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CAG indicts state govt for flouting norms
Rising Road Accidents
PM-Zardari meeting a positive step: Mufti
Jam hits Ambani’s itinerary
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Committee raps Vigilance for closure of probe
Rs 20 cr released for canal extension work
CCI elections: Sangh Parivar treads cautiously
PM reviewing banking facilities for LoC trade: Soz
Massive rush of pilgrims at Vaishno Devi Shrine
PDP has indulged in political gimmickry: Rana
Banda Bahadur mela from April 11
Hot spring of Kalakote has remedy for many ailments
Seminar on healthcare of poor
Rs 8-cr boost for Poonch Fort
The historical Poonch Fort is in need of repairs. A Tribune photograph
RET teachers seek fulfilment of demands
Hydraulic division inaugurated at Uri
Three killed in mishaps
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CAG indicts state govt for flouting norms
Jammu, April 8 The CAG report pointed out that at the close 2010-11, there were 18 grants and five appropriations (state budget) in which savings occurred but no part of which was surrendered by the departments concerned. “The outcome of the appropriation audit reveals that in 42 cases, savings exceeded Rs 1 crore in each case. Against the total savings of Rs 3,762.45 crore, savings of Rs 3,242.56 crore (86 per cent) occurred in 15 cases related to 12 grants,” the report pointed out. The failure to surrender the funds deprived the government of the opportunity to transfer these funds to other needy sectors, the report revealed. As per the state budget manual, the spending departments are required to surrender grants, appropriations or saving portion thereof to the Finance Department as and when the savings are anticipated, the report said, adding that it was a violation of the state budget manual and the fiscal management. “At the close of the year 2010-11, savings occurred in 26 grants and five appropriations but no part of it was surrendered by the departments concerned,” the report mentioned. Of the total grants of Rs 14,353.83 crore, the actual expenditure incurred was to the tune of Rs 111,10.68 crore, resulting in savings of Rs 3,762.45 crore, the report pointed out. “According to the Jammu and Kashmir Financial code, rush in spending during the closing months of a financial year should be avoided. Contrary to this, in respect of 13 major heads, expenditure exceeding 10 crore for the year was incurred either during the last quarter or during the last month of the financial year 2010-11,” the report stated, while highlighting violation of the budgetary manual. |
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Rising Road Accidents
Jammu, April 8 The report of the committee was tabled in the Assembly during the recently concluded Budget Session here. Maintaining that a number of departments and agencies were involved in the regulation of traffic in the state, the committee, headed by CPM legislator MY Tarigami, said similarity in their priorities nullified the efforts of one or the other department, intentionally or unintentionally. The report said the constitution of such an authority, having the sole responsibility and accountability for regulation and management of vehicular traffic in the state, would bring down the “accident graph” considerably. The suggestions of the committee were based on its observation during a series of meetings and spot inspections of various roads in connection with traffic management and increasing road mishaps, especially on the Batote-Kishtwar highway. “The state government should approach the Central government for an early approval of the proposal for supply of 12 basic lifesaving ambulances and 12 10-ton and 13 small recovery cranes submitted to MORTH, Government of India, under the national highways accident relief service scheme,” the panel further suggested. It also suggested the setting up of “traffic police posts” equipped with CCTV cameras and requisite communication system at suitable distances to curb traffic violations, including overloading in passenger traffic vehicles. |
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PM-Zardari meeting a positive step: Mufti
Jammu, April 8 Mufti was addressing public meetings at RS Pura today. He said cordial relations between India and Pakistan were in the interest of the common people of both countries. He observed that in the prevailing circumstances, it was a good opportunity to take some bold initiatives to solve all contentious issues. “The meeting between Prime Minister and Pakistan President is not a coincidence but a positive development to further improve relations between the two countries,” he said and hoped that the meeting would yield substantive results. The process started today should be taken to a logical conclusion, he said. “Although all problems cannot be solved in one meeting, it is good that both countries have now realised that dialogue must be continued to find solutions to all issues affecting the bilateral relationship,” he said. He expressed satisfaction over the joint statement issued by both leaders after the meeting. “Both India and Pakistan should seize the moment and turn it into a stepping stone to make substantial progress on all issues, including Jammu and Kashmir,” he said He hoped that Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh would visit Pakistan soon on the invitation extended to him by Zardari during today’s meeting. |
