Excelsiordaily

REGD. NO. JK-71/18-20RNI No. 28547/65Vol No. 54 No. 356 JAMMU, WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 26, 2018 12 Pages `̀ 5.00

Nishikant KhajuriaJAMMU, Dec 25:

Hundreds of daily commutershave been left high and dry asthe Railway authorities tem-porarily suspended DieselMultiple Unit (DMU) servicebetween Jammu andUdhampur route since yester-day.

The DMU service betweenUdhampur- Jammu and viceversa, which has been most pop-ular mode of transport amongthe routine passengers on thisroute, particularly theGovernment as well as privateemployees for reaching to theirdestination on time, shall remainsuspended for more than twomonths.

According to anotification by theRailway authorities,train number7 4 9 0 6 / 7 4 9 0 7b e t w e e nUdhampur-Jammuand Jammu-Udhampur shallremain cancelledwith effect fromDecember 24, 2018to March 5, 2019.

Even as no rea-son has been listedfor the suspensionof DMU service,official sources told theExcelsior that the train hasbeen shifted to Prayagraj(erstwhile Allahabad) for facil-itating the pilgrims visiting the

‘Mahakumbh', scheduledfrom January 15 to March 4,2019.

The suspension of DMU

Travelers left high & dry as DMUservice on Jammu-Udr suspended

Fayaz BukhariSRINAGAR, Dec 25: The

work on the construction ofCommunity Centre inRajbagh area of Srinagar atthe cost of Rs 4 crore has beenstalled as three persons haveapproached the court claimingthe Government land. TheDistrict Administration hasfailed to get the stay on theconstruction vacated despitethe report from the Tehsildar.

The construction of the workon Community Centre was start-ed this year on 7 kanals and 10marlas of prime land near Zerobridge by the Roads andBuildings Department. But threepersons approached the DistrictAdministration and raised objec-tions over the construction of thefacility and claimed ownership

of the land.The Deputy Commissioner

Srinagar sought report fromTehsildar South on the owner-

ship of the land on which theCommunity Centre was to beconstructed. The Tehsildar

Mohinder VermaJAMMU, Dec 25:

Governor's Administrationhas decided to ascertain thestatus of the cases registeredby the Anti-CorruptionBureau (ACB) before consid-ering the promotion of taintedofficers of the StateGovernment and in the firstinstance accord of highergrade to over a dozen officershas been withheld for want ofnecessary information fromthe premier investigatingagency of the State.

Official sources toldEXCELSIOR that Governmentvide Order No.1488-GAD datedDecember 26, 2011 had laiddown a procedure to be adoptedby the Establishment-cum-Selection Committee whilemaking promotions to variousscales of the Jammu andKashmir Administrative Servicecommonly known as KAS.

"The AdministrativeDepartment concerned shallplace before theEstablishment-cum-Selection

Committee headed by theChief Secretary the integritycertificate and clearance fromvigilance in respect of eachofficer in the zone of the con-sideration", read the order ofDecember 26, 2011.

However, this procedure wasnot being strictly followed as aresult of which even the 'tainted'officers were getting promotionsdespite facing FIRs underJammu and Kashmir Preventionof Corruption Act.

Now, the Governor'sAdministration has decided tostrictly implement the explicitprocedure so as to put brakes onthe promotion of officers, whohave been booked under theJammu and Kashmir Preventionof Corruption Act, sources said,adding Establishment-Cum-Selection Committee headed bythe Chief Secretary BVRSubrahmanyam has alreadystarted acting strictly on the pro-cedure.

They disclosed that in itslast meeting theEstablishment-cum-SelectionCommittee deferred the

accord of higher grade to 13Deputy Secretary rank offi-cers and asked the GeneralAdministration Department toprocess their cases afresh afterascertaining the lateststatus/disposal of cases regis-tered against them by theAnti-Corruption Bureau (for-merly J&K State VigilanceOrganization).

"The General AdministrationDepartment has formally writtento the Headquarters of Anti-Corruption Bureau seeking sta-tus of the FIRs registered againstthese 13 officers", sources said,adding "the requisite informa-tion is likely to be placed beforethe Establishment-cum-Selection Committee shortly".

The officers whose promo-tion has been deferred by theEstablishment-cum-SelectionCommittee for want of requi-site information from the Anti-Corruption Bureau includeMohammad Yousuf Malik,who is facing FIR No.19/2018in his capacity as AssistantCommissioner Development

Governor’s Admn to ascertain status ofVigilance cases before promoting officers

India has no clearpolicy on Kashmir:Rajendra

PUNE, Dec 25: Former Director-General of

Police, Jammu and Kashmir, KRajendra Kumar said today thatthe country did not have a ‘clearroadmap’ to resolve pressingsecurity issues in the State.

