Srinagar, July 30:

General Officer Commanding 15-corps, Lt Gen Gurmit Singh Tuesday said that training camps of militants and launch-ing pads are active across the Line of Control (LoC).“But the Army is better placed to analyse and assess the capa-bilities of the militants. There are continuous attempts of infil-tration and during last 24 hours two militants were killed when they tried to infiltrate in Kup-wara,” the GOC told reporters in a hurriedly called press confer-ence at BB Cannt here.“In the 24 hours three infiltra-tion attempts took place in which three militants tried to enter through Keran sector of Kupwara. One of the militant was killed and two AK-47 rifles and ammunition was recov-ered. We have also learnt that second militant was also killed and third critically injured,” he added.Lt Gen Singh said that on Tues-day morning another attempt of

infiltration took place in Machil sector. “This time it was approx-imately five to six militants. It is reported that the two militants have been killed and operation is on to nab the rest. LOC Kup-wara is high attitude area and has big mountains but I compli-ment my soldiers who have done excellent job under these circumstances,” he added.Giving details of an-other counter infiltra-tion operation which is going on in the Hafruda forest area of Handwara, he said, “on the specific tip off Army cordoned off the area and the operation is on to nab the militants.”Asked whether infiltration is being carried out by Hizbul Mu-jhaden or Lashkar-e-Toiba out-fits, he said, “I may have clear picture of this but for the securi-ty reasons it is not the good time to share.” He denied disclosing the number of militants active in Kashmir. “We must give im-

portance to have intelligence about the intentions, capability and plans of the militants.”The GOC also said that Army has learnt a lesson from June 24 militant attack in Hyderpora area of Srinagar in which eight soldiers were killed. “We have modified our SOP. Army, police

and other security agencies are on job to nab the attackers. Overall security situ-ation in Kashmir was under control,” he said.“We have a very effec-tive intelligence grid in place. There is lot of synergy between

different agencies. We will take on the challenge,” he said, add-ing that alert troops at the Line of Control (LOC) would not al-low the militants to sneak in,Lt Gen Singh said that it was because of alertness of soldiers at the LoC that these heavily armed militants were killed in Keran and Machel sectors. “I am proud and congratulate troops

for doing this commendable job, “he said The Corps Commander claimed that people of Kashmir were helping the forces in intelligence gathering. “JK Police has also excellent intelligence network and they are doing extremely good job,” he said, adding that all security agencies operating in Kashmir were having excel-lent synergy. Meanwhile, a late evening army handout has put the death toll at four. Based on specific information from intelligence agencies re-garding likelihood of terrorists attempting infiltration in Mach-hal Sector of the Frontline Divi-sion in Kupwara of North Kash-mir, alert troops detected move of 5 to 6 terrorists in a nala, on own side of the Line of control –at about 0600hrs in the morning. On being challenged by the troops, the terrorists opened fire. The terrorists were effec-tively engaged, resulting into killing of two terrorists. The

See Training Camps on Pg. 11

Taliban launch major attack on Pakistani prison, free 300 inmatesIslamabad, July 30:

Pakistani Taliban disguised as policemen attacked a prison in the country's northwestern town of Dera Ismail Khan, freeing more than 300 prisoners late on Monday. The jail officials said that several of the prisoners, four security personnel and two assailants were killed in the attack. The prison was housing at least 5000 prisoners, 250 of them hard-core militants. Malik Qasim Khattak, advi-sor to the ministry of pris-ons, said that around 50 to

60 gunmen attacked the jail with bombs and guns before entering into the detention

facility. "They detonated about 60 bombs inside the facility which caused the

collapse of prison wall. The assailants succeeded in freeing more than 300 pris-oners," Khattak said, add-ing that the militants blew up two electricity trans-formers which created com-plete darkness. While accepting respon-sibility for the attack, the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) had claimed that their attackers had freed around 300 inmates. "We had sent around 150 fighters including a squad of suicide bombers. The aim was to free the inmates and it was a successful action

See Taliban on Pg. 11

Srinagar, July 30:

Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah Tuesday im-pressed upon the youth to rely on their own potential and ability to revolution-ize the State’s economy. He asked them to put their talent in use and become agents of socio- economic transformation“How long the State would wait for outside Big Busi-ness to invest here. We have to steer our economy on our own terms and con-ditions and by our own means”, Omar told stu-dents at Amar Singh Col-lage here and added that while his government is

continuously endeavour-ing to rope in outside in-vestors to become partners in economic growth and employment generation in the state, it has focussed to encourage locals in a big way to achieve the cher-ished goal of industrialisa-tion and entrepreneurship development.

Giving replies to the ques-tions in an interaction ses-sion with students after in-augurating Institution of Mathematical Sciences in Amar Singh College Com-plex here this morning, the Chief Minister said that entrepreneurship de-velopment in the

See Omar on Pg. 11

Srinagar, July 30:

Massive protests rocked Doda district of Jammu region on Tuesday following the killing of a tenth stan-dard boy allegedly by members of Village Defence Committee last night. Even as police has registered a case, it refused to comment about the involvement of VDC members be-hind the attack, stating that it continues to be mysterious so far. Reports quoting locals

told KNS that the last night, a boy Shamim Ahmad Lone (16) son of Abdul Waheed was found dead around 10 p.m. near a brink kiln owned by his family near Gulabad Nowtass Thathri Doda where he had gone to check something. People alleged that they heard fire shots before finding the boy in pool of blood near the kiln. After mourn-ing the death for the entire night, protesters carrying the body

See Protest on Pg. 11

Mysterious death of boy triggers protest

in Doda

Shahana

Srinagar, July 30: Of late BoP-EE, a professional body to con-duct the examination for vari-ous professional courses, has hit the headlines of local pa-pers but for negativity which has engulfed its performance. Eveybody supported BoPEE including the local press as in the past nothing came to the notice of the people which could damage its reputation except a human error here and there. But suddenly, things changed when it was forced to cancel the papers because of some irregularities, allegedly deliberate leakage of papers, mismanagement and lack of a

swift decision making which could have safeguarded the fu-ture of thousands of students. But it was not so. Firstly a dilly-dally, denial of the facts and ultimately, after a public out-cry and govt. pressure, the leaked papers were cancelled and new dates announced for holding the examination. But it is unfortunate that BoPEE, perhaps does not know and un-derstand that most of the pro-fessional institutions outside the state have finalized their admissions. The candidates who are not selected, now have already lost a chance to compete outside the state as most of the candidates do not apply thinking that they are

so meritorious that they will be selected and have no need to apply anywhere else. The claim of BoPEE to have con-ducted CET-2013 successfully is nothing but a laughing stock for those who know what has happened. This paper always a supporter of BoPEE had op-posed tooth and nail the govt. decision for taking away the powers of BoPEE as regards the selection of the candi-dates in different streams for the agriculture universities of the state. However, keep-ing in view, the last mess cre-ated by this body which had earned a name in the past, one can very well understand the logic behind the govt. deci-

sion regarding the agriculture courses. Every professional body which is engaged into the selection of candidates for various professional courses have varied responsibilities on its shoulders. These bodies have to establish their cred-ibility and their reputation in the general public so that everybody develops faith in the selection process and no finger of suspicion are raised on their overall performance transparency and credibil-ity. Shockingly the BoPEE has lost everything. It’s credibility its prestige is at stake because of its own deeds. How can a paper be leaked, fixed or sold in advance to affluents un-

less the insiders are in league. Insiders in league cannot be the minons and placed in the lower rungs of the adminis-tration of BoPEE. Those can be highly placed who have access to the question papers and can break the secrecy at will. The Govt. has to think about it and a through probe has to be ordered which will bring to books the culprits, so that they are punished under law of land. BoPEE is headed by a chairman and the body is autonomous. The powers of this body revolve around one person. This system is totally against the autonomous cul-ture as most of similar bodies are supervised by a full board

and the appointment of the board is done so meticulous-ly that no dishonest person makes his way in the Board. The most important thing that Govt. should do is to appoint a core-group of three to four members on the basis of equal amongst the equals in the rank of chairman so that no space is left for any loop holes and discrepancies; the whole core group will be responsible for taking the decision of the board. In this way, the public faith and trust will be restored besides the credibility of BoP-EE, which at this time has touched the lowest ever. The candidates have their

