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Lawyers’ strike hits life across Jammu region
Members of the Bar Association Jammu argue with a minibus operator during the strike on
Tuesday. Tribune photo: Anand Sharma
Commuters at the receiving end
Promotion of KAS Officers |
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Vaishno Devi pilgrims stranded at Katra
Congress divided over supporting agitation
Kashmiri Pandits seek security assurance for return to Valley
Political Buzz
Governor NN Vohra present a trophy to the Maharashtra under 19 cricket team during the closing ceremony of the 57th National School Games organised by the Youth Services and Sports Department at MA Stadium in Jammu on Tuesday.
Tribune photo: Inderjeet Singh
Snowfall in Valley brings respite from cold wave
A teacher falls into an open drain after being chased by the police during
a protest in Srinagar on Tuesday. Photo: Amin War
Bhalla, Chib praised for assuring passage of Temples Bill
Army’s educational tour ends
Environment Measures
Train hits auto-rickshaw in Hiranagar
Gurdwara Committee elects office-bearers
Collector, XEN in vigilance net
2 injured in mishap
NSF holds protest
Sculptor Tiku calls on Governor
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Lawyers’ strike hits life across Jammu region
Jammu, December 20 All shops and business establishments remained closed while the public transport, barring a few commercial vehicles, remained off the road in the winter capital of
the state. The government as well as private offices reported a thin attendance while educational institutions, both government and private, either wore a deserted look or were closed in view of the strike. Different groups of lawyers also held rallies in various parts of the city on vehicles fitted with loudspeakers to enforce and ensure a complete shutdown. At some places the protesting lawyers had a verbal spat with drivers plying passenger vehicles in the city. Transporters, the Jammu Chamber of Commerce and Industry (JCCI), various trade organisations, social and political groups had extended support to the shutdown call. Work in the Jammu and Kashmir High Court, subordinate and district courts remained crippled for the 28th consecutive day today. A large number of BAJ members assembled at the high court complex and staged a demonstration against the state government. The angry lawyers locked the main gate of the complex and didn’t allow the vehicles of the judges to enter the complex. They also held a protest march from the complex and shouted anti-government slogans, demanding the immediate rollback of the decision. “The government must respect the sentiments of the public and immediately withdraw its decision, which will not only increase corruption but also encourage land mafia,” BAJ president BS Slathia told reporters. He said a complete and peaceful shutdown was a clear message to the government that the BAJ would not tolerate
this “anti-people” decision, which was aimed at encouraging the land mafia. Slathia said the government was trying to create confusion among the people by making an appeal to lawyers to defer their shutdown call. “Our agitation will continue till the government rescinds its ill-conceived and anti-people order,” he added.
The lawyers also staged a demonstration outside the residence of Minister for Revenue Raman Bhalla and requested him to take back the order vesting registration powers in executive officials. Activists of the BJP, the Hindustan Shiv Sena, besides other political and social groups also staged demonstrations and burnt the effigies of the government. “The government decision will directly affect the lawyers as well as the people. The government should take a holistic view of the situation and rescind its order forthwith,” a BJP leader said. “The registration powers should be with the judiciary, otherwise, the common man will be face a lot of inconvenience.” Reports from the district headquarters said the members of the bar associations boycotted court work and held protest rallies. The lawyers also blocked vehicular movement on the highway in Samba district and raised anti-government slogans. Transfer of Registration Powers — BS Slathia, president of Bar Association Jammu |
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Commuters at the receiving end
Jammu, December 20 Barring a few long-route buses and minibuses, all passenger vehicles remained off the road, causing commuters, Mata Vaishno Devi pilgrims and tourists hardships. Private taxi and auto-rickshaw operators, however, fleeced gullible pilgrims and tourists outside the Jammu railway station and the General Bus Stand. The people were compelled to commute by auto-rickshaws and taxis by paying high fares. The All Jammu and Kashmir Transporter Welfare Association had called for a total strike to support the shutdown call given by the BAJ. Over 43,000 commercial vehicles, including buses, minibuses, trucks and oil tankers, remained off
