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Resolution for delimitation commission disallowed
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Panchayat members yet to find place in protocol list
Mufti lambasts NC, Cong for differing on vital issues
Liyaqat’s family protests his ‘illegal’ detention
‘NC govt gave people the right to know, question’
Jammu hoteliers demand more facilities for Amarnath yatris
Guv briefed on security
Governor for promotion of traditional art forms
Scouts and Guides movement
must be given a fillip: Guv
Drug peddler held at Rajouri
Indus Water Treaty losses to be quantified
CCTV cameras to monitor child abandonment at hospital
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assembly in session
Jammu, April 2 Following noisy scenes, Speaker of the Assembly Mubarak Gul directed the Minister for PHE & Irrigation Sham Lal Sharma to prepare the list of all workers (daily wagers and casual) engaged in the department with their full particulars and table the report in the House. The trouble erupted when Sharma was replying to a question of Panthers Party legislator Yash Paul Kundal regarding the district-wise and year-wise engagement of PHE daily wagers and casual workers. The lone CPM legislator Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami while raising a supplementary sought to know the criteria followed for engagement of daily wagers and casual workers in the department. “As many as 885 workers were engaged in Srinagar district and 161 in Ganderbal district since 1994. However, the number of such workers in Kulgam district was just 17. I want to know whether Kulgam is a part of Kashmir,” he said, adding that discrimination with Kulgam would not be tolerated. He was joined by the ruling NC members who demanded that the minister should disclose the names of workers engaged “without following norms”. The minister, in a bid to pacify the agitating members, said there was earlier no policy to engage workers in the department. “I have asked officials to prepare a document regarding the total requirement of staff within a month and work out a comprehensive policy for their recruitment,” Sharma said while admitting that some engagements were made on “political considerations”. Although the Speaker tried to restore the order in the House, but the NC members continued to create an uproar and even demanded that MLAs should be given a share in the engagement of workers if earlier appointments had been made on “political considerations”. Panthers Party MLA Harsh Dev Singh said there was no “modus operandi” with the department for engagement of daily wagers and casual workers. “It has been learnt that 43,000 more casual workers would be engaged in the department,” Singh said.
Tarigami again stood up from his seat and warned that he would approach Prime Minister Manmohan Singh if the legislators were not given justice in the House. At this point of time, the Speaker directed the minister to prepare a detailed list of workers who were engaged in the department and submit it in the House. “I will hold an inquiry as to who recruited or engaged the daily wagers and casual workers,” the PHE Minister said. The order in the House was restored with the end of Question Hour. |
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Resolution for delimitation commission disallowed
Jammu, April 2 As soon as the House assembled this morning for proceedings, Jammu State Morcha (JSM) member Ashwani Kumar Sharma was on his feet because his resolution on delimitation was not listed for the day. “Disallowing my resolution is a conspiracy against Jammu,” he shouted.
Sharma was joined by Panthers Party members Harsh Dev Singh, Balwant Singh Mankotia and Yash Pal Kundal. “Ashwani Kumar had moved a resolution and I had moved a private member’s Bill on constitution of a delimitation commission but the government has disallowed the same”, said Harsh Dev. As Congress member G M Saroori tried to snub the opposition members, Ashwani reminded him that during the PDP-Congress regime in 2002, the Common Minimum Programme (CMP) of the government promised the constitution of a delimitation commission to remove discrimination with the Jammu region. “Nothing has been done so far. This government is deliberately denying justice to the Jammu region,” he shouted. Although Speaker Mubarak Gul assured the agitating members that they would be allowed to take up this issue during Zero Hour, the Opposition continued raising slogans. “You don’t want to give political power to Jammu,” Ashwani shouted. In the meantime, rebel BJP MLAs also trooped towards the front row to support the protesting members. The Opposition members later staged a walkout from the Assembly. With the PDP and BJP having boycotted the Assembly session, the Opposition’s role is left to the Panthers Party, JSM and rebel BJP members. Later talking to the reporters outside the Assembly, Ashwani