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State continues to reel under power crisis
Congress cries bias at coordination panel meet
Snow claims two lives in Chenab valley region
Militants target Sopore police station, 1 injured
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Domestic Violence Act
BJP to chalk out strategy to redress problems of Sikhs
Budshah Theatre Festival ends
Not seen NC document on its achievements: Soz
BJP wants 50% quota for women in municipal poll
Jammu varsity V-C search panel meets stakeholders
Maintain hygiene at langars, says Governor
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State continues to reel under power crisis
Jammu, January 7 Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, who was personally monitoring the situation in the snow-hit Kashmir Valley, immediately ordered the Power Development Department (PDD) to stop supplying electricity to VVIP areas, including his Gupkar residence in
Srinagar.
He directed disconnection of power supply to his residential complex and other VVIP areas till the supply to the entire Kashmir was restored. He further ordered the PDD officials to give preference to hospitals and essential installations in supplying electricity till damage caused to transmission lines as a result of snowfall was repaired. “Have ordered the Power Department to take the VVIP areas off the essential feeder service. No islands of light while most areas in darkness,” Omar wrote on mirco-blogging networking site Twitter this evening. “Priority to hospitals, water supply schemes and de-watering pump stations,” he posted in another tweet. He also wrote, “The snowfall disrupted the power supply with electric poles getting knocked down in rural areas. The supply also remained affected in different areas of Srinagar city.” Reports reaching from various district headquarters said rural areas and upper reaches that received fresh snowfall were without electricity since last evening as electric poles had been uprooted. “The upper reaches and rural areas in Kishtwar, Doda, Ramban, Udhampur, Reasi, Bani, Basohli and Billawar were the worst affected due to major breakdown in power supply since last evening. Other parts of the state, particularly rural areas were experiencing power cuts from 12 hours to 16 hours,” a senior official said. Official sources, however, told The Tribune that the state had been facing a major power crisis with the gap between demand and supply of electricity touching the colossal 1000-MW mark. “The electricity demand had increased up to 2600 MW which was much higher than the power being supplied to the people in the state,” a top PDD official said on condition of anonymity. “The supply in the snow-hit Kashmir valley has been increased from 950 MW to 1100 MW, while Jammu province is being provided 500 MW to 600 MW. We are still facing a shortfall of 1000 MW which has put the entire state into deep crisis,” he added. He said the estimated hydel potential in Jammu and Kashmir was about 20,000 MW, while the present generation capacity of all power projects, including the 450-MW Baghliar Hydroelectric Project which was owned by the state government, stood at 759 MW. “Besides, the state is getting 12 per cent (210 MW) energy as royalty (free power) from National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC) for the exploitation of its water resources,” the official said, adding that the NHPC was providing 12 per cent free power as contribution under corporate social responsibility (CSR) in the state. The official said the increasing power purchase bills had already put the state government on the backfoot. “By the end of the year purchases will exceed Rs 3500 crore and revenue will not exceed Rs 1200 crore. Do the math and tell me how this adds up,” Omar had said in his tweet on December 31. The worried Chief Minister had asked, “Where will the money come from to plug the gap between our purchase bill and our revenue realisation?”
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Congress cries bias at coordination panel meet
Jammu, January 7 “We conveyed the feelings of our party workers to NC leaders regarding the discrimination meted out to them by the coalition partner. We strongly demanded that being a partner in the government, the Congress should be taken into confidence while formulating policies and programmes,” former Deputy Chief Minister and veteran Congress leader Mangat Ram Sharma told The Tribune after the completion of the meeting. Sharma along with Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) chief Saifuddin Soz and Deputy Chief Minister Tara Chand represented the Congress while Finance Minister Abdul Rahim Rather, Rural Development Minister Ali Mohammad Sagar and senior leader Choudhary Mohammad Ramzan represented the NC at the meeting, which was held after a gap of more than three months. “The NC leadership has assured us that they would take every possible step to involve Congress workers in the governance,” Sharma said, adding that the NC leadership had indirectly admitted that during the last three years there had been discrimination against Congress workers. Soz, who heads the coordination committee, said during the meeting they discussed how to strengthen the Panchayati Raj institution in the state and empower sarpanches and panches as done in other parts of the country. When asked whether he was satisfied with the steps taken by the government to empower panchayats, Soz said, “When I raised this issue today I was told by Ali Mohammad Sagar that a Cabinet sub-committee had been constituted in this regard and they had gone ahead with the recommendations of that committee. “I will now see how the government has strengthened the Panchayati Raj institution in the state. If I feel satisfied I will say okay, otherwise I will continue my struggle for strengthening panchayats in the state as per the 73rd amendment to the Constitution.” Soz said the coordination committee also discussed ways to strengthen the Vigilance Commission, State Human Right Commission and Backward Classes Commission in the state. |
