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JKTUC
celebrates birth
anniversary of Indira
Gandhi
Excelsior
Correspondent
JAMMU,
Nov 18: The
Jammu and Kashmir Trade
Union Congress (JKTUC)
celebrated 89th birth
anniversary of former
Prime Minister, late Mrs
Indira Gandhi in a
function held here today.
Senior
Congress leader, Janak
Raj Gupta (Ex-MP) was the
chief guest on the
occasion while State unit
president of the
organisation Sewa Ram
Sharma presided over.
Rich tributes were paid
to Mrs Indira Gandhi by
the Congress activists
and others present on the
occasion.
While paying
tributes Mr Gupta
highlighted the great
role played by Indira
Gandhi in nation
building. He said this
great Congress leader
sacrificed her life for
the unity and the
national integration. He
described Mrs Gandhi as
an able administrator who
nationalised banks and
took effective steps for
improving economy of the
country besides taking
some bold decisions at
certain occasions for the
country.
Trade Union
leader, Sewa Ram in his
address termed Mrs Gandhi
as great champion of poor
and down trodden. He
pointed out that the
departed leader in order
to provide social justice
to women and poor and
down trodden people,
brought several
constitutional
amendments. She did a lot
for the workers of Public
Sector Undertakings,
Sharma maintained.
In
today’s function,
where a large number of
Trade Union Congress
Workers were present,
Janak Raj Gupta was
nominated unanimously as
chairman of the JKTUC.
Leaders and workers from
PSUs, PHE, Floriculture,
PDD etc also attended the
programme.
Prominent
among those present on
the occasion
included-Dedar Singh
(SRTC), Satish Chander,
Devinder Rathore, Pardeep
Sharma, Balwant Raj,
Jagmohan Sadhotra
(JKPCC), O P Khajuria,
Sham Lal, Mohd Iqbal, Om
Parkash and others.
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Preliminary
of Surinder Sharma
Memorial
quiz competition held
Excelsior
Correspondent
JAMMU, Nov 18: Under the
ongoing Display Your Talent Contest, Dr
Surinder Sharma Memorial Quiz Preliminary
competition was organised at Jammu
University, here today.
In the
competition, teams of GCW Udhampur,
Department of Computer Sciences, JU, KC
Law College, Department of Botany, JU,
Government Degree College Doda and MAM
College were declared qualified for the
final, which shall be held on November
20.
It may be
mentioned here that the quiz competition
of mega Display Your Talent contest has
been dedicated to Late Surinder Sharma,
who was Assistant Registrar in JU.
Earlier,
in the morning, an ‘On the Spot
Photography’ competition was
organised. A statute of Lord Krishna and
a Flower Basket were objects to be
photographed. Each participant was given
a maximum time of three minutes to click
two shots of the object. The camera as
well as the film rolls were provided by
the Department of Students Welfare, JU.
Results of
the contest will be declared later on.
Dr Sanjay
Bhatia was the Teacher Incharge while
Mulk Raj Sharma, Technical Assistant,
supervised the competition.
Tomorrow,
short story writing and on the spot essay
writing competitions will be held, said a
press release issued by the Department of
Students Welfare, JU.
Teli
Welfare Association for implementation
of
SRO 126 in toto
Excelsior
Correspondent
JAMMU, Nov 18: Teli
Welfare Association in a meeting under
the presidentship of Abdul Gani discussed
various problems facing the community
vis-a-vis judgement of Mandal Commission
recommendation.
Association
president stated that persons under RBA
were getting 20% quota while LAC getting
3%, defence personnel placed at 2% and
OBCs at 2%. Teli Biradari provincial
president Reham Din and general secretary
Hakim Din have also expressed their
concern and raised voice against neglect
of their community.
They said
while deciding a writ the High Court had
clearly directed the State Government to
implement SRO 126 in letter and spirit on
the caste basis. Association appealed the
Government to abolish SRO 294 and instead
implement SRO 126.
