Zabarwan Times E-paper English 24 August

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August 24 | 2013 | 16 Shawal 1434 AH | PAGES 12 |

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Srinagar, August 23: One person died and three others were injured in different road accidents in Valley. A Scooter bearing registration number JK01M/6222 skidded off the road near Royal Spring Golf Course, Srinagar, in the jurisdiction of police station Nishat, resulting in injuries to the scooterist Aabid Ahmad son of Nazir Ahmad Ganie resident of Sogam Lolab and a pillion Zahoor Ahmad Ganie. Both the injured were shifted to SKIMS Soura for treatment where scooterist Aabid Ahmad Ganie succumbed to his injuries. A case has been registered in this regard. Meanwhile an Alto car bearing registration number JK18/1601 hit and injured a pedestrian Ghulam Rasool Shah son of Ghulam Mohammad resident of Doonipawa, at Anantnag, in the jurisdiction of police station Anantnag. The injured has been shifted to District Hospital Anantnag for treatment. A case has been registered in this regard. In another accident, a Tavera vehicle bearing registration number JK01T/4841 hit and injured a pedestrian Ali Mohammad Bhat son of Ghulam Nabi Bhat resident of Nowgam Kokernag at Lal Chowk, Anantnag. The injured has been shifted to SKIMS Soura for treatment. A case has been registered in this regard.

Body of missing girl recovered Srinagar, August 23: Srinagar police recovered the body of 14 years old girl Iqra Bashir daughter of Bashir Ahmed Hazari resident of Barthana, Qamarwari from river Jehlum near Parimpora, Srinagar. The girl was missing since 20.08.2013. Srinagar police has initiated an inquest proceedings under section 174 CrPC in this regard. The body was handed over to her relatives after the completion of all medico-legal formalities.

Laborer dies in Anantnag Srinagar, August 23: A 60 years old labourer Abdul Rashid Wani, son of Ghulam Hassan resident of Agnoo was brought to Dooru Hospital in suspicious conditions for treatment, where doctors declared him brought dead. Dooru police has started an inquest proceedings under section 174 CrPC to ascertain the cause of the death. The body was handed over to his relatives after the completion of all medico-legal formalities.

J&K Bank gets best bank award Srinagar, August 23: J&K Bank has been felicitated as a top bank in India at the Dun & Bradstreet- Polaris Financial Technology Awards 2013. The Bank was selected as the Best Private Sector Bank under the category ‘Rural Reach’ for See Bank on Pg. 11

WEATHER

FORECAST FOR NEXT 24 HRS:

Weather will be mainly dry over Kashmir and Ladakh region.

FORECAST OF SRINAGAR:

Mainly clear sky. Maximum & Minimum temperatures will be around 31°C & 18°C respectively.

TEMPERATURE MAXIMUM 31.4 0C MINIMUM 17.7 0C SUNSET ON(SATURDAY) 07:09 pm SUNRISE ON (SUNDAY) 06:01 am

tice

Largely Circulated, No. 1 Bilingual Daily of J&K

Get heart smart with almonds

Neither Modi nor Rahul fit to become PM

1 dies, 3 injured in road mishaps

VOL NO: 3 | ISSUE NO: 208 | RS: 2/- (AIR SURCHARGE FOR JAMMU /DELHI/LEH 50 PAISA)

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Wars, ceasefire violations not to change ground situation: Omar Calls for thaw in Indo-Pak ties

Poonch, August 23: Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah Friday described violation of ceasefire on LOC inimical to confidence building between the two neighbours. He highlighted the need for restoring calm on borders helping peace to root. He said ceasefire violations have done no good in the past and will change nothing now. “We have witnessed tension and violation of ceasefire and constant shelling on borders. India and Pakistan have fought three and half wars, Jammu and Kashmir witnessed 25 years of violence and disturbance

but nothing changed on ground”, he elaborated and said that when both India and Pakistan are recognizing the fact that friends can be changed but not neighbours then there is need to create necessary thaw in their relations and live as good neighbours. Referring to the demand made to him by the people living on LOC to help stop shelling on the Line of Control, the Chief Minister assured them that he would place their request at the right forum adding that any decision in this regard is not within the capacity

of the State Government. The Chief Minister was speaking to gatherings of people on his second day visit to flood-hit areas in Jammu Division today, visited to the areas of Treu in Kalakote, Kalnai in Mandi, Bella in Surankote and various other areas in Poonch and Rajouri districts and spoke to people to get first hand appraisal of damages caused by floods. The Chief Minister said that besides facing the brunt of tension and shelling on LOC, the people in various areas have to face the natural calam-

Apex Body constituted for framing new Education Policy: Dy. CM Srinagar, August 23: Deputy Chief Minister, Mr. Tara Chand, Friday said that the government has constituted an apex body namely Education Advisory Board comprising prominent educationists representing all the three regions of the State for making recommendations for framing a suitable education policy for the State. Mr. Tara Chand revealed this while chairing a review meeting which was convened here to take stock of the overall

functioning of the Department and pace of progress of RMSA and

Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan schemes. The Deputy Chief Minister directed for launching

special enrollment drive for dropouts to bring them back to schools, adding that the concerned Zonal Education Officers should conduct necessary awareness campaign for motivating the parents to enroll their wards. He said that parent-teacher meetings should be convened once in a month without fail and about ten minutes lecture on moral education in morning assembly should be delivered in all the educational institutions so that the See Dy. CM on Pg. 11

ity in the shape of floods and incessant rains. He said that Government would take all necessary measures for providing relief to the flood-hit families. He said, he is taking stock of the situation at a high level meeting in Srinagar today to work out relief and See Omar on Pg. 11

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Inaugurates Senior National Rugby Championship

Pakistan seeks resumption of dialogue with India Islamabad, August 23: Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry says the Islamabad seeks a resumption of dialogue with India to discuss the worsening relations. In a recent emergency session in Islamabad, Pakistan’s civil and military leadership discussed the relations with India, and decided to use all military and diplomatic channels to prevent ceasefire violations at LoC in Jammu and

Kashmir. “Responding provocations by provocations does not serve the interests of peace. However, at the same time, the people of Pakistan, the leadership of Pakistan, the institutions of Pakistan are quite capable of defending their territory and their interests,” said spokesperson for the Pakistani Foreign Ministry, Aizaz Ahmed Chaudhry. Pakistan Prime Minister

Nawaz Sharif has recently called for a new beginning with India, saying that it is vital for India and Pakistan to mend their relations and become good friends after the recent jump in violence. The statements come as the situation remains tense at LoC. The two sides have repeatedly accused each other of violating a ten-year-old ceasefire. On August 17, Pakistan See Dialogue on Pg. 11

House collapse in Tral NHRC admits petition-seeking Mother and daughter die on spot

probe into Gool killings

Srinagar, August 23:

Kar Irshad, Agencies Tral, August 23: In an unfortunate incident, a

mother and her daughter lost their lives when their house collapsed during See Tral on Pg. 11

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has admitted a petition on Gool firing incident in which at least four people were killed and 44 others injured in BSF firing. The petition seeking an independent investigation in the incident to book the culprits and compensate the injured persons and the family of those killed was filed immediately after the incident on July 18. The petition requests

NHRC to direct the Jammu and Kashmir government to put an end to the civilian killings and imposition of frequent curfews after such incidents. NHRC has admitted the petition on August 12 under Case File Number 296/9/0/2013-pf to consider it for investigation. It has been filed by a Social Activist Inam-un-Nabi and Khair-un-Nisa, Project Officer at a Kashmir-based legal aid NGO, Human Rights Law Network See NHRC on Pg. 11

Now NIELIT (Formerly DOEACC) at the Highest inhabitant Plateau – Leh

Hizb militants killed 5 Dal dwellers soldiers on LOC in Poonch yet to be rehabilitated sector: Salahuddin Srinagar, August 23: At a time when tension has engrossed up between India and Pakistan over the killing of five Indian soldiers in Poonch sector, United Jihad Council chairman and Hizbul Mujahedeen Supremo, Syed Salahuddin Saturday claimed that their cadres were involved in the killings on Line of Control (LOC). In a telephonic interview with KNS he said, “If India blames Pakistan Army for the killing of five soldiers in

Poonch sector, let me clear them that Hizubul Mujaheden’s Sarhadi (border) squad killed them under a specific strategy.” “After the launch of a peaceful protest movement by the Kashmirs in 2008, militants had shifted their activities to the border areas and have intensified their attacks along LOC. Neither Pakistan nor India can stop militant activities along LOC,” he said. The UJC chief claimed that from Keeran to See Hizb on Pg. 11

Srinagar, August 23:

Lakes and Waterways Development Authority (LAWDA) has reportedly halted the rehabilitation and resettlement process for Dal dwellers, although the Government had declared that these Dal dwellers would be rehabilitated on fast track basis. The Dal dwellers told CNS that Deputy Chief Minister Tara Chand had said that a total package of Rs 356 crores has been approved by the central cabinet to rehabilitate and resettle the Dal dwellers in the state. See Dal Dwellers on Pg. 11

Omar receives brief on Hajj-2013 arrangements Directs for hassle-free pilgrimage Srinagar, August 23: Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah Friday received brief on the arrangements put in place by various agencies for smooth conduct of Hajj-2013 from the State. He directed for ensuring all facilities to the

Aazmeen-e-Hajj to make their stay, and travel from and to the State hassle-free and comfortable. The Chief Minister expressed gratitude to the Union Government for operating direct Hajj flights from Srinagar to Madina Munawara this year again and added that it has relieved the Aazmeen-e-Hajj from various difficulties and hassles. The Chief Minister was chairing a high level

meeting to take stock of arrangements put in place by the State Hajj Committee and various State and Central Departments for the conduct of Hajj-2013 from the State. Minister for Hajj and Auqaf, Peerzada Mohammad Sayed, Members of the Hajj Committee, various Administrative Secretaries, Heads of the Departments and senior officers participated in See Hajj on Pg. 11

National Institute of Electronics & Information Technology – NIELIT Srinagar/Jammu (formerly DOEACC) is to Setup its Sub-Centre of NIELIT Srinagar at Leh, Ladakh. The Centre will be funded by DeitY, Govt. of India. In this regard, an agreement was signed today i.e., 22-08-2013 at Leh between Dr. Ashwini Kumar, Managing Director NIELIT & Sh. Mohd. Shafi Lassu, Executive Councilor, Ladakh Hill Development Council Leh. The meeting was chaired by Sh. Mohd. Shafi Lassu, Executive Councillor Higher Education, LAHDC Leh. On this occasion MD NIELIT briefed about the activities of NIELIT at the National level with regard to Capacity Building & Skill Development in IECT. Sh. A.H.Moon, Director NIELIT Srinagar/Jammu gave a PowerPoint presentation on the activities of NIELIT J&K and objectives of the proposed facilities to be developed at Leh. The meeting was also attended by Mr. Murup, Addl. Deputy Commissioner Leh, Mr. Zamiyang, Technical Director NIC, Principals of Govt. Polytechnic & ITI and representative of District Social Welfare Officer Leh. The members were informed that the NIELIT sub Centre Leh shall commence its activities form 2nd October 2013. It will take up capacity building and Skill Development of Govt. employees, Defense personnel’s, general students, professionals, house wives so as to bring in IT literacy in this region. The training programs have been designed to achieve the target of at least one IT literate person per family in a span of 5 years in line with the policy of Govt. of India.

