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Drive to check illegal water connections begins
Residents run in memory of Vallabhbhai Patel
BJP activists run to ‘unite’ people,
pay tribute to Sardar Patel
Only Rs 5,000 for yearly maintenance of stadium
Jammu to be promoted as major golfing destination: Farooq
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Homage paid to Delhi gang rape victim
on the frontline
Kejriwal will be a zero from hero, says Farooq
What AAP is demanding, PDP has already done, says Mufti
Man dies during scuffle in Budgam
NC anoints new generation of leaders
More than dozen sealed hotels allowed to operate
Country’s longest suspension bridge fails to serve purpose
NC has brought J&K on the verge of bankruptcy: PDP
Jammu varsity yet to allot tenders for works
SIC imposes Rs 25,000 penalty on executive engineer
Militant activities may increase next year, says Army
Electricity crisis hits water supply in south Kashmir
Kashmir int’l film festival
wraps up on nostalgic note
It was after a gap of 23 years that movies were screened on a big screen in Kashmir. The trend was banned by militant organisations in 1990s.
A Tribune photograph
Despite HC order, buses continue to halt at flyovers
Courts on 15-day winter break from Jan 1
Kashmir Bar Association trashes plea on celebrating J&K’s R-Day
Valley reels under power
crisis; PDP blames govt
No respite from cold;
Leh records -14.8° C
Wall collapse claims life
The spot where a labourer died after a wall collapsed in Nagrota on Sunday. Tribune photo: Inderjet Singh
Sarpanch booked for intimidation
First rare surgery performed in Anantnag hospital
Denied passport for second time, couple moves court again
ZEO suspended for misuse of SSA funds
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Drive to check illegal water connections begins
Jammu, December 15 Sources said unregistered connections were a major reason for the shortage in revenue. They said this fact had been determined during an audit conducted by the government following directions from the Central government to streamline drinking water supply under the Water Regularity Authority Act. As per the government data, there are 1,21,814 water connections in the city, out of which 78,970 are in City Division I and 42,844 in City division II. There are 13,549 commercial connections with 12,092 in City-I and 1,457 in City-II, which have been identified in the first phase of the audit. Last year, an internal audit had found irregularities in the department pertaining to its failure to take action against illegal water connections. It had been pointed out that the department had not imposed any penalty on 9,526 defaulters with illegal connections during 2007-12. This led to a loss of Rs 2.07 crore to the exchequer. Under financial reforms in the Budget Management Act, all the departments providing public service are expected to recover at least 50 per cent of the service charges as recommended by the 13th Finance Commission. Executive Engineer (PHE), Division-I, JK Sharma said the drive would continue till all the connections were legalised. "We have been asking all the commercial and domestic consumers to get their water connections registered. Having given them due time to do the same, we are now resorting to disconnection of illegal connections. This way wastage of water will also be checked," Sharma said. Even the Central government has asked the state authorities to speed up installation of water meters on domestic and commercial connections, saying it would otherwise stop giving crucial funds for improving the water distribution network in the capital cities of Jammu and Srinagar. An official source said there was no effective system for recovering revenue from consumers, which had resulted in the increase of outstanding revenue in the recent past. Unregistered connections form the major reason for revenue loss, he added. Revenue losses |
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Residents run in memory of Vallabhbhai Patel
Jammu, December 15 Bhartiya Janta yuva Morcha (BJYM) national president Anurag Thakur, who was the chief guest on the occasion, flagged off the rally. Addressing the gathering, Anurag said Sardar Patel was a legend who had laid down his life for the betterment of the country but after his death, people forgot his sacrifices. He said the “statue of unity” would be a symbol of unity for the whole country and it would reflect a united India to the whole world. He said there was an emotional connection between Patel and farmers and that iron collection was an issue which touched every corner of country. Iron Collection Cooperative Committee state coordinator Nirmal Singh said in Jammu and Kashmir, about 30,000 people had participated in the event at 21 different places. He said it was a new era of a changing India and the country was moving towards a new dawn under the visionary leadership of Narendra Modi. In Udhampur town, the Run for Unity started from the TCP, Domail, and passed through Slathia Chowk, Ramnagar Chowk, hospital road, Talab Saillan, main bazar and concluded at Gole Market. |
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BJP activists run to ‘unite’ people,
pay tribute to Sardar Patel
Srinagar, December 15 The run, which was led by BJP state Vice-President Ramesh Arora, started at Nehru Park in the morning and ended near the Sher-e-Kashmir International Convention Centre (SKICC). Speaking on the occasion, Arora said the event aimed at uniting people from across the nation as it was held at 565 venues of the country simultaneously. He said the event was organised to pay tributes to Patel, who was the country's first Deputy Prime Minister. Iron Collection Coordination Committee (ICCC), central Kashmir coordinator, Mohammad Altaf Thakur, who is also Media in charge of the BJP Kashmir unit, said the run was held at 565 venues across the country as Patel was credited with having united 565 princely states that existed before country's independence to give India its present identity. Thakur termed "Run for Unity" successful and said people from all walks of life besides party leaders and workers took part in the event. Among others, ICCC Kashmir coordinator Sofi Yusuf also participated in the run. |
