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Step up medical aid 3-fold on yatra routes, says SC
Amarnath yatra
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Board fails to complete selection process of teachers
rehabilitation policy for ‘misguided’ youth
Deficient monsoon to hit basmati yield in Jammu
Fire at mosque sparks protest
600 youth get job letters under Centre sponsored programme
Vakil fires fresh salvo at Irrigation Minister
District Sports Councils to be constituted soon, says Minister
Zubin keen to perform in J-K, says music has power to heal
Zubin Mehta
disaster management
BJP takes MoS for Consumer Affairs to task
Vikram Grewal
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Step up medical aid 3-fold on yatra routes, says SC
New Delhi, July 23 A Bench comprising Justices BS Chauhan and Swatanter Kumar said it was “very sad and shocking’ that pilgrims of all ages continued to die due to lack of medical facilities. There was need for scaling up the medical aid three-fold on all routes to the shrine as the toll had gone up from 84 to 97 within three-four days, it observed. The Bench said the iron railings at the shrine were preventing the pilgrims from having a clear view of the Shivaling, besides absorbing and radiating the heat, generated by the visitors, into the shrine. The Special High Powered Committee (SHPC), headed by Governor NN Vohra, who is also Chairman of the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board, should consider replacing these railings with fibreglass or other scientifically permissible transparent material to facilitate clear ‘darshan’ and prevent melting of the deity (Shivaling), the apex court said in the order. Further, the Bench clarified that a team of the SHPC should inspect the routes and the shrine for assessing the steps required to make the pilgrimage hazard-free during the current season without suspending the yatra. “We are hopeful that the committee would take expeditious steps” to check the casualties, the Bench said in the order, passed to issue “further directions.” On July 20, the Bench had set up the SHPC for suggesting measures for improving the amenities for the pilgrims in order to minimise the casualties. The committee includes the Secretaries of the Union Ministries of Environment and Forest, Home and Health and the Chief Secretary of Jammu and Kashmir. The state Chief Secretary will be the nodal officer for making arrangements for the committee’s meetings and submitting the recommendations to the SC. The other members are the DGPs of Jammu and Kashmir, Central Reserve Police Force, Border Security Force and the Border Roads Organisation, besides the state’s Home Secretary and Public Works Department Secretary. WHAT Apex court said Iron railings at the shrine are preventing the pilgrims from having a clear view of the Shivaling, besides absorbing and radiating the heat, generated by the visitors, into the shrine Consider replacing iron railings with fibreglass or other scientifically permissible transparent material to facilitate clear ‘darshan’ and prevent melting of the deity
(Shivaling) A team of the Special High Powered Committee should inspect the routes and the shrine for assessing the steps required to make the pilgrimage hazard-free without suspending the yatra |
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Amarnath yatra
Srinagar, July 23 Mahant Deependra Giri led the puja at the Amreshwar temple at the Dashnami Akhara this evening. The holy mace of Lord Shiva is being kept for the public darshan at the temple for the next four days before it starts its main course of pilgrimage on July 28. Led by Mahant Deependra
Giri, the holy mace would be taken via Anantnag, Pahalgam-Chandanwari to the Amaranth cave shrine for the concluding function on August 2. The
yatra, which began on June 25, concludes on Shravan Poornima coinciding with Raksha Bandhan on August 2. A total of 5,74,923 devotees have had darshan of the Shivalingam so far. |
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Board fails to complete selection process of teachers
Jammu, July 23 Barring Kathua district, the JKSSB has released the provisional selection lists of teachers for all the districts of the state. It has also failed to complete the verification process. The provisional selection lists, which were released eight months ago, have not been recommended to the government for appointment of selected candidates so far. In December 2010, the state government vide notification number 7 of 2010 had advertised posts of teachers in the state. 