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NC weakening democratic institutions, says Mufti
State’s first bio-plastic plant grounded before take-off
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2010 Machil Fake Encounter
Recurring Ceasefire violations
Urban local bodies poll by year-end: Dy CM
Footbridge was overburdened, says admn
Scooter-riding Kashmiri women signal winds of change
Tight security in Srinagar ahead of I-Day
Students to be examined for anaemia, malnutrition
ETT institutes to approach school board
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NC weakening democratic institutions, says Mufti
Jammu, August 12 Addressing a public meeting organised in connection with the foundation day of the party here today, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed and Mehbooba Mufti also attacked the Congress for not taking serious step to ensure that democracy flourished in Jammu and Kashmir and for maintaining “criminal silence” on “undemocratic moves” of the successive NC regimes. The PDP leadership, which had earlier alleged rigging in the 1987 Assembly elections, today for the first time alleged that the 2008 Assembly elections were also “tactically rigged”. Speaking at the rally, Mehbooba Mufti said the 1951, 1987 and 2008 Assembly elections were rigged to bring back the NC to power. In the 2008 Assembly elections, the PDP got 21 seats while its arch rival, the NC, had won 28 seats. Buoyed by an impressive turnout at the rally, PDP leaders seized the opportunity to attack the Congress leadership for maintaining silence on the “follies” of the Omar Abdullah government. “The Congress leadership is behaving as if it is not part of the government,” the Mufti said while reacting to the demand of the Congress leadership for extending the 73rd and 74th amendments in the state. “More than one year has passed after the completion of the panchayat elections, but nothing has been done to delegate powers to the grassroots level,” he said, adding that the “failure of the government to constitute block samitis and the zila parishad reflects that the present regime is not interested in strengthening the panchayati raj institutions in the state”. “I don’t understand why there is a delay in constituting these committees?” he asked, stating that the government was deliberately trying to weaken these institutions. The Mufti took Deputy Chief Minister Tara Chand to task for his failure to conduct the urban local bodies elections. He said the Centre had blocked a grant of Rs 600 crore because the state government had failed to conduct the local bodies elections, which were due in February 2010. Tara Chand, a Congress nominee in the government, holds the Housing and Urban Development portfolio. Mehbooba Mufti also made veiled attack on the Congress minister and alleged that back-door appointments were being made. Alleging rampant corruption in the state, she said ever section of society was bearing the brunt of the “wrong policies” of the present regime. The youth were the worst victims. “The government has no funds to give wages to poor daily wagers. However, a large number of senior officers, who get whopping salaries, have been given an extension without any reason,” she said. She regretted that deserving youth were facing hardships due to the “wrong policies” of the present regime. |
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State’s first bio-plastic plant grounded before take-off
Much to the government’s discomfort, the state is clueless and does not have any alternative to polythene, which has been banned by the Jammu and Kashmir High Court. Sources said a Maharashtra-based company, Earthsoul Private Ltd, which had inked a memorandum with Jammu and Kashmir Agro Industries Corporation Ltd to construct a state-of-the-art plant in Jammu for manufacturing bio-plastic on August 4, 2009, has retracted the agreement, pushing the project to the hangar even before take-off. “The estimated cost of the project was Rs 5 crore at the time of the agreement. It was claimed by the Chief Minister that Jammu and Kashmir would be the country’s first state to have its mega bio-plastic plant which would give an effective and viable alternative to polythene,” sources said. They said the plant was to be set up on the public-private partnership (PPP) mode at the Bari-Brahamana industrial area in Jammu. “It was envisaged that the plant would pave the way for others to follow suit and involve the private sector in the establishment of agro-based units for giving a fillip to economic activities in this field and generate jobs,” the sources said. Earthsoul Private India Ltd had assured the state government of production of bio-plastic bags and other items from October 2009, they said, adding that the firm took the JK Agro Industries Corporation for a ride for at least two and a half years and finally retracted the agreement. They pointed out that a strong lobby working at the behest of some politicians and industrialists, who were controlling the plastic manufacturing sector in the state, “derailed” the project before its start. Earlier, the state had Rs 30-crore polythene industry and there were about 100 units engaged in the manufacture of polythene bags, which had to close down due to the ban. “The firm has retracted the agreement, which has grounded the project,” Minister for Agriculture Ghulam Hassan Mir confirmed and added that the government would look for another firm to start the project. Abdul Majid Bhat, Managing Director, Jammu and Kashmir Agro Industries Corporation Ltd, said they had decided to send a legal notice to the firm for breach of agreement as it could not execute the project even after full support from the corporation. To a question on an alternative for polythene carry bags, Bhat said the people would have to adopt the old and traditional method of carrying goods to their homes. “We have observed that bio-plastic bags made of maize, corn and potato starch are not strong enough to carry heavy weight and the only option left with the people is to switch over to traditional methods,” he said. |
