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SATURDAY
November 23 | 2013 | 18 Muharram 1435 AH | PAGES 12 |
http://www.zabarwantimes.com
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For
VOL NO: 3 | ISSUE NO: 296 | RS: 2/- (AIR SURCHARGE FOR JAMMU /DELHI/LEH 50 PAISA)
Jus
tice
Largely Circulated, No. 1 Bilingual Daily of J&K
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Taj available at Winter Sectt from Nov 25 to 29 Srinagar, November 22: To redress the grievances of general public, Minister for Medical Education, Youth Services and Sports, Mr. Taj Mohi-ud-Din shall be available at Winter Secretariat, Srinagar from November 25 to 29, 2013. All the interested persons are informed to avail the opportunity to interact with the concerned Minister and get their grievances redressed.
Judicial Commission to visit Shopian Srinagar, November 22: Retired High Court judge, Justice M L Koul, heading the judicial commission set up to probe the killing of four persons in firing by paramilitary CRPF in South Kashmir’s Shopian district will visit the town on Saturday to record the statements of the witnesses. Retired High Court judge, Justice M L Koul told CNS that he is going to visit Shopian on See Judicial Commission on Pg. 11
Inside story Climate change, global warming major concern Environment Panel of J&K Legislative Council has stressed the need for coordinated efforts to preserve the environment in the State. The Committee has opined that due to constant degradation of environment in the State
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DRSC reviews functioning of Home department The meeting of Department Related Standing Committee of Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Council was held here today under the Chairmanship of MLC, Mr. NareshKumar Gupta
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Bihar gets ATS After serial bomb blasts in Patna and Bodh Gaya, Bihar is set to have its own Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) and the state government has appointed
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On Edit Page
The exuberant fees charged by private schools and undue increase in their fee structure
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WEATHER
FORECAST FOR NEXT 24 HRS:
Light rain/ snow may occur at isolated places over the state.
FORECAST OF SRINAGAR:
Partly Cloudy Sky. Maximum & Minimum temperatures will be around 13°C & 1°C respectively.
TEMPERATURE MAXIMUM 15.8 0C MINIMUM 0.6 0C SUNSET ON(SATURDAY) 05:25 pm SUNRISE ON (SUNDAY) 07:13 am
Distributes orthotic-prosthetic aids, appliances
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No time for apologies- Time to act Mr. Chief Minister BOPEE a blunder bus- Overhaul it completely or declare it unserviceable From our special correspondent The sensational disclosures by the beneficiary students of BOPEE scandal and the subsequent confirmation of crime branch that the former chairman Mushtaq Peer received rupees sixty lakhs as his booty is worse than the Harshad Mehta scandal as this scandal not only spoiled the future of several brilliant candidates but also played with the health of thousands of people. The selection of the candidates who even failed in matriculation for MBBS is a crime against humanity which should never be pardoned. Though the honorable high court had castigated BOPEE earlier and CVC expressed its serious concern on what was going in BOPEE, the government kept its silence and did not initiate any serious action to look into the matters of BOPEE. Except appointment of one man enquiry committee headed by secretary general department which did not do any miraculous job and at one time issued a statement that the committee cannot go ahead unless
the people come forward with specific information, the state ignored the daily press reports about the malfunctioning of BOPEE once considered to be one of the most credible and trustworthy institution. When this years papers were leaked and there was a lot of hue and cry, the BOPEE initially adopted dilly dally tactics but later after the political pressure mounted and PDP joined the protests, the board cancelled the papers and ordered for reexamination but till that over one month had lapsed which marred the future of many aspirants. Yesterday the Chief Minister while addressing a public rally at Tral apologized for BOPEE mess and promised that those responsible will not be spared but this all came when crime branch had already disclosed sensational things about the most favourite officer of state government Mushtaq Peer who was showered favour after favour by the present government. The Former BOPEE chairman was also made consultant with SSRB and God alone knows what injustice he may
have done with the deserving candidates there also. The admission of the parents to have paid between twelve to fifteen lakh rupees for getting papers in advance should be
it has ample proof and conclusive evidence against former Chairman. The payments made through brokers and the checks of the payment have also been recovered by the
Peer was involved in KU computer scam Srinagar, November 22: Former BOPEE Chairman Mustaq Ahmed Peer allegedly involved in CET paper selling scam who was aspiring for Vice Chancellor to Islamic University of Science and Technology is not in the good books of Kashmir University luminaries. They alleged that Peer was involved in the Computer scam at Kashmir University when he was Head of the Computer Sciences in Varsity. One of the senior professors of Science faculty told CNS on condition of anonymity that Peer embezzled huge chunk of money in 2002 by purchasing substandard computers and other electronic appliances. “Go and check the record. That scam came to be called Computer scam. Once his wrong doings came to fore, then Vice Chancellor Kashmir See Peer on Pg. 11 viewed in the backdrop of what these students after becoming Doctors can do with the patients. After two days interrogation of Mushtaq Peer by Crime Branch the agency said that
Crime Branch. Though the former Chairman has not been arrested formally but there are indications that he may be taken in keeping in view the gravity of the crime he has alleg-
edly done. Now the question arises what next? The BOPEE has repeated what it had done in 2012 and has done the same crime by indulging in the leakage of papers which marred the future of several aspirants in 2013. The apology of the Chief Minister will not do. He has to act and act very firmly and order the complete over hauling of BOPEE. The present set up should totally be changed if he wants to restore the credibility of BOPEE and save his government from further embarrassment. In addition to this he should order stern action against those who are involved in 2013 paper leakage case. The shedding of crocodile tears by the officials of BOPEE and their assurances to the people that the credibility of BOPEE is intact cannot put curtains on the wrong doings of BOPEE. Those involved in this years leakage mess have to be brought to the book and stern action under law has to be taken. In addition to this the examination system of BOPEE has to be changed and the modern See BOPEE on Pg. 11
Crime Branch raids Letpora Omar should come clean on his role in repeated CAPD goodown appointment of Peer: Mehbooba
10,000 quintals of rice missing in Govt granary Srinagar, November 22: Crime Branch today raided Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution (CAPD) goodown at Letpora where it found 10,000 quintals of rice missing. A case has been registered under FIR number 29/2013 in this connection. Top sources in crime branch told KNS, that the sleuths of Crime Branch raided Letpora food granary wherein they found over 9600 quintals of rice missing. “Even the officials had tried to get some rice from market to show that everything was ok in the granary but they could not deceive us,” said a top officer in Crime Branch. The director CAPD, Mushtaq Ahmad Mir when contacted by the KNS said: “This is nothing new. The Crime
Branch raided the goodown today but we have launched this drive some four months back. We have recovered Rs 5200000 from the officials who had embezzled the over 3700 quintals of sugar in Srinagar. We conducted raids in Budam district where we found over 100 quintals of rice missing,” Mir told KNS. The Director CAPD said that process is on and the department has already attached eight officials including tehsil super-
Abbas Ansari rejects US intervention on Kashmir Srinagar, Nov 22: While rejecting the option of United States (US) intervention in the resolution of Kashmir, Senior Huriyat Conference (M) leader Atihad-ul Muslimeen former chairman Moulana Abbas Ansari said that if the Huriyat Leadership gets invitation for the ‘meaningful’ talks from New Dehli, it will accept the offer. Talking to Kashmir News Service (KNS), Ansari who earlier was the Huriyat Chairman when the amalgam met NDA in early 2004, said that the US intervention on Kashmir issue cannot be accepted as it is only US that is responsible for the instability of south Asia at present.”They
‘NC led Govt ignoring talented in service officers’ Srinagar, November 22:
Says ready to hold meaningful dialogue with Delhi
A uniform fee structure needed for private schools
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or d f st n a e l d ng hes T E an s g s e lam st A ol st tt s y’ fir k o a lin ms yc Bo g aw tes oble e n vi iab t pr ‘gi w d fee o H
Discharged in cash-for-vote case
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want to have the trade, they have the corporate mindset and whatever troubled times we are witnessing at present, US is its reason.” Stating that the talks with New Delhi will only be held in ‘objective’ attitude and that the letter must should come from Delhi so that the decision about it could be evolved at the earliest; Ansari said that Delhi must invite us on the pattern that was adopted by L.K Advani and Atal Bihari Vajpayee during early 2004. “We want Delhi to invite us with sincerity and the dialogue must be purposeful and result oriented.” We want Delhi to elucidate want it want during the dialogue with See Abbas Ansari on Pg. 11
visor officer of Letpora to directorate of CAPD. “The deputy director CAPD was conducted the inquiry and we are yet to receive his report in this scam.” Mi told KNS that he wants to see the department clean from the officers and officials who indulge in such rackets. “We have already recommended certain measures to the government for cleaning up the department.” See Crime Branch on Pg. 11
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) President Mehbooba Mufti on Friday said asked the Chief Minister Omar Abdullah to come clean on his role in repeated appointment of Mushtaq Peer former chairman Board of Professional Entrance Examination (BOPEE). According to KNS correspondent, Mehbooba while addressing a press conference said: “How could this person of dubious character be handpicked for such sensitive assignments as selection of trainees and government employees?” The PDP president said that the chief minister also owes an explanation as to how and why this government is recruiting only the old, retired and the condemned senior officials. “Are there no good and honest officers left
in this administration who could do the same job without any extra expenditure? Is this government not demoralising its own administration, blocking promotion avenues of efficient officers and promoting corruption to build fortunes through dishonest officials who are later rewarded through extensions and re employment,” she asked. The exposure of BOPEE paper leakage scandal, Mehbooba said has taken that campaign against youth to a new and most sinister level. “The scandal has not just brought out the worst practices followed by government institutions but it establishes beyond doubt the direct complicity of this
government in the scam.” Mehbooba said it is amusing that the chief minister is now claiming credit for the BOPEE paper leakage scam as well. “It can't get funnier than that even though its facts represent the state's governance crisis in its worst d i m e n sion. He is presenting every new atrocity as a mercy from his government. Examples: pellet guns, chilli grenades, release of Geelani saheb after five years of house arrest for just a week, detection of BOPEE scam. This in spite of the fact that PDP had raised the issue of Peer's re employment a year back in light of reports of bungling appearing in a section of t
Omar inaugurates District Hospital Samba Re-affirms government’s determination for universalizing better health care Samba, November 22: Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah has re-affirmed his government’s determination to provide better health facilities to the people particularly in far-off and remote villages. He said under a comprehensive and gigantic health consolidation and expansion programme scores of health centres in the villages, sub-districts and districts have been completed and many are in the process of completion. “Besides upgrading and modernizing the health institutions, a mega expansion programme is in offing to ensure health coverage and better medicare facilities to the people across the State”, he said and added that health sector has been focused as one of the most important sectors by the government in the development policy and during last five years it received full attention for improvement and upgradation.
he press.” She said Omar Abdullah came to power and a notion was given on ground that he reflects the aspirations of youth and he was celebrated as a youth icon who would prove the ultimate solution to problems of this state. “Five years down the line and at the fag end of its tenure this government has left no section of the society untouched by its inefficiency, insensitivity and outright horror. But ironically its worst victims have turned out to be the youth of this state. It seems the government is out on a mission to destroy the future of this state by targeting its youth. It seems to be deliberate, systematic and planned.” Mehbooba said everything connected with youth has been mismanaged and subverted by this government. See Mehbooba on Pg. 11
Pensioners ‘made to work’ as peons at Khanyar Treasury Srinagar, Nov 22:
Interacting with the people after inaugurating Rs. 11.83 crore 70-bedded District Hospital at Samba on Friday, the Chief Minister said that coming up of modern health facilities at the district level would not only expand the orbit of health coverage for people but reduce the pressure on the hospitals in cities. The Chief Minister asked the
Health and Medical Education Departments to ensure better facilities to the patients in government hospitals and utilize modern equipments provided to the health institutions to extend modern treatment to the patients. He said specialists, doctors and para-medics have been placed in government health See Omar on Pg. 11
The state government pensioners Friday complained that the treasury departments have taken them for a ‘ride’, making them to wander from one section to the other for the purpose of ‘physical’ verification. The reports received by Kashmir News Service (KNS) mentioned that the treasury office at Khaniyar is getting the work of peons from pensioners who visit the office to get their verifications done so that their respective pensions could be disbursed at the earliest. One pensioner namely Ghulam Ahmad while narrating his tale said:” When I take the file of my pension from bank to the treasury See Pensioners on Pg. 11
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11 From Front Page........
