Excelsior Sports Correspondent
JAMMU, June 16: Aimed at helping students to explore interesting facts of the rich and vibrant history of the snow capped peaks and luscious green areas, Banyan International School organized a tour to Shimla.
The tour included guided trips to the areas having green cover of exotic trees like Narkhanda, Kufri and Chail etc.
During the tour, the students visited the Indian Institute of Advance Studies, which kindled new interests in them towards pursuing their higher studies. Camping at Narkhanda and horse riding at Kufri were the most enjoyable part of the trip.
The Malls packed with shops and eateries appealed the students and a visit to Sankat Mochan Temple instilled a new energy in them. Moreover, a chance to see the world’s famous cricket ground and a visit to Military School Chail made the trip a memorable experience for the students.
Banyan International School organizes tour to Shimla
RGM College organizes symposium
Excelsior Sports Correspondent
KATHUA, June 16: Rajiv Gandhi Memorial (RGM) College of Education, Kathua organized a symposium on the topic ‘Development of Teaching Skills: A challenge and an Opportunity’, here today.
Dr Netar Singh, Principal Government Degree College Kathua was the chief guest on the occasion, while Dr Ranvijay Singh, Vice Principal Government Degree College for Women Kathua was the guest of honour.
The participating Colleges in the symposium included Lal Bahadur Shastri College of Education, Surya College of Education, New Age College of Education, RS College of Education and the host Rajiv Gandhi Memorial College of Education.
Meanwhile, Rajesh Singh of Lal Bahadur Shastri College bagged first place and Esha Jamwal of RS College claimed second place in the symposium. The third place was shared by Isha Sharma of Rajiv Gandhi College, Varinder Sharma of New Age College and Rakhi Bhardwaj of Cosmic College.
Raj Kiran, Pankaj Khajuria and Deepika Khajuria were the judges on the occasion.
Prominent among others present on the occasion were Anu Dogra, chairperson, Pankaj Dogra, trustee, GP Sachdev, Principal, Monika Sharma, Vice Principal, Sheetal Sharma, Ashwani Kumar, Shakeela, Ritu Sharma, Preeti Bahri and Shallu Sharma.
Kingfisher Club faces Combined Bhaderwah in Gufran T20 Summit Clash
Excelsior Sports Correspondent
DODA, June 16: Drubbing Friends Cricket Club Ghat by 3 wickets in a high scoring match, Kingfisher Cricket Club Jammu made it to the finals of the ongoing All India 8th Gufran Memorial T20 Cricket Championship, being organized by Young Star Cricket Club at Sports Stadium, here. Now, Kingfisher would lock horns with Combined Cricket Club Bhaderwah in the summit clash on June 18.
The tournament is being sponsored by J&K Bank, KC Hyundai and Bajaj Allianz.
Earlier, batting first, FCC Ghat scored a mammoth total of 197 runs in the stipulated 20 overs, losing 5 wickets in the process. Vipin played a splendid innings of 88 runs, while Shadab Wani and Sapan scored 28 and 19 runs to the total respectively. For Kingfisher Club, Rohit claimed 2 wickets, while Raman Dutta and Vishwajeet picked one wicket each.
In reply, Kingfisher Jammu chased the target in 19.3 overs by losing 7 wickets and won the match by 3 wickets. Parveen Singh played a swashbuckling innings of 53 runs in just 15 balls, while Manish Dogra and Ajit Pal Singh contributed 44 and 36 runs to the total respectively. For FCC Ghat, Sapan captured 4 wickets, while Bharat claimed 2 wickets. Parveen Singh was adjudged man of the match which was presented to him by chief guest Zaheer Abass Hashmi, Principal GDC Doda.
Sidharth, Paras to attend BCCI batting camp at Mohali
Excelsior Sports Correspondent
JAMMU, June 16: Three cricketers from Jammu and Kashmir namely Sidharth Magotra, Paras Sharma and Ahmed Umar Bandey have been named in the 24 probables for the Board of Control for Cricket in India’s (BCCI’s) batting Camp to be held from June 18 at Mohali.