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2010 Machil Fake Encounter
Srinagar, August 12 The Army authorities are waiting for the decision of a Baramulla court on a petition seeking the custody of a Territorial Army jawan, Abbas Hussain, an important link in the case. Three youths - Shahzad Ahmad, Riyaz Ahmad and Mohammad Shafi - all residents of Nadihal village in Baramulla, were allegedly killed by Army officers of the 4 Rajput Rifles at Machil on April 30, 2010, in a staged encounter and later passed off as foreign militants. The police, which conducted investigations into the case, had named 11 persons in the final charge sheet, including eight Army men (officers and jawans) and Abbas Hussain, a soldier of the Territorial Army. Two accused civilians, Bashir Ahmad and Abdul Hamid Bhat, are in judicial custody. The eight accused Army men belonging to the Kupwara-based 4 Rajput Rifles are in Army custody while Abbas is in judicial custody. Sources say the Army wants a joint trial of the accused eight Army men and the Territorial Army jawan. “Before announcing a GCM, the Army authorities have to pass ‘summary of evidence orders’, which are yet to be signed. The delay is because the Army is waiting for the verdict of the Baramulla Sessions Court on a petition seeking the custody of accused Abbas,” said Army sources. On July 27, the court of the Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM), Sopore, had given permission to the Army to court-martial the accused Army men. However, the court rejected the Army’s plea seeking Abbas’s custody. The Army has decided to challenge the order before the Sessions Court in Baramulla, which has reserved its orders. “I had submitted to the court that the Army wants a joint trail of the accused before a GCM. Under Section 9 of the Territorial Army Act, these Army officers have to be tried under the Army Act,” said advocate Karnail Singh Wazir, standing counsel, Union of India, who represented the Army before the Principal District and Sessions Judge, Baramulla. The GCM proceedings are preceded by passing “summary of evidence orders”. And before that a court of inquiry is conducted, which has already been completed by the Army in the Machil fake encounter case. All eyes on Court Verdict |
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Recurring Ceasefire violations
Jammu, August 12 The BSF that was busy assessing the ground situation along the border following an increase in ceasefire violations along the border believed that apart from “old tactics” of facilitating infiltration of militants to the Indian side ahead of Independence Day, the Pakistan Rangers were trying to put India in a bad light among people on the other side of the border during Ramadan. “The detection of a transborder tunnel has brought embarrassment to the neighbouring country. It has not only been drawing flak from the international community, but is also under immense pressure from various quarters. The Pakistan Rangers have been resorting to heavy firing on the border to portray India in a bad light among its people and to give an impression that India is firing on them in the holy month of Ramadan,” said a top BSF officer, who wished not to be named. The officer said the Pakistan Rangers not only fired at the Indian posts in the forward areas, but also blamed the BSF for any skirmish that took place at the border. “There is another interesting part to the story. Apart from being in a denial mode, they don’t come forward for a dialogue to sort out the differences,” the officer said. The Pakistan Rangers violated the mutually-brokered ceasefire between two countries for the fifth time within a week yesterday night. A BSF jawan received bullet injuries after Pakistani troops opened fire on the Indian posts in the Arnia sector of Jammu district. The intermittent firing continued till late last night. After much restraint, the BSF retaliated to silence the Pakistani guns. Officiating IG, BSF, Jammu Frontier, NS Jamwal said (Pakistan Rangers) wanted to keep the international border and Line of Control (LoC) “active” and there was nothing new in their strategy. “The detection of a tunnel in Samba has put them on a back foot and they are exploring ways and means to divert the attention of their people, particularly in the month of Ramadan,” Jamwal said, adding that they had scant regard for the international border and considered it as their “working boundary.” Twentyone ceasefire violations have taken place this year. A total of 51 such cases were reported last year while 44 cases of ceasefire violations were registered in 2010 along the LoC in Jammu and Kashmir. The Jammu region witnessed ‘zero infiltration’ in 2011 after security forces defeated all the infiltration attempts of militants on the international border and the LoC. BSF DIG visits forward areas A day after the Pakistan Rangers violated the mutually brokered truce between the two countries by resorting to heavy firing on five Indian posts, the two sides did not hold any flag meeting or dialogue to sort out their differences. Sources said Deputy Inspector General (DIG), BSF, JS Oberoi visited Arnia sector and reviewed the security situation following the recent incidents of ceasefire violations in the area. “The BSF DIG interacted with senior officials posted in the sector and took stock of the ground situation,” the sources said, adding that no flag meeting took place between the two sides.. |
