Srinagar, Nov 13: Jammu and Kashmir administration on Friday formed a committee headed by Principal Secretary Revenue Department to examine among others loss caused to the public exchequer by continuous occupation of the government land by the erstwhile lessees and licencees as well as eviction of unauthorized occupants in Pahalgam, one of the famous tourist destinations in Kashmir Valley.
The committee, which among others has divisional Commissioner Jammu as a member along with his Kashmir counterpart, has been formed for implementing the orders of the High Court in a Public Interest Litigation.
According to the order the 12-member committee has been tasked to examine site plan with photographs and allied documents including lease, licence, deeds, permissions and sanctions.
It shall also examine disposal of public property through public auction(s), tender(s) and make recommendations, the order says further.
It has been also tasked with to examine proposals, if any, for renewal of leases and make recommendations besides scrutinize loss caused to the public exchequer by continuous occupation of the Government land by the erstwhile lessees and licencees. The panel has been also tasked to take steps for retrieval of public property from illegal and unauthorised occupants and also take steps for eviction of unauthorised occupants as well as propose amendments in laws, rules etc required for implementation of directions of the Court. (GNS)

Owais Gul
Srinagar, Nov 13: For the first time since its formation, the Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) attended the meeting of the People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD), an amalgam of top mainstream parties in Jammu and Kashmir.
The meeting, which began at PDP Chief Mehbooba Mufti’s residence in the morning, was called to finalize the candidates from Kashmir Valley for all the eight phases of the upcoming District Development Council (DDC) polls, slated to be held from November 28.
The meeting began at 10:30 AM at Mehbooba’s residence and after Friday prayers, the second round of the meeting was held at NC headquarters in Nawa-e-Subha here.
Notably, the PAGD has recently declared the list of 27 constituencies in which candidates from three parties including National Conference (NC), Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Peoples Conference (PC) were chosen to contest the polls on their respective party symbols.
However, the Congress party for the first time has attended the meeting of PAGD today since its formation. The participants of the meeting told KNO that two leaders from Congress joined the meeting today, saying that Congress is fully the part of the alliance, which was recently formed to fight for the restoration of erstwhile State’s special status and Statehood.
G N Monga, who attended the meeting today, said that the Congress is completely supporting the PAGD in its motive, which includes the restoration of J&K special status, adding that the Congress is also contesting the elections unitedly with PAGD.
Awami National Conference (ANC) senior vice president, Muzaffar Ahmad Shah said the alliance is finalizing the candidates from Kashmir Valley for all the eight phases.
He said the meeting will continue tomorrow as well. “The constituents of the alliance are finalizing the candidates for the eight-phases, except the one already decided and made public.”
Shah also said that there is consensus among the alliance partners and all the constituents are unanimously deciding the candidates and seat sharing for the upcoming polls.
Pertinently, PAGD, an amalgam of top mainstream leaders unanimously decided to contest the upcoming polls in Jammu and Kashmir unitedly.
Notably, the maiden DDC polls in Jammu and Kashmir will be conducted in eight phases from November 28 while the counting will take place on December 22. (KNO)

Mubashir Aalam Wani

Srinagar Nov 13: The Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) in passenger vehicles have gone for a toss here with passengers alleging that no guidelines including maintenance of social distancing are being followed, thus risking the lives of the passengers.

The passengers alleged that no SOP is being followed in the passenger vehicles, adding that the vehicles remained jam-packed with the passengers, which is an open violation of the norms set by the government in which it was directed to carry passengers of below capacity.

Yasir Ahmad, a local passenger from Pulwama said that although the passenger vehicles remain jam-packed, the drivers continue to fleece the passengers by charging exorbitant fare to them, saying that no action is being taken against the norm violators, thus leaving the passengers to lurch at large.

He said that the government should either revoke the fare hike order or should ensure the SOPs are followed in letter and spirit.

Pertinently, transporters were allowed to charge 30 per cent extra fare by carrying passengers of below capacity in view of COVID-19 pandemic.

