC in jail, PSOs still guard his house
PSOs getting a raw deal |
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Stir Against Recruitment Policy
Rashid denied passport due to ‘adverse’ police report
Kashmiri traders in North-East for winter sale
7 fall ill after gas leak
Dalai Lama’s visit to promote Buddhist heritage: Jammu hoteliers
NHPC holds painting competition
Cultural events mark Children’s Day
Thiksay Monastery festival begins
Patwari arrested taking bribe
SHO awarded for nabbing ‘erring’ doctor
BJP gears up for Advani’s yatra
Release wages of casual labourers, says Tarigami
Competition on water conservation organised
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Alleged Irregularities In J&K Bank Recruitments
Jammu, November 14 The protesters alleged that the bank committed irregularities in making recruitments at various levels and discriminated against the candidates from the Jammu region. “The bank neither followed the prescribed procedure for selections nor it published any list of selected candidates to conceal its shady affairs as well as its bias against the Jammu region,” said Faqir Nath, a former MLA from Chenani. Shouting slogans against the bank authorities, he demanded a probe into Faqir added, “The concealing of the final selection list by the bank and issuing individual call letters to the selected candidates was sufficient to support the apprehensions and contentions of the aggrieved youth of the Jammu region.” He alleged, “Of 1,600 recruitments made recently, 1,200 recruits were from the Kashmir valley. It is a clear case of discrimination against the youth of the Jammu region. Our youth are well educated and they should be given their due share.” At present, the state government is holding 53 per cent share in the bank, which makes it answerable and accountable to the people, the protesters said. Demanding the suspension of the chairman of the bank, the protesters urged Finance Minister Abdul Rahim Rather to order a thorough probe into the issue. The Panthers Party leaders also warned the government that they would take up the issue in the coming session of the Legislative Assembly. Sajjad Bazaz, spokesperson for the bank in Srinagar, while talking to The Tribune over the phone, said, “The most transparent method was adopted by the bank in recruitments. Everything has been done in a fair manner. Those who have been recruited have cleared the written test and interview. As everyone has a right to protest, they can also lodge their protest.” |
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Ex-MLC in jail, PSOs still guard his house
Jammu, November 14 Four personal security officers (PSOs) deployed by the police for the security of the former legislator continue to guard his home, Wazir Niwas, 124 A/D, in the posh Gandhi Nagar area here even five months after his arrest. One PSO could be seen standing guard at the house round the clock. Wazir and his brother Ajab Singh were arrested on June 9 for allegedly hiring contract killers, who eliminated leading businessman of Jammu RB Chopra and three other members of his family in their house in the Trikuta Nagar locality. Wazir was a senior leader of the NC and former member of the Legislative Council, whose term ended in February this year. He was elected on the party ticket in 2005. Sources said the police had been investigating the case all these years but arrested Wazir and his brother following the confessional statements of the suspects in the murder case. “Though the police has already established Wazir’s involvement in the Chopra murder case, I do not understand why we have not been recalled by the department,” said a PSO deployed on Wazir’s escort duty. He added, “We do not have any facilities here. We live in a canvas tent in the backyard of Wazir’s palatial house.” SP, Security, Ropinder Chalotra said Wazir’s family was also entitled to security. “At this moment I cannot reveal the details. I will have to consult the records to find out information regarding the kind of threat the former legislator’s family is facing,” he said. |
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PSOs getting a raw deal
Jammu, November 14 The PSOs camping in more than 50 tents put up in the Green Belt park in Gandhi Nagar and the adjoining areas have been living without the basic amenities and with long and uncertain duty hours. Besides guarding the homes of their escortees and accompanying them during their official and personal tours, the PSOs reportedly even do menial jobs as demanded by the families of the protectees. Though a majority of such PSOs belong to the Jammu and Kashmir police, there are a number of Punjab and Haryana policemen as well who have been attached with the personal security of retired IAS officers living here. The PSOs do not have even have toilet or bathroom facilities. They respond to the call of nature in the open or makeshift toilets in bushes. They bathe in the open, thanks to the taps and water sprinklers of the Floriculture Department in the Green Belt park. The tents of PSOs in front of palatial VIP homes are not only a nuisance for the Floriculture Department which maintains the park but also for morning and evening walkers. The tents do not have any proper heating or cooling arrangements. “As part of the daily routine, we do guard duty at the gate for 10 hours or even more. But that does not mean that our daily duty is just for 10 hours. We take children of the escortees to their school and accompany them back home,” said a PSO on condition of anonymity and added, “Every wish of the escortee’s family is our command.” “We have to cook food, wash our clothes, etc, clean the tent and do everything after the guard duty,” he said, adding that a large number of PSOs were suffering from stress-related disorders.” Another PSO said, “In the absence of proper housing facility, there is always the fear that the service rifle may get stolen. We cannot even sleep properly as there is also the constant fear of snakes.” “Everyone wants a PSO as a status symbol but no one wants them inside their homes. It’s a fact that PSOs are not being treated fairly, but there is no proper policy on the matter,” a police officer said on condition of anonymity. |
