Srinagar, Sep 15: As many as six elected representatives of various Panchayati Raj bodies have been killed in Jammu and Kashmir by militants, Government of India informed the Lok Sabha on Tuesday.
Replying to a written query by one parliamentarian Sougata Ray, the minister of Panchayati Raj
Narendra Singh Tomar said that as reported by the Government of J&K, 6 elected representatives of various Panchayati Raj bodies have been killed by militants.

As regards security, the minister, as per GNS, said that the Government of J&K has reported that the administration has, in coordination with the security agencies, taken requisite steps to provide a secure environment to the elected representatives of the Panchayati Raj Institutions, which includes provision of individual security based on vulnerability to threat, security during tours by these representatives. “They are also accommodated at various cluster locations within respective district headquarters,” the minister added. (GNS)

Srinagar, Sep 15: Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) Tuesday said that 223 persons are currently under detention in Jammu and Kashmir and ruled out the house detention of any political leader in UT.

Union Minister of State for Home G Kishan Reddy said the government of Jammu and Kashmir has reported that after the abrogation of Article 370 in August last year various measures were taken to maintain public order which included preventive detention of certain persons.

“As on September 11, 2020, 223 persons are under detention. No person is under house arrest in the UT of Jammu and Kashmir:, he said in a written reply to a question in Lok Sabha.

Reddy also said after the bifurcation of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir on August 5, 2019, the number of terrorist incidents has reduced significantly.

“From June 29, 2018 to August 4, 2019, there were 455 terror incidents in Jammu and Kashmir and from August 5, 2019 to September 9, a total of 211 such incidents took place in the newly created Union Territory”, MoS said. (KNS)

‘No reason to delay Investigations Into July 18 Shopian encounter ‘

Srinagar, Sep 15: National Conference Members of Parliament led by Dr. Farooq Abdullah on Tuesday called on Speaker Lok Sabha Om Birla and sought discussion on the situation of Jammu and Kashmir in the House during the current session citing the “unprecedented situation” in the region in wake of the “unilateral, unconstitutional and undemocratic rescinding of Articles 370, and 35A.”

Previously the MPs have given a notice to the chair on the issue under the rule 193 for the discussion on the situation in Jammu and Kashmir, according to a statement issued by the party to GNS.

The Party’s Members of Parliament Dr. Farooq Abdullah, Muhammad Akbar Lone and Hasnain Masoodi alluding to the “unparalleled situation” in the Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh.

The MPs brought to his notice the fall out of the unilateral, unconstitutional and undemocratic decisions which were undertaken by the GOI on the 5th of August last year, necessitating an extensive debate for the greater good of the country.

The members of Parliament insisted that discussion on the issue is also indispensable on account of the  issues of the people which have compounded following the abrogation of Articles 370,35-A and the failure of the GOI to deliver on the promises it had made while rescinding the state’s constitutional position unilaterally and unconstitutionally. The members said that there was a pressing need for discussing the situation in J&K, as the entire region of Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh is going through unprecedented situation, which if left unaddressed will have far-reaching consequences on the interests of the country and the entire region as well.

Meanwhile Party’s Member of Parliament from Anantnag Hasnain Masoodi has given notice to raise the issue of alleged Shopian stage-managed encounter in Lok Sabha and convey deep concern over sluggish pace of investigation into the matter during the zero hour today. Masoodi said, “With DNA samples taken more than a month back, there is no reason to delay the investigations.”

Infiltration bid foiled in Gurez
M S Nazki

Rajouri/Srinagar Sep 15:  A soldier was killed and two others including an army major were injured as India and Pakistan troops exchanged fire along the Line of Control in Rajouri district.

Official sources told GNS that three soldiers of 17 Madras were injured after Pakistani army fired at them in “violation of the ceasefire agreement” in Mala  area  of  Sunderbani  Sector.

The injured identified as Major Kambley, Havildar Mahender and Rifleman A Thomas were shifted to separate hospitals.

While Major and the Havildar were shifted to Military Hospital Akhnoor for further treatment, the rifleman was admitted locally where he succumbed to the injuries, they said. Confirming it, officials said army has given a “befitting” reply to the firing.

Infiltration bid foiled in Gurez

Meanwhile, an infiltration bid was foiled by security forces in Gurez area of north Kashmir’s Bandipora on Tuesday.