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11 From Front Page........

Daily

Saturday, 24 August 2013

Omar..........

rehabilitation programme for the families affected by recent floods. The Chief Minister was accompanied by Minister for PHE and Flood Control, Sham Lal Sharma and Minister of State for Revenue, Ajaz Ahmad Khan. The Legislators Ajaz Jan, Shahnaz Ganai, Javaid Rana, former Chairman Kissan Board, Mushtaq Ahmad Bukhari were also present in their constituencies and apprised the Chief Minister of the damage caused by floods in their areas.

Dialogue..........

accused India of firing on border posts and the neighboring Punjab province, killing a civilian with unprovoked firing. Meanwhile, New Delhi accused the Pakistani army of involvement in a deadly overnight ambush at LoC that killed five soldiers in early August. The Pakistani premier and his Indian counterpart Manmohan Singh are due to meet in September on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York.

NHRC........

(HRLN). Earlier, NHRC had taken a suo moto cognizance of the incident asking the Union Home Secretary and the Director General of Police, Jammu and Kashmir, to file the report within four weeks. The commission had observed that the reports of incident, if true, were a “serious case of human rights violation”. On July 18, four people were killed and 44 others injured when BSF fired on people in Gool, Ramban, who were protesting over highhandedness by the border guards. Soon after the incident, various religious, separatists, traders groups and bar association had called for shutdown against the killing. The authorities had imposed curfew in different parts of Kashmir and Jammu. “Though the Union Home Ministry has ordered a probe in the incident but a partial sense prevails among the civilian population due to repeated incidents of the civilian killings and failure of different official probes in them. So this complaint is forwarded for conducting an Independent and Impartial investigation of the instant civilian killings and to recommend exemplary punishment of the culprits/perpetrators of the said civilian killing incident,” reads the petition.

Tral...........

wee hours in South Kashmir’s Zarihad area of Tral town. Four members of the family were also injured in the incident. Reports said that the house of Mohammad Yousf Gojar son of Mohammad Sani collapsed during wee hours of Friday as the incessant rains had damaged the upper portion of the dilapidated house. Eyewitnesses told CNS that during the time of collapse six members of the family were present in the house. Four were injured while two were killed on spot. The deceased were identified as 38-year-old Zarina Banoo and her daughter Bilquees Ara. Police sources said that four members of the family who were injured in the incident were shifted to Sub District Hospital Tral. They have been identified as Mohammad Yousf Gojar (42) zamrooda Banoo (13),Shakela Banoo (8) and Ashiq Ahmed (11). District administration officials headed by Naib Tehsildar Tral Mohammad Youns Bangroo visted the spot and took stock of the situation. The officials later on visited the hospital and enquired about the condition of the injured people.

Dy CM.........

new generation becomes strong morally and academically. He said Government will evolve more innovative measures to improve the education set up in the State, keeping into mind the latest trends to keep pace with the contemporary world. Reviewing school mapping assignment entrusted to Environment and Remote Sensing Department to find out the gaps, the Deputy Chief Minister said that the objective of school mapping is to provide schooling facility in unserved habitations of the State. The meeting was informed that manual school mapping is under process at district level and will be completed shortly. In order to boost the morale of teaching faculty and other categories of employees in the Department, the Deputy Chief Minister said that more than 9000 promotions were ordered in past few months. He said this was the biggest lot of promotion of employees, adding that the Government expects better results from the teachers now. Children with special needs at secondary level will be covered under Inclusive Education for Disabled students at secondary stage. He said as many as 1464 High and Higher Secondary Schools will be provided Ramps through School Management and Develo pment Committees. He said a Fee Structure Committee under the Chairmanship of High Court Judge (Retd.) Justice Bilal Nazki has been constituted for fixing fee structure of Private Schools. The Committee has started working on the task assigned to it. He said District Development Commissioners have been designated as Chairmen District Level Implementation Committees for SSA, RMSA, and while as Additional District Development Commissioners have been assigned the job of monitoring the flagship programmes including Mid-Day Meals Schemes. The Deputy Chief Minister said that the J&K School Education Act is being amended to bring it at par with the Right to Education Act (2009). The meeting was informed that 8824 teaching and non-teaching posts have been identified and referred to recruiting agencies for selection of suitable candidates on fast track basis for which State Selection Recruitment Board is holding written test on 13th and 14th September this year. It was stated that the Department of Education ordered promotions of various categories which include 6 Joint Directors, 33 CEOs, 85 ZEOs, 1807 Lecturers, 482 Headmasters and 6651 Masters. The Department has referred the resultant vacancies of 581 Lecturers, 7995 Teachers and 829 Nonteaching posts.

Hizb..........

Karnah and till Ramban sector our mujahideen are busy in fighting with Indian troops. “Sometimes our muajihdeen achieve martyrdom sometimes Indian troopers are killed.” Taking a dig at the Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, the UJC chief said, “Omar Abdullah shed crocodile tears on August 15 for discriminatory attitude of India towards Kashmiris. If his conscience is alive, he should leave power and join freedom movement and prove he is sincere with Kashmiris.” “However, all pro-India parties be it National Conference, Congress, or Peoples Democratic Party are hoodwinking people for their petty interests. These parties are responsible for the situation in which Kashmir has been caught. They are hand-in-glove with Indian agencies. But let me tell you they have to face punishment for it,” he added. The UJC chief claimed that mainstream leaders were agents of New Delhi. “How can you expect from them to do something good for the people in Kashmir when they are puppet in the hands of New Delhi,” he asked. Commenting on the ceasefire violations on the LOC, the Hizb supreme said, “Despite signing ceasefire agreement in 2003 India and Pakistan continue to violate it. These violations took place several times over past few years. In 2011 ceasefire was violated 62 times, in 2012 it was violated 117 times and this year till date 82 times. Until and unless Kashmir issue is not sorted out ceasefire violations and infiltrations will continue to happen,” he asserted. Blaming Congress and Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) for making politics over every issue, he said, “As elections are close in India they are busy in blowing the claims of extremism. The foundation of Indian politics is constructed on the anti Pak emotion. Any party in India which exhibits deep hatred against Pakistan gains huge mileage among the extremists in India,” he said. Castigating India for its ‘pseudo-secularism’ the UJC chairman said, “India which is boasting so much about its secularity has made Narender Modi, who is the killer of hundreds of innocent people, a strong candidate for the Prime Minster.” Commenting on Gool killings he said, “After the desecration of Quran at Gool, protests were quite expected, but Indian forces fired upon peaceful protest and killed innocent people. Insted of punishing the culprits the puppet government aggravated the miseries of people by imposing the curfew and detained scores of youth,” he claimed. “To divert the attention of the people from the Gool incident intelligence agencies instigated sectarian clashes in Budgam district. I am resident of Budgam and one of my friend informed me that it were actually the security forces in civil clothes that started the trouble from both sides. But people exhibited enough wisdom by upholding the communal harmony in the area. I appeal the people to keep the communal brotherhood away from the nefarious designs of various agencies,” he said. The UJC chief said that New Delhi should know that people of Jammu and Kashmir have rejected the ‘occupation of India as they showed it on August 15 by observing it as a black day.’ “Even If India brings all its forces into the state the fact remains that the people will never accept India’s rule,” he claimed. Blaming India for its anti Kashmir polices, he said, “Whenever peaceful public protests gained movement in the valley India with the help of the so called state government sabotaged it by using the force.” On communal clashes in Kishtwar Hizb chief told KNS, “Right from 1947 India has tried to create communal violence with the help of their extremists and Saffron brigade. And this time they did it through the so called VDC members. Instead of punishing the culprits the state government crushed the Muslim community to remain in good books of Indian extremists. Until and unless VDC members are not disarmed there will always remain the threat of communal violence.” “New Delhi and its intelligence agencies are trying to divide the people by inciting communal clashes on the basis of sects and beliefs. UJC condemns their designs, “he said. Expressing serious concern over the plight of Kashmiri detainees in various jails in and outside the state, Salahuddin accused the authorities of providing unhealthy, unhygienic and sub-standard food to the jailed leaders and activists to what he said harm their lives. “They are being deprived of medical aid and other basic amenities in jails.” He termed the repeated slapping of Public Safety Act against Masrat Alam Bhat, Mushtaq-ul-Islam and decision of life-long detention of Dr Qasim Faktoo as atrocious and claimed that people of Kashmir are not safe in India. The Hizb Chief lashed out at international community including United Nations and said, “Neither the international community nor the UNO are sincere towards the Kashmir issue. Both are busy to gaining their points. They talk only when something benefits them. Though human rights violations are on rise in Kashmir they watch only as mute spectators,” he claimed. He alleged that New Delhi was never sincere in dialogue on Kashmir. “History of last six decades is witness to it. India is neither sincere not serious. It has been gaining time and strengthening its military infrastructure in the territory under the cover of talks. Whenever Kashmir is on boil they start beat the drums of talks but as soon as situation gets apparently normal they again start behaving in the same way,” he said. “If Indian and Pakistan do not take Kashmir issue seriously the present generation of Kashmir who has already taken the freedom struggle in their own hands will obviously feel that Jihad as the only way. After the recent gunfight in Tral police itself declared that the militants involved were well educated youth. This should be known that these youth had not come from this side but were trained in Kashmir,” he claimed. (KNS)

Dal Dwellers...........

They said that at least 5000 families were to be rehabilitated by the government and this job for rehabilitation and resettlement was assigned to LAWDA. “LAWDA is delaying the process though the government had assured us that all the families living in

Dal would be rehabilitated on fast track basis,” one of the residents Mohammad Rafi told CNS. He said that some 25 years back, UEED had erected some 2525 number plates each meant for a residential structure. “At least three decades passed now and the population of the Dal increased by manifold. The irony is that the Government has declared that it would only rehabilitate these 2525 families not realizing that a house comprised of one family in 1986 contain two to three families this time,” Rafi said. The Dal dwellers said that from last 25 years only 700 families have been rehabilitated so far while LAWDA is showing no interest in getting all the families rehabilitated. They appealed to Chief Minister Omar Abdullah to look into the matter and relieve dwellers of Dal from all their miseries. When contacted, Vice Chairman LAWDA, Irfan Yasin told CNS that a sophisticated colony is being developed for them at Rakharth in Bemina. “Every facility including roads and electricity has been created for them and what else they want. It is a lengthy process and it takes time,” he said.