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Stir Against Recruitment Policy
Jammu, November 14 The student community has been lodging protest demonstrations across the Jammu region for the last fortnight, demanding revocation of the policy. They also attempted to gherao the secretariat on the first day of the Darbar reopening here on November 9. A senior police officer told The Tribune that November 16 would be a very hectic day for them and they have already alerted cops to thwart any kind of protests on that day. “All kinds of precautionary measures will be taken for that particular day, because three dignitaries will be coming to Jammu and its nearby places. Cops in civvies and patrolling parties have been given special directions for that day,” said the officer. Besides maintaining law and order, the security agencies will also be maintaining a strict vigil to thwart any possible attempt by militants and their sympathisers, he added. Meanwhile, students’ associations have started conducting secret meetings. “We had already shown black flags to the state government on November 9. But, it does not mean that we will not gherao any minister or MLA of the Congress-NC government in the coming days. This time we will not give any such call in advance, as the last time the police had used brutal force on our activists,” said Suresh Ajay Magotra, chairman, Youth of Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh. “If the government can stoop to any level to play with the future of youth, why can’t we take the bull by the horns?” |
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Rashid denied passport due to ‘adverse’ police report
Srinagar, November 14 “I had applied for a passport 11 months ago, and when I sent a colleague today to collect the passport he was told that the CID report in this case was adverse,” said Abdul Rashid, member of the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly from Langate constituency in Kupwara. Rashid said he had received a “tatkal” passport last year when he was invited to attend a conference in the US. “Now when I have applied for a permanent passport, they are denying it,” he said. Rashid was in the news during the recent Assembly session for moving a resolution seeking clemency for Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru. He said there were cases registered against him “but all are politically motivated”. The Independent MLA said, “If this government cannot do these simple things, how can Chief Minister Omar Abdullah claim to bring major changes.” A senior police official in the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) said an inquiry into the Rashid's case "is pending". — PTI |
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Kashmiri traders in North-East for winter sale
Guwahati, November 14 Some of the traders from Kashmir have arrived a bit early this year as winter makes its presence felt in Guwahati only towards the end of November. Some of the traders like Shiekh Ajad have been coming to Assam during this time of the year for
the last several years and they have faced no difficulty in this troubled part of the country. Another trader Amir Malik says, “We roam around in residential localities in urban areas. The business is usually good in affluent colonies where people can afford our exquisite items like high-quality pashmina shawls and Kashmiri suits that are not available in the local market. He dismissed the common perception among people that they quoted “very high” prices. “The prices of good quality Kashmiri shawls, suits have increased of late because of the sharp rise in the cost of production back home in Kashmir. We have to earn something for doing business in such a faraway place.” Besides the Kashmiri traders, a large number of Tibetan refugees selling woollen garments, blankets and shawls also arrive in the region every winter. Unlike Kashmiri traders, the Tibetan traders, including women, prefer to put up makeshift stalls instead of ferrying their goods from neighbourhood to neighbourhood. Tibetan traders from Bhutan and Nepal have already set up their stalls in various marts in Assam, including Guwahati, to display their colourful woollen garments, jackets and shawls to attract buyers. Their stalls of colourful winter dress material adds colour to the grey wintry days. |
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7 fall ill after gas leak
Jammu, November 14 The seven workers were hospitalised at Government Medical College and Hospital and were discharged later in the evening. “All seven workers have been discharged from the hospital and they are doing well,” said the Narwal SHO, Hilal Mohammad Azhar. — TNS
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Dalai Lama’s visit to promote Buddhist heritage: Jammu hoteliers
Jammu, November 14 A delegation of its executive members, along with members of other tourism-related organisations, today called on Health and Horticulture Minister Sham Lal Sharma and conveyed their gratitude to him for taking concrete steps to promote tourism and pilgrimage in the region. The Jammu hoteliers said the invitation extended by the minister and his MP brother Madan Lal Sharma to Buddhist spiritual leader Dalai Lama to visit ancient Buddhist site of Ambaran, near Akhnoor, on November 16 and a photo exhibition of Buddhist monuments and monasteries at the Kala Kendra was an imaginative step to promote the Buddhist heritage in Jammu. Association president Inderjeet Khajuria appealed to the minister, who represents the Akhnoor constituency in the Legislative Assembly, to take up with the Dalai Lama and other Buddhist leaders the issue of building a grand Buddhist monastery at Ambaran on the pattern of Budh Mandir at Gaya in Bihar. This would promote the Buddhist heritage and pilgrimage to the site. Khajuria also requested the minister to ensure appropriate steps for creating necessary tourism infrastructure along the banks of the Chenab, particularly at the historical site of Jio Pota, where Ghulab Singh was coronated as the king of Jammu by Maharaja Ranjit Singh of Punjab. |
