Excelsior Correspondent
UDHAMPUR, Jan 12: District unit of Plus 2 Lecturers’ Forum organized an interactive session, which was attended by a large number of Principals, Sr Lecturers and Lecturers from Udhampur. The function was presided over by Sunil Sharma, Principal HSS (B) Udhampur whereas Ved Parkash Sharma DEPO Udhampur was the chief guest while Narinder Singh Jamwal State president All J&K Plus 2 Lecturers’ Forum was the guest of honour on this occasion. The speakers threw light on the sincere and tireless efforts of the Forum, which resulted in big achievements such as regularization of I/C Lecturers, amendment in Gazetted Recruitment Rules, issuance of SRO 481, reduction of eligibility period for promotion from 5 years to 3 years and incentive increments in favour of Sr Lecturers, promotion of a large number of teachers, Masters, Lecturers and Senior Lecturers. Arunesh Kumar urged the top leadership to take up the pending demands of regularization of I/C Lecturers, Principals, CEOs and Joint Directors, enhancement of Grade pay of Principals and declaration of the post of Principals as non-vacational, issue of promotion list of teachers and masters as I/C Lecturers especially in the Science subjects on priority basis. Tarsem Singh dwelt at length about the rules and regulations pertaining to the Plus2 Cadre and answered the queries of some members pertaining to some SROs. Narinder Singh Jamwal State president All J&K Plus2 Lecturers’ Forum, assured the members that other demands of the Plus2 cadre, such as the benefit of running pattern, regularization of I/C incumbents in the cadre, enhancement of the grade pay of the Principals and the non-vacational status of the Principals, parity in the pay scale of Lecturers in Physical Education etc shall be got conceded by the Government very soon.
Plus 2 Lecturers’ Forum organizes interactive session
Chowkidars, Numberdars stage protest
Excelsior Correspondent
MENDHAR, Jan 12: Chowkidars and Numberdars from tehsil Mendhar lodged their protest against the authorities for not paying their remuneration for the last three months.
Chowkidars and Numbers from all the Panchayat Halqas thronged the office of SDM Mendhar on Saturday and lodged their protest. They alleged that they have not been paid any money (remuneration) by the concerned authorities for the last three months. The SDM assured to take up the matter with the higher authorities in this connection.
Hundreds throng Urs of Pir Mattu
Excelsior Correspondent
MENDHAR, Jan 12: A large number of people from various parts of district Poonch and Rajouri participated in the Urs of Pir Mattu in Surankote area today.
Reports said thousands of people visited the religious place of Sayed Maqbool Hussain Shah, popularly known as Pir Mattu at village Pamrote in Surankote today and paid their obeisance. They offered special prayers and sought blessings of the Pir. A grand community langar was also arranged for the devotees. It is pertinent to mention here that Pir Mattu was father of former minister and senior NC leader Sayed Mushtaq Bukhari from Surankote.
House gutted, 6 animals charred to death
Excelsior Correspondent
UDHAMPUR, Jan 12: Six animals were burnt alive when a house got completely gutted in accidental fire at village Lali, block Panchari in Udhampur district.
The fire broke out in the house of Bal Krishan son of Balwant Singh of Lali, late last night.
The loss of live stock included two cows, two sheep and two bulls.
Ashok Khajuria launches “mass contact campaign”
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Jan 12: To reach every family of the area and take stock of the problems, BJP Jammu East MLA Ashok Khajuria and State press secretary Balbir Ram Rattan, launched “mass contact campaign” for Ward No. 1 to cover Panjtirthi, Dhounthali Bazar, Mubarak Mandi, Chowk Chabutra, Chougan Salathia, Old Secretariat Road and Tange-Wali-Gali localities.
In a function organized in the ward on Sunday, Ashok Khajuria, alongwith Mohan Lal Raina, Karan Singh, Naresh Abrol, Om Padha and other prominent leaders of the ward, also released a pamphlet to be distributed in every nook and corner of the ward containing a message to the people of the ward.
Ashok Khajuria, while briefing about this campaign, said that with a motive to have a direct contact with the population of the ward and take stock of their problems related to electricity, drinking water, lanes, drains, sanitation, construction of multi-storeyed parking facilities etc., a team for Ward No. 1 has been constituted which will be responsible for a regular touch with people and the MLA and thus serve as a bridge between them. It will be headed by Jammu District Vice-President Karan Singh and wad President Naresh Abrol with Subhash Raina and Om Padha as members. This team will apprise the MLA of the problems of the people and same shall be taken up with the concerned authorities for early redressal, he said.
Sourabh Sharma, Bhupeshwar Singh, Sunil Gupta, Rohit Dogra, Vishal Mangotra, Suresh Bharti, Sanjay Singh Salathia, Varun Sharma, Rajinder Singh Manhas, Shumma Dogra and others were present on the occasion.
Finch century helps Australia thrash England
Melbourne, Jan 12:
A superb century from opener Aaron Finch helped Australia to a comprehensive six-wicket win over England in the first one-day international at the Melbourne Cricket Ground today.
After being dropped by Gary Ballance when he was on just eight, Finch continued to blast 121 runs from 128 balls as Australia won with 4.2 overs to spare.
Finch rode his luck early in his innings but quickly seized control, racing to 50 from just 47 balls and outpacing opening partner David Warner.
Finch and Warner put on 163 for the opening wicket but not without some controversy.
Warner was given a reprieve by the television umpire when he was on 22 despite the Australian opener accepting that a low catch claimed by wicketkeeper Jos Buttler had carried.
Warner, who had walked to the boundary, was recalled to the middle and went on to make 65.