said, “The Jammu region has an area of about 27,000 sq km while the Kashmir Valley has about 16,000 sq km. Kashmir has 46 seats and Jammu has just 37 seats in the Assembly. The remaining four are in Ladakh, which has an area of 89,000 sq km”. “Keeping in view the population and area, there is a need to enhance the Assembly seats of the Jammu province but the government is not interested,” he said while alleging that the state government wanted the domination of Kashmir Valley over Jammu to continue. Harsh Dev said Kashmir had one Assembly seat for every 71,000 voters, which meant one seat for every 346 sq km, while Jammu has one seat for every 83,500 voters, which was one seat for every 710 sq km. “If the delimitation of Assembly constituencies is held, then the Jammu region is sure to get its justified share in government”, he argued. Mankotia also alleged that the successive state governments had meted out step-motherly treatment to the Jammu region. |
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Factionalism within state Congress gets murkier
Jammu, April 2 He also accused Sharma of scuttling his prospect of being elected as the next president of the Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC). He claimed he was one of the front-runners for the post. Taj is the Minister for Medical Education while Sharma holds charge of the PHE, Irrigation and Flood Control Department. Earlier, Taj was holding the portfolio of the PHE, Irrigation and Flood Control Department. He was given the new assignment in the Cabinet reshuffle on January 15. Without naming Sharma, Taj said his successor had been settling personal scores with him by publicly admitting that there was a scandal and irregularities in the PHE Department. “My successor has admitted in the Legislative Council that there was a scam in the PHE, Irrigation and Flood Control Department. If he has any issue, he should have either taken it up with Chief Minister Omar Abdullah or discussed it in the Cabinet,” Taj told reporters at the civil secretariat lawns here. “The JKPCC has become the victim of infighting and factionalism. I don’t belong to any faction of the party. Some of my colleagues are afraid of my growing popularity,” he said, adding that whatever he (Sharma) had said inside the House was against the precedent as it had never happened that a Cabinet minister had levelled allegations of misappropriation against his colleague. “It was the right of National Conference legislators to ask for constitution of a House Committee to probe the allegations,” Taj said. He demanded a Joint Legislature House Committee to look into the functioning of the department since 1992. Later, Sharma told mediapersons that whatever he had said in the Legislative Council was based on facts and evidences. “The issue has nothing to do with the party and he (Taj) should not mix government affairs with the party. Being a true soldier of the party, I am performing my duty with full dedication,” Sharma said. On March 26, Sharma had said there were some irregularities in the PHE, Irrigation and Flood Control Department. He had constituted two inquiry committees to hold a thorough probe into the matter. |
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Panchayat members yet to find place in protocol list
Jammu, April 2 The Warrant of Precedence is the protocol list (hierarchy of important positions) in which the functionaries and officials are listed according to their rank and office in the government. Apart from this, the sorry state of affairs of the Rural Development & Panchayati Raj Department can be gauged from the fact that 1,788 out of a total of 4,128 panchayats in the state are functioning without buildings while 1,058 Panchayat Ghars are in a dilapidated condition. The elected panchayat members, who have been fighting for “empowerment and honour” in the state since their elections in 2011, have blamed the political class, particularly MLAs and MLCs, for being “averse” to the empowerment of Panchayat Raj Institutions (PRIs). “At present, they (elected sarpanches and panches) have not been incorporated in the J&K State Warrant of Precedence,” Minister for Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Ali Mohammad Sagar admitted in a written reply to a question of MLC Shehnaz Ganai in the Legislative Council here today. Ganai, who is a National Conference leader, was elected to the Legislative Council under the panchayat quota in December 2012. Shafiq Mir, chairman of the All J&K Panchayat Conference, regretted that there was no “institutional honour” for the elected panchayat members in the state. In response to another query regarding security and insurance cover to panchayat members, Sagar claimed that security had been tightened especially in sensitive areas and night patrolling intensified. To a query on the number Panchayat Ghars constructed in the Jammu province, Sagar said 1,100 Panchayat Ghars had been constructed while 864 panchayats were without such buildings. “The government is providing Rs 600 per panchayat per month as rent to 864 panchayats which are without buildings, while a sum of Rs 15.87 crore is being provided for repair and renovation of 1,058 Panchayat Ghars at the rate of Rs 1.50 lakh per building,” he said. |
