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Modi's modification of idea of India detrimental to peace, says Farooq
NC leaders acting as Centre’s collaborators in J&K: Mufti
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‘Hurriyat leaders acting as first assault weapons of NC’
BSP condemns Ramdev
Staff crunch at Samba hospital puts patients to inconvenience
Jammu-born doc is AIIMS ophthalmic sciences centre head
Prof Yog Raj Sharma
Shutdown in Hajin over arrest of youths
Day after Pak shelling, eerie calm along LoC in Poonch
Elections, Amarnath pilgrimage
to keep CRPF busy this year
Illegal colonies continue to grow in temple city
Wheat crop faces threat from loose LT wires
Awareness programme held for voters in Leh
Woman found hanging
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Modi's modification of idea of India detrimental to peace, says Farooq
Srinagar, April 26 Addressing a public rally in the Chrar-e-Sharief area of Budgam district in central Kashmir, Farooq said Modi was out to polarise the country to achieve his goal of becoming the Prime Minister. "The idea of India is that of a multicultural, multi-religious and secular country where every minority community feels included in growth, prosperity and avenues for development. It is this idea of India that J&K acceded to and it is this idea of India that the National Conference believes in with utmost conviction," Farooq Abdullah said. Meanwhile, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister and working president of the NC Omar Abdullah has castigated Narendra Modi for propagating his "extremely divisive and destructive" politics that would weaken the secular fabric of the country. He was addressing an election rally at Beerwah in the central Kashmir district of Budgam today for the Lok Sabha elections in the Srinagar Lok Sabha constituency, while the state Congress chief, Saifuddin Soz was also present. The Chief Minister said the people had to make a choice between the communal forces and those representing aspirations of all sections and all regions of the country. He claimed that the PDP was extending overt and covert support to the BJP in the ongoing Lok Sabha elections only for power. He said despite knowing the "ideology and agenda of the BJP against Jammu and Kashmir, the PDP is openly out to provide tactical support to the BJP" in the state. Speaking on the occasion, PCC president, Saifuddin Soz said vote for Farooq Abdullah would be "a battle against communal and sectarian forces unleashed" by BJP leader Narendra Modi. "Farooq's voice (in Lok Sabha) would be a forceful enunciation to Narendra Modi's conspiracy to convert a secular India into a fascist India," Soz said. The PCC president lamented that the Election Commission had failed to take any action against Amit Shah, responsible for an atmosphere of hate in Uttar Pradesh, yielding an adverse impact on other states. The Election Commission, Soz said, had also not taken notice of an "enormously high amount of money" pumped by Modi for media hype. |
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NC leaders acting as Centre’s collaborators in J&K: Mufti
Srinagar, April 26 “The NC is acting as collaborators of the Government of India in hurting Jammu and Kashmir’s interests,” Mufti said while addressing a series of election rallies in the Budgam Assembly segment of the Srinagar parliamentary constituency. He said NC leaders have nothing to show in their performance report and alleged that the party has adopted a “multilevel scare strategy” to mislead voters. “While the Modi-PDP nexus rhetoric is their (NC) substitution for a manifesto, enforced boycott is their ground strategy for manipulating polls,” he said. Mufti said the PDP on the other hand transformed the political discourse in the state by piloting successfully and with conviction the crucial issues concerning the state and its people. Meanwhile, in separate meetings in Ganderbal district, the PDP President Mehbooba Mufti said: “The value of vote was first underlined in Jammu and Kashmir by the people of Ganderbal constituency in 2002 which had resulted in a revolutionary change all across the state and even beyond.” The PDP leader was apparently pointing to the formation of the PDP-Congress government in the state in 2002. “I could sense the revival of the same spirit today in the former heartland of the NC,” Mehbooba added. |
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‘Hurriyat leaders acting as first assault weapons of NC’
