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Eight hurt in cane charge
Admn to crack down on erring brick kilns
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Altered seating poses risk to lives
Death lurks on Jammu-Akhnoor highway
City sans facility for kidney transplant
Azad inaugurates green belt
Regularisation of workers sought by youth corps
PHE daily wagers go on 6-day hunger strike
Writers’ Camp begins at Mansar Lake
Governmentshielding land grabbers
Man held with 3,000 willow clefts
Bail denied in drugs case
10-run win for Political Science Team leaves for national tae kwon do meet Law School paddlers to face off with MCA LCC register 20-run win Uday fashions XXX Lovers’ victory
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Eight hurt in cane charge
Jammu, April 2 The front had recently been floated by former Union Minister and ousted BJP leader Chaman Lal Gupta’s son, Anil Gupta, who had convened the march to highlight resentment among people, especially the youth of Jammu, against the treatment meted out to them. Hundreds of activists, including women, led by president Anil Gupta assembled in the busy Indira Chowk area in Old City and marched towards the Civil Secretariat. The protesters raised slogans alleging that the state government had accorded a “step-motherly” treatment to the people of Jammu. After passing through Hari Market and Raghunath Bazaar, the protesters reached the City Chowk, where they were stopped by a posse of police. City Chowk is located a stone’s throw from the Civil Secretariat Complex. The administration had imposed Section 144 of the CrPC around the complex, banning the holding of protests or assembly of people. The protesters, however, insisted on marching towards the Civil Secretariat, leading to a clash between the activists and the police. The police resorted to cane charge to quell the protest. “Eight protesters, including front chairman Anil Gupta and a woman, received injuries in the cane charge. The injured were shifted to a hospital, where they were being provided medical treatment,” an eyewitnesses said. Chaman Lal Gupta and some ousted BJP legislators, including the MLA from Bani Assembly segment, Master Lal Chand, also took part in the protest. They condemned the police action, saying it was an attempt to “suppress” the democratic voice of the people. Situation remained tense in the area following the clash. Shopkeepers kept their establishments closed, while the movement of vehicular traffic remained suspended for quite some time. Earlier, Anil Gupta, in his address, said: “Successive governments led by Kashmir-based politicians have deliberately been turning a deaf ear to the people of Jammu. Delimitation has been banned till 2026, as its implementation will shift the focus on Jammu as far as population and Assembly constituencies are concerned.” “Youth are being deprived of opportunities in government services, which is evident from the past selection lists made by the state Public Service Commission and the Service Selection Recruitment Board, wherein barring a few, Kashmir-based candidates have been given preference.” Gupta castigated the government for effecting an “unreasonable” hike in electricity and water charges, saying it had failed to improve the basic infrastructure of power as well as the Public Health Engineering (PHE) departments. He criticised the government for denying basic facilities to the refugees from the PoK and West Pakistan. The flash point
The activists of the Jammu and Kashmir Democratic Front were prevented from marching towards the Civil Secretariat by the police, which led to a clash. The police resorted to cane charge to quell the protest
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Admn to crack down on erring brick kilns
Over 10 truck drivers were recently detained for carrying “C” grade bricks. These were allegedly meant to be sold at exorbitant rates in various parts of the city. Officials said brick kiln owners had been selling “C” grade bricks to consumers at the price of “A” grade bricks. Most substandard bricks were being sold at Rs 8,000 to 10,000 per truck, much higher than the rates fixed by the district administration a few months ago. Jammu SSP Prabhat Singh said the police along with officials of the civil administration had launched a special drive in the city and its outskirts against the offenders. “More arrests are expected in the coming days as the civil administration has been sending us regular complaints received by them,” he said. A few months ago, the district administration had notified the prices of various qualities and makes of bricks. The rate of “B” grade bricks had been fixed at Rs 2,990 per thousand at the kiln site (local tax extra), while “C” grade bricks were to be sold at Rs 2,645 per thousand (local tax extra). Similarly, the rate of “tiles” had been fixed at Rs 3,105 per thousand excluding taxes. The price of “A” grade bricks was set at Rs Rs 3,500 per thousand. “At times these rates are not adhered to by the manufacturers, who mint money by selling substandard bricks,” said an official. Jammu Deputy Commissioner As per rules, the quality of bricks needs to be consistent with the norms set by the Indian Bureau of Standards, but these are not being followed in the city. Janakraj Mahajan, president, Brick Kiln Owners Association, Jammu, said
