CLEVELAND, Feb 5: Ohio’s Republican governor yesterday endorsed the expansion of Medicaid under President Barack Obama’s healthcare reform law, raising expectations that political opposition to the plan may be starting to thaw among GOP leaders in so-called Red states. Gov. John Kasich, the fifth Republican state governor to support the Medicaid expansion, made his announcement as part of a press briefing on his 63.3 billion dollar 2014-15 budget proposal. He emphasized that he is not a supporter of “Obamacare,” but believes the Medicaid plan “makes sense for the state of Ohio.” (agencies)
US Army to build soldier “resilience” to fight suicides, violence
TACOMA, WASHINGTON, Feb 5: The US Army, grappling with a spike in military suicides, plans to take steps to improve soldiers’ resilience to mental health problems to combat such deaths as well as depression, substance abuse, and violent behavior, Army Secretary John McHugh said yesterday. McHugh ordered Army officials to lay out detailed plans by February 15 to boost soldiers’ “physical, emotional and psychological resilience,” but did not reveal program specifics, such as estimated costs or goals. (agencies)
Kerry warns of punishment for NKorea nuclear test
SEOUL, Feb 5: New US Secretary of State John Kerry and his South Korean counterpart have agreed to make sure North Korea is punished if it carries out its threat to conduct a nuclear test.
Under a UN Security Council resolution last month condemning a North Korean long-range rocket launch that the UN and others call a disguised test of banned missile technology, Pyongyang is subject to new sanctions if it detonates its third nuclear device since 2006.
North Korea announced last month that it will conduct a nuclear test to protest the toughened sanctions over its December launch, which delivered a satellite into orbit.
During a phone conversation between Kerry and South Korean Foreign Minister Kim Sung-hwan, “there was agreement that … If the DPRK continues its provocative behavior and takes further steps, that there must be further consequences,” State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said yesterday.
DPRK is the acronym for North Korea’s official name, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.
A North Korean nuclear test “seems to be imminent,” South Korea’s UN Ambassador Kim Sook yesterday said at a news conference at UN headquarters in New York.
He said there are “very busy activities” taking place at North Korea’s nuclear test site “and everybody’s watching.”
The ambassador said he expects the Security Council to respond with “firm and strong measures” in the event of a nuclear test.
North Korea has denounced sanctions over its rocket launches, saying it has the sovereign right to use rockets to send satellites into orbit under a space development programme.
Pyongyang’s two previous nuclear tests, in 2006 and 2009, both occurred after it received international criticism for similar rocket launches. As it issued its most recent punishment, the Security Council ordered North Korea to refrain from a nuclear test or face “significant action.”
North Korea’s state media said on Sunday that at a high-level Workers’ Party meeting, leader Kim Jong Un issued “important” guidelines meant to bolster the army and protect national sovereignty.
North Korea didn’t elaborate, but Kim’s guidelines likely refer to a nuclear test and suggest that Pyongyang appears to have completed formal procedural steps and is preparing to conduct a nuclear test soon, according to South Korean analyst Hong Hyun-ik. (AGENCIES)
2 KAS officers among 4 shifted
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Feb 5: Government today ordered transfers and postings of four officers including two KAS with immediate effect.
According to the order issued by General Administration Department, Mohammad Shahid Saleem Dar, Deputy Secretary, Planning and Development Department, has been transferred and posted as Special Assistant in the Personal Section of Minister for R&B and Mechanical Engineering.
Itrat Hussain Rafiqui, Additional District Development Commissioner, Ganderbal will hold the charge of the post of Deputy Commissioner, Ganderbal in addition to his own duties till further orders.
Anil Sharma, awaiting orders of adjustment in General Administration Department, has been posted as Additional Private Secretary in the Personal Section of Minster for R&B and Mechanical Engineering.
Anuj Kumar Verma, Senior Marketing Inspector, Department of Horticulture, Planning and Marketing has been transferred and posted as PRO with Minister for R&B and Mechanical Engineering.
CEC calls on Union Secy
Excelsior Correspondent
NEW DELHI, Feb 5: Chief Executive Councilor (CEC), Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC), Leh, Rigzin Spalbar today called on Secretary, Animal Husbandry and Dairy, Government of India, G C Patti at Krishi Bhavan to take up the project on fodder and nutrient management for Pashmina goats in Ladakh, which has already been submitted to Union Government.
