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Fresh snow cuts off Valley again
Pak mercenary gunned down in Poonch
Inclement weather halts rescue operations
PDP raps govt over mismanagement
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Conversion
Row
Strengthening base in Poonch-Rajouri belt
Man kills father in a fit of rage
Governor releases book by Dr Rasool
Uphill task for new V-C
NCC camp at Nagrota ends
Man booked for swindling Rs 30 lakh
Extension for panel on PM’s Working Group
Ministers in abundance, yet shortage of essential items
Army troops to the aid of snow-hit
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Fresh snow cuts off Valley again
Srinagar, January 19 IG (Traffic) HK Lohia said 350 trucks were stranded between the Jawahar Tunnel, which links Jammu to the Valley, and Lower Munda in Qazigund, the gateway town to Kashmir. He said 40 trucks carrying the LPG were also stranded on the highway. The Valley has been witnessing an acute shortage of the LPG these days. Srinagar received 1.6 mm of rain and snow today, while the tourist resort of Pahalgam in south Kashmir received 2.4 mm of snow as well as rain. Qazigund received 6.8 mm of snow and rain. The fresh snowfall brought down day temperatures by a few degrees. Srinagar recorded a maximum temperature of 3.4°C, as compared to yesterday’s 6.4°C. The minimum temperature was recorded at -1.4°C. Pahalgam recorded a maximum temperature of -0.8°C, while the minimum temperature stood at -5.0°C. The maximum and minimum temperatures recorded at Qazigund were 1.2°C and
-1.4°C, respectively. The ski resort of Gulmarg in north Kashmir remained the coldest place of the Valley, recording a minimum temperature of -12.6°C. The MeT office has forecast more rain and snow during the next 24 hours in the Valley. The Valley is currently going through a 40-day period, Chillai Kalan, the harshest period of winter, which began on December 21 last year. |
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Pak mercenary gunned down in Poonch
Jammu, January 19 Official sources said acting on a tip-off, a joint column of the 39 Rashtriya Rifles and the Special Operations Group (SOG) launched a search operation in the Drera Salwa area late last night. Around 10 am today, security forces established contact with two militants and their guide. A gun-fight followed, leaving one of the militants dead. Two others, however, escaped the scene, they added. “The slain militant has been identified as Abu Abrar, a mercenary from Pakistan, who owed allegiance to the Lashkar-e-Toiba,” said Additional SP, Poonch, Yougal Manhas. Abrar had been active in the area for the past seven years. However, he had been in hibernation for the past couple of years due to immense pressure by the security forces, the ASP said. He described the slain militant as hardcore. Manhas, however, put the number of militants involved in the encounter at two, saying “one of them, who managed to escape, is being tracked”. The encounter took place around 11 am, he said. Sources said the security forces recovered one AK assault rifle, four AK magazines, 99 rounds of AK ammunition, one UBGL, five UBGL grenades, one pouch, a pair of binoculars, a Nokia cell phone, two SIM cards of the BSNL and some eatables from the scene. They said the SIM cards recovered from the scene were being analysed by the police. On the two who escaped the scene, sources said they fled towards North of Drera Salwa but were being chased by the security forces. An Army spokesperson said the operation was still on to track them down. He said it was the first encounter in the new calendar year in Poonch under the area of the 16 Corps. |
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Inclement weather halts rescue operations
Jammu, January 19 The IAF had to airlift 282 persons to safer places from Dachhan, Marwah and Warwan areas of Kishtwar district. “Due to bad weather, poor visibility and heavy snowfall, particularly at Nathatop and Patnitop, the IAF’s choppers could not carry out relief and rescue operations yesterday and today as well,” said spokesperson for the Jammu-based Defence Ministry, SN Acharaya. On a requisition by the state government, the IAF’s choppers had conducted a recce of snow-bound areas in the Jammu region on January 8 and on the very next day, 10 employees of the PowerGrid Corporation were winched down at Chanderkote to repair damaged transmission lines and towers, he said. Similarly, on January 13, the IAF’s 130 Helicopter Unit, popularly known as “Condors”, had air-dropped ration and food at Dandrial and Deole villages in Reasi district, he informed. On January 17, the flying machines again took off from Technical Airport at Satwari here and had air-dropped 800 kg of food packets and ration to the people who had been cut off in Gulabgarh area due to heavy snowfall, he said. “We are waiting for the weather to improve and if it happens by tomorrow, the choppers will airlift the stranded persons from the inaccessible areas,” he said. The IAF is carrying out relief operations to reach out to the snow-trapped people with essential supplies, medicines and evacuations from January 9. The state government had requisitioned IAF choppers for carrying out operations to air-drop essential supplies to snow-hit areas of Kishtwar, Doda, Reasi, Ramban and other areas of Kashmir Valley. |