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Altered seating poses risk to lives
Jammu, April 2 As per norms, the approved seating capacity of a Tata 407 mini-bus is 17, whereas that of a Swaraj Mazada is 21. However, a majority of mini-buses are not adhering to this capacity. Most passenger vehicles plying on the Roop Nagar, Durga Nagar, Rajinder Nagar, Sainik Colony, Preet Nagar and Greater Kailash routes have altered seats. Vehicle owners have increased the carrying capacity of their vehicles by altering the seating arrangement. This allows them to indulge in overloading to make a quick buck. In spite of clear violation of the norms, the administration has turned a blind eye to the nuisance. In many cases, passengers travelling in altered mini-buses have suffered injuries following the sudden braking of the vehicle. Most injuries were caused due to the absence of a barrier in front of the passenger seat. “Though the officers of the Transport Department are aware of the violations, they fail to take action citing the absence of requisite staff to carry out a drive,” said an official. Even the Traffic Police has been unable to check the violation, which can easily be detected by cross-checking the number of seats in the vehicle with those mentioned in the registration certificate. Matador transport is the lifeline of the city as most people rely on it to reach their destinations every day. Transport Minister Qamar Ali Akhoon said it was a matter of concern, particularly in the urban centres. Directions had already been issued to the department concerned to take strict action against violators, he added. “The government will look into the matter and directions will be issued to the authorities concerned. A comprehensive transport policy will be implemented in the state to look into such cases,” Akhoon said. Easy money
Vehicle owners have increased the carrying capacity of their vehicles by altering the seating arrangement. This allows them to indulge in overloading to make a quick buck |
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Death lurks on Jammu-Akhnoor highway
Jammu, April 2 At least 705 road accident cases have been registered on this stretch in the past two years, claiming 90 lives. As many as 1,008 persons have suffered injuries in these mishaps. The government, however, says it has requested the Chief Engineer, Project Sampark, to prepare a proposal for the upgrade of the existing two-lane road to a four-lane highway. “In the past two years (2010 and 2011), 705 road accident cases were registered in the sub-divisions of Domana and Akhnoor. As a result, 90 persons were killed and 1,008 got injured,” said Minister for Law and Parliamentary Affairs Ali Mohammad Sagar in the state Assembly here today. Sagar, on behalf of Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, who holds the charge of the Home Department, made this statement while replying to a notice moved by the MLA from the Raipur-Domana Assembly segment, Bharat Bhushan. Bhushan had sought to draw the attention of the government towards the frequent road accidents on Jammu-Akhnoor road and said: “Frequent road accidents resulted in the loss of precious lives in the absence of a proper traffic mechanism and delay in the widening of the road to six lanes”. The government cited “huge construction activities in areas adjoining the The minister said the traffic arrangements on the stretch were being looked after by three district traffic inspectors, five assistant sub-inspectors and 27 other ranks under the supervision of the Deputy Superintendent of Police, Traffic City (North). Only one flying squad has been earmarked from the district police to check violations of the road safety norms. The minister said two additional flying squads in the area were under consideration. Instead of suggesting some concrete measures to deal with the prevailing chaos on the road, the minister said intensive challaning was being carried out to minimise road accidents. “The traffic police issued as many as 1,30,197 challans during 2011, realising a fine of over Rs 2 crore,” Sagar said. During a visit, The Tribune found several vulnerable spots on the highway. Traffic policemen were conspicuous by their absence from vital intersections. Also, there were no zebra crossings or stop lines on the stretch, making the highway even more unsafe. Further, caution signages were missing at curves.
