Excelsior Correspondent

JAMMU, Feb 23: Governor NN Vohra today said the Government was committed to establishment of three-tier Panchayati Raj system in the State by holding elections to the Block Development Councils followed by District Planning and Development Boards. In his address to joint session of Legislature, Mr Vohra said the Government has commended the process for securing functioning of the Panchayati Raj institutions and flow of resources to them. “For complete establishment of the three-tier Panchayati Raj system in the State, the process of elections to the Block Development Councils has been initiated, which will be followed by elections to the District Planning and Development Board’’, the Governor said. Noting that elections to the Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) were immediate priority of the Government, he said the polls would be completed by April 2012. “This would complete the process of establishing urban and rural self-governing institutions all over the State’’, he added. Observing that the Government was following a policy of zero tolerance towards terrorism and hum. .

Excelsior Correspondent

JAMMU, Feb 23: Finance Minister Abdul Rahim Rather said today that he was surprised at the notice issued to him by the State Accountability Commission (SAC) as neither his Ministry nor he himself figured anywhere in the allotment of contract for making Smart Cards for the Government employees given to his son. Describing the anonymous complaint lodged against him in the SAC as “part of vilification campaign’’ launched against him for last two years, Mr Rather told a press conference that he would quit the politics if any allegation was proved against him. “The allegations that Smart Cards contract was given to my son by me or the Finance Department were absolutely false. It was the Information and Technology (IT) Department, which allotted the work to Jammu and Kashmir Bank. The Bank outsourced the contract. The SAC has itself admitted these facts in the

By Sanjeev Pargal

JAMMU, Feb 23: Budget session of the State Legislature today began on a stormy note with Governor NN Vohra’s Address to joint session of the Legislature being disrupted by official four member faction of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and lone member of Jammu State Morcha (JSM) in Central Hall of Legislature while the National Panthers Party (NPP) staging a demonstration outside. The BJP and JSM also held a protest outside the Legislature Hall before the Governor’s Address.However, the major 21 members opposition party, the PDP, maintained silence during the Governor Address. The PDP members led by their Legislature Party leader Mehbooba Mufti listened the Governor’s 48 minutes Address without any disruptions. Seven BJP rebels too kept quiet though their leader Prof Chaman Lal Gupta stood up for a while.After the BJP’s walk-out, the silence in the Central Hall of Legislature was broken

Setting the stage for taking on the Government, the major opposition, PDP tonight moved adjournment motion in the Legislative Assembly seeking suspension of entire business tomorrow to discuss the “extra ordinary situation’’ that has arisen due to notices issued to Chief Minister, Advisors, various Chairpersons/Vice Chairpersons of Boards/ Corporation and two Cabinet Ministers by the State Accountability Commission.The adjournment motion was moved by PDP Legislature

By Mohinder Verma

JAMMU, Feb 23: State Cabinet, which is meeting under the chairmanship of Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah tomorrow evening, is likely to give its nod for carrying out amendment in the J&K Transfer of Property Act so that three power projects under Chenab Valley Project Private Limited are implemented on fast track basis. The Cabinet will also accord approval to the introduction of a bill in the State Legislature for setting up of first ever Nursing Council in the State. Authoritative sources told EXCELSIOR that following setting up of Chenab Valley Power Projects Private Limited, a Joint Venture Company of Jammu and Kashmir State Power Development Corporation, NHPC and Power Trading Corporation (PTC) for execution of Pakaldul, Kiru and Kawar hydro electric projects on river Chenab with an aggregate capacity of 2120 Mega Watt, the Power Development Department submitted a proposal to the Department of Law

Excelsior Correspondent

JAMMU, Feb 23: Principal Sessions Judge, Jammu, Jang Bahadur Singh Jamwal today awarded life-imprisonment to eight accused including then SSP Karnail Singh and his wife Ratno Devi. According to the police case, Nitin Sharma, a driver by profession, had developed relations with the daughter of then SSP Karnail Singh and later they entered into wed-lock on March 31, 2005, against the wishes of Karnail Singh and his wife. Soon after the marriage, they fled to unknown location and stayed there for sometime before returning back to Jammu. On her return, Karnail Singh kept his daughter under strict vigil following which she jumped from the roof top to meet her husband. In the incident she sustained injuries on her both legs and she became unable to walk for certain perio

Excelsior Correspondent

JAMMU, Feb 23: Governor NN Vohra today said the Government was committed to establishment of three-tier Panchayati Raj system in the State by holding elections to the Block Development Councils followed by District Planning and Development Boards. In his address to joint session of Legislature, Mr Vohra said the Government has commended the process for securing functioning of the Panchayati Raj institutions and flow of resources to them. “For complete establishment of the three-tier Panchayati Raj system in the State, the process of elections to the Block Development Councils has been initiated, which will be followed by elections to the District Planning and Development Board’’, the Governor said. Noting that elections to the Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) were immediate priority of the Government, he said the polls would be completed by April 2012. “This would complete the process of establishing urban and rural self-governing institutions all over the State’’, he added. Observing that the Government was following a policy of zero tolerance towards terrorism and hum.

Excelsior Correspondent

JAMMU, Feb 23: Finance Minister Abdul Rahim Rather said today that he was surprised at the notice issued to him by the State Accountability Commission (SAC) as neither his Ministry nor he himself figured anywhere in the allotment of contract for making Smart Cards for the Government employees given to his son. Describing the anonymous complaint lodged against him in the SAC as “part of vilification campaign’’ launched against him for last two years, Mr Rather told a press conference that he would quit the politics if any allegation was proved against him. “The allegations that Smart Cards contract was given to my son by me or the Finance Department were absolutely false. It was the Information and Technology (IT) Department, which allotted the work to Jammu and Kashmir Bank. The Bank outsourced the contract. The SAC has itself admitted these facts in the

By Sanjeev Pargal

JAMMU, Feb 23: Budget session of the State Legislature today began on a stormy note with Governor NN Vohra’s Address to joint session of the Legislature being disrupted by official four member faction of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and lone member of Jammu State Morcha (JSM) in Central Hall of Legislature while the National Panthers Party (NPP) staging a demonstration outside. The BJP and JSM also held a protest outside the Legislature Hall before the Governor’s Address.However, the major 21 members opposition party, the PDP, maintained silence during the Governor Address. The PDP members led by their Legislature Party leader Mehbooba Mufti listened the Governor’s 48 minutes Address without any disruptions. Seven BJP rebels too kept quiet though their leader Prof Chaman Lal Gupta stood up for a while.After the BJP’s walk-out, the silence in the Central Hall of Legislature was broken

From Fayaz Bukhari

Srinagar Feb 23: An Army officer was among 16 Army personnel killed and 11 injured in avalanches that struck Army facilities at Gurez in North Kashmir district of Bandipora and Sonamarg in Central Kashmir district of Ganderbal last night after heavy snowfall for last few days. The Srinagar based spokesman of the Defence Ministry, Lt Col Jagmohan Singh Brar, said here today that last night at around 10 pm, an avalanche struck the 109 Army Brigade, at Dawar Markote in Gurez sector of North Kashmir district of Bandipora near the Line of Control (LoC).He said that 29 soldiers were trapped under the avalanche that damaged around 25 Army vehicles and 17 Army barracks inside the Brigade workshop. A joint rescue operation was launched by Army, Police and Civil authorities and 13 dead bodies were recovered so far and equal numbers of Army personnel were rescued. The rescuers worked round the clock in inclement weather to look for the survivors.