Manjit
alongwith experts inspect damaged
vegetable crops
Excelsior
Correspondent
JAMMU, Nov 18: Taking serious note
of the total damage to the vegetable
crops in Vijaypur constituency, the
Minister of State for Education and
Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution,
S. Manjit Singh today conducted a tour of
Tanda Burg alongwith a team of officers
of Agriculture Department and other
experts and took stock of the damages to
crops in the areas.
The
Minister visited various vegetable fields
to ascertain the cause of damage. The
experts also collected samples of various
vegetables for testing purposes.
During the
interaction with the people,
representative of the local area apprised
the Minister that vegetables spread over
an area of 1600 acres of various villages
include Tanda Burg, Dayala Chak, Chajwal,
Nai Basti, Mandhak, Chak Bhag etc have
been affected.
Speaking
on the occasion Minister assured the
farmers that agriculture experts have
been asked to ascertain the causes and
submit their report within two or three
days so that necessary measures in this
direction are initiated.
The
Director Agriculture Jammu Farooq Hakak,
Director Command Area Jammu Manzoor Shah
and Director Extension SKUAST
accompanying the Minister assured that
immediate steps for testing the vegetable
plant and cause of damage will be taken.
The
Minister also asked the experts to
inspect the industrial growth center of
Samba and report whether the cause of
damage is polluted water and air and if
found guilty take stern action against
these factory owners under law. He also
said that the factory owners if found
guilty be charged compensation for
damaging crops which would be paid to
affected farmers. He asked all the
industrialists to install effluent
treatment plants in the industrial areas
to protect air and other related
pollution.
Later,
Minister launched construction works of
Rs.8 lakhs of lanes and drains at Jhang,
Swankha and Sarba in Vijaypur
Constituency.
Chhamb
DPs to approach HRC, court for demands
Excelsior
Correspondent
JAMMU, Nov 18: A meeting of Chhamb
Displaced Persons of 1971 have decided to
approach the Human Rights Commission and
also the court of law to get their
genuine demands redressed at an earliest.
This was
stated by Chhamb Displaced Persons
Association of 1971 president S R Nagial,
while addressing a meeting of the
organization here today.
Mr Nagial
apprised the meeting about the activities
of the association for the past three
months which have not yielded any result
so far. He also told them about a meeting
the deputation of the Association had
with Revenue Secretary on November 16,
who listened to their demands with
patience and promised to acquaint himself
with all the pending problems of DPs of
1971 and asked Mr Nagial to meet him
after one week.
The DPs of
Chhamb area are demanding immediate
disbursement of cash compensation in lieu
of deficiency in allotable unit of land;
Grant of occupancy/tenancy rights on the
evacuee property alloted to them; Payment
of cash as one time dispensation to
landless families amounting to Rs 7 lakh
to each family which have neither been
alloted land nor provided any relief so
far.
Other
demands pertained to 10 per cent quota to
wards of the Chhamb DPs; Identification
of single member families which were
granted Rs 60 per month as pension for
life time and paying them cash
compensation for land allotment, because
Cabinet Order No. 578-C of 1954 as made
applicable to the DPs of 1971 does not
bar single members for allotment of land;
Grant of status of ‘Refugee’ to
all DPs from Chhamb sector; Immediate
payment of cash compensation to landless
DP families whose land has been acquired
by SICOP and SIDCO Samba/ Bari Brahmana
during the year 1999 and the like.
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13
students hurt in bus-tanker collision
One killed, 15 injured as
mini-bus turns turtle
Excelsior
Correspondent
JAMMU, Nov 18: One person was
killed and 28 others received injuries in
two separate road accidents.
Police
spokesman said that one persons as killed
and 15 others received injuries, six of
them critically, when a mini-bus bearing
registration number JK02T-187 which was
on its way from Panjthirthi to Shastri
Nagar turned at Below Gumat near General
Bus Stand.
The
vehicle was being driven very rashly and
turned turtle due to the negligence of
the driver. Police personnel deployed and
shopkeepers immediately swung into action
and shifted the injured passengers to
Government Medical College Hospital.
