SRINAGAR : A 16-year-old boy was injured today allegedly in CRPF firing in Anantnag district in south Kashmir during protests against the killing of a youth in a similar incident in Kulgam district.

Gowhar Ahmad Wani was hit in the chest by a bullet allegedly fired by a CRPF unit which was returning to Kokernag after performing law and order duties in Anantnag town, police sources said.

The CRPF personnel came under heavy stone-pelting from the youths in Dhaarno village where protests were going on against killing of a 15-year-old boy at Qaimoh allegedly in firing by the force personnel yesterday.

The injured boy was rushed to a hospital here in a critical condition, the sources said. (AGENCIES)

NEW DELHI:
IFS officer Sanjeev Kumar Singla has been appointed as Private Secretary to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, succeeding Vikram Misri, who is going to Spain as Ambassador.

Singla, a 1997 batch officer, is returning home to serve in the PMO, after a posting in Indian Embassy in Israel’s Tel Aviv.

Singla, earlier has worked as Director to the then former Foreign Secretary, Ranjan Mathai.

The Appointments Committee of Cabinet (ACC) has approved appointment of Singla to the post of Private Secretary to the Prime Minister in place of Vikram Misri, said an order issued by the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT).

Misri, a 1989 batch IFS officer, who was appointed as Ambassador to Spain in April, served as Private Secretary to former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. After Modi took over on May 27, Misri was asked to continue for some time.

It has been approved that Misri will continue as PS till July 31, the order said.

Misri had joined the Prime Minister’s Office in 2010 as Joint Secretary and later in 2012 became PS to former Prime Minister Singh.

The Government has also appointed PSs to two cabinet ministers — Harsimrat Kaur Badal and M Venkaiah Naidu.

Hardeep Singh, a 1990 batch Indian Trade Service officer, has been appointed PS to Badal, Minister for Food Processing Industries.

Singh is working in Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT).

S Suresh Kumar, a 2000 batch IAS officer of Andhra Pradesh cadre, has been appointed as PS to Naidu, Minister for Urban Development.

Kumar is presently working in his cadre state. (AGENCIES)

PATNA: Cooking gas and kerosene prices will not be hiked keeping in view the impact of such a step on the people, Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said today.

“Our Government has decided not to increase LPG and kerosene prices in the country. This will benefit the middle class people and those who use kerosene as cooking fuel,” he told reporters here.

Pradhan, who was in Patna to attend the final day of the two-day BJP State executive meeting, however, said the petrol prices would move according to the prevalent market price mechanism.

“Petrol prices are linked directly to the market and they move accordingly. We faced some difficulty due to the Iraq issue and petrol prices went up a bit in the country,” he said.

The minister expressed the hope that there would be no “oil shock” in the future as the “rupee was appreciating under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and it was a good indication”.

He said bulk diesel prices for railways, defence, industries and other big consumers were decreased by around a rupee after duties were reduced on it.

Pradhan also said that the Central Government was planning to revive the fertiliser plants at Barauni (Bihar), Sindri (Jharkhand), Durgapur (West Bengal) and Gorakhpur (Uttar Pradesh) as part of the Haldia (West Bengal)– Jagdhishpur (Uttar Pradesh) gas pipeline project.

“The Gas Authority of India Limited (GAIL) wanted two anchor customers for the gas pipeline project. We are considering providing them four in the form of these fertiliser plants. Our ministry and the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilisers are working on it,” he said.

The minister said the revival of the fertiliser plants would cost around Rs 7,000 to Rs 8,000 crore as the entire machinery in plants, which remained defunct for two or three years, needed to be replaced. (AGENCIES)

JAMMU : Expressing concern over rising incidents of ceasefire violations by Pakistan, Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah today asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to speak to his Pakistani counterpart on the issue.

“I want the Prime Minister to talk to Pak authorities and tell them that ceasefire violations are not right,” Omar told reporters here today.

Omar, who was replying to questions on repeated ceasefire violations at Jammu border by Pak troops, said, “Modi has good relations with Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and they also communicate on Twitter. They should get this message across that ceasefire violations are not right.”

Referring to China, Omar said, “We are not worried about China now because they don’t harm us anymore. But ceasefire violations from Pakistan side is a matter of great concern to us.”

There has been loss of life, cattle and damage to property due to Pak firing, which has caused problems for us here, he said.

Meanwhile, Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha, Gulam Nabi Azad, today also expressed concern over the ceasefire violations.

“The firing that has taken places in Arnia and other parts of Jammu for past three to four days is a matter of concern.

“But remember that BJP during the campaign for LS polls had targeted UPA Government for being weak to respond to ceasefire violations,” Azad said.

“Leave the China, which had made several attempts of incursion. During past two months period of Modi Government, Pak has violated ceasefire 25 times”, he said.

