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2014 poll: PDP focuses on Chenab valley region
Provide basic amenities, healthcare to Amarnath pilgrims, SC tells govt
Jawan found dead at CRPF camp in Jammu
Rights panel headless for last 14 months
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Governor greets people on Losar
Congress hits out at NC for raking up autonomy issue
Leh farmers to get locally certified potato seed
Youths get tips on recruitment
File criminal cases against erring officials, says Assembly panel
3 militants killed in Sopore
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2014 poll: PDP focuses on Chenab valley region
Jammu, December 13 PDP leadership is especially concentrating on the Chenab valley region comprising three districts, Doda, Kishtwar and Ramban, to expand its base in Jammu province. The decision of the ex-Commissioner Secretary Mehboob Iqbal to join the PDP is a clear indication that the party leadership is concentrating on the region which comprises six Assembly segments. PDP patron Mufti Mohammad Sayeed is visiting Bhaderwah on December 15 to formally enrol him (Mehboob) in the party. Mehboob Iqbal is likely to be the party candidate for the Bhaderwah Assembly segment which is the home town of Union Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad and his
(Azad’s) cousin Mohammad Sharief Naiz is the sitting MLA from the segment. Mehboob Iqbal is also a native of Bhaderwah. PDP sources said the party leadership had successfully roped in potential candidates in the twin border districts of Poonch and Rajouri. They said the next target was the Chenab valley region. In the just concluded Legislative Council elections, PDP candidates were placed second in the Chenab valley. So there is a feeling among the party leadership that the party has a scope to make inroads into the belt. Sources said some Congress leaders were in touch with Mufti Mohammad Sayeed and had assured him that they would join the PDP just before the Assembly elections. PDP general secretary Balbir Singh disclosed that a number of Congress and National Conference leaders were in touch with PDP leadership and were waiting for an appropriate opportunity to join the party. “Some senior Congress and National Conference leaders are feeling suffocated in their respective parties so they have expressed their desire to join the PDP,” Singh said. He claimed that very soon some prominent Congress and NC leaders would join the
PDP. |
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Provide basic amenities, healthcare to Amarnath pilgrims, SC tells govt
New Delhi, December 13 A Bench comprising Justices BS Chauhan and Swatanter Kumar also directed Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Chandigarh, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan to depute adequate number of doctors during the annual yatra period for providing proper healthcare to the pilgrims. The medical teams should be deployed en route to the holy cave at a regular distance not exceeding two kilometres, the Supreme Court ruled in the 67-page judgment. The Bench itself had instituted the case relating to pilgrims’ safety after taking suo motu notice of the high casualties among them during the 2012 yatra. The Supreme Court appointed a three-member committee comprising the Jammu and Kashmir’s Chief Secretary and Home Secretary and the SASB Chief Executive Officer and vested them with the responsibility of ensuring implementation of its directives. Among the short-term measures identified by the Bench are improvement in healthcare and walking tracks, pre-fabricated toilets, tents and walking paths and construction of sewer treatment plants (STPs). The STPs are necessary at all places, particularly at Baltal. The width of no passage should be less than 12 feet, particularly the track between Panchtarni and the holy shrine, the SC directed. However, it clarified that it was not asking for, even implicitly, construction of metalled motorable roads in place of the walking tracks/passages. The J&K Government and the SASB should provide infrastructure, equipment, medicines and all other ancillary items to the medical teams for taking care of the pilgrims without any loss of time. The largest number of medical teams should be deployed at the glacier and the passage near the holy shrine, the Supreme Court said. The state government should provide board and lodging and all other necessary facilities to the doctors on “temporary duty”. The state government would also be responsible for registration of the yatris, particularly at Srinagar, Baltal, Chandanwari and Panchtarni. Attempts should be made to construct shelters along the passages and walking paths at regular distances. Temporary or pre-fabricated shelters should certainly be provided near the holy shrine where a large number of devotees wait for long hours for ‘darshan’, the Supreme Court directed. Justifying its intervention in the matter, the Bench noted that under Article 21 of the Constitution every citizen had the right to live with dignity, safety and in a clean environment. The apex court pointed out that with the passage of time and each annual yatra, the pilgrims’ mortality rate had gone up. Greater difficulties were being faced by the pilgrims in terms of healthcare, public amenities and sanitation arrangements. As many as 97 pilgrims had died by July 23 during the yatra last year, it noted.