Left-handed elegant youngster Sidharth has been named in the probables for his superb display of batting in the BCCI’s Under-19 Tournament last season. With one century and 4 half-centuries, Sidharth has scored around 500 runs in the U-19 format last season, besides showing good performance in Under-22 tournament also, while middle order batsman Paras Sharma got the selectors nod for his cracking knocks of 99, 90 and 75 runs with a total score of around 400 runs in Under-19 tournament last season.
Ahmed Umar Bandey also had around 300 runs in his kitty last season, with one big knock of 86 runs, apart from having a few scalps to his name.
It is pertinent to mention here that 17 centuries were scored by the J&K cricketers in different age groups in the last season, courtesy JKCA, which organised good number of quality matches at the domestic level.
Army organizes Summer Adventure Camp
Excelsior Sports Correspondent
UDHAMPUR, June 16: Aiming at moulding the youth into responsible and conscious citizens, the Udhampur based Nothern Army Command organized a Summer Adventure Camp, which began at Dalhousie in Himachal Pradesh today.
This week-long camp is being organized in picturesque surroundings of Dalhousie and Khajiar from June 16 to June 22.
The Camp in which 116 students are participating was inaugurated by Major General Sukesh Rakshit, General Officer Commanding, Dah Division in a colourful function.
The camp is being conducted for children ageing between 11 to 15 and 16 to 18 years with an objective to inculcate spirit of adventure, ecological awareness and communication skills, apart from enhancing self-confidence and fostering spirit of camaraderie and national integration.
The activities to be taken in the camp included trekking, rock climbing, tent pitching, jungle survival skills, treasure hunt, plantation, cleanliness drive and plethora of fun-filled games.
Omar asks people to differentiate between real, false healing touch
SRINAGAR, June 16: Asking the people to make distinction between real and false healing touch, Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah today listed the measures his Government has taken to heal the wounds of the people affected by militancy in the State.
He said that the Rehabilitation Policy, passports to relatives of militants, reduction in the footprints of security forces, removal of bunkers, focusing attention on addressing of political issues, zero tolerance against rights violations, people-centric Standing Operating Procedures (SOP) and many other steps his Government has taken during the last three years itself differentiate the real healing touch from the false one propagated by the PDP during their tenure.
“This also distinguished mere slogans from solid actions”, he added.
Taking a dig on PDP and its leadership, Omar said the opposition party despite raising slogan of healing touch opposed the Rehabilitation Policy in the Legislature when it was in power. This policy was aimed at providing opportunity to the militants, who had crossed over to LoC and not taken guns in hand, to rehabilitate and live a respectable life, he asserted.
“It is NC-Congress coalition Government which framed and implemented the Rehabilitation Policy making way for these persons to return and live a peaceful life. This is called the real healing touch”, he said and also referred to the decision of his Government to do away with the blacklist of relatives of the militants maintained by the Police Department during the PDP tenure for refusing passports.
He said that any relative of the militants, who was not involved in militancy related issues is now getting passports like other common citizens.
Addressing a gathering after laying foundation of a Degree College building at Kilim in Devsar constituency of South Kashmir, Omar said that the PDP leadership has shut eyes wearing black glasses and cannot see the light of the day.
“People are wiser enough to make difference between the opportunists and the friends of the people”, he added.
Giving details of the achievements his Government has registered during the last three years, Omar said that in Devsar constituency alone which is represented by PDP MLA, his Government has spent more than Rs. 30 crore on construction and upgradation of roads and bridges during the last three years and another Rs. 11.50 crore have been earmarked for the current year.
“We are not like Pen and Inkpot Party (PDP) to starve the areas which were represented by the National Conference during the period when this party was in power”, he said asserting that justice is the benchmark of his Government and reaching out people in all areas equitably is the policy of present dispensation.
The Chief Minister said that in Devsar constituency, a bridge at Kilim Gund is under construction at a cost of Rs. 11.60 crore and 41 kilometers of roads in the constituency have been macadamized and metalled. He said that about a dozen water supply schemes at a cost of Rs. 18 crore have been completed while half a dozen such schemes are under execution. He said 7 irrigation and flood control schemes at a cost of Rs. 20 crore are in hand while Rs. 8 crore have been spent in the constituency to promote trade and tourism.
