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Youth Cong elections Voters cast their ballots for the J&K Pradesh Youth Congress elections
in Jammu on Monday. Tribune photo: Inderjeet Singh
Infant Deaths
Cross-LoC trade via Poonch picks up
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Peace is colour, mood at Kheer Bhawani The decorated temple ahead of the Kheerbhawani
Mela at Tulamulla, 25 km from Srinagar.
5 dead, 1 hurt as Matador rolls down into gorge
The mangled remains of the Matador that fell into a gorge in Banihal on Monday.
Over four lakh tourists visited Kashmir so far this year: Omar
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah addresses a meeting of the Jammu and Kashmir State Level Bankers’ Committee in Srinagar on Monday. A Tribune photograph
BJP not averse to dialogue
with separatists on Kashmir issue
A Kashmiri Pandit presents a memorandum to BJP leader Rajnath Singh during his visit to Jagti township in Jammu on Monday. Tribune photo: Anand Sharma
Mela
Kheer Bhawan
Ashok Prasad likely to be new DGP
Lt Gen S A Hasnain, GOC, 15 Corps, with DGP Kuldeep Khoda after a meeting in Srinagar on Monday.
BJP asks govt to cut central tax on petrol
40,000 pilgrims visit Vaishno Devi shrine daily
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Youth Cong elections Tribune News Service Jammu, May 28 Over 6,000 members of the party would elect office-bearers of the JKPYC, including state president and presidents of Lok Sabha and Assembly constituencies. “There is enthusiasm among party workers to cast their votes and elect office-bearers of the JKPYC”, Pankaj Purnia, who has been assigned the job by the high command to conduct the elections, told The Tribune. He said after completion of the polling, the result of the Lok Sabha and Assembly constituencies would be announced on May 29, while counting for the votes for the post of state president would be held on May 31, at Srinagar. Before the beginning of the polling, leaders of both factions were avoiding open support to any candidate but on the eve of the elections both groups held separate meetings and announced support to their loyalists. Loyalists of Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) chief Saifuddin Soz convened a meeting on Sunday evening and announced support to Pranab Sharma for the post of state president. As elections of the Youth Congress have become an issue of prestige for the Soz loyalists, they “convinced” former National Student Union of India (NSUI) state president Rashid Choudhary to retire in favour of Pranab. Sources said Rashid Choudhary, who is also a Soz loyalist, was adamant about contesting elections but ultimately he was “convinced” by his group to retire. “I am supporting Pranab as candidate for state president of the Youth Congress,” Choudhary told The Tribune. Loyalists of Union Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad have put their weight behind Shahnawaz Choudhary. Azad loyalists are openly campaigning for Shahnawaz. Eleven candidates were in the fray for the post of state president of the Youth Congress but with the decision of Rashid Choudhary to retire, 10 have remained in the fray.
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Infant Deaths
Srinagar, May 28 The government was directed to file the status report by the High Court after two public interest litigation (PIL) petitions were submitted in the wake of the high number of
infant deaths at G B Pant Hospital. More than 380 children have died since January in the only tertiary childcare hospital in the Valley that caters to children up to the age of 15 years. Admitting the petitions today, the Division Bench comprising Justice Mansoor Mir and Justice Hasnain Masoodi also issued notices to the Commissioner Secretary, Health and Medical Education; Kashmir’s Divisional Commissioner; Director, Health Services, Kashmir; Deputy Commissioner, Srinagar; Principal, Government Medical College, Srinagar; and Superintendent, G B Pant Hospital; to submit the status of the hospital infrastructure and facilities available to the children being treated in the hospital. One of the petitions was filed by two child rights activists Rouf Mohi-ud-Din Malik and Tanveer Hussain Khan. Another PIL filed by Abdul Khaliq Sheikh from Baramula, through his counsel Mohammad Ashraf Wani, was treated by the Court as the common miscellaneous oetition (CMP) with the first PIL. The petitioners prayed to the High Court to direct the state government to order an inquiry into child deaths which took place at the hospital since January and also sought compensation for the victims who had died allegedly due to negligence. “Being conscious citizens of the state and respectable members of society, we are joining hands to project the recent deaths of infants as a social issue of grave concern before the Court,” one of the petitioners stated. The next day of hearing is scheduled for Friday. TWO PIL PETITIONS FILED
