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8 Pages Rs: 1.00 Jammu Edition www.thestudentage.com

STUdent aGE
SATURDAY, APRIL 27, 2013

JKENG/2012/41612 Vol. 2 No: 104

Agriculture Minister Ghulam Hassan Mir talks to Student Age

2-G scam: Summons issued to Mittal, Ruia

IN BRIEF Militants
Srinagar, April 26: At least four policemen were killed in North Kashmir's Sopore town when militants fired upon indiscriminately on their Rukshak vehicle. According to reports, policemen from Pothkhaw police post were on petrol when unidentified gunmen suddenly appeared near PirMohalla, Haigam and fired upon the party indiscriminately. Police sources said that all the policemen were killed on spot. The deceased have been identified as Head Constable Abdul Rahim, Constable Mudasir Ahmad and SPOs Gulshan Ahmed

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday issued notice to the CBI on a plea by Sunil Mittal of Bharti Airtel and Ravikant Ruia of Essar challenging their being summoned before a special court hearing the case relating to the allocation of 2G spectrum in 2002. An apex court bench headed by Chief Justice Altamas Kabir, while issuing the notice, asked the CBI to file its response in four weeks and gave another three weeks to Mital and Ruia to file their rejoinder.

strike in Haigam, Four cops dead

and Mudasir Ahmad Parray. Police sources said that militants managed to escape soon after the strike. A police officer confirmed the death of four cops during the militant strike said that area has been cordoned and a massive search operation is going on. Sources said that the four policemen were on their way to Haigam to probe a complaint of robbery when they were ambushed by militants however a police official said that the facts are being ascertained and it will be premature to say anything before hand. No militant outfit has so far claimed responsibility for the attack.

Chinese incursion

Tents pitched 19 km inside India

New Delhi April 26 As the real scope of Chinese incursion is slowly coming out, the government on Friday informed a parliamentary committee that Chinese troops have pitched tents 19km deep inside the Indian territory in Ladakh region of Jammu and Kashmir and that efforts are underway to ensure that the status quo is maintained. Defence secretary Shashi Kant Sharma and some other senior officials informed the parliamentary standing committee on defence that India has deployed forces to "keep a close watch on the border", sources told . Sharma and other officials

Omar condemns killing of policemen

Describes it act of cowards
Jammu April 26 CHIEF Minister Omar Abdullah has condemned the killing of four J&K police personnel at Haigam, Sopore describing it an act of cowards. In a condolence message to the bereaved families and the police department, Chief Minister has expressed its solidarity with the families and the police force. He said that police jawans sacrifice their lives for the protection and safety of the people and exhibit highest degree of bravery. The Chief Minister conveyed his sympathy to the bereaved families and prayed for peace to the departed soul.

UPA should clear policy on China: Jugal

Jammu: BJP State President & MLA Jugal K i s h o r e Sharma has called upon the UPA government to make its policy clear as far as China is concerned and ensure that repeated incursions by Chinese troops and Peoples (Contd on page 2) appeared before the committee after BJP members Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi and Prakash Javadekar wanted to

Omar: Don't link Chinese incursion to Tourism

Srinagar: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah Friday rubbishes media reports that the Chinese incursion in Ladakh has affected tourism industry in the area. "When we use the words "Chinese troops" & "tourists" in the same sentence we create doubts where none existed," Omar wrote on micro-blogging site Twitter.com on Friday. (Contd on page 2) know the actual ground situation in Depsang sector of Ladakh where the Chinese (Contd on page 2)

Will new law stop sexual harassment?

Mumbai: Sexual harassment at workplaces will now officially be an offence with the President of India on Friday giving his assent to the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Bill, 2013. The legislation which has been long overdue addresses a broad range of offences in office spaces such as sexual favours, offensive remarks, physical advances or display of pornographic material.

Clarifies on some rumours spread through a news agency

Jai Ram Ramesh praises PMGSY works in the State, says Wani
Jammu April 26 In response to an alleged news item circulated by a news agency, Abdul Majid Wani, Minister for Roads and Buildings while talking to Student Age correspondent on Friday, said thaty of work undertaken u it was unfortunate that some news agency in order to sully his name and malign the state government has under a well thought out plan tried to cast aspersions on the qualitnder PMGSY in the State. Wani clarified that the news item purportedly circulated by some dubious men in which it has been claimed that the Central government is not happy and satisfied over the works undertaken under PMGSY. The letter, it is alleged further It was unfortunate that some news agency in order to sully his name and malign the state government has under a well thought out plan tried to cast aspersions on the quality of work undertaken under PMGSY in the State. says that Jai Ram Ramesh, the concerned central minister was critical of the works and had criticized the working of the R&B department. Challenging the particular news agency to bring any letter of the sort in which the PMGSY works stand criticized, Wani dared the particular news agency to come out in public with the letter or face consequences under the course of law. Wani, while clarifying further mentioned that Jairam Ramesh had instead appreciated the quality and scope of work of road building under the flagship PMGSY. Elaborating further, he informed that as a special case Jairam Ramesh had allowed the State government to construct sub roads in the remote areas to boost road connectivity for which a detailed project report through the central minister himself involving an allocation of Rs746 cr was submitted to the Government of India. Dismissing the particular news agency for its mischievous and motivated (Contd on page 2)

Spurious Drug scam: High level meeting held in Delhi

Srinagar, April 26 Top Drug officials of state of Jammu and Kashmir had a detailed meeting with the officials of Union Ministry of Health. Besides Union Joint Secretary Health, meeting was attended by the Drug Controller General of India. A top Drug official of the state on condition of anonymity told CNS that the meeting was held on the instructions of Union Health Minister, Ghulam Nabi Azad. "Please make it sure that my name doesn't surface in any newspaper. We are here to seek assistance for the Centre. Our labs are not fully equipped. Life saving drugs like Saftixone + Betalectum and Omparozole with Domperdione can't be checked in the laboratory. We are seeking their help to modernize our system and hopefully we will succeed," he said. He further said that the Valley based hospitals would be soon equipped with new drug labs.

Sarabjeet following the Chamel way: Attacked in court, condition grave

Lahore, April 26 With the cold blooded murder of Jammu prisoner Chamel Singh in Pakistani jail still fresh in memory another Indian national Sarabjit Singh, currently on death row in a jail here in Pakistan, on Friday suffered head injury and was admitted to a hospital after he was attacked by a fellow prisoner. Sarabjit was admitted to the state-run Jinnah Hospital after being attacked within Kot Lakhpat Jail, TV news channels quoted officials as saying. The attack reportedly occurred while Singh was being moved from one cell to another. He sustained a head injury and was initially taken to the hospital within the prison. After his condition worsened, Sarabjit was taken in an ambulance to Jinnah Hospital and admitted to ICU. (Contd on page 2)

Modi shares stage with Ramdev

Haridwar: Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi, on Friday said there has been no riot in the state in the last 12 years. Sharing platform with yoga guru Ramdev, he maintained that his model of governance was based on "welfare for all" but made no direct reference to the post-Godhra violence that claimed the lives of over 1000 people, an overwhelming majority of whom were Muslims. "My manifesto is everyone should be healthy and welfare for all. In Gujarat (where) riots happened every other day and innocents were killed, today after 12 years there is not a sign of riots," he said.

Italian marines' row

SC gives two weeks time to JK punishment not ruled out to respond on surrender policy New Delhi, April 26 charged with murder in conSrinagar, April 26: A Division Bench of the Supreme Court of India comprising R.M. Lodha and Sharad Arvind Bobde on Friday issued two week's notice to Government of India and Government of Jammu and Kashmir on a writ petition filed by National Panthers Party seeking direction of the Supreme Court to quash the 'Surrender & Rehabilitation Policy' of the Government of Jammu and kashmir dated 22.11.2010 by the Omar Abdullah's government. Senior Advocate Professor Bhim Singh, appearing for the Panthers Party presented a reply filed (Contd on page 2) India's anti-terrorism agency National Investigation Agency (NIA) will investigate the case of two Italian marines accused of murdering two Indian fishermen, the Supreme Court said on Friday, raising the possibility once more of the men facing the death penalty. The accused, Massimiliano Latorre and Salvatore Girone, are nection with the shooting of two fishermen off the Kerala coast last year while serving as security guards on a cargo ship. The two say they fired warning shots at a fishing boat believing it to be a pirate vessel with armed men onboard. Italy maintains the incident happened in international waters and that the (Contd on page 2)

NIA to investigate the case, capital

Congress row: Bitterness between two is advantage for the third

High Command in order to show some spine ask both of them to resign? This would have a salubrious effect on the party in the elections, but that too is a mere inference only to be believed by a lay person. These two perhaps know well that the fortunes of Congress will not be as rosy for them, so wash dirty linen in the public and digest what you have amassed. Who knows nature will provide you with one more chance or not. Having said so, the ordinary citizen for whose benefit governments are made, stands in amazement watching the drama unfolding. Like a true Bollywood story, the two characters play treacherous roles and come out with flying colours. But unfortunately, there are no awards here. No need of empty awards. If the allegation of these two ministers is to be taken true then both Sham and Taj have coffers full. In this unfolding script, the Congress in the State is going from bad to worse. The wise and well meaning members in the oldest party of the country should be really shocked at the behavior of these two which has soiled the reputation of the party. Already, accused of playing second fiddle to the National Conference, the Congress has been reduced to a more than consenting partner in the coalition. It can neither come out nor stay in comfortably. The scams allegedly involving Taj and Sham have put the State one step ahead to become the first corrupt one in the country. All said and done, after the spurious drug scam was detected a new actor has joined the drama. Syed Ali Ghah Geelani, in his maverick and noxious style has accused Sham of indulging in the genocide of Kashmiris. Planning to

ROHIT SINGH RANA

It is a common maxim that if two men quarrel, some third person benefits. But maxims are for lesser people, when bigger players fight, the rules of the game change. They are not common people on whose votes they have become ministers. They are larger in life whether he is a Taj Mohi-ud -Din or a Sham Lal Sharma. The first is the Health and Medical Education Minister and the second is the PHE Minister. In fact, after rejig in the Omar government, the two swapped positions. So they are tearing at each other's cupboards. Statement of one is followed by a more bitter statement by the other. The scene is set for an impartial inquiry into the allegations of both of these ministers. Will the Congress

lodge an FIR against Sham he wants to give a communal colour to the drug scam by playing Jammu against Kashmir. It is another matter that fake drugs and dextrose bottles, in thousands have been traced in Jammu markets also. But that will not amuse Geelani for he wants to foment some religious trouble which would reinforce his sagging influence. For the citizens of Jammu and Kashmir all is not well. If the Omar government is serious let it seek the resignation of the two ministers and the matter be handed over to some credible investigating agency to arrive at the bottom of the scams. How long shall the citizen bear all this non-sense? The onus here more than ever falls on the Congress High command. Will they deliver or force the two warring ministers make a patchy peace, remains to be seen.

Politicians, bureaucrats---grab more land please!

Some politicians and top bureaucrats will never change. They have a right over the resources of the State. The politician has got Janata's votes and the bureaucrat has passed some competitive examinations. The exam is to prove who is more competitive in amassing more wealth or grabbing more land. Sir, competition means that you have to remain on the top. Otherwise, his honour is at stake, Nahi to Naakh kat jayegi aur izzat mitti me mil jayega. The vote of the people, says the politician has made me boss. At least for five years, dare if you can unseat him. All his tenure, he is free to loot and grab everything, land included. Revenue Department has pointed out that the land encroached upon in the State is more than twenty lakh kanals. The government could build a huge sprawling city on this encroached land. The hard fact is that while as on one side, the poor farmer or a small plot holder is made to pay through nose by the Patwari if approached for faradinthikab, on the other side the government land available in lakhs of kanals free for the influential and the law maker. What can the common man do under these circumstances other than to take a deep sigh and saykahan phas gaya hoon mein.

RANASAHIB

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STUDENT AGE SATURDAY, APRIL 27, 2013

areas along the border where India and China have differing perceptions of the LAC, the sources said. Incidents of transgression due to differences in the perception of LAC are taken up with the Chinese side through established mechanisms such as border personnel meetings, flag meetings, hotlines and diplomatic channels, the officials told the panel. The agenda for today's was welfare of armed forces personnel but the issue related to incursion in Ladakh was added after Naqvi and Javadekar demanded to get the clear picture of the situation and on how the government is handling it. Naqvi and Javadekar wrote to standing committee chairman Raj Babbar on Thursday, saying the situation in Ladakh is "very serious" but the government is not taking it seriously. Jugal Kishore Sharma said that Vajpayee-led NDA government had followed consistent foreign policy towards China and Pakistan but ever since the Manmohan Singh government came into power, there has been only confusion on both the fronts. As a result of this, China has been repeatedly violating the Line of Actual Control (LAC) and Pakistan is also continuing with its mischievous designs on the border. Sharma said that message should not go that India is a soft state and not capable of defending its territories. He said India also has trade relations with China but China is a bigger partner and if India wants to be treated with respect and seriousness, it should strive for and equal relationship with China in trade and other areas. Expressing his full support and solidarity with the patriotic people of Ladakh, Jugal said that BJP has setup a very strong party unit in Ladakh which is working in close coordination with the local people, who are repeatedly at the receiving end of Chinese aggression. He said the people of the region have made great sacrifices for the country, particularly during the 1962 war and Kargil war of 1999 and in future also

CONTD
they are prepared to put up a brave front.

2
bomb attacks in Punjab province that killed 14 people in 1990. His mercy petitions were rejected by the courts and former President Pervez Musharraf. The outgoing Pakistan Peoples Party-led government put off Sarabjit's execution for an indefinite period in 2008. Sarabjit's family says he is the victim of mistaken identity and had inadvertently strayed across the border in an inebriated state. men. That will determine our course of action," said a lawyer representing Italy, who did not want to be named. Tensions between India and Italy have escalated over the case since the shooting, peaking last month when Italy refused to send the marines back from a home visit. Outraged, the Supreme Court briefly barred the Italian envoy from leaving the country. Rome returned the marines for trial after New Delhi promised them the men would not face the death sentence. Italy's foreign minister resigned after the marines returned to India, saying he did not agree with the decision to send them back. Italy abolished the death penalty in 1947. In the past six months, India has hanged two men - Ajmal Kasab and Afzal Guru - convicted of terror attacks. Prof. Bhim Singh submitted in the court that this policy was framed by Omar Abdullah with deliberate attempt to call back the terrorists who had voluntarily taken Pakistani nationality and now the Govt. of J&K has worked out a foxy scheme to bring them back to J&K to resurrect the dying militancy in the State. He said that the Government of India was equally responsible for allowing foreigners (Pakistani nationals) to return to India via Nepal by using fake identity cards issued by the Govt. of J&K. Prof. Bhim Singh vehemently argued that the Surrender & Rehabilitation Policy was meant for Kashmiri boys only and not for Pakistani or other foreign nationals. He said that security of the country stands threatened under this policy and Govt. of J&K is criminally liable for such a treasonous act.

