|
|
|
|
|
Key accused in fake currency racket dies in police custody
Kala Kendra turns out to be white elephant
Tainted cop promoted in Kupwara
|
|
|
Azad holds roadshow in BJP’s citadel
NC, Cong two faces of the same coin, says Mufti
Political parties in J&K stay away from online campaigning
Social activists join PDP
Congress always mortgaged public interest for power: BJP
Now, AAP lashes out at NC over Sakina video
Mir concludes campaigning in Rajouri, Poonch districts
Madan Lal seeks vote to serve people
JKLF urges people to boycott poll
Hospitality industry going through tough phase: Hoteliers
58% contestants for Jammu seat never went to
college
Reopening of Srinagar-Leh highway likely to be delayed
Soldiers at Siachen find it difficult to leave frontiers to cast ballot
Lt Gen Chachra pays tribute at Infantry War Memorial
Pak PM assures support on Kashmir issue
State Income Tax Dept surpasses target, collects
Rs 1,057 crore
Gulmarg cable ride gets costly
Vigilance told to book former Social Welfare official
Clerk caught taking bribe
4 decades on, Shilwat middle school yet to be upgraded
Pedalling against global warming, Kolkata man reaches Kashmir
Books, uniforms distributed among needy students
Hike in pension for differently abled sought
Book on trends in tourism released
Office-bearers of ITI Diploma Holders Association elected
World Arbor Day observed at University of Kashmir
Lab technician found dead in city clinic
|
|
Key accused in fake currency racket dies in police custody
Srinagar, April 3 The J&K Police said the accused used a pair of socks to hang himself by tying them with one another. The deceased has been identified as Muneer Ahmad
Manhas, a resident of Kamalkote village of north Kashmir's Uri area. The police said Manhas was working in the Territorial Army. An official of the civil administration has initiated inquest proceedings to determine circumstances behind the death, while the body has been sent for a post-mortem. "Principal Medical College has constituted a team of doctors for conducting a post-mortem in the presence of Magistrate," the police said. The fake currency racket operated across the region, including in the city. Last month, the police had arrested 12 people, who were part of the racket. On March 11, the police had said it achieved a breakthrough with the arrest of a Srinagar resident, a key operator in managing the fake currency racket in the city here, who led the investigators to a network of operators, couriers and managers of the inter-district network. During subsequent investigations, the police was led to a Baramulla resident
Masood-ul-Haq, who was initially suspected to be the main kingpin. Later, Haq had told the police that a resident of Uri,
Manhas, supplied fake currency notes to the racket, following which a renewed manhunt was launched to arrest him. The police had arrested 12 persons for their involvement in the racket and also recovered fake currency notes worth Rs 8.85
lakh.
Kin rule out suicide, allege police
torture
Baramulla: The family of Muneer Ahmad Manhas, who was found dead inside the police station, said Manhas could not commit suicide and alleged that he was tortured by the police during interrogation.
Deceased’s brother-in-law Reyaz Ahmad said Manhas had left home on Tuesday for duty. In the afternoon, he was reportedly called to the police station by Inspector Javid Ahmad of the Kamalkote police station, Uri, over some SIM card dispute. He said Manhas's another brother-in-law Tariq Ahmad was also called by the Inspector. Later, the trio left for
Srinagar, where Manhas and Tariq were lodged in the Ram Munshi Bagh police station. “We were informed today morning about his death. He couldn't have committed
suicide as there was no reason and we suspect that the police might have tortured him during interrogation. We do not even know how they were arrested,” Ahmad said. —
OC
|
||
|
Kala Kendra turns out to be white elephant
Jammu, April 3 Founded in 1996 to promote art and culture in the state, Kala Kendra has lost its focus and motto. Except for holding sporadic exhibitions and events, it has failed to act as a vibrant centre for preserving, conserving and showcasing the rich cultural heritage of the state. While it is yet to receive words of praise from the city artistes and residents, it is presently shut down for its renovation, putting extra burden on the state exchequer. “The renovation work was started two months ago and it will take around two more months to finish the whole work,” said officials associated with the renovation work in the Kala Kendra. Established with an aim to preserving, conserving, promoting and showcasing the heritage of the state, efforts have repeatedly been made by city artistes for the same, but in vain. Balwant Thakur, an internationally acclaimed artiste and director of the Natrang Theatre, who was the part of the conceptualisation team in the making of the Kala Kendra, said, “It (Kala Kendra) was supposed to be a multi-art centre for interaction and encouragement of different forms of arts and theatre. Sadly, it could not deliver the desired results. Unfortunately the J&K Government lacks the vision for culture, resultantly the commitment has vanished.” He said, “There is a popular phrase ‘Paida hote hi bachpan dekha nahi, aur bade hote hi budhapa aa gaya’ (I had no childhood when I was a child and when I grew up, I became old), which reflects the situation of the Kala Kendra.” Aaditya Bhanu, Director, Nav Durga Kalamanch, opined that the Kala Kendra had not lived up to the expectations and hopes of the city artistes. “Talking about providing support to theatre artistes for displaying talent and promoting it, the Kala Kendra has failed miserably on this front. It only focuses on holding exhibition, painting displays and fairs. It has a huge building, infrastructure and space, but there is not even a single hall for the events related to theatre. If the authorities reserve one hall for theatre artistes, the city residents will start visiting the Kala Kendra and this will help in promoting the state’s heritage,” he said. Similar views were expressed by another senior artiste Kusum Tickoo, who said, “The Kala Kendra has not served its purpose. Even a child residing in Jammu knows how does the Kala Kendra works? It has been in a shabby condition for two years and has not at all supported city artistes to showcase their talent. It is merely a plastic building, which fails to promote state’s heritage and culture.” The irony is that there are people in the city who even don’t know about the Kala Kendra and its existence. Bhavya Samyal, a 20-year-old girl from Sainik Colony, said, “I have not heard of the Kala Kendra and any of its events. It seems as if I have been introduced to a new place in Jammu. However, I know Abhinav Theatre and Zorawar Singh Auditorium.” |
