KEA asks JK Bank to come clean Reports of directors receiving kickbacks shocking

‘Public response to RTI Act in J&K encouraging’ ‘RTI brings Government under scrutiny’

Food Security Bill a landmark step: Taj

Srinagar, September 03:

Citing that uncertainty was not good for growth of any institution, Chief Minister Omar Abdul-lah requested RBI to speed up their decision on term extension of Mushtaq Ahmad Chair-man and CEO J&K Bank.Pitching strongly for

Chairman’s continua-tion during his address at the inaugural func-tion of Bank’s National Business Centre in Bandra Kurla Complex, Mumbai he said, “Un-certainty is not good for the growth of any institution. Mushtaq Ahmad’s first term as chairman of J&K Bank is about to end, a long

due request has been put to RBI that we will like to continue with him as the Chairman of J&K Bank. I urge the deputy governor to in-tervene and help speed up the decision-making process.It is without doubt a fact that for us in J&K, with-standing the turmoil of the last 25 years of mili-

tancy would have been much tougher without J&K Bank. At the time, when almost every oth-er institution backed out and left, J&K Bank was the only institution not just servicing the banking needs but ful-filling other financial re-quirements of the state.”It is a journey from an

See CM on Pg. 11

New Delhi, September 03:

Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah Tuesday strong-ly supported the view of bringing political par-ties under the purview of Right to Information Act adding that transparency should rule the roost in all spheres of life includ-ing politics, administra-tion and governance. He said when organizations, institutions and other sec-tors related to public and the State are transparent and accountable before the masses, the rule of law and justice will flourish and prevail.Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister said that Right to Information (RTI) Act is the model initiative

to promote transparency, accountability and re-sponsiveness in the func-tioning of a Government

adding that information and knowledge sharing ensures empowerment of people and democracy. He said that he believes and supports the idea of bringing all political par-ties under RTI. “I also be-

lieve that political parties should have no objection in this regard”, he main-tained.Addressing the Annual National Convention on RTI Act organized by Na-tional Right to Informa-tion Commission here, the Chief Minister dwelt in detail with the enactment of National RTI Act and referred to the grass root movements taking place in the Country for this Act.The Chief Minister said that with the implementa-tion of the Act the people have become empowered to see, check and inspect any information which does not come under the exemption list, as such, the Government and

See Omar on Pg. 11

PC launches signature campaign to shut Achan

garbage dump

New Delhi, Sep. 03:

A spot report, commis-sioned by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) on the India-China bor-der issue, has confirmed the government’s worst fears. The ground situation report, submitted by Na-tional Security Advisory Board (NSAB) chair-person Shyam Saran to Prime Minister Man-mohan Singh on August 10, 2013, underlines that the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) troops are not allowing their In-dian counterparts to

patrol the Indian percep-tion of the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern

Ladakh.Singh had told Saran to visit the eastern La-

dakh and Siachen sec-tors from August 2 to 9 for reviewing the border infrastructure develop-ment and LAC situation. Saran, who had conduct-ed a similar exercise in May 2007, has reported a grim scenario of Chinese transgressions in the Daulet Beg Oldi (DBO) sector, Depsang Bulge and Chumar. The report has been shared with the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS).An inter-ministerial committee headed by home secretary Anil

See LAC on Pg. 11

Says congress the only party with mission to serve the peopleSrinagar, September 03:

Describing the recently enacted Food Security Bill as a landmark step to alle-viate poverty in the coun-try, Minister for Medical Education, Youth Services & Sports, Mr. Taj Mohi-ud-Din today said the move would enable people living below poverty line to have decent two square meals and make hunger history in India.Addressing a well-attend-ed public meeting at Po-loground here today, the Minister said the historic legislation, the enactment of which would invoke the Central Government an expenditure of Rs. 1.35 lac

crores, was made possible only because of a deter-mined and dedicated lead-ership at the centre. He hailed the Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh and UPA Chairper-son, Mrs. Sonia Gandhi for the pro poor bill adding that this showed the keenness and resolve of the cen-tral leadership to take people of the country on the higher planes of progress, prosperity and develop-ment.The Minister said the Gov-ernments at the Centre and State at present have been pro poor and recalled

many pro poor steps taken by the State and Central Governments. He said the Government has passed Land Acquisition Bill to ensure that farmers and

land owners have a better say dur-ing acquisition processes of their lands and they are compensated adequately. He said the aim is to empower people which is the goal

of the present Government at centre and the State.Mr.Taj said many revolu-tionary steps and big tick-et projects are under ex-ecution in the State which would give J&K a turn-

around and pace up its economy and social stan-dards. He said at present projects and programmes worth Rs. 38, 000 crore are under implementation in the State.Criticizing some vested interest groups and politi-cal parties for their short sighted policies, the Min-ister said their policies are aimed at dividing people and societies. He regret-ted that these communal parties are dividing people and said the recent untow-ard incidents at Kishtwar are a proof of it. He said he was himself mediating be-tween groups of people for three days and it was

See Taj on Pg. 11

Srinagar, September 03:

Additional charge syn-drome is affecting Valley’s education sector badly. Reliable sources told CNS that four Chief Education Officers (CEO) posts are lying vacant in the Educa-tion department. Addition-al charges have been given to mostly Principal DIETs in Srinagar, Kupwara, Ganderbal and Baramulla.Chief Education Officer Srinagar, Nazir Ahmed Kanth was attached to Di-rector Education Office and his charge was given to Principal DIET Munshi

Javid. “It is irony that that in-stead of functioning from CEO office Srinagar, Mun-shi Javid is seen present at his Bemina office. Ad-ditional syndrome is badly affecting this sector,” one of the senior officers in Education department told CNS on condition of anonymity.In Central Kashmir’s Gan-derbal district, Deputy CEO, Khazar Muham-mad Mir is functioning as CEO from past many months. One of the senior officers said that there are so many Principals in the

district who are senior to deputy CEO and as a re-sult the deputy CEO is not having any control over them. This has affected the functioning of the educa-tion department badly,” he said.Reliable sources told CNS that post of CEO is also lying vacant in North Kashmir’s Baramula dis-trict. “The Principal DIET has given the additional charge of CEO Baramulla. The fact is that his DIET office is located in Sopore while the CEO office is in Baramulla,” a senior

See Education Sector on Pg. 11

Srinagar, Sep. 03:

On the directions of Peoples’ Conference Chairman (PC) Sa-jad Gani Lone, party spokesperson Junaid Azim Mattu and Dis-trict President Syed Owais Qadri held a marathon of meet-ings with senior party activists and leaders from Srinagar and public delegations from Shaher-e-Khaas.They announced the launch of an extensive, large-scale door-to-door signature cam-

paign to press for the immediate closure of the Achan garbage dumping site. In a statement Mattu said that PC will depute teams across Shaher-e-Khaas to collect sig-natures on a petition that will be then filed in the High Court, and if need be even in the Supreme Court. Stating that both NC and PDP, during their successive tenures chose to offer little more than lip-service on the closure of

