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Lack of ration supply in erstwhile Doda dist
Rajouri rocks state Assembly
Curfew relaxed for hour
in eastern Rajouri
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Protests in Anantnag after Army truck runs over
Thefts hurting power supply to Jammu: Minister
Murder accused arrested in Mumbai
HC directs state not to deport petitioner to PoK
Man electrocuted, another hurt
Babus’ overstay is welcome in Jammu & Kashmir
2 revenue officials among 13 booked
Six dead, 15 injured in road mishaps
Army Commander inaugurates bridge
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Lack of ration supply in erstwhile Doda dist
Jammu, March 10 Members of the coalition government regretted the fact that the residents of erstwhile Doda district had been suffering on account of lack of ration supply but the government was not serious about solving their problem. They said there was an acute shortage of ration in their areas but nothing had been done in this regard. The government had assured them of providing free ration to the snowfall-hit families, but to no avail, they added. The minister, in his reply to the main question, said over 1.64 lakh quintal of food grain had been lying in the godowns of the Doda constituency for the past 11 months. Against this, over 1.57 lakh quintal was provided to the beneficiaries of the area, he said. At least 6,477 quintal of food grain was still available in the godowns of the constituency as on March 1, 2012, he added. He said beneficiaries were usually given 50 per cent atta and wheat out of the total allocation. As and when any requirement for the supply of atta to another area arose, the same was provided by the department, he said. Giving details of the ration distributed under various categories in the constituency from April 2009 to December 2011, the minister said no free ration had been distributed to the beneficiaries during the recent heavy snowfall in Doda district. He said free ration would be supplied to the affected families after receiving the assessment report from the revenue department. He said adequate quantities of ration had already been stored in the snow-bound areas to cater to the needs of the beneficiaries. Revenue Minister Raman Bhalla informed the House that the revenue authorities concerned had been asked to submit the assessment report of the affected families at the earliest so that appropriate action could be taken. |
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Rajouri rocks state Assembly
Jammu, March 10 The PDP staged a walkout from the Assembly on the issue, charging the state government with not taking effective steps to normalise the situation in the town. As soon as the House assembled this morning, PDP member Choudhary Zulfikar raised the issue and drew attention of the members towards the hardships being faced by the residents due to the ongoing curfew in the town. “We are living in a democratic setup and curfew is not a solution to the problem,” he said. “Why was VHP leader Parveen Tagodia allowed to enter Rajouri?” he added. He demanded a visit by a team of ministers to the town so that they could interact with the people there and normalise the situation. His party colleagues supported him and created a ruckus in the Assembly. As the PDP members raised slogans against Tagodia, BJP members objected to it, saying Tagodia alone was not responsible for the episode. BJP Legislature Party leader Jugal Kishore Sharma said the Rajouri incident was part of a conspiracy hatched by some elements to force an exodus of minorities from the town. Members of both parties then entered into a verbal duel amidst sloganeering. The PDP members sought time from the Speaker to speak on the issue but their demand was turned down, following which they trooped into the Well of the House and resorted to sloganeering. Later, the PDP staged a walkout in protest against the imposition of curfew in Rajouri. The legislators returned after some time. Speaker Mohammad Akbar Lone said he had directed the government to send a team of ministers to Rajouri to ensure that communal harmony was maintained. PDP Legislature Party leader Mehbooba Mufti said the government had failed to take measures to bring normalcy to the town. The PDP chief alleged that the state government had closed its “eyes, ears and mouth” to the situation. Interrupting her speech, Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ali Mohammad Sagar retorted: “Don’t play politics over the Rajouri incident.” The PDP legislators countered Sagar’s remarks. The Speaker had to intervene to normalise the situation.
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Curfew relaxed for hour
in eastern Rajouri
Jammu, March 10 Earlier in the day, the police detained three more persons for violating the curfew restrictions. “Though the curfew remained enforced for the third straight day today, it was lifted for one hour, between 6 pm and 7 pm, from the eastern part of the town,” Rajouri Deputy Commissioner Khawaja Ghulam Ahmad told The Tribune over phone. “The atmosphere has been tense in the past two days, but the situation is under control now. We have met representatives from all sections of society and people are in no mood to have any more trouble,” he said. He also warned mischievous elements of strict action under the law, while asking them to stop “fuelling the fire”. The police and paramilitary forces are guarding the sensitive areas in the town and both communities are reconciliatory mood, the official said. He said no untoward incident was reported from anywhere in the district today. Additional security personnel have been deployed in sensitive areas of the town to maintain peace. Rajouri SSP Vijay Singh Samyal said the curfew was relaxed in the Gujjar Mandi, Jawahar Nagar and Shora areas of the town this evening. He said three persons were detained for defying the curfew restrictions. The police has so far registered four cases, including one against Togadia. The police had imposed curfew in the town on March 8 after some mischievous elements pelted a religious procession with stones, prompting the security personnel to retaliate with smoke shells to disperse them. A local resident said not even a single elected representative from any political outfit of the district had visited the town ever since the trouble started. A group of ministers will visit the town to interact with members of the two communities to end the impasse.
