NC MLA terms Speaker a `Hindu fundamentalist`

Transcription

HC stays till Apr 27
its order bringing
AGI's office under
RTI
P7 | NATION
Defying RTI,
undermining
democracy
DDC inaugurates
First Lady chairs
Annual General Body employment fair
Meeting of ASHI
P3 | CITY INFO
P5 | KATHUA
P6 | OPINION
the NORTHLINES
The Newspaper of Substance
Vol No: XX Issue No. 79 Jammu Tawi Thu, Mar. 26, 2015 Pages - 12 Price ‘2/- www.thenorthlines.com, www.epaper.northlines.in Regd. No. JK/306/2014-16
Erosion of Art
370 done in Cong
rule: Drabu
NL Correspondent
Jammu Tawi | March | 25
Charging
successive
Congress governments with
damaging the fiscal federalism
of the country, Finance Minister
Haseeb Drabu today said that
erosion of Article 370 happened
under the Congress regimes.
Winding up debates on grants
of finance, planning and labour
departments in the Assembly
today, Drabu observed that
successive Congress regimes in
the country had damaged fiscal
federalism and fiscal autonomy,
leading to enhancement of
dependence of states on the
Centre. "The spirit of fiscal
federalism has been restored by
10 seats
reserved for J&K
students
NL Correspondent
the 14th Finance Commission
to ensure fiscal autonomy of all
states," the Finance Minister
observed while reiterating his
commitment to making J&K an
economically self-reliant state.
As Congress Legislature
Party leader Nawang Rigzin
Jora
was
repeatedly
interrupting, Drabu, while
winding up his debate,
remarked: "Every erosion of
Article 370 happened under the
Congress regimes".
Listing his priorities, Drabu
said the coalition would focus
on localised employment.
While admitting that it was not
possible to provide government
jobs to all educated
Contd... on P2....
Bedlam in J&K Assembly on NC's communal remarks
NC MLA terms Speaker a
‘Hindu fundamentalist’
NL Correspondent
Jammu Kashmir Assembly
today witnessed bedlam and
uproarious scenes over
opposition
National
Conference member Javid
Ahmed Rana's derogatory
remarks against Speaker
Kavinder Gupta. Rana had
named the Speaker a "biased
Hindu fundamentalist" and
accused him of adopting
"discriminatory"
attitude
low and crossed all limits. The
during the debate on the Tuesday.
Budget in the Assembly on "The member has stooped so
Contd... on P2....
Four die, 17 injured as
vehicle rolls down
NL Correspondent
Maritime Udhampur | March | 25
Indian
University (IMU), Chennai
has reserved 10 seats in an
academic year in Under
Graduate Programmes for
the students of Jammu and
Kashmir or those domicile in
the State for at least five
years.
It is informed that only
those candidates will be
eligible for the reservation
who have cleared IMU's
Common Entrance Test
(CET).The reserved seats
will be allotted to the eligible
candidates based on their
CET rank and their
preferences for the UG
Course /IMU Campuses .It is
also informed that if the
reserved seats are not filled
up in a given academic year,
they will not be carried over
to the next academic year
and the unfilled seats will be
filled up from the general list
of CET passed candidates .
The advertisement for
IMU's CET 2015 has been
issued on 22nd February and
the last date for applying is
22nd April 2015.
Mufti to attend
Sub-group
meeting at Delhi
tomorrow
NL Correspondent
Chief Minister Mufti
Mohammad Sayeed will be
visiting
New
Delhi
tomorrow to attend a
meeting of the Sub Group of
State Chief Ministers,
constituted in the NITI Ayog,
to rationalise the Centrallysponsored schemes.
"Sayeed will be visiting
New Delhi tomorrow to
attend the meeting of the Sub
Group of State Chief
Ministers, constituted in the
NITI Ayog, to rationalise the
centrally-sponsored
schemes," an official said.
Chief Minister would also
be attending a function in the
national capital where
Contd... on P2....
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WEATHER
JAMMU
SRINAGAR
High | Low
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20°C | 7°C
Four persons have died and
seventeen were injured when a
TATA Mahindra vehicle rolled
down into deep gorge at near
Gulha Ban in Block Panchari in
District Udhampur.
According to reports, the
Vehicle bearing registration
number JK14C-3644 was on its
way from Madha Chenani to
Thtli Panchari at near Gulha
Ban driver lost the control over
the vehicle and rolled down into
deep gorge today evening about
6: 30 pm. Police and local
rushed to the spot and took the
injured persons to Hospital
Panchari where doctors
declared the four persons
brought dead. The Deceased
identified as Rasal Chand (45)
son of Finu of Madha, Makhani
Devi (31) wife of Bodh Raj of
Madha, Kalash Devi (35) wife
of Ashok Kumar of Madha and
Dabu Devi wife of Prshotam
Lal of Thatri Panjar.
The injured are identified as
Om Prkash (25) Pramnath of
Madha, Joginder Pal (45) son of
Jamitu Ram of Madha, Gyan
Chand son of Amru of Madha,
Chanchalo Devi (36) wife of
Joginder of Madha, Guddi Devi
wife of Chan Chand of Panjar,
Kunji Lal (39) son of Massu
Contd... on P2....
Chair
disrespected
NC MLA Javid Ahmed
Rana called the Speaker a
"biased Hindu fundamentalist"
and accused him of adopting
"discriminatory"
policies
during the debate on the
Budget in the Lower House on
Tuesday evening Again on
Wednesday, Rana targeted the
Speaker, shouting: "RSS ka
agenda yahan nahin chalney
Contd... on P2....
Govt to launch crop
insurance scheme
for farmers
NL Correspondent
Jammu and Kashmir
Government will launch a crop
insurance scheme for the
benefit of the farmers in the
State. Replying to the
supplementaries to the main
question by Mubarak Gul in
Assembly here today, Minister
for Agriculture Ghulam Nabi
Lone Hanjura said the
Government would launch a
crop insurance scheme for the
benefit of the farmers in the
State.
The Minister said the survey
report of damaged crops due to
rains and recent floods in the
State have been formulated by
the department. He said once
the funds in this regard are
received, relief would be
provided to the affected
farmers. The minister said the
development of agriculture in
the State is priority of the
Government. He said all
requisite measures would be
taken to promote agriculture
sector in the State, as it is the
backbone of state's economy.
Lone said that several state
and central schemes are in
vogue to provide high yield
seeds, quality fertiliser besides
farming tools and machinery as
well as to generate awareness
about latest techniques of
agriculture cultivation to the
farmers of the State.
The Agriculture Minister said
that incentives on various inputs
like
seeds,
agriculture
implements/tools, irrigation
infrastructure and other
agriculture machinery is being
provided to the farmers to boost
the agriculture produce.
CM assures to streamline Open for one-way traffic, highway
distribution of ration
to remain closed on March 28
NL Correspondent
Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed today promised to
streamline the distribution of ration in the State and assured that
the Government will take up the issue on priority basis.
The ration will be provided to the people as per the 2011
census. "The Government will take up on priority the issue of
providing ration to the people as per the Census of 2011," Chief
Minister said replying to a supplementary in the Legislative
Council.
"We will streamline ration distribution in the State
immediately," he said.
Referring to Agenda of Alliance of the BJP-PDP coalition
Government in the State, Sayeed said adequate provisions of
ration in all rural and semi-urban areas will be ensured, even if
on a no-profit-and-no-loss basis. The Chief Minister assured the
House he would take up the issue with the Union Government
also. He further said the demand for import of food-grains into
the State has increased as the farmers prefer cash crops owing to
greater returns. Earlier, Minister for Consumer Affairs & Public
Distribution (CA&PD) Zulfkar Ali said in the Legislative
Contd... on P2....
NL Correspondent
The
Srinagar-Jammu
National Highway, which links
the summer capital with rest of
the nation, will remain closed
for vehicular traffic on March
28 due to repair work on the
road, the State Government said
today.
"The general public is
informed that the SrinagarJammu National Highway shall
remain closed on March 28 and
no movement of vehicular
traffic, whatsoever, either from
Jammu or Valley shall be
allowed on highway, "Inspector
General (IG) Traffic Jammu, J P
Singh said.
interfering in our internal
affairs.
The BJP leaders wanted to
convey to Pakistan and its High
Commissioner in New Delhi
that Jammu and Kashmir state
comprised three regions of
Kashmir, Jammu and Ladakh
and by supporting involvement
of so called representatives of
people in Kashmir the Pakistani
authorities were ignoring the
political and constitutional
rights of people two other
regions.
Both leaders expressed
dismay and disappointment
over the latest statement from
Pakistan. Pakistan has said
people of Jammu and Kashmir
that there was "no scope for
misunderstanding
or
misrepresenting" its stand on
the role of separatist Hurriyat in
Indo-Pak issues.
"Pakistan firmly believes that
the final disposition of the
Jammu and Kashmir issue
should be in accordance with
the will of the Kashmiri people,
to be determined through a free
and impartial plebiscite under
the UN auspices, as enshrined in
relevant Security Council
Resolutions," the Foreign
Office said The BJP leaders said
that Pakistan was responsible
for not having fulfilled certain
Contd... on P2....
NL Correspondent
Jammu and Kashmir
government today said that the
state has been allocated a coal
block jointly with NTPC in
Odissa by the central
government.
Replying to a question of
NC member B A Veeri in
Legislative Council, Minister
of State for Power Mohammad
Ashraf Mir today said that
Jammu Kashmir State Power
Development Corporation
(JKSPDC) has been allocated
coal block (Kundnali, Lubri) in
Odissa jointly with NTPC
within allocated geological
reserve of 130 and 266 million
tonnes respectively.
He said the Union Ministry
of Coal has put a condition that
the allotment letter shall be
issued to joint venture
company to be formed by joint
allottees and not to individual
parties.
The allotment has been
made for setting up of thermal
power project, he said. He said
that in view of the decision of
Board of Directors of JKSPDC
engaged
SBICAPS
as
consultants to carry out the
viability and sensitivity
analysis of various options.
He said that SBICAPS has
furnished a report according to
which the coal availability of
3.40 million tonnes per annum,
the install capacity works out
to be 660 mega watts for super
critical unit. However, the net
financial impact by locating
the project in J&K vis a vis
Contd... on P2....
Mantalai to come up as
International Yoga Centre: Mufti
NL Correspondent
The State Government, in its move to develop Jammu region
as an independent tourist destination, today announced creation
of an International Yoga Centre at the famous pilgrim spot of
Mantalai in Udhampur district.
J-K Chief Minister Mufti Mohammed Sayeed also said the
Government will favourably consider a 'subsidised tour package'
for leisure destinations in Jammu region in the upcoming holiday
season.
Contd... on P2....
Woman separatist booked for
hoisting Pakistan's flag in Kashmir
NL Correspondent
Srinagar | March | 25
Woman separatist leader Aasiya Andrabi, who had triggered a
controversy by hoisting Pakistani flag here on Monday, was on
Wednesday booked under Unlawful Activities Prevention Act
with police saying further action will be taken after an
investigation.
"A case has been registered against Andrabi at Nowhatta
Police station under Section 13 of Unlawful Activities
Prevention Act," a police officer said.
He said investigations have started into the alleged hoisting of
Pakistani flag by the chief of Dukhtaran-e-Millat on the National
Day of Pakistan on March 23.
"Further action in the case will be taken as per rules," the
officer said when asked if the firebrand separatist leader will be
arrested.
Contd... on P2....
BSF foils infiltration bids in
Samba, Kathua
Agencies
Border Security Force today foiled infiltration bids by
Pakistan-based militants along the International Border in
Kathua and Samba districts.
"There were two movements of suspected persons picked up
by the BSF troops in two forward belts of Hirangar and Samba
sectors during early hours of today," a BSF officer said.
BSF troops, who watch them moving in Pakistan side close to
our territory, fired upon them forcing them to retreat, the officer
said.
Contd... on P2....
"This will be effective from
1500 hours of March 27?, he
said.
"The decision has been taken
to carry out the repair of portion
of road at Magarkote that has
sunk and other bottlenecks
which could not be addressed
172 roads, 98 bridges damaged in
floods in Poonch: Minister
earlier by the concerned
authority due to continuous
flow of traffic on highway after
it was temporally restored for
one way traffic", the IG said.
NL Correspondent
Despite overnight rain, the Jammu Tawi | March | 25
national highway, linking the
The Jammu and Kashmir government today said that 172
Contd... on P2....
roads and 98 bridges have been damaged during flash floods in
Poonch district of Jammu province in September last year.
The cost of damages has been worked out to Rs 6059.32 lakh
against which an amount of Rs 1982.88 lakh has so far been
released, Minister for Roads and Buildings Altaf Bukhari said in
a written reply in the state Legislative Assembly.
Mostly the roads have been restored except some of the
bridges which are under re-construction, the minister said.
BJP leaders decry Pakistan for Kher slams Bhardwaj for
dedicating Nat Award to
interfering
in
India’s
internal
affairs
NL Correspondent
into activities detrimental to are important "stakeholders" in
India's interest by prompting its any solution to the Kashmir Kashmiri Pandits
very big," the director had told
anti-India stooges thus issue, a day after India asserted Agencies
Senior BJP leaders Chander
Mohan and Ashok Khajuria
have urged Pakistan to avoid
adopting a double-edged policy
towards India on the Kashmir
issue. Referring to the latest
uproar over the meeting
between Pakistan High
Commissioner, Abdul Basit and
Kashmir separatists in New
Delhi, Chander Mohan and
Khajuria said that on one hand
Islamabad favours bilateral
talks for settling all issues
including the Kashmir issue on
the other it supports tripartite
talks involving his sponsored
representatives of Kashmir.
They accused the Pakistan's
High Commissioner indulging
J&K govt gets a coal
block in Odissa
Mumbai | March | 25
Veteran actor Anupam Kher
has slammed director Vishal
Bhardwaj for dedicating to
Kashmiri Pandits the National
Awards won for his film "Haider."
The Shahid Kapoor-starrer was a
Kashmir-set modern adaptation of
William Shakespeare's "Hamlet"
and talked about the period of
insurgency in the State.
Its win at the 62nd National
Awards included the best music
director and dialogues for
Bhardwaj. "I dedicate my award
to them and I feel very sad
because they misunderstood my
feelings. I have said it before that
the tragedy of Kashmiri Pandits is
reporters here after the awards
were announced.
Kher, who himself is a
Kashmiri Pandit, in a series of
tweets slammed the filmmaker
and called his move a "fraudish".
"While I congratulate Vishal
Bhardwaj for National Awards but
dedicating
them
to
#KashmiriPandits genocide is
such a fraudish thing to do," he
tweeted. "When was last time
Vishal Bhardwaj spoke about d
plight of #KashmiriPandits? He in
fact humiliated us by doing dance
of devil at our temple," he said.
Other three wins for "Haider"
were in the categories of best
playback singer, choreography
and costume design.
J&K got Rs 2,400 Cr as water
charges from NHPC
Agencies
The Jammu and Kashmir government has received over Rs
2,400 crore on account of water usage charges from NHPC.
In a reply to a question of NC member Bashir Ahmed Veeri,
Minister of State for Power Mohammad Ashraf Mir today said in
Legislative Council that Rs 2,472.37 crore has been received
from NHPC as water usage charges imposed in financial year
2010-11.
Intervening the supplementary question, Minister for
Horticulture Abdul Rehman Veeri said that power management
is a big challenge and government is making efforts to solve it on
priority.
He informed the House that efforts are being made for return
of Dul Hasti, Salal and Uri-I hyderoelectric power projects to
Jammu and Kashmir.
Contd... on P2....
2
JAMMU | THURSDAY | MARCH 26 | 2015
DIG CRPF visits Kathua
CITY INFO
Village residents hold protest
The NORTHLINES
www.thenorthlines.com
Kisan Movement holds protest, blocks road
Mar. 25: Farmers under corridors which have been compensation at the market rate
Kathua, March 25: DIG CRPF entry inside the upper portion of Kathua, March 25: Border hardships. However, they are of land, which came under army Kathua,
the
banner
of Kisaan Movement exempted from seeking consent with employment to family
Ramesh Chandra along with police station, but also prevented
other top officials of force visited
Kathua district where guerrillas
attacked Rajbagh Police Station
last week. During his visit DIG
made tour of Rajbagh Police
Station, District Hospital and
office of 121-Battalion.
The DIG while interacting
with the two Jawans hospitalized
at district hospital appreciated the
prompt action by the soldiers
who had acted professionally in
eliminating the two terrorists
while they tried to enter upper
location of police station. The
DIG during his visit, also met
with the troop deployed at
Rajbagh police station and
applauded their role in ensuring
the peace and security of the
area.
"The alertness and timely
action not only foiled the
terrorists' attempts in gaining
more loss of lives of citizen of
our country," said the statement
issued here.DIG Ramesh
Chandra also appreciating the
daringness of Jawans said that he
would refer to higher officials for
recommendation of two Shaheed
Jawans and other eight injured
during the fierce fight. Pertinent
to mention here that March 20,
2015 was a day of terror in
Kathua as 6 people, including
one-policemen, two CRPF men
and two civilians, killed and at
least 11 injured in a string of
brazen militant strike. The fierce
encounter lasted for around five
and a half hours after the
militants dressed in army
uniform attacked Rajbagh Police
Station located at JammuPathankot National Highway,
near about 15-Kilometers away
from Indo-Pak Border.
hamlet people staged protest at
border village Haria Chak under
the leadership of Sarpanch
Rakesh Choudhary, at Haria
Chak on Wednesday.
During this, the protesters
raised slogans against the
government as well district
administration for not giving
them a hearing. Sarpanch
Rakesh Choudhary stepmotherly treatment with the
people of residing at
International Border said that
State Government has declared
areas near LOC as RBA.
The government has done
this keeping in view the
problems faced by the people
because of aggressive approach
of Pakistan Army and response
by Indian Army."
The people living across the
Pakistan-India International
Border are also facing the same
not getting the benefit
required", he miffed adding that
since, now the government has
not declared the IB area as RBA
and people are bound to suffer
from dissimilar hardships.
Giving the reference of land
acquired by the security forces
said that forces had occupied
land of farmers for constructing
defensive structures.
However, since 1947 the
farmers are still depriving of
land compensation. Raising the
case of discriminative policy of
recruitment of the youths
hailing from Kathua to Akhnoor
border he added that the
recruitment policy for this belt
is Tenth pass with 45 % marks
whereas, in other parts of the
state it is simply Tenth pass.
The residents of village also
said that payment of balance
amount of compensation of crop
mines in 2002 lying in Deputy
Commissioner Office, Kathua
and Tehsil office Hiranagar.
Nevertheless, neither the state
government nor the district
administration is willing to
disburse the amount.
Giving reference of previous
and recent militant attacks the
people demanded of issuing
weapon licenses, creating joint
nakas' of Police & CRPF and
total ban on bovine smuggling
menace.
Taking note of protest DSP
Kuljeet Singh and ACR Suraj
Rakwal reached the spot and
assured the protesters that
district administration has
initiated a committee to snoop
to the dilemma of border
people.
They further assured the
people of resolving their
demands on priority basis.
NL Correspondent
Kathua, Mar 25:
inspected.
A total of 30 traders were
booked for violation of various
provisions of Jammu & Kashmir
Weights and Measures
Enforcement Act 1997. and
Package Comm-odities Rules
and 32 Challans of the booked
traders were compounded by the
undersigned and a penalty of
16400 was imposed on the
erring Traders during the current
month.
The Department directed all
the traders to use only verified
Weights and Measures for
Business transactions and
display MRP, PKD, Net
Contents and complete address
and Consumer care Number on
the Commodities to be sold in
package Form.
The Department has also
warned the unscrupulous traders
to desist away from using unfair
trade practices to cheat the
innocent Consumers and also
appealed to the Consumers to
remain vigilant while purchasing
the Commodities.
Workshop on Tobacco Control held LMD conducts market
check, imposes penalty
KATHUA, MAR. 25: A one fatalities caused due to use of like ban on smoking in public
day workshop on Tobacco
Control was organized by
district administration Kathua in
collaboration with International
Union for TB/ Voluntary Health
Association of India at
conference hall at DC Office
Complex here at Kathua today.
ADDC Kathua Er Narinder
Singh Bali, CPO Kathua Ram
Rattan and District officers were
present on the occasion. ADDC
Kathua appreciated the efforts of
the International Union of TB/
Voluntary Health Association of
India for organizing such
workshop in the district.
He assured that committees at
District and Block levels for
tobacco control will be
constituted to control such
menace. He said district
administration will extend every
help to strengthen the drive to
discourage the use of tobacco
and allied products.
During the workshop
Resource Person, International
Union for TB Dr N.C Parbhakar
detailed the gathering about the
ill effects of tobacco on human
body, also threw light on the
tobacco. He said smoking and
use of tobacco lead to fatal
diseases like cancer, mental
disorder and other multiple life
threatening diseases. Earlier
Advocate Manish Sharma
explained the gathering about
the provisions of Cigarette and
other Tobacco products Act,
2003 (COTPA) incorporated to
discourage the use of tobacco
and allied products.
He also disclosed the
important provisions of the act
places, ban on advertisement,
promotion and sponsorship of
cigarette and other tobacco
products besides the penal
provisions for violating the
COTPA act.
Dr Des Raj Bhagat also threw
light on the ill effects of
smoking and use of tobacco on
different organs of the human
body. District Panchayat Officer
Kathua Anil Thakur and AD
Planning Babu Ram Sharma
also spoke on the occasion.
15 grievances registered
under PARYAS
Kathua, Mar 25:
Under 'PARYAS', 15 callers
registered grievances with
ADDC Kathua Er Narinder
Singh Bali at DC Office
Complex, Kathua.
PRAYAS is an initiative
devised by District
Administration Kathua to listen
to the grievances of the public
telephonically.
FROM PAGE 1...
NC
MLA...
member has not only hurt me but has also used abusive
language against the respect of Chair," Speaker Kavinder Gupta
observed while expressing his anguish over the utterance of
Rana.
PDP leader and Minister for Horticulture, Haj and Auquf
Abdul Rehman Veeri also echoed the Speaker's concern. "The
utterance of the NC member is very unfortunate. We will not
succumb before such threatening language," said Veeri.
Earlier as soon as the House assembled this morning, PDP and
BJP members resorted to shouting slogans against Rana for using
derogatory remarks against the Speaker.
BJP legislators stormed towards the Speaker's podium
protesting against Rana's remarks. Rana had called the Speaker
"a Hindu fundamentalist" while accusing the latter of not giving
him enough time to speak on the Budget, BJP legislators alleged.
There were counter protests in the Assembly by NC legislators
following which the Speaker asked everybody to calm down.
The din in the House continued for quite some time as BJP and
NC members took to sloganeering.
CPM member MY Tarigami, meanwhile, demanded that the
words used by Rana should be expunged as they were not in
conformity with the decorum of the House. He also asked senior
NC members to stop their members from repeating such words
against the Chair. BJP members, however, persisted with their
demand for action against Rana.
After disruptions for over half an hour, the House took up the
question hour.
This issue again rocked the House during debate on grants of
the Finance and Planning Department. Rana again targeted the
Speaker, shouting: "RSS ka agenda yahan nahin chalney daingey
(We will not allow RSS agenda here)". He was, however, again
snubbed by PDP leader Abdul Rehman Veeri and others.
"He is the most accommodating Speaker I have seen so far,"
Veeri, who is a four-time MLA, told the House. "Each one of us
has to respect the Speaker," he added.
The Speaker regretted that Rana had crossed all limits and
abused him. The smooth functioning of the House was restored
only after intervention of some senior NC members.
Chair
disrespected ...
not allow RSS agenda here)". The NC MLA was, however,
snubbed by PDP leader Abdul Rehman Veeri and others
daingey (We will not allow RSS agenda here)". The NC MLA
was, however, snubbed by PDP leader Abdul Rehman Veeri and
others
PDP and BJP members protested the remarks while the
Speaker regretted that Rana had crossed all limits and abused the
Chair and him
J&K
govt...
