Kathmandu, Jan 16: Nepalese rescuers resumed their search on Monday for four persons still missing after a passenger plane with 72 people, including five Indians, crashed into a river gorge while landing at the newly-opened airport in the resort city of Pokhara, killing at least 68 people onboard.
The accident took place on Sunday, the Himalayan nation’s deadliest aviation accident in over 30 years.
Rescue efforts were suspended on Sunday evening.
Yeti Airlines’ 9N-ANC ATR-72 aircraft took off from Kathmandu’s Tribhuvan International Airport at 10:33 am and crashed on the bank of the Seti River between the old airport and the new airport minutes before landing, according to the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN).
A total of 68 passengers and four crew members were on board the aircraft.
The five Indians, all reportedly from Uttar Pradesh, have been identified as Abhisekh Kushwaha, 25, Bishal Sharma, 22, Anil Kumar Rajbhar, 27, Sonu Jaiswal, 35, and Sanjaya Jaiswal.
Of the five Indians, four were planning to participate in paragliding activities in the tourist hub of Pokhara, a local resident who travelled with them to Nepal, said.
The runway of Pokhara International Airport is 45 metres wide and 2,500 metres long, and its designation is 12-30.
The ill-fated plane commanded by Captain Kamal KC, an instructor pilot, made the first contact with the Pokhara control tower from nearly 110 kilometres away.
“The weather was clear. We allocated Runway 30 which is the eastern end. Everything was fine,” Anup Joshi, spokesperson for Pokhara International Airport, was quoted as saying by the Kathmandu Post newspaper.
He added that no problems had been reported.
Pokhara, the tourist hotspot lies between two rivers, the Bijayapur and the Seti, which makes it a perfect habitat for birds. Excellent for sightseers, of course, but a terror for pilots.
The flight captain later asked for permission to switch to Runway 12 which is the western end. “We were not sure why. Permission was granted, and accordingly, the aircraft started its descent,” said Joshi who is also a senior air traffic controller.
Bodies of those who died have been retrieved and taken to Gandaki Hospital for postmortem, an official from the district administration office, Kaski, said. Most of the bodies were burnt so much so that they are beyond identification, the official added.
The government has formed a five-member probe committee to investigate the crash. The probe panel headed by former aviation secretary Nagendra Ghimire has been asked to investigate the accident and submit its report within 45 days, said government Spokesperson and Finance Minister Bishnu Prasad Paudel on Sunday.
Flight tracking website FlightRadar24 claimed that the Yeti Airlines aircraft was 15 years old and equipped with an ‘old transponder with unreliable data’.
According to Nepal’s civil aviation body, 914 people have died in air crashes in the country since the first disaster was recorded in August 1955. The Yeti Airlines tragedy in Pokhara on Sunday is the 104th crash in Nepali skies and third biggest in terms of casualties.
Nepal has had a fraught record of aviation accidents, partly due to its sudden weather changes and airstrips located in hard-to-access rocky terrains.
Sunday’s accident was the third-deadliest crash in the Himalayan nation’s history, according to data from the Aviation Safety Network.
The only incidents in which more people were killed took place in July and September 1992. Those crashes involved aircraft of Thai Airways and Pakistan International Airlines and left 113 and 167 people dead, respectively.
The last major air accident in Nepal happened on May 29 when all 22 people onboard, including four members of an Indian family, were killed as a Tara Air plane crashed in Nepal’s mountainous Mustang district.
In 2016, all 23 people aboard were killed when a plane of the same airline flying the same route crashed after takeoff.
In March 2018, a US-Bangla Air crash occurred at the Tribhuvan International Airport, killing 51 people on board. (AGENCIES)
Nepal crash: Nepalese rescuers resume search for four missing persons
Clear sky likely in Jammu, cloudy weather in Valley: MeT
Jammu, Jan 16 (IANS): While the sky is likely to be clear in Jammu, the Valley is set experience a generally cloudy weather during the next 24 hours, the MeT department said here on Monday.
On Sunday, the weather was cold and dry in Jammu and Kashmir.
“Generally cloudy weather is likely in the Valley and mainly clear in the Jammu division during the next 24 hours”, an official of the MeT department said.
Meanwhile, Srinagar recorded minus 1.9 degree Celsius, Pahalgam minus 10.2 and Gulmarg minus 12 degree as the minimum temperature.
In Ladakh region, Kargil registered minus 21.2 degree and Leh minus 14.
Jammu had 4.1 degrees, Katra 4.5, Batote minus 1.4, Banihal minus 1.5 and Bhaderwah minus 1 as the minimum temperature.