Daily
Saturday, 23 November 2013
BOPEE.........
system prevalent in the prestigious organizations of the country has to be adopted. The CVC has suggested that the examination should be conducted under the surveillance of CCTV besides making CET online. While talking to Zabarwan times earlier the Chief Vigilance Commissioner Kuldeep Khuda had made sensational disclosure of modern technology such as Bluetooth being used for copying in CET examinations. The online CET and CCTV monitoring can help in avoiding the copying and can make the examination pattern transparent trustworthy and credible. This is not happening only in BOPEE. This kind of practice and mess is going on in the BOSE also which the Crime Branch should also look into. The recent suicides committed by two students allegedly because the papers were out of syllabus and they could not bear the humiliation of getting less numbers is sufficient for a thorough probe in the working of BOSE which too has lost its credibility amongst the people. The Chief Minister himself having a spotless carrier and an honest image should now allow some black sheep to cause a dent to his image and embarrassment to his government.
Peer........
University Jalees Ahemd Khan Tareen popularly known as J.A.K tried to initiate action against Mushtaq Peer but political intervention stopped him from doing so,” he said. JAK Tareen is presently VC of B S Abdur Rehman University Chennai. Another Professor said that when VC was likely to take action against the accused Mushtaq Ahmed peer, a Congress Minister then intervened and the file was closed forever. “The VC had directed then Registrar Professor Abdul Majid Matoo to probe the fraud but he could not act due to political intervention,” he said. Efforts to contact Jalees Ahmed Khan Tareen did not materialise as he did not pick up the phone.
Crime Branch...........
Sources in the department said that there are around 25 government food granaries in Kashmir and there have been complaints of missing ration in these goodowns. “In Beerwa, Seikhpora and Sonpa in Budgam district there must be over 100 quintals of rice missing. Similarly, we have launched a drive in Baramulla, Bandipore, Pulwama, Shopian and Anantnag wherefrom we have received complaints of irregularities,” Mir told KNS. Sources in the Crime Branch said so far there have been no arrests of any officials but the investigation is on.
Mehbooba........
“Cricket scam before this also affected the interests of youth on a long term. As it turns out now, the BCCI has stopped further release of 60 crore Rupees for cricketing activities in the state. The case filed in the matter has been almost shelved.” According to KNS correspondent, Mehbooba said that the PDP have for many years been raising the issue of re employment of retired persons in high positions, most of whom have been known only for their lack of integrity. “We pointed out the patent wrong in the appointment to the chairman of BOPEE also in time. But the way this government refused to act on sane counsel and genuine apprehensions and now its fall out establish conclusively that he was appointed to this crucial position with a clear motive.” The PDP president observed that former BOPEE chairman Mushtaq Peer’s continuation on extension in 2012 and his subsequent employment as in charge of the so called fast track recruitment prove how darling and dear he was to the government, said the KNS correspondent. “It is not a crime by some officer within the system but by an individual who was foisted purposely. Therefore the chief minister as head of the government owes an explanation for this atrocity on the most talented and hardworking youth of the state.” She said that youth have been on the firing line of the government from day one. Killing, arrests, thousands of FIRs and introduction of new weapons like chilli grenades and pellet guns all come at the cost of youth.
have worked on senior posts and now these officials have undermined our ages and positions. We want to ask them what for are the peons in the treasury office, if we have been tasked to do their work.” After repeated attempts the treasury official at Khaniyar was not available for the comment over the issue.
Judicial Commission........
Saturday. “I can provide you details only after visiting Shopian on Saturday,” he said. Pertinently, Government has ordered a time bound inquiry into Shopian incident while Minister for Law and Parliamentary Affairs Mir Saifullah had informed the Legislative Assembly that facts would be made to public after the completion of ‘time bound’ inquiry.
Zahoor chairs Petition Committee meet Jammu, November 22: A meeting of Committee on Petitions of Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly was held under the Chairmanship of MLA Mir Zahoor Ahmad here t o d a y. T h r e a d b a r e discussion was held on various petitions received by the Assembly Secretariat so far. The meeting was informed that 14 petitions on different subject matters from various quarters have been received by the Secretariat till date. The
Bandipora records 14940 fish production, Generates Rs. 17.10 crore income Bandiproa, November 22: In order to educate Mahigeers about the latest technology of Trout and Carp fish rearing, a Fish Mela was organized by the department of Fisheries at Town Hall Bandipora today. The Mela was organized under Agriculture Technology Management Agency (ATMA) and was attended by Additional Deputy Commissioner Bandipora, Mr. N. A Baba, Joint Director Fisheries, M r. R . N . P a n d i t a , Assistant Director Fisheries Bandipora, Kissan Advisory Board member, Mr. Mohammad Amin, Lead Bank Officers Bandipora, other officers and the Mahigeers. It was informed that
Omar..........
Pensioners.........
14,940 quintals of fish production has been recorded during past 9 months in Bandipora district, generating an income of about Rs. 17.10 crore for Mahigeers. It was also told that the fish market under construction at a cost of Rs. 16 lakh at Nathpora Bandipora will be completed in April 2014. Joint Director on the occasion directed the officers to sensitize properly the fishermen about the management of fish rearing. Additional Deputy Commissioner appealed the educated unemployed youth to come forward and avail benefits of natural resources and the government sponsored schemes.
Wani calls for expeditious completion of road projects in Kathua
Jammu, November22: Highlighting the significance of road connectivity in transforming socioeconomic profile of the people, the Minister for Roads & Buildings and Mechanical Engineering us and that the Kashmir issue must be the centre of the Mr. Abdul Majid Wani discussion. “We don’t want the invitations for tea and today directed the snacks, we want Delhi to come out with the straight concerned authorities to forward attitude so that Kashmir issue could be resolved identify the uncovered with the consent of all the parties.” habitations and prepare (DPRs) for construction of road network to connect institutions besides equipments so that better service them with the urban zones. delivery is ensured. The Minister was chairing a The Chief Minister was accompanied by Minister of State high level joint meeting of for Health, Shabir Ahmad Khan, Legislators Devender officers of Roads & Singh Rana, S. S. Slathia, Yashpal Kundal and Durga Dass Buildings, JK PCC, and various senior officers. The Chief Minister also met P M G S Y w h i c h w a s local deputations who brought to his notice different convened here to review the development demands pertaining to their areas and also financial and physical status gave suggestion for expansion of the District Hospital of various on-going complex Samba. The Chief Minister gave patient hearing projects in Kathua District. to the deputations and said that their genuine demands M i n i s t e r o f S t a t e would be considered duly. Cooperative, Planning and Development, Dr. Manohar Lal Sharma, legislators office, the employees there made me to move from one hailing from District section to other, asking me to get the signature of different Kathua, Mr. Durga Dass, officials.” He further stated that the government has issued Mr. Charanjit Singh and Mr. the order wherein it has been asked to the state pensioners Subash Gupta were also to get their physical verification done from the treasuries present in the meeting. The Minister took detailed where from the pension of the person is being disbursed. Another pensioner Zamrooda, age 69, says that she had to review of status of projects bear the troubled time while visiting the treasury office. and asked the executing “The officials there made me get the initial signature of agencies to accelerate the some clerk there and then told me to ,go upstairs in the next pace of construction on the floor top get the another signature on my file, the official under-execution projects there after signing the file told me to go to the desk where ensuring their timely completion for the benefit from I at first go the signature.” Several pensioners while talking to KNS said that they at of the locals. He laid stress the old age have been tasked to work like peons in the on the agencies to ensure treasury office and that the officials posted there do not quality of work strictly as even bother to take our file from on table to another. “We per the specifications laid
Abbas Ansari...........
panel decided to examine these petitions thoroughly for appropriate disposal. Legislators, Syeed Bashir Ahmad, Mr. Baldev Raj, Mr. Mushtaq Ahmad Shah, Ch. Sham Lal and Mr. Sukhnandan gave their valuable suggestions for immediate disposal of these petitions. Among others, Secretary Assembly M. Ramzan, Special Secretary Assembly Mr. M. r. Singh and other officers of Assembly Secretariat attended the meeting.
down and making judicious use of funds. Taking serious note of slow progress of some vital road projects in the district, the Minister directed the executing agencies to involve the respective Legislators for timely clearance of various bottlenecks. He also asked for taking-up the projects of much importance for upgradation for the convenience of the people. Asking for issuing notice to the contractors for speeding-up the pace of works and complete them in stipulated time frame, the Minister also stressed for black-listing such contractors who have been adopting lukewarm attitude in executing the projects. He also asked for retendering the projects where the contractors have failed to accomplish the projects. Seeking details of projects submitted for funding under Projectization, Mr. Wani directed for preparing DPRs of inter-state vital links with the neighboring states. He also directed for early repair and renovation of Dayala Chak- Shallan road in view of its greater importance. He said this road is lifeline of 4Constituencies of Kathua district and alternative connectivity to Kashmir Valley as well.
ZABARWAN TIMES
Feroz inaugurates Solar Power Plants at Poonch, Rajouri Poonch, November 22: Minister of State for Science & Technology, Information Technology and School Education Mr. Feroz Ahmad Khan inaugurated a 15 KW Solar Power Plant at District Hospital, Poonch. He was accompanied by MLA PoonchHaveli Mr. Aijaz Ahmad Jan, District D e v e l o p m e n t C o m m i s s i o n e r, Poonch, SSP Poonch, CEO JAKEDA and other Officers of the Science & Technology Department. The Solar Power Plant has been commissioned at a cost of about Rs. 40 lakhs and will be utilised to keep functional emergency services of the hospital viz operation theatre, X-ray machine, testing laboratories etc for 6-8 hours during power cuts. The plant will also boost the power of Grid station of Hospital. Meanwhile, the Minister also presided over a Prize distribution function of
Science Popularization at Degree College, Poonch and gave away prizes to the students showing outstanding performance in different fields. The Minister also handed over a cheque of Rs.5 lakhs to the Principal of the College for development and up-gradation of Science Laboratories of the College. In his address the Minister informed that Science & Technology Department will give financial support to the students in science related research activities. He said Information Technology Department will provide computers to the College for upgradation of computer laboratories and shall render technical support also. Later, the Minister chaired a meeting to review the functioning of School Education Department and progress achieved under the centrally
Omar condoles demise of Bua Ditta Jammu, November 22: Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah has condoled the sad and sudden demise of Bua Ditta Bhagat Former Chairman SSRB, an retired IAS officer and a great personality who had joined National Conference after his retirement. The Chief Minister described late Bhagat an honest and outstanding officer who had made his mark in the administration and in the society for his high qualities and work done. The Chief Minister this evening participated in the cremation ceremony of late Bua Ditta and met the bereaved family. He
consoled them and expressed his solidarity and sympathy to the family. Omar said that in the death of Bua Ditta, the society has lost a noble soul and a social worker. He said the death of Bua Ditta is also a great loss to National Conference as the late Bua Ditta was highly enthusiastic to work for the party and the betterment of the people. Legislator and Provincial President, National Conference Jammu, Devender Singh Rana was accompanying the Chief Minister and the cremation was attended by a large gathering from various sections of the society.
4 employees suspended Kulgam, November 22: Authorities on Friday suspended four employees of education department after they were found absent in the school. Reports said that a team headed by Chief Education Officer Kulagam Abdul Ahad Ganaie paid a surprise visit to Government Higher Secondary School Qaimou and found two
teachers and two Laboratory Assistants absent from the duty. All the four employees vide order number CEO/K/IMW were placed under suspension. Deputy Chief Education Officer Bashir Ahmed told CNS that the department tries to ensure that all the teachers remain present in every school of the town.
