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NC-Congress coalition to review poll performance
Farooq’s ‘change of mind’ to contest JKCA elections sets off debate
Gunshots near LS candidate’s house create panic in Kulgam
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news analysis
Luxury car owners violate SC directions, use black films
BSNL network has totally failed in Jammu: BJP
PTU to organise edu fair in JK
HC warns of contempt if cabs not shifted from tourist centre
Civic body seals illegal poultry farm in Barzulla
Food adulteration: Srinagar MC tightens noose around outlets
Central varsity’s legal studies department organises eco-tour
PDP, AAP seek relief for farmers affected by rain, hailstorm
Open Gurez road: PDP to govt
Pandits hail start of repair work of temples
Lawyers flay demolition drive in Gole Gujral
Cricket tourney organised by Army concludes
One killed, 2 hurt in road mishaps
Govt quarters, house, damaged due to fire in Baramulla
Safai mazdoor sangh to intensify stir
Buddha Purnima celebrated
Omar lashes out at BSNL internet services
Geelani terms Lambah’s K-solution unrealistic
Saroori demands opening of Sinthan road
Minor held for stone-throwing
Police produce challan against Rajouri doc for ‘rape, fraud’
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NC-Congress coalition to review poll performance
Jammu, May 14 The coordination committee meeting would be convened within a day or two of the counting of votes on May 16, sources said, adding the meeting would devise future strategy for running the coalition government in the state. Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) chief Saifuddin Soz, who is also the convener of the coordination committee, said the meeting would be held “very soon”. “Let us wait for May 16. Everything will be clear after the counting of votes,” Soz said “Our first priority is to assess the performance of our party in the Lok Sabha elections,” he said. Highly placed sources said Congress leaders were mounting pressure on Soz to convene a meeting of the coordination committee just after the counting as a group within the party felt that NC workers did not campaign seriously for Congress candidates in the Jammu province. Some of the National Conference leaders have also accused Congress leaders of Kashmir for supporting and voting in favour of the Opposition PDP. Senior NC leader Mohammad Shafi Uri had alleged that Congress sarpanches and panches in the Uri Assembly segment openly worked for PDP’s Muzaffar Hussain Beigh. While accusing the Congress of betraying the coalition partner, the outspoken additional general secretary of the National Conference, Dr Sheikh Mustafa Kamaal said, in future, his party would think “hundred times” before forging any kind of alliance with the Congress party. Senior Congress leader and Minister for Health and Medical Education Taj Mohiuddin, however, shifted the entire blame on the National Conference for shifting of coalition votes to PDP candidates. “The meeting is very crucial because it will be held after the poll results. The outcome of parliamentary elections will have direct bearing on the relations between the two partners,” a senior Congress leader said on the condition of anonymity. He further said the Congress members in the coordination committee would bluntly put their view point in the meeting to give a clear message to the National Conference. The NC-Congress coordination committee was constituted after the formation of the coalition government in January 2009 to set agenda for the ruling dispensation and to solve contentious issues. |
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Farooq’s ‘change of mind’ to contest JKCA elections sets off debate
Jammu, May 14 The principal opposition Peoples Democratic Party has trained its guns on the National Conference (NC) patron Farooq Abdullah for getting himself reinstated as the JKCA president, alleging he changed his plan after sensing his defeat in the parliamentary elections. Critics, particularly JKCA members, smelled foul play, saying “it could be a desperate attempt to hush-up the infamous multi-crore cricket scam in the JKCA”. On May 2, Farooq had announced that he won’t contest the JKCA elections. The elections were held on May 12. Farooq has been the cricket body’s president since its inception in 1983. His statement had surprised his JKCA colleagues. “What prompted Farooq Abdullah to get himself re-elected as the president of the JKCA is still not clear. On May 2, he had expressed his reluctance to again contest the JKCA elections, but all of a sudden he emerged unopposed. This creates doubts in the minds of the public in general and the cricket lovers in particular,” said a member of the JKCA, wishing anonymity. The member alleged that the much-awaited elections of the cricket body were “rigged” and “conducted through manipulations”. “Genuine members were kept out of the election process while fictitious persons were allowed to enter the venue where the elections were conducted. The elections were conducted fraudulently and need to be investigated by an independent agency,” the member said. Another JKCA member, who was furious over the way the elections were conducted, said: “It was completely a stage-managed show as fictitious members openly participated in the election process. It has been done just to hush up the infamous multi-crore scam in the JKCA as the NC is sensing defeat in the Assembly elections, scheduled to be held by the end of this year.” Yesterday, senior PDP leader and former minister Tariq Hameed Karra had said the “hush-hush manner” in which Farooq reinstated himself as the JKCA president was an “assault on the interests of youth”. Karra had said the NC leader, who earlier showed his reluctance to again contest the JKCA elections, changed his plan after sensing his defeat in the parliamentary elections. The BJP, too, had upped the ante and requested the Election Commission to declare the JKCA elections as “null and void”, alleging these were conducted in violation of the model code of conduct. Aslam Goni, former JKCA chairman and a close aide of Farooq Abdullah, distanced himself from the debate and said, “He didn’t contest the elections this time and has not much knowledge about what exactly happened after Farooq Sahib’s announcement.” He tried to downplay the controversy by saying, “He (Farooq Abdullah) earlier used to make
