Shabir inspects receiving station Khag

Directs Chief Engineer M&RE for issuance explanation to AE, JE for negligence

SRINAGAR, JULY 14:  Minister of State for Power, CA&PD, Transport Mr. Shabir Ahmed Khan today asked Chief Engineer M&RE Kashmir to call an explanation to the concerned Assistant Engineer and Junior Engineer Sub Transmission Division Khag for not maintaining receiving station Khag properly which created inconvenience to the consumers of the area on account of power supply. These instructions issued by the Minister to Chief Engineer M&RE Kashmir during his  surprise inspection to the said Receiving Station on the complaints of the locals.

            He also instructed Chief Engineer M&RE to initiate immediate steps for proper maintenance and operating of machinery of receiving station so that the consumers of the area would not face further inconvenience in power supply.

            The Minister while interacting to the locals of Khag and Lassipora assured that all necessary steps would be taken for providing scheduled power supply and upgrading of electricity infrastructure in the area. He also called upon them to cooperate with the department for registering their actual power consumption so that power losses would be reduced by strengthening the basic electric infrastructure.

            The Minister also take stock of Ration Distribution in the area and asked concerned authorities to ensure timely monthly ration to the consumers. He also directed for displaying rate lists of food grains in front of sale outlets. 

DC, Sgr orders seizing of offices of land brokers

SRINAGAR, JULY 14:  The Deputy Commissioner, Srinagar today has ordered for seizing the offices of land brokers operating in the Srinagar and around. This has been done as large scale complaints regarding sale of Migrant property by certain land brokers here been received.

It has also been alleged that land brokers in convenience with unscrupulous elements/ same officials of Revenue Department are managing for change of land use especially on either side of National Highway or other places.

The Additional Deputy Commissioner of Srinagar along with Tehsildar North / South will immediately seize / seal the offices of land brokers operating in Srinagar and around and direct them to produce records of sale / purchase of property within two days which shall be scrutinized by the concerned revenue authorities and recommendations will be made to the Deputy Commissioner.    

Dte Social welfare launches website for filling on-line post-matric scholarship form

            SRINAGAR, JULY 15: The Directorate of Social welfare, Kashmir Division today launches website for filling of on-line post-matric scholarship forms at a workshop at Banquet Hall, Srinagar.

Giving brief account of achievements of the department, Director, Social Welfare, Kashmir Division Mr. B A Bhat said that the department has distributed scholarship of worth Rs. 4 crore among 1404 students under mean-cum-merit scholarship scheme during the last financial year in Kashmir Division.

            The Director said that there is a proposal for sanctioning Rs. 10.53 crore for 22445 students as post-matric scholarship while as Rs. 29.38 crore for 173178 students as pre-matric scholarship during the current financial year. He said  that 35746 students will also be covered under post-matric scholarship scheme during 2012-13.

             Meanwhile, the department introduced the concerned officials about the website for filling up of the forms for post-matric scholarship scheme by the students through power point presentation.

            The workshop was told that those students who have secured 50 per cent marks or above can send their applications throughwww.momo.scholarship.gov.com for post-matric scholarship.

The Principals of colleges, higher secondary schools, chief education officers and district social welfare officers of Kashmir Division and other concerned officers attended the workshop.

Presidential candidates to campaign in Kashmir

Scheduled to meet coalition legislators, Mufti, ors

Srinagar, July 14 (VOS): With presidential elections date drawing close, United Progressive Alliance (UPA) candidate Pranab Mukherjee and National Democratic Alliance (NDA) nominee P A Sangma are scheduled to visit Kashmir for campaigning this week.

Sources told VOS that Mukherjee is scheduled to arrive in Kashmir on July 15 while Sangma will visit either on July 11 or 12.

Mukherjee is set to bag majority of votes from Jammu and Kashmir with ruling National Conference (NC)-Congress coalition all set to vote for the UPA nominee. With the National Conference already having pledged its support to Mukherjee, the opposition Peoples Democratic Party is also expected to vote for the UPA candidate.

During his one day stay in valley, Mukherjee is scheduled to interact with chief minister Omar Abdullah, Members of Parliament (MPs) and legislators of Congress and NC, sources said.

“He (Mukhrejee) is scheduled to meet and interact with legislators and MPs of coalition government at the SK International Convention Centre here”, said JKPCC chief Saifuddin Soz while talking to VOS adding he (Mukherjee) will also meet other leaders from different political parties in the state.

“Besides legislators and MPs of ruling alliance, four MLAs supporting the coalition government including Hakim Muhammad Yasin, Engineer Rashid, M Y Tarigami and Agriculture Minister Ghulam Hassan Mir have also be invited to participate in the meeting,” reliable sources told VOS.

A senior PDP leader said they have decided to support Mukherjee in the elections. “As (PDP patron) Mufti Mohammad Sayeed and Mukerjee are considered to be very close friends and have an old association, there is no doubt that PDP will support him (Mukherjee),” he added.

Meanwhile, PDP President Mehbooba Mufti confirmed to VOS that Mukherjee will meet the party patron Mufti Mohammad Syeed at his residence on Sunday. “The meeting is scheduled for 2 pm tomorrow”, she added.

The total vote value of Jammu and Kashmir for presidential election, in which 10 MPs and 87 legislators will vote, is 13, 344. While the vote value of MP is 708, the vote value of MLAs of state for presidential election is 72.

Mukherjee is expected to get all 7080 votes of 10 MPs as all of them are affiliated with ruling NC and Congress coalition including Ghulam Hassan, MP Leh. The UPA nominee is likely to get majority of votes of 87 MLAs. 

The opposition PDP having 21 members in the assembly has vote value of more than 1500.

Four legislators of BJP and three legislators of J&K National Panthers Party led by Prof Bhim Singh are likely to support Sangma. (VOS)

Authorities force students to watch football on ‘Sunday’

Srinagar, July 14 (VOS): In a bizarre move, authorities of the city’s education department have issued a diktat, asking students of different city schools to watch football match being played between Mohammaden Sporting Club Kolkata and J&K Football XI at Bakshi stadium here on Sunday.

The Chief Education Officer (CEO) Srinagar, through his order No CEO/IMW/Camp1 dated 10/07/2012 has asked various schools in the city to depute students and teachers for watching the match at Bakshi stadium, apparently in order to build up a crowd at the event.

Through the order, a copy of which lies with VOS, the CEO has asked a city Higher Secondary School to depute 100 students and 25 teachers to watch the match at 2:30 pm on Sunday July 15. Copies of the order, intentionally marked as “Camp” to avoid recording it in the dispatch registers, has been sent to many schools in the city and adjoining areas. Interestingly, “Matter may be treated most urgent”, has been typed at the bottom of the order to put pressure on the schools and ensure presence of a large crowd during the match.

Parents of students of the school have condemned the “coercive tactics” of the school education department. “How can they force my son to watch the match, he should be allowed to follow his own interests”, said Muhammad Shafi, whose son has been asked by school authorities to watch the match. Some girls’ schools have also asked their students to ensure their presence at the venue.  “We have to attend the marriage of a close relative on Sunday and my daughter is being forced to watch the match. This is disgusting”, said another parent wishing anonymity.

Meanwhile Director School Education Kashmir, Mohammad Shafi Rather expressed his ignorance about the orders issued by the CEO Srinagar. “I have no knowledge about this, however I will look into the matter, since it has been brought to my notice”, Rather told VOS over telephone. (VOS)