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High-level panel formed to check foodgrain rot
Poor-quality machinery in SKIMS bane of patients
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Abeyance of Convergence Scheme
Moderate Hurriyat opposes all-weather fencing on LoC
Army to get eye in the sky
HC defers hearing on plea seeking Faktoo’s release
2010 Unrest: Victims’ kin turn to High Court for succour
Shah Rukh lands in Valley
Minor held for Eid violence
Forum president for adopting ways to popularise Dogri among youth
Panthers Party protests against govt’s ‘discriminatory’ policies
Govt promulgates ordinance to amend water Act
Arms, ammunition recovered in Banihal
West Pakistan refugees allege raw deal
Incident signals people want peace, says political analyst
Leh remembers 3 youths killed in 1989 firing
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High-level panel formed to check foodgrain rot
Jammu, August 27 After inspecting the store, the CAPD Minister constituted the high-level committee, comprising Deputy Director (Rationing), Deputy Director, Samba and Kathua, and Assistant Director, to assess the total loss in the store. To avoid reoccurrence of such incidents in future, the minister also asked the committee to suggest effective measures in this regard. “The committee has been asked to submit its report within a couple of days,” said Director, CAPD Jammu, Parveez Malik. Malik said the committee was expected to submit its report on Thursday. “Besides assessing the loss, the committee has been entrusted with the task of preparing a detailed report, including financial estimate, to repair the existing store,” he said. “The report will be forwarded to the Finance Department for approval.” “After getting a green signal from the Finance Department, we will start the repair work on the godown,” Malik said. In the foodgrain-deficit state of Jammu and Kashmir, rotting of a huge quantity of ration is a big issue, so the authorities have decided to take preventive measures to avoid reoccurrence of such incidents in future. An official handout said Qamar Ali Akhoon visited the CAPD food store at Warehouse, Jammu, to take stock of the damage caused due to the recent heavy rain. Director, CAPD, Assistant Director, CAPD (Trade and Stores), and other officials accompanied the minister. The minister had detailed discussions with the officers concerned regarding the reasons behind the damage caused to the store due to rain. |
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Poor-quality machinery in SKIMS bane of patients
Srinagar, August 27 Earlier this year, many eyebrows were raised following reports about an increasing number of infant deaths at city’s lone childcare institution GB Pant Hospital. The matter related to substandard machinery, especially two oxygen concentrator plants, in the SKIMS was investigated by senior members of the medical fraternity the documents of which are with The Tribune. It came to light that installation of two life-saving machines-- oxygen concentrator plants -- were done in a dubious manner and the authorities paid no heed to the threat to the lives of patients needing vital oxygen component. There are also reports about an alarming increase in deaths of patients at the SKIMS wherein 3,004 deaths were registered between January 2011 and May 2012. Sources said the two machines, costing Rs 16 crore each, were purchased against the recommendations of a technical committee comprising senior faculty members. The committee had rejected the supplies and hospital authorities to initiate legal proceedings against the supplier firm for cheating and malpractice. While the authorities had placed order for 0500 ECO V2 model of the oxygen concentrator plant, another model 0500 ECO V3 was supplied instead which developed a snag recently. However, the authorities seem to have failed to take corrective measures even after over one year has lapsed thus endangering the lives of many patients. “The decrease in oxygen purity is a matter of great concern and needs to be taken up with the supplier firm at the higher level now,” said the report of Assistant Executive Engineer, Mechanical-IV of the SKIMS. The report was submitted to the authorities on July 3 about the “low purity of newly-installed oxygen concentrator plant”, describing the matter as “most urgent”. The report reveals the plant was functioning satisfactorily upto June 25, 2012 after which the “purity of the plant started decreasing”. As against the standard purity of 95 plus minus 1 percent, the purity of the plant “is continuously showing a decreasing trend and is presently fluctuating between 72 to 77 per cent”, the report says. It adds the problem has been discussed with the concerned supplier UNISSI India Pvt Ltd a number of times “but no action has been taken by the company yet”. FINDING OF THE REPORT |
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Abeyance of Convergence Scheme
Jammu, August 27 Sources said the admissions for all the programmes of IGNOU under the Convergence Scheme have been kept in abeyance till further orders, thereby affecting the admission process in about 325 partner institutions across India, including 25 in Jammu and Kashmir. Students, who are interested in seeking admissions in any of the IGNOU’s programmes, have been directed to contact the respective Regional Centres of IGNOU at SPMR College of Commerce, Canal Road, Jammu. The sources added that July 2012 admission
