Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, June 9: Police today rescued 28 bovine animals and arrested two bovine smugglers under the jurisdiction of Nagrota and Jhajjar Kotli police stations.
Two vehicles bearing Nos 0353 JK19 and 9345 JK02V in which the bovine animals were being smuggled have been seized by police.
The narcotics smugglers arrested by police have been identified as Nawaz Ahmad of Kulgam and Shah Mohammad of RS Pura while their associates Mohammad Sharief, Fayaz Ahmad and Mohammad Iqbal of Banihal managed to escape.
A total of 28 bovine animals were rescued from the possession of bovine smugglers.
Police parties headed by SHO Nagrota Pervez Sajjad and SHO Jhajjar Kotli Yashbir Slathia made arrests under the supervision of SDPO Nagrota Khaliq Choudhary.

Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, June 9: Alleging exploitation of local people by the Corporate houses in the State, National Panthers Party working chairman and MLA Harshdev Singh has said that Government has neglected Chenani and Ramban areas.
While supporting the agitation launched by local youth and workers of Chenani and Ramban, the NPP leader alleged that on behest of Government the Corporate houses have initiated repressive and oppressive policies. The locals are being denied their due share in employment, land compensation and allied development activities in the area.
He said the people of these districts have offered their huge land in the highway and rail projects but they are being denied due share and adequate compensation. The NPP leader said that companies from outside working on several projects here are hiring workers from outside and locals are being denied opportunity, the Government must intervene into the matter. He alleged that 1% free electricity from Bagliar to the local population of the area as agreed, has also been denied.
NPP will not allow exploitation of these youth and poor people by the outside business magnates who are minting money in these areas, he maintained.

Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, June 9: Five persons were injured in different road accidents across the Valley.
Reports said that a Tata Mobile bearing registration number JK01A/4860 hit and injured Javid Ahmad Rather son of Sonaullah resident of Ajas-Bandipora, near Chainabal-Pattan. The injured was shifted to SKIMS Soura for treatment. Police has registered a case in this regard.
A truck hit and injured a pedestrian, Ghulab Din Kevi aged 52 years resident of Mujpathri near Bus Stand Shopian. The injured was shifted to District Hospital Shopian for treatment.
A Maruti car bearing registration number JK05/6910 hit and injured a motorcyclist, Manzoor Ahmad Mir son of Gulzar Ahmad resident of Sontipora, near Kralpora. The injured was shifted to hospital for treatment.
Two passengers were injured when a Tata Sumo bearing registration number JK01P/9859 turned turtle near Gulmarg. Both the injured were shifted to Bone and Joint Hospital, Srinagar. Police has registered a case in this regard.

Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, June 9: A warm reception was given to Satish Sharma the newly elected president Indian National Youth Congress for Jammu –Poonch Lok Sabha segment on his arrival at Khour in Akhnoor tehsil today by the Youth Congress Committee Akhnoor and Youth Congress Committee Khour.
A large number of people attended the function. The rally, besides Satish Sharma, was addressed by Kuldeep Verma, vice chairman, YCI OBC and S Manjeet Singh Ex Minister.
Addressing the gathering Sharma appealed the youth to work hard for the upliftment of the youth and redress their basic problems.
He urged the youth to get all information regarding Central sponsored schemes and work in progress. He also asked the voters to bring the youth together and work as a united team and complimented All India general secretary of the Congress Rahul Gandhi for his unique idea of strengthening the Congress Party from grass root level and giving a roadmap to the youth.
Others who addressed the gathering included Charanjeet Singh, Rajan Sharma, Ravi Kant, Khushwant Singh, Dheeraj Sharma, Aman Gupta, Manjeet Singh, Balbir Singh, Paramjeet Singh, Vinod Kumar, Zaheer Abbas, Jatinder Charak, Nitish Mahajan, Rakesh Singh, Rohnik Sharma and Uttam Singh.

Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, June 9: Governor N. N. Vohra today said that National Integration Camps provide a useful opportunity for the children to meet their counterparts from various parts of the country, observe and understand the clothing and eating habits and languages of other communities. He added that such interactions contribute towards strengthening national integration and build harmonious understandings.
The Governor and First lady Usha Vohra, were interacting with nearly 200 children from various States and Union Territories of the country, who visited the Raj Bhavan here today. These children are participating in the week-long 35th “National Learn to Live Together Camp” organized by the Indian Council for Child Welfare (ICCW), New Delhi, from 3rd to 10th June, 2012 at Srinagar.
The Governor observed that the people of India are simple and good hearted and want to meet people from other parts of the country. He lauded the ICCW for organizing an Integration Camp at Srinagar and assured of all possible support for holding similar camps in Ladakh and Jammu regions in future. He appreciated the Acting Director General of Police, K. Rajendra, for providing prompt support for this camp to be organized at Srinagar.
The Governor and Usha Vohra interacted with the children, enquired about the areas they belonged to, the classes in which they are studying and the places they had liked the most in Kashmir. The Governor and Usha Vohra invited them to visit the State again and wished them a bright future ahead.
The children presented bouquets to the Governor and Usha Vohra on this occasion and thanked them for providing them a lifetime opportunity to visit the Raj Bhavan, meet with them and go around the beautiful Raj Bhavan lawns, which are in full bloom these days.
Earlier, in her welcome address, Gita Siddhartha, President, Indian Council for Child Welfare, New Delhi, dwelt on the evolution and history of the Council and the aims and objects of organizing “Learn to Live Together Camp”. She gave a resume of the various activities undertaken by the Indian Council for Child Welfare across the country.
Navin K. Choudhary, Principal Secretary to the Governor, was present on the occasion.
Dr. Renu Nanda, Organizing Secretary, Indian Council for Child Welfare, in her vote of thanks, spoke about the activities being carried out by the ICCW in Jammu and Kashmir for the welfare of children.
The children presented a group song on this occasion.

Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, June 9: Lieutenant General Om Prakash today took over as the General Officer Commanding (GOC) of Chinar Corps during Change of Command function here today.
An infantry officer belonging to the Kumaon regiment, Lt Gen Prakash has commanded the Siachen brigade in the Ladakh region and an Army division in Rajouri area of Jammu region.
Outgoing Army commander of the 15 Corps, Lt Gen Syed Ata Hasnain had served in Kashmir in the Commander’s capacity for nearly 19 months.
With an aim of directly reaching out to the people, Lt Gen Hasnain conceptualized the KPL T20 Cricket Series in the Valley and also declared 2011 as “Year of Kashmiri Awam”.
Lt Gen Hasnain travelled across the Kashmir Valley during his tenure spreading the message of “heart as weapon” and the concept of “Jee Janab”.
The timing of convoys have been changed, population control measures have been considerably reduced and army’s outreach increased to enhance the pride and dignity of awam.
Meanwhile, Lt Gen Hasnain, will take over as the Military Secretary at the Army Headquarters in New Delhi.

Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, June 9: National Advisory Committee (NAC) of Academic Staff College, University of Jammu, met here under the chairmanship of Vice Chancellor, Prof Mohan Paul Singh Ishar.
Prof Neelam Saraf, Director, ASC, in her annual report highlighted various new initiatives and programmes conducted by the department. She also shared with the Committee the encouraging and satisfactory remarks of the NAAC peer team, which visited the ASC recently.
The committee during the course of the meeting resolved to widen its pool of outstation experts who would function as resource persons in the various courses. The committee also approved a tentative list of resource persons from academia and civil society.
The advisory body also deliberated in detail about the need to widen the scope of ASC courses to the Private BEd and allied college teachers so that trained teachers can further raise the standard of teaching in the private sector colleges.
The committee also gave sanction to the proposal of building new class-rooms and up gradation of ASC website. The issue for adopting a standard procedure for income tax deduction of resource persons and appointing of the Auditor for ASC were also given green signal.
Vice Chancellor in his address underlined the need for further engagement of renowned subject experts in order to provide the best academic training to the teachers attending GOC and refresher courses at ASC.
Among others present were Prof IA Hamal, Vice Chancellor, Baba Ghulam Shah Badshah University (BGSBU), Prof Satish Verma, Director, ASC, GNDU Amritsar, Prof BK Punia, Director ASC, Hissar, Prof Nalani Kohli, Director Colleges, Prof Lokesh Verma, Prof Meena Sharma, Dr Madhu Singh, Neeraj Sharma, Ranjeet Kalra and Jai Kumar Sharma, OSD to Vice Chancellor.
Meanwhile, Prof Ishar, constituted an enquiry committee under the convenership of Prof Deshbandhu Gupta, to look into the fire incident, which broke down last night in the Examination wing of the Jammu University.
VC constituted the enquiry committee to look into the details and suggest possible precautionary measures so as to avoid such incidents in future. In the mean time, arrangements are being made to resume the evaluation at the earliest.

* Reject Food Safety & Standard Act
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, June 9: Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) and Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCI), Jammu have strongly opposed the entry of multi-national companies into the retail business in India and also rejected the Food Safety and Standards Act, claiming certain flaws in it.
Addressing a joint press conference here today, national secretary general of CAIT, Parveen Khandelwal and CCI Jammu president, Y V Sharma, strongly opposed the Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in the retail business in the country and said that this move of the Central Government will render crores of small retailers in the country without work.
They said that UPA Government led by Dr Manmohan Singh was under the influence of multi-national companies and Corporate sector and taking such decisions which are against the common people of the country. They said with the opening of big Wall Mart like stores in every city, lakhs of local small businessmen will go for starvation. This move will not strengthen the economy of India. Retail sector contributes around 10% of the GDP in India and Government should stop this move immediately and bring out a national policy of retail trade.
Mr Khandelwal said more than 5 crore business establishments are working in retails trade sector across India and about 22 crore people are dependent upon retail trade for their livelihood. He said Government should consider the report of Parliamentary Standing Committee submitted on June 8, 2009 as it clearly indicated that multi-national companies will make the retail trade captive because of their enormous resources and skills and after monopolizing they will dictate their own prices. He threatened to launch country wide movement in this regard if the Government failed to constitute Special Task Force and review its decision.
CCI chief while criticizing present Food Safety & Standards Act 2006 said that it has certain flaws. He said by imposing this Act, the small traders like tea stall, dhabas, hawkers will be wiped out from the trade and that will create unemployment in the State. With this, the license fee has been increased manifold. The formalities for making fresh licenses and their renewal has increased creating sense of insecurity among this business community. This exercise will give rise to ‘Inspector Raj’. Pointing out certain contradictory provisions between this Act and its rules and regulations, Mr Sharma demanded that the Act should be kept in abeyance for at least five years or till such time some Amendments are made in the present Act.
Secretary general CCI Arun Gupta, vice president Sham Langar and CAIT national secretary Satish Garg also spoke in the conference.
Earlier, the CCI and CAIT organized a seminar on FDI in retail trade in India in which large number of traders of Jammu participated.