*Finance Deptt sleeping over Law Deptt’s communiqué

Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, June 21: They are playing vital role in providing justice to the litigants by disposing of those cases, which are pending for a long period, but justice continues to elude them since March this year mainly because of the non-serious attitude maintained by those at the helm of affairs in the Finance Department.
This is the sordid tale of 38 Additional and Special Mobile Magistrates, who were appointed with the sole objective of helping in reducing the pendency of cases, which otherwise has assumed alarming proportion in Jammu and Kashmir.
Official sources told EXCELSIOR that 13th Finance Commission of India had recommended creation of morning and evening courts in all the States across the country with the sole objective of ensuring improvement in justice delivery by reducing the number of pending cases. In this direction, the Commission recommended release of grant-in-aid to the State Governments for a period of five years from 2010-2015.
Though for initial three years the concerned authorities of the State Government remained slept over the recommendation for creation of morning and evening courts, about two years back the State created 38 courts of Additional and Special Mobile Magistrates on the ground that climatic conditions don’t permit creation of morning and evening courts. Even the requisite staff was appointed for these courts.
For two consecutive years, these courts continued to function and provide justice to the litigants, whose cases were pending for quite long time, with the financial assistance provided under the 13th Finance Commission award. However, since March this year those providing justice to others are themselves craving for justice as following completion of 13th Finance Commission Award period on March 31, 2015, they are without salaries.
“Though Law Department wrote to the Finance Department in the month of April this year for release of funds for payment of salaries to 38 Magistrates and staff of courts being held by them, those at the helm of affairs in the Finance Department are sleeping over the same”, sources regretted, adding “the non-serious attitude of the Finance Department is notwithstanding the fact that Law Department has categorically stated in the communiqué that these 38 courts of Additional and Special Mobile Magistrates have been playing vital role in reducing pendency of cases”.
In response to a question, sources said, “since 14th Finance Commission has not recommended any grant in this direction, it becomes imperative on the part of State Finance Department to bear the expenditure for the smooth functioning of these courts”, adding “there is no point in denying justice to those who are providing the same to others”.
Meanwhile, State Government has lost Rs 12 crore financial assistance provided by the 13th Finance Commission for appointment of Court Managers because of confrontation between the State High Court and Public Service Commission.
The process of making selection of 24 Court Managers as recommended by the 13th Finance Commission was set in motion in February 2012 when the Public Service Commission vide Notification No.03-PSC of 2012 dated February 24, 2012 advertised 24 posts of Court Managers. Thereafter, the interviews of the short listed candidates were conducted and on the basis of performance in the interviews coupled with the weight-age in respect of academic merit and other related parameters, the selection was made.
Accordingly, the list was forwarded to the High Court for issuance of appointment orders.
However, the High Court observed that the selection of the Court Managers was not made strictly in accordance with the laid down norms and sent the list back to the Public Service Commission.
Thereafter, High Court and Public Service Commission remained at loggerheads despite intervention by the Law Department and due to deadlock the funds to the tune of Rs 12 crore remained un-utilized and those selected by Public Service Commission could not get appointments.
“As the award period of 13th Finance Commission has ended and 14th Finance Commission has not made any explicit recommendation in this regard, the appointment of Court Managers has become a thing of past”, sources said.
It is pertinent to mention here that creation of 24 posts of Court Managers in J&K Judiciary was recommended by the 13th Finance Commission with a view to enhance the efficiency of court management and resultant improvement in case disposal. The recommendation was made on the ground that Court Managers, with MBA degrees, would support the Judges to perform administrative duties thereby enabling the Judges to devote more time to their judicial functions.

Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, June 21:  The Government today directed the authorities at Lakhanpur to completely exempt the vehicles carrying any kind of goods for setting up `langars’ during annual pilgrimage of Shri Amarnath ji, beginning July 2, from the purview of Toll Tax and Entry Tax even as Shri Amarnath Shrine Board (SASB) has decided to set up five on spot registration centres in Jammu and Srinagar to facilitate the pilgrims get registered even after directly reaching the State as only 1.83 lakh pilgrims have registered themselves so far as against total quota of 8.85 lakh.
Official sources told the Excelsior that the Government has issued directions to all authorities in Lakhanpur, the gateway to Jammu and Kashmir, to allow all vehicles carrying goods for installation of `langars’ at different places on yatra route right from Lakhanpur to holy cave shrine of Lord Shiva in South Kashmir Himalayas without charging any Toll Tax or Entry Tax.
“Verbal directions have been conveyed to the authorities at Lakhanpur while an official order will be issued shortly,” they said, adding with this long pending demand of the people engaged in running free langars for Amarnath yatris at Jammu-Pathankot and Jammu-Srinagar National Highway, base camps at Yatri Niwas, Jammu, Nunwan in Pahalgam, Baltal and twin tracks of Chandanwari and Baltal has been met.
Earlier, the Government used to charge only toll tax on the goods brought by the people running langars from outside Jammu and Kashmir. However, this year, the Government had also started charging Entry Tax on the goods being imported to the State for the langars.
The organisations running the langars had resented the Government decision that instead of withdrawing Toll Tax, the Government had imposed new form of Entry Tax on them. Acting swiftly, the Government has withdrawn both the taxes and directed authorities at Lakhanpur to ensure that no tax is charged on the goods being brought by the registered organisations for running langars. The Government has told the Lakhanpur authorities that an official order in this regard will also be issued within days.
Meanwhile, the SASB has decided to open five on-spot registration centres for Shri Amarnath ji pilgrims in Jammu and Srinagar to help the yatris get them registered if they proceed directly to the State for the pilgrimage starting from July 2. The 59 days annual pilgrimage will conclude on August 29 coinciding with Shravan Purnima and Raksha Bandhan.
Four on spot registration centres, which will be opened in Jammu, included Vaishnavi Dham and Saraswati Dham at Railway Station, Yatri Niwas at Bhagwati Nagar, which also serves as base camp for the pilgrims and Geeta Bhawan, Parade Ground. One on-spot registration centre will be opened at Tourist Reception Centre, Nowgam in Srinagar. However, there will be no on-spot registration of pilgrims at forward base camps of Nunwan in Pahalgam and Baltal, where the pilgrims would have to reach after            getting proper registration.
“The on-spot registration centres will help the pilgrims of Shri Amarnath ji from all over the country to get them registered here before proceeding to the cave shrine as a large number of pilgrims reach here without following due procedure of registration,” sources said.
They added that so far only 1.83 lakh pilgrims have registered themselves for the yatra countrywide through counters of different banks, authorized by the SASB, and online. Almost similar number of pilgrims had registered themselves with banks and online during corresponding period last year as, according to sources, a number of pilgrims prefer to register themselves on spot.
A total of 8.85 lakh pilgrims can register themselves for this year’s 59 days pilgrimage. The SASB has decided to register 15,000 pilgrims for every day of yatra-7500 each from the twin tracks of Baltal and Pahalgam.

Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, June 21: Police today booked five police personnel of Special Operations Group (SOG) Jammu for murder charges under Section 302 RPC at Domana police station after they fired upon suspected narcotics smuggler and killed him with service weapon at Slathia Mohalla near Domana police station this afternoon.
Forests and Social Welfare Minister Bali Bhagat, under whose Domana Assembly segment the incident occurred, spoke to Director General of Police (DGP) after which a murder case was registered against all five police personnel of SOG Jammu, compensation of Rs 5 lakh was ordered for the family and two jobs of Special Police Officers (SPOs) were approved for two brothers of the killed youth.
The victim has been identified as Tarsem Lal, 24, son of Shamsher Bhagat, a resident of Chinore. He along with Kamal Sharma son of Rajinder Parsad Sharma and Irfaan son of Majid Ahmed Kohli, also residents of Chinore were traveling towards Poonch from Jammu in a car bearing registration number JK02T-0091, when they were apprehended by the SOG team at Tanda near Akhnoor last night as the SOG suspected them to be narcotics smugglers.
“The accused were taken to SOG Office at Gandhi Nagar and were later being shifting to the Domana police station this afternoon when one of them Tarsem Lal tried to escape the custody”, sources said, adding that the accused started running away  followed chase by the SOG team.
The SOG personnel opened firing in which Tarsem Lal was killed. His body was shifted to the Government Medical College (GMC) Jammu for post-mortem.
“The SOG personnel instead of chasing the unarmed youth directly fired at him with service weapon,’’ sources said adding that he was hit by bullets at his vital part and died on spot.
The doctors in the GMC pronounced him as brought dead.
The family approached their local MLA and Forests Minister Bali Bhagat, who spoke to the DGP about alleged highhandedness of the police and sought justice for the youth.
Bhagat told the Excelsior that the murder case has been registered against all five SOG personnel and Rs 5 lakh compensation has been approved in favour of family of the victim. He said two brothers of the victim will be engaged as SPOs and one of them will be later regularized as constable.
Sources added that a case under FIR number 195/15 under Section 302 RPC has been registered against SOG ASI Javed Ahmad and four other constables, who were accompanying the suspected smugglers.
Police said all five SOG personnel have been arrested under Section 302 IPC at Domana police station and service weapon used in the firing has been seized.
Cremation of the youth was scheduled for tomorrow. Police hoped that cremation will pass off peacefully as action has been taken against the police personnel and compensation approved for the family of the victim.

