x

Like our Facebook Page

   
Early Times Newspaper Jammu, Leading Newspaper Jammu
 
Breaking News :   Doctors - The Unsung Heroes of Healthcare | WHEN RS 10 FEELS EXPENSIVE ON A CART, BUT NOT IN A CAFE | Urdu For Naib Tehsildar Recruitment Test | Yatri Niwas in Srinagar | LG Sinha inaugurates SASB Yatri Niwas at Pantha Chowk | LG launches campaign for zero-waste pilgrimage | 'Amarnath Yatra arrangements upgraded' | Heroin worth Rs. 420 crore seized in Rajasthan; Pak-based smuggler, Canada handler named | Within minutes after formation of PAC, NC mocks Sajad Lone’s new political front as ‘BJP’s B-Team’ | CM Omar calls for revival of buyer-creator relationship at SKICC Meet | Salal Dam gates opened amid rising Chenab Water levels | DGP chairs joint security review meeting in Anantnag, visits key areas | Major reshuffle in ACB J&K | From warzone to homeland: Kashmiri students hail India’s rescue mission with tricolour cheers | Security Forces bolster security with hi-tech gadgets | Token distribution for registration begins | Security Forces conduct joint mock drill | India woman footballer Soumya undergoes surgery after nasal bone fracture | Lack of variety in India's bowling attack is concerning: Chappell | National-level minor boxer alleges sexual harassment by woman coach | | MCM launches workshop on Skill Development, Entrepreneurship | GDC Kathua honours NCC Cadet Mohit Kanathia with grand welcome ceremony | Missing person traced from Pallanwala within 2 days | JKHCBAJ unveiles Portrait of Maharaja Hari Singh ji, inaugurated | Four JKAS Officers transferred In Transport Dept Reshuffle | J&K police arrest 87 in drug crackdown, seize narcotics worth Rs 2.42 Cr | Gross GST collections double in 5 years to record Rs 22.08 trillion in FY25 | Srinagar police attaches residential property worth Rs 50 lakh | SKUAST-K holds workshop in Gurez to promote revival of heritage crops | Reasi police solves two theft cases in Katra, accused arrested, stolen property | Union Minister Piyush Goyal to lead transformative FTII Traders conclave | Congress holds impressive Jai Hind Yatra in Poonch City, salutes armed forces, martyrs | Warm, affectionate farewell accorded to retirees of Agriculture Department Jammu | DC Shopian inspects work of rural development projects at Keller | Former JKNPP leaders, senior workers join Apni Party | Committee on Petitions holds meeting in Srinagar | 6000 students participate in NMMSS examination | Ladakh PM Vishwakarma artisans participate in MSME Day celebration | Vi Business’s ready for next - India’s largest digital advisory celebrates growth on MSME day | Indian Army pays tribute to Ex-Serviceman | Civil Defence, Jammu started 5 days CD training programme | Warm send off accorded to Sardar Dharminder Singh Bhargav Head Pharmacist from DHS-J | JKEDI concludes second batch of MDPs in 10 districts | Handicrafts, Handloom Deptt condoles demise of father of Mussrat Islam | IGNOU launches certificate programme for Nurse Managers to Strengthen Managerial Competencies in Nursing Services | Back Issues  
 
news details
5 years of Global tendering, Govt fails to award contract of Sapphire extraction
Is BJP-PDP Govt serious in exploring Padder Sapphire Mines?
3/5/2018 10:21:18 PM
Asif Iqbal Naik
Early Times Report

Jammu, Mar 5: The non serious approach of the successive governments in Jammu and Kashmir could be gauged from the fact that even after floating the global tenders for exploration of Sapphire mines situated in Suncham Padder in Kishtwar District, they failed to allot the tender among the five short listed bidders as a result of which the precious Sapphire mines of Padder are vulnerable to smugglers who openly robbed these mines with the help of some locals and even police for decades.
As per the details available with "Early Times" after assuming the charge of Ministry of Industries and Commerce Chander Prakash Ganga visited the Suncham Sapphire mines on 2-9-2015 along with the Managing Director Jammu and Kashmir Minerals Limited and MoS Sunil Sharma raising hopes among the locals, but even after two and half year since the concern minister visited the Suncham Sapphire mines, nothing was done so far by the PDP-BJP government .
Speaking to "Early Times" several local people slammed the government for its failure in finalizing the tenders of extraction of Sapphire from the Padder mines they reiterated that besides assuring jobs to local unemployed youths, the government must fulfill the long pending demand of people of Padder with regard to the establishment of Sapphire refinery plant at Gulabgard or Atholi.
Even former Minister of State for Industries and Commerce Sajjad Ahmed Kichloo on 1-1-2014 had said that the global tenders for extraction of Sapphire from famous Sapphire mines have already been floated adding that the extraction of the Sapphire from these mines will start shortly and since then nearly five years has passed and same is still a distant dream for the locals of Padder.
"The government must assure the reservation of 10% royalty for developmental activities out of the income generated from the extraction of Sapphire" said Shakir Siddiqui, President Public Awareness Front Kishtwar.
It is worthwhile to mention that the fraudster and fugitive Nirav Modi and Mehul Choksi managed to rob the state of its precious Sapphire minerals worth billions of rupees through a well planned nexus of Sapphire Smugglers and police officials.
Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti being as the Home Minister is under tremendous pressure to order probe after the surfacing of Nirav Modi connection to smuggling of Padder Sapphire mines and reinvestigation into the cases related to Sapphire smuggling registered in various Police Stations of the state so that those police officers could be punished who successfully managed to allegedly replace the precious Sapphire stones with inferior quality of stones helping the looters.
The sources said that some officers even reportedly sold the recovered Sapphire pieces to Nirav Modi and Mehul Choksi outlets at Udhampur or in Jaipur which needs to be looked into as well.
  Share This News with Your Friends on Social Network  
  Comment on this Story  
 
 
 
Early Times Android App
STOCK UPDATE
  
BSE Sensex
NSE Nifty
 
CRICKET UPDATE
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
Home About Us Top Stories Local News National News Sports News Opinion Editorial ET Cetra Advertise with Us ET E-paper
 
 
J&K RELATED WEBSITES
J&K Govt. Official website
Jammu Kashmir Tourism
JKTDC
Mata Vaishnodevi Shrine Board
Shri Amarnath Ji Shrine Board
Shri Shiv Khori Shrine Board
UTILITY
Train Enquiry
IRCTC
Matavaishnodevi
BSNL
Jammu Kashmir Bank
State Bank of India
PUBLIC INTEREST
Passport Department
Income Tax Department
JK CAMPA
JK GAD
IT Education
Web Site Design Services
EDUCATION
Jammu University
Jammu University Results
JKBOSE
Kashmir University
IGNOU Jammu Center
SMVDU