Agencies

Srinagar, July 05: Young all-rounder Parveez Rasool on Friday created history by becoming the first cricketer from Jammu and Kashmir to be named in the Indian team. The 24-year-old Rasool, who has been in conten-tion for national selection for a while now after a string of impressive perfor-mances, got the nod in the 15-member squad with the selectors preferring to go in with a young team for the

five-match ODI series, to be held from July 24 to Au-gust 3 at Harare and Bula-wayo. Chief Minister Omar Abdullah called on

See Parvez on Pg. 11

Singapore, July 05:

India is hoping that Pakistan's new government will respond to its imme-diate concerns such as fixing account-ability for the 2008 Mumbai terror at-tacks."It is important to let them (new Paki-stan government) settle down, let them take stock of the situation. And hopefully start giving us signals that they mean business on those issues which are of immediate concern to us, and that includes ac-countability for the 2008 terror attack on Mumbai," External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid said."That is something we can't wish away and should not wish away," Khurshid said in an inter-view to Straits Times in Singapore.He also noted that the messages given out by Nawaz Sharif both during and after the campaign, publicly as well as privately have been very positive and meaningful and said "We have also re-sponded to that in a meaningful way."The talks process between India and Pakistan was halted for over two years in the wake of the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks that were blamed on the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e- Taiba.Seven Pakistani suspects have been charged with planning, financing and executing the attacks that killed 166 people in Mumbai.Responding to a question whether there was any new movement in Indo-

Pak peace process, Khurshid said, "There's a lot happening. But the ac-tual dialogue, the resumed dialogue, has to be re-resumed because, as you know, there were events that caused matters to come to a virtual halt.""Many of the important decisions we were taking as confidence-building measures were, sort of, slowed down," Khurshid said. "As far as the actual dialogue is concerned we will get back gradually." Khurshid said India is also looking

at Pakistan's growing en-ergy demands."Their urgency for sup-ply of power and gas - we sent an experts team right away and they are now sending their team back to us. So we are already looking at one major area of importance to them," he said.When asked whether he

sees better ties with Pakistan under Sharif who started the Kargil War, Khurshid replied, "Kargil War is now history, we don't want to go into that. I think he, like anyone else, comes with a lot of experience and a lot of tough experience of his times in the opposi-tion.""I think that he is showing signs of great statesmanship and has certain-ly become a focal point of tremendous amount of hope in Pakistan."He has given out a good message all around. We are responding to it, with an open mind and in a positive

See India on Pg. 11

CMYK

CMYK

CMYK

CMYK

SaturDaY July 06 | 2013 | 26 Shaban 1434 aH | PaGES 12 | VOL NO: 3 | ISSuE NO: 162 | rS: 2/- (aIr SurCHarGE FOr JaMMu /DELHI/LEH 50 PaISa)Pen For JusticeLargely Circulated, No. 1 Bilingual Daily of J&K

India Hopes Pak Would Respond to Its Immediate Concerns

Parvez makes it to the Indian squad

Aamir Hussain

Srinagar, July 05: Serious allegations of corruption against officials of the J&K Board of School Education (JKBOSE) have fallen on deaf ears giving credence to the allegations of misman-agement against the exami-nation authority. Scores of students appear-ing in the Matric examina-tion conducted by Board of School Education al-leged that some teachers in league with high ups are demanding money from the students to get through in the examinations. Though the media reported that examiners at a particular center at Islamia Public

School,Baghat, Kanipora, were demanding money from students for extending them `favours’, not a feath-er has moved in BOSE.The students alleged that so far the Board of School Edu-cation (BOSE) has conduct-ed examinations of three papers including English, Social Science, and Math-ematics and for all these pa-pers affluent students paid a fixed sum to come off with flying colours in the exami-nation.“The teachers are doing all this with the consent of Su-perintendent. BOSE is act-ing as a mute spectator and ruining the career of poor students,” they said.“The allegations of the

students have exposed the mishandling of this vital institution by the political leadership of the state. At the same time the bureau-cratic slumber has come to surface as well that exposed how the men at the helm of affairs are playing with the future of the new genera-tion,” says Ashiq Hussain, an educationist.It is worth mention here that examination conduct-ing body of the State is without a chairman for the past two months. Former chairman of BOSE Sheikh Bashir Ahmad was repatri-ated to the Higher Educa-tion Department in April this year. Since then the government is sitting over

making the appointment. “Absence of a fulltime head has affected functioning of the BOSE,” says an insider.BOSE conducts examina-tion of lakhs of students annually and looks after af-fairs of more 580 Elementa-ry Teacher Training (ETT) institutes across the State. The Organization is bound to suffer in the absence of a head as he is the sole au-thority to take final call on various policy matters.It is worth mention that the rot in the BOSE has only grown over the years due the lackadaisical attitude of the authorities. Ironically the Board is without a full time chairman for the

See BOSE on Pg. 11

Complaints galore as adhocism plays havoc with BOSE

http://www.zabarwantimes.com

No hurry to resolve issues with China: Khurshid

Shopian, July 05:

Scores of contractors from all the three regions of the State of Jammu and Kash-mir Friday alleged that Hindustan Construction Company (HCC) that was assigned the contract of Mughal Road has left the Valley without releasing their hefty payment which amounts to Rs 7 Crores.Contractors said that HCC chose them as sub-contrac-tors and they worked hard in the completion of Mu-ghal Raod. “Till 2011, HCC used to pay us every month.

Problem started in 2012, when HCC stopped releas-ing payment on the pretext that Government of Jammu and Kashmir owes Rs 25 Crores to the Company and they are waiting for the re-lease of this huge amount,” they said.“HCC kept us in dark. They shifted their machinery to Jammu without informing us and dismantled all the temporary sheds which they had erected at different points on Mughal Road,” the contractors said.The contractors said that

See HCC on Pg. 11

HCC dupes contractors of Mughal Road

Pak intruder arrestedJammu, July 05: The BSF on Friday arrested a Pakistani national along the Indo-Pak border in Jammu and Kash-mir's RS Pura belt. Mohammad Shafiq (42), a resident of Kuiyan, Rawalakot in Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir crossed over to this side of the international border in Khat-marian Border Out Post early this morning, a BSF spokes-man said. Troops of 122 Battalion of BSF observed some suspicious movement along the border and challenged him, he said, adding that Shafiq was later arrested. During search, one HBL debit card on the name of AB Rehm-an Butt was recovered from his possession, he said. The apprehended person will be handed over to local police

See arrested on Pg. 11

SHrC for educating troops on Human rights Srinagar, July 05: State Human Rights Commission (SHRC) Friday in its recommendations has impressed upon the Gov-ernment to introduce Human Rights Education among the Para Military Forces including Jammu and Kashmir Police, so as to make them people friendly and do not inflict damage to life and public property even when provoked..The Commission has told the Government to promote observance and enforcement of Human Rights culture among

See SHrC on Pg. 11

THANKS

My heartiest thanks to Smt. Sonia Gandhi Ji, Hon'ble Chairperson United Progressive Alliance (UPA), Dr. Manmohan Singh, Hon'ble Prime Minister of India who were kind enough to announce a special grant of Rs.710 crores against cost of compensation for land, structures and aforestation to implement Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) programme in J&K state. This could be possible only with the efforts of Sh. Jairam Ramesh, Hon'ble Union Minister for Rural Development, Sh. Ghulam Nabi Azad, Hon'ble Union Minister for Health and Sh. Omar Abdullah, Hon'ble Chief Minister of J&K State. This special package, shall-give a fillip to the PMGSY programme in J&K State by providing connectivity to remaining 771 unconnected habitations.

