Approves reorganization of Settlement, Land Records Deptts

Hirri Kupwara water reservoir defunct

from 2 months

Jammu, August 16:

Curfew continued for the eighth day on Friday in Jammu and Kashmir's Kishtwar town as Union home secretary Anil Go-swami arrived here to review the law and order situation.The home secretary will also take stock of the situation on the interna-tional border.District magistrate of Kishtwar Basheer Ah-mad Khan said that cur-few was relaxed for a while on Thursday dur-ing Independence Day celebrations, but later re-imposed.Curfew was imposed

following large-scale communal violence on August 9, in which three people were killed. Pri-vate and public proper-ties worth millions of rupees were destroyed by rioting mobs.Curfew was on Thurs-day lifted from all the other seven districts of Jammu region- Jammu, Kathua, Samba, Reasi, Udhampur, Doda and Rajouri where it was imposed on Aug 10 as a precautionary measure.Authorities have decid-ed that educational in-stitutions in Jammu and other districts would re-open on Monday.Union Home Secretary

Anil Goswami visited the border area in R S Pura Sector in Jammu and reviewed the secu-rity situation after the recent firing along the Line of Control (LoC). Goswami, who visited the Octroi post at the In-ternational Border in R S Pura Sector, said the soldiers are vigilant and there are no successful infiltration attempts. Goswami, who arrived here along with senior officials from the state and Delhi, said the secu-rity has been beefed up all along the border. The Home Secretary, who got a first-hand ex-perience of the situation

on the International Bor-der, also interacted with senior Border Security Force (BSF) officials to know about the ground realities. Tensions have been run-ning high on the inter-national border and the LoC following repeated violations of the Novem-ber 2003 ceasefire by the Pakistan army.A bilateral ceasefire was signed by India and Pak-istan in November 2003 which had been hold-ing for all these years. A modicum of peace had returned because of the bilateral ceasefire in the lives of thousands of people.

CM chairs SKIMS Governing Body meeting

Srinagar, August 16:

After successful function-ing of the Kidney and Autol-ogous Bone Marrow Trans-plantation units in SKIMS during the last two years, Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah Friday approved Liver Transplantation Unit for the Medical Institute and said that he is keen to see SKIMS emerging as one of the leading referral hospitals in the Country so as the people from the State need not to visit outside for specialized treatments. Giving nod to a proposal

in this regard at the 40th Governing Body meeting of SKIMS here this after-noon, the Chief Minister ap-proved yearly grant of Rs.

one crore for placement of trained staff for making the Liver Transplantation Unit functional.This facility at SKIMS

would be yet another land-mark initiative of the Omar Abdullah-led Government after the establishment of

See CM on Pg. 11

Srinagar, August 16:

The Cabinet which met here today under the chair-manship of Chief Minis-ter, Mr. Omar Abdullah accorded sanction to the revision of compensation payable to the victims or their dependents under the Jammu and Kashmir Victim Compensation Scheme-2013.The revised compensation under the scheme for loss of life would be Rs. Two lakh for death, for torture

in police custody Rs. three lakh, for loss of any limb or part of body resulting in 80% disability Rs. Two lakh, loss of limb or part of body resulting in 40% and below 80% disability Rs. 1.5 lakh. Similarly, a victim of rape in case of minor or rape in police custody shall be paid Rs. 3 lakh, for rape Rs. Two lakh, acid vic-tims who suffer complete damage / burns Rs. Three lakh and those who suffer partial damages and burns

shall be paid Rs. Two lakh besides for injury causing severe mental agony to women and child victims in case like human traf-ficking shall be paid Rs. One lakh.The Cabinet also accorded approval to the grant of relief upto Rs. Two lakhs or 50% of the loss, which-ever is less, as assessed by the Tehsildar of the area where losses /damage to the immovable properties are caused in the law and

See Cabinet on Pg. 11

Kupwara, August 16:

Despite spending cores of rupees, the water reservoir constructed by the government at Village Hirri in Kup-wara district, has be-come defunct. The reservoir has the capacity to store thou-sand of gallons of wa-ter and can feed the inhabitants of three villages. “Thousands of people residing in villages including Hirri Payeen, Hirri Bala, Reshi Pora and adjoining areas have

been forced to drink unsafe water from the streams,” said Ghulam Mohammad of Hirri Bala, adding the Pub-lic Health Engineering department had com-pletely failed to make the reservoir opera-tional. “With reservoir lying defunct, the women folk have to fetch wa-ter from far off areas,” the residents told KNS. Blaming the authori-ties for turning blind eye towards the issue, another resident

See Defunct on Pg. 11

CMYK

CMYK

CMYK

CMYK

SaturDaY august 17 | 2013 | 09 Shawal 1434 aH | PaGES 12 | VOL NO: 3 | ISSuE NO: 201 | rS: 2/- (aIr SurCHarGE FOr JaMMu /DELHI/LEH 50 PaISa)Pen For JusticeLargely Circulated, No. 1 Bilingual Daily of J&K

Goswami reviews security situation in Jammu

Srinagar, August 16:

Union Health Minster and former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad has earned the reputation of being the most popular Health Minster of the country since 1947. Azad is the only Minster from UPA-II who has been able to find a place in the ‘dream cabinet’ formed on the basis of their popularity among masses as per the survey conducted by a national news channel. The chan-nel according to the re-

ports had asked people to give their preferences for the constitution of a dream cabinet and elect the persons among the ministers who had been in the union cabinet in different government since independence. Azad emerged as the

most popular among all his predecessors. Azad who has earlier looked various ministries in-cluding civil aviation assumed charge of the health and family wel-fare ministry in 2009 in UPA second and is among a few ministers who have been able to retain the portfolio in the last year’s major cabinet reshuffle.The former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minster is viewed as a very sea-soned politician with a clean public image who

See azad on Pg. 11

Azad earns reputation of being most popular Health

Minster since 1947

http://www.zabarwantimes.com

Srinagar, August 16:

Condemning the arrest of Er Nazir Ahmad Yatoo the general secretary of the youth wing of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) the party has demanded his immediate release and an explanation from the gov-ernment for his illegal con-finement. In a statement the party chief spokesperson Naeem Akhtar said Yatoo was first confined in his house at Ba-dipora and later whisked away to the police station Chrar-i-sharief where he has been lodged and contin-ued to be till the last reports.

“No formal case has so far been registered against Ya-too neither has he been in-formed formally of the rea-sons for his illegal arrest,” he said.Terming Yatoo’s arrest as part of government re-pression Akhtar alleged the police is being used as an arm of the NC. “Yatoo was being punished for the growing popularity of the PDP in the state as also in Chrarisharief where the lo-cal MLA who is a powerful Minister has started feel-ing unnerved after he faced demonstrations in Kutabal Jedan where he had to face

See PDP on Pg. 11

Cabinet revises victim compensation scheme

alleges NC targeting PDP workers

wEatHEr

tEMPEraturEMaXIMuM MINIMuMSuNSEt ON(SaturDaY)SuNrISE ON (SuNDaY)

07:17 pm05:56 am

16.7 0C23.5 0C

FOrECaSt FOr NEXt 24 HrS:

FOrECaSt OF SrINaGar:

Light to moderate rain/thundershower will occur at many places over Kashmir and Ladakh.

Light to moderate rain/ thundershowers.Maximum & Minimum temperatures will be around 24°C & 18°C respectively.