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Snow claims two lives in Chenab valley region
Udhampur, January 7 The dead have been identified as Mohammad Rafiq (21) and Shanker Prasad (50) of Chamoli district in Uttarakhand. Rafiq died after he came under an avalanche in Ransoo block of Banihal tehsil in Ramban district. Shankar died after slipping into a gorge during a snow-clearing operation in Kishtwar district. He was an employee of the GREF. A complete power breakdown was reported from all the three districts, as technical snags have developed in 132 KV transmission line, supplying power to Doda, Bhadarwah and Kishtwar and in the 80-km-long 400 KV Dulhasti-Kishanganga line of the National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC) due to heavy snowfall. General Manager of the NHPC, Dulhasti Power Station, Rajiv Hustu told The Tribune over the phone that efforts were on to rectify the lines. “It is a difficult task and may take time because of a heavy snowfall,” added Hustu. Even as snowfall occurs in the Patnitop, Bhadarwah and Kishtwar areas during the winter season, it was unexpected in Ramban and Doda towns, which witnessed the last snowfall in 2005. Both the places have reportedly received about one feet of snow since yesterday evening. The whole region is without power and water supply since last night. “The damage to transmission lines is so extensive that it is difficult to say whether power could be restored by tomorrow. The electricity poles have been uprooted and transmission lines snapped in the district. The Power Development Department is working on a war footing,” said Deputy Commissioner, Ramban, Shabir Ahmed Bhat. Meanwhile, the Jammu-Srinagar national highway remained closed for the second day today. Though traffic had been cleared in the Jawahar Tunnel, which has received about four and half feet of snow, but around 200 vehicles were stranded at Ramban, Banihal and Batote. The Batote-Kishtwar national highway remained clear, but the vehicular movement was held up from the Jammu side. Bhadarwah town in Doda district witnessed about three and a half feet of snow, throwing life out of gear. “Due to power shutdown, I had to charge my mobile phone on generator. Internet connectivity too has suffered,” said Dr Tariq Tamkeen, Head of the Department of Urdu at Government Degree College, Bhadarwah. |
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Militants target Sopore police station, 1 injured
Srinagar, January 7
IGP SM Sahni said the victim killed in the crossfire had been identified as Mehrajuddin Hajam, a resident of Hajim in
Bandipora.
Earlier, the police had said the man killed during the operation was a militant. The police, however, said they were verifying whether Hajam was involved in any militant activity.
Militants hurled grenades at the police station in Sopore and then opened fire around 11.30 am, in an attempt to flee from the area, the police said. Two policemen and three civilians were injured in the incident, they added. The security forces cordoned off the area and launched a search operation, as they suspected another militant was holed up in the area. —
PTI
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Domestic Violence Act
Jammu, January 7 The Domestic Violence Act was introduced and implemented in India in 2005. The government had notified the Jammu and Kashmir Domestic Violence Act would come into force on July 12, 2011, in the state. But no Protection Officer has been appointed till date for the implementation of the Act. “Our state is facing with financial constraints. So, it is not that easy to implement everything so fast. But we are seriously looking into all the aspects of the Act,” said Minister for Social Welfare Sakina Itoo. We have issued orders that for the time being Child Development Officers would work as Protection officers in the state and the order would be implemented soon. As soon as we get more financial support, we will appoint officers for this job, added Itoo. A Protection Officer is supposed to act as a channel between a victim of domestic violence, the magistrate and the police. He or she would convey the initial complaint to the police and move an application before the magistrate for any relief to the victim. The women cell of the Jammu police had received 1,070 complaints in 2011, in which 981 were solved, 32 cases were registered with the women commission, four referred to the court and 53 were pending. The situation in 2010 was no different from that in 2011. There were 1,028 complaints, 967 were solved, 55 were registered with the women commission and six were referred to the court. While talking to The Tribune, SHO of the women cell of the police, Jammu, Shakti Devi said, “Most of the cases that we get pertain to domestic violence, interference of parents, unemployment and other small issues.” “Mobile phones have played a major role in domestic violence, as the phone often becomes a catalyst for distrust in a relation between married couples and thus leads to domestic violence. We need to have a strong Act to fight against it,” she said. |
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BJP to chalk out strategy to redress problems of Sikhs