Dr. Manmohan Singh

Hon'ble Prime Minister of India

Mr. Jairam Ramesh

Hon'ble Union Minister of Rural

Development, Government of India

Mr. Ghulam Nabi Azad

Hon'ble Union Minister of Health

Mr. Omar Abdullah

Hon'ble Chief Minister J&K State

Smt. Sonia Gandhi

Hon'ble Chairperson UPA

Abdul Majid Wani

Minister for R&B and MED

Chairman JKRRDA

(J&K State)

BUDGAM, JULY 05:

The Minister for Finance and Ladakh Affairs, Mr. Ab Ra-him Rather today said that the Chief Minister, Mr. Omar Ab-dullah and his entire adminis-tration is working overtime to explore a comprehensive so-lution to the un-employment problem in the State so that maximum number of youth are provided jobs in both pub-lic and private sectors. He said there are about 6.50 lakhs unemployed youth registered with various Employment and Counselling centres of the State.Addressing a public gathering at Badipora in Teh-sil Chadoora today, Mr. Rather said that the government in fully abreast with the pain and agony of un-employed youth and “we want to remove gloom and despair from their faces. He said all the available

employment opportunities are being pooled to launch a comprehensive employ-ment drive in the State. He said employment drive under the proposed plan shall be on fast track basis. The Minister said that after a long phase of turmoil, the J&K state has reached now on the threshold of big socio-economic revolu-tion, adding that “nobody will be allowed to derail the pro-cess of massive development and progress set into mo-tion by the present coalition government”.“After a long dark tunnel of turmoil and mayhem, the people of the State have now seen the ray of development and progress and are yearning for peace and prosperity”, Mr. Rather said adding that politics should not be done at the cost of this development.Mr. Rath-er reiterated government’s

resolve to provide all the basic facilities to the people add-ing that no stone shall be left unturned in this regard. He said people of the state have pinned high hopes with the present government adding that all the possible resources are being pooled to come upto their expectations. Mr Rather also reiterated government’s commitment to provide equal opportunities of development and justice to the people of all the three regions of the State with special focus on remote and backward areas.Responding to some of the demands of locals, the Min-ister announced to construct a multi- purpose community hall at Badipora. The Minis-ter also visited the shrine of Hazrat Syed Feroz-ud-Din to pay obeisance and prayed for peace and prosperity of the State and its people.

SRINAGAR, JULY 05:

A meeting of Environ-ment Committee of J&K Legislative Council was held here on Thursday under the Chairmanship Dr. Syed Bashir Ahmed Shah (Veeri) and dis-cussed the State Action Plan on climate change and other issues pertaining to the con-servation of environment in the State.

MLCs Syed Mohammad Rafiq Shah, Naresh Kumar Gupta, Mohammad Muzaffer Parray and Vijay Bakaya also attended the meeting.

A threadbare discussion was held on varieties of is-sues concerning the environ-ment in the State and Com-mittee stressed the need for a well-knit strategy to conserve the environment and main-taining the ecological bal-ance. The Committee opined that during the past over two decades, the State has

suffered substantially due to lack of planning to conserve environment and deforesta-tion which has caused envi-ronment hazard, especially on the Dal and other natural resources. The Committee maintained that Jammu and Kashmir has been blessed with rich natural resources and healthy environment and all out efforts should be made to protect these with the coordinated approach and involvement of various stake-holders.Welcoming several steps initiated by the Central and State Governments to save the rich environment of State and its water bodies, the Committee sought the sup-port of the civil society for the noble cause. It was observed that environment is not the concern of only Government, but entire society has to con-tribute to save it for the com-ing generations. The Com-mittee laid stress on creating

greater awareness amongst the masses through various mediums to conserve the en-vironment.

Chairman called for un-dertaking fresh survey of in-dustrial estates, sites of vari-ous factories, Stone Crushers, Brick Killen to ascertain the quantum of pollution ema-nating from these sources so that measures are initiated ac-cordingly. He also expressed concern over shrinking of wet lands (Haigam Rakh), Dal and Wuller Lakes and other water bodies and urged the authorities to put in place the necessary measures for their preservation.

The Members contributed with their valuable sugges-tions on the issue.

Commissioner Secretary, Forest, Mr Ejaz Iqbal briefed the Committee about the activities, achievements and steps initiated to protect the environment in the State.

SRINAGAR, JULY 05

Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah Friday said that ‘Kashmiriyat’ de-notes amity, brotherhood and love adding that this trait of the State has remained its symbol throughout the history.

Speaking to a congrega-tion of Sikh Community at Chatti Pad-shashi here on the occasion of Guru Hargobind’s Day, the Chief Minister referred to the nurturing of this char-acteristic by Sher-i-Kashmir Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah. He said the slogan of ‘Hindu, Muslim, Sikh Itihaad’ preached and practiced by Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah is continuously reverberating the valleys, planes and mountains of the State.

The Chief Minister also high-lighted the role played by Sikh Com-munity to strengthen the harmony and said that Sikhs of Valley have al-ways lived in an atmosphere of broth-erhood with majority community even during the challenging period of trouble and disturbances. “You lived with Muslim brethren in amity and faced the brunt of hard days together”, he said and praised their role.

The Chief Minister under-

scored the need for strengthening Kashmiriyat and working together by all sections of the society to achieve the goal of peace and prosperity. He said the inclusive and equitable de-velopment for all is the benchmark of his government and reaching out to people without any consideration is the hallmark of coalition govern-ment’s governance.

The Chief Minister said that the elections to Gurudawara Praban-dak Committee would be set in mo-tion soon, so that the Community elects its representatives and gets the

problems addressed at various levels. “I will ask the Law Minister to sit with you and finalize the process of hold-ing elections to Gurudawara Praban-dak Committee”, he said and assured the Sikh Community that their genu-ine demands would be given due con-sideration for addressing.On reaching Chatti Padshashi, Omar Abdullah was received warmly and presented tradi-tional sword.The Legislator and Pro-vincial President Kashmir, National Conference, Nasir Aslam Wani and MLC Dharam Vir Singh Oberoi were present on the occasion.

There’s a bit of rigidity in the air today that might leave you feeling as if you’re butting heads with every-thing you come in contact with, Aries. Try not to get too bent out of shape if people disagree with your opinions. People need their space, and emotions will be operating at a fairly high level. Consider this during all your en-counters.