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Jawan found dead at CRPF camp in Jammu
Jammu, December 13 “Around 4.20 am today we found him hanging from the ceiling of a toilet inside the camp and we immediately informed the police,” said a CRPF spokesperson. The deceased has been identified as Constable Gurmeet Singh of 166 Battalion of the CRPF. “Ever since an INSAS (Indian small arms system) rifle along with five magazines and 100 rounds belonging to Constable DK Sahai of the same battalion went missing on December 11, the CRPF had lodged an FIR with Bakshi Nagar police station, which had been questioning all CRPF personnel of 166 Battalion,” he added. The spokesperson said Gurmeet Singh, who had left the camp yesterday for his home in Batala, was called back by the higher-ups for police investigation. But this morning around 4.20 am he was found hanging in the toilet. Meanwhile, the deceased’s brother Gurnam Singh, who rushed here from Batala today, while talking to mediapersons outside the Government Medical College and Hospital mortuary here, alleged that body of his brother had injury marks and it appeared that he had been tortured by the investigators. Describing it as a “well-planned murder”, Gurnam demanded a fair probe to unravel the mystery behind his brother’s death. The CRPF spokesperson, however, termed Gurnam’s allegations baseless. “They are absolutely incorrect as the body of the deceased had no torture marks and moreover such an act is unthinkable in paramilitary forces,” he said. He described it as a case of suicide. To another query, the spokesperson said only the police could tell whether the deceased was involved in the case of the missing INSAS rifle. No suicide note, however, was found from the crime scene. Station House Officer (SHO) of Bakshi Nagar police station Ravi Kant said the CRPF had informed the police
about the incident around 4.30 am today. “The jawan was found hanging in the toilet inside the camp in the Maheshpura area. The post-mortem has been conducted by a board of doctors at the local Government Medical College and Hospital and its report is awaited. If the jawan’s body had any torture marks, it will be reflected in the post-mortem report,” said
the SHO. The body will be handed over to his family members while we have initiated inquest proceedings, he added. The SHO confirmed that the jawan had proceeded on leave but was called back by the CRPF
authorities. On December 12, Sahai was suspended by the authorities after his INSAS rifle along with five magazines and 100 rounds went missing from the camp of 166 Battalion of the CRPF at Maheshpura on December 11 evening. Sahai had kept his service rifle in the barrack and had taken an AK-47 rifle of his colleague Ram Narayan before proceeding for his duty but when he returned his INSAS rifle and ammunition were missing. |
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Rights panel headless for last 14 months
Srinagar, December 13 “No doubt the commission has been functioning and hearing cases almost every day in the absence of the chairperson, but justice is getting delayed in a state where there are numerous complaints about human rights abuses,” said an official. In October last year, the term of chairperson of the SHRC Justice (retd) Bashir-ud-Din had ended and since then the post has been lying vacant. The SHRC is at present hearing important cases on unmarked graves in the state and the kidnapping and disappearance of four foreigners from Pahalgam in south Kashmir in 1995. The sources said the government led by the National Conference was not taking the issue of appointing a chairperson seriously as no meeting had been called for the appointment. However, the state government claims that the process for appointing a new chairperson has begun. Law Secretary Ghulam Hassan Tantray has said the Chief Minister will “very shortly” hold a meeting for appointing the new chairperson. “The Chief Minister will be shortly holding a meeting to shortlist the names for the chairperson. The names will be sent to Raj Bhawan for the approval of the Governor,” he said. The meeting, he said, would also be attended by Speaker of the Assembly Mohammad Akbar Lone, Law Minister Ali Mohammad Sagar and some other senior ministers. |
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Governor greets people on Losar
Jammu, December 13 In his message, the Governor said the festival of Losar symbolised the high traditions of love, tolerance, amity, communal harmony and brotherhood, which the people of Ladakh had cherished and nurtured over the centuries. The Governor wished the people a ‘Happy Losar’ and prayed for peace, progress and prosperity in the state. |
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Congress hits out at NC for raking up autonomy issue
Jammu, December 13 On the occasion of the death anniversary of former Chief Minister GM Sadiq, Congress leaders recalled his contribution in extending various Central laws to the state which had proved beneficial for the people. Congress leaders, who spoke on the occasion, said it was Sadiq who played a dominant role in the integration of the state with the rest of country. They said extending Central laws to the state during Sadiq’s tenure was a historic decision. They said those demanding the revocation of Central laws were trying to widen the distance between the state and country. The NC, in its Central Working Committee meeting on December 8, had asserted that the restoration of autonomy continued to be the bedrock of its policy and agenda. The Congress leaders also availed the opportunity to reiterate the party’s commitment to extend the 73rd and 74th Amendments of the Indian Constitution to Jammu and Kashmir to strengthen democratic institutions at the grass-roots level. “The Congress is committed to extend the 73rd and 74th Amendments of the Indian Constitution to Jammu and Kashmir,” said Dharam Pal Sharma, senior vice-president of the Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC). While paying tributes to Sadiq, Sharma described him as a competent and able administrator who had given a corruption free and efficient administration to the people of the state. “He (Sadiq) played an important role in further cementing the state-Centre relationship and brought J&K more closer to the rest of country by taking several important and effective constitutional measures,” said Sharma. Vice-president of the JKPCC Thakur Hari Singh described Sadiq as a revolutionary and an honest leader whose thoughts, policies and programmes were relevant and continue to be guiding factors for all times to come. “He was the first Congress Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir. His tenure is remembered as exemplary in terms of clean and efficient administration,” said Singh. |
