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Govt cracks down on black market of essential commodities
Shopkeepers wait for customers as the rise in the prices of vegetables has burnt a hole in the pocket of the common man in Jammu. Tribune photo: Anand Sharma
Married ‘groom’ and father of 2 tries to marry young bride, exposed
SDP announces candidate for parliamentary polls
Jora flags off mobile sanitation vehicles
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Azad launches ‘Suqoon’ project
Take steps to enforce food safety Act: HC to Chief Secy
Prof Nissar Ahmed Shah dead
Govt’s orders to seal illegal buildings mere eyewash, alleges NGO
Cong Seva Dal leader escapes unhurt in militant attack
Pilgrim dies of heart attack
Srinagar boys, Anantnag girls win baseball c’ship
New helipads for J-K hit security wall
BSF to again take up ex gratia issue with govt
High Court stays construction of house by NC minister Ramzan
5 held for attack on Army convoy in Kupwara
Poets from across the country liven up Valley
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Govt cracks down on black market of essential commodities
Jammu, November 19 The Divisional Commissioner has constituted market checking teams to identify the hoarders and deal with them sternly. The administration has directed that the profit on vegetables and fruits being sold in retail market should not be more than 40 per cent of the wholesale rates (price at which produce is brought from farmers) and any complaint of excess charging should be reported to officials. A high-level meeting, which was chaired by Divisional Commissioner Shantmanu, also discussed issues pertaining to effective implementation of control on price rise, which has become a talking point in the entire state. Deputy Commissioner Ajeet Sahu has been asked to ensure control on price rise of vegetables, fruits and milk in adjoining areas of Jammu district. Sources said there was general bitterness against the role of administration, particularly the Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution (CAPD) Department, which had failed to act against the traders and retailers, particularly dealing in vegetables and fruits, who were charging at will from people. “Price checking is a priority and stern action will be taken against the people who are violating the rules. Hoarding and black marketing will never be tolerated and anyone found indulging in such practice would be dealt with sternly,” said Divisional Commissioner Shantmanu. He said coordination between various agencies was needed to control the prices and identify the profiteers. Though consumer rights groups have been raising the voice of common man, but so far government has not intervened in controlling the prices with people accusing officials of ignoring their complaints. “We can understand the increase in prices of onions and tomatoes, but J&K is producer of other green vegetables and prices should be affordable for the public,” said Vikram Gour, president, Consumer Welfare Association (CWA), who attended the meeting. Check on profiteers |
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Married ‘groom’ and father of 2 tries to marry young bride, exposed
Jammu, November 19 Now, the “bridegroom”, who has been booked under Sections 405, 494, 511, 109 and 420 of the Ranbir Penal Code (RPC), is on the run. The marriage ceremony had to be solemnised last night. The “bridegroom” has been identified as Neeraj Gupta, a resident of Nanak Nagar, who runs a factory in the Gangyal area. “We have registered an FIR under Sections 405, 494, 511, 109 and 420 of the RPC. Though he has not been caught as yet, a police team has been searching for him,” said SHO, Pucca Danga police station, Mahesh Sharma. The SSP, Atul Goel, confirmed the incident and said the police were looking into the case. It all happened last night when the "barat" didn’t turn up at City Palace in the Kachi Chawani area after the real face of the “groom” was exposed by one of his acquaintances to the girl’s family. “The marriage had to be solemnised last night, but when the 'barat' didn’t turn up the bride’s uncle visited the groom’s family in Nanak Nagar, where he was informed about the bitter reality by an acquaintance of the groom,” said police sources. The bride’s uncle rushed back to the venue (City Palace) where he broke the news to the family and as a result girl’s father was taken ill. He was immediately rushed to the Government Medical College and Hospital. The bride’s family had made all the arrangements at the expensive banquet hall to receive the