See Campaign on Pg. 11

CMYK

CMYK

CMYK

CMYK

WEDNESDAY September 04 | 2013 | 27 Shawal 1434 AH | PAGES 12 | VOL NO: 3 | ISSUE NO: 219 | RS: 2/- (AIR SURCHARGE FOR JAMMU /DELHI/LEH 50 PAISA)Pen For JusticeLargely Circulated, No. 1 Bilingual Daily of J&K

LAC a forbidden area for Indian troops

Hundreds of media men also throng

valleySrinagar, September 03:

Amid growing resent-ment among the civil society members against music maestro Zubin Mehta’s concert in Kash-mir, German ambassa-dor Michael Steiner and wife Eliese Steiner took

stock of the venue at Sri-nagar’s Mughal garden Shalimar Bagh on Tues-day morning.At 11:30 am, the duo reached the 17th century terraced garden Shali-mar Bagh, around 10 km away from the city centre Lal Chowk. The couple spent an hour to take stock of the arrange-ments with a German technical team.The ambassador ad-dressed the concerns brought up by the flo-riculture department. The venue is designed to avoid any damage to

the garden or the monu-ment. A pre-fabricated 70 by 50 feet podium is being created on the second terrace with Mughal-era Diwan-i-Khas or Black Pavilion in the backdrop. A girdle tied to two long poles will be used for lighting and sound under the shades of majestic rowed Chinar trees.“The line of fountains (spread over 1.6 km) will not work on the day of performance because the flow and its noise may distract artists,” said a

See Zubin Show on Pg. 11

Zubin show on

http://www.zabarwantimes.com

Ganderbal, September 03:

Scores of people including parents staged a massive protest against District Hos-pital authorities in Gander-bal after their injured chil-dren were not treated in the hospital in wake of absence of doctors. Reports said that a school bus (JK01L-7309) carrying the children of New Dream Land Educational Institute Ganderbal met with an acci-dent at Barsoo Highway in which at least six children were injured.Parents and people were aghast when they found that only one doctor was

present in the District Hos-pital Ganderbal. “The lone doctor who was present there was so exhausted that he did not bother to take care of injured children though even police officials too requested him to do so,” one of the parents told CNS.Block Medical Officer, Gan-derbal, Dr Shabir Ahmed Awan told CNS that the government has posted only four doctors in the hos-pital. “What can I do? One doctor has been assigned night duty another doctor has gone for some impor-tant work. Dr Manzoor is handling Causality while

See Hospital on Pg. 11

Additional Charge syndrome makes education sector ineffective

WEATHER

TEMPERATUREMAXIMUM MINIMUMSUNSET ON(WED)SUNRISE ON (THURSDAY)

06:55 pm06:08 am

14.3 0C26.5 0C

FORECAST FOR NEXT 24 HRS:

FORECAST OF SRINAGAR:

Light Rain/ Thundershowers may occur at isolated places over state.

Partly cloudy Sky. Maximum & Minimum temperatures will be around 27°C & 15°C respectively.

Govt has nothing to hide about coal files

Frame MGNREGA plans in consultation with

Gram Sabha7 8 10

Absence of doctors in hospital irks parents

Chocolates help you lose weight

PLA not letting them to patrol

Omar supports bringing political parties under RTI purview

CM pitches strongly for Mushtaq’s extension

We are going to fill up these posts: Education Minister People stage massive protests in Ganderbal

Srinagar, September 03:

Kashmir Economic Alli-ance (KEA) Tuesday said the startling revelations through media regarding JK Bank building deal in Mumbai and ‘one of its Directors receiving kick-backs’ has come as anoth-er shocker after earlier expose.“This looks like history repeating itself. A few decades back a prime property belonging to the

State was sold for peanuts by the then Government. Now it is the opposite. A purchase through a wheeler dealer friend, and a Director of the Bank, using his influence and clout,” Siraj Ahmad, Chief Spokesperson of KEA said in a statement.“No other Bank in the country or elsewhere would have remained tight lipped after serious allegations of discrimi-nation and wrong doings

were levelled against it in public. Even the govern-ment and /or other regu-latory agencies have not directed the management to come out clean and dis-pel the allegations so as to regain public faith and confidence. It seems that the bank does not care and respect the public sentiments and apprehen-sions of its clients. And same can be said of the State Government,”

See Building Deal on Pg. 11

Shady building deal in Mumbai

German ambassador visits Shalimar garden

J&K Bank is a great example of public-private partnership: Dy Guv RBI

Pakistan violates ceasefire againJammu, September 03: Paki-stani troops Tuesday violated the ceasefire on the Line of Control (LoC) in Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir, by fir-ing at Indian positions, an army spokesman said. Indian troops retaliated in response, he said."Pakistani troops fired at our positions in Doda battalion area of the LoC in Poonch this morn-ing (Tuesday)," Captain S.N. Acharya said. "Pakistani firing started at 9.30 a.m. They used automatics and light weapons. Our troops effectively retali-ated. Firing exchanges were continuing when last reports came in at 11.30 a.m.," he said.Pakistan also violated the ceasefire Monday in Mendhar sector of the same district, open-ing unprovoked firing at Indian positions.

Cabinet scheduled to meet todaySrinagar, September 03: The state cabinet which is sched-uled to meet here on Wednes-day under the Chief Minister Omar Abdullah. Sources told KNS that during the meeting the cabinet will recommend to Governor N N Vohra to hold the Autumn Session of Legisla-tive Assembly from September 23. “Some promotions in few departments including Home Department are also in the agenda,” they said. The meeting would be start at Civil Secre-tariat here around 4:30 pm.

Man slips to death in KarnahSrinagar, September 03: 80 years old Mehboob Ali son of Syed Ali resident of Deemari Karnah slipped at Seemari Bala Kupwara while cutting grass. He died off the fall instantly. Police station Karnah has initi-ated an inquest proceedings in this regard.

People hail MLA Tral’s effortsKar IrshadTral, September 03: People of Tral have appreciated the ef-forts of the MLA Tral Mushtaq Ahmad Shah who has released Rs.4.70 lacs for the construction of Bar Rooms for the advocates in the compound of Judicial Court Tral. Moreover, MLA has also released Rs.30 lacs for dif-ferent development works from his Constituency Development Fund.

2 consume poison in ShopianSrinagar, September 03: Alam Din Bijran son of Gula Bijran and his sister-in-law (name with held) residents of Kathuhallan, Shopian consumed some poi-sonous substance at their home. Both of them were shifted to Public Health Center, Keller for treatment, where from they were referred to SMHS hospital, Srinagar.However, the lady died on the way to the hospital while Alam Din has been admitted in SMHS, hospital, Srinagar.

Daily ZABARWAN TIMES NEWS Srinagar | wedneSday 04 .9 .2013

Promotion of Urdu language

TANGMARG, SEPTEMBER 03 –

Highlighting the vital role of MGN-REGA in creating job opportunities and building rural infrastructure in the State, Minister for Agriculture, Mr Ghulam Has-

san Mir Tuesday asked Sarpanches and Panches to frame annual Plans under the scheme in consultation with the local Gram Sabha’s.

The Minister said this during his ex-

tensive visit covering dozens of villages of his constituency Tuesday in which he also addressed series of public meetings.