Odissa is estimated at Rs 700 crores per annum which
translate to over Rs 18000 crores over the life time of the
project.
Draft joint venture agreement has been cleared by the Law
Department of J&K, he said adding however, formal signing of
agreement is yet to take place.
Erosion
of...
unemployed youth of the state, he said employment should be
During one hour session;
people from different parts of
the district projected their
problems; mostly related to the
provisions of basic amenities.
Responding to the issues
projected by different callers,
ADDC Kathua issued on the
spot instructions to the officers
for early redressal of their
grievances.
A team of the legal Metrology
Department Kathua headed by
the Assistant controller Legal
Metrology Kathua Ajay Kumar
Verma and Comprising of the
Inspector Legal Metrology
Kathua and Dayalchak.
Vicky Sharma and Devi
Lakhanpuria conducted
intensive checking of various
Business establishment
especially Gas Agencies,
Karayana shops, Bakery Shops ,
Provisional Store, Hardware
Stores, Atta Chacki, Sweet
Shop, Procurement Dealer, Steel
units, Goldsmith, Cement store,
Poultry seller, Scrap Dealer, Veg
seller, at Sanji Morh, Marheen,
Chakra, Ramkot, Haripur,
Kunde Chack, Hardey Chack,
Dhaloti, Hardo Muthi,Galak,
Hiranagar, Sounthal, Budhi,
Palli Morh, Parliwand Kathua,
Bus stand, Kathua town and
adjoining Areas. During
Inspection No. of traders were
marched to DC office and held a
massive protest demonstration by
blocking college road for half an
hour in front of DC office at
Kathua and submitted the following memorandum declaring
their opposition to the Modi
government's proposed land
acquisition bill. The protest was
led by former power minister
Babu Singh, leaders of the
movement Karan Singh, Surinder
Singh, Ranbir Singh, Ashwani
Kumar, and farmer's sympathizer
Master Shiv Nandan and they
sought the sought the intervention of the president to protect the
interests of the Indian peasantry
by asking the Modi government to
refrain from going ahead with its
proposed bill. While speaking
during the protest, Babu Singh
said with this bill will open the
doors for forcible acquisition as
was permitted under the Land
Acquisition Act, 1894 which the
2013 law replaced to damage the
entire agriculture sector of the
country just to appease the
corporate houses.
In addition to this, industrial
and being evaluated through the
SIA, can now acquire a large area
of additional land which opens
doors to profiteering at the
expense of farmers which exposes
the Modi Government's approach
pro-corporate capitalists and anti
farmers which is unfair practice of
union government as a part of
conspiracy to snatch the land from
farmers to hand over to corporate
world hatched on the direction
capitailts. The land which is
developed as agricultural purpose
fifteen thousands of years are
given by the farmers so it cannot
be handed over to corporate world
on the name of development at
any cost, Singh warned. During
the protest, Kisaan Movement
demanded that 80% consent of the
farmers should be made
mandatory, the agriculture land
should not be acquired for
industry or commercial purposes,
and even the pre-acquired land
under SEZ (Special Economic
Zone) which is still unutilized
should be returned back to the
farmers who were the real owners
of land.
A reasonable
members should be given if nonagriculture land is acquired. In the
memorandum it also highlighted
local problems and urged the state
Government of Jammu and
Kashmir to come forward to
address the problems in which an
immediate proper survey for crop
damage assessment, procurement
of 1121 paddy crop, in particular
and establish the procurement
centre for paddy and wheat crop,
repairing and maintaining of all
(Khools) irrigation distributaries,
to introduce the individual crops
insurance scheme in which 75%
premium from the Government
side should be given, and to
promote multi-purpose integrated
"Organic cum Joint Farming
managed and owned by
government and farmers and also
accord Agro-Industry status to
agriculture. Kisaan Movement
hoped that government will
consider their submitted and
highlighted demands on priority.
In response, Additional DC
Kathua assured the deputation to
forward the memorandum to the
state government.
of Jammu & Kashmir, U.P.,
Gujarat, Bihar, Uttarakhand,
Tripura, Karnatka and
Maharashtra have been
selected for this honour.
The award is given for
contribution of highest order
towards public service and
exceptional achievements in
various fields.
Dr Shahid earlier received
the National Award for Best
Electoral conduct from
Election Commission of India
and National Award for eGovernance presented by
Ministry of Personnel,
Government of India.
The 34 year old Veterinary
Surgeon-turned-IAS officer is
youngest officer to receive the
most prestigious Prime
Minister's Award for
Excellence in Public
Administration; and first
individual officer from state
to receive this award. Earlier,
J&K received this award in
2005 and 2010 for Earthquake
Response & Reconstruction
and Conduct of Panchayat
Elections after 30 years
respectively.
DC gets Prime Minister's Award
Kathua, Mar. 25: Deputy
Commissioner, Kathua, Dr
Shahid Iqbal Choudhary, an
IAS officer of 2009 batch has
been selected for country's
highest Civil Services honour,
the Prime Minister's Award
for Excellence in Public
Administration.
The award carrying Rs 5
Lakh Cash, Gold Medal,
Scroll and a Citation will be
conferred upon the officer by
Prime Minister Narendra
Modi on 21st April at New
Delhi during the celebrations
of Civil Services Day.
This year 10
officers/initiatives across the
country will be getting the
highest civil services honour
for their exceptional and
extraordinary contribution
towards public service and
administration.
Ten initiatives from states
created through entrepreneurship.
The minister further informed the House that seven lakh
households comprising 14 lakh persons had been involved in the
craft sector. "With proper marketing, we will try to increase this
figure to 21 lakh," he assured the House. "The branding of
different handicrafts will be done which will help promote and
revive the sector, which forms one of the most important aspects
of our tradition and provides employability to lakhs of people,"
he added.
Finance Minister said the old classification of the plan and
non-plan outlay had been discarded which was a major change
and would have far-reaching implications on the allocation,
efficiency and monitoring of public expenditure.
The Finance Minister said that respecting the sensitivity of the
House towards widows, disabled and the destitute, two pension
schemes under the state and Central sector had been merged for
the benefit of widows and they would be getting a hiked pension
of Rs 1,000 per month. Besides, Rs 1,000 per month would also
be provided for the disabled persons having disability of more
than 60 percent.
The Finance Minister said the government would continue its
employee-friendly schemes in future also. He said all Class-IV
employees would get the recently announced 17% DA arrears in
cash.
During the minister's address, NC members created an uproar
but the former asked one of the opposition members to sit down.
The NC members, led by Devender Singh Rana, said the minister
had no right to ask the member to sit down. "It is the prerogative
of the Speaker to give directions to any member," Rana remarked
with other NC members supporting him.
national anthem have no right to be in India.
Welcoming the decision, Congress leader P L Punia expressed
happiness that "after the Mufti Mohammad Sayeed government
came to power, they have finally begun prosecuting some
separatists. Otherwise they seemed to be only releasing
everyone."
He said the government should also immediately take steps to
stop separatists meeting Pakistan's High Commissioner Abdul
Basit. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA Ravinder Raina on
Wednesday welcomed the FIR lodged against separatist Asiya
Andrabi and demanded her arrest after she allegedly unfurled a
Pakistan flag in Kashmir on March 23.
"I welcome this step, Asiya Andrabi is booked under law, and
I immediately demand her arrest, she should be immediately
shifted from Jammu and Kashmir to Tihar Jail," Ravinder Raina
told the media. "Gone are the days when these anti-national, proPakistani and separatist Hurriyat leaders had their say in the state
J-K," he added. Raina asserted that there is a dynamic and
powerful leadership in New Delhi and Narendra Modi is a very
dynamic Prime Minister.
Further adding, "Stern action should be taken against these
pro-Pakistani, separatist and propagandist." Meanwhile, National
Conference (NC) leader Mohammad Akbar Lone said that this
was not the first time when a Pakistani flag was been hoisted in
Kashmir.
"We need to see if she has broken the law. The police will
investigate as to till what extent was it anti-national," Akbar Lone
said." BJP has a big mandate and should address this politically,"
he added. The FIR, which has been has been registered at the
Nawhatta Police Station, accuses the Dukhtaran-e-Millat leader
of unlawful activities.
sure that once the Centre comes up, the flow of tourists to
Mantalai will pick up," Sayeed said, while addressing an
interactive session during a J&K Tourism Conference.
The conference, organised to conceptualise an out-of-box
strategy to put Jammu on the country's leisure tourism map, was
attended by tour and travel operators from across the nation as
well as the state.
Entrusting responsibility to optimally utilise the intake
capacity at various destinations in Jammu region to public and
private stakeholders, the Chief Minister said, Tourism sector was
bound to play a multiplier effect on other sectors like handicrafts
and services which will help in improving the State's economy.
He asked the private tour and travel operators to play an active
role in changing public perception across the country about J&K
as a safe tourist destination.
infiltration bid by militants from across the border in J&K with
the active support of ISI and Pakistan Army.
The alert was issued after two successive terrorist strikes in
Jammu region on Friday and Saturday last when the attackers
entered into the State after crossing the International borders.
According to the intelligence inputs, there would be more
infiltration attempts from across the border and all such attempts
are being supported by the Pakistani intelligence agency ISI and
the Army, official sources said.
Some of the alerts are very specific like detailed information
about the possible sites of infiltration bids.
In the past two months, Pakistan-based terror groups like
Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed have made many
attempts to infiltrate into the country and a few of them have
been successful, the sources said. (AGENCIES)
Andrabi had hoisted flag of Pakistan and sung its national
anthem on March 23 to "celebrate" Pakistan's National Day.
Reacting to the development, Andrabi said she had not
committed any crime. "It is quite strange why they had booked
me under 13A (of Unlawful Activities Prevention Act)," she said.
Andrabi, wife of a separatist leader Ashiq Hussain Faktoo, has
been engaged in separatist activities for over two decades. She
was last arrested in 2010 for unlawful activities, waging war
against the country and inciting violence.
Political parties welcomed the step against her.
"The case has rightly been registered against her. It is a straight
case of sedition...Jammu and Kashmir Police have taken the right
decision," BJP national secretary Sidharth Nath Singh said in
Delhi. He said those raising the Pakistani flag and singing its
to look into various issues associated with transfer of power
projects to the state which recommended seeking return of Salal,
Uri-I and Dul Hasti projects to the state apart from those transfer
to NHPC vide Memorandum of Understanding of July 2007.
The minister further said that J&K state Power Development
Corporation was authorised to work out present cost of these
projects on the basis of internationaly accepted norms.
Mantalai
to...
"Mantalai will be promoted as a brand. International Yoga BSF foils...
Security agencies have sounded an alert about possible
Centre here will have a cascading effect on tourist inflow. I am
Woman
separatist...
J&K
got...
A controversy had erupted following media reports that
Mir earlier said that a cabinet sub-committee was constituted
Four
die...
Ram of Sanasar, Kamal Kumar (32) son of Chatru Ram of
Madha, Reeta Devi (29) wife of Kamal Kumar of Madha,
Chanchalo Devi (32) wife of Shaju Ram of Madha, Puran Chand
(32) son of Kham Raj of Madha, Amar Singh son of Lansu Ram
of Madha, Pardeshma wife of Subash Chand of Thatli, Roma
NOTICE
I smt Chanchala Kumari
Sharma w/o Babu Ram
Dubey r/o ward no. 3
Krishna Gali Katra teh.&
distt. Reasi I Have Lost
My RC Vehicle no JK14A
9505 Now,I am Applying
for the duplicate.
Obection,if any may
convey to concern to the
ARTO UDHAMPUR. wi-th
in the Sevan days after
the publication of this
no-tice.
Devi (45) wife of Pramu of Madha, Neelma Devi (38) wife of
Kalash of Thtali, Tara Devi wife of Hans Raj of Panjar, Hans Raj
(42) son of Chat Ram of Panjar, Gyan Chand (41) son of Lanu
Ram of Madha Pancheri.
CM
assures...
Council today that 19.72 lakh households have been issued
ration cards in the State as per 2001 Census.
No fresh cards have been issued to any household after census
2001, however, every ration card is revalidated each year, he
said. At present, approximately 496,873 deserving households,
which include 195,423 from Jammu, 295,032 from Kashmir and
6,418 households from Ladakh, are without ration cards, the
minister said, adding presently ration is provided at the rate of 35
Kg per family. He said there is a provision of providing five kg
ration per person per month under National Food Security Act
2013 (NFSA) which is not yet implemented in the State.
Open
for...
Kashmir Valley with the rest of the country, was still through
for one-way traffic from Srinagar to Jammu today.
However, no vehicle was allowed from the other side, a traffic
police official said here.
The roads, connecting dozens of far flung and remote areas in
Bandipora and Kupwara districts in north Kashmir, besides
Srinagar-Leh national highway and Mughal road remained
closed due to accumulation of snow. Official said vehicles,
carrying passengers and empty trucks and oil Tankers left
Srinagar and other parts of the Valley for Jammu this morning.
He said since only one-way traffic was allowed on the highway,
no vehicle from Jammu to Srinagar today. However, vehicles
will ply from Jammu to Srinagar tomorrow in case weather will
remain dry and road stable. Passengers and drivers are requested
to contact traffic control rooms set up at Jammu, Srinagar and
other places before starting their journey.
The Border Roads Organisation (BRO), responsible for the
maintainance of the highway, remained busy to reconstruct the
damaged portion of the road due to landslides, triggered by
heavy rain last week.
The BRO has also started snow clearance operation on the
national highway, connecting the Ladakh region with Kashmir
valley. The highway is closed since December last year and is
likely to reopen last week of next month.
Mufti
to...
former Prime Minister of India Atal Bihari Vajpayee will be
awarded Bharat Ratna, the country's highest civilian award, he
added.
The Sub Group of the Chief Ministers, which will meet on
March 27, will look into the 66 centrally-sponsored schemes and
identify which must be cut, which are to be continued and which
can be transferred to the States, he said, adding it is expected to
submit its recommendations by April.
BJP
leaders...
conditions laid down by the UN Security Council before
holding the Plebiscite and it was erroneous on the part of
Islamabad to demand settlement of the Kashmir issue under the
provisions of the UN resolution which had, by now, become
obsolete. The party leaders said that it was up to Islamabad to
choose between exporting terror to India and resolving various
bilateral problems through the process of talks. They said that
Islamabad in general and Pakistan Prime Minister, Nawaz Sharif
in particular needs to keep in mind Narendra Modi's views on the
matter when he said on many times that terror and talks cannot
go together. (KIP)
Printer, Publisher & Proprietor Neelam Singh Gill. Published from Gurudwara Sunder Singh Road, Jammu-180001 and Printed at Northlines Offset Printers & Publishers, Jeewan Nagar, Digiana, Jammu.
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Visit www.thenorthlines.com, http://www.northlines.in. Epaper: www.epaper.thenorthlines.com
3
The NORTHLINES
Jammu
City
First Lady chairs Annual General
Body Meeting of ASHI
NL Correspondent
Usha Vohra, First Lady and
President of ASHI chaired the
Annual General Body
Meeting of Association for
Social Health in India
(ASHI), J&K Branch, here at
the Raj Bhavan, today.
After
extensive
discussions, the General Body
finalized new projects and
activities which shall be
undertaken by ASHI during
2015-16.
Mrs Vohra urged ASHI
members to focus sharply on
the empowerment of women
Vohra stressed the importance
of health check up of the
inmates being done on a
regular basis. She also
advised regular monitoring of
the vital health parameters of
all the inmates of Neha Ghar.
Sushma Choudhary, VicePresident ASHI; Prof. Kailash
Rajput, Secretary; Seema
Khajooria,
Additional
Secretary; Nasreen Khan,
Joint Secretary; Prof. Ved
Ghai; Prof. Sarla Kohli; Prof.
Rita Jitendra; representatives
of Health and Social Welfare
and girl children through skill the organization's financial possible.
Departments, were among the
endowment. She sought the base for making it financially While reviewing the over 60 members present in
views of members to enlarge self sustaining to the extent activities of the Neha Ghar, the meeting.
Pandemonium in LA
Rashid Marshalled out
Agencies
The alleged remarks of National Conference member against
the Speaker and the protest from MLA Langate against the
dropping out of resolution over Muhammad Afzal Guroo led to
pandemonium in Legislative Assembly on Wednesday.
Shortly before the commencement of Zero Hour, Bharatiya
Janata Party (BJP) legislators stormed to the speaker's podium
protesting against National Conference member Javaid Rana's
remark. The BJP legislators alleged that Rana called the speaker a
"Hindu fundamentalist". There were counter protests in the
Assembly by National Conference legislators following which the
speaker asked them to calm down. During Question Hour, MLA
Langate, Engineer Rashid advanced to the speaker's podium to
press his demand for the return of the mortal remains of
Muhammad Afzal Guru, who was executed in February 2013 in
Tihar Jail without informing his family members. Rashid sought
reply from the Speaker as to why his resolution demanding return
of mortal remains of Afzal Guru to his family was dropped from
the proceedings of the House.
When he was told that it was dropped during the draw to select
the resolution for holding discussions in the House, he walked into
the Well of the House and resorted to protests by saying that if the
Government of India can talk to Pakistan for handing over the
body of Mumbai terror attack convict Ajmal Kasab, then why
cannot they return the mortal remains of Guru to his family.
The speaker Kavinder Gupta then ordered the marshals to
evict him from the house for interrupting the proceedings.
BSF foils 2 infiltration
bids in Kathua, Samba
Agencies
Days after militant attacks in Kathua and Samba districts of
Jammu division, Border Security Forces Wednesday claimed that
suspected militants tried to infiltrate into Indian side from the
same districts, however, their attempts were foiled due to the
alertness of the security personnel. BSF official said that its men
observed suspicious movement of some persons in the wee hours
of Wednesday near two of its border outposts on the international
border in Samba and Kathua districts. "Our alert and vigilant
troops fired at the suspicious persons forcing them to retreat back",
he said. (CNS)
NH to remain closed
on March 28
Agencies
In an official communique from IG Traffic Jammu the general
public is informed that the NHW-IA (Srinagar-Jammu National
Highway) shall remain closed on March 28, 2015 and no
movement of vehicular traffic, whatsoever, either from Jammu or
Valley shall be allowed on NHW-IA . This will be effective from
1500 hours of March 27, 2015.
The decision has been taken to carry out the repair of portion
of road at Magarkote that has sunk and other bottlenecks which
could not be addressed earlier by the concerned authority due to
continuous flow of traffic on NHW-IA after it was temporally
restored for one way traffic. (CNS)
2,376 SPOs absorbed
in JK police: Mufti
HM
reviews
projects
NC leaders interact with under health sector
Japanese scholars
NL Correspondent
Provincial President National
Conference Mr Devender Singh
Rana has said that democracy has
fully bloomed in Jammu and
Kashmir despite intimidation and
baleful machinations perpetrated
by elements inimical to peaceful
and democratic way of life.
"During successive elections,
especially the one held recently
to elect members to the
Legislative Assembly, the people
have shown immense degree of
political maturity and resilience
by thwarting the attempts of anti-
Chief Minister Mufti Muhammad Sayeed who is also the Home
Minister of Jammu and Kashmir Wednesday informed that
Legislative Assembly that 2,376 Special Police Officers (SPOs)
have been converted as constables and followers in the state
police.
In a written reply to the question of National Conference
member Shenaz Ganai, Home Minister said that under the policy
on SPOs, which came into force in 2009, as many as 2,376 SPOs
have been converted into constables and followers till date.
He said that the honorarium of SPOs is sanctioned by the
Union Home Ministry, while a proposal for enhancement of
honorarium of SPOs from existing Rs 3,000 per month to Rs 6,000
has been submitted to the central government for approval.
Meanwhile, Minister for Roads and Buildings Altaf Bukhari
said in a written reply informed the state Legislative Assembly that
that 172 roads and 98 bridges have been damaged during flash
floods in Poonch district in September last year. He said that the
cost of damages has been worked out to Rs 6059.32 lakh against
which an amount of Rs 1982.88 lakh has so far been released.
(CNS)
a team of Japanese scholars,
which called on his and other
senior party leaders at Sher-eKashmir Bhavan. He referred to
the massive participation of
voters despite threats and said
this became possible only due to
peoples' firm will and sustained
efforts of the government led by
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah in
heralding peace in the wake of
turbulent situation.
Led by Takako Hirose
(Kuboki), Professor in South
Asian Politics in Senshu
University, the team had
exhaustive discussions with Mr
NPP demands AIIMS
for Jammu Pradesh
NL Correspondent
Launching a scathing attack
on the BJP for meekly
surrendering the interests of
Jammu Pradesh before the
PDP for the lust of power,
NPP sternly demanded AIIMS
for Jammu on the analogy of
establishing
Central
Universities in the state.
Balwant Singh Mankotia
State President NPP and ExMLA while addressing the
media revealed that a day
before
the
BJP-PDP
government formation in
J&K, Union Finance Minister,
Arun Jaitely had announced
two Institutions in the form of
AIIMS for Kashmir and IIM
(Indian
Institute
of
Management) for Jammu
respectively. He exhorted the
state and the central
governments to reconsider the
sanction of AIIMS for Jammu
and IIM for Kashmir in view
of the dire need and lack of
medical infrastructure which
often force the people of
Jammu Pradesh to be referred
to Chandigarh or New Delhi
for the treatment.
Balwant reminded the
media that earlier the then
NDA government headed by
Prime Minister Shri Atal
Bihari
Vajpayee
had
announced to establish AIIMS
at Jammu and subsequently
the then Union Health
Minister Sushma Swaraj had
laid foundation stone for
AIIMS in Jammu but later it
turned as an ill equipped
Super speciality Hospital. He
added that the institution like
AIIMS can only support the
already available medical
edifice to provide satisfactory
facilities to the ailing patients
and looking into the needs and
sentiments of the people of
Jammu region it has become
imperative to provide
adequate health services for
the population living here.
Balwant maintained that
Kashmir has been blessed
with SKIMS which is a
premier research institute
equivalent to AII
He
demanded AIIMS to be
returned to Jammu in
consonance to the coveted
demand of the people.
Other who were present in
the press conference included
Gagan
Pratap
Singh
Spokesman Young Panthers,
Ranjit
Singh
Katoch,
Lakhvinder Singh etc.
Minister for Health and
Medical Education, ARI and
Trainings Ch Lal Singh today
reviewed the status of ongoing
projects under health sector in a
meeting held today.
Commissioner/Secretary
Health and Medical Education
Shantmanu,
Principal
Government Medical College
Dr. Ghanshyam Dev Gupta,
Director General Indian System
of Medicine (ISM) Dr Kabir
Ahmed Dar, Director Health
Services Dr. Baljeet Singh
Pathania, Mission Director
National Rural Health Mission
(NRHM) Dr Yash Pal Sharma ,
Project Director Aids Control
Society Dr. Mohan Singh,
Director Family Welfare Dr.
Baldev Sharma besides senior
officers from planning and
health department were present
in the meeting .
The chair was apprised that
Government has released Rs.
7.35 crore out of sanctioned
funds of Rs. 14.52 crore for
construction of 50-bedded SubDistrict Hospital building at
Bishnah. The work on the
project is under progress on
war-footing and would be
completed by June this year.
The Minister reviewed the
progress on various projects
and directed the concerned
agencies to expedite the work
for their timely completion
while maintaining quality
standards as per specifications.
Ch Lal Singh also took stock
of the status of drug supply to
the hospitals of Jammu province
and reviewed progress on the
implementation of National
Programme for Prevention and
Control of Cancer, diabetes,
cardiovascular and stroke
(NPCDCS),
National
Programme for Healthcare of
Elderly (NPHCE), besides civil
works and utilization of funds
provided under various
centrally and state sponsored
schemes.
103rd Science Congress is
"Science and Technology for
Indigenous Development in
India".
Dr. Arun Kumar, General
Secretary
(Scientific
Activities) ISCA, Kolkata also
spoke on the occasion.