||
|
Tainted cop promoted in Kupwara
Baramulla, April 3 Bhat, the then Assistant Superintendent, District Jail, Kupwara, was held accountable for the “negligent death” of 21-year-old Sajad Ahmad Dar by a magisterial inquiry. On the intervening night of March 21 and 22 in 2012, Sajad, who was lodged in the District Jail Kupwara under the Public Safety Act, had took ill but the jail authorities didn’t pay any heed to his deteriorating condition, alleged Ghulam Nabi Dar, father of the victim. He added that Sajad’s conditioned worsened by the morning and despite the jail authorities rushing him to the Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences, Soura, he could not be saved. Doctors said Sajad died of cardiopulmonary arrest, Dar said, adding that had the jail authorities acted in time his son would have been alive today. Following protests over the alleged custodial death of Sajad, the government had ordered a magisterial inquiry headed by the then Additional District Magistrate, Kupwara. The probe indicted the Jail staff for negligence, leading to death of the detainee. “The deceased was not provided sufficient treatment which led to his death,” the inquiry officer had mentioned in the report submitted to the government. “It is the travesty of justice. Instead of initiating legal and disciplinary action against the accused officer, the authorities have promoted him,” Dar said, adding that the officer should have rather been demoted for the act. The State Human Rights Commission had recently proposed the police not to promote any of its officers without obtaining a no objection certificate (NOC) from the body. Dar, meanwhile, urged the Commission to intervene into the matter and said if the government was sincere enough it should lodge an FIR against the accused officer and take action against him. The case file
|
||
|
Jammu, April 3 Highly placed sources said the BJP high command had fixed April 4 for Advani’s rallies in different parts of the Jammu region but the local leadership has expressed its inability to organise rallies of former Deputy Prime Minister. Insiders said 85-year-old Advani was available for rallies in both constituencies
(Udhampur-Doda and Jammu-Poonch) of the Jammu province but the contestants as well as the state leaders were not enthused about his visit. So, the April 4 rallies were cancelled. “The state unit of the BJP told the party high command that it was not possible to hold rallies at a short notice so it would be better to cancel the visit,” a source quoting a senior party leader said. “The BJP high command had informed the state unit three days ago about the availability of Advani for campaigning in Jammu and there was enough time to organise the rallies. The local leaders, however, took the plea of shortage of time to avoid having Advani’s rallies in the region.” The sources said the state leaders had sent a list of star campaigners to the high command nearly 10 days back in which Advani’s name was also included as a “formality”. But when the high command okayed Advani’s visit to Jammu, the state unit looked for an excuse to avoid him, the sources said. The last time Advani visited Jammu was in connection with the Jan Chetna Yatra on November 16, 2011. He had, however, cancelled his visit to Jammu on June 23, 2013. The sources said young party leaders in J&K were more keen on organising visit of Bollywood stars for campaigning. They have been requesting the high command to organise Vinod Khanna’s rally at
Kathua. Khanna, the BJP candidate for Gurdaspur constituency, is likely to address a rally in Kathua on April 8 in support of party candidate Jitender Singh. Poll talk
|
||
|
Azad holds roadshow in BJP’s citadel
Jammu, April 3 Accompanied by his wife Shamima Azad and son Saddaam Nabi
Azad, the minister covered about 50 villages of this border belt, which is considered to be a stronghold of the
BJP. As BJP’s prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi had started his “Bharat Vijay
Yatra” from Hiranagar on March 26, Azad tried to counter the “Modi wave”
here. Azad said he was aware of the hardships being faced by border residents, including shelling from across the border. “I am aware of the pain and agony of the inhabitants of border areas because I am in constant touch with the people of this belt,” he said, adding that in December, he had visited the area when there was unprovoked firing from across the border. “After our visit, we had brought the problems of border residents to the notice of the Prime Minister, Defence Minister and the Home Minister. It was discussed that whenever there was a loss of human life in militancy-related incident, the family members should be provided with a government job and
ex-gratia relief up to Rs 6 lakh. If the loss of life is due to firing from Pakistani army, the relief should be Rs 1
lakh,” he said, adding that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had immediately constituted three committees to redress the problems of border residents. “However, before the committees could present their recommendations, the model code of conduct came into force and so, no action could be taken,” he said. He expressed hope that their problems would be resolved on a priority basis after the model code of conduct ends.