2000 posts were advertised in Jammu division and 2,500 posts in Kashmir division. “I was working in one of the reputed private schools in the city, but the authorities didn’t continue my contract for the next academic session, after they noticed my name in the provisional selection list that was announced some eight months ago. The school authorities said it would be difficult for them to recruit a new teacher during the mid-session. I was rendered jobless and the government has not yet issued appointment letters to us,” a candidate, who wished anonymity told The Tribune. Rakesh Kumar, a candidate who had appeared in the interview for the post of teacher in Kathua district in May 2011, said: “The interview process was completed on June 15, 2011. There was a court stay on the list, which has caused a lot of mental agony to the candidates.” Recently some reports suggested that the local education department had decided to appoint some private teachers on a “part time basis” to run classes in Kathua district following shortage of teachers, he said. “We are frustrated with such a lengthy selection process. We appeal to the chairman of the SSRB to pursue the case. Though the case was heard several times, but the court didn’t pronounce any verdict. Any further delay in the list will cause more frustration to the candidates,” he said. A senior Education Department official requesting anonymity lashed out at the JKSSB for delaying the selection process. “I had a heated exchange with the Board officials several times for their failure to finalise the process. We are facing a shortage of teachers and the selected candidates have been undergoing mental torture for the last one year. The Board has turned a deaf ear towards our pleas,” the official said. The Board said various petitions in the High Court and the lengthy verification process had delayed the selection process. Imam Din, secretary, JKSSB, said following the court verdict, a thorough verification process to check the genuineness of documents and candidates particulars was being done. He said it would take some time to finalise the process before the Board recommended the lists to the government. “As far as Kathua district is concerned, we are pleading the case on the same analogy, as we pleaded in Kashmir division. We are hopeful that the court would treat the pleas from Kathua district on the same lines,” he said. |
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rehabilitation policy for ‘misguided’ youth
Jammu, July 23 Three militants of the Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) and Hizb-ul-Mujahideen along with their families tried to enter the state from Hamirpur-Bhimber Gali belt along the LoC in Poonch district late last night, said an Army officer. “Since, they adopted an illegal route to enter the state to seek the benefits of the rehabilitation policy, we pushed them back in the evening,” the officer said. The militants were identified as 22-year-old Maroof Iqbal, 21-year-old Javaid Iqbal (both from Hizb) and 25-year-old Showkat Ali, his wife Shamida Kouser (22), his two children Khalid and Umar. The militants had SIM cards, cellphones, passports from Pakistan and other items but nothing incriminating, said the officer. The militants had crossed over to PoK for arms training and were living in the Kotli, Muzaffarabad and Mirpur belts of PoK. Incidentally, the security forces in the state want a foolproof mechanism in place to ensure return of only genuine and real natives of Kashmir. The state government in consultation with the Union government had announced the rehabilitation policy in 2010. Subsequently, the government had selected four entry points, namely Poonch-Rawalakote, Uri-Muzaffarabad, Wagah in Punjab and Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi, for the return of “misguided” youth. “While this group tried to enter via the LoC, there are several Kashmiri militants who are returning via Nepal. This practice should be checked and they should be monitored 24x7 by the police. A slight laxity could spoil our efforts to bring normalcy in the state,” said the officer. A Hizb militant, Tanveer Ahmed of Doda, had returned via Nepal only to be arrested on May 16 this year from a hideout along with arms and ammunition. Four entry Points The state government in consultation with the Union government had announced the rehabilitation policy for misguided youth in 2010 The government had selected four entry points, namely Poonch-Rawalakote, Uri-Muzaffarabad, Wagah in Punjab and Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi, for the return of “misguided” youth |
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Deficient monsoon to hit basmati yield in Jammu
Jammu, July 23 Against the backdrop of a deficient monsoon, the basmati growers across the RS Pura region describe the situation as “very alarming”. “Leave aside a bumper crop this time around, the transplantation of basmati paddy is not close to even 10 per cent. The situation is really grim and we urge the government to announce a special package under the food security mission for basmati growers,” Choudhary Dev Raj, president of the RS Pura Basmati Growers Association, told The Tribune. Dev Raj said the situation could still be salvaged to some extent if the region received rain for the next one week. In the given scenario, basmati growers should be compensated and given an immediate relief of Rs 1,000 per kanal, he added. According to a rough estimate, nearly 2.50 lakh families in the RS Pura, Bishnah and Marh areas eke out a living by cultivating basmati. “During a normal monsoon in the past, we had been cultivating basmati on 42,000 