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Protests in Anantnag after Army truck runs over
Srinagar, March 10 Yasir Ahmad Wani was killed on the spot
when he was hit by the Army truck near Khanabal in Anantnag district, 52 km from here, at 3.15 pm,
they said. The death of the youth led to protests in the town, as a number of local youths threw stones on the Army convoy, the police said. The protesters set the Army vehicle on fire soon after the police evacuated the Army personnel on board to safety along with their weapons, they said. Fire tenders rushed to the spot and put out the blaze, they added. The situation has been brought under control but there is tension in the area, they said. — PTI |
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Thefts hurting power supply to Jammu: Minister
Jammu, March 10 Minister for Power Shabir Ahmad Khan disclosed this in a written reply to a question in the Upper House recently. He said, “The government’s objective to supply uninterrupted power to consumers has not been achieved so far. There are serious road-blocks because consumers are using load far greater than the prescribed limit, in both metered and non-metered areas.” He said the department had started publishing losses on all individual 11 kv feeders to make inhabitants aware about the loss status of their areas. “In areas with 10 per cent or less losses, the department is committed to provide power supply round the clock. There is also a heavy gap between the cost of supply and tariff allowed by independent regulator, which is met by the budgetary support of the government. The support might swell to Rs 2,500 crore this year,” he added. The Minister of Power stressed that to ensure uninterrupted power supply in Samba, Jammu and other districts, efforts were being made to curb power theft and misuse of energy. He added 30 towns had been identified for consumer metering under the Restructured Accelerated Power Development and Reforms Programme. “Jammu and Samba towns are included in the 30 approved towns and the estimated cost of metering in Jammu town for part-A is Rs 45.16 crore and part-B is Rs 610.48 crore. The estimated cost of metering in Samba for part-A is Rs 10.56 crore and part-B is Rs 10.08 crore,” disclosed Khan. He said, “The metering compliance of consumers is being checked and monitored by various inspection squads constituted at different levels. Efforts to rationalise also depends upon consumers’ cooperation.” On outlived Low Transmission (LT) conductors and poles, the minister said most of the electric infrastructure had been installed decades ago in the state and was maintained by the department within available resources under the plan and non-plan schemes. “A scheme to replace rotten and damaged poles and worn out conductors is underway. MLAs or MLCs contribute upto Rs 8.50 lakh from the constituency development fund and the government contributes three times of that amount to a maximum of Rs 25.5 lakh for replacement of wooden or decayed poles and conductors,” he said. |
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Murder accused arrested in Mumbai
Srinagar, March 10 An unidentified body with strangulation marks had been recovered by the police in a forest area of Rafiabad on February 7. The body was identified to be of Mohammad Sidiq Khan of Boniyar in Baramulla district. The investigations revealed that the deceased, a businessman, who ran a shop in Baramulla town, had been in touch with the accused, Mohammad Ishaq Yatoo, of the Rafiabad area. The investigations further revealed that the accused took Rs one lakh cash from the businessman and killed him. After committing the crime the accused fled to Mumbai, where he had been working as a private security guard. A police team from Sopore tracked him down in Mumbai and arrested him with the help of the Mumbai police. He was brought to Kashmir on a transit remand by a Mumbai court and has been remanded in police custody by a local court in
Sopore. |
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HC directs state not to deport petitioner to PoK
Jammu, March 10 The petitioner claimed to be a permanent resident of Jammu and Kashmir and submitted that in his childhood he along with his father were forcibly taken away from their native Behrote village in Rajouri District by intruders, who had come from across the border. During the period, the petitioner remained in PoK and in Pakistan. He neither owned any moveable or immovable property nor did at any point of time apply for entitlement of such rights. He shuttled from pillar to post and worked as a labourer in the PoK. Subsequently, he visited Lahore for earning a livelihood, where he started a small temporary business at Mohalla Habib Gunj, Beroon Sheranwala, Pakistan. When the government on both the sides decided to allow people across the border to meet their families, relatives and friends, he was issued a residential permit and allowed to stay in Jammu and Kashmir from October 8, 2011, to November 5, 2011. The petitioner fell seriously ill and lost his passport along with the visa and residential permit and applied for a duplicate copy of the documents. The petitioner was asked by the local police to return to the PoK or Pakistan without waiting for the outcome of the representation, which forced him to move the court. |
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Man electrocuted, another hurt
Katra, March 10 The police said the incident took place when Sunil, 24, unknowingly touched a live electric wire and fell unconscious. On seeing his condition, his roommate Muna, also reached the spot and tried to help him, but he also suffered an electric shock. “Sunil, a resident of Bihar, died on way to a hospital while his roommate sustained serious burn injuries. He was referred to Government Medical College and Hospital in Jammu,” the police sources added.
