Monthly Archives: February 2021
District Development Council (DDC) Powers And Functionings UnderJammu And Kashmir Panchayati Raj Rule 1996 Of The Constitution Of India
District Development Council (DDC) Powers And Functionings UnderJammu And Kashmir Panchayati Raj Rule 1996 Of The Constitution Of India
1) DDC has to formulate, prepare, approve Annual plan or capital expenditure for respective districts.
2) DDC now enjoy the power to organize general meetings after every three months designed to suggest a new plan or to process pending plans.
3) DDC has to supervise the activities of gram panchayats, Block Development Council and panchayat samiti in its own jurisdiction at district-level.
4) DDC has to utilize the development aid or government funds for the development of an entire district.
5) DDC has to implement the schemes sponsored by the Government of India.
6) DDC has to receive the District Development plans compiled and formulated by the Block Development Council and submit it to the District Planning Committee “for adherence to the government guidelines, norms and rules.
7) DDC has to manage the functioning of Halqa Panchayats and block development councils.
8) DDC works jointly with District Planning Committee (DPC) and Block Development Council from each district.
9) DDC have to supervises, implement, sponsor and prepare for five main fields such as welfare, health, education, finance, public works and development intended to ensure the community development of a representing District.
Land Compensation For Kishtwar- Sinthan National Highway Road And Manthlan Pochhal Road Demanded
Land Compensation For Kishtwar- Sinthan National Highway Road And Manthlan Pochhal Road Demanded
KISHTWAR :- A meeting of land owners situated on National Highway Kishtwar Sinthan National highway road and Manthlan Pochhal road was held under the Leadership of Ajeet Bhagat in the meeting,it was discussed that the land compensation in respect of land acquired for construction of Kishtwar – Sinthan National Highway road and Manthlan Pochhal road has already been sanctioned in favour of the land owners, but the compensation is yet to be disbursed amongst the land owners. In a press statement issued today ,
Ajeet Bhagat said that 118 RCC GREF authorities has already submitted the compensation amount in the office of Assistant Commissioner Revenue[ ACR ] Kishtwar Vide No.04 Dated 29-09-2011 and the same is lying in his official account since year 2011.
Ajeet Bhagat said that Deputy Commissioner Kishtwar has been time and again being represented by the land owners for release of compensation, added that the department seems sleeping over the matter and no action has been initiated in the matter so for.
Bhagat urged the administration to take concrete steps in this direction, so that the land owners are not deprived of their compensation to which they are keeping eye since years together.
Bhagat has further urged upon quarter concerned to disburse the compensation to theland owners immediately , failing which , the land owners shall be left with no alternative but to resort to agitation in the matter.
Transformer Defunct: 20 Boniyar Villages Reel Under Darkness
Transformer Defunct: 20 Boniyar Villages Reel Under Darkness
Uri, Feb 28: At least twenty villages of Boniyar tehsil in north Kashmir’s Baramulla are reeling under darkness from two days after the 6.3 KVA transformer of receiving station Noorkha got damaged due to lighting on Saturday morning.
The villages include Lachipora, Mayan, Bijhama, Noorkhah, Bagna, Niloosa, Salambad, Kanchan, Dachna and others.
Assistant Executive Engineer Sub- Transmission- Division (STD) Uri Javid Ahmad Waga told Sarhadi Times that they are on job.
“Hopefully the electricity will be restored tomorrow,” he said.
Srinagar Police Action Against Traffic And COTPA Violatios
Srinagar Police Action Against Traffic And COTPA Violatios
Srinagar Police acted tough on the violations of Motor Vehicle Act and Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA). A total of 76 Traffic challans under various sections have been registered and a total of 27 challans have been registered against persons smoking at public places and violating the COTPA rules.
Public have appreciated the efforts of Srinagar Police in keeping a close check on the violators and is ensuring a safe movement of public on roads and a healthy stay at public places.
Kulsuma Appointed As Spokesperson Of Sher-e-Kashmir Institute Of Medical Sciences (SKIMS) Soura
Kulsuma Appointed As Spokesperson Of Sher-e-Kashmir Institute Of Medical Sciences (SKIMS) Soura
Srinagar, Feb 27: Director Sher-e-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS) Soura, Dr A G Ahanger appointed Kulsuma as Spokesperson for print/electronic and social networking media.