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Only Rs 5,000 for yearly maintenance of stadium
Jammu, December 15 The autonomous sports body is also yet to allot a telephone to the in charge of the Indoor Sports Complex at MA Stadium. The sources said lack of funds at the disposal of the managers had adversely affected the functioning of stadiums as many times, they were unable to carry out even petty maintenance or renovation work. “The amount is small but we have to manage things in the given resources. We are facing various hardships in running the affairs but we have no other option,” said the in charge of a stadium. “We are authorised to spend up to Rs 5,000 and if the cost of renovation or maintenance work is likely to cross the limit, the officials concerned have to inform the Sports Council and submit a detailed proposal for getting funds from it. This is a lengthy process and sometimes gets delayed. Moreover, we have to keep sending reminders to the authorities,” another manager claimed. “The playing courts in the indoor sports complex at MA Stadium give a very unkempt look and other playing arenas, both in the indoor sports complex and the main stadium, too, are crying for attention. The managers are very cooperative but they are helpless because they do not have enough funds to carry out the repairs,” said a trainee. “Every time the Sports Minister comes to MA Stadium during a valedictory function, he announces improvement of infrastructure and construction of a new stadium but the question is whether the state government really serious about making a concrete sports policy,” he added. A senior officer of the J&K State Sports Council said, “Right now, there is no proposal to enhance the funds being provided to the managers of stadiums.” |
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Jammu to be promoted as major golfing destination: Farooq
Jammu, December 15 The minister was speaking during the valedictory function of the two-day golf championship at Sidhra here.“In fact, golf tournaments in Jammu need to be organised every weekend. This will not only popularise the sport but will make Jammu a great golfing destination,” he said. He said about one crore pilgrims visited Mata Vaishno Devi cave shrine annually, which included many golfers who could be lured to stay in Jammu for playing the sport. The Union minister asked the Tourism Department to explore all possibilities in this regard. |
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Homage paid to Delhi gang rape victim
Jammu, December 15 Neha Lahotra acted as Damini in the half-an-hour saga at the Press Club here. Bhartiya Janta Yuva Morcha (BJYM) national president Anurag Thakur, while speaking on the occasion, said time had come for the society to transform its mindset for a better India. He praised the initiative of the Shivani Cultural Society for taking up
the challenge to show people the harrowing truth that underlines the present society.
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on the frontline
Kashmiris, like all other Indians, have the same amount of human rights and any violation is intolerable. This has been made clear by the Army and other wings of the security forces to their personnel that there would be a zero tolerance to the human rights violations. If the human rights' violators were to be defended then the Army, BSF and CRPF would not have taken action against those, who were found guilty in such incidents. They have provided the statistics, which have been disputed by separatists and some of the human rights groups in the Valley. But the facts remain unchallenged. The human rights are the basic rights of the people. They have the right to live with dignity. A study needs to be conducted that who is the biggest violator of the human rights in Jammu and Kashmir. Has anyone pondered over the sinister motives of those who are spreading the virus of communalism in the state. They are the masters in churning out imaginative versions of the actual incidents. A dilemma that confronts security forces is never brought into focus. If they act against militants - they have no right to kill or injure the civilians - the charge of human rights violation is thrown at them, and if they don't, and something goes wrong, they are blamed, why didn't they act. Should they act or not, that's the catch-22 situation before them. Those who are charged with human rights violations have on most of the occasions defended the rights of the people. They have kept the militants away from the people and saved them from the atrocities that the militants and anti-social elements have tried to commit on the people. That they are not the men in uniform but with guns, hence they are immune from facing action under the law of the land. It is preposterous. It is for those who justify the use of guns by militants or those threatening that Kashmir Valley once again will live under the shadow of guns of militants, to answer. Read the situation in an objective manner before pointing out fingers at others. |
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Kejriwal will be a zero from hero, says Farooq
