Batote, December 19
The 19-hour-long Jammu-Srinagar National Highway (NH1A) blockade and the consequent traffic snarls took a toll on working of offices and educational institutions today, besides tormenting passengers stranded overnight.

Since the NH1A that was blocked on Tuesday at 3.45 pm due to the landslide at Seri (151 km from Jammu) in Ramban could be opened today only at 11 am, none of the employees and students hailing from Batote and other areas could attend their offices and institutes today.

The local mini bus service between Ramban and Batote could resume only in the afternoon today.

“Our college bus carrying more than 40 students and a lecturer from Batote to Peeda couldn’t reach Ramban today due to this blockade,” said Prof SS Bhalwal, principal of Government Degree College, Ramban.

“After starting from Ramban at 4 pm, the mini bus I was travelling in remained stranded at Kunfer nallah near Chanderkot for more than three hours and I walked from there to reach Peeda at 8 pm. There, I stayed at my relative’s place,” said Kansraj Bhagat of Sanasar, who is taking a three-month course under Himayat programme in Ramban.

“I didn’t go to my office today because of the traffic jam and yesterday. It took me more than four hours to reach my home at Batote from Ramban in my own car,” said Rupinder Singh Dutta, an employee in an office in Ramban.

Ramban DC SA Bhat told The Tribune that such blockades drawn over long periods do affect the working of offices and lives of people.

“After starting from Jammu at 5 am in a taxi, I had reached Ramban at 3 pm yesterday,” said CEO, Ramban, VK Soni.

One of the Srinagar-bound stranded passengers, Kundan Koul, preferred to return from Ramban after remaining stranded there for two hours and reached Jammu at 11 last night in his own car.

Jammu, December 19
Despite repeated warnings, 29 banquet halls continue to defy rules and have failed to create parking space for hosting marriage and other functions. The High Court had, in 2010, given them time to follow norms.

Most of the banquet halls have faced closure notices from Jammu Municipal Corporation (JMC) in the past and they had submitted before the High Court that parking spaces would be created, after which the court had granted them time.

According to norms, every banquet hall is required to create space for 100 vehicles, but most of them, even those constructed by Jammu Municipal Corporation (JMC), Jammu Development Authority (JDA) and Jammu and Kashmir State Road Transport Corporation, are not in keeping with the norms.

Under SRO-64 dated February 2010 and amended in the new master plan, for construction of new halls, a minimum of 16 kanal land is required, which should cover 30 per cent of the total area. Under the master plan, a minimum of Floor Area Ratio (FAR) should be kept for the parking and the hall should be well ventilated, having space for 100 cars.

“In defiance of norms, more than two dozen community halls continue to run illegally, not having the necessary parking space and not meeting safety standards. They have been ignoring repeated warnings,” said an official.

District administration has been warning these banquet halls owners not to organise events or functions of any kind for which they do not have the required licence and facilities, but these warnings are being ignored repeatedly.

“Master plan approved by the government is being openly violated in the city and during the marriage season, in absence of parking facilities, roads get clogged due to wrong parking of vehicles,” said a local resident, Surinder Kumar.

However, the government has not taken harsh measures against the halls meant for community use or constructed by different communities.

MC Commissioner KL Khajuria said, “A final warning has been issued to these hall owners and the corporation will again approach the High Court so that action could be taken against them.”

There are nearly 114 banquet halls in Jammu, mostly used for marriage and other social functions, but most of them do not have the required infrastructure, particularly parking area and fire-fighting equipment.

Jammu, December 19
Already waiting for their appointment on permanent basis in J&K State Sports Council after the 128th Standing Committee had given its nod to regularise them, the contractual coaches/instructors are getting a meagre salary of Rs 5,000 and 4,000 respectively in recognition of the efforts they put in to impart expert coaching to sportspersons of the state.

According to sources, the contractual instructors are getting a fixed remuneration of Rs 4,000 on a monthly basis while contractual coaches are getting Rs 5,000 per month. Sources added that the remuneration was finalised by the authorities at the time of signing of contract by coaches/instructors some 10 years back. It may be mentioned here that 11 persons including nine coaches and two instructors were engaged on a contractual basis by the sports council in different disciplines with an objective to overcome the dire shortage.