He said Mir Bazar Power Grid Station has been completed last year and two receiving stations are being commissioned this year. “These achievements itself reject the propaganda of PDP against the working of his Government”, he asserted.
Referring to public empowerment and eradication of corruption, Omar Abdullah said that his Government has taken historic measures in this direction adding that no previous Government has ever taken decisions of this significance and public importance. “We have enacted Public Service Guarantee Act (PSGA) to make service delivery time bound and impose fine on erring officials on this count”, he said adding that 50 services of 6 Departments of Transport, Revenue, Power, CAPD, Housing and PHE have been brought under the ambit of this Act to make the service delivery time bound. He said Home and other departments will also be brought under the purview of this Act.
The Chief Minister also referred to the constitution of J&K State Right to Information Commission to give powers to the people to ask any question regarding any performance to any Government department. He also talked about the constitution of Vigilance Commission and said that strengthening of institutions to curb corruption is the policy of his Government.
Omar appreciated the people’s wisdom to contribute greatly for restoration of peace in the State and extending support to the Government to carry forward development on fast track. He said that ever increasing tourist flow in the State due to peaceful conditions has opened avenues of economic activities and jobs for youth. He appealed the people to continue their support to the Government to realize the dream of New Kashmir and make development and prosperity rule the roast in the State.
Earlier, the Chief Minister laid the foundation of Degree College Building at Kilim to be constructed at a cost of Rs. 12.50 crore during the period of two years. The college is being established over an area of 81 kanals of land and the building project envisages construction of classrooms, laboratory, library and administrative blocks.
He expressed hope that the infrastructure would relieve the students from various difficulties they face in receiving higher education in a rented building at present.
Talking to media persons on the occasion, Omar hoped that Pranab Mukherjee would be the next President of country.
In reply to a question regarding the strikes by a section of employees often, the Chief Minister said that his Government has always been employee-friendly. “We have entertained almost all their demands and are ready to discuss other demands in an amicable and peaceful atmosphere across the table. There is no reason for going on strikes every now and then”, he said adding that some vested interests in employee circles are compelling them to deviate from the path of negotiations and talking which is ultimately counter-productive for the interests of the employees.
Police cracks Hizb-cops nexus in Srinagar; nabs 3
Attack on Shabnam exposes moles
Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, June 16: Police have cracked a major network of Hizbul Mujahideen in Police Department with the arrest of three constables, who had reportedly been passing on all sensitive information especially pertaining to deployment of police and para-military personnel in Srinagar city to the militant outfit.
Police was investigating involvement of more police personnel posted in police and CID including some officers for similar links with the militants and number of arrests could go up in next few days after interrogation of three police constables, who were tonight shifted to Cargo police station.
A team of National Investigating Agency (NIA) was also camping in Srinagar amidst reports that they too had inputs about the links of some police personnel of Srinagar with the militants, mainly the HM outfit. However, IGP Kashmir SM Sahai said it was police, which had arrested the constables for their links with the militants.
Police sources identified the arrested constables as Mohammad Abbas, Riaz Ahmad and Mohammad Ilyas. A First Information Report (FIR) against all three constables was initially lodged at Shergarhi police station.
According to sources, the police constables had been passing on all sensitive information that had with them including deployment of police and para-military CRPF personnel to the militants of the LeT outfit to facilitate the militants carry out attacks on the two forces in Srinagar City and outskirts.
Their involvement in the militancy surfaced few days back after attempt on the life of a former Hizbul Mujahideen militant Ghulam Hassan Mir alias Shabnam at Saderbal, Hazratbal on June 7. Shabnam was shot at by five to six persons but he had survived the attack.
Investigations by the police revealed that all five to six persons involved in the attack on the life of Shabnam were police and CID constables, who were affiliated to Hizbul Mujahideen and had carried out the attack on the instructions of one of their commanders.
“It was from this attack that police started tracking calls made in Saderbal area and finally zeroed-in on three constables”, sources said, adding their interrogation was expected to lead to more arrests of the constables of police and CID, who were involvement in militancy.