"barat" and solemnise the marriage. It has been learnt that the marriage had been mutually agreed upon some three to four months back, while the family of the “groom” had recently shifted to Nanak Nagar, where people didn’t know much about it. On Sunday the bride’s family had performed the “shagun” ceremony gifting an LCD, refrigerator and other gadgets worth lakhs of rupees to the “groom” at the latter’s Nanak Nagar house. The police have picked up the brother of the “groom” for questioning.aThe girl’s family hailed from Baba Lal Ji Chowk in Julaka Mohalla in the
Old City. The cheat |
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SDP announces candidate for parliamentary polls
Jammu, November 19 Addressing a press conference, SDP president Darakhshan Andrabi said people in Jammu and Kashmir were fed up with all the national and regional political parties and they were looking for alternatives. She said the party had launched a membership drive in the state and had received a huge support from the people, including the youth, who are fed up with the anti-people policies of the present dispensation. Andrabi called upon people to support SDP candidates so that right candidates were elected to the Legislative Assembly. She said a campaign was being launched across all the districts of the state to create awareness among the people about the present policies of the state government, which had failed to ensure employment, security and justice to the masses, especially in the Kashmir Valley. |
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Jora flags off mobile sanitation vehicles
Jammu, November 19 This was stated by Minister for Urban Development Nawang Rigzin Jora while flagging off mobile sanitation vehicles and water tankers with road-sprinkling system at Manda. He said efforts were being made to ensure that the city was made garbage-free. The sanitation vehicles are fully equipped and each vehicle has a team of five safai karamcharis, who will be attending the calls of residents for redressing their urgent sanitation grievances. The water tankers, which are equipped with the road-sprinkling system, have been designed to meet the requirements of roads of the inner city areas to maintain cleanliness. — TNS |
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Azad launches ‘Suqoon’ project
Jammu, November 19 Earlier, secretary of The Inner Call Affan Yesvi said "Suqoon" would create a pool of mental health workers across the state and spread awareness through workshops and seminars about various mental health issues. It would also be establishing counselling centres across the state. The other who were present included chairperson of The Inner Call Roma Wani, Inam Un Nabi, Aasif Abdullah Dar, Mehboob Mustafa Azad. |
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Take steps to enforce food safety Act: HC to Chief Secy
Srinagar, November 19 The direction was issued by a division Bench of the High Court on Monday while hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) seeking a direction commanding the respondents to implement the Food Safety Standards Act, 2006, and the Food Safety and Standards Rules, 2011. On October 7, the High Court in its orders had observed that there is a complete go-bye to the provisions of the Act and the Rules as revealed by the procedure adopted for taking samples and testing of the stock in respect of food which has been found misbranded or adulterated. Observing that there is no proper mechanism to check adulteration in the state, the court had directed the Chief Secretary to take a review of the ground realities and accordingly file a comprehensive report showing compliance of the provisions of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 and the Food Safety and Standards Rules, 2011 and regulations. “Though the Chief Secretary had filed the compliance report as directed earlier, however the Bench was not satisfied with it. It has now directed him to take meaningful steps for implementing the provisions of the Food Safety Standards Act, rules and regulations,” said Syed Tassaduq Khawaja, one of the petitioner counsels advocate. He said the Chief Secretary had been directed to file a fresh compliance report in this regard by the next hearing. What the PIL says |
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Prof Nissar Ahmed Shah dead
Srinagar, November 19 Prof Shah had retired a few months ago and was given an extension to serve the university. Shah had served the university in different capacities, as Head Department of Electronics and Information Technology; Dean Faculty of Applied Science and Technology; Director Institute of Engineering and Technology (Zakura Campus), Dean College Development Council. “Shah was a well-known electronics scholar with over 200 publications to his credit,” an official spokesman of the university said. The Kashmir University Teachers Association expressed grief over his demise. KU Vice Chancellor Prof MA Sofi said his contribution to the corporate life of the university would always be remembered.