Officials sources told GNS, that acting on specific Police inputs, suspicious movement was detected by security forces along Line of control on 14th September and subsequently contact was established with the suspected militants. After brief exchange of firing, the infiltration bid was successfully foiled.

They said, during the joint search operation, War like stores were recovered such as, -01 Assault Rifle with 4 magazines & 135 rounds, 03 Pistols with 5 magazines & 120 rounds, 01 GPS, Cortex (4m) and 04 Rucksacks.

Militants escape, operation called off

Srinagar, Sep 15: The security forces called off Pulwama operation in which two soldiers were injured in the militants attack who later managed to escape from the area, official sources said Tuesday afternoon.
They said on a tip off about the presence of militants Special Operation Group (SOG) of Jammu and Kashmir police, Rashtriya Rifles (RR) and CRPF launched a joint Cordon and Search Operation (CASO) in village Marwal on the bank of river Jehlum in Pulwama in the wee hours today.
However, when the security forces were moving towards a particular area in the village after sealing all exit points, militants hiding there hurled two hand grenades and also resorted to firing. Two soldiers received splinter injuries , they said adding the injured have been admitted to 92 Base hospital in Badami Bagh containment.
Security forces also retaliated ensuing in an encounter which continued for some time, they said.
However, later firing stopped from militant side, sources said adding house-to-house search was conducted by the security forces. However, after no militant was found, the CASO was called off.
Meanwhile, additional security forces have been deployed in the adjoining areas to prevent any law and order problem.

The authorities had suspended internet as a precautionary measure to prevent rumours and fake news on social media.

Jammu, Sep 15: The sleuths of Central Bureau of Investigation, Jammu on Tuesday morning raided the residence of former Member Parliament and Minister Choudhary Lal Singh in Educational Trust Case.

Sources in Jammu CBI here told UNI that the team led by senior officers, raided the residence of former MP in Ward Number 2 of Kathua, adding, “the records and other documents were scrutinised and some incriminating material was also seized.”

“A case has been registered against RB Educational Trust (through its Chairperson) and others including the then DC Kathua, the then revenue officials including Tehsildar, Naib Tehsildar, Girdawar, Patwari,” they said and added that some unknown persons, whi facilitated the trust in possessing land much beyond the ceiling limit and  submission of false affidavit in support of the trust, causing loss to the State exchequer, are also on radar.

Searches were conducted at total 10 locations (3 in Jammu 7 at Kathua) including at RB Education Trust,  residence of its chairperson and other accused persons, they said.

“Two Deputy Commissioners are also under scanner and they will soon be in CBI net in connection to this case,” said the official sources.

Pertinent, teams have already been formed in land allotment to educational trust case to trace some documents related to the allotment, which is being probed by the Central Bureau of Investigation.

An official said that the move comes as some of the documents, requested for examination by the central probe agency, were allegedly found missing.

The CBI had registered a Preliminary Enquiry (PE) against R B Educational Trust of Kathua and unidentified public servants to probe allegations of illegal gratification and extraneous consideration by revenue and forest officials of Kathua for allowing sale and purchase of forest land, the officials said.

The trust, run by former Jammu and Kashmir Minister Lal Singh, has a school, B.Ed and nursing colleges on the land.

Singh had last year quit the BJP and floated the Dogra Swabhiman Sangathan (DSS).

 ‘Quality educational initiatives can transform UT of JK’

Precious Kashmir News
Srinagar, Sep 15: Lieutenant Governor, Manoj Sinha today e- Inaugurated an Online Process-Based Standardized & Scalable Career Education Platform for Students here today. The initiative is a step towards transforming the way in which our Youth looks at building his future in the world of possibilities.

The On-line, Process-based, Standardized & Scalable, Globally Certified, Career Education Platform, under Career Education Initiative of J&K Government in partnership with Transform Foundation aims to harness the energy, enthusiasm, and exuberant dreams of the youth of J&K. The overall intent is to enable curiosity, creative thinking, and awareness in youth along with decision-making skills which will lead to continuous, lifelong learning and career development.

