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Cricket Association Scam
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Jammu University clash
Rajouri Unrest
914 policemen got out-of-turn promotions in 10 years
Council admits privilege motion against PDP MLC
Modalities for ferry, radio taxi services discussed
151 officials facing graft charges in state
Sangad village sans water for 15 days
2 HC judges call on Governor
Health camp for Badheri residents
Ex-Home Secy meets Governor
Transporters seek white paper on JAKFED
Probe sought into Health Dept’s working
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Cricket Association Scam
Jammu, March 14 This comes after the Legislative Assembly admitted a privilege motion against the PDP leader and other party legislators. “The privilege motion has been moved against us just to stifle the voice of opposition. But we will not succumb to such pressure tactics of the ruling National Conference,” Mehbooba told mediapersons outside the Assembly. During the Assembly session on Monday, the PDP members had just produced some papers but the same were not tabled in the House, she contended. “We have not submitted any document in the House, so there is no reason to accept the privilege motion against us,” she said, adding that her party would expose the involvement of the National Conference leadership in various scams. Mehbooba said state cricket association chief Farooq Abdullah’s involvement in the scam had been established by the documents procured by the party. “We will make these documents public shortly,” she said, while expressing surprise over the attitude of the National Conference leadership on the issue. “Instead of discussing the issue, the NC legislators have been trying to divert the attention of the House from the scam,” she said. “As many senior people are involved in this scam, which runs into crores of rupees, the PDP has been demanding a detailed discussion and a through probe into it.” The PDP chief said Farooq Abdullah’s name had also figured in the Haji Mohammad Yosuf death case. “Instead of properly investigating the case, the state government has virtually swept the issue under the carpet,” she regretted. The Assembly has admitted a privilege motion against PDP legislators - Mehbooba Mufti, Abdul Gaffar Sofi, Abdul Haq Khan, Syed Bashir Ahmed, Mansoor Hussain, and Javeed Mustafa Mir — for misleading the House on the cricket association issue. Activists of the youth wing of the PDP organised a protest over the issue here today. They demanded action against Farooq Abdullah for “looting” the money belonging to the cricket association. Led by youth wing leader Rajinder Manhas, the activists held a march in the city. They demanded a probe into Farooq Abdullah’s involvement in the Haji Mohammad Yosuf death case as well. Former Deputy Chief Minister Muzaffar Hussain Beigh has already demanded a CBI inquiry into the cricket association scam to ascertain the truth. |
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Little for Jammu in Trivedi’s kitty
Jammu, March 14 The minister has announced a special package for Jammu and Kashmir that has been sent to the Planning Commission for assessment. The package includes laying of fresh lines on the Udhampur/Katra-Doda-Bhadarwah, Doda-Kishtwar and Bilaspur-Leh (via Kullu and Manali) sections. People are not much excited about the announcement as the project would take a long time to complete. The ministry has also approved the completion of Udhampur-Katra and Qazigund-Banihal line projects, which are already under way, by 2012-13. The Chamber of Commerce and Industries has expressed its resentment over the budget as none of its demands were fulfilled today. The demand of the people for double-laning of the railway track from Jammu to Jalandhar remains unmet and so does their wish to see Jammu railway station as an “Adarsh station”. The president, Chamber of Commerce and Industries, YV Sharma, said, “We had sent a memorandum to the Union Minister in which all our demands were mentioned. We were expecting that at least a few of them would have been accepted but the minister did not consider even a single demand.” Reacting to the hike in the rail fare, residents of Jammu said they would expect better facilities for the extra money. Dr Baljinder Nasrali, a frequent traveller, said: “We are okay with the hike in the rail fare but the government should spend this money on providing better infrastructure. Every time I travel by train, I fear accidents. If the railways provides us security, we have no issues about spending more money”. The lone offering A special package has been announced for the state which includes laying of fresh lines on the Udhampur/Katra-Doda-Bhadarwah, Doda-Kishtwar and Bilaspur-Leh (via Kullu and Manali) sections. This project has been sent to the Planning Commission for assessment.
