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500 damaged transformers signal more trouble
Residents decry poor saniation despite taxes |
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Innocence lost on rly tracks
Villagers block road over poor water supply
JKCA office-bearers demand probe
Parking blues outside airport
Swimming pool awaits reopening
Minister: Expedite work on Belicharana-Warehouse road
Woodland, GHS Narbal log wins
Pony services for pilgrims reviewed
Resentment over
grant-in-aid to non-affiliate bodies
Heavy influx of pilgrims at Buddha Amarnath
TCC, PBSCC register wins
Heritage tour for senior citizens organised
Sangam Blues log win
Cattle smuggling bid foiled, 1 held
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500 damaged transformers signal more trouble
Jammu, July 30 These transformers were either burnt or damaged due to overloading and high-level of humidity during the past two weeks. These transformers have not been repaired due to paucity of funds and shortage of workforce, said PDD sources. Around 6,000 transformers of varying capacities are installed across the Jammu region. Of these, around 500 have either been burnt or have developed snag due to overloading and high humidity, said sources, adding that it had increased the burden on the PDD and private workshops. “The damaged transformers have been lying at a workshop for weeks and have not been repaired so far due to paucity of funds and shortage of workforce. The situation will deteriorate further amid hot and humid conditions, if the department doesn’t take immediate steps to repair these transformers,” a source said. A senior PDD engineer claimed that engineers and other employees were working round the clock to fix these transformers, but a sudden increase in the number of damaged transformers had compounded their problems. “Earlier, our engineers were able to rectify the technical snag within 24 to 48 hours, but the number of burnt or damaged transformers has increased considerably in the past two weeks. We have also been struggling with the shortage of funds and workforce,” he said, adding that they were also facing the problem of shortage of spare parts. Over 50 transformers were damaged between July 24 and 26 in Jammu city and its periphery alone following overloading and high humidity levels, he added. The engineer pointed out that due to overdrawing of power from stations, the life of transformers had shortened, leading to frequent tripping at various places. Around 6,000 distribution transformers got damaged across the state in 2011, which was highest in the country. Sources said the department had also engaged some private firms for the repair of the damaged transformers, but they (firms), too, had shown reluctance in repairing these following non-payment of dues. “The department faces a liability of Rs 18 crore vis-à-vis repair of transformers by private firms. The non-payment of dues is also creating hurdles in the process (repair of transformers),” a source said. The Chief Minister Omar Abdullah had recently announced Rs 12 crore to enable the PDD to carry out speedy repairs of damaged transformers and make system improvements, which might improve the situation in the coming days, sources said. On July 25, the Chief Minister had directed the Finance Department to also release an additional amount of Rs 200 crore to purchase extra power to reduce the gap between demand and supply.
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Residents decry poor saniation despite taxes
Jammu, July 30 The new tax rule was introduced in March this year, despite opposition from people and opposition parties. Though the officials say people are not coming forward to pay taxes and only a few colonies have adhered to the new rule, residents living in most localities following the new tax regime allege that not much has changed in their localities. The corporation has imposed monthly charges on the 71 wards falling under its jurisdiction. The charges from the posh areas falling under ward Nos. 20, 21, 22, 50, 53, 54, 62, 68 and 71 has been fixed at Rs 100 per month per household, including commercial establishments, while Rs 50 is being charged from the remaining wards. The decision was taken at a Cabinet meeting on March 18, 2011. “We have been paying our taxes on a regular basis, but not much has changed. These taxes are meant for providing better services to the people, but it seems the money is not being invested properly,” said Yash Khajuria, a resident of Gandhi Nagar. The sanitary conditions in the old city are poor and the authorities concerned have not taken steps to maintain proper cleanliness. “The imposition of new tax will not make any difference. Rather it is an additional burden on the masses. The corporation must bring reforms in its working to generate revenue. Most funds under its disposal are not being utilised properly,” said Ashok Khajuria, MLA from Jammu East. The charges are deposited with the corporation office or paid to the sanitary inspector. MC Joint Commissioner Babu Ram said they were in the initial stages of implementing sanitary tax. “We have started levying sanitary tax from March and it will take some time for people to understand the concept. An awareness campaign is also being launched,” he said. |
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Innocence lost on rly tracks
