HC directs eviction of land grabbers from Gulmarg

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February 8, 2014

Excelsior Correspondent

Srinagar, Feb 7: The Jammu and Kashmir High Court today directed eviction of the land grabbers of the State land at famous Ski resort of Gulmarg.
A division bench of the Jammu and Kashmir High Court comprising Justice Hasnain Masoodi and Justice Ali Mohammad Magray today directed the Gulmarg Development Authority to evict the land grabbers and demarcate the land by June 2014.
“It appears that the State Government has allotted lease in favour of 84 persons/commercial establishments at Gulmarg”, observed the bench and directed: “Out of 84 leases, a good number of leases are in possession of land more than what has been initially been allotted in their favour and therefore, are to be evicted from the excess land in their possession.”
The court directed the Divisional Commissioner Kashmir to attach a Tehsildar, a Girdawar and a Patwari to GDA for a period of six months so as to evict the land grabbers. The directions were issued after the Estates Officer of the JDA said that he is not acting against the land grabbers for the lack revenue staff.
In his status report, the Estates Officer Gulmarg told Court that Deputy Commissioner Baramulla had given him details of 31 leases who have grabbed land more than allotted to them by Government on lease. “I have issued notices to the 31 land grabbers but matter has not been pursued further for the lack of Revenue staff”, the Estates officer said in his status report.
The High Court pulled up the Deputy Commissioner Baramulla for not providing the list of the other land grabbers at Gulmarg. The court observed that the particulars of all the land grabbers should have been provided to Estates officer in one go.
The bench directed the Government to present the Master Plan of Gulmarg before the Competent Authority within four weeks.
The High Court has also directed the Pollution Control Board to see whether the STPs have been installed by the hoteliers, are they operational and what is their capacity and on what land they have been installed.

Shut-down in main market of Katra for 2nd consecutive day

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Daily Excelsior

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February 8, 2014

A deserted view of main market in Katra.

Excelsior Correspondent

JAMMU, Feb 7: A complete shut-down was observed in the main market of the holy town of Katra for the second consecutive day today in protest against sealing of illegally constructed commercial and residential structures.
Reports said that the main market of the town remained closed from 10 am to 6 pm today in protest against the sealing exercise started by the district administration yesterday as per the directions of the State High Court. However, all the hotels, lodges and guest houses and business establishments in other parts of the town carried out business as usual.
Though the administration had decided to continue the sealing exercise even today but the same was deferred till tomorrow in view of deployment of security personnel for the visit of Vice-President of India.
The businessmen of the main market have called a meeting in the Raghunath Temple tomorrow at 3 pm to chalk out future course of action. They have also invited the representatives of the Hotels and Lodges Association in order to seek their views on the sealing exercise and urge them to extend support for collectively raising voice against the sealing exercise.
The businessmen of the Katra town are of the opinion that High Court has not taken serious note of similar violations in other parts of the State particularly Jammu where several residential areas have turned commercial right under the nose of the concerned authorities, reports said.
“What is the justification of adopting different yardstick for the violations of the municipal laws and Master Plan”? asked some of the Katra businessmen, adding “the High Court directions vis-à-vis sealing of illegally constructed structures should have been for all the violators across the State”.
They also raised question about choosing only Katra town for the action and leaving violators of other parts of the State.
According to the sources, administration will resume sealing operation either tomorrow or day after tomorrow in order to implement the directions of the High Court, which have also been upheld by the Supreme Court.

Malhotra chairs LC Business Advisory Committee meet

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February 8, 2014

LC Chairman Amrit Malhotra chairing Business Advisory Committee meeting at Jammu on Friday.

Excelsior Correspondent

JAMMU, Feb 7: The meeting of Business Advisory Committee of Legislative Council was held here today under the chairmanship of LC Chairman, Amrit Malhotra.
Threadbare discussion was held on the schedule of the house Business as listed in the provisional calendar already issued by the Council Secretariat, besides smooth functioning and conduct of the House proceedings.
The meeting was attended by the Minister for Planning, Labour and Employment, Ajay Sadhotra, MLCs, Bashir Ahmed Magray, Khalid Najeeb Suharwordy, Vijay Bakaya, Ravinder Kumar Sharma and Nayeem Akhtar Andrabi.
It was decided in the meeting that the General Discussion on Budget would be held for two days on Feb 17 and Feb 18 while the reply by the Government would be on Feb 19, instead of Feb 18. Similarly, the meeting also decided to reschedule the Government Business by continuing the discussion on the working of Ministries for two days on Feb 25 and Feb 26 instead of one day as listed in the provisional calendar.
Secretary, Legislative Council, Mohammad Ashraf Mir, Additional Secretary, Legislative Council, Mohammad Maqbool Bhat besides senior officers and officials attended the meeting.