The Villages include, Bungund, Larki-pora, Allopra, Bunsharn, Gund Dhalwash, Maawaha, Gulabdaji, Hardioobra and

Patiposhkar.. The Minister asked the Panchayat representatives to workout comprehensive development plans of all the rural schemes in consultation with the local people of their respective wards

before the commencement of new fiscal year. He said this would minimize any duplicity of development works under various programmes adding that under various centrally sponsored schemes abundant funds are available, but the

need of the hour is to utilize it ju-diciously.During the tour, the Min-ister gave on the spot directions for restoration of HT-transmission lines from Pallpora to Larkipora via Bun-gund. He also gave directions to the concerned for leveling the Play field at Bungund, up gradation of Bun-pora link road, and improvement of Surash Bungund Khul.

Addressing public meetings, the Minister said that government is making all efforts to provide ir-rigation facilities to the Horticulture growers of Karewas by utilizing groundwater potential of these ar-eas. In this direction, the Minister directed the officers of Horticulture

and Agriculture to formulate a compre-hensive proposal in this regard.

The Minister was accompanied by sectoral officers of the Tangmarg and Kunzar blocks.

CS reviews Sub-Committee report

SRINAGAR, SEPTEMBER 03: The high-level committee for promotion of Urdu language headed by Chief Secretary Muham-mad Iqbal Khanday Tuesday reviewed the findings and recom-mendations of the Sub-Committee mandated to find out ways and means of overcoming shortage of Urdu, Dogri and Kashmiri language teachers in Government schools at Primary, middle and high school level and to work out additional requirements of sub-ject specific teachers.

Chief Secretary asked the Sub-Committee to further examine the figures regarding the District wise requirement of language specific teachers and finalize the report for submission to the Gov-ernment.

The high level committee has already given its concurrence to the proposal of setting up the J&K Urdu Promotion Council for holistic, comprehensive development and promotion of the state’s official language besides giving concurrence to the proposal aimed at incorporating necessary provisions in the recruitment rules for direct entry posts in various departments where knowledge of Urdu language is required to ensure proper and effective service delivery.The meeting was attended by Commissioner Secretary, Tourism and Culture, Atul Duloo, Secretary School Education, Hird-esh Kumar, Secretary, Higher Education, Sheikh Mushtaq, Directors School Education Kashmir, Jammu and other senior officers.

Frame MGNREGA plansin consultation with Gram Sabha: Mir

Asks offi-cers to employ

modern techniques to

increase production

SRINAGAR, SEPTEMBER 03:

The Minister of State for PHE, Irrigation and Flood Control Nazir Ahmad Gurezi Tuesday paid surprise visit to Livestock Development Board Kashmir and Liquid Nitrogen Plant Shaltang and took stock of the facilities available there.

Gurezi was informed that Nitrogen Plant has 1.25 lac

litres production capacity and there is further scope for im-provement in the production capacity of the plant. He called for employing latest available techniques and equipments besides modern methods to

increase the production.

Gur-ezi also di-rected the concerned to submit a proposal for the con-struction of b o u n d a r y wall around the complex. He also di-rected them to maintain c l e a n l i -ness in and around the complex.

Appreciating the work-ing standards in these units, the Minister asked the officers to work with utmost dedica-tion and ensure punctuality at all levels.

JAMMU, SEPT 03:

Minister of State, Sci-ence & Technology and Information Technology, Feroz Ahmed Khan Tuesday inaugurated 10 KV Solar Power Plant at Panjbak-thar Temple established by Jammu and Kashmir En-ergy Development Agency (JAKEDA) with a cost of Rs. 24 lakh.MLA, East, Ashok Khajuria besides District Officer, Science and Tech-nology, Deepak Sharma, Re-gional Manager Sova Power Limited (North India), Ash-wani Raina, member of Temple Managing Commit-tee and prominent citizens were present on the occa-sion.While speaking on the occasion, the Minister said that solar energy is among one of the best and cheaper source of power to meet the global demand. He said that Government of India has launched various pro-grammes to provide solar energy to the unelectrified areas besides minimizing the consumption of fossil

fuels. He informed that

more than 200 solar plants have been installed in J&K State besides 50,000 solar domestic lights have been provided in un-electrified belts of the state.

The Minister said that state government has installed mega solar power plants in almost all the Dis-trict and Sub-District Hos-pitals of the state and mea-sures are afoot to install the same in educational insti-tutions and religious plac-es on priority to provide uninterrupted power. He said that the major thrust is being laid to expedite the projects sanctioned by Ministry for Renewable En-ergy (GOI) to overcome the power scarcity.He asked the Managing Committee of the temple to make opti-mum use of solar plant and keep check on its proper maintenance. He directed the concerned department to ensure maintenance of the power plant for its smooth functioning.

Regional Manager, Sova Power Limited ap-prised the Minster of func-tioning of the solar plant. He informed that the solar plants not only provide en-ergy but it acts as an addi-tional source of energy by providing reverse energy to the feeders of the Grid.

On the occasion, MLA East announced Rs. 10 lakh from his Constitu-ency Development Fund (CDF) for development of the Temple.The Commit-tee Members putforth their demands which mainly included construction of Gobar Gas Plant in Temple besides Library and Shed for Gowshala.The Minster directed the concerned au-thorities to make a compre-hensive plan so that work on Gobar Gas Plant would be executed in a shortest possible time. He assured full cooperation to the Temple Management for construction of Library and Gowshala Shed at ancient and historic Panjbakthar Temple.

Gurezi pays surprise visit to Liquid Nitrogen Plant

Shaltang

Feroz inaugurates Solar Power Plant

Assurance Committee reviews actions taken by the

Education depttSRINAGAR, SEPTEMBER 03: The Committee on Assurance (AC) of Jam-

mu and Kashmir Legislative Council Tuesday asked the officers of Education department to gear up their field functionaries and fulfill all Government As-surances given from time to time on the floor of the house by the concerned Ministers.

The Committee headed by MLC, S. Dharambir Singh Oberoi held its meeting here Tuesday to discuss the Assurance pertaining to Education Department.

Legislators, Muzaffar Parray besides Additional Secretary Legislative Council Mohammad Maqbool Bhat attended the meeting.

The Committee discussed and reviewed the action taken on Assurances given by the Government on various issues from time to time.

The issues regarding upgradation of school in district Budgam, establish-ment of schools in district Anantnag and vacancies in Education department in district Rajouri were discussed thoroughly in the meeting. These assurances were given by the concerned Ministers in the House in the earlier sessions.

Commissioner Secretary, Education Hirdesh Kumar briefed the Committee about the Assurances being implemented by the department and their present status.

The Chairman stressed upon the authorities to streamline the functioning of the department and directed the concerned for implementing the given assur-ances in letter and spirit.

Money matters are likely to be advanced today through your intuition and inner power, Libra. You may get a hunch that your idea for bringing in some extra money just might work. At least look into it. Don’t let anyone talk you out of it until you know the facts. You might also rediscover a ne-glected talent that you could find quite useful at this time.

A surge of inner power could have you feeling like you can move mountains, Scorpio. If you’ve been contemplating a course of action that others believe impossible, this is the time to get it going. Career matters, romance, and creative projects could all be advanced considerably by careful effort on your part. Give it some thought, write down your ideas, consider all contingencies, and move ahead!