Office of the Regional Transport Office Kashmir NOTICE
Whereas a joint application has been received from Shri Basharat Ahmad Bhat S/o Gh. Mohammad R/o Mughal Mohalla Chattabal Sgr. (as Transferor) and Shri. Aamir Khan S/o Late Zameer Ahmad Khan R/o Khojayarbal Saida Kadal Sgr. (as Transferee) for transfer of Taxi Cab Carriage route permit No. 2553-MC Covering vehicle No. JK01F-1820. Now, Therefore, it is notified for general information that objections, if any to the proposed transfer of the said route permit/vehicle shall be filed in writing in the office of the Regional Transport Officer, Kashmir within a period of seven days from the date of publication of this notice. Seller and Purchaser identified by the authorised representative of M/s New JK Roadways namely Mr. Mohammad Yaseen. No: JK RTOK 6901 Sd/- Regional Transport Officer Dated: 22-11-2013 Kashmir
National Lok Adalats on Nov 23 at Bandipora, Ang Bandipora, November 22: According to Chairman, District Legal Services Authority, Bandipora, Mr. Haq Nawaz Zargar, a National Lok Adalat is scheduled to be held at District Court Complex Bandipora on November 23, 2013. The interested parties who want to get their disputes settled through this Lok Adalat shall approach Court authorities. Cases of different nature would be taken up for on spot settlement during the Lok
sponsored schemes of RMSA and SSA. The Minister stressed on construction of the Girls toilet, Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidayalaya and Drinking water facility in each school at the earliest. Feroz asked for establishing one fully equipped computer lab in centrally located High/Higher Secondary Schools of district Poonch with the sponsorship from Science & Technology Department with directions to the CEO to initiate the process at the earliest. He also directed CEO to initiate the process for setting up of solar power plants in schools having computer labs for their smooth functioning. The Minister along with Minister of State for Health, Mr Shabir Ahmad Khan also inaugurated 5 KW Solar Power Plant at CIC Manjakote, Rajouri, to facilitate the students.
Adalat. Meanwhile, according to Chairman, District Legal Services Authority Anantnag, who is also Principal District and Sessions Judge, a National Lok Adalat is being organised a t Additional Dispute Resolution Centre at District Court Complex Anantnag on November 23, 2013. The interested parties desirous to get their disputes settled through this Lok Adalat shall approach Court authorities.
G.D
Office of the Deputy Director Hospitality and Protocol Kashmir Extension of Tender Notice
Due to no response to this office NIT DDH&P/GTFDDH&P/Acctts/GTF/2361-65 Dated: 04-11-2013 published in two Daily News Papers ‘Greater Kashmir’ and ‘Zabarwan Times’ on 7th Nov. 2013 and 8th of Nov. 2013 respectively. The last date of sale of tender documents for below mentioned job/jobs (At Annexure A) is extended till 29th of November 2013 and will be opened on the date convenient to the tender opening authority in presence of tenderers who wish to be present. (Annexure “A”) S. No Particulars 1. Supply of Provision/ Sundry Items 2. Supply of Vegetable Items 3. Supply of Non-Vegetable Items 4. Supply of Dairy Items All other terms and conditions shall remain same. Sd/- Deputy Director DIPJK: 10375 Hospitality and Protocol Kashmir
Government of Jammu and Kashmir
Office of the Executive Engineer PHE Rural Water Supply Division Ganderbal / Srinagar Duderhama Ganderbal
Notice Inviting e – Tenders Detailed e–NIT No:- 06/PHED/RWSD–Civil of 2013–14.
For and on behalf of the Governor of Jammu & Kashmir State, e–tenders are invited (in Single cover system) on “item rate basis” from Registered/Approved and valid “CEE & DEE” class contractors/agencies for the following work:
S. No
01
Name of work Construction of Chainlink fencing around permises of 0.50 MGD filtration plant and S.R. at Lar for WSS Wakoora
Estt. Cost (Rs. In lacs)
Cost of Tender Doc. (In Rs.)
Amount of earnest money (In Rs.)
6.85 lacs
700.00
13700.00
Time for completion
Class of contractor
45 calendar days
CEE & DEE
Major head of account (NRDWP)
The Bidding Documents and other details can be downloaded from the website http://jktenders.gov.in from: 21. 11.2013 (10:30 a.m) to 23. 11.2013 (04:30 p.m) The Bidding documents consisting of qualifying information, eligibility criteria, specifications, Drawings (if any), Book of quantities (B.O.Q), Set of terms and conditions of contract and other details can be seen / downloaded from the website www.jktenders.gov.in
1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
Date of publishing of Tender Notice Period of downloading of bidding documents Bid Submission Start Date Bid submission End Date Deadline for receiving the hard copy (original DD, EMD and other relevant documents)
6.
Date and time of opening of Bids (Online)
19.11.2013 From 21.11.2013 10:30 a.m. to 23.11.2013 04:30 p.m. 25.11.2013 From 10:30 a.m. 27.11.2013 Upto 04:30 p.m. 28.11.2013 upto 2.00 p.m. in the office of the Executive Engineer PHE Rural Water Supply Division Ganderbal/Sgr (H.Q: Duderhama Ganderbal) 30.11.2013 at 11:30 a.m. in the office of the Executive Engineer PHE Rural Water Supply Division Ganderbal/Sgr (H.Q: Duderhama Ganderbal)
Bids must be accompanied by bid security and cost of Tender Document as specified in the table above and pledged in favour of the Executive Engineer PHE Rural Water Supply Division Ganderbal / Sgr (H.Q: Duderhama Ganderbal). Bid security will have to be in any one of the forms as specified in the bidding documents and shall be valid for six months after the opening of bid. Bids will be opened in the office of Executive Engineer PHE Rural Water Supply Division Ganderbal / Sgr (H.Q: Duderhama Ganderbal) on 30.11.2013 at 11:30 a.m. If the office happens to be closed on the date of opening of the bids as specified, the bids will be opened on the next working day at the same time and venue. DIPJK: 10369 Sd/- Executive Engineer
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Daily ZABARWAN TIMES
SRINAGAR | SATURDAY
Orthotic-prosthetic aids, distributed among 100 beneficiaries of Rajouri JAMMU, NOVEMBER 22: As a sequel to the endeavours of the Omar led coalition government of providing succour to militancy victims besides supporting accident sufferers and other naturally disabled, Minister for Social Welfare, Sakina Itoo, and Minister of State for Health, Shabir Ahmad Khan distributed orthotic -prosthetic aids and appliances among 100 beneficiaries of Rajouri district under AIDP besides giving cheques under NFBS and other pension schemes.The Ministers handed over wheel chairs, tricycles and hearing aids to the beneficiaries at a camp organised by J&K Rehabilitation Council in conjunction with Union Ministry for Social Justice and Empowerment.Aimed to create awareness about communal harmony, relief and rehabilitation of militancy hit victims; the camp was also sup-Agency Lone News ported by National Foundation for
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Kangan Khan News Agency Ganderbal Gulzar News Agency Soura Zahid Book Depot Chadoora Tariq News Agency Hawal Bashir News Agency Nowhatta Muzaffar Ali News Agency Alamgari Bazar Budshah News Agency Lal Chowk Abdullah News Agency Lal Chowk Sikendar News Agency Lal Chowk Gupkari News Agency Lal Chowk Raina News Agency Gund Kangan Khan News Agency Regal Chowk Rashid News Agency Dalgate Sheikh News Agency Hyderpora Hilal News Agency Budgam Lone News Agency Tangmarg Bhat News Agency Chadoora of Agency basic services and amenities. is to develop as theKunzar Bhat News Magam ZargarUdhampur News Agency Local M.L.As, Mr. Balwant centre of trade and commerce Dar NewsSingh Agency Beerwah Bashir News Agency Sumbal Mankotia, Mr. Krishan having excellence in educaReshi News Agency Safapora Chander, Secretary housing and tionalSaleem facilitiesNews at the Agency regional Pattan urban Agency development, Mr.Satish level and to strengthen its rolePampore Basharat News Bandipora Reyaz News Agency Nehru, District Development as theJavaid destination heritageQazigund Altaf News Agency Pulwama NewsofAgency Commissioner Udhampur, and religious tourism to proJeelani News Agency Baramulla G.M News Agency Sopore Chief town planner, senior citimote Udhampur as nerve cenJAMMU, NOVEMBERShah 22 News Agency Kupwara Sultan News Agency zens and concerned engineers tre of eco-tourism of North IndiaHandwara and officers the district ad- and toSheikh project itNews as a hub of for- Islamabad Younis News AgencyofLangate Agency The Minister for Urban Deministration were present on est andThree mineral based industries Agency Islamabad Way News Agency Tral velopment and UrbanReshi LocalNews the occasion.Mr.Jora said that are some other characteristics Turray Agency Tral Badru News Agency Bodies, Mr. Nawang Rigzin Jora News while planning the future ex- of the vision Master Plan Docu-Bijbehara has called for identifying existRahi News Agency Kulgam Malik News pansion and development of ment.Mr.Jora asked Agency the townArwaniJAMMU, NOVEMBER 22 ing gaps in physical andRah social areas, the preservation planners to focusNews on improving Newsurban Agency Byepass Shaheen Agency Kargil
Jora reviews broad contours of draft Udhampur Master Plan
Says Udhampur Development Authority on anvil
infrastructure to bridge these gaps by rationalization of land use and minimizing haphazard and uncontrolled growth in towns and cities.Speaking at a meeting convened here today to review the Draft Master Plan for Udhampur city, Mr.Jora said planned growth of Towns and Cities is imperative to create healthy environment. He said Master plans should essentially focus on effective city planning and efficient traffic management with provision
‘Asks for completion of projects in time bound manner’
of heritage sites and conservation of ecological equilibrium should never be compromised. He said master plan is a strategic tool to achieve these objectives. He asked the town planners to keep provision for construction of indoor and outdoor stadium in Udhampur.The consultants M/S Tech Mech International Pvt. Ltd. of the draft master plan Udhampur through a Power Point Presentation said that the vision master plan Udhampur
road geometry and capacity of existing network besides making urban poor integral part of the city planning adding that minimizing growth of slums and shanty towns would significantly contribute in right town planning. He urged to make urban environment as integral part of city planning. He announced to constitute an expert committee to give final touch to the Draft Master Plan before it is submitted to cabinet for approval.
National Skiing championship, winter sports festival at Gulmarg this season SRINAGAR, NOVEMBER 22: Minister for Tourism & Culture, Mr. G. A. Mir Friday reviewed the preparations being made for winter sports activities at world ski resort of Gulmarg. While reviewing the preparations, the Minister directed that men and machinery be kept ready to ensure that route to Gulmarg is kept open and any deficiency in this regard should be addressed immediately. He said adequate staff should also be maintained for ski patrolling and snow safety officers be placed. Mr. Mir asked Cable Car Corporation to gear up its ski lifting operations besides directing for procurement of snow mobiles and spare parts. He also called for procurement of snow making machines in order to extend the winter sports season in Gulmarg.
Mr. Mir said that helicopters used for heli-skiing could also be utilized during rescue operations besides expert help from HAWS should also be sought. He also stressed for devising an efficient waste disposal mechanism and main-
taining a clean and healthy environment during the entire sports season. The Minister announced that Government is also willing to provide incentives to the tune of Rs. 5 to 7 Lakh to any interested private entrepreneur, who wishes to take up ski related activities at Gulmarg and popularizes them. He said
Climate change, global warming major concern: Dr Veeri Environment Panel of J&K Legislative Council has stressed the need for coordinated efforts to preserve the environment in the State. The Committee has opined that due to constant degradation of environment in the State, the impact of global warming has increased manifold and there is great need for taking corrective measures to conserve it for the future generations.Speaking at a function at Udhampur,which
was organized to create awareness amongst the masses about the benefits of safety of environment and conservation of natural resources in context of global warming threat, Chairman of Environment Committee, Dr. B.A.Veeri said that environment conservation is need of the hour and efforts are needed at different levels. He called for greater involvement of various stakeholders to contribute for the noble cause to make the earth beautiful to live for human as well as other creatures.
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ernmental Organizations coupled with right strategies would certainly help in mitigating the hardships and sufferings of militancy hit and other needy people”, the Minister maintained.Sakina elucidated the landmark accomplishments of the government under Chief Minister Omar Abdullah especially in the SWD, saying that the Chief Minister is himself monitoring the overall functioning of the department and is keen to ensure that no one is deprived of his share irrespective of caste or creed. She said that for the first time 70,000 cases have been sanctioned for the state under ISSS, besides the marriage assistance to orphan girls and young widows has been enhanced from Rs. 10,000 to Rs. 20,000. Efforts are also being made to increase the pension to militancy victims from Rs. 750 to Rs. 1,000 besides clearing pendency under IGNOAP.