See BoPEE on Pg. 11

CMYK

CMYK

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WEdnESdAY July 31 | 2013 | 21 Ramzan 1434 AH | PAGES 12 | VOL nO: 3 | ISSUE nO: 186 | RS: 2/- (AIR SURCHARGE FOR JAMMU /dELHI/LEH 50 PAISA)Pen For JusticeLargely Circulated, No. 1 Bilingual Daily of J&K

Militant training camps still active across LoC: GOC 15-Corps

Jammu, July 30:

Reiterating his resolve to carry forward the mission of ending State's political and economic despair, patron of the Peoples Democratic Par-ty (PDP) Mufti Moham-mad Sayeed today said that his party has a prag-matic roadmap for the resolution of Kashmir problem by involving all stakeholders includ-ing India, Pakistan and people of Jammu and Kashmir.“We will take our agen-da to the all parts of the country to convince the

countermen to accept PDP’s practical road-map for restoring last-ing peace in Jammu and

Kashmir”, Mufti said while addressing a func-tion organised in connec-tion with the foundation day of the party here to-

day. He said that PDP’s roadmap was the viable, credible and pragmatic solution for addressing internal and external dimensions of Kashmir problem.Mufti reminded the gath-ering that PDP’s peace and reconciliatory poli-cies were appreciated and endorsed by the suc-cessive governments at New Delhi.“PDP has shown in the past that it can facilitate the resolution process with prudence, and it is ready to shoulder the re-sponsibility of taking

See Mufti on Pg. 11

PdP convinced both ndA and UPA to follow its pro-peace agenda: Mufti

‘Ladakh not heading

towards UT status’

Srinagar, July 30:

Opposing the bifurcation of state of Jammu and Kashmir on Talangana lines, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah Tuesday said that he believes it is very impor-tant that State like Jammu and Kashmir even with its diversity should always re-main united.Talking to reporters on the sidelines of a function at Amar Singh College Srinagar, Omar Abdullah warned that the states cre-ated on the basis of agita-tions could act as incentive to those who are agitating for similar demands from other parts of the country.“Are you encouraging people that you agitate for few years and you will get a separate state. What you would reply to the people of Jammu if they come on

roads and would demand for a separate state. Would you tell them keep on agi-tating for 8 to 10 years and your demand would be ful-filled,” Omar said.He said that Talangana sort of precedent that we have set to create States on the basis of agitation is a

See Bifurcation on Pg. 11

Omar opposes bifurcation of J&K

Question mark on overall performance of BoPEE. why?

http://www.zabarwantimes.com

Islamabad, July 30:

Mamnoon Hussain, a vet-eran Pakistani politician and Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's trusted ally, was elected president today in a vote by legislators for the largely ceremo-nial post of head of state.Hussain, 73, will be sworn in on Sept. 9 at the presi-dential palace due to be vacated by incumbent Asif Ali Zardari, who is stepping down at the end of his five-year term.Ousted in a bloodless coup in 1999, Sharif's Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) party swept back

into power in a May vote that marked the first tran-sition between civilian governments in a country ruled by the military for more than half its history.The new president was elected by an electoral col-

lege made up of members of the two houses of parliament and assemblies in Pakistan's four provinces.Given its domi-

nance in parliament, the PML-N was guaranteed a walkover even before the main opposition party, the Pakistan People's Party (PPP), announced it was

See Pak President on Pg. 11

Mamnoon Hussain elected Pak President

Omar describes young generation agents of transformation

Army claims 4 intruders killed at LoC

New Delhi, July 30: The Congress Working Com-mittee (CWC) on Tuesday unanimously passed a reso-lution for creation of Telan-gana state.A special meeting of the Union Cabinet has been convened on Wednesday, apparently to discuss the issue of separate Telangana state.Sources said a special Cabi-net meeting has been con-vened on Wednesday morn-ing but did not disclose the

See Telangana on Pg. 11

Cong, UPA endorse

Telangana state

Governor hosts IftaarSrinagar, July 30: Mr. N. N. Vohra, Governor, hosted Iftaar at Raj Bhavan, here this eve-ning.Mr. Omar Abdullah, Chief Minister, Mr. Mubarak Gul, Speaker, Legislative Assembly, Ministers, Prof. Saif-ud-Din Soz, MP and President JKPCC, MPs, Legislators, Judges of the High Court, Chief Secretary, Director General of Police, Corps Commander XV Corps, Vice Chancellors, senior Civil, Police and Security Forces officers and prominent citizens participated in the Iftaar.The participants offered prayers af-ter breaking their fast by taking sweetened milk and dates.

Man injured in bear attackSrinagar July 30: A 35 years old Mohammad Ashraf Sheroo son of Ghulam Mohammad resident of Bathin, Khrew was attacked and injured by a bear in the forest area of Bathin, in the jurisdiction of Police sta-tion Pampore. The injured was shifted to SMHS, Srinagar for treatment.

Body of drowned person recoveredSrinagar July 30: The body of drowned person was retrieved from Jehlum in Bandipora last evening.The body of Syed Irfan Ahmad Geelani son of Syed Aashiq Hussain resident of Safapora, Asham was fished out near Zonopora, Asham. He was drowned in river Jehlum on 28-07-13. The body of deceased was handed over to his relatives for last rites.

Power shutdown on August 01Srinagar, July 30: According to Power Controller, Power Devel-opment Department, Kashmir, in order to carry out urgent repair work on the 11 KV Switchgear to ensure reliable power supply to the consumers, power supply from the Centaur Receiving Station shall be af-fected on August 01, 2013 from 09 a.m. to 05 p.m.The power supply to the areas fed from these lines shall re-main affected on the said dates and time.

Mega Lok Adalat week at GanderbalGanderbal, July 30: Chairman District Legal Services Author-ity Ganderbal has informed that a Mega Lok Adalat week will be organized at District Headquarter Ganderbal, from 12th to 17th of August. As per the Programme Schedule, the Mega Lok Adalat will be held at District Court Complex Gander-bal on 12th and 16th August, at Tehsil Kangan on 14th and 17th August and a Mobile Lok Adalat would be held on 13th August. Interested parties have been asked to submit applica-tions before the concerned courts by or before 07-08-2013.

