Mamta Patange, president, Air Force Wives Welfare Association honouring a participant during Awareness Camp in Jammu.
JAMMU, July 16: Air Force Gas Agency Jammu ‘VAHNI’ organized LPG Safety Awareness Camp, here today.
The motto of the Gas Agency is ‘Service First Safety Always’.
The programme began with the lighting of the traditional lamp by Mamta Patange, president, Air Force Wives Welfare Association (AFWWA), Air Force Station Jammu followed by Safety Awareness lecture by IOC Field Officer, Neha Thapa. Air Commodore PE Patange, Air Officer Commanding, Air Force Station Jammu addressed the Awareness Camp and shared his valuable advice on LPG Safety measures. The camp was attended by all Sanginis of Air Force Station, Jammu and customers from other sister services.
During the awareness programme, lectures were conducted on safety measures to be followed while using of LPG cylinders, precautions to be taken during LPG emergencies and how to ensure maximum utilization of LPG cylinder.
A door to door LPG Safety check was also conducted by personnel of Air Force Gas Agency.
Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, July 16: As many as 97 schemes worth Rs. 39.80 crore are being executed under PMGSY, JKPCC and R&B sector in Khansahib constituency of Budgam district.
The information was given out in a meeting convened here today under the chairmanship of Minister for Roads & Buildings Abdul Majid Wani, to review the pace of progress on these schemes.
MLA, Khansahib Hakeem Mohammad Yaseen was also present in the meeting.
Stressing the need for timely completion of on-going road projects in the constituency, the Minister said that road connectivity is pivotal for socio-economic transformation of the people. He said better road communication helps in promoting business transactions in the area, besides easy access with their counterparts living in urban areas. The development and up-gradation of road communication is in the focussed attention of the Government, he said and added that efforts are afoot for ensuring road connectivity in all the left-out habitations of the State under PMGSY.
Laying stress for maintaining quality of work as per specification, the Minister also directed the executing agencies for accelerating the pace of construction on the on-going projects ensuring their timely completion for the benefit of people.
The meeting was informed that 66 schemes are being executed in the constituency under R&B sector for which Rs. 2 crore has been earmarked for this fiscal. Similarly, 2 bridges at Kangripora and Sail are being executed at a cost Rs. 7. 91 crore by the JKPCC, the meeting was informed.
The meeting was further informed that out of 29 schemes, 27 schemes stand completed by utilizing Rs. 22 crore against allocated funds to the tune of Rs, 29.89 crore under PMGSY in the constituency. Moreover, the work on Lasipora-Ringzaban and Parthan- Lasipora roads is in progress at a cumulative cost of Rs. 3.27 crore.
Among others, Commissioner Secretary, R&B, Tanveer Jehan, Chief Engineer, R&B Kashmir Satish Razdan, Chief Engineer, PMGSY Vimal Tikoo, Director, Planning PWD Tariq Ahmad, Managing Director, JKPCC, besides senior Engineers of R&B and JKPCC attended the meeting.
London, July 16: Former England captain Geoffrey Boycott has recommended “stern punishment” for James Anderson if the England pacer is found guilty of abusing and pushing Ravindra Jadeja on the second day of the first Test at Trent Bridge.
“If anybody’s found guilty, and if I had a say in it, I believe he should be punished and punished harshly, that will stop it. I think everybody (found guilty) deserves a stern punishment. I didn’t see any pushing and I could have easily missed it. If he’s found guilty of that, then there’s no excuse,” Boycott said.
Anderson could be banned for two to four Tests if charges against him are proved. The altercation took place during the lunch break of the second day’s play when the two players were walking back to the pavillion for lunch. It is not yet known what triggered the fracas.
Jadeja was unbeaten on 24, and captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni on 81, while Anderson had bowled the last over before lunch. Anderson was charged under Level 3 of the ICC Code of Conduct after India team manager Sunil Dev lodged the complaint.
“What is going on in cricket, verbals between players, and particularly bowlers trying to rile batsmen by flagging them off, I don’t like it,” Boycott was quoted as saying by ‘ESPN cricinfo’.
He added: “I’ve never agreed with it, I don’t think there’s a place for it in cricket. The modern player, in a lot of countries, accepts it as a norm as if they are growing up with it and everybody does it and everybody should do it.