Jammu, December 15 Interacting with mediapersons on the sidelines of a sports function, Dr Abdullah said the AAP had promised moon to the people. "I am of the opinion that the AAP has made those promises with the people which are not possible to fulfil," he maintained, adding that the hesitation of the AAP to take up the responsibility was a clear indication that the party had realised that it was difficult to fulfil the promises. Replying to another query, the Union minister said the talks with Pakistan would be a futile exercise unless Pakistan stopped activities of jehadis. When his attention was drawn towards recent statements of Chief Minister of Pakistani Punjab Shahbaz Sharif, who has promised to strengthen ties with India, Dr Abdullah hoped that the Pakistan leadership fulfil its commitment. "Relations between the two countries would improve provided Pakistan stop sending militants from International Border (IB) or Line of Control (LoC)," he said. "I hope they mean what they say. I hope they mean that they would be able to stop these jihadis from crossing IB or LoC," he said, while reacting to reports that Shahbaz Sharif was here for a roadmap for talks. The National Conference patron also ridiculed the BJP for organising "Run for Unity" events throughout the country. "I do not believe that he can unite people, no question," he said while referring to BJP's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi. On the Lok Pal Bill, Dr Abdullah said the government was committed to pass the Bill. "We wanted to pass the Bill last year, but could not get the opportunity," he said and denied the allegations that the government has decided to pass the Bill due to debacle in the Delhi Lok Sabha elections. When his attention was drawn towards the listing of a National Conference office in the list of defaulters of power tarrif, he said, "I think that there must be some reason like the billing might be wrong." He, however, said he would check the PDD bill with the general secretary of the party and would ensure its payment. |
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What AAP is demanding, PDP has already done, says Mufti
Jammu, December 15 Addressing a public meeting at Vijaypur, nearly 25 km from here, Mufti said the PDP had proved itself by delivering a good, effective and pro-people governance in the state. “With just 16 MLAs in its kitty, the PDP had scripted a new chapter of peace, reconciliation and development in the history of Jammu and Kashmir,” he said, adding that the PDP through its vision and commitment had changed political discourse of Jammu and Kashmir. “What the AAP has been demanding, the PDP has already introduced in the politics of J&K after 2002 Assembly elections,” he said. Recalling the circumstances in J&K post-2002 Assembly elections, Mufti said the PDP, like the AAP now, had introduced a new moral factor in the politics of J&K. “We had taken about a month to form a coalition government with the Congress and others, but not before the formulation of a comprehensive common minimum programme (CMP), which emphasised on the resolution of the Kashmir problem, restoration of the dignity of the people and setting a new developmental era in Jammu and Kashmir,” he said. — TNS |
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Man dies during scuffle in Budgam
Srinagar, December 15 Mir later succumbed to his injuries, the spokesman said. A case has been registered and investigation started. — TNS |
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NC anoints new generation of leaders
Srinagar, December 15 The young guns, who have been officially anointed to head various positions in the party’s youth wing, are led by Srinagar’s former Mayor 33-year-old Salman Ali Sagar, who has been made the provincial president of the Youth National Conference. Sagar, who has been Srinagar’s Deputy Mayor once and Mayor twice, is the son of senior National Conference leader and Rural Development Minister Ali Mohammad Sagar. “My priority will be to activate the youth at the grass roots and we will be holding block and district level conventions to know the issues and problems of the youth and convey them to the party leadership,” Sagar said. Other names in the list include the three provincial vice-presidents — Younis Mubarak Gul, Waseem Beg and Najeeb Khan — all of whom are under forty. While Gul is a son of Legislative Assembly Speaker Mubarak Gul, Beg belongs to the third generation in the party. His grandfather Mirza Afzal Beg was a close aide of party founder Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah and his father Mehbooba Beg is a Parliamentarian. Imran Dar, son of a former Kulgam MLA who was killed in an explosion, has been made the provincial secretary of the party’s youth wing. Two other key members in the youth wing are Yawar Masoodi and Shahbaz Sikandar. The National Conference, which was founded by Sheikh Abdullah in 1939, is led by Sheikh’s 76-year-old son and Union Minister Farooq Abdullah, while state Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, 43, is the party’s working president. The old generation of the NC leadership, which is led by Farooq Abdullah, includes Shiekh Mustafa Kamal, Shiekh Nazir, Mehboob Beg, Ali Mohammad Sagar, Abdul Rahim Rather and Mohammad Akbar Lone — all of whom are in their sixties or seventies. With the inclusion of new faces at key positions, the young brigade within the party will be more visible in coming days as the region heads for two major elections. Generational shift |
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More than dozen sealed hotels allowed to operate
Srinagar, December 15 Nearly 300 hotels, including 161 in Srinagar city, 90 in tourist resorts of Pahalgam in south Kashmir and 20 in Gulmarg in north Kashmir, were sealed by the Jammu & Kashmir State Pollution Control Board (JKSPCB) on the directions of the High Court for failing to scientifically dump the sewage. “Over a dozen hotels and guest houses, majority of them having less than 20 rooms, have been allowed to operate in Srinagar,” said Kashmir PCB Director Mohammad Shafi. “The hotels were allowed to operate after we inspected the sites and found that they have adopted the standard procedure to dump waste,” he said. The hotels which are yet to install sewage treatment plant (STP) to dump waste will continue to remain sealed and the government has even disconnected electricity connections to these hotels. Dumping waste in wrong way |
