TOP STORY OF THE DAY |
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| Govt invokes ESMA against employees on strike | | Tough decision of ‘no work no wages’ taken on day one of shutdown in Secretariat | | | AHMED ALI FAYYAZ
JAMMU, Apr 5: In sharp contrast to its image of a government of submission and surrender, 15-month-old National Conference-led ruling coalition today decided to invoke Essential Services Maintenance Act (ESMA) to beat the ongoing agitation of over 400,000 state employees. It was on day one of the weeklong strike, which was, for the first time this year, also observed in Civil Secretariat that Omar Abdullah government took the tough decision of not paying any wages to any of the employees found absent from work.
After a three-hour-long Cabinet meeting this evening, Minister of Finance and head of a 5-member Cabinet sub committee dealing with the demands of the employees on strike, Abdul Rahim Rather, told mediapersons at a hurriedly organized news conference at Chief Minister’s Secretariat that Government had taken tough decisions to keep the systems running for ten million people of the state. He disclosed that the Cabinet discussed the employees’ strike and their demands at length and decided to invoke different provisions of ESMA to discharge what he ca... | |
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FRONT PAGE STORIES |
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| 2 IAS officers transferred | | | | JAMMU: The Cabinet which met here today under the Chairmanship of Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah has approved following transfers and posting in the State Administration.
The services of Anil Goswami, IAS, Principal Secretary to Government, Industries and Commerce Department have been placed at the disposal of Government of India where he has been posted as Additional Secretary Ministry of Home Affairs. The charge of the Industries and Commerce Department shall be held by Shantmanu, IAS Commissioner/Secretary to Government Forest Department.
Tanveer Jhan, Secretary to Government Tourism Department, has been transferred and posted as Secretary to Government Transport Department. The char... | |
| | | | 3 killed, 40 injured in minibus-tanker collision | | | | JAMMU: Three persons, including a 14-year-old boy, were killed and at least 40 others wounded, some of them critically, in a minibus-water tanker collision at Dhanidhar in Rajouri today.
An overloaded minibus (4369/JK11) was on its way from Shahadra Sharief to Rajouri when it collided head-on with a water tanker (5718/JK11), which was coming in the opposite direction, at Dhanidhar at about 11.30 am.
Police sources said in the collision, Sheraz Ahmad (14) of Danora and Talib Hussain of Khaitan were killed on the spot, while Mohammad Farooq (32) succumbed to his injuries on way to hospital.
The injured were admitted to the district hospital, Rajouri. Some were referred to the GMC Hospital,... | |
| | | | NC MLC stages walkout | | | | JAMMU: In an embarrassment to the Chief Minister Omar Abdullah led coalition government, the ruling National Conference members today staged a walkout from State Legislative Council saying the government was enacting a 'policy for the death of Urdu language' in the State.
Raising the matter during Question Hour, Mohammad Rasheed Qureshi (NC) accused the government of doing nothing to promote Urdu language in the state.
This was strongly objected to by Minister for Toursim, Nawang Rigzin Jora, belonging to coalition partner Congress, who asked what the NC had done when it ruled the state for 27 years.
Angry over the remark, NC members raised slogans against the minister and staged a walko... | |
| | | | Jam't-e-Islami aghast over Geelani's biography | | Amir orders boycott of Hurriyat G meetings; Geelani warns against expulsion | | |
EARLY TIMES REPORT
JAMMU, Apr 5: Syed Ali Geelani's biography Quaid-e-Inqilaab: Eak Tehreekh Eak Tareekh (Leader of revolution: A movement, A history) by Dr Shafi Shariti has created a storm in his faction of Hurriyat Conference. An important constituent, Jama't-e-Islami has decided to boycott future meetings of the separatist conglomerate. Geelani has issued a subtle warning against his expulsion
According to Jama't-e-Islami spokesman, Advocate Zahid Ali, an extra ordinary meeting of the organization was held at its headquarters Monday with the Amir-e-Jama't in chair. The meeting held that the book written by an `unknown' author had tried to tarnish the image of Jama't-e-Islami.
Zahi... | |
| | | | Stapled Visa, Illegal activities in POK: FM Krishna's China visit | | | |
RUSTAM
EARLY TIMES REPORT
JAMMU, Apr 5: Foreign Minister S M Krishna is in China. It is an official visit. Commenting on his China visit, spokesperson of the Indian Foreign Office (IFO) Vishnu Prakash told media persons last Saturday that Foreign Minister Krishna will take up the "entire gamut of bilateral issues, including boundary issue, illegal construction by Chinese companies in Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir and China issuing stapled visas to those hailing from Jammu and Kashmir".
Joint Secretary (East Asia) in the Foreign Ministry Gautam Bambawale also made identical remarks. He said: New Delhi "has been maintaining that any construction in Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir by China is ille... | |
| | | | Congress, JKNPP MLCs' protest adjourns House for 10 mins | | LC rejects controversial PRC Bill | | |
ARTEEV SHARMA
EARLY TIMES REPORT
JAMMU, Apr 5: After witnessing high-voltage drama, the Upper House of State Legislature today rejected the controversial Permanent Resident (Disqualification) Bill that aims to deny citizenship rights to women marrying non-permanent residents of the state.
The House was also adjourned for about ten minutes after the strong protest by the ruling coalition partner, Congress members and Panthers Party legislator who trooped into the Well and alleged that the amendments in the Bill violates to the Constitution of the Jammu and Kashmir.
Interestingly, it all happened in the absence of original mover of the Bill, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) MLC, Murtaz... | |
| | | | 20 refugees hurt in police action | | | | EARLY TIMES REPORT
JAMMU, Apr 5: Attempting to gherao the highly-guarded civil secretariate in support of their demand for grant of citizenship rights, the West Pak refugees were Monday lathicharged by a posse of policemen on
Shalamar Road here as a result of which at least 20 of them sustained injuries.
Braving police lathies, when they tried to move towards the nearby civil secretariate building amidst raising of anti-government slogans, police lobbed teargas shells to disperse them.
Though the refugees dispersed, they said they would continueprotests and demonstrations in the winter capital city in support of their demand, which they said was most "genuine".Earlier, about 3,000 refu... | |
| | | | 'PDP boycotted House as Omar is behaving as Boss': Beigh | | High drama over Inter District Recruitment Bill | | |
EARLY TIMES REPORT
JAMMU, Apr 5: The State Assembly today witnessed high drama of sorts over Inter District recruitment amendment Bill twice when government tabled it with apparent hiccups, forcing the opposition to take on ruling regime in a vehement manner. While BJP and Panthers Party termed it as anti SC move, the main opposition PDP described deference of Bill for discussion under 'dramatic circumstances' as worst example of 'match fixing'. The controversial amendment bill also became a reason for extending the House by a day as the Speaker announced that it will be taken up for consideration on April 9.
Even though as per the scheduled calendar of the Budget session, today was... | |
| | | | JCC, Civil Sectt employees join strike, work paralysed | | | | EARLY TIMES REPORT
JAMMU, Apr 5: Normal work in all government offices and Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs) across the State got crippled as the employees' organizations under the banner of Joint Consultative Committee (JCC) and Civil Secretariat Non-Gazetted Employees Association (CSNGEA) also went on strike today.
While it was the third day of employees strike led by Employees Joint Action Committee (EJAC), the strike got new impetus with the joining of JCC, an amalgam of several employees association, and CSNGEA even as the administration cited its inability to do so owing to paucity of funds.
The employees have been demanding release of arrears of Sixth Pay Commission and enhanceme... | |
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