Srinagar, Jan 01: Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah Wednesday received first hand appraisal of the resto-ration of important public services and miti-gation of difficul-ties resulted due to heavy snowfall in the Valley.Chairing a high lev-el meeting of divi-sional officers here this afternoon, the Chief Minister reviewed the measures put in place by the administration to attend to the road clear-ance operation, supply of

electricity, drinking water, stock and supply position of essential commodities, functioning of health insti-tutions, status of National

Highway and ply-ing of traffic on var-ious district routes, Srinagar city and towns.The Chief Minister also ascertained the preparedness of the administration

to face any future even-tuality of heavy snowfall as also the arrangements made for Eid-I-Milad-UN-

See Omar on Pg. 11

From our special correspondent

Srinagar, Jan 01: The people of the valley have appealed the govt to impose blanket ban on Khyber Agro Milk and Kan-wal Masala publicity campaign till their fate is decided by the Hon’ble High Court and the Hu-man Rights Commission which are looking into the allegations of their adulteration case. Af-ter the Hon’ble High Court’s direction to the Khyber Agro , Kanwal Masala and Avon Agro to deposit Rs. Ten Crores each with SKIMS, The state Human Rights Commission which is also hearing the adulteration case has directed the Municipal Corporation and District Ad-ministration to be present and put forth their line of action in the case.Taking to Zabarwan Times the member of the commis-sion Fida Hussain said that the commission has the responsi-

bilities of protecting the rights of the people and the right to live without being subjected to health hazards by some greedy people is the foremost amongst them. He said that the com-mission will look into the al-legations very minutely and take the case to the logical con-clusion. When contacted the Deputy Commission Srinagar Farooq Ahmad Shah said that the samples of not only Khyber Milk and Kanwal Masala but of other companies have also been taken for fresh tests and stern action will be taken if any of the companies was found guilty. He said that nobody will be spared even if he has highest influence and connections. When asked why the administration is not stopping the vigorous publicity campaign launched by these companies in the local press till, the outcome of the judicial proceedings, he said that as the case is subjudice the Hon’ble

Court only can decide about everything connected with the case.Meanwhile the leading doctors of the state including Dr. R.K. Sapru, Dr. Gulzar, Dr.Javid and others have said that even otherwise the excessive use of masalas “Spices” can cause enormous health problems as it initially results in the irri-tation and ultimately leads to cancer like dreaded disease of stomach. They said that the stomach and food pipe ulcer-ation is a normal result of the usage of excessive spices. The doctors further said that when adulteration is done with cer-tain chemicals, these spices become dangerous for health. They have appealed the people to avoid these spices and if they use them, the usage should be minimum.The matter of adulteration which has assumed shape of a serious problem has also been

brought to the notice of the Union Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad. A memorandum has been sent to him by some social activist as the subject matter comes under the jurisdiction of his ministry. The Hon’ble Supreme Court direction on 5th December in a similar milk adulteration case asking the govt to make the crime punish-able for life term has also been received very seriously by the central govt which is contem-plating the desired action in this regard. Now, it remains to be seen when the law in this connection will be amended if the central govt. is serious enough about the health of its citizens. The doctors, the social activists and civil society has said that the goal of health for all by 2020 cannot be achieved if the adulteration of milk, spices and other food items goes on unabated. Meanwhile utilizing

See Why Should on Pg. 11

CMYK

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THURSDAY January 02 | 2014 | 29 Safar 1435 AH | PAGES 12 | VOL NO: 4 | ISSUE NO: 02 | RS: 2/- (AIR SURCHARGE FOR JAMMU /DELHI/LEH 50 PAISA)Pen For JusticeLargely Circulated, No. 1 Bilingual Daily of J&K

Why should Khyber and Kanwal be allowed to publicize their products till the outcome of

the High Court proceedings, ask the people

http://www.zabarwantimes.com

Scores Century For maximising outreach of Rural Dev schemes

See More On Page 06 See More On Page 07

See More On Page 10See More On Page 08

Explosives recovered near

Musharraf’s farm house

Peach reduces

risk of cancer

Be responsive to public needs: Omar to Administration

Under dynamic leadership of Hon'ble Chief Minister Jenab Omar Abdullah and guidance / persuasion of Jenab Ali Mohmammad Sagar Hon'ble Minister for Rural Development & Panchayati Raj J&K, the department has laid a mile stone by sanctioning one Model Village in each Assembly Constituency.

