TOP STORY OF THE DAY |
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| Omar Abdullah: From skiing on slopes to tweeting on tragedies | | | |
Ahmed Ali Fayyaz
SRINAGAR, Feb 15: These days in 2009, Omar Abdullah was being tutored on the need and timing of making ‘political corrections’. This inspiteof the fact that, nearly a decade ago, he had learned how his own guts were far more correct than many of his senior National Conference colleagues’---his predominantly experienced father included. On both the occasions---contemptuous treatment to NC’s demand of greater autonomy by the Vajpayee Government and massacre of Muslims in Gujarat
during Narendar Modi rule---Omar was forced to remain hooked to the NDA.
Nonchalance, that was dangerously reminiscent of Farooq Abdullah’s ‘Disco Dancer’ escapades in 1983, marked the beginning of Omar’s first spring. He remained absent from key deliberations in the first session of Legislature and, while being present, fiddled with his BlackBerry. Even on the crucial day of his first reply on the Governor’s address in the Budget session, he enjoyed skiing on the alpine slopes and
joyrides on the snow-scooter at Gulmarg. His speech in the evening impressed many but did not make for th... | |
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FRONT PAGE STORIES |
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| Coalition allies discuss, approve contents of Governor’s Address | | Proposal for addl allocation of wheat, rice approved | | | Early Times report
JAMMU, FEBRUARY 15: Even as there are nearly two weeks for the Budget session of Assembly to start, the cabinet today gave approval to the draft of the Governor’s Address to be presented by the state Governor NN Vohra on the first day when he would address both the Houses jointly on February 28.
The cabinet which met here this evening, under the Chairmanship of Chief Minister Omar Abdullah first discussed the contents of the Governor’s address threadbare before giving approval to the draft prepared for the purpose. Sources said the ministers of both the coalition allies National Conference and Congress discussed all the vital components that would make the major cont... | |
| | | | Leopard injures man at Gandoh, locked in room | | | |
JAMMU, Feb 15: A fully-grown leopard was locked in a room after it wounded a man in a house at Drudi near Kota in Gandoh area of Bhaderwah in the wee hours of Tuesday morning.
The wild cat was in the room for the past over 20 hours and had not been captured by the wildlife officials at the time of going to the print after midnight.
It entered the house of Prabhu, son of Tek Chand, at Drudi at about 3 am. While it moved towards the sheep and goats in the courtyard, Prabhu's shepherd dog encounter it.Hearing the dog bark, Prabhu and his uncle Hoshiyar Singh came out with their rifles. However, before they could spot the leopard, it
attacked Hoshiyar, injuring him, Hukum Chand Magotra, a... | |
| | | | Army chief reviews security situation, visits Vaishnodevi | | | |
JAMMU/KATRA, Feb 15:
In the backdrop of Centre’s decision to withdraw 10,000 paramilitary personnel from the state, army chief, Gen V K Singh today met senior officers at Udhampur-based northern command.
Gen Singh, who came here on a two-day visit in the morning, visited the holy cave shrine of Mata Vaishno Devi in the Trikuta Hills and paid his obeisance.
In the meeting, he reviewed the security situation, counter-terrorism and counter-infiltration measures in the state. The Centre plans to withdraw nearly 10,000 paramilitary personnel from Jammu and Kashmir this year as it feels the state can do with less central forces.
After the meeting, Gen Singh and his wife Bharti Singh fle... | |
| | | | Army vigilant on ultras' shifting' from J&K: Lt Gen Choudhary | | | |
YOL Cantt (HP), Feb 15:
In the backdrop of militants shifting from the mountainous belts of Jammu and Kashmir to the neighbouring states, 9 corps GOC Lt Gen A K Choudhary today said tight vigil was being maintained on movement and infiltration of militants in the area.
Interacting with mediapersons at 9 Corps headquarters here this morning, he said, "Due to the mounting pressure of security forces on them, militants have started shifting to the neighbouring states
like Himachal Pradesh and others.
Army was maintaining vigil along the borders to track down the movement of militants, the GOC added.
"We are keeping a close watch with the help of local police and the required action is... | |
| | | | Hearing deferred in Kashmir sex scandal | | | |
Chandigarh, Feb 15:
In the infamous 2006 Kashmir sex scandal, a special CBI court today deferred the hearing till tomorrow after two of the accused, including kingpin Sabeena, failed to turn up.
The two of the accused could not reach the court here from Srinagar by flight, a CBI counsel said outside the court, adding that the court fixed February 16 as the next date of hearing in the case.
Two of the alleged victims in the case had turned hostile and gave clean chit to five accused, rendering a jolt to the prosecution.
On January 18 this year, a 25-year-old woman had turned hostile after earlier alleging rape charges against former J&K minister Raman Mattoo, former DSP Mohammad Ashraf... | |
| | | | NCC girl cadet's alleged kidnapper held | | | |
JAMMU, Feb 15: Police today apprehended a NCC girl cadet's alleged kidnapper, who was evading arrest for the past over a week.Nazamul Saqib of Chakka, Bhaderwah, was arrested by police from his
hideout in the city, police sources said.He was alleged to have abducted NCC cadet Bismah from the Nagrota camp here on February 2. The girl was recovered from Nagrota area
Sunday last.