such announcements but always contested the elections.” Jammu: The multi-crore scam surfaced two years ago but the JKCA is yet to recover the embezzled amount fully. The scam had come to the fore in March 2012 after it was found that JKCA officials were running a number of parallel accounts in the Khanyar and Air Cargo branches of J&K Bank along with the original account. The funds for promotion of cricket were allegedly diverted to fake accounts and subsequently siphoned off by them. In its preliminary internal inquiry, the in-house advisory (probe) committee had revealed that over Rs 40 crore meant for the promotion of cricket activities in J&K was embezzled. The probe panel constituted by the JKCA comprised MLC Arvinder Singh Micky, Ashwinder Koul, Sham Swaroop and Mohammad Ashraf Bhat. The committee was assigned the task to conduct a probe into alleged financial bungling. The JKCA probe committee had also found cash books missing from 2005 to 2007. After the scam surfaced, the JKCA, on the directions of its president, Farooq Abdullah, had lodged an FIR at the Ram Munshi Bagh police station, Srinagar, against two office-bearers, Ahsan Mirza, then treasurer, and Saleem Khan, then general secretary, who allegedly siphoned off the funds. |
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Gunshots near LS candidate’s house create panic in Kulgam
Kulgam, May 14 While Jeelani claimed that miscreants had aimed at his residence, the police maintained that bullets were fired in the air and the motive behind the incident remained unclear. “Around 11:45 last night a volley of bullets was fired at my house creating panic,” Jeelani claimed, adding that his personal security officer (PSO) retaliated after which militants fled. Soon after the firing, Jeelani said, he called
the police and reported the incident. “The Police, the Army and the CRPF visited my place and the area was combed,” he added. A senior police officer from the area said they visited Jeelani’s place soon after the phone call and retrieved a couple of bullet shells from the area. “The target, however, remains unclear,” the officer said. “We have lodged an FIR in this regard and investigation has been initiated,” he said. Jeelani’s residence is a few kilometres away from Wanpoh, where a National Conference (NC) panch was shot dead by unidentified gunmen recently. Political activists in south Kashmir have been facing targeted violence and many of the panchayat representatives were killed, particularly in Pulwama district, prior to the parliamentary elections. |
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Omar’s advocacy for majority aimed at Assembly polls
Arun Joshi Tribune News Service Going by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah’s idea of the Kashmir solution, minorities in this Muslim-majority state will have no say in resolving the issue. The majority will have the final say and the minorities will have to contend with that. This is all about the Assembly elections, where Omar wants to improve his party National Conference’s tally of 28 in 2002 and 2008 polls. For that he is pandering to the majority sentiment, this time in the name of the majority’s “aspirations”. Since Omar has not specified who form the majority in Jammu and Kashmir, the obvious conclusion is that he is talking of Muslims in the state. As the chief minister, he should have realised that putting the majority versus minority discourse in the public domain would give rise to divisive forces. Read with his earlier statements that Kashmir would part ways with “communal India” if Modi comes to power, and Kashmir will not stay a part of India if Article 370 (that grants special status to J&K) is revoked, Omar’s statement yesterday that the majority view would prevail in the K-issue solution has left no one in doubt that he is preparing his ground for the forthcoming Assembly elections. This thesis’s introduction was spelled out by him at a seminar in Srinagar on Tuesday. “The K-issue is a long-pending problem”. You cannot give any solution which will be acceptable to each and every citizen of the state. You have to work out a solution which will satisfy the aspirations of the majority of the people,” he said. And he went on to add that “though such a solution is difficult to sell yet this is the only solution in this regard.” On the face of it, this statement might look realistic, as there is not even a single community or region or sub-region which wants to be hostage to the kind of solutions offered by pro-Pakistan separatists, pro-autonomy National Conference and pro-self-rule Peoples Democratic Party. The Congress sticks to the 1975 Indira-Sheikh accord while the BJP suggests the abrogation of Article 370. This is not acceptable to all. Each side wants their solution to be adopted. But Omar’s latest thesis can cause confrontation between regions and religions. Omar has gone several steps beyond the often articulated the US stand that “the Kashmir solution should be as per the wishes of the people of the state.” The US never spoke of the majority view. Electoral politics is alright, but taking the things too far can only deepen the fears of the minorities. It has also put the Congress in the dock. When National Conference leaders made statements of breaking away from “India if it becomes communal,” state Congress chief Saifuddin Soz had told his party cadre that “Kashmir was and is and will continue to be an integral part of India”. He had also said that “such absurd statements were illogical. Modi or no Modi as prime minister, India will continue to tread the path of secularism and Kashmir will be its integral part.” Omar, a bright face of Indian politics in the late 1990s when he was a union minister, is fast picking up the discarded threads and reverting to the 1930s when the NC took birth out of the womb of the Muslim Conference. In the 21st century when the talk is about making the world a global village, is he taking the state back to the twentieth century?
