Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Apr 8: All J&K Rehber-e-Taleem Teachers Forum held a protest and demanded redressal to their long pending demands.
Large number of ReTs assembled outside Press Club and raised slogans in favour of their demands.
The protestors were demanding release of pending salary for the past 10 months.
“Several times we met Education Minister Nayeem Akhter and Finance Minister Haseeb Drabu, but unfortunately they failed to redress out genuine demand of release of pending salary”, the protestors added.
The protest was held under the leadership of Neenu Lata, State convener and Surinder Manhas, district president Jammu.
Among others present were Vijay, Rakesh Choudhary, Saroj Gupta, Rakesh Chib, Joginder, Ram Lal, Tarsem Singh, Ashwani, Anil Gupta, etc.

Excelsior Correspondent

RAMBAN, Apr 8: Police arrested a person along with large quantity of illicit liquor from Mavalkote area, falling under the jurisdiction of Gool police sation.
As per police sources, police team headed by SHO police station Gool Inspector Sunil Arya and incharge police post Sangaldan conducted a raid under the supervision of SSP Ramban Randeep Kumar at Mavalkote area of Sangaldan.
During the raid, police recovered 52 litres of illicit liquor and apparatus used for making liquor.
Police arrested a person on the spot, who has been identified as Pyar Singh, son of Badri Nath of Mavalkote.
A case under relevant Sections has been registered at police station Gool and investigation started.

Excelsior Correspondent

POONCH, Apr 8: To redress grievances of the people, Deputy Commissioner, Poonch, M H Malik along with Senior Superintendent of Police, J S Johar visited village Qasba and Kirni located on Line of Control.
Interacting with the the Army and people in village Kirni, located across the fencing, the Deputy Commissioner asked the Army to be extra cautious and facilitate the entry of villagers across the fencing saying that goodwill of the people is a valuable and dependable asset to meet any challenge and asked the villagers to cooperate with the Army.
Mr. Malik also took stock of the damages caused by recent rains and landslides in village Qasba and directed the Assistant Commissioner Development to provide protection to houses that have become vulnerable due to recent landslides.
He also directed for protection of a residential complex near Shrine of Sain Miran Sahib and immediate shifting of students of severely damaged Middle School Qasba to alternate building.

Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Apr 8: The Government today said that 14 people have died and 211 injured in man-animal conflicts in the State last year.
Replying to a question by Congress MLA Vikar Rasool in Assembly, State Forest Minister Bali Bhagat said that of the 14 reported deaths, eight have occurred in Kashmir valley and six in Jammu in 2014-15.
164 injured in Kashmir and 47 in Jammu region during the period, he said. The State Government has organised camps close to forest areas to acquaint people with do’s and don’t about man-animal conflicts, Bali said, adding wildlife officials have been deployed to control such untoward incidents.
He said that as many as 24 control rooms have been set up in Kashmir region and 21 in Jammu region. These are well spread over strategic points throughout five wildlife division in Kashmir region and remote areas and are armed with tranquilizing guns, medicines, capture nets and cadges.
Close coordination has been maintained with the Forest Department and sister wings to combat man-animal conflicts, the minister told the House.

Excelsior Correspondent

KISHTWAR, Apr 8: Senior Congress leader and member of civil society Kishtwar Shamsher Singh Bhandari has expressed concern over the plight of people living in far flung areas of Doda, Ramban and Kishtwar districts hit by landslides caused due to incessant rains.
In a statement here, today he said many houses have been damaged and people have become shelterless at various places. He urged the Government to issue tents for the temporary refuge of these victims. He also demanded that free ration be sanctioned for three months to these people.
Bhandari said that road network has been totally snapped in various areas of erstwhile Doda district and the Government should start the restoration work on the basis of war footing.
He said, besides steps be taken to restore electricity and water supply to the affected villages and burnt transformers be restored. He said extensive damage has been caused to crops and fruit and the Agriculture and Horticulture Departments should start a survey and furnish the report to Government for early compensation.
He also demanded that besides the exgratia to those who were killed and injured in landslide, the next kin of deceased by given a Government job.

Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Apr 8: Several MLAs today called for expeditious disbursement of compensation to the floods and rains affected people and restoration of damaged infrastructure.
During the Zero Hour in Legislative Assembly, Rajiv Jasrotia, Kamal Verma, Kuldeep Raj, Farooq Andrabi, Gagan Bhagat, Mohammad Khalil Band, Yawar Ahmed Mir, Jeevan Lal, Aijaz Ahmed Mir, Mohammad Yusuf Bhat, Mushtaq Ahmed Shah and Gulzar Ahmed Wani raised the issue of crop loss and damage to public infrastructure due to recent floods and rains.
They demanded immediate restoration of infrastructure and free ration to the affected people in their respective areas.
Vikar Rasool Wani and Devender Singh Rana demanded sanctioning of AIIMS for Jammu. Ali Mohammad Sagar called for speedy completion of on-going development projects in Srinagar city. Nawang Rigzin Jora called for filling up of posts of Dental Surgeon and para-medical staff in Leh hospital.
Hakim Mohammad Yasin demanded developing Tos Maidan as a tourist spot. Mushtaq Ahmed Shah sought speedy compensation for the sufferers of landslides due to recent snowfall and rains and also sought repair of damaged electric transformers in Tral constituency.
Asgar Karbalai demanded immediate filling up of vacant post of Surgeon and creation of a post of Dental Surgeon in Kargil hospital. Syed Mohammad Baqir Rizvi demanded filling up posts of doctors and strengthening the tourist infrastructure in Zanskar area.
Sham Choudhary sought strengthening of the health Madarsa services and filling up vacant posts of para-medical staff in Suchetgarh constituency. Shamima Firdous demanded speedy de-watering of water logged areas in Habba Kadal constituency and compensation to flood victims.
Aijaz Ahmed Khan demanded speedy construction of buildings of Degree Colleges at Gool and Dharmari and filling up of vacant posts of Lecturers. He also sought introduction of additional subjects during the fresh academic session in these colleges.
Nazir Ahmed Gurezi sought restoration of special allowances for the employees posted in Gurez area. Daleep Parihar demanded immediate restoration of Batote-Kishtwar road. Advocate Bashir Ahmed Dar demanded early release of pending salary of SSA teachers. Altaf Ahmed Wani demanded upgradation of power infrastructure to overcome the low voltage problem in Pahalgam constituency.
Usman Majid sought appropriate steps to prevent entry of Wullar lake water to the nearby habitations causing damage to the property. Ravinder Raina raised the issue of Trauma Hospital at Sunderbani which was sanctioned by the previous regime, but the work on the project could not be started. He sought the intervention of the Government for taking up the project at the earliest as no such hospital is in place between Akhnoor to Sunderbani. Abid Hussain Ansari demanded an exclusive Trauma Hospital at Pattan.
Abdul Majid Bhat called for setting up a Madarsa Board in Jammu and Kashmir. Mohammad Amin Bhat sought improvement in the traffic management along National Highway especially in Qazigund area. Shah Mohammad Tantray called for devising a mechanism so that incentives under various welfare schemes/scholarships reach directly into the bank accounts of beneficiaries of Gujjars/Bakerwals and other Tribes. Dina Nath demanded upgradation of tourist infrastructure, repair of damaged electric transformers and sanctioning of a Trauma Hospital in Chenani constituency.
Abdul Rahim Rather demanded ration to the families as per 2011 census. Mubarak Gul called for strengthening the Health Services in the Shehr-e-Khaas Srinagar. Anjum Fazli demanded improvement in drainage system and speedy de-watering of water logged areas in Indira Nagar area of Srinagar. Shakti Parihar demanded opening of Central University Campus at Doda, besides streamlining the functioning of University Campus already set up there, so that the PG classes are started from the current academic session.
Sat Paul Sharma called for appropriate and timely steps to deal with the drinking water problem in Jammu city during the summer months. G M Saroori, Ch Qamar Hussain and Mohammad Abbas Wani called for strengthening the health services in their areas. Sheikh Ishfaq Jabbar demanded that MLAs should be allowed to spend more CDF grants on the repair of transformers.
Javed Rana demanded serious steps from the Government to promote Urdu language in the State. Dr Krishan Chander Bhagat demanded construction of a bridge over River Chenab to connect the area of Khour with Pargwal. MLA Nubra Deldan Namgial highlighted delay in the completion of Largyab-Pachathang road under PMGSY Phase-VII with a sanctioned cost of Rs.2312 lakh from last one year due to an unsettled dispute between the construction company named Avantika and the executing agency.
R S Pathania, Ch Mohammad Akram, Noor Mohammad Sheikh and Raja Manzoor Ahmed also highlighted the issues of public importance.

Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Apr 8: An Army jawan belonging to a Kaluchak-based unit died today in mysterious circumstances after he complained of chest pain and vomiting late last night.
According to a police spokesperson, the jawan identified as Lance Naik Prakash Chander Mohrana son of Haneshwar Chander, a resident of Cuttack in Orissa and serving in 124 SATA Battery Kaluchak complained of chest pain and vomiting following which he was rushed to Army Hospital Satwari, where he was declared as brought dead.
The body of the deceased jawan was handed over to Army authorities after conducting post mortem at Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), Jammu.
The Gangyal police has registered a case in this regard and initiated proceedings under Section 174 CrPC.