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Leh farmers to get locally certified potato seed
Leh, December 13 For the cultivation of other vegetables, the Agricultural Department and its allied departments distribute seeds procured from other parts of country. Many farmers also cultivate their own seed to cater to their needs and do not buy it from any procurement agency. There is just one agricultural season in Ladakh, which starts from May to September. Due to the extreme cold conditions, cultivation is not done during the rest of the year. A record 107 varieties of vegetables are grown in the region during this agricultural season. Sub-divisional agricultural officer Thinless Dawa said, “The state agriculture directorate has authorised the Agricultural Department to produce certified seeds to make quality seed available to local farmers who are facing problems in procuring the seed.” Dawa said the two main potato producing villages, Stakmo and Saboo, had been adopted by the LAHDC for production of certified potato seeds under the first phase. The two varieties of potato seeds, Kufri Chandar Mukhi and Kufri Jyoti, were cultivated in these villages during the last agricultural season to produce certified seeds. In 2011, the Agriculture Department had procured certified potato seed from the Lahaul Potato Society, Himachal Pradesh. Seventy farmers from Stakmo and Saboo villages are registered with the Agricultural Department as certified potato seeds growers. The certified seeds will be supplied to farmers from the coming agriculture season after its proper grading. — OC |
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Youths get tips on recruitment
Mahore, December 13 A defence official said the Army had launched “yet another people-friendly initiative to train and guide eligible, aspiring and volunteer youth of the area for recruitment into the armed forces. The aim of the training is to prepare and guide the youths for recruitment rallies scheduled in the future under the close supervision of qualified Army instructors”. He said the return of peace and the Army’s welfare and goodwill schemes launched under Operation Sadbhavna had brought the Army closer to people. Rifles Battalion at Sarh under the aegis of CIF(U) took the initiative of training 63 youths from remote areas of Rajouri, Ramban and Reasi districts. The youths were trained on various facets of the selection procedure in the Army and paramilitary forces. The first batch of trainees completed their course today. “They were made to undergo a medical examination similar to what is conducted during recruitment rallies. They also went through physical tests, documentation check and a written examination,” the official said. — OC |
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File criminal cases against erring officials, says Assembly panel
Jammu, December 13 The Assembly panel, which met under the chairmanship of Congress MLA from Doda Abdul Majid Wani on Tuesday, also recommended administrative action against erring officials, besides recovering a whopping sum of Rs 16 crore, which was paid to private contractors from the state exchequer. Sources said the panel members were not satisfied with the reply given by the authorities concerned on the delay in the completion of the bridge. The panel, which had met on November 22, had directed JKPCC officials to furnish a detailed report to point out the reason for the delay in the construction of the bridge. The sources said the JKPCC officials had submitted the report on Tuesday but the members where not satisfied with their reply. The panel members observed that due to wrong decisions taken by the officials at the helm of affairs, the state had suffered a huge loss so there was a need to recover the amount from them. As reported earlier, the Comptroller and Auditor General had pointed out that the state government had suffered losses worth crores, as government agencies had given undue favour to a private contractor and allotted to him work costing Rs 29.95 crore, without inviting tenders. An amount of Rs 16 crore was released in favour of the contractor who had left the work midway. The construction work on the bridge was started in August 2006 with a promise to complete it before the commissioning of the Baglihar Hydroelectric Power Project. The power project was commissioned in October 2008 but the work on the bridge is not yet complete. The estimated cost of the 263-m bridge was Rs 29.32 crore but has increased manifold due to the delay. |
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3 militants killed in Sopore
Srinagar, December 13 “After receiving specific inputs, a joint party of 27 Rashtriya Rifles, 9 Para and the Sopore police launched a search operation in the Cherhare forests near Sopore town. While the search was on, militants opened fire on the search party. The fire was retaliated which resulted in an encounter,” a police spokesman said. “An unidentified militant was killed in the encounter, which is still going on. An Army jawan was also injured in the encounter,” he said. As the encounter in the Cherhare forest was going on, the police received information about movement of militants in an orchard at Mundaji, Batengo in Sopore. “A joint operation was launched by the Sopore police and 22 Rashtriya Rifles. Two unidentified militants were killed in the encounter,” he said, adding that they were trying to establish the identity of the three dead militants. The police said the two encounters took place within 15 km. The police suspects that one of the militants was top LeT commander Abu Zarar and another was a Jaish commander. |
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Jammu and Kashmir Government and the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board (SASB) to take a series of short and long-term steps to provide “basic amenities” to the pilgrims and enable them to complete their yatra to the holy cave “with human dignity and safety.”
Not satisfied with the reply given by the Jammu and Kashmir Projects Construction Corporation
(JKPCC) officials, the Public Undertaking Committee of the Legislative Assembly recommended filing of criminal cases against officials, who were responsible for the delay in the construction of the Ganpat bridge over the Chenab in
Doda.
