Kashmiri student develops 3D

Android game

Srinagar, June 29:

The Jammu and Kashmir High court Saturday pulled up Special Investigation Team, probing the killing of 12th class student Tufail Matoo of Saidakadal here, for re-maining consistently absent dur-ing the proceedings of the case. The Court expressed utmost dis-pleasure that the SIT has not men-tioned about the recorded state-ments of two important witnesses in their closure report.Tufail was killed while returning home from tuitions on June 11, 2010 after a police teargas shell hit him near Ghani Memorial Sta-dium in Srinagar.A bench of Justice Virender Singh while hearing the case pulled up the investigating agency for not

taking the case seriously. The Court was aghast over the ab-sence of the Investigating Officer and snubbed the police constable

who had come along with the re-cords in place of the Investigating Officer.The Court directed the Counsel appearing on behalf of the State to make the presence of Investigat-ing Officer sure on the next hear-ing fixed on July 2. The Court also admonished the present police officer for attending the court in civvies and not in police uniform.The Counsel for the Tufail, Ad-vocate Main Abdul Qayoom said that in April 2012, nine witnesses had recorded their statements. “Surprisingly the SIT has not mentioned the statements made by two important witnesses Ra-meez Ahmed Dar and Manzoor Ahmed in their closure report. Our plea is that the SIT should

See Court on Pg. 11

1 dies, 4 injured in

road mishaps

Srinagar, June 29:

A class twelve student of Kashmir has devel-oped a three dimen-sional Android shoot-er game called “Kill Genre.”The android game is currently being of-fered by prominent websites, including Google, Amazon App Store, Get Jar and Slideme and has also been featured on You-Tube. Owais Ahmad, 18, the student who developed the 3-D game said he was working on the project for past two

years and used the in-formation available on Internet."It requires the basic concept of physics as well as Maths. Vector algebra was our chap-ter in 12th class. It's fully integrating with the game. Like the 3-di-mensional game I just built, it requires all the components of that chapter basically, and I would like to thank my Maths and Physics teacher," said Ahmad.'Kill Genre', is a venge-ful story of a boy in the form of a 3-Dimension-al game, in which

See Android on Pg. 11

Srinagar, June 29:

One person died and four others were injured in different road accidents across the Valley.A Sumo bearing registra-tion number JK01K/8481 hit and injured a pedestri-an Fazil Bashir son of late Bashir Ahmad Darzi resi-dent of Wuyan, Mahmood Abad near Wuyan, Awan-tipora, resulting in his on spot death. A case has been registered in this regard.

See Mishaps on Pg. 11

Srinagar, June 29:

Chief Minister Omar Abdullah today expressed hope that the new government in Pakistan will allow international flights originating from Srinagar to fly over its air space owing to the close proximity of Jammu and Kashmir with the Central Asian countries,."One hopes with a new dispen-sation in Pakistan, one hopes with encouraging voices emerg-ing from new Prime Minister of Pakistan about normalising the relations to some extent between our two countries, perhaps this (use of airspace) is one aspect that can also be normalised," Omar said.Giving detailed account of so-cio-cultural and religious affin-ity between the Central Asian Omar said that the Indian Policy regarding the connect of Central Asia could be most suited and

beneficial for the State and its people provided the neighbours in the west would allow flights from Srinagar to the Capitals of these States over their lands.The Chief Minister was ad-dressing a 3-day International Conference on Cooperation, De-velopment, Peace and Security

in Central Asia at University of Kashmir here. He said that rela-tions between India particularly Jammu and Kashmir and the Central Asia has been historic. “There is perhaps no field of life where we do not possess simi-larities. Our culture, heritage, languages, architecture, eating

habits and religion have similar-ity”, he said and stressed on the need of re-discovering silk-route to re-link Jammu and Kashmir with Central Asia and open a new chapter of socio-economic development.Identifying the challenges to

See Omar on Pg. 11

New Delhi, June 29:

Cancer of the oesophagus - or what is commonly called food pipe - has been detected as the third most common cancer in In-dia, with people from the northeast and Jammu and Kashmir found to be the highest affected by the disease, said experts Tues-day.Cancer of the oesophagus - the tube in the throat that carries food and liquid to the stomach - is known to be a very morbid condi-tion which affects the up-per digestive tract of the human body.

As per the Indian Council of Medical Research, ev-ery 8-10 people per 1 lakh population suffer from the cancer of oesophagus. The figures are even higher for northeast India, Bhushan Bhole of the Pushpawati Singhania Research Insti-tute said.Jammu and Kashmir and the northeastern states of India also fall under the Asian belt of oesophagus cancer together with Chi-na, primarily due to the cold weather conditions and increased consump-tion of smoked meat.There is a place in Mizoram, where 25-26

people per one lakh popu-lation suffer from the can-

cer of oesophagus, added Bhole, and added that for

easier treatment and fast-er recovery, the doctors at PSRI have been con-ducting the surgery with minimal incisions - and creating awareness about the growing disease.The new surgery with minimal incisions is bet-ter than the open surgery, as it entails less blood loss, lesser hospital stay for the patients who are espe-cially elderly in the age of 55-60 years, said Sanjay Chaurey, a laparoscopy consultant at PSRI. The open surgery under-taken earlier would in-volve the opening of the

See Cancer on Pg. 11

CMYK

CMYK

CMYK

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SunDAY June 30 | 2013 | 20 Shaban 1434 AH | PAGES 12 | VOL nO: 3 | ISSuE nO: 157 | RS: 2/- (AIR SuRCHARGE FOR JAMMu /DELHI/LEH 50 PAISA)Pen For JusticeLargely Circulated, No. 1 Bilingual Daily of J&K

Omar for rediscovering silk-route for trade

Jammu, June 29:

