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3-tier exam pattern to check nepotism
Roshini Act
Vaishno
Devi pilgrimage
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Sarpanches to assess damage to crops, property in Doda
Impetus needed to create jobs in villages
Governor greets people on Ramnavmi
Central panel reviews functioning of Civil Defence
NC leader killed in road mishap
Walkout by Panthers Party MLC over corruption
Mirwaiz rejects charge of getting ISI support
Man injured in explosion
3,288 died on state roads in past three years
Be courteous to legislators, Assembly panel tells babus
Man killed in mishap
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3-tier exam pattern to check nepotism
Youth from different parts of the state have been agitating against the alleged bungling in the recently released selection lists of various posts for which interviews were conducted by the Jammu and Kashmir Subordinate Service Recruitment Board (SSRB). As unemployment is a big problem in the state, the alleged bungling in recruitment has created anger and resentment among educated unemployed youth. A large number of candidates have already approached the court against the recent selection lists. The Assembly Committee in its report observed that in absence of lucid and foolproof recruitment rules for the selection there was greater scope for unnecessary and unwarranted litigations. As a large numbers of candidates alleged favouritism in interviews, the Committee suggested that the selection process should include a screening test, a written test and viva-voce. While observing that some universities, including a few from the state, were awarding high percentage of marks to students, the Committee observed that there was a need to curb and check the trend so that meritorious candidates of the University of Kashmir and the University of Jammu do not suffer on that account. The Committee suggested that contractual and temporary appointments should be stopped, as screening was not done properly in these cases. It was an exploitation of qualified candidates and has been misused by appointees many a times. Furthermore, the Committee suggested that the Education Department must give the details of subject wise requirement of teachers and accordingly the J&K School Board and the administration should make preparation for the said recruitment. The Assembly Committee has also given a numbers of suggestions to ensure transparency in the recruitment policy and to institutionalise the recruitment process in the state. More than 6 lakh unemployed youth have registered themselves with various centres. Jammu and Kashmir has the highest unemployment rate of 5.3 per cent, in comparison to the neighbouring states. According to the data revealed by the latest Economic Survey Report of the state, there are a total of 60,1,847 unemployed youth in the state. A total of 3,21,562 unemployed youth have registered themselves in the Kashmir region while 2,80,285 have registered in Jammu province. Out of the registered unemployed youth only 3,203 are illiterate, 77,087 are Class VIII pass, 1,65,208 are Class X pass, 85,022 are graduate and 20,770 are postgraduate. |
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Roshini
Act
The government has given ownership rights of 5,62,279.15 kanals of land to various occupants in the Jammu region, while the rights of 32,746.08 kanals have been conferred on various occupants in the Kashmir region. In reply, the government submitted in the Upper House that 660 cases under the Roshini Scheme
were pending disposal in Jammu district. The state government had enacted the law, also called Roshini Act, to finance various hydel projects in the state from the money generated by giving ownership rights to people who had been occupying the state land. The government had constituted district price fixation committees for the purpose. In Doda district, the state government received 14,212 application, against which 51191.18 kanals of state land was given to the occupants. Also, in Jammu district, the government received 25,009 application seeking ownership rights. At least 44915.8 kanals of state land was given to the occupants. In Kathua district, 18,530 applications were received, against which 26111.9 kanals of land was given to the occupants. |
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Vaishno
Devi pilgrimage
Katra, March 31 The money involved in the illegal practice is prompting most poor families to force their children to beg rather than study at the base camp of the shrine. Simran (8), who dropped out of school after class III, said her parents compelled her to beg as her father was a labourer and earned only Rs 100-200 a day. “In just 2-3 hours, I can earn more than my father. I used to find it hard to beg early on, but now I love what I do.” Simran’s friend Kiran (10) said: “I am studying in class IV at a nearby government school but my parents keep asking me to start begging like other girls of my locality. They have threatened to pull me out of the school this year.” The “business” is booming as devotees coming to seek the blessings of Mata Vaishno Devi generously offer food and money to these children, who are not willing to attend school anymore. The pilgrimage to the cave shrine is considered auspicious by the Hindus and is a centre of faith for millions of people across the globe. Devotees give generous alms or free offerings to such children, unmindful of the repercussions it would have on the future of these children. |
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Sarpanches to assess damage to crops,
