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2. government

P7 | NATION
New Media ensuring
the emergence of new
politics in India
NPSU protests in favour People stage protest
against PDD
of JPTA
Climate change poses
serious threat similar
to terrorism: PM
P5 | KATHUA
P3 | CITY INFO
P6 | OPINION
theNORTHLINES
The Newspaper of Substance
Vol No: XX Issue No. 65 Jammu Tawi Thu, Mar. 12, 2015 Pages - 12 Price ‘2/- www.thenorthlines.com, www.epaper.northlines.in Regd. No. JK/306/2014-16
Kejriwal accused of
Pak violates
''horse-trading''
ceasefire along
New Delhi: Besieged by
Alam's release not discussed
in J&K cabinet meeting
infighting, the AAP was hit
by twin blows with a former
party MLA accusing Delhi
CM Kejriwal of trying to
poach 6 Congress MLAs to NL Correspondent
form government last year Jammu Tawi | Mar | 11:
Parrikar urged
to stop use of
'outdated'
choppers
The elease of separatist leader
Masarat Alam did not figure in
the first cabinet meeting of the
PDP-BJP coalition Jammu and
Kashmir Government today,
despite BJP saying earlier that it
New Delhi: An Army
would raise the issue in the
officer''s wife, representing meeting.
a group of 28 women, today
The cabinet meeting, chaired
met Defence Minister
by Chief Minister Mufti
Manohar Parrikar here
Mohmmad Sayeed, discussed
urging him to stop the use
only the Governor's address to
of "outdated" Cheetah and joint session of Legislature at
Chetak helicopters, which
Civil Secretariat.
has claimed a number of
"Only Governor's address
lives.
was discussed in the cabinet
meeting. It passed in conducive
and peaceful atmosphere," a
Mere RS
censure is no
punishment,
says Katju
New Delhi: Unfazed by the
unanimous condemnation in
the Rajya Sabha of his
remarks on Mahatma
Gandhi and Netaji Subhash
Chandra Bose, former
Supreme Court judge Justice
Markandey Katju today said
"mere censure" was not
enough and that he should
be punished-"hanged
without trial".
Will take action
if ineligible
beneficiaries in
EWS allotments
Gurgaon: Govt Chandigarh,
Mar 11 (PTI) The Haryana
government today said that
it will take appropriate
action if allotment of EWS
flats/plots is found to have
been made to ineligible
beneficiaries in Gurgaon
district during the past
fifteen years.
Bodies of two
villagers who
were abducted
by Maoists found
Raipur: Two villagers,
including a newly elected
village sarpanch, who had
been abducted by Maoists,
were today found killed in
Chhattisgarh''s worst
insurgency-hit Sukma
district, police said.
Public Records
Act is being
revised: Govt
New Delhi: In a bid to
address the issues related to
digitisation of records, the
Government is revising the
Public Records Act which
deals with preservation of
public records of the Centre
and Union Territories.
Women urge
Parrikar to stop
use of 'outdated'
choppers
New Delhi: A group of
women comprising wives of
Army officers today met
Defence Minister Manohar
Parrikar here urging him to
stop the use of "outdated"
Cheetah and Chetak
helicopters, which has
claimed a number of lives.
senior officer in the Chief
Minister's Office said.
"The Masarat issue or the
release of the political prisoners
was not discussed at all in the
meeting," BJP Minister in the
Government Chander Prakash
Ganga said.
"We only wanted more issues
to the included in the
Governor's address. In the next
meeting, after the inclusion of
some more items, it will be
passed by cabinet," he said.
Pertinent to mention that
Jammu and Kashmir Deputy
Chief Minister Nirmal Singh on
Wednesday had assured that all
contesting issues will be
thoroughly discussed in today's
cabinet meeting.
Issue of Musrat Alam's
release re-surfaces
in Lok Sabha
Agencies
New Delhi | Mar | 11 :
The issue of controversial release
of Hurriyat hardliner Musarat
Alam Bhat from a Jammu and
Kashmir jail again figured in the
Lok Sabha today with some
Members giving Adjournment
Notice for susp-ension of Question Hour so that immediate
discussion could be taken up on
the latest updates over the issue.
Some Members, including
Jyotiraditya Scindia(Congress)
and P Venugopal(AIADMK),
rose to press on their demand of
suspension of Question Hour.
Speaker Sumitra Mahajan
said,"I
have
received
adjournment notices from
Members for discussion on new
facts that have come to
light over the release of
Musarat Alam, irregularities in
PDS disbursement and other
issues. "Since discussion had
already been held in the House
over the issues earlier too, it is not
imperative to suspend Question
Hour and take imm-ediate
discussion
over
them."
However, Ms Mahajan said,
Members would be allowed to
make their point later in the Zero
Hour. Moving adjournment
notices by Opposition evoked
protest from the Treasury
benches, with Parliamentary
Affair Minister M Venkaiah
Naidu taking exception to this
'habit' of Opposition Members.
"Any Member can give notice
and if the Chair allows, they can
make their point in the House,
however, the Opposition
Members have these days made it
a practice to serve notice every
day and disrupt the Question
Hour, this is not the spirit," the
Minister said. Opposition
Members including Mr Scindia,
Mr Venugopal and Jay Prakash
"All the issues will be
discussed in the cabinet
meeting," Singh told reporters
responding to a question posed
to him over the release of
separatist leader Masarat Alam
and the rest of the militants
whose release is under review
of the government.
Minister for Revenue and
senior PDP leader Javed
Mustaffa Mir, while replying to
a question about the rift
between PDP and Bhartiya
Janta Party (BJP) coalition
government, said "We are
coalition partners and are open
to discussion -- there is no thick
line". Alam was released on
court orders and there is no big
issue about it, he said.
WEATHER
JAMMU
SRINAGAR
High | Low
High | Low
27°C | 10°C
11°C | 1°C
JammuTawi, Mar 11
Pakistani troops violated the
ceasefire by resorting to
firing along the Indo-Pak
border in Samba district of
Jammu and Kashmir, a
Border Security Force
(BSF) officer said today.
Pakistan Rangers fired
two rounds on a STOP-2
post of Border Security
Force (BSF) along the
International Border (IB) in
Ramgarh sector yesterday.
BSFBorder Security
Force (BSF) did not
retaliate and there was no
loss of life or injury to any
one in the firing by Pakistan
Rangers, the BSFofficer
said.
NL Correspondent
Jammu Tawi, Mar. 11:
A woman doctor has alleged
that a Jammu and Kashmir
minister misbehaved with her
for not wearing an apron during
an official function and filed a
complaint, which was rejected
by police.
"I was shocked by use of
harsh words and misbehaviour
with me in full public view by
none other than Lal Singh, the
Minister for Health (at function
here).
This has left me mentally
harassed and wrecked,"
NL Correspondent/KIP
JammuTawi | Mar. 11
The PDP seems to have put on
added
political
weight
following Chief Minister, Mufti
Mohd. Sayeed's order to set free
senior separatist leader, Masarat
Alam, who had been
languishing in Jail for the last
over four years on charge of
having incited people to resort
to violence in which 120 people
were killed in clashes between
the demonstrators and the
security forces in the summer of
2010.
Though Mufti Mohd. Sayeed
had simply implemented the
court order he has succeeded in
further strengthening his vote
bank in the Kashmir valley. In
fact when the PDP had forged
an alliance with the BJP for
sharing power in Jammu and
Kashmir the party led by
Mehbooba Mufti had started
witnessing rapid erosion in its
vote bank in the Kashmir valley
as majority of people were not
happy with the Mufti for having
joined hands with a communal
organization.
And even the BJP had started
witnessing weakening of its
vote bank in the region of
Jammu as pro-BJP voters had
not relished the party to have
joined hands with a Kashmir
centric party that had kicked up
a row over transfer to land to the
Amarnath Shrine Board in 2007
which had resulted in the fall of
the Ghulam Nabi Azad headed
Government.
Field reports said that after
the BJP, both at the state level
and at the national level, voiced
deep resentment and anger over
Mufti Mohd. Sayeed's issuing
an order for release of Masarat
Alam the Sangh Parivaar has
started making up for the
erosion in its vote bank. ProBJP people in the region of
Jammu believe that if pushed to
wall the BJP could react and
review its power sharing
decision and this has helped the
BJP to safeguard its political
interests.
However, the PDP seems to
have earned support from
people in the Kashmir valley for
the way he stood to his stand
even if the order for the release
of Masarat Alam had been
cleared in February when the
state was under the Governor's
rule. But people and those
supporting separatists feel
proud of Mufti Mohd Sayeed
for having refused to concede
the central Government's
demand for re-arresting Masarat
Alam. But at the same time the
centre has succeeded in
ensuring that no militants or
separatist was released now
onwards.(KIP)
COAL SCAM CASE
Central sends team to prepare Ex-PM
Manmohan
dossier on Masrat Alam summoned as accused
Contd... on P2....
JK Govt submits
detailed report
NL Correspondent
Jammu Tawi | Mar | 11 :
A two-member team deputed by the Union Home
Ministry arrived today to prepare dossier on
hardline separatist Masrat Alam.
Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh had sent
the team to get a dossier from Jammu and
Kashmir Home Commissioner Suresh Kumar and
DGP K Rajendra Kumar about the release of
Alam from jail, sources here told.
They said the team, including a senior Union
Home Ministry officer, arrived in the morning
and started preparing dossier by collecting all
documents from the state government. "He will
also pinpoint the failure of officers to get PSA
approval from the Home Department and
subsequent release of Masarat Alam on March 7,"
the sources added. They said the team is likely
to meet Chief Minister Mufti Mohammed Sayeed
in the afternoon.
Meanwhile, the State Government today sent a
detailed report to the Centre on the controversial
release of separatist leader Masarat Alam, a day
after BJP sent a stern message to its alliance
partner PDP. "Yes, we have sent a detailed report
to MHA (with clarification)," a senior officer of
State Home department said here tonight.
State government sources told agencies in
winter capital Jammu that the ministry had
expressed dissatisfaction over the earlier report
sent to it by the state home department on Alam's
Contd... on P2....
One way traffic to continue on
Jammu-Srinagar highway
NL Correspondent
Srinagar | Mar | 11:
Only one-way traffic will continue on
the national highway, connecting the
Kashmir valley with the rest of the
country and down convoy will play
today from Srinagar to Jammu.
Registrar, Psychiatry Diseases
Hospital, Jammu Dr Gurmeet
Kour said in her complaint
against the Bhartiya Janta Party
(BJP) minister at police station
Bakshi Nagar today.
"This amounts to outraging
the modesty of a lady medical
officer in full public view,
consequently leading to
defamation in public," she said
in the complaint.
"During a function, Singh
publicly shouted at me for not
wearing apron and said who has
invited you here and snapped
his finger at me and further said
'tumhara kaam ho gaya chalo
niklo' (your work is over, now
go out).
"A complaint has been filed
by a lady doctor against the
minister and it has been
rejected on the ground that it
did not have substance," Senior
Superintendent of Police (SSP),
Jammu, Uttam Chand told.
Reacting to the complaint,
Lal Singh told reporters here
that, "I told her to wear apron - is it a misbehaviour... It was
an official function, it was not a
social function.
All
doctors
were
wearing aprons and were they
wrong...".
Agencies
New Delhi | Mar | 11 :
during Question Hour, the Minister said Article 370 was introduced as a transitional arrangement during the transformative phase of the state and as such
it does not give any special status
to J&K. "Deletion or abolition
of this needs a Constitutional
amendment and even if we say,
we do not have numbers with
us," Mr Rijiju said, cautiously
wading through the controversial
territory. The government's stand
assumes significance as the
ruling BJP was also sharing
power with the PDP in J&K with
both parties having diametrically
Stands on Masart's release helps PDP-BJP We don't have numbers to
to strengthen their constituencies abolish article 370: Centre
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in
Samba
NL Correspondent
Woman doctor files
complaint against J&K
minister, police rejects
However, dozens of far flung and
remote villages in north Kashmir,
besides Mughal road remained closed
due to accumulation of snow. The
Srinagar-Leh national highway, the only
road linking the Ladakh region with rest
of the state, also remained closed since
Contd... on P2....
I am sure truth will prevail: Manmohan
three others were today
summoned as accused by a
special court in a coal scam
case, pertaining to allocation of
Talabira-II coal block in Odisha
in 2005, and asked to appear
before it on April 8.
Reacting to the development,
Manmohan Singh today said he
will get a chance to put forward
Agencies
his case with all the facts and
New Delhi | Mar | 11
expressed confidence that the
Former Prime Minister truth will prevail.
Manmohan Singh, industrialist "Of course, I am upset but
Kumar Mangalam Birla, ex- this is part of life," he told
Coal Secretary P.C. Parakh and
Making its position clear on the
sensitive issue of scrapping
Article 370 relating to Jammu
and Kashmir, the government
today said even if it intended to
abolish the 'transitional and temporary' arrangement, it cannot do
so, as it is short of necessary
numbers in Parliament for a
Constitutional amendment.
The government's stand on the
issue was deftly articulated by
Minister of State for Home Kiren
Rijiju in the Rajya Sabha.
Responding to supplementary
Contd... on P2....
Need for infra development
for tourism in J&K: CM
NL Correspondent
Jammu Tawi | Mar | 11:
Identifying tourism as one of the
key priorities for the new government, Chief Minister Mufti
Mohammad Sayeed on Wednesday highlighted the urgent
need to develop state-of-the-art
infrastructure and promote new During an interaction with a
destinations in the picturesque delegation of Tour and Travel
Jammu and Kashmir.
Contd... on P2....
Bar suspends Court
work
on
Thursday
NL Correspondent
Jammu Tawi | Mar | 11:
The Bar Association Jammu
today decided to suspend the
court work Thursday as a protest
against the release of dreaded
separatist Masarat Alam. In an
emergent meeting held today in
the office of J&K High Court
Bar Association Jammu, the
office bearers and other senior
members of the Association
strongly condemned
the release of Masarat Alam and
the seditious statement made by
him after the release.
A press release said that J&K
High Court Bar Association,
Jammu taking a very serious
view of the release and has
further decided to suspend the
work in the J&K High Court,
sub-ordinate Courts and
tribunals on 12-03-2015. In
consequent to the decision the
Association has also cancelled
had expressed
Attorney General declared a public 'Govt
over UK House
authority under the RTI Act concerns
debate on Kashmir'
Contd... on P2....
Agenncies
New Delhi | Mar | 11:
In a welcome decision, the Delhi
High Court has declared the
Attorney General of India a
public authority under the RTI
Act with a direct obligation to
receive and decide requests for
information from people.
This judgement overturns a
2012 decision of the Full Bench
of the Central Information
Commission. The rationale
given by the Court is
summarized on slides 20-21 of
the attached PPT. This PPT is an
updated version of the
presentation on select Court
judgments on RTI.
CHRI
notes
with
satisfaction that the issues
raised in its analysis of the CIC's decision, circulated within
a few days of its announcement, have found resonance in
the Court's reasoning as to
why the AGI should be a
public authority under the RTI
Act. CHRI congratulates the
slide 19 of the attached PPT.
CHRI has sought to intervene in
this case. However there has
been no effective hearing in this
case since December 2012.
Incidentally, the RTI applicant in
this case was the Leader of the
Opposition in the Goa
Petitioners who persisted in their Legislative Assembly and is
demand to make the AGI's office currently the Defence Minister
transparent.
of India.
The reasoning of the Delhi Another Division Bench of
High Court is welcome for the CIC declared in 2009 that
another reason. The Governor's elected representatives of the
office in Goa has claimed that people such as Parliamentarithe Governor is not a public ans, State Legislators and Muauthority under the RTI Act nicipal Councillors are not pubefore the Supreme Court of blic authorities under the RTI
India. Readers may look at the Act. The reasoning applied by
summarised reasoning of the the Delhi High Court regaGovernor's office on slide 18 and rding the coverage of the AGI
CHRI's counter to the same on
Contd... on P2....
Contd... on P2....
Agencies
New Delhi | Mar | 11:
The Government today said it had expressed its
concerns with the UK government over a debate
on the 'political and humanitarian situation in
Kashmir' that was held in UK House of
Commons on September 11, last year.
In a written reply to a question in Lok Sabha,
Minister of State for External Affairs Gen (retd)
V K Singh said, "Government of India has
expressed its concern on the issue at different
levels with the UK Government, which has stated
that, in a parliamentary dDemocracy they do not
have control over parliamentary process and over
decisions of parliamentarians to express their
views on any matter." Singh said that
government's consistent and principled position
is that the entire state of Jammu and Kashmir is
an integral part of the Union of India.
Contd... on P2....
2
CITY INFO
Sena calls CM Dy CM reviews availability,
a 'godfather of maintenance, buffer
stock of transformers
separatists'
JAMMU | THURSDAY | MARCH 12 | 2015
Agencies
Mumbai | Mar | 11
In the wake of separatist
leader Masarat Alam's
release, Shiv Sena today
attacked Jammu and
Kashmir Chief Minister
Mufti Mohammed Sayeed
saying that he was a
"godfather" of separatists
and demanded his arrest.
"The separatists in
Kashmir have got a
godfather
in
Mufti
Mohammed Sayeed, who
has increased their strength.
The BJP's coalition partner
in Kashmir (PDP) has a
mindset that is further
complicating the situation
there rather than solving it,"
an editorial in Sena
mouthpiece 'Saamana' said.
The Sena alleged that the
meeting between Pakistan
envoy Abdul Basit and
separatist leader Syed Ali
Fast track flyover
completion at
Vikram Chowk:
Dy CM to ERA
NL Correspondent
Jammu, Mar. 11:
Deputy Chief Minister, Dr
Nirmal Singh, Wednesday
stressed on completing the
flyover from Vikram Chowk to
Government College for
Women at the earliest, in a
meeting he chaired here at the
Civil Secretariat.
Legislators from Jammu City,
Commissioner
Secretary,
Housing & Urban Development
Department, DIG Traffic,
Jammu, MD ERA and other
senior officers were also
present. Dr Nirmal directed the
concerned to speed up the work
so as to provide hassle free
traffic movement in one the
busiest routes of Jammu city. He
emphasised on taking up the
road widening on the route for
which, he said directions have
already been passed with
compensation amount already
sanctioned in favour of ERA.
Shah Geelani at a time when
secretary-level talks between
India and Pakistan have just
resumed, has been "inspired"
by Sayeed.
"It is being said that
during this meet, detailed
talks were held over the
present situation in J&K. All
this has happened suddenly.
Mufti Mohammed Sayeed is
definitely the inspiration
behind this meet," the
saffron party said.
"Whatever is happening in
Kashmir is not in the interest
of the country. Do anything
you want, but do not get
India into trouble. Do not be
a part of this crime against
the country. Releasing of
separatist leader Masarat
Alam is like helping
terrorists. So, arrest Mufti
Sayeed and file a criminal
case against him," the Sena
said in a veiled reference to
the BJP.
NL Correspondent
Jammu, Mar. 11:
NL Correspondent
Jammu | Mar | 11:
. Detailed discussion was held
upon various issues relating to
welfare and upliftment of
schedule tribe which mainly
include reopening of mobile
schools, improvement in hostels
management, conversion of
Gujjar Hostels into residential
schools, opening of co-education
schools at district level,
construction of Eklavya Model
Schools, opening of anganwadi
centres in tribal areas recruitment
for Gujjars and Bakarwals
(G&B)
and
pre-matric
scholarships.
It was proposed in the meeting
that Eklavya school having all
modern facilities would be
constructed in Leh while a coeducation school would be
constructed at Kargil in the next
financial year.
The Minister assured the
representatives that necessary
action will be taken for meeting
their demands and aspirations.
Deputy Chief Minister,
Dr Nirmal Singh,
Wednesday stressed on
the PDD authorities to
remain sensitive towards
the grievances of the
people and make efforts
to address these issues.
These directions were
given by the Deputy
Chief Minister while
reviewing the status of
transformers, damages
and maintenance and buffer
stock available with the
department in a meeting with
PDD officials here.
Finance Minister, Dr Haseeb
Drabu, who was also present in
the meeting, said that a
provision of Rs 16 Cr for the
purpose of maintenance, buffer
stock of transformers etc will be
kept available.
Reiterating the commitment
of the Government to improve
the system of public service
delivery across all departments,
Dr Nirmal sought details
regarding buffer stock of
transformers, repair workshops
etc so that department faces no
hindrance in providing hassle
free power supply to people in
the coming summer season.
Meanwhile, the Deputy Chief
Minister directed Chief
Engineer, Maintenance wing to
devise a mechanism for fixing
responsibility in case of laxity
shown by the field level
officials in discharging their
duties.
Dr Nirmal while referring to
the incident of a damaged
transformer due to recent rains
in Bhagwati Nagar area of the
city, urged upon the officers to
ensure that such issues are
addressed urgently, keeping in
view the problems faced by the
people.
NL Correspondent
Jammu | Mar | 11:
procedures for issuance of
driving
license, fitness
certificates, route permits and
various other services provided
by the department. He asked the
officers to adopt a pragmatic and
innovative approach to improve
the functioning of the
department. Regarding various
driving institutes operating in the
state the Minister directed the
concerned authorities to ensure
that these schools are having all
the requisite infrastructural
facilites as per the norms and
directed for strict action against
those failing to fulfill the
requisite norms.
Commissioner
Secretary
Transport Department, Bipul
Pathak, Transport Commissioner,
Dilshad Khan, Special Secretary
Transport, Itrat Hussain Rafiqi,
MD SRTC, J S Tandon, Director
Motor Garages Department, G A
Sofi, RTOs Jammu, Lakhnapur,
ARTO's of Jammu division
attended the meeting.
Stress on tribal policy Kohli directs for
service
envisaging development streamlining
delivery system
of G&B: Minister
Minister for CAPD, Tribal Affairs
Chowdhary Zulfkar Ali convened
a meeting with legislators from
tribal community to seek their
suggestions for formulation of
tribal policy for the socio
economic development of Gujjar
Bakarwal. Among others,
Minister of State for Transport,
Abdul Gani Kohli, Minister of
State for Cooperatives and
Ladhak Affairs, Chering Dorjay,
MLA, Leh, Rigzin Jora, MLA
Gool, Ajaiz Ahmed Khan, MLA
Gulabgarh, Mumtaz Khan, MLA,
Rajouri, Qammer Hussasin,
MLA
Surankote,
Ch.
Mohammad Akram, MLA
Zanskar, Syeed Baqir Rezvi,
Commissioner/Secretary, Social
Welfare Department , Director
Tribal Affairs besides other
officers
of
concerned
departments attended the meeting
FROM PAGE 1...
Ex-PM
Manmohan...
reporters in New Delhi when asked for his reaction on the
court order.
"I have always said I am open to legal scrutiny...I am sure the
truth will prevail and I will get a chance to put forward my case
with all the facts," Singh added.
Special CBI Judge Bharat Parashar summoned the six accused
on April 8 for the alleged offences punishable under Sections
120B (criminal conspiracy) and 409 (criminal breach of trust by
public servant, or by banker, merchant or agent) of the IPC and
under the provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act (PCA).
Besides these three, the court also summoned M/s Hindalco,
its officials Shubhendu Amitabh and D Bhattacharya as accused
in the case. If convicted, the accused are liable to be sentenced
for a maximum of life imprisonment.
The case pertains to allocation of Talabira II coal block in
Odisha to M/s Hindalco in 2005, when the then Prime Minister
Singh was holding the coal portfolio.
CBI, in its FIR, had named Parakh, Birla, M/s Hindalco
Industries Ltd and other unknown persons for alleged offences
under Section 120-B (criminal conspiracy) of the IPC and under
provisions of the PCA. However, the agency had later on filed a
closure report in the court, which had refused to accept it.
The court, in its December 16 last year order, had directed CBI
to examine former Prime Minister Singh and some top officials
of then Prime Minister Office (PMO), including Singh’s then
Principal Secretary T.K.A. Nair and then private secretary B.V.R.
Subramanyam.Parakh and Hindalco have denied any
wrongdoing. Parakh today said it (summon) came as a “surprise”
to him.“It (summon) came as a surprise to me,” Parakh told
reporters here today.However, he said, “Court has its own
method of working and it’s not appropriate to comment on that.”
When asked whether there were any political reasons to these
summons, Parakh said there are no political overtones to it.
Besides these three, the court also summoned M/s Hindalco,
its officials Shubhendu Amitabh and D Bhattacharya as accused
in the case.Pronouncing the order, the judge said, “I am taking
cognisance of offences under Sections 120B, 409 of the IPC and
under Sections 13(1)© and 13(1)(d)(3) of PCA against six
accused, M/s Hindalco, Shubhendu Amitabh, D Bhattacharya,
Kumar Mangalam Birla, P C Parakh and Dr Manmohan Singh.”