As a step towards fulfilling this commitment Jenab Ali Mohammad Sagar Sahib

(Hon’ble Minister for Rural Development & Panchayati Raj J&K) laid the foundation stone of Model Village Warpora Block Zaingeer (Sopore)

in presence of Jenab Sharief-ud-Din Shariq Hon`ble Member Parliament

Jenab Javed Ahmad Dar Hon`ble MLA Rafiabadand

Jenab Mohammad Ashraf Ganaie Hon’ble MLA SoporeThe Model Village will be developed at a cost of Rs. 112 lacs and will be having a modern Common Facility Centre, one Rural Information Centre,

Playground, one Anganwadi Centre, Lanes and Drains and Sanitation Facilities. At this occasion Hon’ble Minister for Rural Development & Panchayati Raj J&K addressed a huge public gathering and appealed people to come forward and actively participate in various developmental schemes of the department so that they can avail maximum benefits of these schemes

Department of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj J&K Government District Baramulla

Step Towards Development of Villages

Srinagar, Jan 01: The crucial Jammu-Srinagar highway remained closed for second day today, while the airlines resumed operations, even as fresh snowfall was reported from many area of the Valley on Wednesday.Official sources told Global News Service that 300-km long Srinagar-Jammu highway remained closed for ve-hicular traffic for the second day today due to landslides at Panthal and fresh snowfall around Jawahar Tunnel. Over 500 vehicles were stranded at the highway, as the fresh snowfall hampered the efforts of Beacon officials to

See Air Traffic on Pg. 11

Air traffic restored, highway shut for second day

Snow brings chaos to peopleSrinagar, Jan 1: Few inches of snowfall turned the valley in darkness raising question mark over government’s tall claims. People continue to face immense hardships for the sec-ond consecutive day Wednes-day as electricity, water and other essential supplies were missing in many areas.Reports received by KNS said that few areas of old city and uptown received a few shots of electricity barely for a few minutes from last 24 hours, while the PDD department made repeated claims about electricity being restored in the Valley.“Authorities always assure us of doing everything during the crises but when it comes to re-ality they fail to do so,” Bashir Ahmad of Bemina said adding the authorities should own the moral responsibility for the failure and tender apology to the people forthwith.The situation is worst in dis-trict headquarters, villages and far flung areas face power

See Snow Brings on Pg. 11

Daily ZABARWAN TIMES SRINAGAR | THURSDAY 02. 01 .2014

Today you’re likely to find your routine too boring for words, Libra, and may have a sudden powerful urge to cut loose and play some serious hooky. Still, you may feel the pull of obligation. This conflicted feeling should pass. If it persists beyond today, however, you might need to reevaluate certain areas of your life. There are lots of opportunities out there, and life is too short to be stuck in a situation that doesn’t allow you to grow.

You could be feeling especially sensual and passionate today, Scorpio, and you’ll want to get together with a love in-terest. However, other responsibilities could get in your way. This could provide you with the perfect excuse to sink into gloom, but don’t fall into this trap. Get whatever business you’re facing handled and out of the way. Or perhaps you can arrange to finish it tomorrow. Then set up that hot date!

ou may feel a bit of disappointment today . You might tend to view whatever snags you’ve hit on the path to ac-complishing your goals as personal failures, and if you let it, this idea could persist with you throughout the day. Try to re-main objective, and don’t lose sight of the big picture. You haven’t even lost a battle - at worst, it’s a minor conflict! Chances are that if you continue working hard you’ll still win the war!

A rather disheartening phone call could come to you today, Capricorn. This might bring news of a setback in one of your projects that is only temporary but nonetheless frustrating. You’ll probably have to deal with some trivial little details you’d rather not bother with, and this could take up too much valu-able time. Hang in there - you’re still doing well! Don’t let your frustrations get the best of you.

After the rush of energy over the past few days, Aquarius, today you may feel a powerful letdown. Not every day can be filled with adventure and excitement. For now, you just need to take care of the routine matters that are a byproduct of life on Earth. However, keep in mind that there are many weekends coming up, and with the right kind of planning you can get excitement back into your life.

A goal that you’ve been trying to reach may be temporarily stalled, Pisces, and you could be tempted to slip into despair, wondering if it will ever really happen. Remember that the key-word for today is “temporary.” Whatever obstacles are in your way will eventually be overcome and your goal should be to continue to advance in the direction you want. In the mean-time, take care of your chores.

Outside responsibilities might temporarily interfere with your love life, Virgo. You may feel a strong desire to get together with a love partner early in the evening, but circumstances may necessitate your working odd hours. This can be frustrating, as you’ve been looking forward to this for a long time, but you could meet your friend later in the evening. Don’t be afraid to ask. Most people understand when situations like this crop up.

