NEW DELHI : Railways will introduce from tomorrow a daily train service from here to Katra, the base camp for pilgrims visiting the Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine.
The AC superfast ‘Shri Shakti Express’ will depart from New Delhi station at 5:30 PM daily and arrive at Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra station at 5:10 AM the next day.
Similarly, in the return direction, it will depart from there at 10:55 PM daily and reach here at 10:45 AM the next day, a Northern Railway statement said.
Comprising one first AC, five AC two-tier and nine AC three-tier coaches, the train will have stoppages at Ambala Cantt, Ludhiana, Jalandhar Cantt, Pathankot Cantt, Jammu Tawi and Udhampur stations enroute in both directions.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi had on July 4 flagged off the first train from Katra while commissioning the 25-km-long Udhampur-Katra line, built at an estimated cost of Rs 1,132.75 crore.
At the function, the Prime Minister had named the train Shri Shakti Express and said such services are planned from major cities in the country. The shrine attacts about 10 million pilgrims annually.
Katra station is equipped with modern facilities, including tourist guide counter, cloak room, waiting hall, VIP lounge, escalators and lifts and parking spaces.
The train connectivity to Katra is part of the ambitious Kashmir rail link project marking region’s rail connectivity with the rest of the country. (AGENCIES)
Daily train to Katra from tomorrow
Over 10000 pilgrims leave for holy Amarnath cave shrine from base camp
SRINAGAR : More than 10000 pilgrims, including women and Sadhus, left Baltal and Nunwan Pahalgam base camps for the Holy Amarnath cave shrine in south Kashmir, where over two lakh yatris have darshan of the self made Ice-Shivlingam till this afternoon, since the commencement of pilgrimage from June 28.
The Amarnath pilgrimage is proceeding smoothly as the weather was pleasant, yatra officials at Baltal and Pahalgam said.
They said more than 7207 pilgrims left Baltal base camp for holy shrine to cover the distance on foot early this morning.
Similarly, the devotees, who had darshan till last night, have also started return journey to Baltal this morning. More than 2949 pilgrims left Nunwan Pahalgam base camp for Chandanwari, the last motorable halting station on traditional route.
Yatris, who had night stay at different halting stations on the 42-km-long track, also started their journey towards the cave shrine, he added.
(AGENCIES)
Lisa Kudrow’s TV show to air this autumn
LOS ANGELES, July 13: Former ‘Fiends’ star Lisa Kudrow’s TV show ‘The Comeback’ will air in the autumn, it has been confirmed.
HBO announced that season two will begin in November, nearly 10 years after the first season aired, reported Ace Showbiz.
“It was almost too fun to play Valerie Cherish the first time around. I look forward to revisiting this resilient and ironically self-unaware character,” Kudrow said.
Producer Michael Patrick King added, “I’m so excited to be working with Valerie Cherish again. It’s great to be able to continue her story and I’m thrilled to have The Comeback come back to HBO, where it all started.”
HBO announced that it would revive ‘The Comeback’ for six all-new episodes earlier in the year.
Kudrow starred in ‘The Comeback’ as a faded television star who allowed her life to be filmed for a reality show.
It has been reported that supporting cast members Malin Akerman and Kellan Lutz will both be back for the second season. (PTI)
Saravanan appointed PS to Jitendra Singh
NEW DELHI : IAS officer M Saravanan has been appointed as Private Secretary to Union Minister Jitendra Singh.
Saravanan, a 2002 batch IAS officer of Bihar cadre, has been appointed as PS to Jitendra Singh–Minister of State for Science and Technology, Earth Sciences, Prime Minister’s Office, Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, and Atomic Energy and Space–for a period of five years, according to an official order.
43-year-old Saravanan hails from Tamil Nadu and is presently working in his cadre. (agencies)
Heroin worth Rs 35 cr smuggled from Pak seized
AMRITSAR : Seven kg heroin worth Rs 35 crore, allegedly smuggled from Pakistan, were seized from near here and one person has been arrested in this connection, police said.
Based on a tip-off, police intercepted Dalbir Singh’s SUV at Rahal Chahal bus stop near Fatehebad in Tarn Taran late last night, police said.
During frisking, seven kg heroin having street value Rs 35 crore was recovered, police said, adding, Singh attempted to flee from the spot but was arrested.