In the meeting, a threadbare discussion was held on the proposed project and means for sanctioning funds for it. A committee was formed comprising members from Centre, State and LAHDC and it was decided that team will visit the sites of Pashmina goats in Ladakh in the first week of April and based on their reports a meeting will be held in Leh in which the final decision will be taken for approval of the project.
The CEC strongly urged G C Patti to consider the case with utmost seriousness because the practice of animal rearing is on great decline and the Pashmina goats are on the verge of extinction posing grave threat to the economy of the nomads in the Ladakh region. Spalbar also raised the demand for sanctioning Rs 14 crore for the project and asserted to take measures to preserve and further develop the existing pasture lands in Ladakh.
Nirmal warns against disbanding of VDCs
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Feb 5: BJP National Executive Member & former State President Dr. Nirmal Singh has criticized the State Government’s move to disband the Village Defence Committees (VDCs).
Disengaging the SPOs and other members of VDCs on flimsy grounds despite the commendable role played by them in countering the Pak- sponsored terrorism is an indication in this regard, Dr Singh told reporters here today along with BJP VDC Cell State convenor, Gajey Singh Rana.
He condemned the recent order of SP Doda, in which he has directed VDC members of Kulhand to deposit weapons and threatened action in case of non compliance. He said it is unfortunate that the State Government is planning to provide Z security to Hurriyat leaders, who are pro-terrorists while it is hell bent to disband the VDCs who played a yeoman’s role in countering terrorism in the state.
Alleging misappropriation of funds Dr Singh said that money is regularly received from Centre for the VDCs and SPOs but in many cases where the money was distributed through SPOs to VDCs it is not paid to the latter after some SPOs were disengaged. This should be probed and a white paper issued on the same.
Dr. Singh, who took up the matter with the Divisional Commissioner and IGP along with Gajay Singh Rana and Munshi Ram Parihar, demanded that the disengagement of SPOs and VDCs on flimsy .
NSF protests against VC Central University
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Feb 5: The National Secular Forum (NSF) today staged a protest demonstration to express dissatisfaction over the functioning of the Central University.
The protesting NSF activists, led by Sukhdev Singh raised slogans against the Vice-Chancellor for not taking note of their demands and maintaining stoic silence over the entire matter. They also condemned the Chancellor for prompting youth to adopt the agitational path instead of redressing their grievances.
They demand early removal of OSD (Admn), CUJ, P S Pathania who is allegedly involved in committing frauds.
Sukhdev Singh said the varsity has become a rehabilitation center for retired and corrupt officials. He also said that favoritism galore in the Central University.
The Chancellor should take serious note of it and the OSD should be removed immediately to restore the credibility of this prestigious institution, the NSF leader demanded.
Among those who were present in the protest included Narinder Singh, Tanver, Balveer Kumar, Vimal Kumar, Pardeep Kumar, Ankit, Sunil, Kumar, Narinder Singh, Jagmohan Singh, Rishikesh Rana, and others.
J&K Govt approaching Attorney General of India for legal opinion by week end
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Feb 5: Keeping in view the apprehensions regarding Punjab Government’s opposition to the project, Jammu and Kashmir Government is all set to approach Attorney General of India by the week end to seek his legal opinion before going ahead with the construction of Ravi Canal from Basantpur up to the inflow of Ranjit Sagar dam reservoir to lift water for irrigating 1.33 lakh acres of land in three districts of Jammu province.
Authoritative sources told EXCELSIOR that as decided by the State Cabinet on December 17, 2012, the Law Department in the recent past approached the Attorney General of India Goolam E Vahanvati with the request to give legal opinion on the construction of Ravi Canal from Basantpur and lifting water from upstream of Ranjit Sagar dam on Ravi river in view of abrogation of agreement regarding sharing of water by the neighbouring State.
“After the Attorney General agreed to look into the legal aspect and make suggestions on the issue, the matter was thoroughly discussed between the top officers of the PHE, Irrigation and Flood Control and Law Departments and finally it was decided that former will make payment of Rs 4.5 lakh fee to the Attorney General of India”, sources said, adding “today the Administrative Secretary of PHE, Irrigation and Flood Control Department gave authorization to the Chief Engineer of Ravi Tawi Irrigation Project for advance drawal of the amount”.