figures had registered a steep decline due to the decision of the IGNOU management. Prof KK Bhat, Regional Director of IGNOU Regional Centre while confirming the development said the partner institutions of IGNOU in J&K would not be able to enrol aspirants for various courses under the Convergence Scheme. “Yes, the students are now required to enrol at IGNOU Regional Centre in Jammu due to the decision of the board of management of the university,” Prof Bhat said. Under the Convergence Scheme, it was difficult for the Regional Centre to know the exact number of students enrolled in partner institutions for pursuing various programmes,” he said. He said there wasn’t any decline in the number of aspirants who had applied for various programmes in IGNOU in the state. The objective of the Convergence Scheme was to achieve targets set in the Eleventh Plan Document for Higher Education and focus on access and equity issues. The scheme was jointly conceived by the University Grants Commission, IGNOU, Distance Education Council and the All India Council for Technical Education under the guidance of the Ministry of Human Resources Development. It aims at enhancing the quality and quantity of education delivery in the context of social dimensions of the country with a thrust on capacity building and strengthening of the conventional university and collegiate education system. |
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Moderate Hurriyat opposes all-weather fencing on LoC
Srinagar, August 27 “It is a negative step as there are talks of making borders irrelevant. When there are talks of ending the concept of borders, such efforts are meaningless and unacceptable to the Hurriyat,” said a statement issued by the moderate Hurriyat after its executive council meet. It also said the conglomerate had expressed “deep concern” over the proposal. The meeting was chaired by the Mirwaiz, who said: “It has become clear that no issue can be resolved through violence and resolutions can be reached only through peaceful negotiations.” He hoped the governments of India and Pakistan would include the people of the state in future talks for the resolution of the Kashmir issue.
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Army to get eye in the sky
Chandigarh, August 27 Mini UAVs, which are man-portable, can be used for maintaining surveillance along the Line of Control, especially in areas that are prone to infiltration, and volatile areas in the hinterland. They can also be used during counter-terrorist operations, search and rescue operations or law and order situations. The Army has kicked off a process to procure 20 mini UAVs. A request for information was floated by the Army this month and the procurement would be made under provisions of the Army Commander’s Special Financial Powers. Mini UAVs are used by many armies in the world for garnering tactical intelligence during field operations. These are useful force multipliers and a valuable asset in situations where natural obstacles or man-made structures are a challenge. Readily available data and pictures from overhead UAVs give commanders flexibility and multiple options on rational troop deployment while limiting the risk of loss to life and equipment. The Army wants mini UAVs that are equipped with colour cameras for day-time operations and infra-red cameras for night operations that can detect the movement of a single individual from at least 1,000 metes, along with other requisite sensors and navigation paraphernalia. Features like silent electric motors that do not have an audio signature beyond 500 metres, the ability to take off and land without a runway and simultaneous recording and real-time transmission of data and video streams to ground control stations are essential. The UAVs are expected to weigh about 10 kg with a wing span of four metres, a minimum flying endurance of one hour and a radio-control range in excess of five kilometres. The entire system, including the aircraft, control stations and associated equipment, would be transported, assembled and operated by the designated crew. The Utility Mini UAVs, which are man-portable, can be used for maintaining surveillance along the Line of Control, especially in areas that are prone to infiltration, and volatile areas in the hinterland. They can also be used during counter-terrorist operations, search and rescue operations or law and order situations |
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HC defers hearing on plea seeking Faktoo’s release