Gopal Sharma
JAMMU, June 21: It may sound shocking for the hapless and poor parents sending their children to the Anganwadi Centres that their wards are being provided sub-standard nutrition/ food items  in majority of such centers across the State.
Though this practice was said to be going on for the last many years, yet the startling revelations have come to the light after 15 food/ nutrition samples lifted by the Drug and Food Control Organisation team in presence of Minister for Social Welfare and Forests  Bali Bhagat recently in various districts of Kashmir including Srinagar, Ganderbal, Pulwama, Budgam and Uri in Baramulla, were proved to be highly sub-standard. Some of the items including edible oil, have been found mis-branded.
Sources in the Drug and Food Control Organisation disclosed that a total 15 samples of sugar, suji, iodised salt, channa, dhalia, moong, edible oil etc were taken from Nagam, Budgam, Pampore, Srinagar, Kangan, Uri and various other places of Kashmir in presence of Magistrate and independent witnesses by the team. The main district stores of Srinagar and Ganderbal were also raided by the team during the operation and two samples of each item were lifted.
All the samples lifted from these Anganwadi stores and centers have failed to qualify the standards. Even the Iodised salt and edible oil samples have also been proved misbranded. The analytical report in possession of Excelsior vide its No. PA/K/Eslb/2015/23 dated 21-5-2015 has exposed the functioning of the ICDS ( Integrated Child Development Scheme)  of the Social Welfare Department, indicating that all is not well within the department.
It is more shocking to note that most of the medicine samples lifted in Jammu as well as in Srinagar have also failed to qualify the standards. Despite this fact, the department is continuing to play with the lives of thousands of these children of  the lesser God. The consumption of such sub-standard medicines is more harmful for the health of the children which the department has recently purchased at its own without involving district level purchase committees or the concerned CMOs, who are also the members.
It is highly interesting to observe that hardly two months back, most of the food/ nutrition/ edible oil  samples lifted by Drug and Food Control organization in district Samba were found sub-standard but in district Jammu most of these samples lifted in presence of the Minister concerned (SWD) by the team from Drug and Food Control Organisation, were declared conforming to the standards prescribed by the Food Analyst and the Assistant Controller Food (JMC) Jammu Sanjeev Gupta. The Drug analyst however, disclosed that medicines samples lifted from the Anganwadi Centres and district store were however, found sub-standard. Even the Minister also confirmed it. Most of the brands lifted in Samba and Jammu districts were almost same and the suppliers as well, but analysis reports have raised point of suspicion among the general public about the credibility of the two different report samples and the over all functioning.
Minister for Social Welfare, Bali Bhagat when asked whether he was satisfied with the sample reports lifted in Jammu and forwarded to his office and Directorate of ICDS J&K, said that when the samples were lifted in his presence from Roopnagar office of ICDS another Project office and two Anganwadi Centres in Jammu west, even from the first sight and physical analysis by a common man it was clearly observed that moong dal, suji, sugar, grams and sewian etc were of very poor quality.
It was surprising and rather shocking to observe  that all the items were found conforming to the standards. “It seems to be something fishy. We are keenly observing and very shortly, the things would come to the notice of general public after the reports of some parallel samples taken of these items will be received by him shortly,” Mr Bhagat said.
When asked what action he is going to take against the erring officials and members of the Purchase Committees of various districts including Dy Commissioners being chairman for sub-standard supply to the Anganwadi Centres, the Minister said this practice was going on for the last many years. There exists an old and unholy nexus between the  SWD/ICDS officials, members of the Purchase Committee and the suppliers. It has been exposed for the first time. The matter has been discussed with the Chief Minister and shortly a committee is being framed to recommend action  against these officials.
Mission Director ICDS (Integrated Child Development Scheme) Mukhtar ul-Aziz, however said that the items which failed to qualify the prescribed standards have been withdrawn from various Anganwadi Centres in district Samba. Similar instructions were given to the CDPOs  in other parts of Kashmir valley after the items were found sub-standard. He said there are district level purchase committees and they are authorised to select the standard items. If the suppliers have shown dishonesty at the time of supplies, they will be black listed.

Excelsior Correspondent

RAMBAN, June 21: Five personnel of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) got injured, when the gypsy they were travelling in collided with a truck at Chanderkot here today.
As per police sources, a gypsy of 98 battalion of CRPF collided with a stranded truck bearing registration number JK21A-7421 near Chanderkote, resulting into injuries to five CRPF personnel.
After getting information, police team from Chanderkote police station led by SHO Inspector Manzoor Ahmed Kohli rushed to the spot and shifted the injured to District Hospital Ramban, from where they all were later airlifted to Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), Jammu.
The injured have been identified as SI Sohan Singh, HC Lal Thundu, Constable Jasbir Singh, Constable Jeet Kumar and Constable Jasbir Singh (driver).
A case in this regard has been registered at Chanderkote police station and investigation started.

