Jai Mata Di
SATURDAY
30 May
2015
Jammu-India
Change is the law of life. And those
who look only to the past or present are
certain to miss the future.
Pages:12 ` 3.00
- John F. Kennedy
Regd No:JK517/13-15
RNI No:- JKENG/2013/53265
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Saka: 09 Jyaistha 1936-37
WORLD
Bikrami: 16 Jeth 2071
P-8
NATIONAL
Five more
victims’ remains found
at Nepal
crash site of
US helicopter
P-7
US remove Cuba
from terror blacklist
Washington: The United States
removed Cuba from its blacklist as a
state sponsor of terrorism on Friday,
in a landmark move aimed at paving
the way towards normalizing ties
frozen for half a century. The decision
means Cuba will now have better
access to US banking facilities and
American aid, and a ban on arms
exports and sales is also lifted. It also
wipes out an international stigma
which Havana -- on the blacklist since
1982 -- has long contended was
groundless and unfair. US President
Barack Obama had notified Congress
earlier this year that he intended to
remove Havana from the list, giving
lawmakers 45 days to object, which
elapsed Friday.
Five aftershocks
jolt Nepal
Kathmandu: Nepal was on
Friday rocked by five aftershocks,
including one measuring 5.2 on the
Richter scale, following last month’s
devastating earthquake that claimed
nearly 9,000 lives. A moderate
5.2-magnitude tremor struck Nepal
at 3.44 pm with epicenter at Dhading
district. A 4-magnitude tremor was
recorded at 8.30 am with its epicentre
located in Gorkha district, according to the National Seismological
Centre in Kathmandu. Two other 4.2
magnitude tremors were recorded
at 12.37 am and 5.20 am with
epicentres at Dolakha and Dhading
districts. A 4.8-magnitude tremor was
recorded at 12.30 pm with epicentre
at Gorkha-Dhading, the NSC said.
So far, 290 aftershocks of 4 or above
magnitude have been recorded since
the April 25 earthquake.
Aadhar not compulsory
for voting: EC
New Delhi: The Election Commission of India on Friday said it has
made it clear that Aadhaar number
is not mandatory for exercising the
right to cast votes. In order to avoid
confusion among electors and the
electoral machinery, the poll panel
has issued necessary instructions to
the chief electoral officers of states
and union territories specifying that
furnishing of Aadhaar number by
electors is not mandatory and is only
optional, an official release said here.
“It has been made amply clear that no
electoral service will be denied to any
elector on ground of non-furnishing of
Aadhaar number,” the release said.
Militants attack
Army bunker
Srinagar: Suspected militants
on Friday evening attacked an army
bunker after they fired two rifle
grenades towards it in Sopore in north
Kashmir’s Baramulla district. A police
official said that two rifle grenades
were fired towards a bunker of army’s
22 RR at Gangoo House in the town.
However, the grenades were reportedly
missed the intended target and were
exploded outside the bunker with big
bang, though no army personnel got
injured. Soon after the grenade blast,
panic gripped the area. A heavy posse
of army, police and Central Reserve
Police Force (CRPF) immediately
launched cordon and search operations, however no one was arrested.
e-mail: [email protected]
SCIENCE&TECHNOLOGY
P-3
P-11 YOUTH
P-10
Boeing is
NASA’s
first
pick for
manned
ISS flights
Sukhnandan inaugurates
ChanniMansar
WSS
Lallu
lifts
Sarna
Kesari
dangal
title
No plans for talks with
Slash rate of interest on loans for separatists: Rajnath
developmental activities: Drabu
AGENCIES, MAY 29|15
EARTH NEWS SERVICE
Srinagar, May 29|15: The
Minister of Finance, Dr Haseeb
A Drabu Friday said that there
was a need to move away from
asset based or financial statement based lending and called
for putting in place a mechanism by which banks can lower
the rate of interest on the loans
taken for developmental activities in the State so that the pace
of development of state can be
accelerated.