BJP on Saturday hit back at Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah over his com-ments on senior party leader LK Advani and asked why Sheikh Mo-hammad Abdullah re-mained silent over the is-sue of autonomy during his tenure at the helm. Omar while replying to Advani's blog had writ-ten on micro-blogging website Twitter that the senior BJP leader should devote some blog space to explain his silence over Article 370 between 1998 and 2004."It is Omar's turn to de-

vote some Twitter space to explain Sheikh Abdul-lah's silence on autono-my between 1975 and 1983 when he was the chief minister of J&K with absolute majority and full Congress support in the state legislative as-sembly," BJP national executive member and state chief spokesperson, Jitendra Singh, said.Clarifying the stand ad-opted by the then NDA government over au-tonomy, Singh said, "The answer is very simple that Advani was a part of a multi-party coali-tion NDA government of which Omar Abdul-lah was also a part and

the BJP did not have sufficient numbers to do anything about Article 370." The BJP leader reit-erated that his party has been consistent over the demand of abrogation of Article 370."Abrogation of Article 370 is BJP's consistent stand unlike National Conference which rakes up autonomy only when out of power or when fearing loss of power," he said.Meanwhile Provincial President of National Conferene, Devender Singh Rana assailed the assertions of Bharatiya Janata Party leader Lal

See BJP on Pg. 11

Srinagar, June 29:

Police has claimed to have solved the murder mystery of a Rafiabad girl by arrest-ing her father. Police said that the father had killed the girl by choking her mouth and nose. Addressing a press con-ference at Dangiwacha on Saturday, Deputy In-spector General of Police, North Kashmir, J. P Singh said that on 14-06-2013 at about 1930 hrs one Al-taf Ahmad Rather son of Late Ghulam Muhammad Rather resident of Laiser Rafiabad along with his elder brother Muhammad Maqbool Rather reported

in Police Station Dangiwa-cha, Sopore that his 7/8 yrs old daughter Muskan Altaf has been missing from her home since morning and they have been searching for her in the village and

around and also enquired from relatives but failed to trace her. On this a missing report was entered in Police Sta-tion Dangiwacha and search was started.

In the process of search, on the next day throat slit body of the missing girl child was found in the apple orchard of one Abdul Aziz Rather son of Muhammad Ramzan in the outskirts of the village Laisar, Rafiabad. On the re-covery of the dead body of the missing girl child aged 4 years only, case FIR num-ber 40/2013 under section 302 RPC was registered in police station Dangiwacha as it was apparent that she had been murdered. Singh said that at the place of recovery of the dead body a sharp edged knife, a ten rupee currency note and an empty jute bag used

See Arrested on Pg. 11

BJP hits back at Omar over comments on LK Advani

Suspicious Father Who Killed 4-year-old Girl Arrested

Srinagar, June 29:

In view of the significant number of unregistered pilgrims and pilgrims who have arrived ahead of their scheduled date of Yatra, the Divisional Administration Kashmir, in coordination with the Shrine Board, J&K Bank, and Directorate of Tourism, Kashmir, have established seven counters each at Pantha Chowk, Srinagar, and Tourist Re-ception Centre (TRC), Now-gam, Srinagar, to facilitate such Yatris to obtain reg-istration before they can proceed to the Yatra Base Camps. This facility is in addition to the Current Registration arrangement available to Yatris at vari-ous locations in Jammu i.e. Vaishnavi Dham, Saras-wati Dham, Jammu Haat and Ram Mandir. This was informed today by Navin K. Choudhary, CEO, SASB.All the Yatris are advised to obtain registration for the

date on which they wish to undertake the Yatra before-hand to avoid unnecessary difficulties and inconve-nience to themselves as well as the Administration.The CEO further reiterated that the Yatris, in their own best interest, should cooper-ate with the Yatra Admin-istration and should not reach Base Camps without first obtaining registration. In addition, they should reach the Base Camps only a day before they are sched-uled to undertake the Yatra. If they have arrived with-out registration or ahead of their date of registration, they should obtain Current Registration from the coun-ters established at Jammu and Srinagar.Today, 6132 Yatris left Bal-tal and 4409 Yatris left Pa-halgam for the Holy Shrine. Today, the final darshan fig-ure was 11530. The weather in the morning was cloudy and there were few spells

See Counters on Pg. 11

To tackle unregistered pilgrims, more

counters established

Kashmir, northeast worst affected by food pipe cancer

http://www.zabarwantimes.com

Srinagar, June 29:

Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Com-mittee President, Prof Saifuddin Soz has thanked AICC vice president Rahul Gandhi for show-ing keen interest in providing grant of Rs 10 lakh each for panchayats in the state.“It is very widely known in J&K State that Shri. Rahul Gandhi has contributed quite a lot to empower Pan-chayats at the grass-roots

level. He has put in strenu-ous efforts to convince Gov-ernment of India that the proposal from the Union Ministry of Rural Develop-

ment to this effect should be accept-ed. It is expected that a grant of Rs. 10.00 Lakhs to each Panchayat in J&K State would be released, in fore-seeable future i.e,

very soon”, Soz said in a statement said.In a written communication Prof Soz has also thanked

See Soz on Pg. 11

Soz thanks Rahul for funding JK Panchayats

Hope Pakistan air space is opened for flights from Srinagar

Court pulls up SIT in Tufail Matoo case

Anil Goswami appointed home secretaryNew Delhi, June 29: Anil Gos-wami, a 1978 batch IAS officer of the Jammu and Kashmir cadre, will Sunday take over as the new home secretary, officials said. Goswami will take charge from R.K. Singh, who is retiring. Goswami was appointed Officer on Special Duty in the Ministry of Home Affairs in April after his name was cleared by the appoint-ments committee of cabinet as the new home secretary. His tenure will be for two years.Goswami was posted as secre-tary, Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, before his appointment as home secretary. Officials said he had served in the home ministry earlier in the foreigners cell.They said Goswami had also served in the home department in Jammu and Kashmir and had experience of dealing with militancy.

Man sets son on fire, attempts suicideSrinagar, June 29: A father-son duo suffered severe burn injuries after the man alleg-edly set himself and the child on fire in Baramulla district of north Kashmir. Parvez Ahmad Dar set himself and his five-year-old son, Sahil, ablaze after sprinkling kerosene at their house in Dooru village of Tangmarg, 45 kms from here, last evening, a police spokes-man said.They suffered severe burn inju-ries and were shifted to SMHS hospital here for treatment, he said. "It was not immediately known what prompted Dar to take such an extreme step," the spokesman said, adding police has registered a case and started investigations.Meanwhile, a 35-year-old wom-an attempted suicide by setting herself ablaze in Kupwara district of north Kashmir last night. The woman used kero-sene oil in the self-immolation bid at her Haji Node residence in Karnah sector of Kupwara district, the spokesman said adding she was hospitalised.In another incident, the spokes-man said a couple suffered burn injuries after their house caught fire in Anantnag dis-trict of south Kashmir.Abdul Rashid Bhat and his wife Famida Akhter were in-jured in a fire incident at their house at Krangsoo village of Anantnag district last night, he said, adding the house caught fire due to leak in domestic gas cylinder. The house was damaged in the incident, the spokesman added.