No conflict of interest between Advani and Modi

Peace pre-requisite for development

7 8 10

Approves Liver Transplantation Unit

PDP condemns Yatoo’s arrest

Smoking may lead to ovarian cancer

Curfew continues in Kishtwar

Srinagar, August 16:

Army has killed 28 mili-tants on the Line of Con-trol and in the hinterland in Kashmir Valley since the June 24 Hyderpora at-tack and recovered huge cache of arms and ammu-nition.GOC of Srinagar-based 15 Corps Lt Gen Gurmeet Singh while talking to told reporters said , “Effective engagement of infiltrators by our troops is a result of our effective Counter In-filtration grid. Our brave soldiers are operating de-spite bad weather and ex-tremely rugged, difficult High Altitude terrain. The series of successes exem-plifies the commitment of soldiers and the command-ers”.He said that since 24 June, there have been a total of 16 operations out of which

nine were on the Line of Control and seven were in the hinterland. A total of 28 militants were killed in these operations, 18 were on LC and ten in the hinterland. Bodies of 20 of these militants were re-covered whereas eight of them, after being severely injured, tried to escape

across of Line of Control and died on the other side, of the LoC.Lt Gen Gurmit Singh com-mended and appreciated the units for the effective counter infiltration grid and the integrated intel-ligence network. He said that People had been very

See Militants on Pg. 11

28 militants killed since June 24: GOC 15-Corps

Jammu, August 16:

To review the damage done and measures undertaken by the ad-ministration in wake of worsen-ing flood situation due to inces-sant rains, Deputy Chief Minister Tara Chand took an extensive tour of Khour and adjoining areas.Immediately after returning from Srinagar, Mr. Tara Chand along with a team of senior officers and engineers rushed to the affected areas and had a first hand inspec-tion of the prevailing situation.SDM, Akhnoor Mr. Nagendra Singh, Senior engineers and of-ficers from revenue, block devel-

opment, flood control, PHE and other concerned departments ac-companied the tour.The Deputy Chief Minister visited

Bakore, Datyal, Pangali and other low lying areas. At these places rain has caused damage to

See Dy CM on Pg. 11

Tral, August 16:

People staged a massive protest on Friday against the malfunctioning of Sub-District Hospital and Pri-mary Health Centre locat-ed in South Kahmir’s Tral town. Protestors alleged that the Hospital and the Centre lack facilities while every evening after five no doctor could be found in the hospital. People gath-ered in the premises of SDH Tral and raised slo-gans against the hospital authorities. “Every day the doctors disappear from

the hospital after five and the patients are being left at the mercy of God,” one of the protestors told CNS.Another protestor said that compounders are treating all the patients after five and to save their skin they refer every pa-tient to Srinagar. “It is a Sub-District Hospital and the doctors should remain available here round the clock but unfortunately all the doctors leave hospital after five and no action is initiated against them,” Mohammad Altaf said.A village representative

said that every woman suf-fering from labour pain is being referred to Srinagar if that unfortunate woman is brought to hospital after five. “There are no doctors and no medicines avail-able in the hospital. Even Primary Health Centre lo-cated at Dadasara lacks all sorts of facilities.Protestors warned that they would lock the hos-pital if doctors continue to remain absent from duty.When contacted Director Health, Dr Salim-ur-Rehm-an told CNS that he would

See Protest on Pg. 11

Dy CM tours flood affected areasDirects for round the clock vigil

Absence of doctors from hospitalPeople stage massive protests in Tral

Policeman survives militant attackIslamabad, August 16: A police-man was fortunate enough when he survived a bid on his life by unknown gunman. Police sources told CNS that Constable,Touseef Ahmed was standing guard near K.P road Islamabad near S.M.Crossing when an unidentified pistol borne youth appeared before him and placed his pistol on his tempel.Eyewitnesses told CNS that policeman turned pale and he didn’t move for a while, how-ever his luck saved him from the death. “As the youth hit the trigger, no bullet came out and suddenly the pistol borne youth slipped from there and disappeared. The policeman for a moment fainted and his col-leagues gathered around him and took him to General Bus Stand police post where he is deputed,” sources said.A police official while confirm-ing the incident said that the hunt has been launched to trace the assailant.

2 die, 4 injured in road mishapsSrinagar August 16: Two per-sons died while 04 others were injured in different road acci-dents across Kashmir province.Two persons were killed when a Tanker hit them at Noma, in the jurisdiction of police sta-tion Noma Leh. The bodies of deceased persons were handed over to their relatives for last rites. A car bearing registra-tion number JK01H/2940 and a motorcycle bearing registration number JK01F/1184 collided near Petrol pump, Budgam, resulting in injuries to four per-sons. All the injured were shift-ed to hospital for treatment. In another accident, an Alto car bearing registration number JK01Q/6165 collided with a Motorcycle bearing registration number JK01S/9124 near Fire Service crossing, resulting in injuries to motorcyclist Owais Ahmad Lone resident of Fateh Kadal, Srinagar and a pillion, Nadeem Ahmad Sheikh resi-dent of Fateh Kadal Srinagar. Both the injured were shifted to hospital for treatment. Police has registered a case in this regard.

Body of drowned boy fished outSrinagar August 16: The body of drowned boy, Sohail Ahmad Malik son of Abdul Rashid resident of Mandlan, Pahalgam was fished out from Lidder River last evening. The boy was drowned on 14th of August at Mandlan, Pahalgam. Police after conduction legal formali-ties handed over the e body of deceased to his relatives for last rites.

two persons rescued in anantnagSrinagar August 16: Two persons, Nisar Ahmad son of Mohammad Anwar and Gow-har Ahmad son of Ghulam Mo-hammad residents of Wohdon Saller, Pahalgam were

See rescued on Pg. 11

SRINAGAR, AUGUST 16: The Speaker, Jammu and Kashmir Legisla-

tive Assembly Mubarak Gul on Friday said that Government is committed to provide better basic amenities to the people of all the three re-gions of the State. He said the present Govern-ment headed by dynamic Chief Minister Omar Abdullah is focusing on to upgrade the socio-economic conditions of the weaker sections of the society.

Gul was interacting with various depu-tations and individuals coming across the State including Eidgah Constituency who called on him at his official residence Friday.

The Speaker said the contributions of Sher-e-Kashmir Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah will be remembered for ever, adding that the late leader Sheri-e-Kashmir had worked hard for the betterment of the people of the State.

A deputation from Eidgah Constituency projected a charter of demands which included early completion of ongoing construction work on hospital buildings, ensuring adequate supply of drinking water, establishment of additional ration ghats, anganwari centres, replacement of damaged transformers, rotten poles and con-struction of lanes and drains in Kondibhawan area.

The Speaker gave them patient hearing and assured that their genuine demands would be looked into. In some cases, he issued on-the-

spot directions to the concerned for their early redressal.

Responding to the demand of early functioning of Primary Health Centre (PHC) at Sangam and posting of para-medical staff for the Hospital, Gul said that the building for PHC Sangam is nearing completion and will be in-augurated soon. He assured them that the staff would also be provided to the health institution on priority. He also said that work on Rs. 7 crore building for Noorbagh Hospital is almost near-ing completion. He said that directions have been issued to executing agency to speed up the pace of work on all ongoing health institutions of Eidgah constituency.

