SRINAGAR, June 10: Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah this morning visited Pahalgam to receive first hand appraisal of the fire incident that gutted Tourist Reception Centre and some private property including shops and a hotel.
The Chief Minister interacted with the fire sufferers and expressed his solidarity and sympathy to them. He told them that all possible help will be provided to them for their rehabilitation. He also talked to the officers of Tourism Department and received brief about the gutted Tourist Reception Centre.
Excelsior Correspondent
UDHAMPUR, June 10: Two persons consumed poison while one died under mysterious circumstances at his residence at Chenani and Tikri in district Udhampur today.
Police said Surinder Kumar (23), son of Som Raj of Tikri Aria of Udhampur, consume some poisons substance under mysterious circumstances in his home late last night. The family members took him to PHC, Tikri.
One Shanta Devi (30), wife of Mohan Lal of Sirka Las village in Chenani, consumed some poisonous substance at home.
Family members took her to Sub-District Hospital, Chenani where doctors declared him as dead. Chenani Police registered a case and started investigation.
Excelsior Correspondent
RAJOURI, June 10: Residents of Jawahar Nagar and adjoining localities of the town here blocked Rajouri-Kalakote road and held protest dharna against the Power Development Department this evening.
The public anger went high as the PDD authorities failed to restore power supply in the area after an electric transformer got damaged last evening. The people remained without power for the whole night and the day today. At around 5 pm they came out on the road at Jawahar Nagar and raised barricades. They sat on dharna and started shouting slogans against Executive Engineer PDD, Chief Engineer concerned and the Chief Minister. They alleged that during these hot summer days, their life has become miserable in the absence of power supply.
The traffic on this road came to halt after protest. The police party led by SHO Yashpal Jamwal and DySP Headquarters later reached the spot. The public refused to lift dharna and demanded that till assurance is received from the concerned PDD officers, they were not going to buzz at all. Later, Executive Engineer reached the spot and assured the agitating people that transformer will be provided by tomorrow. The people then lifted dharna and allowed movement of traffic on this busy road after two hours.
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, June 10: Major fire broke out in a `Kawadi shop’ at main market in Surankote town while forest fire along LoC in Balnoi and KG sectors of Mendhar has sounded alert in the nearby villages and hamlets.
Reports said fire broke out in the shop of one Niaz Ahmed at around 12.30 midnight. Watchman of the area informed police. The police party rang up local Fire Station and the fire tenders took about two hours to fight the fire. About two structures got damaged in the incident. SHO and SDPO Surankote also reached the spot. The quick action saved the nearby Telephone Exchange and adjoining shops.
Meanwhile, fire along the LoC at Balnoi and KG area since last evening has spread in the larger area. While the Forest officials have failed to contain the fire, it has spread to the larger area. It has caused damage to the Military infrastructure at some locations and also sounded alert in the belt. Dozens of mines are exploding with the spreading of fire along the LoC.
Another fire broke out in a Forest enclosure at Kardoh near Lakhanpur in Kathua this evening. It has spread in the larger area and the concerned staff of Social Forestry failed to contain it. It started from nearby private fields and spread to the forest.
Srinagar, June 10: Expressing serious concern over the plight of Kashmiri students who have been allegedly duped by a section of colleges in Uttar Pradesh, CPI (M) state secretary Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami has urged the Chief Minister to intervene into the matter by taking up the issue with the UP Government.
Tarigami in a release said that a delegation of parents apprised him about a Srinagar-based NGO that had facilitated the admission of over 70 students under Prime Minister’s special scholarship scheme in Purvanchal Institute of Dental Sciences in UP, but the college authorities have failed to conduct their annual examination for the last around two years.
“Though the students have approached the university with which their college is affiliated but they have been told that their batch is not registered with the Dental Council of India. This is a big fraud committed by the unscrupulous elements who want to mint money at the cost of careers of our youth. I urge the Chief Minister to intervene into the matter and save the career of these youth who are caught in very hard and pressing circumstances,” Tarigami said.
He also demanded a thorough investigation into the self styled NGO’s who are playing with the careers of the students in the name of different scholarship schemes.