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PDP raps govt over mismanagement
Srinagar, January 19 In a joint statement, PDP MLAs Sofi Abdul Gaffar and Mohammad Rafi Mir, former minister Qazi Mohd Afzal and other leaders claimed that the belated response of the government had pushed the Valley into an “ice age”. The mismanagement of the entire situation had further perpetuated the crisis and increased problems of the people, they added. They said the tall claims of the administration that roads and link roads had been cleared were nothing short of rubbish because the situation in most areas was still grim and unchanged. They also alleged that most villages had been reeling under darkness, as electricity supply had snapped soon after the snowfall started, and basic services like ration and LPG had almost disappeared from the Valley. Vaishno Devi yatra resumes Katra, January 19 |
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Conversion Row
Srinagar, January 19 Addressing a press conference here today, Deputy Grand Mufti of Kashmir, Nasir-ul-Islam said the Supreme Shariat Court had found four Christian missionaries, reverend CM Khanna and his associates Gayoor Masih, Jim Brost and Chandrakanta, guilty of “luring” the local Muslim youth to Christianity and thus ordered a “lifetime” ban on their entry to the Valley. While Khanna had left the Valley after the conversion controversy, the Islamic court demanded the expulsion of other three missionaries from the state.
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Strengthening base in Poonch-Rajouri belt
Jammu, January 19 Keeping in view the demography of these two districts, the party leadership has been trying to rope in some prominent leaders of this belt to counter the ruling NC and the Congress. After NC leader Shah Mohammad Tantray, PDP today roped in Choudhary Qamar Din, a prominent Gujjar leader in the party. Qamar Din, a Congress leader had contested the last Assembly election as an independent candidate from the Rajouri Assembly segment after he was denied party mandate. Tantray, a prominent Pahari leader from Poonch joined the PDP last month. Poonch and Rajouri districts have been gradually emerging as the battleground for the NC and the PDP in Jammu province because both the parties have been focusing on this belt. This belt was earlier considered as the citadel of the NC, but the PDP and the Congress have consolidated their positions in the hilly region during the last two elections. Of the total seven Assembly seats in the belt, the NC had managed to get three and two each were shared by the PDP and the Congress. Sources in the PDP said besides exploring possibilities in other parts of Jammu province, the party had decided to utilise all its energy in the twin border districts, as the PDP had a huge potential in the region. Of the total seven Assembly segments in the region, the party has identified five segments where the PDP has to utilise all its energy in the next Assembly elections. The PDP has been concentrating on the new Assembly segments of the belt while the ruling NC has also been focusing on the seats, which were won by the former in the last Assembly elections. The NC has been giving more importance to the Darhal and Mendhar Assembly segments represented by PDP legislators. NC leaders and ministers have been frequently visiting these two segments. While welcoming Choudhary Qamar into the party, PDP patron Mufti Mohammad Sayeed reminded the steps initiated during his tenure for the socio-economic growth of the border belt, which according to PDP leaders, was neglected by the successive NC regimes. As a number of people from Rajouri were present in the function when Qamar joined the PDP, Mufti drew attention towards opening of Baba Ghulam Shah Badshah University at Rajouri and starting of work on the Mughal Road during this tenure. “Time is not far when the Poonch-Rajouri belt would emerge as a tourist destination of the subcontinent,” he said. Mufti added that it was all due to the efforts of the PDP that the cross LoC routes were opened. |
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Man kills father in a fit of rage
Jammu, January 19 The police said the accused, identified as Himmat Singh alias, Kalu, fled after beating his father to death with a steel container. The deceased was identified as Til Bahadur of Nepal. He was staying in the Shaheedi Chowk area for the last 30 years. Niketa Singh, daughter of the deceased Til Bahadur told The Tribune that she had gone to the residence of her maternal uncle last night when her brother, Himmat, allegedly killed her father. “My brother is an alcoholic and so was my father. They would repeatedly fight over trivial issues. When I left home yesterday evening, my father was in an inebriated condition,” Niketa said. She said her brother had reached her maternal uncle’s residence early this morning and informed her that their father was lying in pool of blood. “He left the place without saying anything. When I came back today, the body of my father was lying in a pool of blood,” she added. According to neighbours, Himmat was a “notorious criminal” and was involved in several theft cases. “Himmat had remained in the police custody several times and was involved in various theft cases,” a neighbour said, wishing not to be named. The neighbours came to know about the incident this morning and alerted the police. A team of the police led by SHO Peer Mitha and FSL team rushed to the spot and shifted the body to Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), Jammu, for an autopsy. The police said a manhunt had been launched to nab the culprit. |
