NEW DELHI : The BJP today urged Jammu and Kashmir government to allow the Kashmiri Pandits to undertake the annual pilgrimage to Kounsar Nag — a glacial spring in Pirpanjal mountain range in South Kashmir.
The state government had earlier given permission for the yatra but later on withdrew the order under pressure from the Sepratists. The state government proposed
a separate route which was different from the traditional one, followed by the Kashmiri Pandits over the years. Raising the issue during Zero Hour in the Rajya Sabha, BJP member Avinash Rai
Khanna termed the withdrawal of permission to traditional pilgrimage ”against the values of secularism and democracy”. ”The pilgrimage was last held in 1980 and people were happy that it was started again but the state government again stopped it due to security concern.
”I urge the state government to not hurt the religious sentiments of migrant Kashmiri Pandit community,” he said. He added that tent workers, coolies, shopkeepers and others who were working for daily wages in South Kashmir would get work and money if the yatra continued.
(AGENCIES)
Kashmiri Pandits be allowed for Kounsar Nag Yatra: BJP
15 injured in clashes at army recruitment rally
SRINAGAR : At least 15 persons, including eight security personnel, were hurt in clashes which broke out today during an army recruitment rally at Tanghdar in Kupwara district of Jammu and Kashmir.
Trouble broke out in Chamkote village of Tanghdar region, close to Line of Control, after a group of aspirants for jobs in a Territorial Army unit started pelting stones at personnel conducting the physical tests, an army spokesman said.
He said the candidates who were rejected in the physical tests resorted to violence and even set ablaze the fencing of the arena where the tests were conducted.
“The army personnel, sensing danger to life and property, fired few blank rounds which do not cause any injuries. The injuries have been caused by stone pelting,” he added.
The spokesperson said more than 4,000 candidates had turned up for the “few posts” which were to be filled up at the recruitment rally.
A police official said the agitating candidates alleged that the recruiting officials relaxed the rules to allow middle school pass candidates to appear in the physical test against the criterion of ‘Matriculates and above’ only.
The official said seven candidates, four policemen and equal number of army jawans were injured in the clashes.
“One of the candidates has suffered head injury and may need to be evacuated to a hospital in Srinagar for specialised treatment,” he added.
Additional police personnel were rushed to the spot to bring the situation under control. (AGENCIES)
UPSC row: RS adjourned till noon
NEW DELHI : The Opposition today created ruckus in the Rajya Sabha on the new format of UPSC civil services examination, forcing the adjournment of the House till 1200 hrs.
When the House met for the day, members of the Opposition, including the Congress and the JD(U), raised uproar demanding removal of the new pattern CSAT from the UPSC civil services examination.
Chairman Hamid Ansari’s pleas to the members to maintain order in the House went unheeded and he adjourned the proceedings till noon.
(AGENCIES)
60 PoK residents arrive, 6 Kashmiris cross to other side
SRINAGAR : Sixty people from Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) arrived here and six from Kashmir were among 123 who cross sides at Kaman post, the last Indian military post on this side of the Line of Control (LoC) in Uri sector in Jammu and Kashmir. The Karvan-e-Aman bus, operating between Srinagar and Muzaffarabad, capital of PoK since April 7, 2005 was suspended last week in view of the Eid-ul-Fitr. Official sources said here today that 60 PoK residents, including 22 women and 12 children, arrived at Kaman post after crossing the Aman Setu, peace bridge on foot on the LoC to meet their relatives, separated in 1947 due to partition. They said nine Kashmiris, who had crossed over to PoK, also returned to their homes after completing stay across the LoC. They included four women.
Sources said only six Kashmiris crossed over to other side of the LoC to meet their relatives. They included two women and a child.
They said 48 PoK residents, who had arrived here in previous buses and celebrated Eid-ul-Fitr with their relatives, separated in 1947, here also returned to their homes. They included 15 women and 17 children.