Dr. Vijayalaxmi, General
Secretary, Indian Science
Congress Association 2015,
Saying that India has
immense potential of Human
Resource which wants to leave
an imprint in the field of
Science and Technology,
Union Minister of State for
Development of North Eastern
Regions, Prime Minister's
Office Personal and Public
Grievances, Department of
Atomic
Energy
and
Department of Space Dr.
Jatinder Singh called for
exploring the unexplored
potential of India.
Inaugurating the three-day
National Seminar on "Science
and Technology for Human
Development" and SAP (UGC)
Workshop on "Biodiversity
and Conservation: Present
Status and Future Perspective"
being organized by the
Department of Zoology,
University of Jammu in
collaboration with The Indian
Science Congress Association,
Kolkata and Jammu Chapter,
ISCA here this morning, Dr.
Jitender Singh particularly
made a mention of women
scientists and said that they
were excelling in their chosen
sphere. Dr. Singh also made
reference to the Mars Mission
and said that it is one of the
biggest achievements for India
as it is a fully indigenously
developed infrastructure. He
said this was the first
interplanetary mission that
proved to be successful.
Dr. Jitender Singh also made
reference to the initiatives of
the Government in the State of
Jammu and Kashmir. He said
that an Automatic Weather
Observing System (AWOS)
has been set up at Sanji Chat
Katra. He further informed that
a Biotech park at the cost of
Rs. 80 Crore is coming up at
Kathua.
In his presidential address,
Prof. R. D. Sharma, Vice
Chancellor, University of
Jammu highlighted the
importance of Science and
Technology and said that
science is as old discipline as
human civilization. Prof.
Sharma said that Science and
Technology has profoundly
influenced the course of human
civilization. He said that
science has provided us
remarkable insights of the
world we live in.
Prof. A. K. Saxena,
President, Indian Science
congress Association 2015,
Kolkata gave an overview of
the activities of the ISCA since
its inception and said that
ISCA has more than 40,000
members.
He also informed that the
103rd session of the Indian
Science Congress shall be held
at the University of Mysore,
Mysore from January 3 to 7,
2016 and the theme for the
lamented that the working class
people have been living under
pathetic conditions and are even
denied the minimum rights
guaranteed under various
statutes. He said that PF
organization
should
be
streamlined, smart cards issued
and accounts of the workers
made on line, adding that
assurances were earlier also
made for resolving these issues
but nothing substantial has been
done so far and pleaded that
entire PF organization be brought
under the purview of Public
Services Guarantee Act(PSGA).
Demanding the registration of
labourers in J&K Building and
other Construction Workers
Welfare Board be made through
registered labour unions instead
of the brokers/middlemen, he
said that the registration process
takes months together which has
become den of corruption and
eligible labourers are denied the
entitled benefits of the scheme.
He demanded that registration
process be made time-bound,
minimum wages for the
workforce should be enhanced to
Rs.15000/- per month in view of
the price escalation and Variable
Dearness Allowance (VDA) paid
on the pattern of other states
across the country. He said that
the unemployment has assumed
alarming proposition in the state
and nothing concrete has been
devised in the budget to tackle
this crucial problem. The funds
under Self Employment
programme are insufficient in
view of this alarming situation
which needs to be enhanced
substantially.
Deliberating on the demand
of the Planning and Development
department he demanded that the
District Development Boards
need to be empowered, their
scope widened and development
boards for each district
constituted on the pattern of Leh
and Kargil districts. While
speaking on the grants of Finance
department, he said that
execution of works is deliberately
being delayed till March and
money is sold openly at the fag
end of the financial year. He
expressed disappointment over
the delay in the implementation
of orders for payment of Rs.110/per day in favour of the
Contingency Paid Workers of
Education department.
He also demanded tribal
status for Chopan community
and constitution of advisory
board for them. (CNS)
Mohammed Shafi Uri.
The interaction also revolved
around the progress achieved by
the state in different sectors of
economy,
technological
development, spread of
education, strides made in
women empowerment with focus
on female literacy besides
progress and development. The
National Conference leaders also
apprised the team about the
human resource development
and said how the youth of the
state were contributing in
different spheres across the
world.
National Seminar, SAP (UGC)
Workshop inaugurated at JU
NL Correspondent
Constitute dev boards for each district on
pattern of Leh, Kargil: Tarigami
172 roads, 98 bridges damaged in floods in
Poonch: Altaf Bukhari
Agencies
Agencies
NL Correspondent
democracy forces", Mr Rana told Rana and the senior leader Mr Jammu Tawi | March | 25
Stating that there seems a
systematic and routine violation
of labor laws in Jammu and
Kashmir, the CPI (M) State
Secretary Mohammad Yousuf
Tarigami today underscored need
for strict implementation of
regulations
guaranteeing
protection to the 'unprotected'
working class in the state.
While speaking on the
grants of Social Welfare
department, he expressed utter
dismay over the decision of the
Union Govt. for drastic cut in the
allocations of this flagship
programme i.e. Integrated Child
Development Scheme(ICDS) by
more than half i.e. from Rs.18108
crores in 2014-15 to Rs.8245.77
crores. This is nothing but open
attack on the poor and most
malnourished section of our
population. While the prices are
rising unabatedly, there is no any
proposal to increase the
remuneration/honorarium of the
Anganwadi workers and helpers
since 2011 and are also denied
minimum social security benefits
including pension, gratuity etc.
He demanded immediate steps to
be taken to increase honorarium
to the Anganwadi workers and
helpers at par with the Haryana
Govt. and covering them under
pension, gratuity and other social
security benefits. He further
demanded that their work should
be defined and yearly increment
should be given to them.
While participating on
demands for grants on Labour
and Employment in Legislative
Assembly, the CPI (M) leader
BJP
Membership
Camp
organized
NL Correspondent
Bhartiya Janta Party
Membership drive continues
here in Vidhan Sabha segment
Nagrota. BJP Leader Anil
Sharma and Sarpanch Panchyat
Halqa Jandrah in continuation
of membership drive after door
to door membership organized
a special membership camp
here at nagrota to enrol left out
aspiring persons willing to join
the party. Sharma informed that
since the launch of new
membership
mission
registering through Mobile
Phones, the people have shown
keen interest to join the party
and a good number of people
voluntarily coming forward for
their registration and it is only
after the request of the BJP
workers and supporters that a
special membership camp is
organized.
Anil said, the people are
impressed by the steps being
taken by the union government
led by Prime Minister focusing
the rural area and more
specifically the programs like
Swatch Bharat Mission and
Beti Bachao, Beti Padao
program. It was told that the
membership drive shall
continue in all Panchayats and
blocks falling under Vidhan
Sabha segment Nagrota. On
this occasion along with Anil
Sharma those who were present
in the camp include Som Raj
Sharma, Subash , Surjeet
Kumar, Balwan Singh, Pritam
Chand, Rakesh Kumar,
Narinder Kumar, Bali Ram
Mistri, and Ram Lal Chalotra.
The NORTHLINES
HILL DISTRICTS
Army provides administrative
assistance to employment fair
NL Correspondent
Doda | March | 25
Rashtriya Rifles located at
Bhadarwah under the aegis of
the Counter Insurgency Force
(Delta) provided administrative
assistance to the 'One Day
Employment Fair' organised by
District Employment and
Counseling Centre, Doda at
Community Hall Bhadarwah
for un-employed youth. The aim
of this Employment Fair was to
educate
general
public
regarding various Government
Schemes
of
different
departments particularly for unemployed educated youth to get
maximum benefits from various
schemes launched by state as
well as Central Government
through various departments
and banks. A total of 300 unemployed youth attended the
Employment Fair from the
remote habitats of Bhadarwah
and nearby villages. .The
Rashtriya Rifles located at
Bhadarwah had installed a stall
of
EMPLOYMENT
GUIDANCE for providing
career counseling, guidance and
miscellaneous
information
related to job opportunities
available in Army.The one day
NYK holds conference
NL Correspondent
Doda | March | 25
Nehru Yuva Kendra Doda Ministry of Youth affairs & Sports
Govt. of India organized a Press Confrence in the premises of
Nehru\ Yuva Kendra Office Doda. While Speaking on the
Occasion Distt Youth Co-ordinator Sanjay Veer Kotwal said:
1. The main Objective of this Programme is to toilets under
Nirmal Bharat Abhiyan.
2. Participation saansad adarsh Gram
Youjana.
3. Beti Bachao Beti Padhao. In this Press Conference Mukhtiar
Ahmed Butt ( National Youth Awaree), Mr Pinku Kumar Sharma
(National Youth Awardee) and other NYC of Distt Doda were
present. develop Leadership qualities among the Youth to enable
to realize their full potential in the process to contribute to the
nation building process.The Programme aims at motivating the
youth to Strive for excellence in their respective fields and to bring
them to the forfront of the development process. It seeks to harness
the immense youth energy for National building. Theprogramme
shall have the following five Components.
4.Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojna.
5.Swachh Bharat Mission Clean India 'Compaign'.
DIC organizes
quiz, painting
competition
NL Correspondent
Doda | March | 25
District Information Centre
Doda yesterday organized an
Inter class Secondary level Quiz
and painting competition at New
Light High School Bhalla. The
quiz competition was of general
nature covering the topics from
General Awareness, General
science and current affairs and the
painting competition was
organized on "Save the Mother
Earth". Six teams participated in
the quiz competition, while in the
painting competition out of ten
students Sehreen of class 8th won
the first prize while the second
and third prize was bagged by
Anshu Sharma of class 8th and
Vikram singh of class 10th
respectively. Principal New light
High School Bhalla Mol Raj
Sharma ,staff of the institution
,students among others witnessed
the competitions. Principal of the
host institution thanked District
Information Centre for organizing
the Quiz competition and
painting competition and hoped
for the conduct for such functions
in future also.
Employment
Fair
was
inaugurated by Mr Bhupinder
Kumar, IAS, DC, Doda dist in
presence of various civil
dignitaries of Bhadarwah to
include Mr Basheer Ul Hassan,
Tehsildar Bhadarwah and Mr
Bandeshwar Manhas, SHO and
representatives of the Rashtriya
Rifles Battalion. Speaking on
the
occasion,
Deputy
Commissioner
Doda
complimented the Rashtriya
Rifles Battalion, the Deputy
Director Employment and
Counseling Centre, Doda and
Bhadarwah administration for
organizing this fair and assured
that the department will
continue to focus towards the
unemployed youth though such
fairs as various schemes have
been launched by the govt for
assisting the youth and farmers
to set up their self employment
enterprises. He called for a
change in the mind set of the
unemployed youth towards
entrepreneurship to become job
providers instead of job seekers.
Officers and experts from
different line departments viz.
Agriculture,
Horticulture,
Fisheries,
Handicraft,
Handloom
Development,
Animal Husbandry, Social
Welfare,
Information
Technology etc were also
present on the occasion to
disseminate the information and
to guide the youth for setting up
their own enterprises.
Army conducts flower show
NL Correspondent
Udhampur | March | 25
The annual flower show and
garden competition for the year
2015 was conducted at
Udhampur military garrison
under the aegis of HQ 71 Sub
Area. The competition was held
under multiple categories
comprising
institutional,
individual, potted plant
varieties including green plants,
bonsai, cactus and rare plant
and flower arrangement. The
competition was keenly
contested by all units of the
station ladies and children.
Ecology
conservation
commitment was displayed by
one and all.Large number of
children participated in painting
and
clay
modelling
competition, theme for which
was " Waste Management and
Go Green". The result for the
same has been heart-warming.
Indian Army has always been
conscious
towards
the
environmental issues and has
achieved remarkable results in
greening and beautification of
cantonments.
The zeal,
dedication and enthusiasm
displayed by each member of
armed forces, reaffirmed Indian
Army commitment towards the
noble cause of environment
conservation.
DC reviews progress registered under PSGA
NL Correspondent
Udhampur | March | 25
Deputy Commissioner (DC),
Udhampur, Yasha Mudgal
convened a meeting of all
revenue officers of Udhampur
district at Conference Hall, DC
office, here today. During the
meeting, DC reviewed the
progress made under Public
Services Guarantee Act (PSGA).
In order to provide public
services more satisfactorily, she
stressed to develop online
software for proper monitoring of
the revenue services. For the
purpose, she directed District
Informatics Officer(NIC) to
develop a reliable online
software regarding Fard
application and Demarcation of
land application admittance till
their disposal within time limit
provided under PSGA. She
further added that if Fard
issuance and demarcation of land
isnot done within 10 days and 30
days time respectively by the
concerned official, this software
will show red alert , which will be
monitored daily in DC office and
action will be initiated against the
concerned official for non
compliance. DC directed all the
Tehsildars for maintaining proper
record/register for applications
received pertaining to issuance of
Fard, demarcation etc manually
till the software is developed.
Stressing upon the revenue
officers, Deputy Commissioner
instructed all the revenue officers
to initiate removal of identified
encroachments in their respective
areas and asked to submit the
compliance report of the same to
her office by 31st March. She
stressed upon the revenue
officers to put in their
coordinated efforts and keeping
close liaison with police authority
of their respective areas for
prompt action in the evacuation
of encroached land if any. Senior
Superintendent of Police,
Suleman Choudhary, Additional
Deputy Commissioner, Vikas
Sharma, ACR, Rajeev Magotra,
District Informatics Officer
(NIC), Anil Sharma, Sub
Divisional Magistrates of
Chenani, Ramnagar, Dudu &
Basantgarh, all Tehsildars, Naib
Tehsildars and Patwaris were
present in the meeting.
NL Correspondent
Doda | March | 25
To give know how of the latest
Agricultural techniques to the
famers, a tour of the progressive
farmers of the District was flagged
of by the Deputy commissioner
Doda Bhupinder Kumar from DC
office complex Doda. While
flagging off the tour DC Doda said
that such tours helps the farmers to
acquaint with the best Agricultural
technology and good practices for
the better production of their crops
besides helps them to interact with
the Agricultural Scientists who
could provide them the expert
guidance.
Earlier, Chief Agricultural
Officer Doda H.K Razdan said
that the farmers will visit to the
Sher-e-Kashmir University of
Agriculture Science and
Technology ( SKUAST) campusChatha Jammu. The tour which
has been organized under "KrishiDarshan" Scheme includes 100
(One hundred) farmers of Sub Div.
Thathri and Sub Div. Pranoo of
Doda District, he added. Scientists
from the University will also
deliver lecturer to the farmers on
different topics related to
Agriculture Production besides the
farmers will also have interaction
with the scientists and will also
visit the fields, he further added .
District
Development
Commissioner Rajouri, Deepti
Uppal today inaugurated 2nd
mega employment fair at
Kotranka.
This fair was organized on
the theme of Beti Bachao, Beti
Padhao and placement for
unemployed youth under Udaan
by the department of
employment and counselling
centre Rajouri under the
supervision of Deputy Director
Harbans Lal sharma.
Reiterating the need of
promoting self-employment,
DDC
emphasized
on
unemployed educated youth for
utilizing the benefits of selfemployment schemes started by
state and the central government
and establish their own income
generating units rather than
seeking government job. She
further said that this region has
enormous potential and
unemployed educated youth
should adopt entrepreneurship
NL Correspondent
Kishtwar | March | 25
The National Students Union
of India (NSUI) District Unit
Kishtwar (J&K) facilitated its
members and the students, who
played a keen role in exposing
the Scholarship scam, in a
meeting held at kishtwar which
was chaired by District Chief
NSUI Unit Kishtwar Prakash
Singh
Dadwal.
While
appreciating the efforts made
by members of the
organisation, Dadwal said that
it is the first time that any of
the student's organisations have
exposed such type of a big
Scam. It is a pride for whole
student's community. "I will
approach to higher up NSUI
authority for the promotion of
the members who performed
well in the betterment of
student's community and
exposing such type of fraud,
NSUI will continuously work
with same zeal for betterment
of Students community.
It is pertinent to mention
here the detail of whole scam
and role of NSUI in exposing
the Scholarship scam at
Kishtwar. A meeting of NSUI
was held at Kishtwar on 8th of
march 2015 and was attended
by various representatives of
students under the leadership
of District President NSUI
Prakash Singh Dadwal. The
main issue raised here was
"SCHOLARSHIP SCAM",
students alleged that a
computer training institute had
cheated them by withdrawing
DIC Ramban
organizes quiz
competition
NL Correspondent
Ramban | March | 25
District Information Centre,
Ramban today organised a
Quiz Competition at Bhartiya
Vidya Minder High School
Ramban.
Deputy
Registrar
Cooperative
Department
Ramban, Ikar Giri was the
chief guest on the occasion
and Principal of the School
presided over the function.
First prize was awarded to
the team of Bhartiya Vidya
Mandir High School (BVMS)
while the second and third
prize was clinched by Girls
High School Parnote and
Chenab English Medium High
School Ramban respectively.
In another event Inderjeet a
students of BVMS clinched
first position in painting
competition.
Speaking on the occasion,
chief guest appreciated the
role
of
Information
Department in providing a
platform to the students and
motive them to participate in
extra-curricular
activities
which would boost their
confidence and help the face
of competition. Principal of
the School, Pardeep Singh
thanked the Information
Department for organising
such events to promote the
talent of students. A colourful
cultural programme was also
presented by the DIC Ramban.
Later
commendation
certificates and consolation
prizes were also distributed
among the participants.
include
Agriculture,
Horticulture , Employment /
UDAAN , Handicraft , social
welfare .Placement drive started
under UDDAN also got a huge
response from the youth .
Among others, CEO Tourism
Mushir Mirza, ACR Param Jeet
Singh SDM Sukh Pal Singh ,
chief Horticulture Officer Y.K
Kesar , Chief Agriculture
Officer Sadaqat Ali, Munsif
Kotranka, Shafiq Choudhary
and other seniors officers were
also present on the occasion.
NOTICE
as career prospective and
establish their own business.
She advised the local to make
optimum use of natural
resources available while
establishing their own business.
ADDC Veer Jee Hangloo
reiterated the need of
motivating the unemployed
youth towards entrepreneurship
to address the problem of
unemployment in state.
Harbans Lal Sharma
highlighted the importance of
employment fair being
organised by his department .
Over 50 stalls were installed by
all the line departments
including army to create
awareness among educated
youth about the various state
and centrally sponsored
schemes .
Prominent
department to put their stalls
NSUI facilitate its
members, students
DDC Doda flags off
DDC inaugurates employment fair at Kotranka
progressive farmers’ tour
NL Correspondent
Rajouri | March | 25
4
I Radha Krishna, S/o
RajenIran, R/o V.P.O: P/S:
Kombai Teh. Uthamapalayam
& Distt: Trew(TN) A/P, have
lost my gun license no.
DMK/2653/KAP/2011/B, Dt:
31-12-2011. I am applying for
duplicate one objection if any
may be conveyed to
concerned authority within
Seven days from the
publication of this notice.
scholarship money from their
bank account. The students
claimed that they were directed
by the officials of the particular
institute "Kishtwar Catalog
Computer Institute" to open the
Bank accounts in Punjab
National Bank , they did so as
per direction and when their
accounts has been opened, the
official of the institute snatches
their ATM cards and Bank
passbook directly through bank
when the victims just collected
the Bank items from PNB,
students claimed that they even
not knows their own ATM
Password. The victims are
nearly ranges from 70 to 100
students. On dated 28th feb
Victims receive Message of
their mobiles that a huge
amount of Rs 15700 was been
credited in their accounts in the
form of Scholarship through
Ministry of Minority affairs
(MOMA) and at the same day
12500 has been debited from
their accounts. Thus they got
Shocked.
When
they
approached to Institute
officials for the matter, they
denied of returning the money
as directed "go wherever you
want".
On 11th march NSUI Team
again reached at Police station
for speed up the case and
Planned to launch agitation and
seeks help from vigilance
department if police further
delays the issue.
On 17th march NSUI
Deputation met with SSP
Kishtwar regarding the scam
and appealed to interfere.
Acting upon the issue raised
by NSUI S S P Directed the
Police officials to speed up the
process and Police FIR Against
the accuse under section
419,420,467,468 of RPC and
was finally arrested on 18th
march and later was granted.
SDPO visits GHS
NL Correspondent
Poonch | March | 25
In order to check and clampdown on the menace of mass
copying in the examination centres SDPO Mendhar
Surinder Chodhary alongwith flying squad team , paid
surprise visits to Govt. Higher Secondary School Ghani /
Sagra and Govt. High School Chajjla / Kasblari during
checking and framed 13 unfair mean cases.
In addition to above DySP Hqrs. Poonch and DySP
Surankote also made surprise visits alongwith flying squad
teams at various examination centres at Poonch / Surankote
area to avoid such menace.
The supervisory officers made surprise visits on the
directions of S. Jatinder Singh Johar-SSP Poonch, who also
conducted checking in the two centres of Poonch city
(Govt. Girls Higher Secondary School Sheesh Mahel
Poonch/ Govt. Boys Higher Secondary School Boys
Poonch)
Social Welfare
Department organises
awareness camp
NL Correspondent
Ramban | March | 25
Social Welfare Department Ramban organised a one day
awareness camp at Community Hall Maitra, Ramban.
Assistant Commissioner Development, Ramban Arvind
Kirwani was the chief guest on the occasion.
ACD stressed upon the participants to avail maximum
benefits of the various scheme of Social sectors and other
line departments and also impressed the department that
such awareness camp may be organised at Panchyat level so
that the rural masses can be made aware about the schemes
and implement the scheme with dedication.
DSWO, Ramban Varun Jeet Singh Charak apprised the
participants about the Schemes and Assistances being
provided to the disabled persons, needy and weaker section
of the society under different State as well as centrally
sponsored schemes
During the interaction session resource persons gave the
detail brief of different schemes and also asked the
Anganwari workers and Helpers to guide the people in your
respective areas about the welfare schemes especially for
disabled and old aged persons.
DSWO, DIO, CDPO, were the resources persons and
PRIs, Anganwari workers and large number of general
public attended the function.
IN THE COURT OF JMIC
(MUNSIFF), SAMBA
Present: Manzoor Hussain
Sohan Singh S/O Sardar Singh R/o. Jeed, Teh & District Samba
V/S
S.H.O. Police Station, Samba
In the matter of: Application for Registration of birth/death of:Shravan Rajput (male) Date of birth 03-10-2012. At Home
Father's Name: Sh. Sohan Singh
Mother's Name Smt. Sheetal Devi
NOTICE TO GENERAL PUBLIC
Whereas, an application stand filed in this court for registration of
birth of above mentioned persons R/o Jeed, Teh & District Samba
in Police Station Samba and through the medium of this
publication notice at large and any other interested person is/ are
informed that in case anybody has any objection in respect of
aforementioned application then he/she/they shall file their
objections in this court within 7 days from the date of publication
of notice, failing which appropriate order shall follow.
Given under my hand and seal of this court today 25th day of
March 2015.
Sd/JMIC (Munsiff) Samba
The NORTHLINES
KATHUA
DDC inaugurates employment fair
NL Correspondent
Kathua | March | 24
District
Development
Commissioner Kathua Dr. Shahid
Iqbal Choudhary inaugurated
Two Day Employment Fair
organized
by
District
Employment and counseling
Centre, Kathua in its premises
here today. ADC Kathua Mushtaq
Ahmed, CEO LSDA Dr Bharat
Bhushan, Deputy Director
Employment & Counseling
Centre Kathua Sunil Kumar and
officers with staff of various
departments were among the
present on the occasion. At the
outset, DDC visited the stalls and
inspected the exhibits of various
departments. The stalls drawn
from different departments
including
Agriculture,
JKSC,ST,BC Dev. Board,
Employment & Counseling
Centre and bankers were
installed. Leaflets, literature and
pamphlets of schemes and
programmes
of
different
departments were distributed
among the visitors. DDC while
addressing on the occasion said
that youth is the backbone of any
society and hence a skilful and
literate youth can contribute more
Present: Smriti Sharma (K.C.S) in the development and progress
purposely. He said the youth from
Horticulture,
Sericulture,
Floriculture, Fisheries, Industries,
Handloom
and
Animal
husbandry, Sheep Husbandry,
Rural Dev. Deptt, DRDA, Social
Welfare, Health, Education,
Labour, JKEDI, Handicraft,
Khadi Village Industrial Board,
IN THE COURT OF LEARNED
MUNSIFF BASOHLI
PROCLAMATION
In the Matter of: Application in terms of section 13 (3) of
registration of birth and death Act 1969.