She was handed over to her family after her medical examination.Police had booked Saqib in an abduction case.
... | |
| | | | Fake magazine editor held for duping people | | | |
JAMMU, Feb 15:
A fake editor of a magazine was arrested by police here today for duping some people of lakhs of rupees.
Shyam Lal Anand, son of Bihari Lal Anand of Karnal, Haryana, contacted three city residents, introducing himself as editor of Sun World magazine, police sources said.
After detailed discussions with them, he charged Rs two lakh each from them for making them state representatives of the magazine, the sources added.Sources said Anand even surveyed with them some buildings in the city to open the magazine offices.
However, after taking money from them, he all of a sudden disappeared and switched off his cellphone.
When the cellphone remained switched off for a long ti... | |
| | | | Demilitarize civilian areas, official mindset: Mehbooba | | | | Early Times Report
Srinagar Feb 15: Expressing grief over the loss of three children of a family in an accidental blast, Opposition People's Democratic Party (PDP) today said the tragedy underlines the need for demilitarizing not just the civilian areas but also the mindset that has been approaching Kashmir problem with force alone.
''It has been the consistent stand of our party that the people of the state should be allowed full liberties and freedom provided under a democratic polity in which security forces don't breathe down their neck all the time.
''The tragedies like the death of three children or the recent killings in Chogul, Handwara or Sopore will continue to visit unless... | |
| | | | Mehboob seeks apology from Mehbooba | | | | Early Times report
Srinagar, Feb 15: National Conference (NC) leader, Mehboob Beg today sought a public apology from Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) president, Mehbooba Mufti for her controversial map showing parts of Jammu Kashmir territory under Chinese control.
Beg said Mahbooba had committed a blunder by showing parts of Jammu Kashmir in China. She must tender an unconditional apology, Beg said in a statement here this evening.
The PDP displayed a map last week during a press conference showing parts of stae under Chinese control. The map evoked severe reaction. The PDP spokesman, Nayeem Akhter , however, clarified that the map did not mean anything politically. The Chief Minister... | |
| | | | Cement smuggling racket busted, one held | | | |
JAMMU, Feb 15:
Foiling his attempt to smuggle cement from Punjab to Rajouri, police today arrested a person at Siot in Dharamsal, Rajouri, while he was trying to smuggle cement in a truck-trailer.The trailer, which carried 450 Ambuja cement bags, was also seized, police sources said.
The accused was identified as driver Chain Lal, son of Chuni Lal of Sujhanpur in Pathankote, Punjab.
Police sources said Dharamsal police station SHO intercepted truck-trailer (PB06H/8017) at Siot during routine checking of vehicles.The trailer was loaded with 450 Ambuja cement bags which had been dispatched by M/S Rahul Trading Corporation, W No 12, Kathua, for Rajouri.
Each bag supported Rs 292 as selli... | |
| | | | K-leadership out to destroy Kashmir, create more bitterness between regions | | Competitive Secessionism | | |
MINCING NO WORDS
NEHA
EARLY TIMES REPORT
JAMMU, Feb 15: It’s competitive secessionism and nothing else. It would destroy Kashmir and create more bitterness between the regions of the state. It would strengthen the otherwise defeated separatists and erode the support-base of those in Kashmir who masquerade as mainstream leaders and are in the government and opposition. These “mainstream” leaders should have denounced extremism and the cult of violence in Kashmir and should have talked of democratic and economic issues that have a direct bearing not only on the people of Kashmir but also Jammu and Ladakh. But they didn’t do so. Instead, they indulged in competitive secessionism (one may ... | |
| | | | Mufti partly right, partly wrong | | Jammu, not Kashmir, suffers economic deprivation & political disempowerment | | |
STARK REALITY
RUSTAM
EARLY TIMES REPORT
JAMMU, Feb 15: Addressing an Indo-Pak intra Kashmir conference in New Delhi on Monday, PDP president Mehbooba Mufti asked the Government of India to “move beyond management mindset in Jammu and Kashmir to initiate actual resolution process that could close the chapter of pain, suffering and uncertainty in the state. “She also said: "Any more discussions that do not focus (on the) actual resolution are prone to be seen only as a delaying tactics by the people of the state who have suffered physical and psychological pain, economic deprivation and political disempowerment. What more do we want to tell the world or educate ourselves about throug... | |
| | | | J&K’s agricultural growth staggered | | 5 percent increase in irrigated areas in 48 years: Report | | |
Syed Junaid Hashmi
JAMMU, Feb 15: Apart from number 2 in corruption, Jammu and Kashmir has earned another distinction of being only state in the country which has miserably failed to increase net-sown area, cropped area as well as annual growth rate of crops despite having increased use of technology significantly since the year 1962.
J&K has been rated as the worst performing states in terms of increasing profitability from agriculture which is regarded as mainstay of an emerging economy. State has registered dismal 5 percent increase in irrigated areas when the use of technology has increased 10 times to what it was in 1962 when the first survey was conducted by the Planning Commissio... | |
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