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State govt to approach PM on power projects
Cong minister in the dock for ‘encroaching’ on forest land
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Explain action taken in custodial death case, HC tells govt
Court reserves decision on separatist leader’s petition
Tourist footfall in Kashmir, Ladakh crosses 12 lakh
Army foils intrusion bid in Poonch
LoC trade needs a boost: Poonch traders
School education sector in a sorry state in J-K
Posters threatening panches surface in Anantnag
Legislative Council adjourns sine die
Committee to decide on setting up of new degree colleges
Shinde visiting Jammu today, BSF awaits itinerary
Army issues fresh summons in Pathribal encounter case
Two panels to manage bio-medical waste
Snowfall in Leh dist
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State govt to approach PM on power projects
The minister said the Act was introduced in 2010 with the aim of buying back the power projects from the NHPC and strengthening the water resources in the state. “We have earned Rs 1,100 crore on account of water usage charges. Out of this, we have received Rs 750 crore. The money earned is being exclusively utilised for buying back power projects already established in the state,” the minister said. Taj said in the next two and a half years, 2,500 megawatt power would be added to the overall generation of the state through water usage charges. Officials said the state received 12 per cent royalty on power generation. After repeated pleas by the government to the NHPC to increase the royalty share was not accepted, the state government started taking water usage charges from the NHPC. The state government constituted a Cabinet sub-committee for buying back the NHPC's three major power projects in J&K. The report of the sub-committee has been approved by the Cabinet. “We also constituted a legal committee headed by Advocate General and after his report on buying back the three power houses was ready, I met then Union Power Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde on the issue,” Mohiuddin said. The three power projects that the state government wants to buy back from the NHPC include Salal, Uri and
Dulhasti. Projects with NHPC
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Cong minister in the dock for ‘encroaching’ on forest land
Srinagar, October 11 Shah cited an inquiry by a senior revenue official which, he said, clearly mentioned that the Congress minister had encroached upon the forest land. The state government, however, had denied that Mohiuddin was in possession of forest land in Sadev Shopian. Chairman of
the State Legislative Council said he would look into the matter. Shah submitted the reports of Shopian tehsildar and divisional forest officer (DFO), Shopian, to the chairman of the Upper House and demanded a probe by the House Committee into the allegations. “As the minister is a powerful man, I suspect that related records might be tampered with. So I request that a House Committee of legislators should be constituted to probe into the issue,” Shah said. Minister of Forests Mian Altaf said that as per the revenue authorities, no illegal possession of forest land by any sitting minister had been taken in Sadev forests. “The Forest Department has been directed to re-verify the claims,” Altaf said adding that they would look into the report which was submitted by Shah before the House. The chairman of the Legislative Council Amit Malhotra said he would examine the case. PHE Minister Mohiuddin rubbished the allegations saying he would resign if it was proved that he
had encroached upon the forest land. “It is a conspiracy against me. I am the owner of the land and I have revenue documents that substantiate my claim. I will resign if it is proved that I have encroached upon even
one marla of forest land,” Taj said. “The case of forest land encroachment was heard by the Accountability Commission and they gave me a clean chit in 2008. The allegations have again surfaced this time and it is nothing but aimed at maligning my image,” the Congress minister said. Mohiuddin said he would move a privilege motion against the legislator for accusing him of grabbing forest land. |
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Explain action taken in custodial death case, HC tells govt
Srinagar, October 11 The Director General of Police (Prisons) has already penalised a jail officer for “negligence” in the case. Sajjad (22) from Sangrampora in Sopore had died at the Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS), Srinagar, on March 22 while serving detention under the Public Safety Act (PSA) at the Kupwara district jail. The report of the magisterial inquiry, which was ordered by the Kupwara District Magistrate on March 3, had held the district jail authorities and the jail medical staff guilty of negligence. The magisterial probe concluded that the victim was physically unfit, having acute problem and a head injury. The report was forwarded by Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir, Asghar Samoon, to the Chief Secretary for necessary action in April this year. Though Sajjad died serving detention under the PSA, his habeas corpus petition challenging his detention is still pending before the High Court. As the case came up for hearing before the High Court on Wednesday, the counsel representing the victim’s family expressed displeasure over the punishment awarded to jail official held guilty. He demanded legal action and registration of an FIR against the jail official. After hearing both the sides, the court asked the state government to file an affidavit explaining the steps taken by it on the magisterial inquiry report which has already been submitted to the government. “The court has given the government two weeks to file the affidavit,” said counsel Mian Tufail representing the victim’s family. Following the custodial death of Sajjad, the DGP (Prisons) had ordered to withhold the annual increment and promotion for one year of the then in charge of the Kupwara jail, Ghulam Qadir Padroo (jail superintendent), for “carelessness, non-seriousness and lapse” on his part. THE CASE
