By King RJ

Bhadarwah, Sept 05:- Two couples among 7 killed and two injured in two different road accidents across District Doda.

Two couples among 4 killed while one got seriously injured when a vehicle they were travelling in skidded off the road and fell into deep gorge near Doda on Monday early morning.

According to reports, An Alto car JK02AA-6168 was on it's way from Shiva to Bhadarwah, when reached at Galgandar area of Doda, on Doda-Bhadarwah highway, the driver of the vehicle lost control over the steering wheel while negotiating a curve, resulting vehicle skidded off the road and after rolling down fell into Neeru River. 

Police and locals shifted all to Associate Hospital GMC Doda, where doctors declared three of them as brought dead, while one succumbed to his injuries at Doda Hospital and Later One seriously injured who was shifted to GMC Jammu also succumbed to his injuries, taking death toll to 5.

The deceased have been identified as Vikram Singh 22, his Father Naseeb Singh 62, Mother Satya Devi 58, Retd Pharmacist Lekh Raj 63 and his wife Satisha Devi 60 all residents of Shiva Doda.

In another tragic accident, A swift car bearing registration No JK 14E-0630 met with an accident late last night at Mughal Market near Pranoo area of Doda, in which one died on the spot, one got injured while one was missing.

SSP Doda Abdul Qayoom leading the rescue operation launched by Police and locals at Pranoo area, where after 3 hours of hectic efforts, the body of missing person was fished out from Neeru River.

While confirming the incident, SSP Doda Abdul Qayoom said that total six persons got killed and two injured in two separate accidents on Doda-Bhadarwah highway. One seriously injured person has been shifted to GMC Jammu for further treatment while another is under going treatment at GMC Doda. 

"The reason of fatal accidents is not known yet as the road stretch is smooth and black-topped. We have started investigation he cause of mishap," SSP added, appealing that people traveling on the hilly roads should strictly adhere traffic rules, avoid rash and drunken driving.

The deceased have been identified as Sajjad Ahmed S/O Fateh Mohd R/O Tangorna Bhadarwah and Ravinder Kmr S/o Bansi Lal R/O Himote Bhadarwah, while the injured has been identified as Piyush Kumar S/O Rishi Kumar R/O Chinta.

Vice-Chairperson DDC Doda Sangeeta Bhagat expressed grief and sarrow over the loss of precious lives in two mishaps and express her condolences with bereaved family and prayed for early recovery of injured persons.

Naresh Gupta Ex MLC Bhadarwah said that unfortunate accident which consumed precious lives of five persons and two serious injuried on Doda Bhadarwah Road in two different accidents.Our demand immediate ex-gratia to all the bereaved family members and to the injured with sophisticated treatment to them. Our solidarity with the bereaved family members and prayer for early recovery of the injured.

The Government informed that 34 fresh positive cases of novel Corona virus (COVID-19) have been reported today in Jammu and Kashmir.

Nine cases have been reported from Jammu division and 25 from Kashmir division.

Providing district-wise breakup, the Bulletin informed that in Kashmir division, Srinagar reported 14 cases, Baramulla five cases, Budgam two cases, Pulwama two cases, Kulgam two cases .Similarly in Jammu division, Jammu reported five cases, Doda one case, Kathua one, Samba one, and Poonch one.

Moreover, 141 more COVID-19 patients have recovered and been discharged from various hospitals including 20fromJammu division and 121from Kashmir division.

According to the daily Media Bulletin on novel Corona virus (Covid-19), out of 478357 positive cases, 793 are Active Positive (224 in Jammu Division and 569 in Kashmir Division), 472781 have recovered and 4783 have died; 2350 in Jammu division and 2433 in Kashmir division.

The Bulletin also informs that 11,427 doses of COVID Vaccine have been administered in the last 24 hours across Jammu and Kashmir bringing the cumulative number of doses administered to 2,43,68,193 till date.