Erring traders fined Anantnag, July 30: To ensure availability of quality essen-tials to the consumers during Jumut-ul-Vida, Shab-i-Qadr and Eid-ul-Fitr, market checking has been intensified in Anant-nag district. On the directions of Deputy Commissioner An-antnag, market checking squad comprising of Tehsildar Anant-nag, officials of CAPD, Police and Municipal Council Anant-nag today checked the different markets of Anantnag town and fined erring traders. Five err-ing traders were fined Rs. 1700 during the checking besides 90 kgs of rotten vegetables and 70 kgs of substandard sweets were destroyed on the occasion. Giving details on the occasion, Tehsildar Anantnag revealed that during the holy month of Ramadhan a fine of Rs. 26700 have been realized from erring traders besides destroying 13.40 quintals of rotten vegetables and one quintals of milk.

SRINAGAR, JULY 30

Minister for Rural Devel-opment and Panchayati Raj, Ali Mohammad Sagar Tues-day said that the government has already appointed 3473 persons as technical and sup-porting staff under MGNREGA so that the implementation of this landmark scheme is speeded up.

The Minister was interact-ing with the deputations of Sarpanches and Panches from Shopian and Tangdar here Tuesday.The Minister said that the government has ensured that implementation of various schemes of the Rural Develop-ment Department are speeded up so that the people get ben-efitted from these schemes. He said that MGNREGA has regis-tered a phenomenal increase in its implementation provid-ing the much needed employ-

ment in rural areas besides creating infrastructure.

“The schemes has been instrumental in changing the socio-economic profile of the rural and far-flung areas and

we have put in a foolproof mechanism to ensure its proper implementation so that the genuine beneficiaries get benefitted from it”, he said and maintained that the neces-sary measures have also been put in place to ensure that the complaints if any are also redressed within the shortest possible time.

Sagar further maintained that government has put in place a vibrant Panchayati Raj set up by ensuring the em-powerment of PRIs with pow-ers of 14 vital departments. He

said that the panches and Sar-panches should work in close coordination with the officers of different departments so that sustained and need based development of their respec-tive areas is ensured.

The Minister assured the deputations that their genuine grievances would be looked into and redressed.

SRINAGAR, JULY 30:

Stressing the need for allocation of ad-equate funds for taking up comprehensive and effective conservation and manage-ment of State’s wetlands, Chief Secretary Mohammad Iqbal Khandey Tuesday while emphasising the importance of wetland

conservation called for full funding of the projects submitted by the State Govern-ment to the Centre for implementation of the Conservation and Management Ac-tion Plan of wetlands.Chairing a meeting to review the developmental activities of Wular, Mansar and Tso-Morari lakes here,

Chief Secretary underlined the importance of preserving wetlands, terming them vi-tal for maintaining the lifeline and rich and unique bio-diversity.

Chief Secretary asked the concerned to pursue the matter with Government of In-dia and ensure that funds to the tune of Rs 386 Crore as earlier projected by the State

for Wular Conservation and Management are released. He said Rs 120 crore plan approved by the Centre is not sufficient for carrying out an effective conservation programme.Chief Executive Officer, Wular Conservation and Management Author-ity (WUCMA), Mr Abdul Razzak informed

the meeting that 100 per cent demarca-tion of Wular Lake has been completed. Moreover, the lake area has been classified and identified into 109 micro-water sheds out of which 24 have been prioritized for treatment. The Chief Executive Officer said that dredging work has been carried out in NazNallah and other parts of the lake. Removal of willow and poplar trees is also under progress. He said that till date Rs 30 crore have been released for water management, catchment conservation, survey, demarcation and institutional de-velopment adding that during 2013-14, an amount of Rs 43 crore is envisaged to be utilised under the total 120 cr approved Plan.Calling for massive afforestation of Mansar-Sruinsar catchment area, Chief Secretary said that steps should be taken to prevent soil erosion and arrest flow of silt into the lake. It was informed that un-der PMRP, Union Government approved a 5 year Action Plan of Rs 3 crore against which Rs 1.33 crore have been released and expenditure of Rs 132.20 incurred upto 2012-13. An amount of Rs 52.75 Lakh is envisaged to be utilized during 2013-14 for restoration of degraded habitat and other works.

SRINAGAR, JULY 30:

With a view to capturing available local market share for the cement appropriately, the Government decided to set up one more 1000 Tonnes per day cement plant in public sector on the available about 240 kanals of vacant land at the existing J&K Cements plant at Khrew in District Pul-wama.

Decision to this effect was taken at the 97th meeting of the Board of Direc-tors of Jammu & Kashmir Cements Lim-ited presided over by the Minister of State for Industries & Commerce (Independent charge) Sajad Ahmad Kichloo, who is also Chairman of the Company.

Decision to install a new cement plant at Khrew was taken to fill the gap in demand and supply of cement in the local market as according to preliminary survey, the requirement of cement in the State is about 30 Lakh M/Tonnes per year, against the installed capacity of about 15 Lakh M/Tonnes annually with an average growth rate of 10% per annum which clearly indicates that installation of additional cement plant would

be a feasible venture.The Commissioner Secretary, Industries &

Commerce, Shanmanu, Director Budgets Dr. Ishaq Wani, Director Geology & Mining Farooq

Ahmad, Managing Director J&K Cements Ltd. R.K. Razdan, representatives of Planning and Power Development Deptt. and concerned of-ficers also attended the meeting.

The Board also approved the proposals for

various schemes of diversification and expan-sion so that the Company gains strength in the private market and also adopts diversification mode, as a result of which the Company will get

strengthen in its position financially also.The meeting also discussed threadbare the

status of the up-coming Rs. 27.00 Crore 300 MTD Clinker Grinding Cum Packing Unit at Sam-ba. It was noted that the unit is at final stage of

completion and shall be put on Trial Run within a fortnight. The meeting also approved that the cement produced from this unit be sold under the Brand name of Chenab Brand.

The meeting also approved enhance-ment in the Gratuity ceiling from existing Rs. 3.50 Lakh to Rs. 10.00 Lakh for the em-ployees of the company.

Speaking on the occasion the Minister called for bringing both qualitative and quantitative improvements in the func-tioning of plant without compromising on the quality. He said Company should com-pete in a befitting manner. He also asked the Management of the Corpn. to further focus towards Corporate Social Respon-sibility (CSR) and the Company should maintain Eco-friendly atmosphere in and around the cement plant.

Briefing about the fiscal and finan-cial achievements made during 2011-12 and 2012-13, it was noted with satisfaction

that the company has shown growth of 47% in two consecutive years and earned profit of Rs. 8.35 Crores in two years. Managing Director, Razdan assured that the company will strive hard to excel in future as well.

Other people’s stubborn attitudes may hinder your progress today, Aries, so take this as a hint that you might need to loosen your grip on a certain viewpoint you’re fiercely clinging to. There’s a great deal of power behind your emotions, and you need to express it. Jump onstage and take the podium. Speak your mind even if you don’t always agree with the group.

People are going to appreciate extra long hugs today, Gemini, so give them out like candy to everyone you meet. A kind gesture and warm word won’t be forgot-ten. Let your generous and kind spirit shine through. Open your arms wide to spread love to the world around you. It’s the perfect day for laughter and affection, so do your part.

