CM
inaugurates building of CEPAMS
Excelsior
Correspondent
Jammu, Apr 21: Chief Minister
Ghulam Nabi Azad inaugurated the
double-storey building of the Centre for
Excellence in Public Administration &
Management Studies of the J&K Chapter
of the Indian Institute of Public
Administration (IIPA) here today.
The
building has been completed in two years
at a cost of Rs. 45 lakh. The inaugural
function was attended, among others, by
legislator, Raman Bhalla, former Chief
Secretary and Chairman, J&K, Regional
Branch of IIPA, S. S. Bleoria, Director
General of Police, Kuldeep Khoda,
Chairman, J&K Police Housing
Corporation, Rajan Bakhshi, Vigilance
Commissioner, Ashok Bhan and Vice
Chancellor, Jammu University, Prof.
Amitabh Mattoo.
The
project has been executed by J&K
Police Housing Corporation.
The IIPA
had been established in 1954 while its
J&K Chapter was started in 1978. It
has 311 life members, 11 annual members
and 4 associate members.
Transporters
observe complete strike
Excelsior
Correspondent
JAMMU, Apr 21: All sorts of
passenger vehicles today remained off the
road across the Jammu province as the
transporters observed one day token
strike in protest against indifferent
attitude of the Government towards them.
Since
November 2007, the transporters have been
pressing hard for the revision of
passenger fares and freight but the
Government continued to ignore them
forcing the transporters to give a call
for one day token strike.
After
successful token strike across the
province, the transporters have decided
to go in for indefinite strike if their
demands were not fulfilled by the State
Government within a week’s time.
On the
call of token strike given by the Jammu
Province Passengers Transport Vehicles
Association, the transporters kept their
vehicles off the road throughout the day
both in urban and rural areas of the
province putting people to lots of
inconvenience.
The
attendance in the Government offices was
not much as large number of employees
could not reach their work place due to
non-availability of any mode of
transport. Majority of the schools
particularly private ones had declared
holiday today in order to avoid any
inconvenience to the students in reaching
to the educational institutions in the
absence of passenger vehicles.
A large
number of people including the visitors
from outside the State were seen covering
the distance on foot alongwith their
baggages as even the autorickshaw
operators too preferred to keep their
vehicles off the road.
According
to the hand-out issued by the
Association, the transporters were not in
a position to ply their vehicles without
the hike in passenger fares in view of
steep hike in the fuel and lubricant
prices.
"Implementation
of VAT, 180 per cent hike in the
insurance and 8.4 per cent Service Tax
have made it tough for us to continue
with the services", the transporters
said, adding "our leaders
particularly T S Wazir approached
Government a number of times and demanded
30 per cent hike in passenger fares. He
also submitted a memorandum and cost of
operation to Fares Standing Committee
which further submitted the same to the
Government for final approval. But the
State Government preferred to remain mum
over the issue".
They
demanded revision of passenger fares,
waiving of passenger tax, issuance of
driving license to auto operators and
retaining of parking fees at Railway
Station at Rs 12 per year per taxi where
Rs 3600 has been entrusted on the taxi
operators.
Statement
attributed to CM denied
Excelsior
Correspondent
JAMMU, Apr 21: An official
spokesman has categorically denied the
news report carried by a section of the
press regarding a fabricated and highly
motivated reference to the Chief Minister
with regard to holding of Assembly
elections in J&K in the month of
Ramadhan.
The
spokesman said that the Chief Minister
had no meeting with the Prime Minister or
the Congress president, Sonia Gandhi on
holding of Assembly elections scheduled
in the State later this year. The Chief
Minister has neither discussed the issue
individually nor in a meeting with the
two leaders, the spokesman added.
Describing
the publication of the news report as
unfortunate and reprehensible, the
spokesman said that it is not for the
first time that baseless and mischievous
reports against the Chief Minister have
been planted in some newspapers with an
obvious aim to harm his reputation. The
motivation behind these reports seems to
be more political than professional, the
spokesman said.
The
spokesman also cited a recent newspaper
report suggesting that the Election
Commission of India had rejected the
request of the Chief Minister to advance
the Assembly elections in J&K when
the latter had never met or talked with
or written to any member of the
Commission.
‘Kam
Chor Hartal’ enters 8th day
Excelsior
Correspondent
JAMMU, Apr 21: The "Kam Chor
Hartal" of all the
Consolidated/Contractual and Adhoc
Employees Association entered the 8th
consecutive day today.