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Cross-LoC trade via Poonch picks up
Jammu, May 28 “Following instructions by the Union Home Secretary, the Customs Department is now responding positively to us. We are being allowed to export banana, mango and garlic to PoK,” said Pawan Anand, president of the cross-LoC Traders’ Association. Dry and green coconut has not yet been exported to PoK, he added. For the past more than two years the trade from Chakan-da-Bagh had come down to dry chilli only. Anand said after instructions from the Union Home Secretary, the number of trucks from Chakan-da-Bagh had been increased to 50 per day on trading days. “The trade has picked up from Chakan-da-Bagh, rekindling the hopes of Jammu-based traders, of a much healthier trade with PoK traders in the coming days,” said Anand. He hoped that the Home Secretary will live up to his promise of adding new merchandise to the export list to bring the cross-LoC trade back on the rails. “After the Home Secretary-level talks between India and Pakistan in Islamabad, we are eagerly awaiting the announcement of new items to be included in the export list to give a boost to the trade,” he said. Rajinder Vaid, another cross-LoC trader, said, “We are looking forward to a banking facility between the two sides to further strengthen the trade. If it happens, it will be a shot in the arm.” The cross-LoC traders in the state have been demanding banking and communication facilities, travel permits to visit PoK to see the quality of merchandise and fix rates before placing orders for their imports. The trade takes place four days a week from Tuesday to Friday.
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5 dead, 1 hurt as Matador rolls down into gorge
Jammu, May 28 The Matador was on its way from Chapnari to
Banihal. The accident happened when the driver lost control of the vehicle while he was negotiating a curve. Soon after receiving information about the accident, SP
(Ramban), Anil Magotra reached the spot along with police personnel and started a rescue operation. The passengers on board the vehicle were shifted to a hospital in
Banihal. The deceased have been identified as Jeevan Singh, a resident of
Chapnari, Hajra Begum, a resident of Bankote, Reshma, a resident of
Amkote, Mushtaq Ahmed, a resident of Chapnari, and Sharda Devi, a resident of
Chapnari. The bodies of the dead were handed over to their families for last rites. |
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Peace is colour, mood at Kheer Bhawani Srinagar, May 28 Peace is preordained, say pilgrims, who in their hundreds have descended on Tulamulla (Ganderbal) for the annual ritual. Over 30,000 pilgrims, mainly Kashmiri Pandits, have already arrived. Thousands more are expected to converge at the shrine tomorrow. The festival is celebrated on Jayeshth Ashtami according to the Hindu calendar, which falls in May-June every year. Pilgrims say the colour of the water in the natural spring has remained creamy for the past few years, which means peaceful days. “In the case of natural or man-made calamity, it becomes dark,” said a pilgrim. “Way back in 1945-46, when Maharaja Hari Singh visited the shrine, the colour had turned pink,” he said. Tulamulla village is decorated with a number of stalls put up by local Muslims selling “pooja samagri.” The sleepy village had a substantial population of Pandits before militancy erupted in the 1990s. “In case of fair weather conditions, there would be no problem in accommodating pilgrims,” said Moti Lal Bhat, additional secretary of the J&K Dharmarth Trust, headed by Dr Karan Singh. Most pilgrims would be accommodated in tents. The authorities have also provided accommodation in school buildings. The district administration has offered various other facilities, including additional water, power and ration supply. The health department has been directed to keep doctors and medical staff ready with adequate stock of medicines.