Today you might realize that you need to make a certain purchase, Aries. Perhaps your home or car requires some im-portant repairs, or maybe some new equipment is necessary for your work. This could prove rather disheartening, as it might involve spending money that you’d rather use for something more exciting. Think of the trouble this expenditure should save you, however, and you’ll see the value of it all.

The weight of too many responsibilities, perhaps involv-ing family, a job, or group affiliation, could be very much on your mind today, Taurus. You may feel like Atlas, carrying the world on your shoulders! You’re tired. Perhaps you need to reevaluate your commitments - your innate kindness may have caused you to make too many. Fulfill the ones you have, but think twice before making any new ones.

You may have your ups and downs today, Gemini. You could get at least one phone call of the “good news, bad news” variety, and this could have your moods swinging back and forth like a pendulum. Try to stay centered. Take the good news as encouragement, and as for the bad news, try to consider it objectively and figure out ways to turn it to your advantage. There’s always a way. Hang in there!

Normally you tend to be a very spiritually oriented per-son, Cancer, but today you might find metaphysical concepts of all kinds rather baffling. Whether these are ideas you’ve embraced for a long time or new ones you’ve just discovered, you may find nagging little doubts creeping in, temporarily causing your faith to waver. This is a healthy development, however.

Today you might learn something about a friend that could be rather disconcerting, Leo. There could be a dark side to this per-son that you weren’t previously aware of, and this could cause you to want to withdraw for a while and reevaluate your involvement with this individual. When considering it, remember that we all have our dark sides. Could what you’ve discovered simply be this factor, or does this go too far beyond it for you.

Reviews over-all functioning

of departments, PSUs under I&C

JAMMU, JANUARY 01-

Emphasizing for a conducive at-mosphere for economic growth and Industrial development in the State, the Minister of State for Industries & Commerce Mr. Sajad Ahmad Kichloo has said that the need of the hour was to create a land bank for setting up In-dustrial Estates in the hitherto uncov-ered districts.

He asked the officers to cancel allotment of plots in various Indus-trial Estates where allottees have not been able to set up their units within the prescribed time frame so that the same could be allotted in favour of the new and interested entrepreneurs. He said that the commitments made by the Chief Minister regarding es-tablishment of new Industrial estate should be fulfilled in letter and spirit.

Speaking at a meeting of the Heads of departments and Public Sec-

tor Undertakings (PSUs) under his charge at Civil Secretariat, Jammu, Mr. Kichloo called for a vigorous drive to

remove encroachment of land in vari-ous I/Es of the state adding that close coordination between the respective officers of Industries & commerce, Revenue and police Department was pivotal for the purpose. He also called for greater Industry- Government partnership for creating dignified job avenues for the un-employed youth

of the state. He said Industrialisation was key to the solution of unemploy-ment problem adding that the heads

of the various departments, and PSUs should device a calendar for round the year publicity campaigns about vari-ous self-employment programmes and incentives available for the en-trepreneurs under state and the cen-tral Industrial packages. He urged for greater coordination and understand-ing among concerned departments

in this regard. He stressed upon the need of skill upgradation of the un-employed youth to make them fit for

Job market.Mr. Kichloo also asked the of-

ficers to concentrate on modernisa-tion of the infrastructure in various Industrial estates and PSUs to bring it in tune with the present day re-quirements. It was informed in the meeting that the centre has agreed to provide Rs 20 Cr and Rs 12 Cr for

modernisation of Silk factory, Ra-jbagh and Bemina Woollen Mills, Srinagar respectively, whereas mod-

ernisation of Industrial Estate Bari- Brahmana, Samba, Khanmoh and Rangreth has already been taken up with the Central assistance.

Mr. Kichloo asked the manage-ment of the J&K Minerals Limited to float global tenders for exploration of Saphire mines in Paddar after giv-ing wide publicity to it.

Handloom Weavers also to get Credit Cards for Lending Facility: Kichloo

Reviews RDD functioning in

Kishtwar JAMMU, JANUARY 01-

Minister for Rural Development & Panchayats, Mr. Ali Muhammad Sagar today asked the officers of Rural Devel-opment Department to maximise the outreach of rural development schemes aimed at changing the face of rural soci-ety.

Chairing a meeting to review the im-plementation of various rural develop-ment schemes in Kishtwar district here today, the Minister emphasised on the need to ensure transparency and obser-vance of norms while enrolling benefi-ciaries for these schemes.