hectares in the region producing some 2.50 lakh metric tonnes of basmati but this year a weak monsoon coupled with the apathetic attitude of the state government has compounded our problems,” said Dev Raj. Incidentally, the state government had decided to increase the cultivation of the world famous basmati to 60,000 hectares. “Amidst 45 per cent deficient monsoon this year, the government, which boasts of increasing the cultivation of basmati, has so far failed to provide us electricity and irrigation facilities,” said another basmati grower and president of the Jammu and Kashmir Kissan Council, Tejinder Singh. A week ago, basmati growers had met Agriculture Minister Ghulam Hassan Mir over the issue but nothing positive emerged from the meeting. The vagaries of weather in the form of deficit rainfall have already hit us hard, he said. Singh said tube-wells alone could not solve the problem. “For transplanting paddy and to ensure aroma and sheen of the basmati, there should be at least four to five inches of stagnant water in the field,” he said. “If we don’t get rains in the next seven days not only will the basmati cultivation be severely hit but 65 per cent of the vegetable crop will also be ruined,” Singh said. He said in the times of climate change, more and more funds should be sanctioned by the government for putting in place a proper system of irrigation. Time has come for the government to formulate a strategy keeping in view the climate change, he added. However, Agriculture Minister Ghulam Hassan Mir felt that a deficient monsoon hadn’t had any major impact on basmati growers as yet. “I have already asked the officials concerned to ensure a proper supply of electricity so that ground water could be utilised,” said Mir. “We will also ensure to make available irrigation water via canals to meet the requirement,” he added. Grainy truth Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, on March 4 last year, had said the government needed to focus its attention on basmati in RS
Pura. At present, five varieties of basmati rice ---Ranbir, Sanwal, Pussa-2511, hybrid PHB-71, and Basmati-370 --- are being cultivated in J&K. In 2010-11, about 63 metric tonnes of basmati was exported from the state. There has been 45 % rain deficit in Jammu region Poonch district has been the worst hit with a 62 % rain deficit. |
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Ashok Prasad takes over as DGP
Srinagar, July 23 Soon after taking over, Prasad called on Chief Minister Omar Abdullah here this afternoon and discussed with him matters relating to the police. The 1979-batch IPS officer of the Andhra Pradesh-cadre was Additional Director in the Intelligence Bureau (IB). He has worked in Jammu and Kashmir during the two decades of his service. On his arrival at the Police Headquarters (PHQ), he was received by Additional Directors General K Rajendra Kumar, PL Gupta, Ram Lubhaya and SP Vaid and other senior police officers. The new DGP was presented a guard of honour by contingents of the Armed Police at the PHQ lawns. He was given a warm welcome by the PHQ staff. Prasad was born in 1956 in Bihar and was inducted in the Andhra Pradesh-Cadre of the IPS in 1979. He has served in various positions in many states, including Punjab and the Naxal-hit states. He has served in Jammu and Kashmir as the Deputy Director and Additional Director, IB, Kashmir. Prasad took over the charge from Additional Director General of Police K Rajendra Kumar, who was holding the post since June 1, as the in-charge DGP. After assuming charge, Prasad held a meeting at which Rajendra introduced him to senior police officers. While interacting with the police officers he inquired from them about the functioning of their respective wings. Each officer gave a brief to the DGP about his respective wing. The DGP asked them to furnish requirements, if any, to the PHQ so that they were fulfilled to enhance the working capabilities of the organisation. The meeting was attended by Inspectors General of Police SM Sahai, Owais Ahmed, B Srinivas, HK Lohia, Deepak Kumar, Rauf-ul-Hassan, Abdul Gani Mir, M Sulaiman Salaria, Sunil Kumar Sharma, KK Saini, PR Manhas, Yoginder Koul, Alok Puri, Muneer Ahmed Khan, and AQ Manhas, Deputy Inspectors General of Police AS Bali, RP Resutra, Syed Ahfadul Mujtaba, Abdul Hamid and Shakeel Ahmed Beig and AIG (Personnel) Ghulam Hassan Bhat and other police officers. In the evening, the DGP called on Governor NN Vohra here. The Governor discussed with him important internal security management issues, including matters relating to the ongoing Amarnath yatra. The Governor wished Prasad a successful tenure. |
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Fire at mosque sparks protest
