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Vol No: XXII Issue No. 119 22.05.2017 (Monday) Daily Jammu Tawi Price ` 2/- Pages-12 Regd. No. JK|306|2017-19

INSI

DE 3

BJP has lost confidence of bothRural and Urban populace: Harsh

Accusing the BJP -PDP Govt. ofdivesting the rural and far flung areasof their due share of developmentalgrants, Harsh Dev Singh expressedgrave concern ....

4 5'Govt committed to bring quality inEducation'

The government of Jammu andKashmir is committed to bringreforms in education sector andefforts are on with some policyinitiatives to achieve ...

Ganga inaugurates developmentalworks

Minister for Industries andCommerce, Chander Parkash Gangatoday inaugurated various roadupgradation works in different areasof Vijaypur Assembly ...

Date Min Temp Max Temp Weather

22-May 26.0 35.0 Generally cloudy sky23-May 26.0 37.0 Partly cloudy sky24-May 26.0 38.0 Partly cloudy sky

3 DAY'S FORECAST SRINAGARDate Min Temp Max Temp Weather22-May 12.0 23.0 Generally cloudy sky withLight rain23-May 12.0 26.0 Generally cloudy sky withpossibility of rain or Thunderstorm or Duststorm24-May 11.0 25.0 Generally cloudy sky withLight rain

3 FORECAST JAMMU

Centre to enact lawon triple talaqBENGALURU, MAY 21

Based on the SupremeCourt direction which isholding hearings on TripleTalaq, the NDAgovernment wouldrespond positively basedon the popular positiveopinion of the Muslimcommunity, UnionMinister Venkaiah Naidutoday said.Speaking on the trickyissue amid debate andcourt hearing, P2

IN BRIEF

northlinesthe

Present Govt has nopolicy on Kashmir, saysCong Policy Group

SRINAGAR, MAY 21

Congress party’s ‘policyplanning group’ held itsfirst meeting in New Delhiunder the chairmanship offormer Prime Minister DrManmohan Singh and“expressed concern” onthe prevailing in theKashmir valley.Congress state president GA Mir told KNS that thefirst “introductorymeeting” in which all themembers put forward theirpoint of view. P2

NL CORRESPONDENTNEW YORK/NEW DELHI, MAY 21

A number of large foreign funds,managing trillions of dollars ofinvestor assets globally, haveflagged 'persisting religiousconflicts' and 'Kashmir dispute' aspotential risks to their investmentsin India, saying such "tensions"could destabilise the Indianeconomy.PMorgan, one of the largestwealth managers in the worldwith asset under management ofover USD 1.7 trillion, alone hasflagged these "religious andborder disputes" regardinginvestments in India in at leasteight regulatory filings made byits various funds so far this

month.Besides, a number of other funds,including the India Fund managedby Aberdeen Asset Managementwhich has over USD 380 billionof assets under management, havelisted similar "risks" in theirregulatory filings made with theUS Securities and ExchangeCommission (SEC).Other such funds include EatonVance Greater India Fund,Mathews International Funds,Alps Funds (Financial InvestorsTrust), Franklin TempletonInternational Trust, Global XFunds and iShares Trust(managed by BlackRock FundAdvisors).Besides, Wasatch Funds Trust,Arthur J Gallagher & Co and

Causeway Capital ManagementTrust have also flagged similarconcerns.Similar concerns have beenflagged by a few funds regardingPakistan also.When contacted, senior officialsat some of these funds and otherexperts said such 'risk factors'follow a generic pattern inregulatory filings by variouscompanies and investors and notmuch should be read into them,but they admitted that religiousconflicts and Kashmir disputeremain an overhang.They refused to be named citingregulatory issues and due to"sensitivities" involved in suchmatters.While cross-border tension

continues in Kashmir region, theIndian government has beentrying to send across a positivemessage to the world and somesaw hosting of the GST Councilmeeting in Srinagar last week as astep in that direction.In a filing made by JPMorganTrust II on May 18, the fund said,"Political and economic structuresin India are undergoingsignificant evolution and rapiddevelopment, and may lack thesocial, political and economicstability characteristic of the US."It further said, "Religious andborder disputes persist in India.Moreover, India has from time totime experienced civil unrest andhostilities with neighbouringcountries such as Pakistan. The

Indian government hasconfronted separatist movementsin several Indian states."The longstanding dispute withPakistan over the borderingIndian state of Jammu andKashmir, a majority of whosepopulation is Muslim, remainsunresolved. If the Indiangovernment is unable to controlthe violence and disruptionassociated with these tensions, theresults could destabilise theeconomy and consequently,adversely affect the Fund'sinvestments."Similar filings have been madethis month by funds likeJPMorgan Trust I, JP MorganExchange Traded Fund Trust, JPMorgan Mutual Fund Investment

Trust and JP Morgan InsuranceTrust.A few US-listed Indian and India-focussed companies have alsomade similar observations in theirfilings during 2017. These includeHDFC Bank, Cognizant, CancerGenetics, WNS Holdings,Genpact and MoneyOnMobileInc.In the 'risk factors' listed in one ofits regulatory filings, HDFC Banksaid the risks to its financialresults would include "instabilityor uncertainty in India and theother countries… Caused by anyfactor including terrorist attacksin India, the US or elsewhere…"The other risk factors listed byHDFC Bank include "tensionsbetween India P2

Foreign funds flag Kashmir dispute, religious strife as 'risks' to India investments

NL CORRESPONDENTNEW DELHI, MAY 21

The Election Commissionwhile not favouring statefunding of elections hassought radical changes inthe way funds are beingspent by political parties.The Election Commissionhad told a ParliamentaryCommittee on Law andPersonnel that it was not infavour of state funding as itwould be unable to prohibitor keep a check on thecandidates' ownexpenditures or theexpenditures of others overand above that which was

provided by the state.Putting its view in front ofthe Parliamentary panel, theEC said that for addressingthe real issue, radicalchanges were needed inprovisions pertaining toreceipt of funds by politicalparties and the manner inwhich such funds werespent by them so that itprovided completetransparency.The issue of electoralreform has got a new focusof late with focus on havinga corruption-free policysince the run-up to the lastLok Sabha elections.Since then P2

EC not in favour of statefunding of elections

NL CORRESPONDENTNEW DELHI, MAY 21

The Minister of State inPrime Minister, JitendraSingh has taken a queuefrom the vision of late PrimeMinister, Mrs. IndiraGandhi for declining talkswith the separatists inKashmir. Minister wasreplying a question of anyproposal of talks withHurriyat as being the

stakeholder. As long as the HurriyatConference supports terrorand separatism, thegovernment would not holdany reconciliatory dialoguewith them, Jitendra Singhsaid on Sunday."Our agenda of alliance inJammu and Kashmir saysthat we will talk tostakeholders. But who arethe stakeholders.Asked if Hurriyat is a

stakeholder, Singh said,"Hurriyat too (is astakeholder). But, why onlyHurriyat?"He added that till theHurriyat 'supports' terrorand separatism, thegovernment will not talk totheir leaders.Singh invoked former PrimeMinister Indira Gandhi indefending his government'sdecision not to talk toHurriyat.

"You can't shake hands withsomeone who has clenchedfist. This is not me who saysthis. Indira Gandhi had saidthis," she was quoted assaying.He said the Kashmiri youthwant "progress" and notviolence.Jitendra Singh droppedenough hint on a "secondsurgical strike" against thePoK terrorists, saying therewould P2

Minister invokes Indira Gandhi's vision on refusingtalks with separatists, drops hints on 2nd surgical strike

NL CORRESPONDENTJAMMU TAWI, MAY 21

Jammu for India held aseminar on the topicBetrayal of Jammu heretoday. The situation in thestate was discussedthreadbare during theseminar. Panelists were ofthe unanimous opinion thatIndian political class overthe years weakened Hindusand nationalists forces in thestate in order to appease theMuslim communalseparatists class. This realityhas created a situation whenJammu is under assault from

all sides particularly facing ademographic invasion whichhas to be stopped forthwith.The panelists unanimouslysaid that Kashmir Jihad hasto be defeated though Indianleaders betrayed Jammu butJammu will never betrayIndian Nation.The panelists whoparticipated in the seminarwere Ex-DGP MMKhajooria, Bar AssociationJammu President B SSalathia, Ex-Minister &MLA Pawan Gupta, PanunKashmir Chairman Dr. AjayChrungoo, Panun KashmirConvenor Dr. Agnishekhar

and Advocate AnkurSharma. Prof Hari Om,Convenor JFI presided overthe seminar. The programmewas conducted byShailender Aima. Eminent

citizens from all walks oflife participated.In his keynote addressAnkur Sharma, Advocateemphasized upon thedangers of the demographic

assault being made on theHindu majority Jammuregion. He said that thedemographic change ofJammu is being broughtabout by a multi-pronged

strategy which includes wellfunded campaign ofpurchase of land, Fraudulentallotments of the Forest andState land through theRoshni Act, Settlement ofIllegal Rohingya andBangladeshi Muslims,induced Muslim Migrationfrom Kashmir andfraudulent CensusOperations. Ankur Sharma described thedemographic invasion ofJammu as a war likesituation and urged thecitizens of Jammu to rise upand get ready for anysacrifice to P2

Indian leaders betrayed Jammu, 'Jihad' to be defeated: JFIBJP has abandoned people of Jammu who gave it the mandate: Pawan

NL CORRESPONDENTSRINAGAR, MAY 21

Army on Sunday killed fourmilitants in Jammu andKashmir's Kupwara districtafter battling them for 36

hours. After battling infiltrators forover 36 hours, the Army onSunday killed four militantsin Jammu and Kashmir'sKupwara district, officialssaid, adding that three

soldiers were also martyred.Defence sources said theongoing operation started onSaturday against a group ofmilitants who were trying tosneak into the Indian side atthe Line of Control inNowgam sector, an armyspokesperson said.Two militants were killed onSunday while one soldieralso died in the operationwhich lasted for more than36 hours. On Saturday, twosoldiers and two militantswere killed in the operation."The sanitisation operationis on along the LoC," theofficial said adding that fourweapons and other war-likestores had been recoveredfrom the encounter site.Yesterday, it P2

3 jawans, 4 terroristskilled during gun battle

NL CORRESPONDENT

SRINAGAR, MAY 21

An NIA team, whichreached here on Saturday toprobe into the allegedfunding by Pakistan forillegal activities in Kashmir,on Sunday resumed theirinterrogation of separatistsleaders.The sleuths from theNational InvestigationAgency (NIA) further

questioned separatist leadersFarooq Ahmed Dar aliasBitta Karate and Gazi JavedBaba in the case, a newsagency reported.The NIA had on Saturdaybegan its probe intoallegations of funding byPakistan to separatists inKashmir, a long-heldassertion by Indianintelligence now 'confessed'by a Hurriyat leader in asting.

The sleuths from the NIAquizzed Hurriyat leaders foralleged "subversive acts inKashmir with funds fromPakistan-based LeT terrorgroup," PTI reported.Those who were beingquestioned include FarooqAhmed Dar, alias BittaKarate, and Gazi JavedBaba.Saturday's developmentcomes after the HurriyatConference P2

NIA resumes questioning ofseparatist leaders on Pak funding

NL CORRESPONDENTPELLING (SIKKIM), MAY 21

"Kashmir is ours, Kashmirisare ours and Kashmiriyat isalso ours," Union HomeMinister Rajnath Singh saidon Sunday, asserting that theModi government will find a"permanent solution" to theKashmir problem.The home minister'sassertion came amid

continued unrest in theKashmir valley.Addressing a publicreception in Pelling in thistiny northeastern state,Singh accused Pakistan oftrying to "destabilise" Indiaby fomenting trouble inKashmir."But I want to tell all of youthat our government willfind a permanent solution tothe Kashmir issue," he said,

without elaborating.Rajnath Singh said heads of

government of allneighbouring countries,including Pakistan, wereinvited to the swearing-inceremony of the Modigovernment in 2014 in anindication that India wantedfriendly relations with them.However, he deplored, therewas no change in the"attitude" of Pakistan whichwanted to "destabilise"India."We hope that Pakistan willchange. If it does notchange, we will have tochange them. Afterglobalisation, one countrycan't destabilise anothercountry as the internationalcommunity will not forgetit," he said. P2

Kashmir and Kashmiris are ours; willfind permanent solution: Rajnath

NL CORRESPONDENT

NEW DELHI, MAY 21

BJP president Amit Shah onSunday said the problem inJammu and Kashmir wasnot widespread but centredaround just "three and a halfdistricts" in the Valley.Addressing an Aaj TakEditors round-table onPrime Minister NarendraModi's completion of threeyears in office, Shah said theBJP government wasmaking every effort to bringpeace to the Kashmir Valley,which has been on the boilfor the past many weeks."The problem in Kashmir isa problem of three and a halfdistricts," Shah said,apparently referring to twosouth Kashmir districts andSrinagar where violent anti-

government protests havebeen rampant.The situation has worseneddue to protests by collegeand school students inSrinagar and southern partsof Kashmir.Shah said the Kashmir issuewas not just six months oldbut has been lingering onsince decades. He blamedthe previous Congressgovernment for causing theproblem but didn'telaborate."(The) Kashmir problememerged because of theCongress. We (the Modigovernment) have beentaking steps to win hearts(of Kashmiris)," he said.Shah recalled how Modireached Kashmir "beforethe (then) Chief Minister",Omar Abdullah, P2

Kashmir problem centred aroundjust 3 valley districts: BJP

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3 jawans, 4 terroristskilled during gun battle

was reported that two terrorists were killed and two soldierslost their lives during the gun battle."#JKOps Two terrorists attempting infiltration in NaogamSect, Kashmir eliminated. Two soldiers martyred inongoing op @adgpi," Indian Army's Northern Commandtweeted.This came after Defence Minister Arun Jaitley's meetingwith the senior commanders and troops at a forward postalong the Line of Control (LoC), where he reviewed thesecurity situation.He said that Armed Forces were fully prepared to deal withthe militants coming from across the Valley.

Kashmir and Kashmiris are ours; willfind permanent solution: Rajnath

The home minister is on a three-day visit to Sikkim duringwhich he attended a conference of Himalayan states toreview the security situation and development activitiesalong the Sino-Indian border.He also visited the Nathu La border post, besides a fewposts of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police and SSB along theSino-India and Indo-Nepal border respectively.

Indian leaders betrayed Jammu,'Jihad' to be defeated: JFI

protect their land, culture and heritage. He said that Govtconnivance in the demographic invasion of Jammu thoughbaffling is the most sinister dimension of the presentinstability in the State. He said we are under attack fromPakistan, Islamists and unfortunately by our Govt in theState and Centre. Sh. MM Khajooria, Ex-DGP said while describing thesecurity situation in the state, we meet here today at acritical juncture in the history of our state. How we come togrips with the gravest ever challenge to the integrity andunity of the country will determine our fate both as residentsof J&K and citizens of the great Indian democraticRepublic. It is sad but true that the governments in Delhiand Srinagar have miserably failed to comprehend thecontours and contents of the Wahabi terrorist challenge inKashmir and are complicit in compromising the integrity ofJammu region, frustrating the aspiration of its people andfacilitating the nefarious designs of anti-national elementsto subvert peace, harmony and communal amity preservedat tremendous cost." How did we come to this pass? Asked Khajuria adding thatthe governments at the Centre and the State facilitated thisto happen by legitimising the flying of ISIS flags forgettingthat these were not mere pieces of cloth but symbols of themost poisonous, brutal and dangerous Wahabi/ Salafiterrorist ideology."More significantly, for over two year the Indian State wasperceived to be on retreat in Kashmir. Indian Army, itsstrong arm the ultimate instrument for asserting the stateauthority was systematically demonized."Government of India abetted this crime against the Nationby acts of commission and omission. The destruction ofArmy Bunkers in Handwara with fanfare in the presence ofthe Army Chief and a Minister of BJP quota proved to bethe watershed. The space so vacated was named as PeacePark amidst Anti-India and Anti-army slogans,As if operational constraint on our men in uniform were notenough, they now face the certainty of being hauled up incourts through registration of FIRs and consequent traumaof facing trials in courts located in J&K. Has anyonebothered to consider the psychotically stressed andemotionally traumatize this prospect subjects the men facedwith the choice between killing and getting killed? TheParliament should take notice of the implications of thisformulation and pass appropriate legislation to makecomplaints against security forces during operationexclusively triable under the Army Act. In the meanwhile, Iwould suggest like in corruption cases all complaintsagainst men on field duty should be subjected to a thoroughPreliminary inquiry the conclusion whereof shoulddetermine whether a formal FIR is to be lodged or Not.Kashmir separatists and the political elite on the one hand,

virtually question the very political status of Jammu andKashmir vis-à-vis India and, on the other, seeks to hampercounter-terrorist operations in the restive Jammu andKashmir State.In this connection BAJ has decided to intervene in an SLPin the Apex Court by Kashmir Bar Association and notallow anybody to create legal confusion and utilize rightsguaranteed by the Constitution of India to further separatistsand fundamentalist agenda. Sh. B S Salathia assured that BAJ is committed to protectthe national interest as well as interest of the people ofJammu and will be ready for any sacrifice to safeguard thesame. Ex-Minister and MLA Pawan Gupta said that it should beamply clear to the Government of India that its presentpolicy on Jammu and Kashmir has failed out-rightly and thestate is facing a malicious, communal and seditiousmovement. Gupta said it is the colossal tragedy that BJP haschosen to abandon people of Jammu who gave it such ahuge mandate and enabled it to form a Govt in the State.The recruitments in the State during the BJP-PDP ruleclearly demonstrate that Jammu has been marginalized fromall recruitment processes. Not only that the entiredevelopmental process in the state has transformed into anoverwhelmingly Kashmir Centric process. Nobodyexpected such an enslavement of the people of Jammuduring the BJP rule.He said that the multifarious challenges to the people livingin Jammu has to be met by a unanimous resolve from thepeople living in Jammu region. They have no option but tofight it out.Dr. Agnishekhar said that the Pan-Islamic fundamentalismhas unleashed a war in the State at many levels. The Stategovernment has virtually facilitated the takeover ofKashmir by the Islamo-fascist forces. At the same time awell designed Muslim demographic invasion of Jammu isgoing on unabated. The tile has come when all of us have torise as one people to defeat this war waged on Hindus andother minorities of the State. Jammu is the battle groundwhere fate of India will be decided. Dr. Ajay Chrungoo said that betrayal of Jammu is infact thebetrayal of Hindus and also India by the successive Govtswhich have ruled the state since 1947. These Govtsfacilitated the Islamists war which started immediately afterstate acceded to India. The stuffing of Constituent Assemblyby the supporters of National Conference in the early daysof the Constitution formation earmarked the beginning ofthe Great Game of betrayal unleashed by the Political classof India. The long list of betrayals was justified by manyamongst us in the name of strategy, tactics and politics tofurther national interests. This was a blunder ofunderstanding. BJP rule in Delhi and the State has nowenabled us to see not only what Muslim separatists aredoing but also how Indian political class is hell bent uponcompromising us to reach a deal with Pakistan andseparatists. Seven Million Hindu, Sikhs, Budhists hold thekey to the defeat of Muslim separatism in the State only ifwe rise as a people and tell New Delhi that we are not adoormat nor are we sandbags or Yes Men. We will decideWhat are the National Interests in the State and we have notgiven any attorney to Govt of India to decide our fate.Prof Hari Om in his presidential address said that betrayalof the Nation in Jammu has been the work of the vision ofIndian political class. It created a "Muslim State of Jammuand Kashmir" and described it as a Secular paradise. It ismy firm view after analyzing the History of India as well asits politics that Indian politicians which includes the topbrass of all the political parties did not allow Indian State toevolve as a normal State to guarantee the growth andprogress of the Nation. It transformed the State into aninstrument to keep India disunited, weak and always eagerfor a compromise with Muslim and other expansionistforces. What is happening in Kashmir is a glaring exampleof the abnormality of the State of India which is ever eagerto accommodate the enemies of the Nation, empower themand at the same time weaken and marginalize the patriots."We are fighting a battle in Jammu which has far reachingimplications. We have to fight it alone and let the Nationjoin us because in case this does not happen, India mayperish.

Kashmir problem centred aroundjust 3 valley districts: BJP

reached out to people when a disastrous flood hit the Valleyin September 2014.The BJP chief said the security forces were maintainingstrict vigil on the situation in the state and checking cross-

border infiltration of militants from Pakistan.He said the Modi government had "made more efforts toimprove relationships with Pakistan than any othergovernment". BJP national president Amit Shah had earlier declared in nouncertain terms that "the abrogation of Article 370 is notnecessary for a solution to the Kashmir crisis", a reversegear to the core issue of the BJP since its Jan Sangh dayswhen it fought for "one flag, one head of the state and oneConstitution" for all the states in the union.Article 370 of the Indian Constitution that grants specialstatus to Jammu and Kashmir is not a hurdle in the country'srelationship with the Himalayan state and holding of talksfor a solution to the Kashmir crisis.

Foreign funds flag Kashmir dispute, religiousstrife as 'risks' to India investments

and Pakistan related to the Kashmir region or between Indiaand China, military armament or social unrest in any part ofIndia", among various other political and economic risks.Political system stable in India, but religious conflictsremain overhangIn its SEC filing, Eaton Vance Greater India Fund saidIndian population is comprised of diverse religious andlinguistic groups, but despite this diversity, India has "oneof the more stable political systems among the world'sdeveloping nations"."However, periodic sectarian conflict among India'sreligious and linguistic groups could adversely affect Indianbusinesses, temporarily halting work of institutions, orundermine or distract from government efforts to liberalisethe Indian economy".In its filing, Matthews International Funds also said thatreligious and border disputes persist in India and escalatingtensions between India and Pakistan could impact thebroader region.MoneyMobile also talked abut the Kashmir disputeremaining unresolved and the potential risks to itsbusinesses."Also, India has seen an increase in politically motivatedinsurgencies and a fairly active communist following. Anyhostilities or civil unrest could adversely influence theIndian economy and, as a result, negatively affectbusinesses," it added.Cancer Genetics said a portion of its assets and operationsare in India and we are subject to regulatory, economic,political and other uncertainties in India.The India Fund said India's economic development hasexceeded forecast with faster growth than China's, but"heightened tensions with Pakistan over Kashmir, Trump'sUS presidential election victory and the Fed's increasedhawkishness for 2017 also roiled investor sentiment".IT major Cognizant, which has a substantial portion of its

assets and operations in India, said in one of its SEC filingsthat the potential for hostilities between India and Pakistan"has been high in light of tensions related to recent terroristincidents in India and the unsettled nature of the regionalgeopolitical environment, including events in and related toAfghanistan, Iraq and Syria".Genpact said Southern Asia has, from time to time,experienced instances of civil unrest and hostilities amongneighbouring countries, including India and Pakistan.