Director General of Police (DGP), K Rajendra said: “things would be clear when we complete our investigations”. He said police acted on its own and arrested the constables as soon as it developed inputs about their links with the anti-national elements.
“Investigations are a continuous process. Earlier also, some constables have been arrested or quizzed for militants links. We will get to bottom of the investigations and take them to logical conclusion”, the DGP said, adding that senior police officers were investigating the case.
The possibility of three arrested constables being involved in more such attacks was not ruled out. They were being quizzed to ascertain their role in attack on CRPF at Victory Crossing, Khanyar few days back in which seven police personnel were injured.
Sources said the NIA teams in New Delhi had also been tracking calls of some of constables of Kashmir Police and they too had valuable inputs about involvement of the cops in the militancy.
Arrest of the police personnel came at a time when just little over a week was left for the start of annual pilgrimage of Shri Amarnath ji shrine in South Kashmir Himalayas.
Sources said the police constables were being subjected to sustained interrogation after their arrest and registration of a case against them following specific inputs about their links with the HM outfit and reports that many more police and CID personnel could also be involved in the anti-national activities.
Reports about involvement of some police officers in the anti-national acts was also being investigated though police authorities ruled out the involvement of any senior officer in the case.
Admitting that police constables had passed on sensitive information to the militants, sources said it was being ascertained whether some arms have also been supplied to the militants.
According to reliable sources, some attacks on police and CRPF by the militants were reported to have been carried out by the militants at the behest of information provided by the constables.
Over 200 detained, Raj Bhawan march foiled
Protest at Div Com’s office, strike affects work
Fayaz Bukhari/ Gopal Sharma
SRINAGAR/JAMMU, June 16: The police today used water canons and detained around 200 State Government employees to foil their march towards Raj Bhawan in Srinagar while most of the Government offices wore deserted look today as employees stayed away from work in response to one day strike call given by JCC across the State.
The police across Kashmir valley was on high alert to foil the employees’ march towards Raj Bhawan. As part of the four-day programme, State Government employees had planned to march to Raj Bhawan to seek Governor N N Vohra’s intervention in the implementation of the agreement which the employees have reached with the State Government.
All the city entry points in Srinagar had been sealed by police for the State Government employees to foil their march. Police was checking vehicles to stop entry of Government employees into the city.
However, a large group of employees managed to reach SK Park near Polo View. They were led by senior leaders of the Joint Consultative Committee (JCC) of the State Government employees including Khursheed Alam, Abdul Qayoom Wani and Mohammad Gafoor Dar.
The employees in small groups appeared at SK Park and police deployed in full strength used water canons to disperse them. Some of them who gave resistance to police were detained after scuffle.
The detained employee leaders include JCC leaders Khursheed Alam, Qayoom Wani, Shabir Hussain, Fayaz Ahmad Shabnam, Fayaz Indrabi, Manzoor Ahmad Pampori, Kulwant Singh, Ghulam Mohammad Hamdard, Shahid Hussain, Syed Aftab Ahmad Andrabi, Peer Manzoor, Ghulam Rasool Bhat, Mohammad Yaqoob Jan, Nusrat Beg, Iqbal Beg, Tasleem Rashid, Harpal Singh Pali and others.
The Government employees are demanding enhancement of the retirement age to 60 from the existing 58 years, regularisation of daily-wagers engaged after 1994 and removal of pay anomalies in the clerical cadre, besides budgetary support to Public Sector Undertakings.
In Jammu, the employees in large number assembled at Rail Head Complex and then in the form of rally moved towards the office of Divisional Commissioner, Jammu. Senior JCC leaders Amrik Singh, Jaginder Singh, Ravi Singh Bhau and Rajinder Kumar were leading.
Shouting slogans in support of their demands, these employees then reached outside the office of Divisional Commissioner, Pardeep Gupta. They held demonstration there for some time. Several senior trade union leaders addressed the gathering. They condemned the rigid and confrontational attitude of the State Government and said that employees will be forced to intensify their strike programme. They demanded that retirement age be hiked, daily wagers and consolidated workers be regularized, pay anomalies be removed and PSU workers be given benefits of 6th Pay Commission.
