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Peerzada Episode Fallout
Prisons bursting at the seams
National highway reopened to traffic
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Challenging Chadar trek draws domestic tourists
Legislative Council gears up for
budget session
Rs 78 lakh for Srinagar projects
BJP slams coalition govt
Student bodies protest against education Bills
Mirwaiz inaugurates shopping mall
Land being identified for camp at Udhampur
Minister stresses more jobs for state youth
Panun Kashmir to join hands with corporate houses
Installation of Hari Singh’s statue hailed
Noted Gandhian honoured
Rs 15 cr for lawyers’ chambers
Diabetes camp by NGO
GGM College organises seminar
Militants target police station
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Peerzada Episode Fallout
Jammu, February 16 After convening a closed-door meeting of its ministers on Monday, the Congress leadership has announced another meeting of its legislators on February 18 in a bid to show its strength. The party leadership has directed all its legislators — irrespective of their affiliations with any faction — to attend the meeting so as to present a united front. Sources in the Congress say the All-India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretary, Mohan Prakash, who is in-charge of the J&K Congress, is expected to participate in the meeting and give fresh directions to the party leadership in the state. Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) chief Saifuddin Soz will also attend the meeting, which assumes importance as leaders of both warring factions have been invited. Sources say Congress ministers in the coalition have taken the initiative of convening a meeting of leaders of both factions to send a strong message to the coalition partner. After the Peerzada Sayeed episode, there has been a feeling among the Congress ministers that some forces in the government are targeting them to dent their public image. Serious allegations have been levelled against two Congress ministers — Taj Mohiuddin and Peerzada Mohammad Sayeed —
both belonging to the Kashmir valley. While Taj has been facing an inquiry, Peerzada has been divested of the Education portfolio. Sources say party legislators are expected to be given important directions for the forthcoming budget session of the Assembly. In spite of being part of a coalition with the NC, the Congress has decided to adopt an aggressive posture on the issue of empowering panchayats. The Congress leadership, especially Saifuddin Soz, has repeatedly been demanding the incorporation of the 73rd amendment to the Indian Constitution in the Jammu and Kashmir Panchayati Raj Act. “The party will devise its strategy on a private member Bill, likely to be introduced in the Assembly, that will define powers and functions of the Members of Legislative Assembly,” sources say, adding that the Congress is likely to oppose the Bill. |
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Prisons bursting at the seams
Jammu, February 16 Official statistics revealed that out of a total of 2,716 prisoners, including 106 women, lodged in 13 jails of the state, over 2,100 are undertrials, while the number of convicts — under militancy-related cases and Civil Law — stands at 324. Four female prisoners are “Due to the slow judicial process and slackness at the bureaucratic level, many of the undertrials, who were detained for petty crimes, often serve a longer jail term than they would have if they had actually been convicted,” sources added. Barring few, most of the jails are overcrowded as the number of prisoners exceeds the intake capacity. At present, there are 461 prisoners languishing in the hypersensitive Central Jail in Srinagar, which has an intake capacity of 300. Similarly, District Jail “The number of prisoners in the fortified Central Jail, Kot Bhawal, Jammu, where a large number of hardcore terrorists are lodged, also exceeds the intake capacity. At present, there are over 600 prisoners languishing in the jail,” state official statistics. The Director General (Prisons), J&K, Naveen Aggarwal, said that the department had initiated several measures to decongest the jails. “We have decided to create more space (barracks) in Central Jail, Kot Bhalwal, and Central Jail, Srinagar. Recently, we made District Jail, Anantnag, functional which has the capacity of 60,” the Director General said. He also disclosed that the department had started the process of setting up three jails in Kishtwar, Kargil and Pulwama districts, besides upgradation of District Jail, Leh. “The prisoners are being provided with all facilities like free lodging, boarding, reading material and entertainment facilities, besides training in cloth weaving, spinning, embroidery, carpentry and other vocational courses so that they don’t sit idle and spend a good life when they are released from the jail,” Aggarwal said. Official sources said the state Law Department had also mooted a proposal to set up about 40 district and sub-district courts across the state to speed up the judicial process.
