Jammu, April 14
Shamo Devi of Suriansar relies on a village well, dug during the Dogra rule, to meet her family’s daily requirement of water. The well has been the lifeline of the people of her village for centuries.

In the absence of any other source of potable water, the villagers are forced to use the well to meet their daily needs.

Suriansar is not the only village in the Jammu region that has been facing the scarcity of fresh drinking water. All villages of the Kandi belt in the region face a similar predicament.

Mohan Lal Sharma, naib sarpanch, Suriansar, says: “We are solely dependent on the well for fresh drinking water. This well was dug by the Dogra rulers and has been a source of fresh water for villagers ever since. Though we have piped water supply, the water is not fit for even bathing or washing as it is not filtered.”

“The water drawn from the well is also polluted but we do not have any other option. The situation gets worse during the summer when people have to fetch water from other villages, as the water level recedes in the well. People are then forced to drink polluted water,” he adds.

The areas of rural Jammu that face scarcity of water during summer are Suriansar, Dhansal, Jindra, Jhajjar Kotli, Nagrota, Sidhra, Bajalta, Suriansar, Chanda, Chowadhi, Sandhi and Sumbli.

Tube wells and dug wells are the main sources of drinking water in these areas.

In many areas, the department is yet to provide a proper pipeline for the regular supply of water.

People of these areas have to rely on tanker services to meet their daily needs during summer.

The rural belt of Jammu district requires 59.72 lakh gallons of water per day, but only 44.58 lakh gallons is provided by the department, leaving a shortfall 15.14 lakh gallons.

Nasir Ahmad Choudhary, Executive Engineer, PHE, says: “We use tube wells and dug wells to supply drinking water to the rural areas. If we fail to provide them with sufficient amount of water, we engage water tankers to meet the demand.”

Jammu, April 14
Various functions were held today to pay tributes of BR Ambedkar on his 121st birth anniversary. Political parties organised functions at various places in the city and the adjoining localities.

The Pradesh Congress Committee also paid tributes to Ambedkar at a function held at the party office at Shaheedi Chowk. PCC senior vice-president Dharam Pal Sharma presided over the function.

Remembering the father of the Indian Constitution, PCC leaders described him as one of the towering personalities of modern India, who will always be remembered for his outstanding contribution to the uplift of the downtrodden.

Hari Singh, Gurmukh Singh, Vinod Sharma, Krishan Lal Gupta, SR Sudhir and DS Langeh were among those present at the function.

The BJP Anusuchit Jati Morcha observed Ambedkar’s birth anniversary in a unique way by performing the traditional “kanjak poojan” ceremony in honour of girls belonging to SC families. The ceremony was organised under the leadership of SC Morcha state president Subhash Bhagat.

BJP state president Shamsher Singh Manhas, Nirmal Singh, MLA Ashok Khajuria, Jitendra Singh, Subhash Bhagat, Balwan Singh, Sat Sharma, Chander Mohan Sharma, Shilpi Verma, Balbir Ram, Rajesh Gupta, Bansi Lal Bharti, Chaman Lal Kanathia, Narsingh Dass Rajwal, Munish Sharma and Vikram Randhawa addressed the function.

The Panthers Party also organised a function to pay tributes to Ambedkar. Another function was organised by the Jammu and Kashmir Democratic Front to pay tributes to Ambedkar.

A function was organised by the district unit of the All-India Confederation of SC/ST/OBC Organisations to commemorate Ambedkar’s birth anniversary under the leadership of Rakesh Bhagat.

To commemorate the occasion, a motor rally, to make citizens aware about the life, mission and message of Ambedkar was flagged off by RK Kalsotra, the of the state unit of the confederation.

The All-Jammu and Kashmir Shri Guru Ravi Dass Sabha organised a function at Ambedkar Chowk and garlanded Ambedkar’s statue there.

Speaking on the occasion, president of the sabha Piran Ditta said they would work for the development of the poor in the state.

Others present on the occasion included Raj Kumar Raja, Pritam Bangotra, Ml Langeh, Isher Singh, Rattan Lal Thapa, Krishan Lal and Janak Raj.

