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Snow, rain expected in Valley
Dense fog delays trains, passengers inconvenienced
60% of students girls in Jammu varsity, yet its health centre sans woman doctor
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Kishtwar Cong unit boycotts PHE Minister’s meeting
Centre wary of opening peaks to climbers near Pak, China border
Transfer of registration powers
School in Udhampur to educate farmers in farm practices
Fed up with NC, PDP, people looking towards BJP: Manhas
PDD daily wagers continue dharna
Govt plan to settle Pandits in clusters in Kashmir flayed
Inquiry into train accident begins
T-20 cricket tourney from February
Showroom sealed, illegal structures demolished
Continental food festival
14 injured in mishap
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Snow, rain expected in Valley
Srinagar, December 19 He said the MeT office had also issued a travel advisory asking passengers travelling from Srinagar to Jammu to consult the traffic authorities before embarking on a journey by road. Kashmir is reeling under a severe cold wave for the last two weeks and the people here are eagerly awaiting snowfall and rain that will give some respite from the freezing cold. The snowfall, especially in the mountain areas during this season, is welcome by the people in general and farmers in particular. Heavy snowfall during this period is a source of water for irrigation and power generation for the summer. Meanwhile, the Valley continued to witness sub-zero night temperatures. The skiing resort of Gulmarg in Baramulla district remained the coldest place in the Valley with a minimum temperature of minus 6.8°C last night. The maximum temperature recorded today was 7°C. The tourist resort of Pahalgam in Anantnag district recorded a minimum temperature of minus 5.4°C while the maximum temperature was 4.8°C. The maximum and minimum temperatures recorded in Srinagar city were 5.6 and minus 3.4 °C, respectively. Qazigund recorded a minimum of minus 3.4°C and a maximum of 6.6°C. Leh in the frontier region of Ladakh was the coldest at minus 13.2°C last night. The maximum temperature recorded in Leh today was 6.4°C. Chillai Kalan round the corner Srinagar: The Kashmir valley is on the threshold of the coldest and harshest 40-day period of the winter “Chillai Kalan”. The Chillai Kalan brings with it freezing temperatures and heavy snowfall. But with this harsh period of the winter comes the hope of a lively spring season, bringing back everything to life |
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Dense fog delays trains, passengers inconvenienced
Jammu, December 19 The passengers waiting for trains were already having a hard time dealing with the cold and the delay in the arrival and departure of trains made the things worse for them. The Pooja Express was late by three and a half hours, the Sampark Kranti arrived three hours late, the Jammu Rajdhani by two hours, the Jhelum Express by three hours and the Shalimar Express arrived late by an hour at the ralilway station. Talking to The Tribune, Swati Sharma, who had come to receive her younger brother, said, “I am waiting for the arrival of the train for the last two hours. We are not getting proper information about the train.” “There is so much uncertainty about everything. There is no proper arrangement here,” she added. Not only the arrival of trains, but also their departure was delayed due to dense fog. The departure of the Sampark Kranti was delayed by two hours. The Jammu railway station sees a rush of 50,000 passengers daily. Any delay in the arrival or departure of trains creates chaos there. |
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60% of students girls in Jammu varsity, yet its health centre sans woman doctor
Jammu, December 19 Marred by discrepancies, the ailing health centre has become a talk among the students. Moreover, the non-availability of a woman doctor is being viewed seriously as no one has been appointed in place of the Chief Medical Doctor, a woman, who retired last month. President of the Jammu University Research Scholars Executive Association Rakesh Chib said, “Despite the fact that girls constitute about 60 per cent of the total students in the university, the administration has not appointed a woman doctor. A large number of girls live in hostlers on the university campus and yet the health centre has not been freed of its ills.” He alleged that the centre also failed to provide necessary medicines during emergency and lacked kits required for basic ailments caused due to seasonal transitions. President of the National Students Federation Vikas Sharma alleged, “Every year the university collects lakhs of rupees in the name of providing health care facilities to the students, but the money is not utilised properly. Instead of appointing a qualified doctor, a teacher has been made the in-charge of the centre.” Sharma said the centre had not provided any free first aid kits to various departments. “The health centre needs to upgraded urgently. Machines are available but have not been made functional due to lack of technical know how,” he added. A professor said at present only a general physician and a dental surgeon were available at the centre. The physician was a retired doctor, who had been given extensions many times, but he was usually not available. Our university always faced threat of wasps because of hornets’ nests on the campus and God forbid, if they attacked the students, the health centre would not be able to tackle the situation. Registrar of the University of Jammu Naresh Padha said the issue had been taken up with the department concerned. “A woman doctor retired only last month and we have written a letter to the Department of Medical Education, requesting it to depute two resident doctors at the campus, including a woman gynaecologist,” he said. About the shortage of medicines, Padha said, “I will look into the issue and anyone having a complaint in this regard can meet me.” |
