Rajouri, August 30
Ishfaq Ahmed, a Rehaber-e-Taleem (ReT) teacher posted at government primary school, Jangrian in Budhal tehsil of the district has been arrested for allegedly sodomising his eight-year-old student of Class III. The accused and the victim are residents of Jagrian village.

The accused committed the heinous crime during the recess on Tuesday. The police registered a case under Section 377 of the RPC on the basis of the complaint lodged by the victim’s mother at Budhal police station.

The police said the accused took the boy to the nearby maize field.

The victim told his mother. The boy’s father was away to Srinagar where he works as a labourer. The police arrested the accused after conducting a raid at a house at Dandote.

The police today sent the victim to the district hospital for a medical check-up.

A police officer said, “The matter has been brought to the notice of senior education and police officers for further action against the ReT teacher who is on a four-day police remand.”

“The incident has not been brought to my notice by the Zonal Education Officer concerned. The accused would immediately be placed under suspension followed by a departmental inquiry and can be dismissed from service,” said Makhan Lal, CEO, Rajouri.

Earlier also, the Chief Education Officer had suspended two government school teachers of Kalakote for rape. The victim later committed suicide.

In another case, the police booked Mohammed Latief, a teacher at Government Higher Secondary School, Darhal Malkan, for allegedly hitting a Class IX student Ishtiyaq Ahmed in the stomach. The victim is undergoing treatment at Government Medical College for severe abdominal pain. Mohd Latief was also suspended by the Chief Education Officer.

official speak
The incident has not been brought to my notice by the Zonal Education Officer concerned. The accused would immediately be placed under suspension followed by a departmental inquiry and can be dismissed from service — makhan lal, CEo, Rajouri

Jammu, August 30
The Directorate of Distance Education has made a marked difference in the quality of higher education provided to the students from far-flung areas of the state.

Taking into consideration the distance between Jammu and other distant districts, the directorate is operating seven study centres for the undergraduate courses as well as five centres for the B.Ed courses. People who had to leave studies due to personal or financial constraints are getting a fresh chance to complete higher education. The opportunity has also enhanced their chances of getting better jobs.

“Students enrolled for our undergraduate and postgraduate courses as well as B.Ed and M.Ed courses are not only able to complete their higher education sitting at home but most of them are now focusing towards getting better jobs as lecturers, teachers as well as aiming to clear KAS and NET exams,” a source said.

The centres are located at convenient locations so that the students do not have to travel all the way to Jammu to attend lectures at the University. The number of students has also gone up since last year.

“Though last year we had received 16,000 applications for the various PG and UG courses, this year the number is likely to cross the 20,000 mark,” sources add.

The scholarship scheme wherein students from the economically-backward classes are getting financial aid is helping many afford higher education courses.

Eminent academicians and administrators such as Neelam Rohmetra and PC Chaudhary posted as Officers on Special Duty have all received education through the Directorate of Distance Education of the Jammu University.

Jammu, August 30
The claims of the Jammu University authorities seem to have streamlined the examination system have fallen flat as the results of the semester exams have been delayed by two to three months. The students rue that the delay would jeopardise their career.

The results of a majority of semester examinations and the revaluation for various postgraduate courses are yet to be announced. Various student organisations are up in arms against the varsity for the delay.

The students, who have been waiting for their semester results for the past two to three months, alleged that the delay would make their chances of taking admission for higher studies in other universities this year bleak. “The varsity authorities have made a mockery of the system. Even after four months, the examination wing has not declared the revaluation results. There is no accountability and the entire administrative machinery seems to have collapsed,” a student of Buddhist studies alleged.

Naresh Kumar, a student of Sociology who has been waiting for his second semester results for the past two months, said, “The University had improved the functioning of its examination wing but the authorities take four to six months to declare the results,” he alleged.

Jammu University Research Scholars Executive Association (JURSEA) president Rakesh Chib lashed out at the varsity for playing with the future of the students. “The worst sufferers are the students who appeared in the fourth semester examinations as they will not be able to get admission for further study in another university outside the state. No one is taking responsibility for the delay,” he said. He also blamed the Vice-Chancellor for shielding “non-performing” officers saying he should summon them and seek an explanation for their failure (on delay in results declaration”.

“The varsity has failed miserably to implement its calendar. The V-C didn’t convene a meeting to assess the varsity’s performance vis-à-vis the implementation of the calendar. He should fix the responsibility for non-performance,” JURSEA chief said.