Sources said the aggrieved coaches/instructors were hoping they would be engaged on permanent basis within a few months after signing the contract and thereafter will be eligible to get full salary along with other perks. But that did not happen as not a single penny has been increased by the authorities till now.

”The authorities are playing a cruel joke on our future. We are working so hard to impart coaching to the sportspersons and in recognition of our labour, we are getting a meagre remuneration,” one of the contractual coaches told The Tribune.

“Most of us who have signed the contract are married now and having children as well but only we know how we are managing our families. Even a clerk in a government department is in a better position to run his family well. As far as we are concerned, it is almost impossible to run the circle with the present salary structure,” he added.

“We have met the authorities many times in a bid to get a hike in the salary but in vain. Our contract was not extended by the authorities for some time and we did not get any salary during that period,” another contractual instructor claimed.

MS Baba, Chief Sports Officer, J&K State Sports Council, told The Tribune, “We are aware of the difficulties being faced by the contractual coaches/instructors with the present remuneration. Like these contractual coaches and instructors, we are also waiting for the necessary approval from finance department to clear the budget for releasing full salary in their favour as the standing committee has already taken a decision for their engagement on a permanent basis.”

Jammu, December 19
Taking serious note of recurring road accidents causing heavy casualty and taking toll of precious lives, chief spokesman of state BJP Jitendra Singh has castigated the National Conference-led coalition government for its wrong priorities and cosmetic measures of development instead of focusing on fundamental issues of human concern.

In a statement issued here today, Singh said instead of fruitlessly harping on the issue of withdrawal of Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) and demoralising the security forces, the Chief Minister and his government should concentrate better on preventing road accident-related casualties.

Singh said failure to check overloading and over-speeding of public transport vehicles in connivance with traffic police and government functionaries were the major causes of these incidents. “Improper maintenance of roads and frequent digging with fatal holes has led to chaos even within the city,” he said.

The high state functionaries, including ministers and senior bureaucrats remain unaffected because of the safe motorcades regulated by accompanying security personnel, he added.

Rajouri, December 19
Four persons were injured in a head-on collision on Jammu-Poonch National Highway near Kalidab in border district Rajouri today. They were later admitted in the district hospital.

Police said a Tata mobile bearing registration number JK02AF-0839, which was on its way to Rajouri from Nowshera, collided head-on with an Alto car coming from the opposite direction at Kalidab on a sharp curve.

Following the accident, people from shops nearby rushed to the spot and called police and rescue teams for help. Later, police personnel from the police post nearby rescued the injured to the district hospital.

The injured have been identified as Vijay Kumar, 60, and his wife Shrista Devi, resident of Kathua, Chander Kanta, 63, wife of Bhagat Raj and Suresh Dutt, resident of Suran Kot.

After initial treatment, Vijay Kumar was shifted to Government Medical College and Hospital at Jammu for specialised treatment. Police has started investigation into the cause of the accident.

Jammu and Kashmir is notirious for accidents in hilly districts. This is third major accident in less than a week’s time.

Poonch, December 19
District administration Poonch has failed to get all 15 nominated government officials to take part in the five-day Direct Trainer Skill (DTS) course at Poonch.

The training is being organised by Jammu and Kashmir Institute of Management, Public Administration and Rural Development from December 17 to 21, sources said.

The objective of the programme is to provide an opportunity for the development of basic instrumental skill and to create and manage a learning environment, IMPA sources said.

A five-member team from Srinagar was asked to impart training to 15 nominated government officials of DIET, zonal education offices, principals, lecturers and officers from other government departments in Poonch, but only five to six officials attended the first three days of training.

The district administration Poonch has not tried to get all 15 officials to the training course. It has taken no interest in providing basic facilities to the trainers, sources said.

IMPA sources said they were to train officials with the help of audio-visual aids but due to non-availability of power supply in the auditorium in the venue ie Boys HSS Poonch, they failed to provide proper training.

Course co-coordinator Dr BA Kumar said, “We have to impart the training. As for the number of officials, it is the duty of the district administration to provide all basic facilities to the training staff and to make it mandatory for all officials to take part in the course.”

“We have been provided a hall without power supply, with broken window panes. With the meagre facilities, we are facing problems in imparting training properly,” he said.