Section 13(1)© of PCA relates to a public servant dishonestly
misappropriating property entrusted to him or allowing any other
person to do so.Section 13(1)(d)(3) relates to a public servant
obtaining any pecuniary advantage for any person without any
public interest.Cong backs ManmohanThe Congress today
firmly backed former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh after he
received summons in the coal allocation scam case.
Former Law Minister Kapil Sibal said no one in the country
could ever believe that Manmohan Singh could do anything
wrong and the Congress will defend him to the finish.
don't think anyone in India believes that Manmonhan Singh
can do something wrong or corrupt. He was extremely cautious
Minister of State for Transport
(Independent Charge), Rural
Development & Horticulture,
Abdul Ghani Kohli chaired a
high level meeting of officers to
review the functioning of the
transport, SRTC and State Motor
Garages Department here at Civil
Secretariat today. The Minister
reaffirmed the commitment of
the government to ensure
transparency and accountability
in the functioning of the
department and directed the
officers to streamline the service
delivery mechanism to provide
hassle free services to the people,
The Minister while reviewing
the functioning of the State
Motor Vehicle department
directed the officers of the
department to ensure that public
does not face any inconvenience
and stressed that they should be
well informed about the
and he always wanted to be on the right side of the law. Now, he
finds himself summoned. We shall defend Manmohan Singh
with all our might."
Former Information Minister Manish Tewari also backed the
ex-PM saying all he did was continued to implement the policies
of the NDA.
"The UPA's policies were the same as the NDA's. The former
PM and former government conducted itself with utmost
transparency. There was nothing to hide."
"We respect the judicial process and are confident that the
truth will prevail, "Congress media chairman Randeep Surjewala
said while reacting to the development.
The Congress said receiving court summons does not make
one guilty.“Sorry to puncture the brouhaha, but receiving a court
summons does not make one guilty. That is elementary law.
“Right?”, party spokesman Sanjay Jha said in a series of
tweets.Jha insisted that it was former PM Singh who pushed for
auctions in coal block allocations. “He sought transparency,
resisted by BJP-ruled states”.
“The truth is coal block dubious allocations were all in nonCongress ruled states; MP, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Orissa, WB
etc”, he said.
Timeline of the case
October 2013: CBI registers FIR against K.M. Birla, P.C.
Parakh and others on charges of criminal conspiracy and
corruption in the allocation of coal blocks.
August 28, 2014: CBI files closure report in the case, saying
evidence collected during probe did not substantiate the
allegations levelled against the people named in the FIR.
October 21: CBI files revised closure report in the case.
December 16: Court rejects closure report, orders further
probe and to record statements of the former prime minister who
was then holding coal ministry portfolio.
January 2015: Manmohan Singh was questioned by CBI in
connection with the case.
January 27: CBI files progress report of investigation.
February 19: CBI files final report in the case.
March 11: Court summons Manmohan Singh, Birla, Parakh,
Hindalco company, its officials Shubendu Amitabh and D. Bhatt
acharya in the case for April 8. — TNS/Agencies
Central
sends team.....
release. "A comprehensive report has now been prepared dealing
with all the aspects of Masrat Alam's release. It is being sent to
the MHA today (Wednesday)," top government sources said.
They said the ministry has sought clarifications on specific
issues like the court directions which led to Alam's release, list of
cases pending against him and their present status and also the
reasons that prevented the state government from keeping the
separatist in detention.
This comes after Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, who
had asserted that the NDA Government's top priority was
national security and not continuance of the State Government,
had sought a proper clarification from J&K dispensation saying
he was not satisfied with the report of the State Home department
on Alam's release.
National Livestock Mission
SLEC approves
proposed
action plan
NL Correspondent
Jammu, Mar. 11:
The State Level Executive
Committee (SLEC) for implementation of the National Livestock Mission (NLM), Wednesday approved the proposed
Livestock and Grassland
Development Action Plan 201415, of Rs 16.95 Cr.
Headed by Chief Secretary,
Iqbal Khandey, the Committee
in its 1st meeting here, reviewed
the impact and outcome of
various livestock and poultry
development schemes under
implementation in the state
besides holding discussions on
steps to be followed towards
achieving self sufficiency in
Animal & Sheep Husbandry
sectors. Under the Mission,
State Government seeks quantitative and qualitative improvement in livestock production
including poultry and milk
yield, addressing the problems
of scarcity of animal feed resources, skill development of
farmers and Para-vets, technology transfer and extension.
Popularize backyard rearing
of the poultry birds to decrease
dependence on import of poultry
products including poultry meat
and table eggs, establishment of
small poultry units for selling
the produce in local market,
besides upgrading farm
efficiency viz. farming, feed
milling and hatching operation,
development of infrastructure,
conservation and development
of native breeds and research are
some of the other activities to be
focussed under the Mission.
The NORTHLINES
www.thenorthlines.com
Rasool makes clean sweep
in Sectt. Elections
NL Correspondent
Jammu, Mar. 11:
Ghulam Rasool Mir was today
declared successful as the
President of Civil Secretariat
Non Gazetted Employees
Union. He defeated his nearest
rival Rouf Ahmad by a margin
of 250 votes. Hailing from
Anderhama, Kupwara, Mir is
known for his affable and
employee friendly attitude. He
started his career as junior
assistant and by dint of hard
work rose to the position of
Office Superintendent.
The results of elections were
declared by Returning Officer,
Dr. G N Itoo. Ghulam Rasool
Mir got 564 votes while as his
rival Rouf Ahmed Bhat got 278
votes. Surinder Bedia was
elected as Vice President while
as Thana Ji Bhat was elected
General Secretary. Farooq
Ahmed was elected as Secretary
while as Parveez Ahmed Khan
and Ghulam Nabi Tantray were
elected as Publicity Secretary
and Treasurer respectively.
Ghulam Rasool's group
bagged all the 20 positions of
members of the Union by
defeating their nearest rivals by
convincing margins.
CTA calls on Naeem
NL Correspondent
Jammu | Mar | 11:
A delegation of J&K College
Teachers Association headed by
its President Prof. Tariq Ashai
called on the Minister Higher
Education Naeem Akhter &
Commissioner Secretary Higher
Education Ms. Sarita Chouhan
at Jammu.
A memorandum of demands
was submitted to the Honorable
Minister which include redesignation of eligible selection
grade lecturers as Associate
Professors, clearance of
pending placement of Assistant
Professors to Higher AGP';S,
removal of disparity viz-a-viz
age of superannuation, work
load as per UGC Guidelines,
benefit of SRO 222 to College
Teachers, grant of additional
increments and many other
issues. The Minister assured the
delegation that their demands
will be thoroughly looked upon
and resolved in due course of
time. He impressed upon the
delegation that college Teachers
should work with Zeal and Zest
and use their experience and
expertise in framing and
introducing job orientated
courses in the colleges, so that
Younger generation would get
benefits of Higher Education.
The delegation comprised of Dr.
Sanjay Verma , Prof. Mir
Mashok, Prof. Saini, Prof.
Manhas & Others. Later Prof.
Tariq Ashai interacted with
different delegations from
various colleges of Jammu
province at Science College
Jammu and apprised them about
the latest developments
regarding various issues
pending in the Higher
Education Department and
assured them that their issues
would be got resolved in near
course of time.
Policy for dealing with unauthorized
constructions discussed
NL Correspondent
Jammu | Mar | 11:
Minister of State for Housing and
Urban Development, Mohammad Ashraf Mir, today discussed the
proposed policy for dealing with
the unauthorized constru-ctions in
violation of Master plan in
Jammu, Srinagar and Katra cities,
at a meeting of officers held here.
Secretary Housing & Urban
Development, Satesh Nehru, Vice
Chairman, JDA, Mubarak Singh,
Commissioner JMC, Kiran
Wattal, Managing Director J&K
As for the cases pending against Alam, the report says there
are 15 such in different courts and the FIRs lodged against him
include those under sections 120 and 120 of the Indian Penal
Code. The sections pertain to waging war against the state.
Home Secretary Suresh Kumar has confirmed that no
separatist leader or militant is being released by the state
government as is being highlighted in some media reports.
He also denied that any list had been prepared to facilitate such
releases in the near future.
Top government sources ridiculed rumours that the state
government had ever decided to release Ashiq Hussain Faktoo
who is serving a life sentence that has been upheld by the
Supreme Court.
'Govt had expressed .....
"A part of the territory of the state is under the forcible and
illegal occupation of Pakistan. Under the Shimla Agreement,
India and Pakistan are committed to resolving all outstanding
issues, including the issue of Jammu and Kashmir, through a
peaceful bilateral dialogue. There is no role whatsoever for a
third party," Singh said in his reply.
Attorney General declared......
under the RTI Act could be used to overturn that decision
as well. CHRI had submitted its views on that case when the CIC
called for public comments. Strangely, CHRI's submission is not
even mentioned in that decision. Perhaps the CIC's Registry forgot
to place our submission before the Commissionersz
One
way traffic to .....
December last year due to snow. A traffic police official said
Housing Board, Shafiq Ahmed
Raina, Chief Architect, V. K. Pant,
Chief
Town
Planners,
Kashmir/Jam-mu and officers of
allied wings of the Housing
Department attended the meeting.
The proposed policy document
which has been framed by the
Department on the directions of
the J&K High Court was
discussed in detail and several new
ideas were deliberated upon and
incorporated in the document. The
main thrust was to ensure that the
existing Master Plans are
implemented in letter and spirit to
stop
the
unauthorized
constructions in these cities in
future. The ways and means to
deal with the violations already
occurred at various places also
came under discussion. The J&K
Civic Laws (Special Provision)
Act, 2014 came into force on 5th
March, 2014. Section 3 of the Act
provides that the State
Government shall formulate a
policy before 31st March, 2015 to
deal with/regulate unauthorized
constructions in the areas covered
by the Act. It was also essential for
a time-bound action being taken to
the low intake capacity," Sayeed said.
The Chief Minister asked the Managing Director, Jammu and
Kashmir Tourism Development Corporation (JKTDC), Farooq
Ahmad Shah to immediately undertake forceful marketing drives
and FAM (Familiarity) tours to promote scenic destinations like
Sonamarg, Kokernag, Daksum, Warwan and Dodhpathri so that
visitors are able to explore the Valley beyond the well-known
destinations like Gulmarg and Pahalgam.
"Nature has bestowed us with beauty in abundance. We have to
take steps to utilise idle tourism infrastructure at these nature
spots for which New Tourism Development Authorities were
created when I first took over in 2002," he said.
Sayeed said the Tourism Development Authorities will be
revitalized soon to focus on uniform spread of tourists across the
Valley. Describing tourism as a binding force that joins several
other key sectors like the famed handicrafts/handloom and food
industry of Kashmir, the Chief Minister assured that tourism, will
flourish in the days to come. "We see tourism and industry as
areas where we have great potential to generate jobs for our
skilled unemployed youth," Sayeed said.
Bar
suspends Court....
the introductory meet scheduled for Thursday earlier. The new
date of introductory meet will be notified later.
We don't have numbers ...
opposite views on the issue. "My party's view on the issue is
known to everyone. I don't want to say much," the Minister said.
Under Article 370, half a dozen states enjoy special status, the
Minister pointed out, adding, "We are in favour of equal status for
all the states."
Issue of Musrat Alam's ......
here today hundreds of vehicles, particularly empty trucks and
oil tankers besides passenger vehicles left different parts of the
Kashmir valley for Jammu this morning.
However, no vehicle was allowed from Jammu as only oneway traffic will continue till further orders on the highway to
avoid traffic jam and accidents.
He said traffic will play from Jammu to Srinagar tomorrow
subject to road and weather condition. He said passengers and
drivers are requested to contact traffic and Police Control Rooms
(PCR) before starting their journey on the highway.
Meanwhile, dozens of road linking far flung and remote areas
in north Kashmir districts of Kupwara and Bandipora remained
closed due to accumulation of snow.
Narayan Yadav(RJD) contested Mr Naidu's stand saying "This is
the right of the members".
Mr Naidu reacted again saying "This right should not be a routine
practice, the Question Hour belongs to all members four or five
members can not disrupt it every day." But the Members did not
relent and said this has been done earlier too, during the previous
regimes. Mr Naidu said in the past 10 years, when they were in the
Opposition, they did not do so.
Ms Mahajan also endorsed the Minister's stand and held that it
should not become a practice. "I have also conveyed this to some
members in the Chambers this morning," she said.
the Tourism portfolio, said there is an urgent need to create
sufficient accommodation to meet the demands of incoming
tourists in the Valley. "Tourism will not develop unless it comes
with the required paraphernalia. We have to be innovative in our
thinking to make Kashmir valley a leading tourist destination in
the country and abroad. Tented accomm-odation and building
eco-cottages at tourist resorts is one innovative way to increase
Yasser Khan S/o Mohd. Khan R/o Badhoon Po Badhoon,
Teh & Dist Rajouri, Pin Code. 185132, contact no
9697410517, i have applied for D.o.B 05-02-1997 at
police station rajouri, objection if any may be conveyed to
the concerned authority within 7 days after the publication
of this notice
Need
for infra development...
Associations of Kashmir, the Chief Minister, who also holds
NOTICE
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.
Phone Editorial : 2574109 Telefax : 2548103. Advertisements: 9858183354; RNI No. 69574/98 e-mail:-< [email protected], [email protected], [email protected] >
Visit www.thenorthlines.com, http://www.northlines.in. Epaper: www.epaper.thenorthlines.com
3
The NORTHLINES
Jammu
City
www.thenorthlines.com
JAMMU | THURSDAY | MARCH 12 | 2015
First ever Punjabi book Kalam meets DVM students NPSU protests in favour of JPTA
on Everest released
NL Correspondent
Jammu Tawi | Mar. | 11
NL Correspondent
Jammu Tawi | Mar. | 11
book of mountaineering history,
the country salutes the IndoTibetan Border Police Force and
Mohinder
Singh,
the members for bringing name,
Commandant (Retd.), ITBP
fame and glory for the country.
released his Punjabi book
The Author brings the 78
'Everest 1996' today. It was
days climbing adventure
released by Gulzar Singh
encapsulated right in to your
Sandhu, a prominent Punjabi
library, drawing room... even
writer & winner of prestigious
though an arm-chair one. A
Sahitya Akademi Award.
compulsive and authoritative
The author was a Leader of
reading for the youth and those
ITBP expedition to Everest
who make mountain-sport
through North-Col route in
seriously.
1996. Interestingly Everest had
The book ends on historical
been climbed through 13
feat of reaching the top but not
principal different routes since
before infamous tragedy where
1953. But the most formidable
3 members of team lost their
and difficult route is the
lives while getting stuck in
approach from North Col- Tibet stark elements thrust at the worst ever snow blizzard.
(China).
dramatic personae: nail biting
Published by Unistar Books excitement, jolt of setbacks,
Pvt. Limited, Chandigarh, throbbing
anticipation,
'Everest 1996' is a gripping tantalising goal, pain and agony
story, climber's un-ending of three tragic deaths, anguish NL Correspondent
determination to win a of anxiety, triumph and Samba | Mar. | 11
mountain and of nature's tragedy... "Sweet and Sour",
chilling riposte, resolute sorrow, happiness, aching and The District Election Officer
\Deputy Commissioner Samba
character. And final acceptance joys.
of sacrifice, a disastrous the cliff Day to day account of Sheetal Nanda today convened
walk, death trap atop the world, Everest, North-Col, 1996 carves a meeting of the senior officers
dead climber's walk, the dead a new niche into the deep heart and representatives of Political
and the daring defy of universal and uprightness, sincerity of Parties of the district in which
Moral rule. How victory fever purpose, will to suffer for the preparations with respect to
repelled the mountaineers cause, loyalty unalloyed, launching of National Electoral
Purification
and
whose physio-psychological robustness and ability to guide Rolls
assessment was graded.
able leadership to establish the Authentication Programme
The book unfolds step by step credibility of Indian Police (NERPAP) were discussed
threadbare.
the captivating drama of single- Force in the face of calamity.
minded human efforts pitted And before the sounds of ACR Samba Sonu Pargal,
against innumerable odds, the victory fade out to be seen in the Tehsildar Vijaypur\ Ghagwal
besides representatives of
various political parties
attended the meeting.
The DEO apprised the
Jammu, Mar. 11: Earth Group of Companies in collaboration
with AMB Group has launched it's yet another ambitious project participants that NERPAP has
Earth SKY GATE strategically located at Sector-88 in Gurgaon. It been launched by the Election
is billed as the largest commercial project among all the other Commission of India recently,
commercial projects in New Gurgaon and a super exciting which aimed at removing the
destination expected to stand out from the crowd of malls and defects in electoral rolls like
other commercial centers. In many ways, Earth SKY GATE is the multiple entries and repeating
most wonderful commercial project that is sure to blow-up into a EPIC No's of the electors etc.
DEO advised the participants
massive crowd puller with its extraordinary attractions, easily
translating huge footfalls into great business opportunities. The to first l sensitize the concerned
about
the
company is eyeing its major investment for its latest project from stakeholders
provisions
and
benefits
of
the
the state of J&K.
Speaking on the occasion, Atul Gupta, JMD of Earth Group of scheme and then collect the
Companies said, "Consumers are looking forward to move from requisite data for purifying,
pure retail destination to a destination that offers wholesome authenticating and then linking
entertainment, exotic food and best shopping experience. They are the epic database of the
looking for some extraordinary entertainment and, today, we are electoral rolls to link with the
happy to launch this excitingly themed destination which we are Adhar numbers.
It was informed that a
sure will become the most promising and sought after commercial
Nation wide special camp will
destination in near future."
On his maiden visit to the
Dalmia Vidya Mandir (DVM),
Rajgangpur, Hon'ble Dr. A P J
Abdul Kalam left the children
euphoric as he walked straight
to the children mingling and
shaking hands with them. At a
one-hour awe inspiring speech
to a full house audience
comprising of 650 students
and 2000 parents and teachers ,
Dr. Kalam inspired the
students to focus on education.
"Education gives you wings to
fly", said Dr. Kalam. Citing the
examples of creative geniuses
like Alexander Graham Bell,
Sir C V Raman, Wright
brothers
and
eminent
mathematician,
Dr.
Ramanujam, Dr. Kalam added,
"Creativity is knowledge.
Creativity leads to thinking.
Thinking provides knowledge.
Knowledge in turn makes you
great.
For
acquiring
knowledge you need to have
Creativity, Righteousness and
Courage. Righteousness builds
character. Using to bring about
order in the society, the nation
and the world".
To a question by a student
on what is the next generation
pollution free fuel source, Dr.
Kalam said, previously it was
wood; now it solar and in the
future it will be nuclear.
To another question by a
student on who Dr. Kalam
considers as his idol, he
replied - Teacher!!
"Dr. Kalam's visit to the
Dalmia Vidya Mandir has left
an everlasting memory in our
minds. It is a dream come
true", said a teacher.
DEO, DC discuss preparation of NERPAP
NL Correspondent
Jammu Tawi | Mar. | 11
be organised at the booth levels
in all assembly constituencies in
the country by ERO's for the
above mentioned activities on
12.04.015
It was also informed that
scheme envisages two levels of
Adhar feeding. In the first level
the electors can themselves feed
their Adhar data in the epic
database by way of National
Voters Service Portal (NVSP) or
SMS to "51969" or E-mail or
mobile app or by making a call
at toll free number 1950 to state
NL Correspondent
Samba | Mar. | 11
call centers,"In another level the
BLOs shall collect the details of
electors themselves during door
to door surveys, voter
facilitation centers, e-seva
centers and citizen service
centers authorized by the DEO".
The DEO asked the all the
concerned officers to initiate
with the sensitization of electors
by way of SVEEP and exhorted
upon them to achieve the targets
within the prescribed time
frame by the Election
Commission of India.
JKHCBA
condemns
Alam's
release
NL Correspondent
Jammu Tawi | Mar. | 11
drastically and there is no
barrier to boundary of any
kind in between so girls need
to educate them propely. He
also sang a song based on
"Beti Bachao Beti Padhow".
Later on the secretary
(LWWS) and other members
visited their oldage-cumtution centre situated at Jhang
being looked after the Sushil
Kumar for social cause. The
role
of
Ram
Paul
the police was summoned who
intervened and resolved the
matter. Addressing the students
on the occasion, Thakur
Virender Singh, President
NPSU lambasted the state
government
and
SSB
authorities for them utter
neglect and discrimination
meted out to Jammu region in
the matter of various selections
including those of teachers.
The chairperson SSB later held
a meeting with the students and
assumed them that the issue
would soon be settled and
mater would be vigorously
followed in high court so as to
ensure vacation of interim
directions if any, with respect to
such selections so that early
release of select lists was
ensured.
Other who were present in
the protest demonstration
included Rishi Badyal, Lovely
Singh, Amit Charak, Shubam
Singh, Shubam Jasrotia, Asha
Rani, Sahil Sharma, Suresh
Sharma,
Sumit
Singh,
Bhupinder Singh, kanu Sharma
etc.
BJP can't play role of opposition and govt. simultaneously: Harsh
LWWS celebrates International Women's Day
agencies, so that purpose of
social
awareness and
extending them facilities to
poor and needy women by
raising SHG in the area and by
opening training centre in this
flung & boarder area. Ram
Paul (writer/Singer/Actor &
Coordinator to LWWS) also
spoke on the subject and told
that girls should leave their
shyness and ask for their
rights, time has changed
National Panthers Student
Union NPSU today held a
protest demonstration outside
the office of J&K Service
Selection Board Jammu to
lodge their protest against the
failure of SSB to release the
selection list of teachers for
various District of Jammu
region. The protestors who had
assembled outside the office of
SSB Jammu raised slogans
against the state government as
well as the higher authorities of
the SSB and bought early
release of the selection list. The
protestors had a scuffle with the
SSB authorities as the
chairperson objected to use of
Dogri language by the students.
The students who were raising
slogans and making their
demands in Dogri language
were rebuked by SSB officers
with the chairperson of the
Board warning and issuing
threats to the students to desist
from raising issues in Dogri.
This infuriated the students
who locked the officers and
other official in SSB office who
were let off only after the police
"Saffron Party blowing hot
and cold in same breath"
Earth Group launches SKY GATE
Lalded women welfare
society (Regd.) in collaboration
with Food & Nutrition
department Govt. of India
organized a competition in
which females took part Anant
Ram Atri (DO) opened the
programme were three group
were constituted i.e. of children,
young girls and women. The
drawing, painting quiz and
poem were the main attraction
in the competition. The
participants shown keen interest
in displaying their hidden talent
for winning the competition and
took information from the
expert panel. The winner were
distributed prizes. While
speaking on the occasion
Santosh Bastora encouraged the
participants and assured that the
organization will discharge its
social responsibility by opening
of skill development centers
with the help of government
NL Correspondent
Jammu Tawi | Mar. | 11
(writer/Singer & Coordinator)
& Naveen Pal (Actor &
Director were recoganized by
presenting them memento by
Anant Ram Atri (DO) for
extending excellent support to
make the programme grand
success. However V. K.
Wattal, Ex-income Tax Officer
also shared the dice who
voiced the concern for
empowerment of women on
this day.
In an emergent meeting held
today in the office of J&K
High Court Bar Association
Jammu, the office bearers and
other senior members of the
J&K High Court Bar
Association, Jammu strongly
condemned the release of
Masarat Alam and the
seditious statement made by
him after the release. J&K
High Court Bar Association,
Jammu taking a very serious
view of the release, has further
decided to suspend the work in
the Hon'ble High Court, subordinate Courts and tribunals
on 12-03-2015 (Thursday).
Despite the nationwide
clamor and a deep sense of
outrage over the release of
Separatist Leader Musrat Alam
by the State govt., the BJP has
persisted with its lame duck
policy and submissive approach
only for the lust of power, said
Harsh Dev Singh JKNPP
Chairman and former Minister
adding further that the Saffron
Party leaders were making
evasive, vague and obscure
statements only for the sake of
public consumption and for
ensuring damage control. He
said that while the Union
Parliament had turned into an
arena of contested claims and
counterclaims, there was a near
unanimity amongst the different
political parties of the country
regarding the imminent threat to
the security of the State due to
the release of Separatist leader
having more than 27 criminal
cases pending against him.
Harsh Dev Singh said that it
was not only the lame duck
posturing of BJP which had
angered the people of Jammu
region, but the dichotomy in the
statements of central and State
Leaders of BJP who were
making highly incongruous and
Cong demands relief for farmers
NL Correspondent
Bishnah | Mar. | 11
Senior Congress leader M K
Bhardwaj has demanded
immediate relief for the farmers
of Bishnah in particular and that
of entire Jammu region whose
crops have been destroyed in
the recent hail-storm and
unprecedented heavy rains that
have been lashing the region.
