Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Jan 20: The Jammu and Kashmir Multipurpose Workers’ Union of Rural Development Department (RDD), discussed the pending issues of the workers.
In a meeting of the Union held here under the leadership of Abdul Hamid Dar, chief patron, the members projected various issues. Nazir Ahmed Wani (president) raised the issue of removal of pay anomalies, implementation of SRO 178 in letter and spirit, promotion of MPWs etc. He demanded that all the workers who have been working from 1989 to 1997 in the department, be regularized.
Later, the delegation met the Minister for RDD Ali Mohd Sagar and took up these issues with him. The Minister gave patient hearing and assured positive step in this regard. A working committee of Jammu province of the union, led by Parveen Koshal was also framed.
Multipurpose workers list demands
Top Railways Police officials review security of track
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Jan 20: IGP Railways MS Salaria along with senior officers of Railways Police today reviewed security situation along the railway track in border districts of Samba and Kathua districts.
Mr Salaria accompanied by DIG Railways Nissar Ahmad, SSP Railways Jammu Shiv Kumar Sharma and other senior officers of the Railways Department took an extensive tour of the railway tracks in parts of Samba and Kathua district and reviewed security preparedness of Railways Police.
The IGP Railways briefed the senior officers about more security measures required to be taken along the railway track especially on the eve of Republic Day.
Senior Railways officers including Mr Sharma briefed the IGP about deployment and other security arrangements along the railway track mainly the track falling in the border districts.
Mr Sharma said the Railways Police was on high alert during Republic Day as well as the days ahead as 2014 was election year with both Lok Sabha and Assembly elections scheduled this year.
He added that Railways Police have made all security arrangements along the track as well as Railway Stations.
Burn victim succumbs to injuries
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Jan 20: A burn victim succumbed to his injuries at Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) here today
As per reports, Govind Singh, son of Thakur Dass of Basholi, his wife Rekha Devi and three month old daughter Lilly received serious burn injuries at their residence on January 15.
All were rushed to nearby hospital from where they were shifted to Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), where Govind Singh failed to respond to the treatment and succumbed to his burn injuries today.
The body has been handed over to family members for last rites after completing legal formalities.
Police has taken the cognizance.
Clerical employees demand removal of pay anomalies
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Jan 20: All Departments Clerical Staff Association has condemned the Government for deliberately betraying the clerical cadre by backtracking from its commitment made to the clerical employees time and again, to fulfill their pending demands including removal of pay anomalies, and described the Pay Anomalies Committee made by the Government as an eyewash.
A meeting of the Association, held here today under the chairmanship of its State president, Babu Hussain Malik, expressed resentment over the negligent attitude of the Government towards clerical employees, saying even after a lapse of long time, the Government has done nothing to redress their problems.
The meeting which was attended by representatives of clerical staff of various departments, regretted that though the responsibilities of the clerical employees are higher than other employees and basic qualification for direct recruitment to the post of Junior Assistant is higher (graduation with certificate course in computer application) than other posts like teachers, patwaries and medical assistants whose pay scale was upgraded from existing 3050-4910 to 4000-6000, yet the grade of Junior Assistant is still at 3050-4910.
Reiterating their other demands like grade of 4000-6000 for Junior Assistant and 4500-7000 for Senior Assistant, release of pending 10% DA with effect from July 2013, increase of medical allowance from Rs 300 to Rs 1000 enhancement of retirement age from 58 to 60 years and formulation of regularization policy for adhoc, daily rated and casual labourers, the meeting appealed the Chief Minister to intervene personally to fulfill their long pending demands.
Protest against PDD
Excelsior Correspondent
RAJOURI, Jan 20: The BJP activists held protest demonstration and took out rally in the town against the PDD authorities here today.
A large number of BJP and BJYM activists led by senior leader Yogesh Sharma assembled near Bus Stand here and then started protest demonstration. They were raising slogans against the PDD authorities for worst condition of electricity supply in the area. After passing through main market, the BJP workers reached tehsil complex and held strong protest.
They also burnt the effigy of MoS Power Vikar Rasool and raised slogans against Chief Minister, MoS Power, Chief Engineer and the Executive Engineer M&RE Rajouri. They warned the authorities to improve power supply position or keep ready for public’s direct action.