(AGENCIES)
Amarnath Yatra crosses last year mark
SRINAGAR : With 3.67 lakh pilgrims performing darshan at holy cave till today, the Amarnath pilgrimmage has crossed last year mark of 3.55 lakh.
Last year 3.55 lakh pilgrims had paid obeisance against 6.50 lakh during the year 2012.
Yatra officials said though the weather was humid and hot, pilgrimage was going on smoothly from both Baltal and Nunwan Pahalgam tracks.
A fresh batch of pilgrims, including women and sadhus, left Baltal early this morning when the weather was pleasant for the holy cave shrine.
The pilgrims are likely to reach the cave shrine this afternoon, they said, adding that pilgrims, who had night halt near the cave shrine after darshan, also started their return journey this morning.
They said a new batch of pilgrims also left Nunwan Pahalgam base camp for the cave shrine this morning. Similarly, the yatris, who had night halt at Chandanwari and other halting stations, also started their journey towards the shrine this morning.
They said 3,059 pilgrims paid obeisance before the Ice-Lingam yesterday. Today, a group of pilgrims also reached the cave shrine from Panjtarni to have the darshan. With this about 3.67 lakh pilgrims have paid obeisance at the holy cave since the commencement of the 45-day-long pilgrimage from June 28.
(AGENCIES)
Small batch of 122 devotees leave for Amarnath
JAMMU : A small batch of 122 pilgrims today left for the Amarnath cave shrine in south Kashmir Himalayas from here.
A convoy of four vehicles carrying the 40th batch of pilgrims, including 79 men and 13 women left from the Bhagwati Nagar base camp in Jammu at 4:52 AM, police said.
The convoy has already crossed Patnitop on Jammu- Srinagar National Highway and would reach their destinations at Baltal and Pahalgam base camps by this evening, they said.
With today’s batch, a total of 54,032 pilgrims have left Jammu base camp for Amarnath so far.
Meanwhile, another batch of 227 pilgrims left for Budha Amarnath shrine in Poonch district in a cavalcade of six vehicles from Bhagwati Nagar Base camp in Jammu city. (AGENCIES)
PM to lay foundation stone of Sgr-Leh transmission line on Aug 12
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Aug 4: Prime Minister, Narendra Modi is visiting Ladakh on August 12 to lay foundation stone of the much delayed Srinagar-Leh Transmission Line and inaugurate two hydro-electric projects—Chutak in Kargil and Nimoo Bazgo in Leh district.
This would be second visit of Mr Modi to Jammu and Kashmir after becoming Prime Minister of the country. On his first visit, he had inaugurated Udhampur-Katra railway line and Uri-II hydro-electric project in Baramulla district. Like these two important projects, the inauguration of Chutak and Nimoo Bazgo projects and laying of foundation stone of Srinagar-Leh Transmission Line faced prolonged delay because of least interest of the previous Government at the Centre.
Authoritative sources told EXCELSIOR that Prime Minister’s Office has conveyed to the Power Grid Corporation of India Limited (PGCIL) and National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC) that Narendra Modi would lay the foundation stone of Srinagar-Leh Transmission Line and inaugurate Chutak and Nimoo Bazgo projects on August 12.
“All the three projects assume much importance for the Ladakh region as on one side transmission line will connect cold desert region with the Northern Grid and solve the power crisis and on the other side both the hydro-electric projects would be able to generate electricity up to their full capacity”, sources said.
The Srinagar-Leh Transmission Line was first announced by the then Prime Minister, Atal Behari Vajpayee in August 2003 during his three day visit to the State. This line was part of economic package announced by Mr Vajpayee for Jammu and Kashmir and at that time the cost of transmission line was projected at Rs 300 crore.
Soon after Mr Vajpayee’s announcement, Power Grid Corporation of India Limited, which has expertise in laying transmission lines particularly in heavy snow zones, started survey for the project and within shortest possible time came up with the detailed note indicating every aspect of the transmission line. However, no further progress could be made vis-à-vis starting work on the project and the file continued to gather dust in the official records due to change of the guard at the Centre.