“People are getting killed, cattle perishing and properties getting damaged in firing, now it is time for BJP to answer on this,” he added.

Apart from violations in July so far, Pakistan violated the ceasefire five times along LoC and IB in Jammu region in June. There were 19 incidents of ceasefire violation along the LoC in April-May. (AGENCIES)

SRINAGAR :  An army jawan was killed when a grenade exploded accidentally during a counter-infiltration ambush in Gurez Sector along the Line of Control in Bandipora district of Kashmir, Army said today.

Troops had laid an ambush in Kanzalwan area of Gurez last night following information about possible movement of militants in the area, an Army spokesman said.

“Close to midnight, there was an accidental discharge of a hand grenade that resulted in the death of one rifleman,” the spokesman said. (AGENCIES)

JAMMU :  Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah today said ceasefire violations by Pakistan are more “dangerous” than Chinese incursions.    “Spurt in ceasefire violations from across the international border and Line of Control as well is a matter of concern and such acts are more “dangerous” than the Chinese incursions,” Mr Abdullah told reporters at the sidelines of a function here this afternoon.
The Chief Minister said, “Pak firing is ‘dangerous’ for the border residents,” adding, “We want Prime Minister Narendra Modi should talk to his Pak counterpart in this regard”.    “Our Prime Minister should talk to Pakistani PM as this cross border firing is not good,” Mr Abdullah said adding, “Mr Modi has developed good relations with Pak Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif even through the micro blog ‘twitter’  and he has to raise this issue.”
Expressing concerns over plight of border people, the Chief Minister said,”Pak firing is dangerous for the people living in border areas.”
On a query about, Vaidik’s meeting with Hafiz Sayeed, he said, “only politics is going on Vaidik’s meeting with Sayeed”.    He said,”Hafiz Sayeed’s ideology is different. Anyone can meet anyone and there is no wrong in it. Neither the meeting of Kashmiri separatist leader Yasin Malik’s meeting Hafiz Sayeed was wrong nor is the meeting of Vaidik.”
(AGENCIES)

SRINAGAR/JAMMU :  The NC-Congress coalition in Jammu and Kashmir today hit the rocks as the two parties announced that they will go it alone in the Assembly polls in the state due later this year.
Congress leaders Ghulam Nabi Azad, Ambika Soni and Saifuddin Soz announced in Jammu that the party will fight the the forthcoming Assembly elections alone and will not enter into any pre-poll alliance.
“After extensive talks with Congress leaders and workers at all levels, the party has come to the conclusion that we are going to fight the forthcoming Assembly elections on our own strength”, Soni, General Secretary AICC and in-charge of J&K Congress, told reporters.
“We will put up candidates or support some of the traditional alliance candidates on all the 87 seats in J&K alone”, she said.
Minutes later, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, who is working president of National Conference, took to social media to announce that he had informed Congress President Sonia Gandhi 10 days ago that there will be no pre-poll alliance in the state.
“I met Mrs Gandhi 10 days ago & thanked her for all her support. I conveyed NC’s decision to fight the elections alone,” Omar said on Twitter.
He said he explained the reasons to the Congress president for not entering into a pre-poll alliance “but also told her I wouldn’t be making a public announcement because I didn’t want it to look opportunistic.
“For it to be spun now as a Cong decision is wrong & a complete distortion of the facts, not surprising but incorrect nonetheless,” he added.
Soni, who was flanked by Azad and JKPCC chief Soz, said, “Most of the wokers and leaders of Congress wanted us to go alone in elections”.
The votes in Lok Sabha elections were not transferred to each other resulting in the debacle, she said, adding, “There was not much of help that came from our alliance partner in previous elections”.
Azad said the party wants to emerge as the single largest party in the state and it will focus on completing pending projects in the state.
National Conference and Congress entered into a post-poll alliance following a hung verdict in the 2008 Assembly elections in the state.
Although the coalition government has almost completed
its term of six years, the sailing for the two parties has not been smooth as second rung leaders from both parties have indulged in public spats over many issues.
The NC and Congress contested the recent Lok Sabha polls together and were routed by opposition PDP and BJP on all six seats. While Congress lost Jammu, Udhampur and Ladakh seats to BJP, PDP made a clean sweep against the NC in the three seats of the valley.
Congress decision to go alone in the Assembly elections has sparked hope of a better showing than the LS polls among the younger leaders of the party.
“I welcome the decision of the Congress Party to contest the J&K election on its own. This respects the sentiments of our workers,” Salman Soz, who is a media panelist for the party, said.
“By not forming a pre-poll alliance with any party, Congress expands choice in J&K. This is good for the people of J&K and good for the party,” he added. (AGENCIES)