Srinagar, April 26 Beigh also accused the NC of resorting to “every trick to ensure low voter turnout”. Only 28 per cent voters cast their vote during the first phase of parliamentary polls in the Valley on Thursday. “The ruling National Conference wants low voter turnout. Larger the participation of people in the polls, greater the chances that they will vote against the National Conference,” Beigh claimed. Asked about a vast number of people voluntarily abstaining from voting during elections to the Anantnag constituency, Beigh said: “Why can’t one believe that some Hurriyat leaders, who campaigned hard (in south Kashmir) were actually allowed by the ruling alliance.” “Knowingly or unknowingly, some Hurriyat leaders are acting as first assault weapons of the National Conference. The PDP apprehends that NC will resort to every trick to ensure low turnout in the Srinagar and Baramulla parliamentary constituencies,” Beigh told The Tribune. “The NC wants very low turnout, as it will benefit them. The ruling alliance has cultivated a breed of officials who are acting as the card holders of the government to ensure its victory,” he added. On the party’s campaign trail, Beigh said: “The PDP is banking on its development agenda, with emphasis on power and tourism. The value addition to this is development of agriculture and horticulture sectors.” The senior leader also said the party was banking on the work done during the three years of the PDP rule from 2002 to 2005. “We are also banking on the performance of the party during its three year rule. In addition, we are also highlighting the weaknesses of the coalition government during past over five years,” he said. “It is a coalition of non-governance and misrule,” Beigh added. The former Deputy Chief Minister said if elected to Parliament, PDP leaders would project positive image of Kashmir so that it acts as a bridge for the Indo-Pak friendship. |
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BSP condemns Ramdev
Jammu, April 26 Addressing a meeting of the office-bearers of the party this morning, the BSP leader expressed serious concern over such type of remarks of Baba Ramdev, terming them a reflection of his “Manuwadi” ideology. He demanded strict action against the Baba Ramdev for his remark.
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Staff crunch at Samba hospital puts patients to inconvenience
Samba, 26 April A source said over 3 lakh residents of Samba were dependent on the hospital. The hospital also treats Army and BSF personnel. “The shortage of technical staff and machinery have been highlighted many a times by locals, but the authorities have turned a deaf ear to the issue,” said Mandeep Singh, a local. The new hospital building was constructed at a cost of Rs 12 crore, Mandeep said. “Located 50 km from Jammu, the Samba hospital witnesses a heavy rush of patients. But during any casualty or serious injury, the patient has to be taken to Jammu Medical College and Hospital due to shortage of doctors and paramedical staff at the hospital,” said Shifali Singh, another local. According to data provided by the Health Department, 10 posts of junior consultant, 14 posts of medical officer, two posts of dental surgeon, 150 posts of paramedical staff/driver, 16 posts of ministerial staff and 46 posts of Class IV and safaiwala are lying vacant at the hospital. The 70-bedded new hospital building was inaugurated by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on November 22, 2013. “We want to fill all 238 vacant posts at the Samba hospital. In this regard, we had written to the Director, Health Services,” said Kartar Chand, Chief Medical Officer (CMO), Samba. “The required doctors and other staff will be available in the district hospital soon,” the Samba CMO said. |
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Jammu-born doc is AIIMS ophthalmic sciences centre head
New Delhi, April 26 Sharma, who is also the head of the Centre’s Vitreo-Retina unit since 2012, took charge as the chief of the RPCOS on March 21. In his early sixties, Jammu-born Sharma was the next man for the job at the institute’s ophthalmic centre, going by seniority. He joined the RPCOS in 1986 as a faculty and became a professor in 2002. Prior to his association with the RPCOS, he served as the assistant director at the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) from 1985-1986. His tenure at the ICMR was under the Centre’s supernumerary research cadre scheme — a step towards bringing back Indian scientists, settled abroad. An expert in vitreo-retina surgery, he has written 11 books while two are under publication. Besides, his scientific citation index stands at nearly 1,000 in 188 national and international journals, including the Indian Journal of Opthalmology and The Lancet. He is also the first ophthalmologist to be appointed at an academic position at UAE University in UAE in 1992. |
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Shutdown in Hajin over arrest of youths
Baramulla, April 26 Some of the youths have been identified as Khursheed Ahmad Mir, Waseem Nazir, Nasrullah Nazir, Latief Ahmad and Ishfaq Baba. All shops and business establishments remained closed and traffic was off the roads. Locals are demanding the release of all youths, including a Hurriyat activist and his son. Seven persons, including some policemen, were injured during clashes that erupted after the Friday prayers. They were seeking the release of all those detained. The area had witnessed clashes and protests on Thursday, following the arrest of Hurriyat activist Abdul Hameed Parray and his son, Hilal Ahmad Parray, on Wednesday. They father-son duo was arrested by the police for instigating violence in the area ahead of the elections. — OC
