TOP STORY OF THE DAY |
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| SAC to get functional by March end: Govt | | | | Early Times Report
Jammu, Jan 1: The State government today informed the High Court that it intends to appoint a chairperson for the State Accountability Commission and make the anti-corruption watchdog functional by the end of March 2010.
Justice JP Singh of J&K High Court Jammu Wing in a petition seeking direction to the state to appoint the Chairperson and members of J&K State Accountability Commission for restoring its functioning, has disposed of the petition as settles in terms of the statement made by the Advocate General that the State Government intends to make SAC functional by the end of March, 2010.
As per the direction of the High Court Advocate General MI Qadiri today made statement at the Bar that the state Government intends to convene meeting of the statutory committee for obtaining its recommendations for appointment of the chairperson and members of the State Accountability Commission in February, 2010, subject, however, to the availability of the dignitaries constituting the committee and further informed of the Government’s resolve to make the J&K Accounta... | |
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FRONT PAGE STORIES |
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| Soz seeks joint efforts for peace, prosperity | | | | Early Times Report
Jammu, Jan 1: Pradesh Congress Committee chief Prof Saifuddin Soz has called for joint efforts of all stake holders to usher Jammu and Kashmir into a new era of peace and prosperity in new year and new decade.
Addressing a public meeting in Akhnoor, organized by Health Minister Sham Lal Sharma, Soz asked people to cooperate with the administration and take full benefits of the Centrally Sponsored Schemes which have been especially designed for rural and small towns. He asked them to spread programmes and policies of the UPA and State Governments among the common masses at the grass-root level and strengthening the Congress Party.
Soz appreciated the functioning of M... | |
| | | | After reunion, cross-LoC visitor dies in cousin's arms in PoK | | | |
Early Times Report
JAMMU, Jan 1: Ten days after his long-cherished aim of seeing cousin, who was born after partition in Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK), was fulfilled, he died in his arms.
Nazir Hussain was five at the time of partition in 1947 when his real uncle had migrated to Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) along with several other Muslim families from the twin border districts of Poonch and Rajouri.
He was 67 now. Nazir's uncle was settled in PoK's Khaigala village where several migrant Muslim families have their houses. His uncle died few years back, but uncle's son Salam Din still lived there.
His family members told Early Times on phone from Rajouri that since Salam was b... | |
| | | | Can CM Omar be PM Omar of J&K? | | | |
SANT KUMAR SHARMA
Jammu, Jan 1: The last month of 2009 saw Justice (retd) Sageer Ahmed submit a report on the issue of autonomy for Jammu & Kashmir. And suddenly there is jubilation in the state.
The National Conference (NC) supporters are celebrating, saying their stance on the issue has been vindicated. Of course, if the report is implemented in letter and spirit, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah will become Prime Minister Omar Abdullah. PM of J&K under the pre-1953 nomenclature, that is.
The ``autonomy’’ celebrations in the NC camp are lukewarm because it remembers, bitterly, what happened to its autonomy ambitions in 2000.
In fact, the problem is that the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP... | |
| | | | Tremors in Assam | | | |
Guwahati Jan 1: An earthquake measuring 5.5 on the Richter scale rocked Assam and Bhutan today, triggering panic among the people. This is the second tremor to jolt the region in the past two days. No casualties were reported yet, reports said.
According to the Regional Seisomological Centre in Meghalaya's capital Shillong, the tremor was felt at 3.37 p.m. The epicentre was located in Bhutan, 132 km northeast of Assam's main city of Guwahati and 108 km east of the Himalayan kingdom's capital Thimphu.
On Tuesday, an earthquake of 5.5 magnitude rocked Assam and other northeastern states, causing damages to properties and cracks in apartments and concrete structures in Guwahati. Tuesday's... | |
| | | | India, Pak exchange nuke list | | | |
New Delhi, Jan 1: The subcontinent's New Year tradition played out again as India and Pakistan exchanged lists of nuclear installations Friday.
The list exchange was done under the Agreement on the Prohibition of Attack against Nuclear Installations and Facilities, inked Dec 31, 1988. The deal came into effect Jan 27, 1991, and the first exchange took place Jan 1, 1992.
A press release of the Indian ministry of external affairs said that the exchange was made "through diplomatic channels simultaneously at New Delhi and Islamabad". In Islamabad, Pakistan's list was handed over to a diplomat of the Indian High Commission at the foreign Office at 11 a.m.
A little later, India also handed... | |
| | | | 82 lakh pilgrims visit Vaishnodevi in 2009 | | | | Early Times Report
Jammu, Jan 1: Surpassing all previous records, the authorities at the holy cave shrine of Mata Vaishnodevi registered over 82.05 lakh faithfuls who visited the cave-shrine located in Trikuta hills in Jammu and Kashmir in 2009.
"The pilgrimage to Mata Vaishnodevi has set a new milestone. A total of record number of 82.05 lakh pilgrims has visited the cave shrine in 2009. It is highest number of the pilgrims visiting this shrine," Additional Chief Executive Officer (ACEO), Shri Mata Vaishnodevi Shrine Board (SMVSB), Dr Mandeep K Bandari said on Friday.
