|
|
|
|
|
Panchayats a strong tool to fight corruption: Minister
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar defends Amarnath yatra schedule
Justice Kumar to take oath as CJ on June 8
Tourists shouldn’t be fleeced, says Omar
Katra-Qazigund rail project on track
|
|
|
Azad sanctions Rs
2 cr for Srinagar hospital
Lt Gen Hasnain briefs Guv
Cabinet nod to 380 more posts for airport security
Transfers in administration
Once a battleground, LoC post now receives tourist footfalls
Railway station fave haunt of crime groups
Smuggling of timber on the rise in Poonch
HC dismisses petitions filed by PRIST varsity students
50 bikes seized during drive against motorcyclists
Industries in Jammu hit by frequent power cuts
Home Ministry official meets Guv
Some are playing spoilsport
VHP activists continue to protest
State BJP leaders told to reach out to masses in Jammu region
Migrant Pandits find no progress in Kashmir since 1990
Signs of rift within Youth Congress
|
|
Panchayats a strong tool to fight corruption: Minister
Srinagar, June 6
Addressing a press conference here, the minister said the NC-led coalition government had fulfilled most of its commitments made during the last Assembly elections. The aim was to empower the people and strengthen the democratic structure at the ground level. He said despite the 2010 unrest and objections from certain quarters, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah had taken a bold decision to conduct the panchayat elections. It was for the first time after a gap of over three decades that more than 90 per cent of people had participated in the elections, Sagar pointed out. The minister said several measures had been taken to empower the panchayats and referred to Chief Minister Omar Abdullah’s review of the implementation of orders regarding the transfer of powers. The Chief Minister had yesterday reviewed the implementation of all the government orders issued since last year regarding the empowerment of panchayats. It was stated that the Additional District Development Commissioners had been made in charge officers to daily monitor the government orders. Sagar announced that Rs 115 crore had been released for the construction of about 1,800 damaged “panchayat ghars”. Dwelling on the importance of panches and sarpanches in the development sector, the minister said over 35,000 of them were contributing to the development works. |
||
|
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar defends Amarnath yatra schedule
Srinagar, June 5
“The weather report presented to us shows that there is heavy snow and the Army is helpless to clear the tracks right now. The present situation is very dangerous for the yatris who want to undertake the pilgrimage. I know that due to past history there is suspicion, but I would like to assure people that there is no pressure and that me and other saints would have stepped down from the Shrine Board a long time ago if that was the case. The government is all willing and cooperative,” the spiritual guru said in a statement that was released today by the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board (SASB) here. Sri Sri Ravi Shankar heads the subcommittee that had decided the dates of this year’s Amarnath yatra, which is scheduled to commence from June 25. He said the date had been decided after taking into consideration logistics, weather conditions and the preparedness to host thousands of pilgrims. “I would like to clarify to Shiv bhaktas, who are eager to go on the Amarnath yatra, that we sincerely wanted to start the yatra from Jayesth Purnima onwards. There is no pressure on us from any individual or organisation. It is purely a logistical challenge to ensure the safety of the yatris,” Sri Sri Ravi Shankar said. He urged the government to make the Baltal route “weather proof” so that the yatra could be performed with “greater safety and security”. Promises 60-day yatra next year
Even as there is no let-up in protests over the duration of the Amarnath yatra, the issue is being hotly debated on the micro-blogging website, Twitter. The debate was triggered by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah’s tweet yesterday when he pointed out that the early resumption of the pilgrimage was not possible due to heavy accumulation of snow on the yatra routes. While Omar got support from spiritual guru Sri Sri Ravi Shankar’s twitter profile, which is managed by his (Sri Sri’s) office, their followers refused to buy their arguments. “Sir, why to restrict the activity of pilgrimage by u in the first place? U r not going there anyway so better not restrict it,” said Vijay Pandita after Omar invited a debate on the