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Govt’s orders to seal illegal buildings mere eyewash, alleges NGO
Srinagar, November 19 Hilal Ahmad War, head of the NGO, Human Watch International (HWI), said despite the crackdown on illegal shops operating in the city, many commercial complexes were still illegally functioning in the city. The government had sealed only a few of the commercial units in a drive. “You see residential areas are being made commercial hubs and even the court orders are not being properly implemented. The drive was just an eyewash as there are many illegal buildings still functioning in the city,” War said In October, the Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) sealed 19 out of 39 identified illegal structures in Srinagar’s Jawahar Nagar and Karanagar only. The Municipal Commissioner declined to comment on the number of structures have been sealed since the first SMC drive in October. “I cannot answer your question,” said SMC Commissioner GN Qasba. The HWI has identified many colonies that were being constructed on the agricultural land in Pampore, Sonamarg and Narbal. War said the NGO helped the government to stop their construction. These illegal constructions had an impact on the Master Plan of the city. “The government should come up with a good policy to systematically accommodate the increasing population,” he said. War has also filed a PIL to ascertain the violations of land laws in the Valley. |
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Cong Seva Dal leader escapes unhurt in militant attack
Srinagar, November 19 Sheikh was present in the house along with the members of his family at the time of the attack. “The policeman guarding Sheikh retaliated and the militants fled. No one was hurt in the attack,” said a police officer. A case has been registered at the Dooru police station. “We have started the investigation,” a police officer in south Kashmir said. No militant outfit has claimed responsibility for the attack so far. This is the second militant attack in south Kashmir in the last four days. On November 15, a police constable was critically injured in a militant attack in Anantnag town. — TNS
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Pilgrim dies of heart attack
Katra, November 19 “Vivek, a resident of New Delhi, suffered cardiac arrest in Katra while he was on his way to the cave shrine of Vaishno Devi along with his family last evening,” an official said here today. He was shifted to a hospital where doctors declared him dead, the official said, adding
that the body of the deceased has been handed over to his family after legal formalities. |
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Srinagar boys, Anantnag girls win baseball c’ship
Srinagar, November 19 Srinagar boys’ team defeated Government College of Physical Education (COPE), Ganderbal, whereas Srinagar girls’ team lost to Anantnag. In the first final played in the girls’ group, Srinagar gained one home-run their first inning to which Anantnag responded with a couple. In the second inning, Srinagar could manage to add two home-runs and Anantnag equalised with their alone home-run added by Rubia. In the third and final inning, Srinagar batters were bundled out on just one home-run to which Anantnag took charge over and successfully recorded a title win by scoring two home-runs in quick time. In the boys’ final, Srinagar were given a hard time by college team in the first inning, but the former somehow managed to hold their nerves and made a remarkable impact on the 2nd and 3rd inning and scored a total of eight home-runs. COPE team, after scoring four home-runs in the first inning, couldn’t carry that passion in the last two innings. They were defeated by Srinagar with a final score of 8-4. Rubia Syed from Anantnag team was awarded as the best player whereas in the boys’ category, Shahnawaz from Srinagar boys was felicitated as the best player. |
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New helipads for J-K hit security wall
Jammu, November 19 Official sources said the Union Defence Ministry and the Home Ministry had raised several objections, mainly about the security implications of the proposed plan. This is likely to deprive the state of new helipads and heliports for promoting adventure sports and creating an air bridge with remote valleys and hamlets during the winter months when snowfall cuts them off from the rest of the state. As per the Draft State Perspective Civil Aviation Plan, J&K had projected a need for about a dozen helipads for tourism and disaster management. Under the project, it was decided to construct helipads at high-altitude places which include Gulmarg, Pahalgam, Kokernag, Sonamarg, Dodh Pathri, Patnitop, Mantalai, Shiv Khori, Bhaderwah, Doda, Bani Gulabagarh, Karnah/Tangdhar, Machil, Keran, Drass, Neeru, Baruab and Tulail. For the rescue and relief operations, the state has so far been dependent on the Army. Despite having immense scope, adventure sports activities have not so far attracted high-end tourists due to lack of infrastructure, particularly air connectivity. Confirming that the approval is pending, Tourism Secretary Atal Dullu, who has been sent on Central deputation, said: “The DGCA has raised some objections which are being cleared by J&K. We are pursuing the matter at the highest level as the construction of new helipads will clear the way for several projects related to tourism development.” Dullu said for the promotion of adventure tourism and attracting high-end tourists, helipads and small