Later, the Speaker visited the residence of late Abdul Rehman Bhat, Social Worker of Noorbagh who passed away yesterday. The Speaker consoled the bereaved family, saying that may Almighty offer courage to them to bear this irreparable loss.

The Speaker highlighted the qualities of late Bhat, saying that he remains frontline to help the poor and needy. Special prayers were held and prayed for eternal peace to the de-parted soul.

Earlier, Gul took stock of the flood situation in Noorbagh and its surrounding ar-eas. He directed the concerned departments to take necessary precautionary measures for the protection of floods.

G. A. Mir reviews annual plan of Aharbal Dev

AuthoritySRINAGAR, AUGUST 16:

Minister for Rural Development and Panchayati Raj, Ali Mohammad Sagar has directed the officers to speed up the work on the construction of new Panchayat Ghars for augmenting infra-structure for Panchayat Raj In-stitutions (PRIs). The Minister was addressing officers during a review meeting convened to dis-cuss the status of construction of the new Panchayat Ghars, besides the renovation of the existing ones being taken up under 13th Finance Commission.Commis-sioner Secretary Rural Develop-ment Farooq Ahmad Peer, Direc-tor, Rural Development, Kashmir, Mir Altaf Ahmad, Special Secre-tary Rural Development, Direc-tor, Finance Rural Development, Joint Director Planning, ACDs and DPOs of districts of the Kashmir division were present in the meeting.The meeting was told that an amount of Rs. 120.65 crore have been released for undertaking the construction of new Panchayat Ghars,

besides ensuring adequate renovation of the existing ones. It was also given out that 560 new Panchayat Ghars have been taken up for construction and 519 existing once for repairs and renovation.The Minister di-rected the officers to ensure that the work

on Panchayat Ghars is completed within the shortest possible time for ensuring the adequate augmentation of the infrastruc-tural capacity of the PRIs. He said that the Government has already put in place a vibrant and empowered Panchayati Raj

System and these new Panchayat Ghars would go a long way in providing the much needed facility to the Panchs and Sarpanchs for carrying out their day to day and other related work. Sagar also asked the officers to work in complete

synergy with each other to en-sure that the Panchayat Ghars are completed within the stipulated time frame and the lacunae if any should be removed for smooth completion of the same. He said that the funds have already been placed at the disposal of the concerned ACDs and DPOs for undertaking the construction of the same. “Strict action would be initiated against the officers who would not complete the targets set for them for ensuring early completion of the Panchayat Ghars”, he maintained. The Min-

ister also directed the officers to ensure that the renovation and repair work of the existing Panchayat Ghars is completed by the end of the current month so that the same can be put to use by their respective Panchayats.

SRINAGAR, AUGUST 16

The 5th meeting of Ahar-bal Development Authority was held on Friday at Tourist Reception Centre, Srinagar under the Chairmanship of Minister for Tourism, G. A. Mir which discussed various issues including the imple-mentation of the decisions in the last meeting.

The Minister for Social Welfare, Ms. Sakina Itoo was present in the meeting.

While discussing the nor-mal Annual Plan of the Au-thority fixed at 1.50 crores, the Minister stressed the need to project Ahrabal as a major tourist destination and directed Chief Executive Offi-cer for framing of proposal for destination development.

During the meeting, the work on Centrally sponsored project 20 room budgeted accommodation coming at a

cost of Rs.389.22 lacs was also reviewed and it was told in the meeting that the said project is expected to be completed within July,2014. The meeting also reviewed the progress of another project regarding tourist facilities to be created at a cost of Rs. 467.63 lacs and directions for early tendering to the authority were also is-sued on the spot.

The Authority was asked to take up issue regarding prefeasibility of cable car from Sangam to Kungwattan at Ahrabal through Director Tourism Kashmir. The pace of work on TRC was also re-viewed and the concerned agency JKPCC was asked to ensure its completion by the current so that it is put to use.

The meeting was attended among others by senior of-ficers of Tourism department and Aharabal Development Authority.

Daily ZABARWAN TIMES NEWS Srinagar | Saturday 17 .8 .2013

Sagar for accelerating work on Panchayat Ghars

Chari Mubarak leaves for Pahalgam from Akhada Building Srinagar

SRINAGAR, AUGUST 16: The “Chari Mubarak’’, Silver mace of Lord Shiva left for the Holy Amarnath Cave from Shri Amareshwari Temple, Akhara Building Budshah Chowk, Srinagar Friday. The custodian of Chari Mubarak, Mahant Deependir Giri along with a large number of Sadhus and devotees accom-panied the Chari Mubarak.Pertinently, the Chari Mubarak was kept in the Shri Amreshwari Temple for the Darshan of devotees on the occasion of ‘’Nagpanchami’’ traditional Chari Pujan on August 11, 2013.On the way to Pahalgam, Pujan shall be performed at Sureshwar Temple, Shiv Temple, Pampore, Shiv Temple, Bijbehara, Martand Temple, Mattan and Ganesh Temple across river Liddar at Ganeshbal, Pahalgam.Puja shall be performed at Pahalgam on the occasion of Ekadashi Saturday before leaving for Chandanwari on the traditional Pahalgam route on the occasion of Dwadashi.On way to Anantnag, the Chari Mubarak was received by the District Administration at Pujteng.

Sharma demands relief for rain affected farmers of Nowshehra

SRINAGAR, AUGUST 16: Vice-Chairman, J&K State Advisory Board for Development of Kissans and MLA Nowshera, Radhay Sham Sharma in a statement issued here Friday asked the District Administration of Rajouri to depute a joint team of officers of different departments for conduct-ing proper survey to assess losses of property including the damages caused to dwelling units, cattle and crops due to incessant rains and floods in the district particularly in Nowshera area. Sharma asked the concerned for early submission of details of losses caused to property and crops to the Government for timely disbursement of compensation to the affected families and farmers of the area.

Various deputations call on speaker

Remember that it takes energy to repress and bottle up your feelings, Libra. Without realizing it you may be stuff-ing a great deal of emotion inside while trying to ignore it. The truth is that expressing these feelings - anger, happiness, fear, self-doubt - will energize and free you. The atmosphere around you will lighten up and you’ll be able to interact more openly with others.

Deep inside you know the right thing to do, Scorpio. Per-haps you just saw someone drop money on the ground and you picked it up. Do you return it or pocket it for yourself? You’re likely to feel like you have the devil on one shoulder arguing with the angel on the other. It’s important that you listen to the angel. Do what you know is right.

Your mastery of your mind and ability to stay disciplined about your goals is impressive, Sagittarius. Others recognize and appreciate your efforts much more than usual. You may be called upon to assist in some other project or someone else’s emotional drama because you have the stability re-quired to remedy the situation. Don’t downplay your talent in this area.

You may feel as if someone or something has just refor-matted your hard drive, Capricorn. Suddenly things are run-ning much more smoothly. The key now is to find the disci-pline and organization to understand this new system fully. Streamline your thoughts and be more efficient about how you use your energy. You’ll be more effective overall if you can keep from scattering your resources.

You may be forced to put your thoughts into neat little boxes that can be easily understood and processed, Aquar-ius. Your ideas are abstract and don’t always make reason-able sense. It’s OK to have a bit of mystery about things that rational minds can’t explain. Although you may feel like the goal is to arrange things in an orderly way, don’t feel like you have to do it.