Azad was accompanied by Congress Minister of State for Cooperatives Manohar Lal Sharma, former minister and sitting NC MLA Surjeet Singh
Slathia, MLC Subash Gupta, former Congress minister Gulchain Singh
Charak, former Congress MLA Girdhari Lal Chalotra among others. Union Minister’s tour
|
||
|
NC, Cong two faces of the same coin, says Mufti
Anantnag, April 3 “The NC and the Congress are equally responsible for the present state of insecurity and uncertainty among the people in Kashmir,” Mufti said while addressing a series of gatherings in Srigufwara, Pahalgam, Wulrama and Aishmuqam areas of Anantnag. He accused the NC-Congress coalition of “institutionalising corruption” in the state and urged people to vote for his daughter and PDP candidate for Anantnag Lok Sabha seat Mehbooba Mufti in the coming polls. Mufti asserted that candidates fielded by his party for the General Election would go to Parliament with a solid agenda unlike the “power hungry” NC and the Congress candidates. “Our prime concern is providing a sense of security to the people of Kashmir. Building good Indo-Pak relations will also be high on our agenda,” Mufti said. The senior leader recalled how his party worked in tandem with the then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee to mend the relations between the two neighbouring countries. |
||
|
Political parties in J&K stay away from online campaigning
Srinagar, April 3 The political grid in the state, where security concerns are paramount and restrict physical outreach, is relying on the orthodox and conventional methods of electioneering --- workers’ meetings and rallies. The major players from the state in the elections, to be conducted in five phases from April 10 to May 7 for the six parliamentary seats, have a negligible online presence. The National Conference (NC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) are the two key state parties contesting the elections while the Congress and the BJP are the major national parties to field candidates from the state. While the BJP is carrying out a strong online campaign throughout the country, the state-based parties are missing from the scene. The mainstream political parties are lagging behind the region’s separatists, who made an optimised use of online technology and released their messages on video-sharing and social networking sites during restrictions imposed by the authorities in the 2010 unrest. Jammu and Kashmir has 6.84 million wireless phone users, out of which 1.8 million have access to mobile Internet, according to data provided by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India. On Twitter, the NC has 1,752 followers while the PDP has 1,038. NC spokesman Junaid Azim Mattu said the party acknowledged the need for the campaign to be “multi-faceted” and dynamic from those of the past. “This campaign will be different… there will be an outreach on social media and it will be interactive. We will also put in place a feedback mechanism on social media and involve people and engage them,” the NC spokesman said. On the contrary, PDP spokesman Naeem Akhtar said the state’s lead opposition party was “more conventional” and believed in reaching out to the people physically. “We want to be in touch with the people on the ground rather than be tweeting, though we understand its significance,” he said. PDP president Mehbooba Mufti who avoids online forums said she even quit using Whatsapp after her father, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, told her that she had “started behaving like Omar”. In all this, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, who is the working president of the NC, has taken the lead and remains a prolific user of digital technology. When NC president and its candidate for the Srinagar constituency Farooq Abdullah launched his election campaign recently, Omar used Vine mobile application to create a looping video of the meeting and later shared it on Twitter. Omar’s followers on Twitter have increased to 4.7 lakh and the Chief Minister, who has been regularly tweeting since January 2011, often engages and replies to queries, questions and remarks. |
||
|
Social activists join PDP
Srinagar, April 3 Senior PDP leader and former deputy chief minister Muzaffar Hussain Baig welcomed the new entrants into the party fold. Senior PDP leader Syed Mohammad Altaf Bukhari was also present on the occasion. The new entrants said the performance of the PDP both in the government and in the opposition convinced them to join the party. They said the PDP during its brief tenure not only provided relief to people, but also played an important role in bringing India and Pakistan together which immensely benefited people living in the border areas across the Line of Control (LoC). Baig laid stress on the administration to open the Keran road immediately, which is lying closed for the past one and a half months.
|
||
|
Congress always mortgaged public interest for power: BJP
Jammu, April 3 In a series of election meetings in Reasi district, Jitendra referred to frequent power cuts in the area despite Salal hydroelectric project being located in the district. He said, “This was a glaring example of hydroelectric mismanagement by the Congress leadership.” The BJP leader said at the time of establishing the Salal project, there was a Congress-led government at the Centre and in the state but they had failed to lay down terms and conditions on the share of power to be received by the region. He said the Congress was not concerned about ‘electricity-power’ for the people but only about “power” for which it had always mortgaged public interest. Jitendra pointed at the alleged Rs 25,000-crore Roshni scheme, saying it was done in connivance with high-profile Congress leaders. He alleged that the Congress had been indulging in scams with “impunity and shamelessness”. “The Congress and the National Conference leaders have unleashed a false propaganda against BJP prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi because they are afraid that he will become the Prime Minister and expose their black deeds,” he said. |
