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Cabinet nod for Planning Board
Darbar move imposes traffic curbs on NH
Shabir Shah placed under house arrest
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Peace a pre-requisite for progress, says Governor
Rain, hailstorm damage fruit crops
Babu’s farmhouse in green belt puts
govt depts on notice
Ravi Canal project to shower bounty on agricultural land
Cong, NC, PDP workers join Sajjad Lone’s party
DGP denies police deployment on Indo-Nepal border
PDP playing Vajpayee card to strengthen base in Jammu
1 killed, six injured in road mishap
Tarigami asks PM to resolve Kashmir issue
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Cabinet nod for Planning Board
Jammu, April 26 Sources told The Tribune that the Cabinet also issued a directive for a major reshuffle in the state administration and police department.
“The Cabinet finally gave its approval to the constitution of the State Planning Board (SPB), which was one of the recommendations of the State Finance Commission. The SPB proposal was mooted on the directions of the Chief Minister for a constructive vision of planning, particularly for providing promotional stimulus to key drivers of the state’s economy”, a sources said. The sources said the board would make an “assessment of material, capital and human resources” of the state and explore the possibility of augmenting resources. In another major decision, the Cabinet gave its nod to the resumption of work on International Convention Centre in Jammu. “The work on the centre was started in 1998 and it was to be completed in 12 months, but the fate of the centre remained hanging in balance,” a source said, adding that the centre would be completed with an estimated cost of about Rs 25 crore.” The sources further said that the Cabinet also approved the proposal regarding the release of Cost of Living Allowance (COLA) in favour of Public Sector Employees. The COLA instalment would be released for the period ending June 2010. It also gave its sanction for the creation of staff for the Trade Facilitation Centres at Uri and Chakan-da-Bagh on the Line of Control between Jammu and Kashmir and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. The decision was taken to streamline the cross-LoC trade. The Cabinet has ordered a major reshuffle in the state administration and police department. Sources said the Commissioner/Secretary, Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution Department (CAPD), Pardeep Gupta, would be the new Divisional Commissioner of Jammu, replacing his predecessor, Dr Pawan Kotwal. The IGP, Traffic, Hemant Kumar Lohia, was transferred and posted as the Director, Sher-e-Kashmir Police Training Academy. The Deputy Inspector General of Police, (DIG) Jammu-Kathua range, Farooq Khan, who was recently given a promotion, was posted as the IGP, Traffic. JP Singh has been posted as the new DIG, Jammu. The IGP, Training, Sheikh Owais Shah, was transferred and posted as the IGP, Technical Services Zone. The DIG Trainings, AQ Manhas, was elevated and posted as the IGP, State Human Rights Commission. Kamal Saini has been posted as the IGP, Training and Civil Headquarters, while Yoginder Kaul was posted as the IG, Home Guards and Civil Defence. The DIG Rajouri-Poonch range, Rajesh Kumar, was transferred and posted as the DIG, north Kashmir. |
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Darbar move imposes traffic curbs on NH
Srinagar, April 26 One-way traffic on the highway has also been scheduled for May 5 and 6 to facilitate the movement of vehicles carrying Jammu-based darbar move employees to Srinagar. The darbar offices would re-open in Srinagar on May 7 and remain functional for six months here. The civil secretariat houses the offices of the Chief Minister, ministers, commissioner-secretaries, Raj Bhawan, offices of the Chief Justice of the Jammu and Kashmir High Court and the Director General of Police. Nearly 8,000 employees, including gazetted, non-gazetted and Class IV, would move from Jammu to Srinagar in the annual move. About 400 vehicles, including buses for employees and trucks for carrying office files, would be required for the dardar move. “There will be a one-way traffic from Jammu to Srinagar on April 28 and 29 and May 5 and 6,” an official spokesman here said. He added that no other vehicle would be allowed to proceed to Jammu on these days. Office records and other equipment from different departments would be shifted to Srinagar before dardar offices re-open in Srinagar on May 7. All departments would send its advance party of employees for receipt of the official records in the respective offices here. The Estates Department here has arranged 1,285 residential quarters out of which 780 are being provided to darbar move employees while 166 rooms are being allotted to senior officers by the Jammu and Kashmir Tourist Development Corporation at the Tourist Reception Centre. Moreover, 43 huts in Cheshmashahi are also being acquired for residential purposes for senior officers of the state. The Estates Department has also identified 115 hotels with the capacity of 3,287 rooms for the dardar move employees. |