Memories from your past could resurface, Sagittarius. You might wonder why you’re suddenly thinking about them, but they probably represent a release of old emotional hang-ups that have been holding you back. By midafternoon you should feel more focused, determined, and ready to take on just about anything. This is definitely a great day to start new projects or complete old ones.

Today represents a beginning in many ways. A friend from the past could reappear in your life, Capricorn, and bring up memories both pleasant and disconcerting. Don’t worry too much about it. This probably represents a much-needed release. You might also become involved with a group that embodies goals about which you’re passionate. New friends could also come your way.

Emotions could be running high today, Aquarius. Some-one in your entourage may have a problem with an authority figure, and political issues could come up. You may feel pow-erful right now and tempted to throw your hat into the ring. However, it’s best to stay out of anything political and chan-nel that power and passion into your own project. That’s far more likely to bring positive results.

Heightened mental powers might have you spending a lot of time reading or doing research of some kind, Pisces. Your curiosity is especially high right now. You might even consider advancing your education in some way, especial-ly since new interests have been stimulating you for some time. New friends in fascinating fields might have started you thinking. This is a good time to look into this.

Information received from far away could excite your passion to learn more about a subject, Virgo. You might be inspired to use your new knowledge in a project that in-cludes a partner. Your mind is extremely insightful at this time, so if you face decisions, this is the day to follow your heart. Don’t be surprised if you find your telepathic abilities expanded as well!

Aries, your intuition is increased today to the point where you feel like a mind reader, like you could deduce the thoughts and motives of people you’ve never met before. Reading about news events might bring sudden insights as to how they’re going to turn out. You could decide to put this ability to work advancing your financial condition. Do this if you can, within reason. Your insights are probably correct!

You should be feeling especially passionate at this time, Taurus, especially regarding partnerships. Romantic partner-ships definitely call for an evening together! Professional and creative partnerships call for a new project that you believe in strongly. Look to events in other states or foreign countries for inspiration. Something begun in places far away could capture your imagination.

If you’ve been feeling less like yourself lately, Gemini, a surge of inner power could push you over the top and make you feel strong and healthy again. You could decide to finish the unfinished tasks around you today. You might get most of them done by day’s end. Don’t forget to enjoy yourself, however. You will want to make the most of your newfound energy.

A surge of passion could dominate your day unless you find an outlet for it, Cancer. An intimate evening with a lover would be a good idea. Creative passion is also strong, and you could be hit with sudden inspiration, perhaps influenced by distant places. Don’t be afraid to take time out from your mundane chores to pursue this inspiration. Creativity is as important as anything else.

A romantic evening at home with your partner could bring the two of you closer, Leo. Your emotions are intense right now, so you need to use your intuition to judge exactly how much of your feelings you should reveal. An intellec-tual passion could also come your way. You might discover a new field of interest and you’ll want to bury yourself at home studying it for hours.

Lone Visits Sonawari Constituency, holds Public Darbar at SafaporaGovernment work-

ing hard for States all round prosperity and development: Lone

SAFAPORA (BANDIPORA), SEPTEMBER 03:

Minister for Higher Education, Mohammad Akbar Lone Tuesday reiterated Government commitment towards States all round prosper-ity and development, adding that people are best judges to see the performance of the pres-ent dispensation in this regard.

The Minister said this during his tour of various areas of Sonawari Constituency includ-ing Safapora, Hajam Mohalla, Kolpora, Barkathi Mohalla and other adjoining areas.

The Minister was accompanied by Chief Executive Officer Manasbal Development Authority, Chief Education Officer, Ganderbal, officers of R&B, RDD, PDD, Irrigation, PHE and other concerned Departments besides large number of people and public representatives of the area.

Lone said number of welfare and de-velopmental schemes have already been com-pleted and various schemes and projects in this regard are being implemented to further improve the socio-economic profile of people of the area.

Lone enjoined upon the officers to ren-der their duties with honesty, zeal and enthu-siasm besides redress the genuine issues of the public on priority. He urged them to expedite all ongoing works within stipulated time so that people do not suffer for want of basic amenities and stressed for close coordination in this re-gard.Meanwhile, The Minister also visited Govt Higher Secondary School Safapora and Girls High School Safapora and inspected the func-tioning of these schools. Lone visited various blocks of both the institutions and interacted with the staff and students and enquired about the facilities being provided. He directed the CEO, Ganderbal to submit a proposal for con-struction of additional accommodation in both the schools. He also directed MDA authorities to construct a lavatory block in the Girls High School Safapora. He also announced 15 ceiling fans for the class room and new furniture for the school. He also directed the concerned exe-cuting agency for speedy completion of science laboratory in the School

While inspecting irrigation canal at Kolpora, the Minister directed irrigation depart-ment to take up the necessary repair work of the canal for the benefit of local people.

Later, a Public Darbar was held at Bar-kathi Mohalla Safapora which was attended by a large number of people besides public repre-sentatives and officers of various departments.

On the occasion people put forth various de-mands of the area before the Minister.

Lone, while responding to these de-mands directed the officers of the concerned

departments for their redressal on the spot and assured the people that their other issues will be

looked into for consideration and addressed gradually.

SRINAGAR, SEPTEMBER 03:

In view of the increasing flow of tourists and meet-ing their needs at Sonamarg, Government has created basic infrastructure and facilities at the destination which not only benefitted the tourists but also the people coming for annual Amarnathji Yatra.

This was stated by the Minister for Forests, Ecology and Environment, Mian Altaf Ahmad after laying founda-tion of Disaster Management Facility (DMF) being created by J&K Police and inaugurating a footbridge constructed over Nallah Sindh near Yachimarg at Sonamarg at cost of Rs 16 lakh Tuesday.

I.G.P, Kashmir, Abdul Gani Mir, Deputy Commissioner, Ganderbal Sarmad Hafiz, Chief Conservator Forests, Kashmir Nisar Ahmad Darzi, CEO, SDA, Mohammad Yosuf besides of-ficers from several others de-partment were present on the occasion.

Mian Altaf said that the bridge would benefit a large number of people mostly be-longing to poor families and supporting their farming ac-tivities. He said Government

is committed to provide basic needs to the people. He said the plans framed by the Govern-ment for development of tour-ist destination Sonamarg and promotion of tourism sector would improve the economic status of the people living in and adjacent to this spot.

The Minister said that private sector has played an important role in creation of the basic tourism related infra-structure at Sonamarg, which not only created facilities for

tourists but also generated employment opportunities for youth of the state. He said that tourism sector has vast po-tential in the State and asked locals to come forward and set up their units for which Gov-ernment was providing incen-tives to them.

