CM offers all possible help to youth in civil service exams june 19

Srinagar: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah Saturday offered all possible facilities to youth in Jammu and Kashmir to crack the service examinations.
“We will ensure all possible facilities to as many students as possible so that you are able to live your dream and also live the dream of people of Jammu and Kashmir for a progressive, prosperous and a peaceful state,” he said while speaking at a Seminar-cum-Workshop on the subject ‘How to crack the civil service examination’, organized by ASCENT Group here.
“You are second to none in your capacity and ability to qualify these exams,” he told youth, asking them to inculcate interest to sit in such examinations and showing firm determination to make a mark.
The Chief Minister said that his Government would provide every sort of assistance to the students intending to sit in such prestigious and national level examinations.
“This year nine students from the State have qualified civil service examination, I would like it to be 19 next year and 50 in coming years.”
Expressing the confidence in the ability of youth of Jammu and Kashmir, he said, “I would like to see you not only as Administrative Secretaries and Heads of the Departments in the State but as Cabinet Secretary, Foreign Secretary, Home Secretary and other Union Secretaries at the National level,” said, asking youth to work hard to achieve the goal.
“To mentor you, provide you necessary trainings and other logistic support, Government is ready to work with organizations in the field to expand the ambit of support to the boys and girls intending to take the service examinations at the State and the Centre levels”, he told the large number of students participating in the workshop at SKICC and asked the ASCENT Group to come up with a proposal in this regard so that a well planned and an effective mechanism is put in place to extend the benefits of counseling and trainings to more and more students in the State.
Earlier, Chairman of ASCENT Group, Mohammad Shafi Pandit explained the aims and objectives of his Group and threw light on the workshop. He said besides creating general awareness among the students that qualifying service examinations is not an impossible task to perform. “It may be a hard nut but you can crack it”, he told the students.
Vice Chancellor, Kashmir University, Prof. Talat Ahmad in his speech extended full support to the organizations from the University for nurturing and training the youth to compete in the National level examinations. (PBI)

17 yrs on, Udhampur-Baramulla rail line still incomplete JUNE 19

Srinagar, June 19: The Udhampur-Baramulla railway line project which was announced 17 years ago is yet to be completed.
A look at the 290-kilometre railway project known as Udhampur- Srinagar -Baramulla railway line reveals that the work over the years had been marred by the delays and faults, after its announcement in 1994 by then Union Railway Minister. The project cost was estimated to be about Rs 19000 crores.
With Baramulla-Qazigund track completed 3 years ago, the work on the crucial Udhampur-Katra and Katra-Qazigund sections is still underway with 2013 and 2017 being set as deadlines respectively.
The work on 119-kilometer Qazigund-Baramulla track was finished in 2009. First the Qazigund-Budgam track was thrown open in 2008 and a year later it was extended to north Kashmir’s Baramulla town.
“There are very bleak chances about Katra-Qazigund track being completed by 2017 as the work is going on at a very slow pace. The work on the project was suspended many times in the past owing to numerous factors,” a Railway official told Greater Kashmir.
The delay in construction of railway line has disappointed the politicians, businessmen and others.
“It is mockery that the project has not been completed despite three Prime Ministers of India laying foundation stone for it. I have raised the issue of delay in its completion in the Parliament. I said on the floor of the House that absence of physical link widens gap between Centre and Kashmir,” said National Conference Member Parliament from south Kashmir, Dr Mehboob Beg.
Former president of Federation Chamber of Industries Kashmir (FCIK), Shakeel Qalandar, said the promises of train connecting Kashmir Valley with Jammu have proved to be a hoax.
When contacted, Chief Administrative Officer of Northern Railways, Chahtey Ram, said the work on both the sections is underway. “We are expecting to complete the Udhampur-Katra section by December 2012. We have finished the work except tunnel number one where we are doing rectification work and boring a bypass tunnel,” he said.
“Work on Katra-Qazigund track is also on and will be completed within the set deadline,” he added.
Agency:GK

Supreme Court to hear Kanimozhi bail plea tomorrow June 19

A special Supreme Court bench will tomorrow hear the bail plea of DMK MP Kanimozhi and Kalaignar TV MD Sharad Kumar in the 2G spectrum scam case after two of the judges recused from hearing the matter.

