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Cleared by govt a year ago, road corporation yet to see light of day
Omar govt releases 5-yr report card
Congress counters National Conference with six councils
Separatists air differing views on UN’s K-resolutions
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Weatherman predicts snow, rain in Kashmir
Srinagar, January 6 Kashmir region is likely to receive moderate to heavy rain and snowfall on Wednesday and Thursday this week, according to the prediction of the state weather department. A forecast bulletin of the state meteorological department said, “Fairly widespread to widespread rain and snowfall is likely to take place on Wednesday and Thursday.”
Eight children die of pneumonia in
Udhampur
Jaish-e-Mohammad reinforces ranks in Kashmir
Crackdown on defaulters, water supply snapped
BEd in pvt colleges
IGNOU’s Regional Centre registers low enrolment in short-term courses
Change in plan, panel to visit Jammu
‘Instability, hostile atmosphere in J&K keep investors at bay’
Open manholes pose threat to drivers, pedestrians
Play staged on families of disappeared persons
SDA to promote vertical housing
Teacher training programmes conclude
Guv, CM extend Gurpurb greetings
PDP leaders greet people on Gurpurb
Fire damages house in Batamaloo
Two drown in Pangong Lake in Ladakh region
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Cleared by govt a year ago, road corporation yet to see light of day
Jammu, January 6 Sources said the government feared that allowing such an authority, which would have the powers to charge fees from commuters on major roads, would lead to public resentment against the government. Both ministers from the Congress and National Conference (NC) are against such a body. For the last over a year, the government failed to complete the registration process before the Registrar of Companies, which is mandatory for formation of the corporation allowing private companies to invest in improving roads and other surface transport system in the state, known for deadly accidents. The setting up of the SRDC was cleared by the state Cabinet headed by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah in May 2012 keeping in view the recommendations of various committees set up by the government after several road accidents. Officials said J&K was not submitting details, which include Director Identification Number (DIN) of all eight members who constitute the Board of Directors. “There are a number of contractors who enjoy proximity to the political class and do not want such a body. It will also render the Roads and Buildings Department defunct and could create confusion,” an official source claimed. A formal notification was issued in August 2012 for starting a process for establishment of a state-level authority to coordinate and monitor development and for maintenance of road infrastructure across the state. However, Commissioner Secretary, R&B Department, Tanveer Jehan claimed that the registration process was still in the last stage. “There were some legal issues which have been sorted out now. It’s one of our priority subjects and the government is also keen to set up this separate authority”. The proposed Corporation was to have Minister of State for R&B as its vice-chairman and administrative secretaries of Finance, Planning and Development, Forest, Housing and Urban Development Department, Public Works (R&B) and Managing Director, SRDC, as its members. The corporation when formed would take up road projects, including tunnels and flyovers. Project faces roadblock
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Omar govt releases 5-yr report card
Jammu, January 6 The major decisions were taken to "empower people, bring transparency and upgrade the delivery of public services". These included approval to holding the panchayat elections, launching the prestigious Sher-i-Kashmir Employment and Welfare Programme for Youth, appointment of the State Chief Information Commissioner and State Information Commissioners, approval to the 6th pay panel recommendations in favour of the government employees and exploitation of geo-thermal energy in Ladakh. The Cabinet also approved creation of posts in newly created districts, construction of 18 polytechnics, establishment of polytechnics in uncovered districts. It approved the development of the Retli Power Project and enhancement of its generation capacity from 690 MW to 850 MW, 450 MW Baglihar Hydroelectric Project-II, creation of two sub-transmission divisions in Leh and Kargil along with five transmission sub-divisions and 149 posts and construction of 48 MW of the Lower Kalnai Hydroelectric Project. The Cabinet also approved the J&K Public Services Guarantee Act which was subsequently passed by the state legislature and is currently under implementation in 13 departments. The Act has made some 80 important public services time-bound for delivery and provides for punishment and fine to the government officials for any delay or denial in providing services to the consumers in a prescribed time frame. The Cabinet also approved the creation of a special court for trial and disposal of cases investigated by the CBI in the state. It also approved the J&K State Hydroelectric Project Development Policy 2011. It