Active Covid Cases In Country Dip To 2,119
NEW DELHI, Jan 16: India logged 114 new coronavirus infections, while the active cases declined to 2,119, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated Monday. The Covid case tally was recorded at 4.46 crore (4,46,81,154).
The death toll stands at 5,30,726, the data updated at 8 am stated. The national COVID-19 recovery rate increased to 98.80 per cent, the ministry said. A decrease of 30 cases has been recorded in the active COVID-19 caseload in a span of 24 hours.
The number of people who have recuperated from the disease surged to 4,41,48,309, while the case fatality rate was recorded at 1.19 per cent.
According to the ministry’s website, 220.17 crore doses of Covid vaccine have been administered in the country so far under the nationwide vaccination drive. India’s COVID-19 tally had crossed the 20-lakh mark August 7, 2020, 30 lakh August 23, 40 lakh September 5 and 50 lakh September 16. It went past 60 lakh September 28, 70 lakh October 11, crossed 80 lakh October 29, 90 lakh November 20 and surpassed the one-crore mark December 19. India crossed the grim milestone of four crore January 25 last year. (Agencies)
BJP chairs national executive meeting; to set agenda for upcoming Assembly, Lok Sabha elections
New Delhi, Jan 16: The two-day National Executive meeting of the Bharatiya Janata Party is being held in Delhi on Monday, in which the strategy for the assembly elections in nine states this year and the Lok Sabha elections to be held next year will be discussed.
The two-day national executive meeting of the BJP will be held at NDMC Convention Centre in Delhi.
The Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) will focus on issues that will fulfill the needs of the public, while the social security of Muslim women will be discussed separately.
Bharatiya Janata Party workers will welcome PM Modi through a road show on Parliament Street today.
BJP national president JP Nadda along with Union Ministers including Home Minister Amit Shah, Chief Ministers of BJP ruled States and other senior party leaders will participate in the event.
In this meeting, party leaders will have detailed discussions on upcoming assembly elections in the states, BJP’s ‘Pravas Yojna’ for weak Lok Sabha seats, and the strengthening of booth-level teams. Political, economic, and international proposals will also be discussed. This meeting will finalize the BJP’s future course of action, informed party sources.
State elections are to be held during the meeting, an election strategy will be chalked out for these states, as well as a comprehensive discussion on the strategy for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Leaders can also be entrusted with a big responsibility related to the electoral state.
This is the first major meeting of the party after the landslide victory in Gujarat.
Meanwhile, the BJP has organised a roadshow in Delhi in honor of PM Modi. The roadshow was previously planned for Tuesday but will now be held this afternoon from Patel Chowk to Parliament Street.
Earlier, in his home state, PM Modi organized a mega road show covering a distance of more than 50 kilometers for more than five hours.
Vehicular traffic movement is likely to get affected in parts of Delhi and special traffic arrangements have been put in place to allow a smooth flow of traffic, the Delhi Police said.
Delhi Police also issued an advisory regarding this. Delhi Traffic Police said that some roads will remain closed from 2.30 pm to 5.00 pm.
“Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) is organizing a road show having mass public participation on Sansad Marg from Patel Chowk to Sansad Marg-Jai Singh Road Junction on January 16 from 3 pm onwards. Prime Minister of India will grace the said road show with his presence. Special Traffic arrangements will be in place to ensure smooth traffic management in the vicinity of the roadshow route,” said Delhi Police in a statement.
According to the traffic advisory Ashoka Road (Windsor Place to Jai Singh Road GPO Both Carriageways), Sansad Marg, Tolstoy Road (Janpath to Sansad Marg), Rafi Marg (Rail Bhawan to Sansad Marg), Jantar Mantar Road, Imtiaz Khan Marg, and Bangla Sahib Lane will remain closed on January 16 from 2:30 pm to 5 pm.
Delhi Police further informed that Baba Kharak Singh Road, Outer Circle Connaught Place, Park Street/Shankar Road, Minto Road, Mandir Marg, Barakhamba Road, Panchkuain Road, Raisina Road, Tolstoy Road, Janpath, Firozeshah Road, Rafi Marg, Rani Jhansi Road, DBG Road, Chelmsford Road, Bhai Veer Singh Marg, DDU Marg, Ranjit Singh flyover, Talkatora Road and Pandit Pant Marg are expected to experience a heavy volume of traffic during the roadshow. (Agencies)
Perpetrators will have to pay heavy price for heinous action: LG Sinha
Jammu: Lieutenant Governor, Manoj Sinha in this month’s ‘Awaam Ki Awaaz’ programme, paid tributes to the civilians martyred in the Rajouri terror attack.