Soon after
the accident, the driver and the
conductor managed to escape from the spot
leaving behind the passengers mostly
girls crying for help.
One of the
injured—Ishwari, daughter of Nima
Singh of Akhnoor succumbed to injuries
while being shifted to hospital. The
condition of six injured was stated to be
critical when reports last came in.
The
injured have been identified as Reena
Choudhary, daughter of Bahadur Choudhary
of Digiana, Nisha, daughter of Girdhari
Lal of Bari Brahamana, Kunjam Dharma,
daughter of Mehdood of Gandhi Nagar,
Kiran, daughter of Baldev Raj of R S
Pura, Neetu, daughter of Baldev Raj of R
S Pura, Sapna Rajput, daughter of Pathan
Singh of Akhnoor, Sunail, daughter of
Romesh of Akhnoor, Monika Sharma,
daughter of Satish Sharma of Railway
Colony, Deepak Kalra, son of Som Nath
Kalra of Gandhi Nagar, Ayaz, son of Mohd
Shafi of Dogra Hall, Payara Lal of
Gulshan Ground, Pritam Kour, wife of
Satpaul Singh of Samba, Bandna, daughter
of Raghubir Singh of Akhnoor and Rajeev,
son of Parshotam of Pakhyan.
Due to the
accident, vehicular traffic got disrupted
for sometime and it was restored only
after the vehicle removed from the area.
Police
have registered a case in this connection
and launched hunt to nab absconding
driver and conductor of the vehicle.
In another
accident, 13 students of a school at Seri
Panditan were injured when the a school
bus carrying them collided head on with a
tanker at Agore under the jurisdiction of
Gharota Police Station.
All the
injured were rushed to Primary Health
Centre Kot Bhalwal and some of them were,
later, referred to Government Medical
College Hospital for specialised
treatment.
The
injured have been identified as Sail
Sharma, son of Kuldeep Kumar of Agore,
Rubeena, daughter of Talib Hussain of
Sarote, Aarti Jamwal, daughter of Balbir
Singh of Agore, Naseeb Singh, son of Shiv
Dev Singh of Agore, Fariqat Ali, son of
Mohd Ismail of Sarote, Kartar Chand, son
of Babu Ram of Agore, Sandhya, daughter
of Uttam Singh of Agore, Nikha, daughter
of Uttam Singh of Agore, Reeno, daughter
of Mani Ram of Agore, Shuban Sharma, son
of Ajit Kumar, Vinod Kumar, son of Kartar
Chand of Sajwal, Dildar, son of Mohd
Sadiq of Agore and Hazam Hussain, son of
Talab Hussain of Sarote.
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Gang of thieves
busted, 4 arrested in Banihal
Excelsior
Correspondent
JAMMU, Nov 18: Police
today busted a gang of thieves
operating in the Banihal area for
the past one year and have
arrested four of its members.
Several stolen goods were also
recovered from their hideouts.
Police
spokesman said that during
investigations into the theft
cases registered at Banihal
Police Station, Inspector Abid
Rafiqui under the supervision of
SDPO Banihal Yogesh Sharma
rounded up some suspects and
subjected them to sustained
questioning.
One
of them broke out during
interrogation and confessed his
involvement in several theft
cases that had taken place for
the past about eight months. He
also named his three associates
and subsequently they were
arrested from their hide-outs.
The
arrested persons have been
identified as Mohd Salim, son of
Latif Khan, Bahar Ahmed, son of
Sanaullah Dar, Gulzar Ahmed, son
of Mohi-ud-Din Dar and Naseer
Ahmed, son of Mohi-ud-Din Dar,
all the residents of village
Darpora, Banihal.
During
interrogation, all the four
thieves revealed that they were
running a gang in the Banihal
area for the past about one year
and conducted about 15 thefts
including an abortive attempt in
the Banihal branch of the State
Bank of India (SBI).
On
their disclosures, police
recovered nine cellular phones,
15 batteries of mobile phones,
two cameras, 10 bed sheets,
various types of implements being
used by them for house breaking,
several pairs of shoes, torch
cells, mobile phone chargers and
two car stereos.
