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Stray animals take over parks
Mughal Road a safe passage for bovine smugglers
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Yatris stranded as snag
hits 2 buses
In the forefront of rescue operations
Missing man’s body recovered
City eating joints evolve with changing times
More wait for Kargil students
Campus abuzz with activity
MP congratulates Soz, Farooq
Glittering Stars, UCC record wins
Govt figures misleading: Gupta
Naib Subedar Chuni Lal’s statue unveiled
SSA implementation reviewed in Rajouri
Salathia assails PDP
Pandits pay homage to Vaishnavi
Cycling trials conducted
Maharashtra pip DFA Sopore
Challenger Club in semifinal
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Stray animals take over parks
Jammu, July 8 The park at Satwari Chowk, which has a statue of Mahatma Gandhi, currently acts as a resting ground for over half a dozen cows and dogs, as officials refuse to take steps to make the place animal-free. “While ministers and leaders garland the statue during major national functions, they ignore the memorial for the rest of the year. As a result, the park becomes a garbage dump,” said Subash Sharma, a local resident. Stray animals have become a major hazard on the city roads, as they have resulted in a number of accidents. Though the municipal corporation has been organising special drives to remove such animals, in the absence of strong laws and a proper cattle pound, they are back on the roads in no time. The situation has further been compounded by the municipal corporation plan to commercialise one of the two cattle pounds in the city. And the proposal to establish one in the Dili area on the outskirts of city is facing opposition from the local residents. “On an average, 10 stray cattle are captured every day but in the absence of any facility to secure them, employees release them in the forest areas on the outskirts of the city. The animals soon make their way back to the city,” said Gopal Sharma, a trader in Rehari Colony. These unclaimed and unsold animals are usually released near the forests at Jajjar Kotli, Samba Rakh, Purmandal and Akhnoor and often fall prey to bovine smugglers. Though the area of the city has grown from 30 km in 1980 to 112 km now, people living in the surrounding villages rear cattle and let these off on roads, creating problems for commuters. |
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Mughal Road a safe passage for bovine smugglers
Poonch, July 8 Since the beginning of the construction of the Mughal Road, the route has remained a safe passage for drug as well as bovine smugglers. The police has even arrested some drug smugglers on this route. A driver belonging to Chandimarh said: “This traditional route is used by Gujjars and Bakkarwals of the Jammu region to reach the hilly areas of the Valley during April-September every year. Taking advantage of the annual movement of Gujjars and Bakkarwals, some bovine smugglers of the Jammu region use it to smuggle animals to the Valley.” “As there is no police picket from Thanna Mandi in Rajouri to Pir ki Gali and from Pir ki Gali to Heer Pura in Shopian district in the Valley, bovine smugglers find no difficulty in supplying the animals to their contacts in the Valley. They easily cross the only police picket at Pir ki Gali.” Due to strict vigil on the Jammu-Srinagar national highway via Udhampur, bovine smugglers choose the Mughal Road to reach the Valley. “During daytime, some people can be spotted herding cattle on the Mughal Road. As the night falls, hordes of animals are ferried in vehicles on this route,” a source said. Last year, the Surankote police had arrested some bovine smugglers in the Bafliaz area and seized their vehicles. But they were released after some time, a source added. Different religious organisations have raised their concerns over the issue with the state government, but nothing had been done to check the smuggling of animals. Poonch SP Shamsheer Hussain said: “The issue of smuggling of bovine animals to the Kashmir valley via the Mughal Road has not been brought to my notice so far. If it happens, we will take prompt action.”
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Yatris stranded as snag
hits 2 buses
Batote, July 8 A part of the convoy, however, had crossed the Jawahar Tunnel when reports last came in. Sources in the traffic police said an SRTC bus (JK 02 Y 436) carrying 50 passengers developed a snag at Jakheni in Udhampur in the morning. The passengers were shifted to a spare bus to complete the onward journey. Around 2 pm, another bus (PB 01 7786) carrying 48 passengers broke down between Kud and Patnitop. As a result, a part of the convoy carrying passengers and securitymen remained stranded on the Ramban side of the tunnel. Sources said a bus had been arranged from Udhampur to carry the stranded passengers further. It was yet to reach the scene till the last reports came in. “As no yatri vehicle is allowed to go beyond the Jawahar Tunnel after 6 pm, the convoy will be halted either at Ramban or Shaitani nullah in Banihal. They will join the convoy tomorrow,” said Ramban Deputy Commissioner SA Bhat. DIG (Ramban, Doda, Kishtwar range) Garib Dass said: “If the yatris insist on entering the Valley today, the police can make special arrangements for them, as securitymen are accompanying them.” |
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In the forefront of rescue operations
Batote, July 8 On April 14, the body of Rizwana Begum (22) was recovered by divers and volunteers of the Indian Red Cross Society, after the quick response team set up for the purpose stopped the flow of water for an hour. Rizwana along with her mother, brother and a cousin (driver) had drowned in the river after their Tata Sumo skidded off the highway. Three others are still missing. But there are many others whose bodies have not been retrieved despite all efforts. Mohd Nasrullah of Keri Baramulla had drowned after the truck he was driving fell into the Chenab near Mehad, Ramban, on April 18. “In 2008, we had saved the lives of five labourers, including driver Mohd Ashraf, who got stranded while extracting sand from the central basin of the river. A cloudburst in Doda flooded the river and the five remained trapped on the roof of a tipper (JK 14 A 6860). We retrieved them after the flow of water was stopped from the dam,” said MA Wani, chairman, Chenab Youth Association, Ramban, whose 22 members are associated with the Indian Red Cross Society as volunteers.