J&K Bank Donates Van For Special ChildrenSrinagar, June 29: Under its Platinum Jubilee initiative J&K Bank Saturday donated a school-van to J&K Voluntary Medicare Society – a medico-social non-governmental or-ganisation pursuing the cause of special children that runs Shafqat School in Bemina area of the city for such children.Mushtaq Ahmad, Chairman & CEO, J&K Bank handed over the keys of the Omni Van to Dr Mir Mohammad Maqbool, President of the Society, at a simple but impressive func-tion held at Bank’s Corporate Headquarters. Others present on the occasion included Abdul Hamid Banday, Bank’s Execu-tive President and Abdul Rauf Bhat, President.Speaking on the occasion, Chairman described the initia-tive as part of Bank’s endeav-our to contribute towards education and rehabilitation of the special-abled children. “Education continues to be the priority of our Corporate Social Responsibility. To ensure that such children do not become a burden on their parents and society, we are laying special emphasis on their

See Bank on Pg. 11

Mir flags off Leg-2 of 4th Mughal Road car rally at VerinagSRINAGAR, JUNE 29:The Speaker, Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly, Mubarak Gul

today visited various areas included Saidpora,Badiwader, Sangam, SaidporaBriwar, KaksahibDan-war and Palpora in Eidgah constituency to the stock of the people’s problems and developmental needs.The Speaker also inspected ongoing development work at Eidgahcosting to Rs. 3.31 crore being executed by the Jammu and Kashmir Project Construction Corporation (JKPCC) and develop-ment works worth Rs. 80 lakh being executed by the Tourism Department.

The Speaker directed the executing agencies to gear up their filed functionaries and speed up the pace of work on all developmental works and complete the leveling work ofEidgah before Eid-ul-Fitre. He also directed the Tourism Department to ensure installation of main gate of the Eidgah. Gul also directed the concerned to start construction of the footpath from Eidgah up to Ali Masjid on war footing.He directed the concerned to make the street lightsof Ali Masjid functional on priority.The Speaker also inspected Rs. 10 lakh face-lift work of primary health center, Sangam and directed the concerned to ensure its timely completion.

Karan Singh donates Rs 55 lakhs for relief, rehabilitation of Uttrakhand victims

SRINAGAR, JUNE 29:- Member of Parliament (RajyaSabha), Dr. Karan Singh has said that hor-rific Himalayan tsunami has caused untold havoc in Uttarakhand where thousands of precious lives including our brave security forces have been lost, whole villages have disappeared and the fragile Himalayan ecology has received a massive blow.In a statement issued here yesterday, Mr Karan Singh has said that for decades “I have lent my voice to the anxiety felt by committed en-vironmentalist’s regarding the extensive deforestation in the Himalayas and also the building of massive dams on the Ganga and its tributaries. I would urge that there should be an agonizing reappraisal of our whole environmental policy in the Himalayas. Meanwhile, we must all do our bit to support the massive relief and rehabilitation effort that is urgently needed”.

SRINAGAR, JUNE 29:

In a bid to expand the tourism avenues in unex-plored potential areas of South Kashmir, the leg 2 of 4th edition of Mughal road car rally was flagged off by Minister for Tourism, Ghu-lam Ahmad Mir from Verinag, Saturday morning.

Under Leg 2 (extreme) the rally passes through Sri-nagar, Khanabal-Larkipora-Nowpora-Doru-Bongund-Verinag-Batagund- Kokernag, Daksum- Sinthan Pass and back to Srinagar. “This is a big step towards promotion of adventure tourism in South Kashmir”, tourism Minister said adding that such events prove beneficial in exploring untouched areas with lush green and adventure spots in South Kashmir including Sim-

than Pass, Peer Ki Gali, Bafliaz and picturesque medieval Mughal Sarai at Aliabag along the historic Mughal road that connects Kashmir valley with Rajouri and Poonch districts of Jammu division.

He said the rally also encourages the youth of the State to come forward and participate in adventure tourism. He said the Jammu Kashmir tourism is not only popular for its animated natural beauty and splendid architecture but is also re-nowned as an ideal destina-tion for adventure sports. He said government endeavors to explore it fully to attract high end adventure lovers to the visit of the State add-ing that in this regard several adventure activities includ-ing river rafting, paraglid-ing, heli-skiing, mountain

trekking have been already started at different adventure spots, which is receiving good attention by enthusiastic ad-venture lovers.

As Tourism Minister flagged off the rally, 53 ad-venture lovers hit the Doru- Varinag-Kokarnag- Sinthan- Kishtwar road in 31 vehicles including motor cycle riders.

This mega event was or-ganized for the first time via World famous tourism resort Verinag by Himalayan Motor Sports Association, Shimla in association with J&K Tourism Department and sponsored by Jammu and Kashmir Bank, one of the best banks in the Country.The event has gener-ated a lot of interest among motor sport lovers with big teams from different States besides foreign teams partici-pating in the rally.

Scientists are born in schools:

OmarSRINAGAR, JUNE 29 –

Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah Saturday underlined the need of catching students as young as possible to ignite desire of pursuing high goals of science and technology in them. He said this can be done at the school lev-el by creating scientific temperament and providing ample opportunity to boys and girls at the elementary edu-cation level.

“You cannot make scientists of re-pute at the university level but these are born in schools”, he said and called for giving children free hand to exper-iment and discover by themselves the secrets of science at the early stage of their life. He said his proposal for sci-ence museums at Srinagar and Jammu is to provide an open field for the boys and girls to get in touch with various aspects of science at their young age and discover the ‘scientists’ living within them.