Things should go extremely well for you today, Can-cer, so don’t shy away from any part of it. In fact, take this opportunity to shine as brightly as you can. Crank up the power and project yourself out to the world. Bring out your radiant smile as often as possible - it’s contagious. There is tremendous power behind your self-confidence.

Come out of serious mode for a day and let yourself laugh, Leo. Hold a game night at your home and invite some good friends over to play cards and nibble on snacks until all hours. This is a day to have fun, so let loose and freely express yourself in the best way you see fit. Realize how much power you have in your jovial na-ture. Spread it generously.

You have an incredibly strong influence on others today, Virgo, just because yours is a fun-loving, peace-ful, and harmonious nature. Your charm will take you any place you want to go, so use it at your will. Accentu-ate the positive and walk on the sunny side of the street. Smile and bring good cheer to the people you meet.

Put your aggressions away today, Libra. Laugh a little! Transform your energy from intense, hard, and caustic to lighthearted, fun, and loving. This will take you a long way. Little things may crop up that could disrupt your daily routine, but a warm smile is all you need to defuse any frustration or negativity.

It’s a terrific day for you, Scorpio. Your jovial ap-proach to every situation is just what the doctor or-dered. Spend time with children and enjoy their magi-cal world. Freely spread your love and affection to the people around you. Make sure that the corners of peo-ple’s mouths are turning up instead of down. A friendly attitude will take you far.

Take a time-out today and relax a little, Sagittar-ius. Let your romantic nature have some fun. Don’t feel guilty about not being as serious as you think you should be. The day’s winner is the one who can smile the most. Enter this contest with the intention of win-ning. The rewards will last a long time. The people you encounter won’t be able to help but smile back.

You might find that others have a “me first” attitude that doesn’t sit quite right with you, Capricorn. You may need to wake them up and say, “Hey, what about everybody else?” Try not to whine as you deliver this message. Desperation or complaining will get you no-where. Be friendly and jovial in your approach and you will have the world at your feet.

Bask in today’s warm, loving energy, Aquarius. Adopt an attitude of gratitude and look to see the beauty in everything around you. This is a day to appreciate what you have, especially the people who love you. Compliment others and let them know how much they mean to you. These words and deeds will have a ripple effect that will bring you a great deal of good fortune.

I t’s time for you to come out of hibernation, Pisces. Shake off the blues and come into the light. Today is a day to play and have fun. The mood of the day is light-hearted and jovial, so be the first with a joke or silly story. Do what you can to make others laugh. Let the fire within you burn at its brightest.

People may be a bit critical of you today, Taurus. You would do well to listen to what they say. Be recep-tive of feedback so you can establish a healthy ego. Keep your sense of humility. You may feel critical as you see people moving like sloths compared to your lightning quick mind. Be patient with others.

Government to set-up one more 1000 MTD cement plant at Khrew: Kichloo

Chief Secretary reviews Wular, Mansar and Tso-Morari Conservation activities

Daily ZABARWAN TIMES NEWS Srinagar |wedneSday 31 .7 .2013

School Education Coordination Committee

calls on Dy CMSRINAGAR, JULY 30: Deputy Chief Minister, Tara Chand Tues-

day said that Government is committed to mitigate the grievanc-es of employees of education department and several initiatives have been taken to fill up available vacancies by promotions and through SSRB. He said that promotion case of class IV employees is being sorted out and due consideration will be given to the is-sue besides other issues confronting them within shortest pos-sible time.

Deputy Chief Minister was interacting with a deputation of School Education Employees Coordination Committee (SEECC) who called on him this afternoon here Tuesday. The Deputation was led by President EJAC and Chairman SEECC, Abdul Qoyum Wani and Vice President Nusrat Ahmad Beig.

Various Heads of the Departments were present on the oc-casion, including Director School Education Kashmir, Director School Education Jammu, State Project Director, SSA and Director RMSA.

The deputations expressed their gratitude to Deputy Chief Minister for issuance of promotion orders and also for filling up large number of vacant posts of teaching and non-teaching cad-res.

Deputy Chief Minister assured the deputation that all pend-ing genuine issues will be solved by the Government in a phased manner.He said that Government is contemplating to constitute Education Board for framing educational policies besides for-mulation of Right to Education Act is also under its active con-sideration.Expressing satisfaction over the functioning of Private Schools Fee Structure Committee, Deputy Chief Minister said that most of the schools in private sector are ready to cooperate and fix genuine fee for students of various classes, studying in their schools.Deputy Chief Minister further said that SSRB has been directed to speed up filling up of posts referred by Education De-partment and make selection as early as possible.

Mian Altaf for judicious utilization of fundsStresses for starting timely plantation in Jammu

JKP hosting All India Police Golf Tournament in Srinagar: Prasad

3473 appointed as Technical Staff under MGNREGA: Sagar

SRINAGAR, JULY 30:

Asking for judicious utilization of funds, the Minister for Forests, Ecol-ogy and Environment, Mian Altaf Ahmad urged upon the officers to prioritize all

those projects which are targeted to be completed during this financial year.

The Minister was chairing an officer’s meeting of the Forest Department here Tuesday convened to review the alloca-

tion of funds to different wings of the de-partment for current fiscal.

Commissioner Secretary Forests be-sides other heads of various wings of the department were present on the occa-sion.He asked Commissioner Secretary

to release funds to different wings which included wildlife, soil conservation, forest, social forestry etc as per the priority fixed by their heads to ensure proper imple-mentation of plans.

The Minister directed concerned of-ficers to start timely plantation in Jammu division besides launching an awareness programme about the availability of plants in forest nurseries. He asked them to carry out plantation on large scale on

available chunk of forest land besides Govern-ment office land, schools and other relevant loca-tions in order to maintain ecological balance in the division.It was given out that Rs 20 lakh stands expended against total estimated cost of Rs. 66 lakh on construction of Ningli Rest House while work is in full swing on construction of Rs 22 Lakh Dooru Rest House. The meeting was told that 80 per cent work of Shopian and Bandipora Rest Houses have been completed.

Earlier, the Minister reviewed the status of

the forest clearance issues required for proposed Keeru and Kawar power proj-ects and directed concerned officer to complete the process expeditiously in view of the importance of the issue.

SRINAGAR, JULY 30:

17th All India Police Golf Tournament would be hosted by Jammu and Kashmir Po-lice. The tournament being held in Srinagar would begin fromOctober 8 and conclude on October 10, 2013. This was disclosed by the Direc-tor General of Police (DGP), Ashok Prasad while chairing a high level meeting of senior police functionaries at Armed Police Headquarters here Tuesday. The meeting was convened to discuss the ar-rangements for the national event being held at world famous Royal Spring Golf Course at Srinagar.Address-ing the meeting, Prasad dis-closed that 100 players, rep-resenting different 26 States and Central Police Organiza-tions of the country would be participating in the three day long tournament. He said that

Jammu and Kashmir Police is hosting the national event for the third time and earlier the tournament was held in Sri-nagar in 2002 and 2005. The first tournament was held at Shillong in October 1996 and the 16thevent of tournament was held in Haryana, said the DGP.Prasad added that the 11th All India Police Golf Championship held in 2007 in Punjab was lifted by the team of JKP. He said that the Organization has been host-ing various national sports events in different disciplines including All India Police Football Championship, All India Police Wrestling Cluster and National Athletic Meet. All these national champion-ships are held under the ae-gis of All India Police Sports Control Board, said Prasad.To ensure arrangements for the prestigious tournament, vari-ous committees were con-

stituted in the meeting and the required arrangements were discussed. Lodging and boarding arrangements for the guest players were dis-cussed in the meeting and it was decided that convenient accommodation would be provided to the visiting play-ers and the management.

