SRINAGAR: District Development Commissioner, Doda Vishesh Paul Mahajan has withheld the salary of 7 Block Development Officers (BDOs) for poor performance in achieving the targets under District Capex and Area Development Plan which was reviewed by him the other day.
“Subsequent to the review meeting of the progress of physical and financial achievements by the Rural Development Department and in view of poor performance, the salary of the 07 Block Development Officers is stopped with immediate effect till further orders”, an order issued by DDC reads.
The officers, whose salaries have been withheld are, BDO Bhaderwah, BDO Bhalla, BDO Changa, BDO Jakyas, BDO Khellani, BDO Marmat and BDO Thathri.
The BDOs whose salary has been kept withheld have been asked to improve their performance to avoid further action as warranted under rules.
SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir is witnessing biggest industrial revolution in the history of UT as private investment proposals worth Rs. 66,000 crore have been received within a period of around one year as well as 1455 industrial units have also started their operations.
These remarkable developments have opened up doors of immense possibilities for the new generation as promised by Lieutenant Governors Administration. The existing industrial landscape is being transformed into a futuristic, profitable and sustainable ecosystem, leading to livelihood generation, better education, skill development and better quality of life.
From job creation to entrepreneurship, Government is going to make J&K a model of Industry 4.0, the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Government is working tirelessly on promoting institutional readiness, increasing entrepreneurship and attracting investments. The multiplier effect of industrial transformation will be felt across the entire length and breadth of the UT.
New Industrial Development Scheme, with an outlay of Rs. 28,400 Crore, has been approved by the Government of India for encouraging investment in manufacturing and service sectors in J&K, which has started helping in stepping up economic development in Jammu & Kashmir.
This is the dawn of new era for the growth, development and overall well-being of the people of J&K. Barriers to commerce and trade have also been removed. The people of J&K can now fully enjoy the rights and benefits enjoyed by all other citizens of India rather than just a limited set of rights and benefits.
J&K is on a mission to renovate, reinvent, and ready to take a quantum leap to become the fastest-growing region in the country, pushing the targets for economic growth and employment. The aim of J&K Administration is to deepen the trust with the business conglomerate, build the industrial base and strengthen the socio-economic stability.
With the consistent efforts of J&K Administration, Jammu and Kashmir is emerging as one of the best destinations in the country for setting up new businesses as of now with the best incentives and improved infrastructure facilities.
Moreover J&K Government is fulfilling all the crucial requirements of the industries including the transparent policy of land allotment, private industrial estate development, ensuring ease of doing business, besides the administration has actively worked with solutions approach and introduced various initiatives and reforms in a short period of time.
Notably, the Industrial Scheme for J&K is giving a boost to domestic manufacturing in the region and helps J&K in becoming Aatma Nirbhar. The Scheme is encouraging new investment, substantial expansion and also nurturing the existing industries in J&K. The administration is also ensuring that the implementation of the new scheme is done in a manner which is friendly and hassle free to the investors and entrepreneurs from within J&K and outside find a smooth and progressive ecosystem for their business plans.
SRINAGAR : The body of a teenage girl from Kupwara, who had allegedly jumped into river Jhelum in Sonwar area of Srinagar on February 12 evening, was retrieved on Wednesday afternoon.
Quoting officials the news agency KNO reported that Indian Navy, River Police and SDRF jointly launched a massive search operation and fished out the body of a teenage girl in river Jhelum at Aramwari Sonwar here today.
They said that the body has been taken by the police for legal medical formalities after which it would be handed over to the family for last rites.
SRINAGAR: At least two civilians and a firefighter were injured while dousing off blaze, triggered by a gas cylinder blast, in Wanihama area of south Kashmir’s Anantnag district.
Reports said that a gas cylinder exploded with a bang, resulting in fire in the house of one Mohammad Ishaq Parry, son of Ghulam Mohidin Parray at Watrigam Wanihama.
Fire tenders were rushed to the spot to contain the spread of fire and in the course of time two civilians identified as Tawseef Ahmad and Waseem Ahmad Itoo and a firefighter received injuries at the incident spot.
The injured trio was taken to a nearby hospital, where all of them are said to be stable.
An F&ES official confirming the injury of the fireman, identified him as Manzoor Ahmad, working as MD in the department.(GNS)
SRINAGAR: Peoples Democratic Party president and former chief minister, Mehbooba Mufti said that during the coalition government of PDP and BJP, she didn’t allow BJP agenda to prevail in Jammu and Kashmir and that she doesn’t take statements of Home Minister Amit Shah seriously as those are “Jumlas” only.
