Gopal Sharma
JAMMU, Mar 1: Upper House of the J&K Legislature witnessed pandemonium and noisy scenes, causing ‘virtual disruption’ in the normal proceedings for about 12 minutes during Question Hour, as the PDP members lodged strong protest in the ‘well’ of the House and raised loud slogans, demanding action on the adjournment motion moved and bringing back the body of Mohd Afzal Guru, who was hanged at Tihar jail in Delhi few days back for the attack on Parliament.
As the House today commenced its normal proceedings with the ‘Question Hour’ at 11 am, the three PDP members present in the House including Nizamuddin Khatana, Sayed Asgar Ali and Mohd Ashraf Mir stood up and asked the Chairman to bring discussion on the issue of Afzal Guru and admit their adjournment motion given last evening. All the PDP legislators pressed for adjournment motion and said that Question House and other entire business be skipped.
The Chairman Legislative Council, Amrit Malhotra asked the members to take their seats and allow the smooth conduct of proceedings of the Question Hour in the House. Mr Malhotra said that he will look into their motion later. On this, the PDP members got more agitated and started raising loud slogans projecting their demand. Some Congress members intervened and asked them to allow proceedings and exchanged some hot words as well. But the Chairman asked the member, Aga Sayed Ahmed Rizvi to raise his question regarding Health Department.
Upon this, the PDP members left their respective seats and moved towards well of the House and started protest just in front of the Chairman’s seat. The noisy scenes disrupted the normal proceedings. Nothing was audible in the din. The PDP member started shouting slogans by thumping tables. It was total chaos and the repeated attempts of the ‘Chair’ failed to restore order in the House. Protesting for about 12 minutes the PDP members then staged walk-out of the House. Thereafter, the normal business in the House started.
Meanwhile, Chairman Legislative Council, adjourned the House for five minutes during Zero Hour, after he found not even single Minister or an officer sitting in the House. The embarrassing situation was created when the legislators were raising issues of public importance in the House of elders during Zero Hour, newly elected NC member, Dr Shahnaz Ganie was speaking.
The lone NPP member Sayed Rafiq Shah stood up and pointed out that there was no purpose of raising public issues in the House as nobody from Government, neither any Minister or any officer was present in the House. He pleaded the Chairman to take serious note of the issue and adjourn the House. The Chairman taking cognizance of the issue asked the Government to take serious note of the proceedings in the legislature. Then he adjourned the House for five minute at around 12.10 pm. The House, however, resumed it business after 10 minutes at around 12.22 pm.
Upper House adjourned as members, officers stay away
Minister assures probe, action against JKPCC men
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Mar 1: Minister for Higher Education Mohammed Akbar Lone assured the Upper House that a committee of Departmental officers will conduct inquiry in the reports regarding developing cracks in the new Govt Degree College building constructed at R S Pura hardly 3-4 years back.
While replying to a question of Congress legislator B R Kundal in the Legislative Council today, the Minister in charge Higher Education admitted that some walls of newly constructed building of GDC R S Pura have developed cracks. Accordingly, a committee of departmental officers was set up by the Higher Education Department to inquire into the matter. The committee also submitted its report and mentioned that structural cracks have been developed at number of places and plaster was found crumbling at a number of places. It was also found that plinth level and ground level was also almost same which is undesirable as the area is water logged. Drainage has also been found faulty. That committee recommended that a technical committee of exerts be constituted to suggest further course of action.
Mr Lone assured the House that he will ask his Commissioner/ Secretary to personally visit the building complex and also constitute a team of technical experts to conduct through inquiry and submit a report at the earliest.
The technical expert committee will suggest future course of action as safety of the students was equally important. Replying to another question of Mr Kundal regarding unsafe building and alternative measures to be taken in this regard, the Minister said the committee will suggest the same. Let the report come and appropriate measures will be taken. He said that JKPCC has constructed the building and whosoever is responsible will have to face the action, No one will be spared if found guilty, he maintained.