With the strike in Jammu region today, the work in many Government offices and PSUs was affected. The general public suffered due to employees’ strike. The work in the emergency units of hospitals continued unaffected while functional staff of PHE, PDD and CAPD was exempted from the strike today. In Forest complex, Dogra Hall the protest demonstration was led by Sheikh Zaffarullah and Sukhbir Singh and others.
Reports from Doda, Kathua, Samba, Udhampur, Rajouri, Reasi, Kishtwar, Poonch and Ramban said that work in many Government offices remained affected in view of JCC sponsored strike.
Meanwhile, senior JCC leaders Alam, Wani and Dar have condemned the use of force by the State Government against the striking employees. They have threatened to intensify their agitation to force Government for the implementation of the agreement. They threatened to issue a revolutionary programme after June 19 if the Government fails to implement the agreement. JCC is meeting on June 19 to chalk out the future programme, they added.
Senior JCC leader Khursheed Alam said that government employees will intensify their agitation following confrontational attitude by the Government. He said that police arrested hundreds of employees during the four day protest programme. He said that all roads to Raj Bhawan were blocked today and raids were conducted on the houses of employees’ leaders and on the hotels in which they were staying. He condemned use of force by the police.
The day long employees strike paralysed the functioning in the Government offices. They wore deserted look across the State with employees staying away from the work. The Government schools and colleges remained closed, however, private schools were functioning normally.
CBI raids at 4 places in Rs 2 cr PNB scam
Punjab industrialist’s premises raided
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, June 16: The Central Bureau of Investigations (CBI) conducted simultaneous raids at four places in Jammu and Jalandhar after unearthing about Rs 2 crore worth scam in Punjab National Bank (PNB) committed by an industrialist along with his associates and unnamed officers of the Bank and Revenue Department of the State.
Official sources said the CBI teams conducted raids in the industrial and residential complexes of Ravi Kumar, Proprietor of M/s SL Rubber Industries, Industrial Growth Centre (IGC) Samba and Krishan Kumar Sharma of Gangyal and recovered some important documents pertaining to the scam.
A number of Revenue Department and PNB officers were also involved in the scam and efforts were on to identify them, sources said, adding that a Regular Case No. 6/2-12 under Section 120-B read with 420, 468, 471 RPC read with 5(1) (D) of Prevention of Corruption Act has been registered against the accused.
In addition to Ravi Kumar, an industrialist from Jalandhar, Punjab, presently running SL Rubber Industries at Industrial Growth Centre, Samba and Krishan Kumar Sharma of Gangyal, the unnamed officers of PNB and Revenue Department have also been named in the FIR.
Sources said Ravi Kumar had secured Rs 1.60 crore worth loan from PNB’s Rehari Chowk branch, which has subsequently gone up to Rs 1.75 crore, for SL Rubber Industries with the guarantee of Krishan Kumar Sharma by producing fake mortgage documents of non-existing property.
The fake documents of non-existent property at Chowadian had been prepared by the accused with the connivance of Revenue Department officials. The PNB officials, who were then at the helm of affairs, didn’t examine the documents and the property on spot and released loan in favour of the industrialist.
Soon the loan turned Non Performing Asset (NPA) causing heavy loss to the PNB.
When the Bank officials went to seize mortgaged property, they found that it didn’t exist on record. The Revenue officials had tampered with the record and prepared fake documents of the property for mortgage, sources said.
After registering a regular case in about Rs 2 crore worth scam, the CBI officials conducted simultaneous search in the industrial and residential complexes of Ravi Kumar at SL Rubber Industries, Industrial Growth Centre, Samba, Jalandhar and Gangyal residence of Krishan Kumar Sharma.
During searches, the CBI officials recovered some documents pertaining to the scam, sources said and added that the documents were being scrutinized by the CBI team headed by Inspector Lalit Kumar under the supervision of SP CBI Jammu Armandeep Singh.
They said the CBI was examining record of the Bank and other seized documents to ascertain identity of the Revenue officers, who had prepared fake documents for the industrialist of non-existent land, which had been mortgaged in favour of the Bank.
