Jammu, April 1
The Union Minister for Health Ghulam Nabi Azad and Rajya Sabha MP Dr Karan Singh unveiled the statue of Maharaja Hari Singh, a former ruler of Jammu and Kashmir, at the Tawi Bridge here today.

The local residents had been awaiting the unveiling of the statue for a long time. Maharaja Hari Singh was a great visionary who brought considerable reforms in the state during his regime, said the Maharaja’s son, Dr Karan Singh.

He said the Maharaja always worked for the development of downtrodden and oppressed class of society. It is a proud moment for everyone, he added.

Deputy Chief Minister Tara Chand and MP Lal Singh were also present on the occasion.

Unveiling of the statue was welcomed from all corners except for a few, who were demanding the selection of some other date for the event.

“It was a nice day. Selecting the auspicious day of Ramnavmi for the unveiling of the statue was a good decision,” said Raman, a resident of the old city.

“It is better late then never and we were not expecting this to happen this year as the issue was frequently marred by several controversies,” said Mohan Rajput, another eyewitness to the event.

Pertinently, following pressure from eminent citizens to remember the former ruler, the Jammu Municipal Corporation had installed the Maharaja’s life-size statue about two months ago but it had remained covered till date due to unavailability of VIP to unveil it.

Though a section of people had opposed the government for choosing April 1 as the date for unveiling the statue of the Maharaja, no protest was registered today.

Jammu, April 1
Kavinder Gupta, former Mayor of the Jammu Municipal Corporation, who had conceptualised the idea of installing Maharaja Hari Singh’s statue, was not invited to today’s function. It was during Kavinder Gupta’s tenure that the civic body had decided to install a statue of the last Dogra ruler, Maharaja Hari Singh, here. “It was during my tenure that the municipal corporation decided to install the Maharaja’s statue in Jammu,” Kavinder Gupta told The Tribune. He said a decision to install two statues on both bridges over the Tawi was taken on the demand of some religious and social organisations.

“While one statue was installed during my tenure in front of the Bahu Fort police station, the foundation stone of the other statue was laid by me near the Dogra Chowk,” he said, while regretting the fact that he was not invited to the unveiling ceremony of the statue of which he had laid the foundation stone.

“It is unfortunate that I was not invited to the function despite the fact that the foundation stone of the statue was laid due to our efforts,” he said.

He said Maharaja Hari Singh belonged to every resident of the state but a political party had hijacked the entire show for political gains.

“Representatives of all political parties should have been invited to the function,” Gupta, who belongs to the BJP, said.

Jammu, April 1
Motorists were caught in long traffic jams on all major roads of the city following the visit of Union Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad and other dignitaries to the unveiling ceremony of Maharaja Hari Singh’s statue near the Tawi bridge today.

While the traffic was thin on account of Sunday, vehicles got caught up in long traffic jams following restrictions on the movement of traffic on the Tawi bridge, which divides the city into two.

The traffic police failed to announce any diversion plan ahead of the visit of VIPs, leading to chaos on the roads

“Traffic usually remains thin on Sundays. But people came out in large numbers following Ramnavmi and the unveiling ceremony. The traffic department should have made comprehensive arrangements to avoid congestion on roads. Thousands of vehicles remained stuck in serpentine queues,” Rakesh Gupta, a two-wheeler rider, remarked.

All other roads connecting the old city remained choked for hours due to “mismanagement” on part of the traffic police.

The worst hit were those who had come out in large numbers to pay obeisance at various temples, as it took them hours to reach their destinations.

To make matters worse, a large number of people attending the unveiling ceremony parked their vehicles by the roadside.

A senior traffic official said traffic was affected only for half an hour.

Jammu, April 1
A major fire broke out in an electronic goods showroom on the Samadian road in old city late last night, destroying property worth crores of rupees. A car parked outside the showroom was also gutted. However, no loss of human life was reported in the incident.

Initial reports suggested that the fire broke out in Gupta Electronics Showroom, located next to City Square Mall, after a short-circuit.

“Sparks from the electrical wiring fell on a pile of cardboard dumped near the main entrance to the showroom, which led to the fire. The car parked outside the main entrance also caught fire,” a police official said, adding that the employees failed to salvage the car from the inferno.

The police official said electronic goods, including air-conditioners, refrigerators and coolers, were reduced to ashes. At least 13 fire tenders were pressed into service and it took them two hours to douse the blaze. The police, with the help of employees of the Fire and Emergency Service Department, evacuated people from the showroom.

Sources said one of the floors of City Square Mall also suffered damage from the raging flames.

Jammu, April 1
The authorities of Kendriya Vidyalaya School, Lale Da Bagh, have withheld their decision to close down the school building and shift the students to the Bantalab branch. As part of an earlier arrangement, the students had been asked to attend evening shifts i.e. from 12.30 pm to 6 pm at the Bantalab branch.