While replying to another question of Bashir Ahmed Magray the Minister said there is no specific proposal for establishment of Degree College at villager Litter in Pulwama. He said at present four Govt Degree Colleges are already functioning in district Pulwama, besides one college at Bijbehara, which is closer to Litter. Lone said his department has constituted a committee to look into the feasibility and other parameters and to devise a mechanism for establishment of new colleges in the uncovered areas.
Responding to a question of Haji Ali Mohd Bhat, Mr Lone said Government has already approved introduction of Science stream for the academic session 2013-14 in GDC Ganderbal.
Shinde’s gaffe in RS, names rape victims
NEW DELHI, Mar 1:
Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde today committed yet another gaffe when he named the victims of the Bhandara rape incident in Rajya Sabha which had to be expunged at the intervention of the Leader of the Opposition Arun Jaitley.
Pointing out the gaffe, Jaitley, a senior lawyer, said as per law the victims of rape, that too minors, are not identified and named and their identity should be kept a secret as per Supreme Court guidelines.
“I am sure it is an oversight…Three minor children are being named in the statement of the Home Minister. What should not have been done, has been done.
“Victims named should not have been named. Their names have come out and their identity disclosed. The Home Minister should withdraw his statement and a fresh one be laid in the House,” said Jaitley.
Earlier, Shinde named the three sisters of Bhandara in Maharashtra, who were allegedly raped and murdered recently, in a written statement which was read out by him.
At first, Shinde could not not get the import of what Jaitley was pointing out.
P J Kurien, Deputy Chairperson who was in the Chair, told him that Jaitley has raised a very, very important point. The names of the victim should not have been disclosed. These names of victims are hereby expunged,” he said.
Kurien directed the media also not to name the victims as listed out in the Home Minister’s statement, saying if it is done it will be taken as a matter of privilege.
Shinde thanked Jaitley for pointing out the “inadvertent” error and sought to withdraw the names.
The Rajya Sabha Secretariat later put out a notice providing the orders of the Chair expunging the remarks made in the Home Minister’s statement.
This is not the first time that Shinde has landed himself in trouble over his remarks made in Parliament as well as outside.
His taunt against actor-turned politician Jaya Bachchan (SP)during a debate on Assam violence in August last that it was not not a subject matter of film had evoked strong condemnation from Opposition members.
After an uproar in the House, Shinde was forced to eat his own words and apologise to Bachchan saying she is his sister.
The Home Minister had earlier courted controversy by addressing Pakistani terrorist Hafis Saeed as “Shri” and faced flak from various quarters.
Shinde also came under sharp attack from BJP over his recent “Hindu terror” remarks made at the Congress Chintan Shivir at Jaipur and later forced to make a clarification just ahead of the ongoing Budget Session of Parliament.
The Home Minister stoked controversy during the protests over the Delhi gangrape incident when he appeared to compare them with Maoists.
Shinde also remarked recently that the controversy over the coal block allotment will be “forgotten” in the days to come, just like the Bofors and petrol pump distribution scams, saying public memory was short. (PTI)
JU DDE celebrates Foundation Day
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Mar 1: The Directorate of Distance Education, University of Jammu, celebrated its Foundation Day by organizing an impressive function, here today.
Vice Chancellor Prof Mohan Paul Singh Ishar was the chief guest, planted a tree in the lawns of DDE and also inaugurated the Library automation which includes RFID Enabled Security Gate to mark the occasion.
He said that the Distance mode of education has a lot of importance in the present scenario and the Directorate should be strengthened in all the respects so that distance mode becomes the standard mode of education. He also visited the various sections of the directorate.
The formal function began in the committee room, with the welcome address by Prof Darshana P Sharma. The faculty had an interaction with the Vice Chancellor, giving him a brief account of the functioning of DDE and its requirements.
For the very first time the Directorate took the initiative of honouring the meritorious students of DDE of the sessions 2009 – 2012, who excelled in different fields.
Earlier, Prof Vijay Dev Singh, Director of DDE, presented formal vote of thanks.
The others who graced the occasion were Prof Naresh Padha, Registrar JU, Prof Dhain S Bhau, Jai Kumar Sharma and Neeraj Sharma.
