Excelsior Correspondent
SAMBA, June 4: The workers of Cadila Pharmaceuticals in Samba industrial area held massive protest demonstration against the management of the unit here today.
Nearly 150 workers of the factory including women assembled at the main gate of the factory and held protest demonstration. They were shouting slogans against the management of the unit, owned by investors from outside the State. The workers closed the gate and not allowed any worker to move inside in the morning.
The management of the unit tried to convince them but the irate workers were in no mood to listen today. They alleged that they were facing victimization and harassment at the hands of some people in the security and management. The women workers alleged that they were facing sexual harassment at the unit. While leaving the factory, every worker is placed to frisking.
Even the women factory workers are made to go through the frisking at the hands of male security staff. They alleged that several times, they requested the management to deploy women security staff for lady workers as they were facing sexual harassment, but the authorities at the helm of affairs never bothered. Even some people in the management were teasing women workers and exploiting them, they alleged.
The police was also called by the factory management but it avoided to intervene and remained mute spectator. A few cops led by an officer moved inside factory and then came out after some time, without bothering to listen to the harassed factory workers. After holding protest for about two hours, some senior people in the management tried to intervene and assured that their demands will be considered. The protest was then suspended. The workers have sought intervention of DC Samba in this regard.

Excelsior Correspondent
SAMBA, June 4: Bachno Devi, a teacher in Government Middle School, Patti, Zone Vijaypur, was accorded warm send off on attaining superannuation after rendering thirty five years of service in Education Department the other day.
ZEO, Vijaypur, Headmaster, GMS, Patti, Headmaster, High School Patti and the staff members of the school wished her a prosperous retired life.

Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, June 4: Taking serious note of the news item appeared in a section of press regarding unconstitutional working of Dogra Brahmin Pratinidhi Sabha, the Sabha members in a meeting led by its senior member disclosed today that the former president had not constituted any executive or working committee during his tenure of three years and also taken two extensions without approval by working committee.
Proch said that the outgoing president neither formed working committee nor handed over the charge and the Sabha is working without head and functioning unconstitutionally for last one year. There is no accountability of the Sabha and the Sabha membership drive is totally unfair.
He appealed all the sections of Brahmin Samaj to come together on a single platform to save the Sabha and hold fresh elections under eleven- member election committee, which will be formed very soon.

Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, June 4: Bari Brahmana Industrial Association (BBIA) has expressed strong resentment against unscheduled power cuts in the entire industrial area for the last several weeks.
In a meeting of the Association held here today under the chairmanship of Annil Suri, its president, the speakers discussed the deteriorating power supply position to the Industry in Bari Brahmana area. The members strongly flayed the PDD authorities and said that nobody appears to be accountable for it in the entire department from top to bottom despite the fact that Chief Minister himself is holding its charge.
Mr Suri said that industrialists are facing huge financial losses due to long power cuts and the department is not taking this issue seriously. The production in the units is badly hit with erratic power cuts. He said the matter was also discussed with the Chief Engineer M&RE Jammu several times but no action has been taken in this regard. Even the suggestions of the BBIA have been turned down by the department concerned. Birpur and other areas also facing the similar problem, he said.
The BBIA members said that Bari Brahmana Industrial area is contributing over Rs 100 crore towards power bills but department hardly spends 1 % of it on maintenance or augmentation. They sought the intervention of Chief Minister in this regard and demanded that power supply position be improved.

Excelsior Correspondent
Udhampur, June 4: A special working Committee Meeting of NPP was held at Sudhmahadev on the sideline of 34th National Integration Camp which was attended by party legislators, Harsh Dev Singh, Balwant Singh Mankotia, Yashpaul Kundal, Syed Mohd. Rafiq Shah, Ex-MLA Faqir Nath and the members of the Committee.
The meeting was presided over by Prof. Bhim Singh, Chairman, National Panthers Party and Member, National Integration Council.
The Working Committee unanimously appealed to the regional, secular and democratic parties to answer the call of the present time to provide an alternative to the Congress and BJP at the Centre. The Panthers Party urged the regional leadership including Jayalalitha, Chanderbabu Naidu, Mamata Banerjee, Prakash Singh Badal, Nitish Kumar, Navin Patanaik, Mulayam Singh Yadav and other regional leaders to join hands without any delay to provide Vikalp (Alternate) to the corrupt and outdated leadership of Congress and BJP as this is the voice of the millions of Indian citizens.
The Panthers Party in its resolution authorized Prof. Bhim Singh to take up this issue with other regional parties. Party also appealed to the leadership in the country to support the movement against corruption which is possible only by introducing urgent electoral reforms in the country. The Working Committee Resolution said that 80% corruption in politics and among the politicians is because of the most corrupt and rotten electoral system in the country. Prof. Singh in his address to the Working Committee called on the youth and students in the universities and educational institutions to join the movement of ‘Ultimate Resolution’ which shall start from every college, school and university to eliminate corruption, communalism and criminalization in politics.