Omar: Don't link ...

He said that the Chinese incursion in Ladakh region should not be linked with tourism in Leh as the Chinese troops were very far from the town. "Can we please not link the Chinese incursion to Tourism in the region? The Chinese troops are too far to bother any tourists coming to Leh," Omar wrote. (CNS)

Tents pitched 19 km inside...

incursion took place in Daulat Beg Oldie area a week ago. The meeting of the committee was cut short as members were dissatisfied with the insufficient information provided by the officials and they were asked to report back at the next meeting on May 30 with appropriate and exact details of the situation. The officials told the committee that Indian Army patrols reported on April 16 the presence of Chinese People's Liberation Army in Depsang, pitching tents 19km inside the LAC, the sources said. They told the panel that as per the established mechanisms, the issue has been taken up at the level of flag meetings and through diplomatic channels to maintain status quo and resolve the issue through existing mechanisms. The defence ministry officials told the committee that China disputes the international boundary with India and there is no commonly delineated LAC between the two countries. They said there are a few

Sarabjeet following the ...

There was no official word on the incident. Officials of the Indian high commission said that they had not been informed by Pakistani authorities about the incident. The Kot Lakhpat jail currently has some 17,000 prisoners though its official capacity is only 4,000. There have been instances in the past of prisoners being attacked and even killed within the prison. Authorities had tightened Sarabjit's security after the recent execution in India of Afzal Guru, who was convicted of involvement in the 2001 terror attack on the Indian Parliament. Sarabjit was convicted for alleged involvement in a string of

NIA to investigate the case,....

men should be tried on home soil. Last week, Italy opposed India's decision to appoint the anti-terrorism agency NIA to investigate the case, saying that the NIA only had the jurisdiction to investigate terrorist crimes. It fears the NIA will invoke a maritime security law that attracts a mandatory punishment of death, which would violate an assurance given by India that the men would not be sent to the gallows. On Friday, Italy said it would wait to see if the NIA invoked the maritime security law before deciding whether to challenge the court's decision. "The order says the NIA will continue on the case, but let's see what charges are framed on the

UPA should ...

Liberation Army are stopped forthwith. While reiterating that no political party is in favour of escalating the stand- off following Chinese intrusion in Daulat Baig sector of Ladakh, he said the government should ensure that the PLA troops occupying the area are immediately asked to withdraw.

SC gives two weeks time ....

by Omar Abdullah, Chief Minister of J&K on the floors of the Assembly on 11th March, 2013 in which according to Singh the Chief Minister had admitted that 241 militants returned to J&K via Nepal without any valid document.

Jai Ram Ramesh praises...

reporting R&B Minister mentioned that he has requested the Chief Minister to look into the matter so that such false and concocted reporting does not impair the development friendly image if the coalition government.

One feared dead, six injured as Suspected Hizbul militant Liyaqat Shah remanded to 5-day NIA custody avalanches strike Kargil
New Delhi, April 26 Suspected Hizbul militant Liyaqat Shah was on Friday remanded to five days in NIA custody by a court here in connection with a case registered against him by the Delhi Police for allegedly conspiring to carry out terror attacks in the national capital. During an in-chamber hearinZg, Shah was produced before District Judge I S Mehta and the court allowed NIA's plea and remanded him to its custody till May 1, court sources said. The National Investigation Agency (NIA) had yesterday moved the court seeking five-day custody of Shah saying that they need to take him to Sunauli border, one of India-Nepal crossing points near Gorakhpur, from where he was allegedly arrested by the special cell of Delhi Police on March 20, sources said. During the hearing, Tihar Jail authorities submitted Shah's medical report before the court saying that he is undergoing treatment in the jail and his vital parameters are normal. Shah had alleged that he had been beaten up and tortured by the officials of special cell of Delhi Police during his custody following his arrest.
Earlier, the special NIA court had sent Shah to judicial custody after a magisterial court here had refused to hear the case on the ground that his case has been transferred to NIA. The Delhi Police had arrested 45-year-old Shah on March 20, alleging that he was planning to carry out terror attacks in the national capital. Home Ministry had on March 28 issued a notification facilitating NIA to take over the case related to Shah after his arrest had generated conflicting versions from Delhi and Jammu and Kashmir police. On April 2, NIA was allowed by the court to interrogate Shah in Tihar Jail till April 30. While Delhi Police claimed that with Shah's arrest they had foiled a 'fidayeen' (suicide) attack in the national capital ahead of Holi, its J-K counterpart insisted he was one of those who had exfiltrated in 1990s and returned to India to surrender under the state's rehabilitation policy. The police had earlier said Shah, a resident of Jammu and Kashmir, was apprehended from Indo-Nepal border area near Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh and had told his interrogators that he is a trained militant of banned terror group Hizbul Mujahideen and was settled in Muzaffarabad in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK). Police had said in January 2013, Shah and his associate Manzoor, a resident of J&K, were directed by top ranks of Hizbul to carry out terror attacks in Delhi. It had said that based on inputs given by Shah, a huge consignment of arms, hand grenades and explosive material were recovered from a guest house in Jama Masjid area here. It had said that his associates, including Manzoor, are absconding. Delhi Police said a case was registered under sections 120 B(criminal conspiracy), 121 (waging war against government of India), 121A (conspiracy to commit offences against the State) and 123 (concealing with intent to facilitate design to wage war) of IPC against them. According to Delhi Police, Shah had planned attacks to avenge the hanging of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru. J-K Police, however, had supported the claims of Shah's family that he was a former militant who had surrendered before SSB on the Nepal border and was in a group returning from PoK under the rehabilitation policy.

DDC Doda reviews developmental activities

Doda: District Development Commissioner, Doda Mr. Mubarak Singh today convened a Srinagar, resumed this morning. However, there is no meeting to review the developmental activiOne person was feared dead while six others trace of the missing person and he is feared ties and schemes implemented by various were injured as avalanches hit two trucks and a dead, the sources said. departments in the District. load carrier along 434-km Srinagar-Leh The sources said two more trucks were also The DDC reviewed the physical and national highway. hit by the avalanches near Gumri in which four financial achievements of Agriculture, A mini load carrier rolled down into a gorge persons, three drivers and a conductor, were Horticulture, PDD, PWD, PHE, Irrigation, last evening after being hit by an avalanche injured. All the injured were shifted to hospital, ICDS, Rural Development, Industries, between Gumri and Minamarg near Shetani they said. High altitude areas of Kashmir Health, Education and other important secNallah in Kargil, 200 kms from here, official Valley, including parts of Srinagar-Leh highway, tors. The chair was informed that against an sources said today. A joint rescue operation by experienced light snowfall, while rains lashed annual District Plan outlay of Rs.7811.01 police and army was launched and two persons plains including Srinagar resulting in consider- lacs an amount of Rs. 7774.11 lacs has been - Javid Ahmad Malik and Abdul Haleem Wani able drop in the mercury. expended during the year 2012-13 which - were rescued in an injured condiaggregates to about 99.53 percent. DUPLICATE OF RC VEHICLE TRANSFER tion from the vehicle, they said. The officers of the concerned secI Jeet Singh S/O Nand Singh R/O Karan Bagh I Amit Kumar S/O Chuni Lal R/O Subash One person, Gulzar Ahmad tors were directed to gear up the Galigadh Jammu have applied for the transfer of Nagar Jammu have lost RC of Vehicle No JK02Kaloo, a resident of Baramulla disVehicle no. JK02U-9508 in favour of Firdous developmental activities so that 1565. Now I am applying duplicate of same. Ahmed Parray S/O Ghulam Rasool Parray R/O the benefits of these schemes . trict, remained untraced. Anantnag. Objection if any may be conveyed to The operation was suspended Objection if any may be conveyed to RTO Jammu RTO Jammu within 7 days. within 7 days. late last night due to darkness but

VEHICLE TRANSFER
I Kulbir Singh S/O Khem Singh R/O RS Pura Jammu have applied for the transfer of Vehicle no. JK02AL-9278 in favour of Yash Pal S/O Gharu Ram R/O Bishnah. Objection if any may be conveyed to RTO Jammu within 7 days.

VEHICLE TRANSFER
I Subash Kumar S/O Raja Ram R/O RS Pura Jammu have applied for the transfer of Vehicle no. JK02V-3427 in favour of Amit Kumar S/O Parshotam Lal R/O RS Pura Jammu. Objection if any may be conveyed to RTO Jammu within 7 days.

VEHICLE TRANSFER
I Surinder Kumar S/O Chuni Lal R/O Kathua have applied for the transfer of Vehicle no. JK08A6187 in favour of Ashok Kumar S/O Roshan Lal R/O Vijay Pur Samba. Objection if any may be conveyed to RTO Samba within 7 days.

VEHICLE TRANSFER
I Ram Nath Sharma S/O Paras Ram Sharma R/O Janipur Colony Jammu have applied for the transfer of Vehicle no. JK02AH-0332 in favour of Sunil Kumar S/O Prem Chand R/O Jallo Chak. Objection if any may be conveyed to RTO Jammu within 7 days.

VEHICLE TRANSFER
I Pawan Kumar S/O Tarseem Lal R/O Digiana Jammu have applied for the transfer of Vehicle no. JK02AG-5049 in favour of Mohd. Aslam S/O Manzoor Mian R/O Nank Nagar Jammu. Objection if any may be conveyed to RTO Jammu within 7 days.

VEHICLE TRANSFER
I M/S Stars Service Station R/O Srinagar have applied for the transfer of Vehicle no. JK02BB1231 in favour of Shoket Hussain Rangrez S/O Ghulam Mohammed R/O Srinagar. Objection if any may be conveyed to RTO Jammu within 7 days.

VEHICLE TRANSFER
I Joginder Singh S/O Isher Singh R/O Digiana have applied for the transfer of Vehicle no. JK02V4155 in favour of Riaz Ahmed S/O Mohd Haneef R/O Ramban. Objection if any may be conveyed to RTO Jammu within 7 days..

VEHICLE TRANSFER
I Gulchain Singh S/O Kulwant Singh R/O Samba have applied for the transfer of Vehicle no. JK02AM8815 in favour of Madhav Lal S/O Sai Dass R/O Jammu. Objection if any may be conveyed to RTO Jammu within 7 days.

VEHICLE TRANSFER
I Nazir Ahmed Sofi S/O Ghulam Kader Sofi R/O Srinagar have applied for the transfer of Vehicle no. JK02V-7892 in favour of Mohd. Ameen Shah S/O Ghulam Mohd. Shah R/O Shiv Nagar. Objection if any may be conveyed to RTO Jammu within 7 days.

JNKPP, SS protest against Chinese incursion in Jammu

Jammu: J&K National Panthers Party (JKNPP), Dogra Front and Shiv Sena on Friday held separate demonstrations here against the Chinese incursions in Ladakh region of the state. The activists of JKNPP, led by its state president and MLA Balwant Singh Mankotia, today held a protest demonstration at Jammu Press Club area of the city and appealed the Centre to take "firm measures" against the aggressive posturing of the Chinese troops. The JKNPP activists later burnt the flag of China and raised slogans against the Chinese government. "We strongly oppose the forthcoming visit of Chinese PM to India, he should first withdraw the troops from our territory and then come to India," Mankotia said. "The people are feeling insecure because of the repeated incursions by Chinese troops. We urge the Centre to take measures to check the aggressive posturing of China," Mankotia said. The activists of Dogra Front and Shiv Sena led by its president Ashok Gupta also held a protest demonstration and said the intrusion by Chinese troops in Ladakh is very serious.

NSUI organised two day free Physiotherapy camp at Kishtwar

Kishtwar, April 26: National Students Union of India (NSUI) State unit NSUI under the leadership of its State General Secretary Wassim Saroori organized two day free Physiotherapy camp at Health care near vetinary Hospital Kishtwar with the co-operation of Dr Mohsin H Lone. During the camp various students participated and got examined at the clinic. Dr Mohsin A Lone provides better facilities during the camp with the latest equipments. Expressing happiness on this occasion Wassim said that various students got free of muscular weakness and deformities. Doctor advised the students to do regular exercises and get relieved over the deformities. During the camp free refreshment was also served to the students by the team of NSUI workers. The students thanks Wassim Saroori for organizing such camps in far-flung areas and whole heartedly praise Dr Mohsin for examining them with the latest machines.

VEHICLE TRANSFER
I Dayal Singh S/O Shiv Saran Singh R/O Udhampur have applied for the transfer of Vehicle no. JK02AF-9111 in favour of Maqbool Hussain S/O Mir Husasin R/O Rajouri. Objection if any may be conveyed to RTO Jammu within 7 days.

VEHICLE TRANSFER
I Ravinder Singh S/O Natha Singh R/O Nanak Nagar Jammu have applied for the transfer of Vehicle no. JK02K-9922 in favour of Zafar Ahmed S/O Ali Mohd. R/O Budgham Srinagar. Objection if any may be conveyed to RTO Jammu within 7 days.

VEHICLE TRANSFER
I Narinder Sangral S/O Wariyam Dass R/O Gangyal have applied for the transfer of Vehicle no. JK02S-8451 in favour of Jagdish Raj Sharma S/O Hira Lal Sharma R/O Channi Himmat Jammu. Objection if any may be conveyed to RTO Jammu within 7 days.

VEHICLE TRANSFER
I Sanjeev Mohan S/O Surinder Mohan R/O Shastri Nagar have applied for the transfer of Vehicle no. JK02M-5094 in favour of Kali Dass S/O Hakim Dass R/O RamPura Jammu. Objection if any may be conveyed to RTO Jammu within 7 days.

VEHICLE TRANSFER
I Ashwani Sharma S/O P L Sharma R/O Gandhi Nagar Jammu have applied for the transfer of Vehicle no. JK02AL-1676 in favour of PritPal Singh S/O Joginder Singh R/O Gadigarh. Objection if any may be conveyed to RTO Jammu within 7 days.

VEHICLE TRANSFER
I Rajesh Kumar S/O K N Sharma R/O Jammu have applied for the transfer of Vehicle no. JK02P2716 in favour of Sham Lal S/O Late Ratan Lal R/O Satwari. Objection if any may be conveyed to RTO Jammu within 7 days.

DDC convenes public grievance camp in Bhaderwah

DODA: District Development Commissioner, Doda Mr. Mubarak Singh today convened a public grievance camp at Thathri and Bhaderwah for redressal of grievances of the people of the region. Additional District Development Commissioner Doda Mr. G.N Balwan, Chief Planning Officer Doda Dr. Yassir Balwan besides other senior officers of District and Tehsil Headquarter were present on the occasion. While speaking on the occasion, DDC stressed upon the officers to give focused attention on the development of the rural and far flung areas. He said proper planning and implementation of schemes as per the aspirations of the people is essential for the successful and sustainable development of the region. DDC gave patient hearing to the demands of the people and passed on spot instructions to the concerned officers and asked them to redress the genuine grievances of people on priority basis. DDC also inspected various ongoing developmental activities in the area and asked concerned agencies to expedite the pace of work for their early and time bound completion. He asked sarpanches and panches to generously participate in the development of the district and provide feedback on various infrastructural developmental works and schemes / programmes under implementation in their respective areas to the District administrations for better planning keeping in view area specific resources and needs for the welfare of the people.