This may be a difficult day in which you feel pressured to get things done, Pisces, yet there’s indecisiveness and hesita-tion lingering in your mind. Between a rock and hard place is no easy spot, but you’ll find your way out. Perhaps the thing you should do is make a move - any move. Once you get the energy flowing, the direction you need to take will be clear.

You could feel blocked, Virgo, like you’re in a trap. Per-haps your friends are influencing you into believing one thing, while your family has you trained to believe another. You wear different masks in different situations so you may have forgotten the real person underneath. Things are in conflict, and you may be forced to make important decisions. The truth is the only way to escape the trap.

There’s tremendous discipline in your way of thinking,

Aries, which is helping you advance toward your goals. Don’t expect that you will solve every problem right away. Keep in mind that you will be able to sort through issues more ef-ficiently. Once you have things sufficiently fleshed out, it will be easier to put the pieces back together.

Your thoughts may be strained, Taurus, and you could find it difficult to process things that are normally no prob-lem. Try not to force answers that don’t seem to want to come. If the information flows easily and smoothly, you will know that it’s meant for you. If you have to pull teeth in or-der to get at the truth, you may need to back off.

Your thinking may have emotional overtones that pre-vent you from seeing the truth clearly, Gemini. Do your best to tame your feelings in order to let more rational thoughts rise to the surface. There’s a stability that comes when you honor your emotions from a detached perspective instead of immediately taking action in response to how you feel. Think about this as you engage with others.

The thing you dread the most could be the very thing you need the most in your life, Cancer. You’re at a point right now when the lessons that come might be hard to swallow, but they’re necessary. Don’t try to resist what you know you must face. Approach things with courage instead of fear and you can conquer anything. Once you climb the mountain, the rest is downhill.

You may look at your orderly closet, well-organized desk, and clean bathroom and be proud, Leo. Other people may fret about suddenly having to get their lives in order, but you’re already there. Perhaps you don’t realize it because you’re such a perfectionist. Perhaps you don’t give yourself enough credit for all the work you do. Give yourself a pat on the back today.

Govt committed for equitable dev of all 3-region of State: Gul

JAMMU, AUGUST 16-Member Legislative Council, B R Kundal, on Friday visited flood hit areas of R S Pura and took stock of damage caused due to incessant rains and flash floods in various parts of the tehsil.Kundal asked the District Develop-ment Commissioner, Jammu, Ajeet Kumar Sahu, to depute a team of senior revenue authorities to assess the losses so that the relief under State Disaster Relief Fund could be disbursed to them un-der norms. He asked the authorities of Municipal Committee R. S. Pura to remove debris from nallahs in several areas of the town so that the residents do not face any inconvenience during rainy sea-son. He called upon the people not to dump debris in the nallahs adding that such exercises not only create problems for Municipal Corporation during removal of garbage (mulba) from nallahs but also causes water clogging which results damage to households.

Later, Kundal also visited Government Degree College and Gov-ernment Higher Secondary School to take stock of the problems being faced due to clogging of water in the premises. He asked the Municipal Committee to immediately dewater the premises so that students do not suffer. He directed the officers to pay regular visits in the flood prone areas of the town to ensure every possible help to the people of this border belt.

ADC imposes fine under Public Safety and Standard Act

SAMBA, AUGUST 16 - In order to ensure supply of adultera-

tion free items, Additional District Magistrate (ADM), R K Shavan imposed a fine of Rs 3000 on a trader for selling sub-standard and mis-branded food stuff (Ice cream).The ADM, who is Adjudication Officer under Food Safety and Standard Act 2006, imposed the penalty on the retailer, Prop M/S Mehra Ice Cream Suresh Kumar S/o Paras Ram R/o W. No. 7 Ramgarh for selling miss-branded and substandard ice cream product.

Highlights importance of

educationTANGMARG, AUGUST 16:

Highlighting the significance of Ed-ucation for the overall development of

youth, Minister for Agriculture Ghulam Hassan Mir said that it is key to success and the total way of life.

The Minister was addressing a public gathering at Saipora village of Tangmarg Friday.

The Minister said that it is the educa-tion which opens the door of success for the youth. He said without education it is very difficult to survive in modern time. He urged upon the people for imparting quality education to their wards, saying that it would help them to compete at national and international levels.

Mir said that the development of any country is dependent upon the quality of education imparted in that country.

He said youth of the State have potential to face challenges in every field of life, saying that they also have proven their mettle in various fields. He said the days are gone when youth were indulging in non-productive activities, adding that

now they are busy in improving their personalities and contributing in the developmental process of the State.

The Minister said that peace is pre-requisite for the development and wel-fare of the people. He said that hartals and bandhs are not the solution of any problem, saying that it adds more woes in the life of people. He sought peoples’ cooperation for smooth and good gov-ernance.

Mir cautioned the people against the nefarious designs of vested inter-est elements. He said that the elements which are busy in spoiling the peaceful atmosphere, in fact, they are their en-emies, not friends.

Peace pre-requisite for development: Mir

Kundal visits flood hit areas of R. S Pura

BUDGAM, AUGUST 16

Minister for Finance and Ladakh affairs, Abdul Rahim Rather Friday visited Khred

village in Kutibal of Chadoo-ra Constituency to condole the demise of a 5 year old girl. The girl granddaughter of Ghulam Mohammad was attacked by a leopard.

The Minister consoled

the bereaved family and prayed for eternal peace to the departed soul.

Rather sought people’s support in locating the man-

eater animal and directed the concerned officers from Wildlife Department to de-pute the trained staff in the village to locate the animal. He also asked the locals and the administration for tak-

ing support from Nagbal residents who are popular for their expertise in locat-ing animals.

The Minister directed S.P Budgam to depute se-curity personnel who could help the villag-ers in tracking down the man-eater animal so that threat and insecurity from the minds of people of the area is dispelled.

The Minister as-sured the bereaved family and the people of the area that they would receive com-plete support from the district adminis-

tration.The Minister also visited

Guljahar and went to the residence of person who got injured in attack of wild animal a week before this incident.

SRINAGAR, AUGUST 16: The Cabinet Friday accorded sanction to the transfers and postings of incharge Chief Engineers in PDD department with immediate effect.

Mrs. Girja Kour, Incharge Chief Engineer awaiting orders of adjustment has been transferred and posted as Incharge Chief Engineer, CVPPL against available vacancy.

S. Manmohan Singh, Incharge Chief Engineer awaiting orders of adjustment has been trans-ferred and posted as Incharge Chief Engineer Commercial and Survey, J&K against available va-cancy. Ravi Kumar Chanyal, Incharge Chief Engineer awaiting orders of adjustment has been transferred and posted as Incharge Chief Engineer Planning and Design, J&K against available vacancy with additional responsibility of implementation of r-APDRP in Jammu, relieving Ajay Gupta of the additional charge of Planning and Design J&K. Khurshid Ahmad Budoo, awaiting or-ders of adjustment has been transferred and posted as Incharge Chief Engineer, Procurement and Material Management against available vacancy relieving Mohammad Muzaffar Mattoo of ad-ditional charge. Mohammad Muzaffar Mattoo, Incharge Chief Engineer, M&RE Kashmir has been transferred and posted as Chief Engineer, Generation Kashmir. Bashir Ahmad Khan, Incharge Chief Engineer has been transferred and posted as Incharge Chief Engineer M&RE Kashmir.