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DATELINE KASHMIR
Prominent industrialist Anil Ambani, who was on a private visit to Kashmir last week, had to return with two divergent views of the scenic Valley. While he was highly impressed by the Valley’s scenic beauty and hospitality accorded to him by some prominent citizens here, he had to shelve his Pahalgam visit for a different reason. He got caught up for 45 minutes in a traffic jam at the Pantha Chowk on the outskirts of Srinagar, prompting him to drop the Pahalgam visit from his itinerary. He was back to his place within one and half hours and later went to pay obeisance at the Shankaracharya temple. In spite of the “strenuous efforts” of the Traffic Police and the civil administration to get rid of traffic snarl-ups, trouble spots continue to irk the commuters and visitors alike. Bottlenecks like Pantha Chowk at the southern end of the city and Shalteng at the northern end, besides various crossings at the busy Lal Chowk, continue to irk everyone. Ahead of the shifting of the “darbar” to Srinagar, concrete measures need to be taken to avoid any inconvenience to the commuters, general public and tourists. Rush for media attention During the harsh winter months in the Kashmir valley, the higher-ups got little chance to stay in the news. As the weather improved, the authorities were seen issuing regular press releases about carrying out plantation drives in the Valley. With summer approaching fast, the authorities can now be seen vying for media attention by organising cycle races and cross-country runs. Coming across press notes about such events being inaugurated by top officials has become a norm now. And once the trend starts, other departments follow suit. After the Divisional Administration and the Srinagar Municipal Corporation organised such events, the police was quick to follow by organising a race for schoolchildren. These races are touted as a measure to make Srinagar “clean, green and traffic congestion free”. While organising these events is welcome, it will be better if the authorities first take concrete steps towards regulating traffic and checking pollution. Traffic rules are blatantly flouted, garbage remains uncollected at many places and there is a dearth of dustbins across the Valley. — Contributed by Ehsan Fazili and M Aamir Khan
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Missing records of 50,000 driver’s licences
Jammu, April 8 The panel observed that the statement (on misplacing of official records) by the vigilance organisation was “disgusting” as the argument given by the authorities was against the values of the organisation. On April 27, 2011, the Legislative Assembly had constituted a House Committee, headed by CPM legislator Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami, to look into the causes of frequent road accidents taking place on the Batote-Kishtwar road and suggest measures to prevent such accidents. The committee was also asked to look into the “issuance of fake driver’s licences” in Udhampur and Doda districts. The committee tabled its report in the Assembly during the Budget Session, which concluded on April 4. The report said the vigilance organisation, when asked to furnish details of the progress in the investigation of missing records, had stated that the case stood closed on account of non-availability of records. Taking cognizance of the statement, the panel has suggested initiation of stern action against officials responsible for the closure of the case, which has been a major reason for the loss of human lives in road accidents all over the state in general and the specified area in particular. “The vigilance organisation should have taken recourse to every possible mechanism to investigate the matter and establish the facts instead of closing the case on the pretext of non-availability of records,” the committee remarked. The panel report said the Principal Secretary to government, Transport Department, in his statement, had also submitted that the facts regarding fake licences couldn’t be established as the records were not available. The committee, however, suggested the government to initiate action against the officials responsible for issuing fake licences and thereafter concealing or misplacing the relevant information after finalising the verification process. The Assembly had witnessed uproar after legislators from various political parties expressed their concern over “issuance of fake driver’s licences” in Udhampur and Doda districts last year. |
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Rs 20 cr released for canal extension work