The bulletin informs that in case of any help, the general public can call J&K UT Centralised Health Helpline- Toll Free No. 104.In case of emergency, people can avail free ambulance services 24×7 by calling toll free number 108 while as pregnant women and sick infants can avail free services by dialling toll free number 102, the bulletin reads.

It also informs that the public can reach national helpline by dialling 1075.

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), Hirdesh Kumar Singh has clarified at the all-party meeting that the actual number of new voters for the assembly election would be known only after the summary revision of electoral rolls in the Union Territory.

The CEO was trying to clear the air on the controversy created by his earlier statement in which he had told the media that 25 lakh new voters would become eligible for the forthcoming assembly elections in J&K.

Sources told IANS that during the meeting, which held on Monday, the CEO said that the figure of 25 lakh new voters had no sanctity as the actual number would be known only after the revision of the electoral rolls.

Representatives of BJP, National Conference (NC), Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Congress, BSP, Peoples Conference (PC), Apni Party, JK National Panthers Party and Ikkjutt Jammu party attended the meeting.

The inclusion of non-locals in the revised electoral rolls was opposed by the participants other than the BJP and the Ikkjutt Jammu party while the CEO said that the eligibility of voters would be determined as per the provisions of the Representation of the Peoples Act of 1950-1951.

The CEO made it clear to the participants that only those who are eligible as per the Representation of The Peoples Act-1951 would be registered as voters.

Ratan Lal Gupta of the NC told reporters that the CEO had assured them that no non-local would be included in the revised electoral list.

Yogesh Sawhney of the Congress said that the CEO had clarified that 25 lakh as the new eligible voters would be those who attained the age of 18 on and after September 1, 2022.

Meanwhile, P.K. Ganju of the National Panthers party also said that the CEO assured that no non-local would be in the revised electoral rolls.

Similarly, Ankur Sharma of Ikkjutt Jammu party said that the CEO informed the meeting about safeguards in place for the new voters. “If someone resides, say for over six to seven months for livelihood or other purposes, they can vote here provided they cancel their vote from other places and give an undertaking in the form of an affidavit,” Sharma said.

However, the PDP leader said that there was no clarity on 25 lakh new voters during the CEO’s meeting.

Abhinav Sharma of the BJP said that since the Representation of People’s Act 1951 has been extended to J&K, any ordinarily residing person has the option to become a voter.

JAMMU, Sept 5: Several delegations on Monday visited former chief minister Ghulam Nabi Azad at his residence here, a day after he returned from Delhi to a warm welcome by his supporters after quitting Congress last month to launch his own party.
The delegations comprising large number of people from the twin border districts of Rajouri and Poonch and Chenab valley including Doda, Bhalessa, Khara, Batyas, Chilly and Gandoh, Kishtwar and Banial visited Azad at his Gandhi Nagar residence, Azad’s close aide said.
Addressing his first public meeting after returning from Delhi on Sunday, Azad had said that he is staying for four days in Jammu to meet delegations from different parts of the region before visiting Doda, Kishtwar and Kashmir.
“The process of interactions started this morning with various delegations visiting Azad and extending their support to him. The process of interactions will continue till Wednesday,” the aide said.
Azad, 73, ended his five-decade-long association with the Congress on August 26, terming the party “comprehensively destroyed”. He also lashed out at Rahul Gandhi for “demolishing” the party’s entire consultative mechanism.
During the public meeting, the veteran leader said he would announce the name of his new party after consulting people and leaders of Jammu and Kashmir, but added “it will be in neither Maulana’s Urdu nor Pandit’s Sanskrit”.
He, however, spelled out the agenda of his yet-to-be-named party — the restoration of Jammu and Kashmir’s statehood, protection of land and job rights of its residents, and the return and rehabilitation of Kashmiri Pandits. (AGENCIES)