Bhalla reviews progress of modernisation of Kala Kendra, Abhinav Theatre
For providing better place and platform to the music lovers and audience, Minister for Housing, Horticulture and Culture Mr. Raman Bhalla has said that Government has already released Rs. 5.77 crore for modernization of Kala Kendra and Abhinav Theatre. This was informed by the Minister while interacting with the officers of Roads and Buildings (R&B) department after reviewing the progress of modernization works of
G. A. Mir reviews winter sports preparations
UDHAMPUR, NOV 22:
Communal Harmony, New Delhi.Speaking on the occasion, the Minister said that the purpose behind organising such camps is to facilitate the beneficiaries to get the benefits of different SWD schemes at their doorsteps.Sakina appreciated State Rehabilitation Council for reaching out to the poor and under privileged sections of the society through a wellknit plan and a dedicated team of officers. She asked the officers to ensure that the injured persons in border shelling and mine blasts are also covered under these rehabilitation programmes.“Coordinated efforts of Rehabilitation Council, Social Welfare Department and Non-Gov-
Kala Kendra at Bikram Chowk and Abhinav Theatre at Canal Road, here today.Mr. Bhalla said the released funds have been kept at the disposal of Chief Engineer R&B Jammu for carrying out necessary renovation works of both the places. He asked the R&B to complete the restoration work of roof top, plaster work on walls, white wash inside and outside Abhinav Theatre including sub-office, painting of all wooden and steel work, new modern lighting system inside and outside with power saver electrification, modern lighting for stage, wiring system of audio system in auditorium, stage with teak wood, central office building, old water tank, air condition, green rooms, wash rooms of auditorium besides repair of K L Saigal hall and installation
of firefighting equipment’s. The Minister further asked the R&B engineers to immediately remove old chairs and install new quality make chairs. Additional Secretary Jammu and Kashmir Academy of Art, Cultural and Languages (JKAACL) Mrs. Savita Bakshi, Superintending Engineer R&B Mr. S P Manhas besides other senior officers from R&B and JKAACL accompanied the Minister.The Minister revealed that promotion of culture and art has received focused attention of the Government, adding that all other cultural centres would be modernized and equipped with high-tech audiovisual systems in a phased manner across the state. He said the Government has also released an amount of Rs. 4
that Government endeavours to attract as many as people to participate in various winter sports activities at Gulmarg. Mr Mir also called for honing up of skills of ski trainers, for which he advised the department to send them abroad for
DRSC reviews functioning of Home deptt
further training. The meeting was informed that winter sports festival will be organized, preferably during the 1st week of February besides the Winter Games Federation of India will also hold a national skiing championship in Gulmarg during this season.
JAMMU, NOVEMBER 22: The meeting of Department Related Standing Committee of Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Council was held here today under the Chairmanship of MLC, Mr. NareshKumar Gupta to review the functioning of Home department. Legislators, Mr. Jugal Kishore Sharma, Dr. Bashir Ahmed Shah (Veeri), Mr. Abdul MajidBhat and Smt. Rani Gargi Blowria were also present in the meeting and gave their valuable suggestion regarding the improvement in working of the department.The Committee recommended that the KPS (DSPs) and others should be designated as Kashmir Police Service instead of JKP. Principal Secretary, Home assured that the proposal would be taken up with the concerned for consideration.The Committee also discussed the transfer policy of the police department besides seeking details from the police regarding progress on various untraced heinous offences. It also discussed cases with regard to NDPS and smuggling of bovine animals.The Committee stressed on the police authorities to ensureadherence to Protocol of MPs and Legislators.Committee also discussed issues pertaining to improvement in working, setting up modern police station, training programmes and other related issues.Principal Secretary, Home Mr. Suresh Kumar apprised the Committee about the physical and financial achievements and other issues pertaining to the home department.ADG, Hqts Mr. S P Vaid, ADG, Armed Mr. S. M. Sahai, ADG, Security, Mr V K Singh, MD Police, Housing Corporation, Mr. Dilbagh Singh, DG, Fire and Emergency, Dr. G A Bhat, IGP, Jammu zone, Mr Rajesh Kumar, IGP, Crime, J&K Mr. Javed Gillani, DIG, Prisons.
CEAT Ltd. brings ‘CEAT-PRO Knowledge Series’ to Srinagar
A Pan-India series looking to address issues concerning the Indian truck transportation market A platform of partnership, a circle of trust between CEAT, participating partners and India’s top fleet companies
Kodakandla, Manager, Tata Motors who elaborated on the need for vehicle maintenance. Amardeep Bhullar, ZBM, CEAT gave his views on radialization and its benefits. CEAT recognises that the Indian truck transportation market is approximately Rs 38,000 crore, of which over 80% of the mar-
Srinagar, 19th November, 2013: Indian tyre major CEAT Ltd, an RPG Enterprises company, organized a knowledge platform – ‘CEAT PRO’ for fleet owners in Srinagar to help them better their business and reduce operation costs. This is an interactive platform that gives fleet owners access to best practices and ideas across diverse areas of the Indian trucking industry. As part of its fleet excellence program CEAT PRO knowledge series aims to create a common platform for sharing information & resources and thus helping fleets compete on a flatter turf. Providing insights on the occasion were, Mr. Rashid Sheikh, Business Representative, Valvoline Cummins who spoke about how one should select the best lubricant for their vehicle; Ranjit
ket lies in the unorganised sector. Despite recent developments, the overall awareness of new technologies and industry best practices is quite low. Penetration of new age systems such as the Fleet Management software or the GPS systems is quite dismal and mostly restricted to only a select few big transporters. Therefore, CEAT has taken several initiatives towards developing this sector. Commenting on CEAT – Pro at Srinagar, Mr. Arnab Banerjee, Executive Di-
rector, CEAT Ltd. said, “Though the Indian transportation industry is booming it lacks a common platform to engage customers and help them build best practices. At CEAT, we believe in partnering with our customers and the automobile industry to gain value and optimum growth, thus “CEAT PRO” was launched.” He added, “CEAT – PRO is not a selling tool but a knowledge plank, to share ideas and best practices. CEAT engages industry experts and helps create value for the end customer by assisting him with new technology, information and best practices.” About CEAT Ltd: CEAT, the flagship company of RPG Enterprises, was established in 1958. Today, CEAT is one of India’s leading tyre manufacturers and has a strong presence in both domestic & international markets. The company manufactures over 10 million tyres every year and enjoys a major market share in the light truck & truck tyre market. CEAT, tubes and flaps are renowned for their superior quality and durability. CEAT offers the widest range of tyres to all user segments and manufacture world-class radials for all Indian vehicles including: Heavy-duty Trucks and Buses, Light Commercial Vehicles, Earthmovers, Forklifts, Tractors, Trailers, Cars, Motorcycles and Scooters, Auto-rickshaws.
23. 11 .2013
HOROSCOPE Aries
March 21-April 19
You might feel like doing something different today, Aries. Everyone needs a break from the regular grind and this is a good time to try something new. Perhaps you feel like varying your routine. If this is your day off, you might spend the day doing whatever strikes your fancy. Try a new wardrobe style. Go to a movie. Do something to spice up your life today.
Taurus April 20-May 20
Start your day writing in a journal, Taurus. This provides an avenue to communicate and connect with your inner being. Things you need to do, ambitions, and even challenges can appear while you’re writing, providing a map that you can follow. Even if starting is difficult, stick with it. The words will come if you give it a chance. It can make your day much easier.
Gemini May 21-June 21
You might find it hard to get going, Gemini. Taking direction could rub you the wrong way, especially if you’re set on doing something different. Communicate your ideas and how you want to approach things rather than let irritation get to you. Your approach will be better received if you leave emotions out of it. You may even get kudos for staying calm and collected.
Cancer June 22-July 22
You might feel cheerful and generous today, Cancer. Helping others will probably suit you, and matters will move along smoothly. If there are outstanding projects from earlier, tackle them first. It’s an opportune time to get caught up on challenges. Don’t hesitate to lend a hand if you’re approached or notice someone in need. This will benefit them as well as you.
Leo
July 23-August 22 Make an effort to connect with someone you miss today, Leo. Even if it feels painful at first, you’ll feel a lot better once you do. Pick up the phone, write a note, or send an email. Let the person know you miss and care about him or her. Expressing yourself is often far better than stuffing your feelings. The person may be missing you just as much.
Virgo
August 23-September 22
Today may be a time of heightened reasoning and judgment for you, Virgo. What a great way to get things done! Pull out unfinished projects and get going. Tackle issues or problems that have surfaced recently by facing them directly. Make the most of this day’s energy by thinking about ways to do things more efficiently. Be confident that you can handle anything.
Libra
September 23-October 23 Feed your mind today, Libra. The day’s energy supports growth and expansion, so why not see about learning about something you’re interested in? Challenge yourself by reading or taking a class. There are plenty of online subjects to engage you. Find something that interests you that you can do in your own time.
Scorpio
October 24-November 21 You’re more into socializing today than anything else, Scorpio. This could be great providing you don’t have a heavy workload. See who’s available and go for it. If you need to get something done, you’ll have to resist the temptation to chat too long. Use breaks for this and keep your focus on getting done what you’ve taken on. There’s always the evening to get together with friends.
Sagittarius November 22-December 21
You may find it hard to admit that you can’t do everything, Sagittarius. There are some jobs that you aren’t cut out to do. Why pretend when a better option would be to delegate the task to someone else? If you don’t feel a strong connection with something or someone, don’t force it. Pretending that you’re capable of something will only cause frustration for you and everyone else.
Capricorn December 22-January 19
Don’t be surprised if you’re pensive, Capricorn. It’s one of those days when daydreaming can happen more readily. Your imagination may also be at a peak. Rather than fighting this so you can be more productive, jot your ideas down. It may be to your advantage, as better and innovative ways of doing things can pop into your mind. Take time to ponder. It can bring great results.
Aquarius January 20-February 18
Chatting with your loved ones may be more appealing to you today than any other day, Aquarius. It may be important to curb this desire if there are many things that need your attention. If you’re at home, don’t spend all your time on the phone or loafing. Consider tending first to things that need to get done. Socializing will be far more enjoyable without guilty feelings about what you should be doing.
Pisces
February 19-March 20 Pisces, you can expect to feel a little more energetic today. In fact, you may run circles around everyone. What a great way to start the day. Head out with the confidence that you can easily handle anything that comes your way. Take time to enjoy the company of others as much as possible. If there are meetings on the agenda, handle them right away.
Editorial/Opinion The Daily
Zabarwan Times Saturday, 23 November 2013
A uniform fee structure needed for private schools
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he exuberant fees charged by private schools and undue increase in their fee structure has created a lot of problems and worries for the parents particularly the middle class and lower middle class. There are hardly any government schools where the parents prefer to send their wards because of the degradation in the educational standards. It does not mean that government schools do not produce bright students who excel even in the most difficult competitive examinations. However it has become a sort of show that the parents prefer to send their children to private schools which are mostly run as commercial institutions. These schools have become most profitable for those people who have established them and this business is thriving with every passing day. It is strange that the government has not been able to control the increasing fees in these schools which are looting the parents on the pretext of one or the other reason. A committee was set up by the state government under the chairmanship of Justice Bilal Nazki but so far the committee has not prepared or suggested any measures to control the frequent increase in the admission fee and other charges by the private schools in the state. There is no doubt that the costs of everything including land and buildings have gone up many fold, so has the pay of the teachers also increased but in comparison the exuberant fee charged by private schools is much higher and beyond the capability of the middle class which means the denial of better education for those who cannot afford these hefty fees. It would be in the best interest of the parents and the student community if the government streamlines the fee structure of the private schools and puts in place a uniform fee so that there is no frequent increase affected arbitrarily by these private schools. It is expected that these schools and their management also understands the problems of the parents and run these schools as institutions spreading education rather than making them totally business establishments and a means of earning.
