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HC dismisses petition for transfer of trial
Delhi-Beijing bonhomie not matching action in Ladakh
Rs 109.47 crore annual plan approved for Jammu dist
District development board meetings useless: Legislators
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Army Chief meets Governor
Four IAS probationers meet Governor
Academician calls on Guv
Food security ordinance historic, reiterates Cong
Vital bridge over Munawar Tawi
MLA plays Robin Hood
in Kupwara district
A first: Do’s and don’ts for yatris on air
Over 2.45 lakh Amarnath pilgrims offer prayers in first 20 days
Twin lakes in Jammu region in state of neglect
Chhari Mubarak puja from July 22
Man held on charges of rape, murder of minor
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2006 fake encounter
Srinagar, July 15 The petition filed by then SSP HS Parihar, one of the main accused in the case and eight other accused, was dismissed by a single bench of Justice Verinder Singh today. The 2006 fake encounter case involved the killing of Molvi Showkat Ahmad Kataria, a priest in a mosque at Zadibal, Srinagar. Kataria was allegedly killed on October 4, 2006, by a team of Special Operations Group (SOG) of the J&K police headed by then SSP HS Parihar and later dubbed as a foreign militant. “In the petition filed by the main accused HS Parihar and others, they had sought the transfer of the trial proceedings in the case registered at Sumbal police station from the Bandipora trial court to the sessions court at Srinagar,” said Additional Advocate General Riyaz Khan. The transfer of the trial proceedings had been sought on the ground that the law and order situation in the Bandipora district was not good and it was difficult for lawyers of the accused to attend the trial proceedings at Bandipora court as many of them had to come from the Supreme Court. Besides, the accused had also sought a stay of the trial proceedings at the Bandipora court. However, during the arguments these grounds for seeking transfer of the case were opposed by Riyaz Khan, who submitted that many witnesses had already deposed in the case. After hearing both sides, Justice Verinder Singh, before whom the matter was listed today, dismissed the transfer petition filed by accused HS Parihar along with the application seeking a stay of the trial proceedings at Bandipora court. The Case File
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Delhi-Beijing bonhomie not matching action in Ladakh
Jammu, July 15 Chinese incursions in Ladakh in recent times show its hidden game plan. From August 1 to October 15 last year, the Army and the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) were baffled by unidentified flying objects in the region. A ITBP unit based at Thakung, close to the Pangong Tso lake, had reported over 100 sightings of luminous objects last year. On April 15 and 16 this year, 50 personnel of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA), along with Molosser dogs, intruded 19 km inside Indian territory in the Daulat Beg Oldie (DBO) sector and pitched tents. The same night, China intruded into Indian air space when two helicopters were flown in the DBO sector to supervise the intrusion by PLA troops. Following the intrusion, the Army rushed a contingent of 60 personnel of the Ladakh Scouts to the area, resulting in an eyeball-to-eyeball situation. The three-week standoff ended on May 5 after hectic diplomatic exercises between the two countries. On June 12, the Army detained three persons of Chinese origin along the Line of Actual Control in the Sultanchusku area of Leh district. Aged between 18 and 23 years, they spoke the Yarkandi language of Xinjiang Uyghur area in China. They were reportedly carrying political maps in Arabic and some sharp-edged weapons. On June 17, Chinese troops intruded into the Chumar sector, where they vandalised some observation bunkers and damaged a surveillance camera. The broken camera was returned to the Army at a flag meeting in the Chushul area on July 3, a day before Defence Minister AK Antony’s visit to China. China again violated Indian airspace in the Chumar sector yesterday when two helicopters were flown to survey the sector before being flown back. The incident might lead to fresh tension between the two countries.. |
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Rs 109.47 crore annual plan approved for Jammu dist
Jammu, July 15 The Chief Minister today chaired the District Development Board meeting of Jammu district of which he is also the chairman. He dispelled the impression being created by some quarters that the Union Government had curtailed the annual plan outlay for 2013-14 due to the non-utilisation of funds by the state government during the last year. He said the average expenditure during the last year had been more than 90 per cent in all districts across the state, with Jammu figuring at the top of the list by realising 99 per cent of the targets. Omar said Jammu and Kashmir was totally dependent on the Union Government for funding of annual plans and as such, the financial health at the Centre reflected on the flow of funds to the state. He said the Centre maintained Rs 7,300 crore annual plan allocations for the state for 2013-14 despite financial constraints. Omar said the state had to buy power for over Rs 3,600 crore annually and the total revenue realisation as the power tariff in the state was about Rs 1,200 to 1,300 crore. “The Planning Commission has placed a rider to the state to collect Rs 2,840 