Kashmir
19 more telephone exchanges restored in Kashmir
Authorities in Kashmir have restored 19 more telephone exchanges, a month after telephone services were snapped following abrogation of provisions of Article 370, officials said on Thursday.
Landline telephone connections started working in commercial hub of Lal Chowk and press colony in the early hours of Thursday, the officials said.
They said 19 telephone exchanges have been restored. There are around 100 telephone exchanges in Kashmir Valley.
The officials said no decision has been yet taken on restoration of mobile telephone and Internet services on all platforms.
Meanwhile, there was more movement of private vehicles on city roads but the shutdown in the valley continued for the 32nd day on Thursday.
Markets and other business establishments remained closed while public transport was off the roads across the valley today, officials said. A large number of private vehicles could be seen plying in many parts of the city while some vendors also plied their trade.
The efforts of the state government to open schools have not borne any fruit as parents continued to keep children at home due to apprehensions about their safety.
Government offices are open but attendance in many offices was thin due to lack of public transport, the officials said adding offices at district headquarters registered normal attendance.
Restrictions under section 144 CrPC, which were imposed last month, have been eased in most parts of Kashmir but there were no signs of end to the deadlock. Restrictions continued in old city areas where security personnel have been deployed in strength to maintain law and order in view of a youth succumbing to injuries at a hospital here on Wednesday.
The youth was injured during clashes between protestors and security personnel on 6 August and succumbed after battling for life for one month.
Jammu, Feb 21: The J&K administration has ordered suspension of the managing director of Handicrafts (Sales & Exports) Corporation, Jasvinder Singh Dua, who was booked by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) last year.
As per a government order accessed by The Kashmir Monitor, Masrat-ul-Islam, the director of handicrafts, Jammu and Kashmir, will hold the charge of the post of managing director of Handicrafts (Sales & Exports)Corporation in addition to his own duties till further orders.
“Pending enquiry, Jasvinder Singh Dua is hereby placed under suspension with immediate effect, in terms of Rule 31 of the Jammu and Kashmir Civil Services (Classification, Control and Appeal) Rules, 1956,” the order read, adding that during the period of his suspension, Dua would remain attached with the office of divisional commissioner, Jammu.
On October 10 last year, the ACB registered a case against Dua and two others — former managing director of SICOP A K Khullar and ex-general manager of SICOP B S Dua.
The case was registered on the basis of verification conducted by the ACB into the allegations against B S Dua, which included illegal appointment of his nephew Jasvinder Singh Dua in SICOP.
“During the probe, it transpired that Jasvinder Singh Dua had a sudden rise — within a span of 16 years of his service. He rose to the post of MD SICOP. Jasvinder Singh Dua had initially been appointed in SICOP as Junior Engineer for a period of three months.
“After approximately three months, his service as Junior Engineer was regularized by then MD illegally and under a conspiracy hatched with B S Dua, then GM, SICOP, who happened to be an uncle of the beneficiary. It has also come to the fore that during the period of B S Dua as MD, SICOP, his nephew got three promotions in violation of rules and norms governing the subject,” the ACB had said.
Srinagar, Feb 21: Security forces on Friday arrested three overground workers of militants in Jammu and Kashmir’s Shopian district, officials said.
Three overground workers (OGWs) of militants were arrested from the Heff area of Shopian in the morning, they said. The arrested persons have been identified as Shahid Ahmad Bhat, Zahoor Ahmad Padder and Bilal Ahmad Tell, the officials said, adding the trio was in their early twenties.
One pistol and some ammunition rounds of various rifles were seized from their possession, they said.
Jammu, Feb 20:The 163rd Board meeting of J&K Services Selection Board was chaired by Chairman JKSSB, Khalid Jahangir here today.
The meeting was attended by Members of the Board: Angrez Singh Rana, M. Shafiq Chak, Pritam Lal Atri, Harvinder Kour, Prof. Tasleema Peer, Controller of Examination JKSSB Musheer Ahmad Mirza, Special Secretary (Legal) Jung Bhadur and Secretary JKSSB Ranjeet Singh besides other officers of the Board.
During the meeting, threadbare discussions were held on various agenda items related to preparation of various selection lists of five new Government Medical Colleges (GMCs), pending court cases, pending selection lists, recommendation withheld cases of various posts and PM Package (Migrants).
The Board approved 269 posts which include 222 posts of various categories for five new GMCs and 47 posts of pending selections.
The Board examined a total of 82 selection files of various categories for five new GMCs and approved 77 selection lists while deferring 5 selection files seeking further clarification from Health and Medical Education Department regarding eligibility and qualification for the post.
Pending selections of Junior Assistant District cadre Doda under item number 60, 02 of 2017, Boiler Mechanic Divisional cadre Jammu under item number 194, 03 of 2016, VLW District cadre Budgam (RBA category) under item number 73, 04 of 2017 under PM Package and Patwari district Budgam (SC category) under item number 364, 06 of 2015 were also approved by the Board and directed the concerned to forward the selection list to the concerned departments for further course of action.
Further, the Board also released 90 recommendations of withheld cases of various posts of different Districts cadre, Divisional cadre Jammu, Divisional cadre Kashmir, State cadre and PM Package (Migrants) and approved 7 cases in pursuance of the directions of Courts related to various categories of posts of pending selections.