||
|
Now, AAP lashes out at NC over Sakina video
Srinagar, April 3 AAP’s Srinagar candidate Raja Muzaffar Bhat alleged the NC was known for employing such tactics to woo the Muslim voters of the state. “There are previous incidents where the NC has used the Pakistani rock salt and green flags as religious symbols to woo Muslim voters,” Bhat said. Meanwhile, reiterating its demand for shifting of the firing range at Tosamaidan in central Kashmir’s Budgam district, the AAP leader asked the government to make it clear to the people whether it has any plan to shift the firing range. “The government is playing hide and seek vis-a-vis Tosamaidan. No clear orders are being issued to end the lease agreement,” Bhat said. “On one side the National Conference leaders assure people through their press statements that lease agreement won’t be extended beyond April 14 and on the other hand their government is doing nothing,” he added. “People have been kept in the dark and there is chaos and confusion among them. If the lease agreement is extended the situation will turn ugly and the government would be responsible for it,” the AAP representative said. There are as many as two dozen firing ranges in India and out of them five are located in J&K while as bigger states like Rajasthan and Maharashtra have one or two such firing ranges, Bhat said, adding that the AAP volunteers would fight tooth and nail if the lease agreement is extended. |
||
|
Mir concludes campaigning in Rajouri, Poonch districts
Jammu, April 3 He toured remote areas to campaign for coalition candidate Madan Lal Sharma, contesting from the Jammu-Poonch constituency. Mir sought public support to ensure their victory in the elections. He highlighted the achievements of the National Conference-Congress coalition and said it had taken several historic decisions in the past five years. He told people, particularly youth, to participate in the elections and vote for the coalition candidates for the inclusive development of the state. During his visits to far-off areas, the minister received massive public support. He also listened to the public grievances and assured them of addressing their genuine issues. |
||
|
Madan Lal seeks vote to serve people
Jammu, April 3 While addressing a public meeting at Mishriwala, he said on the basis of his performance as an MP he deserved another term to solve the issues of people. He said during the last two tenures, he tried his best to raise and solve the issues related to the constituency such as the one-time settlement of the refugees, Jammu-Poonch railway line, 73rd Amendment to strengthen the panchayats, providing Line of Control-like facility to other border areas of the state, preservation and protection of heritage, culture, development of tourist places along with road connectivity, one-rank one-pension to defence personnel and creation of railway division at Jammu. Madan Lal said he had made efforts for the equitable development of the Jammu region and contributed to peace and prosperity in the area. — TNS
|
||
|
JKLF urges people to boycott poll
Pulwama, April 3 The separatist group today put out posters at Jandwal village here asking people to abstain from voting. The group alleged that people who were vowing development are “thirsty of power” and are “slaves of India and Indian agencies”. “There are people in Kashmir, who are supporting mainstream parties like the National Conference, the Peoples Democratic Party and many others. But they are few in number,” said a separatist representative, who was busy putting up posters at various places. The posters read that there were instances of elections in Jammu and Kashmir where people had been “ditched” and “punished” under the “draconian laws” like the Armed Forces Special Powers Act and the Public safety Act.
|
||
|
Hospitality industry going through tough phase: Hoteliers
Srinagar, April 3 “The troubles for the industry started in 1990s but the hopes for its revival were dashed to the ground in September 2013,” said Faiz
Bakshi, chairman of the coordination committee of hoteliers, while addressing a press conference here. He was referring to the directive of the Pollution Control Board (PCB) for the installation of individual STPs in hotels having at least 20 rooms. The hoteliers for long have been demanding setting up of common STPs by the government. Without naming anybody, Kashmir Hotel and Restaurant Asssociation president Showkat Chowdhary alleged that attempts were being made to destroy the industry. “Just like the art and horticulture sectors were destroyed, the hotel and tourism industry is being targeted now. The Valley is being discriminated against in comparison to other parts of the country such as Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan,
Goa, Assam and North-East states. Why isn’t the law applicable for the entire J&K? Nobody is telling hoteliers in Katra to install
STPs,” he said. Stating that tourists will prefer visiting Himachal Pradesh after the Valley hotels shut down due to lack of
STPs, Kashmir Hotel and Restaurant Owners Federation president GM Dug said the hotel industry was directly linked to tourism and so, the sector would be hit
too. Bakshi claimed that the government was in the process of suspending operations of 230 more hotels. He said if the government went ahead with its directive, it would affect 30 per cent of the population. He said more than 3,50,000 persons
were employed in the hotel industry. |
||
|
58% contestants for Jammu seat never went to
college