Minister invokes Indira Gandhi's vision on refusing talkswith separatists, drops hints on 2nd surgical strike

"definitely be a decisive action" but the government won'treveal plan in advance.Asked if the government would do something concrete inregard to cross-border terrorism, he reportedly replied inaffirmative."We will not tell you what we are going to do," Singh wasquoted as saying at India Today Editors' Roundtableconference."The security agencies will do whatever is required. You

will see the results yourself," India Today quoted him assaying.Rejecting the observation that people of Kashmir werealienated, Singh said, on the contrary, the youth of Kashmirtoday is much more closely connected with mainstreamIndia than ever before."Just three days back, 68,000 boys and girls came out for700 vacancies in the Jammu and Kashmir Police."This is a reflection of their choice. This shows that theywant to progress and engagement with them is on," thereport quoted Singh as saying.

Centre to enact law on triple talaq

he said the Government was clear in its stand that thispractice (Triple Talaq) should end.In such a scenario the Union Government will bring alegislation, but after allowing the community to a positiveconclusion after internal deliberations, Mr Naidu said.Speaking after inaugurating the statue of M S Ramaiah,industrialist and philanthropist, Mr Naidu said Muslims,just like Hindus had brought to an end social evils in theirlives and triple talaq can also end the interest of the women."We have been bogged down by dowry, sati, child marriage.Similarly, triple talaq, which is against the interest ofwomen, should end. But it will depend on popular notion ofall section of these people," he said.He said Muslim women also have taken legal course and thematter is being heard in the Supreme Court.

"This has nothing to do with religion but genderdiscrimination and justice, and hence the community shouldgiving proper response to it," the Minister said.

NIA resumes questioning ofseparatist leaders on Pak funding

suspended Naeem Khan from the organisation after heallegedly confessed to receiving money from Pakistan andLeT for Kashmir unrest.Khan was allegedly heard admitting in a TV sting operationthat he had received money from Pakistan to create unrestin the Valley.He, however, claimed that the sting operation was fake anddoctored.After the video surfaced, the NIA registered a preliminaryprobe against Khan, Tehreek-e-Hurriyat leader Gazi JavedBaba and Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front (R) chairmanFarooq Ahmed Dar.Khan alleged the government is using the media to suppresshis voice and said he is ready to face the probe.

EC not in favour of statefunding of elections

the issue of criminalisation of politics and including theprocess of election and the corruption involved in thefunding of political parties has almost been a subject ofcontinuous national debate.

Present Govt has no policy onKashmir, says Cong Policy Group

"All the members were heard by the chairman of the group,former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. The primeconcern was expressed about the prevailing situation inJammu and Kashmir. The main agenda of the policy groupwill be discussed and finalized in the next meeting," Mirtold KNS.Mir said that the initiatives and roadmap which our partyhad started during UPA-led government were comparedwith the present government."The present government has no policy on Kashmir," hesaid."During our government, students were safe both inside andoutside Kashmir; tourism was on peak and going wellsmoothly, development schemes were implemented. OnKashmir, Working groups were formed and interlocutorswere sent to Kashmir," Mir said."This government (BJP) has destroyed all those initiatives,"he said.The group, headed by Manmohan Singh, was constituted byparty chief Sonia Gandhi after senior leader Tariq HameedKarra urged the party high command to take concrete stepsregarding the resolution of Kashmir issue.The group comprising nine leaders, including Singh hasbeen constituted with the aim to hold dialogue with allstakeholders and help in peace building.Besides Manmohan Singh, other eight leaders in the groupare senior Congress leader and Rajya Sabha member KaranSingh, former Finance Minister P Chidambaram, Leader ofOpposition in Rajya Sabha, Ghulam Nabi Azad, GeneralSecretary of AICC, Ambika Soni, JKPCC Chief, GhulamAhmad Mir, Senior Congress leader, Nawang Rigzin Jora,Senior Congress leader and former MP, Tariq HameedKarra, and senior Congress leader, Shyam Lal Sharma.However, Chidambaram could not attend the meeting as hewas busy in Chennai, Mir said.

FROM PAGE 1

2 CITY the northlinesJammu | Monday | May| 22 | 2017

JAMMU TAWI, MAY 20

The High Court of J&K in a

contempt proceedings filed

against the non-compliance of

its order passed on

03.05.2017 in OWP 632/17

titled Smt Shashi Thakur Vs

State of J&K directing the

DGP, J&K Police to take

appropriate action and

provide police protection to

the petitioner within three

days from the date of receipt

of her representation.

The petitioner has approached

the High Court for non-

compliance of its direction

and sought contempt

proceedings against the DGP.

The HC has issued notice of

appearance of DGP in person

or through his attorney on

22.05.2017

HC orders DGP's appearancein contempt case JAMMU, MAY 21

In brazen violation J&KRight to Information Act2009, the Principal GGMScience College, Jammu Mr.Ajeet Angral, the designatedPublic Information Officeris virtually sitting over anRTI application dated 07-04-2017 filed by Prof S.K.Bhalla, a resident of RehariColony, Jammu.As per communication no.

HE/ RTI/ 2016/188 dated27-04-2017, theCommissioner/ Secretary toGovt of J&K HigherEducation Departmentinstituted Mr. Angral toprovide information directlyto the applicant within thestipulated under anintimation to his office as theRTI was originallyaddressed toCommissioner/Secretary.When contacted Prof. Bhalla

expressed his anguish on thewillful delay on the part ofdelinquent Principal who hesaid is totally averse to themandate of RTI Act. Hecategorically informed thathe plans to approach theHigher EducationDepartment for institution ofdisciplinary proceedingagainst the principal who isalways lax in disposal ofRTI matters as per pastexperience on being

inquired by this paper. Aboutthe content component ofRTI, Prof Bhalla informedthat application veered roundthe record/establishment ofGGM Science College andthe Principal as usual wouldsuppress the facts as long ashe can. Anyhow the applicantis all set to register his protestwith the high-ups so that theothers who are similarlysituated are notinconvenienced in future.

Science College Principal dumps RTI matter in dustbin

3 STATE the northlinesJammu | Monday | May 22 | 2017

OFFICE OF THE EXECUTIVE ENGINEER, PWD (R&B) DIVISION

UDHAMPURNOTICE INVITING TENDER

Fresh E-NIT No. 25 Dated;- 18-05-2017

For and on behalf of Governor of J&K State, Tenders are invited by the Executive EngineerPWD(R&B) Division Udhampur, by e-tendering mode on item rate basis from approved andeligible contractors registered with J&K State Govt. /CPWD / MES and Railways for thefollowing work.

RELEVANT INFORMATION1 Position of A.A Submitted 2. Position of T.S U/P3. Position of funds Demanded 4. Position of land --

1. Bid documents can be seen at and downloaded from the website www.jktenders.gov.in Biddocuments contain qualifying criteria for bidder, specifications, bill of quantities, conditionsand other details.2. The site for the work is available

S. N

o

Name of Work Name of

Division

Cost of

docume

nt (In Rs )

Earnest Money

(In Rs)

Validity

period of

contract

Time and

date of

opening of

tender

Class of

Contractor

1.

Day to Day Maintenance to the Electrical Works of PWD (R&B) Div. Udhampur at.:- 1. D.C Office Complex Udhampur

2. Court Complex Udhampur. (2nd time)

PWD (R&B)

Division

Udhampur

600/- 20000/- 31-03-2018

30-05-

2017

“A” Class Electric

Contractor

2.

Day to Day Maintenance to the Electrical Works of PWD (R&B) Div. Udhampur at.:- All residential buildings including Judiciary

residential buildings. (2nd time)

PWD (R&B)

Division

Udhampur

600/- 20000/- 31-03-2018

30-05-

2017

“A” Class Electric

Contractor

3.

Day to Day Maintenance to the Electrical Works of PWD (R&B) Div. Udhampur at.:- All PWD buildings including Dak Bunglows, Inspection Huts / Offices / Schools / Degree College

if any (2nd time)

PWD (R&B)

Division

Udhampur

600/- 20000/- 31-03-2018

30-05-

2017

“A” Class Electric

Contractor

4.

Day to Day Maintenance to the Electrical Works of PWD (R&B) Div. Udhampur at.:-

All PWD residential qtrs. (2nd time)

PWD (R&B)

Division

Udhampur

600/- 20000/- 31-03-2018

30-05-

2017

“A” Class Electric

Contractor

No.;- 3057-76Dated.;-18-05-2017

DIP/J-1264/17

Sd/-Executive Engineer

PWD (R&B) DivisionUdhampur

Date of publishing of Notice Inviting Bid Date 20-05-2017

Period of downloading Tender Documents :- From Date 20-05-2017 ; Time 900 Hrs

To Date 29-05-2017 ; Upto 1800 Hrs

Period of Receiving Bids Date 20-05-2017 ; Time 900 Hrs

To Date 29-05-2017 ; Upto 1800 Hrs

Time and date for opening Technical

Bid/Bids

Date 30-05-2017 ; Time 1200 Hours

Time and Date of opening Financial Bid Opened after opening of technical bids in any

convenient date & time

Place of opening Bids Office of the Executive Engineer , PWD

(R&B) Division, Udhampur .

Time and Date of submission of original documents

On or before Date 30-05-2017; Upto 1200 Hrs

Bid validity 90 days

Officer Inviting Bids Er. Mohd Abdullah

Designation: Executive Engineer

Address :- Executive Engineer PWD (R&B) Division

Udhampur

A high level meeting was held

between the office bearers of

SKUAST- Teaching Association

Jammu (SKUAST-TAJ) in which the

association discuss the issue

regarding the change in the name of

only farm and professional varsity of

Jammu Division. President SKUAST-

TAJ, Dr. Vikas Sharma informed that

agricultural universities in our

neighboring States have been

established in the name of the State

itself like Punjab Agricultural

University (PAU) - Ludhiana,

Haryana Agricultural University

(HAU)- Hisar, Himachal Pradesh

Krishi Vishwavidyalaya (HPKV) -

Palampur and even University of

Jammu has its own identity, so on the

same pattern Agricultural Universityof Jammu should be named as Jammu

Agricultural University (JAU). "This

name is easily pronounced and easily

identified at national / global level as

the common name of two varsities in

J&K (SKUAST-J & SKUAST-K)

creating a lot of controversy and

confusions among the masses" said

TAJ President Dr. Vikas. He stressed

that farming community, civil society

and intellectual belongs to Jammu

region have the opinion that their

identity is suppressed by prefixing the

name Sher-e-Kashmir before

Agricultural University of Jammu and

they have high aspirations that they

shall be identified by the name that

itself represents all the cultures and

values prevailing in their Jammu

region.

Meanwhile, president TAJ has

constituted a four member committee

with Dr. Vinod Gupta as chairman to

prepare a detailed report regarding

the subject and actively take up the

issue with the concerned quarter

(s).The meeting was attended by Dr.

P.K. Rai , Dr. Devinder Sharma, Dr.

Rajeev Bharat.

SKUAST-TAJ holds meeting, projects demand for JAUNL CorrespondentJammu Tawi, May 21

Voice for Rights-Non-

Governmental Organisation

(NGO) today formally

launched Jammu and

Kashmir's first helpline 'Dial

for Protection', here at Amar

Singh Club. Minister of

Social Welfare-Sajjad Gani

Lone was the chief guest on

the occasion, while as

Divisional Commissioner

Jammu-MK Bhandari was

the guest of honour. While

unveiling the number-

18001800304, minister for

Social Welfare-Sajad Gani

Lone said that it is indeed a

great initiative and social

work needs compassion. "It

is a great pleasure to be here

for the inauguration of this

project. This particular NGO

approached me and I found it

very good initiative," Lone

said and added that

involvement of NGOs in

rectifying and fighting

against social issues is

indeed a good sign.He said that across the world

people are suffering from

human rights, especially

child rights.

Earlier, in her welcome

address, Chairperson, Voice

for Rights-Advocate

Deepika Singh Rajawat

welcomed the guests on the

inaugural function. Giving

details about the project,

Deepika said that 'Dial for

Protection' would start its

work from Jammu province

and eventually will venture

into other parts of the State.

Congratulating the team of

voice for rights, Divisional

Commissioner Jammu-MK

Bhandari assured complete

support from the

administration. In this

regard, registrar Jammu

University, Keshav Sharma

said that such initiatives

bring substantial and

constructive change in the

society. Advocate, Sheikh

Shakeel Ahmed-Trustee

Voice for Rights, said he is

thankful to all for sparing

time for this event.

Compeering was done by

Sonakshi. Others present on

the occasion included SP

HQ-RC Kotwal, BJP district

president-Baldev, PDP

leader-Amrik Singh Reen,

Jammu and Kashmir High

Court Bar Association

president-Sr Advocate BS

Salathia, Ranbir Singh

(founder member PDP),

Harjeet Singh Bali, Avinash

Gupta, Kailash, major

Harnam Singh-joint

Chairman Sainik

Cooperative House building

society and Gurvinder

Singh. (KNS)

NGO launches 'Dial for Protection' helplineNL CorrespondentJammu Tawi, May 21

Deputy Chief Minister, Dr.

Nirmal Singh today said

that the government is

working towards planned

and systematic

development of the state

and numerous initiatives

are being taken in this

regard, adding that

providing basic amenities

to the people is high on the

agenda of current

dispensation.

Speaking at a public

grievances redressal camp

today at Shyama Prasad

Mookherjee Bhawan , Dr

Nirmal said all out efforts

are being made to provide

better road connectivity,

clean drinking water,

uninterrupted electricity

supply and upgraded

educational and health

infrastructure to the people

of the State.

Dr. Nirmal Singh said that

Central Government led by

PM Modi as well as State

BJP-PDP Government is

keen to work for the

development of nation and

the State. Several

deputations from Doda,

Samba, Reasi, Kathua,

Rajouri, Jammu, Kargil and

other parts of the Jammu

Province apprised the

Deputy CM about their

problems mostly pertaining

to roads, water and power

supply, irrigation, drainage,

health and education,

development of tourist

spots, upgradation of power

i n f r a s t r u c t u r e

regularization of PDD, PHE

daily wagers and Kargil

porter's.

Giving a patient hearing to

the deputations, Dr Singh

assured the public of early

redressal of their issues and

directed the officers to take

speedy action on the same.

He also addressed many of

the grievances put forth by

the public on the spot while

directing the officers for

redressal of remaining

issues at the earliest.

Public grievancesredressal camp held

NL CorrespondentJammu Tawi, May 21

Accusing the BJP -PDP

Govt. of divesting the rural

and far flung areas of their

due share of developmental

grants, Harsh Dev Singh

expressed grave concern

over the pathetic

developmental scenario in

the such areas. He was

addressing several public

meetings during his tour of

Majua and Rassain Villages

of Ramnagar Constituency.

Charging the govt. and the

incumbent leadership for

gross neglect of remote

areas, he lamented that

various flagship schemes

launched in the past for

development and uplift men

of the rural poor had totally

collapsed with people fast

losing confidence in the

present dispensation. He

regretted that not only had

the newly announced

schemes failed to take off

but the already existing

schemes had also become

defunct with the govt. and its

ministers totally unaware of

the rural woes. Making a

particular mention of

Ramnagar constituency,

Singh said that not only was

the condition of roads

deplorable, but the people

were facing the worst

nightmares due to chaotic

power supply, ration shortage

and drinking water crises in

the constituency. He

expressed his dismay over the

complaints of several villages

who named certain officers

refusing to restore their water

and power connections

without the recommendation

of MLA. Lampooning the

BJP for its timidity and

subterfuge, he said that there

was no need now for it to

camouflage its intent as the

people had recognized its real

face behind its deceptive

facades and would give it a

befitting reply at the

appropriate time. Prominent

among others who spoke

during the rallies included Pt.

Shiv Ram, Dev Singh,

Sandoor Singh, Charan Dass,

Jagdish Singh, Sham Lal,

Pushpinder Singh, Jasbir

Singh, Sushil Sharma, Sunil

Singh, Arun Dev Singh,

Khem Raj, Krishan Lal,

Ashok Malkan, Vinod

Sharma, Mohinder Kumar,

Rakesh Singh Bandral, Vicky,

Darshan Singh, Sudesh Singh.

BJP has lost confidence of bothRural and Urban populace: Harsh

NL CorrespondentRamnagar, May 21

Rich Tributes were paid to

former Prime Minister Rajiv

Gandhi on his 26th

Martyrdom today, in a

function held at PCC HQ

Shaheedi Chowk Jammu

which was presided over by

President JKPCC G.A. Mir

and attended by senior

functionaries of PCC,DCC

and frontal organizations.

Prominent among them

include Mula Ram, Raman

Bhalla, Jahangir Mir,

Ravinder Sharma, Rajnesh

Sharma, Yogesh Sawhney,

Shabir Ahmed Khan,

Vikram Malhotra, Indu

pawar, Anil Chopra, Naresh

Gupta- MLC, Shiv Dev

Singh, B.S. Sambyal, Hari

Singh Chib, Hira Lal

Pandita, M.K. Bhardwaj,

Kuldeep Verma, While

paying floral tributes JKPCC

Chief described Rajiv

Gandhi as a Visionary

Leader who prepared the

country and the youth of the

nation for the challenges of

the 21st century in the world.

He introduced the I.T

revolution in the country as a

result India has immerged as

leader in the field of I.T and

Computer in the world and

the youth of this country got

the maximum jobs

opportunities in this field

within and outside the

country. He said that

Panchayat Raj in the country

and lowering of age for

voting rights from 21st years

to 18 years is the result of

Rajiv Gandhi's Vision. He

strengthened democracy at

the grass root level in the

country with greater

participation of women,

youth, SCs, STs, OBCs and

transferred power to the

people. He asked the party

leaders and grass root

workers to highlight the

great achievements of the

party amongst the people

and to expose the falsehood

and propaganda of the BJP.

He said that congress is

committed to maintain the

unity and integrity of the

country and religious

brotherhood for which our

leaders have given supreme

sacrifices. Several other

Senior leaders paid rich

tributes to the leader and

described him as the

Architect of 21st century

India because his initiatives

in bringing IT revolution,

Panchayat Raj System and

greater involvement of youth

in democracy.

Congress observes 26th deathanniversary of Rajiv Gandhi

NL CorrespondentJammu Tawi, May 21

Minister for Health & Medical Education,

Bali Bhagat today inaugurated one-day

Blood Donation Camp organized by the

Sant Nirankari Mission in association with

the Blood Transfusion Department,

Government Medical College, Jammu at

Nirankari Bhawan, Domana today.

The Sant Nirankari Mission, which is a

large social organization with world-wide

network of its branches, organizes blood

donation camps, free medical camps, eye

camps and other social activities round the

year across the country and large number of

poor patients avail benefits out of these

events. The Mission also extends helping

hands to the poor and destitute for their

livelihood and better living. In today's

camp, more than 150 volunteers from

across Jammu division participated in the

camp and donated blood.

Speaking on the occasion, the Minister

lauded the philanthropic initiatives of the

Mission, saying that the organization is

doing yeoman's service for the mankind

during the past over three decades by

organizing free medical camps, blood

donation camps and other social events. He

said the organization has set a unique

example of donating more than 8 lakh units

of blood till date and saved numerous

human lives, for which the other such

organizations will take inspiration and

come forward to contribute in the social

services. He appealed the youth to

generously donate blood for saving the

precious lives.

Urging the social and religious

organizations to make collective efforts in

bringing reforms in the society, the Minister

said that the social evils like dowry, drug

addiction, and female feticide are spreading

fast, which need to be weeded out to ensure

a prosperous and progressive future.

Awareness prog

on PMFBY organized JAMMU, May 20

Agriculture Sub Division Akhnoor organised awareness

campaign of Pradhanmantri Fasal Bima Yojna (PMFBY) at

Akhnoor and Maira Manderian Blocks of the Sub Division

wherein SDAO Som Nath Sharma and Area Manager

Reliance General Sharad Kumar aware the participating

largely attended progressive farmers of the blocks. The

farmers also interacted with the resource persons and there

were threadbare discussion about the issues contained

within the ambit of the flagship scheme which has unique

features comprising of only 2 percent premium on notified

crops such as paddy and maize in the notified area i.e.

block level. Farmers have shown enthusiastic approach

and opted for adopting the scheme for the betterment of

their own so that atleast cost of cultivation involved can be

obtained to some extent under the preview of the scheme

depending on the extent of damage recommended by the

panel of experts comprising of Agriculture department

Reliance general and farmer itself.

Birth anniversary of

Maharishi Yogi celebratedJammu, May 21

Brahmin Sabha Parade on Sunday celebrated 20th birthanniversary of Maharishi Yogi with a big fare here theother day during which a Dhyan Shivir was organised atBrahmin Sabha Parade in his memory. Maharishi Yogiwho is one of the foremost teachers of meditation wasremembered and his teachings were also discussed in theshivir. Maharishi began teaching meditation in 1955 andsince then his meditation practice is being practiced by anestimated 5 million people all over the world. In heraddress the principal of Maharishi Vidhya Mandir SeniorSecondary School run by Brahmin Sabha emphasized onthe importance of transcendal meditation and yoga addingthe dhyan practiced by Maharishi Yogi Ji opens the mindto new awareness to the indefinite reservoir of energy,creativity and intelligence among the people. Sheinformed that within this year Maharishi Shiksha Sansthanwill organized one thousand dhyan and yoga shivirs atdifferent places to pay homage to his holiness MaharishiYogi Ji. A number of speakers addressed the gathering onthe occasion and resolved to spread the messages ofMaharishi Yogi through such dhayn and yoga shivirs.

Blood Donation Camp inauguratedNL CorrespondentJammu Tawi, May 21

MLA Udhampur Pawan

Kumar Gupta on Sunday

started black topping of Jib

Padanoo and Manmella link

Roads taken up under

PMGSY.