Subash Chander Incharge Chief Engineer awaiting orders of adjustment has been transferred and posted as Incharge Chief Engineer Generation Leh against an available vacancy with addi-tional charge of looking after M&RE Leh and Kargil.

Inspire Award Science Exhibition postponed

DODA, AUGUST 16 – As per a circular issued by Principal, District Institute of Education and Training, Doda, the Inspire Award Science Exhibition, scheduled to be held on the 19th and 20th of August 2013 at DIET complex Doda, has been postponed due to unprecedented circumstances.The exhibition now will be held on 26th and 27th of August 2013 at the same venue.

Rather visits Khred village of Cha-doora to console bereaved family

Transfers, postings in PDD

E ++HHEAAL L HH5 ZABARWAN TIMES

SATURDAY | 17 AUG 20138 ZABARWANTIMES

Indulge in tomatoes as they have great health value Tomatoes are now hot-favou-rites thanks to the much-talked about Tomato Festival in Spain as shown in the movie Zindagi Milegi Na Dobaara. But take a break from your favorite actors soaking in the ‘tomato fun.’ It’s time to know the health benefits of this rich easily available veg-etable. Anti-oxidant: Tomatoes contain a lot of vitamins A and C, mostly because of beta-carotene, and these vitamins act as an anti-oxi-dant, working to neutralize dan-gerous free radicals in the blood stream. Free radicals in the body can be flushed out with high lev-els of Lycopene, and the tomato is so amply loaded with this vital anti-oxidant that it actually de-rives its rich redness from the nutrient. These dangerous free radicals can cause cell dam-age. Also, remember that cook-ing destroys much of vitamin C, so stick to raw tomatoes for these benefits. So, do remember

to carry a tomato-cucumber sandwich in your tiffin box.Vision: Because of all that vi-tamin A, tomatoes are also an excellent food to help improve your vision. This also means tomatoes can help your eyes be better about night blind-ness. Cancer: Various studies have shown that because of all that lycopene in tomatoes, the red fruit helps to lessen the chanc-es of prostate cancer in men, and also reduces the chance of stomach cancer and colorectal cancer. Lycopene is considered somewhat of a natural miracle anti-oxidant that may help to stop the growth of cancer cells. And, interestingly enough, cooked tomatoes produce more lycopene than do raw tomatoes, so enjoy that tomato soup! Heart troubles: Due to potas-sium and vitamin B, tomatoes help to lower blood pressure and to lower high cholesterol levels. This, in turn, could help prevent strokes, heart attack and other

potentially life-threatening heart problems. Skin care: Because of high amounts of lycopene, tomatoes are excellent for skin care. Make sure the inside of the tomato skins are against your skin, and let this be there for at least 10 minutes. Then wash off. You face will be cleaner and give a shiny look.

Hair: Remember all that vitamin A in tomatoes? Well, it’s good for keeping your ha i r s t rong and sh iny , and i t s a l so good for your eyes , tee th , sk in and bones . Bones : Tomatoes have a fa i r amount o f v i tamin K and ca lc ium, both o f which he lp to s t rengthen bones .

Smoking may lead to ovarian cancer

Celebrate health with tomatoesScientists have for the first time linked smoking with ovarian cancer - the second most commonly diagnosed gy-naecological cancer in Australia with a five-year survival rate of only 40 per cent.Andy Lee and Colin Binns, both pro-fessors from the Curtin University's School of Public Health, took part as members of the Collaborative Group on Epidemiological Studies of Ovar-ian Cancer based at Oxford University and funded by UK Cancer research.Their work involved the completion of two studies in China, which were fed into a pool of data totalling 28,114 women with, and 94,942 women without, ovar-ian cancer, the journal Lancet Oncology reported."Previously there was only a weak link be-tween smoking and ovarian cancer, com-ing from a paper in 2009. This new analy-sis firmly establishes that relationship for one particular type of ovarian cancer, mucinoid tumours, which account for about 15 percent of the total of all ovarian cancers," Binns said, according to a uni-versity statement.Outcomes were consistent along 13 socio-

demographic and personal characteristics which were taken into account, including body-mass index, use of alcohol, use of oral contraceptives and menopausal hor-mone therapy.Binns said more research was needed to understand how smoking stimulated the creation of mucinoid tumours, but stressed the first step in prevention was for women to quit cigarettes."While giving up smoking is the best ad-vice, we did find evidence that drinking green tea, breastfeeding, eating fruit and vegetables, getting regular exercise and avoiding obesity were also beneficial," he said.

How diabetes links to leg and feet problems

Diabetes can invite complications if proper per-sonal care, fitness and diet are not followed.Today, we take a look at serious repercussions of diabetes on leg problems. Legs, especially the feet, receive far less blood compared to other parts of the body, and for diabetics this could spell foot trouble. Dr. Sanjeev Bhamba-ni, Diabetes and Endocrinologist at Moolchand Medcity gives you a step-by-step rundown on this grave issue.

How is diabetes linked to feet and leg prob-

lems?Dr. Sanjeev says, "Foot problems in diabetics result from poor circulation, nerve damage and decreased resistance to infection. High blood sugar level over a long period may affect blood vessels and nerves. There are various conditions that affect people with diabetes that may result in leg and foot problems."

Diabetic neuropathy"Diabetes causes damage to the nerves in the feet and legs. Generally, injuries remain unno-ticed and cause sharp pain in the feet common-ly known as diabetic foot," says the Doctor.

Peripheral vascular dis-ease

"Elevated blood sugar levels over time affect the circulation and blood flow. This may cause ulcer and gangrene."

How about the link be-tween morbid obesity

and diabetes?This is a question that has several obese people worried; Dr. Sanjeev makes the link between obesity and diabetes: "Obesity is defined as having a BMI greater than 27 (as per Indian

body structure). Approximately two-thirds of adults with Type 2 diabetes are obese. Diabetics are at higher risk for cardiovas-cular disease, and obesity fur-ther increases this risk. Obesity also increases other diabetes complications including end-stage kidney disease. Other complications may include sleep apnea syndrome, arthritis and fatty liver disease."

Some stats on the cases of dia-betes and limb amputations...

The picture is unflattering; here's what the dia-betologist reveals, "All over the world in every 30 seconds, a leg is lost to due to diabetes. 15% of the total diabetic population develops foot ulcers. All over, 85% of all diabetes-related am-putations are preceded by foot ulcers. Thus it is advisable that patients should daily inspect their feet and consult the doctor as soon as they find an ulcer or an infection in the foot."