“They believe it is not hurting cricket. Well, I believe it is. Jimmy (Anderson) is known to be one that talks to players. Now what he actually says I don’t know, I’m not near enough to hear it and I certainly can’t lip-read. But he is known to do a lot of talking. I don’t agree with it.” (PTI)
Galle, July 16: Opener Dean Elgar notched a superb 103 today as South Africa reached 268 for 5 on the opening day of the first Test against Sri Lanka.
Elgar dominated both pace and spin bowling to smash 11 fours and three sixes during his 187-ball knock and was supported well by Faf du Plessis, who struck a fine 80 coming in at No.3.
Elgar batted just over two sessions and hit three sixes and 11 fours to bring up his second Test century.
However, the hosts hit back in the final session with four wickets as South Africa suffered a middle-order slump.
At stumps, wicketkeeper Quinton de Kock was batting on 17 and Dale Steyn was yet to score.
The left-handed Elgar seized the early initiative with free strokes against the seam bowlers and good use of the feet against spinners.
Elgar and de Plessis were not afraid to go for the shots and also rotated the strike well in what was the fourth century partnership between them.
The pair added 125 runs for the second wicket after Elgar and Alviro Petersen had put on 70 in their opening stand.
Elgar got to the three-figure mark with a six to long-on off off-spinner Dilruwan Perera to move from 96 to 102 after batting cautiously earlier in the 90s.
He was caught behind swishing at a delivery from seam bowler Suranga Lakmal, who bagged two wickets in the last session.
South Africa had looked set to end the day in a better
position but lost new captain Hashim Amla for 11 with Du Plessis and A B de Villiers (21) also following him as South Africa slipped from 195-1 to 266-5.
Du Plessis was well set, striking five fours and a six but was caught at short leg off off-spinner Dilruwan Perera to give Sri Lanka the window of opportunity.
Earlier, Petersen was trapped lbw by Perera with a straight delivery after striking four fours off 46 deliveries.
Petersen asked for a review, but replays showed the ball would have hit leg stump.
This is the first Test for South Africa after the retirement of Graeme Smith. Amla became only the second non-white captain of South Africa after Ashwell Prince, and the first to be appointed as permanent skipper.
South Africa won a preceding one-day series 2-1 under de Villiers, who is playing in this match as a specialist batsman due to a hamstring injury with de Kock to keep wickets. (Agencies)
NEW DELHI, July 16:
The National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) has begun collecting and maintaining specific data relating to attacks on media since January this year, the Government said today.
“National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), an attached office of Ministry of Home Affairs, has started collection of data under ‘attack on media’ through Monthly Crime Statistics since January, 2014,” Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar said in a written reply in the Lok Sabha.
“Prior to this, the specific data regarding attacks on media was not centrally maintained,” he added.
Javadekar said that the Press Council of India (PCI) has conveyed that it has set up a committee to examine the larger issue of safety of journalists in discharge of their duty with a view to gathering facts and evidences. He said the Government has not received yet the report of the committee set up by PCI.
He also gave provisional details of such cases registered during 2014. According to the Government, two such cases had been registered in Maharashtra till March 2014.
The Government, he said, has a scheme —’Journalists Welfare Scheme’ — which provides for one-time ex-gratia relief on urgent basis to the family of a working journalist in the event of his death. (PTI)
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, July 16: State High Court today issued notice to Chief Executive Officer of Birla Sun Life Insurance Company and others.
The notice was issued in a petition filed by Advocate Sajjad Ahmed alleging that he and his family had been cheated by the company.
After hearing Advocate Aditya Sharma appearing for the petitioner, Justice Tashi Rabstan issued notice to State and Chief Executive Officer Birla Sun Life Insurance Company and Others. Senior AAG Gagan Basotra accepted the notices on behalf of State.
NEW DELHI, July 16:
Amid demands by civil service aspirants for scrapping the CSAT test, Government today assured the agitating students that it would look into their demands sympathetically and has asked the concerned committee to expedite its report.
“The three-member committee was set up on March 12 this year before our government took over. But its report is yet to come and we have instructed this committee to expedite it.