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Court reserves decision on separatist leader’s petition
Srinagar, October 11 The court has also directed the Principal District and Sessions Judge, Udhampur, to visit Alam at the Udhampur district jail and listen to his grievances. Masarat, who allegedly played an instrumental role in fomenting the civil unrest in 2010, was arrested by the police during a raid in the Telbal area on the outskirts of Srinagar on October 18, 2010 after he had remained underground for over four months. He was then booked under the Public Safety Act by the authorities and he has been behind the bars since then despite the High Court having quashed his detention several times. Masarat had challenged his detention under the PSA before the High Court by filing a habeas corpus petition through his lawyer Mian Qayoom in August this year. On August 29, the High Court directed the state government to file its objection to the petition in three weeks. After several hearings, the court reserved its final decision on Masarat’s petition on Wednesday. “The court, however, did not specify what it is going to announce its final decision,” said a lawyer. Meanwhile, a double bench of the High Court headed by Chief Justice MM Kumar has directed the Principal District and Sessions Judge, Udhampur, to visit Masarat Alam at Udhampur jail and listen to his grievances. The directions came after Masarat’s lawyer Mian Qayoom read out a letter from the former to the court in which he had alleged harassment of the inmates by the Udhampur jail authorities. |
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Tourist footfall in Kashmir, Ladakh crosses 12 lakh
Besides the tourists, 6,21,104 pilgrims visited the holy cave shrine of Lord Shiva in south Kashmir Himalayas. As many as 1,13,424 domestic and 26,864 foreign tourists visited Ladakh till September this year. The Home Ministry figures reveal that 76,88,291 pilgrims paid obeisance at Mata Vaishno Deviji shrine in the Jammu region. However, despite the booming tourist season, only 25,141 rooms (828 government and 24,313 private) are available for tourists in Kashmir division. Ladakh has 138 government and 5,297 private rooms. “Besides, 88 dormitories/ halls of different bed capacities are also available for tourists at various destinations for accommodation purposes,” the reply added. In the Jammu region, 553 government and 12,425 rooms are available. However, the visitors face accommodation problems in May-June only when the tourist season is at its peak in the Valley. On the steps taken for improving the tourism infrastructure, the reply said: “The department is developing infrastructure through public and private investment. Under public investment, tourism-related infrastructure like tourist accommodation in the shape of huts and budget accommodation and tourist reception centres has been/ is being developed through central financial assistance.” The influx of tourists in Kashmir has so far remained unaffected by incidents like the issuing of “dress advisory” by the politico-religious organisation Jamaat-e-Islami earlier this year. The organisation had asked visitors in Kashmir to adopt a “proper dress code”. While the “advisory” had found few takers, the Jamaat later blamed the media for misconstruing its statement. The gutting of a revered Sufi shrine in the summer capital in June or the killing of a youth in north Kashmir’s Bandipore district followed by another death under suspicious circumstances earlier this year too failed to dampen the tourist inflow. Year before last, the tourism season had been hit hard for three consecutive years due to the Amarnath land row agitation in 2008, the infamous Shopian incident in 2009 and the summer unrest of 2010. |
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Army foils intrusion bid in Poonch
Reliable sources told The Tribune that around 11.30 pm yesterday ambush parties in the Sonagali forward area noticed some suspicious movement and detected a group of four Pakistani militants who were trying to infiltrate into the Indian territory. “The alert troops challenged the ultras and a gun battle ensued between them, which lasted till 12.30 am,” said the sources. Following firing by the troops, three militants fled back to PoK but the fourth one, who had crossed the LoC from an adjacent area near Sonagali during the gun battle, reached near the fence. However, he was not able to breach the fence and is believed to be hiding in the rugged terrain, they said. The rugged terrain in the Sonagali area has forests and rivulets and it is believed that the militant might have also sustained injuries in the gun battle, they added. This morning the Army troops launched a search operation in the area and also pressed into service sniffer dogs to trace the militant. However, the troops could not find him and the search was called off. The Sonagali area is being manned by the Krishna Ghati Brigade. The Jammu-based defence PRO, Col RK Palta, said this morning the Army had launched a search in the area but nothing was found. |
