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  • Karra calls for thorough probe into JK Bank recruitments

    ‘Govt must come clean on charges of nepotism in appointments’

    Srinagar: Senior PDP leader and Member Parliament, Mr Tariq Hameed Karra has sought a thorough probe into the revelations by a senior National Conference (NC) leader that hundreds of backdoor appointments were made in J&K Bank by the present government on the behest of the Finance Minister Abdul Rahim Rather.

    “As the charges of favouritism in appointments in JK Bank against the Finance Minister have been levelled by a senior NC leader and former Member Parliament Dr Mehboob Beg, these need to be probed thoroughly as the people have every right to know the truth,” Karra said in a statement issued here today.

    He said unemployment being the major concern of every stakeholder in the State, nobody can be allowed to play with the future of educated unemployed youth by resorting to nepotism in recruitments. “By resorting to alleged backdoor appointments in J&K Bank, the State’s Finance Minister is not only promoting mediocrity in the Bank, but is striking at the very foundation of this premiere financial institution which is already under cloud because of the surfacing of various shady dealings,” he said.

    Reiterating his demand for a white paper on the functioning of J&K Bank, Mr Karra said the disturbing reports appearing in a section of the press over the past few days regarding the messy state of affairs in the Bank have set the alarm bells ringing and people must know what is going on inside the Bank.

    He said as J&K Bank touches everybody’s skin in the State, the Government and the Bank authorities must come clean on the alarming reports of backdoor appointments, manipulating profits, massive discrimination in deposits and advances within and outside the State and deteriorating fiscal health of the Bank.

    “It is the responsibility of the Government and the Bank authorities to come clean with a White Paper on the issue, sooner the better,” Mr Karra said and added that not only is the State’s economy but the hard-earned money and livelihood of thousands of people in Jammu and Kashmir is closely linked with J&K Bank and any mishap in the institution could prove catastrophic for the entire State and its people.

  • This happens only in Kashmir! Matriculate heads JK Housing Board

    Srinagar: This happens in Kashmir only. A matriculate, Ram Pal Sharma is the Managing Director (MD) of J&K Housing Board.

    Sharma, who was engaged as a junior assistant/Typist in J&K Housing Board in 1981, is now the MD of the Board with the blessings of Deputy Chief Minister Tara Chand, who was the Chairman of the Board.

    Before Sharma, the post was held by a technical person of the level of Chief Engineer because the department has been established particularly for construction works in Jammu and Kashmir.

    Official documents in the possession with CNS reveal that Sharma was engaged in the department as a Junior assistant/Typist vide order number HB/Estt/8/81/377-78, dated 01-05-1981 for the period of one month.

    RP Sharma served as Junior assistant/Typist in the Housing Board for one year, 7 months and 22 days in 1981-82. He was promoted as Junior Stenographer on 24-12-1982 in 1150-2050 pay grade.

    On 17-01-1991, RP Sharma was again promoted as Senior scale Stenographer in 2000-3200 grade. On 10-07-1999, Sharma was again promoted as Liason Officer in 7500-12000 grade.

    Again in 2007, an unprecedented change was effected in the hierarchy of the J&K Housing Board, by virtue of which the post of Deputy Secretary was created only to accommodate Sharma. He was later elevated to the rank of Secretary.

    However, the order issued by the MD at that time, promoting Sharma as Secretary faced strong objections from the Board of Directors. The other Board members were all senior IAS officers. In the meeting held on 21.05.2010, they openly criticized the promotion of RP Sharma to the rank of Secretary, to the utmost embarrassment to Deputy CM Tara Chand, who was chairing the meeting.

    The Board of Directors, including the then Commissioner Secretary, said that Sharma was not qualified for the gazetted post of Secretary, which has been always held by a KAS Officer. Sources said that senior Board members even directed Sharma to leave the meeting venue.

    Subsequently, an order was issued on June 25, 2010 withdrawing and canceling the illegal promotion of Sharma to the post of Secretary. But Deputy Chief Minister Tara Chand intervened, and ensured that Sharma is promoted to Secretary’s rank. On April 10, 2012 RP Sharma was promoted as Secretary of the Board, overlooking the objections of the Board of Directors.

    On September 4, 2013, the J&K Cabinet, vide its decision No. 196/25/2013 ordered the transfer of Kiran Wattal, the then Managing Director of J&K Housing Board, to Jammu Municipal Corporation as Commissioner. In a seemingly simple move, the additional charge of Managing Director of the Housing Board was given to Ram Pal Sharma till further orders.

    Even after a year, Sharma, a matriculate, is still holding the charge of the Managing Director of J&K Housing Board.