After seven years, the project again attracted the attention of the Union Government albeit due to the intense pressure from the leadership of Ladakh region, which was going to be major beneficiary of the transmission line. In the month of July 2010, the then Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh made announcement about the start of the work on the project during his two-day high-profile visit to Jammu and Kashmir.
At that time, an amount of Rs 100 crore was announced for immediate start of work. But much to the surprise of people of Ladakh region, even this announcement failed to see light of the day and no significant progress could be made vis-à-vis laying of transmission line between Srinagar and Leh.
Now over a decade after its first announcement, work on the project is going to begin with the laying of foundation stone by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi on August 12.
“The cost of the project, which was worked out at Rs 300 crore in 2003 has increased considerably owing to escalation in prices of the material to be used in laying of transmission line and now it would be completed at a cost of Rs 1707 crore”, sources informed.
There would be four Sub-Stations at Drass, Kargil, Khaltsi and Leh of this 220 KV single circuit 330 kilometer long transmission line and the project would be completed within 48 months, sources informed, adding underground cables would be laid in nine kilometer stretch at Zojila in order to avoid damage to the transmission line during heavy snowfall. The towers of the transmission line would be specially designed keeping in view the heavy snow zones from where it will have to pass.
According to the sources, 44 Mega Watts Chutak hydro-electric project in Kargil district and 45 Mega Watts Nimoo Bazgo hydro-electric project in Leh have already been generating electricity although not up to full capacity because of load problems.
“Only few areas are getting electricity from these two projects for want of proper distribution network and efforts are on to lay the same within shortest possible time so that people of both the district could obtain optimum benefit of these projects”, sources said.
Chutak project is located on river Suru in Kargil district and the Barrage is located near village Sarzhe (upstream of village Chechatang). The project has the capacity to generate 212.93 Million Units in a 90% dependable year.
Nimoo Bazgo project is on river Indus and is located in village Alchi. This project has the capacity to generate 239.33 Million Units in a 90% dependable year.
40 illegal nursing homes, clinical labs operating in Rajouri, Poonch
Gopal Sharma
JAMMU, Aug 4: Nearly 40 clinical labs, diagnostic centers and nursing homes are operating illegally and in clear violation of standing court orders in Rajouri and Poonch districts of Jammu region.
This mushrooming growth of illegally operating clinic laboratories, nursing homes and diagnostic centers, under the nose of district administration in Rajouri, Sunderbani, Nowshera, Kalakote, Poonch, Mandi, Surankote and Mendhar areas has posed a great risk to the life of the people. Not only this, despite clear directives from the division bench of the apex court, these nursing homes, clinical labs and diagnostic centers are being allowed to operate by the Health and Medical Education Department. The court has clearly issued orders to seal the premises if such units are not registered and granted valid license under the Jammu and Kashmir Nursing Homes and Clinical Establishments ( Registration & Licensing) Act, 1963.
Unfortunately, the District Health authorities woke up from the deep slumber over this issue when a youth from Thannamandi area who was admitted to District Hospital was asked by a doctor of the hospital to get the required tests performed in a selective local private Lab. As most of the results appeared very disturbing, the family got worried and rushed the youth to Jammu. In a reputed Jammu Lab and also at GMC Jammu, these tests were performed and the youth was told all OK and had just fever. Then the family got an FIR registered with Rajouri police and victim’s brother Ehsan Mirza also filed complaint with the Chief Medical Officer Rajouri for taking action against the said Lab. It was found that the Lab was not registered with the Directorate of Health Services Jammu. Accordingly, that lab was sealed and interestingly, District Medical authorities requested the Police to take action against this particular Lab.
Just after one week of this incident, the CMO concerned then got published a list in the newspapers asking all the remaining labs and diagnostic centers to get themselves registered, failing which an action would be taken against them. This action was initiated only after this type of case came to the notice and was projected by the educated family.
