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Reality check: 25,000 vehicles in J&K plying with illegal permits Traffic Police, MVD, R&B Deptt, Civic Corporations to be blamed for chaos on roads 6/28/2009 11:40:37 PM SALMAN NIZAMI JAMMU, JUNE 27: The lack of coordination between various government departments and agencies responsible for management of transport and traffic, and the prevalence of corruption, is believed to be a major cause of the chaotic traffic on roads in Jammu and Kashmir. Apart from the Traffic Police, the Roads and Building Department, Motor Vehicles Department, Municipal Corporations and other civic bodies, and the Development Authorities of the two capital cities, are responsible for traffic management and for providing infrastructure. A look at how these departments function, or malfunction, would enable an objective appreciation of the entire problem where the vast majority of commuters and the laymen are the ultimate sufferers. The 500-odd traffic policemen are supposed to manage the flow of hundreds of thousands of vehicles, not humanly possible, a senior police officer would have us believe. He said the role of traffic police had been limited to impose fines on erring drivers. “Streamlining flow of traffic on the arterial roads does not require rocket science. But...   READ MORE

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It Gujjars v/s Tourism Deptt at Patnitop 6/28/2009 11:40:13 PM Chaman Kaul Patnitop, June 28: Desperate with the attitude of tourism department and Jammu and Kashmir Tourism Development Corporation, Gujjars at Patnitop demolished water circulation system by cutting main pipers taking water to the huts meant for the residential purpose of the tourist coming from across the country. Even after three days of incident the concerned authorities of the departments are unable to restore the water supply to the huts and are running the show with water tankers. But the tankers are becoming tough with every passing day and are demanding increased rates to take the advantage of cluelessness of the department. Tourists have to go from pillar to post to arr...   READ MORE   No drought: Pawar 6/28/2009 11:39:33 PM Agencies Mumbai, June 28: The Government on Sunday said there is no drought-like situation in the country even as the monsoon is delayed by about 12 days. The Government has announced that the south-west monsoon is likely to be below normal this season. This has raised concerns about its impact on agriculture and the economy. "... there is no drought-like situation in the country. The monsoon is delayed by about 12 days in June," Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar told reporters. He said that the programme of sowing seeds, which was carried out with the help of state governments, is delayed by just a week. "This not a cause for worry," he said. About 60 per cent of the total culti...   READ MORE   Pre-monsoon showers lash northern states, 9 dead 6/28/2009 11:39:14 PM Agencies New Delhi, June 28: Pre-monsoon showers brought much needed relief to residents of Delhi, Uttarkhand and Rajasthan, reeling under heat wave conditions and delayed monsoon, while nine persons were killed by lightning in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh which experienced heavy rains in some areas. In the national capital, the city-dwellers, facing sweltering heat with maximum temperature hovering around 44 degrees and massive power cuts coupled with water shortage, came out of their houses to enjoy the rains which brought down the mercury by almost 10 degrees. In Uttar Pradesh, two persons were killed in Ballia due to lightning as light to moderate rainfall was experienced in many parts ...   READ MORE   Pak intruder killed on IB 6/28/2009 11:38:58 PM Early Times Report Jammu, June 28: Troops of Border Security Force (BSF) gunned down a Pakistani intruder while he was trying to cross the fence on International Border in Akhnoor sector of this winter capital, an official spokesman here said today. ''The troops of 26 Bn BSF late last night at around 2330 hrs noticed a suspicious movement near Chak Phagwari Border outpost (BoP) along the border. The troops chased the suspect and asked him to stop,'' the spokesman told UNI. However, despite warnings, he did not stop following which the BSF personnel opened fire and gunned down the infiltrator while he was trying to cross the fencing. ''No document and any incriminating material was recov...   READ MORE   Touching 45 degrees, Jammu hottest in season 6/28/2009 11:38:39 PM Early Times Report Jammu, June 28: Life in Jammu city and its adjoining areas seem to have become miserable as mercury is continuously hovering around 44 degrees, power and water outage has become a common feature and fears of dry spell are looming large even as forests are catching fire in different areas. Mercury today rose to season's high at 44.8 degree Celsius as scorching heat wave continued to sweep the winter capital city and low lying areas of Jammu, the Met sources said. ''Maximum temperature in Jammu was today recorded 44.8 degrees while minimum remain at 29.8 degrees,'' a Met source told Early Times. Maximum humidity for the day, he said, was recorded 53 per cent while ...   READ MORE   DIG suspects frame-up as Speaker summons him on MLA’s complaint 6/28/2009 11:38:22 PM Early Times Report Jammu, June 28: The Speaker of Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly Mohammad Akbar Lone has summoned the Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) Udhampur-Reasi range Gulzar Singh to explain his ‘conduct and position’ on a privilege complaint filed by local MLA Balwant Singh Mankotia. The Police, however, has said that the MLA is blowing the case for nothing as he refused to oblige the undue pressure. “I don’t even recall any incident or conversation between me and the honourable MLA which could have warranted privilege proceedings against me”, said a surprised DIG when asked. Member Legislative Assembly from Udhampur Constituency Balwant Singh Mankotia after havi...   READ MORE   Pilgrim influx to Amarnath shrine falls steeply over previous years 6/28/2009 11:38:07 PM Early Times Report Jammu, June 28: Put it to hostile weather in Himalayas or much hostile condition in the Valley, this year’s Amarnath pilgrimage has seen a steep initial decline in the number of pilgrims visiting the cave shrine. The pilgrimage had a late start –June 15 instead of earlier proposed date of June 7 –and it was only through one track which is not the much preferred one. The other track –traditional track via Pahalgam –was through open only June 16. Despite this late start the number of pilgrims visiting the shrine in first two weeks is not even halfway around the first two weeks of last year. In 2008, the Amarnath pilgrimage was a uphill task, both for the pilgrims and...   READ MORE

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