Hajj........

the meeting. The meeting was informed that outward Hajj flights from Srinagar embarkation point will operate from 7th September to 23rd September 2013. The corresponding inward flights will operate from 12th October to 15th November 2013. There will be two flights daily with a capacity of 275 pilgrims in each flight. The flights will operate directly from Srinagar to Madina Munawara. A total number of 8,664 pilgrims are proceeding for Hajj this year. The Members of the Hajj Committee, Ghulam Nabi Monga, Ali Mohammad Dar, Moulana Akhzar Hussain, Advocate Abdul Gani Dar, Haji Nisar Ali and Ghulam Mohi-ud-Din Bhat discussed various matters in the meeting relating to the smooth conduct of Hajj2013. Minister for Hajj and Auqaf, Peerzada Mohammad Sayed said that no reduction in the State Government quota has been affected for Jammu and Kashmir despite reduction of 20 to 30 percent seats in respect of other States. He said this has been possible due to the efforts of Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah.

Bank........

the Dun & Bradstreet Banking Awards 2013. S S Sehgal, Bank’s President & Zonal Head received the award on behalf of the bank at a grand ceremony held in Mumbai Thursday evening. The award was jointly presented by Kaushal Sampat, President & CEO Dun & Bradstreet India, M Damodaran, Chairman Excellence Enablers Private Limited, R Gopalan

ZABARWAN TIMES

Former Secy Ministry of Finance and R K Sharma, COO, PC Jeweler. The award recognizes bank’s growth and resilience; its credentials and sound fundamentals. It is the recognition of bank’s longstanding commitment of reaching out to people living in rural regions, hard-to-access locations and backward areas. It is the acknowledgement of Bank’s success in financial inclusion, which is being pursued as a mission. The high profile function was attended by Senior Bankers, Chief Executive Officers of many top Corporate Houses of India, Senior Bureaucrats, prominent journalists and media persons besides many other distinguished Guests. The Awards event is closely tied to the publication, India’s Top Banks. The publication ‘India’s Top Banks 2013’ captures the key trends of the scheduled commercial banks (SCBs), comprising of 26 Public Sector Banks (PSBs), 20 Private Sector Banks and 16 Foreign Banks. Notably, Dun & Bradstreet (D&B) is the world’s leading provider of global business information, knowledge and insight. Dun & Bradstreet (D&B) – Polaris Financial Technology Banking Awards 2013 seek to recognize the growth and resilience of the Indian banking industry.

GGF felicitates Ghulam Nabi Azad Srinagar, August 23: Asking people to remain vigilant against the vicious designs of anti-national elements, the Minister of State for Finance, Planning and Cooperative, Dr Manohar Lal Sharma has said that hostility and fighting is no solution to remove mutual misunderstandings. He said the Gandhian principles of nonviolence have relevance in the present era, adding that there would be no clash in the society once people adopt the principle of non-violence in their life. The Minister was speaking at a function organized by Gandhian Global Family (GGF) to felicitate the Union Health and Family Welfare Minister, Ghulam Nabi Azad, who is also Country President of GGF, on being

declared ‘Most Popular Union Health Minister of the country since Independence of India’. Dr Sharma said that Ghulam Nabi Azad, the son of the soil, not only made us proud but set an example of excellence. “Honesty, hardwork and dedication pays in the long run” said the Minister, adding that Mr Azad proved his diligence at all levels whether it was in running the affairs of the State administration or any other political assignment entrusted to him by the party high command. The Minister said that certain vested interested persons are trying to divide people on religious lines just for their ulterior motives and appealed the participants to stand firm and united against such elements.

Government of Jammu & Kashmir

Directorate of Agriculture, Kashmir Advertisement Notice

Applications are hereby invited from eligible candidates for engagement against the contractual position of one number Accountant cum clerk in each district Viz; Srinagar, Budgam, Anantnag, Pulwama, Kulgam, Shopian, Ganderbal, Baramulla, Bandipora, Kupwara, Leh & Kargil for a period of one year under Centrally Sponsored Scheme “Support to State Extension Programmes for Extension Reforms” (ATMA Scheme). The eligibility and other terms and conditions of engagement are as under:Eligibilities criteria: 1. The candidate should be a permanent resident of J&K State. 2. The candidate must have a qualification of Graduate preferably B.Com with at least 60% Marks in the aggregate. 3. The candidate must have an experience of at least three years in the pay scale of Rs.5200-20200 +2400 or equivalent in a Government/semi Government organization in relevant field. 4. The candidate can apply for engagement only in the district to which he/she belongs as reflected in his/her Permanent Resident Certificate and shall not be eligible to apply in more than one district under the scheme. Terms & Conditions 1. The selected candidate shall have to work on contractual basis and shall not claim any permanent employment on the said post. 2. The selected candidate shall be given a consolidated salary of Rs. 13500/- per month. 3. The period of contract shall be for one year and can be extended depending upon the Performance of the selected candidate and continuation of the scheme. 4. The position is temporary and non transferable. 5. The employment is subjected to availability of funds under the scheme. 6. The Services of the selected candidate can be terminated with one month's notice in advance if work and conduct is not found satisfactory during the employment. 7. The contract shall deemed to have been cancelled / terminated once the scheme is withdrawn by the Government of India or State Government. 8. The selection committee shall have the rights to accept or reject any application without assigning any reasons thereof. 9. The selected candidates shall have to give an undertaking that he/she shall work in the district for which selected. 10. No TA/DA shall be paid to the candidates for appearing in the interview. Application procedure 01. The application on the prescribed format which shall be available with all Chief Agriculture Officers, of this Directorate duly filled in by the candidate along with the attested photocopies of Qualification, Experience and Character Certificates, should be submitted in the Office of the Chairman ATMA Management Committee (Chief Agriculture Officer) of the Concerned district on any working day by or before 05-09-2013 DIPJK: 6382 Sd/-Director Agriculture Kashmir

Issued through: Information and Publications, Department of Agriculture Kashmir Government of Jammu & Kashmir

Directorate of Agriculture, Kashmir Advertisement Notice

Applications are hereby invited from eligible candidates for engagement against the contractual position of two number Subject Matter Specialist (Block level) in each block of each district Viz; Srinagar, Budgam, Anantnag, Pulwama, Kulgam, Shopian, Ganderbal, Baramulla, Bandipora, Kupwara, Leh & Kargil for a period of one year under Centrally Sponsored Scheme "Support to State Extension Programmes for Extension Reforms (ATMA Scheme). The eligibility and other terms and conditions of engagement are as under:Eligibilities criteria: 1. The candidate should be a permanent resident of J&K State. 2. The candidate must have a qualification of Graduate/Post graduate in Agriculture/horticulture/ Economics/Marketing/Veterinary Sciences/Fisheries with at least 60% Marks in the aggregate 3. The candidate with experience of working in a Government/semi Government organization in relevant field shall be preferred. 4. The candidate can apply for engagement only in the district to which he/she belongs as reflected in his/her Permanent Resident Certificate and shall not be eligible to apply in more than one district under the scheme. Terms & Conditions 1. The selected candidate shall have to work on contractual basis and shall not claim any permanent employment on the said post. 2. The selected candidate shall be given a consolidated salary of Rs. 8500/- per month. 3. The period of contract shall be for one year and can be extended depending upon the Performance of the selected candidate and continuation of the scheme. 4. The position is temporary and non transferable. 5. The employment is subject to availability of funds under the scheme. 6. The Services of the selected candidate can be terminated with one month's notice in advance if work and conduct is not found satisfactory during the employment. 7. The contract shall deemed to have been cancelled / terminated once the scheme is withdrawn by the Government of India or State Government. 8. The selection committee shall have the rights to accept or reject any application without assigning any reasons thereof. 9. The selected candidates shall have to give an undertaking that he/she shall work in the block of the district for which selected. 10. NO TA/DA shall be paid to the candidates for appearing in the interview. Application procedure 01. The application on the prescribed format which shall be available with all Chief Agriculture Officers, of this Directorate duly filled in by the candidate along with the attested photocopies of Qualification, Experience and Character Certificates, should be submitted in the Office of the Chairman ATMA Management Committee ( Chief Agriculture Officer) of the Concerned district on any working day by or before 05-09-2013 DIPJK: 6420 Sd/-Director Agriculture Kashmir

Issued through: Information and Publications, Department of Agriculture Kashmir

Owner, Printer, Publisher & Editor-n-Chief: Suhail Malik, RNI No: JKBIL/2011/39764, Email: zabarwantimes@gmail.com Published from: Govt. Quarters (M-13) Magarmal Bagh Srinagar -190001, J&K, Printed at: Sangarmal Offset Press Humhama Sheikhpora Tele/Fax: 2478370 Cell No: 09999964750, 9796787844


NEWS

Daily ZABARWAN TIMES

Srinagar | Saturday

Omar approves Rs. 87.45 crore for flood-hit areas Comprehensive restoration for Bahu Fort on cards

for smooth and fast disbursement of compensation to the affected families. He said the assessment for crop and land losses should be finalized speedily so that affected people get

ity concern. He said the assessment and other details are being assessed and reported by ASI. “Soon the report in this regard is received from ASI a project for comprehensive restoration of

ing floods in Jammu and Kashmir in the month of August. Vinod Koul said that as per the preliminary damage reports, as many as 31 human lives

You may have received some bad news concerning your finances, Taurus. This is probably the best day you could ask for out of the whole month to deal with these problems. If you want to come out of this situation a winner, it may be necessary to approach things from a different angle than usual. Rest assured that things will probably work out just fine. compensation in accordance with the set procedures and as per the provisions of law. In response to the demand projected by the Housing Minister, Raman Bhalla regarding the funds for restoration of Bahu Fort, the Chief Minister said that the restoration of this important heritage place should be flagged as a prior-

the Fort should be mooted for implementation”, he said and underlined this as an important issue. In a PowerPoint presentation the Commissioner Secretary Revenue, Vinod Koul gave full detailed of loss of human lives, public infrastructure and private property in the devastat-

NIPI-UNDP to provide technical support to achieve set targets

‘Virgin tourism spots thrown open for visitors’

is experienced by a tourist while he plans holiday options in Kashmir and ladakh. “All three regions of Kashmir, Ladakh and Jammu offer diverse forms of tourism where we provide all kinds of tourism products in this zone of our country”, he said and added that Kashmir has the distinction of having four distinct seasons and each complimenting the other. Tourism Minister said that Kashmir known as paradise on earth is best suit for tourists to enjoy their holidays. “Our State is round the year destination due

Power shutdown on Aug 25 Jammu, August 23: In order to carry out rectification of hotspots/weak points of the line and preventive maintenance of Grid Station, the power supply to the areas fed from 220/132/33 KV Grid Stations Barn, Jourian, Canal, Ponichak, Akhnoor and Katra besides area of Reasi, Bhalwal, Jagti, Gharota etc shall remain affected on August 25, 2013 from 6 a m to 1 p m.Meanwhile in order to carry out the branch cutting of trees underneath the line corridor of 33 KV Mahanpur-Basohli-Bani line and tightening of its jumpers, the power supply to Mahanpur, Basohli, Plasi, Suman Jandrota, Marth-Nagrota, Bhoond, Mashka, Bandhar, Sundhar, Bani Lowang and their adjoining areas shall remain affected on August 25, 2013 from 8 a m to 2 p m.