Data compiled from the Health Department indicated that nearly 40 such labs, nursing homes and diagnostic centers are illegally operating in Rajouri and Poonch districts. While 33 such units are in Rajouri, rest are in Poonch district. Out of the total 35 operating in Rajouri, 19 are unregistered while 16 registered with the Directorate at Jammu. Out of 15 in Sunderbani, six are unregistered, in Nowshera out of 13, eight are operating illegally while in Kalakote there is only one which is registered.
Nineteen such labs and diagnostic centers/ nursing homes which are illegally operating in Rajouri are- M/s Al-Jadeed Dental Clinic Kheora- Rajouri, M/s SRL Diagnostic Lab Kheora, M/s New Health Care Lab Kheora, M/s V- Care Diagnostic Lab Kheora, M/s Appollo Diagnostic Centre (Digital X-Ray) Kheora, M/s Dr Nissar Nursing Home & Research Centre Kheora, M/s Dental Health Care Kheora-Rajouri, M/s Hi-Tech Lab Kheora, M/s NU-Look Dental Lab Gujjar Mandi Rajouri, M/s Al-Rehman Dental Clinic Gujjar Mandi Rajouri, M/s Dr Israr Dental Clinic Gujjar Mandi Rajouri, M/s Modern Clinic Lab Gujjar Mandi, M/s Health Care Clinical Lab Gujjar Mandi, M/s Health Care X-Ray, Old Hospital Rajouri, M/s Rajouri Digital X-Ray Gujjar Mandi, M/s Sharma Clinic Lab Gujjar Mandi, M/s Dental Health Care Gujjar Mandi, M/s Rajouri Medicity Nursing Home near Air Field Rajouri and M/s Day Care Centre (with surgical intervention centre) Gujjar Mandi.
In Sunderbani six un-registered and illegally operating such units are- M/s Mrs Shanti Devi Memorial Hospital and Research Institute (Nursing Home), M/s Sharma X-Ray Clinic, M/s Jandyal Dental Clinic, M/s GSK Clinical Lab, M/s Maha Laxami Clinical Lab and M/s Sharma Clinical Lab Sunderbani.
In Nowshera, eight such illegally operating units are- M/s V-Care Clinical Lab. M/s Gupta Dental Clinic, M/s Maharaja Dental Clinic, M/s Dental Hygienist Establishment, M/s Sawhney Dental Clinic, M/s Dental Health Care, M/s A K Diagnostic X-Ray and M/s Royal Shine and Smile Dental Clinic Nowshera. As per CMO Rajouri only one Clinical Lab with the name and style M/s Sharma Clinical Lab exists in Kalakote which is duly registered.
According to him these units must have proper permission from Municipal authorities/ Notified Area Committees, authorization from J&K Pollution Control Board for safe disposal of bio-medical waste, proper permission from UEED for sewerage and drainage, building plan with details, registration certificate from Industries/ Labour Deptt. Details of visiting doctors/ Medical staff and their qualification etc. After completion of required formalities they must apply to the Health Department.
According to CMO Poonch Dr Mumtaz Bhatti out of total 25 clinical labs and diagnostic centers existing in Poonch including Mandi, Mendhar and Surankote, majority of them are registered. He disclosed that about six-seven such units are not registered. In Poonch Jeevan Clinical Lab and Sheikh Faizin Diagnostic Centre in Poonch city are not registered. In Mendhar M/s Mughal X-Ray Clinic and M/s SR Pathcare Diagnostic Centre are operating illegally whereas, at Surankote out of eight, two such units are illegal. They are V-Care Clinical Lab and Sayed Jamat Ali Shah Charitable Hospital at Habib Nagar, Surankote. They have been asked to get themselves registered.
