Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Mar 1: The Government has decided to develop six mini hydel projects in the State with a cumulative capacity of 9.95 MWs under Independent Power Producers (IPP) mode.
Minister of State for Science and Technology, Feroz Ahmad Khan approved the proposal to this effect today.
These six projects have been taken up under the first phase among the 108 identified projects across the State for which the Jammu and Kashmir Energy Development Agency (JAKEDA) has already prepared the Detailed Project Reports (DPRs).
On the directions of the Minister, allotment letters have been issued to bidders in a day’s time by JAKEDA to start the process in fast mode.
6 mini Hydel Power Projects being developed under IPP mode: Feroz
Srinagar Shahjahans on tour to Kolkata; meet Ganguly, Arun
Excelsior Sports Correspondent
JAMMU, Mar 1: As part of the initiative to provide exposure to the cricketers from the valley, the KPL-12 Champions-Srinagar Shahjahans are on a tour to Kolkata.
The team as part of National Integration Tour embarked on the memorable journey on February 22, 2013 and after reaching Kolkata, it has witnessed almost all the places of cultural and tourists interest in and around the city. The famous Alipore zoo, Victoria Memorial, botanical garden and the Nakoda Mosque provided a glimpse of the rich cultural and architectural marvels of the City of Joy to these ambassadors from the Valley. On the cricketing front these budding superstars had the honour of playing two matches at Eden Gardens – the mecca of cricket in India. As expected, the KPL champions are decimating all their opponents with ease, winning both the matches held so far.
The team had the privilege of interacting with Arun Lal, former Test cricketer and a well acclaimed commentator and sports writer. The former Indian cricketer shared his experiences apart from poviding valuable insight into the nuances of the game. The players also had an opportunity of interacting with Ronodeb Mitra, physio of Indian golf team and the Pune Warriors team of the IPL. The physio during an hour long session provided valuable fitness tips to these players.
However, it was a dream come true for the Srinagar Shahjahans when they met and interacted with Saurav Ganguly, legendary cricketer and former Indian skipper. The former great on meeting the team promptly enquired about Pervez Rasool, an emerging cricket icon of the valley and wished them all the luck for their matches and stay in the city.
The Srinagar Shahjahans are also scheduled to play against Calcutta Cricket and Football Club, one of the best team of Kolkata club circuit before starting their journey back to Srinagar on March 3, 2013.
Counter Insurgency Force celebrates 14th Operationalisation Day
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Mar 1: Counter Insurgency Force (Romeo) celebrated its 14th Operationalisation Day at its Headquarters, today.
The celebrations commenced with wreath laying ceremony at the War Memorial, followed by two minutes silence to pay tributes to the brave martyrs, who sacrificed their life for the sake of the Nation.
Commensurate with the operational commitments of the troops in the Counter Insurgency environment, other functions, befitting to the occasion, were also organised.
While speaking, General Officer Commanding (GOC), Romeo Force exhorted all ranks to rededicate themselves to the service of the Nation.
He said that, on this day in 2000, the Force was operationalised at Dhanidhar Fort.
Since raising, Counter Insurgency Force (Romeo) is committed in combating terrorism and insurgency in the frontier districts of Poonch and Rajouri, he added.
With sincerity, hard work, professionalism and absolute devotion to duty, all ranks of the Force have been able to eradicate terrorism and bring normalcy in the area of responsibility, he added.
Under the ongoing Operation Sadbhavna, the Force is also complimenting the efforts of the local Civil Administration in various educational, vocational training/empowerment and development related works aimed at welfare of the common masses, GOC said.
Dogra Law College organizes guest lectures
Excelsior Sports Correspondent
JAMMU, Mar 1: A series of guest lectures were organized during Academic Orientation Week at Dogra Law College.