the road. “We had no knowledge about the general strike. When we arrived at the Jammu railway station, a taxi operator informed us about the situation. We have failed to get a ticket of the Katra-bound SRTC bus due to a heavy rush while private taxi operators are demanding high fares that we cannot pay. Hence, we are standing here,” said Rajat Prakash, 32, a Mata Vaishno Devi pilgrim, at the railway station. Neelam Arora, 38, a tourist from New Delhi, said, “There is no space in government and some private buses, which are ferrying passengers beyond their seating capacity. Taxi operators and auto-rickshaws are demanding high fares. We didn’t find a single place in Jammu city to visit because all markets were closed. It was a wasteful day of our trip.” Private bus and minibus operators, who dared to ply their vehicles despite the strike, had verbal duels with the protesting lawyers at separate places. Similarly, complete chaos was witnessed at the General Bus Stand here with commuters failing to find any mode of transportation. |
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Promotion of KAS Officers
Jammu, December 20 These organisations were sulking over the government policy to recruit youth on a contractual basis by “violating” the reservation rules and the decision to promote some KAS officers allegedly by ignoring the seniority list had fuelled their anger. “While promoting KAS officers the government blatantly flouted the reservation norms and we would not tolerate this anti-weaker section policy of the coalition government,” RK Kalsotra, president of the SC, ST, OBC Confederation, told The Tribune. Kalsotra said they had convened a meeting of all organisations of weaker sections on December 25 to devise a strategy to take their agitation to the logical end. “We will not allow the government to continue with its anti-weaker section policies,” he warned. In the days to come all organisations of weaker sections would join hands and intensify their agitation, he added. State president of the BSP Tulsi Dass Langeh asked the government to revoke its decision and promote officers on the basis of the existing roaster. “The running reservation roaster should be maintained,” he told The Tribune. He said the BSP had decided to take the fight to streets. Recently, the state government promoted 132 KAS officers and gave them super scale. The confederation and other organisations alleged that the promotions were not given on the basis of the tentative seniority list approved by the selection committee. “The government has put all reserved category officers at the bottom which is a glaring example of the violation of the reservation rules,” argued Kalsotra. He said the government was not adhering to the reservation rules while recruiting the youth on a contractual basis or on daily wage. “There is no provision for reservation in appointing people on a contractual basis or daily wage. This is a gimmick of the ruling elites to deprive the weaker sections of their constitutional right,” Kalsotra alleged.
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Vaishno Devi pilgrims stranded at Katra
Udhampur, December 20 However, normal life remained unaffected in Udhampur, Doda, Kishtwar and Ramban districts. The members of the Bar Associations in these places abstained from court work. Stamp vendors and petition writers also joined the protesting lawyers. The lawyers organised demonstrations and submitted memorandums of demands to the district administrations concerned. Every day thousands of pilgrims are reaching at Katra to pay obeisance at Vaishno Devi shrine, but as the private buses remained off the roads, the buses of State Road Transport Corporation including private cabs were the only option left with the pilgrims. Narinder Thakur, a resident of Haryana, said the authorities concerned must make arrangements of buses in advance at the Katra bus stand. “I had to wait in a long queue for return journey tickets. My wife and children had to stand in the open in severe cold, as no shed or sitting facility is available at the bus stand for pilgrims,” he said. Meanwhile, president of the Bar Association, Katra, Sunil Sharma led a protest rally in support of their demands. Addressing the rally, Sharma apologised to the pilgrims for inconvenience caused to them due to the strike. Business establishments also remain closed in Reasi. |
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Congress divided over supporting agitation
Jammu, December 20 The lawyers under the banner of the Bar Association Jammu
(BAJ) have been agitating against the decision of the state government to transfer registration powers from judicial officers to revenue officials. BAJ president BS
Slathia, who is leading the agitation, is himself a senior Congress leader. Interestingly, all ministers belonging to the Congress were present at the Cabinet meeting when the decision to transfer registration powers to the Revenue Department was taken but after the BAJ started agitating a party faction had come out in support of the lawyers. The ministers belonging to the party tried to defend the government decision but some of their party colleagues were now supporting the lawyers. As registration powers have been transferred to the Revenue Department, which is under the charge of Raman
Bhalla, a Congress leader, the agitating lawyers have been especially targeting the Congress on the issue and accusing the party leaders of furthering the interests of land mafia. Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee
(JKPCC) president Saifuddin Soz has favoured a dialogue with the agitating lawyers on the issue. Though Soz did not openly come out in support of the lawyers, he said negotiation should be held to solve the issue. “Both parties (the government and the agitating lawyers) should show some flexibility and start a dialogue,” said
