Excelsior Correspondent

JAMMU, July 1: Taking their strike into 7th-day today, hundreds of drivers of J&K SRTC held a strong protest demonstration against the callous, high headed and discriminatory attitude of the SRTC Management at Green Belt Park, Gandhi Nagar, here today.
A number of speakers addressed the gathering and highlighted the malafide intentions of the Management.
The speakers said that indifferent attitude of the Management has forced them to hold protests, causing huge loss to the State exchequer, adding that anguished over the unconcerned attitude of Management, the drivers of the corporation decided to unite for the cause, which gave rise to Drivers Union.
They further said the drivers who have been the only revenue earner for the Corporation have always been looked upon as bonded labourers and the atrocities by the Management have led them to frustration and forced them to take the agitational route.
The drivers projected the demands which included conducting of fuel survey of vehicles particularly in respect of  Amarnath yatra, arranging of at least one room at Base Camp, Bhagwati Nagar for drivers who have to spend night there, implementation of enhanced Trip Order, cancellation of claims against drivers, time bound promotion system for drivers, up- gradation of regularized helpers to drivers, fixation of consolidated pay of Rs 12000 per month against 225/day as the drivers have no fixed working hours, regularization of drivers who have completed 8 years of Service, bails of drivers after occurrence of accidents, adoption of group Insurance Policy for drivers etc, dispersing of arrears on the time as fixed by court while disposing off petitions.

Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, July 1: The Joint Forum of KP Organizations held a meeting here today which among others was attended by Ashwani Kumar Chrungoo, President, Panun Kashmir, Vijay Raina, President, Kashmiri Samiti Delhi, R.K.Raina, Senior vice president, ASKPC, D.N.Kissu, Chairman-ADKPUF, Kamal Bagati, organising secretary-PK and Virender Raina, official spokesperson-Joint Forum.
The meeting discussed the current political scenario and the president, KSD also apprised the Joint Forum leaders about the recent initiatives taken by his organization.
Ashwani Kumar Chrungoo, President, P K while addressing the meeting expressed his satisfaction that more and more Kashmiri Pandit groups are gravitating towards the core edifice of Kashmiri Pandit aspiration that is a separate Homeland in Kashmir.
Moreover, the issues of the genocide and ethnic cleansing of the Pandits cannot be brushed away and need to be addressed to find out the causes for the rise of fundamentalism and terrorism in the Valley leading ultimately to mass exodus of the KPs from Kashmir.
The demand of Homeland is the core political issue bedeviling the community and that alone would meet the imperatives of justice and national security in Kashmir.
Vijay Raina, president, K S D said that his organization has been looking after the welfare of the community in the NCR of Delhi. The return and economic rehabilitation are two separate issues and cannot be linked together. While overage youth need to be given a onetime compensation and the Government should not waste any more time in this issue.  The Kashmiri Samiti has been demanding economic rehabilitation simultaneously for the betterment of the community brethren. We support the Homeland demand as the only permanent solution to our woes.
R K Raina, senior vice president, ASKPC said that it is high time to tighten the security grid and also to make the borders of the State impregnable.
Virender Raina, Spokesperson-Joint Forum appealed to the Government to implement the recommendations contained in the 137th and 179th Report of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Home Affairs.

Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, July 1: The Management Committee of Shrines and Temples in district Shopian has expressed grave concern over fresh incident of land grabbing in the district where land mafia has let a reign of terror and stopped the fencing of the Raghunath Temple land in Shopian Bazar near DC Office.
The Committee members and other displaced people from Shopian who staged a demonstration here today said that the same was done by the mafia at the instance of an influential person in the town who after mutating the revenue records with help of some revenue officials was creating hurdles in fencing of the temple land.
The Committee said that District Development Commissioner Shopian has accepted that 19 temples, shrines and dharamshallas have been damaged and encroached upon in district Shopian. It said the fencing work was taken in hand by the Committee after the due permission was sought from concerned DC and concerned officers of Municipal Committees Shopian who demarcated the land on spot measuring less than three kanals out of five kanals and 13 marlas existing in Revenue records. The local people have also confirmed that the said land belonged to Raghunath temple and they fully backed the Committee in fencing it to restore the temple.
The Committee warned the land grabbers and also its members lodged a protest in the town today. The Committee while expressing concern said on the one hand the Government was talking of rehabilitating the Pandits in Valley and on the other it was encouraging the land grabbers. The Committee has also sought immediate intervention of Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah asking him to issue directives to concerned officers to act tough against the land grabbers and restore the land to temple immediately.
Meanwhile KPC president Kundan Kashmiri has also expressed his dismay over the act of the land grabber who in connivance with some officers in Revenue Department has grabbed the land of the shrine and was harassing the members of the minority community who had started fencing the temple.
Kashmir said in case the authorities failed to act the migrants will be forced to launch agitation as majority of shrines land in Valley has been grabbed by land mafia.