The
agitating employees of the association
were demanding the regularization of all
the consolidated and adhoc employees,
basic pay and two and half days extra
pay.
All
Consolidated/ Contractual and Adhoc
Employees Association also decided to
organise road show and rally from GMC to
Secretariat and to submit a memorandum to
Chief Minister.
Meanwhile,a
joint meeting of Jammu and Kashmir
Medical Employees Association and Jammu
and Kashmir Medical Employees Federation,
Jammu Province with the leaders of All
Consolidated/Contractual and Adhoc
Employees Association was held today.
The
meeting was held under the leaderships of
Pardeep Kumar Sharma and Sushil Sudan. It
was unanimously decided that both the
unions of Medical College Jammu and
Health Department have full support to
resolve the genuine demands of agitating
employees of Health and Medical
Education.
The
leaders of associations appealed the
Government to issue order on agreed
demands in favour of agitating employees
otherwise all permanent staff of Health
and Medical Education would come out to
fight for them.
Those who
addressed the rally included Garu Ram,
Vinod Kumar Sharma, Bishan Verma,
Davinder Rathore, Farooq Kosar, Ashok
Manas, Ashok Kumar, Naresh Kumar, Chain
Singh, Sister Marium, Gurvinder Kour,
Radha Rathore and Shashda Parveen.
Body
of Norwegian woman skier found
SRINAGAR, Apr 21: The body of
Norwegian woman skier, who was missing in
Gulmarg heights since January 8, was
found this afternoon, a senior Tourism
official said.
The body
of Francesca Rongne was recovered at
Gulmarg, Director Tourism Farooq Ahmad
Shah said.
He said
she was still wearing the ski shoes and
skies.
Mr Shah
said Rongne had gone for skiing in
Gulmarg heights on January 8 afternoon
where she was caught in a snow storm.
The hotel
management where she had checked in at
1430 hrs on the same day lodged a missing
complaint in the police station at
Gulmarg.
Mr Shah
said, "immediately rescue teams from
army, high altitude warfare school,
police and tourism department were sent
to search for her from different
directions which had received more than
15 feet of snowfall."
This was
for the second time that Francesca Rongne
went missing in Gulmarg during the past
two years. Last year, she took shelter in
a snow cave after she went missing during
a snow storm and returned several days
later.
Official
sources said she checked into a hotel on
January 8 at 1430 hrs but left after 15
minutes for skiing. However, when she did
not return, the hotel management lodged a
missing report in the police station at
Gulmarg on January 9.(UNI)
JK
Bank promotes 5 Vice Presidents,
19 Sr Executive Managers
Excelsior
Correspondent
Srinagar, Apr 21: J&K Bank
promoted five Vice Presidents as
Presidents and 19 Senior Executive
Managers as Vice Presidents. Dr. Haseeb
A. Drabu, Chairman and Chief Executive
Officer of the Bank, issued the orders to
this effect today.
In
addition to this, promotion orders were
issued in favour of 267 Associate
Executives to Executives. This includes
promotion of 74 Associate Executives
through fast track channel and 193
through normal channel. The Career
Development Wing, Human Resources
Division of the bank, issued the orders
to this effect.
Gh Ahmed
Baigh, Tafazul Hussain, Sahibzada Gh
Mustafa, Parvez Ahmed Nengroo and K K
Sharma are the five newly promoted
Presidents.
19 Sr
Executive Managers promoted as Vice
presidents are: Nazir Ahmad Parimoo,
Mohammad Amin Narchoor, Raja Abdul Latif,
Mohammad Afzal Khan, Bashir Ahmad Lone,
Om Prakash Sharma, Fazale Mehboob Gani,
Vagish Chander, Abdul Hamid Banday,
Shafat Ahmad Banday, Meera Jamwal, Roop
Krishan Shah, Surjeet Singh, Abdul
Rashid, Mohammad Sayed Wani, Surinder
Krishen Bhat, Nayeem-Ullah and Khursheed
Ahmad Pandit.
Thief
held, Rs 6 lakh worth ornaments seized
Excelsior
Correspondent
JAMMU, Apr 21: Police today
arrested tent house employee for
committing a theft of gold ornaments in
the house of tent house owner worth Rs 6
lakh at Exchange Road.