“My tributes to civilians martyred in the terror attack in Rajouri. Perpetrators will have to pay a heavy price for their heinous action. Concrete measures are being taken to ensure families of martyrs live a life of dignity. The whole nation stands united in its fight against terror”, said the Lt Governor.
We have entered in a New Year united in step and united in resolve. We have triumphed over several challenges & achieved new milestones in several sectors of the economy in 2022. The new initiatives have helped fulfill the aspirations of the common man, the Lt Governor said.
“Today, the goal before us is clear. With active public participation, we are treading the path of rapid, inclusive, equitable and sustainable development of Jammu Kashmir. People’s Participation needed for effective implementation of projects on the ground,” added the Lt Governor.
Sharing inspiring stories of the citizens selflessly serving the humanity, the Lt Governor said that the enlightened citizens like Dr. Udesh Pal Sharma & Jaspreet Singh from Poonch have given enviable strength and self-confidence to the society. They are earning the trust and goodwill of people through their hard work, he added.
The Lt Governor made special mention of women change-makers who are driving socio-economic change in the society.
Women are key drivers of social transformation. Smt Jagmohan Kaur, Sarpanch of Rajouri’s Sangpur Panchayat, is inspiring people of her area with her incredible work and quest for social change on the ground, the Lt Governor noted.
We also must draw inspiration from Smt Jamruda and Smt Zeenat of Kupwara who are shining examples of Nari Shakti and empowering others economically and socially, added the Lt Governor.
While highlighting the important role being played by the youth of Jammu & Kashmir for social transformation, the Lt Governor appreciated the work of Budgam’s Zahid Hussain and Aqib Baba for establishing a library for the underprivileged students and shaping the future of the young generation.
Compassion is the key for social development. More enlightened people in the society must come forward and strengthen the efforts of the administration towards public welfare, the Lt Governor said.
Reiterating the government’s commitment to strengthen the rural economy and encouraging progressive farmers and agripreneurs to usher in a new era of new age agriculture in the UT, the Lt Governor mentioned about Arun Sharma from Kothri village, Ramban. ‘He is a symbol of true grit, through his experiment in farming, Arun is motivating farmer communities of adjoining areas to aim high’, he added.
Referring to the suggestion received from Pooja Raina and Mohammad Sadiq Poswal from Jammu regarding an Integrated policy to mitigate problem of water logging in urban areas, the Lt Governor said, the administration has worked out seven action plans for all the cities of Jammu & Kashmir for addressing road and sewer related problems.
He also requested the citizens to report any issues related to encroachment on roads creating obstructions in water flow and sewer connectivity or water logging in their locality to the respective helpline number for appropriate action.
Responding to the suggestion of starting a campaign for Agro and Social Forestry by Majeed Naikoo from Anantnag, the Lt Governor highlighted various endeavours of the government which have been successful in protecting the natural resources and making tree plantation a mass movement.
The Lt Governor further shared the suggestions received from Rashid Chowdhary from Poonch & Basheer Ahmed from Srinagar; Jammu’s Rajeshwar Singh Jamwal and Srinagar’s Ghulam Mohiuddin pertaining to rejuvenation and treatment of water bodies and urban drains, smart citizens for making city smarter and an integrated plan for promoting the poultry sector and directed the concerned departments to take appropriate action on the valuable inputs by the citizens.
The Lt Governor also extended Republic Day greetings in advance and urged all to introspect on the duties & responsibilities towards the nation, fulfill the resolve of equality & social justice and make Jammu Kashmir and India better, prosperous and safer.
DC Doda inaugurates first FPO in Bhadarwah
By King RJ
Bhadarwah, Jan 15:- To increase the income of small and marginal farmers through the development of agribusiness under Union Government’s SFAC, DC Doda inaugurated first FPO (Farmer Producer Organization) at Sartingal area of Bhaderwah.
The Government of India has approved and launched a Central Sector Scheme of “Formation and Promotion of 10,000 Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs)” to form and promote 10,000 new FPOs till 2027-28.
In this regard, a FPO namely Bhadarkashi Fruits Producer Company Ltd led by it’s Chairman Ramneek Manhas has been registered in Bhadarwah, in which more than 100 farmers have been registered so far to increase the income of Farmers followed by to give boost to local produce especially famous Rajma, Pickle and other products.
