NC unit
of Jammu East block holds dharna
Excelsior
Correspondent
JAMMU, Feb 6: Jammu East
block president of National
Conference, Mohd Ayub Malik
organized a protest dharna at
Panjtirthi Chowk against
corruption and failure of State
Government on all fronts.
The
speakers lashed heavily on
coalition Government for doing
nothing for common masses and
surviving only on cheap and
hollow slogans. They said instead
of sacking the tainted ministers,
indicted by Kundal Committee
report the Government was all out
to shield them, especially the
PDP, whose leadership has said
that their ministers would not
resign.
Demanding
sacking of the tainted ministers
the NC speakers said otherwise
they would be left with no option
than to take the issue in every
nook and corner of the State and
expose the coalition Government.
The
speakers called upon the party
workers to be united and prepare
themselves for the coming
Assembly elections which could be
held any time.
The
speakers included S Peter, S S
Bunty, Mrs Bimla Luthra and Begum
Zubaida Salaria. Others present
in the dharna were Tarlochan
Singh Soodan, Sanjay Gupta,
Bhupinder Singh, Rajesh Bakshi,
Ashok Dogra, S S Shanghari, S S
Jamwal, Suman Dogra, Nargis
Sitara, Farman Ali, Dilshad
Begum, Vidya Charak, Mahesh
Abrol, Mohinder Charak, Paramjeet
Singh Pumma, Manveer Kour,
Advocate Bharat Bhushan, Shakti
Gupta, Suman Gupta, Satwant Kour,
Sunil Gupta, Pinki Bhat and Paul
Gill.
MLA Ramban for
degree college, RDB at Dessa
Excelsior
Correspondent
JAMMU, Feb 6: MLA
Ramban Dr Chaman Lal Bhagat has
demanded the creation of a
"nibat", Rural
Development Block (RDB) and a
degree college at Dessa, a remote
area under his constituency.
The
MLA was interacting with the
members of Dessa Valley Welfare
Committee, who called upon him to
apprise with their demands.
However, the MLA emphasized on
the need to made arrangements for
the supply of essential
commodities in the upper reaches
of Dessa valley, in view of heavy
snow fall.
He
also demanded speedy construction
of Doda-Dessa-Kapran road to
connect the area with Kashmir
valley and opening of this belt
for tourism.
The
members of the deputation
included Hari Sharan Thakur
(president), Mukand Lal
(vice-president), Satish Wazir
(general secretary), Inder Kumar
(organizing secretary), Ram
Kishen, Prem Singh, Bahadur
Singh, Harinam Singh, Madan Singh
and Jeevan Singh.
Acute shortage of
ration, kerosene in Mandi: Jan
Excelsior
Correspondent
POONCH, Feb 6: Provincial
secretary of Youth National
Conference, Aijaz Ahmed Jan has
said that Government should come
forward and perform its
obligatory duty by providing
relief and essential commodities
to the people effected from heavy
rains and snowfall in Poonch
district.
Addressing
series of public meetings in
Mandi block of district Poonch
today, Mr Jan said that people of
this border belt were suffering
badly due to callous attitude of
the present coalition regime in
providing basic amenities during
winter season. He alleged that
there was acute shortage of food
grains, kerosene oil and cooking
gas (LPG) in this block. He said
the people of the snow affected
areas of Loran were facing lot of
problems due to non-availability
of ration.
The
NC leader pointed out that
Government should realise the
intensity of the situation
particularly during the winter
season, when there is heavy rain
and snowfall. Loran and Sawjian
areas have been cut off due to
snowfall. He further alleged that
many people living below poverty
line have been left out for
registration in the BPL list. A
feeling of neglect and alienation
was brewing among the people of
that area.
He
demanded immediate supply of
essentials to the area so that
people do not suffer any more.
Others who spoke on the occasion
included-Gh Nabi Lone, Abdul Ahad
Bhat, Gh Abbas, Bashir Ahmed and
Haji Gh Ahmed Lone.
Over Rs 22,792
lakh utilized for displaced
people in 4 years
Excelsior
Correspondent
JAMMU, Feb 6: Over Rs
22,792 lakh were spent on the
welfare of displaced people from
Kashmir valley during last four
years by the Government.
According
to the figures available with the
Government, the funds in this
regard were provided by
Government of India under
Security Related Expenditure
(SRE).
This
amount was utilized for cash
assistance to migrants, ration,
maintenance and allocation of
infrastructure in camps and
providing of health and education
facilities in the camps.
As
per the official figures Rs
5706.90 lakh were utilized in
2003-04 while Rs 5971.36 were
spent during 2004-05. The figures
show that Rs 5123.71 were spent
in 2005-06 and Rs 5990.06 were
utilized in 2006-07.
Moreover,
as per the official information,
the allotment of 640 two room
flats which have been constructed
at Muthi will be made shortly to
the displaced people. In this
regard the consultations have
been held with various
representatives of the Kashmiri
migrants.