Excelsior Correspondent
SAMBA, July 1: Hundreds of Congress workers today staged protest demonstration against the Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) led NDA Union Government for price rise of the essential commodities including petroleum products, LPG, onions and potatoes.
Led by former Minister and senior Congress leader, Manjit Singh, the protesters assembled here at Vijaypur and started shouting slogans against Narendra Modi, Prime Minister.
The protesting Congress workers alleged that the poor people have been left to suffering by the Modi Government, which increased the prices of the petroleum products and LPG, which has given a set back to the people.
“They (BJP leaders) attracted people before Lok Sabha elections assuring that the prices of the commodities would be brought down when they would come to power in Centre but now when they have got power, prices of the essential commodities are increased and people are left to suffer”, Manjit Singh said.
In NDA’s comparison, Singh said, the UPA Government had kept the prices under control for the welfare of the people, especially poor masses but BJP befooled the people of India assuring them good days. Modi Government is meant for corporate sector and now they are being benefited”, he added.
“The NDA Government has ignored the people of this country and has been working only for the rich people,” he further alleged.

Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, July 1: Terming People’s Democratic Party’s (PDP’s) road-map as a key to address aspirations of all sections of the society, general secretary of the PDP and MLC, Yash Pal Sharma, today said that the tested and competent leadership of his party has capability to change destiny of the common masses by implementing revolutionary policies and programmes.
Addressing a public meeting at Katal Battal area of Nagrota today, Mr Sharma said that aim of PDP was not only to attain power but to address grievances of the people. He said that biggest achievement of his party was that it had connected itself with the common masses and restored confidence of the people in democratic institutions.
He said that PDP’s roadmap has potential to solve problems of unemployed youth because this roadmap was prepared by incorporating aspirations of all sections of the society.
Sharma said that PDP has also scripted a new chapter of peace and development in the State and has challenged the hegemony of National Conference, which has brazenly looted the State and cheated common masses.
“The way people of the State has been supporting our party, is a clear indication that there is no alternative of PDP in the State and this party is going to change destiny of the people by implementing its progressive and visionary agenda”, he said, adding, change is imminent in J&K because people have faith in the policies and programmes of PDP.
Pointing towards rampant corruption in the State, Sharma observed that governance deficit was the main reason of increasing alienation of the people. “Corruption has crossed all limits due to lack of transparency and accountability in the present Government”, he said.

Excelsior Correspondent
Jammu, July 1: A woman died after she was hit by an unidentified vehicle near Malika Mehra area, falling under the jurisdiction of Domana police station.
Identity of the victim has been established as Sansaro Devi wife of Sri Niwas of Tikri Gani Sangrampur.
Police sources said that accident took place in the morning when Sansaro was hit by an unidentified vehicle resulting severe injuries to her at Malik Mehra.
After the incident, Sansaaro was immediately shifted to Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) for treatment.
During treatment she failed to respond the treatment and died.
A case in this connection has been registered and investigation started.

Excelsior Correspondent
Srinagar, July 1: A motorcyclist died when he was hit by an unknown vehicle in Bandipora.
A police spokesman said an unknown vehicle hit a motorcycle JK15-2050 at Manasbal near Asham Crossing in Sumbal, resulting in injuries to the motorcyclist Mehraj-ud-Din Wagay son of Ghulam Rasool of Banyri, Sumbal. The injured was shifted to SMHS Hospital, Srinagar for treatment where he succumbed to his injuries.