Whereas an application U/s 13 (3) of registration of birth and
death Act 1969 has been filed by Sohan Lal S/o Sh. Thakur Dass
R/o Ward No.9 Tehsil Basohli District Kathua seeking court
direction to Executive Officer Municipal Committee Basohli to
enter the date of birth of his daughter namely Suhani Devi born on
28-4-2010 in the birth register of Executive Officer Municipal
Committee Basohli. Whereas it is intimated through this notice to
public at large that if anyone has any objection regarding the
matter mentioned above he/she shall file objection if any on or
before 7-4-2015.
SdMunsiff Judicial Magistrate
1st Class Basohli
sub- urban and rural areas have
immense talent which they have
exhibited and held important
positions in various government
and private institutions. He said
that purpose of organizing
employment fair is too aware and
motivate the youth for setting up
their own income generating units
in different sectors. He said youth
of sub-urban and rural. Earlier
Deputy Director, Employment &
counseling Centre Kathua Sunil
Kumar in his welcome address
said the purpose of the
Employment Fair is to aware the
unemployed educated youth
about the existing various
government sponsored schemes
implemented
by
different
departments and agencies for
establishment
of
income
generating units. He said
employment department is
shouldering responsibility to
reach to the unemployed educated
youth to get the benefits of
various schemes to become self
sufficient.
LITTLE FLOWER HIGH SCHOOL
(Recognized & Affiliated to J&K
State Board of School Education)
Present: Smriti Sharma (K.C.S)
PROCLAMATION
In the matter of: Application in terms of section 13 (3) of
registration of birth and death Act 1969.
Whereas an applicant U/s 13 (3) of registration of birth and
death Act 1969 has been filed by Amita Rani w/o Sh. Jagdhir
Singh R/o Village Sandhar Tehsil Basohli District Kathua court
direction to SHO Police Station Basohli to enter the date of birth
of his son namely Amit Singh born on 17-10-2010 and Sneha Rani
born on 25-10-2012 in the birth register of Police Station Basohli.
Whereas it is intimated through this notice to public at large that
if anyone has any objection regarding the matter mentioned above
he/she shall file objection if anyone before 7-4-2015.
1st Class Basohli
IN THE COURT OF LEARNED
MUNSIFF BASOHLI
Present: Smriti Sharma (K.C.S)
PROCLAMATION
In the matter of: Application in terms of section 13 (3) of
Registration of birth and death Act 1969.
Whereas an applicant U/s 13 (3) of registration of birth and
death Act 1969 has been filed by Atique-Ul-Rehman S/o Sh. Kallu
Din R/o Ward No.13 Basohli Tehsil & District Kathua seeking
court direction to Executive Officer Municipal Committee Basohli
to enter the date of his son namely Imran Khan (Born on 5-82012) in the birth register of Executive Officer Municipal
Committee Basohli. Whereas it is intimated through this notice to
public at large that if any one has any objection regarding the
matter mentioned above he/she shall file objection regarding the
matter mentioned above he/she shall file objection if anyone or
before 7-4-2015.
1st Class Basohli
NOTICE NOTICE
I Manawer Hussain S/O
Mohammad Rashid, R/O
Dalhote, P/o Kalak-ote ,
P/S Kalakote I have
applied DoB 05/02/1994
at PS Kalakote, objection
if any may be conyed to
corned authority within
one weak after the
NOTICE
M/s Raymonds Mattresses
Industry Chak Sona Nupa
Kalibari Tehsil & District
Kathua have lost my RC of
my vehicle Truck Bearing
Registration No.JK08A9861,
Chassis
No.386555GSZ822771
and also lost my Permit,
Fitness and Insurance
Now I am applying for the
duplicate objection if any
may be conveyed to R.T.O
Lakhanpur within seven
days from the date of
I Sanjiv Kumar S/O
Pritam Lal, R/O Sadhyal,
P/O Ghambir Bharmana,
P/S Rajouri I have applied dob 05/02/1993 at
PS Rajouri , objection if
any may be conyed to
corned authority within
one weak after the
HOLY FAITH PUBLIC SCHOOL
WARD NO.11 KATHUA
Tiny Scholars Sr. Sec. School Jawahar
Nagar, Logate Morh, Kathua
(Recognized by J&K Govt.)
Fee Structure for the Session 2015-16
S . Class
No.
1. Nursery
2. L.K.G & U.K.G
3. 1st & 2nd
4. 3rd to 6th
5. 7th & 8th
6. 9th & 10th
7. 11th & 12th
Tuition A n n u a l Admission A c t i v i t y
Fees
Charges Charges Charges
980
2400
3800
1500
1030 2400
3800
1500
1030 2400
3800
1500
980
2200
3800
1500
980
2600
3800
1500
1050 3200
3800
1500
1150
3200
3800
1500
Note:
1. We Charges admission fees only once from fresh admission.
2. We do not charge extra fees for Computer, Art & Craft Martial Arts,
Music and Dance and other functions which we celebrate during a
session.
3.Concession in Tuition Fees and Annual Charges are given to poor,
needy and orphan students.
4. J&K Board Examination Fees and Registration Fees is Chargeable as
and when announced by J&K Board Authorities.
SdPrincipal
Tiny Scholars Sr. Sec. School
Jawahar Nagar, Logate Morh, Kathua
Fee Structure for the Session 2015-16
S. Class
No
School Red Poor Game Newspap Printin Admissio Tuition Total
Imp. Cross Fund s Fund er Fund g Fund n Fees
Fees
Fund Fund
1. K.G
150
150
2. U.K.G
150
150
3. 1st
21
05
05
12
05
100
500
200
848
4. 2nd
21
05
05
12
05
100
01
200
349
5. 3rd
21
05
05
12
05
100
01
200
349
6. 4th
21
05
05
12
05
100
01
200
349
7. 5th
21
05
05
12
05
100
01
200
349
Note: All the funds are collected ones in a session expt. Tuition fees.
SdHoly Faith Public School
Ward No.11 Kathua
M/S EXCEL PACKAGING PLOT NO 6
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LEARNING TEMPLE ENGLISH
MEDIUM HIGH SCHOOL
NEAR AGRICULTURE OFFICE, KATHUA-184101
A CO-EDUCATIONAL
IN THE COURT OF LEARNED INSTITUTION
MUNSIFF BASOHLI
5
HATLI MORH, KATHUA J&K
ADMISSIONS OPEN FOR THE SESSION 2015-16
PRE- NURSERY TO 10TH CLASS
Contact: 9906225901, 9818048850
REGIONAL INDUSTRIAL TRAINING CENTRE
(Committed to Career Oriented Education)
Courses under NSIC New Delhi, Govt. of India.
ADMISSION OPEN FOR SESSION 2015-16
COURSES OFFERED
Electrician/Fitter/Computer Hardware/AC
& Refrigirator-Qualification 10th Cutting &
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8th limited Seats so hurry up..
For more details contact 9 AM to 5 PM at
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Contact: 01922-233344, 94191-50400
E-mail: [email protected]
The NORTHLINES
OPINION
ETOUQ
the air and the water
BHUSHAN PARIMOO
India flounders as L
H1N1 spreads
T
he influenza A(H1N1) virus continues
to kill people in India, although its
spread is not at a galloping pace. As
on March 21, the number of people affected
was over 32,200, and the death toll in excess
of 1,900. The worst-affected States are
Gujarat and Rajasthan. In Gujarat, the
number of cases has crossed 6,300 and the
death toll is 410. In Rajasthan, the cases
number over 6,400 and the death toll is 400.
The possibility of the actual numbers being
much more than government data indicate
cannot be ruled out. The influenza virus
circulating in the country since last year has
revealed how ill-prepared India is in
managing and preventing the spread of an
infectious disease that could cripple it. The
Pune-based National Institute of Virology
had sequenced the haemagglutinin (HA)
protein. But it is not known if it has
completed the sequencing of the whole
genome of the circulating virus strain; it had
not done so till the end of February 2015.
The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
rubbished the results of a study published on
March 12 in Cell Host & Microbe by a
Massachusetts Institute of Technology team
that claimed three mutations in the HA
protein in the 2009 pandemic virus strain.
The team found mutations in two samples
deposited last year by India in a public
database. While the government continues
to vehemently deny new mutations in the
circulating virus, it has thus far failed to
support the claim convincingly.
A March 14, 2015 report in The Lancet
makes it abundantly clear that India has not
shared some critical information with the
World Health Organization that would help
determine if the circulating strains are the
same as the two strains that have shown
resistance to the anti-viral drug. “We have
not yet received detailed information in
regard to the characteristics of the
circulating viruses [in India]”, Masato
Tashiro, Director of the WHO Collaborating
Centre for Reference and Research on
Influenza, Tokyo, told the journal. The
failure to share the full genome sequence
data with the WHO reference laboratories
and/or deposit them in public databases,
severely hampers global efforts to study the
evolution of the virus. India has no national
influenza policy either, to vaccinate doctors
and health-care workers who run the highest
risk of contracting the infection; it only
“recommends” vaccination of health-care
workers. The time has come to take
influenza more seriously, especially since
H1N1 and H3N1 have become seasonal
influenza. Though Indian drug companies
are capable of manufacturing influenza
vaccines to make the country self-reliant on
this count, they have no real incentive to do
so in advance in the absence of assured
procurement by the government. With its
arsenals ill-equipped to prevent the spread,
India can only hope the summer heat would
rein in the infection.
Sustained on the sand,
"A quotation, like a pun, should come
unsought, and then be welcomed only for
some propriety of felicity justifying the
intrusion."
- Robert Chapman
the NORTHLINES, Jammu
6
ivestock is made to sustain literally on
the sand, the air and the water.
Incontestably, it is the backbone of
national economy being largest employment
generating activity after agriculture in the
country. Right from ploughing fields to raise
crops, give organic manure, biogas, dairy
products, animal protein, by products such as
hides, bones, fiber etc. Livestock sector
supplements income from crop production and
other sources and absorbs income shocks due to
crop failure. It generates a continuous stream of
income and employment and reduces
seasonality in livelihood patterns particularly of
the rural poor (Birthal and Ali 2005). While
crop sector is on decline, livestock sector has
shown constant rise in spite of impedes, annual
growth from livestock in GDP in comparison to
much pampered crop sector. It contributes about
6 percent to the Gross Domestic Product and 25
percent to the Agricultural Gross Domestic
Product. Over the last two decades, livestock
sector has grown at an annual rate of 5.6
percent, which is higher than the growth of
agricultural sector (3.3 percent). Wisdom is
often questioned when livestock plays such an
important role in socio-economic development
of rural households. Why feeding aspect of it is
ignored altogether. Quantitative and qualitative
of fodder and feed is a prerequisite to sustain
and thrive like for all livings diet is dire
essential.
Livestock owners are living mostly below the
poverty line estimated that 90% of the animals
belong to small and marginal farmers and
landless population. That may be the reason not
to accord them political empowerment through
economical empowerment.
Jammu and Kashmir state still after 60 years
of planned economy depends on imports of
husbandry products, Milk, Ghee, Mutton and
other related products. Import of Dalda was
banned till 1964 consumption of Ghee main
item in Jammu was available. At present, the
State of Jammu and Kashmir faces a deficit of
80 % fodder, which tells upon directly on
Livestock. Livestock is literally starved to death
in degrees. It is forced to sustain on obnoxious
weeds, like Lantaeria Camera, locally called
Panch Phooulee, Parthenium hysterophorus,
called Congress Grass, even on plastic leftovers
proves deadly most of the time.
Previously about 80% fodder used to come
from Forests, Fodder trees around and rest by
products residual of crops. We had Village
Kahakchari land called also Gahoouchara,
Panchayat land, buffer zone between village
lands and the Forests called Barun land state
lands called Khalsa on which Livestock were
sustained, all has been grabbed by influential in
as part of a nexus between politicians, officers
of Revenue, Forests, Police, Bureaucrats and
Mafia. Forest resources have almost dried up.
Farm produce supplement is quite inadequate
and nutritional feed is not within the reach of
major section of livestock rearing lot. A
proposal many years back to have a fodder bank
at block level did not click as there is nothing to
store.
Gen D. D. Saklani, the then Advisor to J&K
Government did agree to have Fodder
Demonstration Plots of perennial and local
fodder at Block level. He directed State Forest
Corporation to take up the assignment but again
it didn't click. Jagdesh Keshwa, ex-Director
General, during his tenure as Animal and Sheep
Husbandry Commissioner to government of
J&K did took keen interest for fodder
development. Unfortunately, it last with his
tenure. Integrated Sample Survey 2010-11,
Livestock in the state is about 155.867 lakh
comprising 31.185 lakhs Cattle,33.788 lakhs
Sheep, 7.704 lakhs Buffalo, 20.748 Goats, 1.05
lakh Horses and Ponies and Yak 0.62 lakhs. For
its development State has four Cattle Breeding
Farm, two Buffalo Breeding Farm, two Equine
Breeding Farm, 17 Sheep Farms and 6 Goat
Farms. State has number of professionals with
Sheep, Animal, Agriculture and Forests
Departments besides Agriculture Universities to
suggest ways and means to improve feed and
fodder availability. It lacks pronounced thrust
because, for paucity of funds. State envisaged
decades back to provide economic
empowerment through sustainable growth of
livestock and poultry for nutritional security
and economic prosperity of Jammu and
Kashmir. Genetic up-gradation of livestock
with exotic germ-plasma is the main activity
associated with genetic up-gradation. Frozen
Semen Technology being the maintained to
achieve in cattle and natural service in Buffalo
and small Ruminants and ensure a disease-free
but the sustainability aspect is altogether
overlooked.
A word of caution was expressed way back,
in March 1955 by late S. K. Dey, India's first
Union Cabinet minister for Cooperation and
Panchyati Raj remembered as "social engineer."
The Artificial insemination is making rapid
stride. Unfortunately little is being done to
promote the cultivation of fodder appropriate to
the new breed that the indigenous cattle
population will appear somehow to carry on
even on the sand, the air and the water. But new
test tube baby princes will need relatively
princely handling so far the fodder is concerned.
He warned that if it is not done, we shall end
worse than we begun. This matter needs
immediate attention so that the state had a
Fodder Board.
Writer tried a few fast growing high yielding
grass varieties such a Deenanath Pennisetum
Pedicellatum, African Hall maize, guinea grass,
but since they are not perennial despite their
acceptance was to hold good.
Unlike Homosapiens who receives
preference treatment for survival. It is criminal
negligence to ignore other living beings around
us. Almost whole budgetary provision kept for
their welfare one way or the other, because they
have devised and employed every conceivable
method to rake up issues.
The issues concerning directly with the
people may be
projected through
memorandums, press releases, personal
contacts, dharmas, gahoras, shutdowns, rail or
road rokho hunger strike, even at times threat to
immolation. Unfortunately livestock are not
capable to resort to these tactics to articulate
their problems. Had it been so then we must
have seen hordes of livestock in protest against
the authorities for being blind to their basic
needs to survive in this severe drought. Creating
chaos kicking, hitting, smashing all that came in
their way.
These dumb driven cattle, as they are called,
do not have vote bank for any use to politicians
or an issue for Medha Patekar, Arundhiti Roy
and many like such social activists. Since
livestock has no religion or caste obliviously
their problem is not in the schemes of things
who rake up doctrine of minority/majority
issue.
Election season is over now. Madam Meneka
Gandhi/ other animal protectionist are also
mum. The most important features of these
programmes are that they provide subsidiary
occupation, offer gainful employment at the
location itself, and make better utilization of
female. Most of these programmes are
particularly suitable for weaker sections of the
rural community and have re-distributive effect
on rural income in favour of them. Renowned
Sociologist BS Baviskar explains that
Operation Flood was considered a means of
overcoming the barriers of caste, class, and
power, something earlier rural development
programs had been unable to do.
Since milk production does not require much
land, but family labour which the poor have
amply, the landless poor can easily and
profitably participate in the white revolution,
deriving employment and additional income
from it. Since milk is not a polluting substance
in the Hindu religious ideology, people
belonging to any caste, even the lowest can and
do participate in producing milk. Also
cooperatives which organize only milk
producers can successfully bypass the
constraint of village power structure.
Finance Minister Arun Jaitley in his maiden
budget set aside Rs 50 crore for cattle-breeding
in India. No funds for Fodder and Feed
programme were provided. But cattle-breeding
cannot be carried empty stomach
(Bhushan Parimoo an environmentalist)
besides one-time settlement compensation for
Pakistan-administered Kashmir refugees and
pursue the resolution passed by J&K Assembly
in 2005 for grant of ST status to the Paharispeaking people. The party also identified core
areas for the focused attention as power,
horticulture, manufacturing, trade, tourism and
crafts for encouragement and initiative for the
development of the state. For the development
of the horticulture and agriculture, the PDP
promised to create Model Business Villages
with high density orchard /production unit,
storage / designing facility, picking and grading
line, grinding unit and packaging & processing
units besides promoting world class organic
farming.
The manifesto also promised for development
of smart cities, rapid transport system,
construction of tunnels, creation of special
educational and health zones and several social
and economic welfare schemes for the populace.
In a nutshell, the PDP's manifesto is an
ambitious aspirational document to make J&K
politically empowered, economically selfreliant, environmentally safe, socially cohesive
and culturally vibrant. The party's key agenda
points being remodeling of the political structure
promoting self rule, reconstructing the economy
with focus on rebuilding and rehabilitation,
introducing reforms for effective governance,
reviving the civil society for a harmonious
environment and focusing on youth for
opportunities and support.
Salient Features of BJP Manifesto
Instead of a formal manifesto, the BJP had
released a Vision Document (Manifesto
equivalent) on 27 November 2014 in the winter
capital Jammu promising to make Jammu and
Kashmir a peaceful, progressive and developed
state through a holistic and inclusive
development.
The key initiatives included the promise to
initiate the process of a just and honourable resettlement of the displaced Kashmiri Pandits in
the Kashmir valley with security and dignity
which inter alia included reservation of three
seats in the state assembly for them out of the 46
seats earmarked for the Kashmir valley. It also
promised reservation of five seats for the
refugees from the Pakistan Occupied Kashmir
(PoK) among 24 seats kept vacant for the PoK.
Then the vision document talks about the
TIME model emphasizing its focus on the
development of the tourism, infrastructure,
modernization and empowerment in the state.
Amongst its major priorities, the party promised
to undertake the relief and rehabilitation work
for the people affected in the widespread floods
due to the unprecedented rainfall during
September 2014. The party also assured to curb
all kind of favoritism and do justice with
aggrieved individuals and families.
In a departure from its well known stand on
the Article 370 of the Constitution, it refrained
from mentioning its revocation in the vision
document. Instead, the party said that the key
issue remained the development of the state
while on the rest of the issues the Party had
cleared its stand in the past. The Vision
Document also lays emphasis on the reforms in
governance by ensuring a corruption free and
people friendly government.
In the light of fact that in the past the BJP had
been categorically calling for the abrogation of
article 370 granting a special status to J&K, its
absence from the Vision Document was a
significant deviation from its principled stand on
the subject. BJP had, however, this time focused
on the development and the dignified return and
rehabilitation of Kashmiri Pandits to the valley
as its chief poll plank. It's obvious that the
compulsions of the state politics have forced the
party to dilute its known stand on Article 370.
It's not only Article 370 but some other known
stands of the party such as renaming of the state
as Jammu, Kashmir & Ladakh and cutting short
the assembly's tenure to five years were also
found missing in the Vision Document.
Formation of Government in J&K
Remarkably, the PDP bagged 28 seats
predominantly in the valley region and the BJP
won 25 seats with majority of these in the
Jammu region. Clearly both the parties have
well known ideological differences with so
many contentious issues. It was not easy to make
compromises by either parties and consequently
it took more than two months of negotiations to
form the PDP-BJP led government in J&K. A
common minimum programme (CMP) had been
worked out by the major stakeholder parties
after strenuous efforts and prolonged negotiation
of almost two months.
Mufti Mohammad Sayeed took oath as Chief
Minister of J&K and Nirmal Singh of BJP was
sworn-in as the Deputy Chief Minister of the
state on 1st March 2015. This was for the first
time that the BJP became the part of the J&K
Government ever since independence. The
swearing-in of the government also ended 49
days of Governor's rule in the state. A total of 26
MLAs, 13 MLAs including Mufti Mohammad
Sayeed from the PDP, 12 MLAs from the BJP
and one separatist-turned-politician Sajjad Lone
took oath as Ministers in the Sayeed cabinet.
The ceremony was attended by senior BJP
leaders like Prime Minister Narendra Modi, LK
Advani and party President Amit Shah.
Controversies Following Formation of
Government
J&K Government headed by Chief Minister
Mufti Mohammad Sayeed has stirred up a
hornet's nest by resorting to a series of
controversial actions and announcements
immediately after its formation. It also signals a
dangerous political drift with far reaching
consequences for the state in times ahead, if the
trend continues unabated.
It started with his public statement in a press
conference giving credit to Pakistan, separatist
Hurriyat leaders and militants for the smooth
and peaceful elections in the J&K. "I want to say
this on record and I have told this to the Prime
Minister that the we must credit the Hurriyat,
militant outfits for the conduct of assembly
elections in the state… People from across the
border allowed conducive atmosphere during
elections" Sayeed said during a press conference
after being sworn in as head of the PDP-BJP
Government in J&K.
This immediately created a nationwide protest
and furore in the Parliament with both angry
Opposition and treasury benches in the Lok
Sabha lambasting J&K Chief Minister for
giving credit to the forces which are actually
engaged in brewing trouble in the state at every
possible opportunity. The Central Government
was forced to react with Home Minister making
a statement in the parliament to disassociate with
the controversial statement and the State unit of
BJP too came in open opposing the move and
contested the claim, maintaining that the
exercise had been successful due to the efforts of
the Election Commission and Indian Army and
of those who believe in the Indian Constitution
and democracy. Later Prime Minister too made
a statement endorsing views of the Home
Minister as views of the Government.
Now the question is whether Pakistan,
Hurriyat and Militants acknowledge and
endorse the process of democratization in the
state of J&K? If so, they should be accepting
integration of the state with the Indian Union too
that resolves the stated long outstanding
problem too between the two neighbours and a
handful of separatists and Kashmiri militants.
But clearly this is not the case as in such an
eventuality there was no need for the massive
deployment of the security forces on borders to
check filtration and sabotage efforts and
sleepless duties of Indian jawans to maintain
twenty-four hours vigil prior to and after
elections to ensure peaceful completion of the
democratic process. Therefore, such statement
giving credit to trouble mongers on one hand
and ignoring the hard work and efforts of the
security forces was indeed ill-conceived and
unwarranted.
In another controversy, the PDP demanded the
return of Afzal Guru's mortal remains, who was
hanged in February 2013 for his role in
December 2001 terrorist attack on the
Parliament. The demand was endorsed through a
note by nine PDP leaders who maintained that
late Afzal Guru's hanging was travesty of justice
and constitutional requirements because the
process was not followed in hanging him out of
turn in the list of pending mercy petitions of the
death convicts.
This move again raised controversy with
sharp reaction from various quarters. BJP
secretary Shrikant Sharma said, "Terror has no
religion. We condemn this type of politics.
Terrorism is an enemy of humanity and the
whole country should unite to root this out. BJP
believes in zero tolerance to terrorism." Reacting
to the reports, a Congress spokesman said,
"PDP-BJP are in an alliance. PM must answer if
he feels the demand by the PDP MLAs is
correct/incorrect."
Also, the former J&K chief minister and
National Conference leader Omar Abdullah
wrote on Twitter, "If PDP truly believed they
wanted to work to bring back Guru's remains
they would have fought to include it in the CMP,
which they didn't."