What are the signs of tissue and skin dam-

age?He says, "In diabetic patients blood glucose is high and body loses fluid. Due to insufficient fluid skin gets dry. Dry skin tends to crack or split more easily and wounds heal more slowly in diabetics. Thus skin conditions should be treated as soon they're noticed, to prevent them."He breaks it down further, "There are various signs of tissue and skin damage, which can be categorized as:Dry skin is one of the most common symptoms among diabetes due to loss of body fluid and

frequent urination.Itchy skin could be another prior symptom which can be triggered by poor blood flow. Itching can be confined to one spot or may occur in many parts of the body especially in lower legs and feet.Digital sclerosis due to excess production of collagen among Type 1 diabetic patient re-sults in waxy, tight skin on toes, fingers and hands. Dryness, burning, numbness and skin ulcers could be due to neuropathy when nerves are damaged. Patient suffers from pain in the lower extremities, burning and numbness. As a result, nerves in the legs and feet may not re-lease sweat which is required to keep skin soft and moist."At what stage must one consult a specialist?"One should immediately consult a specialist if he/she experiences any of the following symp-toms:- Changes in skin color- Swelling in the foot or ankle- Pain in the legs- Open sores on the feet that are slow to heal or are draining- Toenails with fungus infection- Corns or calluses- Dry cracks in the skin

Stretch your way to fitness

Willingly or cribbing, all of us tend to squeeze in some exercise in our daily routine. But we are lazy enough to skip the most important part of it- stretches. According to studies, stretches are vital in our daily workout and equally important if not more, than the actual exercise. Harbouring a capacity to leave one unfit for exer-cise if avoided continually, stretches prove extremely beneficial for our good health. If done properly, stretches are known to reduce muscle soreness to a large extent. They affect the body's flexibility which plays an important role in deciding our strength and stamina. They also affect our swiftness or speed level. While it is necessary to do a whole body stretch, individual muscle stretches loosen up every muscle that has been worked upon. Quadriceps, hamstring, calves, biceps, triceps, all need their share of stretch. Stretching should be a gradual process and should not be done in a hurry. If done too quickly, they can cause the muscle to contract. To avoid this, one can include stretches in-between the training after the exercise of each muscle group instead of keeping it as the final act. When the sweet burning sensation while stretching is a pleasurable experience you know you are on the right track. The tightening of muscles during exercise also affects the mobility of the joints and stretching helps in relieving them. The correct holding time of a stretch is the key to achieve the required effect. An average time of 30 seconds, is what is recommended by doctors. But in case of discom-fort, one has to immediately stop pushing oneself out of limits. Another important benefit is that stretches prolong one's exercise age. As stretches play a major role in saving one from injuries, they reduce the rate of degeneration of muscles and hence keep one fit to exercise for long. So, do your stretches properly and be fitter

How to keep anxiety in checkControl your anxiety before it gets out of hand with these minor tweaks to your lifeAnxiety is something we all experi-ence from time to time — from ten-sion before an exam or interview to feeling butterflies in our stomachs on a first date. And a little anxiety can actually be useful. Feeling nervous can get the adrenalin pumping and make you more alert. But it's when short-term anxiety becomes a more long-term condition that problems start.Chronic anxiety can be crip-pling and may lead to an inability to concentrate, constant nausea, palpita-tions and insomnia. It can also cause other conditions such as depression and even agoraphobia. The important thing to remember about controlling anxiety is quickly conquering it before it gets out of hand — which means managing your stress well.Choose low GI foodsYour brain needs a steady supply of glucose to enable it to function prop-erly. Fluctuations in blood sugar levels can affect the brain, leading to mood swings, anxiety and even panic attacks. So try to eat foods that have a low GI

(glycaemic index) such as multigrain bread, brown rice, sweet potatoes, car-rots and bananas.Increase vitamin B intakeAn adequate intake of this vitamin is essential for a healthy nervous system. All B vitamins are involved in the con-trol of tryptophan, an amino acid used to make the chemical serotonin, that helps regulate mood.A balanced diet containing meat, fish, eggs, dairy and green leafy vegetables, nuts and seeds should supply enough Vitamin B. But if you are not getting enough, take Vitamin B supplements.Limit your alcohol intakeIf you are stressed, anxious or depressed, it may be tempting to drown your sorrows with a stiff drink as alcohol can initially make you feel calmer. A recent study sug-gested people suffering from anxiety were likely to drink heavily. But if you suffer from anxietyrelated disorders, including depression, you should consider limiting your alcohol intake as it affects anxiety-reducing neurotransmitters. Also, once the alcohol wears off, you may be left feeling more anxious because alcohol has a depressant effect.Keep a stress diary

Over the next few weeks, note which situations, times, places and people make you stressed. Once you have identified these, think about each one and ask yourself 'Can I avoid it?'.For example, if you find that driving to work is stressful, perhaps you can avoid it by finishing work a bit earlier or later, or by car-sharing with a col-league.Slow down Many of us are living our lives at a fast-er pace, perhaps juggling a fulltime job with a relationship, family commit-ments and a social life. As a result, we feel a constant sense of urgency in our daily lives.This endless feeling of pressure fuels our impatience when we have to wait in a queue or traffic jam, or when the bus or train is late. Instead of stress-ing about delays, see them as op-portunities for welcome thinking or reading.Drink plenty of waterYour brain needs sufficient water to function properly. Even mild dehy-dration can affect mental well-being. Symptoms of dehydration include restlessness and irritability.

Constipation is an uncomfortable condition. Previously, we covered the foods that you must eat on a regular basis to tackle constipation. On the other side of the healthy-un-healthy food spectrum, there are also some popular foods that you should avoid if you want to stay away from constipation. We give you 5 foods to exclude from your diet. Processed food: Whether it is frozen foods or burgers and pizzas, it is go-ing to make your mornings hard to get through, literally. When food is preserved and ready to eat, vital nutrients are drained out, plus the ingredients used are cheap. For ex-ample, all purpose flour or maida is used practically in all pizzas, breads and instant noodles. Bottomline: Processed food has less fiber hence they linger in your sys-tem causing discomfort. Bakery goodies: Nankhatais, kharis and tea biscuits are rich in sugar and

fat. They may go well with tea and coffee, but lack fiber. But there's a solution to these good old treats, in-crease your fiber intake, and balance it out. Bottomline: Sugar may go straight to your thigh, but it can also be the cause of constipation. Red Meat without supplementing meals with vegetables: If you con-sume pork or beef regularly, without veggies on the side, you may have already experienced constipation. Make it a habit to accompany this precious chunk of meat with salad, cooked vegetables, and whole grain cereal; something that is rich in fi-ber. Bottomline: Guess how long it takes to digest meat? No, you're wrong, it takes 90 hours to partially digest meat. Caffeine: So no one can give up cof-fee, black tea and colas. They give you the much needed buzz to start

your day and keep you going through strenuous meetings, commutes, and just about everything else. Un-healthy dependency aside, caffeine dehydrates the human body and de-hydration is one of the main causes of constipation. Bottomline: If you're addicted to caf-feine, it's better to cut down and sup-plement it with food rich in fiber. Oily food: Chips and fast foods are tempting, even for those who are determined to eat healthy. But the more oily and salty your food is, the higher your chances of developing some digestive health issues as you cross over from your 20s to the 30s. Foods that are deep fried and soaked in oil like French fries slows down the digestive process. Bottomline: Fight your cravings and every time you feel tempted to order a round of French fries make sure you drink enough water and eat enough veggies before or after.

Avoid these foods to avoid constipation

NATION DAILY ZABARWAN TIMES

7 SRINAGARSaturday, 17 August,2013

BJP hires ‘Proof of Performance Data Services’ to track activities of Congress

NEW DELHI: That professionals run campaigns for political parties is well known, but did you know parties also get professional help to keep an eye on their rivals?