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Shabir Shah placed under house arrest
Jammu, April 26 In a democratic system everybody has a right to express their views, but the state government has been using oppressive measures to muzzle voices of dissent, Shah told The Tribune after his arrest. “Democracy is a battle of ideas so everybody should be allowed to air his or her ideas in a democratic system,” he observed. He claimed that the government in Jammu and Kashmir was not in a position to fight with him democratically. “Instead of imposing restrictions on our movement, we challenged the government to fight us democratically,” he said and asserted that he along with his supporters would make one more attempt to visit the two districts. Shah said the government had imposed restrictions on his movement for the last one month. “I wanted to address meetings of intellectuals at the erstwhile Doda district at the start of this month, but was not allowed by the authorities,” he said and termed the restriction imposed on him as undemocratic. The JKDFP chief said the aim of his visit to the Jammu region was to strengthen communal harmony and brotherhood. “Some unfortunate incidents took place in Rajouri last month. I had planned to go there to hold an interaction with members of both the majority and minority communities to bridge the gap,” he said and claimed that his party was committed to strengthen the social fabric of Jammu and Kashmir. “Our party has always worked for brotherhood and communal harmony,” Shah said. He added that when a blast had taken place in Rajouri some years ago, he was the first person to visit the houses of victims, a majority of whom belonged to the minority community. The separatist leader said leaders of the mainstream political parties like the National Conference, the Congress and the PDP were frequently visiting Poonch and Rajouri districts, but he was not allowed by the authorities. “I fail to understand what our fault is,” he said and asked “Is this democracy?” |
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MGNREGA changing lives of women in Reasi
Katra, April 26 Rakesh Badyal, Assistant Commissioner Development (ACD), said ever since MGNREGA schemes have been implemented in the district, women have been able to augment their family incomes. “The panchayats engage a substantial number of women in MGNREGA projects launched in the area. It has become a major source of employment for rural women,” Badyal said. The ACD acknowledged that higher participation of the women in the scheme was a very positive aspect, as 1,20,431 man-days have been allotted to women in 2011-12. “Another reason is that women feel safe at their workplace in a better socio-economic environment. Participation of women is highly encouraging and it will definitely give the rural economy a boost in the near future,” he said. He added that the state government would ensure the convergence of Centrally-sponsored scheme with other schemes that were already being implemented in the entire district. “We will strive for providing 100 days of employment under the MGNREGA and to ensure timely payment of wages to rural job card-holders and also address the issue of uneven performances of various blocks,” said Badyal. “There is no work for women. The construction of school walls and drains under the scheme gives us an opportunity to work and earn. We are looking forward to more jobs under the scheme,” said Santosh, a resident of Pouni village. Mahore village in Reasi district engages many women in MGNREGA projects, as compared to other parts of the state. The Rural Development Department in Reasi district has generated nearly 20 lakh man-days in Reasi district by undertaking over 4,213 projects under the MGNREGA for 2011-12. “As many as 4,213 projects costing Rs 36.29 crore have been taken up in Reasi district under the scheme, generating 19,96,702 man-days,” Badyal said. Of the 4,213 projects, 2,318 have been completed so far. |
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Peace a pre-requisite for progress, says Governor
Jammu, April 26 Addressing about 120 office-bearers and executive committee members of the Jammu and Kashmir Peace Foundation here today, the Governor observed that sustained normalcy and peace was a pre-requisite for progress and prosperity. He added that all necessary steps must be taken to restore lasting peace and tranquillity in the state. Referring to the unfortunate situation in the state in the past years, he said the situation had led to heavy human and economic losses and damaged traditions of communal harmony, secular ethos and value systems. He said in the wake of the Partition in 1947 when the entire subcontinent was in the grip of a communal frenzy, it was in the state of Jammu and Kashmir, in which Mahatma Gandhi had seen a ray of light. “We have to fully restore and strengthen the same spirit of reconciliation and accommodation,” he added. Observing that peace and normalcy were essential pre-requisites for rapid progress and prosperity, the Governor said it was necessary for