Further, calling for the need
of providing incentives for promotion of entrepreneurial spirit
and revival of the flood ravaged
economy of the State, Drabu
said that such efforts would
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27%
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8°C
21°C
25°C
91%
44%
39%
13°C
75%
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0%
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20km
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give an impetus to the economy
of the State. The Minister was
speaking at an interactive programme organized for the Governor of Reserve Bank of India,
Dr. Raghuram Rajan.
Chief
Secretary,
Iqbal
Khandey, Financial Commissioner, Industries and Commerce, Khurshid Ahmed Ganai,
Principal Secretary to Chief
Minister, B. B. Vyas and Administrative Secretaries of different departments were also pre-
sent. Dr. Drabu while pitching
for declaring all the lending in
J&K as priority sector lending
for one year said that financial
debt relief in the form of waivers/write offs should qualify as
CSR expenditure. He further
added that Ministry of Finance
be requested to subsidize rate
of interest on all rehabilitation
and reconstruction lending of
Commercial Banks.
“Specific relief package be
given for existing KCC barrows,
one time waiver of Rs. One lakh
would benefit 8 lakh farmer family and all farm lending be converted into KCC lending, same
to be done for ACC lending”
  Contd on Page 2

Shri Amarnathji Yatra-2015
New Delhi: The Central Government has no plans “as of
now” to hold talks with separatist groups of Jammu and Kashmir, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh said today. “There
is no proposal to hold talks as
of now,” was a blunt reply from
Singh at a press conference here
in response to a question whether the Centre would be holding
talks with Kashmiri separatist
groups as was done during the
tenure of Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
The NDA-I had engaged with
Hurriyat leaders led by Mirwaiz
Umer Farooq as well as with
Yaseen Malik and Shabir Shah.
The process was carried forward in UPA-I by the then Prime
Minister Manmohan Singh but
it got scuttled after the Centre
had asked Hurriyat Conference
to bring a road-map on paper for
finding a solution to Kashmir issue.
The ‘Agenda for Alliance’,
which guides the PDP-BJP Government of J&K, had said that
following the principle of earlier
NDA Government, the coalition
Government will facilitate
  Contd on Page 2

After Sopore, warning posters appear in Kupwara
Governor to undertake aerial Militants threaten telecommunication
inspection of entire Yatra route
people to shut operation
EARTH NEWS SERVICE
Srinagar, May 29|15:
Governor N N Vohra, along with
CEO of Shri Amarnath Shrine
Board (SASB), undertake an
aerial inspection of the entire
Yatra track on 1st June and held
meetings at Baltal and Nunwan
Base Camps the same day to review all important matters relating to the forthcoming Yatra.
Vohra, who is also the Chairman of Shri Amarnathji Shrine
Board, Friday held a meeting at
Raj Bhavan, to review arrangements for the 59-day Shri Amarnathji Yatra which is scheduled
to commence on 2nd July 2015.
P.K. Tripathi, Chief Executive
Officer, Jitendra Kumar Singh,
Additional Chief Executive
Officer and R.K. Pandita, GM
(Works) of the Board attended
the meeting among other concerned officers.
The Governor reviewed the
to-date position of the various
ongoing arrangements for the
Yatra including the registration of Yatris; provision of heli
services in the Yatra area; grant
of tent and shop permissions;
arrangements for cleaning of
Camps; track cleaning; garbage
collection and disposal; provision of Insurance cover to the
registered Yatris, Service Providers and ponies; grant of per-
mission to NGOs for setting up
of Langars in the Yatra area;
appointment and deployment
of Camp Directors; provision of
Telecom services in the Yatra
area; status of snow accumulation on the tracks; to-date track
condition and the steps being
taken to repair and clear them;
installation of toilets and baths
in the Yatra Camps and enroute
etc.
The Governor directed CEO to
urgently review and ensure time
bound action on all the Yatra related arrangements which are to
be made by the Divisional, District level authorities, the
  Contd on Page 2

EARTH NEWS SERVICE
Srinagar, May 29|15: Pur-
ported Lashkar-e-Islam posters asking people dealing with
telecommunication business to
shut their operation forthwith
surfaced in other parts of Kashmir Valley on Friday.