duration of the yatra. However, the Chief Minister reiterated that the yatra duration was decided by a subcommittee headed by Sri Sri. To this, a follower questioned why Omar was “passing the buck” to Sri Sri Ravi Shankar. Meanwhile, Omar termed Sri Sri Ravi Shankar’s statement as “excellent”. Sri Sri Ravi Shankar had stated: “Date of commencement of Sri Amarnath Yatra to last week of June was decided after studying all records and consulting all stakeholders.” Sri Sri Ravi Shankar also promised that next year the yatra would be held over a period of two months. “I appeal to the people not to agitate or court arrest. Next year, we will have 60 days’ yatra as Jayesth Purnima comes 15 days later,” he tweeted. |
||
|
Justice Kumar to take oath as CJ on June 8
Governor NN Vohra will administer oath to acting Chief Justice of the Punjab and Haryana High Court Justice MM Kumar as the 31st Chief Justice of the High Court on June 8 in Srinagar. Justice Kumar is the second Judge of the Punjab and Haryana High Court who has been elevated as the Chief Justice of the Jammu and Kashmir High Court. Prior to Justice Kumar, Justice SS Kang of the Punjab and Haryana High Court was administered oath as the Chief Justice of the J&K High Court on October 24, 1989. Justice Kang continued in office till May 14, 1993. Justice Kumar says: “Those were tough times, but now the condition has improved significantly and the Chief Justice can look forward to deliver justice in a more congenial atmosphere.” The acting Chief Justice of the Jammu and Kashmir High Court, Justice Virender Singh, is also from the Punjab and Haryana High Court. He was transferred to the Jammu and Kashmir High Court and assumed office on April 19, 2007. He was appointed as the acting Chief Justice of the J&K High Court on April 2 after Justice FM Ibrahim Kalifullah was elevated to the Supreme Court. Justice Kumar is expected to leave for Srinagar tomorrow morning. He was accorded a farewell by employees of the Punjab and Haryana High Court today. Employees of the Punjab and Haryana High Court broke into ‘bhangra’ and also placed a green turban on Justice Kumar’s head. The farewell celebration was christened “bhangra-salaam”. The ceremony began with employees’ union president Hemant Singh Walia doling out praises for Justice Kumar. Walia described him as an excellent judge, who had worked for the welfare of the employees.
|
||
|
Tourists shouldn’t be fleeced, says Omar
Srinagar, June 6 “The tourist boon at present should not be utilised wrongly. There are complaints against transport operators and hoteliers. You should not try to indulge in profiteering and unreasonable practices while dealing with tourists who are our guests. They should not take bad taste with them but return happy that would encourage them to come again and again,” he said while addressing a gathering at Tangmarg in Baramulla district of north Kashmir after laying the foundation of the mini secretariat in the area. The Chief Minister’s advice to the tourism sector comes a day after a tourist had registered a complaint on Omar’s Twitter account about his bitter experience during his visit to Kashmir. While the tourist had called Jammu and Kashmir a “state of cheats”, Omar had apologised while saying there were “bad apples in every lot”. Underscoring the importance of peace in generation of economic activities and carrying forward development on the fast tract, he said: “Peaceful and conducive atmosphere catapults development and enables every household to receive its share in the overall economic growth and employment creation.” “The benefits of a peaceful 2011 in the shape of faster development, successful tourist season, historic panchayat elections, enactment of public empowerment legislations and anti-corruption measures are visible before everyone,” Omar added. The Chief Minister also said he was regularly monitoring the status of panchayat empowerment. “In a high-level meeting yesterday I received complete details of the powers transferred to panchayats by these departments through government orders,” he said. Omar said the mini secretariat in Tangmarg would be highly useful for the people as it would house all departments under one roof and relieve people of going from one place to another to get their works done in different departments. Speaking on the occasion, Minister for Agriculture Ghulam Hassan Mir thanked the Chief Minister for granting the mini secretariat to the people of Tangmarg and said it would prove highly beneficial for the area and its residents. Minister for Revenue Raman Bhalla said the mini secretariat coming up in an area of 25 kanals would cost around Rs 40.47
crore.