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Missing man’s body recovered
Jammu, July 8 A missing person’s report was registered at the Gangyal police station on July 4. |
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City eating joints evolve with changing times
Jammu, July 8 Till a few years ago, school and college-going girls would have thought twice before entering a popular café joint, thinking it to be unfit for children from “cultured” families. But this is a thing of the past now. At a time when Jammu is witnessing modernisation in every field, eating joints have evolved from being merely family hangouts to joints catering to the youth, offering not just different cuisines but also unique ambiance. Youngsters who are now frequently exposed to the culinary culture of the metros are demanding more than just different dishes from their restaurants. Even a café joint is expected to serve more than the usual variety of coffees and other goodies. People are no longer shy of experimenting with different cuisines and are rather critical when good service is not provided to them. Jammu is now opening up to the café culture wherein one can see people from all age groups getting together over a cup of coffee and snacks to discuss anything ranging from new fashion trends to business plans. They are no longer being perceived as uncouth places to be avoided by children. A student from class X pointed out: “As my mother is working, she often asks me to wait at a coffee house close to my school since it takes her half an hour to reach me on busy days. I enjoy the place not just because I love cold coffee but also because it is a refreshing change from other places we go to. It is quite vibrant and full of people my age.” “I come to new restaurants because I like to experiment with various cuisines. Even though the variety is limited in the city, it is heartening to know that new places are coming up and people are visiting these to experience new food and ambience. We need to work on quality, but with time all restaurants in the city will be as good as those in metros,” said Rajeev Shukla, a café owner. |
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More wait for Kargil students
Jammu, July 8 The four-storey hostel building, which has been under construction since 2009, is nowhere close to completion in the absence of electricity and water supply. As a result, the students from Kargil have to depend on expensive rented accommodations during their stay in Jammu. Shakeel Ahmad, president, Kargil Students Association and a second-year student at Jammu University, blamed the Autonomous Kargil Hill Development Council for the delay in the completion of the project. Kacho Chief Executive Officer Ahmad Ali Khan confirmed that the project had not been completed despite the two-month extension, as the hill body had no money to pay the Rs 2.5-crore bill of the contractor. The work on fixing the electricity and water supply in the building was pending, without any sign of getting completed in the near future, he added. Expressing concern over the welfare of students, Shakeel Ahmad said: “We were told that the hostels would be ready by March. The deadline was later extended to April 20, still no action was taken. They have flouted the extended two-month deadline as well. It is discouraging to know that no one is interested in our welfare. The students who were expecting occupancy in the hostels have vacated their rented accommodations, but the situation is precarious since they cannot move into the hostel, which awaits internal fittings.” The students are mostly from lower middle class families who cannot afford expensive rents in the city. These students spend around eight months in the city, paying hefty rents and at times facing harassment at the hands of landlords. In such a situation, the student body looks at the autonomous body and their elected representatives to help them overcome the challenges of living away from home. Transport Minister Qamar Ali Akhoon, who hails from Kargil, said: “Though I have no knowledge of the pending payment to be made to the contractor, I will look into the matter. The hostel should be ready soon.” |
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Campus abuzz with activity
In addition to the arrangements made by the University officials to deal with the crowds, student bodies such as the National Secular Forum also pitched in to assist students in the admission process. As pointed out by NSF President, Vikas Sharma, an information booth was set up where 25 volunteers helped the students with various queries related to admission forms. On the third and the busiest day of admissions close to 800 forms were attested by a Professors who volunteered with NSF. The volunteers helped students reach the correct department for requisite work, fill in the correct form according to their requirement and understand other nuances of admission. “Our aim of setting up the information booth was to assist new comers with the admission formalities. Since most of the students are unaware about the layout of the campus ground and do not know where to go for what work, especially when it comes to attesting their forms, we volunteered to help them with the various hurdles which comes in the way. Today was a rather busy day for us since almost every student came to us for form attestation. We will be available for this work on campus on Monday as well”, said Vikas Sharma. “It is has been the busiest day so far but we are expecting more students to come in on Monday. The challenge for us is to work judiciously in the face of frequent power cuts and uncomfortable weather conditions”, said a University official, dealing with admission process. Most students were dealing with admission formalities on their own for the first time. It was exhilarating as well as anxious experience for the students who had traveled to Jammu from peripheral regions such as Poonch, Rajouri, Kargil and Leh in order to get admission at the university. Ayaaz Ahmad, a 20 year old youth, traveled to Jammu from Baramullah to become the first from his family to get admission in Geography course. “I want to study further so that I can contribute towards my family income and help make a better future for all of us. The Information desk on campus grounds was very helpful as we do not know the University area that well.”