Soz, adding that the registration powers should remain with judicial officers. Senior Congress leader and MP from the Udhampur-Doda seat Choudhary Lal Singh, while demanding talks on the issue, expressed concern over such unilateral decisions. “Being part of the judicial system, lawyers should have been taken into confidence while taking an important decision like transferring registration powers from the judiciary to the Revenue Department,” he told The Tribune. Spokesman for the JKPCC Ravinder Sharma also favoured talks on the issue. He supported the demand of the lawyers and said the registration powers should remain with the judiciary. |
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Kashmiri Pandits seek security assurance for return to Valley
Jammu, December 20 Different Kashmiri Pandit organisations have criticised the government decision saying the main issue is not money or land but a conducive atmosphere for the return of the community members to Kashmir. Agnishekhar, convener of the Panun Kashmir, today said, “The government is misleading the people by trying to divert their attention from the main issue. We did not leave our homeland in the Valley for the sake of money or property but due to security reasons.” “The government has mooted the new plan because it knows the Kashmiri Pandits are not accepting the Prime Minister’s rehabilitation package without any assurance regarding their security. We do not support the government decision,” he added. The government has taken the decision to form clusters for Kashmiri Pandits in the Valley as the Rs 1,618 crore return and rehabilitation package for the community members announced by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in 2008 has failed to ensure their return to Kashmir. Under the new plan residential plots in clusters will be provided to the families which desire to return to their native place with a financial assistance of Rs 20 lakh for the construction of residential houses. Veer Jee Saraf, spokesperson for Roots in Kashmir, while talking to The Tribune, said, “The government is trying to lure us by land and money but they are not addressing our main issue. We are demanding return with respect and security. And for this the government needs to have confidence building measures for the Kashmiri Pandits.” “They did not take the Kashmiri Pandits into confidence and just by offering money they cannot force us to go back to the Valley,” he added. The government is planning to form five such residential clusters in Anantnag, two to three in Srinagar and Baramulla districts, two each in Budgam, Kulgam, Pulwana and Kupwara districts and one each in Gandarbal, Shopian and Bandipora districts. According to records, over 65 per cent of the displaced Kashmiri Pandits are landless, as they have already sold their property and agricultural land. The Prime Minister’s package could not impress them to return to their native villages and construct houses.
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Political Buzz
Jammu, December 20 Lashing out at the critics of the Omar Abdullah-led government, Rana said the Omar government had taken a number of steps for the development of the state. “They ask what the Omar government has done in the past three years. The fact is that it has set up 33 degree colleges, unveiled 22 projects and black-topped 8,334 km of roads,” he said. The biggest achievement of the government was that it had conducted the panchayat elections in the state, Rana added. “When we began the process of the panchayat polls, some people said it will result in bloodshed and violence. But the people came out and voted and it all went peacefully,” the NC leader said. District unit of BJYM reconstituted
To face the forthcoming political challenges, Bharatiya Janta Yuva Morcha (BJYM) district president Munish Khajuria in consultation with BJYM state president Munish Sharma has reorganised his team to give it more cohesion and strength. Khajuria has appointed Rajkaran Sharma, Makson Tickoo, Naveen Dogra and Vikas Sharma as vice-presidents, Tarun Sharma as general secretary, Kr Rajeshwar Singh, Raj Kumar, Happy Charak and Rishab Dayal as secretaries, Sahil Gupta as treasurer, Mohit Khuda as publicity secretary, Bandeep Kumar as media secretary and Ritesh Gupta as office secretary. PDP asks workers to launch war against NC’s misdeeds
Terming the NC-led coalition regime as a complete failure in addressing the basic problems of the people, general secretary of the PDP Balbir Singh called upon party workers here today and asked them to launch a war against the anti-people NC government. Addressing a series of public meetings in the Billawar area, he lamented that the government had promised to provide free ration to the drought-affected families of the Kandi areas, but promises made by the government had remained on paper only. “The people in most parts of the Kandi belt of the Jammu region are drought-hit due to non-availability of ration,” he said and added that the government was least concerned towards the miseries of the people. |
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57th National School Games conclude
