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Governor, CM call for sustained growth of farm sector
Cong to soon finalise names for local bodies elections
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Railways gear up for opening of Qazigund-Banihal rail track
Soz questions NC’s secular credentials
Brij Hali’s books released
New Pak govt needs to be flexible for resolving issues with India: Czech envoy
Computer science grad develops Kashmir’s first android app
US troops withdrawal from Afghanistan may impact Kashmir situation, says Malik
With eye on poll, PDP reshuffles district units
Kargil-Padum national highway reopens to traffic
J-K has potential for exporting basmati: Miloslav Stasek
Old hands savour ping pong in Kashmir
Nair visits training centres for youth in Srinagar, Ganderbal
Swami Kashi Trust demands land for setting up facilities
Three-day show captures cultural ethos of Jammu
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Governor, CM call for sustained growth of farm sector
Jammu, April 16 The Governor and Chief Minister were addressing the ninth meeting of the Council of the Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology, Jammu, at Raj Bhawan here today. The Governor observed that for securing sustained growth of agriculture and its allied sectors, all of which were vital contributors to the J&K’s economy, it was essential to ensure effective coordination between the two farm universities of the state and various extension agencies of the government. In this context, the Governor called for launching pilot projects on time-bound basis to establish area and crop-specific demonstration plots of vegetables, cereals, pulses and oilseeds. The success stories must be publicised for farmers’ awareness of improved techniques and technologies. The Governor, who is Chancellor of the university, said all available resources and expertise should be optimally utilised for producing quality seeds of various crops and ensuring their timely supply to farmers. While reviewing the status of cultivation of vegetables and other cash crops in various areas of the state, the Governor observed that wherever possible efforts had to be made to encourage the farmers to cultivate a third crop and all possibilities explored for promoting organic farming in the state. Seeking the adoption of a multi-disciplinary approach in this regard, he said that could literally bring about a revolution in agriculture and allied sectors. He suggested that a working group of experts could to take a macro view for the growth of the agriculture sector on a long-term basis. Referring to KVKs, Vohra called for establishing all kendras within the fixed time frame for the benefit of growers. The Chief Minister, who is Pro-Chancellor of the university, emphasised the need for speedy completion of the under-construction buildings and other infrastructure of the university. Mian Altaf Ahmad, Minister for Forests, put forth several suggestions for the growth of agriculture and allied sectors in the state. Minister for Agriculture Ghulam Hassan Mir emphasised the need for optimum utilisation of available resources and expertise for increasing seed production in the state and dwelt on the initiatives already being taken towards this direction. Minister for Horticulture Raman Bhalla dwelt on the future growth of the university and the need for transforming agriculture and its allied sectors. Minister of State for Animal and Sheep Husbandry Nazir Ahmad Khan said efforts had to be intensified to increase the production of dairy, mutton, poultry and fish in the state.
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Cong to soon finalise names for local bodies elections
Jammu, April 16 Although the party is ready to wait for the block development council elections, the Congress leadership has given a clear message to its coalition partner that as far as the urban local bodies elections were concerned, the party would oppose any move to further delay these. The Congress, which has been playing a second fiddle in the coalition government since January 2009, has now decided to adopt an aggressive stance on some issues. “In a couple of days, the Congress would form a high-level committee to finalise the names of the party candidate for the urban local bodies elections,” Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) chief Saifuddin Soz said. He said the party ministers would be the members of the committee headed by a senior leader. Although the authorities concerned are yet to make an official announcement on holding the urban local bodies elections in the near future, Soz’s decision to constitute a high-level committee is a clear indication that the Congress would exert all pressure on the NC to constitute duly elected urban local bodies in the state. By announcing the constitution of a high-level committee, Soz, on the one hand, has exhorted the party cadre to prepare for the urban local bodies elections and on the other hand, he has given a clear signal to the NC that there would be no compromise on further delay in the elections which were scheduled to be held in February 2010. Sources said the JKPCC chief had made it clear to the party leaders that he would force the coalition partner to fulfil the commitment which was made in the last meeting of the Coordination Committee of both parties in which it was decided to complete the process of the urban local bodies elections by June-end. The party leadership has told all units to prepare panels of potential candidates to finalise names before the announcement of the elections. The sources, quoting party leaders, said there was a feeling among the cadre that it was an appropriate time to conduct the elections because the party was in a comfortable position to defeat the BJP in the Jammu region. JKPCC spokesman Ravinder Sharma seemed optimistic that the elections would be held in the near future. “We are hopeful that the NC would honour the decision taken in the last meeting of the Coordination Committee to hold the urban local bodies elections,” said Sharma. He, however, downplayed JKPCC chief’s announcement to constitute a committee to finalise candidates. “As a political party, we have to gear up our workers for the elections,” he said. |