The guest lecturers were delivered by Prof VP Magotra, former Head & Dean, Faculty of Law, University of Jammu, Prof. Lalita Parihar, former Head & Dean Faculty of Law & former Director, The Law School, JU, Slahuddin Ahmad, former student of The Law School & at present engaged in research work after doing his LLM from Indian Law Institute, New Delhi and Prof V K Kapoor, Director cum Principal, Dogra Law College.
The resource persons told the Law students that their profession could give them stability, respect & job satisfaction provided they work hard with a professional commitment & show the urge to devote maximum time towards learning law, which is indeed very wide area.
Samara Dev Singh Charak, Secretary, Dogra Educational Trust, said that the institute would continue to organize such lectures for benefit of the students.
Congress leader takes stock of grievances of Kalakote people
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Mar 1: Senior Congress leader, Abdul Ghani Kohli, had a week long tour of Kalakote constituency during which he visited many villages, addressed meetings and took stock of the grievances of the people.
At Goddar village, people apprised the leader about scarcity of drinking water, alleging that some of them are even deprived of the water supply system. Locals of Mogla and Sangpur complained about the low voltage and expressed urgent need for new transformers.
Apprising the Congress leader about their urgent need for a Higher Secondary School, Baljaralan people asked for upgradation of the existing middle school.
The locals also apprised Kohli that there was no road transport facility from Dhangri to Dalhori.
The Congress leader assured them their grievances would be taken up with the concerned authorities for redressal.
The Congress leader was accompanied by Kuldip Kumar Sharma, Raj Kumar, Munish Khan, Haji Aslam and others.
PDP playing politics on Guru: Gupta
Avtar Bhat
JAMMU, Mar 1: While leader of the Opposition Mehbooba Mufti and the CPI (M) State secretary and MLA Kulgam, Mohammed Yusuf Tarigami justified their adjournment motions on return of Afzal Guru’s body, MLA Jammu West, Prof Chaman Lal Gupta and NPP leader, Harshdev Singh said that Guru’s sentence was in accordance to law of the land.
Talking to reporters soon after the Speaker Mubarak Gul adjourned the Assembly at 10:35 am this morning as total pandemonium prevailed in the House with the opposition PDP and CPI (M) demanding discussion on their adjournment motions on Guru and NPP MLA Harshdev Singh and BJP’s Jugal Kishore Sharma pressing their Party’s adjournment motion on Chamel Singh, Ms Mehbooba Mufti said that by not allowing the Opposition to have a debate on the return of Afzal Guru’s body indicated that it was suppressing the democratic rights.
Accusing the Government of failure on all fronts including curbing corruption and giving a good administration, the PDP leader said that coalition should resign on moral grounds.
“We brought the adjournment motion demanding that the business of the House be suspended to discuss the Afzal Guru issue as it was a serious matter but the Government is making it a prestigious issue and they did not allow the discussion’’, she added.
Mehbooba alleged that J&K has been converted into a jail on this issue. Terming return of Guru’s body a humanitarian issue, she said it is a right of the family to get the body of Guru for performing the religious rites.
Taking a dig at the Government, she said they should learn from Punjab and Tamil Nadu. “Chief Minister of Punjab Parkash Singh Badal did not allow the hanging of killers of former Chief Minister Beant Singh. I don’t know whether this Government is working on remote control to please some quarters in Delhi and remain in power as every thing is being discredited here’’, she added.
She said such policies add to further alienation of people of Valley and majority of them remain away from mainstream.
She asked why the Chief Minister did not discuss the nitty-gritty of the issue earlier.
Mehbooba said had her father or any other Chief Minister been there they might have persuaded Delhi that hanging of Guru was neither in the national nor in the interest of J&K and no CM would have agreed hanging him.
Taking the Government to task for not giving security to Sarpanchs and Panchs in the State, she said there are some areas which are vulnerable and where Panchayat members need security. But unfortunately this Government has all wrong priorities. They wanted to hold elections and not to empower the Panchayats, she added.
