Precious Kashmir

Sgr-Jmu highway to remain open for both way traffic today

Jammu & Kashmir

01/02/2022

Srinagar: Jammu-Srinagar highway, the only surface link connecting Kashmir valley with the outside world, shall remain open for both way traffic on Tuesday, officials said.

“On 01-02-2022, subject to fair weather and better road conditions LMVs(passenger)/private cars shall be allowed from both sides on Jammu-Srinagar highway viz Jammu towards Srinagar and vice-versa. TCU Jammu/Srinagar shall liaise with TCU Ramban before releasing the traffic,” a traffic department official said in a statement.

He said Traffic Control Unit Jammu/Srinagar shall liaise with TCU Ramban before releasing the traffic. He said cut off for LMVs/private cars from Nagrota (Jammu) will be at 0700 hours to 1200 hours, from Jakheni (Udhampur) at 0800 hours to 1300 hours and from Navyug Tunnel (Qazigund side) 0900 hours to 1300 hours “(subject to change depending on the road position then)”

He said no vehicle shall be allowed before and after cut off timings.

Regarding HMVs/Load carriers, he said, “subject to fair weather and better road conditions, they shall be allowed from NAVYUG Tunnel (Qazigund side) towards Jammu after assessing the traffic situation on highway.” He said TCU Srinagar shall liaise with TCU Ramban before releasing the highway.

Meanwhile, Mughal Road, connecting Shopian with Poonch and Rajouri districts, remained closed for vehicular movement in view of snow accumulation at Peer Ki Gali.

Also, Srinagar-Sonamarg-Gumri road remained shut for vehicular movement in view of snow accumulation on Zoji la axis and has been closed till further orders. Kishtwar-Sinthan road also remained closed in view of snow accumulation, the traffic department official said.

Army’s Northern Command bids farewell to GOC-n-C Lt Gen Joshi

Jammu & Kashmir

Precious Kashmir

01/02/2022

Jammu: The Indian Army’s Northern Command on Monday bade farewell to Lt Gen Y.K. Joshi as he relinquished the command on January 31.

“Lt Gen Joshi assumed the appointment of GOC-in-C, Northern Command at Udhampur on February 1, 2020 and he relinquishes command on January 31, 2022,” a Defence statement said.

“Lt Gen Joshi was commissioned into 13 JAK RIF (Bravest of The Brave) on June 12, 1982 and later commanded the same unit. The General Officer is an alumnus of the National Defence Academy, Khadakwasla and a postgradutate from the Defence Services Staff College, Wellington,” the statement said.

He also attended the prestigious National Defence College Course in Delhi.

“The General Officer has had command experience spanning the entire mosaic, covering all theatres. He commanded 13 JAK RIF in Operation VIJAY and PARAKRAM. The General Officer caught the attention of the nation during the Kargil War with his outstanding leadership and led his unit to unprecedented success. In Operation VIJAY under his command, the unit was awarded with a total of 37 gallantry awards including two Param Vir Chakra, eight Vir Chakra and 14 Sena Medals,” the statement noted.

“The unit has also been awarded with the Chief of Army Staff Unit Citation and the ‘Bravest of Brave’ award. The General officer himself was awarded the VIR CHAKRA during his command of 13 JAK RIF in the operations. The General Officer has commanded an Infantry Brigade in Tangtse, Infantry Division in Karu and Corps in Leh. He has also served as Director General Infantry and was instrumental in catalysing the modernisation drive of the Infantry. He was the Chief of Staff, Northern Command before taking over the reigns of Northern Command as Army Commander.

“The General Officer has had tenures as Instructor at Infantry School, Mhow and varied staff exposure, including staff appointment at Military Operations Directorate and as Defence Attache to Beijing (China). He has also served as Military Observer in United Nations, Angola.

“Lieutenant General YK Joshi will keep on inspiring the Officers of the Indian Army in the times to come,” the statement added.