DC Doda Vishesh Pal Mahajan along with SSP Doda Abdul Qayoom, ADC Bhadarwah Dil Mir Choudhary, ASP Bhadarwah Kameshwar Puri, SDPO Bhadarwah Waseem Ahmed and SHO Bhadarwah Jatinder Singh Rakwal in presence of FPO Directors Faizullah Sheikh, Yog Raj Manhas, Sanjay Kotwal, Sarweshwar Dutta and Manmohan Kumar inaugurated the first FPO of District Doda in Sartingal area of Bhaderwah.
DC Doda Vishesh Pal Mahajan while congratulating the farmers and Startup owners said that Unity is strength and with this collective power, the farmers will also progress towards prosperity.
“The collective strength of the farmers will now be used to get fair prices to the farmers to increase their income,” DC added.
The farmers associated with Union Government's FPO initiative, expressed their gratitude towards Government and FPO Chairman for the initiative for their welfare by giving them fair price of their produce.Sham Lal Sharma inaugurates Bhagwati Healthcare and Diagnostics in Akhnoor
Flourishing Private healthcare sector in Akhnoor generating local employment: Sham Sharma
Akhnoor, 14th January: Former Health Minister and Senior BJP Leader Sham Lal Sharma today inaugurated Bhagwati Healthcare and Diagnostics Center at Akhnoor in presence of Ankush Bhardwaj & Sutikshan Khajuria (Proprietors of Bhagwati Healthcare), Tilak Gupta, Thoru Ram Sharma, Mangu Ram Sharma, Jagdish Bhagat, Sarpanch Shamsher Singh Chib, Anu Gupta, Surinder Gupta, Ashok Magotra etc. Several prominent citizens of the area and a few medical faculties were also present on the occasion.
This Healthcare centre will benefit the large population of Jourian, Khour, Akhnoor, Sohal, Maira Mandrian, Chowki Choura, Khrah Balli etc.
Ankush Bhardwaj Prop of Bhagwati Healthcare center said that the mission of the center is to bring healthcare of high standards within the reach of every individual.n“Our focus is to provide quality service and strive for excellence and customer satisfaction,” he added. He informed that Bhagwati Healthcare will be the official collection center of Swastik Diagnostics also. He added that this healthcare center is equipped with latest X-ray, ECG, Ultrasound and other equipment which will be very beneficial for patients of far flung area.
Former Health Minister Sham Lal Sharma congratulated the owners for setting up such advance equipped healthcare center in Akhnoor. He said the growth of the private healthcare sector in Akhnoor is providing relief for the people 3 Sub-Divisions i.e. Akhnoor, Khour and Chowki Choura. He said now people need not to travel to Jammu or out side J&K for quality diagnosis as we have number of options available in Akhnoor. Other than providing the services at door step for patients these healthcare centers are providing an ample number of employment opportunities for the trained youth, Sham added. He said that J&K UT is the only region where people have 100 percent health insurance cover of Rs. 5 lakh, extendable in case of aggravated life diseases, for which credit goes to PM Narendra Modi, he added.
First G-20 infrastructure working group meeting in Pune on 16, 17 January
The first G-20 Infrastructure Working Group (IWG) meeting under India’s G20 Presidency will take place on 16 and 17 January in Pune.
The forum is expected to bring together the IWG member countries, guest countries and international organisations invited by India to discuss the 2023 Infrastructure Agenda under the Indian G20 Presidency. The meeting will be hosted by Finance Ministry along with Australia and Brazil as the co-chairs.
The G20 IWG deliberates on various aspects of infrastructure investments, including developing infrastructure as an asset class; promoting quality infrastructure investment; and identifying innovative instruments for mobilising financial resources for infrastructure investment. The outcomes of the IWG feed into the G20 Finance Track priorities and promote Infrastructure Development.
The Indian G20 Presidency’s theme of ‘One Earth, One Family, One Future’ sets the tone for the 2023 Infrastructure Agenda under the 2023 Indian G-20 Presidency.
The theme underlines the message of equitable growth and aptly ties up with the central agenda of the discussions which is building resilient, inclusive and sustainable urban infrastructure.
In the Pune meeting, discussions will focus on the agenda for the IWG under the Indian Presidency. The flagship priority to be discussed in this meeting is “Financing Cities of Tomorrow: Inclusive, Resilient and Sustainable”.
The theme will focus on various facets of making cities economic centres of growth, financing urban infrastructure, building future-ready urban infrastructure, directing fiscal investments for unlocking private financing for energy-efficient and environmentally sustainable infrastructure and mitigating social imbalances.
On the sidelines, the Pune meeting will also be complemented by a High-Level Workshop on “Financing of Cities of Tomorrow”. The workshop will discuss relevant themes pertaining to technical and managerial capacity needs to build the Cities of Tomorrow, Investors’ considerations in increasing private financing and the financial capacity needs of Cities of Tomorrow.