NH re-opens, closed

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Daily Excelsior

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February 8, 2014

Excelsior Correspondent
Srinagar, Feb 7: The Jammu Srinagar National Highway was re-opened for traffic this afternoon after fresh snowfall last night but was closed again in the evening due to heavy snowfall.
The Inspector General of Police Traffic, Muneer Ahmad Khan, told Excelsior that around 2 feet snow had accumulated on the National Highway last night. He said that the Border Roads Organization cleared the snow from the highway in the morning and first the stranded vehicles were cleared.
“Over 100 Srinagar bound vehicles that were stranded between Ramsu and Banihal were cleared first and then the traffic from Srinagar was allowed to ply on the National Highway from Srinagar to Jammu”, said Khan.
The IGP said that some 200 vehicles including trucks and passenger vehicles crossed Banihal Tunnel and are on way to Jammu. “The traffic will ply from Jammu to Srinagar tomorrow if weather permits”, he added.
Last night Kashmir valley received fresh snowfall. Srinagar and plains of Kashmir valley recorded around 4-8 inches of snowfall while in the hills received heavy snowfall.
The Director Meteorological Department, Srinagar, Sonum Lotus said here that after around a week long freak weather, there would be no rains and snow from February 8. He said that dry weather is expected after this weekend.

India reacts cautiously to Pak invite

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Daily Excelsior

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February 8, 2014

NEW DELHI, Feb 7:

India today reacted with caution to Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s invitation to engage in a comprehensive and sustained dialogue, saying it will depend on circumstances which have to be considered “thoughtfully”.
“They must have sent an invite which will go to the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister will apply his mind. It will all depend on the circumstances which have to be considered thoughtfully,” External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid told reporters here on the sidelines of a function here.
Sharif had on Wednesday invited India to engage in a “comprehensive, sustained and result-oriented” dialogue with Pakistan to resolve the Kashmir issue.
“I invite India for a comprehensive, sustained and result-oriented” dialogue for the resolution of the Kashmir issue, Sharif had said while addressing a joint session of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir’s Assembly.
Noting that circumstances had led India to suspend dialogue with Pakistan, Khurshid said, “Circumstances must be befitting to be revived”.
Though relations have improved “undoubtedly”, there is still a lot of work to be done, he said.
“I believe my colleague Anand Sharma is going to Pakistan on trade talks. Let me see what happens,” Khurshid said. (PTI)

SC stays HC order on food adulteration

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Daily Excelsior

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February 8, 2014

Excelsior Correspondent
Srinagar, Feb 7: The Supreme Court has stayed the Jammu and Kashmir High Court order in which three companies whose products were found adulterated were fined Rs 30 crore but it has maintained ban on the sale of adulterated products.
While passing a judgment on case titled Khyber Agro Farms Private Limited versus State of J&K, the Supreme Court stayed the Jammu and Kashmir High Court order. The apex court order reads: “There shall be stay of operation of the impugned judgment and order dated January 30, 2014 passed by Jammu and Kashmir High Court in PIL no 01/2012. However, it is made clear that the petitioners are not permitted to sell their products which are subject matter of dispute, pending further court orders.”
In the January 30 Court order, the HC had directed the three companies, Khyber Agro Farms, AVON Agro Industries Pvt Ltd Delhi and M/s Kanwal Agro Food Industries Anantnag , to comply the court order dated December 23, 2013 under which they have to deposit Rs 30 crore with Director SKIMS, Srinagar as penalty for damaging health of people.

Centre to develop J&K Buddhist circuit

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Daily Excelsior

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February 8, 2014

NEW DELHI, Feb 7:
The Central Government is planning to develop Buddhist religious sites in the country for religious tourism, the Lok Sabha was informed today.
In a related report laid on the table of the House, Minister of State for Tourism (Independent Charge) K Chiranjeevi said the Ministry of Tourism (MoT) has already identified areas to be developed as Buddhist circuits in the country with the help of Central/State Governments and private stake holders.
These areas would be developed in three different Buddhist circuits – The Dhamayatra or the Sacred circuit, Extended Dharamyatra or extended sacred circuit or retracing Buddha’s footsteps and Buddhist Heritage Trails.
The first one will be a five-seven day circuit and will include visits to Gaya (Bodhgaya), Varanasi (Sarnath), Khusinagar, Piparva (Kapilvastu) with a day trip to Lumbini in Nepal, the report said.
The second one will a 10-15 days circuit and will include visit to Bodhgaya (Nalanda, Rajgir, Barabar caves, Pragbodhi Hill, Gaya), Patna (Vaishali, Lauriya Nandangarh, Lauriya Areraj and other areas. The third circuit will include areas like Ladakh, Srinagar and Jammu, Dharamshala and Sanghon, it added.
Mr Chiranjeevi said while identifying the designated circuits, efforts were being made to plug infrastructure gaps by rail, road linkage and provide better amenities to tourists. (UNI)

