J&K | State Investigation Agency (SIA) team today reached Sirhama in Anantnag dist & attached a double-storied old house, along with 7 Marla of land at village Sirhama which was purchased by Jamaat-e-Islami. The property has been seized in connection with an investigation by SIA.
Sania Mirza to retire after Dubai Tennis Championships in February
The former World No. 1 in doubles Sania Mirza announced her retirement plans from professional Tennis after the WTA 1000 event in Dubai in February.
During an interview with the Women’s Tennis Association, Mirza said that she has plans to retire after the next month’s Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships.
The six-time champion–three in doubles and three in mixed doubles–Mirza has signed to compete in this month’s Australian Open alongside Kazakhstan’s Anna Danilina, WTA reported.
While speaking to the WTA website, she said that she wanted to stop after the WTA Finals but she was struck with an injury and that is not how she wanted to end.
“I was going to stop right after the WTA Finals..but I tore my tendon in my elbow right before US Open so I had to pull out of everything,” Mirza told WTA website.
She also said that she has been training and do not want to be forced out by an injury.
Mirza, 36, in her interview, said that “I turned pro in 2003. Priorities change, and now my priority is not to push my body to the limit every single day.”
Mirza has recently launched a tennis academy in Dubai. She had started the academy, which is already in three locations, to spread tennis to people’s lives.
The WTA 1000 event is set to begin on February 19.
Night temp increases above normal as J&K braces for wet spell
Srinagar, Jan 7: The minimum temperature recorded a considerable increase on Saturday as Jammu and Kashmir braces for nearly weeklong cloudy and wet weather in wake of two back-to-back western disturbances.
Quoting a meteorological department official, news agency GNS reported that Srinagar recorded a low of minus 1.4°C against last night’s minus 5.5°C that was coldest for the season so far. Today’s minimum temperature was 0.5°C above normal, he said.
Qazigund, he said, recorded a low of minus 1.6°C against minus 5.6°C. Today’s minimum temperature was 1.5°C above normal, he said.
Pahalgam, he said, recorded a low of minus 2.8°C against minus 8.6°C on the previous night. Today’s minimum temperature was 4.2°C above normal for the place, he said. The coldest night recorded this season in the famous tourist resort in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district was on January 2 when mercury plunged to minus 9.6°C.
Kokernag recorded a low of minus 1.4°C against minus 4.3°C on the previous night, he said. It was 2.6°C above normal for the place.
Gulmarg recorded a low of minus 2.6°C against minus 5.0°C on the previous night, the official said. It was 2.6°C above normal for the world famous skiing resort in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district which recorded its coldest night on January 2 when minimum temperature plummeted to minus 10.0°C, the official said.
In Kupwara town, the mercury settled at minus 2.6°C against minus 5.6°C on the previous night in the north Kashmir area, he said. The official said that the temperature was 0.9°C above normal.
Jammu recorded a low of 5.0°C against 3.7°C on the previous night. It was 2.4°C below normal for J&K’s winter capital, he said.
Banihal recorded a low of 3.4°C (above normal by 3.4°C), Batote 5.1°C (above normal by 3.6°C), Katra 7.6°C (1.6°C above normal) and Bhadarwah 2.0°C (3.8°C above normal).
In Ladakh, Leh and Kargil recorded a low of minus 10.8°C and minus 14.8°C respectively, the official said.
“Two back to back Western Disturbances (are) most likely to affect J&K and adjoining from 7th January (evening),” the meteorological department official here told GNS, adding, “Under The influence of the 1st WD 7th (evening) to 9th January(afternoon), weather is likely to be cloudy with possibility of light snow over higher reaches during 7th night and light rain/snow over plains of J&K and light to moderate snow in middle and higher reaches during January 8th/9th.” From January 9th (afternoon) to 11th January (afternoon), he said, weather is likely to be cloudy with possibility of light snow over isolated higher reaches of Kashmir.
“Under the influence of the 2nd WD from January 11th(afternoon) to 13th January(afternoon), the weather is expected to be cloudy with possibility of light rain/snow over plains of Jammu and Kashmir and light to moderate snow over middle and higher reaches during 12/13 January.”
He advised Travellers and transporters to plan their journey accordingly especially over Sonamarg-Zojila-Gumni axis, Razdan pass, Sinthan pass, Sadhna pass, Mughal Road etc.
Kashmir is under the grip of Chillai-Kalan, the 40-day long harsh winter period that started on December 21. It is followed by a 20-day-long period called ‘Chillai-Khurd’ that occurs between January 30 and February 19 and a 10-day-long period ‘Chillai-Bachha’ (baby cold) from February 20 to March 1.
