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Yousuf Case
J&K to ease land norms for gas project
CM insensitive to employees, alleges union
Girl held while trying to cross LoC to meet beloved
Lt Gen Hooda pays visit to NCC camp
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Britain partially withdraws J&K travel advisory
India, Pak exchange fire in Uri
State to test a health tablet soon
Guv lays stone of Kalika Dham
IAF to run flights to Kargil
Two JeM workers arrested in Awantipora
DGP calls on Governor
Hurriyat meets to finalise agenda for Pak visit
Pak-trained militant surrenders
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Yousuf Case
Srinagar, November 6 While concluding his arguments yesterday, the counsel representing the Chief Minster had termed the allegations levelled by Yousuf’s family against Omar Abdullah as “just bald allegations and based on hearsay”. As the commission met here for the second consecutive day today, the morning session was devoted to the arguments by advocate Farooq Kathwari, the counsel representing the crime branch of the J-K Police. In the post-lunch session, the arguments were taken over by Mushtaq A Dar, the counsel representing the deceased’s family. He raised doubts over the post-mortem and other medical reports, terming them “fudged.” In his arguments, he also debunked the crime branch claims that Yousuf was admitted in the hospital before his death. “I submitted that if Syed Yousuf would have been at all been admitted in the police hospital by the crime branch authorities then they would have definitely informed his family members about his condition in the hospital. It appears that he (Yousuf) was never admitted in the hospital,” Mushtaq told The Tribune. He said he would continue his arguments on November 7, when the Commission was likely to conclude the hearing in the matter. Yousuf had died in police custody on September 30, 2011, after Chief Minister Omar Abdullah had handed him over to the crime branch of the police on September 29, 2011. The crime branch in its affidavit had claimed that Yousuf died in Police Hospital, Srinagar, on September 30, 2011, where he had been admitted. The Chief Minister had summoned Yousuf to his official residence at Gupkar after party workers had alleged that he had taken money from them after promising a legislator’s job to one of them and a ministerial berth to another. The one-man commission of inquiry headed by former Supreme Court judge Justice HS Bedi was appointed by the state government on November 18, 2011, to inquire into the mysterious death of
Yousuf. |
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J&K to ease land norms for gas project
The move has come after Gujarat State Petronet Limited (GSPL) — which has been entrusted the task of executing the project —approached the Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board for getting the legal formalities of the project cleared by the J&K Government on a fast-track basis. The Rs 880-crore gas pipeline project, approved in June this year, was supposed to be completed within 36 months. The project had got stuck in legal hurdles over the acquisition and use of land due to J&K’s special status. “The Union Government has already cleared this prestigious project but the executing agency had been facing problems in land use for laying the prestigious gas pipeline in the state. We have decided to bring a Bill in the upcoming Budget Session (most likely in February) to make the land acquisition process hassle-free and to give the executing agency the right to use the land in the state,” Minister for Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution (CAPD) Qamar Ali Akhoon told The Tribune in an interview here. The minister disclosed this after being asked about the state government’s preparedness on dealing with fuel crisis in the state, especially the snowbound areas, in the wake of the cap on subsidised LPG cylinders. Akhoon said the CAPD Department was the nodal agency for the project at the state level. The Divisional Commissioners of Kashmir and Jammu would oversee the project at the divisional level, while the Deputy Commissioners at the district level. He said the prime objective of the project was to connect J&K with the National Gas Grid through the pipeline and ultimately link individual households with gas stations through a network of supply lines for round-the-clock supply of cooking gas. On the existing LPG crisis in the state, the CAPD minister said the state were caught by surprise due to the sudden announcement about the cap on subsidised LPG cylinders. “We are gradually and steadily trying to streamline the process of registration. Nearly 70 per cent of the verification process and issuance of new connections have been completed,” Akhoon said. He said the state government had also decided to open new outlets for distribution of LPG cylinders at the block level so that the consumers didn’t face any hardship. On the upcoming projects to improve the LPG supply in the Valley, he said three new “auto refilling LPG centres” would be set up at Dalgate, Bijbehara and Magam. “The proposal has been sent to the Union Government and a formal sanction is awaited,” Akhoon said.