Jammu, April 8 The water will be brought to Basantpur lift station through Sukhal nallah using a 6-km-long tunnel without the help of Punjab, which has denied the state its share since 1979, when the dam was constructed. Funds have been released after Water and Power Consultancy Services Ltd submitted its detailed project report to the government. The project, including a 25 MW power facility, is slated to cost around Rs 410 crore. The Tawi project was planned in 1973 and Jammu and Kashmir constructed a canal up to Lakhanpur. However, the project was stopped as the Punjab government came up with a plan to jointly construct the Ranjit Sagar Dam, which was build on 65 per cent of the J&K land. Thirty years on, Jammu and Kashmir has now decided to construct the remaining portion of the canal from Satwain to collect its share of water from the Ravi. PHE Minister Taj-Mohiuddin said tenders had been invited to start the groundwork for the ambitious project. “Though Punjab has denied us our rights, we will aggressively pursue the project so that our farmers get water for cultivation. The project is a priority for the government,” the minister said. |
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CCI elections: Sangh Parivar treads cautiously
Jammu, April 8 Although the Sangh Parivar has not officially declared its support to any of the 12 candidates contesting the elections on six posts, most contestants are in touch with the Parivar leaders to seek their support. Sources in the Parivar told The Tribune that the Sangh Parivar would weigh all pros and cons before announcing support to any candidate. “This time, we want to regain our control on the CCI,” a senior Sangh Parivar functionary told The Tribune while admitting that the Parivar had lost control over the prestigious body due to bickering among different organisations. As the CCI is an effective body of the trading and business community, every organisation wants to have its say in this body. The state unit of the BJP is also awaiting a green signal from the Parivar to come out in support of some candidates who had direct affiliations with the party. For the post of CCI president, there is a straight contest between sitting president YV Sharma and Rakesh Gupta. Sharma had comfortably won the seat in a three-corner contest last time. Although Sharma is directly or indirectly associated with the Congress, the Parivar is not openly opposing him because his brother is a senior functionary of the RSS in Jammu. Also, Rakesh Gupta has links with some senior leaders of the Parivar. Some BJP leaders have been moving with Gupta in different areas to muster support for him. Sources said the Sangh Parivar had decided not to take any hasty decision. “We will take a decision on supporting candidates two days before the elections,” sources in the Sangh Parivar said, adding that this time clear directions would be given to the cadre to ensure the victory of their candidates. The Sangh Parivar has a sizeable supporter base among the 1,964 registered voters, making it a key player in the elections. During the 2010 elections, activists of the Sangh Parivar had remained neutral. The Sangh Parivar had been in control of the prestigious body for years, but lost control as well as dominance in the body after the emergence of some non-political leaders. The elections to the CCI are slated to be held on April 28. |
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PM reviewing banking facilities for LoC trade: Soz
Srinagar, April 8 Addressing a gathering at Sadanara in Bandipore district yesterday, Soz said he “supported” the streamlining of trade and civil traffic on the Srinagar-Rawalpindi road through promotion of banking and telecommunication services. These proposals were receiving “active consideration” of the Prime Minister, he said. While the people living on either side of the LoC continue to face hassles regarding the issuance of travel documents despite the starting of “Karvan-e-Aman” bus service seven years ago, the LoC trade, which was started in August 2008, too is being conducted through the age-old barter system. Minister for Finance and Ladakh Affairs AR Rather had yesterday said a banking model had been proposed to facilitate banking services for the LoC trade by the Department of Financial Services, Government of India, to replace the existing barter system. Stating that the Pakistan civil society was making a “strong plea” for the fast-tracking of confidence building measures related to cross-LoC trade and travel, Soz said the civil society representatives in India had also responded favourably to these initiatives. Soz sanctioned Rs 5 lakh for the construction of a sports field at Sadanara, Rs 3 lakh for the fencing of a local school ground and Rs 2.50 lakh for the setting up of a transformer in the area. Revenue and Rehabilitation Minister Raman Bhalla and other other Congress leaders were also present. |
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Massive rush of pilgrims at Vaishno Devi Shrine