F&MD: 86% animals vaccinated to prevent spread in J&K, reveals NADCP

Front

Precious Kashmir

01/02/2022

By: Sajidah Yousuf

Srinagar: In Jammu and Kashmir, 86 percent of the animals have been vaccinated to prevent the Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD), reveals National Animal Disease Control Programme (NADCP).

NADCP reveals that Jammu and Kashmir has a total cattle population of 31.45 lakhs.

The data reveals that 86 percent of the total animals are vaccinated while 89.18 percent are tagged since the launch of the programme in Jammu and Kashmir to prevent the spread of FMD disease.

Whereas, NADCP is a flagship scheme launched in September, 2019 for control of Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) and Brucellosis by vaccinating 100 percent cattle, buffalo, sheep, goat population for FMD and 100 percent bovine female calves of 4-8 months of age for brucellosis.

Similarly, in Jammu and Kashmir more than Rs. 25 crores project was approved for different fish production under Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY).

As per the official data, in the employment oriented detailed project report (DPR) for fish production etcetera submitted to Government of India (GoI), Rs 25.09 Crores project was approved for Jammu and Kashmir (J&K).

The project includes 184 Trout, 37 Carp and 7 Biofloc units established across J&K.

Besides, as per construction of Low Cost Housing (LCH), 1318 LCH were established during 2020-21 under the scheme of PMMSY.

PMMSY scheme was launched in J&K for the development of the fisheries sector, augment fish production and productivity, direct employment, doubling the incomes of fishers, fish farmers. (KNO)

ACB arrests Patwari in Qazigund

Front

Precious Kashmir

01/02/2022

Srinagar: Anti-Corruption Bureau on Monday arrested a Patwari (revenue official) while allegedly demanding and accepting Rs 3500 bribe in Qazigund area of south Kashmir.

“ACB arrests Mohammad Abbas, Patwari Halqa Kewa, Qazigund District Kulgam for demanding and accepting bribe of Rs 3,500 from complainant for providing of revenue extracts,” ACB said in a statement.

It said a complaint was received, alleging that Mohammad Abbas, Patwari Halqa Kewa, Qazigund District Kulgam was demanding bribe for providing revenue extracts.

The complainant alleged that the accused Patwari has demanded Rs.3500 from him in lieu of providing Revenue Extracts viz Intikhaab for obtaining KCC Loan.

“Upon receiving the instant complaint prima facie offence U/S 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act 1988 was found made out,” it said, adding, “Consequently, case FIR No. 02/2022 was registered at Police Station ACB Anantnag. Mohammad Abbas, Patwari Halqa Kewa, Qazigund District Kulgam was arrested while demanding and accepting bribe of Rs 3500 from the complainant.”

He said further investigation of the case was going on.

30 sheep, goats perishes under mysterious circumstances in Poonch

Jammu & Kashmir

Precious Kashmir

01/02/2022

By: M S Nazki

Poonch: Nearly thirty sheep and goats died even as many others were reportedly found taken ill under mysterious circumstances in Pamrote of Surankote in Poonch district on Monday.

Reports said that the owner of livestock Mohammad Rashid son of Ghaiya, a resident of Pamrote, Surankote had put the livestock at residence of former Sarpanch Fida Hussain, son of Nazir Hussain Shah at Pamrote, Dhara.

Upon intimation a police party alongwith Naib-tehsildar Surankote visited the spot to take stock of the incident.

An official said that a team of Sheep and Animal Husbandry has been asked to depute doctors to see outbreak of any possible disease – leading to the death of animals.

Confirming the incident, Station House Officer (SHO) Surankote Niaz Ahmad said that the department concerned has been informed to look into the cause of death of animals. (GNS)

Only President’s address, tabling of Budget in 1st half of session: Govt

National

Indo Asian News Service

01/02/2022

Only President’s address, tabling of Budget in 1st half of session: Govt

New Delhi: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said on Monday during the all-party meeting that only President’s address, and the tabling of Budget is scheduled to happen in the first half of the Budget Session.

The all-party meeting was convened by the Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi ahead of the tabling of Union Budget on Tuesday.