Addressing the gathering before

rededicating CSIR-IIIM Lab to Nation with Union Minister for Science and Technology and Earth Sciences, Jaipal Reddy here, the Chief Ministersaid that the rich potential of Jammu and Kashmir in bio-technology and IT fields could not be harnessed owing to the long period of disturbance in the State.

Omar Abdullah said that IIIM Branch Srinagar was shattered during the period of disturbance. “Its func-tioning came to stand still, scientists and teachers left the institution and

security forces stayed here”, he said adding that with the rooting of nor-mality, IIIM Srinagar started breathing again.

The Chief Minister said that he was keen to restore the Institution to its full functioning and developing as an Institute of repute and fame. He lauded the support provided by the Union Government and Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR) in rejuvenating the Centre back to normal functioning and upgrading. He mentioned the efforts of Director

CSIR-IIIM, Dr. Ram Vishwakarma and the Science Advisory Council to Chief Minister in this direction. He also re-ferred to the support of various Union Ministers in the rejuvenation of this Centre at Srinagar.

Highlighting the importance of CSIR-IIIM Centre in the holistic de-velopment of a State like Jammu and Kashmir, Omar Abdullah said that the potential of Valley as an aromatic and medicinal plants production area, be-sides the State’s vast bio-diversity, are the best resources for economic bet-

terment and job generation for youth. He said leather industry has promis-ing future in the Valley as this part of the Country is on the top of the list of mutton consuming States and there is huge abundance of sheep and goat skin available to manufacture leather goods. He said this is the area which could provide substantial jobs to the locals.

Omar Abdullah said that for loca-tion disadvantage, the Valley is not in a position to freely transport items of huge volume as such the policy of high value low volume production of goods is the befitting one for Kash-mir. He said production of medicinal and aromatic plants and extraction of oils, etc could be high value and low volume items of production for the people of Valley to earn handsome remunerations.

The Chief Minister said that his government has focused to utilize sci-ence to address socio-economic and unemployment issues. He said CSIR-IIIM can prove an important Centre of research for the State in this direction.

In his speech Union Minister for Science and Technology and Earth Sciences, Jaipal Reddy made five announcements to upgrade and strengthen the CSIR-IIIM in the State.

What are you waiting for, Aries? You aren’t going to meet anyone new by staying inside all the time. You aren’t going to become a rock star if you never pick up an instrument. Don’t do anything halfway today. If you love someone, tell him or her. You never know what will happen tomorrow. Take control and express your true feelings.

There’s a powerful force urging you to act today, Gemini. Someone may be working counter to your aims and trying to rub you the wrong way. Don’t let people outwit you. You have just as much right to express your opinions as anyone else. Use the power of your mind to come out on top in any situation. Freedom is a state of mind. Do something that makes you want to dance.

Put the pedal to the metal today and have confidence in all your actions, Cancer. There’s a great deal of power in your words. There’s a tremendous amount of infor-mation that needs to be exchanged, and you’re at the hub of this activity. What you learn may be transforma-tive. Actively participate in the conversation.

Something about silence doesn’t seem right to you today, Leo. Keep talking. Eventually someone will say something meaningful. Latch on to lucrative ideas and keep your ears open for new opportunities. The strang-er you pass on the street while going for coffee could be your new best friend. Strike up a conversation with the person standing next to you in line.

Despite all your rage, you’re still just a rat in a cage. Get out of your box, Virgo. Influences from other people may cause some serious transformation in your mind-set. Let your belief systems loose to morph into other frames of mind. Consider new ways of living. Do things to get out of the social confines of how you should live your life.

You may be anxious to say what’s on your mind to-day, Libra. Words are on the tip of your tongue and you aren’t afraid to let them spill out. Be careful. There’s a danger you will put your foot in your mouth. Your words may come across as harsher than you intended. Be sensitive of other people’s emotions. Don’t unload your problems on others.

Your mind is extra clear today, Scorpio. Make sure you’re helping yourself as well as others. Take care of any tasks that require a great deal of brainpower. You have a tremendous ability to figure out any mental prob-lem. Communicate with confidence. Contact people you haven’t heard from in a while. They will be pleasantly surprised to hear from you.

Do your thing today, Sagittarius, and don’t take gar-bage from others. Take control of the issue when you see that something needs to get done. Others may be act-ing rashly and see things differently than you do. Don’t change your point of view just to make it easier on oth-ers. If people are in your way, confront them.

You will be able to think clearly today, Capricorn. Do the best you can with what you have to work with. Do your thing and let people do theirs. Don’t dwell on others’ dramas. You should enjoy a good working rela-tionship with mechanical objects, and it’s a great time to invest in a new gadget or appliance for your home. Don’t be a cheapskate. Spend to make life easier.

Don’t wait for an invitation to speak your mind, Aquarius. No one will ask what you think. Express yourself. You’ve given other people plenty of time to have their say. It’s now time to chime in with your opin-ion. Don’t be an observer. Be an active player and help shape the conversation and the events of the day with your powerful words and thoughts.

Your mind is sharp as a tack today, Pisces. There’s a great deal of power behind your thoughts, so use it wisely. Take this energy to work and see how much you can accomplish. Lady Luck is on your side. The key is to put your brain in motion. Plow forward with new ideas and don’t look back. Jump in with both feet. Hesitation will cause you to falter.

Don’t waste time today, Taurus. Act with courage. Tap your primal nature and throw caution to the wind. Your wit and keen mind provide you with opportunities that you should jump on. Link with groups and contrib-ute to projects. Nothing will escape your attention. En-joy games of wit and puzzles that exercise your brain.