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Mufti lambasts NC, Cong for differing on vital issues
Jammu, April 2 While addressing a public meeting at Jammu city, Mufti availed the opportunity to highlight how the
PDP-Congress government had evolved a consensus on all vital issues. “There was ideal coordination during the
PDP-led regime in the state,” Mufti said. He recalled that the PDP-Congress coalition was formed after the formulation of the Common Minimum Programme
(CMP). “Just to grab the power, the National Conference (NC) and the Congress had entered into an alliance without forming the Common Minimum Programme
(CMP) and without evolving a consensus on important issues,” he said and added that the formation of the CMP was must for smoothly running a coalition regime and addressing the grievances of the people. He claimed that despite having only 16 members, the PDP had entered into an alliance with the Congress after the senior Congress leadership, including Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who was at that time the Leader of the Opposition, had formulated the CMP and incorporated the main demands of the PDP in it. Calling upon the people to compare the performance of the
PDP-Congress regime with the decades-long mis-governance of the successive National Conference-led regimes, Mufti said in a short span the
PDP-led coalition regime had carved out a path of peace and equitable development in Jammu and Kashmir. “As far as the performance of the present alliance regime is concerned, it appears only on papers and nothing concrete is visible on the ground,” he said. “For the last more than four years, the functioning of this dispensation has remained only on papers and no promise made at the grass-roots level has been implemented,” he said. He reminded the gathering that during the campaigning for the Assembly elections in 2008, the NC had made a number of promises with the people which were yet to be translated into reality. |
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Liyaqat’s family protests his ‘illegal’ detention
Kupwara, April 2 They raised slogans against the Delhi Police and demanded his immediate release. Liyaqat (50), a former militant of Al-Barq outfit, was arrested by the Delhi Police near Gorakhpur in Nepal on March 20 when he was on way to his home from Islamabad to Kupwara in Jammu and Kashmir. The family members alleged that the Delhi Police framed a baseless case against him to take credit while he was returning home to settle down and live a normal life. “The police implicated him in terrorism-related cases only to take credit. He is an innocent and was coming home under the government’s rehabilitation policy for militants who wish to return to their homeland from Pakistan to live a normal life,” said Syed Inayat Shah, brother of Liyaqat. Liyaqat’s first wife Amina Shah said, “I personally filed his surrender application under the rehabilitation policy with the Kupwara police in early 2011 and after completing all formalities, Liyaqat decided to come back home to settle down under the policy. We are shocked with his arrest and baseless claims of the Delhi Police.” The aggrieved family members later met the Deputy Commissioner of Kupwara. “The Deputy Commissioner told us that it was beyond his purview to pursue Liyaqat’s case but he will apprise the higher-ups of family’s anger,” said Inayat. Inayat, who met Liyaqat in Delhi on March 30, said in a brief meeting under the supervision of policemen, his brother pleaded for his release. “My brother broke down and pleaded for his release in Lodhi Colony police station in Delhi. He said the police framed false cases against him to dub him as a hardcore terrorist. He was under tremendous mental duress and rued his decision of returning home under the rehabilitation policy,” said Inayat. He claimed that a police officer in civvies, who was present in the Lodhi Colony police station, told him that Liyaqat was mistaken for another youth. “The police had laid a trap to arrest another youth near Gorkhpur, who had to come to India from Pakistan on the same day via Nepal,” said
Inayat. |
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‘NC govt gave people the right to know, question’
