Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, July 31: Vodafone Foundation announced the 4th edition of ‘Mobile for Good Awards 2014’, a flagship initiative that recognizes and supports emerging talent and innovative mobile solutions from NGOs/NFPs that facilitate community empowerment and inclusive growth.
Applicants from NGO/NFPs can submit their mobile application ideas at http://www.vodafone.in/mobileforgood. The application process will be open through the portal till August 31.
The Mobile for Good Awards 2014 will select five best-practice NGOs / NFPs for providing mobile application solutions in five critical areas of Governance, Health, Education, Agriculture & Environment and Women Empowerment & Inclusive Development. Adding another milestone to the M4G Awards this year, the “Special Awards” category have been introduced that will recognize winning ideas or concepts using mobile solutions in the defined focus areas.
Similar to the last three years, the M4G Awards 2014 will provide funding and mentorship to winning NGOs/NFPs. This year, the total funding grant has been increased to INR 6,000,000 (sixty lakh); providing 5 winning NGOs/ NFPs access to crucial funding of INR 12, 00,000 each, over one year, through the Main Category Awards.
In addition, the Main Category Awardees will receive structured mentoring, monitoring and impact evaluation support from credible institutions, incubators, etc. to upscale and build greater capacity of their projects.
Vodafone Foundation announces 4th edition of awards
2 hurt in road accident
Excelsior Correspondent
RAMBAN, July 31: Two persons got injured, when the motorcycle they were riding on collided with a bus near Sher Bibi in tehsil Banihal on Jammu-Srinagar National Highway.
As per police sources, two persons were injured when the motorcycle (PB02E-2557) they were riding on collided with a bus near Sher Bibi area of tehsil Banihal on Jammu-Srinagar National Highway.
The injured identified as Mohammad Yaseen Naik, son of Mohammad Ashraf Naik of Kote Khari, tehsil Banihal and Rehamtullah Sohail (teacher), son of Ghulam Mohammad Sohil of Wagan, tehsil Banihal were shifted to Sub District Hospital (SDH) Banihal and later were referred to Hospital at Srinagar.
The bus driver has been arrested, while a case has been registered at police station Banihal and investigation started.
Re-fix helicopter fare for Machail Yatra: JKMF
Excelsior Correspondent
KISHTWAR, July 31: State president, Jammu & Kashmir Milchar Front, (JKMF) Shamboo Nath Saproo has strongly criticized the district administration, Kishtwar for unjustified & exorbitant helicopter fare for Machail Yatra-2014, and wanted to re-fix fares according to other yatras.
The president in a statement issued said that the helicopter fare from Gulab Garh- the base camp to holy shrine Machail has been fixed at Rs 5050-00 per head, to and fro for 2014 (for 7 minutes journey), which is quite un-reasonable, unjustified & exorbitant as compared to from Katra to Sanjhi Chhat Rs1990.00 to and fro per head for 8 minutes, Neelgrath to Panj Tarni is Rs 3900.00 to and fro per head for 15 minutes journey, Bharmour to Mani Mahesh is Rs 3280.00 to and fro per head for 13 minutes journey.
Saproo appealed the Governor, the Chief Minister, Union Minister of State, Prime Minister’s Office, Public Grievances, Dr Jitendra Singh and Divisional Commissioner, Jammu for immediate intervention and re-fix the air fare of Chopper service to Machail yatra on the pattern of Vaishno Devi & Mani Mahesh yatra without any further delay.
People hold protest against PDD, demand new transformer
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, July 31: People of Govind Nagar Sector 2 held protest demonstration and raised slogans against PDD administration this morning.
It may be recalled that the residents of Govind Nagar Sector 2 are protesting for the want of upgraded transformer from last four days. A group of residents told that they are suffering in scorching heat due to burning of transformer and this condition prevails only because the transformer is burdened with excessive load. And this is fourth time when transformer is again burnt in two months.
PL Handoo, Gurdeep Singh, Gurcharan Singh and other residents of the area were present on the occasion.
The residents have urged for immediate restoring of upgraded transformer or they will intensify the protest.
PDP’s concern over plight of Custodian allottees
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, July 31: People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has expressed concern over the plight of Custodian allottees of Jammu city, which were facing immense problems due to lethal approach of State Custodian Department.
A team of PDP leaders led by Bharat Choudary, party candidate from Jammu East constituency along with Amjad Malik, Vikram Singh, Ashok Jogi, Rafiq Malik, Sachin Sharma, Mubaris Khan, Vijay Raina, Pankaj Gupta, Girish Sharma,Parveen Akhtar, Asif Din, Surinder, Pardan today visited Malhotra Street and listen the grievances of people.
