Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, July 5: Army last night foiled yet another infiltration attempt by the militants on the Line of Control (LoC) in Balakote sector of Poonch district.
Official reports said troops observed movement of a big group of militants trying to enter the Indian territory from the LoC in Balakote sector late last night and opened firing aiming the direction the militants were taking to sneak into this side.
The militants put up some resistance but finding the troops very alert, they retreated to Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK).
This was seventh infiltration attempt foiled by the Army on LoC in Poonch sector. Army had reports that the militants could make more infiltration attempts in the coming days. Troops have been maintaining high alert on the LoC and have not allowed the militants to succeed in their designs.
Army foils infiltration bid
Congregations
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, July 5: Bi-annual congregation of Khadgal/Kagh Mahajan Biradari is being held on July 7, 2014 at Marh-Tatreyal, near here.
All members of Biradari have been requested to participate with families and seek blessings of Bua Datti Ji.
The bi-annual congregation of Chib Biradari is going to be held at Shri Baba Battali Ji Devsthan on July 11. The Hawan will start at 9 am and Bhandara at 1 pm onwards. All Biradari members have been asked to participate along with families and obtain blessings of Kuldev.
Meanwhile the congregation of J&K Talwar Biradari will be held on July 12 at sacred Dehri of Bua Sajawati situated at Bawe de Talab (Akhnoor Road). Festivity will start with Hawan, Kirtan and Puja from 9 am which would be followed by community feast.
All Biradari members are requested to participate and seek blessings of the deity.
MLA Ramban inaugurates school buildings
Excelsior Correspondent
RAMBAN, July 5: Member Legislative Assembly, Ramban, Ashok Kumar inaugurated three Upper Primary School buildings constructed at an estimated cost of over Rs.27.5 lakh under Additional Class Room (ACR) schemes in zone and district Ramban.
MLA inaugurated additional accommodation for UPS Sharore (Kanga), UPS Phalti which has been completed with expenditure of Rs. 7.79 lakh each and UPS Batyari having an estimated cost of Rs. 11.96 lakh including toilets and kitchen shed.
MLA announced 50 desks for these three schools and stressed upon the teaching community to improve the standard of education in Government schools besides asking them to play their role with zeal and dedication.
CEO, Ramban Vinod Soni, ZEO, Ramban OP Thakur, Sarpanches, Panches and Prominent Citizens including S. Janak Singh, Faooq Ahmed, Arun Raju, Tariq Sleem etc. also spoke on the occasion.
Niyas starts free bus service for Amarnath pilgrims from today
Excelsior Correspondent
-Excelsior/Rakesh
JAMMU, July 5: Baba Amarnath & Buda Amarnath Yatri Niyas has started a free to & fro bus service for Sadhus from tomorrow intending to go on holy pilgrimage of Swami Amarnath.
This was disclosed to reporters here today by president of the Niyas, Surinder Mohan Aggarwal. He said bus will ply with other fleet under security cover from Jammu to Pahalgam & other bus from Pahalgam to Jammu every day. Aggarwal also stated that Sadhus are respectable section of the Hindu samaj who face great hardships while performing yatra of Shri Amarnath ji. So every Hindu should come forward for providing better facilities & other requirements to them.
He also appealed to the society to liberally donate funds for the same cause as plying of bus service involves huge amount.
He also stated that a team including Dr. Sham Lal Gupta, Karan Singh Charak & Sudershan Khajuria visited various registrations Counters & Bhagwati Nagar Base Camp. Team found number of irregularities & mismanagement in some places. The team was also apprised by the Yatris about non availability of drinking water, fans & were queued in the open for registration at about 40 degree temperature.
The team discussed with the authorities in Jammu Haat & Vaishnavi & Saraswati Dham to immediately provide “Shamianas” for the Yatris standing in the queues for registration. It was observed by the team that a single doctor is deployed in Jammu Haat for medical checkup which is inadequate. It demanded immediately one more doctor with paramedical staff be deployed at the medical camps.
The president also expressed his shock over the mismanagement by the administration & Shri Shrine Board especially in registration counters. He asked the management that the new counters should be opened so that the Yatris who are coming from all over India shall not face any difficulty in getting the registration. So far the yatra has not picked up to the tune, in the beginning & if the Yatris face difficulties in getting the registration & other facilities it will further hamper the yatra & there is also the possibility that the yatra will not cross to the expected target, he added.