VEHICLE TRANSFER
I Gurmeet Singh S/O Joginder Singh R/O Gadigarh Jammu have applied for the transfer of Vehicle no. JK02AG-8417 in favour of Ferman Ali S/O Sai Mohd. R/O Digiana Jammu. Objection if any may be conveyed to RTO Jammu within 7 days.

VEHICLE TRANSFER
I Surinder Singh S/O Angrez Singh R/O Samba have applied for the transfer of Vehicle no. JK21-1096 in favour of Anil Manhas S/O Parshotam Singh R/O Samba. Objection if any may be conveyed to ARTO Samba within 7 days.

VEHICLE TRANSFER
I Rajesh Nargotra S/O T R Nargotra R/O Trikuta Nagar Jammu have applied for the transfer of Vehicle no. JK02L-3345 in favour of Prerna Nanda S/O Late Rajesh Nanda R/O Trikuta Nagar Jammu . Objection if any may be conveyed to RTO Jammu within 7 days.

VEHICLE TRANSFER
I Chaman Singh S/O Sardari Lal R/O Samba have applied for the transfer of Vehicle no. JK02AL-937 in favour of Avinash S/O Bansi Lal R/O Samba. Objection if any may be conveyed to RTO Jammu within 7 days.

DUPLICATE OF RC
I Kuldeep Singh S/O Gian Singh R/O Nanak Nagar Jammu have lost RC of Vehicle No JK02AP1288. Now I am applying duplicate of same. Objection if any may be conveyed to RTO Jammu within 7 days.

VEHICLE TRANSFER
I Chaman Singh S/O Sardari Lal R/O Samba have applied for the transfer of Vehicle no. JK02AL-937 in favour of Avinash S/O Bansi Lal R/O Samba. Objection if any may be conveyed to RTO Jammu within 7 days.

LOSS OF DL
I Rajinder Singh S/O Gurbachan Singh R/O Chatha Jammu have lost Driving License No. 2058/Ramban. Now I am applying duplicate of same. Objection if any may be conveyed to RTO Ramban within 7 days.

NO OBJECTION CERTIFICATE
I M/S Nideesh Tour and Travel R/O Gandhi Nagar Jammu intend to the issue of a no objection Certificate for my vehicle no JKO2AQ-5506 to Sikar (Rajasthan). Objection if any may be conveyed to RTO Jammu within 7 days.

LOSS OF DL
I Anil Kumar Gupta S/O Bansi Lal Gupta R/O Tallab Tillo Jammu have lost Driving License No. JK0219960026047/COMP. Now I am applying duplicate of same. Objection if any may be conveyed to RTO Jammu within 7 days.

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STUDENT AGE SATURDAY, APRIL 27, 2013

FACE TO FACE

"Aa..... Agaz Karyen Aysee Seyssat Kaa, Naam Roshan Hoo Appni Reyssat Kaa".

we need to make agriculture a more lucrative and attractive field so that the brightest minds of the State enter it with as much pride as they are entering medical and other fields like management etc.

GHULAM HASSAN MIR TALKS TO STUDENT AGE

HULAM Hassan Mir heads the Agriculture ministry of Jammu and Kashmir government. A frank down to earth Minister, his simple personality charms you and all your tough questions as a journalist become soft. His candour and rooted to ground attitude has won him many friends everywhere. Despite his heavy schedule he is accessible to one all. This is the reason why he has successfully delivered and today he is set to change the overall agriculture scene in the State from being a backward vocation to a modern and proud occupation. Known for his unique political philosophy which is a pragmatic mix of humanism and nationalism Mir believes in the equitable distribution of resource in the three regions of the State. Founder of Democratic Party Nationalist, Mir has been able to fire the imagination of young and modern generation of the State with his wholesome and development oriented agenda. In a detailed and heart to heart talk with the Student Age Editor-in- Chief, ROHIT SINGH RANA, Ghulam Hassan Mir delineated his views about the changing Agri -scenario in the state as well as the problems and challenges lying ahead.

PEACE, HARMONY MY RELIGION; PROSPERITY MY MISSION

Modernisation, Upgradation, Value addition is my dream for State's agriculture
He strongly believes that agriculture can propel the State to a modern one if many ills afflicting it are addressed. Mir's eyes shone with hope that someday people will have to realize the importance of his slogan "Aa..... Agaz Karyen Aysee Seyssat Kaa, Naam Roshan Hoo Appni Reyssat Kaa". A stickler for discipline but full of humanity, Mir is one of those rare Ministers who want to earnestly deliver and transform the Agri sector to the level of an automatic, updated and modern beehive bringing prosperity and changes in the outlook of people especially those connected with farm practices.
ROHIT SINGH RANA: Mr. Minister, do you think that agriculture is lacking the importance it ought to have received? Mr. Mir: It is true that the Agriculture sector has not received the importance it always deserved. There are historical reasons for it, perhaps people and the governments in general believe that agriculture is an automatic process which moves on with the change in seasons and the farmer knows too well, hence need not be disturbed from what he has done for the last thousands of years. In fact it is a monumental tragedy with our mind set that while we are concerned with sectors like IT, Medical, Engineering and other allied fields Agriculture sector by and large escapes our notice. ROHIT SINGH RANA: How this apathy and disinterest should be addressed to? Mr. Mir: A multi pronged strategy has to be put in place in order to reverse this mindset. Otherwise given all the inputs and funds barring some cosmetic changes we will not be able to deliver as the western countries and the countries in the Far East, like Korea, Japan or Taiwan and more importantly China has done. ROHIT SINGH RANA: Could you be more specific? Mr. Mir : Yes, Firstly, we need to make agriculture a more lucrative and attractive field so that the brightest minds of the State enter it with as much pride as they are entering medical and other fields like management etc. Secondly, the farm research should be relevant to the problems of the farmers so that they not only increase food output but diversify the food production canvas assuring extra income to them. Thirdly, the farmers of the state must have easy access to finance and to the other markets of the country. Fourthly, the cold storage capacity has to be increased so that farm produce is sold as per the choice of the farmer. Last but not the least the farm produce has to be relevant and dynamic by incorporating latest technologies including green technologies like organic farming. ROHIT SINGH RANA: How can bright minds come to agriculture sector when there is rampant stagnation in the department with officers remaining at one post for thirty years without promotion and no hope of getting running grades? Mr. Mir: Unfortunately what you said is true and we must admit it. The failure to bring in bright minds in agriculture cannot materalise unless there are some attractions. We have realised the mistakes and efforts are on to remove stagnation in the department which has demoralised the staff. We are similarly mooting to remove pay anomalies and ensure that better pay and working conditions will motivate intelligent and hard working young men and women to take to agriculture service with pride. ROHIT SINGH RANA: If I ask you what have been your contributions to agri-sector how will you ennunciate them? Mr. Mir: A good and frank question! Since the day I took over the ministry I impressed upon my staff to increase their visibility. The first thing central to a good working environment is to become visible. Once this is cultivation. ROHIT SINGH RANA: One of the sad things is that many young people have medium sized land holdings but due to proper finance and guidance they are not able to utilise fully the scope of their land. How you intend to change this? Mr. Mir: It is true that young and educated people in thousands want to use their farm land in a scientific way. They aspire to become self reliant and contribute in not only generating employment for themselves but for others as well. Such right thinking, young men are our most valuable resource. For them we have made many schemes and I do not think finance is any problem for them. In fact such men are our priority and they will get every support monetary or otherwise. It is also important for them to understand that due to the increased connectivity of roads as a result of centrally sponsored PMGSY the farm produce of any kind will find market the same day. ROHIT SINGH RANA: In our State thousands of acres of land is rain fed. In fact the huge tract of land falling under Kandi belt could have become a grain bowl had irrigation been assured? What steps you have taken in this regard? Mr. Mir: Unfortunately in past Kandi areas and other rain fed areas are still without assured irrigation. It is my strong belief that agriculture without water is ugliculture. Under Agriculture Technology Misssion farmers in rainfed and Kandi areas have been encouraged to dig ponds of 60m length and breadth and three meters deep. The department gives upwards of rupees one lack per farmer for the pond construction. Likewise the state government is working on an ambitious plan to provide Ravi water for irrigation in the vast Kandi belt falling in Jammu and Kathua district. The farmers have to take one small step towards us rest we will take care. I have ensured a mechanism whereby those difficulties which a farmer encountered in previous times whether they were related to seeds, fertiliser, and technical support of farm finance have been made easy. I hope some credible start has been done but of course a lot more is yet to be done to make the agriculture as pride of Jammu and Kashmir ROHIT SINGH RANA... Thanks, Mr. Minister for talking to Student Age. We hope your zest and zeal will change the Agri-scenario in the State and also help the brightest minds to enter the AgriDepartment. We pray to God that all your dreams to usher in an era of peace and welfare in the State come true. Good luck to you Mr. Mir.

Efforts are on to remove stagnation, pay anomalies and ensure better salries & working conditions to motivate the staff.

farmers training camps, Kissan melas & agressive use of technology can take agriculature to next level.

Gh . Hassan Mir

assured the rest is bound to follow. Today the staff is at the duty stations and is accessible to hear to the problems of the farmers. Then the thrust has been on building and managing human resource among the farming community. This has been achieved by organising farmers training camps in even the remotest area of the state. In addition Kissan melas have become a regular feature of the agri-sector. These melas not only incite and promote farmer -department interface but also increase awareness and competitiveness in the farmer. As said earlier the problems like stagnation in the department are slowly been looked into and by the grace of God all genuine demands of the employees will be solved. The exposure of farmers to other parts of the state has increased manifold thanks to the funds made available by the centre Under National Technology Mission. Under this scheme farmers are paid upto Rs1000 per day for training in outside the state. ROHIT SINGH RANA: How you intend to diversify the stagnant mindset of farmers and what measures have been taken to diversify crop produce in the State? Mr. Mir: Many initiatives have been under taken to remove the stagnant cropping pattern from the usual Chawal, Gehnu, Makki thinking. The present times are of value addition your crop produce will not help you raise the standard of living. Similarly the cropping pattern has to undergo a change. Happily, my efforts in this direction have started bearing fruit though a lot still needs to be done. But the ice has been broken in this regard. Under RKVY and national Technology mission we have started

the change and the results are pouring in. Cut flower industry is picking up so is the cultivation of aromatic plants like geranium, rosemary, patchouli etc. Similarly seed production is being helped through subsidies and technology transfer which is giving additional benefits to the farmers. ROHIT SINGH RANA: What are the other important means through which you intend to make farming more scientific? Mr. Mir: Better seeds like high yielding varieties and hybrid seeds are now central to better produce. In this regard the department has ensured that quality seeds produced locally in the agri-farms of the state and in its Agri universitiy are made available to the farmers. In this regard the Rs 20.35 cr has been given under MacroManagement Mode Scheme under which for purchase of high yielding varieties subsidy is provided to the farmers. The scheme covers all grain crops and the crucial pulses and oilseeds also. Apart from that the new concepts of vermi compost and organic farming have been introduced so that a new direction is given to the agriculture production in Jammu and Kashmir. Farm mechanisation is one of the bed rocks of modern farming. The state agriculture Department under my tacit direction is giving a large sub-

sidy to the farmers for the purchase of tractors, Power tiller and other mechanised farm equipment. This subsidy is about Rs 25000 per lakh of the cost of the farm equipment. ROHIT SINGH RANA: Would you throw some light on National Saffron Mission? Mr. Mir: One of the ambitious missions in the State is National Saffron Mission. Saffron is the pride of Kashmir and nowhere is saffron so superior as it is of Kashmir. To propagate this crop of huge historical and cultural value through the efforts of the government a National Saffron Mission was mooted. The problem with saffron cultivation is that in recent the yield of the crop has fallen considerably. This has forced the farmers to stop its traditional farming. One of the bitterest truths is that many Kerawas which were traditional growing places of saffron have come under housing thereby drastically reducing the land available for its cultivation. Under this mission about a sum of Rs 372 cr has been earmarked under which farmers in traditional and non- traditional areas are encouraged to undertake saffron cultivation by issuing then a fairly good sum. Side by side a saffron research park has been established at konibal , Pampore which is looking into various ways of improving the saffron

SOME FACTS ABOUT STATE AGRICULTURE (SOURCE: ECONOMIC SURVEY 2012-2013)

nAround 70% of the state population earns its livelihood from Agriculture and allied sectors. nPaddy, Maize & Wheat production is more than 90% of total food grain production in the state. nGrout rate of agriculture at the national level in 11th five year plan is 2.24% while that of state has been 3.84%. n94% of the cultivated land in the state holdings remains with the marginal and small farmers. n58% of the net area sown in the state is rainfed.

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STUDENT AGE SATURDAY, APRIL 27, 2013

STATE

4
Kacho, Feroz inaugurate Kargil Boys Hostel at Channi Rama

NEWS IN BOX
Private security guard commits suicide
SRINAGAR: A security guard of a private cement factory allegedly committed suicide by hanging himself at his residential quarters in the outskirts of the city, official sources said on Friday. Jan Bahadur Thapa, a resident of Bursa district of Nepal, was found hanging from the ceiling of his bedroom at the premises of the cement factory at Khunmoh, 14 kms from here, the sources said. The motive behind his taking the extreme step was not yet known, the sources said.

Jora, Bhalla inspect sewerage, drainage works at Kujwani, adjoining areas

JAMMU, APRIL 26: Minister for Urban Development and Urban Local Bodies, Mr. Nawang Rigzin Jora and Minister for Housing and Culture, Mr. Raman Bhalla today visited Apna Vihar, Shanti Nagar, Kujwani and inspected ongoing development works on deep drainage system and construction of local Nallahs in the area. Mr. Jora called upon the people to protect public property in their respective areas, adding that these assets are meant for their convenience and need to be protected. He said Government was making all out efforts to provide all basic amenities to the people across the State. The concerned engineers of constructing agency informed the Minister that work on 231 metre length of Nalha at Shanti Nagar, Kujwani has been completed. The area. Mr. Jora instructed the concerned engineers to remove the blocked in the was informed that Rs. 45 lakh has been already spent on the construction of Bhawan and the work is going on. He directed of the concerned Chairman of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Society to continue the work and complete it in a stipulated time frame. He also paid floral tributes to Dr. B.R. Ambedkar by garlanding his statue installed in the premises of the Bhawan. Later, Mr. Jora also inspected Recreation Park on National Highway Sarore, Baribrahamina. Commissioner, Jammu Municipality, Mr. Kuldeep Kumar Khajuria, Director Local Bodies, Mr. Arun Sharma, Engineers of UEED and Jammu Municipality were accompanied the Ministers.