everybody to contribute towards securing the objective of peace and harmony so that Jammu and Kashmir could become a frontline developed state in the coming years. He said a significant breakthrough had been made in the past few years to restore the glory of the state. He congratulated Fayaz Ahmad Bhat, chairman of the Jammu and Kashmir Peace Foundation, and all those associated with the movement for joining the initiative for spreading the message of peace and harmony. He said the J&K Peace Foundation had been contributing its bit to the promotion of peace and harmony by organising peace conferences, seminars, discussions and other such programmes. He assured his full support to the Foundation. Minister for Agriculture Ghulam Hassan Mir, who is the patron of the Foundation, said the state has had high traditions of communal harmony and brotherhood. “There is a need for a strong peace initiative for fully restoring and strengthening the high traditions of the Kashmiriyat and the youth can play a vital role in the effort,” said Mir. In his welcome address, Fayaz Ahmad said the Foundation would organise a women peace conference in June and a three-day international peace conference in Srinagar in August, which would be followed by a Sadbhavana rally from Kashmir to Kanyakumari in October. Chib calls on Governor Minister for Youth Services and Sports RS Chib called on Governor NN Vohra at Raj Bhawan here today. Chib discussed with the Governor the initiatives being taken for the promotion of sports and the implementation of schemes aimed at the welfare of youth. Various other matters pertaining to the rapid socio-economic development of the state also came up for discussion during the meeting. |
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Rain, hailstorm damage fruit crops
Srinagar, April 26 The heavy rains and hailstorm in parts of Baramulla in north Kashmir and Shopian and Pulwama districts in the south have damaged various fruit crops, said G H Shah, Director, Horticulture Department, Kashmir. “It is, however, too early to assess the extent of the damage in these areas,” he added. “The extent of the damage depends upon the intensity of the rain and hailstorm,” Shah explained. “We have advised the staff concerned at the ground level and the farmers to take remedial measures to avoid any further damage. Every fruit is in the early stages of maturity during this season,” Shah said. The Kashmir valley is known for its fresh fruits apple, cherry and pear and dry fruits almond and walnut. Meanwhile, a team of horticulture officials toured Pakherpora, Charar-i-Sharief and Dharuna in Budgam district of central Kashmir to assess the damage caused to the fruit crop. An official spokesman said the experts had advised the orchard owners to follow the spray schedule-2012 issued by the Department of Horticulture, Kashmir, and not use any pesticides for two consecutive days. The PDP leader and MLA, Abdul Razaq Zawoora, has demanded adequate compensation to farmers whose fruit crops have been damaged. |
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Babu’s farmhouse in green belt puts
govt depts on notice
Srinagar, April 26 The notices were issued by the SHRC to Vice-Chairman, Lakes and Waterways Development Authority; Commissioner, Srinagar Municipal Corporation; Secretary, Housing and Urban Development Department; and the Chief Wildlife Warden in Kashmir. They have been asked to file a “factual report” about the alleged illegal construction near the national park in a month’s time. The area where the farmhouse has come up falls in the green belt. The law does not permit both construction and renovation in the area. “The commission took suo motu cognisance of reports in the media which alleged that the government had shut its eyes to the construction of an illegal structure in the green belt by a powerful man,” SHRC secretary Tariq Banday said. The local residents had alleged in media reports that the government was not allowing them to repair houses in the green belt area which were damaged by the recent windstorm in Kashmir. They claimed that while on the one hand the government was silent on violations by powerful people, on the other hand it was not allowing the repair of their houses. The farmhouse is being constructed allegedly by a top state bureaucrat near Dachigam Wildlife National Park, which is home to the endangered Hangul species of the deer, Himalayan black bear and exotic species of birds. Banday said the construction of a structure in the green belt area amounts to human rights violation and that is why notices had been issued to government departments. |
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Ravi Canal project to shower bounty on agricultural land