Mr Aggarwal asked the Shrine Board to look all these aspects so that the Yatris will not be demoralized & get the registration without any problem. The chaos at the booking counters be also tackled to the entire satisfaction of the Yatris. Reports are pouring in that Yatris are facing a lot of problems to reach the Base Camp Bhagwati Nagar in the absence of proper arrangement of convenience from Railway Station to Bhagwati Nagar. Mr Aggarwal asked the Board and administration to take immediate steps, so that the Yatris do not suffer anymore.
Karan Singh Charak, Sudershan Khajuria, Suresh Sharma, Bal Krishan Gupta, Deepak Sharma, Rajesh Bhasin & others were present in the press conference.
Modi has nothing new to offer: PCC
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, July 5: Chief spokesperson J&K Pradesh Congress Committee, Ravinder Sharma (MLC) has said that the Prime Minister, Narendra Modi has nothing new to offer to the people of Jammu and Kashmir, except to endorse the approach of the Congress led UPA Government towards the developmental aspect of the State.
He said that the Prime Minister’s first visit to the State was expected to offer new initiatives especially towards the developmental projects in the pipeline but except for doing the ceremony to dedicate the projects initiated, funded and already completed during the Congress led regimes especially UPA-I and UPA-II, there was nothing which has been offered to the people especially youth of the State.
Mr Sharma said that the process of connecting various parts of Jammu and Kashmir including Udhampur were initiated during regime of Indira Gandhi and thereafter it was further extended and expedited to Katra, Banihal and Baramulla by successive Congress led Governments, to bring the people of Jammu and Kashmir closer to the rest of the country through Railway and better road communication.
He further said the Udhampur-Katra project was initially to the tune of about Rs 190 crores but has been completed in more than Rs 1100 crores because of liberal funding of UPA-I and II.
Mr Sharma said that people of Rajouri-Poonch were expecting to hear from Prime Minister about expediting the early taking up of the formal work on the already surveyed Jammu-Poonch railway project costing Rs 13612.81 crores, adding that they were dismayed for not finding any mention of this important project by the Prime Minister, during his visit.
SKUAST-J conducts entrance test for PG programmes
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, July 5: The Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology (SKUAST) of Jammu today conducted Entrance Test – 2014 for various post graduate programmes viz. MSc (Agriculture), MSc (Biotechnology), MSc (Basic Sciences) and MVSc & AH.
The test was conducted in a peaceful and orderly manner in SKUAST-J Chatha campus examination centre, where the candidates appeared. The university examination cell had installed CCTVs in examination centres to maintain transparency and to avoid the possibility of use of unfair means during the test.
On the basis of entrance test, students shall be selected for admission in various PG programmes of the University. The result of the entrance examination will be declared within two weeks to facilitate timely admission.
PoJK DPs Front takes out protest rally
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, July 5: PoJK DPs Front today took out a protest rally from Press Club Jammu to DC office in support of their long pending demands including their final settlement.
Hundreds of DPs of 1947, 1965, 1971 today gathered in front of Press Club and in a form of rally moved towards DC office through Dogra Chowk, Lala Hans Raj Park and Raghunath Temple. Holding banners and placards in their hands, they were seen raising slogans in support of their demands.
Yudhvir Singh Chib, president of the Front while addressing said that DPs of 1947, 1965 and 1971, who lost everything (movable and immoveable property) during past operations are suffering for last 67 years while the successive Governments both at Centre and State did not pay heed to their demands and always neglected them.
Highlighting their demands including expeditious registration of about 9600 left out families of DPs, ownership rights for landed property, issuance of ALC certificates, 15% reservation to wards of DPs in Educational Institutions, backward status for all DPs, monthly stipend for Non-Camp DPs, payment of ex-gratia relief of DPs of 1971, which is still pending, compensation of Rs 25 lakh per family against their left out property excluding land, reservation of 24 Assembly seats for DPs of PoK and formation of a Board for their development, Chib appealed both Centre and State Government to fulfill their demands without any delay.
He also appealed all the DPs to remain united and keep fighting for their fundamental rights.