    RP Sharma got his first major appointment as Liaison Officer of the Housing Board, and was later was promoted as Deputy Secretary in 2004, by superseding many officers senior to him. The documents available with the CNS show the Deputy Chief Minister approved Sharma’s promotion as Secretary in the grade of 15600-39100 with pay band of Rs 7600 on May 14, 2010.

    The approval letter said that Sharma would take the charge of Secretary on the transfer of the then Secretary Fayaz Ahmad Bala, a KAS Officer.

    A  letter was shot the next day to the Commissioner Secretary, General Administration Department (GAD) by the MD of the Housing Board, asking GAD not to depute any officer as Secretary to J&K Housing Board, and to depute only Deputy Secretary in the future.

  • Militants attack house of Chief Minister’s OSD in Baramulla

    ‘Attackers tried to get inside my residence’

    Srinagar: Suspected militants on Wednesday attacked the house of Officer on Special Duty (OSD) to Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district, sources and locals said.Official sources told GNS that at around 8: 30 pm, militants fired upon the house of Tariq Ahmad Kakroo, who is OSD to CM, in posh Kanispora in the district, which is some 48 kilometers from the summer capital.Residents told GNS that they heard burst of fire in the area. Sources said Tariq was present inside the house at the time of attack but escaped unhurt.“I was present in my house. Suddenly heavy firing started on my house and the attackers tried to get inside my residence but guards and my PSOs retaliated and foiled their attempt,” Tariq Kakroo told GNS over phone. He said no one was injured in the attack.Sources said that soon after the attack, huge contingents of police’s Special Operation Group, army and paramilitary forces reached the spot and started massive searches in the area.Kakroo informed GNS that a public ‘Durbar’ was scheduled to be organized on Thursday at his residence in which people were supposed to interact with the senior officials.Kakroo is the son of Retired Chief Justice Nisar Ahmad Kakroo. (GNS)

  • Drive against poppy cultivation started in Kulgam

    Srinagar: Kulgam police has started a drive to destroy poppy cultivation in the district. The drive against the poppy cultivation was kicked of yesterday by the district police administration destroyed poppy cultivation spread over about 10 Kanals of land at different patches of land in villages Awgaam, Sangus, Poniwa, Laroo and Kanipora in the jurisdiction of police station Kulgam.  SP Kulgam said that the drive will be intensified in the coming days.

  • For first time in Himalayas new digging technique of TBM used for Kishanganga power project succeed

    ‘Project to be completed by November 2016’

    Srinagar: For the first time , a construction major has used a Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) for digging nearly 15 kilometer long tunnel for Kishanganga hydroelectric power project here in valley, a development which could help in providing all-weather connectivity in Jammu and Kashmir in future.According to the press handout issued the day-lighting of the 14.75 km long tunnel was achieved yesterday after the work started on it in May 2001. The 330 MW Kishanganga project, located on river Kishanganga, a tributary of river Jhelum, is being constructed by Hindustan Construction Company (HCC), in a joint venture with Halcrow Group Ltd for the National Hydroelectric Power Corporation Ltd. (NHPC). The breakthrough in the first phase of the tunnel with a diameter of 5.4 m from the powerhouse side was achieved by the TBM and rest of the 8.9 km, having six metre diameter from the dam side is being constructed using the conventional Drill and Blast Method.  “It is a first such feat in the mighty Himalayan range and Jammu and Kashmir has taken the honour. Officials said that TBMs can be used for digging in mountainous state in future for providing all-weather connectivity.According to the officials TBM had never run successfully in the Himalayas and it was the first time that there was no problem in it. “It is for the first time that the TBM has run successfully in the Himalayas. We have achieved the progress in less time than we had targeted. We We had a target of 300 m in a month, but we achieved an average of 4400 m per month. We have created a record in the country by drilling 815 m in a month,” they said. Adding that the success in the project here has given a lot of confidence to the NHPC to use the TBM in other projects in the country.  The director said there were a lot of difficulties in executing the project as tunnelling was adversely affected by geological problems.

    “It passes through Andesite, phyllitic quartzite, meta siltstone and meta sandstone rock types through rock cover ranging from 400 m to 1407 m. Tunnelling in high rock cover zone to the extent of 1400 m is a real challenge due to squeezing and other geological problems,” official said. Press handout adds that NHPC will install a 2 MW plant near the dam to benefit the local population. The project is run of the river scheme and involves transfer of water of Kishanganga River in Gurez valley to Bonar nallah near Bandipora.  The contract of the project is on a turnkey basis valued at approximately Rs 2726.49 crore.