airstrips were important. The sources said hilly states such as Uttarakhand and Jammu and Kashmir had submitted three proposals under the destination development project to the Centre for approval. The funding for the project would be provided by the Union Tourism Ministry. “Uttarakhand has got the approval from the DGCA while J&K is still waiting for it. It will take years, keeping in view the objections raised by the Defence Ministry and the Home Ministry,” said a source. The DGCA is the regulatory body in the field of civil aviation and has the authority to give approval for construction of new airports, airstrips and helipads. Despite the travel advisories by some countries in the West against visiting the Valley for the last 20 years, officials said they were receiving queries from foreigners about heli-skiing. At present, Gulmarg is the only recognised international ski resort. There are, however, several other areas in the state which can be developed. Need for dozen helipads |
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BSF to again take up ex gratia issue with govt
Jammu, November 19 At the Civil Military Liaison Conference at Nagrota on November 12, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah announcement ex gratia to Army soldiers getting killed on the 744-km Line of Control (LoC) and those belonging to J&K in other parts of the country. “In the backdrop of the Chief Minister’s announcement of ex gratia for the soldiers sacrificing their lives on the LoC and those of J&K in other parts of the country, we would also take up the issue afresh with the state government,” said a senior BSF officer. He said the BSF had last year taken up the issue with the state government. “At that time, the government didn’t agree and the ex gratia remains confined to personnel getting killed while performing law and order duties, including counter-terror operations, in the state,” he said. The officer further said the government had refused to provide ex-gratia to BSF men getting killed in enemy action on the borders. “Since the Chief Minister has exhibited magnanimity in case of soldiers on the LoC, we are also thinking to approach the state government afresh with a request to extend similar treatment to the BSF men,” he said. “If he has announced ex gratia to soldiers getting killed on the LoC and those from J&K attaining martyrdom in other parts of the country, we are hopeful of getting a positive response for the BSF men too,” he said. So far this year, the BSF has lost its two men — Ram Niwas Meena and Mukesh Lal Meena — while 10 others sustained injuries in Pakistan Rangers’ firing and shelling on the international border. Constable Ram Niwas Meena, who had sustained critical injuries in a sniper fire of the Pakistan Rangers on August 5 at the Narainpur forward post in the Samba sector, died at AIIMS in New Delhi on August 11 and Head Constable Mukesh Lal Meena, posted at the Chinaj post in Arnia, was killed in Pakistani shelling on October 22-23. Three other BSF men — Baljeet Singh, Pawan Kumar and M Baswaraj — were injured in separate incidents of sniper fire. Relief sought
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High Court stays construction of house by NC minister Ramzan
Srinagar, November 19 ‘Facts have been misrepresented’ He claimed the petitioner, GN
Yatoo, had misrepresented the facts before the high court and sought a public apology from him. “The said person is a professional litigant. I neither have any house nor any plot in my name at Friends Colony. My relations own a plot and a house in the said colony and they have proper papers,” Choudhary claimed. These orders were issued by a single bench of Justice Bansi Lal Bhat in a petition by one Dr GN Yatoo, wherein it has been alleged that the minister has violated the Srinagar Master Plan norms and guidelines in the posh Friends Colony. Yatoo is also a resident of the same colony. The two-storeyed house is being constructed by the minister in the posh colony in Humhama on the airport road in Srinagar. In the petition by Yatoo, it has been alleged that the minister has encroached upon a public lane and a green strip reserved for beautification of the colony near the plot allotted to him and his kin in the residential colony. “He is raising the construction in clear violation of the sanctioned master plan on the plots after grabbing the public lane and green strip reserved for beautification of the colony which is detrimental to the rights and interests of the inhabitants of the colony, including the petitioner,” the high court observed in its orders passed on Monday, while issuing notices to the minister and 13 other official respondents. The court further directed for “maintaining status quo” on the spot “as it exists” till the next date before the bench. In the petition, it has been alleged that Choudhary Ramzan has been able to secure permission for raising the two-storeyed structure on two plots after conniving with officials, including those from the Srinagar Municipal Corporation. Yatoo in his petition has urged the high court to quash the building permission orders issued by the chairman of the Building Operations and Control Authority (BOCA) on August 27, 2013, by virtue of which Ramzan and his kin were allowed to raise the structure. Apart from requesting the high court to give directions to the Srinagar Municipal Corporation to seal/demolish the said construction on the site, Yatoo in his petition has also sought directions for initiating action against the alleged erring corporation officials.