It has been established through investigation
and judicial proceedings that Afzal Guru was a
Kashmir-born terrorist who had received
terrorist training in Pakistan and was accused of
providing hideout and logistics for the terrorists
who attacked the Parliament of India on 13th
December 2001.
Apart from the deaths of 14 people including
five terrorists, the incident led to increased
tension between India and Pakistan putting them
at the brink of another war during the much
talked about India-Pakistan standoff in 2002.
Afzal Guru's mercy petition was rejected by the
President and later he was hanged at Delhi's
Tihar Jail on 9th February 2013. It should be
realized by every patriotic citizen and politician
that nothing is above the national interests and
the case of a terrorist cannot be equated with
other criminals.
Kashmir: A Dangerous Drift - I
JAIPAL SINGH
R
ecently, elections were held in 87 State
assembly constituencies in Jammu and
Kashmir in November/December, 2014.
Just before the elections, the traditional alliance
between the Indian National Congress (INC)
and National Conference (NC) was broken and
both the parties independently fought elections.
The other serious contender parties this time in
these elections were the Bhartiya Janta Party
(BJP) and predominantly Valley based Peoples
Democratic Party (PDP).
Ever since Independence, in the electoral
history in Jammu and Kashmir these elections
were conspicuously marked with a heavy
turnover of voters in the elections held in five
phases between 15th November to 20th
December, 2014 with an overall approximately
65% electorate casting their franchise in the
state. Parties had an aggressive campaigning
before the elections with popular slogans of
development and restoration of peace amongst a
plethora of promises by various parties.
However, none of the parties attained an
absolute majority: while the PDP emerged as the
single largest party with 28 assembly seats
mainly in the Valley region, the BJP came out as
the second largest party winning 25 seats with
massive mandate in the Jammu region.
Notwithstanding the outcome, there was no
significant difference among the four major
parties in terms of vote share of which the PDP
obtained 22.7%, BJP 23.0%, NC 20.8% and
INC 18.0%. Of relevance are the PDP and BJP
because together they have now entered into an
alliance to form a government in J&K.
Salient Features of PDP Manifesto
On 28th November, 2014 in Srinagar, while
releasing their stated 'Aspirational Agenda' the
PDP had promised to pursue the self-rule
framework for the political and economic
empowerment towards the resolution of the
Kashmir issue and the issues confronting J&K.
The PDP president Mehbooba Mufti stated that
her party would strive towards making the state
politically empowered, economically selfreliant, environmentally safe, socially cohesive
and culturally vibrant. Among other things, she
maintained that her party would use Article 370
to restore original special status of the state as
this provision in the Constitution of India
empowers and assist the people of J&K to deal
with the issues of identity, borders and
governance.
The manifesto also professes about the 'Self
Rule' framework laying emphasis on closer ties
across the Line of Control, working towards
making the borders irrelevant in J&K, reviving
traditional connectivity of the state with the rest
of the world, promoting economic and social
integration and creation of a regional free trade
area and common economic market. Besides,
the party has been traditionally opposed to
continuation of the Armed Forces Special
Powers Act (AFSPA) in the state and has
promised to work for the revocation of the same.
The manifesto also talks about the initiation of
measures for reintegration and re-absorption of
the displaced Kashmiri Pandits in the state
(To be continued….)
The NORTHLINES
NATIONAL
US to oppose plea to
declare RSS a terror group
AGENCIES
NEW YORK, MARCH 25
The US has told a court here that it intends to move for
dismissal of a lawsuit for declaring India's RSS as a "terror
group" while seeking time till April 14 to do so.
In a motion filed on Tuesday before judge Laura Taylor Swain
of the Southern District of New York, US attorney Preet Bharara
said the "government requires additional time to finalize its
motion and supporting papers".
The US-based rights group Sikhs For Justice (SFJ) has filed a
lawsuit in the US court to label the Rashtriya Swayamsevak
Sangh as a foreign terrorist organization, according to SFJ
attorney Gurpatwant S Pannun. It has sought such a declaration
for RSS for allegedly "believing in and practicing a fascist
ideology and for running a passionate, vicious and violent
campaign to turn India into a 'Hindu' nation with a homogeneous
religious and cultural identity".
In its response filed on behalf of secretary of state John Kerry,
Bharara's office acknowledged that the government's deadline to
respond to the complaint was on Tuesday.
But "in lieu of an answer, the government intends to move to
dismiss the complaint, and requires additional time to finalise its
motion and supporting papers," it said.
"In the event this request is granted, the government would
consent to any reasonable deadline for the filing of opposition
papers that plaintiff's counsel would propose," it added.
Cong leader takes a dig at
Goa's dress code order
AGENCIES
PANAJI, MARCH 25
Taking a dig at Goa's Art and Culture Department's order
asking its employees not to wear sleeveless clothes, jeans and Tshirts during office hours, Congress leader Alexio Reginaldo
today said people should be allowed to wear what they want.
He said the BJP government in the state was coming up with
these sort of orders only to divert public attention to cover up its
failure to run the administration properly.
"People should be allowed to wear what they want while
attending offices. Even in bikini they should be allowed,"
Lourenco told reporters outside the state Assembly premises.
The Goa government's Art and Culture department recently
instructed its employees to wear only 'formal dress' and skip
jeans, corduroy, T-shirts, trousers with multiple pockets and
sleeveless dresses during the office hours and official functions
of the Directorate to "maintain decorum."
Culture Minister Dayanand Mandrekar evaded a firm reply
when asked if the order will be implemented strictly.
"We will see that later," he said.
Legislator Atanasio Monserratte, who was expelled from the
Congress, said that choosing one's dress is an individual
decision.
"One should be perfectly dressed. People working in the
government offices should be asked to decide on the code," he
said.
State Cabinet minister Ramakrishna Dhavalikar had last year
created a controversy by demanding a ban on bikinis on the
beaches.
MP Governor''s son
found dead
AGENCIES
LUCKNOW, MAR 25
Madhya Pradesh Governor Ram Naresh Yadav's son Shailesh,
whose name had figured in the multi-crore Vyapam scam, was
found dead under mysterious circumstances at his official
residence here today.
Police said the exact cause of the death could not be
ascertained immediately.
"We have got information that Shailesh Yadav, aged about 50,
died at the official residence of MP Governor Ram Naresh Yadav
at Mall Avenue locality here", Gautampalli Police Station incharge, Vidrendra Bahadur Singh told PTI.
Shailesh's name had cropped up in the multi-crore Madhya
Pradesh Professional Examination Board or Vyapam scam, for
allegedly fixing the recruitment of 10 candidates as Grade III
teachers.
Naresh Yadav, a former Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, was
appointed Madhya Pradesh Governor by Congress in 2011.
HC stays till Apr 27 its order
bringing AGI's office under RTI
AGENCIES
NEW DELHI, MARCH 25
The Delhi High Court today
stayed till April 27, its single
judge order that Attorney
General of India's (AGI) office
is a public authority falling
under the ambit of Right to
Information Act.
A bench of Chief Justice G
Rohini and Justice R S Endlaw
said that single judge's findings
"require consideration", so "We
will hear the appeal filed by
Ministry of Law and Justice."
It, however, said, "We have
to stay the order of the
single judge, otherwise the
purpose will not be served,"
and listed the matter for
hearing on April 27.
Navy surveillance
aircraft crashes
off Goa coast;
two missing
AGENCIES
PANAJI, MARCH 25
An Indian Navy surveillance
aircraft crashed south-west off
Goa coast with two officers
missing while one has been
rescued.
The Dornier maritime
surveillance aircraft, which
was on a routine training
sortie, crashed about 25
nautical miles south-west off
Goa coast last night.
The Navy has ordered a
Board of Inquiry into the
crash.
A full-scale search and
rescue operation involving
nine ships and few aircraft was
launched, the Navy said.
"One survivor has been
rescued. Search is on to locate
two more officers -- a pilot and
an
observer,"
Navy
spokesperson Captain D K
Sharma said in New Delhi.
The rescued officer,
Commander Nikhil Joshi, has
been seriously injured in the
crash but is stable, Sharma
said.
The Naval air station at Goa
lost communication with the
aircraft at 10.02 PM, a
statement from Navy said.
The aircraft is feared to have
ditched soon thereafter, it said.
Navy chief Admiral R K
Dhowan has rushed to Goa to
take stock of the situation.
It is the latest in a series of
disasters to hit the navy, and
comes just months after a
torpedo recovery vessel sank
off Visakhapatnam in Andhra
Pradesh, leaving five dead.
Eighteen sailors were also
killed in August 2013 when
INS Sindhurakshak burst into
flames in Mumbai harbour.
7
Cong best to tell
why Rahul Gandhi
practicing
'leadership from
shadows': BJP
The court's interim order was
passed on the appeal moved by
the Ministry against the March
10 order of a single judge
bench bringing the AGI's office
under the ambit of RTI Act as
the top law officer performed
public functions and his
appointment was governed by
the Constitution.
The counsel, appearing for
the Ministry and the AGI,
sought setting aside of the
earlier order saying it was "bad
in law".
During the brief hearing, the
advocate representing RTI
Activist Subhash Chandra
Agarwal, on whose petition the
single judge had passed the
order, opposed the Ministry's
request to stay the decision
saying it was "a clear-cut and
well-thought decision".
In its order, earlier this
month, the single judge bench
had declared AGI's office as a
public authority, saying he
performs the functions as are
required by virtue of Article
76(2) of the Constitution of
India and had set aside a
December 2012 CIC order that
AGI is not a public authority.
The court had also refused to
consider the government's
argument that there was a
practical difficulty in providing
information under the Act as
the office of the AGI does not
have
the
requisite
infrastructure.
It had also remanded back to
the Central Information
Commission (CIC), the pleas of
RTI activists Agarwal and R K
Jain, who had sought that the
office of the AGI be declared as
a public authority under the
transparency law.
The court had directed the
AGI to reconsider the RTI
application of Jain as his plea
for information was denied on
basis of the CIC order that the
office of AGI is not a public
authority.
The CIC, in its 2012 order,
had expressed the opinion that
the AGI was only a person and
could not be considered as an
"authority" and, therefore, fell
outside sweep of section 2(h)
of the RTI Act.
Section 2(h) of the Act
defines 'public authority'.
While setting aside the CIC
order, the court had noted that
the expression 'authority' under
RTI Act would include all
persons or bodies that have
been conferred power to
perform the functions entrusted
to them and those performing
advisory functions cannot be
excluded.
"The office of the AGI is an
office established under the
Constitution of India; the
incumbent appointed to that
office discharges functions as
provided
under
the
Constitution ...Even in
common parlance, the AGI has
always been understood as a
constitutional authority," it had
said, while disposing of
Aggarwal and Jain's pleas.
AGENCIES
GANDHINAGAR, MARCH 25
interception and confession made
before police officer being
considered as evidence in court.
After its passage for the third
time in the state assembly, the bill
is still pending for clearance from
the President.
The state government has once
again prepared a new draft of the
bill and rechristened it Gujarat
Control of Terrorism and
Organised Crime (GCTOC) Bill2015. It has been submitted in the
Assembly and will be tabled for
discussion and approval of the
House on March 31. While the
bill has been renamed , it still
contains the provisions that had
led to its rejection by Presidents
in the past. One such contentious
provision is the admissibility of
evidence collected through
intercepted calls of the accused.
This provision empowers the
police to intercept calls and admit
it as evidence in the court.
Justifying the provision, the
'Statement of Objects and
Reasons' in the bill states that it is
necessary in the contemporary
day where organised criminal
syndicates make extensive use of
wire and oral communication.
It says that the interception of
such communication to obtain
evidence is inevitable and an
indispensable aid for the law
enforcement.
The statement provides a
detailed justification on the issue
by adding that the existing laws
are inadequate to curb the
menace of organised crimes.
The Bill will be tabled for
discussion and approval of the
house on March 31, the last day
of ongoing Budget session.
It further says, "It is therefore,
considered necessary to enact a
special law with stringent
provisions, including the power
to intercept wire, electronic or
oral communication."
As per the clause-14 of the bill,
evidence collected through
'interception of wire, electronic
or oral communication... shall be
admissible as evidence against
the accused in the court'.
Former President APJ Abdul
Kalam had in 2004 objected over
the particular clause-14 and
returned the bill to the
government led by the then chief
minister Narendra Modi, asking
it to remove the clause.
The Bharatiya Janata Party
on Wednesday said that the
Congress party must decide on
a leadership model to follow,
holding the grand old party
answerable after posters
announcing a reward for the
'missing' party vice-president
Rahul Gandhi emerged in his
constituency Amethi.
"It is for the Congress party
to decide what leadership
model they want to follow.
Whether he should be present
or absent, whether the people in
his constituency search for him
and he is not available, whether
he participates in parliament
and he is not available, whether
it is leadership from the
shadows rather than leading
from the front: it is their model,
and it is best that the Congress
answers to this," BJP
spokesperson Nalin Kohli told
ANI.
Meanwhile, the Congress
accused the BJP of spreading
the 'defamatory' posters.
Earlier, posters with Rahul
Gandhi's photo emerged in
Amethi, announcing a reward
for their 'missing' MP. Similar
posters were also seen in
Bulandshahr.
Following the Congress
party's dismal showing in the
Delhi assembly elections in
February, Rahul Gandhi had
taken a 'leave of absence' from
active politics to 'reflect on
recent events' and the 'future
course' of the party.
Later,
the
Congress
announced that he had extended
his leave.
perhaps the one defining thing
about him is (not) to consider a
failure as an option. That is
something successful leaders
have in common."
He said that Modi was a
remarkable leader "who deserves
to be compared alongside some
of the greatest in the world" in the
way he focussed on what he had
to do to win the April-May 2014
General Election for the BJP.
Price, who has presented a
copy of his book to Modi, said it
is not often that there is a political
leader who changes the weather
and manages to achieve quite a
radical transformation in his
country's politics.
"It is a bit early to say whether
that has been achieved. Over the
next few years we will discover
whether that is the case. But the
potential is there," said Price, a
former BBC correspondent and a
former
director
of
communications of the Labour
Party. "He has been very
successful as a frontman, if you
like, for India. There is real
eagerness not only to know about
him as a man but also about
India. It has come at a time when
people are looking at India as a
powerhouse. Its prospects for
growth seem to be very
encouraging," Price said.
He said that Modi's single
biggest challenge was "to
maximise the potential of India as
a growing economy".
The author, who had talked to
Modi "at length" for the book,
said the BJP leader was
determined to be a successful as
prime minister. "I have to say this
is a foreigner's perspective but I
think Mr Modi is his own man
and he will make his own
decisions based on what he
thinks is right for the country,"
said Price, who is a writer,
broadcaster and commentator.
Price said that Modi, like any
good politician, knows that secret
to success is in changes that
affect the everyday lives of the
people. Thus, while Modi had
spent a long time as a
"pracharak" of the Rashtriya
Swayamsevak Sangh, the BJP's
ideological mentor, he has made
great efforts in recent years to
position himself as a
development-oriented politician.
He said that the RSS, like many
other organisations in a
democracy, has a right to
influence politicians. "Everybody
has a right to try to influence
politicians and governments and
I am sure the RSS is not alone in
that. How much he will listen to
them and will be influenced by
them, only time will tell," Price
noted.
He also said that whether one
agreed with Modi's politics or his
ideological background, he
deserved the victory in the last
general election.
"Whether it is oratorical skills,
the ability to inspire his
followers, the communication
skills, the organisational skills all those elements go together to
make him a successful politician.
Modi has so many of those
qualities," Price told a news
agency.
He said it was possible for the
BJP to do better in the 2019
General Election, but this would
depend on the performance of the
Modi government and the
circumstances at the time.
Guj govt to introduce revised GUJCOC Bill
After failing to get Presidential
assent for its anti-terror bill
thrice, Gujarat government has
decided to introduce Gujarat
Control of Organised Crime
(GUJCOC) Bill in a new form in
the Assembly but it will retain
some of the controversial
provisions.
The GUJCOC bill, which is on
the lines of the stringent
Maharashtra Control of
Organised Crime Act (MCOCA),
was rejected in 2004 and 2008 by
the then President AJP Abdul
Kalam and Pratibha Patil
respectively who had suggested
some amendments in the
provisions related to telephone
AGENCIES
NEW DELHI, MARCH 25
Narendra Modi’s defining trait is
determination, says British author
AGENCIES
NEW DELHI, MARCH 25
Prime Minister Narendra
Modi's defining trait is
determination and an absolute
commitment to success, says
British author Lance Price,
noting that the Bharatiya Janata
Party (BJP) leader has the
potential to transform India's
politics. Price, whose book "The
Modi effect: Inside Narendra
Modi's campaign to transform
India", was released earlier this
month, said that Modi had been
"a very successful" front man for
India.
Modi's "defining trait is
determination and an absolute
commitment to success for
himself and for his country",
Price told a news agency in an
interview, adding: "I think
Army chief to
Crimes against
Top BJP leaders meet PM Modi to Indian
women have shot up discuss Land Acquisition Ordinance attend inaugural UN
meet on peacekeeping
after 2013: Kiren Rijiju
AGENCIES
BHOPAL, MARCH 25
Crimes against women have
risen since 2013 but efforts are
on to curb them, Union Minister
of State for Home Affairs Kiren
Rijiju said here.
He felt that police should not
take refuge in the argument that
more crimes against women
were being reported because a
large number of cases were being
registered in the country now
unlike before.
Rather, police should ensure
that crime against women should
not take place, he said.
"Crime against women is on
the rise since 2013. Women's
safety is on the top of
government's agenda. Efforts are
on to arrest crime against
women," Rijiju said here
yesterday during his address at
the valedictory function of 23rd
All India Forensic Science
Congress.
He also laid the foundation
stone of Central Forensic Science
Laboratory on the occasion.
The minister said it has been
mad ecompulsory for police to
lodge the complaint of a woman.
Rijiju said police have many
challenges ahead as the modus
operandi of the crimes was
changing.
Indian police machinery is
working with meagre facilities
AGENCIES
is NEW DELHI, MARCH 25
but the government
undertaking all efforts to
modernise the police force, he
said.
He said that forensic
expansion programme can
address the issue of high level of
pendency of cases and tackle
crimes, especially against
women in a time bound manner.
"Women should feel secure in
the society. This should be the
prime concern of the society,"
Rijiju said while speaking at the
two-day conference themed
'Role of Forensic Science in
countering crime against women'
at the programme.
He also announced the
institution of Union Home
Minister's Award for Forensic
Sciences on the occasion.
The awards would include
Life Time Achievement Award
carrying cash prize of Rs 1 lakh
with medal and citation, R&D
Award (three awards for Rs
50,000 each) and Young Scientist
Award with cash prize of Rs
10,000.
Around 300 forensic science
experts participated in the
conference organised by
Directorate of Forensic Science
Services (DFSS), Union Ministry
of Home Affairs.
Participants were sensitised on
the need for victim- centric
approach in handling sexual
assault cases.
called on Prime Minister Modi on
Tuesday to discuss the finding a
solution to the issue in the wake of stiff
High-ranking Bharatiya Janata Party opposition by various political parties
(BJP) leaders called on Prime Minister and activists.
Meanwhile, the opposition parties are
Narendra Modi to discuss the Land
Acquisition Ordinance, which is set to carrying out protest marches against the
Land Acquisition Bill across the
expire on April 5th.
According to reports, BJP president country. One such march in Chandigarh
by the Congress workers yesterday took
Amit Shah, External Affairs Minister
Sushma Swaraj, Home Minister Rajnath a violent turn after the protestors and
the police clashed.
Singh, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley
The police had to resort to the use of
and Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari
water cannons to stop the
protesters, who were attempting to
uproot the barriers erected to contain
them.
Earlier this month, the Lok Sabha
passed the Right to Fair Compensation
and Transparency in Land Acquisition,
Rehabilitation and Resettlement
(Amendment) Bill, 2015 amid a
walkout by opposition parties even as
the government moved nine
amendments to address the concerns
raised by farmers.
‘Archives with DD, AIR should be
freely available or monetised’
AGENCIES
NEW DELHI, MARCH 25
Archives including speeches
and music with Doordarshan
and All India Radio are a
national resource that should
be made freely available or
monetised, Prasar Bharati
chairman A Surya Prakash on
Wednesday said, underscoring
the need to look at relevant
copyright issues.
"Prasar Bharati has huge
archival content that has to be
exploited. It is a national
resource that either needs to be
monetised or disseminated free
of cost to the public as a duty
of the public service
broadcaster," he said at the
21st Asia Pacific Broadcasting
Union (ABU) Copyright
Committee Meeting.
He said the recordings of
national leaders are a national
treasure which should be made
available to the people free of
cost.
Prasar Bharati also has
classical music content which
is there in the AIR archives.
"But the unfortunate part is
that we are not aware of all
IPRs associated with it, even
though we have recorded them
in our studios. They were
recorded at a time when such
rights did not exist and too
many formats were not
available. Now every content
has several rights associated
with it. All this needs clarity,"
Prakash said.
He said similar issues existed
with regard to content as well.
Broadcasting in the digital
era poses a wide variety of
challenges for broadcasters
including copyright protection,
Prakash said, hoping the
meeting would result in
valuable deliberations on the
issues.
Prasar Bharati CEO Jawhar
Sircar said much is needed as
far as awareness about
copyright laws is concerned.
He said even in many
important organisations only a
few persons understood the
issues in-depth.
Addressing the gathering
where broadcasters from
several countries were present
including DG Doordarshan
Vijayalaxmi Chhabra and DG
AIR F Sheheryar, Sircar said
these issues need to be
thoroughly and meaningfully
examined with clarity.
The Prasar Bharati CEO also
extended support to AsiaPacific Broadcasting Union
(ABU).
Javad Mottoghi, Secretary
General, ABU stressed on the
for stronger "cooperation"
among members.
AGENCIES
UNITED NATIONS, MARCH 25
Indian Army Chief General
Dalbir Singh Suhag will attend
an inaugural UN conference on
peacekeeping operations here
later this week that will bring
together the defence chiefs of
UN member states.
UN Secretary General Ban
Ki-moon will open the first
'Chiefs of Defence Conference'
organised by the Departments
of Peacekeeping Operations and
Field Support on March 27.
India, the largest contributor
of troops to UN peacekeeping
operations, will be represented
by Gen Suhag.
While Pakistan's Army Chief
General Raheel Sharif was
originally scheduled to
participate in the conference,
sources here told PTI that he
would not be attending the meet
and will be represented by one
of his corps commanders.
India has contributed more
than 180,000 peacekeepers in
44 UN peacekeeping missions
so far and has lost 158 of its
soldiers in these missions, the
highest by any country, serving
in the line of duty.
The day-long conference will
focus on UN peacekeeping
operations in the current
political,
strategic
and
operational environment as well
as on the future of UN
peacekeeping.
Discussions would also focus
on challenges and opportunities
for mission support in
peacekeeping operations and
performance challenges in the
current security environment.
The defense chiefs will hold
discussions with Under
Secretary
General
for
Peacekeeping Operations Herve
Ladsous and Under Secretary
General for Field Support Atul
Khare.
Khare, a senior Indian
diplomat, was in January
appointed by the UN Chief as
head of the UN Department of
Field Support (DFS), an
appointment that made him one
of the highest ranking Indian
officials in the UN system.
Several
senior
UN
peacekeeping
officials,
including Military Adviser for
Peacekeeping Operations Lt
Gen Maqsood Ahmed of
Pakistan, will also attend the
conference.
The NORTHLINES
KASHMIR VALLEY
DDC Baramulla chaired interactive
session with Civil society members
 Sought cooperation to make Baramulla a model district
NL Correspondent
Baramulla | March | 25
District
Commissioner
today chaired
session with
members of
Additional
Commissioner,
Planning and
Development
Baramulla
an interactive
civil society
the district.