The Bhartiya Janata Party has hired Proof of Performance Data Services (POP), a specialist in out-of-home advertising da-tabase, to monitor the outdoor campaign activities of the Congress Party in Delhi. ”Currently, the party (BJP) has subscribed to our services only in Delhi as its focus is on the upcoming Delhi state assembly elec-tions. Subsequently, it may also subscribe to our services for next year’s Lok Sabha elections too,” Harjaap Singh Mann, the founder of POP, said.

Under the deal, POP will keep an eye on 6,000 out-of-home media sites, including billboards, bus shelters, bridge panels and other such platforms, to see what the Congress is com-municating to the Delhi voters.

Sudhanshu Mittal, co-convenor of the BJP’s poll committee, confirmed the party’s alliance with compa-nies that provide data on rivals’ activities. “These days there are specialised agencies which provide us weekly reports on the activities of the Congress Party,” he said. He did not share the name of any agency the BJP has hired.

Supported by auditable and tamperproof videos hosted on a cloud-based platform, POP will monitor

what kind of visibility do Congress’ outdoor media sites get, how many eyeballs they attract and for how long. “We use proprietary video analytics-based data mining capability that offer a simple but powerful solu-tion,” Mann said.

POP uses camera-mounted vehicles to capture real-time videos of campaign sites, such as billboards, sev-eral times a day. A software then extracts information from these videos such as their visibility and people’s reaction, and annotates data within the video as per a client’s requirement.

This intelligence is given to the client — in this

case, BJP — on a subscription-based model. The opposition party can use it to plan its spent in the out-of-home segment and ensure enhanced return on invest-ments, Mann said.

POP already monitors out-of-home media assets in 30 cities across the country on a regular basis and its clients include Dabur, ITC, McDonald, Eicher, Bajaj, LG, Tata Docomo and several government de-partments.

The company is also in discussions with the Congress Party for subscribing to its offerings, though no deal has been final-ised yet, Mann said.

The BJP has subscribed to its ‘dash-boohrd’ service, which promises adver-tisers in-depth insights and the power to analyse the entire competitive landscape in out-ofhome. The subscription started in

July.As a part of this offering, the BJP gets latest infor-

mation regarding Congress’ media assets including infrastructure details of the site, geographical location on map, GPS coordinates, time stamps and status of their condition among other details.Out-of-home ad-vertising is considered most crucial for political parties during the elections because of its ability to address au-dience in a specific locality. It also enables easy recall. Also, many top cities have banned posters and banners, the traditional election campaign media.

SC refuses to entertain PIL for reinstatement of Durga Nagpal

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday refused to entertain a PIL seeking reinstatement of suspended IAS officer Durga Sakhti Nagpal, who had cracked down on illegal sand mining in Uttar Pradesh.

Questioning the locus of a lawyer, who filed a PIL, a bench headed by justice H. L Dattu dismissed the plea and said that it may entertain the peti-tion if she (Nagpal) herself approach-es the court.

The bench further said that the of-ficer can take care of herself and can also approach the other authorities including a court, against her suspen-sion order.

“The moment she approaches the court, we will hear her plea and we may pass an interim order,” the bench said.

The court dismissed the petition filed by advocate M. L Sharma, who had sought quashing of all the pro-ceedings against Nagpal for allegedly demolishing of wall of a mosque.

The petitioner had submitted that Nagpal is suffering hardship for following Supreme Court’s order on preventing unauthorised con-struction of religious buildings on public land and the apex court should protect her.

Contending that the action taken against Nag-pal was arbitrary, unconstitutional and malafide,

the PIL had sought quashing of all proceedings against the 2010 batch IAS officer who had clamped down on the mining mafia in Gautam Budh Nagar area of UP.

The PIL had said suspend-ing Nagpal was “unconstitutional, arbitrary and lowered the constitutional system” and “the ab-sence of support from top bureaucracy, in both Uttar Pradesh and in New Delhi, is shameful”

No conflict of interest between Advani and Modi: Naidu

Denying any conflict of interest be-tween L K Advani and Narendra Modi, BJP leader Venkaiah Naidu on Friday supported the Gujarat Chief Minister’s challenge to the Prime Minister, saying that everybody has the right to question his performance as he was accountable to the nation.

“There is no conflict of interest at all because Advaniji has not taken any name. I have gone through his statement very care-fully. It is very clear that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is answerable to the na-tion. He has failed, therefore we have every right to question him. But no personal criti-cism should be made,” Naidu told reporters in Kolkata.

“But yes, there can be criticism of his performance. Prime Minister is account-able to the nation,” he said. Naidu’s com-ment came in the backdrop of Narendra Modi’s attack on Manmohan Singh on In-dependence Day on Thursday which drew an indirect rebuke from Advani, who also got the backing of key NDA ally Shiv Sena.

No conflict of interest between Advani

and Modi: NaiduNo conflict of interest between Advani

and Modi: NaiduAdvani, who has voiced reservations

about the elevation of the Gujarat Chief Minister as BJP’s national election cam-paign chief, on Thursday said that on a day like Independence Day, leaders should not be critical of others.

Asked whether the BJP-led NDA would be able to garner enough allies with Modi as the party’s poll campaign com-mittee chief, Naidu said, “Alliances and understandings are not made on the basis of personalities, but are made on the basis of agenda,”. Naidu also criticised the Prime Minister’s Independence Day speech, say-ing it failed to restore the nation’s confi-dence.

“Yesterday Prime Minister’s speech was totally lacklustre, hopeless. It does not restore any confidence among anybody,” he said. Asked why the BJP was delaying the announcement of its Prime Ministerial candidate, Naidu said, “The ruling party

itself has not announced its Prime Ministe-rial candidate, then why should the opposi-tion party be in a hurry?”

Asked to comment on Congress leader Digvijay Singh’s challenge to Modi for a debate, Naidu said, “We don’t need to give an explanation to Digvijay Singh. “Nobody takes Digvijay Singh seriously. Even his own party doesn’t take him seri-ously. There have been several occasions when Congress has distanced itself from his comments,” he said.Naidu also alleged that the Congress was “sleeping” over the issue of Telangana for the last nine years. “What were they doing for last nine and a half years? They slept over the issue and now they are giving Telangana. And, in the Andhra region the Congress is saying that because of BJP and TDP it had to take the decision. Such is their double speak and double stand,” Naidu said.He was also crit-ical of the Congress-led UPA government, saying that it was running due to “courtesy of CBI”. “The Central government is run-ning because of the courtesy of CBI.

Solar scam: Kerala government decides to hold judicial probe

The Kerala cabinet today formally de-cided to hold a judicial probe by a sitting High Court judge into the solar panel scam, that has brought the Chief Minister’s office under a cloud. Addressing a press confer-ence after a cabinet meeting, Chief Min-ister Oommen Chandy said the terms of reference of the probe would be final-ised after receiving suggestions from the CPI-M led LDF Opposition. On the LDF demand to include the CM’s office into the purview of the probe, Chandy said, “Government has nothing to hide on the issue and has an open mind.”

However, he refused to gave a direct answer on whether government was ready to include the Chief Minister’s office also under its purview. The solar scam that has rocked the state for the past two months led to a two day siege of the government secretariat by LDF workers from August 12, demanding the resignation of Chandy and a judi-

cial probe into the scam. LDF called off the siege after Chandy announced government’s will-ingness to hold a judicial probe by a sitting High Court judge, but had vowed to continue with their agita-tion till Chandy re-signed.

