Vancouver, July 2:
India’s Anand Pawar reached the men’s singles pre-quarterfinals of the Canada Open Grand Prix tournament with a straight-game win over local shuttler Bobby Milroy here.
The Indian thrashed the qualifier 21-12 21-11 yesterday to set up a clash with Chinese Taipei’s Kuei Chun Shih. The fourth seed had defeated Korea’s Kim Dong Hoon 21-17 21-9 in the opening round.
Another Indian, Arvind Bhat, who had won the German Open Grand Prix Gold in March, had retired at 1-2 against Maxime Moreels of Belgium in the first round. (PTI)
Shuttler Anand in third round of Canada Open
Complicated system of verification leaves pensioners in lurch: SPA
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, July 2: J&K State Pensioners Association (SPA) while criticizing the authorities of the State Finance Department and the Jammu and Kashmir Bank for making the system of annual physical verification of State Pensioners complicated, said the system has left the poor pensioners in the lurch and there is urgent need to simplify it.
SPA president, Krishan Singh said that State Government appears to be quite insensitive towards the multiple problems being faced by the pensioners, most of whom are aged and infirm.
He said the process of annual physical verification of the pensioners has been started without proper publicity as a result most of them are unaware of the same.
He further said that J&K Bank also has devised two formats to be signed by the pensioners and one of which is a life certificate to be got signed from a Patwari/DTO/TO or Gazetted Officer and the Bank officials are of the view that they do it on the instructions of RBI.
Mr Singh urged upon the concerned authorities of the Department of Finance and the Jammu and Kashmir Bank to redress their problems at an earliest to save pensioners from miseries and hardships.
Meanwhile, Leader of All J&K Low Paid Employees Federation, Abdul Majid Khan has expressed solidarity with SPA in this regard.
NSF delegation meets JU VC, raises burning issues of students
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, July 2: Expressing concern over the problems being faced by students of Jammu University (JU), a delegation of National Secular Forum (NSF) today called on Vice Chancellor (VC), Jammu University, Mohan Pal Singh Ishar and apprised him about some of the burning issues of students.
The delegation led by State president of NSF, Sukhdev Singh, expressed serious concern over prolonged delay in declaration of results of Post Graduate courses.
“The results of 1st semester and 3rd semester of English, Sociology, Hindi, Mathematics, M.Com, Urdu, Dogri and others are yet to be declared”, Sukhdev Singh said, adding that the scheduled time fixed by JU was 45 days, but it has been now 200 days but the result of above said subjects was still in oblivion, leaving students worried.
Raising another issue, Sukhdev Singh stated that University authorities had been taking examination centers in some of the private colleges, which was totally unfair. He alleged that pick and choose policy has been adopted by the authorities, which was also bringing disrepute for the University.
Expressing concern over supervisory staff during examinations, Singh said that University authorities had issued an order, according to which the scholars would have to supervise in the examinations of undergraduate courses, but contrary to it, some clerks have been conducting the examinations.
The delegation appealed VC to take stock of the issues and issue strictures without any further delay.
It was also discussed by the NSF members that problems of each and every student and boarder of all the hostels should be listened and solved on priority basis.
The VC assured the delegation that he would take appropriate steps, to sort out the issues.
Among others, Ajaz Shah, Vikram Madhyal, Qayoom Malik, Nitin, Altaf, PP Singh, Jasvinder Singh and Avtar Singh were part of the delegation.
BJP reviews election strategy
Excelsior Correspondent
NEW DELHI, July 2: BJP organized a high level meeting here today to devise the poll strategy for four States going to elections by end of this year.
The meeting, which was chaired by party National president and Union Home Minister, Raj Nath Singh was also attended by Prime Minister, Narendra Modi and his council of Ministers and BJP office bearers.
Total 57 party leaders and Ministers including representatives from the four States going to polls by end of this year – J&K, Maharashtra, Haryana and Jharkhand attended the meeting.
The meeting, which lasted for one hour while discussing the prevailing political scenario in four States, framed the deployment chart of Ministers and senior party leaders visiting these States to garner support for party and apprise the people of Modi Government’s policies and programmes.
