Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Feb 23: A three-member team of National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC), of University Grant Commission (UGC) arrived at University of Jammu for accreditation of Academic Staff College (ASC).
The team comprised of Prof N S Gajbhiye, Vice-Chancellor, Dr Hari Singh Gour Vishwavidyalaya, Sagar, Prof M S K Khokar, Head, Rural Technology and Dean College Development Council, Guru Ghasidas University, Bilaspur and Prof U Subba Rao, Bhim Rao Ambedkar Open University, Hyderabad.
On the inaugural day, the team had an introductory meeting with Prof MP Singh Ishar, Vice-Chancellor, University of Jammu, Prof Neelam Saraf , Director ASC and faculty of Academic Staff College.
It was followed by meeting with key functionaries of the University, members of the Advisory Committee, Deans of various faculties, senior academicians and university officers.
In his welcome address, Prof Naresh Padha, Registrar, University of Jammu provided a brief Profile of the university.
The Vice-Chancellor, JU and peer team of NAAC were briefed by Ranjeet Kalra, Assistant Director, ASC about the functioning of the college.

Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Feb 23: Police charged batons on daily wagers, casual labourers and workers of the Public Health Engineering (PHE) department here today when they came out in protest at Residency Road to demand regularization.
Scores of PHE daily wagers, casual labourers and workers assembled at the Press Enclave here and raised slogans against the Government. They alleged that despite putting more than 14 years service in the department their services have not been regularized.
“Our demand for regularization is genuine since we have put in more than 14 years of service as daily wagers. But the top hierarchy of the department is resorting to delaying tactics and as such our regularization has been delayed. The Government should come out with the list of the persons whose cases are fit for regularization,” said the protesters.
They said that the persons engaged on daily basis during 1994 and 2005 should be regularized while as the casual labourers engaged between 2005 and 2011 should be paid wages. They threatened to launch an agitation in case these demands are not conceded by the Government.
The protesters argued with the police personnel posted at Press Enclave. While the protesters wanted to take out a protest rally through the main city, the police personnel objected saying that this cannot be allowed as Section 144 is in force.
Some of the protesters tried to break free the cordon and tried their best in carrying out the procession. But this attempt was thwarted by the police as they resorted to lathi-charge on them. Some of the protesters suffered minor injuries while some others were detained by the police personnel.

Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Feb 23: The authorities have failed to maintain a proper check and regulate the traffic in Jammu city even after the protests by people.
The traffic chaos has been a common problem in Jammu city and almost all routes face daily jams. The problem, however, becomes worst after the darbar move from Srinagar to Winter Capital.
The people accuse Government of its total failure in finding an everlasting solution to the problem, which is getting compounded day by day. Though various social and political organizations from Jammu constantly demand widening of the city roads, construction of alternative roads and flyovers especially from Jewel to Ambphalla and Canal to Talab Tiloo, the successive Governments failed to pay any attention to it, said Ram Kumar a social activist.
He said hundreds of new vehicles are adding to the public and private transport every month in Jammu alone while the width of the roads is over three decades old and till authorities pay attention to this issue, the traffic chaos will be a continuous problem in Jammu.
The people are confronted with traffic problem on every city road especially B C road from Shakuntala Cinema to Rehari Chungi, Canal road
to Jewel Chowk, Basant Nagar, Paloura to Disco Morh, Janipur and Ambphalla to New Plots said Satish Poonchi president Jammu Kashmir Peoples Front.
He said the demand for construction of flyovers and circular roads in these areas is a long pending one but Government is always making false promises with the people in this regard.
The people fail to reach their destinations in time due to traffic jams in the city as it takes a vehicle not less than 20 to 30 minutes to reach from Canal to Jewel a distance which can hardly be covered in three minutes.
Same problem is being faced by the commuters at B C road from Shakuntala Cinema to Rehari Chungi. On this road the traffic jam is witnessed throughout the day. To reach their destinations in time and save themselves from being trapped in the jam for a long time the two wheelers and some LMVs usually ply on the footpath.
To get rid of this problem the army has erected barricades on the foot path at B C road so that no two wheeler or LMV could cross over the foot path during traffic jam.
Though the Government is ceased of the issue, it has failed to pay attention to the problem for reasons best known to it, said Mr Poonchi.
He warned if the problem is not paid immediate attention it will become more complicated in future.
The Government should look into the problem immediately and give topmost priority in widening city roads, construction of circular roads as well as flyovers, said Mukesh Sharma another social activist.

Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Feb 23: Minister for Rural Development, Law and Parliamentary Affairs, Ali Mohammad Sagar today said that the new rules regarding the Registration of Hindu Marriages (RHM) would be people friendly and would cater to the aspirations of every section of the society.
The Minister was speaking at a Cabinet Sub-Committee meeting constituted under his chairmanship. The Minister for Industries and Commerce S. S. Slathia and the Minister for Health and Horticulture Sham Lal Sharma, members of the Committee, besides Commissioner/Secretary Law G. H. Tantary, Special Secretary Law R. K. Koul and other senior officers of Law Department were present.
The Minister said that the views and suggestions have been obtained from prominent religious leaders, representatives of various religious organizations, members of Bar Association, faculty of Law School Jammu and due consideration was given to them in the light of Supreme Court directions and in accordance with the provisions of Jammu and Kashmir Hindu Marriage Act 1980. He said that the model of rules of other neighboring states like Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan and Himachal Pradesh have also been taken into consideration while drafting the new rules.
It is pertinent to mention that the need for framing Hindu Marriages Registration Rules (HMRR) has arisen due to the Court judgment in the case of Seema V/s Ashwani Kumar where in it had directed that marriages of all persons who are citizens of India shall be compulsorily registerable in their respective states. In this connection every State Government and Central Government was directed to notify the procedure for registration of marriages by amending the existing rules, if any, or by framing new rules.

Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Feb 23: A large number of Government employees from various departments and Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs) today staged protest demonstration near Press Club in support of their demands.
The employees and workers under the banner of Govt Employees Joint Action Committee (GEJAC), assembled near Exhibition Ground, adjoining Press Club Jammu in the morning and then held demonstration. A strong contingent of police force was already deployed there to stall their march towards Civil Secretariat. They were shouting slogans in support of their demands and also against the Government attitude.
Several leaders of the Employees Joint Action Committee including Suresh Sharma, Sushil Sudan, Subash Verma, Aijaz Khan, Shabir Lingu, Ishtiaq Beg, Gh Hassan Malik, Suman Sharma, Bashir Mir and Mohd Farooq addressed the gathering. They strongly criticized the Government for causing delay in releasing of 6th Pay Commission arrears of the workers, removal of pay anomalies, regularization of daily rated/ consolidated workers and implementation of Pay Commission recommendations in PSUs fully.
They pointed out that Government has failed to honour its commitment. They said that employees will give 15 days time to the Government and if it failed to honour its commitment, the employees will be forced to start agitation. This symbolic protest must be considered as a warning signal, they maintained.
Later, the employees tried to march towards the Civil Secretariat in the form of a rally but they were not allowed beyond Dogra Chowk by cops. The workers showed some resistance but they were cane charged and forced to confine to the specific area selected for protest.