Excelsior Correspondent
UDHAMPUR, June 10: For expressing their solidarity with the troops deployed in the inhospitable terrain and extreme weather conditions in the Northern Command and to Commemorate the 15th anniversary of ‘Operation Vijay’, a group of seven volunteers of “North Calcutta Disha’, a Calcutta based adventure and sports organisation is on a 6000 km drive across the country from Calcutta to Leh.
On the fourth day of the journey the group reached Udhampur on Monday.
As a token of respect, the group presented a memento to Brig Bipin Bakshi, Brigadier General Staff posted at Udhampur, who received it on behalf of the officers and soldiers of the Command.
During their interaction with officers over tea, they shared their experiences of the journey and their past interactions with the Army. The group would be in the State till June 26. The group was later flagged off for the onward journey.

Excelsior Correspondent
Kathua, June 10: In continuation to drive launched against the Bovine smugglers under the supervision of Mohan Lal, Superintendent of Police Kathua, today acting on a specific information Police party of PP Marheen laid down a naka at Paharpur area and apprehended one bovine smuggler namely Makhan Din S/o Qasim Din R/o Chack Desa Choudharian and rescued 17 bovine animals from his possession while he was taking them illegally from J&K to Punjab by foot. A Case FIR No. 107/2014 u/s 188 RPC stand registered at P/S Rajbagh. Investigation of the case is in progress.
Meanwhile, Kathua Police apprehended 2 persons namely (1) Ajay Sharma S/o Hans Raj R/o Ward No.06 Kathua and (2) Narinder Singh S/o Satpaul Singh R/O Patyari, Janglote while selling the Kerosene oil illegally in the village Patyari and recovered / seized 60 liters of Kerosene oil from their possession.
A case FIR No. 206/2014 u/s 3/7 EC Act registered at Police Station Kathua against both of them investigation of which is going on.

Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, June 10: Minister for Agriculture Production Ghulam Hassan Mir today said that Government has earmarked Rs. 5 crore for construction of three storey Kissan Kendra at Talab Tillo, adding that on the completion of the bhawan, free accommodation to the farmers would be provided who visit Jammu from other districts for agriculture related subjects.
This was stated by the Minister while interacting with the officers of Agriculture Department after inspecting the ongoing construction work of Kissan Kendra at Talab Tillo, here this evening.
Shabir Ahmed Khan, Director Command Area Development, Ashok Malhotra, Joint Director Agriculture (Extension), Susheel Sahni, Joint Director Agriculture, (Inputs), Sudesh Koul, Deputy Director (Trainings), C. M. Sharma, Deputy Director (Central), Onkar Singh Choudhary, Chief Agriculture Officer besides other senior officers of Command Area Development and Agriculture Department were present on the occasion.
The Minister said that Kissan Kendra will go a long way in providing the farmers opportunity for upgrading their knowledge and skill and awareness in the field of agriculture in a number of ways. He stated that besides fulfilling the long pending demand of the farmers for reasonable accommodation at Jammu, it will also become a venue for interaction between the farmers and exchanges of knowledge and experience for the mutual benefit of farmers visiting Jammu from various areas of the State.
He informed that the complex will also have computer centre where farmers can upgrade their knowledge about the advancement made in the field of agriculture technology through the internet and will be able to access data beneficial to them from various sources like ICAR/Agriculture Universities and various line departments of the agriculture sector.
The provision of recreation of room for farmers at the Kendra would also help in better interaction and sharing of knowledge between the farmers and will be promote peer learning.

Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, June 10: Police today said that over 350 drug peddlers have been arrested in the last 18 months in the Valley.
Inspector General of Police Kashmir A G Mir while speaking at a seminar on drug addiction organised by Shahri Khaas Welfare Coordination Committee at SP College here said police is relentlessly working for curbing the drug peddling.
He said that in the year 2013, police has arrested 247 persons involved in illicit drugs related activities and registered 227 cases under NDPS Act cases in Kashmir Zone, besides recovered 2574 Kgs of Cannabis and its derivatives and about 11 thousand bottles and 17 thousand tablets of psychotropic prescription drugs.
IGP added that this year till date 113 cases of NDPS Act have been registered in which 147 persons involved have been arrested.
“1000 kgs of Cannabis and its derivatives, 115 kgs of Brown sugar and about 1600 bottles and 14 thousand tablets of psychotropic prescription drugs were recovered by police in Kashmir Zone from the peddlers,” he said.
Earlier, Molana Syed Toiab Kamili in his address said that the menace of drugs has propped up in our society as the people are deviating from the tenets of religion.
General Secretary of the Shair Khas Coordination Committee Abdul Qayoom Khan presented in his welcome address said that drug addiction is emerging as a menace if not tackled early, can be catastrophic to the society.

Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, June 10: Crops and trees in large chunk of land were burnt in a devastating fire at village Deruan Burn under the jurisdiction of Gharota police station last night.
Reports said the crops and trees caught fire in the land of Gopal Sharma at Deruan Burn last night. The crops and trees were burnt. Fire Brigade and police parties reached the spot. The Fire Brigade personnel doused the flames.
Police have registered a case in the fire incident for investigations.

Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, June 10: In view of the assurance given by the High Court authorities regarding fulfillment of pending demands, Personal Staff Association of the High Court has deferred mass casual leave.
“In the full house meeting, it was decided that in case the demands are not fulfilled by or before 10th July, 2014, further course of action will be decided”, the Association said.

Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, June 10: In order to repair the incoming breaker of 50 MVA CGL make transformer at 132/33 KV Grid Station Janipur, the water supply will remain affected tomorrow from 6 am to 8 am.
According to Chief Engineer, Elect Maintt & RE Wing, Jammu, the power supply to the areas fed from this transformer will remain affected tomorrow.
The shut down shall be subjected to fair weather condition.

Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, June 10: A group of ten students of IDPD (Indian Doctors for Peace and Development) from Maharashtra and Punjab interacted with faculty members, Medical students and Paramedical staff at ASCOMS.
The team led by Jeetender Singh, a Pharmacologist from Nasik has visited Medical Colleges including AIIMS, New Delhi, Faridkot, Amristar and presently they are on their way to GMC, Srinagar.
They made power point presentations and deliberated in detail on burning issues of today’s developing nations like “Health through Peace”, “Harmful Effects of Nuclear Weapons”, “Uranium mining at Jadugoda” and “Cancer in Malwa region of Punjab”.
Dr R P Kudyar (Director Principal ASCOMS) in his address said that Mankind has progressed wherever it has lived in peace. He appreciated the IDPD students for their mission of Health Awareness and Prevention of diseases in the society.

Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, June 10: Taking cognizance of a complaint regarding plight and miseries of the ponywallas, palakiwallas, pithoos and other workers at the holy shrine of Shri Mata Vaishnodevi, National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has issued notice to the Chief Secretary of the State seeking a report within four weeks into the allegations.
Through the complaint, the intervention of NHRC has been sought for profile mapping of ponywallas, palakiwallas and other such workers, sources told EXCELSIOR, adding the complainant has alleged that their wages were being prescribed by the Shrine Board but the State authorities were neglecting them.
“The workers are not being provided benefits of any welfare scheme such as life insurance, health insurance, education and insurance of the ponies”, the complainant said, adding “some of the ponywallas were children running the whole day up and down with the devotees in order to earn bread and butter. This sort of self-employment was equivalent to child labour, which is prohibited under law”.