Meanwhile, Director Health Services Jammu, Dr Pathania when contacted said that he has issued directions to the concerned district heads to take action against these illegally operating units. He said mushrooming growth of such units is only in Rajouri and Poonch. Moreover, the single Lab at Rajouri against whom there was serious complaint has been sealed. When asked about any such action against such labs in Doda, Ramban, Kishtwar, Kathua and other areas, the Director said such instructions are for all the CMOs but there are no such complaints of this nature in other parts. He maintained that Department intends to seal all such units which are operating illegally.
Mufti hopes Centre will revive peace process with Pak
SRINAGAR, Aug 4:
Opposition People’s Democratic Party today expressed hope that Prime Minister Narendra Modi would revive the peace and resolution process within Kashmir and with Pakistan to ensure durable peace and stability in the region.
“We hope that armed with a clear mandate, the Narendra Modi-led Government at the Centre will revive the peace and resolution process not only within Kashmir but with Pakistan as well to ensure durable peace and stability in the South Asian region,” PDP patron Mufti Mohammad Sayeed said.
Interacting with people during his extensive tour of various areas of south Kashmir’s Anantnag district, the former Chief Minister said he was optimistic that the new Government would carry forward the resolution process pioneered by former Prime Minister A B Vajpayee in 2003.
“I am optimistic that the new Government at the Centre will pick up and carry forward the resolution process both on internal and external fronts which was pioneered by Atal Bihari Vajpayee in 2003 and taken onward by Manmohan Singh.
“I hope the new Government, under the leadership of Modi, will take tangible measures, by involving all the stakeholders, to address the causes of alienation and trust deficit in Kashmir and work towards finding a long-lasting solution to the problem plaguing the region for the past more than six decades,” the PDP patron said.
Seeking decisive mandate for his party, Sayeed said the forthcoming Assembly elections are a test for the “wisdom and foresight” of the people as they will be chalking out an entirely “new course” for the State’s political leadership.
“These elections will be historically transformational as they are being contested in a situation marked by extraordinary political permutations. The challenge lies in converting these polls into a momentous opportunity for not only bringing about inclusive socio-economic development across the State, but reviving the resolution and reconciliation process for the permanent settlement of the Kashmir issue,” he said.
“We are at crossroads of a historic moment for change and it’s for the emancipated people of the State to decide which party has the courage and the commitment to address their political and economic concerns resolutely,” he said.
Sayeed said the plethora of problems facing the State today, have to be taken head-on and PDP would need a decisive mandate to be able to address them and take them up with the national leadership.
“J&K today needs not just a change of Government but an overhaul of the system of governance. The systemic transformation that PDP wants to bring about will be to create a responsive and responsible political structure, productive economic setup and supportive social fabric,” he said adding “it could be possible only if the party gets a decisive mandate.”
He said while PDP would continue to act as a facilitator for resolving the Kashmir issue and the issues confronting Jammu and Kashmir, the party would carry forward its agenda of political resolution, economic development, good governance, justice and merit, foundations for which it had laid in its first brief tenure in 2002.
Referring to the recent Lok Sabha results which saw the party winning all the three seats from Kashmir, Sayeed said the results have made it amply clear that the people of the State have come together with their powerful voice and have expressed their will unambiguously.
“They have affirmed our course. They have told us to move forward,” he said adding the upcoming Assembly elections offer a great opportunity for consolidating this movement for change so that PDP could accomplish its unfinished agenda of ushering the state into an era of lasting peace, durable stability and inclusive prosperity. (PTI)
Major plot to revive militancy foiled
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Aug 4: Punjab Police today foiled an attempt by ‘Khalistan Zindabad Force’ (KZF) and ‘Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF) to revive militancy in Jammu and Punjab by arresting four activists of the two outfits from Miran Sahib in Simbal Camp. Punjab Police was in the process of seeking transit remand of both the arrested militants of KZF and KLF to take them to Bhogpur police station in Jalandhar district of Punjab, where a case has been registered against them.
Police have so far recovered 3 Pakistani SIM cards, four Pakistani mobile telephones and half a dozen local SIM cards from the possession of arrested militants.