Joshi said other issues can be raised in the second part of the session.

“We have said that if the parties cooperate in smooth functioning of the Parliament, the government is ready to discuss all issues. We hope that this session will run smoothly,” he further said.

He also made a request on behalf of the government that the Session should run smoothly.

“The session will provide a total of 29 sittings (10 sittings in first part and 19 sittings in second part) spread over a period of 68 days and representatives of all parties have agreed to cooperate with the government on the smooth functioning of the Parliament,” Joshi added.

The Parliamentary Affairs Minister also said that the debate on the President’s address and on the Union Budget will be held for 12 hours each in Lok Sabha.

However, the duration of debate that would take place in Rajya Sabha will be decided after the Business Advisory Committee meeting of the Upper House.

Speaking on the Opposition’s demand to hold a debate on Pegasus snooping issue, he said the matter is subjudiced as the case is in Supreme Court.

Addressing the meeting, after listening to points raised by the leaders of all the parties, Rajnath Singh expressed his gratitude for the healthy discussion held in the meeting and stated that there was a consensus on the House not to be stalled.

Responding to the points made by leaders of the parties, he said they could identify issues on which they would want discussions to be held.

Apart from Singh, other Union Ministers Piyush Goyal, Arjun Ram Meghwal and V Muraleedharan also attended the meeting.

India’s PR Sreejesh bags The World Games Athlete of the Year 2021 title

Sports

Indo Asian News Service

01/02/2022

India’s PR Sreejesh bags The World Games Athlete of the Year 2021 title

Lausanne (Switzerland): Seasoned goalkeeper PR Sreejesh, who played a crucial role as India men’s team claimed a first Olympic medal in over four decades when it won bronze at last years Olympic Games in Tokyo, has been named as The World Games Athlete of the Year for 2021.

In a global fan vote conducted on TheWorldGames.org, Sreejesh finished well clear at the top of the 24-strong nomination list, with his tally of 1,27,647 votes being almost twice as many as the second-placed athlete, Spa’n’s Sport Climbing ace Albert Ginés Lopez, who garnered 67,428 votes.

Sreejesh becomes the second hockey player to win the award, following in the footsteps of compatriot and India w’men’s captain Rani, who took the 2019 prize, the FIH said in a release on Monday.

Speaking about the Award, the shot-stopper — who was also voted as FIH Goalkeeper of the Year for 2021 — said: “I’m very honoured to win this award. First of all, a big thank you to FIH for nominating me for this award, and secondly thanks to all the Indian hockey lovers around the world, who voted for me.

“By getting nominated I did my part, but the rest was done by the fans and hockey lovers. So, this award goes to them, and I think they deserve this award more than me. It’s a big moment for Indian Hockey as well because everyone in the hockey community, all the hockey federations around the world voted for me, so it’s great to see that support from the hockey family,” Sreejesh, a veteran of 244 senior international matches, was quoted as saying by the FIH.

The three-time Olympian further added, “Also, I am a person who doesn’t believe in ndividual awards, especially when you are part of a team. It’s not only the team of 33 players, but you have a lot of people involved behind as well, there’s coaching staff, there’s support staff, there’s a great association like Hockey India who is supporting you a lot, there’s Sports Authority of India (SAI), who are providing you with all the world-class facilities to train, there’s Odisha Government whose unwavering support helps the sport grow and flourish and there’s India Olympic Association (IOA) as well, who’re taking care of you really well. So, it’s a collective effort of a nation to get this kind of recognition.”

FIH Chief Executive Officer Thierry Weil said: “On behalf of the global hockey community, I’d like to wholeheartedly congratulate PR Sreejesh for this magnificent achievement. This is a great recognition for him, for his team and for hockey as a whole. We also extend our sincerest thanks to all fans who voted for him. Athletes are the best ambassadors of our sport and India’s goalkeeper certainly is a leader in this field too. We look forward to seeing him in action again in just a few days for the third edition of the FIH Hockey Pro League!”