The youth wing of the Shri Ravi Dass Sabha, Kabir Colony, also organised a function wherein the volunteers distributed sweets and eatables.

Chaman Lal, president of the wing, urged people to join hands for the uplift of the downtrodden.

Others present on the occasion included Banarasi Dass, Rajesh Kumar, Tilakraj, Ved Raj and Ram Pyara. 

Jammu, April 14
In a shocking incident, the police today found a human foetus, probably five months’ old, near the Sub District Hospital at Billawar in Kathua district.

“Since the foetus was almost eaten up by stray dogs, we only found its head portion. It is very difficult to identify its gender,” SHO, Billawar police station, Irfan Parvez told The Tribune over the telephone.

“We have registered an open FIR against unknown persons and investigations have been initiated,” he said.

“We are trying to identify the gynaecologist, who might have aborted the foetus,” said Parvez.

However, sources said four days ago, a pregnant woman had come to the Sub District Hospital and after undergoing sonography, it was found that her child had died inside her womb. The woman got the foetus aborted and later, threw it in the nearby bushes, they added.

Poonch, April 14
A youth of Seri Chouhana Village was abducted last night and beaten up mercilessly. He was later rescued by his family members.

Sources said the villagers brought the seriously injured youth to SSP’s residence and demanded action against the culprits as the police station concerned had delayed the action. The youth has been identified as Ajaz Ahmed Shah, a resident of Seri Chouhana village, under the jurisdiction of the Mandi Police Station.

The villagers, who brought Ajaz to the SSP’s residence, alleged that a local influential resident of the same village had kidnapped him last night. Ajaz was taken to the man’s house and beaten up mercilessly with rods and sticks.

The culprit’s daughter, sensing the situation, fled from her house and rushed to the victim’s house and narrated the whole story to his parents. They rushed to the accused’s house and informed the nearby police check post.

The police took injured Ajaz to the subdivision hospital, Mandi, from where he was shifted to district hospital.

The villagers alleged that the Mandi police did not lodge an FIR, thus they brought Ajaz to the Poonch SSP for justice. They demanded early action against the culprits.

Poonch SSP Ashkoor Ahmed Wani directed the concerned police station for Ajaz’s medical treatment and necessary action. Later the district hospital, Poonch, shifted the patient to GMCH, Jammu, for further treatment. 

Jammu, April 14
The Jammu and Kashmir Fire and Emergency Services (JKFES) organised an awareness rally here today in connection with the Fire Service Week from April 14-20.

RS Sodhi, Director, JKFES, said the week is observed every year in the memory of 66 firemen, who had lost their lives during an explosion in 1944 at Bombay dock.

“As many as 231 persons, including 66 firemen, died due to an explosion in a ship at Bombay dock on April 14 and we organise awareness campaigns regarding fire prevention across the region and state,” he said.

Sodhi said wreaths were laid at the martyrs’ memorial and later a motor vehicle rally was organised to aware masses about fire prevention and safety.

“We will hold various seminars, quiz competitions, debates and awareness camps at various educational institutes and business establishments throughout the week,” he added. 

Katra, April 14
Despite the ban on the use of non-biodegradable polythene bags having been imposed nearly four years ago, the use of polythene continues unabated by roadside vendors and shopkeepers.

Immediately after the imposition of the ban, pollution control board officials had carried out raids and confiscated a large number of banned plastic bags. However, with the passage of time, the drive slowed down and polythene bags were back in use in the market. A local shopkeeper said vendors and shopkeepers preferred using polybags rather than paper bags, as the latter were expensive.

“The Municipal Committee, Katra passed a resolution to ban polythene products. An extensive campaign was also launched. The municipality also decided to fine polythene users, but nothing has been done,” said Rajeshwar Singh, a local resident.

“Initially, several shops stopped using polythene bags. But when they saw that the civic body was not serious it, they started using it again,” said Singh.

“We appreciated the decision of the civic body. But the civic body has failed to enforce it. Just declaring a ban on polythene is not enough,” said Sonu, another local resident.