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Jammu University clash
Jammu, March 14 While the students blocked the road outside the main gate for over four hours, the non-teaching staff suspended work till 1 pm. Sunil, a student, said: “We staged a protest seeking action against the police official who ordered the cane-charging of students. It was a brutal act in which over 12 students, including some girls, sustained injuries.” “After staging a protest on the road, we moved to the canteen near the Department of Laws. The Vice-Chancellor later visited us and assured a complaint against the offending police officer as well as action against those whose name figure in the inquiry committee report. We subsequently suspended our strike.” Krishan, president, Class IV Employees Association, JU, said they suspended work till 1 pm, after which they resumed work following talks with the Vice-Chancellor. “The Vice-Chancellor assured us of checking the repeat of such incidents in the future,” he said. “Both sides later realised that it was a big misunderstanding,” he added. NK Tripathi, Dean, Students Welfare, said the Vice-Chancellor had constituted a six-member committee to probe the incident. It will will submit its report within 15 days. The committee members include Prof Lokesh Verma, Prof Kulwant Singh, Prof Dhyan Singh, Prof Muneer Alam, Prof Versha Mehta and Khem Pal Singh. |
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Rajouri Unrest
Jammu, March 14 “We arrested 17 persons and booked them under Section 188, RPC, for defying prohibitory orders. Since the prohibitory orders were in place, we had no option but to arrest them,” the Rajouri SSP, Vijay Kumar Samyal, told The Tribune over phone. “The activists were demanding the immediate arrest of over a dozen persons accused of throwing stones on religious processions and we, too, are doing our best to arrest them but they are untraceable,” the SSP added. Among the arrested were veteran BJP leader Kuldeep Raj Gupta, former president of Rajouri Municipal Committee Rajinder Gupta, former councillor Bharat Bhushan Vaid, former councillor Kamal Gupta, Rajouri district BJP president Yogesh Sharma and Rajouri Beopar Mandal president Vijay Gupta. “Around 11 am this morning, activists of the Sanatan Dharam Sabha assembled at the tehsil office and tried to take out a peaceful march. They were demanding immediate arrest of the troublemakers who had thrown stones on two religious processions of Hindus on March 7 and 8,” said a local. But the police didn’t allow them to take out the march and arrested them, he added. On a call given by the Sanatan Dharam Sabha, the minority community also observed a bandh in Rajouri, Sunderbani and Nowshera today. The majority community, however, opened their commercial establishments in the town while educational institutions, both private and government, also opened for the first time since March 7, when the trouble had erupted. Following improvement in the situation, the Rajouri district administration today relaxed the curfew from 8 am to 8 pm while the night curfew is still on. Meanwhile, state BJP secretary Vibodh Gupta claimed that the police had not arrested even a single person responsible for throwing stones on religious processions. |
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914 policemen got out-of-turn promotions in 10 years
Jammu, March 14 In reply to a query sought by Independent MLA from Langate Engineer Abdul Rashid, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, who holds the charge of the Home Department, has told the Assembly that the police department had granted out-of-turn promotions to 914 personnel since January 2002. “As many as 698 constables were elevated to selection grade constables by granting them out-of-turn promotions, while the number of such promotions from selection grade
constables to head constables was 126 in the last 10 years,” the Chief Minister said. Further, 46 head constables were elevated to assistant sub-inspectors, while 15 ASIs were given out-of-turn promotions as sub-inspectors. “In 28 cases, sub-inspectors were promoted to the rank of inspectors. Only one inspector was promoted to the rank of Deputy Superintendent of Police,” Omar said. The Chief Minister, however, said the promotions were granted in “accordance with the procedure laid down in government order No. Home - 3(P)
of 2000 read with government order No. Home - 559 (P) of 2007”. Talking to mediapersons outside the Assembly, Engineer Rashid said: “The police personnel who killed innocent people in the Valley and were responsible for other atrocities on the common man, were given out-of-turn promotions as a reward for their services.” “It is unfortunate that the government never bothered to book the guilty police personnel,” he said. The Chief Minister, as head of the General Administration Department, had recently disclosed in the Assembly that 12 IPS and 47 SPS (State Police Services) officers had been holding their respective posts beyond the term prescribed in the transfer policy. “At least 59 senior police officers, including those of the rank of Inspector General, DIG, SSP and SP, have completed more than two years of service and have not been transferred,” he had said. |