|
||
|
Katra-Qazigund rail project on track
Katra, June 6 The work has brought cheer to thousands associated with the project as they have been re-employed. The Udhampur-Qazigund rail line project was announced 17 years ago in 1995 and there have been cost overruns since then. The delay in completing the project has led to cost escalation, necessitating sanction of more money. The work on the 119-km Qazigund-Baramulla section was completed in 2009, while the work on the Udhampur-Katra section (25 km) has been delayed and is likely to be completed in 2013. The Katra-Qazigund section (148 km) will be completed by 2017, whereas the Jammu-Udhampur section (54 km) is already operational. The project, which was declared a National Project in 2002, is likely to give a major boost to the economy of the state. Difficult terrain and topography have posed technological challenges to Konkan Railway and IRCON, which are involved in the construction of rail line in these mountainous ranges. Although the project was initially scheduled to be completed by 2007, complications related to construction pushed back the schedule to 2017. The excavation work on the 11-km tunnel, the longest in the country, through the Pir Panjal range was over in October last year.
|
||
|
Azad sanctions Rs
2 cr for Srinagar hospital
The funds were sanctioned by Azad during his visit to G B Pant Hospital here today. “The funds have been sanctioned for purchasing equipment,” Azad told reporters after visiting the hospital. The Health Minister also said that deficiencies in the hospital had been removed. —
TNS
Lt Gen Hasnain briefs Guv
Srinagar, June 6 Lt Gen Hasnain also briefed the Governor about the overall security situation in the Valley.
Cabinet nod to 380 more posts for airport security
Srinagar, June 6 Sources said the posts approved include that of Deputy Superintendent of Police, Inspectors, Sub-Inspector, Assistant Sub-Inspectors, Head Constable and Constable for both airports. The additional posts have been approved to upgrade the security at two strategically important airports of the state. The Cabinet approved the creation of the additional posts on the proposal of the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security.
Srinagar, June 6 Itrat Hussain Rafiqi, Joint Director, Information, Kashmir, has been transferred and posted as the Additional District Development Commissioner, Ganderbal, against the available vacancy. Mohammad Afzal Bhat, Member, J&K Services Selection Board (JKSSB), has been assigned the charge of the post of the Chairman of the JKSSB, in addition to his own duties till further orders.
|
||
|
Once a battleground, LoC post now receives tourist footfalls
Kaman Post (LoC), June 6 Almost every day, a large number of locals as well as domestic tourists visit the Kaman Post in Baramulla district to get a first hand account of the historical place. They click pictures at Aman Sethu (Peace Bridge) which connects Srinagar with Muzaffarabad in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). Some of the visitors even wave at Pakistani soldiers whose bunkers are visible from the Bridge and they too reciprocate the gesture.
“Every day almost 20 to 30 persons, mostly youngsters, visit this last point on the LoC in Kashmir. We issue special passes to the visitors,” said the General Officer Commanding (GOC), 19 Infantry Division, Maj Gen Bipin Rawat. “We also get requests from various schools in the Valley for allowing their students to make a trip to the Kaman Post. If the number of children is more, we divide them into two or three groups.” The Baramulla-based 19 Infantry Division of the Army is the nodal agency that issues permits to visitors to visit the Kaman Post. For those who visit the last point at the LoC, it becomes a memorable experience. “I have been hearing a lot about the LoC and Kaman Post for the last few years and I was lucky to see the historical place this year,” said Tariq Ahmed, a school teacher from Baramulla. “I could have never dreamt of seeing the LoC so closely as earlier this area was a battleground. It is because of peace between India and Pakistan that common people are allowed to go near the LoC.” Not only locals but domestic tourists too are keen to see the Peace Bridge. “I along with my family had come to Kashmir a few days ago and I visited tourist places like Gulmarg, Pahalgam and Mughal Gardens but I must say that visiting Kaman was exciting,” said Arun Kumar, a resident of Chandigarh, who was seen clicking pictures with Army jawans and officers at the Kaman Post. The experience of visiting the Kaman Post is however not like seeing any other scenic place in the Valley, as it presents a grim reminder of the violence on the border. “I was hit by a Pakistani bullet on July 25, 2010,” reads two stickers pasted near three bullet holes on the glass panel inside the Army base referred to as “view point”. Army officers at the view point brief visitors about the Peace Bridge and history of the Kaman Post. “Even though there is peace here, but bullet holes are a reminder of the violent past,” said another visitor at the view point.