BJP, PDP, NPP workers protest against Shabir Khan

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Daily Excelsior

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February 8, 2014

Protest against Shabir Khan in Jammu on Friday. —Excelsior/Rakesh

Excelsior Correspondent

JAMMU/ SRINAGAR, Feb 7: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and J&K National Panthers Party today held protest demonstration against the Minister In-charge Health, Shabir Ahmed Khan from Congress Party for his alleged attempt to outage the modesty of a lady doctor in Kashmir.
A large number of BJP and BJYM activists assembled at Talab Tillo here today and held strong demonstration during the day, demanding removal of Minister and his arrest. Mandal president Ayodhya Gupta was leading the protest. They termed the incident as an act of moral degradation in the ruling coalition and said that members of the fair sex can not work under such circumstances. They demanded that MoS Health be dismissed and arrested. This incident has infused great anger among the public against ruling Government.
In Rajouri town also the activists of BJP and BJYM held protest demonstration in Tehsil Office complex and raised slogans against Shabir Khan. State vice president of the Party Vivod Gupta while addressing workers demanded immediate arrest of Congress MLA and former Health Minister for his bid to outrage the modesty of a lady doctor (BMO). He demanded that the MLA be treated as common man and punished for the crime to restore confidence of the people. He also demanded action against the police officials who refused to register an FIR. He alleged that during NC-Congress rule the women are not feeling safe and the Omar led Government has lost the morality to remain in power.
PDP activists also held strong protest demonstration against Congress Minister Shabir Khan near Press Club here today and demanded his removal and immediate arrest. The party activists including members of Youth wing, led by Vikram Singh, Sachin Sharma, Girish Sharma and others staged protest against Congress Minister and demanded his dismissal. They alleged that the Minister was allegedly involved in an attempt to outrage the modesty of a lady doctor in Kashmir and he had lost his credibility and morality to head the department. They demanded his arrest without any delay and action against police officers shielding the accused Minister. They also demanded judicial inquiry into the matter.
Meanwhile, NPP workers also held protest demonstration against the Congress legislator from Rajouri and MoS Health Shabir Khan for his alleged involvement in an attempt to tarnish the modesty of a lady doctor in his office at Srinagar Secretariat. Vice president of the party S Daljit Singh was leading the protest. They also burnt the effigy of Congress Minister and demanded his immediate arrest. Pushvinder Singh Manhas and some other Youth wing leaders also addressed.
Similar protests were reported from various parts of Kashmir valley and other parts of Jammu region against Congress Minister seeking action under law against him.
Reports from Srinagar said that Medicos in Kashmir decided to suspend work in the hospitals today to protest against the ” criminal act” of Minster of State for Health, Shabir Ahmad Khan.
Doctors Association Kashmir (DAK) has sought an enquiry by a Judicial Commission into this disgraceful act.
“We are in a state of shock because of this act. People have lost faith and trust in sacred institutions,” said president DAK Dr Nisar- ul- Hassan.
Dr Nisar said the resignation by Health Minister is an eye wash as earlier such incidents have shown that Government has given plump postings to officials involved in sex scandals and rape on innocent women.
Medical Employees Joint Action Forum president Dr Asif Ahmad too demanded strict punishment for the accused Minister.
On suspension of work, he said they will think on striking work only after Chief Minister Omar Abdullah speaks on the issue.
Communist Party of India (Marxist) State General Secretary Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami said the accused Minister should be arrested and dropped from the ministry.
“It is a shameful act that a Minister who heads the Health Department has tried to molest a lady doctor. The incident should be investigated and accused dealt as per law,” Tarigami maintained.
Independent Legislator from Lanagte, Kupwara, Engineer Rashid sought independent probe into the allegations.
“The probe should not be handed over to the Police because it has been seen that all the police officials are being pressurized,” said Rashid.
He said the accused Minister’s place is in jail, not in the ministry.
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) workers held a protest against the minister and burned down his effigies. They demanded strict punishment against him.
Meanwhile, BJYM Leh unit has also condemned the incident and demanded strict action against Shabir Khan.