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ZABARWAN TIMES 9
Saturday, 23 November 2013
World’s Tallest Chenab Rail Bridge- a Marvel Challenge
he world’s tallest rail bridge over Chenab River in Jammu & Kashmir’s Reasi district being constructed by Konkan Railway Corporation Limited (KRCL), a Central Public Sector Enterprise under the Ministry of Railways, is likely to be ready by 2016. This bridge will be on the Udhampur – Srinagar – Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) project which is a national project to provide rail connectivity to the beautiful valley of Kashmir. Konkan Railway has taken up the construction of part of USBRL project from Katra to Dharam in December 2002. Chenab Bridge, perhaps the most challenging project, is to be built at the height of 359 metres (height of Qutab Minar is 72 metres and of Eiffel Tower is 324 metres). Chenab Bridge is having the central span of 457 metres. When constructed this bridge will quality for world record for being the tallest rail bridge from the river bed. Currently the world’s tallest rail bridge is located over France’s Tam River with its tallest pillar rising 340 metres, with the actual height where the train runs on the bridge being 300 metres. The design of bridge also takes care of blast load, which is internationally an unique feature. The painting scheme for this bridge is designed for 35 years of service life so that during service life of 120 years, only 3 times repainting will have to be done. For construction of Arch portion of the bridge over the river, a novel method of construction using the cable car is designed and under construction. This cable car runs on 54mm cables laid across the river valley and connected through 127 metre high pylons (towers) on either side of river. The consumption of structural steel for this project is very
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Daily
huge. The construction of Chenab Bridge Salai-A and after moving over Chenab tunnels, 6.6 kilometres (9%) of route on will comprises of earthwork in excava- bridge comes to a halt station called Salai- bridges and balance 6% of route in cutting tion for construction of foundations, over B. These two stations are meant to serve the and embankments. To make access to these 46,000cum of concreting, 3600 tonnes of local population of either side of the river. sites, Konkan Railway has to make 166 reinforcement steel and 25,000 tonnes of The bridge is designed for 266 kmph of kilometres of project roads including road structural steel (an equivalent to volume wind velocity and wind tunnel simulation tunnels and many temporary Bailey of a 54 story building on a football ground test for the same was conducted in bridges. size plot). Fabrication of the steel Denmark. However, trains will not be The work was pended in July 2008 for structures involves very high degree of permitted to travel over the bridge when review of alignment and after review precision and quality wielding using wind velocity exceeds 90 kmph. Suitable works were restarted in September 2009. latest wielding technologies. instrumentation like anemometers for At present, Final Location Survey for 28 Construction of Railway Bridge over river measuring wind velocity, accelerometers km is in progress taking into account Chenab bridging steep banks on Bakkal for measuring ground acceleration in the changed ruling gradient of 1 in 80. The target fo r completion of project is December 2017. To expeditiously execute The bridge is designed for 266 kmph of the project Konkan Railway has set up Project Head Office at Jammu. Its project wind velocity and wind tunnel simulation camps are located at Reasi, Kauri, Dugga and Sangaldhan. KRCL has mobilized a team of about 240 staff and engineers for test for the same was conducted in taking this project ahead. The construction machinery, plant, equipments, materials, Denmark. However, trains will not be technicians, skilled and un-skilled manpower is arranged by KRCL’s construction contractors. permitted to travel over the bridge when For design support, various National and International agencies have been engaged. wind velocity exceeds 90 kmph. The construction of 166 km of approach/feeder roads through this (Katra) and Kauri (Srinagar) ends event of an earthquake, temperature inaccessible terrain is a challenging job to respectively, without causing any monitor etc., will be installed at critical take up the railway construction works. hindrance to the water flow is a challenge. locations to generate alarm to the adjacent Konkan Railway has the experience of Approach roads measuring a total length of stations in case of danger. Various construction of 740 km of Railway route about 5 kilometres are being constructed in geotechnical investigations are carried out length between Roha to Thokur (near very difficult terrain to reach to main span for this bridge like soil boring done along Mangalore). This route has 91 tunnels foundations. the alignment of the bridge, plate load test aggregating to 85 km, with Karbude tunnel To ensure stability of the foundation cut and shear load test conducted inside drift (a of 6.5 km which is the longest transport profiles, the slopes have been suitably tunnel like cavity made for investigation) tunnel in the country. Over Konkan designed and will be protected by means of at foundation level of Arch. Railway route 179 major bridges aggregatrock bolting and shotcreting. From Katra The section from Katra to Dharam being ing to 19.8 km of bridge length have been side, the railway line comes out of 5.9 constructed by Konkan Railway is 70 constructed. The longest bridge is across kilometre long tunnel and after moving kilometres in length. It comprises of Sharavati river which is more than 2 km over other bridges comes to a station called 59.457 kilometres (85%) of route in long.
National Strategy for Financial Education
he first decade of the 21st century has seen a universal recognition for spreading financial literacy among people. Most of the countries are adopting a unified and coordinated national strategy for financial education. Given the fact that India is having large population, a fast growing economy with national focus on inclusive growth and an urgent need to develop a vibrant and stable financial system, it has become all the more necessary to quickly formulate and implement a national strategy. Also since a large number of stakeholders including the central and state governments, financial regulators, financial institutions, civil society, educationists and others are involved in spreading financial literacy; a broad national strategy is a prerequisite to ensure that they work in tandem according to the strategy and not at cross purposes. The National Strategy, thus, seeks to create a financially aware and empowered India. It aims at undertaking a massive Financial Education campaign to help people manage money more effectively to achieve financial well being by accessing appropriate financial products and services through regulated entities What is Financial Literacy? Organization for Economic Cooperation & Development defines Financial Literacy as a combination of financial awareness, knowledge, skills, attitude and behaviour necessary to make sound financial decisions and ultimately achieve individual financial well being. People achieve financial literacy through a process of financial education. Financial Inclusion : A Top Policy Priority of Government Government of India has recognized the importance of spreading financial literacy to intensify efforts to channelize domestic savings to investments. However, increasing range and complexity of products has made it very difficult for an ordinary person to take an informed decision. Financial literacy develops confidence, knowledge and skills to manage financial products and services enabling them to have more control of their present and future
circumstances. Financial literacy will also help in protecting society and individuals against exploitative financial schemes and exorbitant interest rate charged by moneylenders. It is expected that financial educa tion can lead to multiplier effects in the economy. A well educated household would resort to regular savings, which in turn would lead to investment in right channels and income generation. Thus, the financial well being of individuals, will in turn increase the welfare of the society. International Experience and the Lessons for India Globally, Countries like Czech Republic, Netherlands, New Zealand, Spain, and UK have already implemented National Strategy for Financial Education, while many other countries are in the process of formulation and implementation. In India, we need a tiered approach under National strategy in view of our diversity. The draft National Strategy has been prepared with the objectives of i) Creating awareness and educating consumers on access to financial services, various types of products and their features, ii)changing attitudes to translate kno wledge into behavior and iii) Making consumers understand their rights and responsibilities as clients of financial services. Given the fast pace of changes in the financial world, it has been envisaged to have a five year timeframe for implementing the strategy, using Strategic Action Plans. Sample Survey to Assess the State of Financial Literacy and Inclusion The Strategy provides for conduct of a nation wide sample survey for assessing the state of financial inclusion and financial literacy. The survey, inter-alia will assess the level of financial inclusion, level of financial awareness about various financial products, level of financial competency to make informed decisions, people’s attitude towards money as well as their attitude towards risk taking. Based on the assessment of the survey, various financial regulators would develop their
financial education modules to address the needs of their clients. It would then be delivered through school curriculum, social marketing, advertising through radio, television, print and outdoor and by setting up dedicated financial education websites. There is also a proposal to rope in Self-Help Groups, Micro-Finance Institutions, investors and consumer associations etc. Financial Education in School Curriculum Governments have recognized that financial education should start at school and that people should be educated about financial matters as early as possible in their lives. Organization for Economic Cooperation & Development has developed Guidelines to assist policymakers and interested stakeholders in designing, introducing and developing efficient financial education programmes in schools. However, it needs to clearly be specified that the financial education would not be another subject taught in the schools. What is needed is its appropriate integration in the school curriculum. For example, compound interest is taught in Arithmetic as an abstract concept of, A lending to B at some interest rate compounded annually. This can be turned into an opportunity of financial education by weaving into a problem of a company that borrows from a bank or a bank customer who opens a Cumulative Deposit Account instead of a simple Fixed Deposit Account. Similarly, moral science courses could have content which are based on day to day financial transactions CBSE has agreed, in principle, to introduce it in an integral manner in school education at the post primary level and to facilitate the process, a committee of experts has been constituted. Synergizing the Efforts of Regulators in Spreading Financial Literacy In India, various financial regulators including Reserve Bank of India, Securities Exchange Board of India, Insurance Regulatory & Development Authority etc have already embarked upon massive financial literacy programmes adopting multi-pronged approach. Reserve Bank of India has
undertaken a project titled ‘Project Financial Literacy’ to disseminate information regarding the central bank and general banking concepts to various target groups, including school and college students, women, rural and urban poor, defense personnel and senior citizens. Securities Exchange Board of India has empanelled Resource Persons throughout India who organize workshops to target segments on various aspects viz. savings, investment, financial planning, banking, insurance, retirement planning etc. More than 3500 workshops have been already conducted in various states covering nearly 3 lakh participants. Insurance Regulatory & Development Authority has been disseminating simple messages about the rights and duties of policyholders, channels available for dispute redressal etc through radio, TV and print media in English, Hindi and 11 other Indian languages. The Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority(PFRDA) has been engaged in spreading social security messages to the public. PFRDA has developed FAQ on pension related topics on its website, and has been associated with various non government organizations in India in taking the pension services to the disadvantaged community. Similarly, commercial banks, Stock Exchanges, Broking Houses and Mutual Funds have the initiatives in the field of financial education that spawns conducting of seminars, issuance of do’s and don’ts, and newspaper campaigns. It will be necessary to collate and classify the vast amount of material developed by these institutions, that can serve as the knowledge base for financial education in India. Institutional arrangements envisage creation of the National Institute of Financial Education(NIFE), with representatives of various regulators as members. The main role of NIFE shall be to create financial education material for respective financial sectors. NIFE shall also create and maintain a website exclusively for financial education.
Disclaimer : The contents and comments appearing in any article published in this paper are purely the personal opinion of the writer.
HEALTH AND FITNESS ZABARWAN TIMES
Saturday 23 November 2013
Celebrate health with tomatoes Smoking may lead to Indulge in tomatoes as they have great health value Tomatoes are now hot-favourites thanks to the much-talked about Tomato Festival in Spain as shown in the movie Zindagi Milegi Na Dobaara. But take a break from your favorite actors soaking in the ‘tomato fun.’ It’s time to know the health benefits of this rich easily available vegetable. Anti-oxidant: Tomatoes contain a lot of vitamins A and C, mostly because of beta-carotene, and these vitamins act as an anti-oxidant, working to neutralize dangerous free radicals in the blood stream. Free radicals in the body can be flushed out with high levels of Lycopene, and the tomato is so amply loaded with this vital anti-oxidant that it actually derives its rich redness from the nutrient. These dangerous free radicals can cause cell damage. Also, remember that cooking destroys much of vitamin C, so stick to raw tomatoes for these benefits. So, do remember
to carry a tomato-cucumber sandwich in your tiffin box. Vision: Because of all that vitamin A, tomatoes are also an excellent food to help improve your vision. This also means tomatoes can help your eyes be better about night blindness. Cancer: Various studies have shown that because of all that lycopene in tomatoes, the red fruit helps to lessen the chances of prostate cancer in men, and also reduces the chance of stomach cancer and colorectal cancer. Lycopene is considered somewhat of a natural miracle anti-oxidant that may help to stop the growth of cancer cells. And, interestingly enough, cooked tomatoes produce more lycopene than do raw tomatoes, so enjoy that tomato soup! Heart troubles: Due to potassium and vitamin B, tomatoes help to lower blood pressure and to lower high cholesterol levels. This, in turn, could help prevent
ovarian cancer
strokes, heart attack and other potentially life-threatening heart problems. Skin care: Because of high amounts of lycopene, tomatoes are excellent for skin care. Make sure the inside of the tomato skins are against your skin, and let this be there for at least 10 minutes. Then wash off. You face will be cleaner and give a
Stretch your way to fitness
shiny look. Hair: Remember all that vitamin A in tomatoes? Well, it’s good for keepi ng y our h ai r strong a n d shi ny , and i ts a lso go o d f o r y our ey es, teeth , ski n a n d b ones. B o n e s: Toma toes h ave a f a i r a m o unt of vi tami n K a n d c a l ci um, b o t h o f w h i c h help to strengthen bones.
How is diabetes linked to feet and leg problems?
Dr. Sanjeev says, "Foot problems in diabetics result from poor circulation, nerve damage and decreased resistance to infection. High blood sugar level over a long period may affect blood vessels and nerves. There are various conditions that affect people with diabetes that may result in leg and foot problems."
low GI (glycaemic index) such as multigrain bread, brown rice, sweet potatoes, carrots and bananas. Increase vitamin B intake An adequate intake of this vitamin is essential for a healthy nervous system. All B vitamins are involved in the control of tryptophan, an amino acid used to make the chemical serotonin, that helps regulate mood. A balanced diet containing meat, fish, eggs, dairy and green leafy vegetables, nuts and seeds should supply enough Vitamin B. But if you are not getting enough, take Vitamin B supplements. Limit your alcohol intake If you are stressed, anxious or depressed, it may be tempting to drown your sorrows with a stiff drink as alcohol can initially make you feel calmer. A recent study suggested people suffering from anxiety were likely to drink heavily. But if you suffer from anxietyrelated disorders, including depression, you should consider limiting your alcohol intake as it affects anxietyreducing neurotransmitters. Also, once the alcohol wears off, you may be left feeling more anxious because alcohol has a depressant effect. Keep a stress diary
body structure). Approximately two-thirds of adults with Type 2 diabetes are obese. Diabetics are at higher risk for cardiovascular disease, and obesity further increases this risk. Obesity also increases other diabetes complications including endstage kidney disease. Other complications may include sleep apnea syndrome, arthritis and fatty liver disease."