Jammu, Nov 13: Giving a fillip to developmental projects, Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir have become number one in Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojna (PMGSY) as several projects worth crores of Public Works have been completed in the past three months since August 7 after Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha took over the regime.
Official sources here on Friday said that since August 7, Public Work was given a push across the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.
“As many as 110 projects have been completed under Languishing Project Scheme and expenditure to the tune of Rs150 crores has been incurred,” they asserted and added that in Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojna (PMGSY), Jammu and Kashmir has become number one region among all states and Union Territories in the country.
Further sharing details, sources told UNI that road length of 1,600 Kilometres was achieved and expenditure to the tune of Rs 600 Crores has been incurred and 140 schemes have been completed, adding, “besides these achievements, the UT administration has given major push to blacktopping of roads and making entire road network pot-hole free”.
Since August 7, per day 30 km roads length has been blacktopped in Jammu and Kashmir, they said and added that up-gradation, improvement and re-surfacing of Mughal Road of length 84 Km was taken up at an estimated cost of Rs 47.41 crores.
Official sources further said, “construction of 84.110 km long Mughal Road was conceived during 2005 connecting Shopian district in Kashmir Province with Buffliaz in Poonch district of Jammu Province in order to provide an alternate link to the existing Srinagar-Jammu National Highway (NH-44) and for up scaling people to people contact on both sides of the Pir-Panjal range and facilitate and accelerate economic development of the Rajouri-Poonch-Shopian axis.”
The project was completed in December 2012 at a cost of Rs 639.85 cr with a Defect Liability Period of 18 months, they said and added that since then no re-surfacing on the said road has been done but the up-gradation work has been taken up recently and is in progress.
“Nearly 80 percent of up-gradation and resurfacing of work has been completed and the balance work shall be completed by June, 2021,” they said.
However, on pothole free roads, they said that the action plan from UT headquarter to District headquarter, inter-District roads and roads from District headquarter to Sub-division, Tehsil, Block headquarter has been formulated at an estimated cost of Rs 200 cr while as many as 110 projects have been completed under Languishing Project Scheme and expenditure to the tune of Rs 150 cr has also been incurred.
As per details, 1,500 km of the road length have been blacktopped under various schemes viz Cities and Towns, Road Sector, NABARD, CRIF, Languishing Project etc, approval regarding CRIF Projects with physical completion of 50 per cent to 79 per cent and other important projects has been taken up with Finance Department which awaits release of funds.
Moreover, sources said that the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) has agreed in principle, the UT Government proposal for providing toilet facility as suitable places on National Highways in J&K.
Meanwhile 250 projects including 212 of different roads, and 38 bridges have been completed under PMGSY and Languishing Project schemes, besides 500 works of macdamization have been completed, sources said and added, “expenditure @ Rs10 Crores has been incurred per day since August 7, however further payments is under process.”
“Public Work (Road and Buildings) Department is the premier Agency of Government of Jammu & Kashmir engaged in Planning, Designing, Construction and Maintenance of Government assets like Roads, Bridges, Flyovers and Buildings,” they added.
Official sources said that the Department has been facing problem of monitoring of various ongoing works, adding, “the complaints from time to time have also been received regarding mismanagement at ground level and in order to streamline the overall working of the department, it envisages to shift from Manual working to online working through a centralized web-based portal.”
The process has begun for online working that ensure transparency, accountability of contractors and works executed by them which remains a critical part in qualification bid of tender, Maintenance of Roads, Bridges and Buildings etc and this project will be completed in the next 4 to5 months.

Jammu, Nov 13: A local court here on Friday issued direction to the Police for registration of an FIR against the bank Manager of Punjab National Bank and other accused persons in an online case fraud case.
Taking action on the complaint filed by one online bank fraud victim Asha Devi, a resident of Jammu, through her counsel Deepak Sharma, Advocate J&K High Court, the court ordered the police to file FIR and thoroughly investigate the case.
The complainant had alleged that Manager of Punjab National Bank Branch Talab Tillo, Jammu and other unknown person having bank account in Kotak Mahindra Bank Branch Kingsway, Nagpur and other unknown person having bank account in ICICI Bank Branch, Araria, Bihar with common intentions entered into a criminal conspiracy with each other and cheated and defrauded the complainant of Rs 95,960 by making unauthorized transfer of the money from the bank account of the complainant maintained in Punjab National Bank Branch, Talab Tillo and the money was transferred into the bank accounts of the accused persons having bank accounts in Bihar and Nagpur.
The victim further alleged that for the purpose of treatment of her minor son who is suffering a life threatening kidney disease, she had secured a fixed deposit (FD) in PNB bank which was set to be matured on October 28, 2020.
It is further stated that in the early morning of maturity day of her Fixed Deposit she received an SMS from the bank that the FD amount has been credited in her account and within 5 minutes she received another message stating that an amount of 95,960 is transferred from her bank account to some other bank account.
Giving further details, Advocate Deepak Sharma, who is pursuing this case, informed that her client had earlier approached the Bank Manager, PNB Bank Talab Tillo Jammu for refund of her amount and later approached Cyber Cell Police Station Gandhi Nagar Jammu and also made a complaint to SSP Crime Branch for registration of FIR in the case but she got no relief and ultimately a complaint under section 156 (3) Cr.P.C was filed before the court seeking registration of FIR against the accused manager and others for committing offence under Indian Penal Code and the Information Technology (IT) Act.
While disposing of the application, Special Mobile Magistrate Jammu Passenger Tax and Shops Establishment Act issued directions to the Cyber Police Station Jammu for registration of FIR against the accused persons.

Precious Kashmir News

Srinagar, Nov 13:  National Conference on Friday condemned the casualties along LoC today following heavy mortar shelling and called for an immediate end to such skirmishes on LOC.

While expressing grief and sorrow over the unfortunate killings on LoC Party’s senior leaders Choudhary Muhammad Ramzan, Nazir Gurezi, Sajjad Uri, Qaiser Jamsheeed Lone, Qafilul Rehman said that whenever borders are lit up and tensions soar between the two countries it is the people living along LoC, borders who bear the brunt.

In a joint statement they said, “It is the people of Jammu and Kashmir, especially those living on both sides of the LOC or international border who have to face the brunt of skirmishes between the two countries. It’s really saddening to witness innocent lives being devoured like this. We express solidarity with the bereaved families of civilians and soldiers and call upon both countries to immediately stop cross border shelling. The persistent lighting up of borders has made the lives of people no less than a hell.”

The leaders sought immediate cessation of skirmishes on borders.

Meanwhile, Peoples Conference Chairman Sajad Gani Lone condemned human loss in cross border shelling in Uri, Tanghdar and Poonch areas, terming it “modern day barbarism”.

Taking to micro-blogging site Twitter Lone said, “Shelling yet again claims innocent lives in Uri, Tangdar and Poonch. No words are enough to condemn this modern day barbarism. Hope the administration of the day provides relief to the affected families. My prayers with the hapless inhabitants of these areas. May sanity prevail”.

Notably six civilians and four security men were killed in cross-LoC firing and shelling in different sectors along the LoC in north Kashmir.