Deputy
Joint Director
other officers
besides members of Traders
Association,
Auqaaf
Committee,
Masjid
Committees,
Sanathan
Dharam Sabha, Gurdawara
Prabandh Committee and
other civil society members
were also present on the
occasion.
During the interactive
session, civil society members
put forth their demands before
the District Development
Commissioner. Issues like
Street lights, Health facilities,
Roads and rehabilitation of
flood
affectees
were
highlighted on the occasion.
Shopkeepers whose shops are
to be demolished along the
banks of River Jhelum
demanded that rehabilitation
process should be initiated for
them on immediate basis.
Sanitation, drug addiction,
traffic
jamming
and
development of Baramulla
town remained the other
topics of discussion.
Meanwhile, speaking on the
occasion,
the
District
Development Commissioner
sought cooperation from the
civil society members. He
impressed upon them to make
initiatives in helping the
administration in enhancing
Good governance in the
district.
The
District
Development Commissioner
shared the vision of a model
Baramulla district and termed
the
interactive
sessions
inevitable.
House
damaged
in fire
NL Correspondent
A residential house was
damaged in fire at Srigufwara
in district Anantnag last
evening. Fire broke out in the
residential house of Ghulam
Mohi-ud-Din Chopan resident
of Chitros Badroo, Srigufwara
in District Anantnag, resulting
in partial damage to the house.
Fire was brought under control
with the help of fire tenders and
police.
Employment fair at Shopian
NC expresses solidarity
with Ghulam Hassan Rahi
NL Correspondent
Shopian | March | 25
 Dr. Farooq, Omar Abdullah condole demise of Rahi's wife
NL Correspondent
National
Conference
President Dr. Farooq Abdullah
and Working President Omar
Abdullah have expressed their
solidarity with NC Leader and
Constituency
In-charge
Baramulla Mr. Ghulam Hassan
Rahi on the demise of his wife
during the early hours of
Wednesday morning.
Expressing their heartfelt
condolence with Ghulam
Hassan Rahi and his family, Dr.
Farooq Abdullah and Omar
Abdullah have prayed for peace
to the departed soul and
extended their emotional support
to the NC leader on his
bereavement.
Senior National Conference
Leaders including NC General
Secretary Ali Mohammad Sagar,
NC
Additional
General
Secretary Dr. Sheikh Mustafa
Kamal, Mohammad Shafi Uri,
Mohammad Akbar Lone,
Chaudhary
Mohammad
Ramzan, Mubarak Gul, Mian
Altaf
Ahmed,
Provincial
President Kashmir Nasir Aslam
Wani, Provincial President
Jammu Devender Singh Rana,
NC Spokesman Junaid Azim
Mattu, Nazir Ahmed Gurezi, Mir
Saifullah, Tanvir Sadiq, Sakina
Ittoo, Shameema Firdous, Peer
Mohamamd Afaaq, Irfan Ahmed
Shah, Dr. Bashir Ahmed Veeri,
Altaf Ahmed Kaloo, Salman Ali
Sagar, Advocate Farooq Ganai,
Advocate Abdul Majeed Larmi
besides numerous senior party
leaders and activists have
condoled the demise of Mr.
Rahi's wife and expressed
solidarity with the NC leader.
A condolence meeting was
held at NC Headquarters in
Srinagar at Nawa-e-Subha
Complex where party leaders
and activists extended their
support and solidarity to Ghulam
Hassan
Rahi
for
this
inconsolable loss.
DC Kulgam flagged
DC Baramulla assessed damages caused and off race under SBM
reviewed ongoing rehabilitation process
NL CORRESPONDENT
KULGAM, MARCH 25
NL CORRESPONDENT
KULGAM, MARCH 25
To assess the damages
caused due to 2014 Floods and
to review the rehabilitation of
the affectees in district
Baramulla, a meeting was today
held
at
Dak-bungalow
Baramulla,
with
Deputy
Commissioner Baramulla in
chair. The meeting was
attended by all Sub-district
Magistrates and Tehsildars of
the District. The main focus of
the meeting remained the
assessment of damages caused
to both residential and nonresidential structures, including
business enterprises.
The Deputy Commissioner
sought details of the damages
of both residential and nonresidential structures along with
the nature of the damage and
damaged structures (whether
Pucca or Kaccha, partially or
fully damaged).
A thorough review of the
damages of the business
enterprises including both small
and large enterprises was also
‘Ready to foil any
militant attack’: GOC
GOC Chinar Corps Lt Gen
Subrata Saha Wednesday said
army has learnt a lesson from
the twin militant attacks in
Kathua and Samba and it is
ready and alert to foil any
militant attack in future.
Talking to reporters soon
after the culmination of an
event in North Kashmir's
Bandipora Sports Stadium,
Lieutenant General Subrata
Saha said that the vigilant
Army will never allow
militants to strike openly in
Kashmir. "We are ready to foil
their attacks. We have taken a
serious note of twin attacks in
Kathua and Samba and in fact,
Army learnt some lessons from
allowances to 3500 youth during
the year 2014-15. He further
stated that Rs. 70 lakh have been
provided to 114 beneficiaries as
margin money for setting up
income generating units and Rs.
47 lakh as interest subsidy.
On this occasion, various
departments
including
agriculture,
horticulture,
handicrafts, fisheries, industries,
cooperative
and
various
financial institutions established
their stalls to attract the
unemployed youth towards
setting up of income generating.
September floods
Army apprehensive of intense infilitration
AGENCIES
SRINAGAR, MARCH 25
To aware the unemployed
educated youth about various
employment
oriented
programmes and schemes
initiated by the government, a
daylong employment fair was
organized a Bus stand Shopian
here today.
Inaugurating the Employment
Fair, the District Development
Commissioner said that the aim
of organizing such fairs is to
aware the educated unemployed
youth and common masses
about various government
schemes
and
welfare
programmes.
The DDC urged the youth to
come forward and set up their
own income generating units for
which government is providing
guidance
and
financial
assistance.
The Assistant Director
Employment while speaking on
the occasion stated that the
District Employment and
Counselling Centre Shopian has
provided the voluntary services
such attacks," he said.
He said that Army is trying
its best to maintain peace and
there has been a total
transformation of the situation
in Kashmir. "Our priority is to
keep the situation in Kashmir
peaceful and normal. We want
that the people should keep
their day to day life peaceful
and fearless. The work done by
Army for the people during
floods have brought people
closer to us and the cooperation
and coordination between
people and Army will surely
help us to establish peace and
normalcy in Kashmir," he said.
Responding to a question,
Saha according to CNS said
Army fears intense infiltration
attempts by militants from
traditional routes along the
Line of Control (LoC) in
Kashmir.
"Since snow has started to
melt on the LoC, there is
apprehension that militants
may launch massive infiltration
attempts into our territory," he
said.
He said army has already
intensified vigil along the LoC,
where there is less snow, to foil
any infiltration bid by the
militants. He said that all but
200 militants are still present in
Valley. Army unit from 14
Rashtriya Rifles had organized
an event, 'Bandipora Got
Talent' in which the talented
youth of the district displayed
their musical and other skills
and during the event many
youth were awarded for their
best talent. (CNS)
held during the meeting.
Moreover, discussion was held
about the assistance or relief
provided to the affected
businessmen.
Concerned
Officers submitted the full
details of the damages cause to
the business enterprises along
details regarding the nature of
insurance Policies.
The Deputy Commissioner
also took a comprehensive
review of the relief that was
provided to the affectees both
under SDRF and through other
agencies or schemes.
The Rural Development
Department Kulgam organized
Run race/Cycle race in which
the students of different schools
participated. The main motive
of the event was to aware the
general public regarding the
implementation of Swatch
Bharat Mission (SBM).
The District Development
Commissioner Kulgam flagged
off the rally and addressed the
gathering of District Officers
and students in the premises of
District Office Kulgam. He said
that the total target under
Swatch Bharat Mission was
4618 IHHL Units out of which a
target of 2740 units has been
achieved.
Deputy Commissioner said
that 85 villages have been
covered partly and remaining
units will be completed upto
March 31, 2015. He said that a
total amount available at
district level for the purpose is
Rs. 245.94 lakh out of that
Rs. 142.04 lakh have been
incurred under the BPL family
category and rest of the amount
will be expended upto March
31, 2015.
Dir Agriculture flagged-off 38
farmers for Krishi Darshan Tour
NL Correspondent
In order to promote
Agriculture Practices and
enhance awareness among
farmers,
the
Director
Agriculture Kashmir Jatinder
Kumar Sharma flagged off 38
farmers of Srinagar district for
Krishi Darshan Tour to Punjab,
Haryana and Himachal Pradesh
States. The Tour was organized
by Chief Agriculture Officer
Srinagar,
under
National
Mission
for
Agriculture
Extension
Technology
(NMAET). During the 8 day
tour, farmers will be imparted
training at various agriculture
universities and research
stations such as Karnal,
HPKVV Palampur, Agriculture
University SKUAST-J and
Chinor
Agriculture
farm
Jammu. On this occasion, Joint
Director
Agriculture
(Extension), Chief Agriculture
Officer Srinagar and District
Officers of Srinagar were
present.
Director Agriculture said that
aim of Krishi Darshan is to
educate the farmers about latest
technologies adopted in the
other states, and impressed
upon the touring farmers to
utilize the opportunity and also
educate their neighboring
farmers by adopting the latest
farm practices in their fields to
increase the quality and quantity
of agriculture crops.
RB and save the children launch ground-breaking
partnership to reduce child deaths from diarrhoea in india
NL Correspondent
The global partnership
between RB and Save the
Children today launched a
unique and ground-breaking
programme to help eradicate
child deaths from diarrhoea in
India. The innovative and
sustainable Stop Diarrhoea
programme launched by Save
the Children in India, Pakistan
and Nigeria is aimed at
preventing, controlling and
treating the unnecessary killer.
Funded by RB, the Stop
Diarrhoea programme, will for
the first time fully implement
the World Health Organisation
and UNICEF 7-point plan to
ensure comprehensive diarrhoea
control. The partnership also
unveiled two innovative new
hygiene and sanitation products
by RB (formerly known as
Reckitt Benckiser) alongside the
programme.
Each
year
567,000[1]
children
under-five
die
needlessly from diarrhoea
around the world, equivalent to
64 children every hour. In India
123, 668[2] children alone die
every year due to the illness, the
highest death rate in the world
and it is estimated that 48% of
Indian children below the age of
five years are stunted, with
diarrhoea being one of the main
causes. In an ambitious drive to
help end this, Save the Children
and RB have committed to
working with the Indian
government and other partners
to implement the 7 Point Plan.
The combination of Save the
Children's
experience
of
delivering life-saving work and
RB's expertise in product
development and research will
help save thousands of young
lives a year.
Thomas Chandy, Chief
Executive of Save the Children
India, said: "Save the Children
is delighted to continue its work
with RB India, which has to date
reached over 1.5 million
children. The partnership aims
to develop and sustain hygiene
behaviours
in
Indian
communities, will which help
reduce the devastating number
of children dying each year in
India due to diarrhoea."
Nitish
Kapoor,
Chief
Executive of RB India, said:
"RB has been funding Save the
Children programmes in India
since 2010 and has been able to
see the real difference they have
been making to the lives of
Indian families. We believe that
together RB and Save the
Children can make a critical
step
towards
a
better
understanding of water, hygiene
and sanitation, which in turn
will help reduce the number of
children dying from diarrhoea in
India."
Justin
Forsyth,
Chief
Executive of Save the Children
UK, said: "This ground
breaking innovative partnership
between Save the Children and
RB will harness the research
and expertise of RB with Save
the Children's on the ground
experience to stop children
dying of diarrhoea. It will
pioneer how the private sector
and NGOs can accelerate
change for children."
Rakesh
Kapoor,
Chief
Executive of RB, said: "RB has
a purpose to make a difference
by creating innovative solutions
for healthier lives and happier
homes. We believe that
businesses like ours have a
responsibility of delivering
value to the society beyond the
returns to the shareholders. We
have used our core R&D
business to develop products to
help stop children dying from
diarrhoea, this is the first time
RB has developed and tested
products
specifically
for
consumers at the bottom of the
pyramid".
"By 2025, more than half of
the world's population will have
joined the consuming classes,
driving annual consumption in
emerging markets to $30
trillion. RB is playing an
important role in introducing
these new consumers to the
economy
through
the
development of innovative
products for consumers at the
bottom of the pyramid, who
represent some of the most
discerning customers in the
world. RB is one of the few
global FMCG players investing
in innovation at this level."
To improve hand washing
and community sanitation, RB
and 19 of their suppliers (who
volunteered their time) have
developed two unique products
that are completely new to
market.The products include an
affordable germ protection bar
that can be used by families for
cleaning, washing hands and
body (including children from
the age of one). Two years in
the making, the second is a
'game-changing' toilet powder
has also been created to reduce
the spread of infection from pit
latrines.
The powder deters flies,
reduces faeces and has a
pleasant fragrance all to make
the pit latrines more hygienic
and encourage communities to
use the pit latrines versus
defecating in public areas.
RB will not be making a
profit from these products and
the revenue will be reinvested
into the Stop Diarrhoea
programme
and
fighting
diarrhoea. They will also be
produced locally, encouraging
entrepreneurship, in addition to
reducing the overall carbon
footprint and transport costs
associated
with
their
manufacture.
The two unique products are
major breakthroughs in science
and technology to target specific
issues and save lives. Both
products have been created to be
affordable for consumers who
have not traditionally been able
to afford personal and home
hygiene products. The products
will be piloted in Pakistan and
Nigeria with plans to roll them
out into India by Q1 2016. The
products have been developed
through a model of 'open
innovation' bringing together
some of the world's leading
chemical scientists, enzyme
specialists, fragrance experts
and academics from around
world,
including
BASF,
Novozymes, Tagasako and
University of Nairobi. This open
and collaborative approach to
innovation represents another
first for RB in the development
of the two new products.
8
Bridge washed
away in Tral
Locals accuse contractor of using
sub-standard material
AGENCIES
TRAL, MARCH 25
Incessant rain waters Wednesday washed away a newlyconstructed bridge in Chandrigam Tral in South Kashmir's
Pulwama district, sparking massive protest in the area.
The bridge that had been washed away during September floods
by constructed a local contractor who according to locals in league
with the officials of R&B swindled a large chunk of money meant
for the said bridge.
The bridge connects Tral with the villages like Chandrigam,
Noorpora, Dadsara, Nowpor, Aaligund and other hamlets. Due to
the damage, many villages remained cut off while traffic was also
suspended.
Locals according to CNS alleged that sub-standard material was
used in the bridge. "Not only sub-standard material, but the
construction took place in an haphazard and unplanned manner.
The bride was not given too much height as a result the speedy
waters in the nallah damaged it completely," they said.
The protesters appealed Chief Engineer R&B to look into the
matter. (CNS)
Flood victims accuse
Revenue officials of fraud
'Victims didn't receive cheques
issued in their name'
AGENCIES
SRINAGAR, MARCH 25
The residents of Bemina locality of Srinagar city Wednesday alleged
that concerned Revenue official in league with higher ups has swindled
large chunk of money meant for the flood victims.
A delegation from Ibrahim Colony Bemina led by Ghulam
Muhammad Bhat alleged that Tehsildar shalteng G.A.Khan, Naib
Tehsildar Bemina Parveez Ahmad and Patwari Arshid Ahmad Baba
embezzled the cheque vide number 386497 that had been issued in his
favour. The delegation said that cheques had been issued on the names
of flood victims which they never received. "These officials have
indulged in financial irregularities and to save their skin, they have
been blaming each other for the mess. These officials avoid us on the
one or the other pretext," the delegation told CNS. "We suffered heavy
loss due to floods and for construction purpose we applied for loan in
Jammu and Kashmir Bank. We appeal to Revenue Minister to look
into the matter. We are sure that it is a big scam and the officials related
to the distribution of cheques have surely looted the exchequer in the
name of flood victims," the residents said. (CNS)
‘Hoisted Pakistani flag on my
own soil’: Aasiya Andrabi
AGENCIES
SRINAGAR, MARCH 25
Dukhtaran-i-Millat Chairperson Syeda Aasiya Andrabi Wednesday
said she did not hoist Pakistani flag on Indian soil but hoisted it on the
soil of Jammu and Kashmir which is a disputed territory and is not a
part of India. She was reacting after the reports that Jammu and
Kashmir police have booked her for unfurling Pakistani flag in
Kashmir during Pak National Day on March 23. "From last 35 years
we have been hoisting Pakistan Flag in India. This time the difference
was that instead of unfurling it in Pakistan embassy in New Delhi, we
hoisted in on our own soil in Kashmir. Let me make it clear that
Jammu and Kashmir is my own land and it is not the part of India and
for that reason I have not committed any crime," Aasiya Andrabi told
CNS adding that she was booked by police on the behest of Indian
media under section 13A of Unlawful Activities Prevention Act.
"Indian biased news channels blew the issue of flag hoisting out of
proportion and all these channels put a pressure on police to book me.
Instead of showing the 'news', these Indian news channels are acting
as judge for Kashmiri people and are directing the Indian police and
authorities, what to do and what not to do," she said and added that
she would continue to hoist the Pakistani flag on Kashmir soil and will
not abandon the practice under pressure either from Indian media or
authorities. (CNS)
Lady dies, 04 injured in
road mishaps
NL Correspondent
A lady died while four others were injured in three separate road
accidents across the valley. An Alto car bearing registration number
JK22-5400 hit a lady Rani Begam resident of Devpora Herpora at
village Mujpathri, Shopain, resulting in her on spot death. Shopian
police has registered a case in this regard. A Motorcycle skidded off the
road at Gazriyal Kralpora, Kupwara resulting in injuries to the
motorcyclist Arif Joo and a pillion Ishfaq Joo both residents of
Mandiyan Keran. Both the injured have been shifted to hospital for
treatment. Police has registered a case in this regard. Meanwhile, a
Motorcycle bearing registration number JK13B/5730 skidded off the
road at Pahroo Chowk, Nowgam, Srinagar resulting in injuries to
motorcyclist and a Pillion. Both the injured have been shifted to SMHS
Hospital Srinagar for treatment. Nowgam police has registered a case
in this regard.
Leh police cracks blind murder
09 accused arrested
NL Correspondent
Leh police cracked a blind murder case of a lecturer who was found
dead in his residential quarter at an institute in Choglamsar Leh. Police
has arrested nine accused persons involved in the murder. According to
the District police administration, Jigme Tsultim resident of Gangtok
Sikkim a lecturer at Central Institute of Buddhist studies (CIBS)
Choglamsar Leh was found dead in his resident quarter on 19-03-2015.
Leh police registered a case FIR No 27/2015 under section 302 RPC
in Police station Leh the investigation was entrusted to Inspector
Stanzin Dorjey Addl. SHO police station Leh under the close
supervision of Sh. T.Gyalpo Additional Sp Leh. During the
investigation, Leh police after working out all possible angles zeroed
in on two suspected youth from Pyang village Leh. Their questioning
led to the arrest of seven more accused who were involved in the
murder. The arrested accused were identified as Chosphel Dorhey son
of Nawnag Norbu resident of Chaa, Zanskar Kargil, Tundup Namgail
son of Tsewang Sangdup resident of Stakna Leh, Thinles Nima son of
Tsering Dorjey resident of Achinathang Leh, Rigzin Tamchos son of
Tsewang tashi resident of Bodhkharbu Kargil, Rinchen Nurbu son of
Punchik resident of Stakna Leh, Tundup Wangyal son of Sonam
Wangyal resident of kargil, Loobzang Tsephel son of Nawang Tundup
resident of Pidmo, zanskar Kargil, Padma Stanzin son of Stanzin
Angchuk resident of Domkhar Leh and Tundup Norbu son of Tsering
Dorjay resident of Pyang Leh.
The NORTHLINES
BUSINESS
10
RBI says no to our proposal to
buy back Docomo stake: Tata
AGENCIES
MUMBAI, MARCH 25
Tata Sons has said the
Reserve Bank has turned down
a request to allow it to buy back
the Japanese Group NTT
Docomo's 26 percent stake in
their telecom joint venture at a
premium to its current fair
value.
Tata Sons is the holding firm
of the diversified salt- tosoftware Group.
"The Reserve Bank has
conveyed that it cannot accede
to our request (for buying out
the stake held by Docomo in
Tata TeleServices) as the same
is not in conformity with the
extant Fema regulations, and
has advised that any such
purchase of shares be at the
current fair value of shares,"
Tata Sons said in a late evening
statement.
Under
the
original
shareholders agreement signed
in 2009, Docomo had invested
USD 2.2 billion in the mobile
carrier Tata Tele with a
condition that if the Japanese
company wanted to exit, it
would get the higher of either
half the original investment or
the fair value.
As Tata Tele, despite being
the seventh largest operator, has
failed to make much of an
impact in the overcrowded and
fiercely competitive mobile
telecom space, Docomo wanted
to exit the venture.
After the Tatas failed to find a
buyer for the Docomo stake, it
moved the RBI seeking
approval to buy back 26 percent
stake at half the price, or USD
1.1 billion that Docomo had
paid in 2009. As the apex court
Five things you need
to know about RuPay
pre-paid debit card
AGENCIES
NEW DELHI, MARCH 25
Indian
Railway
Catering and Tourism
Corporation (IRCTC)has
launched a debit card
service which will help
railway passengers book their tickets, do shopping and pay
service bills. The RuPay pre-paid cards, launched by IRCTC in
collaboration with the Union Bank of India and the National
Payment Corporation of India, is the country's own card payment
gateway network like Visa and Master Card, and provides an
alternative system for banks to provide a debit card service.
Here are Five interesting things you need to know about the
RuPay pre-paid debit card.
1. Cards can be made available from UBI offices or through
IRCTC online. Initially the service will be available for booking
tickets and later on shopping and bill payments will be added.
2. The card holder will get free Rs 1 lakh accident insurance
coverage as part of the benefits to customers.
3. One can have the card with a loading limit of Rs 10,000 with
partial "Know Your Customer" (KYC) detail or Rs 50,000
loading limit with full KYC.
4. First five transactions per card every month done on IRCTC
for purchase of train tickets will be free and no transaction
charges will be levied to customers for six months only.
5. For every subsequent transaction post the free usage,
customer will be charged Rs 10 per transaction.
took time to get back, Docomo
moved an arbitration court in
London.
In January, the RBI had
reportedly said it was inclined to
accept the Tatas' proposal to pay
USD 1.1 billion for Docomo's
26 percent stake, provided the
Finance Ministry was open to
the idea.
The Tata Sons' statement did
not mention whether the RBI
turned down its request after the
Finance Ministry refused to
accept the proposal.
India's reform drive and
economic momentum could
give plenty of growth
opportunities to India's top
corporates, according to
Standard & Poor's (S&P)
Ratings Services. But many
corporates are waiting for the
government to put policy into
action before investing further,
it said.
"The key to corporate
growth will be whether the
government can deliver on its
reform promises. If it does, we
believe the top players will be
ready to capitalise," said
S&P's credit analyst Mehul
Sukkawala. "In the meantime,
we believe the Indian
corporate sector will maintain
its conservative stance toward
growth rather than throw
caution to the wind," he said.
S&P analysed the operating,
cash flow, and leverage data of
India's top-100 corporates,
whose members are based
mostly
on
market
capitalisation.
On
these
parameters,
the
Indian
corporate sector is by no
means a laggard to its Chinese
and ASEAN neighbors, the
ratings agency said in its
article.
"The issues identified with
Indian
corporates—overindebted and underperforming
companies—are concentrated
in just a handful of sectors,
albeit critical ones: utilities
and infrastructure, and metals
and mining,"Sukkawala said.
"Fixing
the
well-known
problems within these sectors
will predominantly require
government decision-making
and execution of regulations;
the companies can't do it
themselves," he said.
"Overall, we believe the
view of India as a global
bright spot for investing
appears fully justified from a
credit risk perspective," S&P
stated. However, capital
spending will take 12 more
months to start recovering, it
said.