Srinagar, August 27 Faktoo, who is hardline separatist leader Asiya Andrabi’s husband, was convicted of murdering human rights activist HN Wanchoo and was handed down a life term. Faktoo has already completed his life imprisonment and is currently lodged at the Central Jail in Srinagar. The case was listed before a single Bench of the High Court today but was deferred till September 3. During the last hearing on July 31, Faktoo’s counsel Mian Qayoom had submitted that his client had completed 20 years in prison and should be released from jail. “On May 31, 2012, Faktoo competed his 20 years in jail, which under the Jail Manual and the Prisons Act amounts to life imprisonment,” he had argued. “His detention is now illegal and he must be released, keeping in view provisions of the Jail Manual and the Prisons Act.” The court had also taken on record an official communication (from DIG Prisons) indicating Faktoo’s completion of life imprisonment, which was submitted to it by Qayoom. The court in its subsequent orders on July 31 had directed the state authorities to file their response within two weeks to the petition seeking Faktoo’s release. Faktoo was arrested on December 5, 1992 and later convicted by the Supreme Court along with two others of offences committed under Section 3 of TADA and Sections 302 and 120-B of the Ranbir Panel Code (RPC) on January
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2010 Unrest: Victims’ kin turn to High Court for succour
Srinagar, August 27 Around 40 families of the victims visited the High Court to file affidavits into the PIL today. Zeba, who along with her young daughter was in the court to file her affidavit seeking registration of an FIR into her husband’s death, said nobody had visited her house since the 2010 incident. “My husband, Showkat Ahmad Mir, was killed by security forces on September 13, 2010. He was the sole breadwinner. Nobody, including Geelani and Mirwaiz, has visited our house ever since,” said Zeba. “I have four young daughters. There is no one to help our poor family. We have suffered a lot, but I now hope to get justice from this court,” she said. The PIL, seeking the registration of FIRs and initiation of a probe into 117 deaths that took place during the 2010 summer unrest, was filed by Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front chairman Muhammad Yasin Malik in the High Court on January 10, 2011. The victims were unanimous in their view that leaders had failed them and that justice had been delayed. “We don’t have any expectations from anyone. Nobody, not even Geelani or other separatist leaders, visited our house after the killing,” said Zahida, whose son Fida Nabi, a class XII student, was fired upon by security forces on August 3, 2010. He died five days later. “We have been waiting for justice for the past two years. Even courts have not given us any relief.” Mohammad Yaseen, who lost his son, Suhail Dar, to bullets on August 3, 2010 said he was there to ensure that no more children suffered in the Valley in future. “My son was innocent. I am still awaiting justice,” he said. Mohammad Amin, an Imam from south Kashmir, hoped that judicial intervention would pave the way for justice. Amin, whose son Dar Milaad (7), was killed by security forces on August 19, 2010 hoped that the High Court would order the registration of cases in all civilian killings that took place in 2010. “I have been running from pillar to post to get an FIR registered into my son’s killing. But no police station in my area is ready to register a case,” he said. “I hope that the High Court will prevail upon the authorities to register a case into my son’s killing. He was just seven when he was shot in the head,” said Amin. PIL status
The High Court had recently issued a public notice in local newspapers asking the families of the 117 victim to file their affidavits into the PIL seeking registration and probe into the 2010 killings. Around 40 families hailing from different parts of the Valley arrived at the High Court today to file their affidavits. Sources said the PIL was likely to come up for hearing before the High Court Division Bench in the first week of September. The J&K High Court had on May 9, 2011 granted the Central government four weeks to file its objections into the PIL filed by JKLF chairman Yasin
Malik.
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Shah Rukh lands in Valley
Srinagar, August 27 Soon after he landed at Srinagar airport, Shah Rukh flew to the tourist resort of Pahalgam in south Kashmir. “They (actors and crew) have arrived and would shoot in the Pahalgam area till September 3,” said a senior officer, overlooking the stay of the film crew and actors in south Kashmir. The officer said the crew was busy shooting near Aroo in Pahalgam. Aroo is a picturesque locale amid pine trees. A brook passes through it, which is a tributary of the Lidder river. The place is dotted by mud houses of peasants and shepherds and is particularly known for the shooting of Dileep Kumar’s ‘Karma’ in 1980s. Yash Chopra’s movie also stars Katrina Kaif and Anushka Sharma. Shah Rukh plays an Army man in the movie. A part of the movie was completed in the Ladakh region recently. The film will also be shot around the Dal Lake and the ski resort of Gulmarg, 50 km north of Srinagar. Several film crews have arrived in the Valley since 1998 after film shooting resumed in the Valley. The eruption of militancy in the Kashmir valley in the 1990s brought an end to film shooting and led to closure of cinema halls. While the cinema halls in the Valley are still closed, filmmakers have again started coming to Kashmir to shoot their movies. The arrival of movie crews will revive the love of Bollywood for the Valley and give a boost to the tourism sector.