According to an order issued in this regard “In supersession to all previous orders on the subject matter, Mrs. Kulsuma (4903), Asst.
Director Public Relations sail henceforth function as SKIMS Spokesperson for Print/ Electronic and Social Networking Media.”kno
Mercury Drops After Snowfall, Rains In Kashmir, Minus 6°C In Gulmarg
Mercury Drops After Snowfall, Rains In Kashmir, Minus 6°C In Gulmarg
Srinagar, Feb 28 The minimum temperature dropped at most places in Kashmir Valley with Gulmarg, the world famous skiing resort, recording a low of minus 6.0°C, weatherman said on Sunday.
A meteorological department official told that the Gulmarg, the venue for the ongoing second Khelo India Winter Games, had snowfall of 29mm in last 24 hours till 0830 hours.
The minimum temperature at the world-famous resort was almost minus 4°C below last night’s minus 2.2°C and minus 0.2°C below the normal for this time of the year, the official said.
Srinagar recorded a low of 2.1°C against 4.7°C on the previous night.
The temperature though was 0.6 degrees Celsius above the normal for this time of the year in Srinagar where 9.2mm rainfall was recorded during the time, the official said.
Qazigund recorded a low of 2.3°C against 2.2°C on the previous night while the gateway town of J&K had 19.2mm of rainfall during the time.
The mercury settled at minus 0.6°C at Pahalgam against 0.3°C on the earlier night while the famous health resort had 12.5mm of rainfall during the time.
Kokernag, also in south Kashmir, recorded a low of 0.4°C against 0.1°C on the previous night and had a rainfall of 23.5mm.
The minimum temperature settled at minus 0.1°C in Kupwara against 0.7°C on the previous night even as the northern Kashmir district recorded rainfall of 17.2mm, the official said.
The weatherman has forecast dry weather for next three days and fresh isolated and scattered rains from March 3.
Krishana Dhaba Owner’s Son Succumbs To Injuries In Srinagar Hospital
Krishana Dhaba Owner’s Son Succumbs To Injuries In Srinagar Hospital
Srinagar, Feb 28: Eleven days after being fired upon here, Akash Kumar son of Rasmesh Kumar Mehra—owner of popular eatery (Krishna Dhaba) here—succumbed to the wounds at a hospital in Srinagar, officials said on Sunday.
They said Akash (25) , a resident of Janipur Jammu, at present Dalgate Srinagar, died at the SMHS hospital at around 3:20 a.m.
The officials told that he had bullet wound in right side of lower armpit and abdomen. He was ventilator, they said.
On February 19, Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Kashmir Vijay Kumar while addressing a press conference in Srinagar said that three bike-borne newly recruited militants were arrested for carrying out the attack.
He said that the bike and pistol used in the attack by the trio have been seized. He said all three arrested were newly recruited militants and “confessed” to have carried out the attack.
Daily Live News Bulletin, Jammu Kashmir Khabar Dinbhar, JK Bulletin No {310}
Saudi Crown Prince Approved Killing Of Journalist Jamal Khashoggi: US Intelligence Report
Saudi Crown Prince Approved Killing Of Journalist Jamal Khashoggi: US Intelligence Report
WASHINGTON: Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman approved an operation to capture or kill journalist Jamal Khashoggi in Istanbul, according to a US intelligence report submitted to Congress.
Fifty-nine-year-old Khashoggi, a dissident Saudi journalist who lived in the US as a legal permanent resident and wrote for the Washington Post, was critical of the prince”s policies and was killed in the Saudi Arabian Consulate in the Turkish city on October 2, 2018.
The Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) said in the report that at the time of the Khashoggi murder, the prince probably fostered an environment in which aides were afraid that failure to complete assigned tasks might result in him firing or arresting them.
This suggests that the aides were unlikely to question the prince”s orders or undertake sensitive actions without his consent, said the report dated February 11, a declassified portion of which was submitted to Congress on Friday.