Speaking on the occasion,

Gupta said that upgradation

of the link roads will go a

long way in mitigating

problem of the people to a

great extent. He divulged

that large scale other

developmental works in

Udhampur Constituency are

on anvil. Gupta further

divulged that he is

committed to fulfill the

commitments made by him

in phased manner and will

leave no stone unturned to

launch sustained

developmental activities in

such a manner that

Udhampur is made a model

constituency. On the

occasion the populace of the

area brought into notice of

the MLA the scarcity of

potable drinking water and

problem of electricity. He

issued on the spot

instructions to the

functionaries of the

concerned departments to

take immediate necessary

steps for making available

basic amenities to the

people. Others who were

present during the occasion

including Rohit Sethi,

Shashi Sharma, Charanjeet

Singh, Sandeep Khajuria,

Rajinder Sharma, Madan

Lal, Subaah Sharma, Gopal

Dass, AEE PHE Ashok and

JE PHE Joginder Jandial.

MLA kick-starts blacktopping workNL CorrespondentUdhampur, May 21

4 HILL DISTRICT the northlinesJammu | Monday | May 22 | 2017

NL Correspondent

RAMBAN, May 21

Social Welfare Assosation Banihal

(SWAB) on organised a debate

competition on negative effects of

mobile phones and internet in

Banihal, today.

In the programme students, parents

and prominent citizens of Banihal

participated.

During the occasion Sub Divisional

Magistrate (SDM) Banihal Vikas

Verma was the cheif guest whereas

SDPO Banihal Deeraj Singh Katoch,

SHO Banihal Afzal Wani, Imam

Jamia Masjid Eid Gah Mufti

Khursheed and members of SWAB

was present.

Speakers including students of

different schools through detailed

light on the selected topic negative

effects of use of mobile phones and

internet.

While throwing light on the topic they

said everything has its positive and

negative effects.

They highlighted the effects of use of

mobile phones and internet especially

for the teenagers.

They appealed the parents to keep eye

on their children while using the

mobile phones.

Speakers said that many of the parents

are not aware about their teenage

children who are using mobile phones

and their future instead of brightness

going towards darkness.

The students of different schools

participated in function in which

Maymoona Shakeel student of

Alam ashah Convent Institute got first

prize, Fiyaka Asalam student of Iqra

English medium Gund got second and

Tashiqa Nisar of New Convent

Institute got third prize in the debate.

Speakers lauded the role of members

of SWAB for organising such type

functions in the area and stressed upon

them to organize such kinds of

functions for the general awareness.

During the function member of the

association Manzoor Ahmed Wani

was the stage sectatry and lecture

Manzoor Ahmed Kamgar paid vote of

thanks where Tazeem Wani given

detailed introductions of the

association and their works in past.

Later prizes and certificates were also

distributed among the participated

students.

Debate on negative effects of mobilephones, internet organized

The government of Jammu

and Kashmir is committed to

bring reforms in education

sector and efforts are on

with some policy initiatives

to achieve excellence in

education sector.

This was stated by Minister

of State for Education, Priya

Sethi while addressing a

Seminar on 'Need of

Reforms in Education

Sector' here today which

was organized by All

Jammu, Kashmir and

Ladakh Teachers Federation

under the aegis of Akhil

Bhartiya Rashtriya

Shaikshik Mahasangh.

Pardeep Sharma, Member

Legislative Council was the

guest of honor on the

occasion. Apart from

Deputy Commissioner,

Mohammad Harun &

Additional Deputy

C o m m i s s i o n e r ,

Gurvinderjeet Singh, the

seminar was attended by

Chief Education Officer and

Principals, teachers and

educationists of the district.

Speaking on the occasion

the Minister appreciated the

efforts of district

administration in achieving

desirable targets in creating

requisite school

infrastructure and improving

performance of schools in

the district in academics.

The speakers on the

occasion stressed on

overhauling of education

departments so that

education system grooms up

and remains child centric.

Speakers also presented the

need of reorganization in the

district model under

education department as

single post of Chief

Education Officer in the

district, they felt , remains

overburdened with both

academic and administrative

activities. Creation of

additional post of Chief

Education Officer in the

district will not only reduce

the burden but the

department will function

smoothly, they reckoned.

The speakers stressed on the

need of provisional of

trainings for newly

appointed teachers,

lecturers, masters, and

DDO's with focus on

primary education and

accountability of DDo's and

Education Officers.

The Minister said that the

Jammu and Kashmir state is

blessed with immense

potential as the state has

produced numerous

dynamic statesmen,

scientists and writers, who

have earned recognition

worldwide The Minister

said that government will

soon come up with

corrective measures and

structural changes to address

the feeling of dejection

among teaching community.

Earlier Deputy

Commissioner, Mohammad

Harun presented a brief

account of achievements of

Education Department of the

district.

'Govt committed to bring quality in Education'NL CorrespondentPoonch, May 21

Shri Mata Vaishno Devi

Shrine Board organised an

awareness programme on

solid waste management as

part of continuing initiatives

being taken by the Board for

capacity building of its staff.

The topics which came

under discussion during the

workshop included

segregation of waste at

source, source waste

processing by bulk waste

generators, awareness on

duties of waste generators in

the light of Solid Waste

Management Rules and

other related rules.

Area Heads, Sanitation

Supervisors and other

sanitation staff of the Board

participated in the workshop.

Anuradha, Scientist, In-

charge MSW, J&K State

Pollution Control Board,

Jammu, in her expert and

detailed presentation dwelt

on the methods of waste

minimisation, segregation,

handling and storage and

spoke about various aspects

of the solid waste

management.

This was followed by live

demonstrations and hands-

on training regarding

segregation of biodegradable

and non-biodegradable

waste, making of compost

pits and how to prepare

organic manure from

biodegradable waste as well

as various other aspects of

solid waste management.

Earlier, Dr. Arvind Karwani,

Dy. CEO of the Shrine

Board, spoke about the aims

and objectives of organising

this training workshop. He

added that the Board has

been regularly organising

training programmes for

building the capacities of its

staff in different spheres.

He also referred to the

various measures which are

being taken by the Shrine

Board for solid and waste

water management in a

scientific manner for

ensuring sanitation and

cleanliness all along the

track and in the shrine area.

Minister for Revenue, Relief

& Rehabilitation, Abdul

Rehman Veeri, today said

that Government is

committed for creation of

assets of public importance

on priority basis in the state.

He was speaking to people

and officials during a day-

long tour of Anantnag

district to review the pace of

work on various

developmental projects.

Veeri inspected the ongoing

work at Trauma Hospital

Bijbehara and reviewed the

progress achieved so far. The

Minister fixed November as

the deadline for the

completion of this vital

project aimed to minimising

deaths occurring due to road

mishaps.

The Minister also reviewed

the status of Shopping

Arcade being constructed in

Bijbehara at a cost of Rs 4.76

crore. To augment the road

network in Anantnag district,

the Minister directed the

engineers to speed up the

process of macadamization

in the district particularly in

Marhama and Srigufwara

area.

The Minister also visited

ANM nursing College

Akoora which is coming up

at a cost of Rs 2.30 crores

and under construction

building of PHC Akoora.

The Minister directed the

officials to complete the

Nursing College by 20th of

August 2017.

Veeri also sought details on

the status of work on PHC

Veer, PHC Khiram, PHC

Marhama and other works of

public importance in the

area.

The Minister also visited

Mattan Hospital and

enquired about the various

healthcare facilities available

in the hospital. He directed

the engineers to start

macadamization of roads in

hospital premises at the

earliest.

SMVDSB organises workshopon solid waste managementNL CorrespondentKatra, May 21

'Creation of assets of publicimportance Govt's priority'

NL CorrespondentAnantang, May 21

The Chenab Valley Power

Projects Limited (CVPP)

Kishtwar today held an

interactive training session

on Good Environmental

Practices for the Pakal Dul

Hydro Electric Power

Project employees. The

training session was

organized in association

with the district office of the

State Pollution Control

Board (SPCB) Doda.

While interacting with the

participants, District

Officer, SPCB Doda,

Kuldeep Bhan, spoke about

various guidelines and rules

of pollution control and

waste management. He

provided detailed

suggestions about various

activities that the project

management could

undertake to control

pollution and manage waste

at various locations of the

1000 MW power project.

Highlighting the need for

awareness about good

environmental practices, the

District Officer also

underlined the threats to

environmental degradation

on account of pollution and

unregulated waste disposal

by the society. He said that

environmental protection is

everyone's duty including

that of employees.

Chief Engineer (Civil), B L

Aswal, also addressed the

session and called upon the

employees to strictly follow

guidelines and rules on

pollution and waste

management so that the

project sets an example of

compliance and

environment friendliness.

Awareness session for Pakal Dul

Project employees organizedNL CorrespondentDoda, May 21

MLA sanctions 100desks for GHS

MENDHAR, May 20

Member Legislative Assembly Mendhar, Javed Rana

today conducted an extensive tour of Sangiot and other

villages of Balakote tehsil of Mendhar constituency.

The MLA was apprised of the problems being faced by

the people and they mostly pertained to shortage of

drinking water and poor electricity supply. Addressing

the meeting, MLA referred to the delay in work on

PMGSY road of Sangiote and said it is the cause of

concern. He said that officers claimed that funds have

been exhausted while the road is still incomplete. The

MLA claimed that more funds worth Rs 40 lakh would

be provided so that this road is completed without

more delay. He said while blacktopping of road has

already completed, the remaining stretch will be

completed at the earliest in second phase," the MLA

said. Rana further claimed that the sanction of funds

to the tune of Rs 1.50 crore stand made by department

for water supply scheme of the area and he was

following the case seriously. It is hoped that the work

on this scheme will start within few weeks. After

problem of shortage of sitting infrastructure in

Government High School, Sangiot raised by local

population, MLA announced that 100 desks will be

provided from his CDF in the school.

Arrangements for KheerBhawani Mela reviewed

SRINAGAR, May 20

The president of J&K Dharmarth Trust, BR Kundal,

today reviewed the arrangements for the celebration of

Kheer Bhawani Mela, which begins on June 1.

Speaking at a review meeting, Kundal asked the office

bearers and employees of the Trust to put in place the

necessary mechanism and synergize their efforts for

smooth conduct of Kheer Bhawani Mela at Tulmul this

year. He said that coordinated efforts and cooperation

is required for providing all the required facilities to

the devotees during the Mela. "We should all

coordinate our efforts to ensure successful completion

of the event, as it holds a great place in our socio

religious ethos", he added. He informed that through a

separate communication he had urged upon the

Ganderbal district administration to ensure that un-

interrupted supply of power, water and essential items

are provided to the devotees besides ensuring the

safety and security of the devotees. He said adequate

number of blankets should also be kept in the place for

those staying overnight and the requisite sanitation

measures should also be undertaken. The meeting also

discussed all other arrangements including decoration,

langar and sanitation facilities and it was assured that

every effort would be made to make this Mela smooth,

successful and safe.

DM penalizes 25 vehicles,

gifts helmetsREASI, MAY 20

To control the menace of road accidents, mishaps, negligent

driving and ensuring adherence of traffic rules, District

M a g i s t r a t e ,

Ravinder Kumar

today conducted

surprise checking

at Sulla and

penalized 25

vehicles.

The District

Magistrate gifted

helmets to those

who were riding without helmets and uniforms to the

drivers of public transport vehicles who were not wearing

the same.

The vehicles of under-age drivers and those without proper

documents were seized on the spot.

District Magistrate issued strict instructions to the drivers

for compliance of traffic rules and asked them to ensure safe

driving.

Additional Superintendent of Police, Sanjay Singh Rana,

Tehsildar Reasi, Rajesh Attri and other officers assisted the

District Magistrate during checking.

Minister for Sheep

Husbandry and Fisheries,

Abdul Ghani Kohli, today

visited Baramulla and

chaired an officers meeting

to review progress of various

developmental works in the

district.

District Development

Commissioner Baramulla Dr

Nasir Ahmad Naqash,

Superintendent Engineer

R&B, SSP Baramulla, JD

Planning, CMO, ACD, ACR,

CAHO and other officers

from various departments

were present in the meeting.

During the meeting, Kohli

took comprehensive account

of major works being

executed by various

departments in the district.

He urged

the officers to gear up the

pace of ongoing works. He

directed the concerned to

personally monitor the

progress of ongoing

developmental works on

regular basis to ensure their

timely completion so the

people are benefited from

these projects.

Kohli also impressed the

officers to put in every

possible effort to ensure

availability of all the basic

facilities to the people of the

district.

Meanwhile, the Minister

directed for ensuring

proportional increase in the

number of sheep and Animal

Husbandry units in the

district. He said owing to the

area and large population of

livestock it requires

enhancement in related

infrastructure for better

outcome and dividends from

this sector.

He called for infusion of

modern technology in the

sector supplemented by

action based research for

further development and

consequential gains for all,

making livestock more

important and employment

generating sector, aiding

economy and thereby

general welfare.

Minister reviews developmental works NL CorrespondentBaramulla, May 21

AFS organizessummer camp

Udhampur, May 21

A summer camp was organised by Air Force Station, Udhampur

from 14 May to 20 May 2017 at Udhampur. A total of 70 campers

pan India participated in the camp with great zeal. A total of 22

adventure activities were conducted in and around Udhampur with

the support of Army & BSF. The day full of activities were

conducted during the camp such as Para Sailing, Powered Hand

Gliding, Rapelling, Rock Climbing, Zorbing, Trekking, Night

Route March, Cycling, Archery, Rifle Shooting, Obstacles and

many more. Campers were familiarised with C-130 J aircraft, Mi

17 V5, Cheetah and Chetak helicopters and various weapons.

Aircraft roles such as Slithering and Winching were also displayed

to the campers. On the final day of the camp, campers had put up

a cultural evening followed by prize distribution. Prizes for most

disciplined camper, team leader, and little champ, best in cultural

and best syndicate were awarded.

5 KATHUA the northlinesJammu | Monday | May 22 | 2017

OFFICE OF THE EXECUTIVE ENGINEER PHE DIVISION RAJOURINOTICE INVITING TENDER

e- NIT No: 05 of 2017-18 dated 19-05-2017For & on behalf of the Governor of Jammu & Kashmir State. The Executive Engineer PHEDivision Rajouri, as his representative invites tenders by e-tendering mode from approved andeligible contractors registered with J&K State Govt./CPWD/MES for the following work.

1. Date of Publication: Dated: 19-05-2017 at 1800 Hrs.2. The tender can be downloaded from J&K Govt. website www.jktenders.gov.in from Dated:20-05-2017 to 02-06-2017upto 1600 Hrs.3. The bid shall be deposited in electronic format on J&K Govt. website www.jktenders.gov.infrom 20-05-2017 time 1000 hrs to 02-06-2017 upto1600 hrs.

In case of the amount of the bid offered by the bidder is less by 15% or more thebidder has to deposited additional security of 5% of the bid amount in the shape of CDR/FDRpledged to the Executive Engineer PHE Rajouri by submitting the hard copies in the office.Sd/-Technical OfficerToExecutive EngineerPHE Division Rajouri

S. No

Name of Work

Name of Division.

Estimated Cost

( in lacs)

Cost of documen

t (In Rs )

Earnest Money @2%

(` in Rs.)

Time Allowed

for completio

n

Time and date of

opening of tender

Class of Contrac

tor

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 1. Providing and laying of

G.I. Pipe gravity main and distribution system of different dia at MohraKhetar under WSS Delhari.

PHE Division Rajouri

3.703

600/-

7410-00

30 Days

05-06-2017 (1400 Hrs.)

ABCD

2. Providing and laying of rising main 65mm dia medium from Dug Well stage zero at Samote to 10,000 glns capacity GSR stage I at MohraKachail under WSS ShahpurDewan.

PHE Division Rajouri

9.703

600/-

19400-00

30 Days

05-06-2017 (1400 Hrs.)

ABCD

3. Providing and laying of G.I. Pipe gravity main and distribution system of different dia at Mohra Lower ChakliBajNambal under WSS Kanthol.

PHE Division Rajouri

8.652

600/-

17300-00

30 Days

05-06-2017 (1400 Hrs.)

ABCD

4. Providing and laying of G.I. Pipe gravity main and distribution system of different dia at Mohra Upper TharaBaglaW.No. 08 under WSS Larkuti

PHE Division Rajouri

1.32

600/-

2640-00

30 Days

05-06-2017 (1400 Hrs.)

ABCD

No: PHER/425-51Dt: 19-05-2017DIP/J-1271/17

Sd/-(Er.N.H.KHAN)

Executive EngineerPHE Division Rajouri

In the court of Ld DistrictMobile Magistrate, Kathua

Present: Sh.Munish Kumar Manhas.

Purshotam Lal S/oSh.Som Raj R/o Chak Sardar DesaSingh,Tehsil and District Kathua, (J&K)(Petitioner)

V/SChief Medical officer,(Registrar of birth & Deaths) Kathua.(Respondent)In the matter of:-Petition U/s 13(3) of registration ofBirth/Death Act, seeking direction to CMO Kathua Registrarof birth & Deaths to register the date of birth of petitioner'sson namely Varun Kumar.

* Notice*Whereas petitioner has field the above titled petition in thiscourt for issuing direction to Chief medical officer Kathuaregarding registration of date of birth of petitioner's sonnamely Varun Kumar S/o Sh.Purshtam Lal and Smt.KamleshKumari R/o Chak Sardar Desa Singh,Tehsil and DistrictKathua, (J&K),born on 16-10-2012 at home Chak SardarDesa Singh,Tehsil and District Kathua, And through themedium of this proclamation, general public is informed thatany person/s has/have to the same, in that event he/she/theyshall file objection before this court on or before 06-06-2017, failing which appropriate order shall passed. Take noticethat in case the date fixed is declared holiday, the matter shallbe taken in the next working day.

Sub Judge/ Special Mobile Magistrate, Kathua

In the court of Ld Special MobileMagistrate/ Sub-Judge, Kathua

Present: Sunil Sangra.

Sheela Devi W/o Late Sh.Muni Lal R/oW.No.3,Changran,Tehsil and District Kathua, (J&K)(Petitioner)

V/SChief Medical officer,(Registrar of birth & Deaths) Kathua.(Respondent)In the matter of:-Petition U/s 13(3) of registration ofBirth/Death Act, seeking direction to CMO Kathua Registrarof birth & Deaths to register the date of death ofpetitioner'sHusband namely Muni Lal.

* Notice*Whereas petitioner has field the above titled petition in thiscourt for issuing direction to Chief medical officer Kathuaregarding registration of death particulars of thepetitioner'sHusband namely Muni Lal S/o Punjabo Ram R/oW.No.3,Changran,Tehsil and District Kathua,died on 14-01-2001 at home W.No.3,Changran,Tehsil and District Kathua,(J&K) And through the medium of this proclamation, generalpublic is informed that any person/s has/have to the same, inthat event he/she/they shall file objection before this court onor before 29-05-2017 , failing which appropriate order shallpassed. Take notice that in case the date fixed is declaredholiday, the matter shall be taken in the next working day.

Sub Judge/ Special Mobile Magistrate, Kathua

NoticeI, Lalit Gupta S/o Sh. Janak Raj Gupta R/o Ward no.02Kathua, Tehsil and District Kathua, going for the correctionof my name which has been wrongly written as LalitMahajan instead of Lalit Gupta in my school records.Objection, if any, may be conveyed to concerned authoritywithin 7 days from the publication of this notice.

NoticeI, SukhDev S/o Sh. Raj Kumar R/o Govindsar, Tehsil andDistrict Kathua, have lost my driving license bearing regd.no.20891/L/2002. Now, I am applying for the duplicate ofthe same. Objection, if any, may be conveyed to concernedauthority within 7 days from the publication of this notice.

NoticeI, Sansar Chand S/o Sh.Amar Nath R/o Patti, Samba, havesold my Tata Sumo bearing regd. no. JK08A-3724 to BarjeshKumar S/o Sh. Man Singh R/o Ungaie Paddar, Tehsil PaddarDistt.Kishtwar. Now I am applying for the transfer of RC.Objection, if any, may be conveyed to concerned authoritywithin 7 days from the publication of this notice.

NoticeI, Hassan Din S/o Mehar Din R/o Changran,Tehsil andDistrict Kathua, have lost my driving license bearingregd. no. JK0820140325. Now, I am applying for theduplicate of the same. Objection, if any, may be conveyedto RTO Kathua within 7 days.

NoticeI, Shubam Vaid S/o Sh. Arun Kumar R/o Ward no.14 SawanChak Kathua, have lost my driving license bearing regd. no.JK0820150043832. Now, I am applying for the duplicate ofthe same. Objection, if any, may be conveyed to concernedauthority within 7 days from the publication of this notice.

Prabhu

Prabhu

Prabhu

Prabhu

Prabhu

Prabhu

Prabhu

To commemorate the 26th deathanniversary of former Prime MinisterRajiv Gandhi, District Congresscommittee organized a function atKathua under the leadership of DistrictCongress Committee President FormerMLC Subash Gupta, on Sunday. Whilepaying tributes to Rajiv Gandhi,Subash Gupta described Rajiv Gandhias a great Statesman and a visionaryleader, and remembered hiscontributions for the country whosacrificed his life like his mother IndiraGandhi for the sake of Nation. He saidthat the Congress party and Nehru-Gandhi Family has a history ofsacrifices for the Unity and integrity ofthe nation. Recalling Rajiv Gandhi asarchitect of 21st Century digital Indiaas the country has emerged as leader inthe world in the IT and Computer erabecause of his vision.Subash Gupta said that in order toobserve the late prime minister's deathanniversary Congress will launch asignature campaign demanding 33 %reservation of seats for women in all

Assembly and Parliamentary elections.Subash Gupta also lashed at thepolitical vendetta of the BJP and ModiGovernment against the Congress partyand its leadership by misleading thepeople by twisting facts and history butasserted that they are day dreaming asCongress party is still strong enough tocounter the propaganda and wouldstage a comeback in future.He said that the three years of ModiGovernment has failed to fulfill asingle slogan and promise and it isexposed on its false hood. He askedpeople to reject the policies ofexploitation and hatred of BJP and

strengthen the secular and progressivepolitics of Congress.Municipal Council Ex-PresidentNaresh Sharma, Retired SP RattanChand Karotra, General SecretaryDCC Kathua Narinder Khajuria, DCCVice President S P Chandel, MohinderSharma, President Youth Congress LokSabha Pankaj Sharma, Mulkh RajSharma, Tarsem Lal, Karan Bhagat,Anant Ram Dogra, Master SatpalSharma, Murari Lal, Ashok Kumar,Parveen Kumar, Ajeet Chander,Parvesh Sharma, Sharda Devi, BalKrishan and many other activistsmarked their presence on the occasion.

