TOP STORY OF THE DAY |
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| Ex-presidents’ legacy ruling the roost in BJP, NC | | | |
EARLY TIMES REPORT
JAMMU, Jan 21
The ruling National Conference and the opposition, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) may have colossal differences in their ideology and doctrine, yet they share one common thing here-the state president of saffron party and the regional president of NC are “abiding” the dictates of their predecessors.
Both incumbents of president post, Shamsher Singh Manhas of BJP and Rattan Lal Gupta of NC are supposed to be “loyalists” of former presidents, Ashok Khajuria (BJP) and Ajay Sadhotra (NC) respectively.
If insiders in both political outfits are to be believed, though Shamsher Singh and Rattan Lal Gupta have occupied the coveted post of president in the respective organisations yet they are virtually working on the ‘will’ of their former bosses.
“Whether it was the Central University row or thwarting of malicious propaganda of opposition parties, Ajay Sadhotra rules the roost and guided his successor, Rattan Lal Gupta, who is supposed to be his loyalist, on critical occasions, besides playing his role in taking important decisions pertai... | |
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FRONT PAGE STORIES |
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| No factionalism in Congress: Soz | | | |
EARLY TIMES REPORT
JAMMU, Jan 21
Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee chief, Saif-ud-Din Soz today completely ruled out any factionalism in State Congress, saying “it is united. We are making efforts to make it stronger.”
He also put all speculations regarding differences between ruling coalition partners to rest and said that there is no threat to the Omar Abdullah led coalition government.
“There is no threat to the coalition in Jammu and Kashmir. It is running smoothly. There are no differences between Congress and National Conference and the coalition was getting stronger day by day,” the JKPCC chief told reporters here.
Over factionalism within the Congress p... | |
| | | | Pre-paid cell phone ban goes, conditions come | | | |
NEW GUIDELINES
- Every existing pre-paid subscriber shall be re-verified through his identity proof and address;
- Students, government employees and security force personnel have to get identity certificates from their departmental heads;
- The details should be sent to law enforcement agencies, police and telecommunication office for verification and in the event of negative report from authorities, the existing SIM shall be disconnected or no new connection issued; and
- No multiple connections, unless necessary, should be issued.
EARLY TIMES
NEW DELHI, JAN 21: The ban on new pre-paid mobile connections in J... | |
| | | | Struck in Delhi, Wajahat ask Omar to have ICs, meanwhile | | | |
AGENCIES
New Delhi, Jan 21 : Central Information Commission (CIC) chief Wajahat Habibullah, who is waiting to head the Jammu and Kashmir information commission, has advised Chief Minister Omar Abdullah to move on with implementing Right To Information (RTI) in the state.
Habibullah, who is yet to be relieved of his duties at the centre, has urged Abdullah to appoint other information commissioners so that at least the commission can start functioning in insurgency ridden Jammu and Kashmir.
"I have advised Chief Minister Abdullah to go ahead and appoint other information commissioners so that the Jammu and Kashmir information commission starts functioning," Habibullah told IANS.... | |
| | | | Kapur on leave, Samuel CS | | | | Early Times Report
Jammu, Jan 21: The third senior-most bureaucrat in the state’s administrative hierarchy Samuel Verghese has been designed as in-charge Chief Secretary for a period of 40 days in absence of incumbent SS Kapur.
Sources said that Kapur is proceeding on a 40-day leave and in his absence the Financial Commissioner, Home, Samuel Verghese shall discharge his duties. Verghese is third in seniority after Kapur. The second senior most officer SL Bhatt is presently Chairman of the J&K Public Service Commission.
... | |
| | | | Where is Congress, Congress asks? | | Both factions join chorus for stand on issues | | | Early Times Report
Jammu, Jan 21: With BJP going full throttle against autonomy in backdrop of Justice Sagheer report and the National Conference going whole hog about it, the Congress is “asking itself where it stands.”
A Congress meeting convened to discuss the membership drive turned out to be an introspection session for the participants as party leaders asked the veterans about its stand on the key issues in prevailing political scenario. The event also offered an opportunity of interaction among otherwise warring factions owing allegiance to Union Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad and PCC chief Prof Saifiddin Soz.
Sources in Congress told Early Times that it was delay in arriv... | |
| | | | Taking No Chances: Untiring vigil in the region to thwart any terror strike | | | | Early Times Report
JAMMU, Jan 21:
Till January 26, it is an untiring vigil for police and security forces in Jammu and Kashmir. To thwart any terror strike, troops are taking no chances.