He told the Tribune that the same training was organised in Rajouri district last month and the participation of district officials as also the facilities provided by the district administration were appreciable then.

Rajouri, December 19
A deputation of Dodasan Balla village, Rajouri, led by a local leader Shafqat Mir of ruling National Conference meet District Development Commissioner (DDC) Sawgat Biswas and apprised him about various problems being faced by people of the area.

Shafqat Mir said the village is only 8 km away from the main town Rajouri, but the people of the area are facing various problems owing to which residents have blocked the main road several occasions, yet the administration has failed to fulfil their demands. He said they are facing problems related to transport, road connectivity, shortage of potable drinking water and electricity. — OC

Jammu, December 19
Activists of the Jammu and Kashmir State Committee of the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) courted arrests against the unlimited price rise in the country and failure of the public distribution system (PDS).

They were also demanding job protection, enforcement of labour laws, social security for unorganised workers and stoppage of disinvestment in the PSUs.

State president of CITU MY Tarigami was leading the rally.Workers were holding red flags and placards in their hands and raising slogans in support of their demands. The rally started from Vikram Chowk and after passing through Dogra Chowk, Jewel Chowk, Gumat Bazaar, City Chowk, Raghunath Bazaar and then protesters courted arrests at Indira Chowk.

Tarigami said CITU has taken a pioneering role in opposing the neo-liberal policies and from the past two decades discontent about these policies has grown. The untiring efforts of CITU to develop united movement against the anti-people and anti-workers policies have borne fruit today when the trade union movement of the country has come together on a single platform for the reversal of the anti-worker and anti- people policies.

He said the resistance to the neo-liberal policies is widespread not only in our country but in all other countries wherever they have been implemented, including in the advanced capitalist countries.

He demanded that the government should curb the price rise and universalises the public distribution system and impose complete ban on speculation and future trading in the commodity market. He said more than 93 per cent of the country’s workforce is in the unorganised sector but they have been kept outside the purview of most of the labour laws and do not have any protection in respect of working hours, minimum wages, social security and job security despite contributing around 65 per cent to the country’s GDP.

Jammu, December 19
Panthers Party MLA Harsh Dev Singh today criticised the state government for postponing the elections of urban local bodies (ULBs) in the state and for its callous approach with respect to democratic decentralisation at grass-root level.

He said the coalition government was persistently playing truant on holding the elections and resorting to lame excuses for depriving the urban areas of their democratic rights on one pretext or the other.

Addressing a function to large number of youth who joined Panthers Party, Singh said there was no justification in postponing the elections year after year as the revision of voter lists had been regularly conducted year, along with delimitation of wards. He said the latest delimitation of wards was issued vide SRO 288 in September 2012 in Srinagar and vide SRO 333 in October 2012 in Jammu. Questioning the repeated postponements, he regretted that it was the fifth announcement made by the government for conducting the election, which had not been honoured.

He said the state government adopted a similar approach with regard to elections of the Block Development Councils (BDCs) and with regard to the constitution of Panchayati Adhalats, which were delayed by around two years after the formation of Panchayats.

Singh said the government’s persistent policy of delay and deny in the matter of holding of the urban local bodies elections in the state was indicative of its political bankuptcy and lack of accountability. He said the elections to urban local bodies were due in early 2010 but had been inordinately and inexplicably delayed by more than three years only due to reluctance of the coalition partners to face a hostile electorate who were disappointed with the government’s performance.

Jammu, Deccember 19
Refugee leaders today called on Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Union Home Minister Shushil Kumar Shinde and appealed for the one-time settlement of the refugees of 1965, 1971, 1947 and West Pak refugees.

The delegation includes refugee leaders and former minister Manjit Singh, vice chairman of the Advisory Board for the Welfare and Development of other Backward Classes Kuldeep Verma and vice chairman of the Gujjar Bakerwal Advisory Board Bashir Naaz.

During their meeting with the PM, leaders said the government should grant adequate crop compensation to farmers as their lives have become miserable due to the uncultivated land or they should move the present fence to the ‘zero line’, giving relief to the farmers so that they can be able to till their fields. “The compensation and rent for the land coming under the ditch-com-bandh constructed by the Army in 1965 should be enhanced,” Singh said.