Minister of State for Industries & Commerce, Mr. Sajad Ahmad Kichloo, who represents Kishtwar, and Mr. G. M. Saroori, who represents Inderwal con-stituency in the Assembly were also pres-ent in the meeting.

Mr. Sagar directed the officers to

ensure that there was no delay in mak-ing payments to beneficiaries as per the guidelines of respective schemes.

The Minister said a number of steps have been taken by Rural Development Department to inculcate transparency and accountability in its functioning. He said a toll free number and a grievance cell have already been set up for the purpose. Besides, he said, quality control mechanism has been set up at district level and the creation of ombudsman is in process.

On the availability of ground level staff in the Department, Mr. Sagar di-rected for convening a joint meeting of recruiting agencies and heads of other field agencies to expedite recruitment process.

The meeting was told that 2438 sanitary units were set up in the District under Nirmal Bharat Abhiyan and 5000 such units have been projected for the coming year.

Similarly, under Integrated Water-shed Management Programme five proj-

Sagar for maximising outreach of Rural Dev schemes

Tarigami chairs Environment Committee Meet

JAMMU, JANUARY 01:

Professor Sudhir K Jain, Vice Chancellor, Shri Mata Vaishno Devi University, Katra, called on Governor N.N. Vohra, who is the Chancellor of the University here at Rajbhavan today.

Professor Jain briefed the Governor about the to date status of the ongoing infrastructure development projects in the University and the broad approach being developed for the ad-

missions in the next Academic Session. The Governor advised Professor Jain to take all required measures to continuously raise the standards of teaching and research. He also reiter-ated his view that the post graduate students must be given maximum possible exposure through participation in com-petitions and other activities which will raise their academic standards and confidence to progressively execute projects on their own.

Vice Chancellor, Shri Mata Vaishno Devi University calls on

Governor

Reviews departmental

working, Post snowfall

restoration effortJAMMU, JANUARY 01 – Chief

Secretary, Mohammad Iqbal khan-day Wednesday emphasized on up-grading the monitoring mechanism of development projects and service delivery to ensure benefits reach to the people in time.

Speaking at the periodic meet-ing of the Committee of Secretaries,

he chaired here, the Chief Secretary asked the administrative Secretar-ies to increase field visits and step up touring across the state so that they are in a better position to get detailed account of the overall sta-tus of projects under implementa-tion and services offered by various departments to the people.

Referring to yesterdays snow fall in the valley and parts of Jammu region, the Chief Secretary said that officers at the District and Provin-cial level should be proactive and prompt to the needs of the people in the hour of emergency and chal-lenge. He said restoration of road communication network and pow-er supply which gets badly affected due to snow fall should receive top focus so that people are able to move freely and their difficulties

mitigated. He also received brief regarding the status of road clear-ance, electricity situation and water supply from the respective Secretar-ies and directed them to personally maintain presence on ground and supervise the restoration efforts.

Chief Secretary also stressed on ensuring availability of essential stocks by the CA&PD across the State besides keeping an eye on black marketeers and hoarders so that they do not indulge in creating false scarcity to increase prices of essen-tial commodities. He said CA&PD officials should adopt a more proac-tive approach during the snow sea-son and review situation on ground.The meeting also discussed various other matters pertaining to services, RFD, Vigilance clearance, Human resource management etc.

JAMMU, JANUARY 01:- The Committee on Public Undertakings (PUC) of Jammu & Kashmir Legislative Assembly Wednesday directed Jammu & Kash-mir Bank Ltd to extend credit assistance to maximum number of educated un-employed youth to enable them to establish their individual units and joint ventures.

The Committee, which met under the chairmanship of MLA Mr. Mo-hammad Sharief Niaz here today, was convened to discuss and examine the CAG Audit report 2007-08 and 2009-10 pertaining to the Finance Department (Jammu & Kashmir Bank Ltd).

Legislators, Syed Basharat Ahmad Bukhari, Mr. Sukhnandan, Mr. Rach-pal Singh, Mr. Jugal Kishore, Dr. Shafi Ahmad Wani, Mrs. Indu Pawar and Mr. G. N. Monga, attended the meeting and stressed for expeditious sanctioning of loans to the educated youth.

Threadbare discussion was held on Audit Paras including non-recovery of debts and interest. The Chairman of Jammu & Kashmir Bank Mr. Mush-taq Ahmad briefed the Committee about the Audit Paras and after satisfactory reply, the Committee decided to drop both these.