The CPI (M) leader also appealed the parents to go through a rigorous research before getting tier wards admitted in any of the colleges especially outside the state.
“While the Government must provide free counseling to the youths who want to pursue their higher studies or do any professional courses outside the state, the parents also must do a thorough investigation about the affiliation of colleges and registration of the courses being offered under different scholarship programmes,” Tarigami observed.
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, June 10: Student Scholar Joint Action Committee, an amalgam of different students’ organisations of University of Jammu (JU) has alleged harassment of students and scholars by the University authorities.
Addressing a press conference here today in JU campus, Parduman Singh, a student leader said that the University is no more an institution of learning, academic and research now, but has become institute of hatredness, animosity, and revengeful attitude of the university authorities.
Some student leaders and student organisations have been banned while some students have been expelled and some are being harassed day-to-day by the University authorities.
Nishi Slathia, an MPhil scholar of Department of Regional & Strategic Studies lambasted the university authorities for its failure to redress the problems being faced by the student community.
She said that the whole administration of the University is driven by some goons who are affiliated with some political parties which led to the degradation of the university functioning. She alleged that University authorities are working under pressure of some blue eyed contractual lecturers and some student leaders, due to which student community is highly suffering.
The SSJAC requested the JU Chancellor to take action against the erring officers in the University administration so that justice could prevail in all corners of the University.
Those present in the press conference were Ajay Sharma, Ajay Prasher, Balwinder Kour, Nishant Verma and many others.
JAMMU, June 10: Various Organisations held protest rallies across the city at different places for not providing them proper electricity and water, here today.
The protesters were led by Sunil Dimple president Jammu West Assembly Movement along with the traders, woman, and children in large numbers who protested and also took out rally in the constituency, at Amphalla, New Plot, Janipur High Court Road, Sarwal, Rehari, Subash Nagar, Bakshi Nagar, Talab Tillo and many localities of the West constituency.
Dimple alleged the Government is not implementing its policies RAPDRP under which the fresh electrification of the Jammu city will take place and demanded to install the fresh new receiving station of 50 MVA at Janipur to overcome the load problem and the curtailment of power.
Dimple demanded immediate start of work on Chenab water supply project.
He asked Government to provided totally “free of cost” water for its residents.
Dogra Front and Shiv Sena under the leadership of Ashok Gupta took out procession with lanterns, hand fans, electrical fans, clay pots, buckets in their hands raising slogans against coalition Government for not providing them basic infrastructure.
He warned the Government that if power supply does not improve the people will not pay power tariff to PDD as Government had made a commitment that round the clock power will be supplied in the metered areas.
People’s Revolutionary Movement has warned the Government of dire consequences for deliberate harassment and torcher of public by forced closure of electricity supply in Jammu and castigated the Government and specially the representatives of Jammu for their failure to act according to the situation and demanded immediate restoration of hasslefree and uninterrupted power supply to the people.
Addressing various meetings in and around Jammu PRM, leader Rajinder Jamwal expressed deep concern and extreme anguish our unintentional and prejudiced approach of Government in providing basic amenities.
Meanwhile, the residents of Laxmi Nagar, Muthi and adjourning areas held protest under the leadership of Mukesh Sharma, BJP general secretary, Muthi Paloura mandal for not providing them proper electricity and water in such hot and humid conditions.
Lalit Gupta
JAMMU, June 10: Doordarshan Kendra, Jammu (DDK), organized ‘Mehfil’, a special live program on the life and works of Shivram Deep, one of the luminaries of modern Dogri literature, here today.
The special program which was earlier titled as ‘Sari Virasat’ and restarted after a quite a long interval, is aimed at introducing the Doordarshan viewers the life and works of stalwart Dogri writers and poets who have made signal contribution to the development of modern Dogri literature.
Today program was conducted by Prof Lalit Magotra, president, Dogri Sanstha, while the well known poet Gyaneshwar, read an illuminating paper on the literary contributions of Shivram Deep in presence of invited audience which included eminent writers, poets and members of civil society.