256 inmates are foreigners
As many as 256 foreign nationals, including six women, are in various jails of the state.
Official sources said many of the foreign nationals include dreaded terrorists from Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) who had been detained for waging a war against India. “As far as foreign nationals are concerned, there are 28 convicts, 125 undertrials and 103 detainees lodged in 13 jails of the state. The number of inmates belonging to Pakistan and PoK stood at 74,” the sources added. Other foreign nationals belong to Burma, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Afghanistan and Arab nations. The number of Bangladeshi nationals is 130, including 16 convicts, 69 undertrials and 47 detainees. Out of the 256 foreign nationals in jails, 141 — including dreaded terrorists — have been kept in the overcrowded Central Jail, Kot
Bhalwal, Jammu.
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National highway reopened to traffic
Srinagar, February 16 Snow clearing operations were initiated in the Jawahar Tunnel and Patni Top areas along the highway. Some stranded vehicles, mainly trucks carrying essential supplies, were allowed to move towards Srinagar yesterday.
Heavy vehicular traffic, including buses of the J&K State Road Transport Corporation, were allowed to move from Srinagar to Jammu today. The buses were made to cross Qazigund by 11 am to ensure a smooth and hassle-free movement of traffic on the highway. The highway was closed for the third time this season due to heavy snowfall in the region. The passengers stranded on either side of the
highway heaved a sigh of relief with the reopening of the highway. The highway was reopened after the weather conditions remained normal in the region. There were no reports of rain or snow in the Valley since yesterday. The weatherman has forecast isolated rain or snowfall in the region during the next three days. Srinagar today recorded a maximum temperature of 6.4 °C and a minimum of
-0.3°C, officials of the meteorological said. They added that the day temperature was two degrees below normal.
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Challenging Chadar trek draws domestic tourists
Leh, February 16 Lobzang Tsultim, a Zanskar resident who works as a travel agent, says: “Hundreds of domestic tourists have already undertaken the trek in the past one month and at least five groups are scheduled to embark on the journey in the coming days. Only three to four groups of foreign tourists, comprising around five members in each group, have performed the trek so far this year.” The trek involves around 15 days of arduous hiking, without the luxury of a pony to carry the luggage. The baggage has to be lugged by porters or tourists. The trek is undertaken only during the peak winter season, i.e. from mid-January to mid-March, when over two feet of ice sheet covers the Zanskar, making the passage possible. The frozen Zanskar via Nimoo and Chiling villages of Leh district provides the only connectivity to the residents of Zanskar sub-division of Kargil district with the outside world
during winter. The trek offers a unique experience for adventure seekers. Sonam Wangchuk, who is back from the Chader Trek and is a travel agent in Leh, says: “The trek is not just about walking on the frozen river. It provides a complete package of adventurous activities. It offers a great opportunity for wildlife photography, as the area is home to animals like snow leopard, bear and ibex.” Tsering Dorje, who is a Chader trek guide, says: “The trek throws up a lot of challenges for the trekkers, as they have to be cautious while walking on the frozen river due to the varying thickness of the ice sheet. At many areas, tourists have to crawl to move further.” |
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Legislative Council gears up for
budget session
Jammu, February 16 Amrit Malhotra, chairman of the council, said they were geared up for the smooth conduct of the session ahead. “We will convene some important meetings in this connection. Our major thrust will be on maintaining the dignity of the Upper House with the members’ help. I am taking necessary measures in this regard,” he said. He said the Council had received 522 questions, out of which 364 fell under the “starred” category, while 156 came under the “un-starred” category. Also, 11 private members’ Bill and 49 resolutions had been received, he added. Malhotra said: “A crucial meeting of the General Purpose Committee will be organised tomorrow, wherein all recommendations and proceedings will be discussed. It is a prestigious and important podium and most of the issues need to be addressed within the stipulated time.” On the strategy to accommodate maximum questions, Malhotra said: “Accommodating maximum questions during the question hour has been a our major concern. To observe productive and smooth business, time management is of utmost importance, so we are planning to frame a new course