Additional District Development Commissioner Udhampur, Mr. Ajay Singh Jamwal today visited various Panchayats of Block Chenani to access the pace and status of development projects being executed by the various agencies. Jamwal during his tour visited Bain, Bast, Katwal, and Gandwal and gave necessary instruction to the officers of the concerned departments to keep proper monitoring and ensure that there is no compromise with the quality of the construction works. He also asked the concerned officers of Rural Development and Works departments to accelerate the tempo of construction works taken in hand so that their completion would be ensured in a stipulated time frame. The ADDC also visited Community Health Center, Chenani being executed by JKPCC to take stock of ongoing construction work of the Health Center besides he inspected various works being executed by the municipal committee.

Jammu, August 23: A two day workshop for preparing RMNCH+A Subplan for high priority districts of Jammu and Kashmir concluded here today. The said workshop was a joint venture of National Rural Health Mission, J&K and Norway India Partnership Initiative (NIPI) and United Nations Development Project (UNDP). It was informed in the workshop that the Government of India has identified six priority districts for providing technical support in making sob plans. This is for the first time that the State gets technical support from UNDP-NIPI for achieving the set goals in maternal and child health indica-

tors.The six priority districts of the state identified under the programme include Leh, Doda, Ramban, Kishtwar, Rajouri and Poonch which will be provided 30 percent extra budget to address the issues of Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child and Adolescent Health (RMNCH +A). Dr Kali Prasad Pappu, Director UNDP-NIPI and his team provided the requisite support during the workshop for preparing sub plans for the said districts in collaboration with the Department of Health and Family Welfare, J&K. The district plans were prepared by the district management units in collaboration with the consultants from UNDP-NIPI and from the State Health Society. Dr Yashpal Sharma, Mission Director, NRHM, J&K informed that these districts will be closely monitored and supervised by the UNDP-NIPI in implementation of various schemes under NRHM.

Governor inaugurates Senior National Rugby Championship

Aadhaar enrolment drive gains momentum in Katra Katra, August 23: The Aadhaar enrolment drive is gaining momentum in district Reasi with Additional Chief Executive Officer, Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board, Katra, Dr. M K Bhandari launching the enrolment drive in Katra today. The programme is being executed under the supervision of District Development Commissioner, Reasi, Dr. Shahid Iqbal Choudhary.“Our enumerators will visit each household and provide a KYR (Know Your Resident) form with the date, time and place of registration”. Residents can submit the biometric data for the NPR. Data collected by the NPR is sent to the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) for de-duplication and issuance of Aadhaar number informed Chaman Lal AD DSEO.This ambitious project of the census department covers people above the age of five.

ple visit for paying obeisance to revered Shri Mata Vaishno Devi and Shiv Khodi shrines round the year. The region has also lot of potential for adventure tourism like paragliding, Rafting and Mountaineering. It is blessed with huge attractive lakes and beautiful collection of various species of migratory birds. Minister told the gathering that, Tourism means the principle of travelling for pleasure and it has come a long way in our state. “Tourism promotion activity is not only to earn revenue.

have been lost in the floods while 22 received injuries. He said more than 5,600 pacca and kachha houses got damaged fully or partially in the floods while crop loss has taken place on 1,738 hectares. He said the total losses have been estimated at about Rs. 140 crores in both the Divisions of the State.

2-day RMNCH+A workshop concludes

G.A. Mir inaugurates TTF at Surat, woos world tourists to Visit J&K

Udhampur, August 23:

Stresses for promotion of this game in J&K

one lakh. He also urged Mr. Hafeez to organize Rugby matches in Leh and Kargil districts next year with a view to pro-

teams.Mr. Hafeez presented a memento to the Governor on this occasion.Mr. Pramod Khanna, President, Indian Rugby

Mr. N. N. Vohra, Governor Jammu and Kashmir, inaugurated the Senior National Rugby 7’s Championship at Bakhshi Stadium here today.Speaking on the occasion, the Governor observed that he was very happy to learn that there are very good Rugby players in Jammu and Kashmir. He hoped that with the organizing of this national level Rugby event at Srinagar this game would become even more popular in the State. To give a boost to the youth who play Rugby, the Governor suggested to Mr. Sarmad Hafeez, President, J&K Rugby Association, to organize Rugby matches of the best boys and girls teams, both at Srinagar and Jammu, and to enable this to be done he announced a support of rupees

Est.Cost (Rs. In Lacs)

May 21-June 21

Today is a relatively calm day that’s sure to please you, Gemini. You may even receive gifts from family and friends as marks of their esteem or love for you. This is just the kind of reassurance you need. Though you have a fairly subtle influence in your relationships with others, it’s nevertheless essential to you to be a good friend.

Cancer June 22-July 22

Everyone knows that nothing can stop you when you’re determined to get something done. As long as other people are on your side today, you will be amazed at all the things you can accomplish. But don’t get too excited, Cancer, because it’s time to take care of those thankless tasks that no one wants to deal with. You may need other people’s help to get them done.

Leo

July 23-August 22 You may be considering taking a trip or planning a party with some friends, Leo. You may find out today that it’s up to you to do all the organizing. This won’t bother you too much because you know you’ll do it right. Why don’t you think about really trying to outdo yourself and plan something special that your friends will never forget?

Virgo

August 23-September 22

This could be the luckiest day of the month, Virgo. But astrology also takes your role into account. In other words, luck is something you have to work for. If you seem to have an incredible streak of luck today, it’s probably because you did something earlier to make it happen!

Libra

September 23-October 23 If you get asked to lead a team in your personal or professional life, jump at the chance. Today you will get all the support you need, Libra. Don’t be afraid that you’re not good enough. Things will come together without your having to do much at all. Besides, you already know that people are on your side!

October 24-November 21

mote Rugby in the Ladakh region as well. Earlier, the players of all the participating teams were introduced to the Governor. He interacted with them and wished them very successful performances during the 3-day Championship.The Governor declared the Championship open by releasing the colourful balloons. He also witnessed for some time the inaugural match of the Championship which was played between J&K and Uttar Pradesh

Football Union, thanked the Governor for declaring the Championship open. He proposed that an international Rugby Championship may be held in the State in the coming time.Mr. Sarmad Hafeez, President, J&K Rugby Association, in his welcome address, dwelt on the initiatives being taken for promoting Rugby in the State. He said that 20 Rugby teams from various States of the country are participating in this Championship.

For and on behalf of the Governor, J&K State e-tenders (in Single Cover System) are invited on item rate basis from approved and eligible Contractors registered with J&K State Govt., CPWD, Railways and other State/Central Governments for the following works: Name of Work

Gemini

Scorpio

Srinagar, August 23:

Government of Jammu & Kashmir OFFICE OF THE EXECUIVE ENGINEER PWD(R&B) DIVISION KUPWARA NOTICE INVITING TENDER 4th time Fresh NIT No. 53 KUP 3369-80 of 2013-14 e-tendering DATED: - 14-08-2013.

S.No

March 21-April 19

April 20-May 20

Lone News Agency 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 for the south Gujarat Bhat market. to its varied topography and abundant Lone News Agencyplatform Tangmarg News Agency Chadoora The Jammu and Kashmir Government beauty with lush green spots and Bhat News Agency Magam Zargar Newsnatural Agency Kunzar have also setup its stalls showcasing disrich environment and peculiar world faDar News Agency tinct Beerwah Bashir News Agency Sumbal tourism potential of all the 3 regions mous water bodies like, Dal Lake, Wullar Reshi News Agency Safapora NewsLakes, Agency PattanLakes, Mansar, Surinsar of the State. A number of TourSaleem and travel Manasbal operators, besides both the Tourism WePampore have created several tourist Basharat News Agency Bandipora Reyaz DiNewsLakes. Agency rectors of Kashmir and Jammu Divisions attractions in all the regions with focus Altaf News Agency Pulwama Javaid News Agency Qazigund and other senior officers of Tourism Deon highlighting adventure, golf, health, Jeelani News Agency Baramulla G.M News Agency Sopore Gujrat, August 23: partment attended the TTF. Tourpilgrim and convention tourism besides Shah News Agencyism Kupwara Sultan Newsleisure Agency Minister said unfortunately, Jammu andHandwara thrown open virgin tourism Minister for Tourism,Younis Mr. Ghulam and Langate Kashmir has passed through hard like Yousmarg, Doodpathari, BaderNewsAhAgency Sheikh Newsspots Agency Islamabad mad Mir has appealed all the countries times during past, but the resilience of wah , Gurez, Padder, historic Mughal road Newsand Agency Islamabad Three Way News Agency Tral to allow their citizens toReshi visit Jammu the people of Kashmir have helped the spots and Bangus”, J&K Tourism Minister Turray News Agency Tral Badru News Agency Bijbehara Kashmir adding that J&K is as safe as other tourism picking up in the State since last said.Minister described Jammu as city parts of the World.This Rahi appealNews was made Agency3 Kulgam Malik News of Agency Arwani consecutive years”. He informed about temples and the region is famous for by the Tourism MinisterRah in hisNews address afthe diversity of terrain and culture whichNews pilgrim tourism where millions of peoAgency Byepass Shaheen Agency Kargil

ADDC takes stock of developmental projects

Aries

Taurus

Zabarwan Times is available at

ter inaugurating Travel and Tourism Fair (TTF) here on Friday. He said TTF is country’s leading exhibition for the travel and tourism industry. He said such events provide opportunities for organizations from India and aboard to showcase their products and services to a large and cross-sections of the travel trade industry and consumers across major markets in India. With over 140 exhibitors from 19 Indian States and 4 Countries under one roof, reinforcing it as an important annual destination promotion and networking

HOROSCOPE You have a great day ahead of you, Aries. Everything will work out like clockwork. By the end of the day, you’ll still have the energy to do something fun with your evening. It’s a wonderful day for group activities. If you aren’t involved in any, why not try a sport, hobby, music, or art?