People protest against bovine smuggling
Excelsior Correspondent
KATHUA, Mar 1: The people held protest demonstration at three different places in Hiranagar and Kathua against increasing incidents of bovine smuggling and failure of Police and district Administration to keep a strict check on it.
A large number of people from Mareen area of Hiranagar assembled at Sanji Morh and held strong protest on the road. They also disrupted movement of vehicles for some time and burnt the effigy of Government. They were raising slogans against police and district administration. They alleged that bovine animals smuggling has been increased and there was nexus operating in the area having roots within the administration. They warned to intensify agitation and block National Highway and also start direct action if the police and administration failed to control the menace of smuggling of bovines to Kashmir valley. They demanded that these smugglers be detained under PSA and if police failed the youth of the area will be involved in direct action and Government will be responsible for law and order problem.
Similar protest was held at two more places including Barnoti and Chak Ghota in border belt of the district. The people also condemned the incident of attack on cops by smugglers and said that such people should be dealt strictly and be detained under PSA as such sensitive issues may invite trouble for the Government. The people also disrupted movement of traffic.
Over 20 lakh kanal State land under illegal occupation of mafia
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Mar 1: Notwithstanding the tall claims of the Government about leaving no stone unturned to retrieve the encroached State land, the land-mafia and encroachers continued to remain active and have illegally occupied over 20 lakh kanal of State land in the length and breadth of Jammu and Kashmir that too right under the nose of the concerned authorities.
The figures about whopping State land having been encroached by the land-mafia and various individuals were provided by none else than the Minister for Revenue, Relief and Rehabilitation, Aijaz Khan in reply to the question of National Panthers Party (NPP) MLA from Samba, Yash Paul Kundal in the Legislative Assembly today.
“A total of 20,46,436 kanal of State land is under the occupation of various individuals in 20 districts of the State while as no such encroachment has taken place in Leh and Kargil districts”, the Minister said in the written reply.
Rajouri district is on the top of list of such districts with 3,96,018 kanal of State land under the illegal occupation of various individuals. Rajouri is followed by Doda and Ramban districts where 1,77,551 kanal and 1,67,521 kanal of State land is under the illegal occupation.
In Jammu district, 1,60,358 kanal of State land has been encroached by the land mafia and various individuals while as in Udhampur and Reasi districts the figures stand at 1,52,416 and 1,41,525 kanal respectively.
As far as other districts of the Jammu province are concerned, 1,0,4746 kanal of State land is under encroachment in Kathua, 75,159 kanal in Kishtwar, 1,29,717 kanal in Poonch and 97,133 kanal in Samba district.
In Kashmir valley, 33,710 kanal of State land is under encroachment in Anantnag, 46,920 kanal in Bandipora, 1,14,135 kanal in Baramulla, 43,742 kanal in Budgam, 24,544 kanal in Ganderbal, 29,114 kanal in Kulgam, 54,034 kanal in Kupwara, 40,620 kanal in Pulwama, 13,180 kanal in Shopian and 44,294 kanal in Srinagar district.
However, the Minister didn’t furnish the information about State land under the illegal occupation of Government officials, bureaucrats, legislators, ex-legislators and Ministers and simply said, “the exact information regarding particulars of the occupants of the State land is voluminous”.
About the area of land regularized under “Roshni Act”, the Minister said that 4324 kanal of land has been approved by the Committees in Anantnag, 11002 kanal in Bandipora, 4200 kanal in Baramulla, 3321 kanal in Budgam, 809 kanal in Ganderbal, 941 kanal in Kulgam, 3139 kanal in Kupwara, 3311 kanal in Pulwama, 1849 kanal in Shopian, 496 kanal in Srinagar, 54212 kanal in Doda, 44915 kanal in Jammu, 26292 kanal in Kathua, 18185 kanal in Kishtwar, 6597 kanal in Poonch, 283444 kanal in Rajouri, 24993 kanal in Ramban, 13380 kanal in Reasi, 8585 kanal in Samba and 90607 kanal in Udhampur district.