"Companies are likely to
consider new projects only
after they can sense the
operating environment in
India is improving at the
ground level," Sukkawala
said. "They would also need to
be confident that current
investments are likely to
generate good cash flows
before committing fresh
investments," he stated. "This
is positive from a credit
assessment perspective over
the next 12 months, especially
for companies with weak
financial ratios and liquidity,"
he said.
The new Indian government
has promised to tackle some of
India's
longest-festering
problems that have kept the
country's enormous economic
potential in check. The
country's favorable economic
conditions and a strong central
government give it the
flexibility to pursue reforms,
S&P said. "Initiatives include
auctions of energy resources,
such as coal, simplified tax
regimes, and accelerated
approval procedures to speed
up the ease of doing business,"
the agency said.
"The government will need
to turn its plans into actions,
coordinate better with states,
and remove bottlenecks across
AGENCIES
NEW DELHI, MARCH 25
Telefonica
finalises $15
billion sale of
UK unit to
Hutchison
The iconic Taj Mansingh
Hotel in the heart of the
national capital will go under
the hammer on Wednesday
with New Delhi Municipal
Council (NDMC) initiating
proceedings after getting a goahead from the Union Home
Ministry for its auctioning.
The property, owned by the
NDMC, was given to Tatabacked Indian Hotels Company
Limited (IHCL) on lease for 33
years.
The lease had ended in 2011
and the IHCL was given six
temporary
extensions
to
operate the hotel since then on
various grounds.
The last extension was given
on January 31 as NDMC could
not hold an auction because of
the Model Code of Conduct for
the Delhi Assembly elections.
The extended lease agreement
expires on March 31.
"The MHA has recently
given us a clear verdict that Taj
(Mansigh Hotel) ought to be
auctioned so we will be taking
up the issue formally before the
council on March 20," NDMC
chairman Jalaj Srivastava said.
AGENCIES
LONDON, MARCH 25
Spain`s Telefonica said it had
finalised a deal to sell its British
mobile business O2 to Li Kashing`s Hutchison Whampoa
<0013.HK> for 10.25 billion
pounds
($15.2
billion),
confirming details announced
earlier this year.
Telefonica and Hutchison
entered exclusive negotiations
over O2 on Jan. 23. The Spanish
operator said on Tuesday that a
definitive agreement had now
been reached after completion
of due diligence on the British
unit.
The sale will hasten the
consolidation of Britain`s
telecoms industry. Hutchison
already operates the Three
Mobile network in Britain, and
buying second-ranked O2,
which has about 22 million
subscribers, will make it the top
mobile operator in the country.
Completion of the deal is
subject to regulatory approval,
Telefonica said, adding that
should take place by June 30,
with a possible extension of this
timeline to Sept. 30.
The NDMC works under
administrative control of the
Union Home Ministry.
While the NDMC was in
favour of giving the first right
of refusal to IHCL in case an
auction took place, the Home
Ministry had argued that it may
attract lower bids.
"The MHA has ordered an
open auction so they might not
get a right to refusal,"
Srivasatava said.
The
bidding
process,
FIPB clears 10 FDI proposals
worth Rs 2,858 crore
AGENCIES
NEW DELHI, MARCH 25
The Foreign Investment
Promotion Board has cleared 10
FDI proposals worth Rs 2,858
crore, and referred the HolcimAmbuja deal to the CCEA.
"The
Government
has
approved 10 proposals of
Foreign Direct Investment
(FDI) amounting to Rs 2857.83
crore," a finance ministry
statement said today.
The proposal of Ambuja
Cements for acquisition of 24
percent shares in its holding
company Holcim (India) Ltd for
a share swap worth Rs 3,500
crore has been referred to the
Cabinet
Committee
on
Economic Affairs (CCEA).
FIPB has deferred 18
proposals including that of
Sharekhan Ltd for transfer of
compulsory
convertible
debentures
(CCDs)
and
compulsory
convertible
preference shares (CCPs), held
by IDFC Ltd to Baring Private
Equity.
India's reforms and economic momentum
could unlock corporate growth: S&P
AGENCIES
COIMBATORE, MARCH 25
"From the outset, Tata Sons
has been committed to
honouring its contractual
obligations to Docomo, and has
taken every possible step
keeping in mind the interests of
all stakeholders and in
accordance with Indian law," it
said.
The statement further said the
issue will now have to be
resolved through arbitration
between the parties. Steps
towards initiating arbitration
have already been taken.
Taj Mansingh to go
under hammer today
sectors to implement reforms,"
S&P said. "The government
may have to dilute some of its
reforms because of differing
views of opposition parties
and the hesitancy of some of
its allies," it said.
"Overall, we are optimistic
that the impact of government
reforms will be positive in the
next
few
years.
The
cumulative effect is likely to
result in an improved
economic
and
business
environment
for
India's
corporates," said S&P's credit
analyst Abhishek Dangra.
however, is likely to take
around 6-8 months after the
Council
initiates
the
proceedings.
Two years ago, when the
NDMC had decided to auction
the property, the IHCL had
approached the Delhi High
Court seeking a stay on the
process.
However,
the
company had not got a stay
order from the court to restrain
the NDMC from auctioning the
hotel.
Shanghai slips after
10-day rally, US data
revives rate talk
AGENCIES
HONG KONG, MARCH 25
The proposal of Ostro Energy
to invest Rs 1,400 crore over the
next 4-5 years in wind energy
assets was cleared by the FIPB
in its February 17 meeting.
The inter-governmental panel,
chaired by Economic Affairs
Secretary Rajiv Mehrishi, also
cleared the pharma firm IPCA
Laboratories' proposal to hike
foreign institutional investment
(FII) to 35 percent entailing an
investment of Rs 900 crore.
The proposal of Reckitt
Benckiser (India) to acquire
24.88 percent share of Reckitt
Benckiser Healthcare India Ltd
from its foreign investor was
also approved. The deal would
result in a foreign fund outflow
of Rs 750 crore.
Bangalore-based pharma firm
Syngene
International's
proposal to inject Rs 380 crore
into the company through 10
percent
foreign
equity
participation has also been
cleared.
FDI proposals under approval
route are cleared by the FIPB.
However, those worth above Rs
1,200 crore are given final
clearance by the CCEA.
Oil to reach $100 a barrel
by end of 2016: Pickens
AGENCIES
SAN FRANCISCO, MARCH 25
Oil prices could hit $100 a
barrel by the end of next year,
U.S. oil magnate T. Boone
Pickens said on Tuesday,
revising his previous forecast
which said they would reach that
level as early as this year.
"I think you could very well
be at $100 a barrel by the end of
2016,"
the
86-year-old
billionaire and chair of BP
Capital told an audience of about
100 at the Commonwealth Club
of California in San Francisco.
Oil prices have fallen sharply
amid weaker Asian and
European demand and a boom in
North American production.
U.S. crude futures have dropped
more than 60 percent since highs
last summer and were at around
$47.40 a barrel on Tuesday.
Pickens said the idea of "peak
oil" – the point in time at which
oil production will go into an
irreversible decline – shouldn`t
be dismissed on account of the
increase in U.S. production.
Other regions are seeing their
output decline, he said.
A lifelong Republican,
Pickens said he would support
Jeb Bush if he decided to pursue
the party`s nomination in 2016,
as is widely expected.
"The Republicans will win in
2016," said Pickens, who has
donated heavily to Republican
presidential candidates in the
past, including Jeb`s brother,
former President George W.
Bush.
Shanghai stocks retreated for
the first time in 11 sessions on
profit-taking Wednesday but
most other Asian equity markets
were flat after a healthy batch of
US data revived the prospect of
an early interest rate hike.
The euro edged up marginally
as investors were cheered by
warmer relations between
Greece and Germany as
eurozone leaders try to hammer
out a reformed bailout deal for
Athens.
In late trade Shanghai, which
surged to a near seven-year high
over the past 10 sessions, eased
0.30 per cent, while Hong
Kong's exchange gained 0.52
per cent, boosted by a rally in
Hutchison Whampoa after it
said it had agreed to buy British
telecom giant O2 for more than
$15 billion.
Tokyo reversed morning
losses to end up 0.17 per cent,
or 32.75 points, at 19,746.20
but Sydney was marginally
higher, nudging up 4.23 points
to 5,973.32 and Seoul was also
flat, edging 1.44 points higher
to 2,042.81.
Wellington fell 0.22 per cent,
or 12.76 points, to 5,857.78 and
Taipei slipped 0.66 per cent, or
63.83 points, to 9,667.83.
Global investors are keeping
a close watch on the United
States, looking for any signs
that could give an idea of when
the Federal Reserve will lift
interest rates.
Comments last week from the
central bank that the economy
still had weaknesses cooled
expectations it would announce
an increase in early summer.
However, markets took note
of news from the Labor
Department that inflation hit 0.2
per cent in February. That
followed three successive
months of falling prices,
including January's 0.7 per cent
drop, which was the steepest
since late 2008 during the
financial crisis.
Also sales of new singlefamily homes surged to a sevenyear high in February,
accelerating for the third
consecutive
month,
the
Commerce
Department
reported Tuesday.
The figures revived talk of an
early rate hike, sending the
dollar up and US stocks lower.
In Asian currency trade the
dollar bought 119.73 yen,
compared with 119.77 yen in
New York but still up from
119.45 yen earlier Tuesday in
Tokyo.
"Traders love a good pullback
and as soon as the dollar looks
like it's setting up to resume its
bullish trend currency traders
will flood the market with
trades," Scott Schuberg, chief
executive officer of Rivkin
Securities in Sydney, told
Bloomberg News.
"We could see continued
volatility in foreign exchange
markets." The Dow dipped 0.58
per cent, the S&P 500 fell 0.61
per cent and the Nasdaq lost
0.32 per cent.
Hopes for a resolution to the
long-running Greek debt crisis
were raised after the country's
Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras
held meetings with German
Chancellor Angela Merkel and
other officials in Berlin that
were said to have gone well.
European
officials
on
Tuesday were hopeful that after
months of tough negotiation,
common ground could finally
be reached with the new antiausterity Greek government,
which swept January elections
in a ticket of renegotiating its
debt obligations.
Amazon blasts US agency for slowness on drone regulation
AGENCIES
WASHINGTON, MARCH 25
E-commerce
power
Amazon.com blasted federal
regulators on Tuesday for being
slow to approve commercial
drone testing, saying the United
States is falling behind other
countries in the potentially
lucrative area of unmanned
aviation technology.
Less than a week after the
Federal Aviation Administration
gave Amazon.com the green
light to test a delivery drone
outdoors, the company told U.S.
lawmakers that the prototype
had already become obsolete
while the company waited more
than six months for the agency`s
permission.
"We don`t test it anymore.
We`ve moved on to more
advanced designs that we
already are testing abroad," said
Paul Misener, Amazon.com`s
vice president for global public
policy.
"Nowhere outside of the
United States have we been
required to wait more than one
or two months to begin testing,"
Misener testified before the
Senate Subcommittee on
Aviation Operations, Safety and
Security.
The Amazon.com
case
illustrates the frustrations of
many industry representatives,
who say the U.S. regulatory
process is not keeping up with
rapidly developing drone
technology that could generate
new revenues and cost savings
for a range of industries.
Ahead of Tuesday`s hearing,
the FAA sought to alleviate
some of that frustration by
announcing a new "blanket"
approval that allows companies
with exemptions from a U.S.
ban on commercial drone use to
fly limited operations without
seeking new approval for each
project.
The change affects only
flights of up to 200 feet (61
metres) during daylight hours
and within a drone operator`s
line of sight.
Seattle-based Amazon.com,
the
largest
e-commerce
company in the United States,
wants to use drones to deliver
packages to its customers over
distances of 10 miles (16 km) or
more, which would require
drones to travel autonomously
while equipped with technology
to avoid collisions with other
aircraft.
Misener said European and
other international authorities
have
more
"reasonable"
approaches that recognise the
potential economic benefits of
commercial drone operations.
"This
low
level
of
government attention and slow
pace are inadequate, especially
compared to the regulatory
efforts in other countries,"
Misener said, calling on
regulators to begin planning
now for drone systems capable
of autonomous travel.
Margaret Gilligan, FAA`s
associate administrator for
aviation safety, defended the
pace of FAA drone actions on
safety grounds, saying U.S.
airspace is more complex and
more heavily traveled than that
of other countries. She told the
Senate panel that regulators
could set new standards for
autonomous drone operations
within a year.
The FAA recently proposed
rules that would lift the current
ban on most commercial drone
flights, but several restrictions
attached would make package
delivery and other business
applications unfeasible.
Among other constraints, the
proposed rules would limit
commercial drones to an
altitude of 500 feet (150
metres), allow flights only
during daytime and require
operators to keep the aircraft in
sight at all times.
The agency does not expect to
finalise the rules until late 2016
or early 2017, according to
government officials. During
this period, the current ban will
stay in place; companies can
apply for exemptions to use
drones for specific business
applications.
Gilligan said the FAA has
granted
more
than
60
exemptions out of several
hundred requests.
Meanwhile,
Australia,
Canada, France and the United
Kingdom have progressed
towards airspace integration and
allow for commercial use, the
Government Accountability
Office (GAO) said in a report to
the subcommittee.
Australia
has
granted
operating certificates to 185
businesses, while several
European
countries
have
granted licenses to more than
1,000 operators, according to
the report.
While the GAO said overseas
restrictions are similar to those
proposed by the FAA, it noted
that France has begun to allow
beyond-line-of-sight operations
on a limited basis.
The NORTHLINES
11
SPORTS
ICC Cricket World Cup 2015
India battle tide of history against Australia
Australia favourites against India,
says Matthew Hayden
AGENCIES
SYDNEY, MARCH 25
AGENCIES
SYDNEY, MARCH 25
Defending champions India will hope the
law of averages does not catch up with
them when they clash with hosts Australia
in a widely-anticipated World Cup semifinal in Sydney on Thursday.
India have beaten Australia just once in
35 years in a one-day international at the
Sydney Cricket Ground when a Sachin
Tendulkar century helped them win the
first of the three-match tri-series final in
2008.
But Mahendra Singh Dhoni`s men have
confounded critics by recovering from a
winless bilateral tour of Australia before
the World Cup to brush aside all-comers in
the tournament.
Starting with two wins against Pakistan
and South Africa, India won all six group
matches to top Pool B and then downed
spirited Bangladesh by 109 runs in the
quarter-finals.
Amazingly, India have piled up 300-plus
scores every time they have batted first and
dismissed the opposition in all seven
matches so far.
India now confront a side that has won
seven of their 10 World Cup meetings
against them, although Dhoni`s men
secured a five-wicket win in the quarterfinal at home in Ahmedabad four years
ago.
Four-time champions Australia have won
all six semi-finals they have appeared in
since the inaugural event in 1975, but India
will consider the SCG as the best venue to
halt that record.
Groundsman Tom Parker has kept both
teams guessing on the nature of the pitch
he will unveil for the semi-final, but the
wear and tear at the end of a long season
indicates spin-friendly conditions.
South African spinners Imran Tahir and
JP Duminy shared seven wickets to bowl
out Sri Lanka for 133 in the quarter-final at
the SCG last week, setting up a ninewicket win for the Proteas.
But the bat dominated the ball in
previous World Cup games at the venue,
with Australia piling up 376 for nine
against Sri Lanka and South Africa
smashing 408 for five off the West Indies`
attack. Australian coach Darren Lehmann
expected a wicket similar to the one his
team got for the match against Sri Lanka
and predicted a high-scoring encounter.
"I think the pitch will be very similar to
the one we used in the game against Sri
Lanka when almost 700 runs were scored,
so I think this will be another high-scoring
affair," Lehmann wrote on the official
Cricket
Australia
website
www.cricket.com.au.
"But finals seem to have a way of
working out differently sometimes. So
even if the pitch is a belter, you have to do
the basics well enough to produce a high
score. And then bowl well enough to
defend it."
Lehmann felt that constant meetings with
India over the summer would "add an extra
element to what already looms as an
enthralling contest."
"India are really starting to gain some
confidence on the back of some good
performances since the tournament began,
but we know them inside out -- just as they
do us. Everyone in the Australia squad is
excited that we`ve reached the final week
Ahead of the do-or-die
cricket World Cup semi-final
between India and Australia,
former explosive opening
batsman Matthew Hayden
was on Wednesday confident
that the co-hosts will beat
India to enter the final.
“Obviously I think
Australia will defeat India,”
Hayden,
member
of
Australia's World Cup
winning squads in 2003 and
2007, was quoted as saying
by
news.com.au
on
Wednesday.
The 43-year-old said
India’s two spinners
Ravichandran Ashwin and
Ravindra Jadeja will play a big part on Thursday considering the
Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) pitch which might assist the
spinners.
“I’ve been impressed with the Indian bowling line-up.
They’re particularly strong in the spin department with Ravi
Jadeja and Ashwin and those two could be the key to the game,”
Hayden was quoted as saying by news.com.au.
The left-handed batsman also stressed that although Indian
pacers have been bowling well, they haven’t been exposed in the
earlier matches and they will be against Australia.
“While their pace battery has been performing admirably
during the tournament, they haven’t been exposed and I think
they will be against Australia,” Hayden said.
He also said that Suresh Raina and skipper Mahendra Singh
of the World Cup and are now within
striking distance of a goal that we set
ourselves more than a year ago."
With organisers estimating that 70
percent of the tickets have been picked up
by Indian fans, Australia would feel as if
they were playing an away game on their
own soil.
India will once again bank on a sound
start from openers Shikhar Dhawan, who
has 367 runs in the tournament with two
Dhoni will play a big part in the game and can be dangerous.
“With the bat I can see Suresh Raina and MS Dhoni playing a
big part. Even if Australia takes quick wickets at the start of the
game these two can be very dangerous. The conditions will suit
them both,” he said.
When asked to analyse India’s overall performance in the
mega event, he said, “It’s hard to get a read on India’s
performance in the group stage because I don’t think they were
really tested. The South Africa game didn’t really go down to the
wire and they got the Proteas on a really bad day.”
Speaking on the pressure that would be on the high-voltage
clash, he said, “India have won all their games convincingly, the
SCG will suit them and in a semi-final where it’s all on the line
there’s equal pressure on both sides. But they’ve been hammered
by Australia all summer.”
centuries, and Rohit Sharma, who hit 137 "A big one is just around the corner
because big players always score in big
against Bangladesh.
But it will be Virat Kohli the Australians games," Dhoni said of Kohli.
will be wary of after the elegant right- India`s pace trio of Mohammad Shami,
hander hit four centuries in the preceding Umesh Yadav and Mohit Sharma have
four-Test series, including 147 and 46 at claimed 42 wickets between them, but it
will be the off-spin of Ravichandran
the SCG.
Kohli`s form dipped after a match- Ashwin that Dhoni will turn to if the pitch
winning century against Pakistan, but takes turn. The winner of Thursday`s
Dhoni was confident of his star batsman match will face New Zealand in the final in
Melbourne on Sunday.
coming good when it mattered.
India hockey team to field full
State Judo Championship gets underway
strength team for Azlan Shah Cup
JAMMU TAWI, MARCH 25
AGENCIES
NEW DELHI, MARCH 25
Ace midfielder Sardar Singh
will lead a full strength Indian
men's hockey team in the 24th
Sultan Azlan Shah Cup to be held
in Ipoh, Malaysia from April 5 to
12.
The Azlan Shah Cup despite
being an invitational tournament,
India have gone for a strong 18member squad with just three
changes from the last December's
Champions
Trophy
in
Bhubaneswar.
Midfielder Danish Mujtaba,
striker Lalit Upadhyay and
defender Gurjinder Singh are the
three players to miss out and in
their
places
midfielder
Chinglensana Singh and forwards
Satbir Singh and Mandeep Singh
have been drafted into the side.
While Sardar will captain the
side, goalkeeper PR Sreejesh will
continue to be his deputy.
Besides two goalkeepers -Sreejesh and Harjot Singh --, the
squad will have five defenders in
Gurbaj Singh, Rupinder Pal
Singh, Birendra Lakra, Kothajit
Singh and VR Raghunath.
The midfield will be under the
leadership of skillful Sardar and
he will be assisted by Manpreet
Singh, Dharamvir Singh,
Chinglensana and SK Uthappa,
while Ramadeep Singh, SV Sunil,
Akashdeep Singh, Nikkin
Thimmaiah, Satbir and Mandeep
will form India's forwardline.
The Azlan Shah Cup will also
be Dutchman Paul van Ass' first
assignment as the new chief coach
of the Indian men's hockey team.
"The Sultan Azlan Shah Cup
will be my first tournament as the
coach of this team and I look
forward to a positive start by
doing well in this tournament,"
Van Ass said after the selection of
the team today.
"The players and I are still
trying to know each other both,
professionally as well as on the
personal front. By the intensity
and efforts put in by these players
on the field, during the
preparations, gives me much
confidence in this team and a hope
to have a great start as one unit. I
have seen them play in
Champions Trophy last year and
they are turning into a formidable
line-up who are keen to take on
new challenges."
Talking about the Azlan Shahbound team, captain Sardar said,
"The team composition is almost
the same as Champions Trophy,
although we have three new
inclusions -- Chinglensana Singh
Kangujam, Satbir Singh and
Mandeep Singh. All three will
help boost our options for attack.
"I think their contribution for
their respective teams in Hockey
India League 2015 helped them
make a comeback into the
national squad."
Besides India and hosts
Malaysia, the other participating
nations in this year's Azlan Shah
Cup are Australia, New Zealand,
Korea and Canada.
India will play their first match
against Korea on April 5 followed
by games against New Zealand
(April 6), Malaysia (April 8),
Canada (April 9) and Australia
(April 11).
Organised by the Jammu and
Kashmir State Judo Association,
the 17th State Open Judo
Championship got underway at
Indoor Complex, MA Stadium,
Jammu, here today.
The competition was
declared open by president of
J&K Olympic Association,
Rangil Singh, who was chief
guest in the inaugural function.
Former MLA and president of
the Association, Rashpal Singh
as also Kuldeep Singh Jamwal
were guests of honour.
Around 300 Judokas drawn
from different districts of the
state shall compete for top
honours in various weight
categories.
Among others present were
Dr Ashutosh Sharma (secretary,
JKOA) Chief Sports Officer and
Sports Officer of State Sports
Council, Rajan Sharma, Ravi
Singh, Satish Gupta, SP Singh,
Virender Dogra, Rohit Gupta,
Suraj Sharma, Raj Kumar,
Shashi Balgotra, Shiv Kumar,
Sarabjeet Singh.
Today's bouts were officiated
by Suraj Bhan Singh, Arshinad,
Vikas Dogra, Ritika Slathia,
Jugal Kishore, Shakti Gupta and
Rameshwar Singh Jamwal. This
championship
is
being
organised under the overall
supervision of Association
general secretary, Vikas Gupta.
The Detailed Results:
GIRLS: U-8 yr: 18 kg: Aditi
Rajdha, Ist; Tavisha Gupta, 2nd;
Ashita Rajput and Khushi Sher,
joint 3rd. 20 kg: Ananya
Sharma, Ist; Arya Khan, 2nd;
Janvee Kotwal and Ananya,
joint 3rd. 25 kg: Utkarshi Kesar,
Ist; Manya Sharma, 2nd; Angel
Dogra and Shristi Verma, joint
3rd. 30 kg: Tanisha Gupta, Ist;
Monika Saproo, 2nd; Prism
Singh and Deepanshi Rajput,
joint 3rd.
GIRLS: U- 10 yr: 25 kg:
Meenakshi Devi, Ist; Vanshika
Sharma, 2nd; Parul Sharma and
Kanishka Sharma, joint 3rd. 30
kg: Nirali Sharma, Ist; Priya
Sharma, 2nd and Bhumi
Manhas, 3rd. 35 kg: Niharika
Sharma, Ist; Mahima Sharma,
2nd and Saniya Choudhary, 3rd.
Plus 35 kg: Khushi Gupta, Ist;
Suhani Kiran, 2nd; Manvi
Verma and Samkiya Choudhary,
joint 3rd.