All members to get equal opportunity to raise public issues: Speaker

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Daily Excelsior

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February 8, 2014

Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Feb 7: The Speaker Legislative Assembly Mubarak Gul today said that all legislators would be provided equal opportunity to raise public importance issues during the upcoming Budget Session.
The Speaker was interacting with the Legislators of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), who had called on him to discuss certain issues ahead of the Budget Session.
The visiting legislators assured the Speaker of their full cooperation in smooth conduct of the proceedings of the House.
The legislators including Ashok Khajuria, Jugal Kishore, Ch. Shayam Lal, Bharat Bhushan, Prof. Gharu Ram Bhagat, Durga Dass, Lal Chand, Baldev Raj, Sukhnandan attended the meeting and gave their valuable suggestions with regard to the conduct of House business.
Addressing the meeting, the Speaker said that it will be his top priority to provide equal time to the legislators of all the parties to raise the public issues of the state in general and that of their respective constituencies in particular.
Referring to the importance of the Question Hour, Mr. Gul said that the Government has already been directed to depute an officer from each essential department to attend officers’ gallery to record the issues raised by the MLAs for subsequent action.
He said that the Government has also been asked for immediate furnishing of the action taken reports to the Assembly Secretariat on the issues raised during the session. He said this step has been taken to ensure quick response of supplementary questions raised by the legislators on ground.
Secretary Assembly M. Ramzan also attended the meeting.
Meanwhile, Secretary CPI (M) and Member Legislative Assembly Kulgam M. Y. Tarigami, who is also Chairman of Committee on Environment of Legislative Assembly today called on the Speaker Legislative Assembly discussed matters related to the upcoming Budget Session.
Threadbare discussion was held on the report of the Committee on the Environment. The Speaker asked the Chairman of the Committee to complete the exercise and submit the Committee report in upcoming session.
The Speaker also sought the cooperation of the CPI (M) leader in the smooth conduct of the proceedings of the House.
Tarigami assured the Speaker of his full cooperation in making the business of the House result oriented.

BJP to put Govt on mat during Budget Session: Jugal

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Daily Excelsior

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February 8, 2014

BJP MLAs talking to reporters at Jammu on Friday. —Excelsior/Rakesh

Excelsior Correspondent

JAMMU, Feb 7: After the re-entry of five expelled MLAs into the Party last month, all the nine BJP MLAs have re-elected Ashok Khajuria, MLA Jammu East as the leader of its Legislature Party and they also conveyed about the decision to State Assembly Speaker, Mubarak Gul.
This was disclosed at a joint press conference by the Party MLAs
Jugal Kishore Sharma, Ashok Khajuria, Sukhnandan Kumar, Sham Choudhary, Baldev Raj, Bharat Bhushan, Durga Dass, Prof. Gharu Ram and Master Lal Chand here, today.
They said Mr Khajuria was unanimously elected as Legislature Party Leader and after his election they called on Speaker of the Legislative Assembly to formally convey their decision and appealed him to recognize Mr Khajuria as BJP’s Legislative Party leader.
Ashok Khajuria, alleged that the resolutions presented by his Party to be tabled in the Legislative Assembly concerning the people’s welfare and development of Jammu region have been deliberately disallowed revealing the biased and anti-Jammu and anti-People, mindset of the coalition.
He said that his resolution on creating five new districts of Akhnoor, R.S. Pura, Nowshera, Basohli and Hiranagar was admitted while those seeking abrogation of Article 370, constituting a new Commission headed by sitting judge of Supreme Court to probe Kishtwar communal violence and reducing the term of State Assembly from six years to five years were disallowed.
Terming it unfortunate, he said that disallowing of the resolutions of the Party MLAs will not deviate them from raising the issues of the people of Jammu and Ladakh on the floor of the Assembly.
Rueing the step-motherly treatment towards the Jammu in all respects, he said the issue of compensation on account of losses caused due to the last year’s inclement weather was not released while for Valley funds are earmarked in advance for any future calamity.
He also said that his resolution seeking extension of railway line from Jammu to Rajouri and Poonch districts via Akhnoor, Sunderbani-Nowshera and implementing the agreement regarding the compensation to traders and transporters besides withdrawing cases with regard to 2008 land row agitation were admitted and those seeking abolition of Custodian Department and grant of citizenship rights to West Pakistan refugees were disallowed. He added that they will not remain silent on the non-admittance of the resolutions which have vital public bearing.
Reasi MLA Baldev Raj Sharma said that PA to Education Minister has usurped the powers and privileges of the concerned Minister and is ruling roost in the department in respect of transfers, attachments and postings. The Education Department has become a den of corruption, favouritism and scams due to the full connivance and approval of the concerned Minister, he added.