|
||
|
Railway station fave haunt of crime groups
Jammu, June 6 The number of passengers reaching Jammu Railway Station goes up to one lakh per day during the yatra season. Sources at Jammu Railway Station said many crime groups, including Zahar-Khurani, pick-pocket gangs, thieves and smugglers, try to take advantage of overcrowded trains and platforms. Police sources said they had some inputs regarding the crime groups and a course of action was being decided accordingly. Shiv Kumar, SSP, Government Railway Police (GRP), said they were prepared to tackle such situations and had started making people aware of the facts concerning such groups. He said, “We have deployed our commando teams at platform number I and II. Women squads have also been deployed for assistance. We are in touch with the intelligence agencies.” Asked about the specific security arrangements, he said a special branch of the GRP was already active. “Our teams also coordinate with the CRPF, RPF and the Army for better surveillance,” he added. He said the GRP would establish an exclusive control room for Amarnath pilgrims. “The special control room would cater to pilgrims only. We have also written to the authorities concerned for providing medical facilities during the yatra,” said Kumar. |
||
|
Smuggling of timber on the rise in Poonch
Poonch, June 6 The acute shortage of staff in the Forest Department and non-availability of guards at forests check posts are encouraging smuggling of timber. “The felling of trees and smuggling of timber to various areas in Poonch and to other districts, besides smuggling of forest products like ‘guchhi’, ‘banaksha’ and ‘kuth’ (herbs) is going on unabated. Hunting activities which had decreased due to militancy have again gained momentum. The department concerned is turning a blind eye to the problem,” locals in Mandi and Surankote told the Tribune. They said the market value of guchhi was Rs 20,000 to 25,000 per kg. The hunting activities are being carried out by smugglers in Marhot, Hari Budha, Sabjian, Loran Bafliaz, Mughal Road areas, Dehra ki Gali, lower Krishna Ghati and Tota Ki Gali. The smuggling of forest products and timber is going on unchecked in Surankote, Mendhar and Haveli tehsils in the district. Out of the five check posts, the main four forest check posts, Chandak, Surankote, Krishna Ghati and Mendhar are without guards. The Chandak check post has become a safe haven for gamblers and drug addicts. The Forest Department on the complaints of local residents had apprehended some gamblers, but failed to put an end to it. Villagers had raised the issue of non-availability of guards at the check posts, but all in vain. “Smugglers ferry illicit timber in vehicles, which pass through unmanned check posts established by the Forest department at Chandak, Surankote, Krishna Ghati and Mendhar without any hindrance,” the locals said and added that this was being done allegedly with the connivance of some officials of the Forest Department. The smugglers cut trees in the broad daylight in far-flung areas. “We apprised the senior officials concerned about the felling of trees in the area, but nothing was done about it,” residents said. The residents had urged the senior officials of the department to take strict action against the people and save the forest cover. On the condition of anonymity, an agent working for the timber mafia told The Tribune that on behalf of some BPL families they apply for a tree to renovate their houses and when they get the permission, they manage to cut more trees with the consent of some department officials. “Poonch district needs many check posts on all routes. The check posts which have already been established are unmanned or understaffed and the staff cannot work round-the-clock.” sources said. Divisional Forest Officer, Poonch, Harmohinder Singh said, “The acute shortage of staff has disturbed the functioning of the department. In Poonch we are trying to run the department with limited staff.” “We have constituted flying squads, which regularly visit the areas, especially Chandak, Surankote, Krishna Ghati and the Mughal road,” said Singh. Chief Conservator of Forests, J&K, Vinod Ranjan said, “If the check posts in Poonch are without guards, it is unfortunate. I will inquire into the matter. The shortage of staff definitely hinders the functioning of the system. The vacant posts will be filled soon, as the recruitment process is on.” |
||
|
HC dismisses petitions filed by PRIST varsity students
