Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Aug 18: Minister for Industries and Commerce, Surjeet Singh Slathia, today said that unprecedented development has been witnessed during the the last three and half years. He was addressing a public gathering after inaugurating lanes and drains at ward No 6 Bazigar Basti in Kartholi-Dhiansar Panchayat of Bari-Brahamana constructed at a cost of Rs. 10 lakh by Rural Development Department.
Mr Slathia reiterated the resolve of Government to develop the rural as well as urban infrastructure on modern lines as per the requirements of the people. He said that better road connectivity, water and power supply, health, education are the top priority sectors of the Government and will continue to receive the focused attention.
People of the area putforth their demands and grievances including uninterrupted power and water supply, better road connectivity, education, healthcare etc seeking an early redressal to the same.
The Minister issued on the spot instructions to the concerned officers to immediately start construction work of culvert, drain and blacktopping of road at Dhiansar so that the people of the area do not face any inconvenience during the rainy season. He said that during the past three and half year period the Government has spent 3 and half crore of rupees for making Bari- Brahamana a model town. He said that 90 percent development works have been done so far and the rest would be completed in a specific time period.
He appealed the people particularly public representatives to cooperate with the executive agencies for smooth and timely construction of all the ongoing prestigious projects being executed under various schemes in their respective areas.
Regarding power supply, the Minister informed that the State Government has purchased power of Rs 1200 crore for improving the power scenario in the state, adding that several innovative measures have been taken by the PDD to cope up with the power crisis in rural belts.
He instructed the PHE authorities to replace defunct motors and pumps which are being utilized for irrigation and domestic use.
The Minister directed the Block Development Officer, Vijaypur to conduct survey of Bazigar Basti and identify 5 families which are houseless so that the benefit would reach to the deserving lot.
Slathia inaugurates lanes, drains
Protest against power failure
Excelsior Correspondent
KATHUA, Aug 18: Residents of Lachhipur and adjoining areas today came out on the Jammu-Pathankot National Highway and held demonstration for about half an hour in protest against the power failure.
A large number of villagers from the area assembled at Basoyain Morh in the morning at around 9 am and blocked the road. They were raising slogans against the PDD authorities for their failure to restore power supply and get the damaged transformer repaired.
The villagers alleged that concerned PDD staff is least bothered while people have been left without power supply for the last three days during these hot summer days. They warned the PDD officials to restore power or face wrath of the villagers within two days. Later, police and some PDD officials reached and assured the villagers for early restoration of power.
12th State Sport Climbing Championship on Aug 25-26
Excelsior Sports Correspondent
JAMMU, Aug 18: To be organised by the Mountaineering Association of J&K, in collaboration with Sprawling Buds School, Lakshmi Puram, Chinore, Jammu, the 12th J&K State Sport Climbing Championship is being held on August 25 and 26, 2012.
According to a handout issued here, about 200 climbers from various districts of the State are likely to participate in the 2-day competition to be conducted on the pre fabricated 40ft high Tenzing Norgay Sport Climbing Wall in Sprawling Buds School premises, here.
In case the participation exceeds 200 climbers, preliminary rounds of certain categories for Jammu, Udhampur and Reasi districts will be conducted a day earlier.
The competitions would be held in six categories of men, women (born in 1995 and earlier), boys, girls (born in 1996 and after) and sub junior boys / girls (born in 1999 and after).
Interested climbers should send their nominations along with a registration fee of Rs 100 to the office of the Mountaineering Association of J&K at 75-76, Sarwal Colony, (behind Adventure Holidays India) Jammu or contact Ram Khajuria on Mobile No: 94191-96378.
Thousands greet Machail Mata Chhari at Bhaderwah
Excelsior Correspondent
BHADARWAH, August, 18: Thousands devotees today greeted and sought blessings of the Chandi Mata as Chhari Mubarak of Machail Yatra passed through the busy town of Bhaderwah. Devotees made a beeline to have the glimpse of the Chhari Mubarak of Mata Chandi it left for Machail from the famous Chinote temple here.