Tributes paid to Rajiv Gandhi on death anniversary NL CorrespondentKathua, May 21

BJP MLA from Kathua RajivJasrotia today said that he isdetermined to carry forwardthe agenda of equitabledevelopment in every nookand corner of Kathuaconstituency. "We areworking with a commitment.Administration at all levelhas been sensitized to reachout to people in all theregions to respond to theirrequirements anddevelopment needs. Govthas made public interactionessential feature in the day-to-day functions of officialsso that they are properlyposted with public demandsand grievances for earlyresponse," he said. "Thecoalition government iscommitted to fulfill itspromises made to people ondevelopment front andstrengthen the economic

profile of the state besidesbringing in visibleimprovement in publicservice delivery system. This was stated by MLA Kathuawhile addressing publicgathering after inauguratingKathua Kalibari Road toHatli Morh at the cost of Rs2.95 crore, Jarai BhagthaliRoad to Chambe-Da-Bagh atRs 24 lacs, black topping ofroad from OSK to Bole-Da-Band at Rs 90 lacs a part of4.83 crores project which isnear completion makingtotal cost 408 lacs. Whileaddressing the gathering,MLA said that presentGovernment is fullyconscious of the problems ofthe people of State and willleave no stone unturned toalleviate these problems.Govt is making concertedefforts to provideaccountable and transparentgovernance to the people and

various developmentalinitiatives are underway toprovide better amenities tothe people. He appealedyouth to come forward andavail the benefits of self-employment schemeslaunched by the State andCentral Governments. Heasked them to strengthen thehands of Govt to ensureprosperous future of thestate. MLA cautioned thepeople against the politicalgroups, which are bent uponto divide the people onreligious, caste and regionallines. He appealed commonmasses to supplement govt'sefforts of ensuring overallgrowth of the State.Describing public

participation as a potent toolin socio-economictransformation of an area,the MLA appealed thepeople to extend completecooperation to thegovernment in achieving thegoal of progressed andprosperous state. He said thatpeace is imperative foroverall development of theState adding that we allshould strive hard and put incollective efforts in thisregard. Due to unrest in thevalley during the past fewmonths the developmentprocess received a huge setback which needs to berecovered by redoubling ourendeavors at all levels, headded.

MLA kick-starts dev workNL CorrespondentKathua, May 21

4 employees suspendedfor unauthorized absence

Kathua, May 20District Development Commissioner Kathua RameshKumar conducted surprise check of various governmentoffices in Hirangar Sub-division today. DDC visited offices of CDPO, PHE Mechanical & Civil, EO Municipality, SDH Hirangar, Sub Centre Chakda,Govt. Higher Secondary School Chakda and checked theattendance and found 12 employees unauthorized absentfrom duties. Taking strong note of the absenteeism, DDC immediatelysuspended 4 absentee employees and sought explanationof 8 other employees and with held their salary withimmediate effect.Earlier DDC held a review of land acquisition and awardcases pertaining to various development works in SubDivision Office Hiranagar and directed SDM Hirangar tospeed up the acquisition work. In his visit DDC also interacted with peoples of border

villages and listened to their problems which were mainlyrelated to improving basic amenities. He passeddirections to the tehsil officers of line and worksdepartment to immediate address the projected issues bythe border peoples.

Jammu Sanskriti SchoolKathua organized a trip ofclass 4th to 9th students to

Jasrota. Almost 123 studentsvisited this Jasrota WildlifeSanctuary accompanied byteacher concerned . PrincipalShuchita Gupta alsoaccompanied the studentsand briefed them about the

historical value of the place.She told them that Kathua district has one wildlifesanctuary at Jasrota with anarea of 10.04sq.kms. The

sanctuary has wild animalslike leopards, deer, wildbear and snakes. Thesanctuary derives its namefrom the Historic JasrotaFort.

The Jasrota wildlifesanctuary is about to get anew lease of life. The ForestDepartment is all set torevive it as a major tourist

destination and reinvigorateits pristine glory byproviding state of the arttourist facilities withoutdisturbing its ecologicalbalance.

JSS organizes trip to Wildlife SanctuaryNL CorrespondentKathua, May 21

3 bovinesmugglers heldKathua, May 21Continuing its driveagainst bovinesmuggling, Police partyof P/S Kathua led byInspector Anil KumarSharma, SHO PS Kathuaand Sub-InspectorVerinder Singh, I/CPolice Post Hatli underthe supervision of Dy. SPHqrs. S.S. Sambyal andoverall supervision ofMohd. SulemanChoudhary SSP Kathua,arrested three bovinesmugglers namely ShabirAhmed S/o Shafi R/oMaggar Khad, Surmu Din@ Biru S/o Ali HussainR/o Lakhanpur, MaskeenAli @ Miku S/o Mohd.Yosuf R/o Ward No. 12Kathua who werekingpins and involved inseries of bovinesmuggling cases andabsconding since last fewmonths. They oftenmanaged to escape manytimes from the clutchesof Police by taking theadvantage of darkness.

3 drug peddlers heldKathua, May 21In continuation to drive launched by the District PoliceKathua to nab the drug peddlers, Police Party of PoliceStation Kathua, recovered 33.40 gms of Heroin and arrestedthree person on Saturday. The arrested drug peddler hasbeen identified as Mohd. Hussain S/o Abdul Gani R/oBhatpura Tehsil & District Shopian, Parvinder Singh @Goni S/o Gurmeet Singh R/o Ward no. 9 Kathua andMukesh Sharma @ Happy S/o Romesh Chand R/o Ward no.12 Kathua. Police spokesman said, "Police party of PoliceStation Kathua acting on specific information laid down anaka at Dream Land Park, Kathua intercepted threepedestrian, during their personal search, 33.40 grams ofHeroin recovered from their possession. After questioningthe drug peddler disclosed that the consignment in questionis meant for sale among the youth of the area."Policearrested the Peddlers and seized the recovered material. Theconsignment was recovered by a team of Inspector AnilKumar Sharma SHO P/S Kathua, under the supervision ofDy. SP Headquarter S.S Sambyal, overall supervision ofMohd. Suleman Choudhary SSP Kathua. A case FIRNo.154/2017 u/s 8/21/22 NDPS Act stands registered at P/SKathua and investigation is set into motion. "District Policeis committed to provide a drug free society to the people ofDistrict and continue the endeavour to wipe out the menaceof drug society," SSP Kathua said.

Man crushed todeath by train

Kathua, May 21A 68-year-old man waskilled on Saturday afterbeing run over by a train inKathua. According to apolice spokesperson, atabout 2.00 Pm somebodyinformed the Railway policethat a crushed male bodywas lying on the railwaynear Hatli road railwaycrossing.On getting information apolice team of GRP Kathuareached the spot and shiftedthe body of the deceased toGovernment DistrictHospital, Kathua. Thedeceased was identified asSomdut, a resident Ward no.9, Kathua.A case in thisconnection has beenregistered at police stationGRP Kathua andinvestigations started.

Minister for Industries andCommerce, ChanderParkash Ganga todayinaugurated various roadupgradation works indifferent areas of VijaypurAssembly constituency. TheMinister was accompaniedby Xen PWD, TehsildarRamgarh and officials fromPHE and PDD departments.The Minister also kickstarted blacktopping of GhoBrahmana-Raika Labana andRaika Labana-Bandralroads. The 10 km roadstretch under city and Townroad scheme is beingexecuted by PWD with anestimated cost of Rs 2.5crore. Besides, road

protection works at Khadgaland blacktopping at SukhaniTallab worth Rs 10 lakh eachwere also kick-started. TheMinister said that improvedroad connectivity in theseareas will boost the localeconomy besides ensuringroad safety. Meanwhile,several deputations called onthe Minister and apprised of

various issues pertaining totheir areas and sought hisintervention for redressal ofthe same. Later, the Ministeralong with MLA Samba, DrDevinder Kumar Manyalparticipated in MaharanaPartap Jayanti celebrationorganized by Dharm JagranSabha and Amar KshatriyaRajput Sabha.

Ganga inaugurates developmental works NL CorrespondentGanga, May 21

Brig Anil Gupta

The recent events in Kashmir havemade it amply clear that the sloganof "Azadi" by Kashmiri Muslims

was only a façade to keep under wraps thereal motive of establishment of an "Islamic State" inKashmir. Much against the popular belief the fact is thatPan-Islamisation is not a recent phenomenon in Kashmir.Under the Dogra rule, Jammu & Kashmir was the mostsecular state in Princely India wherein Hindus, Muslims,Sikhs and Buddhists all practising different faiths livedtogether peacefully. In pursuance of its agenda Anglo-Muslim alliance wanted to destabilise the Maharaja ofJammu & Kashmir, Mahrajdhiraj Hari Singh, who hadopenly challenged the propriety of continued British Rulein India at the Round Table Conference held in London.Buoyed by their successful policy of "Divide and Rule" inthe British India, the British conspired to encourage Muslimuprising against the Maharaja. In Abdul Qadeer KhanGhazi, a Pathan, they found the perfect collaborator theywere looking for.The Kashmiris then were generally peace loving andsubmerged in Sufi Islam that preached co-existence,inclusivity, tolerance and multilateralism. Pan- Islamismwas introduced in the Kashmiri society in 1931 by AbdulQadeer Khan who appeared suddenly in a street meeting inSrinagar where Sheikh Abdullah, a Kashmiri Muslim, wasalso present. Abdul Qadeer Khan, a non-Kashmiri was thefollower of Islamic ideologue Maulana Jamaludin Afghani.The main goal of Syed Jamaluddin Afghani was to unite theIslamic world under a single caliph. Abdul Qadeer Khanwas highly radicalised who through his skilful oratoryaroused the peace loving Kashmiris against the Maharajaand the air reverberated with the slogan of Allah o Akbar.He urged the crowd to unite for the sake of Islam. SheikhAbdullah who was vying at that time to assume the mantleof the leader of Kashmiri struggle was quick to grab theidea. In his speech, in the Jamia Masjid, Srinagar on the10th of July, 1931 Sheikh Abdullah had said that "MaulanaAbdul Qadeer Khan Ghazi has been prosecuted for thecause of Islam and for the Kashmiri Muslims. He asked thepeople to pray for his acquittal and show completesolidarity with him." In his another speech, he had asked theKashmiri Muslim to prepare themselves for sacrifices forthe sake of Islam. Thus, Sheikh Abdullah became the flag -bearer of Pan Islamisation in Kashmir, much before thearrival of Wahabism, the seeds of which had been sowed byAbdul Qadeer. At the same time, Sheikh Abdullah alsoemerged undisputed leader of the Kashmiri Muslims. Hispolitical party National Confernce formed in 1938 alsofollowed the ideology of exclusivity in as much as it lookeddown upon non-Kashmiri Muslims like the PunjabiMuslims, Paharis, Shias, Gujjars, Bakkerwals and DograMuslims along with the other minorities.Sheikh succeeded in fulfilling his ambition, with active

support from Jawahar Lal Nehru, in ensuring exile of theMaharaja after the accession of the State with India and heassuming absolute powers as Prime Minister of J&K. Hecontinued to harbour the idea of converting J&K from asecular State to a Muslim state. To blackmail his bosses inDelhi, he began hobnobbing with Pakistan, successor of theideology of Anglo-Muslim Alliance, whose evil intent ofannexation of Kashmir by hook or crook had become amplyevident by now. In his recent book, Mission R & AW,former senior Research & Analysis Wing official RK Yadavhas explained Sheikh Abdullah's questionable conduct andpolicies. Yadav refers to the agitation by the Praja Parishadin 1952-53 for complete integration of the State with theIndian Union on the basis of one Constitution. He writes,"Sheikh Abdullah tried to use this agitation as an excuse tostall his previous commitment of accession to India in all

fairness. He openly challenged India's secularism on thisincident and put forward an argument that the integration ofJammu and Kashmir and particularly of the Kashmir valleyand certain adjoining parts which had Muslim majority withHindu India would not be in the interest of the Muslims ofKashmir." Sheikh started showing his true colour and hisgrowing closeness with Pakistan forced New Delhi todismiss him and order his arrest on charges of treason. Formation of Jamat -e Islami- Kashmir (JEIK) in 1953which was closer to Jamat-e-Islami- Pakistan than Jamat-e-Islami- Hind was the first attempt of Pakistan of directinterference in Kashmir with aim of Islamisation in the garbof freedom or "Azadi." The constitution of JEIK is based onthe principle of "Ikmat-e-Deen" - to establish and maintainthe Shariah in the universe. Syed Ali Shah Geelani is afounder member of JEIK and was the first to give the sloganof "Azadi Barai Islam"- "Freedom For Islam." Before theemergence of Hurriyat it emerged as the main separatistorganisation in Kashmir. After introduction of terrorism inthe Valley, Hizbul Mujahideen (HM) led by SyedSallahudin, an avowed Jammati, became the militant wingof JEIK with the support of Pakistan's ISI. The next phaseof radicalisation in the Valley is related to Pakistan'shumiliating defeat in 1971 and its adoption of the strategyof "Bleed India through Thousand Cuts." At the same timeWahhabism or "Petro Islam" entered the Valley, viaPakistan. Free flow of petro-dollars began to gradually sideline the Sufi Islam and marginalise Kashmiriyat (a mix ofSufi Islam and Hindu culture) in the veil of "Azadi". It alsogave spur to the growth of political Islam that had beenpioneered by Sheikh Abdullah and his followers. The so-called mainstream political parties also realised theimportance of "Islamic Card" to remain relevant and did notprevent their cadre from being radicalised. The unhinderedgrowth of Wahhabism particularly among KashmiriMuslims posed a strategic challenge to India which thegovernments of the day chose to ignore leading to thepresent state of affairs when the Sunni Wahabi JihadiTerrorist outfits (with their bases in Af-Pak region) feel thatthey are close to realise their cherished dream of "Gazwa-i-Hind" with Kashmir as the launch pad. There is a directconnect between Wahhabism and terrorism. Unable tojustify their violent form of Islam involving mass killings,beheadings and other inhuman forms of torture within therealm of Quran or Sharia, the Wahhabis embraced jihaditerrorism as a tool to propagate their ideology of "Takfeer."The ultimate aim of Wahhabis is "establishment of anIslamic Caliphate which is co-terminus with the ideology ofJEIK. The involvement of Pakistani Deep State inpromoting jihadi terrorism in Kashmir as furtherance of itsagenda has been exposed to the hilt. Creation of Hurriyatafter marginalisation of JEIK, terrorising the KashmiriHindus and other minorities to force them to leave Kashmir,radicalisation of Kashmiri youth using the petro-dollars,financing of unrest in Kashmir and attempt to indigenise thegrowing unrest by encouraging Wahhabised Kashmiri youth

to take to arms are all part of Pakistan's agendaof total Islamisation of Kashmir and part of theglobal pan-Islamisation movement nowspearheaded by the Saudi backed Wahhabis.The Hurriyat leaders, mostly with Jammatibackground and are Kashmiri Muslims whichconstitute only 30% of total Muslimpopulation of Kahmir, are used by Pakistan aspawns to hide the real intent of Islamisation byportraying them as seekers of "Azadi." Withgrowing influence of Wahhabism among theterrorists the farce separating the terrorists andseparatists was to be exposed sooner or later.Remember the slogan of Geelani, "Azadi BaraiIslam"!!! Though working for a commoncause, Kashmiri Muslims except a handful ofnationalists were wearing different masks of

Separatists, Soft Separatists, Mainstream Politicians, StonePelters and Terrorists. The killing of Burhan Wani lifted theveil when his father said openly that he was happy that hissons have died for the cause of Islam. His successor ZakirMusa refused to mince words and came out openly infavour of creating a Muslim Caliphate and challenged thefarcical concept of Azadi of the separatists. The Wahhabiindoctrination of the terrorist commander encouraged himto unveil the real Kashmir narrative to the entire worldmuch to the dismay of the Hurriyat whose leadership stoodexposed and feared the loss of whatever internationalsympathy they have. The conflicting statements issued bylocal terrorists led by Musa, Pak based Syed Sallahudin,Hurriyat leadership and ISI financed Pak jihadi terroristoutfits points towards a widening rift between the majorstakeholders of Islamisation in Kashmir. Pakistan has amajor role to play in this. Sensing that Hurriyat was gettingmarginalised and losing relevance, even HM cadre wasgetting restless due to non-availability of arms andammunition and most important the youth was gettingdisenchanted from the promise of Azadi, the ISI haschanged the strategy by propping up Zakir Musa whoannounced to go the Al Qaeda way thus promoting Islamistnay Wahhabi ideology for liberation of Kashmir as first steptowards for establishment of Islamic Caliphate. The silver lining is that even today more than 70% ofMuslims in Kashmir believe in Sufi Islam and are opposedto Pak sponsored politico-religious militancy fuelled byWahhabi ideology. Unfortunately, the 30% KashmiriMuslim minority dominate the political landscape ofKashmir and are the real power brokers. They havemanaged to befool the rest of the nation and internationalcommunity as real representative of the Kashmiri people.Even the media is playing into their hands when they permitthem to rant unabashedly on national channels that it's apolitical problem and refuse to acknowledge the real truththat it's Islam vs India, it's Jihad vs democracy, it's notpolitical but 100% communal. All is not lost as yet. We needto catch the bull by horn and empower 70% Sufi Muslimsof Kashmir to challenge Wahhabi dream of an IslamicCaliphate with full government support. The exposedHurriyat leadership needs to be proceeded against legallyand ensure that their marginalisation is full and final. Due topolitical inept handling in the past the Hurriyat leadershiphas been provided much needed oxygen for theirrenaissance. It should not be allowed this time. Also thegovernment needs to ensure that there is no politicalinterference and security forces are given a free hand toeliminate jihadi terrorism and politico-religious militancyfrom Kashmir Valley.

(The author is a Jammu based political commentator,columnist, strategic and defence analyst. He can be

contacted at anil5457@gmail.com)

Jugal R Purohit

Days before China-Pakistan cooperation was taken to thenext level by side-stepping India's concerns overBeijing's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), Army chief

General Bipin Rawat had played with a straight bat before anaudience in the national capital.On the morning of May 4, he exhorted the need to identify the"strategic deficiency" that was plaguing the country. The 27thchief of the Indian Army then lamented how an undivided Indiahad even "reached up to the Middle East something that thecreation of Pakistan put a break to".He highlighted the necessity of "developing alliances, developingfriends to overcome this deficit". It would be through therelentless pursuit of such partnerships that India would be able tocreate, in his words, not only "a two-front dilemma for ourwestern neighbour (Pakistan), but also an encirclement of ournorthern neighbour (China) from the west".Most observers would agree that linkages develop through avariety of processes which have to be clear and consistent. Suchassociations encompass political support, or training ofpersonnel, or supply of hardware, or all of the above.While India has been achieving incremental progress byimparting training to friendly forces, exporting patrol boats,helicopters, spares, and radars notching up a high of Rs 2,000crore in export value recently, the Army chief is not satisfied.Before concluding, Rawat complained about India's"Chanakyaniti that we rarely practice" and the habit of "forgettingwhat we have with us".That brings us to a journey that began two decades ago - the Indo-Russian venture, BrahMos Aerospace. The reason I bring this upis because herein lies the perfect bridge between Army chief'sintentions and a proven, yet unutilised capability that can helptransform relationships like few others can.From its earliest avatar as a supersonic anti-ship missile (test-firedfor the first time on June 12, 2001), BrahMos has come a longway. Today, the system can additionally be used to attack targetson land-from-land as well as from the sea, as recentlydemonstrated by the Indian Army (May 3, 2017) and the IndianNavy (April 21, 2017).From ships, it can be fired either vertically or horizontally (tocover a 360 degree envelope) and from land, it can be fired in away that it can carry out even a perpendicular, steep dive to bust

an enemy hiding behind a cliff.On March 11 this year, when the country was busy countingvotes at the end of a hotly contested election season across states,the BrahMos team demonstrated that it could take the missilefrom its earlier limit of 290km to an "extended range" of 450 km"without major modifications".In the words of its chief executive officer and managing director,Sudhir Kumar Mishra, who in an interview to me earlier this yearhad said, the BrahMos team is looking at making "the Indian AirForce (IAF) the only one capable of firing the heaviest missileusing the biggest launcher".This will be done by enabling the Sukhoi 30 MKI to carry alighter version of the BrahMos weighing 2.4 tonnes and firing iton a land- as well as sea-based target. While this was to take placein the month of March, a delay of a few months should hardlymatter in an evolution of this magnitude.An excited IAF is said to have kept 40 of its frontline Sukhoi 30MKI earmarked for this missile once the BrahMos team matchespromise with delivery.Even the Russians who're yet to integrate the BrahMos into theirarmed forces are looking at this with anticipation, Mishraconfirmed.It is not a secret that India's armed forces swear by the accuracyand lethality of the BrahMos. In the near future, having alreadydemonstrated its capability to fire from an underwater platform,the BrahMos team will look at miniaturising the missile to fire itfrom submarines, fighter jets, and further extend its range andconvert it into a hypersonic missile, which will take it from 2.8times the speed of sound it achieves at present, to nearly six times.Promises of a rosy future apart, here is what Mishra told me aboutwhat his team could achieve even at a short notice. "While wehaven't exactly carried out a detailed work, the capability doesexist within us to come out with a new generation of missiles onlyfor exports which will have a shorter range and can be producedin numbers at much-lower costs. We are ready to meet anyobjective. It is for the government to tell us whom to export, howmuch to export, and when to export. We are ready and waiting forthe go-ahead."Highly placed sources have confirmed that Russia (49.5 per centpartner in BrahMos Aerospace) is on-board with the export of thesystem as long as it does not harm its interest and can earnrevenue.India is now the 35th member of the "informal" Missile

Technology Control Regime (MTCR) and is making efforts toget into the Wassenaar Group. Nothing, as of now, holds us backfrom having the partnership Russia did with us before we madeit into the MTCR.In other words, nothing prevents India from exporting themissiles, Mishra says, his team can come up with.Yet the combined waters of the Brahmaputra and Moskvacontinue to remain placid.On July 18, 2014, defence minister Arun Jaitley said inParliament, "At present, there is no proposal to export LightCombat Aircraft (LCA), Tejas and BrahMos Supersonic CruiseMissile. However, both LCA, Tejas and BrahMos missile areexport-worthy products. Presently, production facilities are beingused for indigenous requirements."The inertia in the above statement is matched by the manner ofgoing around in circles in the statement below when in aninterview to me in February this year, the then defence ministerManohar Parrikar had said, "The government has got no-objection certificates (NOCs) for the export of this BrahMos andnow the company has to carry it out. The in-principle approvalhas come and detailed one will follow." Countries such as Vietnam, South Africa, South Korea, Chile,UAE, Oman, Indonesia, Malaysia and more have reportedlybeen interested. Fortunately, while the earlier regime wasn't askeen, "with this one, there is encouragement", say those in theknow.However, conversations with decision-makers have revealed thatIndia's proposals have floundered at one level or the other. "Somenations have sought the transfer of technology which isn'tsomething we are comfortable with, whereas others feel that theprice is too high," he said. India has even tried selling the missileby offering to integrate it into naval ships to some countries, butnothing seems to have materialised.Why?A senior functionary, who did not wish to be identified, said, "Abig push is needed. Companies can do their bit, but thegovernment has to step in. It is the government, which has todecide if and when it wants to act."