You may wonder what all the fuss is about today, Gemini. People may be getting all worked up over noth-ing. Don’t get absorbed in the melodrama. Set the record straight and bring out the truth as you see it. Don’t let others hide behind façades, and don’t do the same. It’s important that everyone be aware of how you feel.

Today is a wonderful and productive day for you, Cancer. Don’t hog the limelight. Let other people feel like they’re being heard, too. You might get into trouble if your head gets too big or your attitude too stubborn. Opinions will be strong, so give people room to voice their own. They will appreciate your patience and toler-ance.

Stand back and let someone else take the reins to-day, Leo. Trust in others. There are many helpful hands out there to guide you. The most important thing is to let go and have confidence that others will direct you. They will if you let them. Your brain may buzz to the point that you feel you’ve lost control. Relax your mind and calm your nerves.

You have quite the juggling act on your hands to-day, Virgo. Things may fly at you from all directions, all demanding your attention. Give equal weight to your needs. You will be on an important road with a great deal of responsibility. Don’t shy away from a starring role. You have the diplomacy and peaceful nature re-quired to be a successful leader.

Tension may build today from all directions, Libra. Everyone may seem to be operating as part of a great conspiracy against you. Don’t get paranoid. This sce-nario is most likely far from the truth of the matter. Try to embrace change and don’t treat it like an enemy. Out-dated ways of doing things may get in the way of impor-tant progress toward success.

Spread your ideas out to the world, Scorpio. Now is a great time to go on a long trip, or at least begin planning one. Explore the far reaches of your space, literally and figuratively. Join others who share a similar spiritual mission. By reaching out to new and different people, you can have some unforgettable experiences with the potential to have a positive impact on your life.

Take time out to change the things in your life that need restoring, Sagittarius. Explore your emotional needs and find ways to satisfy them. You may need to adopt a radically different approach in order to get where you need to go. Even if things seem unstable at first, they’re likely to smooth out and be much more de-pendable eventually. Be an individual.

Today may be quite emotionally intense, Capricorn. Your greatest gifts may get you into trouble on a day like this, but that doesn’t mean you should stop being yourself for even one minute. There’s a great deal of important information to exchange, so remain open to all opportunities and possibilities. Meet the world with open arms.

You may need to make some distinct mental ad-justments in order to fit in with the energy of the day, Aquarius. Try to tune into these energies and see what kind of balance they can bring to your life. Be more mindful of your words and don’t say things you don’t really mean. Be genuine in all your interactions.

There’s likely to be a bit of tension today regarding your position in society, Pisces. Maybe you’re running into issues that stem from your involvement in the col-lective versus your focus on your personal issues. Make sure these two aspects of your life are in balance. Unex-pected things may pop out of the woodwork to keep you on your toes.

Your emotions may surprise you today as unexpect-ed issues crop up out of nowhere. Take time to smooth the wrinkles in your current plan of attack regarding your involvement with the world. A self-centered ap-proach will create barriers between you and those you wish get near. Consider how your actions affect those you love.

Kashmiriyat denotes amity: Omar

J&K youth possess great sportsmanship capabilities: Mir

Mir inaugurates school building at Sadiwara

Antique Pashmina Shawls being recreated

Govt exploring comprehensive employment drive in the State: Rather

EC calls for a well-knit strategy to save environment in the State

CHAKI SERI (PATTAN), 05

Minister for Agriculture, Ghulam Hassan Mir Friday said that the youth of the state have great sportsmanship ca-pabilities and time has come to give them more opportuni-ties in different fields to channelize their potential in positive direction.

The Minister was addressing a sizable public gathering af-ter witnessing the Cricket tournament here this afternoon which was orga-nized by Panchayat Committee Seri Warapora Pattan. More than 30 teams participated in the tournament.

Saying that sports impart discipline and sense of responsibility among the players, which is key to the overall development of youth and to realize the cherished dreams.. He said that time has changed and sports are now the important ingredients in

educational curriculum, add-ing that it has an important role in shaping the body fit-ness of the young generation.

Asking the youth to opt sports as a career, the Minister said that time has gone when medical ,engineering, busi-

ness, management and other public and private sector jobs were being considered as prosperous career avenues, but today sports is being con-sidered as one of the lucrative career avenue. He said that our young generation has enor-

mous potential and capacity to rule the world in every field but this can be realized with the collective responsibility of various stake holders to pro-vide proper platform and ad-equate infrastructure.

Referring to the steps taken by the coali-tion government for the development of sports infrastruc-ture, the Minister said that adequate funds have been made available at the disposal of Sports Council and Directorate of Sports for up-gradation of sports infrastruc-ture and organizing the sports events of different spots across the state particularly in rural

areas for nourishing their hid-den talent. He said that a cen-trally sponsored scheme was also launched in the state to upgrade rural sports fields at Panchayats level which would help to encourage the rural talent of the state.

DORU JULY 05:-

Minister for Tourism, Ghu-lam Ahmad Mir, today inaugu-rated newly constructed high school building at Sadiwara, Doru.

The construction work of building was accomplished at an estimated cost of Rs 31.30 lakh under RAMSA. This will strengthen the existing accom-modation for the students.

Addressing a sizable gath-ering of people on the occasion, the Minister said that expan-sion of network of educational institutions in every nook and corner of the State and provid-ing quality education in pri-ority of Government. During the past over four years the Government has given focused attention to improve this areas and a strong infrastructure has been developed in the rural ar-eas. Similarly, the Doru has also received due attention and ex-isting infrastructure has been upgraded according to the requirements. At present the construction work on Middle

School buildings of Lissar, Voy, Shankarpora, Shangran and Halsidar is apace at the total estimated cost of Rs 49.17 lakh under RAMSA. These build-ings are likely to be completed within one month, said Mir.

Maintaining that education is the most powerful tool for empowering the people round the world, Mir said the pursuit for knowledge has always been a part of the ethos of our State as well.” In a fast emerging knowledge based society, I call upon the children and youth of our State to concentrate on their studies and acquire as much knowledge as possible for a secured and prosperous future for them”, Mir said and added that increasing the ac-cessibility of education and improving its quality putting the State of Jammu and Kash-mir on the firm road of peace and stability.

The Minister said the State Government has laid great emphasis on creating new in-stitutions of higher education and revitalizing the existing

ones. He said that during the past some years 5 new uni-versities have come up in the State, including two Central Universities at Srinagar and Jammu, Baba Ghulam Shah Badshah University at Rajouri, Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Uni-versity at Katra and Islamic University of Science and Tech-nology at Awantipura. He said to facilitate the rural students with higher education at their door steps several University sub-campuses have been set-up in districts adding that Doru would also get a Sub-Campus university soon. He said all these initiatives are in the right direction and to take it forward further. He said public support is important especially in the field of high and higher educa-tion. The possibility of public-private partnership in this sec-tor should be further explored for faster expansion of higher education, he asserted.

Mir said the Investment in education is important to build a new Jammu and Kashmir, symbolized by peace.