gave approval to 13 degree colleges and creation of employees and pensioners database centralised personal information system. The Cabinet approved the construction of a golf course at Sidhra, creation of posts of village-level workers, setting up of Wullar Conservation and Management Authority, enhancement in the income ceiling from Rs 3 lakh to Rs 4.5 lakh in respect of socially and educationally backward classes for availing reservation under the J&K Reservation Act. It approved the roll-out of the National Rural Livelihood Mission in the name of UMEED in the state to cover 9 lakh rural families and empower them socially and economically by raising their economic status and organising them in 90,000 self-help groups in all 22 districts of the state during the next five years. Progress made
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Congress counters National Conference with six councils Jammu, January 6 Leh and Kargil districts are already having autonomous hill councils. “If at all there is an issue of devolution of powers, then let there be regional councils in the state,” a senior Congress leader, who is an close aide of the party high command, told The Tribune on Monday. The proposed idea of the party can be translated into something like this: One regional council each for north Kashmir, south Kashmir and central Kashmir. Similarly, there could be regional councils for the erstwhile Doda district — now three districts of Ramban, Doda and Kishtwar; Rajouri and Poonch, and Jammu plains. “All these regional councils will have an overarching body which would take care of the whole of the state,” the leader said. The Congress and the National Conference are at loggerheads over the issue of the creation of new administrative units. The National Conference is mulling over new administrative units in the state, most of them in the Kashmir valley, to cash in on the move during the Lok Sabha and Assembly elections. The Congress is planning to play a bigger game to reignite its standing in the state, where it is facing severe criticism on account of its performance. The National Conference is leading the ruling coalition with the Congress as its alliance partner. Omar is keen to add success story to tell the people that he has brought the administration closer on the doorsteps of the people like he did when he held the panchayat elections in 2011. When translated into the administrative mechanism, it means that there would be new tehsils, naibats and sub-divisions. For the National Conference it would serve two purposes. First, it would sell the idea that it has further devolved the administrative measures. Second, it would take steam out of former Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad’s move, creating eight new districts during his tenure. Politically, it would snatch the main issue from the Congress. Thus, this idea of regional councils which has its appeal all across the state.
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Separatists air differing views on UN’s K-resolutions
Two seminars were organised on the theme here by the two Hurriyat Conference factions yesterday. Moderate Hurriyat Conference leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq criticised the United Nations for its failure to implement its resolutions over Kashmir and hinted at exploring “other alternatives” for arriving at a solution to the Kashmir problem. Chairman of the hardline faction of the Hurriyat Conference Syed Ali Geelani termed the UN resolutions as the “bedrock of the Kashmir dispute” and urged Pakistan to “lobby” for holding plebiscite in Kashmir. “The Indo-Pak dialogue is not going to yield anything. Instead of having close relations with India, Pakistan, which enjoys the support of 57 Muslim countries, should lobby and win the support of maximum nations at the international level for holding plebiscite in Kashmir,” Geelani said. He was speaking at the seminar ‘Kashmir Dispute in the historic perspective & UN Resolution of 5th January 1949’, organised by his faction in Srinagar. “It is unfortunate that the world body has so far remained unsuccessful in fulfilling those responsibilities and objectives for which the UN was formed. Questions are being raised on the UN as an institution which has severely dented its credibility,” Mirwaiz said while criticising the United Nations for its failure over Kashmir. Mirwaiz was speaking at a seminar titled ‘Kashmir Issue & UN Insensitivity’, organised by his faction at the Hurriyat headquarters here on Sunday. He questioned the “UN silence” over alleged human rights violations in Kashmir, terming it “criminal” on part of the world body. “Though the All Party Hurriyat Conference considers the UN resolutions over Kashmir as the legal foundations of the issue, other alternatives means available for resolving the issue cannot be ruled out,” he said, adding that “all parties” to the dispute can find a resolution to the problem through meaningful talks. Mirwaiz, who in the past had supported Musharraf’s four-point formula for resolving the Kashmir problem, said his faction “would always support any process aimed at finding a solution” to the issue which was according to the “wishes and aspirations” of its people. Geelani, who is considered a staunch supporter of Pakistan, has been very critical of any dialogue process with India and in the past has also confronted former Pakistani dictator General Musharraf over his four-point formula on Kashmir. Geelani had accused Musharraf of “diluting” the UN resolutions over Kashmir by his “unilateral concessions” to India over Kashmir. The hardline Hurriyat leader accused India of not accepting the UN resolutions, saying it has “delayed” the implementation of the UN resolutions since 1947. “We should always bear in mind that whether the UN resolutions are there or not, the people of Kashmir should strive to end Indias’ hold over Kashmir,” Geelani said. |