Srinagar, August 23: Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah after the completion of two-day visit of flood affect areas, Friday afternoon approved Rs. 87.45 crore for the relief and restoration measures in floodhit areas. Of this Rs. 77.50 crore would be for the restoration of public infrastructure while Rs. 9.95 crores have been earmarked for private property losses. Deputy Chief Minister, Tara Chand, Minister for Finance, Abdul Rahim Rather, Minister for PHE and Flood Control, Sham Lal Sharma, Minister for Housing, Raman Bhalla, Ministers of State, Ajaz Ahmad Khan, Shabir Ahmad Khan and Dr. Manohar Lal who were present in the meeting besides Chief Secretary, Mohammad Iqbal Khandey and various Administrative Secretaries, Divisional Commissioners and senior officers. The Chief Minister while giving directions for completion of restoration of public infrastructure in a timeline manner asked the Administrative Secretaries to convey it down the lines emphatically so that works are completed in a time bound manner. He also gave directions

24 .8.2013

Cost of T/Doc.(In rupees)

Earnest Money(In rupees)

Time of Completion In days

Time & Date of Opening of Bid

Class of Contractor

Major Head of Account

01

Up gradation of Madmave Listiyal road Km 1st by way of providing and laying 25mm thick semidense bituminous with machine mix laid mechanically with paver (Agg length 0.50Kms)

7.00 (incl.C/o tar)

600/-

14000/-

07 days

27-08-2013

Hot Mix Plant holder

4059 Projectization

02

Up gradation of Lalpora town roads by way of providing and laying 25mm thick semidense bituminous with machine mix laid mechanically with paver (Agg length 0.75Kms)

11.00 (incl.C/o tar)

600/-

22000/-

07 days

27-08-2013

Hot Mix Plant holder

4059 Projectization

03

Up gradation of Drugmulla Inner links by way of providing and laying 25mm thick semidense bituminous with machine mix laid mechanically with paver (Agg length

14.00

600/- (incl.C/o tar)

28000/-

07 days

27-08-2013

Hot Mix Plant holder

4059 Projectization

04

Up gradation of Manzhar Manigah road Km 1st by way of providing and laying 25mm thick semidense bituminous with machine mix laid mechanically with paver (Agg length 1.00Kms)

(incl.C/o tar)

600/-

28000/-

07 days

27-08-2013

Hot Mix Plant holder

4059 Projectization

05

Up gradation of Tarathpora Hafrada road Km 1st and 2nd by way of providing and laying 25mm thick semidense machine mix laid mechanically with paver

21.50

800/-

43000/-

10 days

27-08-2013

Hot Mix Plant holder

13th FC

Position of AAA/TS : AA Submitted Position of funds : Demanded 1. The Bidding documents consisting of qualifying information, eligibility criteria, specifications, rawings, bill of quantities (B.O.Q), Set of terms and conditions of contract and other details can be seen/downloaded from the departmental website www.jktenders.gov.in as per schedule of dates given below:01 Date of issue of Tender Notice 14-08-2013 02 Period of downloading of bidding documents From 17-08-2013 to 25-08-2013 (4.00P.M) 03 Bid submission start date 17-08-2013 from (10.00A.M) 04 Bid submission end date 25-08-2013 from (04.00P.M) 05 Deadline for receiving the Hard Copy (Original DD & EMD) 26-08-2013 from (4.00P.M) in the Office of the Executive Engineer R&B Division Kupwara 06 Date & time of opening Bids (on line) 27-08-2013 at (11.00A.M) in the Office of the Superintending Engineer PWD(R&B) Circle Baramulla/ Kupwara. 2. Bids must be accompanied with cost of Tender document in shape of demand draft in favour of Executive Engineer R&B Division Kupwara (tender inviting authority ) and Earnest money /Bid security in shape of CDR/FDR pledged to Executive Engineer R&B Division Kupwara (Tender receiving authority ) 3. The date and time of opening of Bids shall be notified on web Site www.jketenders.gov.in and conveyed to the bidders automatically through an e-mail message on their e-mail address. The bids of Responsive bidders shall be opened online on same web site in the office of the Superintending Engineer PWD(R&B) Circle Baramulla/ Kupwara (Tender receiving authority ) 4. The bids for the work shall remain valid for a period of 120 days from the date of opening of bids. DIPK: 6444 Sd/- Xen PWD R&B Division Kupwara

You couldn’t dream of a better day to deal with all the little problems in your daily life - broken washing machine, money problems, minor health issues. If your doctor has given you a prescription, you can expect it would work like a miracle drug. Scorpio, take care of the little things. It will take less time than you think!

Sagittarius November 22-December 21

Perhaps you can’t believe it, but it’s time to say goodbye to your rigid attitude. A little pleasure among all that seriousness and responsibility won’t do you any harm. This day could help you change your point of view on life. This will feel great!

Capricorn December 22-January 19

Life is helping you out at the moment, Capricorn. You might chalk it up to some divine power. Whatever it is, your guardian angel is always by your side. Perhaps you’d like to begin something new in your life, like moving or changing lifestyles. At the moment you can do anything you want to do. It will all work out just fine!

Aquarius January 20-February 18

Have you ever thought about writing or working for a company in which you can use your excellent communication skills, Aquarius? The planetary alignment emphasizes writing and communication. It’s time to show the world that you have a gift and that people can count on you to do a great job. Think about the publishing business.

Pisces

February 19-March 20 If you’ve been thinking of living somewhere else, Pisces, today will push you to really want to move far away from the place you’re living now. Such a move could have consequences for your work situation or family life. It may be time to think seriously about what’s holding you back. Wouldn’t the people closest to you be happy to go along?


Editorial/Opinion Zabarwan Times Saturday, 24 August 2013

Where will these hostilities lead us to?

T

ZABARWAN TIMES 9

Saturday, 24 August 2013

LESSER KNOWN FOREST TREES OF JAMMU

The Daily

he cancellation of the proposed meeting between Indo-Pak Prime Ministers at the sidelines of UN General Assembly Session in New York next month is certainly not a good omen for deteriorating IndoPak relations. The peace loving people of the two countries had pinned their hopes on this meeting expected to heal the fresh wounds caused by intermittent fire on LoC. Cease fire violations for the last over one month have substantially increased, causing enormous hardships on the people living alongside the control line who were now living a peaceful life for the last few years since the cease-fire agreement came into force between the two countries. Cease-fire violations also have brought the relations of the two countries at the lowest ebbs as all channels of negotiations have been bolted and blocked for the time being. If the negotiation channels remain snapped, how can the people of the two countries expect improvement in the relations and how can the long pending political issues be addressed, so that an acceptable solution is carved out. The present state of affairs has rendered all confidence building measures taken earlier ineffective to great extent. In present atmosphere how can one expect softening of borders, increasing people to people contact, a Philip to trade activities and vital decisions like conferring Most Favoured Nation Status to each other amid increasing hostilities surcharged war-like situation and trading of harsh words against each other. It is really unfortunate that within no time the relations between the two countries which leaping forward are tumbling to ground zero. The peace hungry people of Pakistan who are confronted with domestic violence which has so far claimed thousands of life voted Nawaz Sharief to power not on the basis of any hard stand against India, but on his commitment to usher a new era of cordial relations with India so that all outstanding issues are sorted out in a peaceful and friendly atmosphere. After voted back to power, Nawaz Sharif sent a pleasing peace message by declaring that he would extend his hand of friendship to India and will visit New Delhi even if he is not invited. His message encouraged every peace loving citizen of the two countries who want that in reality the two countries should pick up the threads where from they were left in 1999 and should help in making subcontinent an epicenter of peace and prosperity.

Daily

are inconspicuous in other times as flowers are not so elegant and people overlook while traveling beside them except when they are in these blissful tints of pink and golden. There is a tree called Chinese Tallow Tree, Sapium sebiferum locally named as Charbi or Makhana or Tarpan or Pahadi taahli seen commonly at Peedha, Batote along national highway and few trees also

O.P. Sharma Vidyarthi, IFS

M

other nature is so bountiful and diverse that we do not understand all intricacies of natural heritage seen around. Mere look into dense growth of forest trees in a jungle reveals mind boggling diversity, more so in rainforests of northeast or down south but our deciduous broad leaved forests are also treasure trove for many lesser known trees having different canopies, varied foliage forms, different spring and autumn tints and great architectural patterns and diverse colours of their blooms, How beautiful are these forest trees, becomes evident when they are decorated with either attractive spring dress codes or autumnal robes of coloured foliage. In early spring season, look at Mastiche Tree (Pistacia chinensis) locally called Kakdey or Kangad, all foliage is beautiful in bright pink as if bride's special dress for the special occasion. Tree is conspicuous among all and we remain wonderstruck to see, leaves can be so colourful and mesmerizing, and how they turn lush green immediately afterwards. In early autumn season, look at Indian Odina (Lannea Coromandelica) locally called Gadhaambal or Kaimbai, all foliage is bright golden yellow as if all leaves have been goldplated in the jewellery shop for some great occasion. Both these plants

Sanskrit. There is a tree called Heliotrope Tree, locally named as Pauna or Poona and in Botany as Ehretia serrata. It becomes laden with fragrant white blooms during summer and is known to locals as wild tree vegetable as its young leaves are cooked as delicious dish in the Duggarland and elsewhere. Paansar is another tree bearing opposite leaves and supporting fragrant white bloom masses

How beautiful are these forest trees,

becomes evident when they are decorated with either attractive spring dress codes

or autumnal robes of coloured foliage. In

early spring season, look at Mastiche Tree (Pistacia chinensis) locally called Kakdey

or Kangad, all foliage is beautiful in bright pink as if bride's special dress for the special occasion.

seen near Palauda, Muthi Domana along Akhnoor highway, This tree also goes unnoticed but when autumn bids farewell, its foliage turns beautiful red to catch imagination of passers by. Another lesser known tree of Jammu Shivaliks is Indian Trumpet Tree or Broken Bones Tree botanically identified as Oroxylum indicum and locally named as Taatra, Taatplaang, Maieen orTarlu. This Jteee is conspicuous when it exhibits very large buffalo horn like fruits and tripinately lobed leaves turn bronze purple. It is a medicinal tree and known as Shyonaka in

in summer, Botanically named as Wendlandia heyneii, tree has thick reddish brown bark fondly eaten by monkeys. This tree is seen commonly in forests at places like Kali Dhaar, Nandni, Mansar, Tikri, Katra, Reasi, Ramnagar, Billawer and BasohIL Dogwood Tree is the English name of Swida macrophylla, a tree of hills locally called Kander or Hadeu and is useful as fodder tree. Another lesser known tree called Ivory tree is Holarrhaena pubescens locally called Kogad in Dogri and Kurchi in Hindi and Kutaj in Sanskrit. Why Ivory