SRINAGAR, JULY 05:

Minister for rural Development Panchayati Raj, Ali Mohammad Sagar has asked the officers to ensure that the work on the prestigious Jamai Masjid beautifica-tion project is started so that the necessary beautification of this historic area is ensured.The Minister was speaking at a review meeting convened to discuss the status of vari-ous developmental works undertaken by the Govern-ment for ensuring the sus-tain development of Srinagar city.Divisional Commissioner Kashmir, Shailinder Kumar, Deputy Commissioner Srinagar, Farooq Ahmad Shah, Commissioner Srinagar Mu-nicipal Corporation, Dr. G. N. Qasba, Chief Engineer R&B, Mushtaq Ahmad Lone, and other senior officers LAWDA, UEED, JKPCC etc were present.The Minister directed the officers to speed up the work in the various projects undertaken by the government for

sustained development of Srinagar city. He said that they should work in close coordi-nation to ensure that the bottlenecks if any are removed and work gets on smoothly ensuring time bound completion.The Min-ister directed the Commissioner Srinagar

Municipality to ensure proper cleanliness and sanitation of the City especially in view of the tourist’s season and ensuing holy month of Ramadan. He said that the street lighting of the different areas should also be done besides ensuring proper beautifi-cation of the historic city. “ Sagar asked the officers of R&B to start macadamization of

the roads as has also been directed by the Chief Minister. He said that they should also carry out the necessary acquisition of various properties/structures at different places of the KZP road project, expansion project of Dastigir Sahib, Bul-Bul Lankar,

Naqashband Sahib and ensure that the people get the requi-site compensation. “A proper mechanism should also be put in place to ensure the follow up of the compensa-tion being given to various acquisition cases, which have been decided in previ-ous HLC meetings to in order to get the adequate feedback about the status of imple-

mentation of decisions on the ground level”, he mainatained. The Minister also directed the officers to speed up the pace of work on the heritage proj-ect of Zianakadal so that the area and its catchments get the necessary face-lift which would also serve to attract the tourists to this historic area.

SRINAGAR, JULY 5-

Minister of state for Industries and Commerce, Sajad Ahmed Kichloo, while interacting with a delegation of Artisans from Srinagar has said that the Handicrafts sec-tor is being given a big boost. As many as ten handicrafts clusters in Srinagar city have been set-up to promote vari-ous types of Handicrafts. A handicrafts cluster for Paper Machie has been set-up at Zadibal, Khatamband, Walnut Wood Carving and Cooper Ware cluster at Safakadal, Pashmina weaving cluster at Noor Bagh.

He said Handicrafts cluster of Leather products is being set-up at Chatabal, Kani Shawl cluster at Mandibal Narwara, Sozni at Batapora Shohama and Willow Wicker at Kachari Pirpora.

Kichloo said special

funds to the tune of Rs. 2.50 Cr have been earmarked for revival of Kani shawl, Silk handloom sarees and re-creation of Antique Pashmina Shawls. He said silk factory Rajbagh is also being revived at a cost of Rs. 2.50 Cr.

Kichloo said that artisans’ credit cards have been pro-vided to the artisans for easy access to Micro Credit and loan slab under Micro Financ-es of the artisans has been raised from Rs. 50,000 to Rs. 1 lakh without any mortgage and the interest subsidy has also been enhanced from 5% to 10%.Kichloo said, in order to bring qualitative and quantitative improvement in handicrafts, modern looms are being provided to all artisans, weavers in a phased manner. “About 2000 such looms have been distributed among the artisans”, Kichloo added.

Daily ZABARWAN TIMES NEWS Srinagar |Saturday 06 .7 .2013

Sagar for starting work on Jamia beautification

Dy CM convenes public meetings in border areas

JAMMU, JULY 5: To review and redress the public grievances at their door-steps, Deputy Chief Minister Tara Chand today conducted a series of public meetings at Khawta, Gajoogan, Serh, Lalldachobra and Panaya.

During these public meetings, the people projected various demands and problems of their respective areas seeking an early redressal to the same.

The issues raised by the people of these border areas included installation of electric poles, improvement in water supply, timely completion of ongoing development works, speedy execution of rural development works etc.

Interacting with the people on the occasion, Tara Chand said that it is the endeavor of the Government to provide all basic facilities to the people, adding that a well conceived programme has been devised to address all public issues in a phased manner. He said that provision for better healthcare, education, PHE and road connectivity are the priority sectors for the Government. He sought people's cooperation in effective implementation of all government schemes so that benefit could reach to the needy.

Tara Chand took strong notice of slow pace of progress on various works inspite of strict instructions to the concerned officers, issued earlier, and asked them to redouble their efforts to ensure timely completion of these vital works so that people may not have to suffer any more. Responding to demands and grievances of the people, the Deputy Chief Minister assured the people of vari-ous villages that their genuine issues would be considered and redressed in a time bound manner.The Deputy Chief Minister directed the officers to look into all the issues raised by the people of these villages and initiate necessary steps for erly redressal of the same.

E ++HHEAAL L HH5 ZABARWAN TIMES

SATURDAY | 06 JULY 20138 ZABARWANTIMES

You can style your wet hair

Styling wet hair after a shower can be quite an arduous task. We sug-gest ways you can style your mane, no matter what the length isIn case you are running late for work, give your heated styling tools a miss. Styling wet hair can be easily done at home and does not require much time. Says Sylvia Chen, a stylist, "The

key to achieving the desired wet-hair look is to ensure that you use the right styling products. Make sure you have shampooed and conditioned your hair, to get the ultimate wet-hair look. Use a leave-in serum to avoid the frizz."Style according to your hair type For naturally wavy to curly hair:

Those with waves or curls, tip your hair upside down. Then spritz beach texture spray on your hair from the roots to the ends evenly, and scrunch.This will give volume to your mane, lending a beachy look.For straight, long hair: If you have long straight hair, apply some leave-in serum on towel-dried hair. Use a wide-toothed comb to detangle your hair and let it dry. Once it's dried, use a paddle brush from the roots to the end to smooth out your hair.For curly medium to long hair: Apply some serum or a curl-en-hancing mousse on damp hair and comb through using a wide-toothed comb to detangle your hair. Divide your hair into four sections — two at the front and two at the back. Twist the random strands of hair from your roots to the end.For short hair: Apply a texturising spray onto towel-dried hair after shampoo and condition-er. Style or part your hair in the way you want and comb it.

Tips- For those with long hair, braiding can be another option. After sham-poo and conditioner, apply some smoothing serum on your hair, de-tangle using a small-toothed comb and then braid your hair. You can try doing a French braid or simply a normal one.- If you have to attend a meeting at work, apply a leave-in cream onto wet hair to prevent fly-aways. Detangle your hair using a wide-toothed comb and pull back your hair into a ponytail or a low chignon.- Apply a teaspoon of either an anti-frizz serum or conditioner to your hair and run it uniformly. Make sure it's not saturated or greasy or else your hair will end up looking oily and styling your mane will become difficult. - If you are leaving your wet hair down, always twist it around your fingers to keep it from drying out flat or turning frizzy.

