|
|
|
|
|
22 years on, temple to reopen in Valley
Unregistered pilgrims can’t undertake Amarnath yatra
|
|
|
Buddha Amarnath yatra from July 19
HC attaches farmhouse near National Park
Now, eco tax for non-state visitors to Ladakh
Jammu traders pin hopes on Home Secy’s visit
NGO comes forward to help slain soldier’s sister
Police recruits 132 youths
Governor for effective use of communication technology
Governor NN Vohra speaks at a function in Srinagar on Tuesday. Photo: Amin War
Lashkar posters surface in another Kashmir town
J-K to approach apex court for extension of project deadline
|
|
22 years on, temple to reopen in Valley
Srinagar, May 15 “The reconstruction work will be completed in the next 10 to 15 days after which pooja will be performed inside the temple,” All Parties Migrants Coordination Committee (APMCC) Chairman Vinod Pandit said. The reconstruction work was made possible by the APMCC along with the Rainawari Action Forum (RAF) and other local Kashmiri Pandits. Today, the devotees performed pooja at a mulberry tree on the premises of the temple. “We believe that the reflection of Vaitaal Bhairav resides in this tree,” said a devotee. Before the eruption of militancy in the state, the temple used to be famous for the annual Vaital Shayum festival. “Both Muslims as well as Pandits used to come here during the festival in the month of May. Offerings of yellow rice mixed with pieces of liver (of lamb) were made to Vaitaal Bhairav, whom we believe is a form of Lord Shiva. Snakes are draped around Vaitaal Bhairav’s neck as well,” said Vinod. Now that the reconstruction work is under way, the locals are hopeful that Vaital Shayum would be observed in its full glory next year.
|
||
|
Unregistered pilgrims can’t undertake Amarnath yatra
Jammu, May 15 “All necessary arrangements are being put in place to ensure a smooth and hassle-free Amarnath pilgrimage. We advise pilgrims that they should register themselves before planning to undertake the pilgrimage. We will not allow any unregistered pilgrim to move towards Srinagar from Jammu,” the IGP told mediapersons on the sidelines of a security review meeting. The meeting was chaired by Director General of Police (DGP) Kuldeep Khoda and attended by senior officers of the BSF, the CRPF and other security agencies working in “We have decided to make suitable arrangements to deal with the pilgrims who embark on the yatra without getting formally registered with the Shrine Board. The unregistered pilgrims generally lead to chaos and cause a security concern,” Dilbagh Singh said. Last year, the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board (SASB) had to issue an advisory, asking the pilgrims not to embark on the yatra unless they were formally registered. The SASB authorities and the police had to face many problems due to the piling up of unregistered pilgrims at the base camps at Baltal and Pahalgam. The IGP, who also attended the meeting, said over 100 companies of security agencies, including 36 in the Jammu region, would be deployed to ensure “foolproof security” of “We have worked out a strategy for foolproof security of the pilgrims. We have also started an exercise to make ‘matching-level’ security arrangements for the upcoming Amarnath yatra. Over 100 companies of security personnel will be deployed in Jammu, Srinagar and en route to the cave shrine,” Singh said. The IGP said the police had also started the deployment of road patrolling parties on the 300-km-long Jammu-Srinagar national highway, while all batches of Amarnath pilgrims would be escorted by the police and the paramilitary forces. Asked about activities of various militant outfits, he said 30 militants were still active in the Jammu region. “Various security agencies are working in complete synergy and coordination and the region would soon be militancy-free,” he asserted. Earlier, the DGP reviewed the security arrangements being put in place ahead of the Amarnath yatra. He advised all the officers of various security agencies to work in close coordination to ensure “incident-free” and “peaceful” pilgrimage.
1.37 lakh yatris registered so far Srinagar: During the first eight days of registration, 1,37,096 pilgrims have registered themselves for this year’s Amarnath yatra, of whom 70,158 pilgrims have preferred the traditional Pahalgam route while 66,911 have opted for the Baltal route. This information was given by Navin K Choudhary, Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Shri Amarnath Shrine Board (SASB), here today. While the registration for the yatra through Internet and designated bank branches commenced on May 7, the registration through the designated 100 Post Offices began today. The Chief Executive Officer revealed that the Union Ministry of Communication and Information Technology had agreed to registering of yatris at counters in 100 select Post Offices located in seven states, including Bihar, Haryana, Punjab, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat and Rajasthan. Last year, the registration facility for the annual yatra was available through designated 149 bank branches and the J&K Bank’s Internet-based registration facility. This year, the yatra registration facility is available through 274 registration counters, 121 J&K Bank branches, 49 Yes Bank branches, four Bihar Central Co-operative Bank branches, 100 Post Offices and the J&K Bank website jkbank.net. The designated 13 J&K Bank branches for registering yatris are located at Dalgate, Batamaloo and Karan Nagar in Srinagar, Tourist Reception Centre, Bakshinagar and Gandhinagar in Jammu, Ramban, Doda, Kathua, Rajouri, Udhampur and Poonch, the CEO said. He said any yatri who secures a ticket to travel by a helicopter does not require a separate yatra permit. However, yatris who travel by helicopters need to submit their compulsory health certificate before boarding the helicopters. The CEO said to avoid any inconvenience, all yatris should secure their yatra permit in advance.