Udhampur, March 31 Doda MLA Abdul Majid Wani told The Tribune that the decision was taken during his meeting with Minister for Revenue, Relief and Rehabilitation Raman Bhalla yesterday evening at Jammu, after Wani raised the issue on the floor of the Assembly. The decision is aimed at gathering complete information about the losses incurred and to provide compensation to all affected persons and undertake restoration works accordingly. Directions were issued today to the District Development Commissioner, Doda, in this regard. He was asked to closely monitor and expedite the survey of all types of damages with the active involvement of sarpanches and all sectoral officers. The decision assumes significance in the backdrop of a demand of panchayat representatives in Doda district to empower them. Sarpanches of the Thathri block of the district had recently organised a demonstration in this regard. According to the decision, all sarpanches of Doda district would work with sectoral officers and revenue department officials, including patwaris, girdawars, chowkidars and numbardars, to assess the damages caused to crop, houses, livestock, human lives, schools, other government buildings, roads, MGNREGA works, power transmission network, including transformers and electricity poles, and water supply schemes in areas under their respective panchayats. Earlier, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah had conceded to the demand raised by MLA Doda for providing three months’ free ration to people of the region from the calamity relief fund. Apart from public property, the incessant rain and snowfall had caused 80 to 90 per cent damage to crops in the area. |
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Impetus needed to create jobs in villages
Srinagar/Baramulla, March 31 After living for years under the fear of the gun, provision of basic amenities and sources of employment are their primary concerns. Residents of Farsthwar Waripura, a hamlet about 25 km from Baramulla, has been without access to a road. It is only now that some work has started to build a motorable track to connect it with the outside world. Its residents have to trek a few kilometers to the next village, having a provision shop, to get items of daily use. “I have to pay a porter or labourer to help be carry back my goods from the shop,” Mukti Begum, an elderly woman, said. Going to town means a whole day of travel, walking down to the road to catch a passing vehicle that would take them to a village from where they can get a bus. Aziz Ahmad Rather, Block Development Officer at Wagoora, who has been instrumental in getting the road project sanctioned, estimates that there are several hundred villages and hamlets in the Valley that have no access to roads. For residents of remote villages, life is a daily grind of farm work, labour and odd jobs in the absence of employment opportunities to earn their livelihood. Apart from Doordarshan and AIR, there is no source of entertainment. Under government schemes like the MGNREGA, some employment as a labourer is available to one member of the family, but it’s not enough. “We are paid just Rs 120 per day. We have demanded the revision of wages to at least Rs 300,” Mehraj Din, a local resident, said. “Fresh water here is scarce and power supply is virtually non-existent,” Tariq Aman Mir, another villager, said. “We get electricity for just four hours a day, whereas the government charges Rs 300 per month for it,” he added. In the hinterland, the people are not too happy with the lack of amenities and government apathy towards their requirements. “There has been considerable improvement in the security situation, but a lot more needs to be done by the government for social upliftment,” said Ghulam Nasoor Mir, village sarpanch. Adding to the woe and frustration of the people is the increasing level of corruption in the government, which is eating into funds and development projects. “Corruption is a major issue in Kashmir,” Syed Basharat Bhukari, MLA from nearby Kereeri, asserted. “The cases pending before the State Accountability Commission, which include those involving ministers and senior leaders, are testimony to the grim state of affairs,” he added. Reviving the rural economy and small scale industry, which would generate much needed employment in the Valley, is of paramount importance. According to the Kashmir Chamber of Commerce and Industry, there are around 13,000 debt-ridden and defunct small scale units in the Valley. “Property and assets worth Rs 16,000 crore are either mortgaged or locked up and hence cannot be used,” chamber president Abdul Hamid Punjabi claimed. “We need an impetus of around Rs 600 crore to free these assets and make them productive,” he added. “While thousands of crores has flowed into Kashmir as grants and aid from the Centre, nothing has been done for the private sector. People have suffered for no fault of theirs as law and order is the responsibility of the government,” Dr Mubeen Shah, a member of the chamber, said. “We also seek an investment protection scheme from the government so that capital flows in,” he added. |
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Army organises ‘bhandara’
Rajouri, March 31 The function was attended by over 5,000 persons. The Commander, Tithwal Brigade and Nowshera SDM Shahid Iqbal Choudhary were among those present. Choudhary said the civil population appreciated the Army for organising the “bhandara” to mark
Navratras. |
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Governor greets people on Ramnavmi
Jammu, March 31 In his message, the Governor said the celebration of festivals is an important aspect of our glorious pluralistic history and it strengthens communal harmony, brotherhood and secular ethos. The Governor prayed for the wellbeing of people in the state.