Another protest against the PDD authorities was held at Gursai where people from Harni, Kasyot and Harmutta area assembled and shouted slogans against the Electric Department. They alleged that out of 24, the power is made available hardly for 4-5 hours while most of time it remains suspended. The people were facing lot of problems. They warned the authorities to improve supply position.
NC terms BJP a political chameleon, assails PDP for opportunistic politics
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Jan 20: Terming Bharatiya Janata Party as political chameleon, Senior National Conference leaders Ali Mohammed Sagar and Devender Singh Rana on Monday described the recent statement of its President Rajnath Singh on Article 370 as realisation of the fact that this constitutional provision, granting Jammu and Kashmir a special status, cannot be reversed.
“The fascist party that has been parroting abrogation of Article 370 for the past over six and half decades has lost its credibility for being parochial, communal and divisive”, Minister for Rural Development Ali Mohammed Sagar said while addressing people who had thronged from different parts of the State, especially the Jammu region, to list their problems during the public hearing at Sher-e-Kashmir Bhavan this morning.
Referring to the machinations of various political forces to erode the special position of the State, Minister for Rural Development said they failed as National Conference stood like a rock to safeguard the interests of the people. “They always considered Sher-e-Kashmir’s great movement as a stumbling block in their nefarious designs and continued to work against it under different guises”, he said while giving a vivid account of how miserably the then Janata Party failed to weaken the resolve of people, who stood by the side of the towering leader Sheikh Mohammed Abdullah. He said these elements are still active, though in different manifestations, and working towards achieving their evil designs. The biggest worry to these dejected and rejected politicians is the strong base of National Conference that has never shown any cracks’, he maintained.
Mr Sagar made a dig at the recent protests lodged by People’s Democratic Party and said they created a hilarious situation for themselves by mustering couple of people and levelling the allegations on account of certain utility services which failed to cut ice.
Speaking on the occasion, Provincial President Mr Rana assailed BJP and PDP for anti-people activities, saying they have no agenda except maligning National Conference and its leadership by indulging in deceit and falsehood.
Mr Rana took BJP head on for its changing stance on Article 370, saying once its top brass realised that their rhetoric will take them nowhere, they took a u-turn. “Call it an embarrassment or realisations of the facts, the BJP has understood that it cannot exploit the people on this sensitive issue anymore,” he added.
“For over 65 years they were hoodwinking public opinion on this important provisio and dubbing its votaries as anti-nationals”, he said, asking what was the explanation of BJP leadership after the changed stance of its party president. He said National Conference has been all along opposing any move to weaken this provision, notwithstanding the mischievous propaganda unleashed by the BJP and other likeminded organisatons.
He cautioned BJP against vitiating the atmosphere by hoodwinking public opinion and said they have failed in the past and will meet the same destiny in future as well. “Communal politics has no place in a state that has been abode of the people belonging to different faiths, who have been living in harmony”, he said, adding that irrational and divisive forces have always got a befitting reply in all the three regions.
Referring to the calculations and assumptions being drawn by various political parties in the ensuing elections, Mr Rana said they will fail on the face of strong wave in favour of National Conference. He said the policies and programmes, together with the record card of Chief Minister Omar Abdullah during the past five years, is real strength for the party to go to the people for seeking a decisive mandate to fullfill their aspirations in future as well. “Next term is going to be the years of consolidation and initiation of innovative measures to further uplift the living conditions of the people’, he said.
Dental Check-up Camp at Vishwa Bharti School
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Jan 20: Dental Check-up Camp was organized at Vishwa Bharti Higher Secondary School, Akalpur, Muthi, here today.
A team of doctors from Govt Indira Gandhi Dental Hospital, Amphalla, Jammu visited the school and checked-up the teeth of around 650 students. The specialized doctors included Dr Sangeeta Bhagat, Dr Salma Parveen, Dr Paramjit Singh and Dr Rakesh Raina.
Speaking on the occasion, the doctors threw light on preventive measures for preservation of teeth even in old age, besides delivering health talks on dental caries, periodontitas, gingivitis and effect of nutrition on oral health.
Principal of the school, Prof Annapurna Kaul presented vote of thanks and advised the students to act upon the advice of experts for the prolonged safety of their teeth.