Katra, April 8 At least 18,69,287 pilgrims have visited the holy shrine so far this year. The yatra had to be halted around 8 pm yesterday, when the number of pilgrims crossed 36,500. In all, 38,000 yatris paid obeisance at the sanctum sanctorum of the shrine in the Trikuta hills yesterday. Today, 31,000 pilgrims left Katra, the base camp of the shrine, for the Bhawan. The authorities expected the number of pilgrims to stay around 30,000 during the next few days. At least 2,75,499 pilgrims visited the shrine in the first eight days of this month. The board authorities have made elaborate arrangements to meet the requirements of the pilgrims who were thronging the shrine during vacations. Two additional yatra slip counters have been opened to facilitate the pilgrims
at Katra. Last year, the number of devotees visiting the shrine had touched an all-time high of one crore. Police authorities have also made elaborate security arrangements for the pilgrims visiting the Bhawan. The authorities were gearing up to face a heavy rush of pilgrims this
summer. |
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PDP has indulged in political gimmickry: Rana
Jammu, April 8 He said it was sad that in a state like Jammu and Kashmir, where political parties must rise above politics and work together for the peace and stability in the state, the PDP had always indulged in political gimmickry for personal political ends, sacrificing the interest of the state and its people. Rana, who was addressing a public meeting at Surinsar in the Nagrota Assembly constituency here today, said 1984-the murder of democracy, 1989-the sending of Jagmohan as Governor, the bloodshed and destruction between 1990 to 1996 and the 2008 Amarnath row were stigmas on the politics of Jammu and Kashmir which had all been orchestrated by the PDP leadership in one way or the other, leading to the destabilisation of peace He said corruption was a menace which had to be fought and Omar Abdullah-led coalition government had taken radical steps to create functional autonomous institutional mechanism to check that menace rather than mere sloganeering. “The PDP leadership has been levelling unsubstantiated, unfounded, vague charges of corruption for the past four years against the present government, which is a sad reflection of their mindset. If it (PDP) has any substantial proof, they must approach the autonomous institution setup by the present government and prove their charges rather than giving vent to their frustration by mere hollow sloganeering and leveling motivated charges,” added Rana. |
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Banda Bahadur mela from April 11
Katra, April 8 Every year, an average of 30,000 devotees throng the mela from the northern part of the country. According to mahant of the dera Jatinder Pal Singh, the administration has made all arrangements for the fair. Deputy Commissioner, Reasi, Sheetal Nanda, who visited the gurdwara here, said efforts were on to develop the spot as a pilgrim destination and a tourist place.
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Hot spring of Kalakote has remedy for many ailments
Rajouri, April 8 The hot water spring, located about 35 km south-east of Rajouri in Kalakote, is not only famous among the locals but tourists from Punjab and Himachal Pradesh are also making a beeline to do away with orthopaedic ailments that they believe, go away by taking bath in the pool of hot water. The area witnesses a heavy rush of tourists during the months of December, January and February every year. Local historian and a school teacher, Marajkar Singh, said the Kalakote, Mogla and Tata Pani were reach in coal mines and had sulphur in its soil which is remedy for orthopaedic ailments. The water contains a lot of minerals, especially phosphorus compounds. The number of visitors increases greatly in winters. Mahesh Kumar, a businessman from Jammu, recently visited the area along with his father, who was suffering from acute pain in knees. “A relative had visited the place last year and had told me that a bath in the hot water was affective. I decided to try and the result was positive. My father has got much relief after the bath and does not need a surgery now,” says Kumar. The area has also generated employment for local youths. Some households in the villages in the area are completely dependent on tourism for their livelihood. Iqbal, a local resident, said, “The Tourism Department had not taken any initiative to develop the spot, but the area has eventually become a popular tourist destination.” |
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Seminar on healthcare of poor
Srinagar, April 8 Additional-Commissioner, Kashmir, Abdul Majeed Mir, was the chief guest while Justice (Retd) Bashir A Kirmani, Director, Health Services, Kashmir, Dr Saleem ur Rehman, and noted poet and writer Zarief Ahmad Zarief were the guests of honour. The speakers focused on creating partnership with other voluntary and non-governmental organisations for putting in place efficient, effective and result-oriented strategy to meet big challenge of quality health care of poor and needy. The speakers also called upon people in general to come forward to contribute towards the cause of poor and needy patients.