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Babus’ overstay is welcome in Jammu & Kashmir
Jammu, March 10 Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, who holds the charge of the General Administration Department, in a reply to a question asked by the Peoples Democratic Party MLA, Abdul Haq, told the state Legislative Assembly that there were 197 bureaucrats and head of departments, comprising IAS and KAS officers, who had been continuing on respective posts for over two years. “Seventeen IAS and 86 KAS officers have overstayed their two-year term on respective posts. Also, 12 IPS and 47 SPS (State Police Service) officers have been holding posts beyond the term prescribed in the transfer policy,” Omar said. The state government, while notifying the transfer policy on July 28, 2010, had prescribed a fixed tenure (maximum of two years, with relaxation of one year for certain categories) for an officer against a particular post or department. At least 15 top officials have been holding particular posts and departments for the past five years and the government has maintained a complete silence on their rotation. On the failure of the government in effecting their transfer in accordance with the specified policy, the Chief Minister said: “The government doesn’t effect transfers when the continuation of an officer is felt to be in the interest of the government and people. When the officer concerned is associated with a project that is to be completed in a time-bound manner, it is apprehended that his transfer will hamper the completion of the project within the specified period.” A top official in the state government said: “The rotation of officials helps ensure better administration and improve efficiency. If an official is allowed to continue on a particular post for years together, it means either politicians or bureaucrats have developed a vested interest.” He cited the recent directive of the Department of Personnel and Training, Government of India, to various departments, asking them to ensure that all officers were timely rotated to get them accustomed to “challenging situations” in various departments. |
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2 revenue officials among 13 booked
Jammu, March 10 The accused were identified as Daya Singh, the then Tehsildar, Settlement, Darshan Lal, a Patwari, Devi Dayal, Tara Chand, Sardari Lal, Sant Ram, Rattan Singh, Raghuvir Singh, Haqiqat Singh, Joginder Singh, Surjeet Singh, Vikram Singh and Waryam Singh, all residents of Nandni. An official spokesperson said the Chief Judicial Magistrate, Jammu, forwarded a written complaint to the Crime Branch, Jammu, wherein the complainant Sukhdev Singh and one more complainant had pleaded that Dhan Devi was the owner of a tract of land situated at Nandni village. The complainants had alleged that the former Tehsildar and a Patwari had entered into a criminal conspiracy with the accused and conferred the ownership rights of the land upon the accused. They further alleged that the revenue officials even tampered with the land records for monetary gains. During the course of the investigation, the Crime Branch found out that the accused in connivance with the revenue officials had allegedly got the land transferred in their favour through an illegal manner. A case has been registered and investigations are on. —
TNS |
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Six dead, 15 injured in road mishaps
Srinagar, March 10 The police said a Winger collided with a Trailer on way from Anantnag to Qazigund near Sesman Damgam, Kulgam, causing the accident. Four passengers died on the spot while two others succumbed to their injuries in a hospital here. Those who were killed on the spot were identified as Mohammad Shemshair, Mohammad Akhter, Mohammad Mushtaq, all residents of Madupur, Bihar, and Imran Khan, a resident of Dhar Road, Udhampur. Nine persons, who were injured in the accident are being treated in hospitals here. Six more persons were injured in various road mishaps across the Kashmir valley since yesterday, the police said.
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Army Commander inaugurates bridge
Udhampur, March 10 After its inauguration, the bridge was thrown open to traffic. The new bridge will replace the 40 tonne Bailey Bridge that had been the sole lifeline along this road. The bridge has been named “Shankar Bridge” in memory of late Superintendent BRO-II, Shankar Prasad of 118 Road Construction Company, who sacrificed his life while restoring road communication during snow clearance operations on January 7, 2012, on the Kishtwar-Sinthan-Anantnag road. — TNS
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The coalition government today faced embarrassment in the Assembly, as members of the ruling parties grilled the Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution Minister (CAPD), Qamar Ali
Akhoon, for his failure to supply ration to the residents of erstwhile
Doda district.
GOC-in-C of the Northern Command Lt Gen KT Parnaik today inaugurated a bridge constructed by the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) under the Project Beacon on the Udhampur bypass, connecting the National Highway-44 at Jakhani near here. The 60 metre road bridge has been constructed at a cost of Rs 2.20
crore, as per the double lane specification with a load-bearing capacity of 70
tonne. The construction of the bridge was started in January 2009.
Although the main question was raised by Congress MLA from Doda Abdul Majid Wani, he was joined by NC member from Kishtwar Sajjad Ahmed Kitchloo and Congress member GM Saroori. 
Defending the “overstay” of the bureaucrats, including kith and kin of politicians on specific posts, the Chief Minister said it had been done in the interest of the people as well as the government.