The PNB officials, who were at the helm of affairs at the time of sanction of such a big loan, were in the process of identification and would be quizzed to know whether they had deliberately ignored the mortgaged of non-existent land or it happened due to an error.
Sources said the industrialist and his guarantor have also been summoned for questioning.
No coordination, only blame game among Govt agencies
Pitiable condition of roads, lanes due to sewer link work
JAMMU, June 16: Notwithstanding Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah’s repeated thrust on coordination among different agencies in executing developmental works, various departments and agencies have been indulging in the blame-game instead of working in a coordinated manner to complete the ongoing sewer line laying works within the stipulated time-frame and without creating difficulties for the people.
Official sources told EXCELSIOR that when the NBCC and ERA started sewer line laying works in the length and breadth of the summer capital a committee under the chairmanship of Divisional Commissioner was constituted to ensure proper coordination among the project executing agencies and other departments like-Public Health Engineering, Power Development, Jammu Municipal Corporation, Roads and Buildings and Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL).
“The coordination was imperative in order to complete the works within stipulated time-frame that too without creating difficulties for the people and causing damage to other infrastructure like drinking water supply lines and cables of the BSNL but the situation on ground clearly indicates that coordination was never exercised by the concerned agencies”, sources said.
“Instead of following the mantra of the Chief Minister, who is very keen to ensure that people don’t face any problem during the execution of developmental works and developmental activities don’t become health hazards for them, the concerned agencies be it NBCC and ERA or other Government departments have been preferring to shift blames on each other for the delay in the sewer line laying works and restoration of dug-up roads, lanes and by-lanes”, they said.
Following detailed report in this news-paper regarding the failure of NBCC and ERA to complete the works in stipulated time-frame, Senior General Manager of NBCC, Hem Raj rang up EXCELSIOR and held the Public Health Engineering (PHE) and BSNL authorities responsible for stretching up of works beyond the stipulated time-frame.
“When we carry out under-ground works we never know what sort of difficulties will crop us and create hurdles”, he said, adding “in majority of the areas our work is getting stretched because of most irrational network of drinking water pipes and cables of the BSNL”.
“In order to ensure that drinking water pipes or BSNL cables don’t get damaged we have to slow down our works”, he further said, adding “as far as compaction of the roads is concerned, the same has to be delayed for rainy season for better results and avoid sinking of roads”.
Contrary to the claims of the Senior General Manager of NBCC, Chief Engineer of PHE, B R Dogra said, “before the start of work by NBCC or ERA, we provide them detailed information about network of our supply lines so the question of their works getting delayed due to PHE Department doesn’t arise”, adding “it is easy to put blames on others instead of fulfilling own responsibility”.
To a question, Mr Dogra said, “despite prior identification of drinking water supply lines, our network is suffering damages at numerous places”.
Not only PHE Chief Engineer even the Chief General Manager (CGM) of the BSNL, R K Koul was not ready to accept the claims of NBCC and ERA.
“They never gave us information about their works in advance. If they furnish us information about the start of work well in time we can depute our engineers to guide them about our cables network”, he said, adding “both these agencies are starting works at their will and whim and without any prior information to us that is why our cables suffer extensive damages”.
“They are putting their JCBs into service during the night hours and we come to know about the same only in the morning that too from our subscribers, whose connections get disturbed due to sewer line laying works”, Mr Koul further said.
“What to talk of coordination, even some agencies like Jammu Municipal Corporation are not bothered to fulfill their responsibilities”, sources said while disclosing that even in those areas where NBCC or ERA had completed the works about one year back the Municipal Corporation has not started black-topping.
When contacted, Commissioner JMC, Kuldeep Khajuria said, “ERA has given us an amount of Rs 27 lakh for the restoration of dug-up lanes and by-lanes. I have already issued instructions for the start of work and in some areas the same has also been taken up”.
In response to a question, Mr Khajuria admitted that Corporation would stop black topping of lanes and by-lanes after about a week or 10 days in view of approaching monsoon season when black-topping work is not advisable”. The admission of JMC Commissioner clearly indicated that majority of the dug-up lanes and by-lanes would remain in dilapidated condition till ending August and people would continue to suffer.