TOP STORY OF THE DAY |
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| Why should Ministers' cellphone bills be paid from public exchequer? | | | | Abodh Sharma
Early Times Report
Jammu, Aug 23:Even as Chief Minister and Dy Chief Minister swear by responsive and accountable governance, their own ministerial colleagues are not responding to frantic calls made to them on their official numbers whose huge bills are paid from public exchequers.
The official numbers of all the Ministers have been put on display on the official website of the Government of Jammu and Kashmir for the convenience of general public, but most of them evoke a response. Repeated calls on the official cellphone numbers of most of the ministers fail to evoke any response as ministers respond only to the calls of their political workers, staff, friends and relatives whose numbers they have saved in their contact lists.
Even journalists who try to reach out to them for government's reaction to vital issues concerning their departments fail to contact the ministers, whose number can otherwise be found busy for long durations.
It is pertinent to mention here that the idea behind paying huge telephone bills of the ministers from the public exchequer is tha... | |
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FRONT PAGE STORIES |
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| Hundreds of influential Associate Professors overstaying at choice postings | | Litmus test for Education Minister | | | Avinash Azad
Early Times Report
Jammu, Aug 23: The transfer of many influential Assistant Professors of government colleges as per the transfer policy, is likely to test the mettle of Education Minister Naeem Akhter as these Assistant Professors (APs) have been holding their choice postings for the years together under the patronage of politicians and bureaucrats.
Though Education Minister has assured to go by the book, these influential APs have been showing thumb to rule book for the last many years and it will be very difficult to transfer these APs, whose tenure of overstay varies from 3 to 20 years.
In response to an RTI application, the Higher Education Department had given a deta... | |
| | | | Akhter's cold response dismays people | | | | Peerzada Ummer
Early Times Report
Srinagar, Aug 23: The Allahabad High Court decision making it mandatory for government employees to admit their wards in government schools has made the Education Minister, Naeem Akhter focus of attention.
Akhter who took measures to upgrade the standard of education in government run schools is undecided for the time being.
Meanwhile, the civil society here has started raising the pitch, asking the government to take cue from the Allahabad High Court decision.
The incumbent Education Minister, finding himself in the middle of crises strived to get away, saying no one could be 'coerced' to admit children in the government schools.
"The fundamental ... | |
| | | | 'Ghosts' unleash terror near Azad's Srinagar residence | | | | Abdul Majid
Early Times Report
Srinagar, Aug 23: 'Ghosts' last night unleashed terror in high security Hyder Pora locality near the private residence of former Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad here even as police said nobody has filed any complaint.
The residents of Hyder Pora and adjoining Paray Pora said last night there was repeated banging on the main gates of several houses of the twin localities while many believed that it was a black bear-like beast on prowl in the area.
Amid banging and unusual movement of the "beast", by midnight the locals started making phone calls to each other asking them not to venture out of their houses. "The stray dogs also kept barking for the whole n... | |
| | | | I&FC Department ignorant of its own assets | | Fails to maintain computerized data | | | Arun Singh
Early Times Report
Jammu, Aug 23: Despite spending crores of rupees on execution of several irrigation schemes and making its assets across the state under Accelerated Irrigation Benefits Progamme, Irrigation and Flood Control Department, due to its lackadaisical approach, has failed to maintain such records of its assets.
Sources told Early Times that to safeguard against misuse of assets and to assess further requirements as well as to provide for their periodical maintenance and repairs, the maintenance of records of assets is essential but the Irrigation and Flood Control Department has not maintained any computerized records till date which shows the non serious approac... | |
| | | | JU extends contract of blue eyed contractual lecturer despite notification | | | | Avinash Azad
Early Times Report
Jammu, Aug 23: In focus for all bad reasons, the University of Jammu has granted extension to contractual lecturer, despite issuance of notification to fill all teaching posts (contractual).
The university on July 3 invited applications from deserving candidates to fill contractual posts of lecturers, but in an attempt to ensure continued service of an blue eyed candidate, the administration recently issued another order extending her contractual service.
"I am desired to inform you that Dr Seema Bhasin earlier engaged as contractual Lecturer in Home Science, Directorate of Distance Education vide order number Adm/TW/14/5025 date 09-09-2014 may be allo... | |
| | | | ED summons Shabir Shah in hawala case of 2005 | | | | Early Times Report
Srinagar, Aug 23: The Enforcement Directorate will question Kashmiri separatist leader Shabir Shah under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act. The case is in relation to a charge that money to the tune of Rs 2.25 crore had been passed on to Shah through hawala transaction allegedly to fuel unrest in Jammu and Kashmir.
Shah has been summoned at the Delhi zonal office of the agency in Delhi this week, sources said.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has issued fresh summons to Kashmiri separatist leader Shabir Shah, at present in Delhi, for questioning in connection with a decade-old case of terror financing through 'hawala channel'.