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Minibus driver’s murder: Kin block highway, seek registration of case
Jammu, May 14 The protesters alleged that the tenant of a shop of the deceased's family in Shastri Nagar, was involved in the murder and a case should be registered against them. The deceased was identified as Narinder Singh, son of Joginder Singh, resident of Shastri Nagar. Yesterday, the police had recovered his body from the Dogra Hall area under mysterious circumstances. A board of doctors conducted postmortem at Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) Jammu and later handed over the body of Narinder Singh to his family. Today, the family members along with residents of Nagak Nagar, Digiana, and Gandhi Nagar kept the body of the youth in the middle of the Jammu-Pathankot highway near Shastri Nagar and blocked the traffic. Davander Singh, Narinder Singh's cousin, said the deceased's family had given their shop on rent to a person 16 years ago, but he (tenant) was not paying rent regularly which often resulted into verbal arguments between the tenant and the deceased. "The tenant was threatening to kill Narinder and a case was still pending before the court," he said. On getting information about the blockade on the highway, the Superintendent of Police (South), Rahul Malik, Subdivisional Police Officer (SDPO), City, Kulbir Handa and SDPO (South), Harjeet Singh rushed to the spot and assured the protesters that the case would be solved shortly. Police sources, however, said the deceased had a dispute with some drivers and cleaners of minibuses on the fateful day when he was allegedly murdered. Yesterday, the family members and the relatives of the deceased had also held a protest in Gandhi Nagar demanding action against the tenant, whom they accused of being responsible for the killing of Narinder Singh. Meanwhile, the vehicular movement remained affected on the highway for about two hours subjecting commuters to hardships. |
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Luxury car owners violate SC directions, use black films
Jammu, May 14 High-end luxury cars owners openly use black films on their vehicles in the city and the traffic police feel hesitant to impound the vehicle. Ashish Gupta, a small car owner, said, “Whenever I travel to my office from home, I always find at least one SUV (sports utility vehicle) with black film plying on the road. But I failed to understand, why the traffic police don’t impound such vehicles.” “If I don’t wear a seat belt, they stop me immediately and fine me, why don’t they stop these persons who are violating the directions of the Supreme Court?” he asked. Two years ago, when the Supreme Court had issued the directions to ban black film or any kind of curtain or shade on the vehicle, the traffic police started a drive to remove such films from vehicles and after the deadline hundreds of vehicles, including those of the Army and government, were also impounded. But now the traffic police feel hesitant to stop a luxury car using black films. A traffic constable said, “Whenever we stop an SUV with black film, we find that the vehicle belongs to some influential person and we have to let it go. So we ignore the high-end luxury vehicles violating traffic norms.” Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Traffic, Pawan Parinhar could not be contacted for comments on the issue. |
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Digging work for laying sewers leads to chaos
Jammu, May 14 Even though the executing agencies have failed to repair the dug-up roads and narrow lanes in several localities of the city, fresh digging for laying sewer pipes has added to the woes of the residents with mud hindering the movement of pedestrians as well as vehicles. Under the Centre-sponsored project, nearly 48,220 houses of Srinagar city at a cost of Rs 132.01 crore and 30,400 houses of Jammu at a cost of Rs 129.30 crore are expected to be connected with the modern sewerage system, when completed. “We have been seeing this for the last five years when the sewerage-laying work started. I think that the administration should complete the project fast as it is the common man who is suffering due to the delay,” said Rakhee Sharma, a college student. The lack of coordination between government departments has already extended the deadline of sewer pipes-laying project in Jammu city, which is likely to be completed by the end of 2015. The National Building Construction Corporation (NBCC) and the Economic Reconstruction Agency had undertaken the digging work for laying sewer pipes under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM). “The delay is mainly because the digging is mainly carried out on uncharted roads and lanes. The agency is facing hurdles and takes days to shift water pipes and telecommunication lines,” said a senior ERA official. |
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BSNL network has totally failed in Jammu: BJP