Jammu, January 7 Manhas said the BJP’s concern for the Sikh community was genuine and not motivated by vote politics unlike other political parties. He said the BJP had always worked against injustice in society and it would work with the same zeal and enthusiasm to get justice for the Sikh community. He added the BJP was a party of discipline and principles and therefore it did not hesitate to act against those, who violated the party discipline. Manhas said other parties were always ready to accommodate the members of the community, who were implicated in various scams and corruption. He also announced that in near future the party would organise a grand Sikh sammelan with senior national leaders, as main speakers and participants. He added the Omar Abdullah government had proved to be a total failure and the BJP would not hesitate to take to streets, if proper attention was not given to the discrimination and problems faced by the Sikh community. Jitendra Singh said there was a lot in common between the BJP and the Sikh community and the relationship was based on common ideals of patriotism, uprightness and self-respect. He said the ruling coalition parties had constantly exploited the Sikh community for votes, but had failed to give it representation in the council of ministers. |
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BSF goes hi-tech to tackle fog
Jammu, January 7 This state-of-the-art equipment can even penetrate dense fog to keep a hawk’s eye on the enemy. “Surveillance equipment which can penetrate through fog is being tested on the international border,” BSF DIG (G), Jammu Frontier, JS Oberoi told The Tribune. “We have already strengthened ourselves on the international border by deploying additional troops and have also increased our surveillance capability,” said Oberoi. During winter the focus of Pakistani militants shifts to the more easy terrain of the international border as passes in the rugged and mountainous terrain of the 749-km Line of Control (LoC) get blocked due to snowfall. “Certainly, we have specific inputs of militants’ presence in various launching pads on the other side of the international border,” said the DIG. “Though we cannot tell the exact number of militants but our inputs suggest their number to be between 30 and 40. They have been moved to launching pads on the other side of the border,” he added. “The BSF is fully prepared to effectively repulse any misadventure on the border,” he asserted. Sources said the BSF had also been put on alert to the possibilities of “forced infiltration” by Pak Rangers and hence had increased the number of its men. The BSF has fortified vulnerable areas along the border, the sources said, adding that instructions had been given to various commandants of the force to deal with any misadventure by the enemy. Special attention is being given to forward areas in Kathua, Samba, Vijaypur, RS Pura and Kanachak, they added. |
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Budshah Theatre Festival ends
Jammu, January 7 The festival was organised by the EKTA, in collaboration with the Jammu and Kashmir Academy of Art, Culture and Languages. Kol-Baeheri is a one-act play translated into Kashmiri by BB Yasir. The play was an adaptation of an English play ‘The Dumb Waiter’ written by Harold Pinter in 1957. Two active characters ‘Ben’ and ‘Gus’ have been shown hiding in a dingy basement, as some organisation has assigned them the task of assassinating someone. Both the characters while talking to each other on various issues concerning their lives get lost in an unending illusionary era. They are supposed to kill the person, who enters the basement at a particular time. In the meantime, Gus goes out to drink water. As Ben is alone, someone enters the basement in a confused and nervous manner and fires a shot. The mystery of the killing is left for the audience to unfold. Yasir told The Tribune, “Most of us believe that absurd means nothingness and consider theatre as absurd. This play manifests the dilemma of the exploiting and the exploited class, the capitalist and the working class, the ruling and the ruled class and masterminds and perpetrators of terror and turbulence.” He said, “The production has great relevance with the present scenario in Kashmir, as no one knows who rules whom. Who is exploiting whom and ultimately who is going to pay the price.” The cast included Shahnawaz Bhat, Juniad Ahmad Rather, Shaukat Hussain Mir, Rayees A Kuchhay, Raja Nisar Rah, Farooq Mir, Shaeen Nisar, Tariq Ali Mir and Bashir Lone. |
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Not seen NC document on its achievements: Soz
Jammu, January 7 Some senior Congress leaders have indirectly aired their anger against the ruling NC for not taking them into confidence while taking important decisions. Comments of Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) chief Saifuddin Soz on the document prepared by the state government, on its achievements during three years in office reflected that the Congress leadership was not so happy with the attitude of its coalition partner. “I have not seen the document, which was released by the state government on completion of its three years. But I take it as an assertion of Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on his achievements. And I congratulate him,” said Soz. He said he had not seen the document before its release and had got it from some friends later. On completion of three years of the coalition government, the Chief Minister had released a compendium, highlighting the achievements of the coalition, in which Congress was an equal partner. Soz was not present during the function, in which the compendium was released. Although he refused to get into the controversy raised by some of