Awareness camp held at Shopian

SHOPIAN, APRIL 26: To make women aware about the schemes being launched for their welfare and prosperity in rural areas, an awareness camp was organized by Jammu and Kashmir Women's development Corporation at Urapora, Shopian here today. A large number of women participated in the camp and were acquainted with the available benefits under these schemes for improving their socio-economic conditions.

Farmers awareness camp held at Shopian

SRINAGAR, APRIL 26: For promotion of Agriculture and allied sectors on modern scientific lines besides boosting the production and productivity per unit area, Department of Agriculture organized an awareness camp under Agriculture Technology Management Agency (ATMA) held at Town Hall Shopian here today. Progressive farmers were advised to adopt latest technology based practices to boost agri-production along with setting up of agri-based home industry like Bee Keeping, Mushroom, Vegetable and Flower Cultivation. On this occasion, comprehensive presentation was made on cultivation of various crops, importance of cropping system, diversification of cropping system & its economic benefits for the farmers', use of balanced dose of fertilizers, organic manure & other measures for obtaining better yield. More than 200 farmers including Panchs and Sarpanchs participated in this camp and interacted with experts of agriculture & allied sectors on various issues. Among others Chief Agriculture Officer Shopian, Training Officer FTEC, officers & officials of Agriculture, Horticulture, Animal Husbandry, Sheep Husbandry, Fisheries and SKUAST-K were present in the camp.

Minister directed the engineers of Town Drainage Department and Jammu Municipality to continue the work on construction site and complete the remaining part of the work in stipulated time frame. Mr. Jora, along with Mr. Bhala, also visited Bandu Rakh Kujwani and inspected the drainage system in the

Nallah and ensure proper maintenance of drainage system so that the people of the area may not face any inconvenience. Later, Mr. Jora also visited Rajiv colony and reviewed the site plan of the Ambedkar Bhawan being constructed in the locality and also inspected the ongoing construction work . He

Sham for creating mass awareness about preservation of water, natural resources
JAMMU, APRIL 26: Minister for PHE, Irrigation & Flood Control, Sham Lal Sharma has called for launching a vigorous campaign to aware people about the importance of conservation and judicious use of water through various mediums. He invited valuable suggestions from the civicl society and stakeholders for the great cause, which is in the interest of entire society. Speaking at a day-long seminar on the "Role of Society in Water Conservation" held at Government Women College, Gandhi Nagar, here today where he was chief guest, the Minister said that every individual of the shall extend wholehearted support to the Government for conservation of natural resources, like water, environment, forests , essential for the survival of human being. He said water crisis has been observed globally and coordinated efforts are required to save every drop of water. He said the Government will make a well-knit strategy to conserve water with active involvement of Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs), educational institutions and NGOs .In order to ensure adequate and systematic drinking water supply in all three regions of the State, the Minister said that Government has taken several initiatives to streamline the overall functioning of PHE department. An attempt has been made to strengthen the ground level monitoring mechanism to fix the accountability for each individual. The PRIs have been made responsible for supervising management of the water installations falling under their jurisdictions. They will also check the attendance of ground level PHE functionaries before the disbursement of their wages. He said Village Level Sanitation Committees will also be constituted at the earliest to sensitize the people for judicious use of water Appreciating the efforts of the National Development Foundation (NDF) for organizing the seminar on the subject, the Minister asked the organizers to extend their activities in every nook and corner to educate the people about water usages and conservation of natural resources. He said Government will restore the traditional water resources for general purposes to save the drinking water. He said focused attention will be paid on the rain water harvesting by constructing check dams in the potential areas and to create sustainable resources for drinking water purposes .

One-day seminar on water conservation held at GWC, Gandhi Nagar

DDC Poonch reviews physical financial achievements

POONCH, APRIL 26: District Development Commissioner, Poonch, Sajjad Ahmed Khan took a threadbare review of the various developmental activities in the district at a meeting held here today. The DDC also took a detailed review of the physical and financial achievements of the various departments and was informed that an expenditure of Rs.90.93 crores had been incurred on execution of various developmental activities out of released funds of Rs 90.93 crores, thus registering a target achievement of 100%. He was further informed that about 21.92 km roads were black topped, 21.37 km mettled , 13.25 km fair weather roads and 717 Mtr RFT Protection walls were constructed to provide road connectivity under NABARD and District plan, during last fiscal. Mr Khan directed the concerned departments to take up various important projects immediately which mainly include construction of infrastructure for Blood Bank and CT scan machine in district Hospital Poonch. DDC directed Medical Supdt. to reflect both issues in BRGF schemes along with Detailed Project Report( DPR) for their projection to the concerned authorities. All issues relating to land disputes, scarcity/ alternation of land to construct infrastructure for educational institutions, both CEO & Ex. Engineer PWD were directed to work in coordination for their early redressal DDC impressed upon officers to work with coordination and in concerted manner for optimal utilisation of resources and achieving the set targets in time . Among others ADDC Syed Anwar Hussain Shah, ADC S.Jatinder Singh , Medical Supdt .Distt. Hospital, CEO and all other sectoral officers attended the meeting.

JAMMU, APRIL 26Chairman and Chief Executive Councilor (CEC), LAHDC, Kargil Ahmad Ali Khan Kacho in presence of Minister of State for School Education, Science and Information technology, Mr Feroz Ahmed Khan, today inaugurated Kargil Boys Hostel here at Channi Rama, Jammu. On the occasion, former Minister and MLA, Kargil Mr. Qamar Ali Akhoon was also present. Mr. Feroz said that the hostel facility would greatly help the students of Kargil pursuing their studies in Jammu and stressed on them to protect this vital asset which is going to help many generation of students in coming times. He also gave a patient hearing to other demands raised by the students on the occasion . Minister also apprised that Rs 6. 60 cr has been expended on the hostel building out of the Rs 7.84 cr released for the purpose. The construction of hostel building started in 2009 by PWD has a capacity to house 200 students.

The Minister thanked PWD authorities for completion of the project and hoped that the remaining minor works would also be completed in due course of time. Mr Kacho stressed on the students to put in their best efforts to achieve success in their life. He hoped that the students provided accommodation in the hostel would crack prestigious exams like IAS and KAs and bring laurels to the state and home district. President, Kargil Students Union, Mr. Asgar Ali Yaskin thanked the authorities for construction of the hostel and hoped that other demands of the students would also be conceded. Executive Councilor, Kargil Mr G. R. Nagvi also spoke on the occasion. Earlier, the function started with a cultural programme featuring folk songs, skits and dances. Deputy Commissioner, Kargil, Mr. Fida Hussain, district officers from Kargil, a large number of students from Kargil also attended the function.

Manohar tours Billawar constituency

KATHUA, APRIL 26:Minister of State for Fisheries, Cooperatives, Finance and Planning Dr Manohar Lal Sharma today inaugurated various development projects during his extensive tour of Billawar constituency. ADDC Kathua Ajay Jamwal, SDM Billawar Dr Vikas Gupta, XEN PHE , AEE PHE, Tehsildar Billawar also accompanied the minister during the tour. At village Sialana, Dr Sharma dedicated Water Filtration Plant constructed an estimated cost of Rs 2.39 Cr under Water Supply Scheme Uchapind to the people. Residents of Sialana Panchayat hailed the minister for his efforts to get the WSS sanctioned and solve the water shortage problem in the area. Dr Sharma also inaugurated newly built additional building of Government High School Sialana. ZEO Billawar and other district and tehsil level officer were among those present at the inauguration. Later, Dr Sharma also convened Public Grievance Camp at Sialana and listened to the problems of the people. The representatives of the Sialana, Nalini, Galak and Moolan apprised the minister about their problems and sought an early redressal. The projected included blacktopping of link road, road for filtration plant, transformer to Sahri, upgradation of primary school Nalini, Aanganwadi centres for the area, electric poles for Moolan , hand pump at Dhanna, appointment of adequate staff in schools, doctor for dispensary and Dugwell at Dhode. Dr Manohar Lal Sharma, after giving a patient hearing, assured that their problems will be addressed on priority. He said government was committed to explore natural water resources and channelize them to cater the water need of the people especially in Kandi hilly area of the state.

Vikar for ensuring adequate power supply during summer months

JAMMU, APRIL 26: Minister of State for Technical Education, Power and Information, Mr. Vikar Rasool today urged upon the officers of the power development department to adopt effective measures to reduce transformer damages besides put in all out efforts in reducing power losses so that people do not face unscheduled and elongated power cuts during the coming summer months. The Minister was addressing a high level meeting of officers to review the power scenario here today. Among others, Principal Secretary PDD, Mr. Arun Kumar Mehta, Power Development Commissioner PDD, Mr. Manzoor Ahmad Salroo, Technical Secretary PDD, Mr. Asgar Ali Majaz, Chief Engineers, Mr. Ajay Gupta, Ms Shehnaz Goni and other Executive Engineers of Jammu Division attended the meeting. Mr. Vikar urged upon the officers of the department to ensure that the AT&C losses are minimized to the maximum so that the loss of electric power can be checked which would go a long way in ensuring that the supply of electricity is regulated. He also asked for putting in place a mechanism by which the damage to various transformers can be checked. To curb the menace of power theft, the Minister directed the officers to put in place a mechanism by which the same can be checked. He stressed upon the officers to ensure that the revenue targets given to different areas are met and in this regard no laxity should be given. Mr. Vikar enjoined upon officers to make frequent inspections of concerned areas and have check for unregistered connections besides fines should be imposed and accordingly recovered.

Bhalla dedicates Rs. 50 lakh tube well to Kanthu Mohallah residents

JAMMU, APRIL 26Minister for Housing, Horticulture and Culture Mr. Raman Bhalla today dedicated one lakh gallon discharge capacity deep drill tube well to the residents of Kanthu Mohallah, Friends Colony and its adjoining areas. The construction work of tube well, including laying of water supply pipes, has been completed at a cost of Rs 50 lakh under Water Supply Scheme Kanthu Mohallah. The scheme includes drilling, establishment of electrical, mechanical sub-stations and civil works. Addressing a largely attended public meeting after inauguration of the deep drill tube well , Mr. Bhalla said that on the commissioning of the tube well, a populace of about 5000 souls of Friends Colony, Kanthu Mohallah and its adjoining areas would get relief from shortage of drinking water . He said Government was determined to provide improved basic amenities to the people, adding that it has taken several bold decisions for development of core sectors in every nook and corner of the State. The Minister said that the Government was highly concerned about the scarcity of water supply in urban and their peripheral areas. He said a number of schemes have been taken up to provide and augment potable water facilities in these water stressed areas. He said that the Government was also working on a plan to modernize and revive all the traditional tanks and ponds in Kandhi areas of the State that have served as highly dependable source of water for the people of these areas since centuries. Mr. Bhalla called upon the people to conserve these resources by avoiding activities that create pollution. He also called for saving these from encroachment.

Security Guard found dead in his room

SRINAGAR, APRIL 26: A Nepali guard of cement factory was found hanging in his room at Khunmoh, Srinagar. According to police, Jan Bahadur Thapa, son of Khadak Bahadur resident of Bagwan Nagar Ward No. 01, District Bursa Nepal was found hanging in his bedroom at Khunmoh, Srinagar in the jurisdiction of police station Panthachowk. The deceased was working as security guard in private cement factory at Khanmoh. Police has initiated an inquest proceedings under section 174 CrPC in this regard.

Setting up of BDCs on Panchayat pattern on cards: G A Mir

ANANTNAG, APRIL 26: Panchayati Raj Institutions have already been functioning for strengthening the democratic setup in the state and government is setting up Block Development Councils (BDCs) on the same pattern shortly. This was stated by Minister for Tourism, Ghulam Ahmad Mir while addressing one day Panchayat Conference, organized by Anantnag district administration in Town Hall Duroo today. The objective of organizing the conference was to make Panchs and Sarpanchs aware about the programmes of government and also about their role to work in unison with 14 government departments. Appreciating the government for taking concrete steps for upliftment of weaker sections, Mr. Mir said that Panchayati Raj Institutions are playing pivotal role in transformation of society and also bridging the gap between government and people. He directed the officers to work with dedication and zeal for bringing transparency in the functioning of various agencies for boosting tourism and other vital sectors in the state. Among others, DSWO, SE hydraulic, CEO, Chief Animal Husbandry Officers, Assistant Director CA&PD addressed the function and provided awareness to panch members. Later, Additional Deputy Commissioner, Anantnag highlighted the role of democratic institution in making administration effective to redress grievances of the people.

Ajaz visits Arnas block, says state witnessing dev revolution

REASI, APRIL 26:On the second day of his visit to the far flung areas of Reasi district, Minister of State for Revenue, Relief and Rehabilitation, Mr. Ajaz Ahmad Khan today visited Sawlakote area of Arnas block and took stock of the development needs of the area. During the visit, the Minister interacted with the local people, panches and sarpanches of the area and enquired about the problems faced by the people and gave on-the-spot instructions to the officers for timely redressal. Mr. Ajaz announced construction of school building at Sawlakote for the facilitation of students. He assured the land owners whose lands were acquired for road constructions that their compensation cases would be settled on priority. He asked the officers to make people aware about various centrally and State government sponsored schemes being executed in their areas. The Minister said the State is poised to a developmental revolution and infrastructure turnaround and in this connection hoped all the on-going works would be completed within the time schedule. Tehsildar, Mahore, CDPO, Arnas and other officers accompanied the Minister during the visit.

Panchayat day observed at SKICC

Sagar for empowerment of Panchayati Raj Institutions

SRINAGAR, APRIL 26: Minister for Rural Development and Panchayati Raj, Ali Mohammad Sagar Friday said that the people are the main source of power and the objective of celebrating Panchayat Day is to strengthen the Panchayat Raj institutions besides making them feasible and beneficial for all sections of the society. The Minister was addressing an impressive function organized to observe Panchayat Day at SKICC Srinagar in which huge number of Panchs and Sarpanchs drawn from all areas of the valley participated. He said that in a democratic setup leadership lies in the hands of people and every decision is taken as per the aspirations of the people. Saying that the elections to Panchayats after 1978 was a historic decision, Mr. Sagar said that the people feel involved fully in the government functioning through Panchayat Raj institutions. He said that Panchayat members have been empowered to look into the smooth functioning of 14 departments and their contribution in implementation of developmental and welfare schemes are of great importance for the betterment of socio-economic condition of the people. Rejecting the elements bent upon weakening the Panchayati Raj Institutions, Mr. Sagar said that the nefarious designs of such elements will never succeed and the tempo of Panchayati Raj Institutions will gather momentum day by day. Stressing for judicious use of funds earmarked for rural development, Sagar asked Panchayat members to redouble their efforts in making the Panchayati Raj Institutions fruitful and significant for the benefit of people. To provide training to Panch members about their day to day activities, Minister said that government has arranged proper training facilities for Panch members at every district, Tehsil and block level. About the remuneration of Panch members, Sagar said that government is committed to support Panchs and Sarpanchs in respect of their emoluments and other facilities.