Addressing a news conference, Mehbooba, as per the news agency KNO appealed to the people to take control of their land as it belongs to them and in absence of the government, people including Mohalla Committees, Panchayats and others should take control of their land in respective areas.
“People were earlier being called anti-national and now they are being called encroachers,” she said while replying to a query.
She added people are being suppressed by one way or the other, however, sentiments of people about Kashmir resolution cannot be jailed like the way people, especially youth have been jailed and shifted to outside.
“Those who have been jailed are being given bread and salt as food,” she said.
Reacting to Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s interview yesterday, she said there are no facts in his statement, as he has himself admitted earlier that statements are just ‘Jumlas’.
“J&K State has been downgraded to Union Territory, the economy is at stake, but to divert the attention from main issues, J&K has become a focal point for them for this purpose,” she said.
On being asked about “Naya Kashmir” statement, she said employed people are being unemployed by throwing them out of departments, people including journalists are being jailed and houses are being demolished, which is Naya Kashmir.
On G-20 summit, she said that the summit at a time of raiding BBC offices and demolishing houses will have serious consequences for country’s reputation.
Mehbooba added that it is a tactic to demolish the houses of people to force them to join a particular party and get money from the rich people and nothing beyond that.
On PDP’s coalition with BJP, she said her father had taken a wise decision. “During the coalition government, we didn’t allow their agenda to prevail. We didn’t allow them to carry out any anti-people activity. People can criticize me for my steps, I am not BJP, but till the government was there, we didn’t allow their agenda to prevail,” she said.
SRINAGAR: Senior IPS officer, Basant Rath, has hit left, right and centre to justify his joining the far-right BJP. In a write-up, he has attacked the separatists, Kashmir politics and the Congress and termed the Kashmir politicians as “conflict entrepreneurs” “theatre artists of Gupkar” who play “politics of identity capitalism” and politics of “Kashmir exceptionalism”.
Basant Kumar Rath
“I decided to quit the IPS and join BJP because I intend to challenge the political monopoly of the conflict entrepreneurs of Gupkar, Maisuma and Rajouri Kadal and help open up democratic space for our youth,” Rath wrong in a write up in the Outlook. “Because I wish to focus my energy and integrity to do in Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh what Abdul Sattar Edhi did to health and education sectors in Pakistan.”
Rath who never went on central deputation and always remained within Jammu and Kashmir sees the erstwhile state as his karambhoomi. An IGP rank officer, he had face-offs with politicians as well as his bosses. More than once, the police registered cases against him.
His write up starts with this paragraph: “Because while hundreds of people lost their lives in Srinagar in a certain year, the then chief minister who did nothing to prevent those deaths, threw tantrums in Gupkar because he couldn’t get his daily quota of Rainbow-brand milk imported from Dubai.”
Another interesting paragraph is: “Because female students can’t help using tardy, overcrowded buses and matadors run by ill-behaved, abusive drivers; and they can’t help facing harassment, humiliation and monetary loot during their daily commute. And the vehicles are owned by businessmen who pay hefty bribes to cabbages masquerading as politicians.”
The write up talks about “dozens of politicians” who siphoned thousands of crores of rupees of taxpayers’ money to finance their business ventures in Bengaluru and Burz Khalifa. Besifdes, it said the politicians have encroached upon meadows in Gulmarg and Ganderbal; and grabbed public land in Bagat Parraypora, Bathindi and Nagrota to build palatial houses for their clan.
Apparently responding to the question Why I Decided To Quit The IPS And Join BJP, the senior IPS write. “Because these theatre artists of Gupkar play politics of identity capitalism to fool the innocent public, steal their votes and loot their hard-earned money. While in power, they preside over the health department that has blood on its hands, the blood of hundreds of toddlers who die in the children hospital in Srinagar in winters. While out of power, these politicians share requests for oxygen cylinders and blood donation on Twitter.” He adds: “Because some tall leaders play condolence politics in Jammu and Kashmir before polling and thank Pakistan after the elections. In public speeches in Sopore and Shopian, they’ll exhort the masses to stay away from polling booths, and to kill and to get killed in the name of Kashmiri exceptionalism; and away from public glare, they’ll use Pakistani money to build palatial houses in Hyderpora and Maisuma.”
Another reason of the poet-cops is: “Because cabbages are bad for the health of the political space in J and K. Because a clean divorce is healthier than a dirty marriage in one’s life.”
It is not known if his resignation has been accepted and if at all he has formally joined the ruling BJP.
