Excelsior Correspondent

SRINAGAR, Apr 16: In order to review the progress of the construction/renovation, preservation and restoration of the old glory of some historical pilgrimage sites and get completed them in the stipulated time, the Minister for Rural Development, Panchyati Raj, Parliamentary Affairs and Law, Ali Mohammad Sagar on Monday conducted a whirlwind tour of the Srinagar city.
The Minister was accompanied by District Development Commissioner Srinagar, Baseer Ahmed Khan, Commissioner, SMC, G.N. Qasba, General Manager, JKPCC and officers of Tourism Department.
While paying obeisance at Hazrat Abdul Qadir Jeelani Dastgeer Sahib (RH), the Minister directed the JKPCC General Manager and other concerned Engineers to expedite the construction works and complete the project as early as possible. He also asked the shopkeepers coming under the extension project to shift their structures immediately so that the further construction works may be started soon. He also had an interaction with the some locals and enquired about the compensation process. He assured them that their grievances would be redressed.
Mr Sagar also took stock of the on-going construction works while paying obeisance at Naqashband Sahib (RH).
On the occasion, he was informed that so far Rs 1.29 crore have been spent on the construction of the mosque adjacent the Ziarat Sharif and on the other on-going construction works under Extension project against the estimated cost of Rs.10 crore.
Later, Mr. Sagar visited Zaina Kadal and took feed back of the steps taken for the preservation /renovation of the centuries old Zaina Kadal and the tomb of great King of the Kashmir Hazarat Zain-ul-Aabdin Badshah. On the occasion he said the affected shopkeepers coming under the preservation project will be shifted to Vakil Manzel.
The Minister also paid obeisance at Bulbul Shah Ziarat Sharief (RH) and reviewed the pace of the progress of the various on-going construction works. He was informed that so far Rs. 1.90 crore against the estimated cost of Rs. 2.27 crores have been spent on the various works and it is expected that the project will be completed within two months.
Mr. Sagar also visited Gada Kocha of Bohri Kadal and interacted with the locals. He assured them that their genuine problems will be solved.

Excelsior Correspondent

JAMMU, Apr 16: After according status of industry to tourism trade in the state, the Central Government has sanctioned 147 tourism development projects worth Rs.428.19 crore for creation of tourist related infrastructure and development of tourism spots in Jammu and Kashmir during last ten years. Against the total allocations, the centre has released Rs. 236.38 crore, of which Rs. 218.61 crore have been expended till last financial year on the execution of various schemes, including 73 completed projects.
This was revealed at a high level meeting convened here today to review the physical and financial achievements of centrally sponsored tourism development projects, with the Tourism and Culture Minister, Nawang Rigzin Jora in the chair.
Commissioner Secretary Tourism and Culture, Atal Duloo, Director Tourism Kashmir, Farooq Ahmad Shah, Director Tourism Jammu, R.S. Mehta, Managing Director JKTDC, Satish Nehru, Managing Director, JKPCC, Chief Executive Officers of Development Authorities besides senior officers of Planning Department were among others who attended the meeting.
The meeting was told that so far the construction and development work under 73 tourism projects have been completed and utilization certificates for the amount of Rs. 209.48 crore have been received by Tourism Administrative secretariat, while UCs for Rs. 56.13 crore are pending with concerned executing agencies.
The Minister stressed upon the concerned authorities to submit pending utilization certificates of the outstanding amount incurred on the projects at the earliest. He said this was necessary to secure the release of balanced amount from the Centre. He instructed the concerned officers to redouble their efforts and accelerate pace on ongoing development projects for timely completion. He also called for building tourism infrastructure to match the aesthetic look of a particular area.
Mr. Jora also reviewed pace of progress on development of tourism villages. He exhorted upon the concerned officers to ensure timely completion of all Tourism Development Villages in the State.
The meeting was told that as many as 29 villages are being developed as tourist villages in the State. Of which 8 villages are developed in Jammu Division and 21 in Kashmir. It was also informed that till date the work on 16 villages have been completed, while as the development of tourism infrastructure in 13 villages was in progress and would be completed this fiscal.
The meeting also reviewed pace of progress on mega tourism projects of Nagar-Watlab and Trans-Himalayan Culture Centre Leh which are being developed at a total cost of Rs. 60.58 crore against which Rs. 11.70 crore have been released by the Centre. It was told that necessary tourism development works have been taken up on these projects and would be completed in the stipulated time frame.
Later, the Minister released a booklet ‘Pahalgam – Paradise Awaiting” – published by Pahalgam Development Authority envisaging the information about the tourist attractions spots at the world famous tourist resort.

Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Apr 16: Jammu University (JU) today postponed English B paper of Part I and now will be held on May 16. The venues and time for the examination will remain same.
As per the handout issued by varsity authorities, a number of complaints were received with regard to the contents of the question paper of English B of Part I. The complaints were with regard to the inclusion of grammar portion from Part 2nd syllabus in the question paper of Part 1st.
Consequent to the same, the examination was postponed and now will be held on May 16 besides authorities are enquiring into the circumstances which led to this situation and taking steps to prevent such mishaps in future.

Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Apr 16: A faction of State Government Employees Joint Action Committee (EJAC) has accorded full support to the proposed strike programme given by Joint Consultative Committee (JCC) of the Government employees tomorrow.
Addressing a press conference here today, State vice president of the EJAC-K, Kulwant Singh and other senior members said that their faction has resolved to provide full support to the ‘Kam Chhor Hartal’ programme given by the JCC leadership on April 17. He said the decision in this regard was taken in a one-day session of the EJAC held here on Sunday under his leadership. The session took strong exception to the anti-worker attitude of the Government by adopting delaying tactics to side track the issue by backing out from its agreement made with JCC leadership on September 15, 2011 and compelling the employees to go on strike.
Mr Singh pointed out that Government has done nothing to formulate the policy for regularization of educational volunteers, casual, seasonal and daily rated workers who are working in various departments since long. The Government has constituted two committees for enhancement of retirement age from 58 to 60 years and removal of pay anomalies in different cadre but have done nothing within the time period. The PSC employees are also being deprived off benefits of 6th Pay Commission recommendations. He alleged that Government has betrayed over five lakh employees of the State. The EJAC leader issued appeal to the employees to observe complete strike on April 17.
Meanwhile, district unit of the Jammu and Kashmir Teachers Forum, Udhampur, led by Rajesh Sharma has also supported the April 17 strike call given by the JCC leadership. In a meeting of the Forum held here on Sunday, the members strongly criticized the Government for adopting delaying tactics and alleged that Government was forcing the employees to resort to the agitational path.
All J&K Plus 2 Lecturers’ Forum has also supported the strike call given by JCC on Tuesday. The Central Executive Committee of the Forum in a meeting held under the chairmanship of Narinder Singh Jamwal here decided to observe complete strike by all the lecturers in state. The Forum appealed all the members to support the strike call.