“The exact details of the revenue expected to be generated from such land will be available once all the applications are disposed off by the concerned district price fixation committees constituted under the Act”, the Minister said.
It is pertinent to mention here that under J&K State Lands (Vesting of Ownership to Occupants) Act, an occupant who is in actual physical possession of the State land as on the date of commencement of the Act and recorded as such into revenue records may apply for vesting of ownership. However, State land required for any public purpose has been kept out of the purview of the Act.
Bhartiya Gujjar Mahasabha, TRCF deputations call on Governor
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Mar 1: A 9-member delegation of the Bhartiya Gujjar Mahasabha, J&K Chapter, met N. N. Vohra, Governor, at Raj Bhavan, here today.
The main demands presented to the Governor by the delegation led by Eshfaq-ur-Rehman Poswal, State president of the organization, include provision of political reservation for the Gujjar and Bakerwal Tribes in the State, organizing of special recruitment drives for youth of the Gujjar and Bakerwal communities in Army and Para-Military Forces, raising a Gujjar Regiment in the Army, setting up of more Mobile Schools and providing insurance cover to the livestock of Gujjars and Bakerwals to compensate for the losses of cattle suffered by them due to natural calamities.
The Governor heard the delegation patiently and said that the demands presented by them would be taken up with the State Government.
The delegation comprised Ch. Nek Alam, vice president of the organization, Ch. Abdul Hamid Kassana, general secretary, Mohammad Anwar, Sofi Alam Din, Haji Abdul Wahid, Ch. Sanaullah, Ch. Mohammad Azam and Mohammad Shabbir.
A deputation of the Tribal Research and Cultural Foundation Jammu also called on Mr Vohra and presented to him a memorandum of their demands.
The demands presented by the 7-member deputation led by Dr. Javaid Rahi, Secretary, Tribal Research and Cultural Foundation, included, inclusion of Gojri language in the 8th Schedule of the Constitution of India, establishment of a Tribal University in Jammu and Kashmir, setting up of a Research Centre for Gojri language in Jammu University, reservation in employment and admissions to various courses in the Kashmir University and Baba Ghulam Shah Badshah University for the Scheduled Tribes and opening of Gojri Department in the Kashmir University.
Other demands projected by the deputation included telecasting of Gojri news bulletin from Doordarshan Jammu and Srinagar and enhancing the time slots of Gojri programmes from various stations of both Radio and Doordarshan Kendras in the State.
Dr. Rahi also briefed the Governor about the activities of the Foundation and presented to him his latest book, “The Gujjar Tribe of Jammu and Kashmir”, a compendium of research articles on history, culture and economy of Gujjar community.
The Governor assured the deputation that the issues raised by them would be taken up with the concerned authorities at the Centre and in the State Government.
The deputation comprised Ch. Abdul Gani Arif, Ghulam Sarwar Chohan, Ch. Amin Qammar, Dr. Shah Nawaz, Ch. Hameed Kassana and Ch. Talib Hussain, all writers.
Bill seeking constitution of Chandi Mata Shrine Board tabled in Assembly
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Mar 1: Secretary, Legislative Assembly, Mohammad Ramzan today laid on the table of the House a copy of the Bill passed by the Legislative Council on October 10, 2012 for the concurrence of the Legislative Assembly.
The Private Member’s Bill pertains to the constitution of Shri Chandi Mata Machail Dham (Machail Yatra) Shrine Board.
In the statement of objects and reasons, the Legislative Council Member Naresh Kumar Gupta has stated that the purpose of bill is to provide far better management, administration, governance of Chandi Mata Machail Dham (Machail Yatra) and its endowments including land, buildings or appurtenances to the shrine beginning from Bhaderwah town up to Machail Dham and the adjoining hillocks currently under the management of Sarva Shakti Sevak Sanstha Machail Yatra Management.
“The Machail Yatra is the second biggest pilgrimage in the State after Shri Amarnathji Yatra. This year about 1.50 lakh pilgrims visited the Chandi Mata Machail (Chandi Dham) to seek the blessings of the Goddess Chandi”, he said, adding “since the area is hilly the management is not in a position to raise the pilgrimage structure enroute yatra and at Machail Dham”.