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Day after Pak shelling, eerie calm along LoC in Poonch
Jammu, April 26 However, much to the relief of villagers living in forward areas Pakistani troops didn't open fresh fire since last afternoon around 12.30 and as a result, no fresh skirmish broke out between the two armies. "Neither fresh ceasefire violation has taken place along the LoC in the Poonch sector since Friday afternoon, nor any flag meet conducted between the two sides (armies)," said Jammu-based Defence spokesperson Lt Col Manish Mehta. Pakistan yesterday denied that its troops had violated the ceasefire by targeting Indian posts in Poonch. Pakistan's Director General Military Operations (DGMO) had telephoned his Indian counterpart in the morning and proposed a sector-level flag meeting between the two armies. The Pakistan army had repeatedly violated the truce deal along the LoC last year triggering a flare-up on the Indo-Pak borders, including 198-km-long international border in the Jammu region, but the frequency of violations had come down drastically following a meeting between the Indian and Pakistani DGMOs in December. "Yesterday, we didn't lodge our protest with the Pakistan army over the hotline. It might have been lodged today," said an Army source. Last year, the Pakistan army in tandem with terrorists had unleashed brutalities on Indian troops on this side of the LoC in the Poonch sector, killing seven of them in two border action teams (BAT) of the Pakistan army attacks. On January 8 last year, a Pak BAT had brutally killed, mutilated two soldiers — lance naik Hemraj Singh and lance naik Sudhakar Singh — in the Balnoi area of the Poonch sector. Hemraj's head was taken away by the assailants. On August 5-6 last year in the Chakan da Bagh areas, a Pakistan BAT in another raid had killed five troops and thereafter, the ceasefire agreement was violated, firstly on the LoC and then at the international border. Sanity on borders had returned after a sector-level meet on October 29 at the Octroi forward post in Suchetgarh between Pakistan rangers and the BSF, followed by DGMO-level talks between the two countries in December last year. Under confidence-building measures, India and Pakistan had agreed for ceasefire on the Indo-Pak border in November 2003. |
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Elections, Amarnath pilgrimage
to keep CRPF busy this year
Jammu, April 26 The CRPF this year may not get a breather in the backdrop of Darbar Move (shifting of the state capital to Srinagar) on April 25, followed by the Amarnath yatra, beginning June 28, Independence Day celebrations and the Assembly polls later this year. The CRPF is into counter-insurgency operations, law and order duty, security of VIPs and protection of vital installations and shrines. It also guards the houses of politicians, including the Chief Minister and 23 Cabinet ministers. The paramilitary force, as of today, has 60 battalions — 69,060 personnel in the state — 47 battalions in the Kashmir region and 13 battalions in the Jammu region. “After providing security in the first two phases of the LS polls in the Jammu region, some of our companies have already moved to Kashmir for the remaining three phases,” said a senior CRPF officer. For the Darbar Move offices, the process (of providing security to the convoy) has started, he said. After the elections are over, the CRPF will get busy with the annual Amarnath pilgrimage, he said. The CRPF will guard the highways right from Lakhanpur to Kashmir, the Yatri Niwas base camp and community halls in Jammu, base camps in Pahalgam and Baltal, twin tracks and the shrine during the Amarnath yatra which starts on June “For the yatra, we may get two to three additional companies of women constables from outside the state for women pilgrims,” said the officer. After the Amarnath yatra, the CRPF will look after the security for the Independence Day celebrations across the state. “Later this year, when the state goes to the Assembly elections, the CRPF will be at the forefront in securing polling booths. So, this year, we are definitely having a busy schedule,” he said. Around 2,000 CRPF personnel also guard the residences of politicians in the state. Busy schedule ahead *
The CRPF this year may not get a breather in the backdrop of Darbar Move on April 25, followed by the Amarnath yatra, beginning June 28, Independence Day celebrations and the Assembly polls later this year. *
In J&K, the CRPF takes part in counter-insurgency operations, law and order duty, security of VIPs and protection of vital installations and shrines. It also guards the houses of politicians, including the Chief Minister and 23 Cabinet ministers. |
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Illegal colonies continue to grow in temple city