Jammu, July 30 While child begging and scavenging is banned under the law, hundreds of children, some as young as five, hunt for water bottles, polythene bags, cans and other leftovers by passengers. Arising at dawn, these children start their rounds of the railway platform bare feet, carrying heavy gunny bags containing the pickings of the day. All recyclable garbage is collected and sorted. “They fill their bags with paper, plastic, bottles, metals and discarded food thrown out by passengers. With their little earnings, they rush to the nearest wayside shop to ease their hunger. If the day’s collection is bad, they sometimes resort to stealing for survival,” says Nadeem Qadri, who runs an NGO. The railway authorities and the police seem to have ignored their presence at the platforms and failed to take steps to rehabilitate them. At times, they are exploited by organised gangs. The organic waste, if consumed, poses a serious threat to their lives due to the growth of microbial pathogens. “Direct handling of solid waste can also result in various types of infectious and chronic diseases,” said Dr Sujata Pandita, a city-based doctor. “Exposure to hazardous waste can affect human health. Children are more vulnerable to these pollutants,” she adds. Direct exposure to such waste can lead to diseases, as the release of chemical waste into the environment results in chemical poisoning. Many studies have been carried out in various parts of the world to establish a connection between health and hazardous waste. In the absence of strong laws, most children also indulge in begging. The railway officials were not available for comments. Life on the line
DAILY TOIL
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Villagers block road over poor water supply Poonch, July 30 The protesters claimed that they had not received regular supply of water for the past two weeks, forcing them to block the road. They said the department concerned had not paid heed to their demand despite repeated requests. They further alleged that the junior engineer and the lineman concerned had behaved rudely with villagers. — OC |
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JKCA office-bearers demand probe
Jammu, July 30 Hardev Singh Jamwal, joint secretary, JKCA (Jammu Wing), along with other office-bearers, while briefing mediapersons, requested JKCA president Dr Farooq Abdullah to order an investigation into another scam. The office-bearers said six months had passed since the multi-crore scam was unearthed and after numerous meetings and press briefings by the rival faction of the JKCA to bring about a change, nothing had happened. They further said the construction of an international standard cricket stadium was a dream of every sports lover of the state, but it had been shattered due to the lackadaisical approach of the authorities. The office-bearers added that an in-house probe committee was formed against the provision of the JKCA rules and it was selectively leaked to the media. They claimed that bogus accounts were opened in February, 2008 and money from embezzled accounts was siphoned off between February 2008 and 2009. The office-bearers added that at that time, Mehboob Iqbal was the chairman of the JKCA and not Aslam Goni, as believed. They maintained that Goni had remained a member of the Finance Committee of the BCCI from 2005 to 2007. The office-bearers said the in-house probe committee had maligned the reputation of the JKCA chairman as it had neither spoken to Goni nor sought his clarification.
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Parking blues outside airport
Jammu, July 30 Shopkeepers in the area say chaos prevails on the stretch during peak hours in the afternoon up to 5 pm, when traffic from the airport joins the regular city traffic on the main highway. In spite of the daily chaos, there is no visible presence of the traffic police on the stretch to monitor the flow of vehicles and check haphazard parking. In the absence of an earmarked area for parking, vehicles, including taxis, are parked on the road, blocking the passage for other vehicles. “We do not have any option in the absence of public parking. We have to park our vehicles on the main road or else we lose our business. We have to make the most of the peak season. Though haphazard parking on the road creates a mess, we cannot help it. The airport authorities must provide the requisite infrastructure to prevent the chaos,” said Rajesh Sharma, owner of a SSP (Traffic) Manmohan Singh said: “A sub-inspector and two constables are posted at all times near the airport. They make sure that all vehicles are parked in an organised manner. Though regular vehicles abide by the norms, taxis often break the rules. “Earlier, only three to five flights used to land daily. The number has now gone up to 16. The only way to resolve the problem is the development of adequate space for parking near the airport.” |
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Swimming pool awaits reopening
Jammu, July 30 Sources said the swimming pool was closed for the repairs a few years ago during Shamim Ahmad Laherwal’s tenure as secretary, J&K State Sports Council, but it had not been re-opened so far. Due to the closure of the pool, all swimming-related activities have come to a grinding halt. Sources said the J&K Swimming Association had not been able to conduct any domestic activity. The infuriated parents of the swimmers expressed resentment over the inordinate delay, saying the authorities were spoiling the future of their children. “Both the sports council and government are least bothered about the hardships being faced by our children due to closure of swimming pool,” said a parent. “The pool was closed during Shamim Ahmad Laharwal’s tenure as secretary, Sports Council. Three secretaries have changed since then, but nobody has taken any serious initiative to complete the repair work,” he said. “It’s high time that the swimming pool is reopened for youngsters,” said another parent, adding that they would now meet Sports Minister RS Chib to apprise him of the prevailing situation. “After the closure of the swimming pool, some players had taken admissions in different clubs and were continuing their practice there, but many others could not afford the same,” said another parent. A senior official of State Sports Council said experts were likely to visit the swimming pool. “We are aware of the difficulties being faced by the budding swimmers but are trying to make the pool functional before the start of the next session,” the official said. |