‘Catch them young to pursue high science goals’

Salman praises beautiful Kashmir

Speaker holds public Darbar in Eidgah Constituency

Economics & Statistics Deptt celebrates ‘7th Statistics Day’

Advisor chairs meeting of Divisional Administration

Mir briefs Union Min-ister about

new tourism initiativesSRINAGAR, JUNE 29:-

Union Minister for Foreign Affairs, Salman Khursheed has acclaimed the beauty of Kashmir, saying that its lush green meadows surrounded by majestic mountains with fresh lakes captivates every one and motivates us to visit this paradise on earth again and again. He underscored the need for concerted efforts by the government and civil so-ciety to preserve the rich en-virons of the serene spots and water bodies.Expressing his ideas during his motor boat ride in world famous Dal and Nigeen lakes here last eve-

ning, Khursheed appreciated the efforts of the State Gov-ernment for exploring virgin spots besides preserving the rich environs of water bod-ies especially Dal and Nigeen lakes which receive first at-tention of the tourists during their visit to the Valley.Minister for Tourism, Ghulam Ahmad Mir on the occasion apprised the Union Min-ister about the measures taken by State Govern-ment for promo-tion of tourism in the State. He said State Government has identified and developed new virgin spots like Yusmarg, Doodpathri, Gurez, Lolab Bun-gus where concerted effort is being made to create tour-ist related infrastructure.The Tourism Minister apprised him that State Government has also launched a vigorous promotional campaign in and outside the Country to at-

tract the tourists to the visit of these spots apart from world famous Gulmarg, Pahalgam like tourists destinations.

Mir said that State’s rich adventure tourism potential is being explored through various activities like water

sports, heli-skiing, skiing, para-gliding, Gondola riding, mountain treking and many more, add-ing that golf tourism is also being pro-moted in the State by developing new golf courses like Sidhra Golf Course Jammu, Leh Golf Course, Gul-marg and Pahalgam

golf Courses.Tourism Minis-ter hailed UPA Government for providing liberal financial assistance under the tourism sector to the State, adding that state has witnessed rapid growth and upgradation of tourist related infrastructure facilities in all the three re-gions of Jammu, Ladakh and Kashmir.

SRINAGAR, JUNE 29:

To commemorate 120th birth anniversary of father of Indian Statistical System late Prof Prasanta Chandra Mahalanobis, Department of Economics and Statistics cel-ebrated 7th Statistics Day here today.Minister for Labour, Em-ployment and Planning, Ajay Sadhotra was the chief Guest on the occasion whileas Princi-pal Secretary Planningand De-velopment, B. R Sharma was Guest of Honour. Addressing the function, the Minister said that the statistics is a magi-cal science adding that the concerned, the officers should make concerted and focused-efforts throughout the year to fill the data gaps, improve timeliness and quality of data related to the labour and em-ployment which is the theme of this year’s Statistics Day.He directed for collecting reli-able data for use in planning, implementation, monitoring and re-designing of various developmental programmes, adding that the activity is ab-solutely essential for the State to develop more rapidly than

in the past.Paying tributes to Prof. Mahalanobis, Sadhotra said that the Professor was the First Statistical Advisor to Union Cabinet who laid the foundation for promoting teaching and research in sta-tistics and for developing the official statistical system in the Country.Referring to the theme of this year’s Statistics Day “La-bour and Employment”, the Minister said that the State Government is committed to protect and safeguard the in-terests of workers in general and those who constitute the poor, deprived and disadvan-tage sections of the society in particular. Principal Secretary, Planning and Development, B. R. Sharma in his address called Mahalanobis a legend-ary figure, a great statistician and promoter of talent. He said that professor made pio-neering and lasting contribu-tion in the fields of large scale sample surveys and India’sFive Year Plans. As the first Statisti-cal Advisor to Union Govern-ment, he played a key role in developing Statistical system in India, Sharma added. Shar-ma further said that it should

be our endeavor not only to carry forward the legacy of the professor but also take appropriate steps to improve the StaticallySystem in order to meet ever increasing data needs of diverse users.In his introductory remarks, Director Economics and Statistics, B. R. Lachotra said that our Country has produced several great statisticians but contributions made by Late Mahalanobis are exemplary. He said that pro-fessor is gauged as a star in the Indian statistical universe who has not merely established the base for the Indian Statistical System but also put in place the necessary apparatus and suggested strategic steps for planning, policy formulation and guided the world with his remarkable vision for statis-tics. Lachotra hoped that the celebration of Statistics Day will sensitize our statistical fra-ternity and other stakeholders about the importance and role of statistics in addressing glob-al challenges besides inspiring them for addressing data gaps in the country and State so that right inputs could be provided to the planners and policy.

SRINAGAR, JUNE 29

N. N. Vohra, Governor Jammu and Kash-mir, today said that India’s centuries old relations with the Central Asian countries are deeply embedded in civilizational and cultural commonalities and emphasized the need for strengthening these relations, keeping in mind the emerging challenges confronting this region, and the world at large, on varied fronts. The Governor said this in his Presidential Address at the in-augural session of the 3-day International Conference on “Cooperative Development, Peace and Security in Central Asia: Chal-lenges and Prospects”, at the Kashmir Uni-versity here today. This International Con-ference has been jointly organized by the Centre for Research in Rural and Industrial Development (CRRID), Chandigarh, and the Centre of Central Asian Studies (CCAS), Kashmir University.The Governor referred to his goodwill mission visits to the Cen-tral Asian countries in the early 1990s and the difficult situations which were obtain-ing in these countries at that time. He also recalled the useful work done by the India International Centre, New Delhi, in the early years after the break up of the former

Soviet Russia, to organize an international conference to bring out the history, culture and polity of the Central Asian States and to bring out a volume containing the pa-pers presented by Indian and Central Asian scholars. This was done with a view to making these countries better known and for reviving India’s centuries old relations with them. He also referred to the good work being done by Rajeev Sethi, Founder of Asian Heritage Foundation, who was present on this occasion, for reviving, pre-serving and showcasing the symbols of our rich cultural heritage, adding that such initiatives can go a long way in fostering better understandings and contributing towards sustainable relations with the Central Asian countries.Referring to the se-rious challenges being faced by the world today, the Governor observed that these include religious fundamentalism which leads to extremism and violence, resulting in human and economic losses, disrupting educational schedules which adversely af-fect the education of youth. He added that such challenges have to be addressed with mutual cooperation and deeper world-wide understandings. The Governor, who is Chancellor of the Kashmir University,

congratulated the CRRID and the Centre of Central Asian Studies, University of Kashmir, for organizing this International Conference on a very important theme and wished the participants fruitful de-liberations.Omar Abdullah, Chief Minister, and Salman Khurshid, Minister of External Affairs, addressed the inaugural session of the Conference.Prof. Talat Ahmad, Vice Chancellor, Kashmir University, in his wel-come address, urged Salman Khurshid, for providing opportunities to the scholars of the CCAS for undergoing internship in the Ministry of External Affairs. He thanked the Governor and the Chief Minister for their valuable support in the growth of the Uni-versity.Dr. Rashpal Malhotra, Executive Vice Chairman, CRRID, dwelt on the activities of the organization and the aims and objects of organizing this Conference. He read out a message of the Prime Minister sent for this International Conference.Dr. S. S. Gill, Direc-tor General, CRRID, gave details of the es-tablishment, evolution, history, growth and activities of the CRRID. He said that jointly organizing of this Conference by the CRRID and the Kashmir University is an indicator of long-term and sustained cooperation between the CRRID and the varsity.