Jammu, April 3 Seven candidates have declared assets less than Rs 10 lakh. The average worth of assets per candidate contesting in the first phase of Lok Sabha elections in the state is Rs 68.05 lakh. Out of the total 19 candidates in the race for the Jammu-Poonch seat, seven of them have either done matriculation or are school dropouts after class VIII. Eight candidates are graduates and four of them have professional degrees. The information came to the fore in a detailed report prepared by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) — an NGO spearheading the movement for electoral reforms in the country — under its programme “J&K Election Watch”. The ADR said the source of the analysis is the affidavits submitted by candidates along with nomination papers before the Election Commission. “At least 57.89 per cent candidates (11 out of the total 19 candidates) are below the age of 50, including two who are in the age group of 25-30 years, while eight candidates are in the age group of 61-70 years,” the report stated. It said four candidates had over Rs 1 crore-worth assets. “Nirmal Singh, an Independent candidate, has the highest assets worth Rs 3.04 crore. As per his Income Tax Return (ITR), he has an income of Rs 13.15 lakh per annum. He was followed by BJP candidate Jugal Kishore Sharma who has the total assets of Rs 2.68 crore and his annual income, as per the ITR, is Rs 8.14 lakh. Socialistic Democratic Party (SDP) candidate Gursagar has Rs 1.95 crore-worth assets and his annual income is Rs 5.95 lakh,” the document stated. As per the report, two-time winner and sitting Member of Parliament of Congress from Jammu-Poonch parliamentary segment Madan Lal Sharma has Rs 1.88 crore-worth assets and his annual income is Rs 9.6 lakh. Interestingly, Independent candidate Mohammad Imtiaz has declared “zero” assets (movable and immovable). Three candidates have not given value for at least one immovable asset declared in their affidavits. Also, 11 out of 19 candidates have declared liabilities with SDP candidate Gursagar Singh as Rs 33.50 lakh. Besides, eight candidates have not declared income tax details, three of whom have declared assets worth over Rs 20
lakh. |
||
|
Reopening of Srinagar-Leh highway likely to be delayed
Srinagar, April 3 Last year, the 434-km-long highway, which serves as an important link between the people of Ladakh and Kashmir, was opened for vehicular traffic on April 6. The highway traverses through the Himalayas at Zoji La, located 11,500 feet high, then the Zanskar Mountain Range at Fatula to enter
Ladakh. The highway is cleared from two sides. The Project Beacon of the Border Road Organisation (BRO) is responsible for clearing the road up to the zero point in Zoji La from
Sonamarg, Ganderbal, while the Vijyak of the BRO clears the road from the Drass side. The highway remains closed for six months due to accumulation of snow almost every year. The Beacon has cleared the road up to
Sonamarg, nearly 100 km from here, and now they are clearing snow up to
Baltal. “The toughest work for snow clearance on the 30-km road stretch up to zero point of Zoji La from Gangangir will begin in the next four days,” said an official, adding that more snow had accumulated this year as compared to last year. He said on an average, 2.5 metre snow had accumulated on the highway. “At places which witnessed landslides and avalanches, 10-15 metre of snow is accumulated,” he added. The Project Vijyak has reached at
Machoyi, 26 km from Drass, which is 3 km short of Gumri, zero point on Zoji La. The chief engineer, Beacon, Brig RK Sharma, said due to bad weather conditions this year, they were facing a lot of challenges while clearing the road. “Our endeavour is to reopen the road as soon
as possible,” he said, adding, “I cannot give a specific date for the road opening as it depends on the weather.” The re-opening of the road is significant as Ladakh constituency is going to polls on May 7. Officials are hopeful that the road would be reopened before the election date. |
||
|
Soldiers at Siachen find it difficult to leave frontiers to cast ballot
Jammu, April 3 The apex court on March 24 allowed defence personnel in “peace stations” to vote in the constituencies where they are posted, saying that compulsions of their job shouldn’t come in the way of a basic right. The Siachen Brigade, comprising nearly 4,000 soldiers, guards the strategic glacier at a height of over 20,000 feet throughout the year in harsh weather conditions. A top Army source said, “The apex court ruling is historic but it covers peace stations only. The soldiers and officers in Siachen don’t come down from the icy heights in sub-zero temperature to cast their vote via ballot, a method which has deficiencies and has outlived its relevance.” The government has reservations on giving voting rights to defence personnel at their place of posting, but the Election Commission needs to correct this anomaly, the source added. An official of the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council,
Leh, admitted that it was not practical for soldiers to come down from the icy heights of Siachen and leave the frontiers unattended to cast their vote. “In case of Ladakh Scouts (a force comprising mainly domiciles of J&K), the Returning Officer in Leh has been making arrangements of postal ballot for soldiers but we are not sure of their participation,” he
said. Leh district has 30,000 to 35,000 soldiers while Kargil has around 16,000 soldiers. For such a large number of soldiers, polling booths can be set up at base camps and unit headquarters, he added. J&K’s Deputy Chief Electoral Officer Rashpal Singh said, “Since Siachen is not a peace station, arrangements are being made for postal ballot for soldiers belonging to Jammu and Kashmir. For those belonging to other states, the arrangements will be done by their respective state governments.” Singh said the Supreme Court’s ruling had been circulated to all 22 deputy commissioners in the
state. Leh Deputy Commissioner Simrandeep Singh said he had written to the Army’s Record Room seeking details of soldiers from Ladakh Scouts to make arrangements for their postal ballot. “We are awaiting their reply,” he said. The Ladakh Scouts units are in
Siachen, Chandigarh, Leh and Kargil. A total of 846 soldiers have sacrificed their lives in the line of duty at Siachen since 1984. |
||
|
Lt Gen Chachra pays tribute at Infantry War Memorial