Jammu, December 20 The Governor was addressing a gathering at the closing ceremony of the six-day 57th National School Games, 2011, organised by the Youth Services and Sports Department under the aegis of the School Games Federation of India at the MA Stadium here today. The Governor witnessed a cricket match of under 19 girls played between the teams of Maharashtra and Delhi. He also witnessed a set of wushu demonstrations presented on the occasion. Maharashtra won the cricket finals while Delhi stood second and Chhattisgarh third. In wushu under 19 category, Delhi won the overall championship, while Jammu and Kashmir stood second and Manipur third. In all, 390 players from 19 states and Union Territories participated in the event. The Governor gave away trophies and medals to the winners and runners-up teams and individual prizes and certificates to the players for their performances during the national-level sports event. He also interacted with the players and wished them a bright future. The Governor congratulated the Youth Services and Sports Department for hosting the mega sports event in the state. He said whenever such national-level sports championships would be organised in the state an effort would be made to take the participating boys and girls from various parts of the country to the places of historical, tourist and heritage interests in Jammu and Kashmir. He added this would provide the visiting sportspersons an opportunity to see the natural beauty and other places of attraction in the state. The Governor was presented with a memento on the occasion by Minister for Youth Services and Sports RS
Chib. Chib also gave details of various sports activities organised in the state during the year and the initiatives being taken for building and augmenting the sports infrastructure in the state. |
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Snowfall in Valley brings respite from cold wave
Srinagar, December 20 A day before Chillai Kalan, the harshest period of the winter in Kashmir, the temperatures rose by a few degrees from the sub-zero level after several places received a fresh spell of snowfall. The Meteorological Department has forecast light to moderate snowfall and rain at a few places in Kashmir during the next 24 hours. A MeT official here said the tourist resort of Sonmarg on the Srinagar-Leh axis received 10 centimetres of snow while the skiing resort of Gulmarg in Baramulla district received one centimetre of snow. The tourist resort of Pahalgam in Anantnag district too received one centimetre of snow. The temperatures rose by a few degrees following the snowfall. Pahalgam recorded a minimum temperature of minus 1.2°C last night as compared to minus 5.4°C the previous night. Qazigund recorded a minimum of minus 0.4°C that was three degrees above the previous night. However, Gulmarg remained the coldest place recording minus 7.0°C at night. |
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Teachers cane-charged, 20 detained
Srinagar, December 20 A large number of teachers under the banner of the JKTF, a body affiliated with the Employees Joint Action Committee (EJAC), gathered in the Press Enclave area and raised slogans against the government. EJAC president Abdul Qayoom Wani, who was leading the protesters, said the government had failed to fulfil their demands. “We have been demanding an increase in the honorarium to Rehbar-e-Taleems (ReTs), the inclusion of five-year service of the ReTs for promotional benefits, the regularisation of education volunteers (EVs) after seven years of service and filling of vacant posts in the Education Department,” he said. The JKTF warned the government of dire consequences if its demands were not met. |
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Bhalla, Chib praised for assuring passage of Temples Bill
Jammu, December 20 APHCC leaders said the stand of the ministers had reassured the Hindu community and the committee that their 10-day chain fast in October did not go waste. They hoped that the ministers would keep their word and work for bringing an effective Temples and Shrines Bill. APHCC leader Vinod Pandit in a statement issued here today said some organisations had turned temples into private fiefdoms and indulged in leasing, selling and bungling under the garb of managing the temples. He added the government must wrest the control of all such temples from the vested interests. Hailing the statements of the ministers, senior core group member of the APHCC King C Bharati said the Temples and Shrines Bill, which was pending in the state Assembly, should be passed in the coming Assembly session. |
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Army’s educational tour ends
Jammu, December 20 Back from an educational tour, the 23 students also visited various places of historical importance. The students were received by Commander of Tithwal Brigade Brig Rajeev Sirohi at Narian yesterday. During the tour, the schoolchildren visited Kolkata, Guwahati and Shillong. In Kolkata they also visited the Victoria Memorial, the Birla Planetarium and the Indian Museum. In Guwahati, the children met Chief Minister of Assam Tarun Gagoi and enjoyed a boat ride on the Brahmaputra. At the final destination of the tour, Shillong, they visited the Don Bosco Museum and were taken around the regimental centres of Gorkha Regiment, Assam Regiment and the Assam Rifle Training Centre. Speaking on the occasion of the flagging-in ceremony, Brig Sirohi motivated the children to match steps with their counterparts in other parts of the country and urged them to inculcate a spirit of patriotism. |