“When the ban was imposed, I stopped buying polythene bags. I even asked the customers to bring their own bags to my shop. But when I saw many shopkeepers had started using polythene bags, so I too started using them,” said a grocery shop owner, requesting anonymity.

Angraz Singh, District Officer, State Pollution Control Board, Reasi, said they had been conducting raids on shops and other business establishments that were using polythene bags. He said that Municipal Committee officials were not supporting the cause and it was only because of that, there had been no raid till date.

Jammu, April 14
The Citizens’ Forum has welcomed the Supreme Court decision for upholding constitutional validity of the Right to Education Act, 2009, which mandates 25 per cent free seats for the poor in government and private schools.

The forum has asked the state government to fully extend and implement the Act in Jammu and Kashmir. A meeting of forum held here today, under the chairmanship of president RK Chadha, has described the development as a landmark to provide education to the children of the poorest sections of the society, who cannot afford paying fees for the same.

The forum has, however, demanded that identifying the poor deserving for free education should not be left with the government agencies, including the social welfare department, where corruption is rampant.

It should be ensured that the benefit of scheme should go only to the deserving people. The Citizens’ Forum has further suggested that the private schools should not be allowed to pass on the burden on other students and their parents by increasing the fee.

The forum has also demanded that in the government schools, free uniforms should be provided to the students. Other basic amenities like toilets and pure drinking water should also be provided in the government schools.

Others who attended the meeting included retd ADGP SS Wazir, JDA (retd) VC RK Handa, senior journalist Yash Bhasin, former Chief Engineer Vikram Gour, retd Chief Engineer Arun Sharma, retd Chief Engineer Vinay Kotwal, retd Conservator of Forest SIH Kazmi, J&K BOSE (retd) secretary Muhammad Ayub, Balbir Singh Danduna, Harbans Wahi, Major Harjeet Sahani, Krishen Punjwani, Tajinder Manocha, Paul Sahani, Kriti Kumar, KK Mahajan, MS Kapoor and Romesh Gupta.

Jammu, April 14
The staff of the Principal Controller of Defence Accounts (PCDA), Northern Command, has embarked upon a project to build a Shanti Sthal at the Controller of Defence Accounts (CDA) Family Complex for all sections of people at Narwal Pain here.“With a noble aim in mind, PCDA SK Kohli with the help of Himanshu Shankar, Additional CDA, Northern Command, and the staff of the PCDA, Northern Command, is planning to make a Shanti Sthal at the CDA Family Complex,” said Defence PRO SN Acharya.

“The work is on in full swing after the foundation stone was laid by Kohli,” he added.

Shankar said, “Stress has become a part and parcel of life these days. People are succumbing to stress and related diseases. To beat the stress in daily life, we need peace and the Shanti Sthal will be one such place.” The staff is also planning to set up free education system by contributing their time to educate the needy and meritorious students of the area.

Jammu, April 14
Swami Vishwatmanand Saraswati, who has been spearheading the movement for Sanskrit teaching in the state, has said that non-inclusion of the language in the school curricula is the chief reason for the decline in moral values in society.

He was speaking at the annual day function of Rashtriya Sanskrit Sansthan (RSS), Shri Ranbir Campus, Kot Bhalwal, about 20 km from here. “It is unfortunate that vote bank politics has become the main hurdle to the implementation of the proposal of compulsory Sanskrit teaching in schools. The exclusion of Sanskrit from academics has allowed evil to spread its tentacles deep in society,” he said.

“You can find many wealthy people drawing flak from all corners of society and also facing charges in many scams; all this is happening due to a trust deficit and sense of financial insecurity. Many eminent personalities have been put behind the bars for their alleged involvement in corruption cases. Believe it or not but the absence of Sanskrit teaching is largely responsible for this. Those who learn Sanskrit automatically learn moral education,” he said.

Speaking on the occasion, Principal of the institute Yashpal Khajuria said they were promoting research work based on the classics written in Sanskrit.