Udhampur, April 3 The war memorial was inaugurated on July 19, 1996, and is dedicated to the Infantry soldiers. The five bronze statues and the Tricolour in the memorial depict the multi-ethnic composition of the Army and the spirit of triumph over the adversary. The GOC-in-C also visited Infantry School, the largest fighting arm of the Army, popularly known as the “Queen of the Battle”. Lt General Chachra delivered a talk on security perspective in J&K to Senior Command and Higher Command course officers at Army War College. |
||
|
Pak PM assures support on Kashmir issue
Srinagar, April 3 This was revealed during a two-hour meeting between a delegation of leaders of the moderate faction of the Hurriyat Conference, led by Mirwaiz Umar
Farooq, and Pakistani diplomats, led by recently appointed High Commissioner of Pakistan to India Abdul
Basit, in New Delhi today. The meeting took place on the sidelines of a reception hosted by the Pakistan High Commission in connection with Pakistan National Day. Abdul Basit conveyed the Pakistan Prime Minister's message to the Hurriyat leaders in which he reiterated complete support of Pakistan on the political and diplomatic front for a just and permanent resolution to the Kashmir issue, a Hurriyat spokesman said. The spokesman said Abdul Basit reiterated Pakistan government’s efforts and continuation of support for finding a “lasting and just solution to the Kashmir issue”. “It was also assured that before embarking on talks with India over Kashmir, Pakistan would take into confidence and ensure the presence of the Hurriyat leaders in the dialogue process,” the Hurriyat spokesman
said. Syed Ali Shah Geelani also had a scheduled meeting with Pakistani diplomats at the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi this evening. Terming the ‘track two parleys or secret dialogue’ over the Kashmir issue an unyielding exercise, chairman of the hardline faction of the Hurriyat Conference Syed Ali Geelani had on March 28 told Pakistan to focus on implementing the UN resolution instead of seeking out of the box solution to the Kashmir issue. |
||
|
State Income Tax Dept surpasses target, collects
Rs 1,057 crore
Jammu, April 3 The entire team of the Income Tax Department, including Commissioner, Income Tax (CIT), Jammu and Kashmir, AK Thatai, were overwhelmed today after the achieving 177 crore more than the target. Calling it a historical achievement, Thatai said, “Breaking our own record, the department has made highest gross collection of Rs 1,057 crore in this financial year, however the net collection is 961.20 crore, after deducting the refunds.” "In the Amritsar circle, the Jammu and Kashmir division was given the highest target of Rs 880.58 crore, out of the total target of Rs 1,220 crore, but because of the cooperation of the tax payers and my staff, like last year we surpassed our target,” he added. There are four CITs in the Amritsar circle - CIT J&K with a target of Rs 880.58 crore, CIT Amritsar-I with a target of Rs 97.75 crore, CIT Amritsar-II with a target of Rs 187.75 crore and CIT Bathinda with a target of Rs 54.63 crore. Whereas Amritsar-I collected Rs 88.66, Amritsar-II Rs 190.41 crore and Bathinda Rs 51.44 crore, but the Jammu and Kashmir has surpassed the target by 20 per cent. CIT Jammu and Kashmir is also divided into three ranges - Range-1 (Lakhanpur to Bikram Chowk) collected Rs 778.31 crore, Range-2 (Jewel to Banihal tunnel, including Poonch) collected Rs 104.37 crore and Range-3 (entire Kashmir and Ladakh region) collected Rs 174.52 crore in the last financial year.
|
||
|
Gulmarg cable ride gets costly Srinagar, April 3 The Gulmarg cable car is run by the Jammu and Kashmir State Cable Car Corporation (JKSCCC). The cable car project was started in 1988 in Gulmarg and is the world’s second largest after China. However, exorbitant rates have made it inaccessible to locals. The JKSCCC revised the charges for the cable car two months ago. Now, the charges for the first phase of the cable car from Gulmarg to Kongdoori are Rs 600. For the second phase from Kongdoori to Apharwat, the charges are Rs 800. For a full ride, a person has to pay Rs 1,400. Earlier, the charges for the first phase were Rs 400 and for the second phase Rs 600. “We protested twice to bring down the rates for students and Kashmiris. It is unaffordable for local students ” said a tourist guide, Ghulam Nabi. JKSCCC managing director Tufail Matoo justified the hike in cable car prices, saying that they have to get the infrastructure from France on high rates. A bumpy ride
|
||
|
J&K
ex-minister summoned in molestation case Srinagar, April 3 Chief Judicial Magistrate, Srinagar, Verinder Singh Bhou issued summons to Khan after the police today presented a challan in the case. The ex-minister has been charged under Sections 354 (use of criminal force against woman with the intent of outraging her modesty) and 509 (word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman) of the Ranbir Penal Code (RPC). Khan is accused of making provocative advances towards the woman doctor and trying to molest her. “The chargesheet was presented before the CJM in his (Khan’s) absence. He has been charged under Sections 345 and 509 of the RPC,” a senior prosecutor said. Accepting the chargesheet, the CJM issued summons to Khan through the DIG (Jammu) and the DIG (Rajouri/Poonch). He has been asked to appear in the court by May 6, the next date of hearing. Yesterday, the Supreme Court had issued notices on the woman doctor’s plea seeking a stay on the grant of the anticipatory bail to Khan. Despite facing allegations of molestation, Khan figures on the Congress’ list of star campaigner for the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections. An FIR was registered against Khan under Sections 354 and 509 of the RPC at the Shaheedgunj police station in Srinagar on February 6. He resigned as the Health Minister on February 7. On February 13, he appeared before the investigating officer concerned, who heard his anticipatory bail plea.
