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National Conference biased against Jammu: Sham Lal
On the
frontline |
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Tributes paid to martyrs on Accession Day
Flood despair: Saffron produce may be 60 per cent less this year
Varsity to revive marketing course
Poultry sector in Pulwama suffers heavy losses
Samiti for weeding out old records in Navodaya Vidyalayas
Deluge damages
Kashmir valley’s heritage sites
Pvt schools to go for mass promotions till Class
VII
Govt failed to put flood-affected areas back on track: PDP
Students wield brooms to clean flood-hit city
Pulwama residents worried about deletion of names from records
Hindi play brings govt office to life
Parties get into poll mode, opt for hoardings, posters to woo voters
PDP reconstitutes youth wing ahead of elections
BOPEE to reduce number of questions in entrance test
Youth Cong leader likely to join BJP
ECB official to train city cricketers
Missing youths in Pulwama, Shopian feared to have joined militant
ranks
LeT module busted, 8 held
Rs 5 crore needed for restoration of flood-hit Jammu-Pathankot highway, says NHAI
Muslim New Year begins
Women store firewood for winter
1984 riots victim fasts for speedy justice
Volleyball trials from Nov 8 Relief sought in cold storage fire case Army holds football tournament
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National Conference biased against Jammu: Sham Lal
Jammu, October 26 “Two NC ministers were against regularising poor daily wagers because a majority of them belong to the Jammu region,” he said while addressing a press conference here today. Although Sham Lal avoided a direct attack on Finance Minister Abdul Rahim Rather, he was unsparing in his criticism of Higher Education Minister Mohammad Akbar Lone for trying to blackmail him on the issue. “The Finance Department had said it would approve the case of the temporary employees but at the eleventh hour, it was sabotaged,” he said in his veiled attack on Rather. The Congress leader, however, said Lone had told him to recruit 500 people through backdoor on back date as a pre-condition for getting the cases of daily wagers approved in the Cabinet. “Instead of succumbing to the blackmail tactics of NC minister, I decided to submit my resignation,” he said and added that the anti-Jammu mindset of some National Conference ministers was exposed during the episode. When asked about the status of his resignation, Sham Lal said: “The Chief Minister is out of state, so I have submitted my resignation to Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee chief Saifuddin Soz who is the chairman of the Coordination Committee,” he said and asserted that he would stick to his stand. Replying to another question, Sham Lal said he had always vociferously taken up Jammu’s issue, be it in the government or as a Congress leader. When asked about rumours regarding his joining the BJP, Sham Lal said during the 2008 Amarnath land row, he had gone to Geeta Bhawan to render support to the agitation. “I am a loyal soldier of the Congress and as a Congress worker I would strongly take up Jammu’s cause at every platform,” he said.
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Sham Lal accorded rousing welcome in Jammu
Jammu, October 26 Hundreds of Sham Lal’s supporters had gathered outside the Jammu Airport to receive him. As soon as he came out of the airport, his supporters resorted to sloganeering in his
favour. He was taken in a big procession from the airport in an open jeep to his residence on the Akhnoor Road. A large number of youth were on two wheelers to welcome their leader. Sham Lal’s supporters also raised pro-Jammu slogans, trying to project that their leader had sacrificed the chair for the cause of the Jammu region. Addressing his supporters, the Congress leader said power was not his priority but his aim was to serve the people with dedication and commitment. He assured the gathering that he would continue to raise voice for Jammu. |
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Let history not be repeated in 2014 polls
Arun Joshi Elections are elections, and the election campaigns are quite often full of barbs and bitter attacks against the rivals. This is something that is a universally accepted phenomenon now. But elections in J&K, particularly the Assembly polls, have a history of leaving behind extreme bitterness not only between parties but also between regions, sub-regions, religions and sects. The horrifying consequences of the elections of 1983 onwards have widened divisiveness in the sensitive state. Jammu and Kashmir is different, it has many enemies not only in the neighbourhood but internally too. Divisive game
Over the past nearly three decades, the polls have been fought on communal, regional and sub-regional issues. And, today, J&K is a physically, emotionally, psychologically and psychologically bruised place. People from different regions, sub-regions and religio-ethnic sets feel discriminated against and the perception that the state is mini-India — with unity in diversity — is getting eroded day by day. The recall of history of past elections will open up wounds. This state cannot afford to have another blast of communal and regional hatred. For some, it may be the best option to win elections, further polarising the already divided society. But it is suicidal. None of the political parties is innocent. All of them have played their part in creating distances and inflicting wounds on the psychological and physical entity of the state. Each and every party has the right to work in elections to get the maximum number of seats. It would be better if one of the contesting parties — Peoples Democratic Party, National Conference, Bharatiya Janata Party or Congress — could form the government on its own. Then there would be accountability of one party to the voters. Coalition governments have shown that parties squabble over minor issues and inflict a serious blow to the development of the state. Worse still, they generate a sense of victimhood among the people of one region or