Jammu, May 14 He added that the authorities of the BSNL were still not providing proper service to people and that was the main reason why consumers were switching to other private telecom operators. “There is a general feeling among the public that this break in connectivity is deliberately affected by and at the behest of those officers who are on the verge of retirement with a prior understanding with some private mobile service provider for their reemployment after retirement as quid pro quo,” Bhagat alleged. Bhagat said until the BSNL bigwigs did not introduce the culture of accountability among the staff these malpractices were bound to take place. "It is high time that BSNL is subjected to a shock treatment and made to face accountable and performance-based work culture to be able to move with the new times and not be a burden on the public and an obstacle to the communication in this IT-based era of advanced means of communication," Bhagat said. |
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PTU to organise edu fair in JK
Jammu, May 14 The fair will take place at Hotel Meridan Palace, near Shakuntla Cinema, in Jammu and Hotel Taj Mansion, Lal Chowk, in Srinagar from 10 am to 6pm. Briefing about the significance of the UCP, Dr Rajneesh Arora, Vice Chancellor, PTU, said, “The university has identified top colleges affiliated to it to make university campuses to provide quality education at a reasonable cost and guarantee academic excellence.” “The four pillars of programme, namely sound infrastructure, state-of-the-art technology, affordable fee structure and newest design and curriculum, make this foundation stronger than any other academic facility available in India. The programme has faculty from top institutions like IITs and NITs, digitally streamed lectures and information and communications technology (ICT)-enabled classrooms across all the university campuses,” he added. Further highlighting the merits of the course, Dr Arora said, “These university campuses will also send a few selected students to study abroad for high-end training in the cutting -edge technological world. They can grab the chance to study in foreign universities, like the University of California, Santa Cruz, and University of Toronto, Canada, etc.” Besides J&K, the admissions will also take place in other cities like Kolkata, Allahabad, Jamshedpur, Noida, Chandigarh, Patna, Delhi, Ranchi, Shillong, Noida, Shimla, etc. |
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HC warns of contempt if cabs not shifted from tourist centre
Srinagar, May 14 These directions were issued by a division Bench of the High Court comprising Chief Justice MM Kumar and Justice Muzaffar Attar. The court is hearing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) by an NGO - Kashmir Consumer Welfare Forum - which has been seeking streamlining of flawed traffic system in Srinagar city, the summer capital of the J&K state. “It has been pointed out that the Sumo vehicle stand opposite TRC has been shifted to Pantha Chowk and the land was required to be handed over to the J&K Sports Council…In the last order, it has been noticed that two huts were still existing there and the Sumo vehicles were still operating,” the Bench observed in its orders made available today. The court in its orders further said, “The counsel appearing for the J&K state Sports Council has stated that the area that belongs to the sports council has so far not been handed over to it which implies that Sumo vehicles continue to operate from that area along with the huts existing on the site.” “We have made it clear ….that if we find that despite orders by this court, as upheld by the Supreme Court, Sumo vehicles continue to operate from the aforesaid site then action under the Contempt of Courts Act will be initiated against all erring officers,” the High Court warned in its orders while issuing notices to the respondents in the application filed by the Sports Council wherein it had been alleged that the site in question has not been handed over to it yet. “The compliance report on handing over the site to the J&K Sports Council through its secretary shall be filed on or before the adjourn date,” the bench further observed. Case file
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Civic body seals illegal poultry farm in Barzulla