  • Traffic Police goes Hi-Tech

    Srinagar: Traffic Police Srinagar-Jammu Highway will introduce GPS tracking network among the vehicles which will help the Traffic Hqrs. Ramban to coordinate the deployment in a better and purposeful manner on day to day basis

     The introduction of GPS technology will also help in knowing the details of the duties carried out by the ground staff, the movement of the officers and response time taken to attend a public/traffic issue on the Highway.

    According to government statement this will make the officers more responsive and accountable. GPS tracking network among these vehicles will help the Traffic Hqrs. Ramban to coordinate the deployment in a better and purposeful manners on day to day basis. Further, it will help to reduce the inconvenience to the road users by way of jamming, breakdown and accidents.

    Traffic Police Highway intend to reach out to the people particularly the road users (Drivers/Passengers/Transporters etc), so that they may note the Cell Nos. of the officers deployed along Highway and call the nearest officer for any sort of traffic assistance, complaints and other grievances. The intention of introducing CUG is mainly to reduce the inconvenience to the general public/road users.

     Road safety is fast becoming a concern for all of us. As per a survey around 1, 28,000 people died in different road accidents across India in 2013, whereas the figure is around 1.5 million people across the globe.

    In Jammu & Kashmir alone 990 plus people have died in 2013 in different road accidents. Traffic Police National Highway is looking after the traffic management in District Ramban, Doda, Kishtwar, Udhampur and Reasi which include NHW1A/1B and large network of rural roads.

    Since it is evident that the traffic flow on NHW1A/1B is increasing day by day which is posing a challenge for Traffic Police deployed on NHW1A/1B. In an attempt to enhance the public outreach programme, so as to offer timely assistance, redresses to the grievances and public feedback, a permanent mechanism of having identifying Cell Nos. for every post/officer, the CUG network has already been established by the Traffic Police Hqrs. Ramban. The CUG system is bound to help the public in larger interest and will act as a strong feedback mechanism for the Traffic Police National Highway.

    Twenty (20) vehicles of Traffic Police deployed with SSP Traffic NHW Ramban, Dy.SsP Traffic Ramban, Banihal, Doda-Ktr, Udhampur-Reasi, DTI Ramban, Banihal, Doda, Kishtwar, Udhampur, Katra, Sector Officer Ramban, Kud, Batote and even three Recovery Cranes have been fitted with “Hi-Tech GPS Tracking Devices” so that the exact location of these vehicles is traced in real time and they can be directed to address the trouble spots, jamming points, accident spots etc in a shortest possible time.

  • School Mental Health Programme held in Soura and Harwan

    Srinagar: The police drug de-addiction centre in efforts to educate young generation about ill effects of drug abuse organized two awareness programmes at Government Girls Higher Secondary school Soura and Scholars School Dhara, Harwan.

    According to a statement issued to GNS, a team of professionals comprising of Zahid Jeelani Wani (counseling psychologist) and Haris Abrar Kashmiri (psychiatric Social worker) conducted two awareness programmes in which more than 400 students and staff members participated.

    Haris Abrar highlighted scenario of drug abuse in Kashmir. He also highlighted the school mental health initiative taken by Jammu and Kashmir police.

    Zahid Jeelani spoke about the drug addiction and its preventive measures. He also highlighted the causes and ill effects of drugs in different domains of life. He also spoke about the stress and its management.

    Later on the 24×7 Stress Management Helpline number was shared with the students. The school authorities thanked the police for conducting such awareness programmes. (GNS)

     

  • ‘Jis Kashmir Ko Khoon Se Seencha, Woh Kashmir Hamara Hai: Dr. Farooq

    ‘Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah’s voice sent shivers far and wide’

    Srinagar: National Conference Party President Dr. Farooq Abdullah has said that National Conference was not just another political party but a historic movement that had protected the dignity and identity of Kashmir by rendering innumerable sacrifices and scripting a story of valor, courage and struggle under the voice and command of Sher-e-Kashmir, Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah.

    According to a statement issued to KNS, while speaking at a function to commemorate the death anniversaries of veteran NC leaders Late Mirza Mohammad Afzal Beg and Late Khwaja Ghulam Mohuiddin Shah at NC Headquarters in Srinagar, Dr. Farooq Abdullah said there was a concerted attempt under process to change the demographic character of the State. Dr. Farooq said that vested interests who have nurtured a longstanding desire to break the spine of Kashmiri Identity and Kashmiri Nationalism were coming together to wage a war against National Conference. “They know that National Conference has given blood in the past to protect the interests of this State and that if there is anything that can foil their evil plans it is the staunch ideological roots of National Conference. We are the only hurdle in their path and that is why they have all come together to oppose NC”, Dr. Farooq Abdullah said.

