Jammu, October 14
India Post has started a massive project to computerise all 1.55 lakh post offices up to village level across the country including Jammu and Kashmir under Information Technology Modernisation project. This was disclosed by Chief Postmaster General, J&K, Chandra Prakash during a press conference in Jammu.

Prakash said that the Department of Posts in J&K is accelerating modernisation process of post offices in a big way to provide customer-friendly environment and services to the public.

“For improving services to the customers, Department of Posts is not only computerising services, but also, it is providing online tracking of mails and consignments of Speed Post, Express parcel, registered letters, money orders and registered parcels,” said Prakash.

He said that by networking of services through central server mail services, parcel services, money transfer services, Post Office Saving Bank and Postal Life Insurance will soon be available to the public in a more customer-friendly environment.

He said that the department is also going to hold All-India Postal Cricket Tournament from October 21 to 25 at Srinagar. Teams from 13 postal circles will participate. Director Postal Services Jagdeep Gupta was also present on the occasion.

The Postmaster General said that post offices in cities have already been computerised and rural post offices are also to be covered by the end of next year. “In J&K, work has started on this prestigious project and soon, core banking services will also be made available in major post offices and ATMs will be installed at select post offices. Under Project Arrow, many post offices have been modernised and modernisation of many other post offices in the state is in process,” he said.

In an interaction with mediapersons here, Chandra Prakash, who recently took over charge as Postmaster General, said the Department of Posts is celebrating National Postal Week from October 9 to 15 in the state by carrying out various activities.

He said many programmes are being organised to educate customers and the general public about traditional and new mail and parcel services, savings bank schemes and life insurance services.

Jammu, October 14
Jammu residents today urged Water Regulatory Commission (WRC) Chairman SS Kapoor to speed up Chenab water diversion to meet future drinking water requirements of the temple city, which is already sustaining a population of about 15 lakh people.

A delegation of citizens today met Kapoor and apprised him of the problems being faced by people in different residential colonies.

They also demanded revision of increased water tariffs as it has put additional burden on the poor people, who cannot afford it.

“The drinking water shortage in Jammu during summer and winter months is a matter of concern. Most of the localities don’t get water supply daily and river Tawi is already over-exploited,” said Sunil Dimple, a local leader.

Delegation members also urged the Commission head to replace the old and defunct pipes laid about 30 to 40 years ago as they have completed their life to carry drinking water to residential colonies.

“There is need for more water tankers for the city as several residential colonies are dependent on them during the summer months and private operators are charging at will, which puts additional burden on the pockets of people,” said Kasturi Lal, another member of the delegation. Kapoor is said to have assured the delegation of local residents that the government is making efforts to ensure water scarcity ends in the city by completing different schemes. As per the project, water will be carried by gravity from river Chenab which will be filtered subsequently at a suitable spot to be identified on the higher contour through open channel or pipes at Roop Nagar, on the city's outskirts. The project is facing a lot of delay and even the ground work has not been started. At the moment, the city has requirement of 42 Million Gallon Litres (MGL) of water per day and the net requirement of potable water against this population is 45 MGL of water per day. So, 3 MGLs of water shortage is still there. The city's areas like Roop Nagar, Janipur, Indira Colony, Buta Nagar, Naseeb Nagar, Ploura, Durga Nagar, Muthi, Ban Talab, New Plots, Sainik Colony, Bathindi, Sunjwan, Narwal, Greater Kailash etc are still reeling under water shortage. — TNS

Jammu, October 14
The proposed construction of multi-level parking on Gole Market park by the government has put local residents and Economic Reconstruction Agency (ERA) at loggerheads, with residents deciding to oppose any construction. They have demanded that idle land belonging to Auqaf board should be utilised for the purpose as the park makes for the only green belt in the area.

Though the government has asked agencies concerned to apprise people about the benefit of the project and sort out the issue without getting entangled in any controversy, opposition against the plan is growing.

As per the plan, Rs 75 crore multi-storied Gandhi Nagar car parking has been announced by the government about a fortnight back. When completed, the three-storeyed car parking will be fully mechanised with two under-ground and one upper-ground storeys and a recreational park to accommodate about 600 vehicles at a time.

Locals have formed an organisation, Association for Self Help and Awareness, alleging that the government is violating the Master plan and land use Colony in violation of Master Plan/Land use and to benefit some prominent leaders.

“We have submitted a memorandum to government opposing the plan. Why has it chosen the park, which is used by hundreds of people every day? There are also plans to build a commercial centre which is against the master plan,” said Capt Anil Gour, association president.

Residents claim that such construction, if allowed, will create lot of health and pollution problems for the surrounding population with no open space left for senior citizens, women and children for morning and evening walks.

“The park serves as the only lung for this side of the colony and this green patch is vital for the local residents, particularly elders for recreation and relaxation especially in the morning,” said Surjit Singh, another local resident.