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Weatherman predicts snow, rain in Kashmir
Srinagar, January 6 A forecast bulletin of the state meteorological department said, “Fairly widespread to widespread rain and snowfall is likely to take place on Wednesday and Thursday.” It further warned that the intensity of the rain and snowfall may be “moderate to heavy”. Kashmir region was crippled by a heavy spell of snow last week, which left roads and the main highway blocked. Power supply was also snapped to several areas. A mild snowfall was also recorded in the city yesterday. The forecast warning comes at a time when the region is struggling with shivering climate and mercury falling several degrees below the freezing point during night. The minimum temperature in Srinagar city overnight was recorded at minus 2.3 degrees Celsius, an official of the state meteorological department said. The day temperature in the city rose to a maximum of 4.5 degrees Celsius. In south Kashmir’s Pahalgam resort, the mercury overnight plunged to minus 7.4 degrees Celsius, while in north Kashmir’s Gulmarg resort, a skiing destination during winter months, the minimum temperature was recorded at minus 9.7 degrees Celsius, making it the coldest place in the valley, the official said. In Qazigund town, located on the southernmost edge of Kashmir, mercury fell to a low of minus 4.6 degrees Celsius, while the minimum temperature in north Kashmir’s frontier Kupwara town settled at minus 1.8 degrees Celsius. The minimum temperature in south Kashmir’s Kokernag area was recorded at minus 5.5 degrees Celsius, the official said. In Leh town, located in remote Ladakh region, the minimum temperature was recorded at minus 7.9 degrees Celsius, while the mercury fell to minus 13.1 degrees Celsius in its neighbouring Kargil town, making it the coldest place in the entire Kashmir division. |
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Eight children die of pneumonia in
Udhampur
Panchari, January 5 “Seven children, four boys and three girls, all below the age of five have died in our village and adjoining areas after heavy snowfall since last week,” said Yash Paul Singh, sarpanch of Nalli Nikka village. “We received information about a few deaths in the area last night and a team of doctors along with paramedical staff was immediately rushed to the area today morning. The team had to walk 20 km through a snow-bound hilly track to reach the block headquarters at Panchari. The exact situation will be ascertained once the team reaches there and files its report telephonically,” said Chief Medical Officer, Udhampur, Arun Sharma. “We have confirmed the reports about the death of three children in the area and are awaiting reports from the medical team. The area is far-off from the block headquarters at Panchari as it takes almost a day to reach there. As there is more than one feet of snow, it is difficult to reach Nalli Nikka,” said Girdhari Lal Dogra, block medical officer, Panchari. “Heavy snowfall and acute cold in the forest areas are the basic causes of pneumonia. It needs urgent hospitalisation and specialised treatment but due to accumulation of snow en route, the patients have not even reached here at the block headquarters in Panchari,” Dogra said. Sources also confirmed the death of Gulabdin Mirza, 50, a resident of Nalli Nikka village, today. They said Mirza had died of pneumonia. The sources said a one-month-old infant boy
died of double pneumonia in the Latti area of Chenani tehsil of Udhampur today. |
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Women of Reasi village donate jewellery to get a road
Hander (Reasi), January 6 “After repeated meetings everybody realised that if they donate some land it would be better for our future generation. We took an initiative for the cause…,” Parittam Singh, nambardar of Hander village, said. Over 50 women gave their jewellery to build the road, which is near completion and will connect the village to schools, government offices and banks, he said. Sakshi Singh, who was married two years earlier to this village, is one such woman who donated her jewellery for a better future. “We have been facing communication problem since our childhood. We used to tread through hills and nullahs to reach Arnas, which was obviously tough. But now vehicles will be able to drive to our door step. I donated about seven kanals of land for the noble cause,” said KS Manhas, a landlord. The one’s who could not provide monetary help assisted in the labour work. “We had no land to donate. So, we assisted in the labour work,” Pawan Singh said. Meanwhile, people are optimistic that with the construction of the road they have a better future ahead. “For us Arnas is the central point. We have to go to Arnas for everything, school, office, bank…In the rainy season we could not attend the school, but with the construction of this road everyone would be benefited,” said Anju, a Class XII student at
