Excelsior Correspondent

JAMMU, June 20: A painting exhibition (Avlokan) was organised by a renowned artist Subhash Anand at basement gallery of Amar Mahal Museum, here today. The exhibition will remain open for next two days (i.e. June 21st and 22nd).
AVLJ Rao, Deputy Commissioner of KVS was the chief guest for the occasion. VK Sambyal, Station Director of Radio Kashmir Jammu presided over the function whereas Anjali Sharma, Director Incharge of Doordarshan, was the guest of honour.
Subhash Anand is a qualified (BFA 1982) painter. He has also done 2 year National Apprentices course in painting (1985), from National Council for Training in Vocational Trades, New Delhi. He is not only an extra ordinary painter but also the first Cartoonist and illustrator of the State. He has been awarded as Best Painter for 2 times by the Academy of Art, Culture and Languages in the year 1990 and 1996. He has also been awarded by the Fine Arts & Craft Society, New Delhi, in 2000.
Previously he held his exhibition at Abhinav Art Gallery in 1995. Now his latest work has been displayed at Amar Mahal Museum in which his compositions depicting sacred iconic figures gaze at us out of boxes, arterial traffic, touched to decorative preciosity by the painters brush, burdensome dreams and mythologisation of men in yogic or material postures.

Excelsior Correspondent
DODA, June 20: Thathri police arrested two absconding brothers, who were evading their arrested for the past one year.
A police spokesman said that, on specific inputs, police party from Police Station Thathri conducted a raid and arrested two absconding brothers namely Amit Kumar and Ajay Kumar, both son of Hans Raj of Galondra Tehsil Thathri from Karara area.
The accused were wanted in a case registered with police station Thathri under FIR No. 37/13 under Section 376, 363 and 109 RPC and warrant under Section 512 CrPC was also issued in this case by the competent Court. Further investigation is going on.

Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, June 20: Eleven persons were injured in different road accidents across the Valley.
A police spokesman said a Tavera JK03B-8925 hit a motorcycle near Women’s College Anantnag, resulting in injuries to motorcyclist Zubair Ahmad Wagay of Janglat Mandi, Anantnag. The injured was shifted to District Hospital for treatment.
A Scooter DL9SR/6038 hit a road divider on KP Road in Mattan Anantnag, resulting in injuries to two pillions.
A Maruti car JK13A-4772 hit a pedestrian near Shahi Bakery, K.P road Anantnag.
A Winger vehicle JK05C/6899 and an Alto Car JK01H/6330 collided near Wogub in Tarzoo, resulting in injuries to four students and the Winger driver.
All the injured have been shifted to hospital for treatment.
A Tavera 3058/JK05C hit a pedestrian on highway near TCP Hyder Beigh in Pattan. The injured person was shifted to hospital for treatment.
A Safari car JK01S/5574 hit and injured a pedestrian at Shalteng in Parimpora, Srinagar.
The spokesman said the injured have been shifted to hospitals and police has filed cases in these accidents.

Excelsior Correspondent

DODA, June 20: The two-day Bhaderwah Tourism-cum-Cultural Festival 2014, organized by the Bhaderwah Development Authority culminated at Govt. Higher Secondary School (Boys) Bhaderwah. The festival witnessed huge and enthusiastic participation of local people and tourists from different parts of the country.
MLA Bhaderwah Mohd Sharief Niaz was the chief guest on the concluding ceremony. While speaking on the occasion, Mr. Niaz appreciated management and efforts of Bhaderwah Development Authority in making the event successful and thanked the Tourism Minister G.A Mir for his support for making this festival successful.
He said the tourism being the back bone of the State’s economy is strengthened by the efforts made by the State and Central Governments by creating tourism infrastructure and bringing more areas on the tourism map. He said Bhaderwah, being one of the favorite tourist destinations of the State requires more unexplored areas to be covered under tourism related activities.
He said that the festival provided a suitable platform to the local artists to showcase their talent and provided them a chance to interact with renowned artists of the country, who participated in the festival. He further said that participation of people from different regions of the country will help the people of Chenab Valley region in understanding the culture and tradition of these people and will help in strengthening unity in diversity.
During the concluding ceremony of the festival, renowned Bollywood singer Vinod Rathore was the eye-catching performer, besides musicians from Haryana and singers/ artists from different parts of the country kept the audience spell bound with their power pack performances.

Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, June 20: Principal Sessions Judge Poonch Jaffer Hussain Beigh has arrayed four accused namely Gurdeep Kour, daughter of Preetam Singh, Gagan Deep Singh, son of Kulbir Singh, residents of village Darra Dullian, Ramandeep Singh alias Karanjeet Singh alias Aman, son of Raghbir Singh of Poonch and Balvinder Singh, driver of SHO Police Station Poonch, son of Rangil Singh of Mangnar as accused in the much publicized MMS scam of Poonch district.
During the course of preliminary argument on charge/discharge of the accused it was found that the Investigating Officer had not arrayed the non-applicants as accused in case FIR No.106 of the year 2013 for commission of offences under Section 376, 366, 342, 201, 109, RPC and 67,67-A, ITAct.
“The application was moved by the Public Prosecutor on 28.1.2014 for arraying them as accused on the ground that the prosecutrix in her statement recorded under Section 164-A CrPC has categorically deposed that non-applicants have abetted the commission of offences and displayed the video film of the prosecutrix and the accused on the internet but the Investigating Officer during the course of investigation did not array them as accused”, the court observed.
After referring various judgments of the High Court and Apex Court, Principal Sessions Judge allowed the application of the prosecution and arrayed the non-applicants as accused”.
The accused Balvinder Singh who was present in the court was directed to furnish bail bond of a respectable person for an amount of Rs 30,000 and also his own personal bond of like amount before this court for his attendance till the order for charge/discharge is passed. In case of default he shall be kept in judicial lock up at District Jail Poonch, the court said.
Bailable warrants to the tune of Rs 30,000 against all the accused be issued for their appearance before the court on the next date of hearing”, the court directed.

Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, June 20: DIG North G H Bhat today chaired a Public Darbar at Fruit Mandi Sopore and interacted with civil society members, representatives of traders federations and Sarpanches of the Sopore district.
The meeting was attended by large number of people including Abdul Kabir Dar, Mohammad Maqsood, Union President of Fruit buyers, Farooq Ahmad Namberdar Botingoo, Altaf Ahmad Malik Sarpanch Achabal, Basharat Ahmad Pir of Dangiwacha,  G Rasool Tantray Sarpach Nowpora, Nazir Ahmad Mir Sarpanch Tragpora, Fayaz Ahmad Chairman Fruit Mandi Sopore, G M Shah Namberdar Ladoora, Bashir Ahmad of Doabgah. People from the areas of Nowpora, Reban, Achabal, Mazbugh, Doabgah, Wadoora, Saidpora, Ladoora, Paraypora, Lorihama and Chijhama Rafiabad including some prominent citizens also attended the Darbar.
The interaction focused on various issues including combating the drug menace and gambling. The adverse effects of other social evils were also highlighted among the participants that require immediate corrective measures. The participants reiterated that collective steps need to be taken to keep a check on the social evils.
The participants also highlighted several day-to-day issues like worst Traffic regulation system of town Sopore, mechanization of Achabal road, inadequate water/electricity facility of fruit Mandi, illegal encroachment by raidawal’s, chapdiwala’s in main town from Iqbal market to main chowk.
While speaking on the occasion, DIG of Police NKR Baramulla assured that Police would take-up the matter with concerned quarters so that genuine grievances of common people are addressed in shortest possible time.

Excelsior Correspondent
KATRA, June 20: Three-day 57th Council Meet of National Association of Students of Architecture (NASA) began today at School of Architecture & Landscape Design in Shri Mata Vaishno Devi University, Katra.
The meet is being attended by more than 200 representatives of various Architecture colleges across India. The main focus of the meet is the proceedings of 57th year of NASA India primarily the venue and dates of Annual NASA Convention ‘2015, which is likely to be attended by more than 5000 Architecture students of India and SAARC countries.
Vice-Chancellor, SMVDU Prof S K Jain inaugurated the event and emphasized upon the regular extension of creativity skills of budding Architects. These budding Architects can shape the Indian cities in an unprecedented manner as some of the leading towns of the world, he said.
Inaugural function included the launch of NASA India’s official website by NASA president Waqar Abid and vice-president Uppal Suneja in the presence of secretary Dileep Reddy, advisor Vivek Venkateshappa and treasurer Murari Kumar Raja.
Further, NASA official newsletter ‘Thoughts/ Papers/ Scissors June 2014- Transformation Phase’ was released by the Vice-Chancellor, SMVDU.
NASA India proposed to incorporate Architectural case-studies in their official website as a database for Architecture students.
Event was attended by faculty/ staff members of SMVDU and students belonging to host University as well as student delegates.
The three-day event shall comprise of different board meetings in order to take up important decisions pertaining to working of NASA India. Already NASA has proposed Archi design award for best undergraduate thesis and best student category from across the country.

Excelsior Correspondent

JAMMU, June 20: Rashtriya Rifles Battalion under Romeo Force organised a medical camp at Chitti Bakri, today.
The camp was organised to extend better medical and health care service to the peoples hailing from remote and far flung areas.
The medical camp was inaugurated by Mohd Ismail, Sarpanch of Panchayat Namblan. During the camp, the civil paramedics along with a team of Army doctors examined around 500 patients and provided free medicines to the needy patients.
The locals were also briefed about water borne diseases and importance of personal hygiene.

Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, June 20: Jammu University Teachers Association (JUTA) as well as SKUAST -Jammu Teaching Association have expressed their disappointment over Government decision of enhancing the retirement age of university employees by only 62 years instead of 65 years thus not following the UGC guidelines in this regard.
A meeting of the JUTA office bearers was held under the chairmanship of president Prof Dalip Singh Jamwal, who said that the retirement age of teachers in the Universities of the State should have been enhanced to 65 years with the provision of extension upto the age of 70 years keeping in view the UGC norms.
The JUTA pointed out that so far the teachers have accepted all the UGC requirements that have been imposed on them including the qualifications laid down for the various posts and therefore the service conditions that the UGC recommends for the teachers should also have been implemented in toto.
While the State Government has aligned the age of retirement of the State employees with that of the Central Government employees, it should have also taken the same action with regard to teachers of the Universities of the State and bring their service conditions including the age of retirement with that of Central Universities, the JUTA explained.
The meeting was attended by Dr Vishav Raksha, Dr Virender Koundal and Dr Vivek Sharma.
Teaching Association of Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Jammu has also stressed that there should be no disparity in the retirement age of the faculty of Central Universities and State Universities.
The State Government enhanced the retirement age of State employees from 58 to 60 years for aligning their service conditions with those of Central employees and similar action should have been taken with regard to teachers with Universities in the State for brining their service conditions, including age of retirement, at par with those of employees with Central Universities, said SKUAST-TAJ president Vikas Sharma, while chairing a meeting of the members.
He pointed out that G B Pant University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology, Pantnagar, Uttarakhand and Assam Agricultural University, Jorhat, Assam have taken the lead in this regard and fixed the age of superannuation as 65.
The meeting was attended by Dr Devinder Sharma, Dr Rajeev Bharat, Dr Poonam Parihar, Dr Jai Kapoor, Dr Vinod Gupta, Dr Vijay Bharti and Dr Mahital Jamwal.