The decision was taken at a meeting between the parents association and the school authorities in which the chairman of the school agreed to run the school from its present location till a viable alternative was found.

Holding the Lale Da Bagh building unsafe, the authorities had decided to shift the students to the Bantalab branch, almost 25 km from the current location.

Kanhiya Lal Raina, a member of the parents association, said: “The authorities have withheld their decision to shift the school. We welcome this step as the shifting of the school would have hampered the co-curricular activities of the children.”

In a letter written by PK Koul, Deputy Commissioner, KV Sangathan, Jammu, to the chairman of the school, it was mentioned that as per an MoU signed in 1987 between the Army and the school authorities, the temporary accommodation could not be withdrawn unless the sangathan was satisfied with the alternative arrangements made in this regard by the sponsoring authority.

The commitment made by the Army authorities for providing an adequate and safe temporary accommodation needed to be compiled with, it added.

Jammu, April 1
With speeding and rash driving taking a toll on human life in the winter capital of the state, the Jammu and Kashmir traffic police has decided to introduce speed interceptor vans fitted with alcoholometers to penalise drunk drivers and habitual offenders.

The traffic police said it had submitted the proposal to the Home Department, requesting the latter for the clearance of at least seven speed interceptor vans costing Rs 27 lakh each.

“The department has already set in motion the process for installation of traffic signals in both capital cities of the state and these signals will dot the city roads by the end of May. The interceptor vans fitted with alcoholometers will take pictures of vehicles violating the traffic rules along with their location, time and speed. A printout of the picture, along with a challan, will either be issued to the violator on the spot or sent to his house,” official sources said.

A source said: “So far, the traffic policemen deputed on the city roads to streamline the traffic have been issuing challans to violators. There have been several instances when traffic policemen have been assaulted or suffered injuries while conducting these checks.”

Talking to The Tribune, Inspector General of Police (Traffic), J&K, Hemant Kumar Lohia, said the department had forwarded the proposal for the procurement of seven interceptor vans to the Home Department.

“We are awaiting the approval of the Home Department. It will not only help us check the problem of speeding but also make the challaning system easier,” the IGP said, adding that these vans would be fitted with alcoholometers to keep a check on drunk drivers.

“A majority of road accidents and causalities take place due to rash driving, speeding and driving under the influence of liquor,” Lohia said. “With the introduction of these vans, we will be able to penalise habitual offenders as well as those who drive vehicles after consuming liquor,” the IGP said.

Official statistics revealed that at least 3,288 persons lost their lives and 27,165 were injured in 18,786 road mishaps in the past three years. Over 100 persons died and around 350 received injuries in road mishaps till March 25 this year. Sources said over 11 lakh vehicles, including 4,39,514 in 2009, 3,79,319 in 2010 and 3,36,260 in 2011, were challaned during the past three years.

Jammu, April 1
Ramnavmi was celebrated with religious fervour and gaiety across Jammu today with people thronging various temples dedicated to Goddess Durga and Lord Rama.

Thousands of people visited the historic Bahu Fort Temple and prayed for the peace and prosperity of the state. Hundreds of pilgrims from other parts of the district also visited the shrine on the conclusion of the Navratras.

During the morning hours, many families performed “Kanjak Pujan” and offered gifts to small girls. Later, many of them visited the Tawi where they immersed “saankh”, thus marking the end of the nine-day-long festival.

“Ramnavmi is an important festival and every year we pay our obeisance at the Bawe Mata temple,” said Rajni Devi from Janipur.

At various places ‘havan’ was also performed by religious and social organisations. Some of the organisations also organised community langars at various localities.

“Our organisation performs ‘havan’ every year on the day for the welfare of humanity. The day has a great religious significance for the Hindus,” said Swami Kumar Ji, a spiritual head of Kral Bab Ashram. 

Jammu, April 1
The Reserve Bank of India in association with the State Bank of India organised a financial awareness camp at Bagh-e-Bahu in connection with Navratra celebrations.

RK Meena, Assistant General Manager, RBI, participated in the event and explained different schemes of the RBI to the public.

SP Gupta, AGM, SBI, revealed different products of the bank, including dairy entrepreneur development schemes, SBI housing loan, student loan, different deposit schemes, flexi deposit schemes and recurring deposit schemes. KK Sharma, director, SBI, Jammu, guided the youth to adopt self-employment as there was a bleak chance of getting into government jobs. — TNS

Jammu, April 1
To popularise Dogri literature in younger generation throughout the Dogra region, the Dogri Sanstha organised a “One-Day Short Story Writing Workshop” at Barwal village in Kathua district recently.

The programme was organised in collaboration with the Speak India Environmental Foundation, Barwal. A large number of young volunteers participated in the programme, which included several female aspirants.

