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Violence mars Eid celebrations in Valley
Anti-national slogans raised in Kishtwar
Heavy rain hits life in Jammu region
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New JKBOSE secy should be an able administrator, say private schools
Traders along national highway fear loss of business over road tunnel project
Congress ministers skip function
Panun Kashmir begins
2nd phase of awareness campaign
BJP wants to enrol 2 lakh members in state
No plan for road to Amarnath cave: Govt
Govt casual towards problems of SCs: BJP
Army holds medical camp at border village
Fear of fresh firing by Pak keeps border villagers indoors
Implement PM’s job package, says Kashmiri Samaj
India, Pak troops exchange sweets
Thrashed by teacher, boy’s kidney damaged
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Violence mars Eid celebrations in Valley
Srinagar, August 20 Some policemen had a narrow escape in Srinagar after they were caught and beaten up by an angry mob coming out of the Eidgah after offering Eid prayers. Their vehicle was set afire, forcing the police to fire several rounds into the air to restore order in the area. The vehicle was carrying police personnel from Qamarwari to Soura when it was attacked by the mob coming out of the mosque. Reports said a stone-throwing incident was reported from Sopore. However, the celebrations passed off peacefully in other parts of Kashmir, with people thronging mosques to offer prayers. Dressed in their best, men, women and children made a beeline for prayer grounds, mosques and shrines and then greeted each other. Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and Union Minister Farooq Abdullah, along with many senior National Conference leaders, offered prayers at the Hazratbal shrine. The biggest gathering of devotees was witnessed at the Tourist Reception Centre ground near Lal Chowk and the Eidgah in the Old City. Later, Omar exchanged Eid greetings with the people and felicitated them. He expressed the hope that the holy day would be a harbinger for peace and prosperity and the well-being of the state. On the occasion, Omar Abdullah received hundreds of people at his residence here who greeted him on the occasion. The visitors included ministers, legislators, officers and social and political leaders. Meanwhile, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, who heads the Hurriyat Conference, blamed the government for “violence” and putting separatist leaders under house arrest. The Mirwaiz traditionally leads the prayers at the Eidgah, where a large population from the Old City turns up on the occasion of festivals. “We condemn the attitude of the government. The Muslim festival is not allowed to be celebrated by the administration,” the Mirwaiz said. He accused the government of silencing the voices of people and adopting an anti-democratic approach to deal with Hurriyat leaders.
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Anti-national slogans raised in Kishtwar
Jammu, August 20 The rally started from Chowgan in the town and passed through different areas. During the rally, some miscreants raised provocative slogans. Despite the presence of a huge contingent of the police, the miscreants raised “pro-azadi and pro-Pakistan slogans”. Thousands of people were present during the Eid prayers. After the prayers, some people took out a separate rally, which passed through Hidiyal Chowk. During the rally, provocative and anti-national slogans were raised. Tension gripped the town as soon as news regarding the incident spread. Fear-stricken members of the minority community immediately brought the matter to the notice of the police. Superintendent of Police (SP), Kishtwar, BS Tuti said no action had been taken so far. Admitting that some people had raised provocative and anti-national slogans, the SP said investigation was under way and action would be taken after the completion of the inquiry. He said the miscreants involved in raising provocative and anti-national slogans were yet to be identified. Deputy Commissioner, Kishtwar, Salim Mohammad, however, said he was not aware of the incident. “I will enquire from the SP about the incident,” he said. Sources said the police had identified the miscreants who were involved in raising provocative and anti-national slogans. Action against these culprits would be taken after Eid. “The authorities do not want any confrontation during the Eid celebrations. It has been decided to take action only after the festival,” the sources said. Unconfirmed reports said before the Eid prayers, some miscreants hoisted Pakistani flags at two places. However, the police immediately removed these flags. State secretary of the BJP Sunil Sharma warned the district administration of dire consequences if action was not taken against the anti-national elements. |
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Heavy rain hits life in Jammu region