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City sans facility for kidney transplant
Jammu, April 2 Pawan Mehta, KJS Mehta’s son, says: “The primary requirement for a kidney transplant is to have a donor. Even if we get a donor, we cannot get the procedure done here as the main referral hospital does not provide the services. We have an option to go to the Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS), Srinagar, for the surgery but it is not easy to go to a new place.” “Also, it is not easy for a common man to undergo treatment at a private hospital. They charge Rs 2,100 for a single dialysis and my father undergoes dialysis thrice a week,” he adds. “We do not have the requisite infrastructure for a kidney transplant. Not a single unit in Jammu offers the facility,” says Dr SK Bali, HoD (nephrology), GMCH. “Patients requiring a kidney transplant are referred to the PGI, Chandigarh, AIIMS or Ganga Ram Hospital in New Delhi. We only carry out dialysis here,” he added. In the absence of the facility here, most patients are forced to travel to Srinagar for the surgery. Syed Amin Tabish, Medical Superintendent, SKIMS, says: “We have been providing this service for the past 10 years. All facilities needed for a transplant are available here.” “On an average, we carry out a kidney transplant every week. Our patients do not have to move out of the state for the procedure,” he adds. The absence of a facility in Jammu has attracted many hospitals from other states, offering to provide the initial treatment to patients here and then refer them back to their facility outside the state for surgery. |
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Azad inaugurates green belt
Jammu, April 2 Speaking at the inauguration of a kilometre-long Indira Gandhi Green Belt at Housing Colony, Channi Himmat, the Union Minister reiterated the Centre’s commitment to making specialised health services available to the people of the country. Listing health projects taken up in the state, he said Centre had sanctioned Rs 100 crore for the establishment of two maternity hospitals, one each in Jammu and Srinagar. He said the projects were under progress and were likely to be completed within a year. Inaugurating the park, Azad urged people to utilise their spare time by exercising and going for a walk. Deputy Chief Minister Tara Chand, Minister for Public Enterprises Peerzada Mohammad Sayeed, Minister for Revenue, Relief and Rehabilitation Raman Bhalla, Minister for Technical and Medical Education Rajinder Singh Chib, Minister for Tourism Nawang Rigzin Jora, Member Parliament Ch. Lal Singh, Minister of State for Power Shabir Ahmed Khan, Minister of State for Haj and Auqaf Aajaz Ahmed Khan, MLAs Mohammad Sharief Niaz, Abdul Majid Wani, GM Saroori, Vikar Rasool and MLCs Naresh Kumar Gupta and Jahangir Mir, besides senior officers of the Housing Board, JMC, revenue and floriculture departments and people were also present.
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Regularisation of workers sought by youth corps
Jammu, April 2 The ANYC demanded the regularisation of the workers as per their qualification, extension in the basic pay of Rs 2,500 and ensure its monthly payment. Asif Ali Bhatt, while addressing the gathering said, “The government has failed to fulfil our demands. We are ready to fight for justice if it ignores our demands.” — TNS
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PHE daily wagers go on 6-day hunger strike
Jammu, April 2 Under the banner of the PHE Works Employees Association, they have alleged that the state government has backtracked from its commitment, despite assurances by HE Minister Taj Mohiuddin that the daily wagers, who have completed five years in the department, would be regularised in a phased manner. “Hundreds of workers are maintaining critical services, but they have been denied their rights. Even wages are not being released on time. It is the worst form of human rights’ violation,” said Bakshi Singh, association president. Bakshi demanded that the government should take steps to regularise the daily wagers in the PHE department as promised by the successive governments. The association has also urged the administration to increase their daily wage from Rs 70 to Rs 120, as provided in Kashmir province. “There is discrimination across the state when it comes to the distribution of wages. In some districts, workers get Rs 120 per day, while in most parts of the Jammu region, they get Rs 70 to Rs 110,” Bakshi alleged. Association general secretary Subash Verma said they had decided to sit on a chain hunger strike till April 7 to send a message to the government that the workers would not tolerate discriminatory policies. Verma said the PHE department should ensure that the wages are distributed by 5th of every month. “There are instances where wages are not released for months together and the department should ensure that it is streamlined,” said Verma. The association has also demanded revoking the transfers made by the PHE Minister recently and alleged that these were illegal.