crore from the power tariff for expending on development activities during the current fiscal,” he said and added that placing such conditions makes the situation even more difficult. The Chief Minister said the railway link to Katra would not hamper the economic activities in Jammu as it was the winter capital and the second face of the state. He said the government was taking various measures to make Jammu a hub of pilgrim and conventional tourism. He said the artificial lake on the Tawi would be completed this year while decks were being cleared to launch the ropeway project in Jammu city for which the supreme team had visited the area and its report for clearance of the project was expected soon. He also mentioned the restoration of the Mubarak Mandi Heritage Complex and the beautification of Raghunath Bazar for which Rs 50 lakh would be provided this year. On selection of two cricketers of the state Parvaiz Rasool and Shubam Khajuria (under-19) in the national cricket teams, the Chief Minister said both players deserved appreciation. He expressed the hope that they would bring laurels to the state with their outstanding performance. |
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District development board meetings useless: Legislators
Jammu, July 15 Apart from approving plan allocation, nothing much is done in meetings of various districts, they say. Those attending the meetings cannot address grievances and issues, add legislators. “The meeting is just a ‘gup-shup’ meeting where the board chairman meets legislators and officers and they gossip. The meeting does not serve any purpose as the chairman cannot amend or change any decision,” said Engineer Rasheed, Langate legislator. Till a few years back, the meetings were popular among the people and issues were being raised and addressed. With the passage of time, people lost interest in the meetings. “As the government is not serious about maintaining the sanctity and dignity of the meetings, people have stopped getting associated with the process,” said Balwant Singh Mankotia, Udhampur legislator. “People used to gather at our houses days before the meetings so that their issues were raised and addressed,” he said. He termed the meetings at present as ‘tea-biscuit’ meetings. Ghulam Muhammad Saroori, Inderwal legislator, was of the opinion that the fault lay with the present government as previous governments used to maintain the sanctity of the meetings. “During the time of Sheikh Muhammad Abdullah, Ghulam Nabi Azad and Mufti Muhammad Sayeed, every decision was implemented. During this regime, the meetings do not serve any purpose,” he said. He substantiated his argument with the fact that this government had not hiked by 10 per cent the district plan allocation, which used to be the practice earlier. |
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Army Chief meets Governor
Srinagar, July 15 The Governor and the Army Chief discussed issues regarding the internal and external security situation in the state. General Singh briefed the Governor about various aspects of infiltration from across the Line of Control and the overall security scenario in the state. The security aspects of the Amarnath yatra were also discussed. |
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Four IAS probationers meet Governor
Srinagar, July 15 The group comprised Ravinder Kumar, hailing from Haryana, Dr Piyush Singla, hailing from Chandigarh, and Mohammed Aijaz and Syed Abid Rasheed Shah, hailing from Jammu and Kashmir. The Governor advised them to maintain the highest level of integrity and work with dedication to deliver goals of good governance, effective public services and time-bound implementation of welfare and development schemes. He urged them to utilise the opportunity to serve the people of the state and contribute to the progress and prosperity of the public. The Governor advised them to learn the state language, which would enable them to understand first-hand the woes of the common man. — TNS
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Srinagar, July 15 During their meeting, the Governor and Dr Khan discussed issues relating to higher education, particularly advancement of female education. The importance of utilising the vast archival material available in the state to foster meaningful historical research and revival of invaluable cultural traditions was discussed as well.— TNS |
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Food security ordinance historic, reiterates Cong
Srinagar, July 15 “He is not that important to react upon…. He talks about bettering the country but he couldn’t reform Gujarat as the state is lagging behind in education and sports…. The BJP is a party that is running on lies and Twitter…. Let us see how many votes Twitter people will give them,” Afzal told reporters here when asked for a reaction to Modi’s recent criticism of the food security ordinance. Reiterating that the ordinance was “historic, reformatory and pro-poor”, he said 50 per cent urban and 75 per cent rural population would benefit once the food security Bill was passed. Reacting to criticism of the ordinance, Afzal said opposition parties were free to debate the issue after the Bill would be tabled in Parliament. When asked how the Bill would benefit J&K as people here were still getting ration as per the 2001 census and a large section of the population was without ration cards, he said he would raise the issue with the state government so that people would benefit from the food security
programme.