Kumar was delivering a lec-ture on “issues facing Jammuand Kashmir Police” at thePune Union of WorkingJournalists here.

The lecture was organisedby Sarhad, an NGO, which runs

Suspect held withpistol in Mendhar

Excelsior CorrespondentJAMMU, Dec 25: Army

today apprehended a suspectwhen he was travelling in a

TATA Sumo from Surankote toMendhar, along with pistol andammunition.

The youth, who has been iden-tified as Mohammad ParvezMusharraf, 20, son of AbdulQasoor, a resident of Surankote,was a BA Part-I student of

Vajpayee never compromised on Kashmir’sintegration with India: Dr Jitendra

Excelsior Correspondent

HIRANAGAR, Dec 25:Ridiculing the opt repeatedstatements of Opposition andKashmir centric parties thatVajpayee formula be appliedon Kashmir, Union Minister inPMO, Dr Jitendra Singh todaysaid that former PrimeMinister never compromisedon Kashmir's integration withIndia.

Addressing a public meetingat village Sajjana in HiranagarAssembly segment of Kathuadistrict near here, Dr JitendraSingh said that Vajpayee was fortotal integration of Kashmir withIndia.

"The former PM had nevermade any compromise onnational unity and integrity and

when the autonomy resolutionwas passed by JK Assembly dur-ing Dr FarooqAbdullah led NCGovernment in theState, Vajpayeewithout losing anytime rejected it andthrew it in the dust-bin," he recalled.

Dr JitendraSingh said thatKashmir centricleadership of NCand PDP make sar-castic remarks onBJP to followVajpayee formulawithout under-standing him and his formula.

"Is it possible that the personwho fought for his whole life fortotal integration of J&K with

India and was asked by hisleader and then Jana Sangh pres-

ident, Dr Shama PrasadMookherjee whom he accompa-nied in 1953 Praja Parishad agi-tation to Kashmir that go and tell

the country that he has enteredKashmir after breaking permit

system and was jailed, couldmake any compromise onKashmir. "Those words of Dr

Centre goes all out to checkintrusions, sniper attacks

Sanjeev PargalJAMMU, Dec 25: The

Central Government hasdecided to adopt a majorstrategy along theInternational Border inJammu to counter infiltrationattempts by the militants,backed by Pakistani Rangers,and sniping attacks in whichsome BSF soldiers have beenkilled in the recent past.

Official sources told theExcelsior that after successfultrial of Israel technology ofComprehensive IntegratedBorder Management System(CIBMS) at two places in theform of pilot projects on theInternational Border, the Centrehas decided to extend theCIBMS to more areas, which

were vulnerable for infiltration,and gradually switch over to thenew system of fencing.

"The Central Governmentproposed to expand smart fenc-ing in more areas along theInternational Border in Jammuto keep the infiltration of mili-tants from Pakistan side wellunder control. The spots vulner-able to infiltration will be takenup for the smart fencing,''sources said, pointing out thatthe CIBMS has already been putin place at two places covering atotal area of 5.5 kilometers onthe International Border.

Jammu region has about 192kilometers InternationalBoundary from Kathua toAkhnoor covering three borderdistricts of Kathua, Samba andJammu but during the past cou-ple of months, no major infiltra-tion attempt has been made bythe militants, sources noted.However, the InternationalBorder had been in the news inSeptember this year when one ofthe associates of three militantskilled in an encounter at JhajjarKotli on Jammu-Srinagar

National Highway revealed thathe had transported at least 20militants to Kashmir after theirinfiltration from the border inJammu sector. All three slainmilitants had infiltrated betweenHiranagar and Samba sectors.

According to sources, theCentral Government, con-cerned over reports of infiltra-tion attempts, wants to plug allmajor routes on theInternational Border to stopintrusions by the militantsfrom across the border.

"The CIBMS was fool-proofsystem for controlling infiltra-tion by the militants and, in viewof this, the Government of Indiahas decided to expand it to morespots along the InternationalBorder,'' sources said, addingthat smart fencing was first of itskind in India and it was firstraised by Israel.

Experiment of the CIBMShas been successful, they said.

Gradually, the CentralGovernment proposed to covermore areas on the InternationalBorder with smart fencing.

