Month: February 2016

‘Chidambaram supported execution of my husband’

Editor

Hours after former Home Minister and Congress leader P Chidambaram said Afzal Guru’s case was “wrongly decided”, the family of Afzal said Chidambaram should have issued such a statement earlier so that execution of Guru could have been stopped. Terming Guru’s execution as “murder of justice”, Guru’s wife Tabassum said Chidambaram has made the statement for “his vested interest.” “It is he who supported the execution of my husband that time by acting as mute spectator. Now there is no need to issue such a statement. Everybody is well aware…

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As drug abuse ‘surges’ in Kashmir, Govt orders survey to find magnitude

Editor

For the first time J&K Government would carry out a survey to find prevalence of substance abuse in Kashmir as increasing number of addicts are turning up at hospitals for treatment. Divisional Commissioner Kashmir Dr Asgar Samoon said the Government is “formulating a strategy” to undertake the maiden study. “We don’t have any reliable and latest data, although some studies have been carried out in past. First, we need to see how big the problem is and then accordingly the Government will frame its response,” said Samoon. Sources said the…

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ABVP takes out ‘Tiranga rally’ against anti-national elements

Editor

The Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) today held a “Tiranga rally” to lodge protest against the alleged anti-national elements prevailing in varsity campuses all over the country. The rally was taken out from the University of Jammu to Maharaja Hari Singh statue at the Tawi bridge. Around 400 ABVP activists participated in the rally wherein they took pledge for maintaining integrity of the nation. While addressing the rally, Varsha Jandial, ABVP state secretary asked the anti-national elements to be on the right track of nationalism. “The nationalistic youth of the…

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Relief under PM’s package okayed for flood-affected

Editor

The State Administrative Council (SAC), which met under the chairmanship of Governor NN Vohra here today, approved financial assistance under the Prime Minister’s Development Package (PMDP) —- 2015 for providing relief to people whose houses were damaged in the floods in September 2014. The relief under the Prime Minister’s package shall be as per the scales decided by the government. Each damaged house will get total relief/financial assistance out of the State Disaster Response Fund, Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund and the Prime Minister’s Development Plan — 2015. The SAC…

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HC concerned over lack of sensitivity towards Dal

Editor

Says lake will be non-existent if measures are not taken for its preservation Taking a strong note of the “lack of sensitivity” on part of the authorities, the Jammu and Kashmir High Court today said the world famous Dal Lake, which is shrinking and dying, will be non-existent in the near future if immediate steps for its preservation are not taken. “From 2002, this court has made earnest and vigorous efforts to ensure preservation of the world famous Dal Lake. Because of the lack of sensitivity on part of some…

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State Administrative Council transfers 13 IAS, eight KAS officers

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The State Administrative Council (SAC), which met here today under the chairmanship of Governor NN Vohra, approved the transfers and postings of 13 IAS and eight KAS officers. According to an order issued by the General Administration Department here, Arun Kumar, Vice-Chairman and Director General, Institute of Management and Public Administration, will hold charge of the post of the Chairman, J&K Special Tribunal. Pramod Kumar Jain, Chairman, J&K Special Tribunal, was posted as the Financial Commissioner, Revenue. Sandeep Kumar Nayak, Principal Secretary, Relief and Rehabilitation Department, was posted as the…

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Police crack whip on separatists

Editor

Ahead of the Friday protest call against detention of JNU students, the police today cracked down on separatists. While most senior leaders of the hardline Hurriyat Conference have been under detention for some time, police detained its low-rung activists to thwart protests in Kashmir. The separatist outfit asked people to hold sit-ins on Friday afternoon in all the districts to support the JNU students and seek release of Professor SAR Geelani. The police lodged Hurriyat secretary general Shabir Ahmad Shah in the Rajbagh police station while provincial president Nayeem Ahmad…

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Distributing ‘anti-army’ pamphlets land 6 students in trouble

Editor

Six students from Jammu and Kashmir, enrolled in a skill development programme at a private institute in Mohali under the Centre’s Udaan initiative, were expelled for distributing pamphlets against the army. The students were subsequently taken back after they submitted a written apology. A group of 10 students, mostly from Kashmir, are receiving IT training under the Udaan initiative at a private institute in nearby Mohali in Punjab. Udaan, the Special Industry Initiative for J-K, is funded by the Centre and being implemented by National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC). The…

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Afzal Guru’s case was perhaps not correctly decided: P Chidambaram

Editor

At a time when a controversial event organised by a group of JNU students in support of executed terrorist Afzal Guru has unleashed a political storm in the country, former Home Minister and senior Congress leader P Chidambaram has raised serious doubts over the degree of his involvement in the 2001 Parliament attacks. In an interview, published on Thursday, to The Economic Times, Chidambaram had said, “I think it is possible to hold an honest opinion that the Afzal Guru case was perhaps not correctly decided.” During the interview, the…

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Chidambaram’s remark on Afzal Guru will have negative outcome on Kashmir: BJP

Editor

The Bharatiya Janata Party on Thursday said that that former union minister and senior Congress leader P Chidambaram`s questioning the extent of Afzal Guru`s role in the 2001 Parliament attack would primarily encourage terrorists to get more active, and therefore, will have a very negative effect on Kashmir. “I am wondering what is the motivation? But the obvious implication of the statement is that it is a Congress Party statement. He would not make such a foolish statement unless he was asked to make the statement. And it is primarily to encourage…

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