|
||
|
Vigilance told to book former Social Welfare official
Srinagar, April 3 The organisation has also been asked to complete its investigation within the stipulated time and file a chargesheet against the accused
official before the relevant court. The directions were issued by a Division Bench of the High Court while hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) involving the unauthorised shifting of a shelter home from Kupwara to Budgam district. The officials of the Social Welfare Board, in violation of the Central Government order, had shifted the Swadhar Shelter Home, exclusively meant for the 2005 earthquake victims of border areas of the Valley. The Division Bench comprising Justice Hannain Massodi and Justice DS Thakur directed the State Vigilance Organisation to register a case under relevant provisions of the JK Prevention of corruption Act, 1949 and the Ranbir Panel Code against the former executive director of the J&K State Social Welfare Board, Dr Ghulam
Mohiuddin, on the basis of the inquiry report submitted by the organisation in
the court. Earlier, the State Vigilance had submitted to the court that Mohiuddin was involved in misappropriation of funds. The The Jammu and Kashmir High Court in its orders observed that the official had diverted an amount of Rs 2.50 lakh in favour of one woman and purchased three marlas of land just adjacent to the borderline of his compound at
Wathura, Budgam, to make it as his personal property while communicating to the government that the land had been purchased for setting up a home for
the widows and helpline for the victims of natural calamities The accused official was also involved in transferring an amount of Rs 3 lakh for his personal benefit, which otherwise was meant for the earthquake victims of Karnah
tehsil. The Jammu and Kashmir High Court also directed the official to deposit Rs 3,24,879 within a month with interest at the rate of nine per cent per annum from the date of the misappropriation till the date of deposit. Court directive
|
||
|
Jammu, April 3 A special squad of the Jammu Vigilance Bureau caught Deepak Kumar, junior clerk in the Transport Commissioner Office, Jammu, while accepting a bribe of Rs 5,000 from a person for issuing a vehicle permit in the presence of independent witnesses. A case was registered and the clerk was arrested. The raiding team comprised of three inspectors, headed by Girdari Lal, DSP, Vigilance, Jammu. — TNS |
||
|
4 decades on, Shilwat middle school yet to be upgraded
Srinagar, April 3 Residents of the village say their kids have to travel a lot to get higher education. They say they have many a time appealed to the authorities concerned to upgrade the school as high school, but nothing was done. They alleged that their children have to travel up to 10 km every day to pursue higher education in villages of Shadipora. “Students who pass the middle school have to join high school either in Sumbal or Shadipora that is very far from here. More than 50 students of this village have to go to other villages for higher education,” said Ghulam Rasool of Shilwat. The locals said, “There is another problem of transportation in the village and students have to board crowded buses to reach their school. Students have to travel standing all the way as the buses are overcrowded, but they have no other option. We have many a time appealed to the authorities concerned to upgrade the school so that students can pursue it within the village,” said a resident. Government Middle School, Shilwat, is the only school in the village. Residents say if the school was upgraded to high level it will also benefit the residents of nearby villages. “Though the infrastructure is improved in the school every year, but it is lacking behind on the academic level,” said Sajid, a university student from the area. “Shadipora school is situated on the national highway and we are apprehensive of accidents as there is always a rush of heavy vehicles,” said Dilawar Malla, a local teacher. Officials of the education department were not available for comment as they were busy in an election meeting. |
||
|
Pedalling against global warming, Kolkata man reaches Kashmir
Srinagar, April 3 Starting his journey from Salt Lake, Kolkata on December 18 last year, Ram Prasad Naskar (35) finally reached the summer capital today. Though he cycled with ease in other states, cycling through the Srinagar-Jammu national highway – Valley’s only surface link to the rest of the country that often gets shut in winter months, was not an easy task for him. “I cycled through 16 states, but the journey from Jammu to Srinagar was the most difficult and it took me seven days to reach here,” Naskar said in broken Hindi. He said he decided to cycle to raise awareness against global warming after reading reports that the Gangotri glacier was retreating like other glaciers in the Himalayas. “I thought cycling was the only way by which I could contribute in some manner,” Naskar added. He is being sponsored by the Department of Youth Affairs and Sports, West Bengal. Naskar said he pedalled for 10 to 12 hours daily and would now cycle back to Himachal Pradesh and other northern regions before returning home through northeast. A teacher at Sreepar Siksha Sadan High School of Sonarpur district, he said he had taken leave from the school for his cycling mission. While the present expedition is his longest, Naskar said he had earlier undertaken two long rides, including one from Gangasar to eastern Himalayas for 23 days in December 2012. On a mission
|
||
|
Books, uniforms distributed among needy students
Jammu, April 3 Rajesh Gill interacted with the students, their parents and discussed the issues related to their studies. He also discussed their performances in the final examinations, results of which were declared recently, and motivated them to work hard and get good percentage of marks in the future exams. Rajesh Gill advised all parents of the students to spend maximum times with their children and motivate them to work hard for achieving success and good career in their life. Students who received school bags and books included Denium, Parison, Chelsiee, Brattlee, Vanshita, Gomzi, Blessy, Sahil, Nikhil, Khushi Khokher, Rohan Bhatti, Mamta, Ruth, Racheal, Ritika, Lincy, Meenu and Twinkle. The members of the Jesus Motivated Group who were present on the occasion were Jyoti Gill, Promila Gill, Makqueen Khonja, Justina Victor, Austin Gill, Cyrus, Rimmi Khokher, Najma Bhatti, Cecillia, Mona, Mamta ,Ravi Bhatti and Gouri Khokher. |
||
|
Hike in pension for differently abled sought
Jammu, April 3 Tehsil president of the association Niaz Ahmed Mir urged the government to enhance the pension of the differently abled persons from Rs 400 to Rs 1,500 per month. He added that it should be done without any delay. Niaz said there were many pending cases of old-age, differently abled, widows and other schemes, but till date no funds were allotted by the Social Welfare Department for the same. Later, the district president of the association stressed upon the state government to release the pension of old-age persons which has been pending from September, 2013. He said more than 1,000 old-age cases, 2,000 differently abled cases, 3,000 widow cases were still pending in the office concerned. On the occasion, the general secretary of the association thanked the district administration for exempting differently abled government employees from election duty. The meeting was held under the chairmanship of its president Farooq Ahmed. Mohammad Amin, Nia Mir, Mohammad Zaffurallah and GG Mohammad were also present. |