Srinagar, June 6 The decision of the court is likely to pave the way for the release of the selection list of general line teachers. The selection list was withheld by the State Service Selection Recruitment Board (SSRB), which was waiting for the court’s decision. While dismissing the 31 petitions which were clubbed by the High Court, Justice Mansoor Ahmad Mir directed the Chief Secretary of the state to hold an inquiry to determine how these degrees were obtained and later issued by the concerned university to students. The petitions had sought directions to the government and the SSRB for considering degrees issued by the PRIST University and other such universities for selections in various government departments. The SSRB had rejected the certificates of the PRIST University by claiming that the degrees issued through distance mode were not valid. The government had told the court that they would consider only those distance mode degrees, which were recognised by the University of Kashmir, University of Jammu and the University Grants Commission. The High Court on May 1 had reserved the judgment in the PRIST University case after completion of arguments by counsels representing various parties. |
||
|
50 bikes seized during drive against motorcyclists
Srinagar, June 6 Deputy Inspector General (DIG), Traffic, Shafqat Watali said the drive was launched after the police received many complaints against rash driving by motorcyclists. “The bikers were booked for dangerous driving, for not wearing helmets,driving without regist-ration papers and triple
riding. Nearly 150 bikes were seized,” the DIG said. “The drive against motorcyclists would continue in the days ahead,” he said. The Traffic Police has also penalised 500 motorcyclists for various violations. In the past three days, four youngsters were killed in two separate road accidents across the Valley, involving motorcyclists. Chief Minister Omar Abdullah was passing through the Foreshore road on June 3, when an accident involving a biker took place in which two persons were killed. “...Just saw a young 17/18 year old boy crash his motorcycle while riding like a lunatic. I hope he and the others with him survive,” Omar had written on the Twitter on June 3. “When will bikers/scooterists realise that wearing a helmet is not a favour
to the government & may save their lives one day,” Omar wrote in his second tweet. It was after these accidents that the Traffic Police launched the drive against motorcyclists involved in rash driving. Sources said the Traffic Police was also contemplating to launch a similar drive against Tipper and Sumo drivers. |
||
|
Industries in Jammu hit by frequent power cuts
Jammu, June 6 “The Bari Brahmana industrial estate alone contributes Rs 100 crore of power revenue to the state every year. But unscheduled power cuts and poor voltage have adversely affected our productivity. The estate has 500 industrial units,” said president of the Bari Brahmana Industrial Association Anil Suri. He attributed the frequent power cuts to poor maintenance of ageing infrastructure. “If the government spends even one per cent of the revenue being contributed by the industrial sector, we would be able to increase our productivity, which will in turn increase the revenue,” Suri said. He said to give an impetus to industries in the geographically-disadvantaged Jammu and Kashmir, the State Electricity Regulatory Commission (SERC) had issued a directive to the state government to ensure quality power supply for at least 22 hours a day. “That still remains a distant dream. The Bari Brahmana industrial estate alone incurs an average of 14 per cent T&D losses,” he said. The state today incurs an average of 52 per cent T&D losses. The industrial estates in Bari-Brahmana, Gangyal, Birpur, Digiana, Samba and Kathua across the Jammu region are completely metered by the Power Development Department (PDD). “Despite 14 per cent T&D losses, maximum contribution to power revenue and complete metering, industrial units are not getting quality power for 22 hours,” he said. He said in the state industrial policy of 2004, the state government had announced an incentive of cheap and quality power to industrialists. “Now the state government is banking upon R-APDRP (Restructured Accelerated Power Development Reform Programme) and tells us that when it gets Rs 1,700 crore package from the Centre, the priority would be given to the industrial sector,” he said. Minister of State for Power Shabir Ahmed Khan and Chief Engineer, PDD, Shehnaz Goni could not be reached for comments despite several attempts. |
||
|
Home Ministry official meets Guv
Srinagar, June 5 “During the meeting, Chadha briefed the Governor about his aerial reconnaissance of the yatra route and the deployments being made for providing effective security arrangements for this year’s yatra along the Chandanwari and Baltal routes,” an official said. The Governor also discussed with Chadha the importance of traffic regulation during the yatra period, which would also be the peak tourist arrival season in the Valley. Chadha informed the Governor that the matter had been reviewed as additional security forces were being provided to the state for effective arrangements. Chadha was accompanied by K Skandan, Joint Secretary (Kashmir), Union Ministry of Home Affairs.