The DGP stressed upon the officers to work in close coordination and utilize pre-vious experiences for mak-ing the event a success. He said that the event should be given proper publicity invit-ing the golf lovers to witness the competition between national level players.Earlier, the ADGP (Armed), S. M. Sa-hai, who is Organising Secre-tary for the event, through a power point presentation ap-prised the high level meeting about the details and the re-quired arrangements for the tournament.

EC suggested for con-cession in power tariff to BPL, AAY consumers

MANASBAL, JULY 30: The Committee on Estimates (EC) of Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly headed by MLA Dr. Mustafa Kamal Tuesday directed the Power Development De-partment (PDD) authorities to formulate comprehensive plan for replacement of all wooden poles in a phased manner in the State.The Committee, which met with its members Nizam-ud-Din Bhat, Peerzada Mansoor Hussain, Syed Mohammad Rafiq Shah and Syed Nayeem Akhtar Anderabi here, gave their valu-able suggestions for further improvement in working of the PDD.Threadbare discussion was held on migrant posts, new Power Projects and other issues.The panel stressed for regular monitoring of power thefts and asked the concerned to publish the names of the erring consumers in leading newspapers. It also asked them to gear up their field functionaries and ensure registration of all illegal connections and take steps to increase revenue.Detailed discussion was also held on bill system and the Committee directed the concerned to ensure accountability in the system.The Committee suggested for concession in power tariff for Below Poverty Line (BPL) and Aantodiya Awas Youjna (AAY) consumers. Earlier, Principal Secretary PDD A.K. Mehta briefed the Committee about the activities of the department.

Among others Director General Accounts & Treasuries Je-hangir Hussain, Special Secretary Assembly Mulk Raj Singh, Chief Engineer M&RE Kashmir Muzaffar Mattoo, Chief Engineer M&RE Jammu Shahnaz Ghoni and other officers of PDD and As-sembly Secretariat attended the meeting.

E ++HHEAAL L HH5 ZABARWAN TIMES

WEDNESDAY | 31 JULY 20138 ZABARWANTIMES

Asthma inhalers can stunt growth in kids

This is the finding from a comprehensive asthma study, which has Robert C. Strunk, MD, the Donald Strominger Professor of Pediatrics at Washington University School of Medi-cine in St. Louis as the se-nior author. The study involved more than 1,000 children ages 5-12 who were treated for mild to moderate asthma as part of the Childhood Asthma Management Program (CAMP) clinical trial. The children received treatment for more than four years at eight cen-ters, including Washing-ton University School of Medicine. They were di-vided into three groups: one received twice-daily

budesonide, an inhaled corticosteroid medication; a second group received nedocromil, an inhaled non-steroid medication; and a third group received a placebo. All children received al-buterol, a fast-acting drug for relief of acute asthma symptoms, and oral cor-ticosteroids as needed for asthma symptoms. The researchers followed 943 participants in the tri-al at regular intervals until they reached adult height. Females were considered to be at adult height at age 18 or older and males at age 20 or older, Strunk said. In the first 4 1/2 years after the end of the trial, researchers took patients' height and weight every

six months. Over the next eight years, height and weight were measured once or twice a year. The mean adult height was about one-half inch, or 1.2 centimeters, shorter in the group that received budes-onide than in the patients who received nedocromil or placebo. The patients who experienced the slow-er growth were primar-ily between 5-11 years old when they began using budesonide. The slower growth took place only in the first two years of the four-year study. As the study progressed, the children who took the budesonide remained one-half inch shorter through adulthood than the chil-dren who did not use the

drug, said Strunk, who treats children with asth-ma at St. Louis Children's Hospital. "This was surprising be-cause in previous studies, we found that the slower growth would be tempo-rary, not affecting adult height. But none of those studies followed patients from the time they en-tered the study until they had reached adult height," Strunk stated. Pediatric asthma special-ists at St. Louis Children's Hospital keep a close watch on the growth of their patients who use inhaled steroids, Strunk said. They are measured at every visit, and physicians keep a growth curve. "If a child is not growing as they should, we may re-duce their steroid dose," he noted. "But we think that the half-inch of lowered adult height must be balanced against the well-estab-lished benefit of inhaled corticosteroids in control-ling persistent asthma. We will use the lowest effec-tive dose to control symp-toms to minimize concerns about effects on adult height," he added. The findings will be pre-sented at the European Respiratory Society meet-ing in Vienna, Austria, and published online in the New England Journal of Medicine

Study finds computer, television screen time directly linked to childhood obesity

SCREEN time has over-taken exercise as the most important factor in child-hood obesity and should be limited, a South Austra-lian study has found.The UniSA study looked at 2200 children aged be-tween nine and 16 years and found the length of time they spent in front of television and computer screens was a more likely indicator of being over-weight or obese than the amount of exercise they did.Study co-author and UniSA researcher Dr Carol Maher said screen time now made up about one quarter of waking time for the age group."In the past two decades, young

people's physical activ-ity behaviour has been the subject of scores of inter-ventions but, in compari-son, interventions aimed at reducing screen time have been relatively un-common," she said."Our findings suggest that screen-time reduction may be a more effective target behaviour for intervention studies aimed at reducing overweight and obesity among children."The study found there were about two and a half times as many obese study subjects classed in the category of high-screen-time and low-exercise (10.7 per cent), as in the low-screen-time and high-exercise category (4.3

per cent).Dr Maher said the value of physical activity also should not be underesti-mated."Increased likelihood of a young person being overweight or obese was more strongly and consis-tently associated with high screen-time than with low physical activity," she said."Findings underscore the need for interventions targeting screen behav-iour in young people."Dr Maher said the study, pub-lished in the latest edition of Acta Paediatrica, was carried out because there was debate in the scientific community about which factor had the stronger as-

sociation with obesity.The children's behaviour over 24-hour periods was studied and they were di-vided into groups based on high and low activity, as well as on high and low screen use, according to national guidelines.Low-activity children ex-ercised for less than 60 minutes each day and high screen-time children failed to meet national guide-lines."Increased likelihood of overweight or obese was often associated with high screen time, but only sometimes and less strongly associated with low ... physical activity," Dr Maher said.