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Council admits privilege motion against PDP MLC
Jammu March 14 The Chairman has referred the motion to the Privilege Committee for further action. The notice read that Murtaza had passed derogatory and defamatory remarks against Union Minister Farooq Abdullah on March 12 while referring to the embezzlement of funds belonging to the Jammu and Kashmir Cricket Association (JKCA). It said Murtaza had levelled baseless allegations against Abdullah and some ministers of the state government to tarnish their image and to mislead the House. The notice mentioned that Murtaza had referred to NC MLCs as offenders thereby breaching the privilege of members concerned in full view of the House. Murtaza was in the habit of making wild allegations and using unparliamentary language against members to provoke them and to disrupt the proceedings of the House, the notice added. |
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Modalities for ferry, radio taxi services discussed
Srinagar, March 14 To reduce the pressure on roads, the Kashmir Irrigation and Flood Control Department plans to start an inland water transport service, from Pantha Chowk to Chattabal, on the Jhelum. The Chief Engineer apprised the Divisional Commissioner of the plan to engage private players to ply water taxis having a capacity of 18 passengers on the proposed stretch after fulfilling the prerequisite in line with the J&K Water Resource and Management Act, 2010. The service will operate from the existing ghats for boarding and disembarking purposes till permanent infrastructure is established. It was stated that the department would issue printed tickets to the service providers, who in turn would issue the same to the passengers through proper ticketing countres. The Divisional Commissioner also discussed the introduction of a radio taxi service in Srinagar. On the lines of other cities in the country, the service is being introduced in the city to provide better transport facilities to commuters. In the first phase, 15 taxis, which could be hired through phone, would be arranged.The Divisional Commissioner assured support to the transporters who were willing to be part of the service. |
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IAF airlifts 342 stranded passengers to Leh
Jammu, March 14 The IAF launched a special sortie for the Leh-bound passengers who had been left stranded in twin capital cities of Jammu and Srinagar, said the officiating defence PRO, SN Acharya. Two IL 76 planes started the airlift operations for civilians from Jammu and Srinagar simultaneously this morning and a total of 342 civilians were airlifted to Leh, he added. The special IAF sorties were arranged by the state government from Jammu to Leh town. The state government had earlier announced that IAF sorties would be arranged for the stranded passengers of Leh, which remains cut off due to heavy snowfall on the Zojila and the Kargil-Padum road that connects the Ladakh region with the Kashmir valley. In a sortie from the Jammu Air Force Station to Leh, an IL-76 plane carried 200 civilians, including 12 children and 82 women, and similarly another IL-76 plane carried 142 civilians from the Srinagar air field to Leh today, said Acharya. “Due to inclement weather conditions two more sorties, however, had to be suspended,” said the Air Officer Commanding, Jammu Air Force Station, Air Commodore Nitin Sathe, who personally supervised the operation. He said the IAF would resume the task in coordination with the civil administration as soon as weather cleared. Haji Mohammad Hassan, a 65-year-old resident of Baro Colony, Chiktan, said he had come for medical treatment to Jammu but had been left stranded here for the last 17 days. During the airlift operation, the Chief Administrative Officer, Group Captain Shashikant Pati, and the Security Officer, Wing Commander TM Reddy, worked tirelessly for the smooth movement of the civilians. |
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151 officials facing graft charges in state
Jammu, March 14 In reply to a query sought by Congress legislator Mohammad Sharief Niaz in the Assembly, the Chief Minister said the State Accountability Commission didn’t have the jurisdiction to receive complaints against the officials in view of the amendment to the J&K Accountability Act, 2002. “These officials were involved in misappropriation of government money, illegal appointments, misuse of official position, demand and acceptance of bribe, disproportionate assets, purchase of goods at exorbitant rates or manipulation of records,” Omar said. He further said most cases were either under investigation or yet to see challans produced against the accused officials. The state vigilance has failed to produce challans in some cases that date back to over 18 years. “The state vigilance is yet to produce a challan in a case that was registered in April 1991. The then manager of Cooperative Marketing Society, Jammu, Dhain Singh, and the then accountant, Jammu tehsil, Cooperative Marketing Society Ltd, Hari Lal were booked under an FIR No. 38/1991-VOJ for misappropriation of government money,” the Chief Minister said. |