Kanimozhi is likely to face some tough time in convincing the court to grant her bail as the case will be heard by a bench headed by Justice G S Singvi, who has been monitoring the case since the beginning and had asked searching questions to the government on the role of several influential people in the multi-crore scam.

It will be the last hope for DMK chief M Karunanidhi's 43-year-old daughter Kanimozhi, who has been in jail for almost a month, after her plea was rejected first by the special CBI court and then by the Delhi high court.

Kanimozhi and Kumar have been accused by the CBI to be involved in the illegal transaction of Rs 200 crore to Kalaignar TV which was alleged to be a bribe given by a telecom operator which had benefited in the scam.

The CBI in its affidavit filed in the apex court opposed their bail pleas on the ground that if released, they could tamper with evidence and influence witnesses.

Earlier two judges -- P Sathasivam and AK Patnaik -- before whom the matter was listed had recused themselves from the high-profile case.

Instead, Justice Singhvi, whose bench has been monitoring the case, will tomorrow hold a special hearing along with Justice B S Chauhan to decide the bail.

According to informed sources, Justices P Sathasivam and AK Patnaik conveyed their decision to recuse to Chief Justice SH Kapadia, following which he constituted another bench.

Opposing the bail plea, the probe agency contended in its affidavit that Kanimozhi and Kumar were key conspirators and Rs200 crore transferred to Kalaignar TV was part of the "bribe" amount and not a loan as claimed by the accused.

The central agency submitted the special CBI court and later the Delhi High Court carefully evaluated material evidence and other factors to refuse bail to them.

The apex court had on June 13 agreed to hear their bail plea and asked CBI to explain where the Rs200 crore, allegedly diverted to DMK-owned Kalaignar TV in 2G scam, has gone and also to file a response on their bail pleas in a week's time.

The court had also asked CBI to come out with a status report on the loss to the state exchequer due to the award of 13 licences to one of the telecom operators and trial proceedings in the CBI special court.

Kanimozhi and Kumar had moved the apex court seeking bail on June 10 challenging the Delhi High Court verdict that rejected their bail on the ground that they have strong political connections and the possibility of them influencing witnesses cannot be ruled out.

Agency:PTI

PM post Congress's birthday wish for Rahul Gandhi JUNE 18

As Rahul Gandhi turns 41 today, voices in the Congress are clamouring for the young leader to become the next prime minister. But party leaders said Gandhi alone would decide whether or not he wants the country’s top executive post.

While Congress general secretary Digvijay Singh has said that the MP from Amethi has all the qualities and capabilities to become a “good prime minister”, another party leader, Birender Singh said Gandhi would fit the role whenever the situation demands.

Digvijay Singh, who is in charge of Uttar Pradesh, is working closely with Gandhi to bring the party back to power in the country’s most populous state in next year’s assembly elections.

Digvijay Singh, who has had differences with some decisions of senior ministers, added that Gandhi was mature, with a sound understanding of social and political issues and had qualities of head and heart.

Many other leaders IANS spoke to echoed Digvijay Singh’s feelings. Congress general secretary Birender Singh said that Gandhi, son of party president Sonia Gandhi, had all the qualities to be the prime minister.

“The party is behind him. He has to take his own decision,” Birender Singh said. Congress leader Shakeel Ahmed said that most partymen had the feeling that Gandhi was capable of becoming a good leader.

Party sources said that renewed talk about Gandhi’s suitability to become prime minister has also been driven by a feeling in sections of the party that the second tenure of the UPA government has been marked by a string of controversies.