Chairing a meeting of
Congrees leaders and workers
from Bishnah Constituency, he
has suggested that the state
government should adopt a twopronged approach to alleviate
the sufferings of the farmers. An
immediate cash relief should be
provided to all the farmers
without any delay which should
be followed by setting up of an
expert group that could assess
the losses suffered by them for
providing a proper overall relief
package that should cover
monetary and agricultural
aspects. These aspects are
necessary as merely providing
some cash relief at this juncture
will leave them in lurch as they
have no back up support for
carrying out their farm activities
in future.
Questioning the newly
formed BJP-PDP Government's
claim to immediately undertake
development
activities,
Bhardwaj said that the ruling
alliance partners are indulging
in worst kind of political fight
even before settling down
which has caused serious
consternation among the people
who had voted them to power.
Senior Congress leader Ashok
Kumar Dubey who also
attended the meeting said that
the irrigation network is the
lifeline of the agriculture sector
and the government should
take immediate measures to
clean and protect the existing
irrigation network. The
Congress workers meet at
Bishnah was attended by
Kuldep Sharma, Suneel
sharma,Sham
Singh,
Ghansham
SharmaDewan
Chand, Bal Krishan,Ranjit
Singh,
Ramandeep
Singh,Rajesh Sharma, Kasturil
Lal, Darshan Sharma, Ajay
Kumar SharmaGanesh Sharma,
Prem Sharma, Pandit Raja
Ram, Kuldeep Raj among
others.
utterly irreconcilable statements
on the subject. Flaying the BJP
for its highly nauseating
approach and outrageous
conduct, Singh said that the
Saffron party must realize that
people can't be cajoled by
delusive announcements alone.
He said that release of Musrat
Alam and other like incidents
have explored the myth of BJP's
bravado and displayed the
spineless BJP in its true colours.
Warning the BJP to assert in the
wake of public anger having
risen to its crescendo, Singh
said that any further delay could
disfigure its image beyond
redemption.
Security
gaurd
shot dead
NL Correspondent
Jammu | Mar. | 11
Says R.M Diwan, General
Manager, Muthoot Finance
Limited: "With reference to
the suicide committed by the
security guard today
morning, we would like to
inform the general public
that the deceased guard was
not an employee of Muthoot
Finance and the incident
happened outside our branch
premises. He was an armed
guard employed by a local
security agency for one of
our branches in Jammu.
None of our staff is involved
in this incident. We extend
our prayers and deep
condolences to the family of
the deceased. We are
extending full co-operation
and support to the
authorities investigating the
matter."
Burden of kidney disease in society
It comes as a shocker to many that
the kidneys, each about the size of a
fist play such a major role in your
wellbeing. However the major roles
played by kidneys are as follows.
First, the kidneys are mainly
involved in removing waste
products from the body; preventing
toxins from building up in the
bloodstream. Second the kidneys
produce hormones that take control
of the functions of other parts of the
body, for instance regulating blood
pressure and producing red blood
cells. And also regulate the level of
minerals and fluid in the body.
Post the circulation of blood
through the entire body, it then
passes onto the kidneys. They
kidneys then filter waste products
from the blood including extra salt
and water and these are then passed
out as urine. So imagine your
kidneys getting into a nonfunctional mode. If this ever
happens the waste product build-up
is likely to cause some chemical
imbalance which are otherwise
required for the smooth functioning
of the body. Such disorders among
others are precisely termed as renal
diseases.
There are different kinds of renal
diseases, some even leading to endstage renal disease (ESRD). ESRD
is a condition in which the kidneys
fail to work in a normal way with the
patient needing dialysis or kidney
transplant.
So what exactly causes these 2
little fist-sized organs to suddenly
go out of order? Kidney diseases are
mostly caused due to diabetes, high
blood pressure, and hardening of the
arteries. However some of these
diseases can also occur due to the
inflammation of the kidneys. This
condition is called nephritis.
Some anatomic disorders too can
lead to renal diseases besides the
one resulting from metabolic
disorders. The chances of the latter
happening however are thin for in
the case of metabolic kidney
disorders are rare since they need to
be inherited from both parents.
The other causes may as well
include blockage of the system that
drain the kidneys or the medications
that are toxic to the kidney tissue.
Since the causes can vary, so can
the symptoms. Some very common
symptoms however are too much or
too little urine, or passing blood or
abnormal levels of chemicals in
urine. But if the disease is caused by
a bacterial infection, the first sign is
high fever. In case of moderate or
mild kidney diseases, there are
sometimes no symptoms at all.
But to say that these do not cause
any pain will be wrong. Kidney
stones in the ureter are seen to cause
some cramping pain that spreads
from the lower back into the groin.
The disease can lead to chronic or
acute kidney failure. While failure
of kidneys in the former happens
gradually, the latter may happen
within a few hours or days. Both are
life-threatening.
The real problem however lies in
the diagnosis of the disease because
unless there's a tumour or the
kidneys are swollen, it becomes
difficult for the doctors to check by
simply feeling the kidneys. There
are however tests that check the
kidney tissues, take urine samples
and checks for protein, sugar, blood,
and ketones etc.
When treating kidney, the doctors
tend to concentrate more on the
underlying cause of the disease. The
infections can also be cured by
antibiotics if the infection is caused
by bacteria.
In case of acute kidney failure this
scheme works best. In such cases
treating the original cause can help
return the kidney to its normal
functioning. But in most of kidney
failure cases, the blood pressure has
first to be brought to be normal in
order to evade any more progression
of disease.
End-stage kidney failures are only
controlled by dialysis or kidney
transplant. Dialysis can be done
once a week or more often
depending on the condition. In case
of transplant the diseased ones are
replayed by a new or a healthy one.
These transplants are said to work
80 percent of the time. The only fear
in this case what is the body rejects
the transplant. The risk however is
worth it because a healthy kidney
can help you live a better life.
------------------------------------------Dr. Ramesh Jain, HOD &
Senior Consultant - Centre for
Kidney Transplant & Renal
Sciences, Saroj Super Speciality
Hospital, Delhi
The NORTHLINES
www.thenorthlines.com
Accelerate process of
immunization: ADC Doda
Mission Indradhanush reviewed
NL Correspondent
Doda | Mar. | 11
With the aim to cover all those
children by 2020, who are either
unvaccinated, or are partially
vaccinated against seven vaccine
preventable diseases, a meeting
was yesterday convened by
Additional
Deputy
Commissioner
(PO,ICDS)
Doda, Surat Singh in meeting
Hall DC Office Complex Doda.
Chief Medical Officer Doda,
Dr. Yaqoob Mir;District Social
Welfare Officer Doda, Gias-ulHaq; Child Development and
Project Officers of the District;
District Information Officer
Doda, Anoop Kumar among
others attended the meeting.
Dr. Mir informed the house
that the Mission Indradhanush of
Ministry of Health and Family
Welfare Government of India
will cover the partially
vaccinated & unvaccinated
children against the disease
which include diphtheria,
whooping cough, tetanus, polio,
tuberculosis, measles and
hepatitis B.
He further revealed that the
Ministry of Health & family
welfare, Government of India,
has identified 201 high focus
districts in the country in the first
phase which have nearly 50% of
all unvaccinated or partially
vaccinated children. To
accelerate the process of
immunization by covering 5%
and more children every year,
the Mission mode has been
adopted by GOI to achieve the
target of full coverage by 2020,
he stated.
ADC Doda said the district
will be targeted by intensive
efforts to improve routine
immunization coverage. He also
asked the CDPOs to direct the
Anganwadi works to coordinate
with ASHA workers and other
health officials during special
vaccination
campaigns.
Intensive
planning
and
monitoring of the campaign will
also be done at District, Tehsil
and Block levels, he added.
Village residents submit
memorandum to Ministers
NL Correspondent
Rajouri | Mar. | 11
The Public of villages Budhi,
Joura Kalan & Lower
Shamdlian of minority
community seek immediate
intervention of Hon'ble Forest
Minister, Jenab Bali Bhagat &
Hon'ble MOS for Roads &
Buildings , Jenab Sunil Sharma
regarding Kahara-Jai road
project dispute in Tehsil
Thathri, District Doda, which
arose in 2009 and is yet
unsettled.
An inquiry committee headed
by Divisional Commissioner
Jammu was constituted by
Chief
Secretary
J&K
government in 2012 but the
members of the committee
never visited the cite themselves
personally and they submitted
that report to higher authorities
which was prepared by the same
lower level officers of R&B,
PMGSY & Forest departments
who had originally committed
the irregularities & against
whom the public had
complained.The 2007 Survey by R&B
Sub-division Gandoh was from
Kahara to Joura comprising a
distance of 16 kms. The 2011
Survey by R&B division
Bhadarwah was in opposite
direction i.e from Jai to Joura
Khurd comprising a distance of
09 kms as per the committee
report. The total distance from
Kahara to Jai thus is 25 kms.
The Survey of 1987 had also
envisaged the total distance to
be 25 kms.
Now a new Survey of 9 kms
from Halaran to Joura Khurd has
been conducted by PMGSY as
shown in the said report, though
this distance is already included
in 2007 Survey. Thus this 9 kms
distance exists only in air & does
not lie on the ground. This is a
big fraud and needs immediate
departmental inquiry through
vigilance department/ CBI.
The poor villagers fervently
hope to get justice from the
present coalition government,
which the previous government
could not provide them in these
5 years despite their repeated
requests & protests. The poor
public demand immediate
impartial
departmental
inquiry/through
vigilance
department/CBI
inquiry,
regarding
the
gross
irregularities in the construction
of Kahara-Jai road project in
Tehsil Thathri, District Doda.
Kishtwar Scholarship Scam
NSUI reviews process
of investigation
NL Correspondent
Kishtwar | Mar. | 11
In the matter pertaining to
scholarship scam in Kishtwar.
Delegation of National
Students' Union of India
(NSUI) led by NSUI District
Chief Prakash Singh Dadwal
along with victims of scam
meets with station house officer
(SHO) Kishtwar Sameer
Gellani. Dadwal in a brief
discussion with SHO Kishtwar
put the issue of slow
investigation process against
the culprits, meanwhile SHO
Kishtwar assured that police is
Sanjay Sharma
Reasi | Mar. | 11
With over 3500 youth gets
registered under various self
entrepreneurship development
schemes, district administration
Reasi in coordination with
Counter Insurgency Force (CIF)
Uniform hold biggest ever job
fair at Sports stadium Reasi on
Wednesday.
General
OfficerinCommand (GOC), Counter
Insurgency Force (CIF)
Uniform, Major General B V
Rao, accompanied by Deputy
Commissioner (DC) ReasiSushma Chauhan inaugurated
the Fair.
Rao in his address underscored
the need for taking all required
measures
for
enlarging
awareness among youth about
the various State and Central
Government self-employment
schemes so that they could gain
maximum benefit from all such
programmes. He observed people
at large need to be involved in a
big way to secure the desired
objectives in regard to spreading
awareness about these schemes
in all parts of the State.
Rao further said that
Employment Fairs provide a
doing its job effectively and will
solve this issue with in 2 or 3
days after proper investigation
and person who found guilty
will behind the bars.
Dadwal added the NSUI will
wait up to 14th march
thereafter NSUI will start
agitation not only in Kishtwar
but throughout the state, if
needed issue will be highlighted
at national level. NSUI state
President Neeraj Kundan also
interfere in this matter and
demanded high level enquiry
through crime branch and
vigilance department for
exposing the scam.
valuable opportunity for the
administration and the people to
interact about the various selfemployment schemes. He called
upon the people, particularly
youth to take best advantage of
the schemes launched by the
Government for generating
employment avenues. He
referred to the high potential for
growth of horticulture,
agriculture and tourism in the
area.
Earlier DC Reasi, in her
address giving details of the
DIG DKR range held
session with NOKs
Mohd Majid Malik
Doda | Mar. | 11
Nisar Ahmed -IPS, DIG DKR
Range along with Shri Zahid
Naseem Manhas-KPS, SSP
Doda and other Police Officers
held darbar with the
officers/jawans of District
Police Doda. After hearing the
issues and demands put-forth by
the officers/officials present in
the darbar, DIG DKR Range
appreciated the role of district
Mohd Majid Malik
examination in these centers
Police for maintaining law and
Bhaderwah | Mar. | 11
and interacted with the students
order, peace and communal
and staff on duty. Directions
harmony in the District. DIG
Dr Shafqet Rafeqi Joint were issued for smooth and fair
stressed
upon
the
Secretary JKBOSE on the conduct of examination. Other
officers/jawans to serve the
direction of Chairman today senior officers of Board
people in a better way and our
conducted surprise inspection of accompanied the tour.Dr
motto shall always remain to
various 12th class examination Shafqet Rafeqi directed the
give best service and crime free
centers in Bhaderwah town . He board authorities of Bhaderwah
atmosphere to people. DIG
inspected the conduct of and Doda to maintain strict
exhorted that by the dints of
dedication and hardworking,
J&K Police has made the nation
proud and we have to keep it up
in the future also. The
officers/officials were briefed to
maintain discipline and work
NL Correspondent
departments to set up awareness stalls pertaining with zeal and dedication to
Rajouri | Mar. | 11
to their departments for the awareness of general
masses and highlight various schemes initiated
District Development Commissioner, Rajouri by the central and state government for the
Deepti uppal convened a meeting of officers to benefit of unemployed educated youth so that
discuss the arrangements for the conduct of they can avail benefit from such schemes and
NL Correspondent
employment fair at sunderbani and koteranka on establish their income generating units.
18th March and 25th March 2015 respectively.
DDC exhorted upon the officers to make the Udhampur | Mar. | 11
ADDC Veer jee Hangloo, ACD Basharat fair successful with coordinated efforts and
Chairman and Managing
Hussain ,SDM Sukhpal singh, CEO Rajouri asked them to display literature and distribute
Hameed Fani and other senior district officers pamphlets and leaflets about their schemes and Director, Bharat Dynamics
and Bank were also present in the meeting.
programmes in their stalls for awareness of Limited (BDL) Shri V Udaya
In order to make the employement fair an eve general public. She also called for involving Bhaskar presented an interim
to garb the employment opportunity ,this year youth, panch and sarpanchs. DDC directed dividend cheque of Rs. 48.90
during employment fair a placement drive under district officers to highlight women welfare crore for the financial year
2014-15 to the Defence
Uppal in which educated unemployed youth who oriented schemes also.
is graduate will appear for interview who after Nukad nataks and Games are also proposed by Minister Shri Manohar Parrikar
selection will go for job on training. Directions district officers to make the fair more interesting at New Delhi.
The interim dividend paid by
were also passed on to the concerned for dissemination of useful information.
Arrangement for
employment fair discussed
JAMMU | THURSDAY | MARCH 12 | 2015
16 grievances register under PARYAS
NL Correspondent
Kathua | Mar. | 11
PRAYAS is an initiative
devised
by
District
Administration Kathua to listen
to the grievances of the public
telephonically. 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.
Employment Fair said that 45
stalls have been set up by
various
departments,
organizations and placement
agencies.
She said that career
counseling session is also being
organized in the Employment
Fair where the aspirants of
various
competitive
examinations will be guided by
officers
from
civil
administration, police and Army
Officers. She said that such
programmes
besides
encouraging the youth for
setting up their income
generating units help in
developing cordial relationship
between the department and the
local people.
She
said
effective
implementation of various self
employment programmes under
central and state sectors was the
key to address the challenge of
unemployment and to enable
youth to earn dignified
livelihood.
The GOC along with DC
Reasi also handed over cheques
to the beneficiaries of the Self
Entrepreneurship Development
Scheme on this occasion.
Interacting with them, they
impressed upon them to take
best possible advantage of the
schemes.
Maj Gen BV Rao,
accompanied by Deputy
Commissioner Reasi-Sushma
Chauhan inspected various
stalls set up by the different
departments and organizations
at the Employment Fair and
interacted with the concerned
officers in regard to the
schemes displayed there for
enlarging awareness among
youth. A special film show on
career
counseling
and
entrepreneurship was also
screened by the department of
information and public relation
on the occasion.
A cultural show was also
presented by the Army troops
and local artist on this occasion.
Col, 15 Sect RR Brig H S
Walia, Senior Superintendent
of Police-Sujit Kumar, Police,
Army, CRPF, IRP, Divisional
and
District
Officers,
prominent persons of the area
and youth were present on this
occasion.
NL Correspondent
Mendhar | Mar. | 11
and Razwana Khan of B.A. part
II. In the second phase Prof.
Mohd Mahroof presented his
topic "Different types of
Landforms" on power point and
Prof. Mohd Qasim Mir
presented his topic "Origin
Solar System" on power point.
The proceedings of the seminar
were conducted by Prof. Zafar
Iqbal and vote of thanks was
presented by Prof. Shokit
Hussain. Prof. Shabir Hussain
Shah Principal of the college
presided over the seminar. In his
presidential address stressed
upon the students about the
deep knowledge of the subject
which is beneficial for students
in their career for appearing in
any test faced by them. The
seminar was attended by
Under 'PARYAS' as many as
16 callers registered their
grievances with ADDC Kathua
Narinder Singh Bali today here
at DC Office Complex Kathua.
Employment fair held
Joint Secy JKBOSE conducts
surprise inspection of exam centers
discipline in the centers and
ensure that students take
examination in a stress free
atmosphere. Aim of the
authorities is to ensure that
undue pressure on students gets
released by ensuring proper
conduct in the examination
centers, he added.He said
copying in examination has to
be strictly checked and all
measures have to be taken for
ensuring fair examination,
adding that the duty staff
should be periodically changed
and inter school duties should
be encouraged.Joint Secretary
Dr Shafqet Rafeqi is now a
days on the inspection tour of
whole Chenab valley and in
coming days he will also
inspect examination centers at
Doda, Bhalessa, Kishtwar,
Rambna, Banihal, Thatri,
Inderwal, Bonjwa, Khara,
Bharath, Marmath and other
places. He also holds meetings
with local administration of
Bhaderwah in connection with
examinations.
4
HILL DISTRICT
ensure friendly relations with
the people. DIG DKR Range
passed on the instructions
conveyed by the CM J&K and
priorities regarding better
community
policing.
Meanwhile Shri Nisar Ahmed IPS, DIG DKR Range Hqrs.
Batote J&K along with Shri
Zahid Naseem Manhas-KPS,
SSP Doda and other Police
Officers held an interaction
session with NOKs of 21
Martyrs of District Doda. The
NOKs put forth their demands
regarding accommodation to
school going children at Jammu
and settlement of SROs cases
etc. The NOKs of martyrs were
assured that all kind of help and
assistance shall be extended to
them from Police Department.
DIG DKR Range also
distributed gift items as a token
of respect to all the NOKs of
martyrs. DySP DAR (Nodal
Officer) and other supervisory
officers have been directed to
visit the families of NOKs of
police martyrs on weekly basis
to know their welfare.
BDL pays interim dividend
to government
the company works out to
42.52% of the paid up share
capital of Rs. 115 crore.
Secretary
(Defence
Production) Shri G Mohan
Kumar, Joint Secretary
(Electronics System), DDP,
Ministry of Defence Shri JRK
Rao, Director (Technical), BDL
Air Vice Marshal NB Singh,
and Director (Finance), BDL
Shri S Piramanayagam, were
present on the occasion.
Seminar on Physical
Geography conducted
Department of Geography
Govt. Degree College, Mendhar
organized one day seminar on
"Physical Geography" under the
guidance of Prof. M. Qasim Mir
and Prof. Mahroof Ahmed. The
seminar was based on three
phases. In the first phase which
was for the students, as many as
6 Students presented their
papers in the seminar on various
topics of physical geography.
The students who presented
their papers are: Sahil Chandan
from B.Sc semester II, Shan Ali
of B.Sc semester II, Waqar
Ahmed of B.Sc semester II,
Sobia Ferdose of B.A. semester
II, Sabha Ferdose of B.A. part II
Lecture on Swachh
Bharat Abhiyan
organized by
Romeo
Force
NL Correspondent
Jammu | Mar. | 11
Rashtriya Rifle Battalion of
Romeo Force organised a lecture
on Swachh Bharat Abhiyan at
Government Higher Secondary
School, Mendhar, today to bring
awareness on cleanliness and
preservation of environment.
With increasing population in
our country the amount of
pollution and waste products
have increased manifold. The
damage to the environment and
nature due to this is colossal. The
Swachh Bharat Abhiyan was
conducted by Romeo Force to
bring awareness amongst the
students about the harmful
effects of toxic garbage, plastics
and pollutants. They were
educated on the need to have a
clean and hygienic surrounding
and also to preserve the natural
resources around them.
The students and teachers
took keen interest in the subject
and agreed to contribute in
keeping their surroundings clean
as well as to spread this
important message to others to
bring about a cleanliness drive.
The students and locals of the
region were appreciative of the
efforts of Romeo Force for this
noble venture.
geography teachers from
different institutions. Those
who were present on the
occasion were Dr. Zulifqar Ali
Shah, Rajesh Kumar Sharma,
Ajaz-ur-Rehman and Mohd
Aslam. Prof. Shokit Hussain,
Dr. M. Azam, Prof. Javed
Manzoor,
Prof.
A.A.
Choudhary, Dr. Firdous Ahmed,
Prof. Shabnum, Prof. Mohd
Aziz. Prof. Muzafar Iqbal, Prof.
Javed Ahmed, Prof. Shazia
Kouser, Prof. Shabnum, Prof.
Sanjogita, Prof. Yaser¸ Prof.
Tojo Sharma, Prof. Meeraj-udDin, and Prof. Alyas Ahmed
attended the function to make it
colourful. The programme
concluded with vote of thanks
by Prof. Shokit Hussain.
FORM - IV
(RULE 8, THE REGISTRATION OF
NEWSPAPERS (CENTRAL) RULES, 1956)
1. Place of publication
2. Periodicity of publication
3. Printer's Name
Nationality
(a) Whether a citizen of India ?
(b) If a foreigner, the country
of origin
Address
:
:
:
:
:
Jammu
Daily
Mrs. Neelam Singh Gill
Indian
Yes
: xxxx
: Gurudwara Sunder
Singh Road, Jammu
4. Publisher's Name
: Mrs. Neelam Singh Gill
Nationality
: Indian
(a) Whether a citizen of India ? : Yes
b) If a foreigner, the country
of origin
: xxxx
Address
: Gurudwara Sunder
Singh Road, Jammu
5. Editor's Name
: Mr. Rattan Singh Gill
Nationality
: Indian
(a) Whether a citizen of India ? : Yes
(b)If a foreigner, the country
of origin
: xxxx
Address
: Gurudwara Sunder
Singh Road, Jammu
6. Names and addresses of individuals who own the
newspaper and partners or shareholders holding More than
one per cent of the total capital: Sole Proprietor
I, Neelam Singh Gill, hereby declare that the particulars
given above are true to the best of my knowledge and belief.
Date : 12-03-2015
Sd/(Name : Neelam Singh Gill)
Publisher
The NORTHLINES
5
KATHUA
www.thenorthlines.com
JAMMU | THURSDAY | MARCH 12 | 2015
Village residents meet Tehsildar Body identified after 3 days People stage protest against PDD
NL Correspondent
Kathua | Mar. | 11
Finally, after three days an
unidentified dead body lying in
the mortuary room of district
hospital got an identity. The
deceased was identified as
Basant Lal S/O Gopu R/O
Chak Sajjan Kathua. The
relatives of deceased said that
Basant left home for some
work during the evening hours
of March 8, 2015. After that, he
did not turn up. Today, when
they reached hospital they
recognized him.
Pertinent to mention that
during late hours of March 8 an
unknown vehicle hit a person
near Khrote Morh and he died
on spot. The police shifted his
body to mortuary waiting for
the identity of the deceased.
The police after investigation
and fulfilling other formalities
handed over the dead body to
family members for cremation.
AIGDSU protests
against Postal Deptt
NL Correspondent
Kathua | Mar. | 11
Deputation of villagers of
Hadat Mahanpur met Tehsildar
Mahanpur Sohan Lal Raina
under the leadership of Rattan
Chand, on Wednesday.
Leading the deputation,
Rattan Chand apprised
Tehsildar that the villagers' of
are depriving of drinking water
since one month and are bound
to drink the polluted water of
ponds and other natural
resources.
Alleging the irresponsible
attitude of the department
officials' he said that despite
repeated pleas the department
officials do not bother to listen
to the grievances of public.
Villager, Prem Chand said
since independence we are
struggling for the facility of safe
drinking water. There is no
proper arrangement for drinking
supply. "There is no tube-well
in the village, and they use to
get water supply from nearby
village Marda Patti however,
the villagers' has stopped their
water supply and department is
not taking any initiative to
restore the water supply," he
miffed.