High Blood Sugar Levels Linked to Brain Shrinkage

The Australian study of nearly 250 non-diabetic men and women found those with high blood sugar levels tended to have shrinking in brain areas linked to memory and emotional process-ing. The results held up even after controlling for lifestyle factors such as smoking and weight.“If replicated, this finding may contribute to a re-evaluation of the concept of normal blood glucose levels and the definition of diabetes,” wrote study author Dr. Nicolas Cher-buin, director of the Neu-roimaging and Brain Lab at Australian National University in Canberra, Australia.Previous research has

linked diabetes, a disor-der in which blood sugar levels are abnormally high, to age-related cogni-tive decline. But the new study, published Monday in the journal Neurol-ogy, suggested controlling blood sugar levels could boost cognitive health in non-diabetics.How exactly? The jury’s still out.Some studies suggest blood sugar control can help regulate the body’s inflammatory response, which has been linked to brain shrinkage. Another theory is that high sugar levels make the blood stickier, raising the risk of clots that starve the brain.Either way, experts said,

the study supports healthy eating to keep blood sugar levels in check.“This in line with many other studies that have been published and adds to all of the data on diabe-tes affecting brain health,” said Dr. R. Scott Turner, director of the Memory Disorders Program and a professor of neurology at Georgetown Univer-sity Medical Center, who was not involved with this study.For non-diabetic patients with high blood sugar lev-els, Turner recommended adopting the American Diabetes Association diet, which is high in non-starchy vegetables and low in carbohydrates and protein.

Household chemicals can give you heart diseaseExposure to perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), a manmade chemical used in the manufacture of some common household products, may lead to cardiovascular disease and peripheral arterial disease, a new study has warned.Surveys have suggested that PFOA (widely used in the manufacture of products such as lubricants, pol-ishes, paper and textile coatings, and food packaging) is detectable in the blood of more than 98 per cent of the U.S. population.Some evidence has suggested that an association may be biologically plausible between PFOA exposure and cardiovascular disease (CVD), according to the study back-ground.Anoop Shankar, M.D., Ph.D., and colleagues from the West Virginia University School of Public Health, Morgantown, examined the as-sociation between serum (blood) levels of PFOA and the presence of CVD and PAD, a marker of athero-sclerosis, in a nationally represen-tative group of adults. The study

used merged data from the 1999-2000 and 2003-2004 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES).The study suggests that increasing serum PFOA levels were positively associated with the presence of CVD and PAD, and the associa-tion appeared to be independent of confounders such as age, sex, race/ethnicity, smoking status, body mass index, diabetes mel-litus, hypertension and serum cholesterol level, the authors comment."Our results contribute to the emerging data on health effects of PFCs [perfluoroalkyl chemicals], suggesting for the first time that PFOA exposure is potentially re-lated to CVD and PAD. However, owing to the cross-sectional na-ture of the present study, we can-not conclude that the association is causal," the researchers said.Compared with the reference level of PFOA in quartile 1, the multivariable odds ratio among participants in quartile 4 was

2.01 for CVD and 1.78 for PAD, according to the results."In summary, in a represen-tative cross-sectional sample of the U.S. population, we found that higher PFOA lev-els are positively associated with self-reported CVD and objectively measured PAD. Our findings, however, should

be interpreted with caution be-cause of the possibility of residu-al confounding and reverse cau-sality. Future prospective studies are needed to confirm or refute our findings," the researchers concluded.The study was published online by Archives of Internal Medicine, a JAMA Network publication.

5 Teas that make you slim!The brew that energises can

also help you lose weight. Here's

how... It's widely known that just one cup of tea can prevent strokes, arthritis, tooth decay and even keep cancer at bay. While it's regarded as nature's tranquiliser for its soothing proper-ties, the brew also has another great benefit - it helps shed weight. Scien-tists have shown that tea has high levels of compounds that battle the absorption of fat.

Here are 5 teas that can result in a

slimmer you... Star anise tea: promotes digestion Star anise, the fruit of a small ever-green tree (Illicium verum) native to China, can be used in the treat-ment of digestive troubles such an upset stomach, diarrhea, nausea etc. One may drink a tea made from it by

steeping a whole pod in one cup of hot water for 10 minutes. Strain this and sweeten it if required. Sip on this slowly when an upset stomach oc-curs.

Peppermint tea: controls what you

eat If you like peppermint tea then try and rotate that with a green tea drink as both speed up digestion and thus help you burn more calories. The peppermint leaves can be used to make a light, refreshing tea, which can be drunk either hot or chilled. To prepare the tea, take a tablespoon of fresh or dried leaves and add them to boiling water and let it steep for four to five minutes. Strain and add honey, if needed.

Green tea: builds metabolism

Research says the chemical EGCG found in green tea that speeds up the body's metabolism, is responsible for helping people lose the kilos - it can burn a whopping 70 calories a day! Green tea also raises the level of

antioxidants. It's believed the anti-oxidant catechins in green tea boost metabolism and helps burn fat (can burn a whopping 70 calories a day!) Steeping time for the tea: two to three minutes at 85 Degrees Celsius.

Rose tea: prevents constipation

One of the oldest flavouring teas available, rose tea - made by mixing fresh roses and the bud of the tea - has a major therapeutic effect on the human body. Apart from clearing toxins and beautifying the skin, rose tea contains vitamins A, B3, C, D and E and is known to act against infec-tions. It also prevents constipation and helps one lose weight.

Oolong tea: guards against obesity

Research reveals that oolong, a semi-fermented tea may have a stronger ef-fect than even green tea. It promotes fat burning is said to help reduce cholesterol and the concentration of fat in the body. About two cups per day is recommended. Steep oolong tea anywhere from 30 seconds to five minutes, for a more full-bodied cup.

E-cigarettes are equally injurious to healthElectronic cigarettes are being marketed as a potentially safer alternative to normal cigarettes, but new research has shown that they are still causing harm to the lungs.The study has also added new evidence to the debate over the safety of alter-native nicotine-delivery products.Electronic cigarettes are devices that deliver nicotine through a vapour, rather than smoke. There is no combustion involved but the nicotine in the device is still derived from tobacco. There has been much debate over the safety and ef-ficiency of the products, but little scientific evidence to support either claim.Researchers from the University of Athens in Greece aimed to investigate the short-term effects of using e-cigarettes on different people, including people without any known health problems and smokers with and without exist-ing lung conditions.The study included 8 people who had never smoked and 24 smokers, 11 with normal lung function and 13 people with either chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) or asthma.Each person used an electronic cigarette for 10 minutes. The researchers then measured their airway resistance using a number of tests, including a spirometry test.The results showed that for all people included in the study, the e-cigarette caused an immediate increase in airway resistance, lasting for 10 minutes. In healthy subjects (never smokers) there was a statistically significant increase in airway resistance from a mean average of 182 per cent to 206 per cent.In smokers with normal spirometry there was a statistically significant increase from a mean average of 176 percent to 220 percent. In COPD and asthma patients the use of one e-cigarette seemed to have no immediate effect to airway resistance.Professor Christina Gratziou, one of the authors and Chair of the ERS Tobacco Control Committee, said: "We do not yet know whether unapproved nicotine delivery products, such as e-cigarettes, are safer than normal cigarettes, despite marketing claims that they are less harmful. This research helps us to understand how these products could be potentially harmful."We found an immediate rise in airway resistance in our group of participants, which suggests e-cigarettes can cause immediate harm after smoking the device. More research is needed to understand whether this harm also has lasting effects in the long-term."The ERS recommends following effective smoking cessation treatment guidelines based on clinical evidence which do not advocate the use of such products," Professor Gratziou added.