Agency:IANI

Amritsar under CCTV surveillance june 18

Crucial points in the city will be brought under surveillance.
The police, in association with the Amritsar Improvement Trust, kick-started the Intelligent City Surveillance Project here today under which 35 major intersections and places will be monitored with the help of close circuit television (CCTV) cameras round the clock.
Funded by the trust, the Rs 4 crore project will be fully operational by the year-end.
“This is a revolutionary step in the history of Amritsar city as security will now be electronically managed. This will make the Police Department more accountable besides proving a deterrent in traffic violations and petty crime,” said Navjot Singh Sidhu, BJP MP.
He said the Punjab police would be first in North India to have such an advanced surveillance system.
The 35 points have been identified by the Police Department. As many as 175 cameras, including 100 fixed cameras, will be installed.
Sidhu, while addressing mediapersons here today, said according to the company officials engaged for setting up CCTV cameras, this was one of the top five surveillance systems in the country.

Kashmiris will get freedom, says Pakistan JUNE 18

ISLAMABAD: The "sacrifices" of Kashmiris will not go in vain, a Pakistani minister said, adding that their struggle for freedom in India cannot be suppressed.

Information and Broadcasting Minster Firdous Ashiq Awan made the commitment Friday while addressing a public meeting near Sialkot town, the Associated Press of Pakistan reported.

She said the "sacrifices of Kashmiris will not go waste and they would get their birthright according to their wishes and the UN resolutions".

She added that the "conspiracies being hatched against the Kashmiris would be foiled".

The struggle of the Kashmiri people "cannot be suppressed", she added.

India accuses Pakistan of providing military and financial support to the separatist campaign raging in Jammu and Kashmir since 1989.

Islamabad denies the charge, saying it only gives diplomatic and moral backing.

The minister's public meeting came ahead of local elections in Pakistani Kashmir.

Jammu and Kashmir is divided between India and Pakistan. While Pakistan holds the northern third of the Himalayan state, the rest is controlled by India.

SOURCES IANS AND EXPRESS BUZZ.COM

South Korean military fires at civilian jetliner JUNE 18

SEOUL: Marines fired rifles at a South Korean civilian jetliner as it was descending to land after mistaking it for a North Korean military aircraft, an airline official and a news report said Saturday.

The incident took place at dawn Friday, Yonhap news agency reported, citing a military source it did not identify. The Asiana Airlines jet carrying about 119 people was undamaged and no one was hurt.

The incident highlights how persistent tensions near the heavily armed inter-Korean border pose the possibility for dangerous miscalculation. The Korean peninsula has remained in a technical state of conflict since the Korean War ended in a truce in 1953. A peace treaty has never been signed.

South Korea's Defense Ministry and civil aviation officials could not immediately be reached for comment on the Yonhap report.

An Asiana official reached by telephone confirmed that marines fired small weapons at one of the airline's planes coming from China and that there was no damage. The official, who gave his surname as Bae, referred further comment to an airline spokesman, who could not immediately be reached.

Two marine guards stationed on Gyodong island near the border fired rifle rounds at the flight as it approached Incheon International Airport west of Seoul, mistaking it for a North Korean military plane, the Yonhap report said. The jet was flying out of range of the rifles and avoided damage, it said.

The airport is located about 25 miles (40 kilometers) south of the inter-Korean border.

Yonhap quoted its source as saying the marines claimed the plane was flying off course. Bae, the Asiana official, described the plane's route as normal.

News of the incident comes as South Korea on Friday refused to send back a group of North Koreans who crossed into southern waters by boat last weekend, saying all nine have expressed the desire to defect.

North Korea has demanded the immediate repatriation of all nine people who landed on a South Korean-held island last Saturday aboard two small boats. Pyongyang warned Thursday that failure to send them back would aggravate ties between the two Koreas.

North Korea threatened earlier this month to retaliate for the South Korean military's use of photos of leader Kim Jong Il's family for shooting practice.

Seoul also blames Pyongyang for two deadly attacks that killed 50 South Koreans last year. U.S.-made missiles capable of striking Pyongyang were deployed to South Korean sites near the Demilitarized Zone earlier this year, South Korean media reports said. South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff declined to confirm the reports.