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Governor releases book by Dr Rasool
Jammu, January 19 The Governor said this after releasing a book titled “Educational Television in India: Present Scenario and Future Prospects” at Raj Bhavan here. The book has been authored by Dr Shahid Rasool, Director, Educational Multimedia Research Centre (EMMRC), University of Kashmir. The Governor, who is also the Chancellor of the university, suggested Dr Shahid to organise a seminar on the theme of the book involving experts in the arenas of education, development and communication technology from within and outside the state. He also suggested the usefulness of more pilot projects being launched to identify the difficulty, if any, in the extensive use of technology for education, including the efficacy of the already existing Edusat linkages in education, and also assess the relative merits of education through television/satellite links vis-à-vis face-to-face teaching. The Director, EMMRC, presented the Governor a set of DVDs and e-content modules developed by the Centre. The Governor congratulated Dr Shahid for authoring a book and wished him a bright future ahead. Dr Shahid Rasool, who is a former US Fulbright Fellow in Communication Technology, while briefing the Governor about the salient features of the book, said this volume was aimed at understanding the potential of television for higher education and proposes a new paradigm of educational television together with the new technologies for addressing the question of equity in higher education without undermining the quality. RK Goyal, Principal Secretary to the Governor, was also present on the occasion. DG Fisheries briefs Governor The Director General, Fisheries, T Angchook, called on Governor NN Vohra at Raj Bhawan here today. The Governor discussed with Angchook the measures being taken for the promotion of fish farming in the state, which had a vast potential for generating highly profitable economic activity and ready employment avenues. Angchook briefed the Governor about the implementation of various fish farming schemes and the initiatives taken to progressively enhance fish production in the state. |
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Uphill task for new V-C
Jammu, January 19 Various student bodies, JU staff and other stake-holders felt there was an ample scope for improvement in the university, particularly in context of examination reforms and infrastructure development. Ruhi, a JU student, said the university had been lacking requisite infrastructure and outlook. “We have always wished to see our university among the best institutions of India. The administration should put in some efforts towards its beautification. We hope the new V-C will take student bodies into confidence before proceeding on important issues,” she said. Vikas Sharma, a student leader, said their genuine issues, particularly those related to board and lodging of students hailing from other parts of the Jammu region, needed to addressed urgently. “Hostels are a shambles and hardly anyone has paid heed to the issue. We hope the new V-C, who has studied in the JU, will comprehend the dilemmas,” said Vikas. A professor said the biggest challenge for the new Vice-Chancellor was to set a precedent of giving preference to merit. He said: “We hope the new V-C encourages the practice of selection or promotion of candidates on the basis of merit in the university.” “The most important challenge that the new incumbent faces is to increase the financial resources of the university. He needs to focus on the schemes to generate more funds for the overall development,” he added. People from various sections also felt that the new V-C should emerge as a popular administrator. |
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NCC camp at Nagrota ends
Jammu, January 19 About 18 cadets escorted by Gurpreet Kour from the Air Force School, Jammu, participated in the camp. Anubhuti Khajuria of Class IX was declared the best cadet, on the basis of her performance in the cultural display. She was entitled to participate at the cultural display on Republic Day in 2013. Uzma Latif was appreciated for her performance in shooting. Sonika Saini, Akriti Sharma and Anubhuti Khajuria got a chance to take up a course in civil defence, where in they were taught rescue work via disaster management. —
TNS
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Man booked for swindling Rs 30 lakh