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Kishtwar Cong unit boycotts PHE Minister’s meeting
Udhampur, December 19 Much to the embarrassment of the minister, almost all prominent Congress leaders of the district, including DCC president Pardeep Singh Parihar, vice-president of the PCC Sheikh Ghulam Haider, district president of INTUC Raj Kumar Badyal, district president of the PCC Labour Cell Suresh Sharma, block president of the Congress, Kishtwar, Haji Ghulam Hassan Mir and block president, Padder, Nek Ram Manhas boycotted the meeting. Instead, a parallel meeting was organised and members of the DCC alleged that the step was taken because the minister had not informed them or any senior party leader about the programme. Parihar told The Tribune that they had boycotted the meeting because it was organised without taking the DCC into confidence. “It amounts to violation of the decision of the Congress high command that no party activity will be held in any district without the consent of and intimation to the District Congress Committee concerned,” said Parihar. Sources said the unsavoury development was the outcome of factionalism in the party. The minister had planned the meeting at the behest of a former minister and sitting MLA from a constituency in Kishtwar district. As most of the party leaders stayed away from the meeting, a gathering of about 150 persons comprising daily wage workers and regular employees of the PHE Department was managed at the eleventh hour. “We suspect that the plan to keep the DCC out of the loop was a deliberate attempt to weaken the party in Kishtwar by creating a rift between the leadership and the cadre. I called up the minister several times, but I got no response. Since we got no response, a meeting of the DCC was convened to apprise the members about the minister’s meeting. We have also written a letter to Congress president Sonia Gandhi about this,” added Parihar. Local Congress leaders have also appealed to the Congress high command as well as the in-charge of the Congress affairs in the state, Mohan Parkash, to take strong notice of the matter and issue directions to all ministers to maintain party discipline and intimate the District Congress Committees whenever they visit some district. It was also alleged that some leaders with a poor reputation were behind such anti-party activities. |
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Centre wary of opening peaks to climbers near Pak, China border
Jammu, December 19 In April last year, the state government, with the purpose of attracting climbers, had decided to throw open nearly 100 Himalayan peaks in the Ladakh region. After the Ministry of Defence gave its consent and the Union Home Ministry also issued a notification, some of the peaks, which were not close to the border with China and Pakistan, were thrown open to climbers, said sources in the Tourism Department. Tourism Minister Nawang Rigzin Jora said though some of the Himalayan peaks had been thrown open to tourists, their exact status could be checked from the Indian Mountaineering Foundation (IMF). Director, IMF, Col JP Bhagat (retd) said in the past one year around 217 peaks had been thrown open to climbers in Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand but with some restrictions from the Ministry of Defence. “We have received two proposals from the Union Defence Ministry and we are now restarting things with a request to the ministry to relax some restrictions,” said Col Bhagat. However, peaks not strategic in nature and not close to border in Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand had been thrown open to tourists and climbers, he added. The sources said the state government had sent a proposal to the Union government last year for the promotion of tourism and adventure activities to attract climbers from abroad and within the country. Though no permission from the Union government was required in case of the peaks across the Jammu region, it was mandatory in the case of the strategically-located Ladakh region, which shared border with China and Pakistan, they added. The sources said for allowing climbing and trekking expeditions on the peaks situated at an altitude of 6,000 metres and above, a permission was required from the IMF. It may be stated here that there has been a steep decline in Pakistan-sponsored militancy in Jammu and Kashmir during the last three years. Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, too, during his visits to Mumbai had invited film-makers to shoot movies in Kashmir. |