Some stats on the cases of diabetes and limb amputations...
Diabetic neuropathy
The picture is unflattering; here's what the diabetologist reveals, "All over the world in every 30 seconds, a leg is lost to due to diabetes. 15% of the total diabetic population develops foot ulcers. All over, 85% of all diabetes-related amputations are preceded by foot ulcers. Thus it is advisable that patients should daily inspect their feet and consult the doctor as soon as they find an ulcer or an infection in the foot."
Peripheral vascular disease
What are the signs of tissue and skin damage?
"Diabetes causes damage to the nerves in the feet and legs. Generally, injuries remain unnoticed and cause sharp pain in the feet commonly known as diabetic foot," says the Doctor.
"Elevated blood sugar levels over time affect the circulation and blood flow. This may cause ulcer and gangrene."
How about the link between morbid obesity and diabetes?
This is a question that has several obese people worried; Dr. Sanjeev makes the link between obesity and diabetes: "Obesity is defined as having a BMI greater than 27 (as per Indian
How to keep anxiety in check Control your anxiety before it gets out of hand with these minor tweaks to your life Anxiety is something we all experience from time to time — from tension before an exam or interview to feeling butterflies in our stomachs on a first date. And a little anxiety can actually be useful. Feeling nervous can get the adrenalin pumping and make you more alert. But it's when short-term anxiety becomes a more long-term condition that problems start.Chronic anxiety can be crippling and may lead to an inability to concentrate, constant nausea, palpitations and insomnia. It can also cause other conditions such as depression and even agoraphobia. The important thing to remember about controlling anxiety is quickly conquering it before it gets out of hand — which means managing your stress well. Choose low GI foods Your brain needs a steady supply of glucose to enable it to function properly. Fluctuations in blood sugar levels can affect the brain, leading to mood swings, anxiety and even panic attacks. So try to eat foods that have a
demographic and personal characteristics which were taken into account, including body-mass index, use of alcohol, use of oral contraceptives and menopausal hormone therapy. Binns said more research was needed to understand how smoking stimulated the creation of mucinoid tumours, but stressed the first step in prevention was for women to quit cigarettes. "While giving up smoking is the best advice, we did find evidence that drinking green tea, breastfeeding, eating fruit and vegetables, getting regular exercise and avoiding obesity were also beneficial," he said.
How diabetes links to leg and feet problems Diabetes can invite complications if proper personal care, fitness and diet are not followed. Today, we take a look at serious repercussions of diabetes on leg problems. Legs, especially the feet, receive far less blood compared to other parts of the body, and for diabetics this could spell foot trouble. Dr. Sanjeev Bhambani, Diabetes and Endocrinologist at Moolchand Medcity gives you a step-by-step rundown on this grave issue.
Willingly or cribbing, all of us tend to squeeze in some exercise in our daily routine. But we are lazy enough to skip the most important part of it- stretches. According to studies, stretches are vital in our daily workout and equally important if not more, than the actual exercise. Harbouring a capacity to leave one unfit for exercise if avoided continually, stretches prove extremely beneficial for our good health. If done properly, stretches are known to reduce muscle soreness to a large extent. They affect the body's flexibility which plays an important role in deciding our strength and stamina. They also affect our swiftness or speed level. While it is necessary to do a whole body stretch, individual muscle stretches loosen up every muscle that has been worked upon. Quadriceps, hamstring, calves, biceps, triceps, all need their share of stretch. Stretching should be a gradual process and should not be done in a hurry. If done too quickly, they can cause the muscle to contract. To avoid this, one can include stretches in-between the training after the exercise of each muscle group instead of keeping it as the final act. When the sweet burning sensation while stretching is a pleasurable experience you know you are on the right track. The tightening of muscles during exercise also affects the mobility of the joints and stretching helps in relieving them. The correct holding time of a stretch is the key to achieve the required effect. An average time of 30 seconds, is what is recommended by doctors. But in case of discomfort, one has to immediately stop pushing oneself out of limits. Another important benefit is that stretches prolong one's exercise age. As stretches play a major role in saving one from injuries, they reduce the rate of degeneration of muscles and hence keep one fit to exercise for long. So, do your stretches properly and be fitter
Scientists have for the first time linked smoking with ovarian cancer - the second most commonly diagnosed gynaecological cancer in Australia with a five-year survival rate of only 40 per cent. Andy Lee and Colin Binns, both professors from the Curtin University's School of Public Health, took part as members of the Collaborative Group on Epidemiological Studies of Ovarian Cancer based at Oxford University and funded by UK Cancer research. Their work involved the completion of two studies in China, which were fed into a pool of data totalling 28,114 women with, and 94,942 women without, ovarian cancer, the journal Lancet Oncology reported. "Previously there was only a weak link between smoking and ovarian cancer, coming from a paper in 2009. This new analysis firmly establishes that relationship for one particular type of ovarian cancer, mucinoid tumours, which account for about 15 percent of the total of all ovarian cancers," Binns said, according to a university statement. Outcomes were consistent along 13 socio-
Over the next few weeks, note which situations, times, places and people make you stressed. Once you have identified these, think about each one and ask yourself 'Can I avoid it?'. For example, if you find that driving to work is stressful, perhaps you can avoid it by finishing work a bit earlier or later, or by car-sharing with a colleague. Slow down Many of us are living our lives at a faster pace, perhaps juggling a fulltime job with a relationship, family commitments and a social life. As a result, we feel a constant sense of urgency in our daily lives. This endless feeling of pressure fuels our impatience when we have to wait in a queue or traffic jam, or when the bus or train is late. Instead of stressing about delays, see them as opportunities for welcome thinking or reading. Drink plenty of water Your brain needs sufficient water to function properly. Even mild dehydration can affect mental well-being. Symptoms of dehydration include restlessness and irritability.
He says, "In diabetic patients blood glucose is high and body loses fluid. Due to insufficient fluid skin gets dry. Dry skin tends to crack or split more easily and wounds heal more slowly in diabetics. Thus skin conditions should be treated as soon they're noticed, to prevent them." He breaks it down further, "There are various signs of tissue and skin damage, which can be categorized as: Dry skin is one of the most common symptoms among diabetes due to loss of body fluid and
frequent urination. Itchy skin could be another prior symptom which can be triggered by poor blood flow. Itching can be confined to one spot or may occur in many parts of the body especially in lower legs and feet. Digital sclerosis due to excess production of collagen among Type 1 diabetic patient results in waxy, tight skin on toes, fingers and hands. Dryness, burning, numbness and skin ulcers could be due to neuropathy when nerves are damaged. Patient suffers from pain in the lower extremities, burning and numbness. As a result, nerves in the legs and feet may not release sweat which is required to keep skin soft and moist." At what stage must one consult a specialist? "One should immediately consult a specialist if he/she experiences any of the following symptoms: - Changes in skin color - Swelling in the foot or ankle - Pain in the legs - Open sores on the feet that are slow to heal or are draining - Toenails with fungus infection - Corns or calluses - Dry cracks in the skin
Avoid these foods to avoid constipation Constipation is an uncomfortable condition. Previously, we covered the foods that you must eat on a regular basis to tackle constipation. On the other side of the healthy-unhealthy food spectrum, there are also some popular foods that you should avoid if you want to stay away from constipation. We give you 5 foods to exclude from your diet. Processed food: Whether it is frozen foods or burgers and pizzas, it is going to make your mornings hard to get through, literally. When food is preserved and ready to eat, vital nutrients are drained out, plus the ingredients used are cheap. For example, all purpose flour or maida is used practically in all pizzas, breads and instant noodles. Bottomline: Processed food has less fiber hence they linger in your system causing discomfort. Bakery goodies: Nankhatais, kharis and tea biscuits are rich in sugar and
fat. They may go well with tea and coffee, but lack fiber. But there's a solution to these good old treats, increase your fiber intake, and balance it out. Bottomline: Sugar may go straight to your thigh, but it can also be the cause of constipation. Red Meat without supplementing meals with vegetables: If you consume pork or beef regularly, without veggies on the side, you may have already experienced constipation. Make it a habit to accompany this precious chunk of meat with salad, cooked vegetables, and whole grain cereal; something that is rich in fiber. Bottomline: Guess how long it takes to digest meat? No, you're wrong, it takes 90 hours to partially digest meat. Caffeine: So no one can give up coffee, black tea and colas. They give you the much needed buzz to start your day and keep you going through
strenuous meetings, commutes, and just about everything else. Unhealthy dependency aside, caffeine dehydrates the human body and dehydration is one of the main causes of constipation. Bottomline: If you're addicted to caffeine, it's better to cut down and supplement it with food rich in fiber. Oily food: Chips and fast foods are tempting, even for those who are determined to eat healthy. But the more oily and salty your food is, the higher your chances of developing some digestive health issues as you cross over from your 20s to the 30s. Foods that are deep fried and soaked in oil like French fries slows down the digestive process. Bottomline: Fight your cravings and every time you feel tempted to order a round of French fries make sure you drink enough water and eat enough veggies before or after.
ZABARWAN TIMES
SATURDAY NOVEMBER | 23 | 2013
Muzaffarnagar riots: SC slams UP for 'biased' relief order Agencies NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Thursday censured the Akhilesh Yadav government for favouring the Muslim community in relief and rehabilitation following the Muzaffarnagar riots in August and forced it to withdraw the “biased” notification. Appearing for a section of Jat community residing in riot-hit UP districts, advocate M L Sharma drew the court’s attention to a UP government notification promising Rs 5 lakh to relocate Muslim families living in relief camps who have refused to return to their villages. A bench of Chief Justice P Sathasivam and Justices Ranjana P Desai and Ranjan Gogoi took serious exception to the notification and said, “In your relief operations, if your notification favours one community, then it is bound to backfire. How can relief and rehabilitation measures be denied on the ground of religion?” Senior advocate Rajiv Dhavan immediately assured the court that no one would be discriminated and that a corrigendum to the notification would soon be issued. “The team which visited the relief camps thought only Muslims wanted relocation.
Now, it will be extended to all, whoever wants to relocate,” he said. However, the bench, after brief deliberation, asked for the notification to be withdrawn. “We feel you have to recall this notification and issue a fresh one to include all riot-affected families, whosoever is eligible irrespective of their religious or community identity,” the judges said.
Cyclone Helen: Rain lashes Andhra Pradesh, 2 dead Agencies H Y D E R A B A D / V I J AYAWADA: Two persons were killed in separate rainrelated incidents as heavy rain lashed coastal districts of Andhra Pradesh under the influence of severe cyclonic storm ‘Helen’ over west-central Bay of Bengal. In view of the cyclone, 8,000 people have been evacuated to safer places. 3,000 people have been evacuated to safer places in West Godavari district and are being provided essential items like food and medicines. According to officials, two persons died in Krishna district when trees fell on them. Efforts are under way to remove the large number of trees that fell on the roads after being uprooted by gale in the district, they said. Heavy rain and gutsy
winds were reported from other coastal districts like Guntur, East Godavari among others. Chief minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy reviewed the situation arising out of cyclonic storm with chief secretary and the collectors of coastal districts on Friday morning, they said. The vulnerable districts have been put on the high alert and the chief minister has directed the officials to be prepared to face any eventuality. Reddy has also directed the administration to coordinate with the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), police, fire and emergency personnel of medical, agriculture among others.He has also asked the officials to take the help of Army, Navy and Air Force, if necessary, the sources said.
The severe cyclonic storm Helen over west central Bay of Bengal moved slightly westwards and lay centred at 1130 hrs IST on Friday, about 15 kms east of Machilipatnam in coastal Andhra and it would cross the Andhra coast within a few hours, an official bulletin said.Very heavy rainfall at a few places and isolated extremely heavy rainfall (25cm or more) would occur over north coastal Andhra Pradesh and adjoining Guntur, Krishna, West Godavari districts of south coastal Andhra Pradesh during next 36 hrs, the bulletin said. Gale winds speed reaching 100-110 kmph, gusting to 120 kmph would prevail over Prakasham, Guntur, Krishna, East and West Godavari and Vishakhapatnam districts during next 12 hours.