Jammu, January 19 The accused has been identified as Shadi Lal Pandita, son of Sarvanand Pandita, resident of Jagti, Nagrota. An official spokesperson said the Crime Branch had received a letter from the Deputy Secretary to General Administration Department, J&K, which revealed that Shadi Lal had fraudulently withdrawn Rs 30 lakh as relief from the government treasury after managing fictitious ration cards of different zones under relief category in the names of his family members. A case has been registered. —
TNS |
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Extension for panel on PM’s Working Group
Jammu, January 19 The General Administration Department (GAD), J&K Government, issued a formal order in this regard, here this afternoon. The Committee has been asked to finalise its recommendations by March 31, 2012. Sources said it could be the last extension in the term of the committee which had already been accorded five extensions since its constitution on October 11, 2010. The previous deadline of the committee had ended on December 31, 2011. The Committee was entrusted with the task to examine the recommendations made by Justice Sagheer Ahmed, who headed the Working Group constituted by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on May 25, 2006, after sharp differences cropped up between coalition partners - National Conference and Congress - on key issues like greater autonomy. It was asked to narrow down the differences on key issues through discussions. The Committee was supposed to submit its report within three months after its constitution but it couldn’t finalise its draft due to lack of consensus between coalition partners on key issues. While the Congress was opposed to greater autonomy, its ruling partner National Conference had pitched hard for its agenda. “Though the committee had already held threadbare discussions on all the issues, yet consensus eludes from such meetings. There are bleak chances that the coalition partners would reach on mutual agreement vis-à-vis contentious issue of greater autonomy,” said a source. |
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Ministers in abundance, yet shortage of essential items
Srinagar, January 19 The administrative measures in the absence of sufficient stocks of ration and the LPG seem to be in vain, as the people across Kashmir continue to suffer from the nature’s wrath in the midst of a 40-day-long Chillai Kalan, the peak winter duration. It all depends upon the smooth flow of traffic on the 296-kms-long Jammu-Srinagar national highway, lifeline to the Kashmir valley and the only surface link connecting it with the rest of the country. Following bad weather conditions, which continued since January 6, this lifeline has been closed to normal traffic for days together while very less number of trucks carrying essentials commodities, have entered into the Valley. Instead of around 4,500 vehicles of all types, only around 500 vehicles have been moving at irregular intervals on the highway since early this month. The highway remained completely closed on January 8 and 9, and then on January 15 and 16. However, the movement of traffic has not helped to maintain the optimum stock of essential commodities in the Kashmir valley. The highway was partially reopened for stranded trucks, carrying essential supplies during the past two days, which also did not help much. Around 350 vehicles are still stranded between Lower Munda and the Jawahar Tunnel area, which has received over five feet of snow. “There is no ration in the depots and least stocks of the LPG are available in the Valley,” official sources said despite tall claims of the government. To overcome the shortage, the authorities refill the 14.2 kg cylinders with just 5 kg of LPG. “There are hardly any stocks of the LPG in the Valley,” said a dealer here, adding that everybody was waiting for the highway to reopen, where about 40 trucks carrying the LPG filled cylinders were still stranded. Amidst this stock position of essential commodities, the presence of at least 10 ministers in the summer capital has been keeping the civil and police officers in the Valley on their toes. The Cabinet ministers overlooking the administrative measures here include Deputy Chief Minister Tara Chand and ministers Mian Altaf Ahmad, SS Slathia, Ali Mohammad Sagar, Raman Bhalla, Sakina Itto, Peerzada Mohammad Sayeed, Sham Lal Sharma and Taj Mohiuddin. Chief Minister’s adviser Mubarak Gul is also among those present in the Valley to overlook the administrative measures and address the public grievances. |
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Army troops to the aid of snow-hit
Reasi, January 19 Col JS Kohli, Commanding Officer, 61 RR, said the Army had instructed its troops to reach out to people and provide assistance. The Army has taken charge of places where voluntary organisations are non-existent to help the civil administration. “Apart from dropping food and blankets in the higher reaches of Gulabgarh, Gool, Sildhar, Mahore, Sungadhi, we are providing medical and other facilities to those affected,” he said. Besides rescue teams, the Army has sent medical detachments to the affected areas. |
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Fresh snowfall in Kashmir again led to the closure of the Jammu-Srinagar national highway today, cutting off the Valley from the rest of the country.
Jammu, January 19
Srinagar, January 19