Villagers block road for 2-3 hrs
Excelsior Correspondent
RAJOURI, June 4: The people from a Rajouri village and Mendhar area in Poonch held protest demonstration against PHE authorities and blocked road for several hours today.
Reports said a large number of villagers from Muradpur and adjoining areas came out on the road at around 11 am today and raised barricades at Muradpur on Jammu-Rajouri highway. They stopped the movement of traffic and sat on dharna on the road. They were protesting against water crisis in the area. These villages also put a lock on a PHE dug well in the area and started shouting slogans against PHE Minister, Chief Engineer Jammu and Executive Engineer PHE, Rajouri.
These villagers alleged that for the last two weeks the supply of water has been badly hit. They said the people during these hot summer days are unable to get adequate drinking water. Even the tanker supply is not being insured. Later, Xen PHE Rajouri Swarn Singh alongwith staff and police reached the spot. He assured the people to improve supply within a day or two. The people then lifted dharna at around 1 pm.
Meanwhile, people from Kotan village in Mendhar held massive protest demon-stration against PHE authorities and blocked Mendhar–Rajouri road for about three hours this morning. The villagers came out on the road at around 7 am and disrupted the movement of traffic, raising barricades. They shouted slogans against PHE authorities and sought intervention of senior officers. They alleged that water tanks constructed in the area for public use remain dry and even tanker supply is not being ensured.
A large number of vehicles remained stranded on the road for long. Later, SDPO Mendhar Mr Bhasin and SHO Mendhar came to the spot. They assured the people to take up the issue with concerned staff. Later, villagers lifted dharna at around 10 am.

Excelsior Correspondent
POONCH, June 4: Former minister and MLA Mendhar, Sardar Rafiq Hussain Khan has said that he has recommended 17 Middle Schools under RAMSA to be upgraded as High Schools for Mendhar constituency.
In a press statement here Mr Khan said the children still use to walk more than five kilometers to get education in High School and more than fifteen kilometers in a Higher Secondary School.
“The border area of Balakote is the worst sufferer where there is the only one High School and that too, at a distance of 100 mt from LOC Bharooti”, the MLA maintained.
Khan further said that he has recommended schools at Sandote, Gurasi Sar, Dharati, Balakote, Chandial, Churoon, Kandi Glutha, Banola, Saroothi, Golhad, Bharooti Balakote, Jughal, Gursai, Patti, Parat in Mendhar.
He demanded that steps be taken to upgrade these schools under RAMSA without any further delay to provide the basic education to the children of the far-flung areas. He also demanded upgradation of GHS Harni, Sangiote, Salwah and Pathan Teer to Higher Secondary level under RAMSA.

Excelsior Correspondent
KISHTWAR, June 4: Senior Congress leader and MP Ch Lal Sigh has sanctioned Rs six lac for Ashiana Orphanage in Kishtwar.
The MP who along with ex -Minister and MLA Inderwal, Ghulam Mohammed Saroori visited the Ashiana Orphanage in the town and interacted with the orphan children there assured all possible help to them and the orphanage.
Chairman Social Reforms & Charitable Organization (SRCO) Sanjeev Parihar which is running the orphanage briefed the two leaders about the facilities being provided to the children out of meager resources.
He said that the orphanage has a strength of 80 children but due to lack of resources it can’t accommodate more than 35 children who are provided free education, boarding and lodging, medical and other facilities.
On the occasion Mr Saroori announced donation of an ambulance to the SRC for use of needy poor patients of District Kishtwar.

Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, June 4: Shri Gandhi Sewa Sadan today celebrated the birth day of Krishna Mehta the first women Parliament member from J&K and founder of Gandhi Sewa Sadan.
In this connection a function was organized at hand made paper center of the Sadan at Shama Chak village near Baba Palace in which the speakers recalled the services of this great leader and social reformer who till her last breath worked for the upliftment and betterment of the society.
The speakers said the opening of Gandhi Sewa Sadan was a great contribution of Krishna Mehta to society. Ashok Dikshit chief Manager of the Institute was the chief guest on the occasion. Others, who paid tributes to Krishna Mehta included Kartar Chand, Rajinder Sharma and Sham Lal.

Excelsior Correspondent
KISHTWAR, June 4: The villagers of Lakhri held a demonstration in the village today to protest against one of the residents of the village who instigated a lady recently to register a case against the 65 year old sarpanch for outraging her modesty.
This attitude of the person has vitiated the peaceful atmosphere in the village. The villagers said that some vested interests are trying to destroy peaceful atmosphere. They said the character of said lady is itself doubtful as three complaints, were made by her own family members in the village against her in this regard.
The meeting demanded immediate action against the women and other mischievous elements hell bent upon crating the wedge among the people in the village.