Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Jan 10: The Director General of Police (DGP), Ashok Prasad today sanctioned scholarships worth more than Rs.11 lakh in favour of 182 wards of police personnel and martyrs.
The scholarships sanctioned out of Central Police Fund, have been ordered for the wards of martyrs including the meritorious wards of serving personnel for the academic year 2012-13.
Announcing the scholarships, Mr. Prasad stressed upon the students to work hard to attain academic excellence and preparing themselves for different competitive exams. He said that Jammu and Kashmir Police Organization is providing assistance to the wards of police personnel to boost their morale so that they could continue their studies and excel in varied competitive examinations.
Giving details, the DGP said that the beneficiaries include 123 students of serving police personnel, who have secured highest percentage of marks at Matric, 12th, Graduation and Post Graduate  level examinations, 25 students who have secured distinction  with 75 per cent  marks and above in annual examination of class 8th and 9th, 23 wards of deceased police personnel, 6 students securing positions in 10th and PG level examinations during the academic year 2012-13 and 5 students who have qualified competitive examination conducted for medical and engineering streams.
The DGP stressed upon the parents to pay proper attention to the studies of their children, besides their professional duties because the future of a nation lies with the upcoming generation. He said that quality education has assumed more importance in the present days and every child has to perform better and make his future brighter.
Further, Mr. Prasad said that during the year 2013 till date, more than Rs. 56 lakh have been disbursed among 1968 police wards as scholarships out of Central Police Welfare Fund. He said it is prime duty of the Organization to take care of wards of personnel and lead them towards a prosperous future. With the view to promoting education, the department is providing scholarships to the meritorious children, who secured distinction in different examinations up to graduation level. The step aims at to encourage the students and boost their talent to compete in other professional examinations also. The Organization is also taking  care of the wards of martyrs by providing scholarships to assist them in continuing their studies and getting modern education, he added.

Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Jan 10: The State Secretary Communist Party of India (CPI), Abdul Rehman Tukroo this morning called on Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah and discussed various issues regarding the development of Shopian district.
Abdul Rehman Tukroo highlighted the potential of hill district for generating tourism activities and requested for developing Dobjan as a tourist resort. He also requested for enhancing and upgrading healthcare facilities in the villages in Shopian district. He demanded upgradation of Shopian-Zainapora road, Shopian-Turkwangam road, Keller road and Tukroo-Shadimarg road.

Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Jan 10: Minister of State for Technical Education, Power and Information, Vikar Rasool Wani today instructed authorities of R&B, PMGSY, JKPCC and Housing Board to speed up the work in order to ensure timely completion of the ongoing projects in Banihal constituency taken up under various sectors.
The Minister was reviewing the status of on-going projects coming up in Ramban district, particularly in Banihal constituency, at an officers meeting here today.
The Minister reviewed the progress on the projects started under road, health and education sectors and discussed in detail the availability of funds, besides bottlenecks hampering the pace of progress. He asked concerned departments to work in close coordination and resolve all the issues to ensure sustained progress on the execution of the projects. He said the projects requiring forest clearance would be taken up with the Forest Minister and asked concerned officers to settle other issue, including land compensation in consultation with revenue authorities.
Expressing displeasure over the delay in completion of certain roads, the Minister directed the concerned authorities to take necessary steps for construction of Trigam Bridge and remaining portion of Alinbass Hochak, Banihal-Mangit roads.
The Minister directed authorities of JKPCC to start work on Degree College, Banihal, Public Health Centre Ukhraland Trigam bridge so that funds available with the department are utilized in time to avoid  cost escalation of the projects.
Senior officers of R&B, PMGSY, JKPCC and J&K Housing Board were present on the occasion.

Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Jan 10: The Committee on Environment of Legislative Assembly today directed the District Administration Kathua and Samba to furnish a detailed Action Taken Reports (ATRs) on the recommendations and observations in the Committee’s 4th Report (2012-13) with regard to disposal   and management of industrial wastage at all Industrial Estates of the two districts.
The Committee, which met under the chairmanship of MLA M. Y. Tarigami, also disused sanitation services being provided to the people within the administrative jurisdiction of all the Municipal bodies across the state, including the management of garbage dumping sites and disposal of the same.
Legislators, Muhammad Yasin Shah, Muhammad Khalil Bhand and Nasir Aslam Wani attended the meeting and gave their valuable suggestions for proper disposal and management of different types of wastes.
The Committee called for establishment of solid waste disposal projects on scientific lines in the state to ensure better management of the wastages generated in the urban centers and Industrial estates.
Among  others, Chairman, Pollution Control Board Vinod Ranjan, Secretary Housing and Urban Development Satish Nehru, Secretary Assembly M. Ramzan, PCCF and Chief Wildlife Warden A. K. Singh, Additional PCCF and Director Environment Suresh Chug, Commissioner JMC Kiran Wattal, Deputy Commissioner Jammu A. K. Sahu, Director Local Bodies Kashmir Hilal Ahmad Parray, Director Local Bodies Jammu A. K. Sharma and other officers of PCB, Environment, Housing and Urban Development and Assembly Secretariat attended the meeting.

Excelsior Correspondent

JAMMU, Jan 10: Nav Durga Kala Manch (NDKM) today held AIDS awareness program in block Kot Bhalwal, Jammu in Ward No 5 of Panchayat Halqa, Kote Upper  where Mohd Shareef, Panch was the chief guest and Ward No.6 where Pandit Parmanand, Panch was the chief guest on the occasion.
The programmes were financed by J&K  AIDS Prevention and Control Society, Jammu.
The artists of the Manch awared the local villagers about AIDS, its causes, prevention and its control through play and mimicry items. The play threw lights on the various modes and routes through which we can get infection of HIV/ AIDS and what to do to check this deadly disease. Only precautions and cautious approach could rid the society of this dreaded menace, conveyed the artists of NDKM.
Earlier, on January 9, the Manch also conducted awareness programmes in Ward No. 2 and 4 of Panchayat Halqa, Kote Upper, where Anil Kumar and Sudesh Kumari, Panchs of the wards respectively graced the occasion as chief guests.
Chief guests and villagers appreciated the efforts of the Manch to create awareness among villagers. They also appealed to organize such awareness programs in future too.
The concept was written by Shashi Bhushan and executed by Aaditya and his team.
The artists who performed in the play included Dlshad Shazi, Kibu Bharat, Ashish Bhat, Mohit Khajuria, Manik Mahajan, Sanjay Saini, Sandeep Sharma, Sanjay,  Anki Sharma and Vikran Mahajan.