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STUDENT AGE SATURDAY, APRIL 27, 2013

EDITORIAL

As insensitive as before

t is shocking that the Supreme Court has had to issue guidelines on what should have been standard operating procedure in police stations to handle sex crimes. Earlier this week, the apex court, while hearing a 1990 rape case from Madhya Pradesh, observed that the police is duty bound to provide proper medical attention that includes psychiatric help to the victims at the earliest. The court also said the police ought to ensure that necessary tests are carried out by lady doctors, that detailed reports are prepared afterwards so that they can be used as forensic evidence, and also that statements from the victims are taken in the presence of family members in a comfortable environment. The court also made clear that it was the political establishment - particularly the Union Ministry for Home Affairs - and the Director General of Police, who were responsible for implementing these procedures. After all, victims of sex crimes do deserve a "totally different kind of treatment" from the authorities, the Supreme Court observed. However, these victims are most often the ones who suffer the most - not only is their physical person violated the first time by the perpetrator, they are subjected to untold agony as they go through the judicial process, made worse by the gross insensitivity on the part of the law enforcement officials across the board. Take for instance, the case that was being heard - apart from the fact that it has dragged on for more than 20 years, the case had initially been decided in favour of the accused by a trial court in 1992 on the ground that the victim had not attacked her rapist "like a wild animal". This was considered to be proof of her consent even though at 15 years of age, the victim was below the age of consent - a fact that even the prosecution managed to overlook. Over the years, there have been innumerable such cases wherein either the police's failure to put forth an effective first response or the prosecution's inability to put together a strong case or even the archaic nature of our criminal justice system (think of the regressive two-finger test which examines a rape victims' vaginal laxity so as to guess if the victim was 'habituated to sex', as if that is somewhat synonymous with consent) has meant that sexual predators have slipped through the gaping holes in the system. Moreover, the fact that no effort was made to define police protocol in handling rape cases even after large-scale public outrage against the police forces' inept response in such situation is telling. Be it the December 16 gang rape case or the more recent April 15 rape case involving a five-year-old or the shocking incarceration of a minor rape victim in Bulandshahr in Uttar Pradesh in between, the police's lackadaisical, abrasive and in some cases blatantly illegal, actions have come in for scathing criticism.Yet, going by the apex court's directions, it is evident that police personnel have been no less callous that they have traditionally been. Will things change for the better now?

what is needed is sustained focus on efficient governance

By Swapan Dasgupta n November 16, 1905, two days before he left India for the last time and in controversial circumstances - the viceroy, Lord Curzon, delivered a remarkable speech at the Byculla Club in Bombay. The popular expectations from a viceroy, he suggested, were unbearably exacting: "He must be prepared to speak about everything, and often about nothing. He is expected to preserve temples, to keep the currency steady, to satisfy thirdclass passengers, to patronise race meetings, to make Bombay and Calcutta each think that it is the Capital city of India, and to purify the police If he does not reform everything that is wrong, he is told that he is doing too little, if he reforms anything at all, that he is doing too much." Arguably, Curzon was protesting too much. As an unapologetic advocate of "oneman supervision" (to be distinguished from one-man rule) which he viewed as the best alternative to bureaucratic government - "the most mechanical and lifeless of all forms of administration" - this most "superior" of all viceroys revelled in micro-management. Predictably, this insistence on the viceroy being the fountainhead of governance and policymaking led to a clash with the India Office and forced his premature return to the far less glamorous world of domestic politics in Britain. There is some merit in rereading Curzon's Byculla Club speech in the age of 24x7 news channels. Over the past few years, there has been an engaging debate over the role of government and governance in India. For many, the rapes in Delhi, the mushrooming of pornographic clips on mobile phones, the cheating of small investors by suspect chit funds and the persistence of malnutrition among children point to the need for more government and, perhaps, more intrusive governance. Conversely, the suggestion of cronyism in the allotment of telecommunications licences

A MODEL APPROACH
that seek to combine complete deregulation with subsidized land to build sprawling campuses. Given these contradictory and

and coal blocks, the sheer incompetence of state electricity boards and the leakages identified by the comptroller and auditor general's report on the work-

growth and, by implication, a relative neglect of what is called 'human development'. The extent to which there has been a conscious diversion of resources

There is some merit in re-reading Curzon's Byculla Club speech in the age of 24x7 news channels. Over the past few years, there has been an engaging debate over the role of government and governance in India. For many, the rapes in Delhi, the mushrooming of pornographic clips on mobile phones, the cheating of small investors by suspect chit funds and the persistence of malnutrition among children point to the need for more government and, perhaps, more intrusive governance. Conversely, the suggestion of cronyism in the allotment of telecommunications licences and coal blocks, the sheer incompetence of state electricity boards and the leakages identified by the comptroller and auditor general's report on the workings of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act have prompted the conclusion that the Indian State is not merely bloated but incompetent and venal.
ings of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act have prompted the conclusion that the Indian State is not merely bloated but incompetent and venal. A remarkable feature of this fierce debate that rages incessantly on TV screens, Parliament and other public forums is that they are invariably case study based. Those who are demanding the censure of the government for depriving the public exchequer of rentier income in the sale of spectrum and allotment of coal blocks may well be those who were earlier in the year resentful of the controls the State sought to exercise on the social media. The middle classes are outraged that the Right to Education Act has resulted in State-sponsored hiccups in the admission procedures of schools. Yet the same middle classes pillory the West Bengal government for doing too little to stop the proliferation of shady chit funds that invariably end up cheating small investors. In Punjab, farmers often seek an end to regulations that prevent the free movement of grain and other crops, but are active in their insistence that fertilizers be subsidized and electricity for farming be provided free of charge. And, finally, there are companies that have made a fortune from what passes for information technology - outsourcing and body shopping flexible impulses, it is small wonder that political leaders have consciously avoided elevating the debate to arrive at a meaningful conclusion on the role of the State in a market-oriented economy. There is incessant chatter about 'good governance' but relatively little concern over the ideal reach of the State. Perhaps the Gujarat chief minister, Narendra Modi, may be the odd man out. Unlike his colleagues in the Bharatiya Janata Party who have desisted from elevating their natural misgivings over an over-regulated economy and society into a coherent philosophy, Modi has actually tried to address the core issue. What has over-simplistically come to be described as the 'Gujarat model' has, in Modi's own words, come to mean "less government and more governance". Whether this approach corresponds to the late Margaret Thatcher's motto of a "small state but effective state" is an issue that will no doubt surface nearer the general election, but the common refrain of the editorial and chattering classes has boiled down to a simple assertion: 'Gujarat isn't India.' That this is a truism is undeniable. The so-called 'Gujarat model' is an over-simplified journalistic invention that in popular parlance has come to imply a single-minded focus on from 'human development' to infrastructure is debatable. The economist, Bibek Debroy, for example, has suggested that this facile conclusion is the consequence of an inability to get the most up-to-date figures. The overall improvement in the quality of life in Gujarat, he maintains, has kept pace with its sustained double-digit gross domestic product growth. Regardless of the political debate over the nature of Gujarati capitalism, some tentative conclusions are in order. First, Gujarat operates under the same set of laws and regulatory regimes that are in vogue in the rest of India. The Dholera Special Investment Region, for example, has been created out of an enabling legislation that is available to all Indian states, including West Bengal. Why, it may well be asked, has only Gujarat chosen to avail of the opportunities? Secondly, there has been no discernible rollback of the state in Gujarat. Where Modi has succeeded is in transforming lossmaking public sector units into relatively more efficient entities that show modest profits. The Gujarat State Electricity Board is a case of a PSU that has shown good results without having to travel down the privatization route. Modi, for example, has been inflexible on the issue of reason-

GET REAL

able user charges as the price for uninterrupted domestic power to both cities and villages - a price the consumers have been more than willing to pay. Power subsidies for agriculture haven't been done away with. Instead, there has been a rigorous drive to segregate power for agriculture from ordinary domestic and commercial usage. In short, the subsidy regime has been sharply targeted. Thirdly, there has been a conscious attempt to remove small irritants in the path of entrepreneurship. The scale of inspector raj - a problem that plagues traders in, say, Uttar Pradesh has been reduced quite dramatically and there is a greater emphasis on self-regulation. Fourthly, there has been a stress on bureaucratic accountability and a sharp reduction in the discretionary powers available to the State machinery. The process of transfers and postings that preoccupy so many of India's politicians has been made transparent and almost entirely rule-based. Bureaucrats have also been given relative security of tenure as the price for accountability and efficiency. Likewise, the use of IT to access government records has improved the quality of service in areas that involve the interaction of citizens with the State. Add to these the small innovations, such as the introduction of evening courts, which have yielded dramatic results. Finally, and this is important, the profound changes that have reshaped Gujarat in the past decade have been effected without the creation of a new, 'committed' bureaucracy. It's the same set of people who have proved slothful and venal elsewhere who have delivered wholesome governance in Gujarat. The debate over the role of the State, it is clear, has been overstated. A rollback of the State remains a difficult proposition considering the unevenness of India's development. What is more relevant is a sustained focus on the efficiency of governance. Politics, after all, is the art of the possible.

he Prime Minister's Economic Advisory Council's growth projections for 2013-14 will, in all probability, illustrate the saying that forecasting is the art of saying what will happen, and then explaining why it did not. To most experts and economists, the PMEAC's projections are not just optimistic, they are built on hope and a prayer. There is very little to suggest that GDP growth in 2013-14 will be 6.4 per cent after growing by just 5 per cent in 2012-13. The PMEAC believes industry will grow by 4.9 per cent compared to 3.1 per cent in 2012-13, and that services will grow by 7.7 per cent. But growth in mining, construction and transportation services has been steadily declining; it may be another two quarters before they 'bottom out'. In coal mining, several more blocks allocated to private players are likely to be taken back; and fresh auctions for the ones already taken back have not been scheduled. There are uncertainties over tariffs and pricing too; so electricity generation - most of the nation's power supply is generated by coal and thermal plants - is not likely to pick up in a hurry. Until those issues are resolved, the growth estimates sound more hopeful than realistic. Agriculture has usually been a steady performer, but changes in agriculture are not dramatic. Besides, it is too early to take a call on climatic conditions and what the monsoon will be like. The PMEAC's estimate of inflation (6 per cent average for 2013-14) and the current account deficit (5.3 per cent, compared to 5.7 per cent in 2012-13)) seem reasonable. The expectations that merchandise and software services exports will go up, however, seem a little optimistic; merchandise exports have declined from November 2011 till January of this year. The rupee had depreciated considerably since July 2011 (from about Rs 43 to over Rs 54 now); despite the fall in commodity prices in global markets, imports are still likely to be expensive even as exports in dollar terms will be cheaper. Granted, the outlook for the rupee in the coming months may be veering to appreciation, but not enough to recover all that lost ground. So what is a reasonable estimate for economic growth in 201314? It is very likely to be less than 6 per cent; the majority in the expert and analyst community is veering towards 5.7 per cent.

India's democracy is under siege

By CP BHAMBHRI he country's flawed model of economic development has produced an army of young, social rejects. But, instead of giving these youth opportunities to better themselves, political parties have deployed them to fight their dirty, electoral battles. The tender plant of Indian democracy has to be nourished so that it can gather enough institutional capability and vitality to repel threats from antidemocratic forces which have scant respect for the principle of Rule of Law. The fundamental difference between a secular and pluralist system of political democracy and all other forms of authoritarian dictatorships is that citizens in

a democracy are protected by the Rule of Law which is enforced by an accountable executive, an elected legislature and an independent judiciary. The Constitution guarantees the citizens of this country the right to protest and express their grievances against the Government. However, these protests must be carried out within the legal framework of the country. When certain sections of society exercise their right to protest without caring for the letter and spirit of the law, they challenge the essence of Indian democracy. Take, for instance, the case of Kolkata student leader Sudipto Gupta who recently died in police custody. Instead of following the

law of the land that makes clear that a custodial death has to be investigated, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee jumped the gun and dismissed it as an ordinary accident. All hell broke loose in West Bengal and demonstrations were held even in New Delhi against the visiting Chief Minister. During the course of these protests, however, every norm and rule was broken. First, supporters of the deceased from the Students Federation of India heckled Ms Banerjee and her Finance Minister in New Delhi. Then, in retaliation, Trinamool Congress Chhatra Parishad cadre created havoc on the streets of Kolkata, while working under the protective umbrella of a passive

Kolkata Police force. But one wrong does not justify another. Especially in the case of West Bengal, it was the State Government's responsibility to maintain law and order, and prevent lumpen youth from vandalising the prestigious Presidency University. Such youths routinely take the law into their hands and often while wearing a political hat. For example, the Shiv Sainiks in Maharashtra have made it a habit to break the law to protest against real or imaginary grievances. But because the Shiv Sena is a political outfit, its goons remain above the law. While it is completely undemocratic, even authoritarian, to suggest that college students should be kept out of the organisa-

tional structure of political parties, there should also be no doubt that if the youth wing of a political party violates the law of the land, the guilty should be punished. At the same time, this does not mean that all the youth of India must be kept out of politics. Also, one must ask if any political party has, in the recent past, undertaken any serious investigation of the increasing frustration of the ill-educated, unemployed and unemployable young urban population. The answer is a resounding 'no'. This makes every political party equally accountable for the growing violence in society, much of which is driven by ill-educated youths who find themselves at the dead

end of their hopes and aspirations. After all, it is when the politics of development fail to provide the young the opportunities they deserve, that they join 'youth wing' of a party. Political ideology sometimes plays a part in this but mostly the youth who join politics end up providing the muscle power politicians need to win an election. And political parties are fully aware of this and know that they need these youths to do their dirty work. Therefore, they patronise a large section of social rejects for exactly this purpose. While this helps achieve political gains in the short term, it does much damage in the long term by creating an army of young people who are paid to break the law.