Congratulating Sreejesh, Hockey India President Gyanendro Ningombam said, “On behalf of Hockey India, I congratulate Sreejesh for winning the prestigious World Games Athlete of the Year 2021 Award. This is a very proud and special moment for India as he became the only second Indian athlete to win this honour. I would like to thank FIH, the hockey community around the world, and of course, all his fans for supporting him and voting him to win this award. It’s a big achievement for him as well as to Indian hockey.”

The World Games is a multi-sport event staged every four years by the International World Games Association with the support of the International Olympic Committee. The World Games are staged over a period of 11 days, with more than 30 sports in the programme.

Indoor Hockey was featured as an invitational sport at The World Games in 2005, which took place in Duisburg, Germany. Hockey will have a presence with sports demonstrations during The World Games 2022, which takes place in Birmingham, the USA between July 7-17, 2022.

IED expert among 5 militants killed in twin gunfights: Police

Front

United News Of India

31/01/2022

IED expert among 5 militants killed in twin gunfights: Police

9 foreign militants killed in last few months: GOC Victor Force
Zahid killed in Budgam encounter was recruiting locals in militant ranks: IGP Kashmir

Srinagar: A top Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) Commander Zahid Manzoor Wani was among the five militants killed in two separate overnight operations in Kashmir valley, top security officials said on Sunday.

“Zahid Wani was chief of JeM in this entire area and was the mastermind of various Improvised Explosive Device (IED) attacks taken place over the various years since 2017,” General Officer Commanding of Army’s Victor Force Major General Prashant Srivastava told the media in a joint briefing in south Kashmir.

The Major General informed that Zahid was involved in extensive recruitment of young boys whom he misled and all of them met the untimely death which caused anguish to their families and the people residing in the area.

“We have taken an important step in neutralizing all the JeM militants in the entire south Kashmir,” GOC stated.

Three more militants were killed during a joint operation carried out at village Naira in south Kashmir’s Pulwama district on Saturday night, he informed.

Major General Srivastava further stated in the last few months nine Pakistan militants were killed who were targeting civilians and in their attacks some of the security forces were also killed.

Inspector General of Police (IGP) Vijay Kumar said Zahid was active since 2017 and was involved in various killings besides recruiting locals in the militancy.

He said, on a tip off from two places, a joint operation was launched during which one local militant of Lashker-e-Toiba (LeT) was killed at Charar-e-Sharief and in Pulwma four militants were neutralized including the top commander of JeM Zahid Wani.

An Army officer giving brief about the operation carried out at village Naira in Pulamwa said that specific inputs were received about the presence of three to four militants in village Naira.

A cordon was laid in the general area by Army, JK Police and CRPF, when they proceeding towards the target the hiding militants started heavy firing.

“Our primary concern was to evacuate the civilians from the area initially so that the operation could be conducted accordingly”, the army officer said and added “this was done in a deliberate manner and once the civilians were evacuated from the cordoned area the heavy firing was retaliated and all the four militants were killed”, he stated.

Arms and ammunition were also recovered from the site of both the encounters besides incriminating documents, the police added. (UNI)

Follow values of non-violence, social justice, equality: LG to people

Front

Precious Kashmir

31/01/2022

Follow values of non-violence, social justice, equality: LG to people

Pays tributes to Mahatma Gandhi, attends memorial event

Jammu: Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha Sunday paid tributes to the Father of Nation, Mahatma Gandhi on his Punya-Tithi in an event organized by Global Gandhi Family J&K, at the Mubarak Mandi Heritage Complex.

Paying homage to ‘Father of the Nation’, the Lt Governor said that Mahatma Gandhi’s philosophy of Satya and Ahimsa, Truth and Non-violence continue to be our guiding light.

“Bapu’s life and teachings will continue to be relevant in the centuries to come. As the world is getting more inter-dependent than ever before, his teaching of equal respect for each other and peaceful co-existence will become more powerful instrument for welfare of mankind”, he added.