“By this poster, we give first
and last warning to the telecommunication people bring
down towers, close all service
networking, marketing, SIM or
lopo distribution or recharge
business,” reads the posters
which surfaced in Drugmulla
area of Kupwara district. The
outfit has claimed the communication system has resulted
into damages with many of its
commanders either killed or arrested by forces.
The posters asked people associated with telecommunication companies to wind up their
business or “they would be
killed”. The warning has also
been issued to the people having
mobile towers on their property
and the group has threatened
them with death if they don’t
stop operations of these towers.
Similar threatening posters
also surfaced in Khanmoh and
Khrew areas of south Kashmir’s
Pulwama district warning the
telecommunication to shut the
business immediately. A senior
Third rifle snatching incident in a week
Parikkar adds a
new twist to AFSPA Gunman decamp
with service rifle
SANT KUMAR SHARMA
The Defence Minister, Mr Manohar Parikkar, is known
for his frugal ways, quick decisions and
straight talk. On an issue, rather any issue
for that matter, he does not obfuscate like
most politicians do. He expresses his views
with lucidity and clarity that is very rare
in his tribe, politicians.
The views expressed by a politician can
be interpreted one way or exactly the opposite way. Not so with Mr Parikkar as
he speaks with a rare candour. If he says
that he s not doing something, you better
believe it. For he will not do it and means
nothing else, and says exactly what he
means.
What he said about Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) and its possible
removal from the state, or some parts, is
something that everyone will need to take
Jammu, May 29 |15:
note of. He has said clearly that if the Army
will operate in the state, it will always have
the protective umbrella of the Act.
It effectively means that AFSPA is not going to be removed in the near future or as
long as the Army continues to operate in
the state. Parikkar has added a new dimension to the debate on the Act by declaring
that the Army is not meant for internal security duty.
What Mr Parikkar has meant is that the
Army comes to the aid of the civilian government only when it is asked to. If the
civilian government can handle the situation on its own, the Army just stays in the
barracks or on the borders which is its
mandate.
Beyond that, Mr Parikkar has also declared that it is for the Union Ministry of
Home Affairs (MHA) to decide whether
  Contd on Page 2

EARTH NEWS SERVICE
Srinagar, May 29|15: In yet
another rifle snatching incident
in South Kashmir, pistol borne
suspected militants shot at a cop
and then decamped with his service rifle on Friday.
According to eye-witnesses
police head constable Sartaj
Ahmed, a resident of Kulgam
posted on guard duty at Jammu
Kashmir Bank branch Kachdoora Shopian was taken unaware when a suspected pistol
borne militant pounced upon
him. “The cop showed some
resistance and tried to stop the
militant from snatching away
his service rifle, however, the
militant fired a single bullet that
hit his arm. As the constable fell
down, the militant decamped
with his rifle,” they said.
Superintendent of Police Shopian, Altaf Ahmed Khan said that
the militants were three in number. “One of the militants targeted the cop at a point blank range
and the other one took away his
rifle. These militants fired some
shots in air while fleeing from
the spot,” he said.
“The injured cop who has been
shifted to District Hospital Shopian is out of danger. Soon after
the incident police, Army, CRPF
and SOG personnel rushed to
spot and conducted search
  Contd on Page 2
police official confirmed that the
appearance of posters in these
areas. He said investigations
have been launched and “soon
the elements involved in giving
threats or killings of those belonged to the telecom sector will
be behind bars.”