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NHPC holds painting competition
Jammu, November 14 Besides, 10 other students were awarded consolation prizes of Rs 1,000 each by OP Thakur, Executive Director, NHPC Limited, Jammu. Earlier, NHPC Limited had organised a district-level painting competition and all these students were selected there. |
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Cultural events mark Children’s Day
Jammu, November 14 A large number of students participated in various cultural programmes. A seminar on the life and contributions of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru was also organised. GA Qureshi, Director, School Education, Jammu, was the chief guest on the occasion. He delivered a lecture on the life of Pandit Nehru. Qureshi also distributed sweaters, shoes and uniforms among the needy students. The students of Government Higher Secondary School, Mubarak Mandi; Government Higher Secondary School, Rehari; Government Higher Secondary School, Sarwal; Government Girls Higher Secondary School, Bakshi Nagar; Government Boys Higher Secondary School, Bakshi Nagar; Government Higher Secondary School, Jullaka Mohalla; Central Basic Higher Secondary School, Purani Mandi, and Government Hari Singh Higher Secondary School participated in the programme. The students performed bhangra at the end of the programme. |
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Thiksay Monastery festival begins
Leh, November 14 The celebration of the century-old festival, in which monks of the monastery perform various mask dances in the name of gods and goddesses of Tibetan Buddhism, began with the unveiling of the portrait of Galsras Sum, founder of the Gelokpa school of Tibetan Buddhism and his two disciples. Prayers and mask dances were performed by monks. Many foreign tourists participated in the celebrations.
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Patwari arrested taking bribe
Jammu, November 14 The official has been identified as Balwan Singh, Patwari of Flora halqa in the Nagbani area of Jammu. Balwan was arrested while taking a bribe of Rs 5,000 from the complainant, Sardari Lal, a resident of Ladore village. In the written complaint with the SVO, Sardari Lal had stated that he had applied for a “nakal jamabandi” of his eight kanals in Ladore village. He needed the “nakal jamabandi” to take a loan from a bank for the purchase of a tractor. But the Patwari, Balwan Singh, demanded Rs 5,000 as bribe for issuing the “nakal jamabandi”. On the basis of the complaint, the SVO had registered a case. Officials of the SVO laid a trap and the accused Patwari was caught red-handed while taking phenolphthalein-dusted Rs 5,000 from the complainant in the presence of an independent witness. The bribe money was recovered and the accused arrested. |
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SHO awarded for nabbing ‘erring’ doctor
Jammu, November 14 To check female foeticide, the minister had recently announced an incentive for those providing information about sex determination tests. Paramjeet nabbed Dr Monika Bhagat while she was conducting the test in a private clinic in RS Pura recently. —
TNS
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BJP gears up for Advani’s yatra
Jammu, November 14 State BJP president Shamsher Singh Manhas first held a meeting with senior leaders of the party, including Dr Nirmal Singh, Ashok Khajuria, Jugal Kishore Sharma, Dr Jitendra Singh, Chander Parkash Ganga, Sat Sharma, Yudhvir Sethi, Dr Nirmal Kamal and Rajesh Gupta, and finalised the arrangements for the rally. Later, he held a meeting with the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) led by its president Munish Sharma and the Mahila Morcha led by its president Sakina Bano. Briefing the meetings about Advani’s yatra programme, spokesperson for the party Jitendra Singh said the public rally would begin at Dussehra Ground, Gandhi Nagar, at noon on November 16. He added Advani would be accompanied by Arun Jaitley, Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, national chief spokesperson and MP Ravi Shankar Prasad and national general secretary Jagat Prakash
Nadda. |
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Release wages of casual labourers, says Tarigami
Jammu, November 14 In a statement issued here, Tarigami regretted that even festivals like Diwali, Eid-ul-Azha and Gurpurab meant nothing to these people as they were not able to feed their families due to non-payment of wages. “These workers are not being paid even the minimum wages,” added Tarigami. He also called for regularisation of all those daily wage workers and casual labourers who had completed seven years of service in the Power Development Department and other engineering departments. —
TNS
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Competition on water conservation organised
Jammu, November 14 Nagar here today. Nearly 50 participants took part in the competition. PK Parchure, in-charge, Regional Director of the board, said, “The main aim of organising the programme was to make the children aware about the need for conserving this precious resource and at the same time involving their parents in the noble cause.”
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The police security provided to a former member of Legislative Council (MLC), TS Wazir, alias Tallo, who is lodged in the district jail, Ambphalla, in a murder case, has not been withdrawn so far.
Personal Security Officers (PSOs) -- this is what policemen deployed for the security of VIPs are called.
Jammu, November 14
Srinagar, November 14
NHPC Limited organised a sate-level painting competition at the Rajinder Singh Auditorium in the University of Jammu here today.
The students securing the first, second and third positions in the competition were given a reward of Rs 10,000, Rs 8,000 and Rs 5,000, respectively. 