The government must not waste time. It can act by appointing afull-time defence minister, to begin with.

BJP falls in linewith Art 370BJP is now defensive to ensure survival of the coalitionGovernment so that there was no chance for theimposition of Governor’s rule. In order to demonstratecordial ties between the BJP and the PDP the BJPleadership in the centre has announced that it will nottamper with the Article 370 of the constitution that grantsspecial status to Jammu and Kashmir within the union ofIndia. The change has come in the BJP circles followingthe announcement of the Finance Minister, HaseebDrabu, that a separate bill will be moved in the statelegislature for extending the GST regime to the state ofJammu and Kahsmir that too with some amendments.Abrogation of Article 370 was BJP’s election pledge butits partner the PDP is for protecting it. At one time ChiefMinister, Mehbooba Mufti was so much annoyed with theRSS that she described those seeking abrogation ofArticle 370 as anti-national which as resented by theactivists and leaders of Sangh parivaar. Now that the BJPis for prolonging the life of the coalition Government theBJP leadership has stated that abrogation of Article 370was not on its agenda and retaining this special statusprovision of the constitution would not alter the situationI n the Kashmir valley. In fact if majority of people inKashmir are against the BJP they are scared of the BJP’sintention to do away with Article 370. Now that the levelof anger against the BJP may decline and possibilities arebright for restoration of peace in Kashmir. Solving theproblem of unemployment on one hand and intensifyanti-insurgency drive coupled with introduction ofvarious development projects could encourage students togive up violence.

6 OPINION the northlinesJammu | Monday | May| 22 | 2017

the northlinesMonday | May| 22 | 2017

(Disclaimer: The views expressed here are personalopinions of the writers. The information, facts or opinionsappearing in the articles do not reflect the views of TheNorthlines and it does not assume any responsibility orliability for the same)

Real Kashmir Narrative Unfolds: No Azadi but Islamic State

What the bold new BrahMos can do for India in its latest avatar

Life at the borderlandA life least known but deserves highest appreciation

TUSHITA PANDEY

Have we ever encountered the life of those who liveat the border land areas in our state Jammu &Kashmir? In one part, we find stone pelting- a

reasonless reaction of a demand beyond comprehension,on the other hand we have found those villagers who arethe locals, migrants or the refugees, these people have sucha way of living that can inspire many. This article is one ofthe first attempt to make realize the value of life and aliving which needs to be appreciated. The border landcomprises many villages from Jammu district, one of thetehsil is Suchetgarh where we also find tourist spot famousfor sharing international border between India andPakistan, here are few villages namely Gharani, Chakroi,Kapoorpur and Shamka, villagers here face continuousdistress due to border security issues. But they still live andnever questions army for their protective measures andmoreover, they always stand with the Indian army and areproud on being Indians, stone pelting is beyondimagination for them. We have heard a lot about muchpublicized Kashmiri heritage which comprises manyartefacts such as in the form of Handicrafts for examplepapier mache, pashmina shawls, wood carvings, andcarpets, a number of famous tourist spots, represented inmany old Bollywood movies, a cuisine that is famousthroughout the world, but why we have left these bordervillages who have their own sense belongingness to thecountry and to their heritage, have we ever publicized theefforts of villagers of these borderland area of SuchetgarhTehsil. One such effort to represent the living heritage ofthese refugees, migrants and locals was taken up by Centrefor Studies in Museology on International Museum Day onthis Thursday, 18th May 2017, where folk peopledemonstrated their folk heritage. Ladies represented thefolk heritage in the form of wall paintings in whichdecorative motifs are painted using natural colourspictured by Smt. Prito Devi ji, handicrafts known aschinger made using just three elements namely local wool,needle and straw handcrafted by Smt. Bacchno Devi ji,Smt. Rani Devi ji, Smt. Rita Devi Ji and Smt. SurishtaDevi ji and also made binne using throw away pieces ofclothes and needle, making of tokri using just the branchesof a local mulberry tree woven by Sh. Shailo Ram. Lastlycooking the local delicacies known as Ghyur and Chilleycooked by Smt. Kailasho Devi ji served in lotus leavesbrought by Sh. Devinder Choudhary from Datte ka Tallabin Shamka Village. It is very important to convey the nameof these people who are without any highly paid degreesconserving and protecting their local heritage and at thesame time promoting their heritage, these people who livein continuous insecurities as they are inhabitants of borderland villages, but they live with their heritage in happiness,these are self-made people, today it is a need to understandhow one can live with heritage and promote it especiallyfor youth who comes under depression and frustration onthose mediocre issues which are most of the time self-made. If we need to learn what life is, we should learnfrom these people who under every circumstance will greetyou with smile. Several aspects of this local heritage arestill uncovered and those aspects will be presented in thenext article - the aspect of commitment, hope and faith- theaspect of local deities.

Freelance Writer and Scholar of Museology andHeritage Studies

Email-id: tushita_pandey@yahoo.in

7 KASHMIR the northlinesJammu | Monday | May 22 | 2017

KERAN, MAY 21Minister for RuralDevelopment and PanchayatiRaj, Abdul Haq today held aPublic Darbar in Keran area offrontier district Kupwara toaddress the public grievancesand take firsthand account ofthe problems being faced bythe people living along LoC.

The Minister wasaccompanied by Minister ofState for Haj & Auqaaf, PHEand Power, Syed FarooqAhmad Andrabi, MemberParliament Mir Fayaz, MLAKarnah Raja Manzoor, MLCJaveed Mirchal, DC Kupwara,SP Kupwara and other officersof district administration.

The Darbar was attended bya large number of people whoapprised the Ministers abouttheir problems and

developmental needs andsought redressal of theirgrievances. Abdul Haqdirected constitution of aMonitoring team in eachdepartment for closemonitoring of theimplementation ofgovernment schemes and toensure quick and transparentexecution of works.Taking serious note of

deteriorated condition ofKeran-Ferkin top road, theMinister directed the DeputyCommissioner Kupwara toimmediately take up the issuewith the Beacon authorities toget the road repaired at earliestto mitigate the sufferings ofthe people.

The Minister also asked theDC Kupwara to take actionagainst Beacon in case they

failed to repair the road andtake steps to transfer the roadback to R&B department.

Abdul Haq also directed theofficials of R&B departmentto ensure the macadamizationof road stretch under theirjurisdiction during currentyear. The Minister assured thepeople that the issue ofproviding border tourismstatus to Keran would be takenup with the concerned. He alsodirected R&B department andTourism Department toconstruct one guest houseeach at Mundian and Keranrespectively.

Setting two monthsdeadline for the completion ofschool buildings beingconstructed under RAMSA atKundian, the Minister alsodirected for early completion

of under-construction localBridge.

Abdul Haq also directedDistrict Panchayat Officer andBDO to ensure release ofbalance payments of SwachhBharat Mission within 10-days.

Farooq Andrabi directedPDD officials to provideuninterrupted power supply tothe residents. He also directedto provide extra one hourpower supply for Sehri andIftar timing in the ensuingHoly month of Ramadhan.

Later, the Ministers laidfoundation stone of modelvillage Mundian in Keran. Thevillage will be developed onmodern lines and Rs 37.80crore will be spent in thevillage to create modernfacilities.

Haq, Andrabi addresses Public Darbar Srinagar, May 21

Describing Rajiv Gandhi aman with great conviction,commitment and a visionary,J&K Pradesh CongressCommittee (JKPCC) in afunction held at PartySrinagar Party Headquarterstoday, paid glowing tributes toFormer Prime Minister andGandhi Icon on his 26th deathanniversary. The Party alsodescribed the assassination ofFormer PM as an irreparableloss to the entire Nation. Onthis occasion, PradeshCongress Committeeorganised a function atSrinagar Party Headquartersto pay tributes to FormerPrime Minister in whichCongress Legislators, Officebearers and senior partyleaders participated and paidfloral tributes to departedleader. The function waspresided over by MLC Vice

President Gulam Nabi Mongaand it was addressed by MLAHaji Ab. Rashid Dar, MLAUsman Majeed, Mohd AnwarBhat, Spokesperson FarooqAndrabi and other leadersalso. The leaders whilerecalling the servicesrendered by Rajiv Ji to theNation, paid rich and floraltributes to Former PrimeMinister and observed twominutes' silence as a mark ofrespect of the deceased anddescribed him as an architectof modern India.They saidRajiv Gandhi who introducedPanchayati Raj System in thecountry was highly concernedabout the wellbeing of thepeople especially poor anddown trodden section, whohad remained not reachablepost-independence, but he(Rajiv Ji) introduced thePanchayat Raj System aimingto involve the people, at grass

roots level, in their owndevelopmental process, whichalso helped the people toknow their basic rights. Theintroduction of ComputerEducation and ScienceTechnology brought India atpar with the fast developingcountries, which proved aturning point in thedevelopment of the peopleespecially those who werepoorest of the poor. Amongother who spoke and paidtributes to Rajiv Gandhi onthis occasion Included,Amreen Badre, G.N. MirLasjan, Surinder SinghChanni, Hilal Ahmad Shah,Shamema Iqbal, MohdSultan, Irfan Naqib, SubodhMukoo, Zahid Hussain Jan,Imtiyaz Parray, Haji FarooqMir, G.M.Ganie, ImtiyazKhan, Jawahira Bano,Musthaq Bazaz SahilFarooq. (KNS)

Congress pays tribute to RajivGandhi on death anniversary

SRINAGAR, MAY 20Minister of State for Health

and Medical Education, AsieaNaqash, Saturday visited theChest Disease Hospital inSrinagar to inspect thefacilities available to patientsvisiting it.

Taking a thoroughinspection in and around thehospital premises, theMinister checked varioussections of the hospital toassess the facilities availableto patients. She also visitedthe Tuberculosis ward andsought details of relatedpatient-care provided in thehospital during the visit.

Asiea spoke to severalpatients admitted in thehospital on the occasion and

sought their feedback withregard to the facilitiesavailable in the hospital.

Taking note of poorcondition of bathrooms in thehospital, the Minister assuredof getting the necessaryrepairs done at the earliest.She said she will soon call ameeting with the concerneddepartment in regard to it aswell as the status of otherconstruction works put onhold in the hospital.

Being apprised of therequirements at the hospital,Asiea asked the hospitaladministration to prepare aproposal for the same andsubmit it to her office as soonas possible.

The Minister also inspected

the sanitation and segregationof waste maintained in thehospital and directed thehospital administration toensure their strictmaintenance.

Being informed about aproposed JKPCCconstruction coming upadjacent to the hospital, theMinister said that an openenvironment is crucial to thetreatment of pulmonaryailments and assured ofcalling a meeting soon todiscuss possibilities of itsrelocation.

Commissioner, SecretaryHealth & Medical EducationDepartment, Dr. PawanKotwal, accompanied theMinister during the visit.

Asiea inspects healthcare facilities SRINAGAR, MAY 20Chief Secretary, Mr B B

Vyas Saturday chaired theState Level ExecutiveCommittee (SLEC) meetingof the Mission for IntegratedDevelopment of Horticulture(MIDH)- a CentrallySponsored Scheme for theholistic growth of thehorticulture sector coveringfruits, vegetables,mushrooms, spices, flowersand aromatic plants.

The Committee reviewedthe progress of the activitiesundertaken under MIDH forthe year 2016-17 in the State.It was informed that againstthe total outlay of Rs 84.89Cr, an amount of 73.52 Crwas spent on variouscomponents of the scheme.Similarly, under PMDP,against a total outlay of Rs124.29 Cr, an amount of Rs57.22 Cr was released and anexpenditure of Rs 40 Cr hasbeen recorded till date.

Chief Secretary observedthat for increased productivityand attaining self sufficiency,quality of root stock /plantmaterial is a sine qua non.Therefore, besides focusingon improving the quality ofplant material and water useefficiency through micro-irrigation, there is need for acoordinated approach andconvergence among variousdepartments, to achievetangible results. He alsocalled for establishingquarantine facilities for rootstock. While advocatingsetting up of GIS baseddecision support system,Chief Secretary observedthat GIS tool can betterorganize and analyze spatialdata, address the problemsrelated to spatial andtemporal variability ofvarious natural resources onwhich the performance ofagricultural and horticulturesystems depends.

SLEC meet held

SRINAGAR, MAY 20: DivisionalCommissioner, Kashmir, Baseer AhmadKhan today chaired a meeting of officers toreview the stock and supply position ofLadakh region after the Srinagar-Leh roadwas opened for vehicular traffic.

The meeting was attended by SecretaryLadakh Affairs, Chief Conservator Forests,Directors of Agricultural, FC&CAD, Health,Animal Husbandry, Sheep Husbandry,Horticulture, MDs of SRTC, SFC, JKcements, SICOP, General Manager FCI,Representatives of Oil companies & truckunions and other concerned officials. DC Lehand DC Kargil attended the meeting throughvideo Conferencing.

During the meeting officers informed theDivisional Commissioner that adequate stockof essential commodities is available inLadakh and Kargil districts.

The meeting also held threadbare

discussions on various issues regardingsupply of ration, cement and other essentialcommodities to Ladakh region. It wasrevealed that 40 trucks loaded with essentialcommodities are plying the road on dailybasis.

Reviewing the supply and stock position ofessential commodities, Div Com directed theconcerned authorities to ensure supply ofessential commodities to Ladakh region sothat people do not face any difficulty for wantof basic amenities.

Director Health Services, Kashmirinformed the meeting that the sufficient stockof life saving drugs has already been suppliedto the region and rest of medicines will bedispatched within a week's time.

Divisional Commissioner directed theSRTC authorities to provide better transportfacilities while carrying the essentialcommodities to Ladakh region.

Div Com reviews stock, supply position

167 kanals ofpoppy cultivation

destroyed SRINAGAR, MAY 20

According to the DeputyExcise Commissioner,Executive Kashmir, theExcise team headed byExcise and Taxation Officer,North Kashmir Range hasdestroyed 75 kanals of poppyin village Wakherwan ofTehsil Pattan DistrictPulwama and second teamheaded by Excise andTaxation Officer, NorthKashmir has destroyed 52kannals of poppy in village ofPhalsil and Kulbug of TehsilKhan Sahab of DistrictBudgam and third teamheaded by Excise andTaxation Officer, NorthKashmir destroyed 40kannals of poppy in villageRaiapora of Tehsil ofDistrict Baramulla.

ANANTNAG, MAY 20To review the performance of

various banks, a District LevelReview cum ConsultativeCommittee meeting (DLRC)was today held at DakBungalow Khannabal Anantnagunder the chairmanship ofADDC, Anantnag.

The Lead District Manager,while giving the details of theachievements made underDistrict Credit Action Plan2016-17, said that against a totalcredit target of 1302 crore, thebanks have made anadvancement of Rs. 1056.16crore upto the end of fourthquarter of (i.e ending March,2017 which is 84.19% of thetotal. The low progress isattributed to the unrest in theValley.

While giving the sector-wisedetail of the achievements, theLDM said that under Agricultureand allied sectors, against acredit target of Rs. 445.68 crore,the banks have made anadvancement of Rs. 488.52crore. Under Micro and SmallEnterprises, the banks disbursedRs. 297.99 crore against a targetof Rs. 420.34 crore.

It was also informed thatunder other priority sector an

advancement of Rs. 269.65crore has been made against acredit target of Rs.1017 crore.

Under KCC scheme, thebanks have sanctioned 65354cases and made an advancementof Rs. 220.18 crore up to March31, 2017.

The meeting was furtherinformed that RSETI conducted10 training camps and impartedtraining to 265 candidates, out ofwhich 100 candidates werelinked with banks.

The ADDC stressed upon thebankers and line departmentalofficers to gear up their effortsfor clearing the pendency. Hedirected the CEO and servicearea banks to organizeawareness camps in educationalinstitutions for sponsoring ofcases under education loan.

With respect to Joint LiabilityGroups, the ADDC directed thedepartments and banks to workin synergy so that the poor anddown-trodden sections of thesociety are benefitted.

The meeting was alsoattended by LDO, RBI, Clusterhead 1st and 2nd districtAnantnag and bank officersfrom SBI, EDB, PNB, ICICI,Yes bank, Canara Bank andofficers from line departments.

DLRC meet held

LEH, MAY 20The Deputy Chief Minister,

Dr. Nirmal Kumar Singh, todayinspected the construction siteof multitier parking facility atLeh under Atal Mission forRejuvenation and Urban

Transformation (AMRUT) andongoing works for Solid WasteManagement Plant under Lehbeautification project across themountain of Skampari Lehtoday morning. Dr. Singh,who is also the Minister for

Housing & UrbanDevelopment, was informedthat tender for the parkingfacility with the capacity of 263cars has already been floatedand Kinetix Company has beenengaged as a consultant agency

for all the projects in Leh underAMRUT. The Deputy ChiefMinister directed for earlycompletion of the muchawaited projects and asked theDC to ensure time boundcompletion of the facility.

Progress on Leh beautification works reviewed

Srinagar, May 21Five persons were injured in

road accidents across the valleyon Sunday. According tosources, a Scooty bearing regd.no. JK04D-2209 collided witha motorcycle bearing regd. no.JK04D-5775 at Wadipora,Budgam resulting in seriousinjuries to the motorcyclist. Theinjured was shifted to Hospitalfor treatment. Meanwhile, anunknown vehicle hit andinjured a girl identified asTahira Bano D/o Abdul KhaliqLone R/o Waisa Kawnar nearGovernment Degree CollegeHandwara. The injured girl wasshifted to District HospitalHandwara for treatment.Meanwhile, a motorcyclebearing regd. no. JK03D-9193hit and injured a lady identified

as Mubeena W/o WaliMohammad Kumar R/oBidder, Kokernag atPeertakiya. The injured ladywas shifted to District HospitalAnantnag for treatment.Meanwhile, Vehicle Alto K-10car bearing regd. no. JK03 C-1307 hit and injured apedestrian identified as DrMohammad Yousuf Dar S/oGhulam Ahmad R/o PanzgamPulwama at Halmulla, Sangam.The injured was shifted tohospital for treatment. Besidesthis, a motorcycle bearing regd.no. DL-65AF -2693 hit andinjured a pedestrian identifiedas Gulzar Ahmad Sheikh son-in-law of Ghulam AhassanKoka R/o Seer at Seer Hamdan, Mattan. The injured wasshifted to hospital for treatment.

KULGAM, MAY 20To finalize the arrangements

for celebration of annualVarshik Maha Yagya at ShreeTripoor Sundri AsthapanKhanabarni Devsar andManzgam starting from May30, 2017, DeputyCommissioner Kulgam todaytook a review meeting withdifferent District and concernedofficers. On the occasion DDCdirected the PDD department toprovide uninterrupted powersupply for yatries. The PHEdepartment was asked to keepavailable adequate supply ofpure drinking water during thefestival days. It was decided inthe meeting that health

department will keep available amobile medical van besidessufficient staff of doctors andparamedics for the convenienceof Yatries. Similarly, the CAPDdepartment was directed to keepavailable the abundant supply ofRice, Sugar and LPG. TheDDC on the occasion directedPolice and Paramilitary forces toput in place all the securityarrangements around theAsthapan in advance. It is worthto mention that on the eve ofJaisht Ashtami starting from May30 upto June 10, 2017, the PorunAahoti and Maha Yagya will beperformed on June 08 and 09,2017 at Khanabarni Devsar andMazgam in Kulgam District.

Maha Yagya arrangements finalized

5 injured in road mishaps DIPR condolesdemise of

Mujeeb's mother

SRINAGAR, MAY 20The Information

Department has condoledthe demise of the mother ofMujeeb Ahmad, AssistantInformation Officer (AIO).

A condolence meeting,chaired by DirectorInformation, Dr ArunManhas, was convened atthe Directorate ofInformation today whichwas attended by all theofficers and officials of theDirectorate.

The meeting whilepraying for eternal peace tothe departed soul expressedsolidarity with the bereavedfamily.

Meanwhile, a separatecondolence meeting wasalso held at the office of theJoint Director InformationJammu, which was chairedby JDI Jammu, Ms ManishaSareen.

The meeting prayed foreternal peace to the departedsoul and expressed solidaritywith the bereaved family.

ANANTNAG, MAY 21In view of the coming holy

month of Ramzan, Minister ofState for Haj & Auqaf, PHE,PDD and Industries &Commerce, Syed FarooqAhmad Andrabi, Saturdayevening conducted anextensive tour of Anantnag andMattan towns of Anantnagdistrict to take stock of generalfacilities made available in thetowns for the upcoming holymonth of Ramzan.