Speaking on the occasion, Gyaneshwar, the lifetime friend of Shivram Deep, highlighted the literary genius of the poet in dovetailing the genre of gazal to the socio-cultural and linguistic ethos of Dogri. Quoting example from Deep’s poetry, he pointed as to how the highly structure gazal, bound by strict rules of radif and kafia, under the literary genius of Deep in its Dogri avatar was made to look as if the ‘genre’ was made-up for the language of the Dogras only.
Prof Veena Gupta, former HoD, Department of Dogri, University of Jammu, said that unlike other Dogri poets who used common Urdu words and expressions in Dogri gazals, Shivram Deep has outstandingly used Dogri similes, metaphors and everyday linguistic expressions to go beyond the conventional ambit of ghazal’s spectrum of human experience, with central concern being love-to voice his progressive thinking, tone of defiance in face of all odds.
Other well known Dogri writers, poets and littérateurs, in audience such as Padmashree Prof Nilamber Dev Sharma, Chhatarpal, Chaman Panthi, Nirmal Vinod and Shusheel Baigana also shared their views about Shivram Deep works and life. The highlight of the program, for the Doordarshan viewers was inclusion of segment wherein poet’s compositions were sung by leading singers.
Speaking to EXCELSIOR, Anjali Sharma, In-charge DDK, Jammu, said, “it is Kendra’s effort to telecast programs of archival importance and value. She said “we have already started weekly program ‘Tunda Bara Manda Lagda’, under which archival media works and software on the life and works of stalwart of Dogri, Ram Nath Shashtri is going to be telecast on every Monday at 5.30.p.m, all through 2014, his centenary year”.
Regarding the limited reach of DDK, Jammu programs, she agreed that presently the programs are only available through cable network and viewers with DTH (Direct-To-Home television) are not able to watch our programs. But the efforts are on to start a satellite channel from DDK, Jammu”, she said.
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, June 10: National Conference (NC) leader, Taranjeet Singh Tony, District President Jammu Rural “B” today reiterated that his party is committed to all round development of all the three regions, Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh with focus on far- flung and border areas.
Chairing a workers’ meeting at Panjgarayin in Talwar Panchayat of Suchetgarh Constituency, Tony referred to the initiatives taken by Omar Abdullah led Government during the past five and half years, which he said reflect keen desire of NC to uplift the living standard of poor and down trodden people.
Spelling out the policy and programme of NC, Tony said that these envisage political empowerment of the people belonging to all segments of society irrespective of caste, creed and colour.
He, however, cautioned the people to remain vigilant against those who want to divide the society on religious lines to further their political objective.
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, June 10: To discuss the emerging political scenario in the State, Panun Kashmir held a meeting of its Executive Council here today under the chairmanship of its president, Ashwani Kumar Chrungoo. It was attended among others by Virender Raina, National spokesperson, J.L.Kaul, vice president PK, Kamal Bagati, organising secretary, P.K.Kaul, Sameer Bhat, J.L.Drabu, Vijay Qazi, P.N.Pandita and Raj Mohan.
While addressing the meeting Ashwani Kumar Chrungoo said that Panun Kashmir appreciates the recent statements that tend to bring the issues pertaining to the Kashmiri Pandit Community on the centre stage of the national political scene. The reference to the Kashmiri Pandits for the first time in the Presidential speech in the Parliament reflects the concerns of the leadership of the country towards the displaced community. The privations of two and half decades of exodus were always, unfortunately, not a priority for the Governments in the past. The resettlement of the KPs in the Kashmir valley is a serious political issue that needs a political settlement for which the genuine representatives of the community need to be taken into confidence.
He said a comprehensive settlement must always include political rights and constitutional guarantees that would ensure no refoulment in future. In this context, we need to be guided by our historical experiences of the past and the recent exodus of 1990. The demand of Homeland having a Union Territory status with free and full flow of the Indian Constitution would alone satisfy the urges and aspirations of the displaced community.
Virender Raina, said that the ground level political situation in Kashmir needs to be taken into account while formulating an opinion. All the three major political forces in the Kashmir valley have been emphasizing upon the resolution of the so-called Kashmir issue and in this connection the recent move of the PDP to seek an amendment to the Presidential address is a stark reality. The stand of the political forces makes Kashmir a shaking ground for the displaced Kashmiri Pandit Community and as such they cannot offer themselves for experimentation of ‘secularism’.