He added that in lack of water
facility either we use to spend
money from our pockets to buy
water from private tankers "The
people of the village are not so
sound and we are not in the
NL Correspondent
Kathua | Mar. | 11
Parshotam, Sansar Chand, Karan
Kumar, Shyam Singh and many
other union members were
condition of buying expensive
All
India
Gramin
Dak
Sevak
present on the occasion.
water again and again," he Union
staged
protest
"Apart from providing quality
added.
The deputation members demonstration outside the main base education to the children at
further alleged the attitude of
concerned department for not
giving an ear to their problem.
Beside repeated requests, the
officials do not bother for them,
compelling them for agitation.
After listening to villagers'
Tehsildar assured of restoring
the water supply as soon as
possible. After talking to Xen of
the concerned department, he
added that department is aware
of the problem and has already
elementary level, Sarv Shiksha
initiated steps in concern.
Post
Office
for
the
2nd
day.
Abhiyan also addresses the
Sushma Devi, Raj Kumar,
the protesters, State problems of children with Special
Bodh Raj, Rekha Rani were part Leading
President Hari Krishan said that Need", he said. He further said
of deputation.
thousands of union members are that distribution of artificial limbs
facing problems due to anti- and other aiding appliances
employee attitude of Postal among the beneficiaries is part of
Department. He said that Postal this.
Department turning Nelsons' eye Further, the ZEO Arun Pathak
towards their genuine demands is explained in detail the benefits
compelling them to be on roads. provided under various Centrally
Giving reference of union Sponsored
Schemes/State
demands' he said that we are Schemes to the students studying
demanding of involving the in Govt. Schools and stressed the
union members in seventh pay people of the area to enroll their
commission, which is a genuine wards in Govt. Schools so that
demand?
benefit of the schemes percolates
He said that Central to all the children.
Government is acting in direction As part of the programme, the
of privatization of department, department distributed education
which the union would not material to the disabled students
tolerate in the interest of nation and felicitated the parents with
and off-course employees. Hari the travelling expenditure. ZEPO
Krishan further added that union Girdhari Lal, Mukesh Sharma,
members are bound to work in Subash Kumar and a large
adverse conditions as the number of students were present
facilities at Dak Offices is worst on the occasion.
and they are demanding of
improvement.
NOTICE
Darshan Kumar, Darbari Lal,
Balwant Raj, Tilak Raj, I Hirdhay Mahajan S/o
Sanjay Gupta R/o Ward
No.4 Krishna Colony Tehsil
NOTICE
& District Kathua my name
I Pintu Raina S/o Sat Paul
wrongly written in my all
R/o
Village
Badala
P/o
BJP has gained a historical
documents as Hirdhay
Chann
Gran
Tehsil
&
mandate and even stood to form
Mahajan instead of Hirdhay
District
Kathua
my
father
coalition government that is
Gupta. Now I am applying
name
wrongly
written
in
my
witnessing BJP's growing
for the correction objection
Pan
Card
as
Sat
Paul
Raina
popularity and need in the state.
if any may be conveyed to
instead
of
Sat
Paul.
Now
I
To sustain this big amount of
concerned authorities within
am
applying
for
the
BJP's growth and acceptability
seven days from the date of
correction
objection
if
any
in the state, it has become
publication of this notice.
may
be
conveyed
to
necessary to introduce BJP's
concerned
authorities
within
ideology as well as policies
among the people and for this seven days from the date of
membership drive is needed publication of this notice.
I Hatinder
primarily, Singh said.
Manhotra
NOTICE
S/o Gian
I Sanjay Kumar S/o Sake
Chand R/o
R/o Chack Drab Khan Tehsil
Ward No.10
& District Kathua have lost
H o u s e
my Driving License
N o . 3 9
No.JK0820120028 Now I
Parliwand
am applying for the
Tehsil & District Kathua
duplicate objection if any
have lost my 10th Class
may be conveyed to R.T.O
Diploma Session 1988 Roll
Lakhanpur within seven
No.29309 Now I am
days from the date of
applying for the duplicate
publication of this notice.
objection if any may be
conveyed to concerned
authorities within seven days
from the date of publication
of this notice.
NL Correspondent
Kathua | Mar. | 11
People from Rajbagh and
adjoining areas staged protest at
National Highway, alleging the
lackadaisical attitude of power
department on Wednesday.
The protesters raised slogans
against
the
concerned
department as well as the
minister of the said department
blocked the National Highway
for half an hour. Border village
"Haria Chack" of Tehsil
Hiranagar held a protest
demonstration at Kathua
against Power Development
Department and District
administration. Villagers turned
protestors claimed that the
population of border village
Haria Chack has been depriving
of electricity for the last one
month and forced the entire
village to live in darkness. They
alleged that PDD and district
administration for being failed
to address the electricity
problem that has badly affected
the entire life of the village.
They further warned to
intensify
the
protest
demonstration
if
their
electricity problem is not
solved as soon as possible.
The protesters Charanpreet
Singh, Harbans Singh and
Charan Singh said on
unscheduled power cuts and
low voltage had made their life
hell. Despite knowing the facts
department not bothers at all as
far as the service of electricity
is concerned.
Later SDPO Border Diwakar
Singh reached the spot with
police and assures of restoring
the power supply within
twenty-four hours.
Ajeetpal Singh, Satinder
Singh, Daljeet Singh, Kripal
Singh, Daleep Singh and many
others were among protesters.
Parental Counseling program organised
BJYM holds membership drive
NL Correspondent
Kathua | Mar. | 11
After getting mandate during
parliament elections across the
country and state assembly
elections in Jammu and
Kashmir, a youth wing of
Bhartya Janta Yuva Morcha
(BJYM) has again moved to
increase the enrollment of BJP
at Kathua. BJYM has launched
enrollment drive in front of
Govt Degree College Kathua
where more than two hundred
persons are given membership
of BJP. The drive was launched
under the supervision of District
president BJYM, Dhamanjeet
Singh and City President Bhanu
Partap Singh who said that main
objective of the membership
drive is to stand as a bulky
enrollment of BJP so that 100%
membership target could be
covered across the country
particularly in J&K state. In
recent state assembly elections,
School holds rhyme competition
NL Correspondent
Kathua | Mar. | 11
Shiva Public School has
organized "rhyme competition"
for little chaps in its premises at
Shivanagr on Wednesday. In the
competition, the little chaps from
nursery to UKG participated and
performed wonderfully by
dancing and singing. The best
performers were also awarded
with mementoes and certificate
by the chief guest on the occasion
Chairman of the school Maru
Ram Gupta. While appreciating
the performance of little chaps of
the school, Maru Ram Gupta said
to inculcate the good habits and
sense of competition in student's
right from very beginning is very
important so with this objective
little chaps are given the
opportunities through the
programme
by
school
administration.
NYK launches Punarjagaran Abhiyan
NL Correspondent
Kathua | Mar. | 11
Nehru Yuva Kendra Kathua
launched
"Punarjagaran
Abhiyan" - A Mass Awakening
Programme
of
Youth
Participation in National
Development. Under the
programme Youth shall be
aware, educate and organized
for empowerment enable him to
play active role in community,
social
and
national
development. Punarjagaran
Abhiyan shall be implemented
in 100 villages of Kathua
District
with
active
collaboration & coordination
with District Administration.
The Punarjagran campaign
shall be launched by Trained
Spearhead campaigners team of
60 youth. NYK Kathua invited
the Youth Volunteers for
launching
Punarjagran
Campaign from Youth Clubs,
Mahila Mandals, NGOs' Social
Organization, any Volunteers
who shall devote time for social
cause to visit in village to aware
and educate the rural public and
shall be paid Rs. 162.00 per day
as stipend. For Punarjagran
Campaign, 07 days training
course w.e.f. 11.3.15 to 17.3.15
is being organized by NYK
Kathua at Rainbow School, near
Nagri Bus Adda for Spearhead
Campaigner Team and free
boarding and lodging, to & fro
Bus fair shall be provided to the
trainees, any interested youth
can joined for the training.
NOTICE
NL Correspondent
Kathua | Mar. | 11
person Sunil Singh Jasrotia and cultural
programme/quiz
top three students were awarded competition, exposure trips,
by the chief guest. Jasrotia also parental counseling, celebration
A programme "Parental provide the information of world disabled day, tree
Counseling" at zonal level for regarding awareness programme plantation drive, adventure
the "children with special needs" for CWSN in the form of camps and workshops.
(CWSN) of zone Kathua was
organized at Govt Middle
NOTICE
School (Proper) Kathua under It is certified that the fallowing members are the committee
SSA for the year 2014-2015. members of New Light Presentation Convent School Pathwal
CSWN from different school of Hiranagar Session 2015-16
zone Kathua as well their S. No. Name
Designation
parents and village education 1.
Ram Krishan
Chairman
committee members of the 2.
Devi Rani
Vice Chairman
school attended the programme. 3.
Kewal Krishan
Principal
The Zonal Education officer 4.
Rajinder Kumar Member Secretary
Arun Pathak was the chief guest 5.
Rajesh Kumar
Member
on the occasion. The zonal 6.
Rajinder Parshad Member
education planning officer 7.
Kaka Ram
Member
Girdhari Lal also graced the
occasion by his presence. In the
Sd-/
programme it was stressed by
Principal
the different speakers that
New Light Presentation Convent School
CWSN are equal as other
Pathwal Hiranagar
children of the society. . The
parents of the CWSN were Estd.2003
Phone: 233344
motivated to continue the
studies of their wards. A written
objective test was also
conducted by cluster resource
NOTICE
I, Dalip Kumar S/o Late
Ram Lal R/o Manpur
Nowshera, Rajouri have
purchased a vehicle Tata
Sumo Bearing Registration
No.JK08A-4395 Model
2004 from Anil Kumar S/o
Dewan Chand R/o Ward
No.1 Tehsil & District
Kathua Now I am applying
for transfer objection if any
may be conveyed to R.T.O
Lakhanpur within seven
days from the date of
publication of this notice.
LEARNING TEMPLE ENGLISH
MEDIUM HIGH SCHOOL
NEAR AGRICULTURE OFFICE, KATHUA-184101
Welcome to a World…
Where learning becomes a pasion.
ADMISSIONS OPEN (2015-16)
For more details:Parents/Wards are welcome with us at:
LEARNING TEMPLE ENGLISH MEDIUM
HIGH SCHOOL, WARD 17, KATHUA
Contact: 01922-233344, 94191-50400
E-mail: [email protected]
The NORTHLINES
www.thenorthlines.com
ETOUQ
"Start where you are. Use what you have.
Do what you can."
- Arthur Ashe
the NORTHLINES, Jammu
Scholars and Intellectuals
A society must be led by scholars and
intellectuals and not by politicians and mere
entertainers like cine stars or like celebrities.
Knowledge and justice are sublime and need
sharp and wise minds with compassionate
hearts. Leading society and fellow humans is a
holy duty and not cheap entertainment. Society
leaders should also have love for and flair about
fine-arts. A robot should not be CM or PM.
It is highly wondering why many cultured and
civilized Indians are so stressed and distressed
taking the words of a rapist as the face and voice
of all Indian males? Can anything be so
ridiculous? He is just representing himself that
is all. Let all get their sanity.
Whatever is the festival, the celebration must
include consumption of liquor in most of Indian
elite homes. Most of these elite citizens, who
own NGOs, preach day and night the commoner
not to consume liquor as it is harmful to health.
Why these elite forget themselves to include in
this list to be preached. Whichever liquor you
consume, it spoils the health of the wealthy or
commoner. So is consumption of drugs and like
intoxicating chemicals. Why rave parties are so
popular among the stinkingly rich? Do they
know how to take care of themselves, their
health, honour, prestige and duty towards
society? Why should we not ignore this lot who
are spoiling themselves and the society? They
should be ignored. Their ill-gotten money and
wealth must not decide and dictate societal
values. Only scholars and intellectuals who
have warmth in their hearts for all beings must
prevail and their expressions must counsel and
guide the society.
by Rati Hegde
Is it Fair?
Yesterday I got a message “2 years for Rape;
5 years for Cow Slaughter … Is this fair?”
I cannot say how disgusted I was with this
message. One crime snuffs out a life while
living and the other nonchalantly takes away
the life altogether. So where is the difference?
The difference is that in the first case, the
victim is a human life; in the second, it is a
mute animal. The former can protest, cry,
voice out her pain; the later cannot even do
that.
Does man realize that the day is
not far when he will be raped
and pillaged and thrown away
just as carelessly, the way he is
doing it to the woman and the
cow. In fact it is already
happening – financially,
mentally, emotionally and
physically. Look around you –
the stock markets, the
pharmaceutical companies, the
terrorists, the politicians. The
joke is on you men – Husha
Busha, we all fall down!
The sender of the message obviously
wanted to say that a woman’s modesty is more
valuable than the life of an animal. But if the
woman’s modesty was indeed more valuable,
why then is she raped? Immediately after I got
this message, another one flashed on my
computer screen – “the rapist in the Nirbhaya
episode claims that she should have kept quiet;
her life would have been saved.” SUCH
IRONY!
In India, when we want to talk about the
good qualities of a girl, one sentence comes to
mind – “Gai hai gai” ie. She is like a Cow Gentle and self sacrificing. Right! Look at the
parallels:
Both are considered as wealth in the
household – Laksmi.
6
OPINION
JAMMU | THURSDAY | MARCH 12 | 2015
Commemorative
New media ensuring the
of
emergence of new politics in India celebrations
world war -1
The days of political elite have ended with the advent of
new politics and new media. Today every citizen is a
politician, social worker and an intellectual, says Ram
Madhav, BJP national general secretary.
W
hen India was becoming
independent someone asked
Nehru as to why he wanted the
newly freed country to opt for a
democratic form of government. Nehru
said, ‘because it is the second best form
of government’. ‘What was the best form
of government?’ the questioner persisted.
‘Yet to be invented’, quipped Nehru.
Time has come for us to invent a new
form of politics and governance. The
world is changing; especially the
democratic world is changing fast. India
of the 21st century is remarkably
different from India of the 20th century.
It is enjoying rich demographic dividend.
It is the world’s most youthful nation
today.
Very soon this young population will
take the size of India’s workforce to
some 500 million. While China has
almost peaked its workforce size at
around 380 million, India will surpass it
in less than a decade’s time. This
demographic dividend needs to be
converted into an asset. For that we need
a new kind of politics. The days of
conventional politics are gone. The
predominantly young population of India
is highly aspirational. In order to meet
the aspirations of the people the political
system has to also undergo
transformation.
India is fast urbanising. According to
one estimate, three-fourths of India’s
population lives in around 80,000 semiurban and urban centres, where as onefourths of its population will be living in
the remaining 5 lakh villages. Once an
agrarian economy India is transforming
into a non-agrarian economy with
agricultural component of the gross
domestic product reducing to about 25
per cent of the total GDP.
Industry, services etc. drive the
economy today. But the population
dependent on agriculture continues to be
above 50 per cent.
Swami Vivekananda was once asked
by a disciple in Europe as to why the
country which used to be described by
Swamiji as the ‘land immortal’ has so
many poor, diseased and destitute.
Swamiji’s reply was: ‘My country and
culture are great. But my people have
become lethargic and self-centred’.
Systemic lethargy and corruption are
the biggest malady of Indian polity. It is
not allowing the enormous potential of
India to blossom.
In order for it to change India needs
new politics. That is what the new
government in India under Prime
Minister Modi is attempting to bring in.
A cycle of mediocrity, loyalty and
intimidation has plagued Indian politics
for several decades now. Mediocrity was
the norm; loyalty the test and
intimidation the order. It is time we bring
in excellence. We need the best and
Both are wealth only as long as they keep
giving. The woman has to do all the work in
the house, look after the children, work
gainfully if required, do ‘seva’ to the husband,
the parents, the guests, without complaining.
The cow has to give milk, dung, urine,
continuously, without complaining.
Their health and happiness, physical and
mental, don’t matter at all to the ‘man of the
house’.
If she falls ill, if there is less food in the
house, in fact in all contrary conditions, she is
taken care of last.
If she complains, if she tries to protest, she
is tied, beaten up and abused.
Neither the woman’s sexual desire is
important, nor is the cow’s. Most cows are
artificially inseminated, a painful process,
without their desire or liking.
On certain holy days, both are worshipped
and a show of giving respect to them is
maintained, just to prove to the world that they
are Goddesses incarnate.
In such a situation, we are hearing of
innumerable comments of how banning of the
slaughter of cows will cause inconceivable
financial loss to many sections of the society,
untold loss of freedom with respect to food
choices, etc. etc. And these very people are
protesting the words mouthed by the vile rapist
of Nirbhaya, saying that his words should not
be published or splashed over the media. And
what did he say? “Now when they rape, they
won’t let the girl go like we did. They will kill
her. Earlier, they would rape and say, ‘Leave
her, she won’t tell anyone.’ Now when they
rape, especially the criminal types, they will
just kill the girl. Death.” What has happened
here is that this man has just looked at woman
as a piece of flesh. This is exactly what
happened to the cow too. Earlier she was just
used for her milk and dung. Then man became
a beast and killed her for her leather, her flesh.
Is there a difference?
Does man realize that the day is not far
when he will be raped and pillaged and thrown
away just as carelessly, the way he is doing it
to the woman and the cow. In fact it is already
happening – financially, mentally, emotionally
and physically. Look around you – the stock
markets, the pharmaceutical companies, the
terrorists, the politicians. The joke is on you
men – Husha Busha, we all fall down!
intelligent people in politics. Before
independence politics was a mission for
the people. After independence it became
a family vocation. Of late we see the
emergence of a creature called
‘professional politician’. There are
institutions in India today that ‘train’
politicians. Politics has become a
profession. But the new politics is about
passion; a strong desire to serve the
community and country.
New politics is the most liberal and
inclusive politics. For long we have been
having ideology driven politics. Ideology
is important. It provides vision and
direction to politics. But what is lacking
in politics is idealism. New politics is all
about idealism. Ideologies should no
longer become barriers. They should
instead help find common ground. They
should guide our political behaviour, not
the social behaviour. Ideology sans
idealism only produces demagogues.
Plato talked about philosopher-kings.
The new politics is akin to that.
Professionalism with passion and
idealism inspired by ideology is how the
new politics can be described.
It is data-driven, not dogma-driven.
Transparency and accountability are vital
to it. The new age politician is honest,
humane and knowledgeable. New
politics is also politics of courage. We
increasingly find leaders who are willing
to question the established wisdom and
ready to experiment. The quintessential
democratic principle of equality based on
‘one man one vote’ is central to new
politics. Here the people are supreme.
They have all the power. Armed with
Right to Information they can challenge
any system or leader.
Not just a bureaucrat, but even a
politician is a ‘public servant’. He cannot
expect any special privileges any more.
He is under public scrutiny round-theclock.
Olof Palme, prime minister of Sweden
was murdered in 1986. He was walking
back from a cinema theatre after
watching a movie with his wife in
company. The prime minister of a superrich European nation goes out to watch a
movie with his wife like a commoner.
This NoVIP tradition is emerging as
another hallmark of new politics in India.
Chanakya in the Artha Shastra insists
that the king should live the life of the
last man of his kingdom. If the last man
can’t afford a neat bed the king too is
expected to sleep on the floor.
Chandragupta was already a married
man when he was asked by Chanakya to
marry the daughter of Seleucas in order
to ward off repeated aggressions from the
Greeks. Chandragupta protests only to be
rebuked by Chanakya who insists that a
king has no personal choices other than
what is beneficial to his subjects.
This is a tall order for a country like
India. We are taking baby steps towards
it. How to achieve it?
An important tool to achieve this new
politics is the explosion of new media.
New media is truly democratic media. It
has ended the era of ‘opinion makers’.
The advent of internet enabled people’s
media has freed the dependence of public
opinion on the elite group of
intelligentsia that has captured the space
in mainstream media.
With more than 800 million Facebook
users and 200 million Twitter accounts
the new media is ruling the roost in India
today.
It is this media that is ensuring the
emergence of new politics in India. Not
just the politician, even the MSM is
under constant scrutiny by the new
media. It is making system accountable
and transparent. Fear of public outrage in
social media is a big conditioning factor
in Indian politics today.
New media is also a great instrument
in data and information inflow and
outflow. Used appropriately the new
media can be of great help to the
government and institutions in the
discharge of their duties with due
diligence. At the people’s level
governments are expected to deliver on 6
major areas: bijli, sadak, pani, swasthya,
suchita and suraksha (Power, roads,
water, health, sanitation and security).
The Chanakyan principle of ‘minimum
government -- maximum governance’
can be achieved in several of these areas
if the government uses new media. It can
help in surveys, data collection,
information dissemination and feedback
gathering.
Crowdsourcing is increasingly
becoming popular with governmental
departments thanks to new media.
People’s participation is key to the
success of new politics. The days of
political elite have ended with the advent
of new politics and new media. Thanks
to new media today every citizen is a
politician, social worker and an
intellectual rolled in one depending on
what he does in a given situation. In a
way the new politics empowered by new
media has brought in a major paradigm
shift in Indian politics. Today the ancient
dictum ‘Yatha Raja Tatha Praja’ (people
imitate their king) no longer holds any
water. It is the other way now: ‘Yatha
Praja Tatha Raja’ (As the people so the
king).
A small caution though. While the era
of new-age politicians has begun in
India there can be many a politician
who would be unwilling to let it
succeed. In no time would he master the
art of manipulating new media and new
politics too. Hence eternal vigilance is
the price that a society has to always
pay to ensure its own safety and wellbeing.
I
ndian Army is Commemorating the Centenary of the First
World War from 10 March to 14 March 2015 in New
Delhi in memory of the 1.5 million Indian Soldiers who
fought in the war and over 74000 who made the supreme
sacrifice. 10th March coincides with the Battle of Neuve
Chapelle marking the British Offensive in Artois region of
France in which the Garhwal Brigade & Meerut Division of
the Indian Corps participated. The time period 2014 to 2018
is being commemorated as the Centenary of World War-1.
As part of the Commemorative Events, a wreath was laid
at Amar Jawan Jyoti, India Gate by The Hon'ble Prime
Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi on 10 March 2015.
Raksha Mantri, Rajya Raksha Mantri, Service Chiefs,
Defence Secretary and senior serving officers of the
Regiments that took part in the War, also graced the occasion.
A Commemorative Exhibition is also being held at
Manekshaw Centre from 10 to 14 March 2015. A Veterans
Run to be flagged off by Vice Chief of Army Staff will carry
the inaugural Flame 'Heritage Torch' from Commonwealth
War Cemetery, Brar Square to Manekshaw Centre, Delhi
Cantt. The last Veteran Runner Honorary Captain (Retd)
Bana Singh, PVC, will hand over the 'Heritage Torch' to the
Hon'ble President for lighting the symbolic 'Flame of
Remembrance' (Inaugural Flame) and inaugurating the
‘
‘
The descendants of some of the
Victoria Cross Awardees and the
Param Vir Chakra Awardees of
Independent India will also be
present for the function and will
interact with the Hon'ble
President.
Commemorative Exhibition.
The Chief of the Army Staff will address the dignitaries
and highlight the role and sacrifices of the Indian Soldiers
during the First World War. The President will thereafter
release a Commemorative First Day Cover. The President
will also view the exhibition which includes a 'Gallantry
Hall', highlighting how the 'Great War' was fought and won,
its impact on Indian Soldiers lives on the frontline and at
home. It will showcase 13 Campaigns, wartime weapons and
equipment, memorabilia and various artifacts. The 'Corner of
Remembrance' in the exhibition will display old letters, an
old home in neglect with belongings of Soldiers and
depicting a feeling of anxiousness of the families waiting for
their dear ones to return home. The 'Sacrifice Hall' will
include replicas of Amar Jawan Jyoti, Indian memorials,
busts and paintings of Victoria Cross Winners in India &
abroad.
The outdoor props of the exhibition will give a glimpse of
the dress, equipment, bunkers and guns. A replica of
miniature Brighton Hospital will depict the treatment and the
trauma that the Indian Soldiers went through. The live props
will highlight the role played by various Arms/Corps in the
War including Infantry, Cavalry, Artillery, Engineers, Signals
and ASC. A dynamic band display by the Indian Army brass
& pipe bands will also be conducted as part of the mega
event.
The descendants of some of the Victoria Cross Awardees
and the Param Vir Chakra Awardees of Independent India
will also be present for the function and will interact with the
Hon'ble President.
The Commemoration Exhibition of World War -1 at
Manekshaw Convention Centre at Delhi Cantonment would
be open to the public and Schools and Colleges from 11 to 13
March 2015.