Srinagar, April 2 “The coalition government under the leadership of Chief Minister Omar Abdullah is committed to the welfare of the people of the state with a special focus on those living in far-flung and remote areas,” Sadiq said. Sadiq said the governance could only improve if institutions were strengthened. “The Omar Abdullah-led government has created, revived and restored institutions to ensure a better delivery mechanism,” he said. “The state government in the last four years has empowered the people and given them the right to know and the right to question to bring in transparency and accountability in the system,” Sadiq said. He said the government had taken “some revolutionary decisions to ensure corruption-free and accountable administration to the people”. “The Right to Information and Public Services Guarantee Acts and giving powers to the Accountability Commission is aimed at empowering the people and provide them an opportunity to have their problems redressed in a time-bound manner,” he said. Sadiq told the people to cooperate in the development process initiated in all constituencies. “The government is committed to working for the betterment of the people and they must support the government’s cause,” he said. He also criticised the opposition People’s Democratic Party, blaming it for promoting corruption in the state during its tenure. “Once the NC-led government under the leadership of Omar Abdullah took over, a transparent system was introduced in the state administration. Our adversaries have been unleashing unfounded propaganda to astray the people for vested interests,” Sadiq said. |
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Jammu hoteliers demand more facilities for Amarnath yatris
Jammu, April 2 The 10-member delegation led by Inderjeet Khajuria, president of the Association, complimented the Governor, who is also the Chairman of the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board, for taking various initiatives to bring progressive improvements in facilities for the yatris visiting the Amarnath cave and Vaishno Devi shrine, providing insurance cover of Rs 1 lakh to all duly registered Amarnath pilgrims and making it obligatory for every yatri to secure a health certificate before applying for the yatra permit. The delegation presented a cheque of Rs 1 lakh to the Governor as a token contribution of the Association towards providing support to needy pilgrims. The demands presented by the delegation included augmenting facilities for the Amarnath yatris at Bhagwati Nagar and en route from Lakhanpur to Banihal and enhancing the quota of helicopter bookings to the Association. Other demands projected by the delegation included developing Jammu as a tourist destination, taking measures for development and beautification of the entire Tawi belt from Bhagwati Nagar to Nagrota from tourism point of view, widening of the Jammu-Suchetgarh road and promoting border tourism, speedy implementation of the Mubarak Mandi Heritage complex project and installation of a cable car between Mubarak Mandi and Bahu Fort and Mahamaya hill top. The Governor listened to the delegation and assured it that the issues raised by it would be taken up with the authorities concerned. Principal Secretary to the Governor Navin K Choudhary was present. The delegation comprised Ajay Gupta, senior vice-president, HS Manhas, vice-president, Pawan Gupta, general secretary, Baldev Raj, treasurer, Vikram Singh and Sunil Suri, secretaries, Ashiq Hussain Khan, president, Hotels Association, Talab Khatikan, Kuldeep Wahi, president, JPVM, and ML Sharma, member of the Association. |
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Guv briefed on security
Jammu, April
2 The Governor discussed with the ADGP important matters pertaining to the security management in the state, with particular reference to the arrangements to be made for the Mata Vaishno Devi and Amarnath pilgrimages. This was Singh’s first meeting with the Governor after taking over as the
ADGP. The Governor wished him a successful tenure. — TNS
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Governor for promotion of traditional art forms
Jammu, April 2 The Governor discussed with Thakur measures required to be taken for the preservation and promotion of the traditional art forms prevalent in villages surrounding the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi shrine and neighbouring districts. The Governor, who is the Chairman of the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board, reviewed the to-date status of the project which was launched last year by the Shrine Board for preserving and showcasing the heritage and rare art forms in the villages surrounding the Shrine as a part of its social responsibility activities. The Governor also discussed the modalities for establishing a cultural heritage centre at the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Spiritual Growth Centre at Katra to showcase the cultural heritage of the area by organising photographic and audio and video presentations and live shows by artists on weekends for the benefit of the pilgrims and the people at large. Principal Secretary to the Governor Navin K Choudhary participated in the discussions.