Srinagar, July 23 A fire broke out at a single-storeyed Hanfia Masjid at Ahongam village in Beerwah last night. “The newly fabricated windows that were kept there and had to be used during construction were damaged in the fire,” a police spokesman said. Even as the fire was brought under control with the help of fire tenders and the local police, eyewitnesses said people of the area, who were alleging that the mosque had been torched, staged protests in the morning. The protesters were then assured by the police that anybody found guilty would be punished. The police also registered an FIR under Section 457,436,427 and 511 of the RPC at the Beerwah police station. When asked if the mosque had been torched or if it had caught fire by chance, the Senior Superintendent of Police, Budgam, Uttam Chand, said it was too early to comment on the matter and investigations were on. Last week, a mysterious fire had damaged the Baba Hanief-ud-Din shrine in Budgam district. So far, no major headway has been made in the investigation into the incident. “We are investigating the matter. No arrests have been made so far,” said the SSP, Budgam. The fire incidents follow the gutting of the revered shrine of Pir Dastageer Sahab at the Khanyar area of the city last month that had triggered widespread protests.
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600 youth get job letters under Centre sponsored programme
Srinagar, July 23 The first batch of 1,059 youth was given placement letters under the programme in December 2011. The programme will impart training and provide jobs to one lakh youth of the state over a period of five years. The programme was worked out by a committee headed by Dr C Rangarajan, which was constituted by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in 2010. Speaking on the occasion at the JK Entrepreneurship Development Institute (EDI) at Pampore near here today, the Union Minister for Rural Development announced an enhancement in the post placement support for boys and girls, who have been provided jobs in companies within and outside the state, after receiving training under the programme. The Union Minister raised the monthly financial support from Rs 1,000 to Rs 2,000 per person and increased the stipend period from two to six months. Now, each beneficiary would get Rs 12,000 instead of Rs 2,000. The Union Minister said his Ministry would facilitate accommodation facilities for the youth of J&K outside the state and involve more private companies in the programme. He said imparting training to 7,000 youth and facilitating their placement in various companies within and outside the state was their target this year. He said IL&FC, Don Bosco, India Can and CAP Foundation were the training-cum-placement providers for the selected youth under the programme. He said 2,431 youth were given training in the first two batches. Jairam said his Ministry would provide all possible support in addressing unemployment in the state. Underlining the Himayat programme as a right initiative to tackle the unemployment crisis in the state, Omar emphasised the need for keeping it out of all interventions and influences and making merit the only criterion for the selection of deserving youth. The Chief Minister said his government had flagged skill development and employability enhancement as important aspects to the open job orbit for the youth of Jammu and Kashmir outside the government sector. He said government jobs were not the answer to the unemployment problem. “We have to create new avenues for the youth and enhance their employability to get jobs in the private sector easily,” he said, adding that ‘Udaan’ and ‘Himayat’ programmes have been launched to achieve the target. |
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Vakil fires fresh salvo at Irrigation Minister
Jammu, July 23 All India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretary and in-charge Jammu and Kashmir Mohan Parkash told The Tribune that the party high command had taken a serious note of the on-going developments. When asked whether Taj Mohiuddin had taken the party high command into confidence while approaching the state government for according a sanction to prosecute Vakil, Parkash refused to comment. “The high command is investigating all the aspects,” he said. Buoyed by the response of his supporters, Vakil has intensified the campaign against Taj for allegedly indulging in corrupt
practices. A large number of Vakil’s supporters thronged his house on Sunday and offered support to him in his “war against corruption”. As his supporters were asking him to take the fight to streets, Vakil announced to start a mass contact programme to expose corruption in the government. “I have decided to visit various areas of the state to mobilise public opinion against corruption,” Vakil told The Tribune, adding, “My campaign is not against any individual, but against the corrupt system. He claimed that he was getting overwhelming response of the public in his war against corruption.” Although Vakil said his fight was not against any individual, he fired a fresh salvo at Taj and charged him with encroaching the government land. “I have enough proof in this regard,” he claimed and added that the party high command has already been informed about rampant corruption in the government. Vakil said Taj had not taken the party leadership into confidence while approaching the government to accord sanction to prosecute him (Vakil). “While the party high command had directed both of us not to go public and stop war of words, Taj has approached the government to prosecute me,” Vakil said. Taj and Vakil have been involved in the war of words after the latter levelled serious allegations of corruption on the former. Vakil alleged that there was large-scale corruption in the PHE Ministry. |