Demanding ownership rights on Custodian property, the residents of Malhotra Street apprised the PDP leaders about hardships being faced by the allottees of the Custodian properties.
They said that with every passing day, problems of allottees have been compounding because authorities at the helm of the affairs have been making the process cumbersome rather than simplifying it for the people who have been living in custodian properties since 1947.
While speaking, Bharat Choudary said that an allottee who has been occupying this property for the last several years deserve full rights on it, therefore, State Government should grant ownership rights to those allottees without further delay.
HC suspends sentence, grants bail to former EO Katra
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, July 31: High Court today suspended the sentence awarded to Sham Lal, the then Executive Officer Katra Municipality by the Additional Sessions Judge Anticorruption Jammu on July 24, 2014 in Disproportionate Assets case.
After hearing Senior Advocate PN Raina with Advocate Sindu Sharma appearing for the petitioner, Justice Janak Raj Kotwal issued notice to State and others returnable within two weeks and issued direction to the Registry to list this case immediately after service is complete.
In the meanwhile, Justice Kotwal ordered that execution of sentence shall remain suspended and appellant shall be released provided he furnishes personal bond in the amount of Rs 20,000 along with a surety in the like amount to the satisfaction of Registrar Judicial.
Yatra rush decreases, 2600 perform darshan
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, July 31: The Amarnath yatra rush has considerably decreased and 2,605 pilgrims performed darshan at holy cave today.
With this the total number of pilgrims performing darshan at holy cave since the 44 day long yatra started on June 28 has reached 3,55,664.
According to an official spokesman, the weather enroute to cave shrine was pleasant today and the yatra proceeded smoothly on both the tracks.
He said 1584 pilgrims left for holy cave from Baltal Base camp today. Out of them 463 left by foot.
He said the pilgrims having night haltage at Sheshnag, Chandanwari and Panctarni also left for their onwards sojourn in the morning.
Meanwhile, a fresh batch of 431 pilgrims left Bhagwati Nagar Jammu Yatri Niwas for holy cave under tonight security in a cavalcade of 10 vehicles early this morning.
These pilgrims had reached their respective destinations in Kashmir Valley when last reports came in wherefrom they will leave for holy cave early tomorrow morning.
Govt extends summer vacations
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, July 31: Government today extended summer vacation upto August 2 in respect of all Government institutions including Colleges and private schools upto the level of higher secondary falling in Kashmir division and winter zone of Jammu division.
According to an order issued by Government, appropriate action would be initiated against the educational institutions who do not follow the said order and show deviation from the same.
Young scientists are India’s young ambassadors: Dr Jitendra
Excelsior Correspondent
NEW DELHI, July 31: Addressing a group of young students who returned after attending “International Science & Engineering Fair (ISEF) 2014” in Los Angeles, USA as part of “Team India”, Dr Jitendra Singh, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science & Technology and Earth Sciences, MoS in Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, Space & Atomic Energy, said here today that these young scientists are truly India’s young ambassadors.
Selected on the basis of merit from all over India, this group of 18 school children were sent by the Ministry of Science and Technology for a joint programme by DST and Intel. This team of young students competed with students from more than 78 countries and won 13 awards, wherein two students were also awarded minor planets on their names.
While these young students were excited and overjoyed to share their experiences, Dr Jitendra Singh not only complemented them but also assured them of full support and patronage in the years to come.
Dr Jitendra Singh suggested that instead of imposing science or any other subject on students, it is better to pick up young boys and girls who have inherent aptitude and then groom them accordingly so that in later life they can become original inventors, experimenters and researchers.
Ever since he took over Ministry of Science & Technology, Dr Jitendra Singh said, it has been his endeavour to encourage young geniuses who have the instinct to consistently innovate, experiment and research and added that the group of students from “Team India” standing before him are an evidence to point out how a transformed young India of 21st century can lead the whole world.
Dr P.S. Ahuja, Director General, CSIR, Gregory Bryant Vice President and General Manager, Intel Asia-Pacific and Japan and senior officials of DST, Intel and Indo US Science & Technology Forum were present at this felicitation function.
Outgoing Chief of the Army Staff Gen Bikram Singh handing over the baton to his successor General Dalbir Singh Suhag in New Delhi on Thursday. (UNI)
Outgoing Chief of the Army Staff Gen Bikram Singh handing over the baton to his successor General Dalbir Singh Suhag in New Delhi on Thursday. (UNI)