|
||
|
HC attaches farmhouse near National Park
Srinagar, May 15 The orders of the Division Bench of the High Court came following the report by the state government wherein it has been submitted that the farmhouse was being constructed illegally without a proper building permission. Earlier, on May 11, the HC Bench had asked the state government to produce the report regarding the illegal construction of the farmhouse near the national park in a week. “After perusal of the report, the High Court today ordered that the two big structures and a servants’ quarter, belonging to Mohammad Sultan Wadoo, be attached and supervised by the Lakes and Waterways Development Authority (LAWDA) till further orders,” Advocate General of Jammu and Kashmir Mohammad Ishaq Qadri said. He added that the matter had been now fixed for further proceedings on June 11. The HC had taken cognisance of a news report, which was produced before it by amicus curiae advocate Zaffar Shah, in which it was reported that a farmhouse was illegally being constructed outside Dachigam National Park. Shah brought to the notice of the High Court the effect the said structure would have on the ecosystem and the green belt of the national park. Last month the State Human Rights Commission (SHRC) had also shot notices to the state government relating to the illegal farmhouse near Dachigam. The SHRC had sought the reports from the Chairman and Vice-Chairman of the LAWDA; Commissioner Secretary to the government, Housing and Urban Development Department; Commissioner, Srinagar Municipal Corporation and the Chief Wildlife Warden. |
||
|
Now, eco tax for non-state visitors to Ladakh
Leh, May 15 The Tourism Department is collecting Rs 300 from foreigners and Rs 200 from Indian nationals, including tourists, businessmen and labourers. The revenue generated from the environment fee would be utilised for protecting and preserving the fragile environment of Ladakh and for creating tourists facilities at various tourists spots here. A separate committee or board consisting of representatives of all stakeholders of the tourism industry will be formed for the utilisation of the revenue. The Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC) has the power to collect fee or taxes within its jurisdiction under Additional Deputy Commissioner, Leh, Tsering Murup said, “The collection of moderate environment fee is a collective decision of all stakeholders of tourism and was taken in a meeting held on February 23.
|
||
|
Jammu traders pin hopes on Home Secy’s visit
Jammu, May 15 Singh is visiting Salamabad in Kashmir tomorrow and on May 17 he will be meeting cross-LoC traders at Chakan-Da-Bagh in Poonch. Later, this month Home Secretary-level talks will take place between India and Pakistan. “All stakeholders will meet the Union Home Secretary on May 17 and will raise certain issues before seeking their immediate redressal,” said Pawan Anand, president of the Jammu and Kashmir Chamber of Cross-LoC Trade and the Cross-LoC Traders’ Association, Poonch. Anand said the visiting official would be apprised of the Standard Operating Procedure wherein New Delhi had agreed upon export of 21 items to PoK traders. “We will request him to get the list of export items revised immediately. The trade from Chakan-Da-Bagh has come down to chilli only,” he said. “The Customs Department without bothering to inform us in advance, puts a ban on export items much to our discomfort,” he added. Besides, the traders will also ask the Home Secretary to provide them a proper communication system to talk to their counterparts in PoK. “Since an opportunity has come our way, this time around we will vehemently request the Home Secretary that cross-LoC traders should be issued travel permits for at least one year so that they can go to PoK before importing merchandise from them,” said Anand. It will help traders of the state to ensure quality and fix rates before placing orders with PoK traders, he added. Traders of the Jammu region have also decided to raise the issue of discrimination against them as the government allows 50 trucks from Salamabad and has restricted the number to 25 from Chakan-Da-Bagh, he said. Singh’s visit comes
close on the heels of Chief Minister Omar Abdullah raising the problems being faced by cross-LoC traders at an internal security conference chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh last month. |
||
|
NGO comes forward to help slain soldier’s sister
Jammu, May 15 It may be recalled here that ever since the Army had launched a search operation a fortnight ago, which led to a fierce gun battle on May 2 near Palmar, Noor Hussain, a decorated soldier of 159 Territorial Army, had postponed the marriage of his younger sister Kulsoma Bano to May 15. After going through
The Tribune yesterday, the Punjab-based NGO decided to help Hussain’s family solemnise the marriage of Kulsoma Bano. However, Hussain’s family has now rescheduled Kulsoma’s marriage and the date hasn’t been finalised as yet. “After going through The Tribune, we want to
help this family with the marriage of this girl who lost her brother, a brave soldier of the Army,” said Satpal Arora, founder member and chairman of Sewa Bharti. The NGO will provide gifts worth Rs 40,000, blankets, clothes, sweets and help the family arrange other requirements of the marriage,