the other, one community or the other. Jammu and Kashmir is not Maharashtra or Haryana. Both national and regional parties must understand the need to accommodate each other’s role. The tactic of making Kashmir look
pitted against India is dangerous. Lethal campaigns
Leave alone the 1987 elections, notorious for having laid the foundation of militancy in Kashmir, the subsequent campaigns have been no less lethal. The state continues to battle militancy. It is because of this reason that the Army and other wings of the security forces are there with special powers under the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA). The intrusion into the privacy of the day-to-day life of the people is unacceptable. So is the role that the armed forces have donned by going in for the building of bridges and buildings, thus undermining the role of the civilian authority. All these issues need to be seen in proper perspective. There were no extra troops in Kashmir, except for those on borders, in the pre-militancy days. Those who question the presence of troops in such a large number and their special powers should ponder and find the answers. If the 1987 elections were responsible for the onset of troubles in Kashmir then the root cause is the political behaviour of the parties. In the same spirit, they should see how the governments neglected governance and development and left a vacuum which enhanced the role of the armed forces. Denial mode
Once again the threats looming large over the horizon are being dismissed as the work of a few misguided youth. The ISIS flags are making a statement. Only the genuinely ignorant or those having a definite agenda to defame the armed forces and India can ignore such threats. People were in denial mode in the 1980s, when the youth going to Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir for training in arms were dismissed as planted stories by the then government. They saw what happened to Kashmir. It bled. Thousands died, lakhs became homeless. Are we going to be in the same denial mode and suffer in future? Whatever Kashmir has endured in the past decades should not be allowed to be repeated. Timely action is needed. The main responsibility lies with the national parties, particularly the BJP which is ruling at the Centre with a majority of its own. They must ensure that the atmosphere is not vitiated during elections. Electoral battles should be fought on political themes, and religion and regionalism should be kept out. The obsession of parties to have 44 plus seats in the House of 87 should not become a source of disintegration of the state on religious and regional lines. J&K has to be retrieved to its original value of communal harmony in diversity. This election is an opportunity. If lost, history will get repeated, bringing more difficult times for the state. |
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Tributes paid to martyrs on Accession Day
Jammu, October 26
October 26 marks the day when Maharaja Hari Singh, the last ruler of J&K, signed the instrument of accession with the Indian Union. It paved the way for the arrival of the Army which landed in Kashmir and stopped the Pakistani army and tribal attackers who had reached the outskirts of Srinagar. The day is significant as the Indian Army saved Kashmir, Ladakh and Jammu from Pakistani occupation. The J&K Ex-Services League organised an event to mark the martyrdom day of Brig Rajinder Singh, also called the Saviour of Kashmir, who laid down his life to stop the raiders at Uri. Those who were present on the occasion included Maj-Gen Dushyant Singh, GoC 26 Infantry Division, Brig JS Rajpurohit, Deputy GoC, 26 Infantry Division. Brig RS Langeh (retd), Director, Rajya Sainik Board. The Bhartiya Janata Party, Duggar Vichar Manch (DVM) and JK Peoples Forum (JKPF) also observed the day. The J&K Study Centre, a group of intellectuals, also celebrated the event and organised a function during which several speakers highlighted the significance of October 26 in the history of modern India. BJP’s (Sharnarthi Cell) organised a function at Gadigrah. The programme was attended by state general secretary Ashok Koul, state vice-president Vivodh Gupta, state election campaign committee secretary Sat Sharma and state spokesperson Arun Gupta. Speaking on the occasion, Koul said that Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of India and shall remain so. Sanjeevani Sharda Kendra (SSK) also celebrated the day to mark the accession of J&K with the country. Noted jurist and constitutional expert BL Saraf highlighted the salient aspects of the process of accession to the country by the then Maharaja Hari Singh said that the constitutional validity of the Accession to the Union of India was complete in all respects.