JAMMU, Sep 5: Body of a terrorist was returned to Pakistan on Monday in Jammu and Kashmir’s Poonch district, two days after he died of cardiac arrest at a military hospital in Rajouri district, officials said.
Tabarak Hussain (32), a resident of Sabzkot village of Kotli in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), underwent a surgery for bullet injuries which he had suffered while trying to infiltrate into this side from across the border last month.
”Body of Hussain was handed over to Pakistan by the Indian Army in the presence of police and civil officers at Chakan Da Bagh crossing point on the LoC in Poonch district,” an army official said.
He said this is probably the first instance in recent past of Pakistan accepting the body of a terrorist.
Pakistan has always declined to accept the bodies of their nationals involved in terror acts in Jammu and Kashmir, the official said.
Hussain, a trained Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) guide and Pakistani Army agent, attempted to infiltrate into this side in Nowshera sector of Rajouri on August 21 when he was shot at and critically injured by the Indian troops.
He was later shifted to military hospital Rajouri where he underwent a surgery during which the soldiers donated three units of blood to save his life. However, he suffered a fatal cardiac arrest on September 3.
All the medico-legal formalities, including postmortem of the deceased, were completed on Sunday and accordingly, Pakistan army was contacted for return of the body, the official said.
On August 24, Army’s 80 Infantry Brigade Commander, Brigadier Kapil Rana said Hussain confessed about his plan to attack the Indian Army post along with two others who, however, fled back after they were intercepted on the LoC in Nowshera sector.
”Hussain revealed that he was sent by a Colonel of Pakistan intelligence Agency named Col Yunus Chaudhry who had paid him Rs 30,000 (Pakistani currency). Hussain also revealed that he, along with other terrorists, had carried two to three close recces of Indian forward posts with an aim to target them at an opportune time.
”The go ahead to target the Indian post was given by Col Chaudhry on August 21,” the brigadier had said.
He said the individual was earlier captured by the Army from the same sector in 2016, along with his brother Haroon Ali, and was repatriated on humanitarian grounds in November 2017. (Agencies)

SRINAGAR, Sep 05: Lieutenant Governor J&K Manoj Sinha honoured the finest teachers from across J&K with Union Territory Awards.

LG said “Urged teachers to allow independent thinking, creativity, inquisitiveness, knowledge for quality education by involving students & allowing individual growth for appropriate learning experience.A teacher is a bright lamp which has the capability of lighting hundreds of unlit lamps and imparts courage to innovate and invent. Holistic education as suggested by National Education Policy will provide equal opportunities to teachers & students to use knowledge to transform.”

NEW DELHI, Sep 5: Defending champion Honey Baisoya will lead a strong Indian field, including Olympian Udayan Mane in the second J&K Open golf tournament, a PGTI event, to be held for the first time in Jammu Tawi golf course in Jammu from September 7 to 10.
Besides Baisoya and Mane, other Indian golfers who will be seen in action at the Rs 40 lakh event are Rashid Khan, Khalin Joshi, Yuvraj Singh Sanshu, Manu Gandas and Karandeep Kochar to name a few.
The foreign challenge will be led by Sri Lankans Mithun Perera and N Thagaraja and Bangladesh’s Jamal Hossain.
The local challenge will be led by Pawan Parihar, Fayaz Ahmed Langoo, Raghav Wahi, Mohd Din Pode as wel as amateurs Prabhnoor Singh and Vedant Handa.
The field will have 126 players, including 10 foreign golfers.
The Professional Golf Tour of India-sanctioned tournament is part of J&K Tourism’s initiave of promoting golf tourism in the region.
Jammu Tawi Golf Course is an 18-hole course designed by internationally renowned designer Col. K D Bagga.
Manu, who is currently ranked in the PGTI Order of Merit, is looking forward to his maiden outing at the new course.
“I played in Srinagar but heard the Jammu Tawi course is in superb condition. I don’t know what to expect and will figure out everything in the training rounds on Tuesday,” he said during the launch of the event.
The event was also attended by PGTI CEO Uttam Singh Mundy, Special Secretary department of tourism, Jammu & Kashmir Government Amarjit Singh and Jammu Tawi Golf Course secretary Manav Gupta among others. (AGENCIES)