“We assess that Saudi Arabia”s Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman approved an operation in Istanbul, Turkey, to capture or kill Saudi journalist Khashoggi,” it said.
ODNI said it bases the assessment on the prince”s control of decision making in the Saudi Kingdom, the direct involvement of a key adviser and members of Muhammad bin Salman”s protective detail in the operation and his support for using violent measures to silence dissidents abroad, including Khashoggi.
“Since 2017, the crown prince has had absolute control of the Kingdom”s security and intelligence organisations, making it highly unlikely that Saudi officials would have carried out an operation of this nature without the prince”s authorisation,” stated the report.
Soon after the report”s submission, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced the “Khashoggi Ban” that imposes visa restrictions on 76 Saudi individuals believed to have been engaged in threatening dissidents overseas, including but not limited to the Khashoggi killing.
Blinken said in October 2018, the world was horrified by the murder of Khashoggi, a lawful permanent US resident, in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul.
Individuals should be able to exercise their human rights and fundamental freedoms without fear of government retribution, retaliation, punishment or harm. Khashoggi paid with his life to express his beliefs, he said.
“President (Joe) Biden said in a statement released last October on the second anniversary of the murder that Mr Khashoggi”s death would not be in vain, and that we owe it to his memory to fight for a more just and free world,” he said.
Blinken said the Biden administration submitted an unclassified report to the Congress, providing transparency on the killing.
He said as part of the president”s pledge, the US is announcing “additional measures to reinforce the world”s condemnation of that crime, and to push back against governments that reach beyond their borders to threaten and attack journalists and perceived dissidents for exercising their fundamental freedoms”.
Blinken said the “Khashoggi Ban” allows the State Department to impose visa restrictions on individuals who, acting on behalf of a foreign government, are believed to have been directly engaged in serious extraterritorial counter-dissident activities.
These activities include those that suppress, harass, surveil, threaten or harm journalists, activists or other persons perceived to be dissidents for their work or who engage in such activities with respect to the families or other close associates of such persons, he said.
“Family members of such individuals also may be subject to visa restrictions under this policy, where appropriate,” Blinken said, adding that to start, the department, imposed restrictions on the 76 Saudi individuals.
The ODNI report said the 15-member Saudi team that arrived in Istanbul on October 2, 2018, included officials who worked for or were associated with the Saudi Center for Studies and Media Affairs at the Royal Court.
It said at the time of the operation, CSMARC was led by Saud al-Qahtani, a close adviser of Salman, who claimed publicly in mid-2018 that he did not make decisions without the prince”s approval.
The team also included seven members of the prince”s elite personal protective detail, known as the Rapid Intervention Force. The RIF, subset of the Saudi Royal Guard, exists to defend the prince, answers only to him, and had directly participated in earlier dissident suppression operations in the Kingdom and abroad at his direction, the report said.
“We judge that RIF members wouldn”t have participated in the operation against Khashoggi without the prince”s approval,” ODNI said.
The prince viewed Khashoggi as a threat to the Kingdom and broadly supported using violent measures if necessary to silence him. Though Saudi officials had pre-planned an “unspecified operation against Khashoggi we do not know how far in advance Saudi officials decided to harm him”, it said.
ODNI said it has high confidence that nearly a dozen individuals participated in, ordered or were otherwise complicit in or responsible for the death of Khashoggi on behalf of the prince.
Khashoggi had visited the consulate for documents for his marriage to a Turkish woman. The prince in 2019 had said he took “full responsibility” for the killing since it happened on his watch, but denied ordering it.
On the visa policy, Blinken said “as a matter of safety for all within our borders, perpetrators targeting perceived dissidents on behalf of any foreign government should not be permitted to reach US soil”.
“While the US remains invested in its relationship with Saudi Arabia, President Biden has made clear that partnership must reflect US values. To that end, we have made absolutely clear that extraterritorial threats and assaults by Saudi Arabia against activists, dissidents and journalists must end,” he said. (PTI)
Days After Talks Of Ceasefire, Peace; Pak PM Imran Khan Rakes Up Kashmir Issue
Days After Talks Of Ceasefire, Peace; Pak PM Imran Khan Rakes Up Kashmir Issue
NEW DELHI: Days after the Director-General of Military Operations (DGMOs) of India and Pakistan announced the implementation of the 2003 ceasefire, Prime Minister of Pakistan, Imran Khan once again raked up the Kashmir issue.