The Sarva Shakti Sevak Sanstha Machail Yatra Management has constructed certain structures at various places besides purchasing/managing blankets, utensils, generators etc and have saved the money also collected by way of donations and offerings at Machail Dham, he further said, adding the Sarva Shakti Sevak Sanstha Machail Yatra Management has its blocks/units all over the Jammu province which should be merged with the proposed Shrine Board.
“The 30% of the members of the proposed Shrine Board shall be from Sarva Shakti Sevak Sanstha Machail Yatra Management, which will be nominated by the Founder Patron-in-Chief Thakur Kulbir Singh Jamwal and rest 70% by way of nomination by the Governor/Government”, the Bill said, adding “for efficient discharge of functions the Board may appoint Chief Executive Officer and other officers with preference to the local educated skilled and un-skilled youth of Padder tehsil on priority and thereafter to Bhaderwah, Thathri and Kishtwar tehsils”.
5 GMC docs re-employed
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Mar 1: Government today ordered re-employment of five faculty members of Government Medical Colleges of Jammu and Srinagar for a period of one year.
These faculty members are Dr Fayaz Ahmad Reshi, Associate Professor Anaesthesiology and Dr Mohd Ahsan Dar, Associate Professor Opthalmology in Government Medical College Srinagar, Dr Nalni Seru, Associate Professor Anatomy, Dr Rakesh Saraf, Professor Surgery and Dr Neeru Gupta, Professor Physiology in Government Medical College Jammu.
The one year period of re-employment will be considered from the date of their superannuation—February 28, 2013.
Dhoni’s batting reflected on his captaincy: Ashwin
Hyderabad, Mar 1:
Off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin feels that Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s magnificent batting form reflected on his captaincy which helped India produce a clinical performance in the first Test against Australia.
“I think he pointed it out himself after the match that he isn’t sure whether he would be able to replicate the performance again. I mean he scored two hundreds in almost two sessions which was extraordinary,” Ashwin told reporters ahead of the second Test match starting here tomorrow.
“In fact, he (Dhoni) set the tempo as a captain and his performance reflected on his field settings and bowling changes. We didn’t look back after that. If someone plays an innings like that, it can be demoralising for any opposition,” he said.
The burly Tamil Nadu tweaker also played a major part in the first Test with his 12-wicket haul and the confidence with which he is known to answer queries from the media was back in his voice.
Asked about the competition between the spinners with obvious reference being Harbhajan Singh, he gave a terse reply.
“Competition always existed, it still exists and will continue to exist. I don’t even think about it. And it’s you people (pointing at the scribes) who are delegated to make comparisons, so why do I need to bother,” he said in a matter-of-factly.
A reply in the similar vein came when asked about whether the English spin duo of Graeme Swann and Monty Panesar were better in comparison to Nathan Lyon and Co.
“I am not good enough to make comparisons. It’s for you guys to judge whether Monty and Swann were better than the Australians. You guys are better suited to say whether Indian team had a good time against Australia.”
Reminded about how England made a comeback from being 0-1 down, Ashwin gave another curt reply.
“We haven’t spoken about it. The idea is to remain positive. About the England series, they batted well in the second innings in Ahmedabad and the momentum shifted from there on,” he said.
The leader of the spin attack went into the defensive when asked about the possible bowling combination for the second Test.
“I don’t know what they (team management) are going to do. We normally have a meeting in the evening before the match and there it is decided.”
Ashwin’s best bowling figures of 12 for 85 was at this ground against New Zealand last year but he didn’t want to read too much into that performance.
“It’s a different game and we have a different opposition. My idea will be to remain positive.”
By his own admission, Ashwin is not a very good reader of the pitches but he reckoned that the 22-yard strip at the Uppal Stadium will be a “good one for the first two days”.
“I am not a very good in reading pitches. But the soil looks different from Chennai and it will be a good wicket for the first two days,” he said. (PTI)