Accused
has been identified as Rishi Kumar
Mahajan alias Bablu son of Surinder Kumar
Mahajan, a resident of Mukerian, Punjab,
presently putting up at Pamposh Colony,
Janipura.
Police
said Rishi was working in the tent house
owned by Mrs Babli Slathia at Exchange
Road near her house. Last evening when
the woman and her family had gone to
attend a marriage, Rishi Kumar taking
advantage of his access to the house
stole all golden ornaments and concealed
them in the tent house to shift them in
the morning.
On return,
the woman saw her ornaments missing and
lodged a report with police. The police
parties led by SDPO City Sawtantar Arora
and SHO Pacca Danga Inspector Kewal
Krishan Gupta under the supervision of SP
City Sanjay Kotwal swung into action and
arrested Rishi Kumar within few hours of
the theft.
He was
subjected to questioning during which he
admitted the theft and took police to the
spot where he had concealed the golden
ornaments. Police have recovered all
golden ornaments which were valued at
nearly Rs 6 lakh.
The theft
case was worked out within few hours.
A case
against the thief has been registered
under Sections 457 and 380 for further
investigations at Pacca Danga police
station.
5-day
"Astrology Camp" at JU
concludes
Excelsior
Correspondent
JAMMU, Apr 21: A five-day long
free "Astrology Camp" being
held at University of Jammu (JU)
concluded today.
Jammu
University Research Scholars Executive
Association (JURSEA) had organized the
camp.
On the
valedictory function, Prof Deshbandhu
Gupta, Controller Examination, was the
chief guest.
In his
address, Prof Gupta lauded the efforts of
JURSEA in promoting the science of
Astrology. He said that such kind of
activities not only benefit people from
all walks of life but, also help in
creating awareness about this ancient
science among the masses.
On the
occasion, all the invited astrologers
were felicitated with a memento each.
Earlier, Anuradha Goswami, JURSEA
chairperson read the welcome address.
Also
speaking, Vikas Sharma, JURSEA president
expressed gratitude to all the experts
who extended their services free of cost
during this five-day long camp.
The
programme was compered by Kamal Deep
Singh, while the members of the
organizing committee were Dr Amit Sharma,
Rakesh Chib, Munish Gandotra and Vinay
Sharma.
It is to
mention that sizable number of people
including teachers, employees, students
and scholars of the university besides,
masses from different districts of Jammu
availed the services during the camp.
Food,
allied workers hold protest dharnas
Excelsior
Correspondent
JAMMU, Apr 21: The Food and Allied
Workers Union, J&K, held protest
dharnas at Jammu, Srinagar and at all the
district headquarters of the State
against failure of the Government in
conceding their long pending demands.
They have
been demanding implementation of court
order passed on August 28, 2005; Grant of
all benefits on FCI pattern in reference
to the agreement made in 1999 between the
Government and the F&AWU and grant of
Provident Fund benefits to those workers
who have been working for more than 20
years.
The Union
also said that since 1997, neither Bag
rate for loading and unloading has been
revised nor time wage revision has been
made as per price index.
The Union
leaders demanded to extend benefit of MWG
to those labourers who have not been
brought under MWG working with the
department for the past more than 20
years. They demanded stoppage to direct
delivery from main stores of Jammu and
Srinagar in order to provide sufficient
job to workers and to enable them eke out
their living.
The
workers from all the stores of the State
joined protest dharnas and shouted
slogans against the Government and in
support of their most genuine long
pending demands.
Appealing
the Chief Minister for an early redressal
of their demands, the leaders of the
Union resolved to continue protest and
threatened to intensify the same in case
their demands were not met with within
one week.
Protest
against price rise
Excelsior
Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Apr 21: Thousands of
Government Employees today took out to
the streets here in protest against price
rise of essential commodities.
The
employees of different Government
departments assembled at the headquarters
of Consumer Affairs and Public
Distribution (CAPD) at Shaheed Gunj in
the old city under the banner of Jammu
and Kashmir Employees Joint Action
Committee (EJAC).
Later, the
employees, raised slogans against the
Government for failing to control the
prices of essential commodities.
The EJAC
said the Government had failed to control
the prices of essential commodities,
affecting the common man particularly
those belonging to Below Poverty Line
(BPL).
After
marching through different streets,
including the historic Lal Chowk, the
nerve centre of the city, the employees
dispersed peacefully.
A number
of trader’s federations and unions
have also expressed concern over the
price rise alleging it had affected their
business also.
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