Addressing the meeting Mr Modi exhorted on partymen to work hard to ensure the victory of party in all the four States to form the next Governments there. He said the party leaders should apprise the people of the achievements of BJP ruled States and the Ministers visiting these States for canvassing should sit there for 24 hours. main objective should be to strengthen the party and its victory at hustings, he added.
The party made a list of 20 Council of Ministers J&K for canvassing from July 25 to August 10.
The J&K was represented by party president, Jugal Kishore Sharma and State general secretary Bali Bhagat. The party also appointed four coordinators for four States and Bali Bhagat was nominated coordinator for J&K to have liaison with the Ministers and Central leaders.
ADKEF discusses demands
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, July 2: All Displaced Kashmiri Employees Forum (ADKEF) in a meeting while discussing various issues confronting the migrant employees has urged the Government to take immediate steps for settling them.
The meeting demanded that migration period be treated on duty and migrant employees be given promotion benefits. The meeting was chaired by M K Tickoo president of the Forum and it was also addressed by general secretary of the organization R K Razdhan. It said the future course of action will be taken in next meeting on July 4 which will be attended by representatives of all units.
Punjab Singh is Shakha Sabha, president, Dasanu, Dinga Amb
Excelsior Correspondent
KATHUA, JuIy 2: A meeting of Rajput biradari, Kandi area was held under the chairmanship of Kr Narayan Singh, president, Shri Amar Kshatriya Rajput Sabha, to elect Rajput Shakha, president, Dasanu (Dinga Amb), tehsil Hiranagar.
The biradari members elected unanimously the team of Rajput Shakha Sabha Dasanu (Dinga Amb) Hiranagar comprising of Punjab Singh as president, Shiv Ram as vice president, Shankar Singh as secretary, Puran Singh as cashier and Rashpal Singh, Krishan Singh, Balkar Singh and Babu Singh as organisers.
Narayan Singh, president Shri Amar Kshatriya Rajput Sabha thanked all the biradari members for unanimous election of president Shakha Sabha, Dasanu and wished that new team will work for strengthening the community and do good for the welfare of biradari.
Class 8th student hangs self
Excelsior Correspondent
UDHAMPUR, July 2: A class 8th student allegedly committed suicide by hanging himself at his residence in Tandar area of tehsil Chenani.
As per reports, class 8th student namely Gulshan Sharma (14), son of Pawan Kumar Sharma of Tandar, tehsil Chenani allegedly committed suicide by hanging himself with a fan hook at his residence.
Finding him hanging, family members informed the police and shifted the body to Sub District Hospital Chenani, where after conducting postmortem, it was handed over to family members for last rites.
A case has been registered at Chenani police station and investigation started.
Shri Chander Trust opposes Kashmiri Hindu Shrine Bill
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, July 2: Raising objections against the proposed ‘Kashmiri Hindu Shrines and Religious Places (Management and Regularization) Bill 2009’ the Shri Chander Chinar Bada Akhara Udasin Trust Srinagar has listed the reasons behind its reservations on the Government move.
In a representation, submitted to Mir Saifullah, Chairman of the Joint Select Committee for the Bill, Shri Chander Chinar Bada Akhara Udasin Trust explained that there was no logic of bringing religious institutions, which have functioned normally during the militancy and are not associated with the Kashmiri Hindus or their traditions, under the proposed Bill.
“Since the Bill is meant for protection and management of those Kashmiri Hindu religious places in Valley, which remained unattended due to eruption of militancy and consequent mass migration of Kashmiri Hindus, bringing institutions like our under the proposed legislation would amount to punishing us for the competence and courage to carry on under difficult circumstances,” said the Trust.
Quoting Section 3 (j) of the proposed Bill, according to which Kashmiri Hindu shrine means religious places and properties used by Kashmiri Hindus for their worship, the Trust said that it was not a Kashmiri Hindu Shrine because their religious place was neither built not associated with the persons claiming themselves as Kashmiri Hindus.
Terming the definition of ‘Kashmiri Hindu Shrines’ in the proposed Bill as highly objectionable, the Shri Chander Trust maintained that the Hindu religious places and temples are open to all Hindus for worship and prayer irrespective of their tradition.