Excelsior Correspondent
RAJOURI, Apr 16: Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti today said that youth are the focus of PDP’s vision.
Seeking their cooperation in bringing about a change in the present exploitative system she said,”my party believes that our human resource is not a liability but an asset that needs to be promoted so that it can harness its abilities and potential to make this state a model for others”.
She said the present Government had derailed the revolutionary measures initiated by the previous Government in providing educational and skill development facilities. She said while the NC had put a complete ban on opening up of new educational institutions and their upgradation the PDP led government had opened new universities, colleges, hundreds of schools and upgraded most of them.
She was addressing a public meeting here today. MLA Choudhry Zulufkar, senior leader Ch Qammer Hussain, District President Ab Qayoom Dar, Zone President Shahzad Kha, Anjum Mirza Abhijit jusrotia, Ahsan Mirza, Tahir lone, Ashok Kumar and others were present and spoke on the occasion.
Mehbooba said the misrule of the present Government had forced all sections of society to take to streets as there was no redressal of their problems. Governments own employees were agitating while the ministers enjoyed luxuries that cost the state crores. Dailywagers, casual and seasonal employees were unabale to get their wages and on the other hand huge sums got lapsed or were being spent on the whims and fancies of the rulers.
The Government , she said, reemployed hundreds of their favourites, a practice that had been banned, after retirement. This on the one hand denied the few openings for new recruits and on the other blocked promotion prospects for the hard working employees who wait for decades in one position.
Rejecting the Chief Minister Omar Abdullah’s reasoning for continued power crisis in the State, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti said that more than its economics the down turn in power scenario is a direct result of misgovernance , wrong priorities and ineffeciant management of the state by the present Government.
Mehbooba said the continuing deterioration in power supply in the state is only one index of the over all performance of the NC led Government that has pushed the state back by decades on development and political fronts.
She said the recently published report by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) has exposed the reasons for the failure of the Government in providing amenities to the people including power, drinking water, sanitation facilities and roads. She said “though we had been saying this for long the CAG report has confirmed the worst fears about the functioning of the NC led coalition that has resulted in a governance paralysis and developmental holiday”.
She said the present Government has disrupted all the systems and institutions that had started, getting on the track after a long period of darkness. She said the youth were the worst victims of the governments policy of nepotism, favouristism and corruption. On one hand the Government had failed in opening new avenues of employment while on the other they had again resorted to their favourite back door appointments. She said Government jobs were again sold.

Excelsior Correspondent

JAMMU, Apr 16: The PoK refugees from Chhamb, Deva Batala, Bhimber, Mirpur, Kotli and Muzaffrabad held massive protest demonstration at Maheshpura Chowk and then took out a rally here today.
A large number of refugees including men and women, under the banner of J&K Refugees Front -1947, 65 and 71 assembled at Maheshpura Chowk here today and held demonstration. They were carrying banners and placards depicting their demands. Under the leadership of Capt Yudhveer Singh (president) and general secretary Rashpal Singh Chib, about 300 members of refugee families staged protest demonstration for about an hour at the busy Maheshpura Chowk, and then moved towards the Bakshinagar police station in the form of a rally to offer court arrest.
They were shouting slogans in support of their demands. Both the leaders addressed the gathering and alleged that despite assurance by the Revenue Minister Raman Bhalla and others, nothing could be done for the refugees. Mr Bhalla had also submitted a memorandum to the visiting Prime Minister on March 4, 2011. They demanded a comprehensive package for refugees’ settlement once for all and reservation for their children in jobs and educational/ technical institutions. They said that their agitation would go on till their demands are met with.
These leaders expressed serious concern over the silence of the Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on this issue. They alleged that various political parties only exploited these people and nobody has shown real concern for them.
The refugees after reaching at the police station sat on dharna for some time to offer court arrest. Mr Chib claimed that nearly 200 refugee members courted arrest at Bakshinagar police station. A police officials however, denied any such arrest and claimed that after staging protest dharna at the police station for some time, they dispersed.

Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Apr 16: A large number of Dawasaz have been appointed in National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) on the diploma certificates issued by the Indian System of Medicines (ISM) clandestinely to blue eyed candidates.
The ISM has ‘trained’ these candidates clandestinely despite the cancellation of list of nearly 994 candidates in 2008 by Heath and Medical Education Department owing to faulty procedure.
Majority of these candidates, who were issued certificates, were nominated by Ministers, MLAs, MLCs and office bearers of various political parties and then provided jobs in NRHM.
The selection list was issued after Director Indian System of Medicine vide letter No. DISM/Trngs/3036-37 dated 29/02/08, had sent a communication to government wherein it was said that 500 Dawasaz (ISM Pharmacists) in various health centers of ISM under NRHM were needed.
Instead of making a list of 500 as per the requirement, a list of 994 candidates was prepared and issued for the Diploma in Dawasaz in ISM. No criteria or guideline was followed while selecting these candidates for Dawasaz training.
The Commissioner Secretary to Government Health and Medical Education Department under government order No. 121 -HME(GR) of 2008 dated 17-10-2008 cancelled and withdrew the selection list of 994 candidates for Dawasaz training. The cancellation order was issued after the departmental inquiry found that no procedure was followed for their selection and these candidates were just nominated after they allegedly paid thousands of rupees to the officials of the ISM. The list was forwarded to the Commissioner Secretary under letter No. HD/51/Ism/2008 dated 27-06-2008.
After the cancellation of the list by the Health and Medical Education Department the candidates filed writ petition OWP No. 839/08 dated 27-04-2009. But the court while dismissing the writ petition (Dated 07-04-2011) directed the Government to expeditiously frame and formulate the norms/procedure for making nominations for undergoing Dawasaaz training.
After the cancellation of the list, Health and Medical Education Department did not issue any notification for the diploma courses in ISM. Sources said that the certificates were issued to the blue eyed candidates and no procedure was followed for their selection to the course. And on the basis of these certificates these candidates were appointed in NRHM.
The Director ISM, Abdul Kabir Dar, said that these certificates are genuine and these candidates were already selected for the trainings when the list of the 994 candidates was cancelled by the department.
But some of the marks sheets that have been issued by the ISM show candidates appeared in first semester annual session 2008-2009 when the list was cancelled in 2008 only.