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Country’s longest suspension bridge fails to serve purpose
Doda, December 15 The bridge, according to the authorities, is the longest suspension motorable bridge in the country. It was constructed by the Power Development Corporation at the cost of Rs 15.50 crore to provide connectivity to nearly 50,000 people of the far-off areas of Doda district. The construction work on the 5-km connecting road, which will be constructed under the Pradhan Mantri Grameen Sadak Yojana (PMGSY), is yet to take off. Earlier, the area had three wooden bridges, but due to the construction of the Baglihar Power Project, all three bridges were washed away. Later, boats were used to ferry people and a couple of trolleys were also put in place to provide connectivity to the people. In the absence of the bridge, two schoolchildren and three other villagers have
lost their lives while crossing the river. Local residents flayed the state government for not proving connectivity to the people before starting the Baglihar project. Sarpanch Farooq Ahmed said, “We faced great difficulties in the absence of the bridge. People now hope that this road should also be completed on time.” Akash, a resident of Trungul, said Omar Abdullah had inaugurated the bridge in a hurry despite knowing the fact that the bridge would
not serve any purpose right now. Road to development *
The bridge on the Chenab, which is the longest suspension motorable bridge in
the country, was constructed at a cost of ~15.50 crore to provide connectivity
to nearly 50,000 people of far-off areas of Doda district * The work on the 5-km connecting road, which will be laid under the Pradhan Mantri Grameen Sadak Yojana, is yet to take off |
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NC has brought J&K on the verge of bankruptcy: PDP
Srinagar, December 15 Addressing public meetings at Sheikhpora and Telwan in the Shangus constituency, PDP leader and former Deputy Chief Minister Muzaffar Hussain Baig said the National Conference (NC) by its political designs and lust for power had brought the state to the verge of bankruptcy, as governance was crumbling, chaos prevailed in the system and the rulers had nothing to offer as their achievements. “PDP’s three years in power outweigh the NC’s 40 years during which they received overwhelming support of the people whom they (NC) deceived and backstabbed at every crucial juncture,” said Baig. The PDP leader said Chief Minister Omar Abdullah had failed to rule the state and he (Omar) was using his friendship in New Delhi only to be in power without caring about the people’s aspirations. The former Deputy Chief Minister said the youth had an important role to play to get rid of this cruel government next year and ensure a system where people get justice and respect. |
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101st Indian Science Congress
Jammu, December 15 Uncertainty and delay in finalising the tendering process have fuelled speculations in the academic arena that the mega event, scheduled to be inaugurated by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on February 3, may end in a “humiliation” for the organisers. The science even, which will be organised by the university, will be attended by around 10,000
top scientists, Nobel laureates and research scholars from abroad and the country. Official sources said the organisers were yet to finalise the tendering process for some works, while tenders for major arrangements, including foods, transportation, accommodation, tenting and printing, had not yet been alloted to anyone. “For allotment of works, the managing committee earlier invited expression of interest (EOI) in August. It was followed by shortlisting of the participating firms and the entire process was to be completed by September 25. However, a major controversy erupted over the mode of tendering and the authorities decided to go for open tenders instead of the EOI,” a source said. A senior official of the university said the authorities had cancelled the EOI mode of tendering after bowing to
“pressure” from a strong lobby on the campus, thereby delaying the entire exercise. “The authorities are yet to award the tender for holding a science exhibition which is the essence and soul of any science congress. No progress has been made vis-à-vis allotment of tenders and job works in October and November due to the ‘clash of interests’ among some senior professors of the university,” the official said. He said the authorities got a “poor response” in the open tendering process as only MM Active, a New Delhi-based firm, had made a bid for holding the science exhibition, while three firms were earlier shortlisted in the EOI mode of tendering for the task. Similarly, no works have yet been allotted for procuring of around 10,000 bags, which are to be provided to the delegates, the official said, adding that the tender regarding procurement of printing material was yet to be finalised. “In other cases also, works have not been allotted to tender awardees, giving much space to speculations that the event may bring embarrassment for the organisers,” the official said. Prof Mohan Paul Singh Ishar, Vice Chancellor of the University of Jammu, however, said they would be able to finalise the tendering process by December 19 and preparations were being made in a smooth manner. “Things have been moving in the right direction and we hope the event will be held in a smooth and hassle-free manner,” the Vice Chancellor said. Vice-President Mohammad Hamid Ansari will attend the valedictory function on February 7 while President Pranab Mukherjee may grace the “Local Innovators