Mian Altaf inaugurates bridge, lays foundation of DMF

PULWAMA, SEPT 03:

Minister for Cooperative and Fisheries, Dr. ManoharLal Sharma Tuesday laid founda-tion stone of Trout Rearing Unit at DobiwanTral costing Rs. 88 lakh.Among others, MLA Tral, Mushtaq Ahmed Shah, Director Fisher-ies Mr R.K. Dogra, other senior officers of the de-partment, besides senior Congress Leader S. Chan-ni Singh were present on the occasion. Speak-ing on the occasion, the Minister said that the facility would boost trout promotion while the annual production would be increased to 6 tonnes in the district. He said the cre-ation of Dobiwan infrastruc-ture would be a model unit in private sector, which will go a long way in generating

employment and increasing fish production. He said fish sector has vast potential and asked locals, particularly edu-cated youth to come forward and set up income generating units in fisheries sector for which Government is provid-ing financial incentives and

necessary expert guidance. Dr Manohar said that Aripal trout farm will be upgraded and di-rected the concerned officers to speed up the construction of Naristan inspection hut. He said a shopping complex would be constructed at the land available near the Coop-

erative Store at Luru and in-structed concerned to frame a detailed project report at the earliest. Earlier Director gave detailed resume of the activi-ties taken up in the district by the department. He said efforts are on to increase production of fish to meet the local demands

while new projects have been framed for promotion of fish sector.Giving details of the projects, it was told that in first phase a pair of RCC type race ways, one open type race way for broad stock, a store shed collec-

tion and di-silting chamber, approach path, landscaping and fencing would be part of the project while in the phase 2nd construction of Indoor rearing space with equipment construction by Farm Hut and chain like fencing will be taken up.

Dr. Manohar lays founda-tion of Trout Rearing Unit

at DobiwanTral

Dr Manohar said that Aripal trout farm will be upgraded and directed the concerned

officers to speed up the construction of Naristan inspection hut.

E ++HHEAAL L HH5 ZABARWAN TIMES

WEDNESDAY |04 SEPTEMBER 20138 ZABARWANTIMES

Chocolates help you lose weightTo say that chocolates will go straight to your hips is passe, the latest research says you will actu-ally weigh less.Wait, before you reach for the chocolate bar, you have to read be-tween the fine lines of the research. While researchers in San Diego have revealed that antioxidants in chocolate are not only good for lowering blood pressure and cholesterol, but also your weight, there is merit in understanding first and bingeing later. Let's delve deeper.Lead by Beatrice Golomb re-searchers from the University of California used data from a study of cholesterol-lowering drugs on healthy adults. The new research took into account how often the study's subjects ate chocolates and how this related to their weight management. The original study included 1000 individuals be-tween the age groups of 20-85, with an average Body Mass Index of 28 (overweight, but not obese).Golomb's research found that people who ate chocolates often, consumed higher calorie food - es-pecially saturated fats, but still lost weight. On the flip side, the study revealed that individuals who con-sumed far less chocolates, weighed more than the chocolate lovers.However, the study's findings may not be taken at face value, as the reasons behind this link be-tween chocolate consumption and

weight loss remain unclear. This is partly due to the fact that the sample group wasn't large enough to derive any conclusive evidence about chocolate's weight control-ling properties. But, within its scope, the research did find that individuals who ate up to five serv-ings of chocolates a week weighed 2.3 to 3.2 kg less than individuals who rarely ate chocolates.

An interesting point to note is that the weight loss was linked to the number of times chocolate was consumed in a week. This is espe-cially important when you analyse that the frequency of consumption had something to do with portion control and the lack of starvation mode.Golomb concluded, "If you con-sume chocolate, consume it in

place of something else, rather than adding to your net daily cal-ories." Researchers were unani-mous about the fact that chocolate should be eaten in moderation.Word of caution: This research does not prove you can eat large amounts of chocolates everyday. If you want to lose weight you still have to exercise and maintain a healthy diet.

Want to be happy, slim? Wake up early

A new study has found that people who wake up early are slimmer, hap-pier and healthier than those who get up later in the day.Researchers at the Roe-hampton University con-cluded that those who fight the urge to ignore the alarm clock complete morning chores faster, pack their children off to school earlier and thrive in the workplace.However, night owls have a higher chance of feeling depressed or

stressed and becoming overweight.The researchers quizzed 1,068 adults about their health and sleeping hab-its and found that 'morn-ing people' were out of bed by 6.58 am on average, while 'evening people' waited until 8.54 am to start their day. At the weekend both groups enjoyed about an extra hour un-der the covers, with early risers wait-ing until 7.47 am to get

up and night owls lying in until 10.09 am."There are morning peo-ple and evening people, and morning people tend to be healthier and happier as well as hav-ing lower body mass in-dices," the Telegraph quoted Dr Joerg Huber as telling a British Psychological Society conference. The survey also found that people who watch a lot of television are more likely to skip breakfast

Not all obese people are unhealthySome obese people are metabolically healthy and fit, with no greater risk of developing or dy-ing from cardio-vascular disease or cancer than normal weight people, new study reveals. The findings show there is a subset of obese people who are metaboli-cally healthy - they don't suffer from conditions such as insulin resistance, diabetes and high cholesterol or blood pressure - and who have a higher level of fitness, as mea-sured by how well the heart and lungs perform, than other obese people. Being obese does not seem to have a detrimental ef-fect on their health, and doctors should bear this in mind when considering what, if any, interventions are required, the research-ers said. "It is well known that obe-sity is linked to a large number of chronic dis-ease such as cardiovascu-lar problems and cancer. However, there appears

to be a sub-set of obese people who seem to be protected from obesity-re-

lated metabolic complica-tions," said the first author of the study, Dr Francisco Ortega (PhD). "They may have greater cardio-respiratory fitness than other obese individu-als, but, until now, it was not known the extent to which these metabolically healthy but obese people are at lower risk of dis-eases or premature death," Ortega stated. Dr Ortega is currently a re-

search associate affiliated to the Department of Phys-ical Activity and Sport,

University of Granada (Spain), and at the Depart-ment of Biosciences and Nutrition, Karolinska In-stitutet ( Stockholm, Swe-den); but the project and investigation took place at the University of South Carolina (Columbia, USA) under the direction of Pro-fessor Steven Blair, who is responsible for the long-running "Aerobics Cen-ter Longitudinal Study" (ACLS) which provided

the 43,265 participants for this current analysis. Dr Ortega and his col-

leagues found that 46 per cent of the obese participants were metabolically healthy. After adjusting for several confound-ing factors, includ-ing fitness, the met-abolically healthy but obese people had a 38 per cent lower risk of death from any cause than their meta-bolically unhealthy obese peers, while no significant dif-ference was seen between the meta-bolically healthy but obese and the

metabolically healthy, nor-mal weight participants. The risk of developing or dying from cardiovascular disease or cancer was re-duced by between 30-50 per cent for the metaboli-cally healthy but obese people, and there were no signifi-cant differences ob-served between them and the metabolically healthy, normal weight participants.

Why women are ob-ssessed with weight

Some smart snacking ideas

If you are yet to taste green tea, it is high time that you got started. The rea-sons are many. Studies show that, drinking two or more cups of green tea a day could help protect you from cancer as it is loaded with antioxidants. People who drank green tea showed a lower risk of cancer in the upper diges-tive tract and in the colon and in the rectum.- Green tea has been prov-en to reduce the growth of streptococcus bacterium, a type of bacteria that grows in our mouths and causes cavities and gingivitis.- Green tea can aid in weight loss. In a study us-

ing green tea caffeine and a placebo, only the green tea extract increased metabo-lism and energy.- It is found that the pow-erful antioxidant 'polyphe-nol' in green tea has the ability to inhibit and stop the action of a particular enzyme that causes tu-mour.An acquired tasteGreen tea has a distinct flavour unlike the ordi-nary tea that we drink. And many people get put off by its bitter taste. There are also others who feel that the harmful chemicals sprayed on the tea leaves could do more harm than good. An option is to switch to organic green tea.