    Dr. Farooq Abdullah said the destiny of this State and that of its brave, resilient people was intertwined with the destiny of National Conference. “We safeguarded the aspirations of our people when those who are shedding crocodile tears today were the biggest collaborators in the erosion of Article 370. Sher-e-Kashmir Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah spent 24 years in prison when others were falling over each other to earn the spoils of treachery. Mufti Mohammad Sayeed was one among these opportunists when he was Sadiq’s trusted lieutenant at a time when Sadiq sold the special status of J&K to New Delhi”, Dr. Farooq Abdullah added.

    Addressing party workers, activists and office bearers at Nawa-e-Subah, Dr. Farooq Abdullah said that the slogan “Jis Kashmir Ko Khoon Se Seencha Woh Kashmir Humara Hai” embodies the history of National Conference and it is this slogan that National Conference will strive for till the last NC worker is standing to safeguard the dignity of our people. “Those who think that one poll debacle will dampen our spirits should take a look at the pages of history. Our spirits were not dampened when they sent Sheikh Sahib to prison for 24 years. Our spirits were not dampened when they toppled democratically elected governments in J&K. Our spirits were not dampened when thousands of NC workers and hundreds of our leaders were killed in cold blood to weaken the voice of Kashmiri Nationalism. They would be foolish to think that our spirits are dampened now. We will rise from the ashes and script a comeback befitting our place in history and the role that we envision for our party in the future of this nation”, Dr. Farooq Abdullah said.

    Dr. Farooq Abdullah said that recent remarks from quarters no less in power than the Prime Minister’s Office about the abrogation of Article 370 are serious indicators of troubles ahead of us. “We will have to stand up to this challenge by identifying the enemy within our State, an enemy that is actively collaborating with anti-J&K lobbies for a chance at power. We cannot be cowed down by any secret pacts or covert alliances. We represent the resilience of this nation. We are Kashmir and Kashmir is us”, Dr. Farooq said as NC workers raised slogans in favor of National Conference and Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah.

    Others who spoke on the occasion to pay glorious tributes to Late Mirza Mohammad Afzal Beg and Late Khwaja Ghulam Mohuiddin Shah were NC General Secretary Ali Mohammad Sagar, NC leader and Speaker of J&K Legislative Assembly Mubarak Gul, NC Provincial President Nasir Aslam Wani, Srinagar District President and MLA Zadibal Peer Afaq, NC Leader and Minister for CAPD and Transport Chowdhary Mohammad Ramzan, NC Leader and Minister for Higher Education Mohammad Akbar Lone, Minister for Social Welfare Sakina Itoo, MLA Batamaloo Irfan Ahmed Shah, Senior Party Vice President Peerzada Ahmed Shah, Senior Provincial Vice President Mohammad Sayed Akhoon. Those present on the occasion included MLAs, MLCs, District Presidents, District Secretaries, Block Level Office Bearers and Members of the Youth and Women’s Wing of National Conference. 

  • Governor expresses serious concern about recurring fire incidents

    Srinagar: N.N. Vohra, Governor has expressed regret and serious concern after being informed about the unfortunate fire incident which took place two days ago at Pahalgam in which property worth crores of rupees, including the Tourist Reception Centre, was gutted.

    Sounding serious concern over such incidents, the Governor has urged the Municipal and District administrations and the Fire and Emergency Services Department to urgently commence action to specially inspect all commercial establishments and public premises to ensure the implementation of all required anti-fire measures on a time bound basis.

  • Cabinet approves scheme to appoint 8475 teachers, 43 posts for implementing RUSA

    Srinagar: The Cabinet which met here today under the chairmanship of Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah authorized the School Education Department to implement a scheme for the appointment of 8475 teachers on academic arrangement, along the lines of the scheme, already in vogue for higher secondary schools for the appointment of lecturers.

    These temporary appointments on academic arrangements shall be for the duration of the academic session or till the regular selection of teachers by the Services Selection Board, whichever is earlier.

    In another decision, the Cabinet accorded sanction to the creation of State Project Directorate, Rashtriya Uchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (Mission Directorate), including the creation of 43 posts of different categories for the establishment of State Project Directorate (SPD) to implement the Centrally Sponsored Scheme RUSA in the State from the year 2014-15.

    The Union HRD Ministry launched RUSA as the 3rd tier of Centrally Sponsored Schemes in the Education sector following Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (Elementary Level) and RMSA (Secondary Level). The scheme was approved in October last year.

    The Cabinet also sanctioned revision/up-dation of the list of the identified post (gazetted and non-gazetted) of persons with disabilities notified vide Government Order No.108-SW of 2013 dated 01-04-2013 and its replacement by the new list.

    The Cabinet also approved the promotion of Mr. Mohammad Shafi Zahid, Deputy Director Archives, Archaeology and Museums as Director Archives, Archaeology and Museums prospectively.