With
their arrest, several theft cases
registered at Banihal Police
Station have been worked out.
These thieves had virtually
created terror in the area and
there was huge resentment among
the people.
Later,
the thieves were produced before
the court of law which remanded
them to police custody till
November 22, 2006.
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Transporters
stage dharna, block traffic on Tawi
Bridge
Excelsior
Correspondent
JAMMU, Nov 18: Traffic on
ever-busy Tawi bridge remained disrupted
for more than one hour as transporters
staged a dharna at Bikram Chowk to lodge
protest against failure of the State
Government to protect interests of the
poor transporters.
Enraged
over alleged non-serious attitude and
casual behaviour of the authorities,
transporters blocked movement of the
vehicles on the bridge resulting into
traffic jams at Bikram and Dogra Chowks.
Transporters lifted the dharna only after
Assurance of the Deputy Commissioner,
Hardesh Kumar Singh, who rushed to the
spot along with Senior Superintendent of
Police (SSP) Jammu, Mukesh Singh and
pacified them.
Since
morning transporters were seen gathering
at Bikram Chowk. When their strength
swelled they started a march towards Tawi
Bridge. Shouting slogans against the
State Government they held a dharna near
the bridge.
Transporters
alleged that the Court had given six
month time to the State Government to
constitute a committee and present a
proposal before the Court in connection
with banning plying of 25 years old
vehicles on the roads.
The Court
had given directions on May 22, 2006 but
still then the Government has not taken
any step in this regard. They alleged
that Government has been adopting casual
approach towards solving problems of the
poor transporters.
JM
issues notice to Anara Gupta
Excelsior
Correspondent
Jammu, Nov 18 : Chief Judicial
Magistrate Jammu, Sanjay Dhar today on an
application filed by Chairman Special
Investigation Team (SIT) constituted for
re-investigation of much publicized
Porno-CD Case in which Anara Gupta, was
allegedly involved, issued notice to
former Miss Jammu for her appearance.
Chief
Prosecuting Officer Maroof Ahmed Manhas
appearing for the Special Investigation
team, sought cancellation of her bail on
the various ground that Anara was
violating the condition which was imposed
upon her while granting bail to her on
November 9, 2004. Upon this, the CJM
observed that Anara was not cooperating
with the Special Investigation Team, as
she was called by by SIT, but her mother
Raj Rani said that Anara was presently
working in Mumbai. The CJM also issued
notice to Kumar Sambhav, brother of Anara
Gupta show cause as to why surety bond be
not forfeited.
Yesterday,
Chairman Special Investigation Team Jammu
filed application before CJM Jammu for
cancellation of bail and surety bond of
Miss Anara Gupta in case FIR No 25/2005
registered with police station Women Cell
u/s 292/293 RPC r/w section 7
Cinematograph Act, 4 Prevention of
Immoral Traffic Act r/w section 67
Information Technology Act.
In the
application it has been submitted that
the CJM Jammu has directed for
re-investigation of the porno-cd case and
as per the direction of the CJM,
re-investigation by Special Investigation
Team has been conducting and Anara Gupta,
the main suspect involved in the alleged
porno-cd case, was required for
investigation. For this purpose, summon
was issued against her to appear before
Special Investigation Team through her
mother Raj Rani but she failed to appear.
In the
application it has been prayed that
bail-bond and surety bond of Anara Gupta
may be cancelled and fresh warrant for
her arrest be issued.
BJP
urges UPA Govt to take firm steps against
terrorism
Excelsior
Correspondent
JAMMU, Nov 18: Maintaining that
situation has changed in the world today
and the people who were earlier siding
with Pakistan or separatists see the
Kashmir problem with Indian view point
also, former president of State Bhartiya
Janata Party (BJP), Dr Nirmal Singh said
adding that it was now upto UPA
Government at Centre to show how hard
stand it takes on the issue of terrorism
in Kashmir.