A resident of Indo-Pak border village Bikhiwind, Singh confessed during the preliminary interrogation that the consignment of drugs was smuggled to India from Pakistan, police said.
Pakistani smuggler Abid Ali was constantly in touch with the accused, they added.
The accused told the police that he was heading towards Jaisalmer in Rajasthan to deliver the consignment of drugs as per the instructions of his Pakistani counterpart Ali. (AGENCIES)
One more Amarnath yatri from Baroda dies, toll touches 26
SRINAGAR : A yatri from Baroda died, taking the toll to 26 since the commencement of annual pilgrimage to holy Amarnath cave shrine from June 28.
A total of about 2 lakhs have so far paid obeisance to self-made ice-lingam in the cave shrine situated at 12,000 feet in south Kashmir Himalayas till last night. Officials said that a 55-year-old Sarooji Gandhi died due to massive cardiac arrest at Poshpathri on traditional Pahalgam-cave route last night.
(AGENCIES)
A vehicle burnt down by the mob at Bari Brahmana on Sunday. —Excelsior/Rakesh
A vehicle burnt down by the mob at Bari Brahmana on Sunday. —Excelsior/Rakesh
Another batch of devotees leave for Amarnath
JAMMU : Amid tight security, the 17th batch of 2,139 pilgrims today left for the Amarnath cave shrine in south Kashmir Himalayas from here.
The batch, including 1,631 men, 395 women, and 33 children, left in a convoy of 59 vehicles from Bhagwati Nagar base camp in Jammu at 4:10 am, police said.
The convoy for the yatra has already crossed Patnitop on Jammu-Srinagar National highway and would reach their destinations at Baltal and Pahalgam base camps by this evening, they added.
With today’s batch, as many as 32,206 pilgrims have so far left from the Jammu base camp for the Amarnath shrine. (AGENCIES)
Top Army Commanders discuss strengthening of Security Grid
*Situation along Pak, China borders reviewed
Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, July 12: Army chief Gen Bikram Singh and other top Commanders of the Army today held a high level review of security scenario along the borders with Pakistan and China in their internal meetings at Northern Command Headquarters of Army at Udhampur and 15 Corps at Badami Bagh Cantonment in Srinagar. The Army Commanders also briefed Governor NN Vohra and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah about functioning of Security Grid in Jammu and Kashmir and steps being taken by the Army to further strengthen it to counter terror threats.
Gen Singh, who is on a three days last visit of Jammu and Kashmir as he would relinquish the office on July 31, had a high level security review today in two separate meetings at 15 Corps Headquarters in Srinagar this morning and Northern Command Headquarters at Udhampur.
Official sources told the Excelsior that Gen Singh accompanied by GOC-in-C Northern Command Lt Gen DS Hooda and GOC 15 Corps Lt Gen Subrata Saha called on Governor NN Vohra at Raj Bhawan and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah at his residence in Srinagar today and apprised them of security situation along the Line of Control (LoC) with Pakistan and Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China in Ladakh and internal areas of Jammu and Kashmir.
They briefed the Governor and the Chief Minister about strengthening of multi agency Security Grid in the State, its functioning and issues related to it including steps needed to make it more effective to meet with any kind of threat from the two neighbours—Pakistan and China.
Sources said Omar called upon the Army Commanders to maintain strict surveillance on the LoC to ensure the level of infiltration of militants to minimum as Assembly elections in the State were due later this year and the militants would make all out attempts to intrude into Jammu and Kashmir to disturb them. The Army Commanders assured the Chief Minister that their troops were on high alert along entire LoC with Pakistan in twin border districts of Poonch and Rajouri in Jammu region and parts of the Kashmir Valley.
The Army Commanders and the Chief Minister also discussed security situation in hinterland of the State. The Army Commanders gave their view point on the situation including number of militants present in the State and the extent to which they could attempt to disturb the forthcoming Assembly elections.
All three Army Commanders including Gen Bikram Singh later had luncheon meeting with Governor NN Vohra at Raj Bhawan in Srinagar.
“The Governor and the Army chief discussed various important matters related to extremely important role being played by the Northern Army Command in safeguarding territorial integrity and internal security of each of three regions of the State,’’ sources said.