Soulful singer
Dear Sir The songs of Shamshad Begum, who enthralled music lovers for decades, will remain etched in our memory forever. Her unique voice gave that extra special effect to songs. They were very entertaining and full of life. A few of Shamshad Begum's pleasing duets were Dekh chand ki ore musafir with Shailesh (Aag), Bhool gaye kyun deke sahara (Anokhi Ada) and Aayi sawan ritu aayi sajan (Mela) with Mukesh, Milte hi aankhen dil hua (Babul) with Talat Mehmood, and Leke pehla pehla pyar (CID) with

Mohammed Rafi. Kishore Kumar was fortunate to sing the duet Mere neendon mein tum mere khwabon mein tum (Naya Andaaz) with Shamshad Begum, which turned out to be a great hit. Yours Etc. Rakesh Chowdhary Janipur,Jammu

Drugs scam
Dear sir Investigation into the spurious drugs scam have finally begun but amidst all the politicking, it is still too premature to be wishful that this will lead the state of Jammu and

Kashmir out of the morass of sub-standard and counterfeit medication and an overall deteriorating health sector. The government cannot shirk from its responsibility. Rather, the sole onus of checking this trend lies on the government to monitor the quality of drugs in supply as they are as the licensing authorities for the establishments engaged in the wholesale and retail sale.Any move forward must entailing breaking this strong and well entrenched nexus in which many people in and outside the government have developed a vested interest. The issue is of extremely vital importance as it pertains to precious lives of patients. Yours Etc. Sajjad-ur- Rehman Gujjar Nagar, Jammu

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STUDENT AGE SATURDAY, APRIL 27, 2013

NATIONAL

Rahul Gandhi blames BJP Govt. in poll-bound Karnataka

K A R N ATA K A : C o n g r e s s Vice-President Rahul Gandhi on Friday alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Government in Karnataka has created a world record in corruption. "If you visit any state and ask what you think about Karnataka then people will say that Karnataka government, the Bharatiya Janata Party ledgovernment, has created a world record in corruption," said Gandhi, while addressing an election rally here. "If you want to see corruption then you should go and see the Bharatiya Janata Party led-government in Karnataka and you will not be able to see the level of corruption anywhere else," he added. During the rally, Gandhi also took a jibe at the BJP for not concentrating on issues of employment and youth development. "In Karnataka, there is no news about employment, progress, and youth and there is only fight among the Bharatiya Janata Party leaders. They are not fighting for your development, but they are fighting for your money," he said. Gandhi assured the people that if the Congress Party is elected, it would focus on issues related to water, employment and power. " We will give you a government which will again bring back Karnataka on the path of development. I want that people once again when they talk about Karnataka then they should say that the state is progressing rapidly," he said. Rahul Gandhi, who kicked off a high-voltage campaign for the May 5 Karnataka assembly polls, earlier on Tuesday said that his party would heal all the wounds of the people and fight for their rights. An estimated 2,295 candidates have entered the fray for the assembly polls in Karnataka. Elections to the 224-member Karnataka legislative assembly are to be held on May 5 and the counting of votes will be taken up on May 8.

Universalisation of old age pension long overdue

MUMBAI: Social activist Aruna Roy on Friday urged chairperson of the National Advisory Council Sonia Gandhi to ensure that the government kept its commitment towards reforming the old age pension scheme across the country. A conglomerate of social groups under the aegis of the 'Pension Parishad' has over the past 18 months held agitations for universalization of pension for elderly persons in India to protect them from destitution in old age. "Elderly people from several parts of the country have come together at Jantar Mantar in every session of Parliament since May 2012 to bring their plight into focus," pointed out Roy, stating that at the last agitation in March 2013 they had been directed by the Prime Minister to hold a meeting with minister Jairam Ramesh and sent him a "concrete proposal to comprehensively revamp the National Social Assistance Programme (NSAP)." Jairam in turn reportedly forwarded a road map for restructuring the program with short-term and long-term goals. The current scheme, the Indira Gandhi National Old Age Pension scheme entitles poor citizens (below the poverty line) and those over 60 years of age to a paltry monthly sum of Rs 300. India has over nine crore senior citizens as of the Census 2011. Roy reiterated the views of the parishad that they hoped to see the "immediate" provisions come into force within this financial year. Showing the way, is the state of Rajasthan which has already restructured its social security pension and started registering senior citizens' to provide them pension cover. The delay in bringing in such social security measures puts a question of the government's claims to inclusive growth.

Govt has failed on Sikhs of Europe seeks UN to send fact defence issues: BJP finding mission to India to save Bhullar
NEW DELHI:BJP on Friday expressed concern over Chinese incursions into Ladakh and said the issue should not be seen in isolation as the UPA government has "failed" on other defence issues as well, which have "demoralised" the defence forces. "The situation arising out of Chinese incursions into Ladakh is a matter of serious concern. Chinese presence in this region should not be seen in isolation. China has been engaged in submarine activity and is also active in Myanmar, Hambantota in Sri Lanka, Ladakh, Pakistan and Jammu and Kashmir," BJP leader Jaswant Singh said. He pointed out that there is growing nuclear cooperation between China and Pakistan. "Chinese incursions are a matter of concern. Whatever policy this government has adopted, it is very inadequate and I do not have the confidence that they will be able to do anything," Mr. Singh said. Mr. Singh, a former Defence Minister, alleged the Ministry of Defence under the UPA government has "failed" on several key fronts. AMRITSAR: Sikhs of Europe have urged UN to send a 'fact finding' mission to India to investigate into the case of Devinderpal Singh Bhullar, currently on death row, and pressurize Indian government to suspend his death penalty besides they have also resolved to boycott Air India flightsin protest against Indian government for not showing any leniency for Bhullar. A delegation of Sikh bodies from Europe had held a 'Justice Rally' in front of the office of UN, Switzerland and submitted a memorandum with the office of UN High Commissioner for Human Rights on April 25th . The rally was held under the aegis of Movement Against Atrocities and Repression(MAAR) Founder president of Sikh Foundation , Switzerland, Karan Singh told TOI over phone from Switzerland that a delegation of Sikhs including HS Khalsa, Switzerland, Avtar Singh, Italy, Gurdeep Singh Pardesi, Germany and Gurdeep Singh , Switzerland held about 45 minutes meeting with Human Rights Officer, Office of the High Commissioner for. Human Rights Michelle Erazo Martinez and Human Rights Officer Sharof Azizov to discuss case of Bhullar. "They have demanded details of Bhullar's case besides proof's of his innocence " said he adding that they had been assured by the officers to look into the case and take up the same with Indian government. MAAR president Khalsa said "We have called for United Nations intervention seeking to send a "fact finding" mission to investigate and save victim of torture Devenderpal Singh Bhullar who is facing imminent "execution" as per Supreme Court of India's order" He informed that the Sikh bodies have resolved to boycott Air India flights . In yet another resolution adopted during the rally, the Sikhs have demanded from German government to withdraw their ambassador from India. He said they will also begin a signature campaign and would submit one million signature petition with UN urging to investigate into the 1984 anti Sikh riots and declare it Genocide.

Rs 2,302.41 cr lying unspent under MPLAD scheme: Govt

NEW DELHI: As much as Rs 2,302.41 crore was reported to be lying unspent with district authorities under MPLAD scheme as on March 31 this year, the government has said. "As on March 31, 2013, an amount of Rs 2,302.41 crore was reported to be lying unspent with district authorities (under MPLAD scheme during 15th Lok Sabha period)," Statistics Minister Srikant Kumar Jena said in written reply to Lok Sabha on Thursday. According to the statement by the minister, the total entitlement of the constituencies was Rs 7,630 crore and against that government released Rs 6,182 crore till March 31, 2013 under the Member of Parliament Local Area Development (MPLAD) scheme. It further revealed the total amount available with the authorities including interest on the date was 6,400.69 crore. The district authorities incurred an expenditure of Rs 4,098.28 crore during the said period in the the 15th Lok Sabha. Development works worth Rs 5,586.98 crore were sanctioned during the period, as per the statement of the Minister.

SC best forum to take view on CBIs independence: Ranjit Sinha

GHAZIABAD: With questions being raised on independence of CBI after it "shared" its status report on coal blocks allocation probe with the Law Minister, agency Director Ranjit Sinha on Friday said the apex court is the best forum to take a view on the issue. He refused to say whether any changes in the status report were made on the suggestion of the minister. "We have already filed it (affidavit) in the Supreme Court and now it is in the public domain. I don't have to say anything more about that," he told reporters on the sidelines of the investiture ceremony of sub-inspector cadets. When specifically asked whether he feels that independence of the agency was compromised in sharing the report with the Law Minister and officials, Sinha said, "On this issue, I think honourable apex court is the best forum. They can take a view on this." Asked whether any changes in the status report on probe in coal scam were public." He also dismissed questions about his meeting with Minister of Personnel V Narayanasamy a day ahead of filing the affidavit in Supreme Court saying there is no bar on such interaction with the Minister. "He is our minister. What is the harm in meeting him. There is no bar from meeting him. I keep on meeting him. This is routine work," he said. Sinha today submitted before the Supreme Court that the agency's status report on coal allocation scam was "shared" with Law Minister Ashwani Kumar "as desired by him" and that senior officials of PMO and Coal ministry had also seen it. The affidavit filed on the direction of the apex court contradicted the claim made by CBI counsel on March 12 that the report was not shared with any member of the government. "Now it is in open and admitted before the Supreme Court how Congress is misusing CBI for political purposes," BJP spokesperson Prakash Javadekar alleged.

Negotiations on to solve Chinese incursion issue: Antony

NEW DELHI: Defence Minister A K Antony today said negotiations and consultations are on at various levels to find a peaceful solution to the Chinese incursion issue in Ladakh. His comments came a day after External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid asserted in Almaty in Kazhakistan that India was "not a pushover" and that the issue of Chinese incursion in Ladakh would be resolved before he visits Beijing on May 9. "Negotiations and consultations are going on at various levels to find out a peaceful solution to Chinese incursion issue," Antony told reporters outside Parliament House. The Defence Minister was yesterday briefed by Army chief Gen Bikram Singh, who reviewed the situation in Jammu and Kashmir and the Ladakh area with military commanders in the Northern Command. The Army has given its inputs to the Government and the National Security Advisorheaded China Study Group, which is handling the present situation in Ladakh. The Army has also given various options to the Government on the issue including the aggressive use of military to handle the present situation. All the options suggested to the China Study Group are being looked at carefully and other stakeholders in the situation have also given their inputs. The Army had rushed its troops from the 5 Ladakh Scouts battalion to the DBO area and they are camping there. The force is also considering the option of dispatching additional troops if the need arises. On April 15, a platoonstrength contingent of China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) had come 10 km inside the Indian territory in Burthe in the DBO sector and established a tented post there.

made on the suggestion of law minister, he said, "I will disclose everything before the apex court and before telling them I do not wish to share anything with general

Karnataka Assembly polls 2013: Bring Yeddyurappa back, says Uma Bharti
BANGALORE: BJP VicePresident Uma Bharti on Friday favoured bringing former Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa back into the party fold by "setting aside ego". The firebrand leader said those "at the helm of affairs" should take the initiative as "we should toe the line that 'the country first, individuals second'. Ego has to be set aside". Asked if she would take the initiative to bring Yeddyurappa back into the party fold, the former Madhya Pradesh chief minister said she was not a senior leader and does not consider herself eligible for the task. "Those who are at the helm of affairs... They should do it," said Bharti, who was in the city for campaigning for party candidates of the May 5 Assembly elections. Describing Yeddyurappa, who quit BJP late last year and formed a regional party Karnataka Janatha Paksha, as a "swayamsevak" who had been a dedicated BJP worker, Bharti said she had been attached to the former Karnataka chief minister. "He is like my elder brother." "... And the message is that right now, our country is facing a crisis, the crisis in many forms, like never before. So, we all have to be together," she said favouring Yeddyurappa's return, adding, the BJP should not make any attempts to weaken the party. Asked if BJP electoral prospects are better with or without Yeddyurappa, she said it's very difficult to say, but added that BJP is a cadrebased party. Recalling that she was out of BJP for about five years, Bharti said she has realised that fighting the BJP only harmed "national interests", adding, she is sure others who had left BJP felt exactly the same way.

Don't hold talks with 'betrayer' Afghanistan faces threats from China: Mulayam on incursion beyond its borders: Khurshid
LUCKNOW: Alleging that the Centre was showing "weakness" in dealing with the issue of Chinese incursion in Ladakh, SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav on Friday said instead of holding talks with "betrayer" China, the "intruders should be chased away". "Centre is showing weakness on the issue of Chinese incursions... They (Chinese troops) have entered 10-20 km inside our territory... Instead of talking to China, which is a betrayer, the intruders should be chased away," Yadav said at an event at the Samajwadi Party office here. Ridiculing the UPA government, Yadav sought to know what were intelligence agencies like IB and RAW, and external affairs and defence ministers doing as they could not get prior information about the incursions. "Now I have heard some minister is going for talks with folded hands to request China to leave Indian territory... Will cult to send them back. It will not leave with talks only," he said. Yadav said he had discussed the issue with Defence Minister AK Antony. "I had talked to the Defence Minister on the issue. He had said that he would sort out the matter," Yadav said, adding, he had told him that he would have to resign if this was not done. He said it was China's history that whenever it is weak, it sits silently and when it becomes strong, it starts attacking. "Now it has surrounded our borders by reaching Nepal and taken Sri Lanka by its side. India is target of China as it considers our country as a hurdle in its ambitions of becoming a world power," he said. Yadav said the issue should be resolved at the earliest. "Our Army is one of the best in the world. Our people are ready... The issue should be resolved, if needed, by chasing them (China) away," he added. ALMATY: In an apparent reference to Pakistan, India on Friday cautioned of the "persistent threat" Afghanistan faced from beyond its borders and asked countries in the region to acknowledge the rising dangers posed by these forces and step up counter-terrorism efforts. External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid, addressing an global conference on Afghanistan attended by representatives of over 30 nations and multilateral organisations, also counselled on exercising "care and caution" while pulling out international forces from the war-torn nation. He also made it clear that India did not see Afghanistan as a zone of competitive influence and want it to be an opportunity for regional cooperation. Speaking at the 'Heart of Asia' ministerial conference on Afghanistan, he said the adopted at the end of the conference, called on regional and non-regional countries to step up counter-terrorism efforts at national and multilateral levels, particularly with a focus on dismantling terrorist and organised crime sanctuaries, safe havens, and disrupting the financing, training and equipping of terrorist activities. The conference also welcomed India's initiative in implementing the Trade, Commerce and Investment Opportunities CBM, one of the six CBMs taken by the ministerial. The meeting on Afghanistan is the third Heart of Asia ministerial-level meeting of the Istanbul Process and is attended by 14 countries in the neighbourhood and 16 others. It assumes significance in the wake of the proposed withdrawal of US-led NATO forces from Afghanistan in 2014.