The scam is con-nected to cheating of many people by accused Biju Rad-hakrishnan and Saritha Nair, both un-der arrest, by offering clients solar en-ergy solutions. They allegedly flaunted their clout with the CM’s office to dupe unsuspecting clients of huge sums. It took a political turn after the arrest of a personal assistant of Chandy for his al-

leged links with the accused. A gunman of the Chief Minister was also suspended for his alleged association with the fraudsters. LDF has alleged that such a huge scam would not have taken place without the col-lusion of the Chief Minister.Seizing on the issue, LDF has been staging various modes of protests across the state for the last two months.

Metro commuters stranded on Dwarka-Noida route due to glitch

Thousands of Metro commuters had a harrowing experience on Friday morn-ing after trains were delayed and many were left stranded at various stations on the Dwarka to Noida city centre route as services were disrupted due to a prob-lem in Over-head Electrification (OHE).

“Due to OHE problem between Kar-ol Bagh and R K Ashram station, train services are being run in three loops on Line 3. Trains are being run on short loop between Karol Bagh to Dwarka Sector 21 and Barakhamba to Noida/Vaishali and single line between Karol Bagh and Barakhamba since 11:40 AM,” a DMRC spokesperson said.

Mitali, a commuter who works in central Delhi, said, “Trains were stop-ping for at least 10 to 15 minutes at the stations on the route and running very slow. I reached office an hour late.”

Metro commuters stranded on Dwarka-Noida route due to glitch

Metro commuters stranded on Dwarka-Noida route due to glitch

Announcements were being made in trains that ventilation and lights are run-ning on battery system. It was a chaotic situation at all stations on the line as sev-eral people were stranded for more than

an hour waiting for trains to arrive. Office-goers had a harrowing time with Metro services delayed and major traffic snarls on arterial roads as heavy rains lashed the national capital.

The DMRC spokes-person said Metro services resumed normal opera-tions by 12:50 PM. OHE problems on Metro trains have become common now. In July this year, ow-ing to electrification prob-lem, Metro services on the blue line to Noida were disrupted for over three hours.

On June 11 this year, train going to HUDA City Centre on busy yellow line broke down in the middle of the tunnel between Central Secretari-at and Udhyog Bhawan stations, giving a difficult time to over 1,791 passengers on board the train and severely affecting Metro services across the city during the morning rush hour.

Meanwhile, due to the clashes be-tween two groups in Tilak Vihar area on Thursday night, some entry gates at various Metro stations on the blue line which were close to the area were shut.

“Due to imposition of section 144 in Tilak Nagar area by Delhi Police,

two entry gates each at Subhash Nagar, Tagore Garden and Tilak Nagar and one entry gate at Janakpuri East station has been closed at 8:23 AM. Other gates of these stations are open so stations are working normally,” the spokesperson said.

Roads flooded, traffic hit as heavy rain lashes Delhi

NEW DELHI: The national capital witnessed heavy rain on Friday morning, with the mini-mum temperature settling a notch below average for this time of year at 24.5 degrees Celsius. The Met department has forecast rain till Saturday morning.

Rain started at 8am, caus-ing peak-hour commuters to get stranded in parts of the city as ma-jor roads were flooded on account of poor drainage.

“We are getting many com-plaints of traffic jams due to choked drains. Traffic is slow in Nizamuddin, Greater Kailash 1, and Safdarjung in south Delhi,” a traffic police official said.

Pedestrians and people riding motorcycles and scooters were seen taking shelter under Met-ro over-bridges and other places, creating traffic bottlenecks.

“I am stuck on the Ring Road. I don’t under-stand why, as soon as rain starts, the roads start getting choked,” Akansha Singh of south Delhi said.

According to the India Meteorological De-partment (IMD), the city received 15.6 mm of rain from 8.30am Thursday to 8.30am Friday.

Friday morning also saw spells when the rain was reduced to a drizzle.

“The sky will remain cloudy, with rain and thundershowers in some parts of the city,” an IMD official said, adding that maximum and minimum temperatures will stay around 32 and 25 degrees Celsius respectively.

Humidity at 8.30am Friday stood at 97 per-cent.

Since the monsoon’s arrival in June, Delhi has received 539.6 mm of rain, 29 percent more than average.

Thursday’s maximum temperature was three notches below average for the season, at 30.7 degrees Celsius. The minimum was two notches below average, at 24.7 degrees Celsius.

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Narendra Modi shouldn’t be granted visa, says US officialWashington: Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra

Modi should not be granted US visa “because of the very serious doubts that remain and that hang over Modi relative to his role in the horrific events of 2002 in Gujarat”, said an official.

Asked to comment on Modi’s emergence as the de facto prime ministerial candidate for Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Katrina Lantos Swett, Vice Chairperson of the bipartisan US Commission on International Re-ligious Freedom, told the New York Times: “It is no outside nation’s or no individual’s role to tell them who should be the next leader of India.” But “for the people of India, I think it is important for them to consider very carefully who it is who they want to be their next prime minister”, she said.

In the commission’s view, Modi should not be granted the US visa “because of the very serious doubts that remain and that hang over Modi relative to his role in the horrific events of 2002 in Gujarat”, Swett said. The goverment commission reviews religious freedom violations worldwide and makes non-binding policy recommendations to the president, the secretary of state

and the US Congress. Narendra Modi shouldn\’t be

granted visa, says US officialThe statement was made by US

Commission on International Reli-gious Freedom Vice Chairperson Ka-trina Lantos Swett.

When told that Indian courts have not yet found any evidence of Modi’s involvement in the 2002 violence in Gujarat, Swett said: “Certainly in our system of justice you can be found not guilty, which is not the same thing as found innocent”. “Under these circumstances we should follow our laws, which say that we should not give a visa,” she added.

Asked if the USCIRF and the State Department were on the same page on the visa issue, Swett said: “I would say there probably are different camps within the State Department.” “This is being debated in a lively way” in the US Congress

too with the supporters and opponents of Modi’s visa equally divided, she said. The division, however, was not along party lines Swett said. “I think it breaks down along which congressmen prioritise human rights ver-sus who don’t.”

Telangana statehood: Minister’s wife fasting for six days shifted to hospital

Wife of an Andhra Pradesh minister, who was on fast for last six days in Kakinada town opposing state’s bifurcation, was forcibly shifted to a hospital by the police in the early hours of Friday.

Thota Vani, wife of Stamps and Registration Minister Thota Narasimham, was bodily lifted by police women and taken to government-run hospital.

She was on fast for last six days at Kakinada in East Godavari district to demand the centre to reverse its decision to carve out separate Telan-gana state. With her condition showing deteriora-tion, police forcibly shifted her to hospital.

Telangana statehood: Minister’s wife fasting for six days shifted to hospital

Telangana statehood: Minister’s wife fasting for six days shifted to hospital

Digvijaya Singh, Congress general secretary incharge of party affairs in the state, Thursday spoke to Vani and urged her to call off the hunger strike. Thota Narasimham is one of the eight ministers from Seemandhra who have already submitted their resignations to

protest state’s division.Meanwhile, the indefinite fast by YSR Con-

gress party legislator Srikant Reddy and former Kadapa mayor Ravindernath Reddy at Kadapa entered the fifth day Friday. Doctors said their blood sugar and sodium levels had come down and if they continued their fast, their condition may deteriorate.

Two other legislators of YSR Congress are also continuing their fast for the second day on Friday.