— TNS
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Central panel reviews functioning of Civil Defence
Srinagar, March 31 The delegates said the disaster preparedness activities undertaken by the Civil Defence in Kashmir were being appreciated throughout the country. They added that an exchange programme would be conducted soon so that Civil Defence volunteers from rest of the country get a chance to visit Kashmir and learn from the experiences. Earlier, the delegates inspected Civil Defence activities at Udhampur with Additional Director General of Police Doley Barman. The team would visit Baramulla, Pulwama, Budgam and Anantnag. The delegates inspected the rescue equipments of the SDRF and interacted with Civil Defence volunteers and SDRF jawans, an official spokesman said. The Civil Defence team was led by the Deputy Inspector General of Police, Civil Defence, Home Guards, Auxiliary Police and SDRF, Mubarak Ahmed Ganai. The other participants included Commandant, SDRF, Mehrajuddin Shah; Deputy Controller, Civil Defence, Rafiq Ahmed; Deputy SPs Ghulam Haider, Nazir Ahmed, Abdul Rashid and Mohammed Yusuf etc.
— TNS |
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NC leader killed in road mishap
Katra, March 31 The police said the accident took place today morning when he was going to Chajuru from Jamsalan in Mahore. “He died on the spot. His body has been recovered,” police officers said here. Khalid was a close friend of Minister for Higher Education Abdul Gani Malik. The police added, “Probably driver of the car tried to negotiate a curve and the car rolled down the hill.”
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Walkout by Panthers Party MLC over corruption
Jammu, March 31 “Yeh goondagardi hai. Rishwatkhori hai hai. It’s match-fixing,” he shouted in the House before staging a walkout. Shah had sought to know about any departmental action initiated against corrupt officials and the number of erring officials dismissed from service. Earlier, the Agriculture Minister, Ghulam Hassan Mir, in his reply, had submitted before the House that cases were under investigation in different courts, including State Accountability Commission, and steps as envisaged under the rules were being initiated against those involved in cases of corruption. Jammu and Kashmir has attained the dubious distinction of being the second most corrupt state in the country in the past.
— TNS |
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Mirwaiz rejects charge of getting ISI support
Srinagar, March 31 This was stated by the All Party Hurriyat Conference (APHC) spokesman on the arrival of Mirwaiz Umar Farooq from a two-week tour of Geneva and Saudi Arabia. The US Attorney’s claim had come yesterday in the wake of support by 53 leaders from India, Pakistan and the US for Ghulam Nabi Fai, who is undergoing a trial for setting up the Kashmir American Council. “Not only the Mirwaiz, but also many prominent individuals from India, have written letters of their support to Ghulam Nabi Fai,” the spokesman stated and condemned the US Attorney’s claim. On his arrival at Srinagar Airport, the Mirwaiz was received by a number of his party leaders and supporters and taken to Mirwaiz Manzil in Srinagar city. The Mirwaiz said during his tour he had participated in the 19th annual session of the UN on human rights and also interacted with a cross section of people during his stay in Geneva. He put forth his views on the Kashmir issue, particularly matters related to the alleged human rights violations, unmarked graves, cases
of disappeared persons and the plight of Kashmiri leaders detained in various jails in and outside the state.