Renowned short story writers Chattrapal and Prof Shashi Pathania, eminent Dogri scholar, Prof Veena Gupta and president of the Dogri Sanstha and established Dogri Short Story writer Prof Lalit Magotra delivered lectures on the nuances of art of writing short story and interacted with the participants.

A sub-office of the Dogri Sanstha was also set-up at Barwal village and Rohit Sharma was appointed as the local secretary and Dogri poetess Vijaya Thakur as the coordinator. The Sanstha donated a set of Dogri publications for the library of the sub-office.

The first kavi gohsti organised by the sub-office was also held in which local and other poets participated which included TR Sumberia, Dr Lekh Raj, Bitto Jasrotia, Sunil Sharma, Rohit Sharma, Vijay Sharma, Vijaya Thakur, Naresh Kumar and Dr Shashi Pathania.

Prof Lalit Magotra said regular Dogri programmes would be held at Barwal in future.

Jammu, April 1
A book, “Kaali Ganag”, a collection of short stories in the Dogri language by Santosh Sangra, was released by RS Chib, Minister for Technical Education, Youth Services and Sports and Medical Education, at a function organised by the Dogri Sanstha in KL Sehgal Hall today.

A large number of prominent writers, theatre activists, artistes and eminent members of the civil society attended the function.

The highlight of the function was the presentation of a paper on the book by Susheel Begana and enactment of a character from one of the stories by the author. The author is a radio, television and stage artiste.

Chib, who was the chief guest, lauded Sangra’s effort towards enriching the Dogri language and literature by her book.

He said Sangra was a known figure in the field of literature and performing arts. He appreciated and complimented the Dogri Sanstha, one of the oldest and premier literary organisations of the state, for providing a platform to writers.

Earlier, Prof Lalit Magotra, president, Dogri Sanstha, urged the government to take measures to introduce the Dogri language at the primary school level and appoint Dogri teachers in all high and higher secondary schools, and colleges of the Dogra region. 

Jammu, April 1
The Jammu Branch of the Central Bureau of Investigation celebrated the CBI Day at its Panama Chowk office today.

The staff participated in sports activities like badminton and table tennis competition, whereas children of the staff took part in painting and singing competitions.

A medical camp was also held with the assistance of the J&K Health Services where Dr Uttam Sharma, Dr Mohit Kapoor and pharmacist Manmohan Singh conducted medical check-up of the CBI staff and their families.

Dr Armandeep Singh, SP, CBI, Jammu, interacted with the staff and the mediapersons and briefed them about the activities of the CBI and problems faced by them in reaching out to the public in the far-flung areas of the state.

A ‘Bada Khana’ was also organised at the end of the function.

Jammu, April 1
While the authorities are trying to fulfill infrastructural demands of hostels at Jammu University, more work needs to be done. Three girls’ hostels in the university are housing 150 to 250 students on an average.

While sanitation in the three hostels - Priyadarshini, Sarojini Naidu and Chanderbhaga - is not an issue, the lack of space inside the rooms is noteworthy. Four girls are being housed in every room of the Priyadarshini hostel and the same is the case in the other blocks as well.

With four girls, two wardrobes and couple of racks there is no space for any free movement inside the rooms. The students feel that either new rooms should be constructed or the limit of four girls per room should be reduced.

Apart from the over-crowded rooms, students complained that the common study rooms close down at 10 pm.

Nancy, a student residing in the hostel, says: “If the study rooms get closed at 10 pm, we get no time to study in peace because evening and night is the only time when we can study without interference. Boys’ hostels in contrast have study rooms which are open throughout the night”.

They also rued the absence of Internet facilities inside the hostel premises. When hostel campuses in different parts of the country are vying to switch on to wi-fi facility, this campus lacks the basic Internet availability.

While most students might want Internet for social networking requirements, there are others who feel that the absence of Internet hinders research work and they have to rely on their own sources for Internet connection.

While there is no connection in the Sarojini Naidu block, Internet connections have been inactive in the Priyadarshini block. Even though the students have informed the administration, action is awaited.

The students are all praise for hygiene and sanitation maintained in the hostels, they have a point to make about the food served in the hostel. While every one in all three block maintains that the food served is good they feel more could be done with the variety of food served.

Manpreet, a hosteller commented, “The problem lies in the repetitive nature of the menu served. We do not mind paying a little extra for a slight change”.

Jammu, April 1
In a major initiative towards strengthening sports infrastructure at the University of Jammu, the state government has sanctioned a grant of Rs 3 crore to the Directorate of Sports and Physical Education for the construction of a new training-cum-sports hall (80’x45’).

Governor NN Vohra had laid the foundation stone of the hall on March 1 and the construction work was likely to begin this month.

Once completed, the multipurpose facility will cater to the disciplines of wrestling, boxing, table tennis, judo, wushu and tae kwon do.