Justifying the opposition demand of handing over the Guru’s body to his family and bringing of adjournment motion, Mohammed Yusuf Tarigami said it is a cause of concern for the people. “ We wanted to have the debate. We can’t avoid it as this has happened and the people wanted that the issue be discussed as situation is grave’’, he added.
He said by not allowing the House to have a discussion over the matter which is not debated in our State only but entire country means depriving the House of its right.
In reply to a question that Government has stated that the issue is being discussed at PM’s level so it can’t be discussed in the House, Tarigami said “PM will discuss it on his own but we have a right to discuss it in the House’’.
He said his Party has moved the Motion yesterday and we gave enough time to Speaker.
However, Chaman Lal Gupta, accused the PDP of playing vote bank politics on return of Guru’s body.
He said from legal point of view the mastermind of Parliament attack was given full chance to defend him self. He appealed in High Court, Supreme Court and also filed a mercy petition before the President of the country which was rejected, he added.
He said, the PDP argument that Guru should not have been hanged is nothing but vote bank politics. “If the adjournment motion is discussed in the House still it will have no difference as it will meet the same fate as the earlier resolution moved by then NC Government led by Dr Farooq Abdullah on autonomy met’’ he added.
He said in the para 3 of the Constitution it is mentioned that J&K is an integral part of India so no decision of Union Government can be challenged.
Prof Gupta said the NC-PDP are befooling the people as they are in race for one upmanship and any discussion on the Guru issue is just to divert the energy of the House.“ I am not personally in favour of the resolution’’, he added.
Harshdev Singh of NPP said the PDP has moved the adjournment motion on Guru and not talked about Chamel Singh who was brutally killed in Pakistan on January 15 and whose body has not yet been handed over to India.
He said his Party and BJP have brought the adjournment motion on the issue demanding that India should take up the matter with Pakistan and bring his body back to perform his religious rites.
“They talk about the return of Guru’s body who was involved in attack on Parliament and not about Chamel Singh who was a nationalist and who died for the national cause. His body has not been returned for last one and a half months’’, he added.
He criticized the Union Government for its failure for not lodging a protest against Pakistan against the killing of Chamel Singh whose dead body is lying in Jinah Hospital Pakistan where he was beaten to death by a rod.
He demanded that his body be brought back and handed over to his family for performance of last rites.
India returned their soldiers with honour who died in border firing in Nowshera Sector last time, he added.
2-day international conference on ‘Environmental Issues’ begins at JU
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Mar 1: A two-day international conference on Environment Issues and Sustained Development began today at the Department of Geography, University of Jammu.
The conference is being attended by over 80 delegates.
In the inaugural function, Prof Talat Ahmed, Vice Chancellor University of Kashmir- who was the chief guest, made a power point presentation on climate change and the Himalayas.
It was followed by the release of a book “Systematic Geography of Jammu & Kashmir” jointly authored by Professor V S Manhas and Dr Rakesh Jasrotia.
Professor Majid Hussain presented keynote address in which he highlighted the various environmental issues related with forestry, overgrazing, large scale urban development, impact of nomadic movements and lakes of Jammu & Kashmir.
On the occasion, Professor Majid Hussain was felicitated by a life time achievement award.
Abha Lakshmi Singh, Professor Emeritus, AMU, who was the special guest of honour made elaborate remarks on the relationship between environment and development.
Professor Mohan Pal Singh Ishar, Vice chancellor, University of Jammu in his presidential remarks, highlighted how sustainable development could be maintained and how a balance between environment and development could be achieved.
Govt turns down Oppn demand for CBI probe into Bhandara rape
NEW DELHI, Mar 1:
Government today turned down Opposition’s demand in Rajya Sabha for a CBI probe into rape and murder of three Dalit minor girls, all below 11 years, in Maharashtra’s Bhandara district, saying Centre does not intervene in state affairs.
“This is a very serious issue and concerns the jurisdiction of Maharashtra government,” Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde said, adding the Centre did not intervene in state matters “be it a Congress government or an Opposition-ruled government.”