China leave now? It will not," he said. "I have been cautioning the government for past several years and even raised the issue in Lok Sabha, which is recorded. Now, when China has intruded, the government does not have the courage to send them back," he claimed. The SP supremo said he has been invited by the Centre to discuss the incursion issue. "I will go to him (PM) after April 28 or maybe tomorrow evening and tell him, if asked, about my information. Why the government did not take it seriously earlier and invited me for discussion on the issue? Now, when China has intruded at 17-18 thousand feet, it will be diffi-

country would experience lasting peace only if shortsighted perceptions of competition and strategic depth were replaced by collaboration and economic investment by countries of the region and the rest of the world. "While striving for realisation of this vision, we however do not have any illusion that, we can ignore political and security issues that stand in the way. We have no doubt that the greatest challenge posed to vision of Afghanistan is the persistent threat of terrorism that emanates from beyond its borders," he said. The Almaty Declaration,

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STUDENT AGE SATURDAY, APRIL 27, 2013

INTERNATIONAL & ECONOMY

Bangladesh building collapse passes 300, crews struggle to find survivors

SAVAR: The death toll in the collapse of an eightstorey commercial building here in Bangladesh today rose to 304, as authorities raced against time to look for survivors under tonnes of debris even as a total of 2,348 people were rescued alive. "Our prime target is to rescue the rest of survivors alive as we are running against time," a military spokesman told an official press briefing near the collapse scene, two days after the structure caved in trapping inside unidentified number of people believed to alive at the most vulnerable backside of the collapsed structure where they penetrated with manual drill machines and rod cutters and retrieved 20 of them in critical conditions. Ambulances kept outside carried them quickly to different facilities including a nearby combined military hospital as Red Crescent and ordinary volunteers joined hands with rescuers in retrieving them out. But anxious crowds around the debris turned impatient as concerns were rising after they lost cell phone links with their trapped relatives and friends under the ruins and accused the rescuers of lack of promptness in getting to the still alive but trapped people. However, the army spokesman said the situation forced "highly trained" rescuers to penetrate inside very cautiously to retrieve them alive as "slightest lack of this cautiousness could kill the survivors". "You can see heavy cranes and bulldozers here to quickly remove the concrete debris but we cant use them at the moment as our prime objective is to retrieve the people alive first," he said.

FIA gets Musharraf's physical remand in Benazir murder case

ISLAMABAD: A Pakistani anti-terrorism court on Thursday remanded Pervez Musharraf to the physical custody of the Federal Investigation Agency till April 30 in the assassination of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto in 2007. During a brief hearing at the anti-terrorism court in Rawalpindi, Judge Chaudhry Habib-urRehman accepted the FIA's request to be given physical custody of the 69year-old former military ruler. The FIA's lawyers told the judge that they wanted physical custody of Mr. Musharraf so that he could be questioned in connection with the probe into Bhutto's assassination. The judge directed the FIA to produce Mr. Musharraf in court again on April 30. Official sources told MEDIAthat Mr. Musharraf would continue to be held at his farmhouse on the outskirts of Islamabad, declared armed paramilitary troopers were deployed at the court complex to deter protests against the former dictator. During Mr. Musharraf's last appearance at the same court earlier this week, several persons were injured when the former President's supporters clashed with lawyers. The media was barred from the courtroom during today's proceedings. Footage on television showed Mr. Musharraf's motorcade leaving the court complex after the proceedings. Mr. Musharraf was formally arrested by the FIA yesterday after the anti-terrorism court directed investigators to include him in the probe into the 2007 assassination. The FIA joint investigation team also recorded Mr. Musharraf's statement last night.

be several thousand. Inter Service Public Relations (ISPR) director Shaheenul Islam told the briefing that toll so far stood at 304 while 2,348 people were rescued from under

tonnes of concrete ruins of the Rana Plaza in Dhaka's suburb as the army-led salvage campaign was underway. The briefing came as rescuers found some 40 people

China intends to limit US operations in west Pacific: Pentagon

WASHINGTON: Expressing concerns over the pace at which China is increasing its defence budget and rapidly modernising its armed forces, the Pentagon has said that the aim of the regional hegemony is to limit US's ability to operate in Western Pacific. "The concern that we have is the pace of this military expenditure as well as the scope of the investments. China's investing in a comprehensive modernisation of its military," David Helvey, the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defence for the East Asia Asian and Pacific Security Affairs, told Senators during a Congressional hearing. Responding to questions, Helvey said China's defence budget now stands at USD 120 billion and has been growing at 10 per cent per annum for past two decades now. "The challenge is that there is not a whole lot of transparency in terms of what China's military spending," he said. The US, he said, is paying "These are part and parcel of what we in the Department of Defence refer to as an antiaccess and area denial type of strategy, which, if put into place and executed, could be intended to limit the ability of the United States or other militaries from operating in the Western Pacific," the top Pentagon official told lawmakers. However, the Pentagon official asserted that the recent decision of the Obama Administration to rebalance itself towards the Asia Pacific region is not aimed towards China. "The rebalance toward the Asia-Pacific is not about China. It's about what we are doing with our allies and partners in the region, and China can potentially be a partner in this regard. It's what we're doing to support and sustain the regional political and economic system that has persisted for the past six decades," he said.

Wave of violence kills more than 180 in Iraq

FALLUJAH: The death toll from a three-day wave of violence in Iraq passed 180 after three hours of heavy fighting in Fallujah, west of Baghdad, police and a doctor said today. The clashes, which broke out at around 9:00 pm on Thursday, saw gunmen take control of three checkpoints on the outskirts of the overwhelmingly Sunni Arab city after they were abandoned by federal police, police Lieutenant Colonel Yasir Hamid al-Jumaili said. The fighting, which involved heavy gun and mortar fire, killed three federal police and wounded at least six, Jumaili and a doctor said. The gunmen turned the checkpoints over to local police, who returned them to federal police on Friday, Jumaili said. The latest wave of violence erupted on Tuesday when security forces moved in against anti-government protesters near the Sunni Arab northern town of Hawijah, sparking clashes that left 53 people dead. A wave of subsequent unrest, much but not all of it apparently linked to the Hawijah clashes, killed dozens more people and brought the toll to 182 dead and 292 wounded over the three days to Thursday. On Wednesday, Abdulghafur al-Samarraie and Saleh al-Haidari, leading clerics who respectively head the Sunni and Shiite religious endowments, held a joint news conference in which they warned against sectarian strife and called for top politicmedia to meet at a Baghdad mosque today.

a "sub-jail" by authorities, while he is questioned by a joint investigation team of the FIA. The judge rejected a request from Mr. Musharraf's lawyers for changing the joint investigation team, officials said. Mr. Musharraf was driven in a motorcade from his residence to the anti-terrorism court shortly before 10 a.m. Scores of policemen and

Australia's ex-PM calls for boycott of summit in Sri Lanka

M EL B O U R N E : S e v e r a l prominent Australmedia, including former prime minister Malcolm Fraser, have asked the federal government to consider boycotting a major Commonwealth summit in Sri Lanka later this year. Fraser has signed a petition calling on Australia to join hands with Canada in avoiding the biennial Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Sri Lanka in November this year, 'The Australian' newspaper reported. Organized by the Australian Tamil Congress, the petition calls on the government to insist on a new host country 'unless there is significant progress on Sri Lanka's human rights record', the report said. Till now the petition has been signed by 2700 people and s a part of a wider campaign to stop Sri Lanka from hosting the summit. Australian Greens party senator Lee Rhiannon said it's time for Australia to show leadership. "It is wrong that a country that stands accused of war crimes and crimes against humanity is allowed to build international legitimacy by using international bodies such as CHOGM," she said. Earlier, the Human Rights Watch (HRW) yesterday asked the Commonwealth forum to shift CHOGM meeting from Sri Lanka, unless Colombo makes prompt, measurable and meaningful progress on human rights. Such a demand from the HRW comes after the Canadian government recently confirmed that Prime Minister Stephen Harper will not attend CHOGM unless the Sri Lankan government makes progress on human rights and judicial independence. HRW alleges Sri Lanka has taken no meaningful steps to address serious abuses by government forces in the last stages of the conflict against the LTTE in 2009.

good attention to a number of capabilities that China is building now. "China's investments in its nuclear and nuclear-capable forces is something that we're watching very carefully; investments in its undersea warfare capabilities, including submarines both nuclear-powered and conventionally dieselpowered submarines, as well as its long-range conventional precision strike weapons systems, both ballistic and cruise missiles," Helvey said.

ECONOMY

Gold imports down 12 pc in April-February 2012-13

NEW DELHI: Gold imports declined 11.8 per cent to USD 50 billion (around Rs 2.7 lakh crore) in the April-February period of 2012-13 due to measures taken to curb the demand of the precious metal, government said today. Gold imports in value terms stood at USD 56 billion for 2011-12, USD 40 billion in 2010-11 and USD 28 billion in 2009-10, Minister of State for Finance Namo Narain Meena said in a written reply to the Lok Sabha. "Gold imports at USD 50,637 million and 9,51,170 kg in 2012-13 (AprilFebruary) were lower by 11.8 per cent and 1.6 per cent (in volume terms) over corresponding previous period," Meena said. Government has taken a host of steps to curb the demand of precious metal and has hiked import duty to 6 per cent from 4 per cent earlier. Besides, in order to channelise household savings to financial instruments, the government proposed to introduce inflation indexed bonds to protect savings from inflation. Gold is the second major import item for India after petroleum and constituted 11.3 per cent of total imports in 2011-12 in value terms. Meena said gold imports account for nearly 26 per cent of India's trade deficit during April-February. "The rise in imports of gold is one of the factors contributing to India's high trade deficit and current account Deficit (CAD) in 2011-12, forming 30 per cent of its trade deficit," he added. Rising gold and oil imports have pushed up the CAD to a record high of 6.7 per cent in the October-December quarter. The Minister further said the recent decline in gold prices "may lead to a fall in the value of gold imports for investment purposes". Gold prices fell to a 21-month low of Rs 26,440 per ten grams in the domestic markets on April 16 due to continued sell off in the global markets. Gold prices closed at around Rs 28,000 per 10 grams in the national capital today. Gold prices had touched the all-time high of Rs 32,975 per 10 grams on November 27, 2012.

IMD predicts normal monsoon, food inflation may ease: Analysts

NEW DELHI: With the Indian Meteorological Department ( IMD) predicting a normal monsoon in 2013, most economists see this is a signal for food inflation to ease. With the agricultural sector of the economy benefitting, the overall economic scenario may also witness a pick up. Rupa Rege Nitsure, Chief Economist, Bank of BarodaBSE -1.21 % said, "I think farm growth on a lower statistical base should be much better than the previous financial year. Better monsoon will ease food prices. But the exact extent also depends on political factors." "Food inflation depends also on MSP (minimum support price), and populist spending in rural areas. Supply side, this is a positive factor, and should ease prices to some extent. The real assessment is possible only in August-September," Nitsure added. Harish Galipalli, of JRG Wealth Management said, "Food inflation in last one year is hovering at 10-12 per cent. Normal monsoon rains can ease food inflation from stubbornly high levels. It can boost grains production and allow India to maintain its position as a leading exporter in the world. Good rainfall in central India can also help in reducing imports of lentils and edible oils." "The whole cycle of money depends on monsoon. If there is good agricultural production, it will benefit the whole value chain. There could be higher gold imports due to a fall in prices along with normal rains," said Kumar jain, Vice chairman, Mumbai Jewellers Association. Stating that the agricultural sector will benefit, Mukesh Kuvadia, at Bombay Sugar Merchants Association said, "Good rainfall can boost sugar cane plantation. Farmers are very much interested in cane due to higher prices. Normal monsoon rains will also help cane crop in drought-affected areas in southern and western states." Jyotinder Kaur, Economist, HDFC BankBSE -0.03 % is however cautious. Kaur believes that risks to food inflation remain. "We are expecting a 15 percent increase in minimum support price and the forecast of an average monsoon will not be able to completely offset that impact. Risks to food inflation remain. We think agricultural growth will be around 3.5 percent in 2013/14, and food inflation will be around 8-9 percent," Kaur said. The country expects total monsoon rainfall to be average in 2013, Earth Sciences Minister S. Jaipal Reddy said, strengthening prospects one of the world's biggest grains producers will avoid widespread drought for a fourth straight year. Monsoon rains are expected to be 98 per cent of the long-term average during the June-September season, Reddy said. Rains between 96 per cent and 104 per cent of a 50-year average of 89 cm for the entire season are considered normal, or average. Monsoon rains are vital for the 55 per cent of the country's farmland that lacks irrigation facilities, and can make the difference between India being an exporter or importer of staples such as rice and sugar.

Sharma asks states to speed up process of NMIZs

NEW DELHI: Commerce and Industry Minister Anand Sharma today asked the four southern sates to speed up the process of setting up national manufacturing and investment zones (NMIZs). The issue was discussed at the meeting between Sharma and the industry ministers of Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka at Kovalam, Kerala. "In-principle approval has been given to three NMIZs. I urge the state governments to speed up the process of establishing these investment hubs," said an official statement, quoting Sharma. The government has been taking several steps to increase the share of the manufacturing sector in the GDP to at least 25 per cent by 2020 from the present 16 per cent. In this regard, a new National Manufacturing Policy (NMP) was announced recently, which provides for setting up of these zones. NMIZs will be mega industrial zones with world class supporting infrastructure. The government is offering incentives and a liberalised labour and environment norms to promote these zones. Three such zones have been given inprinciple approval in Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. Senior officers from the Department of Commerce and Industry made presentations on NMP, recent changes in FDI regime, new guidelines for Special Economic Zone, handloom and plantation sector and eBiz Project, the statement said. It also said, the state governments sought clarifications and expressed appreciation for changes in SEZ policy. Further, it said that representatives from Tamil Nadu raised the issue faced by Tirupur textile industry in the wake of the Supreme Court judgement. "Sharma assured the Tamil Nadu government full support from the Centre to meet the requirements of the textile workers," the statement added. Sharma also informed them about the Scheme for Integrated Textile Parks and asked them to take full advantage of the Scheme. "All the state governments raised issues related to plantation and sought support for the sector. Sharma assured them complete assistance for the same." it added.

Govt verifying information on blackmoney expose

NEW DELHI: The government today said income tax department is verifying media reports in connection with the expose on individuals who have stashed money in tax heaven, and will take appropriate action. "On the basis of information appearing in the media, income tax authorities have started verification. Based on results of verification, appropriate action in accordance with law will follow," Finance Minister P Chidambaram said in a written reply in the Lok Sabha. A worldwide media expose is claimed to have unearthed details of 2.5 lakh individuals and entities from more than 170 countries, including India, that evaded taxes by setting up companies in tax havens. The International Consortium of Investigative Journalists ( ICIJ), a body of newspersons from across the world, has reportedly found a trove of 2.5 million digital files, detailing "secrets of more than 1,20,000 offshore companies and trusts and nearly 1,30,000 individuals and agents".

