Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Mar 24: On the eve of 84th Martyrs day, Akhil Bharatiya  Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) Jammu University (JU) Unit organized a blood donation camp in JU in which about 70 ABVP activists including 21 girls donated blood in memory of Shaheed Bhagat Singh, Raj Guru and Sukhdev.
Prof Nagesh Thakur, ABVP National president, was the chief guest and Prof Narinder Singh, Associate Prof, SKUAST, Jammu was guest of honor.
Speaking on the occasion Prof Nagesh Thakur said that blood donation is a most precious gift one must give for those who are in dire need of it. He also said that donating blood is a greatest service to the humanity.
Prof Rajnikant, Dr Parminder Singh, Pawan Sharma and Sanjay Verma were prominent among those who donated the blood and inspired others to donate blood. Many senior ABVP activists who also donated their blood on this occasion included Bhavana  Bharti, Lokinder Singh , Arun Jamwal, Anil, Barun Salathia, Rajiv, Sandeep, Asha,  Harsh, Alok, Vikas, Ajay, Daleep, Sumit, Karan, Raj, Abhishek, Pulkit and Kanav.
The team of doctors from Department of Blood Transfusion, Government Medical College Jammu was led by Dr Nayeem Akther.

Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Mar 24 : The Governor N N Vohra has rejected assent to the Bill seeking  reservation (ST Status) for the Pahari speaking people of  the State.
Giving this information in the Legislative Council today, Secretary Mohd Ashraf Mir said that the Bill,  The Jammu and Kashmir Reservation (Amendment) Bill, 2014 (LA Bill No. 18 of 2014), passed by both the Houses of the State Legislature during the last session ( August 2014) and presented to the Governor for his assent, has been returned by the Governor for reconsideration  for the Legislature under Provio to section 78 of the Constitution of Jammu and Kashmir.  It is pertinent to mention here that the Bill pertains to  providing  ST Status to the Pahari speaking people of the State.
The secretary further informed that the  Bills ‘The Jammu and Kashmir Pharmacy (Amendment) Act, 2014’,  ‘The Jammu and Kashmir Water Resources (Regulation and Management) (Amendment) Act, 2014’ and ‘The Jammu and Kashmir Civil Services (Special Provisions) (Amendment) Act, 2014’,  passed by both the Houses of Legislature during the last session (August, 2014) have been assented to by the Governor.

Excelsior Correspondent
RAMBAN, Mar 24: A retired Army jawan was arrested along with 9 kilograms of poppy straw from T-Morh area, falling under the jurisdiction of Banihal police station.
As per police sources, on specific information, police party from Banihal police station laid a naka at T-Morh and intercepted a person in Army uniform.
The police team asked the person to produce his identity card and when it was verified it was found the person was ex-Army jawan. By wearing Army uniform the person used to dodge the police to carry the consignment of drugs through Kashmir to Banihal through train and then to Punjab via bus.
During checking of his belonging, police recovered 9 kilograms of poppy straw and arrested the retired Army jawan, who has been identified as Sukhwinder Singh, son of late Amarjeet Singh of Landha, tehsil Payal, District Ludhiana, Punjab.
A case under FIR number 34/15 under Section 8/15 Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act has been registered at police station Banihal and investigation started.
Police team led by SHO Banihal police station Inspector Tariq Ahmed Naik, made the arrest under the supervision of SSP Ramban Randeep Kumar.

Excelsior Correspondent

JAMMU, Mar 24: National Mazdoor Conference (NMC) today appealed the Prime Minister, Union Finance Minister and Minister of State (PMO) to immediately grant special package to the tune of Rs 200 crore per annum for regularization of 61000 casual/seasonal labourers working in various departments of the State Government.
Addressing a press conference here today, NMC president, Subhash Shastri reminded the BJP, a coalition partner in State Government led by Chief Minister Mufti Mohd Sayeed to fulfill their commitment of resolving this sensitive issue, which they had committed during the elections rallies ahead of recently conducted State Assembly elections in the presence of Prime Minister.
Shastri hoped that BJP led NDA Government at the Centre will rescue the J&K Government by providing special package particularly for this purpose so that the long pending demand of these poor daily rated workers get fulfilled.
While welcoming the decision of State Government to create 3660 posts of helpers for regularization of an equal number of daily rated workers, Shastri described it as pro-working class decision, adding that the same method may be adopted in phased manner to regularized remaining 61000 daily rated workers.
Emphasizing on the need for creating separate Head in each department for their timely disbursement of wages, Shastri said this measure will go a long way to address their financial problems permanently.
The other demands highlighted by Shastri include enhancing salary of daily wagers to Rs 10000 per month, strictly implementing CP Fund deduction scheme in all departments of the State Government, increasing medical allowance to Rs 1000 per month and immediate release of all pending dues of daily wagers working in Irrigation and Flood Control Department, PWD, PDD and other departments.

Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Mar 24: A meeting of PDP Migrants wing, Kokernag constituency was held under the chairmanship of MLA Kokernag, Abdul Rahim Rather, today.
A threadbare discussion was held regarding problems faced by the migrants including restoring of RBA status and development for reaching out to all migrants of constituency to address their issues. In the meeting a migrants committee was framed in which unanimously Nana Jee Wattal was elected as chairman of the committee.
The members are Maharaj Krishan Bhat as president, Nanaji Raina(ex-Sarpanch as vice president, Sohan Lal Pandita as general secretary and Bhushan Lal Bhat as cashier, A K Pandita as secretary. Other members are Dwarika Nath Raina, Ram Krishan Bazaz, Poshkar Nath Pandita, Avtar Krishan Raina, Aryan Ramesh, Sunil Pandita, Roshan Lal Dhar, Shibanji Rishi, D N Bhat, C L Bhat, A K Bhat, O N Bhan, Mohterma Muneera Begum, Hussan Badder and Sameer Pandita.

Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Mar 24: Terming BJP-led Government at Centre as a U-turn Sarkar, members of National Students’ Union of India (NSUI) held a strong protest demonstration outside the Jammu University Campus.
The protesting NSUI activists raised slogans against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and also torched an effigy of the Government. The protesters were led by Neeraj Kundan, State president of NSUI and accompanied by other members of NSUI State committee.
Addressing protesting activists, Neeraj Kundan alleged that BJP was following a double standard in dealing with Pakistan. “After twin attacks at Kathua and Samba districts, BJP did not speak even a single word while Union MoS V K Singh has attended Pakistan Day parade along with Hurriyat leaders at Pakistan High Commission in Delhi,” he said.

Excelsior Correspondent

JAMMU, Mar 24: Demanding release of their pending salary, the aggrieved Female Multi-purpose Health Workers (FMPHWs)  working  in sub-centres under Family Welfare Department, held a strong protest demonstration at the Directorate of Health complex, here today.
The protesting FMPHWs raised slogans in support of their demand and urged the Minister for Health and Medical Education Choudhary Lal Singh for his personal   intervention into the matter for ensuring release of the salary, which has been pending for the last more than 16 months.
The day-long protest was organized under the banner of Jammu Kashmir FMPHWs Welfare Association, affiliated to Jammu Kashmir Medical Employees Federation. A few  other Medical employees, led by the Federation president Sushil Sudan, also took part in the protest dharna, under the leadership of the FMPHWs Welfare Association president Babli Sharma.
While addressing the demonstration, Sushil Sudan expressed serious concern over the plight of FMPHWs, who are without salary for the last 16 months despite repeated reminders by the Federation and assurances by the concerned officers.
Babli Sharma highlighted the plights of FMPHWs, whose families are virtually at the verge of starvation due to non release of salary for the last more than a year.
The protesting FMPHWs announced to begin fast unto death from March 30 at the same venue if their pending salary is not released by then.
The protest dharna was also addressed by Kamla Devi, Neelam Kumari, Kanta Kumari, Pritam Devi, Kanta, Rekha Rani, Sudershan, Nancy Bhat, Mamta Sharma, Kiran Khajuria, Raj Kumari, Asha Kiran and others.

Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Mar 24: Five member delegation of Municipal and Urban Local Bodies Pensioners Association, (MULBPA) Jammu province under the leadership of B S Jamwal (advocate) advisor-cum-spokesman of the Association met Lochan Dass, Director Accounts and Treasuries, Finance Department, today.
They apprised him about the problems of pensioners and its redressal at the earliest. The demands which were put-forth are bifurcation of monthly pensionary and gratuity commutation funds like and ensure disbursement of monthly pension on 1st day of each month, strict direction to all the treasure officers of Jammu province not to divert the pensionary funds in releasing of gratuity/commutation to pensioners out of monthly pensioners funds.
Disbursement of gratuity/commutation to the civic body pensioners under the formula 1st come -1st serve and maintenance of the register pension/gratuity cases serial and date wise and when those pensioner office to treasury officers, removal of anomaly amongst the IV class family pensioners safai karamcharis.
Besides the civil body pensioners  also hailed the State Government in releasing two(2) no 17% dearness installments pending since Jan and July 2014 in favour of employees and pensioners of J&K State.
The Director listened all the problems of the pensioners patiently and assured for its redressal at earliest.
Y S Jamwal, B D Verma, K S Jamwal and Jawhar Lal Sharma participated in the meeting.

Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Mar 24:  The leaders of BJP and PDP Ex Service Wings today said that the BJP-PDP coalition Government has kept the pre-poll promise and decided to amend the VAT Act to bring the goods sold through CSD Canteens in J&K in the exempted list.
Talking to reporters here, today Brig (retd) Anil Gupta of BJP Ex-Servicemen Cell and Capt (Retd) Anil Gaur of PDP’s Ex-servicemen Wing  informed that Finance Minister on the floor of the Assembly has made an announcement in this regard during the course of his budget speech. They complimented the coalition Government on behalf of the five lakh strong veteran community in the State.
They also hoped that the Government would favourably consider the other demands of the ex-servicemen like 15% reservation in jobs including police, raising of disaster management units and TA(ECO) units based on ex -servicemen for restoring the ecological balance in the three regions of the state and speedy settlement of revenue cases by forming veteran Grievance Redressal Cells at each district headquarters.
In this connection they also referred to the letter dated 12th February written by the Defence Minister of India to all the Chief Ministers requesting him to help the serving personnel and veterans of the Indian Armed Forces in speedy disposal of their grievances.
The two leaders requested the Government to amend the VAT Act in the current session of the Assembly itself so that the affected personnel are benefitted at the earliest. They also said that this step of the Government would also benefit the serving soldiers in the state and will contribute to raising their morale.
They also thanked NDA Government and the Defence Minister for implementing the One Rank One Pension scheme. They said the revised pension would be effective from April 1,  2014 and the arrears would be paid in four equal installments from May 1, 2015. With this 30 year old struggle of the veterans would see light of the day and bring cheers on many battle hardened faces including widows and Veer Naris.Capt BS Jasrotia, general secretary of the BJP ex-servicemen cell was also present in the press conference.
Brig Gupta also informed the media that he and Capt Gaur would be jointly meeting the  Chief Minister, Deputy Chief Minister and other cabinet ministers to apprise them of the problems being faced by the ex-servicemen in the State.