- (ADNI)
More than one thorn in the flesh to handle
T
he contentious issues of Article
370 and the AFSPA were set aside
due to sharp differences between
the BJP and the PDP. Governance of
J&K will require the skill of a trapeze
artist and the patience of a Bodhisattva
Jammu & Kashmir is at a momentous
crossroads. The coalition hammered out
by the Peoples Democratic Party and the
Bharatiya Janata Party after two months
of negotiations, necessitated by the need
to respect the largest voter turnout in the
State’s history and bridge the regional
divide created by that verdict, is an
instance of the famed ‘million mutinies’
that dot this nation’s chequered history.
Since the regional divide is also a chasm
between the mainly Sunni Kashmir
valley and the largely Hindu Jammu
province, the decision deserves unstinted
admiration. Buddhist-majority Ladakh
voted Congress, thus completing the
rigid political mandate.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has
been generous in accepting an accord
giving the PDP the chief ministership
and 11 out of 16 Cabinet berths, leaving
the BJP with Deputy Chief Minister, four
cabinet and five out of eight Minister of
State posts. As the PDP won only three
seats more than the BJP (28/25), this is
clearly unequal. Yet the BJP spared a
berth for former militant Sajjad Lone,
though (at the time of writing) he
rejected the ‘insignificant’ portfolios
(Science & Technology, Animal
Husbandry) allotted to him.
The contentious issues of Article 370
and the Armed Forces (Special Powers)
Act were wisely set aside due to the
sharp differences between the two sides.
Article 370 is an illegitimate brainchild
of then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru
and possibly also then Governor General
Louis Mountbatten, who played a
poisonous role in the State from the
moment of Pakistan’s aggression and
accession by Maharaja Hari Singh.
But the ultimate blame lay with Nehru
because, once he realised he was misled
into taking the issue to the United
Nations and had lost one-third of the
State’s territory to Pakistan, and had to
have Sheikh Abdullah arrested in 1953,
he should have scuttled Article 370. It
SANDHYA
JAIN
has nurtured Kashmiri separatism, bred
false grievances against the nation, and
helped Pakistan muddy the waters.
Unsurprisingly, it is hated in Jammu
and Ladakh, which have received
‘
‘
the terrorists and the separatists for the
peaceful polls, that too, in the presence
of the Prime Minister. Later, Union
Minister for Home Affairs Rajnath Singh
and Prime Minister Modi said the credit
It is a rocky road ahead. But the BJP has
made a debut in this critical border State and
positioned itself to address the Gordian Knots
bequeathed by history.
shoddy treatment from the Kashmir
valley whose writ has run since
independence due to an unequal division
of seats imposed by Nehru. For now, the
venomous Article 370 continues with the
separate State Constitution and separate
flag. But the political template has
shifted, as for the first time, Jammu has a
voice in Srinagar.
The issue of AFSPA was more
complex as withdrawal is not in the
national interest, and would be resisted
by the Armed Forces which have made
valiant sacrifices fighting militants and
jihadi infiltrators. Under a compromise
formula, the parties agreed to retain
AFSPA while authorising the coalition
Government to “thoroughly review the
security situation … with a view to
examine the need for desirability of all
the special laws being applied to the
State in view of the situation improving”.
It may consider de-notifying disturbed
areas to enable the Centre to “take a final
view on the continuation of AFSPA in
these areas.” Kashmiris resent AFSPA
because it gives the Armed Forces
immunity from prosecution while
tackling militancy.
Given the divergences, governance
will require the skill of a trapeze artist
and the patience of a Bodhisattva.
Immediately after taking charge, Chief
Minister Mufti Mohammed Sayeed
created a flutter by crediting Pakistan,
belonged to the people who defied
terrorist threats to vote, the Election
Commission that ensured free and fair
polls, and the security forces who
protected citizens and guarded against
external aggression and infiltration.
A week later, a grave provocation
came in the release of Masrat Alam, who
masterminded the stone-pelting
incidents that took the lives of 112
youngsters in 2010, without consulting
the BJP. The Cassandras sprang back
into action, demanding an end to the
alliance. This would be immature and
premature. The priority is to protect the
peace, develop all regions, and
rehabilitate the victims of last year’s
devastating flood. The agenda for
alliance promises to help the ousted
Kashmiri Pandits to return to the valley
with dignity, based on their rights as
‘State subjects’ (the constitutional term
is ‘permanent residents’). Previous
regimes expressed similar willingness in
the past decade, but the overtures may
get a lukewarm response as most
families have rebuilt their lives and
careers in other parts of the country over
the past two decades, and it may not be
easy to uproot the next generation. But
they will get back their land and
properties, which will be a blessing.
The BJP must fulfil the promises
made to the mainly Hindu families who
fled Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and
West Pakistan following the wars of
1947, 1965 and 1971, and have been
wallowing in neglect as successive
regimes refused to give them legal
recognition. Officially designated as
‘migrants’, and numbering around 15
lakh, they have been living as temporary
tenants in Jammu Pradesh (from Poonch
to Hiranagar), tilling the lands of those
who left for Pakistan in 1947 and have
been denied permanent allotments.
Under the envisaged one-time
settlement, they must be accorded
permanent resident status, and assured
sustenance and livelihood. Citizens
living along the international border are
to get the same benefits as those living
on the Line of Control, but the
Government must also rehabilitate the
Jammu migrants who were forced to
flee their villages by terrorists from
1999 onwards, and are camping in
Talwara.
A major milestone would be the
delimitation
of
Assembly
constituencies, which the State’s major
parties resisted after Census 2001. This
is stifling the aspirations of the people of
Jammu and Ladakh. Most contentious
will be the “sustained dialogue with all
internal stakeholders irrespective of
their ideological views and leanings”, a
euphemism for the Hurriyat Conference,
following the principles of ‘insaniyat,
kashmiriyat andjamhooriat’ enunciated
by the Atal Bihari Vajpayee
Government. This has been criticised for
ignoring Ladakh and the Dogra
community that formed the backbone of
the erstwhile kingdom. Meanwhile, the
Chief Minister has claimed credit for the
Prime Minister’s decision to resume
talks with Pakistan under the umbrella
of the South Asian Association for
Regional Cooperation unity; but it is an
open question if travel, trade, and
commerce can be improved through
regional connectivity as envisaged in the
Saarc Motor Vehicles Agreement that
Pakistan has stalled so far.
It is a rocky road ahead. But the BJP
has made a debut in this critical border
State and positioned itself to address the
Gordian Knots bequeathed by history.
The NORTHLINES
NATIONAL
Climate change poses serious
threat similar to terrorism: PM
www.thenorthlines.com
Agencies
Victoria, Mar 11
Climate change poses serious threat to
island nations like Seychelles as
terrorism to the world, Prime Minister
Narendra Modi today said as he
expressed India's deep commitment to
combat global warming.
"The world must come together and
talk about climate change as we discuss
terror," Modi said during a civic
reception accorded to him at the Palais
des Sports here. He said people living in
small islands do not care about who is
making nuclear bomb, but they do bother
about the global warming as it is linked
with their survival.
"Today, small small countries which
because is it continues, they apprehend
whether they would be alive or not.
Whether their Island would submerge in
water. "To save the world, not only those
who live on island but the entire world
will have to discuss and work in this
regard. The world have to discuss
climate change on the same level as they
do discuss terrorism. It poses a serious
threat as climate," Modi said.
Earlier, the Prime Minister said India
was deeply committed to combat the
climate change. "We had strong
convergence of views on climate change.
We are two nations that are vulnerable to
its impact," he said after holding talks
are based on island, they don't think with Seychelles President James Alix
about who is making nuclear bomb but Michel. Modi, the first Prime Minister
they think about the global warming to visit Seychelles in 34 years, stressed
on India's shared commitment to strong
national action to combat climate
change. He also called for a strong and
ambitious global effort, especially from
the developed world, on climate change.
"I reiterated our consistent support to
the position of the Small Island
Developing States. Equally, I renewed
India's strong commitment to our
partnership with Africa," he added.
Last year in December, negotiators
from over 190 countries adopted a
compromise draft for national pledges to
cut global carbon emissions at marathon
UN climate talks in Peruvian capital
Lima that paved way for a new
ambitious and binding deal to be signed
in Paris this year to combat climate
change.
Harish Rawat defends No dilution of India's Nuclear liability
Manmohan Singh, says his Act, clarifies Govt in Lok Sabha
integrity was never in doubt
Agencies
New Delhi, Mar 11
Agencies
Dehradun, Mar 11
Uttarakhand Chief Minister
Harish Rawat on Wednesday
came to the defence of
Manmohan Singh, who has
been summoned by court as an
accused in a coal scam case,
describing him as "one of the
country's most efficient prime
ministers" whose integrity was
never in doubt.
"Manmohan Singh has been
one of the country's ablest
prime
ministers.
His
contribution has been the most
significant in making India an
economic super. No one ever
cast doubts on his honesty and
integrity. I am totally confident
that he will prove to be
innocent," Rawat told reporters
when asked about the court
summon.
Former Prime Minister
Singh, industrialist Kumar
Mangalam Birla, ex-coal
secretary PC Parakh and three
others were today summoned as
accused by a special CBI court
in a coal scam case pertaining to
allocation of Talabira-II coal
block in Odisha in 2005 and
asked to appear before it on
April 8.
Karnataka HC reserves
order on Jaya DA case
Agencies
Bengaluru, Mar 11
The Karnataka High Court on
Wednesday reserved its order in
the hearing of the appeals filed
by former Tamil Nadu Chief
Minister Jayalalithaa and three
others challenging their conviction in the disproportionate
assets case.
Justice C R Kumaraswamy,
as he wound up the hearing,
reserved the order after defence
counsels filed their replies,
challenging the written
submissions made by BJP
leader Subramanian Swamy in
the case. The judge had on
March 9 directed Swamy to
make written submissions by
Wednesday.
Swamy, in his submissions,
prayed to the court to dismiss
the appeal as it is "vague,
unmerited and devoid of
substance" and to confirm the
conviction and sentence
imposed by the trial court. "I
pray to your Lordship to
dismiss with costs the appeal
being vague, which is without
merit and devoid of substance,
and confirm conviction and
sentence imposed by the trial
court and thus render justice,"
he said.
Swamy said Jayalalithaa,
who owns about ten acres of
grape-vine farm land in
Hyderabad, claimed an income
of about Rs 1 lakh per acre from
it, which is "abnormal and
unbelievable
agricultural
income." "A-1 (Jayalalithaa),
who owns about ten acres of
grape-vine farm land in
Hyderabad, has claimed an
income of about Rs one lakh per
acre from it, which is abnormal
and unbelievable agricultural
income during the past years
when she was the Chief
Minister when in fact she was
not in a position to build a
farmhouse there with her own
funds," Swamy said. "If her
claim of agricultural yields
income is Rs 1 lakh per acre,
perhaps she must be the most
productive farmer in the whole
world," he submitted.
Government on Wednesday
sought to allay concerns that the
Indo-US talks may lead to
dilution of India's Nuclear
Liability Act and asserted that
the law has not been amended
and the onus of any damages
remains with the supplier.
Minister of State for Atomic
Energy and Space Jitendra
Singh also assured members in
the Lok Sabha that safety
standards in India's nuclear
plants were as good as
anywhere in the world and in
fact, "more than many other
countries". "Overall, there is no
amendment in the Act. The onus
is still on the suppliers," Singh
said during the Question Hour.
Following the recent talks
between Prime Minister
Narendra Modi and US
President Barack Obama, both
sides had claimed a
"breakthrough" over the nuclear
impasse. The concerns were
raised as the US firms were
opposed to those aspects of the
Nuclear Liability Act which
hold the operator liable for any
nuclear incident.
Responding to the concerns
expressed by some members
over radioactivity in nuclear
plants and other safety-related
issue including those concerned
with local population in case of
any incident, Singh said the
government has enough
evidence to prove that
radioactivity emitted in plants is
"negligible". "The rules and
regulations are fully in line with
the international norms... We
India, Mauritius
to strengthen
bond for people's
benefit: Prez
Agenices
New Delhi, Mar 11
India and Mauritius will continue to
strengthen close bonds for the mutual
benefit of their people, President
Pranab Mukherjee said on Wednesday.
Mukherjee has extended his greetings
and felicitations to Rajkeswar Purryag,
President of Mauritius on the eve of its
Independence Day.
"India and Mauritius enjoy a deep and
special relationship based on our
historical ties of kinship and shared
cultural heritage. I am confident that
our close bonds will continue to
strengthen in the years ahead to the
mutual benefit of our peoples,"
Mukherjee said in his message.
He said the day is not only significant
in the history of the political struggle
for freedom of both the countries but
also symbolises how India and
Mauritius uphold the values of
democracy.
are absolutely following all the
safety measures, in fact, more
than many countries," he said.
Noting that India has adopted
a closed fuel cycle where the
spent fuel is regarded as a
resource material and none of it
is disposed of, the Minister said
all the spent fuel is reprocessed
to recover useful fissile and
fertile materials to recycle back
in the reactor as a fuel. "There
are
no
environmental
repercussions due to spent- fuel
generated from nuclear power
plants in India," he said.
Observing that these "useful
fission products have societal
applications", Singh said these
products, "separated from waste
for their use in irradiators, have
various applications in
healthcare, agriculture and
industry."
Dismissing concerns that
students were being radicalised
in
certain
educational
institutions, HRD Minister
Smriti Irani on Wednesday said
students are "sensitive" and
their patriotism should not be
questioned. However, Irani said
"if the member has any specific
information about radicalisation
happening at educational
institutions, the government will
some students are getting
radicalised at some educational
institutions, she said during
Question Hour. Asserting that
students are "sensitive and one
should not point fingers at their
patriotism", she "this kind of
accusation should not be made
(against students)."
She was replying to a
question of Shiv Sena member
Shrirang Appa Barne on
whether there were any reports
look into it."
"Bilkul galat hai (it is of radicalisation of students in
completely wrong)" to say that certain educational institutions
Agencies
New Delhi, Mar 11
"Our fight is to make sure that
the party remains true to its
founding principles because
that is the purpose for which
lakhs of volunteers in this
country have put in so much
sweat and blood. That is why
we have addressed this letter to
the volunteers of the party, so
that they get a fair picture of
what has happened," he added.
Aam Aadmi Party leader
Prashant Bhushan on Wednesday co-authored
a letter with fellow 'rebel' Yogendra Yadav to
all party workers, maintaining that he will
fight to ensure that the political organisation
'remains true' to its founding principles.
"In light of the allegations levelled against us
publically by some of the senior members of
the party, we thought that it was our duty to
bring the true facts before the volunteers of
the party. Regarding the allegations, we have
always maintained that these could be
including anti-national and antisocial activities in some of the
state-funded higher educational
institutes.
Speaker Sumitra Mahajan
disallowed Barne was naming
any institution and asked him to
stick to his supplementary.
In her reply, Irani said
"details of anti-national, antisocial incidents in state funded
higher educational institutions,
involving radicalised youth, are
not centrally maintained."
She said these institutions
Corporate espionage: Police says
need to unearth deep rooted nexus
Agencies
New Delhi, Mar 11
"If accused are released at this
stage, they may influence the
witnesses and tamper with the
evidence which may adversely
affect the investigation"
investigating officer (IO) told
Chief Metropolitan Magistrate
Sanjay Khanagwal.
Delhi Policeon Wednesday told
a court here that documents
recovered from the arrested
persons in the corporate
espionage case was being
analysed to unearth a "deep
rooted nexus" involving several
persons who were "trespassing"
in offices of the Ministry of
Petroleum and Natural Gas.
The investigators made the
submission while opposing the
bail plea of the three corporate
executives -- Shailesh Saxena
from RIL, Vinay Kumar from
Essar and Subhash Chandra
from Jubilant Energy.
The IO filed a written reply to
the bail plea saying the probe
was at a preliminary stage and
the whole nexus was to be
unearthed.
"IO has filed the reply on bail
applications of three accused
and the same has been supplied
to the accused. Put up for
arguments on March 16," the
court said.
The Crime Branch of Delhi
Police said that the documents
of MoPNG recovered from the
possession of accused were yet
to be analysed and verified.
Earlier, the court had extended
the judicial custody of six
accused including five
corporate executives, who were
arrested in the case till March
19.
Besides the three accused who
have filed the bail pleas, the two
others corporate executive
arrested in the case are Rishi
Anand, DGM of Reliance
ADAG and K K Naik, GM of
Cairns India.
The Delhi Police had on
February 20 arrested the five
corporate executives alleging
that they used to procure
documents from other accused
Lalta Prasad and Rakesh, and
they used to pay them.
These documents were then
supplied to the companies by
JAMMU | THURSDAY | MARCH 12 | 2015
Parliament nod to allow
e-rickshaws in New Delhi
Agencies
New Delhi, Mar 11
Parliament on Wednesday gave
nod to a Bill seeking to pave the
way for plying of e-rickshaws
on the roads of the national
capital region, with the
government considering a
proposal to provide credit to
buy these battery- operated
vehicles.
The Rajya Sabha passed the
Motor Vehicles (Amendment)
Bill, 2015 to amend the 1988
Act by a voice vote. The
measure was adopted by the
Lok Sabha on March 3.
Replying to the debate on the
Motor Vehicles (Amendment)
Bill, Road Transport and
Highways Minister Nitin
Gadkari said not only would the
poor benefit from it but it would
give a boost to 'Make in India'
initiative of Prime Minister
Narendra Modi as the batteryoperated vehicle was now being
manufactured indigenously.
The vehicle, which was at
one point being shipped in from
China, would not be imported
any longer as a "Pune-based
company is now manufacturing
the vehicles. It will be made in
India as part of the 'Make in
India' initiative."
On the issue of providing
credit to buy e-rickshaws,
Gadkari said he had approached
the Finance Minister and Prime
Minister and "I hope they will
consider this issue." "It is a fact
that man pulling man is
inhuman. Nearly one crore
people are doing this. This
should come to a stop," he said,
adding that one crore poor
people would be benefitted by
the move.
Maintaining that the
government wanted e-rickshaws
to be owned by drivers, he said
"women and physically
challenged people will also be
given license. ... Driving licence
has been made a compulsory
requirement. A permanent
license would be given after a
year of learning."
The Minister said it was
being debated that whether a 8th
standard passed person would
be eligible for a license. "If not,
what happens? This condition
has to be thought about on a
sympathetic ground," he said.
E-rickshaws or batteryoperated three-wheeler vehicles
had gone off roads after Delhi
high court had banned their
plying in July last year on safety
concerns. On January 7,
President Pranab Mukherjee
had promulgated an Ordinance
as the bill to regularise erickshaws, passed by the Lok
Sabha on December 18, had got
stuck in Rajya Sabha.
The government in October
last had notified the rules for
plying of e-rickshaws, making
driver's licence mandatory for
operating them and limiting
their maximum speed to 25
kmph.
Nitish Kumar wins trust vote in
Bihar Assembly; BJP stages walkout
Agencies
Bihar, Mar 11
earlier asked Nitish to prove
majority on the floor of the
House after he took over as the
Chief Minister following Jitan
Ram Manjhi's resignation.
The Janata Dal (United) had
earlier issued whip to its MLAs
to vote in favour of confidence
vote presented by the
government.
The Nitish Kumar-led
government won the trust vote
in the Bihar Assembly on
Wednesday with 140 votes.
The Bharatiya Janata Party
(BJP) staged a walkout during
the trust vote. Bihar Governor
Keshari Nath Tripathi had
murder case:
Will fight for AAP to remain Manjunath
entences six convicts
true to its principles: Prashant SC
to life imprisonment
inquired into by the Lokpal. This party had
been created on certain basic principles:
transparency, accountability,
swaraj and internal democracy.
It was not meant to become
like any other political party
which compromises on all
these principles," Bhushan
said.
"Our fight is to make sure that
the party remains true to its
founding principles because
that is the purpose for which
lakhs of volunteers in this
country have put in so much
sweat and blood. That is why we have
addressed this letter to the volunteers of the
party, so that they get a fair picture of what
has happened," he added.
Earlier in the day, AAP MLAs drafted a letter
for Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal,
seeking the expulsion of party 'rebels' Shanti
Bhushan, Prashant Bhushan and Yogendra
Yadav, alleging that the actions of the three
named in the letter have resulted in internal
rifts within the party.
Don't question patriotism of students, says Irani
Agencies
New Delhi, Mar 11
7
these officials to benefit the
firm, the police had said.
Besides them, the police had
also arrested Rakesh Kumar,
Prayas Jain, Shantanu Saikia,
Ishwar Singh, Asharam and
Rajkumar Chaubey, who are
also in judicial custody.
In a separate FIR, the police had
arrested three others- Lokesh
Sharma, an employee of a
Noida-based consultancy firm,
Jitender Nagpal, PS to Joint
Secretary in Forest and
Environment Ministry and
Vipan Kumar, PA to a UPSC
member- and were sent to
judicial custody till March 17.
A total of 16 people have been
arrested so far in connection
with the two FIRs by the Crime
Branch of Delhi Police.
were responsible for monitoring
the standards of conduct of
students in the courses of study.
They also take necessary steps
against any anti-national and
anti-social activity on their
campuses to ensure a peaceful
academic atmosphere.
The National Integration
Council (NIC) in 2011 had
requested the Department of
Higher Education to launch
effective programmes in all
educational institutions to stop
radicalisation of youth.
Railways to launch
helpline to help
passengers in
emergency situations
Agencies
New Delhi, Mar 11
\Railway will soon launch a
helpline number to equip
travellers to be able to deal with
unexpected emergencies. While
travelling by trains, in case of
emergency, travellers can dial
182. Upon dialling the number
182, passengers will be
automatically connected to
Railway Police Force (RPF)
control room. Help will arrive
at the next station to care of the
situation. The TTE present in
the train as well as the RPF will
be notified of the emergency.
The Railways are printing the
helpline number on the tickets
themselves. The service will be
implemented shortly.
COAL SCAM
Agencies
New Delhi, Mar 11
The Supreme Court on
Wednesday awarded life
sentences to six men accused
of murdering Indian Oil
Corporation sales manager S
Manjunath in 2005.
According to reports,
Manjunath had exposed an oil
adulteration racket in the
Lakhimpur Kheri district of
Uttar Pradesh.
He was shot dead on
November 19, 2005 by petrol
pump owner Pawan Kumar
when he tried to collect
samples of adulterated petrol
reportedly sold at the petrol
pump.
Manjunath was an IIM Lucknow graduate and was of
age 27 when he died.
After Manjunath's death, a
pan IIM initiative 'The
Manjunath Shanmugam Trust'
was set up to fight for the case.
Now the initiative has a
broader agenda of improving
governance in public life.
The issue had attracted a
public outcry following which
the case was handed to CBI
which succeeded in booking
the culprits.
Kumar was initially handed
the death sentence by a trial
court, while seven others were
handed life terms.
Later, the Allahabad High
Court commuted Kumar's
sentence to life imprisonment,
while two of the other seven
were acquitted.
On appeal, a bench of
Justice Ranjan Gogoi and
NV Ramana, upheld the
decisions of the Allahabad
High Court.
Whistleblower calls for
'unbiased' investigation
Agencies
New Delhi, Mar 11
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)
leader and a whistle blower in
the coal blocks allocation scam
Kirit Somaiya on Wednesday
called for an unbiased
investigation in the matter and
demanded punishment for
anyone
found
guilty
irrespective of the position held
by the accused.
"It is the CBI which is doing
the investigation under the
court's direction, there matter
should be investigated till the
end, and whoever is found
guilty, even if it is Prime
Minister's office, should be
punished," Somaiya told media.
"The BJP had exposed the
coal scam, and it is our
commitment to the public. Me
and Hansraj Ahir have worked
hard for over two years to
expose the scam, there should
be an unbiased investigation
under the direction of the court
and the offenders should be
punished," he added.
Earlier in the day, a special
CBI court summoned former
prime minister Manmohan
Singh, former coal secretary P
C Parakh, Aditya Birla Group
chairman K M Birla and three
others in connection with the
coal blocks allocation scam.
The court has summoned
them on April 8 for offences of
criminal conspiracy, breach of
trust and under provisions of
prevention of corruption act.
Indian diplomatic staff in Pakistan
`tailed` by intelligence agencies: Govt
Agencies
New Delhi, Mar 11
Indian High Commission staff in Pakistan are
being subjected to "intrusive surveillance" and
"tailing" by intelligence perso-nnel of that country,
External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said on
Wednesday. "The matter has been taken up strongly
with the Government of Pakistan at various levels,"
she told the Lok Sabha during Question Hour.