Climate change may reduce crop output by 18% in 2020: Sharad Pawar
NEW DELHI: Climate change is likely to bring down the production of key foodgrain crops like wheat and rice in the country by up to 18 per cent in 2020, Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar said today. "Climate change is projected to reduce timely sown irrigated wheat production by about 6 per cent in 2020. In case of late sown wheat, the projected levels are to the extent of 18 per cent," Pawar said in the Rajya Sabha. Further reduction by up to 25 per cent in crop yields are projected in 2080, he noted. Similarly, a 4 per cent fall in crop yield of irrigated rice and 6 per cent in rain-fed rice is seen due to climate changes by 2020. The forecast are made by the government's agricultural research body ICAR usng crop simulation models incorporating future projections for 2020, 2050 and 2080, he added. In case of maize and sorghum, Pawar said yields are projected to dip by about 18 per cent and 2.5 per cent in 2020. To a separate query on development of quality seeds, the Minister said, "A total of 157 varieties/hybrids of rice, wheat and pulses have been notified during last three years." These varieties of seeds are developed by National Agricultural Research System comprising of centre and state agricultural research institutes, he added. On the likely demand of foodgrains by the end of 12th Five Year Plan (2012-17), Pawar said a working group of the Planning Commission has pegged domestic demand of wheat and rice at 89 million tonnes and 110 million tonnes in 2016-17 fiscal. Whereas production of rice is expected to be 98-106 million tonnes, wheat is expected to be at 93-104 million tonnes in 2016-17, he said. At present, the production of rice and wheat is sufficient to meet the domestic demand, he added. Rice output is estimated to be 101.80 million tonnes and wheat at 92.30 million tonnes in 2012-13 crop year (July- June), as per the government forecast.

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STUDENT AGE SATURDAY, APRIL 27, 2013

MISC
n157 TA, Pallanwala Club win opening ties
JAMMU: The 157 Territorial Army (TA) and Volleyball Club Pallanwala won their respective matches to advance into the next round of the three-day Open Volleyball Tournament, organised by Muthi Volleyball Club in memory of veteran player, Karan Singh at Government Higher Secondary School, Muthi. In the first match, 157 TA trounced CRPF-A in straight but close sets of 2517, 25-23. It was followed a one-sided contest wherein Volleyball Club Pallanwala registered 2-0 win over Volleyball Club Sidhra 2509, 25-20. Meanwhile, in other scheduled matches, played in the afternoon session, 4-Madras defeated 2 Garhwal 25-17, 25-10 while CRPF B beat Volleyball Club Gurah Mundian 25-19, 25-14. Matches were officiated by Rajesh Virdhi, Balwinder Singh, Shashi Sharma and Mulkh Raj. This tournament was declared open by Inspector General

Kolkata Knight Riders thrash Kings XI Punjab by Six wickets

KOLKATA: Kolkata Knight Riders cruised to a comfortable six-wicket win over Kings XI Punjab in the Indian Premier League (IPL) at the Eden Gardens on Friday after an aggressive 72-run partnership between Manvinder Bisla (51 not out off 44 balls) and Eoin Morgan (42 off 26 balls). Defending a none-tooimposing 150, Azhar Mahmood's first over the second of the innings wasn't off to the best of starts after Mandeep Singh dropped a sitter at cover to give Bisla another life. However, Mahmood was to be rewarded with double the number of wickets the same over, as he cleaned up Gautam Gambhir before getting Yusuf Pathan to edge to wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist first ball. Mahmood did not get the wicket, but it was a perfect start for the visitors, who didn't have too big a total on the that as he got Kallis to edge to the 'keeper and provide Punjab a vital breakthrough. Kallis fell for a well-made 33ball 37. The ever-reliable Morgan walked in next and was given a huge reprieve after an attempted reverse-sweep almost proved fatal. Morgan missed the pitch of leg-spinner Piyush Chawla's delivery completely as the ball kissed the stumps and rolled away, but the bails stayed on top. None of the 11 Punjab players could believe, especially skipper Gilchrist who got the closest view. Morgan then combined with Bisla and powered his team towards what would turn out to be a comfortable win. Morgan was dropped on 30 with the score at 127 for three in the 17th over by Bhargav Bhatt, but it hardly would have made a difference given the confidence with which Kolkata batted.

IG CRPF inaugurates Open Volleyball Tourney

Eoin Morgan smashed 42 off just 26 balls to help Kolkata Knight Riders to a much-needed win board to defend. However, Bisla ensured he made optimum use of his extra life and took the attack to Punjab, bringing out a delightful brochure of shots including a cover-drive six. The 29-yearold. Along with veteran batsman Jacques Kallis, who went about his usual classy innings, Bisla went about ticking the runs off Kolkata's target briskly and the hosts were on their way to an easy win. The duo put on 66 for the third wicket before Harmeet Singh came into the attack in the 11th over. The mediumpacer has a knack of breaking partnerships, and he did just

Chief Guest, IG CRPF, KS Bhandari interacts with participating teams on the inaugural of the open volleyball tournament at Muthi in Jammu on Friday. of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), KS Bhandari, who was chief guest in the inaugural function. Deputy Inspector General of Police, Armed, Johney William was guest of honour. Both these special guests interacted with the teams playing in the inaugural matches and wished them success in the competition. Opening matches were witnessed by healthy gathering of volleyball lovers and other prominent people of the area. Earlier, before start of the matches, a two-minute silence was observed to pay respect to veteran volleyball player, Karan Singh in whose memory the event is being organised. Karan Singh died after he met with a tragic road accident on Akhnoor road. Veteran volleyball player, Shashi Sharma is organizing secretary of the tournament, which is being held under the banner of Volleyball Association of J&K (VAJK).

Jyoti Randhawa best Indian at 24th after two rounds in Korea

INCHEON, KOREA: Jyoti Randhawa endured a long day, playing 24 holes, but moved to three-under after 36 holes in the euro 2,205,000 Ballantine's Championship where play was suspended due to fading light on Friday. Randhawa was the top Indian in provisional 24th place at three-under, as he first completed his first round in even par 72 and then added a second round 69.SSP Chowrasia and Shiv Kapur were also set to make the cut as they sat at one-under. Chowrasia, who shot 71 in first round, still had six holes to play in second round, while Kapur had seven more holes to go. The seasoned Jeev Milkha Singh, who had 73 in first round, was one-over through 11 holes in second and from two-over he will need to make up fast to make the cut.Gaganjeet Bhullar was further down at three-over after a 72 in first round. He has eight more holes to go. Anirban Lahiri (74-75) was sure to miss the cut and Himmat Rai (77 and even par after eight holes) would need a big fightback to stay on first last two rounds. Also going home early was Digvijay Singh (7974).Randhawa made light of a bogey start with three birdies Africa's Jbe Kruger, who has one win on the Asian Tour, also in India, posted a 67 to take a share of third place with Sweden's Alexander Noren and England's James Morrison on 138 total.77 players will return at 7.30am, local time on Saturday morning to complete their second round with the third round scheduled to start not before 11am.After having his opening round disrupted by rains, the 25-year-old Arnond returned in the morning to complete his remaining eight holes and quickly moved within a shot of the leaders with his first round efforts of 68.

India to host Sepaktakraw Super Series from August 29

NEW DELHI: Indians fans will get to witness some highflying acrobatic moves of the world's best Sepaktakraw players when the country hosts the sport's biggest event, the Super Series, for the first time in the month of August. The Sepaktakraw Super Series will be held at the Indira Gandhi Sports Complex here from August 29 to September 1. "The sport is rapidly gaining popularity all over the world. We thank the Sepaktakraw Federation of India for organizing the first leg of Super Series here in New Delhi," General Secretary of International Sepaktakraw Federation, Dato Abdul Hamil Kader said. In the men's event, 12 nations including Japan, USA and South Korea would be battling it out for supremacy, also known as kick volleyball, while the women's competition will have eight countries. Points accumulated in the four different legs of the super series will decide the champion for the year 2013. The Thailand team had won the Super Series last year. Sepaktakraw, which was first introduced as a demonstration sport in the 1982 Asian Games held in Delhi, has been on the rise in the country and the Indian federation, SFI, conducts the national championships at various levels. "Our team is currently practicing at a camp in Hyderabad. In our last nationals, 27 state teams had participated in the seniors' event. Our players have also done well at the international level," SFI General Secretary, Yogender Singh Dahiya said. In the King's Cup International Sepaktakraw tournament held at Bangkok in 2009, India won six medals, including a gold.

on front nine to turn in twounder. Another birdie on 11th, meant he was three-under through 11 holes.

But a double bogey on par-3 13th set him back before birdies on the 16th and 18th saw him recover well.South

Young Caribbean umpire makes English County move

BRIDGETOWN: The Caribbean`s youngest ever cricket umpire, Leslie Reifer Jr. says he has been taken by surprise over his selection to officiate in the English County Championship. Reifer, 23, has been selected to officiate in the county championship months after his regional debut. The son of the former Barbados batsman and leading club cricketer, Reifer Jr. is scheduled to leave on Sunday to take up the assignment. "I am over the moon. I wasn`t really expecting it. I`ve come far in a relatively s h o r t space of time," Reifer said. "It`s a really good opportunity for me to progress. To go to England and have the opportunity to see Lord`s and some of the other first-class venues will be a very interesting experience."

Sindhu keeps Indian hopes alive as she enters semi-final of Indian Open
NEW DELHI: P V Sindhu kept India's hopes alive in women's singles by entering the semifinals of the India Open Super Series badminton tournament with a straight games win over Yui Hashimoto of Japan, here today. The 17-year-old Sindhu, who had beaten former World No.1 Shixian Wang of China at the Badminton Asia Championships in Taipei last week, continued her good form to get the better of Hashimoto 21-16 21-16 in 47 minutes. Hashimoto, who defeated Saina Nehwal yesterday, looked no match for Sindhu. In the opening game, Sindhu started off with a bang, quickly opening up a 11-4 lead and in no time she extended it to 19-9. But just when things seemed to be in total control of the Indian, Hashimoto raised her game. She went on to win nine points on the trot, mainly taking advantage of unforced errors from Sindhu, to reduce the gap to 16-19. The Hyderabadi, who had the cushion of a ten-point lead, showed a lot of patience and clinched the next two points to seal off the first game, 21-16. The second game was a neck-and-neck battle with none of the players sparing an inch. There was never a difference of more than three points between them and that continued till 14-14 before Sindhu won another three straight points to take it to 17-14. The game involved long rallies that Sindhu managed to win by hitting powerful smashes. Although the Japanese earned a couple of more points but in the end, Sindhu comfortably prevailed over her opponent. "My opponent made mistakes and that made the difference," said Sindhu after the match. Sindhu will next take on World No. 6 Ratchanok Intanon of Thailand, who earlier on the day defeated India's Arundhati Pantawane in another women's singles match. The Indian went down fighting to third seeded Intanon 14-21 21-7 21-16 in 52 minutes.

Chris Gayle agrees to play for Somerset after initial refusal

London: West Indies' star batsman Chris Gayle has agreed to play for Somerset in the domestic Twenty20 league if he is available. Gayle said no to Somerset after initially agreeing to be their overseas player last year. But the 33-year-old made himself available for the West Indies summer tour that miffed the county. This time, Gayle, who plays for Royal Challengers Bangalore in the Indian Premier League (IPL), has given the first refusal on his services to Somerset. Gayle has been the most sought after Twenty20 player and this week after he struck

the fastest century in cricket history and also the highest individual score in Twenty20. The Jamaican struck a 66-ball unbeaten 175 against Pune Warriors in the IPL. Last year Somerset were set for take Gayle to court after the cricketer turned his back on then despite agreeing.

India to host Thomas and Uber Cup finals in May 2014

NEW DELHI: India will host the final rounds of the prestigious Thomas and Uber Cup for the first time as BWF has finally awarded the rights to India. The tournament will be held at Siri Fort Sports Complex here from May 1825 in 2014.Badminton Association of India president Akhilesh Das Gupta said it was a matter of pride for the country to be hosting the finals and it also shows the faith the international body has in the country's capability."This partnership shows how much faith BWF has in India's capability for hosting such a prestigious event," said Das Gupta. Paisan Rangsikitpho, Deputy President BWF, said, "India were held at different places and 12 teams made it to the final. However, from next year only finals will be held and the number of teams eligible to be contesting would be 16. Out of the 16, 14 teams will qualify on the basis of their world rankings, while two there would be the holders and the hosts. Meanwhile, in the wake of Saina Nehwal blaming a wrong line-call in the third game for losing her focus, which costed her match, Akhilesh Das Gupta said that the review technology will be tested during the next month's Sudirman Cup in Malaysia. "It will be tested during the Sudirman Cup and it could be implemented in

JKFA hosts coaches course

Sardar Singh to lead Indian hockey team for Netherlands tour

NEW DELHI: Ace mid-fielder Sardar Singh will lead an 18member senior Indian men's hockey team for the tour of the Netherlands from April 27 to May 9. The tour is seen as a preparation for the FIH men's Hockey World League Round3(Semi-finals) to be played at Rotterdam, Netherlands from 13-23 in June this year. Dragflicker V R Ragunath has been named as the Sardar's deputy for the tour. Ace drag-flicker Sandeep Singh, who was left out of the Indian squad for the FIH Hockey World League Round 2 held here earlier this year, has made a comeback to the national side along with young striker Yuvraj Walmiki who has made the squad in place of injured Gurwinder Singh Chandi. Notable absentees from the squad are midfielder Birendra team and five versus Dutch club sides. India has already qualified for the FIH World League Round-3(Semi-finals) in February this year. The FIH World League is also qualifier for the World Cup 2014 to be played in Hague, the Netherlands.

has shown a consistent improvement. It will be a good thing for the country to be hosting the tournament." The Thomas Cup (world men's team championship started in 1948-49) and the Uber Cup (world women's team championships started in 1956-57) are the oldest major international events conducted by BWF. From 2014, the event will be held in a new format as the BWF has decided to do away with the preliminaries. Earlier, continental preliminaries

SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir Football Association (JKFA) has organized an All India Football Federation (AIFF) `D' licence football coaches course at Polo Ground. In all, 31 senior and retired footballers of the state are attending this course under the guidance of 'A' Licence AFC coach, Hilal Rasool Paray. Hilal has been

deputed as AFC instructor for the course. Earlier, around 50 footballers registered themselves for the course but out of them 31 were found eligible for the course. The weeklong course shall conclude on May one. After undergoing test, those successful footballers shall be declared as AIFF 'D' Licence coaches in the state.

Lakra, who has opted out of the tour because of his college examination and India's first choice goalkeeper P R Sreejesh, who is getting married during that time. According to a statement from Hockey India, the squad was selected by HI selectors Balbir Singh, BP Govinda, chief coach Michael Nobbs, Roelant Oltmans (Director-High Performance) alongwith government observer Harbinder Singh after a selection trials conducted at SAI Centre, Bangalore on April 16 During the tour, India will play seven games -- two against the Netherlands national

Squad:
Goalkeepers: PT Rao, Nanak Singh Defender: VR Raghunath (vice-captain), Rupinder Pal Singh, Harbir Singh Sandhu, Kothajit Singh, Gurmail Singh, Sandeep Singh Midfielder: Sardar Singh (captain), Manpreet Singh, Dharamvir Singh, Danish Mujtaba, SK Uthappa Forwards: S V Sunil, Chinglensana Singh, Nithin Thimmaiah, Akashdeep Singh, Yuvraj Walmiki.

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