"The smart border fencing

would make borders secure andthe dependence on groundpatrolling by troops will consid-erably be reduced,'' sourcessaid.

The smart border fencingprojects, built under the CIBMSis the first of its kind in thecountry, have hi-tech surveil-lance system that would createan invisible electronic barrier onland, water and even in air andunderground and would help theBSF to detect and foil infiltra-tion bids in most difficult ter-rains. The CIBMS is designed toguard stretches where physicalsurveillance is not possibleeither due to inhospitable terrainor riverine borders.

CIBMS uses a number ofdifferent devices for surveil-lance, communication and datastorage. Sensors like ThermalImager, UGS, Fiber OpticalSensors, Radar and Sonar havebeen mounted on different plat-forms like Aerostat, tower, polesetc. A comprehensive integra-tion of such sensors and other

INSIDE WEATHERJammu-Poonch rail line ...Page 6* Usurping prime land at HumhamaChristmas celebrated across Statewith religious fervour, gaiety ...Page 3Ex-IAS officer declares Kashmir‘free’ in fiction. ....Page 3Brahman Sabha, other organizations demand delimitation commission ....Page 5Sagar accuses Governor’sAdmn of laid back attitude ....Page 7Opening Gambit: Rookies Mayank, Vihari to open asVijay, Rahul dropped ...Page 10

JAMMU: Mainly dry

TEMPERATUREMax: 19.2 Degree C Min: 4.1 Degree C

RELATIVE HUMIDITYRH-I (Morning): 84.0 per centRH-II (Evening): 61.0 per centSunset on Wednesday: 05.33 p.m.Sunrise on Thursday: 07.32 a.m.

SRINAGAR:Mainly dry

TEMPERATUREMax: 9.7 Degree C Min: -5.5 Degree C

RELATIVE HUMIDITYRH-I (Morning): 92.0 per centRH-II (Evening): 61.0 per cent

LEH: TEMPERATURE

Max: 3.6 Degree C Min: -10.0 Degree C

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Frozen Indus and Zanskar rivers junction, which is popularly known as Sangam, a famousrafting point for tourists during summer in Leh. -Excelsior/Morup Stanzin

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(Contd on page 9 Col 1)

RBI to release new Rs 20 note

NEW DELHI, Dec 25:The Reserve Bank of India

(RBI) will soon introduce anew Rs 20 currency note withadditional features, accordingto a document of the centralbank.

The central bank has alreadyissued new look currency notesin the denominations of Rs 10,Rs 50, Rs 100 and Rs 500,besides introducing Rs 200 andRs 2,000 bank notes.

The new look notes arebeing introduced sinceNovember 2016 under

(Contd on page 9 Col 1)

Sharif shifted to jail

LAHORE, Dec 25: Pakistan's ousted Prime

Minister Nawaz Sharif wasshifted to the Kot Lakhpat jailin Lahore amid tight securitytoday, a day after an anti-cor-ruption court sentenced him toseven years in prison in a graftcase linked to the high-profilePanama Papers scandal.

Sharif, 69, was sentencedto seven years of rigorousimprisonment in the Al-AziziaSteel Mills graft case but wasacquitted in the FlagshipInvestments case by the

(Contd on page 9 Col 1)

Army jawan killscolleague

Excelsior CorrespondentJAMMU, Dec 25: An Army

jawan allegedly shot dead hiscolleague following a spat withhim in an Army camp in Dodadistrict.

"Army Havaldar RajeshDakua was fired upon by hiscolleague at an Army camp inBhaderwah last night. He wasbrought to the hospital, wherehe died after 10 minutes",reports said.

40-year-old jawan was postedat 4, Rashtriya Rifles headquartersat Bhaderwah, they said addingthat the jawan, who opened firing

(Contd on page 9 Col 3)

Joshi discusses prevailing situationwith State BJP, Sangh leadership

Avtar BhatJAMMU, Dec 25: RSS

Sarkarivah (national generalsecretary), Bhaiya Ji Joshi,who arrived here this morningon two days visit of Jammu,during his hectic schedule ofthe day held meetings withleaders representing variousSangh off shoots and BJP anddiscussed the prevailing politi-cal situation in the State andorganizational matters withthem.

The senior RSS leader, whoheld a meeting with top Sanghfunctionaries, BJP Core Groupmembers, leaders of VHP,Bajrang Dal, Ek Laviya organi-zation, Sanaskar Bharti and

Shiksha Bharti of the State in theevening discussed varied issuesconcerning the State and nationwith them.