said Arora. We would definitely come to Kishtwar to help the family, he added. He said Sewa Bharti, which is based in Kotkapura in Faridkot district of Punjab, has so far helped 310 girls in their marriages in the past 10 years. Besides solemnising marriages, the NGO also provides financial help of Rs 5,000 each to at least 50 widows every year. It has also opened a school for children living in slums in Bathinda. A decorated soldier, Hussain had been part of the Indian Army during a UN mission at Lebanon from November 14, 2008, to September 14, 2009. Belonging to a poor
family, Hussain had been enrolled in the 159 Infantry Battalion (Territorial Army) (Home and Hearth) Dogra on January 14, 2004. |
||
|
Police recruits 132 youths
Srinagar, May 15 Body recovered
in Angoikot The Bandipora police recovered the body of 23-year-old Noorie Begum, wife of Abdul Rehman of Gujran Tulail in Angoikot. The police has initiated inquest proceedings. The body of Noorie was handed over to her relatives for the last rites.
|
||
|
Governor for effective use of communication technology
Srinagar, May 15 He was inaugurating a two-day national seminar on “Television and New Communication Technologies - The Changing Paradigm of Education” organised by the Educational Multimedia Research Centre (EMMRC), University of Kashmir, here today. The Governor sought to take necessary steps for catching up with the rapidly advancing frontiers of knowledge. “This can be done through effective utilisation of communication technology so that less advantaged boys and girls in the remote areas receive the same quality of learning, as is available to the economically better placed students living in the urban centre,” the Governor said. He suggested that the university could produce programmes based on experts’ lectures on various topics and telecast or broadcast these on a given day for the benefit of students studying in remote areas of the state. Referring to the evolution of television and the revolution in communication technology in the country in the past years, the Governor said this had paved the way for spread of education through the medium of INSAT and, thereafter, through a number of education channels, some of which ran round-the-clock education programmes. He observed that we have travelled a long distance in spreading education through the medium of communication technology through country-wide classrooms (CWCR) programme and TV channels telecasting knowledge-based programmes. The Governor, who is the Chancellor of the university, complimented Vice-Chancellor Talat Ahmad for taking the initiative of inviting well-known academicians and experts in various fields to visit the university to speak to the students and share their experiences on varied subjects with the faculty and students. He said the EMMRC could produce programmes on identified issues and subjects to enlarge awareness among the people of the state and those living in other states. Such programmes could particularly benefit the people of the state in getting to know various programmes and policies aimed at their development and welfare. He said the EMMRC had been requested to produce a programme for Amarnath yatra pilgrims to educate them about do’s and don’ts of the yatra. The Governor felicitated Prof Manzoor-ul-Amin, founder Head of the EMMRC, University of Kashmir, by presenting to him a memento and a shawl. He complimented the university for inviting Prof Amin to address the seminar and recalled his valued contribution to the growth of broadcasting systems in the country. |
||
|
Boosting Tourism
Srinagar, May 15 “We know the basic problems and how the issues can be tackled. Only if all stakeholders, including the hoteliers, are consulted in the decision-making and planning, the tourism sector can be developed fully,” chairman of the Hoteliers’ Club Mushtaq Chaya told The Tribune today. Chaya was elected chairman of the Hoteliers’ Club, a guild of Valley-based top hoteliers, last week. Incidentally, Tourism Minister Nawang Rigzin Jora has said the Valley was expecting two million visitors this year. When asked about the problems faced by visitors in finding accommodation during the peak tourism season in the Valley, Chaya said: “The issue can be addressed when we are given freedom to set up more hotels and renovate the present ones. But we face many problems while seeking permission in this regard.” “We seek no special favours from the government. We are not against the government either but their policies towards us are not favourable. The issue can be addressed only when we are involved in the decision-making,” he added. Treasurer of the Hoteliers’ Club Sajid Farooq said the government should also come up with an eco-friendly plan so that hotels were set up in restricted areas. “In many foreign countries, hotels are set up at prime spots. Here, constructions at many prime tourist areas are not allowed due to environmental concerns. This issue needs to be addressed as it can further boost the tourism sector,” he said. Chaya said the main aim behind the setting up of the Hoteliers’ Club was to address the issues faced by them that would eventually develop the tourism sector. He said the development of the hotel infrastructure would also generate employment in the state. |
||
|
Lashkar posters surface in another Kashmir town