Satish tours LoC villages
Excelsior Correspondent
KHOUR, Jan 20: Satish Sharma, president LYC Jammu Poonch constituency, conducted an extensive tour of border villages on LoC and held a series of meetings with the locals.
He toured Battal, Dhakkar, Jogwan, Seri, Bardoh, Khui Millian in Chamb constituency and asked the people, particularly youth to take full benefit of the developmental schemes launched by UPA Government for Jammu & Kashmir. Youth is the real strength of India and nursery of Congress party, which will make the role of youth more vibrant in order to nurture them for taking the future challenges of the country, he added.
He demanded adequate facilities for education, sports and other activities of the children residing on LoC.
Satish also visited ancient temples of Baba Machindri Nath and Katav Mandir at Seri Battal and asked the Tourism Department to explore and bring it on tourism map, which will help a lot in eradicating the unemployment problem in the region.
Those who accompanied Satish included Manjit Singh, Anil Panch, Wasim, Gurpreet, Yash, Dutt, Vishal, Sanjeev, Subash, Souram, Parveen and others.
Minor among 4 injured in road mishaps
Excelsior Correspondent
Srinagar, Jan 20: Four persons, including a minor, were injured in two separate road accidents across the Valley.
A police spokesman said Muzamil Ahmad Dar, aged 10, son of Ghulam Mohi-ud-Din Dar of Zanigam, Beerwah, was injured near Pathzanigam when a Maruti car, JK04C/2800, hit him. He was shifted to SMHS, Srinagar for treatment.
Three persons were injured when an unknown truck hit a Maruti car, JK01C/8795, at Galibabad, Shalteng. All the injured were shifted to JVC Hospital, Bemina for treatment.
The spokesman said police has registered cases in these accidents.
EC seeks report on pollution levels at cement units
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Jan 20: The Committee on Environment of Legislative Assembly today directed the Industries and Commerce Department to depute a team of officers to Kathua district to inspect the level of pollution at the cement units operating in the area.
It also asked the Government to furnish the report to the Assembly Secretariat by January 31 for scrutiny of the Committee members.
The Committee, which met under the chairmanship of MLA M.Y. Tarigami here today, reviewed the measures taken by the department for protection of environment and minimising the pollution levels at the industrial estates of Samba and Kathua districts.
The Committee members A. R. Veeri, Mohammad Yasin Shah, Mohammad Khalil Band, Javid Mustafa Mir, Durga Dass and Prof. Gharu Ram Bhagat gave their valuable suggestions for preservation of environment around the industrial estates in the twin districts.
The panel observed that the industrialisation was imperative for over all development of the State, but the industrialists should ensure that there will be no adverse effect on environment and the population living around the industrial estates. The Committee opined that there was a need to evolve an effective mechanism to monitor and minimise the hazardous effects of industrial pollution. It asked the enforcement agencies to ensure that all industrial units are fitted with the pollution control devices and treatment of industrial waste system.
The Committee stressed on close coordination between Pollution Control Board, Industries Department and district administration to enforce the pollution control norms at all industrial units.
About pesticide units in Samba district, the Deputy Commissioner, Samba informed the meeting that out of 17 pesticides units, 13 are presently functional in the district. He also informed that anti-pollution control devices have been installed at these units and a team of officers has been constituted to keep a close vigil. He informed that the devices installed in all these units are functional.
Detailed discussion was also held on the directions issued by the Committee to the executing agency for the widening of Jammu-Srinagar National Highway including the construction of Chenani-Nashri tunnel.
The Committee stressed on immediate implementation of directions and suggestions in this regard.
The Chairman of the Committee directed the Labour Commissioner and other concerned to implement the Committee’s directions in letter and spirit and any lapses in this regard will be dealt seriously by taking action under law.
Among others, Chairman Pollution Control Board Vinod Ranjan, Secretary Assembly M. Ramzan, Labour Commissioner Nirmal Sharma, Secretary Industry and Commerce M. A Fakhto, Secretary Housing and Urban Development Satish Nehru, Chief Wildlife Warden, A. K. Singh, Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forest and Director Environment and Remote Sensing Suresh Chug, Director Industries Jammu Gulzar Ahmad Qureshi, Deputy Commissioner Samba R. K. Verma, MD SIDCO and other officers of Industries and Commerce Department, PCB, Environment, Wildlife, Revenue and Assembly Secretariat attended the meeting.