By the end of current week, the Demand Draft of the amount as well as all entire record pertaining to the project available with the Law as well as PHE, Irrigation and Flood Control Department would be submitted to the Attorney General of India through J&K Government’s counsel at Union Capital Sunil Fernandes, sources said, adding on the receipt of the legal opinion from the Attorney General of India the matter regarding construction of Ravi Canal from Basantpur and lifting of water from upstream of Ranjit Sagar dam would be placed before the Cabinet for final decision.
The necessity to obtain fresh legal opinion from Attorney General of India was felt by the State Cabinet in view of divergent views of State Advocate General, former Chief Justice of India, Justice V N Khare and former Solicitor General of India, Amrinder Saran, who were approached by the PHE, Irrigation and Flood Control Department on the direction of the then Minister Incharge Taj Mohi-ud-Din.
“Advocate General of J&K is of the opinion that State Government should wait till the outcome of the case moved before the Supreme Court by the Haryana and Rajasthan Governments after the Punjab Government unilaterally abrogated all the agreements with other States on Ravi river water by enacting Punjab Termination of Agreements Act in 2004 while as former Chief Justice of India, Justice V N Khare and former Solicitor General of India, Amrinder Saran have given an opinion that since agreement has already been abrogated by the Punjab Government there is no problem for the Jammu and Kashmir Government to go ahead with the construction of canal and lifting of water from upstream of Ranjit Sagar dam on Ravi river”, sources said.
Though the Planning and Development Department gave its concurrence to the construction of project and even released Rs 20 crore as advance on the basis of legal opinion given by the former Chief Justice of India and former Solicitor General of India, the Finance Department refused to give approval on the ground that in case of any legal hurdle from the Punjab Government the fate of Rs 250 crore worth project would hang in balance, sources said.
The project assumes great significance in view of the fact that it will irrigate nearly 1.33 lakh acres of land in three districts of Jammu province for which 82 kilometer canal and 500 kilometer tributaries were constructed 30 years back. Besides, another important aspect is that the project also has the potential to produce nearly 20 MW of power for the State.
Army educational Tour flagged off
Excelsior Correspondent
Jammu, Feb 5: An educational-cum-motivational tour was flagged off by the Commander Artillery brigade from Nagrota, today.
The tour has been organised by an army unit, under the ongoing Op Sadbhavana for 25 school children from village Malpur, Akhnoor along with two teachers to Armitsar, Jalandhar and Ludhiana. The Headmasters of different schools, Sarpanchs, Zonal Education Officer and other civil dignitaries attended the flagging off ceremony.
The tour offers the students an opportunity to visit rich, historical, cultural and social heritage of our country and will have far reaching effect on juvenile minds to achieve greater heights in life.
The tour is of nine days and would culminate at Akhnoor on Febuary 13, 13. During the tour, the students would be visiting historical / cultural places and tourist places at Amritsar, Jalandhar and Ludhiana which include Railway Coach Factory, Science City, Wagah Border, Golden Temple, Jalliawala Bagh, Gobind Garh Iron Factory, Punjab Agriculture University and Oswal Woolens Factory.
The Army is undertaking such educational cum motivational tours for school going children of the state under Operation Sadbhavana with an aim of spreading the message of peace, harmony and patriotism amongst students
Two Kashmiri youths held, released
MUNGER (BIHAR), Feb 5:
Two Kashmiri youths, who had a Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist listed among contacts in their mobile phones, were detained but let off after questioning in Bihar’s Munger district today.
Irshad Ahmed Bani and Faiyyaz Butt, both garment traders, were detained from a house near Neelam Talkies by the local police, Deputy Inspector General of Police, Munger Range, Anil Kishore Yadav said.
The Jammu and Kashmir police had tipped off the local police that they had the name of HM terrorist Faiyyaz Saphab listed in their phone books, the DIG said.
Saphab had visited the district in the guise of a garment trader to supply Foreign Indian Counterfeit Notes (FICN) and foreign arms after routing them through Bangladesh, Yadav said.
Bani and Butt from Astkam village in Anantnag district of Jammu and Kashmir admitted they knew the terrorist but denied that they were part of his terror network, the senior police official said.
The Kashmiri youths were subsequently released, he said.
The whereabouts of the HM ultra were being investigated, he added. (PTI)