“We have full sympathy with their cause and there should be no discrimination on the basis of language. I appeal to the students not to put themselves in physical or mental stress,” Minister of State for Personnel and Training Jitendra Singh said in Lok Sabha.
He said the government is already seized of the issue and has taken it up “very seriously and in a sensitive manner”.
“We can decide on the next course of action depending on the contents of the report of the committee,” Singh said.
His statement came amid protests by Congress, RJD and Samajwadi Party members, who trooped into the Well and raised slogans against “discrimination” by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) against candidates opting for Hindi and regional languages as medium for civil services examination.
The agitated MPs also charged the Minister with misleading the House.
The aspirants, mainly students, have been holding prolonged protests and resorting to hunger strike for several weeks demanding scrapping of Civil Services Aptitude Tests (CSAT), saying the exam pattern was putting Hindi and regional language aspirants at a disadvantage.
Singh had said outside Parliament yesterday that UPSC has been asked to postpone the preliminary exam scheduled on August 24 till there was clarity on the syllabus and exam pattern. (PTI)
Excelsior Correspondent
UDHAMPUR, July 16: Three passengers were injured when a minibus was hit by an Army vehicle on the National Highway near Narsu Nallah at Chenani.
The injured, identified as Mukash Singh (21) of Gorikund, Sakina (61) of Narsu and Mukash Kumar (26) of Dhar Gadeya, were shifted to hospital and their condition was stated to be stable.
SURAT, July 16:
A local court today rejected the bail plea of self-styled godman Asaram’s son Narayan Sai in connection with in an alleged rape case filed against him here.
Joint District and Additional City Sessions Judge B A Joshi rejected the plea, observing that an offence of rape is made out prima facie against the accused.
The Surat court also observed that the accused (Sai) can tamper with the evidence and harm the witnesses, if he is released on regular bail at present.
Earlier this month, Sai had moved the bail plea and sought his release on the ground that the police had already filed the charge sheet and alleged that the rape case against him was filed with malafide intention.
“The state police has filed the charge sheet in the month of March which indicates that the probe in the rape case has been completed,” Sai submitted in the bail plea.
Sai had further said in the regular bail plea that the complaint of rape was filed against him after a time-span of 11 years with malafide intentions.
“There is nothing substantial in the facts of the case, so the applicant (Sai) should be released on the regular bail,” the bail plea said.
However, the court has not granted the submission of Sai and sent him to judicial custody after rejecting his bail.
The police had charge sheeted Sai with the charges of rape under section 376, unnatural sex under section 377 and criminal conspiracy under sections 120(b)of IPC.
He was also booked under IPC sections 346 for wrongful confinement of the victim, 356 for physical assault, 506 for criminal intimidation, 148 for attempting deadly attack and 153 for rioting.
Two sisters had lodged complaints against Sai and his father Asaram of rape, sexual assault, illegal confinement and other charges.
In her complaint, the younger of the two had accused Sai of repeated sexual assault between 2002 and 2005 when she was living at the Surat ashram managed by the father-son duo.
The elder sister had filed a rape complaint against Asaram and a separate case is going on against him in the Gandhinagar court. (PTI)
Excelsior Correspondent
KATHUA, July 16: Six hundred poultry birds in a poultry farm belonging to one Rakesh Kumar were perished after the drainage water due to heavy rains entered his poultry farm situated near Jammu -Pathankote National Highway in Barnoti village of Kathua district late last night.
The people have accused the authorities of their total failure in constructing a drain along the NH due to which entire rain water of the surrounding area enters the poultry farm and other building along NH. Similarly, rain water also entered in residential houses in Mertha village near Barnoti causing a heavy loss to people.
The people of the area have expressed concern over the failure of the authorities to construct proper drainage system in the area saying it was the first Monsoon rain of the season which created such havoc in the area.
In Jammu the rain water has entered the Mata Roop Bhawani temple in Sharda Colony Patoli Brahmana. The residents of the area have made appeal to JMC authorities to construct a proper drainage system in the area and save the holy temple from the damage.
The rain water has also added to the woes of residents of Church Lane in Amit Nagar Muthi and people have to pass through cesspools of the water during the day as there is no proper drainage system in the area.
The local residents in a meeting today made an appeal to the JMC authorities to look into the problem and demanded that a proper drainage system be constructed in the area besides tiling of the lanes.