An SMC official said a team led by senior officials of the corporation sealed a three-storeyed residential building at Barzulla for illegally running a poultry farm. “The team, which was jointly headed by health officer Dr Shafqat Khan and chief enforcement officer Nissar Ahmad, inspected the site and sealed it after it was found that the poultry farm was set up inside the residential colony,” the official said. The SMC move came in the backdrop of complaints by locals against the illegal farm. The SMC health officer said the farm had become a source of stink and health hazard for the locality. SMC Commissioner GN Qasba, who had earlier issued the orders for an on the spot inspection and necessary action, urged the people to deist from setting up poultry farms inside residential areas. “It is illegal to come up with such massive farms at a place where people live. Such farms are a threat to hygiene of the place and the health of locals. It can adversely impact the health of people, particularly children and elderly,” Qasba said. Reiterating that strict action will be taken against such violators, Qasba said, “People have to show a sense of responsibility towards society. Instead of risking lives of people for petty profits, such practice should be avoided on its own. Residents are also advised to keep an eye on such activities.” |
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Food adulteration: Srinagar MC tightens noose around outlets
Srinagar, May 14 Doctors opine that the phenomenon of food adulteration is not new, as they have observed that there has been an increase in the number of patients with gastric problems in Kashmir during the recent years. “We have seen a phenomenal rise in patients with gastric problems. In fact, you will find such a patient in every family, the main reason behind this being poor food quality,” said a gastroenterologist. With its revelations that city markets are flooded with adulterated food products, including spices and packaged milk, the health officer of the SMC has tightened its inspection across Srinagar and imposed fine and booked many of them. “We continuously inspect food outlet owners and ensure implementation of rules and regulations while running their business. It is also an educating exercise,” said SMC Health Officer Shafaqat Khan. He said in the past three months they had imposed a fine of Rs 4.5 lakh in the city and served improvement notice to 103 food outlets. “We have also served challan to 125 food operators that were not running according to proper sanitation and hygiene and were providing poor food quality,” he said. Last month, the State Human Rights Commission (SHRC) had said adulteration of food items amounted to genocide. Taking suo moto cognisance of the issue, the commission had maintained that adulteration of food items such as milk was a gross violation of human rights. |
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Central varsity’s legal studies department organises eco-tour
Srinagar, May 14 Mehraj-ud-Din Mir, officiating Vice Chancellor of CUK, also joined the students and hailed the efforts of Dr Sheikh Showkat Hussain, Head of the Department, School of Legal Studies, for holding the event. The Vice Chancellor encouraged the students for participating in such tours and opined that more tours of such nature be made possible for the interest of students and of society at large. All faculty members of the school were present and guided the students — informing and educating them about the sensitivity of environment and ecology. Hussain, a senior faculty member, conducted an on the spot group discussion to sensitise students about the conservation of biological diversity and cultural diversity through ecosystem protection and promotion of sustainable use of biodiversity by providing jobs to the local population; sharing of socio-economic benefits with local communities by having their informed consent and participation in the management of eco-tourism enterprises. |
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PDP, AAP seek relief for farmers affected by rain, hailstorm
Srinagar, May 14 PDP leaders, Mohd Khalil Bandh and Ab Razaq Zawoora, said heavy rain and hailstorm have damaged fruit orchards and other standing crops in Shopian and Pulwama districts of south Kashmir and demanded immediate relief for the affected farmers. The Aam Aadmi Party has demanded that farmers should be compensated without any delay. In a statement issued here, AAP leader Raja Muzaffar Bhat said villages in central Kashmir’s Budgam district experienced hailstorm on Tuesday afternoon which destroyed the apple and pear crop completely in these areas. He demanded that the authorities from the horticulture department should be immediately deputed to these areas to asses the damage. |
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Open Gurez road: PDP to govt
Srinagar, May 14 In the absence of medical facilities, patients in Gurez have to be shifted to hospital in Bandipora either on foot or have to depend on the Army to be airlifted to the nearest medical facility, Lone said. There is neither any specialist nor any gynaecologist available in
Gurez, he said, adding in such a scenario it was imperative to open the Gurez-Bandipora road. Lone also lambasted the government for making hollow claims. “The government has totally failed to provide even basic amenities to the people living in
Gurez,” he said. Lone said the opening of the Gurez-Bandipora road would at least bring some relief to the problems faced by this Valley.