Shinde was making a statement in the Rajya Sabha, where members, outraged over the incident, demanded that the Centre should ask for a CBI probe into the ghastly act.
He said teams have been formed to pursue different lines of investigation, which is going on, and Maharashtra police was carrying out the probe to track the offenders.
“I am deeply shocked at the despicable, ghastly and brutal manner in which three minor girls from the same family were brutally raped and murdered and thrown into an abandoned well near Murwadi village, Lakhani police station, Bhandara district of Maharashtra,” Shinde said.
As members accused the Maharashtra government of inaction, Shinde said in-charge of the police station Prakash Mude was suspended on February 19 as he “did not deal with the complainant promptly and professionally.”
Shinde said, “Collective conscience of all members of the House would be equally revolted to know about the horrendous incident.”
He said the Centre would convey the sentiments of the members to the state including the anguish over the problems caused to the complainant.
He said police have already registered an FIR adding, after an inquest by Taluka Magistrate a postmortem was conducted by a team of five doctors and “it appears that all three deceased girls were subjected to sexual abuse and murdered before throwing them into well.” (PTI)
Rs 37.39 cr approved for Sidhra Golf Course
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Mar 1: Minister of State for Animal and Sheep Husbandry (Ind), PHE & FC, Agriculture and Horticulture Nazir Ahmed Khan Gurezi today said that Rs 37.39 crore have been approved for Sidhra Golf Course near Jammu city.
While replying to a question of NC member Ajat Shatru Singh, on behalf of Minister incharge Tourism, G A Mir in the Legislative Council today, Mr Gurezi said that the work on Sidhra Gold Course was started in the year 2007 and administrative approval was accorded at a cost of Rs 37.39 crore of which Rs 29.27 crore have been spent.
He further disclosed that construction on the project was taken up in two phases. The phase Ist of 9 hole golf course stands completed and is functional while the second phase of upgradation of 18 hole golf course along with Club building and other ancillary works is in full swing and targeted for completion by September 2013.
Replying to another question, the Minister said there was no loss on account of cost escalation as the project is under execution within the sanctioned cost of Rs 37.39 crore.
Earlier, the NC member while raising his concern asked whether work initiated on the project without administrative approval and not time frame was fixed for its completion despite the fact that work was started about six years back. The member also asked for the original and the escalated cost of project but only the escalated figure was projected by the minister.
Replying to another question of Congress member Jahangir Mir, Mr Gurezi said that at present the estimated population of sheep and goats registered in State was 67.26 lakh, which included 47.70 lakh sheep and 22.56 lakh goats. He said the actual figure shall become available after completion of 19th livestock census which has been conducted and the data is being consolidated and analysed. Mr Gurezi further disclosed that during 2011-12, the State imported 12.94 lakh sheep and goat to meet domestic need.
Dharna of PDD casual labourers enters 11th day
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Mar 1: The protest demonstration and dharna of All J&K PDD Casual labours Union, Jammu demanding publication of their lists in the local newspapers as well as on official website of PDD by of before March 8, 2013, entered 11th day today.
Today, a deputation of the Union under the chairmanship of provincial president of the Union, Choudhary Sampuran Singh met the Chief Engineer, Elect M&RE Wing, Jammu, in her office chamber, who assured early publication of their list.
During the meeting, union warned that if the concerned DDOs failed in providing and publishing the list of casual labourers till March 8, the Union will gherao them.
It was also decided in the meeting that the Union will conduct a march rally from the office of the Chief Engineer, EM&RE wing, Canal Head, Jammu towards Civil Secretariat on March 4. The provincial president appealed all the casual labourers to participate in large number in the rally to raise voice against administration for non-release of Rs 6.50 crore, as committed by the Chief Minister as well as Power Minister, one year back.
The union leaders appealed the Finance Minister to announce the amount of Rs 6. 50 crore strictly for disbursement as wages to casual labourers, in the Budget session of the State Assembly.