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Flood despair: Saffron produce may be 60 per cent less this year
Anantnag, October 26 The saffron growers had to change the seed, under the National Saffron Mission, but were unable to carry out the process. Saffron is considered to be one of the costliest spices in the world and is grown in abundance in Pampore town and its peripheries. The harvest season of saffron commences from October 15 every year in Kashmir. Pampore town in Pulwama district was one of the worst-affected areas in the floods. Most parts of Pampore town were inundated. While most of the saffron land lies in the “karewas” (elevated table-land), some of the land is low-lying and prone to floods. The crop on the rest of the land has been damaged by the rain. “Saffron unlike other crops does not need much pre-harvest work but some tilling and spraying of fertilisers needs to be done every year to be assured that the crop is good,” said Mushtaq Ahmad, a saffron grower from the Kadlabal area of the town. The pre-harvest work commences early September and has to be completed in the same month. “The unfortunate part was that almost all growers were trapped in the floodwaters and there was no way we could reach our land and carry out work,” said another saffron grower, Muzaffar Ahmad. President of the Saffron Growers Association Abdul Majeed said the produce would be about 60 per cent less this season. “Whatever was unaffected by the floods was damaged by rain. It has been a catastrophe to say the least,” Majeed said. Under the National Saffron Mission, the saffron growers are encouraged to change the seed every four years to ensure better quality crop. Many growers had to change the seed this year but most of them could not complete the
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Varsity to revive marketing course
Jammu, October 26 The decision was taken during a meeting of the University Syndicate which met under the chairmanship of the Vice-Chancellor, Prof MPS Isser. The meeting also endorsed the statutes governing the Choice-Based Credit System for different courses. BB Vyas, Principal Secretary to Chief Minister/Administrative Secretary to the Government, Finance Department, Financial Adviser (Universities) also attended the meeting. Prof Isser welcomed the members and appreciated their efforts, particularly of BB Vyas in guiding the university on various academic and administrative matters. The Vice-Chancellor also informed the syndicate about various activities and initiatives taken especially the implementation of the semester system at the undergraduate level and Choice-Based Credit System at the post-graduate level. In this 105th meeting of the syndicate, 38 items on the agenda were presented by Prof MK Dhar, Registrar, University of Jammu. Decisions were also taken on other academic and administrative issues. The meeting was attended by Professor RD Sharma, Department of Commerce; Prof Desh Bandhu Gupta, Director CDC; Prof Jigar Mohammad, Dean Social Sciences. Prof Kuldeep Sharma, Dean Life Sciences; Prof Geeta Sumble, Head, Department of Botany; Prof Kiran Bakshi, Principal, Govt College for Women, Gandhi Nagar; and Prof Sameeru Sharma, Principal, Govt College of Engg & Tech; JK Sharma, Special Secretary to Vice-Chancellor; and PP Sharma, Assistant Registrar, Co-ordination; were also present. |
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Poultry sector in Pulwama suffers heavy losses
Pulwama, October 26 The district, which leads in poultry production, has 1,250 registered farms and many others are operating without registration. An official data revealed that the production had gone down by 40 per cent. According to the data, 5 lakh birds were washed away by the floodwaters and about 200 farms collapsed in these areas with almost 50 per cent farms suffering partial damages. “The farms were full of birds as Eid-ul-Azha was ahead and the season for marriage ceremonies was in the offing,” said Gulzar Ahmad Dar, a resident of Sethar Gund, who lost 3,000 birds along with his farm. Many farm holders in Pulwama are mostly youth, who have established their units after borrowing money from banks under self- employment scheme and have not paid back the loans. “It is difficult to deposit the loan money to banks as we have lost everything,” said Sajjad Ahmad, a resident of Nowpora Ullar, who had borrowed Rs 3 lakh from Jammu and Kashmir Bank under a self-employment loan scheme. Poultry development officer (PDO), Pulwama, Nazir Ahmad said losses had been witnessed throughout the district, but the farms in the flood plains were the worst hit. “Astonishingly, the poultry sector was nowhere in the proforma, which was provided by the government for assessing losses,” he said, adding that they had to add it later after deliberations with the Deputy Commissioner. He said most of the productive farms had been lost in the floods and farm holders needed to be rehabilitated as soon as possible. “We have many farms at the Industrial Growth Centre, Lassipora, but they do not rear birds throughout the year. This flood plain belt worked round the year,” Nazir said, adding that farm holders would not be
able to begin for almost one year. Trail of destruction
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Samiti for weeding out old records in Navodaya Vidyalayas