Weather forecast for Saturday
The national capital, Delhi will have moderate fog. The minimum temperature is expected to be Eight degree Celsius, while the maximum will be around 21 degrees.
Mumbai is expected to have mainly clear sky. The minimum temperature will be 13 degree Celsius and the maximum will be around 27 degrees.
Kolkata is expected to have Fog in the morning and partly cloudy sky later. The minimum temperature will be 17 degree Celsius, and the maximum will be around 28 degrees.
Chennai is expected to have Fog in the morning and partly cloudy sky later. The minimum temperature will be 19 degree Celsius and the maximum will be around 31 degrees.
Srinagar will have a generally cloudy sky. The minimum temperature will be One degree and the maximum will be around Four degree Celsius.
Jammu will have a partly cloudy sky. The minimum temperature will be five degree and the maximum will be around 15 degree Celsius.
Muzaffarabad will have a partly cloudy sky. The temperature in the region will hover between four and ten degree Celsius.
Leh will also have partly cloudy sky. The minimum temperature will be Minus 11 degrees and the maximum will be Minus three degree Celsius.
Gilgit will have generally cloudy sky. The minimum temperature will be one degree Celsius and the maximum will be around eight degrees.
The southern city of Hyderabad will have fog in the morning and partly cloudy sky later and Bengaluru is expected to have fog in the morning and partly cloudy sky later. Thiruvananthapuram will have a partly cloudy sky. The temperature in the region will hover between 13 and 32 degrees Celsius.
Take action against Ex-Ministers, MLAs for illegal encroachments before harassing the poor: Harsh Dev
Udhampur,14-01-2023: Coming down heavily on the govt for harassing the poor and marginalized sections of society on the pretext of encroachments and retrieval of state and forest lands, Mr. Harsh Dev Singh, Former Minister and senior AAP leader today called upon the Ex-Ministers, MLAs and bureaucrats to come clean on the issue before initiating eviction proceedings against the poor, hapless, uninfluential villagers, nomads and other homeless people. He said that selective action against poor, indigent and homeless people in the name of illegal encroachments to the exclusion of privileged classes was not only reprehensible but amounted to a sin of the highest order. He was addressing a press conference in Udhampur today.
Accusing the LG administration of facilitating the encroachment of palatial mansions besides state lands, forest lands, JDA and Municipal lands by Ex-Ministers, MLAs and other saffron party leaders while evicting the poor and bulldozing their houses, Mr. Harsh Dev said that AAP would vociferously oppose the double standards of the present dispensation. He said that several BJP leaders were reported to have usurped public lands and govt properties besides having regularized state lands under Roshni scheme with no action initiated against them for reasons best known. BJP leaders had illegally occupied govt bungalows without any entitlement but the present govt rather than evicting them was dismantling the residential units of poor people constructed decades back on the pretext of vacation of state lands. Describing govt moves as bizarre acts of highhandedness and political corruption, Mr. Singh urged upon the civil society to come forward to expose and oppose the authoritarian and dictatorial policies of the present corrupt regime.
Making a particular mention of some of the prime residential colonies and other concrete structures developed by the powerful politicians by encroachment and consequent destruction of Forests, Mr. Singh dared the govt to retrieve the Forest land from the Ex-Ministers, MLAs, MLCs and other bureaucrats in areas like Bhatindi, Sunjwan, Chowadi, Nagrota, Bajalta, etc in the vicinity of Jammu city. He said that several thousands of kanals of Forests land had been encroached by politicians and their cronies in the said areas mostly belonging to other districts who had raised huge residential and commercial complexes in collusion with the functionaries of Forest Deptt with the Forest officers reportedly having provided even financial assistance for raising such constructions. It was a case of ‘quid pro quo’ as the Forest officers provided financial and other support to their political masters and got prized postings in return.
Asserting that politicians and bureaucrats were not above law, Mr. Singh sought appropriate action against all Ex-Ministers, legislators and bureaucrats who had encroached govt lands in conformity with the principles of law and equity together with an enquiry against the officers who had allowed such constructions by tempering and damaging records. He further cautioned the govt that the state lands were not the ‘Jagirs’ or personal fief-down of Ministers or of govt officers who were supposed to apply same yard sticks with all encroachers without any bias, ill will, prejudice and without any regard for the office or position held by the offenders. Describing the selective action of govt against poor and destitute people as ‘cowardice’, besides “political corruption” of the highest order, Mr. Singh dared the govt to ensure vacation of land under illegal possession of land mafia and influential people as had been assured by the govt itself in Assembly and in Courts.