While Pakistan is using all its possible resources and adopting new tactics to infiltrate militants to disrupt Republic Day celebrations here, troops are on round-the-clock
vigil to ensure incident-free function.
In the troubled Jammu and Kashmir, Republic Day has remained a matter of serious security concern since 1995 when serial blasts had rocked the M A Stadium -- the main venue for celebrations in the winter capital.
Twenty highly powerful rockets, all facing the M A Stadium, were found... | |
| | | | For Ma’am’s sake SKUAST’s NAIP project land in Bhaderwah | | | |
EARLY TIMES REPORT
JAMMU, Jan 21: Favouritism and misuse of official position by high ranking officials of Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Science and Technology, Jammu (SKUAST-J) has become a order of the day and the funds worth lakhs of rupees have been siphoned off in full public glare without any check or accountability.
The latest in a series of wild allegations was the manner in which a building was taken on rent to house the office of National Agricultural Innovative Project (NAIP) aided by World Bank at Bhaderwah. The project was aimed at developing well tested models for applications of Agriculture Research and Technology for profitability in farming, income generatio... | |
| | | | CM takes serious note of red tapism on relief | | Rs 3 Lakh, Govt job being sanctioned for Baramulla family | | |
AHMED ALI FAYYAZ
SRINAGAR, Jan 20: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has taken serious note of a 25-year-old Baramulla youth Manzoor Ahmed Bhat’s death in helplessness due to his bureaucracy’s red tapism on the urgent relief file for seven long months. While an explanation is being called from the officials who slept over Bhat’s file for 77 days till he died on January 18th, Government is understood to have begun the process of sanctioning relief of Rs 3 Lakh in favour of the bereaved family besides a job for Bhat’s wife in relaxation of rules.
Highly placed official sources revealed to Early Times that immediately after going through the expose of red tapism on the urgent relief ... | |
| | | | Omar suggests Pak to avoid approach of confrontation with India | | Says Indo-Pak amity in the best interests of this border state | | | Early Times Report
JAMMU, January 20:
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah today advised the neighbouring Pakistan to avoid approach of confrontation with the country as the relationship between both the countries has direct bearing on the development activities here in the state.
“Indo-Pak relationship has direct bearing on the developmental activities of Jammu and Kashmir State, therefore, it is always in the best interests of this border state that both the countries live in amicable, friendly, peaceful and cordial atmosphere”, said chief minister, Omar Abdullah while addressing an impressive gathering assembled in Swankha at Vijaypur, 40 kms from here.
The Chief Minster and his colleagues... | |
| | | | For Slathia, its rivals within party! | | | |
Early Times Report
Jammu, Jan 20
Even though senior Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) leader and former Minister of State Manjit Singh has yet to join Congress but the decision it seems has not only soured the relations of the coalition partners to a certain extent but has given much needed ammunition even to the detractors of Minister for Industries and Commerce Surjit Singh Slathia within National Conference (NC) to settle scores with him.
Following Manjit Singh’s formal announcement a few days back that he is joining the grand old party of the country in a function on January 20, a rally to mark his entry into Congress was proposed for today at Vijaypur and to counter the coali... | |
| | | | Govt’s fresh ‘dictate’ on transfer policy Old policy cast in same mould | | | | Early Times Report
JAMMU, JANUARY 20:
In what could be seen as re-implementation of an old transfer policy, the state government has decided to put a ban on mid-session transfers of teaching staff.
The government claims that the decision has been taken to ensure availability of teachers in the schools, but the record of successive governments clearly shows that a similar policy used to be pursued during Farooq Abdullah’s regime, by the then Education Minister Mohammad Shafi and during Mufti Mohammad Sayeed’s regime by the then Minister for Education Harsh Dev Singh.
As per the new transfer policy, the transfer of teaching personnel shall be made only at the beginning or at the end of ... | |
| | | | Selection process of 468 Assistant Surgeons | | HC directs PSC not to finalize and publish select list | | |
Early Times Report
Jammu, Jan 20
In a significant judgment, Jammu and Kashmir High Court, Jammu Wing today directed Public Service Commission not to finalise and published the list of selected candidates for the post of Assistant Surgeons for a period of four weeks
Vacation Judge of J&K High Court Jammu Wing Justice JP Singh restrained PSC from finalizing and publishing the selection list for four weeks.