Sources said, besides the lawand order situation, border skir-

m i s h e s ,issues ofRoh ingyasand demog-raphy andthe politicalsituation inthe State, thedeliberations

were also held on coming LokSabha and Assembly polls. Inaddition to it, the issues of WestPak refugees who are cravingfor citizenship rights since 1947,PoJK refugees and Kashmiri

displaced people were also dis-cussed in the meeting.

Prior to meeting with RSSsenior leader, BJP Core Groupmet at the residence of Party'schief spokesperson, SunilSethi at Maheshpora, BakshiNagar to devise their strategyregarding various politicalissues confronting the Stateand party's stand on holdingof Assembly elections. There isa divided opinion in the StateBJP over timing of Assemblypoll, sources added.

While a section of the partywants that the Assembly poll beheld simultaneously along withLok Sabha elections in the Stateanother section is of the opinionthat they should be deferred and

Governor's rule should continuefor the time being.

Sources said the legislatorsfrom the Jammu city favouredholding of Assembly electionsalong with Lok Sabha poll whilethose of far flung and remoteareas wanted that, they bedeferred so that the developmen-tal schemes launched by them intheir respective constituenciesare completed and people seesomething has been done onground.

Sources said Central leader-ship of BJP has conducted sur-vey through its various agenciesregarding the performance ofBJP MLAs in their respectiveconstituencies and this feed backwas also given to Sangh leader

Govind SharmaJAMMU, Dec 25: Jammu

recorded season's lowest tem-perature this morning at 4.1degree Celsius while Srinagar,the summer capital of theState, which recorded the

coldest night in 11 years onMonday at minus 6.8 degreesCelsius, experienced somerespite as mercury settled atminus 5.5 degrees Celsius lastnight. However, flight opera-tions at Jammu and SrinagarAirports remained disruptedtoday due to low visibility con-ditions in New Delhi.

"Residents of Jammu wokeup to a chilly Tuesday morningas the mercury further plunged

to 4.1 degrees Celsius - the sea-son's lowest so far," said aweatherman, adding, the nighttemperature is on a declineacross the Jammu region withthe minimum temperature inBanihal and Batote, along theJammu-Srinagar NationalHighway, and Bhaderwah inDoda district, slipping to sub-zero levels.

He said Banihal, the gatewayto Kashmir, was the coldestrecorded place in the region witha low of minus 3.3 degreesCelsius, followed by Bhaderwahat minus 2.2 degrees Celsius andBatote at minus 2 degreesCelsius.

Cold wave conditionsintensified across Kashmir asthe mercury slipped furtherbelow the freezing point,resulting in frozen water bod-

ies and water supply lines inseveral residential areas.

However, Srinagar whichrecorded the coldest night in 11years on Monday at minus 6.8degrees Celsius, experiencedsome respite as mercury settledover a degree higher at minus5.5 degrees Celsius last night,the weatherman said.

Qazigund - the gateway townto the Valley - in South Kashmirrecorded a low of minus 5.2degrees Celsius, while the near-by Kokernag town registered alow of minus 5.3 degreesCelsius last night.

Kupwara in North Kashmirrecorded a low of minus 5.2degrees Celsius last night, whilein Pahalgam it was at a low ofminus 7.7 degrees Celsius lastnight. The ski-resort of Gulmarg

Jammu records season’s lowest tempConstruction of Community Centre

stalled as private parties claim State land

*Watch video on www.excelsiornews.com

Pic on page 9

Land for construction of Community Centre at Rajbagh,Srinagar. -Excelsior/Shakeel

Admn fails to get stay vacated

(Contd on page 9 Col 3)

Flight cancelled, several delayed

(Contd on page 9 Col 1)

(Contd on page 9 Col 7)

(Contd on page 9 Col 5)

Union Minister, Dr Jitendra Singh addressing a public meeting at villageSajjana in Hiranagar Assembly segment on Tuesday. -Excelsior/Rakesh

Accord of higher grade to 13 officers withheld

Establishment Committee to forward more lists to ACB

Bullet-proof bunkers, posts on IB soon

Smart fencing to

cover vast areas

(Contd on page 9 Col 3)

A notice pasted at Udhampur RailwayStation informing about suspension of DMUservice between Jammu-Udhampur & viceversa till March 5, 2019.

Trains shifted for Mahakumbh at Prayagraj

(Contd on page 9 Col 5)

Opinion divided in BJP over timing of Assembly polls

(Contd on page 9 Col 5)