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Governor hosts iftar party
Srinagar, August 12 Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, Deputy Chairman of the Legislative Council MY Taing, ministers, MPs, legislators and senior security forces officers, besides prominent citizens attended the iftar party. The guests offered prayers after breaking their fast with sweetened milk and dates, an official said. |
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Urban local bodies poll by year-end: Dy CM
Jammu, August 12 Reacting to allegations of PDP patron Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, Tara Chand said his department had written to the election department to conduct the urban local bodies elections. “We wrote to the election department in July 2011 to conduct the elections. There is a delay on the part of the department concerned,” he said and added that the elections would be held by the end of this year. He said the election department was pre-occupied with other assignments, but now they had asked it to conduct the elections as early as possible.
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Footbridge was overburdened, says admn
Srinagar, August 12 The footbridge collapsed yesterday in the Saida Kadal locality in Srinagar when members of the district administration and local residents were taking stock of the condition of the bridge. “It was an old decomposed wooden bridge and when 200 people will walk over it, what else will happen,” Deputy Commissioner Srinagar Baseer Ahmad Khan said. Khan, however, said he would order an inquiry. There are dozens of similar wooden footbridges which connect various localities in the interior of the Dal Lake. Most of the bridges, constructed decades ago and rarely renovated, are in a dilapidated condition and pose a severe risk to people who walk over these. Residents, who were protesting against the drowning of two minor siblings in the Dal Lake, senior government officials and police officers were among nearly 50 people who fell into the Dal Lake when the bridge gave way. Seventeen persons were injured in the incident. Meanwhile, Congress state president and former Union Minister Saifuddin Soz today visited the locality and met local residents. Tragedy waiting to happen |
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Scooter-riding Kashmiri women signal winds of change
Srinagar, August 12 In a place where women venturing out alone was discouraged till some time ago, a woman zooming on a two-wheeler is a huge leap. Not only do scooter-riding Kashmiri women symbolise a sense of independence in a traditionally patriarchal society, riding two-wheelers has turned out to be a blessing in disguise for them. Over the past few years, when traffic in Srinagar and the outskirts multiplied and bus and auto fares went up, women were subjected to a lot of inconvenience. “There are no special buses for women in the city; so commuting daily is a big deal for women here,” Afsha, a college student, says. “Travelling by public transport, especially buses, has become really difficult since buses are overcrowded most of the times. The seat-reservation rule for women, framed by the local administration, has failed and men do not seem to be chivalrous enough to offer women seats in buses. It is an everyday tussle between passengers and drivers,” Safeena, a Jammu and Kashmir Bank employee, rues. As such a scooty, priced between Rs 25,000 and Rs 30,000, comes as a savior for many of these women who are tired of public transport hassles and want to go wherever they want. The scooty finance scheme of Jammu and Kashmir Bank, which provides a maximum finance of Rs 50,000 to women in 60 monthly instalments, has made it further easier for women to ride two-wheelers. “The trend picked up in 2010 when Jammu and Kashmir Bank announced its scheme. We saw school and college girls, working women and even housewives take to the scooty. Now, scooters are turning out to be a must have,” a Kashmir Motors dealer in Srinagar says. He sold 300 scooters in a year. If owning a scooter is a matter of convenience for women, being a good rider and avoiding scuffles with men are some words of caution from policewomen for them. |
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Tight security in Srinagar ahead of I-Day
