Govt to set up hydel projects on its own

Govt to set up hydel projects on its own
Archit Watts /TNS

Jammu, April 2
After the “failure” of the Army in setting up micro-hydel power projects in the state, the government has decided to execute such projects on its own.

While replying to a question of Congress legislator Vijay Bakaya, Minister of Science and Technology ASR Mehdi said today in the Legislative Council that according to a survey report, only 18 per cent of the projects executed by the Army under the Border Area Development Programme, Ministry of New and Renewable Energy and the Operation Sadbhavana were functional.

“The IREP has conducted a survey of 524 micro-hydel power projects set up by the Army, out of which 388 were found to be non-functional, 37 were non-existent and the rest 99 were found to be test-functional,” said Mehdi, during Question Hour.

Bakaya said, “The test-functional projects are also expected to be found as non-functional soon, as the Army has failed in executing such projects”. Another NC legislator, Mohammad Rashid Qureshi, asked, “Is it essential to get the work done through the Army. Isn’t there any other mechanism?”

Mehdi said, “I agree with their concern, as the work done by the Army was not up to the expectations. Earlier, we constituted a committee in this regard and now we have put up the matter before the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy”. He added, “In future, the government has decided to install all micro-hydel power projects by itself”.

Walkout by MLCs over ‘discriminatory’ attitude of acting chairman

Legislative Council in Session
Walkout by MLCs over ‘discriminatory’ attitude of acting chairman
Archit Watts /TNS

Jammu, April 2
Charging the acting chairman of the Upper House with adopting a discriminatory attitude towards opposition members, PDP leader Murtaza Ahmad Khan staged walkout twice from the House, while Panthers Party legislator Mohammad Rafiq Shah and Congress legislator Haji Ali Mohammad Bhat also walked out during the thanksgiving address before the conclusion of the ongoing Budget session.

Showing his anger over non-listing of a few of his issues, the PDP legislator staged a walkout at the beginning of Question Hour.

He said, “I had requested to list two important issues in the business of the House, but they are nowhere. This is discriminatory and I will stage a walkout”. Murtaza added, “The son of a Member of Parliament has been provided a government job out of the way, which should have been discussed in the House”.

The acting chairman, Arvinder Singh Micky, did not allow him, due to which he trooped into the well of the House and staged a walkout. However, he came back to attend the proceedings after a few minutes.

Highlighting the issue of encroachment of a graveyard’s land in the Rehari area by the Jammu Municipal Corporation (JMC), he again staged a walkout.

Later, Deputy Chief Minister Tara Chand and Minister of Law and Parliamentary Affairs Ali Mohammad Sagar called him back and assured him that the matter would be looked into. Meanwhile, a few minutes before the conclusion of the Budget session, Shah, the lone legislator of the Panthers Party in the Upper House, staged a walkout.

Legislative Council Poor hospitality at Kashmir House in Delhi triggers debate

Legislative Council
Poor hospitality at Kashmir House in Delhi triggers debate
Archit Watts
Tribune News Service

Jammu, April 1
Poor hospitality at the JK Guest House (Kashmir House) in Delhi triggered a heated debate in the Legislative Council here recently. Legislators from both the ruling and the Opposition parties while complaining about the poor infrastructure and staff deployed there, told the Minister In-charge Hospitality and Protocol Department Abdul Rahim Rather to immediately look into the matter.

The issue was discussed in the House, when Mohammad Amin Bhat of the Congress asked what steps were being taken to facilitate the legislators and other dignitaries staying at the JK Guest House in Delhi.

On this, Naresh Gupta of the Congress also added, “The bed sheets are torn, televisions are also not functioning, no heating systems have been provided at the JK Guest House. So, the department should immediately take action in this regard”.

Another legislator, BR Magrey of the Congress said, “It is more of a slaughter house than a guest house. The acting chairman has also raised this issue with the Chief Minister Omar Abdullah in a meeting, but no action has been taken in this regard as yet”.

He added, “The peons deputed there do not respond to the guests. Fresh staff should be sent from Srinagar, so that the situation could improve”.

On this, Abdul Rahim Rather accepted the guests were facing problems there. He said, “The Resident Commission has been provided with Rs 15 lakh for the purchase of furniture and furnishing of the guest house”.

Murtaza Ahmad Khan of the PDP said, “One Member of Parliament is residing at the Guest House for almost two years, despite the fact having a government owned residential accommodation in Delhi”.