Among others, Principal Accountant General J&K Dr. S.C. Panday, Principal Secretary to Chief Minister Mr. B. B. Vyas, Director General Accounts and Treasuries Mr. Altaf Ahmad, Special Secretary J&K Legislative Assembly Mr. M. R. Singh, President J&K Bank Mr. Mohammad Amin, Private Secretary J&K Bank, Mr. Shujat Hussain and other officers of Assembly Secretariat attended the meeting.

Govt adopts new measures to trans-form dev scenario

across State: Bhalla JAMMU, JANUARY 01-Minister for Housing, Horticul-

ture and Culture, Raman Bhalla, has said Government has taken various historical initiatives to revolutionize the de-velopmental scenario across the State with emphasis on improving living standards of people living in periphery areas.

The Minister was addressing a large gathering after launching various development works in Ward No.45 in Preet Nagar, here today.

Mr. Bhalla asked the Jammu Municipal Corporation (JMC) to complete the works within stipulated time frame for which Rs. 10 lakh has been released.

The Minister asked the executing agency to use qual-ity material on the construction adding that the public money should be used to create durable assets. He said upgradation of lanes and drains has been taken up in the first phase and the remaining work would be started soon after completion of first phase ongoing works. He called upon the people to cooperate with executing agencies in completing the project within stipulated time frame.

The Minister called upon the people to protect the public property and keep a close watch on developmental works in their respective areas.

Extend loan to maximum number of youth: LA panel to JK Bank

Committee of Secretaries meetingCS asks Secretaries to step up field visits

Panel seeks in-ter departmental report on water pollution within

monthJAMMU, JANUARY 1:

MLA, M. Y. Tarigami, who is chair-man of the Committee on Environ-ment (EC) of Jammu & Kashmir Legis-lative Assembly, has urged for pooling all the resources to maintain water quality in various water sources in-cluding water supply schemes, water bodies and Irrigation Khuls and wet-lands.

He said quality standard as laid down in the Environment Act needs to be followed in letter and spirit by the Public Health Engineering (PHE), Irrigation and Flood Control depart-ments adding that lakes and Water Ways Development Authority and State Pollution Control (PCB) and the

Directorate of Environment have an onerous duty in this regard.

Speaking at the meeting of the EC here today held in the Central Hall of Jammu and Kashmir Legis-lature today, Mr. Tarigami asked the concerned departments to come up with concrete measures and plans to address factors responsible for con-taminating water sources in the State especially water for human consump-tion. He said measures taken up so far in this regard were not upto the mark which was a cause of serious concern.

Legislators, Mr. Mohammad Sharief Niaz, Mr. Yash Paul Kundal, Mr. Rashpaul Singh and Prof. Garu Ram Bhagat attended the meeting and gave their valuable suggestions for conservation of water bodies and checking water polluting factors in the State. They also called for an ap-propriate flood strategy which is one of the causes of water pollution besides damaging valuable life and property of the people adding that an interdepartmental report about causes of water imparity and reme-dial measures for study of the EC. The report should be submitted to the As-sembly Secretariat within a month

for examination of the Committee members. The panel also directed the concerned departments for launching vigorous awareness campaign about importance of checking water pollu-tion.

The pannel called for identifying areas of common activity which can be followed up jointly by the EC and concerned departments.

Mr. Tarigami said that drinking water being supplied to the people should be wholesome, free from im-purities adding that water testing lab-oratories should be set up at district levels besides establishing sewerage treatment plants in each district. He said water quality in rivers, khuls and water bodies also need to be freed from all impurities as these are the main source of various water supply schemes.

Earlier, Principal Secretary, PHE, Ir-rigation and Flood Control Dr. Pawan Kotwal briefed the Committee about the measures underway to improve water quality in various sources in the State. He said 21 water quality testing Laboratories at district level and 45 at sub-divisional level have been set up in the Sate so far.

Malhotra asks Council employees to work with dedication, responsibilityJAMMU, JANUARY 01: Chairman, J&K Legislative Council, Amrit Malhotra,

has asked the employees to work with dedication and added responsibility to achieve the targets.

The Chairman was addressing the employees of Council Secretariat here at a function organized in connection with celebration of new year here today.

Deputy Chairman, J&K Legislative Council, Javed Ahmad Rana, MLC, Sham Lal Baghat, Secretary , J&K Legislative Council, Mohammad Ashraf Mir, Additional Secretary of the Council, Mohammad Maqbool Bhat besides other senior officers were present on the occasion.

Wishing employees a happy new year 2014, the Chairman hoped that they would work hard to achieve the targets.