Professor Manoj K Dhar, Controller Examinations, Jammu University, however, said there was no “delay” in the declaration of results. “There is no parameter to decide whether the results are delayed. There was a time when the results were declared after six months but we have streamlined the process and we are doing our best to declare the results as soon as possible,” he said. The faculty members are working roun-the-clock to improve the situation.

official speak
Some student groups are ‘unnecessarily’ trying to raise the issue about the delay. Sometimes, the declaration of results takes time due to a large number of students. Student leaders must understand the technical problems and we hope to declare the results of some of the courses very soon — prof manoj k dhar, controller examinations, jammu university

Jammu, August 30
The District Magistrate (DM), Jammu, today imposed a ban on the extraction of minor minerals, like sand, gravel and RBM from the rivers and also from the areas 150-metres upstream and 100-metres downstream of the culverts, causeways over local nullahs for two months.

The ban has been imposed to check on the uncontrolled extraction of minor minerals from local rivers and nullahs.

The District Magistrate has also asked the District Mineral Officer, Geology and Mining Department, Jammu, besides Tehsildars and Station House Officers to ensure the compliance of the order and also make sure that the mining and quarrying is done strictly in conformity with the norms laid down by the Geology and Mining Department.

Jammu, August 30
Jammu Municipal Corporation (JMC) has granted permission to 60 buildings. The decision was taken at a meeting of the Building Operation Controlling Authority here under the chairmanship of KL Khajuria,Commissioner, Municipal Corporation Jammu.

Other members of the BOCA, Joint Commissioner, works, and Senior Town Planner also attended the meeting. The building permission cases cleared today would generate Rs 14 lakh as revenue for the Jammu Municipal Corporation.

Anti-encroachment drive

The enforcement staff of the Jammu Municipal Corporation, led by Chief Enforcement Officer, conducted an anti-encroachment drive in Narwal and Trikuta Nagar.

The Jammu Municipal Corporation team removed pedestal fans, racks, tables, ladders, containers, weighing scales, signboards, rehries etc.

The shopkeepers and vendors had put the goods on the footpaths and pavements in these areas obstructing traffic. The drive was conducted with the help of the police.

revenue boost The building permission cases cleared today would generate Rs 14 lakh as revenue for the civic body. The decision was taken at a meeting of the Building Operation Controlling Authority

Jammu, August 30
Principal Sessions Judge, Jammu, Jang Bahadur Singh Jamwal, has rejected the bail plea of SPO Sanjeev Kumar, the accused in a case of throwing acid on a girl.

The Judge stated, “The acid attacks are a form of violence against women. There is a steep rise in the number of cases documented in recent years.”

Jammu, August 30
Food lovers in Jammu can take some time off their staple diet and try some culinary adventure. Bringing on the platter authentic Hyderabadi cuisine here are chefs who have specially flown in from Hyderabad for a 10-day-long food festival at Falak in KC Residency, starting on Friday.

Visitors can expect dishes like ‘Tali machli ka salan’, ‘biryani’, ‘hyderabadi marak shorba’, ‘subz haleem’, ‘bhutte ke kebab’, ‘baingan mirchi ka salan’ and ‘nizami paneer’ to tantalise their taste buds at the event.

The Hyderabadi food bonanza comes on the heels of the recently concluded and rather successful Awadhi food festival in the city. Such food festivals are not only creating new options for the consumers but also creating a demand for chefs with specialised skills to prepare authentic cuisines in a city which has only begun to experiment with various cuisines.

Apart from the traditional Jammu cuisine, the locals have options like Thai, Wazwaan and Awadhi cuisines among others to choose from.

The opening up of the food market in Jammu is prompting locals to try new flavors and cuisines, encouraging a trend of specialty cuisine restaurants in the city. A Rehman, a chef who introduced Awadhi cuisine in the city about two months back, said, “People of Jammu are aware of various cuisines. It is rather easy to introduce something new to them since they have an understanding of ingredients, spices and various methods of cooking.”

After the Hyderabadi food fest, which will conclude on September 9, Falak plans to hold a Rampuri food festival soon.

Jammu, August 30
The recent appointment of gymnastics coach Krupali Singh as the Panchayat Yuva Khel Krida Aur Abhiyan (PYKKA) observer has come as a huge relief for the Department of Youth Services and Sports (DYSS).

The department was being criticised for not reaping the maximum benefits of the centrally sponsored scheme.

The department has exuded confidence that the newly appointed PYKKA observer will help in achieving the set targets.

Krupali Singh, a recipient of Arjuna Award, had been nominated as the observer for the flagship scheme of the Union government exclusively for strengthening sports at the village and block-level.

Sources said the appointment of Krupali Singh came at a time when the department was struggling for optimum utilisation of the scheme.

