Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, June 16: Intensifying the drive against the unauthorized construction, violations and encroachments, Jammu Municipal Corporation (JMC) today sealed a showroom at Talab Tillo in violation of laws and COBO Act.
The showroom was sealed by the Enforcement Staff led by the Chief Enforcement Officer of JMC under the guidance of Kiran Wattal, Commissioner, JMC with the assistance of police force from Police Post, Talab Tillo and District Police Lines, Jammu.
The sealed showroom belonged to Gashi Devi W/o Late Bhram Dass at H No- 1, Tirth Nagar, near Sai Baba Mandir Talab Tillo, Jammu.
Besides this, the team removed vendors and hawkers selling goods on footpaths and pavements in the areas of Shalamar, Indira Chowk, Hari Market and Gummat Bazaar, and about a truck of goods were seized and impounded in the Municipal Yard.

Excelsior Correspondent

JAMMU, June 16: A total of 26 Forest Guard trainees today passed out from Forest Guards Training School, Doomi in an impressive passing out parade.
Abhai Kumar, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, took the salute as passing out parade.
Top Forest officers attended the function including CCF Working Plan Research and Training SP Sharma, CCF Jammu Roshan Jaggi, CF East Circle AK Gupta, CF West Circle Sameer Bharti, CF Vigilance Roop Avtar Kour, DFO Jammu VS Senthil Kumar and DFO Demarcation Hitender Singh.
Bilal Ahmed Rather of Doda Forest division stood first and was awarded gold medal. Kuldeep Singh of Billawar forest division and Mohammad Farooq Bhat of Batote Forest division stood 2nd and 3rd respectively.
The Forest Guards were trained in first aid, rescue and survival skills in association with Civil Defence organization and Natural Disaster Management Authority.
After the function, Abhai Kumar inaugurated renovated hostel blocks in Forest Guards Training School, Doomi.

Excelsior Correspondent
Srinagar, June 16: Fire broke out in Mini Maternity Hospital at Zakoora Crossing, two LPG cylinders also exploded during the fire incident. The 2nd storey of the building was completely damaged in the fire. However no loss of life or injury was reported. Police has started investigation to ascertain the cause of the fire.

Excelsior Correspondent
Srinagar, June 16: Four persons of Mehjoor Nagar Srinagar who were on picnic at Drang Ferozpora, Tangmarg, slipped in the Drang nallah while taking photographs. One of them was drowned while three others were rescued by locals and the police.
Four persons were drowned when they slipped and fell in the Drang nallah, Tangmarg. However, the locals and the police rescued three of them while Zahoor Ahmad Makroo son of Ghulam Mohammad resident of Mehjoor Nagar Srinagar got drowned.
Later, the body of the drowned person was fished out and after completing all medico-legal formalities the body was handed over to his next of kin for last rites.

Excelsior Correspondent

JAMMU, June 16: PHE workers including daily wagers/ consolidated/ CP workers will go on `Kaam Chhor Hartal’ (strike)  for 24 hours on June 30, if their demands were not addressed by the Government.
Talking to media-persons here in a press conference here today, the senior leaders of PHE Workers Welfare Association  Bakshi Singh  and Subash Verma alleged that despite many representations and memoranda to the higher authorities, the fate of all types of temporary/ consolidated workers has remained undecided. Many persons were engaged after 1994 and they held many protests and rallies but due to anti-employee policies, their voice remained unheard. The senior officers and the Minister concerned also did not respond positively.
These daily rated/ consolidated workers are facing sheer exploitation and harassment and they were not regularized even after 15 to 18 years of service. The Association has been projecting the issues  like regularization of  daily wagers ( ITI and Non-ITI who completed more than five years in service, enhancement of wages to Rs 300 per day as minimum, disbursement of wages  to all workers before 5th of every month, release of pending  arrears, framing of a definite policy for regularization, creation of new posts for field/ operational staff in PHE, designations as per nature of job etc.
They claimed that in the working committee of the Association it has been resolved to launch Kaam Chhor Hartal if the issues of the PHE workers are not resolved before 20th of June. The PHE workers of Jammu region would start strike from June 30 and in the first phase, it would be 24-hour Kaam Chhor Hartal. The Government will be responsible for any consequences out of this total strike by PHE employees.  Rattan Doshi, Tilak Raj Sharma, Baldev Singh also spoke on the occasion.

Excelsior Correspondent
REASI, June 16: Senior Congress leader and former legislator, Ashok Sharma today demanded up-gradation of Jammu Airport as an International Airport, keeping in view more than one crore Vaishno Devi pilgrims and a large number of other tourists visiting the city of temples from all parts of the world every year.
Addressing a one-day convention of delegates of the party at Kalakote, Sharma urged that Jammu Airport be named as Shri Mata Vaishno Devi International Airport and fully equipped with all the modern facility, adding that such a measure would largely promote pilgrims, conventional and adventure tourism in the State.
The former legislator also stressed for immediately taking up execution of Jammu-Rajouri-Poonch Rail project to bring this border belt on railway map of the country.
Sharma also disclosed that 10- day padyatra to aware the masses about their rights will start from Badoon on June 20, 2014 and culminate at Dharamsal on June 29, 2014.

Excelsior Correspondent
Jammu, June 16: J&K Youth Sharnarthi Action Committee (PoK refugees) advocated for continuing of the Article 370 in the State and said that any attempt to disturb the existing article 370 will further multiply the problems and pains of the PoK refugees.
Addressing a meeting, R C Sharma (president) said that final and permanent settlement would be made under this Article 370, which would be better for the PoK refugees and present dispensation should understand this. He said that Article 370 ensure the guarantee for PoK refugees’ settlement and PoK refugees would not allow its abrogation till their final settlement. He also appealed all groups for PoK refugees not to oppose Article 370 till the final settlement.
Making an appeal to Union Government of India to take sincere efforts for proper settlement of PoK refugees, he said that changing the name for Pak occupied Kashmir to Pak occupies Jammu & Kashmir would not serve the purpose of PoK refugees.