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Man injured in explosion
Srinagar, March 31 The police here said Mohammad Yousuf Bhat of Panzgam village in Kupwara sustained minor injuries when some explosive device went off while he was digging a nullah. Bhat was shifted to a hospital. House gutted Fire broke out in the residential house of Ashiq Hussain Ganie at Krandigam, Anantnag, during the intervening night of March 30-31, causing heavy damage to it. No loss of life or injury was reported in the incident.
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3,288 died on state roads in past three years
If government figures are to be believed, at least 3,288 persons lost their lives and 27,165 returned home with broken bones and limbs in as many as 18,786 road accidents in the past three years. In reply to a query of Congress MLC Naresh Kumar Gupta, the government yesterday stated in the Upper House that during 2009, 2010 and 2011, at least 18,786 accidents took place in the state as a result of which 3,288 persons were killed and 27,165 received injuries. To check road accidents, the state government had amended the Motor Vehicles Act, 1998 and the J&K Motor Vehicle Rules, 1991 in February 2012 to make the provisions for penalty more stringent. “A proposal to further amend the Motor Vehicles Act, 1998 (Central Act) based on the recommendations of the Sunder Committee is under the consideration of the Centre,” reads the government reply. The State Road Safety Council has been set up under the chairmanship of Chief Secretary vide SRO 52. The council will advise on steps to be taken for collecting, comparing and analysing road accident data, establishment of a road safety fund, provision of trauma and healthcare facilities to the victims, besides formulating a comprehensive road safety policy for implementation by the departments concerned. The government stated that the Jammu and Kashmir Passenger Welfare Fund Rules had also been sanctioned to provide an ex gratia to the victims of road accidents, which included Rs 25,000 to the next of kin of those killed and Rs 10,000 to the injured. The government also listed other measures that had been initiated to check road accidents in the hill state. The figures tabled in the House, however, revealed that Jammu district had topped the charts in the past three years in terms of road accidents, deaths
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Be courteous to legislators, Assembly panel tells babus
Jammu, March 31 In its first report tabled in the Legislative Assembly recently, the Committee on Privileges — an important instrument for defining powers, privileges and immunities of the state legislature and its members — expressed serious concerns over the violation of the legislators’ protocol and suggested that it should be “honoured in letter and spirit”. “The status of a legislator was higher than that of the chief as reflected in warrant of the precedence but this fact was only observed on paper. The departments have failed to implement the warrant of precedence issued by the government in letter and spirit,” the committee observed. It further stated that the legislators, being representatives of the people, were not getting due respect during their visit to the Civil Secretariat and other offices and were made to wait for hours. The committee, comprising Harsh Dev Singh as its chairman and eight other legislators from various political parties as members, recommended that the protocol of the legislators be honoured in letter and spirit. The panel recommended that the government servants should be courteous towards the members of the state legislature. “The government officer should patiently listen to what the members may have to say in the discharge of their duties as public representatives,” it said. “When a legislator visits an office, the officer concerned should rise in his seat to receive and see off the member. Such small gestures have a symbolic value. The officer should therefore be meticulously correct and courteous in their dealings with the legislators.” The panel maintained that it should be the endeavour of every officer to help the members of the state legislature in discharge of their responsibilities under the constitution. “In case an officer is unable to accede to the request or suggestion of a member, the reason for his inability to do so be politely explained to the member,” the committee further recommended in order to avoid any kind of confrontation and misunderstanding between the bureaucracy and the political class. The committee also expressed concern over the issue of accommodation, inadequate security and insufficient fuel provided to legislators and desired that due care be taken keeping in view the problems being faced by them.
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Man killed in mishap
Rajouri, March 31 Sanjay Kochar (42) of Jawahar Nagar was crushed to death by a rashly driven truck (JK 02 G 5545) as he was crossing the main road this morning. Local residents informed the police about the incident. The police later shifted the body to the district hospital for a post-mortem examination.
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Jammu, March 31
Jammu, March 31
Jammu, March 31
Jammu, March 31