The judgement made in a petition filed by Mir Yasir and other challenging the selection process initiated by Jammu & Kashmir Public Service Commission for selection of Assistant Surgeons in the Health & Medical Education Department as the 468 posts was advertised.
During the cours... | |
| | | | Robert Gate’s visit shifts focus from Kashmir to Kabul | | | |
ABID SHAH
NEW DELHI, JAN 20: The visit of the US Defence Secretary Robert Gates here that began since yesterday is going to have a direct bearing on Kashmir.
Unlike India and Pakistan that are too obsessed by their respective positions on Jammu and Kashmir, America is keen for both the countries to focus on Afghanistan instead of fighting over Kashmir.
Robert Gates will also visit Pakistan after concluding his Delhi mission aimed at greater military cooperation between India and Washington. And during his talks here with the Prime Minister and Foreign and Defence Ministers he gave enough hints regarding the primacy of securing Afghanistan since the gravest threat for both In... | |
| | | | Al-Qaeda planning to target India: Gates | | | |
New Delhi, Jan 20:
United States Defense Secretary Robert Gates on Wednesday warned India about the possibility of it facing more terror strikes from Al-Qaeda and Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT).
Gates who is visiting India, told the media persons: “The LeT which is operating in league with al-Qaeda is dangerous for the whole region of Afghanistan, Pakistan and India."
Gates said terror groups were planning more attacks on India to destablise the country and only cooperation among all the countries will lead to the reduction and if possible elimination of the threat.
"It is important to recognise that there is threat in the entire region from the Al-Qaeda and it has been identified that t... | |
| | | | Pak set afire forests on Poonch periphery | | High alert in Poonch town; people watch flames from rooftops | | | Early Times Report
JAMMU, Jan 20:
Troops were put on high alert in and around Poonch this evening after Pak troops set ablaze forests on the Line of Control (LoC), about 2.5 km from the main Poonch town.
The billowing flames could be seen from Poonch town. People watched them from their rooftops.
Soon after the fire spread from across the LoC to this side, troops fanned out in different directions, plugging all entry routes to Poonch town, while police laid ambushes at different places to foil any infiltration bid by militants.This was a very familiar Pak pattern. Forest fires and unprovoked firing were always followed by infiltration
attempts, official sources said.
This was the f... | |
| | | | Possibilities are remote for immediate resumption of composite dialogue | | | | Early Times Report
Jammu, January 20:-
The All Party Huriyat Conference (APHC) leadership seems to be worried over the way Delhi has not honoured the joint statement, finalised in the meeting of India and Pakistan Prime Ministers on the sidelines of the NAM meeting at Sharm-el-Sheikh in Egypt.
According to APHC senior leader, Prof Abdul Gani Bhat, the Egypt joint statement of july 2009 had given a hope that the composite dialogue between Delhi and Islamabad would be resumed. He explained that the hope was the result of the commitment of the two sides that terrorism would be de-linked from the composite dialogue.
Asked whether the APHC leaders were prepared to continue to participate in... | |
| | | | Army jawan shoots self to death in Jammu | | | | Early Times Report
Jammu, Jan 20 : An army jawan allegedly committed suicide by shooting himself with his service rifle in Kaluchak area in city outskirts of this winter capital, police here said.
‘’Hawaldar Nand Kishore shot himself with his INSAS rifle this morning at around 0830 hrs when he was on duty at his 6003 EME unit in Kaluchak area’’ police said .
On hearing a gun shot, his colleagues rushed to the spot and found him lying in a pool of blood.
‘’He fired a single shot below his chin and died on the spot while no suicide note was recovered from him,’’ police said.
The body has been sent for a post-mortem and a case under section 174 CrPc registered.
... | |
| | | | Army jawan shoots self to death in Jammu | | | | Early Times Report
Jammu, Jan 20 : An army jawan allegedly committed suicide by shooting himself with his service rifle in Kaluchak area in city outskirts of this winter capital, police here said.
‘’Hawaldar Nand Kishore shot himself with his INSAS rifle this morning at around 0830 hrs when he was on duty at his 6003 EME unit in Kaluchak area’’ police said .
On hearing a gun shot, his colleagues rushed to the spot and found him lying in a pool of blood.
‘’He fired a single shot below his chin and died on the spot while no suicide note was recovered from him,’’ police said.
The body has been sent for a post-mortem and a case under section 174 CrPc registered.
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