Tree? Because, it bears pearly white ivory like blooms in summer and in bright sunshine, it dazzles like ivory of the elephant. lt is also named as Dysentery Rosebay or Bitter oleander. Its wood is useful for shoe handles. Symplocos paniculata is a tree called Lodhra or Laudhra in Dogri and Sapphire berry in English as it bears sapphire coloured blue fruits. It is seen in Rajouri forests. A tree called Elaeodendron glaucum is characteristic in having easily breakable chocolate brown branches and subopposite leaves. It is called Gangeda, Gangeran or Marindu in Dogri and is seen in areas like Kalakot, Ramkot, Nandni, Katra, Billawer etc. Fever Bark Tree or False Quinine tree is a tree of dry deciduous forests seen growing in Rajouri, Jammu, Udhampur and Billawer forests. Botanically named as Hymenodictyon excelsum and locally called as Kunaina, Kudkan or kadkaun in Dogri, this tree is nearest relative of more medicinal but exotic Quinine tree of commerce called Cinchona. Wrightia tomentosa is a tree called Hairy Dyer's Oleander, it produces pale yellow flowers and exudes pale latex if leaves are plucked. It is seen in Shivaliks and is common in places like Basohli, Kalakot, Ramnagar etc. Rare and lesser known trees just discussed need to be conserved in our parks and gardens so that their beauty and utility can be showcased and popularized among present day youth who rarely venture inside wilderness and are awefully cut off from nature's bountiful changing moods, Our intimacy with local plants and knowledge about their local names or folk utilities are important to conserve not only these trees but also traditional way of life to have more meaningful existence reinforced with our peculiar traditions and utilities. Email:opsfrijk@gmail.com

Centralized Processing Centre: Faster Processing of IT Returns Through Automation

T

he Income Tax Department (ITD), Ministry of Finance, is responsible for collecting Direct Taxes and administering the Income Tax Act and other direct tax statutes for the Central Government. With a view to maximizing revenue collection as also to provide quality customer service, ITD embarked upon large scale computerization and process automation. With the rapid increase in the number of income tax returns and a jurisdiction-based processing model, the Department encountered problems resulting in delayed processing of income tax returns. The Finance Act, 2008 empowered the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) to make a scheme for centralized processing of returns with a view to expeditiously determining the tax payable by, or the refund due to the assessees. Based on the recommendations of the Technical Advisory Group, the strategy adopted was that Centralized Processing Centre (CPC) at Bangalore would process paper and e-returns without any interface with taxpayers in a jurisdiction free manner using a partially outsourced model through a Service Provider (SP). Operationalisation The Establishment of the Centralized Processing Centre (CPC)- Rs. 255 crore project- was approved by the Union Cabinet in February 2009 and work was awarded to M/s Infosys Technologies Limited on February 23rd, 2009. CPC moved in its facility on May 26th, 2009 and 56,000sq ft area on three floors of facility was completed by July 2009. First Return of Income was processed at CPC in October 2009, and full fledged processing commenced from January 2010. Objectives The specified objectives of the CPC Project are: To develop and implement a comprehensive system to increase efficiency, and effectiveness of ITD in processing, accounting and reconciliation of the returns filed; to set-up a central processing centre and achieve back office automation on an outsourced model for performing the non-core activities of ITD;

to manage routine tax administration functions such as receipt, scanning, data entry, processing, issue of refunds and storage of IT returns in a centralised manner; to achieve economies of scale along with desired levels of quality and service level compliance for the outsourced activities to ensure efficiency and accuracy in service delivery; and to establish a scientific, systematic record storage and retrieval management system. Benefits The project envisaged benefits for the citizens as well as the Income Tax Department. For the citizens, reduction in compliance cost; taxpayer services in line with international best practices; empowerment through increased efficiency in discharging ITD’s function; better and centralised access to information; accuracy and timely clearance of all demands & refunds due and centralised system to address grievances and rectification requests and its tracking were the major benefits. On the other hand, the department would have gained by way of improved service delivery to citizens; standardised practices and procedures; centralised system to monitor and evaluate the status of returns; better accounting and reconciliation of taxes collected; capability to handle increased workload; convenient & speedy clearance of demands and refunds and centralised access to the information on tax collection. Challenges and Implementation Strategy CPC, being a major transformational project, had to proactively tackle the several dependencies and risks to ensure operational smoothness. On the technical side, selection of technology was a major challenge. To mitigate associated risk, a Proof of Concept (POC) was done using Oracle Rules Engine and more than 1 lakh returns were processed before release of RFP (Request for Proposal). As there was no precedence of outsourcing of records storage and its scientific management, 2 POCs were conducted one each at Delhi and Bangalore. Two leading Record Management Vendors participated in this exercise which lasted for almost 6 months.

Data collected during POC was utilized in preparation of RFP and setting-out specifications and SLAs (Service Level Agreement). Integration with legacy system i.e. Integration with Income Tax Department Applications System (ITD Apps) of which the Assessment Systems (AST) was a major component had been a major challenge. Many interfaces were developed along with control tablets to ensure that a return was processed only once and a tax credit was consumed only once. The new Financial Accounting system was conceived and designed as double entry accounting system. This system is not prevalent on Government departments and has been a path breaking innovation. This system ensures auto reconciliation between various accounts which is of immense help in enhancing compliance capabilities of the Department. New computer friendly IT Return Forms were designed which assisted in use of digitization technology solutions. CPC Processes There are 14 services that have been implemented as part of the CPC solution which cover the functional domains of logistics, scanning and data entry, tax processing, tax accounting and data extraction, validation and reconciliation. The business processes/technology components involved and implemented are: Logistics, scanning, data entry/ digitization, Tax accounting, interface with legacy systems, processing of returns, refunds, printing & despatch, dedicated on-site hitech post office, record management, call centre and advanced customer support Impact of the Initiative CPC has reduced the processing time of IT returns considerably. As against average processing time of more than 12 months in past, CPC has succeeded to bring it down to around 65 days. Processing capacity has been augmented. CPC has processed more than 4.15 crore returns in the last 3 years of operations. It is expected to process more than 1.8 crore returns in current year. This would be almost 70% of entire workload of department. Faster Refunds

CPC has processed more than 1.3 crore refund cases in last 4 years of operations. As a matter of priority, all refund cases are processed first without any discretion. All valid cases with refund cases of current year are expected to be processed by Jan 2014. Interest on Delayed Refunds has reduced substantially As against average interest rate of more than 17% in F.Y. 2009-10, CPC has brought down the interest on delayed refunds to 4.77%. This has resulted in substantial savings for the Government. Faster Settlement of Grievances CPC has processed more than 11.41 lakh rectification petitions out of 11.65 lakh. Average disposal time is around 90 days as against stipulated 180 days. Presently, close to 4300 calls are handled every day in 3 languages Kannada, English and Hindi. Promotion of e-filing Faster processing at CPC has given a big boost to e-filing of Income Tax Returns. Efiling registered an exponential growth in F.Y.2010-11 with 164.34 lakh as against 21.70 lakh in 2006-07. Thanks to faster and hassle free issue of refunds, e-filing of returns is growing 25% annually. Maintaining last year’s momentum, it is expected to cross 2.5 crore in current year representing nearly 75% of all returns received by the Department. Better Customer Service Customers are serviced through various ways including agent call centres, e-mails, SMS alerts, improved Communication. Improved Public Image The CPC project has proved to be a major administrative reform initiative enabled by innovative and widespread use of technology. Its implementation is radically changing the way the Department works. The CPC implementation has helped relocate a large part of the current nondiscretionary workload from the 745 tax offices located in 510 cities across the country. With the intervention of the CPC model, a great deal of the existing distortions and shortcoming are getting removed. This will free valuable administrative resources of both manpower and physical infrastructure.

Disclaimer : The contents and comments appearing in any article published in this paper are purely the personal opinion of the writer.


HE A L+H 58

ZABARWANTIMES TIMES ZABARWAN SATURDAY 24 AUG 2013

Facts about AIDS

Smoking can ‘rot’ your brain

Both passivity, hyperactivity can damage kneesDrug lulls cancer cells to sleep for goodActive lifestyle helps slow dementiaYou may be victim of `semisomnia`Many work on laptops, iPads in bed Smoking can be hazardous not only for the health of your body, but of your mind too.Smoking "rots" the brain by damaging memory, learning and reasoning, researchers at King's College London have warned A study of 8,800 people over 50 showed high blood pressure and being overweight also seemed to affect the brain, but to a lesser extent. The researchers were investigating links between the likelihood of a heart attack or stroke and the state of the brain. Data about the health and lifestyle of a group of over-50s was collected and brain tests, such as making participants learn new words or name as many animals as they could in a minute, were also performed. They were all tested again after four and then eight years. They found that the overall risk of a heart attack or stroke was "significantly associated with cognitive decline" with those at the highest risk showing the greatest decline.It also said there was a "consistent association" between smoking and lower scores in the tests. "Cognitive decline becomes more common with ageing and for an increasing number of people interferes with daily functioning and well-being," the BBC quoted Dr Alex Dregan, one of the researchers, as saying "We have identified a number of risk factors which could be associated with accelerated cognitive decline, all of which, could be modifiable.""We need to make people aware of the need to do some lifestyle changes because of the risk of cognitive decline," he added.

The researchers do not know how such a decline could affect people going about their daily life. They are also unsure whether the early drop in brain function could lead to conditions such as dementia. Dr Simon Ridley, from Alzheimer's Research UK, said: "Research has repeatedly linked smoking and high blood pressure to a greater risk of cognitive decline and dementia, and this study adds further weight to that evidence. "Cognitive decline as we age can develop into dementia, and unravelling the factors that are linked to this decline could be crucial for finding ways to prevent the condition. These results underline the importance of looking after your cardiovascular health from mid-life," he noted. The Alzheimer's Society said: "We all know smoking, a high blood pressure, high cholesterol levels and a high BMI [Body Mass Index] is bad for our heart. This research adds to the huge amount of evidence that also suggests they can be bad for our head too. "One in three people over 65 will develop dementia but there are things people can do to reduce their risk. Eating a balanced diet, maintaining a healthy weight, exercising regularly, getting your blood pressure and cholesterol checked and not smoking can all make a difference," it suggested.The findings were published in the journal Age and Ageing.