Bangalore ATM attack: Police clueless after three days Agenceis: BANGALORE: Three days after the brutal attack on a woman bank official at an unguarded ATM kiosk here, police remained cluess today about the assailant and announced a reward of Rs one lakh to anyone providing information leading to his arrest. The condition of the 38-year old bank official, paralysed on her right side after she was hit with the machete by the assailant, meanwhile was “much better”, the hospital where she is recovering, said. “The patient’s general condition is much better than yesterday. She is conscious and speaking. Her neurological status remains the same (right side paralysis),” BGS Global Hospital said in a release. Asked about reports that an individual resembling the suspect had been taken into
Bihar gets ATS, after Bodh Gaya, Patna blasts
After serial bomb blasts in Patna and Bodh Gaya, Bihar is set to have its own Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) and the state government has appointed its first inspector general (IG), officials said Friday. “The much-awaited Bihar ATS will be a reality soon, as the state government has finally initiated the move to set it up with the appointment of senior IPS (Indian Police Service) officer Paresh Saxena as IG of the ATS,” an official in the Chief Minister’s Office said. The appointment was made Thursday. The process for the selection of personnel and their training will soon get underway, the official said. The ATS will have, besides the IG, a deputy inspector general, a superintendent of police, deputy superintendent of police and six sub-inspectors. The government has cleared 344 posts for the ATS. Officials said the ATS would cost Rs.18.13 crore, each year. Early this month, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar had announced that the process of setting up the ATS had begun. The state cabinet approved a proposal to set up the ATS after the July 7 serial bomb blasts at the Mahabodhi Temple in Bodh Gaya. Ten bombs had exploded at or in the vicinity of the temple, and two Buddhist monks were injured. Three live bombs were recovered and defused that day.
custody in Tumkur district, Police Commissioner Raghavendra Auradkar said “Bangalore Police hasn’t picked up anybody as far as I know. It’s only the media which is reporting about it.” Police had yesterday picked up the man to whom the assailant had allegedly sold the victim’s mobile phone at Hindupur town in Andhra Pradesh and was questioned for leads. In the attack at the ATM kiosk near a police station in the heart of the city, the woman was repeatedly hit with the machete by the assailant, leaving her in a pool of blood for nearly three hours before two school children saw blood stains and informed a policeman who rushed her to the hospital. After the brazen attack, caught on CCTV, he had walked out of the kiosk downing the shutter and taking away her mobile, leaving the bleeding woman in a serious condition.
Agencies
A Delhi court Friday discharged Rajya Sabha member and former Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Amar Singh and three Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders involved in the cash-for-vote scam of 2008. The court held that three BJP MPs Faggan Singh Kulaste, Mahavir Bhagora and Ashok Argal had enacted a drama to expose horse-trading and leaders of the Congress and SP who were indulging in corrupt activity to lure vulnerable MPs of other parties. The court took into account that the efforts to trace the money trail had failed and the principal offenders who attempt to bribe BJP MPs could not be brought before the court. Special Judge Narottam Kaushal also discharged Sudheendra Kulkarni, close aide of BJP senior leader L.K. Advani, and BJP activist Sohail Hindustani. It said that the facts that have emerged from the record do not create sufficient
grounds for proceedings against Amar Singh, Kulkarni, Hindustani, Kulaste, Bhagora and Argal. However, the court framed corruption charges against Sanjeev Saxena, Amar Singh’s former aide saying that sufficient ground for presuming that Saxena has committed offence under Prevention of Corruption Act. On July 22, 2008, BJP MPs Kulaste, Bhagora and Argal waved wads of currency notes in the Lok Sabha ahead of a trust vote, alleging they were given the money to vote in favour of the Manmohan Singh government. “The practice of laying trap to catch a bribe taker is nothing new. Only difference in this case is that trap was laid to catch the bribe giver and bribe takers were only decoys,” the court said.The court noted that inviting TV channels to film the incident cannot be stretched out as a wrong intention and and the MPs did not want to hide their activities.
Madhya Pradesh polls: Chouhan upbeat; confident of a hat-trick With barely two days left for the Assembly elections in Madhya Pradesh and poll surveys predicting a
clear win for the BJP, state Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Friday exuded confidence of scoring a hattrick in the polls with a comfortable majority. “I am totally confident that BJP will win the polls with a distinct margin and I am saying this not be-
cause of surveys, but because of the love and affection being showered on the BJP on the basis of its work in the last 10 years,” Chouhan said in an interview, in between hopping from one rally to another in his helicopter. Referring to poll surveys that have predicted a clear victory for the BJP, Chouhan said, “I don’t want to talk about the number of seats, but with the kind of support that is visible on the ground, I am sure that the BJP will come back to power with a huge majority.” In 2008, the BJP had won 143 Assembly seats out of 230 in the state. Criticising Congress for hitting him below the belt as the high decibel campaign featuring star campaigners reached its crescendo, Chouhan said Congress leaders are afraid of him. They know that unless they do not target him on a personal level or damage his reputation, they won’t be able to come back to power.
“Therefore, they stoop to the level of below standard politics...I regret that Congress has lowered its standard to such a level,” he remarked. Chouhan and his wife Sadhna Singh recently sent a defamation notice to Congress President Sonia Gandhi and party state unit chief, demanding Rs 10 crore in damages, over an advertisement issued by Congress targeting his family. When asked about Congress’ demand for a public debate on developmental issues as it considered all claims made by the BJP on the issue as “hollow”, Chouhan hit back by citing an example from a Union Ministry website.“The Congress leaders must see what the Union Energy Ministry’s website is showing about the power situation in Madhya Pradesh and that would clear the entire situation on the matter,” he said, adding that their (Centre) own figuresstated that the power situation in the state is much better than other states of the country.“Besides, why they (Centre) keep on awarding Madhya Pradesh for its good performance in the last few years. For agriculture they have give us ‘Krishi-Karman’ award.
Howrah: Former West Bengal chief minister Jyoti Basu’s statute vandalised
Howrah: A statue of former West Bengal Chief Minister Jyoti Basu was found vandalised in Howrah district. Locals in Salkia noticed this yesterday morning and as the news spread local CPI(M) leaders lodged a police complaint against unknown miscreants for damaging the statue. Another Communist leader Pulak Banerjee’s statue which also stood next to Basu’s was also vandalised. CPI(M) district committee secretary Biplab Majumdar termed it as political vandalism to bring disrepute to their party leadership ahead of Howrah civic polls.
PM for upgrading capabilities of armed forces Agencies: New Delhi: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Friday pressed the urgent need for putting in place “the right structures” for higher defence management and the appropriate civil-military balance in decision-making to meet “complex security” challenges facing the nation. Addressing top commanders of Army, Air Force and Navy here, he cited the situation in the immediate neighbourhood and uncertainty due to the shift of eco-military balance to this region as the challenges posed to the country. Also Read: Prime Minister addresses Combined Commanders’ Conference: Full speech In his address, he underlined the need for
Sexual assault case: Goa Police file FIR against Tarun Tejpal Agencies NEW DELHI/PANAJI: Goa Police on Friday filed an FIR against Tehelka editor Tarun Tejpal, who has been accused by a woman colleague of sexual assault during an event in Goa about 10 days ago. Deputy inspector general of police O P Mishra said the FIR has been filed while DGP Kishan Kumar said the crime branch could send a team of officials to Delhi for further investigation. “We will go through all the details. We will press rape charges against him, if the complaint of the girl is substantiated,” Mishra said. The alleged incident happened in a lift in a five-star hotel in Goa about 10 days ago. The DIG said the CCTV footage was received from the hotel on Thursday evening and was preserved. The details of the incident can only be known after examining the footage, he said. Police have already written to the Tehelka management, asking for the documents including email of the victim and the statement by Tejpal. The Union home ministry on Friday asked for a report from the Goa government in the alleged sexual assault case. Earlier in the day, Tehelka managing editor Shoma Chaudhary’s said that she acted only
Amar Singh, three BJP MPs discharged in cash-for-vote case
Dhavan instantly gave the undertaking to the court that the state would withdraw the ‘faulty’ notification and issue it afresh as soon as possible, extending the relocation grant of Rs 5 lakh to riot victims without discrimination. Moments after the state government wriggled out of an embarrassing accusation of offering relief benefits to one community, the court issued notice on a writ petition filed by one Ravindra Kumar of Malikpur Majra Kawal village in Muzaffarngar district, who alleged the police investigation into the riots was biased. Ravindra Kumar’s son and nephew were murdered on August 27, an incident which triggered the riots. His counsel, senior advocate Pinky Anand, claimed the ruling party in UP “tried to unduly influence” police when they arrested the accused. When the police officials refused to oblige the political bosses, they were transferred out of the district on the same day, she alleged. The petitioner also alleged that the investigating officer had drafted an affidavit on the murder case and asked him to file his affidavit on the same lines. Anand said this was nothing but trying to tutor the complainant in a serious case to follow the line dictated by the police.
Agencies
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in the interest of the victim and overruled Tarun Tejpal’s version of events in the alleged sexual assault case.Shoma Chaudhury was speaking to reporters in Delhi on Friday.“When I confronted Tarun Tejpal about the said incident, he narrated a very different version. But I demanded an apology from Tejpal,” Shoma Chaudhury said.
Chaudhury also added that it was decided that Tarun Tejpal would step down as editor-inchief of Tehelka. Chaudhury insisted that the victim was satisfied with the action taken by her. “I have taken every action to honour my colleague’s sense of injury,” Shoma Chaudhary said.
upgrading the capabilities of the armed forces for which he favoured involvement of the private sector. The Prime Minister also appeared to be on an exercise to control damage caused by the tussle between the then Army Chief Gen V K Singh and the government last year as he asserted “clearly and unequivocally” that the political leadership of India has the highest faith in its military and its institutional rectitude within the democratic framework. “In the weeks and months ahead, our security challenges will remain complex but our resolve too must remain steadfast. I am confident that our armed forces will discharge their collective responsibility towards flag and country with the zeal and passion that has become their byword,” he said.
The Prime Minister said there is “urgent and tangible progress in establishing the right structures for higher defence management and the appropriate civil-military balance in decision making that our complex security demands. “I encourage you to give this the highest professional consideration, harmonise existing differences among the individual services and evolve a blue-print for the future. I can assure you of the most careful consideration of your recommendations by the political leadership,” he said. Referring to the global environment, Singh said shifting of economic pendulum inexorably from west to east was being exemplified by the increasing contestation in the seas to our east and the related “pivot” or “rebalancing” by the US in the area.
Congress will face defeat like the Kauravas:
Vasundhara Raje on Rajasthan assembly election Agencies BJP’s chief ministerial candidate Vasundhara Raje today said the Congress would face defeat like the Kauravas of the epic Mahabrarata in the ensuing electoral battle in Rajasthan. “The Congress is the army of Kauravas and the Pandavas (BJP) are ready to root them out,” Raje said addressing a rally at Mangrole in Baran district. The state BJP president today addressed four rallies -- at Mangrole, Sameraniya (Kishangang), Atru and Chabra -- in the district ahead of the December 1 Assembly polls. Addressing the rally in Mangrole, Raje appealed to the people to vote in favour of her party to end the corrupt rule of Congress in the state. Slamming the Congress for its anti-farmer policies, the BJP leader said, “By allowing the sale of fertilisers at a higher price, the ruling Congress has exploited the farmers.” Raje also alleged that the local Congress MLA had got into a secret agreement with insurance companies to deny the farmers of enough compensation for crop looses due to recent rains. “The farmers of the region suffered 70 per cent damage to their crops due to heavy rains, but the insurance companies pegged the losses at 30 per cent,” she said, adding that even
the miscalculated amount of compensation has not reached the farmers so far. During her 20-minute speech at Chabra, Raje tried to woo the Gujjar community by promising reservation and youth voters by
promising 15 lakh jobs. She said the manifesto of the Congress was “a bundle of lies” and alleged that the Ashok Gehlot-led government has failed to implement its promises made in previous manifesto. Raje also promised to remove the compulsory Teachers Eligibility Test for recruitment to the post of teachers in government schools.