The Chhari of Machail Mata was followed by huge cavalcade of motor vehicles with devotees chanting bhajans to invoke blessings of the Mata. Sub-Divisional Magistrate, Bhadarwah, Ravi Kumar Bharti and Additional Superintendent of Police, Roop Raj Bhagat, Tehsildar, Sudershan Kumar were also present on the occasion, as the Chhari left for Kishtwar this morning. The yatra ‘Trishul’ was taken by the head priest of Chandi Temple, Chinote, Kulbir Singh Jamwal.
As per the reports over three lakh pilgrims from within and outside the state are expected to perform darshans of Machail Mata in Kishtwar district. The annual yatra to Machail, which is organized by the Machail Mata Trust is over four decades old and has assumed proportionate significance as large number of the pilgrims that are thronging every year to the base camp of Bhaderwah where the famous Chinote temple is situated and a fine-looking complex is coming up.
The Machail Mata, which too is in form of ‘Pindi Darshan’ of Mata Chandi is considered as one of the incarnation of the Maha Shakti Durga. It has undoubtedly emerged as the third largest pilgrim tourism congregation after the revered Vaishno Devi Shrine and Shri Amarnath Ji yatra.
The district administration has made elaborate arrangements including the security, transportation, parking and drinking water facilities for the comfortable stay of the large number of the pilgrims at Bhadarwah. Locals of Bhadarwah have arranged free langer for the large number of devotes that have arrived at Bhadarwah.
TN govt sanctions Rs 1.65 cr for 3 engineering projects
CHENNAI, Aug 18:The Tamil Nadu government today sanctioned Rs 1.65 crore as the first installment of its share for three different engineering projects in micro industries across the state.
Chief Minister Jayalalithaa alloted Rs 49.53 lakh for a Rs 6.90-crore engineering project in Hosur, a government release said.
This is 70 per cent of the government’s share of the Rs 70.75 lakh to the project.
The government also alloted Rs 68 lakh to the Rs 9.27 crore engineering cluster at Ranipet in Vellore district, which works out to 70 per cent of its share of Rs 97.21 lakh.
Jayalalithaa also sanctioned Rs 48 lakh, a 70 per cent of the government’s share in the Rs 6.90 crore rice mill group in Keezhapavur in Tirunelveli district, it said.
She approved Rs 4.88 crore to set up a training campus in the Entrepreneurship Development Institute with classrooms, auditorium, library, computer lab, it said.
Of this, Rs 3.80 crore would be spent towards constructing academic and administrative block and Rs 1.08 crore on constructing a hostel, it said. (PTI)
Preparations finalized for Adhik Mass mela at Mattan beginning today
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Aug 18: As the Adhik Mass (Malmas, Banmas ) begins from tomorrow, preparations are afoot at holy shrine of Martand (Mattan) in Anantnag district of South Kashmir to receive the pilgrims from all over the country visiting there to perform the religious rituals of the dead during the month.
A large number of pilgrims are expected to converge at holy -township on the fist Sunday of Malmas Banmas tomorrow to perform religious rituals of the dead as per the Hindu tradition.
Besides the Kashmir valley the Hindu pilgrims from Jammu and other parts of country are expected to take part in the religious rituals at Mattan, a spokesman of Prohit Sabha Mattan which is looking after the holy shrine said.
He said the Prohit Sabha Martand Tirath Improvement Charitable Trust has made all arrangements for the pilgrims including their boarding and lodging.
The shrine which is managed by Trust led by its chairman, R N Koul, president M K Yogi and general secretary Veer Ji Pandit has taken all steps in providing free, food, shelter pilgrims throughout the year especially during the Malmas and Amarnath yatra.