The initiative was e-inaugurated in the presence of Advisor to the Lt Governor, Sh K K Sharma, Chief Secretary, Sh BVR Subrahmanyam, Principal Secretary, School Education, Dr. Asgar Hassan Samoon; Principal Secretary Information Department, Sh Rohit Kansal, and Principal Secretary to Lt Governor, Sh Nitishwar Kumar. Senior officers of the Education Department also remained present through video conferencing.

The unique initiative will be implemented for students in Ganderbal and Udhampur districts of Jammu and Kashmir in the first Phase and would be providing career education guidance to the students so that they can at a very early stage of their studies choose their academic preferences and their future career goals. The innovative initiative is in line with the New Education Policy 2020 and will engage and enable the youth of Jammu and Kashmir to not only explore the world of work and connect their learning choices to work opportunities but will also enable the Government to align it’s initiatives with the interests and aspirations of young people and participate in their livelihood and success.

Speaking on the occasion the Lt Governor emphasized the need for enabling the students with the capacity to question and inculcating the spirit of scientific inquiry and humanism. ‘Such quality educational initiatives can transform the landscape of union territory of Jammu and Kashmir’, he remarked.

Referring to the initiatives of the Prime Minister the Lt Governor said that the mantra of engagement is the key to success in every field, be it Administration, Education, as it can bring quality results. He said the youth should get quality education so that they can create a niche for themselves in different fields and the latest initiative is a step in this regard wherein they will be given proper guidance for choosing their academic preferences and later on their careers.

The advisor to Lt Governor, Sh K K Sharma, explaining the nuances of the platform expressed the desire that after the review of the pilot, the initiative be rolled out in the remaining districts of the UT. He also underscored that the career counseling at an early stage of their academic career can go a long way in providing the necessary guidance to our youth so that they can take up their career according to their likings and strengths.

The inauguration was followed by a technical session marking the start of the program at Ganderbal and Udhampur. The initiative is being led by the leadership team of Transform Foundation including Senior HR Leader, Sh Rajeev Bhadauria, Rohit Choudhri from BITS, Pilani and IIFT Delhi, and Roopali Mehra from London School of Economics.

Greets engineering fraternity on Engineer’s Day

Meanwhile, Lieutenant Governor, Manoj Sinha presided in an online event organized by the Institution of Engineers (India) Varanasi Centre commemorating the birth anniversary of eminent engineer and statesman, Bharat Ratna, Sir Mokshagundam Visvesvaraya, at Raj Bhavan here today.

The Lieutenant Governor paid rich tributes to Sir Mokshagundam Visvesvaraya, known to be the greatest engineers of all times, who with his vision and dedication in the field of engineering made exceptional contributions to India.

The commemoration function was attended by the august gathering of eminent Engineers, including Emeritus Professor, Department of Chemical Eng, IIT (BHU) Varanasi Sh. S N Upadhyaya; Prof. V Kumar; Er. Santosh Maurya; Dr. Bipin Srivastava; Distinguished Engineer Sh. Ujjwal Banerjee, besides others.

On the occasion, Lt Governor reminded that it is Engineers & Technocrats who have enabled vast developments that have happened in this world from times immemorial. Engineering is one of the key influences that shape our society. “Humans always tend to ease their life and improve their quality of life. From where do these crucial factors for ease and quality come? These are all incredible ideas. Science is there to debate these ideas and check them theoretically and experimentally. However, engineers apply them in the real world. Engineers do design, invent, or analyze these applications according to society and the world’s needs,” the Lt Governor said.

Speaking on the occasion, the Lt Governor outlined the importance of the Engineering Profession & its relevance, Role of Engineers in Development of Human Kind, notable Indian Educationists & Engineers who laid the foundations of India, Problems of the world and Specific Indian Problems that the Engineering fraternity needs to solve to help make India Vishwa Guru & Atmanirbhar.

The Lt Governor also gave his valuable suggestions for turning Engineering Institutions like IIT (BHU) into a hub for Innovation and technological Research. He further stressed on the need to evolve & contribute to the changing times through intensive engineering intervention.

The Lt Governor exhorted that India has had a rich heritage of science & Technology and urged the Engineering fraternity to realize the goal of “AtmaNirbhar  Bharat” as propounded by Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi. He called for concerted efforts to make Engineers & Engineering Fraternity realize that they need to be at the cutting edge of innovation and it is they who can drive this nation to become self-reliant & take a leadership position in the world.