Excelsior Correspondent

JAMMU, Apr 16: Various Hindu organizations today staged protest over ‘curtailment’ in the duration of annual Amarnath pilgrimage scheduled to begin from June 25, in front of Press Club here today.
Amid chants of ‘Bam Bam Bhole’, various Hindu, political and Social bodies including Vishva Hindu Parishad, (VHP), BJP, Shaheed Samarak Trust, Panun Kashmir, (PK), Jammu Province Peoples Forum, (JPPF), Rashtrawadi Morcha, Kranti Dal, Sanatan Dharam Sabha (SDS) Shiv Sena, Hindustan (SSH), Shri Ram Sena, Bajrang Dal and Jammu West Assembly Movement today held a joint protest demanding the reschedule of yatra dates.
The protestors alleged that the Government has intentionally reduced the yatra duration thus hurting the sentiments of the Hindu community.
VHP has already challenged the scheduled dates announced by the Government and is adamant on taking out the yatra from the traditional date of Jesht Purnima falling on June 4.
It criticized the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board (SASB) for curtailing the yatra by 25 days by starting it on June 25. The Hindu organizations while rejecting the schedule duration as proposed by SASB reiterated that the VHP and Baba Amarnath and Baba Buda Amarnath Yatri Niyas will run parallel yatra from June 4 which is the auspicious date of the yatra from thousands of years.
They said that the Board has no locus -standi in selection of duration of yatra and its date should be left to dharmachariyas.
The representative of Hindu Janjagran Samiti Mumbai, Ramesh Shindey and Sanatan Sanstha Mumbai Abhai Vartak also participated in today’s protest and assured full support to VHP in its movement.
Socialist Democratic Party (SDP), chief Dr Darakshan Indrabi also participated in the dharna. She said that the religious shrines are for promotion of peace, tranquility and brotherhood and not disputes among the communities.
It is unfortunate that the holy Amarnath Yatra is always becoming center of controversy, which should be averted and the Government should concede the genuine demand of the protestor.
Those who participated in the protest included VHP state chief Dr Rama Kant Dubey, RSS Prant Sangh Chalak, Brig (retd) Suchet Singh, BJP MLAs Ashok Khajuria and Ch Sukhnandan, Leela Karan Sharma of Shaheed Samarak Trust, Mahant Rameshwar Dass Mahnat of Purani Mandi temple, Ashwani Chrungoo, PK, Dr Narinder Singh ABVP, Pavitar Singh of JPPF, Sunil Dimple of Jammu West Assembly Movement, Rajiv Gupta of Ram Sena, Sat Sharma (CA) of BJP, S Balvinder Singh Bhatia, Rashtarwadi Morcha, Pritam Sharma of Kranti Dal, Yudhvir Sethi of Sanatan Dharma Natak Sangh, Jagdish Dogra of Santan Dharam Sabha.
VHP leader Dr Sham led the protest at Udhampur. The protests were held at Kathua, Sunderbani, Samba, Rajouri and Poonch, a VHP spokesman said.