In addition, three classrooms, a faculty room, a store and a dormitory for sportspersons will also be constructed inside the multi-purpose hall.

Prof Dhian S Bhau, Director, Directorate of Sports and Physical Education, University of Jammu, the grant would provide a fillip to sports activities in the university.

“Our sportspersons have proved their mettle in different disciplines at higher levels and the department is also doing its best to provide them with latest equipment,” said Prof Bhau.

“The construction of the training-cum-sports hall will help the university host national-level events in various disciplines at regular intervals,” the Director added.

He said the University Grants Commission had earmarked Rs 50 lakh for an adventure course and upgrading sports infrastructure on the campus.

“Of Rs 50 lakh, Rs 25 lakh will be spent by the department on imparting training to students in skiing, kayaking and rafting, while the remaining amount on infrastructure development,” Prof Bhau said. As part of adventure course, the department will impart training to 340 students (170 boys and 170 girls). The Director said a proposal to construct a separate fencing hall for Rs 10 lakh was submitted to the UGC, which was likely to be approved.

“A basketball synthetic court and a volleyball court are also in the offing,” said Professor Bhau. “Waterproofing of the gymnasium hall will also be done at a cost of Rs 8 lakh. Besides, Rs 1.13 lakh has been sanctioned for the purchase of equipment for adventure sports.”

On the creation of posts of coach/instructors in different disciplines, Professor Bhau said: “The University Central Council has already submitted a proposal to the joint committee regarding the creation of post of Deputy Director, two posts of Assistant Director, six posts of coach and two posts for physical training instructor. The joint committee has further referred the case to the state government for the creation of the posts.”

Jammu, April 1
Sainik Colony Club (B) thrashed Dummy Club 4-0 in a one-sided affair to advance into the next round of the Sainik Cooperative Society Football Tournament at Sainik Public School Football Ground here today.

Sainik Colony Club (B) dominated the contest right from the onset. Manish Magotra opened the account in the 8th minute with a fine goal. Umar Rafiq then struck in the 18th minute to make it 2-0.

Dummy Club got a golden chance to reduce the margin but could not capitalise on it. At halftime, Sainik Colony Club were comfortably placed at 2-0. There were no surprises in the second half too, as scoring opportunity eluded Dummy Club forwards, who were unable to gather momentum. In the meantime, Sainik Colony Club added another goal through Manish in the 41st minute.

Navdeep Jamwal sealed the fate of the rivals in the 55th minute by scoring the fourth goal of his team.

In other matches, Parama FC got a walkover against New Bhagat Singh Club, while Musa Club got a walkover against Jammu Sport. Tomorrow, Jammu United will take on Young Rovers, while Vijay Club will lock horns with NGR.

XXX Lovers Club will battle it out with United XI in the third match to be played at the same venue.

Jammu, April 1
The Dashmesh Cricket Club (DCC) prevailed over the Panther Cricket Club (PCC) by 19 runs in the ongoing Baisakhi Premier League Tournament at Boys High School, Simbal, today.

The DCC won the toss and opted to bat first. They garnered challenging 173 runs at loss of nine wickets. Raja played a fine knock of 55 runs. He was ably supported by Gagan (49) and Kulbir (11).

For the PCC, Prashant, Aman and Varun shared two wickets apiece. The PCC made mess of a target as they lost wickets at regular intervals. The team scuttled out for 154 runs in 19.1 overs. Akshay was the top scorer with 31 runs, whereas Kulbir Singh and Mohan chipped in with 17 and 16 runs, respectively.

For the DCC, Kulbir Singh created havoc with his bowling and a five-wicket haul. He gave no width whatsoever to the batsmen to open their arms. Gagan Singh and Sukhvir Singh snared one and three wickets, respectively. Kulbir Singh of the DCC was declared the man of the match.

Jammu, April 1
Ishar Cricket Club (ICC) got the better of Young Duggar Cricket Club (YDCC) in the summit clash by 14 runs to clinch KC Hyundai Cricket Cup at KC Public Public School here today.

Batting first, ICC accumulated 137 runs in the allotted 20 overs. Shubam Khajuria played an excellent knock of 63 runs with the help of six hits to the fence and a six. He played some superb strokes through the covers which really were a treat to watch.

Deepak and Sahil also chipped in with 21 and 17 runs, respectively. For YDCC, Sahil and Badeep grabbed two wickets apiece. Chasing 138 runs to win, YDCC were cruising along nicely at one stage, but a middle order collapse let them down. As a result, the team managed to score 123 runs for the loss of 8 wickets in their allotted quota of overs.

Manik Gupta waged a lone battle against disciplined bowling by ICC bowlers while the remaining batsmen cut a sorry figure. For ICC, Ishar was the pick of the bowlers with three scalps while Deepak snared two wickets. Sahil Gupta was adjudged the best batsman while Pavit Singh Ishar as the best bowler of the tournament.