Air India urinating incident: Delhi Police arrests accused from Bengaluru
NEW DELHI, Jan 7: Delhi Police has arrested from Bengaluru the man who allegedly urinated on a woman co-passenger on an Air India flight, officials said on Saturday.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (Airport) Ravi Kumar Singh said, ”Accused Shankar Mishra in IGIA case has been arrested from Bengaluru by a Delhi Police team. He has been brought to Delhi and further investigation into the case is in progress.” Mishra allegedly urinated on the woman, a senior citizen, in an inebriated condition in the business class of the Air India flight from New York to Delhi on November 26 last year.
Delhi Police registered an FIR against Mishra on January 4 on a complaint given by the woman to Air India. (Agencies)
STF arrested 57 Naxals, 283 wanted criminals in 2022: Bihar ADG
The Special Task Force (STF) of Bihar arrested 57 Naxals including six most wanted Naxals in the year 2022. This also includes the arrest of 283 most wanted criminals by the STF, said officials on Friday.
JS Gangwar, ADG (HQ) Patna while speaking to reporters on Friday said that in 2022, STF arrested 57 Naxals including 6 most wanted Naxals. Besides, 283 most wanted criminals were also arrested. He said that the STF also seized arms and ammunition in large quantities.
“Many arms and ammunition were recovered in action taken by STF throughout the year. These included 14 regular weapons, 3 AK-47s, and 1 weapon belonging to AK-56 series,” he said while adding that five weapons that were snatched from police were also recovered.
He also highlighted the arrest of Naxals made outside Bihar. “33 Naxals were arrested by Bihar police from other states like UP, Delhi, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Haryana, Maharashtra, and West Bengal,” he said.
“118 country-made weapons, 7,870 live cartridges, 1 hand grenade, and 15-gram explosive material were also recovered,” he added.
India Reports 228 New Covid Cases
New Delhi: India reported 228 new Covid cases in the last 24 hours, taking the total number of infections to 4,46,79,547.
The country also recorded three deaths on Thursday, bringing the total number of Covid-related fatalities to 5,30,710.
The active cases declined to 2,503, according to Union health ministry.
The daily positivity has been recorded at 0.10 per cent while the weekly positivity has been pegged at 0.12 per cent, the ministry said.
Govt bans PAFF, a proxy of terror outfit Jaish-e-Mohammad, also declares LeT man Arbaz Mir as ‘terrorist’
The ministry of home affairs (MHA) on Friday banned People’s Anti-Fascist Front (PAFF), an offshoot of Jaish-e-Mohammed, under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA). The ban comes in the backdrop of the outfit carrying out terror activities in Kashmir. The move came a day after home ministry banned The Resistance Front, an offshoot of Lashkar-e-Taiba, for carrying out terror activities in Kashmir.The notification said PAFF is a proxy outfit of Maulana Masood Azhar-led Jaish-e-Mohammed and that it is involved in terror acts.
“…The ‘People’s Anti-Fascist -Front (PAFF)’ emerged in the year 2019 as a proxy outfit of Jaish-e-Mohammed, a proscribed terrorist organization listed at serial number 6 of the First Schedule under the UAPA. It regularly issues threats to Indian security forces, political leaders, and civilians working in Jammu-Kashmir from other states and is involved, along with other organizations, in conspiring pro-actively physically and in social media to undertake violent terrorist acts and Jammu-Kashmir and other major cities in India,” the MHA notification said.
The government on Friday also declared Arbaz Ahmad Mir, an LeT operative who currently is based in Pakistan, as an ‘individual terrorist’ under the fourth schedule of UAPA. He was declared an individual terrorist after Mir was the main accused in the targeted killing of Rajni Bala, a school teacher in Kulgam in May last year.
Prominent Congress leader Dr Khanday from Banihal with hundreds join DAP
SRINAGAR Jan 6: In a major development, a prominent Congress leader Dr
Asif Khanday along with hundreds of workers on Friday joined Ghulam Nabi
Azad led Democratic Azad Party. On the occasion, Mr Azad said that joining
of Mr Khanday will infuse the new blood in the party and would galvanise its
cadre. “Together we shall take this march of development forward,” Said Mr.
Azad, adding that if his party is elected to power after elections, the remaining
developmental projects of Ramban district will be completed in triple shifts.
“When I was the chief minister of erstwhile Jammu and Kashmir state, I ensured
this Ramban district particularly Banihal get all the required developmental
projects. We speeded up the works of execution after sanctioning hospitals,
schools, roads, colleges and other infrastructural projects. I assure you once we
are back in power after elections this district will become the centre of economic
activities,” he said. Mr Azad said his party is aiming to promote the youth on
Jammu Kashmir’s political landscape and with the joining of influential and
educated youth, DAP is becoming the major political force of UT.