Imran Khan tweeted, “I welcome restoration of the ceasefire along with the Line of Control (LoC).
The onus of creating an enabling environment for further progress rests with India. India must take necessary steps to meet the long-standing demand and right of the Kashmiri people to self-determination acc to UNSC resolutions.”
“We also demonstrated to the world Pakistan’s responsible behaviour in the face of India’s irresponsible military brinkmanship, by returning the captured Indian pilot. We have always stood for peace & remain ready to move forward to resolve all outstanding issues through dialogue,” he further said in his tweet.
The United States, United Nations, and Hurriyat have all welcomed the reinforcement of the 2003 ceasefire between India and Pakistan.
India also said that it wants normal neighbourly relations with Pakistan but its position on key issues remains unchanged.
Imran Khan’s raking up of the Kashmir issue is unlikely to go down well with India, as New Delhi has maintained that it is a bilateral issue and is ready to hold a dialogue only when Pakistan stops sponsoring terrorism.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has not responded to Imran Khan’s recent assertion as of now.
Government Terminates 90 Newly Recruited Medical Officers
Government Terminates 90 Newly Recruited Medical Officers
Srinagar, Feb 27: The Jammu and Kashmir health department has cancelled the appointment of 90 newly recruited Medical Officers (MO) for failing to join their duties.
To augment the healthcare facilities in the rural areas, the Public service Commission (PSC) last month recommended sanction for temporary appointment of 153 doctors as Medical Officers subject to various conditions.
The Health and Medical Education Department Friday in an order said that the Directorate of Health Services, Jammu and Kashmir on 17 February furnished details of 90 MOs who have failed to join their places of postings.
The 90 doctors include 66 from Jammu division and 24 from Kashmir division.
“Therefore the appointment of 90 medical officers, appointed vides order no: 56-HME of 22-01-2020, are hereby terminated and they are discharged from services,” reads the order.
The health department has also received inputs about some doctors who after submitting their joining reports are not physically continuing at their respective place of postings are pursuing postgraduate courses in medical colleges.
“It is clear violation of norms. They have been given final opportunity to resume duties failing which they shall be deemed to have been discharged,” said an official of the health department.
Notably, in 2019 also, the health department had appointed 921 MOs out of which some 500 had joined their places while the rest were later dismissed from the services.
From 2018, the J&K government decided not to allow appointees to continue with their postgraduates/demonstrations in medical colleges.
They have only one choice either to opt for an appointment or opt out and go for studies and next candidates from waiting will be considered for appointment.
The department has said that it was working on implementing transfer policy in letter and spirit to make sure that fresh recruits serve in far off areas for at least six years.
The department is facing a huge problem as doctors are leaving for the Middle East and West after completing their studies at government expenses in Jammu and Kashmir.
As per the recent Economic Survey report, the doctor-patient ratio in J&K is 1:1,658 as against the recommended norm of the World Health Organization which is 1:1,000.
Crime Branch Charge-Sheets Accused Of Duping People On Pretext Of Government Jobs
Crime Branch Charge-Sheets Accused Of Duping People On Pretext Of Government Jobs
Crime Branch Jammu has charge-sheeted the accused allegedly involved in duping the complainant on the pretext of arranging Government jobs.
Charge-sheet was produced against accused Iqbal Krishan Karihaloo, son of Moti Lal, resident of 104, Karan Nagar, Srinagar, A/P House No.317-D, Bharat Nagar, Rehari Colony and 72-E, Sector-01, Durga Nagar, Jammu, in case FIR No.14/2018, U/S 420,120-B RPC P/S Crime Branch Jammu for his involvement in hatching criminal conspiracy and cheating the complainant on the pretext of arranging Government jobs in Tourism and Health Departments.
The charge-sheet has been produced in the Court of City Judge Jammu for judicial determination.