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Rs 8-cr boost for Poonch Fort
Poonch, April 8 The historical fort was built in the second half of the 18th century by Raja Rustum Khan. Many legends are associated with the construction of the fort. The construction of the fort was actually planned by Raja Abdul Razzak Khan but his plan could not materialise. His son Raja Ali Gohar Khan (also known as Raja Rustum Khan) started the work on the fort. It took several years to construct the fort under the watchful eyes of the ruler, who was a lover of architecture. After the fort came under the Sikh rule, some changes were made to the central block in the Sikh architectural style. The present structure of the front block of the fort was created by Raja Moti Singh by hiring a European architect. The fort suffered substantial damage in the 2005 earthquake. Some blocks, including the district library, were completely destroyed in the disaster. Prior to the earthquake, several government offices were running from the fort complex. The earthquake forced the administration to shift the offices to other places. The fort complex currently houses the
tehsil office. Poonch District Development Commissioner Ajeet Kumar Sahu said: “The fort will be restored to its original architectural glory. ‘Choona’ (limestone) and ‘surkhi’ will be used to renovate the fort. The renovation work will be carried out in a phased manner. A sum of Rs 8 crore has been sanctioned in the first phase, for which the work has already started. After the completion of the first phase, the fort will be opened to visitors.” |
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RET teachers seek fulfilment of demands
Poonch, April 8 Minister of State for Power, Transport, Forest and Labour and Employment Shabir Khan was the chief guest on the occasion. Highlighting their demands on the occasion, State Secretary of the forum Najam Jafri said, “The state government has committed to fulfil the long pending demands of the RET teachers to no avail.” He demanded to include the five years rendered services of RET teachers in the general line teachers seniority list as the government had already given its consent to give pension benefits to the RET teachers, conversion of EV’s as general line teachers who have completed their 7 years and give pension benefits to the RET teachers who were being regularised after 1-1-2010. The secretary said the demands had already been discussed with Chief Minister Omar Abdullah who had promised to fulfil the demands. He also extended his gratitude to Shabir Khan for attending the convention. Shabir Khan in his address said, “Teachers are the real nation builders. They deserve appreciation as due to their efforts, the literacy rate has gone up and the student dropout rates have fallen. Their demands are genuine and the state government is keen to fulfil them. The matter has already been discussed in the recent Assembly session.” |
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Hydraulic division inaugurated at Uri
Srinagar, April 8 The minister also inaugurated the lift irrigation scheme at nearby Uronbua. Built at a cost of Rs 3.43 crore, the scheme is expected to irrigate 573 acres of land in the catchment areas of the region. Stressing the need for maintaining sanitation and quality of potable water, Taj sought the involvement of panches, sarpanches and ASHA workers in spreading awareness about water sanitation among the masses. Executive Director Communication and Capacity Development Unit Mir Najeebullah said the sanitation programme had been launched in the area under the National Rural Drinking Water Programme to make people aware about the quality of water. He said similar campaigns were being conducted in Pattan and Singhpora blocks of Baramulla district.
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Srinagar, April 8 Mohammad Ramzan, a local resident, was killed after being hit by a tipper at Chadoora in central Kashmir’s Budgam district. In a similar incident, another tipper hit and injured Jalaludin Mir near the Rawalpora bridge here in the city. The injured was shifted to a hospital where he succumbed to his injuries. A carpenter, Bashir Ahmad Najar, was injured after he fell off the rooftop of a house where he was working at Nowhar in Budgam. He succumbed to his injuries after being admitted to a hospital. — TNS |
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Patron of the Peoples Democratic Party Mufti Mohammad Sayeed today termed today’s meeting between Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh and Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari a good beginning and hoped that it would help find pragmatic solutions to a number of issues
Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee president Prof Saifuddin Soz has said the proposal to set up banking facilities for the smooth conduct of
cross-LoC trade was under “active consideration” of Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh.
A massive rush of pilgrims at the Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine prompted the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board to briefly halt the pilgrimage to ease the rush at the Bhawan last night.
In an attempt to draw tourists to Poonch district, the Centre has sanctioned Rs 8 crore in the first phase to conserve and protect the landmark of the historical city, Poonch Fort. The renovation work has begun on restoring the fort.
The latest CAG report stated that the government had failed to surrender Rs 3,762.45 crore in 42 cases of budgetary grants and appropriations in financial year 2010-11, while holding the state government’s compliance with various rules, procedures and directives unsatisfactory.