Adequate sleep key to weight lossAdequate sleep is impor-tant for person to lose weight, and it should be added to the recommend-ed mix of diet and exercise, a new study suggests.Although calorie restric-tion and increased physical activity are recommended for weight loss, there is significant evidence that inadequate sleep is con-tributing to obesity.Lack of sleep increases the stimulus to consume more food and increases appe-tite-regulating hormones."The solution [to weight loss] is not as simple as 'eat less, move more, sleep more'," Drs. Jean-Phillippe Chaput, Children's Hospi-tal of Eastern Ontario Re-search Institute, Ottawa, Ontario and Angelo Trem-blay, Laval University, Quebec, Quebec, wrote.

"However, an accumu-lating body of evidence suggests that sleeping habits should not be over-looked when prescribing a weight-reduction pro-gram to a patient with obesity. Sleep should be included as part of the lifestyle package that traditionally has focused on diet and physical activity," Chaput

said.The authors' recently published research found that total sleep time and quality of sleep predicted the loss of fat in people enrolled in a weight loss program.The Canadian Obesity Network has included ad-equate sleep in its new set of obesity management tools for physicians.

Exercises to boost your upper bodyIf your exercise regime is only running, cycling or playing sports, then you need to pay attention. Our fitness expert, Arnav Sarkar gives you important facts that you need to know about keeping fit through routines that only focus on your lower body. Arnav says, "Your sport may rely mostly on lower body pow-er and endurance to help you win, but for overall health you need to work on your upper body too. Plus, it also helps with your per-formance to an extent."It is important that you get a full body workout, especially if you focus mostly on lower body fit-ness. Exercising your shoulders, back and arms can improve your posture, help you avoid injuries, strengthen abs and core muscles as well as tone and improve your body to engage in heavy exercises that requires you to use your legs. Hence, make sure to exercise different muscles of your body for fitness and strength.If you're an athlete your main focus is to tone and strengthen your legs, but working out the remain-ing muscles in your body can give you an edge to succeed. Common be-

lief is that added muscles can slow down the body, but lately this notion has changed. Muscle strength and endurance goes a long way in increasing athletic performance.When it comes to deciding which exercises to follow, Arnav Sarkar points out that you must 'focus on a few compound exercises that hit a lot of major mus-cle groups rather than do a lot of isolation moves that hit only one muscle.' He goes on to say that "This approach will save you time, as well as produce better results."Since your objective is bal-anced fitness that involves all body parts, your main objective is to work all body parts in equal doses. Arnav says, "Work equally on pulling as well as push-ing muscles of the upper body. For eg, if you do push ups (pushing), then make sure that you also do some pulling exercise like bar-bell rows. Work for both endurance and strength development, instead of focusing only on one. For eg you can do some heavy overhead presses in the 5-10 reps range and along with that do some high repetition sets of body-weight push ups, to get a

more complete training effect."Follow any of these 6 upper body exercises that should be a staple for your upper body training:1) Push ups: As Arnav puts it, push ups are "a great ex-ercise that hits the pushing muscles as well as the core. You can do them with your bodyweight for high reps and also do some advanced versions like one hand push ups, etc for low rep strength development."Note: Here's how to do push ups:- Place yourself face down with the palms on the floor. Place the palms wider than the shoulder-width, arms extended, legs straight and feet together or slightly apart.- Keep the neck, back & hips aligned and abdom-inals contracted. Do not arch the back downwards or upwards. Keep it flat like a table top.- Bend the elbows out-wards and bring the chest close to the floor. This is the initial position.- Push back upwards till the arms extend complete-ly and feel the contraction in the chest muscles.2. Military press: Good for building pushing strength, military presses are where you can focus on lift-

ing heavy and building strength.Note: Barbell is the most preferred equipment for military press, or you can also use dumbbells.- Raise the barbell to your chest with your hand shoulder width apart. This can be done by lifting the barbell straight from the floor or by lifting it off of a power rack.- Lock your legs and hips underneath you. Feet should be together.- Without using your lower body, lift the weight over-head.- Bring the weight back down to your chest in a controlled manner.3. Parallel bar dips: These are not for the weak mind-ed. Parallel bar dips are tough, yet extremely effec-tive in building important upper body muscle groups. As Arnav suggests, this is "A great upper body push-ing exercise that can be done with bodyweight or/also with added weights."Note: While Parallel bar dips essentially strength-en your triceps and chest muscles, if you can do them to full capacity, they end up shaping your en-tire upper body - including core. Here are a few tips to perfect your dips -

Forget botox, the new buzz word is "collagen", and this skin friendly protein that was being marketed in the form of supplements and as an important ingredient in creams and serums.The latest entrant in the anti ag-ing arena, however, is the collagen drink that is ap-parently a huge hit already. This drink claims to bring about a dramatic reduction in lines and wrinkles in a matter of days, so much so that women are already queuing up for this magic potion.Collagen supple-ments have been around for a while and though these claim to erase fine lines, wrinkles, stretch marks and cellulite and improve hair and nails, it is the drink that is big news now. As you

drink it, the protein that gives the skin strength and elasticity, watch yourself grow younger, say those who swear by the power of collagen.According to reports many celebrities are opting for the colla-gen drink now, which also claims to be many times more effective than supple-ments when it comes to replacing the skin's protein stores, since it gets directly absorbed into the blood stream.So it is perhaps time to bid goodbye to collagen marshmallows, tablets and supplements, as the drink which promises to plump up wrinkles in three days and wipe out all the sallow-ness that comes with age, is in many stores internation-ally.

Are you getting enough fruits?

Fruits are delicious, juicy, fun to eat and healthy in-gredients for great des-serts; but are you getting enough fruits in your daily diet? We use a lot of skin care products that boast of properties and vitamins from fruits, but why do we still select creams over natural fruits? Let's take a look at how many fruits you need to eat every day before you can say that you are getting enough fruits in your daily diet. Based on a study in 2010 reported by the Dietary Guidelines of America, you need 1.5 - 2 cups of fruits daily, but 'the amount depends on the number of calories per day recommended for your healthy weight.' (Via) Also, it is recommended that you

eat five servings of fruits and veggies a day, but it depends on your age and gender: Women between the ages of 19-50 should eat 7-8 servings, while men should eat 8-10 servings. And for those above 50, men and women should consume seven servings of fruits and vegetables a day. All this preaching is in good spirit. Fruits help fight cancer, obesity and heart disease. Fruits provide nu-tritional vitamins. Certain fruits contain a good amount of natural sugar and fluids, which also keep us hydrated. Fruits are rich in fiber, and are great for bowel move-ment and weight loss. It is also advised that you con-sume fruits whole, instead of skinned or juiced.