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Minister: Expedite work on Belicharana-Warehouse road
Jammu, July 30 The road project has an estimated cost Rs 20 crore which includes construction of the two way 40-meter span bridges. Inspecting the pace of progress on the 6-km-long link road, Bhalla said with the completion of the alternative road, the journey to GCW Gandhi Nagar, Warehouse and Jammu University from Bhagwati Nagar via upcoming fourth bridge, being constructed at an estimated cost of Rs 147 crore on Nikki Tawi, would be reduced to a larger extent. He said the alternative road included linked bridges to Warehouse-Asia road. The project would be completed within 18 months. Executive Engineer Rampaul besides other officers of the R&B and revenue departments accompanied the minister. The minister asked the residents to remove temporary structures from the alignment of the road from Belicharana to Niki Tawi so that the project could be completed within the stipulated time frame. He said the project could not be completed on time without the cooperation of the people. Bhalla said: “The Belicharana area is all set to come up on the tourism map. The government has earmarked Rs 110 crore for the construction of an artificial lake at Nikki Tawi. Responding to the demand of the local residents, Bhalla said the government was making efforts to provide improved power supply to the people of the Belicharana area. He said instructions had been issued to the PDD for the installation of another 50 MVA transformer at the grid station so that the people could get relief from unscheduled power cuts during summers. The minister said: “To provide fluctuation-free power at Ashok Nagar, Sainik Colony, Chatha and Nanak Nagar, the government has earmarked Rs 47.80 lakh for segregation/bifurcation of existing 11 KV feeders emanating from 1x10, 1x63 MVA, 2x10 MVA 33/11 KV service stations, besides replacement of the old OCB panels.”
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Woodland, GHS Narbal log wins
Jammu, July 30 In another match, GHS Narbal defeated JK Public School, Humhama, by six wickets. Batting first, JK Public School scored 119 runs for the loss of nine wickets in the allotted overs. Aqib with 25 runs was the notable contributor. Uzair took three wickets for GHS Narbal. GHS Narbal in reply, achieved the required target for the loss of four wickets in 12.4 overs. Muzamil Ashraf scored 64 runs. Suhail was the pick of the bowlers for JK Public School with a haul of three wickets. —
TNS |
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Pony services for pilgrims reviewed
Katra, July 30 She reviewed the pony and “pithu” facilities for the pilgrims and stressed the need for providing requisite facilities to the devotees. She cautioned the operators against overcharging the pilgrims and underlined the need for dispensing best available services to them. The DDC also stressed the need for putting up a rate list at Chetek Bhawan and maintaining hygienic conditions in the vicinity. She said the “pithu” and pony services must be regulated from the already established checking booths. Sharma interacted with pilgrims and enquired about the prices being charged by ponywalas. She directed the officers of the civic body to keep a strict vigil on “pithu” and ponywalas to prevent overcharging. Reasi Additional Deputy Commissioner Rajinder Singh Tara, Additional SP Mohan Lal, MC Executive Officer, naib tehsildar, food safety officer and officers from the Katra Development Authority also accompanied the DDC during the visit.
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Resentment over
grant-in-aid to non-affiliate bodies
Jammu, July 30 According to sources, apart from the 50 affiliated associations, there are some associations which have been constituted by interested individuals are waiting for their affiliation with the J&K State Sports Council. Sources said that all the affiliated associations are not getting even Rs one lakh as the Grant-in-Aid for conducting activities because sports council gets an annual grant of Rs 40 lakh from the government which it further distributes among all the associations. Sources said that the affiliated associations have expressed resentment over the alleged negligent attitude of the authorities by allowing these non-affiliated associations to conduct competitions at MA Stadium. “What is the logic behind allowing such associations to conduct competitions in the indoor sports complex at MA Stadium”, said one of the office bearers. According to sources, some of the affiliated associations who had conducted domestic activities besides hosting national championships are yet to receive Grant-in-Aid from the Sports Council. “This is not the first time that sports council has denied us financial grant on time,” said another office bearer of an association. “No doubt, we will get it from the sports council sooner or later but if we get it before the commencement of the tournament it would have been great,” he said. Meanwhile, when contacted, a senior official of the J&K State Sports Council said, “Distribution of Grant-in-Aid on time depends on the availability and when we received it after a much delay then how it could be possible to distribute it well in advance to these associations”.