Ex-IG Dr Kamal Saini joins PDP
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, July 5: Dr Kamal Saini, retired Inspector General of Police (IGP), today joined People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in the presence of party patron, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed.
Former Rajya Sabha member Trilok Singh Bajwa, general secretary of PDP, Yash Pal Sharma, MLC, Hamid Choudhary, Chatter Saini and others were present on the occasion.
Speaking on the occasion, Dr Saini said that he has decided to join PDP due to the policies and programmes of the party. He especially mentioned that Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, during his tenure as Chief Minister of the State, had proved how to deliver good governance to the people.
He said that it was need of the hour to strengthen hands of Mufti Mohammad Sayeed and Mehbooba Mufti.
Prosecution failure leads to acquittal of 2 real brothers
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, July 5: Sanjeev Gupta, Presiding Officer Fast Track Court has acquitted Mohd Rashid and Mohd Rafiq, sons of Wazir Mohd of Salamabad Poonch, who were facing trial in kidnapping and rape of minor, as prosecution miserably failed to prove the case.
After hearing both the sides, Presiding Officer Fast Track Court observed, “the court is of the considered view that the present case is a case of elopement of prosecutrix with accused and not a case of taking away from the lawful guardian”.
“There is nothing on record to show that accused induced the prosecutrix or they prompted her for formation of the intention by her to leave the house of her father, rather from the evidence on record it becomes clear that prosecution has failed to prove that prosecutrix was a minor at the time of alleged occurrence”, the court said.
With these observations, Court acquitted the accused of the charges leveled against him.
Govt asked to end discrimination with ReZs of Jammu
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, July 5: A meeting was organized at Brahman Sabha here where all the prominent and respectable biradaries of Jammu were present which included Sanatan Dharam Sabha, Brahmin Biradari, Rajput Biradari, Mahajan Biradari, Baru Biradari, Khajuria Biradari, Sadotra Biradari, Ksahtriya Rajput Sabha, Kashap Rajput Sabha, Jammu Province People’s Forum (JPPF). Jandial Biradari, Dutta Biradari, Prajapati Sabha etc.
Addressing to the gathering Vishal Manhas highlighted some issues of ReZ of Jammu. He alleged that State Government was discriminating with Jammu as far as regularization of ReZs of Jammu was concerned. He said the latest example of discrimination has come fore when Govt has regularized 440 Rehbar-e-Zirats of Kashmir divisions
Giving the details, he said that there are 1004 ReZ at Kashmir division and 1495 at Jammu division. As per Cabinet decision ReZ of both divisions are to be regularized in three equal phase which means out of 1004 at Kashmir 334 should have been regularized in first and same in second and third phase but keeping all norms on stake they have regularized 440 that is 106 more and similarly out of 1495 at Jammu 521 are to be regularized but here also they are regularizing 440. The list is awaited which is grave injustice and discrimination with Jammu.
Speaking on the occasion Jagdesh Dogra president Sanatan dharma Sabha warned the Governemnt that people will teach it a lesson in the coming Assembly poll for its discriminatory policies towards Jammu. He urged the people to stand up against it otherwise the coming generations will have to face this discrimination as well
Shri Katoch said that JPPF was committed to have local Vice Chancellor of Jammu University and Central University at Jammu which they got and the issue of ReZ is of very serious nature and therefore JPPF will extend its full co-operation and if required they will come on streets in support of ReZs of Jammu.
The leaders of all other organizations warned Govern-ment to mend its ways failing which the people of Jammu will be forced to launch a massive agitation.
Meanwhile, for discussing the situation arisen due to delay in publication of first list of regularized Rehbar-e-Ziraat as per Cabinet decision and consequent SRO in this regard, Rehbar-e-Ziraat organized an emergency meeting at Directorate of Agriculture Tallab Tillo Gole Pulli Jammu under the chairmanship of Dr Surinder Radotra, State president JKATA.
While addressing the meet, Dr Surinder Radotra appealed the State Government for publication of first lists of regularized ReZs from Jammu division so that 2nd and 3rd lists are published in time.
He appealed the Chief Minister and Agriculture Minister for their personal intervention in this regard so that list of Jammu province ReZs is also released on the pattern of Kashmir division.