Visiting various locations inthe towns, including LalChowk, Cheni Chowk, Mattan

Adda, and Janglat Mandi,Andrabi directed for ensuringavailability of all basicfacilities besides repairing ofdefunct street lights andinstalling high mast lampswherever required at publicplaces. Visiting the Child Careand Maternity Hospital, theMinister interacted withdoctors and patients andenquired about medicalfacilities made available in thehospital. He directed theconcerned MedicalSuperintendent to ensureavailability of all facilities in

the hospital during the holymonth. On the occasion,Andrabi also paid homage atthe holy shrine of Reshi MoulSahab (R.A), where heinteracted with themanagement of the Shrine andassured them that all theirconcerns will be addressed onpriority.

The Minister wasaccompanied by DC Anantnag,Chief Engineer PDD, SSPAnantnag, SEs of R&B andPDD, senior officers concernedmunicipalities among otherconcerned officers.

Arrangements for Ramzan reviewed

Kupwara adminfails to axe

Russian PoplarsKupwara, May 21

The residents of Kupwaratown Sunday alleged that thedistrict administration hasfailed to cut down theRussian poplar trees afterthe directions of the HighCourt.

"Hundreds of Russiantrees planted at differentlocations of the townincluding Jamia Qadeem,near Sub District Hospital,Main Chowk and other areashave not been cut down yet,due to which peopleparticularly school goingchildren are falling sick dueto pollen allergy," the localstold KNS.

The Jammu and KashmirHigh Court has alreadyissued an order asking forremoval of Russian poplarsacross the Kashmir valley.

Tehsildar Kupwara NazirAhmad told KNS that theylack equipments, labour andfunds to cut down the tress."We will start our drive to cutdown the Russian Poplar'strees within two days.

While trying to contact DCKupwara, his mobile phonewas switched off at that time.(KNS)

Man found deadin mysteriouscircumstances

Srinagar, May 21A man was found dead in

mysterious circumstances inLeh. Leh police wasinformed that a body waslaying near 81 RCC Graf. apolice party immediatelyrushed the spot andrecovered the body lateridentified as of BariyarHansda son of Barkn Hansdaa resident of villageManyhladih. Aftercompleting medico-legalformalities police handedover the body of deceased tohis relatives for last rites.

Inquest proceedings undersection 174 CrPc has beeninitiated to ascertain thecause of his death.

FoodFood

You can't really call it a complete meal without a dessert, can you?And those with a sweet tooth might consider desserts a meal by itself. While traditional sweets and cakes have been the most obvious choices for desserts, chefs across the world seem to be pushing the boundary when it comes to whipping up some luscious delicacies. While the latest food trend that's doing the rounds on the Internet is raindrop cake, we bring you a list other unusual desserts that's been rocking the palates worldwide...

This dessert from Malaysia and Singapore is so colourful that you might wonder if you should have it or not.Made of shaved ice with sweet corn, red beans, green grass jelly and litchi fruit -this dessert is a combi nation of all things weird. Ever since its conception, people have tried making it with many other ingredients, too. It might not look like a typically enticing

AIS KACANG

A simple and tasty pasta dish with chicken breasts and lemon.

IngredientsChicken Breasts - 2, boneless, skinlessPasta - 100 to 125 gmsPlain Flour (Maida) - 1/4 cupOlive Oil - 1 1/2 tblspGarlic - 5 to 6 cloves, peeled, slicedWhite Wine - 1/2 cupLemon Juice - 3 tspCheese - 1/4 cup, gratedC o r i a n d e r L e a v e s ( o r Basil) - handful, choppedBlack Pepper Powder - 1/4 tspOregano - 1/4 tspRed Chilli Flakes - 1/4 tspSalt as per taste

Method1. Using a rolling pin, pound the chicken breasts to 1/4 inch thickness.2. Sprinkle some salt and pepper powder on top.3. Dredge it in the flour on both sides and shake off any excess.4. Cook the pasta as per packet

instructions for al dente.5. Heat 3 tsp of oil in a pan over medium flame.6. Cook the chicken until it is no longer pink, about 2 to 3 minutes on each side.7. Remove and keep it warm.

8. To the same pan, add the remaining oil.9. Stir-fry the garlic over medium flame for 30 seconds.10. Add wine and cook until the liquid is reduced by half, stirring to loosen the browned bits from the pan.11. Add lemon juice and stir.

12. Drain the pasta and transfer to a large bowl. Reserve some of the pasta water.13. Add the oregano, chilli flakes, grated cheese, coriander leaves, garlic mixture, salt and pepper powder.14. Toss well and add a little of the pasta water if it is too dry.15. Transfer the chicken and the pasta to a serving plate.16. Drizzle some of the remaining garlic mixture and garnish with coriander leavs.17. Garnish with cheese if desired and serve.

dessert, but the taste, we hear, is mouth-watering!16. Serve with ketchup.

Quite some time ago,we had Sultan's Golden Cake from Istanbul making all the noise on the Internet for being one of the most expensive desserts in the world. We then had a chef in Chicago selling an ice cream sundae

GOLD FOIL ICE CREAM

made out of 23-carat gold for $1000! But now,we have a small shop in Japan selling a cone ice cream covered in gold foil. And the best part about this dessert is that it is sold for merely $8! Visually appealing,yummy and quite unusual v as well!

How about an ice cream that is both cold, and hot at the same time? But that's what chefs across the world have tried to achieve with... wasabi ice cream! This spice plant grown in Japan has found a new lease of life in the form of an ice cream. However, many on social media suggest that the taste is not for all. Even though people have made it edible, this strange dessert is only for the few who want to try something very unique!

A restaurant in Scotland began selling deep fried chocolate bars. And it seems the trend is now quite a hit with chocolate lovers across the globe. But beware; this strange dessert is massively high on calories!

WASABI ICE CREAM

DEEP FRIED CHOCOLARE BARS

Recipe: Lemon Chicken Pasta

Have you tried the galaxy cake?What it isA new food trend in which people are uploading pictures of cakes with galaxy-inspired designs.How it startedProfessional baker Heather Baird was inspired by a picture book about the Hubble Space Telescope, and she created her Black Velvet Nebula Cake. After that, loads of people on

Move over fish and chips. Here are some new food combinations that guarantee a healthy kick to your diet While certain food duos simply taste terrific together, there are other combinations that can work real wonders on our wellbeing too. But how do you know what you need to add to what?Well, for a supercharged health kick, we've done the food maths for you...

ADD LOW-FAT YOGHURT...TO

SALMON

Next time you're making up a salmon sandwich, mix in low-fat yoghurt.The vitamin D from oily fish helps the body better absorb the calcium from the yoghurt -and that's good news for your bones.

ADD AN EGG...TO SALAD

A Purdue University study in the US found the people who ate a salad with egg absorbed more carotenoids from the veg (antioxidants linked to good heart and eye health) than those who didn't."The fat in eggs helps to increase the absorption of carotenoids," says nutritionist Kim Pearson. "So top off

combinations that

Taste terrificyour next salad with a chopped up free-rangeorganic egg."

ADD BROCCOLI... TO

TOMATO PASTA SAUCE

Both tomatoes and broccoli contain cancer-fighting nutrients. A University of Illinois study in the US found that they were better at shrinking prostate tumours when eaten together rather than alone. The researchers believe that's because different bioactive compounds in each food work on different anti-cancer pathways.

ADD WINE... TO FISH

Italian researchers discovered that women who consumed a glass of wine a

day had higher levels of healthy omega-3 fats in their blood.The scientists believe the polyphenol antioxidants in the wine may help the body soak up healthy fats from the fish. We don't need to tell you to go easy on the vino (drinking too much is thought to raise breast cancer risk) so you could also try infusing your fish in a wine-based marinade before cooking.

ADD A SIDE OF COLESLAW...

TO YOUR EVENING MEAL

A study from the Roswell Park Cancer Institute in Buffalo, New York, found people who ate raw cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, cabbage and cauliflower three times a month had 40%

less chance of developing bladder cancer. "Cooking veg can destroy some nutrients. Raw veg generally contains higher levels - aim to eat some every day," says Kim."Try making home-made coleslaw with a quality mayonnaise and serve on the side. Or dip raw broccoli and cauliflower into guacamole."

ADD BLACK PEPPER... TO

TURMERIC

The popular yellow curry spice turmeric contains curcumin, an antiinflammatory that may help ease the pain of arthritis. Turmeric has also been linked to protecting against cancer, high cholesterol, diabetes and Alzheimer's disease."The trouble is that curcumin is known to be poorly absorbed by the gut," says Kim. "But studies have shown that the piperine in black pepper helps to enhance the absorption of curcumin."

ADD SPINACH... TO A CHICKPEA

CURRY

Spinach is a great source of magnesium -

good for bone, muscle and heart health. It also helps the body convert food to energy. "Vitamin B6 is needed to enhance magnesium absorption," says Hannah Richards from Cardiff Sports Nutrition."Studies have shown that nearly twice the amount of magnesium is absorbed when vitamin B6 is taken along with it. Chickpeas are a great source of vitamin B6, so combining them with spinach in a curry is a great idea."

ADD CAULIFLOWER... TO

CHICKEN

Scientists from the Institute of Food Research found that serving up two food components together - sulforaphane (a

combinations that plant chemical) and selenium (an essential mineral) could make them up to 13 times more powerful at attacking cancer together than they are alone. Cauliflower is a good source of sulforaphane and chicken contains selenium, include them both in your Sunday roast.

ADD CHILLI PEPPERS... TO

KALE

Vitamin C helps the body better absorb iron. So to get the maximum amount of plant-based iron from leafy greens (such as kale and spinach), try wilting the greens in a pan with some garlic and chopped-up chillies (which are packed with vitamin C).

ADD OLIVE OIL... TO

TOMATOES

Tomatoes are packed with vitamins. They're also a rich source of carotenoid nutrients like lycopene, thought to help reduce the risk of cancer and heart disease. Studies have shown that when tomatoes are eaten with healthy fats (like olive oil) the body absorbs masses more of these carotenoid phytochemicals. So saute your tomatoes in olive oil when cooking, or drizzle on when serving a salad.

Ais kacang to fried choco bars: You gotta try these desserts!

Taste terrific

social media have been uploading their own versions of galaxy cakes.How it's doneThe insides of these cakes are generally in black velvet. The outsides are covered in fondant, which is then covered in food dyes using a sea sponge, a fine-point brush, parchment paper and anything else you want to use to paint it.

8 FOODSthe northlines

Jammu | Monday | May| 22 | 2017

Nation the northlinesJammu | Monday | May 22 | 20179

PRESIDENT PRANAB MUKHERJEE PPRESIDENT PRANAB MUKHERJEE PAAYING TRIBUTES TYING TRIBUTES T O FO F ORMER PRIME MINISTER RAJIV GANDHIORMER PRIME MINISTER RAJIV GANDHI

ON HIS 26TH DEAON HIS 26TH DEATH ANNIVERSARYTH ANNIVERSARY, A, AT HIS MEMORIAL VIR BHUMI IN NEW DELHI.T HIS MEMORIAL VIR BHUMI IN NEW DELHI.

New Delhi, May 21

The next plenary session of the

Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) is

likely to be held in Swiss capital Bern

next month, but the chances of any

breakthrough on India’s entry into the

elite group still look slim, given

China’s persistent opposition to it.

India had officially applied for

membership of the grouping which

controls export of nuclear materials,

equipment and technology in May last

year.

The matter came up for discussion at

the Seoul plenary session of the NSG

in June last year, but yielded little

result with Beijing scuttling India’s bid

on the ground that it was not a

signatory to the non-proliferation

treaty (NPT).

Ahead of the next NSG plenary

session, official sources say, India has

renewed its efforts to become a

member of the 48-nation group by

engaging with all member countries,

but resistance from China still remains

despite the pro-India push from other

key players such as the US, the UK,

France and Russia.

China has been pressing for a two-step

process which includes setting up

criteria - a standard for admission - for

the inclusion of countries that are not

signatories to the NPT. Beijing also

equates India’s case with Pakistan,

which, too, has applied for the NSG

membership.

The issue of India’s membership is

expected to be discussed at the Bern

meet, but the “status quo” still

remains, a senior official says.

Indicating that there was no change in

China’s position towards India’s NSG

bid, Chinese ambassador Luo Zhaohui

at an event last month said, “On the

Nuclear Suppliers Group issue, we do

not oppose any country’s membership,

believing that a standard for admission

should be agreed upon first.”

India has repeatedly said China is the

“one country” which has been

blocking its bid.

Lucknow, May 21

Passengers on board the

M u m b a i - L u c k n o w

Lokmanya Tilak Express had

a miraculous escape Sunday

afternoon after 11 bogies

derailed in Unnao, 20 km

from Kanpur. A few

passengers suffered minor

injuries in the mishap. Police

and railways officials said the

accident may have happened

as bolts were found missing

from the track on which the

Lucknow-bound train was

travelling. A relief train was

rushed from Lucknow to

bring the passengers to the

state capital. An inquiry has

been ordered to find out how

the unfit track was cleared for

movement. The Northern

Railways general manager

and senior officials were also

on their way to the accident

site. A team of the Uttar

Pradesh Anti-Terrorist Squad

(ATS) was dispatched to site

of the accident to ascertain if

there is a terror link to the

derailment which could have

led to casualties had the train

not slowed down as it

approached the Unnao

railway station.

Superintendent of police

Unnao, Neha Pandey

confirmed to HT that bolts

from the track on which LTT

was travelling were found

missing. Sunday’s derailment

comes six months after 142

people were killed and more

than 200 injured when 14

bogies of Indore-Patna

Express had derailed in

Kanpur Dehat district. In

January a freight train

heading from Lucknow to

Kanpur derailed near

Shuklaganj railway station.

Of the 11 coaches that

derailed, 9 were AC coaches

while two were general ones.

Eyewitnesses told HT on

phone that a major tragedy

was averted as the train had

slowed down as it

approached the Unnao

railway station. The

derailment threw rail traffic

out of gear on the busy route

with railways cancelling

seven trains on the route.

Thiruvananthapuram,

May 21

Prominent Indian

businessman in Kuwait,

Matthunny Mathews, who

was instrumental in the safe

evacuation of stranded

Indians during the Iraqi

invasion in 1990, passed

away in Kuwait.

81-year-old Mathews, who

hailed from Kumbanad in

Pathnamthitta district, was

ailing for some time and

passed away on Saturday,

media reports said.

Expressing his condolence,

Kerala chief minister

Pinarayi Vijayan said during

the 1990 Gulf war Mathews

had helped thousands of

Indians flee the gulf nation

and his services would

always be remembered.

By not taking efforts to save

his own life and property,

Mathews had done yeoman

service to bring his

countrymen, who had lost

everything in the war, safely

back, Vijayan said.

“He provided food and

drinking water to the

stranded Indians and we

remember it with gratitude,”

Vijayan said.

The VP Singh government

had in 1990 carried out the

biggest evacuation during

the gulf war when over 1.50

lakh standard Indians had

been safely brought back by

flight. At that time Mathews

had functioned as the

Central Government’s

“unofficial representative”

in Kuwait to coordinate the

evacuation process, the chief

minister said.

Popularly known as ‘Toyota

Sunny’, Mathews was said

to be the inspiration of

Akshay Kumar’s character

in Bollywood film ‘Airlift’.

Mathews, left for Kuwait

1956 at the age of 20 in

search of job. He joined as a

typist in the Toyota

company and rose to

become its Managing

Director when he retired in

1989.

Kathmandu, May 21

An Indian climber has gone

missing in Mount Everest

since Saturday after

descending from top of the

world’s highest peak.

Ravi Kumar, a climber from

Moradabad, Uttar Pradesh,

went missing from near

South Col of the mountain,

his expedition organiser

told Hindustan Times.

Kumar reached the top of

Everest on Saturday

afternoon and was climbing

down with a Sherpa guide

when he went out of contact

from balcony area, a

popular spot near South Col

in Everest, Thupten Sherpa

of Arun Treks told HT.

Lakpa Wongya Sherpa, who

had accompanied Kumar

reached Camp 4 of Mount

Everest at 11:00 pm on

Saturday. He was exhausted

and fell unconscious.

“The ailing Sherpa was

brought to Everest base

camp. We had already sent

a helicopter along with

three other Sherpas for

searching Kumar. The

helicopter can only land on

Camp 2 of the Everest.

After landing in Camp 2,

the Sherpas will trek up to

South Col to find out the

status of missing Indian

climber,” Thupten Sherpa

said.

Only last week, six Indian

climbers had reached the

top of Everest, becoming

the first batch to ascent the

peak this season. They are

Suresh Babu, Durga Rao

Kunja, Bharat Thammineni,

Krishna Rao Vooyaka,

Satya Rao Kare and

Nagaraju Sundarana, from

Andhra Pradesh.

Guwahati, May 21

Students passing out from

Class 10 in Assam would

continue to benefit from

moderation in marks as well

as grace marks, a committee

formed by the state

government has

recommended.

The issue had triggered a

controversy this month after

education minister Himanta

Biswa Sarma alleged that the

Board of Secondary

Education, Assam (SEBA)

manipulated marks in the

high school leaving

certification (HSLC) exam.

A committee comprising four

vice-chancellors of

universities in Assam was

formed to suggest remedies

after Sarma told the state

assembly that SEBA used to

fudge pass percentage at the

behest of the government in

power to show a better

picture of the education

system.

The minister had alleged that

SEBA used to consult the

state government before

declaring results and in some

instances gave students as

much as 40% more than what

they actually scored.

“The committee found that

moderation or normalization

of marks was not done by

SEBA as per statistical

methods and established

norms,” Sarma told

journalists on Sunday.

The committee

recommended that

moderation in marks would

continue as per established

norms elsewhere, but only in

instances when questions

come from outside syllabus,

discrepancies in electronic

assessment of answer sheets,

wrong usage of terminology

in questions etc.

It was also recommended

that up to 5 marks as grace

can be given to students who

fail to reach score 30 (the

pass mark) in a particular

subject, but grace marks

should be limited only to

three subjects. Sarma said

that SEBA used to give as

much 18 as grace marks to

students in various subjects

to show a higher pass

percentage. He conceded that

implementation of the

recommendations could

affect the pass percentage.

Aligarh, May 21

About 49 Dalit families of a

village in western Uttar

Pradesh threatened on

Sunday to embrace Islam in

protest against alleged

partisan police action after

violent caste clashes that

wounded more than 10

people.

These families in

Keshopur-Jafri village of

Aligarh district immersed

idols of Hindu deities in a

public pond in a symbolic

step to highlight their

intention to switch religion

should the alleged

harassment by upper-caste

Thakurs and police

continue.

A dispute over a drain

triggered clashes between

Dalit and Thakurs in the

village on May 17. FIRs

were lodged by both sides

and 11 people were

arrested.

But the Dalits were upset

that police didn’t arrest the

main trouble-maker, a

Thakur man, who they say

is “roaming free” and

threatening them.

The Dalit villagers alleged

that police were harassing

them after the confrontation

with Thakurs.

“Though we lodged

complaints with the district

administration, officials

failed to take action. So we

decided to embrace Islam.

Today we immersed idols of

deities in the village pond

in protest,” said Chandra

Veer Jatav.

Fellow Dalit Hari Singh

Jatav accused Thakurs and

police of harassing them

together. “Our children and

women are not going out in

fear. So we decided to

convert. Police have slapped

wrong sections of the IPC

on Dalits. If this injustice is

not stopped, we will

embrace Islam on Friday.”

District officials reached the

village with a posse of

policemen after news of the

Dalit threat spread. Sub-

divisional magistrate Pankaj

Verma assured the villagers

that police will take

impartial action.

Former Miss India finalist,

Argentine climbers among six

evacuated from Mt EverestKathmandu, May 21

At least six people, including a former Miss India finalist,

were on Sunday evacuated from the higher camps of Mount

Everest after they suffered from high-altitude sicknesses

while attempting to climb the world’s highest peak.

According to the expedition organisers, 52-year-old

Sangeeta S Bahl, who hails from Jammu and Kashmir,

Argentine climbers Andres Esteban Pariz and Ricardo

Dario Birn were airlifted from Camp II.

Phurba Tamang, a Nepali climber, were also brought to

Kathmandu for treatment, Damber Parajuli, chairman of the

expedition operators association Nepal was quoted as

saying by The Himalayan Times.

Officials said the climbers were receiving treatment at

different hospitals in Kathmandu.

“They are said to be out of danger,” he added.

Bahl, the Miss India 1985 pageant finalist and a former

model, is undergoing treatment at a hospital, according to

an official at the Himalayan Guides, a local partner of the

Madison Mountaineering.

“Bahl’s condition is out of danger,” the official said.

A Chinese climber of Pioneer Adventure Treks and another

Slovakian mountaineer were also evacuated from the higher

camps after they suffered from high-altitude sicknesses,

according to the base camp officials.

Thane, May 21

Two minor boys were stripped and paraded

with garlands of slippers for allegedly

stealing food item from a sweet shop, police

said on Sunday.

The shop owner and his two sons were

arrested after the incident that took place in

Prem Nagar area of Ulhasnagar township on

Saturday night, they said.

The children, aged 8 and 9 and hailing from

different families, went to the

neighbourhood shop where they picked up a

packet of ‘chakli’ (a snack) without the

owner’s permission and ate it. This angered

the shop owner, Mehmood Pathan (69),

police said.

Mehmood, with help from his sons, caught

hold of the duo and chopped off their hair.

They then allegedly stripped the minors,

made them wear garlands of slippers and

paraded them on the street as punishment.Annoyed over the humiliation and

mistreatment of the children, their parents,

who reside in the same locality, lodged a

complaint with the Hill Line police.

Based on the complaint, Mehmood and his

sons Irfan (26) and Salim (22) were arrested

around midnight, police said.

The trio was booked under IPC Sections 355

(assault or criminal force with intent to

dishonour person), 500 (defamation) and

323 (voluntarily causing hurt), and also

under the Protection of Children from

Sexual Offences Act, they added.

Maharashtra: Two minors stripped,paraded for ‘stealing’ from sweet shop

Islamabad, May 21

The government of Pakistan

and its army will jointly

fight the Kulbhushan

Jadhav case at the

International Court of

Justice, the speaker of the

country’s parliament said on

Sunday.