Government High School, Arnas. Though people are happy at the development, they rued government apathy. “For two years we kept requesting different officers and leaders to construct the road, but nothing was done,” said Satya Parmar, a resident of the village. “We then decided to construct the road with the contribution from villagers and a local contractor. We somehow managed the things and now the road is near its completion. Over Rs 2 crore were spent on the project,” he added. He, however, said when the work started, Member of Parliament Choudhary Lal Singh contributed
Rs 20 lakh from the MPLAD fund. |
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Jaish-e-Mohammad reinforces ranks in Kashmir
Srinagar, January 6 The militants, who include a possible new chief of the outfit for Kashmir region, have been in south Kashmir for the last over a month, security officials told The Tribune. The officials said initial inputs, gathered from multiple sources, suggested that one militant among the batch was JeM’s new Kashmir chief. “This information is based on the chatter that we are hearing, though absolute conclusion can only be deducted when some militant is arrested,” the officials said. Last month, the police launched an operation at Gadpora village of south Kashmir's Pulwama district following an The JeM, a Pakistan-based militant group, has been operating in Kashmir since 2000 and is led by Maulana Masood Azhar, who was released in exchange for hostages of hijacked IC-814 Indian Airlines plane. The group emerged on the militant scene in Kashmir within months after its formation in 2000, marking a dramatic escalation in the conflict, when it targeted the Army’s 15 Corps headquarters in the city here with a suicide car bomb. However, in the aftermath of 9/11 attack on the US and the subsequent u-turn of the Pakistan Government against its former militant allies, the JeM was among the three outfits banned by Parvez Musharaf in 2002 and the group’s several commanders shifted their allegiance to Taliban. In the last one decade, the JeM’s foothold in Kashmir decreased significantly reaching a record low in 2013 when two of its three last surviving commanders - the outfit’s Kashmir chief Qari Yasir and divisional commander Altaf Ahmad Baba - were killed in separate operations launched by security forces. The two-decade militancy in Kashmir, which began to show a gradual decrease during the last decade, made a belligerent comeback in 2013 as militants carried out a series of audacious attacks across the region in which dozens of security forces personnel were killed. The new batch, which is likely to bolster the outfit’s presence in the region, is believed to have recently infiltrated into Kashmir taking an arduous mountain route to reach south Kashmir, the officials say. “We were tracking the group’s route, but we were not sure where they were heading. They took an unusual route and they were moving here and there to create confusion,” the officials said, without elaborating further. “It is possible that their commander, who was leading the batch, knew the area well and may have been in Kashmir earlier also,” they said. The new Kashmir chief of the JeM, whose identity has not been confirmed yet, is known by aliases "Pathan" and "Qari Idrees" and is believed to be a resident of Pakistan. The JeM militants are operating in south Kashmir with local militants affiliated with the Hizb-ul-Mujahideen outfit, the officials said. “This may be the future of militancy where different outfits may operate together,” the officials said. |
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State should introduces pragmatic reforms to increase productivity: Guv
Jammu, January 6 “Jammu and Kashmir encompasses different agro-climatic zones, ranging from sub-tropical to temperate to the high mountain areas, all of which provide opportunities for diversification of agricultural activities to promote forestry, horticulture, animal and sheep husbandry, poultry, fishery etc…,” Vohra said during a seminar organised by the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD), Jammu, to commemorate the birth anniversary of Sheikh Abdullah. The seminar — Land Question — Agriculture Credit, Technology and Marketing Reforms for Inclusive Growth in Jammu and Kashmir — was aimed at initiating a policy debate which would trigger radical land reforms in the state. Vohra, on the occasion, paid rich tribute to Sheikh Abdullah and observed that he was a visionary leader who enacted laws which enabled the actual tillers to gain land rights. Expressing concern over the per hectare decline in agricultural production in the first green revolution areas since middle of 1990s, he said: “It is time that the J&K reviews its land laws and introduces pragmatic reforms and usher a green revolution in the state by augmenting the irrigation potential, introducing the high yielding varieties of seeds and application of technology.” He observed that the average size