Chronic stress may up stroke riskNew antibody can treat spinal cord injuryHair loss: Causes of balding in womenFlavours in foods resemble mood-stabilizing drugTake breaks, sleep to learn better Women who have had three or more abortions have a higher risk of some adverse birth outcomes, such as delivering a baby prematurely and with a low birth weight, according to a new study. The research found that among 300,858 Finnish mothers, 31,083 had had one induced abortion between 1996-2008, 4,417 had two, and 942 had three or more induced abortions before a first birth (excluding twins and triplets). Those who had had three or more induced abortions had a small, but statistically significant increased risk of having a baby with very low birth weight (less than 1500g), low birth weight (less than 2500g), or of a preterm birth (before 37 weeks), or very preterm birth (before 28 weeks), compared to women who had had no abortions. There was a slightly increased risk of a very preterm birth for women who had had two induced abortions. "Our results suggest that induced abortions before the first birth, particularly three or

Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome or AIDS strips a person of immunity and is an irreservible condition with no known cure. The condition, itself, suffers from opinion- based 'facts' that float around in public opinion offline and, as a result, online. Today, to clear out the confusion, we filter the facts about AIDS and separate the myths from the mustknow information. If you believe a mosquito bite can spread HIV and that you are insusceptible to HIV then here are 10 facts about AIDS that will change your perspective on HIV and AIDS. Facts about AIDS: Faithful sexual partner and condoms equal safe sex Condoms are considered 100 percent protection to AIDS, but the truth remains that condoms can tear and can have microscopic holes. This tends to happen if the condoms are not stored properly or they may have passed the expiry date. Tear in the condom can be attributed to strong carnal emotions. But yes, condoms and a faithful partner reduce the chances of contracting HIV. Facts about AIDS: Oral sex can cause AIDS To demystify oral sex - mouth and tongue touching the genitals. And this can cause the spread of HIV and AIDS if the partners have cuts ore sores in the mouth and the private parts. You can contract HIV through fingering too, especially if you have cuts or sores on your finger. But the risks are lower than un-

more abortions, are associated with a marginally increased risk during the first birth. However, the increased risk is very small, particularly after only one or even two abortions, and women should not be alarmed by our findings," said Dr Reija Klemetti, an associate professor and senior researcher in public health at the National Institute for Health and Welfare in Helsinki, Finland, who led the research. Most of the induced abortions were surgically performed and nearly all were performed before 12 weeks gestation. The researchers adjusted their findings to take account of various factors that could affect birth outcomes, such as social background, marital status, age, smoking, previous ectopic pregnancies and miscarriages. Multiple births (twins and triplets) were excluded. The risk of having a baby born very preterm appeared to increase slightly with each induced abortion, but only the risk from two abortions or more was statistically significant. The study has been published online in Europe's leading reproductive medicine journal Human Reproduction.

protected sex; this doesn't give you a free ticket to have oral sex. The transfer of HIV is like a spy, who can slip through surveillance camera without a glitch. Facts about AIDS: You can share your toilet and cutlery with an HIV or AIDS patient The HIV virus mainly survives within the body, the virus has low chance of surviving externally, outside the body. The HIV virus can only survive on a cell, hence the virus withers away within minutes to an hour depending on the volume of the fluid. Shaking hands, sharing toilets and swimming pools should not stop you from interacting or discriminating an HIV or AIDS patient. Facts about AIDS: Your child can contract HIV if the mother is pregnant The child can contract HIV before or after birth. The virus can be transmitted during breastfeeding too. But there are drugs that can greatly reduce the chances of transferring HIV virus. But the best option recommended is a caesarean section delivery and to avoid breastfeeding. Facts about AIDS: You need to use protection even if you and your partner has HIV Unprotected sex between two partners who are infected with HIV can result in exposure to other strains of the HIV virus. It is suggested to have protected sex at all times to prevent a deadly strain of the virus. Facts about AIDS: Mosquito bite does not cause HIV There are some points to remem-

ber here: - There is not evidence to vouch that mosquitoes can spread HIV - The virus does not survive with a mosquito for along time - Lastly, insects do not inject the blood into person when they 'bite' Facts about AIDS: Cure for HIV Antiretroviral drugs can add life to your years and give you a normal life, but it cannot cure you completely of this parasitic virus. The HIV virus has the ability to adapt to the antiretroviral drugs, hence it is consumed with other medication. If you believe you are infected with the HIV virus in the last 72 hours, post-exposure prophylaxis or PEP drug can kill the HIV virus. Facts about AIDS: HIV does not discriminate Many of us believe we cannot contract HIV. We want to believe that the poorest of the poor are more

likely to contract HIV or the rich are likely to contract it. But the fact remains that HIV does not discriminate on your bank balance, colour of your skin or country. The HIV virus will thrive on living human cell no matter your identity. Facts about AIDS: You can still spread HIV even if you're getting treatment The treatment reduces the virus in your body but the treatment does not kill the virus completely. Hence it is still advised to practice safe sex. It is possible to pass on the HIV virus to your partners and others even if you are getting treatment. Facts about AIDS: Having sex with a virgin cures AIDS This is myth; it's as good as saying that having ice cream will cure your cold. It is also believed that having sex with a disabled individual can cure HIV and AIDS.

Tips for healthier knees

Asha Kirana - a ray of hope for AIDS victimsPlay the violin, beat dementiaNanoparticles minimise side-effects in radiotherapyMediation with art lowers stress in breast cancerMore Indian women dependent on alcohol Severe knee pain will never go away 100 per cent. But you can make it negligible by taking the following measures: - For most forms of knee pain, applying ice is the first step to recovery. Ice (inside a plastic bag) wrapped in a towel, acts as an anaesthetic to soothe the ache. The ice pack shouldn't come in direct contact with your skin. - Avoid the knee bashers. Some activities, such as running and hiking over hilly terrain, put a greater demand on the kneecap. - Berries, ginger, avocado, flaxseed, omega-3-rich fish, and soy are excellent for your knees. - Check your shoes — avoid heels, awkward bumps and hard materials. - If there is any difference in the lengths of your legs, ensure you get insole so your body posture is balanced. - Muscle up your leg. To strengthen the quadriceps start with straight leg raises. Consult a physiotherapist for more exercises. - Work your hamstrings. To rehabilitate an injured knee, it is essential to build up strength in the hamstring muscles on the back of the thigh. - Excessive sodium should be avoided as it contributes to water retention and swelling, which puts pressure on your knees and causes pain. - If your knee pain is caused by arthritis avoid green peppers, cayenne, eggplant, paprika, tomatoes and potatoes, all of which contain sotanine, a toxin to which arthritis sufferers may have sensitivity.- Vitamin C is great for your knees. Ensure you stock up on this 'powerhouse' vitamin to keep your knees in shape. After all we have miles to go before we sleep!

Chocolate, red wine good for heart Eating dark chocolates, drinking red wine and being involved in a healthy, loving relationship are good for the heart, says a cardiologist. "There are a couple of different theories behind why that might be," said Vanderbilt Heart and Vascular Institute cardiologist Julie Damp, M.D. People who are married or who are in close, healthy relationships tend to be less likely to smoke, are more physically active and are more likely to have a well-developed social structure, she said. They are also more likely to have lower levels of stress and anxiety in their day-to-day lives. "There is a theory that people who are in loving relationships may experience neuro-hormonal changes that have positive effects on the body, including the cardiovascular system," Damp said, explaining that there are certain hormone levels in the body that vary depending on the level of an individual's stress and anxiety. "This has not been proven, but the idea is that being in a relationship that is positive may have positive effects on your cardiovascular system over long periods of time," Damp said. In fact, studies have shown that relationships that involve conflict or negativity are associated with an increase in risk for coronary artery disease. Studies also suggest dark chocolates

Get heart smart with almonds

and red wine are good for the heart, as well. Dark chocolate contains flavonoids, which are antioxidants. Antioxidants have positive effects on many different body systems including the cardiovascular system. The high concentration of cocoa in dark chocolate appears to be what offers the flavonoid benefit. "Dark chocolate has been shown to be associated with lower blood pressure, lower blood sugar levels and improvement in the way your blood vessels dilate and relax," Damp said. Further study is needed to know exactly which type of chocolate and

how much of it is the most beneficial, but studies have shown that people who eat chocolate more than once a week have lower risks of heart disease and stroke compare to people who eat it less frequently. Flavonoids are also present in red wine. Multiple observational studies have shown that moderate alcohol consumption, which is one drink a day for women and one to two for men, is associated with lower rates of cardiovascular events such as heart attacks. However, Damp cautions that there is not enough evidence to encourage people who don't currently drink to start drinking

Eat almonds for nutrition20 Best snacks for heart healthImportant facts about heart health for womenGrapes good for men's heart healthSpicing food with chillies boosts heart health Almonds promote a healthy heart in many ways. This powerpacked nut is a source of various nutrients required by the human body. The vitamin E, monounsaturated fat, magnesium, and antioxidants found in the nuts have been scientifically proven to help improve blood flow and general heart health. The cholesterol-lowering effects of almonds can also help almond snackers maintain healthy hearts. Have almonds in breakfast: The addition of almonds to breakfast long hailed as the most important meal of the day provides many nutrients that contribute to heart health, namely, fibre, mono-saturated fat, vitamin E and phyto-chemicals. Research has shown that these nutrients help reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases. Have a handful of almonds: Of all the things to love about almonds, this one's bound to get your heart pumping: consuming just a handful of almonds daily helps maintain healthy cholesterol levels. And that's a respite for most of us as cardiovascular diseases are on the rise in India. So make it a habit to snack on almonds at home, on the go, watching TV or working. Get your daily dose of antioxidants: Do you know which type of vitamin E the human body absorbs best? It's called alpha-tocopherol vitamin E and almonds are one of the leading food sources of this important antioxidant. It can help neutralize harmful free radicals in your body which are unstable molecules that form as your body burns oxygen. Free radicals can damage your cells, tissues, and even your DNA. Researchers believe this process may contribute to the development of some chronic diseases such as cancer and heart diseases. Manage your weight: To keep your body and especially your heart in the best possible shape, it's important to maintain your weight. Obesity is one of the most common reasons for Heart related disorders. Almonds don't just fight hunger pangs; they also provide fiber, "good" monounsaturated fats, and 6 grams of protein to help give you that "full" feeling. Almonds offer key benefits to anyone trying to watch those kilos, namely satiety; more quality calories with more nutrients; crunch; and undeniable tasty flavor.


NATION

7 SRINAGAR Saturday, 24 August,2013

TMC questions PMO over refusal to furnish files on Netaji in Rajya Sabha

Prime Minister Office’s refusal to share details of three classified files related to widow and daughter of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose had its echo in Rajya Sabha with a member asking about the “exact nature of threat” from the disclosure on Friday. Raising the issue during Zero Hour, TMC leader Kunal Ghosh said the Prime Minister’s Office has recently refused to share details of three files related to widow and daughter of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose to an applicant Chandrachur Ghose under the RTI Act of 2005. He said the PMO refused the request to share file numbers 2/67/56-71 (volume I), 2/67/56-71 (volume II) and, 2/67/78 on the ground that this would prejudicially affect relation with foreign countries and also the sovereignty and integrity of India. TMC questions PMO over refusal to furnish files on Netaji in Rajya Sabha “Could the honourable Prime Minister and Home Minister kindly inform the House as to the exact nature of the threat to our sovereignty, national integrity and relationship with foreign countries that the government is apprehensive of on account of information on a national hero...,” he asked. Ghosh noted that the PMO had earlier

submitted to the Central Information Commission that it holds 33 classified files including these three. “Even earlier, in 2007, despite an order of the CIC, the Ministry of Home Affairs refused to disclose all documents pertaining to the Shah Nawaz

Committee (1956), and the GD Khosla Commission (1970-74), which investigated the mysterious disappearance of Netaji on the ground that it would lead to “serious law and order problem in the country, especially in West Bengal,” the TMC member said.