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District Sports Councils to be constituted soon, says Minister
Srinagar, July 23 He said this at the 128th Standing Committee meeting of the J&K State Sports Council held here today, an official spokesman said. It was decided in the meeting that District Sports Councils would be constituted at the district-level, the spokesman said. Ten districts of the state would be covered first for which a committee has been constituted to frame modalities. He said these councils would conduct sports activities at district-levels and play a bridging role between the State Sports Councils. The Minister said the Snooker Block and the library adjacent to the Sher-i-Kashmir Indoor Sports Complex, which were gutted during militancy, would be constructed by the side of the Sports Complex and would also house the Administrative Block for the J&K State Sports Council. It was also decided that casual labourers, who have rendered more than seven years of service in the Sports Council, were being regularised. Additional coaches and instructors for various games would be engaged for imparting training to budding youth, the meeting said. The Committee unanimously recommended enhancement of grants-in-aid for various sports associations so that they could function properly. The functioning of various associations was also discussed and the Minister said it was encouraging that some of the associations were functioning in an efficient manner. A special reference was made to J&K Kayaking and Canoeing, Handball and Football Associations. |
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Zubin keen to perform in J-K, says music has power to heal
New Delhi, July 23 “I told (erstwhile ruler) Karan Singh that he has to be there when I play in Jammu and Kashmir,” Mehta, 76, said about music preaching the gospel of peace on strife-torn turfs. The Mumbai-born music director of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra was in the national capital on Sunday night to receive the highest German civilian award, the Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany, in a glittering ceremony at the residence of the ambassador, Michael Steiner. Mehta was accompanied by his wife Nancy. Soon after being conferred the award, Mehta said “music has a social and spiritual responsibility in bringing people together”. On his part, the German envoy is seriously considering Mehta's proposal by exploring the possibility of a “suitable open air venue in Srinagar”. Steiner said he would move the culture ministry and the Indian Council for Cultural Relations to make Mehta's dream a reality with a “quality orchestra from Germany which would be conducted by Mehta”. Mehta's association with the Kashmir valley dates back to 1974 when he first came to India on a vacation with his wife and children. The Mehta family went to Kashmir. “We fell in love with it and we went to Amarnath. We were also went to Leh, where we stayed in an Army guest house. The Ladakhis would follow my wife because she was tall and blonde,” he said. Just how powerful music is in building bridges can be gauged from Mehta's efforts in bringing together Arabs and Jews in Israel, a country where he spends the maximum time. He has homes in Tel Aviv and also in New York. “We teach western classical music to young Arab kids in a school in Acco city north of Israel. The Arabs and the Jews live together in the town and during concerts, they sit together and listen to Beethoven. For two hours there is peace in the hall," Mehta said. He also felt that western music must be taught in schools on a mandatory basis the world over. "Western music must be taught in schools across the world on a mandatory basis,” Mehta said, adding that “as music was an acquired taste in India, which had its own glorious musical lineage, it would take some time for young people to appreciate the music”. Toward this end, building a concert hall in the national capital would help foster appreciation for western classical music across all sections of audiences. “A concert hall will go a long way in imbibing love for western classical music with frequent concerts,” he said. Mehta also noted that building a concert hall in Delhi for 2,000 people at $50 million should be small change for the Indian corporate giants. Mehta is paying back to Mumbai with a school for western classical music that teaches 200 children. The Mehli Mehta Foundation of Western Classical Music teaches students to play the piano, cello and violin and sing with the help of the Mehta family members and guest faculty. Mehta was born in 1936 in Bombay and received his first musical education under the guidance of his father Mehli Mehta, who was a noted concert violinist and the founder of the Bombay Symphony Orchestra.