Jammu, April 26 On the banks of the Tawi river, near Bhagwati Nagar, several residential colonies have emerged in recent years constructed in violation of the rules and some on the banks of the Tawi. Encroachment has taken place in a planned manner under the nose of the administration and the officials of the Jammu Development Authority (JDA. The JDA is already fighting a losing battle to retrieve its land from encroachers and so far only 1,721 kanals of land has been recovered from occupiers, while thousands of kanals of land is still under illegal possession. “The authorities have failed to act against politicians and the land mafia and hundreds of kanals are still under illegal occupation, mostly encroached by Gujjars and people from other districts of the state, who are slowly migrating to city,” said Gulshan Kumar, a local resident. Last year, nearly 1,000 kanal land encroached upon by many land grabbers from Doda, Kishtwar, Ramban and some areas of Kashmir Valley was cleared by demolishing nearly 150 odd structures and compound walls while at least three persons were injured during clashes between protesting encroachers, the police and JDA men. According to sources, Bhatandi, Sidra, Kot Bhalwal and Bajalta, which is nowadays becoming a posh colony with the dwelling of ministers and bureaucrats of the state besides people from the summer capital of the state, is mostly established on the forest land. |
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Wheat crop faces threat from loose LT wires
Jammu, April 26 Villagers rue that the authorities concerned have turned a blind eye towards their long pending demands of tightening the wire and installing a fire brigade in the locality. The farmers of Barota, Pakhri, Khanpur, Pakhri, Kesa, Kamore and Nanga villages have been facing the problem of low-hanging LT wires by the Power Development Department (PDD) of the state. These wires were installed to provide electricity to the farmers to operate their water pumps, but the wires have got loose with time. During summers when the wheat crop is ready for harvesting, these wires may lead to fire in the fields. "Every year our crop catches fire due to spark in LT wires during summers, but the authorities concerned doesn’t seem to bother," said Prem Pal Chowdhary, sarpanch of Barota Camp. "A small spark can burn the entire crop into ashes and it becomes very difficult to control the fire in wheat fields," he added. Narender Sharma, a farmer of Keso village, said, "At the time of fire there is no arrangement to control it, as there is no fire brigade in the area. We have to call the fire brigade from Samba or Bari-Brahmna, which is far away from here." "We have requested the Deputy Commissioner to install a fire station in our locality, but nothing has been done so far, besides giving assurances," he said. Ashwani Sachdeva, executive engineer, Samba subdivision, while refusing any negligence said, "We didn’t get any complain in this regard. My team tightens all wires from time to time." "There is no loophole from our side. My team is doing its job perfectly," he said. Samba Deputy Commissioner RK Varma said, “To control the fire situation, we arrange at least two fire brigade vehicles in the locality, which remains their during the risk period.” “Installing a fire station in the locality, where it is required only for a few days, is not justified,” he said. |
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Awareness programme held for voters in Leh
Jammu, April 26 The event was aimed at sensitising students about the importance of voting ahead of the elections to the Ladakh parliamentary segment on May 7. Expenditure observer Boin Kumar and Returning Officer Simrandeep Singh were also present. The students were shown an episode of Aamir Khan’s TV programme “Satyamev Jayate” and a short Ladakhi feature film to impress upon them the importance of voting. Simrandeep Singh urged students to exercise their voting rights and also told them to educate their respective families about the importance of voting. — TNS
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Woman found hanging
Srinagar, April 26 They said Tsering Yangskit, a resident of Shey Yokma, was “The Leh police, after conducting the medico-legal formalities, handed over the body to its legal heirs for last rites,” the police said. The Leh police have initiated inquest proceedings under Section 174 of the CrPC. They have and started investigation to ascertain the cause of the woman’s death. |
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dubious role of a collaborating with the Centre in bartering the state’s political and economic interests for power, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) patron Mufti Mohammad Sayeed said today.
Senior PDP leader and party’s candidate for the Baramulla parliamentary constituency Muzaffar Hussain Beigh today conceded that they were “anxious” about the poll boycott call and alleged that “some Hurriyat leaders were acting as first assault weapons” of the ruling National Conference.
Eye surgeon Prof Yog Raj Sharma is the new chief of Dr Rajendra Prasad Centre for Ophthalmic Sciences
(RPCOS) at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS). Sharma, who is also the head of the Centre’s
Vitreo-Retina unit since 2012, took charge as the chief of the RPCOS on March 21.
In his early sixties, Jammu-born Sharma was the next man for the job at the institute’s ophthalmic
centre, going by seniority.