|
||
|
Some are playing spoilsport
Jammu, June 5 It can snow and rain anytime and there are no shelters to save pilgrims from the hostile elements at the heights, which are simply inaccessible at this Even if that is seen as an excuse, a recall of the pilgrimage to the shrine in August 1996 would reveal a sad story: more than 240 pilgrims and porters were killed by avalanches, snow and rain that year. It was simply because there Facilities have improved after the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board was set up. But, again nature has its own ways. Till date more than 300,000 people have registered themselves for the pilgrimage this year and the registration is not yet over. Almost every day, the SASB is monitoring the situation on a hour-to-hour basis. Governor N N Vohra has undertaken aerial surveys, and interacted with officials and the locals on the ground. Despite an eager wait for the start of the yatra by locals, who have benefited economically from the pilgrimage all these years, they are aware that the snow and rains can affect the schedule. Till date even the nomads have not been able to make it close to the shrine area. Usually, they are the first to reach there. “I am surprised that some people are talking of pressure coming from politicians for the curtailment of the duration of the pilgrimage,” said Radhe Sham, a regular visitor to the shrine. “How can any human being intervene in divine matters,” he asked. The groups that have made it an issue of divinity versus politics could not travel to the cave shrine when they were given choppers to do so last year. They returned after performing “puja” at Panchtarni, 7 km short of the cave . Raising temperatures on such a sensitive issue would help only those who want peace to become a casualty. Faith moves mountains, but there are only humans who are clearing the tracks which go up to 14,500 feet (Mahagunus pass) before descending and then again climbing up to the shrine at 13,500 feet. |
||
|
VHP activists continue to protest
Jammu, June 6 The protesters led by senior VHP leader Surinder Jain assembled at Parade Chowk and raised slogans, accusing the state government of hurting the sentiments of the people by curtailing the yatra duration to 39 days. They also had a minor scuffle with the police after the former attempted to take out a protest march. Police personnel rounded up the protesters and bundled them into State Road Transport Corporation (SRTC) buses and took them to Amarnath Yatri Niwas in Bhagwati Nagar. Talking to mediapersons, Surinder Jain lashed out at Chief Minister Omar Abdullah for his tweet wherein he had slammed those demanding early start of the Amarnath yatra. “This protest will not stop here... we will take it to the national level. We will submit memorandums to the President, Prime Minister and the Home Minister to seek their personal intervention into the issue,” Jain said.