"Members of the High Commission of India
have been subjected to intrusive survei-llance,
including tailing by the intelligence and security
pers-onnel of the Pakistan government," the
Minister said. Replying to a question on "ill
treatment of Indian diplomats", she referred to
several incidents in Pakistan and other countries in
the past few years and said after the issues were
raised with the respective governments, such
actions have not been repeated in these countries
"except Pakistan".
Wardha, Mar 9: As the Modi
Govt faced Opposition heat in
Parliament over Land Bill, anticorruption crusader Anna Hazare on Monday announced he
will set off on a month-long
`padyatra'(march) from March
30 to oppose the proposed
legislative changes which he
dubbed as "anti-farmer". Hazare will start his `sangarsh yatra'
(agitation) from Sevag-ram,
which houses an ashram of
Mahatma Gandhi here, and end
on May 1 at the Ramlila Maidan
in Delhi. Talking to newspersons here, he said the campaign
aims to mobilise public opinion
against the `anti-farmer' Land
Acquisition Bill, which was
moved for consideration and
passing in Lok Sabha today.
The NORTHLINES
SRINAGAR
www.thenorthlines.com
2 CUK faculty members participate in festival of innovations
NL Correspondent
New Delhi | Mar | 11
Two faculty members of the
Central University of Kashmir
(CUK), who are part of
varsity's Innovation Club,
Tuesday participated in the
first meeting of the National
Innovation Clubs (NICs) of
Central Universities, IITs,
NITs and other institutes of
higher education held at
Rashtrapati Bhavan here.
Afaq Alam Khan, Assistant
Professor, Department of
Information Technology and
Ms.
Rashim
Wadhwa,
Assistant
Professor,
Department of Education were
among the 120 participants
from around 50 institutes of the
Country.
The duo presented their
innovative ideas in the form of
posters which were on display
on March 10, 2015, at the
"Festival of Innovations"
organized by National
Innovation Foundation at
Rashtrapati Bhavan.
While Ms. Rashim Wadhwa
proposed the dynamic model
for improving the quality of
higher education institutes,
Afaq Alam Khan proposed a
smart system which can help
traffic cops to check the
document related violations
hassle free.
Smt. Omita Paul, Secretary
to the Hon'ble President and
Visitor of Central Universities,
Nobel Laureate, Professor
Muhammad Yunus from
Bangladesh, Prof. S. K. Saha
from IIT Delhi, Prof. Ajay K.
Sharma, Director NIT-Delhi
and Prof. Anil K. Gupta,
executive vice-chairperson ,
National
Innovation
Foundation were among others
present during the event.
The week-long festival was
earlier inaugurated by the
Hon'ble President of India,
Pranab Mukherjee on March 7
at Rashtrapati Bhavan. CUK
Officiating Vice-Chancellor,
Prof. Mehraj Uddin also
attended the inaugural event.
Speaking on the occasion the
Hon'ble President Mukherjee,
said Innovation is the key to
progress and prosperity. "The
process of innovation converts
knowledge into social good
and economic wealth. It
encourages the engagement of
talent with the society to
improve the quality of life."
"India always has had a
strong tradition of knowledge.
Our knowledge system offer
tremendous scope for research
involving
land-to-lab
investigation and lab-to-land
transfer of technology. It is
important that the vast
repository of indigenous
knowledge is protected,
documented and preserved in
active collaboration with
prominent practitioners of
traditional
knowledge,"
Hon'ble President Mukherjee
added.
Class 12th Exams"
Govt should review cases of 'For BOSE luck matters
not hard work'
political prisoners: Agnivesh
Lauding the role of Jammu
and Kashmir Chief Minister for
using his authority in getting
Masrat Aalam released from the
jail, renowned social activist
and Hindu scholar, Swami
Agnivesh Wednesday said that
it is illegal and inhuman to keep
someone in jail for years
without trial.
Agnivesh told CNS that
draconian Public safety Act has
a track record of gross abuse
and in fact Mufti government
should review many more such
cases and take appropriate
action before it is too late.
"Jammu and Kashmir
Official falls in
vigilance net
NL Correspondent/CNS
Srinagar | Mar. | 11
Vigilance Organisation
Kashmir registered a case
FIR No.18/2015 at P/S
VOK against Mohammad
Shafi Shah the then
Assistant
Manager
JKPCC Unit-XI Kulgam,
on the outcome of
verification conducted by
Vigilance Organisation
Kashmir
regarding
accumulation
of
disproportionate assets by
indulging in corrupt and
illegal practices.
The verification reveals
that assets found are
disproportionate to his
(suspect) known source of
income. Thus omissions
and commissions on the
part of the above
mentioned public servant
constitute
offences
punishable U/S 5(1) (e),
r/w 5(2) J&K P.C.Act
Svt.2006 and further
investigation taken up.
(CNS)
CRPF man dies
in fire incident
NL Correspondent/CNS
Srinagar | Mar. | 11
A CRPF man died
Wednesday after the
bunker in which he was
standing guard caught fire
in Pakerpora area, police
sources said.
They said Constable Tej
Ram of 181 Bn from
Rajasthan
fell
unconscious due to the
smoke of the Kerosene
heater.
He sustained severe
burn injuries after the
bunker caught fire,
leading to his death.
(CNS)
especially Kashmir badly needs
a healing touch. People are
wounded and government needs
to put a balm on these wounds.
Mufti Muhammad Sayeed has
shown statesman like courage to
say and do things which he has
said and has done since
assuming power," Agnivesh
said.
He said that BJP should
congratulate itself for being a
partner in a government who's
Chief Minister has taken such a
bold initiative. "Such actions
will soon alienate the forces of
separatism and militancy and
pave the way for inclusive
development. The BJP should
use this opportunity to push
through the long awaited return
JAMMU | THURSDAY | MARCH 12 | 2015
Police Diary
Police distributes
bedding, stationery items
among flood victims
NL Correspondent
Srinagar, Mar. 11
PSA has track record of gross abuse
NL Correspondent/CNS
New Delhi | March | 11
8
of the Kashmir Pandits to their
native home," he said.
Appealing Indian Prime
Minister Narendra Modi to
remain steadfast in his
initiatives to bring peace and
development to India and South
Asia without being cowed down
by the boisterous opposition
Swami Agnivesh lauded the
statesmanship of Narendra
Modi for sending Foreign
Secretary Jai Shankar to
Pakistan with a letter to his
counterpart, Nawaz Sharif, thus
rising above his own
government's earlier stand to
cancel dialogue with Pakistan
because the Pak High
Commission had met some
Hurriyat leaders in New Delhi.
X, Z series Physics paper tough: Students
NL Correspondent/CNS
Srinagar | March | 11
The students of class 12 who
are appearing in their annual
exams blamed Board of School
Education authorities for
playing with their careers.
Scores of students were seen
crying and fuming while
coming out from examination
centres on Wednesday. The
students
termed the X and Z series of
Physics paper extremely tough
in comparison with series Y.
"This is injustice towards the
students. BOSE has added a
'luck factor' to this examination.
Some students get easy series
while some get knotty one. Just
compare series X and Y and Z
and you will see the difference,"
a student told CNS outside
Nawakadal College.
Demanding an inquiry into
the paper setting exercise, the
students asked Board of School
Education (BOSE) to remain
impartial with every student. "X
and Z series of Physics paper
was very tough than Y series.
All the students who got X and
Z series paper couldn't do well
in their paper whereas students
of other series easily completed
their paper," the students said
adding that they are afraid that
they will either not qualify or
their percentage will be low.
Pertinently, students had also
complained earlier that "X
series of chemistry paper was
very tough than Y and Z series.
When contacted secretary
BOSE Veena Pandita said that
she would constitute an expert
panel to probe the matter. "I
request these students to give
me a representation and I assure
them appropriate remedial
measures will be taken," she
said.
(CNS)
Pulwama Police distributed bedding and school bags
along with other accessories to the flood affected families in
a function that was held at Police post Kakapora.
The function was chaired by SP Pulwama Tejinder Singh
and was attended among others by Adl. SP Pulwama Javid
Iqbal, DySP DAR Mushtaq Ahmed, SHO Pulwama
Gurinderpal Singh, DO police Post Kakapora and large
number of the persons belonging to the area.
Pulwama Police distributed these items among 160 floodaffected families of Hajibal, Kakapora area. The area was
badly hit by the floods in September last year.
While distributing these items SP Pulwama said that
Police will play its part for the rehabilitation of flood
affected people. Police is always at service of the people as
and when required, SP added.
Peddler arrested
NL Correspondent
Srinagar, Mar. 11
Anantnag Police arrested a peddler in Bijbehara area last
evening and recovered large quantity of contraband from
him.
Last evening, on a tip off a police party of police station
Bijbehara laid a Naka at Takiabal. During the Naka checking
the police party intercepted a peddler Manzoor Ahamd Bhat
son of Reshi Bhat resident of Takibal Bijbehara. On his
search police recovered about 1.5kgs cannabis powder.
Further questioning led to the recovery of 8 Kgs cannabis
straw at his instance.
Bijbehara police has registered a case under section 8/20
NDPS Act in this regard and investigation has been taken up.
Woman dies in a
road mishap
NL Correspondent
Srinagar | Mar. | 11
A woman died in a road accident in Budgam district last
evening.
A Tipper bearing registration number JK04B-3605 hit a
lady Fatima Bano wife of Mohammad Ibrahim Rather
resident of Dandoosa at Dandoosa, Budgam, resulting in her
on spot death. Budgam Police has registered a case in this
regard.
Administration attached Doctors for negligence House damaged in fire
NL Correspondent/CNS
Pulwama | Mar. | 11
Two deaths in three days
Amid protests a complete shutdown
was observed in South Kashmir's
Pulwama district against the death of a
pregnant woman at District Hospital.
This was the second death in the same
hospital in last 3 days. On March 8, a
woman and her newly born baby died
due to alleged negligence of doctors
treating her. According to reports
Khurshi Banoo, wife of Ghulam Rasool
Bhat of Lajura hamlet died Wednesday
morning after she developed
complications following her delivery last
night.
Family members and relatives of the
deceased woman alleged that medical
negligence caused her death. The death
sparked massive protests while some
agitated protesters resorted to stonepelting and attacked police personnel
who arrived at hospital to pacify the
protesters.
Eyewitnesses told CNS that the
protesters blocked the traffic and amid
slogans clashed with police. The police
fired some tear-smoke shells to disperse
them. The clashes between police and
protesters disrupted normal in the town.
"After giving birth to a baby
following a cesarean, my sister
developed complications and soon after
breathed her last," the brother of the
deceased woman told CNS.
Taking strong note of the alleged
negligence on part of medical staff, the
district administration attached Dr Tahira
Rasool and Dr Tasleema to sub district
hospital Sopore.
Pertinently, another woman Ruksana
and her new-born died at the hospital on
March 8, triggering massive protests
against the hospital administration.
(CNS)
Release of political prisoners AIGDSU initiates indefinite strike
JKSM stages protest
NL Correspondent/CNS
Srinagar | Mar. | 11
Scores of activists of
separatist orgainzation Jammu
and Kashmir Salvation
Movement staged a peaceful
protest at media hub here,
demanding immediate release
of
political
prisoners
languishing in jails of Jammu
Kashmir and outside State.
Carrying placards and
banners seeking release of
political
prisoner
and
withdrawing of 'frivolous'
charges against them, JKSM
activists led by Zafar Akbar
Bhat while raising pro-freedom
slogans lashed out at Indian
media for its biased and
malicious propganda against the
political prisoners of Kashmir.
Talking to reporters, JKSM
chairman, Zafar Akbar said that
these poltical prisoners are the
true representatives of Kashmiri
people who have been fighting
for a sacred cause. "Delhi has
no right to play politics over
Masrat Aalam issue as he has
been released on the directions
of Court and all the cases filed
against him have already been
turned down by all local
courts," he said.
He appealed International
Community and Humna Rights
organizations to put pressure
on India and use their good
offices to release all the
Kashmiri political prisoners NL Correspondent
languishing in the jails of Udhampur | Mar. | 11
Jammu and Kashmir and
outside States.
All India Gramin Dak Sevak
(CNS) Union
has initiated indefinite
Vibodh condemns lathicharge on BGSBU students
NL Correspondent
Rajouri | Mar. | 11
Member of Legislative
Council (MLC) Vibodh Gupta
today condemns the police
lathicharge on the students of
Baba Ghulam Shah Badshah
(BGSB) University Rajouri
who were protesting peacefully
in support of their genuine and
long pending demands.
Vibodh criticised the district
administration which was
1 dead in accident
NL Correspondent
Udhampur | Mar. | 11
Middle aged woman died when her car rolled down into gorge
at Slora near Tikri in District Udhampur.
According to the reports, a Maruti Car bearing Reg. no. JK02P7982 was on its way from Udhampur to Jammu. At Slora near
Tikri, driver lost control over the vehicle and the car rolled down
into deep gorge. Police rushed the spot and took the injured to
PHC Tikri. Doctors referred them persons to GMC Jammu where
she was declared dead. The deceased was identified as Kamlesh
Devi, 53 year old, wife of M.C Gupta of Udhampur. Tikri Police
registered the case and started investigation.
NL Correspondent
Srinagar | Mar. | 11
Fire broke out in the residential house of Mohammad
Maqbool Dar son of Ghulam Hassan resident of Hussani
Chowk Dab Ganderbal, resulting in partial damage to the
house. Fire tenders and police brought fire under control.
House damaged
due to snowfall
NL Correspondent
Srinagar | Mar. | 11
A residential was damaged due to the snowfall in
Awantipora while another house was damaged in a landslide
in Budgam District.
The residential house belonging to Javed Ahmad Shah son
of Abdul Khaliq Shah resident of Sharshali, Awantipora got
partially damaged when it crumbled due to the recent heavy
snowfall.
Meanwhile, a residential house belonging to Ghulam
Rasool Peer son of Late Mohammad Abdullah was damaged
after it was hit by a landslide in Humhama area of Budgam
District. However, the family living in the house was safely
evacuated from the house.
Peddler held with
Codeine Phosphate
NL Correspondent
Srinagar | Mar. | 11
strike in support of their long
pending demands. Union
members' keeping their work
off
staged
protest
demonstration outside the
Head Post Office Udhampur.
Leading the protesters,
District President Prshotam
Lal said that thousands of
union members are facing
problems due to anti-employee
attitude of Postal Department.
He said that Postal Department
turning nelsons' eye towards
their genuine demands is
compelling them to be on
roads. Giving reference of
union demands' he said that
we are demanding of
involving the union members
in seventh pay commission,
which is a genuine demand.
He said that Central
Government is acting in
will took up the matter with the
authorities concerned so that
such incident would not be
repeated in the future.
He also promised to them
that the issue of University
road, which is in very bad
condition and is deteriorating
day by day is posing a grave
risk to the lives of students,
staff members and locals,
would be taken up with the
authorities concerned so that
the repair and black topping of
failed to check the the road could be started as
overcharging of fares and soon as possible.
overloading in the vehicles
enroute University.
It was very unfortunate on
the part of the administration
which allowed lathicharge in NL Correspondent
which many students and staff Jammu | Mar. | 11
members of the University got
injured, Vibodh said and added Delta Force organised a lecture to motivate
that strict action must be taken the youth to join Indian Army at Jawahar
against the culprits at the Navodaya Vidyalaya, Arnora, District Doda,
earliest.
today. The lecture was organised to bring
Vibodh assured to the awareness amongst the students regarding
students and staff members various opportunities available to join the
who approached him that he Indian Army in various ranks including as an
direction of privatization of
department, which the union
would not tolerate in the
interest of nation and offcourse employees. Prshota Lal
further added that union
members are bound to work in
adverse conditions as the
facilities at Dak Offices is
worst and they are demanding
of improvement.
Prshotam while addressing
the union members said that
from tomorrow onwards the
union would intensify the
struggle and he appeal them to
remain unite and do not fall
pray of fake assurances or
others. Yog Raj, Bal Krishan,
Rakesh Kumar, Khem Raj,
Girdhri Lal and Chanchla
Devi. and many other union
members were present on the
occasion.
DF motivates to join Indian Army
Officer. They were educated regarding the
documentation procedures and preparation for
the exams conducted by the UPSC. 165
students attended the lecture. The students
were urged to utilize the knowledge and
information gained during the lecture.
The students and teaching staff of the
school appreciated the efforts of Indian Army
and said that the gesture was very
encouraging.
Sopore Police today arrested a drug peddler and recovered
33 bottles of Codeine Phosphate from his possession.
On a tip off, Sopore police apprehended a peddler Azad
Ahmad Mir son of Abdul Majeed Mir resident of Hib
Dangerpora at Reban Sopore with 33 bottles of codeine
phosphate. The accused used to sell the contraband among
the youth indulging in drug abuse in the town
A case FIR number 35/2015 under section 8/22 NDPS
was registered against the peddler and investigation has been
taken up.
Dog attack in Lachipura
NL Correspondent
Handwara | Mar. | 11
Minister for Science, Technology and Animal Husbandry
Sajad Gani Lone today met the families of two children who
were mauled to death by stray dogs the other day at
Lachipura Handwara.
The Minister expressed deep shock over the unfortunate
incident and consoled the grief stricken families of the
victim children.
Expressing concern over the increasing population of
stray dogs in the area, he said that concerted measures would
be taken with the involvement of the experts and local civic
authorities to prevent such incidents in future.
"Experts will be consulted to scientifically control the
increasing canine population in the area" he said and assured
that he would personally pursue the matter for an early
action in this regard.
Pertinently, two children, Sobia Farooq(8) daughter of
Farooq Ahmed Dar, Irfan Ahmed Khan(10) son of Ghulam
Mohammad Khan died after a pack of stray dogs attacked
them on Tuesday near their residence in Lahcipura area,
village of Rajwar.
9
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JAMMU | THURSDAY | MARCH 12 | 2015
www.thenorthlines.com
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The NORTHLINES
BUSINESS
JAMMU | THURSDAY | MARCH 12 | 2015
www.thenorthlines.com
Govt wants banks to cut rates; In any fair trial, I will establish my
lenders seek further RBI easing total innocence: Manmohan Singh
COAL SCAM
Agencies
New Delhi, Mar 11
Government is believed to have asked
public sector banks on Wednesday to
consider lowering their interest rates,
even as some lenders want further
signals on RBI's monetary policy before
passing on the benefits to their retail and
corporate borrowers.
The issue of lowering interest rates
was discussed on Wednesday in a
meeting of heads of all state-run banks
and other financial institutions, which
was chaired by Finance Minister Arun
Jaitley and attended by top Finance
Ministry officials as well as
representatives of RBI, SIDBI and NHB,
among others.
While there was no official word on
whether the banks were nudged to cut
rates, sources said that the government
impressed upon them to consider interest
rate easing while taking into account
their cost of funds and other factors.
The meeting followed RBI cutting its
key policy rate by a cumulative 0.5
percent in the last two months, including
India allows seven
state-run banks to raise
capital from market
Agencies
New Delhi, Mar 11
India has allowed seven staterun banks to raise capital from
market as part of efforts to help
them comply with global Basel
III banking rules, a finance
ministry statement said on
Wednesday.
The government in its budget
for the next fiscal year that
starts from April 1 has allocated
79.4 billion rupees ($1.26
billion) for capital infusion in
state-banks, far lower than what
the market had expected.
The statement, issued after
government officials` meeting
with the chiefs of state-run
banks, did not name the lenders
allowed to sell shares or
mention any timeframe for such
sales.
Top lender State Bank of
India and at least two other
state-owned lenders - Punjab
National Bank and Canara Bank
- have plans to raise funds
through share sales.
Reliance Infra makes
Rs 1,263 cr open offer
for Pipavav Defense
Agencies
Mumbai, Mar 11
A report stated that the open
offer is subject to approvals
from Competition Commission
India, Gujarat Maritime Board
and other authorities. According
to reports, Reliance Infrastr-
ucture made an open offer for
Pipavav Defense for acquisition
of further 26% stake from public
shareholders for Rs 1,263 crore.
The open offer made by
Reliance Defence Systems and
Reliance Infrast-ructure, for
purchase of over 190 million
shares, has been made at a price
of Rs 66 each, a report stated.
The company reached an
agreement with the Pipavav
promoters for acquisition of 130
million shares, for Rs 819 crore.
A report stated that the open
offer is subject to approvals
from Competition Commission
India, Gujarat Maritime Board
and other authorities.
a 25 basis points cut announced last
week. However, only a few banks have
lowered their rates since January 15,
when RBI announced the first of its two
successive rate cuts.
After the meeting, Minister of State
for Finance Jayant Sinha said, "First with
respect to the rate cut, we obviously had
a discussion on RBI's actions... And we
tried to understand exactly how the
banks are thinking about and the banks
pointed out what they have already
done." "As far as retail loans are
concerned they have already brought
down rates a fair bit, we discussed that,"
he said.
Asked when banks can cut their base
rates, Sinha said "Let's wait and see how
that (repo rate cut) plays out... We will
see once certain banks starts to take
action we will see how it unfolds."
Some of the banks, however, said that
they would wait till the next bi-monthly
monetary policy review of the RBI on
April 7 before taking any rate cut
decision. "Coming April, after seeing
RBI monetary policy statement, banks
can start considering reduction in the
rate... We can reduce anywhere from 10
basis points to 25 basis points," Bank of
India Chairman V R Iyer said after the
meeting chaired by the Finance Minister.
"The transmission will definitely take
place... Banks also have to keep asset
quality in mind (before passing on the
benefit of rate cut). That is a guiding
factor for any bank to reduce lending
rate," Iyer said. Sinha also said India has
a very competitive financial services
industry.
Spectrum Auction Bids
Reach Rs 96,000 Crore
Agencies
New Delhi, Mar 11
Bids for spectrum grew to
around Rs. 96,000 crore at the
end of seventh day of auction on
Wednesday, after surprisingly
dipping to Rs. 92,200 crore on
Tuesday for the biggest-ever
sale of 2G and 3G airwaves.
"Till now, 43 rounds of
bidding has taken place. At
present, over 84 per cent of the
spectrum has been provisionally
allocated to bidders at a value of
approximately Rs. 96,000
crore," the Department of
Telecom said.
"The bidding is taking place
in all bands. Brisk bidding was
seen on 7th day of bidding, with
activity requirement set at 100
per cent. There is aggressive
bidding going on in 1800 MHz,
900 MHz and 800 MHz bands,"
the statement said.
There is still spectrum which
is yet to be sold in all the bands,
including 900 Mhz which is the
spectrum currently held by
operators whose licences are
expiring in 2015-16.
"Bidding would recommence
tomorrow," it added. The
government on Saturday had
crossed the targeted minimum
amount of Rs. 82,000 crore
from sale of airwaves.
Incumbents Bharti Airtel and
Vodafone are locked with
Reliance Jio to protect their
spectrum they need to carry
voice and data in the world's
Agencies
New Delhi, Mar 11
The special CBI court hearing
the coal block allocation case,
Wednesday, summoned former
prime minister Manmohan
Singh as an accused and asked
him to appear before it on April
8. "Of course, I am upset but
this is part of life," he told
reporters here when asked for
his reaction on the court order.
Former coal secretary PC
Parakh, industrialist Kumar
Mangalam Birla and three others
were also summoned as accused
in the case relating to allocation
of Talabira-II block to Hindalco
when Manmohan Singh held the
additional charge of coal
portfoliol.
Court summons them for
offences of criminal conspiracy,
breach of trust and under
provisions of Prevention of
Corruption Act.
Reacting to the court's order,
Manmohan Singh said, "I'm
upset with the court's summons
but it is part of life," adding, that
he is open to legal scrutiny. The
former PM said that he hasn't
seen the court order and that he
will reply after consulting his
lawyers. "I hope in any fair trial,
I will be able to establish my
total innocence" he said adding
that he has respects "the judicial
process of our country".
Clarifying his stand,
Manmohan Singh said, "I have
stated before the CBI my
position, I have also as PM
issued a statement justifying
what we did".
The court order came after the
CBI filed its final report in the
case. During the probe, the
agency had questioned Singh
about the developments which
took place in the Ministry of
Coal as well as the PMO after
Birla had written two letters
dated May 7, 2005 and June 17,
2005 to him requesting for
allocation of Talabira-II coal
block to Hindalco.
Importantly, the CBI had filed
the statement of one of the
witnesses, S Jayaraman, former
Chairman and Managing
Director of Neyveli Lignite
Corporation, in a sealed cover.
The court summon comes as a
huge embarrassment for
Manmohan Singh and poses
serious questions on the other
decisions taken during his tenure
as PM. Reacting to the
development, Congress leader
Manish Tewari said that the
indictment, if any, in connection
with the allocation of coal
blocks is of the process and not
of the UPA government of any
individual. Speaking to a news
channel, Tewari added that the
Congress has nothing to hide
and the legal process will
vindicate it. BJP leader GVL
Narasimha Rao said, "When the
UPA was in power, every effort
was made to stall investigations
in to the coal scam...the special
allocation to Hindalco in which
former PM Manmohan Singh
has been summoned shows the
extent of subversion during the
UPA rule."
imported in the country.