If you step on the scale several days after you give birth, then you will likely have one of two reac-tions - disappointment or complete horror - as your weight loss is either not as much as you had hoped, or in some cases, your weight might not have changed much. Almost all women will want to lose the weight which they have gained over the course of their pregnancy as soon as possible. How long it takes you to return to your pre-preg-nancy weight and shape largely depends on how

much weight you gained while pregnant; if you fol-lowed a regular exercise program, how healthy you ate and if you breastfeed or not. If you allow for a 3 month recovery period after giv-ing birth, then you should easily be able to get back to your pre-pregnancy weight within 6-8 months. As a general rule, you should be aiming to lose no more than 2lb a week. It might not sound much, but that adds up to a weight loss of a stone in less than two months. If you exercised during

pregnancy and had an un-complicated vaginal deliv-ery, it’s generally safe to begin light exercise within days of delivery — or as soon as you feel ready. If you had a C-section or a complicated birth, talk to your health care provider about when to start an ex-ercise program. Many new moms find ex-ercise the key to losing the baby weight, and studies support their experience. A 2007 Harvard Univer-sity study of new moms found that women who walked 30 minutes each day had a 34 percent lower

chance of retaining a sig-nificant amount of weight (defined as 11 pounds or more) at their baby’s first birthday. Research also shows that exercise helps new moms preserve mus-cle mass—and thus appear more toned—than moms who drop weight just by dieting. Here are some pointers to keep in mind when map-ping your post-pregnancy weight loss: Always check with a medi-cal physician before begin-ning any fitness programBe sure to keep the water flowing. Aim to consume half of your body weight in ounces a day Take your time and start off slowly-Drink at least 10-12 glasses of water every day. Keep healthy snacks handy such as raisins, popcorn, wheat crackers, and nuts. Eat lean meats such as boneless chicken and the leanest cuts of beef. Eat whole grains (breads, ce-reals, pastas) instead of the “white” versions Don’t be fooled by foods that are labelled as non-fat. Most are loaded with calories and can have hy-drogenated vegetable oils and/or high fructose corn syrup Resist the urge to indulge in a fast food meal.

Just dance and shed extra poundsProud of her newly ac-quired chiselled midriff, insurance professional Anubhi Jain is all gung-ho about her new passion: dancercise. Having got bored of her monotonous workout routine, Jain had almost decided to abandon exercising, until she was introduced to this interest-ing new concept of staying fit. Dancercise is a perfect recipe for those who love dance as well as exercise. Choreographer-dancer Nirali Someshwar says, "Exercise and dance, if looked at individually, tend to get monotonous after a point. That's why this form has become popular. It is also good value for money as you learn two things at one time." So, what does dancercise include? Someshwar ex-plains, "Basically it is a fusion of choreographed dance steps and exercises. The theory is based on in-dividual exercise for every muscle. For example, iso-lated belly dance includes 20 minutes of abs and hip exercise, followed by 45 minutes of belly-dancing. The session keeps on evolv-ing from start till the end, with each next step leading to the next one."

Bhangra aerobics incor-porates bhangra and hip-hop. Dancer Hrishikesh Pawar says, "We make these packages depending on what part of the body needs to be strengthened. For example, if contempo-rary dance is being fused with exercise, the areas of concentration are the legs since the dance form involves classical ballet. I usually start my classes with pilates and yoga as they increase flexibility." Aero-dance workshops that include cardio and floor ex-ercises mixed with western jazz, hip-hop or Bollywood is the current favourite of

marketing professional Shraddha Patil. She quips, "It's a lot of fun as it does not feel like exercise at all. And since we dance on the latest Bollywood and Hol-lywood hits, I feel like a performer." But are dance styles altered for the pur-pose? Dancer Purvi Mun-dada answers, "At times, we simplify the steps. We have to keep in mind that the people opting for these packages do not want to get involved in the intri-cacies of the dance styles. The idea is not to deprive people of the pleasure of dance and also give them a good workout." Zumba

is another fitness routine that combines aerobics with the Latin-American salsa and meringue. Dance trainer Soonruta Kothadi-ya says, "This form is also popular in many gyms. As it includes the entire body movements, it helps in los-ing weight faster. " Not just dance styles, martial arts too are being merged with exercise. Dance trainer Sanjay Sawant who teaches aero-fitness, a mixed form of martial art stretches and jumps with Bollywood, jazz and funk, says, "It's a complete freestyle fusion devoid of any disciplined moves."

How to lose weight after pregnancy

NATION DAILY ZABARWAN TIMES

7 SRINAGARSaturday, 06 July, 2013

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Mamata suspects Bengal is ruled by CPM, reiterates she would protest protests

Mamata Banerjee has said the West Bengal government has failed on so many accounts that it couldn’t be a Trinamool Congress government.

Last Sunday, when Kol-kata streets were flooded in just an hour of monsoon rain, Mamata said the Left was be-hind this. “First they clog the sewerage and the Communist Party of Monsoon or CPM in short starts raining,” her close aide told reporters standing in knee-deep water. He however said the government will uti-lize the water by inviting the Padma Hilsa to the Trinamool-ruled state. “We don’t say Tri-namool-ruled, please! We don’t rule. We are servants of the people and we prefer the word Trinamooled,” said Atamam-ul Huda, Trinamool spokesperson in fluent Bengali.

“I suspect the Left Front people are ruling the state. Our slogan is ‘Ma, Maati, Maa-nush’. Does this government look like it cares for any of the

three. Isn’t it clear that this gov-ernment is CPM conspiracy?” she wrote on her Faceheart pro-file. The Bengali word ‘book’ means heart, and adhering to her principle of opposing all things American, Ms Banerjee calls Facebook, Faceheart.

She agrees that she is the chief minister of Bengal but she says she does the politics of principles and not of partisan parties. “I have always opposed government policies. Oppos-ing anything and everything

is the essence of my politics. I will not stray from my prin-ciples just because I have be-come the chief minister,” she told reporters.In recent times, Ms Banerjee has opposed pan-chayat polls during Ramzan, American snooping program called Prism, Indian snooping programme called CMS, ris-ing chicken prices.“She even opposes the opposition to rape. When some women started protesting against the gangrape of a girl in Barasat, she quickly

protested against the protests,” said her close party colleague Shotrughan Mitra.

“Are all women in the state being raped,” she asked, ad-dressing a Trinamool Congress rally in North 24-Parganas’s Minakhan.“These channels have colluded with the oppo-sition and are running a smear campaign against the govern-ment. By doing so, they are dis-respecting the soil of Bengal,” she said. “They blame me for everything. Now, they are even blaming me for rape. As if it was I who went to rape... only if I were a man.”

The things she doesn’t op-pose, she abides only reluc-tantly. And judiciary is some-thing no one opposes, so when the courts recently refused to extend panchayat poll dates, she decided to abide by court orders but opposed the election commission.

“I will reluctantly abide by the order because it is a court order,” she told Trinamool

workers. And then got after the state election commissioner, Mira Pandey, whose was ap-pointed during the Left Front regime. The chief minister said: “I did not appoint her. Else, the situation would not have come to such a pass.”Not to be left behind, her loyal ministers have also understood the wisdom be-hind her opposition. Recently, a minister in her government accused the CPM of hiring rap-ists to rape women in the state to malign Mamata. She herself has said the media reports about West Bengal are untrue. She however could not name the rapist recruit-ment centres in the state.