of land holdings in J&K is about 66 hectare and said it was necessary to provide legal arrangements for small farmers to enable collective farming which is commercially productive. The Governor added that for giving boost to secondary agriculture in the state, the government needs to strengthen the forward and backward linkages and establish cold storage chains, food processing units and other required facilities. He also emphasised the need of doing away with the middlemen and ensuring direct procurement from the farmers as this would provide remunerative prices to the farmers besides restraining inflation. Vohra also laid stress on good road connectivity to markets, digitisation of land records, equipping agriculture markets and mandis with modern technologies to provide real time information about market prices. He stressed on tight coordination between all the agencies engaged in the enhancement of agricultural productivity so that a cohesive approach could be implemented to bring rapid development in the agriculture sector of the state. Meanwhile, referring to state government survey report, Vohra observed that Jammu and Kashmir was importing mutton and poultry products worth nearly Rs 1,500 crore every year. He said if effective initiatives are taken, the state could export meat, poultry and dairy products. The Governor, on the occasion, also released a published volume of six research papers on the topics of agricultural marketing, production, technology and institutional credit. The key note address was delivered by Dr PG Chengappa, former Vice Chancellor of University of Agricultural Sciences, Bangalore, and ICAR National Professor. He highlighted the policy vacuum in Jammu and Kashmir for achieving sustainable and rapid agricultural development. Chengappa urged the development of secondary agriculture based on value addition, processing and collectives of organised farmers. |
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Srinagar-Jammu highway witnesses traffic chaos
Anantnag, January 6 According to reports, massive traffic jams were witnessed at many places along the Qazigund-Ramsu stretch of the national highway, causing inconvenience to the commuters. The commuters said it took them more than five hours to cross the Jawahar Tunnel, starting from Qazigund. “I was in Qazigund at 9am and I crossed the tunnel around 4pm,” said Sajad Ahmad, a Jammu-bound commuter. The commuters alleged that the authorities concerned had maintained that only light motor vehicles would be allowed to ply on the highway, but the number of trucks was more than light vehicles. Meanwhile, officials blamed slippery road conditions behind the traffic jams. “The road had turned slippery due to frost that had accumulated on the road,” a senior traffic official said, adding that the conditions eased only after the sun shone and the traffic
moved smoothly. The chaos on the national highway, being the vital road link connecting Kashmir to other parts, has led to an acute shortage of essentials throughout Kashmir Valley. Meanwhile, main opposition party Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has raised
concern over the prevailing situation along the national highway. In a statement issued to a local news agency, the party’s general secretary, Mohammad Dilawar Mir, has said the condition on the highway has worsened due to the recent snowfall and the authorities concerned seem to be sleeping over the mess, which has led to a huge inconvenience to passengers. “The highway mismanagement has given rise to chaos and long traffic jams have become a regular feature and the government is seen nowhere to check and streamline things,” the
statement said. Snarls and congestion
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Crackdown on defaulters, water supply snapped
Kupwara, January 6 “The supply has been snapped following the non-payment bills amounting to Rs 17 lakh,” an official said. However, the residents alleged that the Public Health Engineering (PHE) employees disconnected the supply forthwith without any prior notice. “We were already facing shortage of water. On Friday, the PHE employees snapped the supply making it even worse for us,” said Fayaz Ahmad from Bumhama. “Even if there were some dues pending, the department should have given us some time to clear the same,” he added. The locals threatened to launch agitation against the department if the supply was not restored at the earliest. “It is sheer injustice to cut off the water supply without any notice or warning. We will be forced to launch an agitation against the department if the supply was not restored at the earliest,” said Rafiq Ahmad Dar from Gushi. Meanwhile, Executive Engineer, PHE division Kupwara, Ghulam Qadir Bhat said the department was forced to cut off the supply as the consumers had not cleared their water bills for the past many years. “Out of the pending Rs 17 lakh, the department has so far collected just Rs 6,000. We had no option but to snap the supply to defaulters so that they are forced to clear their dues,” he said. |
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Kashmir varsity reverts to manual admission process
Tribune News Service