SRINAGAR, JUNE 29:-The Advisor to the Chief

Minister Qamar Ali Akhoon today chaired a high level meeting of the Divisional administration of Kashmir, convened to take stock of the arrangements made for ensu-ing holy month of Ramadan beginning in the second week of July.The meeting discussed the measures taken by the government for pro-viding hassle-free facilities to the people during the holy month.The Advisor directed the authorities of Public Health Engineering Depart-ment to provide un-inter-rupted drinking water facili-ties to the people during the holy month. He instructed the authorities to gear up the field staff with the instruc-tions to look into the leakages in pipes and ensure replace-ment of damaged pipes, wherever necessary, within a

weeks’ time. He also directed to keep drinking water tank-ers available round the clock to the people in case of any eventuality. Akhoon directed the authorities of the Power Development Department to ensure un-interrupted power supply to the people especially at Sehri and Iftaar times. He directed them to ensure repairs of damaged transformers and their installation at respective places within a weeks’ time.The Advisor stressed upon the authorities of Srinagar Municipal Corporation to launch a special sanitation drive around the mosques, shrines and other religious places besides all city roads. He directed the authorities of SMC to press additional men and machinery into service and ensure lifting of garbage on daily basis from all over the city.

Daily ZABARWAN TIMES NEWS Srinagar |Sunday 30 .6 .2013

Governor for reviving, strengthening centuries old relations with Central Asian countries

3-day International Conference begins at KU

E ++HHEAAL L HH5 ZABARWAN TIMES

SUNDAY | 30 JUNE 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 SRINAGARSunday, June 30, 2013

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Uttarakhand floods: Rescue operations on, 200 evacuated from Badrinath

Dehradun: After an initial delay due to unfavourable weather condi-tions, rescue work in Badrinath area of flood-hit Uttarakhand resumed on Saturday, and nearly 200 pil-grims have so far been evacuated from the shrine, officials said.

The operation, which is in its last leg and focuses largely on Badri-nath, where nearly 1,400 people were reported to be stuck, is likely to be completed by this evening if the weather permits, officials said.

Helicopters started flying sorties to evacuate the pilgrims from the area. Efforts are also being made on war-footing to ensure supply of essential relief material to over 600 villages in Rudraprayag, Chamoli and Uttarkashi districts, which are cut off after the floods.

2,379 metric tonnes of wheat and 2,875 metric tonnes of rice has so far been dispatched to these vil-lages.

The frequently changing weath-er is hampering work as the relief material can be supplied only by air, officials said.

However, all steps are being taken to ensure enough supply of foodgrains, kerosene and LPG to flood-hit villages, they said.

Road network in Uttarakhand

has been badly damaged in the floods, with 259 roads damaged in Tehri, 139 in Dehradun, 132 in Ut-tarkashi, 110 in Chamoli and 71 in Rudraparayag district.

Meanwhile, over 200 families living along the banks of Bhagirathi river have been asked to move to safer places following a rise in wa-ter level.

The MeT department, however, has sent a word of assurance, and said the rise is mainly due to melt-ing of glaciers with the sun showing up, and there is no flood threat.

Uttarakhand MeT department

Director Anand Sharma said the snow in upper reaches was melting with the sun coming out, and this was increasing water level in rivers.

He asserted there is “nothing to worry about, as it will not create any flood situation.”

“We are just expecting light showers, but no heavy rains, noth-ing of that sort, just light showers here and there,” Sharma said.

Earlier, bad weather interrupted the rescue operations in worst-hit Kedarnath area, as intermittent rains in Kedarnath and Guptkashi hampered the process of clearing of

debris and pulling out of bodies ly-ing underneath.

In the worst-hit Kedarnath re-gion, cremation of bodies is on in full swing to minimise chances of an epidemic outbreak.

Till now, last rites of 34 bodies has been performed and the crema-tion of 12 more bodies pulled out from the debris is likely to be con-ducted soon.

With the threat of an epidemic outbreak looming large due to de-caying bodies lying under debris, and some also flowing down the Ganga, teams of doctors are being sent to affected districts to keep up vigil, officials said.

They will remain stationed in af-fected areas till the danger is fully averted, they said.

Meanwhile, a team of experts from Archaeological Survey of In-dia will visit the Kedarnath temple in Uttarakhand to assess the quan-tum of damage caused by the flood fury and restoration required for the shrine. The team of five experts from Dehradun and Delhi will be the part of the exercise for the re-vered temple which bore the brunt of floods and landslides triggered by the deluge in the hill state on June 16.

Bengal panchayat polls to be held in 5 phases starting 11 July

Kolkata: The Supreme Court on Friday upheld the primacy of the West Bengal poll commission in the conduct of elections, ending a three-month dispute between the state gov-ernment and the panel over village council elections.

The apex court proposed a five-phase poll with central forces provid-ing security. Voting will be held on 11, 15, 19 and 22, 25 July, deferring the previous timetable by a few days. They had earlier been scheduled to be held between 2 and 11 July, with the result to be declared on 13 July, the day on which the terms of the local bodies end.

The decision meant that the state government was forced to accept an increased number of phases and cen-

tral security personnel.The state’s ruling Trinamool Con-

gress (TMC) party leaders persisted with their attacks against state elec-tion commissioner Meera Pandey. She has been dubbed as an agent of the state opposition Communist Party of India (Marxist) or CPI(M) by TMC Rajya Sabha member of Parliament (MP) Mukul Roy.

Chief minister Mamata Baner-jee, speaking at a political rally in Hooghly, said that the government was always in favour of holding the elections.