82,05,917 pilgrims had 'darshan' at the cave shrine in 2009. It is 14 lakh more than that of 2008 and 8 lakh more than ... | |
| | | | J&K shivers, parts of Dal Lake freeze | | | | Early Times Report
Srinagar, Jan 1: Parts of world famous Dal Lake were again partially frozen near banks after the minimum temperature dipped further to minus 4.6 degrees Celsius second lowest during this winter.
Ponds and nullahs were also frozen in the valley, including those on the outskirts of the summer capital, Srinagar.People in the Kashmir Valley woke up to a chilly morning of the new year as the night temperature dipped to minus 4.6 degrees, about 3 degrees below normal. However, this was the second lowest after the summer capital witnessed coldest night on Christmas when the minimum dipped to minus 4.9 degrees.
This writer who visited the Dal Lake saw parts of the Lake in t... | |
| | | | Police bust LeT finance racket | | | | Early Times Report
Srinagar, Jan 1 Jammu and Kashmir Police today arrested a person and froze two bank accounts allegedly used by him for funding activities of Lashker-e-Toiba (LET) outfit in Baramulla district.
Parvaiz Akbar Lone, a resident of Kanlibagh village of Baramulla, was arrested here and an amount of Rs two lakh was seized from him, a police spokesman said.
Lone allegedly used his two bank accounts for funding militant activities, he said, adding the accounts have been frozen.
Lone had passed on more than Rs 20 lakh to LET Commanders Abdullah Uni and Chota Salahuddin, active in Sopore township of Baramulla district, so far, the spokesman said citing initial investigations... | |
| | | | Panthers leaders meet PM on Autonomy | | | |
New Delhi, Jan 1: Panthers Party has said that its delegation led by the party chairman Prof Bhim Singh today called on the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to apprise him of their concerns on the report of Center-State Working Group recommending restoration of autonomy to Jammu and Kashmir.
The delegation comprised Harsh Dev Singh, leader of the Legislature Party, Balwant Singh Mankotia, MLA and State President and Yashpal Kundal, MLA.
A spokesman said that the Panthers Party urged upon the Prime Minister to treat Working Group on Centre-state relations as non-existent, null and void. Dr. Manmohan Singh received the Panthers Party leaders with a big smile and open arms by embracing them,... | |
| | | | Illegal appointments and bungling in SKUAST-J | | Termination for Labourers, ‘indicted’ official gets promotion | | |
EARLY TIMES REPORT
JAMMU, Jan 1: The popular saying “different set of norms for different set of people” aptly suits to administrative functioning of Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology (SKUAST), Jammu which remained as centre of controversies in recent past.
While the university authorities terminated the services of about 296 contractual and about 100 contractual employees about three months back after alleged bungling and illegal appointments being made during the tenure of former Vice Chancellor, Nagendra Jamwal came to light, the higher rung officials, who had allegedly embezzled the funds, were rather given “promotions” and “shielded” due to their “go... | |
| | | | Ousted employees to file defamation | | | | Early Times Report
JAMMU, Jan 1: The ousted employees of SKUAST-J have decided to file a defamation case against Dr N A Sudhan in the State High Court after he (Sudhan) allegedly described the employees as “criminals” and “gunda elements.”
Taking serious note of remarks of the Dr Sudhan, the furious employees alleged that the Director Research is acting in a “communal” manner, as he has, according to employees, gone on record to say that he would not allow the ousted labourers to be engaged in work as most of them are “gunda” elements and “criminals”.
The employees have urged the Governor, N N Vohra, who happens to be the Chancellor of the university, the Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, M... | |
| | | | Telangana haunts holidaying politicos but not Farooq | | | |
ABID SHAH
NEW DELHI, JAN 1: The raging passions over Statehood for Telangana is driving the higher ups back to Delhi from their holiday destinations, often shortening their new-year break from work.
This is more so since an all party meeting is billed for Tuesday (January 5) to discuss the issue of Telangana which sharply divides opinion far down South in Andhra Pradesh and, thus been causing anxious moments for the powers-that-be in Delhi.
Among other things this has taken its toll upon President Pratibha Patil’s official break from work as she cancelled her winter holidays earlier set to be spent in Hyderabad.
Those managing her engagements must be thanking their stars since even Te... | |
| | | | Of Valley’s FM generation and silver screen | | Before they were born militants imposed ban on cinema halls | | |
Sikander Khan
Early Times Report
Jammu, Jan 1: The younger generation of the Valley also known as FM generation is bereft of watching a movie on the silver screen. Before they were born, the militants imposed a ban on the cinema halls. It was `Air Marshal’ Noor Khan of Allah Tigers who led the tirade against the cinema halls in late 1989 leaving the theater owners with no option but to wind up.
Perceived as a sign of normality, the state government headed by Dr Farooq Abdullah tried his best to reopen the cinema halls in 1997. Incentives were also announced to lure business men within and outside the state. A Jammu based business tycoon got the Broadway cinema hall reconstructed i... | |
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