Jammu, August 20 Irrigation and Flood Control Department has put its men on alert to deal with any emergency as the water levels in the Tawi and Chenab continue to rise. Dr MK Khushu, weather scientist at SKUAST-Jammu, said that 253 mm of rainfall was recorded at Chatha. “The weather will remain cloudy till the low pressure remains. J&K, Himachal Pradesh and Punjab are experiencing heavy rains,” Dr Khushu said. At least five persons died on Sunday after heavy rains lashed Kathua and Samba districts. In Udhampur, a portion of the National Highway-1 (NH-1) was damaged near Rembel as a road caved in, forcing the administration to divert the vehicular traffic towards the Kashmir valley. Several localities in Jammu got flooded as water entered a number of residential areas. Several families were forced to shift to their relatives’ houses after drain water entered their homes in Gadi Garh and Chatha. A local resident Surinder Pal Singh said, “We had to pump out the water which entered our house today morning. We are still facing a lot of problems as another spell of rain is being anticipated.” The Department of Irrigation and Flood Control has directed its field staff to keep a close watch on the water level in the Chenab and Tawi rivers so that necessary measures can be taken if there is any rise in water level. Chief Engineer Ashwani Sharma said, “Though there is no cause of concern but we have alerted our men to keep check on the water level in both the rivers. Our concern is the Chenab as any heavy rainfall in the upper reaches can cause heavy floods in the low-lying areas.” Sharma said that a monitoring team was also keeping tab on the situation. |
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New JKBOSE secy should be an able administrator, say private schools
Jammu, August 20 The association had convened a meeting under the chairmanship of its president Deep Singh wherein it had alleged that both the students and other stakeholders were facing hardships claiming that certain lobbies within the BOSE and the government were encouraging one power centre by appointing a weak person as the new BOSE secretary. The association said it was difficult for the Chief Minister to devote sufficient time for managing the affairs of the Education Department. But it urged the Chief Minister to retain the department for the welfare of student community. The association further said the state government must initiate an exercise without delay for the bifurcation of the JKBOSE keeping in mind the geographical scenario of the state along with all the administrative hurdles due to shifting of BOSE’s central office with the annual Darbar move from Jammu to Srinagar and vice versa. It had also appealed the Chief Minister stressing upon the participation of civil society for speedy reforms in school education. The Tribune had earlier reported that the process of appointment of a new BOSE Secretary had gained momentum as the four-member selection committee constituted by the state government had forwarded a panel of three short-listed candidates for the post of secretary. aSources said the eligibility norms for the position of secretary had been relaxed. Earlier, the candidates had to possess at least five years’ experience as college principal but now after the relaxation, the candidate has to have at least two years of experience as college principal. |
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Traders along national highway fear loss of business over road tunnel project
Chenani (Udhampur), August 20 After completion of the 9-km-long tunnel, these areas would be cut off from the Jammu-Srinagar national highway. Businessmen who have their establishments on the 35-km stretch from Chenani to Nashri voice their apprehension. “Our business largely depends upon passengers who travel on the Jammu-Srinagar highway. Once the tunnel would be constructed, our area would be cut off and our business is likely to be badly affected,” said Rajesh Kumar, a local businessman of Kud, who demanded a comprehensive plan to ensure that business of shops in cut-off areas would not be affected. Echoing the concern, a dhaba owner in Kud demanded that they should be provided alternative spaces across the tunnel so that they could earn their bread and butter after the tunnel was ready. Over 300 small and big shopkeepers would be affected after the completion of the tunnel. The work on the construction of the road tunnel is going on in full swing. The work of carving out two lanes over 9 km shall take five years to complete. This prestigious and ambitious project on its completion would link Chenani tehsil of Udhampur district to the Nashri area of Ramban district on National Highway 1A. It would reduce the distance between the two places from 35 km to 9 km. The tunnel is being constructed in the landslide-prone zone of the highway. The tunnel will provide an all-weather route to motorists on NH1 between Jammu and Srinagar. It will be one of the longest road tunnels in Asia. |