When contacted, Minister for Urban Development, Nawang Rigzin Jora said multi level parking will decongest the area. “People need to understand that parking is essential as there is lot of chaos in the area. We will take up the issue with the residents,” Jora said.

The minister clarified that only a multi-level parking will be constructed and no commercial complex is being established at the place.

Sources said that other plans for creation of multi-parking structures at Bus Stand and Shalimar and other projects are struck at survey levels for the past five years. No headway has been made to make them functional, despite several official statements from the ministers holding the charge of urban development.

Jammu, October 14
People of Samba, especially those residing in rural areas, are facing miseries due to scarcity of kerosene in the entire district. Their problems have increased manifold since a large population in the border areas of the district does not have LPG connections and depends largely on kerosene for cooking fuel.

“We are facing an acute shortage of kerosene. Every time we approach CAPD outlets, we are told that kerosene is out of supply,” said Krishan Chander, a resident of a border village. “In the monsoon season, we faced a real tough time as even firewood was not available,” he lamented.

Sources said there was an attempt to create a fake scarcity in the market so that it triggered black-marketing. “There is no constraint on supplies from the national oil companies, but due to nefarious designs of certain vested interests, the CAPD, Samba, procures less quantity of kerosene then the actual demand inducing hoarding and black-marketing of poor man’s fuel,” sources said.

Sources divulged that huge chunk of quota fixed for district lapsed every month.

“We supply in accordance with the demand projected to us by the CAPD, which is the agency of the J&K Government responsible for the procurement and distribution of kerosene. “There is no scarcity whatsoever,” an official of the oil company said.

“There are no reports of any scarcity from any district of the Jammu region and supplies are made as projected by the CAPD,” he said.

The Director, CAPD, Jammu, GS Chib, said there were no reports of black-marketing of kerosene from Samba, though he had complaints from Doda, Kishtwar and Ramban, where corrective measures were being taken. “As per my inputs, demand in Samba district is less and the department had to surrender its unused quota that was diverted to others districts.”

He said the state would get the winter quota from this month. He said he would look into the complaints

Jammu, October 14
The All Jammu and Kashmir Panchayat Conference (AJKPC) has warned the state government against destabilising constitutional institutions such as panchayats, which are the roots of democracy in the country and in the state. They accused the state government of conspiring against panchayat members and undermining the autonomy of panchayati raj institutes (PRIs) in the state.

AJKPC general secretary Anil Sharma alleged that the state government, particularly Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Minister Ali Mohammad Sagar, were trying to create a wedge between the legislatures and the panchayati raj institutions.

Sharma said, “As per the Constitution of India, the Constitution of Jammu and Kashmir and the J&K Panchayati Raj Act, 1989, there is no role of any MLA or minister in the functioning of any panchayat. As per law, the panchayats are independent and autonomous bodies but the state government is deliberately trying to compromise and invade the autonomy of PRIs. This is evident from the fact that the state government has announced that Rs 10 lakh for the panchayat development fund would be enrouted through the CDF fund of the MLA.”

“These funds are provided by the Union government exclusively for the development of panchayats and must be spent only after the assent of the gram sabhas,” he said.

The AJKPC leader also questioned the intention of the state government to allow 89 MLAs to overrule and undermine 33,000 elected panchayat members and said this was not only an insult to the elected panches and sarpanches but also illegal and against the constitutional values, which called for separation of powers between different institutions.

On the question of implementation of the 73rd Amendment to the Indian Constitution in the state, the AJKPC leaders said their stand remained firm on the demand and it would always be in their priority list along with seeking security for panches and sarpanches.

Sharma also informed that the AJKPC would soon launch a door-to-door awareness programme to make citizens aware about the benefits of the 73rd Amendment. Other panchayat members who were present during the press conference were Sandeep Singh, Jugal Mahajan, Jeevan Sharma, Vijay Sharma, Puran Chand, Ashok Bhagat, Munshi Ram, Yash Pal Singh Charak and S Saudagar Singh.

Udhampur, October 14
For 25 Kashmiri youths, it was nothing short of a "dream" come true when they saw a train for the first time at the Udhampur railway station. They are part of an educational and motivational tour to Hyderabad and Bangalore.

From remote villages of Tangdhar, they travelled in a bus to Udhampur and boarded a train to New Delhi. A participant said he was excited and did not want to miss even the smallest of moments of the journey.

The educational tour has been organised under the Sadbhavna scheme. The participating group comprises 25 students and two teachers from remote areas of Kupwara district. The tour was flagged off on October 12 from Tangdhar. Northern Command officials received the group at Udhampur. During interaction with Army officials, the youth excitedly enquired about the details of the journey.

The tour spanning 12 days and bearing the motto “Igniting Young Minds” is aimed at acquainting young students to the rich and diverse culture, heritage, economic growth and secular nature of the country.