How to shed that tummy flabIt takes more than a treadmill and a strict diet to shed off the most stub-born fat of all — tummy flab. But it's not impossible.There's nothing like a sagging stom-ach to make any woman feel self-conscious about her body. Many are oblivious of the fact that different women have different tummy types — just like their hips, thighs, legs, breast size etc. Says fitness expert, Samir Purohit, "You might know the kind of tummy you have but may be unaware that all belly fat is not equal." Here are some of the com-mon tummy types — know the one that you have and follow the diet and exercise to flatten it.Post-Baby tummy"Due to pregnancy, the uterus tends to get heavier immediately after your delivery as compared to what it was before pregnancy. It takes about six to eight weeks before it comes back to its pre-pregnancy state," says Purohit.Diet- Nutritionist, Namita Nanal says, "Since after the birth of a child, your body especially the area around your belly is vulnerable to put on weight,

it is ideal to follow a diet with a good amount of protein."- Make sure you include the con-sumption of nuts once every day in your diet plan.- To increase your metabolism, eat smaller and frequent meals to help burn fat.- The best cure is fish oil as it helps in the fat burning process around the stomach.Exercise- Purohit says, "Try and first train your pelvic muscles and lower abs to increase the blood flow and strength-en the muscles."- Post natal sit-ups are known to be the best way to lose the extra flab around your tummy area. Lay flat on the back with your knees bent. Con-tract the abdominal muscles, squeez-ing them in towards the spine. Lift your head off the floor and exhale as you come up. Repeat around 20 times.- Jivesh Shetty, fitness expert, says, "Bent-knee push up are the perfect way to lose the weight around your tummy. Kneel on all fours with your arms straight and hands slightly wider. Look downwards so that your

neck, back and upper legs form a straight line. As you inhale, bend your arms to move your body to-wards the floor. Hold for a second. Exhale as you push yourself up to the starting position."Bloated tummyA woman who has a bloated stom-ach could possibly attribute it to water retention, food allergy or gas. The bloating of the tummy is said to happen due to the inflammation of the small intestine or colon or slug-gish bowel due to improper and bad eating habits. Says Purohit, "Bloated

tummy is common amongst thin as well as overweight women."Diet- Nutritionist Mansi Belani says, "Make sure that you eat small meals every two-three hours in a day. This will keep hunger pangs at bay and keep you full without making you binge on unhealthy snacks."- Water intake should be optimal — about six-eight litres of water every day.- Avoid having cabbage, cauliflower and broccoli. These lead to inflam-mation of the stomach which leads

to a bloated belly.- Avoid wheat and gluten in your diet.- Do not go overboard with the con-sumption of alcohol.- Says Belani, "Chew your food prop-erly and eat slowly."- Increase your intake of soluble fi-bre.ExerciseSays Purohit, "A good walk with a good breathing technique early in the morning can help get rid of the bloated tummy."- Lie flat on your back and slowly bring your left knee up to your chest. Make sure you keep your right leg as close to the floor as possible.- Hold your left knee as tight as pos-sible to your chest and count to 20.- Release your left knee and repeat with your right knee and count to 20.- Alternate the movement of your knees. Repeat five times or more as per your convenience.- Yoga is the perfect way to cut down on stress. It helps tone the flab around your belly and also work wonders for the rest of the body. - Do crunches to shed those extra ki-los off your stomach. With your back

on the mat and knees bent, and your hands kept crossed on the chest or at the back of your head, inhale and lift your head and shoulders by tighten-ing your abdominal muscles. Stay in this position for a few seconds, ex-hale and return to the starting posi-tion. Repeat five times.30-Something tummyAs you get older, your body goes through a lot of physical changes. Shetty says, "After the age of 25, your metabolism slows down and a balanced diet along with the right kind of exercises will help you stay toned and slim."Diet- Nanal says, "One of the core rea-sons to have a flabby tummy at this age is the intake of sugar. Make sure to restrict the intake of sugar to help tone your belly faster."- Watch on the level of alcohol con-sumption.- It is a must to have a low-fat bal-anced diet to increase your metabo-lism which helps in the process of burning fat.- Follow a vegetable-based or a high-protein based diet consisting of lots of green leafy vegetables.

Women between 25-45 are obsessed with looking good and staying in shape... Go to any gym today and speak to the young women who daily exercise there, or ask a yoga teacher or gym instructor what is the com-mon complaint their cli-ents have, and they will say that women are constantly thinking of how they can reduce weight and remain trim like the actresses/models on screen. The well toned and well sculpted bodies of Kareena Kapoor, Bipasha Basu, Katrina Kaif and even the yummy mummies like Karisma Kapoor and Malaika Arora Khan become an ideal for young women who become mothers. They constantly obsess with the way they look soon after they get a baby and want to fit into dresses that they wore be-fore their pregnancy, so that they can again look good and attractive. Yoga expert and consul-tant Komal Shah says, "The minute I step into my morning class the women come to me with demands that are difficult on com-mon standards. They want

to achieve a certain mea-surement for their thighs, waist, hands, hips and so on. They do not under-stand that fitness is about achieving a weight that is proportional to the height and maintaining a good BMI. Wonder where they get these measurements from? They obsess, they stress, eat very less and then fall sick because their immunity levels go down." Across these age groups, women facing such issues with their weight is grow-ing in number. They are known to go on all kinds of fad diets and do not eat at long intervals of time. Whether it is young wom-en or women who have just delivered a baby, they are in a race to look good. Blame it on the constant media images of these perfect women with great bodies everywhere. Says Meenak-shi Thakkar, a homemak-er, "There are stories of how these women go for rigorous weight loss - for example there was a recent story about Mandira Bedi losing weight immediately 9 months after her preg-nancy.

NATION DAILY ZABARWAN TIMES

7 SRINAGARWednesday, 04 September,2013

Cabinet resolution on Telangana within 20 days: Sushilkumar ShindeA high-level commit-

tee headed by defence minister AK Antony is expected to meet Andhra Pradesh chief minister Kiran Kumar Reddy and Pradesh Congress com-mittee chief Botsa Saty-anarayana on Tuesday over contentious issues of Telangana on Tuesday.

The Antony panel is expected to hold parleys with other political par-ties also in coming days, sources said.

Highlighting the delay in giv-ing the administrative go ahead to kick start the process of formation of Telangana, dna had earlier reported that Antony panel would restart con-sultations with the political parties and may also call an all-party meeting as the political decision taken by the Congress on Telangana has not gone well with several political parties.