Vohra, who is well versed with the functioning of Gen Bikram Singh when the latter headed 15 Corps of the Army, complimented the Army chief, all officers and men of the Northern Army Command for their exemplary devotion in enforcing close and constant vigil along two militarized frontiers of Jammu and Kashmir, one of which is being perpetually transgressed.
Sources said the Army Commanders gave a detailed briefing to the Governor on situation prevailing along the borders with Pakistan and China and internal areas.
Prior to the meetings with the Governor and the Chief Minister, the Army chief had detailed inter-action with GOC-in-C Northern Command Lt Gen DS Hooda and GOC 15 Corps Lt Gen Subrata Saha at 15 Corps Headquarters in Srinagar. Lt Gen Hooda and Lt Gen Saha received the Army chief at Srinagar this morning on his three days visit to the State.
In the afternoon, Gen Singh and Lt Gen Hooda flew to Northern Command Headquarters in Udhampur at around 4 pm. Both of them had one-to-one detailed security review of situation prevailing in Jammu and Kashmir especially along the borders with Pakistan and China.
Sources said the Army had kept the level of infiltration at zero along the LoC in Rajouri and Poonch districts but there had been reports that about a dozen militants might have managed to infiltrate into the Kashmir Valley from the LoC with Pakistan.
The transgressions by the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) in Ladakh have also reduced considerably. Barring one incident of PLA intrusions in Pangong lake in Ladakh, there had been no reports of intrusions by the PLA in Ladakh, they added.
Sources said the Army troops have been asked to maintain high alert all along the LoC with Pakistan in Jammu and Kashmir following inputs that the militants would make all out attempts to infiltrate into the State before the Assembly elections, which were scheduled to be held in November-December this year.
The Northern Army Command officers hosted farewell dinner for the Army chief tonight.
Sources said Gen Bikram Singh would address the troops at Northern Command Headquarters in Udhampur tomorrow morning and inter-act with the jawans. He would leave for Army Divisions at Rajouri and Akhnoor, where he would meet the top Army officers. In the evening, he would reach Tiger Division of Jammu and address another ‘Sainik Sammelan’ apart from review of other Army activities. He would have night halt at the Tiger Division and return to New Delhi in the morning of July 14.
Heavy firing along LoC in Nowgam sector, jawan injured
Fayaz Bukhari
SRINAGAR, July 12: For the first time this year, Pakistani troops violated ceasefire along the Line of Control (LoC) in Kashmir valley to push in militants who have been waiting in large numbers on the launch pads in Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK).
Sources said that Pakistani troops today fired upon Indian posts in Nowgam sector of Kupwara district this morning by using machine guns and mortars in which one Army personnel was injured.
Sources said that the firing started at around 11 a.m. and continued till 4:30 p.m. on Indian posts in Kayan bowl where 3-Kumaon of Army is posted. One Army personnel, Lance Naik Anand Kumar, was injured in the Pakistani firing. He was removed to Army’s 92-Base hospital in Srinagar for treatment.
Indian troops also fired back and intermittent firing is still going on. The Army has apprehensions that under the cover of firing by Pakistani troops, they are trying to push in militants.
The Army has intensified its vigil and patrolling in the Kayan bowl area for the possibility of infiltration by militants. The area has dense bushes and Army apprehends that militants might have crossed under the cover of Pakistani troops firing.
According to official figures in 2012 and 2013, there have been 541 infiltration attempts in Jammu and Kashmir and majority of them were foiled by troops.
Army sources said that around 400 militants are waiting on launch pads along the 740 kilometer LoC between India and Pakistan in Jammu and Kashmir. These militants have been waiting there since May for infiltrating into Kashmir and tight vigil by Army is hampering their designs.
Sources said that the militant commanders are desperate to push in militants into Kashmir valley after successful operations by police and Army in the Valley this year killed 43 militants including 12 top commanders of Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT), Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) and Hizbul Mujahideen (HM) and 23 of them were arrested.
With these successful operations the number of militants, as per police reports have come down to 130. Around two dozen local youth joined militancy this year but sources said commanders in Pakistan want to infiltrate militant leadership on priority.
Army also conducted searches in some forest areas of Chowkibal sector in district Kupwara following suspicious movement at Gugaldara forest area yesterday. During the searches, Army recovered some ammunition which includes 3 UBGL, one live and two fired, and 42 AK ammunition, 41 fired and 1 live, from the Gugaldara forest area.