—IANS |
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disaster management
Srinagar, July 23 The Chief Minister stressed on factoring in experts in the management and preparedness mechanism earmarked for the three-tier Disaster Management Authority in the state. He opined that a focused central mechanism was required to make the management authorities at the district, divisional and state levels more effective, pro-active, alert and well-prepared. In a Power Point presentation, Commissioner Secretary, Revenue, BA Runiyal gave a detailed account of the action taken on various decisions taken in the previous meeting. He also threw light on the recommendations made by the SDMA in its last meeting pertaining to making the disaster management programme inclusive and broad-based. The meeting was attended by Minister for Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution Qamar Ali Akhoon, Minister for Revenue, Relief and Rehabilitation Raman Bhalla, Minister of State for Power Shabir Ahmad Khan, Chief Secretary Madhav Lal and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Kashmir Talat Ahmad. — TNS |
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BJP takes MoS for Consumer Affairs to task
Jammu, July 23 In a statement issued here today, state secretary of the BJP Vibodh Gupta said various scandals had been exposed in Rajouri, but the minister concerned, who belonged to the district, had maintained a criminal silence on the issue. Gupta said a scam worth Rs 50 lakh was unearthed in the Pahari hotel, Rajouri. A scam worth Rs 13 crore was unearthed in the CAPD Department, which is headed by Khan. A social welfare scam of bogus pension was unearthed in the Thanamandi area. The BJP leader said all these scams were unearthed either in the CAPD Department or in the Minister’s constituency. He added that no action had been taken in any of these scams. He said there should be a thorough probe in the misappropriation. |
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A teenager with literary talent
Srinagar, July 23 “I used to be big fan of superheroes and it inspired me to write the novel. The superheroes of my novel are inspired by the five elements of nature -- earth, sky, water, fire and wind,” said Vikram (15), a Class XII student in KC Public School, Jammu. “The Initiative” was published by the Diamond Books, New Delhi, in June last year. In the story, the five superheroes are fighting Caronus, the king of the hell and the devils, who are planning to conquer the heavens and establish an evil rule all over the universe. Vikram has also written a poetry book, “My Little Thoughts”, which contains 44 poems. As he belongs to an Army family, his poems carry visible feelings of patriotism. “My Little Thoughts is also an endeavour to evoke some serious thinking on the part of today’s parents who burden their kids with enormous parental aspirations. It is high time they realised the significance of affording free space to their kids and letting them pursue their latent talents and establish an independent identity for themselves,” the young writer said. Vikram is currently working on his third book, “Eye of an Indian Observer”. The book has a thought-provoking theme which demonstrates the reactions of a citizen towards the current state of politics, environment and customs of the 21st century India. And when Vikram visited Kashmir recently, he was inspired to make a documentary - “Kashmir: the Fenced Paradise”. He is planning to release it soon. While his father Col K S Grewal has commanded 14 SIKH Light Infantry during counter-insurgency operations in the state, Vikram gives credit for his literary talent to the guidance and motivation of his grandfather Ishwar Singh Grewal. |
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The Supreme Court today directed the Jammu and Kashmir Government to immediately step up the medical facilities for the Amarnath pilgrims to prevent casualties and consider replacing the iron railings at the cave shrine with fibreglass for the sake of better ‘darshan’ and protecting the ice Shivaling.
Jammu, July 23
Union Minister for Rural Development Jairam Ramesh and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah here today handed over placement letters to 600 youth, who had completed their training in various trades under the Centrally-sponsored ‘Himayat’ (support) programme.
Celebrated western music conductor Zubin Mehta says he is keen to perform in Jammu and Kashmir as the state “has gone through difficult times” and music has the power to heal.
“I told (erstwhile ruler) Karan Singh that he has to be there when I play in Jammu and Kashmir,”
Mehta, 76, said about music preaching the gospel of peace on strife-torn turfs.
The apex court asked the state government to take help from the Centre, the union territory of Chandigarh and the neighbouring states for improving the medical care.