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CM insensitive to employees, alleges union
Jammu, November 6 The protesting employees held a demonstration and demanded regularisation of ad hoc and contractual employees in Jammu and Kashmir as per the agreement signed in 2010. They also demanded enhancement in the retirement age of government employees from 58 to 60 years. Meanwhile, there was a scuffle between the protesting employees with the police which prevented them from moving towards the Secretariat building. "The protest will continue till our demands are met. The Chief Minister should fulfil the demands of the state government employees soon,” said Amreek Singh, a union member. “We want a firm response to our demands as the Cabinet sub-committee which signed the agreement had assured that all our demands would be met in a phased manner. Only the release of Sixth Pay Commission arrears has been implemented properly so far,” said Kulwant Singh, another union leader. Protesters said a committee of ministers had assured the union last year that all their demands would be accepted before the annual budget was presented in the Legislative Assembly but “nothing happened so far”. |
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Girl held while trying to cross LoC to meet beloved
Poonch, November 6 “The girl, identified as Iram, was arrested last night when she reached the fence gate. When the Army personnel asked for her identity, she said she wanted to meet Bagh Hussain, a prominent villager of Phagwari Gali. When the jawan said he would call Bagh Hussain at the gate as a stranger was not allowed to cross the fence, she started arguing,” the Army sources said. “During questioning, she disclosed that she had fallen in love with her cousin Mukhtar Ahmed of PoK, who came to Mendher on Poonch-Rawlakote bus service “Rahen Milan” three months ago and committed to marry her. Both the girl and the boy remained in touch on the social networking site Facebook,” sources said. “Mukhtar also talked to Iram on the phone from PoK. In the meantime, Iram’s parents fixed her marriage with somebody else for next week. She had narrated about her marriage to Mukhtar last week. Yesterday, Mukhtar asked her on the phone to reach Dera village in PoK via Phagwari Gali in the Balakote sector. But when she tried to cross the LoC, she was arrested,” the sources said. She was handed over to the police. A mobile phone and Rs 11,500 were recovered from her possession, they said. Later, the girl was handed over to her parents after sustained questioning, the sources said. |
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Lt Gen Hooda pays visit to NCC camp
Jammu, November 6The GOC, 16 Corps, Lt Gen Hooda, today visited the National Integration Camp (NIC) being organised by the J&K NCC Directorate. A fusion dance representing the three regions of the state was also presented by the cadets. The GOC interacted with the cadets representing
the entire spectrum of the country. He said the activities undertaken during the camp would foster the spirit of national integration and harmony among them.
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Britain partially withdraws J&K travel advisory
Jammu, November 6 The British High Commission wrote a letter to Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on lifting the travel advisory from Jammu, Srinagar and Jammu-Srinagar National Highway, said an official of the Union Ministry for Tourism. The decision has been taken by the UK following improvement in the security situation in the state, he added. “Improvement in the security situation has led us to lift the advisory against UK citizens travelling to cities of Jammu and
Srinagar and travel between these two cities on the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway,” reads the British High Commission’s letter. However, travel advisory for the UK citizens remains in place for other parts of the state, it adds. The British High Commission had sent several teams to Kashmir last year to review the security scenario and it had given a positive response to the requests of the state authorities in this matter, said an official of the state tourism department. The state had been pursuing the case with both
western and Commonwealth countries for the past five years. The British High Commission’s report submitted from time to time to the Home office in England in recent times had been giving us positive feelers. Though the advisory has not been lifted completely, it will definitely bring smiles on the faces of tourism fraternity in the state, he said. Last year, Germany became the first European country to lift the two-decade-old travel advisory for its citizens visiting Kashmir. The travel advisories were issued by several western countries, including the US, after six foreign tourists were abducted by Al Faran, a terrorist outfit, near Pahalgam in July 1995. Later, a Norwegian named Hans Ostro, was beheaded and an American named John Chides managed to escape from the captivity of the terrorists. |