— TNS |
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Pandits hail start of repair work of temples
Srinagar, May 14 “At present, three major temples in Habba Kadal constituency are under restoration process and the re-construction and renovation process is going on smoothly. We had requested different government forums to show concern about the dilapidated condition of these minority religious places many a time, but unfortunately they turned a
deaf ear to our humble requests. However, the MLA of Habba Kadal constituency not only took steps for the repairs, but also granted funds,” said KPSS president Sanjay K Tickoo. “The KPSS did spot inspection of these temples and found that the work done at these three temples was up to the mark and more particularly the contractor concerned have worked with dedication and we appreciate his hardworking and honest approach towards the contract of renovation and repair of our religious places,” he added. |
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Worried about security, panches turn to separatists
Srinagar, May 14 A six-member delegation of panchayat members, who claim representation of “each and every block”, met hardline Hurriyat Conference chief Syed Ali Geelani and JKLF chairman Mohammad Yasin Malik at their residences in the city today. The delegation was formed by the JK Panchayat Association after a growing number of militants attack targeted their colleagues in several parts of south Kashmir in which three sarpanches and two of their family members were killed in the
past one month. “We tried to put forward our point of view about our role and that it is limited to local issues and tried to clear the wrong opinion, which is being spread about us,” Khurshid Ahmad, general secretary of the JK Panchayat Association, who led the delegation, said. Ahmad said the delegation told the separatist leadership that the role of panchayat members had no impact on Kashmir’s political issue and cited “no objection” statement of Hizbul Mujahideen chief Syed Salahuddin issued at the time of 2011 polls. “We communicated to them what we are for and that way we are satisfied,” he said Unnerved by the killing of the recent weeks, several hundred panchayat members publicly renounced the mainstream politics and announced resignations as the wave of fear sparked by the attacks forced many of them to go into hiding. It is for the first time that panchayat members, elected in a landmark election in 2011, have approached the separatist leaders as a last resort to seek help. |
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Illegal Myanmar immigrants have power, water connections
Jammu, May 14 A visit by The Tribune team to one of the clusters of Rohingya Muslims from Myanmar in Narwal here bared it all. These illegal immigrants from Myanmar, who put their number to over 6,500 in Jammu district, not only have access to water and electricity connections, but have also acquired two-wheelers. These immigrants also said after going through the kindergarten in the slum schools, they have to prepare an affidavit to enroll their children in government schools. If the disturbing trend was not reversed, majority of them having five to 10 children might change the demography of Jammu district in the next 10 years. Jammu and Kashmir enjoys a special status under the Article 370 of the Indian Constitution and no one from outside the state can settle down or buy property here. “Two months ago I came from Myanmar to live here with my wife and seven children. From Myanmar I crossed over to Bangladesh and then entered India. I came to Jammu from Delhi,” said 45-year-old Syed Hussain, who works as a labourer. The shanty in lane number six of Bhatindi, where Hussain puts up along with his family, has an electricity connection and he pays Rs 100 a month to the Power Development Department (PDD) lineman. Before coming to Jammu, Hussain had obtained a refugee card from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Delhi. “We were told that Muslims were more in Jammu, so we decided to settle down here…the situation in Myanmar is grim,” he said. Another illegal immigrant Hafiz Ahmed, who lives along with his two wives and 10 children, said: “For electricity we pay from our pockets, while an NGO has provided us the water connections.” The 41-year-old, sitting on a two-wheeler, said he had purchased the vehicle from someone. “The registration certificate and other documents still stand in the name of previous owner. Being a foreigner I don’t have a license, but who cares,” he said. Hafiz, who has been living here for the past five years, said there were about 13,000 people from Myanmar living in Jammu. Syed Hussain, 51, who has five children and has been living here for the past over five years, said: “Though the state government offered no help to them, an NGO has opened four schools for their children.” “From nursery to UKG, basic subjects like Urdu, English and Hindi are being taught to 200 children from Myanmar. But there is more number of children and we need more schools.” Elaborating on academic facilities for their children in the state, Hussain said: “After passing UKG at these slum schools, we have to prepare affidavits to send our children to government schools.” When asked about the number of Myanmar people living in Jammu, Hussain said about 6,500 of them had settled down in various parts of the district. He also revealed that their clusters were raised on private lands for which they pay rentals ranging from Rs 500 to Rs 300 a month. “Last year when we met Minister (for Housing and Urban Development) Raman Bhalla for electricity and water supply, he assured us help, but we haven’t got anything till now. However, we do get zakat (charity) from people,” he added. |
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Families of detained youths stage protest