“We wanted to hold the election last winter, but they (political parties and the election commission) have pushed it to the monsoon season, when it becomes very difficult for people. A conspiracy was under way to scuttle the panchayat polls,” Baner-jee said at the rally.

TMC MP Kalyan Bandyopadhyay said the election commission had sought to join hands with the party’s erstwhile ally, the Congress party, to suspend the election. “The Centre wanted to stall the election. A big game was on. Despite their non-co-

operation, the election is being held,” he added.

The state government had wanted a single-phase poll with security be-ing provided by state armed forces, in defiance of concerns that this wouldn’t be adequate to ensure free and fair elections.

This was the bone of contention between the government and the poll panel that led to the legal battle. Even though the government later agreed on a three-phase polling schedule, it made no attempt to address the short-age of security personnel.

The chief minister preferred meet-ing the shortfall with forces from other states rather than central forces, even though there was no commit-ment on this from the states.

Narendra Modi instigated Hindus post Godhra train burning, alleges

Zakia Jafri’s lawyerZakia Jafri’s lawyer today

alleged before a court here that Gujarat Chief Minister Naren-dra Modi had conspired to in-stigate Vishwa Hindu Parishad workers and other members of Hindu community after the Godhra train burning incident in 2002. Ehsan Jafri, Zakia’s husband and former Congress MP, was one of those who were slain during the riots across Gujarat after the Godhra incident.Advocate Sanjay Parikh, Jafri’s lawyer, made the allegation during the argument before Metropolitan Magistrate B J Ganatra.

The court is hearing Jafri’s peti-tion against closure report of Special Investigation Team which gave a clean chit to Modi and others in the face of the charge of complicity in the riots as levelled by Jafri in her complaint in 2008 before the Su-preme Court.“After the Godhra train burning incident, a large number of kar sevaks indulged in provocative slogan-shouting at Godhra railway station and the situation was tense...And what he (Modi) did was to call VHP Gujarat general secretary Jaideep Patel to go to Godhra and

Patel instigated other VHP men and Hindus against Muslims. Therefore, Modi conspired with Jaideep Patel to instigate negative and aggres-sive feelings of RSS, VHP workers against Muslims,” advocate Parikh contended.“Real conspiracy began with this instruction to Patel. He (Modi) is the chief executor of the conspiracy,” Parikh said, adding SIT failed to probe this aspect of the case. Jaideep Patel, with 81 others, is facing trial in Naroda Gaam case in which 11 people from the minority community were killed.

Jafri’s `protest petition’ demands rejection of SIT report and seeks fur-ther investigation by an independent agency. Her complaint accuses Modi of being involved in the conspiracy behind wide-spread violence and misuse of the state machinery dur-

ing the riots. “There was no need for the Chief Minister to inform a VHP man and be in close contact with him, knowing fully well that after the Godhra incident, ten-sions may escalate and what was required was restraint and spe-cific measures to strengthen the law and order situation,” Jafri’s lawyer said. “He, therefore, committed an omission in not

discharging his duty. He in fact, by his conduct allowed communal ten-sion to escalate,” advocate Parikh alleged, opposing SIT’s conclusion that no case was made out against Modi and others. Inaction on Modi’s part amounted to conspiracy and abetment, the lawyer said.

He further alleged the state gov-ernment was aware of heavy mobili-sation for Maha Yagna at Ayodhya and still did nothing to control the situation by making proper security arrangement.Parikh also submitted a copy of a statement, dated August 15, 2009, given by the then senior state minister Suresh Mehta to SIT. “As per Mehta’s statement, he was sitting next to Narendra Modi in the assembly on February 27, 2002 when Modi

Congress spreading ‘secularitis’: RajnathLUCKNOW: BJP

president Rajnath Singh on Thursday said more than 3,000 riots had taken place across the country before the 2002 Gujarat riots fol-lowing the Godhra carnage, of which at least 24 were big riots, nearly all of which took place under Congress rule.

“In Gujarat, at least those found guilty have been punished, but the same is not the case with other riots,” said Singh, flanked by Mo-di’s trusted lieutenant and UP in charge Amit Shah and state BJP chief Laxmi-kant Bajpayi. The Congress,

like encephalitis, was trying to spread the disease of “ secularitis”, he said. India is a secular country, still the Con-

gress wants to debate com-munalism and secularism, he told reporters at the party’s office in Lucknow.

Parithi Ilamvazhuthi, Ponnusamy join AIADMK

Parithi Elamvazhuthi and E. Ponnusamy, two promi-nent Dalit faces of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) respectively, joined the All India Anna Dravida Kazhagam in the presence of the party general secretary and Chief Minister Jayalalithaa on Friday.The two leaders met Chief Minister Jayalalithaa and be-came members of the party, accord-ing to an AIADMK press release. Ms Jayalalithaa later left for Kothagiri, from where she would carry out her official work for a few weeks.

For the last two years, the 53-year-old Elamvazhuthi, who had been with the DMK nearly for 30 years and who had represented the Egmore Assembly constituency since 1989, was maintaining a low profile after he quit as deputy gen-eral secretary in October 2011. He had developed differences of opin-ion with the DMK leadership, par-ticularly party treasurer M.K. Stalin, over the issue of disciplinary action against a few party functionaries of

Egmore.Mr Elamvazhuthi told The Hindu

that there was no respect in the DMK for those who had toiled hard for years. Contending that the party was gov-erned by “family rule,” he referred to the party securing support of the Con-gress for the re-election of Kanimozhi in the Rajya Sabha elections. “When the DMK had announced its with-drawal from the [Congress-led] Union government [in March], crackers were burst at the Arivalayam [DMK’s head-quarters]. But, they [DMK leadership] have taken support from the same Con-gress now,” he pointed out. Praising Ms Jayalalithaa for her administra-tion and leadership, he said she was known for making bold decisions.