Outlining the high ideals of Mahatma Gandhi, the Lt Governor underscored that for sustainable development of J&K UT, peoples’ participation is imperative to preserve our ecosystem. ‘Bapu laid a lot of emphasis on balancing our development and ecology. It is our duty to make his vision integral part of our development policy’, the Lt Governor said.

The Lt Governor appreciated Gandhi Global Family, J&K for undertaking several activities for promoting the philosophy of Mahatma Gandhi and Gandhian values, especially among the younger generation.

He urged people to follow the values of Non-violence, Social justice, and Equality which are bedrock of peaceful and syncretic co-existence, strengthening the bonds of communal harmony, brotherhood and amity.

The Lt Governor also appealed for ‘Jan-Bhagidari’ in promoting Swachhata and preserving ecology, besides strengthening greater public participation in the developmental journey of our country.

On the occasion, the Lt Governor received the Mahatma Gandhi Award 2022. He dedicated his award to 1.25 Crore citizens of J&K, calling them equal partners in UT’s growth story and working for peace, progress and prosperity.

Two minute silence was observed to pay homage to Mahatma Gandhi and Bhajans were also recited in the memorial event.

Padma Shri awardees, Captain Bana Singh PVC, Political leaders, members of civil society, senior officers of police and civil administration, besides others were present on the occasion.

Earlier, in connection with Martyr’s Day, Raj Bhavan officials and staff members observed a two-minute silence as homage to Father of the Nation, Mahatma Gandhi and countless brave Indians who sacrificed their lives during the freedom struggle.

Sinha reviews progress of AIIMS, IIT Jammu

Front

Precious Kashmir

31/01/2022

Lauds efforts of implementing agencies for fast progress on projects

Jammu: Lieutenant Governor, Manoj Sinha on Sunday reviewed the progress of mega projects of Jammu Division through camera-mounted drones via videoconferencing from his office at Raj Bhawan.

The review included three undergoing projects- AIIMS Jammu, IIT Jammu, and Jambu Zoo. The Lieutenant Governor lauded the efforts of implementing agencies for fast progress on the projects.

During the meeting, the chair was briefed about the physical and financial progress of the projects.

Rs 1661 Crores have been sanctioned for the AIIMS Jammu project at Vijaypur including Rs. 1452 cr for construction & Rs. 209 cr for Medical Equipment & Furniture, while works worth Rs 1253.78 Crores has been tendered so far, informed Prof. (Dr.) Shakti Gupta, Director, AIIMS Jammu.

Under Phase-I of the project, the prestigious project includes Hospital; Medical College; Nursing College; Staff Quarters; Student Accommodation; Auditorium, AYUSH building, Night Shelter and other development works.

It was informed that the manpower deployed at the site has been enhanced manifold for completion of the work within the stipulated time-period.

Briefing about the progress made on permanent Campus of IIT Jammu, Dr. Manoj Singh Gaur, Director IIT Jammu informed the meeting that an amount of Rs 1283.94 Crores have been sanctioned for the project.

It was informed that completed works under Phase-1A and Phase-1B have already been inaugurated by Union Home Minister, while works under Phase 1C are in progress.

Giving details about the Jambu Zoo, Suresh Kr. Gupta, PCCF / Chief Wildlife Warden, J&K, briefed that funds amounted to Rs 49.17 Crores have been approved under JKIDFC against the total project cost of Phase-I worth Rs 62.41 Crores.

Pertinently, Central Zoo Authority (CZA) was approached for approval of layout plan as required under the provisions of Central Act i.e Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 and revised layout and animal enclosure designs were submitted to CZA for approval.

Animal Enclosure Designs were approved by CZA on 27-08-2021. Master Layout Plan submitted to CZA on 12-08-2021 after incorporating the observations made by DIG CZA during her visit to Jambu, it was informed.

The expected dates of completion of the mega projects are March 2023 for phase 1 of AIIMS Jammu, September 2022 for phase 1 of Jambu Zoo, and April 2023 for phase 1C of IIT Jammu.

Dr. Raghav Langer, Divisional Commissioner Jammu, and concerned officers of executive agencies also attended the meeting.

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