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Minor held for Eid violence
Srinagar, August 27 The boy, a resident of Ganderpora locality of the old city, was arrested yesterday in a case registered at the Safa Kadal police station, a police official said. The official said the boy was arrested after the police identified him in a video footage of the protest outside an Eidgah (special Eid prayer ground). Youths had clashed with the police after intercepting and setting afire a police vehicle on August 20. “We have video evidence against him,” the official said. The boy was produced in a local court. The official said the boy had been booked under Section 307 (attempted murder) of the RPC. He had also been booked under Section 147 (punishment for rioting), 148 (rioting, armed with deadly weapon), 149 (member of unlawful assembly guilty of offence committed in prosecution of common object) and 152 (assaulting or obstructing a public servant when suppressing riot). The counsel for the boy said he was 12 years old and a student of class VI. The boy is the fifth person to be arrested in the case. A college student, Burhan Lone (19) of Noor Bagh, Srinagar; Mohammad Younis Sheikh (21) of Dana Mazar, Safa Kadal; Abid Beg of Maharaj Bazar, Srinagar; and Hilal Ahmed Sofi (25) of the old city were arrested last week. A police vehicle was torched and three policemen were beaten up when their vehicle was intercepted by a mob outside the Eidgah on Eid. The vehicle was carrying police personnel from Qamarwari to Soura when it was attacked by a crowd coming out of the
Eidgah. The arrest The boy was arrested after the police identified him in a video footage of the protest outside an Eidgah (special Eid prayer ground). Youths had clashed with the police after intercepting and setting afire a police vehicle on August 20 |
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Forum president for adopting ways to popularise Dogri among youth
Jammu, August 27 The DVM, an amalgam of various prominent NGOs, social, and business and non-political organisations held the meeting at the Chamber of Commerce and Industries, Jammu. The meeting was presided over by Maj Gen Shiv Kumar Sharma (retd) and was chaired by president of the Duggar Vikas Manch Dineshwar Singh Jamwal. Jamwal informed the gathering about the recently conducted activities and the annual events organised by the organisation since its inception. He also appraised the audience about the coming event, the birth anniversary of Maharaja Hari Singh, which is organised by the Duggar Vikas Manch on September 22 every year. Sharma appreciated the efforts of the organisation and emphasised the ways and means that should be adopted to popularise the Dogri language, especially among the younger generation of the Dogra community. |
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Panthers Party protests against govt’s ‘discriminatory’ policies
Jammu, August 27 The protest was held under the leadership of party president Balwant Singh Mankotia. Mankotia said the coalition government was discriminating against Jammu in all spheres of life. He said instead of treating all regions equally, the government was meting out step-motherly treatment to the Jammu region. He said reorganisation of the state was the only solution of all the problems. Mankotia said the protest was held against the state government for discriminating against the Jammu region in sanctioning posts of Assistant Professors for degree colleges. He said the Cabinet decision regarding the creation of posts of assistant professor for various degree colleges was self-explanatory and spoke of the anti-Jammu mindset of the Congress and the NC. While the government has created 700 vacancies for the Kashmir region, only 400 posts were sanctioned for the Jammu region. Samba MLA Yashpal Kundal and senior leaders of the Panthers Party addressed the activists. |
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Govt promulgates ordinance to amend water Act
Srinagar, August 27 The ordinance, issued by the state’s Law Department, had made amendments to Section 185 of the Jammu and Kashmir Water Resources Act-2010 for the constitution of a fund for the utilisation of water usage charges under a proper account head, an official spokesman said. The fund so raised, as per the amended clause, would be operated upon by the state’s Finance Secretary exclusively for establishing hydel projects, power projects and buying back power projects already established in the state, the spokesman said. He said under the ordinance, the Finance Department would constitute a “fund” under a proper account number in Jammu and Kashmir Bank or allot an “account head” in which the amount realised as water usage charges under the Act from such users who were generating power from hydroelectric projects in the state shall be deposited. Since the Water Resources Act was passed in 2010, the state is getting water usage charges to the tune of Rs 1,000 crore from different user agencies. “The fund so created shall be operated upon by the Administrative Secretary, Finance Department, exclusively for the purpose of being utilised for the establishment of hydel projects, hydroelectric projects, multipurpose hydroelectric projects and buying back hydroelectric power projects already established in the state,” the ordinance reads. With the promulgation of the ordinance, the process of utilisation of water usage charges for the purpose of consolidating water and power resources in the state, including buying back power projects already in operation like the Uri power project and the Salal power project, will begin. |