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Over four lakh tourists visited Kashmir so far this year: Omar
Srinagar, May 28 “As against 1.4 lakh visitors visiting the Valley during this period last year, the figure this year has touched over four lakh,” Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said while addressing the 85th meeting of the Jammu and Kashmir State Level Bankers’ Committee (SLBC) here today. The Valley had received a record number of 13.14 lakh tourists last year while the government hopes to receive around 20 lakh visitors this year. While giving the figures, Omar urged the bankers to play a constructive role to boost the tourism sector. “Banks have to play their part in helping traders in this field to develop befitting infrastructure and transport facilities. You can advance loans for tourist vehicles, buses and other transport in this sector,” Omar said. He also urged the bankers to “do more” to check the flow of capital from the state while extending loans to priority sectors like agriculture, handicrafts, education and entrepreneurship development. He said the growth registered in the deposits should reflect its positive impact on the credit flow to ensure benefits to the people especially in the priority sector. “When there will be gap between deposits accumulation and credit flow then an important question arises for bankers to explain. It is also difficult for the government and the people to understand this hiatus in the process of normal banking procedure and practice,” he added. Minister for Finance Abdul Rahim Rather also spoke at the bankers’ meet. “We observe remarkable growth of deposits in the banks but the flow of credit has shown a decline. This is the area of concern and bankers have to focus on this issue,” he said. The minister also urged the bankers to work for achieving the national benchmark of 18 per cent of the total credit for the agriculture sector. |
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BJP not averse to dialogue with separatists on Kashmir issue
Jammu, May 28 “We are here to hold interactions with all sections of society with an open mind. We are not adopting a pick-and-choose policy while meeting with people,” former national president of the party Rajnath Singh, who is heading the BJP Parliamentarians Study Group on Jammu and Kashmir, told mediapersons. When asked whether the BJP Study Group would meet leaders of separatist organisations, including the Hurriyat Conference, Singh said: “We are selective in our process. Our doors are open to anyone for dialogue”. He, however, said they would neither approach nor extend invitation to any organisation. “So far we have met with at least 60 delegations from different parts of the state, including Kashmir. We wouldn’t mind if leader of any separatist organisation came and met us,” he said, adding that they had set a target to meet the maximum number of people so as make the final report more comprehensive by incorporating the wishes and aspirations of all sections of society. Singh said, “The aim of this study is to formulate an updated report for the solution of Kashmir problem by involving all stakeholders.” The problem of Jammu and Kashmir was complex and multi-dimensional in nature which should be solved under the purview of the India Constitution, he added. Terming the report prepared by the three interlocutors appointed by the Union government on Jammu and Kashmir as “ambiguous” and full of flaws, Singh argued that the report should have been made public during the Parliament session so as to generate a national-level debate on it. He said the interlocutors’ report was biased because wishes of most of the stakeholders had been ignored. “The aspirations of the people of Jammu and Ladakh have been completely ignored in the interlocutors’ report. Similarly, nothing has been proposed to solve the long-pending demands of the Scheduled Tribes, Scheduled Castes and Other Backward Classes of the state”, he pointed out. After interacting with a cross-section of people in the Jammu region for three days, the BJP delegation will visit Srinagar on June 1 and 2 to interact with members of different groups there. The BJP had formulated a Study Group of Parliamentarians in 2011 to conduct a grass-root level study to feel the pulse of the aspirations of the people here. The group was formulated on the pattern of the interlocutors’ group appointed by the Union government. The study group will submit its report to national president of the party Nitin
Gadkari. |
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Mela Kheer
Bhawan
Srinagar, May 28 The Governor prayed for sustained peace, amity, progress and prosperity in the state. He observed that the festival was a shining example of communal harmony and brotherhood, which were the hallmarks of the glorious pluralistic ethos of Jammu and Kashmir since centuries. The Governor prayed for the well-being of the people of the state. The Chief Minister also wished for the well-being of the people and prayed for peace and development in the state. Union Minister for New and Renewable Energy Farooq Abdullah also greeted the people on the occasion of Mela Kheer Bhawani, calling it an illustration of communal harmony. Farooq said the mela was a rare symbol of brotherhood between the Hindus and the Muslims. He directed the administration to ensure that all facilities were provided to the pilgrims so that they could perform the ‘darshan’ hassle-free. Minister for Finance and Ladakh Affairs Abdul Rahim Rather said the festival was the hallmark of our rich cultural ethos, depicting the centuries-old tradition of religious harmony and brotherhood. He said the Kashmiri Pandits were an important segment of the Kashmiri ethos. State secretary of the CPM MY Tarigami in his message said the occasion reflected the rich tradition of communal harmony and brotherhood, which stood the test of times even during militancy in the state. “The Kashmiri Pandits are a ‘jugular vein’ of the secular fabric of the Kashmiri culture and ethos,” Tarigami said. |