The Minister also said since
steel is a deregulated sector,
the role of the government was
limited to a just be a facilitator
in the growth of the industry.
"Government lays down
policy guidelines and the decisions regarding enhancement
of production capacity is taken
by the entrepreneurs based on
assessment of prevailing and
expected market/economic
conditions," Sai said.
Earlier this week, in a
written reply to Lok Sabha,
Sai had said India's steel
imports from China during
April-January period of
current fiscal rose to 2.9 MT
against 1.08 MT in the entire
2013-14. During the AprilJanuary period of current year,
carbon steel imports from
China stood at 1.52 MT, while
stainless/ alloy steel imports
were at 1.37 MT.
Steel imports to India were
on the rise mainly because of
higher imports from China,
Japan and Korea for quite
sometime now.
While a lull domestic
market has made it a
compulsion for Chinese steel
makers to look out for export
opportunities for steading
sales, Japan and Korea have
been taking advantages
accrued out of the free trade
agreements signed with India
to dump products.
Steel imports have gone up
cumulatively to 8.38 MT
during the April-February
period of the current fiscal,
recording a whopping 67.3 per
cent rise over the same period
last fiscal.
However, paying heed to the
steelmakers' plea, government
has created a possibility in the
Budget of increasing import
duty for finished and semifinished steels to 15 per cent
from 10 per cent, aimed at
protecting the home-grown
firms from rising imports.
India not mulling ban on
steel imports from China
Agencies
New Delhi, Mar 11
second-biggest smartphone
market. In all, eight bidders are
in the fray.
Breaking down the bidding
activity band wise, sources said
so far in 800 MHz band, out of
20 circles that were put on sale,
14 circles have seen activity,
while in the 2100 MHz band 14
circles have seen activity out of
the total 17.
In 900 Mhz band all 17
circles have seen activity,
whereas in 1800 MHz 13 circles
have seen activity so far out of
the total 15 circles, they added.
"There was good activity
seen in 800 Mhz and 900 Mhz
band, decent in 1800 Mhz.
There was slight movement in
2100 Mhz band," sources said.
The government will not
release results of the auction as
a case in pending before the
Supreme Court. The next
hearing on the case is on March
26.
A total of 380.75 MHz of
spectrum is on offer in the
premium 900 MHz band, 1,800
MHz and 800 MHz, while 5
MHz is up for bidding in the
2,100 MHz band across 17 out
of 22 telecom areas or circles in
the country.
Most of the spectrum put up
for auction is at present held by
Airtel, Vodafone, Idea and
Reliance Telecom. Their
licences are expiring in 201516. Licences for 9 circles of
Idea Cellular, 6 circles of Airtel
and 7 circles each of Vodafone
and Reliance Telecom are
coming up for renewal.
The 3G and BWA auction
together fetched the government
over Rs. 1.05 lakh crore in
2010. The government had
raked in Rs. 62,162 crore from
the last spectrum auction held in
February 2014.
Earlier this week, in a written
reply to Lok Sabha, Sai had
said India's steel imports from
China during April-January
period of current fiscal rose to
2.9 MT against 1.08 MT in the
entire 2013-14.
India is not contemplating
ban on steel imports from
China even as inward
shipment from the world's
largest steel producing nation
has nearly trebled to over 2.9
million tonnes during the
April-January period.
Minister of State for Steel
and Mines Vishnu Deo Sai
answered in the negative to a
question in Rajya Sabha on
whether government was
contemplating a ban on steel
imports from China to give
respite to Indian producers.
He added that the
government, however, ensures
that only quality steel is
Rail bonds
Maruti Suzuki recalls
Mars International to
invest Rs 1,000 crore to LIC's hard bargain ensures good pricing 33,098 units of
lto 800, Alto K10
set up first plant in India
Agencies
New Delhi, Mar 11
India is growing at nearly 20 per cent every
year and we see this as a huge opportunity to
Mars International India, the wholly-owned expand our chocolate portfolio in the country
arm of US-based chocolate maker Mars Inc, in the coming years." Agreeing with
today said it will invest Rs 1,005 crore to set Natarajan, Mars Chocolate Asia Pacific
up its first manufacturing
Regional President Ehab Abouplant in Pune. The
Oaf said: "India is a high
company, which has been
priority market for Mars. We
importing its chocolate
are here because we have a
brands 'Snickers' and
long term view of business in
'Galaxy' till now, will
India....We hope to capitalise
manufacture these two
on that through this
brands at its Pune plant.
manufacturing plant. We are
This investment is a
excited to have invested in a
significant step in deepening Mars
highly potential market like India which is
International India's presence and
poised for further growth." The company
commitment to India. Mars Inc, the global
today a signed a MOU with the Maharashtra
leader in manufacturing chocolate, intends to government at the Vidhan Sabha in Mumbai.
invest Rs 1,005 crore (over $160 million)
Mars said that the investment is "expected to
through its Pune plant, Mars said in a
generate direct employment opportunities for
statement. Commenting on the
over 200 people and indirect employment
announcement, Mars International India
opportunities to over 1,000 people, and
General Manager MV Natarajan said: "This bringing in the relevant know-how,
initiative reiterates our continued
operational excellence and global best
commitment to India. Chocolate industry in practises."
Agencies
Mumbai, Mar 11
Financial powerhouse LIC has made a
hard bargaining for its Rs 1.5 trillion
investments in Railway bonds by
ensuring a coupon rate above 10 basis
points higher than 10-year benchmark
government paper.
"We have just signed an agreement
with the Railways to invest Rs 1.5
trillion in their 30-year bond over the
next five years. We made a good
bargain and priced the instrument at
10 basis points (bps) over the
benchmark 10-year government bond
on a fixed rate," a senior LIC offic ..
At present, 10-year benchmark
government bond yield is 8.40 per
cent. This means the state-run
insurance behemoth will get a yield of
8.50 per cent if the proposed rail
bonds were to be priced today.
The coupon is the percentage of
return that an investor gets in absolute
terms on his/her investment on bonds.
The benchmark bonds carry a fixed
rate coupon and the pricing for LIC
will also be on a fixed rate basis.
The Railway bonds are of 30-year
tenor and will mature in 2045, while
the nation's largest financial entity
will invest Rs 30,000 crore per annum
into this debt for five years.
The official said the pricing is good
for them as there is no long-term
quality paper available in the market
at present and the coupon comes at a
fixed rate. The Railways will issue the
bond from next fiscal through 2020.
An analyst termed the pricing as
"beneficial to the Corporation (LIC)
as it carries a fixed rate coupon."
Earlier in the day, Railways
managed its biggest ever funding after
getting the insurance giant to invest
Rs 1.5 trillion in its 30-year bonds.
The funds to be raised from these
bonds will be used by the national
transporter for developing various
projects.
The investment would be made
through bonds issued by various
entities of the PSU such as Indian
Railways Finance Corporation
(IRFC) beginning next fiscal. There
would be a 5-year moratorium on
interest and loan repayment.
"LIC has taken the task of
supporting the Railways... It is a
commercial decision... LIC will invest
Rs 1.5 trillion over a period of five
years," Finance Minister Arun Jaitley
said in New Delhi.
LIC and Rail Ministry signed an
MoU in New Delhi to facilitate the
investment. Railway Minister Suresh
Prabhu termed the MoU as a
"marriage" between two major
organisations of the country that
would be a "win-win situation" for
both.
LIC will be subscribing to bonds
worth Rs 30,000 crore on an average
every year over the next five years,
Chairman SK Roy said. About the
expected returns, he earlier in the day
said, "the rate is yet to be finalised.
Since it is a commercial decision, it
would be a win-win situation for
both."
Agencies
New Delhi, Mar 11
Country's largest car maker Maruti Suzuki India today
announced recall of 33,098 units of its small car models Alto
800 and Alto K10 manufactured between December 8, 2014
and February 18, 2015 to rectify defective latches on right
side doors. The company will proactively inspect and
replace the 'right hand door latch assembly' of 19,780 units
of Alto 800 and 13,318 units of Alto K10, Maruti Suzuki
India (MSI) said in a statement. If however, the door is halflatched, then the door may open if pressure is applied from
inside," it said. Although it is a rare condition, but in view of
customer safety, the company is undertaking replacement of
the door latch assembly, proactively, MSI added.
In December last year, MSI had recalled 3,796 units of its
newly launched mid-sized sedan Ciaz to fix suspected faulty
clutch. Ever since the auto industry body SIAM started
voluntary vehicle recalls for safety related issues in India in
July 2012, over seven lakh vehicles have been recalled by
various manufacturers in India. The government is working
on a recall policy. Last month, Mahindra & Mahindra had
recalled an unspecified number of its premium sports utility
vehicle XUV500 vehicles manufactured on or before July
2014 to upgrade the side curtain airbag software.
IMF ups India growth forecast to 7.2% for current fiscal
Agencies
Washington, Mar 11
Terming Indian economy a "bright
spot" on the global economic
landscape, IMF on Wednesday raised
its growth forecast for the current
fiscal to 7.2 percent, even as it called
for steps to revitalise the investment
cycle and accelerate structural
reforms in the country. In its annual
assessment report for the country, the
International Monetary Fund (IMF)
also said India has emerged as one of
the fastest-growing big emerging
market economies and the growth rate
would further accelerate to 7.5 percent
in the next fiscal, 2015-16.
The new forecasts have taken into
account a revised methodology
adopted by India earlier this year for
calculating the GDP figures, about
which IMF said that the country has
"improved the way it measures
economic output".
The new methodology, however,
has been termed as 'puzzling' initially
by some including Chief Economic
Advisor Arvind Subramanian and
RBI Governor Raghuram Rajan.
Incidentally, both Subramanian and
Rajan have been with IMF in the past.
Last year, IMF had forecasted a
growth rate of 5.6 percent for the
current fiscal, and 6.4 percent for the
next. The Indian economy is reviving,
helped by positive policy actions that
have improved confidence and lower
global oil prices, the IMF said, while
anticipating stronger growth in the
next fiscal on the back of stronger
investment
flows
following
improvements to the business climate.
To continue on this trend, India
needs to revitalise the investment
cycle and accelerate structural
reforms, it said in its annual
assessment report for the country.
"Indian economy is the bright spot
in global landscape, becoming one of
the fastest-growing big emerging
market economies in the world," IMF
said in a report after its recently
concluded annual consultations with
India. "Growth numbers are now
much higher and the current account
deficit is comfortable, in part due to
the fall in gold imports and lower oil
prices," IMF Mission Chief for India
Paul Cashin said. "New investment
project announcements have started to
pick up, particularly in the power and
transport sectors," he said, while
adding that bolstering financial sector
health and further financial inclusion
would support growth going ahead.
IMF said that the country is well
placed to cope with external shocks,
although there are possible risks on
the horizon, both external and
domestic. "Spillovers from weak
global growth and global financial
market volatility could be disruptive,
including from any unexpected
developments as the United States
begins to raise its interest rates,"
Cashin said. On domestic front, the
weaknesses in corporate balance
sheets -- especially in light of the
increase in corporate leverage of the
past few years -- and worsening bank
asset quality bear watching, as they
could weigh on growth.
IMF said that India's economic
profile has got a lift as the country
improved the way it measures
economic output, as the revised
national accounts series incorporates
numerous
conceptual
and
methodological improvements that
make them more consistent with
international best practices.
"The revised growth figures
support our view that economic
recovery in India is under way, albeit
pointing to a somewhat faster pace
than we, and others, previously
believed. These GDP revisions
portray a more resilient performance
of the services and manufacturing
sectors of the economy," Cashin said.
In a related statement, the IMF
Executive Board said that India's
vulnerabilities have receded more
than those of most emerging markets
and sentiment has been revived.
"India's near-term growth outlook
has improved, and the balance of risks
is now more favourable, helped by
increased political certainty, several
positive policy actions, improved
business confidence, and reduced
external vulnerabilities," it said.
Despite a decline in India's external
imbalances and strengthening of
buffers, the spillover impact from
global financial market volatility to
India could be very disruptive,
including from any unexpected
developments in the course of US
monetary policy normalisation,
particularly against the backdrop of
recent large capital inflows, it added.
External risks also emanate from a
prolonged period of weak global
growth, which could dampen Indian
exports. Domestic risks include a
supply-driven spike in inflation,
further deterioration in bank asset
quality and continued stress in
corporate financial positions, as well
as slower-than-expected progress in
addressing supply-side bottlenecks,
which could weigh on growth and
stoke inflation. The Board also lauded
the
Indian
government's
"comprehensive policy initiatives",
saying these have helped reduce
India's external vulnerabilities and
improve the economic outlook.
These initiatives include recent
policy measures to revive investment,
reduce inflation, consolidate the fiscal
position, and improve the ease of
doing business, it added.
Directors, however, observed that
significant external and domestic risks
remain there, while room for
countercyclical
macroeconomic
policy support is limited by still-high
fiscal deficits and upside risks to
inflation. The IMF Board said that the
main external risk facing India is a
surge in global financial market
volatility. If external pressures reemerge, rupee flexibility should be an
important shock-absorber, along with
"judicious foreign exchange
intervention, tightening of monetary
conditions, and additional fiscal
adjustment".
The NORTHLINES
www.thenorthlines.com
ICC World Cup 2015
Sri Lanka crush Scotland as Kumar
Sangakkara notches more records
Agencies
Hobart, Mar 11
Zealand, with four wins in six
games. However, the final
positions in the group will be
known only after the New
Zealand-Bangladesh
and
Australia-Scotland games.
The 195-run partnership for
the second wicket was
Sangakkara and Dilshan's 20th
century stand in ODIs, leaving
them second only to Indian
legends Sachin Tendulkar and
Sourav Ganguly.
Playing in the last one-day
tournament of his illustrious 15year career, Sangakkara, in redhot form in the mega-event,
blazed his way to an
enterprising 124 off 95 balls,
while Dilshan struck a 99-ball
104. Skipper Angelo Mathews
(51) smashed the second-fastest
half-century of this World Cup,
off 20 balls. The Islanders
though lost a series of wickets
towards the end, denying them
a 400-plus total.
The Scots were off to a
disastrous start, losing three
wickets with just 44 runs on the
board in the 12th over. The
game was as good at that point
but Freddie Coleman (70) and
skipper Preston Mommsen (60)
shared 118 runs for the fourth
wicket to steady the ship.
However, both batsmen got out
after making fluent halfcenturies, each hitting seven
boundaries while defying the
Lankan bowlers for a while.
Richie Berrington made 29
off 22 balls to delay the
inevitable.
Among the Lankan bowlers,
Nuwan Kulasekara returned
figures of 3/20 and pace
spearhead Lasith Malinga
picked up 2/29. Making his
debut, 23-year-old rookie fast
bowler Dushmantha Chameera,
too, finished with three wickets.
Earlier, Sri Lanka lost opener
Lahiru Thirimanne (4) early but
Dilshan, who registered his
second century of the
tournament, and Sangakkara
stitched together a massive
second- wicket partnership to
take the islanders to a
Borussia Dusseldorf, said that
plastic balls and heat in Jaipur
will make the game faster.
Top Indian paddler Achanta
"Heat would be factor
Sharath Kamal, the country's because we play mostly in
best hope in the Asian Cup
Europe where there is much
Table Tennis Championship
colder and humid too. Here it
which will be held here from is hot and friction on the table
March 13 to 15, feels that heat will be less making the game
in the pink city will be a
faster. The plastic balls too
crucial factor in the
would add to this because there
performance of players taking is less spin and as a result
part in the tournament.
more bounce off the table,"
World number 49 Sharath
said Sharath Kamal who has
Kamal, who is just back from been doing well in leagues
Germany where he plays for
abroad.
"Plastic balls have been in
use for quite some time in
Europe and we have adjusted
to them. Conditions are
different here. But it's not a big
deal to adjust with it," he said.
Talking about the strong
field in the Asian Cup, Sharath
Kamal felt he does have a
chance here.
"I had finished sixth in the
previous edition of the
tournament and I had beaten
players ranked much higher in
ranking. Asians dominate in
this sport and the field here is
Kumar Sangakkara created
history by notching up a record
fourth consecutive ODI century
that powered Sri Lanka to a
crushing 148-run win over
Scotland in their final group
league match of the ongoing
cricket World Cup here on
Wednesday. In becoming the
first man in history of One-Day
Internationals to score centuries
in four successive innings, the
37-year-old Sri Lankan veteran
together
with
opener
Tillakaratne Dilshan (104)
helped the team put up a
mammoth 363 for nine after
electing to bat at the Bellerive
Oval. Set a daunting target in
the group A match, Scotland's
innings ended at 215 in 43.1
overs, and the minnows have
another match to play in the
mega-event where they have
failed to win a single game so
far. Sri Lanka are now second in
the points table, behind New
11
SPORTS
commanding total even after
the Scottish bowlers pulled
things back a little in the end.
Leading the run-scorers'
chart, Sangakkara, who
recorded his 25th ODI ton, has
so far aggregated 496 runs in
six innings with Dilshan a
distant second with 395 in as
many outings. India's Shikhar
Dahwan is third in the
batsmen's list.
Sangakkara has been on a
rampage with tons coming
against Bangladesh (105),
England (117), Australia (104)
and Scotland, and is now
averaging a resounding 124 in
the event.
The Scottish bowlers were in
for a leather hunt as Dilshan,
whose innings was laced with
10 fours and a six, combined
superbly with Sangakkara, who
hit 13 fours and four sixes in his
knock.
Dilshan departed soon after
registering his 22nd ODI ton
but Sangakkara carried on in the
same vein.
The
left-handed
wicketkeeper-batsman got
stuck into tall medium-pacer
Alasdair Evans (2-72) in the
36th over to smack a six and
four boundaries.
But medium-pacer Josh
Davey (3-63) made it count in
the powerplays - 36 to 40 overs
- to send back Mahela
Jayawardene (2) and then Sangakkara to check the Lankan
surge. Mathews wiel-ded the
willow to smash a 21-ball 51.
Striking four sixes against offspinner Matt Machan in the
44th over, Mathews recorded
the second fastest World Cup
fifty after New Zealand captain
Brendon McCullum's 18-ball
half-century against England.
The last-wicket pair of
Nuwan Kulasekara (18 not out)
and Dushmantha Chameera (12
not out) also did their bit.
JAMMU | THURSDAY | MARCH 12 | 2015
Wo r l d C u p
I look best when my bowlers
are doing well: MS Dhoni
Agencies
New Delhi, Mar 11
Dhoni was hailed for his captaincy so far
in the World Cup but he feels it is the
performance of his bowlers that makes
him look like a commanding leader.
Auckland: Indian Cricket team captain
Mahendra Singh Dhoni has received rich
praise for his captaincy so far in the World
Cup but he feels it is the performance of
his bowlers that makes him look like a
commanding leader. Since spinners were
in operation for 30 overs against Ireland,
Dhoni was asked at the post-match media
conference if he is at his best as a captain
when he is experimenting with his bowling
options. He smiled and gave a swift reply.
"No, I am best when the bowlers are
bowling well," he said.
He then went on to explain why it
makes a captain's job easier when you
have a plan.
"It makes the job slightly easy for me
because you have a plan. But unless it is
executed well it can't make you look like a
good captain. It all depends on execution.
You may have two slips, but if the bowler
bowls on the pads, it doesn't really look
good. I feel that is where the remarkable
difference has come from the bowlers' end.
They are bowling according to the plans,"
said Dhoni. In his own inimitable style
which is laced with a bit of dry humour
and sarcasm, Dhoni said, "You keep telling
them bowl to one line, bowl one line? and
that creates pressure.
But it was more said than heard by
them. But now they have seen it and they
have tasted it." "So when they come back
for the Test series outside the subcontinent, they will still have the memories
that outside the sub-continent a lot of time
you have to stick to good lines and
lengths, and that is something that rewards
you. That will definitely change a lot of
things for us. A lot of trouble that we have
been having, that will be sorted.
"Hopefully, they will retain all the things
that they have learnt here," were the words
of wisdom from the skipper. Dhoni has
time and again spoken about the flexibility
required from him as well as his players
and that is exactly was the recipe for his
team's success against Ireland despite a
poor start by the bowlers.
"I think that is very crucial because if
this was a very important game for us,
maybe I would have brought in the
spinners closer to the fourth over because
we fell from behind. It (pitch) definitely
had a bit of bounce. By bounce, I mean
just gripped on to the surface and there
was a bit of bounce for them. So if it was a
State Cycling Vikram-Vinay pair bags doubles title
meet from
March 16
Sports & Allied News
Jammu, Mar 11:
Jammu and Kashmir Cycling
Association shall hold State
Championship in all three age
groups of sub-junior, junior
and senior boys at MA
Stadium, here from March 16.
Those interested boys have
been advised to submit their
entries along with necessary
eligibility to the organising
committee on or before March
16, a handout issued by the
Association general secretary,
Om Parkash informed here
today.
Vinay Gupta of IIIM wins
Carom singles title
Sports & Allied News
Jammu, March 11:
Vinay Gupta of Indian Institute
of Integrative Medicines (IIIM)
clinched the singles title in the
carom competition of the
ongoing sports meet of Centre
Government
Employees
Welfare
Coordination
Committee (CGEWCC) at IIIM
Complex, here today.
In the final, Vinay outplayed
Sohan Singh of Survey of India
(SOI) 2-1. Earlier, in the
semifinals, Sohan defeated
Shashi Jamwal of the same
organisation (SOI) 2-0 while
Vinay defeated Jagdish Singh of
much stronger. But I feel table Olympics to two players from National Sample Survey
tennis world has come closer a country so that at least a
Organisation (NSSO) 2-0.
and on the given day any one bronze medal goes somewhere
Quarterfinals: Sohan Singh
can beat anybody," he said.
else."
(SOI) bt Rajesh (IIIM) 2-1;
Asked about the challenge
Asked about the controversy Jagdish Singh (NSSO) bt Rattan
from the Chinese and their
when the Table Tennis
Lal (NSSO) 2-0; Vinay Gupta
dominance on world stage,
Federation of India ignored
(IIIM) bt Lakku Vinayak (SOI)
Sharath Kamal said, "They
him for the Asian Cup, he said, 2-0; Shashi Jamwal (SOI) bt
(Chinese) have their own
"I feel the issue was blown out Anil (IIIM) 2-1.
standards. I feel they are at
of proportion. One of my club
Pre-quarterfinals: Sohan
least 4-5 levels ahead of us.
teammates got injured and I
Singh (SOI) bt Vikram Abrol
Sometimes it becomes
had to take his place otherwise (IIIM) 2-1; Rajesh (IIIM) bt
monotonous but ITTF has been the four member team would
Darshan Kumar (SOI) 2-1;
finding ways to have
have been thrown out. I
Jagdish Singh (NSSO) bt RK
something for others, like they decided to give more
Bhat (PCDA) 2-1; Rattan Lal
have limited participation in
importance to th
Paddler Sharath says heat will be a crucial factor at Asian Championship
Agencies
Jaipur, Mar 11
Kidambi leads
Indian charge in
Round Two of
Swiss Grand Prix
Agencies
Basel, Mar 11
Top Indian male shuttler
Kidambi Srikanth, along with
three others, reached the second
round of USD 120,000 Swiss
Grand Prix Gold badminton
championship. World No. 5
Srikanth, who hogged the
limelight last year, after winning
the China Super Series Premier,
defeated France's Lucas Corvee
21-18 21-10 in the opening
round. The top seeded Indian
from Andra Pradesh will next
take on Germany's Dieter
Domke. Among others, Dutch
Open winner Ajay Jayaram
defeated fifth seed Hong Kong's
Hu Yun 21-7 21-7, in a lop-sided
match and will clash with
Belgium's Yuhan Tan next.
Anand Pawar, seeded 16th, saw
off Switzerland's Joel Koenig
21-11 21-13, to set up a fight
with Daren Liew of Malaysia,
while B Sai Praneeth, seeded
12th, brushed aside Croatia's
Luka Zdenjak 21-9 21-9. The
22-year-old will take on
Malaysia's Beryno Jiann Tze
Wong next. In men's doubles,
Indian duo of Manu Attri and B
Sumeeth Reddy, will meet
Indonesian pair of Wahyu
Nayaka Arya Pankaryanira and
Ade Yusuf on Wednesday.
really crucial game for us, the spinners
would have come on really early, Dhoni
tried to explain as to what exactly he
meant by flexibility.