In a bid to reassure Congress’ de-cision on Telangana formation, Union home minister Sushilkumar Shinde said the government was preparing a

note to pass a resolution on Telangna in the Cabi-net. “We are preparing a note to pass a resolution in the Cabinet. After we finalise the note, it will be sent to the law min-istry for legal vetting. I hope the note will be presented before the

Cabinet within 20 days,” Shinde told reporters outside parliament house.

Control over Hyderabad is a con-tentious issue despite the fact that the Congress Working Committee had said that it would remain the joint capital of Andhra Pradesh as also the proposed state of Telangana for 10 years.Sources said the home ministry note to be moved to the cabinet may suggest several options on the status of Hyderabad.

“We are still looking at various options and also need to factor in that Seemandhra should have a capi-tal city with an airport. Two cities of Vishakhapatnam and Vijaywada are also being considered.”

Prajapati case: Congress demands Narendra Modi’s resignation after sting CD

NEW DELHI: Congress today demanded the resignation of Narendra Modi in the wake of a sting operation claiming to “expose” a plan by senior BJP leaders to save the Gujarat Chief Minister’s key aide Amit Shah in Tulsi Prajapati fake encounter case.

At a time when there is talk about Modi’s

projection also as a backward face of BJP in the next Lok Sabha polls, the Congress said that attempt is being made to cover up the kill-ing of Tulsiram Prajapati, a backward com-munity person, in an alleged fake encounter by those who do politics in the name of the OBC.

“The facts, which have been shown in the CD are very serious and important. This is an attempt to influence the judicial process. The matter should be investigated by the CBI and

till the probe is over, Modi should not remain in office. He should resign.

“How can he remain Chief Minister when such allegations have come out,” AICC Communication Department Chairman Ajay Maken told reporters here at a special briefing.

The Congress briefing came a day after a PIL was filed in the Supreme Court against BJP MPs Prakash Javdekar and Bhupendra Singh Yadav alleging that they tried to im-pede investigation in Prajapati fake encounter case in which former Gujarat Home Minister Shah is the main accused Sharing the dais with Maken at the briefing was party MP P L Puniya, also the Chairman of National Com-mission for Scheduled Castes. Puniya said that since it was his mandate to look into the issues concerning backward castes, he took up the matter when people from the most backward Prajapati community came to him with the CD complaining of an attempt by BJP leaders to influence investigation and judicial process in the case. “The people from the Prajapati com-munity, who came to me were quite angry that on the one hand, a member belonging to their community was killed and now efforts are be-ing made to influence the process of investiga-tion and the proceedings in the court. Prajapa-tis are most most backward castes.

Government has nothing to hide about coal files:PM

No decision on shutting petrol pumps at night: Moily

Amidst a storm over proposal to shut petrol pumps during night to taper fuel demand, Oil Minister M. Veerappa Moily on Monday said the government had not made any such pro-posal and the idea had come from public.“It is not our idea. It is an idea which is coming from public and others. No deci-sion has been taken to keep petrol pumps dry during any part of the day,” he told reporters.His Ministry plans to launch a massive fuel conservation drive from September 16 to cut fuel demand by 3 per cent and save an estimated Rs. 16,000 crore or $2.5 billion in Forex outgo.“We are toying with the ideas (on conserving fuel) that have come to us. That doesn’t mean we have accepted them or are enforcing shutdowns,” he said.Mr. Moily said before the planned launch of Septem-ber 16 campaign, several proposals to save cut fuel consump-tions have come to the government and as per usual practice are being mulled over by his ministry.

India’s Gandhi flies to US for check-up: report

NEW DELHI — The head of India’s ruling party Sonia Gan-dhi left Monday for the United States for a medical check-up, according to a report, a week af-ter she was hospitalised in New Delhi.

Gandhi was accompanied by her daughter Priyanka, the semi-official Press Trust of India news agency reported, quoting official sources.

Gandhi’s spokesman Tom Vadakkan declined to comment on her trip.

Gandhi, India’s most power-ful politician, travelled to the United States in 2011 for surgery for an undisclosed condition and remained out of the public eye for three months afterwards.

A senior Congress party leader told the news agency Sunday that Gandhi would be travelling to the United States for a medical check-up which was due.

Gandhi, 66, last had a check-up in the Unit-ed States in February and also travelled there in September last year, the Press Trust of India reported.

She was admitted to hospital last week af-ter falling ill during a debate in parliament on key legislation.

Party colleagues said she had been suffer-ing from fever and was exhausted after days of negotiating the successful passage of a land-mark food welfare law.

Her health and private life are closely guarded by her advisers and she rarely speaks to the press.

In 2011 a news magazine report claimed she had undergone surgery for cancer, but her illness has never been officially disclosed.

Solar panel scam: Oommen Chandy says he is ready to face probe

Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy, under attack from the Oppo-sition over the solar panel scam, has expressed readiness to include himself and his office under the ambit of the judicial probe announced by the gov-ernment into the issue.

Chandy conveyed this to leaders of the ruling United Democratic Front constituents, Front sources said on Tuesday.

The Chief Minister, however, made it clear to the Front partners that he was not going to resign holding that the campaign against him by Op-position CPI(M)-led Left Democratic Front was politically motivated.

Solar panel scam: Oommen Chandy says he is ready to face probe

Solar panel scam: Oommen Chandy says he is ready to face probe

Chandy told the leaders that he had nothing to hide on the issue and he did not want to be under the shadow of doubt.

Even if his office and himself were included in the terms of reference for

the probe, Chandy said he was confident that the LDF would not be able to gather any evidence against him.

The LDF had given a letter to the UDF leadership saying that any probe into the scam would be futile without including Chandy and his office in the terms of reference.

The state cabinet meet-ing tomorrow is likely to discuss the terms and reference for the judicial probe after arriving at a consensus among the UDF leaders.

The scam relates to cheating peo-ple of huge sums by accused Biju Radhakrishnan and Saritha Nair, both

under arrest, by offering solar energy solutions.

A Special Investigation Team probing the case has completed its probe.

The case assumed a serious politi-cal dimension with the arrest of Tenny Joppan, a Personal Assistant in the Chief Minister’s office, for his alleged links with the accused.

Former Director of Public Rela-tions Department A Firoz and tele-ac-tress and danseuse Shalu Menon were also arrested in a related case. Shalu and Joppan are out on bail.

LDF has been alleging that such a huge scam would not have taken place without the collusion of the Chief Minister.

In Gujarat, a new battle between governor and Narendra Modi

Ahmedabad: Narendra Modi and Gujarat Governor Kamla Beniwal are on collision course again after the latter returned the con-troversial Gujarat Lokayukta Commission Bill 2013 yesterday, despite the state assem-

bly passing it with a clear majority earlier this year.

Ms Beniwal’s objection was expected since the bill proposes to give all powers to appoint the state Lokayukta or ombudsman to a committee headed by the Chief Minister, virtually eliminating the governor as well as the Chief Justice of the Gujarat High Court from the process. (Read letter)

Sources said the state government may resubmit the bill to the Governor in the as-sembly session that starts on September 30. The Governor will have to give her assent if the bill is sent again.

The state assembly had passed the bill after the Modi govern-ment lost a two-year long legal battle in the Supreme Court over the appointment of retired judge Justice R A Mehta as Lokayukta by the Governor. She had made that appointment without consult-ing the state cabinet, much to Mr Modi’s chagrin.