Further, the Trust said, the proposed Bill in its present form is otherwise not legally sustainable and is in violation of the rights granted to the religious denominations by Article 25 and 26 of the Constitution of India. “The provisions of this Bill are an open discrimination against Hindus by un-necessary interference of Government in their religious affairs and encroachment of their religious freedom as there is no interference or appointment of Government nominees in other religious institutions like mosques, Gurdwaras and Christian Trusts,” it said in the representation.
Ambulance driver held with 1 kg charas
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, July 2: Narwal police arrested an ambulance driver along with one kilogram of charas.
A police spokesman said that, on specific inputs, police party from Narwal police post intercepted an ambulance bearing temporary registration number MP11TR/A-5859.
During checking, police recovered one kilogram of charas and arrested the driver of the ambulance, who has been identified as Sukhdev Singh, son of Raghubir Singh, a resident of Gardawali, tehsil Dasua, district Hoshiarpur, Punjab.
The ambulance belongs to Ravi Hospital in Pathankote and donated by State Bank of India (SBI).
A case under FIR number 122/14 under Section 8/20 Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act has been registered at Narwal police post and investigation started.
Police team headed by SI Inayat Ali made the arrest under the supervision of SDPO East Mohammad Rafiq, SP South Rahul Malik and SSP Jammu Uttam Chand.
No ulterior motive behind molestation case: Preity Zinta
NEW DELHI, July 2:
Breaking her silence over questions raised in the molestation case against her ex-boyfriend Ness Wadia, Bollywood actress Preity Zinta today said there was no ulterior motive in her police complaint and that she did not need “cheap publicity”.
As the Mumbai Police continues its investigation in the molestation case, 39-year-old Preity took to Facebook to “set the record straight” in the wake of her filing the FIR against the industrialist.
The actress said she was shocked to see certain people question the motive behind her decision to go to the police.
Preity said violence and aggression against women is wrong, yet people try to point fingers at the woman who comes out with it trying to make her sound frivolous and with ulterior motive.
“Why did I report a personal matter to the police? personal matter? seriously? For the record this relationship was ended by me in 2009 and I don’t ever recall having gone to the police on any personal matter irrespective of what happened then. But now it’s been 6 years since the break up so this is not a personal matter (sic),” Preity said.
The actress also rubbished reports that she filed the case against Wadia for money, saying she did a commercial for the Go Air for free and also donated the money she won in ‘Kaun Banega Crorepati’ to the Wadia Children Trust.
“… IPL was my project from the start and for the record not only did I pay for myself (5 crores) when I got into the IPL (bid) I paid for Ness too! 5 crores ! (Proof of my financial commitment in the IPL is with the BCCI.) To be fair to him he did pay me back a couple of months later (without any premium) so Hope the money theory is put to end once and for all (sic),” she said.
The actress, who on June 30 got permission of the Mumbai Police to fly abroad, clarified that contrary to reports she did not file the case for publicity. “I don’t need publicity, specially cheap publicity.”
“jealousy ? Life moves on, people move on and so have I, and Happily so. I firmly believe and live by the principle that The Windscreen is always larger than the rear view mirror,” she added.
There were reports that the altercation occured as Wadia’s mother was left standing while Zinta’s people occupied the VIP seats but Preity denied it.
“50 seats and a VIP air-conditioned box (35 seater) was there, yet me and my friends sitting on 6 seats becomes an issue? All through the IPL, I have given almost all my seats to the players families so taking over seats at all games is a completely wrong accusation and disrespecting anyone’s mother is out of the question as I might forget my name but never my manners (sic),” she said.
The actress said she was left with no other option but to file a FIR.
“Why did I file a FIR with the police? Because after several warnings over the years i was left with no other option… The whole point of this is that violent physical or aggressive behaviour should not be tolerated by rich or poor, man or woman, celebrity or not!”
On reports that underworld don Ravi Pujari sent threatening messages to Wadia’s father Nusli, Preity said she was “clueless”.
Preity also blamed Wadia’s mother for not correcting him and herself for not walking out of the relationship earlier.
On June 12, Preity had accused Wadia of molesting, abusing and threatening her during an IPL match between Kings XI Punjab and Chennai Super Kings at the Wankhede Stadium on May 30. Preity is the co-owner of Kings XI team.
Marine Drive Police had registered an FIR against Wadia under IPC Sections 354 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty), 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace), 506 (criminal intimidation) and 509 (word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman). (PTI)