Jammu, October 26 Sources said the apex body has asserted that efforts should be made to keep a reasonable ratio between creation and destruction of records so as to make adequate floor area available to public and staff. Sources said that the records to be preserved should be maintained after their recording according to the provisions of Manual of Office Procedure, so as to help in quick retrieval, economic handling and safe custody. The Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti has proposed the appointment of a senior officer as Liaisoning Officer to monitor the progress of weeding out of old records. It stated that the office should also check the utility of records kept for future maintenance to ensure that unwanted records are not kept. “Necessary programmes may be worked out
and circulated for observance of the drive meticulously. No record will actually be destroyed without prior sanction of the competent authority,” a statement stated. Sources claimed that instructions were also issued wherein it is mentioned that files pertaining to court cases which are pending for disposal and where the final outcome of the case is awaited or appeal has been filed against the order yet to be disposed off by the court/respective authority or court judgment is received but yet to be implemented should be not weeded out unless the case is completely settled at the level of the appropriate authority. Files pertaining to procurement/financial transactions should be weeded out only after completion of audit and after audit objections, if any, and after they get settled. Files/ documents required in connection with pending/ ongoing departmental inquiries/ investigations should not be weeded out unless such cases are finally disposed off by the competent authority. Streamlining record-keeping
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Deluge damages
Kashmir valley’s heritage sites
Srinagar, October 26 The shrine of Shah-e-Hamdan or Khanqah-e-Moula is one of the oldest Muslim shrines in Srinagar. Situated on the bank of the Jhelum in the old city, the shrine was built in 1395 by Sultan Sikander in memory of great Sufi saint Mir Syed Ali Hamdan. The shrine, however, was reconstructed by Sultan Hassan Shah in 1493 after being ravaged by fire in 1480. Again in 1731 it was Abul Barkat who reconstructed to restore it from its damages. The September 7 floods damaged the woodwork on the ground floor of the heritage shrine as the water seeped into the wooden ground. Keeping its historic importance alive, the shrine also finds its mention in UNESCO’s world heritage list. The Muslim Waqf Board, which takes care of the shrines and mosques in the Valley, said they were yet to come up with the figures of actual damage to these shrines. “The floods damaged the rare wood architecture on the floor and its ‘hamam’. The heritage mosque of the shrine has been badly damaged in the floods. According to our estimate, the total damages caused to these religious places must be around 11-12 crore, which includes four shrines,” said chairman of the Muslim Waqf Board, Kashmir, MY Qadri. The Sufi shrine Khanqa-h-Mola is an example of old wooden architecture. The building has a wonderful mélange of wood carving, colourful green and yellow painting on the walls and a dominant spire on top and papier mache work on its walls. The deluge which also caused huge devastation in south Kashmir damaged the shrine of Hazrat Nassar-Din (RA) popularly known as Naseeb-ud-din Gazi (RA) in Bijbhehara. Gazi who was from Rawalpindi had come with his father to Kashmir. He constructed 1,200 mosques, bathrooms, musafir khanas, bridges and planted trees on both sides of roads. Naseeb-ud-din Gazi, according to some reports, was buried at Bijbehara, 7 km from Anantnag town, where the shrine is located. It was constructed there by Haji Baba (Sheikh Fateh-ud-din Abdual Rehman), but later it was reconstructed by his son Baba Mohd Zahid in 1715. “The floods partially damaged the centuries old Shrine of Baba Naseeb-u-din Gazi, which is of great religious importance in the Valley,” said Qadri. The 500- year-old Shrine of Shah Naimatullah Qadri that is located in old city’s Safakadal has also been damaged due to the floodwaters which seeped into the shrine damaging its wood architecture, the members of the Wakf board said. Experts who work for the protection of heritage sites in the Valley estimate that around 200 historic sites have been damaged due to the deluge in the Valley. “There are nearly 200 heritage sites damaged due to the floods, many of them built during the British Era. Some of which are situated in the areas of Shivpora, Sonwar, Lal Chowk and other civil line areas. The loss to heritage in Kashmir is immense,” said Saleem Beg, who heads the Indian National trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTAC), Kashmir. In old city’s Zaina Kadak, the deluge also entered into the 15th century monument which is situated on the bank of the Jhelum near Zainakadal in Srinagar known as Mazar-e Salateen. It is a burial ground called Mazar-e-Salateen, which was damaged by the floods where King Zain-ul-Abideen, his mother, Sultan Sikander, and Mirza Hyder Dughlat are buried. The floodwaters damaged its architecture there which was a remarkable example of Shahmiri architecture. Near the Mazar, there is a tomb of Sultan Zain-ul-Abideen’s mother, Miradevi. The Sultan (1420-1470), known as ‘Budshah’ or the Great King, constructed it in 1465 AD.