‘Right step on AFSPA at right time’ The Congress spokesman said the Centre would take the “right step” on the controversial Armed Forces Special Powers Act
(AFSPA) at the “right time”. He said this when asked for comments on J&K Pradesh Congress Committee
(JKPCC) president Saifuddin’s Soz recent statement on AFSPA. When pointed out that Soz had said AFSPA had to go one day and time had come for its revocation from some parts, Afzal said: “Negotiations are always on at the
Centre… if he (Soz) said this, he must have said this after some thinking… he is a responsible man.” On chances of any pre-poll alliance with the National Conference or any other party ahead of the 2014 Assembly elections in the state, he said it was early to comment on the matter. |
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Vital bridge over Munawar Tawi
Jammu, July 15 GOC, 16 Corps, Lt Gen DS Hooda today inaugurated the bridge that would give better connectivity to the forces and the locals of the area. The Battal Bridge, constructed by Project Sampark of the BRO in Akhnoor subdivision, was dedicated to the country by Lt Gen DS Hooda, said Jammu-based defence spokesperson Col RK Palta. Maj Gen Rustam Patnaik, GOC, Crossed Swords Division, and Umesh Mehta, Chief Engineer, Project Sampark, were also present during the inaugural ceremony, he added. There had been no bridge over the Munawar Tawi in the Battal area and this bridge would assist in the further development of the area, and will also serve the needs of the armed forces formations deployed in remote areas of the region, he said. The bridge has been completed within three and a half years despite difficult working conditions and the unpredictable behaviour of the Munawar Tawi river. The completion cost of the 220-metre bridge comprising four spans is Rs 12.5 crore. — TNS |
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MLA plays Robin Hood
in Kupwara district
Srinagar, July 15 “Taking note of the sufferings of the villagers, the Langate MLA around 10:30 am visited both ration ghats and unlocked the store in the presence of the village panchayat and distributed the available ration by acting like a ‘ghat munshi’ throughout the day,” an AIP spokesman said. While the Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution (CAPD) Department confirmed the incident, it termed the act unlawful. “He has taken the law into his own hands and it is an unlawful act,” said CAPD Assistant Director GH Bhat. Bhat said due to the lack of manpower one storekeeper had to look after around five stores and this was the reason the department had to keep some ration ghats shut on some days. He said the CAPD Department would take legal action and also lodge an FIR against the MLA. He said the SHO of the police station concerned was probing the matter and necessary action would be taken once the report was received. Rasheed defended his action, saying the authorities concerned had ‘failed’ to distribute ration to the villagers even though the matter had already been brought to their notice. “The state government has miserably failed and nobody cares about the problems of people. There are three Cabinet ministers who hail from Kupwara district. They often make useless visits to their constituencies for petty vote bank politics and keep the district administration hostage, which makes people suffer,” he said. Rasheed is not new to controversies and is known for his vociferous outbursts during the Legislative Assembly proceedings. In a novel way of protest last year, the Langate MLA had attempted to let loose stray canines on the civil secretariat premises. He had done so to protest against the stray dog menace in his constituency. |
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A first: Do’s and don’ts for yatris on air
Srinagar, July 15 Navin K Choudhary, Chief Executive Officer of the board, said the documentary was being telecast by Doordarshan on its regional and national channels. He said the board had prepared video and audio spots for dissemination of 'yatra' information. He said the video spots were being telecast on DD News, DD1, DD National and DD Bharti and the audio spots were being broadcast on FM Rainbow, FM Gold, Rajdhani and Delhi-D. He said the documentary film and video and audio spots had been uploaded on the website of the board and 60,065 persons had viewed those so far. He urged pilgrims to adhere to do’s and don’ts and the health advisory. Cautioning pilgrims not to undertake the arduous 'yatra' without securing a 'yatra' permit, Choudhary said only those 'yatris' possessing permits valid for a specific date and route would be allowed to proceed beyond entry gates at Domel and Chandanwari. He said the board had fixed a ceiling of 7,500 'yatris' per day per route this year, along with between 1,000 and 1,500 pilgrims via helicopter up to Panjtarni, depending on weather conditions. The divisional administrations of Kashmir and Jammu regions, in collaboration with the board, J&K Bank and the Tourism Department, had made arrangements at Vaishnavi Dham, Saraswati Dham, Jammu Haat and Ram Mandir in Jammu and at Pantha Chowk and TRC Nowgam in Srinagar for current registration of pilgrims arriving without registration. |
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Over 2.45 lakh Amarnath pilgrims offer prayers in first 20 days