He further added, But I wanted the fast
bowlers to have a bit more go also, the fact
that they bowled well. I thought maybe I
can still use the new ball, get a few nicks
if possible. But new ball was coming
nicely on to the bat. So I said, let's go
ahead with the fast bowlers for a bit more
time and then bring on the spinners. That
is what I really did.
Flexibility from the bowlers' side was
also there. They quite understand you.
They don?t question you too much," added
Dhoni.
A doubles match in progress in the CGEWCC Carom meet
at IIIM Complex, Jammu on Wednesday. Picture/SAN
(NSSO) bt Chainu Ram (NSSO)
2-1; Vinay Gupta (IIIM) bt RK
Arora (NSSO) 2-0; Lakku
Vinayak (SOI) bt Sat Pal
(NSSO) 2-0; Shashi Jamwal
(SOI) bt Sanjeev Kumar (SOI)
2-0; Anil (IIIM) bt Shabir
(IIIM) 2-1.
Meanwhile, later the duo of
Vikram Abrol and Vinay Gupta
of IIIM bagged the doubles title
too. In the decider, Vikram and
Vinay trounced the pair of R K
Bhat and Tara Chand of
Principal Controller of Defence
Accounts (PCDA) 2-0.
In the semifinals, AK Bhat
and Tara Chand of PCDA beat
Jagdish and Subash of NSSO 21 while the pair of Vikram and
Vinay defeated Rajesh and Anil
of IIIM.
Quarterfinals: RK Bhat and
Tara Chand of PCDA bt Vishal
Gupta and Shabir of IIIM 2-1;
Jagdish and Subash of NSSO bt
Darshan Kumar and Lakku of
SOI 2-1; Rajesh and Anil of
IIIM bt Chainu Ram and Roop
of NSSO 2-0; Vikram Abrol and
Vinay Gupta of IIIM bt Shashi
and Sanjeev of SOI 2-1.
United's tough
IV All India Poilce Martyrs Memorial Hockey Tournament Manchester
road ahead could be
NAMDHARI XI, GURDASPUR CLUB, CORPS OF SIGNALS IN QFS
Sports & Allied News
Jammu, March 11:
Winning their respective matches,
Namdhari XI, New Gurdaspur Club and
Corps of Signals Jalandhar today
qualified for the quarterfinals round of
the ongoing IV All India Police Martyrs'
Hockey Tournament at KK Hakhu
Stadium here under the banner of J&K
Police.
Four other teams have already been
placed in the quarterfinals considering
their standings in the previous edition of
the event. These are Border Security
Force (BSF), Punjab and Sindh Bank,
J&K Police and Punjab Police.
Now, in the quarterfinals, scheduled
for tomorrow, Indian Air Force shall be
playing against BSF at 9 am, followed
by the match between Punjab and Singh
Bank and Namdhari XI at 11 am. In
other last eight stages matches, J&K
Police shall take on New Gurdaspur
Club at 2 pm and Punjab Police shall
Ranji Trophy
The CISF takes on Corps of Signals in the first round match at K K
Hakhu Stadium, Jammu on Wednesday. Picture/SAN
face Corps of Signals at 4 pm.
Earlier, Corps of Signals registered a
comfortable 4-1 win against fighting
Central Industrial Security Force (CISF)
side. Though the first goal was scored by
CISF in the 18th minute through Cyril
Ekka, yet they could not consolidate and
allowed their opponents to take an
invincible 3-1 lead at the end of the first
half play. Joshanpal remained star
striker, who netted the ball twice in the
21st and 35th minute to be named man of
the match. Rajneesh Kumar (23rd) and S
Kaitha (54th) were other scores.
In another scheduled match,
Namdhari XI registered a humiliating 90 defeat on J&K XI. Inderpal Singh (5th
,15th), Udhampreet Singh (43rd,7th),
Avtar Singh (22nd, 60th) and Gurcharan
Singh (57th, 62nd) added two goals each
while Jaswant Singh (61st) netted other
goal. For his brilliant game, Inderpal
named man of the match and presented
with Rs 4,000 cheque by general
secretary of Hockey J&K, Romal Singh.
Gurdarspur Club won their game
against Dogra XI beating latter 6-4.
Earlier, the game ended in a 2-2 draw
forcing the organisers to decide the fate
of the match via tie-breaker wherein
Gurdaspur Club emerged victorious.
Gurdaspur XI goal-keeper was declared
man of the match and handed over Rs
4000 prize money by Inspector General
of Police IRP, Jammu, Joginder Koul.
daunting on EPL fortunes
Agencies
New Delhi, Mar 11
Louis van Gaal will need to get
all his tactical experience in
shape as Manchester United
step in a crucial journey ahead
with a tough set of fixtures in
the Premier League showdown.
After the team's exit in the FA
Cup quarters against rivals
Arsenal at Old Trafford on
Monday, United's only solace
lie in a top four finish in the
EPL.
The Manchester giants who
had a disappointing campaign
last term, lie fourth in the
Premier League table and face
an in-form Harry Kane
hurricane when they take on
Tottenham Hotspur in a crucial
encounter at Old Trafford this
coming Sunday.
Spurs lie sixth in the table
and are only three points behind
Louis van Gaal's men. United
are vulnerable at the moment
despite two back to back wins in
the Premier League. Their
performances have been a
shadow of their expectations,
and a lack of cohesion and
vibrancy have been a
contributor to their patchy
performances. Despite their
irregularity, United lie in a
pivotal place in the table and
Van Gaal knows the road ahead
will be tough.
In United's 10 remaining
matches in the EPL season, they
face high flying Liverpool after
the Spurs game and have tough
fixtures against the likes of
Chelsea, Manchester City,
Karun Nair's triple ton takes Karnataka closer to Ranji title
Agencies
Mumbai, Mar 11
Karun Nair's unconquered 310 put
Karnataka in driver's seat as the
defending champions posted a
mammoth 618/7 against Tamil Nadu
on day three of the Ranji Trophy final
at the Wankhede stadium here on
Tuesday. Karnataka added 295 runs
today to extend their first innings lead
to an imposing 484 runs against their
struggling opponents.
Nair, who scored his first triple
century in first class cricket, piled on
123 runs with K L Rahul in the first
session, reaching his 200 just three
balls before lunch.
Incidentally, this was Nair's first
double century. Batting for two full
days, Nair struck 45 fours and a six in
his marathon 815 minute knock and
reached his 300 with a reverse sweep
boundary off Malolan Rangarajan.
The youngster is nine runs shy of
equalising Gul Mohammad's record
of 319 for Baroda against Holkar in
1946-47, for the highest score in a
Ranji final. Resuming at an overnight
score of 323 for 5, the Karnataka
batsmen continued where he left off
and ensured that there were no
casualties till lunch.
Nair took the charge for the holders
as he crafted the triple century after
resuming on his score of 130. He
looked poised for a big score and the
intent of Karnataka was clear that they
wanted to set a daunting total.
The 23-year old surpassed
Gundappa Vishwanath's 247 against
Uttar Pradesh in 1977-78, for the
highest runs scored by a Karnataka
batsman in the Ranji final.
He struck Rangarajan for six over
long-on and followed it with a four in
the 121st over. He struck two
consecutive boundaries off Vijay
Shankar in the 126th over, an over
which yielded 13 runs.
Resuming at a lunch score of 446/5,
Karnataka lost K L opener K L Rahul
(188) in the seventh over after lunch.
Rahul added 57 runs to his
overnight score of 131 before he
miscued a shot to be caught at long-on
by Vijay Shankar off spinner Malolan
Rangarajan.
The 22-year old Rahul hit two sixes
off an Aswin Crist over to bring his
150 but missed out on scoring a
double.
His innings comprised 17 fours and
three sixes and shared a 386-run stand
with Nair for the sixth wicket.
The duo missed the opportunity to
record the highest-ever partnership
for sixth wicket in Ranji Trophy by
just 31 runs.
Karnataka lost another wicket soon
after they posted 500, when Shreyas
Gopal (11) was caught behind off
Aswin Crist.
Unrelented by the wickets falling at
the other end, Nair compiled an
unbeaten 117- run stand with skipper
Vinay Kumar for the eighth wicket.
Kumar played his part with the bat
too and made a steady unbeaten 41
laced with four fours and a six.
Tamil Nadu suffered a blow when
Prasanth Parameswaran suffered an
injury while fielding and hobbled off
the ground.
He was sliding to save a boundary,
when he injured his ankle.
Except the two wickets they picked
in the mid-session, Tamil Nadu
bowlers didn't have things working
their way.
Rangarajan conceded 155 runs off
his 44 overs for two wickets, while
Crist gave away 118 runs in his 31
overs for a wicket. Balaji has been the
pick of the bowlers for the struggling
side with three scalps, which he got
on the opening day. The former India
bowler has leaked 95 runs from his 34
overs.
Brief scores: Tamil Nadu (1st
innings) 134 all out (Abhinav
Mukund 35, Baba Indrajith 27, Aswin
Crist 21; R Vinay Kumar 5 for 34,
Abhimanyu Mithun 3 for 54)
Karnataka (1st innings) (Karun
Nair 310 not out, K L Rahul 188,
Vinay Kumar 41 not out, Laxmipathy
Balaji 3 for 95).
The NORTHLINES
12
NATO chief says
Islamic State recruited my son, he was not a Russia
still equipping
Ukraine rebels
Mossad agent: Slain Israeli teen's father
www.thenorthlines.com
JAMMU | THURSDAY | MARCH 12 | 2015
his murder.
SITE Intel Group;s head Rita
Katz posted few stills from the
video on Twitter.
Speaking to the CNN, the
slain teenager's family said that
his son was not a Mossad spy,
instead he had been recruited by
the Islamic State.
"Mohamed told me and his
brother that ISIS took him...
They sent him money through
the Western Union. They said
you will have girls, money, cars,
villas, paradise, but afterwards
he discovered that there is
nothing," the slain teen's father
Said Musallam told the CNN.
Agencies
and had nothing to do with
Musallam's father added that
London | Mar. | 11
Mossad, reports said.
he tried his best to help his son
Continuing its pattern of
return home by sending money,
In what contradicts the
flaunting its gruesome acts, the but he could not manage to.
confessions of slain Israeli
ISIS released its latest video on
Contrary to the family's
teenager Mohamed Said Ismail Tuesday which showed a child statement, the slain teenager
Musallam in the ISIS video,
shooting a 19-year-old Israeli confessed in the video that he
his family has said that he was man, who confessed to being a was a Mossad spy sent to
recruited by the Islamic State
Mossad agent, moments before infiltrate the ISIS.
No one wants their personal emails
made public, says Hillary Clinton
Agencies
Washington | Mar. | 11
As the political controversy over Hillary
Clinton's emails rumbles on, the former US
Secretary of State on Tuesday confessed that it
was a mistake to have used a private server
during her tenure, at the same time defending her
act of deleting personal emails.
In her first remarks over the email row, Hillary
on Tuesday held a 20-minute presser where she
revealed that she had exchanged 60,000 emails
during her tenure as the Secretary of State.
Out of them, 30,490 emails were work-related
which she made public to the State Department in
December, two years after leaving office. But
more than half of all her emails (over 32, 000)
which she deleted, were personal and involved
correspondence related to her yoga routine,
daughter's wedding and her mother's funeral and
she said that she had deleted them.
"No one wants their personal emails made
public, and I think most people understand that
and respect privacy," she said.
However, she defiantly rejected accusations
that she created a security risk or violated the law.
"I fully complied with every rule I was
governed by," she said. Clinton said repeatedly
Tuesday that she had taken "unprecedented steps"
to provide the State Department her work-related
communications. She described the missing
The video posted by the ISIS
shows Musallam sitting on his
knees in orange jumpsuit with
two ISIS fighters in fatigues –
one an adult and another a child.
The adult man is then shown
commanding the child in
French after which the boy
shoots the Israeli teen in the
forehead with a 9 mm
semiautomatic handgun.
The ISIS continues to release
the videos of hostage
executions as an act of
propaganda on social media,
despite Twitter blocking proISIS accounts.
The ISIS in past had
beheaded at least six Western
hostages and released their
beheading videos.
The most recent was the
video last month by IS militants
in Libya, showing the
beheading of 21 Coptic
Christians by the sea shore,
turning waves red.
His public appearances are
cancelled, friends shy away and
he is confined to a safehouse but
Swedish artist Lars Vilks, twice
targeted by Islamist assasins,
says he has no regrets even
though he feels that those who
wish him dead are winning.
The 68-year-old sparked
outrage among Muslims in 2007
with a drawing portraying the
Prophet Mohammad as a dog.
That led an al Qaeda-linked
Iraqi group to place a $100,000
bounty on his head.
In February, he went into
hiding after a radicalised Dane
shot dead two people in
Copenhagen at a free-speech
event Vilks attended and at a
synagogue.
Since then, lectures in
Sweden have been cancelled,
some of his friends have stopped
seeing him, and neighbours have
asked his landlord to evict him
from his home even though the
Topless nun billboard irks Naples
NAPLES: An Italian company said no blasphemy was
intended by erecting a Naples billboard featuring a topless model
dressed as a nun ahead of a planned papal visit. Clothing
company Rosso di Sera came under fire from Naples natives
when it erected a billboard recently featuring a topless model
wearing a nun's habit and holding a rosary. The model's breasts
are covered by her arms. Some have accused the company of
blasphemy ahead of a planned March 21 visit to Naples by Pope
Francis. The company released a statement saying the billboard
had been planned long before the pope's visit was announced.
"We recognize that we have made a strong marketing choice but
there was no intent to blaspheme," the statement said.
"Trivializing the act of prayer was not the intention in any way."
The statement said the company "strongly regrets being accused
of things extremely far from our values and our culture."
Nearly 500-pound leatherback sea
turtle rescued in South Carolina
Indonesia: An advert for a house in Indonesia has gone viral
online after the woman selling it offered to throw in an unusual
extra feature for free - her hand in marriage.
The Internet ad reads for the most part like a regular house
listing, saying that the single-storey property has two bedrooms,
two bathrooms, a parking space and a fish pond.
But it also proposes to buyers a "rare offer" - "when you buy
this house, you can ask the owner to marry you", alongside a
picture of Wina Lia, a 40-year-old widow and beauty salon
owner, leaning against a car in front of the house.
The ad said that terms and conditions apply, and notes the offer
is "for serious buyers and non-negotiable". The house in Sleman,
on the island of Java, is on the market for 999 million rupiah
(about $75,000).
News of the offer quickly spread among Internet users in social
media-crazy Indonesia.
Boldies99, a user on popular online forum Kaskus, said Lia
was "quite smart - even though the house will be sold, she will
remain the owner."
Lia told AFP she was "shocked at the reaction", as she had
been overwhelmed by journalists coming to interview her, and
even the police in the conservative, Muslim-majority country had
been asking questions.
The police "came to verify the news as they consider it as an
improper advertisement. But I explained to them that it was not
my idea," she said.
The mother of two explained that she had asked a friend who
was a property agent to help her find a buyer - and in the process
a husband - but she had expected him to pass on the news to a
limited number of people, not put an ad online.
"I told a friend of mine who also works as property agent that
if there is a buyer who is a single man or a widower who wants
to buy a house, and at the same time look for a wife, he can let
me know as I'm also a widow," she said.
She added that there was only one potential buyer, who had
visited on Wednesday, but refused to give further details.
nearest one is a mile away.
"Artistic life, when you are
examining and researching
today`s world, is risky
business," he told Reuters at a
secure location in central
Malmo, flanked by three
bodyguards. "I am hardened
now and have grown into a
situation that has escalated
gradually." Vilks said he hopes
the situation will calm down in
coming months but is resigned
to living under threat for the rest
of his life. He said people like
himself, novelist Salman
Rushdie and cartoonist Kurt
Westergaard are forever in al
Qaeda`s "hall of fame". "These
people are not in a hurry. It is
very seldom that anyone slips
away and is forgotten." Vilks has
been given round-the-clock
police protection and several
would-be killers have been put
in prison, including one called
Jihad Jane. His attackers, he
said, have already had great
success in intimidating those
around him. "Many are now
very worried. There are those
who are very reluctant to be seen
or to socialise with me. Fear is
the true ally of terrorism," he
said. He has spent the last few
weeks moving from one safe
house to another. He has been
told he cannot go back to his
home for the foreseeable future.
His daily activity is now
dictated by his security team and
he exercises indoors instead of
taking walks outside.
"Everything becomes very
limited. It`s a hassle if you get
seen because then you have to
move straight away," Vilks said.
Such restrictions have forced
him to develop his painting,
which he relies on to support
himself, and he sells nearly
everything he paints, he said.
Prints of his Mohammad dog
painting sell for $215 each.
Most of all he misses being
out in the countryside. He can no
longer visit a driftwood
installation he has been building
for decades on a shore close to
his home.
Bangladesh police stood
close by during blogger
Avijit Roy attack: Wife
Agencies
Dhaka | Mar. | 11
The wife of an American
blogger and critic of religious
extremism who was hacked to
death in Dhaka last month said
that police stood nearby when
the couple were attacked on a
university campus in the
Bangladesh capital.
Avijit Roy, an engineer of
Bangladeshi origin, was killed
by machete-wielding assailants
when returning from a book
fair. His wife, Rafida Bonya
Ahmed, suffered head injuries
and lost a finger.
"While Avijit and I were
being ruthlessly attacked, the
local police stood close by and
did not act," Rafida told
Reuters. "Now, we demand that
the Bangladeshi government
do everything in its power to
bring the murderers to justice."
Mohammad
Masudur
Rhaman, a deputy police
commissioner of Dhaka
Metropolitan Police, said
authorities were investigating
Rafida`s claims.
The US Federal Bureau of
Investigation (FBI) is also
helping with investigations.
Avijit`s killing follows a
string of attacks on secular
bloggers in recent years in the
Muslim-majority
nation.
Media group Reporters
Without Borders rated
Bangladesh 146th among 180
countries in a ranking of press
freedom last year.
Rafida urged the government
to "stop a legal culture of
impunity, where writers can be
killed without the killers being
brought to trial".
Bangladesh`s anti-terrorism
unit said last week it had
arrested Farabi Shafiur
Rahman in connection with the
attack.
Rahman had previously been
jailed for his ties to the
extremist Hizbut Tahrir
Islamist group.
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
residents ahead of pope visit
Indonesia, with free wife
NATO Secretary General
Jens Stoltenberg said on
Wednesday that Russia was
continuing to arm and train
rebel forces in eastern Ukraine
and he called on Moscow to
respect a ceasefire by
withdrawing fully from the
conflict.
Asked at a news conference
about a US diplomat`s
comment that Russian tanks
had crossed into Ukraine in
recent days, he declined
specific comment on that but
said: "We ... still see Russian
presence and strong support for
the separatists in eastern
Ukraine. We see the delivery of
equipment, forces, training.
And so Russia is still in eastern
Ukraine.
"Therefore we call on Russia
to withdraw all its forces from
eastern Ukraine and to respect
the Minsk agreement."
Qaeda's hit list has no regrets
Offbeat
House for sale in
Agencies
Mons | Mar. | 11
Swedish cartoonist on al
Agencies
Malmo | Mar. | 10
personal emails as ones she wrote about her
daughter's wedding, her mother's funeral, her
yoga routine and other similar matters. Clinton
left the Obama administration in early 2013, but
didn't turn over her written communications for
nearly two years and only in response to a State
Department request. The email controversy stems
from reports last week that Clinton had
exclusively used both a private email address and
a private server while at the State Department. A
central question for Clinton over the past week
has been why she chose not to use government
email if she wasn't trying to skirt federal rules
that require officials' communications to be
archived. She described her use of personal email
as a matter of "convenience" and a way to avoid
carrying two devices. She said that didn't appear
to be an issue at the time, but that in hindsight, it
would have been "smarter" to use a government
account as well as her personal one.
Funny Photo
CHARLESTON: A nearly 500-pound leatherback sea turtle
found stranded in South Carolina is the first of its species to be
rescued live in the state, officials said. The South Carolina
Aquarium said the turtle was nicknamed Yawkey after being
rescued Saturday on Yawkey South Island Reserve, near
Georgetown, and the 475-pound amphibian is being treated at the
aquarium for hypoglycemia and possible internal infections. The
South Carolina Department of Natural Resources said Yawkey is
the first leatherback sea turtle to be rescued in the state and only
the fifth to be rescued in the United States. Leatherback sea
turtles, the largest turtles in the world, migrate through coastal
waters and are known to nest on the coast of Florida. Aquarium
officials said they are not sure whether Yawkey is a male or
female, as the turtle is less than 10 years old and therefore not yet
at the age of sexual maturity. The officials said they are aiming to
release the turtle back into the wild as soon as possible.
Moscow city officials plan
'husband for an hour' services
MOSCOW: Moscow city officials said they are planning a
service to allow households to rent "husbands" for an hour to do
work around the house. Andrei Besshtanko of Moscow's Social
Protection Department said the "husband for an hour" service
will allow residents to secure the services of a handyman to
perform duties such as fixing leaky faucets and putting up
shelves. Besshtanko said the service will be free for lowincome households and will be available to others for a fee. A
number of private businesses in Russia offer similar services.
The Moscow Husband for an Hour company offers "young and
strong men with a huge set of technical skills" available around
the clock for one hour at a time. "You've just spent a long time
in a store selecting a new light fixture for your hallway to
perfectly match your new decor," the company said on its
website. "But you're a beautiful woman with a killer manicure
that was done only yesterday, and you're not ready to get
intimate with a noisy and horribly vibrating drill.
Indian-origin billionaire teams up with NASAto mine the Moon
Agencies
Washington | Mar. 11
Moon Express, a California-based
company, co-founded by Indian origin
billionaire Naveen Jain, is teaming up with
NASA to build robotic lander to mine the
Moon, according to reports.
The company plans to send the first
commercial robotic lander called ' MX-1' to
the Moon in 2016.
Earlier in 2015, it became the first
company to successfully test a prototype of
a lunar lander at the Kennedy Space Center
in Florida.
According to Naveen Jain, the success of
this test and a series of others that will
happen later this year will help the Moon
Express to send its lander to the moon next
year.
The company had also recently signed an
agreement to take over Space Launch
Complex 36 at Cape Canaveral and the
historic launchpad will be used for Moon
Express's lander development and flighttest operations, he added.
Moon Express will conduct a completely
free flight test of MX-1 with no tethering
later this month. The lander will take off
from the pad, go up and sideways, then land
back at the launchpad.
The lander's first mission would be a
one-way trip and won't travel back to the
Earth.
Looking ahead 15 or 20 years, Jain said
he envisions a day when the Moon would
be used as a sort of way station enabling
easier travel for exploration to other
planets.
Jain is reportedly planning a second and
third mission if the company's 2016 mission
is successful.
'627,000 die every year of particulate air pollution'
Agencies
New Delhi | Mar. | 11
Over 627,000 people die
prematurely and 18 million
healthy life years are lost every
year due to particulate air
pollution -- the microscopic solid
and liquid matter suspended in
the Earth`s atmosphere, an
environmentalist said here on
Wednesday.
The experts said the situation
was of a great concern because
carbon -- the dark core of
particulate matter -- was
contributing to the health burden
and even after decades of air
quality management, particulate
air pollution has remained
among the top 10 killers
globally.
"It has been found that black
carbon -- which is a product of
incomplete combustion and
already a deadly local pollutant - is contributing to the high
health burden," said Sunita
Narain, director general of the
Centre for Science and
Environment (CSE).
She was speaking at the Anil
Agarwal Dialogue held in
memory of CSE`s founder Anil
Agarwal in the national capital.
The two-day event, that began
on Wednesday, had discussions
on black carbon and its impact of
the climate.
"Black carbon is local air
pollutant and has global impact
as well. The issue to deliberate
will be the emerging science on
local-global pollutants and also
to understand the national road
maps for intervention in key
areas of mitigation and to see if
these are sufficient or
transformational approaches are
needed," Narain said.
Anumita Roychowdhury,
executive director CSE, said
high black carbon emitted from
increase in number of diesel
vehicles, use of high-sulfur
diesel, out-dated technology of
vehicles and expansion in roadbased freight traffic have added
to local health risks as well as the
global climate risk.
"Black carbon is also coemitted with a range of other
toxic and warming gases. This
link between local and global
impacts of diesel particulates
now changes the geo-politics
around diesel emission
mitigation, as the policies and
action on diesel transport vary
widely across vehicle-producing
and vehicle-importing nations in
developed and developing
countries," said Roychowdhury.
Some of the other key issues
to be discussed during the event
are science of short-lived climate
pollutants, and local and global
impact of diesel emissions, brick
kilns and cook stoves.
"There is a need for the world
to find approaches for affordable
access to sustainable mobility
and clean technology, cleaner
techniques for building material
and energy access for all, as
without this, we will not be able
to
move
forward,"
Roychowdhury said.