The said case was registered on the basis of a written complaint lodged by complainant- Farooq Ahmad, who was approached by the accused when the former had visited the office of Director Health Services Jammu in order to check the name of his brother who was short listed for the course of Medical Assistant. The accused told the complainant that he was a retired Director, having links with bureaucrats and Ministers who could easily manage two jobs one for the applicant in Tourism Department and another for his brother in Health Department.
The applicant fell into his trap and in the month of April deposited a big amount in his account of J&K Bank Branch Toph, besides paying him huge amount in cash. After a long time when nothing was heard from the suspect and complainant exerted pressure for returning the money, the suspect handed over fake appointment orders to the complainant. When complainant went in for joining in the concerned department he came to know about the orders being fake. When the complainant asked the suspect to return his money he out rightly refused and threatened the applicant of dire consequences etc.
On receipt of the complaint, a preliminary verification was initiated by Crime Branch Jammu and during the enquiry, allegations were prima facie substantiated which subsequently led to the registration of the instant case FIR in Crime Branch Jammu for in-depth investigation. During the course of investigation documentary/ oral evidences were gathered together with all relevant aspects, statement of witnesses recorded U/S 161 CrPC, which prove the charges against the accused.
Nearly Five Shops Gutted In Midnight Blaze In Ramban
Nearly Five Shops Gutted In Midnight Blaze In Ramban
Ramban, Feb 27: At least five shops were reduced to ashes in a massive blaze in Gandhri village market of Ramban district, officials said.
Officials told that fire brokeout from one of the structure at around 11 PM in the intervening night of Friday and Saturday and engulfed other structures in its vicinity.
Reportedly few cylinders also exploded in the fire incident and all the establishments and structures, believed to be four or five in number, got gutted completely.
“Our loss assessment teams will rush to the area for examination.” said Deputy Commissioner Ramban, Musarrat Zia.
“Demands have been raised for sanctioning of additional fire tenders. We shall make an assessment and project demand soon,” Deputy Commissioner said, adding that reportedly five LPG cylinders exploded inside the shops.
Rains, Snowfall In Kashmir Hilly Areas May Receive Snowfall Upto Half To 1ft: Sonam Lotus
Rains, Snowfall In Kashmir Hilly Areas May Receive Snowfall Upto Half To 1ft: Sonam Lotus
Srinagar, Feb 27 Higher reaches of Kashmir Valley received fresh snowfall while rains lashed plains of Kashmir Valley, weatherman said on Saturday.
A meteorological department official told that the Gulmarg, the world famous skiing resort in north Kashmir received rain or snow of 23.2mm in last 24 hours till 0830 hours. The resort, the venue for the ongoing second Khelo India Winter Games, also recorded a low of minus 2.2°C against minus 0.8°C earlier night, the official said. Reports about snowfall on other higher reaches were also received from other parts of the Valley.
The MeT official said that Srinagar recorded a low of 4.7°C against 8.0°C on the previous night. The temperature was 3.2 degrees Celsius above the normal for this time of the year in Srinagar where 9mm rainfall was recorded during the time, the official said.
Qazigund recorded a low of 2.2°C against 5.7°C on the previous night while the gateway town of J&K had 23.2mm of rainfall during the time. The mercury settled at 0.3°C at Pahalgam against 3.0°C on the earlier night while the famous health resort had 18.5mm of rainfall during the time.
Kokernag, also in south Kashmir, recorded a low of 0.1°C against 5.2°C on the previous night and had a rainfall of 31.4mm.
The minimum temperature settled at 0.7°C in Kupwara against 4.4°C on the previous night even as the northern Kashmir district recorded rainfall of 45.4mm, highest anywhere during the time, he said.
Sonam Lotus, Director Meteorological Department here, said that intermittent light to moderate rain in plains and snow over higher reaches of J&K was most likely to continue today. “There would be significant decrease in rain /snow from tomorrow onwards,” he said, adding, “Hilly areas may receive snowfall upto half to 1ft.”
In a statement, the MeT office has forecast fresh isolated and scattered rains from March 3 onwards after dry weather for March 1 and 2.