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LoC trade needs a boost: Poonch traders
Jammu, October 11 Having witnessed unpleasant upheavals in the past four years, we now want the Centre to increase the items on the trade list from the existing 21 to 50, said Pawan Anand, president of the Cross-LoC Traders’ Association
in Poonch. In 2008, the Centre under the standard operating procedure (SOP) had given its consent to Indian traders to export 21 different items to PoK. The trade between the two parts of the divided Kashmir has turned feeble and is in dire straits. It needs immediate attention of the Centre, added Anand. He said during the forthcoming visit of Union Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde at Chakan-da-Bagh trade centre, we will also urge him to immediately start issuing travel permits to the traders so that they can go and see the quality of merchandise of their counterparts in PoK before placing orders. The cross-LoC traders in Poonch have also decided to raise the demand of widening the existing road from Poonch to Chakan-da-Bagh into a double lane besides converting the existing bridge en route into a double-lane bridge. Despite starting the cross-LoC trade between Poonch and Rawalakote four years ago, there has been no improvement in road and bridge from Poonch to Chakan-da-Bagh. “Besides, the traders also want a proper meeting place for discussing trade-related issues with their counterparts from PoK. It could be within the existing trade centre at Chakan-da-Bagh,” said Anand. He claimed that though 165 traders registered themselves with the Chakan-da-Bagh trade centre, only 20 to 25 traders were actually involved in trade. |
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School education sector in a sorry state in J-K
Srinagar, October 11 This is a result of poor implementation of two schemes of the Ministry of Human Resources Development- Sarva Shiksha Abhiyaan (SSA) and Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyaan (RMSA). The MHRD has rejected the state government’s proposal for opening 573 new primary schools and upgradation of 285 existing primary schools to upper level under the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyaan for the financial year 2012-13 as per the J&K State School Education Department report. Though the Department has not attributed the reason as to why the Central government refused to allocate more funds, the track record of the state government in failing to improve the education scenario is said be the major reason. At a time when the national school dropout rate has decreased from 9.11 per cent during 2009-10 to 6.8 per cent during 2010-11, the school dropout rate in the state has increased from 3.47 per cent during 2009-10 to 5.3 per cent in 2010-11. The state government has failed to achieve its targets under the RMSA scheme for the upgradation of primary schools to upper primary and senior secondary schools and strengthening their infrastructure. The Centre had sanctioned over Rs 95 crore under
the RMSA scheme for the purpose. The MHRD had sanctioned the orders for upgradation of 330 primary schools to upper primary schools during 2011-12. But none of these 330
primary schools have been upgraded by the state government. The official documents mention the achievement of opening of 177 primary schools during 2011-2012 as against the target of opening of 397 primary schools under SSA scheme. Though the School Education Department has not conducted any official survey to ascertain the infrastructural status in schools, sources maintain that there is a huge lapse in the primary/upper primary and senior secondary schools. Official sources reveal that over 75 per cent of schools in the state lack basic toilet facilities whereas two-third of them do not have adequate drinking water facilities. Only one-fifth of the primary schools in the state have playground facilities while the same facilities are available in over two-fifth of upper primary schools, sources said. Not only this, the state government has been sluggish in ensuring timely construction of pucca buildings, additional classrooms at primary and upper primary schools with just 65 per cent of state schools housed in pucca buildings. The state government has not taken up the task of 1,459 civil work projects in primary schools which was included in its target completion of 10,182 civil works across various primary schools. For the middle and upper primary schools, 52 civil work projects have not been taken up. WHAT AILS THE SECTOR
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Posters threatening panches surface in Anantnag
Anantnag, October 11 “The posters have been found pasted outside mosques in Chee and Hakhoora villages of this south Kashmir district,” residents said. Claimed to have been issued by the Mutahida Squad, an amalgamation of various militant outfits, the posters urge the panchayat members to resign immediately and commit themselves for attaining the ‘freedom’ for Kashmir. “They have been misled by the government and lured into all this for power and funds. They have made fools of themselves,” read a printed poster pasted outside a mosque in the Chee village on the outskirts of Anantnag town. It was also directed in the poster that panchayat members should announce their resignation at local mosques during the Friday congregational prayers. “The panchayat representatives who fail to resign should bear in mind that they are going to face dire consequences,” read the poster. Similar posters were reportedly pasted in Hakhoora village in the Dooru area of Anantnag district. |