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Duped Haj aspirants stage protest in Valley
Srinagar, December 19 The protesters were demanding that the money they had deposited with the travel agency be returned. Carrying placards reading slogan “return our Haj money”, the protesters staged a demonstration against the Al-Hajeej group in the Clock Tower area. The tour operator, which offers Haj and Umrah services, has been accused of cheating around 500 Haj aspirants from the Valley. “Each of us had deposited up to Rs 1.5 lakh with the company and our money should be returned so that we could perform Haj next year,” a protester said. Another protester added, “The Al-Hajeej group has cheated 500 local Haj aspirants. Because of it we could not perform Haj. Now that the main accused has been arrested, the government should ensure that we get our money back.” Yesterday, the main accused in the scandal, Fabiyan Wahid Gilkar, who is running the Al-Hajeej group in Srinagar, was arrested by a local police team at Churu in Rajasthan. “Fabiyan is being brought to Srinagar, where he is wanted by the police in connection with several offences, including cheating,” the police said. The accused had gone missing from the city about two months ago after Haj aspirants allegedly cheated by the travel agency had taken to street in protest against the fraud. |
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Transfer of registration powers
Srinagar/Jammu, December 19 Work in the high court and subordinate courts across the Valley remained affected as the HCBA observed a day-long strike to press their demand for the continuation of the registration powers with civil courts. An HCBA spokesman said the government move was “unacceptable”. He added they would stage more protests across the Valley if the authorities went ahead with the decision. He said the HCBA strike call was “successful” and was observed at all courts across the Valley. A member of the HCBA objected to the government move saying, “Revenue officials are not competent enough to handle legal matters related to property documentation. The proposal is unreasonable as it directly affects not just the interests of the lawyers but also that of general public.” The state government today appealed to the Bar Association Jammu and other organisations to defer their shutdown call. According to an official spokesman, Deputy Chief Minister Tara Chand reviewed the situation in the wake of the bandh call given by the Bar association and other sister organisations. The government appealed to the association and other organisations to defer the call given for tomorrow, particularly keeping in mind the interest of the general public and a large number of tourists visiting the state. The government has also extended an invitation for talks for an amicable settlement of the issue keeping in mind the interest of the public. |
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School in Udhampur to educate farmers in farm practices
Udhampur, December 19 The initiative taken under the Centrally-sponsored Agriculture Technology Management Agency (ATMA) scheme was set up in Duhi Gali of the Panchari block, which caters to an area of 25 km radius. Farming in this rain-fed area is traditionally done with old techniques, which do not ensure better production on a commercial scale. Chief Agriculture Officer, Udhampur, Suneel Koul told The Tribune that he expected the farmers of this block to adopt the latest techniques to gain a competitive edge and take agriculture beyond the subsistence level. As of now, the farmers use a mono crop-based agriculture system in the upper reaches of the area. But the situation is likely to change after the setting up of this agriculture extension facility under the ATMA. This facility is aimed at providing innovative methods to the farmers about the production technology of wheat crop along with practical demonstration of various field operations like seed treatment, line sowing, a balanced dose of fertiliser application, weed management, disease and pest management and post harvest care for a better yield. The demonstration plots laid for the purpose by the target farmers under the guidance of experts from the department will be used in imparting practical knowledge to the progressive farmers. Notably, maize is the staple crop of the area though rajma and pulses are also grown along with allied activities like poultry and animal husbandry. Convener of the block technology team of Panchari Vijay Kaw, who formally inaugurated the facility yesterday, gave a detailed account of the ATMA and other ongoing departmental activities on the occasion. Officers of the allied Horticulture Department also educated the farmers about diversified farming activities. A team of six junior Agriculture Extension Officers headed by the Zonal Agriculture Extension Officer will be at the disposal of the farmers. On the sidelines of Farmer Field School, a farmers’ training camp under the tribal sub-plan was also held in the area yesterday, in which 75 farmers from the Gujjar and Bakerwal community participated. The technology related to rabi crops, especially fodder crops and other related crops, were discussed in detail at the camp.