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Rajiv’s birth anniversary
Jammu, August 20 Sources said that all Congress ministers belonging to the Jammu region were invited to participate in the main function. “It is not the first time that party ministers have skipped an important party function,” a senior party functionary said. He said the issue was brought to the notice of the party leadership many times but no action had been taken. “The Congress ministers in the coalition government think they are bigger than the party,” he observed. Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) spokesman Ravinder Sharma tried to downplay the absence of ministers at the function. “Participation of ministers in such functions depends on their engagement schedule,” Sharma said. In today’s function, veteran Congress leader Dharam Pal Sharma suggested to constitute regional units under the Pradesh Congress Committee to fulfill regional aspirations. Sharma is said to have suggested that it was important to keep in mind the regional divide in Jammu & Kashmir and hence it was imperative to constitute regional units of the party. Some Congress leaders had earlier suggested that instead of one PCC president, there should be separate presidents for Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh regions since people of these regions had different aspirations. Floral tributes were paid to late Rajiv Gandhi in Jammu and Srinagar. In Jammu, a function was held which was attended by Hari Singh, Ravinder Sharma, Indu Pawar, Om Chopra and others. In Srinagar, Mohammed Muzaffar Parray Haji, Abdul Gani Khan, Bashir Ahmad Mir, Gulam Nabi Mirt Hawal and others were present on the occasion. |
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Panun Kashmir begins
2nd phase of awareness campaign
Jammu,
August 20 The awareness campaign has been started simultaneously from New Delhi and Jammu. Ajay Chrungoo, chairman, Panun Kashmir, is organising the drive from New Delhi while Daya Krishen Kaul, vice-chairman, is leading the cadres from Jammu. Addressing
people in Delhi, Chrungoo said, “This day reminds us that the
authorities have failed to protect the rights of Kashmiri Pandits. They
have failed to implement the safeguards for the minorities in Kashmir as
enshrined in the Constitution.” Daya Krishen Kaul, while addressing
people in upper Roop Nagar, appealed to the community to observe Martyrs’
Day on September 14 as “black day”.
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BJP wants to enrol 2 lakh members in state
Jammu, August 20 “The party has set a target to enrol two lakh members from Jammu, Ladakh and Kashmir,” he said, and claimed that the exercise, which was launched one and a half months ago, had received an overwhelming response. “To enrol more people, the party is undertaking a special membership drive since August 17. It will continue till August 24,” he said. He said people were getting attracted towards the BJP as the NC-Congress coalition had failed to come up to the expectations of the common man. Another BJP leader Praduman Singh said BJP workers had been organising protests, dharnas and rallies to highlight the problems of the people. Prominent among those who took part in the special drive were Balbir Ram, Vijay Sharma, Meera Sarmal, Dinesh Gupta, Balwan Singh, Omkar Singh, Sangeeta Gupta, Sanjeev Sharma, Parshotam Dogra, Munish Raja, Ramesh Jasrotia, Ravikiran Sharma, Paras Ram, Bishamber Jasrotia, Nirmal Gupta and Vimal Gupta. |
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No plan for road to Amarnath cave: Govt
Srinagar, August 20 Rather said the Supreme Court had constituted a special high-powered committee (SHPC) headed by Governor NN Vohra, who is also the Chairman of the Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board. “The SHPC has to visit the site, examine various issues and submit its report to the Supreme Court. The next date of hearing is on September 10,” he said. — TNS
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Govt casual towards problems of SCs: BJP
Jammu, August 20 In a resolution passed in the one-day working committee meeting of the BJP Anusuchit Jaati Morcha, the party said the way the state government had introduced and “passed” the Bill to extend political reservation in Jammu and Kashmir was a clear indication that it was not serious about the issues of the SCs. The party said the Bill was introduced and passed in the Assembly without homework and later declared as “not-passed” by the Legislative Council. “The Law and Parliamentary Affairs Ministry had introduced a Bill for the extension of reservation for the SCs in the Legislative Assembly. Since it was a Constitutional Amendment Bill, it required a two-third majority in both the Houses of the Legislature for approval. The Bill was passed in the Assembly on the last day of the Budget session on April 4. The Bill was “passed’’ without a two-thirds majority. The next day, the Chairman of the Legislative Council and senior staff found that the legislation was a Constitutional Amendment Bill and required a two-third majority for passage. However, the Assembly had passed the Bill with simple majority. It was later announced that the Bill would be treated as “not passed’’. This shows the casual approach of the Parliamentary Affairs Ministry towards the reserved category in the state,” the resolution stated. |
