Dhaba owners want Nandini on state’s tourism map

Dhaba owners want Nandini on state’s tourism map
Archit Watts
Tribune News Service

Nandini, April 29
Nandini, a small village famous for its eating joints, located between Nagrota and Domel on the Jammu-Srinagar national highway, attracts a large number of tourists every day.

Pilgrims visiting Vaishno Devi shrine, tourists and locals are all fond of delicacies offered by dhabas here. However, owners of these dhabas or restaurants feel that the government has done nothing for the promotion of this place.

“The place has a scenic beauty and over the years, it has got its identification as well, as people commuting on the road prefer to relax here. Nandini has a tunnel as well that not only attracts children but also people of all age groups. But the government is reluctant to bring it on the tourism map, as nothing has been done in this direction,” said Rakesh Kumar, owner of Sharma Dhaba.

He added, “During peak hours that is breakfast, lunch and dinner time, we get a large clientele, but there is no parking lot and people have to park their vehicles on the roadside, which sometimes even leads to a mishap. It also affects our business. The government should immediate take steps for providing infrastructural facilities at this place”.

Besides Rakesh, others engaged in the same business also want Tourism Minister Nawang Ringzin Zora to take an initiative to bring this place on the tourism map of the state.

Rajinder, another dhaba owner, said, “Due to its topography, Nandini always remains cool and people from Jammu and other nearby places come here for picnic, but except for our delicacies, there is nothing much to enjoy. The government should launch a beautification drive to promote Nandini as a tourist place”.

He added, “A parking lot and a park are a must. It will not cost much, but it will do a great favour to this place”.

Nandini is located 20 km before the holy town of Katra and most pilgrims of Vaishno Devi shrine take a break here before heading for their journey.

With onset of summer, power cuts haunt people

With onset of summer, power cuts haunt people
Archit Watts
Tribune News Service

Jammu, April 27
Contrary to the claims of the Power Development Department (PDD) that the power scenario has improved in the state, unscheduled power cuts have started to haunt the people with the onset of summer, especially when the temperature is hovering around 40°C and giving sleepless nights to people. The power cuts in metered and non-metered areas across the state have already started, yet the authorities concerned seem to be in deep slumber, as there is hardly any difference in the power scenario as compared to that of last year.

Though every year the state government claims to have solved the problem, it has in fact been aggravating.

For the past few days, all major cities across the state have been reeling under power cuts, which not only affected the day-to-day life but also hit the industries. “Frequent unscheduled power cuts have already become the order of the day and we fear what will happen in the coming days. Summer has just started and power cuts up to four hours have been imposed,” said Munish Sharma, an industrialist of the Gangyal area here.

Recalling the last year’s situation, Sharma added, “Earlier the department had said there would be no power cuts in the metered areas this year, but there had hardly been any difference as compared to last year. The cuts are still continuing”. Similarly, villagers alleged that the PDD had started imposing night cuts too. “The department has not informed us about the schedule of power cuts but has started cuts for four to six hours,” said Amar Singh of Dharamsal village in Rajouri district.

Though the consumers are expecting a better summer this year, it seems the prevailing power scenario is not going to improve, as the officials concerned have failed to address the issue adequately.

“The state government purchases a large quantity of power from other states, Central and other agencies so the deficit in power generation from our own power projects hardly matters,” said Shalin Kabra, Managing Director, J&K Power Development Corporation (JKPDC). He added that they were generating the maximum power from their own projects.

Kabra said, “At present only the Baglihar-II is being repaired, as a technical snag hit it 10 days ago. But the 450 MW power project is at present generating 300 MW and the experts are trying to restore it. Besides, all our power projects are functioning well”. Similarly, the Commissioner of the PDD, Manzoor Ahmad, said, “We are trying our best and have adopted a number of policies in this regard”. However, he did not speak about the gap between the current demand and supply of power across the state. But government documents procured by The Tribune revealed that the gap between the demand and supply of power was almost 40 per cent.

More students, fewer teachers in Jammu schools

More students, fewer teachers in Jammu schools
Archit Watts
Tribune News Service

Jammu, April 27
Government schools in Jammu district have been successful in enrolling a large number of students, but most of these schools are facing a shortage of teachers, which is badly affecting studies.

Sources told The Tribune that primary, middle, high and higher secondary schools of the district were facing the shortage of teachers. Moreover, some of the schools did not even have headmasters/headmistresses to run the institutions properly, they added.

“Due to the shortage of teachers, the existing staff are being forced to take additional classes despite the fact that they are not well versed in teaching different subjects. As a result students are not being taught properly,” said a teacher on the condition of anonymity.

Government documents procured by The Tribune revealed that of the total 8,460 sanctioned posts of teacher in Jammu district, 1,546 posts were lying vacant. It added that there were 1,11,531 students enrolled in the government schools in the district, but these schools did not have the requisite number of teachers.

“A total of 1,546 posts, including 1,139 of teacher, 126 of master, 48 of lecturer and 204 posts of Rehbar-e-Taleem (ReT), are lying vacant in the district,” the documents stated.

Even Education Minister Peerzada Mohammad Sayeed accepted the fact that a large number of posts were lying vacant. He said, “We are aware about the shortage of teachers and steps are being taken to fill vacant posts so that the students get better education”.

A senior official of the Education Department said, “We have referred 608 posts of teacher in Jammu district to the Staff Selection Board (SSB) for the selection of suitable candidates. Besides, a total of 289 posts of lecturer have also been referred to the Public Service Commission”.

He added that, “Steps are being taken to recruit ReT teachers also, but due to court cases there is little progress”.