Former minister Manjit Singh demanded that the union government should conduct special recruitment drives in Jammu, Kathua, Samba, Rajouri and Poonch districts and the age, qualification, height relaxation should also be given to the youth belonging to the border areas. Regarding the refugee’s issues, refugee and senior Congress leader Manjit Singh appealed for the one-time settlement of the refugees of 1965, 1971, 1947 and West Pak refugees.

Besides this, the deputation of Congress leaders called on Home Minister Shushil Kumar Shinde and the leaders submitted a memo.

Jammu, December 19
An exhibition on teaching aids was organised on the premises of Bhartiya College of Education, Udhampur today. Various teaching aids in the form of charts and models prepared by the students of the college were displayed during the exhibition.

Dr Nutan Rasotra, principal, Government Degree College (Boys), Udhampur, who was the chief guest on the occasion, inaugurated the exhibition. Students of GDC Udhampur also witnessed the exhibition. Dr Nutan Rastora appreciated the teacher trainees of the college for their hard work and dedication in making the teaching aids. He emphasised on the importance of the teaching aids in making teaching more effective, interesting and colourful.

Earlier, Prof Sukham Chand, the college principal, in his welcome address, stressed on the role of teaching aids in the teaching-learning process. Students of Bhaskar Degree College, Udhampur also witnessed the exhibition.

Rajouri, December 19
In its continued and vigorous efforts towards improving the standard of education in backward and remote areas of Kalakote, the Rashtriya Rifles Battalion, Kalakote, under the aegis of Budhal Sector, distributed furniture, sports items and books to five schools located in remote and backward areas.

The beneficiary schools which include government middle schools in Hawaria, government girls middle schools in Kalakote and Government Primary School Bandi Gala (Moghla), do not even have road connectivity.

An Army officer said this year, on the request of the local population, they had focused on infrastructure development of schools located in remote areas.

Jammu, December 19
The Kashmir division got the better of the Jammu division by a comfortable margin of 54 runs in the state-level Inter-Division U-19 Boys Cricket Tournament, which commenced at Government High School, Satwari Cantonment, here today.

After winning the toss and elected to bat first, the Kashmir Division posted a decent total of 171-8 in the stipulated 30 overs. Kamran (41) and Jansheer (25) were the main scorers. For the Jammu division, Mubasher was the pick of the bowlers with three 3 wickets while Aman chipped in with two. Sidhant Singh Bagal, Mohit Gupta and Satnam Singh shared one wicket apiece.

The Jammu Division, in reply, was bowled out for 117 runs in 24.1 overs. Mohit Gupta (24), Amanveer (15) and Anubhav (14) were the notable scorers. For the Kashmir Division, Rasik and Ishfaq bagged 2 wickets each while Tahir and Fahaid claimed one wicket each.

The match was officiated by Pankaj Sasan and Mukesh Sharma as umpires while Satika Sharma and Anamika Khajuria were the scorers.

Meanwhile, in throw ball U-19 boys, the Kashmir division drubbed the Jammu division by 2-1 sets (24-22), (22-24) and (22-20). Nadeem, Umar, Shafat, Nazir and Mohd Shafqat were the outstanding performers. The matches were officiated by Chanchal Kour, Vishal Bharti, Anita Kour, Iqbal Kour and Tariq.

In state-level Inter-Division Chess Tournament, Goverdhan Singh of the Jammu division had last laugh against Munazir Ahad of the Kashmir division in the U-17 boys’ category while Jibran Malik of Kashmir trounced Anugreh Raina of Jammu in the same category.

In U-19 boys, Gulzar Ahmed of Kashmir outplayed Akash Gupta of Jammu while Nadeem Bashir prevailed over Sahil Pandita of Jammu. The matches were officiated by Tarsem Singh, Amit Kalsi and Nitin.

Earlier, the tournament was declared open by Deputy Director Youth Services and Sports, Jammu, Ashok Kumar. Tirath Ram District Youth Services and Sports Officer Jammu and organising secretary of the tournament was also present on the occasion.

The tournament is being organised by the Department of Youth Services and Sports as part of the annual calendar of activities to pick the state team for forthcoming the CK Nayudu U-19 Boys Cricket Tournament to be held in Maharashtra.