Mr Elamvazhuthi shot into prom-

inence during 1991-1996 when he, as one of the two DMK MLAs in the Assembly, sought to corner the AIADMK gov-ernment. He became Deputy Speaker when the DMK came to power in 1996. In November 2003, he was arrested for hav-ing committed breach of privi-lege of the Assembly. When the DMK returned to power in

2006, he became Minister for In-formation and Urban Development. In the 2011 Assembly elections, Mr Elamvazhuthi lost to K. Nallathambi of the Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam (DMDK), which was then part of the coalition led by the AIADMK.A former Union govern-ment employee, 76-year-old Pon-nusamy was associated with the PMK for about 15 years. Elected from the Chidambaram Lok Sabha constituency in 1999 and 2004, he was Union Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas during 1999-2001 when the PMK was part of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance government.

Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit on Friday took a jibe at Aam Admi Party (AAP) chief Ar-vind Kejriwal over the issue raised by Mr Kejri-wal on inflated electricity bills.

“In the last few years, the sale of generators has declined in Delhi and the sale of ACs (air-conditioners) has risen sharply. If you use an AC, you will have to pay its electricity bill. But Ke-jriwal does not talk about that,” Ms Diskhit said.

“His (Kejriwal) power was cut as he did not pay his bill,” said Ms Diskhit while speaking at a seminar ‘Delhi: Kal, Aaj Aur Kal’ (yesterday, today and tomorrow) organised by the Associate Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (Assocham).

Mr Kejriwal on Thursday had accused the Uttar Pradesh Power Corporation Ltd. (UPPCL) of disconnecting the electricity connection of his house in Kaushambi in Ghaziabad district, for non-payment of his electricity bill. The power utility denied the allegation, saying that it neither cut Mr Kejriwal’s power connection nor restored it.

In March, Mr Kejriwal had launched a mas-sive agitation against Ms Dikshit’s government in Delhi, alleging that it helped private power com-panies by increasing the power tariff.

He raked up a controversy recently by putting up posters calling the chief minister corrupt and warning people that rapes in Delhi would con-tinue if she was voted to power again.

Rahul Gandhi vows to ensure 50 pc representation to women in AICC

New Delhi: Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi on Saturday vowed to ensure 50 per cent representation to women in AICC and oth-er party wings as he held his first formal interac-tion with newly-appointed party office bearers, the team set up by him for the 2014 Lok Sabha poll.

“Gandhi talked about how to ensure 50 per cent representation to women in AICC...It’s not about reservation. It’s about their representation.

“When he observed that their (women) pres-ence is not in the proportion it should be, he said the presence of women is less but it will defi-nitely be 50 per cent in the coming two-three

years,” party spokesper-son Bhakta Charan Das told reporters after the meeting.

Currently Ambika Soni is the only woman among the 12 AICC general secretaries, while of the 44 secretar-ies only five are women.

Ambika Soni is the only woman among the 12 AICC general sec-retaries, while of the 44 secretaries only five are women. Rahul also made it categorically clear to the office bear-

ers, mainly general secretaries and secretaries, that those who have been given responsibility will also be held accountable.

As the reshuffled AICC now wears a young-er look with 52 being the average age of office bearers, he also chose the occasion to remind the party leaders that youths should move for-ward by respecting seniors and taking the help of their experience.

The statement is seen as a move by Rahul to allay misgivings, if any, among the old guards in the party and some sort of assurance that senior leaders won’t be overlooked.

Cong, DMK cozying up again? Kanimozhi meets So-nia, thanks her for support in

EC mulls issuing notice to Gopinath Munde for LS poll expense remark

NEW DELHI: The Election Commission is mulling issuing a notice to BJP leader Gopinath Munde on his statement that he had spent Rs 8 crore in the last Lok Sabha elections much above the prescribed ceiling as the Congress stepped up the de-mand for his disqualification as MP. Sources said the Elec-tion Commission is gathering evidence regarding Munde’s comments at a programme in Mumbai two days ago. It may issue a notice to Munde on Monday, they said.

Meanwhile, Con-gress leaders demanded that Munde, elected from Beed in Maharashtra, be disqualified from Parlia-ment.

Congress leader Satyabrat Chaturvedi said Munde has violated the election law and has him-self accepted this. “The Election Commission

should take appropriate action,” he said. Sanjay Nirupam, Congress MP from Mumbai

North, said the EC should initiate proceedings for Munde’s disqualification. The expenditure limit

on the Lok Sabha election was Rs 25 lakh and Munde spent a whopping Rs 7.75 crore more than the limit, Nirupam said, demanding stern action against the BJP’s Deputy Leader in Lok Sabha.

“I will urge EC to call Munde for enquiry and take action against him,” he told re-porters. BJP was defensive on

the issue and reasoned that Munde has flagged the important issue of state funding of polls.

“Munde has raised a very valid issue of gov-ernment funding of elections and also the rising expenditure in polls. I think he has flagged one important discussion in the country.

Suryanelli rape case: Court rejects plea against PJ Kurien

Idukki: In a major relief for Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman PJ Kurien, a sessions court in Kerala's Idukki district today dismissed a plea to make the Congress leader an accused in the Suryanelli rape case.

The case relates to a 16-year-old girl from Suryanelli in Idukki who was abducted in Janu-ary 1996 and taken to various places and sexu-ally exploited by at least 40 people.

In a strongly-worded state-ment, Judge K Abraham Mathew observed the previous and the latter pleas against Mr Kurien by the rape survivor are identical. The judge said there was no few fact or information that had come to light in the case. The court said since the earlier magistrate had found no ground to respond to offences other than rape, it will be difficult to entertain subsequent com-plaints.

Raising doubts about the intent of the peti-tioner, the court today observed, "The history of the litigation shows that the second com-plaint has all the characteristics of a vexatious litigation. "

The rape survivor wants the court to order

an investigation against Mr Kurien on the basis of revelations made by Dharmarajan, a lawyer, who is the only person convicted in the case, and serving a life sentence.

In February, Dharmarajan had told regional TV channel 'Mathrabhumi' that he had driven the Con-gress leader to the Kumili Guest House where the gang-rape survivor alleges she was assaulted by Mr Kurien. However Dharmarajan retracted his state-ment a month ago.

The Court today said it "could not frame a charge or try an accused on the basis of a confes-sion of a co-accused," especially when his two state-ments are diametrically opposite.

Police investigations in the past have found Mr Kurien to be not involved in this case and he was also exonerated by the High Court. The rape survi-vor has, however, maintained that Mr Kurien was one of the people who had raped her.