Jammu, Nov 15:  A former legislator figured in the second list of 44 candidates released on Sunday by the BJP for the District Development Council (DDC) elections in Jammu and Kashmir.

The list, which covered all 10 districts of the Jammu region, also included 14 women candidates, a party spokesperson said.

The maiden DDC polls, along with by-elections for panchayats and urban local bodies (ULBs), are being held in eight phases in the UT, beginning November 8.

On Monday last, the BJP had released the first list of 72 candidates — 35 candidates for the Jammu region and 37 for the Kashmir Valley.

Releasing the second list at the party headquarters here in the evening, the spokesperson said J-K BJP general secretary Devinder Kumar Manyal in consultation with party president Ravinder Raina and general secretary (organisation) Ashok Kaul finalised the names of the candidates.

The list included former MLA Shakti Raj Parihar who will be fighting the DDC polls from the Gundana constituency of Doda district, the spokesperson said.

These elections will be the first major political activity in Jammu and Kashmir since August 5 last year, when the Centre revoked the special status of the erstwhile state under Article 370 of the Constitution and split it into two union territories — Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh.

Srinagar, Nov 15: Asserting that Pakistan Army used heavy artillery to violate ceasefire that caused casualties to civilians and forces in north Kashmir on Friday, a top Border Security Force (BSF) official on Sunday said issues of human rights violation should be raised against the neighbouring country.
BSF IG Rajesh Mishra said Pakistani Army also suffered huge losses during the retaliatory action by Indian forces.
“In an unprovoked ceasefire violation, Pakistan used heavy artillery to target security force posts and civilian areas in north Kashmir. Security forces suffered loss of lives due to Pak shelling. Lot of harm was also inflicted on civilians, including damage to the property and loss of lives,” Mishra told reporters during a wreath laying ceremony held in Srinagar on Sunday.
Eleven people — including six civilians, four Army men and a BSF Sub Inspector –died while several others were injured when Pakistan violated ceasefire by resorting to heavy shelling and firing, targeting multiple forward areas in three north Kashmir districts on Friday. Several residential houses were also damaged in border villages in Kupwara, Baramulla and Bandipora districts.
Answering a question about the details of the damages caused to Pakistani troops by Indian Army in retaliatory action on Friday, he said those details are yet to come. However, he said Pak defences were inflicted a huge blow during the retaliatory action by Indian forces.
The IG BSF said 250 to 300 militants are waiting on launch pads in Pakistan administered Kashmir (PaK) to sneak into this side of the LoC.
But, Mishra said that the anti-infiltration grid along the LoC is on high alert to foil any attempts by militants to sneak into this side. “So far we have been able to foil most of the infiltration bid from PaK. We are certain that any attempt by militants to infiltrate into this side, to create disturbance, will be foiled effectively by the forces”.
About his message to the international community over the damages caused to civilians during Pak shelling, he said the issues of human rights violation by Pakistani Army should be raised with the international community.

New Delhi, Nov 15: The Ministry of Labour and Employment has sought feedback from stakeholders on draft rules under the Code on Social Security, 2020.
The feedback is required to be provided within 45 days from November 13, 2020.
Union Ministry of Labour and Employment has notified the draft rules under the Code on Social Security, 2020 on November 13, 2020, inviting objections and suggestions, if any, from the stakeholders, the ministry said in a statement.
The draft rules provide for operationalization of provisions in the Code on Social Security, 2020 relating to Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO), Employees’ State Insurance Corporation (ESIC), gratuity, maternity benefit, social security and cess in respect of building and other construction workers, social security for unorganised workers, gig workers and platform workers.
The draft rules also provide for Aadhaar-based registration including self-registration by unorganised workers, gig workers and platform workers on the portal of the Central government, the statement said.
The Ministry of Labour and Employment has already initiated action for development of such portal.
For availing any benefit under any of the social security schemes framed under the Code, an unorganised worker or a gig worker or platform worker shall be required to be registered on the portal with details as may be specified in the scheme, it said.
The rules further provide for Aadhaar-based registration of building and other construction workers on the specified portal of the Central government and the state government or the State Welfare Board.
When a building worker migrates from one state to another, he shall be entitled to get benefits in the state where he is currently working, and it shall be the responsibility of the Building Workers Welfare Board of that state to provide benefits to such a worker, the statement added.
Provision has also been made in the rules regarding gratuity to an employee who is on fixed-term employment.
The rules also provide for single electronic registration of an establishment, including cancellation of the registration in case of closure of business activities.
Provision has also been made regarding the manner and conditions for exiting of an establishment from EPFO and ESIC coverage, it said.
The procedure for self-assessment and payment of cess in respect of building and other construction workers has been elaborated in the rules.
For the purpose of self-assessment, the employer shall calculate the cost of construction as per the rates specified by the State Public Works Department or Central Public Works Department or on the basis of return or documents submitted to the Real Estate Regulatory Authority, the statement said.
The rate of interest for delayed payment of such cess has been reduced from 2 per cent every month or part of a month to 1 per cent.
Under the existing rules, the Assessing Officer has the power to direct that no material or machinery can be removed or disturbed from the construction site. Such power for indefinitely stopping of construction work has been withdrawn in the draft rules, it added.
Further, under the draft rules, the assessing officer can visit the construction site only with the prior approval of the secretary of the Building and Other Construction Workers Board.
The rules have also provide for the manner of payment of contribution by the aggregators through self-assessment.
The stakeholders can submit objections and suggestions on the rules within a period of 45 days from the date of notification of the draft rules, the statement said.