Exhibition”. Former presidents APJ Abdul Kalam and Pratibha Patil, union ministers, chief ministers and NASA astronaut Sunita Williams are expected
to participate in the five-day event. |
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SIC imposes Rs 25,000 penalty on executive engineer
Jammu, December 15 The SIC has imposed penalty on executive engineer VK Bhagat, the then Public Information Officer (PIO) and Technical Officer to the Chief Engineer of the Public Health Engineering (PHE) Department, Jammu, who is at present posted as the executive engineer, Power Development Corporation. The order issued by the Commission says the penalty proceedings were initiated against the officer on the complaint of a Jammu-based activist, Raman Sharma, who in his complaint had alleged that he had not received information from the PIO even after the lapse of the stipulated time period. Earlier, Sharma had sought details of the RTI applications received by the PHE Department, list of their disposal and pending, but the PIO had failed to provide the information to the complainant and ceased his right to file an appeal before the 1st Appellate Authority, thereby compelling the applicant to file a complaint before the J&K State Information Commission. The Commission, during the course of the hearing of the petition, had sought a reply from the PIO about the delay but the PIO had failed to give reason for the delay in providing information to the applicant. SK Sharma, State Information Commissioner, observed, “The delay caused by the PIO in furnishing the information to the information seeker is unreasonable and without any sufficient cause.” The Commissioner further directed the Drawing and Disbursing Officer in the office of the Chief Engineer, PHE, Jammu, to deduct Rs 25,000 from the salary of the executive engineer in five equal instalments and remit it to the government account with intimation to the Commission. |
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Militant activities may increase next year, says Army
Jammu, December 15 Considering the militant attacks, intrusion attempts and ceasefire violations at regular intervals this year, either in the hinterland or on the frontiers, including the Line of Control (LoC) and international border since January 8, one could well imagine the shape of things to come. “Parliament and Assembly elections will be held in the state next year. We have already started witnessing a spurt in insurgency. So, things are expected to hot up in the days ahead, especially in the next two to three months,” said a senior Army officer of the 15 Corps. The officer referred to statistics to substantiate the spurt in the activities. “On January 8, Pakistan’s Border Action Team (BAT) brutally killed our two soldiers in Balnoi area on the LoC and the very next day, Jamat-ud-Dawa chief Hafiz Saeed and Hizbul Mujahideen chief Syed Salahuddin told separatists that armed insurgency would be revived in Kashmin in 2014,” he said. Then on March 13, terrorists dressed as sportspersons stormed a CRPF camp in Bemina area on the outskirts of Srinagar and killed five personnel and injuring 10 others, he added. The officer also drew attention to April 6 remarks of Syed Salahuddin from PoK wherein he reportedly had said the Hizbul Mujahideen would carry out “activities” in the border areas of Jammu and Kashmir. “He (Salahuddin) had also said about 120 youth had returned to J&K under the Rehabilitation Policy,” said the officer. While on June 22, two policemen were killed by militants at Gonikhan Market in Srinagar and on June 24 on the eve of the Prime Minister’s visit, eight soldiers were killed and 11 others sustained injuries when two heavily armed terrorists ambushed an Army convoy in Hyderpora area of Srinagar, he said. “On the intervening night of August 5 and 6, we had another BAT attack in the Chakan da Bagh area on the LoC in Poonch district where we lost five soldiers,” he said, adding that the Army had credible inputs that Hafiz Saeed had visited the LoC on other side a few days before the attack. Then on September 26 came the twin terror attacks on Hiranagar police station and 16 Cavalry camp in which four policemen, two civilians, three soldiers and Lt Col Bikramjeet Singh were killed. |
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Electricity crisis hits water supply in south Kashmir
Anantnag, December 15 “There has always been a shortage of water supply in our village. However, we manage by storing water as and when it is supplied,” said Yasir Ahmad, a resident of Yaripora village in Kulgam district. He said during the harsh winter, women folk of the village had to travel long distances on foot to get potable water from the fresh water streams in the area. Many villages and some towns in south Kashmir’s Anantnag and Kulgam districts have been finding it hard to deal with the shortage of water and have to remain dependent on whatever little fresh water options are available to them. “Life has been difficult for us these days,” said Sajad Mir, a resident of the Dooru area in Anantnag district. He said the Dooru area had remained dependent on a single water tank in the area for the past nearly two decades. “While the population has increased manifold, the water supply has remained the same,” said Sajad said. Some major towns in the area have to face the same problem. Bijbehara town in Anantnag district is, according to residents, getting electricity for not more than two to three hours a day. |
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Kashmir int’l film festival
wraps up on nostalgic note