He said DAP is the party of youth and encourages fresh blood into its fold since
the youth is the future of country.
Mr Azad, however, was excited to see the response of the people in Banihal
who urged him to hold the mega political rally in the district. Azad assured them
soon he will come to Ramban district to hold the political rally.
Azad, however, wished a good luck to some political leaders who re-joined
Congress.
He said those who claim to be the top leaders have actually no constituency to
contest elections after fresh delimitation.
He said they were taken into party fold since he respected them. “But they
couldn’t digest my respect and I can wish them goodluck,”. Among others
present on the occasion were Vice Chairman G.M.Saroori, Treasurer Taj
Mohiuddin, Chief Spokesperson Salman Nizami, Secretary Arun Raju, Mohd
Amin Bhatt, Bilal Peer, Ab Gani Khan, Sujada Bashir, Mushtaq Khanday,
Amir Rasool, Khalid Tufail, Shafiq Shabnam, Firdous Nabi, Farooq Wani,
Mohd Iqbal Naik, Gh Nabi Sohil, Gh Nabi Naik, Ab Gani Wani, Asghar Rasool,
Shariq Mir, Azhar Ahmed.
BJP freed Manipur from terrorism, bandhs: Amit Shah
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday asserted that the BJP government in the state freed Manipur from bandhs and terrorism and brought it on the path of development.
Addressing a public rally at Moirang in Bishnupur district after virtually inaugurating 12 projects worth Rs 300 crore and laying the foundation stone of nine projects worth Rs 1,007 crore, Shah said the BJP government defeated insurgency and lifted Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958 or AFSPA from six districts of the state.
“There was a situation of terror during the Congress rule in Manipur. Now, it is among the best governed small states,” he said.
Shah said the BJP-led government at the Centre has invested Rs 3.45 lakh crore in the Northeast in less than eight years and Prime Minister Narendra Modi has visited the region 51 times during this period.
Noting that the N Biren Singh government in the state is undertaking massive operations against drug trafficking and abuse, he said the BJP will make Manipur drug-free by next election.
Projects inaugurated by him include the Manipur Olympian Park at Sangaithel, a paid private ward at state-run Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Medical Sciences (JNIMS), Moreh town water supply scheme, Nongpok Thong Bridge at the eastern side of Kangla Fort and cave tourism project at Kangkhui cave.
Foundation stones were laid for the construction of 40 police outposts, 34 of which will be along the India-Myanmar international border and six along National Highway 37.
Earlier in the day, he hoisted the tricolour at the Indian National Army (INA) headquarters at Moirang, inaugurated a medical college in Churachandpur and unveiled a 120-foot-high statue of a polo player in Imphal East district.
J&K Government Orders Restructuring Of R&B Department
Srinagar, Jan 6: The Government on Friday ordered restructuring of Public Works (R&B) Department by way of re-organisation of cadre and rationalization of jurisdiction of its subordinate and field offices by making them co-terminus with territorial limits of divisions, districts and blocks of the Jammu and Kashmir.
Quoting a government order, GNS reported that the Development Commissioner Works (Ex- officio Secretary Tech. R&B Department) has been re-designated as Engineer-in-Chief (Secretary Technical R&B Department).
Mechanical Engineering Department Jammu and Kashmir has been renamed as Mechanical and Hospital Directorate J/K respectively.
“The post of Chief Engineer, DIQC shall be filled from Civil Wing of PW(R&B) henceforth instead of Hydraulic Wing.”
Also, one post each of Chief Engineer Mechanical Wing and Chief Engineer Mughal Road Project is transferred to Civil Wing.
The government also ordered conversion of three posts of Chief Engineers of SKUAST- Kashmir(01), SKUAST-Jammu(01) and SKIMS Soura(01) from deputation post to duty post by abolishing these posts from the concerned subsumed/merged engineering wings of departments.
Mechanical Engineers have been posted in Civil Wing of R&B, except in Jammu zone, for the purpose of snow clearance and other works, as under: Each Chief Engineer (Civil) R&B (Zonal Office) shall have one Executive Engineer Mechanical; Each Superintending Engineer (Civil) R&B (Circle Office) shall have one AEE (Mechanical); Each Executive Engineer (Civil) R&B (Division Office) shall have one AE (Mechanical) in their offices and Each Assistant Executive Engineer (Civil,) R&B (Sub Division Office) shall have one JE (Mechanical) in their offices.