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MP congratulates Soz, Farooq
Rajouri, July 8 Speaking to mediapersons on the sidelines of an OBC convention here, Sharma said both were senior leaders of the state and had proved themselves with their work and experience. The Congress and the National Conference (NC) are engaged in a battle to bag the post. While Congress's Prof Saif-ud-Din Soz is being considered at various levels as Hamid Anasri’s replacement, the latest one to throw his hat in the ring is Dr Farooq Abdullah. Sharma, who was on a week-long tour of the town to review Central schemes, expressed concern over the status of the schemes in far-flung areas. He said: “I am not happy with the work being done at the ground level. We have failed to create awareness amongst the people about various schemes. Our officers concerned are also not taking their job seriously.” He admitted that there were a lot of loopholes in the schemes. He said funds sanctioned for the schemes by the Centre had lapsed owing to delays.
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‘Sher Pehlo Pehal Gaye’ staged
Jammu, July 8 Through the play, the audience was transported to the city life of Jammu in early forties, which the poet has depicted through the eyes of innocent villagers. The gap between city life and village life in earlier times was very beautifully presented. Pawan Verma and Dimple Sharma played the lead roles. They were supported by Mohd Yaseen, Sushil Raina Romila Basnet and Rohit Verma, who played different characters. The lights were operated by Rahul Singh. Sumeet Sharma coordinated the show and Pankush Verma presented the show. Natrang director, Balwant Thakur said, “Dinu Bhai Pant was indeed the most celebrated poet. He was one of the pioneers who worked for the movement of giving Dogri language proper acknowledgement and recognition and appreciation. It was indeed a befitting tribute to the Dogri legendary poet.”
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Glittering Stars, UCC record wins
Jammu, July 8 In another match, UCC defeated BCC by seven wickets. BCC won the toss and elected to bat. They scored 134 for loss of five wickets. Shahnawaz scored 39 runs. Rafiq took three wickets. In reply, UCC reached the target for the loss of three wickets. Javaid scored 59 runs. — TNS |
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Govt figures misleading: Gupta
Jammu, July 8 In a statement, Gupta pointed out that the report of the Union Home Ministry had put the population growth rate of Jammu and Kashmir quite lower than other parts of the country, but the Census figures presented a different story. The population of the state, especially that of the Valley, was growing at a much lighter rate than the national average. Gupta charged certain elements in the government of tinkering with the figures and pointed out that during the 2002 Assembly elections, Jammu had around 3 lakh more voters than those in the Valley. But during the past few years, a large number of Jammu voters had been deleted mysteriously while the number of voters in the Valley had gone up considerably. He said in certain areas, the number of registered voters was much higher than the Census figures and vice versa. Several names were missing, while some were incorporated in a foul manner, so much so that the names written in Urdu did not tally with the names and addresses in English, he added. Gupta urged the Election Commission and the Governor to go through the figures of the Census as well as of the electoral rolls to ascertain the facts.
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Naib Subedar Chuni Lal’s statue unveiled
Jammu, July 8 A large number of youngsters and schoolchildren of Bhaderwah attended the event. The dignitaries also felicitated Naib Subedar Chuni Lal’s widow Chinta Devi and his children. In June 2007, while commanding an ambush party near the LoC, Naib Subedar Chuni Lal was engaged in a fierce fire fight with militants. Though grievously hurt, he killed three of them before succumbing to his injuries. He was awarded Ashok Chakra (Posthumous) for displaying exceptional courage. Maj General Alex lauded the achievements of the brave soldier, who by making the supreme sacrifice made the Indian Army and people of the state proud. The statue would serve as an inspiration for the youth, he added.