Traffic Remains Suspended On Srinagar-Jammu National Highway For 2nd Consecutive Day
Traffic Remains Suspended On Srinagar-Jammu National Highway For 2nd Consecutive Day
Traffic on the 270-km-long Srinagar-Jammu national highway, the only all-weather road connecting Kashmir valley with the rest of the country, remained suspended for the second consecutive day on Saturday.
Srinagar-Jammu national highway was closed on Friday for weekly maintenance and repair work.
Traffic could not be restored Saturday morning due to landslides and shooting stones triggered by rain at Penthyal and Margooz on the highway, a traffic police official said.
He said heavy rain during the night triggered shooting stones, landslides and mudslides.
The National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) has pressed into service sophisticated machines to put through the traffic, he said adding continued shooting stone are hampering the clearance operation. It was heavily raining between Banihal to Ramsu, triggering more mud and landslides besides shooting stones.
Once the road clearance operation will be completed, traffic will be resumed, he said.
He said today Light Motor Vehicles (LMVs) were to ply from Jammu to Srinagar. LMVs had to cross Nagrota Jammu between 0800 hrs to 1200 hrs and from Jakheni Udhampur between 0900 hrs to 1300 hrs.
Only stranded Heavy Motor Vehicles (HMVs) between Nashree and Ramban were to ply towards Srinagar, he said.
He said security forces were also asked not to ply against traffic advisory. They are advised to ply from Jammu to Srinagar today when the road is reopened.
Meanwhile, candidates of Banihal, Ramban and Ramsu and other areas who were to appear in the written test for class 4th posts in Jammu tomorrow expressed concern over the closure of the road.
They said due to the closure of the highway for the second day today, they could not go to Jammu to appear in the written tests. They demanded that they should be allowed to appear in the test separately in case the highway remained closed.
Meanwhile, the national highway, the only road connecting Union Territory (UT) of Ladakh with Kashmir remained closed since January Ist, 2021 due to the accumulation of snow.
However, the highway is likely to reopen for traffic movement from February 28 as the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) has completed a snow clearance operation.
However, the historic 86-km-long Mughal road, connecting Shopian in south Kashmir with Rajouri and Poonch in Jammu remained closed since December last year due to the accumulation of snow.
Meanwhile, snow clearance operation was going on a war footing on Anantnag-Kishtwar road which remained close since December last year.
Daily Live News Bulletin, Jammu Kashmir Khabar Dinbhar, JK Bulletin No {309}
Block Development Officer {BDO} Dies Of Cardiac Arrest In Gurez Bandipora
Block Development Officer {BDO} Dies Of Cardiac Arrest In Gurez Bandipora
Bandipora, Feb 26 A senior officer of Rural Development Department (RDD) died of massive cardiac arrest while performing his duty in Tulail area of Gurez in North Kashmir’s Bandipora district on Friday afternoon.
An official told that a Block Development Officer (BDO), posted at Tulail suffered a massive cardiac arrest while he was on duty.
He said the officer was immediately shifted to a nearby hospital where doctors declared him dead on arrival.
The official identified the deceased officer as Abdul Saleem Darzi of Anantnag district of South Kashmir.
Meanwhile, Deputy Commissioner Bandipora Dr Owais Ahmad expressed shock over the demise of the officer. He, however, assured quick evacuation of body as soon as possible.
Pertinently, Gurez-Bandipora road is closed for traffic from past few months owing to heavy snowfall in Gurez valley and Razdan top.kno
Fresh Snowfall In Gulmarg Other Higher Reaches In Kashmir Valley
Fresh Snowfall In Gulmarg Other Higher Reaches In Kashmir Valley
Srinagar, Feb 26: Gulmarg and other higher reaches received fresh snowfall while rains lashed parts of Kashmir Valley, weatherman said on Friday.
A meteorological department official told that the Gulmarg, the world famous skiing resort in north Kashmir received 2.5cms of snow in last 24 hours till 0830 hours. The resort, the venue for the second Khelo India Winter Games beginning today, also recorded a low of minus 0.8°C against minus 0.6°C earlier night, the official said. Snowfall on higher reaches was also received from other parts of the Valley.