||
|
Book on trends in tourism released
Jammu, April 3 The book has been edited by Ashok Aima, Professor, Central University of Jammu, Dr Vinay Chauhan, Associate Professor, The Business School, University of Jammu, and Dr Jaya Bhasin, Associate Professor, Central University of Jammu. The book-release ceremony was held at Vice Chancellor Secretariat, University of Jammu. The book is the fourth in series of the books published under the UGC SAP-DRS-I of The Business School which has been recently upgraded to the UGC SAP-DRS-II. Earlier, the Vice Chancellor lauded the efforts of the editors for inviting the contributions from various stakeholders of national and international repute from both industry and academia. The book has been written keeping in view the current scenario in which expectations of different stakeholders for sustainable tourism have been reflected. This book is divided into three parts, viz "Niche tourism", "Tourism and regional division", and "Tourism and sustainability". |
||
|
Office-bearers of ITI Diploma Holders Association elected
Jammu, April 3 Pardeep Kumar Sharma informed that Sunil Singh has been elected chairman of the association, whereas Ashwani Gupta president. Yashpal Singh was elected senior vice-president, Rahul Gupta general secretary, Babu Ram adviser, Makhan Singh chief organiser, Vinod Kumar office secretary and Vikas Gupta cashier. The working committee members of the association are Rajinder Singh, Sanjeev Kumar, Arjun Singh and Amit Khajuria. Sharma said the demands of the association were regularisation of all daily wagers and consolidated ad hoc and contractual employees, pay nominee of clerical cadre and technical staff, enhancement of retirement age from 58 years to 60 years, release of 10 per cent DA from January 1, 2012, and enhancement of medical allowance from Rs 300 to Rs 1,000 per month. He urged the government to redress the issues of the association at the earliest. Others who were present included Farooq Kouser, Ashok Kumar Sharma, Bishan Verma, Ashok Manhas, Pawan Jeet Kour, Sharishta Jamwal, Garu Ram and Deepak Koul. |
||
|
World Arbor Day observed at University of Kashmir
Srinagar, April 3 The plantation drive that started last month across various degree colleges and secondary schools of the Valley ended on the occasion. Acting Vice Chancellor of the university MA Sofi while addressing the NSS volunteers and participants during the plantation drive highlighted the importance of biodiversity in general and forests in particular. He advised the students to safeguard the nature for the sake of future generation. Speaking on the occasion, university Registrar Zaffar A Reishi gave an overview of environmental concerns and responsibilities of future generation for the said cause. Addressing a gathering of 150 NSS volunteers, program coordinator, KU, Farooq Ahmad Khan laid emphasis on various activities of the NSS of which he said environment protection constituted the focus area that NSS had taken care of for the past several years. Chairman, Rahim Greens, Abdul Hamid highlighted the importance of such volunteerism for environment while noted environmentalist and poet Zarief Ahmad advised the students to safeguard their mother nature so that the future generation remember them with pride. NSS programme officer Tariq Abdullah coordinated the event. Around 150 saplings/ornamental plants were planted across the university campus by the guests, teachers and student volunteers. Irshad Ahmad Nawchoo, Director, Landscape Division, and NSS programme officers from Kashmir University and affiliated colleges were also present on the occasion. |
||
|
Lab technician found dead in city clinic
Srinagar, April 3 Farooq Ahmed Bhat (34), a resident of Kalashpora locality, was found hanging from a fan in a clinic at Khanyar last evening, a police spokesman said. Bhat was rushed to SMHS hospital where doctors declared him brought dead. It was not immediately known why he took this extreme step, sources said adding police has registered a case. The spokesman said the police were trying to ascertain the cause of death. “After conducting all medico-legal formalities, the police handed over the body of the deceased to his relatives for the last rites,” the spokesman said. — TNS
|
|
| HOME PAGE | |
Punjab | Haryana | Jammu & Kashmir |
Himachal Pradesh | Regional Briefs |
Nation | Opinions | | Business | Sports | World | Letters | Chandigarh | Ludhiana | Delhi | | Calendar | Weather | Archive | Subscribe | E-mail | |
The Kala Kendra is turning out to be a white elephant as it has virtually been lying dormant since its establishment.
Jammu, April 3
Union Health Minister and Congress candidate for Udhampur-Doda Lok Sabha seat Ghulam Nabi Azad today conducted a roadshow in border villages of Hiranagar and Kathua Assembly segments.
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) patron Mufti Mohammad Sayeed today said the Congress and the National Conference (NC) were two faces of the same coin and were “equally responsible” for undoing the “good work” carried out during his tenure as the Chief Minister of the state.
Hoteliers today said the hospitality industry was passing through one of the the most difficult phases due to the row over installation of sewage treatment plants
(STPs).
Recent snowfall around Zoji La may delay the clearance from the strategic Srinagar-Leh national highway by a month this year. It is expected to be re-opened in the last week of April.
Last year, the 434-km-long highway, which serves as an important link between the people of Ladakh and Kashmir, was opened for vehicular traffic on April 6.
General Officer Commanding-in-Chief (GOC-in-C) of the Northern Command Lt Gen Sanjiv Chachra laid a wreath at the Infantry War Memorial in Udhampur today and paid homage to valiant Infantry soldiers who sacrificed their lives for the nation.
Breaking its own record collection of Rs 800 crore in 2012-13, the Income Tax Department of Jammu and Kashmir has once again made a record gross collection of Rs 1,057 crore in the last financial year, 2013-14, which is about 20 per cent more than the target given to the state.
Government Middle School, Shilwat, established in 1962, has been awaiting upgrade for the past nearly four decades.
Residents of the village say their kids have to travel a lot to get higher education.
The effects of global warming had disturbed him a lot and he then decided to create awareness over the issue by bicycling across the country.
Starting his journey from Salt Lake, Kolkata on December 18 last year, Ram Prasad Naskar (35) finally reached the summer capital today.
Local residents of Gulmarg and people from other parts of Kashmir visiting the tourist resort are disappointed with the high rates being charged for cable car ride in Gulmarg.