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Legislative Council adjourns sine die
Srinagar, October 11 Giving details of the business conducted in the House, Malhotra said that 271 questions of public interest were taken up against 283 received from the members. “Three government bills were passed. Out of six private members bills received, five were taken up. One was introduced and one got passed,” he added. He thanked all the legislators, print and electronic media, Council Secretariat staff and other departments concerned for their cooperation and smooth conduct of the
session. |
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Legislative Council passes three Bills
Srinagar, October 11 The House also passed the Bill to amend the Jammu and Kashmir Employees Provident Fund (and Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, 1961. This Bill has also been passed by Legislative Assembly. The Bill was moved in the House by Minister for Higher Education, Abdul Gani Malik. The House passed the Bill to amend the Jammu and Kashmir Water Resources (Regulation and Management Amendment) Bill, 2012 which has already been passed by Legislative Assembly vote. The Bill was moved by Minister for PHE, Irrigation and Flood Control, Taj Mohideen. Legislators Sheikh Ghulam Rasool, Najeeb Suharwardhy, and Murtaza Ahmed Khan spoke on the Bill. |
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Committee to decide on setting up of new degree colleges
Srinagar, October 11 “The committee will devise a mechanism for establishment of new degree colleges in uncovered areas of the state on modern lines,” Malik said. The minister said the committee would also visit identified areas in Doda and furnish its report with regard to feasibility of setting up of a women college there. Panel to reconsider IAS officers’ promotions
JAMMU: The state government on Thursday re-constituted the Screening Committee to consider and assess the suitability of eligible officers for promotion to various scales of Indian Administrative Service (IAS). According to an order issued by the General Administration Department (GAD) headed by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, Chief Secretary Madhav Lal will be the chairman of the committee while Mohammad Iqbal Khandey, principal secretary, finance department and BR Sharma, principal secretary, home department, will be two of its members. “The Administrative Secretary, GAD will attend the meetings of the committee as a special invitee,” the order said. |
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Shinde visiting Jammu today, BSF awaits itinerary
Jammu, October 11 “The Home Minister will land at the Jammu Airport around 8.30 am tomorrow from where he will fly to the Chakan-da-Bagh trade centre in Poonch. Shinde will be meeting the trade authorities and a delegation of cross-LoC traders from Poonch,” said a Home Ministry official. After assessing the trans-LoC trade and the problems faced by the traders at Chakan-da-Bagh, Shinde will visit the octroi post in Suchetgarh around 11 am to take stock of the security scenario along the 198-km-long International Border, the source added. The minister will convene a high-level security meeting in Srinagar. Though the BSF has readied itself up for the minister’s visit, it has not been kept in loop by the state government. “We have yet to get a final itinerary of the Home Minister’s visit to forward areas. A lot of changes are taking place and the clear picture will emerge late this evening,” said a top BSF official. |
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Army issues fresh summons in Pathribal encounter case
Jammu, October 11 Last time, the Army summons for recording of summary of evidence had reached the witnesses, including relatives of the slain victims, on October 2 and they were asked to attend the proceedings in Nagrota on October 3. While reiterating that the proceedings are being held outside the jurisdiction of 15 Corps for fair play, an Army spokesperson exhorted the witnesses to appear and give evidence. Incidentally, the 15 Corps had contested the case of the five accused Army officers up to the Supreme Court. The spokesperson equated the GCM proceedings with a Session Court trial. He said even in a Session Court trial, the filing of a chargesheet by the police or the CBI does not mean that the accused is guilty of charges. |
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Two panels to manage bio-medical waste
Jammu, October 11 The committees, one for Kashmir and Ladakh, and the other for the Jammu region, would be serviced by the health and medical education department and would decide “the management and disposal of the hospital and other waste in a comprehensive manner”. At present, Jammu and Kashmir has no facility
to treat the nearly 6,000 kg of bio-medical waste generated on a daily basis by the
government and private hospitals across the state. |
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Snowfall in Leh dist
Leh, October 11 Reports said a moderate snowfall has also been received at the Korzok and Tsomoriri Lake area. A low temperature was witnessed in the Nyuma sub-division. |
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Srinagar, October 11
Srinagar, October 11
Jammu, October 11