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Writers’ Camp begins at Mansar Lake
Mansar, April 2 Over 30 writers of various languages from different parts of the state registered for the camp. Atul Dulloo, cultural secretary, JKAACL, said the camp was a wonderful podium for the writers to explore their imagery and it would also help the state in disseminating its peculiar culture to other parts of the world. On the participation of the writers, he said: “This year, we have got tremendous response as for the first time the academy has registered such a large number of writers in any state-level event. We are expecting more response in the days to come”. Minister for Culture Nawang Rigzin Zora said: “Writers are an asset to any society and the state is fortunate in giving birth to several great writers”. He said: “Writers reflect the actual face of society and they hold great power as well as huge responsibility. I will request the writers, who are attending this camp, to pen down the present scenario without any bias”. Lalit Gupta, an eminent English writer and one among the participants, said it would be a nice experience to spend a good time with intellectuals. Asked about the venue, he said: “I feel this is the best place they have selected for the creative people. Living and experimenting with my creative instinct at the Mansar Lake is something like a divine experience”. Mirza Farooq Anwar, in charge of the event, said the concept behind the camp was to give a space to writers, where they could try out their imagery. “Although it is a regular feature of the academy, this year we have received a considerable response from the writers. Each day we will have two sessions and one session will cater to the writers of one language,” he said. On the nature of the camp, he said: “Each writer will be given a chance to express his life and works and the others would present an analysis on their work. They will also be taken for sightseeing”.
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Governmentshielding land grabbers
Jammu, April 2 The team charged the NC government of remaining mute spectator to the illegal sale of the property of the Kashmiri Pandit community. Members of the APMCC who returned to Jammu after visiting the historical Vaital Bhairav Temple at Rainawari, Srinagar, alleged that based on an attorney issued by Dharmarth Trust, temple land measuring 2.9 kanals was sold to a local person. APMCC chairman Vinod Pandit sought reason for not filing an FIR in the matter. — TNS |
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Man held with 3,000 willow clefts JAMMU: The Samba police on Monday arrested a timber smuggler and seized 3,000 willow clefts from a truck at the Barian area on the Jammu-Pathankote National Highway. The police said the willow clefts were being smuggled to Punjab from the Kashmir Valley. The accused was identified as Lakhwinder Singh, a resident of Rajbagh, Kathua. An official spokesperson said on the receipt of specific information that a consignment of willow clefts was being smuggled to Punjab, the police laid a special ‘naka’ at Barian in Samba. “The police party intercepted a truck and during the search of the vehicle, 3,000 willow clefts were recovered from it,” the spokesperson added. Two found dead
A 30-year-old man was among two found dead under mysterious circumstances at their respective residences, here on Sunday. The police said Riyaz Ahmad, son of Mohammad Alam, a resident of Nand Nagar under the jurisdiction of Bagh-e-Bahu police station, was found unconscious at his residence. He was shifted to Government Medical College and Hospital, Jammu, where the doctors pronounced him brought dead. Similarly, a 46-year-old man, identified as Gulshan Kumar, son of late Sardari Lal of Talab Tillo, was also found dead at his residence. The police, however, said the man allegedly committed suicide by hanging himself. Constable electrocuted
A police constable was on Monday electrocuted at his rented accommodation in the Panama Chowk area of the city. The deceased, identified as Narinder Kumar of Kalakote, was posted with the 19 Battalion of the Indian Reserve Police. “The constable was living in a rented accommodation, along with his family. He got severe shock when he was repairing electric wires at his residence,” sources said. The police has taken cognisance of the matter. Two held for theft
The Kathua police on Sunday claimed to have solved the day-light burglary by arresting a thief who had allegedly stolen gold ornaments and huge cash from a house in Shiva Nagar locality of the town. The accused was identified as Vinod Ram, alias Doulat Ram, and Raja, both the residents of Chattisgarh, presently residing at Patel Nagar, Kathua. The police said one Charan Dass of Shiva Nagar, Kathua, lodged a written complaint regarding the theft of gold ornaments from his house on March 25. Acting on the complaint, the police picked up one suspect and put him under sustained interrogation during which he confessed his crime. — TNS |
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Bail denied in drugs case
Jammu, April 2 Wattal, while rejecting the bail application of the accused, observed: "The drug mafia exploits the young generation and induces them to use substance for their petty economic gains. The drug addiction in the youngsters leads to juvenile delinquency and criminalisation of our society. There is every apprehension that in case the accused is given bail, he shall commit the offence again and try to win over the prosecution witnesses."