The
Government is also paying
salaries to the employees at
Jammu by the respective
departments who had migrated from
Kashmir Valley due to law and
order problem in 1990. These
employees continue to draw their
salaries in pursuance of
Government order modified from
time to time.
The
pension cases of the migrant
employees are being processed
after their retirement at Jammu
and Finance Department has
appointed one Nodal Officer for
processing of such cases.
The
migrant employees are also being
considered for promotions as per
the Government policy but the
promotion benefits can only be
availed by these employees after
they join their duties in Kashmir
Valley on the post against which
they have been promoted.
Otherwise they have to forgo such
promotions and the next person in
the seniority is considered by
the concerned departments.
According
to official figures 3237
displaced employees are not
getting the facility of HRA and
CCA. These employees however had
approached the High Court which
had passed orders for extending
such benefits to the migrant
employees. But the State
Government has gone for an appeal
which is pending for disposal
before the Division Bench.
It
may also be recalled that
National Conference (NC), MLA, Dr
Mehboob Beg in his cut motions
raised during he debate on grants
to Revenue Ministry has sought an
information regarding the
desirability of utilization of
funds received from the Centre on
large scale, delay in allotment
of newly constructed flats at
Purkhoo and Muthi and
desirability of treating
displaced Kashmiri employees on
duty and giving them benefits of
promotions and other facilities.
Wool workers
discuss demands
Excelsior
Correspondent
JAMMU, Feb 6: Provincial
Sheep and Wool Workers
Asso-ciation in its meeting under
the chairmanship of Abdul Latif,
provincial general secretary
discussed burning problems being
faced by different sections of
employees in the Depar-tment.
While
speaking Sagar Chand Verma said
the Government removed pay
anomaly of para-Vets vide SRO 57
of 20-3-2007 but notional benefit
with effect from 1996 and
monetary benefit from March 2003
has not been given so far, as
stands given to accounts
employees.
Bandhu
Ram Sharma demanded holding of
DPC meetings per instructions
contained in SRO 124 of
23-4-2006. He demanded holding of
DPC bi-annually. Various other
demands were also raised.
Participants
in the meeting included G M Mir,
Tilak Raj, Mohd Khalil, Povinder
Singh, Khushal Mohd, Banarsi Lal,
Om Parkash, S Sadhu Singh and
Joginder Singh.
PNB to connect
all branches in J&K with CBS
by March
Excelsior
Correspondent
JAMMU, Feb 6: Punjab
National Bank has embarked upon
an ambitious plan to put all
branches in J&K on National
Network of Centralized Banking
Solutions (CBS) by March 2008 and
also to link these branches with
other banks for National
Electronic Fund Transfer (NEFT)
system.
Disclosing
this Vivek Arya, PNB Zonal
Manager, informed that branches
in rural areas would be linked to
National Network with Double VSAT
connectivity while lease line and
ISDN medium provided by BSNL
would be used for city and
district headquarters branches.
Arya
informed that entire banking in
this State would be made state of
the art with biometric ATM
availability for rural and
illiterate clientele very
shortly. He said NEFT system for
inter-bank remittances would do
away with old system of
purchasing bank drafts.
Vivek
Arya also informed that Bank
proposes to install more ATMs and
cash dispensers, centralized
services by opening Back Office
Hubs and also broaden internet
bank account users base in
J&K State. He added that
while while aggressively going
for State of the art banking, the
PNB would lay more focuss on
rural areas and opening one
specialized Agriculture branch in
the State during the current
fiscal.
The
bank has also volunteered to SLBC
to saturate its service area in
Kathua district branches with
total financial inclusion
where-at more than 2500 families
have already been brought to
banking fold since January 2008,
Vivek Arya said, adding, this
financial inclusion campaign was
being launched in the entire
State to cover 50,000 poor
families.
Mr
Arya disclosed that supported by
other agencies, he was thinking
of introducing Andhra type Smart
Card system for rural poor to be
piloted by PNB in at least one
district of the State.
66 cases settled
in Lok Adalats
Excelsior
Correspondent
JAMMU, Feb 6: Sixty six
cases of different nature were
settled in different Lok Adalats
organised today.
In
a Lok Adalat held at Munsiff
Court Complex, R S Pura, 30 cases
pertaining to CrPC/RPC/MV Act and
Civil suits were listed and 13
cases were disposed off.
Similarly,
3 civil cases were disposed off
and an amount of Rs 8000 was
realized as Judicial fine on
spot. A large number of litigants
and prominent citizens of R S
Pura participated in the Lok
Adalat.
In
a Lok Adalat chaired by
Additional District and Session
Judge, Ramban, Mohammad Akram
Chowdhary, five cases of civil
and criminal nature out of 11
taken up for hearing, were
decided with realiSation of fine
to the tune of Rs 1600 on spot.
Munsiff
JMIC, Ramban, R K Abrol comprised
the second member of bench in the
court proceedings.