of action.” “We will try to reduce the number of supplementary questions by restricting their number to two. One supplementary question is enough in most cases but in extraordinary cases, which require some discussion, we can accommodate one more query. Adding too many supplementary queries to the main question can kill time reserved for other important questions,” he added. He said most issues raised in the Upper House concerned commoners and most of the times, the proceedings went on smoothly. |
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Rs 78 lakh for Srinagar projects
Srinagar, February 16 The minister toured different parts of the old city area recently to get a feedback on the pace of development works and the problems faced by the local residents. He also interacted with a number of deputations during the visit, an official spokesman said. Calling for people’s participation in ensuring proper and sustained development of the state, Sagar said people must contribute their bit in accelerating development schemes envisaged by the government.— TNS
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BJP slams coalition govt
Jammu, February 16 In a statement issued here, Singh said the government had totally lost its initiative to act and there was virtual absence of governance. He said instead of taking action in the proven cases of corruption, there was a shameless attempt by the NC and Congress to cover up for each other. He asserted that it was ironical that on the one hand the Chief Minister talked of transparency and accountability, while on the other hand the tainted ministers and bureaucrats were rewarded with lucrative portfolios and postings. The state institutions like the State Accountability Commission (SAC) and State Vigilance Organisation (SVO) had been rendered defunct and instead corruption itself had got institutionalised, he added.
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Student bodies protest against education Bills
Jammu, February 16 Rohit Bharti, spokesperson for the PSA, said: “Parliament is going to pass six Bills pertaining to education in the country. The Bills will promote ‘corporatisation’ of the education system and drastically change the scenario of education in the country, thereby affecting the socio-economic condition of the country.” Also, the Bills were against the student community and furthered the implementation of global agenda of privatisation of education in India, he added. He said they were opposed to market-oriented reforms in higher education. |
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Mirwaiz inaugurates shopping mall
Srinagar, February 16 The Mirwaiz inaugurated the shopping complex constructed by M/S Teerath Ram & Co at Maharaj Gunj. Speaking on the occasion to a group of local business representatives, the Mirwaiz said industrial progress was important for the overall development of society. The Mirwaiz hailed the role of the business family, associated with the construction of the complex, for staying put in the valley even as a majority of the Pandits were “forced to migrate” two decades ago.
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Land being identified for camp at Udhampur
Udhampur, February 16 Udhampur MLA Balwant Singh Mankotia visited Malhar and Mand villages along with officials of the Revenue Department here for the purpose. “The matter was discussed at the District Development Board meeting last year in deference to wishes of the local residents who, due to religious sentiments, wanted the setting up of a base camp here. We are in the process of identifying a piece of land measuring 40 to 50 kanals along the national highway for the purpose,” said Mankotia. The annual yatra coincides with the rainy season. As the rush of pilgrims increases in the landslide-prone areas of Ramban district, before the yatra enters the Valley, the pilgrims have to be halted there as a precautionary measure. “Udhampur, being the only major town before Ramban, is an ideal place where pilgrims can be accommodated. So it was discussed that the pockets of the state land as well as pastures available in the jurisdiction of Udhampur district could be utilised to accommodate stranded pilgrims to ease the rush at Ramban in case of adverse weather conditions,” said Assistant Commissioner (Revenue), Udhampur, Gurvinderjeet Singh. Sources said residents of some villages along the national highway could also be asked to donate their land for the purpose. In fact, residents of Malhar village had offered the common land of their village for the purpose. The proposal had already been sent to the government and its response was awaited. |
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Minister stresses more jobs for state youth
Jammu, February 16 He directed the General Manager, Marketing, Jammu and Kashmir State Overseas Employment Corporation Limited, to approach the Ministry of Health, Government of Saudi Arabia, to adjust and recruit qualified doctors, nurses and paramedics. Stressing on enhancing the employability of the youth of the state by providing them international standard training in various skills, the minister directed the officials concerned to take up the matter with the International Organisation for Migration so that the unemployed youth were properly trained in the state for overseas assignments. The minister appealed to the youth to come forward and register themselves with the Overseas Employment Corporation so that it could find better employment opportunities for them in the international job market. Malik asked the officials of the Corporation to organise awareness programmes at the district levels so that the unemployed youth are sensitised at the grass-roots level about various programmes and initiatives of the Corporation.— TNS |
