Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU Aug 4: BJP general secretary (Organization), Ashok Koul today said that Jats have contributed to the progress of the country a lot.
While addressing a function organized by Jat Kalyan Sabha, Bishnah to felicitate BJP State president and newly elected MP Jugal Kishore Sharma and him, he said Jats are the true nationalists and are the first defence line on the borders.
Koul said that Jat Community’s help is very much needed in the coming Assembly elections for achieving 44+ as the community has whole heartily supported the BJP in Parliamentary elections.
Jugal Kishore in his address said that Jats have played an important role in the Parliamentary elections in the State as well as in other parts of the country. He said that Jats have sizeable number of votes in Jammu-Poonch Constituency and also in Udhampur Doda Constituency. They have reposed faith in BJP and have unambiguously rejected National Conference- Congress combine. Jugal Kishore said that he has raised the issue of settlement of refugees and other issues pertaining to the community whether it is Border firing; settlement on safer places etc in the Parliament.
Sukhnandan Choudhary MLA, Sham Choudhary MLA, Ch. Vikram Randawa,  Surinder Choudhary and Ashok Choudhary were among other prominent leaders who attended the function .
Ch. Kamal Singh while speaking on the occasion said that the Jats are true nationalists and they will always work for the national cause.
He said that Jats are the 1st defence line of the country as 70% of the community lives on border.
Ch. Kamal Singh put forward common demands for settlement of refugee issues as early as possible, 20% reservation in paramilitary forces for people who are residing on the international borders from Kathua to Pargwal in the radius of 8 km from the border, special recruitment drive in J&K Police and Army for border people, Kendriya Vidhyala  at Arnia, Sub District Hospital  at Arnia as being border town, 100% Central/State funded insurance policy for farmers and sub Division for Bishnah.
Prominent among other Jat leaders who spoke on the occasion and congratulated the newly elected MP and his worthy team included
Ch. Satpal, Capt. Barita Ram, Ch. Darshan Master Rattan, Master Baldev, Master Sham, Master Sarwan, Capt. Swaran, Ch. Om, Ch. Amar Singh were among the Jat leaders present.

Excelsior Correspondent
Jammu, Aug 4: SOS International, Chairman Rajiv Chuni today reminded the State Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and his cabinet colleagues the decision taken in the last cabinet meeting to list and take up the proposal about the package to PoK displaced persons in the next Cabinet meeting on top priority, however, a fortnight has passed and the Cabinet meeting has not been scheduled so for.
The chairman, hailed the State Chief Minister for his straightforward approach to a human issue which has been complicated by the successive Governments over a period of 67 years for their political reasons, by according a positive nod to the package. He said displaced persons are victims of the worst kind of human rights abuses in the state, as Government of India has been speaking of a precise policy to get the territory vacated and relocate the DPs in their homes & hearths in pak occupied Kashmir. The displaced persons, Mr. Chuni said are ready to go back to their homes in PoK.
The SOS International has strongly appealed to the State Chief Minister, convene the Cabinet meeting and take up the proposal for according the Cabinet approval to it.

Excelsior Correspondent
BHADERWAH, Aug 4: Police today recovered about 75 kg of banned medicinal herb namely Nagchattri, in two separate incidents and arrested one person in this regard.
A party of Police Post Bhagwah laid a Naka and intercepted one Surjeet Singh, son of Krishan Lal Thakur, resident of Mangal Thatha and recovered 15 kg 400 grams of Forest Produce, Nagchattri from his possession.
In this regard, case FIR No 146/2014 U/S 379 RPC, 6 Forest Act stands registered at Police Station Doda against the accused person and investigation of the case is in progress.
Meanwhile, 60 kg unclaimed Nagchattri was recovered from the Khellani Road by the police. In this regard, a case has been registered under DD No 19 at Police Post Khellani, Doda U/S 6 forest Act.
Moreover, 45 intoxicant capsules were also recovered by a police party of Police Station, Assar, while laying routine naka. They intercepted a van bearing Registration No JK06-6351, which was on its way from Jammu to Doda and found 45 intoxicant capsules in possession of the driver of the vehicle namely Sadaqat Ali, son of Asgar Ali and resident of Kotli, Bhaderwah. The vehicle was seized and the accused driver was arrested on the spot.
In this regard, a case FIR No 23/2014 U/S 8/21 NDPS Act stands registered at Police Station Assar.