The
Lok Adalats were also organized
in the courts of District Kathua
under the overall supervision of
Chairman (Principal. District and
Sessions Judge) District legal,
Services Authority, Kathua.
For
the amicable settlement of the
cases on the basis of compromise
referred to the Lok Adalat
organized in the District Court
Complex, Kathua, one bench of
Presiding Officers was
constituted comprising of S K
Jamwal, Principal District and
Sessions Judge, Kathua and Vinod
Chatterjee Koul, Additional
District and Sessions Judge,
Kathua.
The
bench settled two bank cases
amicably for an amount of Rs 3.63
lakh.
Another
Lok Adalat which was organized in
the court Complex Mahanpur, one
bench of Presiding Officers
comprising of V S Bhau, CJM,
Kathua and Sandeep Kour Munsiff
(JMIC) Mahanpur was constituted.
Eleven
compoundable cases of different
nature were amicably settled and
an amount of Rs 3800 was realized
on spot.
In
a Lok Adalat organized in the
Court Complex Hiranagar, S S
Bali, District Mobile Magistrate
(Traffic), Kathua, Y P Sharma,
Munsiff JMIC, Hiranagar and
Naushad Ahmad Khan, Additional
Munsiff JMIC Hiranagar decided 31
compoundable cases of different
nature and one civil case. An
amount of Rs 22,300 was realised
on the spot as compounding fee.
Unemployed ITI
electricians oppose
relief to
militants’ families
Excelsior
Correspondent
JAMMU, Feb 6: The
All J&K Unemployed ITI
Electricians Association has
criticized the State Government
for formulating different
policies for welfare of the
deceased militants’ families
while neglecting the rightful
demand of others like them.
It
was said by Rakesh Sharma,
chairman of the association while
addressing a protest rally of the
unemployed electricians, taken
out this morning in the Jammu
city.
Opposing
the State Government, Sharma said
the unemployed ITI electricians
were on the streets for the last
almost a year but no heed has
been paid to them but, those who
were instrumental in death and
destruction are getting welfare
packages.
However,
he cautioned the members of the
association to remain vigilant
from elements, who were trying to
derail their struggle, which has
entered into a critical phase. He
also asked all the unemployed
electrician diploma holders to
register themselves with the
association before February 15.
The
rally which started from Mubarak
Mandi, culminated after passing
through various streets of the
city.
It
is worthwhile to mention here
that association has been
demanding the absorption of all
the unemployed ITI diploma
holders in PDD on Rehbar pattern.
Today was the 308th day of their
struggle.
Shivani returns
after a long interval with
'Haadsa:Haqeeqat'
By Ravinder Kaul
Every
time Shivani Cultural Society
returns with a new play, I see a
glimmer of hope that the group
will reactivate itself and give a
new fillip to the theatre of
Jammu with the thematically
stimulating and artistically
creative plays, that the group
was once known for. However, gaps
between two performances keep
increasing and starts, more often
than not, turn out to be false
ones. This time the group has
come with an added flavor.
'Haadsa : Haqeeqat', the play
presented by the Shivani at
Abhinav Theatre here today, has
also been written by one of the
old Shivanians, Vikram Sharma.
It
is a bold effort and, as was
revealed during the course of the
concluding ceremony, the play has
already been performed earlier
last year. The theme of the play
reveals around the unexpected and
unsavory turns that the lives of
people take during the attempts
at making ends meet. It is a
cruel world out there and those
of us who have not suffered the
misfortune of choosing between
the devil and the deep sea must
thank our stars rather than
criticize and comment on the acts
of those who are not so
fortunate.
The
play is a slight deviation from
the traditional style of Shivani.
Although it carried forward the
trademark legacy of realism,
there was some deliberate
absurdity embedded into the
theme. Speaking about the
artistes, one must give a
standing ovation to Himanshu
Darshan. He is an ace actor and
given proper opportunities and
some luck, he can truly excel at
the national scene. Jatinder
Dhameer and Sapna Soni are also
now gradually moving to the
category of veterans. One can
always expect a competent
performance from them. They did
well. Neha Lahotra was the find
of the performance. She truly did
very well and deserves to be
integrated into the hallowed
circle of Shivanians. Master
Siddharth Vikram Sharma also
exhibited confidence in his brief
appearance.
Dr
Sanjay Gupta, the director of the
play had done well to make this
complex theme palatable for the
common viewer. The inclusion of
Greek gods into the theme and the
court room enactments had been
handled creatively.
One
does have a feeling that the
dramatic sequences in the play
could have been kept as just
dramatic and not allowed to slip
into the realm of melodrama. It
is a stark play, without a
glimmer of hope.
The
Kafkaesque situations in life and
the futility of existence is the
lasting impression that a viewer
carries home.
One
hopes that this play will prove
to be a harbinger of many new
performances by Shivani Cultural
Society and one will see more of
their plays in not too distant
future.
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