"The
UPA has to take Opposition into
confidence and be firm in dealing with
terrorism," said BJP State president
Dr Nirmal Singh while talking to
reporters here today after his return
from three days Pugwash meet held at
Cairo from November 11 to 16.
It (UPA
Government) should also take steps to
hold seminars and conferences to discuss
the internal issues like self rule and
autonomy, he added.
Elaborating
about the Pugwash meet, he said the
formulas of autonomy, self rule or
secession of Kashmir from rest of India,
was outrightly rejected by him. "My
stress was on adoption of a holistic
approach on the Kashmir issue by the
concerned parties".
Dr Singh
said he made it clear to the delegates
representing Pakistan, POK and Jammu and
Kashmir that Indians will not accept any
suggestion on Kashmir that is guided by
religious considerations.
The BJP
leader said while keeping his view point
in the meeting, he also made it clear
that J&K on Indian side consists of
three regions whose aspirations are
contradictory and exclusive to those of
separatists.
"My
views were also that happenings in POK
and Gilgit-Baltistan can’t be
overlooked and it is now no secret that
the people there are clamouring for
democracy or a system of Government in
which their say is real and
effective", he added.
He said
the conference was told in unequivocal
terms by him that so long as the cross
border terrorism exists, the possibility
of peace process moving forward is
remote.
Dr Singh
said that he also was categorical that
the solution of the problem lies in frame
work of present Indian boundaries.
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IGP asks
cops, Katra people to be
courteous towards
pilgrims
Excelsior
Correspondent
KATRA, Nov 18: Cementing
its relations with the civilian,
Jammu Police today organised a
police-public meeting in the holy
town of Katra wherein large
number of people from several
villages participated.
Inspector
General of Police (IGP) Jammu Dr
S P Vaid chaired the meeting and
sought the cooperation of the
people in maintaining law and
order in the town.
He
said that police personnel as
well as locals civilians and
traders should be courteous while
dealing with the pilgrims coming
from across the country and
foreign so that they could get
good message about the State and
its people.
About
the development of the town, the
IGP stressed that Municipal
Council Katra should chalk out a
model plan for the town so that
all facilities could be provided
to the pilgrims.
Though
people didn’t raise any law
and order related problem yet
they highlighted many grievances
with regard to other departments
and IGP assured them to bring the
same to the notice of concerned
officers. The people also
appreciated role of Katra Police.
DIG
Udhampur-Doda Range Lalatindu
Mohanty, Senior Superintendent of
Police (SSP) Udhampur Prithvi Raj
Manhas, Additional SP Katra Ashok
Sharma, SDPO Katra Dr Ramneesh
Gupta, SHO Katra Inspector S S
Sambyal, President of Municipal
Council Katra Mulkh Raj Purohit
and Sham Lal Kessar, president of
Hotel Association Katra were
among others who attended the
meeting.
Kalakot mine
workers fighting for justice
Excelsior
Correspondent
JAMMU, Nov 18: State
committee of Centre of Indian
Trade Unions (CITU) has urged
upon the Chief Minister Ghulam
Nabi Azad to redress the long
pending demands of the coal mine
workers of Kalakot in district
Rajouri.
The
coal mine workers are sitting on
chain hunger strike for the last
70 days but the State government,
especially the Minister for
Industries have ignored to spare
time to listen to the woes of the
poor workers who are extracting
coal risking their lives. A
worker is given only Rs 72 per
day for extracting coal worth Rs
1200 a day.
The
state secretariat of CITU in a
meeting held here under the
chairmanship of working president
Javaid Zargar, discussed problems
of the workers and strongly
criticised the government for
turning Nelson’s eye towards
their plight.
Mr
Zargar said the poor mine workers
were demanding cost of living
index pending for the last four
years. This allowance is paid
after six months halfly
calculated on industrial price
index. He said the prices of
essential commodities have
already gone sky high but the
workers have been deprived of
their due share. The workers, who
have rendered services of more
than ten years are still given
break in service after 90 days,
thus barring them for the
enrollment in the Coal Mine
Provident Fund contribution, he
added.