The religious rituals are performed at Chaka Nadi which is confluence (Sangam) of a small rill flowing from holy spring of Mattan and another rill called Lambodri (Ledhar) which has its origin in Sheshnag. On the auspicious days of Vijay Saptami which falls two and half years after AdhikMass the pilgrims from all over the country also visit holy shrine to perform religious rituals to departed souls for their salvation and peace.
The pilgrims take a dip in the holy springs at Mattan and have darshan of world famous Sun temple during the Adhik Mass which will culminate on September 16.
Meanwhile Baskar Bhawani vice president of the Trust has urged the district administration to make proper arrangements of ration, cooking gas, transport from Jammu and other parts, electricity besides the cleaning of the holy Chaka Nadi.
The devotees from Nagbal Anantnag have also started a free langer for the pilgrims on every Sunday of the Adhik Mass at Mattan.
As per a legend the Lord Shiva has blessed the dead with salvation whose rituals are performed at this world famous Hindu shrine in Malmas Banmas and Vijay Saptami.
Kingfisher pilots on strike again; 16 flights cancelled
MUMBAI, Aug 18:
Beleaguered Kingfisher Airlines faced fresh trouble today with a section of pilots going on strike demanding immediate payment of salaries for March, resulting in cancellation of 19 flights.
“Eight departures from Mumbai and an equal number of flights from other places to the city have been cancelled due to non-availability of pilots in the wake of the strike by a section of its pilots,” a Mumbai International Airport Ltd (MIAL) official told here.
Kingfisher flights from Delhi to Dharamshala, Udaipur and Dehra Dun were also cancelled.
A Kingfisher Airlines spokesperson did not respond to repeated calls.In the second such action within a month, the pilots went on strike demanding release of salaries, affecting flight operations since morning.
The stir comes after a meeting here between a group of pilots and KFA Chief Executive Sanjay Aggarwal over the salary issue ended without any results, airline sources said.
“About 15 pilots had gone to meet the CEO to enquire about the March salary since the pilots were promised by the management that every one would be paid by August 17. They were made to wait for an hour and half and then told the Chairman (Vijay Mallya) has said they will be paid by Tuesday,” they said.(PTI)
The private airline, whose accounts are under Corporate Affairs Ministry’s scanner, has not made payments to majority of its employees since March.
The Ministry recently ordered an inspection of account books of the debt-ridden airline after receiving complaints from stakeholders alleging violation of certain provisions of company law. (PTI)
Kanda arrested, sent to custody
NEW DELHI, Aug 18:
Former Haryana Minister Gopal Kanda, a fugitive for the past 10 days, today surrendered before Delhi Police which arrested him in connection with the Geetika Sharma suicide case and secured a seven-day court remand to question him.
After a dramatic build-up in which his brother was arrested last night, Kanda, who failed to get anticipatory bail from the Delhi High Court yesterday, surfaced at Ashok Vihar Police Station at 4 am hoodwinking policemen deployed across North-West Delhi to apprehend him.
Soon after Kanda emerged from a van with media stickers in front of the police station, some policemen rushed out and took him inside.
Before entering the police station, Kanda told media persons, who were waiting there anticipating his surrender, “I came here on my own will to help the investigation.”
Kanda, who was last seen coming out of his Gurgaon residence on August 8, was served with a notice to join investigations on August 7.
Geetika’s brother Ankit alleged that Kanda’s surrender was a “pre-planned drama” and the Government was helping him.
Later in the day, amid tight security cover, Kanda was produced in a Rohini court which accepted the Delhi Police’ plea for his custodial interrogation and sent him to seven days police custody.
After Delhi Police said Kanda was not cooperating in the probe, Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate D K Jangala said his custodial interrogation is necessary for recovery of various materials related to the case.
Kanda was produced in the court room, which was packed to capacity and many of his supporters were stopped from entering the court with police personnel bolting the door from inside.
Delhi Police had sought 14-days custody of Kanda on the ground that his sustained interrogation is required to unearth the whole conspiracy as some material evidence including electronic records are yet to be recovered.