Excelsior Correspondent

SRINAGAR, Aug 4: While interacting with large sections of the civil society, delegations of hoteliers, people associated with transport and other concerned with the losses caused by the NHPC to the state, the chairman Media  JKPCC Khwaja Farooq Renzushah appreciated the leader of Opposition in Rajha Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad and Prog Saif-ud-Din Soz for their statement that next Government in J&K will be formed by Congress at its own.
He endorsed the view of visiting delegates and said that it is unfortunate that in the recent budget presented in the Parliament no package was earmarked for the people of Kashmir to be compensated in sequel to the losses caused by the NHPC while taking entire power project of Uri-2. Similarly, economic activities in entire Jammu Division has been brought to stand still by prematurely opening Jammu-Katra railway track without announcing compensation package to hoteliers, transporters, handicrafts dealers, industrialists, shopkeepers and other tradesmen of Jammu division who are presently suffering as a result of abrupt reduction of Katra tourists.
Mr Renzushah said it was because of the Congress initiative that thousands of crores were recovered from NHPC on utilization of Hydal power by them. Still thousands of crores are pending with NHPC which are being required to be settled in case of their utilization of Uri Hydal power. The people of the division are required to be compensated and the stand of Congress on this issue very. He said that Congress government allotted medical colleges to the state but delay has been caused by the government in ensuring admissions in these Medical Colleges.

Excelsior Correspondent

JAMMU, Aug 4: The PHE Workers Welfare Association has warned to revive the suspended agitation as the Government has failed to honour  its commitment made with the employees leaders.
Talking to media-persons here today, Subash Verma, general secretary of PHE Workers Welfare Association said that one month time was given by the Government to resolve the main issues of  daily rated, casual, need base and CP workers but the minister concerned and the State Government has miserably failed to resolve the pending demands of the employees. He alleged that Government has lost its credibility and trust as the workers were left high and dry always.
He said the daily rated workers are demanding their regular wages and regularization but the Government even after commitment has failed to provide them relief. Mr Verma alleged that State Finance Minister A R Rather was the main hurdle in resolution of these issues. He termed NC led Government as anti-employee.
Mr Verma said that in view of  attitude of the Government, the Association has decided to call an emergency meeting of all the district units on August 6 to discuss next course of action and to revive agitation.
Rattan Doshi and Surjit Singh also spoke on the occasion.

Excelsior Correspondent

JAMMU, Aug 4: The selected candidates for Jail Warden continued their protest dharna outside Press Club here in support of their demand of getting released final selection list.
The protesting candidates raised anti-Government slogans, warned the Government not to test their patience and demanded early release of final selection list.
The protestors alleged that their repeated requests to Chief Minister, State Cabinet Ministers, senior leaders of opposition parties and concerned officers of the department have fallen into deaf ears, while a number of candidates were nearing getting over-aged.
They said despite the fact that no recruitment has taken place in the Prison Department since 1995 and the department is facing acute shortage of manpower with 2000 vacancies, the State Government is adopting delaying tactics in releasing the final selection list.
One of the protesting candidates informed that about 41182 unemployed youth had applied for the post of Jail Wardens advertised in local dailies in 2005 and 1247 candidates were shortlisted for the interview, which was held in September 2010. However, even after more than three years since the conduct of interviews, the selection list is still awaited, and most of them are becoming overaged, he added.
The protesting candidates urged the Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, MoS Home Sajad Ahmad Kichloo and Director General Prison, PL Gupta, to personally look into the matter for getting the selection list released.

Excelsior Correspondent

JAMMU, Aug 4: A score of unemployed engineers under the banner of Unemployed Engineers’ Organisation, J&K, today staged a protest demonstration against the State Government here in front of Press Club and asserted for framing a policy for providing employment to unemployed engineers.
The protestors under the chairmanship of Sharaf Ahmed assembled in front of Press Club Jammu and started raising slogans against the Government.
Addressing the protestors, Sharaf Ahmed accused the Government of neglecting the unemployed enginners while providing employment. He said that for decades successive Governments in the State have been adopting bias approach towards unemployed engineers due to which they are suffering badly.
He demanded the Government to frame a policy for providing employment to the unemployed engineers on the pattern of ReT and Rehbar-e-Zirat.
Speaking on the occasion, State president of the Association, Rajiv Sharma, and District president, Poonch, Mohd Asif Khan stressed upon the Government for computation of all the unemployed engineers in the State and accordingly frame a policy for providing them employment.
All the district presidents of the Association participated in the protest and warned the Government not to test the patience of the unemployed engineers, who are wandering here and there in the absence of jobs. They urged the State Government to provide employment opportunities to unemployed engineers by framing a policy on the pattern of ReT and ReZ.