Srinagar, January 6 Sources said a powerful lobby of private BEd college owners in league with certain university officials was behind the move for the manual admissions, which had raised eyebrows among the academicians. “The Dean College Development Council has been doing the BEd admissions for private colleges online since 2009 and surprisingly they switched back to the classical mode of form submission for reasons best known to the officials,” said a university official. “This has been apparently done to help blue-eyed BEd college owners as there is a big margin for wrongdoings as the online admission is a strong barrier for any kind of favouritism and briberies,” he added. The official said after closure of admission in private BEd colleges in September last year, around 1,000 students had submitted forms for admissions in private BEd colleges. “To ensure that the admission process in not flawed, the private BEd colleges in league with KU officials prepared many predated drafts for the admission form fee,” he added. There are over 60 private colleges in Kashmir region which fall directly under the control of the Dean, colleges, and every year over 20,000 students take admission in the BEd course. Most of the students who are admitted in BEd courses in the valley belong to northern states of India. The Dean, colleges, KU, Prof Mustafa Shah, said manual admissions in the private BEd course was started as many students from far-flung areas were not able to submit online forms. “However, from the next session, we will again shift to the online registration,” he said, adding that it was false that the manual admissions were done to benefit private colleges. The university has been doing online admissions for all courses running in the university that include regular postgraduate admissions for around 40 different courses, PG courses through distance mode and PG courses through private mode. University Vice Chancellor Prof Talal Ahmed said the admissions in private BEd colleges were done manually as there were a large number of students seeking admission in the course. “While the admissions in other courses are online, the clientele in BEd admission is large and that is the reason for the offline admission this year. We can adopt both online as well as offline admissions from next year for BEd admission in private colleges,” he added.
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IGNOU’s Regional Centre registers low enrolment in short-term courses
Jammu, January 6 This has been revealed by KK Bhat, Regional Director, Jammu, claiming that the aspirants are of the view that these programmes do not help them in the long run to get government jobs. “Despite the fact that the certificate/diploma courses, which are of shorter duration and mostly related to skill development, the aspirants still prefer to pursue Bachelor's or Master's programmes from the varsity,” said Bhat. “IGNOU is offering specialised certificate courses in various fields for the benefit of the students who want to opt for programmes of shorter duration, but surprisingly the response is not much encouraging as we were hoping at the beginning,” the Regional Director claimed. Presently the Jammu Regional Centre is offering approximately 250 programmes, ranging from certificates, diplomas, advance diplomas, PG diplomas, Bachelor's and Master's in various disciplines. The professional programmes offered include MBA, MCA, MTM, BEd, MEd, BCA, PG diploma in hospital health management, geriatric medicine, food science, information security, Bachelor's and diploma programmes in nursing, etc. Sources said the varsity had witnessed higher enrolment in the programmes like Master's in sociology, political science, public administration, psychology, management, English, history and technical programmes like MCA and BCA, but lower enrolment in short-term programmes was a matter of concern. The sources claimed that one of the reasons behind the lower enrolment for short-term programmes was lack of communication between the Regional Centre and the students. The Regional Director, however, refused to comment on the issue. The sources said the aspirants pursing various programmes through distance education from the Jammu Regional Centre had apprised the authorities of the problems they were facing. They said some students alleged that they had not received grade cards, but the result was shown online on the varsity website. They claimed that the officials concerned at the Regional Centre were keeping the phone line busy and if they responded, they gave other numbers to contact. |
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Change in plan, panel to visit Jammu
Jammu, January 6 Earlier, the panel was scheduled to visit the Valley between January 7 and 9. However, the plan was changed at the last moment and it was decided to hold interactions with the people of Jammu province first. The committee comprises Minister for Planning and Development Ajay Sadhotra, Minister for Irrigation Sham Lal Sharma, Minister for Agriculture Ghulam Hassan Mir and Minister for Law and Parliamentary Affairs Mir Saifullah. The new schedule said the panel would visit parts of erstwhile Doda district tomorrow, while on January 8 it will travel to Udhampur and Reasi districts. On January 9, the committee will interact with people of Rajouri and Poonch districts and on the following day it will visit Jammu, Samba and Kathua districts. The committee will get peoples’opinion on constituting new tehsils, niabats, CD blocks and patwar halqas. |