The posters had first surfaced
in Sopore and Baramulla, purportedly asking cellphone services providers to wind up their
operations. However, Hizb-ulMujahideen had announced
through posters that there was
no militant organisation by
name of Lashkar-e-Islam. Given
the threats and spate of attacks,
  Contd on Page 2

The Earth News
staffer bereaved
Rajinder Singh, elder brother of The
Earth News Senior Correspondent Th
Surinder Singh passed away today after a
Diabetic attack, he was 56. Rajinder Singh is survived by his wife Palbinder Devi
and three sons Zorawar Singh, Karan
Dev Singh, Devinder Singh and daughter
Sheweta Singh. The cremation was held
this afternoon at Shakti Nagar cremation
ground wherein large number of people
paid last respects to the departed soul.
The deceased was serving in State Road
Transport Corporation (SRTC).
A condolence meeting was held by the
staff of The Earth News under the chairmanship of Shivang Satya Gupta, Editor
in Chief, in which two minutes silence
was observed in respect of the departed
soul. The staff prayed for the peace to
the soul and courage to the bereaved
family to bear the irreparable loss.

Jhajhar Kotli: Picnickers first choice needs an immediate revamp
Shivang Satya Gupta
Editor-in-Chief
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www.earthnews.in
STATE
P-5
Bukhari
inaugurates
Tengpona
Bridge, lays
foundation of
two bridges
IIT controversy: Smriti
Irani openly
challenges Rahul
Gandhi to debate
on education
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KASHMIR
Volume: 2 Issue: 259 
RBI Guv for strengthening Agri Infrastructure to boost local economy
GLEANINGS
0%
Sha’aban : 11 1436 AH
J
hajhar Kotli, the first
and the natural choice
for the picnickers of
Jammu has been lost
somewhere and seems to have
been abandoned by the people
at the helm of affairs little caring that this was a place where
every Jammuite would think of
whenever he or she wanted to
have some relaxing moments.
While the neglect started
much earlier the new four lane
national highway dealt the final
death blow to this hugely popular picnic spots by putting it
under the carper literally as the
road just zooms over the spot
without a trace of any picnic
spot in the vicinity.
The tourism department has
already damaged the spot by
closing the only JKTDC run
cafeteria and stopping the maintenance of the adjoining parks.
The four lane road that is now
over the sky through newly
built flyover has left the place in
utter neglect with a few eateries
also abandoning the area.
Talk to any Jammuite young
or old, vivid memories of the
picnics to the place either
through school, college or individual come to their minds with
everybody cursing the authorities for ruining one of the best
picnic spots of the Jammu city.
However due to gross neglect
by the tourism and local
authorities the best picnic spot
of Jammu has been spoiled and
now it has been turned into a
j&k: a dream destination
hub of drunkards, gamblers
and anti-social activities with
people hardly visiting the place
due to absence of eateries, facilities and worst condition of the
road particularly leading to the
river below.
The spot in its hay days used
to be picnickers paradise with
hordes of people visiting the
place during summers to beat
the heat and relax in the serene
environs.
The place needs immediate
attention of the new government particularly tourism
department which can revamp
it to make it a popular tourist
spot of national level as now it
can be developed exclusively
with no unnecessary rush of the
vehicles.
The spot needs the entire
infrastructure a fresh besides
maintenance as well as good
approach roads and effective policing with proper sign boards
at the top on four lane road for
the coming tourists to Kashmir.
The spot can be a picnickers’
paradise if developed properly
and included into the package
tour along with other places of
tourists interest in Jammu.
Jhajjar Kotli thus personifies
a perfect place for a serene and
relaxed vacation experience
and is apt for those looking for
an escape from a rushed and
hectic scheduled lifestyle. This
is an apt spot to experience a
stress-free and tension-free life
amidst a tranquil environ surrounded by a green belt of forest
lands and water bodies to spend
that much needed relaxing
weekend getaway.
Jhajjar Kotli is one of the rare
calm and quiet tourist sites
in Jammu that provides any
visitor with a great scope to
peacefully enjoy an unforgettable company amidst the lap
of pristine natural beauty and
sheer delight.
Situated about 35 Kms on the
National Highway (now below
the flyover) leading towards
Srinagar in Kashmir, this small
Tourist Site was constructed on
the riverbanks
  Contd on Page 2