“Therefore, keeping in view the cumulative facts and circumstances and material produced, I am of the considered opinion that seven days police custody remand of the accused Gopal Goyal Kanda shall be sufficient for interrogation and recovery of alleged material.
“The application is allowed for grant of seven days custody remand accordingly,” said the judge.
Hours before his surrender, Kanda’s brother Govind came to police station at midnight to inform police that the former minister will surrender.
However, police arrested Govind and later it was found that he was wanted in a cheque-bounce case for which he was produced today in a Saket court, which granted him bail.
A magisterial court had on Thursday issued a non-bailable warrant (NBW) against the former Haryana Minister. The court had asked the police to execute the arrest warrant by August 24.
Kanda’s employee, Aruna Chaddha, a senior functionary with now defunct MDLR airlines, has already been arrested and is in judicial custody in connection with the suicide of 23-year-old air hostess Geetika Sharma, who allegedly took her life on August 5 at her Ashok Vihar residence.
In her suicide note, Geetika had alleged that Kanda and Chaddha were harassing her to rejoin the former minister’s firm after she left the job.
Both Kanda and Chaddha have denied the allegations. (PTI)
Zardari asks Sindh Govt to frame law to stop forced conversion
ISLAMABAD, Aug 18:
Against the backdrop of reports of mass migration of Pakistani Hindus to India, President Asif Ali Zardari has directed the Sindh government to frame a draft law to amend the Constitution as part of efforts to prevent forced conversion of the minorities in the southern province.
The President made the decision after he was briefed about the concerns of Hindus by his sister Faryal Talpur, a lawmaker of the ruling PPP, and Sindh Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah.
During a meeting held in Karachi on Thursday, Zardari directed Shah to form a committee under provincial Law Minister Ayaz Soomro to prepare the draft law to amend the Constitution.
Elected representatives and leaders of the Hindu Panchayat will be included in the committee, The Express Tribune reported quoting its sources.
“The reports of the mass migration of Hindus to India are merely speculative but people of the Hindu community are insisting that a law is made against forced conversions,” Chief Minister Shah was quoted as saying by the sources.
Zardari directed Talpur and Shah to visit Jacobabad and meet representatives of the Hindu community before the draft law is framed.
The President recently formed a committee of three Parliamentarians headed by federal Minister Maula Bux Chandio to meet the Hindu community across Sindh following reports of their mass migration to India due to forced conversions, kidnapping for ransom and extortion demands. (PTI)
Jawan refuses to come down from tower
NEW DELHI, Aug 18:
Adamant on his demand to speak to Defence Minister A K Antony, an Armyman who climbed a 200 ft high mobile tower here alleging harassment refused to come down for the second day today.
K Muthu, who is attached with Engineers Regiment, climbed the tower at Ajmeri Gate at around 1 pm yesterday and refused to come down till late night despite appeals by police and officers of Army, a senior police official said.
The 35-year-old sepoy in Army told reporters over phone, “I want to meet the Defence Minister. I will come down only if I’m allowed to meet the minister.”
Colleagues from his unit are taking turns to be with him atop the tower and trying to convince him.
Hailing from Tuticorin district of Tamil Nadu, Muthu has alleged he was transferred five times in five years.
He said, “This is not a problem faced by me alone. I’m presenting the problems faced by many jawans in Army.”
On Friday, he had thrown a bunch of papers and in one of the letters, he demanded his discharge from service due to alleged harassment by seniors. In the letter, he has also requested the commanding officer to get his salary of the last eight months cleared.
Rubbishing the allegations levelled by the sepoy, a senior army official said, “There is nothing like that. Muthu has taken more leaves than he has been sanctioned. In fact, he would be given a fair chance to present his case once he comes down.”
Regarding the sepoy’s health, the official said, “Muthu is currently taking only liquids and has refused to have solid food. We have sent colleagues who were with him in his regiment but he is not cooperating with them also.” (PTI)