his party colleagues, regarding rotational chief minister, he, however, said the coalition government had initiated some steps during the last three years, but more needed to be done. He said the Centre had been giving adequate funds for the development of the state. It is not the first time that Soz has expressed his resentment over functioning of the coalition government. Earlier, in November he had opposed the Chief Minister for taking a decision on the revocation of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) from some parts of the state. “Today we did not discuss the AFSPA, as it was not on the agenda. It is an old issue. It is my personal view that all stakeholders should be involved in the decision on the revocation of the Act,” he said. He added the AFSFA was a temporary law, which had to be revoked. Veteran Congress leader and former Deputy Chief Minister Mangat Ram Sharma had admitted that the Congress high command had not accepted their demand of rotational chief minister. “As disciplined soldiers of the Congress we should accept the decision of the high command, but one thing is clear that we had conveyed our feeling to the high command,” he said. |
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BJP wants 50% quota for women in municipal poll
Jammu, January 7 This was stated here yesterday by state president of the party Shamsher Singh Manhas at the conclusion of the one-day tour
to Jammu by state in charge of the BJP Jagdish Mukhi. Manhas said that BJP was the only political party which had already given 33 per cent reservation to women within its organisational structure. Endorsing the state BJP unit’s demand for 50 per cent reservation for women in municipal
elections, Mukhi said such reservation had already been declared in Mumbai and Delhi
corporations. He also reiterated the party’s demand to implement the 73rd and 74th amendments to the Constitution before holding the municipal elections in Jammu and Kashmir. At the meeting of senior party leaders yesterday, several other issues also came up for discussion. These included campaign strategies for the
forthcoming elections and future party programmes to highlight the misgovernance and corruption in three years of rule of the National Conference-Congress coalition.
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Jammu varsity V-C search panel meets stakeholders
Jammu, January 7 The first session of the panel, which started at 10 am lasted for about three hours. Apart from interacting with various stakeholders, the panel also met some senior JU professors, who put forth their views. The panel includes president of South Asian University, New Delhi, Prof GK Chadha, Vice-Chancellor of the Central University of Rajasthan Prof MM Salunkhe and Vice-Chancellor of the Central University of Jammu Dr SS Bloeria. President of the Jammu University Teachers’ Association (JUTA) Prof DS Jamwal told The Tribune, “They (panel members) met various stakeholders and sought their opinion. We suggested to them that the present incumbent V-C of the JU Prof Varun Sahni be given one more term, as he had initiated and completed many development works and had also brought about reforms in the examination pattern.” The JUTA also preferred the appointment of a local V-C. “We think a local V-C better understands the issues. The incumbent should be a visionary and a capable academician under whose stewardship the varsity can grow,” he added. However, a JU Professor said various groups were divided over the issue of giving one more term to Prof Sahni. He said, “The panel was very much clear over the issue. They said giving one more term to Sahni was not under their discretion. They added their job was to recommend one among the aspirants.” A stakeholder, who attended the meeting said, “They also sought our opinion on whether the new V-C should be from the science stream, as the previous three had a social sciences background.” Rakesh Chib, president of the Jammu University Research Scholars’ Executive Association (JURSEA), said, “We were very clear about our views and asked for a local Vice-Chancellor.”
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Maintain hygiene at langars, says Governor
Jammu, January 7 The deputation led by SABLO president Vijay Thakur and general secretary Rajan Gupta offered various suggestions to the Governor regarding improvements in the Amarnath yatra. The suggestions included setting up of additional toilet blocks at various camps, enhancement of sanitation and cleanliness arrangements at the base camps and en route the holy cave, widening and strengthening of critical stretches of both the yatra routes and augmentation of medicare facilities. The Governor emphasised the need for preparing a standard diet chart for the langar organisations, which takes into account the nutritional requirement of the yatris, particularly in view of the high altitude and difficult climatic conditions. The Governor further stressed on the importance of maintaining hygienic conditions in and around all langars during the entire yatra period this year. The Governor said the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board (SASB) would soon publish a comprehensive advisory of dos and don’ts for the benefit of the prospective pilgrims.
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Most parts of Jammu and Kashmir today plunged into darkness after moderate to heavy snowfall in the state for the second day today.
Continuous heavy snowfall in the Chenab valley region comprising Doda, Kishtwar and Ramban districts claimed two lives today, besides causing a complete power breakdown. There was no vehicular movement and people preferred to stay indoors.