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Pvt schools to go for mass promotions till Class
VII
Srinagar, October 26 The state government had earlier announced that all the examinations would be held in March in the aftermath of floods in the Valley. However, private schools have been opposing the decision saying that holding exams in March will lead to loss of one academic year of students. The next academic session for private schools will begin on November 1. Private Schools United Front general secretary GN Var said if the state government decides to oppose their move, they would go to court. They came down heavily on the government for almost “destroying the education sector with their ill plans” at their conference. “They announced temporary March session that is threatening two years of our students and in case they don’t make March examinations a permanent feature, they should expect violation of these unjustified rules from us,” said Abdul Qayoom Wani, chairman, Jammu and Kashmir Teachers’ Forum, and president, Employees Joint Action Committee. “The March session suits our students as it will make them more equipped to compete not only at national level but also at global levels,” he said. Wani urged civil society to come forward and save the education sector from vested interests who wanted to make it a political fodder. Kashmir Economic Alliance (KEA) president Showkat Chowdhary also slammed the government for lack of vision in developing the education sector. “It seems our education system has been hijacked by a few schools and the government works on their whims. But all this needs to be changed,” said Choudhary. “Schools need to get united for the betterment of society as our future generation is handled by them,” he added. Choudhary said the Kashmir Economic Alliance (KEA) was already in touch with the government for compensating schools that were damaged due to the floods. “Be it rehabilitation or review of their March examination policy, we are in touch with them and we won’t rest till the issues are resolved,” said Choudhary. GN Shaheen, member, Bar association, also spoke on the occasion and termed the current government education policy flawed. |
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Govt failed to put flood-affected areas back on track: PDP
Srinagar, October 26 Addressing people in various villages of the Pattan constituency in north Kashmir, the PDP president said despite the arrival of Muharram month, the government continued to remain in slumber with regard to preparations in flood-affected areas. Mehbooba claimed that the unfair distribution of the relief had turned out to be another misery for the already perturbed people as the undeserving people continued to plunder whereas the deserving ones were left at the mercy of the situation sans any help. Castigating the state dispensation over causing “serious scarcity of ration” in the flood-ravaged areas, Mehbooba claimed that ration depots were locked and people were left to starve along with their families. She added that the government claims of free ration to the victims turned out to be a “hoax in the end as the people are denied even the paid ration facility”. “Instead of listening to their woes, the government has multiplied them through its partial and biased approach adopted during the relief distribution. What victims observe on ground is the absence of the state machinery. This anarchic approach must end so that the agonised people of the state could have a sigh of relief from this turbulent regime,” Mehbooba said while addressing people in Pattan. Meanwhile, PDP Member of Parliament Tariq Karra on Sunday appealed the Election Commission of India (ECI) to prevent implementation of the transfer orders issued by the Jammu and Kashmir government on Saturday.
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Students wield brooms to clean flood-hit city
Srinagar, October 26 “Most of our schools and colleges in Lal Chowk are yet to be made functional because of a lot of muck and mud. Instead of relying on the authorities and the state government to clean the mess, we have decided to clean our schools and colleges, so that they should start functioning soon. A lot of time has already been wasted post the floods because we are awaiting the government to do something,” Mubashir Ahmad, a student volunteer, said. Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has also joined the Swachh Bharat brigade after he was nominated by actor Salman Khan. Omar joined Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) officials on October 23 evening for its night clearance operations in the flood-hit city, an effort which was lauded by Prime Minister Modi. Students said using social networking sites for promoting the cleanliness campaign was a good idea. “I think like the ice bucket challenge, which was hugely popular in the west, we could use the cleanliness campaign here and nominate our friends and colleagues,” Sama, a student of Presentation Convent School, Rajbagh, said.