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Arms, ammunition recovered in Banihal
Batote, August 27 The recoveries included two Pakistani foldable butts, 7.62 pistols with magazines, two Chinese (7.62) pistols with magazines, six rifles, one under barrel grenade launcher with four grenades, one Chinese grenade, two binoculars with cover, six AK-47 magazines, 63 rounds of Pika, 1,000 rounds of AK-47, 301 rounds of 9mm, two magazines, full pistol ammunition and one combat pouch, two kg of various types of explosives, number of electric detonators, two metre safety fuse, four bombs in plastic cylinder, five assorted IEDs with IED box and batteries, two blankets, 10 kg rice, two-litre cooking oil, few stoves and a 10 rupee Pakistani note. |
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West Pakistan refugees allege raw deal
Chak Bhutay
(Marh),August 27 The families have repeatedly approached the officials concerned for compensation, but no action has been taken so far. As these families have no voting rights, local politicians are ignoring them because they feel that they would not get any political benefit by helping these “stateless” people. Over 50 Dalit families of the West Pakistan refugees have been living in the village since 1947, but they have been denied all facilities because they have no citizenship rights. “What to say of getting benefits of government schemes. We are not even provided compensation and relief in case of natural calamity,” said Ram Singh, convener of the local unit of the West Pakistani Refugees Action Committee. Although a number of families suffered losses due to recent rains, Mangat Ram’s house was completely damaged due to heavy downpour. Mangat is a resident of Chak Bhutay village. Seven members of his family were living in a one-room kuccha house, which was damaged by the recent heavy rain. The family was left with no option, but to live in a cattle shed. “Local authorities have conducted a survey to assess losses suffered by people due to rain, but no official has so far visited our house,” said Mangat. He said the authorities were adopting different yardsticks while giving relief to families affected by the natural calamity. He said he had approached the authorities for relief, but no action was taken. |
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Incident signals people want peace, says political analyst
Srinagar, August 27 Two pistol-borne men, suspected to be militants, attacked and injured a policeman, who was on guard near the mosque. They snatched his rifle and fled. The police said some civilians chased the militants away and retrieved a gun. The incident surprised many, as it happened in the Nowhatta area, which has for the past few years been a hub of “anti-India”
and “pro-freedom” protesters and has witnessed hundreds of clashes between stone-throwers and security forces. A Srinagar-based political analyst said the Friday incident should be seen in a “larger context”. “There is a dominant sentiment for peace, there is a dominant sentiment for a peaceful solution to the Kashmir issue,” said Gul Mohammad Wani, professor of political science at the University of Kashmir. He said even Pakistan had recently signalled for peace by stating it wanted to see “space and comfort created for the people of Kashmir”. “I see this (Friday) incident as people trying to assert themselves. If it is correct that people have done it (chased suspected militants), which I don’t know for sure, then people are taking them (who snatched the rifle) as spoilers. They are not taking them as genuine actors,” Wani said. Wani, however, had a word of caution. “We should not draw too much from this incident. We need to position ourselves in a proper way. In politics what is happening is more important than what should have happened,” he said. The Nowhatta neighbourhood where the incident happened has a die-hard following for moderate Hurriyat Conference chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq. A police officer on duty in the area said it seems the people are “okay with stones, but not okay with bullets”. The police had yesterday termed the civilians chasing down militants as a “valiant response”. Another police officer, who has years of experience in dealing with residents of the old city, and was posted there during the turbulent years, said the news did not come as a “shock or surprise” to him. “While they were chasing them (the suspected militants), which was spontaneous, I am sure it must have been in their mind that they want to shed the image of being violence lovers,” he said. |
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Leh remembers 3 youths killed in 1989 firing
Leh, August 27 Ever since the firing incident, the association has been observing August 27 as martyrs’ day in Leh district. Those killed in the firing were: Nawang Rinchan, Tsewang Dorje and Tsering Stobdan. A function was also organised at their memorial park to mark the occasion. Former MP Thupstan Chhewang, who had led the agitation, District Congress Committee president Tsering Samphel, executive councillor for agriculture Sonam Dorje and executive councillor for health Dr Sonam Wangchuk also attended the prayers. Chhewang urged the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC) to demand the declaration of August 27 as a restricted holiday within the district. Dorje said he would raise the matter in the meetings of the LAHDC general council.
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Chandigarh, August 27
Srinagar, August 27
Jammu, August 27
Batote, August 27