It is “time to be united

instead of doing politics on

the issue of a terrorist,”

National Assembly speaker

Sardar Ayaz Sadiq said

while talking to media

persons in Lahore.

The legal points of the case

should be discussed but

there should be no politics

on the issue, he said,

according to a report by

state-run Radio Pakistan.

The speaker also said

Pakistan would not take any

dictation on the issue and

will take a decision as per

its interests.

This was the same message

given earlier by several

government officials.

On Saturday, Pakistan's

advisor to the prime

minister on foreign affairs

said the choice of lawyer

from Pakistan's side had

been done by consensus of

all quarters concerned. In

this, say analysts, he also

meant the Pakistan army.

Sartaj Aziz also said that the

ICJ had not given any ruling

on providing consular

access to Jadhav. “There

was no operative order on

consular access,” he said on

Saturday.

Interior minister Chaudhry

Nisar Ali Khan said

Jadhav’s case would be

taken to its “logical

conclusion” according to

Pakistan’s Constitution and

laws. Pakistan’s stance at

the ICJ would be based

along these lines, he told

reporters.

NSG likely to meet next month, slimchance of India’s entry into the n-group

11 coaches of Mumbai-Lucknow express

derail in Unnao, passengers safe

Matthunny Mathews, man behind rescue of

Indians during 1990 Gulf war, dies in KuwaitIndian climber goesmissing in Everest

Moderation, grace marks to continue for

school leaving exams in AssamUP: Dalits allege bias by police after

clashes, threaten conversion to Islam

‘Pak govt, army to jointly fight Kulbhushan

Jadhav case in international court’

10 SPORTS the northlinesJammu | Monday | May 22 | 2017

NEW DELHI

Chief coach Anil Kumble and

skipper Virat Kohli on Sunday

demanded a massive hike to the

tune of 150 percent for Grade A

players in the Central Contracts

and substantial raise for the

support staff.

In Hyderabad, Kumble on

Sunday gave a detailed

presentation to the Committee

of Administrators (COA) along

with BCCI office-bearers --

CEO Rahul Johri, joint

secretary Amitabh Chaudhary

and treasurer Aniruddh

Chaudhary.

Skipper Kohli was not in

Hyderabad and interacted with

the panel separately via Skype.

As of now, Grade A players get

Rs 2 crore, Grade B Rs 1 crore

and Grade C Rs 50 lakh. As per

reliable sources, both Kumble

and Kohli feel that players in

Grade A, who are certainties in

all formats, should be getting in

the range of Rs 5 crore for one

season.

Vinod Rai and Vikram

Limaye heard everything that

Kumble and Kohli had to say

and they have instructed the

BCCI office-bearers to take

note of Kumble's presentation.

It will be Johri, Amitabh and

Aniruddh, who will now decide

on rationale of demands. They

will prepare a report and then

COA will take a final call in this

regard.

"Although Anil and Virat

spoke separately, both stressed

on the fact that performers in

Test cricket should be kept in

the highest bracket. Also there is

someone like Cheteshwar

Pujara, who is not getting IPL

contracts whereas someone like

Pawan Negi, who doesn't even

play Ranji Trophy gets Rs 8.5

crore for 45 days. That's

something that needs to be

worked out," a senior BCCI

source in the know of things

told PTI on Sunday.

It was learnt that Kumble also

gave a detailed presentation,

demanding a favourable raise

for all the support staff of the

Indian team. It includes Kumble

himself, batting coach Sanjay

Bangar, fielding coach R

Sridhar, physio, trainer, video

analyst, throwdown specialist

(Raghavendra).

"I won't quote the figure but

it's a substantial raise that

Kumble has demanded for

himself also. Now while raising

the issue of players, whether it

was prudent on Kumble's part to

demand hike for support staff of

which he is a direct beneficiary

is a question," an official

questioned.

Kumble's contract expires at

the end of India's Champions

Trophy campaign but he is

likely to continue till end of

West Indies tour.

It will come up for renewal

before the Sri Lanka series.

While there is a section in BCCI

which is not at all happy with

Kumble's role in the whole

Central Contracts issue, it will

not be an easy task to remove

him as it would need the nod

from the Committee of

Administrators.

Kumble proposes 150 percent hike for Grade A players

Spaniard Maverick Vinales

won the French Grand Prix

and took the lead in the

MotoGP championship on

Sunday after Yamaha team

mate Valentino Rossi crashed

on the last lap at Le Mans.

French rider Johann Zarco,

the double Moto2 world

champion but a rookie in the

top category, took his first

MotoGP podium with second

place on the non-works

Tech3 Yamaha after leading

for the first seven laps.

Spaniard Dani Pedrosa,

whose triple world champion

team mate Marc Marquez

crashed out of fourth place

on lap 18, inherited third for

Honda.After five rounds of the

championship, Vinales has

85 points with Pedrosa

moving up to second on 68.

Italian Rossi has 62 and

Marquez 58.

The victory was Yamaha's

500th in grand prix racing

but it looked like going to

Rossi rather than Vinales

after the 38-year-old Italian

took the lead with three laps

to go and started to pull

away. He led by 0.4 seconds

into the final lap but Vinales,

who had qualified on pole

position with Rossi

alongside, was closing and a

last lap mistake by the man

regarded by many as the

greatest of all time opened

the door. As Rossi threw

everything at the Spaniard to

try and undo his error, the

bike slid from under him at

turn 11 and dumped the

Italian into the gravel.

"Incredible. I just gave my

best in the last lap," said

Vinales. "I tried to push Vale

at 100 percent...I saw Vale

make a mistake so I took my

opportunity. I pushed 200

percent to try and go away

and finally the victory."

The win was Vinales's

third of the season and he

also set the fastest lap at the

end. Zarco's second place

made him the first

Frenchman on a home

MotoGP podium since

Christian Sarron was second

at Le Castellet in the 500cc

race in 1988, and the first in

MotoGP since Randy De

Puniet in 2009.

He said he had been fired

up by the playing of the

national anthem before the

start and had hoped to hear it

again at the end.

Vinales wins FrenchMotoGP after Rossi crashes

BANGKOK

Rattanon Wannasrichan

clinched his first Asian Tour

title on Sunday with a two-

shot win at the Thailand

Open, delighting the home

crowd with a cool-headed

round that parried a late Shiv

Kapur challenge.

The 21-year-old's pillar-

to-post victory capped a

remarkable week for the

young Thai star, whose 21-

under for the tournament

(263) saw him fend off

India's Kapur who hit 10

birdies in a final round

charge.

Rattanon wobbled slightly

on the 18th, dropping a shot

to finish on 67 for the day,

setting up a nervy finish with

Kapur, who had rattled in the

birdies all day for a fourth

round 63.

But Kapur fell two shots

short, undone by a pair of

bogeys.

That left him level in

second place with

compatriot Gaganjeet

Bhullar whose title challenge

was undone by a stuttering

front nine on the final day.

The Indian pair finished

on 19-under (265), two shots

clear of Thailand's Panuphol

Pittayarat.

Rattanon becomes only

the fourth Thai to win the

event since it was first

staged in 1965.

Cool Rattanon clinchesThailand Open on home soil

ROME

Elina Svitolina surged to No. 1

in the season-long rankings

race by winning the Italian

Open on Sunday with a 4-6, 7-

5, 6-1 victory over Simona

Halep.

It was a tour-best fourth title

this year for Svitolina and the

most prestigious trophy of her

career so far. The 22-year-old

Ukrainian also leads the tour

with 31 match wins this

season, putting her among the

favorites for the French Open,

which starts next Sunday.

"Every day I'm just trying to

work on my mental part, my

physical, my tennis," Svitolina

said. "Everything just came

together and I'm very happy

that it's happened in such a big

tournament." The fourth-

ranked Halep was in full

control and serving for the first

set at 5-2 when she rolled her

right ankle while sliding over

what appeared to be a small

hole in the Foro Italico

stadium court. While Halep

was able to eventually win the

opening set, she required

treatment to her ankle from a

trainer twice and was late

getting to shots as the match

wore on. "Sorry guys for third

set," Halep told the crowd. "It

was a little tough for me to get

through but Elina played

great."

Halep was playing in her

second clay-court final in two

weeks after winning the title in

Madrid last Sunday.

Svitolina also required

medical treatment from a trainer

midway through the second set,

for an apparent problem with

her left leg.

"Hopefully we'll recover, me

and Simona, because we're

struggling a bit physically,"

Svitolina said.

During the post-match

presentation, Svitolina dropped

the cover of the silver trophy on

to the red clay court, prompting

her to say, "Oops."

Svitolina surges to No. 1 inrace with Italian Open title

HYDERABAD

Indian shuttlers need to punch above their

weight to make a mark at the Sudirman Cup

mixed team championship which gets

underway in Gold Coast, Australia on

Sunday.

Ranked ninth, the team led by PV Sindhu is

clubbed with Indonesia and Denmark in

Group1D. Just one victory in the group stage

is enough for them to advance to

quarterfinals.

The championship has been a tough

proposition for India as they have made the

knockout stage only once in 2011. Though the

Indian team is buoyant about their chances it

is difficult to seem them beyond group stage.

"We are confident of doing well this time.

We have a very good chance of getting past

the group stage," said Sindhu, who is

expected to win her singles matches with

ease. The five-match rubber comprises men's

singles, women's singles, men's doubles,

women's doubles and mixed doubles ties and

a team has to win three of these five ties.

India face formidable Denmark on Monday

and Indonesia on Tuesday. While it is difficult

to beat Denmark, India are fancying their

chances against Indonesia. But for Sindhu's

women's singles match, the rest four may be

tougher for India.

Depending on the conditions, India's

highest ranking singles shuttler Ajay Jayaram

or Kidambi Srikanth will play the men's

singles. There are high hopes on women's

doubles team - Ashwini Ponnappa and Sikki

Reddy - to pull off one point for India.

India face stiff test in Sudirman Cup

BORDEAUX (France)

Divij Sharan and Purav

Raja won their first title of

the 2017 season and maiden

on the clay courts by lifting

the Bordeaux Challenger

trophy with a straight sets

win over Santiago Gonzalez

of Mexico and Artem Sitak

on Sunday.

The third seeded Indians

defeated the fourth seeded

Mexican-Kiwi combination

6-4 6-4 in the summit clash

that was over in 67 minutes.

Divij and Raja saved all

the four breakpoints they

faced in the match and broke

their rivals twice -- once in

each set. "It was pretty tough

field as we beat players like

Kokkinakis and Paes to win

the title. It is out first title on

clay and it's encouraging to

get this win going into the

French Open," Divij told

PTI.

This year Divij and Raja

have mostly played on the

ATP World Tour and it was

only their fourth tournament

on the Challenger Tour.

"It was not a deliberate

choice. It was the obvious

choice for us to play a

Challenger this week as the

only Tour event this week is

ATP 1000 in Rome and our

rankings was not good

enough to make the cut there.

"Our goal is is to play the

highest level tournaments

because we won't move up in

rankimgs by playing lower

level tournaments. Next

week we are playing Leon,

Mexico and then the French

Open," Divij said.

Reaching the final of the

ATP Chennai Open has been

their best show so far.

Sharan, Raja win Bordeaux Challenger

POONCH, May 21

In rain interrupted final of

the Martyr Ashiq Hussain

Shah Memorial Twenty20

Cricket Tournament, YCC

and LOC were declared joint

winners by the organizers,

District Police Poonch in

coordination with 25 RR, Sai

Group of Education and

Muslim Munch at Degree

College ground, here today.

In all, 32 teams,

representing various clubs of

the district, took part in this

competition. The final could

not be decided due to the

rains resulting into the

organizing committee

decided to declare YCC and

LOC as joint winners. Vice

Chancellor of Shri Sai Nath

University, Shahzed Malik

was chief guest, who gave

away the title trophy and cash

award worth Rs 15,000 to

both the teams.

Among others present in

the prize distribution

function were ADC Poonch,

Gurvinderjeet Singh, ASP

Poonch, Masroor Mir, DySP

DAR Poonch, Mohan

Sharma, DySP Ops Saleem

Bhatt, Assistant Director

Handicraft, Hanief, Assistant

Commandant CRPF, Prince

Bhardwaj, Principal

Government BHS Poonch

and Tariq Khan.

The competition was

coordinated by Pardeep

Khanna, Tahir Kazmi, Imran

Goldy and Vijay Kumar.

YCC, LOC declared joint winner Martyr Ashiq Hussain Memorial T20 Tourney

Finalist teams receive title trophy at DegreeCollege ground in Poonch on Sunday.

REASI, May 21

Organised by the Department of Youth

Services and Sports (DYSS), inter-school

under-17 boys' district level Tennis Ball

Cricket tournament of Reasi got

underway at General Zorawar Sports

Stadium, here today.

In all, 15 teams from as many

educational institutions of the district are

taking part in this knock-out competition.

The opening match won by

Government Higher Secondary School

Salal, who beat High School Kotli

Bhaga. In second match of the day,

Government Higher Secondary School

Panthal outplayed High School Kambal

Danga by a margin of 23 runs. Batting

first, HSS Panthal made 64 runs which in

reply, Kambal Danga could not chase and

bowled out for 41 runs in eight overs a

side game.

In another scheduled match, High

School Sirla Bhaga defeated Gurukul

Public School by a margin of 23 runs.

Batting first, HS Sirla Bhaga scored 68

runs in stipulated eight overs. In reply,

Gurukul School lost all their wickets for

45 runs.

The matches were officiated by the

technical penal comprising Pradeep Nag,

Kuldeep Raj, Opinder

Singh, Avinash Kumar, Gautam

Kundal, Rahul Bakshi, Ajay Kumjar and

Jagdev Singh.

Earlier, the competition was declared

open by district officer, State Pollution

Control Board, Angrez Singh while

Assistant Commissioner, Metrology

Department, Kuldeep Raj was guest of

honour.

Inter-school Tennis BallCricket tourney begins at Reasi

Teams playing in the opening match pose with chief guest at

Sports Stadium, Reasi on Sunday.

JAMMU, May 21

The SR College of

Competitions continued with

their twice a week Test

Series involving those

preparing for the upcoming

JKPSC (KAS) Mains

examination at its Gandhi

Nagar premises, here today.

Over 100 KAS aspirants,

who have already qualified

the Preliminary test for the

state highest Civil Services,

sit for General Studies and

Optional test. "We have

planned the ongoing Test

Series topic wise for

compulsory paper of

General Studies and other

Optional. The last test of the

ongoing series shall be

conducted on June

25,"informed Director of SR

College of Competitions,

Parveen Sharma.

Important to mention here

that the Main examination of

the KAS, conducted by

JKPSC, is scheduled to be

held on July 17.

KAS Test Series continues at SR College

The KAS aspirants take part in Test Seriesconducted by the SR College at Jammu on Sunday.

PARIS

Mahindra Racing recorded

their best-ever double points

finish in the FIA Formula E

Championship after Nick

Heidfeld and Felix

Rosenqvist came home in

third and fourth place in the

Paris E Prix.

German driver Heidfeld

picked up where he left off

just seven days ago with a

solid run to third place, just

one position ahead of his

Swedish teammate

Rosenqvist.

The combined team result

on Saturday represents an

improvement over last

weekend's Monaco ePrix

when the drivers took third

and sixth respectively.

All four of the team's

M3Electro racecars

performed well throughout

the 49-lap race around the

Les Invalides street circuit,

offering superior energy

efficiency while matching

the pace of the race leaders.

After both drivers

qualified just

shy of the series'

Super Pole

shootout session

in sixth and

seventh, they

started the race

in fifth and sixth

following a ten-

place grid

penalty for

competitor Oliver Turvey.

Heidfeld immediately

jumped from fifth to fourth

on the opening lap, with

Rosenqvist following suit to

overtake Esteban Gutierrez

not long after. A collision

down the field forced early

pit stops for most drivers.

The Mahindra Racing pair

successfully swapped to

their second cars to emerge

in the same order as before

and in the perfect position to

capitalise when Jean-Eric

Vergne collided with the

temporary concrete barrier.

Today's podium, the

team's fourth of the 2016-17

FIA Formula E

Championship, allows

Mahindra Racing to close

the gap on ABT Schaeffler

Audi Sport in the teams'

standings with just six races

left to run.

There are now just six

races remaining in the

championship, all being run

as "double-headers" on three

separate weekends.

Mahindra record best ever double points finish in Formula E

Rome

Twenty-year-old Alexander Zverev beat John

Isner on Saturday to reach his first Italian Open

Masters 1000 final, and will take on veteran

Grand Salm winner Novak Djokovic on

Sunday. Djokovic entered the final by defeating

Austrian tennis players Dominic Thiem, in 23

seconds under the hour, 6-1, 6-0. A day earlier,

Thiem, currently ranked seventh in world tennis

rankings, defeated Spaniard Rafael Nadal,

ending his 17-consecutive match clay winning

conquest. In the semi-finals, world number two

Djokovic was irresistible, hitting the ball hard,

deep and wide at will, and given his current

form, could very well make a bid for a second

consecutive French Open title.

Italian Open: Novak Djokovic to face20-year-old Alexander Zverev in final

BUSINESS the northlinesJammu | Monday | May 22 | 2017

11

WA S H I N G TO N / N E W

DELHI

Facing rough weather amid

large-scale layoffs and visa

curbs in the US, the Indian IT

industry body Nasscom has

stepped up its lobbying with

the American lawmakers

significantly with an over

one-third increase in money

spent on such activities.

According to the latest

lobbying disclosure reports

filed with the US Senate, the

National Association of

Software and Services

Companies (Nasscom) paid a

total amount of $1,50,000

(nearly Rs 1 crore) to its two

registered lobbyists in the first

quarter of 2017.

This marks a significant

rise from $1,10,000 paid to

the two lobbyists in the

previous quarter ended

December 2016. The amount

was same for each of the four

quarter of 2016.

Among the two lobbyists,

The Lande Group was paid

$50,000 in January-March

quarter of 2017 -- the same as

the money paid in each of the

four quarters of 2016.

However, the other

lobbyist, Wexler & Walker, a

unit of Hill+Knowlton

Strategies, LLC, was paid

$100,000 in the first quarter of

2017, as against $60,000 in

the previous three-month

period and in many of the

previous quarters.

As per the lobbying

disclosure report, the "specific

lobbying issues" undertaken

by this lobbyist included those

related to immigration. The

"general issues" included tax

and trade matters.

The houses of Congress and

federal agencies with whom it

lobbied on behalf of Nasscom,

which itself acts as a lobby

group for the USD 150 billion

Indian IT industry, included

the US Senate and the US

House of Representatives.

On the other hand, Lande

Group covered a larger

number of "specific lobbying

issues", including with several

federal agencies, as per its

first-quarter disclosure report.

These included "high skill

immigration, green cards, visa

processing, US-India

relations, US-India matters,

tax reform, (and) border

adjustment tax".

In addition to the Senate

and the House of

Representatives, The Lande

Group also did lobbying with

the White House Office, the

US Trade Representative, the

US Citizenship and

Immigration Services and the

departments of state,

commerce and homeland

security.

Nasscom took a delegation

of the Indian IT industry

earlier this year to the US to

engage with members of the

Trump administration on

issues like clampdown on

work visas and flow of skilled

manpower between the two

nations.

During the visit, Nasscom

president R Chandrashekhar

had said the debate in the US

over H-1B visas has become a

political and emotive issue as

there is a "yawning gap"

between the facts and

perception and the Indian IT

firms contribute immensely to

the US economy and jobs

creation.

He met several influential

American lawmakers, opinion

builders, members of the

think-tank community and

government officials to

discuss H-1B visa issues,

among other matters.

The visit of the Nasscom

delegation came in the wake

of the ongoing debate in the

US and moves to curtail the

use of H-1B visas, widely

used by Indian IT majors.

The US recently also

accused top Indian IT firms

TCS and Infosys of "unfairly"

cornering the lion's share of

the H-1B work visas by

putting extra tickets in the

lottery system, a charge

vehemently countered by

Nasscom.

Close on the heels of this

accusation, Infosys went on to

announce plans to hire 10,000

Americans, though this move

was described by some as an

act to appease US President

Donald Trump's

administration which has

tightened the rules of H-1B

visa programme to stop its

'abuse'.

Nasscom's lobbying

expenses rising

An analysis of the lobbying

disclosure reports filed for

Nasscom shows that the

Indian software industry body

paid USD 440,000 to the two

registered lobbying firms in

2016.

The Lande Group has been

lobbying on behalf of

Nasscom since third quarter

of 2010, while Wexler &

Walker registered itself as a

lobbyist for the industry body

in October 2015.

Previously, Hill and

Knowlton had registered itself

as a lobbyist for Nasscom way

back in February 2003 but

that association got

terminated in first quarter of

2008.

Since the beginning, the

lobbying issues for Nasscom

have included "immigration

and technology issues of

interest to the Indian software

industry".

The total lobbying expenses

for Nasscom in the year 2015

was USD 270,000, while it

was even lower at $140,000 in

2014 and $150,000 in 2013.

The amounts were

$115,000 in 2012, $75,000 in

2011 and just $40,000 in

2010. The lobbying expenses

for Nasscom stood at $60,000

in 2006, $100,000 in 2005,

$180,000 in 2004 and at

$200,000 in 2003

Nasscom steps up US lobbying on immigration, visa issues

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NEW DELHI

Over 7,000 steps, big and

small, have been taken by

the government so far to

improve the ease of doing

business in the country,

commerce and industry

minister Nirmala Sitharaman

has said.

She also said that the

ministry is working with all

states to improve the

business climate further.

"Roughly about 7,000 big,

small, medium and nano

measures have been taken on

ease of doing business. As a

result of which, we feel that

states have realised that ease

of doing business is a major

agenda and they also see the

benefit on going on that

route," she told PTI.

Steps taken to improve

ease of doing business

include fixing timeline for

clearance of applications,

de-licensing the

manufacturing of many

defence products,

introduction of e-biz project

for single window clearance,

reduction in number of

documents required for

export and import, and

mandatory filing of all

returns on-line through a

unified form.

In the World Bank's latest

'Doing Business' 2017

report, India's place

remained unchanged from

last year's original ranking

of 130 among the 190

economies that were

assessed on various

parameters. Last year's

ranking was revised

however to 131 from which

the country has improved its

place by one spot.