He was eventually dismissed holing out to Ed Stokes on the boundary off part-time spinner Joe Root, and when Chris Jordan bowled Shane Watson for a duck two runs later England had a slim hope of pegging Australia back.
But Finch and captain Michael Clarke (43) quickly took the game away from England with a 72-run partnership, which ended when Finch sliced a Stokes delivery to Ballance at third man.
Earlier, a patient 79 from Ballance and a whirlwind 50 from Eoin Morgan helped England to post what had looked like a competitive total.
Ballance, who came to the crease when England were struggling at 22-2, held the innings together before accelerating towards the end when quick runs were needed.
He shared in an 83-run partnership with Morgan, who blasted his 20th ODI half-century off just 47 balls with five fours and a towering six. (AGENCIES)
Minister’s comments draws opposition ire
LUCKNOW/BALLIA, Jan 12: Opposition parties today launched a scathing attack on UP minister Narad Rai over his remarks on deaths in Muzaffarnagar relief camps, saying the SP government was insensitive to the plight of the people and demanded action against him.
Under fire, the minister, however, said deaths cannot be averted and people died at the camps of riot-hit victims despite all arrangements made by the state government.
“No deaths took place at relief camps in Muzaffarnagar due to mismanagement on part of the government as it had made adequate arrangements of food, lodging and medical treatment for the victims,” Rai told in Ballia over telephone.
The minister had yesterday said, “Deaths of children, adults and elderly are inevitable. It isn’t necessary that only those living in camps are dying. People die in palaces too. It isn’t that children in our homes don’t die. Deaths occur everywhere.”
Condemning the Sports and Youth Welfare minister’s comments, BJP said instead of making such insensitive remarks, Rai should have gone to the camps and ensured prompt relief for the victims.
“It is insensitive on the part of the minister, who should have accepted the lapse on the part of the government and owned the responsibility,” party chief spokesman Vijay Bahadur Pathak said.
“The SP government and its ministers are insensitive towards the plight of the people,” he said.
“This government and the party as a whole has become totally insensitive and inhumane towards the people,” senior Congress leader and MLA Akhilesh Pratap Singh said.
He said, “It is true that death is inevitable, but that does that mean they will stop health services. The government should apologise for the statement by its minister.”
NCP leader Tariq Anwar said, “People in the camps are suffering and such insensitive comments from a minister reflect their mindset. The Chief Minister and SP should take action against such ministers. This is an insult to all those living in the camps.”
Rai’s controversial comments came just days after the the Akhilesh Yadav government had accepted that 34 children living in relief camps have died in riot-hit Muzaffarnagar and Shamli. (PTI)
J&K Rugby team selected
Excelsior Sports Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Jan 12: J&K State Sports Council Sreening Committee led by Haji Abdul Qayoom, Divisional Sports Officer Kashmir, Prof B A Shah, member Sports Council and Rifat Abdullah, member Sports Council screened the State squad and announced the State 15’s rugby team for the onward participation of State team for the forth coming All India Rugby 15’s Championship 2014 which will be held at Cuttack, Orissa from February5 to February 9, 2014.
The selected players include Saalim Shafi, Iqbal Bhat, Naveed Yousuf, Ishfaq Ahmad, Deepak, Sufiyan , Sibtain, Ahfaq, Adil, Owais, Sameer Bhat, Junaid Husain, Amir Surma, Nasir Bashir, Irfan Rangrez, Raja Shazil, Omar Khan, Tawheed Ul Islam, Mudasir Zahoor, Hilal Ahmad Kotwal, Numan Feroz, Fahad Ul Hassan, Suhail Bhat and Mohammad Sarfaraz.
The 15 days coaching camp will be held at Green field Jammu for the selected probables from January18, 2014 onwards .
Paes-Stepanek face Dlouhy-Rosol in OZ Open 1st round
Melbourne, Jan 12:
Gunning for yet another Grand Slam title, India’s old war horse Leander Paes and his Czech partner Radek Stepanek have been seeded fifth at the Australian Open and they will open their campaign against Czech pair of Lukas Dlouhy and Lukas Rosol.
Another big Indian hope, Rohan Bopanna and his Pakistani partner Aisam-ul-haq Qureshi find Australia’s Rameez Junaid and Adrian Mannarino from France as their first round opponents.
Yuki Bhambri, who is set to make his Grand Slam debut, and his New Zealand partner Michael Venus have been drawn against Spaniards Roberto Bautista Agut and Daniel Gimeno-Traver.
Left-handed Divij Sharan, who has partnered with Taipei’s Yen-Hsun Lu, will face Sweden’s Johan Brunstrom and Denmark’s Frederik Nielsen in their first round.
Veteran Mahesh Bhupathi and his American partner Rajeev Ram are pitted against Columbia’s Santiago Giraldo and Potugal’s Joao Sousa. (PTI)
Recovery agent shot at, robbed by bike-borne assailants
NEW DELHI, Jan 12: A collection agent with a telecom company was shot at and robbed of Rs four lakh by unidentified assailants.
Rajkumar, 37, was shot at around 9 PM yesterday in east Delhi while he was headed home in Indirapuram, Ghaziabad.
The victim, who was shot in his back by the attackers, was rushed to Guru Teg Bahadur (GTB) hospital where his condition is stated to be critical.
A recovery agent with Idea Cellular, Rajkumar told the police that he had taken Rs 4 lakh from the market and was returning home from work when three bike-borne assailants approached him and snatched the bag carrying the money.
Police said he was shot when he tried to resist the robbery bid.
Police said preliminary inquiry suggests that the assailants had the knowledge that Rajkumar is carrying such a largeamount of cash and it is now questining his employees. (PTI)