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‘Instability, hostile atmosphere in J&K keep investors at bay’
Expressing disappointment over the agricultural growth rate in the state, Chengappa said, “The state has more potential than Punjab to explore in the field of agriculture. It can export vegetables and other agricultural products to the rest of the country.” “Instability and hostile atmosphere are the major hurdles in the growth of agriculture in the state,” Chengappa added. “Whenever, we ask someone to go to Jammu and Kashmir to invest in the agriculture sector, no one agrees to come, just because of instability and hostile conditions in the state. However, everyone knows that there is a lot of potential in the field of agriculture here,” he added. “The state farmers are doing a good job in the field of agriculture, but they are not getting the right price for their products. The commission agents take all the profit out of farmers’ hard work. Marketing skill is the main problem in the state,” he added. He said the state imported about one lakh tonnes of vegetables, though it has the potential to export more than that if some experts help it. “The government should create a feasible atmosphere for investors and facilitate them to install units in the state, so that the state can be shown on the agricultural map of India,” Chengappa said. Chengappa was in Jammu to attend a seminar of National Bank for Agricultural and Rural Development (NABARD).
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Open manholes pose threat to drivers, pedestrians
Jammu, January 6 At several places after cleaning major drains, the collected solid waste remains on the road for days creating problems for people. There is hardly a road where one doesn't find uncovered manholes, which are the worst traps for vehicles and children, who have received injured after falling in these pits. At the General Bus Stand, Kachi Chawni, Talab Tillo, Janipur, Patoli and Subash Nagar the uncovered manholes have also been causing problems for vehicles that often get stuck in them. On the Patoli-Paloura road, there are many manholes having broken lids. "Many are in the middle of the road and there is always a huge vehicular traffic, besides, a large number of schoolchildren use the road everyday while going to their schools, but no one is bothered to cover them," said Rohit Sharma,
a resident. However, none of the official from the Municipal Corporation was available for comment. In most of the cases, the contractors, who are awarded the work of putting cemented or iron covers on the manholes, use substandard material while making these, which is the main reason for their getting damaged early. Though the authorities concerned get a lot of funds to construct drains, but they kept the manholes uncovered, which causes serious problems. |
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Sopore observes shutdown
Srinagar, January 6 “The situation in the town remained peaceful the whole day,” said an official. While the shops remained shut, the public transport remained off the roads in the town, which is a separatist bastion. On January 6, 1993, militants had shot dead a BSF jawan and snatched his service rifle in the main market of town. After an hour later, locals alleged, BSF men returned and shot dead 43 persons and also set on fire nearly 300 shops. The locals had registered an FIR against the BSF in Sopore police station. The BSF in its counter FIR had said that the people had died in cross-firing.
— TNS |
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ANC pays tributes to Shah on his fifth death anniversary
Jammu, January 6 Gian Singh, provincial president of the ANC, said Shah throughout his life remained affectionately committed to his people, always shared their pain and endeavoured to mitigate their sufferings. Describing late Gulam Muhammad Shah as a great statesman, Gian Singh said Shah was well-wisher of Kashmiri people and this was a fact that he never compromised with his principles. Known for his integrity and sincerity he was an able and strict administrator and provided employment opportunities to the people of Kashmir and did wonders for them. "Shah not only laid stress on the development, but also helped the poor and needy. It was he who provided permanent job orders to at least 60,000 daily wagers. People of Kashmir will never forget his contributions,” Singh said. On this occasion, mementos were presented to young energetic workers for doing exceptional field work in propagating the policies and programmes of the party. Provincial president of the Women Wing of the party Neelam Kumari, district president of the Women Wing of the party Anita Gupta, Virender Gupta, Arjun Bhagat, Sanjay Lalotra, Vivek Sharma, Vikas Magotra, Dya Ritu, Saudhagar Mal, Radhir Talwar, VK Samral and Darshan Lal were present. |
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Play staged on families of disappeared persons