SRINAGAR: Reacting to Home Minister Amit Shah’s statement on the restoration of statehood in Jammu and Kashmir, JKNC MP Farooq Abdullah on Monday said that they (the government) will give a truncated statehood after elections.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah said that the restoration of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir will come up after assembly polls and that a call on the timing of elections will be taken by the Election Commission.
“I had clearly stated that statehood will be restored in Jammu and Kashmir after elections. Process of preparation of voters’ list is nearing completion in the UT. Now, the Election Commission has to take a call on elections,” Shah, in an exclusive interview with ANI, released on Tuesday, said.
To which Jammu and Kashmir’s former CM said that he thinks they (the government) don’t want to give statehood. “They will give truncated statehood after elections,” he added.
Abdullah also alleged that the motive behind the delimitation exercise, completed in UT, is to turn J-K into a Hindu majority state.
“They think that we are fools, but we are not. We know what their intention is, if this was not their intention, they would not have done delimitation as well, as the way they did. They want that it should be converted into a Hindu-majority state,” he added.
SRINAGAR: Restoration of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir (J&K), as promised by the Centre, would be done after the Assembly poll in the Union Territory (UT) and a call to conduct elections would be taken by the Election Commission of India (ECI), Union Home Minister Amit Shah said today.
Talking to news agency ANI in a interview, Shah noted that there has been a marked improvement in the security situation in Jammu and Kashmir as the lowest militancy-related incidents were reported in the recent past.
He also insisted that Article 370, which was done away with by the Centre in August 2019, had actually harmed the country and the BJP had always been against it.
Noting that development in J&K was leading to gradual ending of militancy, Shah said, “See all the figures. There is a lot of change in Jammu and Kashmir.” Indicating that he could not comment on the timing of the poll in J&K, Shah said, “I had clearly stated that statehood will be restored in Jammu and Kashmir after elections. The process for preparation of voters’ list is nearing completion in the UT. Now, the Election Commission has to take a call on elections.”
On the issue of the emergence of new leadership in J&K, Shah said that new leadership would emerge from local bodies where poll had been held earlier. “The panches and sarpanches, who have been elected…new leadership will emerge from them…Since the time militancy started in J&K, the militancy-related figures are at their lowest today. Crores of tourists and ‘yatris’ are visiting J&K now. This is a huge change,” he noted.
Shah said removing Article 370 has been on the agenda of BJP and Jana Sangh. He also referred to India’s first PM Jawaharlal Nehru in the context of Article 370. “Since 1950, it was on our agenda to remove Article 370 from J&K. Today, the way J&K is witnessing development and decrease in militancy shows that change is coming,” he said. Shah said those slamming the BJP should answer in whose tenure militancy grew in J&K.
“As far as elections are concerned, do they not remember that local body polls were held under our rule? These did not take place for 70 years. Three families were holding sway in J&K and they are making noise…Farooq Abdullah had gone to England. In whose tenure, militancy grew…there should be an answer,” Shah said.
SRINAGAR: Deputy Commissioner Srinagar on Wednesday said the administration will not touch the poor and landless people during the anti-encroachment drive as directed by the Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha.
Talking to reporters, Deputy Commissioner Srinagar, Muhammad Aijaz Asad, as per the news agency KNO said they are following the directions of LG and it is clear that the administration will not touch the poor and landless people.
He also said the ongoing development works in Lal Chowk and other areas will take pace as work will continue during night shift in view of the improvement in weather conditions.
“The ongoing works will be completed on set deadline. Work is going on and with the improvement in weather conditions it will be done in night shifts as well,” he said.
Asked about the fake list of encroachers, he said two such episodes have been reported so far with an aim to create panic among masses. “The Cyber Police has also taken cognizance in this regard and those involved in the act will face the law,” he said.
He also said that the G-20 meeting is going to take place in Srinagar, which is a proud moment for Jammu and Kashmir, especially for the people of Srinagar.
On being asked about fencing of bridges in view of suicide incidents, he said fencing cannot reduce the number of suicides, but there is a need to ensure proper counselling.
“Parents should play their role as well. We will go through basic causes to deal with such incidents,” he said.
SRINAGAR: Senior Congress leader and Lok Sabha member, Rahul Gandhi arrived here on Wednesday on a personal visit.
Congress sources said Rahul Gandhi leave for Gulmarg ski resort immediately after his arrival in Srinagar.
“He will spend a few days in Gulmarg during his personal visit, ” sources said.
His arrival comes just two weeks after he concluded his Bharat Jodo Yatra in Srinagar on January 30 in which the leaders from various political parties participated at SK Stadium rally here.
His security arrived in Gulmarg on Tuesday and installed CCTV cameras at Hotel Khyber where he is staying for 4 nights.