BOYS: U-8 yr: 18 kg: Viraj
Koushal, Ist; Shourya Kumar,
2nd; Aarav Sharma and Shourya
Vardhan, joint 3rd. 20 kg:
Ridham Sharma, Ist; Chatnya,
2nd; Hitesh Chibber and Nitish
Koul, joint 3rd. 25 kg: Kanshit,
Ist; Sahil Sharma, 2nd;
Shivyansh Raina and Ishan
Pandita, joint 3rd. 30 kg: Ritesh
Tikoo, Ist; Arihant Mahajan,
2nd and Sajak Kesar, 3rd. Plus
30 kg: Abijai, Ist; Arsh Bakshi,
2nd; Nityam Sharma and
Anirudh Sharma, joint 3rd.
BOYS: U-10 yr: 25 kg: Om
BilIoria, Ist; Aditya Singh, 2nd
and Dhaniya, 3rd. 30 kg: Aditya
Parihar, Ist; Harkik Sharma,
2nd; Amrit Bhat and Mritunjay
Kotwal, joint 3rd. Plus 35 kg:
Ritish Dhar, Ist; Madhav
Chalotra, 2nd and Arnav
Sharma, 3rd.
Police and other security forces
who laid down their precious
lives for the cause of the nation.
He said that it is due to the
sacrifices of the martyrs that the
peace has been restored in the
state. He exhorted upon the
gathering especially youth to
contribute for maintaining the
integrity, sovereignty and
communal harmony of the great
democracy of the world.
Martyr DySPManjeet Singh,
the then DySPHqrs. Pooch,
sacrificed his life on March 13,
2003 while maintaining the best
tradition of the J&K Policeservice before self for the cause
of the nation.
Prominent among those who
were present included Mumtaz
Chodhary (ADC Pooch),
Mumtaz Bhati-(CMO Pooch),
Maqbool Naik (XEN PDD),
Amit Kumar Gupta (ASP
Pooch), Krishan Lal (retired
Divisional Sports Officer),
Rajinder Singh (Retired Sports
Officer),
Mohd Qasim
(Incharge District Youth and
Sports Officer), Advocate
Mohd Zaman, Advocate
Rajinder Singh, Prem Parkash
Luthra, Nirdosh Kumar, Mohd
Tariq (convener Manjeet Singh
Volleyball
Tournament),
Pardeep Khanna, Sagar Singh
(DySP), Ajay Kumar (DySP
Surankote), Mohd Rafi (DySP
DAR) and Rakesh Akram (SHO
PS Poonch ).
J&K Police emerges overall Shaheed Manjit Club wins volleyball title
champion in wrestling
With highest medal tally,
Jammu and Kashmir Police
bagged the overall championship
trophy in the two-day 20th Men
and VI Women State Wrestling
Championships, organised by
J&K Wrestling Association at
Indoor Complex, MA Stadium,
here today.
Overall second position went to
Jammu District. In the prize
distribution function, Minister for
Sports was invited as chief guest,
but he could not make it to the
venue due to unavoidable
circumstances.
The closing function was also
attended besides others by Rajesh
Gupta (MLA), Rangil Singh
(pesident JKOA), Ashwani
Sharma (former MLA), Dr
Ashutosh Sharma (secretary
JKOA), Pardeep Sharma,
Kuldeep Magotra, HS Gill, Chief
Sports Officer and Sports Officer
of the State Sports Council.
The Detailed Results: 50Kg:
Anil Choudhary, Ist; Anil Kumar,
2nd and Rahul Kumar, 3rd. 57 kg:
Lal Hussain, Ist; Pritam Singh,
2nd and Ajay Bharti, 3rd. 61Kg :
Lokesh Singh, Ist; Sukhvinder
Singh,2nd and Joginder Singh,
3rd. 65 kg: Munir Ahmad, Ist;
Vicky Sharma, 2nd and Bushan
Mehra, 3rd. 70 kg: Kasim Din,
Ist; Pawan Kumar, 2nd and
Pawan, 3rd. 74 kg: Rajesh
Kumar, Ist; Blawan Kumar, 2nd
and Sadiqui Ali, 3rd. 86 kg: Nisar
Ahmad, Ist; Bahadur Khan, 2nd
and Haman Hussain, 3rd. 97 kg:
Roshan Sharma, Ist; Mohd
Akram, 2nd and Ishan Sharma,
3rd. Open: Diler Khan, Ist; Ishaq
Ahmad, 2nd and Varun Sharma,
3rd.
Shaheed Manjeet Singh
Volleyball
Club
today
registered 3-1 win against Pinto
Club in the final to win the title
trophy in the Manjeet Singh
Memorial
Volleyball
Tournament, organized by
District Police Poonch at Sports
Stadium, here under Civic
Action Programme.
The winner team awarded
with a cash prize worth Rs
10,000 while Rs 5,000 cash
prize given away to the runners
up Pinto Club. The final was
officiated by the technical penal
led by Narinder Singh-(PEM).
Farhat Jahangir was declared
man of the match. In all, nine
teams of the district took part in
this two-day tournament.
In the final and valedictory
function, District Development
Commissioner, MH Malik was
chief guest, who gave away
winners and runners-up
trophies as also other individual
prizes. Officiating Brigadier of
93 Bridgage CO 12 JAT, Col K
Jaiswal and social activist, Taj
Mir were guests of honour.
Speaking to the gathering,
the DDC Poonch stressed upon
youth to take active part in
extracurricular
activities
besides studies and refrain from
bad activities as the youths are
the future of the nation besides
assured people that such events
would be organized in future
too. He said that J&K Police
will always help in promoting
sports and cultural activities
and sought the cooperation of
people in achieving the result.
In his address, SSP Pooonch,
Jatinder Singh Johar paid rich
tribute to the martyrs of J&K
PM launches new public grievances
redressal portal ‘PRAGATI’
Agencies
New Delhi, Mar 25
In an important step towards
making governance more
efficient and responsive by
making public grievances
redressal process more effective,
Prime Minister Narendra Modi,
Wednesday, launched a new
multi-purpose and multi-modal
platform ‘PRAGATI’.
A unique integrating and
interactive platform, PRAGATI
(Pro-Active Governance and
Timely Implementation) is aimed
at addressing common man’s
grievances, and simultaneously
monitoring and reviewing
important programmes and
projects of the government of
India as well as projects flagged
by state governments.
Pragati can be a game changer
in the government’s efforts to
bring e-transparency and eaccountability with real-time
presence and exchange among
the key stakeholders.
Speaking on the occasion, the
Prime Minister said the whole
world is now observing India
keenly. It is imperative that
governance in India becomes
more efficient and responsive. He
said the PRAGATI platform was
a step in this direction.
During the first PRAGATI
interaction today, the Prime
Minister discussed issues relating
to unseasonal rain and relief to
farmers, public grievances,
project implementation, Swachh
Bharat and ‘ease of doing
business.’ The interaction lasted
for two hours.
Among the issues discussed
were issues like clearance for
Navi Mumbai airport, progress of
school toilet programme, and
Swachh Bharat Abhiyan.
PM Modi gave suitable
directions for redressal of
grievances and compliance on the
projects and programmes and
motivated all officers to work in
coordinated manner for outcome;.
A built-in feature of PRAGATI
is that these directions will remain
in the system for further follow up
and review till the finality of the
matter.
PRAGATI is a three tier
(PMO, union government
secretaries and chief secretaries of
states) application. The Prime
Minister will interact with
bureaucrats on a monthly basis - it
will be held once in every month
on fourth Wednesday at 3.30 PMto be known as PRAGATI Day.
PRAGATI will also take into
consideration
various
correspondences to PM’s office
by the common people or from
high dignitaries of States and/or
developers of public projects;
The system has been designed
in-house by the PMO team with
the help of National Informatics
Center (NIC).
Navy surveillance aircraft crashes
off Goa coast; two missing
Agencies
Panji, Mar 25
An Indian Navy surveillance aircraft crashed
south-west off Goa coast with two officers,
including a woman, missing while one has been
rescued. The Dornier maritime surveillance
aircraft, which was on a routine training sortie, lost
contact with the Naval Air Station in Goa last night
at 22:08 hours.
“The aircraft is feared to have ditched soon
thereafter. The aircrew onboard the aircraft
comprised three officers (two Pilots and one
woman Observer),” the Navy said in a statement.
One survivor, Commander Nikhil Kuldip Joshi,
who was flying the aircraft and had 4,000 flying
hours to his credit, was rescued about an hour later
by a fishing vessel.
The crew used a toll-free helpline to contact the
Navy’s Maritime Operation Centre, which then
sent an aircraft to collect the injured officer and
move him to hospital Patanjali at Karwar.
He is reported to be stable though severely
injured.
Pak court again adjourns
Mumbai attack trial
Agencies
Islamabad, Mar 25
For the third consecutive time, a
Pakistani court today adjourned
the hearing in the trial of seven
men accused in the Mumbai
attack case till April 1, as the
record of the case is with the
Islamabad High Court in connection with the government’s plea
against granting bail to the
attack’s mastermind Zaki-ur
Rehman
Lakhvi.
“The
proceedings of the case could not
be held today after the ATC
Islamabad was informed that the
record of the case had been still
with the IHC in connection with
the government’s plea against
Lakhvi’s bail,” prosecution chief
Chaudhry Azhar told media after
the hearing. “We had requested
the court to ensure provision of
the record to the trial court in next
Wednesday’s hearing,” he said.
Over the past two months, at least
five hearings have been adjourned
without proceedings because of
this reason. The trial has been
underway in Pakistan since 2009.
The Islamabad High Court
(IHC) will take up government’s
plea for cancellation of bail to
LeT operations commander
Lakhvi tomorrow.
The Punjab government on
March 14 detained Lakhvi for 30
days under the Maintenance of
Agencies
New Delhi, Mar 25
The Indian Navy operates about 36 Dornier
aircraft for search and rescue, maritime
surveillance and other duties. This is the first loss of
a Dornier since it was inducted in the Indian Navy
in the early 90s. Eight Naval ships and four aircraft
were immediately deployed to search the area to
locate the remaining two officers.
Presently, there are 12 ships (including two ships
from Indian Coast Guard) and four aircraft
involved in the search and rescue operations.
Sources said the two missing officers are of
Lieutenant rank.
Crimes against women have risen since
2013 but efforts are on to curb them,
Union Minister of State for Home
Affairs Kiren Rijiju said here.
He felt that police should not take
refuge in the argument that more crimes
against women were being reported
because a large number of cases were
being registered in the country now
unlike before. Rather, police should
ensure that crime against women should
not take place, he said.
“Crime against women is on the rise
since 2013. Women’s safety is on the
top of government’s agenda. Efforts are
on to arrest crime against women,”
Rijiju said here yesterday during his
Offbeat
address at the valedictory function of
23rd All India Forensic Science
Congress. He also laid the foundation
stone of Central Forensic Science
Laboratory on the occasion.
The minister said it has been mad
ecompulsory for police to lodge the
complaint of a woman. Rijiju said
police have many challenges ahead as
the modus operandi of the crimes was
changing. Indian police machinery is
working with meagre facilities but the
government is undertaking all efforts to
modernise the police force, he said.
He said that forensic expansion
programme can address the issue of
high level of pendency of cases and
tackle crimes, especially against women
in a time bound manner.
Public Order, before he could be
released by Adiala Jail
Rawalpindi authorities on the
IHC’s order. On December 18, the
trial court granted bail to Lakhvi
but he was detained the very next
day under the MPO.
However, the IHC suspended
Lakhvi’s detention on “weak legal
ground.” Just before he was to be
released from Rawalpindi’s
Adiala Jail, Lakhvi was arrested
on charges of kidnapping an
Afghan national in 2009. He has
got bail in the kidnapping case.
Later, the government challenged
the HC’s order in the Supreme
Court, which suspended its
decision. The 55-year-old again
challenged his detention and got
relief from the court on March 13.
Lakhvi, believed to be a close
relative of LeT founder and
Jamat-Ud Dawa (JuD) chief Hafiz
Saeed, and six others -– Abdul
Wajid, Mazhar Iqbal, Hamad
Amin Sadiq, Shahid Jameel Riaz,
Jamil Ahmed and Younis Anjum
–- were charged with planning
and executing the Mumbai attack
in November 2008 that left 166
people dead.
Lakhvi is currently in detention
in Pakistan under a public security
order. He was detained early this
month before he could be released
from jail following a court
directive, which evoked a strong
protest from India.
Resistance to CDS post was
within Army, IAF, Navy: Tharoor
Former Union Minister Shashi
Tharoor today said “resistance”
within the three Services — Army,
Navy and Air Force — was the
reason behind erstwhile UPA
Government’s rejection of the idea
of having a Chief of Defence Staff
(CDS). The senior Congress leader
made the remarks on the occasion
of the fourth K Subrahmanyam
Memorial Lecture that was
delivered by Lt Gen (Retd)
Shamsher Singh Mehta here.
“As indeed the idea of an
integrated defence chief is
apparently being given thought by
Crimes against women have shot
up after 2013: Kiren Rijiju
Bhopal, Mar 25
the present Government. It was
turned down by the previous one
principally because of resistance
within the uniformed services.
“My understanding is that
resistance may have much more to
do with military ego and protocol
issues amongst the chiefs than may
be intellectual rejection of the value
of an integrated command,”
Tharoor said. His comments came
days after Defence Minister
Manohar Parrikar said integration
of the three Services “is a must”
and that he is working out a
mechanism for the creation of a
post of CDS with a fixed tenure that
he will recommend in the next “2-3
months”.
Vajpayee to be conferred
Bharat Ratna on Mar 27
Agencies
“Women should feel secure in the New Delhi, Mar 25
society. This should be the prime
concern of the society,” Rijiju said while
speaking at the two-day conference
themed ‘Role of Forensic Science in
countering crime against women’ at the
programme. He also announced the
institution of Union Home Minister’s
Award for Forensic Sciences on the
occasion. The awards would include
Life Time Achievement Award carrying
cash prize of Rs 1 lakh with medal and
citation, R&D Award (three awards for
Rs 50,000 each) and Young Scientist
Award with cash prize of Rs 10,000.
Around 300 forensic science experts
participated in the conference organised
by DFSS, Union Ministry of Home
Affairs.
Former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, a
veteran Parliamentarian and founder member of
BJP who is held in high esteem across the political
spectrum, will be conferred Bharat Ratna, the
country’s highest civilian award, on March 27.
President Pranab Mukherjee and Prime Minister
Narendra Modi will be among a host of VVIPs who
are likely to be present at the Krishna Memon marg
residence of Vajpayee in Lutyens’ Delhi where he
will be honoured. The announcement for the
prestigious award for Vajpayee, the first Prime
Minister from outside the Congress party to serve a
full five-year term, came on December 24, a day
before he turned 90. Vajpayee, who was Prime
Minister from 1998 to 2004, and has faded from
public life due to age-related illness, is lauded as a
statesman and has been often described as the
moderate face of BJP.
Experts: Fla. firm's medical pot loophole claims a pipe dream
Jacksonville, Fla., March 25 : A Florida
law firm's argument that a legal loophole
already allows for medical marijuana in
the state is being criticized as misleading
by advocates. Health Law Services, based
in Jacksonville, has been advising clients
that doctors can prescribe illegal drugs
including marijuana if they determine
them to be the only practical medication
for the patient.
"It is clear that our Florida statute
allows for the lawful possession of
cannabis if somebody is in the possession
of a prescription," Christopher Ralph,
legal administrator at Health Law
Services, told the Orlando Sentinel.
The firm argues Florida Statute 456.41,
which outlines prescription rules, makes
it unnecessary for a change to the state's
law or a constitutional amendment to
allow for medical marijuana. "It is the
intent of the Legislature that citizens be
able to make informed choices for any
type of health care they deem to be an
effective option for treating human
disease, pain, injury, deformity, or other
physical or mental condition," the statute
states. The firm charges clients $799 to be
seen by doctors who will determine
whether they receive a medical marijuana
prescription and lawyers then provide a
letter certifying the prescription and
warning law enforcement officers not to
violate the client's rights. However, some
Health Law Services clients have been
arrested on marijuana charges and
medical marijuana advocates say the firm
is giving bad advice.
"They are misleading clients and the
public into believing that citizens have a
right to use marijuana medicinally, when
all they have is the right to assert that as a
legal defense in court of law after they
have been arrested and prosecuted," said
Norm Kent, a Fort Lauderdale criminal
defense lawyer and former president of
advocacy group National Organization
for the Reform of Marijuana Laws.
"They are charging people $800 for
medical ID cards that are worthless," he
said. Health Law Services is representing
Scott and Marsha Yandell, both 45, St.
Johns County residents who were found
in possession of about 40 marijuana
plants in February. The couple, who have
certification letters from the firm, are
facing four felony charges, including
marijuana trafficking.
"If there was a law that allowed for
medical marijuana, I guess everybody in
the state has missed it," St. Johns County
Sheriff David B. Shoar said during a
Monday news conference. "And two,
they weren't trying to just produce
medical marijuana. This was an industrial
grow house." Jacksonville attorney Mitch
Stone said he is skeptical of the Health
Law Services approach.
"It's a good creative lawyer, I'll give
them that. What would definitely create
an issue, where the rubber meets the road
in any type of situation like this, is how
the courts are going to interpret what their
interpretation is," he told WJXT-TV.
Toppled tree crushes moving Mercedes, Elephants hold up tipping
'very lucky' driver survives
tractor-trailer in Louisiana
BEVERLY HILLS, March 25
Firefighters in Beverly Hills, Calif., said they had
to cut the roof off a Mercedes Benz after a massive
pine tree crushed the car while it was in motion.
Authorities said strong winds in the area toppled
the tree about 8:30 p.m. Tuesday and it landed on
the moving Mercedes Benz on Lexington Road
The NORTHLINES
12 JAMMU | THURSDAY | MARCH 26 | 2015
and Benedict Canyon Drive.
Firefighters said they had to cut the roof from
the vehicle to free the driver, who was consc-ious
and talking to firefighters during the rescue. The
man was transported to a local hospital in
unknown condition. "Anytime you have an
accident like this and can walk away from it, so to
speak, very lucky driver," Dave Grate, Beverly
Hills fire battalion chief, told KABC-TV.
Witness Daniel Broukhim told KCBS-TV it
"sounds like a miracle" that the man survived the
incident. "I heard that my neighbor said that he
talked to the guy who did pull him out from the car
and I'm not even sure how they did that when you
look at the location of the tree on top of the car, it
must have been pretty difficult or pretty scary,"
Broukhim said.
Powhatan, March 25 : Louisia- a ditch, but was being kept
na deputies responding to a
report of a stranded tractor-trailer
said they were "astounded" to
find two elephants keeping the
vehicle from overturning.
The Natchitoches Parish
Sheriff's Office said deputies
responded about 7:03 a.m.
Tuesday to a report of a stranded
tractor-trailer on Interstate 49,
near Powhatan, and they arrived
to find the truck had pulled onto
the soft shoulder and ended up
getting stuck.
The truck was leaning toward
upright by two of its passengers - elephants from the Shrine
Circus. "When deputies arrived
on scene, they were astounded to
find two elephants keeping the
eighteen
wheeler
from
overturning," the sheriff's office
said in a news release.
The truck was carrying three
circus elephants from New
Orleans, where they performed
during the weekend, to Frisco,
Texas, where they are scheduled
to perform Wednesday through
Saturday.
Funny Photo
54 militants killed in military
operation Pak’s restive NW
Agencies
Peshawar, Mar 25
At least 54 suspected militants
belonging to a pro-Taliban outfit,
including its spokesman, were
today killed when Pakistani
fighter jets pounded their hideouts
and troops clashed with the
insurgents in the volatile northwest tribal region near the Afghan
border. At least 30 militants were
killed and two ammunition depots
were destroyed in the aerial strikes
that were carried out in remote
Tirah Valley of Khyber Agency
where militants of Lashkar-i-
Islam have strongholds, Pakistan
Army said in a statement. The
dead also included some foreign
ultras in the airstrikes in the area
where a major military campaign
is underway. ‘
There were unconfirmed
reports that Lashkar-i-Islam
spokesman Salahuddin Ayubi,
was among the dead. The outfit
announced an allegiance to the
Taliban earlier this month.
The toll could not be verified
through independent sources as
the region is out of reach of media.
Security forces source said jets
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
bombed militants’ compounds in
the valley and destroyed several
hideouts. Six militants were also
injured in the latest bombings.
At least eight suspected
militants were killed in a separate
military operation in Orakzai
tribal region, the Dawn reported.
Security forces targeted the
militants after an IED blast in
Sabak area of Orakzai.In a yet
separate raid, at least 16 militants
including a commander were
killed in clashes with the security
forces in Shabak area of Lower
Kurram Agency, sources said.
A new research revealed that the
stars are able to generate sound
R
esearchers, including a University of
York scientist, made a chance discovery
when they were studying plasma. They
presented evidence showing that the stars might
make a sound. The study was published in
Physical Review Letters. After shooting highintensity lasers at plasma, researchers noticed
the production of a sound wave. Plasma flowed
rapidly from areas of high density to more
stagnant regions of low density, in such a way
that it created something like a traffic jam.
“Plasma piled up at the interface between the
high and low density regions, generating a
series of pressure pulses: a sound wave,”
according to a statement.
The sound generated was at a high frequency
that it would have left even bats and dolphins
struggling. The sound had a frequency of nearly
a trillion hertz. It was six million times higher
than that which can be heard by any mammal.
A team of scientists included Dr. John Pasley
of the York Plasma Institute in the Department
of Physics at York. Dr. Pasley worked with
scientists from the Tata Institute of Fundamental
Research in Mumbai, India, and the Science and
Technology Facilities Council’s Central Laser
Facility in Oxfordshire.
“One of the few locations in nature where we
believe this effect would occur is at the surface
of stars. When they are accumulating new
material stars could generate sound in a very
similar manner to that which we observed in the
laboratory – so the stars might be singing – but,
since sound cannot propagate through the
vacuum of space, no-one can hear them,” said
Dr. Pasley. A numerical model was developed
by Dr. Alex Robinson from the Plasma Physics
Group at STFC’s Central Laser Facility to
produce acoustic waves for the experiment.
“It was initially hard to determine the origin
of the acoustic signals, but our model produced
results that compared favorably with the
wavelength shifts observed in the experiment.
This showed that we had discovered a new way
of generating sound from fluid flows. Similar
situations could occur in plasma flowing around
stars,” Dr. Alex said. This research project was
funded by the Engineering and Physical
Sciences Research Council and the Tata
Institute of Fundamental Research.
NASA's Curiosity rover finds lifesupporting nitrogen on Mars
WASHINGTON:
NASA's
Curiosity rover found nitrogen
on Mars' surface from release
during heating of Martian
sediments, by using the Sample
Analysis at Mars (SAM)
instrument.
The nitrogen was detected in
the form of nitric oxide, and
could be released from the
breakdown of nitrates during
heating. Nitrates are a class of
molecules that contain nitrogen
in a form that can be used by
living organisms. The
discovery adds to the evidence
that ancient Mars was habitable
for life.
Nitrogen has been essential
for all known forms of life,
since it's used in the building
blocks of larger molecules like
DNA and RNA, whichencode
the genetic instructions for life,
and proteins, which are used to
build structures like hair and
nails, and to speed up or
regulate chemical reactions.
There was no evidence to
suggest that the fixed nitrogen
molecules found by the team
were created by life. The
surface of Mars is inhospitable
for known forms of life.
Instead, the team thinks the
nitrates are ancient, and likely
came from non-biological
processes like meteorite
impacts and lightning in Mars'
distant past.
Features resembling dry
riverbeds and the discovery of
minerals that form only in the
presence of liquid water
suggested that Mars was more
hospitable in the remote past.
The Curiosity team has
found evidence that other
ingredients needed for life,
such as liquid water and
organic matter, were present on
Mars at the Curiosity site in
Gale Crater billions of years
ago.

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