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Scouts and Guides movement
must be given a fillip: Guv
Jammu, April 2 The Governor was addressing the Scouts and Guides, their instructors and functionaries of the J&K State Bharat Scouts and Guides, at the 8th Rajya Puraskar award ceremony held at Raj Bhawan here today. He presented Rajya Puraskar to 199 successful Scouts and Guides of Jammu division. The Governor lauded the work being done by the functionaries of the J&K State Bharat Scouts and Guides and congratulated the award recipients. He evinced a keen interest in the skill demonstration presented by the Scouts and Guides, interacted with the awardees and wished them bright careers. Referring to the need for constructing a building to house the headquarters of the J&K State Bharat Scouts and Guides, the Governor observed that as soon as the land was procured, the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board would provide all possible support for the purpose. He thanked MP Madan Lal Sharma for announcing Rs 20 lakh out of his Member of Parliament Local Area Development fund for the construction of the J&K State Bharat Scouts and Guides headquarters building at Jammu. The Governor unfolded the Scouts and Guides flag. They presented a prayer and the flag song. The Governor and his wife, Usha Vohra, and other dignitaries were presented the Scout scarf and bouquets. MP Madan Lal Sharma thanked the Governor for taking a keen interest in the promotion of the activities of the J&K State Bharat Scouts and Guides in the state. RS Chib, president of the J&K State Bharat Scouts and Guides, observed that the Scouts and Guides movement promoted discipline and camaraderie and strengthened national integration. State Chief Commissioner, J&K State Bharat Scouts and Guides, NA Khan gave details about the activities of the organisation in the state and the future plan of action. State Secretary, J&K State Bharat Scouts and Guides, ID Soni presented a vote of thanks. |
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Drug peddler held at Rajouri
Rajouri, April 2 Reports said Mustafa, a resident of Drali Mode, was arrested after receiving specific inputs. A police party today raided his house and recovered the intoxicants. An FIR under Section 8, 21, 22 of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act was lodged against him at the Rajouri police station and investigations were on. — TNS
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Indus Water Treaty losses to be quantified
Jammu, April 2 The Power Development Department was earlier advised to quantify the losses on account of the Indus Water Treaty to take the issue of compensation to a logical conclusion. The Cabinet also accorded sanction to giving retrospective effect from May 28, 2011, to the enhancement of cash incentive from Rs 5 to 10 lakh per plot per family as compensation for the rehabilitation of families dislocated due to the improvement and widening of the road network in Srinagar city.
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CCTV cameras to monitor child abandonment at hospital
Srinagar, April 2 A top official at GB Pant Hospital in Srinagar said 51 CCTV cameras had been installed at the hospital, including at its entry and exit points. The cameras became operational today morning. “We have installed 51 cameras in the hospital. Within seven minutes of the cameras getting operational, we caught a pick pocket at the hospital,” Medical Superintendent of GB Pant Hospital Muneer Masoodi told The Tribune. “The entire hospital is covered with cameras,” he said. Services and infrastructure have improved at the hospital after it made headlines last year for high infant mortality rate which was blamed on the administrative failure, lack of services, infrastructure and manpower. The Medical Superintendent said the installation of cameras had begun to improve supervision and monitoring of services at the hospital. “It has also helped us to take care of child abandonment at the hospital,” he said. The Kashmir valley, inhabited by a culturally conservative society, has recently begun witnessing a trend of abandoning newborns. In January, four newborns were abandoned in the city here, including a baby girl, who was abandoned by two men at GB Pant Hospital. He said the installation of the CCTV cameras at the hospital had been done to improve the security system, check abandonment of newborns and ensure services monitoring. The cameras, which have been fitted in all wards, sections and parking spaces of the hospital, will continuously remain on the recording mode and have the storage capacity of up to 20 days. Eight infants have been abandoned at GB Hospital since May last year. The Medical Superintendent said some infants were abandoned for their gender while others for their deformity. “Mostly, it seems to be the case of children born out of wedlock who are being abandoned,” he said. |
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Jammu, April 2
As the ruling coalition partners, the National Conference and the Congress, are openly engaging in a war of words in the Legislative Council, patron of the People’s Democratic Party
(PDP) Mufti Mohammad Sayeed today lambasted both coalition partners for their failure to evolve a consensus on important issues.
A delegation of the All Jammu Hotels and Lodges Association (AJHLA) called on Governor NN Vohra at Raj Bhawan here today and presented to him a memorandum of its demands.
The Opposition comprising Jammu-centric parties was annoyed over not allowing a private member’s Bill as well as a resolution on setting up of a delimitation commission to enhance Assembly seats as per the population. 