The government also ordered conversion of eight (08) deputation posts of Superintending Engineers (Civil) to duty posts, by abolishing these posts from the concerned subsumed department(s) for their adjustment in new territorial jurisdictions which have been identified for these Superintending Engineers (Civil).
It also ordered conversion of deputation posts of Superintending Engineer (Meeh) (01), Executive Engineer (Meeh) (05), Assistant Executive Engineer (Meeh) (04), Assistant Engineer (Mech) (04) and Junior Engineer (Meeh) (14) from subsumed department into duty posts by abolishing such post(s) from the concerned subsumed/merged engineering wings of departments.
The government also ordered conversion of deputation posts of Executive Engineers (Civil) (36), Assistant Executive Engineers (56), Assistant Engineers (19) and Junior Engineer (82) and Draftsman (Civil) (48) into duty posts by abolishing these posts from the concerned subsumed/merged engineering wings of departments.
It also ordered formulation of new cadre strength as per revised structure for inclusion in respective Schedule-II of Gazetted/ Non-Gazetted Engineering Recruitment Rules by Issuance of corresponding notifications, thereby revising SRO-661 (Gazetted) and SRO-654 (Non-Gazetted) dated 25.10.2019 respectively.
“There would be no change in Recruitment Rules (Gazetted & Non- Gazetted) except Schedule-II of existing Recruitment Rules of engineering wings of departments including R&B Department.”
The posts merged from other departments into the PW(R&B) Department and officials who were appointed through the merged department, their service rules will remain the same through which they have been appointed initially and they shall be promoted/superannuated as per their recruitment rules and seniority of such employees shall be maintained separately by the PW (R&B) Department, the order said.
“All civil works of other departments (merged vide Government Order No.752-JK(GAD) of 2020 dated 10.08.2020) shall be executed by the newly created Divisions/ Sub Divisions as per their jurisdiction co-terminus with CD Blocks of RDD,” it said, adding, “All Works/ contracts under execution by a particular Division of PWD shall also be transferred to newly created Division/ Sub Division as per the jurisdiction.”
Existing contracts of other departments (merged vide Government Order No.752-JK(GAD) of 2020 dated 10.08.2020) shall be transferred to the new territorial Divisions/ Sub Divisions, it said. However resources shall be provided by the concerned department being project authority for completion of such projects, it said.
“The exercise of distribution of Assets (Roads, Bridges and Buildings), liability, and contracts shall start from the date of issuance of this order (today) and shall be completed by or before 28th
February, 2023,” it said, adding, “The jurisdiction of CD block shall be the guiding Principle during the course of this distribution.”
The process of hand over/takeover of assets along with furniture and fixtures and engineering staff of other merged departments shall be completed by 1st February 2023, it said. “In case these assets are not found suitable, such assets shall be handed over back to the respective department with a certificate by the concerned Chief Engineer PW(R&B) that such property is not suitable due to dilapidated condition or remote location.”
All existing offices/ Furniture and fixtures/ space of Engineers presently under use in other departments (merged vide Government Order No.752-JK(GAD) of 2020 dated 10.08.2020) shall be deemed to have been transferred to the PW(R&B) Department, so that public money is saved from new construction for housing new offices to the extent possible, it said.
“Existing Dak Bunglows, Inspection huts, Rest Houses of R&B Department shall be used to the extent possible for housing of newly created offices to save public money in construction/ hiring of accommodation for new offices for time being.”
The government further order that wherever there is no suitable office or space available at the newly designated jurisdiction, the process for identification and acquisition of suitable piece of land, free from all encumbrances is to be started within a month of issuance of this order. “In case suitable Government assets or buildings are not available, the concerned officer shall identify suitable Government or private land free from all encumbrances for such purposes.”
To include newly created divisions, the government said, necessary amendment shall be made on JKPWDOMS by 28th February, 2023 to include newly created divisions.
“PWD shall accordingly revise its budget proposal for salary/ revenue expenditure within 02 days of issuance of this order and forward the same to the Finance Department so that requisite budgetary provisions for FY 2023-24 are provisioned accordingly.”
The offices of Executive Engineers of merged departments have been asked to furnish details of their offices/ assets/ contracts to the PW(R&B) Department within three days.
“The location of offices of Executive Engineers/ Assistant Executive Engineers shall be located physically in their newly created jurisdictions (details in Annexure(s)) and will not be changed/modified without the approval of the Administrative Council.”
It also ordered creation of 782 posts in different categories by corresponding reduction of existing 1182 posts of different categories in the PW(R8B) Department.
All necessary preparations regarding establishment of offices, divisions of roads/assets and projects/contracts shall be completed by 28th February 2023, it said.
“The order shall come into force with immediate effect but shall be operational w.e.f 01.04.2023,” it added.