India has expressed

disappointment at its rank

remaining low, stating that

efforts and reforms

undertaken by the Centre

and states have not been

adequately captured in the

ranking.

These ranks are based on

ten parameters such as

starting a business,

construction permits and

getting credit.

The government has been

making efforts to further

improve the ease of doing

business and aims to bring

the country in the top 50.

Improving business

climate helps attract both

domestic and foreign

investments.

Have taken 7,000 steps to improve easeof doing business: Nirmala Sitharaman GULMARG

Inflation will fall by 2 per

cent on implementation of the

goods and services tax (GST)

and will create buoyancy in the

economy, Revenue Secretary

Hasmukh Adhia has said.

With the stage set for the

biggest overhaul of India's tax

system since Independence,

the government will launch a

massive awareness campaign

to educate consumers about

GST so that they are not

fleeced by traders in the name

of new tax.

In an interview to PTI, he

said the all-powerful GST

Council will meet next week to

decide on tax rates of

contentious items like gold,

bidi and biscuits, just in time

for its rollout from July 1.

The Council over the two

days last week assigned tax

rates to more than 500 services

and 1,200 goods by setting

them in five broad rates of 5,

12, 18 and 28 per cent.

Adhia and his team visited

this picturesque hill station

near Srinagar for a short break

before heading back to Delhi.

The rates, he said, have been

so fixed that incidence of

taxation has come down in

many and remained at the

same level as now in most of

the remaining goods and

services.

"I don't think inflation will

at all go up because of GST.

We have taken special care to

ensure inflation does not go

up. Our internal estimate is

that after the rates are decided,

inflation should come down by

2 per cent," he said.

While the current indirect

tax regime suffers from

significant cascading, which

leads to higher cost of goods

and services, a free flow of

credits across transactions

under the GST framework will

bring down the tax cost for

businesses.

Also, taxpayers or

consumers currently have to

pay both the Centre and state

taxes on a single sale, which

adds to increased costs for

businesses and consumers.

Such an increase in costs adds

to the inflationary pressure.

GST will be a single nation-

wide sales tax replacing a

string of central and state

levies.

"That is how we have

managed to keep our inflation

basket under control," Adhia

said, promising to fix any

compliance issues that crop up

during implementation.

The revenue secretary said

GST will create buoyancy in

the economy through better

compliance and ease of doing

business.

"I wouldn't say anything is

pending, but I would say the

government has to reach out to

the trade and industry and also

the machinery of explaining

the GST procedures in

townhall meetings. We need to

accelerate this," he said on the

task ahead.

Most importantly, consumer

education campaign has to be

taken up, he added.

"Because we have taken

care to ensure the average tax

incidence on commodities

does not go up... There may be

some traders who will try to

tell consumers that under the

changed GST rates, they will

have to pay more. We have to

educate them," he said.

Consumers, he stressed,

need not be charged more in all

cases even though the headline

rate may go up as input tax

credit or setting off the tax paid

on raw material is available.

"We need a lot of consumer

education for that," he said.

To safeguard consumer

interest, the GST law provides

for an anti-profiteering

mechanism that will ensure

industries that have got relief

by way of lower taxes actually

pass on the benefit to

consumers.

GST to cut inflation by 2%, create buoyancy in economy: Hasmukh Adhia

KOLKATA

State owned Bengal

Chemicals and

Pharmaceuticals Ltd (BCPL)

striving to expand its reach,

has harnessed hyper local

delivery startup Big Basket.

The company announced a

formal announcement on the

tie up on Saturday.

"Now, BCPL products will

be delivered by

Big Basket at

the doorstep of

any customer of

Kolkata if they

place their order

online or

through their

app," BCPL

managing

director P M

Chandraiah said.

The company

posted a net

profit in 2016-17 for the first

time in 63 years. It was

taken over by the Centre in

1977.

BCPL is continuously

trying to expand and foray

into profitable pharma

segment and the same could

be a game changer for the

ailing company, he said.

Bengal Chemicals tiesup with BigBasketMUMBAI

For the middle class, an

immediate impact of GST

would be the higher premium

outgo due to the increase in

rate of tax on insurance

following implementation of

the Goods and Services Tax.

For families that own a car and

pay for health and term

insurance the increase in

annual outgo would be close

to Rs 1,000.

"The immediate impact will

be an increase in the tax from

15% to 18% which will have

to be borne by customers,"

said Tapan Singhel, MD, Bajaj

Allianz General Insurance. He

added that going forward

companies will work out if

there is any positive impact of

tax credit. If there is a positive

impact this will result in the

premium coming down while

the tax rate will remain.

However, for non-life

companies the issue is getting

advantage of input tax credit.

Under the service tax regime

insurance has been among the

list of businesses for which

input tax credit is not

available. As it stands, the

GST regime continues to

exempt insurance from

benefits of input tax credit.

" T h e

government has

continued with

the existing

e x e m p t i o n s

under the GST

regime. When

there are

exemptions the

entire value

chain of credit

gets lost," Gopal

Balachandran,

chief financial officer, ICICI

Lombard. As a result the

incidence of higher tax will

fall on the customer.

Life insurers say that input

tax credit advantage will vary

according to the level of

maturity of a company and the

benefits can be calculated only

after a period of time.

Also, while taxes can be

passed on any revision in

charges will require approval

from the regulator.

Given the increase in the

cost of health cover, premium

on mediclaim policies have

soared with families spending

Rs 20 to Rs 25,000 on health

insurance alone. The outgo

will now rise by 3%. There

will be a similar increase in

the premium on auto

insurance.

Banking too will see a

marginal increase in charges.

However, since most of the

earnings are through interest

spreads the impact will be

limited to loan processing

fees, card fees, penalties and

remittance charges. Life

insurance is slightly different.

While term insurance is

categorised as risk premium

and taxed in line with motor

and health insurance, life

policies with a health

component are taxed

differently.

"Savings products like

Endowment and ULIP have a

large component of consumer

savings other than risk

premium. Service Tax

(without cess) was 14.5% on

pure risk products, 3.5% of

first year and subsequent

1.75% on Endowment, 14%

on ULIP insurer charges

which are composite of risk

and fund management fees,"

said Joydeep K Roy, Partner

and Leader-Insurance, PwC

India.

According to Roy, GST had

to be implemented sensitively

on these different categories

of products. "Micro Insurance

or certain instances below a

threshold need to be exempt

from GST," he said.

Insurance premiums set to go up under GST regimeIndia announces policyfor strategic

partnerships in defenceMUMBAI

India on Saturday finalised

a policy that would allow

local private companies to

work with foreign players to

make high-tech defence

equipment, in a boost to

Prime Minister Narendra

Modi's bid to cut reliance on

imports.

The policy, whose finer

details are still to be

formalised, will initially

allow the entry of private

companies into the

manufacture of submarines,

fighter aircrafts and armoured

vehicles through foreign

partnerships, a statement

issued by the Defence

Ministry said.

"In future, additional

segments will be added," the

statement said.

PUNE

There is a need for a single

redressal mechanism for all

types of financial transactions

in the country , feels Ranjana

Sahajwala, ban of the RBI.

king ombudsman of the RBI.

The RBI created the office

of banking ombudsman

(OBO) to act as a mediator or

adjudicator between the

customer and the bank. It

publishes a yearly report on

the complaints received and

resolved by the body .

With so many changes

happening across the financial

landscape, said Sahajwala, it is

not always possible to segment

the area of concern clearly.

Although there are separate

redressal mechanisms for

banking, insurance, securities

and pension, there is a need for

a single authority to effectively

address all consumer

problems.

"We have several

challenges. Since the

ombudsman office is a

relatively nascent institution,

its role is limited. There is a

change in the financial

services industry , with the

same institution or its

subsidiary selling banking,

insurance, securities and

pension services. At times, it is

not very clear where the issue

lies, in case of a complaint. One

redressal agency for the entire

sector is a must," she said while

addressing the gathering at the

ICFAI Business School on

emerging trends in applied

finance and business

economics. The OBO dealt

with almost 1.07 complaints

between July 1, 2015 and June

30, 2016. It disposed off 1.01

lakh complaints, over a third of

which were on the failure of

banks to meet commitments

and or observe the fair practices

code. It said in its annual report

that 50% of the complaints

were "non-maintainable,"

because the complaints filed

did not follow the prescribed

rules or were filed without

approaching the bank first for

resolution. However, on the

ground, it is observed that

banks do not take customer

complaints seriously . Recently

, RBI deputy governor S S

Mundra had warned banks,

especially public sector banks,

of action for not setting up the

internal ombudsman scheme,

even one year after the structure

for the scheme was proposed.

RBI ombudsman for one redressalsystem for all financial transactions

A taste of the good times can often

make the bad times feel worse. Delhi-

based Vishal Krishna (name changed),

42, knows that feeling well. The IIT, IIM

and Ivy League executive was once a

"rock star", wooed by employers. He

joined the telecom industry on its

upward curve in the early 2000s. A

product marketing specialist, he was a

rare talent in a nascent industry where

players like Nokia were scouring the

talent market — from the information

technology to consumer goods sectors —

to grow their businesses. For Krishna, it

was a dream run as he went about

switching jobs and rising up the ladder.

By 2011, the tide had begun to turn.

Nokia lost its way and the telecom

industry was seeing a churn. His last job

was with a network equipment provider.

Today, the stir in telecom has graduated

into a shakedown. Employing 4 million

(directly and indirectly), the industry

could shed up to 30-40% of its

workforce, thanks to consolidation blues

and a technology onslaught.

Rock star Krishna is jobless. His

marketing skills — of brick-and-mortar

vintage — are not as relevant as they

were a decade ago. He has had many

health scares, including a heart attack. It

is not as much the money — he has made

a neat pile — as the feeling that he is no

longer required that bothers him. "In

telecom, the joke is that 40 is the cursed

number. The moment you cross it (age or

salary, in lakhs), life is ultra-tough," says

Jayanth Kolla, founder, Convergence

Catalyst, a consultancy firm.

Not too far away in the capital, Vipul

Yadav (name changed), 23, is in the

same boat as Krishna. Except in a very

different world. A graduate from

PGDAV College, Delhi, in 2015, he first

applied for government jobs but with

little luck. Last year he decided to apply

to private companies. He landed a job

with a monthly salary of Rs 8,000 near

Greater Noida. But he decided against it.

The commute itself would cost him over

Rs 6,000, he reasoned. Fed up, he

dropped out of the job market and now

does "time pass".

What needs to be done - and is being done - toemploy more Indians, and to make them employable

RIYADH, MAY 21

US President Donald Trumpcalled on Middle Easternleaders to combat a "crisis ofIslamic extremism" emanat-ing from the region, castingthe fight against terrorism asa "battle between good andevil," not a clash between theWest and Islam.Trump's address today was

the centrepiece of his two-day visit to Saudi Arabia, hisfirst stop overseas as presi-dent.During a meeting of morethan 50 Arab and Muslimleaders, he sought to chart anew course for America's rolein the region, one aimedsquarely on rooting out ter-rorism, with less focus onpromoting human rights and

democratic reforms."We are not here to lecture --we are not here to tell otherpeople how to live, what todo, who to be, or how to wor-ship," Trump said, speakingin an ornate, multi-chande-liered room. "Instead, we arehere to offer partnership --based on shared interests andvalues -- to pursue a betterfuture for us all."Even as the president pledgedto work alongside MiddleEastern nations, he put theonus for combating terrorism

on the region. Bellowing intothe microphone, he imploredMuslim leaders to aggres-sively fight extremists:"Drive them out of yourplaces of worship. Drivethem out of your communi-ties."The president has beenenthusiastically embraced inRiyadh, where the rulingroyal family has welcomedhis tougher stance on Iran, itsregional foe.Trump slammed Iran forspreading "destruction and

chaos" throughout the region.His comments were echoedby Saudi King Salman, whodeclared, "The Iranianregime has been the spear-head of global terrorism."For Trump, the visit has beena welcome escape from thecrush of controversies thathave consumed his adminis-tration in recent weeks. He'sbeen besieged by a series ofrevelations about the ongoingfederal investigation into hiscampaign's possible ties toRussia and his decision to fire

FBI Director James Comey,who had been overseeing theRussia probe.Trump's trip to Saudi Arabiaalso served as something of areset with the region follow-ing his presidential cam-paign, which was frequentlypunctured by bouts of anti-Islamic rhetoric.He once mused that hethought "Islam hates us" andrepeatedly slammed formerPresident Barack Obama forrefusing to use the term "rad-ical Islamic extremism."

The NORTHLINESJAMMU || MONDAY | MAY | 22 || 201712

NEW DELHI, MAY 21

A fresh representation hasbeen made to the Presidenton behalf of Calcutta HighCourt judge C S Karnanseeking suspension of theSupreme Court order sen-tencing him to six-monthimprisonment for contemptof court, a lawyer represent-ing him has said.Advocate Mathews JNedumpara said that he,along with other counselrepresenting the high courtjudge and his son C SSugan, met Ashok Mehta,the Secretary to thePresident, and handed overan application for suspen-sion of the sentence underArticle 72 of theConstitution.

He said they have soughtpersonal audience forJustice Karnan with thePresident.The lawyers took the groundin the application thatJustice Karnan will beunable to exercise any reme-dy if he is arrested. The con-troversial judge has not beenarrested yet."Therefore, an applicationseeking the President's inter-vention under Article 72 hasbeen made," Nedumparasaid.Article 72 states that thePresident shall have thepower to grant pardons,reprieves, respites or remis-sions of punishment or tosuspend, remit or commutethe sentence of any personconvicted of any offence.

In the application it has beencontended that the SupremeCourt had acted withoutjurisdiction, the lawyer said.On May 9, a seven-judgebench, headed by ChiefJustice J S Khehar, had sen-tenced Justice Karnan to sixmonths jail for contempt ofcourt and ordered the WestBengal police to take himinto custody forthwith.Nedumpara had earlierclaimed that the defenceteam made an identical rep-resentation to the Presidentthrough an e- mail.However, the President'sOffice had said, "It was notaware of any such represen-tation."The latest application hasbeen filed after the apexcourt's registry refused toaccept Justice Karnan's peti-tion seeking recall of theMay 9 judgement.

Justice Karnan appeals Prezto suspend sentence NEW DELHI, MAY 21

The next plenary session ofthe Nuclear Suppliers Group(NSG) is likely to be held inSwiss capital Bern nextmonth, but the chances ofany breakthrough on India’sentry into the elite group stilllook slim, given China’s per-sistent opposition to it.India had officially appliedfor membership of thegrouping, which controlsexport of nuclear materials,equipment and technology,in May last year.The matter came up for dis-cussion at the Seoul plenarysession of the NSG in Junelast year, but yielded littleresult with Beijing scuttlingIndia’s bid on the groundthat it was not a signatory tothe non-proliferation treaty(NPT).Ahead of the next NSG ple-nary session, official sourcessay, India has renewed its

efforts to become a memberof the 48-nation group byengaging with all membercountries, but resistancefrom China still remainsdespite the pro-India pushfrom other key players suchas the US, the UK, Franceand Russia.China has been pressing fora two-step process whichincludes setting up criteria— a standard for admis-sion—for the inclusion ofcountries that are not signa-tories to the NPT. Beijingalso equates India’s case

with Pakistan, which, too,has applied for the NSGmembership.The issue of India’s mem-bership is expected to be dis-cussed at the Bern meet, butthe “status quo” stillremains, a senior officialsays.Indicating that there was nochange in China’s positiontowards India’s NSG bid,Chinese Ambassador hereLuo Zhaohui at an event lastmonth had said, “On theNuclear Suppliers Group(NSG) issue, we do not

oppose any country’s mem-bership, believing that astandard for admissionshould be agreed upon first.”India has repeatedly said thatChina is the “one country”which has been blocking itsbid.The two sides conducted tworounds of talks betweenChina’s nuclear negotiatorWang Qun and India’s thenSecretary for DisarmamentAmandeep Singh Gill onSeptember 13 and October31 last year.The NSG consultativegroup’s meeting inNovember last year alsoended like the Seoul plenarysession. It remained incon-clusive on India’s applica-tion as China continued tooppose the entry of non-NPTnations and called for a two-step “non-discriminatory”solution for admission ofsuch countries into thegrouping. Over the last one

year, India has tried to getmore support for its NSGbid, but not all its effortshave proved to be success-ful. For instance, Turkey hasagreed to support India’s bidto the group, but it alsofavours Pakistan’s bid.New Zealand has also notgiven any concrete assur-ance on supporting India’sbid.“Prime Minister (JohnPhillip) Key stated that NewZealand would continue tocontribute constructively tothe process currently under-way in the NSG to considerIndia’s membership. NewZealand is committed toworking with NSG membersto reach a decision as soonas possible,” a joint state-ment by Prime MinisterNarendra Modi and his Kiwicounterpart John Key saidafter the latter’s visit to NewDelhi in October last year.PTI

NSG likely to meet next month, chances of India's entry seem slim

India had officially applied for membership of the grouping in May lastyear. File photo

NEW DELHI, MAY 21

It was Good Friday on April6 in 2007, a holiday. RenuTakhelabam’s husband haddriven out on his scooter to alocal market. Hours passedand he did not return. Renugrew anxious, their nine-month-old son bawled.Meanwhile, Mung Hangzo’scorpse lay unattended in alocal hospital.Hangzo’s death had becomeanother statistic in thedecades-old separatist insur-gency in Manipur wheresecurity forces are armedwith a law, even older thanthe insurgency, which givesthem wide powers to raidhomes, detain suspects andeven kill on grounds of pub-lic order.Earlier this month while theIndian government wasdefending the Armed Forces(Special Powers) Act(AFSPA) at a UnitedNation’s forum, Renu andother Manipuri widows werebusy—on the SupremeCourt’s order—documentingcases of 1,528 men, women,

and children – all victims ofextra-judicial killings or“fake encounters”.An imprint was also left by asingular protest by 12 ‘imas’(mothers), who undressedthemselves in front of theKangla Fort in Manipur’scapital Imphal in 2004, hold-ing aloft a banner reading“Indian Army Rape Us”against the killing and rapeof a young girl, ThangjamManorama.But unnoticed in the cam-paign are activists such asRenu and Edina Yaikhom,the widowed foot soldiers ofthe movement, all in their30s, who lost their husbandsabout 10 years ago.These women have beenquietly marching on againstall odds, debilitating dis-eases and inner demons – ajourney marked by few tri-umphs and numerous set-backs.One July evening in 2008,Edina sat restless, waitingfor her cabbie husband toreturn. He was usually homebefore dark.In a few hours, a few rela-

tives walked in, wearingwhites, the colour of mourn-ing. Edina went blank andcollapsed, the sudden traumaof her husband’s death leav-ing her partially paralysed.A year later, in another partof the state, NeenaNingombam’s husband hadgone out for a stroll afterlunch.Around dinner time, sheheard of his death on the 9pm TV bulletin.The alleged extra-judicialkillings in Manipur have fol-lowed a pattern over theyears – of men disappearingand being found dead.Fighting against AFSPA aremembers of the Extra-Judicial Execution VictimFamilies Association orEEVFAM. The acronym’spronunciation sounds likethe local word for blood-stain.Mostly made up of youngwidows, the newest, albeitthe strongest, troops in therelentless battle againstAFSPA, the group hasfocused on filing court peti-tions demanding accounta-

bility for the killings.Babloo Loitongbam, ahuman rights activist, recallshow the judicial battle wasconceived over a few cupsof coffee in DelhiUniversity, sometime in1980.“Youths, who had come tostudy in universities here,were discussing how themainland differed from theirnative land,” he said.“At that point, AFSPA wasintroduced in Manipur. ThePatsoi Langjing incident inwhich CRPF killed fourcivilians including a preg-nant woman triggered angeragainst the law.The first PIL (Public InterestLitigation) against it wastaken up on October 10,1980,” he told PTI.Around 36 years and multi-ple PILs later, “we are final-ly here”, he adds. His organ-isation, Human Rights Alert,and EEVFAM, are co-peti-tioners in the ongoing caseagainst AFSPA in the apexcourt.AFSPA is based on theArmed Forces (Special

Widows of Manipur: Victims of ‘fakeencounters’ fighting to revoke AFSPA

PESHAWAR, MAY 21

At least four policemenwere killed on Sunday whentheir vehicle was attackedby unidentified militants inPakistan’s restive north-western KhyberPakhtunkhwa province.The policemen were return-ing from an operation inKamal Khel area of Kohat

district when terroristsambushed their vehicle,police said.A Station House Officer(SHO) and an additionalSHO along with two consta-bles died in the firing, theysaid. The police have cor-doned off the entire area andstarted a search operation inLachi tehsil to nab theattackers. — PTI

4 policemen killed inattack in Pakistan

MALE/NEW DELHI, MAY 21

The Indian Navy has traceda Maldivian landing craftwith six crew members,three days after it went miss-ing while travelling betweentwo islands in the Maldives.A Dronier aircraft of theNavy first located the land-ing craft — Maria 3 — 120nautical miles east of Maleon Saturday evening follow-ing which INS Kirchreached out to the ship andprovided required assis-tance.The Navy on Saturday hadsent the INS Kirch and theDornier aircraft for search

and rescue operation for themissing vessel.“The ship’s forward ramphad collapsed due to whichshe was unable to propel.The INS Kirch has con-firmed that all crew mem-bers are safe,” NavySpokesperson Capt DKSharma said in New Delhi.

The landing craft was travel-ling from K Thulusdhoo, anisland in the Maldives, to LGan, another island, onThursday when it went miss-ing.India’s Ambassador toMaldives Akhilesh Mishraapplauded the crew of theIndian Navy and MaldivesNational Defence Force

(MNDF) for their coordina-tion and cooperation inlocating the missing ship.“I feel very proud of the pro-fessionalism, unflinchingcourage and commitment toduty displayed by the IndianNaval officers in undertak-ing the search and rescueoperation in an extremelychallenging weather,” hesaid.The Indian Navy personnelalso called on the Indianenvoy.The MNDF is the securityorganisation of Maldivesresponsible for defendingthe security and sovereigntyof the island nation. — PTI

Indian Navy traces missing Maldivian landing craft

The Navy on Saturday had sent the INS Kirch and the Dornieraircraft for search and rescue operation for the missing vessel.

Fight against terror a 'battle between good and evil': Trump in Riyadh