Srinagar, August 12 Security agencies are on high alert and securitymen have increased their vigil to thwart any militant design ahead of Independence Day. Joint teams of the police and the CRPF today conducted random search of passengers and private vehicles at many places in the city. Bikers were thoroughly frisked by securitymen. Surprise nakas were set up to keep an eye on the situation. “Our troops are on alert,” CRPF spokesman Sudhir Kumar said. “Though there is no specific input about any militant attack, with Independence Day round the corner, we are not taking any chances,” he said. A senior police officer said they were keeping an eye on the situation, especially after the killing of a retired police officer on the outskirts of city on Friday. “The recent attacks in the Valley have prompted us to increase the vigil. We have also increased night patrolling in the city,” he said. The police officer added that foolproof security arrangements were in place for the smooth conduct of the function. “We have increased the concentration of our men on roads,’’ he said. A three-tier security cordon has been thrown around the Bakshi stadium where Chief Minister Omar Abddullah will hoist the National Flag on August 15. Iqbal Park, which falls in the vicinity of the Bakshi stadium, has also been closed for public. Police sources said dozens of former militants had also been summoned across the Valley to various security camps ahead of Independence Day. Ssecurity around vital installations, including the Srinagar airport, has also been enhanced. Central intelligence agencies have sounded a hijack alert in north India ahead of Independence Day prompting the authorities to further tighten the security around the Srinagar airport. Identity cards have also been issued to all securitymen at the airport to avoid militants faking their identity. |
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Students to be examined for anaemia, malnutrition
Jammu, August 12 Earlier, this facility was not provided to more than 25 per cent schoolchildren, but the authorities have now decided to cover all students. Deputy Commissioner, Udhampur, PK Pole said all schoolchildren would be examined within a month. He said the scheme was part of the School Health Programme of the National Rural Health Mission (NHRM) and for the first time a stipulated time period had been given to the authorities to achieve 100 per cent target. “The aim of the programme is to identify the children suffering from these diseases and provide them adequate medical facilities at various levels,” Pole said and added that the Village Health and Sanitation Committee of each panchayat would also be involved in the campaign to make it result-oriented. Each panchayat has been given Rs 5,000 to provide medical assistance to the people. Chief Medical Officer (CMO), Udhampur, Anil Amla said over 250 employees of the Health Department, including pharmacists, would be deployed to cover students of more 1,300 schools of the district. “This is a comprehensive health campaign which would be completed within a month,” he said and added that the campaign would formally start on August 16. “A meeting of block medical officers would be held on Monday to give final touches to the campaign,” the CMO said. During the first stage of the campaign, students suffering from some diseases would be identified and later expert teams would be deputed to check those students. “The students suffering from diseases would be later taken to nearby health centres for advance treatment,” he said. While addressing a meeting of officers, Pole said the School Health Programme was one of the important components of the total health care delivery system which helped in keeping a close watch on the health of schoolchildren. He asked the officers of the Education and Health departments to work in coordination and intensify the campaign. A large number of schoolchildren in the district are suffering from anaemia, night blindness, dental problems and malnutrition. Due to bad economic conditions, parents of these students, who are studying in government schools, are not in position to provide treatment to their children. |
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ETT institutes to approach school board
Jammu, August 12 Sources said owners of ETT colleges had expressed satisfaction over the decision of the JKBOSE. However, they wanted the board to decide the fate of the previous two batches due to which thousands of students were reportedly mulling the option of pursing the ETT course outside the state. The sources said the JKBOSE was already under fire due to non-completion of the papers of the ETT special batch of 2008-10. The alleged chaos in the school education board over running of the 2009-11 batch had further infuriated both the managements of the ETT institutes and students. “We welcome the decision of the JKBOSE regarding admission under the management quota. However, the board authorities must clear their stand on the previous two batches so that the students do not suffer anymore,” an owner of an ETT college said. “The JKBOSE is at present facing a crisis due to its lack of visionary approach and that is why the authorities are least bothered about the academic future of students who are taking admission to colleges for pursuing the ETT course,” claimed another ETT college owner. “The ETT course is a source of revenue, both for the state government and the colleges running the courses. However, the adamant and self-centred approach of officials at the helm of affairs in the JKBOSE has defeated the very purpose,” he added. The sources claimed that the JKBOSE was blaming ETT colleges for disturbing the system. “The managements of private ETT colleges are responsible for holding the future of students at stake,” a senior JKBOSE official said. |
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Srinagar, August 12
Jammu, August 12