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Dealership opened
Jammu, July 30 Rangar said, “The used car industry often focuses only on the car transaction and not on the total experience of car ownership. With this new store, we hope to change this perception and create a unique experience for the certified car consumer, right from the point of entry till final exit from our showrooms. Our network in the state has now increased to four dealers, making us well positioned to tap the potential of the certified used car market in the region.” Disclosing the benefits of buying used cars from the organised sector, he said to give satisfaction to the consumer, the company had recently launched two new warranty products including warranty-first and certified-first. “Subject to specific terms and conditions, warranty-first provides warranty for the major mechanical and electrical components of the car. The concerned components are covered for a period of 12 months or 15,000 km, whichever is earlier. The certified-first covers the car’s engine and transmission for a period of
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Heavy influx of pilgrims at Buddha Amarnath
“A total of 75,000 pilgrims till date have visited the shrine this year,” said Vishvanath Sharma Sharma, vice-chairman Shri Buddha Amarnath Committee. Around 67,000 pilgrims offered prayers at Shri Buddha Amarnath last year. In 2006, 58,000 pilgrims visited the temple. A total of 3,500 pilgrims including locals from within the state reached Buddha Amarnath, today. With the heavy influx of pilgrims at Shri Buddha Amarnath, mandi administration with the help of various religious and social organisations have made elaborate arrangements for the pilgrims at various temples and government buildings. The annual Chhari Mubarak, the holy mace of Lord Shiva, will be taken from Shree Dashami Akhara Mandir, Poonch, today, towards Shri Budha Amarnath, lead by 1008 Swami Vishvatmanand Sarasvati, Mahant of Dashnami Akhara Poonch. “Omar Abdhullah , Chief Minister J&K along with his Political advisor, Devinder Singh Rana, Cabinet Minister SS salathia, minister Manohar Lal and MP Lal singh has consent to take part in the chhari poojan Basant,” said Ram Sharma, president Shri Dashnami Akhara, Poonch.
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TCC, PBSCC register wins
Jammu, July 30 In reply, TCC overhauled the target for the loss of six wickets. Damnish played a match-winning knock of 36 runs. Javed and Shahid took two wickets apiece for SCC. In another match, PBSCC thrashed Abid-ul-Islam Club by five wickets. Batting first, Abid-ul-Islam Club scored 125 In reply, PBSCC did the needful for the loss of just five wickets. Amir Malik played a match-winning knock of 43 runs to help his team overhaul the required target. Umer |
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Heritage tour for senior citizens organised
Jammu, July 30
A group of elders was escorted by Nikhil Kumar, representative of HelpAge India, Jammu. “These events bring a smile on the aged faces that are isolated in the Old Aged Home,” he said. The tour was flagged off from the Old Age Home at Amphalla in Jammu by Vijay Bhagotra, secretary, old age home, Jammu. A total of 45 beneficiaries from Old Age Home , Jammu, Age Care Centre, Jammu and Old Age Home , Udhampur, participated in the event. |
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Sangam Blues log win
Jammu, July 30 In reply, Glittering Stars scored only 55 runs. Mudasir took six wickets for Sangam Blues. Abarar took three wickets. |
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Cattle smuggling bid foiled, 1 held Jammu, July 30 According to the reports, police laid a naka at Peera, National Highway (NH-1A) acting on a specific information. During checking, they intercepted a vehicle bearing a registration number JK19/0920, which was illegally transporting four bovine animals towards
the Valley. The driver of the vehicle was identified as Mohd Abass, of Chandrog, Ramban district. He has been arrested and vehicle
along with bovines has been seized. In this connection, a case under Section 188 of the RPC has been registered at Chanderkote Police Station.
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While the Jammu municipal corporation has levied sanitary tax on residents, it continues to ignore sanitation in city localities.
Jammu, July 30
Jammu, July 30
Katra, July 30
Poonch, July 30