Baramulla, May 14 They said demanding his release, women protesters blocked the road and disrupted traffic. However, the police managed to pacify the protesting family. Later, the situation turned normal in the town. Source said Malla was arrested by the Boniyar police along with 12 kg of banned forest herbs and an FIR was registered against him. Though he was bailed out by a court on April 27, he was rearrested by the Baramulla police for his involvement in various unlawful activities. The sources said more than two dozen cases had been registered against him from 2008 to 2010. Meanwhile, people from Watapora and Qazipora areas staged a protest against continued detention of Feroz Ahmad Magrey of Wazipora, Watpora. His family said Magrey continued to remain in police custody despite being granted bail by a court. Haleema, mother of the detained youth, said, “My son is scheduled to marry next week, but the police are hardly bothered about his release despite being grated bail by the court.” Many youth are under detention in various police stations. They were detained before and after the Lok Sabha polls. |
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Central varsity VC calls on Governor
Srinagar, May 14 He also apprised him about the status of the ongoing teaching and research programmes in the university, progress made in the recruitment of faculty and non-teaching staff, intake of students and about various administrative issues related to the Central
University. The Governor emphasised the need for ensuring the establishment of essential facilities in the university within the planned time frames
and sustained endeavour to achieve high standards in teaching, research and extra-curricular
activities. The Governor, who is also the Chairman of the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board, also discussed with the Vice Chancellor of the Central University of Jammu, who is also the member of the Shrine Board, several important issues relating to the functioning of the Shrine Board. |
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Potholes make drive a nightmare on Jammu-Srinagar national highway
Batote, May 14 The stretch between Patnitop to Nashri, near north portal of the Chenani-Nashri road tunnel, has maximum potholes and the road has either sunken or slid away at a few places. “A few months ago, the chamber of my car broke while I was driving on the road near the north portal of the Chenani-Nashri tunnel,” said a local, Dilshad A Bhatti. Shopkeepers of Banihal have been protesting every now and then for the past two years against the dilapidated condition of the stretch of the highway. “Ramki Construction Company and Navyuga Banihal-Quazigund Expressway Construction Limited, engaged in the construction of different road projects there, are responsible for the maintenance of the highway stretch between the main market to Kharpora and from toll post to Nowgam, which is in a bad shape,” said Shanawaz Khan, president, Beopar Mandal, Banihal. “These companies had assured us that repair work will start from May 12 in presence of the Deputy Commissioner, Ramban, and tehsildar, Banihal, but nothing has been done so far,” he added. “The responsibility of maintaining the road stretch from Chenani to Nashri was transferred to the NHAI from the BRO in 2011, which after subletting it to a private firm from Kashmir valley in 2011 had given the maintenance responsibility to an Australian firm, Leighton Welspun Contractors Private Limited. “Due to non-maintenance by any organisation for the last four years and use of heavy machinery during snow clearance in these winters, its condition has worsened. The GREF having the required expertise and the machinery should be reassigned the responsibility,” said Jagdish Chand, sarpanch, Chakwa, Batote. Mohd Hussain Malik, Deputy Commissioner, Ramban, said, “All these companies have assured that as soon as the weather is suitable, road repair work will be started.” |
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Kashmir varsity VC quits, to join Jamia Millia Islamia today
Srinagar, May 14 Talat confirmed to The Tribune that he had handed over the relieving letter to the Chancellor of the KU and Governor NN Vohra and would take over as the Vice Chancellor of the JMI tomorrow. Referring to Chief Minister Omar Abdullah’s remark of him preferring “greener pastures” of Jamia over the University of Kashmir, Talat said he would work towards a Memorandum of Understanding between the JMI and the KU. “We had extended his term, but he preferred greener pastures. Now, I hope, he (Prof Talat) won’t forget Kashmir and keep this place in mind,” Omar said yesterday on the sidelines of an event organised by the Political Science Department at the KU. The Chancellor of the KU has, meanwhile, decided that Ali Muhammad Shah, Dean, Academic Affairs, KU, shall carry out the duties of the VC of the university till the new VC is appointed. “Talat Ahmad is being relieved of his charge as the VC, University of Kashmir, today, consequent upon his appointment as the VC, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi. Various important issues relating to the functioning of the university were discussed when the Chief Minister called on the Governor yesterday,” an official handout from the Chancellor of the KU read. Talat Ahmad was earlier a professor at the Department of Geology, University of Delhi, and took over as the VC, KU, on May 24, 2011. He has had the distinction of being the fellow of the Indian National Science Academy, Delhi, Indian Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Sciences. The Kashmir University Teachers Association accorded a warm farewell to Talat yesterday. It was attended by serving and retired faculty members of the university. |
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Lawyers flay demolition drive in Gole Gujral
Srinagar, May 14 The Bar further said during the drive, a particular community was singled out. “The Bar Association condemns the forcible eviction of more than a hundred nomad Muslim families and burning down of their kullas and also demolition of some permanent structures at the Gole Gujral area of Jammu,” the Bar general secretary M Ashraf Bhat said in a statement here. The demolition drive has also drawn flak from other quarters, including the Peoples Democratic Party, which yesterday said the action was carried out without having a rehabilitation plan for the affected families. “The Bar feels that the method and manner employed by the authorities clearly shows that they have acted on a well-thought-out plan to throw out these families from Jammu, so as to allot the same land to the land mafia,” the Bar said in its statement, alleging that scores of non-state subjects “have occupied thousands of acres in the state, on the basis of fictitious and fraudulent” state subject certificates in the Jammu area. In its statement, the Bar supported the Thursday shutdown call given by hardline Hurriyat Conference chairman Syed Ali Geelani against the detention of youth by the police. |