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Pulwama residents worried about deletion of names from records
Pulwama, October 26 “My father is 90-years-old. Twelve members of our family used to get ration on his ration card. Now it has been declared invalid by the storekeeper concerned,” said son of Ali Mohamad
Ahangar, a resisdent of Bellow Dargund. He said if they would not get ration they will be forced to come out on streets. The residents said they were kept in dark by the revenue officials concerned, who had submitted the revised list to the Deputy Commissioner’s office. They demanded their names should be registered back in the records at the earliest so that they don’t have to suffer any more. They alleged that the revenue officials in these areas did not conduct the surveys efficiently. “Most of the people whose ration cards have been termed invalid are from poor background,” said one of the residents. Deputy Commissioner,
Pulwama, Sajad Ahmad Khan said the issue was brought into his notice and he would summon the revenue officials who were assigned the job. “If anybody’s name has been deleted I would direct the officials concerned to re-register them and distribute ration among them,” Khan said. |
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Hindi play brings govt office to life
Jammu, October 26 In the office, each employee has his own style of functioning. As they have job security, no one bothers about punctuality. On the contrary, they have their own reasons to modify rules and regulations as per their convenience. The common vices like red tapism, nepotism, favoritism, corruption, absenteeism and sycophancy, which are generally associated with such offices, are prominently shown in the presentation. The office has a peon who listens to no one as nobody can remove him from his permanent job. No one, even the boss, has courage to say anything to him as he knows everyone’s secrets. On the top of it, the head of the department, who is supposed to maintain punctuality in the office, himself shirks his duties and remains absent from the office on personal engagements. The only person who is able to muster respect from this stubborn peon is an official who is related to a minister.
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Parties get into poll mode, opt for hoardings, posters to woo voters
Jammu, October 26 The elections to the 87-member J&K Assembly are scheduled to be held in five phases. The first phase will be on November 25 while the counting will be held on December 23. “Autorickshaws with posters of contesting candidates is now a common sight on busy roads. Similarly, large hoardings and banners of political parties are catching the eye of commuters on all important and busy roads,” said Sunil Kumar, 35, a resident of Jammu. He said autorickshaws fitted with loudspeakers will soon hit the roads as a part of the campaigning. “Everyone is in election mode in the state,” he said. Vivek Sharma, a government teacher while welcoming the Assembly polls in the state, said political leaders had started approaching voters with their agendas. “Although the Election Commission announced the Assembly polls yesterday, political parties had started campaigning a few months ago. We have been finding large hoardings of political parties along the roads and the highway, while pamphlets with agendas of contesting candidates are being distributed to people through newspapers,” he said. The teacher, however, said people should apply their mind before casting their votes and electing their new representatives for the next six years. Meanwhile, the contesting candidates and their supporters have also started political campaigns on social networking sites. |
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PDP reconstitutes youth wing ahead of elections
Srinagar, October 26 “It has been reconstituted to re-energise the youth of the party and provide youth of the state an opportunity and a platform to channelise their talent towards the betterment of the state,” said a PDP leader, adding that the party believes that the youth have a crucial and important role to play in changing the political and governance narrative of the state. The party had dissolved the youth wing before the parliamentary elections in May. After the PDP’s victory in the Lok Sabha elections, a pass out of Islamic University, Awantipora, Waheed-Ur-Rehman Parra, was nominated as the president of the party’s youth wing. The party leader said the youth would play an important role in the upcoming elections where the party is eyeing majority on its own. “Besides working on the ground, the youth wing will ensure that the party is massively active on social networking sites and project the party’s stand on online platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube to garner more support for the party,” he said. “They will ensure that the party’s programme and agenda reach out to the maximum number of people, particularly the youth,” he added. A PDP spokesman said the party’s youth wing president, Waheed-Ur-Rehman Parra, after the approval of party president Mehbooba Mufti, had announced the structure of the PDP youth wing today. Journalist-turned-politician Tahir Sayeed has been nominated as the general secretary of the youth wing. The other general secretaries include Choudhary Talib Hussain, Imran Khaki (in charge of cyber media), Dr Harbaksh Singh and Shuja Sarwar. Javaid Trali has been made the state secretary of the party’s youth wing. The PDP has also nominated office-bearers for the student wing, district presidents, coordinators and members for its online team. |