Precious Kashmir News
Srinagar, Sep 15: The Government has constituted an Apex Level and two Divisional Level committees to conduct preparatory work for bye-elections for Panchayats and Block Development Councils (BDC) in Jammu and Kashmir.
The Apex Level Committee will draw a roadmap and detailed schedule for conduct of elections to vacant panchayats and BDCs across the Union Territory.
The Apex level Committee would do its exercise on the basis of inputs provided by the Divisional Level Committees and upon assessment of the ground level situation taking into consideration security, logistics, personnel, equipment. The Apex Committee will be headed by Principal Secretary to the Government, Home Department.
On the basis of assessment of manpower, security, logistics, transport, equipment and all other requirements, the Divisional Level Committees will submit an outline of the possibilities and constraints to the Apex Level Committee for holding Panchayat and BDC elections. The Divisional Level Committees in Kashmir and Jammu will be headed by the respective Divisional Commissioners.
The Divisional Level Committee will submit its report to the Apex Level Committee by September 21, 2020 while as the Apex Level Committee shall submit its report to the Government by September 28, 2020.
Both the Apex and Divisional Level Committees will be served by the Department of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj.

The General Administration Department has issued an order to this effect.

Precious Kashmir News
Jammu, Sep 15: Over 16.79 Lakh persons across twenty districts of the Jammu and Kashmir union territory have been issued Domicile certificates till September 14, 2020.
As per the figures, total 2113879 lakh applied for the issuance of the certificate of which 1679520 were issued the domicile till yesterday.
The certificates issued include over 4.16 lakh in Kashmir division and 12.44 lakh in Jammu division.
Of the total Domicile certificates issued in the UT, over 14.32 lakh were issued to the PRC holders (clause 1(a) and Clause 1(b), 1.38 lakh under clause 2(a) and Clause 2(b) (to state subject applicants and non-state subject applicants and their children), including 1.01 lakh to state subjects and 45794 to non-state subject; 34045 to the students under (clause3) including 24455 state subjects and 9590 non-state subjects; and 18612 to Kashmiri Migrants/ children ( Clause 4).
The certificates issued under clause 2 include 28468 in Kashmir division and 1.09 lakh in Jammu division. The domicile certificates issued to the PRC holders include over 10.75 lakh in Jammu division and around 3.57 lakh in Kashmir division.
Of the total 2113879 applications received till September 14, 2020 across the UT, over 2.70 lakh are pending, including 1.44 lakh in Jammu division and around 1.00 lakh in Kashmir Division.
The figures also revealed that 19571 West Pakistani Refugees, 2424 Balmiki community members and 765 Gorkha Community members were also issued domicile certificates under clause 2.
The process of issuing domicile certificates in the union territory was started in the last week of June, 2020. The application for the issuing of the domicile certificates can be submitted in tehsildar offices, even as eligible persons can also apply online. The online facility has also been made available to avoid gatherings in view of Covid threat.

Precious Kashmir News
Srinagar, Sep 15: The Government today constituted a Committee for successful conduct of ‘Third Phase of Back to Village (B2V3)’ programme w.e.f 2nd October to 12th October 2020.
According to an order issued by the GAD, the Committee shall be headed by Principal Secretary Power Development Department and Information. While as Commissioner Secretary General Administration Department, Divisional Commissioners of Kashmir and Jammu, Secretary Planning Development and Monitoring Department, Secretary Department of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj, Secretary Public Grievances and Representative of the Information Technology Department shall be the members.

The mandate of the Committee shall be to finalize the schedule of the Programme, design content of the Programme, decide upon the exact information/details to be collected at the Panchayat level and also decide upon the activities to be undertaken during the Programme (to be coordinated by Planning Development & Monitoring Department and Department of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj).

Besides, the Committee shall oversee allocation of the officers to Panchayats (to be coordinated by General Administration Department and Department of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj).

The Committee shall decide upon the instructions or orders to be issued in connection with the Programme (to be coordinated by General Administration Department and Planning Development & Monitoring Department).

Further, the Committee shall also disseminate information about the Programme among the various stakeholders for generating awareness ( to be coordinated by the Information Department.

Any additional information to be included in the template as may be critical to a particular District/Panchayat shall be worked out by the Committee, the order added.