Even after he lost his battle first in the Gujarat High Court and later in the Supreme Court, Mr Modi made no notification to-wards the appointment of the state Lokayukta.

Last month, Mr Mehta resigned, severely criticising the Gujarat Chief Minister.

Amid public spats, Mr Modi has repeat-edly demanded that Governor Beniwal be recalled.

Gujarat has not had a functioning Loka-yukta for years. The position was vacant for eight years till Justice Mehta’s appointment was announced in 2011.

Facing all-round attack, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Tues-day said all efforts are being made to locate the untraceable files related to coal block allocations and CBI will be asked to investigate if these efforts do not fructify.

In a statement in both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha in view of demands by almost all parties, Singh insisted that the government has nothing to hide and its intent to facilitate probe in the coal block allocations should not be questioned. He said the gov-ernment will abide by the timeline set by the Supreme Court for handing over of all the files there should be no “hasty” conclusion that something is “fishy”.

“I would like to re-emphasise that government is making all efforts to locate the files requisitioned by CBI. At this stage, it would be premature to say that files are missing. A vast majority of files have been handed

over and that is the factual position. However, disregarding this, some members have drawn conclusion that there is something fishy and that the government is hiding. The govern-ment has nothing to hide. The fact that more than 1,50,000 pages have

been handed over to CBI clearly shows that our intention to facilitate the inves-tigation cannot be called into question-ing,” said Singh.

Uproar in both Houses over missing coal files, PM says efforts on to find them

Singh said, “If the government is unable to locate some of those pa-pers, a report will be filed with CBI for a thorough probe.” He said if the record in question is indeed found missing, government will carry out a thorough investigation and ensure that the guilty are booked.

In the Rajya Sabha, Leader of Op-position Arun Jaitley asked the Prime Minister as to what steps the govern-

ment was taking to locate the missing coal files and who in the government was going to take the responsibility for the missing files. Members were seeking clarifications on Coal Minis-ter’s statement made earlier in the House on missing coal files.

The Prime Minister said the matter pertaining to missing Coal files was sub-judice and the gov-ernment shall follow the Supreme Court directions in letter and spir-it and “do its very best to locate and hand over the requisite papers to the CBI within the time frame stipulated time by the Court”.

As Singh made the statement in both Houses, BJP and Left parties created uproar expressing dissat-isfaction. In Lok Sabha, Leader of the Opposition Sushma Swaraj and BJP leader L K Advani wanted to speak, but Speaker Meira Kumar re-jected the demand leading to uproar and the House was adjourned till 3 pm.

Singh said right from the days the CAG carried out the exercise of per-

forming the audit, Government has always forwarded fullest cooperation to CAG and the CBI. “We will con-tinue to do so,” he said.

Jaitley earlier said the Coal Minis-ter has given two separate statements in Rajya Sabha in which the number of files missing are different and said, “It is an example of how the arithme-tic of this government works”. He also sought to know how many of the missing files pertained to the period between 2006 and 2009 when Prime Minister held the charge of the Coal Ministry.

Attacking the government, Jaitley said there have been “arbitrary allo-cations” and “act of nepotism, favor-itism” in coal block allocations and alleged there is an attempt to destroy the evidence so that there is no proof of crime.

“An attempt is being made to mis-lead the House that all files missing pertain to that prior to 2004,” he said, alleging that “every conceivable ele-ment of bad governance is present there.”

Need to review the age limit for ju-veniles in heinous crimes: L-G

Lieutenant-Governor Najeeb Jung on Monday expressed his unhappiness over the three-year sentence given to the ju-venile found guilty in the December 16 gangrape case, and said that there was a need to review laws for juveniles, in-cluding the age limit in cases of heinous crimes.

“I am not satisfied with the verdict. I am personally not happy,” Jung said, adding that he did not believe that justice has been done in the case so far.

On the night of December 16 last year, a 23-year-old woman was gangraped and brutally assaulted by six persons in a moving bus while her friend was beaten up. The victim later succumbed to inju-ries in a Singapore hospital on December 29.

The L-G said there was a need to re-view the age limit for juveniles involved in such heinous crimes. “The age of a juvenile should be lowered. These days, young people grow up much faster. People are saying the age limit should be brought down to 16. Even if the age of

a juvenile is low-ered to 14, there would be nothing wrong with that. There is a need to review it,” he added.

In the first conviction in the December 16 gangrape case, the juvenile, who was six months short of 18 years when the crime was committed, was found guilty of murder and rape of the 23-year-old but got away with a maximum of three years imprisonment mandated under the juve-nile law.

The verdict came under severe attack from the victim’s family, who said it was not acceptable to them.

The four adult accused are being tried by a court in Delhi. Another accused, Ram Singh, was found dead on March

11 in his cell in Tihar Jail and the trial against him has been abated.

The Juvenile Justice Board (JJB) sen-tenced the minor to three years in a pro-bation home, the maximum punishment that can be awarded under the Juvenile Justice Act.

The eight months already spent by the juvenile in custody during the trial will be considered as period already served and would be deducted from the three-year sentence.

SC admits CIC mistake of law, recalls verdict

New Delhi, Sept 3 (PTI) The Supreme Court today recalled an order and admit-ted that it committed a “mistake of law” by directing that only sitting or retired high court chief justices or an apex court judge could head the central and state information commissions.

A bench of justices A K Patnaik and A K Sikri withdrew its order of September 13, last year in which a slew of directions were passed pertaining to appointment of information commissioners.

Kerala govt writes to HC seeking ser-vices of sitting judge to probe solar scam

Kerala government has once again sought the services of a sitting High Court judge to probe the solar scam which has been used by the CPI-M led LDF opposition to attack the ruling UDF for the past three months.The government, in a letter to the Court Registrar, sought the service of a sitting judge holding that the case was very important, official sources said in Thiruvananthapuram on Monday. The renewed request came in the wake of the court informing the government last week it cannot spare a sitting judge.Congress led UDF gov-ernment which is under pres-sure from LDF over the scam

that brought the CM’s office under a cloud, had announced a judicial probe at the height of the Opposition campaign press-ing for the resignation of Chief Minister Oommen Chandy on the issue. Kerala govt writes to HC seeking services of sitting judge to probe solar scam

Kerala govt writes to HC seeking services of sitting judge to probe solar scam

As part of its agitation de-manding Chandy’s resignation, LDF workers had laid a siege to the secretariat in Thiruvanan-thapuram last month, but it was called off after the probe was announced. The tug of war be-tween UDF and LDF is over the

issue of inclusion of CM’s office in the ambit of the probe.

The scam relates to cheating people of huge sums by the ar-rested accused Biju Radhakrish-nan and Saritha Nair by offering solar energy solutions. A Special Investigation Team probing the case has completed its probe.The case assumed a serious political dimension with the arrest of Ten-ny Joppan, a Personal Assistant in the Chief Minister’s office, for his alleged links with the accused. Former Director of Public Relations Department A Firoz and tele-actress and dan-seuse Shalu Menon were also arrested in a related case. Shalu and Joppan are out on bail.