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India, Pak exchange fire in Uri
Srinagar, November 6 The Indian Army has registered a formal complaint with Pakistan over the unprovoked firing. The General Officer Commanding, 19 Infantry Division, Maj Gen Bipin Rawat said the Pakistani troops opened fire at the Indian posts with small arms around 9 am and it was retaliated. “Pakistani troops have been firing intermittently at the village since October 16. When they opened fire today, we also retaliated,” General Rawat said. The firing continued for half an hour and there was no report of any casualty. The firing, however, has again created panic among the already frightened villagers — who were yet to come to terms with the recent shelling that had left three villagers dead. On October 16, three civilians - 30-year-old Mohammad Shafi, son of Imam Din Khatana, 17-year-old Liayaqat, son of Nazir Ahmad, and Shanhwaz, daughter of Mohammad Ismail Lohar — were killed when Pakistani soldiers fired shells on the Indian pickets in the village. After the death of the three villagers, the residents had staged a protest alleging that Pakistani troops opened fire as the Indian Army was renovating forward posts in the sector. The Army claims that the ceasefire violations were aimed at assisting infiltrators to enter Kashmir before the on set of winter. |
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State to test a health tablet soon
Srinagar, November 6 The device has been developed by Dr Kanav Kahol, a US-returned Indian biomedical engineer who works for the Public Health Foundation of India (PHFI). Director of Health Services Kashmir, Dr Saleem-ur-Rehman said the low-cost device was being introduced in the primary health centres (PHCs) of three districts through a pilot project called MeHAK. “The machine allows users to perform multiple diagnostic tests using an android phone and a tablet. As a joint venture with the 'Affordable Technology' division of the PHFI, we will do field tests of the machine shortly,” Rehman said. The device will be provided in the PHC where diagnostic facilities are usually not available. The tests by the health tablet will cost Rs 100 to patients. “The cost-effective tool will be provided to health workers like Auxiliary Nurse Midwives (ANMs) and Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs) working in far-flung villages to perform on-the-spot diagnostic tests,” said Rehman. Kahol said the Swasthya Slate will help the ANMs and ASHAs to deliver better quality care on the spot. “They can get guidance on the spot from physicians and also identify high-risk cases that need immediate care,” he said, adding that the machine is a user-friendly device. “It will take one day to train ANMs and ASHAs,” he said. Kahol, who quit as a professor of biomedical engineering and informatics at the University of Arizona to work in India, said the device was currently being used on pilot projects in Andhra Pradesh and Punjab. The Health Department of Kashmir also plans to test the Swasthya Slate in the ambulances so that ambulance staff while ferrying a patient is guided constantly by the doctors for treatment. |
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Guv lays stone of Kalika Dham
Jammu, November 6 In a departure from the traditional practice, the Governor agreed to lay the stone only when the construction has achieved a visible progress on the ground. Shrine Board member HL Maini, who has been the Board’s technical consultant for many years, briefed the Governor about the pace of implementation of the project. He informed the Governor that required manpower and all materials required for the project had been mobilised to complete the project in a record period. After reviewing the time frame of the project, the Governor directed the Board’s chief executive officer (CEO) Navin K. Choudhary and the engineering wing of the Shrine Board to make efforts to complete the project by November next year. The completion of Kalika Dham will complete the troika of three major accommodation complexes in Jammu - Vaishnavi Dham, Kalika Dham and Saraswati Dham. After the stone-laying ceremony, the Governor also reviewed the status of all major projects under construction at Katra and along the tracks to the Bhawan, including the establishment of an emergency helipad and a dedicated mule track. These projects, including the Kalika Dham, are being undertaken by the Shrine Board at a cost of more than Rs 150 crore. Giving details of the project, the CEO informed that Kalika Dham will cost around Rs 14.80 crore and will have all facilities required by yatris, including moderately priced accommodation and a bhojanalaya. Prominent among those present on the occasion included Board member Dr SS Bloeria, additional CEO Dr Mandeep K. Bhandari, and Deputy CEO Vikas Sharma. Later, the Governor accompanied by Dr Bloeria, Maini and Choudhary visited Vaishnavi Dham and reviewed the renovation work being undertaken in the complex. |
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IAF to run flights to Kargil
Jammu, November