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ZABARWAN TIMES
SATURDAY NOVEMBER | 23| 2013
Gayle’s absence a big setback for us: Bravo
Ronaldo not ‘obsessed’ with Ballon d’Or Agencies
Agencies With their star batsman Chris Gayle ruled out of the ongoing ODI series against India after sustaining a hamstring tear on his left leg, West Indies skipper Dwayne Bravo said it was the “worst” thing to have happened to them on the current tour. As Gayle made a desperate dive to save himself from a run out chance in the first ODI in Kochi on Thursday, he suffered an injury and had to be carried out of the ground in a stretcher. He was subsequently ruled out of the remainder of the three-match ODI series. “Losing Chris (Gayle) is the worst to happen to us on the tour. He is our best player. He is no longer available for the series and that is a big blow for us. Psychologically, also it is not good for us. Before we landed in India, we lost Kieron Pollard and now we lost Chris and they are two of our best players,” Bravo said at the postmatch press conference. Virat Kohli (84) and Rohit Sharma (72) hit sparkling half-centuries after spin duo of Ravindra Jadeja (3/37) and Suresh Raina (3/34) shone with the ball to thrash the visitors by six wickets at the Nehru Stadium. Asked to bowl, spin duo of Jadeja
and Raina exploited the low and slow conditions effectively to bundle out West Indies for a meagre 211 in 48.5 overs, and Bravo admitted that the score was not good enough to
defend. “The pitch is the same for both the teams. I think we lost the momentum. The India bowlers are good and they have applied themselves
Boycott slams England for ‘giving away’ first Ashes Test Agencies LONDON: England have “given the first Test away” after a shambolic first innings collapse against Australia in Brisbane on Friday, according to former opening batsman Geoffrey Boycott. After delighting in Stuart Broad’s superb bowling performance which gave England the upper hand on the first day of the Ashes series on Thursday, England fans woke up on Friday to discover they had been bowled out for 136. A mid-afternoon collapse, in which England lost six wickets for nine runs, allowed Australia to seize control, moving 224 runs ahead
with all their second innings wickets intact. “It’s been decent bowling by Australia, but the batting has been pathetic,” Boycott, commentating for BBC radio, said of
the day’s play at the Gabba, which begun with Australia’s first innings being wrapped up for 285. “They’ve played some poor shots. The problem is
we’ve seen it all before. It’s very sad to see them almost give away the Test match like this. “It will take a dramatic performance to bowl Australia out and then produce a batting display with no mistakes. They’ve just about gifted the match to Australia.” Boycott also accused England’s batsmen of playing Australian off-spinner Nathan Lyon as if he were bowling down “hand grenades” after he took two wickets. England spinner Graeme Swann summed up the mood in the camp when he said on Twitter “On a scale of one to ten that day at the Gabba was a minus six #howler”.
well. 211 was not a good enough total for a team to win an ODI. Our batters did not perform to our expectations. We have to work on our batting,” the West Indies skipper said.
NEW DELHI: It’s not even a week since Sachin Tendulkar called time on his international career but the one thing that the Little Master will not miss is getting up for training every day! Contrary to popular belief, Tendulkar revealed that he “always found it difficult to train”. “I believed I could just pick up the bat and I should not worry about running laps and all that. I didn’t really enjoy doing all those things but I knew that without all those things there was no survival. I had to do it so (I would) just run for the heck of it,” Tendulkar told a TV channel. The maestro said that running between the 22 yards during an innings was enough exercise for him.
“I always thought that, you know, if I’m running then I should be scoring runs. If I’m not scoring runs then what’s the point of running? So I
thought playing different sports was the best form of training because I like playing tennis, I like playing badminton. I like playing table tennis, a bit of
Agencies Nov 09
Agencies A 33-year-old Australian has been charged with animal cruelty after allegedly smuggling a live pig into the venue of the first Ashes cricket Test, police said Friday. Police would not speculate on whether the pig was destined for release onto the playing field. The Sydney Morning Herald suggested that ‘Ash’ was destined to run onto the Gabba field. There is speculation as to whether Ash had Stuart Broad’s name written on it. Security guards spotted the animal wrapped in a towel and transported in a baby harness during the first day’s
play between England and Australia on Thursday. The Australian Associated Press reported that the pig’s snout was taped shut so it couldn’t squeal. The RSPCA animal charity was handed custody of the distressed pig, called Ash and weighing 10-12 kilograms (22-26 pounds). “There were thoughts it might not survive the night,” RSPCA spokesman Michael Beatty said. “It was really stressed out and dehydrated when it came in last night. It’s just lying in a corner and not moving.The RSPCA animal charity was handed custody of the distressed pig, called Ash and weighing 10-12 kilograms
(22-26 pounds). “There were thoughts it might not survive the night,” RSPCA spokesman Michael Beatty said. “It was really stressed out and dehydrated when it came in last night. It’s just lying in a corner and not moving. “It is not a happy pig at all.” ‘Ash’ is believed to be a four-five month old domestic brown dwarf pig. The incident comes three decades after a pig was famously smuggled in and freed with the names Botham and Eddie painted on its sides. English all-rounder Ian Botham and off-spin bowler Eddie Hemmings were the scourge of Australian cricket in the summer of 1982-83.
record but still there is a long way
India’s vice-captain Virat Kohli on Friday reached a rare milestone when he became the joint fastest batsman along with Viv Richards to reach the 5000-run mark in ODI cricket but the flamboyant right-hander said it was just the beginning and he still has a long way to go. Even though he is delighted to share the feat with Richards, Kohli said he never goes on to bat thinking about records. “I was told in Bangalore during the last ODI (about the record) but I did not really remember it because I do not approach a game thinking about records. I said to myself that if you bat well, along the way these milestones are bound to happen,” he said at the post match press conference after India defeated West Indies by six wickets in the first ODI of the three-match series here.“To equal a feat with a player like him (Richards) is a very good feeling but it does not stop here because it is more or less the beginning. It is nice to equal his
to go,” a confident Kohli said.Kohli smashed a classy 84 and along with Rohit Sharma (72) shared 133 runs for the second wicket to set the platform for the win.Kohli said the wicket was not easy to bat but it became better
as the match progressed.“There was
variable bounce on the wicket in the first innings. Compared to that, it was better in the second innings. But the wicket was slow and the ball was turning. It was a flat batting wicket and was on the slower side,” he said.
lon d’Or. We will see what happens.” However, worryingly for Madrid’s rivals, Ronaldo insisted he is focusing on continuing to improve his staggering return of 225 goals in 216 games since joining the club over four years ago. “In my head I always think I can improve. My ambition is always to be better. Perhaps you reach a level that is hard to beat, but I always think I can improve in everything. “The best thing is that, right now, I am better prepared and you could say that I am in one of the best moments of my career. I have demonstrated a very high and good level and I hope to maintain that for the rest of my career.” And, having recently signed a new deal with the Spanish giants tying him to the club until 2018, the 28-year-old reiterated his desire to retire as a Madrid player.
India-Pakistan series possible in 2014: Srinivasan N Srinivasan, president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), has told Pakistan cricket chief Najam Sethi during the Asian Cricket Council meeting that he will consider an India-Pakistan series after general elections India in 2014. The Pakistan Cricket Board chairman says there might be a series against India late next year after he met with the top official of the Indian cricket board in Hong Kong. Sethi says there’s no written agreement between the two boards on when and where a series might be played.If a series is planned, India will likely be the host as no foreign team has toured Pakistan since 2009 due to security fears.
Ecclestone says Horner could succeed him: Media Agencies Nov 09
football. You know, all those things and while doing that, if I’m running I don’t mind,” the champions batsman added. Tendulkar has been overwhelmed by the support and love of the fans during his farewell series against the West Indies. But for the ‘god’ of Indian cricket, it has been difficult to live up to fans’ expectations. “It’s difficult to live up to people’s expectations. There comes a time that you have to figure out what is it that I am capable of, what is it that I want for myself... my dream was to win the World Cup for India. We came very close to winning in 2003, we lost in the finals. I thought there was another chance for us in 1996 when we lost in the semis. And finally in Mumbai, the World Cup was actually in my hands and that is what I wanted.
1st Ashes Test: Aussie spectator charged over pig incident
Blatter made recently about his demeanour on the field. “I don’t think a lot about the Ballon d’Or. I know that it is handed out in January, but I cannot say that I will not go,” he told Spanish radio station COPE. “I prefer to not say anything because things don’t depend solely on me. I am not obsessed with the Bal-
It feels good to equal Richards’ feat: Virat Kohli
Sachin Tendulkar: I always found it hard to train Agencies
MADRID: Cristiano Ronaldo has insisted he is not obsessed with winning the Ballon d’Or for a second time in January despite a series of scintillating performances that have made him the strong favourite to win the award. Ronaldo scored his fifth hat-trick of the season for club and country against Sweden in midweek to ensure Portugal will travel to next year’s World Cup in Brazil and take his tally for the campaign to 31 goals in just 21 appearances.FIFA’s decision to extend the date for votes to be cast for the award from November 15 to November 29 is also expected to weigh heavily in Ronaldo’s favour with Barcelona’s Lionel Messi, winner of the award for the past four years, sidelined until the end of the year with a hamstring injury.
And the former Manchester United man, who was previously crowned World Player of the Year in 2008, refused to confirm rumours that he was considering not even attending the awards ceremony after reacting angrily to comments FIFA president Sepp
LONDON: Formula One chief executive Bernie Ecclestone has named Red Bull team boss Christian Horner as the ideal candidate to succeed him when he finally relinquishes his grip on the sport, British media reported on Friday. Ecclestone, who has built Formula One into a global money spinner over the past four decades, has always shunned talk of retirement but is now 83 and is facing legal challenges relating to a 2005 business deal. “Christian would be ideal,” Ecclestone told reporters at the Brazilian Grand Prix in Sao Paulo. “I would be happy to hold his hand. We could have a transitional period. It needs someone who knows the sport.”Horner, 40,
is a Briton like Ecclestone. His Red Bull team and their driver Sebastian Vettel have dominated Formula One for the past four seasons. Settling the issue of a successor to Ecclestone would make it easier to float the business on the stock exchange, an ultimate aim for private equity firm CVC, the largest shareholder in Formula One.Ecclestone said he would not favour handing over the role to someone from outside Formula One. “If someone comes in from outside, a corporate type, I don’t think I could work with them. It wouldn’t last
five minutes,” he added. CVC said this week it would sack Ecclestone if he was found guilty of wrong-
doing in his dealings with a jailed German banker. Ecclestone is facing a damages claim in the London high court over allegations he undervalued the
business in 2005 when CVC became the controlling shareholder after buying out banks including BayernLB. A German court will decide next week whether to put Ecclestone on trial for corruption over a payment he made to German banker Gerhard Gribkowsky, former chief risk officer at BayernLB, who was jailed last year. E c c l e s to n e , who denies wrongdoing, says that he was the victim of coercion by Gribkowsky, saying the German was threatening to make false claims about his tax affairs.
The five stars who won’t be playing in Brazil Agencies They are some of the biggest names in football but they won’t be playing at the World Cup next year. Here is a look at five players whose absence will make the tournament in Brazil a poorer spectacle. Zlatan Ibrahimovic: There is no point watching the World Cup because Ibrahimovic won’t be playing in it at least that’s what he says. While the striker has always been his own biggest fan, he does have a point that the tournament will not be as exciting without him. The 32-year-old is in the best form of his career and has shown his full repertoire of spectacular goals: Martial arts-style volleys, overhead kicks from 30 metres out, dipping shots from all angles. In the last calendar year, he has 47 goals for Paris Saint-Germain and Sweden including four hat-tricks. He has also set many up with his clever flicks. Gareth Bale: The Wales winger will be hoping he doesn’t follow in the footsteps of his illustri-
ous countryman Ryan Giggs who won everything with Manchester United but never played in a World Cup. The 24-year-old Bale is starting to find his best form with Real Madrid following his world-record €100 million transfer from Tot-
tenham this summer. Last season, he scored 21 league goals for Spurs, and his combination of power, searing pace, and an incredibly hard shot make him a nightmare to defend against. Defenders in Brazil will be thankful that they won’t have to deal with him. Robert Lewandowski: The Borussia Dortmund striker burst onto the scene in last season’s Champions League when he outshone Cristiano Ronaldo to score four goals against Real Madrid in the semifinals. The 25-year-old Pole has 63 goals in 110 Bundesliga appearances for Dortmund and is widely recognised as one of the best forwards in Europe. But he is crying out for a chance to showcase his strength, close control and a poacher’s instinct on the international stage.