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5 held for attack on Army convoy in Kupwara
Kupwara, November 19 Sources said Mohd Yusuf Khan, 32, Shabir Ahmad Khan, 30, and 27-year-old Aijaz Ahmad Khan, all residents of Shadipora village near Drugmulla, were arrested during late
night raids by the police yesterday. While Khursheed Ahmad Magray, 35, of Drugmulla was arrested today. ? They added that Mohd Afzal Ganie of Chak Keegam was also picked by up by the police in
the evening. The arrested youth are being questioned for their role in the attack on the Army convoy. It is suspected that they were actively involved in facilitating the attack, a source said. Meanwhile, the family members of the arrested youth said there wards were not involved any militancy-related incident and police was trying to frame them. “They are innocent and we are afraid that police may fabricate them in the case. We, therefore, appeal to Superintendent of Police, Kupwara, to release them at the earliest,” one of the relatives of the youth said. Reports said the Army and the police patrolled Water Khani and few adjoining villages today. Earlier, the security forces had called-off the search operation in these villages. |
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Poets from across the country liven up Valley
Srinagar, November 19 The lovers of Urdu poetry and literature shared the subtle thoughts over the beauty and politics of this region during the event, which turned out to be the first of its kind in the Valley after a gap of 27 years The programme was aimed at reaching out to national and international audience to promote tourism through Urdu poetry. The event was telecast live by Hyderabad-based ETV Urdu in collaboration with Srinagar Doordarshan across 168 countries. Distinguished poet and Gyanpeeth recipient Rehman Rahi welcomed the galaxy of poets from different parts of the country on the occasion. It was an important event to be organised in Kashmir, Rahi said, amid applause from the Kashmiri audience, who have been starved of such mega cultural events since last couple of decades. On part of the hosts Mansoor Usmani, having the distinction of conducting the first and many more weekly Urdu Mushairas for ETV, said the event was a bigger one with the presence of Rehman Rahi. “It is a tribute to the 800 year history of Kashmir, as Rehman Rahi is the only Gyanpeeth award winner… It is history”, Usmani said. Waseem Barelvi, Munawar Rana, Rahat Indori and others, including Liaqat Jaffri, who conducted the hour-long inaugural session, graced the occasion with their fascinating verses and expressions. The inaugural session was followed by three-hour-long Urdu Mushaira, dotted with applause from audience. Kashmir-based poets Farooq Nazki, Rukhsana Jabeen and Shafaq Sopori were also a part of the event. Ek Sham Kashmir Kay Naam |
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Following growing resentment among people, the government has finally woken up to curb black marketing and profiteering of essential commodities in Jammu district and surrounding areas.
The Divisional Commissioner has constituted market checking teams to identify the hoarders and deal with them sternly.
National Conference leader Choudhary Mohammad Ramzan on Tuesday said his name was being dragged unnecessarily in the case as he had not violated any laws.