The students will visit places of cultural, educational, economic and historical interest in the cities of Hyderabad and Bangalore. 

Jammu, October 14
The All Jammu and Kashmir SRTC Volunteer Retired Employees Association today staged a protest against the state government for not releasing dues of VRS/GHS employees here.

VRS employees criticised the attitude of the state government and the transport authorities for not releasing claims of VRS/GHS employees. They said the managing director of the Jammu and Kashmir SRTC had demanded Rs 30,16,10,673 in his letter dated July 30, 2013, to clear the dues of its VRS and GHS employees.

S Surinder Singh, president, VRS Employees Union, said, “The state finance department is lingering the claims of VRS/GHS employees, much to our harassment.”

“The state government has kept the amount (dues/claims) of the VRS/GHS with them for a long time. It is strange that 126 slabs of COLA and pending arrears are not being implemented for the VRS/GHS employees whereas the employees in service are being given this benefit. Giving this benefit to VRS/GHS employees, which are 742 in number, has been ignored,” he said.

VRS employees are demanding the 6th pay commission with effect from 2006 and pending arrears thereof and COLA-pending arrears since 1999 along with leave salary, gratuity and ex-gratia payment.

Jammu, October 14
City markets are abuzz with activities with residents gearing up to celebrate Eid-Al-Azha, the festival of sacrifice. Residents can be seen making last minute purchases, particularly the sacrificial animal. The festival will be celebrated on October 16.

Eid al-Azha or 'Greater Eid' is an important religious holiday celebrated by Muslims worldwide to commemorate the willingness of Prophet Abraham to sacrifice his son as an act of obedience to God.

In localities such as Ustad Mohalla, Khatikan Talab, Bhatindi, Sidhra and other peripheral areas, residents are buying new clothes and gifts for their loved ones. Roadside vendors, sweetmeat sellers, and toy merchants are doing brisk business in the wake of the festive atmosphere.

“Eid is also about spending time with family, friends and making sacrifices. Let us hope this festival will strengthen communal harmony and brotherhood,” said Gul Khan, a local resident.

“We are buying new clothes for the occasion and will be preparing various meat dishes. I am here with my child to shop for things I need for the occasion,” said Ruksana Begum, a resident of Shaheedi Chowk, while shopping at Talab Khatika.

“We are selling a pair of goats for no less than Rs 25,000 this year. If the demand increases, we can even sell it at Rs 30,000,” said a goat seller, Bagh Ali. He said this sacrificial ceremony comes only once in a year, so his livelihood depended on it. "We have to buy fodder for goats. So, when we spend more, we will surely charge more," he said.

The managements of various Idgahs and mosques are preparing for the big event and giving final touches to the arrangements for Eid prayers. The main event during the festival is the sacrifice of animals, for which the administration has set special norms and rates.

Meanwhile, the Jammu Municipal Corporation (JMC) and the civil administration has made elaborate arrangements for the smooth conduct of prayers.

The JMC has installed water tankers and additional manpower at various mosques in the city. 

Jammu, October 14
'Toba Tek Singh', a play in Punjabi presented by the Government College for Women, Gandhi Nagar, was adjudged the Best Play in the One Act Plays Competition organised by the Department of Students Welfare, University of Jammu under the ongoing “Display Your Talent” 2013-14.

“Andha Yug”, a play in Hindi, presented by the team from GGM Science College, Jammu and “Abhigyan Shakuntalam”, a play in Dogri performed by the Trikuta College of Computer Science and Management Studies, bagged the second and third prizes respectively.

In individual categories, Nirja Sharma from the GGM Science College, Jammu as Gandhari in the play “Andha Yug”, was adjudged as the Best Actress while Anku Rajput, who performed the role of Shakuntala in the play 'Abhigyan Shakuntalam' and Maria Farooq as 'Umrao Jaan' in the play 'Umrao Jaan', bagged the second and third prizes respectively for their individual acting.

Surbhi Chalotra, who acted as Roop Lal in the play 'Toba Tek Singh' was adjudged as Best Actor while Vipul Jandyal from Trikuta College of Computer Science & Management Studies acted as Dushyant in 'Abhigyan Shakuntalam' and Sandeep Thakur as Ashwathama in 'Andha Yug' bagged the Second and Third best Actor awards respectively.

Anil Sharma, Vinod Dheer and Jaspal Warbal were the adjudicators for this event.

Prof Jasbir Singh, Provost Hostels (Boys), was the Chief Guest on this occasion and distributed the prizes among the winners.

The programme was compered by Apoorva Jamwal, Secretary Students Cultural.

Among others, Prof N K Tripathi, Dean Students Welfare, Prof Neeru Sharma, Chairperson, Campus Cultural Committee, Prof Yash Pal Sharma, Co-Chairman, Campus Cultural Committee, Teacher incharges from the various colleges, scholars and students were present on this occasion.