The government has clarified that it has no plans to change the retirement age of its employees.
In the Rajya Sabha, MP Neeraj Shekhar had asked whether the government is actively considering retirement of officials either at the age of 60 years or after completing 33 years of service whichever is earlier.
Minister of State for Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, Jitendra Singh told the Parliament that there is no such proposal. “No Sir. There is no proposal to reduce retirement age below 60 years,” Singh said in a written reply.
In the last few months, there have been rumours that the government might change superannuation rules. Earlier, there were reports that there is a proposal to reduce retirement age by two years to 58 years.
Singh had earlier said that there are provisions which allow the government to retire government officials prematurely on the ground of lack of integrity or ineffectiveness, in public interest, by giving notice of not less than three months in writing or three month’s pay and allowances in lieu of such notice.
“We are demanding that the government should undertake evaluation of the property of all mainstream politicians in J&K including those associated with the BJP,” said the party General Secretary (Organization) Ashok Kaul.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Sunday said people have right to know about the property “amassed” by mainstream politicians in Jammu and Kashmir.
“We are demanding that the government should undertake evaluation of the property of all mainstream politicians in J&K including those associated with the BJP,” said the party General Secretary (Organization) Ashok Kaul.
He was addressing a party convention in north Kashmir’s Kupwara district. “In the past, the mainstream parties and politicians amassed property by looting central funds which were allocated for development works,” said Kaul.
“It is important that there should be a thorough probe to bring to fore what happened to the funds that were allocated to J&K for development,” said Kaul.
He said condition of roads was inferior in Kashmir and people were facing problems due to irregular power supply.
The senior BJP leader alleged that meritorious candidates did not get jobs in the previous regimes owing to nepotism and rampant corruption.
He urged the administration and the party carder to run campaign against drug addiction in the Valley. “The menace of drug addiction has engulfed the youth in the Valley,” he said. “Let’s join hands to fight this menace.”
He asked the state authorities to “launch a war” against drug abuse. “The BJP cadre will be neck-to-neck with the administration in fight against the drug abuse,” Kaul said.
During the convention, scores of Sarpanchs and Panches joined the BJP. Terming BJP, the party of poor people, Kaul urged the new entrants to work for betterment of people.
“The Sarpanchs and Panches have been elected by the people and you are accountable to them,” he told them.
Kaul also discussed party election in Kupwara. The BJP has already started preparations for the polls in Kashmir.
The election for new Constituency and District presidents is underway in valley and it will conclude in December.
The BJP has decided to have separate Presidents for Union Territories (UTs) of Jammu Kashmir and Ladakh. The elections for the posts will be completed in January 2019, he said. Ravinder Raina, who is the President of party unit for J&K UT, is also looking after party affairs of Ladakh.
The incident comes as Kashmir is already on the edge with authorities stepping up security deployment at vital installations and sensitive areas amid heightened terror threat and flare up of hostilities with Pakistan.
Srinagar: A Maruti vehicle was completely damaged in a “cylinder blast” at Lal Bazar Srinagar on Sunday.
A police officer said that the apparently cylinder blast took place near GD Goenka School Lal Bazar.
He said fire tenders reached the spot and doused off the flames. While the vehicle was completely damaged, there was no loss of life reported in the incident.
The officer said that a police has registered a case and was investigating the nature of the blast even as “apparently it seems to be cylinder blast.” (GNS)
The incident comes as Kashmir is already on the edge with authorities stepping up security deployment at vital installations and sensitive areas amid heightened terror threat and flare up of hostilities with Pakistan along the Line of Control (LoC).
Additional paramilitary forces, which arrived here last week, have been deployed across the city and in other vulnerable areas of Kashmir Valley, the officials said.
The strength of the security personnel has been increased around vital installations such as the civil secretariat, police headquarters, airport and various central government establishments in the city, they said.
Barricades have been erected on many arterial roads, including the entry and exit points to Srinagar, the summer capital of the state. Riot control vehicles have also been kept on standby in some areas where apprehension of law and order disturbances is more, the officials added.
(details awaited)
(This story has not been edited by KASHMIR TODAY staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
Srinagar: Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Sunday condemned what he termed India’s attack across LoC on “innocent civilians” and use of cluster munitions.
Khan said that the use of cluster bombs is a violation of international humanitarian law and India’s own commitments under the 1983 Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons. He said that the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) must take note of this “international threat” to peace and security.
It is time to end the long night of suffering for the people of Occupied Kashmir. They must be allowed to exercise their right to self determination according to UN SC resolutions.The only road to peace & security in South Asia runs through a peaceful & just settlement of Kashmir
The Pakistan premier said that it is time to end the long night of suffering for the people of Kashmir. “They must be allowed to exercise their right to self determination according to UN SC resolutions. The only road to peace and security in South Asia runs through a peaceful and just settlement of Kashmir.”
In a series of tweets Khan said, “President Trump offered to mediate on Kashmir. This is the time to do so as situation deteriorates there and along the LoC with new aggressive actions being taken by Indian occupation forces. This has the potential to blow up into a regional crisis.”
(This story has not been edited by KASHMIR TODAY staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
It is notified for the information of all the students of the University that the semester examinations scheduled from 05-08-2019 to 9-08-2019 have been postponed.