Sources said the newly appointed PYKKA observer is having her task cut-out from the word go because more than 4,000 panchayats in J&K were to be covered under the PYKKA scheme and only 700 panchayats had been covered till now.

“The appointment was the need of the hour so that the overall monitoring of the PYKKA scheme was done in a proper manner. After the scheme was relaunched in 2008, it was imperative for the government to immediately appoint a technical consultant for an overall vigil but that did not happen,” one of the DYSS officials told The Tribune.

“The delayed appointment of a technical consultant has already affected the process of taking the activities to the grass-root level in the state,” he said.

“Despite the existence of a coordination committee, the block development officer is the coordinator for the block-level. For the district and state-level, we have deputy commissioners and chief secretary but there is hardly any meeting, which is very unfortunate,” another official claimed.

The PYKKA scheme is based on 90-10 per cent sharing basis between the Central and the state government.

Batote, August 30
Ramban MLA Ashok Kumar flagged off a district-level hiking-cum-trekking rally of over 100 boys belonging to various schools of Batote and Chanderkot from the Government Higher Secondary School, Batote, this morning.

District Youth Services and Sports Officer, Ramban, Dewan Chand Thakur, who is the organiser of the three-day rally, said the boys would trek from Batote to Sanasar via Patnitop and return on the third day. The other officers who accompanied the rallyists include HK Koul, Ramban Zonal Physical Education Officer, Ramban; Farooq Ahjmed, PET, Gami; Joginder Pal Singh, PEM, Government Higher Secondary School, Batote; and Vijay Gupta, PET, Government Higher Secondary, School, Gandhri. While speaking on the occasion, Ashok Kumar underlined the significance of sports not only for physical fitness but also for developing leadership qualities and discipline.

Jammu, August 30
A week-long workshop on “Software development skills using Vb.Net” was organised by the BCA department of the Government MAM college yesterday.

Prof Vibhakar Mansotra, head of the department (IT and Computer Science), University of Jammu, was the chief guest on the occasion.

Dr Ramesh Chander, principal of the college appreciated the initiatives of the IT department.

Prof Sujat Khan, HOD Computer Applications, said such workshops would also be organised in future. He said such informative events enabled the students to get familiar with the upcoming challenges and scope in the field of software development.

Vikas Gupta, assistant programmer, University of Jammu was the resource person for the workshop. He deliberated the use of VB.Net for developing the software applications.

Among the others present on the occasion, included Prof SK Vaid, Prof KR Sharma, Prof Rama Badyal, Prof Anita Sharma, Prof Subash Sharma, Prof Twinkle Suri, Gohar Ahmed, Seema Gupta, Shaalu Gupta and Rakesh Sharma. 

Batote, August 30
The Army doctors of the CIF (Delta) examined students of the Government Higher Secondary School, Dharmoond, in Batote today. Besides a routine medical check-up, students and villagers living in the nearby hamlets were asked to maintain general and personal hygiene.

During the counselling session, the students were advised to prefer a nutritious meal over junk food to stay healthy. The doctors enlightened them on the ill-effects of cigarettes, tobacco, alcohol and caffeinated drinks. The doctors also distributed sweets among the students. — OC

Rajouri, August 30
The Army authorities distributed stationery and sports items to the students of ten schools in the far-flung villages of Devetta, Quila Drahal, Rajpur Kamila, Bhatta, Kalsian, Saidgarh, Serh, Jabbar Kalsian and Jhangar of tehsil Nowshera.

The schools are situated at the Line of Control under the aegis of Tithwal Brigade. The ceremony was organised under the Operation Sadbhavana. About 1,500 students were benefited by the Army. The programme was attended by the students, teachers, parents and the local people.

The civil administration officers appreciated the efforts of the Army for organising various welfare and development projects for the local people.

The prominent personalities of the area and the sarpanches of the villages appreciated the gesture of the Army for understanding the needs of the students of the remote villages. They also advised the students to work hard and bring fame to the border villages.

The headmaster of Govt Middle School, Kalsian, Kuldeep Raj said the sports items distributed by the Army will help the students to display their talent in sports field. The headmaster of Govt Middle School, Rajpur Kamila, Sunil Kumar remarked that distribution of stationery and sports items would benefit the children from the remote areas and serve as a motivation to excel in education. Emphasising on the efforts being undertaken by the army towards the education and the sports, the commanding officer stressed upon the parents role to provide scope for education and extra co-curricular activities to their children. — OC

Rajouri, August 30
World Wide Fund for Nature-India (WWF-India) in collaboration with the Government Degree College, Budhal had organised a one-day ecology orientation workshop on “Forests for sustainable livelihood” for the students and the staff.