Srinagar, July 15 A total of 2,36,501 pilgrims had 'darshan' of the ice 'lingam' till last evening, officials said. They added that 8,982 pilgrims had darshan till 3 pm today, taking the total number of 'yatris' to 2,45,483. 'Yatris' in long queues were waiting for their turn to pay obeisance till reports last came in. A fresh batch of 2,223 pilgrims left the Pahalgam base camp for the holy cave this morning. It comprised 1,799 men, 324 women and 100 'sadhus'. They would pay obeisance at the cave on Wednesday. Officials said a fresh batch of 4,049 pilgrims left the Baltal base camp for the holy cave. It comprised 3,418 men, 607 women and 24 'sadhus'. Between 1,000 and 1,500 pilgrims were visiting the cave by helicopter every day. Weather conditions had been favourable ever since the 'yatra' began in last month-end. With strict adherence to rules, the 'yatra' had bene going on smoothly so far. Six pilgrims had died due to cardiac arrest and other medical ailments during the last nearly three weeks. At least 17 others had received minor injuries due to slipping or falling off ponies so far. |
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Twin lakes in Jammu region in state of neglect
Jammu, July 15 The two mythical fresh water lakes associated with Mahabharata and revered by Hindus were considered to be interconnected. Despite tall claims of the Surinsar Mansar Development Authority (SMDA) of developing the lakes to attract tourists, they remain in a state of virtual neglect. “Leave aside water sports, virtually nothing exists in the name of facilities,” said Bhushan Kumar, a shopkeeper in Surinsar. Some four years ago, the SMDA had acquired 32 kanals, but till date no parks and huts have come up here in Surinsar, said Kumar. In the name of tourism, the SMDA had come up with four fountains in the lake some two years ago, he said. Even the halogen lamps put up around the lake have turned defunct while the Wildlife Department has banned water sports here, he said. He, however, informed that a water scheme at Chilla on the banks of the Tawi was near completion and as a result, water pumping station of the Public Health Engineering (PHE) Department would soon stop lifting water from the lake. The pumping station lifts 4,000 gallons every night. The water body has a radius of 2.56 sq km. A dilapidated road leading to the Surinsar Lake, broken wooden decks, no protective railing around the lake and no proper accommodation and eateries make it a dull place. Though the Mansar Lake, 15 km from the Surinsar Lake, has some of the facilities such as manual boats and eateries, it also fails to impress tourists. A PHE water pumping station continues to squeeze life out of it and as a result, it has shrunk some 20 feet in the past three to four years. On an average, 5,500 to 6,000 gallons of water are being pumped from the lake every day and supplied to Majalta, Manwal, Battal and some other villages of Udhampur district. The Mansar Lake’s surface area is 0.59 sq km while its basin area is 1.67 sq km. “We were taken disappointed by the poor facilities at Mansar. No proper eateries, hotels and water sports have disappointed us,” said Priyanka Ghosh, a tourist from West Bengal. “The lake is rich in aquatic life. At least transparent fibreglass boats could be used here so that tourists get to see the aquatic life in it,” Priyanka said. However, SMDA CEO Yusuf Malik attributed the deficiencies to objections by the Wildlife Department. "In Surinsar, they don’t allow any water sports activity but in Mansar they allowed us to introduce manual boating,” said the SMDA CEO.
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Chhari Mubarak puja from July 22
Srinagar, July 15 He said the puja would be performed on the auspicious occasion of Ashad-Purnima (Vyas-Purnima) that falls on July 22. After performing the Chhari Pujan at Dashnami Akhara in Srinagar on Nag Panchami on August 11, Mahant Deependra Giriji is scheduled to carry the holy mace to the Amarnath shrine to have darshan. The holy mace is scheduled to reach the cave shrine on August 21 on the occasion of Shravan Purnima. Publicity Secretary of the Mahadev Gir Dashnami Akhara Trust, Srinagar, Ashok Giri said all arrangements had been made for sadhus coming from across the country for the annual Amarnath pilgrimage. |
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Man held on charges of rape, murder of minor
Bhaderwah, July 15 The accused has been identified as Tirath Singh Bhagat (29), a resident of the Nalthi area of Bhaderwah, who killed the minor after raping her. The police said Bhagat had kidnapped a girl from Nalthi village of Bhaderwah on July 4 and raped her and later killed her. The body of the minor girl was found on Sunday from a nearby stream, days after she was kidnapped. As the protests were growing against the police for not being able to arrest the accused, the Bhaderwah police constituted three special teams to nab the culprit and on Monday arrested the accused when he was trying to flee from Bhaderwah. The accused was trying to flee to Doda with the help of his accomplice, Rishi Kotwal. The police said the accused had confessed that he had raped the minor girl before killing her. The accused also confessed that he had made many unsuccessful attempts before to rape the victim but didn’t succeed. Assistant Sub-Inspector of Police, Bhaderwah, Roop Raj, accompanied by SDPO Jameel Ahmed and SHO Sanjay Manhas said the accused would be presented before the court on Tuesday. A case under Section 302 and 376 of the RPC has been registered against the accused at the Bhaderwah police station. Meanwhile, protests continued in Nalthi and the adjoining areas against the murder of the girl. Protesters demanded strict action against the accused. |
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Srinagar, July 15
Jammu, July 15
Srinagar, July 15