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Railways gear up for opening of Qazigund-Banihal rail track
Srinagar, April 16 Kardam will submit a detailed report to the railway authorities and a final decision on the launch of train services on the route will be decided based on the report. “The railway track between Qazigund and Banihal which passes through the 11-km Pir Panjal tunnel is ready. We have submitted the required documents about the new line, bridges, tunnel, station, signalling system, infringements and electrification details and the working orders to be enforced at the station for operation of the train,” said a senior railway official. The Pir Panjal tunnel on the rail track is the India's longest tunnel and Asia's second longest tunnel. The tunnel has been constructed by Hindustan Construction Company (HCC). The Pir Panjal tunnel has also been provided with a parallel 3-metre-wide road for the movement of small vehicles in case of any emergency. “We have made all arrangements to facilitate the inspection which will be likely held in the last week of April,” the officer added. Another officer said the General Manager or his representative, not below the level of Joint Secretary, would accompany Kardam during the inspection. “Kardam will inspect the entire section and if he is satisfied, the railway board will issue the sanction for opening the track for public carriage of passengers,” he added. Railway sources said the train between Qazigund and Banihal was likely to ply by the end of May. The train up to Banihal is likely to be flagged off by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. The trial run of the train from Qazigund to Banihal was completed in 30 minutes on December 25, 2012. The trains of Kashmir are yet to be connected with the rest of the country. They ply between Qazigund and Baramulla covering a distance of 119 km. The first phase of the rail service in the Valley was inaugurated by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on October 11, 2008. Launch likely by may-end
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Soz questions NC’s secular credentials
Jammu, April 16 Soz, while addressing a function organised by the Legal and Human Rights cell of the JKPCC, said parties such as the Bharatiya Janta Party, National Panthers Party, National Conference and the People’s Democratic Party stood no match to the secular credentials of the Congress. He said the decision of a pre-poll alliance would be taken at the right time. He said, “The Congress stands for the equitable development of all three regions of the state and for devolution of powers at the panchayat level.” Prominent lawyers, citizens, social activists and members of the Legal and Human Rights Cell attended the function which was organised by KK Pangotra. Soz asked the legal fraternity to extend legal help to the poor people who cannot afford legal expenses. The mission of politics, he said, should be “service before self” and the mission of the legal cell of the JKPCC should be imitating these ideologies. He also advised Bar Association members and legal luminaries of the Congress to form an association to help and fight cases of people who have no money for litigation to seek justice.
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Brij Hali’s books released
Jammu, April 16 The first book released by the Governor was a Kashmiri translation of “Shrimad Bhagavad Gita” while the second was “Asrarye Bhavath”, a collection of Kashmiri Sufi poetry. The Governor observed that the two volumes released by him were a testimony of Hali’s deep learning and knowledge of languages and literature. He expressed the hope that these volumes would be read by interested persons all over the country and abroad. Hali, a well-known writer from the state has authored eight books so far. He thanked the Governor for releasing his books and taking a keen interest in the promotion of languages and literature in the state. ML Pandita presented
a review of “Asrarye Bhavath”. Those present included writers, intellectuals and prominent citizens of the town. |
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New Pak govt needs to be flexible for resolving issues with India: Czech envoy
Jammu, April 16 Stasek also felt security was a key issue in Jammu and Kashmir for sustaining its economy and tourism besides improving its infrastructure. “We are hopeful that the new government in Pakistan, to be established after elections in May, will have to show more flexibility in resolving issues with India, including the J&K conflict,” Stasek said while responding to a volley of questions of senior faculty members, officers and representatives of scholars and students of Jammu University in the Executive Communication Hall of The Business School here. The meeting was organised by the Department of Students Welfare, University of Jammu. On the prevailing situation in the state, the Czech Republic Ambassador accompanied with Andrea Kucerova, Deputy Chief of Mission, Political Affairs, Embassy of Czech Republic in New Delhi, said it was not possible to sustain tourism of the state without security, as nearly 90 per cent of the state’s economy was dependent on it. “Security is the key issue and it needs to be addressed for sustainable growth of the state. Besides, the government should focus on developing infrastructure like big hotels to attract more tourists from across the globe,” he said. Stasek also said the main focus of his team was to bring universities of India and Czeck Republic together through collaborations and cultural agreements. He said the main aim of the team was to explore the potential of the state and evaluating possible cooperation in education. He also extended invitation to the faculty and students in exploring possibilities of joint ventures in various fields and said the Czech Republic was trying to open new doors for Indian students for pursuing higher education as there are many areas like medicine, engineering and technology etc. for which their country is famous for. Stasek said the Czech Republic is famous for its automotive industry throughout the world and is one of the most important areas where further specialisation can be done. He also provided a list of universities to the students where they can pursue higher education. |