Srinagar, January 6 The play depicted the pain and suffering of the families, who are waiting for the return of their disappeared sons. In the play, protagonist Yousuf Shahnaz, an old man wearing a pheran (a cloak worn in Kashmir in winters) and turban, carries dozens of letters covered in a white cloth that he has been carrying along since long. On his way, he meets a young man who asks him where he is going. The old man does not tell him the story of his journey instead he asks him that the answer of his question lies in the letters covered in the cloth. The boy after opening all letters comes to know that they are from the sons, mothers and wives of disappeared persons depicting their pain. The letters evokes him to take forward the struggle of these families. It also shows one character as the grave digger, who has buried hundreds of unidentified bodies. “It emphasises on the obligation of every new generation to take the responsibility. The play raises questions and answers them too,” said one of the artistes The play was the first-of-its-kind in Kashmir shown live to the global audience online. It was produced by a group of artistes who work under “Theater for Kashmir” (TFK). “It is the space where voice of Kashmir can resonate unresistingly and which allows for free and independent theatre movement, and where conscious and responsible art can resonate,’ said one of the organisers of TFK. “Memory is the responsibility. We have to carry this responsibility forward,” said play writer Arshad
Mushtaq. |
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Book on exodus of Kashmiri Pandits presented to Governor
Jammu, January 6 Meanwhile, Vohra released the “Pangs of Separation”, an autobiography of Dr SP Vaid at Raj Bhawan today. Dr SP
Vaid, an emeritus fellow of the UGC, has written many books, including his autobiography in Hindi and Urdu — Bichhodde Ki Peeda and Judaee Ka
Dard. — TNS |
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SDA to promote vertical housing
Srinagar, January 6 An official spokesman said the allotment was made through the draw of lots conducted in the presence of Minister for Urban Development and Urban Local Bodies Nawang Rigzin Jora. The SDA has constructed around 60 residential flats as Gulposh Apartments near J&K Bank, Bemina. Jora said 500 more residential flats were being constructed by the SDA at Bemina under the Shehjar Apartments project for which the country’s premier financial institution, HUDCO, has been co-opted as architectural consultant. “The SDA will also avail finance for the project from HUDCO,” Jora said, adding, “HUDCO has already submitted preliminary drawings of Shehjar Apartments to the SDA and they have been asked to make some modifications in the same so that the vertical colony comes up as per the traditional Kashmiri architecture and in tune with the weather conditions of the valley.”
— TNS |
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Teacher training programmes conclude
Jammu, January 6 In all, 111 teachers, masters and lecturers were provided subject-specific orientation during these workshops. The participants were familiarised with various pedagogical skills for enhancing the quality component of the teaching-learning process. The Joint Director (Trainings)/ Principal, SIE, Jammu, HR Pakhroo, exhorted the teachers to utilise the newly learnt pedagogical skill in the classroom transactions for the betterment of the student community as the new thrust in the current academic scenario is on student-centric pedagogical skills. Members of staff of the SIE were also present at the valedictory function. |
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City colleges reopen after winter break
Jammu, January 6 Besides, the college authorities are also gearing up for upcoming exams of various undergraduate courses, which are likely to commence in the first week of March. Teachers have been holding special classes to clear the doubts of students, who have been burning midnight oil to score good marks. |
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Guv, CM extend Gurpurb greetings
Jammu, January 6 He said, “The values underlying the teachings of the great Guru should guide our endeavours to establish a just social order.”
— TNS |
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PDP leaders greet people on Gurpurb
Srinagar, January 6 The PDP leaders extended their greetings to the people, especially the Sikh community, and prayed for peace and prosperity in the state. “They hoped that this Gurpurb would usher Jammu and Kashmir in development, peace, progress and unity,” a PDP spokesman said. |
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Fire damages house in Batamaloo
Srinagar, January 6 The spokesman said no loss of life or injury was reported in the fire. The fire was brought under control after some fire tenders reached the spot. No loss of life
No loss of life or injury was reported in the fire. The fire was brought under control after some fire
tenders reached the spot |
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Two drown in Pangong Lake in Ladakh region
Srinagar, January 6 The spokesman said the police received information that some persons were practising ice hockey on the famous Pangong Lake near Mark Bridge. “While practising ice hockey, the lake caved in and two persons drowned,” the spokesman said. |
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Srinagar, January 6
Jammu, January 6