Jammu, April 14
Tributes were paid to Dinu Bhai Pant on his 95th birth anniversary yesterday, who is believed to have reawakened Dogra society through his revolutionary literature in the 20th Century.

A programme was organised in this connection at the University of Jammu wherein a short documentary based on the life and works of Pant was showcased.

Eminent writer Ved Rahi had written and directed the documentary, whereas many local actors acted in it. Starting with a Dogri song, specially written and sung by an eminent folk singer, the documentary featured short interviews of several eminent Dogri litterateurs, including Om Goswami, Lalit Magotra, Prof Ram Nath Shastri, Champa Sharma Veena Gupta and Ved Rahi, who threw light on the works of Pant.

They said Pant was a revolutionary poet and writer who reflected the flaws in contemporary society through his poems and motivated the masses to stand against the atrocities.

Initially, Pant began to write in Hindi but he soon realised that most of the Jammu region could not understand the language and his thoughts would remain confined to a particular class of people living in cities. To penetrate into the rural regions of the state, he started writing in Dogri.

The litterateurs also mentioned the writings of Pant as a major development in the field of Dogri literature. They were convinced by the fact that had he not sparked the literary movement in Dogri in 20th Century, scenario would have been altogether different at present.

The documentary underlined two phases of Pant’s life, including the struggle against the autocratic Dogra rule and his efforts in later part of life against the economic imbalance in society. His works reflected the commitment of a modern writer towards communist and socialist ideologies.

Pant’s better half, Satya Devi, who was also present on the occasion, was shown interviewed by a female Dogri writer in the documentary.

She said, “My husband never stopped me from taking independent decisions and had always been a great support. He gave me freedom to enjoy my rights”.

Later speaking on the occasion, Rahul Pant, son of Dinu Bhai Pant, thanked the organisers for dedicating an evening to the legendary poet.

He said: “Most of the things about his personality have been showcased in the documentary and nothing much is left for me to reveal. But one aspect about the personality of my father, which was not shown was his art of storytelling. He was a good storyteller. He used to give us moral education through his stories and most interesting thing was that although he repeated the story many times, every time the story reflected newness”.

“I think his methodology will be more relevant in today’s society, when we are stressing much on moral education for our children,” he added.

Earlier, Pant’s most celebrated poem “Shahar Pehlo Pail Ayo” was also screened through a four-minute audio presentation.

The audience broke into laughter while listening to Pant’s satirical poem depicting the plights of rural masses. It appeared, the poem, which was being recited by Dogra people as a folk song, still held the potential to mesmerise masses.

Prominent among others present on the occasion included Minister for Health Sham Lal Sharma, Vice-Chancellor, University of Jammu, MPS Ishar, and Dogri writer Lalit Magotra.

Jammu, April 14
A record 1,324-member contingent, including 756 boys and 568 girls, was sent by Jammu and Kashmir to compete in various disciplines in the recently concluded 57th National School Games (NSG) 2011-12 held at different venues across the country. The contingent lived up to the expectations by performing better than its previous record and clinched 83 medals, including 16 gold, 28 silver and 39 bronze, in the event.

A 43-member contingent in Sqay Martial Art gave a superb performance by winning 27 medals, including 10 gold, 8 silver and 9 bronze. The championship was hosted by Goa from November 1-6, 2011.

In Judo, a 46-member contingent, including 23 boys and 23 girls, was selected to represent the state in the championship held at Ujjain (MP) from November 14-18, 2011. The contingent was unable to leave a mark, as it managed to bag only one silver medal.

Another discipline Wushu also emerged as a major contributor in the state’s medal tally. Keeping this in mind, the authorities sent a 20-member contingent (10 boys and 10 girls) in the championship, which was hosted by Jammu and Kashmir. A total of 16 medals were fetched by the contingent. These include 1 gold, 11 silver and 4 bronze. In Roller Skating, a strong 48-member contingent was sent for participation in all age groups in Delhi. The contingent won 11 medals, including 3 gold, 4 silver and 4 bronze.

