SRINAGAR: Security forces averted a major tragedy when they detected and defused an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) planted by militants on main road in north Kashmir district of Baramulla today, official sources said here.

They said a Road Opening Party (ROP) detected an IED planted on the roadside at Janbazpora on Srinagar- Uri road to target security force convoy.

Traffic on the road was suspended and Bomb Disposal Squad (BDS) summoned.

Later the IED was defused without causing any damage, they said.

(AGENCIES)

JAMMU :  Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar  Abdullah today said his government has equipped people  with effective legislations to identify corrupt elements  and seek their punishment through independent institutions established in the state by his government in the  last five years.

“To curb the corruption has remained our first target and  we brought historic initiatives to empower people to be  important players in achieving this goal,”  Mr Abdullah  said while addressing a public gathering at Vijaypur in  Samba district.

He mentioned the legislations about Public Services  Guarantee Act, Right to Information Act, Re-constitution  of Accountability Commission and establishment of Vigilance Commission giving powers to people to utilize these  institutions to book the corrupt elements and seek their  severe punishment.

“These institutions were established to make government functioning transparent, give good governance and ensure time bound service delivery in basic amenities providing sectors,” said the Chief Minister adding that his aim is to bring the functioning and the functionaries of government under full “public scan, as such, he equipped the people with the  important laws and authorized them to ask questions to  every government department about its performance, financial transactions, allotment of tenders, besides demanding  services in a fixed time frame.

“Some eighty basic services from thirteen departments  have been brought under the ambit of Public Services Guarantee  Act to be delivered to consumer in a fixed time frame,” he  added.

Services like issuance of ration card, driving license,  state subject, revenue papers, SC, ST, OBC certificates, water  and electricity connections and FIR copyare covered under this  Act for delivery in a fixed time frame, he said.     Mr Abdullah said entire government machinery and the  public representatives from Chief Minister to Legislators  have been brought under the ambit of Accountability  Commission and Vigilance Commission where under their  conduct and performance could be questioned by common  citizens.

(AGENCIES)

SRINAGAR : Security forces today averted a major tragedy as they detected an improvised explosive device (IED) planted by militants by the roadside in Baramulla district of Kashmir, police said.
A foot patrol of security forces detected a tin canister containing an IED at Janbazpora in Baramulla district this morning, the police said.
A bomb disposal squad was called in which destroyed the IED without causing any damage, they added.
The IED was planted by militants by the roadside apparently to target the security forces vehicles passing through the area. (AGENCIES)

SRINAGAR : Srinagar-Jammu National Highway, the only all-weather road connecting Kashmir with rest of the country, was closed for traffic again after remaining open for a day.
The 294-km highway was closed last night following snowfall at many places along it.
“The highway was closed late yesterday following snowfall. It has been decided not to allow any fresh traffic today,” an official of the traffic department told reporters.
The stranded vehicles, which were stopped near the Jawahar Tunnel yesterday due to snowfall, will be allowed to ply towards Srinagar later in the day, he said.
The highway was opened for traffic yesterday morning after two days following its closure due to snowfall on Wednesday.
Most parts of the Valley experienced fresh snowfall during the night even as minimum temperatures at many places went further down the freezing point.
Srinagar recorded a low of minus 0.3 degree Celsius compared to the previous night’s low of minus 0.7 degree Celsius, a MeT Department official said.
The city received 0.6 mm of snowfall during the night, he said.
The mercury in Pahalgam hill resort in south Kashmir plummeted by over 7 degrees from the previous night’s low of minus 6.8 degree Celsius to settle at a low of minus 14.3 degree Celsius.
The tourist resort recorded 20.2 mm of snowfall, the official said.
The famous ski-resort of Gulmarg registered a low of minus 11.2 degree Celsius last night after recording a low of minus 10.8 degree Celsius the previous night.
Qazigund recorded a low of minus 3.0 degree Celsius and received snowfall of 8.4 mm during the night, the official said.
The mercury in Kupwara in north Kashmir settled at a low of minus 4.5 degree Celsius, down by almost four degrees as compared to the previous night’s minus 0.7 degree Celsius, he said.
The night temperature in south Kashmir’s Kokernag settled at a low of minus 4.0 degree Celsius, same as the previous night, he said, adding, the town recorded 11.1 mm of snow till 0830 hours in the morning.
Leh, in the frontier region of Ladakh, was the coldest recorded place in the state with a low of minus 15.6 degree Celsius compared to the previous night’s minus 17.2 degree Celsius.
Kargil, also in Ladakh, registered a minimum of minus 9.0 degree Celsius against minus 8.6 degree Celsius the previous night, the official said.
The MeT office has said rains or light snowfall could occur at isolated places over the state, but the weather would improve from tomorrow. (AGENCIES)

NEW DELHI : Chaos prevailed at the first ‘janta darbar’ organised by the AAP Government outside the Delhi Secretariat today, forcing Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to leave the venue mid-way as thousands gathered to register their grievances.
A huge crowd thronged the venue where the Chief Minister and his entire Cabinet sat to resolve the problems of the people.
Delhi Police and Sahastra Seema Bal (SSB) personnel had a tough time managing the crowd as barricades at some places were broken down by the people.
The swelling crowd at the meet forced Kejriwal to leave the meeting half way through.
“We had not even imagined that so many people will turn out today. It was becoming difficult to manage them…If I had not left the venue, there was a possibility of a stampede,” Kejriwal told reporters.
Police estimated that 50,000 people had gathered in front of the secretariat. The crowd mostly comprised contractual workers from various Government departments like DTC, power company BSES, different Government hospitals, municipal corporations, among others demanding permanent status.
Sunita Kapoor from Mandawali in east Delhi reached the secretariat at 6 AM for the meeting that was to start at 9:30 AM. She met Kejriwal and complained about unauthorised occupation of her flat.
“I have been assured by the Chief Minister that I will be helped in the matter,” she said.
The complainants, who me the Chief Minister or the Cabinet ministers, were issued a receipt about their complaints.
Officials of various Government departments as well as of DDA, municipal corporations and police were also present at the meeting.
The entire stretch of road that goes from ITO towards Rajghat was closed and barricades put up on the divider so that people can sit on one side of the road.
The Chief Minister had earlier announced that the entire cabinet will sit in front of the Delhi Secretariat on Saturdays to receive grievances from people and efforts will be made to solve them immediately. On weekdays, one minister will receive grievances from the public.
“Public grievance is another major issue. It is a major issue for any Government. It is the duty of every Government to resolve those grievances. Public grievance is just a symptom, the disease lies somewhere else,” said Kejriwal.
Grievances will be segregated into five categories depending upon their urgencies.
“The urgent cases related to school admission or admission to a hospital will be resolved on the spot. In the next category, ministers will mention the time frame to resolve the grievance.
“Those related to policy matters will require time. They will be forwarded to the respective ministers for their considerations, he had said.
The next category will be for taking suggestions from the public. A team will be formed to look into them and regularly put up best of the suggestions to the Chief Minister. Another is miscellaneous category and the last is for those which are not related to the Government, he had said.
Kejriwal had said that unlike previous Governments, he will not go by the compliance reports filed by the officials but will ensure that the complainant is absolutely satisfied. (AGENCIES)