Some other members namely Vijay Bakaya of the NC, Amrit Malhotra of the Congress also raised the same issue.

Meanwhile, Mohammad Amin Bhat said, “If we talk about the Guest Houses for legislators in our own state, the condition is pitiable. Even an insect will not stay there”.

After a long discussion, Rather said, “I knew the legislators will raise a number of questions, as the issue is related to them”.

Specifically replying to Murtaza’s question, he said, “Yes, it is true that MP Mohammad Shafi Uri had stayed there, as the Union Government had requested us to provide him an accommodation. Can anyone refuse Centre’s request? But now, he has shifted to the accommodation provided to him by the government”.

While replying to the questions of other members, he said, “The Resident Commission is already in the progress of upgrading the system. Besides this, the Indian Tourism Development Corporation has also been approached to organise a refresher training course for its staff in housekeeping, front office and room service”.

He also accepted the vehicles with the Guest House were in bad shape and the Resident Commission had requested the state government to replace them.

Farmers worried over silt, garbage clogging canals

Farmers worried over silt, garbage clogging canals
Archit Watts
Tribune News Service

Jammu, April 1
Farmers in the Jammu region are a worried lot as the irrigation canals into which the Irrigation Department will release water on April 14 are blocked with silt and garbage.

De-silting of the choked canals has not yet started, thus depriving farmers of water to irrigate their fields. Due to the clogged canals, canal water fails to reach tail-end areas of the region.

Dharam Chand, a farmer of Domana village, said, “After the wheat crop is harvested by April 13-15, water will be required for irrigating fields for the next crop. However, the present condition of the canals and tributaries is not good. Silt and garbage have clogged the network of canals at several places”.

He added, “Breaches have appeared in the banks of the canals and their tributaries at some places. The Irrigation Department has not repaired these breaches yet”.

Tejinder Singh, another farmer of the Hiranagar subdivision in Kathua district, said, “Almost every year the Irrigation Department carries out de-silting of the canals just to get crores of rupees from the state’s exchequer. The condition of these canals exposes the tall claims of the department, which has been claiming that it will provide adequate water to the farmers for irrigation this season,” Tejinder added.

A number of farmers alleged that the de-silting of the Ranbir canal, which is the main source of irrigation in the area, was an eyewash last year, as no serious efforts were made to remove silt.

“The labourers engaged for the purpose last year removed the silt and placed it on the banks of the canals. After the silt dried, it again fell into the canals,” said Duni Chand, a farmer.

However, officials of the Irrigation Department blame people for the condition of the canals saying, “The canals were de-silted last year, but people have thrown garbage into them”.

Irrigation Minister Taj Mohi-ud-Din, while talking to The Tribune over the phone, said, “Last year, an extensive de-silting drive was launched and silt and garbage were removed from most of the canals. There was no need to clean the canals this year”. He added, “The de-silting is done once in three years”.

DEATHS DUE TO MILITANCY 18,578 fell prey to ultras’ bullets in 20 yrs

DEATHS DUE TO MILITANCY
18,578 fell prey to ultras’ bullets in 20 yrs
Archit Watts /tns

Jammu, March 31
Since the eruption of militancy in the state in 1990, as many as 18,578 persons, including 698 politicians and 5,363 security personnel, have been killed up to February 25, 2011. Those killed also included 12,517 civilians. Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, who also holds the Home portfolio, stated this in a written reply to a question in the Legislative Council here today.

However, there was a drastic decrease in violence after 2001. Omar said, “In 2001, 1,532 persons comprising 76 politicians, 843 civilians and 613 security personnel were killed. This number decreased to 106 in 2010, as only four politicians, 33 civilians and 69 security personnel were killed last year”.

The Chief Minister added that deaths in militancy-related incidents started coming down in 2002, as 1,461 persons were killed; this number fell to 1,109 in 2003; 988 in 2004; 746 in 2005; 540 in 2006; 268 in 2007; 166 in 2008; 142 in 2009; 106 deaths in 2010; while up to February 25, 2011, one politician, four civilians and two security personnel were killed by terrorists.

In the first year (1990) of militancy in the state, about 616 persons comprising 15 politicians, 446 civilians and 155 security personnel were killed. The perusal of official documents revealed that the maximum numbers of politicians, 101, were killed in 2002, while the maximum number of 1,275 civilians were killed by militants in 1996.