SRINAGAR, DECEMBER 15 The movie was screened at Kashmir's first International Film Festival (KIFF) that began at the SKICC on the banks of the Dal Lake yesterday. The movie is about Kashmir's 16th century ruler Yusuf Shah and his wife Habba Khatoon. The KIFF concluded today with the screening of 12 movies, including The Last day, The Change, I believe I can fly, Global warming, besides other short films from across the world. Hundreds of people, government officials, participated in the event. "I have never watched a movie on a big screen in Kashmir. Today, I saw it for the first time and I feel good," said Sana Khan, a student. The event was inaugurated on Saturday by state tourism minister GA Mir. The minister appreciated the efforts of young people in making the event possible after long time. "I am happy that after a gap of 23 years, our kids are trying to carry our culture forward. They are educating us and exploring the hidden talent," the minister had said. The event was organised by Loudbeetle.in and Space Communication, which are mostly run by young Kashmiri students and film lovers. The organisers aimed at providing a platform to young Kashmiri filmmakers to showcase their talent. On the concluding day of the event, the organisers said that they would come up with the film festival every year with a new colour. "During the two-day event, we were appreciated beyond words. We will try to improve and make the event bigger next year. We feel honored with the responses," said Chief Executive Officer of Loudbeetle.in Ahmer Khan, who started the organisation a year ago along with his friends to promote youth-oriented programmes.aIt was after the gap of 23 years that movies were screened on a big screen in Kashmir after they were banned by militant organisations in 1990s. |
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Despite HC order, buses continue to halt at flyovers
Jammu, December 15 Buses continue to stop on flyovers, causing traffic jams and accidents. On Saturday, an unidentified man was crushed to death by an over speeding bus coming from Kathua towards Jammu. The police shifted him to the mortuary ward of the Government Medical College (GMC) and registered a case at the Nowabad police station. Jai Pal Sharma, SHO, Nowabad, said, “The main reason of the accident seems to be overspeeding and negligence.” Pawan Kumar Parihar, SSP, Traffic, said, “Traffic policemen have nothing to do with (regulating traffic on) flyovers. The high court has instructed SHOs to regulate traffic of the respective areas, especially the SHO bus stand.” Gurnam Chowdhary, SHO, Bus Stand, said, “Though we have not received the copy of the orders, we have started the process to strongly enforce the directions of the high court. However, it will take a few more days to implement it properly.” “We called all the union leaders but a few came yesterday and some came today. We are in the process of making them aware about the high court’s order. It will be implemented properly within a few days,” he said. |
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Courts on 15-day winter break from Jan 1
Srinagar, December 15 Issuing a notification in this regard, the Registrar General of the High Court has said that the subordinate courts of Kashmir province and the courts at Baderwah, Kishtwar, Doda, Batote, Banihal, Gool and Bani areas of Jammu province would observe 15-day winter vacation with effect from January 1, 2014. "The Principal District and Sessions judges and Chief Judicial Magistrates of all districts should make suitable arrangements for the disposal of urgent criminal business arising during the period of such vacation in areas within their respective jurisdiction," Registrar General Suresh Kumar said in the notification orders made available today. |
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Kashmir Bar Association trashes plea on celebrating J&K’s R-Day
Srinagar, December 15 After the BJP, which dismissed the petition as "incorrect and mischievous", the Kashmir Bar Association has said that it strongly opposed the very thought of some people who wanted that November 17 be declared as Republic Day of Kashmir. A statement issued by the association said that people of the state had sacrificed for the right to self determination guaranteed by the UN resolution, adding that the Jammu and Kashmir Constituent Assembly, which adopted the J&K Constitution on November 17 in 1956, "lacked the right and competence" in the matter. "Anything sought to be done in contravention thereof, would tantamount to strengthening the (government of) India over Kashmir," the Bar General Secretary said. Quoting National Conference founder Sheikh Abdullah, the Bar General Secretary said that the J&K Constituent Assembly was "unrepresentative" and "lacked competence" to take a call on the matter. "The Bar wants to inform these people that when the J&K constituent assembly adopted a constitution on November 17, 1956, enforced in full on January 26, 1957, its Section 3 declared that J&K is and shall be an integral part of India. However, Sheikh Abdullah wrote to Assembly President and also to (the then Prime Minister of India Jawaharlal Nehru) that there was a reign of terror in the state and that the Constituent Assembly was wholly an unrepresentative body and had no right or competence to take a decision on the matter," Ashraf said. "The Security Council, thereafter, passed another resolution on January 24, 1957, and once again reaffirmed its resolution dated March 30, 1951, and declared that any action by the (J&K) Constituent Assembly would not constitute a disposition of the state in accordance with the principle embodied in the UN Security Council Resolutions," the Bar Secretary said. While opposing the petition, the BJP had stated that the Constitution of India preceded the