A 24-member contingent of Jump Rope only won 4 bronze medals in the championship held in Delhi. Kick Boxing also accounted for five medals, including 3 silver and 2 bronze. A 15-member state contingent, including 10 boys and 5 girls, competed in the championship held in Delhi. Jeet-Kune-Do contingent, comprising 10 boys and 5 girls, clinched 8 bronze medals while 72-member Fencing contingent bagged 7 medals, including 1 gold, 2 silver and 4 bronze.

In tae kwon do, a 41-member contingent, including 24 boys and 17 girls, participated in the championship held in Maharashtra from April 23-25, 2011. The contingent managed a bronze medal.

A small 6-member chess contingent, including 3 boys and 3 girls, participated in the championship held at Jabalpur (MP) from September 25-29, 2011. Chess was followed by Tenni-Knot wherein a contingent comprising 10 members (5 boys and 5 girls) participated.

Other disciplines wherein state contingent participated include football (18), kabaddi (22), throwball (48), basketball (24), football (18), speak takraw (10), swimming (42), hockey (36), handball (32), netball (24), rifle shooting (6), softball (32), thang-ta (15), kho-kho (24), cricket (16), wrestling (21), yoga (35), netball (48), roller hockey (10), dogeball (19), kabaddi (24) and badminton (30).

Ashok Kumar, Deputy Director (Central), Directorate of Youth Services and Sports, said there was huge satisfaction over the performance of the state contingent in the sporting extravaganza. “The contingent really fared well in NSG by bettering its previous record and we hope that it will continue to improve further in future tournaments as well,” said Ashok Kumar. “The department is trying to select the best contingent for each discipline to ensure a decent medal haul,” he added.

Jammu, April 14
NMCC won against Maya Star in the final clash of the Sprite Gully Cricket Championship (Season V) at Dushehra ground, Gandhi Nagar, here today.

The winning team received a cash prize of Rs 30,000, while the runner-up team was awarded with Rs 20,000. The winners will now meet in a knock-out tournament at zonal-level from their respective zones. The winners selected from zonal matches will receive a mega cash prize worth Rs 5 lakh.

The tournament was inaugurated by Manish Sharma, Area Sales Manager, Hindustan Coca-Cola Beverages Pvt Ltd, Jammu. Sharma said, “Cricket is a passion with every Indian, be it kids, youth or the elderly. It is actually a religion that binds India together.”

”We aim at making our consumers once again experience their passion for the sport of cricket in its most authentic format,” he said.

The Sprite Gully Cricket Championship is being organised in 13 states and 112 cities across four zones in India. Each city will host an independent tournament. 

Jammu, April 14
Kashmir Cricket Club (KCC) set a 32-run win over JK Media XI to enter the semi-finals of the ongoing Baisakhi Premier League T20 Cricket Tournament at MA Stadium here today. KCC garnered 115/5 in the stipulated overs. Shahbaz played a fine knock of 24 runs followed by Mudassar (21), Zeeshan (20), Satish (18) and Aman (15). For JK Media XI, Manjit, Vivek and Sahil chipped in with a wicket each.

Only Sumit and Pardeep Bai scored 17 and 14 runs, respectively. Besides Kuldip, Mudassar and Rohit Sharma shared two wickets for KCC. JKP XI got the better of Jammu and Kashmir Bank XI by 9 wickets in a one-sided affair. Jammu and Kashmir Bank XI failed to take advantage of batting first as the whole team was bundled out for 81 runs.

Ajay was the top scorer with 24 runs, while Ranvir and Rajesh contributed 18 and 15 runs, respectively.

In reply, JKP XI did the needful in 9.5 overs with 9 wickets intact. Rajesh Gill remained unbeaten on 50 off just 33 balls. For Jammu and Kashmir Bank, Ravi managed to take the only wicket. Rajesh Gill was adjudged the man of the match. In another match, JKP XI thrashed Young Star Cricket Club (YSCC) by 9 wickets in a one-sided contest. Batting first, YSCC perished for 71 runs in 14.1 overs. Rattandeep Sharma was the top scorer with 23 runs, while Yogesh Sharma and Gurcharan Singh contributed 13 and 12 runs, respectively.