NATION DAILY ZABARWAN TIMES

7 SRINAGARWednesday, 31 July,2013 Kashmir Thunder

Wednesday 31 . 07 . 2013

Crime and money nexus: Can-didates with criminal past are more likely to win elections

In India, if you want to be a successful politician, being a criminal can be your pass-port to success. At least this is what a recent study suggests. The analysis of self-sworn af-fidavits of candidates by Asso-ciation of Democratic Reforms (ADR) and National Election Watch (NEW) has thrown up startling facts about crimi-nalisation of politics and cor-ruption.

Candidates with a criminal past are more likely to win an election making them the preferred choice of political parties, it says. A candidate’s as-sets are likely to skyrocket after a five-year term by up to 1000 per cent.

The study, which took into account the time period between 2004 and 2013, also highlights the correlation between money and criminality.

‘Tainted’ candidates were found to be wealthier than oth-

ers. The average assets of MPs and MLAs with serious criminal cases were worth Rs.4.38 crore.

Crime and money nexus Pro-fessor Jagdeep Chokkar, who worked at IIM Ahmedabad and is a founder member of ADR and NEW, says: “(The) nexus between crime and money has been exposed... If the electoral process is governed by crime and money what moral rights do

we have to call ourselves a democracy.”Candidates with a clean record lag behind in the electoral race. According to the study, there is only 12 per cent chance of winning for a ‘clean’ candidate as com-pared to 23 per cent winning possibility for a ‘criminal’ candidate. About 74 per cent candidates with a criminal background got tickets for a second time, the study points out.Serious questions The NGO analysed the record of 7,950 MPs and MLAs who have held seats since 2004. A

total of 11,063 (18 per cent) out of 62,847 candidates have declared criminal cases against them-selves, while 5,253 (8 per cent) out of the 11,063 candidates declared serious criminal cases

The highest percentage of criminal candidates was from Shiv Sena. Of 137 Sena MPs or MLAs, 103 have declared crimi-nal cases. Out of 1,689 BJP MPs

or MLAs, 520 have declared criminal cases; while of the 2,451 Congress MPs or MLAs, 527 de-clared so. The report says 162 (30 per cent) of the 543 present Lok Sabha members face “criminal cases” and 76 others “serious criminal casesThe abnormal growth in assets of candidates also poses serious questions on their integrity as the average in-crease of assets of a common citi-zen is nowhere near the increase of politicians.

Total 62,847 candidates con-tested either state or parliamen-tary elections, of them 4,181 can-didates re-contested elections. Of these, the assets of about 1,615 candidates showed an increase of over 200 per cent, 684 showed an increase of over 500 per cent and 317 candidates of over 1000 per cent. In terms of assets, it was Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) which tops the chart with aver-age assets of a candidate being Rs.6.02 crore.

Narendra Modi’s ‘Being PM’ planGiven the current political

scenario, to ‘not’ say that Naren-dra Modi is likely to be the next Prime Minister of our country, is to risk being discarded as ignorant and naïve. Not only has the man himself dropped as many ‘obvious’ hints as pos-sible, his party itself that was initially reluctant to make him the face of the BJP, has openly given him some important po-sitions and powers. Even party stalwarts and seasoned politi-cians like LK Advani could not stop this. So, having established this as a forgone conclusion, let us look at what Modi’s plans or focus areas could be and should be, if he actually becomes the head of the next government at the centre.

In the midst of all the gloom

and doom surrounding the state of our country’s politics, there is one silver lining – the focus of elections is increasingly shift-ing from caste and religion to development. The victories of Nitish Kumar or the man him-self, i.e. Narendra Modi in their respective state elections, are befitting examples. Modi, sens-ing the mood of the nation, is very smartly playing on this agenda. This serves a dual pur-pose – it focuses on his core strength and takes the attention away from his 2002-blot. How-ever, there are some fundamen-tal questions that Modi needs to answer. What is the model of de-velopment that he shall follow for the country? Would he be replicating the Gujarat model? If yes, is it replicable and scal-

able enough? If not, then what is the alternative?

What would be Modi’s take on secularism and religion? He has been diplomatically and intelligently talking about in-clusive growth while simulta-neously catering to his Hindu votebank through his key aide, Amit Shah. Does he intend to make India a Hindu dominated country, thereby doing away with the complexities of manag-ing various religions? Or, does he actually plan to become as secular and inclusive as he is claiming to be?

What are his plans for the economic development of our country? How does he plan to attract domestic and foreign investors? Would he be replicat-ing the single-window clearance

model that he has successfully implemented in Gujarat?

How does he plan to manage the dissenters within his own party? There are some like LK Advani who are openly opposed to him, but there are many reluc-tant supporters even amongst his allies? What about the dis-senting coalition partners?

What about the people of Gu-jarat? If Modi moves to the na-tional level, who replaces him? Amit Shah? Would the people of Gujarat be comfortable with the replacement? Would the prog-ress of Gujarat continue?Modi is widely perceived to be dicta-torial. If true, can he continue to be a one-man army even at the national level? Would that suit the head of a democracy, the anti-thesis of dictatorship?

Batla House encounter convict Shahzad Ahmed gets life sentence

NEW DELHI: Suspected Indian Muja-hideen (IM) terrorist Shahzad Ahmed, con-victed in the 2008 Batla House encounter case, was today sentenced to life imprison-ment by a Delhi court for killing decorated police officer M C Sharma and injuring two other cops.

Additional Sessions Judge (ASJ) Ra-jender Kumar Shastri also imposed a fine of Rs 95,000 on him.

The court said that out of the fine amount, Rs 40,000 would go to the family of Sharma and Rs 20,000 to Head Constable Balwant Singh, who was injured in the encounter.

The court had yesterday reserved its verdict on the quantum of sentence to be awarded to Shahzad after hearing argu-ments from the prosecution and the defence. The prosecution had sought death penalty while the defence counsel had pleaded for leniency and a chance for reformation of the convict.The Delhi Police had argued for capital punishment on the ground that he had killed and injured on-duty police offi-cers and was involved in various other hei-nous crimes, including the September 13, 2008 serial blasts here which left 26 people dead and injured 133.

Special Public Prosecutor Satwinder Kaur had contended that there was no scope for reformation of Shahzad and equated his

case with that of Devenderpal Singh Bhul-lar and Ajmal Kasab who were awarded death penalty and the same was upheld by the Supreme Court.

On the other hand, Shahzad’s advocate Satish Tamta had said death sentence can be awarded only in rarest-of-rare cases and this one did not fall under that category.

On July 25, Shahzad was convicted for the offences of murder, attempting to cause death and various other provisions of the IPC and the Arms Act.

The court had also found him guilty of assaulting police officers and obstructing them from doing their duty.

Without questioning the genuiness of the encounter, the ASJ had said that instead of

assisting the raiding team which had ar-rived at Flat 108, L-18, Batla House, the oc-cupants, including Shahzad, had fired at it.

The raiding team of Special Cell of the Delhi Police had arrived at the flat to arrest its occupants in connection with the Sep-tember 13, 2008 serial blasts after it received information that some terrorists were holed up there.Of the five, who were residing in the flat, Atif Ameen and Mohd Sajid were killed in the encounter in which Inspector Sharma had succumbed to the bullet in-juries.Sharma was awarded the gallantry award Ashok Chakra posthumously, for the September 19, 2008 encounter in which two alleged IM operatives were killed.