Jammu, April 26 “A detailed project report (DPR) prepared by Water and Power Consultancy Services (WAPCOS), a Central government concern, has already been approved by the state Cabinet,” said Varinder Badyal, Chief Engineer of the Ravi Tawi Irrigation Canal. The state government will come up with a 9.1-km-long link canal at a cost of Rs 275 crore on the right bank of the Ravi, 2 km upstream from the dam site that will draw 1,150 cusecs of water, said Badyal.The total cost of the project has been worked out to be Rs 540 crore. The DPR now awaits the concurrence of the Finance Department, the official said, adding that as soon as the Finance Department would record the concurrence, work would begin on the project. The government had sanctioned Rs 20 crore during the last fiscal for the project. Chief Minister Omar Abdullah had taken up the issue of the Ranjit Sagar Dam vis-à-vis denial of water and electricity to Jammu and Kashmir by Punjab before UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi at Basohli last year. “Under the Ravi river agreement in 1979, the Punjab Government had to provide us 20 per cent free electricity besides completing the Shahpur Kandi barrage. It (Punjab) backtracked from its promise, causing Jammu and Kashmir a loss of Rs 8,600 crore till date --- Rs 6,250 crore on account of losses in food grain productivity and Rs 2,350 crore due to denial of electricity,” said the official. Badyal said once the channel comes up, agricultural activities in the state would get a major boost. “At present, out of the 1.33 lakh acres of agricultural land, only 27,500 acres is being irrigated. After completion of this project, we will be able to irrigate the remaining 1.05 acres. This will ensure an annual foodgrain turnover of about Rs 250 crore,” he said. The irrigation of 1.05 lakh acres of agricultural land will result in additional foodgrain productivity of 2.66 lakh tonne every year, he added. On the funding of the project, the official said that the state had two options. We have already approached the Union government seeking funds under the Accelerated Integrated Benefit Programme, he said. Besides, the state Cabinet has also taken a decision to fund the project from the revenue collected under the J&K Water Resources Act, 2010, by charging water usage charges from various agencies like NHPC, he added. The state has already realised Rs 535-crore revenue up to March 31, 2012, under the Act. The state government under the J&K Water Resources Act, 2010, has decided to use the money collected as water-usage charges for building and buying back hydroelectric projects, and this project is one of them, he said. We are expecting the revenue to go up to Rs 900 crore every year and the state Cabinet vide its decision on January 12 this year has already approved 10 per cent of the total revenue collected every year for financing this project, he added. State’s share in Ravi
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Cong, NC, PDP workers join Sajjad Lone’s party
Srinagar, April 26 Speaking on the occasion, Sajjad reiterated his party’s commitment to change, saying that the mission to usher the state into a corrective era of prosperity and dignity had pitted non-traditionalists against traditionalist parties, which were impediments in development and the economic welfare of the state. Sajjad added that politics was a means to bring about change and reform and not an end in itself, as had been manipulatively projected by the traditional political parties. People of Kashmir were being economically persecuted by the NC and the PDP so that both the parties could reap the political dividends from the economic helplessness of ordinary Kashmiris, he said.
— TNS
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DGP denies police deployment on Indo-Nepal border
Ramban, April 26 In an exclusive interview to The Tribune, Kuldeep Khuda denied any deployment of the state police on the Indo-Nepal border along with the SSB to identify Kashmiri youths, who have been using Nepal as an alternate route to enter into the state. In a high-level meeting chaired by Union Home Secretary RK Singh on April 22, it was decided that the state police may also deploy “spotters” or former militants, who will help in nabbing youths, who enter into the state through the Indo-Nepal border, which has become an entry route for them after the state government announced the rehabilitation policy in 2010. “There won’t be any deployment of the state police on any border in or outside the state. Whenever any organisation requires our help we coordinate with it and we will coordinate in future also,” Khoda said. The DGP said Ramban cannot yet be declared as militancy-free, as two militants of Hizbul Mujahideen were still active in the district. On the paucity of staff in the auxiliary police, he said there will be on-the-spot recruitments in Ramban and Banihal in the coming days. Regarding accidents on the
Jammu-Srinagar national highway, he said a Coordination Committee had been formed, which was looking into the aspect. “The engineering aspect and condition of the road, vehicles and the training of drivers is also responsible for accidents. The committee would provide necessary equipments like speed radars for checking traffic violations,” Khoda said. The DGP said the police would be given more responsibility in the coming months and it has taken over in the areas in Srinagar from where CRPF bunkers were removed. |
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PDP playing Vajpayee card to strengthen base in Jammu