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Environment Measures
Jammu, December 20 The environmental measures to be taken were with regard to the management of solid waste, dumping, rehabilitation of dislocated families and compensation to land donors. The committee, which met here under the chairmanship of MLA, Bandipora, Nizam-u-Din Bhat, reviewed the progress and measures taken by various departments for the execution of the KHEP. Discussing the issue of stone crusher units functioning in Gurez, it was decided at the meeting that a team of the committee would visit the site to check whether these had been established according to the norms. The committee directed the BEACON authorities to remove all encroachments along the road leading to the KHEP, constructed by the NHPC. They were also asked not to allow the NHPC to construct any structures in future without the permission of the authorities concerned. |
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Train hits auto-rickshaw in Hiranagar
Jammu, December 20 The auto-rickshaw was crossing the railway line when the train hit it. Auto-rickshaw driver Sat Pal, a resident of Chappar in Hiranagar, had seen the train coming from a distance but his vehicle got stuck in the railway track and hence he left it there. Train dragged the auto-rickshaw to about 200 metres and it remained there for 20 minutes. By the time the train left, local people led by sarpanch Des Raj gathered and started raising slogans against the Railway authorities. The protesters also made the Jammu Mail, which arrived just a few minutes after the Sampark Kranti left, to halt there for one hour. MLA Durga Dass, Additional SP Zahid Manhas, SHO Karanjeet Singh, Tehsildar Rajeev Magotra, Railway divisional engineer MS Khosla, senior section engineer Pradeep Kumar and traffic inspector Rajiv Sabharwal reached the spot and handled the situation. Khosla said the Railway authorities would sanction Rs 2 crore for the construction of an underway. The protesters, however, demanded a temporary level crossing till the underway was constructed.
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Gurdwara Committee elects office-bearers
Jammu, December 20 According to an official hand out issued here, the nominated members held a meeting and elected the governing body members, which included Mohinder Singh as president, Taranjit Singh Tony as vice-president, Ramnik Singh Bijral as general secretary, Ajit Pal Singh as joint secretary, Narbir Singh as cashier and GS Babber as convener. Other elected members included Mohinder Singh, Manmohan Singh, Surinder Singh Bunty, Sukhjit Singh and Jagjit Singh. The newly-elected body has decided to celebrate “Prakash Utsav” of Guru Gobind Singh on December 31, in accordance with the wishes of Sri Akal Takath Sahib, Amritsar, and Nanakshahi calendar, stated the press release.
— TNS
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Collector, XEN in vigilance net
Srinagar, December 20 “An inquiry by the SVO into the allegation of fraudulent and dishonest payments made in 2010 to non-entitled beneficiaries revealed that Mukhtar-ul-Aziz, Collector, Land Acquisition, Srinagar, and TK Sadhoo, Executive Engineer, Construction Division, Ganderbal, fraudulently and dishonestly caused a loss of Rs 1 crore to the state exchequer by showing non-entitled beneficiaries for the payment of compensation,” an official said today. The SVO probe revealed that the accused public servants had paid compensation to “non-existent shops” in the Badoo Bagh area of the city.
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2 injured in mishap
Jammu, December 20 The police said the driver of the speeding Alto car lost control over the vehicle while negotiating a curve on the highway near the Domana area. The injured were shifted to the Government Medical College and Hospital
(GMCH) here by the police and the local people. Their condition was stated to be
normal. — TNS
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NSF holds protest
Jammu, December 20 Speaking on the occasion, NSF district chairman Surjit Choudhary said the university authorities were neglecting many issues, including the upgrading of the health centre, which was facing a lot of problems.
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Sculptor Tiku calls on Governor
Jammu, December 20 During the meeting, the Governor and Tiku discussed measures required for the promotion of art and aesthetics in the state and across the country. The Governor suggested to Tiku to exhibit his works in Jammu in the coming year. Tiku also presented one of his recent paintings to the Governor.
— TNS
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Normal life came to a grinding halt across the Jammu region today due to a general strike by the Bar Association Jammu (BAJ), which was supported by various political, social and trade
organisations.
57th National School Games conclude
The registration of property and land is purely a judicial function and needs to be performed after applying a judicial mind. We want these powers to remain with judicial officers. If the government feels that it causes any loss to the state exchequer, there are ways and means to find a solution.