The court while convicting Shahzad had raised questions over preparedness of the raiding police party which was not having bullet-proof jackets or adequate number of weapons while trying to apprehend the sus-pected IM militants whose activities came to light for the first time in 2008.

Was it “misadventure or lack of profes-sionalism or scarcity of weapons?” it had wondered.The judge had preferred to leave aside the controversy raised from certain quarters about the alleged affiliation of Shahzad with banned militant outfit IM, which is accused of carrying out a number of terror strikes in the country.

Corruption at the root of high inflation: Anna Hazare

JAUNPUR: Anti-graft activist Anna Hazare today said that steep inflation in the country was the result of rampant cor-ruption which could only be dealt with by a strong Jan Lokpal Bill.

"Inflation is a result of corruption which has made life difficult... We aim at bring-ing in a Jan Lokpal Bill which ensures that even 60 to 65 paisa misused through corruption can be used for development," Hazare told reporters here during a stop on his 'Jantantra Yatra'.

The intention of the Union gov-ernment on the Bill is not clear as it lacks

the will power, he said, adding that, "peo-ple are the key to democracy... they should elect representatives with clean and hon-est image".

Responding to a query on former as-sociate and Aam Aadmi Party founder, Arvind Kejriwal, Hazare indicated he had completely parted ways with the former.

"After he floated a political party, I've had nothing to do with Kejriwal", Hazare said.

Hazare launched Janatantra Yatra aim-ing to garner support for a new campaign demanding a strong Jan Lokpal Bill.

Students take out rally to protest pro-posed Andhra Pradesh bifurcation

VIJAYAWADA: Students from various educational insti-tutions took out a rally here on Tuesday to protest the proposed bifurcation of the state.

Over 3,000 students includ-ing girls from various colleges, under Joint Action Committee banner, led by its convenor and youth leader Devineni Avinash staged 'rasta roko' near the Indi-ra Gandhi municipal stadium in the city for over half-an-hour.

In the midst of mounting pressure from both pro and anti-Telangana leaders, the crucial Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting is scheduled this evening to take a final decision on the separate statehood issue.

The students' JAC asked the Union gov-ernment not to concede the demand of bi-furcating the state made by some political leaders for their "selfish motive" at the cost of crores of Telugu people, Avinash said.

They also demanded that the people's representatives from all political parties should resign from their posts as token protest against the proposed bifurcation.

A number of public and private sector employees from various organisations, trade union leaders and some advocates also joined the rally to support the stu-dents.

Mahabodhi temple blasts: NIA releases sketches of five suspects

The National In-vestigation Agency (NIA) has released sketches of five suspects in the July 7 serial bomb explosions at Bodh Gaya's Mahabodhi temple in Bihar.

The sketches, in-cluding one of a for-eigner, have been distributed among the public, particu-larly rickshaw-pull-ers, auto-rickshaw drivers and local civic body mem-bers, police said on Tuesday.

"NIA officials have sought infor-mation about the suspects," a police official said.

NIA has also given five telephone num-bers on which people can provide informa-tion. "NIA has assured it would not reveal the identity of those giving information," he said.

In mid-July, the NIA released two sketches of one of the suspects. "NIA is working on local suspects," the official said.

According to police, NIA officials have questioned some local people, including officials of the temple management and shopkeepers.

Ten bombs exploded in Bodh Gaya in which two Buddhist monks were injured. Three live bombs were recovered and de-fused. A special court has been established in the Patna civil court to hear the serial bombings case, said the official who is as-sisting the NIA's probe.

Maoists have denied involvement in the blasts. Bihar Police officials had sus-pected their role in the bombings. The NIA initially detained six people but released all after questioning.

The Mahabodhi temple - a Unesco World Heritage site - is where the Buddha, born in neighbouring Nepal, attained en-lightenment around 2,550 years ago.

The Telangana fallout: Reviving the Vidarbha, GJM, Bodoland movementsWhether or not the Congress’ gains from

splitting Andhra Pradesh will outweigh the party’s losses, is something that can be ascer-tained only next year. However, the string of political events that will seize the country im-mediately if Telangana is allowed to assume statehood, has already started gathering steam.

A Times of India report points out that se-curity forces have already been alerted in oth-er states which are dealing with demands of separatist movements. The major movements are in states including West Bengal, Assam and Maharashtra.

Bimal Gurung, Gorkhaland Territorial Administration chief, has already declared that if the UPA forms Telangana, it should also allow Gorkhalanad to be formed.

“Our demand for Gorkhaland is older than the demand for Telangana. If the Centre

announces a Telangana state then it should also declare a Gorkhaland state,” Gurung had told reporters.

Wall art in Darjeeling de-manding Gorkhaland. AFP.Wall art in Darjeeling demanding Gorkhaland. AFP.

The demand for a separate state for the Gorkhas existed as early as the beginning of the 20th century, when an indigenous group wrote to the British administration demanding a separate administrative frame-work from that of Bengal.There have been sporadic demands for the new state through the decades, but the momentum picked up in the 1980s with Gorkha leader Subhash Ghis-ing leading a violent agitation seeking autono-my. Consequently in 1988, following sustained

protests by Ghising’s party Gorkha National Liberation front, the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council, a body with certain administrative powers, was formed.Soon, dissent started pooling against Ghis-ing, and Bimal Gurung, another flamboyant Gorkha leader, broke

away away from DGHC to start his new party – Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM). Violence has been a fixture in the hills ever since with several political groups in the same region en-gaging with violent clashes with each other.The most significant casualty recently was the murder of Madan Tamang, leader of Akhil Bharatiya Gorkha League. The players of na-

tional politics have fed on the Gorkhas’ des-peration for a new state for decades now.

In 2009, BJP promised the formation of two new states if they came to power. However, since the BJP lost at the centre, the Gorkhas’ dream continued to remain elusive. Mamata Banerjee, in her bid to overthrow the CPM government which was opposed to the idea of Gorkhaland, colluded with the leaders prom-ising them autonomy.Tehelka reports that the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) was formed immediately after Baner-jee came to power in 2011, giving the Gorkhas a semblance of an autonomous administra-tion. However, as time passed, Banerjee too ended up being a killjoy for the Gorkhas. Te-helka reports:But Darjeeling might soon see the dark days of 2008. On 29 January, Banerjee snubbed the Gorkhaland demand at a public event in Darjeeling. When a group of GJM

supporter shouted pro-Gorkhaland slogans, Banerjee said, “Bengal will not be divided and if required I can act tough”. She made this statement while sharing the dais with Gurung.Recently, with the impending split of Telangana, newly-minted Congress rival Banerjee went on a rant spree accusing the Centre of playing divisive politics. According to a report on The Hindu, she said:“Telangana cannot be compared with Darjeeling,” she has said. “Darjeeling is a part and parcel of our State… We will not allow anybody to divide and rule.”Unlike Andhra Pradesh, where Kiran Kumar Reddy, a Congress leader him-self, could be made to bend before the high command, dividing Gorkhaland will not be an easy exercise. No government in West Bengal can be made to agree to it, given that Darjeel-ing and all other hill stations are what drives tourism in the state.