NEW DELHI, June 21:
Three months after Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the ‘Give It Up’ campaign, only 0.35 per cent of the domestic LPG consumers have so far given up using subsidised cooking gas.
At a review meeting chaired by Oil Minister Dharmendra Pradhan last week, it was informed that just over 5.5 lakh out of the 15.3 crore LPG consumers have so far voluntarily surrendered subsidised LPG and started buying the cooking fuel at the market price, a top official said.
Though Pradhan since January has been pushing for well off people to surrender their LPG subsidy, Prime Minister Narendra Modi in March officially launched ‘Give It Up’ campaign so that the subsidy is better targeted for the needy.
The official said while an appeal has been made to all Members of Parliament (MPs) and MLAs, Government officials and executives of public sector companies, the response has not been very enthusiastic.
“Not all MPs, that include those from the ruling party, have given up LPG subsidy. Response of MLAs has been poor,” he said.
Pradhan is pushing hard to make the campaign launched by Prime Minister a success. He even made personal phone calls to VIPs, requesting them to give up buying subsidised LPG.
Keen to ensure that the subsidised fuel reaches only those needing it, he surrendered his subsidised LPG connection soon after becoming a Minister and has since then been buying gas at market rates.
On his plea, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and several other Ministers as well Chief Ministers like Akhilesh Yadav of Uttar Pradesh have given up subsidised LPG but the campaign has not had the desired success, he said.
Consumers are currently entitled to twelve 14.2 kg cylinders or thirty four 5 kg bottles in a year at subsidised rates.
A subsidised 14.2 kg cylinder is currently available at Rs 417 per bottle in Delhi while the 5 kg pack costs Rs 155.
Market priced LPG is available at Rs 625.50 per 14.2 kg cylinder and Rs 220 per 5 kg bottle.
Giving up subsidised LPG will help cut Government’s subsidy bill which was at Rs 36,580 crore on the fuel last fiscal year.
In 2015-16 Budget estimates, petroleum subsidy has been halved to Rs 30,000 crore from estimated Rs 60,270 crore, in the current fiscal.
Of Rs 30,000 crore for next fiscal, Rs 22,000 crore has been earmarked for LPG subsidy and the rest is for kerosene.
Public sector oil marketing companies (OMCs) have given an option to existing LPG consumers to convert their existing domestic LPG connection into a non-subsidised domestic connection. This can be done by submitting a written request to the distributor or electronically via www.MyLPG.In. (PTI)

JAMMU, June 21:
The security has been stepped up ahead of annual Chambliyal mela scheduled to be held on June 25 along Indo-Pak International Border, said Inspector General BSF here today.
“We have made elaborate arrangements for smooth conduct of annual feature, which is an example of bonhomie between two neighbours,” Rakesh Sharma—IG BSF told media persons here on the sidelines of International Yoga Day at BSF headquarters.
He said adequate security has been put in place while border guards have been asked to strengthen the vigil. On a question regarding inputs that terrorists may strike Chambliyal mela in the Pakistani Rangers uniform, the IG said, “We have too intercepted such inputs but there is nothing specific in it. We are on alert and if required will also share such information of utmost importance with our counterpart.”
Meanwhile, according to BSF sources, the Pakistani Rangers, who have yet to confirm their participation at an event, may not hold a joint media briefing with BSF at the Zero line. Sources however, said the proposed DGMO level meeting has also been cancelled. (UNI)

NEW DELHI, June 21:
Only 10 days are left to exchange pre-2005 currency notes, including those of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 denominations, at banks as the deadline to do so is ending on June 30.
Seeking cooperation for withdrawing pre-2005 currency notes from circulation, the RBI has asked the public to deposit the old design notes in their bank accounts or exchange them at a bank branch convenient to them.
The earlier deadline was January 1, but later the Reserve Bank had extended it till the end of this month.
All pre-2005 notes continue to remain a legal tender.
These notes can be exchanged for their full value at bank branches.
It is easy to identify pre-2005 notes. The currency notes issued before 2005 do not have the year of printing on the reverse side. In notes issued post 2005, the year of printing is visible at the bottom on the reverse.
The rationale behind the move to withdraw banknotes printed prior to 2005 is to remove them from the market because they have fewer security features compared with banknotes printed after 2005, RBI said.
It is standard international practice to withdraw old series notes.
Post-2005 notes have added security features and help in curbing the menace of fake currency.
Over 164 crore pre-2005 currency notes of various denominations, including of Rs 1,000 were shredded in regional offices of Reserve Bank in 13-month period ending January.
The face value of the shredded currency notes was around Rs 21,750 crore. As per the details given in Parliament in March, 86.87 crore pieces of Rs 100, 56.19 crore pieces of Rs 500 and 21.75 crore pieces of Rs 1,000 were shredded. (PTI)