The maximum number of security personnel lost their lives while combating terrorism in 2001, when 613 of them attained martyrdom.

While replying to a question by NC legislator Javaid Ahmad Rana, the Chief Minister said keeping in view these figures, the state government was trying to withdraw the AFSPA from 20 out of 22 districts of the state.

Govt depts owe Rs 605 crore as power bills to PDD

Govt depts owe Rs 605 crore as power bills to PDD
Archit Watts
Tribune News Service

Jammu, March 31
Despite the fact that the state government is suffering huge losses in the power sector, most of the government departments have not paid electricity bills for a long time. Various government departments in the state owe a whopping Rs 605 crore for unpaid electricity bills to the Power Development Department (PDD).

In a written reply to a question in the Legislative Council today, Minister of State for Power Shabir Ahmad Khan said, “The unpaid power bills as on January 2011 stood at Rs 1,024.02 crore and out of these the government departments have to pay Rs 605.06 crore”.

He added that the industry sector was to pay Rs 55.01 crore, while domestic sector Rs 216.14 crore and the agriculture sector owed Rs 147.81 crore for electricity consumed.

The minister also mentioned in the reply that the state suffered 63.04 per cent transmission and distribution losses during 2009-10, which was around 30 per cent at the national level.

Providing more details, he said in 2009-10 the state had purchased 8,274.31 MW from other states and the Centre, while 3,448.36 MW was produced in the state during the period.

During discussion on another question during Question Hour, the minister said, “The government has fixed power revenue targets of Rs 1,422.61 crore for year 2010-11”.

Replying to a question by Congress legislator Naresh Gupta, he said, “The government is committed to providing 100 per cent electricity to the metered areas in the state. If anywhere some work needs to be done, steps will be taken in this regard”.

The minister said the power consumption in the state was too high and hence the department was imposing power cuts for 8-9 hours in the un-metered or partially metered areas.

Legislative Council Pay attention to Urdu, legislators urge govt

Legislative Council
Pay attention to Urdu, legislators urge govt
Archit Watts
Tribune News Service

Jammu, March 31
Legislators cutting across the party lines in the Legislative Council today urged the state government to pay attention to Urdu, which is the official language of the state.

NC legislator Javaid Ahmad Rana raised the issue during Question Hour in the House. He asked the government whether Urdu was the official language of the state. What was its status in the official work and correspondences in courts.

Thereafter, eight more legislators spoke in the support of Javaid and grilled Minister of State for Tourism and Culture Nasir Aslam Wani over the issue. Javaid said, “We can’t see the system collapsing. The official work in all police stations is done in Urdu, but hardly any SHO knows the language. The same is the condition with tehsildars. No private school has Urdu as subject in its curriculum. Even there is no Urdu Academy in our state”.

Wani said, “As per the Section 145 of the Constitution of the state, the official language of the state shall be Urdu, and English, unless the Legislature by a law otherwise provides, continue to be used for all official purposes”.

He added, “Various government institutions, including the judiciary, are maintaining the official records partly in Urdu and partly in English. The state government is also trying to appoint Urdu teachers in the state, particularly in the Jammu region”.

Dissatisfied with the minister’s reply, the legislators urged the acting chairman of the House, Arvinder Singh Micky, to allow them a debate over the issue. Rana said, “Is there a plan for special recruitment of Urdu teachers?”

Meanwhile, Aga Syed Ahmad Rizvi of the NC said, “We don’t even get the reply to our questions in Urdu in the House”. Mohammad Rafiq Shah of the Panthers party also asked a supplementary question saying, “This issue is related to our identity and the government should pay attention towards it”. “Has the stat government any plan to make a law in this regard,” Mohammad Rashid Qureshi of the NC said. Murtaza Ahmad Khan of the PDP also asked the same question.

Replying to the members’ questions, the minister said the government was making all efforts in this regard. He added that, “First, we should use Urdu, as it was our base. Whenever we speak two sentences, we use one or two words of English. Our children are also learning Hindi in schools. So first we should use Urdu to set an example for others to follow”.

On Urdu Academy, the minister said, “So far there is no proposal in this regard”.

Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ali Mohammad Sagar said, “Union HRD Minister Kapil Sibal has already written to the state government to use Urdu in official work and we are making efforts in this regard. But this can be done only when we prepare ourselves for it”.