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BOPEE to reduce number of questions in entrance test
Srinagar, October 26 The Board of Professional Entrance Examinations (BOPEE), which conducts the entrance test, has decided to reduce the number of questions in each paper from 75 to 60. The marks allotted to each paper will also be 60. The 2015 CET exam will be delayed as the state government has decided to conduct the board examination for Class X and XII in March. “It has been a trend in the Valley that the CET is conducted after the board exams. As against the routine schedule of the entrance test in May-June, the exam will be held much later,” said Farooq Ahmad Mir, Controller of Exams, BOPEE. He said the syllabus for the CET has also been altered in tandem with the syllabus of the J&K Board of School Education and the Central Board of School Education (CBSE). “In our schools, both state board and CBSE exam patterns are followed. Therefore, we have taken that into consideration. Subject experts from the University of Jammu and the University of Kashmir have also been taken on board in framing the syllabus,” Mir said. He said the time duration for each paper had been fixed as 60 minutes. “The exams will be held for two days like earlier. Physics and chemistry on one day and biology and mathematics the next day. There were suggestions that like at the national-level competitive exams, we may conduct the exams of physics, chemistry and biology and physics, chemistry and mathematics in a single paper format. However, that plan has been shelved as of now,” he said. Examination pattern
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Youth Cong leader likely to join BJP
Udhampur, October 26 Pathania had contested as an independent in the last Assembly elections from the Ramnagar segment and is most likely to contest as the BJP candidate from the same constituency this
time. Pathania, who was earlier general secretary of the Pradesh Youth Congress Committee, was recently appointed as the Congress working president of Udhampur district. In a letter to Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee
(JKPCC) chief Saifuddin Soz, a copy of which has also been forwarded to party’s general secretary and in charge J&K affairs Ambika Soni and Ghulam Nabi
Azad, Pathania refused to accept the new assignment citing “personal reasons”. He, however, stated: “My resentment with senior leaders is there and it is well known to all concerned within the party.” A copy of Pathania’s letter was forwarded to all media organisations by the
JKPCC. The youth leader, who had secured nearly 10,000 votes in the previous Assembly elections after being denied party ticket by the Congress, seems to be annoyed with the high command and has reportedly held internal talks with his supporters at Majalta and Manwal regarding his prospects in the
BJP. Pathania’s appointment made it clear that he would not be given a ticket to contest from
Ramnagar, following which he seems to have made his mind to join the BJP. |
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ECB official to train city cricketers
Jammu, October 26 Arjun Chowdhary, MD of KC Sports Club, is an exchange programme alumnus of Ellesmere College, UK, where he had the opportunity to train with Jones. During his 14-day stay in Jammu, Jones intends to interact with young cricket enthusiasts of Jammu through a series of workshops and training sessions at the Yuvraj Singh Centre of Excellence. He will also train the students of KC Public School during his stay in the city. Budding cricketers at the Yuvraj Singh Centre can practice both outdoors and indoors. The indoor cricket centre houses nine wickets which includes five fast and four spin lanes. The wickets have been imported from New Zealand. The centre also has two imported bowling machines that deliver the ball in a range from 30 to 99 miles per hour. These also have the option of spin and swing. Coaching plan
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Missing youths in Pulwama, Shopian feared to have joined militant
ranks
Pulwama, October 26 The maximum number of youths are suspected to have joined the Lashkar-e-Toiba
(LeT) and Hizbul Mujahideen, sources said. They said about 50 militants were active in Pulwama and
Shopian. “The number of militants was around 26 two months ago and now it is around 47 as many youths have joined the militant outfits in the last two months,” a source said. As per official records, around 26 militants are operating in Pulwama and
Shopian. Of them, 20 are locals and six are foreigners. The records further said the LeT had become more influential with 15 active militants of which two had A++ grade and two had A+ grade while four others were categorised as A grade militants. The Hizb ranked at number two and had seven active militants while the
Jaish-e-Mohammad had only three. A senior police officer said the recent joining was not alarming as most of the youths who had turned militants were either overground workers or had been registered in different police stations against anti-social activities. “We recently apprehended Abid
Magray, a LeT militant, who disclosed that most of youths had turned to militancy because they had craze for guns and most of the new recruits were in the age group of 18 to 20,” he said, adding that Abid had said many wanted to surrender. |