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Computer science grad develops Kashmir’s first android app
Mehvish’s andriod application caters to the needs of a common net-savvy Kashmiri, the numbers of whom are increasing. Android applications are used in operating systems which are primarily designed for touch-screen mobile devices. ‘Dial Kashmir’ is a directory of around 500 numbers and email ids of the region’s emergency and non-emergency services. It includes hospitals, police stations, Education Department, Srinagar Municipal Corporation and gas agencies. Mehvish, a resident of Srinagar, has an engineering degree in computer science. She says she plans to incorporate more numbers in the application to make it a compact digitised directory. “Dial Kashmir is based on Yellow Pages, like ‘Just Dial’ in other states. You can get the numbers of all essential services here,” she says. “At present there are only essential services (in the application) but I am working on its business section.” The business section will have a directory of Kashmir’s businesses, hotels and restaurants. “I am also working on the (incorporation of) Google maps,” she said. Dial Kashmir began as a project for an online android application course which Mehvish did in February. A month after it was made available online, the application has had 1,000 downloads till yesterday. The display picture on Mehvish’s Facebook account carries a quote, which, in a sense, defines her first shot to success. “She turned her cant’s into cans and her dreams into plans”. |
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US troops withdrawal from Afghanistan may impact Kashmir situation, says Malik
Srinagar, April 16 Malik, however, denied that Taliban from Afghanistan would make their way to Kashmir after the war there ended. “We believe in our struggle ... this is an indigenous struggle and this will remain so,” Malik said in his first meeting with reporters after coming back from Pakistan. Malik, a former militant commander who announced a unilateral ceasefire in 1994 and has since sat on dozens of hunger strikes on various issues, courted controversy recently during his Pakistan trip when he staged a hunger strike against the hanging of Parliament attack convict Mohammad Afzal Guru, in which Jamaat-ud-Dawa chief Hafiz Mohammad Saeed also took part. Saeed is wanted in India for his role in the 2008 Mumbai attacks. The JKLF leader warned the international community and the civil society in India that the US withdrawal from Afghanistan could infuse a change in the mindset of the youth who have, otherwise, opted for peaceful methods of struggle. “When there will be withdrawal from Afghanistan, a new thinking can develop and many questions may be asked. The people here had guns but international community convinced them to give up arms and said ‘we will solve the issue’. When Kashmiri people gave up arms, the international community became silent and the issue was not solved,” Malik said. Malik is not the first to raise a spectre of a “spill over” after the US military’s withdrawal from Afghanistan as several senior Indian Army Generals and chief of moderate separatist faction have in recent years warned of its likelihood. He also questioned the role of the “Indian civil society” saying they have been used as “firefighters of Indian state” in Kashmir and laid the onus for any future violent turn in the situation in the region on them. Malik said he would sit on a hunger strike next month at New Delhi’s Jantar Mantar to press for the demand of end to life sentences against separatist activists and demand the return of body of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru. The JKLF leader termed Guru’s hanging as a “murder”. |
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With eye on poll, PDP reshuffles district units
Srinagar, April 16 A PDP spokesman said PDP president Mehbooba Mufti has nominated MLA Mohammad Khalil Bandh as the district president of the party for Pulwama district. Bandh, a former minister, represents Pulwama constituency for the second consecutive term. To rejuvenate the party in Kargil region, Mufti has elevated district president Murtaza Ali Khan as the chief coordinator of the party for Kargil region. She also nominated Kachu Gulzar as the district president of the party for Kargil district of Ladakh region. Even as it is regarded as a routine matter, other main political parties like |
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Kargil-Padum national highway reopens to traffic
Leh, April 16 The national highway, which is said to be the lifeline of the Zanaskar people, remained closed for traffic during the winter and spring seasons due to heavy snowfall at Penzila, situated 14, 000 ft above sea-level. The Kargil-Padum road, which used to be the longest road maintained by the district administration, was notified as the national highway last year by the Government of India. Executive Councillor of the Zanaskar Affairs of Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC) Kargil Phunchok Tashi said over the phone from Kargil, “The road, which was usually re-opened to traffic either in the last week of June or the first week of July, has been re-opened this year in the mid-April for light vehicles. It will be opened for heavy vehicles within a week. For the early re-opening of the road for the convenience of the people of Zanaskar, we have started boosting morale of the dozer operators engaged in snow clearance by providing cash prize reward and public appreciation.” Tashi said snow clearance undertaken this year by the mechanical department of the district had started from March 1 by engaging two dozer from both sides of the road and it was completed in one-and-a-half month duration. For accessibility during the closure of the road, Zanaskar people trek for three-four days along the banks of the frozen Indus from mid-December to mid-February. The state Civil Aviation Department also arranges helicopters. |