For JKP XI, Shamsher Singh and Manhas shared 3 wickets each, whereas Showket and Raman Dutta claimed 2 wickets each. Narinder picked one for JKP XI. In reply, JKP XI overhauled the target in 9.4 overs losing just 1 wicket in the process. Rajesh Gill top scored with an unbeaten 34 runs, while Farooq chipped in with 24 runs. Chetan took the only wicket for YSCC.

Rajesh Gill was adjudged the man of the match. The matches were officiated by Sudhir Singh, Amit Sharma, Farooq and Yogesh Sharma. 

Jammu, April 14
Kashmir Cricket Club (KCC) defeated Sree Cricket Club (SCC) by 46 runs in the summit clash to clinch the Winter Cup Cricket Tournament played at Nagrota here recently. KCC won the toss and decided to take the strike first. The team managed to get 125 runs in the allotted 20 overs. Rahul Mussa was the star performer with 40 runs, including some hits to the fence. Puneet Wattal and Shahbaz also contributed 19 and 16 runs, respectively. For SCC, Deepak, Qadir and Vikram got 2 wickets each.

Chasing 126 runs to win, SCC made 79 runs in 15.2 overs. Deepak (26) and Vikram (14) were the only batsmen who performed good, while the remaining batsmen lost their wickets easily. For KCC, Tarun was the wrecker-in-chief with a three-wicket haul, while Mudassar and Kuldip took two wickets each. Satish added one wicket to his kitty. Rahul was adjudged the man of the match, whereas, Vikram was declared the man of the series. The tournament was organised by Nagrota Cricket Club under the supervision of Shabir Ahmad and Irshad Ahmad.

Jammu, April 14
Athletic Skating Club has set up summit clash with Roller Skating Club in the Roller Hockey League (RHL) organised by Addiction Roller Hockey Club at Shiva Roller Skating Institute, Peerkho, here today.

In Inline Roller Hockey category, Indiana Club toppled Kings Club by 11-1. Joshpal Singh and Davinderpal of the winner club slammed 5 and 4 goals, respectively.

Roller Athletics Skating Club defeated Rockers Club by 6-4 goals. From Roller Athletics Skating Club, Ankush Kohli and Krish Gupta scored 3 goals each, while Rupinder Singh and Rahil Gupta scored 2 goals each from the loser club. In sub-junior category, MAM Club won against Jodhamal Public School by 6-4, whereas Indiana Club got the better of Shiva Roller Skating Institute in junior category.

In senior category, Addiction Hockey Club defeated Rockers Club by 16-3 goals. Jograj Singh scored 9 goals, while Jatin Sabrwal and Mohit Gupta scored 6 and 1 goal, respectively. From Rockers Club, Rupinder and Rahil scored a goal each. 

Jammu, April 14
The Patiala team scripted a thrilling 29-28 win against the Ferozepur team in the Western Command Inter-Formation Handball Championship. Maj-Gen Surinder Singh, GOC, Tiger Division, presented the trophy to the winning team today.

Speaking on the occasion, Maj-Gen Surinder Singh said handball was a popular sport among military troops. He said the Army had produced many international-level players. — TNS

Jammu, April 14
Joginder Kumar, a bodybuilder from Jammu, has bagged a gold medal in the recently concluded National Bench Press Championship held at Jabalpur in Madhya Pradesh.

He was honoured by the Body Flex Gym for his performance. Talking to mediapersons, Joginder Kumar said he was grateful to the bodybuilding association for its support. — TNS

Jammu, April 14
In its ongoing drive against bovine smuggling, the Ramban police today rescued three animals and arrested one person allegedly involved in smuggling them to the Kashmir Valley.

On a tip-off, the police set up a naka at Kentha Morh. During the course of checking, the police party intercepted a bovine smuggler, identified as Gul Muhammad, a resident of Dooligam Fagoo, Banihal tehsil, and rescued the animals. An FIR has been registered against Muhammad.