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Fed up with NC, PDP, people looking towards BJP: Manhas
Jammu, December 19 While the NC and the PDP were competing with each other to prove their superiority over the other by issuing provocative statements and arousing the sentiments of Kashmir people, the Congress had adopted silence over the developments in the state. In such a situation, the people were looking towards the BJP with high hopes because it had always raised the issues of the masses, agitated for their rights and adopted the policy of justice to all and appeasement to none, said Manhas. He added the BJP never indulged in the politics of regionalism and communalism and treated all regions and faiths equally and also advocated equal treatment to all. Manhas said the party MLA from Nagrota, Jugal Kishore Sharma, would continue to work for the betterment of the people. Sharma also spoke on the occasion. |
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PDD daily wagers continue dharna
Jammu, December 19 It had given a call for a strike on December 14 as it alleged that Chief Minister Omar Abdullah had not fulfilled promises made to the union leaders two years ago. The union said even two years after Omar’s assurances no steps had been initiated to redress its grievances, forcing its members to come out on streets. It demanded the regularisation of the services of daily wage employees and the release of the pending wages of need-based employees. It appealed to all daily wage and need-based employees to stop working and come on a platform for the redress of their grievances. |
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Govt plan to settle Pandits in clusters in Kashmir flayed
Jammu, December 19 The Panun Kashmir alleged that the economic enticements were used to camouflage the real issues about the resettlement of the community in Kashmir. Ashwani Chrangoo, president of the Panun Kashmir, said the resettlement of the community was purely a political issue, which needed to be addressed politically. He added the return and resettlement of Kashmiri Pandits in Kashmir was to be seen in the context of the historical experiences of the community. Any comprehensive solution would have to address the geo-political aspirations of the community so that there was no problem in future. The demand for a homeland was put in the Margdarshan Resolution of 1991. Chrangoo also mentioned that the decision of the National Human Rights Commission of India confirming that “acts akin to genocide have been committed against the Kashmiri Pandit community” should form the basis to redress the fundamental issues regarding the displacement and resettlement of the community in Kashmir. |
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Inquiry into train accident begins
Srinagar, December 19 An official spokesman here said a statutory inquiry into the accident that occurred at Sadura on November 23 was being conducted by RK Kardham, Commissioner of Railway Safety, Northern Circle. The inquiry, which started in the Administrative Office near the Budgam railway station today, would continue till tomorrow. A number of witnesses were examined on the first day of the inquiry. Any person, who wants to provide any information regarding the accident, could
depose before the inquiry officer during working hours tomorrow, the spokesman said. |
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T-20 cricket tourney from February
Jammu, December 19 The T-20 cricket tournament would be held on a grand scale and premier cricket clubs would participate in it, the minister said while discussing the modalities of the event at a high-level meeting here. The tournament would be played at the district level in the phase-I and later the qualifying teams would take part in the league matches in the phase-II. The district sports officers shall be the nodal officers for the tourney.
— TNS |
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Showroom sealed, illegal structures demolished
Jammu, December 19 Besides, the JMC also demolished a wall at Patta Paloura and an illegal platform raised near Gurdwara Sunder Singh Road, Jammu. The structures were sealed under the provisions of the Jammu and Kashmir Control of Building Operation Act, 1988, as parts of the buildings meant for residential purpose were being used for commercial purpose. The operation was conducted with the help of the Gandhi Nagar police and personnel from the District Police Lines, Jammu. |
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Continental food festival
Jammu, December 19 The festival offers dishes from Western cuisines like Italian, French, Mexican, Mediterranean, British and Spanish. Rakesh Dogra, general manager of the hotel, said, “The festival also features live singing performances by singers like Andrew and Rasool. It will also offer Christmas favourite delicacies.” Executive Chef Naresh Dabral said, “The festival will provide the people of Jammu an opportunity to dig into delectable pastas, pizzas, spaghetti, mushroom crepes, barbecued chicken wings and spaghetti Bolognese etc. — TNS |
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14 injured in mishap
Jammu, December 19 The police said 14 persons, including girls, were critically injured when a speeding truck collided with the Katra-bound bus. The bus carrying Vaishno Devi pilgrims was on its way to Katra from Jammu. The police with the help of some commuters on the highway shifted the injured persons to the Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) here. The condition of the injured was stated to be stable.
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