|
||
|
State BJP leaders told to reach out to masses in Jammu region
Jammu, June 6 During a review meeting of the party today, Koul, RSS parcharak (full-timer), who was deputed in the party, expressed his dissatisfaction over the performance of the party, in taking up peoples’ issues effectively. He advised the leadership to be more aggressive in taking up issues of the people. Sources in the BJP said after taking the charge as the organisation secretary, Koul had been watching the activities of all leaders. “In today’s meeting, he hinted that he was not satisfied with the performance of the state unit of the party,” the sources said and added
that the party high command was worried over poor turnout in many programmes organised by the party recently. “On the one hand, a breakaway group of the party under the banner of the Jammu Kashmir Democratic Forum has been giving threats to the party, while on the other hand the party has failed to revive the sagging morale of the cadre,” the sources said. Koul has been especially deputed by the RSS in the BJP to “save” the party. During the last one year, especially after the cross-voting episode of April 2011, the credibility of the BJP has reached its lowest ebb. A handout issued here today said the party had announced many agitation programmes in the coming days to strengthen its base. The party has decided to hold protests all over the state from June 23 to July 6 against the report of the three interlocutors. The BJP has termed the report of the interlocutors as highly objectionable and against the integration of the country. The party has also announced another series of protests against the unprecedented hike in the prices of essential commodities. Process on to elect state president |
||
|
Migrant Pandits find no progress in Kashmir since 1990
Srinagar, June 6 “I am shocked to see that there has been almost no development here since 1990. The roads are the same, same potholes, same old buses and same heaps of garbage lying on the roadsides. Every day we hear reports of the Centre pumping crores of rupees into Kashmir. Where is that money?” said S K Bhat, a displaced Pandit settled in New Delhi, who had returned to the Valley after 22 years to attend Mela Kheer Bhawani last week. Ashok Kumar, who is settled in Jammu, said: “I prayed at Tulmulla after more than two decades and then visited parts of Srinagar city. Even though it was nostalgic for me to find no change in the places I visited, it is unfortunate that there has been no forward movement as far as the development activities are concerned.” “Barring a small flyover near the Secretariat, which I feel has been constructed for the convenience of ministers and bureaucrats, I found no change in the city’s infrastructure,” he added. Another Pandit, on condition of anonymity, said: “I am settled in New Delhi and go abroad frequently. I had forgotten walking through muddy roads and narrow lanes where human excreta flows in open drains. But, I experienced all this once again after visiting Srinagar’s old city areas. I wonder what the state government is doing! The Centre should seek an answer from the state as it cannot always befool others by giving a lame excuse of volatile situation.” Incidentally, a huge chunk of the Central funds go unutilised in the state every year. Union Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad too had recently pointed out that the state government was not properly utilising the money sanctioned by the Centre while commenting on the healthcare system in the wake of the rising infant deaths at GB Panth Hospital here. “We should all feel ashamed of it (infant deaths). Heath is a state subject and we should be more careful. We (Centre) can only provide help but to look into the matters in depth is the work of the state. We have been providing them money... the state government needs to look at it,” Azad had said. |
||
|
Signs of rift within Youth Congress
Jammu, June 6 Vice-president Pranab Shagotra and general secretaries R S Pathania and Rashid Choudhary were absent from the first “official” function which was organised by the Youth Congress to felicitate the newly elected JKPYC president and other office-bearers. “We had invited all senior leaders and activists of the Youth Congress, including the newly elected office-bearers, to the function,” Shahnawaz told The Tribune. When asked why some elected members were absent from the function, Shahnawaz replied: “We announced the programme at a very short notice. Some of our colleagues might have had some prior appointments so they could not come for the function.” He, however, reiterated that he would try to take everyone with him to strengthen the party. R S Pathania, however, said he was not formally invited to the function. “Firstly, I was busy with other functions in Ramnagar assembly segment. Secondly, I was not formally invited. So, I did not attend the function at Jammu,” he said. A similar reply came from Rashid Choudhary. “Neither was I formally invited nor was I aware that any official function of the Youth Congress was going to be held at the Pradesh Congress headquarters at Jammu”, he said. The noticeable absence in Tuesday’s function was that of Pranab Shagotra, who gave a tough fight to Shahnawaz in the election for the post of president and lost by a narrow margin. “Actually I was not in town so it was not possible for me to attend the function,” Shagotra told The Tribune. Sources in the JKPYC said serious differences have been cropped up in the party because elections to the state body were fought bitterly. Instead of taking the elections as purely an organisational matter, warring factions within the party had made these elections an issue of prestige. |
|
| 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 | |
Kaman Post (LoC), June 6
Chandigarh, June 5
Srinagar, June 6
The process to elect the new state president of the BJP was started today. Organisational secretary of the party Ashok Koul announced that the party would start a membership drive from June 14. The membership drive is the first step in the process. The incumbent state president, Shamsher Singh Manhas, will complete his term in December this year. 