Constitution of J&K. It also said that the petition had been deliberately filed by people with vested interests in the wake of a countrywide debate on the merits and demerits of Article 370. The petition says Stating that the Constitution adopted by residents of J&K on November 17, 1956, was not being implemented in letter and spirit, former Chief Conservator of Forests Abdul Qayoom Khan, in his petition before the High Court, has said that the government be told to declare November 17 as Republic Day of Jammu and Kashmir. In the petition, which is yet to be listed, Khan has also sought directions to all constitutional authorities under the state constitution to mount and unfurl "State Flag" on their cars and government properties used by them. He has argued that J&K was the only state in India that was partly governed by the Constitution of India and partly by the Constitution of J&K. |
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Valley reels under power
crisis; PDP blames govt
Srinagar, December 15 Addressing a public meeting at Lamro in Khanshaib constituency of Budgam district, the party's candidate for Srinagar parliamentary constituency and former finance minister Tariq Hameed Karra said the NC-led government was answerable for making people suffer in severe cold by not starting the gas turbine. "Entire Kashmir has plunged into darkness and the rulers are busy making false claims about the increase in power generation. The power crisis represents a colossal failure of the government that had affected all sections of society. The PDP believes that power is a fundamental right of people, especially when the weather is so cold," Karra had said during the rally on Saturday. He said even in Srinagar, the metered areas had to face prolonged power cuts on a daily basis and in the far-off areas power supply was disconnected for days. In non-metered areas, people spent 18 hours a day without electricity, he said. "The prevailing darkness is a result of the NC's lust for power, which sold the vital resources of the state for its vested interests and it seems spreading darkness is the only policy that the NC pursues with effect," he said. "To mitigate miseries of people, I urge the government to start the gas turbine at the earliest," he added. |
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No respite from cold;
Leh records -14.8° C
Srinagar, December 15 The freezing climatic conditions are likely to continue as daily forecast bulletin suggested dry weather till Monday evening. Leh town in remote Ladakh region, which is located outside Kashmir Valley, recorded an extremely cold night as the mercury fell to a low of minus 14.8 degrees Celsius, an official of the state Meteorological Department said. Ladakh region remained cut-off from the rest of the state as the mountainous pass at Zojilla, which connect Ladakh with Kashmir, remained buried under a wall of snow. In Kargil, another district in Ladakh, mercury overnight fell to a low of minus 10.3 degrees Celsius, the official said. In Srinagar, the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir, mercury overnight fell to a low of minus 3.8 degrees Celsius, marking the city's coldest night of the season. Over the past few nights, minimum temperature in the city here had continuously fell up to three notches below the freezing point. The severe cold condition has hit the region even as the harshest spell of winter is still a week away. Kashmir is inching closer to winter's harshest spell, which begins annually on December 21 and lasts 40 days till end of January. Pahalgam resort in south Kashmir remained the coldest place in Kashmir Valley with mercury falling to a low of minus 5.8 degrees Celsius, the official said. In north Kashmir's Gulmarg resort, famous skiing destination which received a spell of snowfall in recent days, the minimum temperature settled at minus 0.2 degrees Celsius. In south Kashmir's Qazigund town, the minimum temperature was recorded at minus 4.8 degrees Celsius, while as mercury fell to a low of minus 5 degrees Celsius in north Kashmir's frontier
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Wall collapse claims life
Jammu, December 15 The deceased has been identified as Charas
Dass, a resident of Uttar Pradesh, who was residing at Nagrota. The police said the incident took place when the victim was digging a portion of land adjacent to the wall. “The cemented foundation fell on him all of a sudden, resulting in his death,” said a police officer. Other labourers evacuated the victim and shifted him to a hospital with the assistance of the police. A case has been registered in this regard. |
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Sarpanch booked for intimidation
Kupwara, December 15 Senior assistant at the ZEO, Sogam, Riyaz Ahmad Wani, in his complaint, alleged that the sarpanch, Bashir Ahmad, visited the office on Saturday and attempted to assault him physically when he (Riyaz) refused to give back the “work done” certificate of the SSA school issued by him (sarpanch) in favour of contractor Ghulam Mohammad Shah. “Initially, the sarpanch offered me Rs 30,000 to get the certificate back from the office records, but when I refused, he shouted at me and tried to assault me physically. Some employees present at the office came to my rescue and saved me,” said Riyaz. The sarpanch refuted the allegation and said the employee concerned himself was involved in embezzlement of funds. “He has levelled a baseless allegation against me to save himself from punishment. He is involved in the misuse of funds for school construction at Dardpora,” said sarpanch Bashir Ahmad. Station House Officer (SHO), Sogam, Sajad Ahmad said a case under Section 353 of the RPC had been registered. “We have registered
a case and the law will take its own course,” said the SHO.
