Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Jan 8: All India Backward Classes Union (AIBCU) has expressed its serious concern over the apathy of the State Government towards them by not implementing the Mandal Commission recommendations regarding the grant of 27 percent reservation to them.
The president of the Union Abdul Majid Malik said that the demand is hanging in balance for last 22 years due to rigid attitude of State Government.
Vice chairman of the organisation A A Najir condemned the treacherous policies of the coalition which has deprived the OBC of their due share in reservations. He said it is a pity that after seeking the vote from Aam Aadmi the rulers forget them later.
Vice president of the organization Ghulam Ahemd Kumar alleged that Article 370 giving special powers to the State is being misused by the Government.
Provincial president of the Union from Kashmir and Jammu regions respectively Ali Mohammed Najar and Sandokh Chand also criticized the functioning of the OBC Advisory and Development Board and accused its chairman of misleading the public by his statements.
Prof Kali Dass general secretary of the Union said that OBCs in the State are committed to take their struggle to logical conclusion and they will teach the political parties a lesson, who ditched them.

Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Jan 8: Kashmiri migrant relief holders and over-aged youth held a demonstration in front of Relief Commissioner’s Office here today in protest against the State Government’s apathy towards them.
Protestors with pla -cards and banners in their hands raising slogans against the Government accused it of hoodwinking the community as it has failed to do any thing on ground to mitigate the sufferings of displaced people in general and over-aged youth and relief holders in particular.
The protestors said it is a paradox that during the five years the Government led by Omar Abdullah did nothing in solid to ameliorate the lot of the displaced Pandits from Valley. Be it the enhancement of relief, implementation of employment package or grant of compensation to over-aged youth the Government did nothing in practical, they added.
They, while highlighting the problems of Jagti township inmates said since the migrants were shifted to Jagti their problems multiplied and Chief Minister instead of soliving their problems rubbed salt on their wounds.
They said if Chief Minister does not want to go by consensus and favours majority decision then who stopped his Government in mitigating the migrants problems during his five year tenure despite knowing fully that the community was the worst hit by terrorism.
Ravinder Koul who led the protest accused the Government of not being sincere towards the displaced people and ignoring the community. He said seeing that elections are round the corner the CM tried to hoodwink the community.
Sunil Fotedar another youth said that five years was a sufficient time for passage of Temples Bill which the Government ignored deliberately.
Others who addressed the demonstration included Shiban Ji Bhat, Rakesh Tickoo, Raja Kakroo, Satish Raina, Susheel Bali, Sunil Raina, Sanjay Jalali and Rakesh Koul.

Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Jan 8: The employees in Pollution Control Board (PCB) who are stagnated on the same posts for over 15 years and have not been given the next promotion by the Board have sought the personnel intervention of Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah.
These employees in an appeal to Chief Minister have urged him to intervene in the matter and provide justice to them. They said by keeping them stagnated at a single post for over 15 years has halted their prospectus in the life.
They said though different reminders were given to concerned authorities from time to time but nothing was done to settle their problems.
The employees have also demanded re-organization of the Pollution Control Board (PCB) to sort out their problems.
They said that there are little financial implications involved in the matter and the Government has no problems in according promotions to the employees.
These employees who are stagnated on the same posts since 2006 have not been promoted into next higher grade despite the face that eight new districts were created in the State.

Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Jan 8: To reach out the under priviledged children, Bhartiya Janata Party’s Jhuggi Jhopdi Cell today organized an impressive programme at Kalka Colony near Bahu Fort where the stationary items were children. The main aim of the programme was held under the leadership of State Convenor of Jhuggi Jhopdi Cell Bawa Sharma. State Incharge of BJP Cells Sat Sharma (CA) was the chief guest. Speaking on the occasion, Sat Sharma said that it is the education which transforms a person to live a better life and more importantly in a socially well being. He stated that education helps a person to draw the best out of his mind and spirit. It imparts us with all the power and necessities in making a noticeable mark in any of the field. The Senior BJP Leader focussed on imparting education to the under privileged kids who are being deprived of their basic rights. He also said that these are the kids who are the future and back bone of this country and if we try to mould their minds in a better way by creating awareness amongst them for education, their real potential could be generated.

Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Jan 8: A Power Development Department lineman was electrocuted while repairing a High Tension wire in Budgam district.
A police spokesman said Mohammad Din Bajar of Frestiwar was repairing a damaged HT wire at Balapora, Khan Sahib , and due to electric shock he received severe burn injuries.
Bajar has been referred to SMHS hospital Srinagar for treatment, the spokesman said.

Excelsior Correspondent
KISHTWAR, Jan 8: A general meeting of Lab Bearers Association was held here today, wherein the participants urged the Government to abrogate SRO 308 issued on October, 16, 2008, which they said was acting as a stumbling block in their promotion. Addressing the meeting, president of the Association, Sandeep Kumar, said, “The Department of Education has done injustice with the Lab Bearers by issuing SRO 308, under which all the posts of different categories have been clubbed into a single category”. “Before the said SRO, there were different categories of posts including Lab Bearers, which were being promoted as Lab Assistants and then Teachers while the peons were being promoted as Junior Assistants but the said SRO has blocked all the paths of our future development”, he added. The meeting urged the Chief Minister to take cognizance of the problem and issue necessary instructions to Education Department in this regard.

Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Jan 8: National Mazdoor Conference (NMC) has urged Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to immediately appoint chairman and other members of the 7th Pay Commission.
Addressing a meeting of NMC activists here, president of NMC Subash Shastri pointed out that an early notification for appointing chairman and other members of new 7th Pay Commission is need of the hour.
Pleading the cause of daily wagers, seasonal and causal labour working in various Government departments, Shastri appealed to the Chief Minister, Finance Minister and Chief Secretary to formulate a comprehensive policy for the regularization of all such workers.
He demanded early merger of 50 per cent DA into basic pay and pension, sanction of 20 per cent interim relief, release of 10 per cent DA due from July last, release of all pending dues of causal and seasonal labour working in PWD, Irrigation and Flood Control Departments, amendment in SRO 64, issuance of regularization order of  180 daily wagers working  in RDD, release of 3rd installment of 6th pay commission arrears, implement CP Fund deduction scheme, enhancement in the wages of working class to Rs 10,000 and increase in medial allowance to Rs 1,000 per month.

Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Jan 8: District Congress Committee (DCC) Jammu Urban, has demanded immediate conduct of elections for the Jammu Municipal Corporation (JMC).
In a meeting of the DCC members held here today under the chairmanship of ex-MLA Om Chopra at the PCC headquarters here, the members in a resolution passed demanded conduct of JMC elections at the earliest. They said that it was necessary to control rampant corruption and address the burning issues of the public of Jammu city. Senior DCC members S R Sudhir, D S Langeh, Inder Sehgal, V K Sethi, Kirtan Singh, Chanchal Popli, Pawan Sharma and others attended the meeting.