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Army holds medical camp at border village
Poonch, August 20 The medical camp was organised under the ongoing Operation Sadbhavana in co-ordination with the civil administration to provide health services to the residents of remote villages along the border. The endeavour to ensure better medical and health services in these far-flung areas was greatly appreciated by the villagers. They also appreciated the Army’s commitment towards ensuring peace and tranquility in these areas. They also had informal interaction with Army personnel. The Commander of the Krishna Ghati Brigade assured that more such medical camps would be conducted in future. |
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Fear of fresh firing by Pak keeps border villagers indoors
Jammu, August 20 “Today on Eid, we feared a fresh spell of firing by the Pakstan Rangers. Though there is no firing as of now, villagers stayed indoors,” said Ashwani Kumar of Abdulian. Some families had sent their children and old members to safer places in RS Pura town, he added. BJP MLA from Suchetgarh Sham Choudhary said there was no fresh firing by Pakistan since August 17. Howeve, fear continued to haunt the villagers. |
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Implement PM’s job package, says Kashmiri Samaj
Jammu, August 20 The delegation demanded that the selection against 800 de-reserved posts be made by the SSRB from the previous merit list and that these posts should not be advertised afresh. The Governor gave a patient hearing to the delegation and assured that he would apprise the Chief Minister of their demands.
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India, Pak troops exchange sweets
Poonch, August 20 The Pakistan troops were led by Major Tanveer Ahmed and Major Umar Gul, while the Indian side was led by Major S Manhas and Major SS Sehgal. Both sides prayed for peace and prosperity across the LoC. —
OC |
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Thrashed by teacher, boy’s kidney damaged
Rajouri, August 20 The teacher allegedly beat him up severely with a stick and kicked his abdomen after which he complained of sever abdominal pain. He later became unconscious and fell on the floor, Mushtaq Ahmed, father of the student, said. The victim was rushed to the sub-district hospital, Darhal, by the school staff from where he was shifted to the district hospital, Rajouri. Doctors later referred him to the Government Medical College and Hospital, Jammu, as his condition was stated to be critical. “Doctors suggested Ishtyak should be operated upon. Later, it was diagnosed that one of his kidneys had been damaged owing to severe thrashing,” Mushtaq said. Ishtyak has been admitted to ward number 6 of the hospital for the past six days. “His condition is yet not stable,” Mushtaq said. The accused teacher is reportedly absconding. A case under Sections 323 and 341 of the RPC has been registered against him. The police has launched a manhunt to nab him. Chief Education Officer Makhan Lal ordered the suspension of the teacher two days ago. “I immediately issued his suspension order as soon as the complaint of the school Principal reached me,” Makhan Lal said. |
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Chenani (Udhampur), August 20
The state unit of the BJP has set a target to enrol two lakh members in Jammu and Kashmir during an ongoing membership drive.
Addressing a function in connection with the membership drive in the New Plot area of Jammu city today, general secretary of the party Sat Sharma said said the BJP had a precedence of undertaking a membership drive across the country after every three years.
Barasingha Battalion and Krishna Ghati Brigade today organised a free medical camp at Tain village in Mendher near the
LoC. A team of six doctors, including civil doctors from Mendhar Sub-District Hospital and one dentist, conducted the camp. A large number of people of all age groups were given free medical check-up. Free medicines as prescribed by the team of Doctors were also distributed to the patients.
A delegation of the Youth All India Kashmiri Samaj called on Governor NN Vohra at the Raj Bhawan in Srinagar today and gave him a memorandum of their demands.
The demands of the delegation, led by RK Bhat, president of the samaj, include implementation of the Prime Minister’s employment package for Kashmiri migrants.