Jammu varsity set to uproot ragging

Jammu varsity set to uproot ragging
Archit Watts
Tribune News Service

Jammu, April 26
As the University of Jammu (JU) prepares for the new academic session, it has also geared itself to check the menace of ragging by launching a campaign to welcome the freshers and to provide them peaceful environment.

On its part, the state government recently passed an Anti-Ragging Bill to deal with violators more strictly.

To ensure that the directions of the Supreme Court on ragging is followed in letter and spirit, the university authorities have pasted a number of posters and pamphlets on all notice boards and important places to inform the students that ragging is prohibited.

The authorities have also uploaded UGC guidelines on ragging on the university’s website. All these measures are being taken to ensure that not even a single incident of ragging takes place.

The university has also constituted an anti-ragging squad comprising senior officials to deal with any such incident, if it occurs.

A visit to the University reveals the seriousness on the part of the authorities in deal with this menace.

A senior official of the university said, “We have appealed to the senior students to deal with the freshers as their family members”.

He added, “The students have also agreed that they will not bring a bad name to this prestigious institution by indulging in ragging”.

The university has also been taking an affidavit from the students that they will not get indulge in ragging or any other illegal activity.

“If any student found involved in any such incident, he will be expelled and booked under the law,” said the official.

However, he added that there was nothing to worry about, but “sometimes students belonging to different communities do indulge in illegal activities that’s why we are adopting preventive measures”.

Polling suspended in three villages

Polling suspended in three villages
Archit Watts
Tribune News Service

Jammu, April 25
Incidents of bogus voting and incorrect voter lists were reported in Rajouri district during the fourth phase of the panchayat elections in the Jammu division today.The complaints of bogus voting had also been made to the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) earlier, yet the “lackadaisical” approach of the officials concerned resulted in the suspension of polling at Dharamsal and Batta villages in the Raipur Kotha area and Loka village near Nowshera today.

It also resulted in minor clashes between the rival groups, as the candidates for the posts of sarpanch and panch and their supporters accused each other of indulging in bogus voting.

Senior officials of the district administration, including the local SDM, had to rush to these villages to take stock of the situation and get the polling resumed. At Dharamsal village, it was alleged that someone polled the vote of a dead woman. Similarly, at the Batta polling station in the Raipur Kotha area, another woman allegedly polled the vote of Sheila Devi, resulting in the suspension of polling from 11 am to 1 pm. At Loka village also the polling was suspended for a few minutes due to a similar incident.

However, the officials concerned claimed that everything was normal and no one was injured in the clashes.

Khwaja Ghulam Mohammad, Deputy Commissioner, Rajouri, said, “Though some minor incidents took place at three polling stations, the entire exercise concluded peacefully”. He added that, “As of now, no one has demanded re-polling and 84 per cent of the total voters exercised their right to franchise”.

Jammu gets golf course

Jammu gets golf course
Archit Watts
Tribune News Service

Sidhra (Jammu), April 24
The winter capital of J&K today got its first ever civilians’ golf course “Jammu Tawi Golf Course” on its outskirts at village Sidhra, situated on the bank of river Tawi. The golf course is still having 9-holes, inaugurated by the Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, Union Minister for New and Renewable Energy Farooq Abdullah, Union Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad, while the work is going on to expand it to 18-hole golf course.

The construction work of this golf course was started in 2007 with the keen interest of the then Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad, but it took a long time to get completed, because of Amarnath land row and some other agitations.

A senior official of the state tourism department said that it took almost Rs 20 crore to get the first phase of this golf course done. He further said that the 18-hole golf course, spread over in 1,485 kanals land would be completed by 2013. He added, “This golf course is bigger than the Royal Spring Golf Course, Srinagar.”

“The golf course is going to be an attraction point for the tourists and would be of immense help in boosting tourism in the state,” said the Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, while inaugurating the Jammu Tawi Golf Course, here. He added, “The location of this golf course is very important, as our heritage monuments like Mubarak Mandi complex, Amar Mahal have a good view from here.”

Meanwhile, the Union Minister for New and Renewable Energy Farooq Abdullah and Union Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad and a number of senior bureaucrats and the Army officials had a friendly match at the newly opened Golf Course.

Both the ministers were seen so crazy for the game that they didn’t even care body scorching heat and played for almost an hour. They also appealed the golfers from across the country to come and play here. An inaugural tournament was also organised during the occasion.

The tourism minister Nawang Ringzin Jora, minister of state for tourism Nasir Aslam Wani and a large number of bureaucrats and golfers were also present during the occasion.

Col KD Bagga (Retd), a man who calls himself “India’s Golf God” has designed the Jammu Tawi Golf Course, who charged Rs 20 lakh for it. He has, so far, designed 11 golf courses in India, mostly in Gujarat.

“This was the toughest land, as far as the issue is concerned to make a golf course here. Even the foreign architects had refused to work over here, citing the land as a reason,” said Bagga.

Golf Course: Omar gives credit to Azad

Golf Course: Omar gives credit to Azad
Archit Watts
Tribune News Service

Sidhra (Jammu), April 24
The proximity between Union Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad and Union Minister for New and Renewable Energy Farooq Abdullah and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah during the inauguration of the Jammu-Tawi Golf Course here today could have an impact on the political scene of the state.

A faction within the Congress, led by Pradesh Congress Committee chief Saifuddin Soz, has been demanding rotation of chief ministership, but the proximity between the Abdullahs and Azad is being seen as an indication in political circles that the Azad lobby is in favour of continuation of Omar as the Chief Minister.

During the inaugural ceremony of the golf course here, the trio were seen in a humorous mood. Also during the photo session, Farooq chipped in asking Azad to take the centre stage between him and his son, which turned out to be a gesture that invited the attention of both the public and the media.

Later, Omar gave the credit of the golf course to Azad, as the project had started during the latter’s regime as the Chief Minister.