“The high altitude wetlands in Pir Panjal mountain ranges and its adjoining areas are a unique heritage and efforts should be made to preserve it ,” said Pankaj Chandan, head HAWS programme of WWF-India.

WWF-India made a presentation on forests and associated wildlife and urged the teachers and students to conserve the biodiversity of their own area.

Pushpinder Singh Jamwal, Project Officer, WWF-India distributed posters on the biodiversity. Some important films on the nature and wildlife were also shown to the students which were being used as a powerful communication tool to educate the students about nature.

Jammu, August 30
The city residents have been facing a lot of inconvenience due to sewerage-laying work, a project which started over six months back. The roads which were dug up a long time back are lying in the same condition, exposing commuters and pedestrians to various types of risks. On Wednesday, the local business community and residents of New Plot-Bantalab staged a protest against the issue. Speaking to The Tribune, residents expressed their anguish and demanded immediate restoration of the work.

I think the authorities do not pay any heed to our troubles until we come to the streets to protest. The Economic Reconstruction Agency and the National Building Construction Corporation are not expediting the sewerage-laying works. Due to their lethargic approach, we have been facing a lot of inconvenience. The condition that the roads are still in reveals that the work has not been carried out in accordance with a plan. I have to take up alternate routes from my home to my workplace every day.

— Dheeraj, an employee of a private firm

It is strange that the agencies took up the project without considering the repercussions. This is nothing but shortsightedness on the part of authorities. It is shocking that public convenience is the last priority while carrying out such projects. The outcome is complete chaos

— Kamal Abrol, Entrepreneur

It is said that protests have become a regular feature in the city but are the residents solely responsible for it? The authorities leave us with no other choice. We have been suffering considerable losses in our business due to the undone work

—Munish, Entrepreneur

We do not want to add to the prevailing chaos but the agencies should expedite the works. The businessmen are the worst sufferers due to the situation. Moreover, it has led to a number of road accidents.

—Rajesh Sharma, Retailer

The dug-up roads and lanes are hazardous for the residents in many ways. The dust due to unfinished work aggravates various allergies. The whole New Plot-Bantalab stretch is in a bad shape.

—Suresh, an employee of a private firm

Poonch, August 30
The Doda team defeated the Poonch team by 6 wickets in the final match of the four-day divisional level Inter-District Under-16 Cricket Tournament at Poonch today. The tournament was organised by the Department of Youth Services and Sports.

MLC Jahangir Hussain Mir was the chief guest and Col Munish kumar, Commanding Officer, 39 RR, was the guest of honour on the occasion.

Poonch won the toss and batted first scoring 91 runs in the stipulated 20 overs. Amandeep scored the maximum runs, 32, for Poonch. Zuhaib Suidullah of the Doda team took 3 wickets. Doda chased the target with six wickets to spare.

Ikhlaq was the highest scorer from the Doda team. He scored 33 in 18 balls and was declared the man of the match while Amandeep Singh of Poonch was awarded the man of the series award.

Jahangir Hussain lauded the efforts of the District Youth Services and Sports Department for successfully hosting the championship.

Jammu, August 30
The Jammu district team proved their supremacy today in the Inter-District Divisional Level Judo Competition, organised by the Department of Youth Services and Sports, at the Indoor Sports Complex in the MA Stadium.

The competition saw judokas from Jammu, Kathua, Doda and Reasi districts vying for the top spots in different age and weight categories. In the U-14 category, the winners, under various weight categories, were Aryan Khajuria, Sumadh Singh, Nikhal Singh, Bilal Ahmed and Parvinder Kumar from Jammu, Surjeet Singh from Reasi and Babu Din from Kathua.In the U-17 category, the winners were Jeevan Singh, Anmol Abrol, Kunal Sharma, Shubam Singh, Karandeep, Abhijeet Singh and Deeraj Kumar from Jammu and Muzafar Ali from Kathua. In the U-19 category, the winners in various weight categories were Abhishek Choudhary and Varun Kashtri from Jammu and Munish Khajuria, Sahil Dogra, Sourav Bhadwal and Subash Singh from Kathua —TNS

Jammu, August 30
A hockey team of the J&K Hockey Association left for Jalandhar today to participate in the Senior National North Zone Hockey Championship slated to be held from August 31.

The team comprises Sukhwinder Singh (captain), Ikpal Singh, Hardeep Singh, Davinderpal Singh, Kawaljit Singh, Jagjit Singh, Naveed Ahmad, Mushtaq, Abdul Razaq, Mandeep Singh, Sandeep Kumar, Amandeep Singh, Paramjeet Singh, Krishan Paul, Sumit Choudhary, Harish Sharma and A P Singh. — TNS