Jammu, April 26 Realising that people of the Jammu region have a great regard for Vajpayee, the PDP leadership, especially former Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, never misses any opportunity to recall the contribution of Vajpayee in bringing peace to the region. In every public meeting, be it in Jammu city or in rural areas, Mufti always mentions Vajpayee as “the real statesman” who realised the importance of peace in the region. As Vajpayee has actively participated in movements launched by the erstwhile Jan Sangh in the Jammu region for total integration of the state with the Indian Union, people of the Jammu region have great affection for the former Prime Minister. The PDP which has been desperately trying to make inroads into Jammu is now openly playing the Vajpayee card. For the last two months, the PDP has been holding meetings in the Jammu region and Mufti has made it a point to address them. In every meeting, Mufti mentions the rally addressed by Vajpayee in Srinagar on April 18, 2003, when he (Vajpayee) was the Prime Minister and Mufti was the Chief Minister. They had extended the hand of friendship to Pakistan despite the fact that their was tension on the border. “Only a leader of the stature of Vajpayee can take such a bold decision” is the oft-repeated statement of Mufti in every public meeting in Jammu. Mufti also does not forget to mention that it was all due to the efforts of Vajpayee that free and fair assembly elections were held in the state in 2002. He even claims that it is for the first time after 1947 that free and fair elections were held in 2002. “The credit for this goes only to Vajpayee,” he declares at the meetings. Not only Mufti, other stalwarts of his party like Muzaffar Hussain Beig and Mehbooba Mufti also laud the efforts of Vajpayee in bringing peace to the state and improving relations with Pakistan. Interestingly, BJP leaders at a press conference in Jammu last week had described that the increasing activities of the PDP in the Jammu region were a “disturbing development”. |
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1 killed, six injured in road mishap
Srinagar, April 26 The accident took place at Awantipora in the morning after a passenger vehicle rammed into a tree, resulting in the death of a youth identified as Imran Ahmad (20) and injuries to six other persons. Imran was a resident of Rafiabad in Baramulla district. The injured were shifted to the Sher-e-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences, Soura. Meanwhile, Minister of State for Roads and Buildings Javid Ahmad Dar has expressed grief over the incident.
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Tarigami asks PM to resolve Kashmir issue
Srinagar, April 26 Addressing a public meeting at Kulgam in south Kashmir today, Tarigami said youth of Kashmir were hoping for a humanitarian approach to the issue to give them hope and security. He added despite the significant change in the overall security situation in Kashmir, the youth of the state still faced insecurity, hopelessness and bleakness of opportunities. “The Kashmiri youth genuinely expect Dr Manmohan Singh to take some significant steps to ease their situation in the Valley,” he said. He added that if he failed to do so in his tenure, the hopelessness of the Kashmiri youth would be a lingering burden on his conscience. Expressing anguish over the slow pace of investigation into the civilian killings of 2010, Tarigami said the affected families had not yet got justice. “The government is not moved by the plight of such families who have lost their kith and kin.” The CPM leader asked the Centre to strengthen the ongoing peace talks with Pakistan, saying the lingering issues like Kashmir and Siachen were economically and politically a heavy toll on both countries and all such issues needed to be settled amicably for the betterment of the impoverished sections of the two nations.
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As the civil secretariat and other offices close down in the winter capital ahead of the darbar move, there would be a one-way traffic on the national highway.
Separatist leader and chief of the Jammu and Kashmir Democratic Freedom Party (JKDFP) Shabir Ahmed Shah was put under house arrest at Jammu today. Shah wanted to hold an interaction with people to “cement” communal harmony and brotherhood.
The ambitious Ravi Canal project, which will draw 1,150 cusecs of water from the Ravi river in Kathua district and irrigate 1.05 lakh acres of agricultural land in the state, is finally cruising towards the take-off stage. The project will not only make the Jammu region self-sufficient in food grain production but may also result in surplus productivity.
A number of functionaries and workers of the Congress, National Conference (NC) and the PDP joined the Peoples Conference (PC) in the presence of party Chairman Sajad Lone at Lar in Ganderbal district today. Sajjad Lone, son of slain separatist leader Abdul Gani Lone, unsuccessfully contested the Lok Sabha elections from Baramulla constituency in 2009.