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LeT module busted, 8 held
Srinagar, October 26 “The Sopore Police with the assistance of 30 Rashtriya Rifles busted a recruitment module of
Laskhar, thus averting a major terror and subversion plan of the militants,” said a police spokesperson. “Eight members of the module were arrested from different areas of Sopore town and adjoining areas,” the spokesperson said. “The local boys were recruited into the outfit building a network of Lashkar operatives who were bent upon executing various terrorist actions in and around Sopore in criminal conspiracy with a foreign terrorist of the group, Umer
Khitab,” the police said. The spokesperson further said Khitab was operating in Sopore and has been taking directions from the Pakistan-based
Hanzulla. “After being indoctrinated with the jihadi ideology, the group members had formally joined the LeT and were provided communication gadgets and weaponry. The module members were preparing for terrorist actions,” he added. Those who have been arrested include Rayees Ahmad Bhat, Sajad Ahmad Bhat, Shabir Ahmad Kumar, Lateef Ahmad Gujar, Zubair Ahmad Gujar, Mohammad Qasim Gujar, Mohammad Iqbal Gujar and Hakim Din Gujar. Eight UBGL, five Chinese grenades and 100 AK-47 rounds were recovered from the arrested members, the spokesperson said, adding that an FIR has been registered in this regard. |
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Rs 5 crore needed for restoration of flood-hit Jammu-Pathankot highway, says NHAI
Jammu, October 26 “We have carried out some temporary restoration on the highway and assessed the damage. The restoration will cost about Rs 5 crore,” said RP Singh, Project Director, NHAI, Jammu. He, however, said the funds were not an issue and the restoration work would be carried soon. “Funds are not an issue for the NHAI. We were planning to start the restoration after Diwali…the work will start within few days.” The 95-km-long highway has developed potholes at various places giving tough time to the commuters. “The Jammu-Pathankot national highway was one of the best in the state, but when I traveled to Amritsar last week it had become so bumpy. The recent floods might have damaged it. But more than a month has passed since then and it should have been restored
by now,” said Vivesh Sharma, a Jammu-based businessman. Ashok Singh from Samba said: “We approached the highway authorities and informed them about the damage to the road, but they seem to be busy with the paper work.
The restoration work is being delayed...”
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Muslim New Year begins
Srinagar, October 26 Imam Hussain, the grandson of Prophet Muhammad, had attained martyrdom during the 7th century battle of Karbala in the present day Iraq. Shias hold a series of religious functions and also take out processions especially during the first 10 days of Muharram. While the government has been disallowing major Muharram processions, which used to be taken out on Muharram 8 and 10 in the summer capital, several bodies have been demanding lifting of the ban. Traditionally on Muharram 8, Shia Muslims in large numbers used to march from Guru Bazar and proceed through the Lal Chowk area of the city before the grand procession culminated at Dal Gate. |
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Women store firewood for winter
Kupwara,
October 26 Women usually collect the remains of
deodar and kiel trees and stock it for the winter. They are also busy burning
leaves of walnut and chinar trees to make coal for firepots. Locals said
shortage of cooking gas and Kerosene usually worsens in the winter so they
stock enough firewood to fight the chill, especially in December and January.
“In the absence of cooking gas and kerosene, firewood is the only option left
with people in villages,” said Rafiq Ahmad from Manzhar. A majority of
people use kangris (firepots) to keep themselves warm in winter.
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Congress leader Sham Lal Sharma, who resigned from the Council of Ministers on Friday, today reiterated his resolve to raise his voice for the people of the Jammu region.
Saffron growers in south Kashmir’s Pampore town fear a low yield this season as hundreds of hectares of land under saffron cultivation was inundated by the recent floods and some of the land was left untended during the harvest season.
The saffron growers had to change the seed, under the National Saffron Mission, but were unable to carry out the process.
The recent deluge that devastated the entire city has caused huge damages to historic sites, including architecture of centuries-old four shrines in
the Valley. The shrine of Shah-e-Hamdan or Khanqah-e-Moula is one of the oldest Muslim shrines in Srinagar.
A group of students in the city took up brooms to clean various schools and colleges at Lal Chowk, Srinagar, after floods that had caused massive destruction in Srinagar.
Inspired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, the students said volunteering for cleanliness could prove to be an effective tool for reviving the education sector in the Valley.
Gandhi’s assassination,” said Gurdyal Singh.
He said that various commissions had been constituted from time to time, but disbanded each time or their recommendations thrown into dustbins as most were of the view that some political leaders were guilty of the killings and needed to be punished.
He appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to personally intervene in the case.
TNS