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Ashok Prasad likely to be new DGP
Jammu, May 28 Khoda will attain superannuation on May 31. “Though no official letter has been issued as yet by the Ministry of Home Affairs but it is almost certain that Ashok Prasad will be the new DGP of Jammu and Kashmir,” a senior bureaucrat, who wished anonymity, told The Tribune. A 1979-batch IPS officer of the Andhra Pradesh cadre, Prasad had been initially posted as Deputy Director of the IB in Srinagar in 2001 and was subsequently promoted as Additional Director and sent again to Jammu and Kashmir, said official sources. Since becoming Additional Director, he has been in Jammu and Kashmir for his second tenure for over a year now, they added. “Having worked here during his first tenure and being well versed with dynamics of Kashmir, he will not face any difficulties in handling the challenges of the new job,” said an IB official. Prasad is posted in Srinagar and may take over the charge from the outgoing DGP Kuldeep Khoda on June 1 in Srinagar itself, said the sources. The Ministry of Home Affairs is likely to put its seal on Prasad’s name in a day or two, the sources added. Hailing from Bihar, Prasad was awarded the President’s Medal in 1999. Besides Prasad, the names of two other IPS officers were also under the consideration of the MHA. They were Arun Chowdhary, a 1977-batch IPS officer of the Bihar cadre, and PM Nair, a 1978-batch IPS officer, also of the Bihar cadre.
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Core Group discusses security
Srinagar, May 28 Addressing the meeting, Lt Gen Hasnain recalled the contribution of Kuldeep Khoda towards security in the state over the last 20 years in various capacities and complimented the security forces and intelligence agencies on the high level of synergy and commitment in attending to the security needs of the Valley. The humane approach of all and one has acted as a major enabler of peace, he added. The DGP, while addressing the gathering, elaborated on the key security issues. Officers from various forces presented their analytical inputs on the internal and external dimensions of security and reviewed the security arrangements in place. There was also a detailed discussion on the preparations and security for the Amarnath
yatra.
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BJP asks govt to cut central tax on petrol
Jammu, May 28 “Instead of asking states to curtail taxes on petrol, the Union Government should cut the central tax to reduce the price of petrol,” former national president of the BJP Rajnath Singh told mediapersons here. “The states have already very nominal tax resources so the Centre should take some step to reduce the prices of petrol,” he said. He said the prices of petrol would come down in case the Centre cuts its tax. Singh defended the decision of the NDA to call for a Bharat bandh on May 31, saying the people were fed up with the steep hike in the prices of essential commodities. He also came out in support of Kadapa MP Jagan Mohan Reddy and leader of YRS Congress, who was taken into custody by the CBI. He said it was a glaring example of the political vendetta and vindictive politics of the UPA regime.
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40,000 pilgrims visit Vaishno Devi shrine daily
Katra, May 28 “The number of pilgrims has reached 45,000 in the last couple of days, forcing the suspension of the pilgrimage. The pilgrims are now being stopped at Katra. They are allowed to move only once the rush on the 12-km trek and in the shrine thins out,” Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board (SMVDSB) officials said. The officials said the SMVDSB was taking care of facilities like boarding, lodging, food, security, water and electricity to cope up with the heavy influx of the pilgrims. An estimated 44,000 pilgrims paid obeisance at the shrine today while 5,000 pilgrims were stopped at Katra. “We expect 40,000 pilgrims daily during the summer vacation months. The number could rise on weekends,” said an official of the SMVDSB. The number of pilgrims visiting the shrine annually had crossed the 10 million mark last year while the number of pilgrims who have visited the shrine so far this year is 36 lakh.
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the Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Youth Congress
today, infighting between the two warring factions of the state unit of the Congress has intensified.
Srinagar, May 28
Five passengers were killed when the Matador in which they were travelling skidded off the road and rolled down into a 500-foot gorge near the Bankote link road in Ramban district this afternoon. The driver of the vehicle suffered injuries.
The Matador was on its way from Chapnari to Banihal. The accident happened when the driver lost control of the vehicle while he was negotiating a curve.
Even
as around 20 lakh tourists are expected to visit Kashmir this year, over four
lakh visitors have already arrived here so far. “As against 1.4 lakh visitors visiting the Valley during this period last year, the figure this year has touched over four lakh,” Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said.
Jammu,
May 28