K
K Bakshi, Nirdosh Uppal and Om
Parkash also spoke in the
meeting.
Praja Parishad
holds rally against price rise
Excelsior
Correspondent
JAMMU, Nov 18: J&K
Praja Parishad held a rally
against the rising prices of
essential commodities at village
Darmkhu Marjali near Ambgarota
Jammu on Friday.
The
rally was presided over by
Narayan Dutt Pujari. In the rally
71 political activists joined the
Praja Parishad. They were taken
into Party fold by the state
president of Praja Parishad,
Chander Mohan Sharma and
Balwinder Kour, district
president of Mahila Praja
Parishad.
Mr
Sharma appointed Kumari Shami
Narayan as district general
secretary of Mahila Praja
Parishad on the occasion.
Addressing
the rally the local leaders
expressed their resentment
against the Government
particularly PHE Department for
not supplying drinking water to
the villagers. They also demanded
pacca road to their village and
said that inspite of repeated
demands the administration has
not cared for the basic problems
of the villagers.
Mr
Chander Mohan Sharma assured the
people that their genuine
problems will be taken up with
the Government immediately. He
also announced that Party will
resort to agitational path if the
demands were not solved.
He
held the wrong policies of UPA
Government responsible for
unprecedented price rise and
alleged that the food items were
never so costly as these are at
present.
He
also alleged that due to its
failure to contain the prices,
the Government was giving undue
advantage to hoarders and
blackmarketers.
The
rally among others was addressed
by Haji Sardar Mohammed Khatana,
Rishi Kesh Prasher and Arvind
Sharma.
Social justice to
Gujjars denied in J&K: Javaid
Rahi
Excelsior
Correspondent
JAMMU, Nov 18:
Tribal Research and
Cultural Foundation secretary,
Javaid Rahi has alleged that
Tribal status has failed to
provide social justice to the
Gujjars in the Jammu and Kashmir
State.
While
releasing a recent survey
conducted on the Tribe in the
State by the Foundation, Mr Rahi
revealed that Gujjars comprise
nearly 15 % population in the
State while its representation in
the State’s administration,
police, judiciary, health and
education sectors is almost
negligible.
Mr
Rahi claimed that in last 15
years, even the Tribal status has
failed to improve the social and
education status of Gujjars. He
said government should initiate
various steps and announce
various packages to bring Gujjar
tribe in the main stream. He
alleged that this community has
always been exploited as a vote
bank and even the political
parties with the votes of Gujjars
assume power.
Mr
pointed out that according to
survey there was only one Gujjar
under secretary in the whole
Civil Secretariat and no IAS/IPS
officer in the State. In civil
administration, judiciary, health
and police Gujjars have been
marginalised to almost zero. The
schemes launched for the welfare
of Gujjars are being diverted and
10 % reservation under ST is
being utilised by ten other
non-Gujjar tribes like Boot,
Bada, Balti,Gaddi, Sippi, Drokpa,
Champa, Mr Rahi maintained.
PCC Minority Cell
holds meet
Excelsior
Correspondent
JAMMU, Nov 18: Minority
Cell of Pradesh Congress
Committee (PCC) held a meeting of
displaced Pandits here today
under the chairmanship of C L
Bhat, its general secretary and
Member AICC.
The
meeting, which deliberated on
various issues concerning the
displaced Pandits was informed by
Mr Bhat that the issue of
enhancement of cash relief and
bifurcation of ration cards are
likely to be finalized shortly as
a team of four members headed by
M L Mattoo is pursuing the case
with Union Government in Delhi at
present.
The
meeting showed its satisfaction
over the steps taken by the Chief
Minister , Ghulam Nabi Azad in
construction of two room sets in
double shifts and expressed the
hope that the quarters will be
completed soon.
Mr
R L Raina member, State Apex
Committee on Migrants has
expressed the hope that the
Government will fulfill the
promises and take effective steps
in mititgating the problems of
the displaced people.
Mr
K J Kaul stressed the displaced
people to be united. The meeting
among others was attended by Hira
Lal, Tej Krishen and M L Peshin.
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