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SSA implementation reviewed in Rajouri
Rajouri, July 8 Various interventions of the scheme such as opening of new primary schools, upgrade of primary schools to upper primary schools (middle school), engagement of Rehbar-e-Taleem (ReT), construction of school buildings, status of expenditure under revenue and capital components, training of teachers, status of Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya (KGBV), appointment of district/zonal/cluster resource persons and construction of zonal/cluster resource centres were discussed. The reasons for the non-completion of civil works were identified and ways and means were devised to clear the roadblocks. The DDC directed all ZEOs to work in coordination with the village education committees. The District Development Commissioner spelled out various formats for realistic and monitorable village-wise data collection, which would be maintained by the ZEOs after assessing the ground reality within 10 days. He also directed respective ZEOs to initiate corrective measures and accelerate the pace of work. Chief Education Officer ML Sharma, Assistant Commissioner (Revenue) Sachin Dev Singh, District Education Planning Officer, Rajouri, Deputy Chief Education Officer, HOD, DIET, Inderjeet Sharma, and all zonal education officers of the district attended the meeting.
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Salathia assails PDP
Jammu, July 8
While the leadership talked of idealism and high morals in the Assembly, the criminalisation and dictatorial political machinations in their constituencies have exposed them to the people at large.” He said the negative approach adopted by the PDP had shown the political and moral immaturity of its leadership. Slathia said: “The PDP leadership is now protesting against power crisis but during their own tenure, they did not add even a single MW of power, let alone initiate any power project.” On the current power scenario, he said it would take time to set things right by sustaining focussed attention. —
TNS |
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Pandits pay homage to Vaishnavi
Jammu, July 8 The gathering among others included Minister for Revenue and Relief Raman Bhalla, Dr Jitender Singh, Dr Nirmal Singh, Brig Suchet Singh, Dr Agnishekhar, Ashwani Kumar Chrungoo, BS Slathia, Ramesh Sabharwal, Dr RL Bhat, HN Jattu, HL Bhat, RK Raina, Virender Raina, Phoola Kaul, AK Braroo, KK Khosa and HL Chatta. The speakers described Vaishnavi as a binding force within the displaced community who as a doyen of nationalism was always at the forefront of the struggle in exile. They said Vaishnavi had been active since 1940s and played a major role in the Praja Parishad Movement in 1952-53, 1967 agitation of the Kashmiri Hindus and the Ladakh uprising. He went to jail a number of times during the period of emergency in 1975. As a pioneer leader, he led from the front during the period of exile and worked for the displaced community. He also associated himself with revolutionaries in Punjab. He used his stint in Pathankot, Handwara, Leh, Jammu and Srinagar to create national consciousness among the youth of the society. A memorial to the leader would be raised at an appropriate place in Jammu, the members said. |
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Cycling trials conducted
Jammu, July 8 The trials were conducted at MA Stadium in the presence of Om Parkash, Ravi Salgotra, Munish Sharma and Rahul Mehra. The selected players from Jammu Province will attend the conditioning camp along with their counterparts who have already been selected in the trials held in Kashmir Province. The selected players include Vikesh Kumar, Kuldeep Kumar, Ravinder Singh, Ajay Kumar, Chanchal Singh, Danish Gul, Atif Manzoor, Aakershit Pathak and Shubham Singh.
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Jammu, July 8 In the other matches played today, JKPDC-A defeated Safalo-A by 2-0. Kashmir Mughal defeated Punjabi University by 2-1 in an exciting contest. — TNS
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Jammu, July 8 Electing to bat first, after winning the toss, Challenger Club scored a total of 201 runs in the stipulated 20 overs by losing eight wickets in the process. Rakesh Koul played a brilliant innings of 51 runs off 27 balls, with six boundaries and two sixes. Manjeet contributed 47 runs off 21 balls. For Ishar XI, Sahil Sharma took three-wicket haul by conceding 33 runs in four overs. Sourab took two wickets. Ishar XI, in reply managed to score 95 runs in the allotted overs by losing eight wickets. Tushar Gurung, Vishal and Atul Sharma were the main contributors.For Challenger Club, Shiva and Manjeet Singh took two wickets each. Manjeet Singh was adjudged the man of the match. The match was officiated by Jimmy Mangotra and Vikas Bali as umpires. Srikant was the scorer. — TNS
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Jammu, July 8
With the district administration and police in deep slumber, the Mughal Road, an alternative route to the Valley, has become a safe passage for bovine smugglers, as no attempts are being made to check the illegal smuggling of animals.
Batote, July 8
Eating joints are no longer associated with food alone. They have become synonymous with style and uber cool culture amongst the youth who like to be seen in centrally air-conditioned, well-manicured eating or café joints when accompanied by friends or a special companion.
Jammu, July 8
Jammu, July 8