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Cricket tourney organised by Army concludes
Udhampur, May 14 The players were seen wearing colourful uniforms on the pattern of the IPL format. The first match was played between Gulgul and Deval at a playground in Agsi on the foothills of the Pir Panjal. The final match was held on May 7 between Gulabgarh A and Bharansal. Gulabgarh A won the final match in a nail-biting climax by a margin of 11 runs. The runners-up trophy was given to Bharansal. A number of prizes were given to youth to motivate them. |
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One killed, 2 hurt in road mishaps
Samba, May 14 The police said the deceased was crossing the road when the mishap took place. However, the driver of the vehicle managed to escape. A case has been registered. In another mishap, a car collided with a truck at a traffic naka near Mansar Morh in Samba. Both the drivers got critically injured in the accident. The locals shifted the injured to the District Hospital, Samba. “The traffic police had imposed a naka near Mansar Morh and they suddenly stopped a truck in the middle of the road due to which a car on its way from Vijaypur to Pathankot had a head-on collision with the truck,” said an eyewitness. "The accident took place due to the negligence of the traffic police, who later fled from the spot. “The police also arrived after half-an-hour due to which the movement of traffic on the Jammu-Pathankot highway remained disrupted for an hour,” he added. Passengers and locals also staged a protest to express their resentment against the Traffic Department. |
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Govt quarters, house, damaged due to fire in Baramulla
Baramulla, May 14 The quarters at Khawaja Bagh were rented to some poor and needy families. Officials said these single storied quarters of the Irrigation Department were provided to some of the families after the 2008 earthquake. They added that later the department had declared these quarters unsafe and had dispatched notices to the families to vacate these establishments. In another incident, fire partially damaged the house of Bashir Ahmad Badan and Mohammad Rafiq Badan at Dachi village in Uri. Reports said fire also engulfed the adjacent cowshed resulting into death of some of domestic animals belonging to
Rafiq. |
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Safai mazdoor sangh to intensify stir
Jammu, May 14 The members resolve to intensify their agitation over the long-pending demands of the safai karamcharis working in the Jammu Municipal Corporation and under the Urban Local Bodies Department. The members decided to press the government for accepting their demands, which include enhancement in retirement age from 58 to 60 years, regularisation of daily-rated workers, casual labourers and need-based workers engaged after 1994, removal of pay anomalies and budgetary support for public sector undertakings. |
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Buddha Purnima celebrated
Jammu, May 14 He appreciated the efforts of the Department of Buddhist Studies and assured of all possible help in the development of the Department. Prof Ranjana Mishra from the Department of History, SNDT Women’s University,
Mumbai, was the guest of honour and in her deliberations she highlighted the rich historical and cultural heritage of Buddhism in India and abroad. |
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Omar lashes out at BSNL internet services
Srinagar, May 14 The telecom service provider, BSNL, is a Public Sector Undertaking and has more than 100 million customers around the country and provides landline, mobile, broadband and enterprise services.
— TNS |
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Geelani terms Lambah’s K-solution unrealistic
Srinagar, May 14 In a statement issued by the separatist outfit, Geelani said: “People of Kashmir will not accept any such solution which is against their aspirations and sacrifices.” “Kashmir is neither a bilateral issue between India and Pakistan? nor an issue of borders,”
he added. Lambah, Prime Minister’s special envoy to Afghanistan and Pakistan, yesterday unveiled a seven-point Kashmir solution that included self-governance for internal management of Jammu and Kashmir on both sides of the Line of Control. |
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Saroori demands opening of Sinthan road
Jammu, May 14 In a statement issued here, Saroori said since the Doda-Batote road has been declared unsafe for vehicular movement, it was important to open the Kishtwar-Sinthan road to connect the twin districts of Doda and Kishtwar with the rest of the state. He said with the opening of this road, there will be a huge flow of locals as well as foreign tourists to these districts. |
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Minor held for stone-throwing
Pulwama, May 14 He is a Class IX student at Maktaba Islamia High School, Shopian. The police claimed that Faisal was a notorious stone-thrower against whom 12 cases had been registered and was evading arrest for the last few months. Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Shopian, Showkat Ahmad Shah said the boy was involved in spreading chaos and violence in the town.
— OC |
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Police produce challan against Rajouri doc for ‘rape, fraud’
Rajouri, May 14 The challan was produced against the accused and his family under Sections 120-B, 376, 406, 420 and 379 of the Ranbir Penal Code. The accused, posted at a hospital in Darhal, Rajouri, is currently under suspension. |
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Srinagar, May 14