Neither Modi nor Rahul fit to become PM, says Anna Hazare

Anti-corruption crusader Anna Hazare feels that neither Narendra Modi nor Rahul Gandhi is fit to become the prime minister of India.Hazare, currently on a two-week tour of the US, also favoured direct election of prime minister and doing away with party-based political system, which he claimed has destroyed not only democracy, but also “usurped” the constitution. “India’s constitution does not recognise political parties. Both Rahul Gandhi and Narendra Modi represent political parties. Therefore being representatives of political parties, we would not permit them (to become the Prime Minister),” 76-year-old Hazare told a group of Indian students at University of Maryland on Thursday evening. “Our faith is in the Indian constitution. These political parties run against the basic spirit of the constitution. It is now important to raise awareness among the people of India. If the country needs a Prime Minister, or a President, the entire country should elect him centralised,” he said. “The country would get a good Prime Minister if the people of the entire country get an opportunity to select. As

After Fekuexpress, another website 12 Lok Sabha MPs from Andhra Pradesh for protesting against Telangana claims to ‘expose’ Narendra Modi suspended NEW DELHI: Cracking the whip, Lok

Taking on Narendra Modi in the cyber world, his critics have launched yet another website which promises to “track lies” and “expose truths” associated with the Gujarat chief minister. “The website -- www.pheku. in -- by People’s Union of Civil Liberties will serve as an attempt to restore democracy of thought and figures,” NGO PUCL’s vice president Radhakant Saxena said at a launch event here. “Pheku.in is not aimed to target any political party, but to make public aware of Gujarat Chief Minister’s claims which were part of personal propaganda and selling himself as a product,” Saxena claimed. With the Lok Sabha polls due next year, critics of Modi, who was appointed as the head of BJP’s campaign committee, have been taking him on social media. Congress supporters have used different hashtags starting with Feku on Twitter to ridicule Modi’s development claims. Earlier, another website www.Fekuexpress.com was developed by Congress supporters that ridicules Modi’s

claims on Gujarat’s development and promises. PUCL claimed that while the state brags about huge foreign direct investment inflow, 60,000 small scale industries have been shut in Gujarat in last 10 years.The state’s total debt was less than Rs 10,000 crore when BJP first came to power in Gujarat in 1995. It multiplied from Rs 45,301 crore in 2001-02 to Rs 1,38,978 crore on December 2012 during the Modi rule, PUCL said in a statement. Gujarat is at 8th position in agriculture growth which is less than 10 per cent, it said. A short film “true, hidden picture of Gujarat” was also screened at the event.

Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar on Friday suspended for at least five sittings 12 members from Andhra Pradesh who have been agitating against decision to form Telangana and paralysing the House since the current session began on August 5. The Speaker named the members - 8 from Congress and 4 TDP - for “grave disorder” after two brief adjournments of the House due to disruptions by their continued protests. All of them belong to Andhra and Rayalaseema regions. The action was taken under rule Rule 374(A) of Rules of Procedure of the Lok Sabha. As per the rule, a member after being named by the Speaker stands “automatically suspended from the service of the House for five consecutive sittings or the remainder of the session, whichever is less”. The rule also states: “Provided that the House may, at any time, on a motion being made, resolve that such suspension be terminated.” The rule regarding automatic suspension is applied in the event of “grave disorder occasioned by a member coming into the Well of the House or abusing the rules of the House

Govt admits some files are missing in coalgate scam

Kanpur: Coal minister Sriprakash Jaiswal admitted on Saturday that some files related to the coal block allocation scam are missing, remarks that drew attack from opposition parties. “It is true that some files from 1993 to 2004 are missing. Attempts are on, we are in touch with CMPDIL, ministry of steel. If they have the files, they should make it available,” he said. A committee headed by an additional secretary of the ministry is inquiring into how the files have gone missing. It will also coordinate with other government departments for tracing their copies of the missing files, Jaiswal said. When asked how many files are missing, the minister said that he does not have exact information about them and it could be 8-10 or more, while terming the issue of missing files as matter of concern. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), on 31 July, had said that at least five crucial files related to allotment of coal blocks during 2006-09 have not been received by it despite providing

specific details. CBI has so far registered 13 cases related to block allotments during 2006-09 for alleged misrepresentation of facts by the beneficiaries while applying for the blocks. In June, the coal ministry had constituted an Inter-ministerial panel to look into the issue of missing files. The

panel has so far held one meeting. The coal ministry had informed a parliamentary committee earlier that it is trying to locate lost and missing files on coal block allocation in the wake of Supreme Court rapping the centre for not aiding CBI with documents in its probe.

Govt seeks parliament nod for Rs 7,500-cr supplementary

A supplementary demanding an extra expenditure of Rs 7,500 crore, including a Rs 1,000 crore for women bank and as much amount for setting up Nirbhaya Fund for safety of women, was tabled in Parliament today. The supplementary, tabled by Finance Minister P Chidambaram, in the Lok Sabha today, would however lead to additional cash outgo of just Rs 127.14 crore over the budget estimates on a net basis as most of the demands would be met with equal savings in other heads. As such, it would not lead to much burden on the government which had targeted to rein in its fiscal deficit at 4.8% of GDP for 2013-14 against 4.9% in the previous financial year. This was the first supplementary for the current financial year. As much as Rs 1,830 crore has been sought for India’s contribution towards the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

Also, Rs 500 crore would be provided to the Small Industrial Development Bank of India (SIDBI) to set up a Credit Guarantee Fund, while Rs 100 crore has been proposed to be given to India Microfinance Equity Fund of SIDBI to provide equity and quasi-equity to micro finance institutions. The additional spending includes Rs 1,000 crore for setting up of ‘Nirbhaya Fund’ for safety of women and a similar amount will be provided to National Skill Development Corporation to extend skill training to youth. Besides, Rs 1,000 crore will be provided for initial capital for establishment of women’s bank, targeted to be made operational by November. The government plans to have 25 branches of the bank by the end of the fiscal. One of the key objectives of the Bank is a focus on the banking needs of women and promote economic empowerment.

DAILY ZABARWAN TIMES

persistently and willfully obstructing its business by shouting slogans”. The action came a day after the government’s effort to bring a motion for suspension of 10 members of the two parties was scuttled by a united opposition. This is the second instance of suspension of members in the present Lok Sabha. More than a year back, eight pro-Telangana Congress members had been suspended from the House for similar reasons.

long as political parties dominate the electoral set up, the country is unlikely to get a good Prime Minister,” Hazare said at the event organised by DESI (Develop Empower Synergy India), an organization of Indian students. Neither Modi nor Rahul fit to become PM, says Anna HazareEarlier in the day at a Congressional reception hosted in his honor at the Capitol Hill, Hazare said that he would go back to agitation at Ramlila Maidan on the first day of the winter session of the Parliament, if the Union Government does not bring the Lokpal in the current session. Hazare said after returning from the US, he would resume his nationwide tour from Bihar, during which he would urge people to fight for achieving the goal of true democracy. Gen (retd) VK Singh, who is accompanying Hazare, said the country is at the brink of a disaster, if immediate steps are not taken to change the way things are happening now. “It is time for action,” Singh said as he urged the Indian youth to come forward and join hands with Anna to achieve the goal of systematic change in the country.

Abdul Karim Tunda admitted to AIIMS after chest pain

Lashker-e-Taiba (LeT) leader Abdul Karim Tunda was today admitted to All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) for special cardiac care. The 70-year-old LeT ideologue, who was arrested on Indo-Nepal border last Friday, was last night admitted to Safdurjung hospital after he complained of chest pain, police said. However, keeping in view the specialised care and security concerns, Tunda was shifted to AIIMS this afternoon and admitted to Intensive Cardiac Care Unit. A heavy contingent of armed police guard has been placed outside the ICCU unit of the AIIMS where Tunda, who has been giving details about spread of terror group Lashker-e-Taiba in India, is being treated. Doctors attending Tunda refused to divulge any details about his health condition. Tunda, who is in Police remand till tomorrow, was attacked by a group of Hindu activists outside court in Patiala House complex where he was being produced before a Magistrate.

Mining mafia in Himachal Pradesh enjoys political patronage: Virbhadra Singh

Admitting that illegal mining in Himachal Pradesh enjoyed political patronage, Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh on Friday assured the state assembly that his government would soon clamp down on the mafia. His assertions came about a fortnight after an attempt was made on the life of Yunus Khan, an officer of the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) and batchmate of the suspended Durga Shakti Nagpal of Uttar Pradesh, who had taken on the sand mining mafia in Gautam Budh Nagar district of her state. “Mining in Punjab is banned and it is going on in a large scale in areas (of Himachal Pradesh) bordering Punjab,” the chief minister said, during the question hour. Without mincing words, he said the mining mafia enjoyed political protection. “But we are going to tighten the noose around the mafia by framing tough laws which include the seizure of vehicles involved in mining and cancellation of licences,” the Chief Minister said.

Fire breaks out in Vizag’s HPCL refinery, 1 killed

NEW DELHI: One person has been killed and about 30 people are reportedly injured after fire broke out at the Hindustan Petroleum refinery in Visakhapatnam. According to police, the fire broke out in a wooden cooling tower at the government-owned oil refinery, where private workers had been brought in for welding work. The fire has now been brought under control. More details are awaited.

BJP member Satpal Satti said since mining had been banned in Punjab, illegal mining of sand and gravel, used in construction, had increased in neighbouring Himachal Pradesh. “The price of sand has recently increased four times,” he said. The Chief Minister said the cabinet had approved a new mining policy with a provision to allow locals bonafide use of sand and gravel. IAS officer Yunus Khan had a narrow escape when a tractor-trailer loaded with gravel tried to ram into his official vehicle while he was checking illegal quarrying in Nalagarh area, bordering Punjab, Aug 7. Khan told IANS that this was the third attempt on his life.

“Before this, the mafia tried to eliminate me twice, first in June-end and then in July,” he said. Commenting on the enormity of the illicit trade, which mostly meets the requirements of neighbouring Punjab, Khan said: “The daily turnover of this trade in this area might be approximately Rs 1 crore.” Illegal mining in Himachal Pradesh is acute in Una, Solan and Sirmaur districts, adjoining Punjab and Haryana.

Nitish awaiting Centre’s action on special category status

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar today remained unmoved by the union government’s assertions that special category status for Bihar was under consideration and said he was waiting for the recommendations of the committee and the Centre’s action on it. “There is nothing new in it,” Kumar told reporters in his reaction to Planning Minister Rajeev Shukla’s written reply in Rajya Sabha that proposal from Bihar for special category status is under consideration of the Centre.Shukla said Jharkhand, Odisha and Rajasthan did not meet the criteria for according special category status, while such proposal from Bihar was under consideration.“I am waiting what recommendations the committee set up by the government gives and the action the Centre takes on it,” Kumar said. The union government has recently set up a committee to

decide fresh criteria for backwardness of the state as prelude to decide the proposal for special category status.


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