Srinagar, May 15 Sources said the posters stated that those mentioned in the list would be “killed” any time for their “association” with security agencies. After the posters appeared, panic gripped the township located on the Srinagar-Baramulla national highway. The police has started the investigation to ascertain the authenticity of the posters. “We have started investigation into the matter and a case under the Unlawful Activities Act has been registered,” said the Station House Officer, Pattan, Mohammad Abdullah. “We have questioned a few persons but so far no one has been arrested,” he added. Police sources, however, said the handwritten posters issued by Abu Talha, District Commander, and Javid Khan, Tehsil Commander for Pattan, did not look genuine. It was also not mentioned whether these commanders belonged to the LeT or Hizb. “It can be the result of an internal rivalry. But we are still looking into the matter,” said a senior police officer in Baramulla. While the police in north Kashmir is suspecting that these posters have not been “really issued” by the outfits, the police in south Kashmir’s Pulwama district -- where the LeT posters had threatened panches and sarpanches in April -- has concluded that the posters were not genuine. “We had picked up three boys, but they were later released. Also the logo of the LeT that was on the posters pasted in Pulwama was not the actual logo of the outfit,” said Superintendent of Police, Pulwama, Amit Kumar.
|
||
|
Tamper-proof number plates
Jammu, May 15 The state government has decided to again approach the Supreme Court to seek extension of two months for implementation of the project. It has also imposed a penalty of Rs 10 lakh on Hyderbad-based company Promuk Horffmann International Limited (PHIL) for its failure to start the project. “We have terminated the agreement with PHIL as it failed to implement the project within the stipulated time. We have also imposed a penalty of Rs 10 lakh on the firm,” the Transport Commissioner and Chairman, state transport authority, Mehraj Ahmed Kakroo, told The Tribune over phone from Srinagar. The Transport Commissioner disclosed that they had decided to engage the second-lowest bidder for the task. “We are finalising the agreement with the second firm and it has been asked to start process by June-end,” he said. On the possibility of getting a contempt notice from the Supreme Court after the state’s failure to meet the April 30 deadline, Kakroo said he had asked the state counsel to approach the Supreme Court for further extension for the implementation of the project. “We will seek more time from the Supreme Court so that the new bidder can easily start the process of implementing the tamper-proof number plate project,” Kakroo maintained. The Transport Commissioner hoped that all vehicles (new and old) in twin capital cities of Jammu and Srinagar would simultaneously start getting HSRNPs from the first week of July. The Tribune had recently reported that the state’s transport department was contemplating a fresh bidding process. It had stated that the state government could approach the Supreme Court for further extension following the possibility of a second contempt notice. The Supreme Court had directed various states and union territories to start the tamper-proof number plate system by April 30 for new vehicles and by June 15 for old vehicles. On July 27 last year, the state transport department had started the process of implementing the HSRNP system. It had awarded the tender for fastening HSRNPs in all the vehicles in November 2011. Despite the lapse of almost six months, the department failed to put in place a “comprehensive mechanism” of implementing the Supreme Court guidelines. Earlier, it had served two show cause notices to PHIL, seeking explanation from the firm on the delay in the process of setting up of embossing stations and affixation centres --- a pre-requisite for fastening the tamper-proof number plates on vehicles. The fixing of HSRNPs holds significance in the terrorism-hit state, where vehicles with ‘fake numbers’ are used by militant outfits. The state has over nine lakh vehicles — private as well as commercial — with nearly 70,000 fresh vehicles hitting the roads annually. The tamper-proof plates make tracking down of stolen vehicles easier. If somebody makes an attempt to remove or replace the number plate, it will break the snap lock making it impossible to install any other number plate in the vehicle. |
|
| HOME PAGE | |
Punjab | Haryana | Jammu & Kashmir |
Himachal Pradesh | Regional Briefs |
Nation | Opinions | | Business | Sports | World | Letters | Chandigarh | Ludhiana | Delhi | | Calendar | Weather | Archive | Subscribe | E-mail | |
Rajouri, May 15
Srinagar, May 15
Two militant outfits Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) and Hizbul Mujahideen have warned residents against “working as informers” and participating in the local bodies elections. This is almost a month after posters, reportedly pasted by LeT militants, had surfaced in south Kashmir, asking elected panches and sarpanches to resign or “face the consequences”. The handwritten Urdu posters in Pattan, jointly issued by the LeT and Hizb, have identified 13 local residents, including political workers and truck drivers, for allegedly working with various security agencies.