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First rare surgery performed in Anantnag hospital
Srinagar, December 15 “This surgery is usually performed at the tertiary hospitals. It is a milestone in the Orthopaedic Department of the District Hospital, Anantnag. Such cases are generally referred to hospitals like the Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences. The initiative will reduce the burden of tertiary hospitals,” a senior Health official, said. He added that 70-year-old hailing from remote area of Vailoo, Kokernag, underwent a successful hemi arthoplasty for a fracture in the neck of the femur bone and had already been discharged. “Hemiarthroplasty is the partial replacement of the bone with prosthesis. With regard to a fractured hip, hemi arthoplasty involves removing the top of the femur bone and replacing it with an artificial structure made of metal or compound materials,” the official said. — TNS Surgical procedure
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Denied passport for second time, couple moves court again
Srinagar, December 15 Earlier in September, the court had directed the Regional Passport Officer, Srinagar, to consider and take decision on the claim of the petitioner for grant of passport in accordance with the law. It had also told the passport authorities concerned to take a decision within two weeks in the matter. However, the Passport Officer refused to grant travel documents to the couple citing unfavourable report by the Crime Investigation Department (CID). “In light of the CID report, your case was found to attract section 6 (2) (b) (C) and (d) of the Passport Act, 1967,” Regional Passport Officer, Srinagar, wrote in his reply to the couple while refusing to issue a passport in their favour. “Pertinently clear pre-police verification report is mandatory for the issuance of passports and the J&K CID is the nodal agency in this regard. In the light of these facts your application for issuance of the passport is refused,” the officer said. The brother of Umar Ali had crossed over to Pakistan-occupied Kashmir for arms training in the year 1991 and is currently staying there, he added. “Keeping in view their adverse background and in the interest of the security, sovereignty and integrity of the J&K state and India, the case of the petitioners as sent is not recommended,” the officer said while quoting the CID report . The couple, however, has filed a writ petition challenging the denial of passport to them on the above mentioned grounds. “Aggrieved, the couple challenged the denial of the passport to them on these grounds by filing a writ petition before the High Court, which is listed this week before a single bench for further consideration,” advocate Nazir Ahmad Baba, who is representing the couple, said. “One person cannot be punished for the crimes committed by others. It is now a settled position in law that you cannot punish a person ‘A’ for the sins committed by ‘B’. Besides, having travel documents is one of the fundamental laws of any citizen,” Baba argued in the petition. He further stated that apart from the grounds mentioned, the CID has not cited any criminal record against the couple. “The denial of passports to the couple in this backdrop amounts to denial of one of their fundamental rights,” Baba insisted. “The court while admitting the petition on previous hearing had issued notices to the respondent authorities, including the Passport Officer, and had asked them to file objections. But so for they have not filed their response,” the lawyer said. What court had said n In September, the court had directed the Regional Passport Officer, Srinagar, to consider and take decision on the claim of the petitioner for grant of passport in accordance with the law. It had also told the passport authorities concerned to take a decision within two weeks in the matter.
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ZEO suspended for misuse of SSA funds
Kupwara, December 15 “ZEO Abdul Khaliq Kumar was placed under suspension and attached to the Director’s office on charges of misappropriation of funds to the tune of Rs 8 lakh under the SSA on Friday,” an official said. He added that the ZEO has also been allegedly involved in the misappropriation of Rs 20,000 under the community mobilisation fund. The official further said Kumar was put under suspension following the directive of the Deputy Chief Minister Tara Chand. “Following the instructions from the Deputy Chief Minister, the Director had constituted an inquiry committee, headed by the Chief Education Officer, Baramulla, to look into the matter and submit a detailed report to him within 15 days for further action under the rules.” Earlier, residents of Darpora had demanded a thorough probe into the alleged embezzlement of funds in the construction of a school under the SSA at Asthanbati. They had alleged that the contractor in connivance with the ZEO renovated an old building, which housed a poultry farm some months ago and projected it as the SSA school. “Earlier, two ZEOs refused to turn the building into a school. But after their transfer, the contractor in convince with Kumar gave a facelift to the old-building and withdrew Rs 8 lakh, projecting it as a
newly-constructed school building,” alleged Sonaullah Bhat, a local. As per sources an amount of Rs 18, 80,000 was sanctioned for the construction of the school building. — OC
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Amid applause, a wave of nostalgia ran through audiences in the jam-packed auditorium of Sher-e-Kashmir Convention Centre (SKICC) at Kashmir's International Film Festival today, as Kashmir's lost glory "Habba Khatoon", a sixteenth century movie, was screened after two decades here.
Despite the directions by the Jammu and Kashmir High Court, buses continue to stop at flyovers in Jammu.
On Wednesday, a Division Bench of the high court directed all Station House Officers (SHOs) to regulate traffic in their areas. It also directed the SHOs to ensure that flyovers are not used for parking of buses or alighting of passengers. However, nothing has been done to implement the directions.
A labourer was killed after the foundation wall of a building collapsed in the Nagrota area on the outskirts of Jammu city today.
The deceased has been identified as Charas Dass, a resident of Uttar Pradesh, who was residing at
Nagrota. The police said the incident took place when the victim was digging a portion of land adjacent to the wall.
This year, there has been a lot of debate over the issue of human rights violations, and as always, the security forces, particularly the Army, are at the receiving end. The Indian security forces have been portrayed as the perpetrators of human rights excesses, and on this issue there is hardly any distinguishing feature between mainstream parties and the separatists. It suits their brand of politics to dub security forces as executers of the human rights excesses. It gives an excuse to the separatists to perpetuate their agenda of provoking people to protest and make the situation tense in the Valley and beyond. For mainstream parties, it becomes an issue of scoring political points over one another. Neither the situation, nor circumstances are studied. There is only one prism through which the human rights are seen and projected across the world through social media.