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Jobs for Kashmiri Pandit youth
Jammu, February 16 Rahul Koul, a Panun Kashmir activist, while talking to The Tribune, said: “We wish to ensure the survival of the unskilled and unemployed youth of the community. We cannot remain dependent on employment packages, laden with preconditions, offered by the government.” “These simple graduates will be trained under the skill development initiative of the government so that they can be absorbed by different corporate houses with whom we will tie up for different jobs,” he said. In the first step towards the initiative, Tata Consultancy Services will train youngsters for six months and provide global IT career opportunities to science graduates. Koul said their organisation would tie up with a few more business houses to ensure that more and more youngsters got jobs. “We got jobs under the Prime Minister’s relief and rehabilitation plan, but it had a precondition that the youth must move back to the Valley. People are surely going back, but no one knows if they will be able to survive there. So there needs to be some alternative,” he added. The primary focus is on science graduates now
and the next project will include commerce graduates, he added. |
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Installation of Hari Singh’s statue hailed
Jammu, February 16 In a statement issued here today, RK Chadha, president of the forum, said raising a suitable memorial to the valiant and patriotic last ruler of the princely state under the British rule was long overdue. “There were persistent demands from the people from various walks of life for bestowing the honour to Hari Singh, who
had brought several social reforms in the state,” he added.
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Noted Gandhian honoured
Jammu, February 16 Union Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad is the president of the Gandhian Global Family. Verma has been associated with the Gandhi Global Family since 1990, when militancy was at its peak in the state. During a function organised at the High Court complex here, the Bar members appreciated Verma’s role in spreading the Gandhian ideology to foster communal harmony among all religions, castes and creeds.
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Rs 15 cr for lawyers’ chambers
Jammu, February 16 Sagar said the government was committed to strengthening the judicial infrastructure in the state. He said funds had already been released for the upgrade and renovation of several district courts and for constructing several new ones. —
TNS
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Freshers’ party organised
Jammu, February 16 Dr Meenakshi Kilam, director, Directorate of Distance Education, was the chief guest, while Dr Jaspal Singh Warwal, coordinator, MEd, preside over the event. Dr Kilam said such events helped students develop a better understanding with one other besides faculty members. |
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Diabetes camp by NGO
Jammu, February 16 Dr Jitendra Singh from the GMC, Jammu, examined the patients. He said it was part of a series of programmes undertaken to focus on the prevention and detection of diabetes in youngsters. Diabetes in youngsters and women was one of the major challenges facing the country in the
first quarter of the 21st century. “The prevalence of diabetes is fast increasing in this part of the country. Jammu has now been taken up as an important centre for the collection of data on diabetes by
the World Health Organisation and national agencies,” he added. A large number of people underwent blood tests and were provided with medicines free of cost. |
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GGM College organises seminar
Jammu, February 16 Mathew Wills, International Research Associate from University Institute, USA, was the resource person and spoke on “The scope of intercultural communication”.
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Militants target police station Srinagar, February 16 The police personnel posted on sentry duty fired few rounds in the air, a senior police official said. No militant outfit has claimed responsibility for the attack so far. — PTI
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Buoyed by the stand taken by the Congress high command on the Peerzada Mohammad Sayeed’s resignation controversy, the party leadership in the state seems to be shifting pressure on the coalition partner, the National Conference.
Chadar trek, an adventurous journey involving walking on the frozen Zanskar river in
Ladakh, has drawn a large number of tourists this season. Domestic tourists have outnumbered foreign tourists seeking the thrill of experiencing one of the most isolated routes in the country that remains inaccessible for over eight months in a year.