Meanwhile, West Bengal has become the only state where chicken prices have not gone up since Mamata threatened traders with arrest if they sold chicken for more than Rs.150 per kilo. Salt prices are also in check. This report needs to be taken with a pinch of salt, as the line between fact and fiction has blurred in Bengal.

Congress, JMM move closer to govt formation in Jharkhand

NEW DELHI, JULY 4: Congress and Jharkhand

Mukti Morcha (JMM) today inched closer to government formation in Jharkhand, with Hemant Soren holding a long meeting with AICC general sec-retary B.K Hariprasad, who is incharge of Jharkhand affairs.

Hemant Soren, son of JMM leader Shibu Soren, who is tipped to be the next chief minister, along with senior JMM leader Champai Soren, held a two-and-a-half hour meeting with Hariprasad to work out modalities of the new coalition government which will work on a common minimum pro-gramme (CMP).

Sources said the announcement of the new government in Jharkhand could be made within a day or even by the evening as discussion on ministers and their portfolios took place during today’s meeting.

The CMP has also been discussed and final touches are being given.

The tribal-dominated state is under Presi-dent’s Rule since January 18 after the collapse of the Arjun Munda-led BJP government following

the withdrawal of support by JMM on January 8. Pres-ident’s Rule in the state is set to expire on July 18.

Congress has agreed to have a JMM chief minister in the state. In lieu, the re-gional party has consented to give a lion’s share of nine to ten Lok Sabha seats to Congress out of a total of

14 in the state.RJD chief Lalu Prasad has assured both JMM and Congress of his party’s support to a new government.

JMM and Congress, which have 18 and 13 MLAs respectively, need the support of 11 more legislators to form a government in the 81-mem-ber state assembly. RJD has 5 MLAs in the House.

CPI-ML (L), Marxist Coordination Party, Jharkhand Party (Ekka), Jharkhand Janadhikar Manch and Jai Bharat Samta Party have one member each besides an Independent.

Political uncertainties have dogged Jharkhand ever since it was carved out of Bihar in 2000 as the state has remained under President’s Rule thrice – 2009, 2010 and 2013.

Rajasthan BJP lead-er Kataria gets bail in

Sohrabuddin case

Senior BJP leader Gulab Chand Kataria and three other accused in Gujarat’s Sohrabuddin Sheikh encounter case got anticipatory bail on Friday.

The three other accused are Andhra Pradesh Indian Police Ser-vice officer N. Balasubramaniam, police inspector Shrinivas Rao, and R.K. Marbles director Vimal Patni.

Kataria is the second high profile politician to be named in the alleged fake encounter case after former Gujarat home minister Amit Shah.

Sohrabuddin was killed in 2005 after he demanded Rs.24 crore from Vimal Patni who sought Kataria’s help in view of the threat. Earlier, another BJP leader and former state president Om Mathur’s name was also linked to the case.

Proceedings against 3 JD-U MPs un-der anti-defection law withdrawn

Parliamentary proceedings against three JD-U MPs of Lok Sabha facing charges under anti-defection law have been withdrawn by Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar following a request by the party.Accepting JD-U request withdraw-ing its complaint against the MPs - Rajiv Ranjan Singh ‘Lalan’, Sushil Singh and Mangni Lal Mandal, Kumar on Thursday dropped the proceedings against them.

In a letter to JD-U Deputy Leader in the Lok Sabha Ranjan Prasad Yadav, joint secretary, Lok Sabha Secretariat, V.R. Ramesh informed him that the Speaker has “acceded to your request to withdraw the petition filed by you under 10th schedule of the Constitution (Anti-defection Law) against Rajiv Ranjan Singh ‘Lalan’, Sushil Singh and Mangni Lal Mandal.”Yadav had written the letter to the Speaker on June 22 requesting for withdrawing the earlier petition filed by JD-U seeking the disqualification of three Member of Parliament (MPs) on the charges of anti-party activities.

The JD-U’s decision came against the backdrop of changed political equations after it parted ways with BJP-led Nation-

al Democratic Alliance.Rajiv Ranjan Singh ‘Lalan’ belongs

to influential Bhumihar caste and was the state president of JD-U before he fell out with Nitish Kumar.Bhumihars are con-sidered a strong support base of BJP.

Sushil Kumar Singh belongs to an-other influential upper caste commu-

nity Rajput. JD-U’s arch rival Rashtriya Janata Dal has three of its four MPs be-longing to this caste.The agenda regard-ing the JD-U petition to disqualify three of its Lok Sabha MPs under the Tenth Schedule was pending for months with the Privileges Committee of the Lok Sabha chaired by P.C. Chacko.

Ishrat Jahan case: Digvijaya Singh seeks clarification from ShindeNew Delhi: Congress General

Secretary Digvijaya Singh has de-manded clarification from Union Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde on Ishrat Jahan case. He said a lot of questions have arisen about the case after the CBI chargesheet.

Asking Shinde to clarify wheth-er David Coleman Headley, an ac-cused in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack case, had said that Ishrat Jahan had terror links, he added that the NIA and CBI have given different statements on the case.

“NIA is saying something, IB is saying something and the CBI is saying something else. There should be clarity on what these government agencies are saying. Media sources should also be investigated. They are spreading panic in the nation,” said Singh.

The Congress leader met with Shinde on Friday morning to discuss the case and later said that the truth must come out.

The Union Home Ministry had prepared an af-fidavit in 2006 and submitted it in 2009 stating that

there were inputs on Ishrat being liked to terror group Lashkar-e-Toiba. However, the affidavit was changed later by the Home Min-istry.

According to the CBI chargesheet filed in an Ahmed-abad court on Wednesday, Ishrat and the three men with her were

killed in a fake encounter by the Gujarat Police, but the agency steered clear on whether she was a terrorist or not.

Singh met with Shinde on Friday morning to dis-cuss the case and later said that the truth must come out. “We have not said anything about Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi. Action should be taken against all those involved in the case, no matter how big or influential the person is. He said.

Meanwhile, the political rhetoric has intensified in the case. Congress leader Jagdambika Pal alleged that Modi and his aide Amit Shah had a role in the case after the statements of Gujarat police officers DG Ban-

jara and PP Pandey.BJP MP Yogi Adityanath said that India faces max-

imum terror threat in the world. “The government is worried about the terrorists where as it should worry about securing the country. Banjara’s statement was made under duress and Congress is targeting Modi,” he said.In its first chargesheet in the Ishrat Jahan en-counter case, the CBI on Wednesday said the 19-year-old girl along with three others - Pranesh Pillai alias Ja-ved Sheikh, Amjad Ali Rana and Zeeshan Johar - was killed in cold blood by the Gujarat Police on June 15, 2004.The CBI also told a court in Ahmedabad that the agency has evidence to prove that the four were ille-gally detained and kept in confinement. It added that Ishrat and the three others were tranquilized before be-ing killed.The chargesheet, however, remained silent on whether the four were terrorists. The Gujarat Police had claimed that Ishrat and three others were a part of a Lashkar-e-Toiba module which was planning to assas-sinate state Chief Minister Narendra Modi. But the CBI made it clear that it has found no evidence which can establish that they had come to Gujarat to kill Modi.