SRINAGAR: India all-rounder Irfan Pathan and other support staffs of the Jammu and Kashmir’s cricket team were requested to leave the state at the earliest after the Indian Government’s security advisory following unrest in the valley. Pathan, who is associated with Jammu and Kashmir team as player cum mentor along with coach Milap Mewada and trainer Sudarshan VP are expected to leave the state on Sunday, reported The New Indian Express.
“Yes, the JKCA has advised Pathan and other support staff to leave J&K. They will fly out of the Valley on Sunday. Selectors, who are not from the region, have also been asked to leave for their respective places,” said, JKCA chief executive officer (CEO) Syed Ashiq Hussain Bukhari.
India has hit out at a report by the United States saying religious intolerance was growing under its right-wing government, setting off a new spat ahead of a visit by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.
An annual report on international religious freedom released by Pompeo on Friday said Hindu groups had used “violence, intimidation, and harassment” against Muslims and low-caste Dalits in 2017 to force a religion-based national identity.
But Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government insisted that no foreign country had the right to criticise its record.
Pompeo is set to arrive in New Delhi on Tuesday for a trip intended to strengthen ties, but already complicated by spats over trade tariffs, data protection rules, US visas for Indians and buying arms from Russia.
‘Inflammatory speeches’
“Despite Indian government statistics indicating that communal violence has increased sharply over the past two years, the Modi administration has not addressed the problem,” the report said.
The US religious freedom report said groups claiming to protect cows – considered sacred by Hindus – have attacked Muslims and Dalits. Christians have also been targeted for proselytising since Modi came to power in 2014.
The report, which examined attacks on religious minorities during 2018, said some senior officials from Modi’s ruling Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) made “inflammatory speeches” mainly against Muslims, who make up 14 percent of India’s 1.3 billion people.
“Mob attacks by violent extremist Hindu groups against minority communities, especially Muslims, continued throughout the year amid rumours that victims had traded or killed cows for beef,” the report said.
It also noted reports by non-governmental organisations that the government sometimes failed to act on mob attacks on religious minorities, marginalised communities, and critics of the government.
The Indian foreign ministry rejected the report, saying there was no right “for a foreign entity/government to pronounce on the state of our citizens’ constitutionally protected rights”.
“India is proud of its secular credentials, its status as the largest democracy and a pluralistic society with a long-standing commitment to tolerance and inclusion,” spokesman Raveesh Kumar said in a statement.
“The Indian Constitution guarantees fundamental rights to all its citizens, including its minority communities.”
The United States has sought to boost ties with India as a counterweight to China, and both US President Donald Trump and Modi have highlighted their good relationship.
However, India last week imposed higher import tariffs on 28 US items in retaliation to Washington’s recent withdrawal of trade privileges for New Delhi.
Pompeo wants to use his New Delhi trip to lay the ground for a Trump-Modi meeting at the G20 Summit in Osaka this month. It will be their first since Modi’s new landslide election win last month.
(This story has not been edited by KASHMIR TODAY staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
Srinagar, Aug 03: Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) (Law and Order) Muneer Khan Saturday dismissed the rumours that J&K policemen were being asked to deposit their weapons asserting that strict action will be taken against such rumour mongers.
Talking to Kashmir News Service (KNS) he said, “The tweet on social media in which it has been mentioned that J&K policemen are being asked to deposit their weapons and CRPF and army were taking control of police stations is a criminal rumour. Strict action will be taken against these criminal elements who have spread these malicious rumours with intent to vitiate the atmosphere. We are trying to find out who has initiated this malicious rumour.”
“J&K police has always made sacrifices in the service of state and nation and will continue to do so,” Khan added. (KNS)
Non-local’s body not retrieved by forces, still lying in open near encounter site; Thousands attend funeral of Zeenat-ul-Islam Naikoo at his native village; Clashes reported
Srinagar, Aug 03: More than 50-hour long gunfight between militants and goverment forces ended in Shopian district of south Kashmir on Saturday.
In all, two militants, a soldier and a non-local labourer were killed during the course of gunfight which ensued on the intervening night of August 1 and 2 at Ittoo Mohalla Pandushan village.
On Saturday, one more militant was killed and his body was retrieved by the joint team of forces to conclude the “operation”.
Yesterday a militant identified as Zeenat-ul-Islam Naikoo of Memmander Shopian, a soldier and the non-local Labourer namely Mujeeb of Bihar were killed.
Two weapons including one AK 47 and one SLR rifle were also recovered by the forces from the slain duo militants.
A police officer told GNS that investigations are underway to ascertain the circumstances under which Mujeeb was killed.
However, eyewitness said that the non-local’s body was lying in the area and was not retrieved by the government forces as they withdrew from the area.
Despite repeated attempts no senior officer could be contacted for comments as regards why the body of non-local was not retrieved by the joint team of forces.
The encounter broke out on Thursday evening at Ittoo Mohalla Pandoshan village after a joint team of army’s 34 RR, SOG and CRPF launched a cordon and search operation.
According to eyewitness youth took to streets and pelted stones on forces near the encounter site. The police and paramilitary CRPF deployed in the area used tear smoke shells and pellets to disperse them.
Meanwhile, thousands of people participated in the funeral prayers of Zeenat-ul-Islam Naikoo at his native village at Memmander village.
Zeenat was later buried amid pro-freedom slogans. (GNS)