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Sangad village sans water for 15 days
Katra, March 14 Jai Singh, a village panch, told The Tribune that the PHE workers who were local residents did domestic chores during their office hours. Pholi Devi, a resident of Sangad village, said the people in her village were dependent on a natural spring for water, which was about 3 km from the village, thus creating problems for villagers. The working class and students in the village fetch water from the spring in the morning and then go to their respective places of work and schools. The spring is an open water body and the water is not hygienic. There is every possibility of spreading of waterborne disease. The villagers have impressed upon the authorities concerned to transfer the local workers from their home stations to far-off stations so that they can do their duty rather than do some other work during the duty hours. It is the basic right of a citizen to have a sufficient supply of water, as they pay for it, the villagers added. The Executive Engineer, PHE, Reasi, Rafiq Ahmed, said he had no such information. He added that he would talk to the Junior Engineer concerned to regulate the supply of water to the village. |
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2 HC judges call on Governor
Jammu, March 14 They also discussed the broad agenda of the conference on mediation and conciliation activities being organised by the High Court in Jammu on March 17. Also, a deputation from the Vijaypur area of Samba district called on Governor NN Vohra at Raj Bhavan today. They presented a memorandum of demands to the Governor. The demands of the 11-member deputation led by Rani Billowria, former Deputy Mayor, Jammu Municipal Corporation, included upgrade of roads from Vijaypur to Nandpur and Vijaypur to Keso Barota, augmentation of drinking water and irrigation facilities, fresh survey of BPL families, opening of more ration depots and shifting of border fencing from the agricultural land to the Zero Line in the area. |
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Health camp for Badheri residents
Jammu, March 14 Major General G Sankaranarayanan, GOC, Gurj Division, presided over the function. Samba MLA Yashpaul Kundal and District Commissioner Mubarak Singh were also present. The GOC dedicated the facility to the population and the ex-servicemen of the district. Besides basic check-up, specialised facilities in gynaecology, orthopaedics, medicine and ENT were provided to over 1,200 patients from the area. Brig Santosh Kurup, Commander, 168 Infantry Brigade, thanked the
people and district administration for their support in organising such activities. |
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Ex-Home Secy meets Governor
Jammu, March 14 Also present at the meeting were RV Raju, former Director General of the National Investigating Agency, and Ravi Dhingra, former Chief Secretary, Himachal Pradesh. Both of them are members of the task force on internal security. |
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Transporters seek white paper on JAKFED
Jammu, March 14 In a press release issued here, the committee, under its chairman Harasis Singh, also appreciated the vigilance department for unearthing a scam involving Rs 10 lakh in the federation. The committee also demanded a white paper on the functioning and accounts of the federation. They asked the state government to stop funding the federation if it continued to run into losses. |
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Book on raga released
Jammu, March 14 Bakshi said she had elucidated various aspects of ragas and music found in holy Sikh scriptures. The book commences with a commentary on Gurmat Sangeet traditions with a focus on shabad kirtan. Comprising 173 pages, the book has 17 chapters on subjects like raga and Adi Granth, raga and music tradition, medieval age, raga and Guru Granth Sahib, etc. Taing appreciated Bakshi’s work saying she was a good satirist as well as writer. Farooq Nazki, Prof RD Sharma and Prof Rita Jitendra also spoke. Noted litterateurs Prof Lalit Magotra and Kapil Anirudh later read papers in English and Hindi, respectively. Jasmeet Kour and her team of musicians also recited a shabad. |
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Probe sought into Health Dept’s working
Jammu, March 14 Addressing mediapersons, forum president Vikas Sharma said: “Many private nursing homes are operational in the region without a valid licence. They lack the requisite infrastructure but the department has not initiated any action against these.” He urged the Chief Minister to initiate a probe into the issue. |
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