New Delhi, Nov 15:  The monthly disposal rate of Right to Information (RTI) applications in June this year was higher than the rate in the corresponding month of June last year in spite of Covid-19 pandemic, said newly appointed Chief Information Commissioner Yashvardhan Kumar Sinha.

Sinha, who took charge as chief of Central Information Commission (CIC) earlier this month, shared the information during his meeting with Union Minister Jitendra Singh.

During the half-an-hour meeting with Singh, the new CIC chief informed that the success was possible because the Commission had carried on its working uninterrupted even during the pandemic times by using modern technology of online, virtual and video conferences.

Sinha, who retired as High Commissioner of India to the United Kingdom before being appointed as Information Commissioner from where he has been elevated to the present post of CIC chief, also gave a brief about the progressively improving disposal rate of the RTI applications.

The Chief Information Commissioner, who happens to be the son of late Lieutenant General S.K. Sinha, former Governor of Jammu and Kashmir and Assam, and former Vice Chief of the Army Staff, also briefed Singh about the status of disposal of the RTI applications from Jammu and Kashmir ever since the Union Territory was brought under the purview of the Commission earlier this year.

He thanked the Minister for continuous support from the government and coordination by the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT).

Singh referred to a number of new initiatives taken under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to improve the functioning of the CIC and to ensure prompt disposal of RTI appeals.

As for Jammu & Kashmir, the Minister said, the difference now is that non-Domicile or non-State subjects of Jammu and Kashmir are also entitled to file RTIs related to UT issues or agencies.

Singh also noted that it was during the Modi government that 24 hours’ portal service was introduced for e-filing of the RTI applications during any part of the day or night and from any part of the country or abroad.

It was during Modi’s tenure, the Minister further said, the office of CIC was shifted to its own exclusive office complex.

Singh reiterated that the role of the CIC is important to live upto to Prime Minister’s vision of transparency and citizen – participation in the functioning of the government.

Precious Kashmir News
Srinagar, Nov 15: Mother of senior photojournalist Farooq Javed Khan passed away on Sunday at SMHS hospital Srinagar after a brief illness.
A family source said she was not keeping well for some time and had undergone treatment at SMHS hospital Srinagar.
She was buried at her ancestral graveyard in Bal Garden, Srinagar in the evening.
The journalists and people from all walks of life have expressed their condolences with Farooq Javed and expressed solidarity with him over the passing away of his mother.
Precious Kashmir also expresses its solidarity with the bereaved family and prays for peace to the departed soul.
Khan is a senior photojournalist working for international photo agency EPA.

Srinagar, Nov 15: The People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD) and Congress on Sunday second list of 27 candidates for phase of the District Development Council (DDC), slated to be held from November 28.

According to the second list, eight candidates each in the fray belong to Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and National Conference (NC) while three candidates are from Congress.
FIve seats have been given to Peoples Conference (PC) while two contestants are from JK Peoples Movement. Awami National Conference (ANC) has also been given one seat for the second phase.

Pertinently, the alliance recently released the seat-sharing for the first phase in which 21 out of 27 candidates in the fray were from National Conference.

Notably, the second list of candidates for the second phase of the polls were finalized in a meeting today at Farooq Abdullah’s residence in which all the constituents of the alliance were participating—(KNO)

New Delhi, Nov 15: India on Sunday mounted a hard-hitting attack on Pakistan for accusing it of involvement in some of the terror strikes in that country and said the claims of ‘proof’ are figments of imagination.

External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said Pakistan”s “desperate attempt” will find few takers as the international community is aware of its tactics, and proof of Islamabad”s terror sponsorship has been admitted by none other than its “own leadership”.

The angry reaction by India came a day after Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi addressed a press conference alongside Army spokesman Maj Gen Babar Iftikhar to claim that India was behind some of the terror attacks in that country.

“This is yet another futile anti-India propaganda exercise. The so-called claims of ”proof” against India enjoy no credibility, are fabricated and represent figments of imagination,” Srivastava said in response to media queries on the allegations.

He described the press conference as a deliberate attempt on the part of the Pakistani establishment to shift focus from its internal political and economic failures and to justify cross-border terrorism, including ceasefire violations and infiltration at the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir.

“Osama Bin Laden, was found in Pakistan, Pakistan’s PM glorified him as a ”martyr” from the floor of Parliament, he admitted the presence of 40,000 terrorists in Pakistan. Their science and technology minister proudly claimed involvement and success of Pakistan, led by its prime minister, in the Pulwama terror attack in which 40 Indian soldiers were martyred,” Srivastava said.

Distant parts of the world have seen terror trail lead back to Pakistan, he said, adding concocting documents and peddling false narratives will not absolve Pakistan of such actions.

“We are confident the world will hold it to account,” he said.