The summons have been sent at the... | |
| | | | What happened to Justice (Retd) R C Gandhi report on Kishtwar riots? | | | | Early Times Report
Jammu, Aug 23: How much time is required to study a report on a highly sensitive issue submitted by a commission to the state Govt ? The question has assumed far greater significance with regard to the final report of Justice (retd) RC Gandhi commission on Kishtwar riots.
It was during the maiden session of the state Assembly in March 2015 that two senior ministers of PDP had made a categorical statement on the floor of the House stating clearly that the copy of the Justice (Retd) RC Gandhi commission has been submitted to the State Govt and the same was being studied by the law department before taking it up for necessary action.
Five months later, the State Govt h... | |
| | | | Jammu has no journalist of any standing | | Kashmiri message from Islamabad | | | Early Times Report
JAMMU, Aug 23: On Saturday, two major developments took place at Islamabad, Pakistan. One was that the Pakistan Foreign Office (PFO) said no to talks with New Delhi on the issue of terror. There is no need to reflect on this development, as everyone is aware of this development that led to the cancellation of National Security Advisor-level talks between India and Pakistan, which were to be held in New Delhi on Monday. The other was the formation of a group consisting of 29 journalists from this and other part of Jammu & Kashmir. The conference or meeting, called "first of its kind," was organized by Kashmir Institute of International Relations (KIIR) and Center for Pe... | |
| | | | Bisco, Mallinson possess 85 kannals of state land | | `No rent paid to Govt for 35 years' | |  Early Times Report
Srinagar, Aug 23: Fleecing the parents in the name of admission fee, tution fee, sports fee etc, the Bisco and Mallinson schools have not paid any rent since 1980 for around 85 kannals of state land they possess. Information obtained under RTI Act has revealed that a prominent missionary school Tyndale Biscoe and Mallinson school Sheikh Bagh Srinagar have not paid any rent towards the Government from the last 35 years for the state land which has been leased out to this ... | |
| | | | Fuel scarcity renders GMCH Autoclave Plant defunct | | | | Bijay Charak
Early Times Report
Jammu, Aug23: The Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) administration and the hospital mechanical wing are at loggerheads over the issue of making fuel available for the Diesel Autoclave Plant. While the administration claims that it has been providing funds regularly to buy fuel for the plant, MHCH division has alleged that the non-availability of funds had rendered the plant defunct for the past one year.
Sources told Early Times that Diesel Autoclave Plant in GMCH, which costs crores of rupees, had been lying dysfunctional for the last one year due to scarcity of fuel. The liquefied oil is used as fuel in CSSD to sterilize all equipments in... | |
| | | | Smuggling of Forest produce at peak in Lakhanpur, vehicles go unchecked | | |  Arun Trisal
Early Times Report
Kathua, Aug 23: The BJP crusade of saving forests gets exploded at Lakhanpur Forest Post where smuggling of forest produce has assumed alarming proportions. Allegations of allowing vehicles to move out of the state freely without any check have also been received.
Many such vehicles were later on seized after cry or by Excise department, Lakhanpur.
It is relevant to mention here that the employees just fill the Form 25 meant for permission to transport Fo... | |
| | | | Soldier sustains splinter injuries | | 3 LeT militants gunned down in Handwara | |  S.Tahir-Ul Haq
Early Times Report
KUPWARA, Aug 23: Three LeT militants were killed and a soldier sustained injuries in a night long gun battle at Handwara area of Kupwara district in North Kashmir on Sunday.
Reliable sources informed early times that acting on specific information about the presence of militants in forests of Zachaldar area, Army's 21 RR, 6 RR, 9 Para and SOG cordoned off the Krumbhoora village in Handwara on Saturday evening.
They received reports about presence of 3-4... | |
| | | | CM expresses disappointment over cancellation of NSA-level talks, pins hope on early resumption | | 'Want two neighbours to walk bridge of trust together' | | | Early Times Report
SRINAGAR, Aug 23: Expressing disappointment over abrupt cancellation of bilateral meeting between National Security Advisors (NSA) of India and Pakistan, Chief Minister, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, today hoped that break in talks would be temporary and the thaw achieved at Ufa, where Prime Ministers of the two countries met and exhibited great camaraderie, will not be allowed to go waste.
He pinned hope that the two neighbours will reengage soon in a meaningful dialogue and steps taken by New Delhi to remove impediments in normalization of relations will be reciprocated by Islamabad.
The Chief Minister said this, after talks between NSAs of India and Pakistan were called ... | |
| | | | Police used tear gas shells, water cannon to disperse Separatists | | Authorities Barred Hardliner Geelani's gathering | | | Javaid Naikoo
Early Times Report
Srinagar, Aug 23: The authorities today scuttled the plan of separatists to assemble at Hyderpora residence of Syed Ali Shah Geelani, triggering clashes between them and police.
For maintaining law and order, police personnel had been deployed on the Srinagar roads since morning to block the movement of separatists towards the Geelani's residence at Hyderpora. Police sources said that they had inputs about the party convention of Geelani's separatist faction where Geelani and other leaders of his faction were scheduled to make addresses. Their gathering could have created law and order problems had it been allowed by authorities, the sources added.
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