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10-run win for Political Science Jammu, April 2 Political Science Department won the toss and opted to bat. They garnered 147 runs for the loss of eight wickets in their allotted quota of overs. Abdul played a brief but crafty knock of 35 runs, studded with four hits to the fence. Shakeel also made a useful contribution of 29 runs, hitting four boundaries. Zain and Sajjad chipped in with cameos of 28 and 22 runs, respectively, to accelerate the run rate. For Business School, Yusuf was the main wicket taking bowler, removing two batsmen. Tushar, Kartar and Tarish shared a wicket apiece. Chasing 148 runs to win, Business School could only reach 137/8, losing the match by 10 runs. All batsmen got starts but could not convert them into big ones. Tarish was the top-scorer with 21 runs. Kanav (20), Nitin (20), Amit (18) and Tushar (16) were the other notable contributors. For Political Science, Shakeel fetched two wickets, whereas Narinder, Kiran, Zain and Raies took one wicket each.
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Team leaves for national tae kwon do meet Jammu, April 2 The team was flagged off by the chairman, J&K Tae Kwon Do Association, Anil Gupta. PC Sharma, president of the association, DN Pangotra and Nissar Hussain were also present. The association had organised a 21-day coaching camp for players taking part in the championship under the supervision of Vikrant Narwalia and Atul Pangotra. The team comprises Atul Pangotra, Sanjay Kumar, Mohammad Ali, Brinder Singh Manhas, Tashi Tundup, Sanket Sharma, Vishal Mahotra, Rahul Singh Chib, Adnan, Rajesh Sharma, Manpreet Singh, Kanav, Shehnaz Parveen, Ambreen Fatima, Narmita Katoch, Priyanka Sharma, Meenakshi, Shushely Magotra, Simran Kour and Shital
Manhas.
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Law School paddlers to face off with MCA Jammu, April 2 In table tennis, the Law School got the better of Commerce Department 2-0. In the first match, Waheed Ahmed of Law School prevailed over Rajat Sharma of Commerce Department, while Abhinav of Law School outplayed Shabir Hussain of Commerce Department. MCA Department prevailed over Sociology Department by an identical margin in chess. Ruhel Gupta of MCA Department dispatched Khaleed Ahmed of Sociology Department, followed by Abhinav Khajuria of MCA Department, who subdued Mehraj-ud-Din of Sociology Department. In carrom, Business School spanked MCA Department in the first semifinal. Amit Pal Singh of Business School thrashed Aditya of MCA Department, while Aroundhay of Business School drubbed Vivek of MCA Department. In the other semifinal, Physical Education Department outclassed Commerce Department 2-0. Irshad Naik of Physical Education Department eased past Amit of Commerce Department, while Taranpal Singh of Physical Education Department beat Lalit of Commerce Department.
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LCC register 20-run win Jammu, April 2 LCC won the toss and chose to bat first. They accumulated 155/8 in the allotted 20 overs. Ashish and Prithpal were the star performers, scoring 23 runs each. Both batsmen looked in ominous form right from the start, as they played some glorious drives to the cover boundary. Babloo, Hardip Singh and Vicky also contributed 21, 16 and 15 runs, respectively. For BBCC, Deepak Wali was the main wicket-taker, scalping three wickets. Shamsher and Neel Kanth snared two and one wicket, respectively. In reply, BBCC could manage only 135 runs for the loss of eight wickets in the stipulated overs. Navinder played a gutsy knock of 43 runs but his dismissal at a crucial juncture slowed the pace of the run chase. Bunty and Sunny chipped in with 31 and 11 runs, respectively. For LCC, Ashish took three wickets, while Hardip Singh and Roni snared a wicket apiece. Ashish was declared the man of the match.
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Uday fashions XXX Lovers’ victory
Jammu, April 2 Uday drew first blood in the 11th minute to help his team take an early lead. United XI made desperate attempts to score an equaliser but XXX Lovers defense proved too formidable to penetrate for the opponents. XXX Lovers led 1-0 at the stroke of half time. Uday Singh again drove home his second goal in the 50th minute to stretch the lead further. United XI got a chance to reduce the margin but failed to capitalise on it. Meanwhile, two yellow cards were also shown. Abhimanyu Singh Jamwal of XXX Lovers Club and Amit Singh United XI received yellow cards for rough play. — TNS
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Jammu, April 2
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