6
Minister for Transport and Consumers Affairs and Public Distribution (CAPD) Qamar Ali Akhoon stated this during a high-level meeting of officials of the civil administration, Air Force, Airport Authority of India (AAI), civil aviation, police, transport and other security agencies, here today. After discussing the pros and cons for the smooth operation of the service, the officials were told that the AN-32 courier service would operate from Srinagar to Kargil and back thrice in a week on every Monday, Wednesday and Thursday, while it will be operated from Jammu to Kargil and back once in a week on every Tuesday. The meeting appreciated the commendable job of the IAF for providing air-link service to the far-flung areas of the state from the capital cities during winter. The IAF not only does a yeoman’s job in providing air services to the people, but it also provides every assistance along with the Army and other security forces at the time of any eventuality in the snowbound border areas of the state, the meeting observed. It was decided in the meeting that in case of cancellation of any sortie due to bad weather, it would be operated the next day and if the sorties were cancelled for a long time, the passengers would be airlifted to Leh and from there they would travel by road to their respective destinations. The Deputy Commissioners were asked to nominate liaison officers at Jammu, Srinagar and Kargil, who could be contacted by people for booking tickets and other related matters. The meeting was informed that normal facilities during their stay in the Srinagar and Jammu, including additional security personnel and transportation to airport shall be provided by the local administration. Akhoon told the departments concerned to maintain coordination for the smooth operation of the service to the border district during the harsh winter season.
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Two JeM workers arrested in Awantipora
Srinagar, November 6 A police spokesman said the two OGWs were identified as Altaf Hussain Mir, son of Abdul Gani, and Shamim Ahmad Wani, son of Mohammad Khalil, residents of Hanjan Payeen, Rajpora, Pulwama. "They were arrested during a naka checking at Sonargund Awantpore. A Chinese pistol, two pistol magazines, four rounds of pistol ammunition, three UBGL grenades, three rocket shells and 113 rounds of AK ammunition were recovered from them," the spokesman said. A case against the duo was registered at Awantpore police station.The police said the duo was being questioned. “Investigation is going on in the case,” the spokesman added. |
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DGP calls on Governor
Jammu, November 6 Among various issues, the DGP briefed the Governor about the threats received by panches and sarpanches and how the Police Department had planned to deal with the situation after detailed discussions in the Unified Headquarters meeting.
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Hurriyat meets to finalise agenda for Pak visit
Srinagar, November 6 This was decided today by the Hurriyat in its executive committee here which was chaired by its chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq. The meeting was called to finalise the agenda and
other arrangement for Hurriyat’s weeklong visit to Pakistan commencing on December 17. The forthcoming visit is expected to be a first major formal interaction between Kashmiri separatist leaders and Pakistani leadership in four years. The last such
formal interaction had taken place in 2008, when the Hurriyat leaders had travelled to Pakistan by the cross-LoC bus via the Kaman post in Uri. “In today’s executive meeting, different contours of the Hurriyat’s upcoming visit to Pakistan were discussed threadbare,” a Hurriyat spokesman said while giving details of the meeting. He said, “The meeting felt that in the backdrop of the changing world scenario and increasing Indo-Pak bonhomie, the visit of the
Hurriyat Conference to Pakistan will be a positive movement forward on the Kashmir issue.”
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Pak-trained militant surrenders
Rajouri, November 6 He has been identified as Mohammed Shokat Ali (26). He surrendered before the SDPO Thanna Mandi, Mujeebur Rehman, along with his wife Famida Kousher and two sons. Rajouri SSP Mubassir Latifee said, “As the militant entered India via Nepal, which is not an authorised route approved by the Government of India under the rehabilitation policy, he will be treated as infiltrator along with his wife and both will be booked under the relevant sections”. — OC
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Kashmir State Government Employees Joint Action Committee (JKSGEJAC) today accused Chief Minister Omar Abdullah of adopting an “arrogant approach towards workers” in the state.
The Governor, NN Vohra, who is also chairman of the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board, today laid the foundation stone of prestigious Kalika Dham project of the Shrine Board at Railhead here.
Jammu, November 6