In surprise revelations gathered by Punjab Police from one of the source arrested in Punjab, the activities of KZF, which is headed by Jammu’s Ranjit Singh Neeta, now based in Sialkot, Pakistan and KLF headed by Harminder Singh alias Mintu of Punjab, also in Pakistan, were being funded and co-ordinated by terrorist elements based in Spain and England.
Official sources told the Excelsior that Punjab Police in assistance with Jammu Police today arrested four terrorists from Miran Sahib and RS Pura areas of Jammu and busted the joint terrorist module of the KZF and the KLF, which was being controlled by Ranjit Singh Neeta, chief of KZF and Harminder Singh Mintu, chief of KLF and funded and co-ordinated by terrorist elements based in Spain and the UK.
Nirmal Singh Dhillon, Inspector General of Police, Zone-II, Jalandhar said that an intelligence-based operation was launched by the Punjab Police with Narinder Bhargav, Senior Superintendent of Police, Jalandhar Rural camping in Jammu for two days to personally oversee its culmination.
The police party arrested four terrorists identified as Harpreet Singh alias Harmeet Singh alias Pintu son of Amar Singh R/o Ward No 1, Simbal Camp, Jammu, Karanjit Singh alias Pamma son of Amar Singh R/o Basti Govindpur, Simbal Morh, Swaran Singh alias Shabba son of Ajeet Singh R/o Naddi, Simbal Camp and Jasmeet Singh of Govindpur, RS Pura this afternoon.
He informed that an FIR under the provisions of Sections 17,18, 20 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967, 153-A/121/120-B IPC and 25/54/59 Arms Act has been registered in police station Bhogpur in district Jalandhar of Punjab against all four accused.
The IGP said the investigations have revealed that Pintu, Pamma and Shabba with their associates had formed a terrorist gang for the purposes of committing terrorist acts with the intention to strike fear among the people.
This module was controlled by Harminder Singh alias Mintu, chief of KLF and Ranjit Singh alias Neeta, chief of KZF.
Neeta once also lived in Simbal Camp but fled to Pakistan in nineties after he came in contact with the ISI and became a hardcore militant of the KZF outfit. Presently, he was putting up in Sialkot but continued to shuttle to Lahore to co-ordinate activities between different militant outfits. He was now close confidant of Pakistan’s Army and ISI. His name figured in the list of ‘Top 20’ terrorists, whose names the Indian Government had once given to Pakistan for repatriation.
Sources said the two terrorist outfits had decided to combine their resources and operatives to launch a spectacular and determined terrorist attack in the near future by committing terrorist acts.
They further said that investigations have revealed that Pintu is a Pak-trained KZF terrorist who had obtained arms training in Pakistan in 1997 and had developed closed links with Mintu as well. Pamma had gone to Thailand in January and February this year on a 90-day visa and thereafter returned to Jammu where he was running a travel agency at Satwari Chowk. It is believed that Pamma had slipped from Thailand to Pakistan on fake papers and went to Pakistan for arms training.
Sources pointed out that investigations have also revealed that the terrorist module was being funded by operatives based in Spain and the UK who were sending funds through Money Gram and hawala. The arrested terrorists are being taken to Jalandhar where police remand for their sustained interrogation would be sought to completely unmask the terrorist module and arrest their associates as well. Further investigations are in progress.
Sources said the terrorists used to speak to Neeta and other associates in Pakistan through Pakistani SIM cards, which have been recovered from their possession. Punjab Police have so far recovered 3 Pakistani SIM cards, four Pakistani mobile phones and half a dozen Indian SIM cards from three arrested militants.
Sources added that with the arrest of militants, a major plot hatched by KZF and KLF to revive militancy in Jammu and Punjab has been foiled. They pointed out that Punjab Police had intercepted conversation of the arrested terrorists with Neeta and Mintu. A KZF source had been arrested in Bhogpur, Punjab, who was on way to Jammu to handover Rs 30,000 cash to the terrorists, they said.