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J-K has potential for exporting basmati: Miloslav Stasek
Jammu, April 16 President of the CCI YV Sharma welcomed the dignitaries and said the state had a good potential for exporting agriculture produce such as basmati rice. “Your (Stasek’s) visit will prove beneficial in strengthening mutual business cooperation between Jammu and Kashmir and the Czech Republic,” Sharma said. Stasek deliberated on the areas of possible economic cooperation with emphasis on industry, engineering, agriculture, water management, pharmaceuticals industry, automotive industry, power sector, thermal, hydro and nuclear power, new and renewal energy, solar energy, health and medical equipment and civil aviation. A powerpoint presentation was presented by Anderia Kucerova, Deputy Chief of the Mission (Political Affairs), Embassy of Czech Republic in New Delhi. — TNS |
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Old hands savour ping pong in Kashmir
Srinagar, April 16 “An impression was created that events like this cannot be held due to the situation here. Through this event, we want to give a message that Kashmir too can hold major events. The players are our ambassadors and once they leave Kashmir, they will give positive publicity. More people will come here and we would be able to hold more events of this kind,” Minister for Medical Education, Sports and Youth Services Taj Mohiuddin said after throwing open 20th J&K Bank Veteran National Table Tennis Championship at the Indoor Stadium, Srinagar. The tournament is being organised by the J&K Table Tennis Association (JKTTA) under the aegis of Table Tennis Federation of India (TTFI) and Indian Veterans Table Tennis Association (IVTTA). JKTTA secretary Ajay Sharma said veteran table tennis players from all states were participating in the tournament. “A total of 979 players and 80 officials from 30 states are taking part. Teams from the Reserve Bank of India and Air India are also participating and some players are over the age of 80. The championship will conclude on April 20,” said Sharma. While the situation in the Valley has improved considerably following the violence after the execution of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru earlier this year, veteran table tennis players were seen enjoying the sporting atmosphere at the Indoor Stadium. “I have been here before as well and Kashmir is a great place to be in. Yes, we had heard that the situation is not well here but we are facing no problems. It’s a pleasure playing table tennis here,” said ex-Army man Kamal S Patel (74) from Madhya Pradesh. Another veteran table tennis player J K Qureshi (65) from Karnataka, who is also general secretary of the Veterans Table Tennis Association, Gulbarga, said this was his first visit to Kashmir. “This is my first visit and it was my dream to come to Kashmir. This place is very beautiful and I am enjoying playing table tennis games here,” Qureshi said. |
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Nair visits training centres for youth in Srinagar, Ganderbal
Srinagar, April 16 Interacting with the students of these centres, Nair expressed satisfaction over the implementation of the project. Later, he visited the IL&FS Skills School, Ganderbal, where discussions were held threadbare for successful implementation of the project. It was informed that the retention of Himayat trained youth had improved significantly and as many as 19,000 youth would be trained under Himayat and the number of training centres in the state was expected to increase up to 65 during the current financial year. Himayat is a placement linked training initiative taken by the Government of India on the recommendations of the Ranga Rajan Committee Report and is being implemented through the Union Ministry of Rural Development. The Himayat project, following the recommendations of Ranga Rajan Committee report in 2010, was launched in the state in 2011. It would provide employment opportunities after training in various skills, to about one lakh youth during the next five years. The first batch of the 1,059 youth after getting training in various skills were given job letters by the Union Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh in December 2011. The Central Government has also launched a training programme ‘Udaan’ that would provide jobs to about 40,000 youth during the five-year period under the public-private partnership. — TNS |
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Swami Kashi Trust demands land for setting up facilities
Jammu, April 16 The main demand presented by the eight-member delegation, led by chairman of the trust BL Dhar, related to the allotment of a piece of land to the trust in the Muthi-Barnai area of Jammu to construct a building for setting up facilities for rendering social service. The members urged Vohra that till the land was allotted, an alternate space be provided to the trust for facilitating its functioning. The Governor heard the delegation and observed that he would address the Urban Development Minister with regard to the issues raised by the delegation.
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Three-day show captures cultural ethos of Jammu
Katra, April 16 On the final day of the presentation at the Spiritual Growth Centre today, MK Bhandari, Additional CEO, Shrine Board, addressed a jam-packed auditorium and told the guests about the objective behind organising the cultural presentation. He said the Shrine Board under the guidance of Governor NN Vohra, who is the Chairman of the Shrine Board, had been making efforts to preserve art forms and revive the cultural heritage of the areas surrounding the shrine. |
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Jammu, April 16
Separatist leader and Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) chairman Mohammad Yasin Malik on Tuesday said time for peaceful settlement of the Kashmir issue was running out fast and warned that the withdrawal of the US troops from Afghanistan could have fallout on Kashmir.
Srinagar, April 16
Srinagar, April 16