Mumbai cop Pradeep Sharma acquit-ted in Lakhan Bhaiya encounter case

Mumbai: A Mumbai sessions court has acquitted former en-counter specialist Pradeep Sharma in the Lakhan Bhaiya case. Ram-narayan Gupta alias Lakhan Bhai-ya, killed on Nov 11, 2006, was considered to be underworld don Chhota Rajan’s close aide.

Out of the 14 cops initially charged with mur-der, destruction of evidence and wrongful con-finement, all but Sharma have been convicted.

Bhaiya was picked up by Mr Sharma’s team from Vashi along with Anil Bheda and later elim-inated the same evening in an alleged encounter near Nana Nani Park at Versova in western sub-urban Mumbai.

Bheda, the key witness to the encounter, went missing from Vashi on March 13, 2011. His de-composed body was found by the Navi Mumbai Police on June 30, 2011.

Four days after Bhaiya’s kill-ing, the brother of the deceased moved the Bombay High Court al-leging that the encounter was killed in cold blood. The court ordered a magisterial enquiry on Feb 13, 2008.

The enquiry found that bullet that killed Lakhan Bhaiya was hit from point-blank range. Sharma was part of the squad that allegedly staged the encounter. The then Police Commissioner A N Roy had filed an affidavit tendering an apology in the case.

Pradeep Sharma was arrested in the Bhaiya case on Jan 8, 2010.

Sharma was involved in more than 100 en-counters in his years of service with the police. He was the first senior encounter specialist to be removed from active duty in 2008, after being ac-cused of having links with the underworld.

LK Advani meets RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat, says very positive for BJPAdvani, who sat side by

side with Modi for the first time in the BJP Parliamen-tary Board meeting in Delhi on Thursday after the Gujarat Chief Minister’s elevation, discussed party matters and national politics with Bhag-wat.

Sulking ever since the elevation of Narendra Modi last month, BJP leader LK Advani on Friday made a significant visit to the RSS headquarters in Nagpur and claimed his meeting with RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat would be “very positive” for the party and the national polity.

Advani, who sat side by side with Modi for the first time in the BJP Parliamen-tary Board meeting in Delhi on Thursday after the Guja-rat Chief Minister’s eleva-tion, discussed party matters and national politics with Bhagwat.

“This discussion will help us change the national polity considering that as-

sembly elections are being held in five-six states and Lok Sabha polls are also taking place. We will bring about change and take the nation in the right direction,” he said after his meeting with Bhagwat where another senior RSS leader Bhai-yyaji Joshi was also present.

“My visit to Nagpur will be very positive for the BJP and the country,” he added.

This was Advani’s first interaction with the media since he revolted against the appointment of Modi as the BJP’s Election Campaign Committee Chairman on June 10. He had resigned from all party posts but Bhagwat had intervened to make him re-consider his decision.

Subsequently, Advani met Bhagwat in Delhi dur-

ing which he was assured that RSS will hold regular consul-tations with him on the affairs of the party.

He said that his meeting was in the context of that assurance and that he had a “good discussion” with Bhagwat.

Advani said he may be a member of the BJP but ideologically he was associ-ated with the Sangh Parivar since the age of 14 years. “There will be continuous discourse between us,” he added.

If TV, mixers, grinders are promised to voters, country will go to dogs, says anti-freebies activist

Not satisfied with the apex court’s verdict Friday that un-der the Representation of the People Act, promising freebies to voters was not “corruption”, city-based advocate S. Subra-maniam Balaji said he would go in appeal.

The apex court held Fri-day that nothing under Section 123 of the Representation of the People Act barred political parties from promising voters freebies in their manifestos. However, the apex court bench, headed by Justice P. Sathasiv-am, asked the Election Com-mission to frame guidelines to restrain political parties from promising freebies to voters, so as to maintain a level playing field during the elections.

“I will go in appeal. If free-bies like colour television, mix-ers, grinders and other things are allowed (as part of electoral manifestos) the country will go to the dogs,” Balaji said.

Balaji had filed a petition against the freebies distributed

by the previous DMK govern-ment and the cur-rent AIADMK government in Tamil Nadu.

The free co-lour TV scheme was implemented by the previous DMK govern-ment as part of its poll promise in 2006, while its successor AIAD-MK government offered free mix-ers, grinders, fans and laptops for students, among other things.

Taking a cue from Tamil Nadu, political parties in other states too announced such free-bies in their poll manifestos.

If an individual candidate promised gifts for votes, it was termed as a bribe under the Representation of the People Act, and the same logic should

apply if a party in its manifesto did it, Balaji contended.

The Election Commission, in a letter to Balaji dated Aug 30, 2011, had clearly said: “The Commission also feels like you that the promise of such free-bies at government cost dis-turbs the level playing field and vitiates the electoral process.”

According to Balaji, the Election Commission, in the same letter, also said that as per the provisions of Section 123 of the Representation of the People Act, a declaration of a public policy or a promise of public action was neither a cor-rupt practice nor an electoral offence.

My meeting with RSS chief will prove positive for BJP, India, says Advani

Nagpur: Sulking ever since the elevation of Narendra Modi in June, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader LK Advani on Friday made a visit to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) headquarters in Nagpur and claimed his meeting with RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat would be “very positive” for the party and the national polity. Advani, who sat side by side with Modi for the first time in the BJP Parlia-mentary Board meeting in Delhi on Thursday after the Gujarat Chief Minister’s elevation, discussed party matters and national politics with Bhagwat.

“This discussion will help us change the national polity considering that assembly elec-tions are being held in five-six states and Lok Sabha polls are also taking place. We will bring about change and take the nation in the right di-rection,” he said after his meeting with Bhagwat where another senior RSS leader Bhaiyyaji Joshi was also present. “My visit to Nagpur will be very positive for the BJP and the country,” he added.

This was Advani’s first interaction with the media since he revolted against the appointment of Modi as the BJP’s Election Campaign Com-mittee Chairman on June 10. He had resigned from all party posts but Bhagwat had intervened

to make him reconsider his decision. Subse-quently, Advani met Bhagwat in Delhi during which he was assured that RSS will hold regular consultations with him on the affairs of the party.

The senior BJP leader said the meeting will help the BJP change its national policy for the upcoming assembly and Lok Sabha elections.

He said that his meeting was in the context of that assurance and that he had a “good discus-sion” with Bhagwat. Advani said he may be a member of the BJP but

ideologically he was associated with the Sangh Parivar since the age of 14 years. “There will be continuous discourse between us,” he added.